A New Project...

Spring is here! With lots of rain one day and plenty of the sunshine the next, all the animals and flowers are springing out!

Took a nice walk/hike during one of those sunny days, and was it HOT! It was humid too, almost like being in HK! =)

Unfortunately I am not a botanist or horticulturalist, so I have no idea what the names are of the flowers and plants that I took photos of.... but they look just as beautiful!

And then this brings me back to my list of stuff that I want to do... I am always making lists as you can probably tell by now. Lists are my thing!

So I took some photos under a weeping willow, however I was a little disappointed because it was quite sparse and well, not the green curtain that I would have liked. So that's a new thing for me, to find a weeping willow that is thick and shady and has branches that reach the ground with maybe 5-10cm left for some light to come in..... I've always wanted to sit under a weeping willow and read a book or have a picnic, but at the same time, I know that I would be very uncomfortable cuz I'll be worried about the bugs that may be crawling all over me! =S ..... lol..... I can be paranoid sometimes.... however you would never have thought that by my photos.... see how relaxed I am..... just enjoying the music...

Ok, now onto my new project, as the title of this entry says.... I am so excited, but hehehe.... I can't give it away! =P

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Oh, well.... this just shows my level of excitement for this project. So I guess since I am going to be emailing and having to explain to you what I am doing, I might as well do it here... so my new project (in addition to the numerous ones that I have set) is to COLLECT SMILES/LAUGHS! hehehehe... the way that I am going do this is by taking photos of you smiling or laughing. As most of you may know, smiling and laughing is one of the many things that I LOVE TO DO! and looking at all your smiles and laughter will not only make me happy, but I'm sure that when I am done collecting all your smiles and laughter, that when others see it, a smile (and perhaps a few giggles) will materialise!

So if you've read this entry and want to be a part of this project, please let me take your photo! =D and if I am not there, we can do it with a webcam, or you can take it yourself, or get someone to take some photos of you. I welcome submissions of your friends' smiles too if you want to include them.

Until next time, KEEP SMILING~!

Things to do.... on a random day

Well after a rocky start to my new life as a wage earning individual (which, btw, was short lived... I am not earning anything now... =p), I think it's time to make use of this time to help me recuperate a little and also revive my enthusiasm for life in general...

So whilst surfing the web (at work :O) one day, I came across a list of stuff that people can do on dates.... however I will make my own TO DO List... something fun for this summer, and especially as the weather has been UNbelievably beautiful here in Toronto!

1. Go search for as many good climbing trees as possible, climb as high as you can, compile photo evidence!

2. Go to a bookstore and leave notes to future readers in copies of your favourite books

3. Build forts out of furniture and blankets, and wage war with paper airplanes

4. Next time you visit a friend, turn as many things inside their home upside down as you can, without them noticing...

5. With camera and a pair of boots, make photolog of a day in the life of the invisible man

6. Watch a movie at home, set on mute and improvise the dialogue. This is more fun if you've never seen the movie before

So here are just some random things that you and I can do... let's go and have fun!

If you think of any other things to do, let me know!

Hi!

So here are some photos, again of food and work..... seems like my life at the moment is just
about those things..... But I do have some other stuff that I want to do.... but don't let me get off track.....

So here we made a whole bunch of stuff...

From left to right:

Mushroom toast! Mushrooms cooked with onion and garlic with sour cream and seasoned with Thyme!

And then we have homemade pizzas, an easy-peasy tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese, yellow pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, pastrami and BASIL! (lovin' all my herbs!)

Lastly, we have crabcakes! They were D-E-Licious with a Wasabi dressing....

And below we have a Cream of Potato soup (with various veggies)

The soup turned out better than I expected, but I think it was all thanks to the blender we had, so that we were able to puree everything. First fry some chopped onions in butter and then add the potatoes and and water and simmer until tender, and then PUREEEEEE!

It's quite simple and it can be served hot or cold, however I prefer all my soups to be HOT HOT HOT!

And then lastly, I will show you what my desk at work looks like! I decorated with just a few things, I am hoping to keep adding to it..... Also you will see the notebook that I am using now.... it's really thick, I hope I'll have lots of great ideas to fill it up with!





*** I know there are some people who would like recipes for the food that I talk about, I will figure out a way to post them on here so that it doesn't look so long..... possibly make something so that it's like a card or something.... Thanks for your patience.... In the mean time if you want the recipe and can't wait, email me! =) Toodles~!

Unexpectedly

A couple of weeks ago, I had a job interview that I really enjoyed. I told quite a few people already, but the reason why I enjoyed this interview was because the interview/owner of the company was really friendly, and our interview went more in the form of a conversation rather than an interview. I was able to explain why I quit my job - because I realized that I would rather have a job where I enjoy the work I do, and also that I like working with people and not secluding myself in a gloomy office all day. We also got talking about weddings and events coordination, because apparently he had done that quite a few times for his friends.

