And then there was one

One day left to departure. Currently I'm finalizing packing and stuffing any remaining goods into whatever space I have available, careful not to exceed the maximum weight of Air Canada's regulations. One huge suitcase and two carry-on bags should hold all my belongings. I'm bringing books, music, laptop, SLR camera, and MONAAYYY.

I'm so excited to see the airport again tomorrow. I really hope everything goes as planned. I feel like a child again. I feel like I'm living in a period of breezy and tolerable summer heat from those swell 90's summer days, when my dad used to drive my brother and I to church and throw random words at us, asking us how to spell it. I beat my brother everytime, except for when my dad yelled out "phlegm", which I spelled phonetically with an "f". I reminisce back to the days when I would go abroad during my elementary school summer vacations. The days when I had probably one friend and a handful of relative that would actually miss me when I left the country and returned two and a half months later.

Oh, how things have changed. Now it's all about capturing the moment with my camera and bringing it back to you in high definition quality via facebook. Now it's about staying out late drinking and partying and laughing as a part of the tradition for the departing (me). Now I pay for the dinners and make sure I make time for my boys and girls and now I'm responsible for packing what I need to create my own experience of a vacation. My parents don't tell me what to do anymore and while I bask in the freedom of my manhood, I miss those days. Now I'm the one who has to personally make the phone calls and to relatives thanking them for their birthday cards and gifts and thoughts of me because no one will ever remind me to do so again, not like when I was a kid, never again.

So this is grownup life, realizing your responsible for everything you do. So I feel it's my responsibility to acknowledge some good people in my life. I want to give a few shout outs to the people that actually came to visit me and made time to do so before I left.

Nazeem bro first and foremost, I know you came to my door while I was sleeping on the last day and that was my bad for not being awake:P, but it was good chilling with you the entire week before and I saw your condensor mic and I have some ideas for pics we can take when I get back.

Abdi thanks for the birthday gift buddy, I didn't think you had that much money on you lol...you still owe me $100.

Farhan you owe me $300...thanks for the visits, even though you do that without asking, I'll miss you buddy.

Jasmine thanks for the ride home the other day and for the birthday present, I wish I could take it with me to Lanka but luggage limits disallow it!

Julie thanks for the camera bag and for making Shivani's two hats, I'll make sure she gets it, and wears it!:@...have a great couple of months without my blog, I know you're a big fan:P

Rayan thanks for coming out to dinner with us and for spending quality time with us man.

Marlon thanks for the silhouette, SIN MEN, I'll see you and get drunk with you when you come to tdot.

Pradip you international nigguh, thanks for the cheap and efficient suitcases and voltage converters. Hope your having a blast in India man.

Sarah thanks for the sweet card you sent me, I'm sad I didn't get to see you before I left but I will when I get back :D

Marcus it was great playing ball with you bro. Sorry I had to sell the Wii to someone else man!

George, buddy, always a pleasure. Thanks for the long talks on the phone and killing my battery lol. I look forward to playing uncharted 2 with you when I get back!

Hoskins, Sharlotte, and crew thanks for the hookups and letting me practice my craft using you guys as test subjects. Y'all will go down in history as my first subjects with my ever-expensive external flash...I assure you that will be important and someday you will be proud to say who photographed you first with his first camera and flash :D

And so off I go to a delightful 2 months (regardless of my lack of internet access) halfway across the world. I will be all over the exhuberantly overheated island of Sri Lanka and I promise to return with tons of satisfactory photographs...unless my plane crashes. Thanks to all again for the birthday wishes and presents and good old chill time. I'll see y'all when I get back!

Keep the peace!

-BLOG OUT-

The Joys of Travel

Since I can remember I've always loved to travel. The vacation idea was exhilarating but more so was the thought of going to an airport again. I've always loved airports. Their dab, bland colours and vast ceilings were a visual feast to my infant eyes. I never lost the passion for the structure of airports, I still love them today. I'd get excited when we'd walk to the terminal and check in the bags. Then a few hours later we'd see the plane we were boarding, the nose of the Boeing looking right at me through a gigantic glass window, me looking back at it with my hands on the glass. I don't know if maybe it was my love for airports and planes that drew to me to airports or whether I associated it with prospective good times abroad. I've been to dozens of airports around the world; Heathrow, Pearson, LAX, and Bandaranaike International in Sri Lanka just to name a few. I travelled every summer and winter break in my youth years.

Everytime I look head on at a plane, airbuses, Boeings, whatever...I wonder how long and how many parts comprise this gigantic metal bird and it nauseates me. These random ponderings make me feel like a child again. I still love airports and I plan to make a scrapbook of all the airports I've been to in the world.

The only difference between then and now, is that I have my rebel by my side :D

Update

So a lot of you have been questioning the status of my script and so I feel it's due time to present the facts:

-it's a short film, no more than ten minutes long.
-it takes place in the early part of the twentieth century
-there are supernatural elements to it (but no CGI)
-it revolves around a card hustler and a railroad worker playing poker during a graveyard shift
-it takes place during the construction of a major Canadian railroad
-I'll need a modest budget to film it
-it's inspired by my ninth grade english teacher, (some of you may remember, Nazeem I know you do) Ms. McGregor
-The official working title for the short is called, "Meet Abraham"

So those are the facts straight from me. I'm not finished the script yet but believe me I'm a perfectionist when I write so it will be edited THOROUGHLY before I premiere it to my close friends.

What else is new...

Marcus I'm liking the blog about scrabble lol. Same with you Nazeem I'm following the Grundy Lake blog. Keep writing guys.

I'm on the final episode of the first season of The Shield. Amazing police drama it really is. I was hooked from the very first episode. I'm afraid to watch the final episode of season 1 because I'll want to watch the second season right away, but I'll have to let Marc know I want the second season in advance. So until I talk to him, I'm resisting my viewing pleasures.

I leave for Lanka very, very soon. I'm buying suitcases and carrion, as well as clothes for tropical climates. There are going to be huge ass spiders and roaches there and I will get pictures of them.

Shout outs to all the friends that recommended me as a professional photographer, I don't know how many of you are reading this right now but I'm certainly no pro, not yet at least. I've been contacted four times in the last week for jobs and pro bono positions. I'd like to take them all but my schedule refuses me some opportunities, same with my travel plans.

I'll get back to you soon loyal readers!

-BLOG OUT-

The Oh Ten Travel List

I know it'll be hard to top NYC and Sri Lanka on a travel plan that doesn't involve a place like the Alps in Switzerland or the Outback in Australia, but I'm sticking to a lowly budget and close to home. I've decided LA is a definite choice for next July/August. This was decided the second we left New York on the bus. Before this trip should come a visit to Newfoundland and Labrador, the temporary destination option, also we had the Rockies and some places in Calgary in mind. I was browsing pictures of Canada and found some terrific natural settings on the East Coast, the type you visit in dreams. They've got everything from whales to glaciers to cliffside hiking. The tourist packages also seem to run at reasonable rates so grabbing one to add to the itinerary would a prudent choice. This is a short blog because its late so I'll leave you with pictures to tantalize the senses. Enjoy!

Commercial Shoot #3

So this blog will be written with careful discretion, I refuse to mention names because my previous blog on set was discovered by certain members of the crew that had Google Alerts activated. Luckily they had a terrific sense of humour and enjoyed my blog about them, though I was embarassed they had to read it. For the readers, just know that the Director (my buddy) and the Director of Photography were the same people as last time, as was the stills photographer. The rest of the thirty-odd people that composed the rest of the crew were completely new to me.

The commercial was shot at a West End school and my call time was 7:30a.m. I was probably the third person there, which was an impressive debut considering I hadn't slept the previous night and I was up all night at a club. Setup began immediately: lights, tents, directors/producers chairs, all that good stuff.

