US & Canada Trip 2005

This trip was like a dream come true. I never thought I would go to the States and Canada.

Here's how this trip came about.

Early 2005, Indran and Madeline got married. Neela (Indran's sister), Jason (Neela's husband) and Joelle (Neela and Jason's daughter) came back from Canada to attend the wedding. We were all so busy with the preparation. After the wedding, Neela asked us to pay her a visit in Toronto and proceeded to tell mum about us (Eunice and I) visiting her. Mum was feeling generous and said that she will pay for the air fare. Woohoo! I remember feeling giddy at the thought of travelling so far.

Arrangements were made. We also decided to visit Ruth's parents, Pastor Keith and Pastor Jeff in Minnesota and go to New York because it's so near Toronto. With so many destinations, I spent night after night, looking for cheap internal flights. After weeks of sleepless nights (at that time, I was only using dial-up ... the connection was VERY slow), our plans were finalised and in less than 2 months, we were off to the other side of the world.

March 5, 2005

Mum cried at the airport (not sure why). Dad was neutral. MCTC - no feelings. Rajen - Sad. And we were excited about our trip.

The flight was delayed by 3 hours due to some technical problems. I was worried because we had a connecting flight. Many people were upset about it. Some would've missed their connecting flight. I kept my fingers crossed and prayed very hard.

We landed in LA with only 2 hours to clear customs and run to the other end of the terminal to catch the plane to MN. I remember running as fast as I could, dragging my luggage behind me. I was short of breath and my throat was so dry. I kept on running.

We arrived at the other terminal 10 minutes before the gate closed. Phew!!!!!!!!

We had to transit at Las Vegas. The flight was pleasant.

March 6, 2005

From there, we were supposed to only wait for 2 hours before our next flight. Well, our 12.50am flight was cancelled. And from what I heard, it was because some OTHER flight took our plane and we were left in the lurch. Many people were angry and scolded the ground crew. Some threatened not to fly with them anymore.

We opted to take another route (via San Diego and Phoenix) and our next flight was at 7.15am. We collected our luggage ... oh well ... that's another story. Two of our bags were badly damaged. We had to throw one away and get a new one. By that time, we were tired, sleepy, hungry and mad at America West.... until I saw some other bags were in worse condition than ours. Theirs had to be plastered together with tape and the clothes were peeking through the tear.

It was 3am when we got our luggage and were able to sit at a corner to rest. It was difficult to sleep because of jet lag. The shops were closed and we were hungry.

At 6am, we went to the gate to check our flight. A sense of de javu came over me as I noticed the empty gate number on the screen where my flight number was printed. True enough, that flight was cancelled. I was almost cursing the ground crew. Well, they were pleasant enough but there were too many irate passengers.

We went to the customer service centre to have our flight sorted out. They wanted us to take yet another route, going via Dallas and some other city but by then, I've had had enough. I told them that I want them to schedule us for the 12.50am flight straight to Minneapolis. We told them we were exhaused and wanted to be placed in a hotel. Eunice did all the talking after that because I was whacked. I shivered even though I wasn't cold. I guess it was due to the lack of food and sleep. I remember sitting at a nearby chair, covered myself with winter clothings and closing my eyes. I didn't care what other people thought of me. I was dead to the world.

It was nearly 9am when we checked into Hampton Inn, which is only 15 minutes ride to the hotel. Despite my exhaustion, I looked around the area while we were shuttled to the hotel. All I saw was dessert.

The hotel was prety basic ... a nice room actually. I started charging my new phone battery. We wanted to make a hot drink but did not know how to use the electric kettle cum coffee maker.

So we slept. We slept from 9.30am - 4.30pm.

After a good rest, we rushed out to see Las Vegas. The weather was nice - about 20C. We managed to see The Strip from across the road. Due to time limitation, we decided not to venture too far. Also, the sun set at 6pm.

We went back to the hotel for a quick shower before we left for the airport. Once again, there was this sense of worry and fear that the flight might be cancelled yet again. It didn't.

March 7, 2005

We arrived at Minneapolis at 6.15am. Ruth's mum and sister (Alta and Robyn) came to pick us up. We felt like midgets in their presence. They immediately recognised us because of our looks and height.

