Be warned of rambling

The purpose of this blog is really to keep in touch with friends back at home and around the world. Share my embarrassing moments, and basically let you all know that I am still alive and kicking. I've been lousy, I know...

So just a quick update (as much as I love you guys, I value sleep):

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Despite my last blog entry, I'm really enjoying my contract. At first, I had absolutely nothing to do. Zilch. They paid me by the hour to sit, chit chat, and surf the net. It was brain numbing and I was bored to tears. Literally.

Then they asked me to join a team that was absolutely drowning in work - and now I'm drowning with them. My long hours the last few weeks is nothing compared to what will come. The project plan has each of us scheduled 15 hours/day, every day from April to July, and I suspect it's on the optimistic side (another reason to hate PMs on this project). I've told G to be nice to me now coz I won't be around for a while.

Having said that, I'm enjoying it so far. I thought it was going to be very similar to my last big project, but this is bigger and more ambitious. I love my role, and I love my team which is also a bonus.

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I'm getting used to Winter (note: this does not imply liking it), it's been a brutal one as everyone reminds me... we have only 5cm of snow to go before we break to all time record for snowfall in one season. We have had the biggest snow dumps that T.O. has seen in 30 years. Great timing on my part *humph*

Only good thing is, I tried snow boarding again last weekend, and surprisingly enjoyed it. G was shocked to see me holding my snowboard and grinning simultaneously (and this was even before the Beavertail). I'm still crap, but at least I can link my turns and I'm on my board more than I'm on my bum.

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I've put on weight. A-lot-of-weight. And I'm not sure how it is I'm going to lose it. I think I have a fair idea of how I gained it though.

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I won poker... it was a while ago, but I was proud and I want to boast about it. After many many weeks of contributing to the pot and not reaping any returns (the boys love it when I play), I finally turned the tables and took their money.

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It's sad, but the highlight for me this week is shopping for a laptop so I can work more comfortably from home.

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I think I am delirious now. So much that I am rambling. I think I need sleep.

Lessons not learnt

Experience is gained by learning valuable lessons, and being open to learning more. Time is not the sole measure of experience, a certification does not prove you can apply what you have been taught, and a business title alone is certainly not commands respect.

I don't care if someone has been in an industry for five, fifteen or fifty years. If they are not open to giving someone else with a difference of opinion to speak, not willing to listen to suggestions for improvement (or listen at all for that matter), or allow an intellectual conversation to take place because they already made a decision - and hell no, decisions can't be changed... their experience means nothing as far as I'm concerned.

If they haven't realised in all their grand years (often mistaken as experience, and sometimes more outrageously mistaken as wisdom), that valuable learnings can often be gained from others if only they had an open mind to catch it, then I'm not interested in learning from them.

Winterlude

After all my bitter blogging on the Canadian weather, I went to enjoy the festivities of Winterlude last weekend. Winterlude as the name suggests, is a celebration of Winter (yay… *rolls eyes*) in the nation's capital of Ottawa.

The neat thing about Winterlude is NOT the cold (we'll get back to the cold later), but the fact that the Rideau Canal is frozen over, creating the worlds longest skating rink of over 7.8kms! As the University of Ottawa is situated on the canal, students can literally skate to school in winter. My plan was to skate the canal, but when I saw the masses of people on it, I chickened out. I've only ever skated in a indoor ice rink where there is smooth ice and walls for me to slam-stop. No one was offering to be my wall.

So whilst G skated down the canal, I plodded along by foot which was just as acceptable. To be fair, the weather was actually behaving very well, definitely more tolerable than I had imagined. By the time we finished walking the canal though, it was painful to move my poor little toes. Still not a complaint out of me (much to G's surprise). I only had one thing in mind and that was Beavertails!!! There is something irresistible with fried dough sprinkled with cinnimon and sugar, and drenched in lemon juice. It was sooo good no one heard a peep out of me until I had finished stuffing my face with it. Not sure whether the cold had anything to do with it, but the hot chocolate I had with my Beavertail… it was the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted, and it was only off the back of a truck. Who says I lack passion??

