Ciambella Rae

Mahalo

2011-01-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

A huge MAHALO goes to Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel for kindly sending me my phone back. It must've been the "hang-loose" mentality that I was still holding, when I left my phone charging in my hotel room. It wasn't until I was on the plane that I realized I didn't have my phone with me.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

2011-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Dripping wet fur suggests some doggy-paddle action occurred.

Perhaps you'll see a photo of Arabomb-shell's perspective.

Happy 2011! According to blogger, I've been m.i.a. for 8 months. I confessed to Arabomb-shell that one of the reasons for my blogging hiatus (aside from sheer laziness) was due to a lack of desire to write. Evidently, I tend to ramble and recount every detail, even if they're insignificant, which ends up frustrating myself and you, I'm sure. "You don't have to write anything. Just post a picture," Arabomb-shell advised. Such wisdom but look at what I'm doing now. Old habits die hard.

I won't promise regular updates because I'd rather not disappoint anyone-- have low expectations, as Giosy suggests. If you happen to pass by, and if I happen to have new photos...then we all win? Baby steps.

Thanks for visiting =)

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWINNY!!!

P.P.S. I totally DID post my Paris pictures. Please see below.

Day 76: A Bientot, Paris!

2010-05-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Domo thrilled to meet Ms Mona Lisa

Dining @ Bofinger--Last night in Paris =(

Belle's first experience with escargot--slippery little buggers

None the wiser =p

Day 75: Inconvenience Day

2010-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Rose scented and lemon flavoured pastries from arnaud DELMONTEL

There's an explanation for the desolate streets--LABOUR DAY! Thanks for the memo.

Garden of Versaille--only thing opened

Mmmmmmacarons from Laduree

Say HOLGA!

Day 74: I Can Afford...Crepes!

2010-04-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty buildings in Le Marais

Custom made scallops and mushroom buckwheat crepe

Banana caramel crepe--utterly divine caramel (I still dream of you)

Organized chaos--heaps of old books and magazines

Le canard! Quack! Quack!

Day 73: Gum on MAH Bum

2010-04-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sacre Coeur

Anners' favourite building

Bombshell looking rather cool

Domo @ Notre Dame

View atop Notre Dame--check out the rain! la pluie!

Twinnies

You'd never catch me amidst that crowd of birds. NEVER.

Where we saw Karl Lagerfeld and he stood right behind me!!!

All smiles at Tuileries Garden

Domo @ Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

Day 72: Maximizing Day 1 in Paris

2010-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Look how Twinny spoiled us! EVERY MORNING!

A quick photo before taking the metro for the first time

Riding up the Eiffel Tower

Domo chomped his way to Paris!

A well-deserved afternoon dessert @ Cafe Branly

Aboard Bateaux-Mouches for a boat tour on the Seine

Notre Dame

We wrap up our night at Shakespeare and Co

Day 71: Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin! Bonjour, Paris!

2010-04-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Travelling Trio having their last meal in Berlin, at Hassir.

Our lovely waiter at Hassir wanted us to remember him =)

Oberbaumbrücke--bridge connecting Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg

Our gracious host and dear friend's note for us =)

Our Parisian bedmate. Check out her pearls!

Day 70: Raindrops

2010-04-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

These fun and colourful buildings were right in our "back yard," and we didn't discover them until our last day!

Berliner Dom

Deranged driving in the DDR Museum

Belle braved the rain to pick his nose

Day 69: Old Communist Neighbourhood + Curry Wurst = Belle's Ideal Life

2010-04-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Day 68: Working Up A Monsieur Vuong Appetite

2010-04-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ready to shop 'til we drop

Such naughty gnomes

Our promise to not have Asian food on our trip FAILED. We not only had Vietnamese food instead of traditional German food, but we returned on 3 other occasions, during the 5 days we were in Berlin.

I blame these glorious Vietnamese iced coffees

Day 67: Taking Berlin by Storm

2010-04-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Check out my spread! This is how we ate, every morning in Berlin.

Look at their happy faces :) What a good way to start each day, no? Oh, I should also note that we all went back for seconds...

After our massive breakfast, we decided to kill two birds with one stone: walk off our meal and check out the East Side Gallery. It was sunny but the wind certainly sent chills through our bodies. It was a nice walk, along the wall, taking in all art work.

I didn't know what to make of some of them, though...like the one above. I did notice, however, that the banana seemed to be a recurring theme. I don't know what its significance is.

I don't know why I find this little Trabant so interesting. Apparently, this car was perceived as a joke because it was more of a nuisance than a convenience. I remember reading something about the first car being made of cardboard and other materials, which resulted in the car melting, when it rained. Oh, there's also a joke about increasing the value of the car by throwing a banana in the back seat.

So, I looked up the significance of bananas, and apparently, they were mostly available to West Germany but not so much in East Germany.

The Reichstag dome. We each had an audio guide informing us of surrounding landmarks and their history, as we spiraled up the dome.

Brandenburg Gate

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Day 66: Which Fahrt?

2010-04-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! We finally arrived to Frankfurt!!! It should be smoothe sailing, from here on. Um...yah right. Belle and I asked a lady where to catch a train to the main train station, and she advised us go down a couple of elevators and then just purchase our train ticket from the machine. Easy peasy.

How.wrong.we.were. Look at that ticket machine above. Not knowing a lick of German, besides "Guten Tag," would you even know where to begin deciphering the sentence long words?! We were rendered speechless, when we were faced with the insane amount of ticket options. We even held some guy back from catching his train because he had to wait, while we gawked at the machine. He eventually offered to help, but not before purchasing his own ticket first. He jammed a few buttons for us, and our tickets were spat out. Oh man, our days in Germany will be difficult...

Belle and I somehow managed to take the right train to Frankfurt's main train station, where we met Twinny! We hadn't seen this girl for a good 8 months, since she moved to Paris for fashion school. Look how chic she is--she's the most stylish traveler I know.

It was so wonderful reuniting with our dear friend. Our Eurotrip was finally underway.

Day 65: Jai Ho in Gourmando

2010-04-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

Angie wanted to take us to Olive + Gourmando, on our first day in Montreal. However, it was packed, and we were hungry, so we had to leave Olive for another day. We made other attempts to go, days after, but were unsuccessful. Finally, on our last day in Montreal, we were able to get a table. SUCCESS!

Guess who we spotted at the table next to us? Yes, that stunning and graceful woman is none other than Freida Pinto.

Here we are with our spread =)

Adieu, Montreal! You treated us so well--we will definitely be back. Hallo, Frankfurt!

Day 64: "I like Jewish food. I like smoked meat."

2010-04-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

If my photography prof saw this photo, he'd tell me my composition was way off. It's still funny, though, no?

Having lunch with our new Quebecois friend at Dunn's. He insisted on us trying the smoked meat poutine, so we did. It was quite good but so filling!

After a day of half-hearted wandering, we met up with Angie and her boyfriend for a satisfying meal at Mazurka, a Polish restaurant. I could go for that potato cake thing right now...mmmm....and perogies...mmm.....

We met up with our high school friend, Steph, for quite a walk up and down St. Denis =p

Day 63: What a Tease

2010-04-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

We had high hopes for Montreal's poutine, but this one just disappointed us on so many levels. I can't really say we chose to go to this place because we were somewhat nudged in by a man on a street. If you want poutine, go with what the locals recommend--La Banquise

Okay, pies from Rockaberry were not the tease. What led us to Rockaberry was after enduring an entire afternoon of stress, exhaustion, and indecisiveness. While we were setting out on our mission to eat our way through Montreal, we were given a surprise call from Air Canada offering us a flight to Rome. What?!?! We tried to look for internet to do a bit more research. Rome isn't exactly close to Paris.

Our friend suggested we go to a library. We took the metro to the library and it was CLOSED. We bought a calling card to call our friend in Paris, and we failed 5 or 6 times before we were able to actually place a call. We found an internet cafe, paid for half an hour of usage, logged in, started a Skype conversation and the monitor shut down, refusing to turn on again. Needless to say, things were not working well for us that day. We ended up declining the offer. This is where Rockaberry came in to uplift our sour moods.

Day 62: "These girls will EAT you under the table!"

2010-04-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, you'll soon realize that my life revolves heavily around food. Can you guess which famous Montreal diner we visited? That's right, Schwartz's. This was Arabomb-Shell's first visit and my second. I can't say I was blown away by my sandwich, this time. It was definitely not as tender and succulent as the one I had on my first visit. There has been some talk of a new smoked-meat contender by the name of Lester's. Lester's, I will be paying you a visit, the next time I'm in town.

