Hockey season is upon us once again. And I am extremely ecstatic about it!
I attended Day 1 of training camp today, at the Pierrefonds Sportsplexe. It was, indeed, open to the public, which is not usually the case for Day 1. Usually the open practices at Pierrefonds happen later on during camp, starting on a Friday and ending on Sunday.
Instead of writing a long long paragraph about my overall impressions on each player, I decided that I would take quick notes on the guys on the ice and share them with all of you.
I watched Groups A and B - which means I missed out on Group C and Saku Koivu, Christopher Higgins, Ryan O'Byrne, Georges Laraque and other storied names.
So here goes...
Keep in mind: there were only drills today, no matches.
Group A:
Shawn Belle (D) - I was really impressed by Belle. He's strong and fast and has good hands. Definitely noticeable on the ice, and not because of his skin colour ;)
Josh Gorges (D) - Solid as usual... Nothing new to report, nothing old to report.
Yannick Weber (D) - A bit weak at times, needs to work on anticipating plays, but has soft hands when he wants to.
Robert Lang (F) - Looked easy going, comfortable on the ice... At first, wasn't pushing too hard but seems to be a highly intuitive player, with creative passing, which includes a good use of the boards.
Alex Kovalev (F) - Got right back into it, so ready for the season to start... Hands are soft as ever.
Alex Henry (D) - Always gave a second effort, but needs a lot of work.
Tom Kostopoulos (F) - So full of energy... I think he can be a real player this season. He's already working hard, and looks ready to start pounding the opposition.
Ryan White (F) - Solid top shelf shot. He'll definitely be a leader in Hamilton this season. His shot is pretty hard, but he needs to think faster in sticky situations, ie behind the net.
Guillaume Latendresse (F) - Trying hard but I'm not sure it'll be enough. Still needs to work on his speed. Basically, the same Gui we all know.
Loic Lacasse (G) - Wow. Impressive. He sees the puck very well, has good, quick reflexes and is very intuitive. He has good composure and looks solid in nets.
Carey Price (G) - Good reflexes/reaction time. He's much quicker on his feet and faster reaching with his stick.
Olivier Latendresse (F) - He's strong and aggressive in front of the net. Needs to work on skating backwards. Thinks well in offensive and even defensive situations, but doesn't react well in 1-on-1s.
Mathieu Aubin (F) - Plays the man well, has good speed and positioning.
Kyle Chipchura (F) - A way different player from last year. He's not into it at all. Needs to work on skating backwards. Still thinks well, but doesn't read the play well in 1-on-1s.
Brock Trotter (F) - Good positioning. Is missing that spark that really gets you noticed, but is a hard worker and seems to provide a solid, constant effort. Should fit in well in Hamilton.
Gregory Stewart (F) -A strong player with good passing. He thinks and sees the play well, but needs to get more involved at times in defensive play.
Group B
Andrei Markov (D) - Looked decent. Not in season shape yet. Mostly going through the motions, even seeming bored at times. Will probably have a slow start to the season if he doesn't pick it up soon.
Benjamin Maxwell (F) - Good hands. His shots are clean and he gives a second effort. Definitely a finisher.
Mathieu Carle (D) -Very impressive. One of my favourite guys to watch so far at camp. He aims well, has a strong shot and is a good forward skater. He's got those seeing-eye passes. He should be the number 1 D in Hamilton and the first to be called up to the big league.
Chad Anderson (D) - Good backwards speed, but sometimes commits to the play too soon in a 2-on-1 situation. He's pretty good defensively in the zone, and has good positioning.
Tomas Plekanec (F) - Hasn't lost his spark at all. Looks like he never stopped for the summer. He knows how to pace himself though, giving a solid effort when needed and relaxing when not. Will, once again, be great.
Mike Komisarek (D) - Strong skating from Mike. Looks his opponent right in the eyes... with a freakish amount of intensity. He is ready to be fantastic and was very focused throughout practice.
David Deharnais (F) - Impressive, just like last year. He has a solid shot and good hands. Knows how to deke, and when not to. He's small but smart - reminiscent of Koivu.
Sergei Kostitsyn (F) - As fast as ever. The finesse is still there, as is the intensity and grit.
Alex Tangay (F) - He's got really soft hands. He sees the plays well, knows how to make those key passes in front of the net. Also has an uncanny ability to find the holes in the goalie's stance... and hits net more often than not.
Ryan Flinn (F) - Was very average. Didn't stand out much, but has good positioning. He should be a good veteran in Hamilton.
Max Pacioretty (F) - Consistently made good clean shots, but needs to work on passing - both making them and receiving them, especially in motion. He doesn't seem to like passing very much, in fact. He has good speed and nice hands, but doesn't seem to be able to finish when chooses to deke.
Thomas Beauregard (F) - Needs to work on his aim. He's got strength but only average to poor skating... Much like Guillaume Latendresse. Also has trouble staying up to speed when skating backwards.
James T. Wyman (F) - An average skater, with an average shot. The kind of player you don't dislike, but don't necessarily like either because he doesn't stand out positively or negatively.
Cedrick Desjardins (G) - Has solid positioning. Makes the key saves and sees well when his net is crowded.
Jaroslav Halak (G) - Needs to work on cross-crease movement when he's doing the splits. Looks a little slow and out of practice, and didn't seem to be focused enough.
And now, some random observations:
- Carey Price was wearing white pads again. In fact, the only goalie I saw with a bit more colour than white with some accents was Lacasse.
- Ryan Flinn had some kick ass facial hair
- The Plekanec - Kostitsyn x2 line looks like it's ready to take over the league... They're sparking and sparkling!
- Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn had a nice little 2 on 1 with Pleky in D... Andrei roughed him up a bit but they laughed about it later... That's good chemistry!
- Halak was being really hard on himself... I wonder if he's sick or injured, or just out of it. Personal issues, perhaps?
- Similarly, Markov didn't look like his head was all there... though it got better as we went along.
Looking forward to intersquad matches tomorrow... if I can make it!
Stay tuned...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Yoga: My first time
Yoga was amazing.
It's a lame opening sentence, sure, but it's also true.
