May is Tour Month!

Here's the recap: I came home Thursday, April 26 and on April 27-May 27 we had guests staying with us with a 3 day break. First up, a couple, the husband was a good army buddy of my dad's. I missed their first weekend in town as I was sleeping/recovering from four years at UWO.

If you're wondering why it takes me so long to post and yet I send you about 39 emails per day, it's because my computer at work will likely explode if I try to blog. It doesn't run flash.

Monday, April 30: Downtown Toronto

It was my job to entertain the guests during the day, while my folks worked. I didn't really take my camera out as not to alienate my parents' friends that I hadn't seen since I was about 8.

First stop: CN Tower

Pretty much an obligatory shot.


I (heart) Toronto


They got a kick out of the giant moose. That's me and Batia.

Then we wandered around downtown, where I tired them the fuck out.

Here's us passing OCAD after dining at some vegetarian Vietnamese place in Kensington Market.

Tuesday, May 1
Actually, no photographs or recollection of what happened.

Wednesday, May 2: Pioneer Village
Let me begin by saying I hate the Pioneer Village. I've been there at least 10 times and it never was fun. OK well maybe after I realised that it was in Billy Madison.


This is the only photograph of Pioneer Village: The Mill.


The lobby.

Thursday, May 4: Bata!
This was actually really cool. I'd been meaning to go there for a while.







Binding shoes.


umm... hahaha?


Elton John's kicks.


Famous shoe prints.


Napoleon's socks.


Me with some backdrop.

The day after this, the guests and my parents took off for a week in Vegas. Then I slept for a week and began Spanish.

Upon their return, on May 11, my brother came in for a bachelor party. We went to Niagara Falls.




being a creeper.


birds!


Behind the falls! In all my years/visits to the falls, this was the first time I went behind. There was too much water and it really wasn't that exciting.


We could see Toronto's city scape from that park...


This one, at Niagara on the Lake. I know Niagara like the back of my hand.


More of the park.

Back to Niagara on the Lake




The friends left on the 14th, as did my brother. Double trips to the airport. hurrah.

Thursday, May 19
My mom's best friend from her hometown (aka they were born and raised in the same tiny, tiny town) came to visit for 10 days. She's pretty much like an aunt to me.

Friday, May 20 - I think we just bummed around

Saturday, May 21
My mom, her and I went up to Kleinburg to go to the McMichael Gallery


Totem Pole! That's the only photo I managed to sneak.


Her and my mom love flowers.


We had tea and cake here. We wandered around the rest of the town for a while before heading home.


I saw this on the way to the car. Delicious!

That night I went to go see Holy Fuck! and !!! (pronounced chk, chk, chk) which was kind of a disappointment. It was more headphones music than anything. I also realised I took the subway downtown alone, good work Hana!


Sunday, May 20: Niagara Falls Encore!

We stopped off at the Welland Canal.


There are about 500 of these photos. This is as the ship came in.


As it was leaving. That's a huge height difference! I was not impressed, I've been to lots of canals and they're getting old.

Niagara on the Lake!



We met for lunch with some of my parents' friends there. I'm pretty sure their friends are bananas.

Then we went to the flower clock, not pictured.

My mom's friend really dug this tree, but this man wouldn't move.


Close up.


The falls-ish.


The good stuff.


You aren't dreaming, that is the horseshoe falls, the maid of the mist and a rainbow. Oh yeah. (I'm sorry, it was a really dull month).

Then we went to the casino, where my parents and their friend gambled and I stood by. My dad scored $500 and then we went to dinner.

It was Victoria Day, so there were fireworks, which were mediocre, but the falls were nice:




Monday, May 21: Oakville
For some reason we went there... I couldn't tell you. Anyway, it's nice.






HAHAHAH

Then we stumbled upon this:

We had no idea what was going on. Here are some guesses:
1. Laundry commercial/testers
2. Each elderly person is accompanied by their nurse

In fact, it was this:

A bunch of old people lawn bowling on the Village Green


Pretty tree.


Later on in the week, my mom's friend and I hit up the ROM for the Peru exhibit, which was really interesting, actually. Then we went to the Distillery, which is pretty much a ghost town ALL the time. It's a super nice area though.


It also allows me to pretend that I can photograph, which I can't.


Why isn't this place crowded?

May 25-26

At the end of her visit, I went to visit Keren and go hiking in the escarpment. I don't have any more of these photos since Keren hasn't given them to me yet.

Day Three, take 2

Still Friday, March 2

Upon arrival at the Met, we began discussions, however while discussing our plans, Karen and I couldn't stay focused because..



The beautiful French man nearby.

Once inside, we did split up team A and team ridiculous children.

Karen on a Greek balcony, what no photos? crap.


The main hall of the Met.


Some Greek stuff.




Random Indian thing.


High five! It's funny because we got yelled at for flash photography and not for touching the thing.


Monet I think. Waterlilies, yes? I saw some of this in Munich. (yes, yes I'm a big snot).


I should know, I'm an art lover. (second Kinks reference)


This was quite the scene for our tired, tired minds.

Here is some of Team A's findings:










I'll be honest, I have no idea about the sequence of the following photos, so enjoy. They're a mix of mine and Karen's photos from our little escapades: Team ridiculous children.





Now famous thanks to facebook. Hana Parting Paint.










Interpret this.












Looking back on these and being rather tired...that was some wacked out art.

After we got as much as we could of the met in two hours, we headed back to the hostel... for all of half an hour to rest/get ready to go out/meet up with one of Ann's friends (Ginette) from camp from waaay back in the day.

We met them outside the American Museum of Natural History, then we went to Wallstreet for dinner at a Mexican restaurant which was awesome.

Dinner! L-R: Karen, Ashley, Me, Clark, Sarah, Ginette, Ann.


Me and Clark doing C for Canada.. except he got it backwards. Those kids and their lack of drinking skillz.


They even gave us a show.. Sarah and Clark dancing.


Ginette and Ann "no neck" H getting a good look. This photo still makes me laugh uncontrollably.


Lack of sleep made us act ridiculous. Maybe just me.


Ann is awesome, yes? yes.


Attempted cleavage shot by Ann.


Mermitute!!! Ginette is standing their in confusion. Ann created this term... essentially to denote slutty mermaids.

We were walking towards the bowl (i.e. Bull) with big balls near Wall Street and saw this police officer. Karen wanted to get fake arrested, but the officer insisted that he just couldn't do it...so we settled for:

High five!


Oh America.


Clark on the bull.


Clark helping Ann up.


This was sooo hilarious. Empty streets and a bunch of strangers trying to ride a bull.


I love Ann, honestly, how could you not?


hahaha. oh sigh.

All right so after that we split from Sarah and Clark since they were not yet 21, so going to the bar was out of the question for them. We headed to Time's Square area to meet up with yet another camp compadre of Ann and Ginette's : Tim. We headed to a jazz bar somewhere.

We got to the jazz bar and by the time we got there, the show was over, so we crossed the street and went to Garage, another jazz bar. We were promptly thoroughly ID'd. Purple driver's licence? oookay buddy.


Ergh, NYC= $14 martini, Finnish Strawberry... L-R: Tim, Ginette, Me, Karen, Ashley and Ann.


One martini later.

After the band finished up, we were pretty much done for the night.. We piled up into a cab and got home around 1:30 AM, maybe 2:00.. where we, naturally, woke up our new roommates. Oops. We were exhausted though...We could barely keep our heads up in the cab.

And so ends our third day in NYC!