17 super touristy things you must to do in Toronto (canada)

Sometimes it's fun to play tourist in your own city. Head to those spots you'd usually avoid and gain some insight into why they're so popular. Perhaps these attractions are overrated, but you'll never know if you don't try them out.

Here's a list of super touristy things you must do in Toronto.

Catch the view from the CN tower

There is no view as majestic and all-encompassing as from the top of the CN Tower and now it's even better since the it got 360 degrees views and reflective ceilings.  It'll cost you about $35 to get up to the top but you'll want to spend more to do the Edgewalk.

Head down to the water

There's usually lots going on by the water, including weekly festivals at Harbourfront. While you're there, visit the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (it's free!), grab a drink at Boxcar Social or just bike or stroll lakeside to escape from the city for a little while.

Venture under the sea at the aquarium. Photo by Andrew Williamson.

Dive inside Ripley's Aquarium

A visit to Ripley's Aquarium has quickly become a must-do activity in the city. With lots of Canadian wildlife featured, this attraction is captivating for all ages. Plus, if it's good enough for Drake and The Weeknd, it should suit you too.

Catch a sports game

It's easy to snag Blue Jays tickets and if you're willing to spend a bit more, head to a Raptors or Leafs game, depending on the season. For soccer fans, a visit to BMO Field for a TFC game is a must, or tailgate and see the Argos. We even have a rugby team, if that's what you're into!

Take in some art at the AGO

Not only is this one of the city's most interesting and gorgeous buildings, but it's also the best spot to see a major art show. The AGO brings in major exhibits from all over the globe, and it's easy to spend an afternoon touring it.

Visit on a Friday night for the ROM's weekly party. Photo by Joshua KG.

Step inside the giant crystal at the ROM

One of the city's most stunning or hideous structures (depending on whom you ask) is the Crystal, which makes up a large part of the ROM. There's always something interesting being exhibited here!

Walk around Kensington Market

Make sure you visit Kensington on an empty stomach. With a staggering amount of affordable restaurants, second hand clothing shops, cute cafesand a car that's also a tourist attraction, this area is a one-stop culture shop and a fantastic snapshot of Toronto.

Eat your way through the St. Lawrence Market

Toronto's largest indoor food market has lots of fresh produce, meat and prepared food, so it's easy to stock up here. There are so many fun things to eat, including the city's iconic peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery

The ultimate tourist activity. Photo by Yana and Denis.

Take a City Bus Tour

Climb aboard a red double decker bus and see the city from dozens of new angles. Learn about places you usually don't give a second thought to and get loads of historical info about the downtown core. Pretend you're not local and take it all in.

Go deep woods at the Evergreen Brick Works

The Evergreen Brick Works is a gorgeous, reclaimed space complete with ponds, hiking trails, a bike shop a bakery and a host of one-off events and mini-festivals. Immerse yourself in the abandoned warehouse space or in the tranquil woods surrounding it.

Escape the city in the midst of downtown at Allan Gardens

Escape the noise and air of the city at this massive conservatory in Allan Gardens Park. It's fun to visit all year long (especially in the winter when it becomes a tropical oasis) thanks to the team who decorate it for every event and holiday throughout the year. Bonus: it's always free.

Visit Graffiti Alley for non-stop street art. Photo by A Great Capture.

Visit Graffiti Alley

Toronto's Graffiti Alley is one of the most Instagrammed spots in the city. It runs just south of Queen, from Spadina to Portland, and it features some of our city's coolest, most colourful street art.

Get lost in High Park

One of Toronto's oldest and largest parks is worth a visit. You can literally get lost here thanks to all of its trails, parks, ponds and restaurants.There's a zoo, massive off-leash zones and of course, cherry blossoms (in the spring) here too!

Go back in time at the Distillery District

Toronto's Distillery District features the continent's best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture. It's a stunning backdrop for local restaurants, design stores, bars , cafes and art galleries and one of the most popular spots in the city to get hitched.

See incredible Islamic art here. Photo by Patrick.

Experience the wonder of the Aga Khan Museum

Completed in 2014, Fumihiko Maki's Aga Khan Museum is a jewel. It's one of the most stunning buildings in Toronto, both inside and out.

See a big show

Mirvish puts up a slew of big plays and musicals, so see one of these spectacles. Or, check out what's playing at the Elgin Theatre or Buddies in Bad Times to take in a performance at one of our city's historic theatres.

