Chihuly's Glass Sculpture Exibition - Desert Botanical Garden, Arizona

Whenever I think of Arizona, the picture of warm weather, palm trees and  and huge cacti plants come to my mind.








 Therefore we made sure we went to visit the Desert Botanical Garden, about a thirty minute drive from downtown Phoenix.

A Human Like Saguaro Plant

Gigantic size desert plants at the Botanical Garden

The Dessert Botanical Garden was opened in 1939 and this year the garden celebrates its 75th year anniversary.













Until we visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, I had never seen cacti plants as high as 40 feet!

The Botanical  Garden is a living museum of living plants and it has plants from deserts from around the globe.

 Visiting the Desert Botanical Garden was a relaxing and a very educational experience as there were many explanations about deserts and how people and animals made use of desert plants while inhabiting the land.

The size of some Cacti trees is gigantic!

 We were very fortunate on our visit as there was also a special exhibition on at the same time - Chihuly in the Garden .

We planned to visit the botanical garden early but was told that around sunset, the colour would be spectacular. So we timed our arrival to the garden in order to catch the sunset.

Chihuly's work blends in well with the living plants!

With the discount coupon, it cost U.S. $19.00 /person for the admission. The Desert Botanical Garden has an area of about three hundred acres and it would take us quite sometime to walk through all the trails.

Fortunately, the friendly guide gave us excellent instructions of where to start and which trail to see first.

Chihuly's Artwork adds a lot of colour to the garden

My husband and I are interested in sculptures and we really wanted to see the works of Dale Chihuly - an American artist, who is renowned for his large size glass installations in gardens and famous cities around the world.

We love garden tours and learn about different plants and flowers. But the Desert Botanical Garden is unique and  absolutely beautiful!

 Blue Crystal by Chihuly

We were memorized by the explosion of beautiful colours,  the vast variety of species, shapes and gigantic sizes of some desert plants.

Chihuly's White Bulugas

I kicked myself for forgetting my nice camera at home, therefore, I had to learn to use my husband's ipad to take pictures during our garden visit.

Chihuly's Blue Crystal & other pieces look really real

It was inconvenient at times but I did manage to capture many of Chihuly's work.

We really enjoyed looking at the exhibition. The artist's work blended in so well with the living plants that at times it was difficult to tell whether his artwork was pieces of glass or was it a real plant at all.

Chihuly's Scarlet & Yellow Icicle Tower sculpture among the desert plants

We got to the garden at around 3 p.m. and had spent a few hours admiring the various desert gardens,  reading the information and learning about the deserts and desert plants from the displays.









We waited around till 6p.m, as we wanted to see the art installations in the early evening light. We were not disappointed at all!

The traffic in the garden suddenly increased as groups of visitors started coming in for the evening tour.

We could sense the anticipation in the air as people were milling around sampling wine and chatting happily about what they were going to see.

The blue sky acted as the background for the artist's canvass

Around 6p.m., the lights in the Botanical Garden came on and they lit up the plants and the artist's artwork.

With the blue sky as the backdrop, the lights reflected beautifully on the glass sculptures

We were very glad that we visited the garden and saw the exhibition without waiting for long lineups like people in other countries. It was a fantastic experience! We have never seen anything like it before!




R.T.
Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.

A Quick Workout - "A" Mountain in Tempe, Arizona

Mountains with holes in them, Arizona

Our first day in Phoenix, Arizona was a busy one!

Mountains of  Different Sizes and Shapes

Arizona is the state of canyons and is known around the world for its rugged and spectacular mountainous  scenery.

Everywhere we drive, we see mountains, ranges, mountains of different sizes and shapes, small hills and big hills. very different scenery indeed from the flat land of Ontario.





After breakfast, we drove to Tempe, the downtown district of Phoenix and walked up to the "A" mountain , Hayen Butte - a small hill situated right behind ASU -  Arizona State University.


It only takes about twenty minutes to reach up to the top and this is where the students of ASU take their short break from their studies.

After our climb to Mt. Fuji in Japan last summer, this walk was a piece of cake for us.

On our way up, we saw cacti growing out of the side of the hill like mushrooms.


















The hike is easy but is steep at some point, with a paved trail and some steps.

There were a lot of students and we saw a gentleman walking up and down a few times when we were walking up the hill.

There are also a couple of resting places for hikers to rest and enjoy the view of the city below.

View from the top of  Hayden Butte Mountain

From the top of the hill, we got a good view of mountains in the distance, the city of Phoenix, the sports stadium right below, and the town lake. It was worth the walk!

