Just-talking-out-loud

This is what I wrote when I was leaving Ottawa. Because I was very busy I did't have the time to edit it and post it. Since I really like to have here on my blog, I decided to post it now. I am saying good bye to the Rideua Canal which was my favourite spot in Ottawa. It was the most visited site by me. I biked, jugged, and took long walks there. I am saying goodbye to the Ottawa River, Ottawa Public Library, Tunney’s, ByWard Market, South Bank, Glibe, and Willington St. I am saying goodbye to the Parliament Hill where you can see the ocean from!! I am saying goodbye to all my noisy and disrespectful neighbours. Finally I am saying goodbye to the two best roommates I have ever had. I cherish all the laughter, shopping, and good times I had with them. Farewell Ottawa , it was an interesting summer.

The Artist in action, Ottawa River, Aug 2008 Cleopatra, Aug 2008 The Kiss, Aug 2008 I have got more pictures of balanced rock sculptures and come up with names. Enjoy!!!

Ottawa River, July 2008 This is a creation of balanced rock sculpture by John Felice Ceprano. In 1986, he started using unaltered natural rocks to build ephemeral sculptures by hand. Later on, the sculptures are stabilized with glue.

ByWard Market , Ottawa, July 2008 Every time I've seen him, he was drawing a different picture in the same spot. I think every time when he finishes his drawing, he wipes it away to start a new one the next day. I wish the city would hire him. So he would draw on different walls and his beautiful works would stay permanently.

"My father didn't like music and never expressed an opinion on opera. But he made me feel that I was entitled to go, that I could arrive there from out tiny apartment, to wear the red dress, to eat the ice cream. And I have. Which is what he intended. Which is what he dreamed for me".

A Word of Advice from Adrienne Clarkson's Mother Adrienne Clarkson did not think highly about her mother for several reasons but she mentioned this that her mother always advised her "Marry the man who loves you; don't marry the man you love." page 56- Heart Matters I wish she would elaborate more on it since her first marriage caused her a lot of unhappiness. To be continued...

I am reading the book “ Heart Matters ”, the autobiography of Adrianne Clarkson , the first Chinese Canadian woman who was appointed as Governor General. Even though I have not finished the book yet, I am enjoying it very much, that I have to write about it right now and possibly in more than one post. Her intelligence and wittiness is remarkable in every chapter of this book. Her honesty through out her writing is truly moving. Similarly to anyone else, she has to overcome or pass so many battles in her life to get as far as she have gotten. Her perspective on life, culture, literature, and even languages is very enlightening. She was born in China and raised in a Chinese family. Although her family does not represent an usual Chinese family but she definitely made a wonderful job analyzing them and comparing them with Canadian families. I am living in a multicultural society which Chinese community shapes most of it. Reading this book was very eye opening in the sense that I...

It takes you approximately 15 min by bus to get to anywhere you want (I haven't notice whether the traffic affects that). You can visit all the interesting sites in one day just by walking around. If you are sitting in the Starbucks having a hot chocolate in downtown Ottawa after 7pm, don't count on seeing anyone around. Ottawa offers you an adventurous life and I'm not even one of those who like to do crazy things. I'm not complaining. I just had a very funny conversation with my friend about living in Ottawa. This is just to remind myself that I don't want to come back here.

Ottawa- Summer 2008 Ottawa Tulip Festival is one of the largest and best known Tulip Festivals in the world. It is really nice to visit tulip sites and admire one of many beautiful flowers in our planet. The tulips are displayed through out the city but there are three specific locations that form the main attraction sites. The layout, combination of colourful petals , and selective breeding of tulips add to the beauty of this event. It is interesting that tulips are not the most beautiful aspect of this event but it is the history of the festival itself. The festival dates back to 1946 when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sent 20,500 bulbs to Ottawa to show her gratitude to Canada for their generosity toward Dutch royal family during the Second World War. She gave birth to her daughter, Princess Margriet , at the Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1943. In order for the new born baby to have exclusively Dutch nationality, she had to be born on Dutch territory. Therefore, Canadian governm...

I'm heading to Ottawa tomorrow to start my summer job. This will be the first time that I'm working for such a huge organization. I've butterflies in the stomach. I'm scared. So many negative thoughts are going through my head now. What if and what if??? I'm pushing everything away. Stop thinking about them. During the interview, I was told that the job would be in a high pressure environment. I replied no problem; I work better under pressure- which is totally true. This isn't the first time that I'm challenging myself to become (or get closer to) the person I want to be. I could have picked something less demanding, something easier and enjoy my summer in Vancouver with my new friends. But I had to pick this one. I had to do this and go through another move and settle into another new city. I need to work on my self-confidence. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last time. I need to push myself and remind myself over and over that, eve...