tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280754262012-01-24T14:16:49.536-05:00Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.comBlogger941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-4497681172479242822011-07-05T11:22:00.001-04:002011-07-05T11:22:51.706-04:00

Dinonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-69178136114992375012011-07-04T11:45:00.000-04:002011-07-05T11:46:29.995-04:00

Dinonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-89813758582015852652011-04-01T09:04:00.003-04:002011-04-01T09:09:02.562-04:00

Went to Yellowknife for work recently. Typically I avoid the cold, but I had a great experience in the Great White North. I was even brave enough to take off my toque and balaclava for a photo. They went back on pretty fast after this though.

Dinonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-81850140236894075832011-03-30T12:10:00.003-04:002011-03-30T15:13:09.998-04:00

The divinity in me sees and recognizes the divinity in you ...

Dinonoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-64233742361983785472010-02-12T16:36:00.006-05:002010-03-31T14:14:25.954-04:00

As the 2010 Winter Olympics start today in Vancouver, I will be en route to India for a 5-week yoga training course.I'm still thinking of you though ... Go Canada! :)The ancient symbol of the Inuit culture is traditionally used as a landmark and navigational aid and also represents northern hospitality and friendship.Constructed of grey granite by Alvin Kanak of Rankin Inlet, this monument was

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-4404680243477378832010-02-08T21:04:00.001-05:002010-02-08T21:16:03.874-05:00

Karnak Temple:Another not so rasta view:

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-18681854860176472452010-01-25T18:13:00.006-05:002010-01-25T18:22:50.393-05:00

It was a beautiful morning after a big snowfall. The sky was a perfect blue, the snow was fresh, and so I went out to go cross-country skiing on my own for the first time. I had gone out a few times before, but never on fresh snow. I didn't realize how bad I was until I returned home to see train tracks left behind by someone else.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-4862476922018590552010-01-24T21:23:00.005-05:002010-01-25T18:23:05.440-05:00

For a country where most women wear a burqa, it was a little surprising to see a mural with a topless woman in a bikini bottom at a metro station in Cairo.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-24379458746397176302009-10-10T19:07:00.000-04:002011-03-30T19:16:29.034-04:00

A great weekend in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dinonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-53341811804587038182009-01-01T21:39:00.002-05:002010-01-25T18:23:22.523-05:00

Jose Montenegro had a very interesting life story to tell. He was born and raised in Panama City, decided he wanted to see the world, so he travelled to India and lived there for a while. Or at least I think that's what he said, I was only one week into my crash course in Spanish :)Today he was out with his flute to celebrate new years and earn some coins.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-27414769235679799212008-08-22T12:23:00.001-04:002008-08-22T12:24:02.078-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-91418297859929108512008-05-28T02:00:00.002-04:002008-05-29T13:38:39.206-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-83804761720333918892008-05-20T20:07:00.003-04:002008-05-20T20:47:53.912-04:00

Over the long weekend, Kelly came over and taught me how to make one of my all-time favourite dishes: Vietnamese Pho Soup. This special dish taught me how to eat with chopsticks - a skill I've mastered so well I can catch flies in the air. This special dish is also my WMD against the common cold, which brings to me to a little story of how I first got exposed to this wonderful meal ...One day in

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-4449689428990149272008-05-08T00:15:00.005-04:002008-05-08T04:55:43.630-04:00

The University of Athens ... almost makes me want to go back to university again just so I can walk up those steps and take philosophy - in a toga of course! :)

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-29608226130944349022008-05-07T00:58:00.002-04:002008-05-07T01:16:30.913-04:00

Spicy Aloo6 large potatoes3 tbsp of oil1 tsp of mustard seed1 tsp of cumin seed1 tsp whole coriander seed1/2 tsp of salt1/2 tsp chili powder1 tbsp of fresh coriander choppedBoil the potatoes whole in a pot for 7 minutes and peel the potatoesCut into 4 piecesHeat oil in the frying panAdd cumin seed, mustard seed, coriander seedAdd potatoes and fry them for 6 minutesAdd salt and chili powderCook

