Spring Break 2012 – Myrtle Beach: Day 3

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Apr 072012
 

Since I was a little bit red from all the sun the day before, I was less inclined to spend the day at the beach again. Though, I have been enjoying being back in warmer temps!

Instead, I went down for my cup o’ jo at Starbucks and did some writing. After that, I went back to the hotel to catch up on Internet stuff, such as posting! πŸ˜‰

For lunch, we went to Fuddruckers. Although we have one in Abu Dhabi that R and I frequent, this one was different, but still oh so tasty!

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04-Apr-2012 19:17, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160
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In the afternoon, Dad and I walked over to the Broadway at the Beach, initially to see if “Hunger Games” was playing on the IMAX screen. However, the IMAX theatre was closed up for some reason. Although it wasn’t yet high season there, it was crowded enough!

We rested up back at the hotel again until my mom finished with the seminars and then we ate at a lovely Italian restaurant nearby. It was a nice way to end our time at Myrtle Beach.

πŸ˜€ -T

Spring Break 2012 – Myrtle Beach: Day 2

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Apr 062012
 

My parents are in Myrtle Beach for a two-day seminar/conference on retirement planning. It’s more for my mom’s company retirement than anything else, but that means that they have sessions during the day.

So, I went out exploring in the morning, but there’s not much to see. Then, I headed to the beach for the day, thus there weren’t many pictures to take…. I did meet M&D for lunch and then they came down to the beach in the afternoon. We had happy hour drinks and then walked down the boardwalk. By the time we got home, I was already wiped out from the day in the sun…

Surprisingly, or perhaps not really, I got pretty sunburned – forgot what it’s like to be in the sun all day since we tend to hide out in our apartment back home….

Here are the three pictures I did take:

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03-Apr-2012 19:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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03-Apr-2012 19:12, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
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Ripley's Believe It Or Not shop near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
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Ripley's Believe It Or Not shop near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk04-Apr-2012 01:14, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 100
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Spring Break 2012 – Myrtle Beach: Day 1

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Apr 052012
 

On the 2nd of April, we drove from Charleston to Myrtle Beach.

We stopped on the way for breakfast and had a nice Southern meal:

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02-Apr-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160
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02-Apr-2012 18:13, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 100
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02-Apr-2012 17:33, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.6, 9.4mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
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Then, after settling in to our hotel in Myrtle Beach, we headed down to see what there was to see –

Spring break crowds on Myrtle Beach
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Spring break crowds on Myrtle Beach02-Apr-2012 21:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 7.7, 12.6mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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Dad braving the 'refreshing' water
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Dad braving the 'refreshing' water02-Apr-2012 21:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 8.4, 52.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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Jellyfish...
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Jellyfish...02-Apr-2012 23:28, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 18.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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02-Apr-2012 23:28, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 34.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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View of the beach from Pier 14
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View of the beach from Pier 1402-Apr-2012 23:31, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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Souvenir shorts anyone?
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Souvenir shorts anyone?03-Apr-2012 00:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 250
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Apparently, when my parents were young, there were Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in our part of the world, but they hadn’t seen them for years. Down here, they are everywhere!

Mom and Dad in front of Piggly Wiggly
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Mom and Dad in front of Piggly Wiggly03-Apr-2012 00:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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In the evening, we settled in to our room and watched the NCAA Men’s finals ending March Madness basketball, which I often miss over the years. Nothing like pizza and a tasty beverage!!

Best meal for watching the March Madness final game
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Best meal for watching the March Madness final game02-Apr-2012 21:38, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 250
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Kentucky vs Kansas
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Kentucky vs Kansas02-Apr-2012 21:39, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
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Good first day in the sun!

πŸ˜€

Spring Break 2012 – Charleston

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Apr 042012
 

I’m a little behind in updating about my spring break after meeting with my parents, mostly because the free wifi is in the lobby and I’m less apt to spend much time here. However, since I’m free this morning, I’m gonna catch up a little bit.

