"Dragons" on the River

An advertisement on the superstore flyers reminded me that, our Chinese traditional festival “dragon boat festival” is coming. At this time of year, my mom had always started to make rice dumplings, as a celebration to this festival, as well as breakfast for the whole family. Look at me now, since I came to Canada two years ago, I didn’t celebrate the western festivals too much, but now, I almost forgot our traditional ones.

Provided by chinaccq

Has anybody watched a dragon boat race before? Here, in Calgary, the dragon boat race and festival has been held by the Chinese society in the summer every year at North Glenmore Park.  Last year, I heard about this race and went there with my boyfriend. The Glenmore Reservoir was so big that we lost our way after we got off the bus. Shouts and cheers could be heard from somewhere not far away when we walked towards there along the water. Finally when we got there, the race was over. The crowd melted away, leaving two depressed back shadows in the sunset.

                                                                                                                                   Provided by Calgarydragonboatsociety

Why do Chinese people eat rice dumplings to celebrate this festival? What’s the special meaning of holding dragon boat race on that day? Okay, get on my boat. Let’s go upstream the river of history and see what happened in the ancient China.

The protagonist of this story was Qu Yuan, a famous poet of State of Chu in the Warring State Period. According to the ancient records, he was banished due to some calumnies from oppositions. Some years later, when the capital of Chu was conquered by the State of Qin, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowninghimself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

Provided by Chinahexie

It is said that after getting this news, the local people dropped some rice into the river to feed the fish so they wouldn’t eat Qu Yuan’s body. However, Qu Yuan “told them in the dream" that actually the rice was all eaten by the dragons in the river. If the rice wrapped with bamboo leaves and tied with five-color strings, it could be avoided. This is said to be the origin of rice dumplings.

The people there were also said to have paddled out on boats to scare the fish away, which is said to be the origin of dragon boat race.

                 Provided by www.nipic.com

There are some other folk tales in China, among which the story of Qu Yuan could be counted as the most representative and convincing one. Of course, there is no place for the view that Dragon Boat Festival origin from another Asian country.

Provided by qq.tugai.net

I amsterdam - the Anne Frank House

My parents are visiting Amsterdam, the Netherlands and they have been sending me pictures via email and WhatsApp. Amsterdam is the capital and the largest city in the Netherlands. It is a beautiful city with lots of energy. There are plenty of places to visit for the youngsters and the elderly, which include the infamous Van Gogh Museum as well as the De Wallen (the Red Light District). 

                                                                   From: Colin Chung

My parents visited a museum that caught my attention. It is called the Anne Frank House, which is a museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank. During the WWII, Anne and her family were trapped in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. As the persecutions of the Jewish population increased, Anne's family and four other people decided to hid in hidden rooms in the back of the Frank office building. After two years, they were betrayed and transported to concentration camps. Anne Frank and her sister Margot eventually died in a concentration camp at the young age of 15 and 19 respectively. Only one of them survived the holocaust, which is Anne's dad Otto Frank. After Otto returned to Amsterdam after the war, he found out that his daughter's diary has been saved. Otto Frank then arranged to publish his daughter Anne's diary "The Diary of a Young Girl" in 1947.

                                                                     From: Colin Chung

Anne is now served as a symbol of the human spirit that is indomitable even in the most horrified circumstances. She wrote about her thoughts on fears, ambitions and even optimisms. The world will never forget her because of the words she left behind. Anne Frank house is a museum that acts as an exhibition space to highlight all forms of persecution and discrimination, which unfortunately is still prevailed throughout the world. (As evident as the recent Houla massacre in Syria)

Eat, Pray, Love

"Eat, Pray, Love" is a book about one woman's real and life changing travels. Written by Elizabeth Gilbert she talks about her stories and lessons learned while traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia. As Elizabeth had recently been divorced she developed a case of depression, due to this she decides to travel, in order to regain happiness and balance in her life.

Photo Provided by Stephen Lyons

She first visits Italy where she learns to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. She eats amazing Italian food, learns the language, and shares bottles of wine with new friends. Here she learns to appreciate the important things in life like enjoying good food and good company. Being in Italy gets rid of her depression and allows her to get back to a healthy weight.

Photo Provided by Trey Ratcliff

Next she travels to India where she spends the majority of her trip in a monastery where she learns to meditate. At first she struggles with understanding mediation as it is difficult for her to clear her mind. But by the end of her visit she is able to meditate for hours and discovers that to find peace she must look inside herself.

Photo Provided by Fadil Basymeleh

Her last destination is Indonesia. Here she meets a ninth century medicine man that agrees to teach her how to devote herself to god in return for English lessons. While learning to devote herself to god she finds love and lives out her life in Bali.

