The Searchlight Experience

Well, that was that. I was knocked out in the Regional Finals but I am extremely happy with the response I received and the result I finished with. TOP TEN IN MANITOBA!! Everyone who voted were patient/dedicated and the support was truly heartfelt and unbelievable. So thanks first and foremost to YOU, the voting people, the best I could've asked for. Secondly, thanks to CBC for the opportunity and the platform to jump-start my presence as an artist. Thirdly, thanks to the amazing artists and friendly people I met along the way who voted for me; ranging from Vancouver to St. John's to Cambridge Bay up in Nunavut!

I'll throw it back to a Life Lesson for what I learned in this experience:

Be honest and do not be afraid to be vulnerable in doing what you love,

for people will respect that and support you for it.

"Step Into the Light" is essentially a prayer, one of seeking purpose and belonging. 

Hopefully a part of my purpose is to keep making music. Stay tuned as I stow away and stir up a few musical ventures in the works.

CHEERS.

MUCH LOVE.

SEARCHLIGHT REGIONAL FINALS!

We are IN... TOP TEN in Winnipeg's region, that is. Next stop: NUMBER ONE IN MANITOBA! We can do it. Keep UP your DAILY VOTE and let's get more and more people on board. Voting for this last regional round ends again on Monday, April 27th @ 2pm CENTRAL TIME.

VOTE HERE: http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Manny-Goossen

Something I've noticed is that a lot of entries are from bands or artists who have already had a crack at this competition, or have been established as a group for a few years already. The motto of CBC's contest is "The Hunt for Canada's Best NEW Artist"... So let's prove that motto in this year's results!

Also, I keep getting asked what the actual prize is for winning CBC's 2015 Searchlight Contest...

1) $20,000 of YAMAHA MUSIC EQUIPMENT... THINK OF THE POSSIBILTIES!
2) A spot in CBC's upcoming MUSIC FESTIVAL... WOAH.
3) LIVE/VIDEO RECORDING of my song! Chea.

AND

4) EXPOSURE, this contest has jump-started me in promoting and writing my own music (which treads constantly in my mind by the way), and this contest platform has been incredible.

... I mean, the national top 5 are also announced on Q by the amazing SHAD... So please make this dream happen, VOTE DAILY! I am at your mercy :) - http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Manny-Goossen ‪

#VOTEMANNY

Did you hear that you can also win sweet Yamaha prizes for voting? Hashtag #VoteSearchlight on social media to enter, or fill in the entry form EVERYDAY to increase your chances - http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2015/3/Enter-to-Win-Searchlights-Yamaha-Fan-Giveaway

We NEED more people on our amazing bandwagon if we are to achieve #1 in Manitoba. Please keep up your dedication to "Step Into the Light"! Your overall patience throughout this entire period has been APPRECIATED.

MUCH LOVE and MUCH THANKS,

CHEERS,

- MG

Step Into the Light // CBC's SEARCHLIGHT 2015

HELLO! Long time no blog... I've been busy in my living room "home studio", grouping gorgeous, grainy synths together in order to enter a song into this year's CBC Searchlight Competition. "Step Into the Light" came into fruition as an extension of sorts to an original piano tune I wrote. It became a canon styled cycle and I couldn't resist polishing it off as its own track. The song "explores life's meaning in all that is positive, spiritual, and existential."

"What the H is this contest?!" you might ask. It is "The Hunt for Canada's Best New Artist". The CBC puts it on every year and receives thousands of original song submissions from aspiring artists across our great nation. It is a round by round contest, so I must rely on votes from YOU (family, friends, and the public) if I am to survive these knockout rounds!

"So how do I vote?!" You will find "Step Into the Light" by Manny Goossen in the Winnipeg region on CBCMUSIC.CA/SEARCHLIGHT!

OR THIS LINK

will lead you straight to my song, where you can listen and vote!

Also, a mobile friendly/quick vote link is:

 http://music.cbc.ca/cbcsearchlight/?id=292147

"WHY SO MANY LINKS, CBC?!"

And the first round has STARTED. You can vote for up to 10 artists per region PER DAY, starting today March 30th till April 13th. That means a vote a day for a total of 15 votes per person, and maybe you can vote on more than one device... Try IT! I think I've made myself clear :)

So I'd lovingly appreciate your support if you'd be so kind! THANK YOU!

