Back to a familiar place

Oops, my bad. Here I am off on a jet plane again and forgetting to share updates. For the past month I have been planning another trip, 2 weeks ago the contract was signed and today I hopped aboard my Thailand express. 

That’s right Thailand back to the Thailand of smiles  and the most delicious food known to my taste buds. For the next 90 days, my craft will continue to be practiced in front of the lens, and flashy bulbs. Of course with this trip I am a little wiser and a little more experienced especially with regards to the city of Bangkok.

My previous endeavor I stayed in a model apartment, sharing a bedroom and living a fair distance from everything that is fun. Think Zoolander again, 2 sometimes 3 guys sharing rooms with bunk beds and all. Distance meant that the agency provided at cost a driver to take you to and from castings. Initially a driver sounds great, and for many it stays that way. For me however, I would much rather take a taxi or public transit than sit around waiting for a girl to finish her job, or be piled in a clown car of models. 

At this exact moment I don’t have an apartment on lock down, but there are several solid prospects. Out of the goodness of friends, I will have a place to lay my head while I search for living accommodations.

There is always an advantage to returning to a previous market. In the field of modeling and particularly strong in Thailand is familiarity.  Thai’s are more comfortable working with someone they know (makes sense to me).  Unlike my first trip, the patchwork has been laid, past clients and casting directors will hopefully be more likely to book me.  As with any venture in modeling there are no guarantees though. 

There is yet one more bonus if you will about this trip, it comes down to friends. Each time I have gone to a country; I have entered knowing no one, or if luckily there is friends of friends (which has worked out nicely). This time  however I feel like half the world will be there, friends from university teaching English, past co-workers ready for rowdy holiday and people I have met anywhere along the way exercising their diplomatic duties.

I am eternally wishing that technology advances before my trip home, as these long haul flights are truly wearing on me.  This adventure finds me 3 hours, followed by 11 and finishing with an additional 7, my butt can only handle so much. 

Lastly, what’s the deal United? Living in the past, no seatback television or power? Apparently they are living in the stone ages. 

Exercise Canadian Style

June last year I returned to Canada from my first trip to Asia. From that point forward, I was in the gym 4-6 times per week. Personally the gym is an oasis for me. The airdynes, the battle ropes, and the plates of steel relax me and make me happy. Results reinforce the activity and the actions reinforce the results, this continues forward. 

In Canada we have been blessed with a large dynamic landscape with varying climate. Climate has provided an excellent source of exercise than people in many countries never experience and those that live in high rises cannot appreciate. Of course I am talking about snow. That beautiful white powder; coated over the landscapes makes everything elegant. With snow comes a little work. In the past 3 days I have easily spent 2 hours shoveling snow. This is an excellent form of exercise. While light and fluffy, the accumulation and repetitiveness of the duty leaves you in a big ball of sweat even in negative twenty-degree weather. 

With all that said I come to my absolute favourite form of exercise known to man. Snowboarding! For me the cool breeze of mountain fresh air, coupled with the rush flying down the mountain at 80 + km/hr leaves me with a feeling of enrichment. A shot of champagne powder as you kick up a rooster tail while laying fresh tracks down a flawless slope. It may not sound like much using gravity to float down a mountain but the amount of work is enormous.  At minus twenty I wear little more than a shell and a long sleeve t shirt and find myself sweating more often then not. Of course it comes down to intensity. The steeper the pitch, the deeper the powder, the crazier the run the harder I work, likewise the happier I am.

Notice the trend here? Cold weather and sweating perhaps. Not all Canadians, as a matter of fact there is likely very few that share my appreciation of hard work in cold weather. At the point of exhaustion however, the cold isn’t even recognizable. 

Of course if cold wasn't enough. Here are a few shots from  January Luel Magazine.

It’s the little things

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, places self-actualization on the top of its pyramid. The theory being that we cannot move onto the next level without satisfying its predecessor.  For those unfamiliar with the pyramid, here it is:

With my contract coming to a close in Korea, I managed to have a bit of extra time on my hands. Coupled with a well-timed National Holiday for their election (by the way we should do that in Canada, and make voting a requirement), I managed to sneak out of Seoul for a couple days and enlighten my life while meeting some great new friends. 

Onto the KTX I departed Seoul for the gyeongsangbuk-do province. Located in literally the middle of South Korea. My guardian angel from Singapore was in the country and invited me to visit an orphanage.  It was this experience that opened my eyes.

The orphanage hosts 120 children from infant to 18 years old.  The piano teacher and her brother picked myself and a friend up from the train station. After a bit of chatting it was time to go to the baby room.  The babies have just finished napping and eating and ready to play. It was perfect timing to arrive.  

In a fan fair of pandemonium the children had new people to play with. The three of us were mobbed. The most exciting thing for them was my height and my hat. Here is the excitement of one child as he decided the best way for me to wear my cap.  The animation in their eyes and joy of having new people around to play building blocks with was very rewarding.  

Before taking off I spent a bit of time with some of the slightly older kids (about 3-10). One kid took a real shine too me. The curiosity was fashioned around my facial hair and massive Adam’s apple.  The joys of fun, were followed by tears when I had to leave. The adventure made my day and those kids left an impact on my life.