Elizabeth Gilbert realizes the importance of a balanced life and discovered it by learning to eat in Italy, Pray in India and Love in Indonesia. It is a great book with plenty of culture and worthy life lessons that anyone could enjoy.

I think many people who have traveled can relate to this book. Personally I have recently traveled to Southeast Asia and found I learned a lot there. Being away in a foreign country allows you to get a new perspective on life. I realized how much I love my life and appreciate the people I have in it. I also learned a lot about myself, realizing what is really important to me and how my ambitions in life have changed. Some may not be as high on "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" as they use to be but that doesn't make them any less important. Some things just don't seem as important after traveling; you realize that material things won't make you as happy as you initially thought.

Furthermore I got to learn and grow with my boyfriend which brought us even closer than before. I know he also learned a lot about himself and valuable life lessons. He has definitely changed since our trip; he is more optimistic and determined to get what makes him happy. I am really proud of what he has taken away from our trip and applied to life back in Canada.

Traveling is an amazing adventure on its own but the things you learn while traveling are priceless. It is so beneficial because it allows you to get away from your daily life giving you the space and time to rethink your motives and understand life from a different view. Every country is different and every culture has different values and perspectives on life and what you take away from them is what makes it such a valuable experience.

If you feel that you are ever in a tough spot in life, I would recommend traveling it is the best medicine for the soul. As I'm sure Elizabeth Gilbert would agree. If you can't afford to travel then I would read impressionable books like "Eat, Pray, Love" and "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" which I have recently read and found quite endearing. These aren't just stories, they are lessons for life and full of new perspectives that can make an impression on the way you live your life.

Tower of Pisa

The tower of Pisa is mainly famous due to the fact that it leans. The tower is about a 183 ft from the ground on the low side and a 186 ft on the high side. The construction of tower occurred in three stages over 177 years. Currently, the tower leans on a 3.99 degree angle. The design of the tower had been flawed right from the beginning causing it to sink down after construction moved to the second floor due to unstable subsoil. The tower was designed to be perfectly vertical and started to tilt due to construction.

Photo by Freefoto.com

The architecture is slightly curved to prevent it from leaning or falling over. The major question with this tower has been how long will it be able to stand up in the future without falling over. The lean currently is not that much but could be increased in the future if proper maintenance and construction is not done. To build the tower they used fifteen thousand tonnes of marble giving it it's highest appeal. The tower has been leaning for over 300 hundred years and reducing it inclination by one inch at a time will allow it to last another 300 hundred years.

So many options what to choose?

One of the best parts about living in a country like Canada is that you can enjoy a wide variety of cultures and their traditions. This definitely allows a lot of variety in Canada's food for sure. We get so many options in restaurants for food variety. This is certainly my favorite part in living in a country like Canada. We get to enjoy the little treasures from each part of the world. I'm going to talk about my favorites from all around the world.

Photo by Fling93 on Flickr

First, I love Italian food it is my biggest weak point. A few of the delicacies I enjoy are pastas and desserts. My favorite being ravioli. For desserts, any day i would pick Tiramisu. It makes my mouth water every time. My favorite Italian restaurant in Calgary is Olive Garden. It's motto being that "When you're here, you're family". It for sure lives up to the name and will be my top recommendation.

For the true feel of a Calgarian, I would visit Boston Pizza. This is a casual place where you would often go with your friends to watch a hockey game and sit back with a beer. The pizza offers a variety from the Canadian style meat lovers to a whole lot more.

Photo by FreeFoto.com

For a delicious Asian meal I would choose to go the restaurant Open Sesame. Here is a place where you can sit back and enjoy a bubble tea and some stir fry in a perfect Asian setting.

Last but not least, we have a great Indian cuisine available in Calgary as well. If you are looking for a spicy kick in your food and love Indian food, this is a place you must visit. Glory of India restaurant is a lovely place for you to go with your friends and family and enjoy the taste of fresh, authentic Indian food.

I hope this blog helped you find some places in Calgary where you can visit and have a great meal. Enjoy multicultural Calgary and its many flavors.

Indian Weddings

As many of you already know the traditional East Indian weddings are very different from the traditional Christian weddings. So here I intend to share a little bit about my cultural heritage. Arranged marriages are far more common in India than love marriages. However, many parents are recently being a little more open minded about their children finding their own soul mates. Weddings need to be planned far in advance to be able to get the bookings for a banquet and many of the other little things required to make a wedding special. In India we have celebrations that lead up to the wedding.

Photo by Akanksha Khanna

To begin, we hold a prayer before starting any of the other wedding celebrations. The purpose of this prayer is to seek the blessing of our god and request that the wedding preparations are successful. Before taking any big step or change in our life we always seek the blessing of all of our Gods. For my sister's wedding we invited all of our family as well as the family of the groom's side to a temple to worship the God.

