Support Jeff Brontman and his friends! Check out the SECOND episode of Lonely Santa!
If you enjoy it and wish to share with your friends you should. They are trying to get 1 million hits.
This is a very worthy cause to help out a group of independent filmmakers. writers, actors, etc. A lot of people had a part in the making of this project - help them get it out there!!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Lonely Santa
Support Jeff Brontman and his friends! Check out the first episode of Lonely Santa!
If you enjoy it and wish to share with your friends you should. They are trying to get 1 million hits.
This is a very worthy cause to help out a group of independent filmmakers. writers, actors, etc. A lot of people had a part in the making of this project - help them get it out there!!!
If you enjoy it and wish to share with your friends you should. They are trying to get 1 million hits.
This is a very worthy cause to help out a group of independent filmmakers. writers, actors, etc. A lot of people had a part in the making of this project - help them get it out there!!!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Last Few Months
Slacking with this just like most things…
Much has happened since I last updated this blog.
I fired my first gun back in August. 6 shooter. Tight.
Late September I ended up going to Pulau Weh which is a small island located just North of Sumatera. Tom, Charlie and I flew into Banda Aceh (still mainland Sumatera just south of Pulau Weh) and took a ferry to the island, then caught a bus to the area of the island we were staying at.
Once we got to the other side of the island things were extremely eerie. It almost felt as if that side of the island had been deserted. There was a long stretch of that side of the island with a ton of guesthouses but as we walked along we could rarely find anyone at any of these places. We needed a room and we had the hardest time trying to find an area that actually had people working. Eventually we found some signs of life and were able to book rooms. Tom and Charlie had theirs and I had mine. Both of our huts were right on the water and this was our view…
It was a holiday where all we wanted to do was relax and that’s all we did. It’s always nice to wake up every morning and move from your bed right into a hammock. Never bring “A Brief History of Space and Time” by Stephen Hawking when you are trying to relax, trust me. Other than lying in a hammock for most of the day we really didn’t do much else. We did find Monopoly and Scrabble at the Restaurant of our guesthouse which we did get quite addicted to. There wasn’t much alcohol on the island unless you were willing to pay through the roof for it so the three of us had ourselves a bit of a detox week.
Charlie and I did get to do a bit of snorkeling which was awesome. It was my first time so I was stoked. The reef was apparently “dead” due to the giant Tsunami that crashed through there a few years back but I still thought what I saw was amazing. We wanted to take photos with Charlie’s new underwater camera but right when we got it in the water it stopped working. So much for waterproof.
It was all good up until the day of snorkeling then things took a turn for the worse…
After the morning of snorkeling we met back up with Tom and he was complaining about something in his eye. He attempted to get whatever it was out of his eye but had no luck. As the day went on his eye seemed to bother him more and more. We made guesses about what it is but we really had no clue.
The next day Charlie and I had made plans to head to another side of this smaller island to do some more snorkeling. We heard the reef there was extremely alive and we were really looking forward to it. Like I said things took a turn…
Charlie woke the next day complaining about her eye. She was having the same problem that Tom was having. That was our last day in Pulau Weh. We had to get back to Banda Aceh that night because the next morning we had a flight from there to Medan. We got back to Aceh that evening and we booked a room for the night at this swank little place. Tom’s infection had spread to both eyes and Charlie’s one was getting worse. The next morning was when it reached me. I woke up having a little bit of trouble trying to open my one eye so I knew I had it. In the end we found out it seemed to be Pink Eye. You never want it. It’s hell. We got some drops in Aceh but had to take the next day off from work to sit in containment at their house. The trip was nice until the eye infection.
After the trip was when I started full time at my new job. I now work at the same school as Tom and Charlie, SIA (Singapore International Academy). I much prefer SIA over IEC. IEC is a language school but SIA is an actual school. The children seem like they actually want to be at school instead of IEC where if you are teaching an evening class most of the students don’t seem too happy to be there.
I do have a bit more work to do at my new job, i.e. marking and writing tests/exams but I’m getting use to it. It’s more work but it still keeps me interested. A big change with this school is that I have the same 6 classes every week at the same times. At IEC I would have, on average, 20 different classes in a week. It’s much easier to get to know your students when you have less of them and see them more often.
We celebrated Halloween at school which was fly. I was in charge of planning and building a Haunted House, first time ever, also fly. My main goal was to make the kids so terrified that they would cry. It worked. Tears were shed all through my Haunted maze. I was more focused on the maze then my costume though. My original idea was a bit shit, not worth mentioning. I ended up having an idea, kind of last minute but I knew it would work. I decided to ask the principal if I could try on the student uniform in the largest size they had. I actually didn’t need the largest I went down one size and was able to pull it off. Come Halloween I made sure to slick my hair down to the side and wear large nerdy classes and a tall pair of white socks. I don’t even think I have a really good photo of me in the get up which is a bit of a bummer. I thought the kids would think it was hilarious but most of them just asked me why I was wearing their uniform…
November just flew by. I did get a free “vacation” from the school, which was nice. I had to go to Penang Malaysia to get my new work Visa. I spent about 6 whole days there which was a great little break from work. I took out a bike while I was there and drove it all around the island on my last full day. I didn’t know what I would be back there so I wanted to make sure I saw a few new things while I was there.
The drive around the Island was great. There was nothing but endless winding roads on a really beautiful day. I stopped at a Butterfly Farm which was really interested and educational of course. Further around the island I found what was almost like a hidden waterfall. You had to park and walk a bit to this area with a really amazing waterfall rolling over these rocks. It was something else. Next I found a tropical fruit farm that held tours. I wish I took the tour to have the fresh fruit buffet after but I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to finish the rest of the island. I passed and just had some fresh juice while enjoying the view. The rest of the trip got me back to the heart of Georgetown, the more populated part of the island. It was pretty wild to open up that little motorbike on that small bit of highway they had.
That night was my last night in Penang. I headed back to the night market that night to take one last stroll through to see if I could find some Christmas gifts.
