Job Searching

Since I decieded to go back to photography, I haven't been job searching to much lately. Besides taking pictures, I'm pretty good with designing layouts using layout programs like QuarkXpress and also Illustrator and Photoshop. I'be been using some of these programs for almost as long as I've been doing photography. I first got into the digital photography revolution in the early to mid 90's using cameras that use to store images on floppy disks, with 256 colours, we've come a long way since. I digress.

Well last week, I applied for another job that I found on Craigslist, never heard back from the other photo place, which is good I guess, since their photos were first year student quality at best, and the price reflected that kind of quality. I won't name this new place right now since I don't have the job, but they are a production company and the deparment that I applied for deals with the movie industry, they get produced ads and then convert it to Canadian standards such as spelling, critic quotes, sizing and theatres. Pretty simple, I can do it without too much stress. So anyways, I got called for a interview later that same day that I applied, and got an interview last Friday. I've been stressing all week wondering if they were gonna call me back. I finally got the call about a half hour ago and I have a second interview next Monday.
Sweet.

This is exactly the kind of job I was hopping to get, a simple production job, pays relatively well, doesn't stress me, in a industry I'm actually interested in, and still allows me to do my photography and design on the weekends and evenings.

Well fingers crossed.

unfolding Photo Show

My friend Haruna, who will be shooting with me next year, is having a Gallery Show opening this Friday November 24, 7-10pm. The title is 'unfolding', and is at the Loft Gallery here in Toronto's West End. The address is 3079 Dundas St. West, near High Park. The show runs to January 31, though after the opening, viewings will only be available by appointment only (416-604.0177 or myriam@theloftpilates.com), since they are usually a Pilates studio.

Scootering

I occasionally take part with the Toronto Scooter Meetup group for rides. This past Saturday, we staged at Vespa Markham, four other braves souls came for the ride through Durham Region. Was it ever cold! It had been a few weeks since the last time I to my Vespa out, and the last time I took it out, I noticed my rear hub was a little loose, and I hadn't tighten it yet since I need to replace the cotter pin to tighten it. I finally remembered when I took it out that morning. Oh well to late now, no time or a replacement pin in the tool box. I headed out, and realized just how cold Saturday morning was. 20 minutes later I arrived at Vespa Markham, I was surprised to see another real Vespa there, a new PX150 with a upgraded engine out front. It's surprising since most new riders get the more modern automatics, it was nice to see another manual shift scooter. We waited a bit because another guy from Barrie was supposivly trailering his Vespa in. When we finally set off, I realized that one of the riders was riding a Vino 50. Bad news this guy was gonna limit us to 60 km/h, not good when doing 80 km/h roads.
Well we rode for about an hour or so and made it to Lake Scugog, and made a stop to stretch the legs, it also gave us a chance to let the 50 guy go ahead and we could catch up going at a decent pace.
By now I was freezing, jumping around trying to keep warm. I had 4 layers on including my motorcyle jacket, and long johns. I wore my summer gloves, since they're my only motorcycle gloves, and I really need to get a Balaclava. We rode for another 20 minutes to Port Perry and stopped at a Horney Tims/Wendys to get some lunch and coffee to warm up. When we suited up the guy on the 50 gave me his Balaclava, and it made a huge difference for my riding comfort.
Our next stop Uxbridge. Home of Love Scooters. They sell Kymco scooters. Kymco is Taiwanese brand of scooter. They have been manufacturing scooters for a very long time, and are known to have made scooters for other companyies such as Honda, and build ATVs for ArticCat. Interesting shop, they don't display the scooters over the winter, but instead turn it into an art gallery. But they still sell them, just a few in the basement and the rest of their inventory is at the warehouse.
We headed back to Vespa Markham after that. Our goal was to make it home before sun went down. We got back in about a half hour, and went to speak to Brian the proprioter of the shop, and discuss how we could not include anybody on a 50 to come to our country rides, without having to insult them. It's just too dangerous for the rest of the pack to ride with a 50 since we have to go at their pace, which is no fun for the rest of us.
After that ride, it's time to put the Vespa away for another season. Hopefully we'll have a lot of Indian Summers this winter so I can keep riding.

Another Birthday Party

Last night I went to my friend Andrea's birthday party, I unfortunatly arrived late since I took transit so I could drink. We had dinner at this Japanese restaurant on College called Sushi Bon with about 17 of Andrea's closest friends.

(Warning another food snob critique coming up)
I wasn't too impressed. There wasn't a lot of selection, so I ordered the second most boring thing Beef Terriyaki (first being chicken) Bento box, at least I had the choice between sushi and sashimi. I got sashimi. Big mistake, had 4 pieces of unrecognizable fish, and it tasted a bit fishy too. Fresh fish shouldn't taste like that. I looked around and noticed that no one was drinking which I thought was kinda weird. Well I don't want to drink alone, so no drink for me. I guess they weren't used to dealing with large groups of people because the people I was sitting got their food first, and they ended up finishing before the other side got their food, and for me too, but then I ordered later. My dinner was a bit cold when it finally arrived, though I didn't complain. They did have one highlight, which was free dessert, fried bananna topped with ice cream, I pushed the ice cream aside since I don't eat ice cream, the little bit of cream that was on the bananna played havoc on my crap factory. I guess I don't need to go on.

