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I met Phil Syler and started freelancing at this agency called Extreme Group. Lucky. To be honest, I had no clue what this agency was, I just knew I needed to be somewhere so I can work again (I learnt good work can be done anywhere, as long as you’re hard working).

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And to a surprise, for many reasons – mainly for the great people – Extreme Group is more than what I can ask for. I’ve been working there for a month now, and last week I signed on full-time. Lucky.

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Since Singapore, I’m seeing things differently. As much as I still want to be Anthony Bourdain and live life fast, things I want are slightly different now. I want to be settled and responsible for things. And I think Extreme Group is exactly what I need to get my shit together in every way. Lucky.

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It’s been months since I’ve moved anything on this site, but things have been happening, a lot of things. After I came back from the Clios in New York, I gave in my notice at Cossette and bought a ticket to Singapore. WHAT?

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By the beginning of June I was unemployed and traveling again.

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Why did I quit my job? I think the reason changes every time I ask myself. At first, the logical reason was because I didn’t think I’ve explored my options aside from Canada and the States. Then later, I thought it was because Cossette wasn’t my thing. And at the end, as I was sitting at a 24 hour Starbucks on my first night in Singapore – absolutely alone and foreign to everything around me – I realized it was because I can. I can drop everything and just go. I had nothing to care nor cared about when I was in Toronto. Making ads was making ads, winning an award was mildly exciting, I barely cared about anything since I graduated from MAS. With that said, my instinct told me I needed to pack my bag and scrap up the few dollars I had and get away.

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3 months, I travelled in Asia: Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei. I had set up interviews in Singapore before I left Toronto, but nothing worked out. Everyday for 3 months I would go interview if I had one, and the rest of the time I would walk, eat and see everything/anything. I’d wake up with my knees tired from yesterday and walk again until my feet felt like it was ripping open. It was the best decision I could’ve made for myself. The cultures opened my eyes and made me do a lot of thinking about what the fuck I needed to do with my life. Obviously, this trip with the original purpose of finding a job in Asia just became traveling in Asia.

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Taipei – I was there for too short of a time to really experience it, but this pretty much sums it up: Taipei = Neo-Japan. Everything felt like it was inspired from Japan, people, design, culture.

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Hong Kong – I was born there, and I’ve visited when I was young, never had the intention to live there again. Going back this time, I really tried to see and eat all that is FROM Hong Kong, and I had about a week where I believed I actually wanted to live and work there. Maybe one day, BIG MAYBE.

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Singapore – BY FAR the most beautiful city I’ve been in. For beginners, the city is incredibly clean – no chewing gum sort of policies there. Secondly, Singapore is a fairly rich and developed country with an abundance of foreigners who work there (mostly Australians and Europeans), these foreign cultures are integrated into the natives (Indians and all sorts of South-east Asian around). Hence in the core of Singapore you would see beautiful Asian temples beside a multi-million dollar skyscraper. The Architecture is absolutely diverse and beautiful. The people, everyone’s very cultured to their own, yet so open minded about others. And of course, lastly, the food, absolutely amazing, so much to eat because of all the surrounding cultures in South-east Asia, most of the best food I’ve had in my life was in Singapore. I can not say enough good things about Singapore. Maybe one day, and not a big maybe.

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Here are a couple pictures from Singapore

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What did I learn from all of this?

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- Good work can be done anywhere, as long as you’re hard working. (Roy from Beautiful Singapore, brilliant man, Cannes-winning and founder of Kinetic)

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- Be compassionate (this actually happened after I returned to Toronto from Singapore, Francesco – my Ogilvy partner – said this, wise words my friend)

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-And it’s about what I have, not what I’m missing.

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So what happened about the job search? Nothing, I tired in many ways to make it work, it didn’t turn out, I flew back to Toronto. It didn’t matter that nothing came up, I was refreshed.

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Makes us all think back to the time when we made these campaigns in Boulder, CO. For 3 months we lived together in a ridiculously nice but cheap house. Tours at micro-breweries, Call of Duty, shit ton of food (including Five Guys Burgers and our weekly dinner where we’d invite all our friends over), hiking, Pearl Street, o yea and CP+B of course – very productive and fun 3 months. FUCK YEA for Boulder! Solid proof, GOOD TIME = GOOD WORK.

