leaves, not lattes = fall

While sitting in a coffee shop the other day, I watched the seasons change before my eyes. I was absentmindedly chewing on a cookie when two employees came and switched the posters in the window beside me. And just like that, we went from the summer's strawberry chillers to autumn's pumpkin spice latte. Forget solstices, we're now marking the seasons with the changing flavours of sugary beverages.

My new neighbourhood is charmingly European in many ways, and on good days I don't mind schlepping between its bakeries, butchers, cheese markets, chocolate shops, and fruit&veggie stands to collect my groceries in a step-by-step manner. But when I'm hungry and all I want is a President's Choice thingamajig, a one-stop-shop is not easy to find. Today for example, I tried to find the makings for a meal in the Fruit & Veggie store. Before I knew it I was lugging home a 10 pound bag of beets, with the best of intentions to make a mother load of borscht.

During the walk home, carrying my burden (and feeling my cheeks redden to match the beets when many a person stared at the huge bag), I felt the crunch of leaves under my feet, and wholeheartedly embraced fall, without the chiding of any $4 latte thankyouverymuch!

These photos — the first of a series of that will inevitably have a leaf motif — are of Carolyn, Brian's sister.

in the studio

Hotel 2 Tango is one of the coolest locations I have ever shot in, albeit with the most frustrating lighting. Although one wall is all block-glass windows, and natural light streams in liberally, there is an odd assortment of lighting coming down from the ceiling that does really weird things to photos. Luckily, I had my newest toy with me (thanks, mom).

Although the lighting conditions were giving me grief, Katie was a dream to work with. These are just a few samples. There's something off about my internet connection and I can't upload as many as I would like.






And her boyfriend Eric, who is a photographer himself, joined us for a few photos. They are my new favourite couple.




*And, you know, I'm too broke to use a real flash like most photographers, and I would rather struggle with awkward lighting and try a million different angles until the light graces a model's face to best compliment her features. I've learned so much about photography from working with limited equipment. until this spring, I did all my work with a little Canon point-and-shoot. My main reason for upgrading was to look cool, and to seem legit when I showed up for shoots. No word of a lie! I put just as much (okay, almost as much) stock in my old faithful (that has been a bit battered by a few nights at the bar) as I do in fancy DSLRs. Equipment can do a lot for you, but it can't replace patience, ingenuity and people skills, and I have argued over this with many photographers.

the world's oldest profession

During a coffee break in French class today, a conversation with one of the 3 other Anglos from the class:

Her: I might stay in Montreal if I don't get into grad school, but I'm so worried that I won't find a job 'cause I'm not fluent in French.

Me: Well you're in this class, so you're learning, right?

Her: Yeah, I just feel that my prospects are really grim because all of my friends here from Winnipeg have had such bad luck in the job market.

Me: What do you mean?

Her: Well, those who weren't working at call centres could only find work in factories or convenience stores... Oh wait, actually one of them found work in porn.

Me: Oh yeah?

Her: Well not real porn exactly. She just had to sit in front of her webcam wearing a bikini and, you know.

Me: Did any of your friends speak any French.

Her: No.

Me: Well...

Her: Yeah, they all just went back to Winnipeg.

Me: So they didn't even attempt to learn any French and wondered why they couldn't get jobs in a French province?

Her: Pretty much.

Me: Well, it's good to know what kind of options are out there I guess.

"cookies vs rent"

The title of this post is one of many names jokingly suggested while brainstorming titles for my photography business. With an official photography website now within my grasp, it seems about time to come up with an appropriate and tasteful title that truly represents my style and personality.

Other ideas have been:

Mylivelihood photography
BarelySubsisting photography
Insufficient Funds Photography
Livingoffthescrapsofmyparentspity Photography

I'm kidding! No but in all honesty, coming up with a catchy name is no easy feat.

