Tag Archives: Uncategorized

Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen (Food)

Background
Vietnamese cuisine has emerged as a local classic here in Vancouver. Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen opened its doors up in 2012 and have not only weathered the strom but has risen above as one of the most popular locations. In addition to their food, a large factor contributing to their tenured success is their connection with the local community and greets regular customers with a truly genuine smile. As for their menu, they offer classical options like beef noodle soups and grilled meats on rice, alongside two specialty items known as #23 and #24.

#23: Bún Riêu: Special Crab Soup with Vermicelli
The bowl of vermicelli noodle is topped with tofu, Vietnamese pork ham, pork leg, and shrimp. But the secret sauce really is their homemade crab broth which provides an alternative delicious flavor. Being the only one of its kind, the rarity alone makes this a must try. But rest assured that its taste will make you come back for more.

#24: Bún Chå Cá Dac Biêt Special Fish Cake & Vermicelli in Soup
Using their beef broth as a base, this bowl of vermicelli noodle is topped with daily house-made fried fisk cakes. They use different types of fish paste to give off different flavors but they are both consistently delicious.

Verdict
Vietnamese cuisines are easy favorites here in Raincouver, I mean Vancouver. The constant cold, wet and gloomy days often make people crave hot soup and there is no better compliment than some good noodles to soak up the broth. I do need to note that the restaurant is very small, crowded, and old. But it is not that the owner does not care about the condition of the restaurant itself; it is done intentionally to replicate the authentic dining experience that found in Vietnam.

TRASH OR TREASURE: Reviewing iPhoto 3.0’s Filters

ORIGINAL:

VIVID:

Being the first option, Vivid sensibly offers a simple boost to both contrast and

The post TRASH OR TREASURE: Reviewing iPhoto 3.0’s Filters appeared first on Messy Musings.

PHOTO PROMPT: Domestic Re-Imaginings

A simple exercise to improve your visual eye, without leaving the house.

The premise is pretty straightforward; if you’re in a photographic funk, parameters are your best friend. These images were created within the constraints of my own self-imposed challenge. In just 15 minutes,  I produced over 30 images without leaving the house (therefore averaging less than 30 seconds per image). What can be gained from this kind of activity? By imposing limitations to time and setting, I was able to explore unique choices in content that may not have occurred to me otherwise––achieving this creative mindset is sometimes trickier than you would think.

This is both a useful and liberating exercise for anyone looking to expand, reinvigorate, or practice compositional techniques. For myself personally, there have many upsides the more I have trained my artistic mind to approach the world in this way. Because oftentimes when I am in the midst of a creative block, this is due in part to existential struggles that are infiltrating the rest of my day. So the beauty in this exercise is that it is also a kind of mindfulness strategy as well. Life is a little easier when we can see the beauty in our humble surroundings. 

TIPS & TECHNIQUES:

Here’s what you should keep in mind to get the best outcomes:



  • Use a convenient, portable camera instead of a fancy one. This allows you to focus on the frame instead of technicalities such as ISO and depth of field. (I used my phone.)
  • Imagine that you are creating a sculpture or an abstract painting.
  • Investigate all possible angles: top-down, bottom-up, and eye-level, amongst others. Approach things abnormally. 
  • Combine those unusual angles with odd cropping. Ignore perceived beginnings and ends of objects.
  • Turn your attention towards appealing combinations of texture and negative space.
  • Avoid pre-grouping images in your mind as you shoot. Avoid thinking about thematics or symbolic interpretation. This is about producing and following instinctual impulses.
  • Remember, these images don’t need to be capital-A artworks. It’s okay if you never show these to anyone. But I don’t recommend deleting these; stash them in a sketchbook, virtual or printed out.
THE AFTER: Groupings & Gestalt

Although you can leave this activity after the shooting stage, I recommend taking a moment to review the photographs. I find it useful to bundle these images and begin to experiment with their interactions amongst one another. Personally, I find this secondary stage to be very relaxing and rewarding, so I encourage you to arrange and rearrange your snippets. Good consider-ations include colour palettes, textures, and leading lines. If you’re confused by that last term, hopefully the images down below
give you an idea of what is meant by this.

When grouping your images, consider the famous Gestalt principles relating to perception. In case you’re unfamiliar, these are very helpful guidelines when it comes to UX and design more broadly. (Check out DePaul University’s online resource for more detailed information––the site design itself is extremely outdated but it does provide comprehensive explanations with art historical examples.)

