Algonquin

What do you do if you're feeling lazy and have nothing better to do? You take a walk in the park. Yesterday I did just that. I decided to drive up north and explore rockAlgonquin Park, Ontario's oldest provincial park. It covers an arearoc of about 7,700 square kilometers with over 2,400 lakes and is home to thousands of wildlife species such as the black bear, dear, beaver, moose, lake trout and eastern red wolf. This ain't your mama's park. It's essentially a large area of natural forest. Getting there was easy enough, and was half the fun. From highway 401, you take highway 62 which cuts north through Hastings County and the towns of Belleville, Madoc, Bancroff, and Maynooth. Then you take highway 127, then highway 60 which leads to the east gate of the park. At certain points of highway 62, there are recessed areas that are basically rest stops minus the gasoline station, store, and fastfood restaurant. Instead, there are one or two picnic tables, a small bathroom, and a wonderful view of a lake. That's cuz it's right beside a lake. So if you wanna take a swim or go canoeing, you can do so. I took a stop at one of these cuz nature called, then just chilled for a few minutes by Robinson's Lake. It was sweet.
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Robinson's Lake

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Notice the houses or cabins at the other side. Man, they have it good. Having rested up a bit, I decided to continue my journey. Every few minutes my eyes would leave the road to look at a lake ... there were so many! After about an hour and a half I reached the town of Madoc. Later on, I reached Bancroff, then Maynooth. These are little towns with almost nothing in them. If you asked someone from these towns what they did for fun on a Friday night, he or she would probably say 'eat ice cream at a local ice cream shop' or 'rent a movie'. If you ever watched the movie "Cars", then these towns would remind you of Radiator Springs. Downtown Bancroff in particular looked like Radiator Springs. It took me a while but I was able to get onto highway 127 then highway 60. Highway 60 runs through the perimeter of Algonquin park so the side of the road is lined with the park's multicolored shrubery.
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Beware of Moose

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After buying a day permit at the east gate entrance, I headed for the visitor centre. The visitor centre has an exhibit on the history and features of Algonquin park, as well as a giftshop, a theatre, and a viewing deck.
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View from the Visitor Centre

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Lots of stuff can be done at the park such as camping, hiking, canoeing, fishing, biking, and skiing and dogsledding in the winter. Since I'm just a novice at hiking, I decided to trek through 2 manageable day trails: Booth's Rock Trail and Beaver Pond Trail. Booth's Rock Trail is a 5.1 kilometer loop that takes about 3 hours to complete.

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Trees on the way to the trailhead

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Rock cliff and waterway on the way to the trailhead

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Booth's Rock trailhead

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The first thing I noticed when I started was that I was really in a forest and that it was possible that some animal would come out and eat me or that some psycho would jump out, shoot me then bury my body deep in the woods. Oh well! The hike started easy enough. In some parts of the trail, there were signs of past human ativity, particularly logging, that happened in the late 1800's before the park was legislated to be protected.

Trail path

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Rosepond Lake

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My first stop was at Rosepond Lake. This little lake is neatly hidden away and is surrounded by Black Spruce. As I continued though the trail, it was hard not to notice how vivid the color of the flora was. Nothing needed photoshopping and everything looked 'fresh'. Before getting to the most difficult part of the trail, I visited Gordon Lake.

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Forest Canopy

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Ground Moss

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Gordon Lake

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According to my trail guide, Smallmouth Bass were introduced to this lake because they were such celebrated game fish. Unfortunately, their introduction caused the dissapearance of Brook Trout, a much scarcer species of fish. I didn't notice any fish though so perhaps, they cancelled each other out? This lake felt creepy for some reason, so I quickly scooted away and continued.

From that point on, the hike became much more difficult. The trail was now steeper and as I walked with aching muscles, it reminded me of a hike I did at Mt. Sto. Tomas in Northern Luzon when I was in gradeschool. All my effort would soon be rewarded though with a breathtaking view on top of a steep ridge of Rock Lake and the surrounding landscape. Now this was the kind of place where I could just chill, eat a burger and have a beer. The ridge had no railings so I was extra careful not to get too close to the edge.