On a different note, the lovely model is Katie. This photo was taken today at Hotel2Tango, while Katie was in town recording some tunes for Basia Bulat's new album (which, judging by the sneak preview I was lucky enough to see/hear being recorded, sounds freaking amazing). More photos of Katie to come.

In the meantime, I must return to writing about luxury sex toys for my internship.

the lady is a vamp

Just in time for harvest, a whole crop of new photos! Skye agreed to let me have fun with fall appropriate orange and yellow eye shadows, to show off her new blue-eyed-brunette look.

"life with lum" on youtube

How can I contextualize this delicately?

My brother, who is a video editor for a news channel by day, special event videographer by night, and home video maker in his spare time, has recently started a series of shorts about my extended family.

The first clips (found here and here) feature the man, Jack Lum, who lives in my Grandma's garage.

review: harajuku lovers fragrance

Today I received a promotional package of a new fragrance collection by Gwen Stefani, Harajuku Lovers. I am happy to say that I liked them individually (for the most part), and I think they work well as a collection. There is nothing overly unique about the scents, rather they all seem to incorporate familiar and well-loved notes such as vanilla, violet, coconut, pear, and musk. Many of the scents stir up all sorts of childhood recollections, and with scent being the sense most closely associated to memory, these perfumes are an example of the way just a sniff can conjure up all sorts of nostalgic thoughts.

That being said, these fragrances are best suited for younger ladies. The cutesy packaging (each bottle is a cartoon version of Gwen and her backup Harajuku dancers) could be very attractive to 'tweens and early teens (I would have been hooked at that age at least). At the same time, as a twentysomething I also enjoy most of them. Use sparingly and they are truly subtle and sweet; overdo it, however, and they are cloying and sickly sweet. Moderation is key. Here is my take on each one of the scents. I also enlisted some help in the form of a certain B "can I be anonymous?" F, for a man's opinion.

G
My review: One of the freshest smelling scents I've come across. Really fresh and clean. Would be most appropriate for summer. A bit like walking into a beach-themed store. Or the smell of the beach that lingers on your clothes even after you've gone home. Reminded me a bit of Hollister's signature fragrance that is sprayed like clockwork in its stores. Coconut suntan lotion. Citrus zest. makes my mouth water. Want to drink it, possibly as a cocktail. Could be a bit cloying to wear it. Overall, love it.

His review: "It smells like coconut, and pineapple, so I guess it smells like a pina colada. I wouldn't not like it if I smelled it on a girl."

LOVE
My review: didn't like it as much as G. Sickly sweet. Very floral and slightly "oriental" as musky, spicy fragrances are often outdated-ly described in magazines. Reminds me of a body spray I had as a child. Delicate. A bit musky. More appropriate for night time wear.

His review: "It reminds me of perfume. It's the most perfumey, I mean."

LIL ANGEL
My review: Melon and pineapple. Lemon. Super sweet, almost like candy. Banana popsicles. Very intriguing. It makes you want to figure out what the individual notes are. Seems really wearable. Much more mild than the first 2. Second favourite so far.

His review: "it smells really sweet. It's hurting my eyes."

MUSIC
My review: Similar to Davidoff's Cool Water for women. Much cooler notes than the others. More natural, less sweet. Seems like it would be most appropriate for someone active, and not a girly girl. A bit spicy. Smelled this one for a long time to try to get a sense of all the layers of scents, and didn't get sick of it.

His review: "This is the best one I think. It's kind of fruity"

BABY
My review: Quite different from the others. Baby powder. Soap. A grown-up take on Love's Baby Soft. Nothing stand-out though. Best for natural beauties. After smelling it for a while, and wearing it for a few hours, it really grew on me. It's very subtle and clean smelling.

His review: "Uck. Soap. Baby powder. All these perfumes burn my eyes."

