Thursday, September 30, 2010

Day 28: Food and Shopping Day

>>> Lunch @ Six Steps <<<

Yesterday, I went into work and broke my fever there. I also cut my finger on a shard of glass that came from my roommate's plate that I dropped by accident and tried to pick up since we have no broom...but a Swiffer. Today, I'm feeling a bit better... but the pseudo hacking cough is starting. The day was CRAZY filled and busy. The sales intern, whom I met at the Nine West event, helped me come up for air by bringing me to Six Steps Restaurant at Church & Colbourne. It was a tres fancy place for us youngins, but we had this gift card for the place..s'all good. We didn't know how much it was, but we bought enough for lunch. I had sweet peppers & sausage on flatbread, and she had a pita. Oh yah, and my dish came with fries, and they had the MOST AWESOME fries.. they were extra crispy.. and somehow the oil tasted real good. We didn't end up finishing it all, so we got these dainty Chinese take-out boxes! But, since we didnt' know how much was on the gift card, they said they couldn't give us back the money OR give us another gift card..???... so we ended up tipping them like a good $16 for a $35 meal. Wish I was the server getting that tip!

So, the second half of the day, I FINALLY got to go for a pull. One of the editors needed some pieces for a web shoot tomorrow. There was no time to go to the regular stores on Bloor, so she asked one of us interns to go get some items she described on a list at the Eaton Center (it's like a 5-6 min walk from our building). She wanted to do some pulls from BCBG & Townshoes. Well, with BCBG, they required a credit card to put the items on loan on... but I went wild! I found 7 hot dresses... that I hope she'll pick a few from. As for Townshoes, it was easy enough to get everything... I especially like the navy ankle boots I got. Oh MAN, if that was only my purchases. The dresses had to be in a size 2... that's TOTALLY my size..! haha. Well.. one of these days when I hit it big, maybe? Some people were staring at the amount of shopping bags I was carrying, as if I was some loaded shopaholic, but no... just an intern. Hehe.

>>> Salade a la Kristy <<<
My gourmet salad for dinner!

PS. My two supervisors left a bag of goodies for the other intern and I for all the hard work we've done. I've yet to check it out, as the day was too busy! Keep you guys updated tomorrow, as to what may lie inside! Stay tuned...

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Day 26: My name in lights... I mean on glossy paper.

Woke up sick with a cold. Yesterday, I thought I just had a frog in my throat, but it turned out worse than I thought. Well, this will be the real challenge being away from home - taking care of myself while I'm sick. Sigh. Growing up is overrated. Things weren't panning out today...and that definitely kept in correspondence to the weather:
  1. I am sick.
  2. It rained all day.
  3. It rained especially hard walking to my interview; there were peaks of sunshine when I got back...
  4. Some more denials from Paris FW offices for ticket requests.
  5. The headphones I delivered yesterday were not delivered until today...and I had to re-route the shipper.
  6. A company that was supposed to receive an issue of the magazine for the past two months had yet to receive their copy.
  7. My lunch spilled out.
Out of all the drabbiness of the day, I left it on a high. Check it out everyone - the November Issue:

Here's an update on how my life has changed since I moved away from home.
Things I've learned so far:
> eating healthier
> the ability to sleep in public settings (i.e the subway)
> not being afraid of exploring new things.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Weekend Photography


>>> Photography Attire <<<

Sweet Sunday. The weather was good, and the clouds were extra kind and puffy. A chance for photography. This was the day I took some "engagement" photos for my cousin. Her and her fiancee took me to their park where he proposed to her. It's called Ireland Park. The park was made as a memorial to the Irish Potato Famine, so there's a few statues of starving people. It's a bit spooky, but there's some cool structural rocks and a nice view of the CN Tower. **(hey cuz, were you expecting me to put a possible photo of you guys on my blog??.. fat chance.. you'll just have to wait if you're reading this.. haha).

So after the photoshoot, I thought it'd be nice to walk down Queen Street and finally capture some of these awesome graffiti art. They're actually all over the alleyways behind Queen Street - like a little village of graffiti houses. It's amazing.. like it's own museum. I told myself that I'd make a photobook of just graffiti art from Toronto. Here's my favourite picture of the bunch:

Hopefully, I'll get to explore more of Toronto and it's street art while I'm here. There's always something artsy fartsy going in da city!

