There is plenty to do in Ontario and finding decent hotels in Edmonton can make sure your trip is smooth. Nothing can ruin a trip faster than a bad stay at a hotel. If you want to read more specifically about hotels in Edmonton click here. If you enjoy visiting London, Ontario, you will love visiting Edmonton. If you love hockey, you will love visiting Edmonton. If you like the night life, you will love visiting Edmonton. If you have a family, you will love visiting Edmonton. Continue Reading →
Decent Hotels for a Smooth Trip
Must See And Do Things While Visiting London Ontario
Welcome to London, Ontario – your perfect destination for a fun and relaxing time! In this welcome post,I hope to introduce you to some the many delights that London has to offer.
(If you’re interested who I am and how this blog started you can read the full story here)
For those who are interested in the detailed history of London, Soutwestern Ontario, Canada, you’ll get a great lesson by heading over to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London,_Ontario
OK. Buckle your seats belts and let’s get to work… Continue Reading →
English to English Translations
There can still be a language barrier even among fellow native English speakers. Any Englishman in New York, American in London, or Australian in Toronto can attest to that. With any type of distance — geographical, socio-economical, educational, professional — there always comes a certain cultural divide, and culture has a way of imposing its own unique spin on language, creating various regional accents, dialects, and sub-culture jargons. This is why the English heard on BBC news sounds different from that in East End, and why Bostonians sound different from New Yorkers and Texans. This is also why gangsta rappers, computer geeks, physicians, and football fans seem to speak totally different languages altogether, that a regular chap might need translation services.
Consider British and American English. The rules of grammar are the same, but there are some differences in spelling. Examples would be words such as “analyze” and “sympathize” are spelled with a “z” in the US, are spelled with a “z” in the UK — “analyse” and “sympathise”. “Color” and “honor” become “colour” and “honour”. “Liter” becomes “litre”, and “center” becomes “centre”.
Aside from the spelling peculiarities, there are subtle differences in vocabulary too. Sometimes it would not affect comprehension at all. Mathematics is shortened as “math” by Americans but “maths” by the British. A restaurant server in either country would understand when a customer asks for the “bill” as well as for the “check”. But sometimes the differences could lead to inconvenient misunderstandings. An American guy who orders some chips in an English pub would end up getting what he would call “fries”, while a British guy who orders a muffin in an American café would be brought something that looks like a heavier, denser version of a cupcake, instead of a small round bread that’s been split in half and toasted. A “vest” would be something worn on top of a shirt in America, but in the UK would be found strictly in the men’s underwear section. If one is sued, one would need a lawyer in the US and a barrister in the UK. These differences demonstrate that translation services should be able to translate text specifically to either US or UK English.
Here are other lexical differences worth noting:
|
US English |
British English |
|
cop |
bobby |
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corn |
maize |
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diaper |
nappy |
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drugstore |
pharmacy |
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elevator |
lift |
|
flashlight |
torch |
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garbage, trash |
rubbish |
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gas |
petrol |
|
|
post |
|
truck, semi |
lorry |
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trunk |
boot |
Locals from London are starting to carry Spearguns for Sale?
Many local residents are shocked to see that a new water sport is taking London by storm and suddenly shops that have Spearguns for sale are popping up all over the place. It’s called Spearfishing and many are surprised you can do it right in their own backyard. Better yet, tourist from the interior of Canada are flowing in to freediving and spear both Lake Michigan and Lake Erie.
Lots of people are falling in love with the physical challenges that this sport provides. Many are happy to report that they are losing lots of weight and making friends from their new found hobby. We sat down with the owner of Justspearfishing.com, a man who prefers to go by his first name Scott, and asked him to explain what has been happening with this new sport.
According to Scott, the sport has actually been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It dates back to primal man and has been a competitive sport for years in Europe. Now it is making its way to North American and it is making a big splash. In the past many thought you had to go to the open sea or warm weather places to Spearfish. This could not be any further from the truth. Apparently many of his customers live all over the United States and Canada, including some places you would never think of such as Wisconsin, USA.