When 10:30a.m. rolled around we were ready to shoot. I was given a walkie-talkie because on location you're bound to lose people. I compared this kind of shooting to shooting in the studio, which was WAAYYY easier and much less hotter. Being outdoors for twelve straight hours will roast you to edibility. The production manager, whose name will not be disclosed here for aforementioned reasons, told me to go inside the school set and cue the actors to come out when he yells action into the walkie. I go in, meet the three girls who I am to work with. A couple of minutes later I here mumbling on the walkie and I'm yelling, "hello...hello?" For about twenty seconds there's silence and everyone inside is looking at me like what the hell is he doing?

Then the PM's clear voice booms through.
"Arvind, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, loud and clear."
"Good, you're fired."
I smirk as I hear the crew laughing at me over the walkie's.

Luckily the director had brought me on set to learn. I think I was the only person on that set that didn't need a resume to be there. Like they say, it's about who you know. These people were definitely demonstrated high degrees of patience and fogiving towards my amateurishness. I have to silently commend the crew for their hard work and I have to thank them for putting up with me most of all. my fellow PA's, the producer, the PM, and the director. Often I would be teased by the director about the air show going on overhead and creating a sound disturbance during filming, or about the cultural festivities that boomed loud music vibrations through the set.

"Where's Arvind, tell him to block out the sun."
"Arvind, tell the people to shut up."
"Arvind, stop the airshow."
"Arvind do twenty push-ups."

It was strange seeing the director was much more enthusiastic and silly on set this time than he was last time in the studio. Is the studio possibly more encapsulating of his sense of humour than the outdoors? Worked well for me though, I didn't get yelled at this time around, though I'm sure a lot of the people though I was useless because it was my first time learning a lot of things. The hour lunch break was enjoyed in the shade of the catering truck. Nothing is as good as free lunch, and a variety of it too :D

It's funny that while I was pulling cables as the camera's dollied over the four actors who played construction workers, I managed to get a straight view of everythind and everyone on set. Everyone is running around doing something, then after a couple of minutes everyone is motionless inside the director's tent, and they're all looking in my direction towards the camera (though they're actually looking at the camera and actors and not me, I'm just in the way). They are seeing everything that the camera is seeing by way of a monitor that is channelling the footage on set from the take into their tent. As soon as the director or PM yells action, everyone's eyes turn to the monitor. My eyes turned to the actors and the cables I had to pull at the same time.

It really is a fun job to work as a team, it was just bloody hot outside though. The most satisfying moment on set is when the PM yells, "That's a wrap." My loyal readers you've probably seen this on sets that have documented on TV and DVD special features, but when you're there on set and you hear it it's a relief. The weight of the world is depressed from your shoulder after three poignant words of joy. It was something like this:

"ACTION!"
The actors perform their lines and actions, the camera dollies, the director is yelling instructions ot the actors, the crew is watching with an observational eye.
"Good, CUT!"
"Did we get it?"
"Lighting's okay? Sound?"
"It's all good."
"It's all good? Good. Everything's good!"
"Good?"
"Yep."
"Alright folks, THAT'S A WRAP!"
Clapping dominates the next ten seconds of set activity.

Now is the time for PA's like me to shine. We take everything down and pack it up. We wrapped at about 6p.m. and I was out of there by 7p.m. The DOP gave me a big hug and said it was a pleasure, yet again, to work with me. He said he enjoyed my blog about him, but I refuse to mention his name here because I don't want them reading anymore. I feel like the slightest mistake even on technicalities will shun my already weakened reputation. The second AD said she hadn't talked to me the entire time, and I said that's because I was ignoring her. We both laughed.

Towards the end of my time there the sun was going down and I met the director in the parking lot.

"Had fun today?"
"Absolutely."
"You loved it didnt you."
Nods.
"Isn't it great working with a team, where everyone is close and friendly and cooperative."
I told him that my last three set visits were good ones because of the team of people. I haven't had trouble with anyone on set. People on his sets are generally friendlier than the generic crew of big productions.
"I'm glad you ejnoyed my team. I'm out man, I'll see you at your work." Then he gave me his boxset of The Shield season one and he was out of there with his overcoat and satchel and long and hindering gait.

Isn't it great working with a team.

The one thing I was thinking about when he said this was SouthPaw.

New York City Day 4: The Departed

Day 4 was saaaaaaaaaaad:

Woke up, brushed teeth, kissed my hostel goodbye, got to Pennsylvania Station by noon, ended up waiting for our bus outside Madison Square Garden, and took off. The ride was nice...they have a Moe's grill inside the Garden, so I bought two tacos to eat on the bus ride home. We sat at a table on the bus and the tacos melted right through the bag and stained the table. I was so depressed I listened to some sad songs on my iPod. I'd miss NYC so much, we all agreed there was nothing that would top it. There are TOO many things to see. Anyways we slept most of the time and played an imitation game, imitating people close to us for fun. At around 9pm we arrive at the border.

THEY SEARCHED US.

Not a simple search, a serious frisking and questioning for non-medicinal drugs. Here's how it went:

We four went into the building as a group with the rest of the passengers. We wait in line and we're called up to a booth. He takes our passports and does a background check. Three of us are fine but then when he pulls up Greg's profile he sees a dropped weapons charge that was responsible for what would happen in the next forty minutes. I didn't know at the time about the weapons charges. The officer asked if we were carrying any tobacco back into Canada and Greg honestly claimed five Cuban cigars. The officer then leaned over his booth and asked how many bags we were carrying then walked around and said, "follow me". We walk to the other side of the office and sat down outside a room that looked like the room in The Dark Knight where Batman interrogates the Joker, very illegitimately. Both officers walk into the room first and we see their mouths moving from outside, they keep looking at the four of us and we're looking at each other like, Alright, who the fuck has the drugs this shit is not funny. One of them came out and asks who wants to go first. Farhan jumps up and says "I'll go!". He goes into the room and one of the officers shuts the door behind him.

I can't see what's going from where I'm sitting, and I was afraid to move because I thought the officer outside would tell me to shut up and sit down, so I was like fuck this I'm sitting quietly. I see Greg and George seeing what's going on. Then the officer outside the room puts on a pair of jet-black gloves and he snaps that shit around his wrist in a threatening manner while walking by us. So that one disappears into the room as well. Ten minutes later the door opens and I hear Farhan say, "Thank you so much" to the officers. He walks straight out and out of the building without so much as a glance or word to us.

Greg goes in next and same deal. I switch seats and I see Greg seems to be relaxed with these guys, but the officers seem to be giving him a hard time. George turns to me and says, "You're going to blog about this aren't you," "Hell yeah I am!". Greg comes out after fifteen minutes. I go in next and bring my luggage inside. Officer number one tells me to leave my luggage on the stainless-steel table. The room is tightly-spaced and smells of cold metal. He then asks me to sit down. Before he searches my bag he asks me, "I'm going to give you the same chance I gave your friends. You can claim any marijuana or guns you have in your bag right now. If you do and I find less than 30mg's of it I'll let it go. If I find more I'm going to arrest you. If you don't claim if and I find any amount you will be arrested." Knowing I smoked every inch of the weed garden we were growing at the hostel, I confidently reply, "I have none." (That was a joke by the way)

So they begin searching my bag. Officer number one asks me, "Hiding any marijuana in your boxers?" I chuckle a bit and say "aaaahhh no." He then mocks me, "aahhh no? What, did you have to think about that?" Then I'm like Shit don't shoot me I'm living a better life than you ever will so I answer "No definitely no marijuana in there." He continues to search the bag. He then asks officer number two to frisk me. Officer number two then snaps on the gloves and walks up to me. Here was the thing about these two cops. I understand it's their job to strictly enforce mandatory methods of preventing any kind of border-hopping or drug smuggling into the country, and these two definitely deserved an award for doing their jobs right. Officer number two was a very nice person, and I'm not saying that because the way he was about to frisk me felt like a massage, but because he knew who to suspect as a criminal. He was also polite. Officer number one loved being a hardass.

