from ET to you

Random Las Vegas Night Shots

2007-03-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

The Bellagio Fountains Home for seven nights Bally's and Paris The Palace of Caesar

Random Las Vegas Interiors

2007-03-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

A partial shot of the Sports Book board in The Mirage Caesar's main lobby decorated for Chinese New Year Caesar's Pussycat Dolls table games Just outside famous Pure nightclub and the PCD Lounge

Random Las Vegas Celebs

2007-03-05T22:46:00.001-05:00

From L to R: Jennifer Tilly, Phil (the Unabomber) Laak, Don Cheadle, Gus Hansen, Erick Lindgren, Daniel NegreanuShana HiattShannon Elizabeth and Shana Hiatt

Random Las Vegas Casinos

2007-03-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

The Bellagio Paris New York, New York The Mirage

Random Las Vegas Food

2007-03-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Carnegie Deli's BLT & Chicken Salad Gargantuan Sandwich Carnegie Deli's Gargantuan Pile o' Pastrami One of Max's Cafe's cheap $8.99 pasta dinners Bellagio's Patisserie for crepes

Cesar's Place, Los Vegas!

2007-03-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

I recently got back from a week-long vacation in Las Vegas. Sheeeeyit. This city is all about EXCESS. Excessive "architecture." Excessive food. Excessive drinking. Excessive people. Excessive smoking. Excessive casinos. Excessive gambling. Excessive shops. Excessive prices. Excessive for the sake of excessive. You don't need more than three days to take in Vegas, but me and my poker buddies

Happy Holidays

2006-12-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

I have not abandoned this blog! I'll only have the statutory holidays off this Christmas season, but I'll try to recap what's happened in the past couple of months soon...

Runnin' and Boardin'

2006-11-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

I hate running. But I ran the Toronto Marathon's 5K back in October and I improved on my sub-30 minute goal - over a minute faster than my very first 5K race in August! I'm nowhere close to sub-25 minutes, but perseverance will be key. Sadly, I have not run at all for over three weeks as I've been skipping any form of cardio exercise. Why would anyone have to run for 5km or even 10km? Good For

California 2006 - Hills and Curves Next 63 Miles

2006-10-10T22:58:00.000-04:00

From one of many amazing 'visitor area' stops along California's famous Route 1 (aka PCH) highway. I drove my rented car from the San Francisco Bay Area down to the surrounding Los Angeles area. I had left Sunnyvale on Tuesday, September 20 at about 08:00 and reached Malibu just before 19:00 the same day. The last time I was in Cali, I went from Gilroy to Thousand Oaks in about 4.5 hours via I-5.

2006-10-10T22:55:00.000-04:00

Along Route 1, mist and fog clearing away for another sunny day in Cali.

California 2006 - Endless Beaches

2006-10-10T22:54:00.000-04:00

Intense beige and blue colours from vast Pismo Beach, CA.

2006-10-10T22:52:00.000-04:00

Less than 30 minutes away from Malibu, some kitesurfers along the Pacific Coast Highway.

2006-10-10T22:48:00.000-04:00

Concluding a long day of driving with a sunset in Malibu, CA.

2006-10-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

Taken from Laguna Beach, CA just off the PCH.

California 2006 - Mountain View and the Googleplex!

2006-09-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

I met up with TT at Google who graciously gave me a tour of his workplace and its awesome perks (i.e.: free food, drink, and snacks everywhere!). The Google cafeterias are stacked and I can see why TT has never had to buy groceries since moving here! Sadly, there is NO Google Store or Shop for souvenirs at the Googleplex, so I couldn't get any goodies to bring back.

California 2006 - San Francisco in the evening

2006-09-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

Some random shots of this great city...

