instead of putting together sentences describing my trip i will just put down the key words... in chronological order
toronto
via rail
montreal
500 ave des pins o
portuguese restaurant casa minhota
atwater market
premiere moisson bakery
cakes
rhubarb pie
baguette parisien
grocery shopping
fresh produce
prosciutto di parma
mushroom arancini
champagne
ice cider
christmas
dvd
boxing day
rue ste-catherine o
simons
les cours mont-royal
segafredo
caffe latte
panini
ave du mont-royal e
st viateur bagels
rue st-denis
more shopping
les 3 brasseurs microbrewery that is not so micro
saltimbanco cirque du soleil
rue ste-catherine o
via rail
toronto
matt's
Saturday, December 29
Saturday, December 22
xmas party
got completely wasted...
so drunk...
two people had to carry me home...
thanks guys...
and thanks to mxm for the party!
so drunk...
two people had to carry me home...
thanks guys...
and thanks to mxm for the party!
Thursday, December 13
Thursday, November 15
Monday, October 1
september
the month has come and gone in a blur.
can't remember what i've done ....
let me recap...at random.
niagara day trip
.ball's falls conservation area
all dried up
walked on the upper fall's cliff...that was cool!
.niagara-on-the-lake, queen street
very touristy, just like victoria bc
.wine tasting at peller estate
yummy white wine
delicious red iced wine!!! must-try!
.visit to jackson triggs winery
good to see it in person
.niagara falls
.fallsview casino
free drinks...
algonquin day trip
.3-hr bus ride - one way!!!
mcdonald's mcgriddle is sweet....didn't know that...
.visitor centre
great views!
.logging museum
interesting outdoor display
.canoe lake
gotta come back next time for some canoeing
.camping next year???
beer tasting
.we tried many white beer and followed by
really dark beer... messing up my taste bud...
gotta try more amber next time...
right, beer-holic-gela?
awesome sushi thanks to chris+iris!
kent: i got your mail
.thanks so much for the stamps!!!
patrick: congrats on promotion!!!
nuit blanche
.took it easy this year cuz of the algonquin
trip the next day. we spent most of the time
walking. there were just too many people
on the streets (which was great) but that also
meant long lineups for some interesting sites,
eg the lower bay station which i really wanted
to see...
can't remember what i've done ....
let me recap...at random.
niagara day trip
.ball's falls conservation area
all dried up
walked on the upper fall's cliff...that was cool!
.niagara-on-the-lake, queen street
very touristy, just like victoria bc
.wine tasting at peller estate
yummy white wine
delicious red iced wine!!! must-try!
.visit to jackson triggs winery
good to see it in person
.niagara falls
.fallsview casino
free drinks...
algonquin day trip
.3-hr bus ride - one way!!!
mcdonald's mcgriddle is sweet....didn't know that...
.visitor centre
great views!
.logging museum
interesting outdoor display
.canoe lake
gotta come back next time for some canoeing
.camping next year???
beer tasting
.we tried many white beer and followed by
really dark beer... messing up my taste bud...
gotta try more amber next time...
right, beer-holic-gela?
awesome sushi thanks to chris+iris!
kent: i got your mail
.thanks so much for the stamps!!!
patrick: congrats on promotion!!!
nuit blanche
.took it easy this year cuz of the algonquin
trip the next day. we spent most of the time
walking. there were just too many people
on the streets (which was great) but that also
meant long lineups for some interesting sites,
eg the lower bay station which i really wanted
to see...
