Back in Ottawa

Since I returned from my amazing exchange experience, I have not posted anything on my Blog. I think it’s about time to post some updates, and get creative again. I just finished University (for now) and it feels bitter-sweet. Everyone will be moving to a different city to start their careers and a new life. I am in Ottawa for now and is trying to decide where to go next. It is a very hard decision that’s why I decided to take some time-off and think about it.

So nothing is really new with me expect that I am working for the government in comms, and enjoying life. I really hope spring will arrive in this city and I will be able to do more things outdoors. I decided to start biking to work, since I don’t feel much passion towards buses, and it is much healthier. Once it gets warmer I will definitely start biking.

This weekend we are going to Bal en Blanc, huge party with dozen Dj’s and many friends. Something to look forward to except family time in Montreal!

That’s about it for now, I decided I will post more often and I will start making suggestions with regards to Ottawa restaurants and other things I discover.

First tip:

For Thai food lovers – check out Talay Thai – the best in Ottawa (Bank and Catherine)

Cheers <3

Vietnam - Crazy motorbikes, street food, polution, and lovely people!

Tonight I am leaving to Cambodia but have a few minutes to post some updates the blog. We are taking the overnight bus from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap, and in a good case scenario it will only take us 12 hours.

Our trip began in Hong Kong and from there we took a plane to Hanoi, the flight was only 1.5 hours. We flew Vietnamese Airlines and even got some food ( so used to budget airlines already). We were not very happy to find Hanoi rainy and not very warm, but as we say in Russia the nature does not have bad weather:) and we should just enjoy what we get. The first day we just went around the city and checked out the old quarter and the french quarter. The city is very busy with thousands of motorcycles which makes it very hard to cross the street.  We stayed in the Hanoi Back Packers Hostel and met really nice people from different countries. But I should say that this trip is dominated by English and Australians that were all over Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. The first night we went to get some street food and it was delicious. We had no idea what we ordered because no one speaks English. The food was quiet cheap only 3$ for a good meal. I really hope I did not eat any dog while I was here, it would be devastating if I did. Hanoi is a nice city but not the best I have seen in Asia so far, I think the weather also played its role (even though I tried to ignore it). The first night we met a few British guys that stayed in our room so we just joined them for a tour around the lake district in Hanoi. The first night we also went to a bar with many backpackers and Justin Bieber in the background. I cant believe that they play his music everywhere, I even took a video of people enjoying his "Baby Please" and dancing like it is the best song in the world.
Here is just a short story about Hanoi but I will try to find more time to write, and pictures to follow.
Alona

Magical Hong Kong

Another thing you can do is rent a junk boat and cruise around HK with friends. Its not expensive and something very memorable. We did it in the beginning of October and there were 23 of us we had some food, drinks, and enjoyed our time on the boat. It was a really good way to socialize with the new friends we made as well get to know Hong Kong.  We jumped from the boat, drank in the water, danced on the boat and just had a good time. It is amazing how you can go 30 minutes away by boat, and there are so many beaches and islands; clear water bay, deep water bay, repulse bay etc. Now when I am thinking back we did so much in HK but it seems like I arrived only yesterday and its almost time to leave. Today I went to check out the Christmas decorations in Tsim Sha Tsui and they are beautiful. A little bit strange to have Christmas without snow, but the city is magical, many skyscrapers with Santa Clauses on them and Christmas wishes. I just love this city and nothing can be better than HK.

1. 

   our junk boat

Peninsula 

Leaving from Central Pier

On the way back to HK

Its all about Hong Kong

my beautiful campus

Looking back at my blog I just realized I barely wrote about HK – what a shame and I cannot believe myself. So here we go HK is as an amazing vibrant city and everyone can find something to do or somewhere to go. Every night here is an adventure and you never know where you will end up. In the beginning I had some trouble going to clubs always something occurred and I just ended up in a bar but I can proudly say I have been to many HK nightclubs and I love it. Even though sometimes they play Justin Bibber or too much of Rihanna's music, but all of those songs I will remember as my exchange songs when I return to the homeland (do I have one?). The past days have been very hard with lots of goodbyes but I guess this is life and we need to take the best out of it. Back to HK, there are many islands that surround HK and they are definitely worth the visit, you take an hour boat and you are in the cutest fisherman village, you can swim, shop, eat and even spend the night. For nature lovers there is a lot of hiking in HK and even surfing. We did do a hike once it was tough but definitely worth it. Who does not like party on the beach with tents, and a very good company.
 I love going to central its my favorite place such a mixture of Western and Asian cultures. Where else you can find the businessmen, and women so well dressed, and successful marching to their work places. Amazing skyscrapers but you don’t feel like you are in concrete jungle because you can find 3 major parks downtown HK; botanical garden, HK park, Hollywood Road park. I love the fact that HK government tries to preserve the nature, hence HK is a very green city where you don’t feel the pollution. The traffic here is nothing compare to big cities around the world. I was never stuck in traffic for more than 5 minutes throughout the three months I have been here. The MTR system is amazing is so accessible and easy to understand. Since our campus is located in the New Territories we need to take the MTR quiet often. In every MTR station you can find a mall, yes they love malls, and yes they love consuming. But, even though they consume a lot they still save 60% of their income, which we cannot state about North American population. Another thing about shopping is that they are really well dressed, and all dressed differently from one another. I have never seen 2 people wearing the same thing, which again does happen in North America a lot (not even the clothes but the style is the same).
They love technology I-Phone 4 is the favorite gadget, everyone has one. The first few times in the MTR I was shocked that almost every second person has an I-Phone4. They also like to sleep; in the MTR, in class, in the library, on the bench, basically everywhere they can find a place. I think the sleeping patterns here are very different, my roommate never sleeps the whole night, she will wake up go study and then come back for a nap and then back to studying again.

