yellow cabs everywhere...

Yellow cabs all over..
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

It's so nice to have some change of air once in a while. It's not always cheap but it's worth every penny.

I spent a few days in big old NYC. Thanks to a very accommodating buddy, I didn't have to pay for a warm bed and pillow. I played the tourist role and went around Manhattan with my backpack and SLR. The web of rail and bus lines there is overwhelming compared to the simple loops in Toronto. I'm so frugal that there's no chance that I'd take a yellow cab to do my sight-seeing. With the help of hopstop, I completed my itinerary in no time. The nice weather helped me maximize the limited time I have to get some decent shots of the city as well.



There's just one thing though that I couldn't help but notice during this trip. The trash was just everywhere...and, I mean, everywhere. I guess it makes for good urban decay shots. But I never got to do any of that. I was either too busy dodging cars at crosswalks or trying to look local in Brooklyn (I don't even know what I mean by that...but anyway...).




I need to go back and stay longer.

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!

14 Stations to Number 1

cracks
Originally uploaded by shutternewbie 

I had an almost tragic accident a couple of days ago and it involved the subway and a pair of tight long johns.

One of the very basic training I got from nursery school is to empty my bladder before going on a long trip. That particularly cold day, I deliberately ignored my conscience and went down the TTC rails with a full amber juice bag. As soon as I sat down and the subway doors closed, I felt the sudden force of uncontrollable urge to open the dam. My tight thermals were only good for the cold and now served as compression stockings, squeezing my internal organs in. I was in dire need of help. I concentrated on slowly standing up, hoping that the lighter pressure would slow down the process...and it did.

I ran up the next station hoping to find a room to swat the urge. Unfortunately, I just got lost in the large station and nobody really knew where the washrooms are. So I got on another train hoping to see a sign of salvation in the next stop. To add insult to injury, the coach I was on was traveling at a speed slower than a seniors' parade. We finally reached a stop where I thought I'm more familiar with. I got off, ran up the stairs and frantically looked for any stick figures sign pointing to a panic room. And there was none. So I went out of the station, ignored the red lights and ran towards heaven...the mall. I spent the next few seconds diluting a blue chemsearch block.

There are several "I should've" moments that evening, but someone needs to experience it for others not to emulate, right? Or maybe I'm just too weak to face the fact that I did some stupid decisions, so crucify me if you will.

For really lazy people who wants everything easy, 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!

Toronto Dyke March

I just finished uploading the last batch of pics for last weekend's Pride celebrations. It took me a week to sort everything out and do some basic postprocessing. Sometimes I wish I'm doing this full time, instead of my day job. But then again, the day job pays the bills, so I can't complain, at least for now.

This particular SET was taken last Saturday, June 28. I've never actually attended the Dyke March since I moved here in Toronto so it's something new to me, plus the blaring boobies were a little too much to handle. Weather forecast was not so good for that day, but, fortunately, not a drop of sky juice trickled to dampen the excited crowd and marchers. The organizers probably were too concerned about the no-show precipitation that the whole march was actually done in about 40 minutes or less. Barricades were not completely set-up so it's pretty much a free-for-all, feel like a paparazzi, and a crazy click-happy day for everyone. 'Twas generally fun but I found it too quick; almost like sniffing old poppers at a friend's house party.

[Image also appears on NowPublic]



Click HERE for the complete Dyke March gallery.


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!

Danielle Chorizo does the nasty

Talk about facing reality. My fave season 2 SYTYCD? finalist does the not so unexpected in tonight's episode. In case you missed it, here's the great technician, Danielle Chorizo:



She's just amazing even in a menstrual red dress!

GTGL8RZ!

I am not a "Sex and the City" fan...

A couple more days and the loose ends in the life of shallow, Marlboro Lights chimney Carrie Bradshaw will finally be tied up, or not.

Amidst all the negative reviews, the trashy tabloid publicities, and the acorn headgear disaster (SJP), I'd still throw away 11 bucks worth of sheer causeless wit and repartee between Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. These characters represent fragments of what we long to possess but will never really have. It's a not-so-subtle way of giving the hopeless a glimmer of what can never be; like rubbing bleaching cream over brown nipples. But isn't that one reason why we go to the movies? It is a respite from the craziness that is our daily lives; like a glass of pure, clean water after a long hike up a mountain of shit.