So, on the 1st, I spent the day in Charleston, SC with my parents. They had both been there before, but were up for seeing the highlights again. Mostly, we did the carriage ride, which took us around the historic part of town to see the cool old houses and get some history in. What was most amazing about this part of town was the prices for some of the houses – between 3 and 8.5 million dollars!

Here are some of the pics from the day:

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Healthy granola diet...
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Healthy granola diet...01-Apr-2012 17:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 125
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01-Apr-2012 16:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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Carriage rides
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Carriage rides01-Apr-2012 17:56, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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Dad saying 'What's up with all these rules?"
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Dad saying 'What's up with all these rules?"01-Apr-2012 18:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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01-Apr-2012 18:34, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 7.2, 9.4mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:37, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:38, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:47, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:50, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:55, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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Spring Break 2012 – Philly: TESOL Int’l Convention to Charleston

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Apr 022012
 

The conference was truly a crazy few days as I started to get over jet lag and was getting up early every day to attend sessions.

My main intent for being there was to do the Leadership Certificate Program, which I had started through some online courses in the fall. At the time that I started I wasn’t yet sure that I would complete it, but when I found out that the conference was over our spring break I figured, why not?

Not only did I get to learn a bit more about the association and leadership, but I also got to meet some really awesome people.

One of the things that became clear to me was a gap in having like-minded colleagues who are in similar stages of our professional career as well as within the same age group. While age shouldn’t really matter when it comes to learning and sharing as professionals, it does matter in the level of bonding. With older people, the relationship tends to turn into one where they are like a mentor. With younger people, the relationship tends to turn into one where I am like a mentor to them. Both are great relationships to foster, but sometimes you just want someone to commiserate with and to push each other along. So, the greatest thing I gained was meeting a few new people and connecting! πŸ˜€

Me and Katie, whom I met in the program and is working in San Francisco at Skyline Community College.

Katie and Alsu, whom I met in one of the online workshops and we decided to room together.

Plus, I got to catch up a Β bit with old friends:

 

So, after our last workshop on Saturday, I headed to the airport to meet my parents in Charleston, SC. πŸ˜€

Now time for some real R&R!

-T

Spring Break 2012 – Philly – TESOL Int’l Convention: Days 2 & 3

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Mar 302012
 

Phew, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind the past few days….

I would write more, but I’m exhausted. Instead, I will just post some pics:

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28-Mar-2012 19:18, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 125
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28-Mar-2012 20:06, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1000
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28-Mar-2012 20:06, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1000
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William Labov plenary
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William Labov plenary29-Mar-2012 15:40, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 56.7mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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Pennsylvania Convention Center used to be the old Reading Railroad Station
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Pennsylvania Convention Center used to be the old Reading Railroad Station29-Mar-2012 16:16, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 200
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Philly by night - City Hall
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Philly by night - City Hall30-Mar-2012 03:14, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.1, 15.7mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 400
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30-Mar-2012 03:24, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.7, 11.0mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 400
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30-Mar-2012 03:36, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 400
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30-Mar-2012 04:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
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Spring Break 2012 – Toronto: Day 3

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Mar 272012
 

In general, if I haven’t planned prior to traveling, I basically do whatever the mood strikes when I am actually on the trip. This makes things easier for me as I either plan or plan to be spontaneous. πŸ˜›

Since my main purpose for coming to Toronto was to visit with my friends, Shu & Q, whom I hadn’t seen since they left Abu Dhabi over a year ago, I didn’t really do any investigating of the area or decide on sightseeing activities. Basically, I figured they would show me around. πŸ™‚

However, when I arrived, I heard some talking about Niagara Falls. When I started looking at the guide books and maps, I realized one thing people do when they visit Toronto is make a trip to Niagara Falls. Hm…, I thought…. How close is it, I asked. Just about 1.5 hours…not far…let’s do it!

As my previous posts show, Shu and Q were free on the weekend, but Monday meant I was free to figure out my own plan. Apparently there is a fairly cheap Chinese bus that goes to the Falls, but I thought it would be more interesting if I did a proper tour. So, I did a Google search and found this tour company as the best and cheapest option.