Since then I have been back in Medan just working and waiting for the Christmas Holiday when my sister gets here. She will be here a week tomorrow which is wild. I’m sure this place will blow her mind. I have put together a pretty intense itinerary involving elephant rides in the jungle, tubing down rivers, jungle treks, wild orangutans in their natural habitat, bat caves, volcano climbing and relaxing next to one of the world’s largest crater lakes. We are planning to do these 2 weeks of intense travelling the best way… on my motorbike. I hope our asses can take it. I’ll let you know.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Star Trek/Zombies
The movie I have been waiting almost a year for finally made it to the city I reside.
I was at the Plaza with my BRAH to buy some much needed Sushi and take a little peep at the Cinema.
To our surprise the Cinema was playing Star Trek at midnight. I'm guessing the midnight shows here are used as a test run. They play a film for a weekend or two only on midnight shows and if people are willing enough to see it then, then they should still be if they swap it to a regular schedule...enough about me looking at the science behind everything.
We got our tickets then and there obviously, but had hours to kill so we saw another film a few hours prior to Star Trek.
It was called Quarantine. When I think of something that is Quarantined I think of a Virus, when I think of a Virus I think of Zombies. I can never get enough Zombies. EVER.
I wasn't sure if it was about zombies because the trailer didn't give anything away as to why there was a Quarantine. I just had to wish, and boy was a right.
Not the best movie in the world, but it had Zombies which made up for it. They always do.
Back to the Trek.
I have been watching the original series over the past little while and it was really cool to be so into that and be able to jump to the new one to compare EVERYTHING. I was also able to read the Star Trek "Countdown" Comic Series as well, which filled me in with some pre-film storyline.
All the new actors did a pretty decent job of playing such memorable characters. I thought the guy who played Doctor McCoy was spot on. I also really dug the tension between Kirk and Spock. That was really well played out through the film. All the others were there from the Original Series but didn't seem to be as large a portion of the film as Kirk or Spock. I'm sure the next one will bring them all together even more so.
If you haven't seen it yet, make sure that you do. Even if you don't know the characters all that well it is still a great Star Trek film to get you into the series.
Long Live Star Trek
Long Live Zombies.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Cigarrette Vocals
Earlier this week I was asked from my friend Cindy if I was willing to have my voice tested for some video her friends were doing. I went to do the voice test on Wednesday and they seemed to love it.
I was told I needed to sound a bit more "upbeat" so after some adjustments to my vocal cords I was able to give them what they needed.
The studio was editing a corporate video for a very large Tobacco company in Sumatera which exports all the smokes they make. Some of the smokes make it to English speaking countries so my vocals are being used for the English Audio on their corporate DVD.
It was incredibly easy and I might be doing it again in a few weeks for something new. Hopefully something a bit more interesting because reading facts about a tobacco company was a bit dull.
I was told I needed to sound a bit more "upbeat" so after some adjustments to my vocal cords I was able to give them what they needed.
The studio was editing a corporate video for a very large Tobacco company in Sumatera which exports all the smokes they make. Some of the smokes make it to English speaking countries so my vocals are being used for the English Audio on their corporate DVD.
It was incredibly easy and I might be doing it again in a few weeks for something new. Hopefully something a bit more interesting because reading facts about a tobacco company was a bit dull.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sigur Ros
I'm on another one of my Sigur Ros stretches where I just can't stop listening to them again.
A few of my favourite songs/videos for you to peep.
If you don't like at least one of these songs or videos then you are a fool.
Watch them all, not just one.
A few of my favourite songs/videos for you to peep.
If you don't like at least one of these songs or videos then you are a fool.
Watch them all, not just one.
Sigur Rós - Untitled #1 (aka Vaka) from sigur-ros.co.uk on Vimeo.
Sigur Rós - Glósóli from sigur-ros.co.uk on Vimeo.
Sigur Rós - HoppÃpolla from sigur-ros.co.uk on Vimeo.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
July 22nd 2009 = Crash
It has been way too long since I have been on here... once again. I keep telling myself I will update this once a week but my life is so filled with Star Trek and X-files these days it is really quite hard to find the time.
So last Wednesday was a shit Wednesday. Reason : motorcycle accident.
I was heading to IEC (work) going my normal route and everything was going fine. Was about to pop my Honda into 3rd when out of no where an SUV comes into the road right in my path. It was a rainy day and what happened next was unavoidable. So with my options limited to crashing into the fender or crashing into the fender I chose crashing into the fender. I hit the front right fender probably at about 45km/hr, then hit the ground roughly at the same speed.
It was one of those accidents when you can see it about to happen but you also realize at the exact same moment that there is nothing you can do. Then the moment after you are on the road sliding down the street.
The accident could have been much much worse. I use to rock this shitty helmut that was meant to look good but wasn't really built for saving lives. A week prior to my accident I had purchased a new, much more protective head piece and that was what saved my life.
Right after I hit the SUV my head/motorcycle was the next thing to hit the ground. If I hadn't bought that new helmut my brains/body might be laying down somewhere else in Medan other than in my bed shortly.
Once I hit the ground I immediately got up I didn't feel hurt all that bad. It might have been the shock of it all. When I did get up I do remember my vision being extremely blurred due to the fact that my head had bounced off the road. Luckily some police where behind us in traffic and were able to assist with getting my bike off the road and talking to the driver of the SUV who couldn't speak much English.
After the small shock and rush wore off I noticed how much my wrist was in pain. I thought maybe it was broken but when the police took me to the hospital for x-rays we found out it was extremely sprained. For some reason though the hospital didn't supply and tensor bandages...
24 years old and not even a motorcycle crash can give me my first broken bone.
After a few hours there of being talked to by police and pushed around by doctors in a wheelchair we were off to the police station. I actually had to ride my bike to the police station with my messed up wrist. It was an odd day.
Considering I don't have a license in this country or any proof that my motorcycle is actually mine I got off very clean.
The driver of the SUV found out from one of the cops that I didn't have a license on me so he knew he had the upper hand. He was demanding that I pay for the repairs to his vehicle, mainly the headlight I took out on the way down.
I thought maybe he would just be cool and walk away. Like I was willing to do when the cops asked me if I wanted to press charges and I said no. He wasn't that cool.
