Posted Oct 22, 2011, 6:46 pm
before embarking on her first world trip. She is leaving for Detroit, Michigan tomorrow and is extremely excited about doing some travelling! 
Posted Feb 13, 2012, 6:42 pm
After walking around the casino and loosing a dollar in the slot machines we had dinner in the international buffet. They offered foods from all over the world! They had Indian food, Thai food, Chinese Food, Greek Food, German Food, French Food, which included pizza, pasta, gyros, sandwiches, omelets and more! It was so delicious!!! I had a yummy Greek gyro!! It was so good! Since my host is a vegetarian, I had it without meat to see what it'd be like!
After dinner we walked around a bit in Greektown and took photos!! We didn't have dessert at the buffet because I was told there was an amazing bakery called "Astoria" and that we would go there instead! And I am SOOOO happy we did!!! They had so many things!!! Cupcakes, brownies, cookies, pies, cakes, ice cream, mousse and so much more!! It was sooo hard to make a decision, but I decided on a pretzel stick with white chocolate and sprinkles!!! I was so good and it was taller than me!!!
After dessert we walked around a bit more and I got to see the GM building (The General Motors Building). My host says it's the world headquarters for the company General Motors who manufactures automobiles. She said Detroit is known as the Motor City (along with many other nicknames) and is know for the automobile industry and the big 3 (GM, Chrysler, and Ford). She said that all three are auto manufacturers and provided many jobs and a huge foundation for Detroiters. General Motors was founded by Henry Ford who invented the first automobile with a combustible engine. General Motors was known for its achievements in making America's first affordable car which was called "the Model-T". My host talked for about an hour or many (so it seemed) about the big 3, Henry Ford, and Detroit. She obviously loves her city, knows a lot of history and studies it!
We also got to see the People Mover which goes around downtown Detroit in a loop. It makes it easier to get to place to place without having to walk. It was so cool. We didn't have time to go on it, but my host says next time we come downtown we can!
Well mom, that's all for now!! miss you! I'll be updating soon!
Posted Feb 24, 2012, 4:28 pm
Rembrandt was such a cool artist!!! He did lots of sketching and painting and lived in Amsterdam a good amount of his life where he created beautiful works of art. At the exhibit we got these cool headphones we put on and we got to listen to commentary on some of the pieces of art and look at similar pieces on the mini tv screen we carried around our neck, with the headphones. It was a lot of fun!! I wish I could have taken some photos inside to show you!! I had two favorite works at the exhibit!! The first was "The Visitation" (1640) and "The Woman Taken In Adultery". They were both beautiful paintings, with so much detail-- I could just stare at them for hours! There was so much to look at, and each piece told its own story!! I had a lot of fun today at the DIA. I wish I had more time to look at other exhibits, but this exhibit was a special after hours exception!!
Posted Feb 25, 2012, 4:49 am
The People Mover is an above ground railway that goes in a loop around some of downtown Detroit. It was a lot of fun! We got to see a lot of cool things!
We got on the People Mover in Greektown (which is where we took lots of photos when I arrived!!) SORRY in advance if some of the photos are a little blurry!! Sometimes it was hard to take photos fast when the train was moving!
The second stop on the People Mover is Bricktown! They have lots of cool restaurants and bars at that stop! I really wanted to go to the Detroiter bar! It looked pretty neat!
After Bricktown the People Mover heads toward the GM Building (The General Motors building I told you about seeing on my first night in town!) The building is huge and beautiful and used to be called the Renaissance Center before GM took it over. It is on the shore of the Detroit River and across the river is Windsor, Ontario, Canada! I never knew Canada was so close!! My host says there's a bridge and a tunnel and it's around a 10 minute drive or less to get through!! I have a photo of the bridge i'll show you soon!
The GM Building has 2 beautiful courtyards with cool and new cars on display!
Here's one of the cool photos of the end if the GM building and you can see the building that says tunnel to Canada and all the American flags. That's where people exit the tunnel and are welcomed to the United States!
Here's a cool shot of me and Jefferson Avenue which runs parallel along the shore of the Detroit River.