My expectations going in were pretty dull. I was very interested in doing yoga, but I hadn't really thought about it since I made the decision to take classes. Also, I wasn't really in the mood to go. Thankfully, I had already called and reserved my spot... which compelled me to actually show up.
And I'm so glad I did.
We started with breathing exercises, which were useful with reconnecting myself with, well, myself. It also reminded me of breathing for singing, using the three different chambers. Very interesting stuff, that's for sure.
We then evolved to sun salutations and basic positions like the Sphynx. Then we did some standing poses and ended with more breathing and relaxation positions.
Not only did I feel my muscles work, it felt great to stretch for a reason, in a systematic manner as opposed to just for the need to stretch. I also loved the end relaxation period, where the teacher helps you relax by working on your muscles a bit... Yoga AND a massage? Awesome.
But the best part is, for the whole 1.5h, I did not think of anything else than my breathing and getting the positions right. No one and nothing else entered my thoughts. Even when people's cellphones rang, which was jarring. Yes, mine was on silent mode.
This was just an initiation class but I'm pretty sure I'm signing up for the 8-week beginner's lessons. Hopefully, I'll be committed enough to practice outside of class.
And to all my friends who knew I'd love it: thanks for constantly tell me how great it would be. Your stories did nothing to lower my expectations, and yet, each one of them was met!!
Yoga made me feel relaxed, whole, and peaceful... and yet it did make me work, and my muscles will be sore tomorrow. I think this is the perfect type of class for me... Something that combines how you feel with what you do, spirituality with materialism. I don't think I'll ever quit yoga.
Okay, I might quit temporarily, but the teachings will always be a part of me, in one way or another.
It's a lame opening sentence, sure, but it's also true.
My expectations going in were pretty dull. I was very interested in doing yoga, but I hadn't really thought about it since I made the decision to take classes. Also, I wasn't really in the mood to go. Thankfully, I had already called and reserved my spot... which compelled me to actually show up.
And I'm so glad I did.
We started with breathing exercises, which were useful with reconnecting myself with, well, myself. It also reminded me of breathing for singing, using the three different chambers. Very interesting stuff, that's for sure.
We then evolved to sun salutations and basic positions like the Sphynx. Then we did some standing poses and ended with more breathing and relaxation positions.
Not only did I feel my muscles work, it felt great to stretch for a reason, in a systematic manner as opposed to just for the need to stretch. I also loved the end relaxation period, where the teacher helps you relax by working on your muscles a bit... Yoga AND a massage? Awesome.
But the best part is, for the whole 1.5h, I did not think of anything else than my breathing and getting the positions right. No one and nothing else entered my thoughts. Even when people's cellphones rang, which was jarring. Yes, mine was on silent mode.
This was just an initiation class but I'm pretty sure I'm signing up for the 8-week beginner's lessons. Hopefully, I'll be committed enough to practice outside of class.
And to all my friends who knew I'd love it: thanks for constantly tell me how great it would be. Your stories did nothing to lower my expectations, and yet, each one of them was met!!
Yoga made me feel relaxed, whole, and peaceful... and yet it did make me work, and my muscles will be sore tomorrow. I think this is the perfect type of class for me... Something that combines how you feel with what you do, spirituality with materialism. I don't think I'll ever quit yoga.
Okay, I might quit temporarily, but the teachings will always be a part of me, in one way or another.
Friday, September 12, 2008
What I've been up to
Finally, after much anticipation, here's that 2 minute wrap of the past 6 months...
1- I graduated! I'm all done with school for now, having finally obtained my B.A. Specialization in Journalism (Print and Broadcast) from Concordia University, in my hometown of Montreal. As much as I love school, I was ready to get out in the real world, where people are theoretically as committed to their work as I am. How naive of me! Still, I have the stamped piece of paper, and I'm not planning on going back to school until the summer of 2010 so as to not compromise any chances of working on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in that same year.
2-In early July, I made my way to Calgary for a trip I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only did I meet some wonderful youth in my community, I made some very good friends, albeit much younger ones ;) Though that shouldn't come as a surprise to those who know me well! The purpose of the trip was for the National ISTAR (aka Ismaili Student Total Academic Recognition) Awards. It was the first time these awards were handed out on a national scale. Though I was nominated in a couple of categories, namely Arts and Culture, I didn't make any finalists list or win any prizes. That experience helped me realize that no matter how creative journalism is, most people don't consider it to be an art. I guess it is more of a technical trade in the mind of the general public. But then again, journalism isn't as well regarded a profession as it was in the time of legends like Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite.
3-While I was in Calgary, I got to attend my first ever Stampede. The quick version? LOVE! The awards were purposely timed to correspond with this exceptional Calgary event. The country music fan in me was totally and utterly thrilled. I caught my first ever country shows, Emerson Drive at Nashville North and Dierks Bentley at the Coca-Cola Stage. I also went behind the scenes at the Stampede grounds thanks to my press pass, obtained because of my participation in a documentary on the Stampede that used the Ismailis' values of volunteerism and community as a central character. I was one of three young girls who were chosen - mostly due to timing and availability - to be stalked over three days in Calgary. It was an experience on several levels. I made good contacts with the staff working on the documentary, and I learned a lot about shooting in the field. To be able to understand both sides of a documentary was extremely interesting to me, and I have to admit I had a lot of fun secretly communicating with Mike the sound guy!! For days after the shooting finished, I actually missed knowing someone was listening to my random conversations and lame jokes. Oh, the tapes are going to be a hilarious listen...
The documentary was made for CityTV and should be broadcast nationally sometime before Stampede 2009. I can't wait to see what made the cut, how silly I look and speak, and what ends up on the cutting room floor! And, of course, I wouldn't mind flying out to Calgary for the premiere ;)
4-On my way home from Calgary, I made a pit stop in Toronto, where I got started on my Olympics contract. That's right! I had the honour of working on the 2008 Beijing Olympics with CBC. For the month of August, I was working night shifts covering the events in Beijing - but from Toronto. Basically, with a producer, announcer and editor, we put together 2 minute video highlight updates based on what the main network was putting out. The updates were due every hour and a half, which amounts to about 6 a shift. It was a lot of fun because I got to keep track of a lot of the Olympic happenings. I also got to get re-acquainted with a lot of the people I met and worked with during the NHL playoffs last season.