After some chatting with my AC (academic coordinator) from my school, we were able to bribe the man off with 250,000 rupiah (about 25 dollars)
That's all the whole ordeal actually cost me. There were a few costs at the hospital for X-rays and medication but the school pays you back for things like that. I took my bike in to get repaired a few days later and that only cost 40,000 rupiah (about 4 dollars)
I love this country.
So last Wednesday was a shit Wednesday. Reason : motorcycle accident.
I was heading to IEC (work) going my normal route and everything was going fine. Was about to pop my Honda into 3rd when out of no where an SUV comes into the road right in my path. It was a rainy day and what happened next was unavoidable. So with my options limited to crashing into the fender or crashing into the fender I chose crashing into the fender. I hit the front right fender probably at about 45km/hr, then hit the ground roughly at the same speed.
It was one of those accidents when you can see it about to happen but you also realize at the exact same moment that there is nothing you can do. Then the moment after you are on the road sliding down the street.
The accident could have been much much worse. I use to rock this shitty helmut that was meant to look good but wasn't really built for saving lives. A week prior to my accident I had purchased a new, much more protective head piece and that was what saved my life.
Right after I hit the SUV my head/motorcycle was the next thing to hit the ground. If I hadn't bought that new helmut my brains/body might be laying down somewhere else in Medan other than in my bed shortly.
Once I hit the ground I immediately got up I didn't feel hurt all that bad. It might have been the shock of it all. When I did get up I do remember my vision being extremely blurred due to the fact that my head had bounced off the road. Luckily some police where behind us in traffic and were able to assist with getting my bike off the road and talking to the driver of the SUV who couldn't speak much English.
After the small shock and rush wore off I noticed how much my wrist was in pain. I thought maybe it was broken but when the police took me to the hospital for x-rays we found out it was extremely sprained. For some reason though the hospital didn't supply and tensor bandages...
24 years old and not even a motorcycle crash can give me my first broken bone.
After a few hours there of being talked to by police and pushed around by doctors in a wheelchair we were off to the police station. I actually had to ride my bike to the police station with my messed up wrist. It was an odd day.
Considering I don't have a license in this country or any proof that my motorcycle is actually mine I got off very clean.
The driver of the SUV found out from one of the cops that I didn't have a license on me so he knew he had the upper hand. He was demanding that I pay for the repairs to his vehicle, mainly the headlight I took out on the way down.
I thought maybe he would just be cool and walk away. Like I was willing to do when the cops asked me if I wanted to press charges and I said no. He wasn't that cool.
After some chatting with my AC (academic coordinator) from my school, we were able to bribe the man off with 250,000 rupiah (about 25 dollars)
That's all the whole ordeal actually cost me. There were a few costs at the hospital for X-rays and medication but the school pays you back for things like that. I took my bike in to get repaired a few days later and that only cost 40,000 rupiah (about 4 dollars)
I love this country.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Baller
In Indonesia if you go out on the weekend and spend 20 bucks you are an absolute baller. Seriously.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
MAD MEN
This is a show I am into huge right now and I thought I should share.
This is a quick littler teaser about the show, definitely check this and if you dig it peep the links below.
Seeing these a while back is what got me into the show.
The first link is for the first 8 minutes of a 15 minute behind the scenes look. The second is for the rest. Enjoy
http://www.amctv.com/videos/madmen/?bcpid=895162757&bclid=932485428&bctid=987199977
http://www.amctv.com/videos/madmen/?bcpid=895162757&bclid=932485428&bctid=987243574
This is a quick littler teaser about the show, definitely check this and if you dig it peep the links below.
Seeing these a while back is what got me into the show.
The first link is for the first 8 minutes of a 15 minute behind the scenes look. The second is for the rest. Enjoy
http://www.amctv.com/videos/madmen/?bcpid=895162757&bclid=932485428&bctid=987199977
http://www.amctv.com/videos/madmen/?bcpid=895162757&bclid=932485428&bctid=987243574
Terminator Review (Brontman vs. McInnis)
Brontman's Review...
yeah.....it was bad
It started half decent, but as the story progressed I found myself constantly questioning the logic of this and that, by the last 40 mins I kept saying over and over again that makes no sense, why would they do that, that is so stupid. Yeah, as the credits rolled I said to roomie " that movie was just an utterly pointless and stupid cash grab........then went and rented The Terminator to wash the bad taste of Salvation out of our mouths ......that sounded gay .......yeah it was just plain and simply stupid and gimicky....Bale was just kind of bad....he was too gruff and over the top....WHY THE FUCK DO PEOPLE KEEP CASTING Common, he's so bad! He just shows up and plays himself in every movie he does...lame...the guy who played young Kyle Reese was actually good, and Sam Worthington as the terminator was also really good......and as for the D.P. who took Bale's verbal abuse...well his work was pretty good for most of the movie...plenty o' digital finishing though.......why the fuck did they give this movie to the charlie's angel guy?????????
1.5 out of 5 stars
My Review...
Not the world's greatest film but it was decent all the way through. If you're a fan of the Terminator series you should be able to sit through this movie and enjoy it. Seeing this part of the story line should have been your dream since the first film.
There were two points when I questioned the film just like Jeff, one involving a Truck with a ball crane and another involving a fire. Those scenes didn't kill the film for me but I did read Jeff's review prior to going which had me watching for things I could question. When going to see this movie don't go putting it up on a pedestal. Keep in mind that you are seeing a Sci-Fi Movie about a possible future. It's well done for what it is. The story was rather interesting and when it wasn't the action kept you focused.
See the movie if you like the old Terminators or if you dig the Sci-Fi genre.
yeah.....it was bad
It started half decent, but as the story progressed I found myself constantly questioning the logic of this and that, by the last 40 mins I kept saying over and over again that makes no sense, why would they do that, that is so stupid. Yeah, as the credits rolled I said to roomie " that movie was just an utterly pointless and stupid cash grab........then went and rented The Terminator to wash the bad taste of Salvation out of our mouths ......that sounded gay .......yeah it was just plain and simply stupid and gimicky....Bale was just kind of bad....he was too gruff and over the top....WHY THE FUCK DO PEOPLE KEEP CASTING Common, he's so bad! He just shows up and plays himself in every movie he does...lame...the guy who played young Kyle Reese was actually good, and Sam Worthington as the terminator was also really good......and as for the D.P. who took Bale's verbal abuse...well his work was pretty good for most of the movie...plenty o' digital finishing though.......why the fuck did they give this movie to the charlie's angel guy?????????
