Ottawa: Winterlude

So one of the biggest events during the winter in Ottawa and Gatineau areas is Winterlude, an annual three-week festival that 'celebrates winter'. It's probably one of the biggest 'tourist' events in Ottawa, attracting quite a lot of people every year. It was first created in 1979 I believe, and the biggest attraction would have to be the Rideau Canal which during this time of year, is the world's largest skating rink. No lie.

In the three years I have lived here in Ottawa, this is probably the only thing I look forward to during the winter, besides my birthday of course. This year's Winterlude took place on Jan. 30 and ran until Feb. 16 and naturally, I tried to see and do as much as I could.

Now, I went on the Rideau Canal my first year for the Paint the Canal Red (a Carleton University event), and god, I really need to learn how to skate. Yes, in the three years I've been here, I still don't know how to balance my sorry butt on a pair of skates. What did I do when I went on my first year? I walked on the side, where the snow was, got off on the next stop and hopped on the bus and met up with my friends at Rideau Centre. Sad, I know. Maybe next year. Or never. We'll see.

The first place I went to was Snowflake Kingdom over at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. I'd gone with a handful of other international students from Carleton University, and man, it was an experience. I believe it was -30 when we out that day, so I was pretty darn cold. But it made for a great adventure. Not only did we get lost on the way there (like, I'm not kidding - we ended up having to walk on the bridge connecting Ottawa and Gatineau to make sure we ended up in the right place), but we were dealing with the freezing cold. Can you imagine that - eight international students who are from tropical places, playing around in -30C weather. My fingers and toes were so cold! Our hot chocolates weren't enough to warm us up the minute we got to Snowflake Kingdom.

But it was a blast. Granted, one of the reasons I had gone was to write a story about it for one of my journalism classes, but I really did have a great time. I finally tried maple taffy, carved my name in ice and met a whole bunch of cool people. There was so much to do that we were actually quite overwhelmed. There were a whole bunch of super slides to try, a maze, and all sorts of entertainment!  Decisions, decisions, decisions. So despite the cold and the fact I had to write a story about it that same night, it was a great memory.

Funny story here - I had never really had to deal with having to go out in such weather. I'd normally just snuggle up under the covers with tea and a good book. So I was not prepared for the minute both my phones shut down once we got to Snowflake Kingdom. BECAUSE OF THE DARN COLD. Thankfully I didn't have to use them, but it was a pain warming them up and trying to get them to start. So you know, be prepared for that. Cause I certainly was not. 

Maple taffy goodness! If you don't know what this whole thing is, basically they pour hot maple on to the snow (clean, I have been assured) and they roll it up in sticks and you get this amazing sweet treat. And I'm not kidding on how sweet these things are - this is pretty much your whole sugar intake for the month! Each one cost $3, which may seem a bit pricey, but god, it takes a while to eat cause it's so sticky and sweet. Make sure to drink some water after!

One of the other main attractions is Confederation Park, where every year, they've got the Crystal Garden - essentially, a whole bunch of ice sculptures in one place. And the people who make them are crazy talented! 

They also hold a whole bunch of other events here, what with the huge concert stage set up and all that. I remember how in 2013 they had a K-pop night, and my roommates and I went out and danced to lyrics I didn't understand but was pretty familiar with. So, so fun! They didn't have artists or live performances per se (they really just had DJ), but it was so great meeting and dancing with so many other people who like K-pop. Not to say I'm a big fan of the genre, but I do appreciate a good dance beat now and then. 

Maple taffy again!!!

A few of the ice sculptures on exhibit were actually carved out by international artists, such as this one by Julio Martinez, an artist from Mexico. 

The Rideau Canal with skaters!!! One of these days, I will be there. I promise.

So if you're ever in the Ottawa or Gatineau areas during the late January-early February winter, you have definitely got to check out Winterlude. There is no admission to (most of) the main attractions, so you've got a fun, free pass at experiencing what the winter time is like here. Just make sure to bundle up, mentally prepare yourself and keep your electronics warm or else they'll shut off like mine did while I was over at Snowflake Kingdom. I wasn't kidding about the cold. At all. 

Not kidding about carving my name too, by the way, on a big block of snow at Snowflake Kingdom. Haha!

Happy discovering!

Ottawa Uni Life: The Uni Life Update #3

Greetings!!! Oh my, I seriously cannot believe it is already February. And that summer is so close!!! Haha, I swear, all this snow and freeeeezzzinnngg cold is getting to me, and I don't know how I can survive four or so more supposed weeks of winter. GIVE ME THE HEAT!!!

Anywho, sincere apologies for being MIA here on the blog, but the last three weeks have seriously been a pain for me. My journalism has been giving my butt a good kicking these days. Deadlines, midterms and my apprenticeship had me swamped, and honest to God, I don't know how I managed to meet every single one of my deadlines without having a nervous break down. But thank the heavens that it is now reading week and I can breathe. A little that is. I still have so much to catch up on - especially with this blog!

