Highlights from Hong Kong...

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Spending a few days in Hong Kong was a great way to kick off our adventure in Asia. Here are some of the highlights from our stay in Hong Kong:

The tasty food...


Mmm... sweet red bean pie from McDonalds.


We ate well especially during dim sum when Lucia used her Cantonese.


The egg custard tarts from Yamazaki are the best.

The many unique markets that line the streets...


The fish market where almost any type of fish can be bought.


The flower market where orchids and roses sweeten the air.


The fruit market where every possible type of fruit can be found.

The amazing cityscape and skyline from Hong Kong harbour and Victoria Peak...


Hong Kong glowing under a humid spring evening.


All the lights in Hong Kong are buzzing as we look down from Victoria Peak.


Hong Kong from the 55th floor of the IFC building.


A Chinese junk on Hong Kong harbour.


People marching past while bamboo scaffolding holds up buildings.


Sipping tea with monks.

A breath of fresh air on Lantau Island...


Riding the Ngong Ping 360 to the Po Lin Monastery.


The world's largest Buddha statue at the Po Lin Monastery.


Buddha upclose and personal.

There And Back...

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Hello Everyone,

So I am back in St. John's after spending the past few weeks in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Cambodia. While I will save the details for later, I wanted to post a few pictures and panoramics from Tam Coc in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia. I'll be sure to upload more pictures and stories in the next couple of days. Stay tuned...


Gorgeous scenery as we cycle through the countryside in Tam Coc.


Floating along the river.


Limestone mountains surround the busy waters.


Water buffalo escaping the heat from the hot sun alongside the road.


The peaceful and smiling Bayon faces at Angkor Thom in Siem Reap.


Temple fuel: delicious duck marinated in local honey.


Mmm... shrimp and cashews.


Ta Prohm has been left to the jungle and was the location for the movie Tomb Raider.


The much photographed Ta Prohm temple.


The incredible force of mother nature.


Enjoying a snack in between class on the way to Tonle Sap Lake.


A gas station, Cambodian style. Gas in Siem Reap costs $1USD per litre.


Apsara dancing... the graceful finger movements are amazing!


Fight of the White Monkey at the Apsara theatre.


Delicate sandstone carvings at Banteay Srei.


A heavy load in rural Cambodia.


Angkor Wat. Simply amazing!


Beautiful carvings adorn every surface in Angkor Wat.


The grand entrance to Angkor Wat.


Angkor Wat and its reflection under a hot Cambodian sun.

Meet And Greet With The Prime Minister Of Iceland!

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This evening I took a bit of a break from packing for the big Asia trip and studying for exams to attend a lecture given by the Prime Minister of Iceland. The Newfoundland Telegram newspaper reported that Mr. Geir Haarde was in St. John's to meet with Premier Danny Williams because the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Iceland have formalized a partnership to further explore trade opportunities. Mr. Haarde was in the province to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). It is reported that the MOU is designed to promote the friendly relations that exist between Iceland and Newfoundland and Labrador. In particular, it seeks to enhance co-operation between business and industries through business ventures, technology transfer and research and development; and to enhance co-operation in cultural industries, education and the arts.

This evening, Prime Minister Haarde was at MUN to talk about how Iceland transformed itself in the space of two generations, to the point where it now sits atop the UN's Human Development Index as well as many other global indices of social equity, transparency and commerce. It was an informative talk and an interesting 45 minute long Q & A session. Questions ranged from what Iceland is doing in regards to the Kyoto protocol and the credit exchange program, to Iceland's reliance on geothermal energy. It was incredible to hear that geothermal energy has allowed Iceland to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, such that oil now makes up only 20% of its total energy consumption!

What was of particular interest was the relaxed atmosphere. No heavy security, no guys in black sunglasses, no wireless headphones. Simply a few RNC officers greeting people at the entrance. Not only was it a great informal presentation, afterwards the Prime Minister mingled amongst the crowd while we all enjoyed various wines and cheeses. Of course, there were additional motives for attending the presentation - what student would pass up free smoked salmon, desserts, and wine!?!

See you all when I return from Asia...

We're Into The Final Stretch...

