Back in Singapore, I thought it was pretty easy to buy Asian food and groceries, even those that are not Chinese, Malay or Indian. We shopped at Japanese supermarkets and thought they had good selections. The wet market was 5 mins from our flat. That was in Singapore. 'Crossroads of Asia' or something like that.
Here in Toronto, it's even easier. Living so close to Chinatown and Koreatown, we often go to Asian-focused stores to buy groceries. Compared to Singapore, the range of Japanese and Korean foodstuffs here is much wider, especially Korean, and often cheaper. We're also impressed by the selection of Chinese foodstuffs. The grocers in C-town even smell authentic, that is to say they stink familiarly. (That's not really a compliment...)
I might have commented before that groceries here in North America is usually cheaper than Singapore (stuff is really cheap in St Louis, and even in Toronto, not as pricey as I feared), and that is probably because a lot of the produce are grown locally (within the same country, if not the same state). To that observation, I can add Asian groceries, which is odd because a lot are imported. Interestingly, Asian foodstuffs that are made on this side of the world have an interesting tendency to be either made in the local C-town or K-town, or California...
That said, there are things we miss. South-east Asian stuff is hard to come by. Spring rolls (fried or fresh) are so common but not popiah. Or rojak. Or pineapple tarts. Mike would probably say or-jian.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
ReNe: so rice is not "normal" food
On our last trip to Whole Foods the other day to buy coffee, I picked up one of those free 'food & nutrition' type magazines lying past the checkout counter.
It's pretty crappy. Oh, it was prettily done (full color and all, on semi-glossy paper -- and I know how much all that costs after having worked as an editor before), but the content leaves much to be desired. For one, there wasn't anything new or informative. There's the usual 'how to lose weight' articles that can be boiled down to two main pieces of advice: (1) include certain types of supplementation because these nutrient are lacking from your 'normal' diet, and (2) eat organic. Fair enough... but this leads to the second complaint: there's something a little off about the advice. For example: one of the reasons why you can't lose weight could possibly be due to the lack of sufficient chromium in your diet, something that is normally found in the bran of grains and discarded during processing and hence lacking in 'our regular diet'. So, the solution recommended is to include chromium supplementation... Why not simply eat whole grains instead? Page after page, tucked in-between the lines are 'buy this supplementation' or 'eat organic'. Why shouldn't I be surprised? I did pick up this magazine at Whole Foods (an organic supermarket) after all. And I do know it is better to eat organic food. I also know buying supplements is (probably, though not always) more expensive than buying unprocessed foods. Hmm.
By the time I was half-way through the magazine, I hadn't learned anything new. Then I came across a few lines that were rather... insulting. It was from an article about gluten-free cooking. The writer's daughter had food allergies.
"......no what, barley, oats or rye products? No eggs? No dairy? ...... came to the stark conclusion: We would be eating rice three times a day for the rest of our lives...... How could we sit there eating "normal" food when she had to eat...rice?" (the last pause was the writer's, not a skipping over of sentences)
Hey. Rice is not "normal" food? More than half the world eat rice regularly, and many people do eat rice three meals day as part of their usual diet, thank you very much. Yes, I know the writer was not being deliberately insulting and that the implication was more careless than anything else. After all, I would be horrified if I knew my food choices would be severely curtailed as well, but well, it just struck me as rather... carelessly ignorant. Especially since she's supposed to be a nutritionist.
And yes, I do know that rice isn't part of the 'normal' American diet. Still, I'd read enough and I didn't bother with the rest of the article (or magazine).
The irony that this 'organic and environmental' magazine is printed on colored, semi-glossy paper (which makes it hard to recycle) does not escape me either.
It's pretty crappy. Oh, it was prettily done (full color and all, on semi-glossy paper -- and I know how much all that costs after having worked as an editor before), but the content leaves much to be desired. For one, there wasn't anything new or informative. There's the usual 'how to lose weight' articles that can be boiled down to two main pieces of advice: (1) include certain types of supplementation because these nutrient are lacking from your 'normal' diet, and (2) eat organic. Fair enough... but this leads to the second complaint: there's something a little off about the advice. For example: one of the reasons why you can't lose weight could possibly be due to the lack of sufficient chromium in your diet, something that is normally found in the bran of grains and discarded during processing and hence lacking in 'our regular diet'. So, the solution recommended is to include chromium supplementation... Why not simply eat whole grains instead? Page after page, tucked in-between the lines are 'buy this supplementation' or 'eat organic'. Why shouldn't I be surprised? I did pick up this magazine at Whole Foods (an organic supermarket) after all. And I do know it is better to eat organic food. I also know buying supplements is (probably, though not always) more expensive than buying unprocessed foods. Hmm.
By the time I was half-way through the magazine, I hadn't learned anything new. Then I came across a few lines that were rather... insulting. It was from an article about gluten-free cooking. The writer's daughter had food allergies.
"......no what, barley, oats or rye products? No eggs? No dairy? ...... came to the stark conclusion: We would be eating rice three times a day for the rest of our lives...... How could we sit there eating "normal" food when she had to eat...rice?" (the last pause was the writer's, not a skipping over of sentences)
Hey. Rice is not "normal" food? More than half the world eat rice regularly, and many people do eat rice three meals day as part of their usual diet, thank you very much. Yes, I know the writer was not being deliberately insulting and that the implication was more careless than anything else. After all, I would be horrified if I knew my food choices would be severely curtailed as well, but well, it just struck me as rather... carelessly ignorant. Especially since she's supposed to be a nutritionist.
And yes, I do know that rice isn't part of the 'normal' American diet. Still, I'd read enough and I didn't bother with the rest of the article (or magazine).
The irony that this 'organic and environmental' magazine is printed on colored, semi-glossy paper (which makes it hard to recycle) does not escape me either.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
MiKE: sg complaints choir cancelled, WTF?
Singapore stops foreigners from singing complaints
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A choir that planned to sing a list of complaints about life in Singapore cancelled its performances after the city-state banned its foreign members from singing, organizers said on Saturday.
The 60-member "complaints choir", a concept that originated from two Finnish artists, was scheduled to perform at a weekend festival but authorities granted a performance license on the condition that the foreigners would not participate.
"Our conductor is Malaysian, so how could the choir go ahead without him?" said Melissa Lim, the festival organizer.
Singapore's Media Development Authority said the license was conditional because the lyrics touched on "domestic affairs" and it preferred only Singaporeans take part.
Some of the complaints that would have been sung included, "when a pregnant lady gets on the train, everyone pretends to sleep" and "when I'm hungry at the food court, I see people (reserve) seats with tissue paper".
Singapore, which faces a low birth rate and a graying population, has turned increasingly to immigrants to boost its work force. It aims to add another 2 million people to the island's 4.7 million people over the next 40 to 50 years.
The city-state is frequently criticized by human rights groups for its restrictions on expression and the media.
(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Michael Winfrey)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
MiKE: Effing dangerous.
For some strange reason, the both of us had similar thoughts come to our heads this past weekend.
Inexplicably, Serene mentioned this morning about long distance drives/rides in this part of the world. Specifically, she said that we should take the opportunity to go on a long road trip one of these days, to see the wide open spaces, especially in summer. But, she continued, we should not do it on bikes, even though when we were back in singapore, we would have thought that it would have been such a romantic thing to do: wide open roads, single lanes carving their way through sandstone sculptures, bridges over meandering
waterways carrying abundant life, salmon jumping out of the water and all.
Coming back to reality, we realized that it would be quite costly to do that - the price of a good bike here is about that of a decent used car (Yamaha FZ1000, ~$10k; Toyota Yaris ~$18k new); then we have to count in the price of the protective gear - easily $2-3k each, which we would have to find storage space to keep in our already crammed-to-the-max hostel-room-on-steroids. And we still would not be able to drive it in winter; having gone through half of winter, we now understand that -15ºC is no joke. A car, in comparison, would be so simple: open the door, get in.
And then we started to reminisce on the biking experiences we had. Like our deciding that, since it was raining so hard on the North South Highway, we should slow down from 150 to about 130km/h. And then, since the cars were stopped, we better go no faster than 90 as we filtered through the cars in the pouring rain. Rain, that was pouring so hard, we later found out, that it shut down Changi airport for a whole day.
Or what about the time we were going crazy, trying (and managing) to set our speed record from Cameron (Tanah Rata exit on the NSH) to Sungei Buloh (I cannot remember the names now; so this could be wrong) at an average speed of 133 km/h. That included the slowing down to a stop at the exit.
Or the interminable ride from Krabi to Singapore, where we had decided, at 1pm when we crossed the Thai border into Malaysia, that since we only needed 10 more hours, we'd ride on. And ended up riding through yet another tropical storm, a jam of Pakciks and Makciks in their Kancils, stretching from Ipoh to KL after Hari Raya, and into a shiny long nail in my front tyre outside Seremban, which took us until 3am to fix. We pushed on, into the dead of the night, the highway spookily emptied of any other vehicles, and we had to do leapfrog manoeuvres to make sure our visual field changed sufficiently to stop us from sleeping. Still, it was terrifying to look back and see Serene's headlight in my rearview mirror make sudden side-to-side movements. She had fallen asleep, and in the jolt that she'd awake with she had caused the headlights to swing.
