Okaes, so Hong Kong hasn't changed one bit. Breath in, smell the stale air... walk out, prepare to shuffle through the people. But it's all good... all the food and shopping is keeping me happy at the moment.

I have decided to rebel against society here though... instead of being a pale petite asian, I set out to be suncooked not-so-petite asian... I found that this, along with a "sorry?" when bugged by an overly eager shop keeping whilst shopping, will ensure they give you a little peace whilst you are browsing... I guess it requires just as much effort for them to speak to me in english as it is for me to speak to them in chinese.

Anyways, I've doen the relos thing, and so now I commit myself to catching all my honkie friends and eating some more.

I just wrote to a friend from home, I told her (in disbelief whilst typing) that I will be seeing her NEXT WEEK!

Yep, thats right, will be hitting the Aussie shores next week.
Please remember to keep Friday 22nd October free for the annual Opera Bar piss-up!

Stung by the Travel Bug

I like to think that I am a traveller and I was - until today.I spent the last few days in Prague.. one of the most romantic cities in the world, so they say.. but it didn't really do it for me. There was a few nice building, but everything else was as touristy as it can get.. which worked out well since I spent most my time pushing and shoving threw the tourists. Okays, so it wasn't that bad, but when I travel, I find that I like to keep away from the busy city areas. Atm I am in Cesky Krumlov, a small and quaint medieval town three hours outside of Prague... It is tiny, and almost boring.. we sussed out the whole place in half a day, but it has also provided me a bit of a breather since I ahve left Toronto and London. Christina and I have been doing a lot of picnics by the river.. the weather has been gorgeous for that, and doing a lot of chilling in resturants and cafes, and I have also started ready again. A break like this is always nice.

In a way, I feel like I am getting a bit sick of travelling though. I hoep thsi is onyl a temporary thing, as there are so many more places I'd like to visit... at the moment I am sick of packing everyday, staying at dodgey hotels (Christina encountered a bad case of bed bugs in Prague, luckily I managed to escape,but my fingers are kept bsy with all the mozzie bites I've had!)... I guess I am in transition stage from leaving a home I have made in TO, to getting back to my home in Sydney.

Prior to the Czech Republic, I also spent a few days in London. London is really Sydney. I met up with a few friends from Sydney, and met all their friends, also from Sydney. Our coversations revolve around where we lives and who we knew in Sydney, how great Sydney is, and how everyone wants to stay in London (???). It was nice seeing so many old friends again, but admitedly, I was a bit daunted by it all. Firstly, the Aussie accent has never been so apparent to me as now, it was so surreal, speaking with a bunch of Aussies in the same twang. Secondly I have been so far removed from the IT/Consulting world it was weird to once again hear about it all... and last of all, the whole drinking/clubbing culture... which I feel I am being drawn back into after a nice long break away. It's almost as if I've hit Sydney prematurely in London, and I'm technically still on my one year break!

I can't help wondering how different I would have been going to London rather than Canada. Would I have changed? Or more interesting, have I changed?? At the moment I am thinking that Canada has done me a world of good!

Anyways, would love to hear it from someone who has gone away and returned home again.

I don't know what I am more afraid of... going home and finding everything has changed, or going home and finding nothing has changed.

You can never prepare yourself enough in saying good-bye. I think I ahve over-estimated myself too many times in this area.

My last few weeks in TO has been a series of tasks - work, last minute catch up, drinks, dinners, shopping and tying up loose ends etc etc... so miuch so that is made it quite convenient to forget what it was all for. I'm flying out of a city that has been home to me for the last 7 months, and it hasn't hit me yet.. although my luggage is all packed and ready at home.

Canada is a great country, but I think I have done everything I have set out to do here. I've travelled... I've rekindled old friendships as well as made new... I've partied... I've worked in various jobs that I would never have done at home... I've roughed it, cried, laughed... and I've spent a shitload on shopping.

I think I'm pretty much ready to leave this country, the only thing holding me back is all the relationships I've made here... all the people who have been my family and friends. From a city that meant nothing to me but work opportunities, to a city full of close friends... how things change!

I'm trying to think how sad I was when I left Sydney one year ago... and to tell you the truth, I was more excited than sad. I guess I take my family for granted, but it's also the fact that the lifestyle I left behind can be easily resumed with a few minor changes. Home is always home. I'm really feeling the different as I leave TO.

Thank god that although cities stay, people are able to move... the world is not as big as it used to be.

Thanks for the people in TO for topping my year off, and thanks for all my friends at home who have always lent an ear when I most need it!

At the moment this city is packed with celebrities and parties as the Toronto Film Festival is at play. I never was one to make a big deal about celebrities, partly because I refuse to give them the attention that so many fans unconditionally smother them with.

But when just a stroll home opens an opportunity for a prime position right next to a red carpet at a large broadcasted celebrity party, my pride was tempted with the story I could publish on this very blog. So I sacrificed myself for you guys, and agreed to stand in an exclusive area right next to the red carpet.. with the catch being that I stay there for at least 20 mins.

So I find myself right at the barrier, within grabbing distance of any celebrity that may stroll up the red carpet. My mind was spinning with possibilities of exciting news that could lift my blog from the boring updates I have been posting lately. But the only celebrity I saw as an old dude that was meant to be a local newsreader (so someone explained)... and whoever was being interviewed on the big screen at that time. Not only was I jipped of celebrity sitings, everytime a stupid camera rolled by, I was instructed to scream and cheer so that I can be broadcasted live on TV like another one of "those" fans who have nothing better to do with their time than stalk celebrities.

Speaking of stalking, I cannot for the life of me pronounce it with a Canadian accent... or with any accent that these Canadians can understand anyways. It usually takes me an average of 5 repeats before some understands me!!!

Anyways, a little more exciting was the World Cup Hockey Semi-Finals that I went to watch between Canada and the Czech Republic. Appropriate since I am in Canada and will be visiting the Czech in the next 3 weeks. Tickets were so difficult to find and probably sold out a year ago... but lucky us, we were given free tickets by a patient of Gord's. So I got to experience the ultimate Canadian experience... sitting in the ACC, watching an World Cup Game of the nation's most followed sport. It was a really close and exciting game... where Canada won in overtime. I did well in terms of not embarrassing Gord with my clueless cheers... he made me memorise key players and their numbers.. he got excited when I practised my cheering when lead-up games were covered on TV, but was horrified when I yelled "yah, we won a point!"... I was promptly corrected... how was I to know that you "score goals" in hockey and not "win points"?? But I think I did good at the actual game, I even got a bit of the flag waving action going... and the fact that it was a home game meant that I was always safe in cheering when the rest of the stadium was cheering!

The victory spilled onto the streets of the city where people celebrated by jamming the streets, honking horns and high-fiving anyone you came across. This lasted for at least 3 hours!

Anyways, lotsa of excitement, but this week has also brought the realisation that I will be in fact leaving in 2 weeks which dampens the mood a bit!

The summer that never was...

New photos have been posted up. There's photos from my Montreal girly trip, my roadtrip with Christina, and just photos from various Toronto outings.

For the random followers of this blog, you may be confused with the references to Sigma Caillou in my comments. They're just a bunch of really cool chicks I hang out with, and we often joke about being in a soroity and incorporating it. So we have extended it as far as having a position and responsibilities etc etc. Recently I have been promoted from "The Recruit" to "Overseas Correspondent" for obvious reasons. As silly as it sounds, these girls are a bundle of laughs.

Hmm.. so whats new for this week? I went to a party themed "Playboy Mansion" (where I went as Sarah Jessica Parker and rubbed shoulders with Paris, JLo, Britney and such guests), caught up briefly with Milli and Terence when they were in town, tried out Jamaican food which wasn't bad at all (considering I was rather skeptical with the Ox-tail dish) and had a few many BBQs as these Torontonians are savouring the last of summer. But mostly, I have been sleeping heaps... partly coz I was sick last weekly, and partly coz I'm just plain lazy!

27 days to go...

... and sad to be leaving. I've been a bit quiet of late because I haven't really had any stories to tell. Been chilling out a lot... after Christina and I came back from the roadtrip, we did a lot of eating so that Christina will be well stocked for her next journey of being a true backpacker with a diet of museli bars and miso soup.

Another friend Chris from my uni days is also here for the month on a business trip, which was quite a surprise. So we have been re-acquainting ourselves with the constant payouts we dished in uni. He is also living in some really swish apartments, on the weekend we went over and played virtual golf... which meant we were hitting the balls on to a wall of material, where there was a projection of a fairway. Man, if you think real golf is hard, virtual golf is twice as hard! I think we took hours just to play 2 holes, and had no hesitation in prematurely calling it quits.

Milli and Terence are also in town for one short week... so will be catching up with tonight with a bbq on Chris's roof-top patio. I think these are my last visitors... which brings the count to a grand total of 13 in Toronto! I feel loved! *beam*

Being my last month in TO, I finally have my flights organised. It's sad, and I have been going through a number of mixed feelings, but hey, I guess I gotta leave some time!

So... will be flying out of TO on the 27th Sept, and will be heading to London, Prague and Hong Kong before arriving home on the 20th October. You guys should pencil in the 22nd October for another drunken episode at the Opera Bar (for old times sake!).

Anyways... for people in the land of Oz, enjoy the first day of Spring. I am so looking forward to coming home to a decent summer!

5,500 kms later...

We're back to where we started from.. TO!

