Winter Slang. Real Talk.

The time has come and I bestow upon you an injection of new fun words to spice up thy drone speak. Shake it up, add festivities! Thanks, trendcentral!

Gen Pop
n. term used to describe the general population when “bridge and tunnel,” yuppies, tourists or “undesirable” individuals “intrude” upon an event, outing, club or local restaurant
“Did you see that girl on the dance floor wearing purple Uggs? Wow, the gen pop really takes over this place on Saturdays. Let’s go to a dive bar.”

G.O.M.L.
v. acronym for the phrase “Get on My Level;” said when one person both wants to imply that someone else can’t keep up and wants to urge them to catch up
“C’mon, pot bellies are totally in. G.O.M.L., and order some chili cheese fries.”

Cuddy
n. a word used to describe something shady or sneaky
“He’s still listed as single on Facebook, even though they have been dating for, like, three months. That’s so cuddy!”

Curl
v. a new way to crop your pants without cuffing; best for skinny jeans, curling is when you roll the bottoms of your pant legs very tightly two or three times, creating a delicate cinch above the ankle
“If you wanna show off the studs on your boots, you should curl your jeans.”

Guacamole (Personal favorite!)
n. money, cash, or funds
“If we’re going to that bar, I’m gonna need to stop at the ATM to grab some guacamole for drinks.”

Post-Zuckerberg
adj. term used to describe the era of Facebook ubiquity
“In the Post-Zuckerberg era, I never email anyone, well, except for my gram and when I’m trying to dig my way out of funemployment.”

 

PS. In other news, my left foot is infected and quite swollen and I wish I had minion to tug fruit and vegetables up the stairs. I’m extremely lethargic from all the antibiotics I’ve to take.

PPS. Previous thematic post: Summer Slang, August 12

Filed under: Quotable, random facts , culture, fun, funny words, marketing, pop culture, trends, word

These Boots Were Made For Walking

Just a quick note. Fall is approaching steadily, and so is the fact that we all probably need some boots or booties. Several brands you might want to investigate:

1. Maud

Found at Pixie Market and other sexy places, these are some fetching designs. Legacy Buckle Boots & Mayhem Slash Booties (both sold out there):

2. n.d.c.

Couldn’t take my eyes off these creations for men:

3. Band of Outsiders, men’s chukka:

4. Underground shoes are for going to the extremes:

5. J Shoes

High quality shoes for men and women – fine leathers, craftsmanship and design with a global reach. Exemplifying understated beauty.

Filed under: Uncategorized , autumn, fall, fashion, shoes

Coco Avant Chanel

Yesterday I cast in stone a decision to really do things my way and not to settle for pebbles. You see, tiny doubts and bad idea bears have crept around my cozy crypt (for alliteration’s sake), but not anymore. Do you even know how difficult it is to remain oneself in the world that is constantly harassing you to be a caricature of yourself? Dear Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Gabrielle Chanel did exactly that.

The first thing I did after watching Coco Avant Chanel is go to The Auteurs and add the film to my profile. There I saw 2-3 reviews by self-proclaimed cinephiles, saying they were disappointed about the lack of flair, flashy fashion and epicocity that the Paris fashion was then. What? Did you even read the title of the film!? The execution was subtle, and increasingly Chanelesque in composition and tone. Look what some idiot wrote: “Was expecting much more nuance and flair in the filmmaking, but all it contained were overdetermined references to Chanelesque style points: black & white, pearls, lace, and whatnot. Riveting?”  Gosh.

I viewed the whole story as a non-stop series of transformations; about the men and women, her surroundings and other elements that influenced her. Subtle, a little slow, but always emotionally vibrant. It’s also about true love, inspiration, determination and support. It’s not about how cool it must’ve been to be mademoiselle Chanel. It’s about being a strong woman going against the current. At least in my opinion.

In fact, what people labeled “plainliness”, I called elegance. Where some were looking for color and fluff, I was sensing the weight and texture, to somewhat speak in fashion terms. I loved Audrey Tautou; in my world she is on par with Anouk Aimee and Anna Karina. I think we all fell for Alessandro Nivola’s  (Yale grad btw) character a little too. But my favorite part is that it was not a rags to riches via marriage (thus complete denial of Gabrielle’s self) story, but a rags to riches via unrestrained imagination, hard work and daring to be different.