 View of Phoenix, Arizona, with the Stadium Below Seen From the top of the "A" Hill

\. 
R.T.
Phoenix, Arizona

Insurance for Car Rental in Arizona

We arrived at the Phoenix  airport after a four and half hour flight from Charlotte. We wished we had bought the pulled pork dinner  to consume on the plane as this was not a dinner flight. We have not traveled on American airlines for a while and forgot that they do not offer free meals anymore on their routes. I need to make a note on this.

The airport has a shuttle service to the Rental Car Centre which is a good size building with many national car rental companies. We reserved a car with one of the companies and  were served without much waiting.

The whole car rental process could have sped up lot more faster if not for all the insurances we were asked to buy. The car company advertised for less than $20.00 a day, but with all the extra charges it added up to about &50.00 a day.

We were asked if we wished to buy a number of insurances including third party and personal injury. We knew we were covered by our own car insurance and credit card on some of these, but needed to make sure before we declined them.  After making a few phone calls, we got the answers and declined buying the insurances for the rental car.

However, the rental car staff member told us that Arizona is one of the few states in the U.S. that do not cover the loss of use of the rental vehicle or depreciation in the case of an accident when the vehicle is damaged and needs repair. No insurance policy would cover the loss of use. Knowing that we would be driving around a lot for sightseeing trips, we bought the $25.00/ day  to cover the Loss of Use insurance.

We do believe in the Murphy's Laws and buying that Loss of Use insurance will give us the peace of mind for the next week while we are in Arizona.

R.T.
Arizona

Great Food Choices at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, South Carolina, USA

We are travellig again!
While Toronto, and southern Ontario have been locked in a cold spell this week becasue of the Artic Vortex, we are heading to somewhere warm and sunny - Phoenix, Arizona!

We did all the pre departure routines: cleaned our house, took my mom out for lunch, did our banking, arranged to have mails pick up and called Jon to come and look after the house during our holiday..

When we left the house this morning, it was  - 18 C with tonight's temperature going down to - 20 C. It is nice to get a break from the sub zero weather! After a two hour flight on U.S. Airways, we landed in Charlotte, S.C. with a balmy 4 degree C!

Charlotte Douglas International Airport - Charlotte, South Carolina, USA

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a modern, clean, and beautiful place. It has many amenities and  is traveler friendly and welcoming. It has five concourses: A- E, each with its own waiting area, security checks, shops, ATMs, bars and restaurants, docking and recharging stations for electronic gadgets.

Resting in a comfy southern rocking chair at the airport

The restaurants offer a good variety of food choices from  Burger Kings' hamburgers,  Quiznos' deli sandwiches, fresh personal pizzas, Mexican rice and beans, meat and veggie burritos, fresh vegetable and fruit smoothies, vegetarian choices and my favourite: southern BBQ ribs, chicken and pulled pork dinners!

With a vast array of mouthwatering items from which to choose, we ordered a veggie burrito; it was delicious and filling.



We are just waiting here so that we can try some southern pulled pork dinner before we board the next plane. The five concourses are all connected to a central spacious atrium with many greenery and southern style rocking chairs available for passengers to rest their tired feet.

Live piano music soothed and entertained travelers at the Charlotte Airport

My husband is under the weather a little in the past few days therefore, he is not feeling too energetic. We are glad that we are sitting in one of those comfy rocking chairs. He is resting, being serenaded by soft soothing live piano music while I am sitting here blogging our first visit in 2014 to southern U.S.A.

We  have to wait for three hours for the connecting flight to Phoenix. Can't wait to get to Arizona and visit the cactus park!

R.T.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Awaiting for our connecting flight

Meeting Interesting People on the Spanish Camino - The best Part of Our Journey

Walking the Camino was a fantastic experience! Being outdoor and walking everyday was marvelous, though not a piece of cake for city slickers like us. We learned that a few did die on the way ( from heart attacks to accidents)  I was so nervous and worried about our safety during the trip that I burst into tears at the sent off ceremony in Irun when the hospitalero offered her pilgrims's blessings before our departure.

We learned a lot throughout our walking trip as we encountered something new each day. There were many new and exciting experiences for us:

We saw many interesting buildings on our way

- the old buildings, the spectacular scenery, the delicious food, the never ending mountainous trails, the scorching sun, the lack of water on our first day,  the panicky feeling of getting lost on a mountain when darkness fell, sleeping on a mattress in a school gymnasium when there was no bed in the hostels, my husband getting sick on the third day of the Camino and the doctor telling us to end our trip immediately ( We did not. Instead, my husband took the medication prescribed and a few days off to rest until he got better )

Besides walking, there were other means of transportation employed by the pilgrims. There were pilgrims hiking, biking, on tricycles, double bicycles ( we saw a family of four with two bicycles connected together carrying the whole family), people riding on horses, mini vans  carrying pilgrims' supplies while the seniors were walking, and taxis' doing the same thing for others who were too tired to carry their knapsacks.

