Spring in Ottawa: Dicentra and Aquilegia

Here are two photos of pretty flowers I see in Ottawa:


These are the lovely pink, heart-shaped Dicentra flowers.


These are blue Aquilegias. They are so pretty... I would have tried to make these flowers for my sugar showpiece if I had had blue or purple colours to work with.

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.)

National Gallery of Canada (on Victoria Day)

Today is Victoria Day, a public holiday in Canada, so we didn't have any classes. The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) opened its door free to the public for one day, just to celebrate International Museums Day, therefore some of my housemates and I took the opportunity to visit the NGC.

As soon as we entered the Gallery, the first exhibition my housemates and I headed for was the Scott McFarland: A Cultivated View exhibition. The beautiful photographs Scott McFarland produced were thought-provoking indeed. I liked how he got us thinking about how humans interact with nature (particularly in gardens and in landscapes). There was such a lot of detail in his photographs.

I really enjoyed visiting the Gallery. I spent the entire day there, and there was so much to see that I could only manage to see about half the artworks (I will return another day to see the rest).

I have to say the highlights for me would have to be the French impressionist paintings (particularly by Pissarro, Monet, Cézanne and Degas) and those by the 17th Century Dutch & Flemish painters (Rembrandt and Rubens, in particular). There's something special about the French impressionist paintings that really appeal to me. I'm not trained in Art, so I cannot put my finger on it, but I could stand in front of those paintings and gaze at them for ages... I just love them.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos of the artworks inside the Gallery, but we could take photos of the NGC building and architecture. Across from the NGC is Major's Hill Park, which had lots of gorgeous tulips and blossom trees. My housemates and I went to check out the festivities at the Park after lunch, before I went back to the Gallery alone to view more artworks (I always plan for an entire day in a museum or art gallery, simply because I know there is so much to see).

Here is a selection of photos I took today (click on photo for a larger image). As you can see, it was just a magnificent day.


The National Gallery of Canada (NGC)


The Spider (an artwork titled Maman) outside the NGC. Why a spider outside the Art Gallery? Apparently, one explanation I saw in the Gallery was that children have always been fascinated by insects (such as spiders)... Anyway, it was really eye-catching, even to adults.

In the next two photos, I wanted to capture the sense of space in the Gallery. I think the Canadians are so lucky to have such impressive architecture for their museums (e.g. Museum of Civilization and Canadian War Museum) and national gallery.






Here, you see some lovely tulips in Major's Hill Park, and in the background is the NGC.


More tulips ...


Tulips and blossom trees. Don't you just love the contrast in colours?


Isn't this lovely?


A close-up of the white blossoms, and a bumblebee (I think)


Fun for kids in Major's Hill Park

In the late afternoon, I was a little tired from walking around the Gallery, so I went downstairs to the Inuit Galleries and sat down to view the High-definition Inuit Storytelling, a series of videos about the Inuit culture and way of life. I found the videos about how the Inuits build their stone houses and igloos truly fascinating. Such resourcefulness for surviving in a harsh environment...




In short, an intellectually-stimulating day for me. I'm glad I had the chance to relax a little today. It is going to be a hectic week coming up for me. Demo classes on Tuesday and Friday. Practice with pulling sugar (and a practice run for the sugar showpiece) on Thursday and a written exam on Friday.

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.

"To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before"

I'm sure most people would know where this quote came from...

Yup, I went to see the new Star Trek movie at the Rideau Centre today. As a Star Trek fan for over 20 years (and having watched all the movies so far and followed every series, except for the animated series), how could I resist this new movie?

Warning: Possible spoilers below. Scroll down at your own risk.



The rooftop garden at Rideau Centre, just outside the Cinemas. I can't get enough of the tulips. They are just so pretty.





Having seen the trailer and waiting for weeks to see the movie, I have to say I was not disappointed. I thought the movie was really entertaining. The acting was fantastic! I also enjoyed the special effects, which was quite spectacular and fairly well-done. For me, it was good to learn a bit more about how the main characters met during their younger years, though I found one of the friendships/relationships (involving Uhura) less than convincing. It was probably happening in an alternate universe, but I still found it quite weird.

I liked the fact that the late Professor Randy Pausch (whose book The Last Lecture inspired me) had a line in it. In the opening minutes of the movie, you see a crew member walking across the bridge of the USS Kelvin, saying "Captain, we have visuals." I believe that was him. It was a nice touch indeed.

If you asked me what I found most memorable about the movie, I would say all the references to TOS (The Original Series) and the early movies, particularly Leonard 'Bones' McCoy's line "I'm a doctor, not a ..." (which totally cracked me up), and the Kobayashi Maru scenario. Finally, we get more details and some (plausible) explanations for the Kobayashi Maru; Spock explicitly explains that the purpose of it was to face fear/death in a no-win scenario. It was good to see how Kirk actually dealt with it!

As for criticisms of the movie, I think (1) there could have been many more scenes set at Starfleet Academy (but there weren't), and (2) Scotty didn't have a very significant role in this movie, which is a real pity. I hope we see more of Scotty in the next movie. (I'm assuming there is going to be another one.)

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.

Local Birdlife

I have noticed that, now that spring is here, I see a lot more birdlife when I venture outdoors.

The following photos were taken yesterday, at the park across from C.A.Paradis -- the kitchen-supplies shop on Bank Street that most LCB Ottawa students would have visited at some stage. (Aside: Bus No. 5 stops outside LCB Ottawa and also C.A. Paradis.)

I don't know all that much about birds, but I think the birds you see in the photos are pretty common in Australia and New Zealand. When I was taking the photos, I momentarily forgot I was in Canada. Then the black squirrel perched on the log in the middle of the first photo caught my eye ... :) (We don't see squirrels in Australia, that's for sure.)

Canadian Museum of Civilization (Part 2)

(continued from last week's blog post)

I went back to the Canadian Museum of Civilization today. Here are more photos from my trip to the Museum. Please click on the photos for larger images.


Tulips blooming outside the Museum. Seeing the lovely tulips really made my day.


A display outside the Museum. It provides information regarding the layout of the Museum buildings and surrounding areas.


View of the exterior of the Museum from inside the building.



A nice view of the Grand Hall. I love the sense of space here.


This is a magnificent painting (titled Morning Star) on the museum ceiling by Alex Janvier. It took the artist 4 months to complete, and it was nine stories above where I was standing. It wasn't exactly the Sistine Chapel, but this was truly something to behold. This is my favorite photo of the day.


Some basic information about Quebec.


Some basic information about Ontario.


A museum exhibit showing what life used to be like way back when cod-fishing was a major industry.


Kitchen tools in the 1800s (during the timber era).


Interesting-looking potteries. I found the blue colour on the potteries quite attractive, so I decided to take a photo.


A Ukranian bookseller and music shop (in Winnipeg, some years ago). When you walk through the door, it is like going back in time...


I like this quote. You may or may not agree with it, but it makes sense to me.


I found this rather quirky. It is a picture made entirely of postage stamps (just like a mosaic).

By the way, I went to the information desk and asked for a guided tour of parts of the museum today. It is truly worthwhile to have a museum guide provide more detailed information and context for many of the exhibits, especially if one is not a local here. It certainly made the visit to the museum so much more meaningful to me. Best of all, the one-to-one guided tour cost me just a token sum of $3. So, if you do go to the Museum, see if you can utilise this service.

Oh yes, I asked about the music with the Innu Drum (mentioned in my blog post last week), but the museum guide could not provide me with any information. All he said was, the Museum was in the process of compiling more information about the recordings. Fortunately, I managed to capture a segment of the music with my digital voice recorder, that way I can have it identified one day.