It's just about that time...

I kick myself everyday for letting my blog slip onto the back-burner. This past September, I've started my three year Public Relations diploma program at Humber College, which has been, needless to say, incredibly busy. From excessive readings, assignments, to tests, and midterms galore, I haven't had a chance for my leisure writing!

So far, this program has been great, especially when you put it in comparison with Guelph. I've made tons of friends, the material is so very interesting, it's in Toronto (huge plus) and, to top it all off, I'm doing so well! Combined, it's a recipe for success, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Right now, we're focusing on grammar, spelling, and punctuation (parts of speech, commas and semicolons, and sentence elements) in my College Writing Skills class, and one of our first assignments of the year was an autobiography. The angle we were to take was to position ourselves as PR practitioners and tell a bit about ourselves, past experiences, ambitions and objectives for the future. I got 100% on this assignment, and I am pretty damn proud of myself for that, so I thought I would share it with those of you who were curious enough to read it:


Indulging in Creativity with a Divine Passion for Writing

I’ve resisted working in Public Relations all of my life. My mother had a stack of news releases waiting for her to approve when we returned from the hospital the day after my birth. I’ve heard about brand building, reputation management, strategic initiatives, crusty or cooperative media contacts, visionary clients and clients who don’t get PR at all… since day one.

My mother leads a big Public Relations agency in Toronto, and I’ve had the chance to work there for three summers in a row. To be honest, I did not enjoy it there at all. Maybe that was because I was an unappreciative teenager, or because I never thought I’d follow in my mother’s footsteps. Because of past experiences and personal interests, I know now that this is the profession I belong in.

I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself through writing - from poems to short stories, non-fiction, and newspaper articles. After an incredible and stimulating three-week student exchange to Tokyo, Japan, at the young age of 14, I decided to write a short book. I filled it with my wonderful experiences in the form of poems, e-mails I, had sent to friends and family, short anecdotes, and summaries of each place I visited and every kind of food I tasted. Parts of it were sent back to the school I was studying at in Tokyo, while the rest went into a scrapbook I made about my trip. This was a great accomplishment for me and encouraged me to stay on the writing train.

My strong interest in writing led me to a creative writing course in my final year of high school. Through this course, I improved my writing greatly, and had the chance to have two poems published in the Montreal Jewish Public Library’s edition of First Fruits.

Through my high school years, I wrote for my high school newspaper, wrote articles for my mother’s company website, as well as started a restaurant critique blog to channel my excess creative energy.

I would really love to have a career in which I could put my love for writing and creativity to good use. After two years of studying at the University of Guelph, in Sociology, a program of very little interest to me, I did a great deal of research to find a program that best suited my interests. Low and behold, Public Relations seemed to be that program!

My dream has always been to be the food editor for Toronto Life magazine, but now, after learning more about the field of Public Relations, I’ve discovered that I would also love to work in PR. Perhaps falling into my mother’s footsteps wouldn’t be so bad after all.

...Well, I'm off to the first family dinner of the long weekend!
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone!

StheF

I'm Back!

Hello Readers!

I know it's the world's cheapest excuse to say "I just haven't had the time to write," but it's true!

Where to begin...

Last Monday, a week ago, was a lovely day - in so many ways! For one, the weather was absolutely OUTSTANDING! A glorious sunny day with a high of 30 degrees Celsius, and a slight breeze? A-ma-zing :)

Oh... And I handed out eight resumes. Yes, you read correctly - EIGHT!! I was on a job-hunting high! I perused Queen St. West, Yonge and Eglinton and Yonge and Bloor in search of a retail position, and I felt as though it was a great success. My job situation, or shall I say, lack thereof, was on the rise. That night, Hamir and I went to The Social. Ooooh, The Social - what is there to say? Well, it's a little out-dated, a little 2006, but it was still a good time. If you ever want to go to a bar to go people watching, The Social is the place to be. Hamir and I stood on the side lines and observed the eclectic crowd, which ranged from your typical Toronto hipster, to skateboarding gangsta, to your average midtown Toronto prepster, to the fashionably challenged (Hamir, you know exactly who I speak of! A shirt resembling a ripped up piece of cloth draped around a certain someone's shoulders). All I can really say was the night was 'interesting.'