If you haven't heard the song yet, beneath holds the light.
Or turn on your sound and it just might be playing already ;)

Cheers and ciao for now!

Hard link: https://soundcloud.com/mannygoossen/step-into-the-light

Ghost On The Shore

I've been stowed away... trying to learn the ins and outs of personal recording, with only the bare minimums to work with. Through this self-inflicted agony, I am at least learning; and I have finally triumphed. Here is my latest cover inspired by the rest and relaxation of our Lake Life season swooping in. I hope you enjoy:



All vocals and instruments are done by yours truly.

Cheers!

Lost in Transition

(Here's a post that I meant to finish in December that I never got around to. I just added to it and obviously tweaked it to fit into the present, but here's an update of what is going on in my life!)

  I never thought my undergrad would just be finished quite like this. I'm not the one to plan ahead and figure out my life, precisely to a tee, a few years from the present (within a bachelor's degree). That said, I came into last fall term oblivious to the fact that I could possibly graduate at the end of final exams in December. Being fortunate enough to have every single one of my course credits from Prov transfer to the UofM, and having really helpful advisors in the Science faculty made it all happen. Who knew that walking into the school mid-summer thinking of only getting a few course suggestions for the Fall, would result in: Graduating in December, an approved full-time packed/suitable class schedule, and a Minor in Biology... I never did.

  I've been known to register and sign up for classes after classes have already begun! I've also been lucky enough be the last one in a class to snatch a spot up in the online class selection program. But why has that always worked out for me? I could choose to think of it as unpreparedness and luck, but instead I feel blessed to be so fortunate. I know... I cannot keep thinking that I can leave everything to the last minute, but as my Dad, "The Last Minute Man" says: I've learned it from him. Maybe it is inherited... I'd like to think it probably is. Pressure ignites me perhaps. I've always found it a curse how I could never fully prepare for an exam or a paper the way I wanted to, because I could never force myself to work on it until a couple of days before...
 And now being done, I obviously feel I had more to give, in regards to my grades and what I could've accomplished. But on the other hand, although you reap what you sow, you cannot live in the past and ruminate on what could have been if things were done differently--to the point of self-deprecation. You have to move on, move toward a goal. You have to capture that displaced effort and either use it to understand and succeed in your present situation or inject it into your next step of life. This is something that I'm learning, as difficult as it is to admit; and this applies for everything in life, especially in relationships.

  Anyway, I believe that the completion of my undergraduate degree is an accomplishment that I have under rated. It does deserve my respect and I should be proud of it. I'd like to recognize and appreciate the support I've received from my wonderful family, girlfriend, friends, and most importantly God. I am vastly blessed to have this support and am extremely grateful that it has always been available to me in everything I do.

  So what's next? I'm unsure. I know I'd like to experience more schooling, but right now I am working at a new Brazilian BBQ Churrascaria (steakhouse) here in Winnipeg, called CARNAVAL. Because of my flowing hair and Portuguese name, I got the job (JOKES) and am training to become one of their bartenders. COME VISIT!

  Other than being graduated and just working a minimum-wage job... all I can say is that life transitions can either be rough and depressing, or they can be a positive, work in progress. They may be confusing, tough, lonely, and scary, but if you're willing to produce the effort for a next step solution (no matter what pace you operate in), only then is it possible to overcome the obstacle confronting you.

Ciao for now.

Forcing That Initial Push

Life Lesson: Once you initially force yourself to get down to something, you'll get it done.

Pretty obvious isn't it? I can say/think I'll start doing something that needs to be done, but unless I force myself to be in the initial position to do it, it won't happen. Makes sense. So why don't I do that more often? ... It's something to work on! Plus I definitely do not believe it is a strength of mine (a consistent near perfect performance of an activity); a foreshadow of a post to come on the book 'Now, Discover Your Strengths'. Check it out, it's a gooder. Although I still need to finish it, and basing a prediction for when that will be on what I've just stated... it'll be awhile.

Anyway, I've finished my fourth chapter of our Belize experience (at last) and will have that available with the write-up ASAP.

