Article Archive for February 2012
The Fitness Quest
My plan A was Goodlife Fitness, a gym with several locations in Ottawa. The membership fee being one of my main criteria, I went online to see how much it was. Surprise surprise, the fees were nowhere to be found. Instead, those interested in joining Goodlife where asked to provide their info to be contacted about plan rates.
Surprise Snow Storm
I was lucky to be home when the snowfall started, and bundled up like a snowman, I took a long walk with my camera. I loved the colours (or lack thereof) and the fact the sky and the ground seemed to blend perfectly. It was worth getting my hair frozen!
Picture of the Week: Gunball Machines
Although I’m not a huge fan of sweets and rarely have candy or chewing gum (I like mints, that’s about it!), I found these gumball machines at the mall very picturesque.
The Canadian Immigration Taboo: Those Who Go Back Home
All immigrants go through a phase in which they hate Canada. Sometimes it happens during the lengthy immigration process: it’s hard to keep faith when you have to deal with so many administrative requirements, and when your life is pretty much put on hold waiting for someone to take a decision about your future.
Winterlude 2012 in Gatineau
Ottawa has the best ice sculpture and the Rideau Canal to skate, but Winterlude in Gatineau, Quebec, is also a great playground for some winter fun. Although it no longer has the huge snow sculptures competition, a few impressive bas-reliefs are carved at the bottom of the main attraction: the giant snow/ice slides.
Picture of the Week: Maple Toffee
If you spend time outdoors and the temperature is below zero, you deserve a treat. At least, that’s what Canadians seem to think and it’s probably why maple toffee is so popular.
Canada’s trademark sweet is …
Canada is Huge
At school, I learned that the three largest countries in the world were Russia (and at the time, the USSR was larger than current-day Russia!), Canada and China. As a kid, it was hard to comprehend how big these territories actually were. But as a new Canadian, the country immediately struck me as humongous.
Macau Becomes the Las Vegas of Asia
Las Vegas spent decades as the undisputed king of the gambling block, but this has changed in recent years, with Macau passing the Vegas Strip in gambling revenues taken in during 2006—and never looking back. …
Winterlude 2012 in Ottawa
On the opening day and despite the very chilly wind, Confederation Park and the nearby portion of the Rideau Canal were packed. Confederation Park always has a nice collection of ice sculptures: small ones around the fountain and bigger ones around the park. You can even see sculptors, wearing thick gloves, at work with chainsaws and other power tools.
Picture of the Week: On The Rink
There is a little park in our neighbourhood, and each year the community puts up a homemade outdoor ice skating rink, also used for hockey practice by the kids. I snapped this picture when walking back from the supermarket, as a teen was lacing up his skates before hitting the ice.