1.5 out of 5 stars
My Review...
Not the world's greatest film but it was decent all the way through. If you're a fan of the Terminator series you should be able to sit through this movie and enjoy it. Seeing this part of the story line should have been your dream since the first film.
There were two points when I questioned the film just like Jeff, one involving a Truck with a ball crane and another involving a fire. Those scenes didn't kill the film for me but I did read Jeff's review prior to going which had me watching for things I could question. When going to see this movie don't go putting it up on a pedestal. Keep in mind that you are seeing a Sci-Fi Movie about a possible future. It's well done for what it is. The story was rather interesting and when it wasn't the action kept you focused.
See the movie if you like the old Terminators or if you dig the Sci-Fi genre.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Come With Me If You Want To Live
Holy shit the new Terminator movie actually came to Medan...
...details on the way.
...details on the way.
Monday, May 18, 2009
From Then Till Now
Haven't used this in a while...
I'm sitting here trying to think about what's been happening over the past month and all I can really think about is work.
That's all I have really been doing this past month.
I did do my taxes which ended up having a happy ending. I received quite a decent sum from our government. Most of what I claimed I didn't pay taxes on... can't wait for that audit...
When my return popped up in my account I took all of LABU (the house I live in) out for drinks and pool, it was a really good time. I felt like a baller that night.
Two of my housemates, Tom and Charlie, decided to rent a house in Medan for themselves. They picked a really nice place on the edge of town in a quiet complex. Getting a place there was pretty tempting. It's a single floor house with a garage and it only cost them 15 Million Rupiah for the year which translates into about 15o0 Canadian. It blows my mind because back in Toronto my place was 1150 a month...
I was later convinced that it wouldn't be the best idea for me to get one because I will likely be here only for one more year before I move on.
Speaking of which, when my new contract starts I will be moving from IEC (my school) to SIA which is IEC's "sister school". SIA is run like an actual school, because it is an actual school, where as IEC is just an English school. I am excited for the new challenge and the change of pace. My schedule now is basically all evening shifts which is 1:30 - 9:00. When I head to SIA I will be on 9-6ers.
It seems like it's the best option for me. I wouldn't have to worry about finding another job, and since my school is run by the same "MAN" I could transfer very easily. Another bonus is that I wouldn't have to move, and I should get a half-decent pay increase once a new contract is signed.
Next year will be JAPAN. That is a definite. I don't have a job set up yet but I am extremely determined to go live and work there. I have been or quite a long time.
I have been talking to a few friends from Japan that I use to work with in Toronto who are now back in Japan and they are on the lookout for jobs for me.
My one pal Kazuki hooked me up with a really good website for jobs in Japan and I have been browsing it a lot. It seems like most schools there are looking for 2 years experience minimum which I will have by then so I am stoked.
I will be off to China in a month which I am extremely amped for...
and damn I'll be 24 in less than a week... I don't feel 24
I'm sitting here trying to think about what's been happening over the past month and all I can really think about is work.
That's all I have really been doing this past month.
I did do my taxes which ended up having a happy ending. I received quite a decent sum from our government. Most of what I claimed I didn't pay taxes on... can't wait for that audit...
When my return popped up in my account I took all of LABU (the house I live in) out for drinks and pool, it was a really good time. I felt like a baller that night.
Two of my housemates, Tom and Charlie, decided to rent a house in Medan for themselves. They picked a really nice place on the edge of town in a quiet complex. Getting a place there was pretty tempting. It's a single floor house with a garage and it only cost them 15 Million Rupiah for the year which translates into about 15o0 Canadian. It blows my mind because back in Toronto my place was 1150 a month...
I was later convinced that it wouldn't be the best idea for me to get one because I will likely be here only for one more year before I move on.
Speaking of which, when my new contract starts I will be moving from IEC (my school) to SIA which is IEC's "sister school". SIA is run like an actual school, because it is an actual school, where as IEC is just an English school. I am excited for the new challenge and the change of pace. My schedule now is basically all evening shifts which is 1:30 - 9:00. When I head to SIA I will be on 9-6ers.
It seems like it's the best option for me. I wouldn't have to worry about finding another job, and since my school is run by the same "MAN" I could transfer very easily. Another bonus is that I wouldn't have to move, and I should get a half-decent pay increase once a new contract is signed.
Next year will be JAPAN. That is a definite. I don't have a job set up yet but I am extremely determined to go live and work there. I have been or quite a long time.
I have been talking to a few friends from Japan that I use to work with in Toronto who are now back in Japan and they are on the lookout for jobs for me.
My one pal Kazuki hooked me up with a really good website for jobs in Japan and I have been browsing it a lot. It seems like most schools there are looking for 2 years experience minimum which I will have by then so I am stoked.
I will be off to China in a month which I am extremely amped for...
and damn I'll be 24 in less than a week... I don't feel 24
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
University
So the University presentation was this past weekend and I was bit nervous the morning of because having to speak for an hour in front of 100 students can do that to you.
Things were a bit odd on the way to the university. Our boss straight up tells us he lied to us when he asked if we wanted to do this a few weeks back. He told us it would be doing the presentations for 100 people when actually it was more like 400... that son of a bitch!
That wasn't really the best news to hear on the way there but shortly after that we found out the presentation only needed to be about 20 minutes from each of us. I would be talking about Canada and Danny would be talking about England. We both dug the new time limit.
I was a bit pissed though because I had stayed up late the night previous to make sure I had about an hour worth of info to throw at these kids only to find out it was needed.
It did make the presentation easier though, I got to cut some of the "fat" from my presentation, the boring stats.
It was a really easy day. There were two presenters before us, then us, then a final presentation after the lunch break. The lunch break was a bit hectic though because everyone there wanted photos with us and some of them even wanted autographs, Danny and I even got to sign a shirt for one of the hosts. We were celebrities for the day. It can be a bit like that sometimes just walking around the city or going to the mall but this was intense. Autographs? Seriously?