The moment I steped out of the airport into the covered parking lot, I was hit by the cold air. Probably 0C or colder. It was my first time experiencing winter and I'll never forget it.

It was a 3.5 hour drive from the airport to their place in Caledonia. On the way, we had breakfast. I remember seeing flurries flying around when we got out of the car.

We arrived at the Lamperts' cosy, country-like home at 10.30am. Finally!!!! After 52 hours of travel, we arrived at our 1st desired destination. Feeling exhausted, we took a short nap in a rose-themed bedroom. Everything in the room, from the lampshade to the mirror, was so country-like.

After our short, but refreshing nap, we went downstairs. Heidi was there with Sam. She was so excited to finally meet us and said that she felt as though she has known us for a looong time.

Heidi invited us to her house, which is a few miles away from Alta's place. She gave us a mini tour of her compound, introducing us to all the animals in her farm, including a pampered chicken, who wanted to be hand-fed all the time.

Then she brought us into her charming house and showed us pictures of Sam when he was born. He was indeed a miracle child who was born premature. There was a picture of a wedding band which was slipped past his elbows and around his arm when he was just born. So tiny and fragile. Well, thank God he was fine when we saw him.

That night, we had a sumptous home-cooked meal. Ruth's paternal grandparents, brothers, an uncle and a cousin joined us. It was like a family reunion for the Lamperts but I know that they were all there to meet with Eunice and I.

March 8, 2005

We had a good night's rest and woke up at 7.30the next morning to the great smell of breakfast. Alta made pancakes and cherry strudel. Yummy. We were beyond stuffed.

After breakfast, Alta took us around the farm. It was freezing cold out there (Sub zero) and she was kind enough to lend us a thick jacket and boots.

She showed us the business they were in - chopping firewood and demonstrated how the equipment was used to chop logs into small pieces.

Later, Chuck (Ruth's father) brought us around in his "truck". What is so special about this truck is that it was NOT originally a truck. It was a bus converted into a truck. That was pretty creative of them.

The Lamperts certainly owned a huge piece of land - 160 acres in total.

At 11am, we went to Grandpa and Gramdma Lampert's trailer house. Grandpa is officially blind and could only see different shades of black. He can't see the features of anyone standing in front of him.

Despite his handicap, Grandpa owned many machineries as he is also in the timber business. He once imported a big machine from New Zealand and had problems with the customs department because of his handicap.

Grandpa was so proud of his machines and showed us how to use them. He is certainly one man who is not hindered by his slight disability but instead, utilised his capabilities to the maximum.

Even though Grandpa and Grandma are in their golden years, they actually keep up with the latest technology. Both owned a computer each. Grandpa has his computer customised to fit his needs - a black and white screen and the words could be enlarged easily. Everything was magnified 10 times over.

Grandpa also owned a very old-fashioned cassette player. I haven't seen one like that before.

Time passed by so quickly and pretty soon, it was time to leave for Winona. We were so overwhelmed by their hospitality and kindness and would like to stay longer but our planned itinerary didn't allow us to.

Knowing that we love to scrapbook, Alta took us to a scrapbook outlet. We spent a lot of money in there. I wanted to buy everything in the shop !!!!

We had a very late lunch at Old Country Buffet. It only cost us $10 per person, which I think is pretty cheap.

After a 2-hour ride, we arrived at Winona. We met Pastor Keith in church and he brought us to his place. They live on the ground floor in a two-storey house and rented the 1st floor out. We slept in the basement, which is also their TV room.

We brought some gifts for him and his family. One of them is this bubble which does not burst easily. The children were fascinated with it. Konnor, the eldest boy (age 10) thinks "it's cool" and hugged Eunice out of sheer gratitude.

Keith's boys kept refering to us as "the girls". Made me feel like I was in my teens. When Keith first introduced us to Konnor, he exclaimed, "Malaysia!!! The land with plenty of coconut trees?"

That night, a few friends (who visited us in Malaysia a year ago) came over for a visit. They, too, played with the bubble.

March 9, 2005

We knew the boys wanted to see us before they left for school, so we woke up early enough to say "goodbye".