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Rock Lake from the trail's viewing ridge

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Fall colors

While there, I started hearing some knocking sounds. Someone or something was knocking on wood. It was a woodpecker perched on a nearby tree. I also heard something awefully strange, something like a howl. I'm not sure but if it was from a wolf, then gosh darn it call me lucky!

Hey Woody, waddup?

After spending time on the viewing ridge, I continued on the trail. Unfortunately, I had lost my trail guide, so I just followed the trail blindly hoping not to get lost. Consequently, I missed one of the paths that would have lead me to the former estate of one Judge George Barclay, and an abandoned railway that used to be the busiest in Canada. That was a bummer. Next time, I'll go check it out. I continued on a path that brought me to the perimeter of Rock Lake so I was able to get to the water and sit on some of the beach rocks. Let me just say that when in the forest, the only things you hear are the swaying of the trees, the buzz of small insects, and the chirping of birds. On the other hand, if you're by a lake near the forest, you hear all that plus the howling of the wind and the splash of the waves. Pure serenity.

Rock Lake

Me getting lost

After a bit of time, I felt the need to pee, so I picked myself up and went on. No I wasn't gonna pee in the forest. Didn't wanna anger any engkanto that might be living there so I held that thought and began reciting "tabi tabi po!" even if they didn't understand Tagalog ... unless some of them were immigrants from the Philippines. I soon reached the end of the trail after hiking for approximately 2 and a half hours. After relieving myself in one of the portable toilets, I went back to the visitor centre, had a merienda of beef kebabs and rice pilaf, then immediately drove to the trailhead of Beaver Pond Trail.

Beaver Pond trailhead

Beaver Pond trail path

Beaver Pond Trail is a 2 kilometer loop that passes through two beaver ponds. Hoping to catch a glimpse of a beaver, I hurriedly walked through the trail to the first beaver pond. Nope, no beaver. I hiked a bit more and reached an impressive beaver dam. I still didn't see any beaver, but the size of the dam and the quality of construction would make any engineer proud. This dam basically created an entire lake.

A Beaver Pond

A Beaver Dam

Amikeus Lake - a beaver made lake

Further along I reached a cliff that gave a fine view of the beaver created environment - the beaver pond and beaver meadow below the pond. I still hadn't sighted a single beaver so I was a bit annoyed. Only then did the trail guide say that the best time to see them was some time in the evening from a vantage point overlooking the pond. Well, I didn't want to be in the forest at night so I decided to finish the trail and just catch the damn critter another day.

Atop the beaver viewing cliff

Beaver pond and meadow

After finishing Beaver Pond Trail I made my way home. This expedition was a lotta fun and it gave me a pretty good workout too. Sometimes, people forget that nature could provide as much entertainment as anything from a TV set or a nightclub. Once in a while it's nice to get out of the city and explore the forest and woodlands. The only thing a person needs is a pair of comfy shoes and the willingness to get a little rugged. Next time, I'd like to see some moose or that elusive beaver. They're bound to be in at least one of the 10 other trails I haven't traversed. Maybe I could go canoeing, or maybe camping. Or I could bring a bike. Or maybe I could go skiing, or dogsledding ... now that would be awesome. So many possibilities! Who knew you could do so much in a park?

Dancing Machine

These days, dancing is characterized by perpetual girations, locking, popping, freestyle, and choreography. More classic dance styles are also incorporated but rarely emphasized. Ballroom is making a little comeback, but for the most part, modern dance can be described as more salacious than elegant. Usher is probably the most popular dance artist right now, but he has yet to really create his own style. When I think of great dancers, 3 people come to mind: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Michael Jackson.


Fred Astaire

If there are two words that describe Fred Astaire's dancing, they would be elegant and fun. His style combined elements of tap and ballet, and he would often include various objects to give his dance routines pizzaz. He would dance with canes, pianos, coat hangers, golf clubs, and other props. He had impecabble footwork and seemed to glide on the dance floor. He made dancing look like fun, and he did it effortlessly. Two of his greatest routines are probably 'Puttin' on the Ritz and the 'Coat Hanger Dance'. They are playful, creative, imaginative, and artistic. The moves he pulls off are extremely difficult but he makes them look so easy.

