Ramune "Almost Epic" Fail

I discovered a very interesting non-alcoholic beverage while vacationing in Montreal. I've never actually seen it in Toronto but that's partly because I never actively looked for it. But I'm guessing I'd probably find it in Spadina or in an Asian-operated convenience store.



If I were to describe the taste, it's similar to a "flavoured martini" without the actual alcohol zing. If they start selling an alcohol-based version of it, this would be perfect for people who cannot control their intake 'coz even sober guys would have to exert some extra effort just to open the bottle.

GTGL8RZ!

6:59 PM, Once a Year

It's a deafening explosion of contemporary art in one night. Even if you plan your trip, you will never get to see everything. I don't think I ever saw the "people's choice" winners for 2010, but I still enjoyed the ones that I got to experience. Yes, it's not just a "look-see" kinda exhibit. Most of the installations feed on the interaction with the people, which is why the whole experience is exhilarating. It's sad that there's only one night to enjoy this compendium of creativity and good taste; but then again, art is all over the city 24/7 waiting to be discovered.









Check the Nuit Blanche official website for the 2011 event.

For more of my pics, CLICK HERE.

GTGL8RZ!

Toronto Pride 2010

Toronto Pride 2010
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

After 6 months of hibernation, I'm finally uploading most of the contents of my memory cards. It's been a busy 2010 but at least it's a nice way to reminisce and prepare for the next Pride event in Toronto. Enjoy!


CLICK HERE for the link to the gallery on flickr.










GTGL8RZ!

Doing The Right Thing

Not very often do I find very effective PSA's; and when I do it's got to be shared with the rest of the world. Here is the ongoing TV spot by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport:





GTGL8RZ!

Toronto Fringe Candidates?

shutternewbie 

Was flipping channels and got lured to what seemed like free airtime of unedited and one-take video clips of people running for the city's top post. It was a little odd but amusing. I had to check the Toronto Candidates List to see if what I was watching was just a sequence from "Air Farce Live." I was wrong. These people are absolutely running for city mayor.

Four of the so called, "fringe candidates," in my opinion, have more edge than the 4 more popular ones, in terms of "interestingness." I am in no way condoning them but their ideas might just be less crazy and less far-fetched than the frontrunners' platforms:

RATAN WADHWA

I found this 2006 article about this fedora-loving guy from Wapedia...

Ratan Wadhwa lived in Mumbai before moving to Canada. He is an actor and Charlie Chaplin impersonator, and the owner of Charlie's Flower Co. in Toronto. He first campaigned for Mayor of Toronto in 2003 at age 48, calling for legalized prostitution and cannabis, free condoms and viagra, and the creation of a red light district. He said that he was trying to develop political contacts rather than win the election, and speculated that he could manage a decent showing if enough people in the sex industry voted for him. He received 121 votes to place 43rd out of 44 candidates. He promoted much the same platform in 2006, and also called for increased helicopter surveillance and bullet-proof vests for police.

This year, he is advocating the construction of casinos and the creation of a red light district.

CLICK HERE for a short Q&A with him courtesy of CP24


(pic from CP24)

DAVID VALLANCE

I guess this guy has one of the most ambitious plans for the City of Toronto. Follow this LINK and judge for yourself.



To be fair, David's proposal is in Wikipedia.

Here is his Q&A courtesy of CP24.

CARMEN MACKLIN

Not sure why she is running but on the candidates list her address is at the Waverly Hotel in Spadina and she has Yahoo for email. In her video clip, she mentioned that when she becomes the mayor, she will be available to Torontonians almost all the time except when she has to take care of her mom.

JOSEPH PAMPENA

I am most intrigued by this candidate's look rather than his platform. He appears to have a visual impairment, if not blind, and just kept on yapping about "running the city like a PR office."

CLICK HERE for an article about him on The Star.

(pic from Insidetorontovotes)

Here is the Q&A by CP24.

It's good to know that there are other choices in the Toronto Mayoralty race aside from the four, supposedly, frontrunners. The other, not so loud, candidates might not be better choices to run the city but at least they are doing "something" for it...or they are trying to.

GTGL8RZ!

