Correr Es Mi Destino » Snapshots

Montreal – A Road Trip

Zhu — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:00:02 +0000

Diapers? Checked. Bottle? Checked. Formula? Checked. Twenty-thousands things we probably won’t need but might need? Checked. Baby screaming in car seat, waiting for parents? (Sound) checked.

We loaded the car and left to Montreal. A spontaneous Victoria Day weekend trip—we had only booked the hotel the night before.

Can Mark be a great traveler? That was the question of the day. We took him to day trips, including to the US, but we hadn’t been on an overnight family trip yet. I needed to get out of Ottawa a bit. Don’t get me wrong, the National Capital is a great place to live, but I wanted a change of scenery. It’s been a tough long winter.

The drive to Montreal was a quiet one. Mark slept all the way through—at least I think he did. He didn’t say a word but for all I know, he may have been awake, staring out of the rear windshield. I can’t really check on him when he is in the rear-facing car seat (but I can reach out to give him the “mute button” pacifier if needed!). Plus I was kind of immersed into a French novel I had started when we went to Ogdensburg—reading is a rare pleasure these days. We listened to Crowded House, sipping Ginger Ale, and enjoying the moment… the three of us, traveling.

We checked into a Best Western hotel by the airport and Mark immediately fell in love with the huge bed. The kid didn’t look too confused by the change of scenery! Seriously, the pictures of the “happy baby” are worthy of a Best Western ad—yes, I’m having a “this is my beautiful son” moment, alright?

In Montreal, on a Saturday afternoon, you park wherever you can. We found a spot close to Berri-UQAM, a block from Sainte Catherine East, a major commercial artery. We quickly realized we had stepped right into Montreal’s Gay Village when, within minutes, we spotted two guys in their underwear, wearing plastic rooster heads, and holding a sign saying “do you want to see my coq?” (“Coq” is, of course, French for “rooster”…).

Sainte Catherine was closed to traffic and we walked the artery, observing people—and there were quite a few interesting characters around! The atmosphere was very friendly, with a lot of LGBT-friendly businesses, bars and small shops. Quite a few panhandlers too, especially around Place Émile-Gemelin.

We grabbed a bite (French pastries! Oh, delicious French pastries!) and decided to head to the “Vieux Montreal”.

You can see the complete Montreal set of pictures on Flickr.

Driving Into Montreal

Montreal’s Infamous Long Tunnels

Mark Discovering Hotel Beds

… And Sefies in the Hotel’s Mirror

Quebec Loves Timmies Too

The Village

Ottawa Tulips Festival – 2013 Edition

Zhu — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:59 +0000

I’m telling you—our annual “flower porn” session feels awesome after this long and cold winter! Bonus: this year I am not pregnant and it’s much easier to bend down to take macro pictures. On the other side, I do have to deal with Mark who isn’t a huge fan of flowers…!

The annual Tulips Festival opened on a very warm week and the flowers were all in bloom. It was beautiful, as usual. We went to Dow’s Lake and by the Canal on several occasions to capture the beautiful sea of colours.

I am so ready for summer!

You can see all the pictures of the Ottawa Tulips Festival 2013 Edition on Flickr.

2013 Ottawa Tulips Festival

"Welcome to the United States of America, Honey!”

Zhu — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:40 +0000

“It’s his first trip abroad,” I say.

“Oh! Welcome to the United States of America, Honey!”

The woman smiles at Mark, who smiles back. He is just too happy to be out of the car seat, and he is enjoying watching fast food employees running back and forth between the cash register and the kitchen.

I’m waiting for my coffee at Tim Hortons. But this is not the Tim Hortons at the corner of our street—it’s a bona fide American branch of the Canadian franchise. My humongous cup even reads “roasted in Rochester, NY”.

We are in Ogdensburg, New York State. Mark’s first international trip. Oh, I’m so proud of him—so far, he behaves.

Okay, this is not exactly and new-and-exotic location. Ogdensburg is the closest US town from Ottawa, a quick one-hour drive from home. But still, technically, it’s the first time Mark goes abroad—the three or four international trips he took when he was in my womb (France, New York State, NY City, France and London) don’t count, do they?