Cheers!

Belize Bound! Mayan Ruins & Local Futbol (Chapter Three)

  On our third day down in Belize we got the opportunity to visit one of the many famous archaeological sites of Mayan Ruins with Don. Lubaantun (pronounced Lou-bawn-tune with a mysterious low accent) was where we tread upon and where they found the biggest of those perplexing, perfect crystal skulls. You know, the whole Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull spiel. WAS IT EXTRATERRESTRIALS WHO CRAFTED THEM??!?!?! Who knows... Maybe the end of 2012 is when they'll return, and that is what the Mayans were referring to when they ended their calendar!!! Eerrrrrrrrie (I love speculation). Anyway, we went and saw the rubble of genius craftsmanship from the Mayans. They apparently built their structures in a way that would prevent disaster from the many earthquakes in that age.

 

  A solid structure was assured by carving the end of each stone to wrap around the next to prohibit them from shifting. Pretty savvy!

  Our guide also showed us the grassy strip/lane where the Mayans had this fight to the death event. Those who were chosen would battle and the winner was even sacrificed to the "gods". Crafted stone helmets and stone knuckles were used in the fight, and these were on display in the tour hut as well, with all the Crystal Skull articles.

  The trees around and within the ruins were massive. Two types in particular were extremely interesting: Rubber and "Tourist" trees. The rubber trees seeped their leaky, milk-coloured latex sap, which is natural rubber of course. You will see a couple photos of this in my vlog below! Super cool. When the substance dries and hardens you can stretch it like those miniature Stretch Armstrongs we all loved as kids (I still love them! Can you even find them anymore?). The "Tourist" trees were self-explanatory as well (at least to the locals)... Tall, thin, and sun-burnt red! Hilarious. There's also a photo of one in the vlog!

  Another highlight was when we found a killer bees nest, extremely alive, in a tree cavity on site. I pretty much held my breath while passing it. I realized that I should get some video of them though, so you'll see that too in the vlog (don't worry, I kept a safe distance).

  When we left the site, many of the local women came down to the stream just before our van and laid out all their handcrafted souvenirs for purchase (they catch wind of tourist presence and rush over to set up camp to sell their gifts). We declined this time though and continued toward our van, which was parked up on the inevitably muddy hill. This was a problem. Don's 15-seater van was no match for the slant and muddiness of the hill. My Dad, Willie, and I all got behind the van and pushed while Don tried to make it to solid ground. We almost made it without any muddy casualties, however... my Dad, with a final shove, lost his footing and ended up face first in the mud! Willie and I loved it, as well as the local women who were watching from their souvenir spots. My Dad, being himself, laughed it off and hopped back in the van as quickly as he could. Fun times.

  We got back to the Machaca Center for lunch (the classic of chicken and fried beans on rice) to find out that one of the staff family's son, Austin (8 years old), almost cut off his big toe with his machete. The day before, he was bragging about killing snakes with it and now there he was, almost without his right big toe! The doctors are pretty sketchy down in Belize. The one they had gone to didn't want to stitch up the severed toe. Luckily, the nurse rightfully interjected and did it herself. Ridiculous! They only care if they're paid extra down there.

As Lindsey put it well...

Life Lesson: When wielding a machete, always swing away from yourself!

  Machetes are common tools down in Central America. It's always handy to have one with you when you're in the bush; just in case a snake is within striking distance. Seeing someone hacking the surrounding bush with their machete (for no apparent reason) is a regular occurrence, and it's awesome.

  Anyway, I will conclude this chapter with my soccer experience down in Punta Gorda. That afternoon, after our Mayan Ruins adventure, Willie and I went into town to play soccer with a local Grade 8 class. We brought plenty of soccer balls to give to the children and took to the field, splitting the class into three teams to play a mini world cup tournament. The field was (to no surprise) MUDDY! So we all ran around barefoot, kicking the ball in and out of the mud. They called us the "Big White Sirs". The joy on the kids faces was priceless.