Photo by Akanksha Khanna

A few days before the wedding we held a small cocktail party to start up the celebrations of the wedding. In this both sides of the family exchange gifts to the close relatives of the family. Both sides of the family exchanged jewellery between the immediate families and gave cash and clothing to all the other members.

Photo by Akanksha Khanna

The night before the wedding all family and relatives go to the bride's house and the groom's side goes to the groom's house to apply henna. The application of henna is a very sacred tradition in Hindu weddings. The first dot of henna is applied by the mother-in-law on the bride. However, we did not completely follow this tradition but the henna was brought to the house by the mother-in-law to apply on the bride. The longer the henna is left on the hand the darker the design gets. The darkening of the henna is typically a sign of good luck. Furthermore, we believe that the dark henna on a bride is a sign that she will be loved by her husband and his family. Another tradition is that the initials of the husband will be hidden on of the bride's hands filled with henna decorations. At the nuptial night the husband is to find these initials in her hand.

The morning of the wedding a prayer is done to wish the bride good luck in her next phase of life. After the prayer the bride is covered in a turmeric paste (known as Haldi to Hindus) by her family and relatives. The same applies to the groom. This ceremony is celebrated to enhance the fairness of the bride on the day of the wedding.

In the evening the groom shows up to the banquet hall with a band with him and his family singing and dancing with him. The groom comes to the bride in a nicely decorated horse or horse carriage. During the wedding the groom and bride take seven rounds around a fire and say their vows. After which the groom puts Sindoor into the bride's hair partition. The Sindoor has a lot of significance in the marital life of the bride and groom. The groom also put a sacred necklace around the bride's neck known as a Mangalsutra. This is another thing that signifies a bride is married and shows her transition from a girl to women. The two are now happily wedded.

I hope that this post helped show you how Indian weddings are organized and our traditional ceremonies.

Spanish Culture

Photo by Randy Colt

Before travelling to any country it is very important to know the culture and a little bit about the history of that country. Here I observed the exotic culture of Spain. Whenever people think of Spain right away they think of flamenco dance form and places such as Barcelona.

Photo by Wallyg on Flickr 

However, Spain has a lot more to it than just that. Spain has a great history of Spanish literature starting from the Renaissance period. Such literature includes poetry, prose, and novels. Spain is also popular for it paintings and sculptures. Spain's well known artist since the 20th century has been Pablo Picasso who is known for his abstract drawings as well as paintings.

Photo in Cordoba, Spain

Many of the architecture in Spain are displayed through mosques, tombs, the palace and the fort. All of these designs are inspired by Islamic culture. Islamic art didn't allow for the painting of people or figures therefore important buildings have walls of beautiful designs and floral patterns.

Spain does not have a national sport however it's most popular sport is Football.

Most people in Spain are known to be Roman Catholics with a few from other religions.

Lastly, Spain has many languages. The five most common languages of Spain are Spanish or Castilian,
Catalan or Valencian, Basque, Galician, and/or Aranese. Each is spoken in different parts of Spain with its own unique dialect. 

Holidays in Maldives

Photo by Vullnet Osmani

Maldives Island is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, formed by twenty six atolls. The Islands are know for it's turquoise lagoons, underwater coral garden, swaying pond fronds, and glorious white sandy beaches. Recently they have launched their first 10 day tour of the Maldives. It starts out with the arrival in Male which is capital city, the first day is spend exploring the island. The second, third and fourth days are spent exploring the sea. The remaining days are spent visting and exploring other islands and getting little taste of the Maldivian cusine and culture, with traditional music, dancing and drumming. 

Photo by Mr eNil

There are also many others things you can do in Maldives, which includes diving, water sports, excursions and spa and wellness. The best way to explore the Islands are to travel to other inhibited islands and experience the ordinary life of Maldivians. Spa and wellness is also another main attraction there, with their traditional sand massage, which is used for muscle and joint pains.

Photo by Trey Ratcliff

The Maldivian people differ from one atoll to other; people from south and south-east Asia, Africa and Arabia are settlers there. Religion wise, Islam dominates and there are also people who practice Buddhism. Visitors are also able to participate in traditonal music and dance performances and jazz recitals. They are also able to take part in festivals, such as Victory day and Republic day and enjoy the music, dances, and food served. Who would not want to spend their vacation enjoying the beautiful turquoise sea, snorkelling, and at the same time experiencing a little bit of maldivian tradions.

The Untouchables

The caste system in India is seen as one of the strongest racist phenomenons of the world. What started in the ancient times as a division of labour turned out to be a division of people based on birth and the work they did. Instead of being called a member of a certain class because of the job one was doing, people were classified members of a certain class by birth. The various castes also known as jati is divided into four basic varnas. These castes are traditionally arranged in a descending order, the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras.

