Bought a pair of bordo/burgundy Kenneth Cole shoes

Not sure if I should be buying something like that but I did. I ordered the burgundy/dark-red shoes pictured above from an Amazon merchant. MSRP is US$197 but the size I picked was only $77.98 so I felt like it may be a bargain.

The shoes is by Kenneth Cole, called Connect The Dot, and is a somewhat unique shoe for Kenneth Cole. For those not familiar, Kennetch Cole is famous for contemporary styles, which essentially means square-toe designs, whereas this shoe is tapered and somewhat pointed, with a round toe. I don't know if this is going to be "tight" given its narrow toe but we'll see how it fits. The shoe is very dressy with a thin leather sole.

I went for the bordo (burgundy/dark red) colour because I like unique colours and don't mind wearing them over black. I usually wear burgundy/wine/bordo/etc with black dress pants. Some people disapprove of this and think only black shoes should be worn with black pants but I don't think that's correct. My understanding is that burgundy matches well with black.

This is probably the most high-end (expensive) shoe I have ever purchased if we go by MSRP or the regular price. In terms of the actual price, I have purchased other shoes that cost more but their MSRP was lower. This is my first Kenneth Cole—I have avoided them in the past because they were always expensive or their toes were too square for my taste—and we'll see how it stacks up against my other shoes. I don't own any high end dress shoe and can only afford mid-end lines. When it comes to dress shoes, I typically aim for brands such as Bostonian and Florsheim. I also take a look at low-end versions of Kenneth Cole, Allen Edmonds, etc. For athletic fashion, I usually stick with Puma.

Purchased a money clip and burgundy portfolio case

In getting ready for potential interviews, I purchased a Burgundy leather portfolio case from online merchant Creative Leather Concepts. We'll see how this works out. I spent some time looking for unique portfolio cases, either in burgundy colour or something that looked professional, and decided to go with the one below:



This one is very simple and has less slots and space than others I looked at it. I went with this because it was very cheap (US$19.95) and zippered. There are very few zippered cases at this price and I wanted zip because I might run through the rain or snow. For my purposes, which will be limited to interviews, this is sufficient. If I were using it for regular note-taking then I might have gone with someone more fancier. Unfortunately, shipping to Canada (retailer is in Florida) was US$13, more than half the price of the portfolio.


On another note, I also purchased the following sterling silver money clip from the Silver Gallery:



I have always used wallets before but am planning to switch to a money clip from now on. This is probably one of the most luxurious items I have ever purchased in my life. It was US$75 but out of my price range for goods like these.

Geoff Pevere's Book - Toronto On Film

Geoff Pevere, the long-time film critic at The Toronto Star, has written a new book on a topic that may interest hardcore film fans in Toronto (this book likely won't appeal to casual fans.) As the name of the book, Toronto On Film, implies, it is about th intersection of Toronto and films. I haven't read the book—I'm not even sure if it is released yet—but it looks interesting. You can purchase the book from the official publisher's website or can sign up with a discounted price at Amazon.ca.

In reviewing the book, here is what David Fleischer had to say:

Pevere has already shown himself to be connoisseur of Can Con with Mondo Canuck, a lighthearted, encyclopedic exploration of our domestic pop culture. Toronto on Film is a bit different. With its footnoted essays and compact, glossy pages, it's more academic in tone, if no less informative than the former book. It's something more likely to appeal to a film student or a local history buff than Joe Popcorn—not that that's a bad thing.

While most of us have at least some familiarity with the works of Egoyan, Cronenberg, and McKellar, plenty of attention is also given to flicks from the 1970s—such as Ron Mann's The Strip and Glenn Gould's Toronto—which most of us probably haven't seen.

The book is at its best exploring niche areas such as how Toronto comes across in documentaries and its role in queer films. In general, in case you're wondering, the city is a pretty anonymous and inhospitable place where people come to escape bad memories or find disappointment.

