My Unrealistic Christmas List

Have you heard of Simple Plan's song My Christmas List?


I have been inspired to create my fake Christmas list with things that would be impossible to get but sound really awesome.

Katie's Christmas List 2010:
- A furnished condo in the heart of Downtown with view to the lake, with VIP cable and internet
- DVD's of all my fav movies and TV shows
- The iPad
- All the themed monopolies listed from the few last posts
- SLR Camera with all the lenses plus fish eye lens
- A room full of stuffed penguins!
- One million dollars!
- Trip to Europe
- A plastic bubble wrap that will allow me to go out in the Winter without freezing my face off
- The best job ever!
- A butler
- A cute fluffy nice cat that sits on my lap
- A dolphin (why not?)
- Cruise to escape from winter time
- A teleporter
- A delicious drink that will make me lose 10 pounds instantly
- An Iphone with all the cool apps included
- My housemates to be clean-freaks
- My bedroom painted lillac
- An unlimited spending gift card to David's Tea
- A photograph of me and Adam Young from Owl City
- Scented pijama bottom and top
- Free tuition to study Culinary Art in George Brown College
- A beach home in California
- A house by the skii resort in Banff
- A whole new wardrope for the winter season
- A blue smart car + lifetime supply of free gas
- A haircut with professional stylist that will make me look super hot
- Guitar Hero, all of them
- Nintendo Wii
- The softest blanket ever
- Eric Hutchinson's keyboard
- Four inches taller
- Closer relationship with my friends
- New eyeballs so I don't have to wear glasses anymore
- A fishtank in my apartment with exotic fish
- Fireplace in my room
- Smell of bacon every time I wake up in the morning
- Smell of fresh cookies or cake during the day
- A pet monkey
- A baking set for my kitchen (cookie cutters, mixers, pastry bags, ready-made-fondant, etc)
- A jacuzzi in my backyard
- Free groceries for the rest of my life
- A mac computer
- A free tattoo
- Care bear hoodie
- Cool animal teapot
- $10,000 gift certificate to Bath and Body Works
- A purse with enough pockets to organize everything in it, yet compact enough to keep everything
- Sleeping earphones that will keep any noise away while I sleep
- Garden full of flowers and herbs
- All the Office characters bobbleheads
- LED Jellyfish mood lamp
- Polaroid camera
- Massage chair
- Electronic butterfly in a jar
- A shirt that says "Suit up!"

What's in YOUR unrealistic Christmas list?

Peppermint Christmas

What I like the most about Christmas holiday season is that everything is candy cane. The colours, the peppermint taste, the shape, etc. I have compiled some of my fav Candy Cane products:

CANDY CANE HOT CHOCOLATE


CANDY CANE COOKIES


CANDY CANE CUPCAKE


PEPPERMINT LOTION/SHOWER GEL


CANDY CANE TIGHTS


CANDY CANE PAJAMAS


CANDY CANE EARRINGS


CANDY CANE COCKTAIL


CANDY CANE SCENTED CANDLE


CANDY CANE LOLLIPOP


CANDY CANE TIE


CANDY CANE ICE CREAM


CANDY CANE NAUGHTY DRESS


CANDY CANE MUG


CANDY CANE HAT (finding Waldo much?)


PEPPERMINT SHRIMP (I know! Pretty cool!)


PEPPERMINT MERINGUES


CANDY CANE SCARF


(and last but not least)

PEPPERMINT WINTER VIDEO by OWL CITY


Which one is your favourite? Did I forget anything else?

sexuality explained in simple terms

United State of Monopoly

I recently found a free online version of Monopoly and I am ashamed to say that I have been addicted to it. I can't remember last time I play it physically. I have kinda forgotten how to play it. But it's lots of fun, especially when I win. I also realized that there are several collectors' edition of Monopoly, and I want them! Just look how cool they coul be! I just wanted to see all of these:

DISNEY PIXAR EDITION



SPONGEBOB EDITION


PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN EDITION


M & M's EDITION


NINTENDO EDITION

HELLO KITTY EDITION (Don't really want it, but it's a funny one)


NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS EDITION (I saw this at Spencer's and I almost bought it)

I Heart Me!

Yesterday I was reading the campus newspaper The Excalibur and I ran into an article that talkes about a psychology professor at York Myriam Mongrain and a graduate student who made a study about feeling down and fixing it by writing love letters to self to be happier. They found out that people who wrote love letters to themselves frequently, compared to those who don't, have a big difference on how they see themselves and they rate pretty high on happiness. Mongrain explained "Some people, they can be good to others, but it's hard for them to treat themselves kindly. This excercise helped people develop this kind of attitude towards themselvces, making themselves feel more comforted and feeling soothed". I believe it's true that no one knows you better than yourself. So obviously you know the right words to comfort yourself and help you feel better. You could be your own therapist and this excercise is a cheap kind of therapy with great results. So I going to try that here. I'll write a love note to myself today, and maybe I will continue doing so, see how this will affect me. I would recommend you to do the same. I know it sounds kinda silly, writing a love letter to yourself, writing to yourself and no one is going to read it. Love letters are cheese. But I think it's worth the try.

Dearest Katie,
Hope you are doing well these days. I heard you got a new job at the mall. Congratulations! I hope you are having a good time greeting and helping customers. You are so kind, sweet and cute, customers must love you! And that you speak four languages? Damn! You are on the ROLL! Hope you're making lots of friends there. Have you helped any customers who speak Spanish yet? French? Oui ou non? You're so talented. Wish I could speak all those languages. I'm sure you'll do a great job there, even during the sressful holidays. You sure know how to put a smile on people's faces :) I know you do that to me :)

How is apartment hunting? If you can't find anything yet, don't worry. You know that things will work out for you in one way or another. Just gotta be patient. I know it's hard to find an apartment when one is so specific and picky about it. I mean, you are going to live there for a while, so it better be a great place, right?

How's Jacob? Hope he's treating you very well. You are lucky to find such a hunk for yourself! He's really good looking and he's always so sweet to you. I want my own Jacob. I find it funny because he's warm as Jacob from Twilight and has fangs like Edward. Best of two worlds, right? And he's more handsome than them both together ;) He's a very hard working man, you should be proud of him. I just want to let you know that you are an amazing person. You are always so kind to people, even though people take advantage of your kindness. You never hesitate to help someone when they need it. You're so nice. You are always there to listen to people, when no one really listens to you. But you know what? I am here to listen you when you need it. I am sure lots of people underestimate your friendship. People never help you, yet you are always up to help them anyways. People should be nicer to you, because they never know when you can help them. I am sure that anyone will like a friend like you, compared to all those fake friends out there. It takes lots of courage to you other people before you. But don't underestimate yourself. You are very valuable. So much better than other people. One day you will be rich and famous, THEN everyone will want to be your friend. But I am your only true friend who understand you better than anybody else. You gotta stay true to yourself, let other people know that you are a person too who has feelings and need for love. I tell you, while you are giving so much, life awaits great surprises for you in return. You will succeed in life and you will be happy with everything you have.

