I wanted to travel to the Maritime provinces of Canada, but only had the chance to spend a few days in Nova Scotia.
Coming from the Pacific coast, I was astounded to see how different it was. The sand was whiter, finer, the water more turbulent, there were more waves and the seascape was more flat. Although Hurricane Igor passed NS, as it had ripped through Newfoundland, it sure brought in gusty winds along the shores.
We had stayed in cabins in Inverness and Ingonish. What a pleasant experience that was. I had never stayed in a cottage before, just a little house on the waterfront. The sea was right in front of us, and on nights with the full moon, it was the best picture of nature one could see but not photograph. The rolling highlands and contrasting shoreline were beautiful to the eye, and every corner provided a stunning view. To live here must be so peaceful.
The people were so friendly and hospitable, telling you about where to drive to experience the most of what Nova Scotia has to offer. As Canada's ocean playground, I can see why, the pace of life is more relaxed and enjoyable. 4 days was too short of a visit to the 300 km Cabot trail, and I know that I will return someday and explore more. I had chosen late September to visit, hoping for trees with changing coloured leaves, but I was too early. Others had suggested I go in the summer to experience the heat, but I was fortunate to have great sunny weather the entire trip. I didn't need my winter clothes :)
It was sad that I did not try lobster, but I must say that the Digby scallops were awesome! Thick as marshmallows and succulent. I had haddock chowder and chicken fricot (roast chicken thigh in fish chowder). I saw very quickly, some rug hooking, as NS is world famous for it.
It was also unfortunate that I missed all the other Halifax attractions, like downtown, and nearby Peggy's cove and Lunenburg. However, my travel days are not over yet! As Arnie would say, "I'll be back".
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Ottawa
Well, being in the Country's capital but not interested in museums nor politics, was there anything to do other than museums and visit Parliament Hill? I have 4 days to find out.
So far, I've been to the downtown core everyday. My friend lives downtown, so easy to go past it every day.
Here are some highlights:
- we did a sports day race for National Sports Day Sep 18th. We had ~9 pit stops and had to do a physical activity at each stop. They had a heritage sports pit stop with lacrosse, ringette and broom ball! I've never played those before. they also had a stop where you ran blindfolded with your race partner. It really gave me perspective for those paralympians. We also had our stress monitored with a breathing sensor that helps you synchronize your breathing with your heart rate. Apparently it reduces stress when you're synced. It's an average of 6 breaths/min. It was throughout the downtown core and the Univeristy of Ottawa campus.
- Rideau Centre is the main shopping mall (like Pacific Centre)
- Byward market is a historical district and the hub or pubs, food stalls and small shops (like Granville Island
- Bank street, kind of like Commercial Drive
- Glebe - kind of like West 4th Ave
- the Science and Tech museum - I learned about Canadian innovators, communications, Canada and our contributions to space endeavours
- the Currency Museum, housed in the Bank of Canada - saw the development of the world's currency system, the display on Euro was very interesting (I got in half an hour before it closed, so it was quick, wish I had more time)
- ate at Zak's diner. Apparently an iconic burger joint, kind of like Hamburger Mary's
I've had great weather so far. Only on the day I flew in was is pouring rain like Vancouver. It's been sunny and dry, about 12 to 19 C every day. One more day to go, and dim sum and outlet shopping are on the plan.
So far, I've been to the downtown core everyday. My friend lives downtown, so easy to go past it every day.
Here are some highlights:
- we did a sports day race for National Sports Day Sep 18th. We had ~9 pit stops and had to do a physical activity at each stop. They had a heritage sports pit stop with lacrosse, ringette and broom ball! I've never played those before. they also had a stop where you ran blindfolded with your race partner. It really gave me perspective for those paralympians. We also had our stress monitored with a breathing sensor that helps you synchronize your breathing with your heart rate. Apparently it reduces stress when you're synced. It's an average of 6 breaths/min. It was throughout the downtown core and the Univeristy of Ottawa campus.
- Rideau Centre is the main shopping mall (like Pacific Centre)
- Byward market is a historical district and the hub or pubs, food stalls and small shops (like Granville Island
- Bank street, kind of like Commercial Drive
- Glebe - kind of like West 4th Ave
- the Science and Tech museum - I learned about Canadian innovators, communications, Canada and our contributions to space endeavours
- the Currency Museum, housed in the Bank of Canada - saw the development of the world's currency system, the display on Euro was very interesting (I got in half an hour before it closed, so it was quick, wish I had more time)
- ate at Zak's diner. Apparently an iconic burger joint, kind of like Hamburger Mary's
I've had great weather so far. Only on the day I flew in was is pouring rain like Vancouver. It's been sunny and dry, about 12 to 19 C every day. One more day to go, and dim sum and outlet shopping are on the plan.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hong Kong summary
Not many internet cafes here, and I really didn't have much time to write anyways, as my days were long, trying to get it all in in 3.5 days! Good thing I'm staying with my friend W and have some more friends here to tell me where to go, show me around, and speak better Chinese than me.
The first day was full of temples. I wanted to get my fortune by shaking out a numbered stick from a tube. It was 93. This year was bad for me, the music is harsh, clashing and evil sounding. My business will not make a profit, and it's not a good year to get married. I should buy a complementary Chinese horoscope sign to wear, to offset this. We also went to another temple to change my fortune by paying money and spinning a pinwheel. How superstitious is that, eh?
I met with my colleagues who were also visiting, and we went to see the Peak. It is up a funicular on Hong Kong Island. Would've have been a great view except for the major smog from pollution. The pollution index is 61! A good number is 20-30.
At night, we went to see the laser light show along the waterfront. It was a bunch off lasers reflected off the tall buildings and some buildings have their own light displays as well. Along the sidewalk, was the Avenue of stars. We found Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee.
The second day, we went to Ocean Park, Hong Kong's adventure land with animals, rides and games. We saw the pandas and all the marine life. It was a great aquarium with 4 levels of pools where all the fish swim together. The jelly fish display was fantastic too! Definitely the highlight. We took in a roller coaster and a couple more rides, but I think I got heatstroke again as I was feeling dizzy after a ride or 2 going in circles, which is not normal for me. I had to skip the rest, too bad, as there was a hellevator type tide I wanted to go on! We didn't make it up the hot air balloon either, as it was too windy when we decided to go.
We went shopping at many places. There are so many malls and outdoor markets here, it's crazy! You can find high end stuff, knock offs, knick knacks, souvenirs, jade and even animals for sale. There are also fortune tellers and we went to see another one. I was told my eyes leak out money, that I should get glasses. I haven't worn glasses since grade 6! And I don't think glasses are that attractive on me. I was told that life will be difficult for me until I get married, but I will not get divorced. I have high expectations and I split with my love in my 20s. I'm stubborn, even upsetting my parents, but have gotten a little better over the years. I should bring back any photo of a guy I'm interested in, and the fortune teller will tell me if he will be my husband. How intriguing is that?!
Day 3 was out to the country side, near China, where my friend W brought me to Sai Keung to see the fishing boats. We also went by a former refugee camp which is now a golf country club.
The next day, I had to leave! Got to have a lunch with a friend's sister who moved here almost 10 years ago. Been so long,and people still look the same.
I was pooped and couldn't wait to get home. This is the first trip where I felt homesick. I missed my large spacious condo, the more moderate temperature (15C vs. 35C), the amount of public space, the car I drive, the cleanliness of the bathrooms (in Asia, I have to bring toilet paper every time).
I really like their efficient transit system though. I didn't get a chance to experience the night life or see Big Buddha, but I guess I have to save something for next time!
The first day was full of temples. I wanted to get my fortune by shaking out a numbered stick from a tube. It was 93. This year was bad for me, the music is harsh, clashing and evil sounding. My business will not make a profit, and it's not a good year to get married. I should buy a complementary Chinese horoscope sign to wear, to offset this. We also went to another temple to change my fortune by paying money and spinning a pinwheel. How superstitious is that, eh?
I met with my colleagues who were also visiting, and we went to see the Peak. It is up a funicular on Hong Kong Island. Would've have been a great view except for the major smog from pollution. The pollution index is 61! A good number is 20-30.
At night, we went to see the laser light show along the waterfront. It was a bunch off lasers reflected off the tall buildings and some buildings have their own light displays as well. Along the sidewalk, was the Avenue of stars. We found Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee.
The second day, we went to Ocean Park, Hong Kong's adventure land with animals, rides and games. We saw the pandas and all the marine life. It was a great aquarium with 4 levels of pools where all the fish swim together. The jelly fish display was fantastic too! Definitely the highlight. We took in a roller coaster and a couple more rides, but I think I got heatstroke again as I was feeling dizzy after a ride or 2 going in circles, which is not normal for me. I had to skip the rest, too bad, as there was a hellevator type tide I wanted to go on! We didn't make it up the hot air balloon either, as it was too windy when we decided to go.
We went shopping at many places. There are so many malls and outdoor markets here, it's crazy! You can find high end stuff, knock offs, knick knacks, souvenirs, jade and even animals for sale. There are also fortune tellers and we went to see another one. I was told my eyes leak out money, that I should get glasses. I haven't worn glasses since grade 6! And I don't think glasses are that attractive on me. I was told that life will be difficult for me until I get married, but I will not get divorced. I have high expectations and I split with my love in my 20s. I'm stubborn, even upsetting my parents, but have gotten a little better over the years. I should bring back any photo of a guy I'm interested in, and the fortune teller will tell me if he will be my husband. How intriguing is that?!
Day 3 was out to the country side, near China, where my friend W brought me to Sai Keung to see the fishing boats. We also went by a former refugee camp which is now a golf country club.
The next day, I had to leave! Got to have a lunch with a friend's sister who moved here almost 10 years ago. Been so long,and people still look the same.
I was pooped and couldn't wait to get home. This is the first trip where I felt homesick. I missed my large spacious condo, the more moderate temperature (15C vs. 35C), the amount of public space, the car I drive, the cleanliness of the bathrooms (in Asia, I have to bring toilet paper every time).
I really like their efficient transit system though. I didn't get a chance to experience the night life or see Big Buddha, but I guess I have to save something for next time!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Cambodia highlights
Siem Reap:
favourites: Angkor Wat, Bayon, silk farm, night market, old market, landmine museum
friendly people here, not very agressive
small town, I feel safe and can walk around
things to note:
cost of a tuk tuk: $15USD/d
food: $4/entree
beer 50 cents
Phnom Penh:
favourites: cooking class, stroll along the riverfront, toul sleng museum, massage by a blind person
things to note:
cost of a tuk tuk $4/trip
things I didn't like:
Temperature: 40C, 80% humidity - it's too hot, I'm taking a shower almost 3x a day and you sweat as soon as you get outside
Very aggressive tuk tuk drivers and tour guides. I had quite a few drivers telling me stuff that wasn't true. I went by my guidebook, but they just argued with me that I was wrong, when I was right in the end. The traffic is crazy, almost no rules!
Very large city, I don't feel that safe, always protecting my bag, can't walk around my hotel at night
Very dirty, hazy air.
favourites: Angkor Wat, Bayon, silk farm, night market, old market, landmine museum
friendly people here, not very agressive
small town, I feel safe and can walk around
things to note:
cost of a tuk tuk: $15USD/d
food: $4/entree
beer 50 cents
Phnom Penh:
favourites: cooking class, stroll along the riverfront, toul sleng museum, massage by a blind person
things to note:
cost of a tuk tuk $4/trip
things I didn't like:
Temperature: 40C, 80% humidity - it's too hot, I'm taking a shower almost 3x a day and you sweat as soon as you get outside
Very aggressive tuk tuk drivers and tour guides. I had quite a few drivers telling me stuff that wasn't true. I went by my guidebook, but they just argued with me that I was wrong, when I was right in the end. The traffic is crazy, almost no rules!