Filed under: film , beauty, development, fashion, film, movie, self, work

30 Min Wonder Walk

I love walking. More than that, I love walking in (downtown) Toronto. Last month I decided that – as much as possible, – I will walk from work to home. The walk is 3.0km, from Yorkville’s Bay & Bloor to Chinatown’s residence of mine. Some days I leave work at 6pm, tired or mildly frustrated (work is never stressful… yet ), but 5 minutes into the walk, I lighten up.By the time I get home, I’m skipping a little to my music, I smile to myself and all you passers-by, and damn, I’m just happy to be alive.

I also LOVE you Toronto. I’ve a feeling you love me back. But every time I walk this little route, I just feel it more and more, and if I had to settle in Canada, I’d probably settle here.

I walk west on Bloor and smile at the sun that sets right against my eyes, and I look at beautiful or gaudy things in the window shops. I understand why (target buying demographic) there are old, square and absurd jackets in the Chanel display and why Gucci reeks of slut, and why Lacoste is borderline soro/fraternity preppy (there’s another angle to this). It doesn’t matter – by the time I pass the Royal Conservatory, I’m enamored with fleets of Rolls Royce, Jaguar, BMW, Audi; there are valet figurines everywhere. Ah, smile smile smile on.

Jocks on the football field, Rotman, Bata shoe museum. Every time I walk down St George, I am reminded of my UBC days. But this is better because I don’t go there anymore. I see passers-by and I can almost picture their personalities – here is a future management accounting titan, he’s wearing a mismatched shirt and tie, but the KPMG recruiters will forgive him. He listens to music that’s five years behind, but he reads all the right publications, he gets enough rest before exams and does not party on the weekend. And there’s our running athlete on the right, a beautiful freshman girl who broke up with her boyfriend when she left her small town. Toronto is a little bit intimidating, but watching Sex and the City with fellow dorm girls and running on weeknights (when there are no group meetings!) helps her forget him.

On and on. I love all these sights, and I love my city, and I love what I do, what I am, where I am, who I’m surrounded by. And so, whatever non-positive mood I was in 30 minutes ago dissipates completely, and I’m bouncing off the walls, throwing pink marshmallows in the air!

Filed under: simple life , love, memories, toronto

Two Key Slow Art Pieces

I’m hosting Slow Art Toronto this Saturday, October 17, at 11:30am at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I selected 10 pieces for review, with 2 special works that everyone must view as they will be central to our debate.

These works by two Canadians resonated with me the most during my recent visit to the AGO. I got quite descriptive with them, but you’ll see why and how it’s worth it.

1. William Kurelek “The Rock” (1962)

For William Kurelek, art was means to express his fundamentalist Christian faith and his apocalyptic vision of human destiny. He was born in a Ukrainian settlement in Alberta to a family of hard-working farming parents. His interest in art stemmed from the early age, but was no approved by his father. Kurelek studied at the Ontario College of Art, as well as the Instituto Allende in Mexico. He was extremely thin-skinned and found forming personal relations almost impossible. That lead to a severe depression and a subsequent psychiatric hospitalization in the UK.

Kurelek identified strongly with Van Gogh. His work, however, was largely influenced by Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. His deeply affecting Roman Catholic visions definitely contrast the memories of his childhood in the Canadian prairies. In fact, two themes in his paintings have always been:

1. Recollection of aspects of his own and his parents’s lives in rural Canada
2. Didactic, apocalyptic vision of a materialistic society doomed to destruction to attain salvation

Hence the seemingly contrasting set of artworks at the Thomson room at the AGO.

The Rock is an interesting piece – it’s a vivid painting of…a rock that’s standing strong amid the gurgling fire and lava below it. Hideous Boschian monsters float in the red burning mess, trying to throw spears at the rock and the church that’s standing on it. Look closely and you will notice demon spears adorned with “bad things” like racial intolerance, apostasy, ghetto mentality, sodomy, political intrigue, nationalism, sloth and the like. Upper part of the piece is adorned with floating angels and the crossed keys of St Peter.

More than anything, I find the detail, vivid color and the deep exploration of the subject the most appealing aspects of the work. I also think it’s the most compelling piece in the William Kurelek room in the Art Gallery of Ontario. Feel free to study Kurelek’s other works in the room and compare. I feel Kurelek is the lesser known and underrepresented artist in the history of Canadian painting, so perhaps we could address the issue by studying his work.