  We also got the chance to play with a local club team a couple nights later. I brought my white indoor turf cleats down and obviously got them drenched with mud. So other than that hindrance, it was super fun to play with those guys. At first, they were hesitant to pass the ball to me because they didn't know my skill level (I also do not look like a fluent futbol player), but after a few touches they realized that I was decent. I was dubbed "The Ostrich" because of my lanky running figure. They couldn't get over it! We also gave the team a bunch of Phoenix jerseys (a Winnipeg Youth Soccer Club), which they could use for their league games.

  Here's the next vlog... It's just some snippets of what I've been talking about in this chapter. Enjoy. Ciao for now!

Belize Bound: Mayan Ruins & Local Futbol (Chapter Three) from MannyG on Vimeo.

This is my third installment of our trip down to Belize! We checked out the Mayan Ruins of Lubaantun, and also had fun playing soccer with a local Grade 8 class and a local club team. This video just shows some small snippets of the experience, nothing too elaborate! Enjoy!

Music:
Of Monsters and Men - "From Finner"

A Blog-Posting Layover of Sorts

I've been asked... "So, are you done blogging for good?" *COUGH* Froese *COUGH* NO. False. Not true! C'mon! I'm just on a slight layover before dishin' out some sweet Belize stories here.
Tests have seemed to be all I've been doing in/at school lately, so that has sucked up most of my time. As has preparing for my good friend's wedding social that happened last Friday; Live band and all. I was featured vocals on "I Want You" by Savage Garden as well as "American Girl" by Tom Petty producing some mean mouth organ sound (harmonica baby!). Great times!
It was also Valentine's Day this week... Or Singles' Awareness Day... So I was also busy recording a personal cover of "Poison & Wine," by just recent 2-time-Grammy-winner The Civil Wars, for my valentine! Check 'em out. Beauty duo, and well deserving winners of a Grammy.
Now I'm heading to good old Oshawa, Ontario for my Grandma's 90th birthday bash, and for the duration of a much needed "READING" WEEK.

SO, I will be back blogging. Stay TUNED! Cheers!

Life Lesson: It ain't over till the fat lady sings.

A Candlelit Misunderstanding

First of all, Merry Christmas! I hope you're having a blessed time with friends and family!

Secondly, I'd love to tell you a story of social straining sorts (alliteration is my gift to you). Well, maybe it's more of a caught-in-a-funny-looking-situation kind of story. I'll let you decide.

It all took place at the Choral Candlelight Service in the massive Westminster Church on Christmas Eve. We, as a family, were awaiting our sixth member that night and decided to attend this organ-filled, choral gathering first. The problem was that we were going to leave early in order to greet my sister at the airport upon her arrival. Her flight came in at around 11:22pm and the Choral service began at 11:00pm. I was perplexed. How were we ever going to enjoy the service and get to the airport on time?! I asked my Dad this and all he said in response was, "We'll wing it." "Alright, we'll wing it," I chuckled in response while placing my toque down beside me on the pew.

We had arrived half an hour early to take in the "Carols on the Organ" portion of the evening. As the congregation began to pile in, and the sanctuary began to fill up, we couldn't believe how everyone was still chattin'-it-up. The organ player flawlessly pounded out epic Christmas Carols and justly deserved all of the attention in the room (the organ is such a powerful instrument; it's mesmerizing to me). Eleven o'clock came around and the choir had yet to make their entrance. We were getting antsy. Finally, at 11:05pm they came streaming down the aisles, candles in hand, singing a triumphant "O Come All Ye Faithful!"

The moment it ended, the congregation was asked to sit down. And everyone did... as far as I knew. I looked to my left and there, making an abrupt escape into the aisle, was my family. I was sitting on the inner end of the pew, so I was startled but quickly followed suit as we all marched out. We had to endure the quizzical stares (especially from the elderly usher) from those behind us of course. We were laughing because it looked as though we had agreed as a family to come for only one song, and that would be our fill for the holiday.

As we were crossing the street I came to the sudden realization that I had LEFT MY TOQUE ON OUR PEW! This was a dilemma. I didn't want to leave one of my favourite toques in the clutches of some stranger. I had to go back. My family laughed at my circumstance. We had just made this grand peculiar exit, and now I was going to have to go back and retrieve my toque—while looking like a fool?! ... Utter social turmoil.

