March 28, 2012
I’m talking about Chi-town

I enjoy finding budget deals. Especially when it involves using online coupon codes or AAA discounts that are vaguely, yet perfectly, applicable towards my travels. I planned another impromptu trip to Chicago in the last few weeks.

My first task was to secure a flight under $100 - a seemingly impossible task. I scoured the world wide web for infinite ‘deals’ on flights from Toronto to Chicago. The result was nothing short of unexpected. Cheapest flight out of Toronto was over $300 and I was not willing to accept this fate. As a believer of spending money only on food and ‘activities’, I realized the cheaper option would involve driving to Buffalo – an hour south of Toronto – and flying out to Chicago from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Thanks to some more web trolling, I secured a Southwest flight for $59 on a web only special. The original price was $69 but I managed to find a web coupon for an extra $10 off my fare. I love nothing more than a good deal! Let me remind you that I am fairly well travelled, especially in Asia – the land of great food and home of the best budget travel options. It almost seemed unreal, but when I received a confirmed itinerary, I was stoked. From what I had heard, Southwest carried a great brand name with a good reputation for southern hospitality.

After booking my flight, I needed a way back to Buffalo from Chicago that would help me get back home for Monday morning. Sunday flights were out of the question, ranging anywhere from $200 - $500 one way. After my journey to Chicago last month on a greyhound, I did not want a 16 hour repeat. Instead, I opted for a 12 hour Amtrak from Chicago to Buffalo for $67. Using my CAA membership, I got another 10% off. How exciting!? Well, as I write this from a train going over 140 kmph, I don’t regret it a bit. Except for the lack of Wi-Fi, the train is comfortable and roomy. I like.

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February 10, 2012
Delightfully Delhi

What is it about India that makes me feel at home? Is it the raw smell of spices? congested streets? maybe the delicious street food? (As an aside, I developed a terrible stomach condition after eating in a small town off the west coast in India. That story will follow sometime in the next month). Either way, as soon as I got off the plane, I felt right at home. I felt showerproof. Nothing could cleanse the amount of accumulated dirt and sweat I gathered for the last twenty-two hours, but I wasn’t complaining, or was I?

We landed at about 4:30 AM. Apparently, Delhi airport is a hotspot around those hours. Most international flights land around that time - red eye flights - prominently from Western Europe, Russia, and Singapore. I inched my way towards the dreaded customs line and found solace in staring at all the duty free goods. Although significantly cheaper, India is reforming into a qualitative country, rather than a quantitative one.

And as if family travels aren’t smooth enough already, we managed to have a giant bag mix-up. Partially because we were running on no sleep - recall my sixteen hour movie watching adventure - and partially because all red bags look the same. A day and a death wish later, we received a call that our bag was turned in by the kind family whose bag we, accidentally, stole. Five hours and four security guards later, we had our bag, and all five outfits that I was supposed to wear for my cousin’s wedding.

Inside Scoop: Indian weddings are four to five day long affairs. Ideally, every day is unique and requires a certain type of dress code, ranging from traditional casual to business casual. 

I wore traditional outfits for all five days feeling a little out of touch with my heritage. I even managed to steal my cousin’s shoes on his wedding day. Overall, it was a successful and loud wedding. I think it is perfectly normal to blame everything on jet lag.

With the wedding festivities coming to an end, it was time to explore the newly renovated Delhi. With an early exit - at the age of 12 - I moved to Canada not quite understanding my surroundings in India. Of course, as a kid, you are not the next existentialist thinker that ponders the meaning of life in the streets of India - take note Danny Boyle - but a sense of awareness comes naturally at a certain age. Delhi, as I remember it, was nothing like the Delhi I experienced.

Here are some pictures:

Kingdom of Dreams

I taught my cousin how to take jump-shots

Entrance to the Palace

Petals and flowers

Intricate glass designs

Rajasthan Dolls (Kathputlis)

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December 16, 2011
En route to India

This is the story of how I arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India from Lester B. Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada.

Besides the casual ruckus and commotion caused in my family whenever we fly, the 4 hour early check-in was in full motion. Being thrown off by the check-in attendant, we decided to put our carry on baggage as checked baggage (It was free). Needless to say, five minutes later my mother realized that she had left some crucial medication in one of those bags. Cut to: Bag Chase. Three bags and two different baggage handlers later, our bag finally arrived.