My beloved natas from Coco Rico. You guys were a tad chilly this time but still delicious!

Battle of the bagles! St. Viateur vs. Farimount! For me, Fairmount's hint of sweetness won me over

Day 61: When Life Throws You Lemons...

2010-04-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you thought I abandoned my blog, but I was taking an extended vacation. Okay, so I've just been lazy. I really would've delayed this even longer, if Arabomb-Shell hadn't gently scolded me for not updating my blog. I felt like I had disappointed her and possibly many others? Anyhow, I'm back, and I hope the pictures I'm about to bombard you with (since I've been selfishly collecting them in my external hard drive for the past month) will strike up some emotion within you.

The above photo is of my dear cousin, Angie, and myself. If it weren't for her generous offer to let us stay with her, in Montreal, I don't think our trip would've continued; we would've dragged our tired, smokey (no thanks to our smoke-composed hotel room) selves back to Vancouver. You can imagine how utterly disappointing that would've been, for two girls filled with immense wanderlust. Thank you, Angie =)

I remember disliking maple syrup lollipops, when I was a kid. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this warm and cool sticky treat. My hair was also quite fond of it. Sadly, though, the strands that got a taste are no longer with me.

Day 60: The Europe of Canada

2010-04-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Belle happily holds our 5pm ticket to Montreal!!!

Domo visit the CN Tower!

Delicious mushroom and arugula salad at Terroni's

My delicious papardelle with 3 kinds of mushrooms :)

Belle's lamb pasta

Domo rides ViaRail to Montreal

Smiles from Belle and me

Belle with far too many bags. There's a 4th one on her right arm.None of them are mine.

Belle and I woke up at 6:45am to call Air Canada. We were left on hold for a good 45 mins, before a representative could help us. She informed us that the next available flight to Paris wouldn't be until the 21st. Turned off by the idea of having to wait so long, we said no to that option and decided to go on the queue for any extra flights later arranged. After hanging up, we came up with more questions, which resulted in us waiting another half hour.

Meanwhile, I texted my cousin and informed her of our predicament. She immediately texted me and called me to let me know both her and my uncle were working to see if they could find us another flight to Europe. She also offered to let us stay with her in Montreal. My family surely wasted no time in helping us stranded girls.

I kept in touch with my uncle, who informed me that all flights to Europe were cancelled at least until next week. Things were looking grim for us. We were saddened to hear that we would probably have to go home. However, over breakfast, Belle and I considered the idea of going to Europe:

Pros:

-I'd get to see my cousin!

-Belle has never been to Montreal

-Giosy convincingly noted that Montreal would be the Europe of Canada

Cons:

-None

So, we decided to go to Montreal and take the flight to Paris on the 21st. We scarfed down the rest of our breakfast, checked out, and ran to the pay phones to call Air Canada yet again. After holding for another chunk of time, we were told that the next available flight to Paris were now either the 29th, from Toronto, or the 30th, from Montreal. WTFML?! How did this happen?! How did the flights fill up so quickly? It turns out that there was another scheduled flight tonight, which got cancelled. So, we were competing with even more people to go to Paris. We asked for the next earliest flights to anywhere else in Europe, and we opted for the flight to Frankfurt on the 21st. If all goes well, and if our luck turns around, we will be on our way to Europe then. Fingers crossed that it will happen, and we'll live.

I informed my uncle of our plans, and he quickly made arrangements to get us on a train to Montreal. My cousin, meanwhile, made arrangements to have us stay at her bf's condo, for the duration of our stay in Montreal. I feel so lucky and well loved, by the immediate response by my family. They were so quick to jump on board to help and make our trip as comfortable as possible. They truly exemplify what it means to be family and I feel so grateful and lucky :)

Day 59: "At least we're alive..."

2010-04-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

Domo catches a lift to Gate 45, where he'd hop on a plane to Toronto.

The old man was too slow, so he decides to ski there instead.

After arriving to Toronto, we find out our flight to Paris is cancelled until further notice.

We are beyond sad. Our bags were also MIA for a good 3 hours, so we sat on the ground a sulked.

Air Canada placed us in a hotel that was seemingly nice, judging by the looks of the warmly lit and clean lobby. We were sorely mistaken, once we arrived on our floor and were immediately hit by the thick scent of smoke, hanging heavily in the air.

Questionable stains for left on the carpet for our amusement.

Belle checks for bed bugs, and we're all clear

We excitedly caught the 10am flight to Toronto, en route to Paris. It was a 4 hour flight, and we realized we were no longer sitting next to each other, due to an aircraft change. Oh well. We agreed to ensure we'd get seats next to each other, on our flight from TO to Paris.

I sat next to a couple with child. He was a cute little boy with rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes. Being only 16 months old, he was quite big, and I thought he was at least 2. He took quite a liking to my fashion magazines and he made many attempts to sit by me, so he could point at vibrantly dressed models. He kept me entertained for the flight.

When we arrived to Toronto, we were sadly informed that our flight to Paris had been cancelled. We were told that we probably wouldn't be on another flight until the next day, at minimum. After that disappointing news, we had to wait close to 3 hours for our bags to arrive. During that time, we were informed that this fiasco was almost as bad as when 9/11 happened. He also mentioned to us that we probably wouldn't catch another flight to Europe for another 6 days--"Yah. It's really bad."

The guy pulled some strings for us and got some guys to hunt down our bags. When they finally fell on to the belt, we snatched them up, took some photos, and made a beeline to get accommodation for the night. We were given a room at Travelodge. We headed to stop S5 to wait for our shuttle. This day was just a waiting game. The shuttle finally came, and when we got to the hotel, we waited some more to get our room. Since everyone taking Air Canada was sent to Travelodge, we were left with only a smoking room.

When we arrived on our floor, we immediately noticed the stark difference between the lobby, the elevator, and our floor. The lobby was fairly nice with warm-toned lighting and plush seats and massive, fake plants. The elevator was shiny and bright and clean. When we got to our floor, however, the elevator doors opened to reveal the nasty, shit green mess. On top of that, we were hit by the overwhelming smell of stale smoke, lingering heavily in the air. It was not going to be a good night. When we got to our room, we were horrified and amused to find iron burn marks on the carpet, along with a host of other stains that made our room look like a murder scene. We threw down our bags and hurried downstairs for fresh air and dinner.

We had dinner at Casey's, the hotel's restaurant. We waited a while to be seated. Then, we waited a long time to be served water. Then, we waited a long time to have our orders taken. THEN, we waited forever for our food to come. We then realized the Canuck's vs King's game was playing at the bar. So, we opted to sit at the bar instead. Our food came, we chowed down our burgers in time for the first intermission, we went back to our room, showered (to only feel dirty all over again because of the smoke), and caught the rest of the game.

Two for You

2010-04-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Day 57: Domo Lolli

Quick chocolate fix at Mink's with Giosy and our elementary school friend, who was visiting from London, Lolli :) Never a dull moment with these two!

Day 58: Pining Away

Breaking new: Domo was attacked by a massive pine cone this afternoon!

Day 56: Domo Refuels

2010-04-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

Domo meets his match--the Evil Miranda ;)

Don't be fooled by his expression of perpetual rage. He enjoyed being in the napkin shoe.

Day 55: My What Big Teeth You Have...

2010-03-31T23:38:00.000-07:00

Double Feature...

2010-03-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Day 53: Straight from the Horses Mouth

What's this you see?

Stop fooling around, Domo! This was taken on Friday, but a family emergency left me little desire to blog.

Day 54: Domo Does Banana Brulée

Domo's probably under the impression that his constant exposure to food is an invitation to help himself. Who can deny him a banana brulée, when faced with razor-sharp teeth?

Day 52: Barely Audible

2010-03-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Trapped in a lantern, only Domo can hear himself yell.

Day 51: Domo-kun Does Breakfast

2010-03-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Anners, your wish is my command. Domo-kun joined us for breakfast today, and he went straight for the bomba filled with creamy, rich Nutella.

While I was in the restroom, Domo kept Anners company. According to Anners, this set-up resulted in many puzzled looks sent her way. Perhaps she failed to mention the conversation she had with Domo, over coffee (j/k).

