Toronto the least favourite city in Canada!

Source:torontorealestatedirect.com

So, there was a poll asking Canadians about their opinions on Canadian cities. Surprise, surprise Toronto came out as the most hated. You can read the rest of the article here. What I found amusing is that I am from the suburbs but regularly go to downtown core for education. My brother and I were talking about how during the first time we got lost in the city, the people were nice enough to point at the nearest TTC station. I also have never felt unsafe there although there are places and neighbourhoods with higher crime. Love Toronto and its people.

Nikita (TV Show) Being Shot at University of Toronto

So, today I was passing by a part of University and saw a bunch of trailers. I looked at them closely and they were for the CW show Nikita. It is not the first time they've shot there because I saw these trailers last year too. But, this year actually looked at them closely saw Nikita posted on the doors. No, I didn't see Maggie. I've got no pictures because just when I tried to take one from my cell, a big security guy walked by and stared at me. I didn't dare. Still think its pretty cool that there were trailers right outside my classroom.

So long Summer...

So, today is officially the start of Autumn. The leaves have started to turn colour, the weather has turned gray and the air is crisp and cool. I'll miss summer, the crazy humidity we have in Toronto, the clear blue skies, the pretty flowers.

So, here let me share some of my Summer memories:

I ate Greasy Indian food at a restaurant on my Dad's birthday.

Yum, I love Malai Kofta



I spent some time outdoors.

Scored some comic books at a Garage Sale in my neighbourhood. This is just a small sampling.

Ate some delicious homemade South Indian Food on Onam.

Tried on my sister's bling and enjoyed some awesome K-dramas.



R.I.P Jack Layton!

For those of you who don't know who Jack Layton was, he was the leader of the Member of the Opposition at the House of Commons in Canada. He was also the man who worked hard and diligently for the success of his party (NDP). Jack lost the fight to cancer today. You can read more about this at the Globe and Mail link. I actually have see Jack campaign around my University and my Dad's actually talked to him. My Dad said he was gracious. Wonder what's gonna happen to NDP as Jack was truly behind its success in recent elections. My condolences to his family.

Top 5 Canadian shows you should watch!

I love watching Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas. They are fun, beautiful to watch and sometimes have storylines with incredible emotional depth (49 Days). But, there are also a lot of good Canadian dramas I watch. They've got some great actors, tight plots and are just entertaining. So, here goes my list of top 5 Canadian TV shows you must watch:


5. Little mosque on the Prairie


It's a Canadian sitcom about Muslims living in a small fictional town of Mercy and their interactions with other locals. What's so great about the show is how it deals with sensitive subjects such as racism, Islamophobia, etc. in a humorous way. It sort of diffuses the tension but also drives home the message. I like it shows variety of Muslims (religious, not very religious, conservative, feminists etc). Also, they do not caricature non-Muslim Canadians. Fun show, comedy is very family friendly. BTW, Carlo Rota of 24 fame also starred in this show.




4. Flashpoint


This was the Canadian show that proved Canadian shows can compete with American shows. It is shot beautifully and if you've lived in Toronto you probably saw some scenes being filmed. It is a cop drama but different from the preexisting ones. The show is about an elite tactical unit known as the SRU or the Strategic Response Unit and how they try to resolve conflict without taking the life of the criminal. Love the cast as it stars  Enrico Colantoni (Papa Mars from the awesome Veronica Mars) and Hugh Dillon.




3. Rookie Blue


I love this show. It is another cop show set in Toronto but I love the actors who are all hotties. The show is about 5 Rookie cops who graduated from Police Academy and learn to balance their professional lives with their personal ones. I love that the personal lives intersect with the professional lives, there is an overlap but they got to do their job. Full of talented cast, many of whom have starred in American TV shows previously.




2. Degrassi : The Next Generation


Who hasn't heard of this show? The show is set in fictional Degrassi Junior High and it follows the lives of Teenagers who go there. First up, confession time. Stopped watching the show after Season 9. I pretty much watched the show when Emma Nelson was on . The show is nominated for an Emmy this Year. They deal with heavy duty stuff like teen pregnancy, dating violence, homosexuality, suicide, bullying. Basically, everything that teenagers go through. Also, this show has created more Canadian Celebrities then any other show. Alumnus include rapper Drake, Shenae Grimes of 90210 Fame, Nina Dobrev of The Vampire Diaries fame, Landon Liboiron of upcoming Terra Nova.