However do not be surprised if you have to be a bit bold to really catch the big fish. Many locals will actually wait for the ice to freeze over, break holes in the ice, set lines to find their way back, followed by diving in and coming back with dinner.
Wondering how they dive in such cold conditions? Well its easy, they wear new and advance spearfishing wetsuits that are available in his store in a number of different thicknesses. The reason why you can dive in this type cold weather is that they actually do not come with any zippers. This way the water that gets into the suit and stays in. In older or less advance suits, the water will actually flow in and out of the suit. This means you’ll be constantly washed with freezing cold water.
Another tool of the trade worth mentioning is what you will need to catch those fish. As you may of guessed Spearguns for sale from Just Spearfishing are also available for purchase. If you do decide to get one for the local fishing spot, Scott recommends on that is only around 75cm-100cm in length. The reason for this is that you do not need guns that are intended for open water fishing. Mainly because the visibility is often not as clear in the lakes compared to that of the deep ocean.
Scott also quickly pointed out that Spearfishing off the cost in our lakes has one key advantage. You do not have to worry about shark attacks or one of them steeling your catch. Frankly, after that comment this writer is not sure she could ever Spearfish anywhere else.
Great Places for Family Outings
Family activities can be both very rewarding and completely exhausting, especially if you have little kids. Getting them all to stay in one place and sit still can be almost impossible. I’m always looking for new activities the entire family can enjoy that aren’t too expensive. If you’re looking to spend some quality time with your kids, here are some of my favorite outings.
Picnic in the Park
There are a number of things I like about picnicking in the park. First it’s choosing what to eat. In our house each member of the family gets to choose one thing they want to make. We make a list, go to the store, and each work on our own dish. Then when it’s time for lunch we get to share and talk about what each person made. Going to the park is also a great place to play some games. We bring the Frisbee, play on the jungle gym, and the kids do a lot of running around. When the picnic is over everyone’s exhausted and ready to rest when we get home which means we get some nice quiet time.
The State Fair
The state fair only happens during the summer but it’s definitely one of my favorite family activities. Admission is pretty cheap and there are enough food choices that everyone stays happy. Between the farm animals, the games, the shows, and the rides there’s enough to keep going for hours. They usually have some specialty activities for the real little kids, like pony rides or face painting . And one thing I really appreciate about the fair, which I never even considered before the kids, is that there is an abundance of portable toilets. Kids need to use the bathroom a lot and they never seem to want to go at the same time. And maybe it’s only me, but I’ve noticed a real improvement in portable toilets through the years, or maybe it’s just that we’re now calling them portable toilets instead of porta potties. Either way, they smell better and are cleaner than when I was growing up.
Museum
We have a great natural history museum in town that really caters to kids. A lot of museums offer tours designed for children where they give them a behind the scenes look at the exhibits and displays which is a real treat for the kids. I definitely recommend museums that have some sort of activity everyone can participate in as opposed to something like an art gallery where you wander at your own pace taking in the paintings. I haven’t met a kid yet that will put up with that!
Volunteering
My family volunteers once a month at the local food bank. Mostly it’s just sorting cans and dry goods but everyone feels good about it when we leave. It’s even good for the little kids because there’s always something they can help out with. Every family has their own activities that they like to do. It’s not so important what you do, just as long as you get to spend some time together and have fun.
Moving to Your Favorite City? Here’s What You Need to Know
Sometimes, we just fall in love with the places we visit. I can’t even count how many times I’ve traveled to a city and said, “I must live here!” In reality, I never commit to that statement, but I know that many of you have (trust me I get emails after I feature certain cities and they travel to them). Well, it’s like I never moved before and today’s post is to help people get situated in their new city far from home. There are certain tricks you need to know to make the process much easier.
I used to live in New York in my early twenties. One day I decided I wanted some change so I packed up my bags, broke up with my girlfriend, and didn’t tell my family that I moved to Calgary, Canada. I didn’t even have a place to move to, I just went. Seriously! It sounds crazy, and I admit it even sounds crazy to me now, but that’s what happened. I got a moving truck, put all my stuff in it, and just started driving. I’ve done some research before and I thought it would be a great change for me. I never planned on it to be permanent, in fact, I only lived there for two years, but it was a great experience; an experience I learned a lot from.
