Experience Vietnam in Hamilton, Canada 2009

What is better than eating a bowl of pho bo (yes, pho again) and going grocery in a Vietnamese supermarket?

In a cold Christmas' Eve noon, Giang took me, her brother and cousin to "the best pho restaurant in Canada" (her direct quote). Well, as long as the pho is good, I dun care if that's true or not. And the experience was great, eating a hot bowl of noodle soup in a cold day, plus a big cup of avocado milkshake. Nothing could beat that.


"Pho Dau bo" restaurant in Hamilton


Inside the restaurant


Pho tai, my fav type of pho


A yummy glass of avocado milkshake


After the lunch, we headed to a Vietnamese super market to do some grocery shopping for our Christmas' Eve dinner. And I was glad that I had gone there. I found many things that seem to be extinct in Vietnam. Again, ironic, right? Overseas Vietnamese communities preserve our culture better than those in-country. Or am I too into the past?


Unassuming treasure haunt


Quail eggs


"Banh in", a traditional Vietnamese rice cake


I dun even know where to find this in Vietnam and Singapore. Even if I could find it, I dunno if it's safe to eat. This is best to cook with porridge ("chao long") or "banh canh".


Another pho restaurant, next to the supermarket


And a "banh my" shop

Hamilton in winter, Canada Dec 2009

Hamilton is where my best friend is staying and I spent more than a week to visit her there. It is not the type of the city I have been living in, i.e. Saigon and Singapore. And I am a city girl through and through. That's why it was interesting for me to stay here in December. But not unfamiliar as I had spent sometime before in Sunnyvale and both places kinda have the same atmosphere.

Anyway, Hamilton looks old and weary (partly because I visited it in winter). I guess the best part of staying there for my friend is that it has a Vietnamese community there, which of course means the availability of pho bo, Vietnamese supermarkets and other Vietnamese related stuff. That asides, I think I won't be able to live there. Guess I'm so used to the convenience and noisiness of the big cities I have been staying.


Hamilton viewed from my friend's apartment








Somewhere around my friend's apartment

The world's tallest observation tower

For my trip to Canada last year, I decided to leave all the planning to Giang cos I was quite fed up with all the itineraries for NY and Chicago. My only request was that I wanted to go to CN Tower. Well, it's one of Toronto's attractions and what is better to get a feel of the city than viewing it from an observatory?

From what I could see, Toronto is quite a concrete city. And as it was in winter, the city looked gray with no greenery. But again, I didn't spend much time there so my observation might not be accurate.


I really love this photo: the sunset on Toronto Habour


Toronto Habour viewed from Sky Pod


Toronto in a winter day


On a lower observatory room


One of the bravest moments in my life


Braving the cold


With my dearest


Taking photos any time, any where


On Sky Pod with Giang


New pose: getting taken (un)knowingly

A cold but merry Christmas in Canada

I have partly fulfilled my wish for having a cold Christmas last year. But it wasn't a white Xmas. I blamed myself for being such a human heater. But the atmosphere was amazing, first in Chicago, then Canada. My friend had put up a beautiful Christmas tree which I couldn't take my eyes off it the first time I saw it.



We spent Christmas' Eve on the road to Giang's aunt's house. Then the whole Christmas day going grocery, cooking and singing karaoke. Then Christmas night at another Giang's aunt's house for a hotpot dinner. Yeah, I know, not quite your typical Christmas dinner but the atmosphere and companionship made up for that.

2009 was my best Christmas so far...

A sunny winter day in Toronto

I have a love-hate feeling for winter. Love it as I am from a tropical country (or countries, if I really count) and cold weather is what I'm craved for when the heat is unbearable. Hate cos the winter weather makes me feel sluggish and I have to wear layers of clothes outdoors all the time. And it really makes travel a hassle. So... a sunny winter day is quite a blessing as it isn't quite cold as it looks.
I spent less than a day in Toronto so I can't really say if I like the city. I need more than that to appreciate the charm of the city. I guess I will visit it again sometimes in the future. Maybe in autumn.

My virgin snow experience in Canada

It was in Hamilton (Ontario, Canada). I was visiting my bestest (does this word actually exist?) friend who has been staying in Canada for 10 years. Yeah, I was so happy it was snowing on my second day in Canada cos I didn't get to enjoy much snow in Chicago before that. Apparently, my happiness was short-lived as it stopped snowing after a few hours.

I am such a human-heater.