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-59069697290459598072008-05-01T00:02:00.001-04:002008-05-07T00:57:28.570-04:00

Subji (vegetable) Pakora2.5 cups of besan (gram flour)2 cups of spinach, washes and chopped2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped2 small onions sliced2 green chillies chopped1.5 tsp salt1 tsp red chili powder1 cup of wateroil for fryingMake a think batter with all the ingredients except oilHeat the oil in a skilletDeep fry spoonfuls of the batter and turn until golden brownDrain and then put on

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-7918012895448602072008-04-10T23:38:00.003-04:002008-04-11T00:26:33.045-04:00

Spinach and Dal1 cup of yellow lentil (Moong dal)4 cups of water1 cup of spinach washed & chopped1 small onion chopped1 small tomato chopped2 green chilis chopped3 cloves of garlic minced3 tbsp of oil1/2 tsp cumin seed1/2 tsp of turmeric1/2 tsp of chili powder1/2 tsp of salt2 tbsp of lemon jWash lentil in several changes of waterPut lentil in the potAdd water, salt, and turmericCook on high heat

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-4230573447115963082008-04-08T08:41:00.005-04:002008-04-08T08:57:56.721-04:00

Kensington Market is a hip area of Toronto with a European pedestrian-only sort of feel. It's a vibrant multicultural community where one can buy a wide variety of delicious fresh fruit, funky clothes, spices from around the world, and tacky souvenir junk. Plus there is a diverse mix of seemingly excellent restaurants which is sure to bring me back.But my favourite photo of the day, which may be

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-9510471328647281282008-03-30T21:07:00.007-04:002008-03-30T23:00:31.098-04:00

I signed up for Indian Vegetarian Cooking with the Toronto District School Board. Our teacher, Neena, will be teaching us dishes from the Punjab region of India.This is what we cooked the first night (but this is a picture of leftovers, next time photos of fresh food will be taken):Aloo Gobi - Potatoes and Cauliflower1 cauliflower cut into flowets4 large potatoes cut into cubes1/4 cup of oil1 tsp

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-68044872326483091612008-03-29T17:53:00.001-04:002008-04-11T00:28:28.350-04:00

Saw this in Toronto near Bathurst & Bloor.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-86484671375732147992008-01-01T00:32:00.000-05:002008-01-01T00:42:40.144-05:00

Wow, what a way to start 2008! First, a 1996 bottle of Dom Pérignon with loved ones ... and then when I got home, I opened up Facebook to find this picture on my FunWall:That's Lev, Matthew, Jesse, and Ning, my flatmates while I lived in Thailand between Oct 06 and Apr 07. I miss you guys and will be back to see you soon!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-82660441375534805782007-11-25T15:52:00.001-05:002007-11-25T16:10:07.654-05:00

This sign was taken in a market in Beijing. We wondered what the last three could be in English and I just found out two of them:

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-72905677887533855872007-11-18T04:08:00.000-05:002007-11-18T04:18:33.231-05:00

I am pretty happy with the layout and the space I have, but without a doubt the best thing about my place is the view.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-41523054766628390462007-09-01T01:01:00.000-04:002007-09-01T02:38:02.879-04:00

Akira Kurosawa is a famous movie director from Japan whom I had never heard of until recently talking with my friend Bo. She recommended three of his movies and somehow it became my homework to watch all three and write a review of each. First up, Rashômon!Rashômon was filmed in 1950 in Kyoto, Japan and won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival that year. It begins with a heavy rainstorm

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-17837255824823475912007-08-08T12:34:00.000-04:002007-08-08T13:09:06.744-04:00

A lookout (hearout?!) tower in Valletta Harbour, Malta. (2004)

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-48695647054602028112007-08-05T12:34:00.000-04:002007-08-06T11:10:08.317-04:00

This photo of Strokkur was taken in Iceland during the summer of 2001. Strokkur is a geyser which erupts reliably every 15-20 minutes and reaches heights of 20m.At first, the water is calm and still. Slowly, the water begins to bubble then slightly boil, then BOOM - this bubble forms and vanishes in a small fraction of a second before giving way to a tower of boiling hot water. It's quite