Keep being awesome. Soon you'll get what you want in life. You are a wonderful woman. So pretty and cute. And I love your positive attitude. Keep it up. You rock!

Much much much love,
Me

What will your love letter to yourself say? Give it a try! =]

Funniest Harry Potter Fan

Oh, she's so funny!

Hi, how can I help you today?

I finally got a job as a customer service at a mall. Hurray!

It's not a full-time job, it's a seasonal part-time job, but that's totally fine. At least I am working, gaining experience, getting to know people, and learning new things that could help me for the future.

I am currently working at the customer service front desk at a mall. So my duties include giving directions to stores, answering the phone, gift-wrapping, offering photocopying and faxing services, and other duties. I like it very much so far. The people I work with are really nice, and since day 1 they have been helping me a lot; telling me how things work, how to do something properly, how to talk to customers, etc. They are really nice and have some sense of humour. Very generous. The girls are great, they know a lot, and although some are kinda competitive, a lot of times they are really nice and they try to get to know me. The guys I have worked with are hilarious, very funny guys. Very helpful, yet always have some time to joke around.

My managers are nice too. They have been very helpful and I respect them a lot. They also have a sense of humour. I find that so important regarded to the personality of a manager. That you feel at ease with them, and not feel threatened or scared. And because of that, the person hired will have a stronger sense of connection and communication with the manager, and enjoy work.

The most difficult part of my job is to learn ALL and Every Single store in the mall. Locate them and give the simplest directions to customers. I have gone through three phases:

Phase 1: only know the stores you go to, and have no idea where the heck the other stores are or how to get there.
Phase 2: know the majority of the stores, but get them all confused. Danger: giving false directions to customers.
Phase 3: know the most popular stores and biggest stores.

So, I'm on it. I porbably know how to get to most stores, but small stores or stores that people don't usually ask for, I get stuck and I need to double-check with my co-workers. Thankfully I made a SUPER map that I created myself, with the floor of the mall with every single store. I have gotten lots of praises for it and have been told that that's called dedication.

Even more, today, this lady came up to me and said:
Lady: where could you go for big sizes clothing?
Me: Hm, I'm thinking of Laura Plus, which is straight ahead and then turn left.
Lady: where is the Apple store?
Me: straight down the hallway, on your right side.
Lady: could I get a coffee nearby there?
Me: yes, there is a Second Cup on your way there too.
Lady: you're good!!
(and then she pointed that I was good to my other co-workers. I felt so proud!)

The thing I have learned so far is that people come up to you with all sorts of inquiries, and you just try to do your best to help them, even if that means you have to go an extra mile. Might not mean much to you, but could mean a lot to them. It feels really nice to help other people, even though some appreciate it more than others.

I like this job. Maybe I could stay after the holidays.

Oh ya, my children will be doctors

I just read an interesting article on the Toronto Star about how asian parents almost push their kids to go into university to take high standard programs such as medicine, pharmacy, law, engineering and accounting, even thought some kids don't even have the talent or interest in them. And the consequence of that are children dropping out of school, failing, getting suspended, cheating or even break down to depression.

I totally feel and get what they are saying because I come from very traditional parents, and they obviously want the best for me. Thankfully, my parents let me fully take Communications and French and let my sister take her International Development Studies. However, I do recall them trying to convince me to get into Computer Science (since "I love computers so much") and trying to convince my sister to get into law (because "she's too good at arguing"). I also remember when I was choosing my university career I had to consult them several times. They rarely asked me questions like "do you really like that program?", "are you very interested in that program?", or "take whatever you are passionate about". They were more like "yes, that career can get you jobs" and "no, that's a useless program and you cannot find a job after". I mean, I understand that they want me to succeed after graduation. But one thing is taking something that I want to get a job with and another thing is to take something I am passionate about. Remember the time when I told my dad I wanted to go to cooking school and he told me "if you want to be a chef start by doing the dishes in the sink", or my mom telling me "yeah, right". Because that is something I am REALLY interested and passionate about learning! Besides doing art design, web design, and graphic design. Maybe theatre. Although Communications (or advertising) was certainly an option because of my interest in ads in high school.

The thing is that I feel (by noticing my parents and other chinese parents), that the chinese culture is very much focused in study and woring hard, but not so much on the social life (generally speaking, there are of course exceptions). Like the article said, "the Confucian tradition of respect for hard work and obedience “often overlooks creative skills and leadership and social skills". At least for the case of my parents, they usually don't allow me or are very restricted about me going to social gatherings, extra-curricular activities, and having a social life. So I went to school and went back directly home, everyday. This in turn has shaped the personality I used to have and maybe still have today: the shy, quiet, naive, anti-social type of girl. Maybe not so much now, but I am still bit shy and quiet because I have learned from other people (mostly non-asian), and not from my parents.

Since my first year at university I wanted to get a part-time job, so that I can gain experience and network with other people, and maybe earn some dollars. But I remember clearly that my parents told me to forget about part-time jobs, and that I needed to concentrate on my studies. Four years after, I have graduated and barely got a job. Why? Because I don't have much experience because I was too busy studying. I mean, it is not a bad thing concentrating on studies, but it's not like my grades were super high. Maybe because the rebellious me didn't listen to my parents and still got a social life at university with frosh week, volunteering, joining clubs, etc. which thankfully gave me a little bit of experience I can put on my resume. Of course, I did all these without asking my parents about it. They would have probably said no. But for me, experience is a lot more valuable than my grades. Because when you come out to work, it is the experience that counts. Employers won't care if you got an A or a C+ (well, it would be nice to get an A). But say, you have an A+ but no experience, contacts, or anything; where can that get you? And what if you got a C+ but your resume is filled with lots of different experiences that are valuable to the job you are applying for? Getting out of the classroom to meet other people, will help students get connections, who might hook you up with a job, right?

