Kennyster

Monday, June 26, 2006

Seattle Gone Wild!!!

We couldn't have chosen to come to Seattle on a better weekend. It's Pride Week, a yearly event celebrating pride in being what you are.

There were huge celebrations going on everywhere in downtown, with a parade at Pike Street and a water dance party at Seattle Centre.

Topless motorbike chick

Lin's cute (gay) guy

This is like Chingay gone wild =)

(Wardrobe malfunction: Unfortunately, i think (s)hes a tran. ewww)

(Super-poodles)

(Happy Lin with her Mardi Gras pearls.)

(Hmmmm.. Anything goes in this country)

(MOS+NYE Sentosa+Fountain of Wealth) x 10,000

GTG dirty dancing.. yeah! haha

(G2G + B2B) ... Out & Proud!

The 1st Starbucks ever in the world... 1971

Kennyster @ 3:09 PM

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Sleepless Seattle

Hey guys, we have reached safely to our Seattle HI Hostel. A long day with 4 hours of car ride, mad-rush shopping at the Seattle factory outlet ( I bought a Guess sunglass for $15!) and hunting for a petrok kiosk and checking in to our hostel.

Seattle seems like a nice place thus far. Cool, jazzy and arty farty, we spent the late afternoon and evening walking the Pike Market street.

Pike Market from the "Fish Tales" book.

Happiest workplace on Earth?

Aspiring fish-monger.

A nice boat outside the restuarant that we ate for dinner... We ate seafood! =)

Gentleman's club. ooooo.

(at our very nice hostel... Free pool!)

(Lin lazing in bed... as usual... )

(Criminal Minds!!!!! haha... we are hardcore addicts of this show... )

Okay, time to watch the last bits of Criminal Minds and wash up.... More photos and videos if I have the time...

=)

Kennyster @ 2:19 PM

Friday, June 23, 2006

Time of my life.

Like all good things, my summer exchange at UBC is coming to an end. Probably the most fun experience of my life, living in this gorgeous city, experiencing a whole new culture with the one I love and with friends that I have clicked unbelievably well with.

It is these people that have made this trip the time of my life. Waking up together, watching World Cup for breakfast, NBA finals for dinner, having potlucks, watching Criminal Minds on Corn's iMac, going on our little adventures to explore the new places, freezing together at the bus stop at 1am trying to catch the last bus back, playing Cranium games with all our stupid actions and sounds...

The best place on earth isn't jaw-dropping landscape or skycrapers. It's actually where all your friends are.

***
Meeting the President

We were really out of place at the gathering. Just about everyone else looked like tycoons and mature in their blazers.

It was then that my friend filled me in that our invitation to the Nathan gathering at Pan Pacific actually originated from a mistake! Some of our fellow students didn't get their passports chopped at the customs and they called the Consulate, which then realised our existence and hence invited us to the gathering.... Oh well, haha...

Lifestyle of the rich & famous wannabes

We left the place in style! Booking a stretch limounsine for $45 an hour, which adds up to about $12 per person. Didn't bring my chunky camera, so these are some of the shots from my friends.

(International House of Pancakes)

The Holy Grail of pancakes.... To die for really.... =)

I love Stanley Park! I just can't figure why the rest of them don't feel the same way. haha.

(Chinese food just tastes sooo good... )

Kennyster @ 9:39 AM

Monday, June 12, 2006

Shot of the Day

(Taken between Gastown and Hornby Street)

One of the things which I haven't quite got used to in Vancouver is the large presence of homeless and drug addicts in a modern state like Vancouver. Singaporeans are probably too used to the continuous and insistent nannying by the government, such that when we come to places like North America, we get pretty apalled at the state of the homeless and how the situation is not being dealt with.

There are clear border dividers in the city. East Hasting, the notorious gang-filled street of Vancouver where needles are all over the floor and addicts inject themselves with heroin, is a mere street away from the main shopping district, where stores such as Gucci preside.

Our first bubble tea here in Vancouver. Not that such shops are hard to find but they are very very expensive. Most cost about CAD$5 but the one which we found in West Vancouver cost $3.

Fried Rice! Very authentic Hong Kong restaurant which we found near Robson Street. The turnover is very high and the place is always full.

No time to do post anything else now... Rushing to Burnaby for shopping. President Nathan is coming to Vancouver next week and the embassy invited us for dinner with him at Pan Pacific, so we all need to get a set of formal wear. =)

Kennyster @ 12:48 AM

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

The Canadian Rockies

There's a saying in Canada which goes something like this: Many people who come to Canada planning to stay for a short while end up staying for a lifetime.

And it's not too difficult to see why. Canada is really blessed with many of God's beautiful creations and I was delighted to see some of them over the past weekend.

Lin and I went on a 4D3N Canadian Rockies tour with another couple and it was really a fun trip, took tons of photos (1.256 GB to be exact) and stared wide-eyed at the turqoise lakes, towering mountains and of course the splendid glacier icefield, which was definitely the highlight of our trip.

(our snowcoach)

(The very beautiful Lake Moraine)

(Actually, this was my favourite shot.. Caught this squirrel at Canmore, a retro old town that we stayed at for 2 nights. It was standing stationary outside its squirrel hole, looking hopelessly lost.. )

Here's the Photobucket link to all of the Rockies photos:
ROCKIES PHOTOS

***
Missing a really dear friend at the moment now. She passed away because of cancer a few days ago and I'm feeling pretty guilty about having a blast of a time here in Canada while her funeral was underway.

We have a habit of exchanging christmas cards and I do remember a few years back, she mentioned that I was her best guy friend. Not sure if that's still the case today but she was my best friend from secondary school as well. She was such a sweet and lovely person that you would want to dote on her all the time.

Funnily enough, she was the only person whom I sms-ed the day before I flew off to Vancouver. I asked if she wanted anything from the States but she didn't reply. And silly enough, I didn't think too much about it.

Obviously, I was wrong and I'm really sad that I wasn't around there her last few moments. She was the first to know about my blog and I'm sad knowing that she wouldn't be reading it anymore. I'm sad that she wouldn't be able to see the photos that I had taken on my Vancouver trip. I'm sad that she didn't ever get the chance to meet my girlfriend. I'm sad that we didn't get to meet up after my exams.

Maybe death was a better option for her, since it freed her from her sufferings and illness. But on a personal selfish note, I wish she was still around, because it hurts the most knowing that I will never ever get to see or talk to her again...

I miss you pat...

Kennyster @ 8:53 AM