So, this morning, they picked me up and we met up with the group and off we went!

It was a good day. The Falls were spectacular! Although it was quite cold, the sun came out in the afternoon making everything more beautiful. I felt God’s presence and creation with a sense of awe and peace. Beautiful. Amazing. Wonderful.

Well, here are the pics from the day!

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Finally caved and tried Tim Hortons since I am in Canada after all - not bad and cheap!
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Finally caved and tried Tim Hortons since I am in Canada after all - not bad and cheap!27-Mar-2012 06:01, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.2, 5.72mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
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Niagara Falls tour: Stop for a wine tasting - ice wine is the thing around here...
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Niagara Falls tour: Stop for a wine tasting - ice wine is the thing around here...27-Mar-2012 08:16, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour
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Niagara Falls tour27-Mar-2012 08:17, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.9, 25.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Apparently this place is sponsored/owned by Dan Akroyd - didn't know he is Canadian...
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Niagara Falls tour: Apparently this place is sponsored/owned by Dan Akroyd - didn't know he is Canadian...27-Mar-2012 08:43, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.1, 5.4mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 800
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Niagara Falls tour: The tour mobile
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Niagara Falls tour: The tour mobile27-Mar-2012 08:45, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: A stop to see Lake Ontario
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Niagara Falls tour: A stop to see Lake Ontario27-Mar-2012 09:04, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.9, 8.25mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Apparently that is New York and where part of the War of 1812 took place
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Niagara Falls tour: Apparently that is New York and where part of the War of 1812 took place27-Mar-2012 09:04, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.9, 8.25mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara-on-the-lake - main tourist stop especially in the summer when visiting Niagara Falls
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara-on-the-lake - main tourist stop especially in the summer when visiting Niagara Falls27-Mar-2012 09:08, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.8, 7.73mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 800
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Niagara Falls tour: Smallest church...
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Niagara Falls tour: Smallest church...27-Mar-2012 09:16, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.7, 13.09mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 640
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara Whirlpool - across is Canada; to the right is New York
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara Whirlpool - across is Canada; to the right is New York27-Mar-2012 09:29, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Whirlpool on Niagara River
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Niagara Falls tour: Whirlpool on Niagara River27-Mar-2012 09:29, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara River
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Niagara Falls tour: Niagara River27-Mar-2012 09:30, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.2, 5.72mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: A hydro-dam giving power to Canada and New York
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Niagara Falls tour: A hydro-dam giving power to Canada and New York27-Mar-2012 09:31, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.9, 25.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 160
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Niagara Falls tour: Cable car crossing Niagara River whirlpool
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Niagara Falls tour: Cable car crossing Niagara River whirlpool27-Mar-2012 09:32, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 16.1mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls27-Mar-2012 09:54, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls view
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls view27-Mar-2012 09:54, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls view
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls view27-Mar-2012 09:57, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 11.0, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls - silhouette of me
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Niagara Falls tour: Horseshoe Falls - Journey Behind the Falls - silhouette of me27-Mar-2012 09:57, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80
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After I got back, we headed out to a tasty warm dinner of ramen!

Tonkotsu Ramen for dinner! YUM!
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Tonkotsu Ramen for dinner! YUM!27-Mar-2012 02:29, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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Then, we took a walk –

Near Howland Avenue - just a funny name...
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Near Howland Avenue - just a funny name...27-Mar-2012 03:06, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 800
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to Korea Town, where we got dessert. I ate so many of these when I was in Korea for a month. Love them!!!

Hoddok (Korean pancake with brown sugar and nuts) = happy happy!
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Hoddok (Korean pancake with brown sugar and nuts) = happy happy!27-Mar-2012 03:17, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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A very happy ending to a great day!

Tomorrow, I am off to Philly….

