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Picture of the Week: On The Rink

Zhu — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:00:41 +0000

On The Rink, Ottawa, February 2012

Everybody knows that Canadians can be passionate about things the rest of the world doesn’t care much about, such as Tim Hortons’ coffee, the weather or hockey. But at least, we don’t complain too much about the cold—or if we do, it’s because it’s really cold.

Ironically, it’s almost warmer than in Europe right now, even though some days are quite chilly with temperatures below – 10°C (see, I’m being Canadian, talking about the weather!). This doesn’t mean that people stay home: with Winterlude under way and Hockey Day in Canada coming up soon, I’ve seen a lot of folks on the ice or around ice sculptures this week.

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.

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Rediscovering Canada – Things To See and Do If You Live in Canada

Zhu — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:47:04 +0000

Often, when we consider taking a vacation, we do not necessarily think about places within our own country, as the trend is very much about vacationing abroad. Residents of Canada will already know that it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world but may not be aware of how much there is that they can do without having to cross a border.

City dwellers, who perhaps live close to work or who rely on public transport, might want to consider hiring a car for a week or two so that they can make the most of their vacation time and see as much as possible. However, there are plenty of attractions within the cities which are perfect for a day out with the family. The CN Tower in Toronto is the one of the tallest buildings in the world and visitors are able to go right to the top. The SkyPod at the tower is officially the highest observation deck in the world and those who brave it certainly need a head for heights.

The end of January is a good time to visit the city of Quebec as there is a winter carnival held there each year which is one of the largest in the world. People take part in parades at night, ice fishing, sleigh rides, concerts and ice-skating. The carnival has a winter theme and visitors to the area can even stay in an ice hotel. Enthusiasts of winter sports can also visit areas such as Whistler Blackcomb which is one of the largest resorts in the world for snowboarding and skiing.

If hiring a car a visit to one of the less populated provinces of the country is a good idea. At the town of Churchill, located in Manitoba visitors have the opportunity of watching the polar bears, although it is important to visit at the right time. September is the time of year that the bears pass by the town on their move between the ice and the land.

Spending time in the great outdoors is just one of the many benefits to living in Canada and whether you prefer hiking, cycling or horse riding, there is a wealth of locations to choose from. Hiring a car means that you could use your vacation time to visit more than one of the country’s areas of outstanding natural beauty.

The Rocky Mountains are one of the country’s big attractions and there should be no excuse for those who live in Canada not taking the time to see them at least once. The train journey from Vancouver to Jasper is a popular option for those who want to see this part of the world close up. In the heart of this region is Banff National Park. This has been given World Heritage Site status and it is a good place to visit for those who enjoy winter sports. Alternatively a trip to Peggy’s Cove is ideal for all the family. The lighthouse there is one of the most famous buildings in Canada and tourists flock there at all times of the year.

This article is a guest post.

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Picture of the Week: Snow Melting

Zhu — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:15:36 +0000

Snow Melting on the Driveway, Ottawa, December 2011

So far, we have had two snowfalls. Nothing dramatic for December, really. And both times, the snow melted almost right away, leaving seasoned Canadians relieved and new Canadians (like Anaïs and Lily!) hoping for more.

I used to be very excited to see snow but the novelty ran out after two of three winters here. The first snowfall is often beautiful and it’s weird to see the city blanketed in white—the change of scenery is brutal, especially when it’s very cold and snow does stay on the ground. But Canada’s harsh winters can also be a pain, a hindrance to everyday life. Indeed, snow is beautiful when you are cozy at home, sipping a hot chocolate wrapped in a blanket with a good book. On the other side, commuting to work, going grocery shopping or simply getting out of the house becomes a challenge.

Every year, OCTranspo seems to discover it operates in a city where snow is a reality of life from December to April. Canadians, usually polite and natural behind the wheel, get completely confused and accidents are to be expected. We are all affected by the weather.

But for now, no more snow. We’ll see what this winter will brings us.

My Travel ABC

Zhu — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:15:12 +0000

The World, Ottawa, October 2011

Katherina’s motto is “Eat, Travel, Photography”—with such a tagline, it’s not wonder that I’m reading her articles religiously! Her travel blog, 100 Miles Highway, can give you a pretty bad case of wanderlust.

She recently completed her Travel ABC, and tagged me for this special travel meme.

