very LARRY

Saturday, April 1

April Fools' Hotpot

Dim Sum (@ Woodbine and 16th) started our day for Matthew and I in anticipation for the hotpot gathering that he had planned. What really got us started was the part when we went shopping for food. We did not just shop at one place, we literally went all over town. Matt drove iris and I to: North (dimsum + Galleria Korean supermarket), West to T&T and East for fish/meatballs. Preparation was done by Iris and myself in the afternoon and what was supposed to be uneventful turned out to be the opposite. To spare you the details, somebody was trying to be bossy...haha! ;)

See who's doing all the work?! ha!
(Picture courtesy of iris without permission!)

Many thanks to Matthew for a wonderful evening of hotpots and to iris for the gamecube! Read more!

Friday, March 31

Knock Knock Ginger

KKG gave a smashing performance last night in Toronto. Right after their first song, they already captured the attention of the entire audience. Check out Knock Knock Ginger's latest EP release hurry!. Live recordings and sample tracks are available for download.
Owen - you're a great drummer!

A little snapshot of KKG's
performance at the BAGEL
on College St, Toronto.

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Wednesday, March 29

OneSmallProject

"The forthcoming book OneSmallProject is inspired by living conditions in the working class neighborhoods of Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Colombo, Delhi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New Orleans, St. Petersburg, and Singapore.

One billion leftover people--typically called squatters, self-builders, slum dwellers, informal settlers, or displaced persons (it's a big category)--claim leftover spaces in cities and live in unauthorized dwellings made of scavenged, leftover materials. If you know even one of the one billion, you've been touched by her or his life, even if briefly and reluctantly..."

Read more!

Pumpkin Curry

Tried and tested recipe, so good and tasty. Portions are enough for at least two days...ha!

Ingredients:
Pumpkin 600g
Green apple 1
Pork ribs 600g
Onion 1
Japanese curry 2 packages
White wine 500ml
Chicken stock 280ml
Water 200ml
Salt & Pepper 1 Tsp each

Method:
1. Peel green apple and cut into 1cm cubes.
2. Remove skin and seeds of pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes.
3. Chop onion.
4. Cut pork ribs into 2cm cubes. Mix in salt and pepper.
5. In a large pot, stir-fry ribs and onion for 2 minutes.
6. Add white wine and bring to a boil.
7. On low heat, add pumpkin and apple cubes.
8. Add curry pcs and cook until melted.
9. Add chicken stock and water.
10.Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
11.Serve over rice.
Read more!

Sunday, March 26

Sunday Brunch + Omnimax Theatre

Schilling's Bakery and Cafe closed down on Danforth, so we couldn't go there as planned. Instead we had all-day breakfast at Wimpy's. Matthew, iris and I already suspected something happening on the street. There're shops that set up barbecue stands on the sidewalks. After brunch, we walked out to find that the crowd gathered on the south side along Danforth. In this Greek part of town, the Greeks all came out to celebrate their Independence Day with marches from various community groups!

Second part of the day was a trip to Ontario Science Centre to catch a movie "The Mystery of the Nile." Matthew came with us for the bus ride before he went home to finish some work. David, iris' friend from church, joined us for the show. What an amazing adventure documentary. Tracing the Nile from origin to sea, the amazing Architecture and sceneries unfolded before our eyes. I did get a bit motion sickness from the white water rafting on screen, probably not as bad as iris'.

***** five star rating for "The Mystery of the Nile"
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Sunday, March 12

Latte Art

Chocolate Caramel Latte
Bulldog Cafe
Granby Street, Toronto
(off Church Street, south of College)

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Sunday, March 5

No Scavenger Hunt - ID Show

I "lured" Iris into a scavenger hunt that was
supposed to take place at Gladstone Hotel.
We only realized there's no such event at the reception...
so we decided to check out the ID show knowing that
at least we could meet up with Matthew there.

Snapshots from the show:

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Saturday, March 4

Anders' Hundredth Day

Congratulations to Amy and Sammy for Anders' hundredth day!
It was like a high school reunion!
Anders looks tense in my arms from that picture eh? He actually smiled at me!
Read more!

Tuesday, December 20

Congrats to Amy!

Baby Anders in this picture is almost one-month old!
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Tuesday, December 13

Washington DC

National Gallery of Art NGA - East Building

Calder's sculpture hung from the glass roof.

Water cascade onto the glass wall
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Monday, December 12

Dallas Texas

I never thought I would have a chance to visit Texas. Luckily I was invited to Kent's convocation so I gave myself another vacation away from home, a weekend trip to Dallas. Kent was the best host ever - a place to crash, rides to everywhere just like a mini road trip.

Snapshots of Dallas/Fort Worth:

Let's start with what seems to be there symbol - the STAR
and this one has my name!

Which North American City is complete without a tall "landmark"?

See the red stars on the columns? The city of Dallas is connected by these super highways.

A visit to the AA Training Centre is not complete without pretending to be a trainee.

IM Pei's pointy tower juxtaposed with the red brick buildings in the west end.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Designed by Tadao Ando
What we're doing? On that particular day, there is a performance art piece in the public space. People stay still in all kinds of positions - lying down under a bench, leaning on the guardrail etc... we are just part of it.

Kimbell Gallery
Designed by Louis Kahn

Gotta try one on...

Seafood in Dallas? That's right! Oysters, crabs, Mexican sausages, corn and of course a glass of white wine!

My Photo Album of Dallas
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Sunday, October 30

Cream Puff

first time making cream puffs following a recipe on tv. Puffs are on the soft side. They can be baked longer for extra crunch. love to make it again, small and light, perfect bite-size!
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Sunday, October 23

Kent in Toronto

Day after my convo, we went for brunch and decided that
we had to do something fun on a rainy day - bowling - and later for tea.

an afternoon of bowling

an evening at Go For Tea

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Saturday, October 22

Graduation

a milestone
i got my diploma and
crossed the stage - fast! ha
Kent came to Toronto for my convocation! What a surprise!
He did come to visit me when I studied in Montreal in summer 2004.
I did not expect this long time old friend to make a trip from Dallas Texas to T.
He was my good friend and my photographer on this special occassion.
Thanks KC!

Read more!

Monday, September 5

Banduras

Pete and I went rollerblading on lakeshore. We headed east of yonge to tommy thomson park.

Then we headed back to the Harbourfront Centre where the Ukrainian Festival was held.
The main event of the day was Alex's brother performing with a traditional Ukrainian musical instrument - Banduras.

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Tuesday, August 30

Downtown Galt, Cambridge, Ontario

It is the day when I finally completed my six years of University life. Since the recent move of our school, the actual time that I spent in Downtown Galt, Cambridge, Ontario has only been eight months. Aside from a long list of negative comments about the place, the most memorable is the Grand River and the bridges that span across it. Pictured is the Main Street Bridge and the school of Architecture is on the left.

Snapshots of the school in Cambridge:

on my way to school

frozen grand river and school

atrium

studio desk