It has been a while since I last blogged. I feel a slight void, although I've only blogged a few times. Since I last wrote, I have been on a few adventures, if I do say so myself. Last Thursday, I took off to the lovely (cough) town/city/whatever you would like to call it of Kingston, Ontario. The main purpose of the trip was to help pack up Hamir's belongings, but really became a trip dedicated to my beautiful friends who I have not had the pleasure of hanging out with in a long time - Zoe Kirkham and Samantha Notman. I shared some great laughs and fun with them. It felt nice to be back around such great friends.

Last Tuesday night was also one to remember, I suppose. Hamir, James, Matt, Steph and I went to the well-known, infamous bar, Originals, at Bayview and Eglinton, after having a round at Scallywags. As soon as we pulled up to the bar, it became obvious that basically all of the people in the 18-21 age group in Toronto were there. It wasn't necessarily a great thing, but it was nice to catch up with a few familiar faces. I think I am going back tonight, but I am hoping it won't be as busy. It was pretty over-whelming, totally busy, line-up down the block, not to mention $7.00 drinks (a rip off if you ask me, considering the drinks were in those small draft cups).

Last Wednesday, Hamir and I went to the movie 'Obsessed.' I went into this movie with low expectations, even though I was sort of excited at the same time, as the story line seemed pretty intense. Needless to say, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I have to say that the acting in that movie was quite well-done and totally realistic. I was thoroughly creeped out by Ali Larson's character of the 'temp secretary'. Beyonce played her part well, although it was a pretty small part. I don't know if I would highly recommend this movie per se, but if you are in the mood for a thriller-horror movie and don't mind seeing one that is not exactly 'world-renowned', I do recommend Obsessed.

Then came Friday. The night everyone had been anticipating for a while after all the Facebook invites and spoken hype - the C-Lounge launch party. C-Lounge is a pretty hip club on Wellington, just east of Spadina, with a stunning patio, VIP booths scattered throughout the place, a long bar stocked with everything (umm.. EXCEPT Jagerbombs! What?!?!), not to mention the "Ally Macbeal" type bathroom. Anyone who is anyone was there. Beautiful people looking glamourous in high fashion; credit cards were slapped down on the bar opening dangerous tabs, as the drinks were approximately $12.50 each; bathroom stalls with four feet in them; and of course, the 905 stragglers. It was definitely a fun night, but I believe that the general consensus was that it did not fully live up to the hype, and was not an event to be sorry you missed out on. Better luck next week!

This past Sunday, I went to a great information session at the University of Guelph-Humber. Had I known about the wonderful Media Studies program they had to offer earlier, I would have applied a long time ago - maybe even right out of grade twelve. I suppose you have to start somewhere though. I am totally enthralled in this program. Not only do you receive a four year Bachelor of Applied Arts degree from the University of Guelph at your completion at the program, but you also receive a Diploma in a particular specialization from Humber College. What could be better? You're essentially ready for real life as soon as you finish school. Works for me :) Fingers crossed that I get in.

So now, I am waiting on a job. My bank account is at a serious all-time low. I have been waiting to earn some flow so I am able to go out for some meals and write about them for you all! I need to kickstart my food critic career, and stat!! It will be a great hobby for me, and will hopefully get me off Facebook for once!!

My goal for tomorrow is to get on the job-hunt road again. I plan to return to the places I originally handed out resumes and do some follow-uping. I have done some of my follow-ups through e-mail, and either NOBODY liked me (Impossible :)!) or my resume was lost (definitely!), but nobody has got back to me, so that is my plan for tomorrow.

Well, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars and preparing to head out to Originals again, so I must bid you all adieu! I will try my best to get some writing done tomorrow, and blog about something of more interest to you all than a re-cap of what I've been up to.

I promise I have deeper things to discuss than which bar I am going to and who was there. Not that I'm even able to drink when I go to these bars, seeing as I have zero dollars, but hey! A girl can look on from the side lines, can't she?

Until next time.................