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So this may be my last post for the winter semester. The past four months have just flown by and we are now into exams. I can happily say that with all of my course assignments completed, there are only four exams that stand in the way between me and Asia. The next few days are going to be tough; I am not sure how I will stay focused on exams while at the same time finish up with preparations for the big trip. There are a few distractions that I am considering: there is a concert by the MUN School of Music next weekend and the Prime Minister of Iceland is also coming to St. John's and will be speaking at MUN next week.

Otherwise, plans for the trip are in full swing. Vaccinations are being taken and the infamous itinerary is near completion. With the details ironed out, here are some of the highlights we are planning for the trip:

Hong Kong: dim sum at Jumbo, all you can eat dessert buffet at the Grand Hyatt, high tea at the Peninsula Hotel, a tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak, taking in the sound and light show while floating on a junk in Hong Kong harbour, and visiting the largest outdoor Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery.

Vietnam: a visit to the Mekong Delta (the rice bowl of Asia), consuming copious amounts of Pho and delicious French pastries, biking around Hoi An to visit the various temples, experiencing the "American War" from the other side, seeing Mr. Ho Chi Minh himself embalmed and on display in Hanoi, and relaxing on a junk while cruising among the limestone karsts of Halong Bay.

Cambodia: enjoying the best (and cheapest) French cuisine outside France, watching the sun rise (along with hundreds of other camera toting tourists) over Angkor Wat, visiting the temples around Siem Reap that have since been consumed by jungle, and visiting the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake.

Once back from the trip and into the swing of my final semester here at MUN, I am planning a few day trips out to take in the summer sights of Newfoundland. It's been a long winter and I am anxious to make the most of my last four months here. On my list of things to see are: a drive up to Twillingate and Fogo Island to do a little iceberg watching, driving down to St. Vincent to see humpback whales breach from shore, and mixing it up with the locals at the Regatta and Newfoundland Folk Festival. Should be fun!

I'm Now A CAPM!

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Since returning from the Christmas break I've been putting in several hours of study every weekend or so in order to prepare to sit for the Project Management Institute (PMI) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam. Well, all of those hours finally paid off today when I passed the exam! While my intention is to eventually sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, I do not have all the required work experience hours yet. So, In the meantime, I decided to pursue the CAPM designation as an intermediate step towards that PMP designation. Now all I need is a job to put my new project management skills to the test!

The test itself was not overly challenging. It was a computer based, multiple choice exam with pass/fail scores returned immediately after you hit "submit exam". Among all of the classmates taking the exam (11 test takers out of a class of 35), we formed study groups, read texts, prepared presentations, and then last weekend did a two day crash course on all the material! The discussions we had were excellent and made the dry material a lot more interesting. I should also mention that the test centre was uber high tech with fingerprint scans, ceiling cameras, and noise dampening headphones!

Everyone who wrote the exam today passed, and so we all went out to the nearby on-campus pub to celebrate. After a couple of pints... I then had to go to an evening class to not only sit in on a lecture but also hand in an assignment and write a quiz! This certainly made for an exhausting day!

Here Is The Proof...

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MUN, the City of St. John's, and pretty much the rest of the province shut down early Monday evening in preparation for the coming winter storm. Supposedly, it was reported on the local news that people went grocery shopping yesterday to stock up on the essentials after hearing that this storm is to last well into Wednesday! The snow began falling Monday at around 3:00pm, and soon after, the winds became quite strong. Overnight there was a mix of snow and rain with ice pellets. This (Tuesday) morning, St. John's has been left with essentially a mixed bag of terrible weather that has resulted in the closure of everything non-essential across the region. MUN is closed until 3:00pm today... sounds like another snow day!

Last night, the roommates and I decided to venture outside and see just how bad it had gotten. Here are a few videos of what it looked like outside my apartment at Burtons Pond Monday evening:


Sigh... most of it had melted last week and we could see the grass!


Shenanigans in the snow.

A Winter Weather Update: It Ain't Over Yet!

