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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Toronto Santa Claus Parade

My first time to ride a TTC bus and subway was during the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, last Sunday November 16. Me and my husband wanted a better view of the event and with our friend's advice we waited for the parade on Bathurst. Despite the weather forecast of flurry there is still a thick crowd along the routes of the parade. Streets are jam packed with kids and kids at heart anticipating Santa.

The Parade Route:
The Santa Claus Parade starts at the corner of Bloor Street and Christie Street and runs east along Bloor Street to Avenue Road, along Avenue Road, around Queen's Park Crescent, and further south along University Avenue to Queen Street. At Queen Street the Parade heads east to Yonge Street, south along Yonge Street and east along Front Street. The Parade ends at the corner of Front and Church Streets.

One of my favorites, the theme float of Yahoo Canada.
The Philippine Heritage Band also participated in the event.


For more info you can visit the official website: http://www.thesantaclausparade.com

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ THIS :
Toronto Celebrated 175th Birthday

Scarborough Bluffer's Park

One of the first places I visited in Canada is Bluffer's Park , (picture taken at the left side during fall season ) the place is located on the south end of Brimley Road, Scarborough. If you're going by bus, it's a ten minutes walk along Brimley Road from the #12 Kingston Road bus stop to the park. It opened in 1976 and is a 474 acre park which has open meadows up top, with a view of the sandstone bluffs, and used 2.6 million cubic metres of lakefill to build a waterfront park and marina with boat launch ramp.

The Scarborough Bluffs stretch for about 14km along the Lake Ontario shore, from the Eastern Beaches of Toronto in the west, to West Hill in the east. At their highest at Cliffside, the bluffs rise 65m above the water. It is like eight two-storey homes stacked on top of each other. On clear days the New York Shoreline is visible on top. The bluffs have been formed primarily by erosion of the packed clay soil. In some places, such as the western end of Bluffers Park, the erosion has shaped the clay into interesting shapes.



Here's some pictures of the Bluffs taken by my husband during this summer.












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Visiting Edwards Garden

Friday, November 7, 2008

Suffered from Pleurisy?

"You can set yourself up to be sick, or you can choose to stay well." - Wayne Dyer

Have you suffered from Pleurisy? Maybe or maybe you may not know of it. Sometimes we neglect symptoms because it may seem too ordinary or we may confuse it with other sickness. I have suffered from this and it may not have been that easy, sometimes it may lead to other complications.

I was diagnosed of pneumonia and had accumulated pleurisy and was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks. It was really a tough time for me and my husband. Breathing was very difficult because of the progressive coughing, I was up from night till morning. I was confined in the isolation room and had undergone so many tests before the final diagnosis . A fluid in the lining of my lungs called phyothorax (pleural empyema) was drained in my lungs through a chest tube using pigtails. Recovery period also takes time in order for your lungs to be fully in condition again. I am so thankful that I had gone through this without any major surgery or other life threatening complications.

Here are some of the information regarding this disease I have researched and would like to share with you.

Pleurisy , is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Pleurisy has a variety of infectious and non-infectious causes. It can cause extremely painful respiration and other signs and symptoms, some of which may remain long after the pleurisy has gone away. Depending on its cause, pleurisy can be associated with an accumulation of fluid in the space between the lungs and chest wall called a pleural effusion , or it can be dry pleurisy, which has no fluid accumulation.

Symptoms:
* Inspiratory chest pain * Cough * Chills * Shortness of breath * Weight loss * Poor appetite * Pain may limit chest expansion on affected side * Rapid shallow breaths * Inability to take a deep breath * Itching in sites on the back (near the site of the lungs, but no visible rashes) * Dizziness * Tiredness

It is better to call your doctor or go to the emergency room if breathing may be too difficult and it becomes persistent. Chest pain can be a symptom of many different disorders, it may lead to complications especially depending on age and may be potentially life threatening.

You may have to be tested for:
* Chest X-ray * Blood tests * Ultrasound * ECG (Electrocardiogram )

Depending on the results of these preliminary tests, additional tests may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. For example: CT Scan, thoracentesis.

Here are also other links which you may found helpful:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/pleurisy/article_em.htm
http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/health/health-a-z/pleurisy-and-pleural-effusion

Famous People who died of pleurisy:
Cardinal Richelieu, Benjamin Franklin, Francis Scott Key, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Hernán Cortés, Catherine de Medici, Anna Pavlova, Charlemagne, Thomas Hardy, George Stephenson, Tadd Lincoln, William Henry Harrison and Rudolph Valentino.

Famous People who had suffered from pleurisy:
Mahatma Gandhi, Carson McCullers, Chicago White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player LeBron James, Ringo Starr, Kenji Miyazawa and Elvis Presley.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Visiting Edwards Garden

Last November 1, we visited Edwards Garden. My husband is encouraging me to do some walking exercise for my lungs. We had to take advantage of the weather since the coming days would be colder.

Edwards Garden is located at North York District - South west corner of Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East. It is a former estate garden, it consists of a wide variety of flowers, perennials, a valley, and sloped landscapes.

Adjacent to it is the Toronto Botanical Garden which consists of a series of 12 contemporary themed gardens spanning nearly four acres.There are also other amenities offered like the TBG Shop, TBG Cafe, Wedding Pictorials and Wedding Venues ( indoor/outdoor ).

Free tours, Pre-booked tours, and themed package tours are also available for senior citizens, children, adults, eco-lovers, and garden lovers.