Niagara Falls and Kingstons, Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: 2-3 September 2008




i never imagine Niagara Falls will be a place look like Las Vega or playground.
In my mind, it should be a place like Taman Negara or National Park.
To our surprise, around the Falls, the town is just look like a big playground, with things like: hunted house, different theme of wax musuems, casiono ...



At night time, spot lights are "shot" on the falls. (The greenish thing at the left side of picture.)
One of the building at the right is a Casino while the other one is some kind of viewing tower.



The fall at the left is called American Fall (at the American side) while the one at the right is called Horse Shoe Falls.
Horse Shoe Fall forms the misty clouds at its "curve" and it is the famous "Maid of the Mist".
In fact, i was a bit dissapointed because the falls are not as huge as i imagined.



Across the Rainbow Bridge is the American side.



In the boat heading to the "Maid of the Mist".
A close encounter with the American Falls.
Most of the people wore the blue raincoat which came with the boat ticket, but we prefered to get the showers from the falls.
This is where is got my engagement ring as well, right on the boat, in front of the falls.



The American Falls.



The boat drove right to the middle of "Maid of the Mist" and everyone took a real shower from the falls.



Horseshoe Fall, which forms the Maid of the Mist.
Beside from boat for you to get near to the fall, there are trips to walk behind of this fall as well.



Seeing the speeding water "falls" down.
The sound and the height and the speed of water gave a very powerful imprint in my memory.





The nearby small town, Niagara-on-the-lake (it is beside of one of the America 5 big lakes, Ontario Lake).
In contrast with the Las Vega liked Niagara Falls, this small town is touristic yet peaceful.
We feel almost like in Europe.



Niagara-on-the-lake is famous with its ice wine, thanks to its weather and soil.
There are many fruits farms and vineyard along the way to the town.
But the grapes to make wine don't taste good to just eat like that.



i do not remember what river is that, but the opposite side of the river belongs to the America.
At this point, i think i realised that, Canada and America do share a very long border!
There are many rivers or lakes or parks which are shared by both.
i haven't really get the "feel" of this in Montreal.


Rockpoint Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada: 3-5 September 2008



Erie Lake, one of the big 5 America Lakes.
We had 2 days camping at Rockpoint Provincial Park.
We arrived from Niagara Falls to there at 9pm. Basically we just drove around the wood in the darkness, trying to find our campsite.



One of the interesting of Rockpoint Provincial Park is the fossil by the lake.
The lake is so big that one would think it is the sea.


Kingston. Ontario, Canada: 7 September 2008




The beautiful and historical town hall.
Kingston is a small town by the lake (or river, couldn't really remember now), between the big city, Toronto and Montreal.
Many of the old buildings are made from limestone.



The Sunday market.
There are some street performance as well.



There is a large prison in Kingstone (i suspect that is due to the limestone produced by Kingston, the material to build the prison.)
So, there is an interesting small prison museum.
Things display in the museum, including the weapons and equipment created by the inmates using very basic material, such as tooth brush, fork ... , for the purpose of escape or "self protection".

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: 31 July - 2 Aug 2008

Flags-all-around-capital

Some Montrealers that i have met said, Ottawa is boring. Yeah, maybe in compare to the colorful and cultural Montreal, Ottawa is just a boring government city.
In fact, i don't see more than 30 of Malaysian flags at downtown Kuala Lumpur or Singaporean flags near Singapore downtown as well, but it is just bizzarre or drive you crazy to see so many maple left flags around because all the major government offices are just near to the parliment hills, downtown. With all the flags, you can't forget that you are at the place of federal government!
i guess, Ottawa "need" to be boring so that it looks exactly like a government place. :)
Well... i like here though. It is slow and kind of quiet as a city.



Byward Market is a colorful, bustling area where activity peaks on Saturday. Outdoor vendors, mostly farmers from West Quebec and the Ottawa Valley sell Vegetables, fruit and flowers.
You can find craft, meat, seafood, baked goods and cheese around too.



This old market building from the 1840s lends its name to the adjacent neighborhood.



National War Memorial.
Reminded me of the "unmoved" soldiers we saw at Taiwanese Jiang Jie Shi's memorial.
It seems like a pair of "not moving" solider is a kind of international "respect" to the deceased military personnel.



Rideau Canal.