Anyways, pictures are up, you can click on the Ottawa link to check out the frozen canal and ice sculptures that were part of the festivities.

Apple juice no ice please

I'm told this winter has been the worse winter since anyone can remember. Great.
Last big snow storm, we only had 20cm of snow. 30cm topped it yesterday.

5pm - G gets home early to shovel before going to volleyball.
6.30pm - I get home. Shoveled areas are already covered in a deep blanket of snow.
9pm - I come out of hiding and shovel driveway i the dark so G's car can get in.
11pm - G comes home, driveway is covered in snow AGAIN. Car gets stuck in the shared driveway. I get out of PJs. Both shoveling.
11.30pm - Car won't budge. We give up, G finally has dinner.

6.30am next morning - Surprise. More snow. Barely awake. We're shoveling.
Neighbour helped push car out.

The whole city of Toronto is like a gigantic Cola slushie.
For those that know me, I hate slushies. I order drinks with no ice. I hate slushies.

My first shovel

My stance was, if I was to move countries and live in snowy Canada, I refuse to shovel snow. I'm not a princess, I can manage household chores, but I don't do garden... until today.

A day after the snow storm, the snow was so deep I didn't have the heart to refuse. It actually wasn't too bad. It's true, there is always a calm before the storm, and once the storm has passed the weather becomes much more tolerable too.

So this is what happens, I move country for a boy and he puts me to work in the yard.



And the first shovel comes with my first snow angel...


For the record, this was just an exception, I'm not backing down on the deal.

Here to stay

It's been a flurry of activity lately which has been a refreshing change.

Firstly, Millwood Road welcomed Miss Ada, fresh from London. She momentarily forgot her dislike for cold weather when she saw the snow we had, very much a contrast to my lack of enthusiasm. It was so excited to have her here that I even got out of bed in the a.m. not the usual p.m.!

When Teoh arrived a few days later, we took a road trip up to Mont Tremblant for some skiing and boarding action. This is where Ada was reminded of her dislike for cold weather, a blast of -38 degree weather is a good trigger.

I didn't mind the weather, but "displeasure" would be an understatement if asked to describe my sentiments on snow boarding. My bindings broke on the first run... so I walked (stormed) down three quarters of Mont Tremblant. Poor Gord took the brunt of my anger as I stomped down the mountain - anyone who attempted to help or speak to me was susceptible to a snow board being swung at them. My second run was slightly better, my bindings were intact, but my butt was bruised so much it was like a built in heating system. The many flat parts of the run tired me out so much from having to traverse across, that there was no third run.. an unspoken relief for Gord.

Having said that, Tremblant is just as gorgeous in winter than in summer, and my bad luck on the slopes thankfully did not ruin the whole trip.



In other news, Ada and Teoh must have been my good luck charms, the week they were in town, saw my work visa approved and a job offer made - all on the same day! So I'm a working woman now - no more sleep ins. It's a similar project to my last project in Sydney... so I'm looking forward to tackling another large scale business transformation.

For those planning to look for work... I cannot stress enough how great uploading your resume to job sites are... I uploaded mine to the Canadian www.workopolis.com and recruiters really do search them. I didn't even have to apply for the position, recruiters are much more proactive than 4 years ago!!

Here's some photos where I dragged the crew across the U.S. boarder to get my visa stamped in my passport. We literally drove through U.S. customs, drove down the highway, did a U-ey and came back through Canadian customs. My passengers got treated to a Wendy's lunch to celebrate!

You pay for what you get

I'm quite conservative when it comes to spending money on my hair. I know the hairstyle is important, and I by no means scout for the cheapest and worst hairdresser... but sacrificing a gorgeous top, or a chic pair of shoes for a relatively intangible hair-cut (after-all, it grows out after a month or so!) is not something I practice. You either have it all, or you pick the shoes!