Very large city, I don't feel that safe, always protecting my bag, can't walk around my hotel at night
Very dirty, hazy air.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Phnom Penh
I've been here for 3 days and have noticed that there is not as much to see here as there is in Siem Reap. The first day, I tried to search for group tours and only found one which had 2 people in it. I found central market. It's a large art deco building being renovated on the inside, so all the vendors are on the outside. Not that many souvenirs here, mostly housewares, jewelry, clothing and groceries.
Then, I found a Khmer cooking class through a brochure at Frizz Restaurant. I think that's what I'll do on my second day!
Cambodian cooking has mostly curry and spices. I learned to make spring rolls, fish amok (yellow curry) steamed in a palm leaf bowl, banana blossom salad (made from the banana flower, before bananas grow from it) and sticky rice and mango. Wow, I was full by lunchtime already and it was a full day course. I met a couple from Toronto and 2 girls from England. Everyone is roaming around Asia as well.
We finished early due to the small class size, so I had time to go to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The King is currently here, and fed the monks this morning before the Khmer New Year, so closed the palace. Good thing I went in the afternoon. The same thing happened to us in Thailand, when the King's sister died and closed off portions of the Royal Palace. The Silver palace is renowned for the silver tiles, only some of which they display. The rest they keep covered with large rugs for preservation.
I was pooped and went back to the hotel for a dip in the pool, pretty refreshing, but the pool is deep, I couldn't really relax as I couldn't step on the bottom. I ended up getting a full body Thai massage as well as a foot massage. I just about fell asleep and it wasn't even 9pm!
On my 3rd day, I joined an Intrepid city tour. I saw the S-21 prison, now the Tuol Sleng genocidal museum. The Khmer Rouge (KR) regime led by Pol Pot, sent people here to be interrogated and tortured. There were only 7 survivors when the KR were defeated by the Vietnamese army in 1979 and 2 still living as of today. I met one of them, Chum Mey. It must be so hard to walk around the grounds and see the cell you were imprisoned in. The photos indicate the madness of those times. He has testified in the UN tribunal against one of the leaders. The other, paints the memories of S-21 and has them on display here.
The Cheoung Ek memorial was built at one of the killing fields where they found mass graves in 1980, the year after the regime was over. It was found by the smell. There are 17 tiers of clothing, skulls and bones. Even foreigners died here. I was only a child when this was all happening on the other side of the world from me. It begs the question, is there another genocide happening today? It's hard to believe this happened in modern day, 1975 - 1979.
I went to see the remainder of the main sights, including the Independence Monument (now a war memorial), Wat Phnom hill (the originating area of the city and also the highest part of the city), the Russian market (most of the foreigners after the KR were Russians) and the riverfront. I took a sunset cruise along the Mekong River and met some British ladies and an Aussie guy.
I had a massage from a blind person (it's quite popular here) at Clinic Massage by Blind and boy, he can't see, but he sure can figure out where all my knots were. I like strong massages, but this one hurt in some places. The travelling has really been hard on my body!
I am feeling a bit homesick as I am travelling alone, the country is dirty and hot. I miss my clean condo, the public transportation system, the English speaking people and the cooler temperature. I don't feel safe to walk around. I was told Phnom Penh is not full of friendly Cambodians as the rest of the country, they are more selfish due to the past, as Phnom Penh was the centre for the KR. Kill or be killed. Watch out for yourself. But in the end, Pol Pot killed all his soldiers anyways.
I am getting mosquito bites everywhere and getting prickly heat/heat rash. Well, I'll be in Hong Kong by tomorrow night, so hopefully will be feeling a little more adventurous.
Then, I found a Khmer cooking class through a brochure at Frizz Restaurant. I think that's what I'll do on my second day!
Cambodian cooking has mostly curry and spices. I learned to make spring rolls, fish amok (yellow curry) steamed in a palm leaf bowl, banana blossom salad (made from the banana flower, before bananas grow from it) and sticky rice and mango. Wow, I was full by lunchtime already and it was a full day course. I met a couple from Toronto and 2 girls from England. Everyone is roaming around Asia as well.
We finished early due to the small class size, so I had time to go to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The King is currently here, and fed the monks this morning before the Khmer New Year, so closed the palace. Good thing I went in the afternoon. The same thing happened to us in Thailand, when the King's sister died and closed off portions of the Royal Palace. The Silver palace is renowned for the silver tiles, only some of which they display. The rest they keep covered with large rugs for preservation.
I was pooped and went back to the hotel for a dip in the pool, pretty refreshing, but the pool is deep, I couldn't really relax as I couldn't step on the bottom. I ended up getting a full body Thai massage as well as a foot massage. I just about fell asleep and it wasn't even 9pm!
On my 3rd day, I joined an Intrepid city tour. I saw the S-21 prison, now the Tuol Sleng genocidal museum. The Khmer Rouge (KR) regime led by Pol Pot, sent people here to be interrogated and tortured. There were only 7 survivors when the KR were defeated by the Vietnamese army in 1979 and 2 still living as of today. I met one of them, Chum Mey. It must be so hard to walk around the grounds and see the cell you were imprisoned in. The photos indicate the madness of those times. He has testified in the UN tribunal against one of the leaders. The other, paints the memories of S-21 and has them on display here.
The Cheoung Ek memorial was built at one of the killing fields where they found mass graves in 1980, the year after the regime was over. It was found by the smell. There are 17 tiers of clothing, skulls and bones. Even foreigners died here. I was only a child when this was all happening on the other side of the world from me. It begs the question, is there another genocide happening today? It's hard to believe this happened in modern day, 1975 - 1979.
I went to see the remainder of the main sights, including the Independence Monument (now a war memorial), Wat Phnom hill (the originating area of the city and also the highest part of the city), the Russian market (most of the foreigners after the KR were Russians) and the riverfront. I took a sunset cruise along the Mekong River and met some British ladies and an Aussie guy.
I had a massage from a blind person (it's quite popular here) at Clinic Massage by Blind and boy, he can't see, but he sure can figure out where all my knots were. I like strong massages, but this one hurt in some places. The travelling has really been hard on my body!
I am feeling a bit homesick as I am travelling alone, the country is dirty and hot. I miss my clean condo, the public transportation system, the English speaking people and the cooler temperature. I don't feel safe to walk around. I was told Phnom Penh is not full of friendly Cambodians as the rest of the country, they are more selfish due to the past, as Phnom Penh was the centre for the KR. Kill or be killed. Watch out for yourself. But in the end, Pol Pot killed all his soldiers anyways.
I am getting mosquito bites everywhere and getting prickly heat/heat rash. Well, I'll be in Hong Kong by tomorrow night, so hopefully will be feeling a little more adventurous.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
other things in Siem Reap
Well, the last day here, so I figure I'd go see what else Siem Reap has to offer. I tell you, it's hard to find! My hotel doesn't have the plethora of flyers as the Vancouver hotels do, so I had to try to find stuff from my guidebook.
I went to see the Royal Palace, which isn't grand, and you can't go into anyways. It is beside a small garden which I thought was for the King, but is actually upkept by a hotel, probably 5 star. There is also a Buddhist temple here, and the Khmer New Year is starting on the 14th, so people are starting their celebrations. Lots of flower offerings, a few groups of children and adults in traditional clothing go around the businesses for offerings and good luck? I really don't know, but am assuming that it's similar to the Chinese New Year.
We drove by the Wat Bo riverside. It's just an area of small houses/businesses, but I wanted to venture out a little bit and had lots of time today with my tuk tuk driver. I then went to Old Market. I had actually found it by accident last night, but went again in the daytime. I just love the fact that people are selling meat without refrigeration, reminds me of how they do it in Peru. I saw lots of veggie and fruit stands. I bought some rambutan, longan and lychee for my afternoon snack.
I got a ride home for lunchtime, but since I had a bowl of noodle soup, I wasn't hungry, so I wanted to write in my journal. I'm 2 days behind, but all the days are so full! I promptly fell asleep for 3 hours! That tells you how tired I am. Besides, it's a hot country and most people have siesta now, don't they?
Well, I went down to the lobby where they have some tables, usually for breakfast and decided to write. I ended talking to a Chris, a swiss guy who was roaming around the temples on his own. Too bad I didn't meet him any earlier, as we could've shared a tuk tuk or something. He's so brave to do it on his own with the lonely planet guide. Even with my tour guide, I don't feel that I can explain anything...
I went to Old Market for dinner and ate at Temple. It's recommended by Lonely Planet, but I didn't know that until I saw the sign. There is traditional Apsara dancing shows during dinner, so for me, it was a 2 in 1. I ate some fried fish with Cambodian spices, sure was tasty and served in a little palm leaf bowl!
This is such a great area for tourists to roam around. It's safe, concentrated, has souvenirs, massage places, bars, etc. Beer is 50 cents and dinner is less than $5. Your tuk tuk can take you back home for $2!
I went for a pedicure, my nail polish needed to be changed. I met a girl, Song Va and her English was pretty good for someone who works there. I had a foot massage yesterday and the guy, Thi, only knew a few phrases. The massages are so cheap, $5 to $10 for an hour, same as Thailand. If I could, I would have one everyday, but I have a sunburnt neck and shoulder so those areas are sensitive.
I picked up a tour guide from the restaurant and went through the pages, I am missing out on cooking classes and the silk farm! If only I knew, that's where I'd be right now.
So, the next morning, before the airport, I asked to squeeze in a trip to the silk farm at Atrisans d'Angkor. I just love silk and want to know how it's made. I saw the whole thing: silk worms being fed mulberry leaves, making cocoons, how the silk is extracted from the worm, spun into thread, dyed and weaved into a scarf! It's truly amazing and what a beautiful product. I really wanted to buy something, but I have already bought too many souvenirs and I have an extra 6kg in my luggage!
Aw darn, at the exit I saw a sign that I could've had a silk weaving class! I would've totally done that!!!
I went to see the Royal Palace, which isn't grand, and you can't go into anyways. It is beside a small garden which I thought was for the King, but is actually upkept by a hotel, probably 5 star. There is also a Buddhist temple here, and the Khmer New Year is starting on the 14th, so people are starting their celebrations. Lots of flower offerings, a few groups of children and adults in traditional clothing go around the businesses for offerings and good luck? I really don't know, but am assuming that it's similar to the Chinese New Year.
We drove by the Wat Bo riverside. It's just an area of small houses/businesses, but I wanted to venture out a little bit and had lots of time today with my tuk tuk driver. I then went to Old Market. I had actually found it by accident last night, but went again in the daytime. I just love the fact that people are selling meat without refrigeration, reminds me of how they do it in Peru. I saw lots of veggie and fruit stands. I bought some rambutan, longan and lychee for my afternoon snack.
I got a ride home for lunchtime, but since I had a bowl of noodle soup, I wasn't hungry, so I wanted to write in my journal. I'm 2 days behind, but all the days are so full! I promptly fell asleep for 3 hours! That tells you how tired I am. Besides, it's a hot country and most people have siesta now, don't they?
Well, I went down to the lobby where they have some tables, usually for breakfast and decided to write. I ended talking to a Chris, a swiss guy who was roaming around the temples on his own. Too bad I didn't meet him any earlier, as we could've shared a tuk tuk or something. He's so brave to do it on his own with the lonely planet guide. Even with my tour guide, I don't feel that I can explain anything...
I went to Old Market for dinner and ate at Temple. It's recommended by Lonely Planet, but I didn't know that until I saw the sign. There is traditional Apsara dancing shows during dinner, so for me, it was a 2 in 1. I ate some fried fish with Cambodian spices, sure was tasty and served in a little palm leaf bowl!
This is such a great area for tourists to roam around. It's safe, concentrated, has souvenirs, massage places, bars, etc. Beer is 50 cents and dinner is less than $5. Your tuk tuk can take you back home for $2!