Wednesday, August 15
Tuesday, August 14
Monday, July 30
Thursday, July 26
Saturday, June 23
Sunday, June 17
Toronto Island Race Day 2
| 70 | Bankers Championship Sing Tao Daily Championship Cup | Day 2 | Sunday |
| Race Time | 10:10 | ||
| 1 | |||
| 2 | Genworth Financial Canada Awakening Courage | 2:24.63 | 4 |
| 3 | TD Bank Financial Group TD Twin Dragons | 2:14.71 | 1 |
| 4 | Scotiabank ScotiaRouge | 2:16.40 | 2 |
| 5 | BMO Financial Group BMO First Dragon | 2:16.91 | 3 |
| 6 | PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PwC Barracudas | 2:44.01 | 5 |
| 100 | Premier Mixed Final D TELUS Mobility | Day 2 | Sunday |
| Race Time | 15:10 | ||
| 1 | UofT Engineering Iron Dragons | 2:16.00 | 3 |
| 2 | Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival NY Wall Street Dragons | 2:16.27 | 4 |
| 3 | UofT Victoria College VICrew | 2:18.27 | 6 |
| 4 | Paddlers Anonymous Club Crew | 2:15.61 | 2 |
| 5 | TD Bank Financial Group TD Twin Dragons | 2:15.07 | 1 |
| 6 | UofT Scarborough UofT Scarlem Dragon Boat | 2:17.78 | 5 |
Saturday, June 16
Toronto Island Race Day 1
| 36 | Premier Mixed Heat 24 Sing Tao Daily | Day 1 | Saturday |
| Race Time | 14:00 | ||
| 1 | Ipsos Reid Ipsos Dragons | 2:33.74 | 6 |
| 2 | Citigroup Global Transaction Services Citigroup Velocity | 2:20.66 | 3 |
| 3 | TD Bank Financial Group TD Twin Dragons | 2:15.92 | 1 |
| 4 | Motorola Canada Limited Motorola Flying Dragons | 2:24.89 | 4 |
| 5 | Hakka Youth Project HakkaWave | 2:32.09 | 5 |
| 6 | BMO Financial Group BMO First Dragon | 2:19.45 | 2 |
| 49 | Premier Mixed Heat 34 TCBA | Day 1 | Saturday |
| Race Time | 16:10 | ||
| 1 | St Joseph's Health Centre The Saints | 2:06.25 | 1 |
| 2 | Hakka Youth Project HakkaWave | 2:23.32 | 5 |
| 3 | BMO Financial Group BMO First Dragon | 2:13.11 | 4 |
| 4 | Mon Sheong Foundation | 2:34.84 | 6 |
| 5 | Montréal International Dragon Boat Festival Phoenix Warriors | 2:11.33 | 2 |
| 6 | TD Bank Financial Group TD Twin Dragons | 2:12.89 | 3 |
Race result:
http://www.jonathanyam.com/tidbrf/results.html
Saturday, June 9
First Victory
TD CT Twin Dragons came in FIRST in
Division C at the Stouffville race
on June 9th, 2007!
That's the perfect birthday present
that I can ask for because I put
some hard work into it and the
outcome was just incredible!
Go TD CT Twin Dragons!
Stouffville Regatta 2007:
http://www.paddlesportracing.com/Stouffville/2007_Results.htm
Sunday, June 3
Ride For Heart
Imagine two of the major highways in the city of Toronto are free of vehicular traffic, and that you can ride your bike freely on them all morning. That's the event that took place this morning at the Ride For Heart Toronto 2007 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation research.
The event kicked off at the Ex, where riders gathered and slowly made their ways on the Gardiner Expressway. In the morning, downtown Toronto was covered in a layer of fog that gave the city a very nice silhouette. Our team were divided into three groups going at different pace. The guys in red t-shirts - Jessie Neil and BJ went ahead of us, staying in the middle were Tracy and myself, and immediately followed by Juhee Rufina and Herman.
In the end most of us finished the 50K route with energy to spare. It was also great to see my friend Angela at the finish line! Grand finale was of course the brunch that sealed the deal. haha... We gathered at JJ's Kitchen on Spadina for dimsum. It was like a Cambridge reunion. This location is slowly becoming a regular hangout for us. haha...
The result:
Team Velotects: 7 members
Money-raised-to-date: $735
Tracy and I finished the 50K in 2Hrs30Mins approx.
DB Race #1
Saturday started really early.
I got up at 5:30am, met up with Iris Chris and Simon at 6am and Simon drove us to the Pickering Go Station. We arrived in Pickering around 6:40am, lined up and hopped on the shuttle bus to the site. Four races were lined up for the day. The first race secured us a spot in the B division. Then the subsequent races brought us closer to our goals.
As a team we put up a good race especially in the third one. All the boats were going head to head until the 100m mark, and our team kept up with a good finish. We were placed second going into the final. At the end we're placed fourth but nevertheless it was a good start for us. Go!! TD CT Twin Dragons!!
