4 days in Toronto

Finally got to step my footprint on the busiest city in Canada. First feeling after I get off from the train was overwhelmed. The train station is so big, people here and there, busy walking to their destinations. If I were alone, I will definitely lost my way. Then took subway to meet up WeiChien, Philip, and SuPing in a sushi restaurant.

Our first place to visit of that day is Casa Loma, the former estate of Sir Henry Pellatt, a prominent Toronto financier, industrialist and military man. It is a castle style house, with 98 rooms inside, including master room, maids room, study room, etc. It is designed in Gothic style, too bad Dr. K didn't manage to teach Gothic chapter if not I will know more about the styles when I am visiting Casa Loma. 

SuPing, Me, Philip, WeiChien and Edmond

My accommodation for these days was in 141 Brunswick, XiaoYing's room. People in 141 Brunswick consist of XiaoYing, KaYan, KahWai, WaiMeng, Allen, YiMing, JunSheng and another 2 juniors. They invited me to join their dinner on the first night of me in Toronto. Home-cooked food! Forgot to take photos because was too busy eating :P 

Got the visit around University of Toronto campus. They have interesting buildings. Mixture of old styles and new styles, love it. How I wish U of Windsor can have classrooms like this as well. Bored with the squares already.

UofT Bookstore

Graduate building. Look at the glass bridge. Oh my my.

Robarts Library. Complicated patterns.

Very Hogwarts feel eh? 

Victoria College. Castle style ♥ 

Okay, don't wanna flood this post will all photos, so I will stop here for UofT buildings.

After the UofT tour, went back to 141 Brunswick for Tang Yuan making. 

Stuffs.

Making in process.

Pattern banyak banyak.

Dice-shaped Tang Yuan by WaiMeng

Cute owl snowman by XiaoYing.

It feels really good to have the opportunity to make Tang Yuan with a bunch of Malaysian people, it makes me feel home, feel like I am in Malaysian again, speaking mixed language, doing stuff that only Malaysian understand, laughing at Malaysian's jokes and etc. Definitely gonna miss it whenever festivals come. :/

Visited CN Tower in the evening, the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere.

I am standing on 553.33m from the ground :)

Busy traffic under me.

Lights

CN Tower and me :)

It's been a while I see those busy city lights, from high, too much lights of Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, too little cars in Windsor, too quiet. The next time when I visit to CN Tower, definitely will try the Edge Walk. 

Last day in Toronto. Visited the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in the morning. 

Spiky building

First section in ROM, consists of Japan, Korea, and China.

Level 2, dinosaurs, T-Rex.

Tanystropheus

Smile with the beaver :D

One of the favourites: Minerals 

One of the favourites as well: Greece 

Etruscans' Sarcophagus 

Egypt section. Listening to Hatshephut's story. Studied about she in Ancient to Medieval arts :D

Byzantine empire's Virgin (Theokotos) and Child. Had this in textbook as well :D

I enjoyed ROM very much, especially when I can relate to stuffs that I learnt in class. That's the experience I never had before, awesomeness! Definitely going to visit it again! :)

Had Hong Kong style dinner at King's

Then headed to Rogers Centre for Disney's On Ice. We missed the first part though, kinda sad. But never mind, better than nothing right? :)

Green soldiers.

Buzz, Woody and Jessie.

I don't know what is this, Anastasia? 

Pinocchio. 

Mulan.

Forgot to charge both of my camera and phone last night, both ran out of battery when I was watching Disney's On Ice, so didn't manage to take more picture for it. :/ However, watching things that is related to Disney's is indeed touching, feel like wanna cry, I sang along quietly when the show goes on :P DISNEY'S ROCKS!!!!!

