Monique Polak

What, you may ask, do pressed pennies and Beijing noodles have to do with each other? If you've been reading my blog this week, you'll know that I am doing a story for Maclean's about people who collect pressed pennies. Well now, I've got another story to juggle. Because the Beijing Olympics begin next week, the Gazette wants to run a story about Beijing-style cooking in next Wednesday's paper -- to coincide with the opening of the games. So, I'm on my way to Chinatown to visit a restaurant called... Beijing!

Also, since I've been researching Asian cooking this morning, I have found a couple (literally) of Asian cooking teachers who live in Montreal. Tomorrow, I'll interview the husband, Levi To -- he and his wife run LTM Cooking School. I was just looking at their website, and it had an inspiring quote. I suppose it was meant to be about cooking, but it applies to writing, too. So here it comes: "To follow, without halt, one aim: there's the secret of success." Interesting, don't you think? So if you want to write -- or do anthing else for that matter, such as learn to cook Beijing-style -- you've got to do it without halt, and focus on your aim. Sounds about right to me!