Puttin' on the Ritz

Coat Hanger Dance

Gene Kelly

Some say Gene Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, and it would be hard to argue otherwise. Who could forget his memorable performance in 'Singin' in the Rain'? His style was energetic and athletic and while he wasn't as smooth as Astaire, his dancing and choreography were no less astounding. His 'Mirror Image' routine shows off his unique style. His frenetic moves make the routine highly emotive which reflects his exposure to broadway and television musicals.

Mirror Image

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is probably the most talented and gifted entertainer of all time. He was, despite his complexion and ever changing facial features, the total package. While he built his reputation as a a solo artist in the 80s, his genius as a dancer was put in full display in his mid to late teens when he was still a member of the Jackson 5 and later on, The Jacksons. Before the moonwalk and endless crotch grabbing became staples of his routines, his dancing was of a smoother and purer form that borrowed heavily from Astaire and early black artists. People who haven't seen much of the Jackson 5 or have not seen The Jacksons variety show are probably not familiar with Michael's extraordinary versatility. In 'Dancing Machine', he busts out the best robot I have ever seen, and his routine in 'Get Happy' is just unbelievable.

Dancing Machine

Get Happy

If someone aspires to be a great dancer, I would think that he or she should probably study these three individuals. Each of them had a unique style and all three of them were great performers who just made you wanna get your groove on. When I watch these videos my jaw just drops. They are just off the hook! Compared to them, Usher looks like an amateur.

Posterity Post : 9/11

Today is the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 2,973 people were killed.

I still remember where I was when it happened. I was in my university dorm and had just walked out of my room when a fellow dormer mentioned something about planes crashing into the twin towers. I didn't take him seriously cuz I thought he was joking. Later on I found out it was true. There were varied reactions to the events of that day. Some felt sympathy for the Americans .. after all, they were our neighbors. Others frowned upon the attacks, calling it barbaric and cruel and a sin against humanity. Others felt that the U.S. had it coming and deserved what it got.

I felt all of the above.

Whatever the sentiment one has on 9/11, it cannot be denied that it was an unfortunate event. People lost their loved ones and it changed their lives forever. All we can do is honour the memory of those who perished in the rubble, and hope that some day the world unites and becomes a better place.

If there's one more gift I'd ask of you Lord, it would be peace here on Earth.

'Higher' IQ

Today I read an article (http://www.slate.com/id/2148759/?GT1=8592) that talked about a new study that concluded that tall people earn more because they are more intelligent. The study looked at 2 groups of kids born in different years in the UK. What they found was that from an early age, height is related to intelligence. The major finding is that height, on its own bears a strong relation to pay. When it is included with measures of childhood intelligence, "it no longer does the explanatory work on its own". The conclusion is that "height appears to matter when intelligence is not included, because taller people are, on average, smarter".

Let me just say that that is the dumbest piece of horse dung I have ever read.

It doesn't make a lot of sense. It's also bad econometrics. The two numbskulls from Princeton who did this study forgot one of the most basic aphorisms in econometrics and/or statistics, that correlation does not mean causation. They point out that kids who are tall at age 16 experienced adolescent growth spurts at an early age and "turn out to be the well-fed and nurtured kids of parents who are on average smarter and richer than the rest, and who also pass on extra IQ points".

Can I please roll around on the floor and laugh hysterically now?

So that must mean that all them basketball players are geniuses! Oh my gosh! Well, they do earn a lotta money and get laid everywhere they go so I guess they're pretty damn smart. This must also mean that, on average, Asians are dumber than North Americans! Oh my garutay! What is the world coming to! There are so many flaws in this study that it has permanently altered my view of Princeton. Unfortunately, modelling this kind of thing is close to impossible, because a million different factors can come into play in an employment setting, such as education, self esteem, personal endearment, racial bias, gender, type of occupation, sleeping with the boss, being good looking, having large feet, etc. I ain't offended by this sort of thing cuz it's been known for a long time that tall folk tend to earn pretty good coin. Ok, maybe I'm a little offended. But what's really annoying is how incredibly moronic and negligent the methodlogy and underlying theory of the study is. Just cuz it seems to explain the evidence doesn't mean that it does. What comes to mind is one econometric model constructed by a prominent academic that uses production of shoes in India to explain the GDP growth of the US. Stunningly, the number of shoes produced in India explained close to 90% of U.S. GDP growth! Now that just doesn't make make much sense. Unfortunately, neither does this study. It doesn't take much height or IQ to figure out why.