So Officer number two came to me like this. "I need you to stand up, turn around, interlock your fingers behind your back and spread your legs." In my head I'm thinking, Damn, I've asked my girlfriends to do this at one point or another. So I do what he says realizing I can't escape the frisk if anything is found on me. So he grasps my two interlocked hands in one hand and frisks me with another. He searches my entire body for...God knows what. He says I'm clean and I sit back down. At this point officer number one is done his searching. He looks at me and says, "So you said you've never been around marijuana recently? And I tell him, "Nope." He then eyes the luggage and looks back at me saying, "then why have your bags been around them." I paused here and thought to myself who the dumbass was that smoked weed near me in the last 48 hours. I came up with 0 dumbasses and I told the officer, "I have no answer to that. I WAS staying in a hostel and maybe someone there had been around it and came in contact with--DAB HIS HANDS. Officer number one cuts me off abruptly and number two gives me a small cloth. He tells me to rub my hands and forearms with it. I comply and give it back to him. He exits the room and I sit uncomfortably in there with officer number one. I don't know what he was thinking, but I was thinking about those tacos I ate, they were terrific. Then I realized if that cloth came back with a positive for the marijuana, I'm done for. I knew it wouldn't, but my bags were positives for some reason, so I was partially concerned. My escape plans was to throw my socks at them then steal the megabus. Then I'd call Farhan and the gang and tell them to rendevous back at a Red Lobster in Toronto.

Number two came back with a negative, thank God. "He's clean...for now." The fuck do you mean for now, I'm always clean. I've only ever smoked that shit once, it's nothing special. Then he asked me to pack up everything he pulled out of the bag. Before I left the room he told me, "When you go out, not a word or look to your friend sitting out there." At the time it was George and I walked right by him and out onto the bus platform. All the other passengers were looking at us like we were criminals. I stopped walking and looked back hard, then they found something else to look at in the sky. I met Farhan and Greg and told them what happened. So here's what really happened:

Farhan was pulled into the room and questioned. He was told about the marijuana deal and responded, "I can't be around marijuana or alcohol because of my medication." They checked his medication and just searched him and he was out of there, which is why he seemed so cheery upon departure, because they were harassing his ass.

Greg walked in and they searched his stuff first.

He told them, "I know why you're doing this,"

"Oh yeah, why?"

"Because you saw the weapons charges that were dropped back in 2005."

Apparently these things are invisible to employers but ever-present on your federal record. They frisked him up like they did me and demonstrated cocky attitudes towards him. They let him go with upset expressions after failing to find anything incriminating.

So we waiting about fifteen minutes for George, who we were very concerned about. George is a nice guy, but he ALWAYS looks like he's spliffed a tree, it's just his natural behaviour. George came out after a similar ordeal and we boarded the bus after holding up the other passengers for about half an hour. I was relieved but worried that this would affect my trip to Sri Lanka in two months. I later found out it wouldn't, but if I were to travel back to the United States within the next five years they'd ask me about it. That's a bitch.

So we got back to Toronto, it felt nice. Hopped on the subway at Bay Station from the bus terminal and for once appreciated the cool atmosphere of Canadian weather. It's the one thing Tdot trumped NYC on.

About New York:

People are nice, don't be fooled.
New York has plus 40 degree celsius weather.
Subways in NYC are another ten degrees on top of that 40, but the trains are well chilled with orgasmic air-conditioning.
NYC is too big to see in three days.
You'd need about $500 to shop, eat, and sight-see in three days, I brought $200 and borrowed money:P
NYC in real life is EXACTLY how it is in the movies.
People in NYC look a lot like Torontonians, but some actually LOOK American.
Central Park is too fucking big.
The top of the Empire State Building is very sighty.
DO NOT eat in Times Square unless you're a millionaire, if you have a girlfriend that wants to eat there, tell her to fuck off.
Ten hour bus rides there and back are negligible, not boring at all if you bring what entertains you...I brought porn, lots of it


JUST KIDDING


The New York Loft Hostel in Brooklyn is a safe and comfortable base to stay in for travellers on a budget.


And that is the last blog about one of my greatest vacations ever to my favourite place on Earth, hope you had as much fun reading it as I did living it! Highly unlikely!

-NEW YORK BLOG OUT LOYAL READERS-

New York City Day 3: A Walk in the Park/1,000 feet above Manhattan

Day 3 in New York City was a criminally insane trek through the better parts of north Manhattan. We started off in Central Park, which is massive in its grandeur. There are so many small subsections to the Park that you just can't visit in one day, so we just walked where we walked. I can tell you one thing about New York City, there are friendly people there. Everyone we asked for for help with directions was more than happy to give it to us. I know this squashes a lot of the grounded rumors about the generic New Yorker attitude, but we asked more than fifteen people (all over Manhattan) for things from directions to subway stations to places to eat and places to find souvenirs, and in my experience it's true. We were lost in Central Park and we talked to a jogger, maybe a fifty to sixty year old man who led us in the right direction and asked where we were from. Turns out he liked Toronto.

We sat on huge rocks elevated fifty feet above ground level, we went to fountains in wide-open areas, we saw break-dancing performers, also we walked barefoot in a large open terrain known as Sheep's meadow in the south of the park, and ate lunch there too. We exited the park from the south side and ended up in Columbus Circle, which is sort of like a roundabout in England. Amazing little spot. The next stop would be the Empire State Building, but before then, we found a small branch of Dr. Jay's clothing (RUN DMC's Jam Master Jay's clothing store) and got some gear. We also bought postcards and souvenirs for the loved ones back home. Nazeem, Julie, Jasmine, Jodi, Abdi, Pradip, and Sarah I hope you guys like your souvenirs :P...Sorry for anyone I forgot I was sort of on a budget :P, I owe y'all one.

We came to the corner of 33rd and fifth avenue and looked up. We found what we were looking for, the Empire State Building. Looking up at the thing is like looking at the CN Tower from directly below it, it's a neck-breaker. Although the CN Tower is taller, the Empire State is definitely a lot to take in at once. So we enter and find a long hallway. We manage to buy our tickets and we get a good deal, but 1 get 3 free. Yeah, you heard right lol. We saved about sixty bucks. That admission ticket also included the skyride tour, which is a virtual simulator tour that describes the history of the Empire State Building, the top attractions to see in NYC, and a virtual ride through NYC with host Kevin Bacon. So we get on the skyride, which is like on the second or third floor. It starts off when a group of about twenty enter a dark room, similar to the debriefing room at Laser Quest. The wall TV's that you didn't know were there and scare the shit out of you when they suddenly turn on begin playing some depressing music and then there is a patriotic video showing the construction of the Empire State and its impact on American culture and its endurance and persistence throughout the years. It was good enough that we all watched it undisturbed. Next you see the top 10 places to visit in NYC, with #1 being the Empire State Building. Ten minutes later, you walk a bit more and take a seat in the virtual skyride. This is a giant platform that holds about twenty or so people and the ride starts with Kevin Bacon taking you through NYC in a helicopter that seems to go ANYWHERE it wants to. The entire platform moves in coordinance with the film on screen. It's pretty fun. We get off that another ten minutes later and go to the elevator to the 80th floor. Here you have to transfer elevators to get to the 86th floor. As soon as we get to the observation deck we see all white. The entire landscape that fell outside of the viewing deck was near-white and clouded over. This frustration was temporary because when you get closer to the fence and look out over Manhattan the haze starts to clear and everything becomes clear, though things in the distance are still unclear. The view from up there is breath-taking. You feel like a God seeing all the little cabs moving so slow down there. It was also a bit chilly up there that day. Each of the four sides of the deck tells what direction you're looking.


