Not City Hall After All ?!

September 27, 2005 - So City Hall might not be in my future afterall - at least not in the short term.

Last Friday afternoon, I was all ready to give my current acting manager (manager #3 since June) my resignation letter. I had previously told him that I'll be leaving my position because of the job offer from UASRB and he was really supportive when I told him. Anyway, I had my letter all typed up and was about to give it to him when I saw my previous acting manager (manager #2). Manager #2, Rupert, had always been nice to me - he was the first real manager that I had work under (since my first manager, Maggie, left the week that I started). So I figured I should be the one to tell him about my new position, rather than have him find out through the "staff changes" email that seems to go out every week (yes, our branch is sorta like the revolving door - people come and go all the time).

What happened next was pretty surprising (and flattering). Rupert asked if I would stay if the Branch offers the same contract to me: same pay, same position, same benefits. I think my exact reaction was: huh? what? - so anyway, Rupert told me not to resign yet, and that he will talk to the Director of the branch and he would get back to me as soon as possible. So there I sat stunned, by the fact that now I have two job offers, and by the fact that my salary will go up no matter what !!

So I took some time to think about the Branch's offer - I mean, I've just started to pick up on the housing stuff, and there are more learning opportunities in the Branch, not to mention the possibility of being switched to permanent status (the UASRB job is to cover someone who's on Mat leave). ..

So on Monday, I got pulled into Manager #5's office (who just started that very day) and was offered the contract. The contract is for a shorter period though (only 6 months) but with a good possibility to turn permanent. I was also told that I'll be given more responsibilities, so I won't just come to work and sit and be bored (and for that I'm grateful).

So after weighing everything from the working environment (and I have made a lot of friends where I work now) to personal growth, I've decided to stay put and see what happens. I feel bad calling back the UASRB manager to decline the job - but hey, gotta do what's best for me right?

I guess City Hall just doesn't really work for me eh?

Next Stop - City Hall ?

September 20, 2005 - It looks like my days as an "Intern" are officially over.

A couple of weeks ago, I applied for a Policy Advisor position with the Urban Affairs and Stakeholders Branch at our Ministry. I had a feeling that my cover letter and resume were pretty good so when I got a call for an interview, I was not completely surprised. After getting some tips from my friend Kanchan at work, I started preparing for the interview and was all ready to land that Econ 3 job.

The interview went fairly well I guess. I was nervous naturally but I think I did a good job in telling them that I have the skills to do the job. However though, I felt I didn't do a good enough job in selling my interpersonal skills, which I thought hurt me. The interview was just with the manager and a HR person, which was surprising given that I was expecting a bigger panel.

The written exercise was fun - it was on preparing an issues note for the ADM on Toronto issues. The same question was asked during the Q&A and I was happy to learn that I've covered most if not all the TO urban issues in my answer. So overall, I would grade myself a B. Not perfect but not bad either.

A few days afterwards, I learned that the manager called Kanchan for a reference. Shortly after that, the manager called me and ask for a reference from my manager. I was hesitant at first (since I didn't want anyone to know I'm planning to quit), but after talking to my mentor/teamlead, who offered to give me a good reference, I went ahead and called the manager back.

The next day, I found out I got the job ! I took some time to think about it and figured it's probably the best move. The position sounds interesting - I'll be working on mainly Toronto and Ottawa related issues, including going to Council meetings and informing the ADMO on recent TO/OTT events. It definitely beats sitting around being bored at where I am...

So it looks like I'll be leaving Housing and heading over to City Hall !!

Sketches of Frank Gehry @ TIFF

September 17, 2005 - Jason surprised me with tickets to see Sketches of Frank Gehry tonight at TIFF. I thought the movie was really interesting, since I know a bit about Gehry already and have visited one of his work - the Strata Centre in Boston (see picture above). Anyway, the theatre was completely packed but because it was the last showing of the film, both Sydney Pollack (the director) and Gehry were not present.

For those who are not familiar with Gehry, he is a Canadian-born architect known for his sculptural approach to building design. He is famous for his building curvaceous structures, often covered with reflective metal. His most famous work is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Gehry's style is part of the post-modernist movement, and his style of twisted, wrapped form of architecture is part of the deconstructivist school.