1. Murdoch Mysteries


It is based on the novels by Maureen Jennings. The show is set in the 1890's and follows Detective Murdoch who uses modern inventions to solve crimes. Yannick Bisson plays the Detective Murdoch and he is awesome. I also love Constable George Crabtree and Julia. I find the costumes true to that period and it is just a beautiful show to watch.




P.S: My criteria for pickng these shows was a)are they entertaining, b) set in canada, c) have Canadian actors.
Most of these shows are shown in United States and in other countries also.

SM town in Canada?

Before I went on mini hiatus, I had mentioned that there was a flash mob held by fans in Toronto to bring SM town in Canada. Well, here's the video. Yes, I do want SM town here. I wanna see SuJu and Shinee live.




This is actually a series of videos posted by someone. I find it funny that it was held right across my university at Queen's Park.

Bipasha at IIFA Buzz in Brampton

Sorry for the lack of posts, I was very busy this weekend. Bipasha Basu attended the IIfa Buzz at Brampton and wowed the crowd. She is really beautiful in real life. She's very tiny not in stature but you know quite slim. My Dad took the pictures and they are not very clear. Our camera gave us lot of trouble that day. Anyway, Please enjoy.

The show was hosted by Lisa Ray of Water fame and Mohit Rajhans of Bollywood Boulevard at Omni 2.

RDB and Nindy Kaur were also present.

Beautiful Bipasha and Mayor Susan Fennel.

There was also a fashion show from Bollywood Designer Dinesh Ramsey.

Vancouver Stanley Cup Debacle

I was debating whether to do this post. After all, the blog is not about NHL. On the other hand, I live in Canada and events here do affect me. Now, some of you may not know but Ice hockey is big here. It is part of most Canadians identity. So, yesterday Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. They deserved it. Before you accuse me of my East Coast Bias, let me tell you I was hoping Vancouver Canucks were going to win. They didn't and I accepted that and went back to sleep. However, some idiots decided to destroy businesses, properties and police cars in Vancouver. These thugs also dragged down the name of the city in the mud. I truly feel sorry for Vancouverites. I remember the G20 protests in Toronto when some anarchists hijacked legitimate protests and many innocent people got arrested. These idiots should be put in jail and for future Hockey Fans, Please do not cause a riot if your team wins or loses.

For more news on the incident, Read this article from Vancouver Sun.

Also, many Vancouvrites helped clean the city. More information on this over here.

Nerdy panda is so Proud!

My Lil brother (he's actually 19) was working diligently to fix up his room and closet. His room was a disaster and like most average North American homes, the closet was small. We needed to do something ASAP to utilize the full space. Lil Panda decided to make shelves. I helped (a little).

Here are the results. I swear this blog is not going to turn into a home improvement one.

Disastrous Room

Just Look at that mess. It is too ugly.

Now with some shelves Lil Panda built himself.

Sorry for the crappy images. Our camera sucks and we need to upgrade. We are still looking for a good sale. Lil Panda took the pictures himself. He was very proud and wanted the whole world to acknowledge his efforts. BTW, since I decided to help him, I am getting my closet done also. YAY.

IIfa Events in GTA (Part 2)

Since the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards are being hosted in Toronto on June 25th,expect a lot of news on the events.

 Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is doing a new Bollywood Exhibit. It is called Bollywood Cinema Showcards:Indian Film Art from the 1950's to the 1980's. So please check it out.

Source: CP24.com

49 Days: Thoughts and Reflections and The Mentalist Finale

Sorry for not blogging but I needed some time to reflect on the amazing Korean show 49 days and The Mentalist Season 3 Finale. Before I go any further, Let me say, this discussion contains spoilers. Please stop if you still have not seen the finale.

