Summer Fun

Summer is upon us...at least that's what I keep telling myself. I officially left the world of retail and I am enjoying every single moment of it.
I am the Publicity Officer and Admin Support for the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba Inc., a mouthful to be sure.  i am currently organizing an event that is to be held at The Inn at the Forks on June 24th @ 8pm.  You should come!
I am so excited to be using the skills I learned in the past year to complete this task. I have deisgned a ticket and a poster and have been actively collecting great prizes and ensuring that we have excellent entertainment.
I am learning quite a lot in this process and I cannot express how good it feels to be doing something that you truly love...

Visit us at-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congress-Of-Black-Women-of-MB-Inc/158647390864979
and give us a like!
Or go to our website to learn more about what we do...www.cbwc-manitoba.com/
You can also follow us on Twitter...   @TheCOBWofMBINC
Stay tuned, it's gonna be a hot summer!

The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz

Local playwright, Armin Wiebe describes his play as "a novel that wanted to be a play."  After years of working on the novel Wiebe decided to adapt it for the stage.  Wiebe says his play was lucky enough to have gone through alot of workshops, and benefited from input from a few different local writers.

Once his play got into the rehearsal stages, many things needed to be done to make it ready. from last minute editing, to speech training for the actors. On his choice for inspiration, "I liked it, and it's a recognizable piece," said Wiebe. A key component was that the Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz was played under dialogue and the open faced piano somehow connects the audience to the music.

The play is centered arouund a Menonite couple living in the 1930's. A love triangle develops between the the wife and midwife, Susch and Teen. The couple is yearning for a child but to no avail. Then a new arrival to their isolated farm changes all that and more.

Yeah

The past moth in Cre-Comm has not been without it's challenges...but I can honestly say that everything that I have  experienced thus far has definitely brought with it a positive aspect.
I have been fortunate in the fact that not only am I scheduled to quit my job in retail but I have lined up at last count 4 jobs that I will be doing this summer-The Summer of Siggy- that are directly related to my career aspirations.
I can now officially call myself a Publicist!!!  I can say I am a movie star too...shooting is over the summer...I can say that I am an event planner-June 24/25 is the date (details to follow).And most of all I can call myself happy and satisfied. I have no regrets about past incidents and look forward to an eventful next few months.

I have a list of things that I wanna do this summer and I will  be updating my blog with once I  complete them, with details...plz come back and read about my excellent adventures because my life is filled with nothing but...j/k but not really- til next week...stay sexy Winnipeg...

the company we keep

You lie with dogs, you get up with fleas...yah, my mom always told me that growing up...and for the most part I listened..."you're known by the company you keep" she said...That one I heard alot too...but we all like to think that we know better , that we can somehow avoid all these sayings and life will be grand...
Now, having a solid 3 decades under my belt in no way garauntees that I am wise or infallible...I know right?
Anyhoo the one thing in life that I know for certain is that I am confident enough in myself to avoid certain behaviours and practices that may be unresistable to others.

I have been called many things in my life, but although they have not always been positive, I welcome them if they were a direct result of a part of my personality that took me a few years to wear without regret..I am blunt, some say rude, outspoken...I like to think though that I am just real...I honestly just don't like to pretend...I always envied my older brother that gift he had of imagining that he was a sword fighter, sniper and even space alien. He would run around the yard just screaming his heart out...I on the other hand had to go grab a book, I just could not get into pretending to see something that was not there...

I daydream, dont get me wrong, but I cannot and will never try to be or act in a way that I am not absolutely true to...If I don't like something I act accordingly. Now don't get me wrong I am not a mean person, I will never intentionally hurt anyone, but I won't pretend...I treat people the way I want to be treated and expect the same...I am loyal to my friends and expect the same...Is that really asking too much?

You can run from alot of types of people in life, but you can never run from a liar...true story...If you cannot believe someone there is no trust and if there is no trust, tell me what do we have left...Some people make it a part of their everyday life to wear two faces...they smile and act friendly to people while murdering that person's character every chance they get...While they use them for their own gain...Some people are just made that way...

Now while I have been known to make the snarky comment or even express my intense dislike of someone, what you will NEVER see is me then facing that person all smiles and friendly...If I dislike you I simply stay away...and I welcome anyone else to do the same toward me...What is the use of being fake? Why do people feel the need to be that way...That takes up too much energy and is just plain unnecessary...