After that, we had breakfast with Kristine, Kody and Kaleb. Kody (4 years old) was so cute. He kept us entertained and later, played a card game with me while Kristine showed Eunice her scrapbook.

Keith came back at 10am, took us to church to show us around. Then we went to the Winona State University where he was actively involved with the student ministry.

We also got to see the Mississippi River which was partially iced because of the cold temperature. It certainly looked warm in the bright sunlight, but it was 2C.

Lunch was during the drive to Minneapolis. I sat in front with Keith and chatted a lot with him. Well, most of the time, Keith was doing the talking. He joked a LOT, which made the 2-hour journey seemed short.

In the middle of the journey, Keith caught sight of an American Bald Eagle and made an illegal U-turn to take pictures. Maybe it was rare to see one in Winona... but he was happily snapping pictures of the eagle.

We arrived at Pastor Jeff Ballantyne's place at 5.30pm. We were told to get ready to go to church for a prayer meeting. During the prayer meeting, Pastor Jeff was blessed by a Word. It really ministered to him.

We went to a restaurant in Minneapolis where two of Pastor Jeff's Chinese friends (from Malaysia) joined us. After dinner, Pastor Jeff took us on a city tour.

March 10, 2005

The next morning, we walked out of the house and saw that the snow blanketed the roads while we were sleeping. It was a lovely sight. My very first time touching snow.

Our flight was at 10am and we had to be at the airport by 9am. Pastor Jeff dropped us there. Our stay was so short that we didn't get to see Pastor Jeff's wife, which was a real pity.

We stopped in Chicago for a 1 hour transit. The above picture was taken when we were going to land at the Chicago Airport.

After that, we headed toward the Big Apple.

Eng met us at the La Guardia Airport in the evening. From there, we went to "ta pau" dinner at a Malaysian restaurant. We had Penang food!

Because Eng and Karen were working, we went around New York on our own. Eunice, who has been there before, became my tour guide. We bought a 7-day subway ticket and became part of the rushed crowd.

March 11, 2005

I remember coming out of the subway station and walking into NYC downtown. Tall buildings enveloped me. I could only look up and gawk (as well as admire) at the skyscrapers looming above me. After my initial reaction, I noticed many brightly lit screens around me.

We went to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It wasn't as crowded as I expected and we were able to take the first ferry across. I guess it's because it was cold and the weather was downcast. It even snowed for a while. It was certainly not a good day to take pictures but definitely a great day for tourists like me who do not like to wait in a long queue.

By 2pm, we had visited both islands and were ready to go shopping in NYC. That was pretty fast, according to Eunice.

We went to the World Trade Centre - Ground Zero, and China Town on Canal Street.

At 6pm, it was getting dark and we arrived at Central Park. We did not go too deep as it was said to be dangerous (See "Stuart Little").

That night, we met up with Karen and we had dinner at a chinese restaurant in Flushing (Chinatown in Queens).

March 13, 2005

We left the house at 8am, had a quick breakfast at Starbucks and was at TIMES SQUARE CHURCH by 9.15am. Church service was at 10am and we had to queue before an usher took us to a seat. Because it was my first time visiting the church, we got a seat which is relatively close to the stage. This church really looked like a broadway theatre

At 2.30pm, we met with Karen & Eng and we walked to the United Nations building. Nothing much because we were too late for the tour. We did manage to get our faces printed on stamps and wrote out postcards to send out to our friends and relatives.

March 14, 2005

We decided to explore New York at a leisurely pace. First, we visited Rockefeller Centre, the famous skating rink where we read about in novels. According to Eunice, this place would be beautifully decorated during Christmas time.

We went past St. Patrick church, which is a popular landmark in NYC. We saw many yellow cabs - made popular by the movies we see on TV.

We decided to go to Central Park again because it was still bright. We passed some buggies and horses for tourists. I was tempted to ride in one but I think it would be expensive.

In Central Park, we tried to look for the Zoo but by the time we found it, it was closed. Central Park is REALLY very big. One could get lost in there.

The trees were awesome. I would love to visit Central Park during autumn. The trees would look beautiful with all shades of red and brown.

