Snowboarding Time!

While visiting Canada, I knew I would have to try snowboarding! Thus, after borrowing copious amounts of winter wear from my lovely hosts, we headed off to Blue Mountain, the largest ski resort in Ontario.

Unfortunately for Sheena Archie and me, the bunny slopes were not that bunny, but rather a bit steep for novices to learn how to snowboard. Sheena and I had opposite problems - she could control, but couldn't balance; I had great balance, but couldn't stop! By the afternoon, we simply decided to fly down the mountain and enjoy ourselves. Since I couldn't stop, I would just fall down to slow myself down. Numerous people told me that I would fall tremendously my first time, but does it count if you do it on purpose? Still fun nonetheless!

Snowboarding (or at least attempting to!) at Blue Mountain

Castles, Hot Chocolate, and Casinos!

As we slept in and Victoria was able to grab snowboarding equipment for me from a friend, we had a later start today. Thus, we raced to the Castle Casa Loma to get inside before closing time. Upon arrival, all we could see were hundreds of kids!

At the parking lot, the attendant stated that though the castle was open for at least another half hour, they stopped selling tickets about five minutes ago. Wanting to make it inside, we parked the car and tried our luck. Interestingly enough, perhaps because of the literally hundreds of young children, there was chaos and no ticket taker at the door, so...off to explore the castle we went!

Finished in 1914, the castle was constructed with a Gothic Revival-style and originally served as the home for Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Canadian soldier and financer who brought hydro-electricity to Toronto.  The castle was simple with basic rooms any castle (or even house) would have. We discovered the hundreds of children were apart of the Girl Guides of Canada (equivalent to the Girl Scouts of America). It was adorable as each Girl Guide wanted to tell each of us how many patches they had and what they were awarded - too cute!

Mary's Sitting Room at the Castle Loma

We drove down to the Distillery District, a great date spot, and had hot chocolate at Soma. Their Mayan Hot Chocolate mixed Venezuelan chocolate, cinnamon, Australian ginger, orange peels, Madagascan Vanilla, and Soma's secret blend of spices - delicious!

The Distillery District

On a last-minute whim, we decided to drive the hour-and-a-half down to Niagara Falls! A fan of waterfalls, I could only describe it as an enormous, gorgeous hold-in-the ground waterfall (in the best possible way)! Being that it was cold and we only wanted a few quick pics, we parked the car, ran out to snap some photos, and jumped back in after seeing the most powerful waterfall in North America. The sight was one to see with the lights reflecting in the water; the air was one to smell with the cool, fresh scent!

Niagara Falls - gorgeous!

The rest of the night was spent in the casino with about three full hours spent playing Casino War. No one walked away with any major winnings, but it was good stuff nonetheless!

All Around This Town!

We headed off to the city of Markham for what Victoria and Amy To call "mainland" dim sum at Ding Tai Fung. Unlike Cantonese-type dim sum with its push-carts and point-at-what-you-want-style, Shanghai-type dim sum is ordered straight from a menu. Additionally, dim sum pieces can also have soup inside of its pieces.

Shanghai-style dim sum at Ding Tai Fung

The girls and then I headed off to Honest Ed's Discount Store, a discount treasure at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Since 1948, the showy store serves as a landmark in Toronto with over 23,000 lights for its store front and dozens of witty signs hung inside. Thick winter coats? $3! Leather boots? $20! Good stuff!

Honest Ed's! More than a discount store - it's a landmark!

We then headed off to the famous The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), one of the "world’s leading museums of natural history and of world cultures." In this traveler's opinion, the museum impressively lived up to its expectations! The architecture of the building was creatively planned with multiple expansions while the inside exhibits features over six million pieces in over forty galleries.

Royal Ontario Museum. Creative architecture, no?

The Gemstone Collection had to be the girls' favorite with the Children's Playzone winning the runner-up position. What can I say? You're never too old for interactive museum exhibits involving dinosaurs and dress-up!

Later that night, we went to Smoke's Poutinerie for a poutine dinner. With the girls ridiculously shocked that I had never eaten poutine in my life, I tried the gravy-covered French fries and cheese curd with some chili! Delicious, but definitely not for one on a diet!

