June 3rd, 2007. Now that the summer weather is here, there are more things happening. Two weeks ago my mom and her friends came for a visit for the Victoria Day long weekend. It was the first time my mom had seen my finished condo and she likes the way I decorated my place. I also attended my first wedding reception in Montreal. My friend/neighbours Jen and Jason got married May 19th and left for their one month honeymoon in Asia shortly after. Congrats to the lovely couple. I have 3 more weddings to attend this summer and they all take place in Toronto. Last weekend my close and good friend, Rachel, who's also in lots of my pictures visited me for the Memorial day long weekend. We had a jam packed weekend filled with night clubbin', a trip to La Ronde amusement park, private after parties and lots of sight-seeing at the Old Port, Old Montreal and downtown. I also had my postponed and impromptu housewarming party last Saturday while Rachel was here because I wanted to make sure there was at least one Ontarian at my party. Thanks to those who could make it and were able to try my culinary specialties. I posted the pictures from that weekend on Facebook, a network site that appears to be most popular among people I know, past and present. I seem to get sucked into all these network sites such as Myspace but Facebook is the site that I use on a regular basis.
January 23rd, 2007. I got back last week from my 3 week vacation in London where I stayed with my cousin Thuy. The last time I visited her was back in June of 1999. I had a wonderful time with her, her husband, their 2 young boys Ronan and Darren, her cousin from Vietnam who's been in London for 4 years now, and her wonderful in-laws. My cousin Thuy was really good to me and treated me like a sister. We did lots of touristy things together such as visit London's famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum, went window shopping at Harrods and along the posh and trendy Bond street; saw Big Ben and the Parliament buildings, Westminister Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and walked through Picadilly Circus and Soho area. On New Years eve I watched the spectacular fireworks display close to the London Eye and video taped it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Dcv5r8OPk . It was the best one I've seen so far. On January 9th and 10th I took the Eurostar train and spent 2 days and one night in Paris. It was my first time in France and was a short trip but worth the experience. I hope to return one day. It was a 3 hour ride from London to Paris where 20 minutes of it was going through the dark chunnel. If it wasn't for my generous and thoughtful cousin, I don't think I'd be able to enjoy London as much as I did. Now that I'm home, it's back to real life, snow and minus 20 weather ;)
November 12th, 2006. It's been a month since I've moved into my brand new condo in downtown Montreal. I'd like to say that it's great to feel at home. In the last 7 years I've moved from Hamilton to Waterloo to Japan to Hamilton to Montreal and now I'm residing in a city which I can call home for at least the next 5 years. Thank you to my parents for their faith and understanding. At least I didn't move to New Zealand like I was going to do 2 years ago and Montreal is only a 6 hours drive from Hamilton. Also thanks to my friends Brian and Chris who helped me move. I moved to downtown Montreal October 2005 and I've been loving it here ever since. I especially love the European flair that Montreal embodies. I will be having my Housewarming/27th Birthday party in February.
October 10th, 2006. I had an eventful weekend in Hamilton and Toronto. Friday night I stayed over at my good friend, Rachel's new condo in Thornhill (north of Toronto). We had sashmini at a Japanese restaurant with her new beau and went to two bar/restaurant; The Honest Lawyers and Brix. The next day, my siblings and I celebrated our youngest brother, Jonathan's 13th B-day with 8 of his energetic friends. We had KFC (his choice), ice cream cake and fun times go-karting. That evening Charanjit and I went to our friend Mani's housewarming in Brampton where most of our brown friends also were. Charanjit is almost 5 months pregnant; her and Riyad are expecting a girl and they already named her Maya. Sunday afternoon I got a nice relaxing pedicure at my parents' salon. That evening my family had our Thanksgiving dinner at a seafood/Chinese restaurant in downtown Hamilton. The next day we had dim sum before my parents had to go to Toronto for the day. After that, I took Jonathan and two of his friends mini putting and mountain climbing at Adventure Village at the beach nearby. That evening I visited my good friend, Christine in Mississauga. We hadn't seen each other in 2 years so it was wonderful to see her and catch up before I headed back to Montreal.
September 18th, 2006. I took an online test on tickle.com and this was my result: Janet, when it comes to love or money, you're a Hopeless Romantic. For richer? For poorer? It doesn't matter to you because you're the Hopeless Romantic. Whether your sweetie is an oil baron or a grease monkey, it's all about until death do us part. Even if you haven't met "the one," you'll judge your soul mate by the love letters, roses, and foot massages — not the size of their bankroll. And even if their wallet is as fat as their sonnet collection, the toughest part of your relationship will be arguing over which charity to choose, who loves whom more, and who's the bigger Schmoopie. And if that diamond ring turns brass, no biggie — your love is totally not-for-profit.