I'm very proud of myself for achieving my Olympic goal 2 years earlier than anticipated. I'm still working on making a bigger impact for 2010, but as Scott Moore, head of TV Network Sports at CBC said at the wrap party, "Every element, every person who worked on the 2008 Beijing Olympics contributed to our success and made it that much better a product."
That's a loose quote, of course.
This most recent trip to Toronto made me realize that I was psyching myself up for a potential move to Canada's main business hub. And so, I thought I actually wouldn't mind living there too much. What I realized, once I came home, is that the city itself is toxic. In fact, I wouldn't enjoy living there. What I like about Toronto is the people that I know there. I have a whole lot of really good friends in that city, and that's what I miss when I miss Toronto. Also, it helps that whenever I'm there, I have a job and a certain amount of independence that I don't get in Montreal... but that aside, Toronto is no more spectacular than it was before.
My Olympic experience also helped me build new contacts and regain my faith in the ability to successfully work in sports (and media in general) in a city other than Toronto. Hopefully, some of this networking will pan out sooner rather than later!
Also when I was in Toronto, I attended the first ever (hopefully annual) Rhinestone Country Music Festival at Downsview Park. What a blast it was!!! I only went for day 2, but I got to see a bunch of new artists and current favourites: Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Jason Aldean specifically. Those who have seen the pictures know how much fun I had wearing my cowboy boots, enjoying the sun and singing along to every song.
The trip as a whole helped me centre myself and re-discover my priorities. It wasn't just hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in a while or making new ones. It was about having the time and ability to ask myself what I really wanted and what I really care about. A lot of those conclusions are having an impact on the decisions that I take daily, and in a positive way.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with my summer, although I sometimes wonder where the time - and sun - went! Now back in Montreal after my quick trip to New York City, I have to reacquaint myself with the changing downtown landscape of my city. But with hockey season just around the corner, the city is starting to come alive again like it does in the middle of the winter.
And that's what I love about MY Montreal.
1- I graduated! I'm all done with school for now, having finally obtained my B.A. Specialization in Journalism (Print and Broadcast) from Concordia University, in my hometown of Montreal. As much as I love school, I was ready to get out in the real world, where people are theoretically as committed to their work as I am. How naive of me! Still, I have the stamped piece of paper, and I'm not planning on going back to school until the summer of 2010 so as to not compromise any chances of working on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in that same year.
2-In early July, I made my way to Calgary for a trip I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only did I meet some wonderful youth in my community, I made some very good friends, albeit much younger ones ;) Though that shouldn't come as a surprise to those who know me well! The purpose of the trip was for the National ISTAR (aka Ismaili Student Total Academic Recognition) Awards. It was the first time these awards were handed out on a national scale. Though I was nominated in a couple of categories, namely Arts and Culture, I didn't make any finalists list or win any prizes. That experience helped me realize that no matter how creative journalism is, most people don't consider it to be an art. I guess it is more of a technical trade in the mind of the general public. But then again, journalism isn't as well regarded a profession as it was in the time of legends like Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite.
3-While I was in Calgary, I got to attend my first ever Stampede. The quick version? LOVE! The awards were purposely timed to correspond with this exceptional Calgary event. The country music fan in me was totally and utterly thrilled. I caught my first ever country shows, Emerson Drive at Nashville North and Dierks Bentley at the Coca-Cola Stage. I also went behind the scenes at the Stampede grounds thanks to my press pass, obtained because of my participation in a documentary on the Stampede that used the Ismailis' values of volunteerism and community as a central character. I was one of three young girls who were chosen - mostly due to timing and availability - to be stalked over three days in Calgary. It was an experience on several levels. I made good contacts with the staff working on the documentary, and I learned a lot about shooting in the field. To be able to understand both sides of a documentary was extremely interesting to me, and I have to admit I had a lot of fun secretly communicating with Mike the sound guy!! For days after the shooting finished, I actually missed knowing someone was listening to my random conversations and lame jokes. Oh, the tapes are going to be a hilarious listen...
The documentary was made for CityTV and should be broadcast nationally sometime before Stampede 2009. I can't wait to see what made the cut, how silly I look and speak, and what ends up on the cutting room floor! And, of course, I wouldn't mind flying out to Calgary for the premiere ;)
4-On my way home from Calgary, I made a pit stop in Toronto, where I got started on my Olympics contract. That's right! I had the honour of working on the 2008 Beijing Olympics with CBC. For the month of August, I was working night shifts covering the events in Beijing - but from Toronto. Basically, with a producer, announcer and editor, we put together 2 minute video highlight updates based on what the main network was putting out. The updates were due every hour and a half, which amounts to about 6 a shift. It was a lot of fun because I got to keep track of a lot of the Olympic happenings. I also got to get re-acquainted with a lot of the people I met and worked with during the NHL playoffs last season.
I'm very proud of myself for achieving my Olympic goal 2 years earlier than anticipated. I'm still working on making a bigger impact for 2010, but as Scott Moore, head of TV Network Sports at CBC said at the wrap party, "Every element, every person who worked on the 2008 Beijing Olympics contributed to our success and made it that much better a product."
That's a loose quote, of course.
This most recent trip to Toronto made me realize that I was psyching myself up for a potential move to Canada's main business hub. And so, I thought I actually wouldn't mind living there too much. What I realized, once I came home, is that the city itself is toxic. In fact, I wouldn't enjoy living there. What I like about Toronto is the people that I know there. I have a whole lot of really good friends in that city, and that's what I miss when I miss Toronto. Also, it helps that whenever I'm there, I have a job and a certain amount of independence that I don't get in Montreal... but that aside, Toronto is no more spectacular than it was before.
My Olympic experience also helped me build new contacts and regain my faith in the ability to successfully work in sports (and media in general) in a city other than Toronto. Hopefully, some of this networking will pan out sooner rather than later!
Also when I was in Toronto, I attended the first ever (hopefully annual) Rhinestone Country Music Festival at Downsview Park. What a blast it was!!! I only went for day 2, but I got to see a bunch of new artists and current favourites: Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Jason Aldean specifically. Those who have seen the pictures know how much fun I had wearing my cowboy boots, enjoying the sun and singing along to every song.