2006-09-25T23:52:00.000-04:00

City skyline and the Bay Bridge at night

2006-09-25T23:51:00.000-04:00

Golden Gate Bridge at night

Golf and Dine

2006-09-09T20:56:00.000-04:00

This is one way I spent my TGIF afternoon - playing a round of golf at the Maples of Ballantrae Golf Club with colleagues! I have no idea what my score was after 9 holes but my "best" hole was a double bogey on a par 3. I suck. Thus, a new fall/winter goal is to hit the driving range and putting green. That also means I'll have to buy a putter and a driver (eventually). But it was definitely fun

Real Wild Aminals

2006-08-27T23:43:00.000-04:00

So imagine you're at the Cheetah Exhibit and there are two cheetahs just lounging around looking bored. Then you realize an out-of-place seagull lands and stops within 50 metres of one of the felines. The lying cat picks its head up and before you know it, it gets up and runs to the bird. You watch in disbelief as the seagull gets a running start for liftoff but suddenly the cheetah is RIGHT

Happy 1st Birthday JT

2006-07-30T21:56:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my nephew celebrated his very first birthday! Again. July 22nd is his actual birth date but my sister had a second party for friends and any family that couldn't make it to his first party. Lil' JT is now walking and is just adorable whenever he laughs at you and giggles. ---I overheard the following at JT's party. Note that the woman is married and brought her infant son as

2006 MIDBRF

2006-07-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was the 2006 Montreal International Dragon Boat Racing Festival and the first time team Swordfish (and the impromptu all-men's team of Lane 0) would be participating. Half of the Swordfishes left after 09:00 on Friday and got into Montreal after 15:00. I think each carpool managed to stop at the Big Apple restaurant/theme park off the 401! Once we figured out our sleeping

This is not my car or me driving

2006-07-09T23:38:00.000-04:00

With digital speedometers, how do you know what the car's limits are? *Disclaimer: Please obey all posted speed limits and the rules of the road. And if you're in the left lane and not passing, move to the right!

The Case of the Cravings

2006-07-06T23:03:00.000-04:00

You have to feel bad after eating ten - yes, ten - jalepeno cheeseburgers from White Castle for dinner. I mean, you *DO* feel bad after eating a third of a Crave Case. But how often do you get to enjoy those little sandwiches that practically melt in your mouth with a little kick? Actually, what's worse with this picture is that we drove around Richmond City, Indiana looking for some cold beer.

Way to Crash at the first turn McLaren-Mercedes

2006-07-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

This past long weekend was awesome: I drove down to Indianapolis, Indiana to watch the U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix qualifying and race; I got to "test" out my engine on some nice open highways; we had breakfast at the same IHOP on Saturday AND Sunday; and finally, my friends and I scored some great deals at the Prime Outlet in Grove City, Pennsylvania!---Too bad Alonso didn't continue with his

Helping Ontario's Economy

2006-06-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

Back on May 13 I test drove a new Civic with a standard transmission. After many months of research, waiting, and comparing, I knew it was the car for me - so I put in my order that same day. Nearly four weeks later, I was able to pick up my Galaxy Grey (aka "pewter") Honda Civic Coupe last Thursday. I'll post pictures once I take some... I've been busy learning the ways of a manual transmission.

Big 2

2006-05-27T18:22:00.000-04:00

Celebrating my very happy niece's second birthday!

Racing Cousins (Sort of)

2006-05-27T18:19:00.000-04:00

My "grown-up" nephew JT is now 10 months old and almost ready to walk! There's happy Kaitlyn ready to race her cousin...

Where'd Everyone Go?

2006-04-15T18:27:00.000-04:00

Little nephew Jax crawling and exploring his little indoor playground on Easter weekend...

Whistler, anyone?

2006-04-14T16:26:00.000-04:00

Snowboards > skiis

Gnarly dude

2006-04-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

Carving it up on Whistler's beginner's hill! Note how I'm not face-planting this time around.

How's the weather in Vancouver?

2006-04-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

It's overcast of course. But honestly, this city is truly amazing and when it's sunny, it's even better. Taken from Stanley Park.

Snow in Whistler?

2006-04-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

Yes, there's definitely still snow in April. The air felt fresher and cleaner up here, and this section wasn't scary at all.

Heading down wow

2006-04-14T16:06:00.000-04:00

Far below is the quaint (and expensive) Whistler Village and surrounding town. A 360 degree shot would reveal more of the same snow-covered mountains from atop Whistler - breathtaking! Here, some skiers headed down a black diamond run which I gladly avoided.

Own the Inukshuk 2010

2006-04-14T15:58:00.000-04:00

From Whistler's peak!