2. David Altmejd “The Index” (2007)

The Index is a quite bizarre and macabre artwork, a phantasmagoric aviary of mutant birds, combining the horrific with the sublime. To me personally, it feels as a forest life gone incredibly wrong, warped, exploded, twisted and Frankenstein-ized by injections of primal and mythological symbolism. There are enough details, vivid imagery and fascinating forest creatures to keep anyone glued to (and walking in and around) the piece for at least half an hour. It’s a complex, crystal-infected, flesh-slicing and intoxicating work of art that excites and horrifies at the same time. In this work, the recognizable and the prosaic suddenly and violently materialize into the imaginary.

David Altmejd himself: “A lot of people think that I’m really fascinated by death and morbidity, but I’m much more interested in life. I just think that things look more alive when they’re growing on top of what’s dead,” he says, bending his fingers to mimic blades of growing grass. He’s had a lasting interest in Kiki Smith and Louise Bourgeois. His work, I find, hovers between object and installation; he constructs large stages and elevated platforms and presents his myriad of organic and fetishistic forms in a seeming display of luxury.

He arranges many smaller parts and delicate details in a logic of a film, so that the viewer feels he/she unravels the mystery themselves. What kind of mystery? What is this sense of dread that creeps along our spines as we walk by endless reflections in opposing mirrors, shocked by wolves pierced by shards? What is this ecstatic celebration of the instant in which everything is between two states. Let’s discuss all that this Saturday at the Art Gallery of Ontario!

It was quite the talked about piece during the Venice Biennale in 2007. A Montreal native and a Columbia University M.F.A., Altmejd lives and works in New York. Here is a slideshow of some of his work, I highly recommend you see it.

Filed under: art , art, canada, education, slowart, toronto

Quadruple Myself

I am a sucker for photo apps. If you didn’t know, back in the day I used to be heavy into photography, including spending my high school lunch hours in the darkroom, looking at photo books, magazines, walking around the city experimenting with shots, learning Photoshop a year prior taking photography class so that I’d be prepared to edit the negatives… Anyway, I love photos, taking photos and playing with photo toys.

I bought a QuadCamera iPhone app for $1.99 and, when it doesn’t freeze my screen, it is a fun little application. I think it requires way too much iPhone thinking power to work smoothly; sad story. Last night Josue took some fun shots of me and Lisa, and I thought I’d share them. Apparently there are not enough photos of self on this personal blog, har har.

The cool thing is, this app will give you both lomo-style four shots AND a gif file! You can select the desired filter and really experiment. Below are some shots of me horsing around According to Josue, “i’m really good at this”.

And nowwwww, the gifs!

Having a seizure yet?

Filed under: Great Products , fun, iphone, photography, photos, self, technology, toronto

Book/Film Re-Runs

Catholic guilt is the term used to identify the supposed excess guilt felt by Catholics and lapsed Catholics. The term catholic guilt is controversial as it is not clearly differentiated from the guilt felt by members of other religions or moral codes. Says Wikipedia. This term is too strong for this post, but I use it when describing my feelings towards other things. Moreover, I’m not even Catholic.

I have a problem with watching the same film, or, worse, reading the same book, over and over and over because I’m acutely aware of the lack of time in a life (add to that the daily-changing probabilities of a sudden, tragic or freak death, accident or a negative surprise; life gets even shorter), and I feel that spending time re-reading the best book in the world will handicap me in my quest for self-development, entertainment and the general betterment.

If I get my mittens on a much beloved DVD, I don’t watch it right away (unless I’m trying to educate fellow bright minds during their visits to my pixie palace). I set it aside and feel torn between it (the personally approved) and the unseen latest and greatest (at least critically acclaimed or much-recommended, or “really important as per some weirdos” works). It’s not so difficult with films. I end up plowing through the cinematic world with no problem, catching both old and new, but rarely on repeat.

I have never re-read a book. I have absolute favorites, with highlighted passages, scribbles, smiley faces and comments in the margins, but I never read them again. I covet them, place them on display, and recommend left-right-center, but that’s it. Time is too precious. On top of that, I do remember the story line and have selected quotes written in my secret book.

