Good evening dear readers and I am proud to report that this will make two entries in two days... could I be slipping back into my normal routine? I guess you'll just have to keep checking to see. For today, it will be just a short entry on a observation I've made.
There have been great things that have happened ever since I've been at university; some things did seem to be a little odd, but it was just because I wasn't in the right environment to get the right outcome to accompany it. The main thing I'm talking about is unexpected coincidences and connections. More and more, I find myself running into people that I know, that somehow met others I knew. Or someone else might have worked a job, or previously owned something I stumbled upon, or even vice versa. The example that inspired me to write this entry was brought upon by my roommate Riley; (yes I still live with Riles, and I know that he hasn't been in too many entries lately, it's simply because now Riley works later at night some days and I've got more people to add in my entries too). I've been meeting a lot of new people with all of the new ambassadors that got hired for the upcoming year, and many of them are taking initial tours during the summer to see what it's all about; because of this, I had the chance to make new friends too and be glad with this year's crew. There was one future ambassador I toured that was just so positive and dedicated, that he is already one of the favorites in the office. Turns out that Riley works with the same person at his new job.
It just goes to show how small this world can actually become when you look at the intertwined web that is our lives. This isn't a bad thing, but it does put into perspective exactly how your actions can reach out, even when you might think that the line is drawn. And with that dearest readers, be smart and be good because what you put out into the world will return to you in due time.
K.P.H.
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Monday 28 July 2014
Love: An Artist's Signature
Good evening my dearest readers! I hope you are all well rested and have survived the ever-so dreaded Monday. I myself has made the most out of it; I've learned new things about my school campus, learned new skills at the job and started to develop a hidden talent.
In the past couple of days, I've decided to pick up once more an old hobby of mine; jewelry making. I've been at it for roughly about 7 years now and with my writing, school and work taking priority in my life, I've only recently stumbled upon free time that allows me to take it up again. Making wire wrapped rings were my speciality once (back when I actually had the tool that made it easy) but now, I find myself struggling to find the right nail polish cap that fits the right ring size. You get creative when you don't have all the right tools, but with a little more time, and a lot more patience, the results are still quite beautiful.
Now I'm not one to brag, but when I discover a hidden talent that will also help me define my work from someone else's, I become a very happy camper. This is one of the main reasons why I add something new to every story I write, that way I'm never defined to one simple trivial aspect. With certain crafts, such as painting, sculptures or whatever might directly interact with the public, some artists choose one fine point that will make their work recognizable amongst the crowd. For some, it's the medium in which they choose to work with like stone, or clay; other's might have certain colour or a tool they like to use that defines their work. Just recently, I've found a certain something that would make my jewelry collection one of a kind. I know that there are others who use this medium to either paint, sculpt or even use it in their pieces, but for me, it reminds me of home. I've decided to work with wood pieces. Whether they are simple tokens or small branches of a tree or a large focal piece, I've acquired a wood burning tool that allows me to personalize every part of it. My first piece is a modge podge of Viking runes mounted on a necklace. Each rune is burned into a piece of wood and then added to the necklace. Have patience with me since the only small tokens I could find were heart shaped but I'm hoping to find less telling pieces soon to continue my new collection.
I encourage you today my dearest readers to either find your muse or rekindle an old one, and get those creative juices flowing because you never truly know what you can do until you've tried every possible solution.
K.P.H.
In the past couple of days, I've decided to pick up once more an old hobby of mine; jewelry making. I've been at it for roughly about 7 years now and with my writing, school and work taking priority in my life, I've only recently stumbled upon free time that allows me to take it up again. Making wire wrapped rings were my speciality once (back when I actually had the tool that made it easy) but now, I find myself struggling to find the right nail polish cap that fits the right ring size. You get creative when you don't have all the right tools, but with a little more time, and a lot more patience, the results are still quite beautiful.