The Brahmans are identified with priests and the learned class. The Kshatriyas are identified as the rulers and warriors including property owners. The Vaishyas are associated with commercial livelihood (traders). Shudras are considered the servile laborers. The caste system divided the people in such a way that interacting with a person of the lower caste was and to some extent still is considered bad. The Shudras or commonly known as the untouchables were looked down by all the other classes of the society.  An important fact is that the varnas does not mention a caste as untouchables, they simply see it as a way of life and how each caste have special role to play in society.

In the olden days, the 'untouchables' where restricted from doing many things, they were not allowed to enter the temple, or be seen in public. They were not allowed to draw water from the wells used by members of the so called upper class. If a Brahman or a Kshatriya or a Vaishyas enters a place the 'untouchables' are to move and hide so that the others do not seem them. A legislation was passed during the 1950's that made discrimination towards the 'untouchables' illegal and abolished the caste system. The Great Mahatma Gandhi fought for the rights of the untouchables. These are some of the customs that used to be part of the Indian caste system and still there is discrimination among Indians even after all these years.

Current event: Madding crowd in Machu Picchu

Photo by  Akarawut Lohacharoenvanich

With it's magnificent landscape, the great architecture and the structure of the buildings makes Machu Picchu ("old peak" in Quechuan language) one of the most awe-inspiring sites in the world. The city of Inca is built on the slopes of Andes Mountain. Inca is an ancient civilization that was lost to the world until recently. The city was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. The archeology lecturer was intruded by the stories of a lost city and the hidden treasure in the valley. It is suggested that the city could be an educational or a religious center as no one knows why the city existed.

The city of Inca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the 1980's to 2000 the rates of visitors have reached over 1 million. The higher pressure of visitors and the lack of motivation to protect the sites has made it a risk to the site. The Peruvian government has limited the number of visitors to 2500 people per day and according to the UNESCO it is still risky.

Photo by Alex Gill

The famous Inca trail originated from the trail that was first traveled by Hiram Bingham and the local farmers that traveled with him. There are many day trips that leads you to Machu Picchu. For those looking for an adventure the Inca trail takes you to the ruin or you can enjoy one of the most beautiful train rides in South America. Traveling in Peru can be difficult, you have to be careful to keep hydrated and take pre-cautions. The high altitude can be dangerous if you're not careful, the local remedy is either chewing or drinking tea that is made of coca.

For some one who is interested in ancient civilizations and cultures, Machu Picchu is a must see.

Poor Niagara

For most people there is that shoe or a hand bag or a game that would make you so overwhelmed that you have to have it and right now. For me waterfalls are my weak point. When I come across a picture of a waterfall, my urge to leave everything behind and be there is overwhelming. The Iguazu falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River, which are situated at the border of Brazil and Argentina. The falls where created by the result of a volcanic eruption which left a crack in the earth and created this beauty.

Photograph by Martin St-Amant – Wikipedia

Along the 2.7 kilometers of the Iguazu fall there are about 275 falls, numerous islands along the river divides the waterfalls and it varys between 60 to 80 meters high. Half of the river falls in to a narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat. The Devil's Throat is U-shaped and 82 meters high, 150 meters wide and 700 meters long.   

Photograph by Claudio Elias

The Iguazu falls are also compared to many other falls, such as the Victoria falls in Southern Africa. Although Iguazu falls is wider, but because it is split in many falls, Victoria falls is considered the largest curtain of water with over 1600 meters wide. United states First Lady Elenor Roosevelt once exclaimed "poor Niagara" after seeing Iguazu  falls. Iguazu is considered to have the greatest annual flow rate in the world with the rate of 12,800 m³/s (452,000 cu ft/s).

Photograph by Martin St-Amant – Wikipedia

Creations like these by Mother nature are so wonderfull that it makes me want to be there right away.  

Good Old Calgary - Yeehaw

Photo by: Lily Ha
Hiking to Lake Agnes

When we generally think of traveling the first thing we always think of is leaving the city we live in but if you really think about it there is actually a lot to do in the city we live in especially if we are working on a tight budget and cannot really afford to leave home.  In Calgary, no matter what time of the year it is you can always find something to do if you have an open mind to trying new things and don't mind a little bit of walking.  Within the city there are plenty of parks and attractions you can checkout but if you want to leave Calgary there are also tons of beautiful mountains surrounding the city which are only a few hours away.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Elbow Falls

In the spring and summer months you can choose from the many local parks, museums, or festivals that you may wish to attend.  A lot of the attractions available are free of charge and the ones that have a fee are usually under $15.00 and if you wish to bring the whole family there is usually a family discount.  These activities are a great way to spend so time with the family and bond and not having to break the bank.