The supreme court of Canada.
Completed in 1946 and is partially open to the public for visit.



Parliament Hill.
The Peace Tower at the Centre Block and the eternal flames right in front of the courtyard.
There are free guided tour to the internal building.



Downtown Ottawa from the Peace Tower.



The memorial inside of the Peace Tower.
A big books with people's name is inside of the coffin-liked structure.



Rideau Hall, where the Governor stays.



National Gallery, one of the finest in Canada.
i like the big spider.



The Canadian Civilization Museum at Gatineau.
It is right opposite to the parliment hill.



Fritzroy Provincial Park. It is just an hour drive from Ottawa.
We went for a day of camping.

Sutton, quebec, Canada: 2-13 July 2008

My grandfather passed away when i was in this course. May he gained a good rebirth and always be guided with dhamma in his coming lives.
May all my merits of participating this retreat be dedicated to him.
May all beings be well and happy.

Ten Days Vippassana Meditation Retreat

Day 0:
Taking of 8 precepts for old students. i joined the same course last year in India, so i am an old student now. i get my own cabin for this reason, instead of sharing with others in the dorm or double room.
The cabin was right in the middle of maple trees forest, so it was always cooling and calm.
There are only 5 cabins.
The disadvantage of living in the cabin was: No toilet.
So i made sure that, i drank a lot of water 3 hours before sleep and after that, drank only a mouthful or so during each resting periods.
With this tactic, i never had to go to the toilet in the main building in the middle of night. It was like 5 minutes walk uphill.

In my memory, i do not remember Goenka ji speak English in an Indian accent. (i paid so much attention to 'accent' now because sometimes, people do not understand my English due to my accent.) When i heard his chanting, i felt moist in my eyes. A kind of feelings that, i am backed to a "place" that i used to go.
Noble silence started after the precepts taking. For the coming 9 days, we are not allowed to speak or to communicate with others.
For old students, we had our last light dinners before the precepts taking ceremony and we could only drink liquid: lemon water, for the coming 9 days.

Day 1: Observe the in-out of air through your nose.
Day 2- Day 3: Observe the sensation at the triangle areas between your upper lip and your nose.
Day 4: Vippassana Day. Observe the sensation of your whole body, from head to toes. After this, 3 times a day, the participants are supposed to sit still without moving at all for one whole hour.
Day 5 - Day 10: Observe the sensation from head to toes and toes to head.

Let me save the details of each day, in fact, i couldn't remember that much details after more than a month. But the peace from the meditation has imprinted in my brain. i think, this is what made me go for another retreat after the first one.
There are a few "interesting" realisations though:

i always thought i am quite a simple and 'kind' person. But from this retreat, i was surprised to find out that, i have so much anger within myself. i always try to be nice and be a good buddhist, but sometimes, i force myself to do things that i am not that much willing to do or i am just supressed my needs so that others can be happy (at least i think they will).
There are times that, i am just act out of fear. i am scared that, by saying "no", people will not like me anymore.
i guess i accumulated stocks of angers within myself. Pile and pile of anger appeared in the form of 'heated' vibration.
(During "good" meditation, in simple words, when one do not have that much of the wondering minds, the sensation of the body is very very clear that you can even fell the tiny tingling or pickling of your skin.)
Ajahn Brahm said, compassion to ourselves is equally important. May be i have just missed this points for all this while.

From that little bit of peace and calm and joy that i felt from the retreat, for first time in my life, i understand what does it really mean when the sangha said, it is out of compassion that the Buddha had taught dhamma to others. He could just stay in the cave and enjoy the fruits of his serene and happiness without sharing with others.
(If you had enjoyed the "zest" from the meditation, then i think you know what i mean.)

One bizzarre thing:
One of the girls that i met last year in India was in this meditation as well! It is kind of difficult to believe it when we saw each other again during the registration! She was the dhamma server in India and even at Sutton, while i was the participant for both retreats.

* No pictures are taken from the retreat centre. :) i was not there for pictures taking. :)




Regional Park of the waterfalls: Monte-a-Peine-et-des-Dalles, Quebec. Almost 3 hours from Montreal.



Lac de l'Argile, Quebec.



St Gabriel, Quebec.



Montmorency Chute, Quebec City.



Lac Breeches, Quebec.