πŸ˜€ -T

Spring Break 2012 – Toronto: Day 2

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Mar 262012
 

Jet lag hasn’t been so bad considering the amount of flying I did, but it still exists…. Although I woke up at 5am with some dozing until about 10am, Shu and I still managed to walk from Howland through Little Italy to Queens Way to Chinatown to Kensington Market area and back home again.

It was a beautiful day, which was very much welcomed after yesterday! πŸ™‚

After a short rest, we headed to Korea Town for some delicious Korean food! Now, I’m trying to stay awake long enough to ensure that I don’t wake up too early though I have a day trip to Niagara Falls planned for tomorrow.

Here are some pics from today:

Apparently a Toronto icon - Honest Ed's random store of everything (didn't actually go inside though)
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Apparently a Toronto icon - Honest Ed's random store of everything (didn't actually go inside though)25-Mar-2012 19:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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A Canadian delicacy - Poutine
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A Canadian delicacy - Poutine25-Mar-2012 20:30, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 320
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25-Mar-2012 20:31, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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Too cute!
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Too cute!25-Mar-2012 21:19, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.6, 9.4mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
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Toronto Chinatown gate - MON
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Toronto Chinatown gate - MON25-Mar-2012 23:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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Kensington Market area - loved this mural
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Kensington Market area - loved this mural26-Mar-2012 00:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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Bike rack in Kensington Market
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Bike rack in Kensington Market26-Mar-2012 00:13, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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A Canadian fire house for my dad...hard to see it though...
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A Canadian fire house for my dad...hard to see it though...26-Mar-2012 00:15, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 7.2, 9.4mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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Hard to do justice to the lovely residential areas
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Hard to do justice to the lovely residential areas26-Mar-2012 00:19, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.4, 7.9mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 100
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Pure maple syrup - 8.99 in a local organic store or 18.99 in a bottle at a 'gift shop' for tourists, you choose...
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Pure maple syrup - 8.99 in a local organic store or 18.99 in a bottle at a 'gift shop' for tourists, you choose...26-Mar-2012 01:12, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.6, 9.4mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
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Yummy Korean food with my favorite hosts!
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Yummy Korean food with my favorite hosts!26-Mar-2012 03:10, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 125
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Mmmmmmm....
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Mmmmmmm....26-Mar-2012 03:10, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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-T πŸ˜€

Spring Break 2012 – Toronto: Day 1

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Mar 252012
 

My first full day in Toronto has been pretty relaxed. We had a relaxed start, but still on the early side as I’m kind of used to getting started around noon, not when it is still morning…. πŸ˜‰

Q & Shu's cute attic apartment
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment24-Mar-2012 15:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment24-Mar-2012 15:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment24-Mar-2012 15:12, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 400
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment
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Q & Shu's cute attic apartment24-Mar-2012 15:12, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200
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So, we headed down to St. Lawrence market, which is a farmer’s-like market in a renovated warehouse near/in the Financial District. There’s two kinds of markets – a yuppyish middle-class white version and a more diverse relaxed farmer’s market version. I tried bee pollen, which is considered very healthy, and it made me swell up on my lips and throat. Who knew?

Downtown Toronto: Union Station and CN Tower in the background
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Downtown Toronto: Union Station and CN Tower in the background24-Mar-2012 17:42, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District24-Mar-2012 17:42, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District - Hockey Hall of Fame
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District - Hockey Hall of Fame24-Mar-2012 17:42, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District
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Downtown Toronto: Financial District24-Mar-2012 17:42, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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St Lawrence Market: Mmmm pork...meat...
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St Lawrence Market: Mmmm pork...meat...24-Mar-2012 17:51, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200
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St Lawrence Market
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St Lawrence Market24-Mar-2012 18:04, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 200
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St Lawrence Market: Pork!
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St Lawrence Market: Pork!24-Mar-2012 18:06, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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St Lawrence Market: Guess this is some Canadian bacon specialty
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St Lawrence Market: Guess this is some Canadian bacon specialty24-Mar-2012 18:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
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St Lawrence Market: Juice!
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St Lawrence Market: Juice!24-Mar-2012 18:16, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
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St Lawrence Market: Saturday Farmer's Market
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St Lawrence Market: Saturday Farmer's Market24-Mar-2012 18:29, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto
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Downtown Toronto24-Mar-2012 18:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.6, 9.4mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Near Church
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Downtown Toronto: Near Church24-Mar-2012 18:56, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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After that we stopped for a quick coffee break at a cool place called Origins on King St.

