broke down, worn & washed away: old havana

I learned from an Aussie friend that nearly half of the Cubans living in Old Havana were staying in residences unfit for humans.

On the last touring day we stepped off the main roads and saw a very different sight. The houses were so disgusting and broken down. I couldn’t believe people were actually living there.

I instantly became grossed out and didn’t want to eat or drink anything from there. I’ve worked in restaurants before and could only imagine what the kitchens looked like. Gross.

You can tell at one point the buildings were really beautiful but it’s been years since they’ve had new paint or work done. They’re all washed out and the concrete is crumbling.

There are residences with very narrow staircases where the first floor is all dirty and inhabited then you look up and see laundry hanging out the second and third floor windows.

We passed a block that looked abandoned and dirty then a couple doors down, a furnished house with working TV.

A bunch of kids were playing volleyball in a square amongst more dilapidated buildings and half of them had no shoes on.

It made me sad to see a place I though was so beautiful was really a shell of what it once was. So many stories and photos from differnt stuff.

I’ve got cuban cars, food, style, travellers, music and more all written and I just need to post them. I would have taken week to do it there! I really enjoyed learning about life there.

merry christmas from cuba amigos

I’m having a blast. Staying at a five star called Hotel Nacional de Cuba Not internetting very much cause it’s so freaking slow and painful. Figure I’m better to save myself the trouble and drink pina colada’s in the sun. Best pina’s here EVER!

Old Havana is so neat. I took about 8,000 photos walking around. Saw a cool show last night with musica & dancing.

That’s all for now…back outside to the sunshine! Have a great day, I am 🙂

havana good time

We were going to take a tour around Havana with our driver and check out the sights. It’s our natural city way to want to do stuff.

Instead, as we should we relaxed, stayed around the hotel and hung out. We walked throughout some residential streets looking at homes and cars. Honestly, coolest cars here, so many from the 40’s and 50’s I just had to ring Dad.

We found this little restaurant called Bom Appetit. It wasn’t the easiest to find but when we did it was in the back of someone house. It had a really neat wood fireplace and the pizza I had may have been the best one ever.

After, I had my first tanning session at the resport pool. The water was cold, the sun was hot and the mohito’s tasted like a dream. I love the sun! They were setting up a stage for a show the next night, Christmas eve.

I’m constantly amazed at the smoking indoors. It’s totally foreign to me after all the strict smoking laws in Canada. I’d like to get up early tomorrow and go for a walk in the sun.

I’m so excited to be here for Christmas. We’re thinking about traveling around to Santa Clara or Trinidad. Wooooooo hooooo!

his name was robertico, king of the plane

There’s a Cuban hot shot on my plane sitting diagonally behind us in First Class. I’m not sure what exactly he does but judging by the dated yet very high tech HD camcorder and 21” Toshiba on his lap, I imagine its something to do with film or entertainment. He’s wearing Prada glasses and sitting beside a glamour lady with heaps of gold jewelery and makeup. She is clipping his cuticles in their seats while one of the attendants dotes on him.

They are first to get drinks up here. I have some type of Cuban orange pop that is $2 (even first class!). She feeds him a mixed drink with a straw while chomping on chips. A male flight attendant watches the camcorder with ear plugs and continuously laughs his head off. I’m working on interview questions for features on Techvibes and Ad Girl. They’re gonna come out just before Toronto Life’s February issue containing my photo. I know it’s going to be a good year, 2010, I can feel it in my bones.

I look over, the in-flight manicure continues. He was obnoxious and we tried to guess who he was. Before exiting the place in Havana I asked an attendant, turns out, he’s a famous Cuban comedian. How funny. Not.

I’ve got so many photos to upload but I don’t know the internet situation there. I prey for free wi-fi everywhere [fingers crossed]. The air is warm, the sun is setting, and I’m in Cuba for Christmas. OMG.

you don’t bring a gun to a snowball fight

A bunch of peeps in DC organized a snowball fight in on the weekend via social media. These are the best videos I saw, there are heaps.

It was all fun and games until a cop in an unmarked hummer got pissed his car got hit with a snowball and pulled a GUN. Here he is admitting it:

In-fucking-sane. I doubt this would happen in Canada. Imagine? Gah. No way. Brutal.

look out sinshine here i come

Pickup 6am
Flight 8:30am
Change suitcases…
Airport 3pm
Flight 530pm
Cuba 9pm
Getting wasted at the beach…amazing.

bigger than the city lights down in times square

Yesterday was the first snow storm of winter 2009 in NY. It was nasty out but we still had a great day touring around, eating, shopping.

