Art, You Say?

We all crave art, especially in this technologically advanced day and age, we all need something beautiful, original, never seen before, never put together before, to pop into our lives and say “Here I am!” I want to see things that I – maybe – just imagined or wondered about, but never seen in flesh. Seeing beautiful things also makes me calmer and happier. That is why I am a member of the AGO: I want to be able to go in, hide on floor 3 in some well-lit corner, sit on a bench and write in my Helvetica Moleskine (ok, this makes me sound like a snob :-p).

My friends, this Friday, March 20, I cordially invite you to Kensington Market’s Hotshot Gallery. There will be a private reception of the 1000 for $10 show. It is a group show, involving many up and coming artists including Yvon Julie, Anam Ahmed, Ryan Solski, Lisa Ng, Dan Rocca (etc) and my favorite girl Rajni Perera (see more of her art on the blog, it rocks).

Rajni, a Sri Lanka-born ball of energy, never ceases to amaze me with her style – I see ink-intensive sketches in her notepads, large canvasses with traces of colorful life in her studio, I hear of her ideas to paint beautiful images on little wooden boxes. I see the paintings of pretty little birds or women with serious weapons on found surfaces (wooden ones, too!). Besides being an ecclectic artist who’s almost graduated from OCAD, she is a gourmand. She loves pungent cheese, making perfect raspberry chocolate souffles, and quiches. She’s also an apt dancer and my favorite lady to paint the town red with. Rajni wants to run away to Paris one day and just live (of course I’m hoping she’ll change the course for Berlin, in which case I’ll happily tag along). Seriously, you gotta meet her and see the world with her eyes. Your chance is this Friday, March 20 at 181 Augusta Ave. I’ll be there with my colors on! Keep in mind, art is affordable – starting at $10! Considering the economy, everyone can afford a piece of unique art at this show.

Filed under: moving up , art, artist, friends, joy, show, toronto

On Nicknames and Alter Egos

Today at the office my nearest and dearest proclaimed that there are two of me – there’s the Karin, the focused busy bee, the hard worker who stubbornly focuses on work and shushes (is that even a word?) any distractions or jokes. Then apparently there is Karina who laughs maniacally, talks to herself out loud, answers all kinds of trivia questions such as, “Who wrote Death in Venice” and “What is the (pocket) watch chain called” and all that. Karina is also a bit ADD, because she’ll be telling you about 2009 style trends and at the same time forward interesting articles from the Harvard Business, and confessing her love for Helvetica and informing everyone about the Helvetica the film and the limited edition Helvetica Moleskines (I ordered the red one). The happy, larger than life Karina is what I am on any given happy day, it’s just that deadlines come between me and the rest of the world, and I must switch gears.

Speaking of nicknames. Eric asked about what Hemingway’s nickname was. I’ll tell you all: Hemingway had many nicknames throughout his lifetime. To his sister Sunny, he was “Oinbones.” While in high school, he gave himself the nickname of “Hemingstein.” Because of his love of boxing and the great outdoors, he became known as “Champ.” His first wife Hadley and son John (by Hadley) affectionately referred to him as either “Ernestoic,” “Tatie,” “Tiny,” or “Wax Puppy.” Even the child shared in the fun, acquiring his own nickname of “Bumby.” Hemingway was also known in some circles as “Wemedge.” More obvious nicknames included “Ernie,” “Hem,” and “Hemmy.” But the most enduring and most recognized nickname for Hemingway would be “Papa”. Source.

Filed under: imaginings , hemingway, joy, personalities, self

New Obsessions

Excuse my non-presence in the blogosphere this past week – I’ve been on the reading, instead of the wring, side. Here are three products I discovered this past week that have been making me absolutely cuckoo with happiness.

