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

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

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

Gourmet Acrobatics, i.e. plain ol’ feasting

I was just sitting on my patio in Looney Tunes bedroom shorts from La Senza (I’ve Sylvester & Tweetie), soaking in the wonderful sun over Toronto and thinking about how great last night was and what my favorite moments were. Then I realized that I might as well blog about this. Gotta archive memories for those octogenarian days.

I felt obliged to outdo the Beta Party’s edible offerings (i.e. the April patio party). I prepared the following: quail eggs with black caviar and zaatar; avocado with bella donna cheese on a heavy lemoned Parisian toastie; diced herring, green apples, onion on a crostini; straw mushrooms, Quebecois blue cheese salami, olives stuffed with lemons in a sea of virgin olive oil and aleppo pepper; smoked oysters with herbed goat cheese and a dash of black salt on toasties; cucumber cups stuffed with truffled chevre, zaatar and a dill; strawberries wrapped in prosciutto plus melon with prosciutto. I know it was a successful selection because there are no leftovers and everybody is happy.

I was very happy to see some of my favorite people gathered on one patio and enjoying themselves. Guests brought a varied selection of drinks, mostly wines. I was particularly impressed with Jeremy’s quest for a fine red. I even researched this Louis Max 2005 Gervrey-Chambertin Les Azerottes. Denise tied a pretty ribbon around the Francis Ford Coppola Shiraz (I talk about movies a lot to inspire such purchases, hehe), which was also great. Will’s Fat Bastard Merlot was fabulous as well. I haven’t had a chance to savour other wines to comment! Now that I look at the bottles, I notice that all of them are indeed non-Canadian (I pointed out my apathy for canuck wines in my Facebook invite)  except for Lisa and Josue’s Jackson Triggs. The LCBO near their abode closed before they could make it; Josue was actually temporarily upset about having to bring Canadian wine, ha)

Everyone enjoyed the music, as evidence by comments on my taste. That’s very pleasant to hear, it’s encouraging, folks. At one point we all remembered that Jay Goldman was missing, and quickly exercised a tweetmob. I tweeted “Jay Goldman @jaygoldman”, and every  Twitterer (and there were some sans it! I don’t entirely live on the interwebs, see) on the patio sent the same thing. Lo and behold, a couple of tweets from people who weren’t even on the patio followed, ha.

More people came later that night, we danced around and blasted classic Russian rock bands. If you are or want to be into Kino (as you should), check the Zvezda Po Imeni Solnce (A Star Called Sun) album. Even Will Pate made an appearance! I’m very glad about that. I even busted out Vosges Haute Chocolat: sweet Indian curry powder + coconut flakes + deep milk chocolate. After the crowd dissipated and I changed into my sleeping attire (said Looney Tunes shorts), Roger came back with the crew and we set out on a quest for pho. I wore Sylvester & Tweetie shorts in public! And had no Vietnamese late night foods. Bedtime with sunrise for us all stars. Wondrously, I am feeling energized, happy and not hungover, albeit I wish I could’ve slept till 3pm. To the right is the aftermath of 15-20 people soiree. Thank you all, there will be more of nights like this one!

Filed under: Great Times , food, friends, fun, obsessions, summer, toronto, twitter

Easter Weekend

I had a great Easter weekend, folks. It was long and epic one, fueled by the fact that I finished my undergraduate classes (I won’t say that school is done forever, granted almost all of us need post-grad degree to keep on succeeding). On Friday we celebrated Meghann’s birthday, which included a chapter at The Victory Cafe, then a stint at Ronnies Local 69, and a last stop at her house complete with red wine and two large pizzas (luckily, for about 8 people in total).

