On April 19, 2011 Diddy Dirty Money graced the stage at Koolhaus (Guvernment) in Toronto! I was soooo excited about this because I just LOVE Diddy AND Dirty Money. The combination of them on the stage was off the hook! The line up to get in was pretty long.. I think we waited 40 minutes to get in, which is really ridiculous because we already purchased our tickets prior to the event and it was freezing outside! I think it was like 2C at the time.
I managed to get some pretty awesome footage (despite the horrible bassy audio recording) but some even better photos. Please feel free to check out the videos and photos below!
I must say, Diddy Dirty Money rocked the stage but when Diddy did his classics set along with his Notorious B.I.G tribute it sent the crowd wild. It is a must see! I also can’t believe I finally got to witness the “Diddy Bop” live with my own eyes! It made me a very happy girl.
Diddy Dirty Money Videos
Part 1: Diddy Dirty Money
Part 2: Diddy Classics
Part 3: Notorious B.I.G Tribute and Diddy Dirty Money finale
I picked this Canon Powershot G12 up last Friday afternoon for $499 (on sale from $569 at Blacks). I was pretty excited, since I’ve been wanting the G11 for awhile and was even more excited when the G12 was released.
Canon Powershot G12 Camera Specifications
It’s not much different from the G11, with minimal improvements the main being the ability to shoot 720p HD video and in-built HDR feature. The lens is 28-140mm f2.8 and has the same sensor as the Canon S95.
Now, I know I already have the Canon IXUS 80 and the Canon Rebel XSi (yes, I am a Canon lover), I needed something for in between. The Canon IXUS is small and light for events I don’t want to lug around a huge DSLR, but there are times I just don’t want to forfeit quality for convenience. This is where my G12 comes in!
The top features all the DSLR manual settings and it also has RAW functionality. So far, it seems like a great camera and I’m really excited to take some shots with this baby. Stay tuned for photos! :D
Last Saturday I used my Groupon coupon for a 1 hour snowshoeing guided tour at High Park which I only paid $25 for and is normally $50. Pretty good! It was snowing all morning until about noon that day, so when I arrived at High Park at 12:30 for my lesson, we had beautiful fresh snow and it wasn’t that cold either maybe about -5C. It was a really nice day because it was sunny and not windy. Absolutely perfect!
This is what it was like outside my condo while waiting for the streetcar.
Snowshoeing at High Park Photos
And this is what it was like when I finally arrived at High Park! So pretty!
Then we put on our snowshoes! What are snowshoes, you say? They are footwear to help you walking over the snow. Snowshoes distribute the weight of your feet over a larger area so that your feet do not completely sink into the snow. Snowshoeing is easy to learn, and is a relatively safe and inexpensive recreational activity.
We put the snowshoes on, had a quick 5 minute lesson and then we were off! There’s not much to know about snowshoeing because you’re just walking but in long and wide strides. You need to pretty much pretend you have clown feet!
Sammylicious TV: Snowshoeing at High Park (Video)
httpvh://www.youtube.com/embed/TQnOEnQA8Sg
Watch out for the part I trip! We were going down a hill and the snow was so soft, I slipped! Hahaha. Quite funny..
We went up and down so many hills, we were so dizzy, sweaty and hot after the hour. It was SUCH an amazing workout!
In all, the tour was very enjoyable and a great way to enjoy winter in Toronto without going far at all!
I had the great opportunity to visit the Willis Tower (formerly named Sears Tower), a 108-story building in Chicago which was the tallest in the world from 1974 to 1998. A rank that was held from time of completion and for a further 25 years. It is now the tallest building in the United States and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The Willis Tower is a major tourist attraction because you can purchase tickets to ride the elevator up to the 103rd floor and view spectacular 360 views of the city. The John Hancock Center’s tower which also offers an observation deck is only a mile and a half a way but is 98m lower. 1.3 million tourists visit the Willis Tower Skydeck annually and a main part is to see the all-glass boxes so you can look to the street below!
It’s actually much scarier than it looks as the box protrudes out and you feel like you’re floating out mid-air! But fear less – the glass used is the same material they use for space ships and can hold the weight of 4.5 tonnes!
Willis Tower is located on 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606 in Chicago’s Financial District.
SammyliciousTV: Willis Tower (Sears Tower) Video
Willis Tower (Sears Tower) Photos
The many names of the Second City: Windy City – Chicago Chi-Town
I love observation decks because it makes you feel like you’ve seen the whole city from this one spot. I highly recommend visiting the SkyDeck at Willis Tower, especially to experience the glass box! You have to be there to experience it.
When I booked my flight to Chicago, I had no idea what I was going to do there. Even 2 days before going to Chicago – I had no idea what to do! I did a quick search on Tripadvisor, my all time favourite online travel advisor and the number #1 thing to do was Bobby’s Bike Hikes. Knowing that I would probably be doing a lot of eating in Chicago, I knew I needed to do something that required a great deal of exercise so the bike tour seemed like a good idea.