Take a trip to the Toronto Islands

A visit to Toronto isn't complete without taking a ferry ride over to the islands. Some sweet beaches, a giant maze and plenty of green space are just some of what awaits.

source : https://www.blogto.com/

10 reasons to love Canada (and head over this year)

Everybody loves Canada. Maybe it’s the stunning nature or the friendly cities, including Toronto and Vancouver, or maybe it’s the humility, humor and generosity of the local people. The locals aren’t just easy-going either, they also have an uncanny ability to turn a statement into a question (by adding ‘eh?’ to the end of every sentence), making striking up a conversation with them particularly easy.

Here are our top 10 (+1) reasons to love Canada and head over this year (or any other).

1. Maple Syrup – put it on everything

Maple syrup is one of nature’s most glorious and delicious phenomenons. Every spring, Canadians take part in a tradition called “tapping,” when maple trees are selected and fitted with small tubes (taps) inserted into their trunks. As the trees thaw from the cold Canadian winter, the tree sap rises and escapes through the tap, collecting in buckets hung on the trees. From there, they cook the sap, reducing it down to the sweet, nutty maple syrup we all know and love. It takes about40 liters of sap to create one liter of pure maple syrup. That’s a lot of maple tree sap and a big reason for why Canadians treat the sweet golden nectar with such loving affection. They drizzle it over waffles, bacon, steak, chicken, eggs, salads and pretty much anything else they can get their hands on.

2. Poutine – a national institution

Walk down any street in Montreal and you would be hard-pressed not to see someone chowing down on a plate of poutine. The high-calorie, artery-clogging dish is comprised of french fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in brown gravy. Not only is poutine delicious, it’s also a national institution available everywhere from movie theaters to gourmet restaurants. Want to sound like a local? Just remember when you order to pronounce it “poo-tin,” not “poo-teen.”

3. Natural wonders – around every corner

As the second largest country in the world, Canada has dedicated a significant amount of its land to conservation. With over40 national parks and national park reserves, covering 300,000 square kilometers, there are more lakes, rivers, mountains, forests glaciers and coastline there than you will ever have the time to explore (.)

4. Outdoor recreation – paradise for nature freaks

Outdoor recreation sports like skiing, hiking, biking and climbing are an integral part of the Canadian identity. Topping the BBC’s list ofgreat cities for outdoor adventures isVancouver, British Columbia. Located just 115 kilometers from the world-class skiing resort ofWhistler-Blackcomb, a short drive from epic rock climbing in Squamish and covered in a web of mountain biking trails, Vancouver is one of the best places in the world to get your nature fix while having some serious fun.

5. Diversity – it’s in the DNA

When thinking about Canadians, many picture a (Caucasian) lumberjack cutting down trees in the forest. In reality, that image couldn’t be farther from the truth. Canada is one of the top 20 most diverse countries in the world, placing it far ahead of the US and the UK. Arecent study showed that one-fifth of Canada’s total population was born elsewhere – the highest proportion of any G8 country. Additionally, with two national languages, English and French, and a high percentage of foreign-born residents, thebilingualism rate in Canada is 17.5 percent. InToronto – recently declared the world’s most diverse city by BBC Radio – more than 140 languages are spoken and almost 51 percent of the population was born outside of Canada.

6. Friendliness – it’s in the water

Stand on the street corner of any Canadian city with an open map and you can count on somebody coming to help you. Canadians are THAT nice. Now, while there is no empirical evidence studying Canadian friendliness,studies have found that Canadians often use “hedge words” such as “could be” or “not bad” to reduce tension when discussing controversial or potentially offensive topics. Oh, did I mention they don’t honk in traffic and tend to apologize profusely for even the slightest transgression? Maybe it’s the water (which is delicious right out of the tap)… or maybe Canadians are just that nice.

7. Hockey – born and bred

It’s slightly strange that people known for being so friendly could be so obsessed with a sport as brutal as hockey. Then again, maybe it makes perfect sense… That anger has to go someplace, right? For Canadians, hockey is a national passion that eclipses any other facet of life. It is the lifeblood of every small community and the reason for gatherings big and small. Kids grow up with skates on their feet and sticks in their hands. A hockey scene is even pictured on the Canadian five-dollar banknote. Oh, and the Canadian men’s national team are legendary, as are the women: Men have won nine Olympic medals in total – the most in the world – while the women have dominated the last four Olympics, winning gold each time.