My cousin took me to a Pho place in Chinatown called Xe Lua (aka the Pho Train). A lot of people say that pho and shawarma are best in Ottawa. So, instead of venturing to try Toronto pho, I just stuck with the vermicelli. Mine was particularly good with the sugar cane wrapped in shrimp meat! MmmMmM! And, the prices were amazing - for the two of us (1x small pho, 1xcombo bun, 1xspring roll appetizer) it came to under $20! Chinatown's definitely the place to eat on a budget.

Oh yah! And since I had to meet my cousin downtown, it was my first time taking a streetcar! Pretty cool experience. And, I definitely love how the TTC has stops announced via automated message + an electric sign. There's no way you could miss your stop/get lost.

On the way home, the subway took a while, so it gave me a chance to look through some of the engagement photos. All I have to say is, they made me tres jealous and happy for my cousin and her fiancee. What an end to the weekend.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Day 24: Work to Play

>>> Hot Day, Hotter Night <<<

Another long day before...at work super tired. Even worse, one of the interns got sick, so we were down one woman. Not to worry, everything still got done nonetheless. Friday was supa hot! My one last chance to wear sandals out! Paris PR's are liars! They told me seat confirmations would be ready for Friday, but now they're pushing it back once again till Monday. I gotta go in early on Monday again... darn that time difference. On my break, I called Club Monaco. I've got a second interview Tuesday @ noon. Meanwhile, I tried to look for a top for clubbing since I have no clubbing clothes. I didn't end up getting any clubbing tops, but I did find a nice floral jacket. I was tempted to buy a black lace skirt with nude undertone - I have this lace and nude phase craze.

Purchase List
Forever21 - floral 3/4 length jacket with rusted gold sequins $35.90

HOOKMEUP.TO presents: College/University Party @ XS Shock Fridays. My first clubbing experience in Toronto. I went with my friend and friends of a friend. I don't know... it's not really what it's hyped up to be. The most amazing clubs/house mix I've seen/heard was in Vegas. Hard to top that, eh? Well still...XS had two large lines, one for bottle service and one for not. Luckily my friend new someone there and we got free VIP bracelets to this upstairs room. (Even so, the upstairs room STANK..it was full of leather coaches, but the floors looked SO dirty and I'm pretty sure someone puked on the ground). And...one of the washrooms was a sight for sore eyes! The door swung open and brace yourselves ... I saw like red/orange stuff splattered all over the toilet bowl. I'm surprised that didn't make me vomit then and there. I saw this really hot girl in a high school costume (one of the paid dancers). I saw a lot of Asian guys but not many girls... weird. I met up with the promoter I met in Ottawa, too. He said, "You're too cute to have a boyfriend." What's that supposed to mean? Anyways, best part of the night? I'd say my skirt. I just got it in the mail. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I think I'll wear it to the interview. Were you guys expecting any other answer?...this is a fashion blog don't forget! I didn't get home until around 3:30AM and woke up at 7:30AM. Weird. My body is playin' with me.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 23: Feels Like I Belong

>>> Nine West Swag Bag <<<

From left to right:
- Biore microderm exfoliator
- Wrigley's REACT 5 gum
- L'Oreal Paris magic perfecting base
- Clinique high lengths mascara
- Jergens extra dry skin moisturizer
- John Frieda weather proofing shampoo & conditioner

There's still a bunch of samples we're receiving for the winter issue. The cool thing is that this issue there's a holiday gift guide, so there's a few things we get to see besides clothes. I'm almost ashamed to say it.. but it almost as if .. emphasis on ALMOST... sick of clothes? No. no no. I take that back. I shouldn't ever think that way. Anyways, so with all these samples coming in we're getting buried..LITERALLY buried in boxes, as we need to use them to send back the items. This is what it was like at the beginning of the internship, too. Can't wait for the Paris week and the all the sample shoots to be over again. What will be the next massive task?