I am watching the movie not because Chris Noth gets more airtime. I am watching the movie not because Stanford and Anthony remind me of the "mentors" I've met over the years. I am watching the movie not because Jennifer Hudson will try to prove that her Oscar isn't just a fluke. I am watching the movie not because I am a fan of the show but because.....I am "Sex and the City." ;)


GTGL8RZ!

Trashingly creative

Housing Ad seen on Craigslist:

"$460 / 1br - butt-ugly basement apt for rent (again). still cheap (gerrard/coxwell)

looking for new hobbit for low-ceiling basement apartment with crooked walls and head-banger doorway.
ongoing noises from creaky upstairs wood floors, furnace and hot water heater.
definitely not "well-appointed".
not shiny
not bright
not new

could it sound more attractive?!

ah, but did you notice the price?!!!

and for this you get:
-a separate entrance.
-own bathroom
-mini-kitchen (in an awkward spot right at the entrance) with gas stove/oven, sink and bar-fridge.
-one bedroom and a living area.
-no worries about a roomie moving out and leaving you responsible to cover the whole rent alone!
-a relatively laid back landlady (... except about garbage, smell, and rent payment.)
-leaks, major issues dealt with as promptly as possible

for this I get:
- one (1) tenant who is relatively laid back... except about paying the rent on time. always on time.
-someone who cares deeply about not attracting rodents or insects, who doesn't befriend organic waste.
-someone who lets me know about leaks and any other major issues
-a non-smoker.
-no pets (sorry, I like animals but based on experience, I don't always trust their owners to take care of them)
-good references, including one from most recent landlord... who is not (coincidentally!?) the owner of the pub that you frequent. (no objection to alcohol, just to loud drunken stupidity)

paddlers/hikers/eco-conscious people preferred, but this is definitely not a requirement.
OK, well, the last one is sort of a requirement because I've ordered a "small" sized garbage bin from the city of toronto and if I need to upgrade to medium or large, you will have to pay for it.
There are sometimes canoes in the wee-little-bitty backyard. And bicycles. And stuff. "laid-back" might cover that, but paddler/hiker/cyclist might help since that's the "stuff" that clutters the yard.

please note that i'm going to show it to at LEAST 5 people before committing. even if i like you.

my current tenant is moving closer to work and I've offered a pro-rated rent refund depending on when new tenant moves in, so the availability is quite flexible.

if you've taken the time to read this and are interested, reply to posting or email me at __________@hotmail.com (please use something like "apartment for rent" in the subject line) I'll get back to you as soon as possible

Pics available upon request. "


(How creative, isn't it?)

GTGL8RZ!

Wimpy fingers can be cured?

And so I thought the weirdest thing that I've ever heard is putting Vick's vaporub on foot soles to stop persistent coughing.

I was wrong. Just about a month ago, I was boring myself flipping channels one night when I stumbled on a documentary that delves on curing homosexuality. Uh-huh...that's exactly the premise of the whole docu...is gayness curable? Ugh! The film's subjects were "ex gay" Christian groups in the US that truly believe that they are going to heaven if they stop having actual copulation with the same sex when, in fact, they are dreaming of phalli 24/7. The film also interviews "hell-bound" but happy full-on gays who, of course, were fabulous. I couldn't find the actual film that I saw but here is a similar take on the same issue:

GAY CONVERSION-CURING HOMOSEXUALITY
{free film from Freedocumentaries.org}

And then here's a hilarious slap on the "ex-gay" activists:


{Youtube clip from ThoseLil'Rabbits}

GTGL8RZ!

ibeatyou

Fill in the blank:

...an excuse to brag about your lack of ______

Agoraphobics Can Party Too!

Oftentimes, when I get zits invasion I turn down party invites even when there's free booze. So when I found out about this contraption I thought, not only can vain queens stay home and have a good time, even agoraphobics can party too! The only problem is, I'm 10 years too old to party like there's no tomorrow. Tragic.

Before you play the video, I just would like to say that it reminded me of a Brian De Palma movie sequence. For non-film geeks, Brian is fixated with long, continuous, one-shot scenes in many of his movies like in Snake Eyes. Now turn up the volume and click!



This isn't an edited video. As I alluded, it's one continuous shot. If you wanna know more and might be thinking of getting one for your shit hole, then CLICK HERE.

GTGL8RZ!