Downtown Toronto: Q next the Q water tap
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Downtown Toronto: Q next the Q water tap24-Mar-2012 19:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 400
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From there, we went over to an Asian food market called T&T. It was nice to see so many options, but I wished I had more in Abu Dhabi.

Downtown Toronto: A visit to the T&T Asian Food market isn't complete without a Lover Hot Pot!
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Downtown Toronto: A visit to the T&T Asian Food market isn't complete without a Lover Hot Pot!24-Mar-2012 19:50, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: T&T offers live seafood - I know these are muscles, but somehow they look oh so wrong...
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Downtown Toronto: T&T offers live seafood - I know these are muscles, but somehow they look oh so wrong...24-Mar-2012 19:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Shu found one that looks good
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Downtown Toronto: Shu found one that looks good24-Mar-2012 19:57, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto: So many to choose from...
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Downtown Toronto: So many to choose from...24-Mar-2012 19:57, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto: Lunch at T&T
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Downtown Toronto: Lunch at T&T24-Mar-2012 20:26, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 100
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On the way back, we hit the Distillery District and stopped in this crazy stored where a guy does art with rubik’s cubes….

Downtown Toronto: The Distillery Historic District
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Downtown Toronto: The Distillery Historic District24-Mar-2012 21:14, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes24-Mar-2012 21:22, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes24-Mar-2012 21:22, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (same store, but liked the idea of high heel wine holder)
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (same store, but liked the idea of high heel wine holder)24-Mar-2012 21:23, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes24-Mar-2012 21:24, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 250
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (or dice)
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (or dice)24-Mar-2012 21:25, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.4, 7.9mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (or dice)
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Downtown Toronto: Distillery Historic District - Art with Rubik's cubes (or dice)24-Mar-2012 21:25, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.4, 7.9mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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then the wind picked up adding to the cold, so we headed back to have a rest and eat up our fresh crab. πŸ˜€

T&T crabs ready to eat!
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T&T crabs ready to eat!24-Mar-2012 23:38, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 200
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I stopped taking pictures in the evening as the cold increased and though I’m awake, I’m not quite so with it…. Anyway, we went to a lovely and very cheap Vietnamese restaurant off of St. Claire and then had a long journey back as we walked through the elements for part of the way. It definitely felt nice to get to a warm and dry place!

More fun tomorrow!

πŸ˜€ -T

Spring Break 2012 – To Toronto

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Mar 242012
 

Surprisingly, I am awake at a ‘normal’ time (8:00am) after taking a 12.5 direct flight AUH – JFK and then after a 4-hour layover was on a 1.5hour flight JFK – YYZ.

The flight to New York from Abu Dhabi was fairly painless in the grand scheme of things. However, nearly 12 hours of two children crying/whining and the sounds here and there of others have made me really think there needs to be children’s ONLY section at the back of the plane (not the front!!!). It’s not possible to keep them from fussing or crying at different times, but why must the rest of us have to suffer?

My flight companion was a 72-year-old Indian woman. I know because she asked me to complete her US customs form. She was nice, but a little too big for the seats, a little too old for getting up and down during a long flight and very very burpy! hahaha. She was sweet, though, I guess.

Randomly, my counselor in AD was in the seat behind me going on holiday to the East Coast. I wondered if that was some sort of sign that I should go see her when I return in April…? πŸ˜‰

Everything else is a bit of a blur as I was so exhausted once arriving at Q & Shu’s place in Toronto.

I’m gonna have to go in search of coffee soonish, though, I think.

More to come…

πŸ˜€

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