Day 50: The Pretzel Diet

2010-03-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

In answer to Giosy's question, a pretzel was what Domo-kun ate next. Of course, he played with it for a while first, pretending it was a mask or glasses.

I have a feeling this will turn into a "What will Domo-kun eat/do next?" series...

Day 49: Easily Amused

2010-03-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

I went into my brother's room and found a banana peel on his desk. Naturally, I had to make Domo-kun eat it.

Day 48: Spring Flowers

2010-03-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

On my way home from having dim sum with my mom, I spotted a tree adorned with these beautiful flowers. Why couldn't the city line our streets with these trees, as opposed to the boring ones that yield millions of tiny flies instead of lovely flowers? I really want a flower tree like this--so fresh and beautiful.

Do any of your know what kind of tree this is?

Day 47: Head In

2010-03-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

You know how people say they sometimes wish they could get inside someone's head? Well, I did just that today.

Day 46: Back to Reality

2010-03-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

I'm baaaack! I'm sorry about the unannouced blogging hiatus. Ever since the Olympic ended, I've been suffering from POD (post Olympic depression). Can you blame me? I bet you suffered from POD for a brief period yourselves.

Anyhow, I've somewhat recovered now. Somewhat. I bought a new camera today to replace my old one, which died from a horrific accident. I knew I smelled trouble, when I spotted the creepy Coca Cola bear. Why I still took a picture with it is beyond me.

I went to Mis Trucos with my mom today, and I quite enjoyed the experience. I think this is a fairly young restaurant, and some dishes could be slightly improved but overall, everything was quite yummy.

Food Porn:

Qualicum scallop, squash, crisp ham, potato foam

Crispy bread wrapped wild gulf prawn

Beetroot cured arctic char, beet foam + caviar

White truffle + lobster risotto, herbed creme fraiche

Chasing Time

2010-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

February 19, 2010

-My day off! Hung out with my mom and checked out some Olympic sights. GORGEOUS day

-Skytrained to Olympic Village, so we could hop on the Bombardier to Granville Island. ~15mins wait

-2 mins ride over and walked to the Public Market for food

-Had lentil soup and red snapper chowder from Stock Market??

-Tried to look for my biggest fan. Couldn't find him =(

-Freezing cold, despite the deceiving sunny weather

-Couldn't find the French House, so we headed out

-Passed by the Pacific Culinary Institute (?) and had a $5 skewer of grilled, smoked salmon. Was really good

-Went into its bakery and shared an egg tart and a raspberry cream cheese dome (so good)

-Passed by a couple of the Czech guys I met, on our way back to the Bombardier

-Skytrained to Vancouver City Centre to check out the zipline and Robson Square

-Headed home

-Met up with Alvina + co for dinner at Pied-a-Terre

-Met up with some girls from our team for drinks at Earls

-Headed over to Republic. CRAZINESS on Granville St.

-Opted to go home instead because of the ridiculous lines and crowd

-Skytrained homed

February 20, 2010

-Waited in line, with mie ragazze (minus one), for TWO HOURS for Japadogs--so delicious

-Checked out Roots for a travelling bag

-Lined up for Amabel's caramel apple

-Walked to Mink's for tea, cappuccino, and frozen blended chocolate

-Giosy met up with us, with a McFlurry in tow

-Walked with the crowd to see the cauldron

-Took pictures of and with the cauldron, through a hole in the fence

-Headed to PC in search of a fashionable toque to keep Giosy's head warm

-Skytrained to Yaletown Roundhouse, where we parted ways at Sushi Maro

-Met up with Dillaybay to watch Stereophonics at BC Place

-No ceremonies at BC Place, but we watched the Whistler Ceremony, where Jon Montgomery received his GOLD medal!!!

-Danced to Stereophonics with Dillay in the mosh pit =)

-Saw Friday's owner

-Headed to the Plaza of Nations pavillions for FOOD

-Had Combo #1 from New India--butter chicken + chick peas something + naan+ something crispy

-Had a honey green bbt

-Walked along the seawall with Dillay--freakin cold but freakin beautiful

February 21, 2010

-Baked white chocolate chunk cookies

-Brunch with Pav and Kathrin at Caffe Barney's--lovely chat about smelly people and fun careers

-Headed to BC Place for my shift in the green room

-Watched the Canada vs USA game, while Shani Davis and Apolo Ohno were there waiting for the ceremonies to commence. Clearly, we were cheering for different teams =p We lost =( x 10000000000

-Headed over to Connie's gorgeous pad in Yaletown--view of Livecity @ David Lam and the water and the city. Gorgeous! She fed us well and was such a wonderful host. Bubba is so cute but afraid of girls. The way to his heart is most certainly through his stomach =)

February 22, 2010

-Had lunch at East is East with mi mama =)

-Went to check out Richmond O Zone. Pretty uneventful. I was unimpressed. Maybe I missed out on a section?

-Went to walk around RC and got a green tea frap

-Headed home to get warmer clothing

-Met up with my dearests for dinner at Kanpachi, on Cambie and Broadway

-Brief appearance from Hilbert, who so kindly treated us to dinner

More to come, but this will do for now...

Mental Image

2010-02-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry, there will be no photos to accompany this super quick post. I've been so behind in blogging because my schedule has been so crazy busy but crazy fun. I don't even know what day of the week it is anymore. So, my last post was about the ladies' 500m speed skating medal ceremony and also the Virgin Radio party. Um...what have I done since then. When did that happen?

Okay, so that all happened on Wednesday...then the next day, I worked in the green room. I didn't have to go on stage. Um...we started our shift later, at 2pm, and we were immediately sent to have our break. HA! I had cream of mushroom soup. It was good. I love mushrooms.

That day (Thursday), I was assigned to keep watch of the area separating our green room from the media/press section. We were not allowed to let anyone pass without a special media pass. So, my friend, Madie, and I kept watch for 4+ hours. How eventful. We watched all the athletes come in. The ones I recognized were Shani Davis and Shaun White. Shaun White sat nearest to us, and we watched as he prepared to go on stage. My goodness, his curls are glorious. His body is insane, and his smile is so cute. We exchanged words, oh yes. He asked for some safety pins, and I ran to hunt some down. I didn't manage to find any, but he thanked me anyway. Good man, good man.

When the athletes left to receive their medals, we all crowded around the TVs to watch. It was so much fun seeing Shaun's excitement. It's always so rewarding to watch athletes receive their medals and have such a blast. His reactions were so genuine, which make him so likeable. He's also so chill and approachable. Too bad we're not allowed to talk to athletes, unless they initiate the conversations first.

Madie and I resumed our positions by the curtains, with very little to no action. However, close to the end of the night, guess who appeared behind me? Shani Davis! He just received his medal, and as he passed us, we congratulated him. He stopped in his tracks and commented on how heavy his medal is. He then offered to let us hold it! We took turns holding it, and when we thanked him, he said that we should get to hold it, since we work so hard and we've done so much to help out with the Olympics. It was very sweet of him to take the time to acknowledge us volunteers and show his appreciation. I don't care what negative comments have been circulated about him. I have not seen a bad side of him, so he remains in my good books. What a sweet guy, and he has such a great smile.

**I intended to post this yesterday (Saturday). This is just as confusing for me, as it is for you. SORRY!

Day 45: Star Sightings

2010-02-20T23:51:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: This post was intended to be published 2 days ago...I think...

Things have certainly not died down, since Bilodeau received Canada's first gold medal on home soil Monday night. I had Tuesday to rest up, after the craziness. I spent the morning baking cookies, and then I went over to my friend's place to catch the Canada vs Norway men's hockey game. We won 8-0! I actually met 2 of Norway's hockey players, but I'm unsure of their names. I will have to Google their team and then match their faces to my picture.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was another crazy day. I woke up to only my radio alarm and was immediately filled with a sense of dread, when I realized my phone alarm did not ring. Did I sleep past it, and was I late for volunteering?! I checked my phone and realized it was completely dead. I tried taking the battery out and sticking it back in, but my phone wouldn't start. This was quite concerning because my phone had a least half a bar of battery left, before I went to bed. I finally decided to charge my phone to see what would happen. Oddly but luckily, it turned on again.

As I waited for my phone to charge, I went back to bed and listened to the radio. The radio host encouraged listeners to text in their names and neighbourhood for a chance to win tickets to Virgin Radio's party with Richard Branson. No singing or test question required? Why not? I texted my name and neighbourhood, and didn't think much of it after. I got ready to leave for volunteering, and as I was about to leave the house, I received a text saying, "YOU WON!!!" Uh...what did I win? It took me a couple of minutes to realize what the text meant--I had won the radio contest. I immediately burst into laughter because I wasn't expecting to win. How lucky was I?!

