Rhode Island

Decided to go to Rhode Island for the weekend...

Sat 18th Nov 06
got up early... drove to Rhode Island... stopped over at a visitor centre where there was a conference going on... wow.. first time saw so many asian looking pple at a place.... haha.. our first stop was at a shopping mall... Providence Place... stopped over for some minimal shopping and lunch... ate at this place called Fire + Ice... it has an interesting concept... u get all the food u want... then u choose the sauce u want... then u Q up at this central cooking area... it is a big round hot plate... like those for Teppanyaki... the chefs will take ur stuff and cook around the hot plate... so u just Q in a circle and wait for ur food to be done... interesting idea though... entertaining for the guests too to watch their food being cook...

After lunch... we explored the surrounding area... took photos at the State House... went into a local library... very small.. but very old looking... like some place out of the Harry Porter movie... then we drop by Brown University... pretty much of a walk around day before we check into our hotel... Pineapple Inn... exactly the kind tat u see in "Me Myself and Irene"... rows of rms with parking lots in front.... and to save money... we bought microwavable food back... just to realise our microwave isn't working properly... requested a change... then halfway microwaving... something short circuit and we had a partial blackout... wahahha... but at least the inn pple were frenly and helpful enough... so it wasn't too bad... oh... there was supposed to be a meteor shower today... and supposedly we are positioned at just the right location to observe... and we have located a good spot to view... along the coast and dark enough with benches... but well... just not our night... the sky was overcasted.... too much clouds to see anything... so after 15min of wait... we decided to call it a day.... too freaking cold!!

Sun 19th Nov 06
today we were supposed to go visit this stretch of street tat has lots of mansions of diff themes... but well... i guess we were too early and we din wanna pay to get into the mansions... so we just drove along tat stretch... and some had really nice gardens and high gates... very movie-like... after tat we went for a supposed scenic drive... hmm... very "scenic" indeed.... went to this Fort Adams... nothing more than a fort by the sea... pretty much like our very own Fort McClary... then we went to this place which supposedly has a lighthouse... and when we get there... we had a bit of prob locating it... and later we found out why... the lighthouse is super "big"... we were on this slope behind it... and we literally look down on it... so well.. i guess tat wasn't much of a sight for us... guess our york beach one is much better... or maybe our Fort Constitution one.. where we could go in...

Walked around the Newport area... before we went to Newport Vineyards... my first time at a vineyard though... paid $5 for a vineyard tour... tat brought us around the place... though it's not the right time of the year to be there since all the leaves have fallen and grapes harvested... so we pretty much was just looking at rows and rows of branches... and listening to the history of the vineayard... as well as the wine making process... the tour was pretty worth it... cos it included a wine tasting session where u can choose any 5 wines to taste... and we could each bring back the wine glass we used for the tasting... oh and i really like the small round biscuits they provided with the wine tasting... very milky taste.. wonder if i could get it anywhere...

pple ask me if Rhode Island is worth the visit... well... i don know... i would think it's someplace slow.. just like NH... with pretty much the same things... scenic drives... lighthouses... churches... but just a nice experience to get away for the weekend....

-jiahua

Back dating # 6

Shall keep my entries relatively short to catch up with times...

Sat 11 Nov 06
The validation director for the sg plant is in town... organised a get together at our place... potluck again... sweet and sour pork and chocolate cake from our house.. and of cos... as usual.. we supplied the alcohol...

normal get together... eat.. drink... talk... some serious.. some.. well... crap... but anyway.. too much alcohol made pple go weird.. nonetheless... an 'interesting' experience.... don wanna comment much on the day....

The bridge group...

5 on an armchair... yes we are slim... wahahha...

-jiahua

Back dating # 5

Tue 31st Oct 06
Halloween! After work we went to downtown for the Halloween parade... the wait was super long... and the parade was just less than an hour... but nonetheless it was pretty interesting to experience something new... probably won't get to see it in sg.. unless maybe some arty farty council decides to promote it... we might get there.. but maybe not yet... Halloween's still not tat popular in sg...

the parade was just a 'march past' or pple or groups that signed up to parade... there were loads of pple waiting to watch the parade.. they were all dressed up too... and after all the wait.. the parade finally started in the accompany of the police... it was pretty fun.. with everyone just swaying and dancing to the music one of the parade band was playing...

Even the pets were all dressed up...

The paraders...

The parade band...

Sat 4th Nov 06
Went to the Museum of Science in Boston.. yet again.. but this time we did get to go in finally.. and tat was the only thing on our agenda.. so no side tracking... the place is pretty much like our Science Centre... with all the science stuff teaching kids the different theories... physics laws.. blah blah... not too bad.. there was a mini demonstration of Benjamin Franklin's kite... lightning.. electricity.. blah blah... hmm.. interesting..

then we went to watch a show at the Omni theatre... Alaska... pretty cool visuals.. seat was super comfy though...

ok trip la... got to finally go to the museum after many attempts at Boston... and can get to eat at Chinese restaurant... though no roast duck...

-jiahua