Hell yeah! Science! (Latest TVC is out)

A few months back, I wrote about my scientist job. Think, think, think, oh yes a unique biomarker derivative. It was a fun commercial to shoot, but also extra exciting because I had the opportunity to speak in the commercial.

While I am working on finding the full English version (which I doubt I will find), you can hear me in the background with the Thai voiceover… as always enjoy.

While on the topic of science, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about 2 more things.

• My favourite TV show: Breaking Bad (a bit of science spiced in there)
• A common nutrition myth

On the Breaking Bad note, I have been watching it again on Netflix. While not completely immersed as I was on the plane to Korea last fall, I can say I thoroughly enjoy the show. The gradual change of protagonist to antagonist is unique for a mainstream show. My favourite movie the godfather follows a very similar structure this way. Of course, I find it further interesting when they add the bits of Chemistry whether in the production of meth or how hydrofluoric acid won’t eat through a particular plastic. Those moments make me go aha!

As I have discussed many times, my background is a Bachelor of Science: Applied human nutrition. A facebook conversation with a few friends the other day lead me to something I should share with everyone. The nutrition myth: Margarine is one molecule away from plastic.  I have heard this so many times. 

Let’s start with what plastic is. Plastics are made up of smaller molecules linked together in a long chain. The main component of plastics is usually petroleum based products, which is where people become scared of this myth.  The thought of consuming a plastic bag, being the same as consuming car oil is rather repulsive. Plastics can also be made from wood, corn, other plants, and even sugar. Check out this about bio plastic. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/star.19930450806/abstract)

So as you can see one fear is that plastic and margarine can both be made from vegetable oil, however that is where their congruency meets demise. Furthermore the thought that just one molecule could change margarine completely is a little naive. With margarine there are hundreds of molecules that vary from plastic. Many other simple even life giving substances can be made deadly with a change of molecule. Even without change sometimes. For example: H₂O is water, but HF (hydrofluoric acid) in the right concentrations is used to etch glass or even burn your skin (Breaking Bad did this if you remember).  Or standard table salt sodium chloride/NaCl as another example: pure sodium in water reacts rather explosively. And Cl or chlorine, we know as a common antiseptic, but was used in World War 1 as a weapon. Clearly 1 molecule can make a difference.

I hope that clarifies things a little for you about that 1 molecule thing with margarine.

One last note. Thanks everyone for the support so far. I should be cracking 20 000 views very soon. 

Image is powerful

As a follow up to my previous post I wanted to share with you a females opinion about modelling. In her TED talks she provides a compelling insight further into what a model really is. Thanks to the friend that shared this.

PS. I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended with my previous post.

Oh the taxman. Filing your taxes as a model.

After finishing taxes, its nice to knock back one of these.

We are into May now and with the passing of April comes the inevitable taxes (in Canada at least). At this time of year in university you become excited as the income taxes you paid get returned due to tuition tax credits, right at the time you need them most.

However as those tax credits dry up and you age your refund diminishes, credits are fewer and mom stops taking care of taxes for you. After spending 3 years in the professional field of nutrition, I have taken this hiatus. A hiatus that led me to start this blog and ultimately travel to parts of the world I am not so sure I would have seen otherwise. Fill with joy and excitement, as well as heartbreak and adventure, all experiences I will not take for granted. Chock that one up in the life experience and personal development column.

Back to taxes. 2012 was the first year in my life where the majority of my income was as a model. With the exception of a few thousands bones picked up at the bar over the summer there was no other income. For me this created a different circumstance, one of those unknowns. With no T4 from foreign agencies, expenses up the ying yang for transportation and flights I had to go through the journey of filing my taxes as a model. 

I had to do a lot of google searching and running around to figure out how to write what and where on my tax forms. Much thanks to the online software www.turbotax.ca I was able to file relatively quickly once I knew what I was doing.  Alright here is the rundown:

• -       Income is claimed as  Self-Employed
• -       Record Gross income (including pocket money
• -       Deduct commissions paid as Management fees/costs
• -       Deduct plane tickets and applicable transportation as well travel and transportation
• -       Deduct comp cards, cost of printing pictures, etc. as advertising costs
• -       Industry code is 711500 or 711512 (independent artists)
• -       You cannot deduct rent for example 

Those were the major things I noted as necessary. I had my small amounts of other income from bartending and tips with that, which was very self-explanatory. After all is said and done I ended up owing the government about $25. This is my first time filing this way, and while I did get some advice from an accounting buddy about what I can and can’t claim this is all trial and error. In the end I could very well have messed up (and if I did I will revise). Always be prepared for an audit, keep all receipts and necessary documentation as proof of your income.   

Best of luck and May the 4^th be with you, always. 

Good? Bad? I am the guy with the gun! Song kran part neung!

After an epic Song Kran last year I didn’t think anything could come close. Well as the Thais say “Same same, but different”. As awkward of a phrase this is, the description of the events is incredibly accurate. Last year we marched down Silom, danced our asses off in RCA and then day 2 put a full assault on Khao San. In case you forgot here is that blog:  http://takingthoseshots.blogspot.com/2012/04/welcome-to-year-2555.html

Coordination was a little different this year and I wasn’t able to meet up with the same crew. Plans with our international militia came to fruition and before you knew it you had an earful of ice water. An Aussie, American, a few Russians, Dane, Brit, and of course a couple Canadians jumped into the back of a truck and started our drive by soakings.  Parading up and down Sukhumvit and along our way to Khao San we unloaded litre after litre onto the streets of Bangkok.  Pictures to come of course.

On Khao San, we met up with Bravo Company (consisting of Spaniards, more Russians, a few swedes and a token Brit) to crush some delicious vegetarian thai cuisine. Of course only after launching our multifaceted phalanx attack on the heavily armed Khao San Legion. Refreshed and ready to apply destruction with ice-cold water, we tactically moved back to our personnel carrier. 

