OMG we set off the smoke alarm! 26 May

Today we tested our culinary skills to cook the fried dumplings and ended up triggering the smoke alarm! Haha after we bought the pan cover, we decided to cook the most anticipated dumplings! We followed the instructions on the packaging accordingly and the dumplings were looking good too! However, I think the fan over the stove is not very efficient in clearing away the smoke that arise from our cooking and we ended up triggering the smoke alarm which emitted a loud and piercing sound that scared us to death! We tried to savage the situation by holding the pan nearer to the fan and opening the living room window. Luckily, the smoke alarm goes off after a while and we could resume cooking peacefully! I must say that the food certainly looks appétitzing especially my broccoli! Haha

After class, we went to Hart House to get the discounted movie tickets. The person directed us to the student union centre with very vague directions like opposite HH. Feeling confused, we went to ask people. The first guy we asked, he was from British Colombia and was also visiting. He was like tell me where is it when you know too! The next student we approached was not too sure about the place too and the whole group of confused people were looking at the map. We decided to try our luck at the conservatory look-alike building which ends up to be the convocation hall. We decided to try our luck by asking some one who directed us to a small white building beside the HH! So we made our way back and when we reached, we discovered that the place was already closed for the day and we have to drop by again tomorrow! Haiz what a wasted trip and we ended up goggling down our food at Chinatown again! I think every Tuesday and Thursday we will bound to get indigestion if this goes on!

The Marvels of mobile communication! 25 May

Finally we got to go Eaton Centre!!! We took the subway there and alighted at Dundas West. And the first shop that greeted us is H&M!!! So exciting! And we spend, I think close to 1 hour there shopping although in the end I did not buy anything as the only piece of clothing that interest me is a formal dress. It will be kind of weird to buy it here right? And I will have to squeeze it into my luggage back to Singapore.

After spending time at H&M, we went to Old Navy too where I spotting a denim skirt that I like alot. Unfortunately, the last skirt with the correct size has a spoilt zip. So sad! Haiz I hope I will have better luck next time!

We had lunch at the food court and I finally had the chance to eat Greek food! Haha at least the food court version of Jimmy the Greek. I had roast chicken dinner which consist of a very large portion of rice, salad, potatoes and chicken drumstick! I was almost bursting when I finished it! I am so not going to eat dinner after that!

After lunch, we continued shopping and we entered a Fossil shop. The salespeople were definitely very friendly (maybe a little too friendly and helpful! Kind of stressful!) but the stuff were really nice and I think cheaper too? I am not too sure though as I did not take note of the prices in Singapore. However, none of the wallets really caught my eye as I prefer Elle! We could not find Elle in SEARS too. I shall try other departmental stores too next time.

After going to be dead on our feet, Diana and I decided to go around to find a telecommunication store to get a SIM card! We decided that it would be good to have a source of communication as that when we split up, we will still be able to find each other. We found a cheap deal at Fido! 10 dollars per month and we will get 5 dollars worth for calling and free 250 sms. The salesperson was also really friendly and helpful and helped to find the best deal for us! So good of her!

After leaving Eaton, we split up with Xinjie and I going to Honest Ed’s to buy fruit peeler and pan cover so that we can get to cook our dumpling tomorrow! So exciting I can’t wait to eat them. Yummy!

I love Broccoli! 24 May

Yea today is Tuesday! A school day that we can cook! Haha today we had a scrumptious meal consisting of meat (chicken sausages), seafood (boiled prawns) and vegetables (my favourite broccoli!) Haha a balanced meal too! Today was also the first time I successfully added the garlic in without overheating hence they did not become burnt!

I had my first human nutrition tutorial! I reached very early and was the first to reach. Unfortunately, I did not know how to switch on the lights and ended up waiting in the corridor. I knew that I would regret not bringing my handphone as there is a light function that I can activate for torchlight. I waited for some other people to come so that we could try to find the switch together. Cowardly I know but it is really dark in there. Fortunately, some one came along soon and we managed to get the lights switched on and settled in. The 3 of us sat together and we were grouped into 3s during the class activity too. But I guess I wasn’t really sociable as I was kind of stoning away during the tutorial. I will be more active the next tutorial!