Chili poutine...mmm!

The relaxing night ended with live jazz at Rex Jazz & Blues Bar. The band consisted of four fifty-year-olds that could play and rock like they were in their twenties. Good stuff!

Touring Toronto

As I was traveling by bus from Buffalo to Toronto, there was unfortunately no stamp to be had on my passport, but the double-decker Megabus proved an efficient journey! I made my way to Toronto's bus terminal to meet up with my lovely hosts, Victoria Nguyen and Rachel Taguicana. Through CouchSurfing, they were originally my guests in Los Angeles.

Tip: When traveling from the U.S. to Canada (or vice-versa), it is much cheaper to fly domestically to say, Buffalo Airport, and take a bus over the border than to fly internationally.

One of Greater Vancouver's signature restaurants

Right away, we dropped my backpack in the trunk and headed out to explore downtown. We had a savory Italian dinner at Milestones which overlooked Dundas Square, a mini-version of New York's Times Square. After catching up, the girls were nice enough to give me a quick walking tour of Downtown.

Toronto's Old City Hall - nice shot, Victoria!

We found ourselves in front of Wanda's to taste some of Toronto's finest Belgian waffles. The "hole-in-the-wall" shop provided a delicious mix of caramel, ice cream, whipped cream and powdered sugar all on top of the waffle. A must stop for any local or tourist!

Classic Belgian Waffles with whipped cream? Don't mind if I do!

To my surprise, we stayed at Rachel's parent's house since that was closer to Toronto than their university. What a nice surprise! We spent a good half an hour catching up with them before bed and told them of the sites we had planned to see the next day, including the Casa Loma castle.

"Oh, I used to live in the Castle Loma," Rachel's dad commented. "But then I moved out because the government taxes were too high!"

Ice Sculptures and Dueling Pianos!

The highlight from the week's training came tonight with a discount! Simply known as "Ice!", the two-million pound art display was imported to the Gaylord National Resort from China. Hand-crafted by 40 Chinese artisans, the ten-scene ice sculpture puts one in awe.

The tour begins by putting on an over-sized blue coat to keep goers warm inside the -9ºF tent. Upbeat holiday music plays right from the entrance. From there, one enters a wonderland of sleds, bridges, Christmas trees, and even giant penguins all made entirely of ice!

Some of the many impressive ice displays!

The highpoint of ice exhibition would be the two-story slide! Climbing up the stairs covered by a red carpet, one can choose four various chutes to slide down. Be careful at the top though! As I checked myself when an employee warned to have the parka cover the thighs, I slipped and down the chute I went!

Racing a four-year-old down the two-story slide!

Candid look at the main room

A good friend, Cyndy Hernandez, came out to see the Bright Star Fountain Show before we headed out to watch dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's (conveniently located across the street from the Gaylord ). Through smiling and making friends with the bartender, we somehow received 50% off our food and drinks as we chatted away and listened to the piano showdown. Cyndy finished off the night by requesting her favorite song, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.

Dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's

As it was the last night of training, theconference attendees headed to the hotel's rooftop bar and nightclub, Pose Ultra Lounge. There, the co-workers and I met up with one of our colleagues to celebrate her 50th birthday. Woohoo!

Holiday at the Harbor

A recent business trip to Oxon Hill, Maryland brought me to the newly constructed Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center (across from Washington D.C. on the shore of the Potomac River) . Just opened in April 2008, the 2000 room hotel features an 18-story glass atrium and a rooftop nightclub. Being December, the resort also exhibits nightly snowfall, indoor and outdoor light shows, a Peeps scavenger hunt, and a two million pound ice exhibition from China. Not too shabby!

View of the Gaylord National Resort from the Potomac River

Thus, after training days, it was nice to have dinner with the co-workers in nearby Alexandra, Virginia and then relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Thumbs up for the Gaylord!

The National Harbor Christmas Tree Light Show! Watch for the stars!

Gaylord's Bright Star Fountain Show - almost Bellagio-esque!

The East Coast Childhood Experience

Today provided an outstanding New England childhood experience that is recommended for all children and those at heart!