On Saturday, however, things went to another level. I hosted a pre-#dancecamp party on our patio, despite the temperature dropping to -5 (or whatever it dropped to!). I busted out my white faux fur coat that my parents gifted me with 1.5 years ago. I prepared delicious hors d’ouevres such as smoked oysters with herbed goat cheese on melba toasts, cucumber caps stuffed with truffled fine herb chevre and roasted peppers on top, not to mention the cheese plate, anchovy and roasted pepper crostini and the winner: rye crisps drizzled with lemon, dill, extra aged manchego cheese topped with avocado. Desserts included starfruit and green seedless grapes. When it comes to food, I will not disappoint.

Many good people showed up, including Jay Goldman, Slava Sakhnenko and his brother Eugene, Rajni and Amanda. Jay brought the new mango Absolut vodka, which we quickly utilized in the game of chess, where the pieces were actually 1/2 shotglasses filled with strawberry pieces and said flavored vodka. We set to play, donating many shots to the crowd since even 16 halfshots is a lot to drink. I must brag to you and tell you that I won, and that it was an exciting game.

We then set our course to Sneaky Dee’s which was the night of Fuck Faces. Dougie Boom, Syntonics reigned the decks, to our collective happy dance. I ran into Egyptrixx and Alias, which is always a pleasure. And our Toronto tweetunity strongly represented. Thanks for coming out, y’all, and thanks to those who made it to the afterparty as well. Night of big success! Adieu university!

Filed under: moving up , food, friends, fun time, toronto

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

Some Mad Skills

Oh, Mad Men is getting some rep again, thanks to its creator’s, Matt Weiner’s, kid. Arlo Weiner is 8, but his fashion style is way beyond his years. Forget the bloody jeans and sneakers – how lame can you be? This boy loves tweed, bow ties, tophats, velvet jackets, madras pants. He wants to start making his own clothes as soon as his mom gets him a sewing machine. His photos totally made my morning, and I’m already looking forward to his creations. You’ll be hearing a lot about Arlo, guys. More on him in the GQ.

On another note, I am considering going to this fancy dinner with Vaneska at the end of March. Still uncertain, but I definitely know it’ll be all made to order, and Jamie Drummond will the guest Sommelier for the night; the fabulous dinner conductor personally met all the producers.

1. Selection of Hors D’oeuvres
2006 Domaine Ostertag Pinot Gris “Barriques” Alsace France
2. Assiette de Charcuterie : Pingue Prosciutto, Goose Rillettes, Tartare de Cheval, Pickled Root Vegetables, Citrus Marinated Olives
2006 Jean Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône “Les Abeilles” Rhône Valley France
3. “Canard en Conserve” from Au Pied De Cochon : Duck Magret, Foie Gras, Roasted Savoy Cabbage, Cauliflower puree, Balsamic reduction
2005 Domaine du Meix Foulot Mercurey Rouge Burgundy France
4. Assiette de Fromages Francais Artisanaux : Camembert Normand AOC, Langres AOC, Pont L’Eveque AOC, Livarot AOC, Crottin de Chavignol AOC, St. Nectaire AOC, Roblochon AOC, Bleu D’Auvergne AOC
2007 Domaine Coulet “No Wines Land” Cornas Rhône Valley France
5. Malbec Poached Bosc Pear : Almond, Walnut ice cream
2006 Domaine des Gardies “Flor” Muscat de Rivesaltes Roussillon France

Filed under: simple life , fashion, food, icon, mad men, surprise, toronto

Symphony is the new… err, what do kids listen to?

Perhaps the years of Russian schooling taught me to love classical music. I’d like to think it’s the fact that in grade 6 we listened to, discussed and thoroughly studied Grieg’s Peer Gynt, the fate-knocking-on-your-door Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 and the like. I can appreciate any instrumental music (unless it’s downright whack, nonsensical and devoid of all talent), and am particularly fond of the violin.

Couple of weeks ago it struck me as odd that I haven’t been to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since I moved to Toronto. Two weeks ago I had a wonderful opportunity to see Midori in action, thanks to TSO’s affiliation with our League of Kickass Under 30. Her performance was mesmerizing, a performance that reminded me of a swan in agony or a very skillful 80’s dancer. Her body was part of the violin, the notes sending shocks all over her, making her move to the sound of music. Powerful. We then had an opportunity to talk to the conductor Jun Maerkl at the Lexus Lounge.