Once I arrived in the city in my moving truck, the first thing I did was look for a storage center. Luckily, there was a large place in the heart of town for Calgary storage. I didn’t know if it was reputable or not, I just went for it as it was the first one I saw. Luckily, the place was awesome, very organized, and very clean. As it turns out, they were rated the best (and only) self storage Calgary facility. Don’t worry if you feel you can’t find a storage facility in your area. Many of these storage centers have multiple locations. For instance my storage facility is a part of a much large company called Public Storage Canada and you can see all their locations on their website at http://publicstoragecanada.com. If you’re looking for a storage center in your area, just search Google for “self storage + city” and you should find many options.
I used this storage unit to unload all of my belongings besides the essentials, which I took with me to my motel. I lived in a motel for about a week, which was actually kind of cool, until I found and signed to lease a nearby apartment. I rented another truck and moved in. I found this process to be much easier and better than finding a place before I moved. This method allowed me to get a bit more familiar with the city, find a location I liked, and also find an apartment I liked by actually going to a few and checking them out in person. This is something you can’t do from the internet several thousand kilometers away. So if you plan on moving to another city or country, consider just going there, putting your stuff in storage temporarily, and live in a motel for a few days until you find the apartment or home that’s best for you. It’s worth it or else you could be stuck in a place you don’t like for far too long. Hopefully this tip has helped you with moving to another city!
Planning a Mesmerizing Trip
When you are out on a trip you want the perfect lodging as well. Usually we all have a strict budget and cannot afford to go beyond that, but here is our chance to act wisely and make the best possible choices that come our way. Your trip is going to be much more enjoyable if you plan it in a better way and you can easily get the results you are looking in for. I personally believe that rather than running to a travel agent you should start your research at your own end. When you are going out with your family you surely want quality time and you do not want to end up in arguments. This is only possible when you opt for the best resorts.
Your steps towards a perfect trip
· When you will start you search for the best hotel or resort everything that comes your way will seem mesmerizing. However, you have to choose the hotel with a realistic point of view so that you do not spend the rest of the year paying back your bills. The first thing to do is that you have to shortlist the best hotels in the place you are visiting.
· Now compare the rates and prices. It also depends upon the how long you will be staying in the resort. Moreover, most people want to tour and do not want to restrict themselves to the hotel they are staying in so if this is your perception as well, opt for an affordable hotel. You should not think on the lines of opting for a very expensive resort in this case.
· The good news is that you can get all the details sitting back at home because all of the good hotels have an online presence. You can visit their website and have a correspondence with them through an email and this will solve your problem to a great extent. One of the good names in the hotel industry is North Conway Bread and Breakfast NH weddings. You are surely going to experience an elite touch when you opt for bread and breakfast North Conway.
· You need to keep another aspect in your mind that you rarely get an opportunity to spend a quality time with your family. Therefore, you have to make the most of it. Your planning will decided the final result of your trip.
When you would have done your homework and made smart choices like bread and breakfast North Conway there are little chances that your trip would end up in a mess. However, we also need to acknowledge one universal truth that sometimes we make every possible effort to make things go right. However, even when we take all the necessary measures things may not end up as we want them. Now we should never let disappointments rule our mind because as long as you are with your family your trip is bound to be amazing and out of this world.
Different Styles of Pizza Around the World
Although exactly where pizza actually originated is hotly debated, there is no question that it is one of the most popular dishes in the world. Most historians believe, however, that today’s modern pizza is based on those created in the Italian city of Naples and brought to the United States by immigrants in that town. The first modern pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, in Naples opened in 1830. However, as the popularity of pizza grew worldwide, styles and types evolved until today, pizza around the world has as many different styles as it does toppings.
Japanese Pizza
American-style pizza is available in Japan, but it is often topped with ingredients far different than those found in America. Popular pizza toppings in the country include cod roe, sweet corn, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, octopus, seaweed or tuna. One very popular specialty pizza is a Squid Ink pizza where the tomato sauce normally found on pizza is replaced with black squid ink. Okonomiyaki, a Japanese-style pizza, has a pancake type crust made of water, flour, eggs and chopped cabbage. The crust is cooked on a griddle, not baked in an oven, and topped with sauce similar to teriyaki called okonomiyaki, mayonnaise, and dried bonito flakes called katsuobushi. The katsuobushi is sliced extremely thin, giving it the appearance of movement on top of the pizza, as the heat from the crust makes it wave.
