Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

Fishing is my new found hobby this past summer. Fishing in the province of New Brunswick requires a seasonal fishing licence. There are specific areas that mapped for fishing. Depending on the area and type of fish, the fishing season varies. It’s important to keep in mind that a special licence is needed for catching salmons. On top of that, the size and amount of fish that can be caught per day is regulated. Trout, Pickerel, Muskellunge, Burbot, White perch, and yellow perch have to be at least 10cm in length to be kept.

More information about fishing licence can be obtained here. A regular seasonal fishing licence, or sometimes known as trout licence can be purchased from Department of Natural Resources offices, Service New Brunswick Centres, and licence vendors (e.g. Canadian Tire and Home Hardware) throughout the province. It’s offered for $20, with $5 fish stocking fee and $5 conservation fee included.

Over the fishing season, Miles and I have learned that artificial bait doesn’t work very well. We have also came to a conclusion that it’s easier to catch a fish earlier in the season, since fishes live and learn; they will nibble on the bait, but smart enough not to be caught.

During the summer months, we went fishing in several places; mainly Killarney Lake in Fredericton and Lily Lake in Saint John.

Placing an earthworm on the hook was challenging the very first time.

Patience is the key for fishing.

Sunfish:” Poor me…I’ll be put on the supper table tonight.”

Yellow perch:” Oopsy…I shouldn’t be greedy to take another bite of the yummy worm! Too late now…”

Another Sunfish:” Posing for my last shot…”

Catfish:” Alamak! He caught me! I failed to escape this time lah…:(“

Most of the fishing we did, was catch and release. It was too sad to kill the fish. Furthermore, some fishes were small. Catch and release worked well for us, as we got to enjoy the fun of fishing while fishes munched on their snacks.

The Diplomat Restaurant in Fredericton opens 24/7 all year round, except for Christmas Day. The wide selection of Canadian and Chinese cuisines cater to various taste buds. A previous post about Diplomat can be found here.

The restaurant is extremely busy during lunch and supper hours. Be sure to make a reservation before hand. Otherwise, be prepared to wait in line for 30 to 45 minutes, if not more. The Diplomat Restaurant is one of my favourite restaurants in the city of Fredericton. Here, breakfast is served all day long! Besides that, lunch and supper buffet is offered during weekdays; brunch and supper buffet on the weekends.

Looking for a nice restaurant in Fredericton? You can never go wrong with the Diplomat Restaurant.

The Diplomat Restaurant.

Diplomat’s Special Fried Rice, my all-time favourite. It contained chicken, scallops, shrimps, and crab meat.

Fried rice garnished with green onions, was served with the chicken curry dish.

The medium hot curried chicken with onions, broccoli, green and red peppers, snow peas, and Chinese cabbage.

The yummy hot sauce compliments the dishes perfectly. It’s a must-have!

Address:
253 Woodstock Rd, Fredericton NB E3B2H8

Tel: 506-454-2400

The Issac’s Way Restaurant in Fredericton offers a cozy dining ambiance. It features a bar section that serves a variety of alcoholic beverages.

There are lots to choose from the food menu. Miles and I had a hard time making up our mind for what we’re going to have.

Finally, I made my decision and settled for the Smoked Salmon Salad. The “hot” smoked salmon was served on a  bed of greens with sliced cucumbers and onions, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, toasted walnuts, with their very own citrus vinaigrette. This went along with a freshly baked bread stick on the side. The meal turned out great and it was very filling.

The Smoked Salmon Salad.

Miles ordered the Big Isaac Burger. It was piled high with onion rings, grilled mushrooms, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and pesto mayo on a Kaiser bun. 

The Big Isaac beef burger is piled high with onion rings, grilled mushrooms, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and pesto mayo on a Kaiser bun. It was served with a generous serving of home fries and pickle. It was a challenge to take a bite off the burger. Miles really had to open his mouth big and wide. No kidding!

The BIG Isaac Burger.