I went for a pedicure, my nail polish needed to be changed. I met a girl, Song Va and her English was pretty good for someone who works there. I had a foot massage yesterday and the guy, Thi, only knew a few phrases. The massages are so cheap, $5 to $10 for an hour, same as Thailand. If I could, I would have one everyday, but I have a sunburnt neck and shoulder so those areas are sensitive.
I picked up a tour guide from the restaurant and went through the pages, I am missing out on cooking classes and the silk farm! If only I knew, that's where I'd be right now.
So, the next morning, before the airport, I asked to squeeze in a trip to the silk farm at Atrisans d'Angkor. I just love silk and want to know how it's made. I saw the whole thing: silk worms being fed mulberry leaves, making cocoons, how the silk is extracted from the worm, spun into thread, dyed and weaved into a scarf! It's truly amazing and what a beautiful product. I really wanted to buy something, but I have already bought too many souvenirs and I have an extra 6kg in my luggage!
Aw darn, at the exit I saw a sign that I could've had a silk weaving class! I would've totally done that!!!
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
last day at the temples
I went to see Banteay Srei, ladies temple. This is the favourite for tourists as the carvings are all still well preserved. Quite elaborate, but the temple is quite small. One thing I noticed is that the steps are really short in depth, it only fits my foot sideways; and they are really steep. This is definitely not a trip for the elderly or unfit. You can climb up to 3 levels and in this heat, it's exhausting.
I trekked most of the ruins for about 8 hours a day and sometimes didn't even stop to eat. I just want to see it all! After here, we stopped into the Land Mine Museum. Really good museum run by Aki Ra. He was a former Khmer Rouge soldier and now has devoted his life to clearing landmines and making the country safer.
Next up was a killing field near a Buddhist temple. There were bones and skulls encase in a glass structure so that you can see them.
Now, I am finalizing my plans for Phnom Penh. I just booked my flight and hotel for the 3 days. Things are getting pricier as Khmer New Year is starting next week and people leave work on Thursday.
'
One more night here to explore at a more leisurely pace and then I'm off.
I trekked most of the ruins for about 8 hours a day and sometimes didn't even stop to eat. I just want to see it all! After here, we stopped into the Land Mine Museum. Really good museum run by Aki Ra. He was a former Khmer Rouge soldier and now has devoted his life to clearing landmines and making the country safer.
Next up was a killing field near a Buddhist temple. There were bones and skulls encase in a glass structure so that you can see them.
Now, I am finalizing my plans for Phnom Penh. I just booked my flight and hotel for the 3 days. Things are getting pricier as Khmer New Year is starting next week and people leave work on Thursday.
'
One more night here to explore at a more leisurely pace and then I'm off.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Cambodia - temple city
I've been wanting to see Angkor Wat since I saw it in a travel slide show almost 7(?) years ago. I remember seeing the majestic ruins and deciding that I had to go see it before I die.
Well, even though I flew into Siem Reap on Sunday morning at 7am, I checked into the hotel and just wanted to get out there. I was thinking that I should rest, but I really didn't want to waste time.
Usually, the first thing I do is go to the tourist info and pick up a map and some info on tours. Unfortunately, I had no idea where the tourist info was, and the hotel didn't have any tourist material, so I just decided to go to the Angkor Wat tourist centre. I did not know that all it was was a ticket centre for Angkor. I had rode on a moto the entire way, only to go back to the hotel to get my tour guide and tuk tuk arranged for the 3 days that I will be visiting. They only sell 1, 3, 5 or more day passes. 
I finally got out at 1030am. Now, I was just happy to get out and didn't feel any fatigue kick in, even though I only had about 5 hours sleep. However, I did gain an hour as Cambodia is 1 hr behind Singapore.
My guide is Mr. Sin and my driver is Mr. Sei. We went a little too late in the day, so we did not start at Angkor Wat. There are 300 sq km of countryside with temples in it. In the temples of Angkor, there are large ones, small ones, fairly well preserved ones, and ones totally undergoing restoration. They are shrines built by the many kings in the past, and some are Hindu temples and some are Buddhist.
Although my guide spoke English, there was still a communication gap. Also, I am not a history buff or religious, so lots of facts are lost on me, but I like the stories and just seeing the majesty of it all. This is what I understand.
It seems that if the ruling king was Hindu, he instructed all his followers to destroy any remnants of the past king, so most of the Buddhist temples have pieces missing from the images/bodies. The famous one is Angkor Wat, with the 5 corn cob shaped tops, and the Bayon, the one with all the faces and Ta Phrom, the one with all the tree roots. We went through almost 10 temples on the first day, that they were all blurring together. It was almost 8 hours in the blistering sun and heat, my guide said 38C!
On the 2nd day, I wanted to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. There were quite a few people, but this is shoulder season, so not as many as there could've been. Unfortunately, my guide is not the best photographer, so I don't have a great shot of me and Angkor Wat. That's ok, I have lots of photos, period. I had to leave the hotel at 5am , to see the sunrise and we walked through almost another 8 temples til 1pm. I'm really making them work hard for their money! Tuk tuk is $10 USd/d and English speaking guide $25/d
I also went to see the Floating Villages to see how people live off the Tonle Sap river. It was such an overpriced tourist money grab. $40USD for ~1.5 hr boat ride (I paid more for the sunset) in a dirty river where the driver doesn't know any English (I was told all of them do and can answer all your questions). The river was really low, so boats were passing head on with only inches to spare, and kicking up dirty water along the way.
After I caught sunset atop a viewing platform on a houseboat, we drove back, but it was getting dark, and they didn't seem to have any lights (or at least they didn't use them) and I was getting scared. I don't swim, I didn't want to get dirty, I didn't want my camera to get ruined and all my pictures gone; maybe I was just paranoid, as I'm sure many tourist come for the sunset. I think I was just getting the feeling that I was being jipped, and I had no English speaking person with me to save me if I drowned!
Lastly, I went to the night market to check out more souvenirs. I already bought lots in Singapore, but I picked up a wooden Bayon face mask for a friend, and some tea and cooking spices also.
It is now midnight, and I must sleep for tomorrow. The highlight will be the Ladies temple.
Singapore highlights
Well, 4 days in Singapore and it was fun. Here are my highlights:
Most fun moment: flying trapeze on Siloso beach on Sentosa Island, adventure playground for the locals. Unfortunately not a catch on the other side, just a solo fly. I was really hoping for a catch, as I had so much fun in Whistler doing it, almost 15 yrs ago. I did 3 tries and I looked so good, apparently people stopped to watch
Most worthwhile sighseeing: all the little ethnic communities: Kampong Glam (Arab community/Malay village), Chinatown and Little India. I know, I don't even go to the ones in Vancouver, but it's great to see all the different souvenirs and restaurants.
Best foods: chili crab and the satay was really good at Lau Pa Sat Hawker centre. Really well marinated, excellent satay sauce, even for mutton. Better than any I've had in Vancouver.
Best entertainment: going out with friends having drinks and checking out the people
Most fun moment: flying trapeze on Siloso beach on Sentosa Island, adventure playground for the locals. Unfortunately not a catch on the other side, just a solo fly. I was really hoping for a catch, as I had so much fun in Whistler doing it, almost 15 yrs ago. I did 3 tries and I looked so good, apparently people stopped to watch
Most worthwhile sighseeing: all the little ethnic communities: Kampong Glam (Arab community/Malay village), Chinatown and Little India. I know, I don't even go to the ones in Vancouver, but it's great to see all the different souvenirs and restaurants.
Best foods: chili crab and the satay was really good at Lau Pa Sat Hawker centre. Really well marinated, excellent satay sauce, even for mutton. Better than any I've had in Vancouver.
Best entertainment: going out with friends having drinks and checking out the people
last day in Singapore
It was the only day it rained during my visit, but that made the weather a little more tolerable, as it has been so hot.
Bugis Village was supposed to be a shopping market of 3 floors, but it was quite the disappointment, more like a night market inside a mall. Singapore has so many more large air conditioned malls, but this was noted in the lonely planet guide, so I thought I would take a look.
Instead, I had time to hang with my friend J. We went to Boat Quay for some drinks and dessert. I actually tried real tapioca, kinda like a potato, but just sweet (but not like sweet potato). We also checked out one of the nicest hotels in town, the Fullerton. Not bad for a redecorated post office. We then headed for dinner: my last wish was to try the famous Singapore chili crab.
Chili crab at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant was awesome! and I didn't even mind all the work. I would've drank the sauce if Ãt wasn't so spicy. The restaurant is Chinese style, but reminds me of the old Dem Bones, where they give you a bib, and you just dig in. We didn't get that messy though. I wonder if Banana Leaf has it at home?
I wanted to go out again, so headed towards Emerald Hill by Orchard Rd. This is the happening place, tons of people out. Drinks are so expensive here, ~$20, it makes me stop complaining about home. I was getting tired, and didn't make it past 11pm. Good thing, cuz I have to get up at 4am for my flight to Cambodia tomorrow.
Bugis Village was supposed to be a shopping market of 3 floors, but it was quite the disappointment, more like a night market inside a mall. Singapore has so many more large air conditioned malls, but this was noted in the lonely planet guide, so I thought I would take a look.
Instead, I had time to hang with my friend J. We went to Boat Quay for some drinks and dessert. I actually tried real tapioca, kinda like a potato, but just sweet (but not like sweet potato). We also checked out one of the nicest hotels in town, the Fullerton. Not bad for a redecorated post office. We then headed for dinner: my last wish was to try the famous Singapore chili crab.
Chili crab at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant was awesome! and I didn't even mind all the work. I would've drank the sauce if Ãt wasn't so spicy. The restaurant is Chinese style, but reminds me of the old Dem Bones, where they give you a bib, and you just dig in. We didn't get that messy though. I wonder if Banana Leaf has it at home?
I wanted to go out again, so headed towards Emerald Hill by Orchard Rd. This is the happening place, tons of people out. Drinks are so expensive here, ~$20, it makes me stop complaining about home. I was getting tired, and didn't make it past 11pm. Good thing, cuz I have to get up at 4am for my flight to Cambodia tomorrow.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Singapore nightlife
Well, Fri night on a long weekend, so we headed to Clarke Quay. It is a hub of entertainment, with bars and restaurants. It looked totally different at night than during the day. The complex is star shaped, all light up and mostly covered. It was busy with locals and tourists, supposedly all year too. It reminds me of Vegas, where it was warm but cooler than daytime, tons of tourists looking for something to do, places to drink, lots of different cultures of people.
We were hoping to dance some salsa and there were 2 clubs, but it was too early for dancing. We headed to Highlander, a Scottish bar. I had to order a Singapore Sling. It was red and totally fake tasting. Drinks are really expensive here, ~$15 each. It's no wonder hostesses are trying to get your business as you walk by. It reminds me of Vegas or Mexico where they want tourists to come and spend money and try to lure them in.
We went to Cuba Libre next. They have a live band, and seats at the bar are conga drums. We could dance a few salsa songs, and there were people here who knew how to dance. When it was the DJ, 80s music was quite popular. It went totally to rap and hip hop, so we left for the other salsa bar.
Azucar was not that busy, but the band came on in about 5 min. Really good band and the some people here also dancing salsa. It's definitely not like home where people just ask people, it's more of a tourist scene where people dance with their own group. There was a group of young adults and one guy who's jeans were totally falling off, in fact, his tight whiteys were showing!
About 230 am, we decided we had enough for the day since we didn't know when the salsa band would start up again. Maybe we'll try a different salsa bar tomorrow.
Sentosa Island - beach playground for Singaporeans
So, it's Good Friday today, national holiday in Singapore. J had stayed out late, so we were having a very relaxing morning while he slept. Kinda nice to not feel the need to rush out. I made fruit salad for breakfast, I never get enough fruit on vacation.