Or what about the silly things I'd do on the Pan Island and Ayer Rajah Expressways, on the way home after work past 5pm; there were at least a couple of occasions where I had raced (separately) a Ducati Monster and one Multistrada as we were lane splitting; I'd be just riding along, minding my business, when the distinctive v-twin burbling note would catch my attention, I'd look into the rearview mirror or to the side, and then I'd have to ride faster to keep up with that work of art on two wheels.
Inexplicably, Serene mentioned this morning about long distance drives/rides in this part of the world. Specifically, she said that we should take the opportunity to go on a long road trip one of these days, to see the wide open spaces, especially in summer. But, she continued, we should not do it on bikes, even though when we were back in singapore, we would have thought that it would have been such a romantic thing to do: wide open roads, single lanes carving their way through sandstone sculptures, bridges over meandering
waterways carrying abundant life, salmon jumping out of the water and all.
Coming back to reality, we realized that it would be quite costly to do that - the price of a good bike here is about that of a decent used car (Yamaha FZ1000, ~$10k; Toyota Yaris ~$18k new); then we have to count in the price of the protective gear - easily $2-3k each, which we would have to find storage space to keep in our already crammed-to-the-max hostel-room-on-steroids. And we still would not be able to drive it in winter; having gone through half of winter, we now understand that -15ºC is no joke. A car, in comparison, would be so simple: open the door, get in.
And then we started to reminisce on the biking experiences we had. Like our deciding that, since it was raining so hard on the North South Highway, we should slow down from 150 to about 130km/h. And then, since the cars were stopped, we better go no faster than 90 as we filtered through the cars in the pouring rain. Rain, that was pouring so hard, we later found out, that it shut down Changi airport for a whole day.
Or what about the time we were going crazy, trying (and managing) to set our speed record from Cameron (Tanah Rata exit on the NSH) to Sungei Buloh (I cannot remember the names now; so this could be wrong) at an average speed of 133 km/h. That included the slowing down to a stop at the exit.
Or the interminable ride from Krabi to Singapore, where we had decided, at 1pm when we crossed the Thai border into Malaysia, that since we only needed 10 more hours, we'd ride on. And ended up riding through yet another tropical storm, a jam of Pakciks and Makciks in their Kancils, stretching from Ipoh to KL after Hari Raya, and into a shiny long nail in my front tyre outside Seremban, which took us until 3am to fix. We pushed on, into the dead of the night, the highway spookily emptied of any other vehicles, and we had to do leapfrog manoeuvres to make sure our visual field changed sufficiently to stop us from sleeping. Still, it was terrifying to look back and see Serene's headlight in my rearview mirror make sudden side-to-side movements. She had fallen asleep, and in the jolt that she'd awake with she had caused the headlights to swing.
Or what about the silly things I'd do on the Pan Island and Ayer Rajah Expressways, on the way home after work past 5pm; there were at least a couple of occasions where I had raced (separately) a Ducati Monster and one Multistrada as we were lane splitting; I'd be just riding along, minding my business, when the distinctive v-twin burbling note would catch my attention, I'd look into the rearview mirror or to the side, and then I'd have to ride faster to keep up with that work of art on two wheels.
***
Somehow, through it all, we were safe. Well, except for that incident with the van. We were looking back at this last 6 months or so that we have not ridden our bikes; and realized that perhaps it has been a really good thing. Because it allowed us to take a step back and reflect. We'd realized that if we were still back in Singapore, we'd probably would still be riding, and I'd probably have 'upgraded' to a bigger and badder class 2 machine, perhaps a Ducati, or a BMW, or maybe even just a Honda. And we might have ended up in a bigger accident. But we were 'forced' to stop riding. And I think it must be the time off riding, that for the both of us, at almost exactly the same time, had the same thought: what we did was effing dangerous.
Just so I/we have an exit though: No, I doubt that this has anything to do with age, though being December babies, we just 'celebrated' another successful circumnavigation of the sun. And even though I think it is scary now, I am still pretty sure that motorcycling is still, within limits, safe. I guess we just have to make sure we do not do silly things now...
Somehow, through it all, we were safe. Well, except for that incident with the van. We were looking back at this last 6 months or so that we have not ridden our bikes; and realized that perhaps it has been a really good thing. Because it allowed us to take a step back and reflect. We'd realized that if we were still back in Singapore, we'd probably would still be riding, and I'd probably have 'upgraded' to a bigger and badder class 2 machine, perhaps a Ducati, or a BMW, or maybe even just a Honda. And we might have ended up in a bigger accident. But we were 'forced' to stop riding. And I think it must be the time off riding, that for the both of us, at almost exactly the same time, had the same thought: what we did was effing dangerous.
Just so I/we have an exit though: No, I doubt that this has anything to do with age, though being December babies, we just 'celebrated' another successful circumnavigation of the sun. And even though I think it is scary now, I am still pretty sure that motorcycling is still, within limits, safe. I guess we just have to make sure we do not do silly things now...
Monday, January 21, 2008
ReNe: snowy scenes of st louis, belated
Some shots I took the week before I left St Louis. Happily, it snowed heavily in that last week. It feels pretty special to experience the first snowfall of that season, and when I was in Toronto for Thanksgiving at the end of Nov, I got to see the first snowfall in Toronto. There were a couple of miserable flurries in St Louis after the Thanksgiving weekend, where the snow practically melted as soon as it hit the ground. Then two weeks later, before I left, it snowed and heavily. Right up till I left, the skies in St Louis were still mostly blue and sunny.
This was taken from the basement of a friend's (Treeza) apartment, where the laundry and dryer machines are. Somehow, the photo turned out quite bluish, and I thought it was a rather nice effect.
I liked the look of the icicles. Snow in St Louis tend to melt quickly because days are often sunny. Even as I was watching, I could hear the sound of meltwater dripping.
Yup, all those footsteps in the otherwise pristine snow were mine. I was trampling up and down to do laundry.
This was taken at Delmar Ave after a night out with the girls. It was already snowing and by the time we finished dinner, it started to snow heavily.
Walking back to Delmar station after dinner. Treeza's on the right, in the black jacket, and Jung Hee's on the left.
Treeza again. Look at the snow coming down... we were all freezing. Definitely under-dressed.
And even though we were all complaining of cold, we still encouraged Cynthia to make a snow angel....
ReNe: walking to work
I walk to and back from work everyday, a trip that takes about 25-30 minutes each way. In the past two weeks, it has actually been surprisingly enjoyable; temperatures hovered around zero Celcius and I found the cold air bracing. I've also taken to under-dressing a little so that I don't end up sweating when I reach my destination. When I first thought about walking to work in winter, I was a little daunted and even contemplated buying a monthly subway pass; on hindsight, the cost of such a pass could have bought me a nice pair of boots every month!
But that was *last* week. Temperatures dropped suddenly over the weekend, and was -12 Celcius (according to my Mac dashboard) when I walked out this morning. I dressed as I normally did in two layers: a long-sleeve T-shirt and my trench. The only concession I made was to pick up my mittens instead of gloves, and a scarf. It wasn't so bad, I thought, until the winds started to blow. Toronto, I'm starting to discover, can be freaking windy.
Half-way to Dundas Street, where I work, my face was starting to feel decidedly numb, so I pulled up my scarf. It's a nifty thing I got when I was still motobiking; a tubular piece of cloth with no seams, so I can pull it up to cover my nose. Interestingly, even though it's just a thin piece of cotton (I had bought it for motorbiking in tropical climates after all), it worked very well at keeping the lower half of my face warm because the scarf is loose and most of the warm, moist air I exhale gets circulated back within the little tent-space. I did get many odd looks though. What I really would like to get would be a jacket with a stiff, tall collar that is able to button all the way around -- I saw a woman wearing such a trench and I think it looks very stylish, yet functional.
"There is no bad weather, only bad clothing."
(I saw that in MEC but if I'm not mistaken, it's actually a Swedish saying.) Anyway, I think that's pretty good advice. Now I am hoping the temperatures would drop even further so I could try out a pair of leather pants I got for $6 at Goodwill.
But that was *last* week. Temperatures dropped suddenly over the weekend, and was -12 Celcius (according to my Mac dashboard) when I walked out this morning. I dressed as I normally did in two layers: a long-sleeve T-shirt and my trench. The only concession I made was to pick up my mittens instead of gloves, and a scarf. It wasn't so bad, I thought, until the winds started to blow. Toronto, I'm starting to discover, can be freaking windy.
Half-way to Dundas Street, where I work, my face was starting to feel decidedly numb, so I pulled up my scarf. It's a nifty thing I got when I was still motobiking; a tubular piece of cloth with no seams, so I can pull it up to cover my nose. Interestingly, even though it's just a thin piece of cotton (I had bought it for motorbiking in tropical climates after all), it worked very well at keeping the lower half of my face warm because the scarf is loose and most of the warm, moist air I exhale gets circulated back within the little tent-space. I did get many odd looks though. What I really would like to get would be a jacket with a stiff, tall collar that is able to button all the way around -- I saw a woman wearing such a trench and I think it looks very stylish, yet functional.