I prepared myself with some motivational self-talk and then proceeded to run up the Church's front steps, back into the fray. I walked like I was on a mission. Getting to our pew was the easy part, nobody had filled our left void. The worst part was leaving, as well as the fact that the congregation was still seated in silence, listening to the choral conductor speak. I made it to the pew and as I ducked reaching for the toque, I caught the look from the elderly woman beside it. I sheepishly said, "Sorry... Merry Christmas," half laughing as she responded with a chuckle. I marched back up the aisle, and again, I had to endure the piercing stares. This time however, I counteracted with some staring of my own. Muahaha, it worked! They immediately whipped their glances back to the front of the sanctuary. I whizzed past the elderly usher whispering "Merry Christmas," (with a big smile) and I was out! I ran back to my family filled with relief and laughter. Mission accomplished.

Anyways, I think there's a Life Lesson embedded in this story somewhere:

When someone says, "We'll wing it," be on your toes at all times.

Cheers!

~~~

Stay tuned for my second annual Top 10 Albums of the Year (in my opinion of course)! Check out my 2010 list HERE.

Fall-tering

I know... I apologized in early summer for being absent, but I feel like I need to ask for forgiveness and state my disappointment once again. Where has my passion for blogging disappeared to? Not sure at the moment... Maybe it was the fact that I was preoccupied with work, friends, soccer, and travels all summer, leaving the only downtime for relaxing (meaning mostly lounging around at home). Maybe it's the fact that Twitter has taken over as my instantaneous micro-blogging outlet. No matter, it is fall again and that means university, which also means procrastination. I will definitely try to get blogging more this fall!

Fail.

I had that written up as a draft on October 4th. OCTOBER FOURTH. Over a month and a half ago. Anyways, I will try and break this frustrating spell with an overdue Life Lesson for a certain NHL netminder that goes by the name of Ilya Bryzgalov...

Watch what you say when a whole city is listening.

 Then, back in spring as goalie for the Phoenix Coyotes, Bryzgalov said this:

"You don't want to go to Winnipeg, right? Not many people live there, not many Russian people there. Plus it's cold. There's no excitement except the hockey. No park, no entertaining for the families, for the kids. It's going to be tough life for your family. I've been there for just once, maybe twice, when I play in minors. It was really cold. I used the tunnels between the buildings to get to the arena. Because it was minus 40-something. Real cold."

Tisk, tisk, Ilya. You should know better. All 15,004 fans taunted the man as he sat on the bench watching the game, while Bobrovsky played instead of him. Our pleasure of booing him was not fully withheld however. As the Jets continued to punish the Flyers and put the puck into the back of the net, chants of "WE WANT ILYA!" flooded the arena. During one of the final TV timeouts our wish was cheekily granted. A courteous camera man was kind enough to plant a solo shot of Bryzgalov on the bench, and it beamed on the jumbo screen. All of a sudden the boo decibel level quadrupled. Pronger's boos were considered juvenile compared to this one huge, solid drone. Priceless. As Bryzgalov looked up to his horror, payback was dealt... and it felt good.

Lake Life

An essential cabin rule: Wear your swim suit at all times.

... I'm going to miss summer and the lake life it brings.

Why You Need to Fail

Holy smokes. I've been away on a fortnight's hiatus from blogging it appears... (I know eh? 14 DAYS!) Who knew summer would be busier than the school year? Well, it's really not that hard to believe because I have a job during the summer, unlike when I'm in school where I procrastinate and avoid all work till the last minute (allowing for a lot of blogging)!

Anyways, today I was waiting to see an advisor at UofM, so naturally I was on my phone and came across a very interesting article from Relevant Magazine. It explained how failure is a crucial stepping stone to success. I totally agree. The article says everything perfectly, so I'll just sit back and give you the link to it...

Why You Need to Fail

So read it and let me know what you think!
Here are a couple excerpts that stood out to me:

Life Lesson: "The crucible of loss forges the crucial resilience that fuel a consistently fully engaged life. Adversity introduces us to ourselves." - Pat Conroy

John Busacker on the most important characteristic of a successful leader: "She or he must have been broken—physically, spiritually, professionally, personally, relationally—and then gotten up, dusted themselves off and continued forward with the wisdom from that loss seared in both mind and heart. I would never follow a leader that is unbroken. He or she lacks the compassion and humility to lead others."