A: Age you went on your first international trip: I didn’t travel much when I was a kid and I’ve never been abroad with my parents. It’s actually a mystery: where did I get the travel bug from? My first trip abroad was a school trip to the U.K when I was 12 years old.

B: Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: I don’t drink! Okay, I guess Brahma Beer in Brazil. It’s a classic.

C: Cuisine (favorite): I’m a foodie and I love Chinese food, especially Northern Chinese cuisine with the 包子, 饺子 etc. Second choice would be Italian—I’m a pasta lover.

D: Destinations: favorite, least favorite and why: My favorite destination is always China. I’ve been there five times and I’m still in awe. There is always something new to discover in this ever-changing country. Besides, that’s where I caught the travel bug. Least favorite would be Panama. Some parts of the country are nice but Panama City is pretty rough (see our experience in 2001), let alone the eastern part of the country.

E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: So many! The Carnival in Brazil, New Year’s Eve in Sydney, the Olympic Games in Beijing… One of the unforgettable and unfortunate events I witnessed was the “pesificación” in Argentina in 2002. We arrived in Buenos Aires during the peak of the economic crisis.

F: Favorite mode of transportation: In Europe, the train. Anywhere else, the bus. Not that it’s the most comfortable way to travel, but it takes you pretty much anywhere.

G: Greatest feeling while traveling: The freedom. Nothing matters anymore but looking around you and making your way somewhere. It’s a “back to basics” experience: you have to find shelter and food every day.

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Well, it was above 40°C in Ottawa last summer! Okay, abroad, it is between Panama, Porto Alegre (Brazil), Queensland (Australia) and Singapore. Beijing summers are brutal too.

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: I’ve had good experiences worldwide. It goes with the attitude I think.

J: Journey that took the longest: By plane, probably my Sydney-Hong Kong-Paris flight in 2003. I was supposed to have a few hour stop-over in Hong Kong but because of the SARS epidemic, passengers were rushed to the connecting plane right away, so it felt like a long 20+ hours flight. By bus… about two weeks to get out of Patagonia. By train, the crazy three-day trip from Sydney to Perth, crossing the Nullarbor.

K: Keepsake from your travels: A jade pendant I always wear. I bought it in New Zealand in 2003.

L: Let-down sight, why and where: Glacier Martial in Patagonia! Someone should have told me that it was summer over there and that the glacier was pretty much melted. Besides, I’ve seen ice and snow on the ground before!

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: When I went to China by myself as a 16 years old. I loved being in a foreign country and I met a lot of people from all around the world. That’s when I realized I didn’t have to stay where I was born, and that I wanted to explore the world.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: I have a great memory of a hotel in Helsinki. To be fair, it was probably fairly standard but we were coming back from China. Western toilets and a comfy bed with a soft mattress made my night.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling? People! I love street photography and I never get tired of observing locals.

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where? Oh boy… too many to count. Currently on my Canadian passport: multiple U.S. stamps, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the U.K, and Schengen. Many more in my old French passports!

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: Probably Leon Trotsky’s house in Mexico City in 2001.

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: A safe place to stay. I had my share of dorms and shady hotels. I reached a point where I have no problem sleeping in a four– or six-bed dorm once in a while and sharing a bathroom, but I want a place without bedbugs and cockroaches.

T: Touristy thing you’ve done: All the attractions in Paris with Feng, including climbing the Eiffel Tower. It was actually a lot of fun to be in France as a tourist.

U: Unforgettable travel memory: Reaching Ushuaia in Patagonia, staying on a off the beaten path island in Thailand, beach-bumming in Australia…

V: Visas, how many and for where? I haven’t had to apply for a visa with my Canadian passport yet. With my French passport, I got five visas to China, a six-month tourist visa for Australia, a working holiday visa for Canada, and later my permanent residence visa for Canada.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? Argentina! Red wine and a great steak in Buenos Aires.

X: eXcellent view and from where? From the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, the Peace Tower in Ottawa, Marina Bay in Singapore, Observatory Road in Los Angeles…

Y: Years spent traveling? Well, I’ve been backpacking since I’m 16, so 12 years I guess. On and off though.

Z: Zealous sports fans and where? Football fans in Argentina, around the La Bombonera. That’s where you do not wear a Brazilian football jersey!

I’d like to tag:

Picture of the Week: Man on the Roof

Zhu — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:10:52 +0000

Man of the Roof, Ottawa, November 2011

As the joke goes in Canada, we have two seasons: winter and construction. And with winter approaching fast, the city is trying to wrap up many construction projects, but some roads are still a mess.