Which brings me to something that came quite unexpectedly several weeks after that interview. After the interview, I sent a thank you email and expressed that if he ever needed help with weddings or events in the future, that I would be happy to help out. So one day, I found an email from a lady that the interviewer had referred to me. She's getting married this summer in July and she is looking for an MC for her reception, she asked if I would consider being an MC or help her find one. I did try to look around, but as I couldn't find a suitable fit, I offered to be her MC.

This is just one of the many things that has happened recently, and has just made me a little in awe of life. Sometimes when everything seems to be against you, you can be surprised by all these little events that happen to you and it just may make things right for you.

Well at the moment, we have been communicating through email. I sent her a copy of an MC script that I had written for a wedding during my internship in 2006. I guess she was impressed because she wants to meet.

Although a date has been set yet, I've prepared a simple portfolio to show her...... yes I know it's a little hard sell.... but that's how to get my name out there! here are some snapshots of the portfolio...

Starting anew

So I just finished my two week trial for my internship and well, I'll tell you the decision later whether they are going to keep me on or not....

The first few days there wasn't much to do, I just helped them research an itinerary for visitors to their show, so that they have other stuff to do as well and can stimulate tourism here and in Canada. That went well, because I have one of my supervisors in the room with me (as I share her office), then she was able to hear that I am very comfortable with making phone calls. I guess I have to thank my previous two internships because they both involved a lot of calling to ask questions, so I was able to ask all the right questions and I did it quite convincingly..... hahahaha... cuz I had to pretend that I was organizing a school trip and that I would be bringing 200 students from out of town with me and find out what they can do, how much it would cost, what the program at the cultural centre (AGO, ROM, Design Exchange, COC) would be.

Then onto more exciting things! I had T-W-O team meetings the second week (because I am working on two shows, although all the people involved are the same), and it's so great, because I've never been in an actual meeting like that. We were in the boardroom and we had the floorplans all layed out. I did feel a little lost, because everyone was already really involved in the planning process, and I did not get almost 95% of what they were talking about, and I probably had a very lost expression registering on my face...... =S hehehehe....

However, my supervisors were very supportive, and they told me that I can always just jump in and say that I am lost and ask them to explain. And they are correct, so much of what they do and know is all in their head because they have been working on it for so long, it's really hard for them to pick out what they need to explain to me or point out to me before hand. So it'll be a learning process all the way through!

I will introduce my supervisors to you once I get a photo of them.

So that's my first two weeks, and well the final decision....... they agreed with me that I may feel lost, but in the end, they said I was working well with them, so they were happy that I was enjoying my time there, and they offered to let me stay on!!!!!

To celebrate I bought a new notebook! hehehehe..... Notebooks have always been a part of my internships, work and life.... it's a mix of red and pinks and a bit of dark orange I think, but I'll take a photo and share. I like that there are different papers in there. However, I was a little annoyed that the paper was a little wrinkly......

Oh and Tien just reminded me about something. Yesterday, I finally got to change the voice message on my phone! It's the first time I get my own phone with loads of buttons and functions, that I have no idea how to use, but It's COOL! I am super excited! Maybe I'll even get business cards???? ... a girl can dream... =)

Now I just have to pick out some stuff from home to bring to work.... to spruce up my desk and make it MINE! =)

Here's what I've decided so far to bring:
- a calendar
- some of my coloured pens
- my super sticky post-its (I bought them like last year and still haven't even opened the pack)
- a selection of photos (if I can find some that are already developed...)

Xanga 2009

Thursday, April 09, 2009 (post moved from xanga)