Well, our three week road trip was cut down by 5 days, partly because it was too expensive and near impossible to make it out to the Magdalen Islands (owned by the province of Quebec and very french influenced)... it was a shame, but we were a little bit sick of the scenic drives, especially after we saw the best scenery in Novia Scotia, Canada's most eastern province). A good thing we left early too, since Cyclone Charley caused some areas of New Brunswick to flood after we drove through it on the way home.

Some of the highlights of the trip was:
- Quebec City - this has got to be the quaintest town outside of Europe
- Fundy Bay, New Brunswick... home to the world's highest tides. I even got to walk on the ocean floor at low tide, which was nothing more than slippery red rocks... but hey, when the tide is low, is at least 1km off the coast!
- Our expensive lobster dinner in Halifax, complimentry of Gord who gave us money for food incase we starved ourselves to meet budget.
- The Lighthouse Trail on the eastern-most coast of Nove Scotia, Ontario. On the drive we saw the most amazing coves, lighthouses and small fishing towns... some which are very European influences, others that are just colourful and quaint.
- The Calbot Trail which the famous coastal drive around Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Here we had fantastic views of the the Ocean and great cliffs, took us two days to do it since we stopped so often for photos. The small town we stayed in overnight had the best sticky buns... hmmm...
- Being able to drive after nearly 10 months. Even if it meant constantly on the road for 16 days driving nearly 5,500km... we did well in navigating through the mishmash of highways.. driving on the otherside of the road and proving our talent in guessing what french road signs said.

So these are the highlights, but there was so much more. On the way home from the roadtrip, we stopped in Montreal (my third visit!) for a few days. Funny, everytime I go, this city offers me something different. The first time I went with the boys, we saw all the flashy cars in town for the Grand Prix, the second time I went with the girls it was all shopping, drinking and partying, and this time with Christina, there was a lot of chilling out. We discovered new areas.. our fav being the Latin Quartier, where there was a lot of funky cafes and stores... although we did miss out on eating frogs legs... its always there when you don't want it, but never available when you do!

We also stumbled on this annual festival for graffiti art and breakdancing, and it was a total eye opener to mingle with the "street" community and see all talent there is out there. Doesn't make me like hip hop any more, but I do have more an appreciation of breakdancing and graffiti walls.

Our trip also introduced Christina to the North American diet of fast foods.. being a health freak, this was all new to her. But we made our rounds, and she was quite impressed. This meant, for Christina's sake our, diet for the 16 days mainly consisted of fast food and soft serves. My body was less impressed.

The less exciting aspects of the trip has got to be some of the small towns we crashed in after a long day's drive. Some of them were so dull we just stayed home and read. But I must say, the rule of thumb in Canada is, the more east you go, the nicer the people. Cars will stop without doubt for you to cross, even on a major road... I've often been surprised to see a build-up of cars waiting for me when I was merely standing there pondering where to go next.

Anyways, I could go on forever, but I'll refrain. I have the rest of the week of before I return to my old job. I do have a few friends in town besides Christina, so there will be a lot of food and a lot of catching up no doubt.

Will keep you posted and will post photos sooner or later.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

I've gone through the 3rd province now, and is now onto the 4th Province.. Halfiax, Nova Scotia.
WIll be heading up north to do the Cabot Trail tomorrow. Will write more when I get a chance!!

Roadtrip Days 1 - 3

Yep, one day after getting back from Baby's First Steps, I left for my roadtrip with Christina. It's amazing, give 2 girls a car and they can fill it up with junk, no probs! Our new home for the next 3 weeks is in the form of an aubergine Chrysler Sebring... only 3 days into the trip and it's already like a jinkyard! This is definately backpacking in luxury!

Our first stop on the radotrip was none other than the nations capital - Ottawa. The city was easy going and friendly with a twon-like feel. The architecture was very European and Christina was surprised at how sexy the Canadian-French tongue was (the sound, not the feel).

Whatever culture and European novelty offered by Ottawa was magnified by Quebec City. Part of the UN's World Heritage list, every street in Quebec City held charm and history. It felt everything European from the street entertainment and music, the arrists, to the bistros, eateries and guesthouses. Our timing was immpeccable as we arrived the weekt hey had their Fete de la Nouvelle-France where they celebrate french settlement by dressing in period costumes, and re-enacting a lot of the lifestyle and providing typical stalls and performances on the cobblestone streets. This was all jolly and fine, but street closures and tight maze-like layout of the city meant 1.5hrs of circulating with absolutely no idea how to get to the hostel. It was frustrating, but when we finally dumped the car, it was wel worth it!!!

Baby's First Birthday

The reason why Sigma Callou decided to grace the city of Montreal with our presence. For those who are confused, Sigma Callou are my girlfriends from TO... they call themselves that coz they have a mock sorority thing going which is a barrel of laughs. Everyone has their role, and I have been taken under their wing as "The Recruit" (with the intention of converting me from my innocent self before I leave the shores of Canada).

Anyways, it was one of the younger girl's birthday birthday, so we decided to let the baby take her first steps in Montreal with a lot of drinking, eating, partying and shopping... a typical girly adventure. We drove up in a van "The Pussy Wagon" we even had the keychain to go with the theme... on the car ride up, we accidently came across the bday girl's tape recording from when she was a kid... of her pretending to be an MC and then a 20 minute medley of singing. It had the whole Pussy Wagon in stitches and muscle spasms from laughing!

The first night, we drank so much before clubbing, we were too wasted to club. The next night was better though, and we checked out the party scene... and the cute french canadian boys.. hmm... and ofcourse, we ate ourselves silly. I tried Beef Tata... basically raw beef mince marinated in alcohol and juices. Hrmm... I think I had an overdose of raw meat though!

So much fun, since the girls back at home never get together and do these trips. One of the girls was even a newly wed, and she made the effort to take time out to come!!

We're going on a roadtrip...

Two girls, a car... and 3 weeks through five provinces of Canada's east.
Don't try to track us down.




I'm heading to Montreal with 5 other girls first for a long weekend of wild partying (trust me, with these girls, it will be wild!). Then the day after I get back, I'm starting my roadtrip with Christina. So I'll only be checking internet here and there. I'll be sure to have stories. Can't wait!!!

Hey now, hey now... don't dream it's over...
 
It's been a long week for me, but it's a good week, so I can't complain. The girls hopefully had a good stay... they spent most of their time shopping as TO doesn't really host the most interesting tourist sites. I'm surprised how much they bought despite it being one of their first shops on their RTW ticket. Let me tell you, although it is exciting having visitors, it's exhausting thinking of all the things you can do with them or take them to.

Toronto is having The Beaches Jazz Festival though, where the main street near a very yuppy but funky area (The Beaches) is closed off and all these musicians set up along the street performing some great music. The atmosphere is meant to be really good, but unfortunately the night we went was raining, and some of the guys were more keen on clubbing than enjoying the festivities (god knows why).

On the weekend, I went back to The Beaches where they have heaps and heaps of courts for people to rock up and play volleyball as long as they have a net. I was a bit skeptical at first, even mocking the fact that they call this strip of dirt a beach... I guess it's the arrogant Sydney girl talking here. But surprisingly, in good weather, "the beach" actually looked like a beach to the untrained eye. Ofcourse, it's unparallel to the Aussie surf, but decent enough for a city that has no access to ocean. The guys were teaching me how to play for a little while, and the next day, I was barely able to get out of bed! Even nodding my head was painful!

Last night we went to another concert, good old Finn Brothers (think Neil Finn in Crowded House). It was a good concert, but I was a bit upset they didn't play my favourite song "Don't Dream it's Over". We also had some difficulties understanding their NZ accent.. what can I say, it's been a while. Oh, the opening act was an english woman in way bright clothing topped off with huge flowers on either side of her head (ie. bad dress sense)... anyways, one moment she's singing, and the next thing you know, she's tripped over a speaker, landed with a huge leg sprawl front on, with her heels flung in different directions! Classy!

Speaking of accent, I called Zurich the other day to check my insurance coverage, and the guy that I spoke to just blew me away with his accent. He sounded so Occa! I guess it's more noticeable when it's coming from someone you've never spoken to before. My arrival back to Australia will be very interesting.

And lastly, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this coming home business. I guess it's speaking to people back at home, answering questions of when, what, where etc etc... and having my friends here trying to convince me to stay. With visas, work etc to worry about, it's not as easy as they think. Some of my friends have even offered to put my resume forward, but having taken a year off from proper work, I'm not willing to take just any job in order to stay... although some of the options are very good if I wanted to change fields. Anyways, just got thinking because there has been a few reminders of home lately... good and bad.

One thing is for sure though, I am definately hitting Sydney in October... dear old friends are getting married (much to my confusion), but I'm only thinking as far as that. And yes... embrace yourselves for a big drinks night!

The Landing of the Pink Elephants
 
My highschool friends Christina and Bianca arrived this week... and for those who don't know, Cheltenham Girls was known as the "Pink Elephants" for the pink uniform we had. Anyways, was so excited to them... even though they had to wait in my lobby coz I wasn't home!
 
Being their only weekend in town, we took them on a night out to a new club called Lucid... this club was pretty impressive. It had 3 floors, and many different rooms with all types of music. Navigating through the rooms were like navigating through a high tech space ship in a hollywood sci-fi... plasma screens, balconies and glass walls everywhere.. they even had an escalator in the club! The only thing they didn't have was ventilation.
 
