Ray of Lights; Sliver of Hope

The thoughts that run through my mind sometimes depress me, sometimes upset me
How do I fix this?
How do I deal with the feeling I feel inside of me?

More than words can express,
More than the heart wishes to fathom,
And so much that the mind is screaming for some damn rest!

Once again, how do I fix this disease?
Up until today, I had no idea but then an image came to me.
The image of rays of lights coming down through the clouds onto a calm ocean.

Calmness, peacefulness and serenity filled me.

What's the point in wondering what if and I wish?
God has decided what he wants for me. If I were meant to be anywhere else, he would have altered my life to make me be there right now.


I am where I am now and I do not write to preach but I write because the feelings inside of me just won't let me relax until they're out.
I have come to realise certain emotions and thoughts are scarred onto you like a brand to a horse.
The true test is being able to recognise the cut and treat it so it becomes a healthy reminder of what not to do again in life.

TIME FOR SOME DOUBLES U SAY?!

Okay so yesterday I just got a vibe to bake and I've been curing this need by making the most delicious beef pies. Although I had minced meat defrosting in the fridge, I decided to venture out of my box. Doubles possibly?

Going into my amazing Naparima Cookbook, I started off by checking to see if I had all the ingredients and lo and behold, I did!! well minus the Turmeric Powder which I suspect was an essential missing ingredient but moving on QUICKLY.

Followed instructions very carefully. Did everything I was supposed to. I even covered with a damp cloth! lol. So this is where typical Solange comes into play. Recipe says: Leave dough to raise for 1 1/2 hours. LOL. So i fell asleep and Mr. Dough raised for 3 hours. Minor issue! I think....


I woke up and continued with my meal making. Punched down the dough and left to rest for 10-15 minutes.

I then started to make the channa which was fairly simple because I had chick peas in a can. Left that to cook and started on frying this 'bharra'. Oil heated and dough punched down and rolled into pieces. Here we go! The first one, the oil may have been a little too hot. But I did not let this get to me. Try #2 then #3 and #4. Hmmm...not bad if I say so myself!

Checked on the channa which was cooking nicely. Took that off the heat and the 'bharra' was suitably cooked by then, so put 2 and 2 together and I had what?! I had DOUBLES!!

If you noticed, I put 'bharra' in quotations merely because it tasted like bake with a touch of cumin but we won't speak of that.

I MADE DOUBLES!!

Disclaimer: Heard from my friend Kyle that apparently real doubles is left to sweat to get it soft AND they're supposed to be fried in ghee. But small isssue!!!

Active day

Okay so today I aimed to go downtown for 11 am for the Caribana launch but well as you can see from my post the night/morning of, I didn't get to sleep until close to 6 am. Regardless my alarm is apparently set to go off every morning at 10. sigh. I rolled out of bed and forced myself to be an active human being. Phone charged, Ipod charged, Camera battery charged and I was off. The launch was scheduled to run until 2pm and I arrived at 1:50 :S boo! but I still managed to catch the tail end of the festivities.
There were the trademark tacky Carnival costumes (lol), Roti and Doubles (Halal might I add), Trini flags( there were probably others but I really didn't notice),and everywhere I turned I heard the strongest Caribbean accents. It was almost like people off on their lunch hour wanted to show off that this was THEIR heritage and THEIR festival. It was touching but I prefer to be an observer rather than one of the masses pretending to be Caribbean.

This brings me to another one of my pet peeves! Yes I am trini and yes my parents still reside there and NO having family that lives in 'Port of Spain' or 'San Fernando' or the best I ever heard 'Biche'. Your background is Trini but you are most definitely not. Anyway, moving on.

I then took to exploring the city while handing out resumes. Toronto really is an extremely beautiful and diverse place to live.
These people are very popular out here. Their sidewalk art is INCREDIBLE. I was leaving the mall and he was now starting this piece. You can see the picture on the left bottom of the piece he was basing it off of. I walked around for at least 3 hours and when I returned, he was almost done. Check it out!!




PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO!! LOL

Mind of a Journalist

Trying to sleep and my mind cannot rest. Popped open the computer and wrote a few thoughts that fleeted by @ 5:24 am

What to write?
What would my angle be?
Who do I interview?
What do I ask them?
How do I make this relevant?
How do I make my mark on the Journalism field?
What to write?
How do I sound professional?
What is going on out there to write about?
Will anyone care?
Will I ever be rich?
Will I ever have a paying job?
What to write?
How do I choose what to write about when there is so much going on?
Is there a mental transcriber for all my thought before I go to sleep?
Why can't I just type a little bit faster?
Why does my mind race with so many ideas when I have no pen and paper?

I LOVE TO WRITE!

July= Solange's New Year

Hey everyone!

So I plan on keeping this blog pretty up to date just because its something that has been on my mind for a very long time but I always got so intimidated because I felt like I had so much to catch up on. Where do I start??

Well my last few posts were from my brief 1 month internship at the fabulous MACO Magazine in Trinidad. This is hands down my favourite place that I have ever worked. Amazing work hours, fabulous work environment, great location and last but not least wonderful co-workers.

Anyway moving on, I graduated from Sheridan College in Print Journalism excited and eager to jump into the world of writing! Well, things weren't as easy as I thought. After intense emotions and long days of job hunting I landed a wonderful internship at a new and upcoming home decore website, Remote Stylist. Within a week I was headed off to Muskoka to my warm and welcoming boss' cottage for 2 days. She opened her arms, house, kitchen and bedroom to me and other intern, Michelle. This is a view of some of the cottages we checked out!




With prior plans to visit a cottage in Kawartha for my birthday weekend, plans went on with full force. It was a great experience minus the head numbing cold water and ruthless mosquitoes. All in all, it was great spending time with my friends!

My birthday came and went while in Muskoka and although I would have loved to be out partying and drinking, I had my boyfriend take a shot for me instead :)

Jump forward to this weekend and here we are!

On an abnormally chilly Saturday evening, Casey, Ranae and myself were headed off to Salsa on St. Clair for a celebration of Latin Culture. In other words, it was like Pride Parade, except Spanish (quote Casey* lol). My only question was, Will there be corn? With a simple yes, I was dressed and on my way down!

Events like these make me love living in Toronto and even more deciding to stay for my 1st summer since moving here 5 years ago. A live band, couples salsa-ing in the streets, 'salsa spots', freshly made empanadas, tacos and fresh cut fries, corn (!!!) and churro's ALL greeted me in a quick second. I was in my element! As Ranae ran off to get dressed, Casey and I tried to sample as much as my stomach could handle.

Soon the time came from Ranae to perform. I don't think I even need to comment after this picture!




Cheers!
Solange

Sales Card-MACO Magazine

Two designs I played around with for our 10th anniversary issue rate card

Brown Sugar and Spice- BOOK

This is a design I did while at my internship at MACO Magazine. Its for a book that our publishing house: Toute Bagai Publishing is printing for 2009. I didn't do the illustration. I just edited the picture and formatted the text.

Fiction Lounge-JAMAICA

www.macomag.com

MACO Destinations Volume 5 Issue 2
Solange des Vignes

Energy drinks: good for us or deadly?

Energy drinks: good for us or deadly?

A health phenomenon has taken the Western world by storm and comes in the guise of ‘the energy drink.’ Chances are you have probably tasted at least one of the hundreds of energy drinks available on today’s market. From Red Bull to Monster to Rockstar, they all plead the same case: we’re the best one out there and we will be the one to make you strong and even increase your sexual stamina.

One may wonder how consumers even decide which energy drink they want since most energy drinks are merely carbonated drinks that contain large doses of caffeine and sugar. Some may have a few variable ingredients such as B vitamins, amino acids or herbal stimulants.

