Photographer

//moments.in.the.RAW

The personal blog of a wannabe Photog Ver. 2.0
Breast Cancer Ribbon
4
Sep

Get to steppin

Following a public outcry  from all three of my readers (which includes my parents), I’m back.

I’ve spent the last two and half months entertaining my vacationing family…exploring all the sights, sounds and special effects this side of the world has to offer. There’s very little money left in the bank and my healing ankle took a beating, but it was all worth it.

It’s also made me realise how much I love this city. Whether I’m getting my weekly meats and veggies from St. Lawrence Market, or getting my art on at the AGO; delighting in some Korean BBQ in the Annex or taking a leisurely stroll down the Harbourfront; trying out a new restaurant on King West or getting some retail therapy at Yorkville — there’s just no shortage of activities in the T.Dot.

As summer winds down, I take the time to thank the Good Lord for his countless blessings as I continue my journey of discovery. And for giving us a great patio season!

Toronto :: parv.ca

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1
May

When did I become a coffee snob?

There was a time when two little words were enough to satiate my caffeine fix – “Cappuccino please“.

Then came the mysterious green mermaid and her caffeine-laced siren call (also known as Starbucks), and city-dwellers around the world found themselves sucked into a world of multi-syllabic coffee orders.  Obviously, I am a fan…and I’ve mastered ordering my “Grande vanilla soy latte no foam” in a single, uninterrupted breath.

Then there’s the quaint, European-styled coffee shops where, on lazy Sunday mornings, I delight in a steaming demitasse rather than lining up with the masses for a Timmy’s double-double.

And finally, my moderately-matured palate can no longer stomach the utter swill spewed out by those instant-coffee machines. This ofcourse is disconcerting to my wallet, given that I’d rather pay $5 for my Starbucks than avail of the 10 assorted choices available for free at the office.

So yes, it appears I’ve undergone a java baptism, developed a more discerning palate, and turned into a closet coffee snob. And I’m unashamed to admit it.

Percolate on that.

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17
Apr

A question of faith

When I was wee lass, attending Sunday mass was a major bore. It was the one hour my sister and I didn’t look forward to, and given that none of our badly-timed, fake illnesses ever worked on our mother, we’d be shuttled off to church kicking and screaming. The one saving grace (pardon the bad pun) was the post-mass socialising — the chance to meet friends and ogle at cute Catholic boys.

As I’ve aged (only barely), I’ve come closer to my faith and in the belief of a higher being. In my darkest days, I have someone to turn to; in my brightest moments, I have someone to thank. Prayers lead to miracles, and although I don’t pray as much as I should, I have been blessed time and time again. JC and I – we tight…and as for the saints, I am their biggest groupie.

With that said, I’m far from a model Christian. If the Ten Commandments was the ultimate modus operandi, I’d have the good book thrown at me. Still, I’m trying, and at least that gives me a shot at heaven instead of a one-way ticket to the other side.

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11
Mar

Into the vortex

Life’s been pretty rock n’ roll lately. Moving closer to the city has done wonders for my social and professional life. I’ve dived into a world of epicurean adventures, inebriating soirees, and taken a head-first plunge into Toronto’s electric cultural scene. I am well and truly smitten by the T.Dot…so much so, that I’m willing to put up with it’s rubbish winter weather (never trust those Canadian groundhogs, by the way. Bunch of furry liars).

So a good friend (we shall call her Kim, for Kim is her name) posed this thought-provoking question: “Do you like it here? Will you stay forever?”

I’m hoping I didn’t sound too eager with the resounding “Yes!” I spat out, before the poor girl could even finish her question. Until that very moment, I hadn’t really given this whole ’staying forever’ notion much thought. The events of the previous year had left me with a sour taste in my mouth, and not on account of the Percocets I was popping.

But this year, things are very, very different — my life is suddenly a high-speed subway ride, and every trip takes me to stations offering the most captivating sights and sounds. Commuters, in the shape of friends, walk in and out, as the new-found relationships make a beeline for that online repository of all things amiable… facebook. For now, I’m taking my Metropass and hitting all the stops.

This is where the fun begins.

It's amazing what an iPhone can capture on a subway ride

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23
Jan

What’s the big secret, anyway?

When I was at university, I shopped at Victoria’s Secret a lot. I was younger, slimmer, and a big fan of their cotton hipsters.

If my life today was a t-shirt, it would read, “I don’t skinny dip, I chunky dunk”. I’m not as young, definitely not as slim, and hipsters is only a term used to describe those cool, indie kids who are defining urban culture.

Today, I find myself slightly intimated by the Victoria Secret commercials…and oddly enough, whenever they’re on, I cannot turn away. Not that I’m harboring any closet tendencies, but that is seriously just way too much sexiness for one brand. Those Christmas 2010 ads were especially compelling, what with their techno music and erotically-charged production.

So, when I’m confronted with supernaturally-attractive, physically-proportionate, uber-sexy long-legged women in their lacy, electric blue skivvies, I get a little bit afraid. Trying to look as good is just not in my gene pool.

Why can’t these ads feature “normal” women? You know, like you and I.

I stepped into a Victoria’s Secret store today, half-expecting to be sneered at by supermodel-looking customers. What I found instead was plenty of excited teenage girls and clueless forty-something women running around aimlessly, with a couple of happy husbands to boot. $150 later, I proudly walked out with a little pink bag full of merchandise, feeling like a true ‘angel’ (that’s, like, VS-speak for their models).

Gosh, if only they didn’t make those ads so scary, I could have felt this good a lot sooner.

What's Victoria's Secret anyway?

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