The girls were quite impressed with the Entertainment district, all the streets were buzzing with people, huge line-ups to clubs were spilling onto the street... it was all a bit like when Sydney hosted the Olympic Games.
 
They were also impressed with the shops...we spent all of Sunday just shopping... my calf muscles were not thanking me for it, thats for sure. Anyways, there is lotsa fun to be had till the end of the week when they fly off to NYC. But when Chrtistina returns to TO, the two of us are hiring a car and doing a 3 week road trip through 5 provinces (states) on Eastern Canada... I'm so looking forward to getting behind a steering wheel again!
 

Cars and Concert
 
You know you're tired when you can sleep through car race noises whilst sitting on aluminium seats in the sweltering heat. Basically, that was my experience at the Indy... I went clubbing the night before and had 4 hours sleep before Bill dragged me out in his excitement to see the races. It would have been good had I stayed awake, I am sure.. but I basically missed the qualifying which I went for. I did however see most the Trans-Am races, which was admittedly interesting. Anyways, it was an experience.
 
Last night I went and saw Nellie Furtado in concert... we bought tix for only $10, bargain! But talk about teeny-boppers, there were so many young girls there... which worked out to be a feast for the boys I went with *rolls eyes* Besides the four songs that had hit the charts, everything else was a bit too boppy and energetic. I really liked the top she was wearing though! =P
 
 
 
 

An unlikely occurence...

Yep, finally took the plunge and uploaded my photos.
It was a bit of a rush job, so I'm sorry if the photos aren't in order, flipped wrong way up and given cheesey captions.

At least I got it up, right?

http://community.webshots.com/user/andreahitscanada2

... and my roomate Bill says, if any one of my good-looking chick friends is interested, he'll be home for 3 weeks in October and his appointment calender needs filling. (I've already barred him from all my chick friends here)

Summerlicious

If you ever visit TO, make it summer. In winter, everyone is sluggish, and the only pastime is lounging and drinking. In summer, it's like the whole city is alive with festivals of all sorts... every weekend.

We have something called "Summerlicious" happening at the moment (god, you didn't think I came up with such a cheesey title myself, did you?) where all these fancy resturants offer cheap 3-course menus, a bit like Sydney's Good Food Month, which I will miss this year may I add! =( Needless to say, we have been doing a bit of dining of late.

This weekend is the Toronto Street Festival, where they close off major intersections of the world's longest street (Yonge St), and they have all sorts of food, music and parties happening. So I will be going to that since it's is one street away from where I live. Yonge St also hosted the Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival a few weekends back... watching big burly men in g-strings and bondage gear is always interesting, so I went with the boys to get some fashion tips... not.

The Molsen Indy is also in TO this weekend, and I'm going to check out the qualifying races on Saturday which will be very cool... I'm not one for cars, but I loved watching Fast & Furious (for more reasons than just Paul Walker), and I think being there noise, burnt rubber and all would be quite exciting.

But other than that, I have been extremely chilled. Probably because being ultra busy at work just drains it out of me. I've only got about 2 months left in TO, so I am organising to travel around the East Coast with a high school friend. The two of us are going to hire a car for three weeks and do a Thelma & Louise roadtrip.. can't wait!

Anyways, that's my dismal update for now. Whats happening back at home?

Rubbing shoulders on Broadway

Besides the absence of the World Trade Centre from the skyline, New York City has not changed much since my last visit 4 years ago. The gawdy yet exciting flashes of neon light on 42nd Street, the 101 different tacky tourist attractions, the dirty gum stained sidewalks, the stuffy subway system which is the sole source of the city's confusion, and the millions and millions of people you have to rub shoulders with. But having said that, it is an exciting city... there are plenty of opportunities to observe the quirky characters, and to give yourself an ego boost... there are other people out there who are much larger... bodysize-wise than you. And there are plenty of places to explore provided your feet will hold you up.

Meeting up with Adrian was good too... haven't seen that boy for so long... didn't realise I missed paying him out so much! He's my sugardaddy for the week, he was reluctant at first, but then I told him this was the only chance he had in being anyones sugardaddy, and he relented.. ha! so easy! The only thing was, the hotel he was staying in for work is miles and miles away from Manhatten... methinks it's the equivalent of Penrith to Sydney. And the commute to NYC and back takes me at least an hour one way (more than my commute from West Penno to the city!), and US$36 a day! So there was one day I just stayed in the 5-star hotel and did absolutely nothing but bum... which was much needed, I must say. Whilst Adrian was working, I spent my time exploring different areas if town. The Gugenhiem Museum was the only touristy thing I did really, and I watched a Broadway musical - Fame which was absolutely fantastic! Other than that, just a lot of milling on my own. I finished off my trip with a visit to the Ground Zero site... I was expecting a nice memorial, photos and flowers, but it was only a large construction zone where the World Trade Center used to be, and a few scaffolded buildings... I guess it means that they are on their way to development.

Methinks this will be my last visit to the U.S.... it just doesn't do it for me. But then again, whats the bet that I'll be back again?

Boston

I think I'm losing my touch... I used to be able to be able to sit on public transport 2.5 days straight... but these days, even 10 hours in a car is painful. But that was how long it took us to drive to Boston, I was nearly crazy by the time I got there at midnight, Friday night... so what happens, we step inside the door of the friend whom we were staying with, threw down our luggage, and was told to get dressed and get out. In no time at all, we were in a club in suburban Boston where we had 1/2 hour of fun before the club closed at 1am (what the?). Yep, all clubs here close early... even the downtown ones which close at a whopping time of 2am *gasp*. Actually, I shouldn't complain since I was buggered as.

The next day, we tried our best to see the sites of the city... I have to say, I was a little dissapointed. There was more construction than there was in Sydney, the paths were dirty and gum-stained, and I don't think I saw an even road at all when I was there... crossing the road was as hazardous as lying in front of a moving car. Some of the buildings were quite nice though, and the whole city had a old vs. new contrast about it, with historic buildings set against a backdrop of glitzy skyscrapers.

Our fave on Boston? The Boston-famous lobsters... you knew it had to do with food!

Out of Office Notice...

Peoples,
Will be out of TO this week. Will return on the Sunday 27th June.
Please don't call unless it is an emergency, roaming calls are expensive!
Thanks!

Match Made in Heaven...

... fast cars and beautiful people... making Montreal the most scenic city in Canada! Oh, and the city itself is nice too... felt like we were transported to Europe for the weekend. The classic architecture, the french tongue, and the abundance of quaint eateries and nightlife was all part of the appeal. And the bustle of the city was a very relaxed holiday feel without losing the fast pace, a noticeable difference to the usual stressful pace of a working city like Toronto.

The weather was perfect, full sun and warm weather both days... we spent every meal on a patio, making full use of the weather and the scenery... if you know what I mean *wink*

I haven't seen so many beautiful people in one place... everyone looks like they've walked straight off the cover of a fashion magazine. The guys fitted right in with their striped shirts (yep, it's still the go), but us girls found the pleated mini skirts a little too much (or too little for the matter), and were probably the only ones in Montreal who shunned the fad.

Being Grand Prix weekend, the city was even more party town than usual. Streets were closed off, bars and resturants were spilling with people, and there were streets of fine cars on display. Imagine walking down a street with no less than 40 Porsches parked on the side. Every direction you looked, there would be cars worth 100 times more than everything I owned, and ofcourse, beautiful people driving them. Even old people were fashionable and good looking in Montreal!

Other joys of the trip was having to shower in the mens bathroom... we stayed at a college which happened to be a single sex male college... but it was all good, us gals stuck together and made sure our voices were heard so that there was no accidental stumble ins. The roadtrip there and back was interesting... it reminded me a lot of the roadtrips back at home... and I've realised that issues revolving choices of music is a universal one, although I am pleased to say I didn't have to sit through hours of hip hop like I would in Sydney! And whats holiday in a new city without trying out the local dish (it's all about food!)? Poutine as they call it is really a fancy word for fries and cheese curd, swimming in gravy. Although a little tastier than it sounds, one bowl of Poutine was enough to make me feel 10 pounds heavier!!

Anyways, great weekend... I even managed a tan! I promise photos sometime in the next 10 years!

Thank You

A good song is one that gives something to you. It picks you up, calms you down, unburies a memory or gives you meaning.

Isn't it funny that you always associate a song with a particular event? And whenever that song comes on, the imprinted of where you were, what you were doing, and who you were with at a particular moment in time comes flooding back.

So when Dido's Thank You came on, I was immediately brought back to my bed (no this is not a raunchy entry) at Tampa Bay during my grad training... where I used to wake up every morning to this song... every morning without fail. The environment was slightly different to watching the pretty lady herself perform the live last night. Dido is absolutley fantastic. She had such a good voice... wish I had a good voice, but I've been told I have a "bar voice"... I don't know if it has anything to do with how well my voice travels... anyways...

Anyways, love these trips down memory lane, even if the memory was of me in bed by myself! =P

Btw, major achievement of the week... I made it all the way to Chinatown and back, on rollerblades without stacking it once! And I did it all by myself! *nail buff* Nevermind all the pedestrians asking whether I was ok, and the cars who were generous enough to let me slowly trek over those streetcar tracks on the road...

Okaes, so it's nothing much, but it is... this is my co-ordination skills in question here!

My New Wheels...

Sleek design, cool grey, aluminium and titaniam alloys... and very smooth running. Yep, I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've finally taken the splurge. I'm now a proud owner of a new set of rollerblades! This is all part of my workout routine.. the one that hasn't started yet, but will soon... I am sure. Now the blades are sitting in my living room next to my Hula Hoop.. looking very pretty.

