Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He's also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Turns out even though Quebec has a public healthcare system, if you go to the pharmacy to get vaccinations, you might end up paying a lot of money for it. I just had that experience when I had to pay over $200 for just a single vaccine!
However, turns out that you might be eligible to get certain vaccinations for free if you just look up online through the health portal as they are sometimes being offered at certain pharmacies and hospitals.
As example, when I searched for Adult Vaccinations on Clic Sante portal, the first pharmacy that showed up had vaccinations available only with fees.
Paid Vaccinations
However I was able to find another place not too far away from me where certain vaccinations were available without fees.
Vaccinations with No Fees
You can save a lot of money especially if you have other family needs who need to be vaccinated as well and don’t have a private insurance that covers the cost of getting vaccinated!
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Vimy Brewing Company is a popular craft brewery in the Ottawa area. I decided to check it out since I was around the Industrial Area.
I had expected the place to be a bit busy however when I arrived it was just my friend and the server. The place however looked very clean and can be a good place to have a big group without running into seating issues.
There did appear to be a couple of people coming in however since it’s a brewery, it’s just people who come in for picking up their order of beers.
Vimy Brewery
I wanted to try out their Flights so that I get to sample a variety of drinks that they offer however I was told that a number of items on the menu were not being offered! Disappointing! So I ended up ordering a cream ale, which I was told is a light beer that they offer. The froth was a bit bitter but I think I like the taste of it!
Another thing I didn’t like is that there is no food! I think it would have been great if they place had some snacks to munch on with your drinks! Though they do allow you to bring in food from other places.
I think I might end up at Vimy Brewing Company again if I ever had a large group of friends headed to have some drinks.
Address: 830 Industrial Ave Unit 11, Ottawa, ON K1G 4B8
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
This time we went to Rooftop Ottawa which is one of the newer rooftop bars that have opened up in the area. Rooftop Ottawa is located in the Byward Market, and is right above Apothecary Lounge.
Rooftop Ottawa
The place looks slick and has a really nice vibe. I liked the music as well. You can see the streets of Byward Market busy with people, some people playing loud music in their pimped up cars from the Rooftop!
Byward Market
The only issue appeared to be really slow service at the place. After sitting down, we just had to keep waiting for the server to come to our table and then it took a while to get our drinks as well. We had to call servers tending at other tables to get us water.
I could see people just leaving after waiting on their tables long enough. Luckily I got my drink after waiting quite a bit. I had ordered their Layover cocktail which consisted of Rye, Chamomile, and Lemon. The drink tasted strong enough and I could taste the alcohol more than the lemon.
Layover Cocktail
I think the rooftop bar offers a great atmosphere for small groups to hangout however they need to improve a lot on their service.
I was lucky that I had eaten already so didn’t have to order food otherwise I might have ended up waiting for an hour or so.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
I have tried numerous catnip sprays and powders before and none of them have worked for my cat. Most of the time it would end up with the cat just twitching a little bit and that’s it.
Apart from catnip, I had also tried some alternatives available including silvervine but still didn’t see my cat responding much to it. So I started searching online if I could find something that would actually work and that’s how I came across Cat Crack!
Cat Crack Cat Nip
As the name suggests, it’s supposed to be a potent blend of catnip to make the cat go crazy. The company claims that they have their own proprietary blend which lasts longer and stays fresher.
Upon opening the jar, I felt that this catnip looked and smelled a lot more fresher and stronger. I was wondering if my cat would really enjoy it as none of the catnips before had worked.
Fresh Cat Nip
But does it really work? To test this out, I took an old cat toy that my cat didn’t play with anymore and put a little bit of cat nip and just spread it across the toy.
Cat Nip on the Toy
I then introduced my cat to the toy and he took a quick whiff; within seconds he grabbed hold of the toy and actually started playing it. I was kind of surprised since my cat hadn’t played with the toy at all in the last few months. In fact, I had noticed that my cat barely was playing with any toys.
Cat smelling Cat Nip
I tried to monitor my cat for a few minutes and saw him playing with the toy for the period. This is the first cat nip formula that I have found that works for my cat and am happy with it!
Cat playing with toy after catnip sprinkled
I then tried sprinkling a very small portion of cat nip on another toy that my cat hasn’t played much with and was surprised that after putting a bit of cat crack, the cat started interacting with that toy as well.
Cat playing with ball with cat crack
So far I am happy that I have found something that works for my cat. Though I noticed that this product is priced way higher ($40) than other catnip products in the market especially if you are buying it in Canada (even though it’s a Canadian product). I didn’t notice any harmful side-effects using this product on my cat.
Recommend you guys to try this product out for your cats if you have not been satisfied with other catnip products in the market!
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Last week I decided to have a meal at O’Brien’s Roadhouse. The restaurant is located on Industrial Avenue and is a bit far from the Ottawa downtown. Depending on traffic conditions that can be about 25-35 minutes from the Ottawa Downtown area.
O’Brien’s Roadhouse Restaurant
There are two things that I noticed about this place; first of all it’s huge! There is a lot of space and you can bring a large group and have no seating issues. Secondly, this is one of the few places in Ottawa area that play Country Music. So if you are looking for restaurants with a bit of country vibe, you should head to the roadhouse!
Since the weather was nice, we decided to dine in their patio! Not only do they have a lot of space inside but outside as well! Also they do have really nice comfy seats in their patio if you want to drink and relax.