Besides work, some updates on interviews:
H&M - called them, but they're looking only for day availability all across Toronto.
Club Monaco - they left me a voicemail asking for a second interview on Monday. (Yay!)

Nine West Event Soles4Souls. Tonight after work, I volunteered at this collaborative event between Nine West and our magazine. I met the owner of the Nine West on Bloor Street. This time, the event was open to the public. 400 people RSVP'd to the event, but I think only half showed up. Nonetheless, there were tons of women donating gently used shoes and buying new ones galore! They were having 15% off everything one night only and giving out coupons for $20 a purchase over $100 to those who donated shoes. Everyone also got swag bags like above, but also included a magazine. Also, the first 50 people who donated shoes got a gift certificate. The event started at 6pm, but women were lined up already at 5pm. The line went around the store...it was even raining a litte and they were all still there. For tonight's event, I did mainly the task of checking the guestlist for people to enter. It was fun; I felt important holding a clipboard. Again, our attire was black chic. I'm running out of black outfits to wear! Gotta go home and bring more black heels. Yes, another night of 4 hour standing in heels. The orderves were fab though - some incl: tuna tar tar scooped in a cucumber cup; chicken mango pastry cups; slabs of steak?/roast beef? mini pitas with meat and oninions ... and of course wine, champagne, and girly cocktails.

At the end of the night, when I left to walk to the subway on my own, I felt somehow this overwhelming came about like I finally belong here, in Toronto. Though I was walking on my own, it felt like I'm in the right place.

Weekend's coming up :).

-liv.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 22: Applied Position - Stylist

>>> Monday (white pants) / Tuesday (comfy casual)/ Wednesday (interview outfit) <<<

Work is coming together. I got a few confirmations today for seats @ the Paris FW. It's creeping up slowly... I hope I get a hold of things before everyone starts freaking out. We got a crap load of sample requests in today. Even a really cool toy for the holiday gift guide for this issue.

Interview at Club Monaco.
Every single clothing interview I go to, everyone is tres stylish. Today, I met this Asian guy who had the most awesome wave/flipped/curled bang hair - something from the 60s I'd say. The kind of hair they have in Grease lightning sort of but more modern. And, he had the SMOOTHEST facial skin with not one pimple/blemish or bad pore anywhere! AND, his name was Irwin. You can find any character in Toronto.
[Questions asked]
1. Who do you think is our competitors?
2. Where have you experienced great customer service?
3. (A trick question) - What size do you think I am - both top and bottom? *male store manager
[Challenge]
In 5 minutes, pull an outfit for a graphic designer that likes a lot of patterns, who just graduated and wants to make a good impression at their newly hired position. They are also going out at night with friends. You can either make it a versatile outfit or added pieces to change it from a day to evening look. - I got a male pull, while some others got a female pull. What I did and how I explained it:
  • nautical inspired navy blazer with gold buttons -> gives a sharp/professional look to anything
  • white/black striped shirt (slightly faded colour) -> the casual inside makes it more comfortable
  • black/white polka dot handkerchief -> placed it in the breast pocket for interesting clash pattern
  • dark rinse button-fly jeans -> all graphic designers wear jeans. dark denim again gives it an easy work to evening feel
  • grey knitted belt -> I wanted a brown leather one, but this was the only belt I could find.
That was the most intense 5 minutes because I wasn't timing it. But, I was the first one to pull their look together. And, I started imagining while he was describing the client/customer. I was stressed though because I didn't know the store very well compared to any store in Ottawa. First time chance as a stylist.
*Note: Club Monaco has 2 hour closes to size everything (i.e. put everything in terms of size - from small to large - reorganized every night!) Oh yah, and the Eaton Center location is the largest volume/square-foot location in Canada! That definitely helps.

On the way back to the office, some old dudes were playing bango outside of the Eaton Center.

Coming up next: phone interview for H&M and Nine West event.


Monday, September 20, 2010

Day 20: Crammed Subway

>>> My first package <<<


I'm sitting in a 168 Bubble Tea Shop using their Wifi because our condo is in its switchover period (owner's internet contract ended and we're waiting to install our internet). It's already 11:30 and I can stay here until 2AM if I really wanted. Good thing this place is right close to the metro station.