Scent is very personal and individualized, so it is tough for me to recommend any certain perfume. If I were to buy any of them I would buy G, Lil Angel, and possibly Baby. Seeing as they're being released as a group, and that the packaging is so cute, they are clearly being marketed as a "collect 'em all" deal.  Priced between $25 and $45, they are affordable, should you be tempted.

marché et terrace

The last week, I have been knee-deep in Français, with classes half a day and Radio Canada in the background of my daily chores. It's already gotten to the point where my English sentence structures are becoming warped and Yoda-esque as my brain slowly fills up with French grammar and vocabulary.

As of tomorrow, I start an internship at a montreal-based, national magazine, which I am thrilled about. And, in addition to that, I am getting back into the job search, which had been on hold for the last little while during our roughly 2 1/2 weeks of house guests, a visit to Toronto, and finishing my program. It is now back into full swing.

Best of all, with no homework looming, my evenings are now my own — guilt free — which means enjoying drinks on patios before godforsaken winter, hitting the farmer's markets just in time for the harvest (to try out all the new recipes I've been swapping with the Mexican and Ukrainian girls in my French class), and sitting out on my front balcony over the street. This new (albeit temporary) lifestyle, it ain't so bad.

at least I have some options...

Found on Craigslist today:

Makeup Artist needed (Montreal)

Reply to: -----
Date: 2008-09-04, 1:27PM EDT

I am a male transvestite, need help with makeup application
If possible also help with hair styling,

Location: Montreal
Compensation: 40 to 60 dollars per lesson
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

le premier jour

As I bit into my crisp, red apple, the taste that filled my mouth was one of familiarity, nostalgia, and tradition. Every September, returning to school just as the harvest was kicking in. Every September, walking a well-known route to a well-known building. Every September, having a rough idea of what to expect.

The reassuring act of eating an apple as I walked to class masked a lot of things: uncertainty, fear, even exhilaration. The repetition momentarily fooled me into thinking things were the same as they have been for the past 19 years.

"Are you sad you're not coming with me today?" Brian asked yesterday, as he headed downtown for his first Ph.D class.

"Nope!" I replied, without a second's hesitation.

"Oh," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. "It's just that this is the first class we haven't gone to together in a long time."

"I know, but I am okay with that. You know that this is what you want to do, and that you want to go back to school. I know I want to do something different."

In the sweltering heat, three floors up in an old school building, I was conjugating verbs this morning. The room was packed: Me, one other Canadian anglophone, and about 20 immigrants from many different countries. We're all trying to improve our French, which is a struggle in itself. Then there's the added layer of thick accents from around the world. I have no clue as to what many of my classmates are saying in their accented French, and I doubt they can understand me. In the meantime, we all smile and nod awkwardly.

I was starting to feel faint in the heat, and putting my head down, when I felt something ice cold touch my cheek. The Iranian lady who sat next to me looked at me sympathetically and pressed a cold can of orange juice to my forehead. I smiled gratefully and glanced at her desk for the first time. She had an apple too.

denial and bliss

Today, being a national holiday, was the last guilt-free day. Tomorrow I begin my new lifestyle of being unemployed that will entail watching The View (oh wait, we no longer have cable, okay So Chic with Stephen and Chris on the CBC) while spilling tea and cookie crumbs on my all-day pajamas as I curse in turn at all the hosts.

And after the bleakness of that lifestyle for one day, I will be motivated enough to actually start the next phase of my life.

Two summers ago, my grandma told my mom that I had told her I planned to work at McDonald's for the summer to "learn the value of an education," when I actually told her I was going to Europe. My grandma is in no way senile, but rather infamous for her interesting way of relaying stories (read: completely making things up). My mom told my grandma she was pretty sure I understood the value, considering I had just graduated from Western, and was heading to grad school.

But maybe grandma was on to something. Maybe I could use a wake-up call. On the other hand, I am pretty aware of the importance of my french education, as McDonald's might just be the only place I could work without "bilingual" written on my CV. If I'm not bilingual, my master's don't mean a thing in this city.