If I fall, will you catch me?

This is the second part of my Greece travel blog. To read the first part, click here.

The second Greek island mom and I visited was Santorini, and we were also there for three days. If Mykonos is beautiful, Santorini is gorgeous. Again, words can’t articulate the enormity of this island’s beauty, and pictures don’t do it justice. I will say, with 100 per cent certainty, that Santorini must be one of the top ten most beautiful places in the world. Our hotel overlooked the cliffs and the Mediterranean. If you’re going to Santorini, ask for a room with a balcony overlooking the water. Santorini is rumoured to have the most beautiful sunsets in the world, but if you want to take advantage of this experience, you must stay on the west side of the island. We were in Fira, the capital of Santorini, which is where I will stay the next time I return.

Santorini used to be a large volcano. It erupted in 1500 BC, and most of the island sank as a result. What’s left is a large, horseshoe shaped island with settlements atop the cliffs. Two smaller islands are situated in the centre. The cliffs are colourful and detailed, and look much like how I envision the surface of the moon.

Again, there is so much to talk about, so I’ll detail the highlights below...

Walking atop the cliffs: Mom and I spent the first day wandering through the small streets of Fira. But, on the second day, we wanted to experience something different. Along the cliff’s edge is a walking path, and we decided to wander along it. We started in Fira, and walked along the edge for three hours.Initially, this path is crowded with tourists. As you walk further away, it becomes almost completely deserted. It is along this path that we found the famous blue domed buildings that are Santorini-exclusive landmarks.

The Old Port: There are a few ports on Santorini. On the west side of the island, it’s a huge climb to the top of the cliffs. We landed at a port that had a road to the top, thankfully, but not every port is as fortunate. In Fira, there are two ways to reach the top. The first is a gondola that is ridiculously expensive and fairly unpredictable. There is also a huge wait, and if your time is limited, this can be a problem.
The second way to reach the top is via donkey, and this is also a famous Santorini occurrence. Mom and I didn’t take a donkey ride ourselves, but we watched in amazement as the animals slowly and painfully carried passengers up a long and winding staircase to the top.

Sunset: Whether you’re in the furthest town, Oia, or sitting along the walls in Fira, the setting sun is something that must be experienced at least once. Mom and I stopped to watch the sunset every night that we were on Santorini, and when I go back, I will do the same.
In my next post, I'll talk about Athens. Stay tuned!

P.S. I have over 3000 pictures from my time in Europe last summer. About 800 are from Greece. If anyone is interested in seeing the rest, let me know!

It begins with no sense of urgency

Imagine a tremendous heat. Your body feels like it’s melting from the inside out, and your limbs feel as though they are beginning to liquefy. Sweating is the least of your problems. What you really need to do is figure out how to get your sweat to stop sweating. The only people who look attractive in this type of heat are the real Greeks. The rest of us are just a sopping, soggy mess, trying to enjoy our day without passing out in the process.

Sound good? Thought so.

Visiting Greece in August wasn’t one of my better ideas, but when the options are either now, or possibly never, I chose now. My mom and I decided to take two weeks for some serious bonding time, and Greece felt like the right place to go.

We flew to Athens on a clear, bug-free evening only to wake up at the crack of dawn and board a ferry to Mykonos. After some serious Greek island hopping we would return to Athens, but it was the islands that would receive our attention first.
I learned very quickly that time in Greece is different than time in the rest of the world. If a plane, boat, or train is scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m., it will usually show up close to the appointed time in most countries throughout the world. Not in Greece. For some reason, Greeks have no sense of urgency. Ever.

The worst wait was a gruelling four hours on an uncovered boat dock as we waited for the Flying Cat ferry to take us from Mykonos to Santorini. I felt like a basted and burnt turkey fresh out of the oven. The colour of my shoulders would have put a lobster to shame.

The most important piece of advice that I can give to anyone scheduling a trip to Greece is this: do not schedule something soon after a mode of transportation is scheduled to arrive somewhere. If your ferry is supposed to arrive in Athens at noon, for example, and your plane leaves at two, good luck. Wait a day in between all important travels, and don’t give someone waiting for you an exact arrival time. They might be waiting for hours.

Anyway, we arrived on Mykonos after stopping first at a number of other islands. As the coastline approached in the distance, all I could think was wow. Pictures don’t do justice the beauty of seeing an island you’re going to visit for the first time. It’s even hard to put it into words. Needless to say, mom and I were as giddy as a pair of schoolgirls as we walked off the ship and searched for our ride.