G on the other hand will walk down to the road to the boutique filled Bayview strip to get his hair trimmed (so little change that it doesn't even count as a haircut) at the "Spa Salon". He pays top dollar and a decent tip for a Senior Stylist every 6 weeks. Not sure whether it is convenience, or whether it has anything to do with the hot petite Asian stylist who he used to go to religiously - or the Parisian chick who has now replaced her. Or even the fact that all the hot stylists wear white from top to toe... yep, go the white pants!

Sorry, back to the point. I needed a haircut. I was considering splurging on the "Spa Salon", even if it was to check out this Parisian... the price G pays is not cheap but affordable... but ofcourse when I check the prices, it costs way more for women than it does men. I guess it's normal, but suddenly it is not so affordable for an unemployed bum, with a huge Amex bill (the NYC shopping spree has finally caught up to me!), and who doesn't really care for women cladded in white.

So, I went the adventurous route and went to the Hair Academy where young and newly graduated Hair Stylists finish their training and "build confidence" before they are farmed out to the "Spa Salons". It was the first time I had a Goth cut my hair - no I didn't come out looking like her... but I did have to give her a few pointers before I was willing to walk out of the place. It wasn't free, probably more expensive than my very experienced hairdresser back in Sydney, but oh well. I even left a $5 tip. Call it encouragement from the goodness of my heart, or just social pressures from North American tipping standards - ah well!

The first thing I did was go home and rake out the awful mushroom she blow dried my hair into. Why do they do that?? People package things to entice consumers, giving me the mushroom that added 10 years to my age, did not entice me to go back. Luckily a wash and usual finger comb-through did the trick. The only styling implement I own is a comb - if you can even call it that. And it only comes out on important days. None of this curling wand, hair dryer business.

So the cut didn't cut it (ok, that was corny) but I've at least ticked off a
"must-try-once-in-your-life" experience though - and I'll leave it that way. Next time, they will have to pay me, to get a student anywhere near my hair.

Heat wave hits town

Thats right, a balmy 10 degrees as I post this blog, with a high of 12 degrees expected. Who says winter in T.O. was tough??? The weather god must have heard my pleas and delivered enough temperature to melt the ugly mounds of snow built up on the sidewalk. No longer fluffy and white, but more like miniature coal mines obstructing the pedestrian crossing.

The last couple weeks has been nothing but a never-ending meal. We spent Christmas at Gord's relatives house, washing the yummo food down with creamy white eggnog and trying to beat the kids at darts, pool table, air hockey, pinball machines, you name it. You know you're old when Monopoly cash is replaced by an electronic swipe and players hold debit cards (cash is so passé). Boots and hats are also unfashionable around the game board, anyone who is someone will have to be a cell phone or at least a segway.

My memories of NYE was nothing by lychee martinis, long island ice teas and singing "...it's too late to apologize" at the top of our lungs in a basement. Oh, and the very long treacherous car ride home that kept me from my porcelain bowl. Oh dear.

Now with the holiday season calming down, it's time for the gym. Gord has dragged me out of sauna mode and I'm actually making use of the equipment! My goal for 2008? Being able to do one push-up... and for a stretch, a chin-up would be nice.

Sorry for my lack of diligence for emails and cards. Hope it's not too late to wish everyone a happy, exciting and safe 2008. Love you.

Retail therapy works wonders

My week hasn't been the ideal week, with my main two obstacles being nothing but obstacles...

1. Winter

I'll try not to turn this into I-hate-winter blog, but let me tell you, snow in a big city sucks. For those who have only seen snow in the mountains, who have snowboarded through heavenly powder snow, created snow angels, witness pretty crystals on your gloves... for a big city after a snow storm, it's like that for one day. It is gorgeous, especially if the sun is shining after the storm. I don't manage the shoveling in our household though, and I don't drive here, so I can't give my experiences for the first day of a snow dump.

The day after the snow storm, the simple walk down the road ends up being a hike. Car tires carve these wonderful big hurdle-like ridges that you have to clamber over.