After the lecture which I fell asleep, we were rushing around like mad again! Huimin managed to get a photocopy of the textbook and this saved us quite abit of trouble from borrowing the book! We split up with Xinjie and I going to purchase the Diet analysis access code and Hui Juan and Huimin going to photocopy the textbook. Xinjie and I also bought some stationary like file and highlighters on the way. While paying for the stuff, the cashier mistook Xinjie laptop which she put on the counter as well as the merchandise as well and tried to scan it. After realising his mistake, he was jokingly saying that he could give us a 75% discount on that item! After buying the stationary, we joined Hui Juan at the photocopying shop where she already photocopied almost all the text book! So awesome!

 After we finished printing and photocopying and punching holes using the 3 hole puncher, we went to Chinatown for dinner. Just like last time, we were in a hurry too! So sad right? and we were devouring our food down too. But this time, we had small bowls and hence I think we are more si wen this time round! Haha and we also bought aot of bread too! Sadly, the nice waiter wasn’t here and we do not have any nice soup or fortune cookie today!

Victoria Day! A public holiday! 23 May

Yea!!! My first Canadian pubic holiday!

We went to Chinatown for groceries shopping and we finished exploring the whole Chinatown today! We found a very cheap place to have lunch, any 4 food item for just 4 bucks! In the end Xinjie and I each had a small mountain of food to demolish which none of us could finish after all.

After lunch, we continued walking and Xinjie visited a optometrist to repair her spectacles! The uncle was very nice! He gave us each a spectacle cleaning cloth for free when I enquired about the price of one as I wanted to buy one for cleaning spectacles and my camera. So nice right? Haha ok I am bias.

Anyway, we continued walking and we found some Asian fruits! The Ya pear. I do not know the exact English name but the pear taste good! J we dropped by Oriental super market where there are alof of Asian food and we got some dumplings! Yea, we can finally eat guo tie! Haha we also bought alot of tibits and snacks in preparation for our mugging period!

After shopping for groceries, we went back to our favourite restaurant to buy take-away for dinner. OMG the waiter recognised us! Haha we must have made a lasting impression the last time we went, devouring our food like there is no tomorrow. That’s all for today! I am going to be a good student and do my revisions!

I hope we will be able to see the fireworks from our residence!

Hostel sweet Hostel! 22 May

The last day in Ottawa! We had our breakfast in a Marche like restaurant in Rideau. The cinnamon bus is very huge and expensive too! Restaurant prices I guess but nice though. After breakfast, Jessica mentioned that she wanted to take some photos at the war memorial which was just cross the road. I didn’t take much photos there as I feel that it is such a sad and sombre place. From the inscriptions at the war memorial, I could understand the devastating effects of war and the price of peace paid in the blood and sweat of the soldiers and civilians alike.

On a brighter note, we went over to the post office across the street and took some photos there as well! It was quite nice. We also went to Sparks which was a pedestrian mall. Unfortunately, many of the stores are not opened. It was my regret that we did not manage to explore the place before leaving Ottawa. After that, we split up and Xinjie and I had stuff to buy while Diana and Jessica wanted to see the Rideau Canal. We went back to the Rideau centre for Xinjie to buy her bag and me to buy my socks (which were quite ex). Xinjie ended up buying a wallet and sling bag as souvenir instead of a backpack for herself. After which, we rushed back to the hostel as it was time to check out. However, Jessica and Diana was not back yet and we just waited in the room for them.

After checking out, we went to Byward market again to buy some snacks for the bus ride. Xinjie and I bought the Taiwanese popcorn chicken. As it was the last chance, I also bought a bracelet for myself. Although it was very nice, I couldn’t help but feel abit heart pain at the price of the bracelet too.

After buying the stuff, we went back to the hostel to call a taxi. Jessica and Diana also took the last chance to take a photo with the resident cat – Don Gato. After which we took the taxi to the terminal! Although we were very early, there was already people queuing for the bus! So who says only Singaporeans are Kiasu?! On the bus, I fell asleep immediately and kept leaning all over the place and was elbowed by Jessica a couple of times. After reaching the rest station, Xinjie was still very fascinated with the Kraft cheese crackers and she bought 10! Haha I think the cashier was very amused and even told us where we could get them cheaper – at No Frills supermarket.

After reaching Toronto, we decided to take the subway from Dundas station instead of St Patrick having the mistaken view that it was nearer. However the walking distance was just as long and the journey took longer too. After reaching our apartment, we were surprised that the common areas were cleaned over the weekend too as they are supposed to come by every Monday instead. It was quite creepy in a way too. We put down our things and went to Metro nearby to buy some groceries. I bought some hotdogs to cook and soy beverage for cereal in the morning! I also cooked my Korean Maggie noodles for dinner! Finally some yummy, filling and cheap food!