I'm going in for an interview for Club Monaco on Wednesday. Should I really work part-time during my internship?

More Paris FW requests, and merch request for the Winter Issue. Paris people are not being cooperative today. This lady spoke to me and said that she was "too tired to talk." As if. LOL. I'm going to call that PR office again tomorrow and hopefully I'll get someone who's a little more perky. Or, I'll just get to piss her off a little bit more. Nothing really new today. But, I feel like I'm getting closer with the other interns. I had to deliver $21,000 worth of watches to Birks & Mayors Inc. on Bloor. Like I said, Bloor is the baller street. So yah, I had to deliver these watches and so I left work early. But how long did it take me to get home?.. a good 2 hours. The train was delayed due to a fire/electrical problem at a station up ahead. So, I got off and walked to the station I was supposed to get to, to deliver the watch, and then had to fight the crowd to get onto another train.

People were so crammed and close to me, that at one point this girl was talking to someone and her voice was so close to me that it gave me a tingly/tickling feeling... (you know when someone whispers into your ear or when the scissors get close to your ear when you're getting your haircut and hits the "tickling" nerve?). That's how close people were packed in there. I didn't need to hold a railing because people were holding me up.

Weekend Soup

>>> My H&M Scarf <<<

Saturday.
Met up with my cousin to look for some comfortable flats for her at the Eaton Center. She got her bike stolen in downtown Toronto, which she uses to go like EVERYWHERE... so now she needs some nice flats to get around town by foot. I've never thought about it, but there are very few comfortable yet stylish flats out there. Please comment if you've found a pair. She was looking at a pair @ Feet First from the Me Too brand. They look uber comfortable with extra cushioning at the heel - I think this is the closest you'll get to having a balance between style and comfort. After, I went to go apply for a job at Urban Outfitters - got an interview for the next day in the afternoon. At night, I met up with some friends and made some viet wraps. The most delicious and filling things ever but super easy to make (to my disbelief). Peanut sauce, YUM!

Sunday.
I did a group interview at Urban Outfitters with the Managers of the Ottawa location that is opening up. And, the first person I met who was in my group interview was originally from Ottawa. Ottawa isn't such a small place after all. Then, I went to the Old Spaghetti Factory @ The Esplanade with a friend of a friend. Haha. well, now he's my friend too. Ah.. it was nice to sit in a car again. I was almost tempted to ask him if I could drive.. but it was a stick. And, I really don't remember how to drive stick... not something I'd want to test while in Toronto. At night, my roommate and friend came over and we played Big 2 until the wee hours of the night. It's funny because he actually could witness the communications I have with my roommate because of the language barrier (him fluent in Cantonese, me fluent in English). Our conversations last literally less than a minute and then we get fed up. My roommie and I made Chinese soup for the first time. My other roommate went home to Ottawa for Moon Cake Festival. I miss home.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Day 19: A piece of MBNYFW

>>> A piece of MBNYFW <<<

The editor that I was request NYFW tickets for came back and gave me some things she got on her seat from the shows. How sweet! I've never received a thong from someone before... let alone a "ride me" thong. Haha.. that's something to tell the kids!
From left to right:
1. Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss
2. Stila lengthening & glistening black diamond mascara
3. Redken Wax Blast 10 high-impact finishing spray-wax
4. Le Metier De Beaute plum lip gloss
5. Betsey Johnson "Ride Me" thong
6. Betsey Johnson socks
7. Betsey Johnson Betsey XOX perfume

It was a good day. I got my stuff done and Paris FW tickets are coming together. We're already receiving our merchandise requests for next week. How lucky are we... to preview the newest winter lines in physical form!

I walked around to apply for H&M, but they said there was no way of apply but to go online. I guess that saves me one extra resume that I printed. I hope I hear from one of the employers soon! While in my job hunt, I stumbled on a sweater that just called me over.