Gehry's buildings are often controversial - as they follow the deconstructivist style of creating in-your-face structures that often do not fit in with their local surroundings. For example, the Seattle Music Project was heavily criticized for its bizarre colour choices (purple), massive size, and failure to relate to its surroundings. Many believed Gehry got it wrong.

Anyway, the movie was definitely interesting - provided an insider view as to how this architect thinks. The interviews with some of the celebrities were unnecessary though (Dennis Hopper ???) and it would've been better to create a more balance film by talking to more of Gehry's critics. But then again, the movie was supposed to celebrate Gehry's works and life, so why spoil the party by inviting the naysayers ?

Gehry is currently working on the transformation of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Will it be as impressive as the ROM Crystals ? or will it be like the outrageous (future) Hummingbird Tower ? hmmm...can't wait to see it when it's done...

And oh so this movie also wrapped up my TIFF experience. Overall, it was definitely fun and very interesting. I think we did a great job in picking different kinds of movies, particularly the foreign ones. We also missed tons of good ones that we'll have to catch at the theatre this fall. Can't wait till next year - though right now, I'm a little "movie-ed" out...

Seven Swords @ TIFF

September 16, 2005 - I'm sorry but I didn't quite get Seven Swords.

Seven Swords was the 2nd last film on our TIFF circuit. It wasn't the first showing of the film so nobody was there to introduce it except for this one volunteer. The film stars really big Hong Kong singers/movie stars, including Charlie Young (remember when she used to sing too?) and Leon Lai (does he still sing?). The movie was really long - maybe because I didn't understand the story (I had to read the subtitles because the movie was in Mandarin) - i.e. what was the scene with the falling ice and the swords flying into the air ? I also had problems separating the 7 swordsman - I know Charlie and Leon were two of them but all the other ones looked the same to me.

Anyway, many of the scenes were beautiful though - definitely a big Chinese epic - but then again I've never really enjoyed these martial arts film. Apparently there's going to be a sequel to this movie - though I'm pretty sure I'll catch that one on dvd...

Dear Wendy @ TIFF

September 15, 2005 - Dear Wendy, hmm not sure what to say.

Dear Wendy was the next film on our TIFF list. The movie was directed by Thomas Vinterberg, who directed this movie called Celebration, using the "Dogme" film technique/movement (you can thank Jason for that little piece of film knowledge). The movie was also written by Lars Von Trier (the co-founder of Dogme with Vinterberg). Anyway, the movie stars Jamie Bell of Billy Elliot fame.

Initially I didn't know what to make of the movie - the premise of the story is a group of young social misfits who form a group led by Jamie Bell's character, Dick, called the Dandies. They hang out in an abandoned mine and are obsess with their guns (though they came upon their love for guns unintentionally). They each have a name for their guns, with Dick's being "Wendy". They also have their own unique style of shooting which represents their shooting. Though they vowed to never use their guns, an unexpected "event" occurs and their "loving" relationship with their guns is changed...

After giving it some thought during my drive home, I think the film is trying to send out different messages. Is the movie one complete metaphor to show our world's love for firearms ? is it a illustrating how certain nations are just completely dillusional in thinking how they could own (and love) guns and violence but yet try to hide them and make excuses for having them ? so is it anti-guns ? or anti-gun culture ? hmmm....still pondering...

April Snow @ TIFF

September 15, 2005 - After taking a day off yesterday, we were back on the TIFF circuit tonight with April Snow. Initially, none of us were too interested in the movie - it was our "backup" - we were supposed to see Brokeback Mountain instead I think. Anyway though, I'm glad we got to see it because it's my favourite TIFF movie so far.

April Snow is a melodrama that focuses on the lives of two strangers, brought together by a car accident. A man gets a phone call while at work and rushes to the hospital, where he learns that his wife is in a coma following a car accident. Waiting outside the operation room is a woman, and we learn that she's there because her husband was in the same accident and in the same car. While gathering their spouses' belongings, the two strangers learn that their partners were lovers. The rest of the movie then shows how these strangers learn to heal from their partners' betrayal and learn to love again...