The third day... the third day is pretty depressing. My walk to the gym doubled in time, because the the big-hurdle-like ridges are now great lakes. The Chinese have a saying that says "Stomping in a puddle even when you see it", excuse my Chinese, but it means something like... "jumping into trouble even when you see it" But if we were to take the literal translation, that was me!!!. I see a big puddle , I see the lights change, and I have to grit my teeth and stomp through the puddle just to cross the road. We're not talking about glacier snow here, this is dirty snow on the side of the road that has created a pulp with leftover autumn leaves, and absorbed all the mud and grime from car tires (the stuff that hasn't already landed on me). Crossing the street elsewhere is out of the question, the snow banks are so high you would risk climbing over only to slip on the road in front of a car.

My mesh sneakers was no help, 10 steps down the road and already my socks and feet are soaked. I refuse to wear my lovely winter boots out because they come back with salt from the roads (used to melt the ice) that eat into the leather. My poor shoes.

2. Work (or lack of)

If I haven't explained it before, I haven't been pro actively looking for work in the last month because I need to apply for a work visa at the beginning of January and be legally able to work before I can apply for jobs. Fortunately I had some contacts who kindly referred me to a couple of firms in Toronto that were happy to interview me. This week being the week of bad news, I didn't get either job! One was finance related which I don't have the skills for, nor does it interest me. The second role was HR related - not my core skill, but I did have a little experience that I can expand on, I was really interested in it, and it would have been a welcome departure from IT. But once IT, to a stranger, you will always be IT. I guess now, I really will have to dig out the job sites and start hunting - in the new year anyway. I'm not in desperate times, and I still want to be picky, so fingers crossed I have something lined up before the end of February.

And for those who don't know - I've decided to stay in Toronto. It's a lot easier for me to set myself up, I have friends here, a place to live. I resent comments (although far and few between) that I am giving up and opting for ease and laziness. To be entirely honest, I think I loved telling people that I was moving to the glitzy glamorous city of New York rather than loving the city itself. Five years ago, I would have loved it there, but my last two visits had me wishing that it was a shorter trip. I don't sport the attitude nor the energy to make the most of the place. A great city that I plan to visit often to see my wonderful friends, eat and shop up, but not one that I can call home. Maybe if Toronto doesn't work out, it might be option number 2, we'll see.

So being a long arduous week, finding out that my unemployment status has not changed, I hit downtown - a nice long lunch, and shopping spree. Now I am a proud owner of boots that I can stomp around puddles in, and a nice thick winter jacket that I can snowboard with, but doesn't have an overly sporty edge so I can wear normally. And mission accomplished on Christmas Shopping!!! Retail therapy is great a band-aid to slight depression, well only until the Amex bill comes in.

The calm after the storm

This is what stands between me and food, coffee and bus stop the day after the snow storm =( It might not be obvious, but some piles of snow are almost the same height as me! At least the sun was out and it actually looked quite pretty.

"I'll check with 'rarara' and let you know..."

Replace 'rarara' being your girlfriend, boyfriend, dog or cat.

I used to get that response a lot when I ask friends whether they are free to meet up on a certain day. It used to annoy me to no end when I regularly get the same response from the same people. I figure it's fine to decline an invitation if you have plans already, but if you don't, you're a free man / woman to do as you please, and doing as you please does not need permission from your partner. If they wanted the date, they should have put dibs on it first.

I'm not that harsh on everyone, just close friends who should know better than palming you off instead of telling you the truth - that they have no interest in the event, you're boring, you smell.

However, now that I actually live in the same city as my partner... I find it quite convenient to pull this line out when I want to decline an invite with no valid reason. It's terrible. It's hypocrisy I know - but this is only reserved for desperate times (when invited to see a chick-flick, RnB clubbing...).

Well at least I know now that it wasn't because I smell (I think).

... and another year wiser

It always takes a little trigger for someone to snap out of it and realise that self pity is pointless and there is nothing like planning, purpose and action to get out of a rut. But that's being dramatic.

I'm far from being in a rut, and my birthday was hardly a life changing event. Whether it was just good timing, or it really was a pivot to get over my boredom, I've decided to get off my butt and do something constructive with my time.

