Where Have I Been?!

Ha! Did you think I'd actually go through the entire month of November without making a blog post?

The reason this time is because I was busy with final uni projects and then preparing for the trip home! And now I am home! Not to mention today there was some SNOW outside my window! Family, home-cooked meals, cold weather, my Wii games, my old room, and my quaint hometown. Not to mention Christmas is on the horizon. It feels so great to be back. I'll miss hanging out at the pool with all the friends I made down under, but hopefully it won't be only time I'm in Australia.

The stress of flying alone was nearly too much when I was at the Gold Coast airport, but thankfully an extremely nice woman working there waived me through all the queues without any hassle. Not sure if I would have made it in time without her as I got to the boarding gate only 5 minutes before boarding began. She was my hero that day. During my domestic flight transfer through Vancouver I was getting antsy. The line to check in was extremely long! Good thing my flight arrived half an hour early. Not to mention I was getting sick of getting on and off planes, it felt like I did twice as many flights as I actually did (three). At least I didn't have to do the whole security and the "do you have anything to declare" stuff when I landed in Toronto. All I had to do was claim my baggage and be greeted with big hugs from mom and dad!

An upside of the long flights though was that I got to watch a lot of movies. The first was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. Funny thing is that I started watching it on the flight from Gold Coast to Auckland which was 2 hours and 38 minutes long. The movie was about 2 1/2 hours but since I listened to some music beforehand, the plane landed about 15 minutes before the end. Bellatrix was killed just as everything was switched off! It was worth it though, the music I listened to was an album from an alternative New Zealand-based band called The Earlybirds and it was amazing! I still got to watch the last 15 minutes of Deathly Hallows on the next flight. They had ALL of the movies! I watched parts of the Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. The lead actors were only kids back then!

Other movies I watched included Captain America The First Avenger and Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch does not...well...suck as much as the critics says it does. Yes the story is a bit weird but everything else is great. Captain America was pretty good but I think Spider-Man 2 is still my favourite Marvel superhero movie. Hopefully The Avengers will change that next year even though Spider-Man's not in it.

Finally I can play Wii again! As a welcome back present to myself I bought Sonic Colors. Since that game is over a year old I grabbed it for only $20 at Wal-Mart! A steal considering how awesome the game is. I was playing through Aquarium Park last night and loving it, there hasn't been an underwater level in a main series title for a long time.

During my two day stopover in New Zealand (which was awesome) my 2008 MacBook, the first laptop I ever owned, died! The logic board fried. However, I've been planning to get an iMac regardless of what happened. Still deciding which one but it will probably be either the more expensive 21.5 inch or the cheaper of the 27 inch. Either way I'll have it upgraded to 8 GB of RAM. Hopefully with such an awesome and fast computer I can resume my Jump Birdy Jump Let's Play without sound syncing problems, wrap up Aussie Life, and maybe one or two surprises!

Arriving home!

Happy Halloween!

I think I may have mentioned this in one of my entires last year, but Halloween isn't that big a thing in Australia - at least not yet. It has been picking up steam though, and at my student accommodation we had a Halloween party by the pool. Plenty of fun was had! Everyone dressed up, people threw ping pong balls and got each other drunk, Albert Einstein stole a witch's broom, and two people went for a night swim while still in costume.

This is the last week of my last semester in Australia! It's crazy. Almost everything was done last week though, I just have to finish helping edit a short film for Screen Production class. I'm very excited to come home. My life in Australia is okay but I know everything will be a lot better once I'm back in Canada.

Endings and New Beginnings

This week marks the last week of my first job ever. All of us decided to pitch in for a cake for our boss Alan and wish him luck with his future endeavors. Today was the day we surprised him at work. It was a great time and man that cake was good!

This also marks the beginning of the end of my stay in Australia. It's already more than halfway through the final semester. I'll be in the country until mid/late November, it's approaching fast! I'm happy that I'll be done with school forever but I can't help but wonder where my life will go from here. Will I stay with journalism? Will I become famous? Or will I go some completely different direction I won't see coming?

"I don't know...but what I do know is, we all did it together!" Tails, Sonic Adventure 2

Yeahhhh...thanks for that Tails. That line never did make any sense.

Two Videos, One Weekend

Nope, I have not watched the video I referenced in the title. Thank goodness.

Seriously though, I actually managed to put up two videos this weekend. The first being the Jump Birdy Jump video mentioned in my previous post, and the second is the next Aussie Life! Here it is in "glorious HD!"



I can't believe I filmed that exactly a year ago, and on September 11th as well. There's actually some footage I have from even longer ago but I'm not sure what I'll post of it yet. I now leave y'all with another funny sims pic:

"Check out my funky new iPad! Oh shoot, I think it just gray-screened."