I love love the bright lights and the massive amounts of people everywhere. It’s just like you see on tv, only bigger.

This guy was beautiful. There were heaps of people crowded around, skating, acting all merry. I was surprised at the size, for some reason I pictured it to be bigger. It was very snowy at this point in the night.

Lululemon in SoHo had this little hottie doing yoga in the window. It was nice to watch and totes drew a crowd. Nice work, more stores should put live shows in the windows.

Walked out our hotel and cruised down 5th Avenue through the crowds and slushy streets. There was a massive crowd and I didn’t know why…then I looked up and I was right in front of the Empire State building. Awesome.

Heading home tomorrow super early just in time to ship off to the sunshine! Sanasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

concrete jungle where dreams are made of

Holy taxi cabs! I arrived last night at about 8. Took me just as long to fly here as it did to get through traffic to my hotel in Manhattan. I saw the Rockafeller Tree, it’s beauty! I’ve not done any exploring or hunting for style yet, that’s today.

There’s a nasty storm on the way and we’re a little worried we wont make it out tomorrow. Stating tucked inside the hotel, insulated concrete forms to keep us safe from the nasty that mother nature is about to bring on. We’ve got a Monday afternoon flight to Cuba that CAN NOT be missed. I’m not too worried, actually, not at all.

Ok, breakfast & shopping time. Have a great day!

casting call: bloggers

Looking for bloggers in all kinds of categories.

If you blog or you know a cool blog TELL ME NOW! I’ve got some really exciting stuff coming up at work in the new year. I’m excited to have the opportunity to include people I know and cool bloggers. Hope to meet some new ones! Thanks in advance!

she kinda reminds me of andy warhol

This is the desktop of @irieras at work…feel free to put me on yours too. haha so funny.  It’s my current FB profile pic and she loves it.

I got to thinking the other day about this blog and me and everything…. it’s fun reminding yourself about your own life. It becomes a story, unreal at times. I often say to myself “Can you believe it Casie? THIS, this, this is your life and you are living it, good job. Casie you are living it out.”

AND Yes,  yes I talk to myself often. Kinda why I have a blog, to make the talking to myself seen normal….or necessary. Oh, look at me so funny again. To remember my life, that’s why I do it, this whole charade. I’m so happy and I hope it lasts forever. Thank you for reading. I love when you comment cause then we’re both sharing and it’s not just me talking to myself day after day.

I’ve got all my gear here to scoot to NY after work. I’ve got a driver arranged at the airport and I’m meeting Jello at the hotel. No anxiety, only excitement! OMG! Have an awesome day.

anxiety averted with a ring from mum and maccas

Nothing makes me feel better when I’m freaking than a ring from Mum saying “everything is fine, don’t fret” and Mc Donalds.

I’ve got my writing hat on and I’m checking things off my list.

I am now extremely excited for tomorrow to come…ZOMG NYC! AAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Kevin, you’re what French call les incompetents

This is me today…

I’m heading to New York tomorrow and excited. I’m also a bit nervous and having anxiety. I’ve never been to NY and i’m flying porter there all by myself then I have to take a taxi to our hotel. I know everything will be fine but I can’t help but feel the nerves kicking in.  I’ve got two suitcases, one for NY and one packed for Cuba on Monday. I’m very lucky to be going but i’m feeling the pressure to get lots of stuff done for work and blog and pack and family/christmas stuff.  Plus, Blackberry emails are not coming through and twitter replies are slow, adding to the anxiousness.

In other news, I’ve decided to sell the Bell Google Android phone.  If you want it, tell me, I posted it here.

Take a deep breath…I’m so ready for the beach.

I used to surf waves but now I surf Internet.

www.marriedtothesea.com

Social media is party of my life pretty much all day, everyday.  Today I’m on the hunt for learning stuff I don’t know yet.

I watched this video about Google Wave today and it made me wanna test a wave for work. I think it’s probably pretty cool if you don’t have like 20 people like the waves’ i’ve been riding.

I think it deserves some attention from me considering how much I love you Google.

If you know something cool & interesting or where to find facts & stats, please share.

Then we can all be smarter. ♥

Thanks in advance.

pure med spa brightened my day…and teeth!

I will update this post with before and after but you can see if you check my Tweets from today!

Is was not painful and took just over an hour. Don’t I look excited?