Indian Pizza
Naan, an unleavened bread much like pizza crust, is served with a brushing of butter and garlic in India. However, there is American pizza in the country as well, and popular toppings are tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, minced mutton, pickled ginger, and tofu. Pizza is also topped with plenty of condiments including ketchup and chili flakes. Because a large majority of Indians are vegetarians, pizza shops have two separate areas to prepare the dish. Muslim pizza shops do not have pepperoni on the menu, while areas with a high concentration of those who follow the Jains religion, onions and garlic are not on the menu as those items are forbidden due to religious beliefs.
Brazilian Pizza
There is a very large Italian population in Brazil and pizza is very popular there. The crust in Brazil is thin and topped with a very thin layer of tomato sauce. Popular toppings include corn, quail eggs, beets, raisins, bananas, chocolate and a type of cream cheese called catupiry cheese. It is not uncommon for Brazilians to use ketchup or mustard on their pizza as well.
Romanian Pizza
Also served on a thin crust, pizza in Romania is topped with minimal sauce and cheese. However, pizza normally has a significant amount of toppings which include plenty of vegetables, even corn. Pizza is often served with two types of ketchup on the side, dulce, which is sweet or picante, which is hot.
In most countries, pizza shops serve what has come to be known as “American-style” pizza, but in actuality is the version that came to America with immigrants from the Naples region of Italy. A flat, round crust topped with tomatoes, cheese and a variety of toppings has become renowned worldwide, despite the differences in topping choices of Winnipeg pizza.
References:
http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/pizza_and_flatbreads_on_the_grill/different_pizza_styles.html
http://www.yourguidetopizza.com/TheWorldofPizza/Pizzasaroundtheworld.aspx
Being Secured When Things Go Out of Control
We are now aware that nothing in life is permanent and everything can just crumble apart beyond our control. The reason why insurance policies exist is that anyone can somehow start a new life despite the losses that you might go through. In any case, paying for a life or home insurance is a good way to constantly assure yourself that you can cope with difficulties if they come unexpected. Eventually, this will give you peace of mind and the chance to live a better life. Insurance brokers are always there to help you choose the best policy that is right for you. Being a broker for insurance has a lot of benefits, below is a representation of how their salaries vary from selected countries:
Get involved:
France: http://www.autoassurancecle.fr
Canada: http://www.mortgagecalculatorx.ca
Germany: Risikolebensversicherungtests
Three Careers for Experiencing the World’s Best Cities While Working
If you’re a regular traveler or you’d like to be, and you have a bit of a taste for city life, then there’s numerous ways that you can build a career around visiting the world’s best major cities. Whether it’s London, Ontario, or London, Great Britain, with a few clever career choices you can make sure that you’re living the travelling life in no time. There’s also absolutely no need for you to travel in any kind of discomfort either.
With that in mind, what kind of career choices are available? Remember, it’s always worth being absolutely clear about where your passion is and where you want to travel. If you can marry these two different aims then you’re set for an incredibly satisfying working life.
Flight Attendant: This is an obvious one. It involves regular travel all over the world and, since airports tend to be in major hubs, also means that you will mainly be visiting cities. The airline industry is a massive one and there’s always jobs coming available, so it’s worth immersing yourself in the publications and websites advertising these kind of jobs.
The other fantastic thing about working for an airline is that it often involves visiting smaller cities that you might not have otherwise planned to see. Out little city of London, for example, is serviced by the London International Airport and numerous airline companies offer both national and international flights. For more flight attendant tips you can click here. With the right personality and a genuine desire to experience the world’s different cultures, this kind of career can be an incredibly fulfilling one.