September 3rd, 2006. My wishes to my sister and brother-in-law on their wedding day. First I want to say that Trinh is my only sister and I am so lucky to have such an exceptional and incomparable person as my sister. Thanks to our parents, we have inherited some very admirable genes. On behalf of the bridesmaids and myself, I just want to say how gorgeous and exquisite you look today; it truly has been a remarkable day for all of us. And Jakub also looks very dashing. I’ve known Trinh since she was born. I even have memories of my parents bringing her home from the hospital in Hong Kong in 1983. Over the years, she has taught me the valuable lesson that family is the most important thing in the world no matter how dysfunctional things can get. We have supported each other through good times and wearisome times. She is a true Libra, always trying to keep things balanced. Trinh’s always been known to be the brain of the family. She graduated this year from McMaster University with a Bachelor’s degree in Science and was also on the Dean’s Honours list. In a few days she will commence her Pharmacy studies at the University of Toronto. Congratulations again Trinh on your academic achievements. My brother-in-law Jakub is also an extraordinary man. He’s loyal, intelligent, easy- going, and has a good sense of humor. He treats Trinh very well with the utmost respect and always shows her how much he loves and cares for her. I am delighted to welcome him to our family although for the last 4 years we have always felt like he was already part of the family. Sabina and Andy, you must be so proud to have raised such an outstanding gentleman. Trinh and Jakub have such a genuine love for one another that I enjoy spending time with them. They make me believe that in life, just like the Beatles’ song, all you need is love; love is all you need. I know it may sound too idealistic but this couple makes me feel like love can conquer all things. Trinh and Jakub, I wish you have a continued loving friendship and partnership; that you enjoy success and laughter and that you are blessed with children. May you always see and talk with your hearts and love each other endlessly. Congratulations again Trinh and Jakub.
August 27th, 2006. Hello from Sunny Cali! This is my first time in the southern area of the US so I am pretty stoked and just wanted to spread the cheeriness your way. I'm visiting mostly the Orange and L.A. county area and staying with Anna Sueng, my Nagoya roommate when we were both English teachers in Japan. I'll be back in Montreal late Wednesday night and driving the 6 hours to Hamilton Friday morning for my sister's wedding weekend. Check out the photos on the side link called Southern California.
July 12th, 2006. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've updated my website. Obviously a lot has happend since then but I'll give the gist of it now. I will update my page later when I have more time. First of all I moved to Montreal last October. Started working pretty much right away. I went back to Hamilton for Christmas and spent New Years in Montreal. Rachel came to visit me and we had an awesome time. I've just been working a lot and trying to save up and it sure paid off. Last week I bought a new condo in downtown Montreal and will move into it in October. My parents and 12 year old brother, Jonathan, visited me during Canada Day long weekend. It was great having them visit me. My brother Trong aka Tom has been working hard at States Street in downtown Toronto as an investment accountant. My sister, Trinh has been pretty occupied planning her wedding in September. I couldn't be happier for her and Jakub. I just wish I was there to help her plan it. I'll be going to Hamilton for August 12th weekend for her Bridal shower. Then the big day is Sunday, September 3rd. Trinh got into University of Toronto's school of pharmacy so she'll start attending classes 2 days after her wedding. Her and Jakub will go on their honeymoon during the Christmas holidays. As for me I'm loving Montreal so far, especially the summer with all the festivals and events going on such as the Grand Prix, Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs festival to name a few.
September 4th, 2005.My Maid of Honour Speech to my best friend on her wedding day: I’m sorry Charanjit I didn’t let you edit this speech :p I just want to tell you, Charanjit how honoured I am to stand by your side on this special day. On behalf of the bridesmaids and myself I just want to say how beautiful and exquisite you look today, it truly has been a special day for all of us. Charanjit and I have been best friends since we were 12. Over the years, she has taught me the valuable lesson that friendship is the most important thing next to family. We have supported each other through good times and trying times. I have many memories of wonderful times spent with Charanjit, as we all do. And will cherish them forever. The fondest memory I will now have is watching Charanjit marry her best friend, the love of her life and companion. I remember 6 years ago when she first told me she had met this amazing guy, Riyad and just the way she described him, I knew right then that he was going to be the one. I never knew Riyad before he dated Charanjit, so I can’t tell you any stories about him, but I can tell you that I think he’s perfect for my best friend! He’s loyal, intelligent, kind, easy going, and has a good sense of humor! I can go on and on about how perfect they are for each other but then we wouldn’t have time for some Bhangra dancing so I’ll just keep this speech short and sweet. My wishes for Charanjit and Riyad are that they have a continued loving friendship and partnership; that they enjoy success and laughter; that they are blessed with children; and that they always see and talk with their heart. My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years, your love for each other will deepen and grow. Years from now, may you look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least. I wish you the very best. Please raise your glasses while I toast Mr. and Mrs Williams: Charanjit and Riyad take each day and cherish your time together. Love one another and stand together. Take time to talk to one another. Put your love and your family first; your job and possessions second. May your love be like the wind, strong enough to move the clouds, soft enough to never hurt, but always never ending. To love, laughter, and happily ever after. Cheers! Congratulations!
