Off campus cuisine: Couzie’s on Carnarvon

Couzie’s is a goodie!

By Natalie Serafini

Does cafeteria food fail to cater to your
taste buds? Not digging the Dougout?
Then grab your finest bib and try to
avoid drooling on the person next

to you, because we’re here.to offer
salvation for you students looking to
humble your hunger, without having to
wear out your shoes getting there.

Up the street and around the corner
from all the hubbub that is Columbia
sits a little cafe called Couzie’s. It’s

a small restaurant attached to a car
repair shop, which had me assuming
that the food would be mechanical,
but I’m happy to say that despite my
initial apprehension, Couzie’s is full of
pleasant surprises.

There’s graffiti on the outside,
abstract art deco on the inside, and red-
and-white walls plastered with Canucks
posters. In other words, Couzie’s
offers a rather eclectic decor. A large |
chalkboard lists their food selections:
All-Day Breakfasts, Panini, Burgers,
and $5 Poutine.

I decided to hit up Couzie’s for
lunch and had the Milano Panino
($7.44) while my associate had the

Veggie Breakfast Wrap ($5.57). The
food was delicious and served hot.

My friend made a note of the fact that
her wrap didn’t unwrap— definitely

a plus if you want to avoid using five
napkins in one sitting. We discussed
sharing a slice of their pies (they offer
lemon meringue and seasonal pies for
$3.99) but unfortunately they were

all out. Instead, we went on to split
two muffin tops (Seinfeld reference!):
The Orange Cranberry and the Apple
Oatmeal for $1.67 each. The Orange
Cranberry was very light with a subtle
zest, while the Apple Oatmeal had a lot
more substance to it. Both were equally
fantastic!

As cool as Couzie’s may be, there
are still a few things standing in their
way of greatness. Their hours are rather
awkward, open weekdays from 8 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m., weekends from 9 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m., and closed on Mondays.
They had also run out of a lot of their
menu when we went—there was no
pie, and the eggplant in my panino
was replaced with avocado. This was
probably just unfortunate timing on
my part, and isn’t a big deal unless you
have your heart set on pie, but it was

still a disappointment. The service was
also a little slow, but our waiter was
very friendly and the food more than
made up for it.

All in all, Couzie’s offers quality
food for reasonable prices. Lunch there
definitely fits into a student budget,
with meals that can add up to less

     

than ten dollars. Even better, Couzie’s
remains somewhat secluded from the
majority of the activity surrounding the
New West SkyTrain station, so there
weren’t any insane lineups. It’s a great
place to go on a break between classes,
or perhaps just to wait while your car is
being repaired next door.

 

Eating disorders: more than a food problem

The mental illness of ED can push its victims to new extremes

By Tabitha McCarl — Interrobang
(Fanshawe College)

LONDON, ON (CUP) — It’s 5:30
a.m.; I can’t get back to sleep. My body
aches all over, even though I take as
much Tylenol as I am safely allowed
(if not twice as much, most days) just
to get by. I tiptoe down the stairs to my
basement, trying not to wake my still-
_Sleeping family, and start my two- to

 

three-hour run on my treadmill. I know
that I should stop, especially since I'll
be going for an hour (or longer) swim
at the YMCA that evening, after I’ve
completed my four-hour shift at work
and my schoolwork. I have decided

to treat myself and eat half a carton of
strawberries for dinner. That is all that
I will eat today besides water and the
orange that my parents will monitor me
eating after my morning shower. I will

cry three times for various reasons, or
no reason at all.

My parents’ eyes are full of worry
every time I look into them, sometimes
brimming with tears after our daily
argument over what I eat.

This is what almost every single
day of my life looked like three years
ago. No, I wasn’t trying to fit into a
special dress. I was anorexic. I devoted
almost a year-and-a-half of my life to
making the number on my bathroom
scale go down. After a few months
of this mission, the devotion was no
longer my choice.

Many people believe that those
with eating disorders are taking vanity
to new extremes. In reality, the eating
disorder has pushed its victim to
new extremes. People also believe
the misconception that fad dieting is
harmless, but if the circumstances are
right, that two-month summer boot
camp can turn into something that will
change your life forever.

While their weight is the main
focus of those with disordered thinking,
countless other issues are present as
well. Depression, self injury, self hate,
obsessive compulsivity, perfectionism,
thoughts of suicide, strained
relationships at work and in school
life; these issues (and many others)
can all come wrapped in the same
package as the eating disorder (ED).
Some researchers say that malnutrition
and stress cause such problems, while
others say the ED is formed partly

because some of those issues are
already present. Whatever the case,

up to 80 per cent of those with eating
disorders suffer from major depression,
25 per cent self-injure and almost 40
per cent attempt suicide.

There are many contributing
factors related to the formation of an
ED, but definite causes have never. ~
been established. Major life changes,
like moving away from home for
the first time, low self-esteem, a bad
family life, personality disorders and
cultural expectations are a few of the
contributing factors for some people.

Most people suffering from EDs
refuse treatment, not just because they
fear weight gain, but because they fear
losing control over their lives. Eating
disorders have the highest mortality
rate of any mental illness, which is why
recovery is so crucial. Often, treatment
and recovery aren’t possible unless
family and/or close loved ones are part
of the process. Eating disorder support
centres offer an array of resources and
supports for those who know someone
with an ED. It can be nearly impossible
to persuade someone with the illness
to receive treatment without proper
knowledge of what the disorder really
entails.

To read about what ED rehab
programs are available for you or a
loved one, visit www.canadadrugrehab.
ca/Eating-Disorder-Treatment.html,
which lists treatments by province.

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