We came out of Central Park and stopped at a hotdog stall. It only cost $1.00. Cheap. The pretzel didn't look too appetising but I bought one anyway. It was yucky. Hard and savoury. I expected the opposite. Malaysia's Auntie Anne's pretzel is a hundred times better than that.

We met Karen at 7pm and had dinner at a Korean restaurant. I was fascinated by the many side dishes in one meal.

March 15, 2005

We went to a Broadway show - Beauty & the Beast. We didn't have to queue for heavily discounted tickets because Karen helped us via her BMG connection. It cost $50 and Karen generously declined any payment from us. The show was spectacular. I loved the way they move their props.

We went to Barnes & Nobles bookshop before having lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. The meal cost us $26 (incl tips) because we shared a meal. We had burger and brownies with ice cream.

That evening, we took a cab to the La Guardia airport for our flight to Toronto. Jason met us there and brought us back to his place.

Jason and Neela's place is a two-storey townhouse of which they occupy the 1st floor. After we settled down, Neela showed us where she kept everything. She explained that she is not a morning person and that we were to make ourselves at home - meaning "Make your own breakfast".

March 17, 2005

We woke up early and went out with Jason, who showed us how to use the subway, and explained the bus system. After that, we were on our own. We were hungry (and cold) and walked into a Subway restaurant to have our breakfast.

Knowing there was a scrapbooking shop along Queens Street, we walked along that stretch. What we didn't know was that Queen Street was a VERY long street. We gave up after a long walk.

March 18, 2005

We went to Casa Loma, which was perched on a hill overlooking downtown Toronto. The castle was huge and looked ancient but it was built in the early 1900s. We started with a 1/2 hour show on knights and how they fought with the sword., followed by a show in the library. After that, we toured around the building. I remember going via an underground passage from the main building to the stables. Pretty cool.

The story goes to say that Casa Loma was built for Lady Pallet (Sir Henry's wife). After the completion of Casa Loma (which took 3 years), Lady Pallet left him. Ten years later, Sir Henry Pallet was in a financial difficulty and forced to give up this castle. Much later, it was handed to the State to be made into a tourist attraction. How sad!

March 19, 2005

It was purely a shopping day for us. Jason offered to take care of Joelle while Neela drove us to the shopping malls nearby.

We went to Hobby Lobby, a great place to empty our pockets on craft stuff. Believe me, I almost bought the whole shop. After purchasing all the things, Neela commented that it was the longest receipt she has ever seen in her life. The lady at the cash register took a long time keying in my receipt.

Next, we went to Dixie Mall, Aunty Annie's favourite mall.

At about 7pm, Jason called to inform us that he cooked dinner. (10 points for Jason) Wow!!! We shopped the WHOLE day.

March 20, 2005

We started our journey to the Falls early but stopped at 2 scrapbooking shops along the way. We only reached the Falls at 5.30pm.

We had the better view of the Falls - from the Canadian side. The waters were violently gushing down and splashing everywhere. It was cold and with the water splashing at us, even our fingers were numb. Nevertheless, we we stubborn enough not to wear our gloves for long because they cause us to be clumsy when we hold things.

We also went to Niagara on the Lake and saw some lovely buildings. It was late and most of the shops were closed. What a pity.

March 21, 2005

We went up the CN Tower, tallest structure in the world. The funny thing is .... I haven't even been up to the KL Tower before. And you know what? We had to pay C$27 just to go up. What a waste of $$$. I guess we went up there just for the experience.

There was a floor where we could stand on the glass and look down. Pretty scary. The glass was safe to walk/stand on as it was a foot thick.

We went to Hard Rock Cafe after that. Once again, Eunice and I shared a meal. It cost us C$22.00 including tips.

We met with Jason, Neela and Joelle and they took us to Montreal. The first thing I noticed when we crossed into Montreal was the sign boards. There were all in 2 languages. French and English. It was like as though we were in another country.

We stayed at the Mariott Hotel where all 5 of us crammed into one suite. It was big enough of us because of the extra space given at the sitting area. There was a sofa bed which could be converted into a comfortable bed and a small kitchenette for our convenience.

Eunice and Neela went to a nearby fast food restaurant to order dinner. When they came back, they told us what happened. They were trying to place an order in English. The man at the counter spoke French to which Eunice and Neela said that they don't speak the language. The man asked, "Why not?" like as though French is THE language. Neela had to explain that they were Malaysians.