But I understand where chinese parents come from. China's economic situation wasn't the best about 25 years ago. And now with the technology, globalisation, immigration to first world countries, and the amount of freedom compared to those years, there is a huge gap of difference. Maybe that is why they want their kids to have the best education in order to have the best job, and therefore make lots of money. It is understandable and it is fair to say that. However, it is still unfair to make children take something they don't feel interested or have the passion about. A low interest will reflect on a low grade, which in turn will make the children miserable about their lives. I think it is important for asian parents to understand the many ways to success, that is not written on the books, but it is all around living the daily life and experiencing and learning.

And it is crazy that 72% of Toronto's Chinese-Canadian students are applying for universities while only 42% of Canadian students apply to universities. It is funny how the article says that some universities are becoming "too Asian" *cough Uot cough*. My sister who studies at UoT in Scarborough tells me that students, mostly asians, are very studious and very serious about their university careers. She even tells me that people go to the library past 12am, and maybe some even might as well pull a tent there and sleep overnight. Not saying that there is no social life there, but I do notice however, that most chinese students mingle with their own kind and don't usually go beyond. I find this also true at York. Maybe it's just the culture clash, the way people are raised. Thankfully I was encouraged to mingle with non-asians in costa rica (because I had mostly no choice since there aren't many chinese people there) and I feel totally comfortable socializing with non-asian people. My parents asked me in my first year if I made any chinese friends, I told them that I didn't because no chinese will come up to me and say hi, it was mostly canadians who did that. Needless to say they were disappointed. But you know what, this is another story...

The point is that I am glad that I found the article, because it is something I am concerned about. I believe in freedom of choice, that the person can choose either to go or not to university and choose what program they want to get in according to their interests or talents. People shouldn't be forced to take something parents want them to take, because it is their career and their life after all. I find it great that there are programs that speak to the chinese communities about the many ways of success besides the books, and to encourage their children to get to know other backgrounds, to socialize, and have more life experiences rather than locking themselves in a box in front of a book that can only tell you so much.

I am also glad and thankful that my parents at least give me 'some' freedom about my life and mostly agree with what I want to do in life.

This is Halloween This is Halloween

The time of the year have come again, Halloween parties. I really enjoy Halloween here in Canada, just because people take it very seriously, in a fun way. I mean, in Costa Rica the tradition has pretty much died and no one goes trick or treatin' anymore. I don't know if they make parties and stuff but the parties are certainly unlike the ones they have here in Canada. Let's say that Halloween in Costa Rica is pretty much like any regular day, in my opinion. But coming to Canada, Halloween is WICKED! (no pun intended). When I lived in residence we had so many events like Pumpkin Carving, Halloween Haunted House Decoration, Halloween Pub Nights, Halloween parties in the common rooms, and not counting the fact that the day is INFESTATED with CANDIES and chocolates. mmmm. Did I also mention Dressing up? and that I LOOOVE dressing up? The next is a compilation of my halloween costumes from the last 5 years:


I won't lie. Dressing up is fun. Wish I could dress up more more often.

I think Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year. Of course we can't have halloween without deliciousness like the cupcakes and cake me and Jacob made:


I have also decided to upload some deliciousness from the Internet which would have been a great idea to make.























Mmmmm tell me you don't want any of these....so yummy. Perfect excuse to bake and make stuff.

What's your Halloween like? Made any good stuff?

Vous n’avez pas les os en verre, vous pouvez vous cogner à la vie.

The other day i rewatched the movie Amelie and everytime I watch it it reminds me of how much like that movie and how meaningful it is to me.

Amelie is a French movie that was made in 2001. It is about a woman who accidentally finds a hidden treasure in her apartment that belonged to a boy who lived in his apartment about 50 years ago. She decides to return it to its owner. Seeing his reaction, she felt a great joy helping other people and decides to become a good-deed-er. She helps people around her including a random blind man to cross the streets while describing in details what is aroun the place, a guy that is mistreated by his boss at the grocery store, an old man whose bones are fragile as glass, his father who stays all day long in his house mourning for his wife and obsessed about the garden gnome, a lady who believes that his husband never loved her, and a hypochondriac in need of attention. She realizes later that she is doing all the good deeds for other people but forget about her own life, especially her love life. She falls in love with a guy who collects photo booth pictures from the floor, whom later grows an interest in Amelie for her mysterious ways of reaching him.

I don't consider Amelie as any other movie I have seen. For one, it goes to little details that are meaningless but are fun, like what every character likes and don't like. For instance, Amelie likes looking at details in movies nobody notices, sinking her hand into bags of beans, and breaking the top of the creme brulee with the spoon. Her mom does not like the wrikles she gets on her cheeck after getting up from bed. At the beginning of the movie, the narrator says:

On September 3rd 1973, at 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14,670 wing beats a minute landed on Rue St Vincent, Montmartre. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace nearby, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth. Meanwhile, in a 5th-floor flat, 28 Avenue Trudaine, Paris 9, returning from his best friend's funeral, Eugène Colère erased his name from his address book. At the same moment, a sperm with one X chromosome, belonging to Raphaël Poulain, made a dash for an egg in his wife Amandine. Nine months later, Amélie Poulain was born.

The movie talks about people as if it was real, but that does not mean there are no room for imagination and creativity. For example, Nino finds himself talking to a guy who appears in the photo booth photo. Or when the fish decided to commit suicide and escapes from the fish bowl. Or the witty ideas to get revenge on the mean guy from the grocery store.

What I appreciate the most about the movie is that it makes me realize about the small things in life that people don't usually notice, or that people don't know they enjoy - also called life's simple pleasures. For example, skipping rocks in a river, eating raspberries from your fingers, organizing your purse, eating cereal marshmellows in the end, having warm showers, popping bubble wraps, etc.

On top of that, I really like the general message of the movie, the whole doing good deeds for other people and how they really make a difference and changing people's lives. Today's society we have become so individualistic that we only care about ourselves and be selfish with other people. Sometimes people forget how good it feels to help others and the difference you can make or the impact you might have on other people's life. Even something as simple as helping a blind man crossing the street or sending a happy song to someone who is depress could make a BIG difference on the other person. Let's not forget that we do after all live in a society with other people, and the best thing is that helping other people, those people might help you back. Or people helping you with nothing in return. That is when you think that life is good, and that there is a reason why you are living for.

I think that Amelie is a BRILLIAN movie that everyone should watch, even though it is only in French. It really does help you rethink about life and reappreciate life and people around you. It is a movie that makes you feel happy and bubbly in the end. I think you will also enjoy the music soundtrack. I would say it is a really wonderful work of art.