Anyways, my weekely update. Hmm.. nothing much. Had a stressful day at work when I found out last minute I was covering for someone on my own. So I had car dealers and all walks of salvage people call me up about moving cars, abandoning cars, what to sell cars for... hrrmm.. beats me, the only set of wheels I own are my blades, and they don't require much effort in terms of towing, and payouts etc. But I did good... getting a day off work this week for it! *beam*

Had a few "quiet drinks" during the week and on the weekend... the way it should be, otherwise I have just been chilling out in preparation for the next two big weekends coming up... I'm going to Montreal, Boston and NYC... so very excited!

Any updates from home these days? I'm nearly up-to-date with the backlog of emails, need some new material to work with, as well as info for amusement!

My apartment has cleared out now that Jee has left for NYC and Venna has left on a tour of Canada. It was so good having the girls around, they met all my local friends and got along really well with my roomate as well. We continued the eating and drinking (naturally), and we even managed to convince Jee to delay her flight to NYC so that she could go to a Dragonboating fundraiser / dance party with us. Well, it wasn't really that difficult, all we had to do was mention dragonboating guys... but the poor girl, there really wasn't much talent there, as Millicent would say *wink* I know, I swore never to go to another asian dance party here, but it was really for the girls!

Anyways, we did so much in the last month or two that I am quite happy to chill out until Venna gets back from her tour. Then we're heading off to Montreal to watch the Grand Prix and soak in the partee scene!

Will be posting up photos soon!

An Up-Lifting Experience

It all started with Venna wanting to go to the toilet (sorry, "washrooms" in Canadian linguo)... and making the big mistake of announcing it to a bunch of drunken idiots, thus stemming the urge for them to see the pain and suffering of someone desperately trying to hold her bladder in...

Lesson #1 - Friends are never friends when your bladder needs them to be
Lesson #2 - Elevators can think too, when there is six people in the lift and 18 floors is pressed, it will know it is being screwed over, and will refuse to budge.

... and that is how we found ourselves trapped not quite on Level 11... the boys were trying to prove to Venna that the elevator was not at all slow, and that she will still make it to my bathroom even if we go all-stops. I think we were only stuck there for 5-10 minutes (? bit of a blur).. but it definately felt a lot longer... for Venna anyways.

Venna was cursing us and holding her stomach (as if that would keep it in!)... Jee who is cool, calm and collected as usual (she wasn't sick until the next morning... talk about delayed reaction!)... Matt and Gord on the floor, the bouncing movement of the indecisive lift did not go well with the alcohol in their bodies... Bill was on the emergency phone with the lift operators who subsequently hung up on us because they didn't understand Bill when he told them we were stuck in a lift... "What's a lift?"... stupid Canadians... as if you wouldn't know that a lift was an elevator! And there was me, sitting on the floor fretting over the important things in life... "Shit, how am I ever going to show my face in the building again... security is going to hate me when he sees we pressed all the floors!"...

But it's all good... the lift operator finally made the connection (*ding* lift = elevator) and released the lift (ooops... elevator). Venna made it to the bathroom. Gord also made it to the bathroom. Matt was not so lucky, he only made it as far as my kitchen sink... anything that went up and out of him did not go down my sink as smoothly.. we made a new purchase for the household the next day... a plunger!

But all in all, it was a very good night... Matt's last weekend in town, and Venna and Jee's first weekend in rainy Canada! The rest of the weekend was a bit of a write-off, we just slept, ate, watched videos and drove around town so that the girls can check out all the ethnic areas and what Canadians call "beaches" here. I'll repeat, nothing beats an Aussie beach! Sadly, we also saw Matt off... the end of another Canadian adventure! =(

We did go to a beach called The Bluffers (?), it was rather exciting as when I got there, I recognised it as a place that I visited 4 years ago when I travelled with the boys. Only this time, I get to see it all green, as opposed to being snow covered. It brought back a lot of memories of the snow fights and the pranks, which I have video and photographic footage of. The last time I was there, it was right before going to the airport, and just our luck.. the car broke down and we had to hitch a ride to the main road so that we could pick up our luggage and make our plane. Thank god this time round, my next flight is not until a good few months away!!

A Short Break

I took a quick glimspe of my most recent entries, and realised it's more like a weekly log of what I have done rather than travel thoughts and interesting incidents. I guess that is the way it is since I have settled down quite nicely here. Maybe once I start on the road again, I'll be able to write more descriptive reflective accounts. Sorry guys!

Speaking of going on the road again, I saw Ben and Rachel leave on Saturday... and it was sad... we've become really good friends because of this common adventure called Canada. When we were all in Vancouver, our stay in Canada seemed like it would be endless. But watching them pack their backpacks, confirm flights and hop on the airport shuttle made me realise how fast the time has gone, and soon I will be the one hopping on the shuttle!

Walking back to the apartment was weird... my living room seemed so empty without a messy array of suitcases and travel clothes. For once, I sat down without any plans for my Saturday night, and without having to worry about what to entertain my guests with. It was good since I felt my body needed a detoxing, drinking every night of the week can't at all be good, not to mentioned all the big and heavy meals weighing on my hips and belly... but bad because I really enjoyed having friends over. Anyways, I only have a few days before the next bunch comes, so the plan is to bum around with local friends and my roomate, eat plenty of veges and to hit the gym big time!!!

I broke my drinking pledge though... after swearing not to drink another drop until my next guests arrived, I ended up drinking a beer at The Distillery... this funky area a bit like The Rocks... the weather has been so good lately, I'm finally able to sit in the sun... my friend even got sunburnt!! I don't think I've had summer for over a year now, and that called for a celebration with a drink!

The Relationship between Wine and Flyscreen Doors

Unit 1509 Updates: Matt (aka Teoh) left for Montreal, Ben and Rachel came from Vancouver just in time to catch Sandhya before she made her way to Montreal also. So we're giving our sofa lounge a bit of a workout these days! Talk about an Aussie invasion of TO!

So the last week has been museums and art galleries, bars and clubs... and lots and lots of eating! Thank god we all share the belief that you haven't visited a place unless you have eaten your way around it. And ofcourse, if you do something, you should do it 100%!

Besides eating out and doing touristy things, we've also managed to bum around and enjoy the more local joys of meeting friends at bars and dinner parties (Ben makes a kick ass roast dinner!).

One night, a friend I met only a few times invited me and my whole gang to her place where we made dumplings galore! It was so much fun since everyone got their hands dirty.. but I must say, not many of us would be able to stand the sight of another dumpling or pork mince for a while. This girl lived in the most amazing apartment in central downtown, with an awesome rooftop patio where we lounged around welcoming the first balmy nights of summer. I left a really good impression with the new friends I made that night... nothing like walking into a flyscreen door for breaking ice I tell you... hmm... not sure whether it had anything to do with all the wine I was drinking...

Finales

Despite having visitors over, I made them all stay home and watch Friends with me. I have not been a faithful follower of the tv show in the last decade, but I've watched enough to have become a fan. I am sure we have all related to the show one way or another... the haircuts, the clothes, the enormous coffee cup craze, the relationship problems, the jokes... it was all part of the important years of growing up. And so it was sad to see it all end, but shocking to realise it's been 10 years since that first episode, which really only seemed like yesterday. It's not one of the best finales I've seen for a sitcom, it could be seen as a happy or not so happy ending, but I won't ruin it for the guys back home if it has not aired there yet. The tribute is pretty funny though, it goes through each of the characters over the decade... sorta motivates me to do the same for the goofy characters I call friends. But we all know that will never happen!

Speaking of finales, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Philadelphia this week, which means the end of the season for us. Just when I was starting to show a bit of interest in it too. The Torontonians were so hyped up about the game... I was really hoping we would win and go on to the next round, only because it means more excuses for pub outings and bonding sessions with wings and beer.

Matt, Bill and I also went to watch a baseball game for.. get this $2! It was a Loonie Tuesday (Loonie meaning our $2 coin)... Matt really splurged on the night and bought a hotdog as well... woah, a whopping $4 for dinner and live game... which justified our leaving only halfway through the game... the guys didn't find it too exciting and I didn't find the players too goodlooking.

Latest addition to my rather cramped apartment is Sandhya, another IBMer who has packed up to venture overseas to try her luck at apartment, friend and job hunting. It's always good seeing friends from home whilst being overseas, and it gives me excuses for going out and partying... errr... showing guests around!!

Making Conversation

Don't you just hate it when you're on the streets and you see someone you know passing by, so you do the friendly thing and call out to them. Whether they are short on hearing, or they are pretending not to hear you (but we all know that could never be the case)... isn't it absolutely frustrating when they don't answer??? So you persist, because now you look stupid to the people around you and you wouldn't want that. So you call again, and then in final desperation, you run after them and hit them on the shoulder. That way, everyone around you doesn't think you're stupid (or so you hope).

And whats with those people who don't pull weight in a conversation? You know, the one word answers that kill the conversation... whether it is in the lack of communication skills or the fact they are hoping if they ignore you long enough, you'll go away. Anyways, Bill and I was bitching about it one sleepless night, and the next day, rather appropriately, we met the most helpful cab driver in the world...