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Because Clios, I got to fly into NY again.

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This is Jen Speath, she won a silver that night for a campaign she did with fellow-MPLSianChris Bluma. She started MAS at the same time I did, but we’ve never crossed way until that weekend. Thanks to her I didn’t have to drink alone at the show.

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Pharrell was the special guest of the Clios, he was there to promote his new CD. One day, I’ll be in N.E.R.D.

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Recognize this guy? He was the host of the show that night. It’s Rob Riggle (I had to google him) – captain of the booze cruise on The Office, and I forgot who he was on Arrested Development, funny guy.

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This was taken before I heard they served Black Label at the open bar…

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And of course, I would never be able to have a part in this without my Boulder team. (the statue just came through the mail last week, and I’ve been wanting to post this, now it’s 3am and I just had to put on a shirt to do this before I head to bed)

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So that was the Clios, aside from that I got to hang out with Michelle, Vanessa, Zach…and many more people, good time, sadly forgot to bring or buy a camera. BUT one thing that’s really worth mentioning is…Michelle and I went out to eat at her friend’s restaurant BOKA which is on St. Marks. Absolutely amazing Korean food, nice environment, and also cause they hooked us up.

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CHICAGO – I had 2 disposable cameras: 1 with decent pictures from when I went to the Art Institute of Chicago which I lost, now I’m left with pictures from the 2nd camera of just us getting sloppy.

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Tupac and I. This is from Chicago, and Katie’s moved from there to San Fran and back to the midwest already, says how long I waited to post these pictures.

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Brittany (new friend from San Fran), Lydia, and Tessa of course.

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And Erin, fellow Canadian, was pretty excited to see her.

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NEW YORK – Ah shit, I just remembered, the pictures below are from the SECOND LAST time I went to NY in APRIL. Anyway it was insanely fun, I got to see a lot of people who I have seen since Miami. Plus, Zachary took me around to a few delicious spots, including MOMOFUKU – amazing.

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I believe I was in NY for 4 days that time, and I have no clue in what order these pictures go anymore, it was a good weekend.

On one of the night, we rallied everyone at one of the 6000 indian restaurants in East Village, forgot the name of the place, saw lots of people, wicked fun.

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Alyssa, and Caro (who was also visiting NY from Germany that same weekend)

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Aiden (Also was visiting NY from HK, going to see him in August), Stefan (talklikestefan.com), Tom (who created Talk Like Stefan.com)

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Zachary and I. One year ago.

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With Michelle, Cordovi, and Brooklyn. The two ladies on the left are Michelle’s co-workers from D&G.

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@ Beauty Bar with Zach, Christina, and RICK FOX!

Zach and Christina were interning in NY when this picture was taken, now they’re a team working full-time, good job high five!

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@ Beauty Bar

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@ Cherry Tavern – one reason I would die to live in NY.

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Nastiest girl in the world!

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And then we went to Karaoke…

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Fun culture, young people, the office is cool, a good size agency – just big enough with cool clients and not so big it takes away from the creative – the place and people reminds me of Carmichael Lynch. Anyway, Matt really appreciated the work in my book and thinks I’d be a perfect fit to the agency. Nimy’s been in the business for 2 3 years, is hungry for great work, and definitely feels like a guy I can work well with. And its perfect timing as my internship is coming to the end of its 3 months.

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By Friday night I’ve decided and told Katie, Tessa, and Lydia (who I was visiting in Chicago that weekend), this was it, I’m going to take the offer, and by Monday I signed the papers and am officially one of the “People from COSSETTE”. I start on the 8th meaning the coming week will be my last at Ogilvy. (Nonetheless, Ogilvy’s been great, it was a real ass kicking to ultimate busy agency life, and meeting with Nancy Vonk was a treat every time – learnt so much.)

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So much more to mention, and about my trip to Chicago (once I get the pictures processed).

