My Weekend so far...

Friday Evening: "Aroma Falms"
(otherwise also known as Aurora Farms)
((which actually refers to the Prime Outlet store collection near Aurora))
(((which is a factory outlet thingy)))
((((No, they weren't selling ducks, rejected, defective, or otherwise))))

We were driven there by one of our friendly Marketing Managers, who was also here on training and had a car. But to correctly attribute the impetus behind this trip, I have to point out that it was Pepper's Brand-hungry roomie who 'drove' us all here. She was the one who also insisted that we could only go home after all the shops closed for the day. We got there at 6pm, and we froze there until 9pm. Brrrrrr!

The prime Outlet there, we found, was divided into two sections, the Lake Shops, and the Plaza Shops. The Lake shops surround a frozen lake, inhabited by two great mounds of ice, and some ducks/mallards and geese-like ornithoids.
You can see the two mounds here - created by two stubborn high-sprouting fountains, plus the huddle of frozen boids..


They started honking and quacking when they saw me. I thought I'd disturbed their frosty sleep, until I spotted what looked like gumball machines lining a short section of the lake's fence.
Closer investigation revealed dry bird food, in dispensers. I was struggling to get out suitable coinage when all the birds broke their huddle, and started honk-waddling towards me, wings spread in supplication! Poor frozen birdies! Think I used up $2 in quarters feeding the poor things.... they looked so desperate, and it was too cold for big families to make their way to the outlet. I figure that I was their only meal for that day. Poor things.

After feeding them (and me), I (no, I didn't eat the bird food, I went to Subway, silly!) stumbled over to a nice kitchen/cooking shop where I bought some super-hot cayenne/habanero/jalapeno/chipotle sauce and dry sprinkles... Whooo!


Saturday: Home
Woke up early to go for breakfast at 5th avenue (had yummy lox omelette and bagel), but wandered over to the apartment kitchen first to get some water. Was greeted by an almighty mess. The pic above doesn't do it justice, but it looked terrible. Roomie hadn't cleaned it up since Dinner the night before!!! Thanks man, sheesh!

Had a nice nap in the afternoon, did laundry etc, and then went back to 5th ave for dinner - Corned beef and cabbage:

Quite nice!

Today, Sunday: Asian Market

Had this weird notion to see if I could locate ingredients to make a dinner dish for my supervisor, so I followed Pepper's roomie to the sort of nearby Asian market. Man! That place smells! It wasn't a wet market, but there were all sorts of odours.... meats there looked kinda suspect, so I didn't buy any, but they did have a large collection of preserved/dried asian spices and veggies, and asian seasonings. Even had a few frozen durians...

Came back, and made this, with chunks of a cervelate I bought from a Russian grocer - yummy!