Montreal Fireworks (Presented by an Australian Team)

About two hours ago, I went down to the riverside with a couple of my friends (former Group B classmates) to see the Montreal Fireworks Competition. Tonight's pyrotechnic display was presented by an Australian team (Foti). The fireworks lasted for a full 30 minutes, and it was just spectacular!



I captured quite a bit of the fireworks display on video, but here is the finale, which was the nicest part of it.



I know some of the hearts (fireworks) were upside down, but maybe it is "love from Down Under". lol

A Baby Cottontail Rabbit

I almost forgot to post these photos for my friends and relatives to enjoy.

These two photos are of the baby cottontail rabbit that comes into the Wilbrod House backyard regularly. It is such a cute little thing! :)


As you can see, this baby rabbit is not afraid of people, though it keeps its distance.



Of course, rabbits are such pests in Australia that in the state of Queensland, it is illegal to keep a pet rabbit. That's because feral rabbits (pet rabbits gone feral) can destroy the paddocks used for raising cattle and sheep, which means undesirable consequences for the primary industries.

(Aside: Click on the link to read about the rabbit problems in Australia.)

Mooney's Bay Park in Ottawa

Yesterday I didn't have any classes, and since it's the Victoria Day (18 May) long weekend, I spent the day catching up with a friend (who graduated from Superior Pastry last term). We met for lunch, then I tagged along while she did her errands, then we stopped by Mooney's Bay Park to enjoy some fresh air, and to take in the beautiful scenery. I took more photos of apple (or cherry?) blossoms:












I was told that this park is fondly known as "The Beach" to the locals, probably because there is a sandy area beside the river for people to sunbathe and play volleyball. I chuckled because it wasn't what I imagined a beach to be...

Here are photos of the Sydney beaches I used to visit, after work and on weekends (click on photo for a larger image):

World-famous Bondi Beach in Sydney


Coogee Beach, which was walking distance (15-20 minutes) from where I used to work


Maroubra Beach, which was not far from where I used to live

Spring in Ottawa: Lilac Bushes and Cherry/Apple Blossoms

I have been seeing these lovely flowering shrubs (see photos above) all over Ottawa lately (when I travel around town by bus), and I finally found out what they were yesterday. A friend of my housemate said they're lilac bushes. I've always heard of lilac flowers (and how pretty they are), but now I know what the bush actually looks like.


Here's a photo of a sprig of lilac flowers. They are really fragrant. Almost reminds me of Gardenias.

I have also been seeing lots of cherry and apple blossoms.



In the photo above, you see two apple (or cherry?) blossom trees on Charlotte Street (looking across the street from the end of the Wilbrod House driveway). Nice, aren't they? Reminds me of the Jacaranda trees we see in spring in Australia (which is around September/October).


A Jacaranda tree in full bloom in Queensland, Australia, October 2008 (photo courtesy of my sister)


Close-up of the flowers on a Jacaranda tree (again, photo courtesy of my sister)


Anyway, it is always lovely to see so many pretty flowers in spring.

Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa (Photos)

I went to the Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioners Park (near Dows Lake) with my housemates and friends today. It was a beautiful spring day, and I was glad I had the opportunity to see all the lovely tulips in such magnificent weather. This tulip festival here in Ottawa actually reminds me of the Floriade in Canberra (capital city of Australia), which I visited some years ago.

I cannot help but think there are many similarities between Ottawa and Canberra... (but I shall leave this topic for a later date)


Spectacular view of the tulips in the park.


The following are a series of photos of tulips found in the park. Enjoy! (My favourite is called Elizabeth Arden. I think it has a lovely shade of colour.)















The next two photos show houses overlooking the park. The people who live here are so lucky to have the chance to enjoy such beautiful tulips every year.





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A busker playing his violin in the park.


A street performer entertaining the crowd in the park.


The Central Band of the Canadian Forces is seen here playing to an appreciative audience at Commissioners Park. Their repertoire today included On the Quarter Deck, Strike up the Band, Dam Busters, Vaughan Williams' Folk Songs from Somerset, Brazil, and so on. It was most entertaining!


Dows Lake, across from the park.