Yeah, it's official! I will be interning at the Interior Design Show (IDS10) 2010 and Explore Design Fair (ED '09) 2009! And to commemorate this, this blog will once again begin it's work in recording down my memorable moments and all the little things I learn during this period! So check in every so often to find out what's going on... Ok let's start with some photos of the area that I work in, there is not a lot, because I didn't have much time to take photos today, but just really wanted to take some so that this entry is not just wordsssss.... ;) No fancy photoshop today..... it's a long weekend! I am not going to spend it on that! =P So this is where I work, 10 Alcorn Ave. The area is really nice, it's called Summer Hill, and it's so different from the other places I worked before. There are a lot of little restaurants along the street, nail shops, and today I even went to this little stationery store, Papery, and they have the nicest notebooks, agendas, wrapping paper, birthday cards and more! **I will take more photos of the area soon** I work for a company called MMPI (Merchandise Mart Production Incorporated... or something along that line... =P) And this, above, is my office. My desk is on the right, however, today I got the 'go ahead' to make the space my own, so come next Tuesday, I'll be redecorating. I've already come up with the idea to take a before and after photo and see if you guys can spot all the differences! And on my first day, which was almost two weeks ago, my supervisors gave me tickets to the One of a Kind Show. It's an annual event that takes place in the Spring and another time just before Christmas (so sometime in November). It features all Canadian stuff, and a lot of it is handmade or homemade! As I don't have a lot of cash to spend right now, what I did was just grab business cards whenever I saw anything I liked. So here are some notable mentions: Oh Dina! www.ohdina.com These hairbands were designed by a student at Ryerson and she is Oh So Talented! =) Although they are not something that I would wear, but for some reason, I really liked them and would have been tempted to buy one if I had the money to.... However, Tien and I are planning a little secret session at our home where we'll make our own! ;) Margi Laurin... maker of stuff www.margilaurin.ca This lady takes old story books or any book in general (there were some bibles, cookbooks, DIY books, anything!) and she will make them into new books! She does this by taking the books apart and she will insert lined paper or plain paper into certain sections of the book and bind it back together with the covers. I never thought to do that to books, and they look so cool! She also has bookmarks, notebooks, journals, pens and stuff that she does the same to! Kania www.kania.ca Oh, they have this sweater-material jacket that I absolutely LOVE! It's comfy material, but definitely looks good enough for work! SHI Studio www.shistudio.com They design and make jewelry and accessories with bits of fabric that have a Chinese motif. L-O-V-E IT! MIZZONK www.mizzonk.com / www.mizzonk.blogspot.com Handmade decorative things for the home, usually framed art works. There was one piece, called "Rhythm of the 20degree Turn". Little Circles were cut but with a bit still attached to the paper, so that when you "popped" them out, they were all 20 degrees turned out after the other, and from the side, you can see the squiggly line they form. SUPER COOL! And just looking at it, you would think it took a lot of work! KLUTCH www.klutchbags.ca Handmade klutch handbags. I like them cuz they are all HUGE! and oh so fashionable! Also there are different ways to hold the bag depending on your mood and/or outfit. Sonja Ahlers - books, bunnies & other things www.makeitawesome.etsy.com This lady used worn clothing that was made from rabbit hair, which is super soft, and using the fabric made stuffed bunnies. The interesting thing is that she put a lucky penny into each bunny. Also I liked her "philosophy" of returning the fabric back into it's orginal form, a bunny. So that's what caught my eye the most... wow, I actually thought there would be a lot more, but I guess when I really have to choose, I just like the ones I mentioned. I guess this will help me the next time I go, I can just go to these booths directly!

Moving.....

This is my new BLOG!

I think there's a 'follow me' kind of community thing, that's kind of cool (I think I've been watching too much Ellen)..... I will figure that out, a bit like twitter... hehehe...

Well, at first I was going to try and figure out how to import my blog posts from xanga, but I found out that it's a hassle and no one has ever done it successfully except by paying xanga to do it for them....

Then I wanted to go through my old posts and select a few that I really like and post them here, but it just didn't seem right to take them out from other entries, because there were days where I just blogged about random things, and then days when I was ranting, days when I was sad and wrote it down, so I think in the end, I'll just end up printing them one day.... maybe I can publish a book.... =P..... yes I do dream... ;)

So in the end I just decided, since I am starting this new blog, I just put my most recent posts of things that I just started..... hopefully everything will go smoothly from now on. *fingers crossed*

Xanga April 09 2009

Some old photos to share, We made Fruit Tarts, which are one of my fav desserts! They aren't sweet, but actually a little tarte, which is perfect! And then after hearing my friend tell me about this one time, I decided to go online and find a recipe to try out a Spinach roll, it's just lasagne rolled up with cheese and spinach in the middle. And we put it in a two rows in a glass baking dish and covered it with my secret tomato sauce and baked it for 30 minutes. Then we had it with homemade garlic bread and crab dip (of which there's only that little photo next to the rows of spinach roll). The Spinach Roll is ALL VEGETARIAN! and just one or two rolls is enough to make you full! Until the next time..... HUGzzzzzz!

Xanga April 07 2009

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The weather on Sunday was so great, we decided to go out and get some fresh air. We went to the park near our house and played like little children! And we saw the cutest Huskies! The brown one is Phoenix and the gray one is Sky..... and they were so playful!

Xanga April 06 2009

Monday, April 06, 2009

Yeahhhh New photos to share! Well some of these are new, but what's got me so excited is that I put together these blocks of photos using photoshop!!!! This is a feat for me, and I am proud of myself for figuring out how to put these photos together through trial and error. Usually I get annoyed and bored and give up before I can do anything in photoshop.... Ok, so let's start..... First, is a block of photos that are from our winter here in Toronto. I know there are some who miss the snow and bitter cold that is characteristic of Toronto, so please enjoy these photos.... =) And then we made dumplings! and I must say they are REALLY GOOD! We used pork and shrimp, but the main ingredients are dried Chinese mushrooms, dried scallops, bak choi, fat choi! The dumplings were perfect, just to my liking, think skin and loaded with stuffing! And then Tien and I played dress up! hehehehe... we needed to get in touch with our inner child and also realized that it's been so long since we played with make up and did our hair and took some photos... So first, here are some of the selected photos from Tien's photoshoot! And then my photoshoot... and then we compiled a bunch of photos from our "We are SO Ready for Summer" photoshoot! Bring on the Heat!!!! And just to finish the night off, we did some silly webcam photos... More photos to come later on, we just went to the park today and played with some baby huskies! Until then.... MUAHHHH!