Trying to find the man with the sign that read “Hope” was another interesting experience. He was well-hidden in a group of hundreds of other Greeks all holding similar signs. Everyone worked their way through the moving mass of humanity in an effort to find their proper name and proper escort. It was insane. Also, additional people will come and wait for the boats to arrive if they have extra rooms to rent in their hotels. They hold up signs and heckle passers-by, trying to convince tourists to switch accommodations and stay with them instead.

You definitely want to book ahead of time in Greece.

Hotel Despotiko, our home for the following three days, was located on a hill. It looked downwards to the water and the centre of the busy town.

I’ll save time and give you the highlights of Mykonos without going into unnecessary detail. We were there for three days, and I do like to talk a lot, so the “Coles notes” version is probably best.

The windmills: They are one of the most distinguishing features of Mykonos, and are located along the coast across from Little Venice. There is a cute little jewellery shop located inside one of the windmills, and if you ever go there, please tell the gentleman who owns the place that Amanda from Canada says “hello, and thanks for the ring.”

Little Venice: So incredibly cute! Some of the buildings were built along the water, making this stretch of coast look like one side of a canal in Venice. It’s also the trendy bar district that sports many restaurants, coffee bars, and jewellery stores.

The tiny streets: Outstretch your arms. Good. Now measure how wide the distance is from one fingertip to the other. Great. Many of the streets in Mykonos are narrower than that. Everything except the shutters and railings of buildings are whitewashed, and the ground is partly whitewashed and party covered with stone. Just get lost wandering through the tiny streets. It’s amazing.
Men on scooters: Apparently Mykonos is one of the largest meeting places for homosexual men in the world. I’m not making a joke. I have never been surrounded by more men, but have none of them look at me, in my life. And, they love to pair up and ride around on tiny scooters, which are quite popular on most Greek islands. They also all wear scarves round their necks, and the sight is quite hilarious the first time it’s experienced.

People watching: Mom and I found a long seat built into a whitewashed wall, and one evening we plopped ourselves down and watched people walk by. It’s a great way to pass the time, especially if you don’t know anyone else on the island. It’s also a great way to meet other travellers.

The main downside to Mykonos is the fact that it is WINDY AS HELL. So windy, in fact, that I need to say it again. Mykonos is windy as hell. Don’t even try to contain your hair, ladies. And gentlemen, forget the gel. It has something to do with the islands location in the Mediterranean, or something of that nature, but I assure you, Mykonos is the windiest place you will ever visit.
I’ll end this post here, because I think I’ve left enough to think about, but trust me, there’s much more to say about my time in Greece...

An IPP update delivered with love

It’s been awhile since I wrote about my IPP (Independent Professional Project), so I wanted to take a moment to update my readers on how my book is progressing.

School has begun, and my weeks are already filled with homework, filming, editing, and photography. I knew that I wouldn’t have time to write a book on top of the day-to-day CreComm activities, and my decision to take the summer off work to complete a draft was one of the best ideas I’ve had in a long time.

I met with my advisor – Karen Press – at the end of week one. Last Tuesday, I handed her a copy of my first draft. It wasn’t actually due until October 22, but we decided together that it didn’t make sense for me to sit on the draft for a month and lose momentum.

In a few weeks, we will meet again, and she will give me feedback. I won’t lie... I’m anxious to hear what she thinks. What if it’s horrible? What if it’s not good enough? I’m sure this is what most first-time writers feel when they relinquish their draft to someone else, but I can’t help but feel nervous. This draft is my baby, and I’ve already lost sleep, cried, and suffered a few hysterical breakdowns in order to complete it.

My classmate and friend – Tammy Karatchuk – has also agreed to help me edit. I worked with her as an intern at The Projector last Christmas, and I trust both her editing efficiency and her opinion. I’ve given Tammy the first section thus far, and am eagerly waiting to discuss it with her.

By January 2011, I want to start the publishing process. I have opted to self-publish the book using a local company, and I’m very excited about this decision. Many people have asked me why I’m not trying to publish my book with a well-known publisher, and my answer is simple. This project is a labour of love from me to my great-aunt. In the end, all that matters to me is that I write something she would have been proud of. I’m not looking to get rich, or famous. I only want to feel, at the end of the day, that I properly honoured an amazing woman.

