update.

1963 - Rachael Yamagata

Some of you may have noticed on my Twitter that I wrote I'm not drinking beer til summer. Everyone laughed, but it is happening. I might have an occasional mixed drink or glass of wine, but in terms of beer, and also getting plastered in general, that will have to stay to a minimal. Come February, I'll be fully recovered from surgery, I'm going to start a cleanse and see how it goes, and dedicate more time on being active and try and live a healthier lifestyle.

I know, I know. I said that last March, one or two entries into my first blog posts... But like I said before, 2009 is the Year of Execution. No more delays. Get into shape, no more crap food, and save! Maybe I'm too ambitious? Worth a try. At least til the summer anyway.

I noticed today the freelance project I did months back for Honda Fit is up on the fitisgo.ca website. Apparently, it's been up for a long while now. It also won an FWA. You can read more about it in my other blog.

I also put in my order for the new 15" Macbook Pro!! Soooo~ Sometime next week, I'll get it. Exciting!! I'm doing my part in helping out the economy. Are you?

Lastly, I'd like to share a hilarious music video with you. My good friend Miguel sent me the song today, and I youtubed it when I got home, the video makes the song that much funnier. And that boy T-Pain can dance!! Note: This video is one of the reasons I'm giving up beer. Haha...

One More Drink - Ludacris ft. T-Pain

standing for change.

Ben E. King's Stand by Me is one of my favourite songs. Back in the day when I used to go karaoke every month or so, I loved singing that song. My voice can't handle those high notes, but it's such a good karaoke song. Well... Such a good song, period.

The reason I bring this song up is because over the weekend, I came across this video on YouTube of Stand by Me, but this version was simply amazing and moving. It's for a documentary to be released on DVD and music CD Spring 2009. It's called Playing for Change: Peace Through Music. The people who sing and play the instruments in the song are all street musicians from around the world. Each are recorded separately, and are then mixed together. My favourite is Grandpa Elliott. He has so much character...

It must be so exciting for the people who work for the Playing for Change Foundation; meeting the musicians, hearing their stories and recording their music and traveling all over the world... I'd like to work for them one day, but I wouldn't know what to offer, since I'm no musician...

Seeing this makes me want to travel so much more. With the routine life that I have, time seems to pass by so much quicker, and there's so much in this world for me to see, to experience, to be part of. One of these days...

I'm posting both Ben E. King's version and the Playing for Change Foundation's version of Stand by Me.


Ben E. King - Stand by Me


Playing for Change Foundation - Stand by Me

this world is strange, sometimes.

It all began with a simple "Hello."
By chance, by fate, it matters not.
In an ocean of crowds
The strangers did meet.

It requires perfect timing
For the perfect chemistry.
Strangers become friends.
Friends become lovers.

Each other's secrets they did hear.
Each other's soft caresses they did feel.
Each other's sweet kisses they did taste.
Through their memories, immortal their emotions did become.

In the passage of time, old memories may fade,
along with some of the most meaningful moments.
But they will never forget their first memory of each other.
It all began with a simple "Hello."

I've been doing a bit of writing the past few days just to get things out of my chest. I think Karma's been catching up to me. It's been a bit of a roller-coaster of events that's been bringing me up and down and down and up. That aside though, it's been an okay enough day so far. Despite the cold, seeing the snow layering the ground has been fairly soothing and calming.

Walking home from Spadina and Queens Quay after hip hop class, I looked up at the sky and watched the snow come down as Sarah Slean's California came on my iPod. Oddly enough, it felt so fitting... Not so much the lyrics, but more the music itself. On the other hand, all this snow is making me think of Christmas... I'm finding myself missing L.A. and NYC more and more these days. Maybe Toronto's boring me. Who knows...

I got John Legend's album Evolver a couple of weeks ago and I've got to say that I'm really loving it. One song that I'm really into is Everybody Knows. Something about the song itself is a bit different from the usual John Legend and I think that's why I like it so much.

Even better than Evolver is Raphael Saadiq's Sometimes. It's so uplifting. I'm not a heavily religious man myself, but his whole album The Way I See It makes me look at the greater scope of life; think less about my life and more about the world. And the song makes me think of the Temptations, The Jacksons, and all the greatest soul artists.With music these days constantly following mainstream with a slight change, it's really nice to hear something totally different, totally new, in an oldies kind of way. Something about re-inventing the old (when done right) really attracts me.


watch Raphael Saadiq - Sometimes >

daw jai pei yaht.

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Joyeux Jour de Merci-Donner! Went to Montréal pour le weekend. It was so good to see the gathering of the three generations of the family. Spending the weekend in suburbia was a nice change of pace from living in the city (even though a few hours was spent shopping downtown).

While driving up to Montréal and back, we got to see the colourful scenery of the changing leaves. It was so beautiful. Between Kingston and Belleville, there's a stretch where the trees just run alongside the highway; it resembles a wall of colourful cloud. I wish I took so photos. I've only got myself to blame though, since it was a 9 hour drive afterall. I'll be going northbound this Saturday to go shoot some photos. Hopefully, they won't be dead and brown by then...

On the way back to Toronto, I was listening to Radio-Canada (French station) to keep myself awake and my brain active by translating. And I heard a song que j'ai vraiment aimé. It was an interview about un nouveau artiste. Je pense qu'il est un Québecois. I have yet to do some research on him, but I did find that song on YouTube. J'échoue par Alexandre Désilets. C'est un pretty chill song. Enjoyez-le. Hon hon.


J'échoue par Alexandre Désilets >

so you can cry.

Taking a quick break from some sketching and planning a side project. Haven't really drawn in a while and it feels pretty good, actually. It's only been a week and already I feel like I need another vacation, haha. I came back to a pile of work and a couple of get togethers with friends, so I haven't had time to clean up that dump I call my room.

I got the Ne-Yo's new album Year of the Gentleman off of Migz, and I'm really digging the tracks. My faves: So You Can Cry, Fade Into The Background, Nobody, Miss Independent. And because I listen to quite a bit of George Michael, I noticed that Ne-Yo's song Nobody had this very George Michael feel to it. A while later, I realized that the background beat sounded very similar to George Michael's Cars and Trains. It bothered me for a while that I didn't know where that came from.


So You Can Cry - Ne-Yo >

Oh another discovery!! I don't have to play my music from my shitty laptop speakers anymore! I can plug in my iPod to my XBox 360 and play it off my sweetass TV! Wait til I get surround sound, baby... So much to shop for, so little money, haha. Time to start saving. El sigh...

hold your own, know your name.

I think 2008 is a year of personal reflection for a lot of us. It seems as though quite a few people I care for and love are going through some rougher times this year, especially nearing this summer's end. I'm glad I can be there for you as you have for me. Whatever your troubles are, you have to believe and think positively. We'll get through this together. Take care of yourselves first. You deserve it. Thanks for all your support.


Details in the Fabric - Jason Mraz

I wanted to write more. I've been really hooked on this Korean drama series called My Girl that Nataly showed me... But I'm not in as good of a mood as I was when I first started writing the above. So needless to say, I don't really feel like sharing right now.

right into the... danger zone!

Went karaoking Saturday night after a semi-awkward dinner with friends. We went to XO Karaoke at Bloor and Clinton, just east of Christie in Koreatown. I haven't k'ed in what felt to be a long while, so it was really fun. I liked some of the song selections they had there, but I didn't like their controls. We couldn't turn the singing pitch on for some reason, so it totally relied on our voices alone. I still preferred BMB over XO.

I had an awesome time singing Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine. I think I did an alright Axl Rose... 2.25 hours later, I was the only one left singing. Nataly, uncle Siu, Rachel, and Lisa were all tired and ready to pass out... On our way home, Nataly and I found 3 pieces of chicken wings and a fry on the streetcar floor. It looked extremely appetizing...

The Canadian International Air Show was at the Ex this long weekend. All weekend I had to listen to sonic booms from jet fighters soaring through the skies by the waterfront. It was cool at first, but eventually it got loud and annoying. Then I thought to myself that it must be what the citizens of Middle Eastern countries at war hear every day and night, but without the feeling of security and safety...


The chicken wings and fry.


Rogers Centre. Walking my way home from Union Station


F-18 Hornet above the Toronto Island Airport.


Same F-18


F-18 Hornet flying right into the Danger Zone!

i turned around, the future was now.

August isn't completely over yet, but I'll be really busy for the next little while, so I figured I'd post this month's top 15 on my playlist early. Miguel for the past couple of days has been introducing me to a lot of music I don't normally listen to. I won't lie. He really opened some doors for me. One of the artists he intro'ed me is Sam Sparro. This boi is sick. I've been really feelin' his song 21st Century Life today. Not to mention the craziness of his video. I love it. I had this song on repeat all afternoon, and it upped my productivity level almost 200%!

Another few songs that I had on repeat for more than a day were Viva La Vida and the Halo 2 theme song. I really like that Coldplay song, but the music video is really retarded. It kind of ruined the song a bit for me, actually. Ne-Yo's new singles are pretty hot right now, and John Legend's too. Can't wait til the new albums come out. Anyway, if you have any suggestions on new music I should check out, feel free to do so. I'm open to anything.

Music of the month for August:

1. 21st Century Life - Sam Sparro
2. Miss Independent - Ne-Yo
3. Green Light - John Legend feat. Andre 3000
4. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
5. Closer - Ne-Yo
6. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
7. Life is Wonderful - Jason Mraz
8. Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
9. Black and Gold - Sam Sparro
10. Lovers in Japan - Coldplay
11. Hot Mess - Sam Sparro
12. Round Here - Counting Crows
13. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
14. Heart of Life - John Mayer
15. Halo 2 (Mjolnir Remix) - Martin O'Donnell

fire in the sky.

As I was biking home from oyster dinner at Rodney's, there was a dark purple cloud looming overhead. A storm's a brewin'. But what really caught my eye was the fiery orange clouds glowing from the horizon. I couldn't help but bike faster to get to the Bathurst bridge (South of Front) to get some shots in. Luckily I had the camera with me and got there before the sun set completely. It felt as if the gods were angry. Yet it was so beautiful...

And with that said, that song by Ne-Yo, When You're Mad just popped into my head. I'm really excited to make my August CD. Got some pretty good ol' school songs I want to burn on it. But I just want to wait til the end of the month in case I hear something new or someone intros me to something better. But to name a few: Smashing Pumpkins' 1979 and Disarm, Counting Crows' Round Here and Mr. Jones, John Mayer's Heart of Life, Common's So Far To Go.

There's a couple of unmentioned songs that I know you'll find incriminating. And I'll admit, I'm ashamed to even have it on my considered list right now, but this is my list, not your list. And my list is full of fun and variety. I'll only mention one as a preview of how bad it gets, haha. Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It by Will Smith. That's right. I said it. The Fresh Prince himself. If you think the song is bad, you gotta check out the video. And don't be judgin' me, cause I know you've danced to this song at one point or another!!

Those oysters didn't fill me up one bit. Nor did that smoked salmon. Time to scrounge for food...


Facing West on the Bathurst Bridge North of Fort York Boulevard


Facing West on the Bathurst Bridge North of Fort York Boulevard


Facing West on the Bathurst Bridge North of Fort York Boulevard


Facing North at Queens Quay and Bathurst.


Facing North at Queens Quay and Bathurst.

Stop this Train

I had this thing going since May or so where I made a CD for the songs I would discover for each month. The CD for June never got burnt, this is a bit of a combination of june and July. And with the past two months, i've been listening to music that's a lot more familiar to what I used to listen to. I guess the bit of grounding I needed. I'm tempted to list the whole Discovery album from Daft Punk, but I decided it wouldn't be fair to all the other songs I've been crazy about.

Music of the month for June and July in no particular order:

1. Voyager - Daft Punk
2. Stop this Train - John Mayer
3. Face to Face - Daft Punk
4. Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
5. Dreaming with a Broken Heart - John Mayer
6. Desert Rose - Sting
7. Nostrand - Ratatat
8. Aerodynamic - Daft Punk
9. Something About Us - Daft Punk
10. Lex - Ratatat
11. Fast Love - George Michael
12. Kennedy - Ratatat
13. Who's Gonna Save My Soul - Gnarls Barkley
14. Fields of Gold - Sting
15. November Rain - Guns N Roses

It's been a pretty eventful week. I have an even more eventful weekend coming up. And my brother's in town for a month! Excitement gallore. Currently working on a stop motion animation of John and Richard dancing from karaoke a few weeks to a month back. Nothing more on Spidey yet. Too many mini-projects on the side, plus the dayjob. Have a good long weekend.

And if you're traveling out of town via bus this weekend, beware of "robotic" unfeeling asian Terminators. Man, this guy is making all of us asians look bad. Have a great long weekend.

type type typolution

it's been a pretty hectic week so far. there's been a lot of weird occurrences and low energy everywhere. been tired all day with a killer headache, but ended up going indoor rock climbing with my uncle and his friends. pretty awesome, i must say. took my headache away for a while.

had to do some research at work and i ran into something pretty amazing. pure typography animation. it must've taken so long to create... listening to that song from ratatat, it made me miss bloor st so much. summer 2007 was fantabulous.

anyway, here it is. in case you can't see it, link here.

what a feelin'

james d. sent me this link early this morning to a video and got flashdance's what a feeling stuck in my head all. day. long. but i couldn't stop watching the video... it was so addictive. so dramatic. so inspiring. so passionate. so amazing. the animation mainly. and the quality of the stop motion. anyway, feast your eyes on this video (link here if you can't see it).

Mandalorian Dance
by PatrickBoivin

i've wanted to do my own stop-motion since february now, but i don't have any toys nearly as articulate as the one they used for this boba fett flashdance animation. probably gonna drop by silver snail this week to look for one. pretty hyped up to get started with it!

in other news, i got me papa's digital slr while i was in montreal. i can finally start takin some quality pictures! oh, what a feeelin!! i can have it all! take your passion and make it happen!! oh god, where would i be without 80's music... oh and music came back into my life. it was gone for a good week. nothing a little mj couldn't fix. again, where would i be without the 80's.

oh one last thing! this really marks my age, but hey, you'll get old too. anyone remember bmx bandits with nicole kidman in it? the movie came out in 1983, but i never saw it in theatres in english. watched it in french on beta tape. that's right. beta. i youtubed it this morning and well... i gotta say. it brings back memories with the music and the tricks and all. i always wanted one of those masks and the whole costume. it was so rad back then. much like the powerglove.

can you hear me.

oh my god... shoes.

good news, good news. spring officially began last thursday at 1:28pm... upon hearing that, i was all excited to kick it off with some new kicks. that didn't happen. my shoes are still in the box. snow is still falling. there's still salt residue on the ashphalt. not impressed. nonetheless, i still have a brand new pair of shoes waiting to replace my nasty-ass lacoste shoes. bought them at scarpino's at queen and john next to second cup last month, while looking for a pair of boots. pretty good buy. my next purchase will most likely be a windbreaker for my biking needs, when spring actually comes...



i now officially own thriller 25, thanks to erin. been listening to it quite a bit. sick tracks, though i'm not a big fan of the akon remix of wanna be startin' something. and even less so of fergie's beat it. horrible. i can't wait til mj's new album comes out. eshwin and i had plans to make a crazy mj dedication animation for fun, but that's as far as it got. planned... haha. meanwhile, i started taking some dance classes in hopes to learn some of mj's moves, but i realized how little flow and rhythm i have. so i'm going to have to be patient. in time though, you'll be saying to me "keep on, with the force don't stop. don't stop til you get enough."