Costa Rica - a land of endless beauty

When the small country of Costa Rica gained its independence from Guatemala back in 1821, the newly formed country went by a new name - The Rich Coast. While those who were naming it were talking mostly about the richness of the resources found in the country (due to millions of years of volcanic activity, there's minerals galore), I believe the Rich Coast has to offer a wealth of natural beauty, culture and adventure.

I was there for Tom and Kathleen's wedding and honestly, they couldn't have picked a better location. I arrived at the Flamingo Resort and Spa in Guanacaste (an hour outside of Liberia) and immediately hit the pool for sun and relaxation. This wedding was a bit of a reunion of sorts and also an opportunity to meet some new faces.

The first two days were incredibly lazy and relaxing. My routine consisted of breakfast, pool, walks on the beach, pool, naps, pool, and sun x infinity. It was great to be able to do absolutely nothing and have no time restrictions. Replacing meetings, status calls, contact reports and other mundane Account Management jobs with those activities made me grin like a baby who just pooped their diaper, knowing someone had to change me shortly. (Sorry, probably not the best simile to use).

We started off the first two evenings with drinking games and a night out in Tamarindo at a bar called Sharky's. There, we crooned to awesome Karaoke songs and confused everyone at the bar as to the invasion of 20 or so Asian people drunk off their asses. Drinking games on Monday night helped the group bond and connect by laughing at one another's ineptitude when it came to abiding by drinking game rules. Always have a lookout when the Queen of Thumbs is played!

Thursday was the big wedding day (a separate post about the wedding will come later) but safe to say, it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies ever. A clear, breezy evening, with the sun slowly starting to set in the background, was the perfect backdrop for Tom and Kathleen to exchange their vows. Surrounded by a small but loving group of friends and family, the happy couple said some of the most touching words to each other that I've ever heard. Their love for each other was palpable, and their happiness showed in the big smiles they carried throughout the evening. We feasted on a great meal that the bride carefully picked out and listened to speech after speech from loved ones who professed their best wishes for Tom and Kathleen. The love expressed that evening was touching - especially the love from their respective parents. We all danced the night away while trying to drink the bar dry before 10pm. Best of all, their parents danced like it was their job and really became the highlight of the evening when they all joined Kathleen and Tom in a circle and danced the happy dance.

We spent our time wisely and got in a few adventure tours - on one day, we did ziplining, horseback riding, slid down an out of this world waterslide in the jungle and enjoyed a peaceful mud bath and hot springs; on the other, we did more ziplining (this time, it included a Tarzan jump) and after a day of zipping through over 3KM of ziplines, we relaxed at the most gorgeous resort overlooking the Aranale volcano, located in central Costa Rica. The Springs Resort in Costa Rica - a recommend for any honeymooning couple.

I cannot tell you how much fun I've had during my one week stay. This was certainly the 1st Chapter of a great adventure to come. I was so lucky and so happy to be a part of Tom and Kathleen's new adventure as a happily married couple and was blessed to have hung out with lively and friendly people during my stay.

If any of you need tips for Costa Rica, let me know! I'd be happy to give my suggestions!

Last days of cooking...

One of the worst things about leaving for a year is that you are scrambling to eat all the food in your house before having to give the stuff away. I'm balancing between trying to make half decent food with the remaining ingredients in my fridge and going out to eat (which is such a waste of money).

I've had the worst food combinations in my attempt to put together decent meals including:

- corn with ham slices

- oatmeal with raisins, almonds and cheerios (for dinner)

- various peppers with one egg

- just broccoli

- Haagen Daaz ice cream and saltines

God - I didn't eat this badly even when I was in university. I guess this is what happens when you have to penny pinch.

Quitting TV, Phone and Internet Cold Turkey.

I fear I may have done something really stupid. Yesterday was my last day with access to a phone, the internet and TV. As I returned both my modem and cable box to the Roger's store this morning, I started to develop a terrible twitch in my right eye.(sidebar - Roger's is a vile and evil company) What the fuck am I going to do with no internet, phone or TV?!