'First' Day at Queen's

Today was my 'first' day of school. It's frosh week, so there was lots of hoopla and general craziness going on. The freshmen were split into groups and each had its own quirks. One group dressed in blue and had whistles. Another dressed in maroon with maroon and yellow long socks. One other dressed in old roman garb and painted themseves with white paint. Another group wore scottish kilts. Just like in any other frosh week, the new incoming students were loud and seemed to enjoy themselves. Their frosh leaders were louder and more boisterous ... I suspect drunks and alcohol were involved early in the morning. The group in blue used their whistles to help their group mates and other folks cross the street. The group in maroon had their leaders shouting and going bananas in an attempt to simulate aa boot camp. Those in roman garb paraded around campus as did those in kilts. There was also a mini parade where all the freshmen lined up with odd signs they carried around which had on each of them written the names of the various groups. These group names were generally quirky and humorous. They were so quirky and humorous that I can only remember one of them, which was 'Home Depot'. When the parade came, the marching band was playing 'In the Jungle', one of the themes in the Lion King.

As an incoming grad student, we had none of that. I registered and picked up my Queen's ID card first thing in the morning. Anna, the girl I met a few days ago when I went to meet with the grad coordinator was there. After that I proceedd to the Rideau building to get a parking permit. Unfortunately, all permits have been taken and there's a waiting list of clsoe to 200 people. That was a bummer. I then went to Canadian tire to buy some bike accessories: a pouch, a bike stand and a bike lock. After that I went home then at noon went to a welcoming lunch for us grad economics students. I was expecting some good grub, but they only served pizza which sucked. As I ain't naturally good nor comfortable in these meet and greet settings, I stood eating my pizza at the cornder of the long table for a few minutes before I struck a conversation with this dude, Leo, who took his undergrad from Carleton. As expected, it was generally a casual talk type of thing. I also met a prof Greg Smith who I might have as a prof next term. Leo and I also got our keys to our TA offices. During the lunch I also met Nelson, Mark, Tom and Sonya. After about an hour, I left cuz it was becoming pretty boring. I had lunch at home then at 3:00 went back to the campus to attend a Graduate Methods Review course. After the intro by the teacher, she handed out intro tests for us to answer. That test was freakin annoying. It had stuff on Algebra, Calculus, Probability, and Optimization. Since I had forgotten more than half of the stuff in that test, I totally bombed it. Good thing it doesn't count for anything. And that was the ned of my first day. Tomorrow will probably be another pretty busy day.

Long Drives and Flags at Half Mast

Whew, today I drove 3 hours straight to Kingston, then back to 'Sauga for almost 5 hours. That's like going to Manhattan from Toronto. Yeesh. Man, I really dislike long drives. What a waste of time. Even if there's no traffic and you have enough open road to go 160 to 170 kph, driving that long just isn't fun. I ain't no Sunday driver ... you know, the ones that take their sweet time on the road. Nah-uh. I don't know why but whenever I take a long drive, the psycho drivers come out and try to kill me. What's that all about? A while ago this elderly dude forgot to check his blindspot and almost rammed me from the side. I didn't even have time to honk at him. Now it wouldn't have bothered me if that happened in the Philippines cuz 1) Looking at one's blindspot isn't a popular thing to do, and 2) Your spider sense is working 100% when driving there. But here in Canada, all the easy driving and the general adherence to the rules of the road dulls one's senses. So reacting to wacko drivers doesn't come as naturally. What makes long drives extra annoying is the fact that you have to be aware of the cops. Halfway to my destination, I spotted a cop car speeding along towards my rear. That almost gave me a heart attack. Thank goodness his lights didn't come on, cuz 4 demerit points and a $395 fine don't sound too pleasant. Coppers are quite unreasonable, and they are freakin huge .. even the estrogen filled ones. Sometimes, I wonder if they have anything better to do ... you know, like catch real criminals? They're really good at eating donuts and handing out speeding tickets though. They don't even give you the chance to make up some semi-believable excuse. No tong accepted either. So thank goodness for the person who got caught speeding on the way back. Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated by me and my fellow drivers. Long drives and cops are like water and oil, or vodka and Tylenol. They just don't mix.