I also rarely read contemporary fiction, because there is a higher probability that I won’t like it. Would I rather spend time on something that’s received a Nobel prize in Literature (check out the list, if you’ve got no author to read), something that inspires a dozen+ of other cultural pieces, or something that’s recently become a NY Times bestseller (which, by the looks of it, is every fiction book at Chapters). I pick 100 Years of Solitude over Life of Pi; I will sweat and labor over William Faulkner than surrender to Dan Brown. Does this make me some kind of a psychotic nut? Hey… I can just wait and give all this contemporary stuff 50 years and see where it gets them

In the dark ages of the past, I have been guilty of watching Titanic (I said it! I was twelve!), The Fifth Element, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Hercules (Go Disney!), Coraline, The Hole very frequently. These movies are only 5% reflective of my favorites. My favorite movie of all times – Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, – was probably watched thrice in my lifetime. That’s it. What is the correlation between favorite films/books and those that I actually watched many, many times? Probably has to do with young age and having a lot more time dedicated to havoc and idleness (although I read!) vs now.

PS. Last contemporary book I’ve read was Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (hey, it was featured in episode 1 of Heroes, Season4). And it was awesome. Can we please have more remixing of old and new? I do like some light beach reading (poetry, Lewis Carroll), don’t get me wrong.

Filed under: film, literature , film, literature, memories, movies, obsessions, self

Absence and Literature

For the n-th time, I am back in a Terminator-like fashion. There’s been a lot of exciting developments and changes; as always! In my modest experience, people stop writing in blogs when life becomes a whirlwind of excitement or enchanting and intimate events that are better kept secret. Or they stop writing when life gets so rough and tough that the only modes of expression are profanities in a personal diary or one’s mind. Maybe Twitter.

Point is, there are several new things that are on my mind. For example, I’ve become seriously obsessed with Vladimir Nabokov and am on a mission to read all of his books, in English or Russian. The love affair started with one of those bluesy days courtesy of my sprained ankle (I enthusiastically jumped up and down the stairs in my house, and slipped), when, after having finished dinner with Vaneska, I wandered into a BMV Bookstore in the Annex. There lay Pnin. The Literary Encyclopedia considers Pnin to be the most accessible of Nabokov’s works. “It is a campus novel that concerns the misadventures of Timofey Pavlovich Pnin, a Russian émigré whose struggles with America and its language make him a figure of fun at Waindell, the (fictitious) university were he teaches Russian.”

As a Russian myself, I was very curious to read about the professor; and then there is an issue of memory, and language barriers, and foreigner’s view on the American life. Basically, everything about Pninian adventures breathed excitement, humour, sadness and vibrant imagery. Not once but at least a dozen times have I burst out laughing in public places while reading Pnin. Nabokov’s descriptions of professor’s English pronunciation, his excellent memory, phenomenal knowledge of literature and history, and the grouchy relations with some of his university colleagues all contribute to an engrossing read. Do yourself a favor, GO GET THE BOOK!

And now I’m reading Lolita. I find that, among those who read, this book signifies some rite of passage, coming of age type of a thing, on par with having a puppy, participating in beer gardens in university, backpacking across Europe, having a long distance relationship and possibly failing your first university midterm. The novel evokes the “Aaah, hehe” response from those who are familiar with it. But more on Lolita in the next installment of my blog saga

Update: Wow, I totally made a spelling mistake in the blog title. I wrote “abscence”, not absence. Yikes! Fixed now.

Filed under: art , books, literature, lolita, nabokov, russia

Slow Art Toronto

I want to tell you more about Slow Art Toronto, taking place on Saturday, October 17, at the Art Gallery of Ontario at around 11am. I’d like you to join me. Art viewing starts around 11:30am (I know you like your sleeps ), lunch and discussion starts at 1:30pm.
The event is “Slow Art” and it’s designed to help all of us perceive art in a new way – to exercise our seeing, thinking and listening muscles. I see it as a springboard for newbies to art, and a discussion board for those familiar with the art or design world. Considering that, on average, a person spends 8 seconds (!) looking at an artwork in a museum, challenging someone to devote between 10 and 60 minutes to a work of art may lead to unexpected art discoveries. This October, there are slow art events happening all over the world. Boston, Copenhagen, London, New York, Los Angeles and more. I’m thrilled to be hosting the Toronto one! Register here!

Slow Art was originally started by novices in NYC to invite other novices (and connoisseurs) to come, to feel welcome, to not worry about what experts say but rather to take the time to see and explore what is possible when gradually viewing art. It’s a perfect opportunity to see what one can discover with a few guiding paragraphs and considerable amount of time.

Having gone back to my art history training and theory, I’ve pre-selected a collection of interesting pieces; I will be emailing those on the Slow Art TO guest list soon.

I’m looking forward to hearing what you think about the pieces you see, and I’m excited to meet you all. If you know of others who may find this interesting, please extend the invitation.

