Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 5:59PM I took Reggie and Monty for Santa photos today at Centennial Animal Hospital in Winnipeg. You have no idea how long it took to get them to sit for the shot:
Life Friday, December 2, 2011 at 12:41AM Vietnam has left quite the impression on me. Beautiful country. Wonderful people. I hope to one day return and explore the country further with one of my newfound friends who've kindly offered to help me navigate the maze of streets in Hanoi, experience the world-renowned endless caves and further perfect the art of haggling at one of their many markets. Shopping just isn't as much fun back here in Canada until I get the price down a nickel. #foreverafrugalWinnipegger. Travel is what I live for. Once you get a taste for it, it's really hard to remain stationary.
A few years ago, I backpacked throughout China. There was almost immediate culture shock. In the Western world, we're somewhat enveloped by the false belief that our way of life is the only way of life (or at it's worst, the "right" way of life). I was completely guilty of the former during my first Asian excursion; this ignorance allowed China to kick my ass. Thoroughly and deservedly. After having the metallic taste of pollution on my lips for weeks and being hit by a motorbike, I returned to Canada with the worst cold of my life. I was bitter...I didn't grow to hate it though. In fact, the longer I reflected upon my journey it intrigued me. China was an adventure you don't get by traveling to, say, the safety and familiarity of Disneyworld. It was exciting. It was dangerous. It was young Marlon Brando beckoning you from across the bar, or in this case, Pacific. You know you are going to be up all night; half sleep deprived from jetlag, half pure wanderlust. The sights, sounds and colours leading you down a rabbit hole of discovery that may include the revelation that your tastebuds are really keen on octopus. Mine aren't. But crocodile ain't so bad. The other side of the planet is glorious.
Vietnam did not shock me. I oddly felt right at home admidst the insane traffic and neon lights of Ho Chi Minh - God, I love tacky neon. It's like a city made of lite bright™. The constant noise and hustle of the city uninterrupted by cloak of night. I often complain about the illegal dubstep club my neighbours operate, but for some reason, the racket here didn't bother me. It was actually comforting. A sign of life (my neighbours can still f*$# right off though). Vietnam is a country in transition and as such, there is much positive energy in the air. Architecturally, the modernist, boxy structures reminded me of Tokyo...another country that was forced to let go of a part of it's heritage by means of war. I admit, I was not previously educated on this particular facet of near-recent history. An hour spent at the War Remnants Museum changed that. The very graphic images shocked and saddened me and also reminded me of a man I encountered on the subway of Shanghai. Scurrying on all fours with a peculiar gait, he appeared to be half simian. The museum taught me that his condition was a a result of exposure to Agent Orange, the horrible, disfiguring side effects of which are still found in this part of the world.
I didn't have much time to explore outside of the general vicinity of my hotel, however, I did travel to Tra Vinh Province in the southern part of the country for an overnight stay. The approximately four-hour journey meandered through urban sprawl into the thick of the jungle. Our driver was a bat out of hell, doing 100mph in the wrong lane while traversing blind corners on what appeared to be blind luck but was actually the highly organized chaos of the roadways here. Despite reciting prayer and preparing a final Tweet to my loved ones, I had faith in him. I was also thankful that this was the only vehicle I was in all week that had working seatbelts.
The boom of modern Ho Chi Minh:
War Remnants Museum:
Regular day on the job - this guy was doing construction on the edge of the 14th floor of Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (not a helmet or safety harness in sight):
Meat market, Ho Chi Minh:
Lunch at Mekong Delta (giant riceball in background):
I want to adopt this wee guy:
If a cobra like this bites you, you have 20 minutes to live:
Monday, November 28, 2011 at 6:56PM It makes me happy and I want to see a third installment (Discovery channel, Friday nights at 9:00pm CT):
Life Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9:06PM I haven't been posting lately because I've been very busy with work and an upcoming assignment that I'm very excited about. This November, I will be traveling to Vietnam with other SIAST staff to document a graduation ceremony held at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (HUI) that the Govenor General of Canada, the Right Honourable David Johnston, will be attending. SIAST has a unique partnership with HUI offering our Business Administrative diploma to students in the country.
Watch this space for more details.
For more information on SIAST, click here.