My Charice Experience

Crazy Fans
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

I knew I was gonna be late but I headed to the Eaton Centre anyway. The mini-concert was set at 6 pm and I got there 2 minutes before that. I wasn’t expecting anything and even prepared myself not to see her. I thought maybe I can just do video interviews with the fans that showed up.

Although it was hard to wade through all the people in the mall, my years of experience in flea markets and Boxing Day shopping prepared me for it. Fortunately, there were some technical difficulties on the stage so I had time to be as close to the stage as I could. I am a little vertically-challenged so I had to extend my arms above my head to record her performance in my SLR. I couldn’t really check the viewfinder and the display screen of the cam so I had to rely on my instincts.

Here is a video of what I got. I made it into snippets as most of what I recorded were bald spots and sweaty arms holding cameras:



I am happy I got to experience her live although I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t get there earlier. Hopefully she comes back for a concert and hopefully I can get time off from work when that happens.

GTGL8RZ!

Coronary in a Box

I've recently graduated from the regular poutine to the more "gourmet." The best so far is from Smoke's Poutinerie. I tried the curry chicken and pulled pork varieties. The place is accessible and clean. It seemed like the one on Dundas is mainly for take-outs, but they have a long side table for those who can't wait to quench the craving. After all, it should be eaten straight from the frier. They don't have seats though, which is fine if you're not planning on having 6 boxes of poutine on your own. The packaging is thicker than the usual chinese take-out boxes and the large box can actually be shared with 1 or 2 more people, unless you have Chris Farley's appetite. I've never been to the one on Adelaide but I was told it's more of a sit-down kinda place. They also have a roving poutine van, which may well be an alternative to the usual BBQ in the summer.

Obviously, this type of food is not for the ones on limited daily caloric intake. Easily, it may have about 1000 calories per small box, but for the taste and comfort , it's worth a try.




GTGL8RZ!

The Undead Are Back!

IMG_7862_zombiewalk09
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

It has been a year since I received the antidote to stop me from becoming fully infected. I'm on my way to full recovery but the temptation of shooting the undead still has its tight grip on me. So, in spite of the chilly weather and the risk of being maligned because of this odd addiction, I loaded my gear and headed to the supposed pit stop of the howling mob.

I positioned myself where the Containment Team was and aimed my equipment to get some perfect headshots of the zombies...




Here's the evidence of last Saturday's bloodbath...











It was a successful ambush, considering the enormous amount of the soulless corpses that attacked. They will be back next year and I will be ready.


To see more pics of the bloodbath, CLICK HERE.

GTGL8RZ!

Sabong

Sabong
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

Sabong

A pile of cock cages (not the ones you can buy in sex shops) greeted me as I turned on the tube a few nights ago and caught on the local news broadcast. They were presumably used to keep black-feathered gladiators before a tournament.

Yes, apparently cockfighting has been going on in rural Ontario. I was not at all surprised of these activities as I grew up where such cruelty is considered a sport, and, in fact, part of the tradition. There are even cock derbies advertised everywhere back in the P.I. I wasn't even surprised that some "kababayans" were part of it. What I was more surprised about is the fact that the people behind the proliferation of an illegal assembly have only been busted now, after probably so many years of doping on chicken carnage. If such obvious unacceptable meetings can go on for so long without ever getting noticed, how else would more proliferative form of illegal gambling be stopped around here?





The most disturbing part of the news is that after seizing the live cocks from the barn, the authorities had them "euthanized." Now, that doesn't sound so far-off from the death sentence of the cockpit. Anyone care for some KFC?

To read more on this, CLICK HERE.

GTGL8RZ!

What is there to do on a freezing weekend?

watching the snowstorm 01
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

It's been in the minus teens again for the past couple of days and it's a reminder that I'm still in North America every morning as I try to force my body out of bed. People tell me that I'm never gonna get used to the cold but I can make the whole experience less of a hassle. Of course, I'm not going out to run around the oval just across from here. That's never gonna happen!

There are more fun things to do when it's freezing out without even spending a penny:

1. If you have one of those crappy DVDs that you never really bought coz it came free with a new TV or player, try watching it again with the "Director's Commentary" on. Should be interesting, especially if the director sounds so convinced that a shot was amazing, when in fact, it's just a close up of a butt zit.