Check it out! If you don't remember from my last uni life update, I mentioned how this semester has me trying my hand out at radio journalism! And man, it's thrown me in a bit of a loop. Going from TV reporting to radio has me definitely missing being behind the camera. But that's not to say I don't get to have fun. It's pretty cool being able to record all sorts of sound, especially if you're doing phone interviews in the booths. That's probably my favourite part. Editing is still a pain, but hey, that's what you got to do to have great sound qualities no? So much respect for those who do this for a living.

If I'll be going down this route in the future, we'll have to see...

And because I have been venturing out around Ottawa chasing down stories for my radio class, you can definitely expect to see a few posts here on all the places I've gone to! Be sure to check back here if you're interested!

This month also had me going on my week long apprenticeship (or internship, whatever you want to call it) over at MUSE Magazine, the Canadian Museum Association's bi-monthly publication. For any student looking to go to Carleton for journalism, well, heads up - you need to do at least a week's worth of interning to graduate. Yep. Not sure if they've told you that already, but you do.

Damn, that was quite the experience - and in a good way. It totally threw me off how slower the pace was there since I didn't need to have story after story ready to go with a deadline in three hours. No joke. I could take my time in researching and finding the motivation to write a pretty cool piece on the arts and culture field. That was pretty neat. I could write at my own pace and not stress out massively (though let's be real, I had so many things going on at the same time school-wise with midterms coming up that I was indeed, stressing out internally).

 Now, probably the biggest highlight of February for me? MY BIRTHDAY!!! Woop woop! Yes, I am another year older, but not necessarily wiser. Granted, I was pretty bummed I had to celebrate yet again another birthday without my family, but nonetheless, it was pretty great. After all, I did get pretty excited when I saw my birthday mail - as in, physical mail and not messages over Facebook or email. Gosh, birthdays are the best! I'm still quite in denial about being a year older, but hey, it's all good.

Just as an aside, if you're part of the Sephora Beauty Insider program - how awesome is their birthday set this year?!?! Two minis of their lip crayons??? THE BEST!

 I totally needed to put this in - my birthday ice cream courtesy of my dear roommate. She had actually placed a whole bunch of orange post-its on my door the morning of my birthday that had me literally laughing out loud. I have such sweet and thoughtful friends haha!

And oh yes, Valentine's day. Yeah well, when you're single and not even the least bit interested given the crazy schedule you've got, it was just a normal Saturday for me. So while couples were enjoying their dates and all that jazz, I stayed home with my chocolates and a Mean Girls-Clueless back to back feature. Where are my fellow single ladies? HAHA! I'm in no way complaining too by the way. I love the single life <3

How've you been for the last two months?

Arianna x

Ottawa Uni Life: The Uni Life Update #2

 I can't believe it's already December! I've done so much in the past three months in terms of uni stuff that the days have felt like they've all morphed into one weird, hazy blur. But yey! Christmas break is around the corner, and all I've got are finals to get through! Woop woop!

 Speaking of my Journalism course, I must say - I've never used my bus pass and phone so much. I mean, I've been running around Ottawa shooting interviews and all sorts of clips, calling (and emailing) people here and there for interviews and writing and editing so much that man, I'm pooped. The things we do to produce a story eh? 

This year was definitely the eye-opener for me with realizing just how much hard work, effort and patience goes into producing a story. It can be as simple as phoning someone up for an interview as some people think, but heck, it can be so much more. 

I've always believed that I was meant for the behind-the-scenes work with filming and editing, and man, this year pretty much solidified my love for it. Operating the camera, framing and setting up shots, and editing sequences were SO FUN. Granted, I hated having to haul the equipment on the bus and I had my moments where I wanted to punch the computer screen out of frustration, but gosh, the experience was thrilling. I know a few of my fellow journo kids get me, so no shame here. Others were meant to be on screen, and others were meant to work behind it. OMG, that was lame but oh well. 

I've never appreciated the field as much as I have now! And as physically and mentally exhausting as it can be, nothing beats the excitement of seeing the final product. How cheesy does that sound?

 And I really do mean that I've been exploring way more of Ottawa than I thought I ever would. And all because I was chasing down stories for my courses. From shooting at Terry Fox Park to roaming the exhibition halls at the National Gallery of Canada, I've met so many wonderful people and made great relationships with sources. Who would've ever thought that a girl from the other side of the world would be here, talking to all these people and writing news stories? 

 The highlight of this semester for me would definitely be the newscasts my TV reporting class and I produced a few weeks ago. No surprise, I immediately signed up for the camera jobs and as stressful as the days were, I don't think I've ever laughed and smiled so much. Again, both days did require a little running around the newsroom and Ottawa, but it all payed off. So many things happened on those days, and yes, I'm throwing another cheese ball out there, I've bonded so much more with the other kids in my class. 