Finally some resemblance of summer! 21 May

A hot and fine day for sightseeing today (perhaps even a little too hot). It certainly felt that summer has arrived. I hope that we too will have such fine weather back in Toronto tooJ

This morning, we decided to eat our breakfast in Byward market! The pastries certainly looked mouth-watering although the prices were rather steep. I shared a garlic bread with Xinjie before embarking on our exploration today! We went up to the Parliament hill so that we could explore the buildings and the statues around to the fullest. The nice architecture had attracted us greatly when we saw it from the opposite shore yesterday. I am so glad that my camera has enough batteries to last me for today as we took lots of beautiful photos of the architecture and the scenery.

We also managed to join the tour for the parliament house where we get the chance to go into the building to see the chambers and stuff. It was quite cool except that the tour group is very large and I often could not catch what the tour guide is saying as she was too far away from me. The security was also quite strict and in order to play safe, I removed all metal stuff before passing through the metal detector including my belt as well.

After visiting the parliament house, we attempted successfully to take individual and group jump shots! It was very fun, although we seemed like some mad people jumping up and down on the field under the hot sun! Haha after the strenuous exercise, we were hot and tired and we went in search of food for lunch. We went to the Rideau centre and had our lunch – fish and chips! My first meal of fish since coming here! So gan dong! Haha but the serving is too big and towards the end, it seems a little overkill. I was so full that I couldn’t eat dinner. After lunch, we shopped around the centre before walking back to Byward market. After looking through all the shops, we went back to the hostel to rest and drink our orange juice. The hot weather certainly made us very thirsty indeed.

After resting, we went to Metro nearby to buy some food for dinner. At the entrance, we spied a DVD rental kiosk machine and decided to try our luck, renting Disney movie Rapunzel. Unfortunately, the hostel has no DVD player and we ended up playing Bridge which is an interesting game. I hope I will remember how to play next time tooJ going to sleep soon so that can wake up early tomorrow morning to finish packing!

Ottawa here I come! 20 May

 Of all days for me to have diarrhoea, this morning timing is certainly the worst! Luckily I woke up early and I certainly hope I got everything out before the long bus trip!

We finally tried taking the subway today and I nearly got stuck at the revolving barrier at the gate due to my many bags. The subway is very efficient although Singapore one is much cleaner. However the train was more spacious despite the rush hour work time. The tokens was also very cute and small! I hope I wouldn't mistakenly use it as money as it would be very bu hua suan.

We made it in good time to the bus terminal. However, we were told the wrong bus bay by the staff and by the time we joined the correct queue, the queue was horrendous! However, all was good as there was a second bus which was much newer and nicer!

We passed many beautiful scenery on the bus route but alas I missed much of it as I was catching up on sleep. We stopped at a stop for rest room break and the sandwiches were some of the most humogous ones. The bread was so thick that I could barely fit it into my mouth. Jessica shared a sandwich with me and I am feeling quite full and sleepy yet again.

Finally we reached Ottawa at 3pm! What a long bus ride! We continue a little more we will reach quebac already! We took a taxi to the Ottawa backpackers inn to check in. The place is much nicer than I expected - a house type much like Taiwan Ming su. The 4 of us also got a 4 person room which is gd as it solves the problem of the need to lock our stuff!

After putting our stuff we went out exploring. We went to the byward market which was near by to shop around and eat dinner. We chanced upon many delightful shops that are unique businesses to Ottawa! After that we continued on to Rideau canal to see tulips. Sadly the tulips have began to wilt. Nevertheless the view of the architectural styles of the buildings are still very grand and beautiful!

Before going back, we dropped by metro to get some juice for tomorrow's breakfast! :) now I am l lying in my bed and typing this. It is abit warm and I am finding it hard to sleep!

A hungry girl is a funny girl? 19 May

Today is the second lesson this week! Xinjie and I cooked lunch again as we had to finish the prawns before leaving for Ottawa tomorrow. This time we decided to just stirfry with the mushrooms and it tasted quite good! Haha our culinary skills improved! Xinjie also had some bacon. Unfortunately we had a hard time trying to separate the slices and I think we sort of mangled Jessica's bacon which is a shame.