While my way may not be the best, it definitely is the most honest...and that's fine by me...
I am sure I am not the only one to ever be on the wrong side of that equation, in fact I know that I have been that person before...when I was 11 years old!  You kinda realise after a while that people just don't like that trait in people...

The best way to make friends is not to pretend, but to be yourself, because that HAS to be enough...Every day I leave my home and return determined to raise my kids in a way that I would love for other people I interact with to be...confident enough to know that they don't need to lie or pretend to make friends, to be good friends, to simply treat others the way they want to be treated...

Loyalty is a commodity in short supply so I encourage people to recognize when someone deserves it and dole it out accordingly...One of the best compliments I have ever been paid was that I was extremly loyal to my friends...That meant so much more to me that being told I was cute...cuz that was a given...lol...but seriously? I would rather be alone than to be surrounded by hypocrites...I would sit in a corner by myself rather than sit with a group of people I don't care for...does that make me a snob? probably...will i sleep better at night? damn right I will...cuz I looove sleep and I refuse to lose it over people that are not worth it...
I am pretty cut throat with my friendships...but...I try my hardest to be a good friend...and so I refuse to accept anything less than what I impart...

"This is my face...deal with it"...that pretty much sums up my view on life...but I say it with a genuine smile...

it's friday

Well it is, it's Friday.  Thank goodness for Rebecca Black cuz I would have never known.  All of us Cre-comms have been running ragged for the past month...so much to do but it's all coming to a head early next week. 
The place has been booked and schedules have been cleared for one afternoon anyway, to just pretend that everything before that day was a mere dream.  Hopefully the weather stays nice-ish and we can stuble through the streets freely without fear of wiping out in any snow banks.
Til then though its just a bit more grinding before the party can begin...

friday

Hi today is a great day it is Friday. Today kicks off a week long weekend for me...I get to sleep in on Monday...I get to go back to bed after getting the kids and hubby out the house...Yay!!!
This week will also be when I get all my stuff organised, sit down and do alot of writing and did I mention sleep in?  I think this week I will not leave the house until I absolutely have to...

I read, I saw, I conquered

Writing a book has always been a dream of mine.  I love books...I love books even more because you would not really guess it but they are the perfect subject to use when trying to hit on someone...that's right I used a book to flirt with my now husband of eight years, when we first met...lol...I met him in the library, for some reason people are always surprised when I say that...

It started simply enough, I was doing research for a paper on depression...what can I say I was new to the city and knew a total of three people, all family...and it was cold...anyway, so I braved the cold to the then Centennial Library and was making my way to the appropriate section when I spotted him...Long hair, intense eyes and the kicker? he could read, because he was, and also what he was reading, one of my all time favourite authors Dean Koontz...that was pretty much the clincher...So I approached him and asked him to show me where he got the book...lol...yah I am slick like that...

pic of the book that started it all...taken from Google images

 I dont know if I would ever self publish anything that I write, I would want to go the more traditional route of being turned down, over and over agai...why/? well i think that being able to convince someone that your writing is worth printing gives you a much btter sense of accomplishment...thats my personal feeling...I would however, use a book for shameless 'self-promotion' just ask the hubby ;)

Action Over Word Me Say...

                                                                                                      



Aesop fables were a staple of my childhood...I loved to hear these stories while sitting with my Grandma who was well over 60 by the time I came around.  There was nothing better than listening to her shaky voice as she told me stories that sometimes gave me nightmares or made my sides hurt with laughter...She was quite the storyteller...
Although not one of Aesop's as far as I know...The one that I remember most and try to apply to my everyday life as well as impart to my own children is..."Empty vessels make the most noise."

Throughout my limited years on this planet I have found this message to hold, oh so true.  I am fortunate enough to have been able to travel the world starting at an early age but, a passport stamp alone does not qualify one as experienced or worldly...I try to learn something everywhere I go and also to take away from every encounter something worthwile...whether it be righteous anger or genuine pleasure...Having lived in quite a few different places I have met alot of people and made alot of friends...and enemies...now that I am older though the enemies are dwindling because I just do not have the energy to spare...or the care...

What does grind my gears though? People who seem to think that they can disguise being abnoxious and rude as competitive and outspoken...As an adult and as a direct result of spending the past 9 years in North America, it took a concerted effort from me to curb my tongue and fall into the PC status quo that is so prevalent in this culture...You simply cannot say what you think and feel all the time...that's not the way the adult world works...(but oh how I wish it did...)