Wow, the finale. It was amazing. While, I was watching episode 19, my sister remarked that Yi Kyung probably wasn't going to end up romantically with Kang. It just made sense. From the beginning, I had guessed that the tears were going to come fom Kang, Seo Woo and In Jung so I wasn't shocked. But, what was pleasant was how the events I expected from the beggining came in such a way in the later episodes that they became surprising. I was surprised by the whole Yi Kyung being Ji hyun's sister. I didn't think it was necessary but I wasn't unhappy about it. Now, to the most important revelation.  Ji Hyun dies. Was I sad? Yes. Did it make sense for her to die? Sorta yeah! Sure, I wanted my Ji hyun to have a fairytale ending with Kang. I loved these characters. But the story is about life and death. Life is never easy and death is unexpected. 49 Days was a boon for Ji Hyun because she could protect her family, reconnect with a person who truly loved her and live a life that made a difference. 49 days is in the same league as the drama Devil (Mawang). They are the sort of shows that entertain you but also make the viewers think, reflect , ponder.

49 Days is a Must watch Korean Drama 



Now, to The Mentalist Finale. It is an American TV show I've been watching for 3 years. This and Castle are my favourite crime shows. Okay, I also really liked Body of Proof this season. Um, why am I talking about it? Red John is exposed in this finale or is he? The ending left me feeling uncomfortable yet satisfied. Wow, probably the best finale in this shows history. I'll be honest, I didn't like Craig and knew from the start of this episode that he would be the mole. Glad he's dead.  I expect to see a lot more of Hightower. I really liked her. Do you think Lisbon survives the gun shots. And Patrick, does he descent more into darkness or does he finally confront his own demons? I have so many questions, I cannot wait for Season 4.

P.S; I'll do a intro to Bollywood actors. Super excited! Also, I still have a lot more to say about Baby faced Beauty.

Canadian Elections and Osama Post-Death Analysis

Oh, what a historic election. Conservatives got a majority, NDP is the official opposition. Oh, did I mention first Green party win? Let's hope the Parliament decides to co-operate and work for once.

Some articles that discuss elections in detail. Here are the links:
Globe and Mail

Toronto Star

Lots of articles on How Osama's death will impact America and US-Pak relations. Here are some good ones from Foreign Policy.

Osama's Dead, But how much does it matter?

With Bin Laden gone, what will U.S and Pakistan talk about? 


I know it is strange for a primarily Asian pop culture blog to talk about Politics. But, I think everyone should participate in democracy as it is their civic duty. Look at what is happening at Libya and Syria. The folks in these countries are dying precisely because they want their voices to be heard and have a right to elect their officials. Also, with globalization, what happens in a far away country does impact us.

P.S: I will be doing a post on Japanese actresses and Strange things I've learned about Korea through K-pop.

Shor in the city, elections and JYP auditions!

First of all, a serious issue. All Canadians who are eligible to vote, Please do so on May 2. In the case, you are living under a rock, I am posting a link to four major parties platform.

Conservatives

Liberals

NDP

Green Party (no, they are not the marijuana party)

Kpop is really boring me, I don't really like any of the rookie groups but 2ne1 is making a comeback. (source: allkpop.com)

I am really excited about Extravagant challenge. In my mind, Siwon and Donghae can do no wrong (unless they turn evil and want to sacrifice monkey blood but that's unlikely). To keep myself occupied, I am watching their songs. Ennjoy Bonamana:)



Has anyone heard of JYP doing global auditions in Toronto? My sister read it on allkpop but I can't find it. No, I am not going to audition but her friend who is of Chinese descent wants to. I believe anyone can audition although they are more likely to pick a person of Asian descent.

I am really excited about Shor in the city. I love how Bollywood is bringing more of these movie that have an indie vibe. Oh and it stars Sendhil Ramamurthy from Heroes. Yay. The soundtrack is good. You know if a Hindi movie has a song Karma is a bitch it's going to be fun.