Me: So I hear there are good resturants in Little Italy. Where would you recommend??
Cabbie: ...yeah...
Me: I mean, are there any good resturants there??
Cabbie: ... yeah...
Me: ... errr... so which ones?
Cabbie: ...oh... well... there is... (rarara... mumbles a few resturants.. didn't really understand a word he said)
Me: *rolls my eyes in silent frustration*

Five minutes later, determination hits again...
Me: So we're in Little Italy already. Where's the most happening part?
Cabbie: ... yeah...
Me: Is this the most happening part?
Cabbie: ... yeah...
Me: Is there more down there? *pointing ahead*
Cabbie: ... yeah...
Me: Is it good down there?
Cabbie: ... yeah...

*sigh* I rest my case

Sorta reminds me of this guy who was trying to pick me up at a bar one time. He kept asking me questions which I answered politely (...yeah... nah...), but I didn't make an effort to return questions. In the end the poor guy tapped me on the shoulder and said..
... "You don't really want to make conversation, do you?"
... *shrug* "I'm happy just sitting and chilling"
... *humph* "Well I'm going to find someone who does!"

I guess if you dish it, you gotta hack it!

My weekend was a bit of a blur really... we used Teoh as an excuse for a nice Chinese dinner.. lobsters.. hmm! Although a lot cheaper, I must say, they aren't as nice as Australian lobsters. Seafood here really doesn't compare! Afterwards we met up with some friends for quiet drinks at a bar whilst we watched hockey... hmm... quiet drinks led to club, club meant more drinks, and that meant me getting acquainted with my toilet bowl numerous times during the night. We tried to recall the number of rounds everyone bought... even now it's still a mystery. I was so wasted that I only started to sober up the next afternoon.

Despite our grogginess, we did manage to make our way to Niagra Falls... the falls just doesn't seem as big and as magnificent this time round... but I guess it is a must-see for any tourist. I wasn't so lucky at the casino this time, my $5 went in less than 5 minutes at the slot machines.

Unfortunately, the weather didn't hold up all weekend, and by Sunday, it was cold and pouring with rain. Teoh and I just walked around the lakefront and some funky dowtown hotspots, then lounged around in a coffee shop. We also went to have lunch in this place called Marche... it is a really cool European style Brasserie... now I think about it, it's designed like a market place where you have a card that gets stamped when you get food from the various outlets. Everything is made fresh... you see pasta being churned from the machines, pastries taken straight out of the ovens, and various dishes and cuisines cooked as you wait. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. The decor was really cool as well, very piazza like even though it is all indoors. The waiters are even dressed in little vests and straw hats and water is self-serve from a wall fountain. And course, there was a little European peasant girl in the toilets (sorry.. "washrooms" as the Canadians say) that squeezes soap and hands out paper towels. Unfortunately for her, I didn't have my wallet with me to tip, so all the girl got was a big smile and thanks from me. Teoh and I was roaming around for ages before we could decide what to eat... and somehow my legs always took me back to the dessert section... hmm!

Future visitors - must remind me to take you there!

A Good Week

I've had a really good week this week. I've had 6 different jobs since coming to Canada, and they have been the worse jobs in my life. This job now is definately the best since hitting this country. The hours are strictly 9-5, and the people are so relaxed and nice. The only bad thing is that I am in a small office and there is constantly chocolates, cookies, muffins laying around... and my body isn't thanking me for it. On the other hand, Bill and I have been going to the gym... we're trying to motivate each other, which worked 2 days in a row. We'll see how long we'll keep it up! I'm in search of a social dragon boating team to row with (err... for the exercise, not the guys!), but they all seem to be really hard-core here!

Yesterday I was walking down a major road after work, and I could not walk in a straight line coz the wind was so strong. So here I was struggling like an idiot by myself, and it occurred to me how stupid I would look from a car or across the road. So with this thought in mind, I was also laughing hysterically, whilst trying to keep my balance and my clothes. People must have thought I was a mad woman!

My friend Teoh just arrive last night... a friend from Sydney who also worked on the ski fields near me. He's finished up there season in The Rockies and is touring before hitting home. It was funny to see him still with the goggle tan, and carrying all his ski gear. The snow seemed so long ago to me, when in fact it was only 3 months ago. I left Sydney 6 months ago!!

I'm starting to orgainse my travel plans in Canada and for flights back home. It's sad, because I am really starting to enjoy myself over here. Although I miss everyone in Sydney, I don't think I am ready to come home yet. Maybe coz I've just starting leading a normal work and play life here, I'm starting to make some good friends, and there is so much to see and do still... or maybe I'm just scared that I have to come home and face reality, make plans, job hunt, etc etc. Then I really have to decide what to do with my life... first work out my priorities!

Anyways, it's the weekend.. yah! And I don't have to work.. yah! Prob hang out with Teoh and do some touristy stuff... I am going to take him for a decent chinese meal... the poor guy who has been stuck with Banff food for 6 months!

Meeting Nice Guys

Someone deep... someone thoughtful... someone caring... someone who is always happy... and someone who makes you laugh.

Yep, they are hard to come by, but I met the Dalai Lama yesterday, so there is hope out there... nice guys do exist... pity the only one I come across happens to be a monk! =(

Anyways, we lined up in the rain for quite some time so we can pile into the SkyDome to squint at the little man on the stage. I must admit, his english although really good, wasn't fluent enough to hold my attention for the whole time... but I was still amazed at how witty and approacheable he was, and he promoted equality... like he was just one of us.

Was just thinking... I saw The Pope this time last year, and now the Dalai Lama... how good is that???

Anyways, good news today, after walking out of my last attempt at a day job, I was bumming on Friday, only to receive a call from my Temping Agency... and early this morning I started a new job with an Insurance Company. Not exactly brain draining work, mostly balancing accounts and claims... but hey, anything is better than telemarketing! So yeah, I have a life back... I can have dinner with my roomate now... infact we're planning to go for a run tonight. I have my Saturdays back... and I can party without stressing too much about spending! Yah!

Did heaps on the weekend, met some new people at drinks on Friday, had this scrumptious steak dinner (mouth still watering at the thought) and watched Kill Bill 2. My arms is also very sore from hitting half a bucket of golf balls at the range in the rain!!

Oh yeah... Hockey finals are coming up and the play-offs happened last week... such a close round for Toronto against Ottawa.. anyways, the point is, we won on Tuesday night and the town went absolutely crazy!!! Cars were going up and down Yonge Street (Equivalent to Sydney's George Street) and people were hanging out of cars high fiving every stranger on the street. People were all dressed up.. or dressed down when referring to the chicks hanging out of convertibles in nothing but their bras... and that fat asian dude that was walking up the middle of the road... no-one bothered to tell him that wearing nothing but a blue g-string was not really that becoming. Anyhow, since I just walked out of work at 10:30pm at night, I missed out on the game and the good cheer... but just the short walk down the street back home made me feel all the passion Canadians hold for their hockey teams... I'm hoping the Maple Leafs stay in the comp, just so I can go crazy next time they win!!

And no, I'm not going to hang out of a car in a bra... unless someone buys me a convertable, I'll prob consider it then.

A Quitter

Yep, a quitter I am.

I'm quitting my day job. As if telemarketing isn't bad enough, they monitor my tone of voice and make me read word for word off a script... no... not "Can I please speak to...", it's "I need to speak to...".. beats me, really!!??

Anyways, I have to speak as though these poor customers have used the service before, than convince them to give me $379 for it!

Makes me feel shit. But I feel good today, coz I've decided not to go back tomorrow!
Ah well, back to good old job hunting!

Two Weddings and a Funeral

Yep, like all great journeys through life, there will be weddings and funerals. And this short one year jounery was no exception.

After two cousins getting married during my travels, there has been an unfortunate turning in celebrations and Bills' grandfather passed away during Easter. Bill has been holding up very well though, and hs been spending a lot of time with family. I attended the funeral on Saturday, a gloomy and grey day (literally), and full of chinese customs and services... it all seemed rather complicated for my first funeral.

On a brighter note, I did make up for the gloom the rest of the weekend. Despite the unpredictable weather, a friend offered to drive me out of Toronto to some small towns where we visited a few antique fairs, and walked around one of the nature parks and gorges out there. It's a nice change from being couped up indoors for 6 months because of the cold winter. Temperatures are slowly rising up 15 - 18 degrees... yah!

Been partying this week a bit as well (and the week is still young).. clubbed on the weekend, worked 14 hours yesterday and then went to a bar last night. I'm meant to be clubbing tonight as well, but I will be working 14 hours for the next few days, so not sure whether I will be able to handle it.

Loads of people coming next month and I want to take some time out to spend with them... so trying to burn myself out these two weeks so I can. Started a second job in the morning this week, and I absolutely dread it. It will be difficult dragging myself out of bed tomorrow I can tell you. Been living off soup I cooked on the weekend for the past few days... lunch and dinner! I don't have time to cook otherwise!! =(

Anyways, no time... between shifts atm, so just quick update.

Be Goood Peoples! =)

A Little Encouragement

I tell everyone here that I have great friends. People who keep me constantly in the know of things back home, always offering encouraging words of wisdom.

This is a cut and paste of email extracts:

Him:
"Yes, what you've done is a terribly brave thing! and you are a stronger person having done it. I'm sure you'll come home like a new version of software! still got a few bugs but definitely more improved :P"

Me:
"you are such a dag!! =P 'a new version of software'??? work must have affected your brains!! but it is true, only thing is that there was no bugs to begin with!!! hehe"

Him:
":) yes i know i'm a dag and yes work has affected my brain :P no bugs??? thats what the developers (you) of the software always say... its the users (your friends) who find the bugs :P"

*humph* I have to meet more friends who aren't IT geeks I tell you! =P

One year ago today...