2. If you're feeling naughty and have been thinking of getting back at an embarrassing prank an old pal did to you, I have a nasty idea. Download a pic from his facebook then upload and start an ad on craigslist's missed connections that says something like "are you the guy who did not flush the toilet after a big dump in the mall?" That should teach him a lesson, and I'm pretty sure you'll get more than a handful of replies. That should keep u busy in the cold night.

3. Dance, dance, dance...this always keeps me warm. To get you started, here's a vid inspired by a song from Jerry Springer, The Opera:



(vid courtesy of BGDVA)


GTGL8RZ!

Dead Men Walking

I woke up early on a Sunday. I've been anticipating this annual event ever since I missed it last year and the years before that. A bit comfy in my cocoon and high-strung then, plus I never really checked what's going on and when it's going on in the city. Couldn't wait till 3 pm for the Zombie Walk so I spent the hours before that contemplating on whether I should go as an undead Japanese school girl or Liza Minelli on formaldehyde. Wait, Liza is not dead, but she's definitely on formaline. 'Nuff of that crap.



I took the subway to Bathurst and Bloor and walked down to Queen street, just so I won't miss the group as they trek northwards. I was prepared, grande Chai lattè on one hand and my bestfriend B&H on the other. Along the way I met some biohazard control team making sure uninformed people won't get infected, although for sure they got the evil bug before the day ended. I got there right when the zombies were walking out of the Trinity Bellwoods Park. I remember taking my cam out of the bag to shoot the first batches of the undead and then the rest that followed are all now just a blur as I got sprayed by a streaming uncoagulated goo coming out of a jawless zombie. The pictures speak for themselves.


Of course, I was just channelling a diluted version of Harry Mason. It was fun, fun, fun! Being with creative people even for just a few hours, inspires me to do better in what I do, or I think I do. Maybe next year I'll fold and come up with a gory alter ego. But seriously, I was so lucky I got to experience this unique event.









To see more pics, click HERE

GTGL8RZ!

Zombies in Toronto

Found these bunch of gyrating and moaning infected Torontonians during the Nuit Blanche 2008. I got to College Park early that evening and the number getting infected was increasing as the night progressed. I had to quickly get some shots as the stench of the living dead and human carnage was unbelievable.


About a week from now, the annual Zombie Walk will happen, so this is a perfect primer for a bigger convention of crazy and fun people. I have not actually attended since I moved here but I will definitely not miss this one and I'm seriously considering showing up as a bloated and beat-up piñata.



More pics here...

GTGL8RZ!

Inukshook

It's my third time in Ottawa and, as before, I discovered something new about the city.

Just near the lake in Parliament hill is what they call "Inukshook" art exhibit. It's a very unique installation as the stone arts get naturally toppled by the water current, so every year the view changes. I found just one person completing his addition to the exhibit when I went there. It's basically uneven rocks and stones balanced on top of each other. Some of them form recognizable images and some simply form random images that looked great even if I din't know what they represent, although they will all look like phallic symbols if you haven't had sex in a while.



The backdrop of the sun's reflection on moving water looked like flowing gold in blue satin sheets. The lakeview looked a bit like the beaches in Toronto sans the rowdy crowd and the over-enterprising kiosks. The only downer with the place is that a herd of geese controls the area and the droppings were just everywhere. It's not too bad if you don't mind getting poop tokens from Ottawa.


GTGL8RZ!

Where are the rickshaws when you need them?

Had a good cardio workout today courtesy of the TTC.

I was on my regular home route when the choppy PA announced that the subway trip ends in Lawrence, seven stations away from my stop. Oohweeh! I knew right there and then that I would have to go on foot rather than wait in the long line for the buses and bask in post-work stench. So together with hundreds of 9 to 5 people, I trekked the busy Yonge street and spent the next 2 hours dragging my bum and listening to Moby.




Inbetween Davisville and St. Clair, I was wishing rickshaws would show up. Obviously, cabs were all flagged and the full shuttle buses were not even options at that time. But then again, I made it home without even cussing at the subway service, which I should be doing now but, I guess, other people have blogged about it too many times before, plus I'm too preoccupied with Survivor Gabon and Grey's Anatomy season openers.

I'm going to review the alternative routes in the subway system map after primetime TV, which I think is the best way to deal with emergencies like this, especially when there are no other cheap commuter options to go around the city. Or maybe I should buy a lottery ticket and win some bucks for a heli.