I called the number they texted me and was informed by Taylor that I had won a pair of VIP tickets to party with Virgin Radio and Richard Branson AND I won a Blackberry Bold. This was all too much for me to absorb. First, I got to bring out Bilodeau's gold medal and now I win a radio contest?! What are the odds? I don't know what I've done to deserve all this and have all these amazing opportunities come my way, but I'm so very thankful and elated that such luck has come my way.

After presenting the gold medal to Korea's Sang-Hwa Lee, for ladies' 500m speed skating, I met up with Anners to venture over to Gossip (a place which I swore I'd never set foot in again, ironically). The evening started off slow, and we felt slightly uncomfortable mingling with people our parents' age. Anyhow, after conversations about babies (half asian babies, specifically) with men whose career titles should really be a sentence, Richard Branson finally came.

I would say this was the turning point of our night. We managed to get a picture with the knight, which was preceded by one with Anna Wallner from The Shopping Bags!!!! I love watching her and Kristina! Both Anna and Richard were very nice and welcomed having photos taken with us.

I also met Jeff and Crosby from Virgin Radio. I was pleasantly surprised by how genuine and sweet they were. I wasn't expecting them to be rude...I don't know what I was expecting, actually...I guess with a big named celebrity like Richard Branson there, I wasn't expecting them to pay much attention to little 'ol me. However, they both took the time to really chat with me and they tried to get to know me, which I really appreciated.

The arrival of Sir Richard Branson was followed by the arrival of DJ Steve Aoki. Everyone went wild, cheering as though he was a god. I had no idea who he was, but the way he mixed was so good! It definitely got Anners and myself dancing.

While we were being fueled by the music, we spotted some Czech athletes. There were only 2 out of the group in uniform, so I just assumed the rest were not athletes. So, I thrusted my camera into the hands of the tallest guy, asking him to take our photo. He was very sweet and patient and he had a perpetual smile plastered on his face. It wasn't until after that it occured to me he could've been an athlete as well. I felt bad for leaving him out, so I watched out for him to get a picture with him later on.

We eventually spotted him near our section, so I asked to have a photo taken with him. His name is David, and it turns out he's also part of Czech Republic's Olympic team. He does snowboard cross. When he realized that I'm a medal and flower bearer, he sadly said, "I didn't win." Oh man, what do you say to that? I asked him, "Are you having fun, though?" With a smile on his face, he replied, "Yes!"

He danced with us, sporadically, throughout the night. I wouldn't say he was an exceptional dancer, but watching him flail his super long limbs, while smiling his goofy smile, was so endearing. He also brought us many drinks that had Red Bull in it, and the taste of Red Bull reminds me of medicine. So, each time I took a sip of whatever drinks he got us, I was overcome by flashbacks of being sick, as a child, and having to take cherry flavoured DM.

What started off as a slow, unpromising night turned out to be SO MUCH FUN! Anners and I stayed until the club was closing, and we still had energy to keep going. We hugged our Czech giant farewell and went out into the cold, early morning, in search for a taxi.

**sorry about the crazy amount of what may be unnecessary details to you. Since my schedule has been so busy, these posts are serving as my daily journal entries.

Day 44: Go, Go, Bilodeau!!!!

2010-02-15T23:59:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to describe what happened tonight. Simply describing the feeling and experience of witnessing Alexandre Bilodeau receive Canada's first gold medal on home soil as AMAZING is a complete understatement. Standing there, hearing the deafening sounds of extremely proud Canadians go MAD, was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I feel unbelievably lucky and honoured to have brought out Bilodeau's gold medal; I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. This is one that will never be repeated again, and I'll hold it dear to my heart.

OH MY GOSH! I brought out Canada's first gold medal on home soil! Sorry, this is starting to really sink in, as I'm typing. We had been on such an emotional high all day and feeling the pressure of having to execute our steps perfectly drained us out a bit. My beautiful teammates and I only got to rehearse for the first time, in venue and costume, a few hours before show time. It was extremely nerve-wracking, since this was our first time on stage and it was such a HUGE DEAL!

I couldn't have asked for better teammates. We all worked so well together and the support for each other is always present. Madie brought out Bryon Wilson's bronze medal, and Francine brought out Dale Begg-Smith's silver medal. We didn't get to speak to them, since we wanted to ensure that we respected their space. However, just being in their presence and being able to share such a life-changing moment with them is beyond what we could've ever hoped for.

I want to thank all my friends and family for your constant love and support. I was so shocked to come back to my phone, holding 19 new messages with words of encouragement, love, and excitement. You guys are absolutely amazing, and I want you to know that your unwavering love and support keep me going.

GO CANADA!!!

Day 43: First BC Place Victory Ceremonies

2010-02-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day for Victory Ceremonies to be held at BC Place, and they were amazing! We started off the day with a briefing from our coordinator, letting us know which roles would be assigned to us. I didn't have to bring out medals and flowers today, so I was assigned to run athletes from their cars to the green room. I was so excited and nervous at the same time because I would get to meet them and talk to them, but I didn't know what I'd say.

After figuring out the route to bring the athletes, I was asked to be a mock athlete. This process took a good chunk of time, since we had to share the stage with Nelly Furtado, who was having her rehearsal, and then the camera crew. We went through a few runs with all the medal and flower bearers and athlete and presenter escorts. It was fun pretending to be an athlete because we got to stand on the podium and get a taste of what it'd be like to win a medal--incredible.

We were left little time to grab a bite to eat. I could barely finish scarfing down my chicken sandwich, and I was already called down to pick up athletes. I rotated with a couple of my teammates, so that there would always be someone to receive the athletes. I brought Men's Speed Skating 5000m silver medalist, Seung-Hoon Lee, and Men's Short Track 1500m gold medalist, Jung-Su Lee, to the green room. On my way there, I chit-chatted with them, and one of them asked where I was from. When I told him I'm from Vancouver but my parents are from HK, he proceeded to search for his pass, which held his collection of pins. He looked up and down his landyarn, and when he located a pin, which he traded with an athlete from HK, he excitedly showed me and said, "Hong Kong pin! Hong Kong pin!" Too cute!

Next, I brought Shannon Barkhe, bronze medalist for Women's Freestyle Skiing Moguls, to the green room. She had pink in her hair and a massive smile on her face. She was such a delight, and she was running on 45 minutes of sleep. She really is as sweet and nice as she looks on tv. Immediately after, I brought up gold medalist for Men's Speed Skating 5000m, Sven Kramer.

Then, I waited in the cold for a bit until the next car arrived. Guess who was in it? Jennifer Heil!!! She hopped out of the van, and bolted for the door, leaving me little time to let her know where I was going to take her. She was in a rush to find out if Bilodeau won gold. She charged for the revolving door and everyone scrambled in to keep up. She then charged out and yelled, "Where's the media room?!?" I yelled, "FOLLOW ME!" and then I ran like I had never ran before, followed by Jenn. I had never run that fast in my life! I had major issues, when we hit the ramp, and we had quite a ways to go. Jenn never missed a step; she kept charging forward, and her friend was on the phone trying to find out if Bilodeau would win Canada's first gold medal on home soil. As we kept running, Jenn's friend yelled that Canada won GOLD!!!! We all screamed and cheered and kept running. At this point, Jenn totally passed me and surged forward. I had to yell out directions to her because she was going so fast. When we reached the green room, she burst in ecstatically, screaming and cheering, while Bilodeau was shown on every tv in the room. What a moment that was. I feel so lucky to have shared that moment with her. She probably has no idea how amazing it was for me to run with her group, around BC Place and then up the countless ramps, just so she could witness her friend's victory. Absolutely amazing.

Completely out of breath but on an emotional high, I headed back down to pick up J.R. Celski, bronze medalist for Men's Short Track 1500m. He was very easy going and pleasant to talk to. His next competition is on Wednesday, and I wish him the best of luck.

I had such an amazing day, and it'll only get better. My team will be bringing out medals and flowers for the Men's Freestyle Skiing Moguls tomorrow!!!! It will be insane because Bilodeau will be receiving Canada's first gold medal on home soil. I'm beside myself with excitement!!! Giosy, a greater thing has come!!!