Get this! Even the menu in Mac Donalds have two languages - French and English. They didn't allow us to take pictures of the menu .... so there was none to prove it. You'd have to go see for yourself.

March 22, 2005

Monteal Science Centre was just a 10 minute walk from the hotel. It was divided into 4 parts. The first one was a crime committed and we were supposed to be the chief investigator. There were three prime suspects and we were to find the evidence and send them for tests to accertain the guilty party.

The other three parts were physics, mechanical and bio based.

It was fun and entertaining. We had to have an inquisitive mind to be able to enjoy the whole experience. There were a lot of things to see and experiment. There were many educational computers to help us understand and at times, play around and see how everything works. Time passed by quickly. We were there for nearly 5 hours. I think, if we had the time, we could be there fore a whole day.

After that, we walked around old town Montreal. We picked up a tourist attraction booklet and saw that Notre Dame was nearby. We paid C$4.00 for entrance fee. It was 3.30pm and we were told that they "close" at 4pm.

The external building structure looked interesting ..... but not as spectacular as the internal ornate and decorative surroundings. It was quite dim but we managed to capture a nice shot of the place. Glass paintings surrounded the sides of the massive building. Behind the main building was the chapel.

March 23, 2005

We went to Biodome, where there were different species of reptiles, birds and mammals in exhibit. The temperature outside the building was 3C but once we entered this place, Neela said, "Welcome to Malaysia". Indeed it was warm and humid, even my glasses was misty when I walked in.

We saw : Monkeys (Golden Lion Tamarin), endangered reptiles and tortise, waterbabies, capybara, North American porcupine, wood ducks, all kinds of penguins, etc.

March 24, 2005

With a comprehensive map in our hands, we explored Montreal. The weather was a little too chilly (about 2-4C) and we walked fast to our main destination for the day - the shopping mall. We went past China Town but did not venture there. After 15 minutes, we arrived at The Bay.

March 25, 2005

It was Good Friday and Joelle had to go to an Easter party at Steve's (Jason's cousin) mother's place. Neela asked us to go along but we wanted to go to the Toronto Zoo.

We walked a lot in this Zoo. The Zoo Mobile (shuttle) wasn't in operation at this time of the year. Although the temperature rose to 6C that day and the sun was shining, it was sometimes chilly but with all the burning of calories via the long walk, we managed to keep warm most of the time.

We saw many animals : giraffes, zebras,swamp wallaby (which looked like a kangaroo), hyena, Artic wolf, cougar (a.k.a puma), polar bears, grizzly bear, mouflon, Siberian tiger, mara, spider monkey, bald eagles, elephants, Orangutans, Sumatran tiger, African cheetah and many more animals which we can't get to see in Asia.

We spent a total of 4-5 hours in there. I think we needed a whole day to be able to see all the animals there. We skipped some of the pathways because there wasn't enough time.

That night, we made Neela take us to the Toronto Airport Church. It was a youth conference and most of the people were young and vibrant. During them praise session, many jumped, danced, went wild, etc. Many brought blankets to sit on. The worship session was long. Started at 7.30pm and ended at 9.15pm. We left at 9.30pm (before the message) because we were tired.

March 26, 2005

We were supposed to go to Tuckers, a western buffet, for lunch but it was closed so we took Aunty Annie's suggestion and went to Mandarin. The buffet spread is mostly Chinese with a mixture of Western. It was C$13.95 per head because it was a Saturday. Normal weekdays would cost us C$9.95 each. We ate to our hearts' content We were so stuffed and found it hard to breathe.

2pm saw us in a queue at Queensway Cathedral where the Passion Play was held. We were actually there an hour early and even that, we managed to get a seat near the back row on the ground level.

The props and staging were so nice that I couldn't help taking pictures of it. It cost them C$50K to put up such an extensive stage. This backdrop was improvised over the years as they have been doing the same play year after year.

Three thousand people filled the hall. The response was so overwhelming, the Emcee asked us not to come back for the next show.

March 27, 2005

Easter Sunday.