Miss Bachelor of Arts with Honours

So long, after four years of study cramming and lots and lots and lots of money, I HAVE OFFICIALLY GRADUATED!! =D

I had my convocation last Thursday. I was kinda stressed because it was the only day of the week that rained and was cold. I was just wearing a dress and a regalia. Thought a fall convocation wouldn't be that bad. I thought it would be nice and sunny, not too hot, not too cold, and nice to take pictures with the fall leaves. The ceremony wasn't bad. Thought it would be way too long, but time passed by really quickly (considering that many did not attend convocation). I was sad I was separated from my friend who also took Communications and French. But I was close to another Communications friend and some classmates I never really cared about. Then there was this girl who liked to point the obvious. It is kind of ironic she's graduating and she didn't seem very bright. The other guy next to me said she might be drunk. I would not be surprised. After it ended, I took a few photos with my friend, my mom (who came all the way to Costa Rica to see me graduate) and my boyfriend. I wanted to get some refreshments at the reception, but it was too crazy, I could barely get any food (mostly thanks to this lady who spent the time of her life picking cherry tomatoes one by one and never thought about moving). After that, me, my mom and my boyfriend went to a restaurant to celebrate. It was nice. Wish my dad was there, he would be very proud. But he didn't come with my mom and decided to stay taking care of his business (although he said he wanted to compensate me by giving me some ca$h. yay!)

Now after graduation, I was hoping job finding were A LOT easier. Ideally I would just finish university and then I will have a job. Unfortunetly, it is not my case. It is super hard, harder than I thought it would be. Seems like companies almost don't hire you for your degree but for your past experiences. This comes hard on me since I am competing with a lot of Canadians who start working at age 15 or 16. In Costa Rica most people don't work until they are like 18. Disadvantage for me there. Also, many students to part-time jobs while studying. Me, my parents told me to focus on my studies instead. You mean, I could have gained a lot of experience? Um, yeah. I should have also gone to college, where they give you internships in the last semester. College is more hands-on what you want to do. Not essay writing and reading at university. Although graduating from a prestiged university is good too. Can't underestimate the things I have learned in these past four years. Guess I could take experiences I have had at university, either working or volunteering and transfering them to the work force. Another disadvantage I have is that here Canadian people have connections, like friends and families, and I don't. Or barely don't.

What I can still do it to give my best, to not give up, and bring up my passion. Many might have the skills, but not too many have the passion, ammirite? I can also do a lot of research on the industries and companies I would like to work at. By the way, I heard Mad Men is about advertising? Might have to start watching a new show!

Bye bye full-time student, hello full-time job hunter....

Small girl with big ambitions

Job hunting is more exhausting than I could ever imagine. Right now I am a full-time job hunter. It is a very discouraging process and it takes so much time and effort. I have invested a lot of time in crafting resumes and cover letters according to the company I am applying to. It feels like a waste of time when those places you applied to never get back to you.

So far I have been looking for jobs almost non-stop. I have applied to couple places like Staples, Ikea, HMV, Shoppers Drugmart, GAP, Swiss Chalet, Air Canada, TD Bank, Scotiabank, Pulp&Fiber, Safeway Tours, and a few others. And so far I have only got two replies from them.

I applied for a job as a receptionist at some office. I was refered to it by a friend's friend. That person made sure I know it was a very boring job, yet I still applied to it. I went to the interview that lasted over an hour and the interviewer spoke more than I did. Needless to say, I got the job, but I declined it because I felt like the job wasn't really right for me. I mean, yeah, I can perform all the duties but I feel like if you don't enjoy the job, you will not give your greatest performance, which is what they really need. Don't get me wrong, I would love to work as a receptionist in a big company and whatnot. Just the environment around, the people I work with, and the type of company weren't really what I am looking for.

Couple weeks ago, I spoke to a guy, graduated from University and has a job in a marketing firm. He said, "don't take just any job. My experience is that people undervalue themselves, sometimes people can do better than that". And that's what I did with that job. My mom, however, thinks the opposite. She thinks I must take any job available. Doesn't matter if they don't pay well, it's boring, work long hours, etc. As long as it is a legit job that pays, I should take it.

I also got a couple phone calls wanting to schedule an interview from some companies. However, those companies are the "pyramid scheme" kind of type. Like, they hire you to pay you for commision - that means the more you sell, the more you make. But if you cannot sell, you make no money. So you refer the selling products to friends and family of yours. If they don't want it, they could refer you to THEIR friends and family. And goes on. A lot of people would consider it as a "scam". However, few of these companies are legit, but the layout of the business will screw you up. A lot of people pay to these companies (like certifications, lessons, security deposit of products, etc) before you even make money. My dad says "it is NOT a job if YOU have to pay the money. They should be the ones paying you money", which is totally true. I mean, those kind of companies pretty much target high school students, people with not much education, people in desperate need of money, and people who do not have knowledge about those companies. Luckily I do my research online before going to interview.

But I feel like I am working under pressure here because my parents want me to get a full-time job 9no matter what kind of job) for a full year so I can apply for Permanent Residence. For me, it is not like that. I want a job I like and feel like I can do. Feel comfortable doing for more than a year. I can't take just ANY kind of job, right? Like if they hire me as a garbage pick-up person for a year, doesn't mean I can go to that level (no offense, these people work really hard everyday). I am a recent graduate geez!

Hence the title of my blog: small girl with big ambitions. I want to end up eventually as a creative director in a big ad agency. Maybe I can work from copywriter to art director, and work from there up. I want my job to enhance my creativity. Make me do creative stuff like make slogans, direct a video, create posters, etc. Everyday would be different for me, and I don't have to put up with the mundane and routine. Everyday the same thing.

I would also like to open a cupcake store or a bakery because I love baking and making cupcakes. Make a store for kids. Those make a whole bunch of money! Take the example of McDonalds or Chuck E Cheese, or something like that. Attracting kids means attracting their parents. Good business! MY IDEA! lol.

Maybe I wanna work for Air Canada, I feel like they have great customer service. Working with international people and with a very well known company. I gotta take advantage of my multilingual skills in good use ;)

Yes! I wanna be Bigger and Better!!!!

....but I guess I have to start somewhere. anybody hiring?

10 Presentation Tactics for Ad Agency New Business by Steve Jobs

I found this online and I find it very interesting. It doesn't necesarily apply for ad agency, but for presentations in class or general presentations to a public. I'm posting the points here:


Here are his 10 Ways to Sell Your Ideas the Steve Jobs Way:

Plan your presentation with pen and paper.