Immediately after the performance, I signed up for TSO’s Soundcheck program, which offers discounted (and I mean, discounted – $12) tickets for any seat in the house, provided you are under 29! The guy next to you paid $100+ for his ticket, while you’re enjoying a $12 deal. Jeremy and I went to see The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz, conducted be Dutoit, last Thursday. A showstopper it was – skillful orchestra, and divine choir, as well as the doubly divine children’s choir, not to mention the powerful voices of Faust and Mephistopheles got me hooked. I am already planning my purchases of Mahler’s Symphony No 6, Prokofiev and Ravel, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bartok and Strauss. now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened (ee cummings)

Filed under: simple life , culture, interests, music, poem, toronto, tso

Art-Enjoying

This is a culture-powered week. I’m all over literature, having dusted off Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice; spirituality, having digged up Rabindranath Tagore’s Sadhana; and plunging back into the art world by going to the Art Gallery of Ontario. I forgot how peaceful walking around art galleries  makes me, I forgot how happy I become finding and looking at artworks that used to make my heart skip a beat during modern art and postmodern art classes. I am going to be buying a $45 student membership to explore the whole gallery as yesterday, for some strange reason, I spent all my time on the 2nd floor of AGO, looking at Canadian art.

I’ve never been a fan of Canadian artists, until in the middle of nowhere, I saw the piece that filled my being with winter joy – “Lake and Mountains” by Lawren S Harris. I fell in love with this painting 2.5 years ago, and bought numerous copies of the postcard. Harris’s work fills me with such sense of calm, respect for nature’s magnitute and childlike wonder that I couldn’t help buying several more postcards. Apparently he was the unofficial leader of the Group of Seven.

On a completely different note, Mary Pratt’s “Station Wagon” instills a sense of hopelessness and despair when you realize that absolution is not possible. Ukrainian-Canadian William Kurelek caught my attention as a sad artist in his day painting images of children’s fun in winter, switching to increasingly religious themes as he converted to Roman Catholicism. I managed to snap a photo of this exciting, emotional and hilarious work of art (see my flickr – thou art Peter and the rock…). Kurelek interested me most with paintings of wide open spaces and small people fiddling about. It’s the details that intrigue here – every person seems to be moving chaotically, yet at his/her own pace. Other pieces: Here, Here and Here (bear!).

Filed under: simple life , art, improvements, literature, tagore, toronto, winter

Toronto Transit Commission Should Feel Sorry

Before I started commuting, I gave the TTC a break – puny subway system, old school buses shuffling about at snail speeds, and old-fashioned streetcars. The subway, which has an attractive slogan of “Ride the Rocket”, is really a toy rocket prone to in-between-station stops and power outages. Besides having a poor fare system ($2.75 one way without any 90 minute windows, like in Berlin or Vancouver), the subway doesn’t cover major routes or hubs of activity, like the northwestern part of the GTA etc. But that’s my wishful thinking.

So here is my first rant. I started commuting. And while I was happy to be riding in the westward direction, thus missing the morning rush, I already managed to be part of two mishaps in two weeks. Last week, in my attempt to leave work early to make it to an event that we were organizing, our streetcar collided with a car! 30 minutes later, we resumed our ride. So much for leaving early This morning I decided to get to work early, but it was not meant to be. The driver got ont he wrong track when trying to leave the Humber loop, and couldn’t turn back, since the reverse wasn’t working on that streetcar. “Sorry folks, this car is out of service”. Come on! Don’t the mechanics check their fleet? I am starting to grow weary of streetcars, considering the two incidents in 2 weeks, and I haven’t even mentioned last Friday’s power outage.

Any stories you might want to share?

Filed under: the world eh , city life, toronto, transportation

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