I got up at 5:30am, met up with Iris Chris and Simon at 6am and Simon drove us to the Pickering Go Station. We arrived in Pickering around 6:40am, lined up and hopped on the shuttle bus to the site. Four races were lined up for the day. The first race secured us a spot in the B division. Then the subsequent races brought us closer to our goals.
As a team we put up a good race especially in the third one. All the boats were going head to head until the 100m mark, and our team kept up with a good finish. We were placed second going into the final. At the end we're placed fourth but nevertheless it was a good start for us. Go!! TD CT Twin Dragons!!
Wednesday, May 23
road trip
Road trip to Montreal for the Victoria Day long weekend.
For some, this trip was a bunny-hunt but for me it's about enjoying the outdoor space that Montreal offers. Streetside cafes, roof patios, terraces and courtyards...
We (matt, mos, cris, timo and I) arrived Saturday on a sunny day so right away we made our way to Santropol. It's a restaurant that has one of the nicest patio at the back filled with plants and a fountain - with a nice sandwich selection to match, like a ham and cucumber sandwich with mint jelly; or ones with nutella and banana; how about strawberries and chocolate!
Then it was about a little shopping and walking around St Laurent, St Denis and St Catherine until shops closed at 5pm!! 5pm!!! That's way too early imo.
Sunday morning was a bit chilly but sunny, so we visited the Atwater Market where there was a flower market outside perfect for spring planting. Since we don't need any planting done, we went straight to the patisserie at the south entrance of the market. The selection at this bakery/patisserie was just amazing. We were all mesmerized by the selection of cakes, pastries, bread, tarts, tarlettes... French pastries all the way! Their selection matches the ones at Paul but at a very affordable price!
The exhibition at CCA was nicely put together. There was some interesting work by two architects that shared the ideals of making the environment more sustainable, but their approaches were varied. One was about creating and maintaining the Third Landscape, residual spaces created by urban developments, while the other was about optimizing the living environment in terms of user comforts. Then we met up with my friend jason and had lunch in the village, at one of his favourite restaurants. Shopping until dinner at Janos, the purpose of the trip "bunny-hunt". It's a family-oriented restaurant that serves up delicious Portuguese grills. A mixed grill for two will settle you in for the rest of the evening. I had rib steak that was grilled to perfection, very tender and juicy. Hmm... that's when I realized that we're such carnivores!
Monday was super gorgeous weather so we hit old Montreal and rented some bikes. Of course we started our day at the patisserie at Atwater Market, it was like a sunday so a brunch was the perfect choice of meal. Pastry rolls with choice of ham and cheese/spinach/turkey, fruit tart and capuccino... mmm MMM!
The weather was so good so everywhere was packed with people sunbathing on lawns; drinking, eating at sidewalk patios; biking, rollerblading, jogging... so outdoorsy...
Montreal is still one of my favourite cities.
PS: Pictures to follow...
For some, this trip was a bunny-hunt but for me it's about enjoying the outdoor space that Montreal offers. Streetside cafes, roof patios, terraces and courtyards...
We (matt, mos, cris, timo and I) arrived Saturday on a sunny day so right away we made our way to Santropol. It's a restaurant that has one of the nicest patio at the back filled with plants and a fountain - with a nice sandwich selection to match, like a ham and cucumber sandwich with mint jelly; or ones with nutella and banana; how about strawberries and chocolate!
Then it was about a little shopping and walking around St Laurent, St Denis and St Catherine until shops closed at 5pm!! 5pm!!! That's way too early imo.
Sunday morning was a bit chilly but sunny, so we visited the Atwater Market where there was a flower market outside perfect for spring planting. Since we don't need any planting done, we went straight to the patisserie at the south entrance of the market. The selection at this bakery/patisserie was just amazing. We were all mesmerized by the selection of cakes, pastries, bread, tarts, tarlettes... French pastries all the way! Their selection matches the ones at Paul but at a very affordable price!
