Foxwoods Trip (Nov 2009)

I was in Foxwoods yesterday to go to Bodies Revealed and Circus de Soleil, and the following are my experiences:

I arrived in Boston Chinatown to catch a bus to Foxwoods early in the morning. The bus are only $10, and they include a meal voucher, $20 match play, $25 match play and some lucky draw thing. Overall its a great deal as the meal itself can cost over $15.

The journey takes about 1 hour to reach Foxwoods, and though the bus does get a little squeezy at times, the ride was pretty ok. Getting down the bus, you get to the vouchers issued to you.

I immediately did a walk around to take some of the following photos.

Bodies Revealed Exhibition.

Walking towards MGM Grand, I arrived at my first destination. The Bodies Revealed Exhibition. I did not take photos as taking photos is not allowed inside. But basically, its just dead bodies, cut up and preserved for our pleasure and entertainment. http://www.bodiesrevealed.com/





I've seem several similar shows in the past, Body Worlds, etc. And I must say, this exhibit is slightly smaller and as informative as Body Worlds. There are lots of "Chinese" Cadavers and many human organs on display. Its is a little disturbing to look at and I don't understand why parents would bring their kids to see this. The most sick exhibit is of a women with a baby in her womb all cut up and "exposed" to show her organs and baby in the womb.

It was disturbing, and worst of all, I watched it before my lunch.

MGM Grand is quite far from the rest of Foxwoods and it takes about 15 minutes to get there. It is in the nicer part of Foxwoods and the rest of Foxwoods does look a little aged, but well maintained.

Next Stop Buffet.

There is only one Buffet place in Foxwoods, and it cost $16.95 per person, but with the coupon, you don't have to pay extra. The buffet has quite a bit of selection, from BBQ (Mexican) to Chinese to Italian and New England.

You get to taste fried Clams, Boston Clam Chowder, Cocktail Shrimps, Beer Battered Cod, and much more. The roast beef and Ham is particularly good and you have soft serve ice cream too.

The above is my second serving and I had thirds and desert.

The cakes there are good too, it was totally value for money.

The sunset is very nice and it reminds you of how far out this place is when all you see is trees outside.

Walking around, even before Thanksgiving, I found several Christmas trees!

Overall, the decorations at Foxwoods is okay, nothing wow about it, and nothing fancy too. The MGM Grand side is definite newer and nicer than the rest of Foxwoods, and it does get a little complicated to navigate.

Next up, Circus de Soleil.

No Photography allowed..

So I would like to keep this short. The circus brings in the best acrobatic performance from around the world to perform in this musical and magical performance. It is indeed entertaining to see professionals risk their lives to perform incredible feats which looks exciting and dangerous.

So instead of talking about the performance, I have some secretly photos to share.

Overall, the show was fun, exciting, and breathtaking... I really loved it and would highly recommend it.

--Iron Bowl

Black Friday in Boston, 2009

Are you ready to Shop?

I would say that in Boston, one of the best times (worst times) to shop is on Black Friday.

What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the USA. It is a busy shopping day as many people prepare for the Christmas season. This year, it falls on 27 November, 2009.

That's right. On the stroke of midnight after Thanksgiving, the sale of the year begin!

What do people do?

Many people have a day off work or choose to take a day from their quota of annual leave on Black Friday. Some people use this to make trips to see family members or friends who live in other areas or to go on vacation. Others use it to start shopping for the Christmas season.

In the United States, it is very popular to start Christmas shopping on Black Friday. Many stores have special offers with very low prices on some goods, particularly on electronics and popular toys. Traditionally, people bought these as Christmas gifts, although now many are re-sold on internet sites. Many stores only have a few of the most popular items at very low prices. This means that some people choose to queue from very early in the morning or even overnight to make sure that they will be at the front of the queue when a particular store opens. Sometimes there are large skirmishes to get to the door when the store opens.

Boston Globe Precautions.

Why shop on Black Friday?
Though Black Friday is not an official holiday, it usually signifies the start of the Christmas Shopping season. And on Black Friday especially, the limited time offers that some of these companies offer is pretty amazing. The offers range from 20% off to sometimes 90% off and often you also get buy one get one free and many other bundled offers.