So this week is the start of my new gym membership, and I'm proud to say that I spent two hours at the gym yesterday (never mind that half the time was spent in the change room and sauna - love the sauna!). I'm also yet to start the make-over upstairs at Gord's house. It's recently been vacated, and we're using the opportunity to do a few quick-wins with a lick of new paint, change of colour schemes, and bright new lighting.

My other resolution was to get up earlier in the morning - because for someone who complains of being bored, I actually don't have enough hours in the day to the basic stuff I plan to do. And I haven't even started the job hunt yet. So with new additions to my agenda, I'm aiming to get up at 10am - hardly early, but goals need to be achievable, and I'm being realistic. Unfortunately, I'm yet to reach my goal - not sure why, but my eye-lids are so heavy in the morning and my ETA (estimated time for alertness) still hovers around the midday mark.

It's a start, and it'll keep me busy for the next few weeks until I can apply for a work visa in January, and then start looking for work Toronto. The you'll hear a different type of complaining!

'tis the season to be jolly...

I'm not a romantic. I'm a realist. So when I think snow, I don't think soft flurries floating down to squeals of children (god forbid) playing in the yard making frosty the snowman.

I'm thinking... fumbling of gloves, scarves for practicality and not fashion, and how to safely get across the pavement without falling flat on my face (or shoulder popping out of socket) in front of a line-up of cars... because I know what all the bored drivers at the lights will be doing - checking out the pedestrians who are fighting against the wind and clambering over small but lethal piles of snow to get to the side-walk.

I haven't quite worked out what the best approach is... to test with the toes before lowering the rest of the foot when crossing glossy pavements, or to land the whole foot at once for stability. I miss my Merrel outdoor shoes, although they haven't been at all trustworthy in the past, it would do more good here than collecting dust under my bed.

Before the snowstorm hit

Overnight transformation to this

Gord put to work whilst I cheer him on from inside

New York Madness

When I think New York City, I think sight-seeing, shows and shopping. Being my third visit to the Big Apple, sight-seeing was not high on my agenda. The writers' strike meant there were no shows. Which unfortunately (for my wallet), left me with only shopping to occupy my time.

So with the agenda set, I was keen to put the best effort that my bargain-shopping-career had seen yet. So I joined thousands of post-Thanksgiving shoppers at Woodbury Outlets for the Midnight Madness sale. Doors open at midnight, and eager shoppers queue up in sub-zero temperatures to get extra discount off already reduced outlet prices. We got there at 2am and shopped for 12 hours straight until 2pm the next day.

Ofcourse, such an operation required careful planning:
- We had Navigator Jany (thanks Jany!!!!), who traced our path on the map, and made sure that we visited all the shops we had circled
- Navigator Jany also doubled up as Queue-up Jany who lined up for the impossibly long check-out line while we shoppers raced around the store and back before Jany got to the front
- Singlet tops were key. Forget change rooms, we stripped our ten layers off down to our singlets and tried clothes on in the middle of the store, and
- When waiting for fellow shoppers, 5 minute power naps on lounges is the secret to shopping longevity.

Funnily enough, I actually felt fine, until 2pm when I started to dwindle. Now I understand the adrenalin experienced by athletes.

Contrary to the above, New York wasn't just about the shopping (so I try to explain). I managed to catch-up with friends, either visiting from London, or who have settled in NY. My girlfriends from TO were also in town to celebrate a 30th birthday. This meant a lot of eating and (a little) drinking. Food in NY is fantastic, and it helps to know locals, and not being a poor backpacker this time to enjoy all the amazing restaurants and bars the city has to offer. My only complaint is that there weren't enough cafes. In my opinion, greasy American diners should not call themselves cafes. Nor should any other establishment that can't make a decent coffee.

I also experienced my first Thanksgiving in North America. We glimpsed part of the Thanksgiving Parade where huge balloons and floats were paraded through the city, and Bec's roast turkey was a success at Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm back in TO now. The little colour that was left on the trees are now ash grey - it's started to snowing, although I've been told that dandruff does not count as snow. This is definitely a winter I am not looking forward to!

