Sounds like an item on a Chinese restaurant menu, but it's the title for the new book written about Olympic curling champion Brad Gushue and his rink's journey to the top of the podium at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.
The book (Nimbus Publishing, $17.95) is just one of many things that have kept Gushue hopping from stop to stop like the politician he may one day become.
He also recently helped open a new company in St. John's, ACME Financial Services (the name owes something to the old Roadrunner cartoons), dealing in mortgages, investments and insurance.
Gushue took time from his hectic schedule recently to talk with Unplugged about taking the Big Apple by storm, a premier idea, and bringing sex appeal to curling.
What's your favourite story in the book?
My favourite part of the book is where people talk about where they were and how our win made them feel. There's a couple of pages in there from people all across Newfoundland and even different parts of Canada where they just talk about our win.
All the other stories we had been a part of or we had told (author) Alex (J. Walling). To read that, that was kind of a neat part of the book for me.
It's been different. It's been fun. I've got to experience a lot of things that I would never, ever experience.
I've been enjoying it. But it is an adjustment. The fact that you go out to a movie and people know who you are and want to come up and introduce themselves.
It is definitely an adjustment, but I wouldn't trade it because some of the experiences I've had have been truly incredible.
What have been the most incredible so far?
I've gotten to take part in the Juno awards .
.. to go down to New York City and experience that.
I'd never been to New York. I've been able to travel all across Canada. I've hit every province I think a couple of times so far this year.
It's been a lot of fun. We've been over to Switzerland. We've been able to do a lot of things we wouldn't have gotten to do if we didn't win the gold.
Did you get recognized in New York?
It was a funny story actually. After the first full day that we had in the city by ourselves, my wife and I decided to walk around and do some shopping.
We were walking down Fifth Avenue, it was basically right across from Trump Tower, I heard someone scream my name. And I never, ever thought that would happen in New York City, but a gentleman and his two sons had been down there from Toronto and noticed me and introduced themselves and got a picture taken. And I figured that would be it.
But we walked two blocks further and the same thing happened. A man and his wife from Winnipeg had recognized me.
What future objectives have you got in and out of curling?
Curling related, we just want to become as good as we can be, become more consistent and hopefully win a few Canadian championships or a Canadian championship, I should say, and maybe get back to the Olympics. On a personal standpoint, I just started a company with a couple of other guys and I'd love to see that become really successful, maybe down the road venture into politics or something like that. I have some different things in mind.
(little laugh) I think my chances will be pretty good right now, but it's definitely not the time for me. I have other things in my life I would want to achieve before venturing into that. I see that as something that will be 10, 15, 20 years down the road.
Are you thinking prime minister?
Umm, I haven't thought about it a whole lot, but if I did go into it I'd probably want to become Premier. It's something that I thought would be pretty cool.
I love Newfoundland and Labrador and I love being from Canada. Usually when I set a goal, I set it pretty big, so I guess if I was going to go into federal politics, I'd want to go all the way. And if I was to go into provincial politics, I'd want to go all the way, too.
If you could have any three people in history to dinner, who would they be?
Oh wow. Albert Einstein would be one.
Wayne Gretzky would be another. And I'm a big sports fan so I'd probably go with Tiger Woods for the third.
What's the biggest extravagance in your life?
I really don't have one, to tell you the truth. I'm not an extravagant guy by any means. If I can afford it, I'll get it.
If I can't, I won't. If I was going to splurge on anything, it would probably be a television because I'm a bit of a movie buff.
Is there a movie you watch when you're looking for a bit of inspiration?
There's a couple actually. One that I found real good is Miracle, about the 1980 U.S.
(Olympic) hockey team. Rudy is another one, and obviously the Rocky movies are very motivational.
If you were a promoter, what would you do to boost curling's popularity?
I would try and make the game a little sexier, I guess. Maybe change some of the clothing and just promote it that way. For some reason, we curlers seem to wear the most boring clothing you could ever imagine out on the ice.
You see sports like tennis and some of the other sports that have at least fashionable clothing. But curlers don't seem to go that route.
How far would you go with the clothing thing?
Are we talking muscle shirts?
Well, they would have to have muscles. That's the problem.
As long as it's functional, I don't think there should be any limits.
What's your favourite way to unwind?
Who would you cast in the lead role if a movie of the Brad Gushue Story was ever made?
(laughs) Wow. Can I pick two? I would have to say Ben Affleck.
But I think other people would say Keanu Reeves.
What's the worst job you ever had?
Probably a paperboy.
I got bitten by dogs.
When was the last time you cried?
At the Olympics, after the win, when I phoned home.
Yes. They range from young to old, to good looking to not good looking.
Who would we be surprised to learn is a really big curling fan?
Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo is a curling fan. Also, Stephen Harper is a big curling fan. After we won the Olympic gold, he called and said he watched us and actually met us back in 2004, and said he's been following our progress.
Did you say, `I want your job one day?'
(laughs) No. But I did ask him how the new job was going.
Too many to list. ..
. I rub my feet a lot. I always have cold feet so I'm just trying to warm them up.
My wife and my family absolutely hate it.
I guess the only superstition is trying not to be superstitious. I used to be superstitious to the point of wearing the same clothes to a game.
I tried to get away from that because it's no fun.
What's something you'd be embarrassed to let people know about you?
Our class did tap dancing in Grade 4.
I actually did tap dancing in the school concert.
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