"There is no bad weather, only bad clothing."
(I saw that in MEC but if I'm not mistaken, it's actually a Swedish saying.) Anyway, I think that's pretty good advice. Now I am hoping the temperatures would drop even further so I could try out a pair of leather pants I got for $6 at Goodwill.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
ReNe: rainbow triangles
A quick comment. Because I am not as wont to rant and ramble as MiKE. Because this is one subject I can rant on if I don't restrain myself.
I've been noticing something recently. It's probably not a big deal in Canada anymore (?) but it is for me for its noticeable absence in Singapore.
Acceptance. And I refer specifically to acceptance of sexualities other than heterosexuality, though Canada is generally more liberal than Singapore in so many ways.
Here, I often see the little (sometimes not so little) upside down rainbow triangles that are the flag for University of Toronto's positive space movement what the pink ribbon is for breast cancer. LGBT, or GLBT, stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered/Transsexual. The rainbow flag is a pretty well-known international symbol of gay and lesbian Pride, while the inverted triangle was used to mark homosexuals in the concentration camps of Hitler's Third Reich; pink for gays and black for lesbians (and female dissidents and prostitutes). It is fairly ironical that both the pink and black triangles have now been adopted by many in the gay community as symbols for their cause.
I see more openly homosexual couples, I see positive articles in the news and I see ads in the subways for *both* hetero- and homosexual singles. And I find it all extremely heartening in contrast to Singapore, when this openness would be frowned upon or swept under the carpet. Let me not even go on about the Staid Times. Singapore claims to be progressive and cosmopolitan.... Ha.
I also see a lot more sex shops and I love that too. What's wrong with an open attitude towards sex? We all wouldn't be here if not for sex. Just yesterday, Mike and I walked past an adult shop with live models in lingerie in the front windows. Awesome.
[Aside, I find it hard to compare St Louis. I have not been in St Louis long enough to form a concrete opinion; at times it seems more conservative than Singapore, at times less, so I would assume it is about the same? However, though the time I have spent in Canada is even shorter, the contrast (to Singapore) is far more obvious.]
I've been noticing something recently. It's probably not a big deal in Canada anymore (?) but it is for me for its noticeable absence in Singapore.
Acceptance. And I refer specifically to acceptance of sexualities other than heterosexuality, though Canada is generally more liberal than Singapore in so many ways.
Here, I often see the little (sometimes not so little) upside down rainbow triangles that are the flag for University of Toronto's positive space movement what the pink ribbon is for breast cancer. LGBT, or GLBT, stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered/Transsexual. The rainbow flag is a pretty well-known international symbol of gay and lesbian Pride, while the inverted triangle was used to mark homosexuals in the concentration camps of Hitler's Third Reich; pink for gays and black for lesbians (and female dissidents and prostitutes). It is fairly ironical that both the pink and black triangles have now been adopted by many in the gay community as symbols for their cause.
I see more openly homosexual couples, I see positive articles in the news and I see ads in the subways for *both* hetero- and homosexual singles. And I find it all extremely heartening in contrast to Singapore, when this openness would be frowned upon or swept under the carpet. Let me not even go on about the Staid Times. Singapore claims to be progressive and cosmopolitan.... Ha.
I also see a lot more sex shops and I love that too. What's wrong with an open attitude towards sex? We all wouldn't be here if not for sex. Just yesterday, Mike and I walked past an adult shop with live models in lingerie in the front windows. Awesome.
[Aside, I find it hard to compare St Louis. I have not been in St Louis long enough to form a concrete opinion; at times it seems more conservative than Singapore, at times less, so I would assume it is about the same? However, though the time I have spent in Canada is even shorter, the contrast (to Singapore) is far more obvious.]
Friday, January 18, 2008
MiKE: The Story of Stuff.
I got the link to this site from my course instructor. Good video. More people should see it. And act on it.
To watch the whole video online, go click on this link. Here are some teaser clips:
To watch the whole video online, go click on this link. Here are some teaser clips:
Sunday, January 13, 2008
ReNe: getting used to the cold
In the above photo, I was only wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and skirt under my jacket, and the temperature was between 0-5 degree Celcius. In fact, I was even feeling a little warm -- note the open collar.Mike and I were joking that we are getting quite casual about the cold -- 10C is now 'warmish' for us, and we routinely head out in just our down jackets and a T-shirt under when the temperature hovers around zero.
Which led me to wonder: are we getting acclimatized to the cold, or is this what happens when we get the 'proper' gear?
When we bought the Canada Goose jackets, we were joking they were overkill, especially Mike's. Like buying a ST1300 in Singapore and then using only the first and second gear for city commuting. So yes, the right gear does play a role. In addition to my goosedown jacket, I was wearing a fur cap (unlike the fur ruff on my jacket, the fur on my cap is fake, but it does a good job of protecting my ears nonetheless) and insulated boots; smallish details that make a huge difference as well.
But I also think that we're getting used to cold. On days where we go back to using our older jackets, we find that we don't need as many layers as we did a month ago. So we *are* getting used to cold. This is something I thought about before -- having lived in a warm country all our lives, the only times we get to experience the cold is on vacation, and the transition from balmy tropical to chilly wintry conditions thus takes place in a matter of hours. And the experience (of winter) in our minds thus becomes exaggerated. However, if we make the transition from summer to winter over a few months, then we should be as used to the cold as the locals, shouldn't we?
I've heard 'horror' stories from Singaporeans about their first winter overseas, but interestingly enough, I find myself to be actually *enjoying* my first winter.
(I hope that last statement does not come back to jinx me later, as it is still only January and winter is hardly over.)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
ReNe: a xmas carol, belated
A belated post, and some nice photos. The girls and I went to see 'A Christmas Carol', the Dickens one, on the 3rd of December. Cynthia got us free tickets. Normally, they would easily cost at least $20, I should think. One of the nice things about being a Wash U grad student -- many freebies.
From left: me, Tope, Treeza and Cynthia.
The musical was held in Fox Theater and I was pleasantly surprised by the opulence of the refurbished theater. Even the restrooms had chandeliers.
Me and Cynthia.
The inside of the theater was just as grand as the outside, and I spent some time before the show started fiddling around with my camera settings so as to attempt to capture the grandeur. Since I dislike using the flash, I figured setting it on ISO400 and an overexposed setting should do it.
The show itself was all right. Of course I knew the story, and while I'm normally not a big fan of productions or plays, I quite enjoyed myself. The actor playing Scrooge was really, really good. Some of the characters, particularly the minor ones, tend to be overdone (I mean, was there a real need for the 2 maids to screech on and on and *on* bout what a miser he was?) but the lead actor played his role perfectly.
From left: me, Tope, Treeza and Cynthia.The musical was held in Fox Theater and I was pleasantly surprised by the opulence of the refurbished theater. Even the restrooms had chandeliers.
Me and Cynthia.
The inside of the theater was just as grand as the outside, and I spent some time before the show started fiddling around with my camera settings so as to attempt to capture the grandeur. Since I dislike using the flash, I figured setting it on ISO400 and an overexposed setting should do it.
The show itself was all right. Of course I knew the story, and while I'm normally not a big fan of productions or plays, I quite enjoyed myself. The actor playing Scrooge was really, really good. Some of the characters, particularly the minor ones, tend to be overdone (I mean, was there a real need for the 2 maids to screech on and on and *on* bout what a miser he was?) but the lead actor played his role perfectly.
Monday, January 7, 2008
MiKE: Brief Respite.
So, we are in the midst of a January thaw, which, according to Environment Canada climatologists, is almost a sure thing for the many many years that Toronto weather has been recorded. Warm air from the south came up across the lakes, picking up water and conveniently dumping it upon us.
Which means that the temperatures right now is about 18ºC, and expected to climb to as high as 21ºC (according to my MacOS dashboard widget).
Which means it feels right now that winter is over- we don't need the heavy jackets; the snow (the *ugh* dirty dirty snow) has melted away; it's been drizzling, humidity is in the 60s and above; and since the radiator in the room has been, ominously, not shut down, we have to keep the windows fully open or else the apartment would be too warm and stuffy.
And yet, all that I read and hear from people is that, don't be fooled, winter is not over yet, Environment Canada says that Toronto experiences about 65% of its snow in Jan and Feb, and that more is expected.
So as with my usual ambivalent posts, here is the ambivalence: it'd be really pleasant (tolerable?) if the weather were to be like this, the coldest -15ºC or so temperatures over and done with in a fortnight or so; on the other hand, I'd be quite disappointed: is this all Toronto has got? What happened to the famous recorded -30ºC winters? What am I going to do with the jacket I bought now?
Intellectually I know that the cold weather will be back, and my jacket will see more action yet, but right now, I feel a bit, let down. You know what I mean? Here's the article stolen from the Toronto Star:
Which means that the temperatures right now is about 18ºC, and expected to climb to as high as 21ºC (according to my MacOS dashboard widget).