Going Up

2006-04-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

It was supposed to mostly rain during the week of April 3 - 7, but everyday but Monday was like this - sunny!

Blackcomb, BC

2006-04-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

From Blackcomb's "easy" green trail, looking at a portion of Whistler mountain's many runs. The Easiest Route isn't so easy after three consecutive days of learning how to snowboard - it's not wide enough and it drops off like a cliff along the edge. I stayed on Whistler after finally reaching Blackcomb's gondola.

Whistler, BC

2006-04-14T15:45:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C. What a vacation!

Don't call it a comeback

2006-03-25T20:35:00.000-05:00

Only one more week until my first ever official vacation from work!I still don't know how to snowboard but learning how to in Whistler couldn't be a bad idea. Hopefully my snowboardin' cousins from Cali can teach this Canadian a few pointers (!) After last week's snowboarding lesson at Lakeridge, knee pads and some kind of buttpad are on my "don't forget to buy" list... but I'm really looking

What am I doing in 2006?

2006-01-26T00:39:00.000-05:00

Work.A new computer that isn't 100% healthy.Work.Bought airfare to get to Whistler in early April.Work.Rented a 300 along with some buddies and enjoyed the North American International Auto Show and White Castle Slyders. Can't say the same about downtown Detroit.Work.Ottawa Winterlude in February... ?...Yup, I'm extremely busy with work lately and will continue to be until I take my vacation (

Who Needs a PDA?

2006-01-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

I'm going to share with you a tip or a 'cool thing I do' with Google's Gmail. (Surely you have an account by now!)Labels are Your FriendSome people don't use labels but I've been using them from the start. They're basically folders and get around the inability to cut-and-paste or drag-and-drop email within a Web-based interface. If you use Flickr or del.icio.us (both now owned by Yahoo!), then

It's That Time of Year Again

2006-01-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

So back in June 2005 I listed three personal development goals (PDG): read 5 books, work-out regularly, and don't sleep in on workdays. I've accomplished the first two, but the third goal is not so 'easy' to maintain.I'm currently enjoying Michael Crichton's latest novel, "State of Fear." Who knew global environmental issues could be so intriguing...I will continue to maintain or strive to reach

Whoops

2005-12-27T14:13:00.000-05:00

Boxing Day 2005 was a dud. Sure, Scarborough Town Centre was jam-packed but there were no real deals to be had this year. ...So a couple of friends and I went to the same hot pot as before last night. I think my original post was a little too exuberant. The sequel was not as good (they didn't have the satay soup base available, they kept running out of beef, the veggies didn't seem as fresh, they

Meet your Cousin (2 of 2)

2005-12-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Kaitlyn is very happy with her Pooh bear!

Meet your Cousin (1 of 2)

2005-12-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

Silly rabbit, Christmas is for kids! My niece and nephew just happen to match as they pose in front of paparazzi. What a cute and funny moment!

Plaid Chillin'

2005-12-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

Here's my adorable nephew, JT, just relaxing during his very first Christmas!

The New AYCE

2005-12-17T17:31:00.000-05:00

First there was the Chinese buffet. That got boring and greasy quickly. Then came AYCE Korean BBQ. Now that was a totally different kind of dining experience. But that was usually just plain meat and rice and some kimchi dishes. Then there is AYCE Japanese food offering an assortment of dishes. Whether it's raw, fried, or grilled, you know you're not eating ordinary food. But I had another

Yuletide Cheers

2005-12-17T17:21:00.000-05:00

Although I haven't posted in a while, this December has been a busy and eventful time - especially when it comes to work! Company Christmas parties are awesome. It's always great to see your colleagues not preoccupied about work and just having a good time. On the 7th my fellow consultants had a great dinner (and "open" bar) over at the Miller Tavern in midtown. "Open" because yes, the drinks

Craptors and Paper Towels

2005-12-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege and the torment to watch two live Toronto Raptors games this past week at the ACC. The first had the Dallas Mavs visiting and that was a really great game to witness. I knew Jason Terry would take their last shot but his buzzer beater wasn't the outcome I was hoping for. At least the seats my uncle got were great: Row 6 in Section 118 - the closest I've been yet! Then on