There will be a book launch, and it will be an unofficial affair at my parent’s house. Everyone is invited. I want to have a huge party to commemorate my achievement, and I want to share the moment with all of you.

Currently, my friend Tyler is designing the cover of my book. I’m very excited about this, because planning a cover means that I am actually going to publish a book. Ty is an amazing artist, and I can’t wait to see his artistry combined with my words.

Stay tuned for future updates. It’s going to be a long and interesting ride, and I’m thankful that you – my readers – will join me for the journey.

Park51

Today, in PR class, it was my turn to present information about a newsworthy issue to my peers. I chose Park51, because it is something that I have been following for months. I was surprised to discover that many of my classmates hadn't heard about this unfortunate issue, and have decided to post my PowerPoint notes on my blog as a result...

Background...

Plans have begun to build an Islamic community centre two blocks from the World Trade Centre 9/11 attack site in New York City.

The building will be located on Park Place at the previous site of a Burlington Coat Factory retailer which was damaged by falling rubble during 9/11.

Names the project is referred to as include:

• Cordoba House
• Islamic community centre
• the Ground Zero mosque

When completed, the community centre will incorporate the following:

• 500-seat auditorium and exhibition theatre
• Lecture hall
• Conference room
• Libraries
• Classrooms
• Cooking classes
• Senior citizen space
• Child care
• Banquet hall (for weddings and other special functions)
• Muslim prayer space (which will be called Cordoba House)
• Contemplation & reflection area
• 9/11 victims memorial
• Pool
• Gym
• Medical, education & wellness programs

What is the issue?

The building will be constructed close to the site of the World Trade Centre tragedy, where nearly 3000 people died in 2001.

The attackers were members of al-Qaeda, a militant Islamist terrorist organization.

Constructing an Islamic mosque so close to the site of an al-Qaeda attack is seen as undermining the suffering of those who died.

It also makes some Americans feel that al-Qaeda has won the "War on Terror."

Who are the key players?

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (Supporter)

• Founder and Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative (CI), an organization created in 2004 to shape the future of Muslim/ US relations.
• Also Founder and CEO of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA).
• Imam of Masjid al-Farah (a mosque).
• Together, it was Rauf and his wife – Daisy Khan - who developed the idea to build a community centre in lower Manhattan.
  
  Imam Rauf’s key messages:
• He is trying to build bridges between the Muslims and the West.
• He also wants to integrate Islam into modern society.
• He wants to see a renewed sense of religious tolerance in the US.
• He wants religious discrimination to end.
  
  Imam Rauf’s communication tools:
• Appearances in national and international media programs, including: CNN, BBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, BBC, and a variety of talk shows (such as Larry King Live).
• Quotes in the New York Times, Time magazine, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Jerusalem Post, and Associated Press.
• Exposure from websites, blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter pages attached to his organizations.
  

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Supporter)

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg openly supports the Park51 project...
• Bloomberg’s key message is that building the community centre will reiterate the fact that America is a welcoming place where people are free to practice their own religion.
• His audience was initially New Yorkers, but news of his support has spread across America.

President Barack Obama (Neutral)

• Obama made a speech on Sept. 14, 2010, about his position on the mosque...
• Obama didn’t choose a side, but presented the facts in a logical manner; his key message is: “this is the law, we should move on.”
• His audience is all of America as well as Muslim nations.

Pastor Terry Jones (Opposition)

• Jones was the Pastor who was determined to organize a Quran burning on Sept. 11, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida.
• His key message is: “to expose that there is an element of Islam that is very dangerous and very radical."
• His audience was initially those who also opposed the community centre and his congregation, but now encompasses everyone who is listening (which is obvious by the hundred death threats he received before calling off the burning).

Why is this a difficult PR issue?

• This is not simply a case where one company responds to a situation (ex. BP, White County Eggs, Maple Leaf, Pepsi).
• Multiple players with different opinions are all talking at the same time, and effective communication has completely broken down.
• Some of the parties involved have legitimate comments to make, and are voicing them effectively (ex. President Obama, Mayor Bloomberg, Imam Rauf).
• Other, more radical groups, are making it difficult for anyone to concentrate on the real issue (ex. Pastor Jones, Sarah Palin, protesters).

Where is the issue now?

SoHo Properties - a New York real estate development firm based in lower Manhattan - acquired the property a couple of years ago.

They have received the green light from Manhattan Community Board 1 to go ahead with the project.