Though all the principles may be at play, I want to draw your attention to a few key interactions:

First, closure tells us that our brains seek out a connection, regardless of whether the elements touch. So we read all these images as one, in part due to their proximity as well. Both closure and proximity are virtually inevitable due to my snapshots up being lined up in this row/column structure (something to be aware of if you choose differently).

However, you will find that various potential arrangements within this structure will provide equally varying levels of compositional success. What you should aim for is a good sense of continuity, so that proximate images almost “talk” to one another as the eye flows from one area to the next. Again, have a look at my visualization of exactly this, below. 

Overall, experimenting with the order of your snapshots within a grouping structure can lead to a really satisfying visual impact. 


Enjoyed this post? Check out my other photographic challenges:

FIGHT CREATIVE BLOCK: 3 Unusual Experiments in Photography

Main St. Development in Photos

Below is a sequence of photos from Vancouver’s False Creek and Main Street area taken from the Google maps database. They date from 2000 to 2018 (excluding ’06 and ’10 – ’12).

It takes a few cycles of the GIF to notice changes. A particular area of interest is south of the water.

The stress associated with the transformation of old neighbourhoods and soaring property values have been felt in many modern cities around the world. Indeed, this problem may come to define era in coming decades.

This stress has a particularly tangible burden on cultural spaces, which tend to pull in less profits than a traditional business, especially if they are presenting alternative forms of media.

As you look at this sequence, consider how Vancouver’s landscape, or the landscape of any modern city, may come to accommodate cultural spaces. Where could those spaces be? What effects will the inclusion or exclusion of these spaces have on your city? Are these the right questions to ask?

I would love to read your answers to these questions in the comments below.

Adam

The End of Posiel…

As we come to an end in the semester, so do our process posts, mini-assignments and other Posiel content. ReRouted has given me much more than a letter grade or place to vent about what was once thought to be an identity crisis. In looking forward, there are several things I’ve learned from this process to wherever it is I end up.

  • Blogging is cathartic
  • Publishing is a big part of our current society
  • Guest speakers provide opportunities to learn practical information that is really interesting and engaging
  • Blogging is relatively easy to do… I wish I did it earlier
  • WordPress is simple, but when trying to design a particular aesthetic, it can be frustrating
  • The best way to learn about yourself is to put yourself out there
  • Ellen is a great TA
  • Publishing is literally everywhere
  • I actually enjoy seeing my writing in a public space and take some pride in it
  • The world has changed more rapidly than I had thought
  • Weekly tasks make learning easier
  • Journaling is incredibly productive and worthwhile
  • I am more passionate about democracy than I originally believed

This list is obviously not exhaustive; there are so many things that could be added, as well as gleaned from this course. In forging ahead, especially into the blogosphere, I would like to take some of what I’ve learned and apply it to pursuits, interests and passions.

Week 12 – My all time motto “No Pain, No Gain”

“No Pain, No Gain”

It is the motto that motivates me all the time. It inspired me in bodybuilding, motivate me in studying, alerts me when I am too comforted in life. When I was 16, 17, I was a skinny guy in school. Back then I was in the school basketball team, I spent most of my time on training and practice. In order to improve my physique in court, I started to workout at the gym. At first, I went to the gym twice a week. I always thought I would rather go on court practice than go to the gym until my first injury happened. That was a regular season game, I stole the ball from the opponent and attempted a layup, suddenly, a man on the side bumped into me and bumped me out to the court. I lost balance and fall into the ground, eventually, I hurt my legs and arms. I took a long break to recover from injury. At that point, I realized that I need to take workout seriously and started my training programme. 

I started to work out at a small community gym. It was a good place to start the workout, no one was there, a simple and quiet place to let me concentrate my workout. I was struggling so much at the beginning, muscle pain and sore all over my body. The pain from the muscle stopped me from going to the gym every time, but I kept telling myself, “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”. It is the key to achieve anything, not only in bodybuilding but also as a person a general. Nothing’s can stop you from doing what you love as long as you put you afford on it, work your ass off it. Your result will definitely come to you. There is no shortcut in bodybuilding, actually, in everything. The only way to success is to dedicate yourself to do what you aim to do. You have to push yourself to the limit, makes up your mind, prepare your self and face the challenge. Remember, “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”.

Here are some quote that I use to motivate my self:

“Train Harder and Grow Bigger” – 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman 

“What we face may look insurmountable, but what I learned is that we are always stronger than we know” – 7x Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger

“What hurts today, Makes you stronger tomorrow” – 4x Mr. Olympia          Jay Cutler

Week 11- Abdominis (ABS) Exercise

Photo by Pedro Araújo on Unsplash

In this following week, I am going to introduce some abs exercise for you guys. It is essential to building up an abdominal muscle to support the upper and lower body. Abdominal is like the bridge between your upper body and lower body, it is crucial to have the muscle to support such works.

