Tuesday, May 31
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Toronto IS lovely sometimes...
[journal]  There are times when you live in a city where you just have had enough. I'm at that point. I need a break, I need a vacation. The other day I was hanging out with my friend Alex, when I told him how much I loved Europe, and he started yelling at me. "Oh, you're one of those! Let me guess, you love the little quaint streets, the cafes, the slow pace... ..." Then he argued how everyone in Europe was coming here, and that they were coming because there was so much more opportunity here. Hey, so what if I love the little streets, the little cars, dicking around-enjoying life.
Anyway, I argued (or at least gave a very good attempt at it) how wonderful Europe is, and how he should just lighten up. In any case, I might not live in Europe my whole life, but I will live there for a little segment, a section you might say, of my life. I'd be so happy with that.
And THEN I met up with my other friends Sandra and Joey who are just about my most favorite people. They'd recently come back from NYC and Joey was all depressed. What is it about going away that makes you so depressed when you return? They are creative people, and I guess being in the creativity hub of the world I'd say, they were saddened by how Toronto compared. Joey gave this example about how strong the arts are in that city. Each district in NYC gives out this pamphlet talking about what's going on in that particular area in terms of theatres, galleries, shops, restaurants, etc. Then, he asked me about Toronto. "How do you get to the Distillery district in Toronto?" I half-heartedly told him "well, you take the.. Queen St east streetcar..... " Apparently I was wrong. He's just dumb founded over the fact that Toronto as a city doesn't promote itself artistically at all.
But then, there are days when you walk around Toronto, and you're just like "wow, I do love this city. The people are great, the food's great, we get lots of seasons, the music is pretty good, this is home." Recently I went to Toronto Island (a new love of mine I might add), and had so much fun with my friends.. (see photos!)
So what's my point here? I don't really know if I have one. It's just that I agree that Toronto needs some help. It needs some promotion, needs more creative people like Sandra and Joey NOT to leave. NYC is great, Europe is great, but we gotta stay, us Canadians in Toronto so we can make it just as cool as New York, and London, and all those other beautiful cities.
God that sounds stupid and patriotic. Watch. In a few years I'll dash off to Europe or New York. HAH! |
Monday, May 30
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Let's Get it On
[journal] My parents are on their European Cruise. Brian and Karen and working. Patsy just came back from China and she's over right now. I think I'm the only thing holding Mike and her back from some hot sex. Haha They're stalling with some unpacking, but they've already asked me two times when I'm leaving. RELAX, I'll be gone in 20 minutes! :) |
Tuesday, May 24
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Money Money Money
[commentary]
I don't think there is anything worse than money. You would think a seething hateful story about money would accompany a lead like that, but then you'd be wrong. There's no better time than now to write. Now when I'm still living at home luxuriating in zero expenses and the money I make becomes disposable (okay, please do not read or remember my blog titled "London part two," as it invalidates everything I've just written). Money Begets GreedDo you remember when you were young and you earned money for the first time, the feeling you got when that coarse coloured paper smacked upon your palm? For me it was a neighbourhood paper route and I got paid in one lump sum of 20 fucking dollars! Then I thought about it and all these material things entered my mind: I can buy this (caramel candy) or that (hubba bubba chewing gum) or this (Crunchie chocolate bar) or that (sour jawbreakers). A surge of fiendish excitement shot through my 70 pound body as I wanted to make more money so I could buy more things. You know, I hadn't wanted a 5-liter jar full of sour jawbreaker, but then, after the cash, I thought I needed it. Besides I worked so hard delivering those papers that I deserved it. Money Can't Buy You LoveLove can't be bought with money. It's that simple. Money Don't Make You HappyI'm not fanatic enough to say that all money is evil. You need a minimum amount to warmly greet the threshold of need. You need to eat (but not fancy); you need to have shelter (but not a mansion); and sometimes you need to support others (but not your addictions). People are resilient and adaptive. It's an important evolutionary quality, but it makes sustaining happiness near impossible. Simply, people get used to things quickly. You could have gotten a raise from 20 to 30k and that sudden jump would bring you an upward spike in commodities and options and likely some degree of happiness. Then, you'd just get used to it and be as sad and miserable as you always were. Studies have shown that after meeting a minimum income, all income brackets reported the same level of happiness and one study focusing on lottery winners reported that their happiness was temporary (and the same study followed people who lost their legs and how their misery was temporary too). Money Invites DeceptionWhen you got money, the world is so friendly. Buddy boy 3rd half cousin calls you up to just hang out. Sales people approach you instead of watch you. All the red carpets are steamed cleaned and rolled out . How could you separate those who love you and those who love your money? Or harder still, those who love you and your money? I had a conversation with my friend Shoe about money, and I told him if I was ever rich I would slowly reveal how rich I was to my kid. Like every five years I would tell him* I got a raise into the next income bracket, so when he's a toddler I would raise him poor, then as he grew up I would slowly be more rich. This way he would never quite get used to how much money I had (always be thrilled with the new things we could suddenly afford) and he growing up poor he would understand the value of hardwork and appreciation of things besides money. Man, all this writing is making me tired. I wish I had money right now so I could get a back massage and someone to make me ginger and onion dry lobster. *It's just easier to write he. I'm not propheciesing a son or anything like that. =] |
