Celine's Life Adventure

Happy Saturday! I feel extra special today because my husband planned our date. He asked that we go to the Stargazer Exhibit at Tsawwassen Mills, but I wasn't motivated to go, so he insisted and offered to pay. We started our day with breakfast from Wendy's. It's our first time trying their breakfast options. Check what I thought of it  here . Afterwards, we took the train to Bridgeport and rode Bus 620, which stops at Tsawwassen Mills. It's a big mall (by Canadian standards). I was telling Jomar that it reminded me of the malls in the Philippines minus the crowd. Before heading inside the mall, a kind stranger asked us if we knew how to go back north (We looked like tourists!), we said no (since it was our first time here), and he kindly explained where the stops were located.  There are Indigenous art installations all over the interior of the mall. We arrived an hour before 11 AM and had time

It's the second weekend of July and we have activities planned out. I like visiting new places, but Vancouver has many events that every weekend feels like a mini-vacation. With that said, below are some of the things we did. Friday Night at BC Place  Weekend starts Friday evening. We walked to and from BC Place to watch the Vancouver Whitecaps FC lose to Minnesota FC 3-1. 😐 Despite the results, I enjoyed the view on Cambie Bridge. View from Cambie Bridge at 6:12 PM View from Cambie Bridge at 9:47 PM Saturday Morning at Costco Because we had a long night with the heartbreaking lost of the 'Caps, we woke up a bit later than planned and went straight to Costco for early lunch and groceries. Just like the night before, we walked across Cambie Bridge to get to Downton Vancouver. View from Cambie Bridge at 11:36 AM  We feel more like an adult with our own Costco membership. No more mooching off my parents' card. Saturday Afternoon at The Khatsahlano Street Party After running

Canada Day falls on a Friday this year which means a long weekend. It's our first Canada Day as citizens of our new home, and below is how we spent the weekend. Thursday: Movie Date After working hours, we went straight to Marine Gateway and had dinner at  Tim Hortons . But, more importantly, we watched Lightyear at Cineplex. I need Sox in my life. Afterwards, we grabbed groceries from T&T. I can't wait to prepare the kimchi fried rice and okonomiyaki we got. Friday: Canada Together celebration at Canada Place For the first time ever since moving to Canada, we decided to head to Downtown Vancouver and enjoy the festivities at Canada Place. The main stage of the "Canada Together" event. We started the day by walking across Granville Bridge to Canada Place. We stopped by Tim Hortons at Hornby Street because Jomar requested we get the S'mores Iced Capp, and I agreed only if we pass by a Tims location. View from Granville Bridge (n

Happy Sunday! I wanted to watch the BC Lions season opener last night, but I need to sleep early because I'm "running" (walking/jogging) the following day. I registered to run 5 kilometres during the RBC Race for the Kids. Nat Bailey Parking Lot My husband is a runner. He did a half-marathon last month, and here I am doing my 5km. My hope (goal) is to hopefully continue losing weight and be able to run with him. I am just happy to lose a bit of weight since last year that jogging doesn't hurt my knee anymore because it can carry my weight. Yay for small wins! We started the day early and went straight to the parking lot behind Nat Bailey Stadium. I got my Hero Cape for fundraising more than $500 for BC Children's Hospital, and we enjoyed the day. I'm running, but Jomar is not, so he has all my things and will wait for me at the finish line. My leg cramped during the 2nd an

It's a busy first weekend of June for us. It's filled with activities Jomar, and I enjoy. Friday Evening - Canada Passport Processing Time The "weekend" starts right after working hours are over on a Friday. So last Friday, we went straight to the nearest Canada Post to get a package, specifically my Canadian Passport. After 12 weeks of waiting, it's finally in my possession. Steps For Me (In Person) For My Sister (By Mail) Date of Receipt March 11, 2022 April 5, 2022 Credit Card Charge March 11, 2022 May 9, 2022 Passport Received June 3, 2022 May 13, 2022 Movie of the Night: Top Gun (1985) After admiring my Canadian Passport and preparing dinner, we watched Top Gun (1986). It's the first time we're watching it as we prepare to watch the second movie. I now understand some of the references