Here are my new shiny teeth! Thanks 🙂

chasing your own tail around the christmas tree

Holidays are pretty much the busiest time of the year…for everyone. This week I’m running around like freaking MANIAC. It seems, so is everyone else I know/need to see/like/love/try to avoid.

Tonight is the finale for one of our shows at work, you might have heard of it, Peak Season? Anyhooters, I’ll be tweeting away for that tonight. Tomorrow I’m getting my teeth whitened thanks to Pure Med Spa. Hope it doesn’t hurt! Wednesday is the ever famous HoHoTO that I’m planning to make an appearance at. Thursday, is  pretty much the last day before I leave to finish up all my work for blogMuch/MTV cause Friday is filled with holiday jazz. Thursday night I’ve got my sista coming by to pick up holiday prezzies for the whole fam-dam.

Ah…take a deep breath…all I really wanna do is this…..

i’m going to design more stuff next year

This is gonna be a good week. I can feel it. I had a really good weekend. I spent most of it at my house. I got a new sketch book & pastels.


I made some really special one of a kind pieces of jewelry. I’ve got a plan for a productive work week and it all ends with  Friday night dinner in NYC.

Today is one of those days,  one of those that I think ‘wow, I’m really excited to be living this life out’. This, this is my real life. I’m so glad I write it down. Imagine all the things it helps me remember that I don’t write down? That’s the real best part. Posting a photo or update of what I did or where I’m going, then, remembering all the the stuff that happened that day or that party. It’s fun. I’m really happy I’ve kept doing this. I will always remember that day I started, it was sunny.

I love that it’s documented, an augmented reality of photos & videos… I’m writing history, I’m writing my own.

the last pair of black gloves in bloomingdales

Serendipity is on tv right now and like every year I watch it, obviously.  I love it, I’m a sucker for the romance.

This year I’m going to New York (for my first time) and I can barely contain my excitement. I just realized,  I’m going to see the tree, THE TREE! This one:

The same one I have like always wanted to see since I first saw Home Alone in 1990. We’re gonna visit Elsa Cohen.

Keri & I had some fun getting holiday gear today. ready today. I love the ribbons, glitter and this missive candycane ->

This weekend I found myself smiling from ear to ear and humming holiday tunes after I left stores. I love that. I also got all my gifts for my family wrapped and ready to be delivered.

I’m feeling the holiday spirit really excited to be going away this year!

TGIF- ready for a vacation: one week away

I survived my first holiday party for MuchMTV last night. Nothing too crazy. Home safe at a relatively decent hour however, pretty tired from being sick and going out this week

I’m really looking forward to vacation and the hot hot sun.  Counting the days…

i like the way you work it: google android

I can hardly believe this is my life

Last night at the Notable TV Schmooze I got a new phone, again. Boooyah! This is my THIRD phone this year – Koodo, Rogers, Bell. Thankyouverymuch. Is that Telus calling? Cause I still wanna try an iphone y’know.

Lessons learned: 1) You don’t ask you don’t get. 2) If you ever have any doubt that you can achieve if you believe, don’t ! 3) Think positive, live positive & positive things will happen to you.

I won a Samsung I7500, with the Google Android OS. Here’s the specs for all you little nerds:

  • Android 1.5 OS
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual-band UMTS/HSPA
  • 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A CPU
  • 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive OLED touchscreen display
  • 5 megapixel camera with LED flash
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
  • 8GB internal flash memory
  • microSD slot
  • 3.5 mm stereo jack
  • Metal case, 11.9 mm thick

Party was fun. Familiar faces and a bunch of new ones. Didn’t stay too late. Food Dudes made good foods. Ater the open bar and a couple h9ours I could have used a massive sandwich. Overall, I’d call it another successful Notable Night! Thanks for the good times and new phone too 🙂

Twitter Twabes: @laurenboutette & @keriCDN

p.s. found this on my desk today!

Down with the Sickness! How to Do a Thyme Bath

Down with the Sickness! How to Do a Thyme Bath

Today I woke up sniffly with sinus congestion feeling lethargic. Sadly, mama’s got a cold/flu.

Down with the Sickness! How to Do a Thyme Bath via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Tonight, before bed I’m gonna do a Thyme bath. It’s one of Mum’s herbal remedies. In my history, the one that has worked to cure a cold the very best.

When you get sick, go buy some  Thyme from the store like in the photo (I’m using two of these small dried bags). Get your biggest pot, fill it with water and boil the water/thyme. Now go run a bath, as hot as.