When you zoom in a little more you can see Cobo Hall/Center (I'll talk about it again later!)
My host told me that this is Hart Plaza where there are lots of cool festivals in the summer such as DEMF (Detroit Electronic Music Festival, which people come from all over the world to attend), the african and caribbean festival, the downtown hoedown, pride fest, and so many more festivals and events!
All the stops on the People Mover have really cool artwork at them! This is one of my favorites!
Another photo of me and the GM Building!
We passed this really really neat looking boat called the "Detroit Princess" it takes people on dinner and dancing cruises on the weekends and all the time in the summer! It's a cool looking boat and my host says it's a lot of fun!! I'd definitely love to cruise down the Detroit River to good music and food!
This is another photo of the Detroit River and the city across the river is Windsor!! They have a nice casino over there called Caesar's! Just like we have in Las Vegas, but the one in Vegas is WAAAY bigger! LOL
Look!! Here's the Detroit River and the Ambassador Bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, USA, and Windsor, Ontario, Canada!
After that we came to the Joe Lewis Arena stop on the People Mover and we got to see Joe Lewis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team!! My host is a HUGE fan and says they're REALLY good. She said the just made history and had a 23 game winning streak at home in Detroit. They have won many Stanley Cups (the best award in hockey!)
The next stop after that is Cobo Hall/Center. Cobo is really cool because not only do that have the coolest art work (my hosts favorite stop) but Cobo hosts lots of events, expos, exhibits, concerts and more! It is known for the annual "North American International Auto Show!" My host says it's so much fun and people come from all over the world to see it and it lasts over an entire week!! Currently they have "Autorama" which displays old cars! Cars that look like the ones in the mural at the stop!
Another cool tiled artwork at the Michigan Avenue stop!
Soon after that we got to Grand Circus Park. Grand Circus Park was soooooo neat!! It's the stop where they have lots of restaurants, bars, a park and to top it off Comerica Park Stadium, Ford Field, The Detroit Opera House, Gem Theatre, Detroit Music Hall, Fox Theatre and so much more!!! Comerica Park is where the Detroit Tigers play baseball! My host is also a huge huge fan of that sport! My host says it used to be America's favorite past time. lol. Ford Field is where The Detroit Lions play football!! My host thinks that is probably Americas CURRENT favorite past time. She doesn't really care for it though. The Opera House and many other theatres offer many musicals, plays, concerts and entertainment!!!
Well that's all for now!!! I'll update soon!
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Posted Jun 9, 2012, 4:22 am
I've arrived safely in Minneapolis, Minnesota!! I was greeted by another TV, Danko!!! I was so excited to see a friend and a new place!
We didn't really do much today but visited Jillyfish and her TV's! It was so much fun! We all watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and had dinner.
I miss you very much but I don't want you to worry about me! I am happy and excited to be on this adventure!
Miss you Mom!! Much Love,
Lilla
Posted Jun 13, 2012, 3:26 am
I've been having so much fun in Minneapolis with my host mom and our new TV, Danko. We went on a car ride through Downtown Minneapolis, seeing all the cool buildings and sights to see.
This is a picture of the Light Rail that runs through Downtown Minneapolis.
A bunch of School buses! They were really big and small.....kind of funny to drive by a bunch of school buses in a line!
This is Target Field. It's where the Minnesota Twins play baseball.
This is the Minneapolis Metrodome where a variety of events go on. It was huge and awesome. The Minnesota Vikings, football, normally play here but my host mom was telling me about them redoing it to make it better.
We also got to stop by the Amtrak, which is a train that can bring you all around the country visiting different cities! It was pretty cool with all of those different trains and places they go to.
It's been such an amazing day!! We are off to Como Zoo now too!!!
Posted Jun 13, 2012, 3:34 am
This one was so cool! It would come out of the water and flip back in!
Giraffes are huge!! They were moving their heads in such a weird way and walking around!
These are some pictures with my TV bud, Danko! It was so cool!!
This was so much fun! It's this machine that you create a cool coin as a souvenir!
Can't wait for my next adventures!!!
Posted Jun 13, 2012, 3:46 am
My TV friend, Danko, and I were trying to figure out what to order! There were so many choices!