Another non-profit organization (similar to CI and ASMA) will be set up to oversee both fundraising and construction.

It will be built.

The amount of future debate is anyone’s guess, but it’s unlikely the controversy surrounding Park51 has ended.

It's Ghost Hunting time!

Last night, I went filming/recording with my friend Jenn. Her IPP is to produce a Haunted Manitoba documentary, and we've visited three supposedly haunted locations around the city thus far. We actually had an "interesting experience" at one of the locations, and plan to return to do more research this week.

If you want to read about last night, or follow her progress, click here. I still have to listen to the audio, but I'm hoping we caught a few interesting noises on our recording.

Unfortunately, we refuse to tell anyone what happened until we do more research. Stay tuned, because I'm sure it's going to get exciting!

My first rejection letter

Earlier this summer, I submitted a number of poems and short stories to six literary journals around Canada.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting much in return. I have been published a few times in the Winnipeg Free Press, and I worked as an intern at Canada’s History magazine, but I am otherwise an unknown in the literary world.

My Creative Writing instructor informed me that a person isn’t truly trying to be a writer until they start to get rejection letters. It can take years to be published in a literary journal for the first time. And, when that beautiful acceptance letter finally appears, it’s usually because the right editor read the right piece at the right time.

I have started my “Rejection” file, and it currently resides under my bed. I’m eagerly waiting for the day I will be able to start an “Accepted” file.

I’ll be published in a literary journal eventually, and I refuse to stop trying.

Tony Blair demonstrates proper interviewee techniques on The Daily Show

As many people know, I don’t have cable television in my apartment. I don’t watch Dancing with the Stars, and I’ve never seen True Blood. But, on occasion, I do watch two of my favourite shows via Internet.

And the two programs I make an effort to see are The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Tonight, I watched the September 14 episode of The Daily Show, and the interview between Jon Stewart and former Prime Minister Tony Blair affected me enough that I felt I needed to blog about it.

Why? I’ll tell you.

(Image taken from Google.)

In PR class in the not-too-distant future, we will be discussing proper interview techniques. I’ve also heard rumours that eventually we will have to go on camera and try to field a variety of questions we don’t want to answer (or are trying to avoid answering). It is for this reason that I paid particular attention to Stewart’s grilling of the former Prime Minister on the show.

I also felt that I needed to blog about this particular interview because the topic was one that I found fascinating. The Islamic community centre issue in New York City has resulted in a huge media circus. It has also raised larger issues about religious radicals throughout the world. This interview discussed Afghanistan, Iraq, and the impending problems with Iran. It also focused on the debate of when American (and British) forces should become personally involved in a situation instead of allowing a country to attempt to work through the problem on their own.

Throughout all of Stewart’s questioning, Tony Blair held his ground. He spoke clearly, eloquently, and received applause from the audience on two occasions. He refused to concede points that he had justification for making, and didn’t allow Stewart to shake him in his beliefs. I really admire that, but would expect nothing less from the former leader of a country.

If you’re curious about the interview, check it out here.* A lot of important information was exchanged, and I think it’s definitely worth taking the time to watch. I hope that I can be as cool as Tony Blair when I’m in the hot seat, but the man sure has had a lot more practice.

*Note: Occasionally, the links to The Comedy Network are changed, so if the video doesn't work properly, click here to access the beginning of the episode. Watching the whole episode is worth it, I promise.

Winnipeg + blowout sales = pandemonium

Last Saturday, I attended the blowout sale at Royal Sports on Pembina Highway. I arrived with two friends, and we were 20 minutes early. To my surprise, we were confronted by a very long line quickly snaking its way around the building.

I asked an understandingly unimpressed employee, and he explained that people started showing up at 7 a.m. for this apparently-epic sale.

As we gradually made our way to the front of the line, I shamelessly eavesdropped on the conversation behind me. (As a CreComm who considered majoring in journalism, I have no problem admitting when I use the people around me for stories.) A couple – probably my age or younger – was complaining loudly and obnoxiously about the snail-like pace of the line. They were angrily watching people inside the sale tent pick up multiple boxes of shoes.

And I quote:

“Oh my god, that person has 10 boxes of shoes! Do you see that?! Put some down, you jerk. Leave some for the rest of us!”

I understand that everyone in line wanted to take advantage of the blowout sale. We would have all stayed home in bed if we weren’t serious about finding a great deal. But it was completely unnecessary for the pair behind me to start heckling people. I thought that Canadians are supposed to be polite, and these individuals were being very, very rude.