Does unemployment count as a holiday?

Europe is well and definately over. I arrived in Toronto two days ago and had my first interview today. What can I say, interviews are a drag. I even had to go out a buy a new ironing board just so I can straighten up my suit that has seen nothing but the bottom of my banged up suitcase for the last few weeks.

Interview went ok I guess, since I am going back tomorrow to meet with the business. A one hour interview, a one hour written test, and lunch with the Director... not even the free lunch makes up for the three long hours I have to sit through! Even if I do get an offer, this is all pending on me being able to get Permenant Residency... this was no where on my grand plan, but has managed to creep it's way to the top of the list if I am ever to work in TO.

My first interview and I'm already getting a headache. Just to make myself feel even better, I wouldn't let myself eat this muffin that was calling for me from the coffee table until I had sent out all the job-hunt related emails I needed to send out. Man that muffin was hard work.

The weather has somehow followed me from Croatia to TO... I experienced the first snowflakes this season, and it's only Autumn! This is going to be a long winter. The thickest jacket I have ever owned in my life can't even keep the biting cold wind out.

Don't get me wrong, it was great coming home (my other home), seeing the boy, and getting pampered.

I blame the weather.

When we were twelve...

I have done nothing but eat and drink in the last few days, and my muffin top is a testament to this (the race isn't over yet, chisin!).

Unplanned Sydney-sider sightings (USSS) have now increased, with an +1 to Sighting B (Jean), and now a Sighting C, good old Kiat from back in the uni days. He was passing our yum cha table - I haven't seen this guy in years, but knew through the grapevine he had made the move to London. I know, I shouldn't be so surprised, but it gets me every time.

Speaking of hooking up with people from the past, I'm liking Facebook more and more these days. Although I say I have no interest in going to my high school reunion, because after all, you keep in touch with the ones that matter... I could not hide my excitement when I came across a stack of people from my primary school years. I am currently chatting to one of my closest friends from probably the most important developmental years of my life (when I used to hate school holidays and lie awake in excitement the night before a new term starts... I've gained a life since then...).

Primary school was never about sitting in lessons and taking tests. It was about little lunches and big lunches, about what show and tell to share and friends to hang out with. It's when you're allowed to be naive and naivety is just a lesson, never a loss. It's where our personalities start to shape, but not entirely defined - you really can't tell how someone will turn out by age 12 (look at how fine this shy class-dag with the bowl hair cut turned out!).

I guess that's why I'm so intrigued with my primary school pals. Especially since my recent trip to Croatia made me want to track down my 'best friend' from when I was 5 years old. Dear Ana was from Croatia and raved on about it all the time. Each time I went to a new Croatian town, I would wonder if she was from there and wished I had only asked.

I'm beginning to change my tune about not caring for people that I have lost touch with. I used to think it was a choice that was made, even if it was circumstantial by way of laziness. How could I be so wrong?

The different faces of Croatia

Zagreb is not only capital of Croatia, party central, but the city is a big cafe itself. Everywhere you turn, there are cafes with outdoor seating, pretty people decked out in the latest European fashion, beer or coffee in one hand and cigarette in another. I felt rather unglamorous in comparison.

My next stop was at Plitvice Lakes National Park - a wonderland where lakes spill into each other creating cascades of waterfalls at every corner. If you don't know, I love waterfalls... and I saw hundreds in one day embedded into a kaleidescope of yellows, oranges, greens and browns from the Autumn leaves. I can only imagine what the park would be like on a clear and sunny day and had my fingers crossed for the next day. The bright light shining through the crack in the curtain in the morning was promising, but when I threw open the blinds, the patchwork of colours was replaced with a thick blanket of white snow. Apparently it didn't even snow last year, and when it does, it is usually in December.

Although it ruined my plans to see the rest of the lakes, it was sort of a pleasant surprise to see the first snowfall, and gave me an excuse to stay in the hotel room I splurged on, equivalent to 4 nights stay in a hostel! Keen to make the most of it, I spread my toiletries out on the spanking clean ensuite bathroom, took two long hot showers... long enough to make me panic that I had caused the momentary blackout in the hotel midway through one of these guilty pleasures. But the lights went on again, and I turned the hot water up some more.