After we were done eating, we went through a car wash! It was soooo cool to be in there. Look at how much fun the other TV's and I were having!!
It's been an amazing trip!!! I miss you Mum!
Posted Jun 27, 2012, 2:16 am
We got to go to a Dog Show! It was so cool! We got to see various dogs being judged and some of them had weird hair cuts! It was through the American Kennel Club, which is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. They are judged on the authentication of the true dog breeds and how they are suppose to look like.
This picture is of me and Danko, another TV!!!
We also had gone to Special Olympics which is an organization devoted to providing sports competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual Disabilities. My host mom wasn't able to take many pictures with me in them but put me in the pictures. It was so much fun!! I helped the athletes pick out songs to sing karaoke with since my host mom was volunteering.
I'm so excited to see what other stuff we get to see. My host mom said we were going on a road trip this weekend so can't wait to see where!!!!
Miss you but I'm having so much fun.
Posted Jul 2, 2012, 3:35 am
We are going on a trip to Duluth, Minnesota to sight see!! We got to greet a new TV to our "family". Diddl-Maus was a little shy but we told her how much fun we were having and she was happy to come!
Got to ride in style on my way to Duluth....but of course I took turns with the TV's so they could see the cool ride too!!
We stopped at this tourist place right before Duluth and got to see a wide view of Duluth!
We went to Grandma's Saloon and Grill in Duluth when we got there. We were hungry so it was really tasty! There was this cool sign by our table.
We went on a nice walk through the Downtown Duluth Lake Walk, where we also got to rent this cool bike! Jillyfish and Chloe09 did all the hard pedaling while us TV's rested in the basket.
This was a cool little replicate of the Lift bridge.
While biking, we got to see a lighthouse, lake views AND even the lift bridge! The lift bridge was cool....when a boat came, a loud noise happen and the bridge started going up! That was cool!!
This was such an awesome day that I'm soo tired! I'm going to take a nap on our way to camp! Jillyfish and host mom, Chloe09, go to this family camp in Wisconsin!
Love you mummy!!
Lilla
Posted Jul 19, 2012, 5:40 pm
Sorry for the delay in pictures! We were busy visiting places! We got to go on a camping trip! Here are a few pictures at this Hepokoski Family Camp!!
The lake was beautiful!! The family was having fun in the lake and I wish we could have gone swimming but Chloe09 didn't want to.
It was saddening that we had to go back to Minneapolis. We were having so much fun at Camp. Can't wait to see what else goes on!!!
Yours truly,
Diddl-Maus
Posted Jul 19, 2012, 5:58 pm
It was such a fun trip to take with my new friends!! Diddl-Maus, Buxi and Danko!!
There was this cool Disney store. Lots of clothes, costumes, and memorabilia from all of the Disney Movies! We got to sit and watch part of Toy Story 3! There were kids and parents there too! The boys didn't like being there because it was such a girly store but it was awesome!
This was the kind of store for Mi Nam, Jillyfish's TV and I. We tried to wear the crowns but they were a little big.
haha.
There was this store that was entirely filled with Candy!!! We all wanted to go in but they didn't think it was a good idea to get us filled with sugar. haha.
This isn't a real turtle! It was a picture but it looked cool!!
There were even rides in the mall!!! It was called Nickelodeon Universe. Jillyfish and Chloe09 was telling us about how it was called Camp Snoopy and it was so much more fun back then. It was amazing mom!
I can't wait to see what's next! I've been having so much fun! I do miss South Africa with you Mom.
Lilla
Posted Jul 25, 2012, 2:15 am
My host mom, Chloe, showed us a sauna (sow-na). A sauna is a room with a hot stove or coals that are heated by water to create a nice hot steamy room. It is a Finnish tradition to have saunas. It was very interesting and quite warm!
Cool, huh? We get to go see some big important buildings on our next adventure!!!
Miss you!
Lilla
Posted Jul 27, 2012, 7:15 pm
Then to celebrate their adventures with us, we made cupcakes!! Host mom is Gluten Free - can't have wheat or the complex of proteins that forms when wheat flour is mixed with a liquid and physically manipulated, such as in the kneading of bread.
