December 2016 There are cities and countries that just happen to witness my tantrums in the most unexpected of times. Long story short- I had an off day. I need to get away from Seattle. “That’s it, I’m going to Canada.” So off I went in the most spontaneous of fashion. Canada (~36 million ppl) with her 10 provinces and 3 territories is the 2nd largest country by total area in the world. From my studies in Indigenous studies back in Aus, I know that the Aboriginal People of Canada enjoys better treatment than their Australian counterparts. Having inhabited the land thousands of years prior to the usual European colonisation, they became second-class citizens once the British and French made their mark. The colony of Canada was first established by the French in 1534. Conflicts followed before the country gaining independence around 1931 (It was in 1982 that Canada took…
North America
North America: USA and Canada
USA: Sleepless in the City of Rain
3 – 7 August 2016 Every state in America has a different feel to it and after leaving the City by the Bay, we landed in Seattle. The drive to our hotel located in Bellevue offered us a short tour of the landscape in this seaport city – unlike the dry golden hills in SF, everything is green and lush here. As the largest city in the Northwest region and Washington State, it is one of the fastest growing major city in the US. Similar to the history of Australia and Canada, cities in the US were previously inhabited by the Native Americans way before European settlers called it home. Seattle is one such example and only gained its modern day name in 1852. An interesting note here is that the word “Seattle” is derived from Chief Si’ahl of the local Native tribes. …
USA: In the News
August 2016 I had to kill time on my boring and uncomfortable flight so what better way to do that than to read the local newspaper to understand the US media climate and angle of reporting? Basically, like other newspapers around the world, the weekdays newspaper differs from the weekend edition and reports are divided into sections by topic and by region: national and international news. The cutest would have to be the “OFF DUTY’ section which features easier more lifestyle oriented reads. Whoever came up with that title is adorable! Nothing is as important as presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton aka the two most face palm politicians ever! I cannot believe that someone as foolish and thick-skinned as Trump can be nominated. Nor can I believe that Clinton, after her email scandal, is clearly above the law. How in the world is this fair though? Different newspapers will…
USA: City by the Bay
31st July to 3rd August, 2016 After saying goodbye to my Uncle and slipping into a depressive state, crunch time at work and a business trip to USA was perhaps just the thing that I need to ease the pain. Perhaps I’m on an escape but I really need it.The United flight from Shanghai to San Francisco was long and tiresome. I was not at all impressed with the 3-4-3 seating arrangement and old Boeing model of the United flight! Along with my 3 other colleagues, we tried our best to nap along the way but landing in SF early was tough as jet lag slowly sinked in. A trip to the local supermarket in Sunnyvale gave me an interesting insight into the food industry and packaging in the States. Yep- things are bulkier and bigger even than the ones in Australia and NZ. San Francisco with about 7100 people per km2…