The exhibition at CCA was nicely put together. There was some interesting work by two architects that shared the ideals of making the environment more sustainable, but their approaches were varied. One was about creating and maintaining the Third Landscape, residual spaces created by urban developments, while the other was about optimizing the living environment in terms of user comforts. Then we met up with my friend jason and had lunch in the village, at one of his favourite restaurants. Shopping until dinner at Janos, the purpose of the trip "bunny-hunt". It's a family-oriented restaurant that serves up delicious Portuguese grills. A mixed grill for two will settle you in for the rest of the evening. I had rib steak that was grilled to perfection, very tender and juicy. Hmm... that's when I realized that we're such carnivores!
Monday was super gorgeous weather so we hit old Montreal and rented some bikes. Of course we started our day at the patisserie at Atwater Market, it was like a sunday so a brunch was the perfect choice of meal. Pastry rolls with choice of ham and cheese/spinach/turkey, fruit tart and capuccino... mmm MMM!
The weather was so good so everywhere was packed with people sunbathing on lawns; drinking, eating at sidewalk patios; biking, rollerblading, jogging... so outdoorsy...
Montreal is still one of my favourite cities.
PS: Pictures to follow...
Friday, May 18
someecards
props to roo for the link to
this awesome ecard site someecards!
go pick out some cuz they're too funny!
Sunday, May 13
KKG
Monday May 13, 2007
Knock Knock Ginger
at The Silver Dollar Room
489 Spadina Ave just north of College.
10pm
Knock Knock Ginger
at The Silver Dollar Room
489 Spadina Ave just north of College.
10pm
Mother's Day
The entire weekend was spent with my mom and sis.
We were really enthusiastic to hit the malls this weekend for walking and window shopping. On saturday, I started with a jog in the morning after getting up at 8am. Then after breakfast we drove to Sherway Garden. The place is very comfortable and spacious, way better than Yorkdale. Next time you're there, check out Sportiing Life (for their 40% off rack) and stop by Faema Cafe for a caffe latte and a chocolate ruggie!!
My new polo shirt!
After a day of shopping, we celebrated Mother's Day downtown at Izakaya on Front street for some japanese food. The selection was quite limited for an izakaya, and the fried rice came out a little burnt. I would not recommend it knowing that there're some great izakayas in Vancouver, namely Kitanoya Guu, Kitanyoa Guu with Garlic, Gyoza King and Hapa.
Sunday morning we began our trip downtown at Eglinton. It felt a bit chilly but the sky was clear and sunny. We walked up and down Yonge street. Brunch was at Mars Just Out Of This World, the chain of the Mars On College at Spadina, though their menus are quite different. Our trip continued downtown to Eaton Centre and Queen St West, in search of shoes and other things...(eg at Get Outside for their Vans and Keds collection... but they're out of stock for the style and size I wanted...) We had dinner at Sushi Time. Noted items on the menu includes baked eggplant and salmon salad roll!!
We were really enthusiastic to hit the malls this weekend for walking and window shopping. On saturday, I started with a jog in the morning after getting up at 8am. Then after breakfast we drove to Sherway Garden. The place is very comfortable and spacious, way better than Yorkdale. Next time you're there, check out Sportiing Life (for their 40% off rack) and stop by Faema Cafe for a caffe latte and a chocolate ruggie!!
My new polo shirt!
After a day of shopping, we celebrated Mother's Day downtown at Izakaya on Front street for some japanese food. The selection was quite limited for an izakaya, and the fried rice came out a little burnt. I would not recommend it knowing that there're some great izakayas in Vancouver, namely Kitanoya Guu, Kitanyoa Guu with Garlic, Gyoza King and Hapa.
Sunday morning we began our trip downtown at Eglinton. It felt a bit chilly but the sky was clear and sunny. We walked up and down Yonge street. Brunch was at Mars Just Out Of This World, the chain of the Mars On College at Spadina, though their menus are quite different. Our trip continued downtown to Eaton Centre and Queen St West, in search of shoes and other things...(eg at Get Outside for their Vans and Keds collection... but they're out of stock for the style and size I wanted...) We had dinner at Sushi Time. Noted items on the menu includes baked eggplant and salmon salad roll!!
Saturday, May 12
Friday, May 11
Saturday, May 5
saturday
2 Hour dragon boating this morning really took alot out of me. In the past practices I'd been at the back of the boat. But today, by way of Iris' request to our coach Michael, I was paddling at the fourth row. It really was a good way for me to try out different positions on the boat. The water current was not as fast as it was at the back. But there's no way that I could be in the engine room. =P Sky was super clear... as a result, I got a bad sunburn...
