East Coast

I've been spending the last 3 days with my cousin who lives in Philly, today I leave OFFICIALLY for France, but first to re-cap my visit to Philadelphia and New York city :D

It was HOT and HUMID! Really muggy day in Philadelphia, why oh why did I get a coffee? I didn't finish it before I got to the Liberty Bell and they made me throw it out.

This is a cute and cozy coffee shop a few blocks away from where the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall is. If you're ever in town, check this place out. Really cozy inside and good selection of coffee, tea and baked goodies!

Like I mentioned, I first went to the Liberty Bell, which is in a little museum down the way from the Independence Hall where it used to hang. What surprised me the most was the symbolism of the bell and how it didn't just represent the early colonials who fought for Freedom from tyranny and oppression, but that its symbol then transformed to represent the African American slaves who fought for Freedom from oppression as well, and later on was used during World War 2 when Pearl Harbor was attacked and America went to war. In the 50's yet again the symbol of the Liberty Bell was used to represent the Women of America who fought for their Freedom and Right to vote. The Liberty Bell has become a a symbol of Liberty and in some ways even Peace, as people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. have visited the Bell. The Liberty Bell is considered a sacred national treasure.

The Independence Hall was next, wow...Just wow. I couldn't believe I was walking the same halls, the same floors and the same rooms that the Founding Fathers paced countless times hundreds of years ago. To think that I was in the very room where they created and wrote the Declaration of Independence was really humbling and honoring. The tour was a little brief, but there were other buildings around to visit though my cousin and I only went through one which held the original 1 of 6 printings of the Declaration, which was the one actually made on July 4th, while the hand-written one that was signed by all the Founding Fathers, was made four days later on July 8th and is the more famous copy that is in Washington D.C.

Afterwards we had lunch and then boarded a bus tour that allowed you to hop off at certain stops and catch the next bus that came every 45 minutes. However we took the 4:00 one and unfortunately almost everything tourist-wise closes at 5 pm in Philly, which meant we could only get off at one stop. We chose the Art Museum, but...they were just 10 minutes from closing...but we got to explore the statue garden around and see the back and front of the Museum before catching the last tour bus to finish the tour.

The tour bus was great, each bus had a tour guide who was lively, funny and very informative and gave us some really condensed mini history lessons about everywhere we went. It was really enjoyable and mind-blowing, the history of Philadelphia is phenomenal!!! I wish I could have spent at least one more day (and arrive earlier since we didn't get to Philly that day until 1 pm) and explore the National Constitution Center, the Penitentiary prison where Al Capon was once held, see the grave of Benjamin Franklin, where he used to live, and go through the Art Museum. 

 I took so many pictures, this blog really doesn't do any justice to how great of a time it was. It didn't help that shortly after the Museum of Art my battery died and I couldn't take any more pictures! :( But it was great and I would definitely love to come again. If any of you who are reading this ever want to visit here are some tips: 1) take at least 2 days to visit all the major things. 2) On the first day, as one of the first things in the morning, take the hop on hop off bus tour (we took The Big Bus and it was great). 3) Buy tickets to the Independence hall at the building that is across the street on the other side of the Liberty Bell museum (don't remember the name...but it's a touristy building that also has fliers and pamphlets and people who can help you with any touristy needs). 4) Eat a philly cheese-steak. it's to die for!!!

Alrighty, moving on to New York. This was much more stressful and a bit disappointing simply because it took FOREVER to get to New York, I think we arrived in the middle of Manhattan around 12:30, which meant the entire morning was wasted even though we had gotten up at 6 and left the house at 7 sharp. We missed the last connection train which would have gotten us there by 10:30, oh well. Second disappointment was when we realized that you need to reserve tickets that let you go INSIDE the Statue of Liberty at least ONE WEEK in advance. We could only get tickets that get to you Liberty Island. It wasn't terrible, my cousin was more pouty about it that I, I was actually just excited to see Lady Liberty. What a dame. She is so beautiful. As I got closer to her on the ferry I took countless pictures. When we landed ashore and got to walk around the pedestal I was constantly filled with an overwhelming sense of awe, beauty, honor, and appreciation that I came close to crying many times. I had seen her figure, her face, her silhouette, countless times, yet here I was standing before the most beautiful immortal woman in the world. She isn't static like most statues, Lady Liberty moves, forward, carrying a symbol of Light and Enlightenment, and then of Freedom to all those who were "weary and burdened", coming over the shores from the Old World.