Life Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 4:20PM On Sunday I made the 2.5 hour drive to Regina, not for the legendary football game itself, but rather the legendary tailgate party. It was a cultural mosaic of Labatt's drinkers vs. Pilsner chuggers, a sea of emerald green awash with some of the best costumes I've seen this side of Halloween. My father, a devout Bombers fan, joined me becoming the target of more than a few good-natured taunts and Monty in his wee Rider jersey could be a popular mascot should something happen to Gainer during hunting season. No matter what side your allegiance stood, in the end a good time was had by all...except those losers from "Swaggerville".
Bring on the Banjo Bowl!
Crowds enroute to Labour Day Classic:
Monty and I in front of Mosaic Stadium:
Winnipeg's Golden Boy has really let himself go:
This dude has swagger:
The Joker makes an appearance:
One of two Gumby™ costumes I saw:
Rider fans cross paths with similarly dressed Bomber fans:
Police watch over "Swaggerville" residents:
Life, Riders, Saskatchewan Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 3:41PM Better late than never...a gallery of images from my recent trip to Chicago for the 2011 HOW Design Conference has been added. You can check them out by clicking here.
Also, a few pictures from my May excursion to Edmonton have been added to the Alberta gallery. Enjoy.
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 8:10PM So I meant to have a liveblog going throughout the duration of the HOW Conference in Chicago...however, I got carried away in the windy city and could only get around to it now. My bad. This was such an enjoyable event; not only did the conference provide a much needed jolt of inspiration, but the city itself - and its colourful inhabitants - were a living, breathing piece of art. The architecture was unlike anything I have ever seen before. As a co-worker commented, it was like the backdrop for a movie set. In our case it would be an indie flick starring picas, printers and Pantone chips, and here is the synopsis:
• My favourite session was "What the Future Wants From a Designer" for its honesty. This profession is not what it once was, and will likely morph into something altogether different in the future. Designers need to bring more to the table, rather than layout skills and the ability to use Photoshop. Everyone from our grandparents to the kid selling lemonade down the block has access to tools that can lead them to believe they are "designers" (or alternately, access to websites that offer $5 logos). We need to be actively involved in understanding sociological & scientific trends, strategy and developing "big picture ideas" that can influence human behavior. The session also included seven key trends for the future: 1) Simplistic Slowdown (people will not be buying as much); 2) Rentalism (sharing of goods); 3) "Maker Culture" (people become their own designers/marketers); 4) Desktop Fabrication (this was the bizarre/awesome example); 5) Embrace of the Imperfect; 6) Technology Will Become the Designer; 7) Science will redefine what it means to be human and will influence marketing more than focus groups.
• The HOW Conference introduced me to artist Theo Jansen. His kinetic sculptures blow my mind.
• Interesting that the Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) at Best Buy has seen an increase of productivity by 41% and a reduction of turnover by 45%. This is definitely how I've been accustomed to operating over the past few years and hopefully more businesses take note.
I will write more about Chi-town over the weekend.
Chicago, HOW Conference, Life Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 5:02PM From June 23 - 28, I will be liveblogging and tweeting from the 2011 HOW Design Conference in Chicago. #awesome!
Chicago, HOW Conference, Life Monday, June 20, 2011 at 5:53PM I didn't know what to expect in Florence, but it ended up being my favorite spot in all of Italy. The medieval architecture and narrow winding streets were magical. The art was second-to-none (my favorite piece was Cellini's 'Perseus With the Head of Medusa'). The awesome leather market satisfied the money burning a hole in my pocket and the city could also boast about having the best pizza, which, if I am being completely honest, is the #1 reason I enjoyed it so much. I ate it every day. At 3€, I ate for a week what it cost me for one slice in Rome.
The Duomo is the main landmark penetrating the skyline of the fabled city. I almost didn't go up because of the long line-up but was really glad I did. The view was breathtaking. The chapel ceiling was something else altogether though...like something out of an 80s B-horror film. The graphic painting of hellbound creatures torturing and dragging sinners into the fire sent a shiver down my spine. It's not as famous (or well-executed) as the Sistine Chapel, but it definitely left more of an impression on me. If I were an uneducated serf, it would have set me straight for life.