They gave us each a nice framed certificate too, thanking us for participating which was really nice.
I would easily do it again if they asked...gotta get my money right, ya heard?
Monday, March 30, 2009
That Is That And This Is This
This past weekend Andrew, Jason and I spent the weekend in Brastagi. A co-worker of Andrew's was getting married there and we were invited. That was the main reason for going but I think we all were stoked on the idea of getting out of the city, even if it was just for a weekend.
The wedding was huge as you can see...
...there was a ton of more people behind where I was standing too.
We didn't stay for long but we stayed as long as we thought was appropriate. The weddings here are a bit strange. You don't stay for the whole ceremony, you come and stop by and stay for as long as you want.
Andrew was asked to give a small speech when they were passing a microphone around. He used three classic quotes and that was all, Napolean Dynamite "I hope all of your wildest dreams come true" Star Trek "Live Long and Prosper" and finally Star Wars "May The Force Be With You." He did replace "Force" with "Lord" but we both knew what he really meant.
In Brastagi they have this "funland" called Mickie Holiday where all the kids we teach go on Holiday and talk about all the time. We were told the "funland"had paintball so we thought we would check it out. They did and we had to go back the next day for it due to rain, but the place was a blast. They had some half decent rides and a few cheesy ones but for and entry fee of only 25,000 rupiah which is 2.50 canadian you will have a blast no matter what.
Since I have been home I have been working on this Canada presentation I am doing next weekend that I don't think I have mentioned. On Saturday the 4th I will be doing a one hour presentation about Canada to 100 University students. When I first heard the number of students I was very hesitant, I can deal with my classes which are no more than 22 students MAX, but 100 is a lot. I have never been the best at talking in front of large groups, I will usually talk faster than the speed of light and that can really ruin things. I accepted this as more of a challenge for myself more than anything. There is also pay involved but thats seriously not the reason I am doing it. I want to try and do this semi-professionally without messing up a single thing. I'll let you know how it goes....
...Wish me luck
The wedding was huge as you can see...
...there was a ton of more people behind where I was standing too.
We didn't stay for long but we stayed as long as we thought was appropriate. The weddings here are a bit strange. You don't stay for the whole ceremony, you come and stop by and stay for as long as you want.
Andrew was asked to give a small speech when they were passing a microphone around. He used three classic quotes and that was all, Napolean Dynamite "I hope all of your wildest dreams come true" Star Trek "Live Long and Prosper" and finally Star Wars "May The Force Be With You." He did replace "Force" with "Lord" but we both knew what he really meant.
In Brastagi they have this "funland" called Mickie Holiday where all the kids we teach go on Holiday and talk about all the time. We were told the "funland"had paintball so we thought we would check it out. They did and we had to go back the next day for it due to rain, but the place was a blast. They had some half decent rides and a few cheesy ones but for and entry fee of only 25,000 rupiah which is 2.50 canadian you will have a blast no matter what.
Since I have been home I have been working on this Canada presentation I am doing next weekend that I don't think I have mentioned. On Saturday the 4th I will be doing a one hour presentation about Canada to 100 University students. When I first heard the number of students I was very hesitant, I can deal with my classes which are no more than 22 students MAX, but 100 is a lot. I have never been the best at talking in front of large groups, I will usually talk faster than the speed of light and that can really ruin things. I accepted this as more of a challenge for myself more than anything. There is also pay involved but thats seriously not the reason I am doing it. I want to try and do this semi-professionally without messing up a single thing. I'll let you know how it goes....
...Wish me luck
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Converge/Darkest Hour
New Converge and Darkest Hour albums out this year.
Stoked.
peep this preview of upcoming Converge...
Stoked.
peep this preview of upcoming Converge...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
BBQ
This weekend is Tom and Andrew's and to celebrate we are having a day long BBQ. We all have invited pretty much everyone from both our schools. Most of whom probably won't come because they are too afraid to cut loose.
Seriously who would want to miss 12+ hours of booze and bbq? you?
Seriously who would want to miss 12+ hours of booze and bbq? you?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Star Trek
holy shit holy shit holy shit...
Of course this epic movie is being released in every country in May except Indonesia. Does anyone want to pay for a flight to Singapore so I can see this?
Of course this epic movie is being released in every country in May except Indonesia. Does anyone want to pay for a flight to Singapore so I can see this?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Walk In The Park
Andrew brought up the idea of walking the "ring road" of Medan probably about a month back, or "making history" as he put it. Tom and I had been pretty keen on the idea since the beginning and we all actually made an attempt at it on Saturday.
We knew starting early in the morning would be best so we could do a large portion of our walking before high noon hit. Our scientist Andrew estimated our trip would take roughly 12 hours, give or take an hour depending on speed and amount of stops. We set off a little after six, accompanied by an amazing sunrise. We hoped on a Becak to take us to the ring and from there we would start our walk.
The walk wasn't that bad in the morning it was cool out and the sun took it's sweet time getting up into the sky. We met a little old lady who fancied Tom but he kept trying to pawn her off to me. She was interested in having a Bule (white foreigner) as her husband. One day I am sure she will get what she wants, she seemed very determined.
My legs started to getting tired about 7-8 hours in. I figured I would push on and see how far I could take it, we had to get to the finish. Shortly after that I whipped it out "I don't think I will be finishing this today". Tom was in agreement due to his cut up feet from crummy flip-flops. We started the walk on the west side of the city and headed south. We were now coming on the north east corner of the ring road. That was when we parted ways with Andrew, he wanted to press on. He said something along the lines of "this thing was my idea so I think I should finish it".
So after about 8 and a half to 9 hours Tom and I headed home. In a becak obviously, we sure as hell were not going to walk back. Andrew pressed on but when he noticed he was getting slower and slower he also decided to pack it in. He came in the house about 2 hours or so after Tom and I got in. We were all in bed by 9 and in rough shape but it was worth it.
There has been mention of doing another big walk, but instead of around the city we would go through all the side streets from one end of the city to the other. I will need to get more sleep the night before next time...
Here's a map of the city to give you an idea of the scale of our journey.