1. Begin by storyboarding your presentation. Steve Jobs will initially spend his preparation time brainstorming, sketching and whiteboarding before he every opens PowerPoint. All of the elements of the story that he wants to tell are thought through, elements are planned and collected before the slides are created.
2. Create a single sentence description for every service/idea. Concise enough to fit in a 140-character Twitter post. An example, for the introduction of the MacBook Air in January, 2008, Jobs said that is it simply, “The world’s thinnest notebook.”
3. Create a villain that allows the audience to rally around the hero—you and your product/service. A “villain” doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct competitor. It can be a problem in need of a solution.
4. Focus on benefits. Your audience only care about how your service will improve their lives. Make the connection for your prospective clients. Don’t make them make that mental leap leaving them to figure it out for themselves.
5. Stick to the rule of three for presentations. Almost every Jobs presentation is divided into three parts. You might have twenty points to make about your service, but your audience is only capable of retaining three or four points in short term memory. Give them too many points and they’ll forget everything you’ve said.
6. Sell dreams, not your services. Steve Jobs doesn’tsell computers. He sells the promise of a better world. When Jobs introduced the iPod in 2001, he said, “In our own small way we’re going to make the world a better place.” Where most people see the iPod as a music player, Jobs sees it as tool to enrich people’s lives.
7. Create visual slides. There are no bullet points in Steve Jobs presentations. Instead he relies on photographs and images. When Steve Jobs unveiled the Macbook Air, Apple’s ultra-thin notebook computer, he showed a slide of the computer fitting inside a manila inter-office envelope. Keep the presentation that simple.
8. Make numbers meaningful. Jobs always puts large numbers into a context that’s relevant to his audience. The bigger the number, the more important it is to find analogies or comparisons that make the data relevant to your audience.
9. Use plain English. Jobs’s language is remarkably simple. He rarely, if ever, will use the jargon that clouds most presentations—terms like “best of breed” or “synergy.” His language is simple, clear and direct.
10. Practice, practice, practice. Steve Jobs spends hours rehearsing every facet of his presentation. Every slide is written like a piece of poetry, every presentation staged like a theatrical experience. Yes, Steve Jobs makes a presentation look effortless but that polish comes after hours and hours of grueling practice.

up to date update

It feels really weird to be September and not going to class. It feels weird walking around campus and feeling like I don't belong there. It hasn't hit me yet the idea that I am graduating from university. Now that I am out, I wanna go back again. Go to first days of class and learn your classmates names and read through the course outline and then leave early. Or the days where I did frosh week and had tons of fun and meeting all sorts of people.

Time flies. It was only 4 years ago I was starting a whole chapter of my life. But at least I know where I was heading and what I got myself into. Right now, the future is uncertain, which I hate because I like to plan things out and have a plan.

So far apartment hunting has been miserable. I am so picky it has been so hard for me. So apartments either:
a) don't include all utilities
b) look messy and dirty, maybe smell funky
c) not close to TTC at all
d) have weird landlords
e) don't come furnished

But I mean, if I am going to invest lots of money in an apartment it better be a great one, right? Especially if I'm goin to live there for a year.

My post-graduate working permit is going to arrive soon, that means I can start searching for jobs now. What kind of job? Something do to with advertising, graphic design, travel agency, customer service, theatre, social media, marketing, tourism, or something that I qualify for. I might need to read over my job strategies notes I have written over the summer from taking career advising during the summer. I also need to polish some resume and cover letters.

The house I'm living in right now is really nice. My housemates are raelly nice. One of the girls is super nice, always talking to me, and is a good friend. One of the guys is really really helpful and helps to keep the house clean. Very smart, helping us get the internet. Another girl is super nice too although she is almost never home. But whenever she is she is talktive and always happy. The other guy and the other girl are meh. Not really interested in them, although the guy had his mind blown when I told him I was from Costa Rica. Sometimes I wish I could stay longer at this house. Makes me feel comfortable and it's really nice to have people to talk to occasionally.

Adulthood sucks, but I need to keep ma cool!

Dull to Cool

A friend of mine posted this on his facebook and I watched the video. I just wanna share this with you guys because it's crazy. It seems that it only takes one or two people to make something lame to something insane.

Leesson is: do whatever you wanna do, cause there's at least one other person think it's cool. Therefore, more people are gonna think it's cool. It's all part of today's culture and human behaviour. Monkey see, money do.

Like when I worked in a health store for my aunt, one of our salesman pretended to be a customer and looked through the window to see if it attracts people. It worked. Once people draw attention to something, others will do too.

So, don't be afraid of being yourself no matter how lame or stupid it is. It could become a trend.

Check the video views!! It's up to like 3,437,881 views. That's crazy! If I were the guy dancing I would be proud of myself.

p.s. I wonder if the guy jumped off the bridge the other would too (???)

Apartment hunting fail

If I have been so busy is because I have been apartment hunting like crazy. And it is the worst thing ever! I wouldn't do this to my worst enemy. It's not like in the village, where you can just come to the village and take down numbers outside the houses. No, this is lot different. They are scattered all over the place and you have to travel a lot to see these apartments. Some you might like, some you might think "who the hell is going to rent this apartment?" And there are so many things to consider because I am being bit picky about apartments. They have to be/have:
- fully furnished with bed, mattress, table, chairs, fridge, stove, microwave, tv, etc.
- have my own washroom
- include all utilities: hydro, electricity, heat, internet
- parking spot
- close to subway or bus stop
- close to grocery stores, pharmacy, TD Bank
- look very neat and clean
- a nice family living upstairs (if it's a basement)

On top of that, I must read the contract carefully and ask my uncle to take a look at it before I signed it. So this is what happened to me this weekend. I sent it to my uncle and my cousin's husband. They read it, they tried to reach me but I couldnt hear my cellphone because I was at the Exhibition and it was really loud. I don't have caller ID. I was wearing a dress with no pockets. I spent a lot of time on subway. Plus I had to deal with emotional issues. I know, it is a priority to deal with the apartment thing before having fun out. That's my fault.

But it's not like I have done apartment searching on my own before. I don't know what I'm doing. Nobody teaches me about these kind of stuff.

I honestly just wanna pay someone to do it for me. Because this is clearly not working for me. Halp :(

I've been Inceptioned

I finally went to the theatres to watch Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio (not that I went to see the movie with him, but he's in the movie). I really had to go watch it because people were just like "Holy Shizah that movie is MINDBLOWING!" or "OMG that movie is the best movie ever!" or "That movie was soooooo friggin good that I went to see it twice/three times". So I had to go to see what I was missing. And I went to see it last week, and I thought it was a really cool concept for a movie (though I wonder in what kind of crack will make Christopher Nolan come up with this idea). The special effects were superb and the plot was very deep (and confusing of course). I would like to talk about it a little bit more.