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-7644890116256149042007-07-18T13:49:00.000-04:002007-07-18T13:53:42.885-04:00

The Erechtheum at the Acropolis. These are replicas however to protect the originals from further erosion.There is an error on Wikipedia at the moment. It correctly states that one of the maidens is in the British Museum, but there are in fact four maidens in the Acropolis Museum. The sixth maiden has been destroyed.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-44388496585222697452007-07-15T19:14:00.000-04:002007-07-15T19:27:55.479-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-41022052929867959712007-07-14T18:51:00.000-04:002007-07-15T19:13:50.500-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-50966076376785291812007-07-11T13:22:00.000-04:002007-07-15T18:31:37.589-04:00

Found this on a Minto Midtown discussion board. It appears to be taken shortly before May 12th. By now, I think all windows have been put up right up to the top and they are just working on the interior.I like this photo because it really shows the band of trees before the skyscrapers of downtown Toronto. I can't wait to take my own night photos from the balcony.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-34905526840922999792007-06-19T00:15:00.000-04:002007-06-19T00:16:38.790-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-55053309160898306552007-06-18T21:23:00.001-04:002007-06-18T22:19:23.804-04:00

From September 2004: On the Pest side of Budapest, sits this statue by Marton Laszlo (1989). It is called "Kiskiralylany", which is Hungarian for "little princess" (according to a Google search summary from a now-broken link). The Royal Palace can be seen in the background across the Danube river.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-84286078891582064812007-06-17T20:44:00.000-04:002007-07-05T18:51:40.792-04:00

These pictures are from January 2006 in Montpellier. It's as romantic and beautiful as any town in France but, for better or worse, the most interesting art of the city was the graffiti. Since the art looks pretty good I would have guessed that it was paid for by the shop owners. But I talked to a local who said that no one was happy about it. Kids were just doing it in the dark of night.You

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-55196261476972988302007-06-13T20:08:00.001-04:002007-06-18T22:56:28.446-04:00

Taken in Greece close to the Acropolis.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-22902182400818895592007-06-10T03:28:00.001-04:002011-03-28T11:12:15.331-04:00

Meet you at the balls ... :)

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-14779012857744906512007-05-15T13:15:00.000-04:002007-05-15T13:34:03.089-04:00

The past year has been incredible and the first half is chronicled here. It includes: Finland, Sweden, Canada, South Korea, China, North Korea, Sweden (again), Austria, and Canada (again).Part II is coming soon ...

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-17040436127409879402007-05-01T11:46:00.000-04:002007-05-02T02:03:26.396-04:00

A year ago this week I took a 30-hour train ride from Beijing, China to Pyongyang, North Korea. The adventure of just getting on that train has been chronicled and now I will write about visiting the DMZ from the North and South, just ten days apart.The drive from Pyongyang to the DMZ is about 2 hours along the so-called Unification Highway. The most notable aspect of the highway is the fact that

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-41879106596296830942007-04-30T02:18:00.000-04:002007-05-02T02:23:46.414-04:00

The Great South Gate:

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-67271840714504812692007-04-27T20:55:00.000-04:002007-04-27T20:58:10.090-04:00

The Nobel Prize dinner takes place in this building.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-91275433612536269942007-04-26T01:37:00.000-04:002007-04-28T01:41:01.327-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-46859146980359473842007-04-25T11:12:00.000-04:002007-04-25T11:53:34.815-04:00

The escape from winter is now behind me and now it time to return to my career as an IT Architect. Soon some people will visit my little nook on the web and I thought it would be prudent to show a picture of me looking professional ...... before they see me jumping into swimming pools, wai'ing Ronald McDonald, and ... eating a cockroach.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-35597513528455136032007-04-24T22:09:00.000-04:002007-04-27T22:11:59.234-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-48449589976225505772007-04-21T21:10:00.000-04:002007-04-27T21:24:15.855-04:00

The literal translation of Tian'anmen is heaven-peace-gate, however it is expressed as "The Gate of Heavenly Peace".