Hopped on bus to Ottawa then Montreal after Disney's On Ice, another amazing part of my winter break 2011! :)

一句话

我向来都是个记性很不好的人，可以有些话，我都会永远记得，好的坏的，作为警戒的，用来提防的。

“自从你从M班掉回B班后，我觉得你变得骄傲，好胜和喜欢比较。”
好吧，当时看这纪念册上的这句话的时候我是蛮震惊的，因为那整一年我都没发现我的改变。从第二班升上第一班再从第一班掉回第二班的感觉，不是每个人都可以经历到的。在第一班的那一年，每一天都是一种磨练。班里的每一个人都想用分数杀死对方，每一个老师都想尽办法想要把各类的书塞进学生的脑袋里。每一天，都过的战战兢兢的，然而第二班就轻松很多了。老实说，我不后悔我变成这样。这是我几年后才想到的，如果我不这样，我的人生就真的是没有目标了，没有战斗的理由了，不是吗？我曾经，什么都不管，什么事都随便，过一天算一天，这是人生吗？是啊，我过去式的人生。:)

“谢谢你愿意代替他来。”
听到这句话的第一个反应：WTF？我居然是代-替-者？真的是想都没想到，这句话真的完完全全破坏了我的那时的好心情。说的也是，明明就是一般的朋友 @.@  算了，就怪自己不该把期望放得太高吧。:/

“他说你很强。”
这句话是老爸跟我说的。告诉他这句话的是我的前housemate，也就是我爸其中一个租客，也是我在INTIMA的老大。能被一个强的人说强我真的吓到了，让我不禁怀疑，我是不是真的有点强？无论如何，这句话的确改变了老爸对我的看法，以前一直想证明给他看，我不是，也不想当普通的女生。我要强到别人的话伤不到我，我要强到我什么是都做得到。20年来，我只痛哭过一次，也希望那一次会是最后一次。我是非常人！LOL

其他的，留到下次吧。这3句是印象最深刻的，其他的不太记得了，想到再写吧。

I Have Come So Far

My Fall term 2011 in University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada is officially ended. Strange, it just strange, I feel like I still feel like I just arrived here few weeks. Back in INTI, 4 months for me is like a year. 4 months, the longest time I leave home ever, before was just 3 weeks. It just surprises me when I know my dad miss me more than my mum miss me. He told me more than 1 time in Whatapps that that he feels lonely without me at home. I am glad that I made a decision few years ago. I wasn't that noisy at home before this, troubles that brother brought made them very worried and depressed. At that time I try to make noises, talk to them a lot, try to bring the feeling of being in a family back together. Lil brother is exactly who I am before this, faces computer everyday, ignores parents' caring, doesn't care about the happening around. The attachment I made between me and parents seems kind of effective, and the good thing is brother's situation becomes better. He is now in Taiwan, not only study but also active in badminton competitions, which is, a big relief for my parents. Then coincidentally, we both depart at the same time but to different countries. All the time, I feel they like him more, or is it because they put all the concerns on him because he always cause problems? As my role, a so called big sister who follows whatever the parents said. Both of my brothers never actually treat me as their sisters, more like a friend.

Oi damn it, how in the hell I start with all these. Shush, back to the main point.

Okay, so, final exams finally finished. 4 months away from home is indeed a new experience for me, especially live in a country that is so so much different with Malaysia.

-Curriculum-

Never disappointed! I always looking forward to go to classes, especially German and Ancient to Medieval. Well, kinda feel like screw German hard because the final test is damn difficult. Was thinking of taking German as minor, but after the exam, nah, forget about it. As for Ancient to Medieval, ohmygod, it makes me want to go to Italy, Egypt, Turkey, German so so much. Learnt so much about the art history and the architectures and stuff. I don't want to talk many about Contemporary Visual Culture, because it is the weirdest course I have taken so far. It is about the art in modern days, learned spectacle, kitsch, postmodernism, field of vision, punk western bla bla bla. Inserted with so much of Canadian culture which I have zero knowledge of. Anyhow, I enjoyed the last assignment very much. And lastly, Foundations for Academic Writing I, an online course, nothing interesting but heavy workload.