( Anyone walking on the Camino was called a pilgrim, therefore qualified for the Pilgrims' Daily Dinner Specials at the local restaurants.)  There were people riding bikes, tricycles, , and yes, horses! Pets were not allowed to sleep in the hostels; they were kept outside the buildings overnight while their owners taking their rest indoor. 

We stayed mostly in the hostels during our Camino trip. Some days, when there were no beds in the hostels, we enjoyed our stay in some private alburges and paid just a few Euros for each of us.

Seniors volunteered to cook and feed the pilgrims

The hospitaleros were mostly volunteers who had walked the Camino themselves and dedicated their time to serve the pilgrims in the hostels.

Of all the hostels we stayed during our Camino trips, there were two alburges which really stood out for me. The one in Ponferrada and the one in  Burgos.

Meeting people & having great conversations with them was the best!

The most interesting part of the Camino was meeting many interesting people from across all over the world with the majority of whom from Spain, France, Italy and Germany. A few fellow pilgrims I remembered really well were:

- Steve, a teacher, and his sister from the U.S. who invited us to join their group of pilgrims composed of Italians and people from other countries for  dinner. We had one of the most interesting conversations ever!

Wheeling their pet while walking on the Camino!

- a  German couple who started walking straight from their own house in Germany, all the way to Spain with their beloved pet carried on a wheel barrel! Everywhere they went, they drew attention and provided picture taking opportunities for others. When asked why they were wheeling their dog around to which they replied, " It was so much walking for the dog that the bottoms of his feet were bleeding."  Very considerate pet owners indeed!

- a Japanese young man with a suitcase on wheels and a small cooking pot travelling solo for a year around the world!

Meeting people while waiting for our beds outside a hostel

- a Norwegian professor who slept on our top bunk waking up half naked in the morning and talking non stop to my bemused husband not sure on where to focus his eyes.

- a French woman who started talking to us from across the table in a local diner and we had another great exchange 

- a very friendly conversation with a father and son team from Italy while waiting for a bed at a hostel 

Lots of fun visiting places in Santiago, Spain

- Kaston, from Germany, was so competitive that he told us he literally had to overtake everyone in his way by walking a whooping 30-40 kms a day!!!  
( When we reached our destination at the Cathedral in San Diego, he asked if he could share an apartment with us for a couple of days. We did and ended up visiting the city together and getting to know him better.)

One scenario I remembered vividly was a Spanish gentleman trying to initiate a conversation with me while I was alone in a courtyard of a hostel writing my journal after dinner. He did not know a word of English wheras I was totally ignorant of Spanish. He displayed his friendly gestures by offering me an ice cream followed by a beautiful single stem flower; he made a few attempts to converse with me but all to no avail.

Reaching our destination - Santiago, Spain

I was kicking myself for not knowing some Spanish phrases or having my Spanish book with me. ( I have since taken some Spanish courses! )


We were very proud of pushing our limits and attempting the Camino entirely on our own! It was exhilarating getting our goals accomplished and upon the completion of our trip, we felt as if we could do anything in the world!

I celebrated my big 50 birthday while one the Camino and it was the most memorable birthday dinner we ever had!

R.T.
Toronto
Reminiscing our Camino trip in Spain

P.S. While I was reminiscing what I did on my 50 years old birthday,  CNN reported that Michelle Obama just turned 50. What a coincidence!

Pushing Our Limits - Walking the Camino in Spain!

This afternoon, we heard a radio show on CBC discussing people who pushed their limits and achieved something of which they felt very proud.

This reminds me of our own episode of pushing our limits and it brings a huge smile to my face. A few years ago, reaching an important milestone in my life, I wanted to do something memorable to celebrate my special birthday that year.

I was inspired by reading an article in a magazine picked up while on a Christmas skiing holiday in Collingwood. A thirty something Canadian woman, newly divorced and laid off from her work was facing a crisis in her life. She decided to walk the Camino in Spain to refocus her life and afterwards, wrote a very interesting article on her solo journey.  

Walking the Camino  - what an interesting and exhilarating idea was that!  With the support of my dear husband, we decided to walk the Camino De Santiago in Spain the following summer. Knowing it would be an exhausting and physically taxing  journey for us as we were not athletic people, we made the new year resolution to improve our physical condition and be ready for our very first walking journey. 

We pushed our limits by walking the Camino in Spain!     