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-53976407491318318702007-04-16T01:46:00.000-04:002007-04-28T01:49:19.546-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-69328636921825855732007-04-12T05:24:00.000-04:002007-04-17T09:23:08.339-04:00

A few days ago I added myself to Facebook, which is an excellent site for sharing photos and catching up with friends, especially from work or school. It replaces popular sites such as: Flickr, MySpace (please do! Sorry, but yes, your MySpace page IS obnoxious ;) ), Classmates.com (you must pay just to be able to contact someone), and lavalife.com (ditto) all in one nice tight ABSOLUTELY

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-64379710451015358532007-04-03T06:10:00.000-04:002007-04-12T06:38:35.369-04:00

One thing I am really going to miss about living in Bangkok that I will not have in my Toronto condo is an outdoor swimming pool. We have one on the 7th floor which is not only an escape from the polluted streets below, but also a refreshing way to cool off after a hot day.So today a wonderful Thai, who was enjoying the shade ;), borrowed my camera so I could have some poolside memories ...

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-86296338449805859582007-03-14T22:53:00.000-04:002007-07-15T18:19:48.309-04:00

Modern architecture in Bangkok is not that interesting. There are no real landmark buildings except for a few hotels, which make really lame and boring subjects. So to compensate I guess, Bangkok has a few buildings that look like stuff (sort of).Here is Bangkok's Elephant and Robot buildings:

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-33097771181361597132007-03-13T00:29:00.000-04:002007-07-15T18:24:02.820-04:00

Last weekend I went to Penang, Malaysia, and in their airport I saw this advertisement for Maxis. I was pleased to see this because Canadian cities do not often represent North America when companies advertise trans-oceanic links. Usually this honour is given to New York or San Francisco.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-47549041625559187532007-03-05T23:56:00.000-05:002007-03-06T00:00:02.359-05:00

Sitting Buddha in Sri Satchanalai National Park.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-24317652828725988342007-02-28T21:10:00.000-05:002007-04-12T06:39:17.866-04:00

News from Winter 2007 ...Quantum The South Tower is reaching its pinnacle and the official topping-off in February is fast approaching! The main roof level and mechanical penthouse levels are assembled and the windows are installed up to the 28th floor. Interiors are underway on Levels 6 through 12, as suites are taking shape with steel studs, mechanical and electrical rough-ins, “board, tape &

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-16133160317946789212007-02-28T20:09:00.000-05:002007-03-05T19:58:06.575-05:00

While walking on Silom Road today, I ran into marketing pitch by Lipton. They hired two famous Thai movie stars. The guy is "C Siwat" and I don't know who the girl is yet.They had the celebs handing out balloons, posing with Liptons cans, while the supporting cast constantly chanted "Lipton! Lipton!"

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-32284025920256731322007-02-27T22:26:00.000-05:002007-02-28T22:35:47.933-05:00

I saw this t-shirt at a Carrefour (a French version of Wal-Mart, but better) in Bangkok and two questions came to mind ...Do they know what this means?And if so, why, exactly, is this in children's size?

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-43804931830868016062007-02-22T03:42:00.000-05:002007-02-22T20:40:55.282-05:00

γλύκισματαSome people have complained that the 'sex' in Sexy Haseyo triggered alarms at work. So this blog has been renamed to glykismata, which is the Greek word for pastries/desserts.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-59792576383001307972007-02-20T04:09:00.000-05:002007-02-22T04:10:40.182-05:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-25622297512320614652007-01-09T04:53:00.000-05:002007-01-09T19:17:01.164-05:00

From Phuket, we took a James Bond Island tour that takes you around Phang Nga Bay.First at a temple with a reclining buddha inside a cave, Monkeys ate peanuts and bananas from our hands ...Then we explored caves by air raft, bamboo raft, and by foot through knee-high water ...Then we visited James Bond Island itself, where a missile was concealed in The Man with the Golden Gun ...Then we visited

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-85814906603046025912007-01-07T03:57:00.000-05:002007-02-22T04:16:56.264-05:00

My cousin Connie came to visit me in Thailand and we had an awesome time in Phuket.First, by getting some well-deserved lazy tanning time on Karon beach. Then by partying on New Years' Eve ...We were also joined by friends from Canada, Kyoko and Maria ...and some of us made new friends ...