Which means it feels right now that winter is over- we don't need the heavy jackets; the snow (the *ugh* dirty dirty snow) has melted away; it's been drizzling, humidity is in the 60s and above; and since the radiator in the room has been, ominously, not shut down, we have to keep the windows fully open or else the apartment would be too warm and stuffy.
And yet, all that I read and hear from people is that, don't be fooled, winter is not over yet, Environment Canada says that Toronto experiences about 65% of its snow in Jan and Feb, and that more is expected.
So as with my usual ambivalent posts, here is the ambivalence: it'd be really pleasant (tolerable?) if the weather were to be like this, the coldest -15ºC or so temperatures over and done with in a fortnight or so; on the other hand, I'd be quite disappointed: is this all Toronto has got? What happened to the famous recorded -30ºC winters? What am I going to do with the jacket I bought now?
Intellectually I know that the cold weather will be back, and my jacket will see more action yet, but right now, I feel a bit, let down. You know what I mean? Here's the article stolen from the Toronto Star:
- Jan 07, 2008 10:56 AM
Toronto set a new daily temperature record today, but will likely fall short of the monthly high for January set three years ago.
The thermometer reached 11 C by mid-morning, beating the previous Jan. 7 record of 6.5 C set in 1998 and well above the average daily high of -1.8 C.
"It should be freezing out there. It should not be melting like it is," said Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.
He noted that a high of 12 C is typical around April 20, not in January.
"These are clearly temperatures that are 10 or 11 degrees above where they should be," Phillips said.
A January thaw – when temperatures reach 0.1 C or higher – is a virtual guarantee in Toronto. Since records began in 1840, Environment Canada has logged a thaw in downtown Toronto every January except for 1977, when the mercury only rose to 0 C.
"It’s a sure thing. There’s death and taxes and a January thaw," Phillips said.
But "major thaws," when temperatures rise above 10 C, have happened about once every two years since 1980, Phillips said.
The record daily high for the month of January in downtown Toronto is 17.6 degrees, set on January 13, 2005.
Temperatures should remain high tomorrow, with a forecast high of 11 C, but will dip below the freezing mark by the end of the week.
The warm weather is melting ice in the GTA, prompting police to warn people to stay off rivers and lakes.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
ReNe: moving to toronto
As Mike mentioned in his previous couple of posts, I've moved to Toronto. It wasn't something we had planned when we left Singapore, but over the months, it was something I realized I would much rather do.
Schoolwork at Wash U had been really heavy, and once I made up my mind to do something about joining Mike at Toronto, well, I've been extremely busy. There were emails to make, applications to send, people to meet --both on Toronto and Wash U's sides-- and it was exhausting. On top of it all, I still had to keep up with the schoolwork. I wanted to finish the semester at Wash U regardless of whether my decision to withdraw, though the temptation to just throw my hands up and 'fuck it', was really strong. In fact, though I first thought about joining Mike in Toronto in late September, all the way till early Nov, I was still a little undecided as to whether I would *really* withdraw from Wash U.
The program I am in is really good (ranked 4th among the US universities, according to one well-known survey) and Wash U is also pretty amazing. (I have only been in NUS and Wash U, and I will only say Wash U is on an entirely different level from NUS.) Moreover, there was a bit of a pride thing, and some other factors as well. There was, to put it succinctly, a fair amount of angst and stress.
That was one main reason for my silence on the blog -- I simply had no time or energy as I was already scrambling to keep up with my schoolwork. The other was that I didn't want to say anything until I was sure and things were confirmed. I've only told some people in St Louis I was leaving --those that needed to know and my closest friends-- and about 5 people back in Singapore. Guess it would be quite a surprise.
I was very fortunate to get a job offer in Toronto, and will be going down to sign the forms next week, and should be starting work the week after. Right now though, I am just lazing around. Thinking back on the past year and half, I haven't really had a chance to catch my breath.
So it's the start of a new year. A typical time for introspection. Funnily enough, I've done my share of introspection a couple of months earlier.
Did I regret the past half year? No, not really. Cliche and all, but going to Wash U, to St Louis, allowed me to push my own boundaries, to learn what I was really capable of and what I really wanted for my life. I've learned to live on my own, I've discovered a bit of what living in the mid-West could be like, and I've made many wonderful new friends.
2007 was a whirlwind for me, full of changes and happenings. I've moved from Singapore to the US, and now to Canada. The highs have been exhilarating, the lows among the worst in my life. It had been fun, stressful, depressing.
Here's to 2008.
Happy new year.
Schoolwork at Wash U had been really heavy, and once I made up my mind to do something about joining Mike at Toronto, well, I've been extremely busy. There were emails to make, applications to send, people to meet --both on Toronto and Wash U's sides-- and it was exhausting. On top of it all, I still had to keep up with the schoolwork. I wanted to finish the semester at Wash U regardless of whether my decision to withdraw, though the temptation to just throw my hands up and 'fuck it', was really strong. In fact, though I first thought about joining Mike in Toronto in late September, all the way till early Nov, I was still a little undecided as to whether I would *really* withdraw from Wash U.
The program I am in is really good (ranked 4th among the US universities, according to one well-known survey) and Wash U is also pretty amazing. (I have only been in NUS and Wash U, and I will only say Wash U is on an entirely different level from NUS.) Moreover, there was a bit of a pride thing, and some other factors as well. There was, to put it succinctly, a fair amount of angst and stress.
That was one main reason for my silence on the blog -- I simply had no time or energy as I was already scrambling to keep up with my schoolwork. The other was that I didn't want to say anything until I was sure and things were confirmed. I've only told some people in St Louis I was leaving --those that needed to know and my closest friends-- and about 5 people back in Singapore. Guess it would be quite a surprise.
I was very fortunate to get a job offer in Toronto, and will be going down to sign the forms next week, and should be starting work the week after. Right now though, I am just lazing around. Thinking back on the past year and half, I haven't really had a chance to catch my breath.
So it's the start of a new year. A typical time for introspection. Funnily enough, I've done my share of introspection a couple of months earlier.
Did I regret the past half year? No, not really. Cliche and all, but going to Wash U, to St Louis, allowed me to push my own boundaries, to learn what I was really capable of and what I really wanted for my life. I've learned to live on my own, I've discovered a bit of what living in the mid-West could be like, and I've made many wonderful new friends.
2007 was a whirlwind for me, full of changes and happenings. I've moved from Singapore to the US, and now to Canada. The highs have been exhilarating, the lows among the worst in my life. It had been fun, stressful, depressing.
Here's to 2008.
Happy new year.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
MiKE: Spending Money (II)
So, the second part of this long overdue update concerns the actual spending of money. As I mentioned, Serene moved here, and to accommodate our stuff, we had to get some additional furniture. Besides the shelf, we bought a few more items to aid the organization of stuff, like plastic drawer sets, some kitchen stuff for baking (mixing bowl etc), and a desk lamp, 60W maximum, which of course I stuffed with a 29W CFL (125W incandescent brightness equivalent), making it the brightest light in the room. Not many items. Still, the largest purchase was the shelving unit, which is quite insidious - they sell the parts separately, frames, shelf, brace; individually, the items don't seem that expensive, but when it comes together, it all adds up.
The other thing we'd been spending money on was eating out. Since we had to go to the Spadina Avenue (specifically Chinatown) branch of the bank to open our accounts, we found ourselves 'conveniently' drawn to the restaurants there, and we discovered at least 2 more relatively good eating establishments, one serving Hong Kong cuisine with the obligatory HK 'tude, and another serving good Vietnamese beef pho and vermicelli. Both places were quite affordable, with roast duck noodles going at $3.75, and fried rice enough for 3 large eaters at $6.95 or so.
And, since we made at least 2 trips to Chinatown to do the banking thing, and a few more toward Queen Street and Eaton Centre to try to get a good jacket for Serene, we ended up eating out once a day for almost the whole of last week, which also adds up.
And, since we're on the topic of jackets, I'd take the opportunity to exclaim how expensive it can get to acquire a cold wear wardrobe (yes, yes, this is pretty old news). When I came here in late August, some of the mornings and evenings got quite cool, but even so, I found the jackets I brought, a fabric bomber jacket and a boardskiing shell, very adequate. As the seasons changed toward end Autumn and the temperatures got stuck at 10-15ºC, I found, and bought, a rather classic mid thigh length woolen (well, not quite. 85% wool) jacket, and was happy for about a month. Then, temperatures dipped some more, into the 5-10ºC range, and I found a synthetic fill insulated jacket from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), an outdoor store which serves much of Canada, and that helped for about another month. I've been realizing that the MEC jacket is quite good for when the temperatures are above freezing, but any colder, and the jacket does not provide adequate coverage for my thighs, and no matter how much I tug the tension cords, cold air still seems to seep its way up from under the jacket.