Mark is one of us now, a mini-traveler. We got him a passport. Applying for his first travel document was a strangely formal affair that began with very precise passport picture requirements (no smiling, mouth closed, eyes open, etc.). Fortunately, Mark is kind of used to me taking pictures of him and it was easy to get a good head-shot of him.

I filled out the passport application, still doing the usual double-take—yep, that’s me signing in the “mother” case. We then queued for 90 minutes at the Passport Canada office to drop off the application, and we were told to come back two weeks later.

Indeed, a fortnight later, Mark’s passport was ready. He got the newer kind, a completely redesigned document with a chip, additional security features and some cool images of the country.

So we decided to test Mark’s passport—and his behaviour when confronted to a new environment—by taking a day trip to Ogdensburg. Mission accomplished!

We hang out by the St Lawrence River, enjoyed the local playground and shopped at Walmart for oh-so-exotic US products.

Mark, the mini-backpacker… yep, he is our son!

You can see the complete set of pictures taken in the U.S.A. on Flickr.

Bridge Between Canada and the US

Ogdensburg

American Teens, Fast Food and Big Cars

St Lawrence River

Little House on the River

Pump Out $5

Gone Fishin’

Mark in the Swing

Mom and Son

Mark in the Swing

The St Lawrence and Canada

Ogdensburg Marina

The St Lawrence and Canada

Skyline of Ottawa – By the River

Zhu — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:06 +0000

Just like that, overnight, someone switched the heat on and we went from freezing to sweating. Or more exactly, from single-digit temperatures to a balmy 27°C. Welcome to Ottawa, where spring is a two-day transition between winter and summer!

After I rushed to the store to buy a pair of shorts and sandals (what? It’s hot!), we decided to head out and enjoy the winter—much like any hermit family would do after a five-month long winter. We ended up in Gatineau, in Québec, by the Museum of Civilizations—a place I hadn’t been to since fall. Actually, this was my last set of pictures before I gave birth to Mark: this one was taken just four days before he was born!

The paths around the Museum of Civilizations offer an amazingly scenic view on the Ottawa River and the skyline of Ottawa, including Parliament Hill and the downtown core. The water level is very high right now and the shores are a bit flooded but nothing dramatic, and the geese seem to enjoy the “playground”.

Isn’t Canada a beautiful place? Even after ten years in Ottawa, the region still amazes me. We are truly lucky!

You can view the complete set of Ottawa – Spring pictures on Flickr.

Ottawa Skyline

Alexandra Bridge

The Hill and Château Laurier

Ottawa Skyline

The Hill

Family Portrait

Museum of Civilization

Alexandra Bridge

Ottawa Skyline and the Ottawa River

Curious Goose

Flooded

The Hill

Ottawa Skyline

Ottawa River

Ottawa Skyline

Along The Ottawa River

Ottawa River and the Hill

Ottawa River

By The Flooded River

Zhu — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:17 +0000

It is taking a while but little by little, spring is springing. The grass is green, trees are slowly growing leaves and soon we will be taking pictures of tulips.

At least I hope so.

It’s been a long and brutal winter, and the three of us were starting to get cabin fever. We are going out more and more though, and now that the snow has melted I can finally push the stroller just about anywhere without getting the wheels stuck in slush, ice or salt. Yes, pushing a stroller is a form of art and yes, licenses should be issued for this privilege, but that’s another topic.

So we decided to take a walk by Remic Rapids, one of the many scenic points along the Ottawa River. This is where you can usually find the Inuksuk sculptures—but this time, no art, just water flooding the paths.

We had a lot of snow this winter and it’s been raining almost every day lately. As a result, the Ottawa River is very high. Flooding risks are minimal though, it’s mostly just paths under water—nothing dramatic. The scenery was nice though with fast flowing water and strong currents.

… and the geese are back! That means “summer”, right?

You can see the complete set of Ottawa — Spring on Flickr.

Remic Rapids

The Geese Are Back

Rapids Remic

Remic Rapids

(Beijing) Duck

Flooded River

Remic Rapids

Mark and I

Parental Reflection

Mark and I

Starting 2013 Snowed Under

Zhu — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:00:01 +0000

Welcome, 2013! Now please melt that snow. I took enough pictures—thank you.