I just love the blue sky in this shot.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day to everyone reading this blog!

I have to admit Earth Day is not something we hear a lot about in Australia. It doesn't mean Australians aren't conscious of environmental issues; it just means Earth Day is not promoted widely enough to reach public consciousness (unlike Clean Up Australia Day).

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My sister sent me this photo that she took yesterday:


I miss Australia! This photo makes me happy, because it means there's enough moisture in the atmosphere for a rainbow to appear. I'm glad they are getting more rain now -- it was desperately dry before; they really needed the rain badly.

Canadian Museum of Civilization (Part 1)

Today I went to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, located in Gatineau (just across the river from Ottawa). I walked there from Rideau Street, where I normally go to do my shopping. It was a leisurely 15-minute stroll for me.

Here are some photos I took along the way (click on photo for larger image):

View of Parliament Hill from the lookout point adjacent to the Ottawa River


View of Ottawa city and Ottawa River


The Canadian Museum of Civilization (in Gatineau), from the lookout point in Ottawa


This is Pont Alexandra (Alexandra Bridge) which connects Ottawa and Gatineau. I walked across this bridge to get to the museum.

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The Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) is huge, and the collections in the museum really reminded me of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra (as they mainly cover the social history, rather than the natural history, of the nation). I spent the whole day at the CMC and only saw half of the exhibits. I am planning to go back there again to see the rest, hence this is only Part 1 of my blog post.

Today I started from the bottom level of the museum, which includes the Grand Hall and the First Peoples Hall.


The Grand Hall. Impressive, isn't it?


Entrance to the First Peoples Hall


This is a Button Blanket made by Canadian aborigines. It was one of the numerous exhibits that captured my attention today. Because it sort of reminded me of the amateur mosaic artwork I used to make as a hobby. I thought it was a neat idea to sew buttons in this way to make a gorgeous pattern on a blanket; I even thought, wouldn't it be amazing to do a design like this on a mousse cake or a plated dessert? (I know, I can't help having mousse cakes on my mind, seeing as we've made so many at School in the last few weeks.)


The thing I like about Canadian aboriginal art is the vibrant colours used (and also the stylish designs, of course).


I took this photo because I just love the beautiful designs and colours on traditional aboriginal garments and footwear. The colour combinations are simply aesthetically pleasing to me. I am actually quite inspired now, to the point that I am considering incorporating some of the designs into my pastries in the future.

In the First Peoples Hall, I heard a piece of music with Innu drums (with singing in an aboriginal language) that I found mesmerising, and I went to the Museum boutique (i.e. souvenir/gift shop) to ask if they sell any CDs with that particular piece of music, but they didn't. It was such a pity! I left somewhat disappointed. I will try and find out more about it the next time I go. I would love to know who the performers are. I like native and folk music in general, because of the harmony, melody and rhythm. The singers/performers convey such a lot of emotions in it -- to me, it is as if they have put all their heart and soul into the music. Be it a joyful expression of their existence, or the melancholic strains of a lament.

Oh yes, I also went to the special Glenn Gould: The Sounds of Genius exhibition at the Museum. It was an interesting look at a famous and talented Canadian pianist. The best part of the exhibition was the fact visitors to the museum could listen to some of his recordings.


This is the Steinway grand piano that Gould often used for his recordings.

Towards the end of the Glenn Gould exhibition area, there was a small area for museum visitors to listen to some of Glenn Gould's recordings (i.e. excerpts). Having been raised on Classical Music, I couldn't resist the opportunity to listen to quite a few of them, and I enjoyed his recordings of Bach's works (for which Gould is known). But the recording that I found most thought-provoking was his performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 (third movement). I'd listened to a number of other international pianists play this piece (aka the Emperor Concerto) before, but none were like Gould's interpretation. It was unique.

By about 4pm today (an hour before closing time), I was able to get to the Canadian Postal Museum exhibition on Level 2 of the Museum. It has a complete display of all the stamps ever issued in Canada. Despite having less than an hour to view the Canadian stamps and the associated collection, I learnt quite a lot of interesting facts about philately and human communication (and I can see stamp-collecting is a good way to educate children about other cultures, and to broaden their horizons). I really liked this part of the museum, and I am hoping to view the stamps again. I am not a serious collector of stamps, but I do have some interest in stamp-collecting, purely because I think of stamps as miniature pieces of art, and markers of particular moments in the social history of a nation.