During the winter months you can get away to the mountains  to do some skiing or snowboarding.  If you don't know how to do either you can always go downtown to the Olympic Plaza to do some free skating or to any hills in the many parks or communities to do some toboggan.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Lake Louise

A few of the parks available to us are Princess Island Park, Stanley Park, Heritage Park, and Canada Olympic Park.  There are also plenty of museums that are available if you’re interested in museums such as The Military Museums, Glenbow Museum, Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, and Museum of the Regiments.  If what is listed above is not your cup of tea there are other activities you can do such as visiting the Calgary Zoo, Calgary Tower, Spruce Meadows, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Telus World of Science, or even floating down the Bow River.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Floating Down Bow River

As for festivals, starting in May all the way till September there are lots of festivals that are free for the whole family to get out and enjoy the sun, meet new people, and experience the different culture in Calgary.  Just naming a few that are available is Calgary International Children’s Festival, Calgary Lilac Festival, Fiestaval Latin Festival, and Kensington Sun & Salsa Festival.  The different festivals offers things ranging from different kinds food, vendors, bands, dancers and much more.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Kensington Sun & Salsa Fetival

If staying in the city is not on your agenda then there are plenty to do just a few hours outside the city.  There are lots of different trails that you can go hiking or even have a picnic.  The surrounding mountains lakes and waterfalls are a great way to spend a day.  Also there is the Banff National Park if you still want to be close to civilization but less pollution.  If you are more adventurous and can live without technology for a few days there are also a lot of campgrounds around the Calgary area where you can spend a weekend and explore while testing your survival skills.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Kicking Horse River Whitewater Rafting

With everything listed above you cannot forget to check out the Calgary Stamped.  It’s a 10 day exhibition in July which includes rodeo, chuckwagon races, agricultural fair & exhibitions, midway, trade fair, art exhibit and sales, Indian Village, the food, and much more.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Stampede

In 1905 Guy Weadick visited Calgary for the first time.  In 1908, Guy, a cowboy trick roper preformed at the Dominion Exhibition, a national fair held in July in Calgary.

In 1912, Guy was invited by CPR livestock agent to come to Calgary to produce a show commemorating “The Last-Best West.”  Later the same year the first Calgary Stampede was born and held September 2 to 7 following the summer Calgary Exhibition. An estimated 80,000 people attended the first Parade, an astonishing number considering Calgary’s population at the time was just over 60,000 people.  The Duke of Connaught and Princess Patricia watched the Stampede from the viewing box built especially for the Royal guests.

In 1913-1918 the Stampede was cancelled due to the First World War.  By 1919 Guy Weadick organized and put on the second Calgary Stampeded called the Victory Stamped to celebrate the end of the first World War.  In 1922 the last separate Calgary Exhibition was held.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Stampede

By 1923, Guy Weadick organized another Stampede, combining it with the Exhibition. The first combined Calgary Exhibition and Stampede was held in July and yearly ever since.  Chuckwagon racing was also added to the yearly rodeo.  This year was also the year where the first Stampede breakfast was served from a chuckwagon in downtown Calgary.

This year we are celebrating Stampedes 100 year anniversary.  There’s going to be more exhibitions and numerous more performers lined-up for the celebration.  The festivals are drawing international media attention so we can expect attendance level to set a new record high.

Photo by: Lily Ha
Stampede

If you don’t have anything planned for the summer try checking out some of the recommendations listed above.  You might learn something new about the city you live in.

Food Truck and Street Vendor Culture

Food trucks are increasingly common in Canada. Lately, I have been hooked as well until I got sick. That greasy burger probably did some damage. Like street vendors, food trucks often serve unhealthy goodies such as hot dogs, burgers, fries and anything you can throw into a deep fat fryer. not have the best food in Canada and going to a fine dining restaurant could cause you a fortune. Food truck seems to be a good alternative for people who are sick of chain fast food restaurants and hope their food to be a little bit 'gourmet'- I mean more refined. Unfortunately Calgary has unpredictable and sometimes unpleasant weather. If the temperature is cold, sales will go down dramatically as chances are people will not line up outdoor for food. Therefore, on average the food standard among food trucks in Calgary is quite mediocre. Also, Calgary is landlocked which means it is difficult to get fresh seafood at an affordable price. That probably explains why I have yet to see a food truck that sells seafood. The food that serves in food trucks are a bit higher than fast food joints as well.

In Asia, people rare see food trucks on the street. Instead, there is a lot of small street vendors. In comparison to North America, they are more diversified than North America. Selling plain hot dog and burgers will not satisfy the customers need. In Hong Kong there are many kinds of street foods. For example, the vendors will put fish balls, satay beef, squid, stuffed peppers into skewers and barbeque or boil them in flavored booth. They taste good and the price is usually right.