Take Carling for instance, who made it several times on the Ontario’s worst roads list (yes, such list exist). It’s been in construction at Merivale and Kirkwood for ages… and like many construction projects, it dragged on and was delayed numerous times. It’s not expected to be completed before the end of 2012 now.

The Ottawa construction projects map is kind of scary actually. It’s a fun game of hide and seek between construction workers, drivers and commuters—which road will be close today, where did the bus stop move and how the hell do I get home.

Meanwhile, home owners try to wrap up the last repairs: houses have to be well-insulated to trap the heat in the winter.

I spotted this “man of a roof” right in front of our place as he was finishing before the early sunset. I like the contrast of the tiny silhouette against the cloudy sky (but I did not enjoy being woken up early because of the noise from the roof repair project!).

I Love Moo

Zhu — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:20:43 +0000

My Latest Batch of MiniCards, Ottawa, November 2011

I never truly caught the online shopping bug. In fact, the only times I get up from the couch to go get my credit card in my wallet are to buy Threadless t-shirts (because they are unique) and books on Amazon (because they are much cheaper than at Chapters).

And photo products.

See, the only problem with digital cameras compared film cameras is that you don’t get to touch your pictures. It’s just too easy to take hundreds of shots, import them into a folder and let them here—that’s why I believe it’s important to do things with your pictures. I get a kick when I see my pictures printed on paper. No display resolution will change the fact that a print is tangible and holding it is more rewarding then hitting the “next” button on a slideshow.

So I developed an addiction to Moo. I discovered this printing company on Flickr and after careful considerations (yes, I have a limited budget!), I decided to go ahead and buy a pack of 100 MiniCards, the company’s flagship product. As the name implies, MiniCards are 2.75″ x 1.10″ cards that fit in the palm of your hand and are half the size of regular business cards. “I don’t need real business cards,” I rationalized, “because, well, I don’t really have a business. But MiniCards are funky! And a pack of 100 is only $20!”

And so I got up from the couch and went to get my credit card.

It took me a few hours to get the order ready—not because Moo’s website is confusing but because I could print a different picture on every card in the pack and was thus facing the “what picture would look best” dilemma. Luckily, I had the option to import them from Flickr—it made the process easier. At the back of the card, I opted to print my name, phone number, email and blog address, and I added a small logo (the Chinese character for “Zhu”).

The MiniCards were promptly packed into a small white box and delivered at my Canadian doorstep.

I was really pleased with the result. The printing resolution was perfect and the paper was just thick enough.

That was in 2008. Since then, I went through three orders of MiniCards—it may not seem much but it’s still 300 business cards. And I’m not even that social.

But Minicards are fun: I used some as bookmarks and left them in paperbacks at book exchanges when traveling—and I had some people emailing me months later because they found my contact info. I hand out some when I take portraits of strangers in the street, in case they want a copy of the shot. I give them to friends and acquaintances because it’s just easier to hand a card then to spell my name (remember: I suck at spelling my awfully long name!).

I recently won a set of 20 Moo Postcards on Web Designer Wall and I was really excited to try another product. Once again, it lived up to my expectations. Even Feng who isn’t easily impressed (and frankly, always afraid I’m turning into a weird camera lady with my lenses and my prints) found the quality was awesome. The paper used for the postcards is really thick and the result looks like high-end postcards, much better than some of the traditional ones sold in touristic spots.

To me, Moo manages to combine quality, value and usefulness. That alone is worth giving the company a shot.

At least that will be my official excuse when I’ll order my set of Christmas cards later this month.

How about you? Do you do anything with your pictures? Do you have business cards?

Moo Postcards, Ottawa, November 2011

Picture of the Week: Occupy Ottawa, a Month Later

Zhu — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:20:52 +0000

Occupy Ottawa, November 2011, Ottawa

Last weekend, I walked through Confederation Square, where Occupy Ottawa settled. I hadn’t gone back since the day the movement started.

While Occupy Wall Street and what the movement tries (tried?) to accomplish have all my support, I started having doubts about Occupy Ottawa on the day of the general assembly. A lot of people have criticized the movement for being leaderless and for having no direction. That, I didn’t mind much. Do all movement need to have strong leadership? I don’t think so. Surely, like-minded people can channel their energy and work together. And even then, leaders eventually are bound to emerge. I didn’t mind the fact that several issues were addressed either and the apparent lack of a clear message. After all, it’s hard to dissociate economic and human right issues for instance.

