Back to School!

I still had to pinch myself when I entered the hallways of Mount Royal as I could not believe that I'm back to college for another four years. While initially I took this news with a lot of frustration (Imagine four years of university from La Salle just went down the drain), I was excited to be in the midst of younger people (not that I'm old...I think...) and to engage myself again in academic activities.

With a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about my first term, I had all my books ready a couple of weeks even before the semester started. While this sounded a bit nerdy, I had no regrets when I saw the line in the bookstore. It was way too long and I heard that a lot of the required books were no longer available. Another plus is that I was able to buy used books which are normally 20-30% cheaper. The good thing was that the books don't look like they were used (or even touched in my case...not a single fold).

I also bought some new clothes which would somehow make me look like I'm in my teen years. Of course, everyone here insists that I'd pass for a seventeen year old. I guess I have my parents to thank for this. To totally complete the look, I'm sporting the short cut again as against my "over the ear - japanese-ish" hairstyle I used to have.

As if all that was not enough, I actually started reading some of the materials already. I guess, I'm pretty determined this time because this second chance means an opportunity to do better. Moreso, college is on my tab and with thousands of dollars to spend each school year, I'm definitely not settling for a C (not that I ever settled for one...;-) ).



The first two days of school went by smoothly, as expected. It was all about coursework information and orientation. Based on my initial impressions, it looks like I will have pretty good professors for this term. Everyone had extensive experience both in the academe and the private sectors. Of course, this might mean higher expectations, too but that might actually just give me the right push to work harder. After all I need a 3.0 average to get to business school at U of Calgary.

Anyway, it looks like I will be writing on this blog more frequently. I also have some "backlogged" stories and pictures to share as we had the Calgary Stampede and a trip to the Calgary Zoo. 'Til next time!

Canadian Idol

After just four months of being here in Canada, I did one of the craziest things any newbie can do - join a national talent search competition. Ouais, I joined Canada's version of the globally popular Idol franchise. It all started February 1, Saturday at Calgary's Sunridge Mall. Before anything else, a lot of you might be wondering why I'm sharing this only now as the show has already started. Let's just say that same legal gobbledigook was barring us from saying anything as it will spoil the show.

Well, that kinda spoils my story too as you know already that I wasn't able to get into the top 24. However, it was still an experience worth sharing.

I tried out when I found out that Calgary was one of the audition cities this year. I was part of the long queue that had me waiting for hours. We arrived at the audition location at 10 in the morning and I ended up auditioning at 5 pm. I did not know that before you even got to the celebrity judges, you had to go through two rounds with the show's producers first. The first round, we came by fives. I sang Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life. It was a great feeling to get through that round. We were two. I got this ticket!

We had to go back the following day for the second round. This time, it was a one-on-one thing. I was asked to sing several songs to see how versatile I am and they also did an interview. I sang Lean On Me, For Once In My Life, A House Is Not A Home, and Ikaw ang Lahat Sa Akin (as requested by the producer since he wanted me to sing in Filipino as well). I got great comments after the audition. They told me that I sing from the heart and that I get the message across through the emotions I evoke from singing. I got another ticket and was given instructions for the celebrity judges round.

We had the celebrity judges round at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary. Calltime was at 6 am but the whole family was there to give their support. I was told that I was 20th to perform in front of the judges that day. As usual, we had briefings both with the production staff and surprisingly with the judges as well. While there was the usual scare that they will be very honest with their comments, they all wished as good luck.

When I was a few spots away from starting, we were called to stand by the door leading the way to the audition room with the celebrity judges. As soon as I get here, the nerves got even worse as I found out that no one yet has been lucky enough to get the golden ticket.

Finally, I was next. The person before me got in and she was the first golden ticket holder for the day! Whether it would be an advantage for me or not or if it was a sign of better things to come was not clear to me at that time. My stomach was upset and I was bathing in cold sweat. I just would like to get it over and done with.

Entering the audition room was surreal. I couldn't believe seeing the judges like I see them on TV. Only this time, I'm on the hotspot. After a quick introduction, I just sang and I was glad they liked it! I got great comments from all judges and I was given the golden ticket which meant an all expense paid trip to Toronto - from airfare to lodging at the ritzy Fairmont York Hotel.

While Toronto week was a stressful week, it was also a great experience to meet people from different parts of Canada. Though I wasn't able to make it to the top 24, I was there until the last day and got into the top 50. After it all, it wasn't too bad making it that far as around 10,000 auditioned throughout Canada.

Rainbow Dreams

Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.
-Anonymous-

The past few days have been very cloudy and gloomy. It was raining nonstop and it was not helping at all with improving my mood. With another birthday and at a crossroads in my life, a lot of questions have bothered me. You may call it a "quarter life crisis" but I know it has been tough for me lately.

However, a couple of days ago, the continuous outpour took a quick break. We got a hold of this sight. Wasn't it beautiful?


It was actually a double rainbow (hope you can see it in the picture as the outer one has a lesser hue than the inner one). This was the closest I ever got to a rainbow. Truly a welcome change with the gray skies we had for quite some time.

I'm not superstitious at all but I do believe in signs. Maybe, it is a sign of great things to come - soon I will have the answers to my questions. Let us cross our fingers!

To all those who greeted me during my birthday, thank you so much. Unfortunately, I can't be with most of you to celebrate and be thankful for everything that has happened to my life. However, my prayers and hopes are always with you. God bless!