Serene did not have it any much better: all she had in terms of warm clothes was a synthetic fill insulated jacket which we bought in Hanoi for perhaps 10% of the retail price in N. America (and which, by now, had been compressed and lost its ability to loft and trap warming air), a full length trenchcoat from a thrift store which looks a 1/2 size too big, a genuine plastic leather lookalike 3/4 length raincoat like trenchcoat, and many sweaters and vests.
So we both needed something that could help us cope with: snow, -15 to -10 ºC temperatures, and wind. Sound easy? From our (understandably limited) experience, we wanted something that had a hood (Serene wanted something with fur lining, but I was a bit worried that the fur would get into the eyes); had a sturdy and thick cotton shell for abrasion resistance and some measure of windproofness; had some sort of fill insulation; and was 3/4 length - long enough to cover the thigh, but not too long as to restrict motion or get muddy when walking in melted snow-ice.
We spent literally days walking around town, ducking into stores large and small, chain stores, department stores, entrepreneur-run places, looking at different jackets, looking at what people wore, how cold they seemed to be, and eventually, we managed to stumble upon an impressive looking jacket, whose claim to fame was that it was standard issue for the US Antarctic Program. It was expensive. We went back, did some digging around, found a $32 discount coupon (the store celebrated its 32nd anniversary this year), bought Serene's jacket on that coupon, but could not find my jacket till the 26th, boxing day, when, to great joy, there was a 15% discount! What can I say, we were both very happy! and warm!
A shot of us together along Spadina Avenue, looking east. Looks a bit overkill, yes, but you need to know what we were wearing underneath - just a long sleeve t-shirt, that's all, and the temperature that day was about 5ºC.
We figured we needed some really competent jackets because we did not want to spend winter indoors; we'd like to be able to walk outside, and sometimes at a leisurely pace, to pause and take pictures, and not have to rush from heated domicile to heated transport to heated establishment to heated transport to heated domicile. This is us, walking around on Christmas evening:
Christmas here is pretty much like CNY back in sg; there is the reunion pig out on the eve, and then, for the religious, midnight mass at the churches and cathedrals, and then Christmas day itself is much like family visit time. The slight change is that the shopping spree is done on boxing day, where there are seriously good bargains worth waking up early and braving the hangover for.
The harbourfront centre, with the pond now frozen over to serve as skating rink.
The Nathan Phillips Square outside the Parliament House also had a portion converted to skating rink:
Apparently, there is going to be a huge countdown thing happening on the eve. Still wondering if I should go. Generally, we don't like crowds, but then again, this is going to be an interesting experience.
Speaking of crowds, the one at Eaton Centre on boxing day must take the cake for density. There were queues everywhere, security only allowing people to enter once patrons left, and an incredible sense that the place was so packed that they could simply save money and not need to turn on the heating. We did not bring a camera with us that day, but two days later, the crowds were still non-trivial. The stores had expanded the event to the entire week to call it boxing week and a means of driving up sales:
And yes, with understaffed conditions and everybody digging around to find a good bargain, the inevitable result in many stores is chaos:
To be honest, many of the stores did not have really good bargains, they were taking the opportunity to clear stock, (yes yes, all retailers do that) and even at the prices that were on sale, we did not find the items good value for money, they were neither well designed nor look particularly durable. So, we did not feel bad leaving the place empty handed; and in any case, we were not big consumers inured in the shopping culture, nor was there any risk that we could be inducted.
Eaton Centre's Christmas tree had Swarovski crystal adornments, making it really glittery:
Elsewhere, it was also very crowded; here is a shot along Dundas Street West, looking eastward:
Doesn't really look like Toronto downtown, eh? First time I saw this, it occurred to me that, minus some cues, this could easily be Hanoi or Hong Kong or somewhere in the PRC.
Serene posing before a grocer. There were many such stores around Chinatown, some of them with less than glowing hygiene standards.
Another shot looking down Dundas Street. I was trying to draw attention to the signboards, but I think the lighting conditions are not ideal:
And the last one for this (long) post. We'd like to think that snow is all beautiful and clean and pretty and white. But the reality of it is that that's probably true, for the first few hours after it falls. Very quickly, especially in cities, dirt takes over, and snow quickly becomes a place where one avoids (especially since that day I saw this guy spit at the snow pile...):
Not too good a way to finish off a post eh? Too bad, all the pretty pictures were used already.
The other thing we'd been spending money on was eating out. Since we had to go to the Spadina Avenue (specifically Chinatown) branch of the bank to open our accounts, we found ourselves 'conveniently' drawn to the restaurants there, and we discovered at least 2 more relatively good eating establishments, one serving Hong Kong cuisine with the obligatory HK 'tude, and another serving good Vietnamese beef pho and vermicelli. Both places were quite affordable, with roast duck noodles going at $3.75, and fried rice enough for 3 large eaters at $6.95 or so.
And, since we made at least 2 trips to Chinatown to do the banking thing, and a few more toward Queen Street and Eaton Centre to try to get a good jacket for Serene, we ended up eating out once a day for almost the whole of last week, which also adds up.
And, since we're on the topic of jackets, I'd take the opportunity to exclaim how expensive it can get to acquire a cold wear wardrobe (yes, yes, this is pretty old news). When I came here in late August, some of the mornings and evenings got quite cool, but even so, I found the jackets I brought, a fabric bomber jacket and a boardskiing shell, very adequate. As the seasons changed toward end Autumn and the temperatures got stuck at 10-15ºC, I found, and bought, a rather classic mid thigh length woolen (well, not quite. 85% wool) jacket, and was happy for about a month. Then, temperatures dipped some more, into the 5-10ºC range, and I found a synthetic fill insulated jacket from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), an outdoor store which serves much of Canada, and that helped for about another month. I've been realizing that the MEC jacket is quite good for when the temperatures are above freezing, but any colder, and the jacket does not provide adequate coverage for my thighs, and no matter how much I tug the tension cords, cold air still seems to seep its way up from under the jacket.
Serene did not have it any much better: all she had in terms of warm clothes was a synthetic fill insulated jacket which we bought in Hanoi for perhaps 10% of the retail price in N. America (and which, by now, had been compressed and lost its ability to loft and trap warming air), a full length trenchcoat from a thrift store which looks a 1/2 size too big, a genuine plastic leather lookalike 3/4 length raincoat like trenchcoat, and many sweaters and vests.
So we both needed something that could help us cope with: snow, -15 to -10 ºC temperatures, and wind. Sound easy? From our (understandably limited) experience, we wanted something that had a hood (Serene wanted something with fur lining, but I was a bit worried that the fur would get into the eyes); had a sturdy and thick cotton shell for abrasion resistance and some measure of windproofness; had some sort of fill insulation; and was 3/4 length - long enough to cover the thigh, but not too long as to restrict motion or get muddy when walking in melted snow-ice.
We spent literally days walking around town, ducking into stores large and small, chain stores, department stores, entrepreneur-run places, looking at different jackets, looking at what people wore, how cold they seemed to be, and eventually, we managed to stumble upon an impressive looking jacket, whose claim to fame was that it was standard issue for the US Antarctic Program. It was expensive. We went back, did some digging around, found a $32 discount coupon (the store celebrated its 32nd anniversary this year), bought Serene's jacket on that coupon, but could not find my jacket till the 26th, boxing day, when, to great joy, there was a 15% discount! What can I say, we were both very happy! and warm!
A shot of us together along Spadina Avenue, looking east. Looks a bit overkill, yes, but you need to know what we were wearing underneath - just a long sleeve t-shirt, that's all, and the temperature that day was about 5ºC.
We figured we needed some really competent jackets because we did not want to spend winter indoors; we'd like to be able to walk outside, and sometimes at a leisurely pace, to pause and take pictures, and not have to rush from heated domicile to heated transport to heated establishment to heated transport to heated domicile. This is us, walking around on Christmas evening:
Christmas here is pretty much like CNY back in sg; there is the reunion pig out on the eve, and then, for the religious, midnight mass at the churches and cathedrals, and then Christmas day itself is much like family visit time. The slight change is that the shopping spree is done on boxing day, where there are seriously good bargains worth waking up early and braving the hangover for.
The harbourfront centre, with the pond now frozen over to serve as skating rink.The Nathan Phillips Square outside the Parliament House also had a portion converted to skating rink:
Apparently, there is going to be a huge countdown thing happening on the eve. Still wondering if I should go. Generally, we don't like crowds, but then again, this is going to be an interesting experience.Speaking of crowds, the one at Eaton Centre on boxing day must take the cake for density. There were queues everywhere, security only allowing people to enter once patrons left, and an incredible sense that the place was so packed that they could simply save money and not need to turn on the heating. We did not bring a camera with us that day, but two days later, the crowds were still non-trivial. The stores had expanded the event to the entire week to call it boxing week and a means of driving up sales:
And yes, with understaffed conditions and everybody digging around to find a good bargain, the inevitable result in many stores is chaos:
To be honest, many of the stores did not have really good bargains, they were taking the opportunity to clear stock, (yes yes, all retailers do that) and even at the prices that were on sale, we did not find the items good value for money, they were neither well designed nor look particularly durable. So, we did not feel bad leaving the place empty handed; and in any case, we were not big consumers inured in the shopping culture, nor was there any risk that we could be inducted.Eaton Centre's Christmas tree had Swarovski crystal adornments, making it really glittery:
Elsewhere, it was also very crowded; here is a shot along Dundas Street West, looking eastward:
Doesn't really look like Toronto downtown, eh? First time I saw this, it occurred to me that, minus some cues, this could easily be Hanoi or Hong Kong or somewhere in the PRC.Serene posing before a grocer. There were many such stores around Chinatown, some of them with less than glowing hygiene standards.