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***************WARNING***************************************
************MOVIE SPOILER ALERT*****************************
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It's needless to say that the movie was very confusing with the whole dream levels. The fact that they make dreams go back and forth create some sort of maze in our minds making me feel trapped and confused about what is real and what is not, which is pretty much the main point of the movie. That is why it's so popular, because it keeps people discussing about it, making theories around it, especially the ending.

This image explains the dreams in short:


The special effects were my favourite thing in the movie. The whole bending the street over...folding mirrors and create a bridge...and Arthur flying around like there's no gravity (did you also think of Matrix?).

The actors were kinda random, but Im sure they played a good part in their roles. Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing, Ellen Page is one of my favourites, Joseph-Gordon Levitt is awesome, and I didn't recognize Cillian Murphy but I remember seeing him somewhere else (28 Days Later).

The script and plot were genius and mindblowing. Getting into people's dreams to extract information or plant an idea in their minds? WOW. Dom Cobb said something in the film that was kinda frightening. He said that this was used by the military to pretty much brainwash people's minds or something like that. It's a scary thought, because how do we know that the government isn't controlling what we think? Well, we pretty much know that they do, because they have done it before (like in German Nazi). But it is SUCH a powerful and dangerous ability to get into people's mind and change them the way they think, dontcha think? But anyways, I liked the concepts like "limbo", "kicks", "totems" and aging/time in the dream vs aging/time in real life and how these were incorporated into the plot. What would be your totem?

I feel like leaving the theatre is kinda like Inception on us. Making us believe whatever the movie told us. But also makes us wonder what is real? what is a dream? where's the line? how do we know?

The ending certainly gives us lots to think about. When Cobb spins the spinning top in the last scene. The audience waits for it to weather it keeps spinning or it will stop after wobbling for a while. So, if it continues to spin, it's a dream; if it stops, it's reality. I did'nt interpreted the end as most people did, like weather it was a dream or not. I interpreted it as he finally let go of Mal, and now her projection will no longer get in the way of Cobb's dreams. Therefore, I think in the end he was dreaming. And the spinning top that didn't stop meant that he will live in his dream forever cuz the top will keep spinning forever. But at the same time, I've been reading some theories online, and some say that the end scene was real because in Cobb's dream, he still has his marriage ring. When he is not dreaming, he doesn't have his marriage ring. But that's Nolan's magic: make an open ending, which allows people to interpret it any way they want.

Jacob said maybe there will be an Inception 2 where they follow that. Hahah. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Shhh....I shouln't expose his great ideas to public.

"change" for a cure was a hoax

Just couple days ago and today I received some news from around the Internet saying that this cancer-awareness charity organization called "Change for a cure", founded by Ashley Kirilow, was purely a fraud. Let me fill you up with this horrible a human being can ever do. It did affect me in the way that it made me emotionally sick and disgusted. It is unbelievable that a human being can take advantage of all the goodness in the world and turn it into an evil act of selfishness and greed. Someone who does this should not deserve to be called a human being.

There is no website for "change for a cure" for they do have a Facebook fanpage. This is their description:

"Change" For a Cure is a non-profit organization encouraging people to collect spare change they have laying around to help fund a cancer fighting drug called DCA. We also encourage "Changing" lifestyles to healthier ones and being more active to lower risks and further prevent the horrible disease we all know and hate...Cancer.

"Change" For a Cure was started October, 2009 one very late night while I was sick in bed after my "Chemo Day" and someone introduced me to a youtube video on DCA and how the government pulled funding because they proved it helped cure cancer 70% better than any cancer fighting drug out there. They openly admitted that they were no longer interested in further funding this drug because they would make no profit. This sickened me and made me very angry. And at 3am I decided to make a group making this vocal. Making people aware. "Change" For a Cure was then created. It is something very dear to my heart and is my world. I eat, breathe and sleep thinking of ways to help people. It is what I am still alive for. I was given a second chance at life to help people and "Change" lives. To help "Change" the world. And that is what I shall do.

"Change" For a Cure is about making people aware of this cancer fighting drug, DCA and getting it funded once again. In order to make this happen and make the government and pharmaceutical companies aware that we know of DCA and why they stopped funding, I will be walking around the world doing world wide petitions and personally presenting them to health boards all around.

On April 29th, 2010 this journey will begin. This spring I will be conquering Canada by walking 3500 km from Toronto, ON to the University of Alberta where I will be personally donating money to cancer research and the drug DCA. Along the way accross Canada I will be starting my Canadian petition to start funding DCA once again. After my 3 month walk I will come home and rest for a few weeks. Then I will be walking 505 km from Toronto to Ottawa where I will be personally presenting my accross Canada petition to fund DCA to the health department at Parliment.

After conquering Canada, next is the United States.
In the spring of 2011, I will be conquering the USA by walking over 5000 km from California to Washington, DC doing my US petition to start funding DCA. My last stop will be the White House where I will personally present my accross USA petition to the Health Department.

I will not stop walking until I raise enough awareness on DCA and how the government and pharmaceutical companies will not fund it because they wont make profit. There is so much they hide and my purpose is to dig it up and make people aware. No matter how long it takes, I will do everything I can to change the health care system all over and help people.

Impossible is a word people use when they are lazy. Nothing is impossible. You are capable of anything you put your heart, mind, body and soul into. Take your dreams and make them a reality. There is no such thing as a dream too big. ♥

Thank you all for your love and support and believing in my vision to "Change" the world.

-Ashley Kirilow

Now, this organization led you think that it was totally non-profit and that the money will proceed to go to University of Alberta for cancer research. However, this was not the case at all. It was all a fraud. The money raised by so many good people was to pay for everything in her life even her trip to Australia. The money never got to University of Alberta, and rumours say that she never had cancer in the first place.

Here are some other resources:

The Short Version:

“Change” For A Cure, founded by Ashley Anne Kirilow, is apparently not what we believed it was. The C4AC team have been led to believe that none of the money that has been donated in the past has actually made it to the University Of Alberta, and we have direct sources that note that Ashley had/has no intention on delivering the money. Before you direct any questions to myself or the C4AC team, please read the longer explanation.