We planned to head to Sentosa Island. It's a resort style playground with beaches made of imported sand and lots of attractions, including activities and tourist stuff. We had to go to Vivocity, the mall where we catch the monorail, Sentosa express.
Since it was about lunchtime, we decided to eat before getting on the island. Food Republic is a huge food fair with lots of hawker food. I really wanted to try laksa. Pretty good, but just about the same as home. It was so busy, that we couldn't even find a place to sit, so we got take out and ate on a bench outside. The laksa was so hot, that I couldn't hold it and sit and eat, I had to eat sitting on the floor, so Asian!
We headed for the island and all of went on the luge. These little cars that go on the road have a pull handle brake system which was hard to operate if you have a camera in one hand! I really wanted to take in all the action, but my video is really shaking going down the strip. I took a few pics of my friends, but M was laughing so hard because I looked like a local vendor with my backpack on my back, ready to sell at any time.
If you leave the handle unattended, you come to a screeching halt. The cart sits on the floor, whereas you normally have to pull up a little to raise the car so that the wheels touch the ground. Steering is left or right, but I kept going left because I was taking photos with my right hand. I'm sure this is a safety hazard. You really have to pull back really hard to actually engage the brakes. Not good for kids, as I don't see them being that strong. That was pretty fun for $12. It's better than the one at the Blackcomb adventure park though.
We walked along Siloso beach, one of the 3 on the island. Lots of people playing volleyball, soccer and Frisbee, sunbathing, and there are wave pools for surfing and bars too. Even a Cafe del Mar with music I like.
We found the flying trapeze. I've been wanting to do another catch since I went in Whistler almost 15 years ago. I love acrobatic circus and only wished I was part of Cirque du Soleil. I paid $20 for 3 swings, and then realized that I was flying solo. Even with all the classes I took, I had a hard time getting my knees tucked under the bar on the first swing. There was no catch on the other side. The photo in the brochure was misleading. They only do catches on Sundays! Well, I could at least do a knee hang and back flip exit. My friends took all the pics and video for me and I was just smiling so big when I finished.
We headed to Fort Siloso, and also past the Underwater World. My friends went to learn about history while I hung out. I saw men with snakes trying to get people to pay for photos with them wrapped around your body, large turtles in a small pool where you can even go in and wade amongst them or feed them, and peacocks.
We then went and took the skyride (basically a ski lift, and probably the same company too, doppelmayr?) There was a photo op at tower 2 and we were totally not paying attention! We saw the photo afterwards ($12 each) and J was looking, M wasn't and I was taking a picture. It was high up, so got a view of Indonesia where there were large refinery stacks and the view of the island. not bad if it was sunset.
By the end of this year, Universal studios will be here, we saw some roller coasters and a casino. So much construction in Singapore! The monorail was only $3 return, so I'm sure many families come here for cheap, as you don't have to pay for anything else if you bring stuff with you.
We headed back to Central mall at Clarke Quay to pick up a tourist freebie that I got a coupon for yesterday. It's coconut jam, 2 little bottles. Pretty cool gift for someone as I don't like coconut.
We were getting pretty weary and hungry, so we headed to Lau Pa Sat. We had satay from Satay stall #8. It's a large hawker centre with so many different varieties of food. The tables are a free for all, and some hawkers will come over trying to get you to order from them, but some hawkers only sell from their designated restaurant. The satay was tasty, better than home, well marinated chicken, beef and mutton. 30 skewers for $18. We also ordered Hainanese chicken and rice. I liked the rice better than the chicken. It was boneless, but tasted like oil, and I didn't really care for the spicy sauce. W e also had some greens and then fruit for dessert.
I wanted fresh fruit juice, but something more exotic than apple, orange or pineapple. They didn't have mango, nor guava, so I ended up buying soy milk to drink. I really want some non dairy dessert too, but it's so hard to find...even in Asia.
We headed home to rest so that we could go out later.
We planned to head to Sentosa Island. It's a resort style playground with beaches made of imported sand and lots of attractions, including activities and tourist stuff. We had to go to Vivocity, the mall where we catch the monorail, Sentosa express.
Since it was about lunchtime, we decided to eat before getting on the island. Food Republic is a huge food fair with lots of hawker food. I really wanted to try laksa. Pretty good, but just about the same as home. It was so busy, that we couldn't even find a place to sit, so we got take out and ate on a bench outside. The laksa was so hot, that I couldn't hold it and sit and eat, I had to eat sitting on the floor, so Asian!
We headed for the island and all of went on the luge. These little cars that go on the road have a pull handle brake system which was hard to operate if you have a camera in one hand! I really wanted to take in all the action, but my video is really shaking going down the strip. I took a few pics of my friends, but M was laughing so hard because I looked like a local vendor with my backpack on my back, ready to sell at any time.
If you leave the handle unattended, you come to a screeching halt. The cart sits on the floor, whereas you normally have to pull up a little to raise the car so that the wheels touch the ground. Steering is left or right, but I kept going left because I was taking photos with my right hand. I'm sure this is a safety hazard. You really have to pull back really hard to actually engage the brakes. Not good for kids, as I don't see them being that strong. That was pretty fun for $12. It's better than the one at the Blackcomb adventure park though.
We walked along Siloso beach, one of the 3 on the island. Lots of people playing volleyball, soccer and Frisbee, sunbathing, and there are wave pools for surfing and bars too. Even a Cafe del Mar with music I like.
We found the flying trapeze. I've been wanting to do another catch since I went in Whistler almost 15 years ago. I love acrobatic circus and only wished I was part of Cirque du Soleil. I paid $20 for 3 swings, and then realized that I was flying solo. Even with all the classes I took, I had a hard time getting my knees tucked under the bar on the first swing. There was no catch on the other side. The photo in the brochure was misleading. They only do catches on Sundays! Well, I could at least do a knee hang and back flip exit. My friends took all the pics and video for me and I was just smiling so big when I finished.
We headed to Fort Siloso, and also past the Underwater World. My friends went to learn about history while I hung out. I saw men with snakes trying to get people to pay for photos with them wrapped around your body, large turtles in a small pool where you can even go in and wade amongst them or feed them, and peacocks.
We then went and took the skyride (basically a ski lift, and probably the same company too, doppelmayr?) There was a photo op at tower 2 and we were totally not paying attention! We saw the photo afterwards ($12 each) and J was looking, M wasn't and I was taking a picture. It was high up, so got a view of Indonesia where there were large refinery stacks and the view of the island. not bad if it was sunset.
By the end of this year, Universal studios will be here, we saw some roller coasters and a casino. So much construction in Singapore! The monorail was only $3 return, so I'm sure many families come here for cheap, as you don't have to pay for anything else if you bring stuff with you.
We headed back to Central mall at Clarke Quay to pick up a tourist freebie that I got a coupon for yesterday. It's coconut jam, 2 little bottles. Pretty cool gift for someone as I don't like coconut.
We were getting pretty weary and hungry, so we headed to Lau Pa Sat. We had satay from Satay stall #8. It's a large hawker centre with so many different varieties of food. The tables are a free for all, and some hawkers will come over trying to get you to order from them, but some hawkers only sell from their designated restaurant. The satay was tasty, better than home, well marinated chicken, beef and mutton. 30 skewers for $18. We also ordered Hainanese chicken and rice. I liked the rice better than the chicken. It was boneless, but tasted like oil, and I didn't really care for the spicy sauce. W e also had some greens and then fruit for dessert.
I wanted fresh fruit juice, but something more exotic than apple, orange or pineapple. They didn't have mango, nor guava, so I ended up buying soy milk to drink. I really want some non dairy dessert too, but it's so hard to find...even in Asia.
We headed home to rest so that we could go out later.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
food and high end shops
So, 2nd sightseeing day for Singapore. I tried to get started a little earlier today and got out of the house by 10am. I got to the bus stop and was reaching for my map with all the notes on it, only to find out that I left it at the house! Oh well, that's ok, there were only a few more stops that I wanted to see: Chinatown, Orchard Rd shopping area, and the river cruise.
As I looked more closely at the tour description last night, I realized that there was a free Moonlight Adventure Tour. It was 3.5 hrs and started at 6pm until 930. I thought that this might be a good way to meet other potentially single tourists. But I had to book in advance, and I wasn't sure what J and M were up to tonight.
It's a national holiday on Good Friday, so J said most people will be drinking and letting loose for the long weekend, so we could meet him and his coworkers at a bar later if we wanted. M wanted to check out Little India after ~ 3pm, so we'll see what happens after wandering around a bit. Funny thing about travelling is that I like to plan what to see, but spend as much time exploring as possible. This is evident from yesterday as I only made it to a few stops.
Chinatown was my first stop. I shopped quite a bit and found another pair of capris similar to the one I bought in Thailand that I couldn't find back home. It is made of lycra material, but flares at the bottom, so it looks like a skirt but they're as comfy as pants. I also bought 3 sets of (4) oriental placemats and chopticks (so, 12 in total) for only $10, what a steal! I picked a design and colours to match the table runner I bought in Thailand too. Hmm, what will I buy in Cambodia for souvenirs then?
I found a stall that sold Indonesian desserts and tried the bamboo cakes (rice and palm sugar) and some pandan rice cakes, not bad. I stopped at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and made an offering of candle and jasmine garland for a smooth journey and good human relationships. I saw 100 Buddhas, they are all different and lined up on the wall in cubby holes. I saw the Protector of the Rat, the prayer wheel and orchid garden on the rooftop.
I headed to try and find the tour bus stop but missed it probably by half a block as I saw it whiz by me... That's one thing I don't like about this bus tour, their signs are not marked. So, instead of waiting for the next one 25 min later, I hopped the MRT (which I found out stands for Mass Rapid Transit) to Clarke Quay.
It's a nice quay full of restaurants, and a mall. I hopped onto the river cruise and it was 30 min of history and sights. I saw the first bridge, also used for the Grand Prix; bronze statues of 5 little boys jumping into the river, the floating football field, along with all the other cool buildings on the waterfront, the MICA building which has 911 coloured shutters and original boats from Singapore.
The lady had a really great voice and some humour in her presentation. She helped me take a photo by saying "I will help you as you look like you're alone". I was appreciative at first, and then I thought, wait, it sounds like she feels sorry for me. Yesterday, I think I only took one picture with me in it. That's the only thing with travelling alone, I don't feel like asking people to take photos for me, and in this heat, I just look horrible; sweaty all the time, my skin looks swollen, my pores are large and just feel uncomfortable, not photogenic at all. She also thought I was from Burma from the way I was dressed (I had a long sarong and tunic). I explained that I was Chinese in origin, but going to Cambodia so brought all my ethnic clothing with me.
I had got a tourist discount card from the Central mall and didn't really get a chance to look around cuz I had to meet M, but I did buy a small purse for going out tonight or tomorrow. I look too much like a tourist with my backpack and MEC shoulder bag.
Funny thing though, an elderly couple stopped me on the bridge to ask if I was from here! They were from England and had wanted to ask me about the building on the waterfront (the casino). We chatted for a bit and saw a little kitty on the multiple lane bridge and thought for sure he would get run over; I couldn't watch.
M and I wandered around Little India for a bit looking for Indian bangles. No luck. It was so hot, we ventured into a mall with AC. I found a food stall selling soybean drinks, so she got a match freeze and I got a green tea bubble tea! Cool, I love those pearls, and the stores back home don't use soy milk! Of all the cultures, you would think they would. With my food allergies, it took a long time to communicate, as I wanted to ask about their bean pancakes, which I was hoping were crepes made from bean flour. No such luck in these little ethnic communities, not wide spread English, and Cantonese wasn't working either.