The thyme will settle to the bottom of the  big pot eventually. It will also smell nice in your house (Dad hated it, but I love!)

Pour the water from the pot into the hot  bath straining the little green thyme bits out. Get in the hot hot bath, sit there as long as you can before dying of heat. Then, get out dry off, dress warm, put on socks, hat, scarf and go to BED. Sleep. Wake up feeling better.

Rinse and repeat again the next night if you’re not better (you can even use the same thyme/pot). Take Oil of oregano too.

Thanks Mum for teaching me this trick. Works every time!

img_1859.jpg

white on blackberry: social media device search

Remember the post to all Canadian phone companies? The one saying I want a social media phone…one for someone who is super social?

What is important to me in a new unit:

– Camera with a flash that can take clear photos day or night (Twitpic)
– Keyboard that is easy to type when walking or with one hand
– Ability to Tweet/Facebook
– Multiple email accounts
– Easy internet browsing (Blog, Tumblr, Posterous)
– Cut, copy, paste
– Video Camera (12seconds)
– Wi-Fi
– Backup contacts (for people who lose/break shit)

Bonus:
– BBM – Blackberry Messenger
– 3G

I got my first response from Rogers and my brand new white Blackberry 9000 arrived yesterday. The catch is, I have to give it back, but I do get to try it for a while. so i’s kinda good. Already not sure the white leather back is gonna stay clean?

Chatted someone from Telus about their phones today and other inquiries are rolling in.

This is my search for the ultimate social media phone for my socialness.

XO CASIE

new joizy. omg. fml. i love you.

I’ve been watching and and I think it’s so funny. The accents, fake tans, muscles, the boobs, getting ready to go out,  the boys the girls, “the situation”.

I got single a message from a friend who is not on Twitter but knows me really well he said “have you seen jersey shore?

Called him RIGHT BACK. Rambled for a bit how I totally love it and he says, “I know, that;s why I messaged you”.

Fake tans, Italians, muscles, spikey hair, tattoos…I used to love it. It’s so entertaining when I’m always on computer/blackberry while watching tv.

I went through a stage…Tanning. Nails done. The mall. Dancing. Fast cars. Guys with spikey hair who were tanned with muscles. I checked stalked some old friends who married those guys with hair gel and most still have a tan. I even saw some blonde streaks and a dog named Jerzy.

Back then, I had tan even though it was winter in Canada and I didn’t go on vacation.

In a recent interview, Mike ‘the situation‘ said “These days in New York and New Jersey a ‘guido’ is a good-looking Italian male that likes to have fun and a ‘guidette’ is a good-looking Italian girl.”

For me, it wasn’t Jersey Shore, it was Woodbridge. If you don’t know Woodbridge…it’s Italy just outside Toronto.

We used to drive there from Cambridge to hang with the gino’s.

Some facts of a true Gino from a helpful site:

you have at least one pare of flares. you wear diesel, kappa, energie, parasuco,puma etc. clubbing is life. you glowstick .your addicted to energy drink .spikes hair. at one point had blonde streaks. chilled at Tim hortons before with the gino’s. SAY “BROO THATS MY FAVV SONG TO EVERY EURO SONG”. GOT EXCITED FOR THE SUMMER SO U CAN TANN. Went to Wasaga to chill at the strip. Took pics of urself LMFAOOOOO. Popp yourr collarr! Spend all your money on a sexyy sound system. wanted to be a DJ.

haha I was a Guidette and I love Jersey Shore.

the hemingway: beer. booze. babes. butts.

A couple years ago, 2007, I was in a job I began to hate so one day, I flat out quit.

I started doing freelance PR. It was good glam for a while but then I was poor ass. So…

I went to work at Hemingways, Toronto’s very own Little New Zealand in Yorkville. It was really fun. I hadn’t worked in a resto in a few years.

It was a bit tough at first to adjust to the lifestyle but it really didn’t take long. I made friends with a heap of awesome people, mostly hot girls.

I worked there for the best busiest time of year too; end of summer before Flm Fest – Christmas.

I was proud of myself for not getting sad about not making enough money doing freelance work, instead I pulled up my socks, hiked up my miniskirt and started serving.

No matter what job I was doing, I never lost sight of what I truly love…being social.

Instead of complaining about  the waitress life I took more shifts and worked as much as I could. It was a good strategy and worked well to bond with other employees.

I got a call in December from an old colleague, in recruiting who had an opportunity he thought I’d be great for. Turns out, I was great for it!