July 5th, 2005. I just got back from 4 awesome days in NYC this morning. I flew from Newark, New Jersey airport to Toronto airport at 7:30am. I went through customs, got a shuttle to my car and drove from the airport straight to work so I'm a bit tired from being up since 4am. I went with my friend Rachel and we stayed with my family friend Jackie, her husband Jim and their 2 cute half white/half chinese daughters in New Jersey. Rachel and I had to take an hour and half train into the city. It was so amazing and great! I couldln't help comparing NYC to Tokyo. Times Square was amazing with its flashy lights and billboards at night, just like Shibuya. We saw the statue of liberty, strolled through Central park and took a double decker tour bus for two days to see the city. We went clubbing Saturday night at a club along Jersey shores with Jackie and Jim and Sunday night in NYC. We went to see Ground Zero with some US army guys. It was kinda cool, they were all in their uniforms so Rachel and I were walking alongside 15-20 other soldiers. People were taking pictures of them and shaking their hands. We had lunch with 10 of them at TGIFridays and were going to meet up with them later to see fireworks in the city but Rachel and I got so tired after shopping that we decided to head back to NJ to see the July 4th fireworks with Jackie and Jim. I love NYC and would love to go back again, it was frickin awesome!
May 24th, 2005. For my Victoria day long weekend, I went white water rafting along the Ottawa river and spent 2 nights in Montreal. Grace, my UW friend invited me along with 10 of her friends because she knew I was the adventurous type. It was such a great rush riding the rapids. Our boat flipped over during a wild cyclonic wave and I fought to beat the waters. I was able to swim to land and my one knee got bruised from hitting one of the rocks. It was definitely worth it to try at least once in my life. The DVD will be coming in my mailbox in a few weeks and I will try to capture some pictures from it. The 2 nights and 2 days in Montreal was fantastic too. The last time I was in Montreal was with my friends at the end of December 2000 to ring in the new years. We ate at some great restaurants, did some shopping downtown and visited the touristy Oratoire St-Joseph which is built on the north-west side of Mont Royal. It's a large church with the second largest dome after St-Peters of Rome. We also went to Casino Montreal where I won some coin on the slots.
May 8th, 2005. I went camping for the first time in years this weekend at Rockwood Conservation Area near Guelph. It was nice to be one with Mother Nature. Luckily we had beautiful weather during the days but it was a bit chilly at night. The one day we hiked along the rivers' edge and the mixed forest. The trails provided plenty of scenery and opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and beauty of the park. We went in the mill ruin that we explored while on our hike. It's not exactly Mexico's Tulum or Chi Chen Itza but popular to the residents of Rockwood and to the visitors of the conservation area. In other news, my cousin, Thuy had her healthy baby girl, Paris, last week, April 28th.
April 1st, 2005. Congratulations Charanjit and Riyad on your engagement. Only 159 days left till the wedding day, Char! I've lost count of how many "I can't wait" you've said ;) Also happy quarter of a century babe; now we're the same age again. Other congratulations; my cousin Kim who got married January 22nd, and my cousin Thuy (her sister) who's expecting her first baby this month.
January 3rd, 2005. Happy New Year! Today was the day I had to take Bevan to the airport as he leaves for work in Japan for 6 weeks then back to New Zealand. Thank goodness Charanjit was there with me for support. Time sure flied by, it seemed like only yesterday that it was December 11th and I had picked him up from the airport. It was the first time he's been in Canada. He got along with my family and my parents seemed to like him. It was nice that he was able to spend the holidays with us.
October 22nd, 2004. I'm back home in Hamilton, Canada. It's been a week since I've been back. Sometimes I miss Japan but all in all, it's nice to be home. My last week of Japan was awesome. From Kyoto for the 3rd time to me and Anna's big farewell party to Tokyo with Natalie and Dave. Thank you Dave for visiting Japan and helping me with all my luggage. I haven't been doing much since I got back, just chilaxing and trying to get over this nasty cold. It was nice to see my family and Charanjit again. Great job Riyad picking out Chari's ring. Jonathan is now 11 and has grown so tall in the last year. I can't believe how thin Trinh has gotten ever since her and Jakub moved in together and Tom(Trong) is the same. My parents are also the same, still taking ballroom dancing together. Our new house is 'sweet as' but it's too cold to use the pool now. Sayonara Japan! Bonjour Canada!