Eunice and I woke up early to get ready to go to church. When we were ready, Jason and Neela were still in bed. When I tried to wake them up, they said that they were tired and wanted to sleep in. "It's Easter Sunday", I exclaimed, horrified that they would skip church on this day. I managed to get them up and we all went to church. :-)

Just after the praise session, the Senior Pastor called all the children to the front and told them a story. That was really sweet.

That night, we went to one of the church member's place for dinner. Neela brought Konyaku, which I made.

March 28, 2005

We woke up very early and was out of the house by 5am. Jason fetched us to the airport for us to catch our 7am flight back to New York.

Upon arrival at the La Guardia airport, we took a cab back to Eng's place. From there, we went out again, to Flushing where we did our last minute shopping. We came back just 2.30pm and found Eng's brother cooking lunch for us.

Eng came straight from work to fetch us to the Newark International airport, which is slightly more than an hour from her place. We actually left early and thought that we had a buffer of 40 minutes. Traffic was fine until we hit Manhattan. From there, we had to take the bridge across and that was where we got stuck for a long time. By then, it was raining heavily. Eng was worried and kept calling her friend for an update of the traffic situation there. She explained that he was working in a very tall building and could see how heavy the traffic is from his office.

Just as traffic was about to ease off, Eng's car engine died. She couldn't start the engine again. Something was wrong. She was almost in tears, worrying that we might miss our flight. We got out of the car, into the rain, to see what was wrong with it. Being ladies, we didn't have any clue at all. It was cold and we couldn't stay out for long. Eng caught sight of a cab and frantically waved for it to stop. It did and a big, burly black guy came out. She paid him $50 to take us to the airport. It was only a short distance (15 minutes) and he knew that we were desparate. It's daylight robbery!!!! $50 is too expensive! I told Eng that I wold pay but she insisted that she paid because she felt bad about the whole situation. Because we were holding up traffic, we quickly transfered our bags into the cab and went off, leaving Eng to her problematic car. I felt bad, leaving her like that but I couldn't do anything about it.

Later, we found out that her car battery died. It was time to change it, Eng said. I thought it was because of the traffic jam that caused her car to be overheated.

During the short ride to the airport, I tried to make a little conversation but the cabbie wasn't up to it. In fact, he was a little short when he told us that we had to pay extra for the entrance fee and that's NOT inclusive of tips. While I was trying to digest what he said (my mind was still thinking of the fact that Eng had already paid him so much, surely it would include everything), he repeated again and this time, he said almost menacingly, "You understand?" like as though he was talking to a 6 year old kid. I quickly said, "Yes".

He took us to a quite place where there were factories and storage buildings and I got scared. Many TV crime scenes flashed in my mind and I was already expecting the worst. I talked to Eunice in Malay, saying that I don't think this was the right way to the airport. Then I called Eng and described (in Malay, of course) the area we were in. We talked until I saw signs to the airport. We were back on track.

When we finally reached the airport, I gave him $25 (about $5 extra) and thanked him VERY nicely. I was wishing that I had a Christian bookmark that I could leave in his cab but I didn't. :-(

We didn't rush in to the airport because we called earlier (when we were stuck in the jam) and found out that our flight was delayed by at least 2 hours. For that, we were very grateful.

Our flight back was smooth and we arrived at KLIA at 6.15am, as scheduled.

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My first US trip and I experienced problems upon arriving and leaving the country. It was an experience not to be forgotten.

Ruth's parents were wonderful, stuffing us with home-cooked, country-style food. We crammed so many things in just a day and a half..... visting Heidi, grandpa & grandma, showing us around the farm, going to a scrapbook shop and driving us to Winona. We were supposed to spend 2 nights with them but the flight problem we encountered at Las Vegas made that impossible.

Eng was kind enough to allow us to treat her place as a hotel, leaving very early in the morning and coming back late .... also, giving us 2 sets of keys for our convenience to come and go as we please. Thanks to Eng's brother (forgot his name) who vacated his room for us and slept in the hall ... also to cook us a few meals. We could never count on Eng for that because she's a hopeless cook.

I'm grateful for Jason, Neela and Joelle, who allowed us to disrupt their routine and planned in such a way that we could all go to Montreal. I will miss the many late nights we had, talking until our eyes could no longer open.