On the website was a 3 hour Lakefront Neighbourhood Tour which is the tour that made Bobby’s Bike Hikes famous. They promised to take you to quiet neighborhood streets, city parks, and packed beaches of the North Side of Chicago. The highlights of the tour are Gold Coast Mansions, Oprah’s House, the Playboy Mansion, Lincoln Park Zoo, Old Town Historic District, North Avenue Beach, and the Lakefront. I love cycling and haven’t done it in a long time so I signed up right away!
The morning after I arrived I woke up early, had my breakfast and walked over to the River East Docks which was only about a 10 minute walk from my hotel. The tour started at 9:30am and it was already a bright and sunny day!
Sammylicious TV: Bobby’s Bike Hike Tour Video
If you watch the clip above, you can see how we ride along the beach to this even more amazing spot where you can view the Chicago skyline in full view. So awesome!
I was a bit over ambitious and wanted to record a video with one hand and steer my bike with another. You’ll see how I end up riding through a puddle of dirt which I get completely splattered with. Lucky I cut the video just before that!
Bobby’s Bike Hike Tour Photos
I don’t recall my tour guide’s name but he was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the city of Chicago and all its neighbourhoods. He was also very mindful of all the riders in the pack and made sure everyone was safe and having a good time.
There were riders from all over the USA and of all different ages and fitness levels. It was really good that the tour wasn’t too difficult and was a comfortably easy ride that it was very enjoyable. It was so good to ride with the sun beaming on your face and arms and the wind in your hair.
Our first stop was the Museum of Contemporary Art which is also not far from where Oprah’s house is. I forgot to take a photo – sorry!
We then rode up to the Gold Coast, where many millionaire homes reside – thus why this neighbourhood is named the Gold Coast!
We rode up to Lincoln Park where there’s a lovely monument of Abraham Lincoln. It is said that this park used to be a graveyard and is thus now haunted. No one has been able to prove such a theory but no one has yet to prove the theory wrong either…..
We then stopped off at Old Town. Old Town is a beautiful little town with cute little bungalows. It’s a very quiet neighbourhood in Chicago.
See these cute houses in Old Town!
We paused for a break in Old Town by a church.
This church is the only surviving building from the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 which killed thousands of people and burnt down many buildings. While most of the char has been cleaned from the building, there are still some that remain in memory of the event.
Inside is a beautiful church.
This was one of my favourite parts of the tour – we got to visit Lincoln Park Zoo! Lincoln Park Zoo is not far from Lincoln Park and has free admission! Now just because it has free admission, doesn’t mean it’s a lousy zoo. It had some pretty awesome animals to check out. I didn’t have enough time to see the whole zoo but I still got to see plenty!
Deer!
Zebra!
Sichuan Takin
Alpaca!
Kangaroos!
Then, I bumped into a squirrel wondering around
From all the way at Lincoln Park Zoo – you get a pretty awesome view of the Chicago skyline!
Here’s me with my bike and Chicago!
After all of that, we were off to the beach. Look how amazing the sun was at this hour! Believe it was just 11am.
What a lovely peaceful beach. I love that you can ride along here. The path takes you all the way back downtown. Very cool!
Here’s the panorama I took from the spot. Chicago looks so nice. From here, we rode all along the water back to that black building situated on the very left. It looks far but it didn’t seem that far because it was such a lovely ride. There were a lot of people jogging and biking along the water as well.
Arrival back downtown! Here’s Chicago wasting water by spraying the harbour. Pretty though! Haha.
In all, I highly recommend Bobby’s Bike Hikes. I recommend all bike tours but in particular Bobby’s Bike Hikes! I recommend renting bikes! I recommend biking anywhere! I just love bikes now.. and I love Chicago!
For all my friends back at home in Melbourne who are complaining about the winter, I want to show you that you are not alone. It’s supposedly summer here in Toronto, but it’s been raining like this a lot for the past few weeks. It’s horrible and extremely depressing, to the least.
This video was taken from my bedroom window at my new condo at the Harbourfront. Can you see how I get a great view of the CN tower, but it’s hidden by all the clouds? Everytime it rains, the CN Tower disappears into the clouds!
The view is great at night, when the sky is clear and I can see the pretty lights. :)
Down below, you’ll see my condo courtyard. It’s lovely when it’s a nice day!
Another year has past! 2008 has just been & gone! Too quickly this time around. Way way too quickly! I feel like I’ve done nothing!
Anyway, to keep up with my tradition I’ve completed the Year In Review, this time I’m brought this to you via video so you all can see how funny my facial expressions are when I speak! I am so so weird!
I had to remove some of the questions during the edit, as it was way too long! I’m sure all of you would tune out and close the window after only a couple of minutes so trimmed it down. :)
So below, you have the opportunity to watch me make a dork outta myself. I realise now how much I mumble. o_O
Video: 2008, A Year in Review
Part 1
Part 2
If you don’t hear from me before then, Happy New Year!! :)