Now I'm not one to brag, but when I discover a hidden talent that will also help me define my work from someone else's, I become a very happy camper. This is one of the main reasons why I add something new to every story I write, that way I'm never defined to one simple trivial aspect. With certain crafts, such as painting, sculptures or whatever might directly interact with the public, some artists choose one fine point that will make their work recognizable amongst the crowd. For some, it's the medium in which they choose to work with like stone, or clay; other's might have certain colour or a tool they like to use that defines their work. Just recently, I've found a certain something that would make my jewelry collection one of a kind. I know that there are others who use this medium to either paint, sculpt or even use it in their pieces, but for me, it reminds me of home. I've decided to work with wood pieces. Whether they are simple tokens or small branches of a tree or a large focal piece, I've acquired a wood burning tool that allows me to personalize every part of it. My first piece is a modge podge of Viking runes mounted on a necklace. Each rune is burned into a piece of wood and then added to the necklace. Have patience with me since the only small tokens I could find were heart shaped but I'm hoping to find less telling pieces soon to continue my new collection.
I encourage you today my dearest readers to either find your muse or rekindle an old one, and get those creative juices flowing because you never truly know what you can do until you've tried every possible solution.
K.P.H.
Thursday 24 July 2014
Literature: Take What You Can Get Until You Can Get More
Good morning dearest readers, and I hope all is going well with each of you this morning. Many wonderful things have happened in the past couple of weeks and here I am, finally back in Ottawa and ready to write. I've had time to rest up and relax all the while getting some sight-seeing done. Like I had mentioned a little bit before, my time back home was absolutely perfect and restful, which allowed me to take my second vacation only a couple of days after to Niagara Falls with my dear friend Ryan. It was time well spent and now I find myself back to work; well at least until I get to go home one last time in August before school starts.
Now the reason for my writing this morning is due to recent good news. Even though the title of today's entry might sound a little pretentious, I can guarantee you that it is nothing of the sort. The title simply refers to going after what you want, and working your way up to it. It is not possible to acquire something right from the beginning without some hard work, because then when you get it, it's not as satisfying. You have to start from point A, to make it then to point B, to then persevere through the entire alphabet to your end goal.
When it comes to my writing, I didn't wake up one morning and write an entire novel then have it published the next week. It's been years in the making, to create more than one story; to submit, get rejected, to make ties with different people and take advantage of every opportunity to better myself. Progress doesn't just happen over night.
With all of that explained my dear readers, do not get discouraged when things take a little bit longer than expected, it simply means that it is worth so much more. Work hard and the reward will be great; but once you move forward, do not stop but continue your way up the ladder of success. I pray you to remember what Winston Churchill once said: "success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
K.P.H.
Now the reason for my writing this morning is due to recent good news. Even though the title of today's entry might sound a little pretentious, I can guarantee you that it is nothing of the sort. The title simply refers to going after what you want, and working your way up to it. It is not possible to acquire something right from the beginning without some hard work, because then when you get it, it's not as satisfying. You have to start from point A, to make it then to point B, to then persevere through the entire alphabet to your end goal.
When it comes to my writing, I didn't wake up one morning and write an entire novel then have it published the next week. It's been years in the making, to create more than one story; to submit, get rejected, to make ties with different people and take advantage of every opportunity to better myself. Progress doesn't just happen over night.
With all of that explained my dear readers, do not get discouraged when things take a little bit longer than expected, it simply means that it is worth so much more. Work hard and the reward will be great; but once you move forward, do not stop but continue your way up the ladder of success. I pray you to remember what Winston Churchill once said: "success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
K.P.H.
Thursday 17 July 2014
Love: Inspired by Words
I wish you well dearest readers on this last of four entries this evening. I will be attempting to post two videos on this entry and if I can't, then I'll post one last entry as a part two to this one so just stand by and see. The two songs I'm posted today have two very different sounds and two very different themes but they can be related to none the less.
Everyday I find myself amazed by words and intrigued. How can the same 26 letters change someone's life simply by their arrangements. I had found a perfect quote from Yann Martel in his book Beatrice and Virgil, and it inspired me with these words:
"Stories identify, unify, give meaning to. Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a story is life that makes sense."