                                   
                        From http://www.sxc.hu

I tend to believe street food are usually tasty but not nutritious for you. From hot dogs, burgers to the items above like deep fried fish ball, sausages, deep fried stuffed peppers as well as the infamous 'stinking tofu'. People will buy it as long as it satisfies their taste bud and look somewhat sanitary. Obviously sanitation could be an issue for street vendors, but I assume that as long as you eat street food once in a blue moon it cannot do much harm to you. Meanwhile I am salivating right now so I must stop writing. Happy eating!

The Heart Attack Grill and the Obesity Issue

Heart attack on a plate anyone? I was watching Food Network's "The World's Weirdest Restaurant" the other day and saw them introduced the "Heart Attack Grill" in Las Vegas. It is a hospital-themed restaurant that serves obscenely high calories and trans-fat food. Before customers walk in the door, there are signs that say the restaurant's food is bad for health. Once the customers walk in, they see all waitresses dress as 'nurses'. The 'nurses' will put a patient gown on each customers and treat them as 'patients'. After the 'patients' order their 'prescriptions', a tag is wrapped around the 'patient' wrist which shows the food order. A 'doctor', the owner, will come around and check the 'patient' heartbeat with a stethoscope. The restaurant menu is simple as it mainly features so-called 'bypass' hamburgers. Customers can choose from single, double, triple or quadruple patties 'bypass' hamburgers. Each burger is cooked in pure lard and even the bun is smeared with lard. Fries are served in 'all-you-can-eat' style and deep-fried in lard. The largest burger is the quadruple bypass burger, which has 8000 calories! Sound like a heart attack already as a regular Big Mac only has 576 calories.

                                                                 from http://www.sxc.hu/

It is ironic how the restaurant staffs dress like nurses and the owner dresses like doctor, yet they serve some of the most unhealthy food on earth. Their marketing strategy is deplorable, as evident that their slogan "taste worth dying for." The restaurant has questionable gimmicks, like whoever weights above 350 lbs gets to eat burgers for free. Also the restaurant has festivities such as 'Valentine's day massacre', when the customers get to eat, drink for all the fatty 'goodies' for free on the Valentine's day. A customer at the restaurant suffered a heart attack while eating a 6000 calories 'triple bypass burger!' The owner of the Heart Attack Grill, Jon Basso, used to be in the fitness business and even owned a Jenny Craig weight loss center. However, he soon figured out that it is more profitable to help people gain weight than losing weight and opens the Heart Attack Grill. Basso claims that his restaurant is honest and people know the risk of eating such unhealthy food.

His restaurant has garnered international attention, as the customers are flying into the doors. It glorifies everything unhealthy, from fatty burgers, fries and shakes, to even filter-free cigarettes and beer. The restaurant even had a spokesperson, a 570 lbs man who were on a few commercials. He died of a young age of 29 due to pneumonia. The owner Jon Basso even claims he is responsible to his spokesperson's death. He said 'he would have survived the pneumonia if he was not 500 plus pounds.' However, the owner says he will not stop expanding his business because 'he already has blood on his hands.' Shortly after its spokesperson death, the restaurant in Arizona was shut down and moved to Las Vegas possibly due to pressure of the communities. I feel sick to stomach that someone is cashing in on an idiotic gimmick while patting himself on the back for his 'honesty.' At the same time, the restaurant will not make any money if no one visits. What we eat is a choice and each choice has consequences. It is the American's obese diet, the celebration of gluttony that is 'responsible' for making that 'phony doctor' a rich man.

Current Event: The Blind Lawyer Chen Guancheng

Chen Guancheng, the blind dissident who escaped from house arrest and ended up in the US Embassy in Beijing, was finally landed in New York on May 20th. After seven years of abuse from Chinese officials, which included house arrest and jail time, it is not difficult to understand why he has decided to escape from scrutiny. During his escape, he broke his left leg and now he has to learn how to maneuver with just one leg. However, with the help of a lot of activists, Chen was miraculously able to escape to Beijing and was given refuge at the US Embassy.

Chen began his bumpy road as a civil rights activist in early 2000s, when he helped others with disabilities to avoid paying illegal fees and taxes. His effort was successful in the early stages as he was able to exempt some of the fees and taxes for the disabled. Chen first attracted publicity in 2005, when he exposed authorities in Eastern China for severely enforcing population control. In order to enforce the "One-child policy", local officials forced people to undergo sterilization and even abortion. This is clearly against basic human rights. In order to stop Chen, the Chinese officials arrested Chen and charged him of "destruction of property" and "assembling a crowd to disrupt traffic". During the trial, none of his lawyers were allowed in the courtroom and not even his wife were allowed to hear the trial. After his appeal was rejected, he served his jail time until 2010. After his release, Chen was placed on house arrest. He was closely monitored by officials in his home village. The Hollywood superstar Christian Bale attempted to visit Chen in his hometown last year, but was roughed up by the undercover policemen who guarded Chen's house.