After accidentally sleeping in until noonish, Max and I headed off to our fun-filled day at March Farm in Bethlehem. While waiting for our hay ride, we roamed around one of the two pumpkin patches. The following picture describes the surprises and smiles by children we saw!

One of the many adorable kids with the HUGE pumpkin!

The hay ride proved a bit bumpy, but took us to the apple-picking farm. There, we found ourselves picking and eating every few steps. The favorite: the Macoun apple! Crisp and smooth, the apple proves a sweet treat!

Tip: The best apples are the ones at the top as they lie untouched and overlooked from others!

On the hay ride with all the kids and families

The "great lengths" we had to go through to get the best apples!

After filling our bag with apples, we headed into the Corn Maze. Eventually getting lost in the five acre maze, we decided to run like the wind off the trails! Scary corn maze.

Lost in the corn maze!

After the visit to March Farm, it was time for a more grown-up activity - wine tasting! At Haight-Brown Vineyard, one can taste a dozen wines for only $15 including chocolate, cheese, and a glass to take home! Sounds good to me!

The vineyard provides a variety of red and white vines including its specialties only available in Litchfield, Connecticut. My personal favorite was their Honey Nut Apple. Blended with honey, the light white wine tastes better than its name with its fruity flavor! Ironically enough, the wine utilizes apples grown from March Farm.

Wine tasting at Haight-Brown Vineyard

To finish up the day, we headed to downtown Litchfield and actually ran into Max's mom taking a walk by Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the United States. We soon headed back to Stratford to jump on the train home.

Litchfield Green Church - Arguably the most photographed church in New England

The leaves were falling and then air was crisp. Thanks for the great weekend, Connecticut!

Beaches, Lighthouses, Bridges, & Waterfalls!

The Sunday morning started with an 8:15AM phone call by my next host, Maxwell Kinkade, letting me know that he would pick me up in about forty-five minutes. Who does that?

The first stop would be the waterfront town of Stratford and its beaches. Please note: Though nice to take a walk on, East Coast beaches are more appropriately known as shores as they lack surfing waves like the West Coast! After skipping rocks and searching for sea glass, we headed off to the cozy restaurant of Marnick's for lunch.

Tip: At Stratford, one must seach for sea glass a.k.a. beach glass a.k.a. mermaid's tears a.k.a. lucky tears! Originating from glass bottles, sea glass is formed from being tumbled and smoothed by sand and water.

Lying on seashells at the beaches of Stratford

Before leaving town, we stopped by Stratford Point Lighthouse. Established in 1822, the station is privately owned by the Coast Guard. Though not open to the public, one can capture great shots by land or sea.

Stratford Point Lighthouse

On the way to apple-picking, our lovely GPS took us up and down roads that were arguably trails. We were unfortunately half an hour too late and thus, headed off to Oxford. Though no locals have heard of Southford Falls State Park, it was marked as one of the top tourist attractions in Connecticut through Google search!

With its attractive waterfalls and picturesque scenes, Southford Falls proves a most secret and charming destination to visit!

One of the many waterfalls on the Eight Mile River

A typical New England covered bridge. We can tell its authentic because it's red!

We continued the drive up the Northwest Coast of Connecticut stopping whenever we glimpsed something that peaked our interest. Detours included Hodge Memorial Library & Museum to pick up a collection of free books and White Memorial Park to go deer watching.

At Max's home, the women drank wine while the men moved furniture between floors (his mother liked to say that's the way it should be!). The best part about traveling to friends' homes? Meeting the parents and Sunday night dinners! There's almost nothing better than seeing the way people grew up and hearing embarrassing stories about them from their parents!

Sunday night family dinner. Check. Game night with the brother and his girlfriend. Check. Pool, stargazing and off to bed for more adventures in Connecticut!

New Haven

Columbus Day weekend called for a quick trip to Connecticut to visit friends. Jamelle Nelson and I met at Washington Square Park in New York to take the 90 minute train ride to New Haven. A surprisingly great tourist destination, a young person can find lots of adventure in the "Constitution State."

