Chinese Version/ 中文版 This week's hiking adventure was at Mathieu Town Forest. The Forest isn't very dense, but had some steep areas and blocked pathways that consumed our energy much faster than Five Tree Hill or Oak View Hill. We were hoping to see some wildlife there as there have been sightings before, but all we found was this bread-like formation on a tree trunk. Our guess is that someone baked a cake and tried to feed it to the tree, or it's the summer home of Papa Smurf.
This week we went to a trail in Oak View Hill which is also in Williston Vermont.
The starting point of the trail is in the middle of farmland owned by the Isham Family Farm. Without surrounding woodland, the chilly wind came at us from all sides. We had to pretty much run into the woods to get away from this unfriendly weather.
Due to a weekend of rain, the trail was muddy and wet.
Some maple trees were tied together to help them grow and to be more easily harvested later on.
中文版 Rating: Worth breaking out the Tarvorkian Powder Cake for One line Synopsis: How it all came together
Making a movie with as much history and undyingly loyal fans to consider as Star Trek must not be an easy thing. Fortunately, the writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman make the forty plus years of baggage seem light in presenting us an ingenious piece that blends the new story line with the spirit and letter of the old.
In Star Trek, the tale follows the birth of James T. Kirk to his ascension to Captain of the Enterprise. Less a coming of age story than a tale of the formation of the original Star Trek Crew, the movie shows the series of happenings and serendipity of how the beloved crew came to be. Loyal fans will appreciate new revelations and the brash youthful versions of characters they know. New comers will enjoy the Gatlin gun pacing and riveting tale of how an imminent threat to the Federation is thwarted by this unlikely crew.
Kirk, played by newcomer Chris Pine, is presented as the quintessential American hero, naturally gifted, an outsider with the legacy of his father on his shoulders. He joins Star Fleet on a whim and bests the many cadets around him, finally convincing the brass and doubters like the already highly regarded Spock that he is worthy of being the captain. Here, the character development seems a bit weak, as his maturation is skipped over. There is no moment of truth, no overcoming of his own weaknesses (like Skywalker does when his is with Yoda) and no noticeable change in his character. In other words, he was always good, a smart aleck whom others just needed to learn to respect.
*Spoilers Following* Spock on the other hand, unlike the wise Vulcan we know on the original series, is extremely smart, but has yet to overcome the conflicts of his identity owing to a Vulcan father and Human mother. He denies his feelings when he sees his mother die and allows the calm of logic belie the seriousness of the Romulan threat. Played by the talented Zach Quintos, Spock steals every scene with his at once calm and tortured energy
Winona Ryder, Eric Bana, John Cho and Karl Urban round out the cast nicely by all playing against type in interesting ways. Uhura, played by Zoe Saldna, is also a notable character, a smart and tough woman of the twenty-third century. Though in someways nothing change as she plays a minuscule role in overcoming the Romulans or the development of the plot. Her character, sadly, is alternately eye-candy and moral support for the male characters.
Nonetheless, there is a beautiful symmetry in the story itself. A technologically advanced phantom ship, the death of Kirk's father twenty five years ago, and the search for Spock (no, not the 1984 movie) all play a part in the central mystery of the movie. That it runs in parallel with the formation of this young Enterprise crew is no coincidence and doubly strengthens the idea that the Enterprise is the true destiny of the crew and its legacy is our fate.
Despite its flaws, most of which lie with the characters, the movie itself is wonderful. We all enjoy seeing the moment greatness is made. And with this story, we see the assembly of the dream team in all it's glory. It also achieves what another sci-fi blockbuster franchise could not: The excuses of too much history and too much hype seemed reasonable when Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace was brought to the screen. Star Trek side steps those questions and gives us a solid good movie, regardless.
中文(Chinese Version) Other than getting our bikes, we also started our hiking routine this past weekend. We went to Five Tree Hill Trail (@Williston, Vermont) as our warm up. And we saw this snake skin on the road, upon further observation, this might actually be the body of the snake as we saw the teeth and bones inside the skin. Here is the overlook.
Now that the summer is finally here (was there even a spring this year?) we plan to enjoy it fully before it fades away. Other than hiking, we’re planning to go fish and also get some cycling in this year. Thing is, both of us haven’t ridden bikes for a long time.
So we went to a few LBSes (Local Bike Store in cyclist’s parlance as we have recently learned) and Walmart to check out how modern bicycles look like these days. There have been so many new advancements recently we can hardly recognize them: Automatic gear shifters, micro-adjustable seats, hybrid bikes. Prices also vary widely, with Walmart bikes that have quick front wheel releases starting at $140, and entry level quality brands at $350.
Good thing Ian’s co-worker told us about the local bike swap. There were a few going on this past weekend, all starting at 9:00am, so we got up and went to the closest one. We got there at around 9:05am and the place was already swamped. Cars were filling up adjacent parking lots and families were rushing towards the large canvas tent where the supposed treasures were lined up under. We quickly got a spot and weaved into the crowd. At first it was a bit confusing since there seemed to be no order to the way the bikes were placed. People were navigating the crowds with their chosen steed and children in tow. Some were obviously experts, but many were like us, just trying to find something that we could see ourselves on. Despite it all, people were courteous and friendly.
Seriously, this Bike Swap is wicked!!! Don’t miss it!!
You can find your local bike swaps just by googling or looking in your local paper.
After trying on a few bikes, we found an older mountain bike with 90’s graphics for Ian (cause it was made in the 90’s) and a comfort bike with fat tires for me. All told, we spent $205 for both. It was a great deal and a great experience!
中文 We went to Toronto last weekend for Gwen’s dad’s 60th’s birthday!!!
There are three restaurants we recommend if you are to be staying in the Markham’s area:
Gal’s Sushi Address: 3621 Hwy 7E, Unit 106 Markham (intersection of Hwy 7 / Warden Ave) We both ordered a CAD 7.99 lunch box. Seriously, you would not expect to able to find this quality of food at this price. If you are looking for the best Sushi’s place for dinning, this might not be the place. Although the place is very spacious, they still get fully packed during lunch and dinner hours. Waiting time is reasonable, considering it’s popularity.
Elegant Chinese Cuisine 5328 Hwy 7, Markham, ON (Hwy 7/ McCowan Ave) Phone: (905) 209-1313 We had a family gathering of six at this restaurant. The quality of food was definitely good, the only complaint I have is the portion of each dish. You know how most four person combos can usually feed five people? With this place you can’t pull this trick even with ordering an additional dish. We ended up having to order a second additional on top of the combo in order to feed us all.
Other than the portion, the price range is also on the high side, especially in the Markham neighborhood while there are tons of Chinese restaurants for selection. We had to spend an average of $20 CAD per person at this restaurant. You could probably spend less at others.
Ambassador Chinese Cuisine 春秋食軒 280 West Beaver Creek Rd Unit 38. Richmond Hill (Hwy 7 // west of Leslie Ave) Phone: (905)731-5570 This is the restaurant where we held my dad’s 60th birthday dinner, because the quality of food is guaranteed to be excellent.
I noticed that the favors of the dishes were quite strong….. trending towards Western style Chinese food. We also noticed they had quite an amount of non-Asian clientele. Not surprising with this level of quality.
Too bad that we didn’t have enough time for Dim Sum on this trip; they have really good Dim Sum as well.
