"Muay Thai is not only a sport but it is a philosophy and an art that is deeply entrenched in history." -Ajahn Suchart, from his entry 'Naming A Muay Thai Camp Or Gym' Earlier this year, Ajahn Suchart Yodkerepauprai began sharing his teachings of muay thai publicly on his blog. Born in the early 1960s, Ajahn started muay thai at the age of nine in Thailand's Karin village of Maethoe, in the province of Mae Hong Son near the Myanmar border. Currently Ajahn Suchart is based in Toronto, Canada; he has been instructing muay thai in the city since 1987. Ajahn is the founder of Siam No. 1 muay thai gym and is responsible for shaping a number of champions who have … [Read more...]
Behind The Scenes Of ‘At My Door’ By Glenn Love. A Video That I Was In.
Shooting Canadian industrial / dark electronic artist Glenn Love's At My Door video was an interesting exercise in creativity. The idea was Dyno Mike's of Mikey Brand Productions. He proposed that we work together to create a music video based in surrealism. We weren't certain what Glenn's lyrics meant but the two of us would team up to manifest a dream-like moment in time based on them. I've dreamt this Many times before. You've come again Standing at my door. I hate you - The original intent was to surprise Glenn with the video but that was eventually partially scrapped as I had completely forgotten and mentioned something to him about shooting … [Read more...]
Devil’s Night – An Indie Film That I Was In
The document I began after playing the lead in Devils Night, a five minute horror film by Mikey Brand reads: The morning after acting in Mikey Brand's submission for the 48 Hour Horror Film Challenge....I'm left with red and swollen toes from wearing 8 inch (plus?) stilettos for hours on end, my right hand is bruised from beating a dingy basement door and one of my lower teeth is now left jagged and slightly chipped from swigging Cuban rum from the bottle...suffering for art can be a lot of fun! Ha! Looking forward to the final product. Stayed tuned people, the raw footage is indeed that, raw. Let me take it to the beginning. Sometime in October … [Read more...]
A July Update
There's a blackout in my building. Thunder. Tiny explosions of water on the balcony. A distant mechanical hum. Today is a lazy day for me. The blinds are drawn and the white light of my laptop brightens the room. It's time for an update. I've been in Toronto, Canada for over a month now. This wasn't the plan. I arrived in late May to attend a conference for a number of days. Protocol was then to move to the city of Peterborough to live with three girls I'd never met. The thought of being surrounded by cottage country was appealing. It was there I planned to write my book. It can be crazy how life unfolds and if … [Read more...]
Doing Toronto with Mr. Everywhere Mark Strong
This year's Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) Toronto is up at the end of the month and the city's Mr. Everywhere Mark Strong was kind enough to answer a few questions about traveling to Toronto. Some info on Mark: Mark Strong is the co-host of G98.7 FM's morning show Mark And Jem In The Morning, the in arena host of the Toronto Raptors and the in stadium host of Toronto's Argonauts. He's also the host of NBA XL. Mark's previous endeavors have included being the live voice of The Juno Awards (Canada's music awards) and Canada’s Walk of Fame. He was the warm-up talent for TV's Deal or No Deal (with host Howie Mandel), Are You Smarter than a Canadian 5th Grader (with host Collin Mochrie) and … [Read more...]
Author Shawn Micallef Discusses Engaging with the City of Toronto for Travelers
In anticipation of the 1,000+ attendees of this year's Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) to be held in Toronto at the end of the month, I thought I'd touch base with the remarkable Shawn Micallef in search of advice for those traveling to the city. Some background on Shawn: Shawn Micallef is a senior editor and co-owner of the independent, Jane Jacobs Prize–winning magazine Spacing, and the author of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto and co-author of Full Frontal T.O.: Exploring Toronto’s Architectural Vernacular. He currently writes a Friday column in the Toronto Star about the city, is completing a book in the Coach House Books Exploded Views Series, The Trouble with … [Read more...]
The Next Chapter: Windsor – Toronto – TBEX – Peterborough
I'm currently writing you amidst piles of my possessions. I'm downsizing. Again. I arrived in North America from Asia with two suitcases and two carry-ons and I've decided to drop back down to one suitcase and two carry-ons. I tend to find the process of collecting my items and my thoughts in anticipation of a change of locations as though I'm preparing for a little death. I make peace with my present life, I appreciate those around me and I get ready for a new chapter. In roughly two and a half weeks I'll board a plane and arrive in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange). The conference offers a venue for bloggers, writers, new media content creators … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Mount Pleasant Cemetery II
The following is Part II of a two part photo series of Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A description of the historical cemetery, as well as additional photos may be found in Part I. The day this series was shot was awe inspiring. The graveyard was tranquil; the wind was blowing softly and the sun was making its way through the rustling leaves. I have no idea if, upon another visit to Mount Pleasant Cemetary, the experience can be duplicated. I did my best to try to capture it as I felt it that day. All photos were taken with a Sony Nex 3. I've included the address and operating hours should you be interested in visiting the cemetery's grounds. Please let us know … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is one of my favourite places to visit in Toronto in the autumn. The grounds are impeccably kept while allowing for nature's rhythm to simply be. Over-groomed cemeteries often feel manufactured to me, a physical representation of one's attempt to fight against the natural order of death, a vain pursuit to control it. That's simply my own projection, but a projection that steers me away from cemeteries that smell of fertilizer and grass and towards ones that smell of dirt and leaves. Mount Pleasant Cemetery is one of Canada's most historical cemeteries. Built in 1876, it serves as the final resting place for some of Canada's most famous and infamous players. … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Approaching All Hallow’s Eve, Toronto
The following photos were taken at Neutral Night Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada days prior to Halloween. The night featured a performance by Glenn Love, a Toronto based industrial / dark electronic musician signed to Sonic-X Records. It was my first taste of Halloween festivities since returning to Canada from years spent in Thailand. Halloween wasn't celebrated or even discussed in the Thailand I experienced; the night in Neutral's black basement was a great introduction back. For more information on Glenn Love, visit: Glenn Love on Reverbnation Glenn Love on YouTube Glenn Love on Facebook Neutral Night Club's … [Read more...]