They sleep a lot :)

Our hiking trip

sorry just a bit sweaty lol

party on the beach

Ok enough for now, need to study but I will definitely post more about HK.

Welcome December!

Where did the exchange go?

 I want to welcome December by saying that I cannot believe the exchange

Is almost over and some of my friends are leaving in a few days. I think those three months were the most memorable and amazing months in my life. So many things happened, and I met so many amazing people. It will be so hard saying goodbye and there are already so many farewell parties that it is hard to study. I am seating in the library and trying to study on an incredibly sunny and beautiful day. I have 3 exams and 4 papers due this week, so this week I will only see the sunshine from the window. This morning I woke up looked out of my window and told myself I do not want to trade this view with a parking lot view. I don’t want to leave the sunshine and go back to Ottawa, which will probably be full of snow, with no green trees, no flowers, and of course the negative 40 outside. Oh well, there are also some good side to going back; friends, family, food, and my apartment. The last few weeks were great in Hong Kong, we had the farewell roaring 20ies party for all the exchange students. It was nice seeing everyone at the same place and partying together. Even though the exchange is almost over, I am still looking forward to my trip. Vietnam and Cambodia will be amazing, and I will catch some more sunshine before going back to the winter. Enough said I have to go back and study, why students are so good at procrastinating? I will keep you posted 

End of the semester party

we do study in CUHK

Christmas tree in my dorm

Central 

Beijing III

Here we go again, last post about Beijing. Some more stories about food; one night we were on a mission to find a particular restaurant, all we had was the address but the street did not exist on our map. After about an hour of venturing around, going to hotels to ask for the Chinese name, asking people on the street, WE found it. Once we walked in we realized that they do not speak any English nor they have a menu in English. The place is owned by two people; husband and wife, she serves, he cooks. We had to call someone on the phone, who also barely spoke any English but somehow using sign language we got the food. The food was delicious and home made the best Chinese food I had so far. I was so happy we found this place, and that we were capable of "communicating with them". After being in China I realized and learned that i can explain myself to anyone even though we don't speak the same language. I am attaching some pictures of the food and the lovely owners of the restaurant.

Just want to go back and have another meal!

Lamb

Another not so pleasant but super exciting food experience happened in the night market. There they sell all kinds of insects and animal organs; scorpion, sheep balls, grasshoppers, starfish, snake, snake skin etc. I have tried the snake it was very very chewy and did not have much taste, and I also tried a leg of a grass hopper. Grasshopper's leg was kind of crunchy and salty but I could not eat more than the leg. Lots of other tourists tried different kinds of animals but unfortunately I am not so brave.

Enjoying the food

Beijing part II and more to come

Delicious street food for 10 cents

At night we went to eat the Peking duck, which was delicious. 

Peking duck

Me eating picking duck:)

They are many many Peking duck restaurants in Beijing. They bring you some tortillas but very thin once, some cucumber, sauce, and onions. You put it all together and wrap it, as well as they bring duck soup, some vegetables, and sweet and sour chicken. Basically the food in Beijing is delicious and only costs 20 cents and up to a one dollar if you eat on the street. I tried so many things; local shawarma, pastries, yogurts, snake, grasshopper feet and much more.

we are surrounded

the girl was very scared of me 

The next day we went to the great wall, which was an adventure in and of itself. To get there we took the taxi to the bus station (taxi is super cheap in Beijing), then a 2 hours bus, then an hour car drive. FYI they try to scam you everywhere in Beijing and charge you very high prices. We got lost and couldn’t find a way to the great wall from the local bus station we go to. Obviously no one speaks English and they are no local taxis to bring us there. 10 Chinese men were trying to make us go with them to the great wall and surrounded us. We tried bargaining to get a lower  price but in the end we gave up, and paid 10US each for a round trip to the wall and back. The great wall is amazing, can’t believe how people even built it. The wall is 6,200 km, which is super long and unbelievable how people even though of building it. As general Mao said, “He who has not climbed the Great Wall isn’t a true man” I am a real man now, oh maybe a real woman. The hike was incredible we have spent  three hours on the wall just walking and enjoying the view. We went to the more secluded part, we were almost the only once there and had a great time not being surrounded by hundreds of tourists. One of my dreams came true and I am so glad I had the opportunity to see Beijing and the great wall. Walking on thousands years of history, and just being in Asia is very fascinating. The hike back was quite steep and adventurous, at any time you can fall down and roll like a little rock on those mountains. That day brought with it many things to remember.