Purchase List:
H&M navy/cream striped sweater $19.99

I fell in love with some nice shoes at the Bay. Have I ever told you that the Bay is baller? It's not like our regular Bays in Ottawa. It's like 50% clearance on purses/bags - well that equates to $600 bags going down to $300. Yah. Like another Holt Renfrew. But they have amazing shows there: I saw a pair from Rachel Roy studded felt shoes ($195), Anne Klein black patent loafers ($125) and Nine West studded royal blue flats ($112). Sigh, do I have expensive taste or merchandisers are really good at targeting me?

-liv.

PS. I got my free glasses from Clearly Contacts. They look great, but one of the metal pieces is loose, so I'll have to wait until I get home to get them fixed! Post pic, as soon as I get that done.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 18: Looking Up at the Rain

Body aches, blisters on my feet - long night before. Umbrella in hand, I slish slosh in the puddles to work. At work, our "intern" cubicle has a skylight right above us. The great thing? You're always aware of the weather - both sun and rain. Bad thing? You're mood sort of follows the weather.

In a drabby mood, but the thing to keep the day upbeat --> a SAMPLE SALE (click on the link for more details - only from Sept 16 - 18 @ the Sheraton Hotel near the Eaton Center) Close enough to work, that I could go on my break. My first sample sale in Toronto! I perused the sales in a brisk-walk-pace as I only had a few more minutes till my break ended. Tables and mounds of clothes and designer bags were there. My opinion of the sale? Meh. Prices for designer jeans were still $200 and most of the quick glanced bags weren't eye-catching at all. But, maybe I'll have some more time tomorrow to dig and find some treasures.

Besides going to the sample sale today, I went to apply for a few more jobs at the Eaton Center. So far, I've applied to: Zara, Mendocino, Club Monaco, and now.. Aritzia. Today is when I applied to Aritzia. And I did notice that most of the employees were Asian.. and so I asked this Asian girl to speak to her store manager, and she calls over this Asian guy. Can you guys think of any reasons for this pattern? Why do Asian people like Aritzia? And, I going to apply for H&M. There's a City Career Expo my friend told me about that I'm also going to on Saturday. Which reminds me, have to go get more resumes printed! I'll keep you guys posted if I hear anything back.

At work: I've been doing more ticket requests...this time for PARIS! and for the Editor-in-Chief (the big kahuna). Since I've got a second shot at this, I'm hoping everything will work out a lot better... though the second half of New York ticket requests turned out successful after much distraught. We're also working on merchandise requests for the next issue (we're currently working on the November issue). I can't wait for it to come out!

Day 17: Men's Launch @ Hugo Boss

>>> interns by day...women in black by night <<<

Long day. Had to go in early for work again, but this time she let us off an hour early. Only thing? We had to stay downtown to volunteer for the Men's magazine Launch @ the Hugo Boss flagship store on Bloor St. W.

Beginning of the night:
Whether they were employees of Hugo Boss or guests of the event, everyone was dressed very dapper. There was this one guy, friends of the employees, who had this killer glare. I was assigned as "flow/direction assistant" as I will title myself. I was on the second floor of the store (which by the way is impeccably done... like steps out of NY or Milan - apparently it just opened last December too). My job was to tell people where the washroom was and that the fashion show was upstairs. I thought to myself.. man is this ever going to be boring - the other intern got to stay with the others downstairs doing guest check-in. But it ended up being alright. I mingled with the store manager and another sales associate (both very nice and approachable men well-dressed men). Actually all the men there could of been taken from magazines... the most pristine in look and style. Everywhere I turned looked like a beautiful snapshot.

Mid-night:
Fashion show began at 7:30pm. Before that though... I finally got some change of scenery. Peter Papapetrou was the stylist of tonight's Hugo Boss fashion show. Luckily, I was at the right spot and got to help him dress models backstage. There were only two female models and the rest were male. My model's name was Daryll - he was kind of short (almost same height as me if I wear heels.. which I had to wear ALL night). He made small talk with me as I dressed/undressed him to change looks --- awkward!. well..maybe not so much for them. They're probably used to it. But, he definitely sweat bullets... he dress shirt was drenched only after 30 seconds of walking the runway. Watching Peter style them and doing final touch ups was cool to watch. He has everything down to the smallest detail like fluffing the suede of super thigh high boots the female models were wearing..so the suede would all flow one way (changes the shade of the leather). And, he even used a bracelet one of the Hugh Boss workers from Head Office was wearing to style the model!! Wish he picked something from me.. but then again I don't wear much jewelry -- gonna try and find his contact.