1. Mimipong’s Hug Your Sorrow tear-shaped toys. Love them, love them, love them. Each toy is unique and comes with a tag with space for writing down your sorrow and then hug it out. Brilliant idea. There’s a related art installation in Singapore – photos of the toys’ uses, many written sorrows etc. If you’re in Singapore, please go and take photos!
2. Korres Lightweight Foundation. I’m a brand loyalist, so the marketer’s task of persuading me to switch is hard. It happens so that I’ve been using Maybelline’s foundation for  7 or 8 years for the lack of a better alternative. I can never find the right shade. Until yesterday’s stumbles at Sephora. I found the lightweight water-based foundation in almost exactly the same shade! This foundation is also enriched with vitamins C and E and ginger extract that tone and moisturize the skin. I’m thoroughly impressed, and am considering switching my cosmetics choices to this environmentally friendly Athens-based company.
3. Eggling products – Nyokki (pictured) and co. from Japan. These egg-shaped vessels  contain soil and seeds that grow grass, lavender and herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary… This household addition will not only decorate your window sill, but add something yummy to your meals. I ordered 6 various ones for myself and my family. Available at the World Wide Nature Company.

Filed under: Great Products , art, brand, joy, obsessions, product, surprise

Highlights of 2008

I’m glad the year of the Mouse/Rat is over. It was a tough year, but also a very rewarding one, filled with events, color and life. It was definitely a great one for meeting new people and leaving the dead end contacts behind. It was a year of travels, learning, emotional change of scenery, breaking the habits, and finding peace. In short:

Vice internship, movies with Slava, Barbi, snow angel challenge, high tea, cuckoo New York trip, mad revelations and heartbreaks, the legendary night of the Justice show at the Great Hall, indoor pool voleyball in Richmond Hill with a blizzard outside, Montreal for the first time ever, straight to Vancouver, the return of Dimitri, straight A’s that semester, “I love nature” cottage visit, summer internship, more Montreal, Lemeac, Rajni, Ottawa, Rafael Nadal, gourmet adventures with Roberto, Magdalena’s return, dancing late and coming to work early, Osho, red eye to Europe, constantly ringing cell in Berlin, Baltic Sea, goth party in the bunker, wasp attack, Kunstwerke, Michael and Karin’s epic search for a gallery, scootering in Ibiza, flying, getting lost in the hills with fuel running out, Gaudi, Joan Miro, Catalan people, Faulkner’s Light in August, La Tomatina, Valencia’s paellas, the girl from Jupiter, getting lost in Barcelona with a flight to catch, gloomy London and port, vintage stores in Shoreditch, Strategic Planning, yoga, wonderful professors, wonderful people, PalmsOut in October, jerks stealing my possessions, Vosges chocolate in SoHo, Coney Island freak show, Mad Men, calming down, peace of mind, movie night with dear C.L., playing the tambourine till 4am, BBDO, roommate reunion, blizzards in Vancouver, the return of Scotch, securing that opportunity, The Sacred Book of the Werewolf, light at the end of the tunnel, Russian madhouse, caviar and champagne on New Year’s Eve.

Filed under: memories , 2008, barcelona, bbdo, Berlin, career, Europe, friends, fun, fun time, ibiza, improvements, joy, life, London, memories, montreal, plans, review, ryerson, Spain, tomatina, toronto, travels

Six Things That Make Me Happy

Below is my happy 6 in alphabetical order, as I wouldn’t be to assign numbers anyway:

• Baths: When I was a child, living back in Russia, I used to love two things the most – books and water. Combining the two led to Fridays and Saturdays spent in the bath tub, reading. Those were the epic nights: 4-hour bath marathons, sometimes with bubbles, but usually without (dealing with foamy things is so burdensome when you have a good book to worry about), snacks, tea, whatnot. I’m starting to revive the tradition, but alas, the bath tub at my Toronto abode is not the best, so I resort to bathing in my Vancouver home or at friend’s (yes, I know…)

• Bugs Tomato: He’s three years old, and I still call him a puppy. I wrote a post about this wonderful, smart, handsome and loving chihuahua here.

• Good conversations: I value a great debate, or an emotional discussion, confessions, dramatic monologues, lively dialogues, and really, any conversation that does the intelligence of my fellow debaters justice. I feel rejuvenated after a really good talk, be that a discussion of the latest scientific discovery, the welfare of silverback gorrillas in the Virunga valley, the next hotshot DJ, Martin Margiela SS 09  or the economic environment of Mauritius. As you can tell, I like to learn a thing or two when talking to others.