Entry to the Museum costs $10 for students and $12 for adults. I can tell you it was well worth it.

Anyway, it was truly an inspiring day for me. This blog post is to be continued; I will go back to the Museum again soon.

Earth Hour in Ottawa Tonight

I first participated in Earth Hour (a campaign initiated by WWF) a couple of years ago, when I was living and working in Sydney, Australia.

I remember turning out all the lights in my apartment and using as little electricity as possible for one hour (7:30-8:30pm). It was a weird feeling to sit in the dark, but it was also a thought-provoking exercise. Made me so much more aware of environmental and energy-consumption issues. If every individual did their part (however small) to conserve energy resources, it would make a big difference eventually.

It appears Ottawa is participating in Earth Hour this year (tonight, in fact). For more details, please see this website:
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/environment/community/earthhour/index_en.html

Strong Wind Warning (11 March 2009)

This is the first time, since I have been here in Ottawa, that I have seen a strong wind warning from the Environment Canada weather office website (below is a copy of the warning).

Warnings
Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans
5:04 AM EDT Wednesday 11 March 2009
Wind warning for
Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans continued

Strong winds today along a cold front.

This is a warning that damaging winds are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

An intense Colorado low pressure system with the centre just east of Lake Superior early this morning will continue to move towards James Bay. Heavy rain associated with this system has become light or moved out of southwestern Ontario.

A cold front associated with this weather system will cross southern Ontario today from west to east bringing strong winds in its wake.

The cold front will arrive over western regions early this morning with average winds increasing to 60 km/h. Along the front winds will gust to 90 km/h. A few locations near Lake Huron, Niagara and along eastern Lake Ontario will gust near 100 km/h. The cold front will move into eastern Ontario by noon. Note that temperatures will drop to below freezing behind the cold front.

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Now this is going to be a new experience for me. Freezing-cold temperatures with 90 km/h winds. Hmmm ... And I have to walk to School for a class this afternoon.

I've experienced strong (gale-force) winds in Australia before, but never with freezing conditions. Well, the 1999 Sydney Hailstorm was cold (and scary, I might add), but I don't remember the winds being all that strong.

Bus Strike Finally Over

I was so glad to hear that the bus strike in Ottawa is over, and that there will be limited bus service within a week or so. Yay!!!

It has been 51 days since the start of the bus strike, and it has been really tough for those who relied heavily on the public transport system here. There are only that many places you can walk to on foot in the thick snow. I can tell you I have had to give up a number of planned outings (to museums and local sights) in December just because I didn't have any transportation. Taxis were expensive and hard to come by (because of high demand).

I'm trying to imagine if a bus strike in Australia would have gone on for this long, and I reckon it wouldn't. People who relied on the public transport system would have been up in arms within a couple of days of the the start of the strike...

The lack of bus services here in Ottawa has really affected businesses. For instance, the Boxing Week Sale went on for a lot longer than usual in some department stores because people couldn't get to the shops to take advantage of the sale.

Anyway, good or bad, this is now part of my Canadian experience.

Dignity and Goodwill: Lessons I learned from Aunt Enid

I haven't been in the mood to write anything for the blog the past few days because I have been quite upset with the news that Aunt Enid, a family friend of many years, passed away recently. She meant so much to us, and as I mourn her passing, I couldn't help but reminisce about the things she used to tell us...

Aunt Enid was a lovely and kind person. My parents have known her since before I was born. She used to send us letters, cards and gifts for Christmas, and this always made us feel special because she genuinely cared about people, and her letters certainly reflected that.

She was born a few years before the Great Depression of 1929, and I remember her telling my sister and me how tough life was in rural Australia during the Great Depression - how people were starving and how difficult it was for the men to get a job. Even though people had little by way of income, they still tried to create jobs (e.g. odd jobs) for the unemployed men in their towns, so that these men could have the dignity of bringing home a small wage to feed the family. She also told us that families who were better off would give their children extra food/lunch to take to school to share with those less fortunate. Basically, people shared what little they had, and that's how they survived the toughest of times.