We left after about an hour atop the observatory deck and we'd swore we'd go back to our hostel because our legs had been demolished by Central Park and Empire State Building. But we just happened to keep walking some more, eat lunch at the Wendy's just outside Empire State, then found a souvenir shop in the same area. Then we saw the Chrysler building in the background and swore that would be our last stop. We saw it, looked phenomenal from up close. I pulled out the itinerary and saw we hadn't seen Rockefeller Center yet, so made one more walking trip at a hefty pace towards it. Also incredible, much larger when you're at it than what it looks like in pictures and movies. Then on our way to the Subway Station we saw the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, which caught our eye from its appealing exteriors. We went inside and took loads of pictures. Greg said he'd meet me outside when we were done because I knew he wanted to pray for his mother who had cancer. I did the sign of the cross before I left and met George and Farhan outside. This time we really did go back to the hostel, and the whole train ride home we reminisced about things that happened no more than two days ago.

Damn would I miss this city.

New York City Day 2: From Lady Liberty to the Brooklyn Bridge

Sorry for the late post, but when you're having fun, priorities tend to shift...

The first day in NYC was what we considered to be unsurpassable in terms of the amount of travelling and sight-seeing done in a single day. We thought wrong. Day 2 was significantly more eventful than its predecessor. We woke up to a free breakfast at the hostel, where thirty-something people would collect for a healthy start to the day. We boarded the L Train in Brooklyn for the third time in 24 hours and once again headed to Manhattan. We then took the 1 train south to the South Ferry docks. That's right, the Statue of Liberty was next on the itinerary. We exited the subway at Battery Park and walk over to the ferry docks. We took some photos of the beautiful scenery and it was utterly exciting to see the Statue in the distance. Standing in Battery Park seeing almost everyone there taking pictures of the Statue or shadowing their eyes with their hands to get a view is typical, I think that's all people come to Battery Park to do. We found the lineup for the fairy, which stretched for almost half a mile. A french tourist and his girlfriend held the line for us while we went and purchased tickets, and believe it or not we came back and the lineup was near done. We were on that boat in no time.

The ferry is a lot like the ferry to Center Island in Toronto. It's almost exactly the same. It's amazing to see the Statue of Liberty grow in the distance and you get closer and closer over the course of twenty minutes. We got off the ferry and crossed Liberty Island and walked along the main pathway that leads right around the Statue. It's stunning because looking up is a strain on your neck. I took maybe over 150 photos on the island itself. I was very impressed by it. It's stellar proportions and the detailed carving on its green-copper structure kept my eyes stapled to it. The view of Manhattan from the Island is also remarkable. The four of us sat barefoot on the grass in front of the Statue for about half an hour, just to say we did it ;). We were enjoying pointing out the infamous landmarks from across the Hudson River. We also spotted the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge, as well as some places in New Jersey. What a great sight it is.

On the ferry ride back we stopped over at Ellis Island, but UNFORTUNATELY didn't have time to visit the immigration museum because of schedule/time constraints. When we got off the boat, there were snake-handlers with some steroid pythons on their shoulders. Greg, George and I went over and paid ten bucks each to hold them ourselves. They were so cool, you could feel the movement and the scales sticking to your skin and they tried to maintain a grip on your body. I called it off when the python I was holding turned its head towards my crotch as if though to bite it. "Okay sir you can take it back now, thanks."


The New York Stock Exchange building was just how I pictured it would be. In fact the entire avenue looked so financially important I felt like an idiot walking by all these New-Yorkers in suits, holding briefcases. The only time we were close to each other was when we were ordering drinks at Dunkin' Donuts :P. We stood around drinking slushies for about ten minutes before we realized we were DIRECTLY in front of Ground Zero. We paced speedily towards it and came to a closed off fence. For those of you that don't know, the Freedom Tower is being built over Ground Zero to commemorate the fallen Twin Towers, too bad construction was underway. Fortunately we didn't give up hope, we walked around the site and talked to another New Yorker who explained to us all the revealing spots at the site, which we went to and snuck in some amazing pictures. God bless you stranger. We left Ground Zero after about half an hour to head towards the Brooklyn Bridge, right nearby in South Manhattan. What an amazing structure, the Brooklyn Bridge. When you walk on it, you walk in the center of it. The center pathway then gets elevated above the traffic below and you're virtually walking over it. The visibility from the bridge that evening was so incredible and it offered me some stunning landscape pictures of Manhattan and Brooklyn, even the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Bridge, and the South Street Seaport. We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge twice. I swear someone sells water every one minute while walking up the bridge. It's a long walk too, maybe about fifteen to twenty minutes one way at average speed. It's so worth it though. the bridge itself rocks and shakes like an earthquake simulator, it's definitely a lot of fun. On the right side pedestrian walk both ways, and on the left cyclers bike both ways. There are a lot of people on the bridge as well, from tourists to hobos to just regular New Yorkers exercising their way home with a brisk walk across the bridge.

The sun was going down and we had a dinner date with Farhan's cousin. She works on Wall Street and lives in the area as well. We met her on South Street and had dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant near the South Street Seaport. All the meals were written in Italian and the prices were rounded to the dollar. The food was also ridiculously overpriced (and just when I thought TGI Friday's the previous night was bad). At least it was a fancy place and a spot to keep in mind for the future, when I bring my wife back with me;). Dinner was served by candlelight which set the mood for romance but created an awkward setting for four guys and one girl (who was actually on break at 9pm from her job on Wall Street). We talked and ate with her for about an hour about the expensive lifestyle that is a necessity to live comfortably in NYC and about the passion for overpopulation and steam-broiled streets. I loved every word, she spoke like a true New-Yorker and got me excited about living in the city, the only thing she was missing was the accent. At around 10pm we departed and walked along the South Street Seaport. I took some more fabulous pictures and bought some souvenirs for my peoples back home. I also found another bottle of this brand-name mango juice I saw the day before at a hot dog vendor. It was so good I bought another bottle.

From the Seaport we walked to Pier 11 and up along Wall Street again. We walked along a narrow, stoned road and came up to a junction that was surrounded by massive, important-looking buildings. One had the Trump name on it, the other had a George Washington statue in front of it (Federal Hall), and the final one just a little way away (New York Stock Exchange) had an impressively oversized American flag hung across its entryway. There were few people in this corridor at that time of night, which was at the intersection of Wall Street and Broad, so we exploited this absence of humans to go outrageous with our pictures.


We called it a night and went back to the hostel for sleep, which came easily. Little did we know what Day 3 had in store for us...

New York City Day 1: A Fondness for Rainstorms

August 9th, 2009 at 7:30pm was my departure time from Toronto to NYC a la Megabus. My chaffeur Pradip Sharma dropped me off at the Toronto terminal and I hopped on. The ride from Toronto to the border went smoothly, I was listening to my NYC playlist and contemplating my life. Megabus was a double decker coach comprised of two floors, satisfactory AC and a tiny ass washroom in the back. As soon as the bus entered the gardiner expressway and there was a spark of realization that I was finally going to the one place on Earth I wanted to go to more than heaven itself, I saw an LG billboard that quoted their infamous slogan, "Life's good." To this I leaned back and thought to myself, Damn right.