September 15th, 2004. It's been a long time since I last updated this page. Exactly one more month and I will be boarding my flight from Nagoya to Toronto. I'm going back home, yay!!! For a while I was contemplating about renewing my teaching contract and staying longer in Japan but a year in Japan is enough for me. I did what I came here to do: travel and experience a different culture. Including Japan, I've been to 6 countries and was able to see most of Japan in the last 11 months. I will get my last chance to see Japan during my last week here when my friend, Dave visits me. I'm happy to have someone back home experience some of Japan with me. Then we will take the same Air Canada flight back home. I can't wait to see my family and friends and live in a country where I can speak the language. I can't wait to drive my Toyota. My best friend Charanjit is getting married next year Labour Day weekend and I'm her Maid of Honour so I can't wait to help her plan her big day. It's time to get back to my sense of reality in Canada instead of living in the cartoonish world of Japan.
June 4th, 2004. I've just updated my page with pictures from my trips to Singapore, Auckland and Sydney. I got all that traveling out of my system now. I can't believe I've been here for 8 months now. I've been living near Nagoya station now for over a month and love the convenience of living right in the city. I can see and hear the trains go by all the time. I do get homesick at times especially now that summer is here. Summer time is so much fun in Ontario whether it be in Toronto, Kitchener/Waterloo, Hamilton or Ottawa. I mostly miss my sister Trinh and brother Jonathan. Thank goodness for internet and messenger.
May 17th, 2004. I've just come back from my vacation overseas. I went to Singapore for 2 days; Auckland, New Zealand for 3 days and Sydney, Australia for 4 days. Singapore was beautiful and very modern but it was also very hot and humid, perfect for lounging and relaxing at their beaches. Auckland, the city of sails, has a beautiful skyline and a happening nightlife. Skydiving near Auckland was exhilirating and unbelievable; I'm glad I made the big 12 000 feet jump. Sydney was also a super metropolitan city with gorgeous beaches. I had lots of delicious Vietnamese food there. I also loved flying Singapore Airlines; there's a great entertainment unit for each passenger with a fantastic choice of movies, music and tv shows to choose from at any time. Changi Airport in Singapore also has many great amenities and things to do while waiting for transfer flights.
April 25th, 2004. Happy Spring time is here! I have been in Japan for 6 and a half months now and boy does time fly. In the last 2 months, I have traveled around Japan for a bit. I have been to Osaka Nagashima, Kobe, Inuyama, Kyoto and most recently Tokyo and Yokohama. So I have now been to the 4 biggest cities in Japan: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya.
February 18th, 2004. I went on my vacation from Feb.8th to 17th to Vietnam. It was my first time back in 15 years. The trip really humbled me and made me really appreciate the importance of family. I spent time with my 2 grandmothers, my one grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins. I stayed in Haiphong, Hanoi and Mong Cai (my birth place). I visited Ha Long Bay and saw the magnificent caves and grottoes. I went to the border of China and Vietnam and stepped on China's soil. I did lots of sight-seeing, especially in Hanoi. I saw Ho Chi Minh's Masoleum and also lots of pagodas.
January 1, 2004. Happy 2004! I haven't had time to update my site since I came to Japan on October 8th, 2003. So far my experience here teaching English to students of all ages and living in a foreign country have been interesting but I was quite homesick for the first 2 months. Initially Japan seemed to me like a longer version of my fun vacation in Cancun. I have been partying quite a bit and of course Karaoke. The culture and temples in Japan are quite magnificent and fascinating. So far I have been to Gifu, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka. I am spending my New Years break in Seoul, South Korea and I think it's even more metropolitan and amazing than the cities I've been to so far in Japan. I met this amazing American soldier named James on New Years who just took my breath away; we're going to stay in touch and who knows what the future has in store. Taking the 3 hour boat ride from Fukuoka, Japan to Pusan, South Korea was unbelievable; I can't believe how fast that jet foil Bettle can travel. Nagoya is great but I prefer Seoul better. A few of the pictures are on the South Korea link.
September 7th, 2003. I went to Cancun Mexico for a week with Hai Yan and Jessica at the beginning of September. We enjoyed the water sports such as jet skiing, parasailing and snorkeling. We visited Tulum, a Maya village, that was the last city that had actual Mayan people living on it. As well as the beautiful Xel Hang. Another day was spent in the archaeological wonder of Chi Chen Itza where we visited the pyramids. We also went out night clubbing almost every night. The foam party was something that should only be done once. All I can say is whatever happened in Cancun stays in Cancun. It sure was a trip that I will never forget..