Like Reel Toronto, Toronto on Film also has an excessive, possibly Freudian obsession with the priapic CN Tower and its presence and/or absence in films shot here. Pevere's introductory essay opens with him attending a screening of Deepa Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood and encountering a surprised gasp when the tower appears onscreen during a dance sequence. Even films set in Toronto (think of Cronenberg's Crash or McKellar's Last Night), rarely make use of our most distinctive landmark, he notes. Try to picture, on the other hand, a New York rom-com that somehow fails to include the Empire State Building in the fore- or background at some point.

Admittedly, the book is a bit dry for the average reader, but it's not lacking in ideas and information. The bibliographical list of "175 Key Toronto Films" includes films about the city, set in the city, and made by people in the city. It's a pretty exhaustive reference, even if it sometimes seems a bit too liberal in its definition of what constitutes a "Toronto film." Away from Her is a great movie but does it fit the bill? Similarly, the Canadian Film Centre is a crucial institution, but Cube, which it produced, doesn't really have much to say about the city, does it?

The book looks more academic than something a casual fan might read. It is a collection of essays that are backed with research. I'm too busy searching for a job, researching investments, and trying to get into the dating game, but I may read this at some point in the distant future. Quite frankly I haven't read any books on film yet and I have a few about American cinema that I want to check out first.

Here are some excerpts from the book:

The Star's 9-part excerpt (other sections can be selected on the right)

Xtra's excerpt

My dress code for any future interview

As in many things pertaining to a job search, the dress code for an interview can be subjective. Unless there is a special reason for it, HR professionals recommend that everyone dress up. Generally this means a man should wear a suit. Even if you won't be wearing a suit in your job, it is suggested that you wear one. If one is uncertain, they should find out by doing more research or checking out what the interviewing company's workforce wears. I'm in an office-type job so a suit is generally required for an interview.

Black Suit - Perhaps A Bit Dicey?

Since I don't wear a suit to work and haven't looked for a job in more than 5 years, I only have one suit that is suitable. I have a few additional suits from my university days (10+ years ago) but they either don't fit well or they are worn out slightly. I also a double-breasted suit but it is generally not recommended for interviews, and I don't wear double-breasted suits anymore.

Unfortunately, the only suit I have is black. From what I have read, black suits are not recommended for interviews. Black generally gives off the impression of 'funeral' or 'evening wear'. They should be avoided, if possible, for truly conservative industries, like the legal profession or banking, but my area is technology-related (depends on the company though) and it is more relaxed in my field. As usual, these rules aren't set in stone so it depends on other factors as well. Fortunately, my suit isn't pure black and has pinstripe (midnight black pinstripes on black so I'm not sure if one can even see the pinstripe.)

So the first dilemma is whether I should purchase a new suit. I don't have a good job so I would probably aim for low to mid-range (say C$300 to $500.) If I were to buy a suit, I would buy a navy blue suit. Navy blue suits are power suits and they are good for my skin tone. Unless I get a really good job, any purchased suit won't find another use for years. So I'm leaning towards not buying a new suit and going with my black suit.

If I don't buy another suit, it also means that I would end up wearing the same (black) suit for multiple interviews with the same hiring manager. This might be kind of lame but my understanding is that it is proper for man to wear the same suit to subsequent interviews as long as the shirt & tie combo aren't the same. I'm not 100% certain but I believe women, in contrast, are expected to wear different clothes to subsequent interviews with the same hiring manager.

Leather Portfolio Case

I also need to purchase a portfolio case. When I was applying for jobs in the past, or when I was in university, I didn't use a portfolio case but I believe that is the ideal thing to use now. You can usually get a decent leather portfolio case for C$30 to C$75. Better quality one cost C$100 to C$200.

Since I always like to be unique—that's what I am in real life—I usually go for clothing items that may be uncommon. For instance, I used to wear pink dress shirts long before they became popular. Being unique may backfire at times but I want to live the way I see fit.

With respect to the portfolio case, I'm trying to get one that is burgundy rather than the commonly seen black or brown. I looked in a few leather goods stores at the Eaton Centre in Toronto but didn't find anything I liked. I am also aiming for something that costs less than $100, preferably less than $50. It remains to be seen if I can get a portfolio in that colour. Backup plan is to go with dark brown. If all else fails, black it shall be.