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Over the past week we have had three winter storms! To make things worse, Environment Canada is forecasting an additional 50cm of snow overnight. That said, I must say that the snow really is not a terrible thing, especially when considering the number of snow days we have had. This semester, MUN has been closed three times due to snow or deteriorating weather conditions. Of course, my tune would be different if I had to shovel a driveway or walk long distances to and from school. Outside of St. John's and the Avalon Peninsula, I think winter has left a larger mark. I read last week that Fogo Island declared a state of emergency when an avalanche blocked the only road into the community with snow. Since that last storm, I think things have almost returned to normal across the island - just in time for tonight's pummeling!

Is Winter Over?

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Class let out a little early today, and so I decided to take a drive up Signal Hill. Today was a really nice day - nothing but blue skies and seasonably mild temperatures. Unlike Ottawa, most of the snow in and around St. John's has now melted! Tomorrow it is suppose to be +7C with rain. So long as it is not snow, I think I'll manage. With the rain, the last piles of snow should disappear... so, is winter over? I must say that this past winter has been great. The temperatures were mild and there really wasn't that much snow. I arrived thinking that St. John's was going to be covered in several feet of snow and that spending many winters in Geraldton has done little to prepare me for a Newfoundland winter. Sure, the snow started a little early this season, but it's quickly over and spring is just around the corner. Now, I say this with fingers crossed... I hope I can now put the car brush and winter boots away.

Signal Hill was busy today, and I think it was because people wanted to take advantage of the nice weather. I set out for a two hour hike but found many of the trails closed - until May and the start of tourist season. Regardless, I did what trails I could. Here are some pictures from the hike...


Cabot Tower, sitting atop Signal Hill.


The five hundred foot climb to the top of Signal Hill. May I suggest driving?


Can you see the person at the end of the rock face?


Canons aimed to defend St. John's harbour... many years ago. Did you know that a German U-Boat actually fired torpedoes into the harbour during WWII? Underwater nets strung across the harbour prevented them from causing any damage.


Fort Amherst across the Narrows with Cape Spear (the most Easterly point in all of North America) located at the top and far left of the picture.

Mid-Term Break Has Arrived!

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Today was day one of a five day weekend - how sweet it is to be back in university! Although I have a fair bit of work to do during this mid-winter break, I decided to take today off and play tourist. The day started off with a hike through Bowring Park. Located just off Topsail Road (about a ten minute drive from MUN), Bowring Park is one of the most scenic parks in St. John's. This was my first time visiting the park, and was surprised to see the number of people out and enjoying the early spring weather - running, walking their dogs, and tobogganing. The park features a garden, playground, bronze statues, some bridges, and an amphitheatre used for special summer events. I will have to come back in the summer since the park also has tennis courts, waterslides, and picnic spots.

From the parking lot, there is a paved walkway that leads down into the park. In the park are many streams and rivers that flow through the valley and into a pond. Today, the pond was full of very friendly ducks. Here are some pictures from Bowring Park...


Walking into Bowring Park.


Panoramic of the duck pond.


Immediately after crouching down to take this picture, all of the ducks started to waddle over expecting to be fed. The pigeons decided to fly overhead - one was even captured in the top left corner of the picture.


I was able to get really close to the ducks. Hmmm... I wonder if this guy knows about the ducks at Burtons Pond?

So after exploring Bowring Park, I decided to head downtown for a walking tour. I realize that this is incredibly nerdy, but I picked up a few free walking brochures at the tourist office, one of which retraced the perimeter of the great fire of 1892. Map in had, I set out for a two hour walk around town. I "saw" pretty much everything. Unfortunately because most everything on the tour was burned to the ground because of the fire, there really wasn't a lot to see. During the tour, I went down to the harbour to check out the action. Today there were two large boats along with a few smaller fishing boats. One of the smaller boats had just come back from a fishing trip and was unloading their haul (not sure if it was shrimp, scallops, or cod) into a truck. Here are some picture from the harbour...


Not warp speed but wharf speed!


The Dorsch and Tuvaq tankers.


One of the smaller boats unloading their haul with Signal Hill and Cabot Tower in the background.


Brightly coloured houses against the dreary grey February skies.


While on the walking tour, I passed by St. Thomas' Anglican Church - the oldest church in St. John's having actually survived the the great fires of 1846 and 1892.


The Roman Catholic Basilica of St. John the Baptist.


Another shot of the Basilica as snow was starting to fall.