Happy November Birthdays

2005-11-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

November is a busy birthday month. My grandmother's, a couple of cousins', a sister's, many friends, and my own (can you say quarter of a century? yikes!) all fall in this month. Happy Birthday to all!...I finished reading C.S. Lewis' "The Horse and His Boy," and the following week I had read "Prince Caspian." I read somewhere online that Prince Caspian may be made into a film after The Lion, the

Wake Me Up When October Ends

2005-10-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

I've just finished reading C.S. Lewis' "The Magician's Nephew," which is the prequel to "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." This novel was short and other than some British countryside dialogue, a pleasure to read. There are some obvious influences from the Bible, the usual Good vs. Evil theme, and even World War II surprisingly. As it's aimed towards children I'll accept the

Turkey Day

2005-10-10T22:54:00.000-04:00

Kaitlyn says: Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (She can't talk yet - but enjoy the food, friends, family, and the holiday!)

Grading the 2005-06 TV Season

2005-10-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

(Updated 2005.10.10) I personally don't own a TV but I still manage to watch new shows - albeit a few days later than the original airing. Below is my first report card of some new (and returning) programs, in no particular order. 2005 World Series of Poker: 99%. You can't go wrong with the biggest hold'em poker tournament(s) in the world. Please replace Norman Chad or get him to stop trying to

Paddling and Hot Ice Cream

2005-09-27T20:05:00.000-04:00

The fat lady has sung for my dragon boat season of 2005. Riptide (& friends) won 3 out of 5 "events" at last Saturday's Hamilton festival: 250m final, 2000m, and a 2-boat relay race. Everyone got to paddle and paddle some more - up to 7 different races in fact! How is this possible? When only 6 teams show up and a majority are newbies, there's bound to be empty seats and a schedule to fill up.

Dragon Boat and PDG Update

2005-09-22T23:39:00.000-04:00

Whoa, didn't realize my blog hasn't been updated in a while. This past Saturday I paddled with UW Swordfish and we brought home hardware again! We won our B Division Consolation final in Stratford and finished the 2005 season on a very positive note. We did only 3 races but each was crucial and literally treated as our last race of the season ever. In our first race we were neck-and-neck with the

The Best There Ever Was...

2005-09-07T00:08:00.000-04:00

"...The best there ever will be." - Dedicated November 1, 1994. United Center, Chicago.

What is the Purpose of Your Visit?

2005-09-06T23:49:00.000-04:00

Besides having our rental car and belongings inspected by U.S. Immigration officers, the Labour Day weekend was a blast as the usual suspects (RC, MS, and myself) went for a road trip. We crossed six states and spent all day Sunday in the Chicago area. Yes, we even had White Castle burgers - mmm... Jalapeno Doubles. Dammit, now I'm craving for some. The waterfront in downtown Chicago was a sight

What about you?

2005-08-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

If you're Filipino or are trained in the culinary arts of the Philippines, you'll love my nephew's little shirt.

Good Ol' Times

2005-08-23T22:03:00.000-04:00

The Swordfish DBC raced at the London Dragon Boat Festival last Saturday and came away with silver in B-Division! Awesome racing everyone! It rained at times but overall this regatta was a blast and it was great to be paddling with the old gang again.

Mashimaro Madness

2005-08-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you drive back to your alma mater's hometown to stay overnight in order to be closer to a dragon boat festival. The ensuing hilarity last weekend was priceless...

Whatawasaga Weekend

2005-08-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

Had an awesome weekend at Wasaga Beach and a friend-of-a-friend's cottage off of the Tiny Beaches area. I didn't take any beach photos but let me say it was just perfect to hang out with the Swordfish dragon boat crew once again. From beach v-ball, football, ultimate, and pathetic attempts at swimming on my part... it's been worth it for the sun burns and peeling skin. The cottage beach was nicer

The Other T-dot or T.O.