On the way I heard on the radio about a controversy in Port Perry about the Canadian flag at half mast. On the weekend, a city councillor lowered the flag to half mast in remembrance of and respect for a Canadian soldier that recently died in Afghanistan. Apparently, this is the responsibility of the municipal workers' union as agreed upon years ago in it's collective bargaining agreement with the city. The councillor's actions caused such an uproar that the union filed a grievance against him. WTF!? Hmm ... let me get this straight. Canadian soldier dies. Nobody's working at city hall on weekend. City councillor decides to lower flag. Therefore, city coucillor is a d*** and must pay for his insolence!

Unbelievable.

Guess unions and flags don't mix either.

Woof!

So I was watching some segment on CNN today and at the end it talked a bit about the Chinese horoscope. Although that stuff isn't really my thing, it sounded quite interesting so I looked it up and found that I was born in the year of the dog. Oddly enough, 2006 is also the year of the dog. A short summary of this sign goes like this:

DOG: The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest, and faithful to those you love. You are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault finder, however. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher, or secret agent.

Hmm ... okay. Some stuff are accurate, others aren't really. Let's see ... businessman? That's not bad. Activist? Nah. Teacher? Maybe. Secret agent? Ooh, I like that. A more lengthy, and detailed description is:

Dog people are loyal and honest and obedient, guardians of the house at night. They can be counted on to keep secrets and for always doing the right thing. They can be emotionally distant and do not mix well in social gatherings where they are often seen as wallflowers. They do better with one-on-one relationships and find happiness in the happiness they bring to others, such as finding the most perfect gifts for their friends. While it is true that they have sharp tongues and are a bit stubborn and eccentric, in a work situation they tend to work very well with other people. What is more, they always seem to have money and make excellent leaders. Because of their high moral stance, they are inspiring beyond measure.

Oookay. Always seem to have money? If only that were true. I guess 'seem' is the operative word here. Now do I have a sharp tongue? As far as I know I don't think so, well at least, not all the time. Hmm ... that line about finding happiness in bringing happiness to others is definitely true, but doesn't everyone? Oh, this line was actually missing from that paragraph:

Sizzling Rice Soup and Chinese Cabbage are among the keys to good health!!

Wonderful! That's always nice to know. Guess I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow. Now it turns out that there are actually different types of dogs corresponding to the different elements, kinda like Captain Planet. There's a Metal Dog, Water Dog, Wood Dog, Fire Dog, and Earth Dog. What!? No Hot Dog? Ehehehe. Ahem. I happen to be classified as a Water Dog. That's perfectly fine with me even if I can't swim very well. Metal and wood dogs seem like they wouldn't have much personality. A Fire dog reminds me of asocena, and an Earth dog must mean it's dead. Water dog it is. It says that:

Water Dogs are real charmers, easily attracting friends and colleagues into their inner circle. Handling the ins and outs of human relations is so easy for them! They know how to smooth over any personal situation with their kind, honest, easy-going nature. Always empathetic, always rational, their ability to play Devil's Advocate helps open up whole new ways of approaching problems and finding solutions. Their views on life are expansive because of an ingrained wanderlust which has taken and will continue to take them to exotic locales about the globe. They adapt like chameleons to new environments and new people and their lives are all-encompassing, full of rich adventure. Financial and career success comes to the Water Dogs later in life -- just watch these late bloomers burst open! Regarding their love life, when it comes to dating and romance, their temperature ranges from hot to cold, from one extreme to another. Sometimes they want a commitment, other times they run Geronimo. But, when true love finally comes, and it will, they have it made. Their relationships are filled with good honest communication and genuine kindness and total caring for their partner. Marriage will be as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar.