“The packaging and price of the drink has a lot to do with what I end up buying, ” admitted Michael Sanchez, a Sheridan graduate student.

There is a new energy drink on the market now made from white grape juice, Mexican limes, carbonated water, artificial flavours and six botanical herbs. It’s called Pussy. The name has nothing to do with the contents of the drink but it definitely gets your attention. It seems to be the new way to get a drink sold in a market flooded by these sex-appealing products.

It is all about the marketing. Give your product a name that is going to get people talking. Create a commercial and marketing campaign that stirs up the right level of controversy. Pair your product with another well-known and established item. In this case, well, it’s self-explanatory.



Sheridan College currently only carries ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Full Throttle’ energy drinks. When the Sheridan Sun asked the Food and Services Manager, Mary Lu, why the cafeteria chose that specific brand, she simply replied, “ Rockstar is distributed by Coca-Cola, and we receive supplies from them, so that is what we chose to carry.”

Red Bull promotes its products with alcohol. Unfortunately, their marketing scheme could be a recipe for disaster. Popular choices are Red Bull and vodka for the ladies and Red Bull and Hennessy for the gentlemen. These lethal combinations, however, can cause someone to experience a heart attack. According to Reuters, the combination of the alcohol and energy drinks could be deadly as it impairs proper blood vessel function and possibly lifts the risk of blood clotting.

Therefore, when choosing which energy drink you crave after a long day at school or as your chaser when going to your favourite nightspot, remember the negative implications of consuming it in an irresponsible way and go for the healthiest option, not the one with the best attention-grabbing ad.

EDITORIAL

Finding the balance between social and academic life

College life can be lots of fun, but as the semester unfolds, and assignments, exams and deadlines pile up it can be a real nightmare too. In fact, it is a common trend for new college students to find that they are struggling with their first semester or first year of their studies.

The pressures of the extra workload in comparison to high school and trying to keep up a healthy social life may prove to be too much for some. We do not advise that you maroon yourself into the new and trendy Learning Commons reading all your textbooks back to front however. The perfect remedy for surviving college life is balance. It may take some time but acquiring the skill of time management is vital.



One of the best things about college life is finally being free of the restraints of parental control. There are many campus events put on by the Student Union from 19+ pub nights to all ages concerts. Find some time to participate in some of these events as it is a great way to meet your fellow college-mates and possibly make some lifelong friends. It’s also a great way to de-stress from your overwhelming first few weeks of school.

Unfortunately however, some students may still find themselves struggling with this experience. Some may be soon falling prey to peer pressure. They may not be enjoying their choice of program or just might be having trouble adapting to the transition of college life. Do not despair though. We have an amazing teaching staff here at Sheridan College who always strive to assist all students in achieving success . Do not be wary in approaching your teacher if you are struggling in class. They will gladly lend assistance if it is needed. We also have the staff at the Student Advisement Centre who has seen and dealt with it all.

The Student Advisement Centre is available for all Sheridan College students who are unclear of next steps or to discuss options and prepare an action plan.
Always remember that there is someone who you can speak to or get advice from and they will willingly help you muddle through this dilemma. To reach the Student Advisement Centre at the Trafalgar Campus, you can call 905-845-9430 ext 2557, e-mail askanadvisor@sheridaninstitute.ca or Room B104 or call 905-459-7533 ext 5400 or room B231 at the Davis Campus.

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Cavalcade of Lights

29th November 2008

Cavalcade of Lights

Thousands braved the blistering cold to attend Toronto’s Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square on Nov 29. This is the 42nd year Toronto has featured the holiday tradition, a glittering display of a 60’ Christmas tree and over 300,000 lights. It is truly a sight to see. The square is fully lit from dusk until 11 pm every night during the holiday season.

Canadian designer, Brian Gluckstein succeeded in putting into effect this year’s theme “Modern Canadiana.” The lighting display of thousands of red, white and silver lights really contributes to the environment of festivity that Canadians feel during the Christmas season.