End of Night:
After the fashion show, I went to help hand out swag bags to the guests leaving. At this Hugo Boss event, male guests received:
- 1 x pair of Calvin Klein microfiber boxer/briefs - super soft
- 1 x bottle of 100mL Hugo Boss cologne
- 4 x tiny samples of Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein cologne
- 1 x Perlane pen
- 1 x Men's mag
As some people were leaving, I saw Blake McGrath with his crew and Glen Baxter from Fashion Television! End of the night? My feet kill, but it was worth it.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Day 14: Work Is Never Over

So... this morning I woke up to a beautiful, sunshine-y day - thinking: " Yes. It's time for the weekend." Little did I know, after accepting the task of requesting NY tickets for the Mercedes Benz NY Fashion Week, what I was really getting myself into. It seems like every day since this task started I've been asking people over and over if they've received my RSVP and if the editor has been confirmed for the show for hours during the day. Now that she's there, some tickets are missing, and people don't respond back. Some haven't responded back and she has received tickets, but some haven't responded back and so she HASN'T received tickets, which is the worse of the two. NY PR groups.. some can be nice, some are just filled with attitude. But...in order to get stuff done immediately..it's always best to contact them directly. I've tried so many sources for contacts and I find the best way is to contact them through their information listed on their sites -- screw the show directory. It's not even up-to-date or correct sometimes. Anyways, enough of my rant. So.. bottom line? I might have to pop into work during the weekend to check up on emails that the PR firms may have emailed me regarding the rest of the Fashion Week shows, especially the ones going on this weekend. Bummer. I hope I don't! And what's with shows not getting back to me if they don't have any seating. Just tell me the truth! TGIF??... I'm not so sure.

Purchase List from Yesterday's Lunch Break
HUE No band knee hi's: Cobblestone - The Bay $4.49
HUE Spare ribs control top tights: black - The Bay 2 for $20
HUE Herringbone knee hi's: navy - The Bay $12 (BOGO 50%)
HUE Opaque tights: black - The Bay 2 for $20
HUE So Silky sheer control top reinforced toe: black - The Bay $12 (BOGO 50%)

... I made a hole in my previous tights..thought it'd be a good time to stock up and use all those HBC points I've accumulated. I got a $70 gift card from all my points! (FYI: I used to work @ HBC - got 20,000 points for every HBC credit card I signed customers up with...I never bought enough HBC stuff to make that many points on my own.)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Day 13: Ugly Monsters and Loved Ones Dying?


>>> Tour of where I live <<<

NIGHTMARE.
Woke up from a nightmare. This is what happened: I dreamt that my brother and this other boy were going to die soon - like in a few days. My brother apparently was going to die because his liver was going to fail due to excessive alcohol and partying. (I'm a mother already). I can't take the fact that my brother is going to die, so I go to my friend's family's place and stay there for the rest of the days, so I don't have to see my brother in agony. Then, the setting changes and I'm in 3rd person watching this man enter a gymnasium/playground, where this HUMUNGOUS blobby monster comes and tries to eat everyone. At first, the monster goes after all the big people i.e. adults (because it's super hungry). The man is being chased by the big monster and runs past these narrow corridors and ends up in the children's section of the gym. He takes notice that the monster is going after his daughter. So, somehow??.. he speaks to the monster (without the monster eating him) and tells him if he should eat a child, he should eat that boy (he points at the boy that I dreamt earlier was going to die in a couple of days). Would you do that to save your child? Anyways... all the kids run out into the parking lot (by that time it's dark). THEN!!!.. some other monsters this time.. with veils and faces that are orangy/yellow that have goopy skin (like when the wax of a candle solidifies when it's in mid-drop) come out hiding underneath these big styrofoam boxes (the kind you keep seafood in). They start spitting out stuff at the children and get the daughter. THEN... there's a change of setting and they're in a water world. The daughter and father look at each other in amazement because one of them never could swim before (I can't remember who). Then.. I woke up. THe windows are really big in my room, so I woke up to the sky - but it was all gloomy and grey. What a start to the day...