The Long Version:

As many of you know, I have done a lot of work in the past with “Change” For A Cure. I personally raised over $1500 by running two local shows at the Sharon Hall. These shows saw so much love, and so much talent. I am writing this to inform you of some news that I am sure will raise some questions. We have been contacted by family members of Ashley Kirilow, the founder and director of “Change” For A Cure, who have told us that Ashley never had cancer. She led us to believe that she did in order to start this charity. She waxed her head and plucked her eyebrows in an attempt to look as if she was suffering the effects of chemo. Beyond this, she has raised over $20,000 for the charity, and had/has no intention on delivering it to the University Of Alberta, to whom it was originally intended. (Refer to the C4AC Page* for more information) This information has arrived to us very recently, and we have done everything in our power to see to it that this money does end up in the hands of the university. It was a decision by the C4AC team to share this situation, as so many of you were such loving supporters and gave so much to what was known at the time to be an amazing cause. Ashley has apparently been warned to shut down her actions before, but continues to pursue this endeavour using different charity names, and in different groups of people. On behalf of myself and the entire C4AC team, I would like to apologize for any stress that this has caused, and to those who have donated so much money and time to the cause. I myself, am at a loss, but I would like you all to know that we all had the best intentions. Success comes not from the size of your wallet, or from the medals you receive, but from the kindness of your heart. Your love will not go unnoticed.

Then on the facebook fan page, Adam Catley posted this:

I went to high school with Ashley and never got the chance to really know her during my years at M.M. Robinson with her. it was august of 2008 when i met her again in downtown burlington, she recognized me and with a little reminder i recognized her. we had met up a few times after but soon lost contact once again.
It wasnt until february (if i recall correctly) that she surprisingly texted my cell phone asking me to attend a benfit being held for her at club 54. when i questioned what it was for she responded to me this: "in december i was diagnosed with brain, breast, liver and ovarian cancer, i have been given 4 months to live."
Right then and there we regained a friendship and i wanted to help with whatever i can. Soon after she came calling telling me that her and her boyfriend Oliver (who i cannot find on facebook because i dont remember his last name) had broken up and he had subsequently kicked her out of his house. "Im homeless and broke and am guna die alone" is what she said to me.
I happened to be with a good friend of mine Lance Underhay at the time and i pulled him aside and asked him about an open room in his apartment because he lives very close to joseph brant hospital. we asked her why she couldnt be with her family, and once again gave a heartbreaking response of: "i'm an only child and...when i was 12 my mother died of an overdose and I never knew my father". instantly Lance opened his heart and moved her things in to his apartment. the 3 people that lived in the ontario st. building are 3 of the kindest and generous people i have ever met in my life. they took her in for about 6 months, never asking her for a penny of rent or anything for groceries. through all of this, she did continue to see Oliver and had said that he was being extremly nasty to her, telling her he hopes she dies soon etc. obviously we told her to stop seeing him.
...she never did stop.
in the beginning of summer 2009 Ashley had been living with my very close friends for a few months and decided that she was not going to live much longer (she honestly did look very ill) and that she was going to go to australia to live out the rest of her days. Obviously supportive of this the 4 of us helped her pack her belongings and pitched in to buy her a necklace that symbolized safe travel. My mother, who works for air canada even met her at teh airport and walked her through all the checkpoints and right to her seat on the plane. i believe i even saw pictures of other staff members with her wishing her well. We were told she would be safe living with some friends of friends in Sydney.
It was only 2 weeks later that i got a call from her in need of help once again. she told me that she had been in the hospital ever since she landed with a blood infection commonly found in the types of cancer she had. I recall her on the phone actually telling me: "Adam I have no money to get home i have had to spend the money i saved for my funeral on hospital bills, (crying) i am so afraid to die alone out here." Immediatley i told her im coming down to australia until u are ok to fly back home and i called my dad to see what we could do about flying her back as soon as possible. he told me whatever she needs we will take care of just get her home. My entire family was then doing what we could for 3 days to see how quickly we could get her back to burlington. both my mother and aunt (also an air canada employee) worked to find cheap flights in coordination with her "release date" from the hospital. eventually, she told me the bank had given her some funds and she could return home.
She did return a few days later and moved back in with my friends on Ontario st. once again. by this point there were so many people worried about a young girl who we thought was an incredibly strong and driven individual that Lance and Jeff and Jen and I decided we needed to help somehow. our idea was to throw a benfit with all proceeds going directly to ashley so she could live out the rest of her days comfortably and with no worries of money (at this point being told that her new life expectancy is no more than 2 months). all of us being employees of the queens head pub, and my dad actually owning it,naturally we had a venue for our big party. within only 2 weeks (because we didnt know how long she was going to "last") we had spent tireless hours and money from all of our own pockets to have an extremely successful event with numerous bands, help from dozens of people doing posters and donating gifts, money etc. raising just over $9,000 for her. we were all so excited that it went off without a hitch. well this is just after she had started change for a cure and things started to change very soon after this event in late september 2009.
The people ashley was living with (Jeff, Jen and Lance) had noticed things going missing, mind you very minor things like dishes, clothing, food, drink etc. and when Ashley was mearly questioned on the matter she had an
attitude not yet seen by any of us. she became very busy with her
foundation by this point and we had hardly seen her in the next month.
her relationship with her "roommates" continued to diminish due to a
brand new and intense attitude she had seemed to grow over night. after
putting up with a few more months of missing things somebody finally
went into her room and found an incredibly disgusting mess of used
dishes, dirty clothes, pizza boxes piled up, maggets on the floor,
everything short of feces thrown at the wall. the roomies decided
...something needed to be done and they then asked ashley to clean the mess
and maybe start giving a little bit of money per month towards
groceries. Ashley was then quite upset and said she was moving out. 2
weeks had passed and nothing had changed so the roomates decided to
clean the room themselves and one day ashley had packed up her stuff and
was ready to go. she did eventually leave the house but they were ready
to change the locks on her because of the way she was acting. about
this time was the last i heard from ashley. this was about end of
November '09. until this.

This person is indeed very ill. Not physically or emotionally ill, but ill in her head because she is messed up. It is unbelievable that a person can lie about having terminal cancer to take advantage of the good people who help her unconditionally. This seriously heartbroke lots of people, especially those who thought that were giving money to a good cause because their families or friends also have cancer. This caused a major heartbreak for Rob Dyer, founder of Skate4Cancer, a genuine cancer-awareness non-profit organization. This is their statement on Facebook:

August 2nd, 2010

TORONTO, ON - Skate4Cancer has recently become aware of the allegations of fraud brought against Ms. Ashley Kirilow, and her not-for-profit organization known as "Change For A Cure". These allegations have shocked and saddened both Skate4Cancer's founder Rob Dyer, as well as the entire Skate4Cancer community.