We all got to do something. I got to be in charge of the vanilla and measuring correctly. I think I did a good job!
They turned out good. We had ice cream with the cupcakes! We all had to get ready to go see some big beautiful buildings downtown Minneapolis. We're excited!!
Tell you more later!!
Lilla
Posted Jul 27, 2012, 10:17 pm
This is the Minneapolis City Hall. It occupies an entire city block and has about 680,000 gross square feet. The building is an architectural treasure listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by Long and Keys Architects. The building also features a 15-bell chime and is the only American made set that can play the "Star Spangled Banner" in the original key. Every hour, quarter, and half-hour you will hear the bells of the tower. The bells were manufactured in New York and weigh from 300 to 7,300 pounds each -- over 14 tons total.
This building is the Hennepin County Court House. Little bit of information about it! It was pretty cool. The Hennepin County Courthouse, located in the Hennepin County Government Center, was completed in 1974. It was designed by John Carl Warnecke and Associates of San Francisco, with Peterson, Clark and Associates of Minneapolis. The masonry is the same carnelian red granite from Ortonville, MN, that was used in building the Minneapolis City Hall, where the courthouse used to be located. The diagonal braces of the modern building are steel sprayed with a fireproofing material to which a cream-colored porcelain-type material was fused. The building's total cost was about $50 million, with $1.6 million more spent after completion on making necessary window changes, fitting an additional floor for courtrooms, and installing glass walls on atrium floors and walkways.
This is the Public Safety building. It's a jail!! Here's some information Chloe09 told us about it! The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office operates the largest pre-trial adult detention facility (commonly called the jail) in the State of Minnesota. Jail facilities are located in two different buildings in downtown Minneapolis, but are treated as one facility:
The Public Safety Facility (PSF) has 330 beds for arrestees.
The City Hall (ADC) has 509 beds for arrestees.
On average each year, there are approximately 40,000 bookings at the jail. The jail is currently staffed for a capacity of 703 beds, and the average population in 2009 was 694. The jail has consistently earned the distinction of being accredited by the American Correctional Association for maintaining the highest standards of inmate custody and care.
This is the United States District Courthouse. The history of the judicial system in Minnesota begins in 1849 when the first territorial court term was held in Stillwater, Minnesota. The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota was not established until nine years later when Minnesota became a State in 1858.
This was a cool train she called the light rail. We couldn't take a ride because we didn't have time.
maybe next time!
Something cool is coming up next! Chloe09 said us girls get to go do something special!! I wonder what it could be?!
Posted Aug 2, 2012, 3:39 am
Can't wait to see what fun adventures we have next!! HUGS!
Posted Aug 8, 2012, 7:26 pm
Wow! I feel so lucky! I got to go to the Como Zoo AND the Minnesota Zoo.
The other voyagers thought this was funny...I however didn't think so. Luckily it was a fake wolf!
There was an area in the zoo that was South African animals. I felt at home there. Made me a little homesick but I tried to keep my composure.
We got to go party with Diddl-Maus. We went to Chuck E Cheese and got to play games. It was awesome. Sad to see Diddl-Maus go but his journey is to continue.
Can't wait to see what's next! Miss you and South Africa but I am going to be your brave girl! Chloe also gave us a name tag with United States of America on the back! It's an awesome way to remember America.
~Lilla
Posted Aug 12, 2012, 4:13 am
Sir Jim and I were enjoying the singing, food and beautiful wedding party.
I got to play with a beautiful little girl. Little slobber but not much! Can't wait to see what's next!! =)
Posted Aug 21, 2012, 4:19 am
I know that I'm heading back to South Africa soon.....so Chloe decided to take me shopping one last time to grab a souvenir to bring home for you!
Got a nice picture taken with all my friends before heading home!
See you soon Mommy!! I will be on my way tomorrow the 21st of August, 2012!!
Goodbye Minnesota!
Hello South Africa!
Posted Sep 16, 2012, 8:20 pm
Thank you Chloe09 for being such a fabulous host - I really had a great time in Minnesota! Thank you too for all the souvenieurs