I did mind the amateurism of the movement in Ottawa. On the day of the general assembly, it was clear that some were here because it was the chance to add “rebel” to their resume. Kids playing grown-ups, seeking attention and repeating messages that they thought would resonate with the crowd. I do mind the way the so-called “truth seekers” hijacked Occupy Ottawa with their “9/11 was an inside job” theories—I’m sorry, I can’t take these guys seriously. Above all, I feel like Occupy Ottawa jumped on the bandwagon without giving a great deal of thought to issues that matter here. We are not the U.S. We are a distinct country with our own set of issues. Some are global, yes. But you can’t just try to imitate Occupy Wall Street.

Occupy Ottawa has been served an eviction notice on November 21. The end of a dream?

The cynical me can’t help thinking politicians’ tactic when dealing with the Occupy movement was very smart. For the first few weeks, when support was high, no one attempted to evict any of the sites occupied. As the nights cold colder (at least in Canada and Northern U.S.), people got progressively tired of “occupying” and I have no doubt the movement would have died out over the winter. In Canada at least, the current eviction notices given aren’t surprising anyone, and I feel there is little support left for the movement.

Another world is still possible. We just have to figure out how. Meanwhile, Occupy Ottawa was evicted Wednesday morning.

Picture of the Week: The Canal Drained

Zhu — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:15:08 +0000

The Rideau Canal, Ottawa, November 2011

In Ottawa, a simple glance at the Rideau Canal is enough to realize the seasons are changing

From mid-May to mid-October, the locks are open and dozens of boats sail on the historic canal. The scenery is picture-perfect with lots of green trees along the water, and the area is an ode to outdoor living.

Then the canal is drained by opening the locks by the Château Laurier, in order to prepare for the winter and to eventually create the longest skating rink in the world. It takes a few weeks to install the infrastructure—ramps, shelters, changing facilities and all—and meanwhile, the canal looks a bit depressing.

Eventually, the water will be raised to skating level and it will hopefully freeze. It takes about two weeks of cold weather (we’re talking –15°C to –20°C here!) to get a safe ice surface—it must be at least 10 to 12 inches thick. A flag system is used, like at the beach: green flag, you can go; red flag, conditions are unsafe. Hopefully this winter I’ll finally get the chance to skate!

Picture of the Week: BlackBerry

Zhu — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:20:27 +0000

Working Hard, Ottawa, October 2011

Whether they are BlackBerry, iPhones, Android, smart phones or mobile devices… everybody’s got one.

Ottawa seems to be partial to BlackBerry though, probably because Research In Motion (RIM), the telco company who invented the device, is Canadian, has contracts with the government and is a big employer in Ottawa.

I become a CrackBerry when I was working on Parliament Hill. The smart phone was part of the job and we were hooked to it—and expected to check it—pretty much 24/7. I hated it. I never turned the device off and compulsively check the screen if I was away from it for more than a few minutes. The little “mail” icon invariably meant “troubles” and “overtime”. I was taking work home every day.

I ditched the Hill job but kept the device. Well, technically I gave it back but I soon got another BlackBerry.

Smart phones are great. I’m not much of a phone person but I do everything by email, and being able to communicate on-the-go with coworkers and friends is awesome. And I’m not the only addict around: the recent RIM outage prompted a class action suit!

Picture of the Week: Lonely Dog

Zhu — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:30:36 +0000

Lonely Dog, Ottawa, October 2011

Canadians like pets, and in residential neighbourhoods it’s common to see people walking their dogs after an early diner, no matter the weather.

However, unlike French, Canadians are well-behaved and they pick up after their dogs—streets here are not dotted with dog poop. In fact, the last time I saw… er, a little accident in the middle of the street, was on Parliament Hill and the culprit were no doubt RCMP horses. Apparently, officers don’t have to pick up manure.

Some stores, including Roots, state that dogs are welcome to shop with their owner. However, after an incident this summer where a dog bit a greeter’s nose at Home Depota lot of big-box retail stores moved to officially ban pets.

I personally think pets should wait outside. No matter how cute they can be, they don’t really need to follow their owner in. I sometimes get annoyed when owners let their pets roam free and unsupervised—yes, I like your dog, can you please get it off me now?