Where to find info on such offers?
Here are a few sites that have consolidated the information on Black Friday Sales.
http://www.black-friday.net/
http://bfads.net/

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Example:

Acer 20" Widescreen HD LCD Monitor - $79.99
Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements - $74.99
Alpine 50-Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo - $99.99
Apple 6GB iPod Touch (3rd Generation) w/ Free $30 Gift Card - $199.99
Apple 8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano - $149.99
Apple MacBook 13.3" Laptop w/ 2GB, 250GB, Free $150 GC - $999.99
Assorted Blu-ray Movies (X-Men, Smallville, Fast & Furious, More) - $9.99
Assorted PC Games (WoW, Farcry 2, Slots, Bioshock, More) - $4.99
Assorted Wii Games - $9.99
Blu-ray Movies (Departed, I Am Legend, Star Trek, More) - $7.99
Blu-ray Movies (Gladiator, Braveheart, Matrix, Wanted, More) - $12.99
Bose In-Ear Headphones - $89.99
Bose Sounddock Series II Digital Music System - $269.99
Braun Rechargeable Cordless Electric Shaver - $18.99
Canon EOS Rebel Tli D-SLR Camera - $699.99
Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS (Gray or Teal) - $149.99
Canon Vixia High-Definition HD20 Video Camera - $499.99
Compaq Intel Atom Netbook w/ WinXP, 160GB HD, 1GB RAM - $179.99
Dell 10.1" Netbook w, Best Buy Exclusive Design - $379.99
Dell 20" Widescreen HD LCD Monitor - $99.99
Dlo Jam Jacket for iPhone 3G/3GS - $9.99
Dlo Power Pack for iPod/iPhone - $19.99
-- At Bestbuy



What else should I know about Black Friday Sales?
As shopping is a very popular activity on Black Friday and many stores have sales or special bargains, it can be incredibly busy in stores and malls. Some stores have extended opening hours to cope with the extra shoppers. There can also be congestion on roads to popular shopping destinations.

There are often large crowds and long waiting lines at these Black Friday Sales Events as many of the offers are just too amazing to be missed. Many people think that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day in the year. It has, for many years, been a popular day for many people visit brick-and-mortar stores. However, it has been said that the day on which most money was spent was usually the Saturday before Christmas.


There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. One theory says that it is because of the extremely heavy traffic on the roads on this day. The wheels of the vehicles left a lot of black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday.

The other theory is that it comes from an old-fashioned way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small retail stores, only started making profits in the run up to Christmas. Many hoped that they would start showing a profit, which could be marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving. This theory does not apply to many large corporations, but may be a fact of life for smaller businesses.

The events on Black Friday are often followed closely by the local media. Television shows may show films of people queuing at night and then emerging victoriously from the store with the items they wanted to purchase. The large number of people shopping and the competition to obtain the cheapest goods means that some people now avoid the stores on Black Friday. Some groups organize a "Buy Nothing Day" on Black Friday to protest at the increasing level of consumerism in the USA and Canada.

So are you ready for Black Friday yet?

Be prepared and be successful in your shopping adventure!

--Iron Bowl

Veterans Day Parade 2009 (Boston)

The Veterans Day Parade, a parade that is typically the hotbed of anti-war protests is pretty mild this year.

I was disappointed with the disbandment of the Boston Police Mounted Unit, which I do miss a lot but I was there in fact for only one other thing -- the Boston Police Gaelic Column.

I have a few friends who are really into dressing up in Kilts and play music like the piper!

The parade starts at 1pm, but these dedicated officers arrive around 11:30am and start changing from their regular clothes into these awesome uniforms.

Every little thing has to be perfect, and they took several minutes to change and then practiced a lot.

Bob here is pretty good with the bagpipes and he's very friendly and he explained to me the significance of his uniform.

There were lots of tone testing and sound testing to make sure the bagpipes were tuned correctly.

Then there were more practice.

Meanwhile, the chief is coordinating the parade and there are many special operations officers directing traffic.

Everyone had to play their part for this parade to be safe and successful, and at 1pm, the parade started.

There was a large crowd watching the parade, and it was colorful indeed. The weather is cool and there was lots of cloud cover. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the parade!

There was much fun in the celebrations, everyone including the officers who kept the parade in order seemed to have fun. Then it was group photo time.

I had a good time, see you next year!