I never was much of a gambler - I valued my money too much to think I would be forgoing a new piece of clothing of a swish dinner was enough to restrain me. Plus I was scarred when I lost $1 at the slot machine in first year uni. But as I stood amongst the gawdy flashes of light and the sound of coins being cashed at the machines, I thought about it - I think I have risked bigger things in life. Hey, I did leave a stable job, family and friends to move to a foreign country, live with strangers and have no money. So I shrugged and decided to take the plunge... I gambled $5.

Alright, so that was spare change, but hey, I'm only a telemarketer! I profited $15 though, so I'm a lot less bitter about that $1 I lost 7 years ago. My friend was a lucky boy though, he walked away with his pockets $300 heavier. Poor thing, he didn't even get to shout us dessert since everything was closed at 3am!

So my Good Friday was spent at the Casino. It was one of those impulsive roadtrips decided late at night after some bored deliberation to drive an hour away to Niagra Falls for gamble. Almost (but not quite) as impulsive as driving to Penrith for donuts or The Entrance for Fish & Chips. I also got to see the Falls at night, pity the lights weren't on else it would have made a pretty picture. But from what I could make out in the dark, it wasn't as spectacular as what I last remembered.

On the weekend I also did a very Canadian thing... I sat in a pub, with chicken wings (which are very popular here), a Canadian Beer and watched a hockey game. In good tradition, the guys watched the game and I lost interest and just disrupted them by yapping away.

We also had the most amazing weather over the weekend, it was possible to go out without a jacket. A friend drove me to a park and we took advantage of the sun with a long walk, the only bad thing was the trees were still very stark, should pretty when the leaves come out though.

So that was my Easter. Hard to image this very same weekend one year ago, I was sitting in the Vatican City, attending Mass held by The Pope. One year later, I am gambling and drinking... hmmm... The Pope should be so proud.

My First Asian Dance Party...

in Toronto, was like most dance parties back at home (continuing my stroll down memory lane).

Firstly, it reminded me of the Melbourne roadtrip where our big night out ended up in an asian dance club where the population looked 15 (legal age is 19 in TO). If there was ever a height restriction like for rollercoaster rides, the asian dance party scene would be non-existent. My friend dared me to pick up a guy that night, I said I would go through with it on one condition - if I succeed, she will need to continue the challenge by picking up someone shorter than my lucky guy (which really wasn't a challenge at all)... depending on how bored we were, we could have kept ourselves amused for some, but she had second thoughts.

Secondly, the club really reminded me of this real classy joint we used to hang out at all the time in first year... UTS Bar (ofcourse, none of us were from UTS). Yep, the disposable cups added a touch of elegance in the decor.

And lastly, it reminded me of all those RnB clubs I went to in Sydney where I would dance for about 5 songs, and sit out for the rest. I didn't mind it this time though... the heels, courtesy of the Exotic Dancer were killing me... and I expected the night to be like this anyways. Despite the bad and blarey music, I managed to find myself in a quiet haven in the corner of the club - just amusing myself with people watching.

It must be a universal thing with asian dance parties and RnB clubs - not just the average height, but the attitude of the music and the attitude of the people. From the line outside to the dance floor and the bar, you get a feeling that everyone is out to impress. To impress their friends, or perhaps that good-looking stranger across the room. And along with that, you're there to judge - you condemn the girl who istoo scantily dressed, you dismiss the guy who is trying too hard to impress, and you roll your eyes at the dude with the weird moves.

I must admit, I was guilty of being too judgemental.. yeah the height thing, but also when I was sitting in my corner, I resisted the urge to tap a guy on the shoulder and tell him that his tight black lycra tank top with his oversized-unbuttoned-white-shirt and similarly oversized-baggy-white-pants although suited his grease-slicked-hair, it didn't really do much for the girls he was trying to impress.

I guess I shouldn't be complaining about the attitudes at clubs, the fact that I couldn't find anything that impressed me makes me just as bad as the girl next to me who is out to impress.

Trip Down Memory Lane

I know this isn't my usual Monday-post-weekend entry, but I was really bored coz there was no work on the job boards, so I visited another friend's blog (go dayangsta!). Anyways, thought I'd check out what he had under the "Pictures" link and was greeted with all these group photos... so here I am laughing like an idiot in the library, or smiling at the screen of fond memories. Damn, just when I have been telling people I'm not ready to come home yet!

Just in time for long weekend as well, bet you guys back at home have plenty of eating and driving plans. I heard there is a dinner partee without me! =(

I'm getting jipped of my Easter Monday, apparently it's not a holiday here.. but I it's a good thing coz I don't get holiday pay anyways! Paintball was cancelled for Saturday, so not sure what I will get up to this weekend. I do know I am going to an asian dance party tonight, my friends here hate asian dance parties (and rightly so) but think I should at least experience one whilst I am here. I've been given prior warning that I will be standing out like a sore thumb above every heads though... *rolls eyes* I guess no action here tonight then!

Unless ofcourse I do a repeat of Melbourne and decide to start a fight by pushing someone...
*evil grin*

A New Discovery

How good am I?... Three entries in one day!

Anyways, just to let you all know, I think I can now text Australia now! Woohoo!
Well, I can text Vodafone, but apparently having problems with 3 Phones (dodgey they are!)

Anyways, you can hit me on +1 416 704 1206

Sometimes Normal is Best

Just when you think that winter is coming to a close, it comes back with a very forceful wind that made walking down the road feel more like drifting. But one thing that cheered me up was the daylight saving adjustments... a sign that summer is really just around the corner.

For those who have been following my ups and downs lately, this week has definately been an up for me. And it wasn't because of a very adventurous Saturday night. Although the job situation is sometimes frustrating, I figured I am really here to have fun, and fun I will have. Being overseas, it's like everytime I go out, it's to a club, or a lounge, or something touristy, coz thats what you do when you're overseas... which is all good, but sometimes, you just want to be able to walk around the shops with a friend, chat over coffee or kid around over dinner. Sunday was a bit like that. I went shoe shopping with a friend and afterwards we met up with some other people for dinner. Usually back in Sydney I would get really annoyed when everyone is indecisive about dinner, and phone calls are going left, right and centre with no hope of settling on a place. But for once, I felt comforted because it reminded me of the group dynamics back home.

And dinner was just like that too, we had people kidding and paying each other out, we had serious conversations, slack conversations, in jokes, mentions of stupid things people have done in the past etc etc... just like home. I brought Bill to dinner, and he even said that meeting all these people and having a typical friendly dinner made him miss home a lot.

I've met a lot of people on this trip, and some of them very interesting. But a lot of the times, it's a strain to meet people. It's exhausting trying to make conversation, and find some common ground. It is so much more difficult with different ages, social backgrounds and interests. I know I craved for all these differences back at home when I was bored of meeting just like minded industry professionals (aka, yuppies), but since I am out of my comfort zone of home, this I guess is the closest thing I have.

The Exotic Dancer

You know how I mentioned in my last entry that I met an exotic dancer, but wasn't sure how exotic she was? Well, for the benefit of my readers (naturally), I decided to investigate this. Yep, we went to her "place of work" and yep, it's confirmed she is very exotic *nods*.

Let's just say I was with three very bored girls who wanted to chill out, plus they wanted to see what the big deal was with guys going to places like these. So we're walking briskly past all these other bars (one thing about Toronto is that if you walk through the clubbing district, there are line-ups left right and centre going into all these clubs which you never even noticed in the day)... so anyways, we walk past all these bouncers who tell us we have overshot the place and to come back because their lounge is better... but we keep walking. And curious as to where this group of girls were going, we felt their gaze follow us to the end door, the one where there was no line-up, where we were greeted by a very confused bouncer.

My first visit to such an establishment was done with style... we went to the very best one in Toronto, mainly because we also wanted to see our friend, who I must say was the hottest in the house. Apparently the night before, Vin Diesel had come into the place and was chatting to her. He had also been texting her all day offering to take her shopping. She wasn't phased at all.

The place wasn't anywhere as sleazy as I had imagined. There was no yelling, jeering or touching, the clientele were pretty well mannered, and basically there to chill out. We didn't really feel out of place, being the only four fully clad girls at one table, and we ended up chilling there for two hours. It was a surprisingly good night, definately a little more interesting than the usual clubbing or lounging. Not that it is our new thing to do, I guess it was more of the attitude that "guys do it, why can't we?", so we did.

On my to do list, thats a tick in the rough hand-drawn check box added last minute.

Oh and for those who have been concerned with my financial status, don't worry, it wasn't an interview.

Meeting the Parents

This week saw the end of Irene's visit... but before she left, we did some more tacky tourist sites (must dos!), ate and we went to a Lounge on the 51st floor of a building, and as you guessed, a breathtaking sight. Irene was a good break-up of my very routine week days, a very good excuse for not surfing the net for non-existant jobs!

My weekend was quite good also... Bill's parents were visiting Toronto, so I had dinner with them so they could meet this wild child they were so worried about (who me?). Ofcourse, I managed to charm them like his relos. My friend Mel often jokes about them being my in-laws, and the parents themselves are probably thinking that also.. little do they know that thier son has a hidden girlfriend and I happen to be a good disguise for this!! When we went shopping, his father inststed on getting me this top as a "first meeting present". I got a bit worried and ran off to pay for it myself. This confusion is difficult at times, but amusing nevertheless. Btw, for dinner, we went to this place famous for lobsters... sooo cheap... we had a huge plate for the price of pound back home!