Thursday, May 19
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London: Attack of Karen on Tommy
[journal]
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London Part Two
[journal]
London was a great time, but if you're unemployed like me, it could put you into heavy debt, the kind that leaves very little hope and a lot of helplessness. The products and services in London aren't marked up; they aren't expensive. A 60 dollar sneaker here is a 50 pound sneaker there. The problem lies in the exchange rate that punishes the weak Canadian dollar. A British pound is approximately worth 2.5 Canadian dollars. At one point, my sister was compulsively buying 5 pound trinkets, a necklace here, and earring there. Five pound was the magical buy me number, and the item was bought if it had an inkling of interest. But that 5 pound was really 12.50 dollars and buying 8 little trinkets added to 100 dollars. I ended up buying 11 animal hand puppets in anticipation of a future job, 1 pair of sunglasses so I could stare at the British babes unabashedly and 1 pair of Puma sneakers. Doesn't sound like much, but those three purchases nearly set me back 300 dollars, and the puppets and sunglasses were the cheap kind. There was one night I survived on chips (not the French Fries) and water, and the water was bought only after considerable deliberation. If only they, the hotel adminstration, hadn't caught us sneaking Tommy into our room. The extra charges could have gotten me a steak or a Foster's at their pub. |
Tuesday, May 17
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Back with Brit's Best
[journal]
Feast your eyes on that. I sure did. While shopping near Spitalfield market, London's garish shopping one-stop for the young and trendy, my sister spied lovely Kiera Knightley. She was strung closely to her boyfriend and walking down the aisle towards us and eventually pass. Karen's eyes opened wide and she turned to Tommy; Tommy turned to Karen with his version of wide-eyes too. They both then turned to me (I hadn't seen anything at all). "That was Kiera, Joe." Karen passed me her camera. "Go get her Joe." Yah, as if it was easy for my legs to follow orders anylonger. I ineptly stalked the lovely lady through several booths and I envisioned paparazzi all over the world groaning at my bumbling. I eventually went back to Karen. "I can't do it man." My hands were trembling as though I needed to eat some food. "It's over." "Well, if we see her again, I'll ask her," said Karen. Ten minutes of shopping passed when I caught sight of Kiera again. She was beside her boyfriend, looking left and right casually at the vendors and shops and getting closer and closer to us with every step. I informed Karen, who didn't see and who hadn't thought of Kiera again after clothes, purses and shoes entered her vision. "Ummm Karen, here she comes again." "Do you want me to ask?" "Yes." Pause. Panic. Fear."No." Excitement. Adrenaline. "Yes." Worry. Self-Consciousness."No." Karen was already off, while a few other emotions were bouncing around inside me. Five meters away I was suddenly aware of the pimples on my face and the style of my hair. Then, I just cowered along a stall and watched and listened. Karen walked straight up to Kiera and stopped abruptly a few feet in front of her. "My brother is a fan of yours and would not believe me that I saw you. Could I take your picture?" "Ummm." "This is a little awkward right?" "A little --- but that's okay." There was some clumsy, unaccustomed shifting as Karen and Kiera tried to get around each other and into unknown positions. Neither knew how or where this picture taking was going to take place. "Would you like to be in the picture too?" asked her boyfriend (a model and good looking too). "Yah!" So snap and the picture as well as one of the highlights of my trip to London had transpired. Kiera was a great sport. She could have said her agent wouldn't allow it, or she wasn't feeling well, or well any excuse really, but she didn't. Later on, with much time passed and distanced walked, I suddenly spoke very bravely about Kiera and the whole situation. "Man. Ha ha. Karen you should have said something after like 'Want to be friends?" ha ha that would have been funny." Tommy elbowed me. "Kiera's like right beside us again." I looked around; he wasn't joking. |
Monday, May 2
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Poll Results
[journal] I guess the lesson learned is to only put a poll up on a site that people visit. After over a month there was a total of 13 votes. Not only that but it ended in a tie. Who would have thought the heavy hitters, Tom and Brad, would get 0 votes. Ewan McGregor 15 % (2 votes) Brad Pitt 0 % (0 votes) Jude Law 30 % (4 votes) Denzel Washington 7 % (1 votes) Tom Cruise 0 % (0 votes) Colin Ferrel 15 % (2 votes) Johnny Depp 30 % (4 votes) |
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