--Iron Bowl

Bak Kut Teh Recipe (Cooking in Boston)

I'm preparing to cook Bak Kut Teh, a very famous soup in Boston, and I was wondering if I can find the ingredients in Boston. As you may know, even though cooking some Asian dishes in Boston is not difficult, finding the right ingredients may be.

For the soup I'm cooking, the following are the ingredients:

Ingredients: (Serving Size: 4 pax)

• 1 Pound of Pork Spareribs

• 5 Whole Star Anise (broken pieces equal to 5 stars)

• Soy Sauce (with thinly sliced fresh red chilies for dipping)

• 2 tbsp Crisp Shallot Flakes

• 1 tbsp Cloves

• 1 tbsp White Peppercorns

• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns

• 5 cloves Garlic (peeled)

• 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 tbsp Cinnamon Powder

• 2 liter Water

• 2 tsp Sugar

• 2 tsp Salt

As expected, the "American" Supermarket do not carry some of the spices required and even if they do, they are much over priced. Even Garlic costs $3.99 where as the Garlic I got from Asian Supermarkets cost $0.99.

So if possible, shop at an Asian Supermarket to get the ingredients.

Now to the instructions to cook this yummy soup.

• Take a large pot and put sparerib pieces in it. Add enough cold water to cover them completely. Boil until foam rises to the surface. (You need to remove this foam)

• Drain the water and rinse the meat with cold water and return it to the pot. Add garlic and 2 liter of water.

• Put cinnamon, star anise, cloves and peppercorns in a cloth; tie it and add bag to the pot.

• Bring water to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 ~ 2 hour or until the meat shrinks from the bones.

• Skim excess oil from the surface and discard it.

• Remove the spice bag from the pot.

• Season the prepared soup with salt, sugar and dark soy sauce to taste, and stir.

• Bak Kut Teh is ready.

• Serve with white steamed rice.

-- Iron Bowl

Halloween in Boston 09'

Halloween is the time for people to dress up to amuse other folks. It is an excuse to drink lots of liquor and be stupid as well. This is one of my favorite time of the year as on Halloween, especially in Boston and here are the following reasons.

1) You get to dress up and have fun!

(Thanks Jason Liu for the photos)

2) It is very interesting to see many other people dress up.

Most of the folks are fun and love to show up what they came up with and groups with theme costumes are the best!

3) Halloween ladies costumes are often "Slutty". When you go Halloween shopping, you can see that the models for Halloween costumes often look like porn stars!

4) Everyone out there wants to have fun!!

5) There are lots of free hugs!

6) Live bands are cool!!

7) House party = loads of alcohol.

8) Warm house = less dress

9) Tons of ladies come to your party!! Even those you don't know! You get to know them if you are good at picking them up!

10) People sit around and tell stories, you learn a little more about your friends, especially after 4 beers!

Generally, I love to be in Boston for Halloween as the weather is nice for most costumes, not too cold, and not too hot, and the people are fun!

Being back and having fun + drinking good Boston Larger is great, and I love it here!

So have fun and Rock on!

See you next Halloween!

--Iron Bowl

Got a nice chain email from a friend today.

"Good, better, best

Never ever rest

Until your good gets better

And your better gets best"

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them' 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 

4. Enjoy the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but  by the moments that take our breath away.

Ahhh, The fun of chain emails never cease

--Iron Bowl

Dambulla, Sri Lanka

The city of Dambulla lies approximately 148 kilometers (roughly 91 miles) to the Northeast of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

Dambulla is close to many interesting sites and Golden Temple of Dambulla is definitely a must see. Dambulla is also surrounded with many mountains and beautiful Greenery which makes getting around pleasant to look out.

Kandalama lake is also a spectacular sight to behold.

Getting to Dambulla: 
Since Dambulla is relatively close to Colombo, Sri Lanka, you are best advised to hire a private car in Colombo for safe travel to Dambulla. There are ample drivers available for hire in Colombo and most are very knowledgeable of the cultural sites and local history of Sri Lanka, making for an informative, guided tour on the road from Colombo to Dambulla.

I would advice getting a driver because the roads are unmarked and the Hotels are not even properly located on Google Maps. There is no street numbers which makes Navigation hard. Self drive is almost impossible unless you are local.