So with those words, I invite you to listen, and to be inspired with the words that frame your life.
K.P.H.
Everyday I find myself amazed by words and intrigued. How can the same 26 letters change someone's life simply by their arrangements. I had found a perfect quote from Yann Martel in his book Beatrice and Virgil, and it inspired me with these words:
"Stories identify, unify, give meaning to. Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a story is life that makes sense."
So with those words, I invite you to listen, and to be inspired with the words that frame your life.
K.P.H.
Love: Being Happy with Who You Are
Hello dearest readers and won't you join me as I deliver on the third entry today to make up for my absence in the last twelve days. I got to talk about vacations and writing in the two past entries, and they somehow both have something in common, (other than the fact that they both feature me). In reality, they both focus on ways to improving who you are. One is more focused on rest & relaxation while the other works your mind.
I am constantly working on ways to improve and better myself, but that doesn't mean that I don't like the person that I am. Sure I can wish that I'd be thinner, or shorter, or have brown hair, or green eyes, but those a trivial things that wouldn't make me any less me than I already am. Those are all things that I could change if I wanted to, but I am happy with who I am, and I like ME.
I don't want to sound conceited and I promise this declaration has a point. A singer I truly admirer recently released an empowering song to encourage everyone (but geared more towards girls) to love themselves. There is so much pressure with how we look that skin-deep beauty seems to be the only concern. It really doesn't matter if others don't like you; the worst thing happens when you don't like yourself. Be happy with the great person that you are because regardless of what you think, you are unique and you are the only you on this earth. So be that you that you are because everyone else is taken. And even if I don't know you, you who is reading my own words, I know that you is pretty damn awesome and YOU shouldn't change. This singer's name is Colbie Caillat, and she rejected photoshop, makeup and everything that's false in front of the camera to show others that it's okay to be you all the time, and people will love it. The song Try, by Colbie Caillat is my song of the week, and I encourage you not only to listen, but to seek to understand.
Try - Colbie Caillat
K.P.H.
I am constantly working on ways to improve and better myself, but that doesn't mean that I don't like the person that I am. Sure I can wish that I'd be thinner, or shorter, or have brown hair, or green eyes, but those a trivial things that wouldn't make me any less me than I already am. Those are all things that I could change if I wanted to, but I am happy with who I am, and I like ME.
I don't want to sound conceited and I promise this declaration has a point. A singer I truly admirer recently released an empowering song to encourage everyone (but geared more towards girls) to love themselves. There is so much pressure with how we look that skin-deep beauty seems to be the only concern. It really doesn't matter if others don't like you; the worst thing happens when you don't like yourself. Be happy with the great person that you are because regardless of what you think, you are unique and you are the only you on this earth. So be that you that you are because everyone else is taken. And even if I don't know you, you who is reading my own words, I know that you is pretty damn awesome and YOU shouldn't change. This singer's name is Colbie Caillat, and she rejected photoshop, makeup and everything that's false in front of the camera to show others that it's okay to be you all the time, and people will love it. The song Try, by Colbie Caillat is my song of the week, and I encourage you not only to listen, but to seek to understand.
Try - Colbie Caillat
K.P.H.
Literature: World Literature Today (WLT)
Good evening my dear readers, and now we transition into the second entry of the four I will be posting today. I think the two others will probably both be Love entries since I realized I haven't posted any of it in a while; (I'm trying to make everything balanced and fair). So with that, this literature entry will be a shorter one, simply because it has been talked about not too long ago.
One thing that comes with my passion for writing is discovering countless ways to better myself. Upon listening to Ottawa author Patricia K. McCarthy, she admitted that she had gotten her big break and her initial inspiration from writing short stories for different magazines. Then, building from her idea, I've subscribed to a couple of writing magazine; one that simply gives tips on writing and where to submit, and the other being World Literature Today.
The first issue I picked up, I was fortunate enough for it to be a double issue and therefore I get to have more of its content at first discovery. There are a lot of interesting articles (fiction and non-fiction) as well as short stories, poems and opinion pieces. I've been following certain trends and taking up advice from international authors. It's the best way to explore a vast amount of writing with little travelling. I'm considering submitting some of my pieces to magazines as well, and maybe get some experience that way so that publishing houses will look at my experience instead of my age.