Dessert time… Miles had a Triple Chocolate Cake and I had a Brownie Cheesecake. Yumm…

The Triple Chocolate Cake with delicious chocolate icing.

The Brownie Cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Address:
73 Carleton Street
Fredericton,
New Brunswick E3B 3T2

Tel: (506) 472-7937

Some say love is…

like a rose; beautiful but hurtful
like a meteor shower; gorgeous yet momentary

I’d like to think of love like…

a rainbow that appears after a stormy day
the sun that rises after each sunset

Be it with family, friends, or our significant other, love does its miracle by joining hearts together. It’s our hope and dream. Because of love, we embrace today, anticipate for tomorrow, and strive for the future.

What is your favourite apple? McIntosh, Lady Pink, Cortland, Honey Crisp, or Gala? To  me, those freshly picked apples are the best! Nothing can beat that.

My first apple picking experience three years ago was great. I missed it so much that I wanted to go again! The apples were fresh & crisp, and tasted better than those store-bought ones. Besides eating on its own, apple is great for baking too.

$6 for 10lb bag of apples (McIntosh, Lobo, Gravenstein etc.)! It’s a price that you can never find at the grocery stores. Furthermore, the fun of picking apples off the trees is priceless!

The vibrant colour, cool breeze and clear sky. These are some of the many things I like about the fall season. Nonetheless, frosty morning and freezy evening can be rather brutal.

I enjoy taking pictures of fall scenery, which can be so different from year to year. I didn’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. I was especially amazed by the wonderful nature during my very first autumn experience in Canada. The amusement from observing the colour change in the environment was beyond comprehension. I’d pause and enjoy the surroundings, on my way to classes each day.

The colour changes slowly, and leaves fall gradually; the transition of the season displays its unique pattern everyday.

An annual event celebrated on the 5thof the fifth month (according to Chinese Lunar Calender), Dragon Boat Festival is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture. Participating in a Dragon Boat Race and eating Zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) are some of the ways to celebrate this festival.

The origin of Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the great patriot poet Qu Yuan.

“Like other Chinese festivals, there is also a legend behind the festival. Qu Yuan served in the court of Emperor Huai during the Warring States (475 – 221 BC). He was a wise and erudite man. His ability and fight against corruption antagonized other court officials. They exerted their evil influence on the Emperor, so the Emperor gradually dismissed Qu Yuan and eventually exiled him. During his exile, Qu Yuan did not give up. He traveled extensively, taught and wrote about his ideas. His works, the Lament (Li Sao), the Nine Chapters (Jiu Zhang), and Wen tian, are masterpieces and invaluable for studying ancient Chinese culture. He saw the gradual decline of his mother country, the Chu State. And when he heard that the Chu State was defeated by the strong Qin State, he was so despaired that he ended his life by flinging himself into the Miluo River.

Legend says after people heard he drowned, they were greatly dismayed. Fishermen raced to the spot in their boats to search for his body. Unable to find his body, people threw zongzi, eggs and other food into the river to feed fish, so hoped to salvage his body. Since then, people started to commemorate Qu Yuan through dragon boat races, eating zongziand other activities, on the anniversary of his death, the 5thof the fifth month.”

* From About.com

I missed the Zongzi (a.k.a. rice dumpling) from home. The rice dumpling is so popular that it’s easily available all year round. The preparation is time consuming and very skill demanding. Since I couldn’t get any fresh ones here in Fredericton, I made some a few years ago to soothe my cravings. It was a tedious process. I’ll have to improve on my wrapping skills for the rice dumplings appear to be more presentable.

The 5th Annual Dragon Boat Race was held in the city of Fredericton in September. Why in September? I’m not exactly sure. In my humble opinion, spring weather might still be cold. The summer months allow participants to sharpen their rowing skills, so that they’ll be ready for the race when it comes fall. Furthermore, most people are away during summer for vacation and spending time with family & friends. Needless to say, winter is not on the option list due to the extreme cold temperature and frozen river.

Majority of the participants are amateur rowers. The race is considered more like a friendly match rather than a competitive one.