Everything Happens For A Reason!

Life is funny sometimes...

So today I went to work for a few hours. During my shift it started to rain outside. One of my colleagues came in a bit later and she said there's a severe weather warning for tonight. Normally I end at around 7 but the bus schedule is pretty horrible. If I work all the way until 7 I'd have to take a bus and then still do a 10 minute walk or wait another half hour. However, a bus leaves shortly after 6 where I only have to walk 5 minutes afterwards. With it raining so hard I decided to leave work early today so I don't get too drenched.

I made the right choice. But it wasn't only because I didn't have to walk as far in pouring rain.

When I got on the bus I got an unexpected surprise (other than the bus being on time). Sitting at the front was one of my German friends who I met last year! She graduated at the end of my first semester in Australia and went back to Germany but she said she'll be back someday. I had no idea when/if she was coming and...heh, the bus was the last place I thought I'd run into her. Turns out she was on her way to see one of the Germans still living in my complex. She's in the Gold Coast on holiday.

Somehow I didn't notice she had an umbrella with her until we got off the bus! Now that's convenient. We walked to our destination, talking about the weather and other random things. Definitely made up for the tougher than usual day at work!

The moral of this story is in the title. Things, even seemingly minor ones, happen for a reason. I brought this up with my friend and she brought up a good point that we still could have met up at some time even if I didn't leave work early.

The possibility of fate being real is an interesting topic. I used to be pro "coincidence" or whatever, but in recent years I've been led to believe there definitely at least a few certain things that are meant to happen one way or another. Some things seem a bit too coincidental.

I need a picture for this post...um...BOOM, sim fireworks!

What do you think about fate, readers? Have you all had sudden "coincidences" that made your day better? Let me know in the comment section below!

Bonfires of Awesome

What better way to start off the semester than with a couple of bonfires? I can't believe it's almost the end of my Australian journey. It's been a really great experience coming here. I've learned so much and met so many different people from around the world. Never would I have thought that I would meet people from South Africa or Alaska. It's pretty crazy. My Broadcast Journalism program wasn't nearly this diverse.

It better be snowing when I land in Toronto. I'll expect nothing less.

My First Professional Music Video!

 Two blog posts within a day of each other? You can't be serious!

For last semester I had to produce a music video for one of my classes. I collaborated with my friend Jordan Lawrence and used his song "It's Done." The production process took about 2 weeks. This is definitely one of the best things I've ever been a part of, check it out!



Listen to more of Jordan's music: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jordanlawrence1991

As always...Like, Comment, Subscribe, and Share!!

The 50th Blog Post, Really!

I first had to write a blog for one of my journalism classes at Sheridan College. After I graduated I saw my journey to Australia as a reason to continue! 

My first post was on June 8, 2010. Now my latest is on July 18, 2011. Over a year of blogging!

Sure I didn't update consistently, but at least for the new year I'm making an effort to blog at least once or twice a week.

Now with the sentimental blog reminiscing out of the way, it's time to talk about the present and the future! 

So the big 10th episode of Aussie Life is out...

What's next? Well, the door has now been blown wide open for expansion with all the new faces that appeared in this episode....

Anniversaries!

 So my 50th blog post is on the horizon and so is the landmark 10th episode of Aussie Life! Talk about crazy! When I learned about blogging my first thought was "So what? Why would I want to write about my life online?" Well, now here I am a few years later doing just that.

My Aussie Life vlogs are also hitting a landmark, episode #10! Great, so what is it about? Well, not one thing in particular, but several events all compiled together to make something awesome. There will be singing, there will be partying, there will be shenanigans, and there will be a seagull named Mimico. Check out the trailer I just put up!

I didn't even show the best part! From here on out, we'll hope to see episodes that don't just focus on me, but other people living in my complex. Since I liked how I managed to fit Mimico into episode 9, he will make plenty more appearances in the future. You may also remember him making a brief cameo in episode 4 when I was talking about Star Wars. Maybe he'll become a breakout character like Barney from How I Met Your Mother. Again, we can hope!

Wonder how many episodes I'll manage to make before I go back to Canada? One thing's for sure, I will do as many as I can!

Earth Hour

Recently I've begun to realize a more environmentally friendly side of me, so this year I decided to participate in Earth Hour. I turned off everything in my room and did something I never did before...practicing Ninjitsu in the dark! It's been a while, but I still remember a few of the essential techniques.