When the director of the movie introduced the film, he warned us that the film is a little slow. I remember my first thought was "uh-oh"...and he was right, the movie was slow - but I wouldn't have wanted it in any other way. The pace of the movie is slow and it has a very quiet tone to it but what I enjoyed most was how the storytelling gently let the audience relate and learn about the characters. Like one lady said at the Q&A - it's like cappuccino - you have to slowly taste it and absorb it to get the real sense of what it's like.

This movie features two big Korean stars that are really popular in Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong (of course, none of us have heard of them). The audience was also primarily made up of Koreans (mainly middle-aged women), who showered the director with gifts, posters, flowers - you name it. Though I have to admit, the main actor, Bae Yong-Jun, is kinda hot...

Btw, I really like the posters for this movie...

7 Virgins @ TIFF

September 12, 2005 - Another night, another TIFF movie.

Tonight, we went to see 7 Virgins, a film that takes place in Seville, Spain (we're definitely trying to see as many foreign films as we can). Let's me just start with the fact that there were no line up issues tonight :) and things are cool now between me and Jason...

The movie was a coming-of-age movie, about a teenager named Tano who has a 48 hour pass from juvenile detention so that he can attend his brother's wedding. Tano vows to do as much as he can within t hese 48 hours, including hanging out with his friends, hooking up with his girlfriend, finally attending his brother's wedding. Within these 48 hours though, Tano also learns the reality of life - and grows up (though not in the way that movie title refers to...).

I enjoyed the movie, particularly how it left some unanswered questions, such as, what did Tano did that landed him in jail? the relationship that Tano has with his brother is also interesting. Jason said it's possibly because Tano's brother is trying to live vicariously through him.

The director and two of the main characters were present for this world premiere. Apparently the actor who plays Tano is only 18 years old and is already a huge movie star in Spain...

Do Rude People have Breakfast on Pluto? (@TIFF)

September 10, 2005 - One of my biggest pet peeves is people who butt in front of others in lines. I absolutely cannot stand it when selfish inconsiderate people believe they are better than everyone else and don't have to get in line. Fortunately, I don't encounter these people that often, but an ugly incident occurred at the Toronto Film Festival tonight.

Tonight we went to see Breakfast on Pluto, starring the awesome Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Red Eye, Batman Begins). We were there an hour early and the line had already stretched around the block. By 8:30 pm, the line had stretched for another block - with probably more than 200 people behind us. It was when I noticed these two blonde 30+ ladies chatting with the festival volunteer beside us (who was doing a really poor job - he paid no attention to the line at all). At 9 pm, the line started to move. The two clever ladies smoothly merged into the line - right in front of me ! Of course, I told them that "there's a line up here you know". One of them quickly shot back "we were in line somewhere too" and just kept walking. I quickly protested and I think it was when I just lost it. I told Michael and Jason about it and they too were surprised. I was just pissed off - I just went on a rampage on how rude people can be and how uncivilized some people are. The ladies shot back comments at me, but I didn't hear them. I loudly called them bitches - which I think at that moment in time, was considered somewhat "polite" already. By the time we got inside, I had pretty much cooled off - I was still upset, but I figured I couldn't do much (though now that I'm writing this, a million other thoughts come to mind as to how I could've totally told them off).

What got me really upset though was not the fact the two women had gotten in front of me, it was what Jason said to me when we reached our seats. He said something like I should've just let it go, and that I had "called them names, and that's an entirely different level". The way that he spoke to me made me feel like I was wrong and I should've just kept my mouth shut. It also made me feel like I was being talked down at - and what exactly did he mean by an entirely different level ? that I was acting below them ? His tone of voice made me feel like I had done something wrong, when clearly I was just defending myself against people who clearly have taken advantage of us.

I HATE being taken advantage of (that hatred goes back a long long way)- and I absolutely hate it when people think they are better than everyone else and they are allowed to bend rules. But I think it was how Jason reacted that made me upset the most. I don't know why he had to speak to me like that. Sure, I could've used better wording or reacted to the situation more politely - but how could I when clearly what they had done was so disrespectful. I also didn't call them names to their face - I had said it loud enough so that I'm sure they could hear me, but it wasn't like I was in their face. What had I done that was so wrong.