Would I take a full-time offer there? Maybe. Ogilvy’s great, the work’s great, but the more I work there, the more I realize how much I don’t know about the market. For instance, CP+B had a much bigger and younger culture in the creative department, and Ogilvy has a surprisingly much smaller creative department and the culture there is much more corporate and older. Yet, the smaller department and huge briefs gives more chances for ideas. Anyway, I still have time to explore Ogilvy, study if we’re a fit, and study other agencies out there.

Aside from work, not much has happened in the last 2 weeks. I looked more into moving out of the ‘rents place in April, and this area called The Annex seems to be the winner to where I’ll be moving into. I was considering Liberty Village but it might be too expensive. The Annex is a cool area, I would say similar to Uptown in Minneapolis or the Design District in Miami (except not as rundown and full of bums). It’s just north of the UofT campus, so a lot of student and post-grad youngsters are there. That area is full of bars, restaurants, and small cafes; just like Uptown; as well as the Bloor Cinema – a theater with 2 floors and shows all sorts of movies (indie, classics, and a weird place for Twilight,…). I’m really looking forward to move to there as soon as April.

Another thing I’m hoping the move and this new job will get me is meeting new people. It would be cool to be in the Annex and meet a new group who have the same values on things (Markham’s nice, but I’ve definitely out grown it).

So this is the plan, mid-end of February, I’m going to Chicago, to visit that crazy Katie Rogers, Lydia, and Tessa. I haven’t gotten a ticket yet, but it’s decided. It really hasn’t been that long (last September), but I’m definitely stoked to see them. Another place I want visit is LA. LA to visit Kevo and Mai (new creative team at Deutsch there), and I’m really gonna try to make this trip happen before mid-march so I can also see Nikki and Jordan before they leave Laguna Beach, I’d be super stoked if I saved up enough money to see them. Oh, and visit New York again at some point of course.

Get my own place, Chicago, LA, NY. I’ve got 1 out of 4 right now, it’ll happen.

I interviewed at a couple agencies in Toronto, saw a couple really cool offices and met a bunch of people from the industry here. Saatchi Toronto was an interesting one, my interview was on the day after their christmas party, so when I showed up, the receptionist told me I was expected and to go down to the Jack Astors downstairs. Nonetheless the interview became a recovery happy hour where I got to meet Basil (Art Director who I had the appointment with, nice guy, he’s got really cool work, interned at Ogilvy several years ago), Brett Channer (the ECD), and possibly half the creative department. Not what I expected for an interview but it was a good time, definitely cool culture in the creative department. Plus, it was nice to finally have some ad people to drink a few beers with and shoot the shit.

(on a side note, I also bumped into Ciara who waited our table. Ciara and I use to lend each notes and answers for an online class at York)

Another place I was super excited to talk to was Ogilvy Toronto. And I was lucky enough to even get an interview with Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk – JANCY of I Have An Idea’s “Ask Jancy”, also a Clio judge, One Show judge, list goes on. More importantly, they were the ones who made this little viral video, and the whole campaign that followed. Anyway, I got unusually nervous for the interview, probably cause its JANCY, and cause it’s almost been a month since I’ve interviewed in NY. Hence I was mediocre, but they liked my book, so they offered me an internship (like many other agencies I’ve seen, because they can’t hire right now). And this is it, I’m on board. Just seems like Ogilvy has the most to offer in opportunities for creative work, and it’s a huge network which might help me transition to another city a couple years down the road. Last last year, Ogilvy Toronto had an intern by the name of Hunter Somerville, he’s pretty good, he’s at DDB London now, just read a little about him and you’ll get what I mean, I’m hoping I can do the same. So, yes, starting January 4th 2010. Hello Mr. David Ogilvy.

Aside from advertising, I got to think and figure out a lot of things over the weeks. I realized I’m going to be having some sort of stability in life, therefore I’m going to get a chance to really explore some of the “I want to”’s I couldn’t do for the last 2 years. This will be a sort of a new years resolution I guess:

1) Produced my own art exhibit (or at least get a start) – it’ll be a collection of everything I found to like over the last 2 years (photography, type, painting,…) – might just a site where I scan in all my work, might be a small studio/gallery space.