Team BBQ after the practice was organized by our team captains. The work was done by our coach since he didn't paddle! It's a good way to get to know who's on our team. Food was amazing - angus beef burger, veggie skewers, cobs of corn, smoked salmon bbq'ed, booze, and finally fruit flan and raspberry cheesecake to round out this big meal.
After the meal, we headed over to Mountain Equipment Coop to look at some clothing and gloves. Bought a pair of gloves for $19. Will consider other clothing if need be.
In the evening, met up with Katrina, Jason and Kristi for dinner. J+K came all the way from Montreal, in preparation for J's thesis defence. Dinner spot was of course the Old Spaghetti Factory. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things they said about studying in Montreal!!
Jason, thanks for the ride tonight and BEST OF LUCK on your defence on Monday!
Alan, Katrina and &Co, Enjoy the SportingLife 10K run tomorrow! Good luck!!!
Team BBQ after the practice was organized by our team captains. The work was done by our coach since he didn't paddle! It's a good way to get to know who's on our team. Food was amazing - angus beef burger, veggie skewers, cobs of corn, smoked salmon bbq'ed, booze, and finally fruit flan and raspberry cheesecake to round out this big meal.
After the meal, we headed over to Mountain Equipment Coop to look at some clothing and gloves. Bought a pair of gloves for $19. Will consider other clothing if need be.
In the evening, met up with Katrina, Jason and Kristi for dinner. J+K came all the way from Montreal, in preparation for J's thesis defence. Dinner spot was of course the Old Spaghetti Factory. I couldn't stop laughing at some of the things they said about studying in Montreal!!
Jason, thanks for the ride tonight and BEST OF LUCK on your defence on Monday!
Alan, Katrina and &Co, Enjoy the SportingLife 10K run tomorrow! Good luck!!!
Thursday, May 3
update
I've neglected this blog for a while.
Reason being that I have a full time job!
It's hard to imagine that the transition
from gallivanting to employment will take
longer than a week to get used to.
Dragon boat practice moved to the lake
last week. Now we practice twice weekly
plus this coming saturday, followed by
a team BBQ at our captain's apartment.
Work is going okay. I am still trying to
fit into the office and get to know the
colleagues. I've been too preoccupied
with dragon boat practice on mondays
and wednesdays that I always felt
so rushed to leave work just to make
it to Sunnyside Park on time!
The things I am working on seem
familiar to me since I've done similar
things on coop before. But it's been
too long that I need this time to
pick up from where I left off and slowly
build up the skills again...
Have to go to bed before midnight...
(that's another adjustment I need to make...haha)
Reason being that I have a full time job!
It's hard to imagine that the transition
from gallivanting to employment will take
longer than a week to get used to.
Dragon boat practice moved to the lake
last week. Now we practice twice weekly
plus this coming saturday, followed by
a team BBQ at our captain's apartment.
Work is going okay. I am still trying to
fit into the office and get to know the
colleagues. I've been too preoccupied
with dragon boat practice on mondays
and wednesdays that I always felt
so rushed to leave work just to make
it to Sunnyside Park on time!
The things I am working on seem
familiar to me since I've done similar
things on coop before. But it's been
too long that I need this time to
pick up from where I left off and slowly
build up the skills again...
Have to go to bed before midnight...
(that's another adjustment I need to make...haha)
Wednesday, April 18
Saturday, April 14
Street Furniture
View the designs submitted for Coordinated Street Furniture Program for the City of Toronto!
via City of Toronto and The Star
via City of Toronto and The Star
- Astral Media Outdoor LP (PDF)
- CBS Outdoor Canada (PDF)
- Clear Channel Outdoor (PDF)
Sunday, April 8
Thursday, April 5
no paddling tonight!
Some kid "fouled" the swimming pool right before our dragon boat practice and because of that, we did not have any practice tonight. Iris and I ended up using the gym in her condo to make up for the work out we soooo missed! As I recalled what I ate this evening, I ate more than what I usually eat in a dinner - Banana+PB on Toasts @home, "Big Bun" at a coffee place at Gerrard and Pape, then after the work out, Iris and I went for Korean food next to her bldg...