Shirt & Tie

Shirts and ties are cheap, especially if you don't buy high-end items. So I am open to buying new combinations. I have a whole hoard of shirts so I'm thinking of going with some that I already have. Assuming the suit is black...

Right now, I'm thinking of going with baby blue shirt (Kenneth Cole Reaction in 'mist' colour) and a yellow patterned (dotted or very tiny icons) tie. Another choice is a striped yellow tie with possibly blue or black as part of the stripes. Most interview advice that you find on the web or in books, as well as many HR professionals out there, recommend white or really-light shirt colour but I don't think that is such a great idea if my suit is black. I want to avoid anything that comes close to the white shirt+black suit combo. If you were wearing a navy blue or grey suit then those colours are fine.

I don't have the tie but am planning to buy one. Yellow is a bit iffy colour that could completely backfire but I'm willing to take a chance with it. I like to be unique and I think yellow is more unique than, say, a blue or burgundy tie. Although not ideal, it also complements my skin tone better than some other choices out there.

Experimental Back Up Combo

I don't want to jeopardize the chances of getting a job but, since I don't ever get a chance to wear a suit, I'm thinking of experimenting with some of my interviews. I'll only do this if I get a lot of interviews and am confident of landing a job.

What I would like to try is also what passes as one of the hardest things in menswear: the triple stripe combo. This is basically wearing a pinstripe suit, striped shirt, and striped tie. It is very easy to mess this up and end up looking like a jumble of stripes. In fact, general fashion advice is to only wear one stripe, while the other two are solids (or patterns.)

I'll probably have to buy a new shirt and tie to try this. My suit's stripes are faint (since it is basically black stripes on black) so I'll have an easier time than something like grey pinstripes on black. Hopefully I'll get enough interviews to be able to experiment with my clothing.

Final Set Up

It's too early to be thinking too much about this but here is my plan for my interview dress code:

• Black suit (thick black pinstripe on black)
  
• Baby blue shirt
  
• Yellow patterned tie (tiny patterns or dots)
  
• Burgundy dress shoes (this is somewhat unique but acceptable—you can wear burgundy or black shoes with black pants)
  
• Burgundy belt
  
• Burgundy portfolio case (not sure if I will find one in this colour)
  
• Dress watch
  

Some of these unique items, such as the burgundy shoes and yellow tie, could backfire but I don't want to give them up. Yes, I can harm my chances but I also want to show my uniqueness and independence.

Dress Code Matters

I'm kind of nervous about my job prospects, given the weak economy, my rusty technical skills, long-forgotten interview skills, and so forth. At the same time, I'm excited to be pursuing new opportunities in life and having some fun with my clothes. Dressing up once in a while is kind of fun. Who knows how many interviews I will get but I'm preparing for them.

One isn't going to get a job due to the way they dress (except in some special jobs where image is crucial) but any positive impression is a big bonus. I also want to project an image of professionalism and power since I am seeking to advance further up the corporate ladder. I'm still near the very bottom of the corporate ladder but any upward projection helps. At least I think so.

I'm in the job hunting game now

I have started looking for a job due to various reasons. I thought I would write up about my job hunting. Although it's a bit risky to be publicly disclosing your job search, especially when you are still employed at a company, I thought I would still do it for two reasons.

First of all, I think it would be benefitial to others who are either seeking jobs or are thinking of advancing their career. Secondly, I want to sort of keep a diary of my experience (so that I can reflect upon it in a few decades if I wanted to.) This blog is the closest thing to any diary I keep so we'll see how it goes.

I don't really know what I will write about but, right now, I'm thinking of writing about useful job search references I encounter; strategies that seem to work and ones that don't; interview experiences (I will likely delay-post this); impressions of companies and their respose to me; dress code and items I'm purchasing; and so forth.

All career-related posts will be labelled as "career" so search for that in the future if you are interested.