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-70372998426484080692007-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:002007-01-09T03:42:53.292-05:00

Another thing in Thailand I haven't quite figured out yet is the offering of red Fanta to Buddha. It is funny how a product from one of the largest multi-national corporations (Coca-cola) in the world has become an integral part of Thai culture. The pictures were taken in Phuket and Bangkok respectively, so I am pretty sure it is not a regional thing.January 9th: Mystery solved.The offering of

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-43827224112694323222007-01-03T03:50:00.000-05:002007-01-04T04:52:47.593-05:00

For various reasons my housemates could not come to Ko Samet over the break, so I went there prepared to celebrate Christmas in solitude.On my way however, I stopped in Ban Phe to see how the town has changed and I ended up having Christmas Eve dinner at Su's with the December TEFL International class. Afterwards I went to Kristie's Bar and had drinks with friends (Phil and Ata) from my TEFL

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-60208455263169746532006-12-22T01:24:00.000-05:002007-04-25T11:30:33.987-04:00

The surprising thing about Thailand is the number of unwritten rules which are deeply ingrained in the culture. One example of this is the ‘wai’.According to wikipedia:The Thai greeting referred to as the wai (Thai: ไหว้) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face, the more respect/reverence the giver

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-38594095502767758232006-12-21T20:51:00.000-05:002006-12-21T23:32:12.087-05:00

Guess who's not dreaming of a white Christmas?!?

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-17052197334834771852006-12-20T05:05:00.000-05:002006-12-21T20:54:44.147-05:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-82193880644507996842006-12-19T05:01:00.000-05:002006-12-21T22:44:22.286-05:00

I am so glad I know how to count high with Roman numerals ...

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-26526430026108702952006-12-18T04:32:00.000-05:002006-12-21T22:56:38.524-05:00

At the Big Buddha statue in Ko Samui, they had a thing where you could donate money for the construction of a new temple. For 20 Baht, you write your name on a brick and maybe get to see it someday when they finish it. But somehow, I am not too sure these "non-whiteboard" markers will hold up as well against the Thai rainy seasons :)And here is the Bid Buddha! I wore my sarong as a skirt because

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-79270690818727002892006-12-17T04:13:00.000-05:002007-03-15T22:13:31.238-04:00

I saw this shirt at a market last weekend and I had to get it:It was a good reminder of what I saw when I first came to Bangkok. Which also gives me an excuse to post more funny pictures from that day ...

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-75298833617211244012006-12-16T23:04:00.000-05:002006-12-21T23:09:50.260-05:00

I was not brave enough to try #2.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-61408387643775441972006-12-14T04:04:00.000-05:002006-12-14T04:11:19.665-05:00

MintoMidtown recently published the fall issue of their magazine which explains how the construction is proceeding at Yonge and Eglinton. Below is a photo of the cover. It was taken from the 23rd floor, so the view will be very similar to mine when I eventually move in!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-48727563799736752302006-12-13T04:12:00.000-05:002007-01-11T19:45:27.843-05:00

Lev, Jesse, Dino, and Matthew. We are also joined by Arabella and Joy. I love this picture.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-39162070718971344882006-11-27T02:02:00.000-05:002006-11-27T03:31:11.520-05:00

While in Macau and Hong Kong over the weekend, one of the most surprising sights I saw was that all scaffolding is made out of bamboo and plastic twine - no matter how high.^This building in Hong Kong is at least 40-stories high and is completely wrapped in bamboo.^A close up of how the bamboo is secured together at different levels.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-76628029316349782942006-11-25T20:48:00.000-05:002006-12-20T03:55:42.571-05:00

A few weeks ago, three friends and I moved into a Bangkok condominium called Monterey Place. The building is a 3-minute walk to the subway system and our condo is on the 9th floor. And of course you are welcome to visit and crash!^This is the building.^Our fully equipped kitchen.^Our fully furnished apartment.^On the 7th floor, there is a nice refreshing swimming pool.^Our views^More views!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-78238864756719898052006-11-03T11:07:00.000-05:002007-04-27T20:39:13.565-04:00