Perhaps tonight is just one of those nights. I'm not mad - just a little upset I guess. Perhaps I'm also too sensitive. Maybe I just need some time to reflect on this situation. Maybe he was tired and he just didn't want to deal with me and my usual drama tonight.

On a positive note, I did get to see Cillian Murphy up close and personal - it was definitely cool (he walked right past me on my way to the bathroom). We also saw Liam Neeson, which was neat as well.

More blogs about the film festival as the week progresses...

Toronto International Film Festival - Gala

September 9, 2005 - Tonight I saw my first ever Toronto International Fim Festival Gala Presentation. The last time I was at TIFF was 2 years ago, when my friend Erin and I went to see "The Singing Detective" with Robert Downey Jr. and Katie Holmes. Anyway, we saw L'Enfer, which isn't really my first choice (I would've picked a movie where I know the stars...), but still, it was really cool to be seated at Roy Thompson Hall for a movie premiere. The movie was in French and it starred some really good French stars, who unfortunately I have never heard of (but judging from the reception they got from the audience, they must be pretty big). We were among the lucky few that got asked to move from the nose-bleed balcony section to the 3rd row on the floor - that itself was pretty cool.

As for the movie itself, I enjoyed it. The movie is part of a 3 part triliogy, with the first one being "Heaven" starring Cate Blanchette and Giovanni Ribisi. In L'Enfer, the story revolved around the lives of 3 sisters and how they dealt with a family tragedy. Each of the sisters had their own dysfunctional relationship, one of which resembled the one they had to endure in their childhood.

The acting was superb (two of the stars were in attendance) and it was a tense family drama. The tile of the film, which means "Hell" in English, is opened for interpretation. Does it mean the sisters are living in hell ? or does it mean they have gone through hell ? hmm....

Tomorrow we're watching Breakfast on Pluto with Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Red Eye, etc). More on that later...

The Viva Experience - Part 2

September 7th, 2005 - I had the opportunity to try the Viva system again. Tonight, I tried the purple Highway 7 route and I was mighty impressed.

The Blue Yonge route was still very slow tonight, mainly due to the heavy traffic on Yonge Street. When I got to Richmond Hill Centre station, I was pretty tired and was not happy to see that I had just missed a Purple Viva bus.

The electronic sign says the next bus will arrive in 3 minutes. Sure enough, 3 minutes later, the bus arrived. I was impressed (experiences have told me to never trust bus schedules 100%). The purple Viva bus was smaller than the ones that run on Yonge Street, but just as comfortable and smooth. The ride from Yonge to Leslie took 5 minutes, much faster than the regular Route 1 Highway 7 bus.

So far my Viva experiences have been nothing but positive. Hopefully others will also give the system a try...

The Viva Experience

September 6th, 2005 - At 6 p.m. this afternoon, I eagerly stood at the Finch Station bus terminal, waiting to board York Region's new Viva bus rapid system. I looked up at the electronic sign: 1 more minute till the bus arrives. Before long, a shiny new blue accordion looking bus pulled into the station, three sets of doors open and people began to file in.

The process was a bit confusing (you have to validate the ticket prior to boarding the bus) but there were half a dozen YRT officials around assisting passengers. I especially liked how the officials approached each passenger to inform how the new system works. After months of heavy marketing though, I had no difficulties with validating my ticket (though I had to double check with an official about using my ticket as a transfer). Despite that, not everyone was pleased. A lady complained how more advertising should have been in place to inform passengers (yo lady, have you been living on Mars the past few months ? have you not noticed the signs hanging along Yonge Street and Highway 7 ?)

The ride was very smooth comfortable. An electronic sign inside the bus shows the direction the bus is going and the next stop. The voice announcer was also clear and quite pleasant (unlike those TTC drivers who announce the subway stops). The seats were comfortable and the bus was air conditioned. I also liked the bus shelters - some were clearly designed with urban design principles and try to fit in with the streetscape (I really liked how there were bike racks at each station). Having transit officials at each stop also helped confused passengers get use to the new system.