A few days after the first massive Christmas snow storm, we had another winter weather spell: over 20 centimeters of snow fell on the city, adding to the 30 centimeters that were already on the ground. The result? Massive snow piles in the neighborhood, benches and patio fixtures disappearing under the fresh snow, unshoveled streets and sidewalks and blocked driveways.

Just another day in Canada, basically.

The day after the storm was very cold (- 11°C) but gorgeous, with a clear and crisp blue sky. I walked around the neighbourhood with my camera (and brand new iPod Nano—thank you Santa Claus!) and froze my fingers off to capture the aftermath of the snow storm.

So, 2012 is over and 2013 is beginning. It had been quite a year for us, with lots of traveling (Central America, NYC, France and the UK), nine months of baby-baking and the birth of Baby Mark. I have no idea what 2013 will hold for us but I’m looking forward to it—life is an adventure!

Thank you all for following us around the world and for reading the stories. I’ll be around in 2013 and I hope you will be too!

You can see the full Winter – Ottawa on Flickr.

Snowed Under in Ottawa

The Bike Path

In My Neighbourhood

Good Luck Finding Your Car!

Snow Piles Up

The Streets Are Barely Shoveled

Canada Post Mailboxes

The Neighbourhood Playground

The Neighbourhood Park

I Think That Was a Bench

Garbage Can

Fence

Oh So Pretty

Bus Stop on Merivale Road

Merivale Road

A Little Bird

Look At These Massive Snow Piles!

After The Storm

Zhu — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:00:05 +0000

Friday’s snow storm came and went and left behind a wonderful scenery: we woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve under a bright blue sunny sky. It was gorgeous, bits of ice and some snow had stuck to the trees and the streets were still all covered by a thick coat of snow.

Growing up in rainy Brittany, I have never had a “white Christmas” before coming to Canada, and even though snow is somewhat expected at this time of the year in Ottawa, the sudden snowfall seems to have pleased everyone. Yay, a fresh layer of the white stuff for Christmas!

Of course, everyone will be complaining about slippery roads on Boxing Day but meanwhile, we are all enjoying this unexpected cold-but-sunny day.

This is our first Christmas as a family, with baby Mark. If someone had told me last year that I would have a ten-weeks-old baby in my arms for Christmas the following year, I probably would have laughed. Life is always full of surprises!

You can see the full Winter – Ottawa on Flickr.

On Christmas Eve’s Morning

Winter Weather 1 - Doomsday 0

Zhu — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 13:00:56 +0000

Surprise surprise, the world didn’t end on December 21, 2012 and we survived yet another predicted doomsday. Gee, what a letdown! That’s it, I’m not trusting the world ever again—it’s been crying wolf too many times.

On a more serious note, I can’t help feeling sorry for those who truly expected the apocalypse. I mean, you wake up feeling kind of silly, don’t you? Do these people feel happier, as if they were given a second chance? How do they face the world? Do they drive around town trying to buy back the belonging they sold on Kijiji or Craiglist? Do they ask their guru for their money back?

Meanwhile, the first day of the winter in Ottawa marked the first major snow storm of the year—over 30 centimeters (for my non-metric American friends, 30 cm equals to a whole lotta snow) of the white stuff in only a day. It started with freezing rain the night before, and it snowed non-stop after that. The neighborhood was very quiet and I think a lot of people “worked from home” that Friday. We literally couldn’t get the car out of the driveway and that snow was heavy to shovel!

So I guess we will have a white Christmas after all. The scenery is lovely, it adds to the overall festive atmosphere.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! Peace on earth *crossing fingers*

You can see the full Winter – Ottawa on Flickr.

First Winter Storm in Ottawa

10 Tips for Better Baby Pictures… With Examples!

Zhu — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:00:08 +0000

I think we have the only seven-week-old baby who can look at the camera on cue…! Mark has seen me so often with the Nikon that he probably thinks I have a lens glued to my eye, like some kind of mommy-cyborg.

I didn’t like having my picture taken when I was pregnant because I felt strangely self-conscious. I still sent updates to my parents, i.e. the classic “belly bump” shots, but I can’t say I enjoyed it much. I couldn’t wait for the baby to make an entrance into the world and take pictures of him.