Rectus Abdominis

  • Push Sit-up – 3 sets (12,10,10,8)
  • Lying Leg-Hip Raise- 3 sets (12,10,10,8)

Transverse Abdominis

  • Incline Twisting Sit-up- 3 sets (12,10,10,8)
  • 45° Side Bend- 3 sets (12,10,10,8)

For the abdominal exercise, the reason it only has 4 exercise because abs training usually does before or after a workout. Since the abs muscle considers as a small muscle, the training will come along with other primary muscle training. There is the reason why abdominal exercise is not part of the split routine and distribute it into different training section. I suggest training the abdominal three to three times a week or work on the abdominal every two days. Be careful of overtraining your muscle, always monitor your body condition to prevent injury. For more details, please check out: https://exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt#Obliques to get more information. 

Process Post 7

After reading Krystal’s peer review about my website design layout, I found that I need to make some changes. Firstly, when clicking my PUB101 link I have changed it to go to (http://posiel.com/) instead of going to a dead page. Krystal has told me that when she hovers over the menus she doesn’t like the baby blue colour because it doesn’t go with the theme. I agree with her about this; however, I am unable to change this with my theme. Personally I like my design layout how it is right now because it is easy to use and is aesthetically pleasing to me.

Not For You – Jerome Taylor

notforyouclothing

 

NOT FOR YOU  is a high-end men’s streetwear clothing brand which is inspired by love, music, and real events. All the clothing is made specifically in Wellington, New Zealand and each piece is significant. 

Jerome’s Vision

When Jerome created  this collection, he wanted to represent homelessness and the complexity of poverty. This particular piece was styled to represent the true meaning behind homelessness and what individuals in these situations find themselves facing. If you take a closer look at this piece, you can recognize a story being told. To begin with, when analyzing the front of the jacket, the words “ROUGH NIGHT“ are displayed. This is because all it takes is one rough night to end up finding yourself in a difficult situation, in this case, battling for survival.  The story progresses with time; you can envision ones life spiraling down into losing their homes, their cars, and their families, all until you become completely invisible to the world.  This is represented on the back of this piece when it demands the following: “LOOK AT ME.” 

 

Fortunately,  this week I had the opportunity to walk for Jerome Taylor @ Vancouver Fashion Week Season 18.  My experience, beginning with meeting Jerome, to wearing his clothes on the runway was incredible.

 

 

When I first tried on my outfit for the show, I remembered feeling empowered and notorious. I personally love wearing layers with my everyday outfits, but what Jerome did with his collection was unique. Each individual layer had it’s own meaning, and as a collective, it illustrated homelessness and personality.

Walking down that runway wearing that outfit, I felt untouchable. Before our show we had a rehearsal and Jerome explained to us what his vision was when creating this collection. He said, “I want you guys to feel like your absolute best when walking down the runway. I don’t want you feeling dead, but rather you feel like the best version of yourself.” While rehearsing, I didn’t feel like a model, I felt as if I was a king in my own world;  I didn’t  give a fuck about what anyone thought of me. 

Contact Information
Jerome Taylor
Not For You Clothing
Facebook
Instagram

 

 

Commes Des Garcon- Playlist #2

“People in your life are like season, and everything happens for a reason”

This week’s vibe will give you the kick start you need to get your week rolling. I have a busy week ahead of me and after creating this playlist, I’m excited to get started. This week will be a busy week for me because I will be modeling in Vancouver Fashion Week Season 18, which begins in literally less then 2 hours from now! There are over 80 international designers who will be flying in and showcasing their vision throughout the week. With that being said, I cannot wait to see what the designers will be bringing in this season, and hopefully get the opportunity to walk for some of these amazing designers. Also, during this week, my partner and I have landed our first of many clients; we will be digitally marketing for their company.

This has been something we have been working on for the past few months and finally, after a lot of hard work and patience, we are launching. Along with all the business stuff, I need to try my best in keeping up with my school work. I find that doing it can be a bore, but what I have learned is that having good work ethics for school will portray even better work ethics when you begin your own company one day. Nobody is going to force you to do something you do not like, but if you keep an open mind, you will be surprised how things fall into place.

This week I want people to try something new daily, and begin creating a plan to follow for the week. Creating a weekly plan is something I have started to do, and I personally love it! I feel like it keeps me more focused and consistent since I am an extremely forgetful person. In addition, I have reminders that  notify me every 30 mins before my next task. I have started using  Google Calendar as my go to app for these daily reminders and organizing my weekly schedule, and I highly recommend it! First, I would start by planning out one single day, and then follow with the rest; each day should have it’s full potential used. I promise you will feel so accomplished when you realize how many things you completed in one day. With such a realization, it will push you to strive even further in the upcoming days and weeks.