The trip as a whole helped me centre myself and re-discover my priorities. It wasn't just hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in a while or making new ones. It was about having the time and ability to ask myself what I really wanted and what I really care about. A lot of those conclusions are having an impact on the decisions that I take daily, and in a positive way.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with my summer, although I sometimes wonder where the time - and sun - went! Now back in Montreal after my quick trip to New York City, I have to reacquaint myself with the changing downtown landscape of my city. But with hockey season just around the corner, the city is starting to come alive again like it does in the middle of the winter.
And that's what I love about MY Montreal.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
2 in 1 + 1
A bit of a delay due to intermittent Internet access, but here's the breakdown of the rest of my NYC trip, late but present.
On Monday, I made my way to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, which, it turns out, is located right next to Rockefeller Plaza. Hence the "Rock". And therefore, I got to do an extra touristy thing I hadn't intended on doing. The sculpture was impressive, as were all the flags, but I must go back to NYC in the winter so I can skate at Rockefeller. It might be cheesy but I need to do it.
Also, next time I'm in town, I'm doing all the studio tours. I didn't realize NBC was in the vicinity or I would have planned to include that tour in my activities that day. I did get a bit of NBC history anyway, thanks to a short video on the way up to the "top of the rock". Not much I hadn't learned in History of Broadcast/Journalism, but some cool random timbits anyway.
I also caught a short video on being a Rockette, which totally makes me want to take a Christmas trip to NYC. There were actually 2 observation levels... three if you count the one on the roof, a mezzanine 10 steps above the "top" deck. I, of course, took pictures on all three of them, so I have many repeats. Also, I killed my battery, which means I had limited juice for the rest of the day.
The scenery itself was pretty impressive. You really get a feel for how large the city is in terms of buildings and so you wonder about just how many people, tangibly, live on Manhattan. It was a gorgeous day too, so the view was even more, well, scenic.
After Top of the Rock, I made my way to the NHL store, which wasn't very impressive. I actually was kind of disappointed. Their "largest hockey stick sculpture in North America" was just, eh. The NHL motorcycle was kinda cool... but wouldn't really stand out in a crowd, save for the miniature Stanley Cup replica on the back. The amount of gear they had was relatively low, and there was absolutely nothing from Alyssa Milano's "touch" collection, which really frustrated me, since that was basically the whole reason I went to the store. To see if they had more apparel than advertised online and to actually see and get a feel for it. In other words, sucky.
Before my Top of the Rock excursion, I'd made a pit stop at a lovely store called Anthropology, where I bought a heavily discounted gorgeous halter top. Apparently, they're trying to open stores in Toronto or Vancouver... I can't wait!
After the NHL store, I headed to the Museum of Sex, which is not a porn museum, for the record. Along the way, I caught a random sighting of the Flatiron building. Very cool.
The Museum featured 3 exhibitions at this time. The permanent collection, which takes a look at sex toys and sexual culture since way back, was on the 3rd floor. The second floor examines sex through film, from the early days when actors couldn't kiss for more than 3 seconds on screen to celebrity sex tapes and the emergence of sexually charged films. And porn. Though it stayed away from the porn thing, mainly because this is supposed to be an educational museum.
My favourite part was the first collection, which focused on sex and the animal kingdom. It went through regular sexual behavior, demystified the fact that animals have sex just for procreative purposes, and exposed the truth about same-sex and polygamous relationships in the animal kingdom. In other words, all these "extremes" in human sexuality are completely natural and also exist in more "primitive" animals. In fact, some primates have even been observed to trade sex for food and other goodies. Prostitution, it seems, is also natural.
I found it interesting to see that so many animals are asexual or have multiple or changing sexual organs. In other words, being female doesn't necessarily mean the animal is biologically female. It's a matter of attitude, not organs. A lot of sexual concepts that are tough to talk about in our modern world are shown here to be entirely natural and so, if closed-minded individuals took the time to examine the data, they'd realize that homosexuality and other touchy subjects should, in fact, be accepted by society at large. They've always existed, through evolution and through time, and should not be repressed. It was definitely the most enlightening part of my trip.
Armed with all this new knowledge, I headed to the shops. I purchased a few goodies from Bath and Body Works, then made my way to Century 21, where I ravaged through racks upon racks of discounted clothing. I ended up with 2 tops for myself, a couple of ties for family gifts, and some stuff for Ryan.
After that, I met up with my cousin for prayers, and we then found our way to Crumbs, a Manhattan area bakery that makes amazing cupcakes. We split a lemon cupcake and a large apple caramel cupcake that really tasted more like a delicious piece of cake. So moist, sweet but not too sweet. Perfect.
Late night snacking with one of Aleha's friends from school included a sushi delivery, left over dim sum, and that amazing apple cupcake.
Mmmmm...
*****
On my last full day in NYC, I decided to take it easy. NOT!
My full day started with a tour of the United Nations Headquarters in NYC. Well, not really. As soon as you pass through the gates at 45th St and 1st Avenue, you enter international territory. I think it's basically the only place in the world - apart from other UN buildings - where you can be in international territory, and not in a specific country, like in Embassies. Cross that one off my list!!
The tour itself was pretty uneventful. It included lots of information most educated people already know about the UN and its operations, in general. However, the bit of info I found most interesting was how every year, the UN draws from a list of countries to figure out who gets to sit at the front of the General Assembly. The tables are usually organized by alphabetical order, with 2 countries sharing each table, and about 3 seats each for delegates (I think). In theory, Afghanistan should be first, and Zimbabwe should be last. But since that's unfair, it changes every year, on the third Thursday of September, which is also when the "new" session of the GA starts. The GA sessions are always underway, in theory, with each year marking a full session.
As for the Security Council, it's on call 24/7. Emergency meetings, like the one called on August 8th when Russia and Georgia were going at it, can be called late at night - in this case, 11pm - and last into the wee hours of the morning, aka 4am. Members of the Security Council rotate every few years, which we already knew. What I didn't know is that if the meeting relates to a country that's not currently sitting on the council, representatives are invited to attend the otherwise closed meeting. The same is true for countries that hold a special interest in the subject of discussion. So if the topic was the war in Afghanistan and Canada was not part of the Council, we'd probably be invited in.