It was pretty interesting to say the least. The darkness wasn't too much of a problem since I know my space well. After only a few minutes it got really hot since I turned off the ceiling fan. Focusing on training was very difficult, especially when meditating. Somehow I pulled through, and it was 9:30 before I knew it. I really need to practice Ninjitsu more often. Maybe I can really get back into training when I move back to Canada!

Wow, so the next blog post will be my 50th one. I'll make sure it's good! ;)

Edit: Oops, it was actually six until the 50th. Somehow, two drafts of my Yellowcard album review popped up twice plus a few scrapped drafts made it look like I already had 50 posts. Yikes.

What is Rubber?

"In the Steven Spielberg movie E.T, why is the alien brown? No reason. In Love Story, why do the two main characters fall madly in love with each other? No reason...I could go on for hours with more examples. The list is endless. You probably never gave it a thought...but all great films, without exception, contain an important element of no reason."

Wow, just wow. Rubber is easily one of the most interesting films I've ever seen! I'm still trying to decide whether that's a good or bad thing. Directed and written by Quentin Dupieux, the plot involves a tire named Robert that comes alive. What does it end up doing?

Killing things. Lots of things.

Robert first starts off small. "He" first destroys a water bottle and then a scorpion by rolling over them. However, when he tries to roll over a battle of alcohol it does not break. The determined tire then starts emitting a loud noise that eventually cracks the bottle open. Apparently this is some form of psychokinesis. Then things really start to get strange. Robert then kills a rabbit, a crow, and a truck driver completely unprovoked. All the while, a bunch of people are watching the murders through binoculars provided by some strange man riding a bicycle.

At first it felt like a live action Pixar film watching a tire come to life and roll around, but Rubber is a horror film for some reason. If it were a man instead of a tire, it definitely would be a good reason.

Before all of this happens though, a cop breaks the fourth wall by telling us that this film is an homage to the "no reason," which is where that quote at the start of this post is from. He references things like how the people in Chainsaw Massacre aren't shown going to the bathroom, and that we can't see the air around us because there's no reason.

Class ended before the movie could, so I just might have to watch the rest of my film on my own time in order to see if the plot ever gets deeper than a tire killing things. I now leave you with the brilliant opening scene.

What do you think? Is this creative, or just too strange for cinema?

Aussie Life Episode 9

After not too long a wait, episode 9 is complete. Can't wait to get started on #10!

The Next Aussie Life

"Rain comes down. People are bored. And one person sweeps the nation, or at least his apartment. All this and more in a build-up towards the landmark 10th episode of Aussie Life."

Yep, this one will be pretty awesome. Hitting a YouTube near you in HD very shortly! A trailer for episode 10 will also be up when it's done.

King's Peach!

So I woke up today and realized that my days were numbered. Literally. Today it's 14.

I had a very strange dream. There was an A/C who could talk, and it said "Sorry, not a fan." Then in another sequence my parents gave me a Fanta and a stick, saying that's their opinion of me. A "choo choo Twain" passed behind them. The last thing I remember was me looking down at my feet to see I was wearing loafers. Huh.

Later, I threw a boomerang. I nearly forgot how to throw one, but it came back to me. I wondered why it kept getting bigger. Well, then it hit me.

Before my Writing for Performance class started, I told the teacher I finally saw got around to seeing The King's Peach last night. He said "Isn't it grate," and I agreed. He also recommended that I start reading a book about anti-gravity. Apparently it's really hard to put down!

While I was walking to the bus stop after class, I saw a car with a strange spoiler. It had "Darth Vader is Luke's father" written on it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I made a math pun on my Facebook status just now. That was the first sine of madness.

I turned on the TV when I got home and there was an ad about a new broom that's sweeping the nation. I went to the fridge to get some Sprite, only to find a Fanta sea. My roommate told me to pass him a knife. As I did that I told him to have a knife day. My other roommate was about to leave for work. She said "See you spoon!" Then our neighbor popped in and told us all to fork off. That was kind of weird.

None of the above actually happened. At least most most of it anyway. However, when I jumped in the pool I went for a spin.

The King's Speech

So I finally saw The King's Speech, and I must say it's a pretty good movie. You should definitely see it if you can. You'll really feel sympathy for the main character.



Funny coincidence that the speech coach is Australian! There's a couple of jokes where this is mentioned. Also, the seats in the theater were very comfortable and fancy looking. Felt perfect for watching a movie involving royalty.

Not in the mood to do a big review for this one, sorry guys. :P

HURURURUR! HRRvingmejoker? HHRRnufwujupayme!

I noticed that at times, Dean in Supernatural sounds a bit like Batman. I've been attempting to imitate that voice.



...Well, it's not too difficult.

On another note, episode 9 of Aussie Life is coming soonish.