How To Talk To Strangers

I believe talking to strangers is one of the weirdest and most courageous someone can do. I find that sparking conversations with guys is much easier than with girls. When talking to girls, I always get nervous and tend to freeze up, unless the energy is friendly, and only then do I feel more comfortable to fully be myself. If any girls have tips for guys like me, please share. 😊 I would love to hear what you guys have to say about this  problem of mine, haha! With that said, recently I have been feeling a lot more confident in myself and don’t dwell on what others think of me. If people can’t accept me for who I am, then I simply keep a distance.

Working in retail, a large part of my job is helping customers, trying to understand their problems, and giving them valuable solutions. No matter who walks into my department, I consider them just as anyone else, someone like me. At the end of the day, our whole lives revolve around those we love and the activities we do. One thing I have learned from working in retail is that sometimes, people just need someone to talk to, even if its for a short period of time. Connecting with someone and having a conversation, no matter how small, can impact someone’s day significantly. Personally, I have had days where I felt kind of down but have found myself a lot happier after speaking to someone, even if it’s just a cashier at the store. Having that opportunity to change somebody’s is wonderful and fun. You can be anyone you want to be when talking to strangers.

 

Occasionally, you do meet some pretty weird people, but I think that’s one of the best parts. If you can just accept people for they are, you can really enjoy their presence. If you approach life with a judgmental attitude, you begin to think in such a narrow perspective, and we begin missing out on new experiences. Overall, I believe talking to strangers is worth the discovery for everyone. You don’t lose anything, they know absolutely nothing about you, and you can be anyone you want to be.

H.Y.P.E

 

     “Let Lose And Live A Little”  

This weeks playlist will take you through a groovy vibe. I want my people to feel the vibe and to do things they love this week. This could be anything from, going on an adventure, going to the gym or even doing something that makes you genuinely happy. Along with doing things that make you happy, be sure to find your rhythm and just keep going and  enjoy it !

I, myself started this week with a good Vibe! I finally feel like I got my rhythm back and now i’m just jamming through it. Sometimes you just gotta do what makes you happy and things will just start to fall together, its amazing  🙂 But overall I had a good week and even hit the gym everyday after a really long time. I WAS DEAD ASS FUCKING TIRED LOOL, but it was worth it. I feel so much more alive then before. I also filmed a self tape this week for an upcoming feature film, which was very exciting. I auditioned for the lead role and I feel really good about. I do not know what it is about feeling happy, but for me it just makes wanna keep hustling after my dreams. A positive mindset can really take you through extravagant paths in life people; take my word for it :))

C y A – Playlist #1

“To live doesn’t mean your alive, what does being alive mean to you”

The Weekly Vibe: Playlist #1 (CYA)

This week’s vibe was a little different for me. It began when I started feeling a little lost in life, especially in these past few weeks. I didn’t really know what I was doing. It felt like I wasn’t alive; I fell off my grind and completely lost my drive. Everything I did felt like I did it with no purpose, and that was a bad sign.

Just imagine, grinding, working your ass off for a solid month and letting your passion bring you to places you haven’t been before, and all of that slipping away. That’s how it felt. The worst part was, I just let myself keep falling until I couldn’t fall no more. Personally, it quickly came to a point where I knew I had to get my act together, but there was a part of me that just kept saying “fuck it.” I didn’t even want to listen to myself, so it only made sense why I didn’t want to listen to anyone else. Reality finally caught up with me this last weekend, I hit rock bottom and knew I couldn’t keep acting like this no more.

I know I’m not the only one who’s felt this feeling before, but one thing I have learned from this experience is that no matter how bad things can get, there is always a way back up. For a long time now, I knew that when I die, I want to leave a legacy behind. Surprisingly, that thought of building that foundation and becoming something people can look up to gave me the push I needed to get back on my feet. It is so crucial to look at the bigger picture, even if that is taking a step back from reality sometimes. It begins with seeing things for yourself first and surrounding yourself with the right company. Having someone in your life who sees more potential in you then you see in yourself, is something I was lucky to have, and having that can help give you that push.

 

The Game Of Life

Do what you love and never be afraid of taking risks. If you are good at something, if you are passionate about it, use it to your damn advantage and become the best at what you do. The future is in our hands. Why wait till tomorrow when you can start today?

-Shaun Gill