No matter the obstacle that you must face, there is always more than one choice; heck even an ultimatum gives you two options. Keep in mind dearest readers that things might not always be easy, but if everything came easy, then success wouldn't taste as sweet with all of the work put into it. Your goals should remain high, just like your expectations to succeed.
K.P.H.
One thing that comes with my passion for writing is discovering countless ways to better myself. Upon listening to Ottawa author Patricia K. McCarthy, she admitted that she had gotten her big break and her initial inspiration from writing short stories for different magazines. Then, building from her idea, I've subscribed to a couple of writing magazine; one that simply gives tips on writing and where to submit, and the other being World Literature Today.
The first issue I picked up, I was fortunate enough for it to be a double issue and therefore I get to have more of its content at first discovery. There are a lot of interesting articles (fiction and non-fiction) as well as short stories, poems and opinion pieces. I've been following certain trends and taking up advice from international authors. It's the best way to explore a vast amount of writing with little travelling. I'm considering submitting some of my pieces to magazines as well, and maybe get some experience that way so that publishing houses will look at my experience instead of my age.
No matter the obstacle that you must face, there is always more than one choice; heck even an ultimatum gives you two options. Keep in mind dearest readers that things might not always be easy, but if everything came easy, then success wouldn't taste as sweet with all of the work put into it. Your goals should remain high, just like your expectations to succeed.
K.P.H.
Love: To Wish my Worries Away
Good evening my dearest readers and my biggest apologies for my absence on the blog nearing this two week mark. I have been preoccupied with 10 days worth of concerts followed by early morning; all of that coupled with unfortunate news and a camping trip back home that lacked wifi. I know that it isn't much of an excuse, but to make up for it, I'll be posting four different entries today, to make up for the lack in the past twelve days. There will be three texts and one video. Please forgive and enjoy my dear readers, and brace yourself since starting tomorrow I will be gone until Tuesday because I am going on yet another trip.
There are many reasons why I love my job, but a really good reason is having to take extra time off because I worked too much. I love my job and I love working, but it feels good to take a well deserved vacation. I just came back from a camping trip back home, which was really nice and not at all as warm as in Ottawa. I got the chance to see all of my grand parents, my parents and brother, and even a few of my friends. Even if it rained most of the time that I was there, I still got to do everything I wanted to do, and even more (or less) depending on how you look at it. I didn't worry or stress about things that were out of my control; I just went with the flow.
I came back yesterday, worked today, and I'm prepping and packing once more since tomorrow I'm staying with my friend Ryan, because we're leaving bright and early Saturday for our Niagara Falls vacation. There is always time to try something new, and it become quite the adventure when you have a good friend to join you for the trip. It's for this reason that I won't be able to write for the next few days. I promise to try to be better for the rest of the summer, it's just that I didn't expect to be as busy as I am. With that said, this is the ending of the first of four entries on this fine Thursday. Stay tuned my dearest readers.
K.P.H.
There are many reasons why I love my job, but a really good reason is having to take extra time off because I worked too much. I love my job and I love working, but it feels good to take a well deserved vacation. I just came back from a camping trip back home, which was really nice and not at all as warm as in Ottawa. I got the chance to see all of my grand parents, my parents and brother, and even a few of my friends. Even if it rained most of the time that I was there, I still got to do everything I wanted to do, and even more (or less) depending on how you look at it. I didn't worry or stress about things that were out of my control; I just went with the flow.
I came back yesterday, worked today, and I'm prepping and packing once more since tomorrow I'm staying with my friend Ryan, because we're leaving bright and early Saturday for our Niagara Falls vacation. There is always time to try something new, and it become quite the adventure when you have a good friend to join you for the trip. It's for this reason that I won't be able to write for the next few days. I promise to try to be better for the rest of the summer, it's just that I didn't expect to be as busy as I am. With that said, this is the ending of the first of four entries on this fine Thursday. Stay tuned my dearest readers.