We went to basic human nutrition with huijuan who seems very nice and easy to get along. Although the class is very far away, we enjoyed walking there and the class is much more enjoyable or at least understandable as compared to scientific revolutions! Huimin also sat with us and she introduced the photocopying store which has much lower rates to us! 5 cents per piece compared to the lib 15 cents per piece is certainly saving quite alot! However the staff there wasn't very helpful and we were left to our own devices to try to figure out how to operate the machine. Luckily there was a nice lady who was also waiting for some assistance helped us notify the staff and we got some help afterall.

After printing my stars and galaxies notes, we went to Chinatown for dinner. We dropped at a bakery to get some bread for breakfast next morning and ended buying 6 bread which is this one big bag. after that we went back to the Chinese restaurant the other day for dinner. Xinjie and I ordered a plate of roasted pork rice(bigger portion) to share. I think the waiter took pity on us as we were trying to save money, he gave us each a complimentary bowl of soup. I was very touched as it was the first time since reaching Toronto that we get to drink soup that is not instant Campbell kind. When the food came, we fell upon it like some ravenous creature that hadn't eaten for some time. I think the waiter is highly amused at the speed we demolish the food(partly because we were going to be late for class)

After going for stars lecture, we rushed back so that we can bathe and start packing for Ottawa as we had to get an early start the next morning. However, I still ended up sleepy at 12 + as I have not packed finish and we were also researching on things to do in Ottawa. I think amongst us all, I brought the most number of things to Ottawa.

A dangerous bus ride on the free Wednesday! 18 May

Finally our free day arrived! This morning I almost couldn’t wake up! I was so cold and tired! Haha. Anyway, Jessica went to buy her textbook in the morning and we managed to catch the 10.25am bus at the Bata Shoe Museum. We went to St Lawrence market to shop around and ate lunch.

Upon reaching St Lawrence today, we were quite happy to see the place quite empty unlike Saturday where it was so crowded that we could barely walk. We went about sampling food stuff and one of the cream cheese was absolutely delicious! After walking around the wet food section on level one, we made our way to the basement where cooked food and other clothings and jewellery stalls are available! Some of the jewellery were original creations and certainly looked tempting to me! But fortunately, I managed to curb my spending and only bought a mug for daily use. Finally I can stop using the beer mug for my hot soup and drinks which is kind of hard to stir using the spoon as well! For lunch, Xinjie and I ordered Chinese takeaway consisting of fried rice and sweet-sour-chicken which taste great! The food portion was quite huge and we were able to eat it for both lunch and dinner so we saved money as well! (yea!!!)

After visiting St Lawrence, we dropped by the Distillery district which is part of historic Toronto. Xinjie and Jessica continued to eat their takeaway food on the benches while Diana and I went to explore the bakery which was warm and filled with aromatic smells of freshly baked pastries. However the prices were too expensive for poor students like usL

After visiting the bakery, we also went to browse through a clothing store. The clothing there was extremely expensive! From this, it can be seen that the Distillery is indeed a tourist attraction where things, although nice, were often very expensive! We also went into a cute store which sells many different colourful kitchen and lifestyle stuff which tempted me greatly. Before we left, Xinjie decided to get a vanilla bean ice-cream to eat. This was the decision she regretted when the weather was cold and windly at the place where we waited to hop on to the bus.

The double-decker bus we took stalled at the intersection turning into Bond St near the St Michael angels hospital. The bus stalled while turning into the lane and hence, we became a major traffic obstruction and some tourists even took photo of the bus! Help came and soon we switched over to a trolley bus (single deck). However, the driver was not accustomed to driving on the left hand side of the road and we had 3 accidents! Firstly, he collided with the cones along the road near a construction site. While arriving Yonge-Dundas square, the trolley mounted the curb and hit a dustbin and bicycle before coming to a complete stop. There was a policeman at the square and he immediately came forward to the first question he asked as “are you drunk?” I think the poor driver as so stressed due to the stalled bus and all the accidents and such which resulted in a cracked mirror too. I guess the company wouldn’t be too happy with him. In the end, we had to wait again for a switch of drivers to the person who brought the trolley to us in the first place before resuming our journey. It was a most eventful even exciting but also very scary bus ride in my whole life!

After reaching back the school, Xinjie and I went to print notes. The printing was very expensive! Xinjie ended up paying 15 bucks for the notes uploaded (and there are more to come). I also bought some batteries as the ones from Honest Ed doesn’t seem to work and my camera kept shutting down on its own.