Notes of Ancient to Medieval. Home Notes VS Lecture Notes

Assignment 3 of Contemporary Visual Culture: Visual Culture Book

-Lecturers and TAs-

My German language lecturer is Dr. Helbing. A 50-60 woman, seems like blur all the times, can't catch students' question most of the time. But I like her, she is very adorable, always give us small gifts like gummy bears, German coins, chocolate and etc. For Ancient to Medieval, I had Dr. Giles, I think he is around 40-50. Seems like a bored guy but always like to crack jokes. One of them is the Barbarian one. TA was Bruce, presented Byzantine chapter in the class. He is normal, nothing special. Haha. And lastly, I had Julie Sando for Contemporary Visual Culture, is a big class and I sit at the back, so have not much comment for her. While the TA, Tommy Mayberry, a total art guy. The way he walks, talks, very artistic. LOL. All of them are very friendly, no doubt.

-Classmates-

For an Asian like me, I think I did pretty well, at least I talk to people, unlike those Chinese, only mix with their own kind. It is fun to have Jakob, Steven, and Sarah in the German class. Because they are a bunch of smart and funny, especially Steven, a Mathematics major, deng eh, Mathematics wor. In Ancient and Medieval, I am all alone, I like to be alone in class actually, no distraction. And Thao! My Contemporary Visual Culture mate. Although She dropped this course but she still come to the class to accompany, awwww. We really talked a lot, and her dad sent my back when there was a heavy rain day. The good thing is she changed her major from Business to Communication, yay! We gonna have 2 same course together next term! :)

-Co-curriculum-

I joined some clubs too. In fact, I signed up a lot of clubs, but only a few of them are really active and respond to my emails. So yea. The 2 clubs that I am very active in are VISA and AIESEC. 

First AIESEC General Assemly.

AIESEC Bowling social

I was honored to make the new VISA board :D

Volunteering for Seeds of Hope. 

Something to show off? :P

VISA end of term potluck!

-Roommate-

She just left this afternoon, while I am having lunch with WeiJiea. Well, my feeling towards her, I don't want to publicize it here, if you always concern on my Twitter you will know. LOL. Anyhow, thanks for the memories, good luck and all the best in LA!

-Friends-

Technically, Diego is my first friend in Windsor! We know each other from Facebook, how awesome is that? :D Secondly, would be Soham and his gang. Then is Timonthy, then Kira and Shirley, then William, the guy next door, then lastly Andrew. These are all the people I usually hang out with. Other than them, they are Zaid, Trixe, Kendyll, RA-Stephanie, and many more! :)

Diego!

Timothy!

Soham!

Kira, Vickie, Diego, me, and William.

Kira, Shirley, and Vickie.

Kira, me, and Andrew :P

And of course, Mac 10!

-Food-

I usually love Western food, my perspective totally changed after I came here, Malaysian food is the best. I am sick of grilled meat and potatoes already. =.=

First meal in CAW.

Appetizer of Seoul.

Noodle from Seoul.

Chicken cutlet rice from Seoul.

Chicken burger and chocolate milk from CAW.

Mushroom with white sauce rice from Eros.

Terriyaki noodles from D'mall.

Fruit juice and sandwich from CAW.

Japanese buffet! 

Thanksgiving meal.

All time favourite: 10 timbits and medium regular coffee.

Yums.

My very own recipe for maggi mee :P

Dumplings from Chinese store.

Starbucks! 

All time favourite as well: Philly roll from CAW

Midnight treat: Chocolate sundae from Croc Grill

-Family-

I know is not easy for my parents to adapt with the feeling of 2 of their children are far away from them. Dad is now busy with his new brand, while mum, having fun with her Lion's people, while lil bro, as usual I guess. LOL. I don't want them to worry about me, I guess they are surprised how well I have gone well here. LOL. Gee, have fun in Bangkok, mum and dad. And stupid bro, enjoy Singapore. Lastly, fatty bro, strive hard in Taiwan, don't disappoint us!

-Best Friends-

Lots of things happened after I left, someone broke up, someone is in a relationship, someone graduated, someone worked, someone argued, some misunderstandings. But, all these already become history, I am glad that we are still together. I love you guys! :)

Melvin, HuaXiang, CheeLin, SengQian,Terry, me, ChiauHong, SiewFoong, WayNa, and Cecilia.

Lastly, allow me to say again. 

FALL TERM IS FINALLY FINISHED!!!! HOLIDAY HERE I COME!!!!!