We headed to Orchard Rd to check out all the shopping. It was tons of multi level malls, all high end names, and pricey goods. I got another tourist discount card from Ion mall and got a free little card wallet with Singapore on it. Cool. I love these little treats. We ended up going for tea at TWG (is that supposed to be for Twinnngs tea?). $10.50 for a pot. I had creme caramel roobois and M had a Japanese green tea. we were there for quite a while talking and resting.
We decided not to join J for a drink and headed to Paragon mall to go to Din Tai Fung, for the famous xiao long bao cuz we both hadn't eaten since lunch and it was about 830pm. They only spoke Mandarin here, and luckily the table beside us, helped us out. We ordered crab and veggie dumplings, pork chop (no drunken chicken left), and some greens. Not bad, but almost the same as home I think. I still haven't had any Malay or Singapore food. I find that I'm constantly thirsty because of the heat, but I have to be careful as I don't know when I can find a decent washroom. I'm not that hungry, and haven't really eaten that many meals since I've been here.
It was almost 1030pm, and we decided to head home. My feet were quite tired, and I was just sticky. There were so many people out, and there were long lines for taxis. There are designated stops, but we found a pseudo stop and got home by 11.
As I looked more closely at the tour description last night, I realized that there was a free Moonlight Adventure Tour. It was 3.5 hrs and started at 6pm until 930. I thought that this might be a good way to meet other potentially single tourists. But I had to book in advance, and I wasn't sure what J and M were up to tonight.
It's a national holiday on Good Friday, so J said most people will be drinking and letting loose for the long weekend, so we could meet him and his coworkers at a bar later if we wanted. M wanted to check out Little India after ~ 3pm, so we'll see what happens after wandering around a bit. Funny thing about travelling is that I like to plan what to see, but spend as much time exploring as possible. This is evident from yesterday as I only made it to a few stops.
Chinatown was my first stop. I shopped quite a bit and found another pair of capris similar to the one I bought in Thailand that I couldn't find back home. It is made of lycra material, but flares at the bottom, so it looks like a skirt but they're as comfy as pants. I also bought 3 sets of (4) oriental placemats and chopticks (so, 12 in total) for only $10, what a steal! I picked a design and colours to match the table runner I bought in Thailand too. Hmm, what will I buy in Cambodia for souvenirs then?
I found a stall that sold Indonesian desserts and tried the bamboo cakes (rice and palm sugar) and some pandan rice cakes, not bad. I stopped at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and made an offering of candle and jasmine garland for a smooth journey and good human relationships. I saw 100 Buddhas, they are all different and lined up on the wall in cubby holes. I saw the Protector of the Rat, the prayer wheel and orchid garden on the rooftop.
I headed to try and find the tour bus stop but missed it probably by half a block as I saw it whiz by me... That's one thing I don't like about this bus tour, their signs are not marked. So, instead of waiting for the next one 25 min later, I hopped the MRT (which I found out stands for Mass Rapid Transit) to Clarke Quay.
It's a nice quay full of restaurants, and a mall. I hopped onto the river cruise and it was 30 min of history and sights. I saw the first bridge, also used for the Grand Prix; bronze statues of 5 little boys jumping into the river, the floating football field, along with all the other cool buildings on the waterfront, the MICA building which has 911 coloured shutters and original boats from Singapore.
The lady had a really great voice and some humour in her presentation. She helped me take a photo by saying "I will help you as you look like you're alone". I was appreciative at first, and then I thought, wait, it sounds like she feels sorry for me. Yesterday, I think I only took one picture with me in it. That's the only thing with travelling alone, I don't feel like asking people to take photos for me, and in this heat, I just look horrible; sweaty all the time, my skin looks swollen, my pores are large and just feel uncomfortable, not photogenic at all. She also thought I was from Burma from the way I was dressed (I had a long sarong and tunic). I explained that I was Chinese in origin, but going to Cambodia so brought all my ethnic clothing with me.
I had got a tourist discount card from the Central mall and didn't really get a chance to look around cuz I had to meet M, but I did buy a small purse for going out tonight or tomorrow. I look too much like a tourist with my backpack and MEC shoulder bag.
Funny thing though, an elderly couple stopped me on the bridge to ask if I was from here! They were from England and had wanted to ask me about the building on the waterfront (the casino). We chatted for a bit and saw a little kitty on the multiple lane bridge and thought for sure he would get run over; I couldn't watch.
M and I wandered around Little India for a bit looking for Indian bangles. No luck. It was so hot, we ventured into a mall with AC. I found a food stall selling soybean drinks, so she got a match freeze and I got a green tea bubble tea! Cool, I love those pearls, and the stores back home don't use soy milk! Of all the cultures, you would think they would. With my food allergies, it took a long time to communicate, as I wanted to ask about their bean pancakes, which I was hoping were crepes made from bean flour. No such luck in these little ethnic communities, not wide spread English, and Cantonese wasn't working either.
We headed to Orchard Rd to check out all the shopping. It was tons of multi level malls, all high end names, and pricey goods. I got another tourist discount card from Ion mall and got a free little card wallet with Singapore on it. Cool. I love these little treats. We ended up going for tea at TWG (is that supposed to be for Twinnngs tea?). $10.50 for a pot. I had creme caramel roobois and M had a Japanese green tea. we were there for quite a while talking and resting.
We decided not to join J for a drink and headed to Paragon mall to go to Din Tai Fung, for the famous xiao long bao cuz we both hadn't eaten since lunch and it was about 830pm. They only spoke Mandarin here, and luckily the table beside us, helped us out. We ordered crab and veggie dumplings, pork chop (no drunken chicken left), and some greens. Not bad, but almost the same as home I think. I still haven't had any Malay or Singapore food. I find that I'm constantly thirsty because of the heat, but I have to be careful as I don't know when I can find a decent washroom. I'm not that hungry, and haven't really eaten that many meals since I've been here.
It was almost 1030pm, and we decided to head home. My feet were quite tired, and I was just sticky. There were so many people out, and there were long lines for taxis. There are designated stops, but we found a pseudo stop and got home by 11.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's begun! HK stopover and ethnicity in Singapore
Well, the 13 hr flight to HK is really long, especially if you forget that you can't sleep on the plane and the flight was at 0200h on a Sunday night, and you didn't nap before going to the airport! I lose a day, so technically, this is day 1, 2 and 3?
Trying to sleep is impossible when someone's got a light on, or you get fed 3x during the night. I had a hard time with the meal situation, as Air Canada doesn't have special meals with multiple allergies, so I had to pick one that I thought would be the least of the 3 evils, as I am allergic to egg and dairy in a GI sort of way, and gluten, which gives me hives, rashes and lethargy. I could really only eat 2 out of the 3 meals and would've been better off with what everyone else got. Funny thing about flying to HK, you get instant noodles and congee.
I started to watch a movie at breakfast time, and didn't finish! "Law Abiding Citizen", I gotta see it when I get back! Really good police and law drama, I'm so drawn to these kinds of shows. Other than that, I didn't read any material I brought with me in the carry on (I had guides to Singapore and Cambodia). Not my usual, but I wanted to sleep. In fact, I only researched a little about Singapore as it seemed like a small place and things could get planned when I got there. I researched way more about Cambodia and HK.
The stopover in HK was 9 hrs, thank goodness my friend Winnie was happy to take me for breakie at 0600h! I hadn't had much protein in the last 1/2 day, so had chicken, sausage (that's what the menu said, but it's Chinese for wiener!) with vermicelli in soup. Ah, noodles in soup, how Chinese is that?
We took a walk around a neighbouring park, tons of fish in the pond, turtles even. Lots of people exercising, but not really Tai Chi or anything. There is such a big contrast in the landscape. Super high rises, 80 floors or more and then street level parks, etc. All the apartments look the same here, no different architecture. Maybe it'll be different in the city core. We are in Kowloon.
The malls didn't open until about 11 or noon, so we just relaxed at her downtown apartment. ~ 600 sq ft 2 bedroom and studio, way too small for me, but she fits 4 people in there, if not 6 when her parents are visiting. I think we Canadians love our space, but people in these big cities are used to the density and take it in stride. People pay millions for these flats!
Back to the airport with time to spare, but I didn't want to risk getting lost and missing my connecting flight. The MTR subway system is really efficient here, I guess they have the ridership, unlike Vancouver. They have this prepaid Octopus card that tracks when you get on and off and deducts the fare automatically, but you can also use it in convenience stores too. Great if you don't like carrying change (men, that's you!)
The flight to Singapore was only 3h 40m, short in comparison. The flight attendants are so dolled up, almost like we would be for a wedding, really dramatic hair and makeup, but I hear the guys love it. The service was good and bad, the ladies beside me got their special meal right away, but never got their plates taken away until near the end. That doesn't bode well for me in the window seat and drinking lots of water, if you get my drift...
I watched "Precious", really good movie, but a really sad story. You gotta see it, so I won't ruin it for you here by telling you all about it. I also watched the pilot episode for Glee. Not bad, quite entertaining actually. I might just have to rent the season later. I found out that my friends in Singapore have it on their PVR, but I doubt that I'll have that much spare time to watch the tele.
My friends J and M have a really large modern condo in East Singapore. It has a great view of the city and has air con! All the electrical outlets have on/off switches, I had trouble getting used to that. The power doesn't go on when you plug appliances in, you also have to push it to "on". The adapter I brought looked like it should fit, but it didn't! arggh. Good thing my friends travel a lot, as they had spare ones for me to charge my camera battery. I got a new Panasonic Lumix DMC FH20 and was trying out all the features and ran the battery quite low.
It was great to finally shower and get cleaned up. I figure I won't have jet lag, cuz I went to bed at ~ 11pm and would imagine that I would sleep my usual 10+ hours.
Funny thing, I woke up at 745 and I felt rested. I didn't turn the fan on all night and was quite sweaty from sleeping with my long hair down my back all night. I didn't want to risk catching a cold, since I had that problem in Thailand before where the AC was on all night and I would put on a sweatshirt halfway through the night because I was so cold, but my (then) boyfriend would be too hot without it on.
After taking some time to go through the brochures my friends picked up for me, I decided to head out on one of those hop-on hop-off bus tours. I never recommend them for people, but figured it would be the easiest way to work my way around the sights here.
The HIPPO tour bus has 2 routes, and other add ons. My $33 ticket was good for 2 days, both routes, a river cruise and other tours. My first stop was Little India. Just like in Vancouver, there were lots of sari shops, jewelry stores and eateries. I actually had a masala thosai for lunch from a place recommended in the Lonely Planet guide. I was so happy to have actually found it. The lady from the kitchen knew right away that I was a visitor since I had my map out with my post it note with the restaurant's address on it. I really like them (I've recently started eating dosas at home since I love crepes and they are made from chickpea flour not wheat).
I perused the shops and saw beautiful sari fabric; I just wish I had a reason to buy a sari, because they are so gorgeous, elegant and I'm sure I would look great in one :) I then went to Malay village and saw more lovely ethnic wares, I bought a table runner with the Singapore merlion on it for $2 SGD (here, the current exchange rate is ~$1.30 Singapore dollar = ~ $1 CDN). I'm mainly looking for table linens as souvenirs since I just bought my new kitchen table. I should try to give my condo more personality, I've been told it's not homey enough. I just don't like clutter, but I guess I could show some personality.
I went by the city and saw tons of great looking buildings, everything looks different and interesting. The Court of Appeal is a space ship-shaped building made of glass, to show how transparent the justice system is. The War Memorial is 4 chopsticks standing on their bases, representing the 4 different ethnic groups, and connected at the base to show unity. Its 75% Chinese here, but more Hakka or Hokkein, vs Cantonese or Mandarin speaking. Even in HK I had trouble with my Chinese, how embarrassing! There's lots of immigrants here, and mostly Muslims and Buddhist.
It's already been 4 hours and I feel exhausted. It must be the heat and the sun, no break at all, except going to some shops which have AC. The city buses stop at ~ 6pm, so I had to figure out what else I could fit in (as I'd only done 2 out of 16 stops on this Heritage city tour bus) before going home.