Although things were tough, Aunt Enid made light of the suffering and hunger she and her family endured. She made us chuckle by telling us back in those days there were hundreds of ways to cook rabbits. Of course, rabbits were considered pests in rural Australia (and still are, I guess), and they were a ready source of protein. But just imagine how you would feel if you had to eat rabbits every day for years on end! Therefore, people had to come up with novel ways to cook rabbits... She reckoned they've tried them all.

I think, having been through the difficult times made Aunt Enid realise that money and material things were not as important as being kind and generous towards another human being in times of trouble. The goodwill that was generated by acts of kindness really kept spirits up. We should never underestimate the effects of a kind deed.

I'm glad I got to hear her stories, because these are lessons we shouldn't forget...

Thank you, Aunt Enid.

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In a few hours, I will be volunteering in production kitchen. I look forward to going back to my routine again - attending classes and volunteering in production kitchen. My classes do not begin until tomorrow (Tuesday, 6 January). I am really excited about taking Intermediate Pastry this term.

Random Reflections VI: What I Took For Granted in Australia

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went to the local supermarket Loblaws (10 to 12 minutes' walk from Wilbrod House) today to do some last-minute grocery shopping.

Here are two photos of the winter landscape, as I trudge through the snow on my way to the supermarket:

I am on Wilbrod Street, looking east towards Charlotte Street (not visible in this photo)


Looking west towards the University of Ottawa, as I stand outside Australia House

As you can see, it is simply easier to walk in the middle of the road, where the snow has been cleared. Just as well Wilbrod Street is a one-way street.

I realised how much we take for granted in Australia. The footpaths are generally well-maintained, and we don't have to worry about snow (except if you live in a very cold place in Australia). Not that I'm complaining about the snow here in Ottawa (it's still a novelty to me).

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At Wilbrod House, we are doing a cooking challenge for Christmas Eve: Everyone has to make a dish that is not from their country/region of origin and that they have not ever made before. I decided to make a mushroom strudel (with filo/phyllo pastry) for the cooking challenge. That's why I went shopping for groceries today.

When I was walking home, it suddenly occurred to me that the herbs and vegetables that I had bought might be frostbitten by the time I get back to Wilbrod House... It is so different from Australia, where I used to take an esky to the supermarket, to make sure meat and dairy products I buy are kept cold.

Anyway, the herbs and vegetables were fine, because they were outside in the icy (-17 degrees Celsius) conditions for only a short time.

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Speaking of dairy products, I am still shocked by how expensive dairy products are here in Ottawa, compared to what I can get in major cities in Australia. The two blocks of unsalted butter (454g each, or 1 lb. each) you see in the photo below cost me about CAD$10. It's the same with milk and cream. I reckon they are about twice as expensive as in Australia. It's another thing I took granted when I was in Australia -- cheap dairy products. /sigh/



As a pastry student here at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, I use a lot of butter, milk and cream in baking, and that means I have to spend quite a bit of money on ingredients when I am practising my baking at home (in Wilbrod House)... That's something to think about if you are coming to Ottawa to study at Le Cordon Bleu.

And one other thing: It could be because I am used to the dairy products in Australia, but I think the butter, milk and cream in Australia taste better (or rather, they have a stronger flavour) too.

Oh, I miss Australia!!!

Australia House in Ottawa

On my way to the local supermarket Loblaws this morning, I took the opportunity to take a couple of photos of Australia House in Ottawa (407 Wilbrod Street), which is about a block from Wilbrod House.

Australia House is the residence of the Australian High Commissioner to Canada.





I walk by Australia House almost every time I go to Loblaws for my groceries, but today was the first time I could get a good view of the house AND I had my camera with me.

It was approximately -17 degrees Celsius when I took the photos. It was like walking around in a huge freezer. :D

Just seeing the Australian flag outside Australia House made me a little homesick. I'm imagining how warm it is in Australia right now...