After yesterday's drinks at Geronimo and attending an 80's-themed party with future lawyers at Yale's Graduate Professional Student Center (yes, you read that correctly), I dropped my graduate school friends off at the Goldman Law School Library and headed off to East Rock Park.

The original Facebook at Goldman Law School Library..in print!

The thirty-minute walk to East Rock Park provided quite scenic as this weekend marked the transition of summer to autumn. In other works, the leaves were in the midst of changing colors!

Time for autumn on the East Coast!

The tranquil getaway allowed one to escape everything but the stillness of the lakes and the breeze of the wind. The 425-acre park provided numerous surprises consisting of owners and dogs diving off bridges to models and photo shoots with red mustangs! After an hour or so of hiking, it was off to a contemporary art gallery!

East Rock Park, New Haven, CT

ArtSpace Gallery provides rotating contemporary art exhibitions free to the general public. The current exhibit features "The Weekend Inventor" showcasing the continuously evolving relationship between art, technology, and innovation.

Martha Lewis's Plan B. She describes the work as "a magic carpet of sorts that is either a utopian dream or a dire escape plan"

Upon returning to Yale, I stumbled upon hundreds of Yale students running as police manned the nearby streets. A student claimed to me that they were in the midst of Bladder Ball. Previously played between 1954 and 1982 before being banned by the administration, the premise involves each respective residential college trying to attain possession of a giant six foot inflatable ball. Obviously.

The forbidden game of Bladder Ball! Notice the Yale student hanging off the fence.

While waiting for the others to finish up studying, I headed off to Downtown New Haven a.k.a. The New Haven Green. Completed in 1638, the 16-acre park belongs to five descendants of the original settlers of the green. The appointments are life-long and once one member passes away, the others gather in private to choose a new co-owner. A story much appropriate for an Ivy League college town!

The United Church in New Haven Green

Last up in New Haven was a visit to Long Wharf Pier, home of the Amistad - too bad the Amistad was M.I.A.!

Long Wharf Pier

The night came with helping my host, Matias Sueldo, put about seven holes in his wall to hang an oil painting (it looks good if I may say so). We then headed off to dinner at Frank Pepe's Pizza, famous for white clam pie.

Note: White clam pie is not a dessert, but a cheeseless pizza. Why do they call it that? No clue.

Let the exploration in Connecticut continue!

Last Day of Adventure

After an eventful weekend, it was time to check off the last on the To Do in Boston List: visit the famous Museum of Science! With over 500 interactive exhibits and days worth of shows, this attraction surprisingly provides interest for all ages (a few professionals even told me that it was a good date place!). We started off with the Black Holes exhibit to which I found the most fantastic quote:


True story!

The Marine Animals exhibit took me back to the elementary school days, down the my second grade report on humpback whales. Mrs. Malittie would be proud!

Journey to the Edge of Space and Time planetarium show

After the Planetarium Show, we headed to see the cotton-top tamarin monkeys. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually over 100 live animals in the museum. Cute ones too!

Cotton-top tamarin monkeys!

We walked on over the CambridgeSide Galleria for lunch where they caught me with the free shrimp samples. Shrimp carbonara for lunch it is!

It was time to head back to South Station to get back to New York (only $17.50 on the Bolt Bus!). Boston, I shall return to watch a game in Fenway!

The Best of Boston

I was lucky to awaken to such a beautiful and sunny day in Boston after yesterday's dreary rain! Brit and I headed off to the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour in Jamaica Plains.

Tip: Get to the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour early! We arrived at 11AM and waited for the 11:40AM tour. If you come later in the afternoon, you might even be turned away. And know that it's not so much a tour, but a very fine tasting!

We first took part in the Beer Lover's Challenge, in which we could vote upon next fall's new flavor. I hope Sam Adams Pils beats Sam Adams Ale! Surprisingly, beyond receiving the tasting, the brewery also provided us with free 7oz. glasses as souvenirs. Good stuff!