                                                              From http://www.sxc.hu

Chen's escape from Chinese officials is nothing short of an action movie script. At first Chen did not want to leave China. All he wanted was to be freed from detention and able to finish his law education in China. However, this all changed when he felt his family's life were threatened. At the end, he decided to leave China. On the same day, New York University offered him a visiting scholar position and Chen headed to New York along with his family. Now, aside from fulfilling his job as a visiting scholar, Chen looks forward to meet Christian Bale. I am sure there will be lots media coverage when "the Blind dissident meets the Batman." For now, it seems Chen plans to stay in US for nine months. However, it may all change soon, as his brother also fled his village. Chen's brother has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and things could get ugly soon. Even though Chen's wife and his children are with him safely in US, his relatives remain in limbo in China.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It gives the rulers a license to be unconscious, neglect or even abuse their citizens. China has been ruled by the Chinese Communist regime since 1949. They are enjoying great economic success but yet they could not even tolerate a blind dissident to protest his basic human rights. As the Chinese now have deep pockets and desperately need resources, they are starting to move up on Canada's energy value chain. We will soon realize that it is not easy to deal with this "great propaganda machine". 

Western Life

Comfortable, easy, free, accessible are just a few words that describe the western life we take for granted. We don't realize that life outside of America can be quite different. Unless you have ever traveled to a poorer country it is difficult to realize the ease and comfortableness of western life. We just expect our jobs to be enjoyable, our toilets to be pristine, and get service where the customer is always right. But this is not the case in many countries.

Photo provided by: Sarah Aves

I recently found this out while traveling through Southeast Asia. Sure, I was expecting it to be dirty, crowded, and smelly as I had heard many stories from friends who had previously traveled there. Plus I was looking to stay for a long period of time for cheap rates which meant all those things would have to be accepted. But actually being there finally made me realize how lucky we have it in Canada.
 
Family is so important in Southeast Asia because you never leave them. Most families work together owning either a restaurant or little shop. Many times we would go into a restaurant and at the back would be the family taking care of the little ones while the older ones would be cooking and serving us. They work and live in their home. It made me realize how lucky we are to have an education and the option to choose whatever career we wish. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with working in the family business and they seem quite happy doing so. But I would not be happy; I've been spoiled with a western life, I expect more.

Photo provided by: Sarah Aves

As many restaurants were run by families the kind of customer service you would expect in Canada does not exist. Even actual business restaurants have hardly any customer service at least nothing up to our standards. It is perfectly normal to get food with bugs in it or something you thought you didn't order. But there is nothing you can do about it, it's non-negotiable. Bugs get everywhere there; eventually you just accept that there are ants running all over your table. That just because you don't like what you ordered doesn't mean you should not you pay for it. Not like in Canada where if you find the slightest thing wrong with your food or just decide that you don't like it, you can send it back and not pay for it. The restaurant will apologize for the inconvenience. This is nice to know that you don't have to eat something you don't like but at the same time, spoiled.

Toilets another thing I've been spoiled with. I probably squatted in a hundred dirty squat toilets while in Southeast Asia. Using them this many times makes you excited, yes excited to go back home and use a western toilet. As it is not comfortable to try and squat and go to the washroom, just think about camping every day of your life. Thai women must have the strongest legs from doing squats every day, it definitely was a workout. Plus often there was no toilet paper or you would have to pay for it and the use of the squat toilet. I was like really? I have to pay for a shitty toilet that has no running water?? Amazing! Even the high end malls located in Bangkok had a 2 baht fee to use the restrooms, which isn't a lot but still seems crazy coming from Canada where all public washrooms are free. Spoiled!

Photo provided by: Sarah Aves

These are just a couple of things we take for granted.  However, there are a lot more things which include: hot showers, long distance transit where you actually get a seat when you pay for a ticket, beef (not too much out there), electricity at all times of the day, internet, microwaves, TV, and cars as they are a major luxury in Southeast Asia. Of course some areas of Southeast Asia have all these things but there are still plenty places and people that don't. People who own all these things in Southeast Asia are very wealthy while these things come standard for most westerners.