If I knew this beforehand, I would definitely have gone to see Tracy's thesis defence in Cambridge. I hope it went well!
I saw Iris' energetic dog Yupee for the first time! She's such a cute dog!!!
It was nonetheless a nice evening.
If I knew this beforehand, I would definitely have gone to see Tracy's thesis defence in Cambridge. I hope it went well!
I saw Iris' energetic dog Yupee for the first time! She's such a cute dog!!!
It was nonetheless a nice evening.
Wednesday, April 4
More Street Eats
One of the articles from the Star really caught my eye today - "Fewer Street Dogs, More samosas by summer?" It's about time that we see a diversity of street foods on our streets in Toronto. One of the amazing experiences of travelling abroad is to enjoy the wide selection of street foods. It is no exception for visitors who come to Toronto or any other Canadian cities. I am all for the possibility of diversifying our taste buds in addition to what we get now, namely the street dogs.
What's your take on street foods?
Street eats around the world
Compiled by Star library staff
Oakland, Calif.: Fruit, tacos
Philadelphia: Chinese food, deli food, hamburgers, salads, soft pretzels, cheese steaks
New York: Hot dogs, bagels, knishes, gyros, chili, falafels, kabobs, corn cakes, burritos
Bangkok: Pad Thai, sticky rice, stir-fried chicken and vegetables, meatballs, satay pork, deep-fried bananas in sesame-seed batter
Frankfurt: Sausages, donairs (precooked shaved meat grilled and served in a pita), chicken kebabs, hamburgers
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Burek (deep-fried pastries filled with cheese, meat or apples)
Ankara, Turkey: Pide (the tourists call it Turkish pizza: a long, thin bread covered with toppings), kebabs
Hong Kong: Oyster omelettes, pho dishes, dim sum with chicken and pig feet.
The Netherlands: Salted herring with onions
Singapore: Frog legs porridge, chicken satay.
What's your take on street foods?
Street eats around the world
Compiled by Star library staff
Oakland, Calif.: Fruit, tacos
Philadelphia: Chinese food, deli food, hamburgers, salads, soft pretzels, cheese steaks
New York: Hot dogs, bagels, knishes, gyros, chili, falafels, kabobs, corn cakes, burritos
Bangkok: Pad Thai, sticky rice, stir-fried chicken and vegetables, meatballs, satay pork, deep-fried bananas in sesame-seed batter
Frankfurt: Sausages, donairs (precooked shaved meat grilled and served in a pita), chicken kebabs, hamburgers
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Burek (deep-fried pastries filled with cheese, meat or apples)
Ankara, Turkey: Pide (the tourists call it Turkish pizza: a long, thin bread covered with toppings), kebabs
Hong Kong: Oyster omelettes, pho dishes, dim sum with chicken and pig feet.
The Netherlands: Salted herring with onions
Singapore: Frog legs porridge, chicken satay.
Tuesday, April 3
Thursday, March 29
Tamar Development Exhibition
The most expensive empty piece of land in Hong Kong, the Tamar site, will soon be developed into complexes of office spaces for the Government of Hong Kong - Central Government Complex and Legislative Council Complex.
The site Tamar is former location of the British naval headquarters for the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong, and is also one of the last remaining empty waterfront sites along Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.
Design proposals are online so be sure to check them out!
Design A
Design B
Design C
Design D
http://www.tamar.gov.hk
The site Tamar is former location of the British naval headquarters for the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong, and is also one of the last remaining empty waterfront sites along Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.Design proposals are online so be sure to check them out!
Design A
Design B
Design C
Design D
http://www.tamar.gov.hk
Saturday, March 24
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUBOS!
What a night of bar hopping...The Tap, James Joyce, and lastly the Madison.
I am so happy for you Lubos and Keythai when I heard that you made a huge purchase together - a place that you two will soon call home! I wish you all the best in your endeavours! Happy Birthday! (Mar 21)
Thursday, March 22
Dragon Boat
Thanks to Iris, I have joined a training program for dragon boat races. What I have joined is actually the most intense workout I have ever encountered, ever! Painful, torturous, intense... but it's some good pain for my couch-potato body.
That's every thursday night! My support group includes, obviously, Iris, her colleague Yan and Simon! We must work as a team for some motivation, otherwise I don't think I can keep up!!!!