J.K. Rowling on her personal experience: "Failure meant the stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than who I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me."

I think it's time I focus more on what can be learned from my failure.

A Rant About Twitter

It's now time for a long over due, bottled-up (pro) Twitter rant. Enjoy...

I just surpassed 1,000 tweets yesterday. I find it interesting that I have sent out this many 140 character blurbs of personal thought, opinion, information, hype, etc. to whoever wishes to read them. But at the same time it doesn't surprise me. Why do I "tweet"? Mainly because it is just plain ol' fun. When I tweet, it is (almost 100%) the sharing of material in which I think is worthy of passing on. This includes things that are current, interesting, intriguing, funny, or knowledgeable. It could be something purely from myself or something that I re-tweeted from another user's contribution to the Twittersphere (the massively interconnected accessible cycle of tweets).

Twitter may just be the fastest, most current, and most updated news-feed in the world right now. Search for any topic and chances are that someone has tweeted about it. It is also an outlet for me to display what I am thinking or feeling at any given moment. Within personal limitations of what and what not to tweet, why wouldn't I share information with others that I think they would enjoy or find interesting?

To read another person's tweets is entirely your choice, so don't complain about how someone tweets too much (unless it clutters up your Twitter feed on your device, then it's okay). This leads me into my next point: Do not complain about Twitter if you do not have Twitter. Seriously, it's up there in annoyance with girlfriends who display undying affection for their boyfriends via Facebook statuses (and vice versa). You haven't experienced the true Twitter, if you've never tried it. I understand that there are those individuals who produce nonsense and those who are always seeking attention from celebrities and such, but that's with everything and everyone on the web these days!

Most people must have made fun of Facebook before signing up and experiencing the many benefits of such a social media concept. I myself was like, "Meh, sure. Why not?"

So...

Life Lesson: Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Don't talk smack about something you've never tried or just dismiss it because you think it is stupid for one lame reason (which probably is irrelevant to you). People ask, "Why use Twitter when I can use Facebook?" *with an upward turn of the nose*. The fact is, Twitter is more direct and you can organize what you want to see in different lists (or news-feeds). Twitter IS useful. With a swipe of the screen I can find out (and/or distribute info) about breaking news, new music, business deals (marketing), sporting events, miscellaneous articles to read, clothing sales, contests, interesting or funny videos, jokes, what my favourite bands/artists/actors/athletes are doing, where they're roaming and what they're experiencing... and MUCH MORE!

... Remember when I won that free £100 bet from Sportingbet.com?! Yeaaaah, thanks Twitter.

Here's a quote for you:

"Twitter makes me like people I've never met and
Facebook makes me hate people I know in real life."
- @shaylamaddox

Read a short article about how Twitter is "less annoying" than Facebook HERE.

So please... don't bash Twitter in front of my face. To sign up and join is your choice, I'm not forcing anything upon you. I'm just defending a social media tool that I know is very, very, very convenient and informative.
If you're worried about privacy, just lock your account; so you choose who can see your stuff. It's as easy as that.

End Rant! *as I slap the floor* (instead of End Scene... get it?)

p.s. Again, I'm sorry for sharing some emotion and some built up, internal venting (as well as sounding like an outraged nerd).

Live in the Moment

Wow, I've been quite the absent blogger this month. I always think I will have time in the summer to do certain things, but that's just never the case. Summer seems to fly by and I am left wondering where all the time went... every year! However... this does not have to be the reality. I just need to make the time and make the things that I want to happen, happen! This includes music projects, video projects, hanging out with more people, writing about recent experiences, spending time with family more, etc. Some just never get done, but I can make more of an effort to try and complete the majority of them.

(... Confessions of a procrastinator)

On the other hand, I also believe that it is not very healthy to negatively dwell on what you could have done or should have done with your time.

I included this in one of my tweets earlier today (it was out of humour at first because I missed out on saying something profound for my 1,000th tweet)...