As Tyler said it best, “This is the only time of year we praise Bangkok traffic!”. As the 4 of use guys piled out of the truck and wistfully moved between stagnant cars and popping up for sniper shots on unsuspecting walkers, bus patrons and fools with windows open.  Tuk tuks are prime targets this time of year as there is no protection from the icy bath of my Super Soaker 5500.  

All this running and shooting builds up an appetite very quickly so a few people went to Khao San while a few of us found an Aussie owned Sports bar. In the mess hall we slammed a chilled pint and some few only to return to more mayhem, in the form of Foam and more water.  

My time of being soaked was approaching in the 11 hours range and I was more than ready to call it a night.

Get to the choppa

They call me superman

Don't be deceived... she is like my little sister.

Pic from Thai Catwalk

Another hectic week has come and gone. A fashion show for Superdry wrapped up the week of work. Have you noticed the trend in my work? Supersports, supermax and now superdry, all these brands are making me feel super. 

Thailand has continued to treat me well work wise. I had a complaint yesterday that I only attended one casting this past week.  The reason however is that I have spent so much time working. Short and sweet for this posting here are some pics:

I also had the opportunity shoot with Vogue Thailand and for a Thai men's bag company called Bagspace. Where were they when I needed to buy a bag. We shot at a very cool location "The Iron Fairies". I went there last year for a cocktail although I was less than impressed by their mixology.

Step Back and Take a look around

A week maybe 2 ago, I posted a status on Facebook aimed directly at a former roommate of mine. His necessity for cleanliness seemed to only apply to us roommates and he had some sort of godlike exception. The status read “ I can’t stand hypocrisy, complain about a mess when you are the one leaving a snail trail.” I am not one to take this passive aggressive, but evidently being direct hadn’t worked and he is a Facebook whore for this kind of thing.

The arrogance and elitist attitude of this particular guy couldn’t handle a simple request of “ Hey man could you clean up after yourself” /ignore. A second attempt of “Hey Dude, I am not sure if you heard me earlier but you are leaving a mess all over the apartment” /ignore. My third request now came at midnight with requests being spaced by no less than 3 hours.  “ This is the third time I have asked today, clean up after yourself, you’re being a F’ing slob.” And to no surprise /ignore. I felt I would deal with this in the morning.

The morning started in a way I could never have expected. I was up relatively early for a casting with one of my other roommates. Who am I kidding it was hardly early it was 9:30 when shit went down. A hunt for coffee cups, led to the demise of respect for said individual early. A dark side appeared, an orange hurling, pillow tossing, raging pompous prick. 

When no coffee cups appeared in the kitchen, or either bedroom unfortunately the habituated themselves in the dark mysterious room of Princess (I use princess for just about every guy I know at some point but that’s how I will refer to him from hereon).  A few quick light knocks and no answer so my other roommate peaked his head in to the coffee cups on his bedroom. Quickly and quietly these dirty cups were plucked from the room and just as the door closed I could here, “Allo?”

Such a simple thing should be nothing to bad an eye at, unless of course you are the particular guy that aggression has been aimed at before. Luckily I am not the guy, but the other roommate sure as hell is. 3 or 4 minutes later a grape smuggling pumped up princesses comes out of his shadowy depths and throws an orange (yes an orange and for the record it was quite tasty) and a pillow. Ranting and snorting and raging princess screams about his territory.

I will help paint a better picture. Imagine a 6 ft. tall, 80 kg model, standing there in his nut huggers, veins coursing through his forehead, chest puffed threatening to beat up and even kill my other roommate. The other guy also 6 ft. tall as well but giving a 20 kg weight advantage to princess, sat on the couch in a docile surrendering position. In defense of the younger smaller guy I stand in the middle, preventing a confrontation that neither of them would win. 

Homophobic slurs are sent left right and centre of me, I personally took a stronger stance for as long as I could. My responses were mostly thank you, and is that how you really feel? My degree of calm only aggravated the beast more, it was time to give this bitch a reality check.

“Have you ever thought the world isn’t out to get you? Princess you are always playing the victim, yet you are the one attacking. If you don’t know who the asshole is, sad fact is that it’s probably you. Get your head on straight, you are the problem not the others.” That was my reality check for him. Shortly before saying this I was fed up with these antics and decided to get the owner of our agency on the same page as everyone else.  The owner scheduled a meeting with princess, to which I don’t know the outcome. Fortunately it was now time to disperse to my casting.

Wait! It gets better. In our contracts it explicitly says, no guests at any time.  There is a lot of trust in this aspect as we do not constantly have someone watching over us.  I have always treated this rule loosely as long as it doesn’t get in the way of my living. Well war was on between princess and the roomie who was threatened. 

This character from the most recent season of the ultimate fighter most closely resembles princesses attitude. 

The lack of foresight on princesses behalf shocks me. After the events of the morning he had the balls to bring his lady friend to the apartment that evening. The roomie was having none of it and immediately called the agency. More death threats ensued and a swore enemy was brought to attention. Followed by a literal evil laugh. Muahahahhahahaha. Muahahahahaha. Muahahahah, you’re going to die. Like I said no foresight for his words or actions. Fortunately the girl convinced him to go to her place. Disaster averted.

We all knew that princess was a little odd, but that just contributes to character. Beneath this evil beast he is a very nice guy. This same character made me breakfast my first morning in Korea, has no issues picking up a coffee for anyone or sharing in a bottle of soju. Negatives strike a longer lasting cord than positives, and for me this cord struck hard and boisterously. 

A few awkward days later, he departed. Things calmed down, underwear was no longer found on door handles, no more empty chocolate milk in the shower, and dishes/compost was kept up and clean.