                                               

People that feel the need to put other people down to satisfy their own sense of self worth, or to just be plain old mean, those people I try to avoid...But sometimes you just can't...These kind of people are everywhere. Products of poor parenting? Maybe...but some people are just made that way...As I go through this course I have learnt to just 'do me'...To just pretend that those people don't exist...but it gets hard at times because...they are LOUD...lol...yup these same people need to be the center of attention or need to remind people that they're simply there...True empty vessels...They never take responsibility for their actions...it's always someone else's fault...They can't play fair or on a team...in short they are overgrown 2 year olds...And did I mention they are LOUD? lol... But , there is an upside...I  look at them and try harder with my kids because I do not want to ever knowingly unleash a child like that onto society...it's unfair to them and the people they may encounter...


Now I will freely admit that I do not have what anyone would call an inside voice...My laugh is generally the way you locate me in any building...I do speak my mind, but generally not to be vindictive...but it has been known to happen...But I hope that I am fair, honest, but most of all full...yup full, I don't feel the need to be seen or heard...it kinda just happens...there goes a bit of the modesty I keep hidden away... A friend said to me today that I have a temper , then she added that it's warranted when I blow...That makes me  happy because I like to think that there is some method to my madness... I want my actions to speak for me, my character...not my gums...to speak to others on who I am... I want the aspects of my personality that set me apart to be regarded in a positive way...But I guess that is all up to me...I am in control of how people view me to a degree...I hope that even though on the surface I may share certain traits with the less desirables that I have the charm to do it with grace...

Actions speak louder than words...

WWS...crowded...with Ideas (Wonderful Wedding Show)

    

 Last weekend I went to the Wonderful Wedding Show...It was a long day...So many women not a wholelot of variety in terms of design...Alot of free cupcakes...one kiosk almost made my "bride" swear off cupcakes for good...Oh yah... I got volun-told I had to stand in a wind machine to catch money for a discount for her as well....Yah the things you do for love...Anyhoo...the wedding show had alot of kiosks with extremelycreative methods of attracting a crowd...I thought it was pretty smart of them to give all the brides pink lanyards...i let the vendors know who to "harass" we put ours on the eight year old, and cracked jokes about dowries and child brides...not everyone got it...lol...

 From pole dancing to DJ's to pulled pork to intimate photos they had it all...its sad though that in such a crowd simply saying 'excuse me' was not a major concern...all in all it went well and my 'bride' came away with a lot of good ideas...That almost made up for the video she shot without my                     knowledge...almost...

I definitely got loads of great ideas for promoting my groups' upcoming magazine...HeadRush Magazine...it's a magazine about fabulous headwear andthe people who carry of the styles with panache...you can follow us on Twitter...@HeadRushMag or Facebook at HeadRush Magazine, to keep up to date as we develop our concept and kickstart our promotions...We will be staging a 'photo shoo't at RRC-Princess Campus in the near future...come on down in your fanciest piece of head wear and get photographed for a chance to be featured in our premier issue!!! 

More details to follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Mission Statements and Muppets

                                                                             

Our PR class today was all about creating mission statements...both personal and professional ones...its a lot harder than you might think... To write something that signals to the world what you stand for and also to look to when you need inspiration. 
You run the risk of having something that baffles others and depending on your own mood; totally confusing yourself...As I struggled to put together the words that I thought represented what I was all about; i realized that it actually required some thought...I wanted my mission statement to actually say something about me that I would like other people to know...and respect...or at the very least...read... 

I finally came up with mine...


To never be afraid to stand alone; to be a tree of a thousand stars (or more); to always look within for strength; to love; to hate; and to be honest about it; and to look damn good doing it!

I think that pretty much sums me up...I decided to take a stroll down my favorite street because we all know that if you really need inspiration...123 Sesame Street is THE place to go... and of course I was not disappointed...I thought this lil' clip was very in tune with our project...What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyVzjoj96vs 

p.s.---The 'thousand stars' reference is related to my name, which is a species of Bonsai tree (Serissa -as i spelt my name for the first 20 years of my life- thanx for the confusion Mommy...) which is called a tree of a thousand stars...google it!!