Archaeologist: People commonly think of archaeologists as excavating the ruins of ancient cultures. The typical idea is of someone who works in far out and remote places. Whilst this is true to some extent, what a lot of people don’t realize is that archaeologists tend to spend a lot of time in cities, where they need to be involved in the research departments of universities and work with museums and other institutions in relation to their excavations. There is also, very often, archaeological research that goes on in and around major cities themselves.
This kind of career can involve a deeply intriguing blend of travel and cultural research. One of the reasons that most people travel is to experience different cultures across the world. The ability to fulfill this interest is perhaps most available in a career as an archaeologist.
Teacher: Having a career as a travelling teacher is one that involves a large amount of freedom. It’s not as secure as others, but in terms of independence and availability it has few equals. It’s very easy to get qualified (the process usually involves little more than a short course) and there is a significant demand, especially in developing Asian countries that place the English language in high regard. You can pretty much set your own travel plan and it will usually involve six month to year-long stays in major cities and towns.
The City of London in Ontario, Canada – Fun to Visit, Hard to Leave
Visiting London
London offers countless opportunities for visitors. Located between Lake Huron to the west and Lake Erie to the east, London is considered an international center of scientific research, cultural activity and higher education. In addition to a variety of parks, London is home to a number of festivals each year, including the second-largest barbecue rib festival in North America, The London Rib-Fest. Other festivals include the second-largest music festival in Canada, Sunfest. Additional opportunities for music appreciation exist in the London Youth Symphony and Orchestra London. Culture by way of museums include the Museum of Ontario Archeology and the London Regional Children’s museum. If sports are your passion, London is the right place. Sports with teams playing in London include hockey, baseball, football, and the oldest active professional soccer franchise in North America.
When I visited London three years ago, one of my favorite destinations was the Skah-Nah-Doht Iroquoain Museum, which has recreated an Indian village. Immerse yourself in Tenth through Twelfth Century Indian village life. My other favorite was the Simcoe Street Brewery Tour of Labatte Brewery, which included a knowledgeable and informative guide and (hooray!) samples.
After my trip to London, I knew it was my new home. The opportunities for culture, the farmers markets, the green spaces throughout the area … as silly as it sounds, the city resonated within my soul. All that was left was to choose somewhere to live and immigrate from the United States. After spending around a year getting ready for the move, with the help of an attorney well-versed in the process of moving to another country, I was finally ready to take the big leap of moving not just across state, but across country lines.
London as Home
I’ve bought homes before, but never in a new country with a currency I wasn’t entirely comfortable with yet. I found a real estate company offering an abundance of services to me, the ex-pat. With Shelly, the agent, providing invaluable assistance, I was able to target a budget for my new home. She also helped me narrow down neighborhoods by my criteria – close to green space, shopping and dining within walking distance, and a yard for gardening.
After finding the perfect home in the perfect location, we even negotiated a six-month rental prior to purchase to ensure that I was happy with my choice. That time also allowed me to investigate the home and any repairs that needed to be made, including new Truth window hardware from www.reflectwindow.com.
Three years since my first visit to London, I am now a home-owning resident. I’ve continued my freelance writing career without interruption and settled into my new home. I can walk or bike to shopping, restaurants, parks, the Thames River, and even a few bars now and then. The city of London is fun to visit and hard to leave, with opportunities for music, museums, festivals and lake shore strolling around every corner.
Say Goodbye to Allergies with Air Filters
If you plan on spending any extended time in Ontario Canada, there are a few simple things you can do to greatly improve your stay. I recently had to move to Ontario for a six month stay because my employer was opening a new branch office in Ontario Canada. I went and found a house to rent for the six month stay and everything seemed to be fine until about a week in to my stay. I have terrible allergies to dust and pet dander but at home it isn’t a problem because I use special allergy reducing air filters in the HVAC system and I even have a few air purifiers located around the house which also use special allergy reducing air filters to help keep the air quality very high in my home.
The air filters were doing such a good job that I forgot that my allergies were terrible, that is until I moved in to the new house for work and my allergies started making my life miserable. Once I realized what the cause of my problem was, I called the landlord and asked if I could replace the main air filter in the house with an allergy reducing filter. He told me that would be fine, so I asked him what size I needed to get and to recommend a good place to get them. A lot of systems use a standard size filter but it’s not uncommon for them to vary in size and getting the correct size is important otherwise it will not work as effectively.