Yet was it any faster ? My ride actually took a bit longer than usual, primarily because the bus now re-routes to the new Richmond Hill Centre terminal, and thus an additional 5 minutes was added to my trip. Add in the fact that these buses do not run on designated bus lanes (unlike those in Curitba and Ottawa), I still ended up getting caught in traffic. This problem will probably continue to exist until these buses get their own right-of-way.

While YRT has increased its ridership faster than any transit system in Canada, Viva still runs across suburbia. Running transit in car-dependent York Region, where over 90% of the people drive, will no doubt be a financial loser. Even if Viva does reach its goal and remove 7000 cars off the streets in Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill, I doubt any driver would even notice (some might even complain how these buses cause more traffic!).

Still, it's a start. York Region deserves real credit for making an effort to change the way we plan our communities. With traffic jams worse than the ones in downtown (I would say the morning rush hour traffic on the 404 is the worst in Canada), York Region can no longer ignore its transportation problems. While it may take years for Viva to reach decent ridership, it is definitely a first step towards building communities that are transit and pedestrian friendly...

Death of Small Town Ontario

September 5th, 2005 - As possibly the last time that we'll get a chance to go away for a weekend for the year, Jason and I decided to visit Cambridge for a couple of days (Kingston was our first choice, but all the hotels were booked). Initially we were both fairly excited, as the Town is known for its churches and great architecture (I mean, even Waterloo has its School of Architecture there ! what could go wrong ?).

Well I was wrong...

Cambridge turned out to be a big disappointment. Historic downtown Galt was a joke: not only were the majority of the stores closed, many of them are also empty and abandoned. The streets were also eerily quiet, there was nobody around ! Sure, the churches were nice (see above) but they were the only highlight ! Jason and I managed to visit all 3 town centres within an hour (the other 2 were just a street lined with closed stores - and they aren't great stores either !) How silly I was to envision that the town would be like old Quebec City or even small town New England !

Is this the death of small town Ontario ? did small towns like Cambridge die due to competition from the mall, from Walmart, and from urban sprawl ?

So instead, Jason and I spent our time in Cambridge doing things that we could have done in Toronto: dinner, movie, and sitting around watching tv. Not that I mind of course, but I had expected better from the town itself.

Well note to self: next time, see a bigger city !

Race, Class and Natural Disasters

Septembe 1st, 2005 - Like millions around the world, I've been glued to my tv set the past couple of days, shocked by the images showing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Southern USA.

Scenes of bodies lying on the streets, people pushing shopping carts filled with their belongings along highways, children crying and pleading for help, looters breaking into stores - these are images that I often associate Third World, war-torn countries with - and most definitely not an American City - especially New Orleans, with its unique French Quarter and historic Garden District, and those wild Mardi-Gras parties.

Katrina however uncovered a hidden side of New Orleans (and perhaps most American cities) that most of us forget and ignore. While the reporters covering the disaster did not point this out on the air, the camera held nothing back. Most of those who stayed behind after the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans were poor and black. As were most of the looters.

In a city where the poverty rate is double the national's average, where over half of the city is African-American, whatever disaster plan that the city had simply failed to address the needs of this underclass. Lacking money, education, and the means to get out of the city, they became the tragic victims in this disaster. The result of course are the heartbreaking images of people struggling to survive inside the Superdome and the Convention Centre - reminiscent of Third World refugee camps.

And can we blame the people for looting ? Sure enough, there were many who took advantages of the tragedy for personal gains; many however, simply broke into stores because they had no other choice: their instinct was to survive and if that means breaking into a store to get some food and water, then so be it.

The hurricane revealed deep segregation continues to exist in American cities. The poor continues to suffer disapportionately. While it is true that the storm did not discriminate, the system however, put poor African Americans at greater risk than other groups, and thus make them more vulnerable to the disaster.

There is no doubt that New Orleans will be rebuilt, but what will happen to the poor people living in the most flood-prone sections of the city ? Will the "new" New Orleans have a place for them ? is this an opportunity for things to change ? or will the poor become invisible again, until perhaps the next disaster ?