What clinched it for me was when the young woman behind me started yelling at a mother and her two children for trying to cut through the line. Both children had just come from soccer practice, and the mother wasn’t even trying to get into the building. All she wanted to do was ask her son - who was the employee manning the entrance – if he wanted coffee. The woman behind me started screaming bloody murder, and the mother quickly went away without taking her son’s coffee order.

I found nothing of quality in the sale, and went home empty-handed. As I exited Royal Sports, I saw the same couple who waited behind me in line waiting to pay for their purchases. The woman had four boxes of shoes clutched in her arms; the man had three. They were both still scowling at everyone around them, and looking simply miserable in general.

Blowout sales seem to make people go crazy in Winnipeg. I could write a book about the insanity I witnessed during Scratch & Save and 10% off days when I worked at RONA. Overall, I was slightly shocked and appalled by the behaviour of the people in line behind me. The unfortunate thing is that they weren’t the only ones who were behaving in this manner. There was many a disgruntled shopper searching for deals at Royal Sports last Saturday morning.

Rockin’ with Don Ross at The Park Theatre

One of the greatest things about Winnipeg is the fact that there are small, intimate, live music venues tucked away in the most unassuming corners of the city.

The Royal Albert Arms (simply referred to as “The Albert”) has been a live music venue for as long as I have been alive. The Burton Cummings Theatre (formerly The Walker) attracts many well-known musicians and a few famous acts too. There’s The Garrick, The Zoo, Shannon’s Irish Pub, and the list goes on, and on, and on. The Park Theatre (and Movie Cafe) is located on South Osborne Street near Jubilee, and it is one of the cutest places I have ever watched a show in.

Don Ross is Canadian (woohoo), and he comes to Winnipeg quite frequently. He was born in Montreal in 1960, and currently resides in Halifax. He’s a visiting Professor of Music at Dartmouth University, and also teaches students privately both in Halifax and around the world via the Internet.

Ross isn’t classically trained, but he is an absolutely phenomenal guitarist. There is no way I can clearly articulate his genius through words, so please check out the video clip below...



Fantastic, right? Occasionally, Ross tours with his wife, Brooke Miller. When we saw him last Thursday, it was just Ross and his guitar. He played for about two hours, and kept the audience transfixed on the stage the entire time. His presence and talent is awe-inspiring, and I recommend that everyone watches him perform at least once.

Here's another clip, just in case you want more. Ross is covering "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. Enjoy!

iBooks by Apple Inc.

(Photo courtesy of iBooks web page.)

I love to read. There is something special about books, newspapers, and magazines that simply can’t be compared to watching television or roaming the Internet. I also love to read for free, and am thoroughly excited about the iBooks application (“app”) I discovered on the iTunes website.

As an assignment for public relations class, we were instructed to find an app that is both free and useful. After carefully searching through a laundry list of games, screen savers, and weight management calculators, I found iBooks.

This app has a number of great features, which are as follows:

• It provides users with a complimentary copy of the illustrated Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (which I would actually read again if I owned a copy).
• It allows users to read free samples of any book on the iBookstore roster before purchasing the full text.
• It’s easy for users to personalize. Screen brightness, font sizes, backgrounds, text layouts, typography, bookmarks and individual notes are just some of the features that iBooks has included for users to play with.
• Favourite passages can be highlighted, and notes can be added to the margins. This is especially appealing to me, because I write all over my books.
• PDF documents can be added to iBooks. This is especially helpful for students who want to study notes or a textbook on the bus or in a restaurant, but don’t want to open their cumbersome binders.
• It also has the ability to speak the words on any given page. While this may not appeal to my age group specifically, I’m sure my grandma would love having a story read aloud to her.

So what does this mean to PR?

We are living in a technology-driven society, and new inventions such as the iPad, iPhone, and BlackBerry are making it increasingly easy for consumers to access whatever they want whenever they want. Checking a bank account balance can be done in seconds (using the TD Bank app), and a destination can be found with the touch of a few buttons (with the Google Maps app). Technology is only going to advance in the future, so it’s very important for everyone involved in the communications industry to understand exactly how to use it to their benefit.

Public relations professionals are responsible for the big picture. They must follow the trends, know what is in, and know how to reach audiences across many different channels. Not everyone in the world currently use apps. Not everyone currently owns an iPod, iPhone, or BlackBerry. But, the technological climate is shifting in that direction, and PR professionals must be prepared to utilize apps – and any other form of technology, for that matter – to get their message out.

