Celebrity Who?

I think for the great majority of people we dream of making it somewhere. Being big, being recognizable as a celebrity is the most common way of getting there. Having camera’s follow, waltzing down the red carpet amongst a countless number of adoring fans.  With the potential for this to happen, I would be lying if I wasn’t even a little bit excited. Of course at the same time I try and remain as humble and professional as I can. 

2 years ago, when I first departed overseas, one of my closest friends expressed her worry that I would change going into the industry (modelling/acting industry). A fear that over time vanity would take over, searching for that attention. I promised that I would not change, and I fully intend on keeping that promise.

Since I have started letting my face get out there, I have worked my way into some recognizable roles from the Sport Chek home page at Christmas, to ads for a steakhouse before your movie, a couple billboards in Bangkok and even 2 globally released TV commercials. For the progression of a career in the industry these are all fantastic moves on getting to a recognizable face.  Of course nothing will compare to the potential that Go Fish has for myself and other cast members. 

My first experiences with being “famous” happened in Singapore, when Chinese tourists there would be amazed by my white skin and height, requesting pictures. This however was purely due to what I just said and nothing to do with being recognizable.  It wasn’t until I arrived in Korea that I saw a greater awe factor. In South Korea, they are highly educated but also have a strong love for American culture and persona associated with the upper echelon of celebrity. A tall, handsome, Caucasian goes into a coffee shop; men and women both young and old stop and stare. The brave whip out their latest computer phone, while the shy try to hide their similar actions.  The gutsiest of all sum up the courage to ask to take a picture while you sip on your raspberry double espresso at the local Mango. As a modest individual I would happily oblige and get back to what I was doing. Some would take this opportunity to brag and make a big deal out of it. Upon my return to Bangkok this past year, I was recognized by several young girls from my wedding with Thai airways in Phuket. 

Back to what I originally came to post about: This past Friday, I was invited with a great number of those involved with the show to appear as celebrity guests at a charity event. This would be my first official red carpet event, and the first time I was called a celebrity. To all in attendance I am a nobody, someone with potential at best. I like that idea personally, for me it’s grounding. The experience of a limo picking us up, pulling up to a red carpet outside Cowboys Casino and of course an introduction to the attendees. 

It was a fun experience, one to learn from. Although I don’t want my brush with fame to overshadow the reason we were there. The event was held by YYCharity to help raise funds for Pulmonary Hypertension(http://www.phacanada.ca/en/), Calgary Health Trust (http://www.calgaryhealthtrust.ca/) and Leukemia/Lymphoma (http://www.llscanada.org/). If you have some spare funds, I highly encourage your to donate to these causes. Speaking of celebrity they kind of take a back seat to donations compared to Breast/Prostate cancer.

Speaking of that endless pursuit, many take the fake it til you make it approach. One of my best friends recently moved to LA. Whether it be culture shock or the true plasticity of people in LA, she is struggling with finding people who are truly genuine to themselves. I am sure this happens everywhere, but its especially pronounced in LA as I have heard. Personally I have never understood hiding who you really are, but as evidence from her experience many people will to earn their shot at being famous.

I am going to end with this great quote:
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach 
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fake.html#u8pM7HIaay8jG5qh.99 

The day that never ends

After spending nearly the past 6 months in SE asia…again I find myself trapped in a time capsule sending me back in time. Of course I am referring to the plane that sends me across the international dateline.  And what would this trip be without a bit of adventure and reflection.

Fresh on my mind I thought nothing better than to sum up the adventure of my work experience since I departed Canada in January. Reviewing my tally’s I completed work for:

•        2 tv commercials
•        5 magazines
•        2 billboards
•        more fashion shows than I could imagine have ever doing around 8
•        1 advertising campaign
•        6 ultra luxury events
•        5 lookbooks

There is possibly more but that’s about as far as my memory serves me with this regard. It’s been a relatively productive experience, but as that goes I have also managed to grow more as a person.

Last year around the same time (possibly a week later), I wrote a post called, reason, season and lifetime. (Reason Season Lifetime Post)This was related to an outstanding email I received from a past client. To prevent blatant repition I thought best to just some it up before continuing to my next point. 

People are introduced to your life in many ways, each person serves a purpose in some respect or another. For some the role is small, and others it grows to serve a larger impact in your personal development.  Without placing people into specific boxes you naturally discover where someone sits in that scale of reason, season and lifetime.  Using my past adventures as examples I thought I may enlighten you:

Photobomb Success

The reason: The easiest example for this would be a client on a job. Maybe a photographer or stylist, While sometimes you get along great and others its an oil and water separation you work together for the purpose of completing a job.

A season: I will continue with a model example again. A seasonal influence on your life is frequently a roommate or classmate, maybe someone that you work on a project with. For the month, 2 months or an extended amount of time, you help each other out. However, at the end of that period, lets say a modelling contract, you essentially stop communicating. The relationship provided what it needed during the season, but no longer is something that has extended influence. I find many of the people I meet slide into this category whether it was university, modelling or otherwise.

Lastly, a lifetime. As you travel about your daily life or around the world there are people you connect with on a deeper level. These people, make extended efforts to maintain a line of friendship and you do the same. Sometimes its that gym rat buddy from university, a roommate from travels abroad or even just a happenchance encounter that blossomed into something more than a passing of shoulders. These are my favourite obviously, at the same time they are also rare. 