The first X is where Tom and I quit, and the second is roughly where Andrew quit.
We knew starting early in the morning would be best so we could do a large portion of our walking before high noon hit. Our scientist Andrew estimated our trip would take roughly 12 hours, give or take an hour depending on speed and amount of stops. We set off a little after six, accompanied by an amazing sunrise. We hoped on a Becak to take us to the ring and from there we would start our walk.
The walk wasn't that bad in the morning it was cool out and the sun took it's sweet time getting up into the sky. We met a little old lady who fancied Tom but he kept trying to pawn her off to me. She was interested in having a Bule (white foreigner) as her husband. One day I am sure she will get what she wants, she seemed very determined.
My legs started to getting tired about 7-8 hours in. I figured I would push on and see how far I could take it, we had to get to the finish. Shortly after that I whipped it out "I don't think I will be finishing this today". Tom was in agreement due to his cut up feet from crummy flip-flops. We started the walk on the west side of the city and headed south. We were now coming on the north east corner of the ring road. That was when we parted ways with Andrew, he wanted to press on. He said something along the lines of "this thing was my idea so I think I should finish it".
So after about 8 and a half to 9 hours Tom and I headed home. In a becak obviously, we sure as hell were not going to walk back. Andrew pressed on but when he noticed he was getting slower and slower he also decided to pack it in. He came in the house about 2 hours or so after Tom and I got in. We were all in bed by 9 and in rough shape but it was worth it.
There has been mention of doing another big walk, but instead of around the city we would go through all the side streets from one end of the city to the other. I will need to get more sleep the night before next time...
Here's a map of the city to give you an idea of the scale of our journey.
The first X is where Tom and I quit, and the second is roughly where Andrew quit.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
China
So about two weeks back or so my housemates Tom and Charlie were surfing through Air Asia's website. They came across some kick ass deals on flights to China from KL (which is in Malaysia). The flights per person for a round trip were about 200 bucks. You can't beat a 6 hour flight to China for that cheap. They also found cheap ass flights to get from Medan to KL for only about 40 bucks and that's a round trip. So all the way to China from Medan for under 250 bucks isn't bad at all. We are going to have to pay something like another 50 bucks to immigration for leaving the country (which we though was going to be 250), but hell, how can you say no for that price.
They both thought right away that maybe they could go and asked the rest of us if we all wanted to go. I was stoked on the idea because I have been thinking lately about heading up to China in the next year or two to teach. This could be my sneak preview.
Then right after that thought reality hit, I didn't have the money to pay for the flight.
I then, being my usual self, starting to think maybe I shouldn't spend the money, I could put it towards something else. But like I said, how can you say no for that price.
My two housemates, being as amazing as they are, offered to front me the money for the flight and we could figure that out later. Whoever thought two "English" could have such big hearts...?
...kidding
I was unsure about it at first, thinking again about the money, but of course I said yes.
So come the end of June I will be taking a stroll along the Great Wall and training it through China with my two housemates. We all are incredibly stoked and will probably be loosely planning out itinerary soon.
Holy shit I can't wait.
word.
They both thought right away that maybe they could go and asked the rest of us if we all wanted to go. I was stoked on the idea because I have been thinking lately about heading up to China in the next year or two to teach. This could be my sneak preview.
Then right after that thought reality hit, I didn't have the money to pay for the flight.
I then, being my usual self, starting to think maybe I shouldn't spend the money, I could put it towards something else. But like I said, how can you say no for that price.
My two housemates, being as amazing as they are, offered to front me the money for the flight and we could figure that out later. Whoever thought two "English" could have such big hearts...?
...kidding
I was unsure about it at first, thinking again about the money, but of course I said yes.
So come the end of June I will be taking a stroll along the Great Wall and training it through China with my two housemates. We all are incredibly stoked and will probably be loosely planning out itinerary soon.
Holy shit I can't wait.
word.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Danny Boyle
If you haven't heard me mention Danny Boyle since I have known you then maybe we aren't all that good of friends. Maybe you need to get to know me a little better.
Ever since I first watched Trainspotting many years ago I have been following his career very closely. I finally got to watch his latest movie Slumdog Millionaire which has already won quite a few awards. I thought it was amazing, but you might here me say that about all his movies, some more than others.
If you haven't seen any of his films then you best get to it. I have taken the time to put up all the trailers of his movies that I have seen and really enjoyed. If you're interested in watching some awesome movies then you should watch these trailers and download or rent the movies asap.
Enjoy...
His latest SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE...
My personal favourite of his SUNSHINE...
MILLIONS...
28 DAYS LATER...
THE BEACH, the book is better but the movie was decent...
TRAINSPOTTING, the movie that started my obsession...
And finally his first full length film that started him off, SHALLOW GRAVE...
Ever since I first watched Trainspotting many years ago I have been following his career very closely. I finally got to watch his latest movie Slumdog Millionaire which has already won quite a few awards. I thought it was amazing, but you might here me say that about all his movies, some more than others.
If you haven't seen any of his films then you best get to it. I have taken the time to put up all the trailers of his movies that I have seen and really enjoyed. If you're interested in watching some awesome movies then you should watch these trailers and download or rent the movies asap.
Enjoy...
His latest SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE...
My personal favourite of his SUNSHINE...
MILLIONS...
28 DAYS LATER...
THE BEACH, the book is better but the movie was decent...
TRAINSPOTTING, the movie that started my obsession...
And finally his first full length film that started him off, SHALLOW GRAVE...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Aliphant
So Tangkahan, this was about 2 weeks ago now but I need to keep you people up to date even if I am slacking with this.
Tangkahan is a small jungle village a little ways out of the city that we wanted check out. All of us here at Labu went. Of course we took the bikes, nothing will ever beat the open road our bikes, ever. The ride there took about 5 hours and it was a great day for riding, no rain in site.
The trip there was like any other, crazy traffic, shouts/stares from the locals and bumpy fucking roads. Makes for a great ride though.
When we got there we all parked our bikes then had to fill out this visitors form that took a while. I think they just wanted to have proof of how many white people actually make it out that way.