To start off, in my next post, I'm going to cover a light topic and talk about the clothing items I'm thinking of purchasing and the interview dress code I'm planning. I haven't been invited for any interviews—in fact, I haven't even applied to any jobs yet although I have a short-list of postings—so it might seem odd to cover the dress code for an interview. But I think everyone should do things in parallel, such as getting their resume ready, clothes ready, and so on. This way there won't be any difficulties if someone invites you for an interview in the next few days.

Kseniya Simonova & Her Sand Animation

Wow! Thanks to The Star, I just came across an amazing artistic performance by Ukranian artist Kseniya Simonova. It is apparently one of the top YouTube videos out there and here is The Star's description:

Of all the Internet videos to go viral this year, it is hands-down the most unusual: an eight-minute performance from the TV show Ukraine's Got Talent during which a 24-year-old "sand animator" named Kseniya Simonova draws a constantly evolving series of illustrations, in sand, showing how ordinary people suffered in the wake of the German invasion in World War II.

The unlikely YouTube sensation has been viewed more than 2 million times.

The performance reduced many in the audience –as well as at least one of the three judges – to tears. A section of the shifting pictures is set to a classical version of "Nothing Else Matters," performed by Finnish cello act Apocalyptica but originally done by heavy metal band Metallica.

I must congratulate Kseniya Simonova for such a great performance. It was deep, touching, and unique. The execution was perfect!

(The Metallica song, Nothing Else Matters, is also great and is one of their softest and most mainstream songs so check it out. Another pair of great songs accessible to the mainstream are Unforgiven and Unforgiven II.)

My film picks for TIFF '09

As usual, I bought the 10-ticket pass for this year's Toronto International Film Festival. I'm taking two of my friends to a film so I'll be seeing 8 films this year. I was box 51 while box 48 was selected so I got all my first choices this year. (BTW, I came across a very useful blog, TIFF Talk, that answered a lot of questions. Good job to the blogger(s) who run that blog.)

I generally try to pick at least one film from the Wavelengths program but picked none this year. Maybe it's because of the down & out mood I was in, or the urge for a change, but whatever it was, I picked some unusual ones this year. I selected three films from Vanguard, my favourite program and the one that contains edgy—socially, sexually, culturally, technologically—stuff. Visions, which is my second favourite program, and the one with visually innovative, unique plot structures, and the like, gets no picks this year. I generally do not pick documentaries at the festival (not into them very much and don't want to waste money on them.) However, I picked one from the documentary program, Real to Reel, probably because I'm interested in China and want to check out how life is over there.

What I think I will like is often not the one I end up liking after seeing the film but here is my feeling right now. I look forward to Baaria, which is made by the same director who made Cinema Pardiso, a classic movie-lovers' film. I also look forward to She, a Chinese and The Road.

legend: film name (director, country of film or country of production) [TIFF program]

Hotel Atlântico
(Suzana Amaral, Brazil) [Masters]


The Dirty Saints, aka Los Santos sucios
(Luis Ortega, Argentina) [Vanguard]


She, a Chinese
(Guo Xiaolu, China/UK/France/Germany) [Vanguard]


The Road
(John Hillcoat, USA) [Special Presentations]


Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
(Werner Herzog, USA) [Special Presentations]


Once Upon a Time Proletarian
(Guo Xiaolu, China) [Real to Reel]


Baarìa
(Giuseppe Tornatore, Italy) [Special Presentations]


Enter the Void
(Gaspar Noé, France) [Vanguard]

Allergy seasons in Canada

Grrr... In the last 5 or 6 years, I have developed allergies or something. I was fine in my younger years so either it is due to age or the environment. Who knows if it's genetic or if it's due to pollution? My health, due to lack of exercise and poor diet, probably doesn't help matters either.

In any case, I thought others may find it useful to know of the allergy seasons in Canada. I pulled the following graphic from Claritin, a leading allergy medication provider.



The graphic is just a guide and if one is seriously interested, they should do deeper research. The seasons may change slightly based on weather and other factors.

Based on the chart, and the fact that I'm usually ok during the summer, it seems I'm most allergic to ragweed :( Western Canada doesn't seem to have problems with ragweed.