We're almost halfway through May, and while the Philippine elections stressed me out, I am constantly reminded to be grateful that I call Vancouver home. Below are some highlights of our May 2022 so far. BMO Vancouver Marathon Jomar ran the half-marathon during the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 1, 2022. Below are more detailed blog posts on how the day went (for me, at least). Breakfast from Starbucks Lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine Dessert  at Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee Cloudy Day on May 1, 2022 - Perfect Weather for the BMO Vancouver Marathon I'm proud of Jomar for completing the half-marathon. 🙌 New Chromebook I have been using a Chromebook since end of 2016, and I've only used Asus Chromebooks. I purchased a 13-inch one (2016), then an 11-inch one (2017), and now I have a 15-inch Chromebook. The two smaller ones are close to end-of-life (no software updates), so I'm giving them to my mom as her travel device. 15-inch Asus Chromebook Mother's Day Dinner A

This post will be a "photo dump" of all the videos and pictures I captured this April 2022. It's such a good reminder that I live in a beautiful city and can stop and smell the flowers. View from Cambie Village Cherry Blossoms near Granville Island The video below is taken while walking along Cambie Bridge and inside BC Place. The video below is when we had 5 minutes of hail last April 10. 3rd Avenue from Burrard Street Inukshuk near English Bay Beach Park View from Burrard Bridge I hope you had a beautiful April 2022. Stay safe and be kind.

I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed today, and thank God that it went well. I am recovering better than I thought, thanks to painkillers and antibiotics. But, more importantly, thanks to my awesome husband, whose been reheating the soup we prepared beforehand and making sure I have icepacks on my swollen cheeks. Thank God for full-time work that provides insurance and HSA (health spending account), which means we got (or will) reimbursed for the procedure. How do you get your wisdom teeth removed in Vancouver? This is based on my experience as a patient, so it may vary to vary. For five years (since I had Dr. Kent as my first dentist in Vancouver), he explained that my wisdom teeth are there, but they're not impacted, so he recommends we keep observing it. Now, in 2022, one of the teeth came out. There's no pain yet, and they're still all behaving. I think I could have waited, but I asked my dentist what she recommended. She believe

Happy Saturday! We started our weekend with free breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks. 😄 Then, we walked 30 minutes across the Granville Bridge to David Lam Park. We're attending The Big Picnic organized by The Vancouver Cherry Blossoms Festival.  Beautiful sunny morning to admire the cherry blossoms tree. I didn't know that David Lam Park has that many mature Cherry Blossoms tree. It's beautiful. A lot of families, friends are picnicking under the colourful trees. I absolutely love it!  David Lam Park I prayed last night that it will be a beautiful clear day instead of the forecasted rainy day and I thank God for answering my prayers. We also ordered the Blossom Bento Box from Sushi Private Catering and it was delicious.  Enjoying my Blossom Bento box under a Cherry B

Happy Saturday! It's Family Day long weekend, and Monday is a non-working holiday in BC. Our original plan for today is to watch the scrimmage game of the Whitecaps FC team in BC Place. However, it was scheduled at 2:00 PM, so I started looking for museums that we could visit near the area that we could see in the morning. I found in Google Maps The BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, which is inside BC Place (separate entrance). I booked a ticket right away for the 10:00 AM entrance. Guess what? The tickets were free because it's Family Day weekend! BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Entrance Free game and free visit to the museum - I feel so blessed. We arrived at the museum at 10:15 AM and stayed there for almost three hours. We visited the gallery in the following order: Vancouver 2010 Gallery - Moments and memorabilia of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games  Hall of Champions  - A lot of pictures and tributes to honour the inductees of the BC Sports Hall of Fame Defining Moments