…until I get to put my arms around my baby sister again!
She’s coming back home for a short holiday, and I can’t wait! (To learn more about her life in Korea, you can visit Letter from South Korea: Part 1 and Letter from South Korea: Part 2.)
Archive for March, 2010
March 15th, 2010
Need to getaway? Make a break for Montreal.
If one day at home with the little cherubs on March Break has you swilling wine tonight, it’s time to consider a getaway.
In all seriousness, I do find it hard to feel like I’ve had a “break” if I don’t leave home, don’t you? And I often think children must feel that way too.
A visit to the Biodome museum's rainforest is better than being at an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. (Okay, no really. But it is better than doing laundry at home.)
I’ve got a getaway idea for you that won’t break the bank: Montreal. When I brought my daughter to this city, she really did feel like she’d travelled to another place — new environment, different language and a hotel with a pool! Woohoo! It’s easy to make kids happy, really.
So, from Ottawa, you’re looking at an hour and a half drive. Not much, really. You could do it all in one day, or you could splurge and spend the night.
To give you a feel for how it could all shake out, here’s what I did over a 2-day period not long ago:
- We packed up a car with two moms and two seven-year-olds.
- Drove straight to Auberge Universal, which is a basic but definitely decent family-friendly hotel, in Montreal.
- The hotel is located right near the Insectarium, the Botanical Garden and the Biodome nature museums and will provide you with a free shuttle service back and forth, to and from.
- After meadering around and learning and admiring earth’s amazing creations, you then return to the hotel to eat a nice big burger and fries (sure, the hotel restaurant is supposed to be Italian, but whatever. Sometimes a girl just needs a burger.).
- Once dinner is complete, ensure that the little ones are nice and tired by heading down to the pool for a swim — kids only, of course. Moms can sit leasurely on the side, sipping wine from their Siggs.
- Head back up to your room. Crash.
- Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the hotel and then start making your way back to Ottawa.
Monsieur Croc
Penguin Party!
Les Creepy-crawly
All for $185.00! Includes accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children under 10, breakfast, shuttle, parking, and tickets to all three museums. Not a bad little getaway, eh?
Go on — be spontaneous! You know you wannnnnnnaaaa.
Other details on this Montreal trip can be found in this post. For more March Break getaway ideas that are within driving distance, check out this list here.
Questions? Just leave a comment. I’ll be happy to provide any details that I can.
March 15th, 2010
Winner of the NAC tickets!
Thanks to everyone who came to visit and enter their name into the draw for 2 tickets to see Mysterioso: Music and Magic opening at the NAC this Thursday!
I just entered all of your names into random.org and the winner is KELLI! Congrats Kelli – I will contact you directly with the details.
March 11th, 2010
Magical mystery tour (ticket giveaway for Ottawa’s NAC)
Magic shows make me think of a Ken-doll look-a-like man, a Barbie-esque assistant, and tacky costumes with too much skin. And velvet — lots and lots of velvet. But I’ve never actually seen a live magic show though, have you?
Well here’s your chance: Joseph Gabriel will be performing a magic act in concert with the National Arts Centre orchestra. The show is called “Mysterioso: Music and Magic.” I’ll admit it does sound a bit cheesy and I’ve never been smitten by watching magic shows on television. But live? That might be pretty cool. Especially since Gabriel has been feted by everyone from Johnny Carson to Rosie O’Donnel.
Here’s a clip from one of his shows:
So, hey, I’m up for it! If you are too, I’ve got two tickets for the Thursday, March 18th show.
To enter, simply:
Make sure you’re available to attend & leave a comment (no need to use a real name if you’d rather not). I’ll draw a name from the comments using a computer randomizer on Monday, March 15th at noon.
March 8th, 2010
If you were an Algonquin College Advertising student
I’m going to be stopping in to Algonquin College as a guest speaker tomorrow. I’ll be speaking with students in the Advertising Program and the particular course is Professional Practice, which is described like this:
Attitude, communication, and human relations are the key to surviving in the ever-changing world of advertising. This course helps you prepare for workplace success by providing practical expectations and useful tools to make a successful transition from school to workplace. The course discusses self-management, workplace politics and etiquette, building relationships, and tools for the future.
To date, the students have covered all the basics such as resumes and interviewing skills. Now the professor has reached out to the community and a number of guest speakers have given their time.
I’m billed as a “freelancer.” While only a small portion of these students may be interested in pursuing a writing-related career in advertising, many may consider working freelance now or in the future. The idea of bringing in guests is to simply expose students to as many different career paths as possible so that they can be aware of the multitude of options, as well as to provide a safe space for asking questions of people already in the workforce.
So, my question to you is: if you were to start over again in the workforce, what would you like to know now that you didn’t know then? What valuable tips do you have that I can share? Lessons learned the hard way? Any “reality check” issues that I should bring up?
Your help is really appreciated! Thanks.