We had the opportunity to try three different types: regular ale, summer ale, and a new research beer. The tour was a treasure as our guide was hilarious. Somebody asked "How many glasses of beer to do you drink a day since you do these tours?" His response was, "I wish that you would stay out of my personal life!" He would also give us toasts, such as, "Here's to everybody celebrating a birthday this year!" Ahaha, just a couple jokes amongst many!

Brit and I enjoying the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

We headed off to the Prudential building as everybody told me I had to see the view. However, it was $12 for the observatory tour and/or one would have to buy something at the Top of the Hub restaurant. As I already saw the Bunker Hill view for free, this seemed quite unnecessary. Thus, we grabbed lunch instead!

Tip: If one shows his or her CharlieCard to the Prudential Building Customer Service Booth, one will receive a 10% discount card off most stores in the building!

The Boston Public Library was normal, but did provide a good children's photography exhibit downstairs. It also provided a chance to charge a camera battery!

We headed back to the Boston Public Gardens for a photoshoot where we ran into a man playing a guitar singing, "She got divorced and then she left me too!" Oh, geez.

On the world's smallest suspension bridge

Established in 1837, the Gardens were a creation by philanthropist Horace Gray. He petitioned for the land to be the first public botanical garden in the United States.

First statue ever built of George Washington

We walked through Commons to walk to the North End. There, one can see seals right outside the Aquarium! So cute! We soon met up with Brit's friend, Evona, and headed to the Hatch Shell for the free outdoor Beach Boys concert! Although the show started at 7PM and we arrived at 4PM, there was already a huge crowd present. We soon saw why as when I looked onstage, the Beach Boys were there themselves performing!

The Beach Boys!

We staked out a good patch of grass until the show and met the nicest Bostonians, a nice, older woman named Marilyn and some college students who came prepared with cookies, cheese, mojitos, and even a cutting board for cheese! Preparation.

On the bank of the Charles River, the sun set in front of the bowl-style stage. The Beach Boys concert was amazing to say the least; we spent two hours singing and dancing to all the greatest hits including "California Girls." Even John Stamos came out to play and perform "Forever" from the show "Full House."

After the concert, we walked by the bar featured in the comedy "Cheers" and headed off to The Living Room. We spent the night relaxing with some other "young professionals" and ate some delicious fried tempura avocado and dumplings. Eventful day, Boston!

At The Living Room. Height order was not on purpose and is not to scale!

Bostonian Culture

After enduring a four-hour bus ride (for only $10 I might add), losing my umbrella, dealing with a lost taxi cab driver, and standing in the pouring rain for a bit, I finally made it to Boston! After the night's ridiculous adventure, it was time to explore the city.

Brittany Burton had work that Friday, so her roommate was kind enough to walk me to the T station. The strong winds blew our umbrellas topsy-turvy while the misty rain sporadically came down on us. Let's hope for consistency!

The first stop was to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Focused on contemporary art beginning 1948, the museum not only features the best-known contemporary artists, but has had a large hand in developing the artists themselves.

The two open galleries featured Shepard Fairey! Besides designing the world-recognized 2008 Presidential Election picture of Barack Obama, Freley was also responsible for the OBEY movement, an experiment in phenomenology.

The most famous of Fairey's work: The Obama Hope Poster

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit in part because of Fairey's background story: he started his career as a college student just making a practical joke with "Andre the Giant Has a Posse." His influences were not traditional artists, but rather hip hop culture, Warhol, and the Sex Pistols amongst others. He also understood the imagery utilized by Corporate America in advertising and soon he grew into making political and societal statements.

Next stop: Bunker Hill! This was easy to find as one would just have to walk towards the giant monument! Be warned; however, the reaching the top consists of climbing 294 steps up the circular staircase!

The Bunker Hill Monument

Of all the lost battles for the United States, the Battle of Bunker Hills was arguably the most important. It showed that the young country could stand against the British as they thwarted the British plans to invade Dorchester Heights. This led to the eventual dismissal of the British from Boston. I made my own mark by putting a coin through the window!

View from the Bunker Hill Monument plus my dime!

It was a walk down Freedom Trail to the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world. Charlestown was so quiet! Although a Friday afternoon, there were hardly people walking the sidewalks or cars driving in the streets. However, it does look like a very nice palace to raise a family!