St Paddy's
St Patrick's Day was a great day to chill out with some friends namely Matthew Mos and Iris. The location was the appropriately named Green Room on Bloor St West. Though Guinness came in a can, at least the place is called "green" ... for St. Paddy's day. No green beer this time but it's totally fine with me. I don't think you can add any food colouring to the already dark Guinness anyway. =P
Sunday, March 11
Wednesday, February 21
Nathan Phillips Square Design Competition
My first visit to the Council Chamber
at Toronto City Hall!
After a dinner at Salad King with Cris and Timo and a little walk through Eaton's Centre and the Bay, we headed to the city hall for the display and presentation.
It was a presentation of the Design Competition proposals for Nathan Phillips Square. Each of the four design teams (finalists) had 20 minutes to present their work.
It's just great to see that our city Toronto gets serious about good architecture and design! You can also take part in this competition by writing your comments to the city by Feb 26.
Which one do you like?
http://www.toronto.ca/npsquarecompetition/index.htm
Baird Sampson Neuert Architects
Plant Architect Inc.
Rogers Marvel Architects
Zeidler Partnership Architects
at Toronto City Hall!
After a dinner at Salad King with Cris and Timo and a little walk through Eaton's Centre and the Bay, we headed to the city hall for the display and presentation.
It was a presentation of the Design Competition proposals for Nathan Phillips Square. Each of the four design teams (finalists) had 20 minutes to present their work.
It's just great to see that our city Toronto gets serious about good architecture and design! You can also take part in this competition by writing your comments to the city by Feb 26.
Which one do you like?
http://www.toronto.ca/npsquarecompetition/index.htm
Baird Sampson Neuert Architects
Plant Architect Inc.
Rogers Marvel Architects
Zeidler Partnership Architects
Thursday, February 15
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX J!
First part of the two-day celebration happens tonight at the Brasserie!
BEST WISHES + HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!
Monday, February 12
Easy ... brunch
Easy is an eatery in Parkdale at the end of Queen St W where it meets King St W and The Queensway. Timo was my partner-in-crime on this adventure for Sunday brunch. On a chilly and clear day, the streetcar ride on Queen St seemed shorter than I expected.
Beyond the Gladstone Hotel, Queen St took on a quiet vibe on a sunday morning.
When we walked in, the place was almost full except one booth table available! Timo and I were starving by the time so we ordered our caffeine fix (two big bowls of strong Lattes!) and some real lunch!
Chicken breast and avocado sandwich with salad was my meal, while Timo got 6oz steak and eggs with homefries! After we placed the order, we then managed to slowly take in the 60s movie posters (Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry...) on the walls and the old-fashioned tables that are tightly placed, things that make it a very cozy and interesting place! Then it was all window shopping on King and Queen St...
Easy
1645 Queen St W
Toronto ON
With good friend and good conversation it was yet another good sunday!
Next time it's Timo's recommendation: Sunset Grill =P
Monday, January 29
souvenirs from japan
Fire (Donkey Kong)
Stylus for Nintendo DS
Coin from Mario Bros.
Many thanks to Angela C. for the souvenirs!!!
Two Weeks...
Let's see what I did in the past two weeks.
All I can remember is the food I consumed. haha.
Here is a recap:
Sports (that's right i am doing some!)
- Badminton on Mondays
- Skating on Sundays/Wednesdays
Birthday cake for Mos~
- Mos' birthday party at Joon's - yummy Korean table-top cooked dishes (with Mozzarella cheese) and hotpots. Excellent service...
- Tea at Oliver and Bonaccini (Bayview Village) with Matt and Mos. We shared a dessert platter, very filling! =P
Jan 28
- Skating at Nathan Philip Square
- Winterlicious at Oyster Boy (with Matt Timo Mos Cris), where we each ordered a set dinner from Winterlicious menu, shared a bottle of French white wine [Coing de Sèvre Muscadet 2004 (France)], a doz. P.E.I. oysters and a plate of Fish&Chips.
- Drinks at Shallow Groove for Katrina's belated birthday.
Jan 29
- Brunch at Mars on College St. Had the usual two eggs with sausages + tea. So greasy and so good! =P
- Shopping on Queen St. got a wallet by Goorin at Lavish&Squalor.