Filed under: art , art, event, learning, pop culture, society, toronto

Rajni Meets Krepesz

I’ve written about my talented friend and artist Rajni Perera in the past. I’d like to add something to that.

She is currently exhibiting at Krepesz, the European palacsinta Cafe in Kensington Market, Toronto (253 Augusta Ave). You should go there to explore the new space, have some of the most excellent teas and enjoy the authentic Hungarian crepe. When I say authentic, I mean it — each crepe is lovingly prepared by the mom of the owner of this cafe (I’ve met her) on a daily basis, is stuffed with freshest ingredients and looks like the biggest treat you’ll have all week.

Now, for a limited time only – until September 30 – you will have the opportunity to see Rajni’s newest pieces. I really like how her work has developed from the spunky youngun’s work (who is finding her style) to a deeply personal portrayal of women at their most vulnerable moments. Rajni is unapologetic as she captures the emotion and strong sentiments trapped within these females, with the budding force of Frida Kahlo. I’m eager to see where she moves next. (And I’m secretly lobbying for a portrait)

Just go! Sit and stare at passionate Mahban with a beautiful peacock (I think? Correct me if I got the cocky bird wrong ) across from the room as you hopefully humbly wolf down your sweet or savoury brunch palacsinta.

Filed under: art , art, food, restaurants, toronto

My Toronto Ignite Talk

Last week I put all my courage in a bundle and took it on stage to quickly and – luckily, – entertainingly to tell about my passion for art, especially the conceptual variety. My previous Ignite post addresses the issue of nervousness as well as general fears of a first time speaker.

It went well I think. Aside from me looking and acting like a squirrel on crack (I was nervous after all!), I did well. Didn’t mess up my lines and communicated the point in a comprehensible fashion! I hope you all are now inspired and spending more time with Sol LeWitt and Joseph Kosuth in galleries of your cities.

PS. Stay tuned for my Slow Art Toronto 2009 post. If you enjoyed this talk, and love art, then you should really pay attention to what I’m going to write and curate for Slow Art Toronto.

Filed under: art , achievement, art, ignite, learning, oreilly, toronto, video

Best Meal I’ve Made to Date

Or so I and my dinner companion think. I wasn’t afraid to experiment with octopi and peppers. Let’s discuss.

First Course: Basil Grape Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella

I diced white onion and went on to sautée; we needed caramelized onions. I cut grape tomatoes in half, leaving the tiniest ones whole so they burst in your mouth at a later time. Throw in said tomatoes after the onions turn golden and shake the pan a little. Roll large basil leaves and cut them vertically, dispersing over tomatoes and onions as you turn the heat off. Mix them up a little, let them sit, add some pepper. Bring out the highest grade buffalo mozzarella (splurge, it’s worth it!), and slice it up on break it over the tomato mixture. Enjoy! Enjoy it!

Second Course: Boiled Octopus in a Spicy Sauce and Basil Fingerling Potatoes

This actually starts at the very beginning of your cooking ritual – pour a can of chicken broth in a pan, and put twice as much water, start heating it. Chop up almost a whole bunch of cilantro, dice 3/4 of a white onion (large chunks are all right), and put all of that in. Next, I leaped into the unknown by slicing a small red pepper and throwing that in. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s a tiny light red pepper, just a bit more wrinkly than the usual capsicum, and it’s spicy. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat.

Cut up Mr. Octopus and throw it in. Cutting it is tough, let me tell ya. But persevere. Throw it in the broth and let it simmer for at least 1.5 hours. I took it out at 2 hours and 15 minutes. In the course of this octopus bath you will need to add more water as it will evaporate – I added 4-5 cups extra, and I’m glad I did because that little red pepper set the whole pot on fire (not literally).

In the meantime boil fingerling potatoes (bigger ones sliced in half), and then bronze them in a pan with diced garlic and extra virgin olive oil and a dash of truffle oil. Add basil leaves for extra fragrance. Take out the plate and arrange like in the photo above or better! And enjoy it. Then live to tell the tale

PS. The octopus broth was too good to let go down the drain so I’ve used it to boil wild rice the next day. Guess how awesome my lunch is today

PPS. If anybody wants to hire me for cooking services, or for looking cute while cooking services, or eating and telling the tale services, I’m widely available and most likely ready to hear your ideas

Filed under: Food , achievement, dinner, food, improvements, kitchen, meal, recipe, recommendation, review

Following Tetro

To add to my previous post, the review of Tetro – I was the youngest person in the audience, it seems. Why is it that I was the youngest person in the whole theatre? Do young people do not watch Francis Ford Coppola? Do young people have no interest in cinema? Do young people even care about themes expressed in the movie?

