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ABOUT ME Way better than any Facebook listing.

So, you want to know a little bit about me, huh? Well, since I don't want to ask my friends what they really think of me and I don't wish to share my reference letters (and rejection letters) with you, I guess I'll have to do all the talking. I hope that everything is satisfactory!

This is an excuse for me to scan my favourite photos. I have had an appreciation for photography ever since my Photo 9 class with Dr. Woo (who was notorious for putting students into headlocks at their own requests). As you'll see, I don't necessarily pick the best photo but one that I can use to talk about myself. It is my page, after all!

Taken: By Chee, November 4, 2011, at No Frills in Oshawa, Ontario.   Details: During my hockey road trip last year, my friend and I were crossing the Maryland-Pennsylvania border as I was reading out roadside attractions. When I announced we were passing by the Herr's factory, my friend took the next exit and introduced me to their potato chips. We bought several snack-sized bags and, in particular, the ones made with Heinz ketchup. Anyway, on a recent swing through southern Ontario, I came across a sale on those chips at a local supermarket. After consulting with my friend from the road trip, I left the store with 11 bags of chips. Surprisingly, all of them made it back to Ottawa two days later.

Taken: By Chee, October 1, 2011, at Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador.   Details: Once I realized that this year's university recruitment campaign would take me to St. John's, I asked a couple of Newfoundlander friends about things to do while I was there. One friend gave me a list of bars on George Street, while the other one highlighted food stops in the city. When I asked for tourist sites, there were only two to consider. At Signal Hill, I got a great view of the city while almost being blown off by the strong winds. Meanwhile, it was much more tranquil here at Cape Spear even though I was mere steps away from the Atlantic Ocean.

Taken: By Laura, September 27, 2011, at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.   Details: It is always hard work when I get to travel to different schools to do workplace recruitment presentations. I want to make sure that the top students apply for our campaign. However, I also like to make sure that I have a fun time. When we got to Acadia and found our room, I noticed that there was a statue of Charles Huggins just outside. After the presentation, I got my colleague to snap a photo of me with the Nobel prize winning scientist. Note that Dr. Huggins is holding (on either side of my pamphlet) a lab rat and a beaker.

Taken: By Chee, August 1, 2011, on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.   Details: I don't usually enjoy guided tours. They are rather restrictive, and I prefer to go at my own pace. So, I was quite surprised at how enjoyable the Alcatraz cellhouse audio tour was during my visit to San Francisco. It was very well done, and the pacing of the recording was perfect with plenty of information given at each point of interest. During the description of the famous 1946 prison escape, I was fascinated to be at the very spot where the attempt was made. I also enjoyed being able to stretch the jail bars with the help of a bar spreader.

Taken: By Chee, July 15, 2011, at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest.   Details: Even when I was younger, I didn't care much for getting autographs from famous people. Instead, I prefer to say hello and have a memorable conversation. (That's why I had such fun working in the Olympic athletes village last year.) So when I attended Cisco Bluesfest this year and found out that Hannah Georgas would be at the autograph tent, I got in line. When I chatted with her about how better Vancouver is compared to muggy Ottawa, she calmly stated, "I'm originally from Ontario." I give her a couple years to drink the west coast Kool-Aid...

Taken: By Manh, June 13, 2011, outside TD Garden in Boston.   Details: Despite my cheering for the Canucks during the Stanley Cup Final, I'm stuck being a fan of the New York Rangers for the rest my life. My buddies still won't forgive me for cheering against Vancouver in 1994, the last time they made it to the final and lost against the Blueshirts in seven games. When I made the trip to catch Game 6 in Boston, I was happy to see Nick Kypreos with the hockey panel from Rogers Sportsnet. Even better was that I got to meet fellow '94 Rangers alumnus Ed Olczyk. My friends and I spotted him walking to the arena, so I got to meet him and be the recipient of a very firm handshake.