Life Lesson: Life is full of missed opportunities;
make the most out of what you don't miss.

What you don't miss is what you have at the present time as well as what you choose to follow through with. A missed opportunity (or favourable occasion) is only truly seen in hindsight, after the fact. Try to completely focus on what is given to you and on what you actually follow through with; whether it be at work, during time with family and friends, or just in doing what you love to do. Utilize it as best you can. You will with no doubt benefit from knowing that your full attention was anchored in the task at hand.

This is something that I have to work on. I get carried away thinking about what I could be doing instead of what I am doing, and this distracts me from the present reality. This means I am not giving a full effort and therefore am sometimes never reaching my true potential self at that time.
Appreciation is also something I sometimes dismiss. I let my mood dampen my look on things and I don't appreciate my family or friend's affection at all. Therefore I am blinded and am not really grateful like I should be. In the end I believe it just comes down to choice... I have to choose to live toward my complete potential in everything that I do (physically, socially, and mentally), for we reap what we sow.

To make a long vent short...

Life Lesson: Live in the moment.

Even now, why am I writing this? I could be using this time to work on something more productive. But then again, this is what I chose to do. So why not put in a worthy effort, right?

(... Confessions of a psychology major)

Just something to think about.

All that I have written somehow makes sense to me, but I may not have conveyed it properly.

What are your thoughts?

p.s. Sorry for sharing some emotion.

The NHL Is BACK!!!

... GO JETS GO!

It's been 15 years since Winnipeg has had their beloved Jets' NHL team and we've been wanting it back ever since. Flick on the TV, read the newspaper, check some Twitter or Facebook feeds. I shouldn't be the one tellin' you that they're BACK! WOOOOOO!

The winds were a-gustin' and the rain was a-peltin', but the crowds still gathered and celebrated this surreal occasion! Portage & Main (our famous downtown intersection) was apparently nuts, I wish I wandered over there.

Life Lesson: A monumental, historic moment gives people the right
to act like entitled maniacs.

People are crazy when they join together in mass numbers. I love it. It was just like the Olympics in Vancouver last year. Thank you, NHL; the city has just united like never before!

Disclaimer: I did get rowdier after this video! I am actually insanely pumped for this city to have it's pride and joy back! Awwwww YEAH!

p.s. I'm still a Leafs fan... Hahahaha

Transferred

We've been transferred on a state of emergency basis to make sandbags for the province. This means night shifts... dun dun dun (or however that dramatic sound effect goes).

I feel like a zombie waiting to go back for another painful session of mindless assembly. Sandbagging takes its toll and it's worse when it's all night long and you're just filling the bags. I'm sure there are 100 people that can attest to that at our current branch. Tough stuff (especially mentally), I ain't gonna lie. It did help having good friends stand beside you and make you laugh hysterically though. I am definitely thankful for that. Anyways, I'm not going to go on about what kind of work it is because it's simple, so here's a brief summary: There are two massive machines that distribute the sand to multiple groups who assemble the bags and toss 'em in a front-end loader. This goes on for 10 hours. Yes, it is boring. So to keep sane we obviously kept ourselves entertained throughout the shift. Here are a few of the things we ended up doing:

1. We laughed at how it felt like a prison. Herding in after break, getting a less than five minute break in between loads, being in a rundown warehouse. Maybe it was more like a drug operation... everywhere you looked you saw bundles of white bags! Actually, midway through (and this was my favourite quote of the night), Dan made a comparison: "This is purgatory."

2. We laughed for no reason.

3. We played that ammo, gun, shield/block (rock paper scissors elaboration) game that apparently nobody knew about. It must be an Ontario thing...

4. We had a "Lunch break" (12:35am) McDonald's run.

5. We tried to throw the little pebbles from the sand into Ryan's back pockets... He still might not know that that was Chuck, Jess, and I. Jess actually placed zip ties in them too.

6. We talked about our childhood... you know, anything that would pass
10 FLIPPIN' HOURS BY!

Alright, so we survived one shift but it looks like this might go on for a full week! Unreal. It may sound like I'm complaining (which I blatantly am), but it actually feels good to know that we are saving many homes and properties in rural Manitoba by lending a helping hand. Apparently the Assiniboine River has not been at these levels in 300 YEARS. The province/country helped us in '97 and now it is our turn to help the province. Thank God for altruism.