I stopped at the waterfront to see the Merlion fountain and passed the Singapore flyer (similar to the London Eye, but you can actually eat in the cars, lots of room for a table of 8); the construction of a huge casino out on the water, 3 towers side by side; the Esplanade theatre by the sea (which looks like a durian to me) and the Clifford pier. Lots of fancy restaurants on the boardwalk, and then a Starbucks, they really are everywhere.
I took the tour bus to an MRT station to go partway home and then hailed a cab. I was trying to save a bit money, but ended up losing a lot of time. The lady cab driver didn't recognize the street name I gave her (for the main road), but her GPS system had the small side street where my friends live. She started to drive, but I knew there was a problem when she phoned a friend and spelled it out for her. I figure I'll wait and see if the GPS takes me home like Dorothy and the yellow brick road...and it didn't ! I ended up at the outdoor stadium, close but no cigar. Houston, we have a problem; it's not good when the arrow on the GPS is off the road into the blackness.
She said I could get out and get into another cab, just pay the fair from when the road ran out. Well, there was no other taxi in sight, we were in a parking lot, so she drove me back towards the city. I didn't want to go all the way back and pay for a long trip, I was close I'm sure. She said there were no taxis on this side...what does that mean!? A few streets later, she let me out and said she wouldn't take my money, hell I was going to argue for something, as I kept saying that she didn't know where she was going, but she just kept denying it. There was a cab behind me, and he also didn't know where I needed to go. I must be doing something wrong, because M said that this road is well known.
I had to call the house, and J picked up. I was saying "Kam-pan A-rang" when I was supposed to say "Kam-pong A-long" Geez, you try it and see if you get home! Well, I eventually made it and had to relay the story.
What's wrong with saying the truth? i.e. I don't know where that is, but we'll get you there, or, get another cabbie. Aiya! as they say in Chinese.
Good night, it's almost 1am! Another full day tomorrow. I still have quite a bit to see, so I better get up early. I just like to write stuff down before I forget and fall behind. I have written journal, but this is the first vacation on my blog so you guys can follow along.
Trying to sleep is impossible when someone's got a light on, or you get fed 3x during the night. I had a hard time with the meal situation, as Air Canada doesn't have special meals with multiple allergies, so I had to pick one that I thought would be the least of the 3 evils, as I am allergic to egg and dairy in a GI sort of way, and gluten, which gives me hives, rashes and lethargy. I could really only eat 2 out of the 3 meals and would've been better off with what everyone else got. Funny thing about flying to HK, you get instant noodles and congee.
I started to watch a movie at breakfast time, and didn't finish! "Law Abiding Citizen", I gotta see it when I get back! Really good police and law drama, I'm so drawn to these kinds of shows. Other than that, I didn't read any material I brought with me in the carry on (I had guides to Singapore and Cambodia). Not my usual, but I wanted to sleep. In fact, I only researched a little about Singapore as it seemed like a small place and things could get planned when I got there. I researched way more about Cambodia and HK.
The stopover in HK was 9 hrs, thank goodness my friend Winnie was happy to take me for breakie at 0600h! I hadn't had much protein in the last 1/2 day, so had chicken, sausage (that's what the menu said, but it's Chinese for wiener!) with vermicelli in soup. Ah, noodles in soup, how Chinese is that?
We took a walk around a neighbouring park, tons of fish in the pond, turtles even. Lots of people exercising, but not really Tai Chi or anything. There is such a big contrast in the landscape. Super high rises, 80 floors or more and then street level parks, etc. All the apartments look the same here, no different architecture. Maybe it'll be different in the city core. We are in Kowloon.
The malls didn't open until about 11 or noon, so we just relaxed at her downtown apartment. ~ 600 sq ft 2 bedroom and studio, way too small for me, but she fits 4 people in there, if not 6 when her parents are visiting. I think we Canadians love our space, but people in these big cities are used to the density and take it in stride. People pay millions for these flats!
Back to the airport with time to spare, but I didn't want to risk getting lost and missing my connecting flight. The MTR subway system is really efficient here, I guess they have the ridership, unlike Vancouver. They have this prepaid Octopus card that tracks when you get on and off and deducts the fare automatically, but you can also use it in convenience stores too. Great if you don't like carrying change (men, that's you!)
The flight to Singapore was only 3h 40m, short in comparison. The flight attendants are so dolled up, almost like we would be for a wedding, really dramatic hair and makeup, but I hear the guys love it. The service was good and bad, the ladies beside me got their special meal right away, but never got their plates taken away until near the end. That doesn't bode well for me in the window seat and drinking lots of water, if you get my drift...
I watched "Precious", really good movie, but a really sad story. You gotta see it, so I won't ruin it for you here by telling you all about it. I also watched the pilot episode for Glee. Not bad, quite entertaining actually. I might just have to rent the season later. I found out that my friends in Singapore have it on their PVR, but I doubt that I'll have that much spare time to watch the tele.
My friends J and M have a really large modern condo in East Singapore. It has a great view of the city and has air con! All the electrical outlets have on/off switches, I had trouble getting used to that. The power doesn't go on when you plug appliances in, you also have to push it to "on". The adapter I brought looked like it should fit, but it didn't! arggh. Good thing my friends travel a lot, as they had spare ones for me to charge my camera battery. I got a new Panasonic Lumix DMC FH20 and was trying out all the features and ran the battery quite low.
It was great to finally shower and get cleaned up. I figure I won't have jet lag, cuz I went to bed at ~ 11pm and would imagine that I would sleep my usual 10+ hours.
Funny thing, I woke up at 745 and I felt rested. I didn't turn the fan on all night and was quite sweaty from sleeping with my long hair down my back all night. I didn't want to risk catching a cold, since I had that problem in Thailand before where the AC was on all night and I would put on a sweatshirt halfway through the night because I was so cold, but my (then) boyfriend would be too hot without it on.
After taking some time to go through the brochures my friends picked up for me, I decided to head out on one of those hop-on hop-off bus tours. I never recommend them for people, but figured it would be the easiest way to work my way around the sights here.
The HIPPO tour bus has 2 routes, and other add ons. My $33 ticket was good for 2 days, both routes, a river cruise and other tours. My first stop was Little India. Just like in Vancouver, there were lots of sari shops, jewelry stores and eateries. I actually had a masala thosai for lunch from a place recommended in the Lonely Planet guide. I was so happy to have actually found it. The lady from the kitchen knew right away that I was a visitor since I had my map out with my post it note with the restaurant's address on it. I really like them (I've recently started eating dosas at home since I love crepes and they are made from chickpea flour not wheat).
I perused the shops and saw beautiful sari fabric; I just wish I had a reason to buy a sari, because they are so gorgeous, elegant and I'm sure I would look great in one :) I then went to Malay village and saw more lovely ethnic wares, I bought a table runner with the Singapore merlion on it for $2 SGD (here, the current exchange rate is ~$1.30 Singapore dollar = ~ $1 CDN). I'm mainly looking for table linens as souvenirs since I just bought my new kitchen table. I should try to give my condo more personality, I've been told it's not homey enough. I just don't like clutter, but I guess I could show some personality.
I went by the city and saw tons of great looking buildings, everything looks different and interesting. The Court of Appeal is a space ship-shaped building made of glass, to show how transparent the justice system is. The War Memorial is 4 chopsticks standing on their bases, representing the 4 different ethnic groups, and connected at the base to show unity. Its 75% Chinese here, but more Hakka or Hokkein, vs Cantonese or Mandarin speaking. Even in HK I had trouble with my Chinese, how embarrassing! There's lots of immigrants here, and mostly Muslims and Buddhist.
It's already been 4 hours and I feel exhausted. It must be the heat and the sun, no break at all, except going to some shops which have AC. The city buses stop at ~ 6pm, so I had to figure out what else I could fit in (as I'd only done 2 out of 16 stops on this Heritage city tour bus) before going home.
I stopped at the waterfront to see the Merlion fountain and passed the Singapore flyer (similar to the London Eye, but you can actually eat in the cars, lots of room for a table of 8); the construction of a huge casino out on the water, 3 towers side by side; the Esplanade theatre by the sea (which looks like a durian to me) and the Clifford pier. Lots of fancy restaurants on the boardwalk, and then a Starbucks, they really are everywhere.
I took the tour bus to an MRT station to go partway home and then hailed a cab. I was trying to save a bit money, but ended up losing a lot of time. The lady cab driver didn't recognize the street name I gave her (for the main road), but her GPS system had the small side street where my friends live. She started to drive, but I knew there was a problem when she phoned a friend and spelled it out for her. I figure I'll wait and see if the GPS takes me home like Dorothy and the yellow brick road...and it didn't ! I ended up at the outdoor stadium, close but no cigar. Houston, we have a problem; it's not good when the arrow on the GPS is off the road into the blackness.
She said I could get out and get into another cab, just pay the fair from when the road ran out. Well, there was no other taxi in sight, we were in a parking lot, so she drove me back towards the city. I didn't want to go all the way back and pay for a long trip, I was close I'm sure. She said there were no taxis on this side...what does that mean!? A few streets later, she let me out and said she wouldn't take my money, hell I was going to argue for something, as I kept saying that she didn't know where she was going, but she just kept denying it. There was a cab behind me, and he also didn't know where I needed to go. I must be doing something wrong, because M said that this road is well known.
I had to call the house, and J picked up. I was saying "Kam-pan A-rang" when I was supposed to say "Kam-pong A-long" Geez, you try it and see if you get home! Well, I eventually made it and had to relay the story.
What's wrong with saying the truth? i.e. I don't know where that is, but we'll get you there, or, get another cabbie. Aiya! as they say in Chinese.
Good night, it's almost 1am! Another full day tomorrow. I still have quite a bit to see, so I better get up early. I just like to write stuff down before I forget and fall behind. I have written journal, but this is the first vacation on my blog so you guys can follow along.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
finally, vacation!
I can't wait for this trip. I've been wanting to go to Cambodia for a long time, maybe more than 8 years! The beauty of Angkor Wat captured me once in a travel show and I have yet to experience the majesty of the biggest ruins in Asia until...soon!
I was in Thailand in 2008 about this time of year, but unfortunately did not make it over to the neighbouring country. Instead we went all over Thailand, beaches, Bangkok and Chiang Mai over 17 days.
This time, since I'm heading over to Asia, I wanted to visit some friends in Singapore and Hong Kong and make my trip a little longer (17 days again). I researched quite a bit, but I think it'll mostly be the major sightseeing, eating and shopping. I can't wait to eat foods like laksa, satay, hainanese chicken and rice noodle dishes. Too bad for my food allergies, it's really going to put a snag in my possible eating choices, because I love roti canai. It seems that even vegans can eat more than me, since I can't eat egg, dairy and gluten. Even for food in Hong Kong, no buns, milk teas, dumplings, etc. Ah, I really miss egg tarts, coconut buns, pineapple buns, etc, the list goes on. It's the most Chinese part of me :)
Well, red eye flight out tonight/Mon morning 0200h and arriving in HK for a 9 hr layover. Geez, I guess I'll get out for some fresh(?) air? Meet my friend for breakie in some neighbourhood and get through security again to go to Singapore. It's 25C+ over there!