Taken: By a tourist, May 18, 2011, outside Rogers Arena in Vancouver.   Details: Having experienced the annual dismissal of the Vancouver Canucks from playoff contention several times in the past, it was a mild surprise to visit my hometown with the team still in action. It was fun walking around downtown and seeing team jerseys (both real and counterfeit) and flags all over the place. Following a trip to the souvenir shop to pick up some playoff towels, I headed over to Gate 3 to see the statue of Roger Neilson. It's funny how his mock surrender to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1982 led to all the white towels being waved in support of the Canucks these days. I'm certain that the team store managers are forever in his debt with their towel merchandising.

Taken: By Manh, April 22, 2011, in Whitby, Ontario.   Details: It is quite normal for me to abruptly pull over to the side of a road, get out and pose beside street signs. Usually, I do it to signify playing a new golf course. However, I made an exception coming across this one when I welcomed my friend to the province. Before visiting Whitby, all I knew about the town was that it was the home of the Dunlops that won a world hockey championship back in 1958, and that's still probably all I know about it now. Noteworthy about this sign is the population count, which is actually 111,184 according to the 2006 Census. Hopefully, my buddy and his fiancée will fill out their forms this month and bump up that figure!

Taken: By Chee, March 26, 2011, at Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen.   Details: For many of my online activities, I go by the handle Smoked Meat. It is a tribute to Schwartz's Deli, a place where I stopped by during my latest visit to Montreal. The first time I ever went there was with my Mom, and I remember that visit quite vividly. We could only get seats at the counter since the deli was packed. Everything looked old and filthy, and the piece of sauerkraut draped over the rim of my glass did nothing for my appetite. However, when I took my first bite of a medium fat sandwich I was hooked. I shared my gospel of smoked meat to anyone who would listen, from friends back home to sports radio host Jim Rome, who also shared my love of Schwartz's. This time around, I only had a couple sandwiches, but I know I'll be back for more.

Taken: By a tourist, February 5, 2011, on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.   Details: The thrill of outdoor skating is hard to resist. It draws famous rock stars to hit the ice before concerts, so it was quite natural to affect me as well. I waited for the first weekend of Winterlude before going to the Rideau Canal as it was a gorgeous day with plenty of sunshine. The skate from Dow's Lake to downtown was quite pleasant with a nice breeze pushing me along. When I made it to Kilometre Zero, I needed a photo to mark my accomplishment. However, it also meant that I had to skate back in the other direction since I had forgotten to take my photo at the other marker. With the wind in my face, the return trip took twice as long. However, I did manage to pick up a lot of freebies handed out at diferent kiosks on the ice, so the trip was not completely worthless...

Taken: Automatically, December 21, 2010, at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.   Details: My Christmas flight back to Vancouver was my fifth departure from the Ottawa airport that year. Whenever I go on a trip, I tend to pack rather efficiently. I prefer taking morning flights, so I usually take the bus to the airport. If I travel with a large suitcase or my golf clubs, I simply store them overnight at the lost and found counter. My preference though is to avoid checking baggage at all costs. After my previous carry-on bag got abused going through an x-ray machine (the security person sent my bag in diagonally, snapping a button off my suitcase), I was happy to get a new hard shell suitcase. I had plenty of clothes for this trip, and I avoided buying bulky gifts until I got into town. As for the backpack that I'm wearing, it's empty and waiting for the haul of Christmas gifts to bring back.

Taken: By Cathlin, December 17, 2010, at a colleague's house in Ottawa.   Details: I've been a video game guitarist for about four years now. I still can't play at the expert level of Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but I have no problem playing notes with all five buttons. However, I'm no longer very dedicated to the games, especially since my PlayStation 2 is rather obsolete and it is tough finding any new games for it. Still, I have a collection of about a thousand songs that I can play so I don't think I'll run out and upgrade my console anytime soon (or at least not until I get a better TV). Anyway, I still enjoy playing fake instruments as I am here at a Christmas party.

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