Hey everybody! This is Qin Yong writing in for this exciting week. As usual, the start to the week was relatively boring as we were working. We were still getting used to the environment and started to cook our own meals, buy groceries/necessities etc.
To help us get used to the environment, Aunty Carrie brought us to the nearby Costco on the 18th September by car. At Costco you can buy bulk groceries at a cheap price, however you will need a membership card to buy stuff there ( and a car to transport groceries ). Thankfully Aunty Carrie was kind enough to bring us to Costco to buy some groceries.
The very next day, on the 19th, IBM held a townhall. This is a quarterly event that happens at IBM offices, it is essentially a meeting of all employees who wanted to participate and have some fun. It starts off with the Canada Lab director stating the agenda for the town hall and kicking things off. For the townhall, IBM had a few startups come in and talk about their businesses, what they do and how IBM's technology impacted their business. There was a small talent show and it ended off with some updates on the Area 631 project.
Throughout the talk, they gave away prizes ( IBM long-sleeve shirts ). We were lucky enough to get 4 of them! After which, there were events happening all over the building, free lunch at the marketplace ( beef burger! ), free beer ( limited to one per person ), free ice cream, there were demos of projects such as the VR public speaking trainer. There was a corn maze, bingo, a bus with Toronto Raptors' memorabilia and a guided nature trail that was really interesting. I even got a photo with the mascot! We mingled with the other interns at Area 631 ( very interesting concept and projects, do check them out! )
The weekend came and it was time yet again to head out. This time, we went on a tour with the teachers to the Niagara Falls. When we reached the falls, we were stunned by the majestic view of the Falls. We took a boat ride to get closer to the Falls. Niagara Falls actually consists of 3 falls, the Horseshoe Fall ( the biggest one ), the Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls. Note: you WILL get drenched if you don't cover yourself entirely with the given poncho. After the boat ride, we watched a short film and went through a museum on the Niagara Falls ( the history and people who have attempted the falls ) and then we went up the Skylon Towers to admire the fantastic view of the Falls from above.
can you guess which is the Horseshoe Falls?
Do note that you can opt out of the planned meal at Skylon Towers if you rather settle lunch yourself ( cheaper this way ). However, the view of the Falls will be blocked by wire mesh if you choose not to dine with the tour whereas in the restaurant you can take a clear picture of the falls behind a glass window. Hugo, Mr Victor and I chose to settle lunch ourselves while Ms Lim went with the tour group. While we did get clear photos of the falls, we could not take photos with our body in it as the falls would be blocked by wire mesh.
After take photos at the tower, we went to find lunch. We chanced upon an authentic Jamaican restaurant that was frankly the best thing I've eaten while in Canada ( personal preference :) )
I had the jerk chicken, there is a pizzeria right beside it
After lunch, we headed back to the coach and went wine-tasting! We went to the grape farm and tried Canada's famous iced wine. We then headed to a ginseng farm after that and ended the day there. ( I personally don't recommend buying iced wine here as it is a bit too expensive, buy cheaper iced wine from Applewood winery! )
The next day, we went to the Black Creek Pioneer Village with the teachers. This was Mr Victor's suggestion and he drove us there ( thanks a lot Mr Victor! ). As we found out, Black Creek Village is near York University and is in fact accessible via public transport ( don't need a car ). They do also hold special events ( Halloween etc. ) from time to time. Do look out for discounts on admissions too. Black Creek village is a look into the past ( specifically 1860s ) of Canada's history. There are around 35 buildings that recreates the lifestyle and living conditions of a simple village back then. There is a lot to see and look at, the Victorian style architecture, the trades of the past ( printing, milling, shoe making, broom making etc ), the people and their stories and even special breeds of animals the farmers there used to keep. It is very educational and it's fun to talk to the "villagers" who will explain how life was back in the old days.
We spent the whole day there and ate their BBQ burgers and hot dogs for lunch. By the time we finished exploring the village, it was time for dinner. We decided to try out a ramen place that Ms Lim had found near our place. It was absolutely delicious and was definitely worth it ( best eaten on a cold day ). There was a Whole Foods there as well that we explored after the ramen meal ( think fancy supermarket with organic and like really healthy stuff ). The quality of groceries there is far superior than in somewhere like Costco and NoFrills but it is quite a bit pricier. Definitely worth a look as they sell some pretty unique stuff!
After exploring Whole Foods, we went back home and concluded our fun filled weekend :)