I went to a lounge with some girls on Saturday night which was quite fun. I am glad they opt for lounges rather than clubbing these days. I basically sat at the bar and people watched all night... quite enjoyable but we all agreed that the quality of people at a place is directly related to the cover charge. We paid $5 to get in, need I say more.

Sunday was a lazy day where we took a stroll down Danfourth, commonly known as Greek Town, and where "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" ws filmed. It has a lot of cute shops, and in mind I am already mapping out where to take all my friends when they come visit!!

In the tradition of telling stories about people we meet whilst travelling, last night I went with a friend to pick up some clothes from one of her girl friends. This girl sheds her wardrobe every few months. She's an exotic dancer (I still haven't worked out how exotic, but I'd imagine very) and a total shopaholic. Half the items in the two large bags were designer items which she hasn't even worn before. She just came back from a shopping spree in Vancouver where one of her clients paid for her shopping (what a life!). I guess that justifies the LV and Prada flip-flops (they cringe when I say thongs), and the hundreds of other expensive items which I would never be able to afford over 5 years (and thats with a real job). She also had her breasts enlarged which was another reason why there was so many goodies to give away! Despite hearing about about how large her breast were every few minutes, I have to say she was pretty cool person, and definately interesting enough to be worthy of my blog.. and thats not because I walked away with 3 pairs of shoes!!!

Friday is the Eventful Day.. and not because of drinks!

It's funny how things work out. Last Friday I was a dissapointed at missing a job opportunity.. and exactly one week later, I reject another job.

It would have been good if I had wanted to own my own business, because you start with really shitty work at entry level i.e. door-to-door sales, but then you go through all these developmental stages until you are ready to part-own and manage one of their offices for them in a chosen city in Canada, US or Europe. So basically they are training you to be an entrepreneur for them... something a little too heavy for my working holiday!

Anyways, things are picking up since I do get phone calls and emails now and then... they are sort of like teasers to keep me going. I won't bog you down with my job hunting woes.. but I'm thinking, if I still don't have luck soon, I'm switching to husband-hunting!! I hear that may be a lot easier!!! =P

This week has seen my first visitor to Toronto. Irene, a high school friend bounced in last week and she is a parcel of laughs and optimism. I spent a day sight-seeing with her, it's like the two of us are trying to out-chat each other... her guy friend was amazed at the speed and amount of information we could get out!!

The funny thing is that we never really kept in close contact back in Sydney, but when you're in another country, anyone you meet from home seems like your best friend. Perhaps it's all circumstantial, but whatever it is, I have been able to renew or develop friendships with people from home a number of times since I've been in Vancouver and Toronto. Meeting new people is enivitable, but developing old friendships is an added beauty of travel which I never factored in.

Anyways, sorry I don't have much stories to tell lately since I have been keeping low-profile till I get some decent cash to party with!

The Burst of a Bubble

I was really hoping to have some good news to share, but unfortunately, I have just recovered from a week of highs and ofcourse the expected lows that come with it.

Earlier last week, a call from a friend motivated me to attack companies with phone calls. I tried it on a Consulting company that I really wanted a job with, and believe it or not... literally two hours after making the doubtful phone call, I was in an interview with the Recruitment Manager. He was organising interviews for the Programme Manager and I called just when someone bailed. There were issues with my status in Canada and my qualifications in the Canadian financial system, but I managed to convince him and went onto the next round of interviews. The hope that lifted my spirits a little brought it crashing back down again. I only came second in the running for the position, but was promised in a months time, they will be ramping up the team again and I will be considered. But I want a job NOW!

So that was the start of a very shitty Friday. Stupid me decided to take on an extra Telemarketing shift that night, and it was the worst shift ever. I'm still not pushy enough to make the sales, and I can't believe I could feel pressured from a stupid job like that. As if getting off work at 11pm is not enough, the bottle shop was closed on the way home (yep, my day was shitty enough to warrant a bottle of red), and then I one more unhappy phone call tipped me over the edge. Poor Bill had to deal with a very sulky room-mate. Lucky for him, I only sulk for a few hours before I feel totally re-energised, and before he knew it, I was back to my usual chatty self. If there was any doubt I hadn't recovered from sulking, it was wiped away by a huge Yum-Cha (oops sorry, they call is Dim Sum here) outing the next morning, the first decent one I've had since Sydney!! Nothing like comfort food!

On a higher note, the last two weekends we have been travelling outside of Toronto to smaller towns. Last weekend we went to see Bill's relos who I hadn't thanked for all the furniture and help with the apartment before I arrived. My job was to charm them since they were skeptical about me... they think I am a bit of a wild child, coming to a foreign country not knowing anyone and sharing an apartment with someone I barely knew. I think I did a pretty ok job, now I have a 6 year old kid who adores me so much she won't leave me alone... and everyone knows my thoughts on kids! *rolls eyes*

This weekend, we went stay with Bill's cousins who live in a University town even further away than his relos. She had invited us to her university ball... my very first university ball ever (4 years after graduating uni)... and it was a very interesting experience. There was a different room on each level... a music request floor, a celtic floor, a swing dance floor, a jazz bar and a karaoke room. It wasn't really my version of a ball, but it was definately an eye opener to the university life in a small town.

I spent the rest of the weekend in the gym, and sitting in the sauna downstairs, thanks to my adoring sister who wrote me these exact words: "Take some time to do exercise, don't you dare come back fat or anything!!!". Hmm.. nice to know I am loved!!

Now that it is Monday, I am back to the usual grind I am so desperately trying to get out of - library, then internet cafe, then run home to cook so that I can bring dinner to work and not have to eat at 11pm when I come home. But I guess I expected all that, so I shouldn't complain. I have a high school friend dropping by at the end of the week, so that should be good!

Don't worry peoples, my next entry will definately be a lot more upbeat!

Still on the Hunt

I don't have much of an update really. I am quite domestic these days, although we went out to a club last week, my weekdays are mostly cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, internet surfing and reading. Sometimes when I am feeling generous, I lounge around a coffee shop with a book or my journal. I'm quite happy at the moment, only coz I know I have a lot of time to explore the place... in a few months time when my time is running out and the weather gets warmer, I think I will be going crazy!

Anyways, on the job front... my potential career as an air hostess never took off. I'm not a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant. The funny thing was, when I was standing in line for an interview.. I asked the pretty asian chick next to me for a pen, and she recognised me as a customer she served a few weeks ago. It must have been the good old accent!!

So we were talking and she asked whether I was interested in retail. She works in Danier Leather, a canadian chain leather store that has some good stuff. I'm still eyeing the leather jacket I tried on the last time I met her, so when she mentioned they were hiring, I jumped at the chance. How funny is that, I missed out on being a flight attendant but ran into another job opportunity at the interview. My advice to umployed bums out there... if you are desperate for a job, don't apply to firms and recruitment agencies, they don't reply.. just go shop... shop your heart out and work that accent if u have one!!

So much for coming across a job... the next day I visited the girl at Danier and after what I thought was a pretty comprehensive interview for a retail position, she sat me down for a written test. I was there for an hour, answer problems, sorting out patterns etc. I was so not expecting it, and entirely exhausted when she told me I had another video test to go through!! I couldn't do it the same day... I already knew I failed the previous test, they asked such obscure questions and the multiple choice answers were all so similar. But I returned the next day and sat through another test. I have to say, all the testing for a job selling jackets was all a bit of a turn-off... I think I had a better time applying for graduate positions in Big 5 firms!

Meanwhile, I have started working at this other telemarketig place. This is so much better than the other place I was at... but still, it's against my nature to be pushy, and I was told last night to be more bold. In the 25 hours I have worked though, I managed to sell 3 subscriptions. Wow! Not. I sold one of them purely because the doctor on the other end liked my accent, even though he thought the paper was to right-wing orientated. As I said, if you have an accent, work it!

The people here are a lot less odd here, most of them are students though. One of the guys I sit with always has a funny story or two to share. He seems to get all the interesting calls... one woman thought he was her dead husand.... "Jonathan, is that really you?? My dea, it's you, it's you!!". Hmm.. I haven't come across any calls like that yet... although I did get an answering machine that belonged to some cult, and the machine message was a bitof a preach. I'm glad it was only a machine.

So thats the joys of job hunting and telemarketing.

Out of sling... at last!!

Today is a happy day. I finally made the six week mark and my physio has allowed me out of the sling, yah!

Anyways, I'm here hanging out at the library again. I tend to do that for a few hours each day, unemployed bums like me like to make use of free facilities. After my library session, I usually go to the internet cafe to do some word processing and submit my resume. Not that it works, no one has called me back yet... it seems like all my effort is going into a big black hole sometimes.

This week's hit list is all the major banks. Seems like there is some work there, not sure if any of it is for me though. Yesterday, I thought I'd amuse myself by applying for an air hostess role. I was so proud of the wonderful piece of creative writing that twists my short-lived customer service experience, and non-relevant consulting experience in what I thought was a quite convincing submission. How hilarious would it be if I got it. Then I really do get to travel around Canada for free! But in reality, I think I need to be a Canadian Citizen to get it.. ah well, the thought was good for amusement value anyways.