That’s all for today and I am having an early night so that I will be able to do laundry bright and early tomorrow morning!

First day of School! (and a bad day too) 17 May

I finally had 3-in-1 cereal to drink! J with my po lo bao!

A wonderful start to the day may not necessary be for the rest of the day. All was fine when we cooked lunch and dinner. We had prawn omelette and mushroom with rice for lunch. For dinner we decided to supplement that with Campbell instant soup. Yummy!

Things started to go wrong when we had our first class, scientific revolutions. Firstly I did not understand the content very much and was feeling out of depth with all the other humanities students. The philosophical theories were rather, for the lack of a better word, CHIM! I was feeling totally lost! Then when Huimin came in, we shifted in so that she could take the seat nearer to the aisle and some how in the process, I sprained my thumb. Or at least I hope is a sprain and not a break! I hear a loud crack sound before experiencing huge pain in my right thumb. And it hurts like hell! Due to that, I was unable to concentrate for the rest of the lecture with the thumb throbbing all the way. To make things worse, I had to sit through the tutorial feeling dumb as well while other students contributed to all sorts of philosophical stuff.

After the lesson, we dropped by the UofT bookstore to grab some clothes from the secret sale. We really got some cheap bargains with hoodies being $16 and teeshirts for $5. However, there are still 13% tax to be paid though. L

After buying the stuff, we dropped by Cumberland House to see Marc so that we can change our modules to Basic Human Nutrition instead of Scientific revolutions. Marc was very nice and he was more than happy to help. We decided to bake him some cookies or brownies before we leave as a token of appreciation! J

After changing our modules, we went over to buy our clickers at the Canada campus bookstore which is ironically not located on campus but rather is the basement just opposite the UofT bookstore. Initially we were so excited when we asked about the clickers and the 2^nd hand one is only $27+. However when we wanted to get them, there were only the new ones available which costs $37.55! So expensive! Wahh my expenses only went up and never down! So sian.

After buying the clickers, we rushed back to cook rice for dinner and our Campbell soup! After dinner we headed over for our Stars and Galaxies lecture. On our way we met Zhi Wei and Hui Juan so we ended up walking together too! At the lecture, I get to finally use the white elephant that I bought. We were supposed to register the clickers and somehow my name was registered by someone else which was kind of weird and I had to inform the lecturer about. The timing of the lecture made me feel a little sleepy too although I managed to stay awake! After lecture, we headed to the Robarts Library to photocopy Hui Juan’s notes for Basic Human Nutrition ad OMG, it costs $1.60 for Xinjie to photocopy it. After a few failed attempts of image combination, I gave up and we returned. After this experience, I have learnt to appreciate the photocopiers in NUS even more. And the staff at campus supplies!

Signing off to go to bedJ

Orientation day! 16 May

Today is orientation day! WoohooJ

As usual, today is a cold and wet day! So sian! Haha, we left our warm apartment and braved the cold to meet Huimin at the Robarts Library! Finally we saw Huimin! (and the family too) After making her Tcard, we made our way to find the location of our classes. The weather is very cold and raining and my umbrella decided to go sort on me and cannot open completely! I tried very hard before the stem can open completely! Oh no this is only the 2^nd week and I think I will need a new umbrella!

After finding our classes, we had lunch at Harthouse! The pizza there looks good and cheap too! I will definitely try it the next time I go! I shared a meal with Huimin which consist of rice, salad and garlic honey chicken! Nice! And I get to eat rice! J

After that, I walk with Huimin to the Koffler’s student centre for the UHIP while the rest went with Jessica to find the location of the roman history class. After the admin stuff, we attended the orientation briefing which consists of students from Korea, India, Singapore and Netherlands! Although the majority are Singaporean students, we had a great time introducing ourselves and getting to know each other. I especially like the part where we had to say something that we already know about Canada or Toronto. I said that Tim Hortons is everywhere which is really true. You can throw a stone with hitting at least one Time Hortons in the vicinity.