Trailer



Song

Beard Papa's:D

Read about Beard Papa's opening in Pacific Mall at Toronto Star and I knew I had to get my hands on their cream puffs. So, my family trekked to Pacific Mall yesterday and got me one of their delicious creamy goodness. Here are some pics:

My Girl DVD that my sister bought at the mall. It had a Chinese dub though:(

Delicious Cream puff



Entrance to Pacific Mall's women bathroom =D

The Awesome Indian Train song

So, I've been pretty lazy with my posting. Not been feeling my best lately. Maybe its just February. Gosh, it is so dreary outside. Not even My Princess perks me up. Okay, it does but the effect is not long lasting. Been watching a lot of mainstream TV shows like The Good wife, Modern Family and Nikita. How awesome is Kalinda eh? But Blake's really been pissing me off. Been listening to Das racist over and over again. They are so fun to listen to. Oh, watch the brown parody of ShamWow known as Banainwow. The guy's from the same city as me and as I was watching the vid, I realized that he doesn't live that far from where I live. Weird huh! Well he's pretty funny but then so is Russel Peters and he's also from the same town. I guess, it is something in the water here. Anyway just YouTube JusReign. I also realized my good old high school finally has a wiki page. Is it weird to google your school? Also realized, I've been pretty harsh on good ol' Bollywood. So, here's some Bollywood love from me to you. Oh, god that sounded cheesy.
Er, here it is:





Yup, it is the song that was played in the Inside Man.

Where have sane people gone?

Today, I was walking past my university and saw a guy holding a sign that stated my university in Toronto had become a hot bed for Jihad. Now, we do see various protests occuring in and around university but this just took the cake. I mean, seriously it is a liberal university and I suspect most students are on the left spectrum of political ideology. When did left wing ideology had anything common with extremist right wing Islamic ideology? Most students who are not left wing are right of centre.
Read the comments in this article by politico and you will be forgiven if you think most of the commentators are uneducated.
Gosh, people understand you isms. You know like the actual meaning of liberalism, conservatism , Marxism etc. Go read the actual works of Weber, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Nietzsche. Maybe take political theory at local college.
So far, all I've seen on the most comment sections of major Canadian, American, Indian, Israeli newspapers is just vitriol. Most of the time there are no rational facts behind the statements. Is it too much to ask for fact based opinions people?

Encounters of a creepy kind

Once upon a time, an awesome person known as Nerdy panda decided to go to University in Toronto. Her mode of transporation was the subway. Alas, Nerdy panda encountered foes aka the creepy dudes. She learned how to handle them and now teaches other awesome people to identify these creepy crawlies.

So, here's Nerdy panda's guide to identify and battle these vermins:

First up is the pathetic middle aged dude.
This dude is just pathetic. He's middle age, losing hair and hates his job. He likes to butt in the conversation of young college girls and likes to give them unsolicitated advice. He starts out by saying how he'll love to help you with your essay (which is creepy) and then goes in a full blown rant about his job. You can see how he hates his job and might even feel sorry for him. Except, this dude does not know when to shut up.

Best way to handle him: Turn on your ipod, if this doesn't give him a clue, change seats.


Second is the Old creepy bussissness dude.

He's old and creepy and wants to know all about your culture. I mean, seriously dude you wanna know all about Indian people, go read a book. He starts out polite but suddenly starts asking personal questions and starts making you very uncomfortable.

Best way to handle him: Politely tell him to shut up. Er, I mean that your private life does not concern him. Shut him down girlfriends! If you wanna be evil like moi, you give him fabricated personal information that will start making him very unconfortable.

Now we are going from annoying but harmless dudes to icky creepy dangerous territory.
Third is the creepy young dude.

On surface he looks like an average young dude and suddenly he says something that makes you look up from your readings. You stare at him and realize that he's smiling/staring at you in a very icky way. Your blood turns cold at his stare and you look around at other passengers.

How to handle him: Obey your sixth sense. I would exit at the next stop even if its not my stop.

This one's just sad. Its the crazy homeless dude.

I'd like to say that I have seen homeless people on the subway and they usually are not troublesome. The homeless guy I am talking about clearly suffered from some form of mental illness but did not get the help he needed. He was swearing heavily and wanted to get in a scuffle with the passengers. He's siiting right across you and some stupid passenger keeps swearing back at him. The environment in the subway is getting more  and more hostile. Luckily, the guy leaves and the rest of the passengers ignore the foulmouth homeless guy.
 Best way to handle this situation is sadly to ignore the guy, get off next stop or change the car.


The Art work is by my younger sister. I can't even draw good stick figures. Pathetic, that's me.

Since its Christmas...

Hey guys, since today is Christmas, a time of miracle and other joyous stuff, I leave this video for you to enjoy.