K.P.H.
Saturday 5 July 2014
Laughter: Not Your Typical Night
Good afternoon my dearest readers and I hope you are keeping cool in this heat. This week is prime time for festivals in Ottawa and I'm finding myself able to attend Bluesfest. I'm loving the different musical acts, good friends and long nights. It's a little less appealing when I need to wake up early in the morning for work, but I also know that I get to go home next weekend and for that I can't wait.
Today's entry is simply to explain a funny thing that happened last night when my friend Françoise and I were walking back to the bus stop. Usually people are paranoid when they walk home but my dear friend and I were chatting it up and thinking of good times when something made us stop dead in our tracks and sprint down the street. Are you feeling a little nervous for us? Well don't because I thought quickly on my feet. What scared us wasn't a person, or someting horrible, but a racoon that was trying to climb a tree. His eyes glowed red as they were reflected in the light and I hushered my dear Françoise to hurry since she didn't realize what it was right away. Once everything was understood, we bolted down the street like the end of the world was right on our tail.
This just goes to show my dearest readers that in the best of days, the most unexpected things can happen. You still need to be aware of what's around you, but when unexpected things do happen, they become really good stories to tell.
K.P.H.
Wednesday 2 July 2014
Laughter: A Day without Laughter is a Day Wasted
Good afternoon dearest readers and I hope you all had a wonderful Canada Day yesterday. I celebrated wholeheartedly yesterday as I walked the Capital's streets and took it all in. I had the pleasure of spending the day with my wonderful friends and we saw quite the amazing things. If ever there is a day to visit Ottawa, Canada Day is the day because I don't think I've seen the city so alive in one moment; it's actually quite breathtaking. Today's post is slightly short, as I'm still trying to get back into the writing groove, so here I go.
Like I mentioned above, Canada Day was simply incredible and it's really something I'd love to do all over again, once more in the Capital. However, the weather was seriously as indecisive as it could have been yesterday. There was incredible heat, humidity, tornado watches, severe thunderstorm warnings followed by unexpected, yet brief downpours. All of this believe it or not, took place in one day. The musical acts chosen for the day were quite good, and the Parliament hill was alive with the sound of music (I couldn't help myself with that one).
At the end of the day, there were fireworks, and another torrential downpour. My friends and I weren't caught in a little bit of rain before we actually ever saw any of the street performers, but we were drench through and through for a good 5 minutes in the afternoon when we were looking for the ideal firework observation spot. We were the only ones walking without any cover, and it became almost the highlight of my day. What better way to cool off then to jump and run around in Mother Nature's sprinkler.
So if ever you have the chance my dear readers, visit the city's capital for our country's birthday because the energy is tantalizing, the food is good and the friends are better. If you are enjoying yourself, the weather will never put a damper on your plans because it simply becomes an unplanned bonus to an overall great day.
Like I mentioned above, Canada Day was simply incredible and it's really something I'd love to do all over again, once more in the Capital. However, the weather was seriously as indecisive as it could have been yesterday. There was incredible heat, humidity, tornado watches, severe thunderstorm warnings followed by unexpected, yet brief downpours. All of this believe it or not, took place in one day. The musical acts chosen for the day were quite good, and the Parliament hill was alive with the sound of music (I couldn't help myself with that one).
At the end of the day, there were fireworks, and another torrential downpour. My friends and I weren't caught in a little bit of rain before we actually ever saw any of the street performers, but we were drench through and through for a good 5 minutes in the afternoon when we were looking for the ideal firework observation spot. We were the only ones walking without any cover, and it became almost the highlight of my day. What better way to cool off then to jump and run around in Mother Nature's sprinkler.
So if ever you have the chance my dear readers, visit the city's capital for our country's birthday because the energy is tantalizing, the food is good and the friends are better. If you are enjoying yourself, the weather will never put a damper on your plans because it simply becomes an unplanned bonus to an overall great day.
K.P.H.
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