View Larger Map

Though it is about 150km, the trip can take 5 hours as the roads from Colombo are small and slow. Traffic can be heavy at times on Kandy road and together with 1 or 2 breaks, getting to Dambulla in 5 hours is common.

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When you arrive at Dambulla, there are a few world class hotels to stay at. Heritance Kandalama Hotel Dambulla offers offers its guests great luxury. The hotel is conveniently located between Dambulla Cave Temple and the Sigiriya rock fortress and offers upscale, air-conditioned rooms with private balconies with spectacular views of forests or the lake. The hotel is a definite must visit as it is situated at the Kandalama Lake and offers breathtaking sights.

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Places of Interest

Kandalama Lake

Surrounded my mountains, Kandalama Lake is a wildlife refuge and the views around the lake and the Island in the middle is spectacular.

The sky and the lake is in such a great harmony that you feel a lot more relaxed in the area compared to Colombo, the experience is great and is hard to forget.

The views around the lake and the occasional wildlife grazing lazily on the side makes it a perfect place to take a break and take some photos.

Don't let the mountains in the picture fool you. Kandalama is just about 200m above sea level so, it is not a cold place at all, but the close proximity to the large body of water constantly keeps the vicinity of Kandalama Lake nice and cooling.

Across the lake is Heritance Kandalama, it looks part of the landscape from far.

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Golden Temple of Dambulla

Also known as Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this temple is a great place to visit. Comprised of 5 caves and a picturesque facade carved into the side of a steep rock face, the Dambulla Cave Temple houses ancient statues and paintings depicting the Buddha and his life.

Don't be fooled by the clean and nice appearance of the Temple. There is an ancient cave temple up in the mountain. It will take some time and effort to get there, so be prepared. Drink lots of water, leave early in the morning and climb it. It will be worth it. The tickets for tourist is Rs$1750, but it is definitely worth the money!

The front entrance is a recent addition and the real views are on top of the mountain. Save your photos until you get up there. The trip up hill is pleasant and cooling as the trail is shaded and has plenty of monkeys and friendly dogs. The trip is also very scenic and nice. REMEMBER: Buy your tickets before going up, tickets are available near the entrance and they only check for tickets on top of the rock!

Remember, there is lots of stairs, take your time and climb it slowly.

And Stairs...

When you get to the top, there are still steps!

The views from on top is spectacular. Remember your ticket, you need tickets to get in and if you have not got one, you need to make your way down again!

Take a short break, relax for a bit. Take off your shoes and enter the temple above.

The temple consists of 5 caves with nicely painted walls and lots of statues. Built at the base of a 150 meter rock face during a long period stretching from the first century B.C. to 1250 A.D, the Dambulla Cave Temple is comprised of five distinct caves, each of which functions as a shrine room. While all five of the Dambulla Cave Temple caves are worth exploring, these three stand out:

• Cave of the Divine King: the first of the Dambulla Caves, the Cave of the Divine King is home to a 14 meter tall Buddha statue carved out rock.
• Cave of the Great Kings: the second of the Dambulla Caves, the Cave of the Great Kings contains 56 statues of the Buddha
• Great New Monastery: the third of the Dambulla Caves, the Great New Monastery contains 50 statues of the Buddha and a statue of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha.  During the King's rule from 1747-1782, the ceiling and walls Great New Monastery were painted in the traditional Kandy style of the times. 

There are lots of things to see, and remember to take your camera!

For something that ancient, you cannot get them elsewhere in the world!

This is the world famous reclining Buddha. Its pretty big, but not the biggest I've seen.

The construction and modern maintenance of the Dambulla Cave Temple occurred along the following rough time-line:

7th to 3rd century BC: Early inhabitants
1st century BC: Paintings and statues
5th century AD: The stupa was built
12th century AD: Addition of the statues of Hindu gods
18th century AD: Most of what we see today
19th century AD: An additional cave and some repainting
20th century AD:UNESCO restoration and lighting

I am pretty impressed at the cleanliness and maintenance of the temples.

There are many Stupas around, but few in caves!

You get a fantastic view outside the cave temples and this place just blows me away.

In the last few caves, you can find another reclining Buddha.

Definitely a great place to visit.

I'll come again... Dambulla, Sri Lanka

--Iron Bowl