Afterwards was the 9-11 Memorial. Another slight disappointment. You also have to reserve tickets online unless you come really early and get some of the limited tickets, but for us it was already like 2 in the afternoon. But we did get to see some other things like the memorial to the firefighters. However, I don't know if I'd want to try to see the memorial again until all the construction is done because it take up almost the whole place.

We walked over to Wall Street, however because of protests going on that were against Wall Street, they had barricaded the entire building so that you had to walk on the sidewalk across the street all the way around. So many cops all over the place! Never a dull moment in New York city!

Our next and final stop was the Empire State building. We were going to buy the regular tickets which gets you up to the 86th floor, but then upgraded to the 102nd floor ticket pass. If you ever go to the Empire state building and looking to save a bit on money, don't do the upgrade. It's only 6 floors higher and the view is from behind a window, not quite the same. Unless it's raining, not worth upgrading. You'll save yourself a bit of moola.

 This is the view from the 86th floor. It's FREEEEAKY high! You see ALL of New York, some new Jersey and a smudge that is Pennsylvania. It's an AMAZING view! Truly amazing, absolutely worth all the pain we felt by now in our legs and feet. My cousin and I were exhausted and by now it was after 5 pm. There were tourists from all over the world, I heard many French, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish people around me, felt unreal. Though it was like that at the Statue of Liberty too, lots and lots of tourists.

This view is from the 102nd floor, there is Central Park if you look closely off in the distance.
There was so much more we wanted to see, like Times Square, Central Park, and the Brooklyn bridge, but it was getting late, we were so tired. We hadn't even been able to sit down and eat, everything we ate was something we could walk and eat with. We ate ice cream twice :P
By the time we finished with the Empire state building and got to the place where we could take a bus that went all the way to Philly, it was almost 7 pm. We had to wait for the bus which didn't come until 7:15 and didn't leave until 7:30. In the meantime I took some pictures of NY at night.

This is the Empire State at night, really pretty. Ignore the Brad Pitt advertisement...ugh. Anyways, we were SO tired by the time we got back to my cousin's place and now today I will be flying to France. I won't arrive until tomorrow in the afternoon so this weekend I will likely update this blog again to talk about my first few days in France, and my first day which will be in Paris all day!

~ Keep in Touch

PS: If you're an assistant, are you in France yet? if so, how long have you been there for and in general how has your experience been so far?

Pretty much just 5 more days...

I've already said good-bye to the people I see at church. This is it. Just a few more people to say good-bye to before I'm up and away.

It's frightening really...I'm not so scared of what lies out there, at least I'm not scared of getting hurt or of something terrible happening. Call it being naive or faith in God, but when it comes to traveling He's always made his presence and guidance felt. So other than the general fear of the unknown, what scares me the most (if you can call it a fear) is leaving my comfort zone.

My cozy bed, my mom's bright smile, my father's arms, my brother's laughter, Cleo's soft fur, Sonny's face, my sister's fighting, Justin's dancing, grandma's cooking. Our movie nights, our addiction to CLUE, the Sunday brunch while listening to music that is usually too loud. Our gluttonous Thanksgivings, Christmas and New Year's feasts. When Amber learns something new, when Tia does something kind, when Justin speaks in sentences, when Abby is truly happy, when Artiom talks about science. These are the things that I will miss while in France and will have no way of having until I come back.