Day 42: Be Proud

2010-02-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I've been MIA for the past few days. A lot has happened and we've all be on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Last night, a couple of teammates and myself made our way to Livecity at David Lam Park, to catch the Olympic Opening Ceremony. We stood in an outrageously long line for hours, just to get through security. When we finally got in, we had minutes to find a spot amongst a sea of people.

The rain played with us all night. This is how it went: drizzled, stopped, showered, stopped, sprinkled, stopped, POURED, and it continued pouring. So, I only caught the first half of the ceremony, and I have yet to finish the last bit. However, what I saw was very beautifully done. My heart bursted with joy, when I saw our Canadian athletes emerge--what a beautiful moment that was.

I was also very excited, when other countries came out. As mentioned before, I was part of the Team Welcome Ceremonies, which allowed us the honour of welcoming each country to our beautiful city. We got to dance and cheer with the athletes, and those moments will be forever be in my heart. I wish every country the very best of luck, and of course, I'm still cheering for Canada first.

I am still very devastated by the loss of Georgia's young athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili. Just the day before the accident, we welcomed Georgia to Vancouver, and we all had a beautiful time celebrating their journey to partake in the 2010 Winter Olympic games. It's unsettling to be reminded of how fragile life is, but it's a reminder to cherish the moments we have. I commend Team Georgia for their strength in attending the Opening Ceremony, in honour of their fallen friend and teammate--it speaks volumes about their support for each other, and I'm sure they felt Nodar would've wanted them continue on.

I really hope people will stop searching for clips of the accident. I find it extremely disrespectful how it was broadcasted multiple times yesterday. I have not seen it and do not intend to. I do not feel that it's necessary to see how Nodar passed, in order to feel the full impact of his departure.

Day 41: My Miga

2010-02-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Guess who came up next to me and kissed me on the cheek? That's right, MIGA!!!! Ahhh...my life is now complete. I know, this picture wasn't taken by myself, but I have a feeling I'm not allowed to post anymore pictures that I've taken. Who knows what is or isn't acceptable anymore.

Today was a very full and exciting and draining day. The rain finally came, and it made things difficult, but all the teams were still in good spirit. Here is another run through of my day. I'm majorly cutting into my sleep time.

-8:15am hair and makeup again
-welcomed Teams Spain and Chinese Taipei
-welcomed Teams Austria, India, and Turkey. Representatives and athletes of Team India wasted no time and danced as soon as the music started. We formed a circle around some of them, and we coaxed a few Austrian and Turkish athletes to join. We all had a blast!
-welcomed Teams Italy and Peru!!! So exciting! Both teams were really into dancing, and an Italian athlete asked to have a photo with me after!!! This made my day because although I'm not Italian, I feel such a close connection to this country and culture. Mi amo ITALIA!!!
-welcomed Teams Japan and Russia
-welcomed Teams Ghana and Poland. The rain really started to come down, so we had both teams on stage. It was a bit cramped, but it was fun dancing and bumping into each other. Only one athlete from Ghana and a huge crowd from Poland
-moved our entire production indoors, to get out of the rain, and we welcomed Teams Argentina, Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Liechtenstein. Talk about cramped! All the teams were extremely excited, and the loudest cheers heard were from Greece! They even brought some of their kids, so there were a bunch of little Greek kids waving their country's flag. I got teary right before going on stage and had to quickly blink my eyes dry. I got to dance with them after, and I gave my little shaker to a little boy with a camera =)
-went back out into the rain to welcome Teams Cayman Islands, China, Iran, and Serbia. Team members of Cayman Islands were in board shorts, flip flops, and a puffy jacket! So awesome!!! Though a small team, they danced the hardest =)
-Finally, we welcomed TEAM CANADA!!!!! It was a full house and it was amazing! It was so wonderful seeing such a huge turnout, despite the cold and dreary weather. The athletes rushed on stage, and we could all feel their excitement. Such high hopes and dreams, and I know Canada will do us proud!

A side note, I bumped into my high school Science teacher! She's a delegate, and she once carried a torch for the Calgary Olympics, I believe. It was exciting seeing her and sharing this experience with her.

I hope you are all having the time of your lives! Don't forget to slow your busy days down to soak in the excitement and realize what a privilege it is to be the hosting city of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!!!

Day 40: Oh Canada

2010-02-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

Get it? Get it? ;) Here is Sandra Oh receiving a pin from someone from the French team! She is OH so wonderful =)

It's past my bed time, but here's a brief summary of my day:

-arrived for hair and make up at 8:15am
-welcomed Team Republic of Korea. Their Chef de Mission nudged me forward to join their conga line. I happily obliged
-welcomed Teams Brasil and Finland and danced up a storm with them
-welcomed Teams Belarus, Germany, and Lebanon
-welcomed Teams Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, and Slovenia. Received a pin from an athlete of Kazakhstan.
-welcomed Team Netherlands. 2 kisses before and after gifts =D (not for me)
-welcomed Teams Algeria, Andorra, and Romania. Athletes from Romania love to dance, and the athletes gave each of us their flags!!!
-welcomed Team France

Wonderful and exhausting day, which will be repeated again tomorrow!!! I will be so sad when this is all over. Team Canada tomorrow!

Day 39: Our World

2010-02-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

Another amazing day spent welcoming teams Belgium, Bulgaria, and Chile to Vancouver. I'm loving every second of it, and feel so lucky to be a part of this exciting time. Tomorrow holds another exciting day, so I'm off to bed. It's not even 10pm yet! I'm pooped.

Day 38: My New Friends

2010-02-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

I must admit that I wasn't crazy about our mascots until recently. Yes, they're undeniably cute, but I didn't fall in love with them until I saw Quatchi and Miga playfully running around, the other day. They appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to entertain us adults, as though we were preschool kids. Quatchi deliberately ran into a little tree and fell down on his bum, and Miga covered her mouth and bopped her head with laughter. I wanted so badly to hug them and play with them.

Anyhow, when I was at The Bay trying to get my hands on a red Canada hoody (they're sold out at Oakridge, Metro, and RC), I found a Quatchi and Miga keychain. My mom must've thought I was nuts, when I squealed with excitement. I quickly rifled through the bunch to pick the best one. Passerbys might've thought I was picking fruits, the way I was studying each keychain for scratches or colours bleeding into the wrong sections. I finally found two good ones, and I had my mom pick the best one. She looked at both and concluded that they looked identical. I took another look and noticed that one had little specks on Quatchi's face. Clearly, they were not identical. I now have the best one =)

Day 37: Z is for Zipper Bracelet

2010-02-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

Isn't this bracelet wicked? One of my best friends, Dillaybay, gave this to me for Christmas, and it has been a conversation piece. Most of you are aware of my affinity for ~~odd~~ interesting jewellery. Ones that I gravitate towards usually hold some sort of meaning to me and have stories behind them. I don't wear jewellery simply to accessorize, but I guess to tell some sort of story.

This may sound odd, but pieces that loved ones give me make me feel connected to them, when I wear them.

Day 36: Y is for Yuca

2010-02-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

After an amazing day of rehearsing for the Welcome Ceremonies at the Olympic Village, I met up with Giosy and Amabel. How lucky was I that we met by this band and their name just so happens to start with a Y? Giosy came to this realization, as we hung around trying to chat over the music.

Giosy: OMG! Is today Y?

Me: Huh?

Giosy: Is today the letter Y?!

Me: Yes.

Giosy: This band is called YUCA!

My memory of the exact words used is a bit fuzzy. It has been a very long day, and my body has not ached this much since...snowboarding for the first time last year. I'm getting old.

Look at who I spotted!!! They are too cute, and it took so much self-control not to abandon my group, during rehearsal, to get a picture with them. If I'm this excited about seeing them, can you imagine how the kids will react?!?!?

Day 35: X is for Xed Fingers

2010-02-04T23:18:00.000-08:00

I am clearly brimming with creative ideas, no? I'm crossing my fingers, hoping I won't trip while performing my roles as a gift bearer and medal and flower bearer, over the next 3 weeks.

Today was stunning out, and I found myself wandering around downtown and feeling myself wrapped with Olympic excitement.

What really warmed my heart was when I saw a guy, decked out in full Russian garb, asking a woman, who was hurrying along while puffing on a cigarette, to take a picture of him infront of the massive Canadian flag. He stood there proudly smiling at his camera, and I wondered whether he was an athlete, a visitor of Russia, or a Russian who has made Canada his new home.