The place we stayed at while we were there was called the Jungle Lodge and their restaurant area was right above the river. Every time I ate I had this view to go along with it...
The first night we kept it quiet and just chilled. When you're in a place like this that's all you really want to do.
The next day we had planned to take the elephant trek through the jungle. We headed down to the river for about 2ish and we spotted the elephants down the river on their way to pick us up.
None of us had ever been on an elephant trek before but we all expected the elephants just to take a straight path on through the jungle. The path was rarely ever straight or level, it was all over the place. The elephants were taking us up and down this muddy hills like it was nothing. We had to hold on pretty damn tight in some spots just because of how steep the hills were.
Once we got through the jungle about an hour had passed and we were on our way to where the elephants get bathed and fed. We crossed this river that was pretty deep but once again it was nothing for the elephants. Feeding them was pretty awesome. They would open their huge mouths right in your face and you would just toss the food in. They would try to grab at your food with their trunks too. We then walked with the elepants back down to the river right when it started to rain. We washed and played around with the elephants for quite a while before it was time to head back.
The way back to our guest house was via tubes down the river. They tie enough tubes together for all the people in your group plus the two locals that will help steer. The river was mostly calm, a small bit rough in a few spots but we made it back fine and it was dope. That night we just relaxed again and got to some serious poker. We headed back to Medan the next day and back to work the day after that.
Since then I have just been doing my time at work and being my same old lazy self on the weekends. I will try to keep this thing more up to date for any of you who are reading this...
word
Tangkahan is a small jungle village a little ways out of the city that we wanted check out. All of us here at Labu went. Of course we took the bikes, nothing will ever beat the open road our bikes, ever. The ride there took about 5 hours and it was a great day for riding, no rain in site.
The trip there was like any other, crazy traffic, shouts/stares from the locals and bumpy fucking roads. Makes for a great ride though.
When we got there we all parked our bikes then had to fill out this visitors form that took a while. I think they just wanted to have proof of how many white people actually make it out that way.
The place we stayed at while we were there was called the Jungle Lodge and their restaurant area was right above the river. Every time I ate I had this view to go along with it...
The first night we kept it quiet and just chilled. When you're in a place like this that's all you really want to do.
The next day we had planned to take the elephant trek through the jungle. We headed down to the river for about 2ish and we spotted the elephants down the river on their way to pick us up.
None of us had ever been on an elephant trek before but we all expected the elephants just to take a straight path on through the jungle. The path was rarely ever straight or level, it was all over the place. The elephants were taking us up and down this muddy hills like it was nothing. We had to hold on pretty damn tight in some spots just because of how steep the hills were.
Once we got through the jungle about an hour had passed and we were on our way to where the elephants get bathed and fed. We crossed this river that was pretty deep but once again it was nothing for the elephants. Feeding them was pretty awesome. They would open their huge mouths right in your face and you would just toss the food in. They would try to grab at your food with their trunks too. We then walked with the elepants back down to the river right when it started to rain. We washed and played around with the elephants for quite a while before it was time to head back.
The way back to our guest house was via tubes down the river. They tie enough tubes together for all the people in your group plus the two locals that will help steer. The river was mostly calm, a small bit rough in a few spots but we made it back fine and it was dope. That night we just relaxed again and got to some serious poker. We headed back to Medan the next day and back to work the day after that.
Since then I have just been doing my time at work and being my same old lazy self on the weekends. I will try to keep this thing more up to date for any of you who are reading this...
word
Thursday, January 29, 2009
New Housemate
So the story of the new housemate goes as follows...
Our crazy maids were over last week to do their usual maid things and the one girl decided to bring her cat. Pretty cute little bastard so I dug her. I kind of jokingly asked if I could have her cause she was pretty cool. The maid (i forget her name) talked about it for a minute with the other maid (name also forgotten) and she said yes.
Charlie (my housemate) and I just looked at each other and were like "really?" We made sure it was all good with the rest of the house and she is now ours. I was going to let the maids take her back home for a few days while we were away just so she wouldn't be lonely. While I was thinking about this I noticed that the maids really liked to poke at it and be pretty damn mean to it. When they wanted to pick her up they would do so by putting a hand around the kittens throat and carrying it around like that. Right away I was like fuck that and made sure she stayed here from then on.
The cat was pretty filthy and she was also crawling with fleas. I flew to the nearest pet shop and grabbed the goods to give her a wash and picked up a flea collar as well. She is doing much better now and seems to have gained a bit of weight. She is already noticeably stronger then when we all first met her.
Ladies and Gentlemen I am proud to introduce Lionel...
Our crazy maids were over last week to do their usual maid things and the one girl decided to bring her cat. Pretty cute little bastard so I dug her. I kind of jokingly asked if I could have her cause she was pretty cool. The maid (i forget her name) talked about it for a minute with the other maid (name also forgotten) and she said yes.
Charlie (my housemate) and I just looked at each other and were like "really?" We made sure it was all good with the rest of the house and she is now ours. I was going to let the maids take her back home for a few days while we were away just so she wouldn't be lonely. While I was thinking about this I noticed that the maids really liked to poke at it and be pretty damn mean to it. When they wanted to pick her up they would do so by putting a hand around the kittens throat and carrying it around like that. Right away I was like fuck that and made sure she stayed here from then on.
The cat was pretty filthy and she was also crawling with fleas. I flew to the nearest pet shop and grabbed the goods to give her a wash and picked up a flea collar as well. She is doing much better now and seems to have gained a bit of weight. She is already noticeably stronger then when we all first met her.
Ladies and Gentlemen I am proud to introduce Lionel...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
EDGE
Monday, January 5, 2009
Christmas Break
My vacation was really cool. Once the weekend hit Andrew, Jason and I road our bikes about 2 hours out of town to Brastagi. We hiked up the volcano there, I had already been up to the crater but this time we headed for the summit. Last time when I headed up the volcano we walked all the way from town, and headed over the other side which took about 6 hours. The first part of that walk was really boring though. You just walk along this actual road for the longest time when you get to a point when you're like shit isn't this going to get any better. That's when you finally reach the base of the mountain. We road our motorbikes to that point to save some time and so we could spend more of that time at the top. Time to take a memorial like shot...