GTGL8RZ!

Summer's over....at least for this year

For all the summer-hungry people, it's now officially okay to mourn. Yes, chilly nights are back and flip-flops will be limited to just the laundry room. It's a welcome respite for some, but hell for those with tons of allergies. Breezy and dusky, thats how most days will be, at least, until we see some signs of the inevitable snow.

Although I'm not at all a cold weather-person, I'm looking forward to the change in people interactions. For some reason, folks, or at least the ones in Toronto, shift their people skills into low gear when the weather is cooler. I'm pretty sure it's physiological but I find it amusing that the colors of fall mirror people's dispositions.

Did I mention new coat-hunting is on?

GTGL8RZ!

I Can Breathe Now

The clutches of hatred and apathy
slowly drained my soul.
I almost lost the ability
to see beauty around me;
I almost gave up
on things that make me smile

The shards of broken promises
deeply struck my heart.
I almost choke on dark
memories of years past;
I almost drowned from
the deep abyss that is
my sorrow.

Then I started living each day
as it comes and handed reign
over my life to the angels and fairies
of lost loves.
Furtive whispers, I heard;
Let go, the voices chanted,
to which I humbly obliged.

I stretched my whole being and
threw myself to the dark recesses
of the unknown future and waited
for the big splash.

I felt nothing but a gush of sudden
realization that I am still alive despite
the lethal blows of heartaches.

My body began to gloriously tingle
from the warmth emanating
from within.
I am breathing again;
Calm and without restraint.


_________________________________________

Unified: Toronto Pride March 2008

The noise has come and gone but I'm still feeling the crazy vibe of last Pride's celebrations. In the previous years, I was one of thousands outside the barricades who waited for hours, burnt their skins, and developed stiff necks just to see what the annual Pride festivity was all about.


I am adamant about blind sloganeering. It's like a Jew singing Christmas carols or a diabetic on a diet of Krispy Kremes. The Pride parade is more than just people running around to get noticed. A grand sloganeering march as it may seem, but it's the kind where you really feel that the cause is genuine even when it's bundled with a technicolor dreamcoat. I was fortunate enough to witness this year's parade on a more intimate level. I was running around taking shots of the "flambiest" of the flamboyants but I truly felt the difference in going out and giving support to the "fabulous" community. Yes, anti-homophobia laws are present in Canada. But the struggle for equality doesn't stop there and all these festivities will not reach fruition if the courage to be seen and heard dies down after all the cheers.


I believe that within the gay community itself, a common goal is still wanting. The "Unified" theme this year absolutely captured what people should bear in mind; that a flock of flamencos can trample a giant boar only if they dance to the same tune.



For the complete 2008 Sunday Pride March gallery, CLICK HERE.

GTGL8RZ!

Pedicab, Canadian style

An ongoing free pedicab ride program is being offered in the Toronto downtown core to boost a greener lifestyle this summer. It seems like a very noble idea but I think that if one needs to travel for only a few blocks, walking is the better alternative.


[vid from TorontoStarVideo]

One of the perks of living downtown is the convenient proximity to most of the places that one needs to go to everyday. In my opinion, the Eco-Cabs work in terms of instilling awareness amongst the green virgins but, at the same time, are impractical unless your bum is bigger than Kim Kardashian's that it lags for 3 blocks. I'm not sure if these pedicabs are or will be dispatched to the burbs where I think it would best reach its full potential.

Now, these pedicabs are not new to the 3rd world. It's the poorman's savior, especially in the P.I. Just look at these pics:






















[courtesy of www.daylife.com]
















[courtesy of www.daylife.com]

GTGL8RZ!

Chalked out

Saw this pavement chalk artist while basking in Manila weather around downtown Toronto. It's a very decent and, not to mention, very inspiring way to share one's talent and earn some cash. Won't it be great if panhandlers learn a bit of buskering instead of just sitting around and pissing on walls?

This is a video of the same guy doing a Johannes Vermeer, courtesy of wmacphail:



Here's another talented and more well-known pavement artist in the same area: Chalkmaster

GTGL8RZ!

Pimping the Bird

10 stills x 6, 6 frames per second

Anybody knows what type of bird this is? I have no clue.






GTGL8RZ!