After orientation, we went to Chinatown for some groceries shopping. Xinjie and I brought some food stuff for lunch on Tuesday and Thursday. We had dinner at one of the restaurants as well. The food was quite good and the portion is very large. I managed to finish everything and felt extremely full! When we paid, Jessica got differential treatment just because she knew how to speak Cantonese! Haha so unfair right? I shall go learn it as well as that I can get away without tax. When walking back, we chanced upon a bakery which sells really cheap bread which we bought Bo Lou Bao for breakfast. It costs 3 for CAD$1. After which, I also bought a pair of thicker leggings for 4 dollars and a cap for 7 dollars. The shop was run by a nice lady from China who talked to us and told us alot of stuff. She was really vey nice and friendly J. I also bought a new umbrella from the College Variety convenience store round the corner. Now I do have a spare umbrellaJ

After bathing, I checked the blackboard for notes and was overwhelmed by the readings! OMG I should start studying soon. Gd Night!

Honest Ed’s again 15 May

Today is SUNDAY!!! Finally I could sleep till 9 as Jessica and Diana were off to church. Another cold day which we planned to spend indoors.

After a lunch of spaghetti with luncheon meat, we planned our weekends to travel! We decided to go Ottawa this coming week to enjoy the remaining Canadian Tulip festival. The tickets for the bus is so ex!!! $109+. Luckily we found cheap accommodations (although personally it’s not appealing to me).

After booking the tickets, we braved the cold to walk to Honest Ed’s for shopping. I bought some clothings and toiletries and most importantly, BATTERIES which I ran out of halfway through sightseeing yesterday at Casa Loma! I really bought alot of things and it was very heavy lugging everything back. We stopped for dinner at Tim Horton’s and I had a blueberry bagel which was cheap and filling. After which, we made our way to Metro and finally exchanged our extra toilet cleaner for paper towers and dish washing liquid! Although it was an uneventful day, I enjoyed it all the same and look forward to such days again!

How I wish had a bedroom suite like the one in Casa Loma! 14 May

Another rainy and cold day today (so what’s new?). We took the bus again to St Lawrence market where the streets nearby are so Euorpean styleJ The weather is so cold that there is fog that swallows up the top of buildings especially the CN tower. I would not like to go there today! I think is will be a waste of money to go up and see fog. We were so ever glad to enter the St Lawrence market and out of the cold!

St Lawrence market is really bustling with people and many different kinds of food! The fruits and vegetables look really fresh and bright – mouth watering indeed. We chanced upon a stall selling different kinds of mustard sauce and they were offering free samples of chicken (I think) where we could dip in the different sauces. Unfortunately, we were more interested in the meat itself rather than the sauces! (opps no offense intended). After looking through the uncooked food section on the main floor, we made our way to the basement where appetizing cooked food were available. Xinjie and I shared a chicken sandwich for lunch which tastes quite good and the filling is fried chicken instead of the normal cold filling of chicken breast. After eating, we shopped for a while before catching the 12.30pm bus to Casa Loma. While waiting for the bus at the entrance, we saw a black Hungarian poodle which looks really like a rug when it is stationary! I heard people passing by asking their neighbours, ‘it that a dog or a mop?’ The dog is extremely cute though and we took turns petting it and taking photos while waiting for the bus.

On the bus, we saw Roy again, the friendly bus driver to gave us some advice about purchasing the attraction tickets and off we go to Casa Loma. Casa Loma is really majestic and the gardens were very pretty! We spent nearly 3 hours there exploring and only left when it was closing. I especially like the gardens, library and one of the guest suites in pale blue. It will be my goal next time to decorate my bed room like that. On the way back, we also took Roy’s bus! Such as coincidence! Haha as it was the last bus, we alighted at the Bata shoe. We cooked RICE for dinner and did our laundry after that! The washing machine was rather efficient only 25 minutes although the dryer took 1 hour. However, hugging the warm clothes back, I felt so warm and cosy J 

Friday the 13 doesn’t always mean that its unlucky! 13 May

Day 2 on the double decker red bus! Haha today we went to the boat ride! OMG it’s freezing in the morning on the boat! I am amazed by the group of ladies who were exercising at the habour, running in the wind! It must be super cold! And there were alot of flies swarming around! Quite gross especially when 1 got stuck on my jacket!

When the boat started moving, the temperature and the wind makes it even colder! I was freezing to death! My hands were like frozen and it was rather hard to take photos when facing the wind! Halfway through the boat ride, Diana and Jessica went down to the lower deck to escape from the strong wind. I was so ever glad that we made it back to the habour. The view of the Toronto islands were rather nice though and I will wish to have a chance to go there and picnic some time in the future!