Whoa, that sounds pretty good, almost too good. Funny though how it mentions the Rock of Gibraltar. Isn't this supposed to be a 'Chinese' horoscope? Or did Chinese folks discover that part of the Iberian Peninsula? Looking further, I find that some famous dogs are Benjamin Franklin, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Jacques Cousteau, Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa, Jane Goodall, and Jean Chrétien. Hmm.. that's probably the only time I'll ever see Michael Jackson and Mother Teresa mentioned in the same sentence. Makes me wonder, was Michael a dog before he became white or after? Nevertheless, that's a pretty wicked list. Bill Clinton is DEFINITELY a dog, just ask Hillary.

So what's the moral of all of this? Nothing. Horoscopes are nothing more than bogus, amusing pieces of entertainment. Although I must admit, close to 65% of what was said about my sign is true about me. Quite surprising.

Now if only I wasn't broke, then I'd definitely believe it.

What I'd Do with a Winning Lottery Ticket

The Lotto 6/49 draw was held today and is worth $42 million, the second largest pot ever in Canadian history. To put that into perspective, that's the total payroll of the Toronto Blue Jays. Hmm ... that's a lot of money. I'm almost tempted to buy a lottery ticket. Someone's gonna be very lucky ... and happy today. This got me thinking about what I might do if I won. I guess I'll do a bunch of things:

1. Save $3 million and live off the interest.
- If I put $3 million in an investment savings account which pays 3.35% interest annually, that would give me about $8,375 per month non-compounding. That's good enough for a pretty comfortable but not too extravagant lifestyle I think. There'll still be excess each month after basic expenses so a vacation maybe once or twice a year would be feasible.

2. Invest $7 million in an investment portfolio
- A $7 million portfolio isn't big. That amount is pretty flexible, can take a hit in poor market conditions, and will give quite adequate returns. I'll probably invest about $3 million in a moderate to aggressive hedge fund, and the remaining $4 million in more traditional asset classes.

3. Buy land
- A smart man once said: Don't buy the building, buy the land. That's what RCBC in the Philippines is doing so well. They'll buy a large strip of land, put up a small building in the middle of it, then wait for the land to appreciate in value when everyone starts moving in. So I'll probably buy stretches of land in Mississauga, Milton and Brampton. Toronto's bound to expand in the future, there's just no avoiding it. I'll also buy some land in Alberta together with all that cattle.

4. Donate villages to GK
- Wealth is useless if it's not used to help others. I'll use a large portion of my winnings to build entire GK villages in the Philippines. It's the least I could do for my country and its people.

5. Finance the education of my cousins
- I'd be extremely happy if I had the opportunity and means to finance the education of my younger cousins. That would also excuse me from giving them gifts until after graduation. Knowledge is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

6. Be a freeter
- For 1 year or so I'd love to be a freeter. A freeter is someone who specializes in part time jobs. I'd just go around wherever my bicycle or second hand car takes me, apply for part time jobs and live the freeter lifestyle. Yeah it's sort of cheating cuz I'd already have financial security, but hey, I really don't want to scratch and claw just to survive on Kraft Dinners. Being a freeter would give me a chance to try and learn different things, and perhaps help me to find an undiscovered interest or passion.

7. Open up a restaurant
- I'd love to open a Filipino restaurant in Toronto or New York. Preferably one that's not turo-turo and doesn't involve Christmas lights and karaoke. I think the world is missing out on our food and has yet to really discover it. It'd be nice to open a restaurant or two that really showcases the flavours of our cuisine and the hospitality of our people. It's all in the presentation!

8. Open a TKD gym
- Taekwondo has taught me a lot of things in life, so one way to honour it is to open up a TKD gym. I'd probably have one here in Canada and another in the Philippines. The one in Canada would take in Pinoy instructors looking to establish themselves in their new adopted home, while the one in the Philippines would train and sponsor promising TKD jins who could someday represent the country in competition.

9. Establish a Foundation
- One of the saddest realities in life is the exploitation of young children for prostitution in the Philippines. It's a terrible injustice bred by poverty and hopelessness, which is why I would establish a foundation that offers rehabilitation, training, and support to these abused youths.

Ok, once I've done the above things, I could probably go on and do some of the more unecessary and wanton stuff like travel the whole world, buy an F1 car and yacht, buy a small island and have my face carved on a hillside a la Marcos. I would probably do more stuff but that would just be unrealistic .... much like this post.

Oh well, it doesn't hurt to dream!