BeenieTown

I can't find it. Where was it again?

The second time in this two-bit town, and I can't remember where on earth this bodega is.

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Pat was probably getting annoyed about my fixation on finding this place.

This time around we were driving. The roads were even shittier than the ones found in my home town of Winnipeg. I thought the roads would be better.

Anyway, we rolled in to town a day before. I commandeered our trek as soon as we got through the tunnel. Murray's bagels was our first stop. A plain bagel—not toasted—with half-a-pound of cream cheese on it. If that was the only reason for the whole trip, I would argue that it was worth it! 

Off to Third Rail Coffee in the Village. 

We heard from Nik at this point. He was haggard from the night before. We had to kill some time, so off to the place where dreams—and debt—are made. An intricate setup of conveyor belts, and dumbwaiters filled the rafters of this two story monstrosity. All the camera, music, and audio equipment you could think of.

Oatmeal, panzarottis, and choir practice

It was a warm day in Toronto on College Street. I seem to be on this never ending trek of finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants on my travels. Ani had suggested this place, the banana oatmeal pancakes are a must. Ani's brother Sid, Pat and I wound up waiting for a table. Aunties & Uncles. 

An old rickety table, with old rickety chairs, probably from the 50s. Just inside the door an old light yellow bookshelf, covered in dust. There it was 

The night before I was at the Monarch Tavern, with Heather, singing Only Girl In The World with Choir! Choir! Choir! led by Daveed—Nobu was out sick that night.

Choir! Choir! Choir! from Kris on Vimeo.

It was an interesting scene, a dark aging tavern kind of hidden Downtown, a couple blocks off College Street.

When we were leaving, Heather told me about the panzarottis at Bitondo Pizza, which necessitated a stop. God damn, it was one of the best panzarottis I've ever had. Even if I lived in Toronto, Bitondo's just off the beaten path, and I'm sure I would have never found it without Heather's help!

Guess whom our waiter at Aunties was? Daveed of course!

Old stuff

 I just found this old 'note' I wrote myself thought it would make for an interesting blog post about life this week.

Nov 20th, 2012

Sitting here in red lake, at work, I'm thinking about the future, I'm actually kind of nervous about it!  I just applied for school last week, a very competitive program at red river, also my job ends in a couple weeks, and have yet to know if I have one in winnipeg.

Being an ENTP, I look at the potential success, vs the potential failure, and have always taken the easy road.  Yesterday, Patrick told me he could see me going into anything, and succeeding, he could see me going into advertising; he concluded with saying that he could see me doing a whole bunch of different things.  Of course this put a smile on my face!!

I'm nervous about the portfolio, the interview, and most of all, getting into the program... Succeeding will be a new challenge of it's own, being in school for two years will be insane, changing of spending habits, striving for something instead of just coasting, savoring my time off, and probably not working a whole lot!

School's almost out, thanks to Santa.

School is becoming a lot more interesting for me. Today we did a live derby a live-to-air type of reporting. Beginning our broadcast journalism type of assignment.

In advertising we were tasked with a personal branding assignment which—in my opinion—took us away from the more boring parts of ad writing. It really made me fall in love with ad—more so than I was.

A Prezi presentation was part of the personal brand. Check it out.

The end of our first semester is coming to an end with one week to go with a ton to do.

I'm already planning on how to use my time wisely. Many errands have been put off. I've seen little of my friends over the past few months. It's no sacrifice; I feel accomplished.

In PR class today we did a review of our semester to date. It's funny looking back at how much we've learned over the past few months, how much we have yet to learn.

I'm excited!

Piling up in style

I’m in week, whatever week it is in school, and it’s getting intense. The ability for me to pump out work is getting to be tremendous. I just wrote out a list of things to get done this weekend and I don’t even know where I’ll find the time to sleep. I love the feeling of this ‘nonstopiness’ from my first insane three-week road trip to last year’s weirdly busy-ness of balancing work, travel, and my continual trek to improve, but now my head’s exploding with life—in the best way possible—but exploding none-the-less!

Two weeks, two weeks until x-mas break, the end of semester is so near yet so far away.

Already thinking about the big event a friend and I are planning for February, about my Independent Professional Project for school next year, about the magazine project next semester and an internship for the summer.

When things have a way of piling up it puts life into perspective; It focuses me. I’m glad for this school assigned blog; it’s a mandatory way to put my thoughts out there for people to read, to be vulnerable.

I’ve never actively lived so far in the future. I LOVE it!

Proud: The play

Stephen Harper private life is exactly that, private. Proud by Michael Healey portrays what might happen behind closed doors. Jisbella Lyth is a rookie Conservative MP from a fictional Quebec – where the 59 seats won by the NDP – were won by the Conservatives. An obvious comparison to NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau, a rookie not expected to win in the 2011 federal election.

I love going into any entertainment blind and without expectation. I only found out about the play while getting a soy-cappuccino at Across The Board café in the Exchange 10-minutes before showtime. I bumped into Jane Testar a local celebrity of sorts who gave me the low down.

Lyth played by Daria Puttaert a seemingly one-dimensional rookie-MP was unexpectedly voted into the House of Commons. I believe that was the point. I liked her role. She played a sexually open woman, not afraid to have her own opinions, especially towards the fictionalized prime minister.

Ross McMillan’s portrayal of the prime minister was dead-on. His body language, speech, and his socially awkward character is exactly what I would expect.

His underhanded manipulation of the Canadian people is exactly what you could expect of the shenanigans that we have seen in the real world. Farcical!

Eric Blais played the PM’s Chief of Staff Cary Baines. Typical of the politics of today he knew his time was limited. He was ready to fall at any moment for his fearless leader.

After the play the actors and director had a talkback session. It allowed us, the audience, to understand the actors’ personal experiences, methods and thoughts behind their decisions brought to the stage. The talkback is definitely additive to the play.

I would suggest anyone with an open mind to see Proud. It was money well spent.

Busy

The busiest two weeks of my professional life. Non-professionally is a subject for another blog.

Interviewing Fred Penner, elections night at the CBC and a multitude of time-sensitive assignments equals several all-nighters.


I'm tired.