After leaving the habour, we made our way back to the North CN tour to have our lunch as Xinjie and I were craving for MacDonalds. There was a foodcourt with variety of food including Manchu wok and MacDonalds which we had for lunch. It was the most expensive meal of fillet ‘o fish that I ever had! It cost CAD6.77! Wahh, I think I can eat 2 meals back in Singapore already! The only good thing was that the cheese inside was a full one instead of the measly half slice they give in Singapore. After lunch, Xinjie and I visited the washroom and the door of the cubicle was stuck for Xinjie’s stall! I had a similar experience in NUS where I was once stuck in the cubicle of the old level 6 Science library toilet. I must say that the people here were more friendly and helpful where they gave different suggestions on how to make the door unstuck. One lady ask Xinjie to crawl out from the gap at the bottom(which was rather big as compared to Singapore’s toilets). Fortunately, there was a lady who managed to unstuck the door by pulling it out n up. It must be an interesting experience for Xinjie!

After lunch, we made our way back to the South CN tower where we passed by just now. We went to the Olympics garden which have lovely flowers in bloom. We also went into the main entrance area of the Toronto Convention Centre. Unfortunately there wasn’t any interesting exhibitions held currently. Next we went to the Rogers Centre (formerly known as Sky Dome). We were confronted with crowds holding on to stuffed toys! Being curious people, naturally we went to investigate (we were also attracted by the stuffed toys!) we found out that there were some Rogers company event being held in the centre. We also managed to enter the stadium through the gift shop and get to see the whole stadium (for free! What a good bargain). After which, we visited the ticketing of the CN tower to check out the prices. Deciding that it was too expensive, we then crossed the road over to the roundhouse where the different antique trains were on display.

When we were taking photos, an old gentleman who was going to do some maintenance like changing the light bulbs saw us and asked if we would like to get on to the trains for a photo session! It was an unbelievable opportunity which we grabbed it immediately! Such luck on a Friday the 13. After taking the photos, we came upon the Steam Whistle Brewery which was housed in the old buildings there. We joined the tour to see the manufacturing process of the pilsner. During the tour, we were kept offering their beer product which the 4 of us did not really know how to appreciate. The other members of the tour kept drinking and drinking. (it is indeed more worth it for those who were beer drinkers!). After the tour, we were given a souvenir choice of a mug or beer opener. I took the mug so that I will have something to cook my hot beverages in! J

After visiting that, we took the tour bus back to Bata shoe museum. We then made our way to the Shoppers’ Drug mart where I made an exchange of my sunscreen to a body lotion with SPF. After which, we went to Metro where I managed to stock up on instant food stuff as well as some pasta for cooking. I finally had the chance to eat rice although is instant rice for dinner that night.

CitySightseeing Toronto! 12 May

I love the red double decker bus! Is so adorableJ   

Today we joined the CitySightseeing Tour and get to take the tour bus around Toronto! Haha this is indeed a very economical way to travel around Toronto with 28 different stops around the city at different tourist attractions. The best part is, the pass is valid for 7 days! We can finish the tour at own time own targetJ

After breakfast, we bought the tickets! But the pickup point is at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) which was quite far away! We were panting by the time we reached although we made it in good time at 10.50 when the bus is supposed to pass by at 10.55am. While we were waiting, a guy approached us to ask for money and we had to siam! Quite scary though. When the bus reached, we had to run across the road to board the bus. As we were newcomers, we had to get a ticket from the staff. I think he was amazed that we took photo of the computer screen with the confirmation details instead of printing out the receipt like any sane person. Haha what can we do? Afterall, we had no printer!

We changed bus when we reached the CN North to the double-decker bus! So cool but is super cold up there with the wind and our hair kept messing up. But the experience is very shuang! We saw alot of the landmarks like CN tower, the railway children, Hockey hall of fame, etc. We took the bus for 1 round until we reached the Bata Shoe Museum which was near the place we stayed. Then we rushed to get a hotdog for lunch as it was drizzling slightly. The weather was so cold that we breathed a sigh of relief when we reached our hostel. The hotdogs taste good as well! N economical too with various free toppings that we could add as we wish!

After resting for a while, we made our way to the Bata Shoe museum which has a Pay-what-you-can Thursday from 5-8pm. We got a bargain when we only forked out $2 for the originally $8 price for students. We were rather tired by then and did not managed to fully appreciate the museum. After finish the tour, we dropped by G’s Fine Foods which was just beside the museum to grab some food stuff for our dinner. I got some Korean instant noodles! Finally some Asia food! Instant noodles had never tasted so nice before!