I was in Thailand in 2008 about this time of year, but unfortunately did not make it over to the neighbouring country. Instead we went all over Thailand, beaches, Bangkok and Chiang Mai over 17 days.This time, since I'm heading over to Asia, I wanted to visit some friends in Singapore and Hong Kong and make my trip a little longer (17 days again). I researched quite a bit, but I think it'll mostly be the major sightseeing, eating and shopping. I can't wait to eat foods like laksa, satay, hainanese chicken and rice noodle dishes. Too bad for my food allergies, it's really going to put a snag in my possible eating choices, because I love roti canai. It seems that even vegans can eat more than me, since I can't eat egg, dairy and gluten. Even for food in Hong Kong, no buns, milk teas, dumplings, etc. Ah, I really miss egg tarts, coconut buns, pineapple buns, etc, the list goes on. It's the most Chinese part of me :)
Well, red eye flight out tonight/Mon morning 0200h and arriving in HK for a 9 hr layover. Geez, I guess I'll get out for some fresh(?) air? Meet my friend for breakie in some neighbourhood and get through security again to go to Singapore. It's 25C+ over there!
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Olympic withdrawal
Although I didn't get much sleep during the Olympics due to my work and volunteer schedule; although some volunteer shifts in the rain were not my favourite, nor the early 5 am starts, I have to say that I'm a bit depressed now that the games are over.
The radio stations are saying that lots of people feel that way. Perhaps it's the idea that nothing is on tv except meaningless reality tv or fiction. Perhaps it's nowhere to go, nothing to do on a weeknight, or weekend, for that matter. Perhaps it's no visitors to strike up conversations with, or no athletes to cheer for.
Whatever it is, bring the feeling back! I hope Vancouver sorts itself out and our entertainment industry finds ways to bring people closer together, to party, enjoy the city, become more friendly. Maybe all those foreign investors will come and buy businesses, and make us an international destination. Not that it's not right now, but in contrast to world cities, we don't have the large gathering places, like plazas to hang out, the public washrooms, the clubs that open til the wee hours of the morning. After all, we are only ~ 2 million large for Metro Vancouver and you consider other cities with way more than that.: London England > 7 million, NYC > 8 million, Paris 14 million, etc.
Well, the only thing I found interesting to do this weekend, was a 3-day international salsa festival, and spray painting for strata on my condo building (get that graffiti artist out of me).
The radio stations are saying that lots of people feel that way. Perhaps it's the idea that nothing is on tv except meaningless reality tv or fiction. Perhaps it's nowhere to go, nothing to do on a weeknight, or weekend, for that matter. Perhaps it's no visitors to strike up conversations with, or no athletes to cheer for.
Whatever it is, bring the feeling back! I hope Vancouver sorts itself out and our entertainment industry finds ways to bring people closer together, to party, enjoy the city, become more friendly. Maybe all those foreign investors will come and buy businesses, and make us an international destination. Not that it's not right now, but in contrast to world cities, we don't have the large gathering places, like plazas to hang out, the public washrooms, the clubs that open til the wee hours of the morning. After all, we are only ~ 2 million large for Metro Vancouver and you consider other cities with way more than that.: London England > 7 million, NYC > 8 million, Paris 14 million, etc.
Well, the only thing I found interesting to do this weekend, was a 3-day international salsa festival, and spray painting for strata on my condo building (get that graffiti artist out of me).
Monday, March 01, 2010
last day - Royal Canadian Mint, Closing Ceremonies and German Fan Fest
The last day, and most people are supposed to be watching the men's gold medal hockey game, Canada vs. USA. So, how come I got to the line at the Royal Canadian Mint and was told it would be a 5 hour wait?! What are you all doing here? I guess they were all thinking the same as me, that it would be slow...
Well, I waited 3.5 hours from lining up, to touching the medals. It was a long line, where you got a stamp and a white glove to get access to the medal room for 10 minutes with about 20 other people. Somehow, we all got photos. The Olympic medals are circular, and the paralympic ones are more square. I met Dan, the Project Manager, who has been working on these for over 2 years! But what a gig! I almost want to apply!
People lined the streets, pouring out from the pubs to celebrate our win, 14th gold medal, the most ever, against USA!!!!
We headed to the (Australian) Moose Bar to watch the closing ceremonies. It was the only pub not over capacity and still had tables. We were right by the tv, but it was so loud at times, that it was hard to hear. What great talent they showcased: William Shatner, Michael J Fox, Micheal Buble, K-Os. It was definitely more upbeat than the opening.
We then went to German Fan Fest. My elementary school friend was in town. He lives in Germany now, and when he bought Olympic tickets, he got VIP. We got in, although there wasn't much of a line. However, we didn't have to pay the $20 cover and got a free bratwurst and beer.
Acoustica was the in house band, what a gig! They were dressed in red and white.
We noticed that there was a VIP tent, but it wasn't us, but meant for the athletes, VVIP. We saw some athletes in ski suits, yellow, with pink vests (for the girls) and blue vests. Neither one of us knew who any of them were, but my friend went over to speak to 1 of 2 ladies. He recapped his German conversation with me:
Hi, are you an athlete?
Yes
What sport do you do?
Luge
Did you win a medal?
Yes, gold
GOLD?! (at this point, I knew the conversation was not going well)
Hey, take my picture (as he hands me his camera)
She did not look impressed. She pointed towards her friend and said, she won silver for bobsleigh.
He still didn't know her name. We didn't have an iphone to check. How embarrassing is that!
She is Tatjana Huefner, luge gold medalist.
There was also a group of men, but I just couldn't embarrass myself. Especially since he told Tatjana that he's not German, but his wife is (and I'm not his wife), and I'm wearing his German coloured scarf. If I had my Canadian red on, I would feel a little better for being so ignorant.
He said that it's so hard to keep up. Germany won 30 medals, Canada won 26, totalling about 56 ahtletes, and include all the non medalists! Germany has 152 ahtletes, Canada has 205, and there were 2622 in total. Congratulations to them all!
My friend ended up asking a non ski suit wearing guy, who his athlete friends were. We were told luge silver medalist. I found one: David Mueller. I still gotta find the other 2...perhaps Torsten Wustlich, luge, and luge gold medalist Felix Loch? Hard to tell when they're not smiling in the Olympic photo and I've got one guy here with his eyes closed. I hope I got it right, and congratulations!!!
We headed out about 1230am and walked up Granville. Tons of people on the street, doing nothing but wandering around and not wanting to go home. I had to work on Monday, so I wanted to go home to sleep. I didn't want the Olympic party to end either, but I needed sleep. We got to Robson and Granville and there was still a sea of people. There was tons of trash on the streets, the smell of urine as many guys had to find a place to pee after all the beer drunk this afternoon, and lots of graffiti on the cutout pose statues.
It's like Vancouver was given the opportunity to really party like we've never done before. I felt emotional each time a medal was won by a Canadian. I felt friendly as an Olympic volunteer. I felt like an ambassador for Vancouver to all who came and wanted to enjoy the city and the Olympic fever. I felt that I could really go out with friends and see what happens, be spontaneous, adventurous, but patient at the same time. I really got a chance to enjoy my city in a way that I've never had.
I think being a volunteer gave me the opportunity to do things, and see people I would never get the chance to (Tyson Heung, Apolo Ohno, Patrick Chan, Joannie Rochette). I think volunteering allowed me to see how all the prep comes together; it makes me appreciate how this massive event was coordinated, and with many hiccups. I don't think I will volunteer again, I would rather get paid ;! Hmm, London 2012?
In so many ways, I'm so proud to be Canadian, a Vancouverite, but at the same time, I feel that the world will take me somewhere else where I can really be myself, and happier than ever, to be able to let loose, hang out, enjoy the city. Unless of course, Vancouver loses its "no-fun city" logo...
I think my volunteer life may be coming to an end, and perhaps even Vancouver as a home. I will wait and see how this moment in time has altered my life journey. I feel that something will happen for me soon, I just don't know what. I feel detached and this will allow my destiny to come to be.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
the contest
With the Olympics almost over, I remembered that I have this poster about winning given to me when I got my Event Management certificate over 10 years ago. I really like it and I think it embodies competition really well.
The contest lasts for moments
Though the training's taken years
It wasn't the winning alone that
Was worth the work and the tears
The applause will be forgotten
The prize will be misplaced
But the long hard hours of practice
Will never be a waste
For in trying to win
You build a skill
You learn that winning
Depends on will
You never grow by how much you win
You only grow by how much you put in
So any new challenge
You've just begun
Put forth your best
And you've already won.
- W.A. Clennan
The contest lasts for moments
Though the training's taken years
It wasn't the winning alone that
Was worth the work and the tears
The applause will be forgotten
The prize will be misplaced
But the long hard hours of practice
Will never be a waste
For in trying to win
You build a skill
You learn that winning
Depends on will
You never grow by how much you win
You only grow by how much you put in
So any new challenge
You've just begun
Put forth your best
And you've already won.
- W.A. Clennan
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Victory Ceremony and Great Big Sea
Tickets for tonights medal ceremony was only $22 retail and since my friend bought and sold a 3rd for $80, he made enough profit selling it that we didn't have to pay anything! Crazy what people will pay for Olympic tickets!
There were 2 medals awarded tonight at BC Place and 2 at Whistler. No Canadians tonight.
My friend was in from Germany, and there was one.
Ladies parallel giant slalom snowboard, Netherlands for Gold, Russia and Austria following.
Freestyle skiing, men's aerials, Belarus for Gold, USA and China following.
Biathlon, men's 4 x 7.5 km relay, Norway for Gold, Austria and Russia following. Alpine skiing, Germany for Gold, Austria and Czech following. Germany's Maria Riesch is a top athlete for that country.
It was Newfoundland and Labrador day today and there were musicians from there but unfortunately I didn't who any of them are. Too bad they didn't have their names on the screen.
Great Big Sea are the headliners and they were very energetic. Too bad we were 3 rows from the top of the stadium, but still some energetic fans up here. I would say that it was about 80-90% full. They only used half the stadium. The semi final men's hockey game was on next door at Canada Hockey place, so I think most of the people were there. Canada vs. Slovakia. We kept getting updates along the way, but we found out later it wasn't accurate (We heard 4-0), but we still won, 3-2! On to the finals on Sunday with USA!
After the concert ended, we met up with my friends from Germany. They were wearing German colours in the form of a Dr. Seuss style hat and a wig. They were getting a lot of attention, good and bad, but still lots of fun. Next time I travel, I'm going to wear Canadian colours and walk around and see what happens.
We headed towards Japadog, since we didn't eat yet and it was so famous, they had to try it before going home. I tried the Okonomi the other day (bonito flakes, fried cabbage, mayo on kurobuta pork, okonomiyaki sauce). I tried Ume today (bratwurst, plum sauce, raw red onion). Better than a standard dog for sure.
On the way, we stopped at Beard Papa's for the famous Chinese style cream puff. Here is their welcome to the world tower of cream puffs.
We were headed towards Germany Fan Fest (which was at Steamworks pub near the Waterfront station) because my friends have VIP tickets since they bought their Olympic tickets from Germany. However, we got sidetracked by the fireworks, fire and light show at Robson Square. We stopped to go to the Roots store because my German friends wanted to buy some clothing. So easy to get distracted here, so many things to see and do, and so many people.
While we were there, we saw the finals for the short track speed skating. Canada won gold and bronze for the men's 500m (Charles Hamelin and Francois Louis-Tremblay). Finally, Charles Hamelin got his medal! His girlfriend and silver medallist Marianne St-Gelais jumped from the stands and onto the field of play to hug and kiss him! How cute is that! That's the kind of support and love that an athlete deserves. Apolo Ohno got disqualified, and Korea took silver (Si-Bak Sung). Korea is just so fast! Poor Tyson Heung, my non-Canadian favourtie, finished 5th. Hey, at least you're here competing, not everyone can do that. I wish I was the one to support him...:)
We also got Gold for the 5000m relay. Yay for the Hamelin brothers! It was so disappointing to watch them come in 4th and 5th place in the individual 1000m race behind Apolo Ohno and the 2 Koreans (Si-Bak Sung and Jung-Su Lee) especially since they were leading most of the race. I think they can't pass as well as them. Olivier Jean and Francois Louis-Tremblay were the other 2 members.