I wanted to take a picture of him, and I even stood there hoping he'd ask me to take a picture for him too. However, I became self-conscious, when I noticed two volunteers staring at me. So, I quickly crossed the street. For the rest of the day, I kept thinking about that guy and smiling at the thought of how excited and happy he looked. I think he was exploring downtown alone, and I hope he had an amazing time.

Day 34: W is for Water Droplets

2010-02-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

I had very little time to think about what to photograph, that starts with the letter W. I thought I'd just take a picture of water coming out of a faucet because I'm creative like that. However, when I was showering, I noticed the water droplets on the shower curtain. So, I decided to take a picture of those instead.

My mom saw me walk into the bathroom with my camera in hand. She then watched me step into the shower with my camera. She asked no questions. Mother knows best.

Day 33: V is for Veyron

2010-02-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

This Bugatti Veyron is one of an insane amount of model cars my dad collects. I first heard about this car when watching Top Gear with my dad. In that particular episode, Richard Hammond raced a Veyron against a fighter plane. I love Top Gear. I hate my camera lenses. I hate how there's a reflection of a light switch in my photo, but I have no time to do anything about it now. Off to training.

Day 32: U is for Umbrella

2010-02-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

Meet Claire--she is a gift from my Twin, who is currently studying fashion in Paris. How chic, no? I tucked Claire in my purse, right before I left the house for a full day of Olympic Ceremonies training. I'm always hesitant to use her. I feel that she's far too pretty to get wet. So, I usually walk in the rain for some time before I find it intolerable, and then I open her for shelter.Today, I guess I found the light drizzle tolerable enough. I didn't want to get poor Claire wet.

As I had mentioned, I had training for the Olympic Victory Ceremonies today. It was a long day and a lot of fun. We went through choreography with the full team and the RCMPs many times. Everyone was in good spirits and we had many laughs. It's starting to hit me that millions of eyeballs will be on us. The thought of tripping is no longer at the forefront. Instead, I'm just hoping I won't freeze and forget to move! I froze today and went into a bit of a daze, and I wasn't even at the venue with thousands of live spectators! I don't know how to prepare myself for this. How did I get myself into this?

Day 31: T is for Turntable

2010-01-31T23:34:00.000-08:00

This old turntable has been present in my life, since the day I was born--you can see it in the background of many of my baby photos. It was always off-limits to my brother and myself, until recently. When I got my first record ever (The Swell Seasons), my dad let me play it, but a lesson on how to delicately handle Mr. Kenwood was given first.

I was more nervous about using this than holding a baby! My dad prefaced my contact with the turntable by ~~threatening~~ saying: "Be careful with the needle--it's irreplaceable!" No pressure at all.

I held my breath, as I lifted the needle to place over the record. When I was satisfied with its placement, I slowly lowered the needle, and Low Rising started playing. The needle lives another day.

Day 30: S is for The Swell Season + Slippers

2010-01-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

One month down, 11 more to go! I was initially taking pictures of an assortment of samples I have, to satisfy picture day 30/letter S. However, I spotted The Swell Season record sitting on my bookshelf, and redirected my attention to that, instead. I was too lazy to pull it off the shelf, and remembering that my dad has an 80-200mm Canon lens, I jumped off my bed to seek it out.

I found the lens in my brother's room, and it was clothed in so much dust that I sneezed a couple of times. I brought it to my room, attached it to my XTi body and gave it a shot. What I immediately noticed was how apparent the instability of my hands was. With this lens, the slightest movement causes the subject you're trying to photograph to jump all over the place. I fall victim motion sickness, and using this lens made me want to throw up.

I held my breath (literally), as I was trying to steady the shake of my hands. This just exacerbated the problem because I was not only dizzy from the shake, but also light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a photographer. Or maybe I should stick to photographing things in close proximity.

I almost forgot I intended these slippers to be the focus for day S. However, it's still day S, so it's not too late to put them up. These cute little feet -warmers, which make my angry feet happy, were a Christmas gift from Giosy. I reserve these slippers for wear only upstairs. I wouldn't want to get them dirty, with whatever goes on downstairs at my house. No, when I'm downstairs, I go barefooted. Yes, I'd rather get my feet dirty than my slippers dirty. I make a lot of sense.

Day 29: R is for The Rock

2010-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the late post, but I'm not home and I'm blogging remotely (chez Giosy). I don't have my card reader with me, so the photo will be available when I get my hands on one.

I watched The Rock, tonight, at my friend's birthday party. I rendered him speechless, when I uttered these words: "What's The Rock?" I thought he was referring to Dwayne Johnson, so I was filled with dread when he ran off to get the movie. I don't like Dwayne Johnson movies.

Lucky for me, the movie had nothing to do with Dwayne. I suck at writing synopsis, so I won't bother attempting to do so. My friend Anners gave us a really good one, as the movie was being set up. If you're really curious and are too lazy to Google the movie, kindly leave a comment requesting Anners to provide you with a synopsis. Maybe she'll be in a giving mood, and I promise you she won't disappoint.

Anyhow, the movie was really entertaining and well done--I was held captivated the entire time, and I'd watch it again. I suggest you do the same, if you haven't already.

Day 28: Q is for Quatchi (and friends)

2010-01-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

As I was speed walking back to work, from getting a Taormina panino from Sciué, I spotted this sign and took a rushed photo before crossing the street. This is the first one I've noticed. I believe this is German?? I'm too lazy to confirm it, but I'm sure Giosy will be able to tell. I wonder how many more of these "Welcome" signs there are around the city, and I wonder which languages they're in.

Day 27: P is for Performer

2010-01-27T23:46:00.000-08:00

I found it really amusing how this street performer needed assistance from four guys to get him up on his unicycle. He actually had the unicycle laying flat on the ground, along with himself, and the guys had to pull him up to this position. I guess audience interaction was what he was going for, but dude, I wanted to see him pull it off independently.

There wasn't really any wow factor. However, the homosexual comments exchanged between himself and some guy who stood next to me was highly entertaining. The top-naked-unicycle-rider even snapped a whip at the guy and with mock sternness he said, "I'm not your lover or your mother. Don't make comments like that at me." Why he had a whip ready in his bag was beyond me.

Day 26: O is for OLYMPIC!!!

2010-01-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

It would've been perfect if I had gotten a picture of the Olympic Oval today. That's two Os, people! However, I wasn't able to commute to it, and it's completely fenced off anyway, as shown in Allen's post. So, I decided to photograph a section of my uniform jacket instead. Thanks again, to Arabomb-shell, for taking me and waiting patiently, as I encountered picture issues and pant size issues.

I begin volunteering next week, and this will keep me busy for the entire month. While my schedule is pretty grueling, I'm extremely excited and I can't even begin to imagine what my experience will be like. I'm part of the Welcome Ceremonies and the Victory Ceremonies teams, and everyone has been so wonderful. The coordinators have gone above and beyond in making all this possible, and for them to maintain such positive energy, while so much more needs to be done, is quite admirable.

I will try my best to take a photo each day. However, it will be difficult since we're not allowed to have cameras with us. Anyhow, I'll still try to blog daily about my experience. I hope you'll all follow me on my journey with the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Day 25: N is for Napkin Dispenser

2010-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

You might find these still used in diners and many Asian restaurants. How many of you have one of these napkin dispensers at home?

Day 24: M is for Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

2010-01-24T20:49:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmmushrooms! For those of you who know me, you know I adore mushrooms. They are absolutely delicious, and they even make eating cooked spinach tolerable. Why I decided to throw a bagful of spinach in was largely due to my mom's incessant complaint that I only eat high fat food (ahem, butter) and not enough veggies. So, to give my ears a rest, I threw spinach into my dish.

I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome, and I'll definitely be making this again. I'm not sure this dish is entirely healthy and low fat, as there's a generous amount of butter in it. However, if you replace butter with extra-virgin olive oil, this could make for a very healthy meal. Mangia!

Day 23: L is for Love Life Light

2010-01-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

After watching the Canucks vs Blackhawks game (we won, btw), we ventured down Granville Street to wonder at the beautiful art pieces shown. The above piece is titled, "In the Same Boat," which is part of the "Love Life Light" Taiwanese Lunar Festival. The three figures represent different races, while the boat with grass is "a call for humans to reconnect with nature."

There were two rows of crafted trees adorned with hand-drawn lanterns. These were done by kids in Taiwan, I believe. If you look closely, you'll see MukMuk, one of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic mascots.