2005-08-09T22:37:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday, I drove my mom down to the other T.O. we know - Thousand Oaks, California - just outside of Los Angeles County. It was a 4.5 hour trip from Gilroy as we did some shopping at the outlets. The drive was very enjoyable as I rented a Mazda6 (Sport with a 6-speed manumatic V6) from Tuesday to Sunday that week (Thanks D!). We stayed at my uncle's house and, as in Sunnyvale/San Jose the

Reunited Again

2005-08-09T22:24:00.000-04:00

I was in Sunnyvale, California last week as my grandmother was laid to rest with my grandfather. I won't delve into details but my cousins and father gave moving and emotional eulogies at the viewing. It was tough holding back the tears; relatives had traveled from all over North America to say goodbye but to always remember; some could not recognize me as we haven't come together since my

Goin' Back to Cali...

2005-07-31T23:57:00.000-04:00

I'm going to California for the rest of this week for my grandmother's funeral. She fought off the last stage of Alzheimer's disease as long as she could. We'll all greatly miss Lola as she was a strong-willed, funny, and good woman. I wish I had kept in touch with her more often over these years - like sending a card to say hello and how I'm doing - even if she wouldn't remember who I am. It's a

Template Reloaded

2005-07-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

I changed the Blogger template from "Rounders 3" to a slightly customized "Minima". I might switch to "Minima Blue" if the dark-on-light colours become 'boring' to me. Hmm...the boredom is starting already. But I like its simplicity.

Two and a Half Days Old

2005-07-25T21:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my family and I visited the latest bundle of joy in our lives - my new nephew! So what do very newborn babies do? They love staring at you while you hold them. They sleep a lot. They cry a lot. They pee a lot. And they poo a lot. He's wonderful.

A New Addition to the Family

2005-07-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

My first nephew, Jackson Thomas, was born early this morning! Or should that be multiple exclamation marks, eh Seinfeld fans? Anyhow, all are doing well as my sister called me at work this morning and told me her wonderful news. After work I went to the hospital to see the new parents and their adorable baby boy. "Jax" (or maybe "JT"?) was very quiet during the visit and weighed in under 7 lbs (

Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight

2005-07-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

Most of the Slushee Gang went to the movies last night and first up was Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. This is what cinema is about - watching characters you care about develop around a sensible plot (yes, you do still need suspension of disbelief) and watching detailed and imaginative sights and sounds. I can't remember when I last read the book and I don't believe I ever saw the original

Your student.cs account has expired

2005-07-17T22:05:00.000-04:00

That was the email subject sent to my old UW email account just over a month ago. Today's the official expiration date for my CS undergrad account and I've copied off any files from my user directory for sentimental value. There's some truth in the last statement as my webspace that I first populated way back in my 1B Winter 2000 term for an online essay assignment still shows up if you Google

Fair Consorts, let us alight...

2005-07-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

"When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done.""But battles are ugly when women fight."" - he had just time to duck down and plunge his sword, as hard as he could, between the brute's forelegs into its heart.""... and both girls flung themselves upon him and covered him with kisses.""He was covered with blood, his mouth was open, and his

Missing Collar Bones...

2005-07-13T22:36:00.000-04:00

Forget about the abyss in your dryer where missing socks go after doing laundry - where the heck do those little plastic "bones" in shirt collars disappear to?? Of course, some shirts have that part of the shirt collar sewn shut so the plastic is forever trapped. Brilliant. Or is it? How does a removable or permanent "collar stay" indicate quality and durability of a shirt? From the few shirts I

PDG Update

2005-07-09T18:41:00.000-04:00

I finished reading "Jack: Straight From the Gut" on Monday and am halfway through "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." I've been real busy reading the latter during my brief sub-10 minute commutes - I haven't had time to read the book while at home since I wasn't there much of this week. As for what did I think of the former? The autobiography was mostly dry as Mr. Welch would mention some GE

Happy 138th Birthday Canada!

2005-07-03T13:16:00.000-04:00

Canada Day 2005: a nighttime shot of Horseshoe Falls with blue and purple lighting effects.

The Riptide Dragon Boat Crew

2005-06-28T21:35:00.000-04:00

Here's the full Riptide Dragon Boat Crew team photo and our great uniforms!

A Good Showing for Riptide B

2005-06-28T21:27:00.000-04:00

TCBA Jr.'s Riptide B team finished 3rd in the Industries Final B race this past Sunday, at the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival (TIDBRF). A lot of new faces to the sport in general were on the B team and hopefully this will make them want to improve and come back even better!