8. Trailer Park Boys – Canada’s #1 export

While Canada is the world’s largest exporter of maple syrup, it’s second greatest export (in my humble opinion) is the hit television programTrailer Park Boys. Full of unapologetically crude, crass and politically incorrect humor, the mockumentary series, which started in 2001, follows the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents as they look for their next big money-making opportunity. Watch before you visit and enjoy a hilarious perspective on life in Canada (not representative of the whole population, of course).

9. Hawaiian Pizza – the only thing controversial about Canada

Does fruit belong on pizza? Ask this question at any party and the answers will inevitably be strongly divided between “yes” or “no.” There is simply no middle ground when it comes to fruit on pizza, or more specifically, what goes the so-called “Hawaiian pizza”: pineapple. The debate recently even made it into the political sphere when the president of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, called for a ban on“pineapple as a pizza topping.” So, how did this whole thing get started? Well, unfortunately for the Hawaiians, credit for the divisive pizza topping goes to Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant to Canada, who created a pizza with tomato sauce, Canadian bacon, pineapple and mozzarella cheese in 1962. The rest is (controversial) history.

10. Bunny Hug – the cutest thing about Canada

The last and maybe the most lovable thing about Canada comes from the northern province of Saskatchewan. There, a hooded sweatshirt is called a “bunny hug.” Seriously!? Is that not the cutest thing ever?

source : https://www.ef.com

What Japan’s F-22/F-35 Fighter Hybrid Might Look Like

F-22/F-35 HYBRID FOR CANADA?

What happens when the F-22 and F-35 get busy and have a baby?

Lately, the idea of a "hybrid" between the F-22 and F-35 seems to be gaining steam.  First proposed to Japan when its self-designed F-3 project fell through, Lockheed is now pitching the idea to The Pentagon.

This (sort of) new fighter would take the more modern sensors, avionics, and other newer technology found in the F-35 and modify them to fit the F-22 Raptor.  This new enhanced Raptor would also sport a more modern stealth coating that promises to require maintenance.

It is not a bad idea.  Such a beast would not only offer improved capabilities for the F-22, but could actually result in lower flying costs.

This new fighter (F-22B?  F-22E?  F-22X?  F-28.5?) would improve on the Raptor's exceptional air-to-air capabilities.  One of the F-22's current weak spots is the absence of any sort of IRST.  The addition of DAS (Distributed Aperture System), combined with a helmet-mounted display (HMD) would give the F-22 true 360 degree situational awareness.  "Raptor Salad" would no longer be on the menu.

Better still, the F-22 could be given much improved ground attack capabilities.  Currently, the F-22's air-to-ground prowess is rather limited, but the addition of the F-35's EOTS and other tweaks could turn the F-22 into a true successor to the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Such a platform would undoubtedly have some overlap with the JSF's capabilities, but that is to be expected.  Even with an equal payload, the F-22 would have improved range, speed, and include two internal AIM-9 Sidewinders.  Simply put an "F-22E Strike Raptor" would be a deadlier machine, capable of surviving scenarios the F-35 would not.

Lockheed Martin has good reason to offer up an updated F-22.

Despite promises to the contrary, the F-35 may soon find itself outmatched by other fighters nearing production.  It is also not meeting foreign sales predictions as prospective buyers back out or take a "wait and see" approach.

Meanwhile, the USAF's air-superiority workhorse, the F-15C/D, is not getting any younger.  Boeing has proposed several new F-15 variants in an attempt to reinvigorate sales.  Unfortunately, the proposed F-15SE "Silent Eagle" was met with little interest.  Boeing has followed that up with the more conventional "F-15X".  While the improvements are interesting, they do not change the fact that the F-15 platform is a 50-year-old design.

While the current F-22 still holds the air-superiority throne, it suffers from a lack of availability, high cost per flight hour (CPFH), and some glaring weaknesses.   Fixing these problems would keep the F-22's "king of the hill" status for decades to come...  Or at least until "6th generation" fighters start making an appearance.

So would an updated F-22 be right for Canada?

Yes and no.

Obviously, a stealthy, multi-role, supercruising, long-ranged, twin-engined fighter would be IDEAL for Canada's needs.  More so when that fighter is used by our NORAD ally.

Unfortunately, this F-22/F-35 hybrid is little more than a proposal at this point.  Even if it were to become a reality, a prototype would be years away.  Full production would not likely start for another 10 years at the least.  This puts it outside the timeline proposed to replace the CF-18.