But I WILL be coming back home. The question is, what will be in France/Europe that I will then miss when I return home? Things that I should try to indulge in and experience while I can, because there's no guarantee that I will come back any time soon. So I've made a list, a To-Do list if you may, of what I should do, see and eat while in France and Europe.

1) Walk with a baguette sticking out of my purse to eat while exploring Beauvais
2) Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
3) While in rural areas, take a picture ANYTIME I see sheep!
4) Spend enough time in the Louvre to see the entire museum (even if it means coming more than once!)
5) Go to the Palace of Versailles (try to dress up in a dress that day)
6) Try new cheeses!
7) Attempt to drink French wine for lunch or dinner one day
8) If possible, use the Bike-Taxi system at least once!
9) Ask a British royal guard if the Queen is in (Buckingham Palace) today?
10) See L'Arc de Triomphe
11) Find and explore ancient Roman ruins in France
12) Go to 7 Castles or more, doesn't matter what countries they're from
13) Investigate different phone box booths, asking for the Doctor
14) Dance on London Bridge
15) Sing Ave Maria in Notre Dame (if allowed) - make sure I practice before hand
17) Go to the Bell Tower of Notre Dame if possible!
18) Chartres Cathedral. Enough said!
19) Find a big hill in Scotland, climb it, and yell "FREEDOM!!!" from the top
20) Sit at the top level of a double decker bus!
21) Perfect a type of English accent and speak in it all day for one entire day while in British Isles
22) If I can't find a Nun in traditional clothing, find a large picture/poster of it and take a picture with it
23) Go to a Doctor Who museum. I haven't googled to see if there is one, but I bet there is!
24) If possible go to France's neighboring countries: Spain, Belgium, Brussels, Italy, etc.
25) Take pictures with statues of famous historical people, even if I don't have a clue who they are.

Well that's all that I can think of for now, I will probably add to this when I arrive in France as I find out more things to do.

~ Cheers and keep in touch!

Recalling the Summer

With just under 10 days left before I say good-bye to everything and everyone that is around me, I have been feeling rather somber and perhaps  teeny bit depressed. I don't like feeling this way so I intend to do something about it. First I will recollect everything good that has happened this past summer, all the things that I will cherish and miss while I'm in France, and then I will start a To-Do List for France/Europe to get me excited and more positive. Though I will do that I think in my next blog post.

So I bring you, without further ado, my summer of 2011 through pictures (I will briefly talk about them as well).


It basically started when I finished my Spring course in Rhetoric Writing, though I will recap a little from before. In that class I met a lovely girl named Ksondra and we talked a lot and knew some of the same people. Near the end of the course she lent me a movie which has now become a favorite of mine: FAR and AWAY. I was bound to like it, and she knew I would.
I watched MANY movies this summer with my family
-- X-Men First Class -- Rio -- Thor -- Clue -- Soul Surfer -- Captain America; just to name a few. Also finished Smallville!

This summer I worked at Rainbow Stage which is an outdoor theater that features musicals every summer. This summer they produced CATS and Hairspray. I always liked musicals though never had the spare money to go to see one live (and tickets are not cheap!) so this was my first opportunity to watch a live musical. I had previously seen the Nutcracker Ballet and Pirates of Penzance, but I was still blown away by the performances. Musicals are really a genre of their own. I can't say which one I liked best, since they are both fairly different and can't really be compared. I will say, however, that I much prefer the theater version of Hairspray vs. the hollywood movie version. Having a male play the role of Edna Turnblad is for the purpose of great comedy which unfortunately cannot be used to a great advantage on screen like it is on stage. The interactions between the parents of Tracy Turnblad is probably what the audience remembers best, because it is just so awkward and hilarious.

I re-learned how to ride a bike!!! :D Now I no longer get that awful pain on the tail bone or easily lose control. I didn't bike enough times to get really good at it ("look ma! No hands!" *crash*), but at least I can bike to Sobeys and back without getting myself killed :P I still can't let go with one hand for more than a split second to re-adjust my sunglasses. I tried waving once to my mom who was driving home while I was biking one day...lost control for a second :P. Not gonna try that again any time soon.