As I go back and read this I can name specific people who each sat into a particular category I mentioned above. While some influenced me more than others each person is very important in my life and I thank them for it. My travels have extended my friendships far beyond the reaches of Canada’s vast boarders and interestingly enough introduced me to some amazing people on my global doorstep.

Oops, almost forgot about the adventure of the day. The genius I am booked a 7 am flight out of Singapore to come home. Silly and smart at the same time, I realized that by pulling an all nighter with a friend and a few coconuts would help me crush 8 hours of the 20 something of travel time.

In standard fashion I arrived 2 hours early for my international flight. Upon boarding we sat waiting on the plane for an additional 3 hours while one of the doors was not closing properly. Eventually we were all deplaned. The good news is, the plane was safe to fly, the bad news was the door would be inoperable and safety standards stated that rows 18-38 needed to board a different plane. Guess who had lucky seat number 34C.

As luck would have it I missed my connection towards SFO almost instantly, so I felt no pressure to get anywhere ultra quickly. I obviously wanted to get home, but the few empty seats I would rather surrender to someone on business or travelling with children, and that I did.  Alternatively, I was rebooked for a 12:45 flight to Hong Kong, then through Vancouver and finally making it back to cowtown. The downside I wouldn’t be flying on United’s old school fleet. Gosh darn it.

I seriously have to commend all the customer service and everyone from United, Cathay and Air Canada for their efforts. This messed up door created quite the shit storm, and while some passengers reacted poorly, these staff managed to stay calm and get shit done.

Unfortunately with all that commotion, my bag is sitting somewhere. As of this exact moment, I have no clue, and neither do the airlines. But they are seriously working hard on it and I have great appreciation for that. Lost baggage claim is all ready, and despite it originating with United’s issues all the 3 airlines have put in a diligent effort to find it for me.

I am a lucky person to be honest. My flight is taking back home, where I have most my clothes so a few days without that suitcase isn’t going to hurt me (unless I want to play squash) and despite a large delay, I am only arriving home 5 hours later than originally scheduled while following a vastly different route.

I am always listening to music as I write my blogs, one of the few times I listen to music (its usually audiobooks and podcasts). As I pitter patter across the keys I can see fingers rattling off the ivory keys to the tune of Mozart (concerto of two pianos and orchestra in e flat).

I like to move it, move it!

To be quite honest I am not exactly sure how this popped up. Close to a month ago now I did a shoot with Mitsubishi Ralliart. Being a car nut, I was naturally excited about the product. I shot a catalog and web page for the Ralliart sportswear collection. While shooting they also created a fun little behind the scenes video.  

Interestingly enough this brought to my attention something that a lot of new models struggle with… movement.  For some movement in front of the lens comes easy, and others it’s like pulling teeth with a pair of vice grip pliers. As you start to work, you start to loosen up and get more comfortable. Simply put, the better you are at moving the happier the photographers are, the better the pictures are and in turn, less time wasted.  

What exactly is movement though? Simply put it’s your ability to change from picture to picture freely. Each click or flash you move. Sometimes its subtle like eyes, but more frequently its head position, or even full body. The purpose would be that if the photographer clicks that shutter 100 times, you get 100 different pictures. It sounds rather easy, by in my experience working with other models it can be more challenging than walking past Nana (in Bangkok) and not having a prostitute hit on you. 

Now I am not perfect either. When I first got to Bangkok this year I worked with the most difficult person I have ever had to deal with. Nothing is good enough, a true asshole of sorts, trashing my confidence and belittling. I came very close to walking off on the job. In my effort to remain professional I belittled him using complex English and just gritted my teeth.  With confidence shot, my mind drew blank and flow disappeared. It happens to the best of us at times. 

Anyway all that aside here are some more shots.

My nutrition consultant said get plenty of vitamins (FIRST TVC OF THE SEASON RELEASED)

For my followers that know me, you know my previous profession as a nutritional consultant. With a background in nutrition I spent close to 3 years coaching individuals and couples along their way to better health. Through diet and exercise a key can be found to unlock your potential.

A big aspect of this key is vitamins and minerals. Essentially these are the keys to your car (body being the car of course). With food being fuel you can continually fill that tank as much as you would like (fat in some cases). Without those keys your car is rendered virtually useless. Well technically you could push your car down the block but that sucks and would make you quite exhausted. 

For the few of you that have talked to me about this you know I am rather against supplementation. The name itself implies you supplement your diet and not supply it. There are a few minerals that a normal diet just plainly cannot get enough of Iron for women is an example (especially with the ever growing vegan/vegetarian movement). From my present location in the tropics Vitamin D isn’t really necessary to supplement either, however in the snowy days of May in Canada it can be very useful for keeping your immune system up to par and ensuring your body utilizes its Calcium.  

Anyway that was my rant on vitamins a bit. Basically eat your veggies and fruit, along with a balanced diet and you should be fine. Most multi’s you end up just having expensive fluorescent pee. 

Oh yeah, here is the TVC I made for a Vitamin in Vietnam. This was what i filmed in the middle of March in Bangkok.