Before I end this drawn out post I'll leave you with another Life Lesson from my cousin Charles, regarding the reflective decision to remove his gloves for tying the bags with zip ties...

Life Lesson: Nimble work calls for nimble fingers.

Now it's time for round 2.
Peace



(We always secretly hope that the machine breaks down...)

A Night Of TIESTO

My ears are still suffering from Tiesto's blasting beats Tuesday night. I've always wanted to experience a rave and since I never went to one in Europe, this "show" would have to do. Two buds from Prov enticed me to dress up in bright fluorescent colours and interesting head gear, and go all-out in true "Eurotrash" fashion (who really knows what that means?)... So I accepted and also captured a few moments of our time via my phone. (Vlog down below!)

Without feeling like complete fools because of what we were wearing (including the fan favourite Siberian tiger hat), we had to bring the energy and it was definitely brought. Alternating head gear duty and just ultimately out-dancing everyone around us made that happen. It was truly a good time.

Life Lesson: If you're dressed for the role, you have to play the part.

Initially, we had $20 worth of glow sticks that weren't allowed in (Tiesto's personal rule) and Sharpies to sign our clothing, but even those were confiscated at security. Our time could have been doubly as epic!

Anyways, without further ado...

A Night Of TIESTO from MannyG on Vimeo.

Notice how I did not include the Selective Reading Label: My Music. I'm not really into Tiesto at all... I've just always wanted to go to a "Eurotrash" rave. So, check that off my bucket list! Plus the guy's a fellow Dutchman! Don't judge me.

A Johnny-On-the-Spot Surprise

... A Johnny G's one that is.

My man Cam (of Nice! Productions and This is not Cam...) had the look of an astonished, shocked, giddy, taken aback child last night as we surprised him at Johnny G's for his birthday. It was a smashing time; we watched a bit of March Madness, shot some pool, danced (while keeping up balloons), and just hung out all night. Good times.

He couldn't believe how this plan had developed under his nose the whole time. It worked out perfectly. Thanks to Eric & Jen for plannin' the shindig! They also got a bunch of us to contribute some money to get a sweet camera for the man and his filming! Look out for slick vids.

Life Lesson: Someone who is purposefully surprised for the sake of good times... is never a fool.

Cam's no April Fool, but he is an April Baby who was born a day after. Cheers man!

The Life Lesson List

I made a list that contains all of my Life Lessons thus far. Plain and simple.
Go check it out, the tab's just up above.

I love reminiscing.

Spurs Love

Alright, so you may remember a certain twitpic I conjured up a few weeks ago. It displayed me spreading my wings just like the hero (and one of my heroes), Peter Crouch, after he scored the winner for Tottenham Hotspur against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League! That picture won me a £100 bet courtesy sportingbet.com and their fan contest. Sportingbet tweeted out for Spurs fans to post a picture of themselves celebrating the game, giving a free bet for their favourite... and they chose mine as the victor. Unbelievable. I never win anything... not even Roll-Up-the-Rim-to-flippin'-WIN.

Three weeks later (as in today), if you check out Tottenham's Official website, you may see a familiar face. Take a look at THIS:

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/win-100-bet-with-sportingbet-080311.html

UNREAL. I think that's preeeetty cool. I've made it (well, sort of)! What can I say? I love football [soccer] and I love Crouch, and not just because of our "striking resemblance"! I apply his technique to my game as well. Also, any Lank Tank is a friend of mine.

They're again holding the contest for Spurs' 2nd leg of their final 16 bout tomorrow. I've set the bar, so tomorrow we'll see what others can align!

Here's the winning picture!

A simple photo shot from my phone with a (literal) twist of humour!
(... and the help of my PVR of course...)

Just before the 1st leg, I looked at the contest and thought about entering but I sort of shrugged it off at first sight. After watching the game, Sportingbet's contest came back to mind, an idea popped up, and now I'm on THFC's official website. Just like that. Nice rice.

Thanks twitter. I think you're very useful.

What can you take away from this?

Life Lesson: You'll never know unless you try.

p.s. Sportingbet's customer service is exquisite.
p.p.s. Now the only question is, what to bet on? I think I have a winning strategy...
p.s. of the p.p.s. Of course they would spell my surname wrong in the article, but that's the last thing I care about right now!!!