All in all, it was cool to just be there. Seeing some of the gifts donated by member countries to the UN was impressive as well. A few from Thailand were pretty spectacular, all covered in gold and intricately carved. Some countries have offered tapestries, some with global themes, others mostly just cultural and pretty. The only Canadian gift I could find was an Inukshuk that sits in the main lobby of the main building. It's a beautiful piece of work, but it's nothing compared to the lavish pieces some other countries have given.
After the tour, I went down to the gift shop, which also displayed Canada's lack of "typical" items. While some countries had shelves and shelves of cultural sculptures, fabrics and jewelry that could be purchased, Canada had a shelf and a bit, and a display of maple leaf broaches. I got myself a UN panda buddy and some gifts for random people.
Then, I rushed off to Grand Central Terminal to meet up with my friend and HIO co-conspirator Brian for lunch. We went to Oyster Park, which is known for its seafood, and it did not disappoint! I had a grilled Maine jumbo scallops with herbs dish, and it was to die for. Also, the conversation was great... The Habs being the main topic of discussion.
Once my tummy was full, I made my way to 59th St and 5th avenue to dance on the Giant Piano at FAO Schwartz. First off, let me confirm that this store is a designer toy store. It's got gigantic displays and it's like an enormous playground - just not in a tacky way. In fact, it's organized the way every parent wants their kids' toy rooms to be displayed. The dollhouse section was impressive, with its multiple fabric couches and tiny pillows to go along. There's an impressive lego collection and a big baby section too. The candy area is probably a parents' worse nightmare... hyper kids in a giant toy store? No thanks.
The piano was upstairs and definitely worth a visit. I was shy and didn't jump around too much, which is probably a good thing considering the little girls who were might have gotten crushed by my intervention ;) I did tiptoe around and took the "feet on piano" masterpiece photo. Next time, I hope to go with a couple of crazy friends and destroy the thing - musically, of course.
I decided to skip Macy's and Bloomingdales, because, honestly... they probably weren't that interesting anyway. I did make a pit stop at Lords & Taylor on an errand for my cousin, and so I got my fill of expensive branded department stores that are better in folklore than in reality.
Instead, I took the subway down to Union Square and toured the shops in the vicinity. I hit Forever 21, DSW and Filene's Basement. I was going to go into Strawberry, but that never happened. Which is probably a good thing, because by then, I was all shopped out.
At 6ish, I took the 42nd St crosstown to Pier 86 and borded a Circle Line Sightseeing tour. The Harbour Lights tour is a 2-hour trip that does a semi-circle around the southern tip of Manhattan Island during sunset. And it was gorgeous! I finally got to see the Statue of Liberty up close. The camera was freaking out due to the crazy twillight light, but I did manage to get some great shots. The tour itself was a suggestion from one of my friends. She'd done the 3-hour daytime tour, and as much as I loved the sunset, next time, I'll go during the day and circle the whole island.
Exhausted from a busy day, I headed home to leftover macaroni and cheese heart attack triangles from Maxies and delicious chocolate from Sarah. And then, just like that, my trip to NYC started to come to an end as the packing began.
*****
My Montreal-bound train left Penn Station at 8am, so I was an early riser at 6:30. I took a cab to the station because, lets face it, my purchases made my Beijing bag way heavier than it was coming in. The cab ride was interesting. I got to read the MSNBC ticker on their backseat monitor, and I guess I can now say I've ridden in a Big Apple yellow cab! I also got to see some of the landmarks I'd skipped out on, like Macy's (ugh) and Madison Square Gardens, which is actually where I went in to the train station.
This time, the ride took the correct amount of time, and I arrived safe and sound and sleepy in Montreal at 7:40pm. This time, I had to share seats since, despite my early arrival, the car was already full. I had an interesting experience with a Kahanwake woman sitting ahead of me, but most importantly, a made a new friend in Rachel, my seatmate. Actually, I was more like her seatmate. Either way, we chatted on and off throughout the trip and exchanged contact info on the way out. Hopefully, we'll stay in touch - though Facebook will make that much easier.
I finally got home at 9pm, pooped and hungry. And I still haven't unpacked.
Real "the last six months of my life" updates to come, I swear.
Stay tuned...
On Monday, I made my way to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, which, it turns out, is located right next to Rockefeller Plaza. Hence the "Rock". And therefore, I got to do an extra touristy thing I hadn't intended on doing. The sculpture was impressive, as were all the flags, but I must go back to NYC in the winter so I can skate at Rockefeller. It might be cheesy but I need to do it.
Also, next time I'm in town, I'm doing all the studio tours. I didn't realize NBC was in the vicinity or I would have planned to include that tour in my activities that day. I did get a bit of NBC history anyway, thanks to a short video on the way up to the "top of the rock". Not much I hadn't learned in History of Broadcast/Journalism, but some cool random timbits anyway.
I also caught a short video on being a Rockette, which totally makes me want to take a Christmas trip to NYC. There were actually 2 observation levels... three if you count the one on the roof, a mezzanine 10 steps above the "top" deck. I, of course, took pictures on all three of them, so I have many repeats. Also, I killed my battery, which means I had limited juice for the rest of the day.
The scenery itself was pretty impressive. You really get a feel for how large the city is in terms of buildings and so you wonder about just how many people, tangibly, live on Manhattan. It was a gorgeous day too, so the view was even more, well, scenic.
After Top of the Rock, I made my way to the NHL store, which wasn't very impressive. I actually was kind of disappointed. Their "largest hockey stick sculpture in North America" was just, eh. The NHL motorcycle was kinda cool... but wouldn't really stand out in a crowd, save for the miniature Stanley Cup replica on the back. The amount of gear they had was relatively low, and there was absolutely nothing from Alyssa Milano's "touch" collection, which really frustrated me, since that was basically the whole reason I went to the store. To see if they had more apparel than advertised online and to actually see and get a feel for it. In other words, sucky.
Before my Top of the Rock excursion, I'd made a pit stop at a lovely store called Anthropology, where I bought a heavily discounted gorgeous halter top. Apparently, they're trying to open stores in Toronto or Vancouver... I can't wait!