I read 6 books for pleasure. Can't say I took pleasure in all the books I read, but I enjoyed most of them, particularly The Bad Queen, Wishful Thinking and Emma. The reason I enjoyed The Bad Queen so much was because it gave me an entirely new perspective on the French Revolution. A more accurate perspective I think, because before I had a very negative view on the French monarch rulers at the time of the Revolution and actually believed in the lie that the Queen Marie-Antoinette had said "let them eat cake". I still hold the view that the monarch system was extremely corrupt, but I do not hold Louis the 16th personally accountable for the state of France because it is quite obvious to me that he had some kind of mental condition that made him perfectly unfit to be king.

Because the weather was so great I headed out to the beach for my 20th birthday. It was a really good birthday :D My face hurt so much from laughing and smiling almost the whole time! The weather was really good all summer-long, one of the driest summers we've had, so we spent a lot of time in the pool and doing outdoor outings like church picnics and soccer games.

(Tara B and I being very adult-like -->)

Anyways...This summer went by quickly to say the least, and though there was no family trip anywhere and we didn't make it to Folklorama this year, I enjoyed it very much. Though I think the reason I'm so sad is because I love my crazy family and I know I will miss them sooooo much.
:(

I don't like how this blogger lays out the photos...it makes it difficult to have many because they all have to be on their own line. Laaame. So I will end on a bittersweet note. Even though I will be away from my family and friends for many months, not only do I have a big adventure ahead of me filled with all kinds of mysterious surprises, I know that by next summer I'll be home, swimming in the pool with the family again.



~ Cheers

VISA appointment via Toronto

First off, as Arnold Schwarzenegger said in Total Recall "TWOOO WEEEKS"!!!! Before I leave home D: I will miss my family SOOOOO much! We're pretty tight <3 I know I will bawl like crazy at the air port, at customs, and on the plane. But those feelings will be pushed aside for a while as I visit my cousin in Philly for 3 days before I leave New York to Paris.

Came back from Toronto late last night, landed just after 11 pm. We were supposed to arrive half an hour early but the plane that was taking us to Winnipeg was coming from Vancouver and had been delayed there (I assume the earthquake might have been a factor). I was exhausted to say the least, having been awake for nearly 24 hrs. Toronto was fun, didn't get to see the CN Tower (which means I will have to come back one day) but I spent time around the UoT area and China Town, and hung out with my friend Taris who I met 3 years ago in Quebec! :D Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera...

At the Consulate I didn't bring a photocopy of my passport, I honestly didn't know I had to bring one if I was going to give them my real one anyway...but thankfully I just had to go down to the lobby area and nearby in the same building (sort of underground) was a shoppers drugmart where I could do the photocopying. I was really surprised by the fact that the ONLY question they asked me was my purpose for going to France. I don't know how it is at other French Consulates, but I had to talk to the lady through an intercom, and my auditoiral skills are a little rusty, so with the intercom cutting out her voice constantly ( Her: Je prend*CRSH* photo *CRSH* toi. Me: ....whut?) made it almost impossible to understand her and she got frustrated enough with me and started speaking in English. Honestly, get a new intercom, that one is ancient and dieing.

It was a day of adventure, I wish I could have spent more time exploring Toronto, but now I got a good taste of the city. The buses, the subway (IT'S SO FAST! oh glorious subways). Torontoers shouldn't complain about their public transportation...honestly, live in Winnipeg for a while. See how you get around without a car.

K, I'm hungry and gonna go help with supper (I'M HAVIN' FISH TONIGHT!) *cough*


~ Cheers!

PS: The first thing I saw when I got off the bus at my destination was the ROM Museum and it looks SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! Like a spaceship that crashed into an old historic building and was left there.