Ms. Kirilow first came to the attention of Skate4Cancer in the summer of 2009, when mutual friends informed Rob that Ms. Kirilow was in the end stages of her battle with a number of types of terminal cancer. Her one wish was to spend some time with her idol and inspiration, Rob Dyer. In the compassionate, giving way that Rob and the organization have become renowned for, Skate4Cancer, with the support of a sponsor arranged for an overnight trip to Disney World in Orlando Florida, going above and beyond in fulfilling Ashley's wish.

Inspired by this experience, Ms. Kirilow started the Change for a Cure not-for-profit in October of 2009. Rob's contact with Ashley diminished as her focus shifted more significantly toward her organization. Rob has had no direct interaction with Ms. Kirilow since December of 2009.

We would like to extend our sympathies and regrets to those who have allegedly been taken advantage of. It would break our hearts to see good people with the best of intentions betrayed in such a way. For your peace of mind, Skate4Cancer has no formal or informal affiliation to Change For A Cure. There have been no jointly held events or fundraising initiatives. Skate4Cancer's involvement with Ms. Kirilow was based solely on fulfilling what the organization believed to be a legitimate final wish from a terminally ill individual.

This has been a very difficult few days for Rob Dyer and the entire Skate4Cancer community. Our organization is based on love, kindness, and generosity of spirit. It is our hope and expectation that the Skate4Cancer community will emerge stronger and more resolved than ever to make a positive and tangible impact on the lives of those affected by cancer.

This will be the only formal statement from Skate4Cancer on this issue, as we have no first hand knowledge of the exact allegations being levied against Ms. Kirilow. As the authorities are now reportedly involved, Rob Dyer will not be conducting any interviews or making any further personal statements on the issue until the situation has run its course through the judicial system. We appreciate everyone's understanding, patience and cooperation in this matter. Any further inquiries can be directed to Ian Stanger, s4c@weareblackbox.com.

DreamLoveCure
Skate4Cancer

Yes, there are evil people on earth, but there are also very true warm-hearted and kind people who help others.

Things I could do if I cloned myself

I have always wondered what would happen if I cloned myself. So many things I could do for myself if I had a clone of me. Like in Family Guy, where Stewie clones himself and call it "bitch Stewie" and does all his chores.



However, I hope my clone doesn't end up like those clones....

If I cloned myself, my clone would:
- multi-task. I need a clone when I have one of those days which I just have so much to do at the same time
- take photos of me. Ever had those moments where people don't take the photo exactly how you want it? well, with the clone, you will for sure have the photo you want without holding it or putting it on self-timer
- take videos of me. same as above
- go to places you don't want to go youself. Like meetings, travel far to do errands, class, etc.
- be my best friend. Nobody understands you better than yourself.
- laugh at every joke I make. 'Cause you seriously think you are hilarious!
- start a duet. I play the guitar, my clone sings, or vice-versa

What would you do if you could clone yourself?

Make life sweeter

If you don't know already, I have a big sweet tooth. I love sweets and I always have. If I die one day is because of diabetes. But I have had a fascination for sweets since I was a child (of course, waht kind of kid doesn't like sweets). It's so serious that I have actually considered pastry chef as a career. The other day talking to my sister about food and stuff made me think of something. You know how people travel around the world tasting food from different countries? Well, I wanna travel around the world, tasting different countries' DESSERTS. Ah? How do you like that, eh, eh?! :D But since I don't plan to travel for a while, at least I can make a blog entry about desserts I already know from different countries.
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**WARNING**
The following content might make you extremely hungry or crave for sweets.
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COSTA RICA
Let's start with my home country, Costa Rica. I love desserts from Costa Rica because they are so sweet. One of my favourites are the "cajetas" which are like treats made with powdered milk, condensed milk, butter, and sometimes coconut flakes. They are rolled into little balls.

Another of my favourites is the "arroz con leche" or rice pudding. Made with cooked rice, condensed milk, cinnamon, and sometimes with clove and raisin.


Another classic, bread pudding. I tried making it once, didn't turn as good as the ones I have tried.



Hong Kong
Tracing back to my roots, I have to talk about chinese desserts - at least in Hong Kong. I like their desserts because they are sweet but not overly sweet...makes me feel "healthier". A lot of their desserts are made warm. One of the desserts I loved when I was younger were the egg custard tarts. I loved especially between the custard and the dough part because it wasn't too moist or too dry, still tasty.


Another of my favourites is the sponge cake because it's so soft, cushiony, just sweet enough, so light...makes me wanna shrink and jump on it. It's delicious too


This coming delicacy comes in a very sticky form, yet delicious! I used to order glutinous rice balls everytime me and my parents went to "yum cha" (drink tea). Sometimes they have sweet black sesame paste inside or even red beans, but I like it when they have sugar, coconut, and peanuts inside.


But for me, nothing tops off my all time favourite, tapioca in coconut milk. If I could eat something for the rest of my life, I'd be happy with this. I can jsut gobble them so quicly.


Aw man, those chinese have so many desserts. I still have a lot more to say, but I wanna move on to another countries.

CHILE
There is this particular cake that I like, however, I can't eat much of it because it is soo sweet and soo filling. The torta chilena is like a cake with various layers and have "dulce de leche" between every layer.


BRAZIL
I don't know much about brazilean desserts, but there this particular one that makes me drool so much. They call it brigadeiro which is kinda like the costa rican "cajeta" but they also put cocoa powder in it and roll it on chocolate sprinkles.

FRANCE
France is what I consider the capital of desserts. Their desserts are so delicious and so prefectly carved and so well designed. But one of their typical ones is the crème brûlée. One of my simple pleasures is to crack the creme brulee with my spoon - like Amelie.


How can we forget the famous Crêpes. Hmmm...especially with Nutella and strawberries inside. Topped off with powdered sugar and chocolate syrup. Oh la la!


ITALY
Can't talk about Italy if you don;t mention the tiramisu. The delicious cake made with coffee. And I love coffee.


CANADA
Oh, Canada, our home and maple land.... I can't remember when I first saw this tradition, either at Black Creek Pioneer Village or during my trip to Blue Mountain. I of course had to include the maple taffy.



Wow, writing this blog makes me drool for sugar. I better stop writing.
Are you from any of the countries I mentioned and forgot about your fav dessert?
Are you from another country with delicious desserts?
Do you love the desserts I des
Let me know through comments!