After the NHL store, I headed to the Museum of Sex, which is not a porn museum, for the record. Along the way, I caught a random sighting of the Flatiron building. Very cool.
The Museum featured 3 exhibitions at this time. The permanent collection, which takes a look at sex toys and sexual culture since way back, was on the 3rd floor. The second floor examines sex through film, from the early days when actors couldn't kiss for more than 3 seconds on screen to celebrity sex tapes and the emergence of sexually charged films. And porn. Though it stayed away from the porn thing, mainly because this is supposed to be an educational museum.
My favourite part was the first collection, which focused on sex and the animal kingdom. It went through regular sexual behavior, demystified the fact that animals have sex just for procreative purposes, and exposed the truth about same-sex and polygamous relationships in the animal kingdom. In other words, all these "extremes" in human sexuality are completely natural and also exist in more "primitive" animals. In fact, some primates have even been observed to trade sex for food and other goodies. Prostitution, it seems, is also natural.
I found it interesting to see that so many animals are asexual or have multiple or changing sexual organs. In other words, being female doesn't necessarily mean the animal is biologically female. It's a matter of attitude, not organs. A lot of sexual concepts that are tough to talk about in our modern world are shown here to be entirely natural and so, if closed-minded individuals took the time to examine the data, they'd realize that homosexuality and other touchy subjects should, in fact, be accepted by society at large. They've always existed, through evolution and through time, and should not be repressed. It was definitely the most enlightening part of my trip.
Armed with all this new knowledge, I headed to the shops. I purchased a few goodies from Bath and Body Works, then made my way to Century 21, where I ravaged through racks upon racks of discounted clothing. I ended up with 2 tops for myself, a couple of ties for family gifts, and some stuff for Ryan.
After that, I met up with my cousin for prayers, and we then found our way to Crumbs, a Manhattan area bakery that makes amazing cupcakes. We split a lemon cupcake and a large apple caramel cupcake that really tasted more like a delicious piece of cake. So moist, sweet but not too sweet. Perfect.
Late night snacking with one of Aleha's friends from school included a sushi delivery, left over dim sum, and that amazing apple cupcake.
Mmmmm...
*****
On my last full day in NYC, I decided to take it easy. NOT!
My full day started with a tour of the United Nations Headquarters in NYC. Well, not really. As soon as you pass through the gates at 45th St and 1st Avenue, you enter international territory. I think it's basically the only place in the world - apart from other UN buildings - where you can be in international territory, and not in a specific country, like in Embassies. Cross that one off my list!!
The tour itself was pretty uneventful. It included lots of information most educated people already know about the UN and its operations, in general. However, the bit of info I found most interesting was how every year, the UN draws from a list of countries to figure out who gets to sit at the front of the General Assembly. The tables are usually organized by alphabetical order, with 2 countries sharing each table, and about 3 seats each for delegates (I think). In theory, Afghanistan should be first, and Zimbabwe should be last. But since that's unfair, it changes every year, on the third Thursday of September, which is also when the "new" session of the GA starts. The GA sessions are always underway, in theory, with each year marking a full session.
As for the Security Council, it's on call 24/7. Emergency meetings, like the one called on August 8th when Russia and Georgia were going at it, can be called late at night - in this case, 11pm - and last into the wee hours of the morning, aka 4am. Members of the Security Council rotate every few years, which we already knew. What I didn't know is that if the meeting relates to a country that's not currently sitting on the council, representatives are invited to attend the otherwise closed meeting. The same is true for countries that hold a special interest in the subject of discussion. So if the topic was the war in Afghanistan and Canada was not part of the Council, we'd probably be invited in.
All in all, it was cool to just be there. Seeing some of the gifts donated by member countries to the UN was impressive as well. A few from Thailand were pretty spectacular, all covered in gold and intricately carved. Some countries have offered tapestries, some with global themes, others mostly just cultural and pretty. The only Canadian gift I could find was an Inukshuk that sits in the main lobby of the main building. It's a beautiful piece of work, but it's nothing compared to the lavish pieces some other countries have given.
After the tour, I went down to the gift shop, which also displayed Canada's lack of "typical" items. While some countries had shelves and shelves of cultural sculptures, fabrics and jewelry that could be purchased, Canada had a shelf and a bit, and a display of maple leaf broaches. I got myself a UN panda buddy and some gifts for random people.
Then, I rushed off to Grand Central Terminal to meet up with my friend and HIO co-conspirator Brian for lunch. We went to Oyster Park, which is known for its seafood, and it did not disappoint! I had a grilled Maine jumbo scallops with herbs dish, and it was to die for. Also, the conversation was great... The Habs being the main topic of discussion.
Once my tummy was full, I made my way to 59th St and 5th avenue to dance on the Giant Piano at FAO Schwartz. First off, let me confirm that this store is a designer toy store. It's got gigantic displays and it's like an enormous playground - just not in a tacky way. In fact, it's organized the way every parent wants their kids' toy rooms to be displayed. The dollhouse section was impressive, with its multiple fabric couches and tiny pillows to go along. There's an impressive lego collection and a big baby section too. The candy area is probably a parents' worse nightmare... hyper kids in a giant toy store? No thanks.
The piano was upstairs and definitely worth a visit. I was shy and didn't jump around too much, which is probably a good thing considering the little girls who were might have gotten crushed by my intervention ;) I did tiptoe around and took the "feet on piano" masterpiece photo. Next time, I hope to go with a couple of crazy friends and destroy the thing - musically, of course.
I decided to skip Macy's and Bloomingdales, because, honestly... they probably weren't that interesting anyway. I did make a pit stop at Lords & Taylor on an errand for my cousin, and so I got my fill of expensive branded department stores that are better in folklore than in reality.
Instead, I took the subway down to Union Square and toured the shops in the vicinity. I hit Forever 21, DSW and Filene's Basement. I was going to go into Strawberry, but that never happened. Which is probably a good thing, because by then, I was all shopped out.