3 more medals for us, we are now 3rd for the medal count and the most gold, at 10!!!! How proud am I to be Canadian. I find myself so emotional when our athletes win. I played sports throughout my student years and still play recreationally now. Too bad it's too late for me to be an Olympian, but I BELIEVE!
Since it was just past 11pm, we decided to head over to the CTV live broadcast with Pamela Martin and Bill Good on Robson Street to see if we could get the Germany colours on TV. It was crazy loud and pushy, lots of Canada flags, people
on people's shoulder's, 9/11 signs, etc. There was a spectator with a large paper mache Muk Muk and she moved from the back to the front and then we couldn't see anything at all. We stayed for almost the whole hour, but then just couldn't take it anymore.
We headed towards GE plaza and got our photos taken with the bobsled and the snowboard. It was raining a bit, but it was just too hard to use an umbrella. We just stuck it out and then headed home about 1130pm. No Germany Fan Fest tonight.
There were 2 medals awarded tonight at BC Place and 2 at Whistler. No Canadians tonight.
My friend was in from Germany, and there was one.
Ladies parallel giant slalom snowboard, Netherlands for Gold, Russia and Austria following.
Freestyle skiing, men's aerials, Belarus for Gold, USA and China following.Biathlon, men's 4 x 7.5 km relay, Norway for Gold, Austria and Russia following. Alpine skiing, Germany for Gold, Austria and Czech following. Germany's Maria Riesch is a top athlete for that country.
It was Newfoundland and Labrador day today and there were musicians from there but unfortunately I didn't who any of them are. Too bad they didn't have their names on the screen.
Great Big Sea are the headliners and they were very energetic. Too bad we were 3 rows from the top of the stadium, but still some energetic fans up here. I would say that it was about 80-90% full. They only used half the stadium. The semi final men's hockey game was on next door at Canada Hockey place, so I think most of the people were there. Canada vs. Slovakia. We kept getting updates along the way, but we found out later it wasn't accurate (We heard 4-0), but we still won, 3-2! On to the finals on Sunday with USA!
After the concert ended, we met up with my friends from Germany. They were wearing German colours in the form of a Dr. Seuss style hat and a wig. They were getting a lot of attention, good and bad, but still lots of fun. Next time I travel, I'm going to wear Canadian colours and walk around and see what happens.
We headed towards Japadog, since we didn't eat yet and it was so famous, they had to try it before going home. I tried the Okonomi the other day (bonito flakes, fried cabbage, mayo on kurobuta pork, okonomiyaki sauce). I tried Ume today (bratwurst, plum sauce, raw red onion). Better than a standard dog for sure.
On the way, we stopped at Beard Papa's for the famous Chinese style cream puff. Here is their welcome to the world tower of cream puffs.
We were headed towards Germany Fan Fest (which was at Steamworks pub near the Waterfront station) because my friends have VIP tickets since they bought their Olympic tickets from Germany. However, we got sidetracked by the fireworks, fire and light show at Robson Square. We stopped to go to the Roots store because my German friends wanted to buy some clothing. So easy to get distracted here, so many things to see and do, and so many people.
While we were there, we saw the finals for the short track speed skating. Canada won gold and bronze for the men's 500m (Charles Hamelin and Francois Louis-Tremblay). Finally, Charles Hamelin got his medal! His girlfriend and silver medallist Marianne St-Gelais jumped from the stands and onto the field of play to hug and kiss him! How cute is that! That's the kind of support and love that an athlete deserves. Apolo Ohno got disqualified, and Korea took silver (Si-Bak Sung). Korea is just so fast! Poor Tyson Heung, my non-Canadian favourtie, finished 5th. Hey, at least you're here competing, not everyone can do that. I wish I was the one to support him...:)
We also got Gold for the 5000m relay. Yay for the Hamelin brothers! It was so disappointing to watch them come in 4th and 5th place in the individual 1000m race behind Apolo Ohno and the 2 Koreans (Si-Bak Sung and Jung-Su Lee) especially since they were leading most of the race. I think they can't pass as well as them. Olivier Jean and Francois Louis-Tremblay were the other 2 members.
3 more medals for us, we are now 3rd for the medal count and the most gold, at 10!!!! How proud am I to be Canadian. I find myself so emotional when our athletes win. I played sports throughout my student years and still play recreationally now. Too bad it's too late for me to be an Olympian, but I BELIEVE!
Since it was just past 11pm, we decided to head over to the CTV live broadcast with Pamela Martin and Bill Good on Robson Street to see if we could get the Germany colours on TV. It was crazy loud and pushy, lots of Canada flags, people
on people's shoulder's, 9/11 signs, etc. There was a spectator with a large paper mache Muk Muk and she moved from the back to the front and then we couldn't see anything at all. We stayed for almost the whole hour, but then just couldn't take it anymore.We headed towards GE plaza and got our photos taken with the bobsled and the snowboard. It was raining a bit, but it was just too hard to use an umbrella. We just stuck it out and then headed home about 1130pm. No Germany Fan Fest tonight.
Friday, February 26, 2010
LiveCity Yaletown
In the late afternoon, another friend and I headed to LiveCity Yaletown. I tried to come last night, but the line was way too long, considering that the men's hockey team won the quarter finals against Russia.
Today, we only waited 10 mins. The women's gold medal hockey game was on with Canada and US. We were there for the 2-0 win! Another gold for Canada, 17th medal, 8th gold.
We tried to assess the lineups for
the sponsor pavilions, Coke, Acer, Samsung and Panasonic, but really didn't want to wait more than 10 mins, so we skipped them all.We went to Vancouver House instead. It displayed some green initiatives as well as the recently approved laneway houses. ~ 866 sq ft models that are $280,000 to build! Yikes. If I had enough property, I would just make an extension, or sell and buy and bigger place with suites already built in.
We went off to find Haida Gwaii house, near BC Place and it was a
tiny shop.
downtown Olympic stuff
I headed downtown with my friend to go check out things during a weekday. We were both hoping to come across shorter lineups. It was a clear day and not raining.
We started at GE Plaza at Robson Square. Circus West performed for half and hour and it wasn't too bad. I've taken these hand balancing classes before, so I know how difficult these poses are and seeing how young these kids are, I just wish that I found the sport earlier so that I would know how to do it.
We walked to the Bell Ice Cube and missed gold medalist Ashley McIvor by ~ 15 min. Bell has live interviews with Olympians at 3pm. We were in line and got in late, so only saw some former Olympians from 1988 or 1992, 2002 Olympics. I didn't know
who they were unfortunately. Maybe someone can help me out?We headed to LiveCity downtown and our wait was only about 10 min. The men's hockey game was supposed to be on at 430pm, so we wanted to get in before the hoards of fans did. There were no lines at both the Canada Pavilion and the Manitoba Pavilion.
Freestyle skiier Kristi Richards was signing autographs.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
last shift, #13, ladies figure skating
For my last shift, I tried to get a media post, as I wanted to see the hubbub, but was misdirected and could only get posted inside at a media access point. In the meantime, Apolo Ohno was doing an interview and I caught him here.It's figure skating again. 2 volunteers from my team are figure skaters and one of them pointed out Scott Hamilton. I would not have recognized him. Of all the other media coming in and out, CTV, NBC, RDS, SDS, French TV, etc, I didn't recognize anyone.
The media compound is a bunch of trailers, and I have no idea what's inside. The press have lots of cameras, video equipment and designated spots to be.
I saw the last part of Canadian skater Joannie Rochettte. Her mother died suddenly of a heart attack a few days ago. I think she held it all in until she finished skating. She was so emotional at the end and wanted to cry I'm sure, but not in front of the media. A bunch of us volunteers also felt tears swell in our eyes. One of the volunteers actually got her flowers, a "torch" like vase and a bear for hugs. How thoughtful is that? She finished 3rd in the short program, so I hope she can still stay in the top 3 for the long program to win a medal.
I got off shift at ~10 pm. While I waited for the Games Express bus, there must've been almost 6-7 buses that passed us by as "not in service" or not even full! How can you can see the line of blue jacket volunteers and not pick us up?
On the way home on the skytrain, there was a lady who just collapsed and fell out of the skytrain doors onto the platform and puked. Her friend said that they both drank, but this reaction was not normal and that she may have been drugged. Her friend said that she's been drugged before too. There was also a gentleman who stopped to help and also said that him and his friends have had that happen too. How common is this? And why don't people report this stuff? I really urged the ladies' friend to report it, not to just sleep it off, as there might be a guy wandering around drugging drinks and hoping to get somewhere. I felt helpful by calling an ambulance when no one else would. I really hope there aren't a lot of "bad things" happening during the Olympics. When the paramedics came, I headed for home.
In news coverage, I heard we won gold in ski cross, so I stayed up til midnight to watch. Ashley McIvor!! Medal #10 for Canada, our 5th gold! Ski cross is a great spectator sport.
For my last shift, I got a large blue Swatch watch. I won't be keeping it or some of my other souvenirs, and maybe try to sell them before it loses value on the market.
I gave VANOC 111.5 hours of my life and some of it was good, and some not so good. I put some comment cards in about the unfair deployment of volunteers, selfish and unreliable volunteers, poor food nutrition and quality, lack of leadership and organization skills from Team Leads and Supervisors and poor communication from venue managers to volunteers. I did however, put in some glowing comments about some fellow volunteers I worked with and that they were responsible, helpful, had great work ethic and a joy to work with. I guess you get the whole gamut.
I remember now why I didn't want to be supervisor. I remember volunteering for merchandising for the 1999 Jazz Festival as the assistant to the coordinator. We had a lot of trouble coordinating volunteers, because they call in sick, they don't do their roles, they feel it's all fun and games, not a job. I volunteer to get into the "behind the scenes" action as I have always wanted to be an event planner, but not a human resource person. Or maybe, it's just because good help is hard to find. But to all the joyful volunteers, congratulations for helping out with Vancouver 2010 and being part of Team 2010 with a smile on your face and a great attitude.
Monday, February 22, 2010
cauldron, 4 hosts and aboriginal pavilion
Well, I forced myself to stay up after I finished my 5am volunteer shift so that my sleep pattern would return to normal. I called a friend and headed downtown.
We went to the new convention centre and waterfront to see the external cauldron. There were lots of people, but actually not as many as I thought. Maybe 4pm is the time to show up!
There was about a 45min wait for the upper viewing platform. I'm just not that interested in anything that long.
We headed over to Canada's Northern House. It was on Hastings St, at the old Hard Rock Cafe location, I think. Again, only a 20min wait! We got in and saw a caribou and inukshuk. There were lots of animals, stone and bone carvings, and we saw some traditional artic sports. Kind of like hangman with the man replaced by a stuffed toy seal, and trying to kick it.
We headed over towards Live City Downtown and bumped into the BC Hydro building, and hardly a line, we thought it was closed! An employee who is native carved 2 statues and is now in the building as a legacy. We saw the home of the future, 2 converted shipping containers made into a living space with "smart" appliances and sensors.
We kept on walking and hit the 4 hosts building, which is the Vancouver Community College downtown campus. All the aboriginal vendors are in there, lots of wonderful glass and silver native art. Really expensive carvings and figurines, up to $12,o00! Some decent bangles and earrings from $60 to $120.
We kept on walking and found the aboriginal pavilion at Queen Elizabeth theatre. There is a dome theatre with a short 9 min movie about the native people of Canada. It was pretty good, and again, we only waited ~ 20min.
We decided to leave about 7pm and realized that the women's hockey game just finished at Canada Hockey Place (GM Place). We had avoided almost all the crowds until now! Well, we were lucky, as most people were headed back into downtown and there was no real wait for the skytrain.
Not bad to get all that in, in ~ 3 hours! "Go Canada Go" and Canada flags were posted all over corporate buildings. It was great to see the patriotism come out.
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