We flew Etihad Airways. Where do I even begin about this airline? It’s amazing. I don’t consider myself to be an airline connoisseur, but I was entertained throughout the trip. All fourteen hours. With over 400 hours of entertainment, including music, television and, STREET FIGHTER 2 !!!!!, Etihad Airways will keep you occupied no matter how long you spend on the runway. Our flight was punctual and spacious. Did I mention the delicious mushroom/chicken combination on board? I’m not an avid airline food person, but this was a real food-nanza

Got off the plane without missing a blink. Saw four and a half movies, but I couldn’t tell you the plot. I feel like a Zombie. As much as I like Zombies, I’m not a fan of M. Night Shyamalan directing a sequel to signs based on the dark circles under my eyes. Got into Abu Dhabi and figured out the best way to understand foreign currency is to compare Burger King’s Whopper deal.

With an hour to check-in, us eager beavers lined up for the 3 hour flight over the ocean to India.The plane was delayed (as usual) and off we went into the mystical and ever so colourful land of New Delhi, India. 

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November 24, 2011
New York City: Day Four

The fourth and final day was the simplest of them all. This was the designated ‘shopping day’ of the trip. I only enjoy buying thrift. It’s unfair to head down to Soho and window shop at The Hundreds or J. Lindenberg, knowing I cannot afford $50 tees. 

Took another trip to Shake Shack in the afternoon, arguably the best burger my mouth has ever experienced. We walked through Madison Square Garden, towards Pier 42 and Intrepid park where a giant Aircraft Carrier turned Museum watched us eat.

Grabbed a ‘thank you’ Tiramisu for my host family and a little Mexican food en route to our final subway ride in New York. Fitting end to an incredible four days of journey.

Alas, I wish I saw Coney Island, a little more of The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, but NYC cannot be conquered in four days. Conclusion: I may need to move there and finish my itinerary.

My next trip will take me to India. Stay tuned.

Until next time, more visuals:

34th and 8th Ave

New York Post Office

Madison Square Garden

Intrepid Museum (Aircraft carrier)

Pacha New York (House venue)

Infamous Naked Cowboy at Times Square

Forever 21 interactive billboard. See if you can find me.

The New Yorker

Inside of B&H Audio and Video shop (Also known as the most popular electronics store in NYC)

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November 23, 2011
New York City: Day Three

These vagabond shoes
They are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York 

- Frank Sinatra

These words shuffled through my head overnight. My ‘Cafe Whaa’ experience was unique and now had me singing New York tunes.

Day three started a lot slower than its predecessors, a direct result of the night before. We woke up around noon, finished up on some leftover Chinese and Oatmeal (Great combination) and headed out of Harlem. Heading over the Triboro bridge, with the Manhattan skyline in our rear-view mirror, we drove into Queens.

When I think Queens, I think Beastie Boys. I think ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn’. Astoria, one of Queens’ most diverse neighbourhoods was rather strange. The urban landscape did not carry too any flavour, despite being incredibly diverse. Restaurants and cafe’s owned by Greek, Brazilian, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Egyptian, and Polish (to name a few) diasporas were all over the map. We stopped at a small Moroccan sweets shop and picked up some delicious Baklava. Baklava is a middle-eastern pastry consisting of honey and chopped nuts.

While enjoying our sweets, we took a ride through Jackson heights, home to John Leguizamo. Another small part of Queens, populated mainly with Middle-Eastern and European immigrants. 

After Queens, we decided to stop for some Slovak snacks. The wonderful family hosting me were great cooks (I found out the night after) and knew some great Eastern-European delicacies. We picked up some Sausage, Bread, and Cheese and continued our way into Brooklyn.

Brooklyn was the most anticipated place of my choice. Before planning my New York itinerary, I placed Brooklyn at the top of my list. As soon as we entered the borough, you could see a shift in the atmosphere. The architecture was personalized and had a little bit of everything in it. Our first destination was Williamsburg.

Williamsburg is a neighbourhood nestled cozy in between Queens and Brooklyn. It reminded me a lot of Toronto’s Parkdale. People dressed in vintage and recycled clothing from head to toe. Buildings with vibrant colours and strange windows outline Williamsburg as one of the prominent ‘hipster hoods’ of New York City. A block away from 6th Street is Crossroads Trading Company. You can read about them here. I found a gem here, in the form of a leather jacket that kept me well warm. 

After satisfying our clothes craving, we headed down to The Meatball Shop, and man was that ever delicious. Ordered myself an Il Forno Baguette with 3 balls, spicy meat sauce with sprinkled provolone. Needless to say, chaos ensued in my stomach. Took a stroll around Williamsburg to burn off our lunch and checked out some vintage stores en route to East River State Park, where I got my first full-view of the incredible Manhattan skyline. Surprisingly, a Sea-Otter had washed up on the shores of Brooklyn at the same time.