At 6ish, I took the 42nd St crosstown to Pier 86 and borded a Circle Line Sightseeing tour. The Harbour Lights tour is a 2-hour trip that does a semi-circle around the southern tip of Manhattan Island during sunset. And it was gorgeous! I finally got to see the Statue of Liberty up close. The camera was freaking out due to the crazy twillight light, but I did manage to get some great shots. The tour itself was a suggestion from one of my friends. She'd done the 3-hour daytime tour, and as much as I loved the sunset, next time, I'll go during the day and circle the whole island.
Exhausted from a busy day, I headed home to leftover macaroni and cheese heart attack triangles from Maxies and delicious chocolate from Sarah. And then, just like that, my trip to NYC started to come to an end as the packing began.
*****
My Montreal-bound train left Penn Station at 8am, so I was an early riser at 6:30. I took a cab to the station because, lets face it, my purchases made my Beijing bag way heavier than it was coming in. The cab ride was interesting. I got to read the MSNBC ticker on their backseat monitor, and I guess I can now say I've ridden in a Big Apple yellow cab! I also got to see some of the landmarks I'd skipped out on, like Macy's (ugh) and Madison Square Gardens, which is actually where I went in to the train station.
This time, the ride took the correct amount of time, and I arrived safe and sound and sleepy in Montreal at 7:40pm. This time, I had to share seats since, despite my early arrival, the car was already full. I had an interesting experience with a Kahanwake woman sitting ahead of me, but most importantly, a made a new friend in Rachel, my seatmate. Actually, I was more like her seatmate. Either way, we chatted on and off throughout the trip and exchanged contact info on the way out. Hopefully, we'll stay in touch - though Facebook will make that much easier.
I finally got home at 9pm, pooped and hungry. And I still haven't unpacked.
Real "the last six months of my life" updates to come, I swear.
Stay tuned...
Monday, September 1, 2008
Goodbye Love
Yesterday was a day of goodbyes. After a good sleep-in, I made my way to the Bronx to catch the last game the Blue Jays will ever play at Yankee Stadium. Mostly, I just wanted to attend a Yankees game the old fashioned way.
The game itself was pretty okay. The Jays took an early lead and never let up... The final score was 6-2. My seats were fairly high up - read 3 rows from the top of the top - but it was about the experience, not the view.
Yes, I had a hot dog. I wanted to get Cracker Jacks, but that didn't end up happening. I'm just glad I got there in time for the National Anthems... and I stayed until Frank Sinatra's "New York New York" made its 3rd loop through the sound system.
Also, I got a better look at Alyssa Milano's "touch" line. Gorgeous! I can't wait until it's fully implemented in the NHL!
From Yankee Stadium, I made my way to Times Square where I took in the sights and lights... and the mind-numbing ads. I saw the indoor carousel at Toys 'r Us, NASDAQ, and more, then met Isabelle for supper. After a bit of a walk, we settled on our original choice: Joshua Tree, on Restaurant Row, aka 46th St between 8th and 9th avenue. Good food, decent service, nice location.
I ate quickly because I had to make my way to the Netherlander Theatre to see RENT! I took 41st street up simply because that's where the Theatre is located, and got lucky... Despite my rush, the traffic lights let me get a good glimpse and a fairly decent photo of the New York Times building.
Our seats for RENT! were provided for free from one of Aleha's med school classmates... and they were great seats! Orchestra level, section 110... Awesome. We had loads of fun. It was great to see the acting part of the musical. Because I own the soundtrack and know all the lyrics by heart - yes, I was a RENThead - I found it really interesting to see the interpretation of it, both stage and song wise. There were some voices that stood out, like Will Chase's, aka Roger. All in all, a great show, emotional in many ways... and great memories to preserve. Apparently by way of a RENT zip up hoodie.
After the show, we started a quest for food - that landed us in the gigantic M&M store. Wow. First off, I can't imagine why you'd want anything from T-shirts to oven mitts covered in the M&M brand... but people must buy it, because it's there! I, honestly, am all about the chocolate. So I got $17 worth of funky-coloured M&Ms - both regular and dark chocolate peanut.
Then, we crossed the street to the Hershey store. What a dissapointment!!
We also explored the Virgin Megastore. It was having some super sales, so I got a couple of DVDs and CDs. What an insanely huge store! So many goodies...
Finally, we stopped at Maxies for a late night bite to eat. We ordered sweet potato fries (Montreal's are better) and these to-die for (probably literally) deep-fried macaroni and cheese bites. Delicious!!!
Today, I'm off to shop around town. Stay tuned...
The game itself was pretty okay. The Jays took an early lead and never let up... The final score was 6-2. My seats were fairly high up - read 3 rows from the top of the top - but it was about the experience, not the view.
Yes, I had a hot dog. I wanted to get Cracker Jacks, but that didn't end up happening. I'm just glad I got there in time for the National Anthems... and I stayed until Frank Sinatra's "New York New York" made its 3rd loop through the sound system.
Also, I got a better look at Alyssa Milano's "touch" line. Gorgeous! I can't wait until it's fully implemented in the NHL!
From Yankee Stadium, I made my way to Times Square where I took in the sights and lights... and the mind-numbing ads. I saw the indoor carousel at Toys 'r Us, NASDAQ, and more, then met Isabelle for supper. After a bit of a walk, we settled on our original choice: Joshua Tree, on Restaurant Row, aka 46th St between 8th and 9th avenue. Good food, decent service, nice location.
I ate quickly because I had to make my way to the Netherlander Theatre to see RENT! I took 41st street up simply because that's where the Theatre is located, and got lucky... Despite my rush, the traffic lights let me get a good glimpse and a fairly decent photo of the New York Times building.
Our seats for RENT! were provided for free from one of Aleha's med school classmates... and they were great seats! Orchestra level, section 110... Awesome. We had loads of fun. It was great to see the acting part of the musical. Because I own the soundtrack and know all the lyrics by heart - yes, I was a RENThead - I found it really interesting to see the interpretation of it, both stage and song wise. There were some voices that stood out, like Will Chase's, aka Roger. All in all, a great show, emotional in many ways... and great memories to preserve. Apparently by way of a RENT zip up hoodie.
After the show, we started a quest for food - that landed us in the gigantic M&M store. Wow. First off, I can't imagine why you'd want anything from T-shirts to oven mitts covered in the M&M brand... but people must buy it, because it's there! I, honestly, am all about the chocolate. So I got $17 worth of funky-coloured M&Ms - both regular and dark chocolate peanut.