- Supper at I Maid Cafe. Mos and I shared egg wrapped rice with chicken curry.
- Dinner (an hour after the supper) at a Korean Restaurant where we had very good ginseng chicken soup, seafood pancake, spicy sweet and sour chicken, beef ribs, and last but not least the six side dishes that expanded to over 12 plates (refills)...haha. Special treats from the cute waitress. She gave us Yokault-like drinks (one extra pack just for Mos, lucky you!!!)
The wallet
All I can remember is the food I consumed. haha.
Here is a recap:
Sports (that's right i am doing some!)
- Badminton on Mondays
- Skating on Sundays/Wednesdays
Birthday cake for Mos~
- Mos' birthday party at Joon's - yummy Korean table-top cooked dishes (with Mozzarella cheese) and hotpots. Excellent service...
- Tea at Oliver and Bonaccini (Bayview Village) with Matt and Mos. We shared a dessert platter, very filling! =P
Jan 28
- Skating at Nathan Philip Square
- Winterlicious at Oyster Boy (with Matt Timo Mos Cris), where we each ordered a set dinner from Winterlicious menu, shared a bottle of French white wine [Coing de Sèvre Muscadet 2004 (France)], a doz. P.E.I. oysters and a plate of Fish&Chips.
- Drinks at Shallow Groove for Katrina's belated birthday.
Jan 29
- Brunch at Mars on College St. Had the usual two eggs with sausages + tea. So greasy and so good! =P
- Shopping on Queen St. got a wallet by Goorin at Lavish&Squalor.
- Supper at I Maid Cafe. Mos and I shared egg wrapped rice with chicken curry.
- Dinner (an hour after the supper) at a Korean Restaurant where we had very good ginseng chicken soup, seafood pancake, spicy sweet and sour chicken, beef ribs, and last but not least the six side dishes that expanded to over 12 plates (refills)...haha. Special treats from the cute waitress. She gave us Yokault-like drinks (one extra pack just for Mos, lucky you!!!)
The wallet
Thursday, January 11
Sunday, January 7
ROM + Salvadorean
On the second last day of the Italian + Design show at the ROM, Timo and I went just in time to avoid the lineup. It was just perfect timing that we avoided the line that extended to Bloor St from the temporary entrance on University!!!
Since we managed to save an hour by not being in the end of the line (we'd still waited for 45 minutes to get in), we spent a good amount of time checking out Italian designs from the 20th century. Most prominent from the collection were the house electronics and furniture! I'd say some look more contemporary than what is being manufactured today!
After a good walk through all the exhibits, we walked along Bloor St west, past the Annex into K-town. Instead of Korean food, we opted for Mexican/Salvadorean at Tacos el Asador. The price was fantastic! Timo and I ate so much!!! We absolutely splurged on the occasion. We tried most of the items on menu, namely the Tacos, Burritos, Tamales (wrapped in banana leaf, kinda like dimsum sticky rice)... and of course, iced-cold beer!
Since we managed to save an hour by not being in the end of the line (we'd still waited for 45 minutes to get in), we spent a good amount of time checking out Italian designs from the 20th century. Most prominent from the collection were the house electronics and furniture! I'd say some look more contemporary than what is being manufactured today!
After a good walk through all the exhibits, we walked along Bloor St west, past the Annex into K-town. Instead of Korean food, we opted for Mexican/Salvadorean at Tacos el Asador. The price was fantastic! Timo and I ate so much!!! We absolutely splurged on the occasion. We tried most of the items on menu, namely the Tacos, Burritos, Tamales (wrapped in banana leaf, kinda like dimsum sticky rice)... and of course, iced-cold beer!
Thursday, January 4
Italian Arts + Design the 20th Century
Time is running out for this exhibition at the ROM!
This friday is the last day to get discounted
admission to the museum that includes the
above exhibition through ROM Friday Night $5.
The exhibition ends on the 7th of this month.
for more info:
http://www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/special/italianarts.php
This friday is the last day to get discounted
admission to the museum that includes the
above exhibition through ROM Friday Night $5.
The exhibition ends on the 7th of this month.
for more info:
http://www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/special/italianarts.php