Another shot looking down Dundas Street. I was trying to draw attention to the signboards, but I think the lighting conditions are not ideal:
And the last one for this (long) post. We'd like to think that snow is all beautiful and clean and pretty and white. But the reality of it is that that's probably true, for the first few hours after it falls. Very quickly, especially in cities, dirt takes over, and snow quickly becomes a place where one avoids (especially since that day I saw this guy spit at the snow pile...):
Not too good a way to finish off a post eh? Too bad, all the pretty pictures were used already.
MiKE: Spending Money
So, Serene moved here. She's got a job offer and will have the details worked out soon. Which meant that she and all her stuff needed to be accommodated here. Which meant we needed more horizontal surfaces upon which to put stuff on. Which meant that we needed to get to a cheap-ish furniture shop to get stuff. Which meant Ikea, especially since I had in mind the Ivar shelving unit, being pretty wide, tall, sturdy, deep enough to be useful, but not so deep that it gets in the way. But more of that later.
Her flight was actually cancelled the day it was supposed to fly due to the heavy snowstorm here. She arrived the next day, on a Monday, when snow was still piled really high at the traffic junctions, so there was an interesting obstacle course of sorts to clear. Other pedestrians before us had somewhat cleared a small footpath by stomping down the snow, but that was not wide enough for the suitcase, so we had to carry the bags up and above the snow. Fortunately, it was only across one or two crossings that we had to do this. Even after only a day, the snow was getting quite filthy at some areas, especially those that were highly trafficked. Which made me wonder - where does all this dirt go to normally?
You can see the high contrast between the snow that was just ploughed off the street overnight, and the stuff that the vehicles drive over. Not pretty:
A shot of Serene, 'for scale'... :
Seems like this guy is not about to get his bike out from the snow anytime soon...
I found the little mounds of snow on the steps of the sculpture pretty interesting:
This were the kinds of pavements we had to walk on to get around. This day, we were on our way to the Whole Foods Market, to get coffee (they roast their coffees there daily!) and some other stuff.
Serene came with one large suitcase, one large duffel bag, one laptop bag, and one small duffel bag. At St. Louis, she had a friend help her bring the stuff to the airport; she could not have coped without the help; and then, all that stuff was to be incorporated into the bachelor apartment that I was renting. Amazingly, among the stuff she managed to bring across were a 'memory foam' pillow, and a body pillow; the body pillow as large as two ordinary pillows end-to-end. These were compressed with the aid of gigantic ziploc bags and a vacuum cleaner. Most impressive and voluminous was the comforter that she somehow also managed to squeeze into the suitcase. We spent much of the first day and a half unpacking and arranging stuff in the apartment, straining the limits of whatever storage space that was available in the apartment, watching and hoping that the weak looking shelf in the wardrobe could hold the suitcases that we filled loosely with stuff like the backpacks and some other summer clothing that we would not be using for a while. After managing to squeeze all that stuff into the place, the image that became stuck in my head was that of a anaconda, swallowing a baby hippo whole, and then slowly digesting the hippo till it was no more. We both felt somewhat nostalgic/romantic; the situation reminded us of hostel living again, everything in one room, prompting us to nickname the place hostel room on steroids.
So, on the third day after she came, after a failed second attempt to open a bank account for her (first, we wanted a joint account, and initially wanted to modify mine, but the avenue road branch said we could only do it at the spadina avenue branch where I opened my account; second time, I forgot to bring two acceptable forms of ID), we decided to go to Ikea, which involved taking a long ride to the outskirts of downtown Toronto (Kipling station from Spadina, which is like Jurong West from City Hall), and then taking a free shuttle service to Ikea. When we got there, it was dark (the sun had set at 5), so we were looking around, trying to find the location of the free shuttle pickup location. Kipling station is designed as a bus/train interchange, with the subway tracks at the basement level, and the buses on the ground level. We were thinking at first that the Ikea bus could be at the same bus bays as the other buses, and then realized that it was unlikely, as the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) would probably not share facilities like this, and we could not find any bus bay labelled for the Ikea bus. We tried our luck with the staff at the variety store (which sold sweets, drinks, snacks, magazines, and was stereotypically, run by an Indian family), and got a curt response to 'go down two floors', thought they were joking, as we could not imagine a level below the subway level for buses, but went there anyway, found an exit to a carpark, no sign of a waiting area, went back to the station master, and got a more courteous response to wait at the carpark for the bus.
And we did. In 0ºC weather. With occasional breezes that really got us freezing, and making up our minds to buy more competent gear. There was still no signpost of any sort to indicate that we were at the right place, just 5 or 6 other people waiting at the same place. In my mind I pictured a bright cheery yellow and contrasting blue bus, but when it came, it was a nondescript shuttle that did not even bother to put up a sign to say "Ikea" or something. We boarded, asked the driver if he was indeed driving us to Ikea, got an affirmative, then sat down to defrost.
Ikea Etobicoke, the closest Ikea to downtown Toronto, was surprisingly similar to the one at Alexandra Road, Singapore. Huge blue building, with attached warehouse, two floors, and parking in the basement, the restaurant on the left of the entrance which is, as in Singapore, on the second floor, right next to the kids room department, and the staircase downstairs to the kitchen department. I don't know how much of it is coincidence, but it sure seemed like this was the default template for Ikeas around the world. And on the menu? Meatballs, Salmon, Gravad Lax, and some local food (which in Toronto means stuff like quiche). The food trays were even similar, if not identical, and also the food ordering and payment queue layout. Perhaps the only major difference was that of space. Looking out of Ikea Alexandra's restaurant, one sees Anchorpoint a short distance away. At Etobicoke, one sees the huge parking lot, and beyond it, a very major highway. At the ground floor, where in sg you'd have a small warehouse section where you pick your own boxed furniture, here the warehouse sprawled out at least 3-5 times in floorspace, and had a ceiling about 4 stories tall, and shelving racks meant for forklifts.
We got our stuff, paid up, then lugged the Ivar shelf frame and 5 shelves up the shuttle bus, and through the TTC subway all the way back to our apartment. Setting it up, I had it all almost complete when I realizd that the cross brace was the wrong size; we had to go back and get it changed. The next day, we went there again, and this time, we remembered to bring a camera. Pictures:
A shot of Ikea from within the bus. The front façade looks remarkably clean of snow.
... because it had been shoveled and piled onto a huge mound at the back of the building:
Us having lunch, at the restaurant which cannot help but invoke deja vu:
The landscape outside the station is quite ugly, with electricity pylons and overhead cables everywhere. Still, the colors of the setting sun do manage to rescue the scenery somewhat:
Phew. Long post. This is a result of procrastinating, I guess.
Her flight was actually cancelled the day it was supposed to fly due to the heavy snowstorm here. She arrived the next day, on a Monday, when snow was still piled really high at the traffic junctions, so there was an interesting obstacle course of sorts to clear. Other pedestrians before us had somewhat cleared a small footpath by stomping down the snow, but that was not wide enough for the suitcase, so we had to carry the bags up and above the snow. Fortunately, it was only across one or two crossings that we had to do this. Even after only a day, the snow was getting quite filthy at some areas, especially those that were highly trafficked. Which made me wonder - where does all this dirt go to normally?
You can see the high contrast between the snow that was just ploughed off the street overnight, and the stuff that the vehicles drive over. Not pretty:
A shot of Serene, 'for scale'... :
Seems like this guy is not about to get his bike out from the snow anytime soon...
I found the little mounds of snow on the steps of the sculpture pretty interesting:
This were the kinds of pavements we had to walk on to get around. This day, we were on our way to the Whole Foods Market, to get coffee (they roast their coffees there daily!) and some other stuff.
Serene came with one large suitcase, one large duffel bag, one laptop bag, and one small duffel bag. At St. Louis, she had a friend help her bring the stuff to the airport; she could not have coped without the help; and then, all that stuff was to be incorporated into the bachelor apartment that I was renting. Amazingly, among the stuff she managed to bring across were a 'memory foam' pillow, and a body pillow; the body pillow as large as two ordinary pillows end-to-end. These were compressed with the aid of gigantic ziploc bags and a vacuum cleaner. Most impressive and voluminous was the comforter that she somehow also managed to squeeze into the suitcase. We spent much of the first day and a half unpacking and arranging stuff in the apartment, straining the limits of whatever storage space that was available in the apartment, watching and hoping that the weak looking shelf in the wardrobe could hold the suitcases that we filled loosely with stuff like the backpacks and some other summer clothing that we would not be using for a while. After managing to squeeze all that stuff into the place, the image that became stuck in my head was that of a anaconda, swallowing a baby hippo whole, and then slowly digesting the hippo till it was no more. We both felt somewhat nostalgic/romantic; the situation reminded us of hostel living again, everything in one room, prompting us to nickname the place hostel room on steroids.