^The beaches on Ko Samet are clean and beautiful.^Dinner at the floating restaurant^Those buckets are evil.^We all got a wonderful massage on the beach to celebrate the end of the course!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-6775702066873563892006-10-07T15:52:00.000-04:002006-10-07T16:23:55.476-04:00

On the fourth day of class for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, we were brought to a local school in Ban Phe to practise teaching one-on-one with a student. I was paired with a sweet 15 year old girl named Prapaporn.We sat together for 50 minutes as we talked about prepared topics on the mindmap paper shown above. Her family consists of her father Pechdom, her mom Regana, and her younger

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-82233126431423564762006-10-05T16:54:00.000-04:002007-02-22T04:14:20.266-05:00

On my first evening in Ban Phe, I met Ellie the Elephant:He walks along the main road in town looking for someone to pay 20 Baht to feed him a bunch of pieces of sugar cane. At the end, he does that trunk trick and makes a noise. It was well worth it.On the third day of class, I met ... Roachie the cockroach:I doubt he was as pleased that I came to visit Ban Phe because instead of feeding him, I

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-20581890267709873182006-10-04T00:42:00.000-04:002006-12-21T23:27:13.292-05:00

Ok, I finally have an internet connection where I can freely upload files from my camera to post to this blog.First, the so-called military coup in Thailand! I went to where the tanks have been sitting but it was sort of like Disneyland. On each side of the road leading to the parliament building were four tanks, some armed soldiers, and they were all surrounded by small gates. The soldiers

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-79438468062094665322006-09-28T17:23:00.000-04:002006-10-07T17:27:16.676-04:00

Less than a week after the Prime Minister of Thailand was denied access to parliament, the military coup has become an amusement park.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-48607873062769855452006-09-22T09:37:00.000-04:002006-09-22T09:38:19.348-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-17840271110500934002006-09-21T09:57:00.000-04:002006-09-21T11:48:05.241-04:00

Advertising in Sweden can be quite entertaining and much more risqué than Canada.Last winter, Lindex, a Swedish ladies undergarment company, had an advertising slogan: 'We love boobs!'. Although despite the very liberal culture, people did complain and within a week it was dropped - only the text, not the ads or the bra.And then a Swedish tampon company had this ad:The literal translation of "Gör

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-42031917199294947552006-09-19T17:36:00.000-04:002006-09-19T17:46:21.539-04:00

In addition to the recent change in visa rules, a Canadian teacher was killed by a bomb at a Thai department store over the weekend, and now there is more bad news coming out of Thailand in the form of a military coup:In Thailand's first military coup in 15 years, a faction of the armed forces seized control of the capital on Tuesday night, suspended the Constitution and declared martial law,

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-31785874480987070212006-09-19T12:11:00.000-04:002006-09-19T12:21:22.497-04:00

This market in Beijing seemed to go on for miles, yet we did not see a single person eat anything except squid or fruit. Then upon finding foreigners, we pretended we ate those baby scorpians just to get them to follow the 'when in Rome' mantra, but they weren't buying it. And I don't blame them.^How does one eat a starfish, exactly?^And those black adult scorpians are huge, how do you eat that

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-29376329023829533172006-09-18T11:03:00.000-04:002006-09-18T12:50:23.764-04:00

Since posting the slide show video of North Korea, quite a few people have asked how one can travel there.The first thing to note is that it is true that you cannot simply show up at the border or a North Korean embassy and ask for a visa. The only way to visit North Korea is to pre-book a tour through the state agency located in Beijing. Unless you are fluent in Korean or Mandarin, it is

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-64159217246946635922006-09-15T14:08:00.000-04:002006-09-16T14:09:33.973-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-53819753144198409562006-09-14T20:12:00.000-04:002006-09-13T21:41:06.502-04:00