Mary Loudis, a regular patron of the Christmas event said, “This is something I love to bring my family to every year. My kids enjoy the chance to stay up late and see the lights come on while they skate. It gives our family the opportunity to spend some good quality time together.”

Ice-skating, food stands and small merchant stands are a few of the attractions planned for the months of December and January. Patrons enjoyed the ambience of a variety of music played by house DJ Tony Sutherland.

Shortly after the lighting of the tree and a jaw dropping fireworks show, the ice rink was prepped for the many skaters eager to get a taste of the fresh ice. After 15 minutes of waiting, the anxious skaters loudly counted down with DJ Tony. Then they were off to glide under the large arch of shimmering lights and stars.



Melissa Soloris, a student at the University of Toronto for the past two years said, “ I love the atmosphere of tonight. Everyone just seems so happy and at peace. The lights, the music, the people, everything is just so nice. This is my first time coming to the opening ceremony and I am so happy that I made the effort to attend. I will definitely want to make this a tradition.”

The City of Toronto promises that each Saturday there will be a free outdoor concert and fireworks production. There will also be ice-skating until 10 pm with popular dj’s of Toronto.

Relationships and College Life

Thursday February 7th 2008

Dating distractions

By Solange des Vignes

Students attending college experience many distractions. Having to juggle school and a job, taking a long and tiring commute to and from school everyday, living in your parents’ house while trying to gain that long awaited “college independence.” One of the biggest distractions for students here at Sheridan College are relationships.

The perfect recipe for a successful relationship is spending a lot of time together. Seeing that special someone on campus on a daily basis is the key ingredient.

However, according to interior design student, Erica Reavell,“They are a distraction. If you live with somebody, it’s one thing but if you’re not and you have to make time to see them all the time, obviously your schoolwork is suffering.”
Mariya Czubak shares the same opinion. “I believe they hinder because you skip classes and there’s always the temptation to go and have lunch together especially if you’re in college together. If you’re not, then there’s the temptation to not do work when you are outside the college to get together with them.”

There are other students who believe there is something to gain out of carrying on a relationship while in college. Anya Rutkowska acknowledges they are somewhat of a distraction but “they give someone a reason to be motivated.”
Some believe it is impossible not to maintain a relationship with a college peer because you’re around so many different and diverse people you’re sure to find someone interesting or attractive.

If you think you’ve already found that perfect person, remember to give your schoolwork just as much attention as your relationship. If you are not in a relationship, stop for a minute and look at the person next to you in class. It may just be your next partner.

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Lack of Student Life at Sheridan College

Thursday January 24th 2008


Lack of student life at Sheridan College

How exciting are your weekends? Do you crave for more out of your college experience?
As a former student of the downtown campus of The University of Toronto where there was very little student life, I expected when coming to a relatively small college that the student community would be large and thriving. How wrong was I!
How many of the people that you’ve met since you started here at Sheridan don’t belong to your program? Chances are, not many. If you walk through the halls of Trafalgar campus on a typical Friday afternoon, you’ll see many students walking hastily, looking straight ahead and totally focused on catching the next bus home. It is obvious that many students come to school, go to their classes and go straight home. Rarely do you find a group of students talking excitedly about their plans for the weekend or where they are going to meet later that night.

Your best bet for any form of student camaraderie in Oakville on the weekends is to go to the local sports bar across the street from campus, Monaghan’s. This student hang out spot is in no way affiliated with Sheridan College so you may find an eclectic mix of students combined and older gentlemen drinkers.

There are some students that want to socialize solely with their fellow Sheridan schoolmates. Many believe the Connexion does not offer enough activities for the average college student. There used to be all ages pub nights every Tuesday night and 19+ events on Thursday nights but these nights were cancelled indefinitely by the Student Union. The one common complaint among Sheridan College students such as Pierre Richards, a Business Marketing student, is that “ if they were open on Fridays and Saturdays, it would be sick.”