We documented the birth: I took pictures between contractions up to the moment I was actually pushing and nothing else around me mattered. At this point, I handed the camera to Feng, who took great shots of that special moment—and none of them are too gory, yay! (okay, still not showing the placenta pic to guests at home)

I took countless pictures of Mark since he was born (I think he is about one minute old on the first one!) but as I quickly found out, taking pictures of a baby can be a challenge. Babies move a lot, they don’t open their eyes much at first, and their skin can get quite red.

So I practiced daily with Mark and… ta-da, we are getting better every day!

Here are my ten best tips and tricks to take better baby pictures. You can see the entire set of pictures of Mark (updated quite often!) on Flickr: Baby Mark Floyd.

Do take pictures when baby is happy – Sure, the classic pic of a wailing baby can be fun but snapping shots of a baby when he is tired, hungry or just fussy is a pain. I usually take pictures of Mark in the morning, after he eats and while I’m changing him or just after. He is more relaxed and doesn’t move too much, and since he is wide awake he makes funny faces or just looks at me.

Mark 6 Weeks 4 Day

Adjust the white balance – I love vivid colours and usually adjust the white balance accordingly but I found it doesn’t work well with baby pictures. In this specific case, I like neutral or pastel tones best, it’s more flattering and it highlights the eyes.

Mark 6 Weeks 4 Days

Natural light is the best – I hate using the flash because the colours look strange, and I don’t want to blind Mark anyway. So I use as much natural light as I can—we usually do the photo shoots by the window, curtains open.

Mark 6 Weeks 5 Days

Details, details, details! – Babies are cute, we all know that. And I love taking pictures of little details: Mark’s tiny hands and feet, his eyes, his belly button… I find these shots special. So don’t hesitate to go macro!

Mark 6 Weeks 4 Days

Mark 5 Weeks 4 Days

Mark 6 Weeks 3 Days

Shoot at eye level – I usually put Mark on the bed and kneel at his level for portraits. He is really starting to look at me too, so this way I can catch his attention better than if I was shooting from above him.

Mark 6 Weeks 3 Days

Mark 6 Weeks 4 Days

Mark 6 Weeks 5 Days

Use a shallow depth of field – I love it when the background is out of focus, it gives pictures a softer dreamy feel.

Mark 6 Weeks 4 Days

Mark 7 Weeks

Minimize the clutter– For better focus, I keep the background simple and easy: neutral colours, no pattern.

Mark 6 Weeks 3 Days

Mark 5 Weeks 5 Days

Use a fast shutter speed – Babies move all the time and they don’t really get it when you beg them to stay still. To avoid frustration, use a fast shutter speed, shoot, and keep the best pictures of the bunch!

Mark 7 Weeks 1 Day

Use props – Mark is still too young to play with toys but he does enjoy looking at them, and I use them in pictures. They keep Mark focused and they add something special to the shot!

Mark 5 Weeks 6 Days

Mark 6 Weeks 3 Days

Capture the moment – Their funny faces, these precious first smile, a very cute position… observe the baby and have the camera handy. You won’t regret it!

Mark 6 Weeks 3 Days

Mark 7 Weeks

Mark 7 Weeks 1 Day

Fall Colours Around The Pink Lake

Zhu — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:00:47 +0000

Mark took his first interprovincial trip when Feng and I decided to check out the fall colours in Gatineau Park, in Quebec. We drove around for half an hour—I’m always impressed by how huge the “park” is!—and made it to Pink Lake, a popular scenic lookout around the eponymous lake (which is not pink).

The fall rhapsody is gorgeous this year. The leaves actually stayed on the trees longer than usual and turned into lovely yellow-rust tones.

As for Mark, he slept through, snuggled against me and oblivious to the beauty around him. Ungrateful brat or blasé traveler…?

You can see all the Fall pictures on the Ottawa (Fall) set on Flickr.

Driving in Gatineau Park

The Pink Lake

Driving in Gatineau Park

With Mark at the Pink Lake

Fall in Gatineau Park

Pink Lake

Fall Colours

With Mark at Pink Lake

First Pic of Us Three!