After climbing back down from the volcano and getting back to town we were pretty exhausted. We each had a few beers with dinner then we all decided we needed a nap before we did anything else. We all headed for a nap but none of us woke up until the next morning at like 8, we had slept for about 12 hours. After breakfast we hopped on our bikes and flew back to Medan.
After a few days of just hanging out Jason and I were headed for Lake Toba. We wanted to ride our bikes to make it a big trip. We decided to take the long way around the lake to get to the peninsula to make it an even bigger trip. We could of shaved a few hours by going to a ferry, which would take us across the lake to the peninsula but a ferry is never as cool as you think.
Leaving from Medan and taking the long way around to Lake Toba took about 8 hours.
Minus one hour for lunch, we were on the bikes for 7 hours. We would stop from time to time to take pictures and to stretch our legs, sitting on a bike for that long cramps you up quite a bit.
The best stretch of road we came across was when we about 3 hours or so away. It was a curvy ass road on this side of this mountain. We were just able to throw our bikes in neutral and cruise on down. This was the view from the top...
and this was the shot from the bottom...
...fucking dope.
When we first got to TOBA we stayed at this guest house with some friends we knew were there. For the next 4 nights we stayed at an even nicer guest house called MAS Cottages. Our rooms were about 10 steps away from the lake, we were able to wake up and just walk out the door then into the Lake for a swim. It was really awesome there. The Island is called Samosir and it's connected to mainland Indonesia by a small stretch of earth. Our guesthouse was on the Peninsula Tuk Tuk. The lake/peninsula is completely surrounded by huge mountains and the whole middle of the peninsula is a huge mountain as well. You can find roads that lead up to the top of the mountain in the middle but they are a bit tricky. One of the days Jason and I attempted to head up one route. We had made it pretty close to the top with our bikes when it got a litte messy with mud and crazy agressive. It was pretty intense but definitely worth it. At one point when we had stopped these two guys were heading by with a herd of cattle. They said they were heading to the top as well and would guide us the rest of the way, we followed on with bikes until it got way too impossible with muck, so we walked from there on.
Once on the top it doesn't feel like you're on top of a mountain because it is just valleys of hills, it's just that the top goes on for a long time. There is a fairly large lake up there too, they call it the lake within a lake. We hung out with the two cattle guys while they had their cattle bathing and drinking. We finished up there and headed back to our bikes and back to the guesthouse, we desperately needed to because we could feel our flesh burning. Always remember to re-apply kids.
Most of the week was just spent in or around the Guesthouse area, they had good food, good times and good vibes. We did to more biking around Samosir to explore but most of the week was spent relaxing just like we wanted.
We headed back to Medan on Sunday the 28th. We took a wrong turn at one point on the way back which took us on a little bit of a different route. It had us still headed to Medan so it wasn't the end of the world. It still took the same amount of time.
Once back in Medan we just did our usual day-day Medan business and we still had one more week till work. Didn't do much for New Years, I spent enough over the holidays already so I wasn't looking to spend much more. A few of us just relaxed at the house with some drinks, wii and fireworks. It was pretty chill and damn good.
After climbing back down from the volcano and getting back to town we were pretty exhausted. We each had a few beers with dinner then we all decided we needed a nap before we did anything else. We all headed for a nap but none of us woke up until the next morning at like 8, we had slept for about 12 hours. After breakfast we hopped on our bikes and flew back to Medan.
After a few days of just hanging out Jason and I were headed for Lake Toba. We wanted to ride our bikes to make it a big trip. We decided to take the long way around the lake to get to the peninsula to make it an even bigger trip. We could of shaved a few hours by going to a ferry, which would take us across the lake to the peninsula but a ferry is never as cool as you think.
Leaving from Medan and taking the long way around to Lake Toba took about 8 hours.
Minus one hour for lunch, we were on the bikes for 7 hours. We would stop from time to time to take pictures and to stretch our legs, sitting on a bike for that long cramps you up quite a bit.
The best stretch of road we came across was when we about 3 hours or so away. It was a curvy ass road on this side of this mountain. We were just able to throw our bikes in neutral and cruise on down. This was the view from the top...
and this was the shot from the bottom...
...fucking dope.
When we first got to TOBA we stayed at this guest house with some friends we knew were there. For the next 4 nights we stayed at an even nicer guest house called MAS Cottages. Our rooms were about 10 steps away from the lake, we were able to wake up and just walk out the door then into the Lake for a swim. It was really awesome there. The Island is called Samosir and it's connected to mainland Indonesia by a small stretch of earth. Our guesthouse was on the Peninsula Tuk Tuk. The lake/peninsula is completely surrounded by huge mountains and the whole middle of the peninsula is a huge mountain as well. You can find roads that lead up to the top of the mountain in the middle but they are a bit tricky. One of the days Jason and I attempted to head up one route. We had made it pretty close to the top with our bikes when it got a litte messy with mud and crazy agressive. It was pretty intense but definitely worth it. At one point when we had stopped these two guys were heading by with a herd of cattle. They said they were heading to the top as well and would guide us the rest of the way, we followed on with bikes until it got way too impossible with muck, so we walked from there on.
Once on the top it doesn't feel like you're on top of a mountain because it is just valleys of hills, it's just that the top goes on for a long time. There is a fairly large lake up there too, they call it the lake within a lake. We hung out with the two cattle guys while they had their cattle bathing and drinking. We finished up there and headed back to our bikes and back to the guesthouse, we desperately needed to because we could feel our flesh burning. Always remember to re-apply kids.
Most of the week was just spent in or around the Guesthouse area, they had good food, good times and good vibes. We did to more biking around Samosir to explore but most of the week was spent relaxing just like we wanted.
We headed back to Medan on Sunday the 28th. We took a wrong turn at one point on the way back which took us on a little bit of a different route. It had us still headed to Medan so it wasn't the end of the world. It still took the same amount of time.
Once back in Medan we just did our usual day-day Medan business and we still had one more week till work. Didn't do much for New Years, I spent enough over the holidays already so I wasn't looking to spend much more. A few of us just relaxed at the house with some drinks, wii and fireworks. It was pretty chill and damn good.
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