As of October 1st, it will no longer be possible to extend 30-day tourist visas indefinitely."Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand."Right now this topic is bustling with activity over at Thorn Tree.It is my intention to get a good job and a legitimate working visa, but I liked having the fallback option of working

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-84695781992852723522006-09-13T23:09:00.000-04:002006-09-14T23:54:54.131-04:00

I just finished making a slide show using Photo Story 3.0 (can't seem to locate the latest version, 3.1). There are plenty of online tutorials out there, so I will focus on the pro's/con's after using the program extensively.The program has major drawbacks, such as:- You cannot select a group of slides to shift the order, or apply settings- You cannot change any default settings. So it is a pain

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-66642153197059926592006-09-12T21:45:00.000-04:002006-09-14T21:46:21.300-04:00

Make sure to turn on the sound!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-52007011436974236292006-09-11T10:32:00.001-04:002011-03-30T16:45:03.502-04:00

When I first came to Stockholm six years ago, I saw someone reading a book at the City Hall (Stadshuset, where the Nobel prize dinner/dance takes place) and remember thinking: 'That is what I would do if I lived here' (I had no idea at the time that I actually would live there). But, in the four years I lived in Stockholm, I never read a book there! So a month ago, I returned to Stockholm to

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-84513395523629461572006-09-10T09:17:00.000-04:002007-04-12T06:56:46.102-04:00

Today, the New York Times has an article about travel adventures outside of Dubai. The first of which is hiking in the Jebel Hajar (translated as 'Stone Mountains' from Arabic) of the Oman Promontory.I did that a few years ago ...We were a group of six in two SUV's, a Land Cruiser and a Cherokee (I believe) which I was in. The 'narrow ravine path alongside the Wadi Bih riverbed' referred to in

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-47504642597459843692006-09-09T10:54:00.000-04:002006-09-12T10:58:03.006-04:00

The house and separate sauna where I lived in Finland.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-14363426915045563262006-09-08T12:07:00.000-04:002006-09-08T12:18:43.209-04:00

In a few weeks, I will be going to Thailand to live there for about 6 months.So earlier this summer I bought a condo, which should be ready for occupancy in the summer of 2007. It is located at Yonge and Eglinton, which is a very happening neighbourhood with many restaurants, bars, and biking trails.

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157638757510601062006-09-07T10:17:00.000-04:002006-09-07T10:19:17.510-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157636010556479592006-09-06T09:31:00.000-04:002006-09-07T10:20:14.513-04:00

^Everyone loves his jumps!

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157594760812204782006-09-05T22:04:00.000-04:002006-09-07T07:33:48.313-04:00

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1147598958796138272006-09-04T05:28:00.000-04:002006-09-07T10:06:55.906-04:00

On April 29th, Sonja (a very good friend of mine from Finland), Matthijs (friend from the Netherlands), and myself were waiting to be picked up from the Jade International Youth Hostel in Beijing, China.It's 3:15pm. He's 15 minutes late. 'Maybe he won't show up and we can just relax in Beijing', I thought. Since the person we were waiting for was about to take us to North Korea. Don't get me

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157498184590415282006-09-03T19:16:00.000-04:002006-09-07T06:59:20.580-04:00

i miss him ...^he looks calm, but he REALLY wants to go for a walk^when the poor guy got his balls chopped off^he's not sleepy, he just really loved to lie in the warm sunshine, I wonder where he got that from?! :)^dark and mysterious model pose^"What do you mean 'Dogs don't eat eggs for breakfast'?!"

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157497232446207092006-09-02T18:59:00.000-04:002006-09-07T11:26:20.000-04:00

... is "strike a pose" in South Korea ;)

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28075426.post-1157497504778461502006-09-01T19:00:00.000-04:002008-01-09T00:07:38.784-05:00

The upgrades that Blogger has recently addedare awesome and I am finally satisfied with aplace to present my many photos, which wouldhardly ever be seen otherwise (including by me).I speak English, Greek, Swedish, French, and a little Thai.The content principles of this blog are:large thumbnails, which link to high-res images,quality over quantity, and interesting storiesover diary entries.My

Dinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916171341393914394noreply@blogger.com1