                                          pic of Serissa Foetida taken from flikr from Yahoo

                                                                   

Chris (Dr.Petty) and Cleese

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                              
One of our first classes last week was the beloved,  The Writer's Craft with Dr.Chris Petty.  With his lovely English accent and surprisingly versatile sense of humour this is by far one of my favourite classes.  Why are you laughing? It is, seriously...Okay so it’s the English accent, nothing can sound bad with an accent like that...but i digress...After a brief lecture Dr.Petty played us a movie, or short film? I am certain that I was not the only one excited to see John Cleese's name in the opening credits (that’s right B-Easy).  Come on two English accents in one day…within the same hour? However was I supposed to learn anything? *sigh*

The movie/film titled, "Meetings Bloody Meetings" is a very creative, if dated (it was made in 1976) tutorial about how properly planned and organised meetings are the most effective methods of internal communications.  John Cleese depicts a mid-level manager with mediocre management skills.
How does this factor into my very eventful weekend you may ask? And if you didn't you should have...Well I was the ‘victim’ of a poorly planned meeting this past Sunday.  I lost a huge portion of my day in a meeting that had me literally ticking off everything that the participants were doing wrong to waste time...

Don't get me wrong I spent most of the meeting either laughing my head off, or chuckling under my breath, (while furiously recording the minutes).  This meeting was like going back home to the Caribbean and just watching my aunts prepare for a huge party or event.  Chaos always ensues.  This meeting, that should have been an hour and a half at the most, started at 1:30 p.m. and ran until 5:00 p.m. I kid you not...
Luckily being inundated with the loud, sing-song accents of these women transported me to my childhood, which, luckily for me is chock full of great memories of my extended family.  I found myself very homesick and after a while I revelled in the chaotic atmosphere. The bickering, joking around and endless interruptions, as well as, the total ignoring of the Agenda were something to behold.  But the piece de resistance has got to be when the Chairperson pulled out a projector and proceeded to show a slideshow of her recent trip to India, Germany and Italy, midway through the proceedings. 

Don't get me wrong I had a great day, good food, ridiculously intelligent, accomplished women with shared ethnicity and really interesting pictures, but I had only expected to be at the meeting for an hour at the most.  Needless to say, by the time it was over I barely got any groceries done. Why did I sit through this you may ask? Well, it was important that I not only showed up to this meeting, but also that I made a good impression by showing keen interest.  That’s what I am going with...the free food and dare I say, homey atmosphere obviously did not make an impact.

It’s not that I have never been to a meeting before but I am left wondering if it was because I had just recently seen “Meetings Bloody Meetings”, or if I was just having some kind of bizarre culture shock, that I even noticed all the time wasting that occurred. It’s been a while since I have been so completely immersed in my Island culture, could it be that  I have  assimilated to the North American culture  so much so that a  mere  dose of patois can bring forth all these startling revelations?

That being said I wait with bated breath for the next meeting…One of the ladies leaves for Israel next week ;).

3 Decades of Moi...

                                                 Lucky #13...of December :)
                                                                                                  

It's been 30 years now since I have been wandering this planet, thinking the big, important questions like...
Why are we here? Do I really have to wear this for work? And also...Why do my kids hate me?
lol...Just semi kidding on that last one...

I turned the big 3-0 over the holidays...at which point...I swear, my left knee decided to give out and I am now scouting Chiropractors.  I seem to lose my breath alot quicker too...stairs are evil contraptions...

that could just be the steady diet of Cheezies for breakfast I have adopted, but I think more nefarious plots are afoot... Age is out to get me!

                                                                

I have already decided that I am to be immune to every pitfall of the aging process,

both mental and physical.  I won't admit to noticing a few of my dear Mater's trademark behaviours,
now fully adopted and honedinto my own patterns of speech and thought processes.  Besides, I only have
three grey hairs...I read somewhere that a woman's real deepest, fear is to turn into her mother,
but nope...that will never happen to me.

My mom always credits Sesame Street with my love of language, indeed my reading abilities at a very tender age (3yrs).  This blog will be a mixture of my numerous daily encounters, that invariably always have me saying, "It could only happen to me."  If all else fails I will go to my favourite daytime show Sesame Street and take a look at how it filters popular culture into the simplest form, enhancing rather than detracting from the original message.

    Mishi and I @30th bday (celebration?)

My Momma and me
        
    My bebbies...when rasing them was easy and a whole lot funner!

To kick start...here is my current Sesame Street hot pick!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKIvEVkAfW4&feature=player_embedded  dirty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UAeiNB_pL8&feature=related  clean