Upon arriving in Calgary, the first thing we did was drive by Chinatown. I was exhausted as I have been running non-stop for the past two weeks finishing up work (good-bye otis! the day has FINALLY come and it was amazingly un-monumental. but it is good to make peace with a situation and then come to completion), cleaning up my car to sell, making a trip to Chicago to see my grandma and family before jumping the American coop, and Sam's and my second anniversary and on top of that, nursing a cold/sinus infection. So back to Chinatown. We found a bakery that sold wife cakes and cha-su bow (bbq pork buns). I then promptly took a five hour nap. We headed out to the Latin Corner. We started with fried yucca root and a spicy mayonnaise dipping sauce. Then I had a decadent cut of Salmon with a mango/guava chutney followed by a black torte (chocolate! yum). This restaurant is owned by an Indian woman who grew up in Kenya and then immigrated here. The food was amazing.
This is the Calgary skyline at night. My mom asked what that big light was in the sky. I told her it was a UFO.
My self with my new specs on the Calgary transit line. I love public transport. I LOVE public transport.
Day 1, Thursday, June 15, 2006
My parents at the end of the line (the Calgray train). We are waiting in the rain and they said that so far since they have been here, it has only rained 5 days, three of which have been during my visit! This day we took the train to the Mango Shiva, an Indian restaurant that highlighted fresh vegetables. I put hot sauce on everything, even the vegetable dish that had fresh jalepenos in it. We then walked around in the plus 15 which is a walkway that connects many buildings downtown. It is much like the malls in California as it is lined with shops and people in suits and high heels, glossy nails and pommaded highlighted hair. The padres and myself hit up the bookstore and bought Cultureshock! in Korea as well as a lonely planet Korean phrase book. I also got 1984 by Orwell, esp because a French Canadian named Guy Delisle read it while in N. Korea gathering material to write his comic, Pyongyang: A journey in North Korea. To check out the comic, see: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1896597890/102-8114009-6611364?v=glance&n=283155
Gosh, i'm the rambling queen. I'm not sure how I got here.
So then we headed to the Devonian gardens which is essentially many beautiful plants and flowers that you can see year round in a controlled climate. This is probably especially nice when it is 20 below out and you are yearning for some sense that things are still alive. But it was a bunch of greens, surrounded by white walls. The idea of an indoor year round garden is a nice one, but it ends up being a weird juxtaposition and sorta ugly. This is connected to the indoor mall on the +15.
This is the view from my parents Condo on the 8th floor. You can see a car dealership which only makes sense. I was reading today in the local paper that Alberta has 7 out of 10 of the major CO2 pollutors. On my walk downtown to the Bow River and Eau Claire Market and the Chinese cultural center, I passed the Shell skyscraper, the BP skyscraper, and the Conoco skyscraper and another Oil skyscraper whose name escapes me.
The Calgary Tower erected in 1968. It is 525 ft tall.
2 views from the Calgary Tower.
If you double click this picture, in the bigger one you can see snow in June in Calgary. Really it is just cotton wood pollen blowing around.
Ladies (and cross dressing men), don't be afraid to visit Calgary! You can easily tromp around town in your high heels. Just step on these metal footprints when you go over grates to prevent your heels from getting caught and breaking off.
Our spread at the Buddha Veggie--a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in Calgary. Pictured here is veggie chow mein, Taro Root Duck (wheat gluten) and Eggplant Pepper Stirfry.
Funny cartoon art that is EVERYWHERE advertising the Calgary Stampede next month, which is the whoopteedo big rodeo time! At first I thought every restaurant and window front business just employed the same artist to advertise for them, then I realized it was advertising the stampede. This one of course is at a Chinese restaurant.
A great ad that I keep seeing everywhere. I finally had to take a photo just so I could share it with you non-kanuks.
A metal horse outside of a restaurant that sells alot of beef. This town has alot of horse sculptures and alot of large metal sculptures downtown.
A group photo at the top of the Calgary Tower.
It looks as if I am standing on a poster of street traffic. But in actuality, I am at the top of the Calgary Tower. They have glass flooring around the edge so you can look down and really freak yourself out. Supposedly, the panes of glass are reportedly able to hold the weight of a few hippos.
A photo of the Devonian Gardens.
Another thing about Calgary is that in the summer it stays light until 10pm. At 10pm there is sunset!