After snapping a few hundred pictures, we drove to DUMBO. Dumbo stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It also had a little park that situates you right in the middle of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. I spent the rest of the night taking pictures of the bridges and using unsuspecting people as my subjects. Here are some visuals:

Queens (The nicer neighbourhood)

Williamsburg (Brooklyn)

The Meatball Shop. Mmmm

Midday in Manhattan

Sea-Otter vs. Manhattan

Manhattan Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Shiny Manhattan Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge (Not on my camera game)

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November 21, 2011
New York City: Day Two

The second day began just as the first had finished, eventful and spontaneous. With an early rise, I woke up to erratic drills and construction workers discussing their week’s routine. I have woken up to better things but that’s what made New York so unique. After conquering lower-Manhattan yesterday, it was time to see what midtown had to offer. Midtown boasts a much higher (and tourist-friendly) skyline. Where lower-Manhattan is the financial district consisting of banks, financial institutions, and the newly erected ‘Freedom Towers’, midtown has apartment buildings and landmark sights for viewing pleasure.

The journey began in Central Park at 59th Street (Columbia Circle) and 8th Avenue. Central park is absolutely massive. Stretching from beyond 110th to 59th Street, Central Park is identical to its cinematic portrayals. A park filled with rocks, vendors, horse carriages, baseball diamonds, lakes, bridges, and of course, tourists. We walked up towards 72nd Street to see John Lennon’s memorial, known as Strawberry Fields. It wasn’t anything special, but neither was the lake in the middle of the park with couples boating all around. Ironically, all the musicians that go unnoticed, singing songs and selling their independent compact discs caught my attention. They were all fantastic. I’m unsure if New York City has a local musician initiative in place, but these guys were versatile and placed in the perfect space. A latin musical quartet in the middle of the park, surrounded by trees covering the walking path like a cave. An acapella group singing soul music under a bridge with reverb-friendly acoustics. In conclusion, the musicians spread throughout the park were worth the 40 block walk across the park.

From 59th Street, we walked straight towards the most visited attraction in New York City (maybe even the world). Times Square was down the street from Central Park. We took Broadway street, a direct route towards the most infamous sight to see.  Broadway was covered with popular theatre’s including, Winter Garden, Roseland Ballroom, and Broadhurst Theatre. We maneuvered our way through cluttered sidewalks and roads towards Times Square. Times Square is filled with large screens and commercial billboards advertising consumption and reflecting in large, consumer behavior. The ability to absorb Times Square in an hour takes incredible talent. Also, the phenomenon stretches from about 48th to 42nd street. On the way, we stopped at M&M world and the Hershey store, where I got my sweet tooth satisfied. The Disney store was also along one of many stops to Times Square.

Heading west, we decided to head down to Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. Bryant Park is a tiny ‘park’ in the middle of the concrete jungle.  Not only does it have a nice little ice rink, vendors and delicious food stalls also make up the area. I had a delicious Turkish sandwich and was satisfied for the next few hours. The New York Public Library was right next door and made me feel like a tiny human being. The books here cannot be loaned, only referenced. They also had a few exhibitions inside, it was swell.

Heading south-west, we walked towards Grand Central station. On 42nd between 4th and 5th ave, Grand Central station is certainly grand. I walked in and observed an endless amount of people commuting daily to their whereabouts, undisturbed by tourists. Took endless amounts of pictures at the main concourse and continued our journey west to 14th Union Square via the L train.

14th Union Square lights up during Christmas. Similar to Bryant Park, it has vendors and stalls for everyone’s needs. I quietly sifted through the pedestrian traffic and made my way towards Washington Square Park. Washington Square Park is located by Soho and included an imitation of the world renowned Arc of Triumph. We sat there and observed a tireless skater, attempting to finish his line, and eventually succeeding after multiple efforts. 

At night, we took to Soho and America’s first pizza place, ‘Lombardi’s’. Needless to say, the pizza was unique and delicious. Once you’ve tried a slice of New York (HA!), another slice will never suffice (HA x2). Click here for more information. See below for some visuals and stay tuned for the third day!

