Aug 11 2017

Hotel Review: Hotel Pennsylvania in New York

Hotel Pennsylvania

Hotel Pennsylvania located at 401 7th Ave in New York

We booked this hotel in New York from April 27 and checked out on May 1, 2017.  Hotel Pennsylvania is located in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York and really close to Penn Station for easy transit.  It is also located right across from Madison Square Garden.

Although we booked the hotel to stay from April 27, we actually didn’t check in until the wee morning of the 28th due to a plane delay.  We checked in at 3 a.m. in the morning and there was only one other person in the lobby.  The check-in process was Continue reading →

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Aug 11 2017

New York in Spring 2017 Day 5 and 6: Flushing and the Long Journey home

New York travel blogging

Day 5 and 6 in New York

May 1, 2017.  Day 5:  On the last day of our trip, we packed up and waved good-bye to the hotel that housed us for the last four nights.  It was a bittersweet moment because New York had been so fun but it was time to go home.  We looked up our route and because we wanted to stop in Flushing before we headed to the airport for our late afternoon flight. (where Flushing was close to the LGA airport anyway), we decided on taking the Long Island Rail Road to Flushing from Penn Station.  It was only Continue reading →

Aug 10 2017

Yelp Elite Event: “We Are Family at Aunty’s Kitchen”

Auntie's Kitchen dessert naan

Auntie’s Kitchen located at 6039 Erin Mills Pkwy in Mississauga

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a Yelp Elite Event at a new-ish Pakistani casual restaurant called Aunty’s Kitchen in Mississauga.  A Yelp Elite Event is an invite-only event where the organizers of Yelp GTA select Yelp Elite members to dine in on a pre-selected restaurant to celebrate and thank them for their contributions on Yelp.ca.

This was my fourth YEE and I was very thankful to have been selected to be one of the 50-ish people to attend.  I know that not everyone gets into the wait list and that Yelp Elite Events are always Continue reading →

Aug 9 2017

New York in Spring 2017 Day 4: Central Park, Halal Guys, Lombardi’s

Central Park photos

Day 4 and seeing Central Park 🙂

April 30, 2017: Day 4.  For our last full day in New York City, we tried to make the most of it by visiting more of the bookmarked places on our map.  It was a cloudy and somewhat windy day; a much bigger weather change when compared to the past two days of sunshine and heat.

We decided to head to Central Park in the morning and grab food as well on the way there.  We had slept in that morning and by the time we arrived at the Italian restaurant I had found online, it was already Continue reading →

Aug 9 2017

Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental

Lake Tekapo

Shores of Lake Tekapo, April 2015

“For this week’s challenge, explore the classical elements of earth, air, water, and fire” — elemental.  I dug up this photo that I took in New Zealand when we were touristing the Church of the Good Shepherd, a church in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.  This view is of the shores of Lake Tekapo.  It was a very sunny and beautiful morning with our tourmates and other tourists strolling along the rocky shores.

This photo shows all four elements: the rocks of the Continue reading →

Aug 3 2017

The Shadower becomes the Shadowed

Today, I had a student court reporter job shadow me for the first time! 😀  Originally, I thought it was going to be the one I had previously taught back in my CCVS days, but it turned out it was the other self-taught student that was working her way to the top of the steno speeds.  I was really excited to meet her!

Unfortunately, today’s job turned out to be a non-appearance — my first one if I’m not mistaken although Continue reading →

Aug 2 2017

New York in Spring 2017 Day 3: Broadway, Best Cheesecake, Carlo’s Bakery

Times Square, New York

Day 3 of our New York trip!

April 29, 2017:  Day 3 of our New York trip began with a long-awaited desire to watch a musical on Broadway!  We hopped on the subway in the early morning around 9:30 and dashed towards Times Square where the home of Broadway was.  Seeing Times Square and the surrounding big box stores, lights, and billboards was a surreal moment after having only seen it in movies or photos before.  It was every bit as exciting as I imagined it to be.

Two friends had told me about the discounted musical tickets available at TKTS.  This ticket merchant sold heavily Continue reading →

Aug 2 2017

Weekly Photo Challenge: Textures

mossy shelves

Lake Erie, Ontario. July 2012

Textures: I remember putting my feet through these soft and wavy shelves of moss when I went camping for the first time in July 2012.  It was a group camping trip with the Mon Sheong Youth Group at Rock Point Provincial Park & Lake Erie.  It was so hot that day when we got to the campsite that all activities were postponed and everyone just went to the beach to cool off.  I enjoyed walking through these Continue reading →

Aug 1 2017

New York in Spring 2017 Day 2: Shake Shack Burgers, Greenwich, Rice to Riches

Day 2 NYC collage

Day 2 in New York City!

April 28, 2017:  Day 2 in New York!

After sleeping in thoroughly after a delayed flight from coming in from Toronto, we woke up ready to find breakfast and begin our foodie trip.  In preparing for our trip, we looked at YouTube videos to find top food lists of New York and consulted friends to find coveted spots to eat in the Big Apple.  It was a beautiful spring day and good enough for shorts and sundresses.

We consulted the map (handy wifi and Google Maps) and searched Eataly out as the first spot of the day.  My friend Betty had recommended it to me as a spot to visit and since it was around the area and on route to Continue reading →