Supernatural Beginnings

So today marks the beginning of my second semester abroad. It wasn't all that difficult as I only had one class and it was at 3 in the afternoon! Yay for sleeping in, mornings aren't for me. I took the bus to my Writing for Performance class and was surprised it's at the "Science and Architecture" building. I have the same teacher as I did for my Screenwriting class last semester which is awesome. I'm planning to write a sequel to the story I wrote for Screenwriting. Should be good fun!

Also...

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

Did you see that shot?!

And also...

Slideshow Time!

Here's a cool TV-style slideshow courtesy of Photobucket! Enjoy!

Two vlogs in Two Weeks?!

Guys, I'm scared!





And it gets ever closer to the 10th episode of Aussie Life. Hmmmm....

Unstoppable - A Runaway Hit or A Train Wreck?

So a few days ago I learned about this movie through a YouTube ad. A runaway freight train that could end up destroying an entire town, based on a true story? "Sounds cool," I thought to myself. When I was a child, most boys my age loved cars. I did play with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, but Thomas the Tank Engine was definitely my thing. It was what I was obsessed with before Pokemon and Sonic the Hedgehog came along. I loved trains as a kid so I'll always have a soft spot for them which was what initially drew me to Unstoppable. Then I looked to see how critics received the movie and the majority spoke highly of it which was encouraging too. That's when I decided to see Unstoppable and I have no regrets.

Is that James and Gordon? Nope. The Island of Sodor it ain't.


This movie is absolutely intense, easily one of the most intense I've ever seen. The opening shots are just of trains standing still in a train yard and even THAT is intense. I'm not kidding. I was imagining how the Double Rainbow guy would react. You'll know right from the beginning you're in for one heck of a ride. Throughout the entire movie there's a lot of intense zooming in and shaking of the camera. Some critics gave the movie flak for this, but personally I think it was done perfectly because it makes sense that there will be a bit of shaking as an unmanned train roars by you at 120 km/h. As the ending credits started rolling I was surprised when I realized my legs were actually shaking a bit when I started to get up.

I'm kind of glad Michael Bay did not direct this movie. It probably would have been a montage of crashes until the two main characters (played by Denzel Washington and Chris Pine (Yeah, the main guy from the Star Trek remake)) stopped the train. Thankfully there was only one major crash which holds a lot of meaning towards how selfish corporations can be to save money. The characters all have the right amount of depth for a movie like this. Not too shallow, yet not too deep as to detract from the dire situation at hand. It was just enough to make me care about what their life is like outside of their jobs. I did NOT expect Unstoppable to have as much depth as it did. I didn't expect it to be as thought provoking as Inception, and it isn't. But it didn't need to be. I walked into the cinema expecting a thrilling adrenaline rush, and I got that and more. The ending is predictable, but the journey leading up to it was not easy on the characters by any stretch of the imagination.

The acting and dialogue was top notch. It was not cheesy in any way and perfectly believable. It kept me engaged - it made me facepalm at the idiot who let the train get away in the first place, it made me annoyed at the corporate monkeys who wanted to take the easy way out, and it even made me laugh at times. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine had great on-screen chemistry in their respective veteran and newbie roles.

Ladies and gentlemen: Mr. Retirement Home, and Mr. Daycare.


There are not many bad points to this movie. The part involving the danger of the Triple 7 locomotive butting heads with a passenger train full of kids was over and done with a bit too quickly. The trailer may convince you otherwise, but there's actually much more focus on stopping the train before it reaches the S curve in Stanton. The music isn't good nor bad. I didn't care either way as I was paying more attention to the plot.

The DVD comes out in North America on March 8th, and here in Australia it just opened in theaters this Friday. I highly suggest watching this on the big screen or at least with a great surround sound system. The movie is about a train that's basically "A missile the size of a Chrysler building" as Rosario Dawson's character puts it, and hearing the whooshing of the Triple 7 train in the cinema sounded very true to life.

All in all, if you enjoy action movies you will love this movie. I doubt Unstoppable will win any awards, but it's very good at what it is meant to accomplish. I personally enjoyed every second of it and I will definitely watch it again. You don't even have to love trains to enjoy it. Think of it as what should have been the sequel to Speed.

My Rating: 9.0/10. Fantastic!

This is the first time I can say I was convinced by a YouTube ad to see a movie, and it was one that I had to sit through before seeing the video I wanted to see (I think it was one of the recent =3 videos but I'm not 100% sure). That's a noteworthy thing in of itself. A great movie to start the year off with. This is also the first movie review I've done so feedback would be appreciated. Don't expect me to do a lot of these. I'm still focusing on doing my Aussie Life vlogs and the LOLZ, Sims videos I recently started doing.