Unfortunately he told me that he wasn’t sure where the best place to get a new filter would be and that he had no idea what size filter I needed for sure. So I had to venture in to the basement and see if I could find the manual or the dimensions of the existing air filter. Lucky for me the manual was still in a plastic bag taped to the side of the heating system. I figured out that I needed a 16x25x1 air filter for the particular system and because the landlord couldn’t suggest a place to get them, I ordered a few from AirFilterBuy to cover my six month stay.
I was excited to get them delivered right to my door. I immediately replaced the old normal filter with the new allergy reduction filter I had ordered. Within 24 hours my allergy attacks had significantly decreased. However, it wasn’t quite as comfortable as my own home. I don’t know if the place I was staying at had more allergens in the duct work or if the particular HVAC system wasn’t as good at filtering allergens as the system I have in my home, but I was still getting slight headaches from my allergy symptoms, so I had to up my game and add a few air purifiers to the rental house.
If you are going to get some air purifiers for your home, I suggest you get the kind that has replaceable air filters. Some places will try to sell you the ones that don’t need filters and will talk about all the money that you will save by not having to replace the air filters but they don’t do anywhere nearly as well at removing allergens from the air as the ones that have actual air filters in them. I have tried many different systems over the years, because of how severe my allergies are and the ones with actual air filters have always, always, always outperformed any other type of air purifier even when they are more expensive than the filtered ones.
Don’t fall for any of the new technologies like ionizers etc. If you want to purify the air in your home, you need something that physically pushes air through a filter. A filter specifically designed to trap all types of allergens. Don’t forget that the size is very important. You should only use a filter that is sized specifically to the same size recommended by the manufacturer of the HVAC system that it will be used in. Filters that are too big or too small will not work properly because there will be gaps of air that isn’t filtered or the filter won’t fit properly.
Time to Convert the Loft for the Kids ?
With Sarah and Raymond now getting a little bit older, myself and Wendy have been thinking about converting the loft into their own activity area to give them a little more room. Sarah is 10 and Raymond is eight, so I guess Sarah in particular will be getting to that point soon where she wants her own chill out area to listen to music and Lord knows what else.
So that is why we have been thinking about loft and attic conversion and renovation. At the moment, our loft is basically just a big messy store room full of stuff which probably dates back to the Kennedy assassination. Truth be told, we could probably do with having a good clear out up there anyway, and this would at least give us an excuse to get rid of a lot of stuff we really don’t need any more.
The kids do get on pretty well, but we are also considering dividing the loft into two separate areas; one for Sarah and one for Raymond. I think the loft is just about big enough to do this, and each of the kids would be left with a decent size area to call their own. Of course, they each have their own bedroom as it is, but I kind of hope that having this extra room will encourage them to take up new activities or hobbies that they can do up there.
Of course, we are not going to get any old builders in to carry out this kind of work; we are definitely looking at employing reputable loft conversion specialist contractors to do the job. I’m no wiz at DIY, but even I know that a loft conversion is a big job and should only really be done by professionals. I guess the best thing for us to do is clear out the loft first, and then get some companies around to tell us what they think can be done and give us a quote.
We haven’t actually even sounded out the kids about this yet; I’m pretty sure they would both jump at the opportunity, but I think it is more sensible to get an idea of the cost before getting their hopes up. Of course, if the quotes we receive our affordable, and we want to go ahead with it, suffice to say that the kids will certainly be pulling their weight when it comes to keeping that whole area clean and tidy. I think it could be a really good opportunity for them to develop an understanding of looking after their own space; especially for Sarah. I’m sure we’ll give Raymond a little more leeway in that respect.
So there we have it, it looks like having a bit of a clear out and getting some quotes will be my task for next weekend. Come to think of it, perhaps we shouldn’t say anything to the kids and us parents can have our own little chill out area – wouldn’t that be nice!
| Today | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mostly Cloudy 50°/27° |  Overcast 30°/23° |  Partly Cloudy 25°/21° | Mostly Cloudy 28°/28° |  Chance of Snow 34°/14° |