May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.
-Irish Blessing-

Sunny Spring

29°C is a rarity in Calgary especially during springtime. So as soon as the bright sun got up sans cold winds which we usually get at this time of the year, everyone got out with their light shirts and shorts to take a stroll around the city. It was a Saturday - the 17th of May. Bien sûr, I went out as well with my cousin Ace and brother John in tow. While a lot of people went to neighboring ski resort towns like Banff and Canmore (it was Victoria Day the following Monday so it was a long weekend), a good number decided to stay in town to enjoy the sun.
One favorite spot was Stephen Avenue - a pedestrian street located at the heart of downtown. Known for its historic buildings, al fresco cafes and high end retail shops, the area was also filled with street performers with the unusually good weather.



Stephen Avenue has always been Calgary's "meeting place." Much of the old buildings here that are currently occupied by shops were banks and other offices during the city's boom in the early 1900s. You can even see the old rail tracks which date back from the first street car system of the city.

After Stephen Avenue, we headed straight to Prince's Island Park, another Calgarian favorite regardless of the weather. As expected, the paths were filled with bicycles and inline skaters. The grassy area, on the other hand, was filled with people playing football, frisbee and all sorts of stuff. We were even able to see a circle of Latinos doing some capoeira. Too bad the camera's battery just went off in the middle of taking pictures of all these people having fun. Anyway, we were not in the mood to play after a very long walk. Instead, we decided to end the day by sitting on the grass and staring at the wonderful scene as plants come back to life again after a long winter.

Neuf Mois Au Canada!

By the end of this month, it will already be nine months since we first set foot in Canada. I can still remember the rainy day we left Manila, the 13-hour long plane trip, and that much needed vacation in Vancouver. Moving to Calgary was also fresh on my mind - the grueling 12-hour Greyhound bus trip from Vancouver, staying for a week with newly found friends, and moving into our new apartment with all those Swedish DIY furniture.

A lot has happened for the past nine months and I promise to pick up the story from where I left it at. Allow me though to give you a progress report of my stay here in Calgary:

Weather

I've learned to accept that a day in Calgary can work within a 20 degree range. As most Calgarians would say, if you don't like the weather now, wait for ten minutes and things just might turn to your favor. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled to have experienced all four seasons and will be looking forward to the cycle each year. What I like most about it is you get a perfect excuse to change your wardrobe every three to four months. The only downside is that it is semi-arid all year long so it was definitely worth making lotion and moisturizer as my new buddies.

Work

Work here has definitely been less stressful than how it is in Manila. Here, we normally just stick with the 9 to 5 schedule. This allows me to spend more time with other things such as reading (here I literally devour books!), taking leisure walks by the river (literally, not figuratively) and spending time with my family. Other benefits of the stress-free life include being able to keep myself in shape and acne free sans expensive derma treatments.

School

I'm looking forward to going back to school in September. Though none of my university credits from the Philippines were actually transferred, I actually miss my college years so it will be another four years well spent . This is definitely a great time to meet people too and to build my so-called "Canadian network." I have also started with my French classes at Alliance Française at the start of the year and plan to take my A1 Level DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) by September. This exam is conducted by the French Ministry of Education and is recognized globally. Je suis excité et nerveux aussi!

I will continue with my way overdue Vancouver vacation histoires and give you a glimpse of my first few weeks here in Calgary. To all the people who have been reading my blog, thank you! To all my friends and relatives back in Manila, I do miss you all. Keep on reading and do know that dropping a line or two would be greatly appreciated!

On Adventure Mode at Capilano

One of the first laser discs movies that we had back home were those Indiana Jones movies. Suspension bridges will always be an element of these movies with the protagonist running for his life as the bridge falls apart and its wooden panels drop in the deep ravine.

We were in adventure mode as we went to the famed Capilano Suspension Bridge. Built in the 1800s, it has been there ever since. It has survived all sort of storms including a more recent one where an old tree weighing several tons fell on it.

As expected, it was shaky and felt like it was going to fall any minute. In spite of this and considering the rowdy Spanish tourists who kept on shaking the handles causing some of the tourists to panic (Que barbaridad!), we got to both ends safely. Another feature of the site is its old lodges with employees dressed in old colonial wear. Neat! It also had a lot of short trails for the novice adventurer (and a lot of smaller suspension bridges to prepare you for the “real” one).


If there is any significant thing that happened that day, it was that my mom was able to overcome her fear of heights. This time, she confidently crossed the bridge in spite of the fact that we were crossing over a deep ravine with the rocky river below far from our sight. I’m so proud of you, Mama!

A Day In School

Simon Fraser University – one of my top options to transfer to when we decided in my fourth year of high school that we were moving to Canada. A top university here in Canada nestled above a mountain, it seemed like the perfect place to focus on your studies.

Of course, s&*% happens so we had to wait for another five years for the visa. By that time, I did not only finish my college studies but was already a full-fledged CPA and Junior Product Manager with L’Oreal. Anyway, it was still worth going to. Did it look nice as the pictures I saw while wide-eyed and dreaming about studying abroad just a few years ago?

I was not disappointed. As expected, it was a bit colder there than downtown Vancouver. The campus was quiet which made it appealing as a conducive place to study and even reflect on career options. The architecture is also breathtaking. In fact, this university has been used as a shooting location site in several sci-fi and action oriented movies due to its CIA-ish and futuristic structures.

I know this sounds so jologs but it was also my first time to see a football field and game. I’m talking about American football of course. Normally, you would only see these in teen flicks with the popular jock together with his cheerleader girlfriend (never fails).

Now that I know I know that I’m studying again, I’m very much excited and looking forward to a new studying environment. I plan to take further studies here at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. I wonder how similar or different it is to our system back home, eh? Anyway, the U of C is another story and I would leave it at that for now. ☺