Why does this app work?

iBooks is free to download, which will appeal to anyone who is interested in reading on their handheld device. It also offers a host of complimentary add-ons, which will only increase its allure. This app isn’t for everyone - because not all people are bookworms like me – but those who download it enjoy books enough to want to have the freedom to read whenever, wherever, and however they please.

Users do have to purchase some books, but there are many available for free. As I searched through the website, I discovered that the Guinness Book of World Records is free to download. So is Alice in Wonderland. Maybe not the books you were thinking of reading, but this is a clever marketing strategy. Offer something for free, and many people will go back to purchase more.

Well... I’m sold.

I plan to download the iBooks app immediately after finishing this post. My plan is to get as many free books as possible, and then I will start looking at the ones that are for purchase.
Maybe I’ll have my book available for purchase on iBooks one day. It’s a clever marketing strategy, and I bet writers who are featured on the site have increased success and publicity.

Kenaston bike path leaves too much to the imagination

I want to take a moment to discuss something that really bothered me this past weekend.

It was a beautiful long weekend, so Jeff and I decided to bike to my parents house and back. Normally, this is a trek that takes over an hour. To shorten our trip, we decided to use the almost-finished bike path that parallels Kenaston Boulevard in the south end of Winnipeg on our way home.

The path consisted of recently-packed gravel, which meant that it was fairly easy for Jeff and I to navigate our bikes down. We were doing well, and enjoying our exercise, until we reached the intersection at Waverly Street and Kenaston (Bishop Grandin Boulevard). If anyone doesn’t know the intersection I’m referring to, it is where the now-defunct Crampton’s Market used to be located.

One would assume that the bike path would extend to the intersection. No such luck. The gravel path suddenly veered off to one side, into a field. We continued along this route – considering that our only other option was to drive on the shoulder of the busy road – and found ourselves in a parking lot. The parking lot turned into a road, and the road led us away from the intersection. We emerged on Waverly Street, and had to bike down the shoulder, race across traffic, pull our bikes onto the centre median, and repeat the process.

To add to our already-mounting frustration, Jeff and I emerged sweating, cursing, and stressed out on the opposite side of the road only to discover the continuation of the bike path. It started just as abruptly as its predecessor had ended, and ran up a hill and out of sight. What I found interesting was the fact that this path was recently and beautifully paved.

The two sides of the bike path aren’t connected, and there is no pedestrian crosswalk or corridor in between. I understand that this part of the construction process might occur at the end of the project, but that just doesn’t work for me. People (like me) will use something like a bike path even if it isn’t nicely paved. There were a lot of tracks in the gravel when we biked down it, and I’m sure there are many people who used it after us. A crosswalk is a very important aspect of the process, and I believe it should have been built before construction on the bike path began.

I’m also interested to find out why the path doesn’t run all the way to the road. I’ll admit that the land around one corner of the road is quite wet and grassy. If it’s going to be finished SOON, I’ll let that point go. If not, I’ll resume my frustration. What’s the point of building a convenient bike path if it isn’t efficient?

Needless to say, I was bothered. I will be watching to see how this bike path is finished, and I hope that I won’t have to write another blog about it. If the path isn’t completed to my satisfaction, however, you can be very sure that you’ll hear about it immediately.

Commandeering iPad browser space at the Apple Store

I want to start by saying that I am not the most technologically-inclined person around. To me, getting a BlackBerry six months ago was a monumental milestone. I was joining the illustrious ranks of business professionals with high-tech communication tools, and it felt good.

Now, half a year later, I’m behind the times again. I feel like I am the kid sitting in the back of the room straining to hear what the teacher is saying. Everyone has an iPod Touch, an iPhone, and iPad, or all of the above. I thought my BlackBerry was cool. I must be missing something.

In an effort to get “with the times,” both my friend Ashton and I decided to purchase an iPod Touch. We went to Future Shop, bought all the fancy accessories, and left the store feeling both elated and highly intelligent. Before calling it a night, we opted to check out the Apple Store in Polo Park Shopping Centre.

The store was absolutely packed – which makes sense, I guess – and we shimmied our way through the mass of humanity with a sense of awe. iWhatever’s are definitely the most popular products on the market today, which only added to my sense of accomplishment regarding my brand new iPod Touch.