The rest of my trip in the small coastal town on Zadar was less eventful... I was excited to travel on my own for a bit, perhaps it's the whole thought of being independent, or maybe it seems more an adventure... but when you are in a small town with all too much time, I missed having someone there to chat and kill idle time with. I guess, journeys are better shared with someone.

The Rusty Traveller

I've spent the last 5 days in Croatia, which is absolutely gorgeous. My arrival here was not without drama, my rusty travel street sense was put to the test as soon as I arrived at Dubrovnik airport. Withdrawing money from the atm, I managed to walk away with all the dosh, but left my receipt and keycard behind! Lucky for me, I was still loitering around and realised when the next person walked up to the atm. Well it takes an incident like this to make me ultra careful the rest of the trip. Incidents like these only ever happen once.

So back to the travels - Dubrovnik lives up to the hype, with the city walls being the highlight of the trip so far. Looking over the rooftops of Old Town, and being able to just turn around to see the dramatic translucent aqua to deep blue of the sea, makes me realise that lugging heavy luggage, running for the plane, and waiting in long queues through customs is well worth it. The Adriatic Coast is amazing, and the bus ride from one coastal city to another is breathtakingly beautiful. I can't think of anything less cliche to say about the water... it dazzles, yup, dazzles in sun!




Mim left yesterday to return to London and I'm on my own for the next 5 days. I'm starting my lone tour by taking an unplanned trip away from the Dalmatia coast to the country's capital, Zagreb. So far, no hitches. I'm havng a rough time getting used to the cold which is a far cry from the sun and blue sky of the coastal towns. Tomorrow I am off the Plitvice National Park which is meant to have some really spectacular lake though. Can't wait to post som photos up when I get back to London!

London Encounters

So, I'm walking down the street three days into my visit to London. We're heading to the best Vietnamese phó place in town (phó was pretty good, but the vermicelli was so so, and the coconut juice cringe worthy...), and on the way there, I look up and see an old acquaintance and fellow M2 bus patron, Liz, strolling in the opposite direction! I haven't seen this woman in ages, and to be honest, actually forgot her name in my excitement. I was 80% sure it was Liz, and called it out anyway, which to my relief she answered to. Funny, I was wondering that day, whether I would bump into someone on the streets if London considering there are so many Sydney-siders there. So after catching up over a few short minutes, I walked away shaking my head still amazed that I had bumped into someone on the other side of the world.

10 minutes later, as I'm waiting for my meal, blabbering away to Mim at the table, who should walk in? Another Sydney acquaintance, Jean! Not sure whether to get up and run over, stand up and shout, or just continue blabbering to Mim, I see the waiter walk over to her. And ofcourse, there were no spare tables in the entire restaurant... my dilemma was resolved as the waiter led Jean and her companion - who I later discovered also works with some ex colleagues of mine... what a night...

So that three days into my visit. Not sure why I am so surprised, I guess it's always nice to bump into a familiar face, let alone in another city.

Big Trip (Somewhere) - Take II

Status at 5am (approx. 10 hours before flight departure):
- luggage packed and over-wieght
- parcels ready to be shipped despite 12am drama with not having enough brown paper to wrap weet-bix cartons (disaster diverted - thank god for little brown take-away bags and great patchwork skills!)
- tax returns... they suck, not yet finished and I'm already owing a weeks' worth of travel money!

This blog has been on extended holidays since 2004 (because I haven't)... but it's back... typos, bad grammar, travel and foolish stories (which most definately aren't based on my foolish actions).

This is my next big trip, destination unknown but most likely to be a revisting the Big TO, or even the Big Apple. In smart traveller style - first I'm off to blow all my money in Europe before I find a job to earn it.

So please, jump on and share my rararas from the other side of the world. Drop me a blah blah blah, a long email or a phone call.

I'll be sure to miss everyone - I'm feeling it already.

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!