The view from Central Park

Large rocks all across the park

Fairly expensive ice rink in the middle of Central Park

Bridges and couples = Central Park

All films shot in the middle of the park

Using unsuspecting victims as my subjects

Broadway with David Letterman

M&M Store

Times Square

Bryant Park table-tennis

New York Public Library

Grant Central Station

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November 20, 2011
New York City: Day One

 

Lesson learned. Save your blog or it will get erased. Yes, I’m speaking Arnold Schwarzenegger style.

Currently coasting in Harlem for a few days. Harlem is part of the upper-manhattan neighborhood (When in America, don’t use the “u”) that stretches through the core of New York City. Along with The Bronx, five main boroughs of New York City include Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. 

After arriving in New York, I went straight for some local food. Cheese Chops: Beef, mixed with ‘special house’ sauce, mozzarella, and flat bread made up for what I can call my dinner on Wednesday night. Thursday morning, I got some project work finished up and headed to lower-Manhattan, where I ran into the Occupy Wall Street camp.

Now, being a Canadian indifferent to politics associated with the American movement, I felt obligated to dig deeper and ask some questions. Thursday happened to be the ‘Day of Action’ for all the protesters. They attempted to delay the New York Stock Exchange for one day. Protesters were cornered inside Zucotti Park, barricaded and compounded with the media circus outside acting as an accelerant for the violence to come.

My Journalist side kicked in and I decided to hop around the media and take some pictures (See below) of the camp. The protest then slowly moved through the streets and decided to take over major streets in Manhattan. West Broadway was ‘occupied’ in the evening, where traffic had to be halted and people escorted by over 50 police vehicles. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. 

After sifting through the crowd, made our way to the World Trade Center memorial at Cortlandt Street and Church Street. Tickets are required in advance to visit the memorial, but we got a pretty decent view from the windows at the World Financial Center. The memorial now consists of sand and waterfalls. A lot of construction, everywhere. I feel like Toronto is always under construction, like New York. Striving for bigger and better.

Just missing Shake Shack by a minute, I settled for a Panini (overly expensive) from a street vendor and made my way through Canal Street. Canal Street is famous for it’s faux pas shopping. You can buy all your fake Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and other significant brands for 1/3 the price.

NYC’s China town had a smell of authenticity. Having traveled through Asia multiple times, the vibe was just right. Little Italy borders China Town seamlessly. Almost to the point where you can’t tell where one finished and the other began (well apart from the signs). Took a delicious bite of a Canoli (NYC specialty) at Ferrara’s on Mulberry and Grand and kept walking towards Soho.

Soho is a little more upscale and consists of brands and labels that I cannot, to put simply, afford. The stores were great, conversations even better. One of the employees happened to be a strong supporter of the Wall Street movement and shared his passion for the city that seems to have a gloomy vibe recently. It’s true, there is tension, but not something a tourist might feel. 

Later, I took to the night and found a delicious spot by West 4 station called Down the Hatch. A little college bar where I graciously experienced kids chanting, “USA, USA, USA”. Who said films were presenting inaccurate portrayals? It was a nice little bar and great prices! After that we decided to find some food and unintentionally ran into one of the most infamous cafe’s in New York. http://www.cafewha.com/about/history Bob Dylan and Hendrix used this little cave as their jump off’s. The cover band was fantastic and buffalo wings even better. American money seems like Monopoly money all of a sudden. Overall, a great first day. Enough talk, here are some pictures.

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Harlem, near my stay.

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155th and St. Nicholas Ave.

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Occupy camp, Zucotti Park 

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They were surrounded by fences with one remote exit.

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Signage at the protest

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It got a little violent

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More signage

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Titanic CANstruction project. Raising awareness for hunger

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Brooklyn Can Bridge

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Between 14th and White

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How can you not fall in love with this city?

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September 8, 2011
Why Korean baseball is superior in every way…

Korean baseball games… where do I even begin? We arrived a little late (of course) to find KFC handing out buckets of 10pc chicken for 11.99$ The vendors were literally standing outside the stadium handing out prepackaged chickens. KFC has found a way to outdo themselves, again. Sidenote: All baseball teams in Korea are sponsored by a corporate entity. http://www.doosanbears.com/english/main.do. We went to see the Doosan bears play the Samsung Lions.

The stadium was split in the middle. Doosan fans in White on one side and Samsung fans in blue on the other. At the bottom of each side was a designated conductor. Doosan’s conductor, dressed in all white (including gloves) could jump as high as 6 feet, while Samsung’s conductor was dressed as a mascot. While Samsung batted, the mascot would sing coordinated songs and the crowd on one half would follow with their roar. When the sides switched innings, the other half would follow their Doosan leader. It was incredible sight and even better sound. The game itself isn’t up to it’s north american counterpart’s standard, but the atmosphere alone made it much more enjoyable than a Blue Jays game.