I left Hems for that job and stayed there until recently leaving to work for the MuchMTV Group. It’s amazing to think of all the changes I’ve gone through. Been going through lots of photos lately, there’s only about 10,000 from the past five or so years.

Wendy was one of my fav’s. She was a little crazy one just like me. We partied alot together. It was more than fun.  She moved away to Japan and is in the UK now I think.

Shannon and I got on really well also, she went away to India for a year and I had busted outta the joint by the time she came back. I love going back in there to see old familiar faces.

I’m really happy to be where I am now. I made a  TweetCloud of my most used words on Twitter from the past three months, they are love, haha, thanks. I guess that means I’m funny, loving and have good manners? Either way, they’re all positive 🙂

I’m excited for 2010. Rock on.

Happy Monday 🙂

gonna storm that beach like it’s mine

Went to the gym today at 8am. I don’t like that place unless I’m the only one there. I put on the tv and sung out loud to my ipod. It was nice.

It gives me anxiety but I fought it today. Proud of myself for that.

I don’t want a trainer but I don’t really know what to do. I could look it up online but I don’t feel like it. I got in good shape this summer from biking and now I just gotta trim the edges a wee bit.

I’m so excited. I was super skinny last time I went  vacation at a beach so I wanna be like that again.  Self motivation is key and frankly, I’ve got lots! Beach body FTW here I come!

yes mum, naked and bodypainted downtown.

If you watch tv or moves you might see my face pop up from a couple years of random shows, background work & really wanting be on tv. I’ve since chosen the internet and appear here everyday. This show doesn’t stop.

I loved this outfit. There were like 250 of us dressed like this for the Beta House party scene at U of T & Toronto Film Studios. It was hot. My sister is one of the Girls of Pie.

I did a show for W Network in 2006 and got to know a bunch of producers etc. One contacted me about a year later to do the pilot of a new show on Slice called The List.

The show’s all about living life to the fullest. Host Liza Fromer helps people cross crap off their life list, you get it like the Bucket List.

They wanted it to be exciting and a bit extreme, calling me was obviously the right choice. They came up with the idea, told me and I was like “uh, yeah sure I’ll do that”.

They put me in a big wooden box at King and Bay in the middle of the financial district. It was a hot summer day and like 8am.

I took off all my clothes and replaced them with flesh coloured nipple stickies and a tiny thong.

There was a guy in box airbrushing a business suit all over me. Once it was done, around lunch time, the door opened and amongst a crowded street, mid day, I came out.

I walked a block and back a few times and turned heads. It was exciting. Everyone was doing second-takes cause it looked like a real suit. It was a fun experience, I wasn’t even scared. I loved it.

Just got off the phone with Mum and she said ” YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT!” haha

what have you secretly searched? #google

I’m watching Inside the Mind of Google on CNBC. Did you know there’s 2 billion Google searches done daily? That’s mad hits.

I found it super interesting thinking about what people put in that little search box.

Admit it, you’ve typed things in Google search would wouldn’t tell ANYONE; dirty secrets, naughty desires, sickness, infection. Everything.

Google’s got all those queries stored in their database. Imagine someone reading your Google list?

I learned Google’s been subpoenaed in heaps of court cases to get peoples Google search lists.

Basically, the lesson learned is if you don’t want someone to know, don’t Google it.

The US Patriot act states that law enforcement agencies can get Google’s access to your search terms. However, they’re made anonymous after 18 months but that doesn’t mean they can’t link your searches back to you.

Dogfooding is what they call testing Google products on all their 20,000 genius employees; using their own products in house.

The hour finished off talking about Adwords & I could have watched it all night.

I PVR’d it so I can watch it again.

I love Google, you know I do.

holiday heart on and maybe a date tomorrow

I’m feeling really happy. Like happier than usual and I’m usually a happy girl. I’m excited to see all the Tweeps at GenyTO tonight. I’m going to meet people face to face that I know from twitter. I’m dressing up like an elf and helping out all night.

We’re going away for the holidays to a hot sunny place.  Also going to a friends fashion show in NY in two weeks. There are lots of things happening with my blogs and I fee like my work is starting to pay off. I’ve set new goals. My job is going well. Tuesday was one month at MuchMTV and I feel really great about it. I love the people and what I’m doing. I followed my passion and stuck at what I love and now it’s my job. I get excited thinking about what the next year will bring.  I’m letting my mind wander and aiming high!

Thank you for encouraging me and reading my blog. I love going back and reading it and I love your comments. Don’t be shy, I’m certainly not 🙂