So, on the third day after she came, after a failed second attempt to open a bank account for her (first, we wanted a joint account, and initially wanted to modify mine, but the avenue road branch said we could only do it at the spadina avenue branch where I opened my account; second time, I forgot to bring two acceptable forms of ID), we decided to go to Ikea, which involved taking a long ride to the outskirts of downtown Toronto (Kipling station from Spadina, which is like Jurong West from City Hall), and then taking a free shuttle service to Ikea. When we got there, it was dark (the sun had set at 5), so we were looking around, trying to find the location of the free shuttle pickup location. Kipling station is designed as a bus/train interchange, with the subway tracks at the basement level, and the buses on the ground level. We were thinking at first that the Ikea bus could be at the same bus bays as the other buses, and then realized that it was unlikely, as the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) would probably not share facilities like this, and we could not find any bus bay labelled for the Ikea bus. We tried our luck with the staff at the variety store (which sold sweets, drinks, snacks, magazines, and was stereotypically, run by an Indian family), and got a curt response to 'go down two floors', thought they were joking, as we could not imagine a level below the subway level for buses, but went there anyway, found an exit to a carpark, no sign of a waiting area, went back to the station master, and got a more courteous response to wait at the carpark for the bus.
And we did. In 0ºC weather. With occasional breezes that really got us freezing, and making up our minds to buy more competent gear. There was still no signpost of any sort to indicate that we were at the right place, just 5 or 6 other people waiting at the same place. In my mind I pictured a bright cheery yellow and contrasting blue bus, but when it came, it was a nondescript shuttle that did not even bother to put up a sign to say "Ikea" or something. We boarded, asked the driver if he was indeed driving us to Ikea, got an affirmative, then sat down to defrost.
Ikea Etobicoke, the closest Ikea to downtown Toronto, was surprisingly similar to the one at Alexandra Road, Singapore. Huge blue building, with attached warehouse, two floors, and parking in the basement, the restaurant on the left of the entrance which is, as in Singapore, on the second floor, right next to the kids room department, and the staircase downstairs to the kitchen department. I don't know how much of it is coincidence, but it sure seemed like this was the default template for Ikeas around the world. And on the menu? Meatballs, Salmon, Gravad Lax, and some local food (which in Toronto means stuff like quiche). The food trays were even similar, if not identical, and also the food ordering and payment queue layout. Perhaps the only major difference was that of space. Looking out of Ikea Alexandra's restaurant, one sees Anchorpoint a short distance away. At Etobicoke, one sees the huge parking lot, and beyond it, a very major highway. At the ground floor, where in sg you'd have a small warehouse section where you pick your own boxed furniture, here the warehouse sprawled out at least 3-5 times in floorspace, and had a ceiling about 4 stories tall, and shelving racks meant for forklifts.
We got our stuff, paid up, then lugged the Ivar shelf frame and 5 shelves up the shuttle bus, and through the TTC subway all the way back to our apartment. Setting it up, I had it all almost complete when I realizd that the cross brace was the wrong size; we had to go back and get it changed. The next day, we went there again, and this time, we remembered to bring a camera. Pictures:
A shot of Ikea from within the bus. The front façade looks remarkably clean of snow.
... because it had been shoveled and piled onto a huge mound at the back of the building:
Us having lunch, at the restaurant which cannot help but invoke deja vu:
The landscape outside the station is quite ugly, with electricity pylons and overhead cables everywhere. Still, the colors of the setting sun do manage to rescue the scenery somewhat:
Phew. Long post. This is a result of procrastinating, I guess.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
MiKE: So distracting...
So, I'm sitting here, trying to finish my last paper so that I can finally take a break. And I've spent so much time looking out the window; perhaps because it is bright outside, with daylight, even through the thick clouds. But mostly because there is a huge snowstorm going on outside. And it is really interesting to watch. Yes, part of the attraction is due to my having not seen a snowstorm before, but I think the other is that the snowfall is so interesting. It'd be wispy powder one moment, falling gently as if someone were dusting icing sugar from the roof, then I'd hear the whistle of the wind in the tiny gap I left in the window to cool the room down somewhat, and then I'd look out and see the wind whip the snow till the trails fall almost horizontally. Then, the flakes falling would suddenly change size to huge almost pellet-sized chunks, and fall at the speed where one would expect rain to fall. There would be gusts, and amid the large flakes that fall, one would see the snow dust being swept up in vortices accompanying the large flakes, appearing as if there were multiple turbulent air streams outside my window. Suddenly, the wind will stop, and the flakes would all hang in midair, wondering what to do before remembering, cartoon character style, that it was supposed to fall down. All in all, mesmerizing.
And not to mention almost human drama of seeing cars stuck by the side of the road. There was this one car, that parked for a while by the kerb. When he wanted to set off, all he could do was to make his front wheel spin aimlessly in the snow-ice. He kept trying and trying, coming out, desperately pushing the snow away from under the front tyre with his shoes, and some small implement which was evidently unsuitable for the job, until someone offered to lend him a snow shovel, and I watched him clear the snow from in front of the car, pausing once in a while to stuff his frozen fingers into his jacket pockets, then continuing to shovel furiously, pausing to go back into the car to try again, failing to gain traction, shoveling again, and then finally managing to move his car out.
The snowstorm is really heavy, starting yesterday around noon, it was on and off, and got really heavy this morning. Apparently, even Environment Canada has issued warnings, predicting up to 40cm snowfalls over the weekend, windspeed during gusts at up to 90 km/h, and suggestions that it could be the worst storm in this region for 60 years. No kidding; I woke up this morning to see snow lodged between the inner and outer sliding windows, and they had been closed overnight(!):
Looking out, during the heavier snowfall period, it's clear visibility has been seriously obscured:
If i manage to shoot a picture of severe whiteout conditions, I'll post it up here.
The Environment Canada Warning:
11:15 AM EST Sunday 16 December 2007
Winter storm warning for
City of Toronto continued
A major winter storm with heavy snow and blowing snow occurring over all of southern and eastern Ontario.
This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.
At mid morning a massive winter storm was giving snow and blowing snow to all of southern and eastern Ontario. Some places such as Toronto were also reporting thunder and lightning.
The low responsible for the storm now lies over Lake Erie. It will track slowly eastward across New York state today then accelerate off the northeast tonight.
The snow associated with the storm is forecast to end over the Windsor area this evening, most of southern Ontario during the night, and early Monday morning over extreme eastern Ontario.
Further amounts of 10 to 15 centimetres are expected over most of southern Ontario but with higher amounts likely over portions of Niagara where winds off Lake Ontario will enhance the snowfall.
Over eastern Ontario further amounts of 20 to 30 centimetres are expected.
In the wake of the main storm northwesterly squalls will develop off Lake Huron this evening then continue into Monday morning before weakening. This will delay the end of the stormy conditions over areas to the southeast of Lake Huron until Monday.
And not to mention almost human drama of seeing cars stuck by the side of the road. There was this one car, that parked for a while by the kerb. When he wanted to set off, all he could do was to make his front wheel spin aimlessly in the snow-ice. He kept trying and trying, coming out, desperately pushing the snow away from under the front tyre with his shoes, and some small implement which was evidently unsuitable for the job, until someone offered to lend him a snow shovel, and I watched him clear the snow from in front of the car, pausing once in a while to stuff his frozen fingers into his jacket pockets, then continuing to shovel furiously, pausing to go back into the car to try again, failing to gain traction, shoveling again, and then finally managing to move his car out.
The snowstorm is really heavy, starting yesterday around noon, it was on and off, and got really heavy this morning. Apparently, even Environment Canada has issued warnings, predicting up to 40cm snowfalls over the weekend, windspeed during gusts at up to 90 km/h, and suggestions that it could be the worst storm in this region for 60 years. No kidding; I woke up this morning to see snow lodged between the inner and outer sliding windows, and they had been closed overnight(!):
Looking out, during the heavier snowfall period, it's clear visibility has been seriously obscured:
If i manage to shoot a picture of severe whiteout conditions, I'll post it up here.
The Environment Canada Warning:
Warnings
City of Toronto11:15 AM EST Sunday 16 December 2007
Winter storm warning for
City of Toronto continued
A major winter storm with heavy snow and blowing snow occurring over all of southern and eastern Ontario.
This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.
At mid morning a massive winter storm was giving snow and blowing snow to all of southern and eastern Ontario. Some places such as Toronto were also reporting thunder and lightning.
The low responsible for the storm now lies over Lake Erie. It will track slowly eastward across New York state today then accelerate off the northeast tonight.
The snow associated with the storm is forecast to end over the Windsor area this evening, most of southern Ontario during the night, and early Monday morning over extreme eastern Ontario.