2) Go to Spain – I want to see Barcelona especially – my friend Maialen is working in Madrid, and I’m hoping she can bring me to visit her home town San Sebastian and the Basque country.

3) Get money/my own place – it just makes sense to do so.

4) See LA – this won’t be hard, party.

5) Learn the Toronto city – since I lived in the heart of Miami and Minneapolis, I see cities in a more proactive light now, I want to figure out where the Toronto hipsters are.

6) Find microbrews - breweries here or places that import from other places.

maybe 7) Get an IPhone, it’s a maybe cause I don’t have to, but I want to be cool and Tweetpic/Four Square shit. (I realized I can do this one and the one before anywhere, whatever, I’m gonna get it done this year)
 

actual 7) See more shows – really hoping Broken Social Scene or Metric would come back and play at Toronto again.

Ok cool, that’s it, happy holidays. Cooking Christmas dinner this year, pictures to come.

That night, Oliver (account planner I met at MAS last quarter, brilliant man from Switzerland) invited Nikki, Jordan, Kyle, Kate Slattery, and I over to his amazing apartment for dinner. First of all, amazing place he has, he shares a small but very cool apartment with his girlfriend. Top floor of a short building just high enough to overlook the alphabet avenue area they lived in. Secondly, a really fucking good food/wine/company/dinner overall. Oliver’s got a cooking talent. Thirdly, he invited us to an open mic his girlfriend Jen Dale was going to sing in at The Village Underground afterwards. So we went.

I’ve never been to an open mic, and this place was so cool, somewhere only cool people who live in NY would know kind of cool. And on top of that Jen was amazing on stage. $10 captain cokes, but so worth it for what a fun night it was.

Nikki, Kate, me, Jordan, Kyle, and Oliver giving a shout-out after dinner to the great Hanley (who is hilarious, check out her Twitter).

The next day I had to catch an afternoon flight back to Toronto. But before that I met up with the Albrecht for coffee (and say bye to Chris and JP who joined later – they all intern at People, Ideas, & Culture). Coffee was pleasant.

And then to the airport I went. So yes, New York part 2 was only a day, but amazing, this whole week was. I love NY, and life/people advertising got me.

*Btw, check out Jen Dale’s music if you didn’t click on her name above already. She’s got a few songs on Itune, which Oliver got me to buy the first day I met him. I felt I got conned by Oliver, but then he didn’t, cause Jen’s music didn’t suck, it was good.

Katie Riddle (aka “The Riddler”) caught me at The Show…

…and Zach, but in a much better way.

I do have to say though, Laura Anderson (Director at MiamiAdSchool) did a brilliant job organizing the whole party for The Show at Epic (a club 2 blocks from the school, right beside Carmichael Lynch). Good job Laura.

Saturday wasn’t too shabby either, went to hang out with a friend, got some amazing Cinnamon Rolls at Isle’s Bun and Coffee as well as some cupcakes at Wuollet. If you read this and you’re in Minneapolis, you def. have to go, especially Isle’s. Later that night, Zach made dinner – Cincinnati style chili. This is interesting, in Cincinnati, there’s different ways you can eat chili, Zach made what they called a “3-way” which is Chili served on top of a bed of cheese and speghetti, hence 3-way. Delicious (while we watched “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies“)

AND THEN after that, we went to the Marriot hotel couple blocks away to a party of a lawyer conference (Zach’s mom was the organizer to this conference, we were invited to go dance with the folks, really, folks, who are all lawyers). They had a Beatles cover band there who were amazing, and all the people were dancing. Totally different kind of music and party than last night at The Show, but still fun.

All in all, two days in Minneapolis was packed, but fun. Good way to end it, assuming I won’t be back for a while.

After the review we all went a couple blocks north in Manhattan to the ADC Young Guns party. It was really cool event and all, but the most exciting part of yesterday was that I got to see a lot of the people from Miami – whom I haven’t seen for a year! And also people from Minneapolis. All in all, a really good day, lots of fun.

Tomorrow morning I’m flying to Minneapolis for THE SHOW at night, and then coming back to NY on Sunday.

Among many other, MAS kids from Miami, Minneapolis, and some new friends.

Two people I was least excited to see in NY.