Westerners are spoiled by so much and take all of it for granted. People in poorer countries actually learn to be grateful for what they have, family, food, homes, and jobs of any sort. They are a grateful people and are lot happier than most western people, even though they have much less. I'm not saying I would ever want to live like they do in Southeast Asia. But since my trip I do realize how lucky I am and am striving to make an effort to not take my comfortable life for granted. I actually feel happier by being more grateful. As the saying goes "you don't realize what you have, until you've lost it".

sisterhood of the travelling pants

This book is about four friends who spends their summer apart from one another and share a magical pant. The pant fit each of the girls perfectly. One of the girls, Lena goes to Greece to visit her grandparents. Tibby remains at home to film a movie and befriends another girl named Bailey. Bridget goes to Mexico to play soccer and Carmen goes to South Carolina to visit her dad. As the girls are apart from each other they learnt new surprising things about their family and fell in love with a boy. Each girl got to experience a different city from one another and got to share and stay connected by passing on the magical pants. In the book, it described the different places they were all in.
Greece is a country in Southern Europe. It has many caves, lakes and rivers. There are many islands and cities within Greece like Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, and Volos.
Mexico is a place where you can experience their history, tradition, culture and natural beauty. Mexico is extremely hot, so if you enjoy relaxing by beach to sun tan like I do, it's an amazing place to check out. There are many things you can do there like diving, zip lining and swim with dolphins.
South Carolina is known for its beaches and golf courses. Some other things you could do in South Carolina are ride the Ferris wheel and walk through the farmer’s market. I haven’t been here yet but would definitely like to check out their beaches there.

South California

For the first year of our relationship, my husband and I were separated by the mere fact he lived in California. The plus side was it meant that I was able to travel and stay there for almost the entire year.

Throughout that year and the years since, I have been to almost all of the theme parks. Disneyland was really fun but obviously kid oriented. My favorite would be Universal Studios. Two other notable and worth visiting theme parks include Six Flags and Knotts Berry Farm. Both have amazing roller coasters if that's what you are in too. I spent Halloween of 2008 walking around Six Flags for their special Halloween event. People dressed in costumes were jumping out from everywhere trying to scare you. They also had fog throughout the whole park in order to add that spooky Halloween vibe.

Another favorable activity I did was explore the Queen Mary. I am a huge fan of both ghost stories and old historical ships/buildings. I had always wanted to see the Queen Mary and was so excited. However, there is one tour that I found somewhat insulting. Back when the Queen Mary was in use, a little girl drowned in one of the pools that are below deck. While touring the Queen Mary, the crew members take you down to this pool and all of a sudden everything goes black, fog machines turn on and creepy music starts playing. Then, using digital effects, the "ghost" of a little girl appears in the pool. I know this is supposed to be seen as neat and entertaining, but I found it insulting since someone had lost their life. Other than that though, touring the boat was amazing.

One of my favorite parts was going into one of the old German submarines.
They are very neat but very squishy! The photo below is of me just starting to venture down into the submarine. If you are claustrophobic like I am, you will need to mentally prepare yourself for some very tiny spaces without any windows!

FRENCH

French food, French men, French language! I love French. A couple of years ago, started to learn French at school. I really enjoyed learning about the culture and language. Although I am not so good at speaking it, I am able to read and write it. Two years ago I went to Winnipeg to learn French through this program called Explore. It is a five-week immersion course where you got to learn how to read and write French. This program allows you to meet new people from all over the world and to experience something new.

It was my first time traveling alone to a city I haven’t been to before. The city of Winnipeg is actually really nice although it did rain a lot! During the weekdays, we were in class from 9-3. I learned the basics of French like how to greet people, ask for things and how to describe things by color and texture. I thought this experience has made me become more independent, it allowed me to learn the language I adore and meet amazing people.

The year after that, I went to a little town near Halifax. This place was really different compared to the big city of Winnipeg. You could not get to anywhere unless you had a car, and during the day there were a lot of school activities like concerts, bingo and outings to the beach. In the little town they focused on pronunciations. We were taught how to say things in past tense, present tense and future. It was a really good and memorable experience that I will never forget about. I hope in the near future that I get a chance to go to Paris or Montreal to learn more about the culture and language.

PHO

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. It is usually served with beef or chicken. The soup includes noodles, basil, mint leaves, lime, and bean sprouts. Pho was originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. The general theory held by most of the culinary experts is that the word pho comes from a French word “feu” or “fire”. It is believed that the Vietnamese people love to take foreign words and use them as their own but with an accent. A man named Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes helped convert Vietnamese written language.

There are many places in Calgary which serves really good pho like Basil, Pho Xuan, TK and Noodle World. The place I like the most is Basil because their soup tastes really healthy and it doesn’t taste like it has a lot of MSG. The pho there isn’t that pricey either which is good for someone who likes saving money but like eating good food. The prices range from $8-$12. I recommended everyone try pho and let me know where they like it from!