Personal Development Goal Updates

2005-06-27T23:38:00.000-04:00

I'm half-way through reading "Jack: Straight From the Gut" and am understanding just how smart Jack Welch is as a business leader and why he might rightfully deserve his outrageous pension plan and retirement benefits from GE... I cracked open C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" while on Centre Island this past weekend. I don't remember when I last read this novel but I'm going to

Personal Development Goal #1 Update

2005-06-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

I'm currently reading "Jack: Straight From the Gut" by Jack Welch. It may seem like a strange selection but reading the autobiography of the former GE CEO and about his management style and insights could prove beneficial in my own career development and future business aspirations.Note: Regarding PDG #1, these will be actual paperback/hardcover books and not e-books.

Writing It Down Helps

2005-06-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

After reading this blog entry a few weeks ago on waking up early, it occurred to me how unproductive each day is for me. There's room for personal development in everyone and I'm far from being an exception. So here's a short list of attainable personal development goals (PDG) I'm setting and I'll post updates on their progress as the year goes on. To improve my degrading and embarassingly

City Skyscrapers

2005-06-16T00:17:00.000-04:00

Toronto's new skyline: high-rise condominiums, new high-rise condominiums, the "Rogers Centre," some tower overlooking the new high-rise condominiums, some high-rise condominiums, and some more new high-rise condominiums. This was taken from the ferry on my way to volunteer for the Nike RunTO 10KM run on Sunday, May 29, 2005.

Mercedes-McLaren Anyone?

2005-06-16T00:09:00.000-04:00

The 2005 Grand Prix of Canada winner, Kimi Raikkonen, taking his victory lap with Michael Schumacher trailing him - just as he was doing for the last remaining dozen laps.

Untitled (How Can This Happen To Me)

2005-06-16T00:08:00.000-04:00

At the end of the Formula 1 race (the very last event on Sunday), Montreal's own Simple Plan performed for the thousands of racing fans

Coming to You From Grandstand 33

2005-06-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here's another angle from my seating area with the 2 Renault cars (Fisichella and Alonso) winding their way out of a few turns. I happily sat on the stairs for more leg room and space instead of the cramped seats we paid for! Next time, just buy General Admission tix...

Real Zoom Zoom

2005-06-15T23:54:00.000-04:00

Here's a glimpse of one of the 2 leading (at the time) Renault cars as it accelerates out of the first intermediate. This was taken from grandstand #33 with Montreal in the background.

Montreal / Grand Prix Weekend

2005-06-13T01:13:00.000-04:00

Why is blogging so hard? I say because it's so easy not to post to your own blog. And that I never post often enough to make it a habit. So here's my first post in a looooooong time. Attending my first Grand Prix of Canada (or any GP for that matter) was amazing - the sights, the incredible sounds, and the hot weather made it another memorable experience. Sunday had fantastic weather for race

Genius in the Family

2005-03-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Quite possibly the cutest goofy pic of my niece! Reminds me of the b&w Einstein photo with a similar expression.

Flickr

2005-01-27T07:52:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

I wish

2004-12-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Wow Christmas Eve already. I now know what Santa should be bringing me tomorrow: an alarm clock radio that plays MP3s and can double as a digital picture frame (all uploaded via USB or some memory card format). Of course, I have not seen nor heard of such an amazing product in existence... yet. Enough greediness for the year, I really just want some form of gratifying employment. After seeing Elf

The Google Supremacy

2004-12-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a happy slave in Google's ever-growing empire - e.g. I don't email people, I gmail them; this blog, Picasa, and Hello (the latter three which are very well-integrated and free I must add). After having spent days uploading pictures onto my Imagestation in a painfully slow and manual process, there must be a better way for creating online albums with hundreds of images and captions...