We reached the the buffalo border around three hours later and they asked me what my business was in the States and I told them to fuck off then they let me go...;)

Then I reached Syracuse and we stopped off at a terminal that hosted a Subway Restaurant and a Dunkin' Donuts. You know you're in America when everyone gets off the coach and lines up for Dunkin' Donuts. The server at Subway was very giddy black man who processed orders quickly, he reminded of Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He was also singing to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cindy Lauper. Great guy, very strange though. Syracuse and Buffalo suffered severe thunderstorms. The entire bus ride to New York City presented a night sky used as a canvas by mother nature. Lightning crowded the rainy night and I sat back and enjoyed it while the other passengers slept. I arrived in NYC at 5:15am and the first iconic landmark that caught my eye in the still-dark sky was the Chrysler building, because of its characteristic architectural attributes. I got off at 7th and 28th street and just stood there for about half an hour, taking everything in.

They call it the city that never sleeps...that's because it doesn't. At 5:30 in the morning, the sky was dawning but there were still surprisingly a lot of people on the street with me.


I realized I had another hour and a half before my boys would show up in the city so I walked from 7th and 28th to Madison Square Garden, which was just around the corner. Amazing. Just like how I pictured it would be. Astonishingly large, too. Then I walked back to where the bus dropped me off and noticed the Empire State Building in the far back of my line of sight. It was only seven or so blocks away but I caught an exciting glimpse of its top half. Laying my eyes on it made me giddy. 7:00a.m. rolled around and another megabus pulled up around the corner. I waited for the passengers to evacuate and saw no sign of my peoples. So I sent a text to a couple of them asking where they were and didnt get an answer back for another hour. In that hour I went to the southern tip of Central Park (still carrying all my luggage because we couldn't check into the hostel until 3pm). At 9:30a.m. the boys finally arrive and I welcome them.

We walk around a bit to Madison Square Garden, we buy tees and souvenirs on fifth avenue, we see Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, NY Post Office before taking the train into Brooklyn to leave our luggage in the hostel. We get there at 11am, drop it off, then come back into Manhattan. We get off the L Train at Union Square and buy a couple of unique posters by some sidewalk artists, as well as some amazing murel duplications. This time we manage to reach the New York Public Library (where such movies as Ghostbusters and Day After Tomorrow were filmed), and we even walk into the reading room and take pictures, incredible place. Next we eat lunch at a pizzeria on Broadway somewhere, then visit the Flatiron Building. Then we went to another of NYC's most infamous attractions, Grand Central Station, and took half a hundred pictures there. Really a stunning piece of architecture, inside and out.

Then we went back to the hostel, showered, chilled with some of the other backpackers in the rec room, played the piano for them a bit, then checked my facebook. At 7:45p.m. we took off for Manhattan for the third time that day. Our final destination for the day was Times Square. Here were numerous corporations that lit-up central Manhattan with flashy ads and towering scrapers. Times Square is too much to take in at once. On the street within Times Square, we met NYPD officers who were friendly enough to allow us to take pictures with them, and pose like criminals being arrested. We also met Elmo live and got pics taken with him and Little Red Riding Hood. Moreso we got a group picture and had it superimposed onto a Time Magazine cover for ten bucks American. Then we ate dinner at TGI Fridays, an establishment with overpriced meals but good views of the Square.


Now I sit in my hostel, typing this blog, while Greg, George, and Farhan are lying in their bunks ready to catch Z's for an even bigger day tomorrow...

T-minus 1

I can't believe that after all these years it's come down to one day until the most infamous departure of my lifetime. Fourteen years ago I saw movies like Vampire in Brooklyn, Rumble in the Bronx, and Die Hard: With a Vengeance and I fell in love with New York City. My wanting to visit really blew up though when I watched Godzilla (1998), it wasn't really the movie I enjoyed but more the setting it took place in. The way they portrayed NYC in the film just made me want to visit. All these famous landmarks being destroyed by a giant lizard really made me want to visit the place and see them for myself. Then of course there were other films like The Day After Tomorrow and Cloverfield and Ghostbusters that just fed the hunger. Tomorrow night I leave, and I may not sound excited now but I am PUMPED.

Between now and departure time stands one super long opening shift at work. I have to open the store, do a forest of paperwork, survive 10 straight hours (though I only get paid for 9), and then I come home and enjoy sleep. I'm off to shower and get uptown early so that I can buy a french vanilla and blast some music loud as hell in the store to prepare me for the rest of the day.

As I mentioned before I will update my blog daily while in NYC. I will be staying in a hostel in Brooklyn and making frequent trips back and forth into Manhattan. We're still unsure about whether we will be travelling to the other boroughs because everything is in Manhattan and we may not have time. Anywho, I depart tomorrow at 7:30pm alone from Toronto and I arrive in NYC at 5:30am Monday morning. The rest of the guys will meet me at 7am at Grand Central Station because we couldn't get the same megabus tickets, so sacrifices were made and I took the bullet to travel alone. I don't mind because I think I need the ten-hour zen time to mentally prepare myself for four days of awesomeness. Between 5:30am and 7am I think I'll run around central Manhattan a bit, visit all the local places near Grand Central like Madison Square Garden and the NYC Library before meeting the guys back at the Station. We'll see how that goes, it'll be 5 in the morning and no one will be up so...:D. Talk to you soon loyal readers.

-BLOG OUT-

The Resolution Fulfilled

By the end of 2009 I would have:

Met and been a videographer for more than five celebrities
Gotten VIP access and treatment at a Toronto nightclub
Secured a management position at work
Been on set during a commercial shoot
Been on set during a music video shoot
Been to New York City
Been to Sri Lanka
Been to Wonderland at least ten times
Been skiing AND snowboarding
Been on a boat cruise
Been to a raptors game
Received compliments on my photography and been offered a job
Learned two more piano pieces
Filmed four stop motion shorts
Learned the value of self-dependency
Produced a resume that could stand even without my previous work experience
Picked up one of the most beautiful girls on the planet
Seen Russell Peters live
Sat in the 2010 Shelby Mustang (autoshow :P)
Crushed the list of to-do's from 2008 and challenged the prospect list for 2010
Fail to have another birthday party for myself
Gotten drunk at 1pm
Been to a hotel party

The one problem with this list is that it trumps all my expectations for this year and I won't know how to top it for 2010. I have some things in mind but I mean I live with the intention of bettering it next year, but how!?

"Who is that guy?"

So as some of you may know, I was granted VIP reservations at Six Degrees nightclub by the artist performing there right now. The loyal readers may remember him from one of my recent blogs, Barry Szeto, the up-and-coming R and B artist who asked me for my name and got me privileged booths and bottle service (and lowered entry fee) at the club. Performance was off the hook. The club itself was live. Pradip and Abdi and I went around taking pictures of everyone there. We approached the first group of women and asked for a picture. They looked at my SLR camera and presumed it was for the Unity Group site (a media group that showcases Toronto's nightlife) so they agreed and said yes. Then they asked me for my card. Shit, I don't have a card, I thought. I patted my pockets and told them I was all out but that they could add me on facebook and grab the pics off there. Abdi and I approached another group of six and asked them for a group photo. They asked whether it was for the club promotion, at which point Abdi and I looked at each other smoothly before answering, "Uhh...yeah." All in all it was fun masking our amateur talents and posing as pros. I realized nightclub photography is a vibrant side-job and I could make some good money off of it. I have the appropriate photography tools so why not?
What's more is after the club I received over twenty photo requests over a span of two days from people at the club. This included the other photographers and various hot girls I took pics of. I'm glad facebook exists, it allows for easy exposure. I was honoured to see that the founder of Unity Group added me and tagged my photos. He also asked for my email, apparently he likes me pictures, which actually were basic and just-for-fun. But hey, if they think this is good, imagine how thrilled they'll be when I actually try and when I get my flash diffuser off ebay.
The pictures are on facebook for those who want to see, check out the VIP at Six Degrees album on my profile.
Yeah that's an expensive-ass authentic Cuban in my hand I got as a gift.