I may have been on the fence with the whole TV reporting course in the beginning, but now, I know I'm going to miss it. Whether I'll be taking it next year, we'll have to see. On to radio broadcasting next semester!

 See? Sentimental family pic of our TV crew right here. 

This semester wasn't all about TV reporting. I did get the opportunity to write for a local community paper (exciting!) and get a glimpse into producing stories using online tools. Hence, my weeks were pretty busy (and why I have been quite MIA on here!). Again, all the effort and late nights have paid off, and in all honesty, I'M SO GLAD IT'S ALL OVER. I need a break. Seriously. 

 With the snow now sticking to the ground and temperature dropping to the negatives, I can't wait to get away from it all for a while, and spend Christmas in hot and humid Philippines. Nothing like spending the holidays with my family, stuffing my face and sleeping in. Oh, my. I'm excited!

And do stay tuned for future 'discovering Ottawa' posts. Just because I have been busy writing stories for my courses doesn't mean I haven't been planning out posts on the places I've visited and things I've done this semester. And hopefully, I can get them out here before the year ends. 

Fingers crossed. 

What have you been up to in the last two months? 

Happy discovering!

Ottawa: ByWard Market Adventures #2

I wasn't kidding when I said that there were more of these posts to come! There's so much to see over at the Byward area that I don't know how long it would take me to discover the whole place given my schedule! But I swear, I will find the time to get down there with my camera and do some more exploring - hopefully before the snow graces us with its presence!

Schnazy ride eh? Perfect ride for the summer times, but perhaps a skip for the coming cold!

One particular weekend, ByWard Market was celebrating Harvest Festival! This was the first I'd attended in the few years I've been here, and man have I been missing out. Even though I only caught the last day, I had such a blast with all the entertainment, food and just mingling with people!

There was a COP = Clown on Patrol roaming around, making balloon animals for little kids! I was so tempted to ask for one but managed to hold myself back... but now I kinda wish I did. Who doesn't want a balloon animal?

They also had horse-drawn carriage rides going on, as well as free Haunted Walk tours!

The main highlight for me would hands-down have to be the Alpine-themed entertainment they had going on! I'd never seen anything like it, and I gotta say, as humourous as I found most of it, it was pretty kickass! Props to them as well for going all out with the costumes! Absolutely gorgeous. You can check out the little Instagram video I took with a few seconds of each of the performances here!

This kid was just too adorable, walking up to these instruments and looking down the holes! My heart melted...

Despite the cold, the entertainment and company was definitely worth it! Granted, this post doesn't quite capture it (I'll be honest, I was mainly down here for work purposes hence the lack of anymore photos) but I promise the next few ones will be better! I'm looking forward to what else ByWard has to offer, especially with the holidays just around the corner! Uber psyched!

In the meantime, 

Happy discovering!

Ottawa: ByWard Market Adventures #1

As promised in my last Uni Life update entry, here is the first of my (hopefully) numerous ByWard Market adventures! Again, I've been frequenting the area often in the last two months (both for pleasure and school) that it just seemed right to blog about the things to do and see here for anyone looking to visit! Or you know, just for curiousity's sake. Either way, here it is!

According to various Ottawa tourist sites, Restaurant 18 is a must-visit. I've yet to try it out (hopefully sometime soon) but it sounds great! I mean, just check out their website and try not to drool.

So going off of ByWard Market's historical walking tour, I took my camera and comfy Vans and decided to explore the place on my own! Started off at Clarendon Court, between George and York Streets. I had absolutely no idea that there were these little alleyways that existed!

Some art pieces displayed along the walls - so, so pretty!

Coming out the other side of Clarendon Court, I was greeted by the York Street Millennium Fountain. Again, had no idea this piece of history existed. According to the panels by the fountain, the city used to have about 30 similar fountains during the late 19th/early 20th Century. This particular one is a replica of one of them, and it's been around since August 2000. It's located on an island on the intersection of York and Sussex, so you won't miss it!

On to Jeanne-d'Arc Court, between York and Clarence Streets...

...and I was greeted by this fella! This dancing bear statue was created in 1990 by Inuit artist Pauta Saila, who is well known for his bear pieces. I dare you to not snap a photo of this cute guy!

A few steps away from the dancing bear is this 'Young Girl'. The statue was created by John Ivor Smith, and shows a 'young woman holding a hoop over her head' with an apparent reference to Heaven and God. It's right in front of the Jeanne-d'Arc Institute, which used to be run by nuns in 1917 and housed young women. Since then, it's been converted into a condo/office space.

My last stop on this trip was Notre Dame Basilica (375-385 Sussex Drive). I'd seen photos, but man, to see it in real life is amazing! The architecture is amazing, and the interior just... I'm speechless.

How gorgeous does the interior look? I've yet to attend a mass here, but I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit.

What other adventures await here at ByWard Market? 

We shall see! Definitely stay tuned for the next installment of my ByWard adventure!