On a reality note, today one of the interns was on Jewish holiday. We did lots of shipping back to companies of really nice watches/jewelery. Days are starting to blur as to what I do. NY was bringing some vibes to Toronto. The editor, who I've been booking NY Fashion Week tickets to just landed there this afternoon. Freak out - some of the tickets hadn't arrived at her hotel yet, so I frantically had to call all the PR companies to re-confirm her tickets/invitation. But, as NY PR people are... they're last-minute and don't give you answers directly. GREAT. So hopefully.. things will pan out later.


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Day 12: Subway Delay


>>>The other interns thought I wasn't wearing anything underneath this lace top. <<<

It takes me half an hour to get to work everyday since I'm now living right above the subway. But, today... I was late for work for 45 minutes because the subway kept having delays between the Yonge line, which I need to take all the way from uptown to downtown. Since I don't know how to take the bus to downtown (which would have taken 2 hrs to get there anyways) and didn't want to pay for a taxi to take me somewhere where I wasn't getting paid, I just waited it out. The other interns understood, so s'all good in da hood.

Another freak out: apparently a contributing stylist at our magazine called and said that I was supposed to be RSVPing tickets for him as well for the NY Fashion Week shows. But, all I was told to RSVP for our editor. It ended up being miscommunication, and none of my fault - what a relief. I've been working on these NY Ticket requests for a good week and a half. There's over 100 shows that have been confirmed/emailed for just this one editor. I have no clue how she will do it in NY, btu the tickets will be all ready hopefully. I over heard her saying how hard it is to do these Fashion shows, and that she really would have wanted a 20-something year old to do it for her.. hello!!! I'm right here... pick me, pick me! Haha..So I got her these schedules printed out and taped onto envelopes that correspond to each day's events. She was super happy with my work.


Since I forgot to take a picture of our first home cooked meal together as roomies, here's our 2nd home-cooked meal. Hope you guys enjoy!


Labour Day Weekend: O-Town in T.O.

>>> Labour Day Weekend Gastronomy <<<
Starting from top left going clockwise:
@ Owl of Minerva w/ our Pork Bone Soup / Korean Spicy Rice Cake from Toronto a la Cart / Walking from our delicious meal from Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu restaurant / Toronto a La Cart (Korean) / Ladies from Toronto a la Cart /
Us getting free diet coke on Queen Street West

Finally. Some familiar faces. A bunch of friends were down in Toronto this past weekend. One group found living arrangements near my area, so they were able to come pick me and go everywhere throughout the weekend. We ate out most of the time.. so I guess this post will mainly be about food - in particular mainly Korean food, since my place is considered to be in the uptown Koreatown.

Friday:
Ate at Owl of Minerva - Pork Bone Soup for $7! If some of you haven't been to Korean restaurants, they actually have a little service button at each table to notify servers that customers are ready. I haven't ever used it. It doesn't feel very polite to me, but I guess it's part of their customs.

Saturday:
Went to a Russian foodmarket. Had some delicious freshly cut ham and cheese with bread and delicious Russian pastries. Why did I have Russian food? Well, it turns out that my friend's friend (who is now my friend too!) is my neighbor in the other building. I told him I was moving to this area, and he was looking for a place near here too, so he was lucky to find a condo in the next building over (which is connected by a hallway, so I don't even have to leave outside). Sweet. Asset: he has an iron! :)

Sunday:
Frankie Tomatto - AYCE Italian Restaurant with a Leaning Tower of Pisa replica on the exterior decor. You should check out the website. The picture is literally what the restaurant looks like.

Thai Paradise - We had my friend's birthday dinner here. I have to say.. my thai fried rice wasn't that good. Apparently, Asians use the "old rice" to make fried rice, since the taste is covered by all the spices. So... just a suggestion out there, unless you really know the restaurant well, avoid the fried rice.

