BRENDN
-
Tacos and Ice Cream in Ottawa
When you hear an impending ice storm is about to hit Toronto (why, Mother Nature, why…) and you just have a bunch of free time on your hands, you suddenly find yourself packing a bag and setting off one Friday morning.
-
(Actually Had) Breakfast at Tiffany’s
I watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the first time, a week before they announced breakfast actually would be served at Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue. So, surprise, surprise, I did what Holly did.
-
So I Had Some Good Craic in Ireland
Like the hopeless romantic I am, I fell in love with Holly and Gerry’s love in P.S. I Love You. But watching them meet for the first time, standing on a dirt road, surrounded by green fields and hills, I fell in love with Ireland, too.
-
I Now Understand the Miami Obsession…
I’m a Pisces. This automatically explains my emotional personality and sensitivity to others’ feelings, but when your zodiac symbol is two fish and your element is water, it also explains why I love anything beach related. Like a lot.
-
From the Bottom
“If you want to be a good writer, you have to know what the bottom looks like,” my godfather told me as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips. Rain was pounding down outside, the humidity disappearing with the strong blast of the A/C. I looked him in the eye and nodded, because after…
-
Make Your Mark
My paternal grandfather travelled to France once, and my paternal grandmother to Japan. My maternal grandmother saw Hong Kong and Singapore. And my mother has seen Japan and China and most of the USA. It’s one reason I’m not surprised that this wanderlusting has been etched into my skin and blood…
-
The Filipino Who Couldn’t Speak Tagalog
I can’t speak Tagalog. When I first moved to Canada it only took me three weeks to drop my mother tongue, and adopt English as my own. My parents never corrected me.
-
My Misadventures in Melbourne
My cousin’s boyfriend laughed at me when I said I wanted to lose weight. Apparently, that’s not an option when you travel in Melbourne. Defined as the food capital of Australia, I guess I can see why he said it: the first 48 hours I was in the country, let alone the city, all I…
-
The Places in New Zealand I Did Travel To
Before I left Canada my friend Sharnelle posted a Buzzfeed article on my Facebook wall entitled “25 Places In New Zealand That Do Not Care If You Travel There.” The photos were yet another reason to make me excited to come all the way down south. I mean, let’s face it, it was a good list. But…