Shop until we drop! 11 May

The second day! It still seems so unreal! Can’t really imagine that we are in Toronto!

Tim Hortons for lunch/brunch! This is the second day and I am getting kind of sick of sandwiches! Haha, I missed my rice and noodles and such! L

We finally visited Chinatown! Actually it was quite close to the school! It was just round the corner of the Burgers King along College St! So convenient though it is a long way from our hostel! We managed to get some groceries in Chinatown such as rice, canned food, condiments, mushroom and eggs! I am so looking forward to the day when we have time to cook! I can’t wait to eat rice again!

After going to Chinatown, we dropped by the Robarts library to get our Tcard! I think my photo looks abit weird because I didn’t have a chance to tidy up my appearance before the photo was taken. Oh well nevermind, but the best part was that we can keep our Tcard when we go back to Singapore. Cool isn’t it?

After putting down our stuff, we decided to try finding the hardware shop that the senior recommended. We vaguely remembered that the store was somewhere near Korean town thus we begin our long and arduous journey. When we saw a departmental store-like structure with the name ‘Honest Ed’s’, Jessica remembered that was the store that the senior mentioned. We were so glad that we did not have to walk any further as the sun was quite strong at 4pm. After entering the store, we were amazed by the variety of stuff that we can buy there ranging from kitchen ware to clothes, groceries and such. We spent a super long time there buying the essentials which are priced reasonably. Then we had trouble lugging everything back as the stuff was rather heavy and we were all tired and hungry. We did not managed to get dinner from the meal trucks as they are closed and hence, Jessica and I ate our breakfast cereal for dinner. Xinjie and Diana still had some of their branch food to eat for dinner.

We managed to retire earlier that night feeling more contented and our suite more like a home than ever.   

YES! Toronto here I come!!!:) 10 May

 Haha, the long awaited summer programme is finally here! So excited! But before the journey, the packing of our bags is certainly a headache!!! Due to the confusion of inter airline transfer, I was very confused about the luggage limit which made me had a sleepless night over it! In the end all was well as the limit was 23kg/piece and 2 piece check-in/passenger! Haha I think I have alot of luggageè 2 check in + 1 hand carry + 1 camera bag

I reached the airport quite early this morning to check my luggage and my UOB credit card! Not sure why the new pin could not work though. Was super pissed off by it since I already notified them about the problem last Thursday and the answer from the customer service was: ‘the most we could do is to issue a new pin and you can ask your family member to sms you the new pin’.  I am very disappointed in their service! Will reconsider using UOB the next time I go overseas!:(

Anyway on the bright side, I am very touched that Linda is willing to wake up early enough to come send me off! Haha since the flight was at 8 and I think she will have to wake up like at 5+, it is indeed a great sacrifice on her part! Haha and she bought me chocolates and sweets from Joyce too! Yea what a thoughtful gift!:)

The first leg of the flight by SIA was ok I guess, though the seats were very cramp. The food was great! And the in-flight entertainment was good! Haha I managed to watch 2 movies in the 5-5hr flight: Black Swan and The King Speech. I think the person sitting next to me must be thinking that I am mad, giggling to myself when I was watching the movie!

The transit at BEK airport was quite disappointing as there wasn’t much to do. We managed to finish a LARGE Hawaiian pizza. I am also amazed! Haha and the pizza was quite cheap though. Only around 104 remingbi! Haha cheap right?

The second leg of the flight was super long! 12 hours+! Haha and I think we were provided 4 meals there! OMG we eat and sleep and eat and sleep (at least I didè I think gained weight liao!). The service was quite good and the seat was much more spacious. The in-flight entertainment was more ‘high-class’! Haha touch-screen tvJ which broke down half-way...LOL

And finally we reached TORONTO! Haha the toilet here is so much nicer! (Opps I am not implying anything though!) The custom officer was very stern though, and he when he asked me the purpose of the visit, I told him I was studying. He thought I was here to study English! L Do I look like I do not now how to speak English?! Talk about discrimination! We took a family type taxi to the hostel so that the luggage can fit in. Haha we passed by alot of interesting landmarks which the taxi driver pointed out during the journey! The fare was very ex though CAD80! Shared amongst 4 the price is ok afterall.

After putting down our stuff, we went searching for nearby store to buy groceries and eat dinner. We bought some groceries at Metro which was quite near our hostel and had our first meal at Tim Hortons! Haha the donuts were supreme! That all for the first day! J