Then, we crossed the street to the Hershey store. What a dissapointment!!
We also explored the Virgin Megastore. It was having some super sales, so I got a couple of DVDs and CDs. What an insanely huge store! So many goodies...
Finally, we stopped at Maxies for a late night bite to eat. We ordered sweet potato fries (Montreal's are better) and these to-die for (probably literally) deep-fried macaroni and cheese bites. Delicious!!!
Today, I'm off to shop around town. Stay tuned...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
NYC: Day 1
Let us now ignore all the previous updates I have promised. I vow to keep that promise - just not now.
Day 1 (or 2, I guess, since I got in yesterday) was absolutely amazing.
It got off to a bit of a rocky start with my cousin's academic trials and tribulations (that's med school!) but we finally made our way out around 3pm and all was forgotten.
First, we headed to Chinatown and the famous Canal street. We were starving and had looked up places to eat on an absolute NYC resource in the matter: menuplaces.com
We chose to eat at Vegetarian Dim Sum, and it was awesome. There were so many options to choose from, and all of them vegetarian! They had mock meats, but there was no need to even dive into that. The portions were huge!! I mean, absolutely humongous! We ordered Spinach dumplings, spring rolls, and some Napa roll thing. And a fried noodles with spicy tofu dish. And a broccoli, bamboo shoots and black mushrooms platter. And brown rice. And some red bean cake for dessert. Also, based a the menuplaces review, we split a large glass of kiwi juice, and it was absolutely stunningly delicious. You could taste and feel the kiwis.
Needless to say it was way too much food and so we ended up bringing half of it home for a supper we're only now devowering.
Then we walked back to Canal street. I had a very important mission: find a new purse. It took many stores and a bit of haggling, but I got a gorgeous two toned blue purse for $25. Along the way, Aleha (the cousin in question) found a blue and black stunner - and we got that for $30 or so. And of course, who could resist the rows upon rows of sunglasses... especially at 2 for $10! Aleha and I tried on many pairs and made many funny faces. And now, I have red sunglasses. Awesome.
Eventually, we abandonned our original plan to go to SOHO - don't worry, it'll get done before I leave!
Instead, we went to the Lower Upper West Side (confused? Tell me about it!), searching for a bakery and a chocolate shop. We eventually found the Jacques Torres chocolate shop - what an amazing smell that place had - and got an ice cream cookie cake. It's heavenly. Especially on a hot muggy day like today.
We then decided to do groceries. At 9pm. Which I find totally awesome. In fact, the whole Upper West Side neighborhood was gorgeous. After groceries, we went to a 24h bagels place and bought some goodies for breakfast/brunch tomorrow. Then walked about 20 blocks to take the crosstown bus. Again, great walk. Easy too, despite the weight of all our bags.
So far, this has been an amazing trip. Aleha and I are having a blast together, and we actually get along super well - which is great given that we're sharing a really small space, and we've known each other for just under a year.
Tomorrow, I'm heading to Yankee Stadium to catch the Blue Jays in action, then meeting Isabelle and her crew for dinner in Times Square, before heading off to the Neatherlander Theatre to see RENT one last time. A night of goodbyes, it seems.
Stay tuned...
Day 1 (or 2, I guess, since I got in yesterday) was absolutely amazing.
It got off to a bit of a rocky start with my cousin's academic trials and tribulations (that's med school!) but we finally made our way out around 3pm and all was forgotten.
First, we headed to Chinatown and the famous Canal street. We were starving and had looked up places to eat on an absolute NYC resource in the matter: menuplaces.com
We chose to eat at Vegetarian Dim Sum, and it was awesome. There were so many options to choose from, and all of them vegetarian! They had mock meats, but there was no need to even dive into that. The portions were huge!! I mean, absolutely humongous! We ordered Spinach dumplings, spring rolls, and some Napa roll thing. And a fried noodles with spicy tofu dish. And a broccoli, bamboo shoots and black mushrooms platter. And brown rice. And some red bean cake for dessert. Also, based a the menuplaces review, we split a large glass of kiwi juice, and it was absolutely stunningly delicious. You could taste and feel the kiwis.
Needless to say it was way too much food and so we ended up bringing half of it home for a supper we're only now devowering.
Then we walked back to Canal street. I had a very important mission: find a new purse. It took many stores and a bit of haggling, but I got a gorgeous two toned blue purse for $25. Along the way, Aleha (the cousin in question) found a blue and black stunner - and we got that for $30 or so. And of course, who could resist the rows upon rows of sunglasses... especially at 2 for $10! Aleha and I tried on many pairs and made many funny faces. And now, I have red sunglasses. Awesome.
Eventually, we abandonned our original plan to go to SOHO - don't worry, it'll get done before I leave!
Instead, we went to the Lower Upper West Side (confused? Tell me about it!), searching for a bakery and a chocolate shop. We eventually found the Jacques Torres chocolate shop - what an amazing smell that place had - and got an ice cream cookie cake. It's heavenly. Especially on a hot muggy day like today.
We then decided to do groceries. At 9pm. Which I find totally awesome. In fact, the whole Upper West Side neighborhood was gorgeous. After groceries, we went to a 24h bagels place and bought some goodies for breakfast/brunch tomorrow. Then walked about 20 blocks to take the crosstown bus. Again, great walk. Easy too, despite the weight of all our bags.
So far, this has been an amazing trip. Aleha and I are having a blast together, and we actually get along super well - which is great given that we're sharing a really small space, and we've known each other for just under a year.
Tomorrow, I'm heading to Yankee Stadium to catch the Blue Jays in action, then meeting Isabelle and her crew for dinner in Times Square, before heading off to the Neatherlander Theatre to see RENT one last time. A night of goodbyes, it seems.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Update...
... in the works. Possibly next week.
There's a lot to talk about, including
1- Convocation
2- National ISTAR/Calgary
3- Stampede Documentary
4- Toronto/Olympics contract
And more...
Stay tuned!
There's a lot to talk about, including
1- Convocation
2- National ISTAR/Calgary
3- Stampede Documentary
4- Toronto/Olympics contract
And more...
Stay tuned!
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