The Mark Family Extension

*NOTE: This is a cheesefest and it's bloody long.

Way back in high school I couldn't wait to graduate, leave home and free myself from my family. #typical

And while I still whine about my family, and demand a break, I legit love family time, which has grown to also include the Dance Pac family.

Dance studios are an interesting dynamic at the competitive level. The students spend upwards of 20hrs together weekly, the parents workout daily carpools, and during competition season, entire families will travel to cheer on and support the studio. We have been enjoying this routine for a solid 10 years now - the length of time my brother has been competitively dancing.

But the Dance Pac can't fairly be described as just a studio, and this was clear at our last competition. A few days before we all took off in our minivans for Blue Mountain, the entire prop truck with all the props was stolen from the studio. News reached each family through a chain of calls by the end of the night. But by morning the anxiety lessened when the "Prop Dads" came together to rebuild each prop with every resource they could scrounge. In 2 days the props were complete and were rushed to Collingwood even better than the originals.

Listen, I love going to competitions. Who would turn down a sunny and shopping filled trip to New York, Myrtle Beach or even Blue Mountain?

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But beyond the good food, tanning and shopping; supporting my brother and the girls has always been important to me, and this competition in particular required all the encouragement and support we could give. In the end our studio did wonderfully, we certainly had the most spirit and the Prop Dads were even recognized for their effort and atypically awarded the Fever Award (normally goes to a studio owner or highly influential teacher). In particular our dance "The Tide", choreographed by Nicole Marsh, won the Intermediate Dance Off Championship which I recorded with little success (see below). Ps. This is my mom and sister screaming...I think?

I'm not sure if it was the fact that this was their last competition of the season, the tough competition, or the unfortunate events prior that led them to dance with so much conviction and passion, but they danced beautifully. The video hasn't been posted yet, but here's the dance at a previous competition.

Also had to include this cute picture of the mom's trying to do what their kids can do better.

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Redefining Book Bags

I don't read as much as I'd like to.

However, since I was young, I've always invested a decent slice of my birthday/Christmas money on some wonderful hardcovers; books which are becoming threatened by the growing attractiveness of iPads, Playbooks and Kindles.

Of course I am waiting until these beta products get their kinks worked out, and for mashable to do a more thorough study on which is best. And so I grow sad that soon it will be almost impossible to judge others on their reads as it will be harder to brag about mine. In preparation for this book-cover-less time, I've fallen in love with Olympia Le Tan's clever Parisian pieces. The book-shaped, felt-covered clutches in her new hand-embroidered handbag collection are inspired by the first-edition covers of some legit literary classics like "Moby Dick", "The Misfits", "Satan refuse du monde".

If only I could get my paws on a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye"

!Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Don't get it crooked, I may be Chinese, but I cook a mean Cinco de Mayo feast.

For 2 careful hours, my sister and I cooked up our annual Cinco de Mayo dinner with some new additions. Here is a lil photo-documentary of some of the dishes we made from scratch: refried beans, spicy mexcian veggie ground,  guac and sauteed veggies.

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Our spur of the moment, super-refershing and summery watermelon beverage, made of: mashed watermelon, lime juice and zest, splash of ginger ale, slice of ginger for decoration. 

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Time for a post-feast siesta.  

*Oooh you jealous. 

 

 

 

You Hunter, Me Gatherer

It's 2:30PM and this narcoleptic gal is for once unable to sleep. Something is bothering me, my life.

No this isn't a twenty-something moment of emo-existentialism and angst, although I'm going to be as honest and a little melodramatic as usual, but maybe you will relate. The celebration is over, I'm a graduate, now what?

Thanks to a few concerned family members, I have sobered up from this 'new grad' high, and realized, I need a job. Except if it were only that simple. I'm secretly introverted and a huge overthinker, so I've heightened the value of this initially simple job-gathering into, a dreadfully life-determining job-thunt . So sure, I'm a lil overwhelmed here - but mostly just tired.

It's crazy how foolish I am though. I for some reason considered myself somewhat of an entry-level catch; gots myself a few marketing competitions, 12 month internship and held a snazzy title with a great organization - who wouldn't want this? False, and I'm exaggerating; I didn't really think employers would find and fight for me, but I did think with a little networking and some strategic cover letter/resume navigation, an interview wouldn't be far away.

But now I understand this "brain drain" we experience in Canada, or at least I think I do. I met Lauren Friese, at the AdLounge Dinner Series a couple weeks ago where she said something that caught my attention. She shared that the reason she started TalentEgg was because it was harder for her to find a job in Canada than in the UK - where students basically just graduate employed.

I'm either lazy or I've overestimated the power of the internet and decent writing. Just checked my sent mail and I am...picky and lazy. After a full day job gathering, resume tweaking and cover letter writing I've only really applied for 10 jobs. Tomorrow I shall own my inner hunter, and apply for 20-25 legitimate opportunities.

Anyway, I am cultivating 2 business ideas in the back of my mind and since Lauren of TalentEgg, mentioned how the UK just scoops up talent, I'm obviously now extending my search to include pretty much anything abroad. I'm all over the place, I realize, but I'm young, I want to do everything because everything is my favourite, and the whole world awaits me!

*Exhales* How cathartic and potentially embarassing blogging is. Wish I would've been smart enough to become an astronaut and float about in space while enjoying the sparkly view. Never mind, let's not look back on shoulda's and woulda's - I'd be fine with getting paid to blog my shopping, travel and food adventures I guess too.

Noise Coplaint

Thank the heavens above that my dad wasn't eating SunChips yesterday.

Now, hold on to your seat and your judgment HP fans, when I tell you that yesterday I finally got around to watching HP7. I know, take my wand and Firebolt from me now, I'm not a true fan, blah blah blah.

In any case, there must of have been something about my keenness to see this movie that heightened my sense of sound because my dad's chip chomping was all I could bloody hear! Before the movie had started I paused the previews and grabbed some ear plugs, which hugely dulled the chomping and crinkling pattern that repeated relentlessly. Now I must say that I was impressed I could hear the movie relatively well, which is likely thanks to Pioneer's surround sound, but I also had to thank the world that he didn't find SunChips, because I would've been doomed!

Remember how we Canadians are proudly keeping our biodegradable and noisy SunChips bag unlike our friends south of the border? As a marketing student I've seen this case a few times, but I really do love the stance PepsiCo Canada has taken and with such a clever response.

Complaint Video

PepsiCo Canada Responds

Late Night Coverage