• Style: this encompasses doing activities in style, to living in style, to keeping it real, to dressing oneself well, to being the person one truly wants to be. That’s what style really is. It’s not just about the latest clothing item or the pink Juicy Couture jumpsuit (eek), it’s how one carries him/herself. It makes me really happy to see people expressing themselves in whatever fashion that would be. Just do express yourself tastefully.

• Seafood: I’m the master devourer of oysters, sashimi (particularly fatty tuna and west coast salmon). I adore octopi, including their effects on my tastebuds as well as on my mind – those cephalopods are smarty pants, too. Some of you know my endless love affair with caviar (another post of mine) – my nickname is Behemoth is for the same reason. Mussels are never a no, and so is swordfish, and even red snapper brightens my day. I’ve written about lobsters, too, and would delightfully consume them all day, every day, followed by a great dose of niacin to battle the cholesterol.

• Travel: New places, new people, discoveries of the self and of the culture of others. I thrive on being someplace new, getting out of my comfort zone and jumping into the unknown. I travel well alone as I don’t have to adjust my own schedule to anyone else’s and can maintain my ‘get up early, do cultural things, eat local foods, snap lots of pictures, go out and be social till the wee hours’, then rinse and repeat.  As for the airports: given the weather is not ruining the flights and angry fliers aren’t in my face, I am always excited to be in these shrines of constant departure and arrival. Flying is the best for me, driving – the least exciting.

I would be interested to see what the following people would include in their lists:  Tara, Kevin, Vaneska, Slava, Kat, Danielle.

Filed under: moving up , bugstomato, caviar, chihuahua, fashion, food, friends, fun, joy, memories, obsessions, penchant, russia, seafood, travels

H2O

In case you are still shopping for last minute Christmas presents, may I suggest the H₂O products for the lovers of bath and body goodies. As a hunter and tester of the best such products myself, I’ve been around the block when it comes to shower gels and hand creams. I bought my mom a Naturally Gifted Collection which has a shower gel, body lotion, spray mist and a body scrub in the Natural Spring scent, which is simply divine! Divine! To add to that, Natural Spring Mineral Bath will sway any bath-loving person: natural sea salts, sea kelp and aloe with magic bubbles! My mom (and I, since I got to try it) absolutely adore it. It is gentle, not overwhelming and wonderfully natural. Yum Yum Yum.

The product definitely aligns with the H₂O concept: “It’s water, but it’s so much more. It’s the thrill you had when you were seven and played Marco Polo in the deep end. It’s the roar of the ocean at night. It’s blue. It’s mysterious, deep and wet. It’s where you wish you were going. It’s personal, comforting, and serene.”

Vancouver store is on Robson & Nelson, Toronto store is in the Eaton Center upstairs. Great if you’re not looking to spend a whole bunch. If you do want to spend a whole bunch, I suggest KORRES natural products.

Filed under: Great Products , beauty, joy, marketing, obsessions, presents, product

Forever Young

Oh how I love being young. NOW is the best time in the world to live in, and NOW is the time to take advantage of any opportunities that come my way. I have so much energy and enthusiasm. I’m more open than ever and ready to embark on adventures. I find that a lot of people my age are so tied down by imaginary things. They are midlife crises waiting to happen. I am also proud to report that others are pedalling through the world and trying new things. Love you guys.

Life is so short, and NOW I am more able than ever to make drastic changes, to randomly take off, to cancel on everything right now and go experience life as it is. When my employer tells me, “We’re relocating you to Hungary”, i’d say, “Awesome!” the answer probably wouldn’t change in 10 years, despite mortgages and boyfriends/whatever.

When I was younger, I used to write a lot. I wanted to write honestly, passionately, with my whole heart. In order to ensure a sincere product, I wanted to experience everything life. I didn’t want to write about something based on a Wikipedia article or somebody’s story. I wanted my truth. And so I took on a million opportunities. And will continue to. For when the time to die approaches, i’ll say, “Take me, death, after everything i’ve experienced, the only thing left to know is how the dying feels!”

Filed under: simple life , excitement, joy, mobile

YES

“Approximately 91.9% of respondents have a lower extraversion raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who is constantly energetic, exuberant and active. Your answers describe you as someone who aims to be the centre of attention at social occasions, asserts yourself when in groups, and usually says, “Yes!” ” <- Bingo, the Karin!