Situated in the Tuscany region of Italy, opportunity for daytripping abounds. My first excursion outside of Florence was a day tour via a company called 'Walkabout' that focused on the best of the region. I've never been on a proper tour before, much preferring to explore and discover things on my own, however the people I met really made it worth it. There was the Cameron Diaz lookalike from Croatia. The couple from Hawaii who couldn't stop talking about the Roughriders.* The family from England who kicked people out of their seats on the bus, claiming they were reserved, only to be kicked out at the tail-end because they hadn't actually paid to be on the tour. And then there was our guide, Stefano, who was excellent at peppering the conversation with humour and insight.
Our first stop was Siena, where we visited the world's oldest bank, saw a building with creepy heads sticking out of it and visited yet another church with several Michaelangelo originals. Where did this dude find the time?I feel so unproductive. Next up was lunch at a winery overlooking another one of my favorite spots, San Gimignano, a town renowned for its medieval towers and "world's best gelato". Then came the long drive to Pisa. The Leaning Tower was the only thing I knew about this place and let me say - it's pretty much all they've got. Well...that and plenty of people trying to sell fake Rolexes. Pisa is ugly. Really ugly. After WWII bombings decimated it, the rest of the city appears to have been inspired by eastern bloc architecture. And then there's that GIANT parking lot. The tower itself was pretty neat to see in person though. It was a lot more slanted than I expected.
Since the first tour wasn't so bad, I decided to go on a second 'Walkabout' tour, this time to Unesco World Heritage site the Cinque-Terre. It was a vastly different experience. There was no small talk. No real insight into the area...just a long, hot, sweaty hike along the mediterranean coast trailing a tour guide who didn't care if any touristas got lost or fell to their death along the way. I really wish I would have had time to relax on the beach for a bit, but it was not to be. The day was rushed, the lunch was terrible and I developed a sunburn that will surely result in skin cancer in a few years time. Having said that, trekking to the Cinque Terre was definitely worth it and my overall experience in Italy was priceless.
*Travel Tip: no matter where I go, when I am wearing a Roughrider logo, I make instant friends. It's like the new Canada flag.
Me at the top of the Duomo:
Graffiti in the Duomo:
Piazza della Signoria, Florence:
'Perseus With the Head of Medusa' by Cellini:
Living Street Art, Florence:
World's oldest bank in Siena, Italy:
Creepy heads creeping out of a building in Siena:
San Gimignano:
Best Gelato in the World? Not bad:
This belongs on www.photocliches.com:
Cinque Terre:
It took hours to hike all the way to that town way far off in the distance:
From Here to Eternity:
Graffiti on a cactus at the Cinque Terre:
Friday, June 10, 2011 at 6:22PM Being in Venice is like being inside a Renaissance-era painting come to life: a perfectly preserved masterpiece of art, culture and history. It's well magical...if you can find a moment to breathe outside of the SWARMS of tourists. High tourist season hadn't even begun when I visited there in April and it was hard to get around. That is, when I found my way around. It took me a couple days of getting lost on the canals and narrow alleyways to find the main attraction: Piazza San Marco. It was worth the wait. Although a part of me died a bit inside to see that the world renowned 'Bridge of Sighs' was now sponsored by Toyota. I love being in advertising, but at times I really question the shit we pull.
I did not go on a gondola. Paying $150.00 for a 30 minute ride did not seem financially prudent. Instead, I lived vicariously through all the Japanese tourists who seemed to be the only people willing to shell out for one. I was also a bit dismayed that none of the gondoliers I witnessed entertained their guests by singing a romantic tune (like it usually happens in the movies and travel shows that never really depict things as they truly are). For that much money, I would demand a song and perhaps a lap dance.
After wandering around Italy for two weeks wearing a Roughrider sweatshirt (in part as an experiment which I will get to later), I was most surprised/amused/befuddled to see a Hotel Regina. I wonder how that song goes..."Living it up at the Hotel Regina. There's a sea of green, cheering on their team".
Next up - Florence.
To be continued...
Entrance to the Hotel Regina:
Hotel Regina in background:
Low-season crowds wander near St. Mark's Square:
The Bridge of Sighs, built in 1602, brought to you by Toyota:
Me at the Grand Canal:
Piazza San Marco:
Making a delivery in Venice:
Plague Doctor marionette:
The (in)famous pigeons of St. Mark's Square:
This wee dog stole me heart. I visited the shop where he stood guard every day:
