Photography

I like to dabble in photography from time to time so here are some snapshots from my adventures : Gallery

Getting back on track

Two years ago… I would have scorned if someone told me that everything will be okay. That time heals and with it, new found possibilities arise. Because I feel, when you hit that graduation point of your first degree, life looks immensely bleak and stale. Oddly enough, you could have a wonderful job and shiny new things that come with it right after you get out of college. Yet it just doesn’t seem enough. Something is missing. Its not there on the surface and to everybody else, it looks like you have got everything a young adult hopes for. Its just not what you hoped for as a child, as a teenager and now as an adult.

I craved true satisfaction over money, prospects and fame. I wanted to wake up every day and feel like I was reaching for the stars not for the stapler across the desk. When I was dealt a rough hand of extremely disappointing cards, I almost gave up. Where was my happy ending? Months of soul searching lead to even more heartbreak. I am just a woebegone cog in the machine. Why wasn’t I happy? Why did I feel like such a failure?

There came a time in my life where I had to make a decision. Do I give up or pursue something else? I thought, let us just give it an extra couple of pushes to see what I’m gonna get. And that’s when the first ray of hope shone into my life. Those people were right, things are going to be okay. They won’t be perfect, but I have a lifetime to perfect them. How did it happen? I just decided to go another way. When one door shuts, you simply pick up your stuff and move to the next one. Surely at some point, one of them will open. And you’ll be a stronger, seasoned individual who can push that bloody door open.

Now I have all these ideas bursting every moment, keeping me from sleeping at night. Wonderful ideas that charter maps of my life in multiple destinations. I am excited to live, to keep learning and to love. The trivialities of your life will coexist with your dreams. There is profound truth to the statement that you are the only one who can save you from yourself.

Amsterdam

I had the amazing opportunity to go to Amsterdam in March. It was the first time I have ever been in Europe. It was vastly different from my usual trips where the sun shines 24/7 and there’s someone at my beck and call if I need anything. Amsterdam has a life of its own. Being from the Greater Toronto Area, I found that navigating Amsterdam is easy. It took us less than a day to figure out the main tram and metro stops. The layout is simple and its a tiny place. This is a relief for someone like me who is going off on my own for the first time where I am not confined to my all inclusive resort.

The one thing that really helped me out on this trip was the I Amsterdam Card. Its a dandy red tourist card that is valid from 1 -3 days depending on which one you purchase that gives you unlimited access to public transport, one redeemable canal cruise around the city and free entrances to heck lot of museums and discounts to restaurants and shows. On the contrary, if you don’t plan on doing much sight seeing, I would suggest renting a bike or buying a 3 day public transport chip card. Everyone speaks English quite fluently so asking for directions or obtaining information doesn’t have to involve miming antics.

I found that my boyfriend and I were able to manage 80-100 euros a day between the both of us for food and drinks. Granted we only ate twice a day since the meal portions at the places we went to were pretty large. One of the best things about this city is the unlimited options. The streets are lined with rows and rows of restaurants that master in different cuisines. Whether you want Dutch, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Portugese, Indian, Arabic or Vietnamese, its all here. I recommend this over hotel restaurants as they charge you an arm and a leg for mediocre food. The Albert Heijn convenience store is almost at every corner which we utilized to buy water and snacks once we retired for the night. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and carry a small bag that can fit an umbrella, light coat and change of clothes. The weather is really unpredictable here. Although we went in March, it was unbelievably cold, windy, sunny, warm and rainy in the same day. Note that the city retires early so do not be surprised if you see places close as early as 7 or 8 o clock.

The scenery is breathtaking. It is exactly how they show in the movies. I couldn’t get enough pictures and absorb the beauty of crumbling old architecture, the rich culture of every street and the stories behind them. We wandered through the city a lot which is very time consuming. The following are the popular places I visited during my 6 day stay there.

1. Anne Frank Museum
2. Van Gogh Museum
3. Flower Market
4. Artis Royal Zoo
5. Oude Kerk
6. Red Light District

Word of Advice to those who are unfamiliar with airlines. While it is appealing to save money on airfare and book the cheaper options that have layovers, US Airways was our biggest mistake. They cancelled our flight, rescheduled us 3 times to the point where we were sure we would miss our connection flight. Its such a hassle. One is better off paying an extra few hundred bucks and going with a direct flight.

The Guide to a Travel Buddy

Nobody wants to be stuck thousands of miles away from home with a person they hate. It may start off with smiles and years of friendship tucked under the belt. The defining difference is that comfort of being home and seeing the person on occasion at a bar or for a movie is not the same as being with them 24 hours of the day in a new environment detached from everyone else. Everyone says travelling is incredible. The experiences from one vacation can chock up memories and adventure that can last you a lifetime. But it can also be the most stressful and an absolutely horrific experience if you don’t do it right. There are different ways to go about travelling and there is no size fits all when it comes to it. As a zealous voyager, I feel sad when people are put off because of the bad experiences they have had, most of which were preventable. So here’s a mini guide to determining the right travel buddy for the serious traveller.

The Don’ts

1. Don’t travel with someone you have never had a fight with

If a 100% of your interactions with this person is formal and nice, always shooting the shit over drinks and food or a friendly game or two, then neither of you know the other personally. Whenever you see them, they are put together. This may not necessarily be a bad thing but if you have to spend time with a person for a week in a foreign country and you’re confronted with a random argument, things can be pretty awkward for the rest of the trip. Imagine sitting next to them on the flight if you’re not speaking to each other.

2. Don’t travel with someone whom you fight with constantly

You are not in a relationship with them but everybody hates you two because you fight and argue non-stop like a bitter couple. They are not the right companion. There is nothing more awkward than being in a strange street with the locals staring at two tourists fighting over which way to go. Or being on a flight with two people who are bickering over which movie to watch.  Just no.

3. Don’t travel with someone if you don’t know their personal lifestyle

Does this person get up at 4 am and bang cymbals for a religious ritual? This would be good thing to find out before you embark on a journey with them. Especially if you plan on sharing a hotel room together, find out what their hygiene habits are, if they snore and how they carry themselves at home. Are they loud? Are they messy? Do they take 5 years to get ready?

4. Don’t travel with the emotional bitch

She might make you laugh so hard that beer might shoot out of your nose. But no one’s going to be laughing when she decides to swear at you for no reason. Emotions and sensitivity are wonderful traits but they also need to be kept in check. You are already under a lot of pressure and stress to see through that you’re fed, you’re in the right place at the right time and all your stuff is in order. You don’t need another “carry on” who decides the trip is the best time to be upset and mopey or do irrational things because they just went through a break up. They are not ready for any trip. They need ice cream and Netflix.

 The Green Signals

1. You know them really well

You know their history, you know their work, their goals and ambitions. You know that they have some weird and quirky habits like they blow dry their toes after showering. You know they like to read Charles Dickens but watch Mean Girls. That they like their coffee black because it reminds them of the pit of hell. There’s knowing facts and then there’s really knowing a person and the little things about them. You don’t need to be best friends for decades for this. Often there’s a connection.

2. You have similar interests

I travel to learn about culture and also to relax. My sister likes to lie on a beach and do nothing. This can cause a lot of conflict. Dragging a lazy person a thousand stairs to see the view will only result in resentment. If you both like to travel to the same place and see similar things, that’s a big and important plus. It also gives you general topics of conversation that you can have actual debate and discussion over.

3. Silence is comfortable

My SO and I sometimes cannot shut up. Other times we are so quiet but we exist in each other’s presence without a single moment of awkwardness. I find this to be an overlooked fact when people decide to go places. Account for the possibility of delay, waiting times and dead moments during your trip. If you cannot stay close to a person without feeling the need to say something, I would rethink to the decision to travel with them.

4. Trust

Last but not the least, trust is an important factor. You are 100% responsible for your own life and belongings but there needs to be some rudimentary element of trust between travelling companions. There’s private documentation, money and personal space involved. If there’s no trust, I don’t see any point in proceeding further with the trip planning.

When The Douche Shares An Article on Dating Etiquette

As is my daily customary routine, I scroll through my Facebook news feed to keep my social life up to date. Of all the rowdy, gross, crass material I glance through on a regular basis, one particular misplaced sense of self awoke a response in me that nothing else worse could. Maybe because I like to point out ironies that happen in my life or receive drama with unforgiving sarcasm. Nevertheless, this particular instance managed to become a misstep in the theatrical weave of my social life and I just could not let it go.

When known players share articles on dating, the irony is just stark naked to everybody. But it makes me wonder if that person even realizes how hypocritical he’s being. I mean how does somebody go through their life without realizing the kind of person they have chosen to become? Doesn’t key words in the article like “one night stand” or “Tinder” or simply the word “dating” make some association in your brain? Doesn’t it directly link to the actions you perform daily? Dating is a term only singles or those in complicated relationships use to notify the opposite party that it’s not going any place yet. Or to simply signify that they are in the early stages where exclusivity has not been laid out on the table. Nothing about the term dating implies sincerity, love or longevity. For Pete’s sake, its the verb form of the word “date”. So when a guy who spells the word consultant as constant suddenly shares this article on his otherwise clubbing photos and raunchy posts filled profile, it does evoke a not so pleasant response in me. Partly because the content of that article is probably something a lot of genuinely romantic people believe in. And partly because when a bunch of like minded individuals like him in their short clubbing dresses and pushed up boobs talk about how they feel the same way, you wonder how come they are spending all their time transforming themselves into walking a sex magnet in order to attract attention on the very social media sites that they criticize. What you are preaching is not what you practice and therefore does not give you the right to hold onto such an opinion.

There is no “slut” shaming at play here. I am simply indicating that the way a person behaves and presents themselves should correlate to the crap that comes out of their mouths. After all, when does someone take a priest who preaches all things high and mighty at the church and then goes out partying seriously? They don’t. The new age meanings have created a healthy jumble of ideas that do not come in judgement enclosed boxes. But that does not mean you can go around and do whatever you want and then judge everybody else for doing the exact same thing as you.

Conquering Book Block

More commonly known as reading slump but I call it book block because that’s my little quirk. It’s quite the bummer to be stuck in one of these because you want to read but the words slur right in front of your eyes or your mind gets carried away with anything to escape those words. You start hating everything about the book including the way it sits on your desk with the bookmark on the second page, that weird, annoying spot where it doesn’t really need a bookmark but it just doesn’t seem right without it. As someone who enjoyed books so much that she pretended to be sick during gym so she could read at the library, book block really puts a damper on everything. I lagged behind my reading lists, I couldn’t join any virtual book clubs and I practically felt like I was disintegrating into my illiterate preschool ways. What is frustrating on top of this is that I can’t bring myself to read on long, boring flights or car rides. I actually sit and stare out of the window, feeling like a literal living impression of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. I’m sure the meaning behind that painting was different but I was a melting clock of ennui.

There are so many ways to conquer book block and I am sure most of them work for everyone but I have had no success with them. Taking a break just ends up with me not reading for a long while, which is not a very desirable solution. I use it as a last resort when all else fails. Reading a short book doesn’t make any sense to me because its still words and its not so much the length but the fact that I don’t want to feel like I’m getting through it. I want to enjoy it every step of the way and be engaged. The age of technology has strenuous effects on our eyes and we are constantly forced to eye words and numbers on screens for the majority of our working lives. So when its unavoidable, the key is to change things up.

I have a specified genre that I tend to lean towards every time I need to pick a book. Although I try to dabble in everything, most of what I have read are old classics by Dickens, Austen and gothic fiction like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Here and there, I like to read biographies of famous people that I admire or respect. Recently I have expanded to dystopian young adult fiction like The Hunger Games and Delirium. I tried to incorporate fantasy and sci fi with Diana Gabaldon and Brent Weeks but it only caused me severe Book Block. During that period, there were some things I tried that helped me get back into the groove.

Just like comfort food, comfort books is a thing. They are books that you are familiar with and usually like to read. Some readers reread series but I cannot read the same book twice. Instead I guess what I do is go back to a comfort genre. Read books from a genre that is your all time favorite. It buoys you along without demanding much. For me that would be to pick up a different Edgar Allen Poe book. Another thing I like to do is steal a book that my friends are reading. This may sound odd but taking a book away from someone or even sharing a book that you are both reading at the same time throws in a bit of excitement. It gives you that feeling that you won’t be reading for too long or that your friend is ahead and you want to know what’s going on as well. This is of course not exactly viable but that being said is very doable as long as they are okay with it. The last and the best thing I personally like to do is watch the movie if there is an adaption based on the book. For a lot of traditional readers, this is a giant no no. I find that watching the movie gives me an idea of what to expect and gets me excited about the book. Sometimes its great to know what happens next. The key points in the books makes you all worked up and instantly turns the book into a page turner. Try it out, maybe it might work.

All things considered, sometimes a short break might be the best thing to do. Or if absolutely nothing works, then the book just probably sucks.

Mexico

Honestly, this year I thought I would not be going anywhere. After graduation, with the onset of a career and adult responsibilities that were thrust upon my 22 year old shoulders, I assumed I was too deep in the waters to take a break no matter how well deserved. Student loans need to be paid off and every pay check is carefully budgeted for all the expenses. November rolled around and I was at my wit’s end. The tough blows of life cannot be sustained merely by pushing through every day and hoping for something to happen. Every cog after all needs to be oiled to run smoothly in the machine. So I made the conscientious decision to take a last minute trip to somewhere sunny with palatial treatment. A regal affair for the average working girl. Keeping financial matters in mind, naturally I inclined to visit the beautiful country of Mexico.

December is usually peak season for sunny destinations due to the high demand. My favourite agents to work with for all inclusive packages are SellOffVacations, ITravel2000, and RedTag. There are no surprises with them as what you see on paper is what you get. As long as you have the right documentation and information on where you are supposed to be, they will assist you. From Pearson to Cancun International, the journey is roughly 4 hours or less. Just make it a point to re read every bit of detail before paying for your trip. We chose a 4 day trip to Riviera Maya at Grand Bahia Principe Coba Resort. Its a 4.5 star hotel and its sister resort is the Tulum one which is 3 minutes away from Coba and is 5 stars. I absolutely loved the service of the staff at the resort. The resort itself was large, well decorated and beautiful. Our rooms were spacious with a little dining area next to our bed. The buffet was nothing special but they had a decent variety. A la carte restaurants were a lot better in terms of quality and taste. I went to their Italian and Steakhouse restaurants. All things in moderation and the trip would not be confined to the bathroom as far as my rules go.

WestJet and BD Travels work together to provide its flyers with a lot of touring options albeit on the more expensive side. But the outcome is that you have a worry free, hassle free and safe trip. Especially with the violence and deaths that’s being hyped on the news, most Canadians are weary about travelling to Mexico. Paying a little more to ensure that you don’t have any surprises seems very worth it to me. We visited Chichen Itza and Playa Del Carmen. Chichen Itza is a 2.5 hour drive from our resort but the tour guide keeps you entertained with the history of the Mayan culture and has samples of the calendars and the writings. There’s not much to see on the way so mostly we napped since it was an early start. They are organized and strict about their schedule and give you timings and meet up areas for each spot. I enjoyed that because I didn’t want to wait for people to show up at their own leisure or lose out on seeing one thing because there was no time. There’s a lot of opportunities for shopping especially at Chichen Itza but you need to bring your A game in haggling.

Kukulkan Pyramid, one of the seven wonders of the Modern World was magnificent. Having our guide tell us neat stories and facts about the debunked myths and actual significance makes it seem all the more fascinating. I was amused by the fact that Chichen Itza was used as the foundation for the animated movie, The Road to El Dorado. The view was beautiful and we roamed around for a bit snapping pictures of everything that we could possibly find. I recommend this trip for those history buffs. They inculcated a trip to the planetarium which is really educational although if you are really tired, its also an amazing place to take a nap.

Mexico does get chilly at night during December so be sure to pack more than one sweater and long pants. Hiking shoes are crucial for those looking to book expeditions. The resorts are very safe although wandering at night in the middle of nowhere is still not recommended. The beach and poolside tend to get crowded during the day so leaving earlier in the morning is a good idea. Tulum is beautiful, both the weather and scenery. From Coba, you take golf cart like vehicles over to Tulum to access the beach or their restaurants. Over all, I had a great experience and relaxing vacation. I would definitely come back again.

Don’t Be A Travelling Snob

Scenario: You are at a bar with your friends on a Saturday night and two guys (or girls) approach you during the night. Both are equal in terms of physical appeal and gentility which is what makes the first impression. Now you start speaking to them. The first person is your average joe with a nice job and some palatable common sense. He has a sense of how things should be and is set in his ways. Which is not a terrible thing but it also cuts down on a lot of topics you can freely engage in. Now this is assuming that you are a person who has been some places, met a variety of people during your college days and partook in at least one social activist movement directly or indirectly at that time. You meet the second person who also has a decent job and an average education. But he has been around the world and divulged in academia that merits his liberal sociological perspective. You are more interested in his stories because he does not speak like somebody who gets his facts from one news channel or whose stories converge around alcoholic endeavours.

As the night progresses, you start to realize that most of the conversation involves him correcting your experiences, telling you where to go and what to see and bragging about how he’s been to all the cool places that you haven’t been yet because you are still saving up. Or he may not brag about where he’s been but try and preach about why he chose some unconventional lifestyle of fruit and worshipping a shoe because he learned about it on a trip. Frankly, I would just politely end the conversation and take my leave. The person obviously does not understand that maybe I haven’t been around the entire world yet because my bank account isn’t as hefty as his. Or perhaps, my dreams and goals are a little bit different than his. If they took some time to listen to what I have to say, then they would know why I would have certain barriers or restrictions. Judging me and undermining my life is not impressing me in any way.

Travelling is a sexy attribute. A person who travels whenever they can, both locally and globally, is constantly challenged by competing views. They are cajoled into shifting their paradigm of thoughts and learning the art of tolerance. Books cannot truly capture the essence of a culture or articulate the beauty of a land because they will always be biased and language is unfortunately limited. It must at some point be  absorbed by our own senses. However, there is a percentage of us out there who use it as a tool to be condescending and hand out judgement like its their job. They make the rest weary of being open to ideas. Human beings are naturally averse to change and imposing it in a pretentious manner only drives us farther away. The underlying goal of travelling should always be to learn humility. A person who has seen the world knows that ultimately he or she knows nothing and finds solace in that understanding. These days globalization has made that easy for us because of the multicultural societies we live in. It brings knowledge from around the world right to our neighbourhood. This is also a form of travelling. To grow spiritually is far better than any souvenir you can bring back from a trip.

Things I Do A Week Before I Go On Vacation

This is my personal list of things I like to take care of before I go on vacation. I find that doing this stuff during the week before helps me stay stress free during my much needed vacay.

1. Book a salon appointment

About a day or couple of days before my plane is set to take off, I book an appointment with my trusted salon. This long session involves just a full body wax. I want to be able to put on my bathing suits or shorts without having to worry about stubble and burns for at least a week and I find that a full body wax allows me to feel comfortable in my own skin. I like to do this at least two days before to allow the redness and sensitivity to tone down or the sudden exposure to heat and other environmental factors can really irritate your skin. Some of my girlfriends like to go the extra step and get a full manicure and pedicure or facial. This is perfectly fine unless your trip is more of an excursion where you will be getting your hands dirty. An alternative is to make a spa day at home with some DIY products for all you fancy ladies who are good at that stuff. I personally have a guaranteed home remedy that helps clear up my skin almost instantly which I like to use so that I don’t have to worry about wearing makeup all the time.

2. Prepare my phone

I have my trusted phone which is the one stop for my all my vital needs. I use it to play my music but the sheer fact is that this is music I listen to every day. On a plane or bus ride that is hours long, listening to the same music that you just listened to the other day gets tedious and boring. What I like to do before I go is to make a few  themed handy playlists.Some of my favorites include having some 90s hip hop, top ten and sometimes albums of mainstream artists that I haven’t listened to.  Maybe even add an audio-book of something you have been meaning to get to for a while. I also like to transfer all my photos and contacts onto my computer before I go as a back up measure. I have lost my phone before but losing it in a different country is a whole other battle I don’t feel like fighting. At least, this way I know its all safe at home. Besides, this gives you more space to store the countless photos you will be taking when you don’t have your camera handy.

3. Inform the officials about my trip

I always call my phone company, my credit card company and even inform my neighbors about my trip. This is especially important for those of you who live alone because the whole week you are gone, your neighbors will keep an eye out for you, that is if you are on good terms with them. As for your phone and credit card, it is a big hassle if you are going to rack up some international roaming charges or if your credit card is blocked because you decided to purchase some expensive item from seven seas far. Just taking 10 min out of your time to let them know can save a lot of trouble.

4. Get rid of fresh produce

My family made the dire mistake of leaving bananas out while we went away for a couple of weeks. We come back home to an infestation of fruit flies. It took us almost a month to get rid of every single one of them. Ever since then, I try and either eat all the fruit that is lying around and empty out my fridge before I take off or I give them away.

5. Turn off and lock EVERYTHING

This is of course, the last minute step that needs to be done before going on a trip.  I personally recommend unplugging the extension cords and turning off the main switches so that you don’t have to worry about getting to every lamp you have at home. In addition, there’s the stove and water that needs to be thoroughly checked just to be on the safe side. Lock away the important documents, the windows, the back door, the garage and the front door. Give someone you trust a back up key just in case you forgot about any of these things. I may sound crazy but you just can’t be too safe these days.

Keep calm and have a wonderful trip!

Modeling – An Exposé on My Short Lived Experience

We all know about the basic facts of being a successful model. The Wonder Woman height requirements coupled with the body proportions of Tinker Bell is the only way you will even be considered for both runway and high fashion modelling. Oh, and you have to bathe in the pool of eternal youth because once you’re out of that perfect age range, apparently that means you look like a witch now. Out of all the women I have ever met in my life, I can maybe say that two people met those requirements. So the next step would be to explore other areas of modelling that is not height restricted. We are then given options such as glamour or promo modelling. As long as you have a decent face and an hour glass figure that can be primped with make up and push up bras, you have a shot. These are however once again bound by age. If you do not look young and the camera cannot make you look young during auditions or casting, game over for you. Now your last and final option is commercial and catalog modeling. Here is where the rejects from fashion, runway and glamour modeling resort to going when all those doors have been rudely shut in their faces after making them feel terrible about their bodies. But the truth is you are a nobody in commercial modeling if you don’t have the right connections or exposure. If you are just starting out but you already know that fashion and runway are no gos for you, then you may as well give up and find something stable and dignifying.

I never wanted to be a model. I fancied the idea of dressing up and walked the imaginary catwalk in my living room but it was never an endgame to my education or goals in life. I always had a very realistic perception about my appearance and was never fooled into thinking that I was the ideal muse that the fashion world quested for. A couple of years back, however I was scouted at my university. A little bit about me before we go on so that you have a better understanding of the situation. I am a brunette with light olive skin and my measurements are 34-23-34  but my “debilitating” factor was the fact that I was only 5’4. Either way, being the open minded and adventure seeking person that I am, I decided to meet with the director of the agency. It would after all be an experience that I can talk about later. I played the  cautious card and put everything else that was going in my life before modeling because deep down I knew it would not pan out for someone like me.

The directors were these two middle aged women: a retired model and a casting agent. They proceeded to give me a rundown of how the fashion world works and what was expected of me. They analyzed my every feature and only praised me. I was flawless in their eyes. Sounds good, right? I came in for a photo-shoot, had my portfolio set up and cards printed. I was in the roster and I was signed on by an agency. During the test shoot, I was met with more flattery and compliments about my natural talents as a model. So I thought that maybe there was some truth to their words because after all, why would they sign on someone who would not bring them any revenue? They kept telling me that I would be called for auditions all the time so I have to be prepared to go whenever the opportunity came up. Here I was thinking that I have to always have my hair, face and nails done just in case. One fact about me is that I do not like wearing make up and doing my hair all the time. Thankfully I was blessed with a decent face that was good enough to be shown in public so I avoided painting it. On top of that, I am a nail biter. So only fake nails go on these babies because no manicure will fix the damage I do to them every day.

And thus began my waiting. After a few weeks, I realized these women had flat out lied to me because I waited for two months before my first audition. Once again, I began to hope that maybe this might work out a lot better than I expected it to. There I was, going to my first audition at 4 pm on a Friday for a print catalog. It was in downtown Toronto and it was rush hour. So I traveled for an hour or something and then waited in the room for half an hour for an audition that lasted 2 minutes. They took a photo of me, complimented my waist size and sent me about my way. I never heard from them. They were displeased with the fact that I did not have my comp cards on me but I explained to them that I was just starting out and they were still in the process of getting printed. I informed this to my agents who told me it was not a big deal. What I did not realize that since I was on a payment plan for the all the services I used, they would obviously wait till all the money came in before they printed all my material. Auditions came in every few months and it was for really back end roles like for some unknown band’s music video or for the poster of a science center where they only want your eye. I couldn’t believe that they were hosting auditions for an EYE.

One thing I learned was that your agents never give you the full information. Its always a simple email stating the time, place and type of audition. They never help you out with attire, or give you a detailed description of the role even though they know you are completely new to this profession. I mean after all, you can’t exactly ask the casting director or photographer. That is a big no no. All questions must go to your agent. Another thing they never tell you is how payment works. The contract defines some generic definition of how the payment is supposed to work but I found myself running around trying to figure out who paid me. I landed a small, insignificant role in a music video that I never got paid for. The only reason I made it through these disheartening, chaotic mess of a modelling “career” is due to my SO who was around to drive me places and patiently wait for every audition. You cannot pay for that kind of commitment and my gratitude to him knows no bounds.

Throughout this ordeal, I was told by my agents that my looks were not sought after because I was not blond or blue eyed. That my name was too hard to pronounce so different casting directors ignored my profile. I was once given trouble for not putting on any make up. I mean, was it that wrong of me to assume that the basic rule of going for your role is to be completely natural because they always have a makeup artist and hair stylist at the location? The shallow reasons kept piling and piling on top of each other until I find reached the end of my year long contract. I sent them a short email saying to get me out of this misery. I decided to be the bigger person and not give them a piece of my mind. After all, they would just come back at me with the most transparent excuses.

My struggle is nothing compared to the harsh realities some international models face when starting anew in fashion hubs like New York or Los Angeles. I can only imagine what someone new to the country with a language barrier, no job or support system must go through to break in. However for someone who did not attempt for the high ropes and decided to go with what she got, these are some truths worth looking into before making the decision of whether modeling is worth it.

 

My Childhood Inspired Destinations

When I was a little girl, I used to read beyond my reading level. I was immersed in the worlds crafted by classic authors from all over the world. Then I grew up and learned that much of the fiction was inspired either by real life events or landscapes. Sometimes both. So in middle school, when all my classmates dreamed of seeing The Eiffel Tower and The Great Wall of China, I had a few different ideas. Here is a quaint list of places that I want to visit because they are the closest versions of those fantasy worlds I grew up with. Mind you, this list is a bit crude because I am trying to recall memories from almost a decade ago.

1. Bran Castle, Romania

I have always been mesmerized by Gothic art and literature from both the Victorian era and prior. I immensely enjoyed works of Edgar Allen Poe and R.L Stevenson as a child. Dracula was my attempt to get acquainted with Gothic horror. The descriptions of the castle by Bram Stoker has been rumored to closely resemble that of Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula’s castle. I know most of it has been dismissed and even if true, exist as mere speculations but nevertheless one can still imagine a vampire crawling through the castle rooftop at night. Romania houses some of the vampire genre’s most precious landmarks like the Carpathian Mountains and of course, almost all of Transylvania.

2. New York, New York

I actually did have the opportunity to visit this marvelous city. Perhaps it does not belong to this list because it goes without saying that there are far too many conventional reasons to visit New York and it is a staple go-to for many travelers. But my reasons were a little bit different. A big part of me wanted to live and breathe New York because it was the city of the superheroes I grew up with. Metropolis and Gotham are based on the structure and culture of New York. Central Park Zoo and Grand Central Station were on my list because I watched Madagascar far too many times and cannot get the image of Melman’s head stuck in the clock saying, “Guys, we are running out of time.” Another place I wanted to stop by was the NBC shop because SOUVENIRS! I owe a good chunk of my life to NBC for making shows like Friends and Community. I will definitely be posting about my trip to New York soon but this summarizes why I wanted to go there in a nutshell.

3. Palais Garnier, Paris

If anyone has read The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, you will have noticed that he spends a good portion of that book detailing the labyrinth that is the Paris Opera House. I still can’t quite grasp the intricacies of the stairways, the rooms and the politics surrounding it but my curiosity is piqued and I want to visit it when I go to Paris. The book is my all time favorite and of course another classic from the Gothic genre. I can just imagine myself walking through the hallways and corridors trying to pinpoint the descriptions to the tee.

4. South Island of New Zealand

I cannot recall how many times I have watched the Lord of the Rings movies. I am in the process of watching them again before the new Hobbit movie comes out. And if there is anything about the movies that is worth doing, it is to go and see where Peter Jackson chose to make Middle Earth. Matamata will provide you with the Shire and this actually a tourist spot now but apart from that, I am keen on seeing Queenstown which was the set for Middle Earth as well as Tongariro, the scenic gem that became Mordor and Mount Doom. New Zealand is a gorgeous country that is a whole vacation unto itself but these spots warrant more attention especially if you are a LOTR fan.

I’m sure there is more to this post but I am having a bit of trouble remembering the rest so here’s hoping it’ll come to me soon. Until then, To Be Continued.