I found myself at one of the large table displays devoted to iPad’s, and picked one up with hesitation. I went to Chicago this past May, but avoided the Apple Store like the plague. The iPad had just come out at that time, and people couldn’t wait to get their hands on one. It honestly seemed like useless technology to me (not to mention the fact that I was annoyed by the name), and I wanted to have no part in its success.

But, for some reason, I found myself drawn to the iPad. Maybe it was because I had just purchased an Apple product, or maybe it was because they are so pretty. Either way, I was navigating through the applications and typing in URL’s before I realized what I was doing.

Ashton disappeared to survey the rest of the store, but I remained with my new best friend. I typed in the URL for my blog, and suddenly the banner for The Hope Files was displayed across the streamline screen. I really, really hate to admit it, but my blog looked fantastic on an iPad. Better than on a laptop, and certainly better than on the screen of a BlackBerry. In fact, my blog looked so good on an iPad that I opened the Internet and typed in the URL on every single iPad in the store. There’s nothing wrong with a little shameless self-promotion, right?

The moral of the story is that I want an iPad. I never thought I would jump on that particular bandwagon, but it actually has many practical uses. I still love my BlackBerry – and that won’t change – but I’ll concede that Apple products are more useful than I’ve credited them with being in the past.

Check out the Apple Store if you find yourself at Polo Park. If you go, be sure to check out how my blog looks on the screen of every single iPad on display.

Not just on one... every single one.

Watching winter approach

I have no idea where summer went.

The last months of my first year of CreComm flew by, and I desperately needed time away from school to regroup and regain my sanity. I love my classmates and my instructors, but the cabin was calling my name. I was lucky enough to spend four luxurious months writing, reading, relaxing, and thinking. I didn’t have to follow a schedule, and I didn’t have to answer to anyone but myself. It was beautiful, and I am lucky to have had such a wonderful summer.

Today, it’s September 3. The first week of my second year at Red River is already gone. As I walked to my bus stop this morning, I noticed the trees lining the street are beginning to lose their leaves. In no time, Winnipeg winter will rear its ugly head and everything will freeze. School will take off in earnest, and I’ll find myself immersed in the academic stylings of my instructors once again.

Time passes much too quickly. Before I know it, I will be graduating and facing the challenge of deciding what to do with the rest of my life. When the first signs of spring begin to show, I’ll be handing in my final assignments, wrapping up my IPP, and saying goodbye to a lot of amazing people. Naturally, many of our paths will cross again. But we won’t be together all day, every day, and that will be a serious adjustment.

I usually watch winter approach with anticipation. I think about Christmas, snowboarding, and the end of another school year. Not this time. Instead of counting down the days until completion, I’m trying to enjoy the time in between.

Life is too short to wish for the future when the present can be just as great.

Genre switch for John Grisham

The first John Grisham book I read was The Client. I quickly fell in love with his writing style, and consumed as many of his works as possible. A few days ago, I stumbled upon Playing for Pizza. It was published in 2007, and is a delightful departure from Grisham’s usual genre.

Playing for Pizza is the fictional story of Rick Dockery, a third-string quarterback for the NFL. After suddenly and unceremoniously being thrown into a championship game, he not only lost, but made a fool of himself and let his team down in the process. He was fired, abandoned by his friends, and almost forgotten by his agent. In an effort to flee the harsh tongues of sports critics and the destroyed patriotism of football fans, Dockery accepted a contract to lead the Parma Panthers in Italy.

I had never heard of North American football in Europe before reading this book, but an author’s note at the end assured me it does in fact exist. The following is small, and the teams are mostly comprised of local athletes who play for the love of the game and the promise of free pizza dinners.

In order to write Playing for Pizza, Grisham did research. He visited Parma, Italy, and met the Panthers (who are actually a real team). He watched a number of games, interviewed the players, and familiarized himself with how football is viewed in Italy. Grisham also got to know the city of Parma, which allowed him to write about it in a way that was both enticing and easy to understand. The majority of the story is set in Italy, so it’s important the content seems genuine.

Reading this book was very beneficial to me. I am currently writing my own book that can be best defined as historical fiction, which is more or less the genre of Playing for Pizza. Grisham took real places and events, and infused them with fictitious characters. The difference is that my characters are real, even though it was necessary to take liberties on some of their actions.

Here’s an interesting fact I learned while reading the book: the town Parma is where all of the real Parmesan cheese in the world is made.

Read the book. It's great.