Further amounts of 10 to 15 centimetres are expected over most of southern Ontario but with higher amounts likely over portions of Niagara where winds off Lake Ontario will enhance the snowfall.
Over eastern Ontario further amounts of 20 to 30 centimetres are expected.
In the wake of the main storm northwesterly squalls will develop off Lake Huron this evening then continue into Monday morning before weakening. This will delay the end of the stormy conditions over areas to the southeast of Lake Huron until Monday.
MiKE: White Night
This is what happens when it snows at night, there are few vehicles and therefore the snow plough does not need to clear the snow off the road. The road, that is normally black, is now white. Sure, there is dirt, it's a bit brown/black at parts, but it is very interesting to see the normally dark night lit up by the street lamps, and to top it off, have the roads reflect the light so the entire place looks so much brighter and somewhat more cheerful. I know, it is really hard to think that way, because of the cold weather. But right here, in my warm heated apartment, it does feel very comfortable, and the scenery, beautiful:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
MiKE: TED videos.
I've been watching these videos for the past day and today. Very interesting. Gives one hope for the future, and alternative ways of considering the world that we live in; different from the world that mass media would like to scare us to be. TED is the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference, which, brings together some of the best minds in the world for an idea exchange.
Here are some of the ones that I liked, including this, with special relevance to education, which I think should be required viewing for all educators:
Here are some of the ones that I liked, including this, with special relevance to education, which I think should be required viewing for all educators:
Sunday, December 9, 2007
MiKE: Sushi, or, what to do when you're lazy and hungry
So I've been lazy. My groceries ran out on Friday, so I could not really cook 'proper' meals; at least, I am out of vegetables. But it's not as if I've not left the apartment at all; I have been to the AC on Friday and this morning. But, I did not feel like tasting my cooking for some time, at least, not the same stuff I've been preparing.
So I've been having Papa Ceo's Pizza, which comes in slices so large, they are enough for 1.5 meals. And at $4, they are quite decently priced too. I've written about their pizzas in a previous post.
Anyway, after the second half of the slice today, I still felt hungry. I had two more bags of chips in my cabinet, but I did not want to have that as I did not want that salty taste in the mouth for the rest of the evening. So I procrastinated, and got more hungry, and then got a brainwave. I still had rice, and nori, and eggs.
So I prepared Tamago rolls! And I stuffed myself on them. Pretty hearty meal, if a bit boring. I think I might buy some fresh salmon or tuna the next time I get to the Whole Foods Market... Here they look:
So I've been having Papa Ceo's Pizza, which comes in slices so large, they are enough for 1.5 meals. And at $4, they are quite decently priced too. I've written about their pizzas in a previous post.
Anyway, after the second half of the slice today, I still felt hungry. I had two more bags of chips in my cabinet, but I did not want to have that as I did not want that salty taste in the mouth for the rest of the evening. So I procrastinated, and got more hungry, and then got a brainwave. I still had rice, and nori, and eggs.
So I prepared Tamago rolls! And I stuffed myself on them. Pretty hearty meal, if a bit boring. I think I might buy some fresh salmon or tuna the next time I get to the Whole Foods Market... Here they look:
Thursday, December 6, 2007
MiKE: Winter is not always grey
So I went to OISE yesterday. Nothing unusual, except that classes had ended; I still have papers to submit, but I went for a social event (read: free food and entertainment). Woke up yesterday to a bright blue sky, perfectly cloudless, and yet, cold. Like, -2˚C kind of cold. The sun did not help much. I think the maximum temperature was not more than 5˚C or so.
I walked to OISE along the usual route, this time armed with a camera that I told myself quite many times already that I should carry, because there had been previous days where it had been pretty. Like yesterday. So, as I've said, there has been snow, lots of it. And as you can see, this is what happens to it: it gets ploughed off the road, and sidewalks, and forms a untidy little mound that separates the sidewalk from the road, such that crossing the street is only practical at designated crossings. Also, you can see that, yes, perhaps the first snow may be clean, white and 'pure' (with what's in the air, one cannot be too sure these days), but quickly, within a week, the snow becomes filthy. See the following picture. No, it's not soil, it's all snow, albeit with much muck:
Walking past this mound, I come across again, this sculpture, the one I encounter everyday. I really wonder what the name of it is, and what the person is trying to do...
Another shot of the mound of snow that separates the road and sidewalk. If you're observant, the street I'm along is actually Bloor West, the perpendicular one is St. George; I'm standing right outside the Bata Shoe Museum, and OISE is the overexposed building in the background:
A shot of the university marker, with the Robarts library in the distance, on the right corner of the frame:
The Varsity Blues, the stadium, where a game was going on in -2˚C weather. It was barely 8 minutes or so, but by this time, standing outside the OISE building and looking east, my right hand had been frozen; it was so cold. For those who know, you can see the Michael Lee-Chin crystal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, and of course, everyone can appreciate the brilliant azure sky:
This is a shot, looking westward, from the 10th floor (out of 12) of OISE building, in a room where we usually have our classes. Once again, a beautiful sunset, this one at 5:00 pm.
Forgive the blurring; these were the artifacts from shooting out a pretty dirty window.
I walked to OISE along the usual route, this time armed with a camera that I told myself quite many times already that I should carry, because there had been previous days where it had been pretty. Like yesterday. So, as I've said, there has been snow, lots of it. And as you can see, this is what happens to it: it gets ploughed off the road, and sidewalks, and forms a untidy little mound that separates the sidewalk from the road, such that crossing the street is only practical at designated crossings. Also, you can see that, yes, perhaps the first snow may be clean, white and 'pure' (with what's in the air, one cannot be too sure these days), but quickly, within a week, the snow becomes filthy. See the following picture. No, it's not soil, it's all snow, albeit with much muck:
Walking past this mound, I come across again, this sculpture, the one I encounter everyday. I really wonder what the name of it is, and what the person is trying to do...
Another shot of the mound of snow that separates the road and sidewalk. If you're observant, the street I'm along is actually Bloor West, the perpendicular one is St. George; I'm standing right outside the Bata Shoe Museum, and OISE is the overexposed building in the background:
A shot of the university marker, with the Robarts library in the distance, on the right corner of the frame:
The Varsity Blues, the stadium, where a game was going on in -2˚C weather. It was barely 8 minutes or so, but by this time, standing outside the OISE building and looking east, my right hand had been frozen; it was so cold. For those who know, you can see the Michael Lee-Chin crystal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, and of course, everyone can appreciate the brilliant azure sky:
This is a shot, looking westward, from the 10th floor (out of 12) of OISE building, in a room where we usually have our classes. Once again, a beautiful sunset, this one at 5:00 pm.
Forgive the blurring; these were the artifacts from shooting out a pretty dirty window.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
MiKE: Overnight snowfall
Last night, or rather, this early morning, the snow fell again. Since the last snow I reported about slightly more than a week ago, the snow had been receding and melting. With this week's forecast temperatures not exceeding 5˚C, I think it is safe to say that the snow that fell will stick around for a while. Take a look:
Once again, this is looking out my window, east across Spadina Avenue, with the concrete tunnel for the streetcars. One thing that I'd bring attention to, is the depth of snow - as you can see from the cars that have been parked overnight, the snow is at least 5cm deep, and at that side of Spadina Avenue, somehow, the pavement has not been cleared. Think about it this way: the cars you see are parked along a road. There is now no distinction between road and pavement; the snow is at least as deep as the height of the curb. Interestingly enough, Spadina Avenue, a medium density North-South road for downtown Toronto, is very quiet this morning; car density has dropped from the usual 5 cars per minute (or so) at this time I'm writing (11am) to about 1 car every 5 minutes (or so) (okay I may be exaggerating somewhat, but the density is really low, ok!). And they are driving very.slowly. I saw a car drive out of the side road (along the street where the cars were parked), and it was moving so slowly. I guess it has to be so for safety's sake - at one point I think I noticed the drive wheel spin when it lost grip on snow.
Interesting.
And oh yes am I glad that I went to Sanko yesterday and not procrastinated till today or even later.
Once again, this is looking out my window, east across Spadina Avenue, with the concrete tunnel for the streetcars. One thing that I'd bring attention to, is the depth of snow - as you can see from the cars that have been parked overnight, the snow is at least 5cm deep, and at that side of Spadina Avenue, somehow, the pavement has not been cleared. Think about it this way: the cars you see are parked along a road. There is now no distinction between road and pavement; the snow is at least as deep as the height of the curb. Interestingly enough, Spadina Avenue, a medium density North-South road for downtown Toronto, is very quiet this morning; car density has dropped from the usual 5 cars per minute (or so) at this time I'm writing (11am) to about 1 car every 5 minutes (or so) (okay I may be exaggerating somewhat, but the density is really low, ok!). And they are driving very.slowly. I saw a car drive out of the side road (along the street where the cars were parked), and it was moving so slowly. I guess it has to be so for safety's sake - at one point I think I noticed the drive wheel spin when it lost grip on snow.
Interesting.
And oh yes am I glad that I went to Sanko yesterday and not procrastinated till today or even later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