After the baseball game, we decided to check out the riverside in Seoul. Lit up from end to end, the riverside was alive on a Tuesday night at midnight. People running, biking and even casually strolling by the bank till the wee hours of the morning. The Korean culture can be easily defined as a healthy & active lifestyle.

The days that followed went by faster than their precedents. When time moves at such a pace, it’s hard for the brain to comprehend all that surrounds, but I managed to get in a few more sights and sounds before I left Korea at 6 in the morning. Apparently, I don’t have much luck with flights.

My only regret is not visiting a Korean bathhouse (Jimjibang). I will see you soon Korea. Pictures follow.

Dongdaemun by night

Palace Museum

Ritual jump shot

Inside the Palace

King’s gathering room surrounded by fish 

The Queen’s pagoda

Baseball for all. Doosan Bears vs. Samsung Lions

Olympic stadium

Seoul Riverside

Lunch at Insadong

Samziegil

Downtown Seoul

Dinner: Pork cutlets with pickled kimchi, mushrooms, beans and cabbage. 

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(Notes: 1)
  
September 7, 2011
Solely Soulful in Seoul

I have spent the past few days in one of the densest cities in the world. Seoul is not only heavily populated but also happens to have an incredible nightlife.

Arrived through Busan from Taipei, a good friend of mine from UWO (Kyla) picked me up from the airport. It was nice to see her again and she was an excellent host throughout my adventures. Me and Kyla were supposed to go to Korea to teach English together until I started working in Toronto. Now, she handles the business with some excellent people, who were also warm and welcoming during my stay.

Including the usual temples, street markets, museums and overcrowded shopping malls, I did just about everything I needed to do in Seoul. It definitely takes a lot for me to become overwhelmed in a place, and Korea provided me with that much needed experience.

The first night involved spiked Soju (local liquor) drinks that led to a local man teaching us all Russian. Turns out, he (Ivan Lee) was a company man and had a degree in Russian literature from Moscow university.

To follow that up, a nice rooftop gathering with a playground and mini-putt framed with Seoul’s foothills. I was also introduced to the Noribang (Korean Karaoke) where I may have done no justice to ABBA or Westlife.

Last night I finally went to a Silent Disco. The concept is phenomenal. You give a piece of ID in exchange for a set of headphones. Then, you continue to walk into this open park where the DJ is churning out all the freshest tunes. People are dancing wildly with these headphones on without making any sound. As soon as I took my headphones off, I heard the next Bryan Adams or even Cher (the Korean versions of course).

Korea has been swell so far, can’t wait for what comes next. I think we are going to a baseball game tonight. 

Gimpo Airport sunset

The slide by Kyla’s house

Global waste installation inside Co-ex mall

Confucian temple midst the urban jungle

Being a monkey

The park near Kyla’s school

The sunset atop Kyla’s school

Learned how to play with my exposure

Just a casual temple in the middle of Dongdaemun

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September 6, 2011
Very fun park

Yes, it is actually called “Very fun park”. Spread throughout the city like a giant art gallery, the park boasts local and foreign contemporary art installations. With locations ranging from inside studios, restaurants, clothing stores and others atop business towers, the park, essentially, is an urban jungle of art.

I like art in public spaces for many reasons. Not only is it extremely accessible, but these installations seem to attach to their surroundings, giving them a whole new meaning. The park is spread out evenly within the Zhongxiao Dunhua district in Taipei. This is the “swanky” area of Taipei where fashion, music and art breathe a new life into the city.

My host family (Hsiao Chi and Adrian) decided to take me out to some excellent Japanese Dinner before we went out to see the park. The dinner consisted of endless amounts of food, followed by a large bowl of soup, which I could not finish to save my life. 

After dinner, we went for the much needed walk through the urban landscape of Zhongxiao Dunhua. It is known to be the bourgeoisie” neighbourhood of Taipei with luxury cars and swanky apartments all around. You could smell the “hip” in the air. Sometimes I wish I could include all the other pleasures, apart from the visual, in this blog. Very fun park, was very fun indeed.

I will let the pictures do most of the talking…

Japanese/Taiwanese fusion

Great wall of haircuts

These were all over the park

Blue moon

Projecting landscape


Table of flowers


The perfect storm

Light within the child installation


The view from my balcony and the last time my shutter clicked in Taiwan

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