When we finally left, we were outside, most of the party went their own way, and I found out why nobody was drinking, turns out, they don't have a liquor license yet. That maybe okay in Chinatown or something, but if you're on College, you should have a license applied for as soon as you put a deposit on a place in that neighborhood.

We headed to a bar afterwards, sorry forget the name of the place, but it was fun, got some drinks, partied it up. The only place that had enough seating for all of us was out back, which was out back, there was a tin roof on top, with a piece of wood holding it up, the plus was there was smoking, the bad, nobody else smokes.

I left just after midnight, and discovered the RT line closes early and their was a shuttle bus that takes care of the route. Only problem is that it takes me an extra kilometre out of the way and I didn't get a transfer. It got cold real quick.

Overall it was good night, good friends, good conversation, what more can you ask for?

Happy Early Birthday Andrea.

This Week

A few weeks ago, I applied for a job with this photo studio from an ad I saw on craigslist, earlier this week, they replied with a email asking me to give them a call. I found out who they are, and wasn't too impressed with their work. So I gave them call and spoke to a receptionist or studio manager, gave them my number somebody called me a little while later. They asked what I thought of their site. Did that ever put me on the spot? I was somewhat honest, I didn't tell them I thought their work was a bit amateurish, I just mentioned there was some spelling errors on their site, well they asked me to call the owner, which I did, but no answer.
Talk about a rock and hard place. I need a job, I want a job, but do I want to associate myself with this kind of work that I would never show? On the other hand, maybe I can impress them with what I can do, and bring their work to a more proffesional level.
I'd give a link and ask for others opinion, but I don't think that would be a good idea.

Back To The Border

On Saturday, I went back to the border to Buffalo to take Serena to the airport. I woke up around 5 am, and stayed in bed for almost an hour and couldn't get back to sleep. Since I was wide awake, I thought I'd make a playlist for the trip. You'd be surprised how time flys when you're making a playlist for the iPod. Cause it was now 7 and I still hadn't showered yet even though I told Gord & Serena that I would be over there at 730, so I was about a half hour late, and they took about 20 minutes to finalize everything before they left. Stopped to get a coffee, counter girl was really slow, so another wasted 10 minutes. Serena's getting stressed and worried now about missing her 11 am flight. Driving was pretty smooth. No real issues until after we crossed the border. I told Gord to navigate using the printed Google map, I remembered not spending a lot of time on the I90, but Gord looked at the map and claimed he remembered the route, until I said aren't we suppose to get off real quick, turns out I overshot the exit, and had to drive back, so another wasted 20 minutes trying to get back onto the right road. Okay everything is fine now, back on the road, just under an hour to go. Wrong. The next highway we're suppose to go on is closed. WTF. So we have to take Gennesee the street the highway is on. Max speed 25mph or we know it as 50 KM/H and we caught every red light.
Finally made it to the airport 20 minutes to spare. I bolted to the washroom, and heard a boarding announcement for BOS airport, we just got in and they're alreay boarding. Serena go warned that her luggage may not make the flight.

So she's off, Gord and I deciede to go to the Niagara Falls Outlet stores. Walked around, nothing special, it's 1 pm now, let's go. I guess the border guard didn't believe our story of dropping a friend off at the airport, cause he checked my car out. Yup that's right nothing in the trunk. Off we go.
Back to the side where the road is smooth. Gord has the idea that he wants to try the Crunch chicken from Planet Hollywood. We go park the car at the Fallsview Casino since I have free parking there and walk over to the tourist traps of Niagara Falls, and get a table at PlanHol, and discover the Crunch Chicken is only available as an appetizer. So we both order the greasiest plate called the Terminator. Crunch chicken, wings, onion rings and natchos. What I learned is I'll never go to a theme restaurant again cause they suck, and it's cool cause now I'm officially a foodie snob.
We hit the arcades afterwards and play a few games of DDR, and head back to home. Got off on the wrong exit, and made a huge detour in Hamilton/Burlington and got back around 8. We learned that Serena is Okay from her flight back home, but her luggage wasn't so lucky. It was on the way on the next flight, but that they would take lock it up for her, until she comes back to pick it up.
Overall it was a fun little roadtrip with problems that make it exciting.

Curling

On Sundays, I go curling. Our team is called Rockin' The House. It's an obvious pun if you know curling. Rocks are the things that we throw and the house is where we want the rock to stay. Hence the name.
So this week, we had our second consecutive loss. Not good considering last season we were mostly undefeated and won the final tournament after the round robin. Maybe we'll have better luck next weekend.




On the way home I noticed a drunk driver who was swerving all over the place. At first, I thought it was another jerkoff on a cell phone trying to drive a car, or adjusting radio. But it never stopped, just kept swerving all over the place. I stayed a safe distance back, other drivers were passing me and realized what was going ended slowing down too. Luckily at the lights, we were able to pass the drunk, then thinking it might be a bad idea cause now he's behind us. Also thought it was weird why there was not a single cop in sight on the way home, last weekend I saw 2 on the way home. Would you have called the cops on a drunk driver?