Monday:
Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu Korean Restaurant (on Yonge Street) - This was a really quaint restaurant. The servers here actually scoop the rice into your bowl. What service. And, the menu only has like 8 items. Everything tasted really good, but you have to be good at waving down the employees to get service.
Ten Ren Bubble Tea - Barley Milk Tea. They don't have any in Ottawa. Barley tea tastes really good - reminds me of Ovatine or Chocolate tea! But, the best place to have barley milk bubble tea is @ Go For Tea because they have EMBYRO barley milk tea! Delicious~
Toronto a la cart (Korean) - There is a Korean a la cart place right in our neighbourhood on Yonge Street. This is the menu: Bulgogi with seasonal Kimchi ($2); Tokbukki w/ EomukGuk ($2); Fried Squid Balls ($1); Fried Chicken Balls ($2); Pan Fried Rice Balls ($1); Red Bean Waffle dessert (3 for $2). Whenever you are cravin' for a snackin' this is a good place to try something new. I'm going to try and find other Toronto a la carts!
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Thing to note: you can really tell you're living in a metropolitan city because they give out free samples of Pantene shampoo, bottles of diet Coke, and sell Pizza Pizza slices in the subway.

Purchase List for the Weekend:
Beige lace up boots - Forever 21 $35
Knitted blue loop scarf - H&M $15

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Day 8/9/10/11

>>> My Stripe Addiction <<<
1. American Apparel 2. American Eagle 3. Gap Kids 4. American Apparel

Day 8: Moving In.
So, I'm going to skip a days explanation of work because I think this is more exciting. I'm finally on my own. Me, and my roommate. My third roommate is coming Sunday. The place is nice. It's very clean and white. The two best things about this condo: the view at night and the walk-in closet. I'm so glad I don't have to share a bathroom with the guy. Guys can get atrociously dirty - and I expect nothing less from my roommate. Haha.. I'll be impressed if anyone can change my mind otherwise. This was my last delicious meal at my uncles before I'd have to fend for myself in my independent living.

Day 9: Mojitos and Ice Cream
Today was the company party. There was sushi, finger sandwiches, junk food, and wait for it... wait for it... mojitos, Stella beer, AND ice cream with sprinkles, oreo & fudge chunks, caramel, chocolate and strawberry syrup! Could you ever imagine? Ice cream party in the office? Well.. and alcohol in the office? It was heaven. The mojito mix was so strong that I could feel it for the rest of the day.

Well.. the party wasn't ALL about the food. I was actually really intrigued by the speech the president of our publishing company gave. He mentioned things like: CRM (customer relationship management) and forecasting. It was exciting to see school theories really playing out in real life. He even mentioned the likes of their Ottawa magazine. It does make me feel more homey that there are aspects of Ottawa that I see in Toronto. I even saw a building that looked like the Parliment from afar.

After work, I had to go get utensils since, apparently, you don't get utensils with furnished condos. I bought my first dishes/bowls/cups. It felt awkward buying a set for one, so I bought two in case my guests come over! :). I like them so. My dinner? - Frozen meal.

Day 10: Tiffany & Co. - $20k
There's a watch photoshoot going for next week. There's watches that are from $100 all the way up to $20,000. And, that watch being the Tiffany & Co. Insane. Would you ever buy a watch/accessory that expensive?

Day 11: Family Dinner
Today. One of the interns and I had to hand deliver the Tiffany & Co. watch back to the store. It took us 45 min to get from Queen St to Bloor St W. That's a little insane. From somewhere downtown to somewhere else downtown takes 45 min. I cringe at the fact that so much time is wasted commuting just within downtown. Anyways, so we went on our lunch, so I had to scarf down my sandwich on the subway.

Today, my roommates and I had our first home-cooked meal at the condo. We had: steamed brocoli w/ garlic, pork ribs with spicy sauce, soy sauce chicken drumstick, and vegetable soup. I will post a picture of a dinner that I cook all by myself when it will get to that point. I'm sure all you readers will be excited by my amateur cooking discoveries/phenomenas.

-liv.

PS. I'm going to do a special video tour of my place soon! Stay tuned. :)