The whole time I was watching it, I was thinking about following my dreams, about not going with the flow, and about not settling for the average. I’ve been told by my parents and by good friends and all sorts of people that it’s all right to lower my expectations and just take whatever “best” is available at my disposal. But my disposal restrains me to one city, to downtown, to be precise. And “my disposal” is actually not a limited radius, but an ever changing circle of desires, goals and aspirations.

And not even that. I was thinking about how with time I’ve had reoccurring thoughts of “Perhaps, I should go with this, perhaps, this is all right”. On some days I’m almost ready to shut down my wanderlust and the desire to leap into the unknown. I never, never feel that this is it. Everywhere I’ve been and lived, I knew that it was all just a transitory period. No location is ever permanent, no set-up is ever to continue and to be made into a routine.

Only someone on the same path knows. The great earth is so vast, it makes people so utterly sad.
— Engo, in case 23 of the Hekigan-roku

Filed under: imaginings , development, memories, sad, self, sometimes

Tetro

I still have the images from this film in mind. What an excellent work of art. It’s Francis Ford Coppola’s first original screenplay since The Conversation. It is  a beautifully told story of the two brothers and the unveiling of the family secrets. The writing is absolutely fantastic, complemented by outstanding performances of Vincent Gallo and Alden Ehrenreich. Maribel Verdú (from Y Tu Mama Tambien) as the wife of Tetro (Vincent Gallo) does an amazing job, too.

I have never seen Vincent Gallo on screen before, and this film has put him into my favorite actors pool. He’s absolutely mesmerizing, the writer on a perpetual writing sabbatical, a not quite failed genius. And his eyes transmit a lot of emotion. The part where he stares at the blinding peaks of Patagonian mountains carry all the emotion of the subsequent ballet scene (which is also five stars).

Speaking of the ballet – Francis Ford Coppola created some of the most amazing dance scenes in this film. Some of them filled my eyes with tears. Apparently many of them have been shot in the studio only to be decorated with memorable and beautiful backgrounds in post-production. The whole film is actually in black and white – the present is in black & white, whereas flashbacks and scenes from memories are in color. In other words, for Tetro, the present is pretty bleak and not as vivid as the shaky past. I was wondering why the choice of black and white, until I hit the mid-peak of the film. My oh my.

I recommend this movie. It is now in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, filled with fully developed characters that undergo shocking changes as the story unveils. I’m still in a mild coma, and a sea of emotions that I can explain, but won’t. I don’t think it’ll be a stretch to say that Oscar nominations are due, but who knows. Go and watch it. Here’s the trailer:

Filed under: Great Times , achievement, beauty, excitement, film, gallo, genius, movies, review

Toronto Ignite

So I wanted to tell you that I’ll be speaking at Ignite Toronto on August 25, 2009 at the Drake Underground. Michele Perras asked me to participate, and since I’m a Yes woman, I went for it.

Now, if you’re not familiar with Ignite, you should know that these talks happen globally. Speakers go on stage in front of hundreds of people and tell a story in 5 minutes and 20 slides that auto-rotate every 15 seconds. That’s some pressure. O’Reilly Media is behind all this, and I should say that I’m really excited to participate.

Now, I’m nervous. I’m hella nervous – I haven’t really done any public speaking before, and although I’m quite outspoken and have no problem presenting in front of a class (given that I prepared, of course), this is going to be a lukewarm shower welcome into the world of speaking on stage. I’ve got a couple of strategies I want to test out, and – wow, – even a couple of jokes. If all else fails, my slides speak for themselves, I just need to do a jig.

Oh yes, I am speaking about art, one of my most favorite topics. I had to do a bit of reviewing and lecture notes-digging before compiling the presentation to assemble crisp and easy-to-grasp points down. After all, it’s more important to drive home key points instead of trying to explain everything. Conceptual art does not necessarily come in 5 minutes, but I will try to spread the love anyway.

The event is at the Drake Hotel, and unfortunately for my friends who haven’t RSVPed, it’s sold out. But perhaps I can bum a video off organizers.

Filed under: moving up , achievement, art, development, event, learning, toronto