Now online: Eurotrip of 2004 Album

2004-12-22T15:07:00.000-05:00

Well it wouldn't have been a trip through Europe without photos... so view my first album, "London, UK" along with my 20 other Europe albums here: Eurotrip 2004

2004.10.20 in Frankfurt to Toronto

2004-12-19T16:52:00.000-05:00

Arrived in Frankfurt/Main just after 06:00 and noticed the night skyline of financial skyscrapers in the distance. This was the only city in Europe we saw that had a visible skyline. Very Toronto-like but missing the CN Tower. Once again, Germany's rail system is remarkably integrated all over the country and this central city is no exception. (We heard that the Swiss rail system is the best in

2004.10.19 in Prague

2004-12-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Last day in Praha and this meant saying goodbye to the fall colours along the Vltava river and one last amazing meal at Pravek Restaurant. Along with trying a new main course once again, we also ordered the Alaskan salmon caviar appetizer (came to roughly $10CDN) and some ice cream for dessert. 4 pints of Staropramen beer, caviar, 2 desserts and 2 delicious main courses came to a total of $50CDN

2004.10.16 - 2004.10.18 in Prague

2004-12-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to delve into little details (like how we washed our clothes in the bathroom sink and hung-dried them all over the room) but basically these 3 days consisted of the following routine (more or less*): 1. Wake up in early afternoon 2. Head over to Internet cafe and kill an hour or two 3. Walk to nearby Pravek Cave Restaurant for "lupper" 4. Head over to Banco Casino after 20:00 and

2004.10.15 to Prague

2004-12-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

So now we're finally on our way back to Prague to end our Eurotrip in style - hopefully as big hold'em poker winners! We've been impressed with zee Germans and their Deutsche Bahn rail transit system from our previous 3 trips: efficient, modern, and most of all, always-on-time trains. They even had trip schedule brochures placed in every row detailing all the stops and the accurate arrival times.

2004.10.14 in Amsterdam

2004-12-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Freakin' eh. We checked out in the morning as we were going to stay in Amsterdam for just one night. But whaddya know - a nationwide transit strike took place today and all national and international rail traffic came to a halt. There goes our plans of reaching Prague tonight! Quickly left Centraal Station and went back to the hostel to try and get accomodation as other travellers were realizing

2004.10.13 to Amsterdam

2004-12-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

After we had checked in our bags, we went to the security gates and after being motioned aside, I then realized I forgot about my Swiss Army knife still left in my daypack. Oh crap. Guess I couldn't pull a fast one on these Catalayans... Luckily I was still able to check-in my daypack as a second item with no penalty fees, but it was really weird not wearing the daypack. Slept during the 2 hour

2004.10.12 in Barcelona

2004-12-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

Today's weather in Barcelona: overcast with chance of light rain. That ends our streak of crap-free weather for some time. But we checked out Placa de Catalunya (this public square is nothing great IMHO) and again cruised down La Rambla. We had tapas for lunch in the fantastic fresh food market, Mercat de la Boquería, located near Liceu Station (Metro Line 3). The assorted dishes were good; I

2004.10.11 in Barcelona

2004-12-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

We had planned on going on a mini side quest for those Fournier plastic playing cards but today turned out to be a national holiday (Columbus Day) and most everything was closed. At least the rail station Passeig de Gracia was open and found out that taking trains to Brussels via Paris was expensive; as was going to Zurich and then Brussels. So we decided to go with the low-fare airline Ryanair

2004.10.10 in Barcelona

2004-12-02T15:57:00.000-05:00

Enroute to Barcelona our rail tickets weren't checked either. WTF. The Spanish countryside was beautiful as we were following the eastern coast from Port Bou on. Unfortunately we passed the Pyrenees mountains overnight... The train stopped at Barcelona's Passeig de Gracia station but we decided to go to the next stop at Sants. Turns out de Gracia is closer to where we wanted to go but no worries.

2004.10.09 in Paris

2004-12-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

Decided to make reservations and buy rail tickets for our night train to Barcelona at Paris Lyon station. We didn't want to get screwed over on not having a seat/bed or pay hefty supplement fares... At the station we bought some stamps and upon telling the "Tabac" clerk en francais I wanted X number of stamps, he said my French was good (take that Le!) since I also asked first-off 'parlez vous

2004.10.08 in Paris

2004-12-02T01:15:00.000-05:00

While Le slept off another korean breakfast, I wasn't tired so I worked on this travel log and chatted with some of the korean girls staying in the homestay. They had learned English many years ago in South Korea but if you don't use it, you forget it (just like my French). It was fun trying to interpret what they were trying to ask me to translate into english from their fluent french or korean