I wish there is 48 hours in a day!

Why is it that there is only 24 hours in a day? So much fun stuff to do, so little time!



Like Susan and Yael here -- oh yes, they can't get enough talking about travelling and their next trip destination!






I actually left my wallet at home and in the absence of credit card, I decided to resort to waitressing to pay my bill (well, as supposed to dishwashing! dah!)












I can be a walking Lululemon advertisement sometimes...

I really love this LLL green top I got.
They said it is made of natural bamboo [**Emilia is thinking: 'Oh dear! Is this why I am feeling itchy now and prickly?"]


























Tina RT talking to hubby: 'Honey, Emilia and I are going to Lululemon first, okay?!"



Hubby thinking: "Your friend, Emilia, is a bad influence!'






































'Are you guys selling tea pot?"









'This danish pastry is reallly goooooood!"







'Ooopppss! Accident can happen, you know..."







..working on my humble balcony while digesting the sumptious brunch with the Sultanettes!




My mini-garden


















































'showing off my brand-new gardening equipment - well...from the dollar store, you know!'

Fun Day at The Toronto Zoo

All right...I will admit - I burned myself silly today but hey, it was a fun day at the Zoo! Most of all, not spending a dime adds to the extra fun! What can I say, I am cheap!

It is my Firm's annual summer picnic (free food, free entrance, free Zoomobile, free parking) and free sunshine for all employees and respective families!

Zebrina, the Zebra

Nice stripey costume [**Emilia thinking how she can have this design for her next Belly Dance costume...]

Apparently, this Ostrich is guarding an egg...but I cannot see it. Nice posing though. Ostrich must be thinking: "What do you humans want?"

Cheetahs looking at humans and wondering: "Aaaahh...Food...so close yet so far..."

Hippo here is really huuuuggggggee!
...well, so as the Elephants...but this one is still a baby.
...back to Mr. Hippo (or Mrs. Hippo - what do I know!) now cooling down after a gigantic meal of grass. Hippo is a herbivore, I heard.
Polar Bear is one of the main attractions at the Zoo!

Aaaahhh...refreshing...I am envious [*meanwhile, Emilia scratching her sunburned arm wishing she can dive into the water as well...]

...now, Bear showing off the diving skills...

Another interesting feature at the Zoo is the Waterside Show - a 30 minute interactive demonstration of tricks of featured animals.

A hawk..


There is a story behind this beautiful Serval Cat. According to the Zoo Keeper, the original owner, a Torontonian, tried to domesticate this Serval Cat but failed and left with no choice, the owner placed the cat to the care of the Toronto Humane Society, who, in turn, contacted the Toronto Zoo.

[**Emilia applying more 'after-sun lotion' to her red, itchy skin!]

Bye for now and blog with you again later...

OMG -- Not Another Hobby!

While travelling around Ireland and adoring the rolling hills of green separated by hedgerows while black headed sheeps, cows, lambs and horses basking in the sun, it was just a scenery to capture and one would wish that time will stand still...and then it suddenly dawned on me that everything is possible through photography! Needless to say, I am now a proud owner of "Digital Photography for Dummies" book!


Here are some of my amateur shots taken during the trip:




Taking a good picture of church mosaic, I find, is quite challenging. This was done without a flash and after a million attempts! Oh, the beauty of digital generation of cameras!


Perhaps for Big Ben, I need more light. It was a bit dreary that day...

Was I focusing on Armand or the Cliffs of Moher? Good question...

The Giant Causeway - so breathtaking!

13 Years Ago...in London

I am sleepless in Toronto and the battle of the jet lag has begun! When one cannot sleep, one starts thinking...and I am thinking about the last few days of my trip which was spent in London.

The trip to London was an add-on from the Ireland part. Armand and I thought that it would be nice to revisit the interesting life we had in the dark, cold, wet but historically-endowed City of London.







The pub where we had a pint after our wedding (civil) ceremony.



















Our flat - we lived on the 4th floor.













The Tube Station where our flat is located.
































The London Eye!





































View of Big Ben from the the London Eye












We also visited the huge British Museum! One needs 2 or 3 days to see the entire exhibit and we just focused on the Egyptian Exhibit. Having seen the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I must say that the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum is fairly well done. The relics were nicely glassed with proper explanation. Very educational indeed (as the British would say!)











closed up shot on hieroglyphics written on a sarcophagus

















Ramses the III or IV (maybe)










The very controversial "Rosetta Stone". This is the original. Apparently, what Egyptian museum has is a replica.





































The imposing facade of the British Museum












Going back to the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum, I was overwhelmed by the about of mummies exhibited at the museum. I later felt like I was "mummied-out"!

































These are the "Royal Shabtis". The Shabtis are magical creatures placed in private tombs to carry out tasks for the deceased in the after life.





















Another coffin with amazing hieroglyphics written all over it.




























Two ancient temple posts with a gigantic Scarab in the background.











Another famous exhibit - the mummy of Cleopatra. According to the records, she died at the age of 17 years old.