Seeing Granville Street all lit up, with people happily running around posing in different sports cut-outs, sure lifted our Olympic spirits. With only 21 days left before the games commence, I think everyone should start getting into the spirit of things and be excited for the Olympics. It's still pretty quiet in Vancouver, but I hope things will change drastically, in the upcoming days.

Day 22: K is for Knife

2010-01-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

It has become more common for people to take pictures of their food. However, you've probably never seen a person take a picture of his/her steak knife. I felt so self-conscious because I was surrounded by people who work at the same company as me, and a lot of them were staring at what I was doing. I swear, I'm only slightly weird.

This is a picture of what was originally on the board--PRIME RIB!!! It was not bad, but not amazing like described. I had asked for a medium rare but it wasn't as tender as I had hoped it would be. My friend also ordered a prime rib and guess what? He couldn't finish it ;) I guess having prime rib for lunch is a bit heavy, but that's not a challenge I can't overcome.

Consider grabbing lunch at Glowbal before the end of January because everything is 50% off. SCORE!

We spotted this massive dog, after lunch. Her size resembles that of a pony. It was really cute because she had one ear perked up, while the other hung, and her perked ear kept moving around like she was trying to listen for her owner. I like her very much.

Day 21: J is for Junk

2010-01-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

What once was a house is now a pile of junk. My next door neighbour is going to build a new house, so their old house was DESTROYED today. I had never seen a house go down before, so I was quite interested in watching it happen. However, I was also nervous because I feared that our house would be harmed in the process.

The demolition took a good 4-5 hours. Every once in a while, I stood by the window to watch. However, my curiosity subsided, after I got scared by a chunk of wood that pelted at my window, producing a loud crashing noise. I saw my life flash before my eyes.

It's somewhat sad seeing what once stood proudly housing multiple families, now just a mound of rubble. However, this change was much needed. Out with the old and in with the new.

Day 20: I is for Incomplete

2010-01-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

This huge, Disney puzzle was started a couple years ago, and sadly, it was never completed--it had just been collecting dust under my bed. It's going back into the box tonight, but I'll leave Pluto intact. I can't bring myself to break him apart.

Day 19: H is for Heart

2010-01-19T22:43:00.000-08:00

Look closely and you'll notice the little heart. Check out Amabel's page to find out why her lens is covered by her DIY Bokeh. When I'm feeling less lazy, I will have to give this a try. I'm sure when you see Belle's picture, it'll make you quite happy.

Tonight, I had a wonderful time eating venison/ling cod with mie ragazze, accompanied by pints of cream ale beer. Conversations revolved around lactation, sperm, bunions, in grown toenails, and our travels. Fun times, girls. Fun times...

Day 18: G is for Guitar

2010-01-18T22:49:00.000-08:00

While his guitar gently weeps...

I got this acoustic guitar for my brother's birthday 3 years ago. I haven't heard a note from it since. I had high hopes that this guitar would be strummed so often that the strings would have to be replaced many times and that from accompanying my bro everywhere, there would be little nicks here and there. Sadly, the guitar is still in pristine, shiny condition, preserved in its case that's covered with dust.

Day 17: F is for Flame

2010-01-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today's photo was the most frustrating to take. I had a complimentary haircut from Suki's this afternoon, in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. So, Belle suggested I take a picture of my haircut for today's picture. My attempts to do so took up so much time, and the results were definitely not worth it. I really need to invest in a remote control for my camera. Trying to get the right focus and trying to fit my head into the frame made me want to yank out all my newly cut and styled hair.

I got a shot, but I'd be cheating anyway. Hair doesn't start with F. Belle suggested, "Fair Hair," but my shot is so boring that I opted to take a picture of a flame instead. I asked my brother to light matches in the dark (don't worry, I had a bowl of water ready), and the above is what came of it.

Taking today's picture sapped me of what remaining energy I had. Now, I'm just grumpy. If my mood carries over to tomorrow, I could represent the letter G.

***Thank you to Suki's for giving us volunteers free cut and colour! I opted out of getting my hair coloured, so I got a gloss done by Ryan, instead, and a cut done by Lynn***

Day 16: E is for Entertainment

2010-01-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of firsts--I watched my first opera with Giosy and Mulan, and I watched my first 3D movie with my mom. TWO movies in one day! That was a total of...close to 6 hours of movie watching and sitting! Oi, my ciambella is sore.

Bizet's Carmen at the Met, broadcasted live in HD, was a stellar performance. I had never seen an opera in its entirety but only snippets on tv, and I never really understood what was going on. However, I was held captivated by the singing and the dancing and the acting...talk about full package! I can't wait to see Armida with you, Giosy!

Avatar was also very entertaining, and it was beautifully done. The 3D glasses took some getting used to, but you forget they're even on, after a while. Oh, I want James Cameron to turn me into a Na'vi, so I can run freely across branches, high up in the trees and have the grass/moss light up with every step. I want to stand under a tree and have Atokirina' float around me. Oh, I really like the Atokirina'.

Anywho, I will not reveal too much of either opera or movie for you further. I recommend that you watch both, though not necessarily on the same day. Giosy, best of luck to you, on your audition tomorrow! I look forward to watching your live performance =)

Day 15: D is for Duck

2010-01-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

How fitting is it that I had duck the same day I had to photograph something that starts with the letter D? My family and I took my godmother out for dinner tonight, and Peking duck was one of many dishes. I LOVE duck.

I hope this wasn't a relative of the ones Arabomb-shell photographed the other day =(

Day 14: C is for Camera

2010-01-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

This old Minolta resurfaced when my brother had to take a photography class. Since then, I've claimed ownership of this camera but have yet to use it. I don't even know where to begin--it's manual! There's a fresh roll of film ready for me inside, but I'm too chicken to test it out. I guess I feel the need to photograph something really awesome and worthy of being on film. If I were to switch from digital to film, you probably won't see a camera plastered to my face as often.

Day 13: B is for Bunny

2010-01-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

A close and long-time friend of mine gave me this Goodnight Moon bunny for Christmas, a few years back. I remember quietly leafing through the book, as a child, and if memory serves me well, the pages that captured my attention the most were ones of kittens and mittens.

Goodnight kittens

And goodnight mittens

Day 12: A is for Apple

2010-01-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

How predictable, huh? Well, this isn't just any apple; this is a beaded apple. I made this all by hand, when I went through my beading phase.

Because I'm already running out of ideas, I've decided to take on another project--the Alphabet Project--within this project. I decided to throw this into the mix because my life just isn't difficult enough. I will be photographing things that start with the letter of the day. So, today is "A" and tomorrow will be "B." Stay tuned...

Day 11: I'm Canadian, Eh?

2010-01-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I experienced my first, live hockey game EVER! Yes, it's a tad sad that, being a Canadian, it has taken me 20+ years to attend a game. I thank my manager for giving me this opportunity to go. When handing the tickets over (I had to pay for them, btw), he told me the section I was going to be sitting in was a bit "rowdy." HA! Little did he know, I fit right in.

The game was extremely exciting. However, never, have I been SO INFURIATED by the referees of a game. Tonight's refs were beyond jokes. The calls were so unjustly made that they were even considered ludicrious to spectators at the highest points of the arena. WTF?! I'm still wrapped with fury, thinking about each whistle blown, all the confused and livid glances exchanged, and watching our players being sent to the penalty box for not commiting the crime.

It got so bad that everyone started chanting, "REF, YOU SUCK!" I think we went easy on them. On what planet is tripping over a stick considered "poor sportsmanship?!" Poor sportsmanship MY CIAMBELLA!

Refs, you suck to the moon and back! I hope you lay awake in your beds, distraught by the thought of what a failures you were tonight. You guys should've been the ones in the penalty box, taunted by the Greenmen.

Day 10: "Mehow"

2010-01-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

I actually saw "MEHOW" graffitied on the side of a boarded up Chinese restaurant, on my way to Giosy's house. I'm guessing the person who vandalized the building was trying to say, "Meow." So, it's quite fitting that my picture of the day is of Chiara, Giosy's kitty. Poor girl must've been both annoyed and scared, as Photog Belle and Photog Rae hunted her down (the Cat, not Giosy). Our weapons of choice being our cameras, of course.

We chased Chiara around the house, trying desperately to sneak a photo before she ran for her next hideaway. I finally found her under the bed, and luckily, she stayed still long enough for me to capture this shot.