The next morning I woke up and I thought back to the night before and I thought about much power I had. I was surprised at the number of people I impressed that night, and the people that made an impression on me. When I think back to it, I was a pretty important figure, and hell yeah I'm proud of that. A year ago I'd have never thought I'd be where I am now, it's a bloody good feeling. Believe me I have my share of problems. If you think you have problems, you don't know half the shit I have to deal with. And unless you've been hit by a train, I can promise you your problems are incomparable. I just hide it well :P.
I was talking to my baby cousin Shivani last night and we were talking about her new friends at Kindergarten and the new playhouse her parents bought her. Then when we were saying goodbye I told her I was going to buy her a big car when she grows up. She didn't fully comprehend what I meant but she answered, "Okay...I love you."

MTA and memories

So my vacation to NYC is coming up soon, and I started doing some homework last night in preparation of the great getaway. Since I won't be driving, four of us will have to commute across the Big Apple. I went to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA) to familiarize myself with the subway/bus routes. I saw the subway map for the first time and this is the abysmal complication of blueprint I gazed upon:



Look at that. What the hell is that!? It makes the TTC map look infinitesimal. The map is not complete but I superimpose a rough L-shape image over it, with little flowers sprouting from the top left corner of the city (where the Bronx is). We'll be staying in a hostel in Brooklyn which is south-central, and we'll be travelling probably every line on that map as much as humanly possible within four days.

My self-written itinerary boasts vists to the Empire State Building (observatory deck also), the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island fairy, Brooklyn Bridge, Madison Square Garden, Times Square, Chrysler Building, Ground Zero, Central Park, and maybe some projects in a couple of the boroughs. My plan with that was for all of us to take a cab and make him drive through the gangster-ridden locales while I quickly snap pictures with my SLR and document the true gangsters in their natural habitat, robbing people, bumming weed, and staring down my cab with icy eyes. LOL. These visits on the itinerary aren't suggestions, they're mandatory tourist points that I HAVE to see, or else I stay there forever.
I will be updating my blog daily while I'm in New York. The hostel claims they have free Wi-Fi access points, and free breakfast and linen too ^_^.

Alright time to jump into Hyperspace.
Last weekend seven of my friends and I saw the film UP in 3-d. Terrific film, it was my second time seeing it. It was funny that for a moment in the film (during its sad turning point near the beginning of the film) there was pin-drop silence in the theatre because the audience could not believe the likes of such a tragedy (comparable to Mufasa's death in The Lion King fifteen years ago). I found that I never knew my friends were capable of such compassion for a character. Like no talked, NO ONE. We all stared in silence at what was happening on the screen. Of course I had already seen it, so I knew it was on its way, but my reaction to their reactions was that I found it stunning. They were all looking at the character and feeling sympathy. It was so silent in the theatre a mouse could fart and wreck the moment. I knew they all felt sorry about what had happened in the movie. The movie was enjoyed by all regardless and afterwards we talked about it. They all agreed it was well worth the 13.50 for the 3D picture, and for the movie itself.
On a similar note, I remember at one point in my life when my friends and I (the same ones that are alongside me today) would talk about video games and TV and all the leisurely things in life without a worry but to get home on time to watch Digimon. Now our conversations are rich with credit card concerns, driving tickets, getting more hours at work, and relationships. What happened to the simple talk? Not that I mind these new subjects that have predominated our discourse over the last five to six years, but I just miss what we USED to talk about, ya know? It's funny when I visualize these things in retrospect I see all that has come and gone and I miss it a lot. I do a lot of reminiscing, especially while listening to my iPod. I remember the sweltering summer days spent in the pool or running around the block playing cops-and-robbers or manhunt and taking the TTC (ten of us at a time) to watch the new wave of Marvel movies like Spiderman, Hulk, X-men, etc. Those days are long gone now but I still remember these memories like they took place last night. I read somewhere recently that one sense brings back memories moreso than any other, and that is the sense of smell. When you smell something you haven't in years, a feeling of nostalgia overwhlems you and you start travelling back in time while standing in the same spot, also while other people are standing around you and wondering what the hell you're doing. Believe me, it's happened to me before. Smell triggers visuals immediately for me.
Anyways, I must get back to completing my itinerary, I will blog back shortly with updates.

-BLOG OUT-

RIP Geetesh Singh

There was a tragic crash on the DVP last week which claimed the lives of two youth, one particularly important. Geetesh Singh, who was a friend of my friends, was pronounced dead at the scene, his body had been ejected from the vehicle through the windshield. His friend, Adam, who was the driver, was also instantly killed. A third passenger is in critical condition. The relationship I had with Geetesh was a customer-representative one. Abdi, who was very close to him, showed me his reggae and soca music videos on youtube and I personally thought it was an honour meeting him. His videos were uniquely hilarious and it created a lasting impression on me. I couldn't find it after his passing, maybe it was kindly taken down, but the videos were of Geetesh recording himself in his room, singing and waving a trinidadian flag to his favourite soca/reggae/hip hop beats. I can't remember why I had gone to futureshop that day, but I remember Geetesh. I knew him through his videos but he didn't know me. So the whole time he was helping me as a representative find some electronic I was looking for, I was laughing in my head at the comic videos his presence was generating. I didn't know much about him but from the only time I met him he seemed like a great guy. I noticed he smiled a lot and he didn't seem like the type of person to get easily angry. He had a calm demeanour which I doubt was a false facade he put on as a requirement of his position at futureshop, but rather a reflection of his own attributes. Abdi knew him because he was his coworker, Nazeem knew him because they were classmates at Ryerson. A lot of people on facebook are mourning the loss of him and I can only show my support.

Rest In Peace, Brother.


Abdi went to the viewing on Friday and came to my place afterwards. He and his family were Hindu's so the body was to be cremated. I asked Abdi why he didn't stay for the whole service and told me, "I don't want to see my boy's body get burned yo, how can his family sit through that?" Geetesh's passing has got me thinking how valued life should be to everyone. Geetesh was apparently a very intelligent guy, and you know the saying, humour reflects intelligence. Geetesh was definitely a prime example of this. He was also a university student and a student of karate. He once coined a philosophy saying, "If all else fails in life, open a roti stand." It's a shame that such a precious life was taken and it makes me question God with the word Why.

Meeting Billy Talent/La Movida

This past week went better than planned I can say. First on the menu was my formal interview with Billy Talent for Sharlotte's magazine. Greg, Sharlotte, and I arrived at a hotel downtown (name undisclosed because of legal issues) and proceeded to their suite. We spent about twenty minutes setting up the three cameras and planning shots while the guys were on their way. While we waited for them to show, we talked with another interviewer who was strangely scheduled in the same time slot we were...foolish publicists! So this guy, from Spinner magazine, conversed with us for a short while and it seemed we were all defending our employers and arguing about who the better magazine was. Clearly Spinner topped Vervegirl (which I don't even read, I just enjoy interviewing celebs and editing their videos) even though Vervegirl has been around 1986. Why the hell would I read a magazine for teenage girls anyway. So Ian and John from Billy Talent finally arrive and Greg and I just freeze in our spot feeling awkward. If we could talk to each other telepathically we'd be like, Dude we're in the same room as two guys from Billy Talent...I know man that's insane what do we say!? We introduced ourselves to them and told them to have a seat...in their own hotel suite lol. The loser from Spinner magazine left and we spent about five minutes prepping the cameras and audio testing while Sharlotte sat next to them practicising her questions. It was super-awkward because Ian and John were staring at us hard because we were carrying amateur equipment and I felt as if though they thought this interview was a joke for some high school newsletter. The interview went off very professionally though. Audio was great, they answered the questions in-depth, got three amazing camera angles and it was satisfactorily lengthy. The five of us got to know each other well after the interview, turns out they'd been to a lot of places we'd been to in Scarborough and Mississauga, they even show their Nothing to Lose video at Central Tech, where Greg went to High School. These guys were terrific guys.