It turned out to be a nice day for the Dragon Boat Race on a Sunday morning.

Participants were getting ready.

The competition began!

Boat No. 2 was the winner in this elimination round.

Biking is one of the summer activities I enjoy a lot. Once the “white stuff (a.k.a. snow)” is no where to be seen on the biking trail, weather is warming up, and flowers are blooming. It’s a clear indication that the spring is here and biking season begins!

Biking in the cool spring, hot summer, scenic fall; misty morning, hot afternoon, or warm evening. I’m loving it! It keeps adrenaline going, heart pumping, and body muscles working.

I still remember bits and pieces of how I learned riding a bike when I was little. A big thank you to Dad who patiently taught me how to bike. Have I had bike accidents before?You bet! Surprisingly, some of the bad falls I’ve had, happened after I’m proficient in biking skills.

Biking to work 14 km a day has become part of my routine; leaving for work in crisp and breezy morning, and going home in sunny afternoon. Weather can vary from warm, hot, sunny, to overcast, rainy, chilly, windy etc. As long as there’s no pouring rain, I’d go biking almost anytime during the day.

Watching the blooming flowers in the spring, appreciate the warm sunshine in the summer, and admire the stunning vibrant colours in the fall. Together with my loved one, we’re in love with this city. Miles who once told himself that he’d never wanted to bike again after his unpleasant learning process, convinced himself to relearn how to ride a bike in the spring.

On the Old Train Bridge at dawn.

Odell Park is my favourite park for biking.

One of the many trails in the park.

Since the test on raspberries and sour cream showed a negative result for allergy reaction, I’ve decided to take up the ultimate challenge by testing myself on the Raspberry Sour Pie. Eating the pie? Again??

I had a chance to speak with the Restaurant Manager on the phone and informed him what had happened after my meal. He suggested to perform a skin test. What’s a skin test? By rubbing the potential allergen on the forearm, we can tell if it really is the allergen when allergy reaction kicks in, within 30 minutes or less. On the other hand, if nothing happens, then it could be something else that had contributed to the allergy reaction.

The Raspberry Sour Pie… can be deceiving!!

With some liquid Benodryl beside me, I spread some pie filling on my forearm. 5 minutes… 10 minutes… 15 minutes later, nothing happened. I was puzzled. Next, I took a small bite of the pie. Yet, nothing happened.

Could it be the crust? I tried the crust. 10 minutes or so later, nothing… Then, I started eating the pie. My body was fine the rest of the night.

In conclusion, do I know what I’m allergic to? No. If it’s not the food, it could be something else. There are various factors that could potentially contribute to hives; food, stress, pollen, mold, dust etc. Could it have been body stress? Maybe… At least it was acute hives and didn’t last very long. Best of all, I can still enjoy raspberries and sour cream!

“Curiosity killed the cat.” When I first suggested to Miles that I wanted to find out the allergen that caused hives on me, his first respond was, “do you want to get yourself sick?”

When the allergic reaction happened, I was curious about the allergen. Food allergy is something new to me. I’d like to find out the root of the problem, so that I can better prevent it from happening in the future. Having to doubt before taking each bite of food isn’t fun at all. I rather know what I shouldn’t have eaten; just like the saying “satisfaction brought him back.”

Here is the test. Since the potential allergen could have been from the raspberry pie, I’d take some raspberries and sour cream as a measure of allergy test. What would I do if allergy reaction occurs? Of course, I had a bottle of liquid Benadryl handy to take of that.

First of all, I had some raspberries. Nothing happened… I waited for about 30 minutes and came to a conclusion that I’m safe to consume raspberries!

Now… sour cream… I’ve had sour cream in the past, usually with nacho chips. Although I don’t have it very often, it’s something I’ve just had a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, I’d give it a try… One heaping teaspoon of sour cream. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes… have passed. I was still completely fine.

Hence, the experiment shows that the allergen is not raspberries, not sour cream, and not the combination of both. I’m puzzled… what else could it be?!