Maps of Toronto - Homicide, Electricty Cut-off, and Public School Drop-out

The Star, the newspaper once known as The Toronto Star, has an interesting blog by Patrick Cain that produces maps of Toronto overlaid with interesting information. Utilizing Google Maps technology and publicly available information, Patrick Cain has produced maps depicting neighbourhoods, to ones illustrating homicides across the city, to ones showing sexually trasmitted diseases, to reported swine flu incidents across Ontario. If you are interested in this sort of thing, you may want to check out The Star's Map of the Week blog and scroll through some of the earlier posts.

I have pulled a couple of charts I thought were interesting. Instead of going over the usual, I picked some insightful maps.

The first is an interesting, if depressing, map of Toronto. It is a map of homicides in Toronto over the last few years (Click this link to access the interactive map). The first map shows Greater Toronto, while the second one is closer to my home area. I live somewhat close to a high-crime area so crime is somwhat high along the roads I travel. One needs to keep in mind the population density, which unfortunately is not shown on the map. Some areas have high density so the deaths, although terrible, aren't as common as the map may imply.

Homicides in Toronto

Homicides Closer to My Home

Public School Drop-Out Rates

The above graphic shows a map of public school drop-outs across the city (click here for interactive map). Some of the areas with high drop-out rates also have high crimes and are some of the poorest areas in the city, although the correlation isn't as high as some may think. For instance, the entertainment district, in the core of the city, tends to high quite a number of deaths, but the drop-out rate isn't so bad. Areas with high drop-out rates may also portend to a poorer future, although one can never be sure of this.


Finally, I decided to show a rarely-seen map of electricity cut-off for non-payment (residential only). A map like is perhaps the most accurate way to gauge wealth in various communities. The commonly used measure of neighbourhood wealth is to look at incomes but that can be misleading at times. For instance, low density areas with a few earning high incomes can make the areas look better than they are (this is common in suburbs or rural areas). Or some areas that are actually doing poorly may look better because of unemployment insurance, welfare, and the like. But a map of electricity cut-off cuts to the heart of the matter. If someone can't afford to pay their electricity bills, it indicates serious poverty.

Residential Electricty Cut-off

Film Review: Gomorrah

Gomorrah (2008)

Directed by Matteo Garrone
Genre: drama

Rating: 72%

Italy has been plagued by the mafia for so long that many have forgotten how ruthless they are. Or how insidious and far-reaching they can be. Gomorrah is a film based on a book chronicling the true story of life in a mafia town. I hate organized criminals and think they are leeches that suck the life out of society. Eventually they end up killing themselves or the society they prey off of. Italy, particularly Southern Italy, would probably be light-years ahead if it weren't for the corruption popularized by the mafia. To me, the mafia resembles the clans, warlords, and gangs that one may have seen in distant lands like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, or Cambodia. It seems like an outgrowth of the distant past and has no place in modern, liberal, societies.

Gomorrah does an admirable job illustrating how everyone is caught in the system—even the mafia members. Many are caught in long simmering battles between the various families and don't even know why they do what they do. Indeed, one gets the sense of the state of affairs, and the direction in the film, when the audience starts feeling sorry for the mafia don after a while. An evil guy whose job is to collect tributes and debt is caught up and fears for his life as much as the innocent that the criminals prey on.

The film provides a realistic portrait and demonstrates the extremely thin line between the good guys and bad guys. The story depicted in the film is touching at times and one of my favourite sub-plots involves the life of a deperate tailor who is caught between the tough boss and the cheap Chinese labour that is killing his business. The social commentary is poignant and relevant, given how a huge chunk of the Italian fashion industry has been decimated by cheap Chinese manfacturing. The film touches on cheap, possibly illegal, migrants in Italy but I suspect greater damage is done by cheaper clothing from China (and other regions.)

While not an artistic film, Gommorrah doesn't pander to the masses. It is realistic and doesn't cut corners. The film is admirable for the ease with which it captures the struggles of regular people being oppressed by the mafia.