The best part was leaving the suite of these guys. We said our farewells and headed out the door and into a crowd of photographers/videographers/other miscellaneous magazine/radio crews all staring at the three of us like Who are these kids walking out of Billy Talents hotel suite with amateur equipment, and how did they get the primary time slot! Hahahaha, suckers.

Friday was the annual La Movida Dance Cruise hosted by UofT's dance club. Of course my acquintance Denny is the President of the dance club at UofT and teaches hip hop classes in between the pursuit of a psychology degree. I used to run around with that b-boy before we could afford dollar-priced snowcones from ice-cream trucks, now we're balling! I also collaborated with him on dance videos. You dance, I'll record. Like Sharlotte, I worked with Denny behind the camera. Fucker broke the tripod I lent him though, you still owe me a tripod Denny, I hope you're reading this!
There's the culprit in the black on the left.


The cruise went well. I spent a ton of time on the upper deck taking photos of the beautiful scenery. The velocity of the boat hosted chilled blankets of water-based updrafts, which felt nice but then forced everyone into the lower decks, inside the boat. People met people and the whole time I held onto my camera tight. I'm never losing you, I told it. A couple of my boys managed to find some women...that's all I'll say haha.

If you haven't been on a boat cruise, try it sometime. It's fantastic, this one was particularly eventful. Dance shows, free dance lessons, great Canadian landmark scenery, planes flying right overhead the boat, cool breezes. Make sure you go with friends, or a lover. Otherwise you'll be bored to death. Unfortunately I couldn't bring mine, and I know she's reading this right now feeling just as unfortunate:P



-BLOG OUT-

Operation Firestorm

I'll begin with the frantically eventful weekend I survived and promised to scribe down on Monday. Sorry I'm late, but I finally have some free time on my hands. The weekend went great, I showed up on set early on Saturday but late on Sunday. Apparently either no one cared I was late, or no one noticed. Saturday was just all new, said what up to all the regulars (the people I'd met once before on set back in December) and they asked me to explain my six-month absence from the set. I told them I had school and other priorities, but now I'm in the middle of a seven-month break away from school before finishing my degree. So the day starts and all of a sudden the director Marc and the producer Allan decide I should be in charge of the slate. Now to those who aren't familiar with designations on a shooting set, a production assistant (which is what I am) should be nowhere near the slate at any time. The PA is the director/producer's bitch, basically. We do what we're told. I arrive on set for an eight hour day on Saturday and an hour in I'm suddenly promoted into the camera department and dogpiled with a list of new responsibilities. Problem was, I didn't know what I was doing!

The second assistant camera should be the one handling the slate and clapping it at the start of a new scene. I was excited to be holding that thing during shooting but I was scared that at some point I'd miss something or write down the wrong scene and take on the slate before the shot started. Believe me, I screwed up a lot.


I was yelled at by the Director of Photography, Rion Gonzales(at the right in the pic above), but the first AC was very forgiving with me, because it was a SHE. Michele(on my left) calmly corrected me after Rion would blame me for having the wrong take number, scene, and roll number on the slate. Of course this was all a learning experience for me and it was done the hard way, but it stuck in the end. I remember in one scene while I held the slate in front of the camera and Marc was yelling at me to call the scene out loud and Rion was yelling at me to position it properly in front of the camera, the model I was holding the slate in front of poked me and said, "I think you're doing a great job." Even though I couldn't move because it would affect the slates position on the camera, I smiled and said thanks to her.

Of course after the shoot we all became friends and Rion apologized for being so hard on me to which I replied "You were doing your job, it's all good." Later we got to know each other. The shoot on Sunday was seventeen hours long, but very laid back, and I was more comfortable with the slate that time around. Over the two days we shot five commercials, two interviews and one model shoot for Establishedmen.com. Great experience. When the producer Allan drove me home on Sunday at one in the morning he mentioned the first time I came on set six months ago, which he and a lot of other people found knee-slappingly comical. He started the conversation imitating me:

Allan: Arvind can you get us some breakfast?
Arvind: *laughs
Allan:...so can you grab me a bagel and a triple triple?
Arvind: Are you joking, or...?
Allan: No I'm not joking, there's a catering truck outside.
Arvind: Are you serious?
Allan: Yes I'm serious
Arvind: Really?
Allan: Yes!

Allan brought that memory up because he'll always remember me for it, my first official day as a production assistant, and my refusal to understand/believe my real responsibilities. He was telling me that Diedre, the Art Director, mentioned about me, "He was so cute and so innocent, but he didn't believe you were treating him like a bitch." LOL.
Any real shooting set will provide you with unlimited amounts of food, did you know that! That's right, free food for everyone on set.

On Monday I was with Sharlotte interviewing an up-and-coming Toronto-bred Indie artists named Barry Szeto. His R and B is phenomenal, I know personally because he sang into my camera. Great guy, personality-wise he was very respectful and cheery, surprisingly after twelve hours shooting his music video at a restaurant in Richmond Hill, Toronto. I personally think he deserves the fame he's after because he's bearing the right attitude, which may be unaffected by time and pressure, but I pray he doesn't crack. He called me by my first name, offered me to the catering on set (which I technically wasn't entitled too), and he was very thankful to our crew for the opportunity to be interviewed and give shout outs.




The weekend so far was great, very sudden and unexpected. Like a movie done right it had its twists and turns. When Sharlotte was dropping me off Monday night we talked about our collaboration and she gave me permission to advertise Southpaw in the video interviews she puts up on her page at vervegirl.com. I was pleased with this opportunity for maximized media exposure, excited too! That night I thought about what Southpaw would be. I made the name up more than three years ago and at the time it really meant nothing more than a dream. But today I realize that that dream is coming to fruition and I've been diving faster and harder into my goals than ever before. I've decided to label the next seventh-months of my life Operation Firestorm, which will be strictly dedicated to continuing to do what I'm doing and strive for a proper definition and purpose for Southpaw Productions, a name that has had no purpose until now except to look cool on paper.

-BLOG OUT-

Tired talk

My good director friend Marc Morgenstern has been offered a full-time job as a director, which is pretty impressive but also means big things for me. I know I claim to not depend on people but this gets me closer to what I want. I don't plan on asking him to "hook me up", I realize a lot of hard work goes into what we do, so I plan on impressing him with my own short films. He hasn't said it but I know he considers me his protege. He just let me borrow his HD camera so I have two cameras (the others is Nazeems) to record interviews with celebrities (I'll get to that afterwards). Tomorrow I will be on set with him at Pie in the Sky studios in downtown Toronto shooting a commercial. I remember more than six months ago when I was first about to hit the set for a Saturday shoot and I was nervous as fuck. I know a lot of you remember this because I kept telling everyone how scared I was because of my lack of knowledge and experience, it was my first time on a real set and I didnt know what was coming my way. It really talk me never to ignore an opportunity regardless of how seemingly frightening it can be because it turned out to be a terrific shoot. People were unusually friendly towards me, the producers, the PA's, the photographer all liked me, which is uncannily contrary to what I've heard of stories of showbiz crews. They were guiding and gave useful advice, and I swear I learned more on that one day on set with those people than I did in four years worth of film courses at UofT (then again that was all theory). Since then I do my best to say no to even the shittiest opprtunity.
Tomorrow I'm actually looking forward to seeing these guys again. I'll be honest, I'm not really excited to do all the physical work I did, but I'm trying to ignore it because this is a learning experience for me and I have it at my fingertips, no saying no now. The producer really likes me, I can tell because he drove me and the other PA's home, but gave me advice on what to have if I do decide to be a production assistant part-time. I'm lucky to have found this people, I consider myself blessed. There's also free food on set, and the caterers will be raided...by me.
Marc and I.