We started our training on the first day of the new year. After parking our car at the York Mills subway station, we walked south on Yonge Street towards the downtown area. Walking on the first day of January, we were dressed for the sub zero temperature with layers of clothing, mittens, scarves and hats to keep out the cold.

We started our walk at around 10a.m. and reached Danforth Ave. at about 4p.m.That was our first day of training and it was not as bad as I had thought! Over the next three months, we walked every week and gradually increasing our speed. To learn more about the Camino and be better prepared, we also attended meetings and presentations by the Little Pilgrims of Canada in Toronto.

Hostel in Ponferrada, Spain - starting point of our Camino journey

After the snow melt in March that year and being aware of the demand of carrying everything needed for our Camino trip, we began practise walking with a knapsack each on our back. We were told that a person should not carry a knapsack with contents more than 15% of his/ her body weight. We each got a good quality backpack and kept walking with our supplies on our back and slowly increasing the weight a little more each week.

By the end of June, we were ready! I was more ready than ever as I just finished the first year as a school principal in Toronto. I was mentally exhausted and stressed out with all the heavy responsibilities of running a busy school. As a new school administrator, there were so much to learn and the learning curve was steep.

I worked everyday from 7:30am until 8:30pm, hardly had any time to myself or did anything outside of school.  I looked forward to walking with the wind blowing on my face, being outside and breathing fresh air while basking in sunshine and be in touch with nature again!   

We flew to Paris, took a train to Irun, a border town in Spain, and started our walking adventure. 

It was exciting being one  of the Camino piligrims!

The Camino spans from the border of France  across the northern part of Spain, a total distance of more than 800 kms. It would take about 30-40 days to walk the entire journey. Unlike me,  my husband did not work in the school system, therefore he did not have two months holidays annually. He only had two weeks in Spain, therefore, we could only walk for that amount of time.

One can start walking the Camino at any point, but in order to get the certificate at Santiago - the destination of the Camino, one must walk a certain minimum distance.

From Irun, a border town of Spain and France, we took another train and travelled to Ponferrada where we started our Camino walk!

R.T.
Toronto
Reminiscing our own episode of Pushing the Limits in Spain

How to Write Your First Resume - Volunteer Experience Does Count!

Writing Your Very First Resume

I met with a young person who emailed me asking me for assistance in creating his very first resume. Since we were to be in Waterloo this Sunday, we drove to Waterloo earlier and met with this university student for three hours on Saturday evening.

This young person is a university student who has done a lot of volunteer work each summer in the summer camps I directed. However, because this has been volunteer work, he did not think he has any valuable real work experience to put down on his resume. To help him see the valuable skills he has accumulated through his various volunteer work and summer jobs, we did the following in helping him to come up with a resume that is worthy and ready to be sent to potential employers

1. Asking him questions of what he did so that he could recall and elaborate on his different job experiences

2. Recounting and write down all the different tasks and responsibilities in his summer, part time work and volunteer assignments

3. He had a rough copy done and printed out before I arrived. By thinking over of what he did over the years, he was able to remember a lot of the tasks and responsibilities in the many summer and part time jobs he has had in the past.

 4. I asked him to categorize all the experiences he wrote down under different headings according to the jobs he would be interested in applying. 

5. Since this young person is interesting in a teaching job in the future, we created four big headings where he categorized all his information and experiences:

A. Education - List all education and certification here

B. Teaching Related Experience

- Any volunteer and summer job assignments such as summer camps, tutoring etc. went under this heading in reverse chronological order with the job title, organization and responsibilities clearly stated

C. Employment Experience  

- Any jobs that were not teaching related were grouped under this heading. Again with the job title, company and responsibilities clearly stated

D. Other Skills and Talents

- This includes computer skills, musical skills, talents and extracurricular leadership 

After J. wrote down everything, we worked on refining some of the words used in the resume, making sure that the most important and relevant information was at the top under each job and removing irrelevant information from it.

We ended up having a little bit more than two pages. However, it is very important to keep a resume under two pages. We did more editing, having the titles underlined and the spacing aligned. 

J. did achieve a very polish and professional looking resume after our three and half hours meeting! He was delighted because at the beginning of our meeting, he did not think that he had much to offer. After our discussions, he was happy to discover that he in fact has lots more to offer to his potential employers.

The next step is for J. to look for jobs in the municipal government and related websites in his hometown and come up with a covering letter. 

Finding that first job takes a lot of hard work and persistence.I encouraged him to send out as many applications as possible. J. has done the most difficult and time consuming task of creating a professional looking resume. He is on his way to land the very first job in his career!

R.T.
Waterloo, Ontario