After two shifts, I decided to quit the telemarketing job I was at last week. It was a dodgey environment, and I was selling a tabloid.. which most of the peopel I rung thought was a bit of a joke. I have moved up in the world though, this weekend I am starting with The Globe & Mail... a much more respected newspaper. I actually went to two interviews and had to read a script to get this job. The other one put me on the phone without even giving me an interview!

I am still waiting for a call from Roots (cool Canadian clothing brand). I went shopping there last weekend and got chatted up by one of the sales girls (Matt W - Sorry, I went against your advice and spoke to strangers. But if it makes you feel better, I did what you asked for and mentioned you in my blogg =P ). Turns out she is from Sydney too... well Mount Druitt anyways... I told her to stop telling people she is from Sydney. She convinced me to hand in an application there, and we also went out with drinks the other night. We went from a really nice chillout loungy place to an underground bikie joint. Wasn't really out scene... plus the people we met there was weird... they kept pissing themselves over the concept of Working Holidays. What's so funny about that?? *confused*

On the way home, we found a quaint little doorway that had a dim alleyway behind it which nice fairlights and funky decor at the end. Having nothing to lose, we went in.. through the drapes and invited ourselves into really chic bar. A bit too chic actually... seemed very designer, and too immaculate to even touch... but we christened the place with our street clothes and had a glass of port each. Looks like a celebrity-type place.. they even had soft drapes around each individual dining table! It must have been really exclusive, coz we couldn't even find a sign or a name to the place. It was only when I was flipping through a design magazine that I found the name by chance - The Ultra Supper Club. Hmm.. don't think I will be going anytime soon.

Anyways, since there is nothing on the job boards, methinks I will go back to my apartment and sit next to the huge window with my book. I was there for an hour or two this morning, and since the window pane made the sun so strong, I was enjoying a nice sun tan in my shorts this morning. I miss the Sydney summer, but the weather here is looking promising though... we're slowly moving out of the negative degrees!

Getting Used to Rejections...

Why do people get annoyed when you give them a nice friendly call. Perhaps offer them a deal of a lifetime? I know everytime my phone rings, my first exclamation is "I feel loved!". Unfortunately, angry mothers who have had their kids woken up, pissey men who like to exert their power over the little disconnect lever on the phone, and little old women who enjoys making conversation with strangers who call to sell newspapers (the type that needs telemarketing coz no-one will buy it from the shelf) are the pleasant people that I have to deal with.

Job hunting as you can see is going slow... but then again, I have only been here for two weeks, so I guess I should be patient. So meanwhile, instead of twiddling my fingers, I am in the internet cafe by day looking for proper work, and at a call centre by night.. just for something to do and to pay off a fraction of my rent. Telemarketing really sucks, the boss is the big fat slobish type who barks at everyone and does nothing himself. His friend is just as unsightly as he is with the added greasy smile... he smiled at me from the office the other night. When I went into the ladies, someone had vomited in the sink... I guess I wasn't the only one he smiled at! Since I just found out that retail is better paid than what I'm getting in telemarketing (plus I have to travel to the suburbs... which is devastating for a central downtown chick... gone are the days of one hour drives from the hills to the city.. woohoo!)... so I am thinking of applying for that instead and working evenings and job hunt during the day. The places I am thinking of applying for seem like really cool places, so I am actually looking forward to it!

Speaking of retail.. my god, shopping here is so good... which is not so good for someone who is virtually unemployed! They're having their big sale here atm, and I must say this is a pretty trendy city! Everyone is very well dressed, and I have my eye on so many items already!!!

Toronto has worked out to be much better than I thought. My only incentive for coming here was the ease of finding work in a big city... but it's more then just that... it's arty, cultured, trendy and very happening. I really hoping I can find good work here because I want to be able to make the most of it all. I have been fortunate to know one or two people here and they have been great. The roll of Friday night drinks has started for me again, I didn't realise how much I had missed it!! Last Friday I went outwith Bill's collegues... they seem pretty similar to the type of people I call friends back home (you know I love you all!) so that was cool. I went to meet them at a bar called Biermarket... from how it is pronounced (beermarket) I was expecting some old pub with slabs of wood, not much class but a comfy atmosphere. I rocked up and it turned out to be a pretty classey establishment... infact, all the places I've been to here have a atmosphere and decor like the Establishment, or Arthouse in Sydney. Just the past Friday, I had a girls night out with a friend and 5 of her very wild friends... let's just say I was in awe and amazement... for the boys back home... I heard about your new years resolution... so good luck... but I must say, these chicks def have more balls!!! But I will def revisit this statement at the end of the year. So needless to say, I was taken on a rollercoaster ride of fun on Friday.

We went to this place called Schmooze which had a line-up from 5pm onwards. Not surprisingly so since all the drinks were $1.50 from 4pm - 9pm!!! Like before, this $1.50 sounds like a dingey back alley pub.. but after dealing with contacts and guestlists to get in, we were opened up to a swish bar where scenes from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" was shot. Fancy that! Thats not my point though... the point is, this place won my most quirky toilet award. The washbasins were unsex... weird? Not really. But when you hit the ladies cubicles, you realise that all the teeth picking, vanity stroking and self-loving gazes that people have in the mirror during their hand washing moments is actually into a two way mirror, and some poor woman on the other side has to put up with it whilst she does her thing. Well actually, they are probably giggling like the girls in the next cubicles, making faces and rude gestures... or if they are lucky, staring into the eyes of some unsuspecting, but very good looking guy. Then when they are done with the procrastinating, they are faced with the challenge of doing their thing without feeling concious that someone is looking at your bare backside. So it works out that a visit to the toilet is just as entertaining as hanging out at the bar... and it adds to the bar conversation after!

I've also been to a few clubs since hitting Toronto, and they have been surprisingly fun! After a big night Friday, we went and hung out at a Jazz bar instead with Bill's cousin and a few of her friends which was fine by me... I had a good time just chilling.

Anyways, thats the update from Toronto for now

New photos posted - finally!
- Few albulms for Lake Louise (East)
- Trip to Panama (West), not much of the country though since it was more a wedding trip

The New Town Toronto

With the warm weather behind me, I brave the cold of Toronto, which isn't really that bad... except for the wind chills... they are brutal, but other than that, it isn't as wet as Vancouver, and although it isn't as white as Lake Louise... it does have these big flurries that float down.

My apartment was my main concern... after being cooped up in my room in Lake Louise so long, I was happy to see that the apartment was pretty well located (well a 20 min walk to different areas of the city), it was clean (phew!) and it had really good facilities which I am really excited about. I think I have put on some weight from be inactive for so long, so I'm definately looking forward to putting the gym, pool and sauna to good use!

The last few days have been busy buying food and equipping the apartment. My flatmate Bill got a bit excited about moving out and the first dinner we had was hand-made dumplings although I was quite happy with the frozen kind... at least this meant I got to eat my heart out! Did you know, that Torontonians buy their milk in bags?? Weird concept, but they have these pitcher things which they put the bags in to serve. The joys of grocery shopping!

Anyways, been busy with job applications etc I haven't really seen any of the city. I have only walked down the few main streets for internet, groceries and mall.... I figured finding work in my main priority and I will have plenty of time to explore later on. Last night I had a call from a friend I met at a wedding though.. it's good to know a party girl to show me the sites of the city. So last night we went for drinks in this pub that sits in a huge house in what looks like a residential area. We met a few of her Candian friends (finallly, not Aussies) and I tried a few Canadian beers.... (I'm trying to acquire a taste for beer.... it's getting there...)... all in all, it was a good first night out. A cruise of the city holds many promises for great places to go, so def looking forward to it!

Anyways, will post photos soon, I promise!!

Quick Panamanian Trip

Panama hadn't changed much since I was last there 14 years ago. Walking through the streets of Colon gave me an uneasy feeling... there were people asking you for money or "car minding fees" on the streets, and thats not the scary thing. It's when they tag you less than 2 metres away, follow you to the car and stare into your window while you sit there late at night waiting for the others that you get a little uneasy. Another time, I walked with my aunt down the road, literally 1 minute away and I was warned not to bring anything with me. With the image of my dad getting mugged 14 years ago on the same streets in broad daylight was enough for me to take heed on the advice.

There are parts of Panama that have developed into quite nice areas though. My Uncle took me to a place called the Causeway, near where the Miss Universe pagaent was held, and it was an endless pier, extending into the water with palm trees, cafes and people riding bikes. It definately had potential to make a very good tourist or upmarket dining desination.

But all in all, I was only in Panama for one thing - my cousin Wilson's wedding. It was a full day affair, with church service in the morning, a buffet reception until late afternoon, a tradional tea ceremony back at the house and then the good old chinese banquet at night. It was the best of both worlds in terms of western and chinese receptions... I'm not sure whether it was a good or a bad thing for my stomach though!!

Being the second wedding in the family, it was good to see all my cousins and relos again, especially since I didn't plan on seeing them so soon! But unfortunately, like all good things, it all passed so quickly that it was all over too soon... and we were at the airport again.

Because of all the sudden tight security in the States, transiting in Miami was a pain in the butt. We had to collect our luggage and check them in again and because our transit time was so tight, my cousin nearly missed her flight to LA. Amongst all the mess though, I got to go out of the gate and buy this cuban coffee that my couisn had me addicted to. Cafe Concha Leche (? or something to that effect).. it is yummo! And to go with that I found a place that made really good cuban sandwhiches also... I would give anything to have another one! Seems like a tradition, everytime I cut it really close to the board gate, it's always because of food! But hey, it was all worth it!