Unfortunately the only options for a weekend social life if living in Oakville is to attend house parties or leave, heading out to York, downtown Toronto or Mississauga. If you’re trying to meet new people, try your luck at talking to random groups of friendly looking students on campus between your classes because socializing at weekend campus activities is hardly an option.




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The Student Guide to College Life

The Student Guide to College Life

Shared via AddThis

Acceptance and Destiny

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Acceptance

Hate is something that helps the weak to survive
Hating me was something I knew you would experience after my actions
Regret is not an option.
Giving fully to someone who had no inhibitions about feelings can only be a lesson to be learnt.
Lessons to be learnt on both ends are of vital importance
Show care to whoever you choose to include in your life
Lies and deceit do not benefit anyone
Give totally to the person that deserves it.
Honesty to the one that did not, saves many many many headaches and stress.
You took my trust
You took my care
You took my concern
You took my time
You took my energy
You took my money
You took a piece of me
All things that cannot be gotten back
All things that are not wanted back
After it all I am left with the most important thing
A better sense of myself, the person I am and the way I deserve to be treated.
Give totally, Love exclusively. Never forget this.
Good luck


Destiny

Our destiny has been written long before our time
God has a plan
Only He knows it
Trust in His plan
Trust in His wisdom
Trust in His love
The only person to trust implicitly without a second thought is He
Be careful what you wish for
His plan may contain your wish but not always in the way you expect

Love totally
Trust cautiously
Believe rarely
Give naturally
Smile consistently
Live spiritually
Forgive easily

Expect the unexpected so when life manifests the now expected, you are not left with an unexpected situation.

Disappointment is most easily avoided when expectations are set at a realistic level.

Doing what's best is not always easy!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Hey to everyone that is reading this! Well right now I am feeling so positive about everything that is going on in my life. Sometimes these feelings don't last long and majority of the time it comes and goes in spurts.

Show me one person that can keep their head up continually in times of adversity.

There is something that people forget to do. Turn to the people that really care about you. The people that you know have your best interest at heart. One mistake people make is trusting the wrong people with their feelings and thoughts. The people that really really care are the ones that have shown you time and time that they are there for you when you feel that you don't need them. Then you know when you need them, they are MORE than eager to lend their support and encouragement. A real friend is not someone that gives you empty advice. It is the person that knows you so well that they acknowledge how difficult some decisions are going to be in your life. They remind you that you've been through too much already to deserve this.

Lessons are meant to be learnt in life. Mistakes are meant to be made. However, mistakes do not NEED to be made more than once. If you have already gone through something in your life that seemed difficult and impossible to overcome and one way or another you surprised yourself and persisted through your ups and downs. WHY would you willingly enter yourself into something that looks to be similar. Life is about LEARNING from your mistakes.

Stop..........and learn.


If something is wrong, sometimes your gut knows deep down that its best not to fix it. Be happy that you enjoyed it while it worked. Sometimes you're not experienced enough to fix it back to the quality that it was when you first got it. There is probably someone out there that is experienced enough or has the patience to do the work that needs to be done.

If you are torn about where you should be in your life and if you should be trying to fix something that was/is broken in your life ...try and fix it!! try the thing that is comfortable FIRST, go back where you were before, try it, get it out of your system if need be....If it does not work, then you know you are meant for bigger and better things...trust me...its is DEFINITELY what's best...

Well I hope for anyone that is going through anything in their life and they feel they are in a rut and feel lower than low...that you keep your head up and constantly remind yourself that there are better things in life to worry about...

Happy Lent and remember lent is a time of reflection and the best advice I received from my Mom is to rid yourself of everything that is toxic for the next 40 days....try it people...cleanse yourself of everything...food, drink, thoughts, people, smoking...anythingggg that is not good for your mind, health and body...You'll never regret it :)

Peace outttttt