Even if the fighter were available in time to replace the CF-18, there is still the issue of cost.  While an updated F-22 promises to be more affordable than the legacy model, it would still likely be a costly machine to purchase and operate.  This is still a big stealth fighter equipped with two big engines and the latest tech.  At best, its CPFH would still likely be higher then the F-15E.  Given Canada's typically tight-fisted defence spending, a fleet of 88 enhanced F-22s would likely be a non-starter.

This is not to dismiss an enhanced F-22 for Canada completely.  A lot could change in the next few years...  Just look at the last ten for proof.  Political climates change, as do spending priorities.  Canada could very well find itself in need of a higher-end fighter to supplement whatever ends up replacing the CF-18.

If Canada found itself in need of a world-beating fighter, and enhanced F-22 would certainly be at the top of the list. 

source : http://www.thedrive.com

kumpulan tebak-tebakan receh (10)

Pertanyaan: Salah apa yang tidak bisa dipidanakan?
Jawab: Salah Urat.

Pertanyaan: Kopi apa yang tidak bisa diminum?
Jawab: kopiah (Peci).

Pertanyaan: Sapi apa yang tidak bisa makan kenyang?
Jawab: Sapiring berdua.

Pertanyaan: Ibu apa bila berdiri tegak bisa membuat orang tersanjung dan bangga?
Jawab: Ibu Jari.

Pertanyaan: Anak apa yang panjang dan sangat besar?
Jawab: Anakonda.

Pertanyaan: Sate apa yang bisa terbang?
Jawab: Satelit.

Pertanyaan: Panci apa yang banyak orang tuanya?
Jawab: Panci jompo.

Pertanyaan: Kenapa matahari semakin panas?
Jawab: Karena matahari buka cabang dimana-mana.

Pertanyaan: Uang jika dilempar jadi apa?
Jawab: Jadi Rebutan.

Pertanyaan: Lemari apa yang bisa dimasukkan kantong?
Jawab: Lemaribuan.

Pertanyaan: Apa yang mempunyai 12 kaki dan bisa terbang?
Jawab: 6 ekor burung.

Pertanyaan: Siapa yang selalu jadi korban pemerasan?
Jawab: Sapi perah.

Pertanyaan: Sapi apa warnanya biru?
Jawab: Sapidol.

Pertanyaan: Hewan apa yang paling kurang ajar?
Jawab: Kutu rambut, soalnya kepala orang diijak-injak.

Pertanyaan:: Perang apa yang membutuhkan selimut?
Jawab: Perang dingin.

Pertanyaan: Kerjannya keliling terus sepanjang waktu tak mengenal lelah.Siapakah dia?
Jawab: Jarum jam.

Pertanyaan: Mandi apa yang tidak bisa membuat badan basah?
Jawab: Mandi Bola.

kumpulan tebak-tebakan receh (9)

Pertanyaan: Dibungkus bukan lontong, ditanam bukan singkong. Apakah itu?
Jawab: Jenazah.

Pertanyaan: Harimau apa yang membuat semua orang panik?
Jawab: Hari mau kiamat.

Pertanyaan: Makan gratis, minum gratis, menginap gratis, tetapi tidak ada orang yang mau dan suka. Dimanakah itu?
Jawab: Di Penjara.

Pertanyaan: Ketua apa yang rambutnya putih?
Jawab: Ketuaan.

Pertanyaan: Harimau apa yang warnanya hitam?
Jawab: Hari mau malam.

Pertanyaan: Siapakah yang suka tidur pakai sepatu?
Jawab: Kuda.

Pertanyaan: Kutu apa yang keluar dari mulutnya orang?
Jawab: Kutukan.

Pertanyaan: Gajah terbang kelihatan apanya?
Jawab: Gajah terbang kelihatan bohongnya.

Pertanyaan: Seperti apa angka 11 bila naik turun naik turun?
Jawab: Ingus.

Pertanyaan: Buah apa yang bisa dibuat alat musik?
Jawab: Buah Kecapi.

Pertanyaan: Hewan apa yang terdiri dari 2 huruf?
Jawab: Udang (U dan G).

Pertanyaan: Kereta apa yang tidak punya lokomotif?
Jawab: Kereta bayi.

Pertanyaan: Sabun apa yang paling genit?
Jawab: Sabun Colek.

Pertanyaan: Sapu apa yang bisa digunakan untuk menyapu wajah?
Jawab: Sapu tangan.

Pertanyaan: Kusir apa yang selalu basah kuyup?
Jawab: Kusiram air se-ember.