PS. Needless to say, I am looking forward to Yes Man with Jim Carrey. The poster alone is worth some serious consideration. Check the trailer:

Filed under: simple life , film, joy, movies, self, yes

High on life!

As usual, I am bursting with energy, enthusiasm and ideas on how to make the world a better place. Or, perhaps, a better place for me? Not really, I care about many things, including the welfare of animals, women’s rights and treating everyone as kindly as possible (for we don’t know what battle they’re fighting, right).

I had a great information interview at BBDO Toronto today. I spent 90 minutes there, and met amazing people, asked them questions, answered their questions. Mad respect for BBDO yet again.

(Damn, I should be finishing my last marcom assignment, and yet again, I am writing here, because so many thoughts are appearing).

Okay, more than ever before, I want to be in advertising. I want to help people (clients), I love creative folk, and I can communicate with creative folk, i see the big picture, and I can analyse the numbers. In fact, the finance minor would probably help. I possess the gifts of translating the numbers into cohesive sentences. I am also a perfectionist. I pay goddamn attention to details, and, oh I’m sorry, but I can get quite demanding about those darn details.

The point is, I’ve given my answers to the right people (which is the above version with some +/- adjustments), and the right people are happy. I am also happy because, more than anything, I want to throw myself into the battle. Rawr!

Filed under: moving up , advertising, joy, marketing, photos, self, toronto

Master & Margarita

“One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. The visitors quickly wreak havoc in a city that refuses to believe in either God or Satan. But they also bring peace to two unhappy Muscovites: one is the Master, a writer pilloried for daring to write a novel about Christ and Pontius Pilate; the other is Margarita, who loves the Master so deeply that she is willing literally to go to hell for him. What ensues is a novel of inexhaustible energy, humor, and philosophical depth.

The novel’’s vision of Soviet life in the 1930s is so ferociously accurate that it could not be published during its author’’s lifetime and appeared only in a censored edition in the 1960s. Its truths are so enduring that its language has become part of the common Russian speech.”

Get it at Amazon or Chapters Indigo

Filed under: Quotable , hot, imaginings, joy, literature, memories, recommendation, russia

Some notes

I found this poem/song through flickr. It came with this photo.

I was flying through the night sky.
夜空を飛んでいた。
Receiving the night wind whose feeling is good,
気持ちのよい夜風を受けて、
I was flying through the sky.
空を飛んでいた。
“More a little to the other side”
「もう少し向こうへ」
It’s not visible exactly from here,
ここからちょうど見えない、
To the world on that other side.
あの向こうの世界へ。

I will be flying off to Europe on Sunday evening! I am indeed getting more and more excited. By the second. As soon as I write my final exam of this summer (on Saturday), I will be free! BBQ will follow, some relaxation, skipping the Vice party in order to hang out at the park, and then Bobmo, Jean Nipon and Kip Bambino at the Drake Undeground. I say, great way to celebrate! I’ll try to sleep in as much as possible on Sunday, and then off to adventureland I go!

Filed under: moving up, the world eh , fun, japanese, joy, languages, poem, self, toronto, travels, vice

The Best Dog in the Whole World!

Bugs Tomato!

When he was 6 months old! (Click for a larger version)

Bugs Tomato is now 2.5 years old, and he’s a damn smart chihuahua – he knows many tricks, listens to my dad all the time, and even sings songs. He’s with my parents in Vancouver. He licks the phone every time I call, and is the happiest dog in the airport every time I get off the plane back home.

He also knows words like “Karina” (that would be me), “kurochka” which is chicken in Russian (a very loving term for it, as a matter of fact) – his favorite food, and he knows the word “muha” which means ‘fly’ in said Russian. The fly is his enemy as the buzzing noise makes him really afraid. Same with the vacuum. He runs under the bed to hide. Yes, he’s a bit of a sensitive soul.

Filed under: simple life , bugstomato, chihuahua, dog, fun, joy

Rabindranath Tagore “Stream of Life”

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.

PS. Tagore was the first from Asia to win the Nobel prize. There is a song called “Praan” and is sung in Bengali (same poem). Check it out, it’s beautiful.

PPS. My first entry!

Filed under: Quotable , joy, life, poem, poetry, summer, tagore