I'm so sorry, Chiara! I hope this experience won't leave you despising us =(

Day 9: Not Quite Cornetti

2010-01-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

Ever since coming home from Sicily, there have been two particular food items that I've been constantly thinking about--octopus and tomato pasta and freshly baked cornetti. I salivate at the thought of both. Since I haven't the slightest clue of how to prepare and cook octopus, I thought I'd attempt to make cornetti.

Cornetti is like the French croissant but Italian style. The texture is more elastic and the hint of orange blossom/lemon is heavenly. Perfection. I thought attempting to bake this would be difficult. However, it was even more difficult trying to find a recipe!!! All recipes I found were for the typical French croissant. Italian cornetti recipes were nowhere to be found.

The first recipe I found was in the form of a youtube video. I followed an old, Italian man, studying his every move because everything was in Italian! Despite studying the video for hours, I think I still missed a lot because my cornetti were DESTROYED. They didn't rise, and when I attempted to bake them, they melted into a buttery puddle and then hardened.

Cornetti baking attempt #2 turned out to be more successful. However, it's still far from how cornetti are supposed to taste. Mine are a lot denser and very bland. When the recipe asked for a "pinch of salt," I think it actually meant a heaping handful of salt. The pinch of salt I added did jack!

My dad tried to console me by calmly explaining that I can't expect my first attempt to be perfect. Baking takes lots of practice and many attempts; I will learn from my mistakes and perfect the recipe gradually. He said that if I had gotten it perfect the first time, I would be truly gifted. I guess he finds that idea absurd.

Day 8: Pearly Shells

2010-01-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

On my way to the office, this morning, I happened upon oyster shells scattered all over the ground. First thing I thought was, "Yes, picture of the day!!" However, I soon noticed some man, who works at my office, in the distance. I knew that by the time I located my camera, he would be close enough to see me taking a picture of oyster shells, in the wee morning. So, I stayed cool, calm, and collected and hurried off.

As I scampered off, I felt an imaginary tug telling me to go back to take the darn picture. How often do you find oyster shells scattered on the ground? Peanut shells, yes. Oyster shells, no. So, I scampered back to the oyster shells, tore out my camera, quickly turned the flash off, snapped a photo, and hurried off. I did all this before office man could reach me, but I am certain he saw me race back and forth like a deranged woman. If only I had stuck to my gut instinct and had been a little braver, I would've produced a better shot. Unfortunately, I'm a big wimp who will just have to stomach this shaky picture. I've learned my lesson.

Day 7: Here Comes the Sun

2010-01-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

The sun made a brief appearance this morning. The sun rays did a good job in pushing through the clouds, teasing us for a few hours. However, darkness settled in, in the afternoon, and it's raining again.

I watched an interview with Ringo Starr this evening--he's very cool.

Day 6: Where Am I?

2010-01-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

I must admit, there's nothing really striking about this photo. However, the contents in the picture are what interested me. I guess I can mention the coffee shop I was at, since it's clearly displayed on the book, but I'll do so later. They really don't need anymore advertising. However, fear not, I don't have many readers anyway.

What I found really interesting was the ceramic mug. I had never seen anyone sit down for coffee, at Starbucks, with anything other than a paper cup or plastic/stainless steel travel mug. I didn't even know ceramic mugs were options, until recently. I think more people should be aware of this because a lot of people do sit in to enjoy their drinks. Since being eco-friendly is all the rage these days, consumers are buying into Starbucks' travel mugs and tumblers. Here's a thought: why not save many dollars, save part of a tree and request for a ceramic mug instead? They will even wash it for you after.

Another thing that drew my interest was the book my friend, Earoel, was reading. When I found her, she was engrossed in the book and sipping coffee from the alien mug (she's a Starbucks store manager). She asked that I impart the following words of wisdom to you, my very few but dear readers, which are drawn from the photographed book:

I took my life in my hands, learned from anyone I could, grabbed what opportunity I could, and molded my success step by step.

I'd encourage everyone to dream big, lay foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom.

I'm not surprised by how she gravitated to these particular passages--these words basically describe how Earoel leads her life. She has accomplished so much in such a short period of living. She even started her own immigration consulting business, in less than a year! Check her out here

Day 5: The Paperclip Boy

2010-01-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

He appeared on my office desk, one day, without any warning--no phone call, no email saying he was on his way down...I didn't even know he existed! I found him staring at me with his wide, vacant eyes, looking rather tired. I don't blame him, as I can only imagine how long and arduous his journey must've been, from the third floor (I later found out that my friend, from the 3rd floor, made him and sent him down to my desk).

Being constructed solely of paper clips, his range of motion is limited to flapping his arms and legs, and cocking his head from side to side. However, no matter how I've maneuvered his wiry limbs, he always rest back into this sad, defeated stance. Maybe he's sad that he's away from his paperclip family, or maybe he misses his creator. Either way, he has been a very loyal office companion and has made no attempt to escape.

Day 4: Step into My Past

2010-01-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Look, these are my little ballet shoes! Oh man, they must've been my first pair. Which means, I must've worn these when I was around 5 years old. They are kind of battered and dirty, but I'm glad I hung on to them. I'm definitely one of those sentimental types who like to keep everything, for memories sake. Hey, I took my early steps in life, with these dirty, rose-pink ballet shoes strapped securely to my feet.

Do you still have things from your childhood?

Day 3: Hello there, stranger...

2010-01-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce you to Ken Sr. Having the same plastic physique as Ken, I think it's a safe bet that the naked fellow above is his father.

I found him strewn across pens and opened envelopes, on a desk at home. Perhaps, he was formally clothed as a soldier. To be so exposed and still maintain a soft expression on his face, he's a real trooper.

Day 2: Boo

2010-01-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

I was putting a cleansing mask on my face, and I got a little carried away. Okay, so I got very carried away. Anyone who's into skincare will tell you not to put any strong masks under your eyes because they're far too drying. I took the risk for this photo.

I'm not sure why I decided to draw eyelashes but after I did so, I was reminded of Alex from A Clockwork Orange. I'm not entirely satisfied with this photo but it'll do, considering it's only day 2.

Day 1: New Beginnings

2010-01-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you all rang in the new year, surrounded by people you love. I had the privilege to do so with my best friends, so 2010 started really well for me.

Since my last, test post, I kept thinking about what my first Project 365 photo would be. Would it be of balloons falling from the ceiling or people swaying to Auld Lang Syne? It turned out to be neither of those, evidently. Instead, I got a picture of what I think are seeds.

As I was walking to my friend's car, I noticed these little golden-hued guys lighting up the dark road. It was beautiful and somewhat magical, as there were many of them scattered on the ground. I must mention that they had a bit of help from a car's headlights--they weren't just glowing on their own.

It goes to show that a little assistance from others may bring out the beauty in things, people, moments...I hope you will all allow influences around you to bring out the best in yourselves, this year. You never know who's paying attention.

Testing 1, 2, 3...Sunday afternoon high tea

2009-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

It has taken me years, but I've finally mustered up enough courage and picked up enough speed to hop on the blogging bandwagon. Oh right, I can't forget to mention that my dear friend, Arabelle, also gave me a little nudge. She introduced me to Project 365, which is essentially a challenge for participants to commit to taking at least one photo a day, for 365 days. This should be easy enough!

If I'm known for anything, it's that I take an excessive amount of pictures of everything and anything. I love capturing moments, as I feel that each second of our lives is so precious. I don't mean to be intrusive; I just want to snatch a little piece of the present, to bring along with me to the future.

I hope Project 365 will help me grow and develop, as a photographer. I don't think my main challenge will be taking a photo a day but taking photos of things that are thought-provoking or breathtaking or just meaningful, on a daily basis. Perhaps I will pick more challenging subjects to photograph. Maybe I'll even crawl on my hands and knees, on a trash-ridden alley, to capture that one, special shot. Maybe not. However, I do hope to find myself leaving my comfort zone of photographing food, flowers, and babies, to photographing...I'm not sure what yet.

This entry is just a warm-up. I will begin this project on January 1, 2010, along with Arabelle. This will be my photo diary of 2010, and I hope you all enjoy it!

By the way, you're probably wondering, "What's up with the photo?" Well, I had a DIY high tea with my dear girlfriends, and that is my picture of the day. We made everything on the first and third tiers, and the pastries on the second tier were purchased from a local market.

Until 2010, I wish you all the best.