As for the celebrity interviews, yes I'm working with a freelance reporter for Vervegirl magazine(Sharlotte Lawrence) as an unpaid videographer/photographer. Unpaid because I've known her throughout my four years and UofT and I'm looking to expand my portfolio rapidly within the next six months (and it's going much better than expected). This videographer gig is allowing me to better my technical knowledge of video and sound equipment, and Nazeems camera and Marc's camera work well enough for me to apply a high degree of creativity to the shoots (mind you creativity is limited while shooting an interview). It's funny how my friend Abdi was with me during last weeks shoot and he and Sharlotte are hounding me about how I want the shot; it's not until I finish explaining to them the layout of the interview and how I want it done that I realize, My God, I sound like a professional director. Look at me! Haha. We've already interviewed three Canadian bands, next week is Billy Talent!
Sharlotte, Crystal Antlers, Abdi.

I realize that a lot of people would desert their companions in the prospect of fame. But when fame leaves them they have nowhere to turn to, unless you have a forgiving friend. I've seen and heard of stories like this on TV and in autobiographies and it makes me wonder, if I'm presented with an opportunity like that would I act the same way? I certainly wouldn't leave my friends or family, but there would be an absence while I work my way up. Remember these words loyal readers, because if I do go missing one day you can rest assured I'm coming back for everyone who was there for me...EVERY one; and I have a good memory so I know who falls into the category of EVERY one. Even the littlest speck of respect or an available helping hand, you will be rewarded greatly. If you think I'm lying, or you feel like I will when I'm off and it looks like I'm not coming back, just know this blog will be here forever (unless blogspot crashes), so just copy/paste the last paragraph of this blog and send it to me and I will reply with an assuring comment, letting you know my promise is still valid. To the EVERY ones, you know damn well who you are, I know half of you are reading this right now. But remember, the promise is only initiated if I get that opportunity. Key word: IF.



-PEACE OUT LOYAL READERS-

The Good Life

This week will by far be the busiest week of my life. I've more celebrity interviews on Friday which I will attend as videographer/photographer, and two on-set PA dates (Saturday and Sunday), paying at like one hundred bucks per day. These are all 13 hour days, so I will be exhausted and won't have any time for blogging except after the day is over. As usual I'm half as nervous as I was this second time around. I know half of the production team very well and have them all on facebook. In fact, the producer personally visited me at my workplace and invited me to come "play" with the team on the weekend, which I thought was very cool. I can tell these guys love their job and they like me, which I'm happy to know. When I'm famous they're all getting Bentleys. Next blog in t-minus a week (or less).

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A Storm in my Brain

After the Russell Peter's concert yesterday I came to realize that this goof is more than just a good comedian, he's an observant intellect. I admired his knowledge of cultures (aside from his impeccable impressions of them) and his capacity to know and re-present foreign slang right to the letter. When he talk about Soo-soo meaning "tits" in the Filipino language, Devin turned to me and said, "That's true." Then Pradip turned to Devin and said, "It means take a piss in Indian slang". Right then RP switches up the act and talks about exactly that. I was shocked at how well he did the Irish, the Rastas, the South Africans, the Palestinians, the Tamils (we're easy) and especially the Italians. Furthermore I loved that he performed brand new material.
You know who was just as knowledgeable as Russell Peters? My late grandfather. He knew everything about everyone. I'd like to believe I can do that same, it would be great to know about every culture out there.
My grandfather (Canaganyagam Suriyakumaran) was extremely famous in Sri Lanka. Just google that name and see. When I was small I was forced to learn about the presence of other cultures and religions in Sri Lanka. If you're done googling, you'll know he worked for the United Nations and he travelled everywhere. Of course I don't have money to travel the world (yet), but it's not a hassle to read up on shit like this.
So I am announcing the revelation of a brand-new blog in the fishtank. I'm still thinking of a title and maybe I'll have more than informative/humourous info on other cultures in it. My crew consists of more than fifteen people and nine different ethnicities : Greeks, Filipinos, Indians, Sri Lankans, Eritreans, Somalians, Tanzanians, Guyanese, Trinidadians, and my little baby cousin is half Italian, that little cutie. It would be a shame to hang around with these people and not learn about where they came from while I'm at it. Like my Greek friend Greg said just half an hour ago before we called it a night, "maybe everything happens for a reason."

What?

When some people say, "What", why do they squint? Is it because they need to adjust their vision in order to hear what you're saying? Some common reincarnations of WHAT that annoy me:

Wha?
Ha!?
(high-pitched squeal) what!

Blown to Oblivion/ Southpaw's Latest

For the loyal readers keeping up with my blog, you'll know that I aforementioned a scenario I encountered where I was playing Call of Duty 5 and there were a couple of uncanny players in the same arena as me who were talking trash to Farhan and I. Turns out one of them has resurfaced on the battlefield, just last night! I let him have a taste of my newfound powers. Every promotion (I'm at corporal level 2 now, which is like level 44 or something) you unlock these acquired skills which you can choose and combine to create a distinct soldier for online play. So this pile of goatfuck who calls himself MASTAKILLAH had his mic on. I remember him clearly because he had an unforgettably elementary username. I forget the name of the other low-life who he tag-teamed with when I last played him, but anyhow let's continue. So the match starts at an arena called Makin Atoll(COD5 players will be familiar with this map).
As part of my soldier attributes I have two pressure-activated mines( called bouncing betties) which detonate when another player steps into its proximity, blowing them to oblivion. I set two down in popular spots on the map and go around shooting people. I'm not trying to look good here or anything but I am fairly good at this game, and I ended up second out of eight when the match was over. So our boy MASTAKILLAH over here ends up walking into my mines, not once, not twice, but five times over the course of the whole game (because when you die you respawn with two more mines). I also met him a couple of times and gunned him down. Seemed he had trouble landing a bullet on me without the help of his foul-mouthed comrade.
I could tell this loser was getting frustrated with me. I don't think he even remembered me from earlier, when my experience was low and my badge negligible. Anyhow I could hear him over the mic calling my name (Centurion87) and being so sure of my defeat.
I could hear other people talking too, telling him to shut up, to which he would respond with a fuck off or I'm coming for you next. The whole match I didn't respond to him, I just loved seeing his frustration and I was high on kicking ass. By the time the match ended I had come in second and he seventh, of eight people. So, just to confuse the shit out of him, I sent him a personal friend request, straight to his PS3...LOL. (No response as of yet).

In other news my neighbours and good friends George and Greg have asked me what my next big project will be. I won't ruin anything yet, but my all-new stop motion subjects arrived by air mail from Korea a couple of weeks ago. There are eight of them and other accessories which I'm going to take full advantage of in the next video. I know some of you know exactly what the subjects are and believe me I will animate them like nothing you've seen before. For those who don't know, just know that my next video will be based on a very popular video game, one that has spawned numerous sequels and recreations on different consoles. A game I've been playing for more than half my life. I'm giving myself a lengthy amount of time to do this, with an indefinite ready-to-air date. Forgive my stalling, but I hope you will all enjoy the finished product.








Post-script: if you haven't realized what I'm doing by now you don't deserve to be reading this blog.


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