Patio Area
I ended up ordering half rack of ribs and fries; though you have option to replace fries with garlic mash or house salad. The ribs are smoked, grilled and basted with their BBQ sauce. The food tasted real good!
BBQ Ribs and Fries
I am impressed with the service at this place. The server was very attentive to what we wanted; and checked with us often. Also I noticed that she made my friend’s drink real fancy.
O’Brien’s Roadhouse Dining
Even though the area around which this restaurant is based might not feel much, the restaurant has a really good atmosphere and I had a great experience with this restaurant. Highly recommended!
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Yes, it’s possible to work for an Indian company from Canada. There are a number of reasons why you might want to work for an Indian company (based in India) –
You might be looking to move to Canada and don’t have a job in Canada already. This comes out as the primary reason why people might want to continue with their Job till they figure out their economic situation after moving to Canada.
You might have a higher paying job and want to retain it. While median salaries in India are a fraction of what you can get paid in Canada, that is not true for the top jobs in the private sector.
You might be interested in getting exposure to a different geographic/cultural setting. Even though you might be working remote from Canada, sometimes people seek temporary jobs or internships to get that exposure.
Finding a new job can be difficult While it is possible, it would be very difficult to find an Indian Company since there are usually too many applicants in India for a job and unless you have a very specific set of skills or working with an international organization that provides remote internships/jobs. There might be a few companies who are looking to hire people internationally to have global coverage.
Permission from Company for working remotely from outside India You will need to let the company know that you would be working remotely. Sometimes there are legal aspects to be considered while you work remote as there might be sensitive information that you deal with at work that is subject to export regulations.
Difference in Time Zones is Day and Night If you would be working remotely in Canada for an Indian Company then for most of the jobs, you might have to work at night times because there is a 12-hour time zone difference between India and Canada. This can be really problematic as you would be working during the night and sleeping during the day. A lot of people end up getting burnt out over long-term for this reason.
If you could ask the company to accommodate for the time zone difference that can make things a lot easier for you. This might not be possible for a lot of the remote jobs but is still worth asking.
Beware of Taxes Once you become a resident of Canada, you might have to file taxes in both India and Canada. This can vary depending on the individual’s situation and can also be a little tricky to navigate through. The best thing for you would be to check the tax laws or a tax advisor when you file your taxes.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
When headed to Duitama, decided to take a detour and head to Lanceros del Pantano de Vargas (Vargas Swamp Lancers) which I noticed had received rave reviews on Google.
And let me tell you this sculptural complex is a beast and not only that but turns out it is the largest monument in Colombia. The monument was built as a memorial for the Battle of Vargas Swamp.
You have to use stairs to get to the monument and you will notice some men wearing old military uniforms with whom you can take pictures with and they might even give you a quick tour of the place.
Lanceros del Pantano de Vargas (Vargas Swamp Lancers)
Not only that but the place has a few shops of interest and hotels nearby as well as offers beautiful scenic views. There also appeared to be a bar that appeared to be popular among the locals.
Bar near Vargas Swamp Lancers Monument
It’s a very nice and quite place, and you might enjoy walking/cycling on the roadway around the area! Also I noticed a lot of dogs on the roof of a number of houses, not sure if that’s a Colombian thing or just applied to this region.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Decided to try “Fresh Lemonade” from a food stall called Wetzel’s Pretzels at the Panama City Airport. Bad Idea!
Since I had paid about US $3.50 for this drink, I was expecting quality stuff but no this drink was bit too sour. I should have asked the employees there if they had ever tried drinking it cause it really had a very odd taste.
Bad Lemonade
If they can’t get something simple like Lemonade correct, what do you expect their other food items tasted like.
Do not try their lemonade, it sucks. Probably one of the worst drinks that I have tried this year.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
With most of the restaurants closed at the Tocumen Airport after 9 pm, my only option was to try out Flying Dogs where I went in for their Chicken Tenders!
The Tenders cost about US $7 (I wasn’t aware that Panama was one of the countries where it was quite common to have prices in US dollars) and what you get for those 7 bucks is just 3 chicken tenders! Yes, food at the airport is always overpriced.
But was my meal good enough? I think the tenders are alright enough to be had as a snack. You get ketchup with your tenders however you can ask for hot sauce which I found to be much better with the tenders.
Chicken Tenders
If you were to ask me again if I would have the tenders at the place? Most likely not, I just had been in a situation where nothing else was open so had to get them.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
I have been looking to get a Tire Change for a while now. Canadian Tire told me it could take 2 days to get my tires changed and would have to leave the car, Mr Lube (Walmart) couldn’t change my tires due to them being low profile and Speedy Auto told me they would need atleast 2 weeks to do a tire change!
Finally I gave a call to Jiffy Lube who informed me they can change my tires straight away. It took them approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour to change my winter tires to summer tires (more time due to them not being on rims)
While changing my tires, I actually ended up learning something that the other service centers never told me before! I was filling my tires at wrong air pressure! Apparently the previous owner had gotten different types of tires than what the car comes with and they need to be inflated at a higher pressure. I had been damaging my rims before which is something I had not noticed before!
They also noticed some issues with my tires and patched it up for free.
However Jiffy does charge a bit more than other providers out there. I think my tire change cost me $160+ however I think it was worth it as I hadn’t been able to get a tire change quick enough anywhere else and also am hoping that my rims won’t be getting damaged anymore due to lower air pressure!
If you are looking to get your tires changed and don’t have time, then definitely head out to Jiffy Lube! This was prolly the quickest tire change I have gotten while being in the Ottawa Gatineau area.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