The wait for the free tour on the Constitution lasted roughly forty-five minutes. Standing in line behind me was actually an individual that dated a girl that went to high school with somebody that lived on my floor freshman year of college! Further, he went to dinner at my roommate's apartment senior year; thus, he had dinner in my apartment before I moved in. Small world!

The U.S.S. Constitution a.k.a. "Old Ironsides"

The Constitution tour was fantastic! It was very interesting to learn that canonballs could not dent the boat because it was made out of live oak. Thus, the ship is nicknamed "Old Ironsides" as one of the original seamen shouted, "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" during the War of 1812. They actually provided an interesting lecture as we learned all about "powder monkeys," the kickback of a canon, and how live oak only exists in the Southeastern United States.

Cannonballs!

One can also stroll next door to the U.S.S. Cassin., a destroyer commissioned in 1913 and utilized for WWII. The Constitution Museum was a good treasure as well. It was very heartfelt to see how the Constitution means so much to our nation's history and touchs the hearts of our veterans. It is a must-see in one's lifetime!

Tip: Make sure to watch the movie at the Constitution Museum! It will be well worth your time. Although super cheesy, you will learn a thing or two!

Brit and I met back at her place in South End . We chit-chatted a bit with the building mates and then took a night tour around B-town. We walked from the Prudential Building to the Public Gardens to Common and to the North End. Nice and quiet!

We ran into Brit's friends on the way back to the apartment and headed to "Our House" for a bit. As Northeastern's local campus bar, one can only stay there for a bit!

The Glen Ridge To Do List

Today's wake up began at 9AM without an alarm clock! Prepared for breakfast, I ate an almond croissant and then Greg made me eggs while I discovered the Business and Travel sections of the NY Times.

After fooling around on the piano for a bit, it was time for a run in cute, small town America! The humidity actually served as a plus to keep the morning from being too cold. Unfortunately, the Glen Ridge High School did NOT have a track to run on, so up and down the neighborhoods it was! The run did provide me the chance to find the EXACT gas lamp that I wanted to take a picture of. Before every trip, I organize a list of things that I must do (and perhaps do) on each journey.

At the heart of small town America

The Glen Ridge To Do List:
1) Picture of a gaslamp
2) Visit Freeman Gardens
3) Walk the GR Bike Path to the gazebo
4) Play the paddleball courts
5) Potential shopping spree (no tax on clothes in NJ!)

One of the trademark legacies of Glen Ridge is its many gaslamps. Although the city is only 1.3 square miles large, it boasts 665 gas lamps out of the 3,000 that remain in the nation.

One of 665 gaslamps the city is known for

The Paddleball Courts on Belleville had no people, so it was completely unexciting, but the opportunity was provided to take some nice pictures. The gazebo, on the other hand, was actually a nice sight to see as it lay next to small waterfalls and a small river and dam. Again, another photo opportunity!

The Glen Bike Path and Gazebo

Bloomfield College is quite nice with its Romanesque-style architecture for its theater. The 12-acre campus truly reflects the area's history and architecture. There is actually pretty decent shopping nearby as small boutiques abound Liberty and Broad Street.

The Robert V. Van Fossan Theater

The walk to Freeman Gardens took a bit, but soon I was at Maolis and Hawthorne. Now operated by the Borough Recreation, it is actually taken care of by resident volunteers. The rose garden was worth it as it was the perfect place to sit and read a book. There, I helped a senior citizen in his wheelchair where he soon blessed me and everyone in my family. Ahaha.

Freeman Gardens

It was time to go back to the 1950s house and take a nap! We soon jumped in the car to go shopping where we discovered a furniture store in the tail-end of a liquidation sale. Somehow, Greg and I negotiated a $1,200 rug for only $170! Skill, baby, skill.

That night, I had a good ole' Chinese take out dinner with Greg's parents while watching "Coming to America" (Yes, I know what I wrote). Gina Roco called and soon we were off at Club Bliss nearby in Clifton. It was pretty decent for a club in the suburbs! Good stuff, Glen Ridge!

Club Bliss in Clifton