Sure, it's a firstworldproblem, I don't deny that. Especially since I think about all the money I've sunk into paying for 5 1/2 years of cable - at about $80/month, that's about $960 a year and over $5,000 for a succubus of time.

With just over two weeks left in the country, it made no sense for me to continue on with my services, but it was a struggle to make the decision of cutting myself off from the world for this amount of time. The nearest wifi connection I have is the local Starbucks, which closes at 9pm. How will I post on Facebook in the evenings now?!

It's been less than 24 hours since I've been disconnected from the internet and already I've paid for two $2.05 tall green teas (why so expensive Starbucks?) just for their internet. This makes me wonder how I'm going to adjust to travelling in Tibet in April, where the nearest electrical outlet is in neighbouring Nepal.

I expect that there will be a couple more $2.05 tall green teas in the next couple of days. I wonder if they make a digital patch or gum for this kind of addiction?

Saying goodbyes...

Yesterday was a tough day. My last day of work for a long, long time. Most people must be thinking, "You're fucking crazy! How can you possibly find it so tough to leave work?!" The answer is simple, it's hard to say goodbye to such amazing people who've made you laugh, learn and grow as an individual.

I often joke about how I don't have any emotions - strict Asian parenting has reinforced the message that crying is a sign of weakness. But I'll admit it was hard even after the first couple of handshakes and hugs to not get that lump in your throat feeling - that step right before you're about to bawl your eyes out. Thankfully, Sailor Moon tears did not emerge from my eyes, but a sad face was crying on the inside.

What made it even harder to say goodbye was the fact that so many people showed up Thursday evening at the Pilot for goodbye drinks - it truly made me feel special. My agency friends from my past three agencies showed up to my sendoff and it was was great to be reminded of how many awesome friends I've made in the last five and a half years. I truly appreciated all of you showing up and helping me get intoxicated to the point that I had trouble remembering where I lived.

I left work just a tad early yesterday afternoon and as I walked out of the doors of 2 Bloor St. West for the last time, I repeated to myself, "I'm really doing this. I'm done working for a long time." Then a big silly grin appeared on my face.

To all my lovely friends in advertising - much love and mad respect. You're good, kind-hearted and hard working people who have made a big impact on my life. Thank you.

Appreciate Awesome Bosses

A person once told me at the start of my career in advertising, "You'll never appreciate an amazing boss, until you have a bad one." It's been something that has been ringing in my head recently as I count my way down to my last day of work. (FOUR MORE DAYS! Yippie!)

Rather than focus on the bad bosses I've had (thankfully, there were only three in these last five years), I've decided to dedicate this blog to identifying the qualities I found most admirable about the awesome bosses I've had. Love to hear your opinion on if you agree on the points I've listed out below:

1) Awesome bosses teach, mentor and take an active interest in developing an employee's career.

When I started in this business, I thought I knew my shit - at least that's what my career development department and every other professor at school told us. There were these high expectations set that in two years, I would take over the world. Well, I guess it came as a bit of a shock that on my first day of work in advertising, I spent 12 hours designing circles with random words in them, cutting them out and pasting them onto large black boards. My boss who hired me, Kim Hunter (who happened to be an Ivey grad as well) told me, "trust me, there's a reason for this." Like any good employee, I put my head down and quietly cut circles, something I'm sure I mastered in junior kindergarden art class.

It wasn't until all the craziness of the big corporate meeting was over (which was why we were prepping these boards with circles) that she sat me down and explained the craziness. Although she didn't have time then to explain to me how I was contributing to the bigger picture, she certainly did afterwards. From that day and all the way until I stopped working with her, Kim took and active role in explaining (sometimes more than once), teaching and helping understand why things happened the way they do at the agency.

She also played a key role in developing my career from lowly intern to an Account Executive. We had honest conversations about where I wanted to go in the agency and I didn't realize it then, but conversations like that were rare in this industry because some bosses couldn't care what you want to do 2 years from now, all they want is for you to do the work for them now. And since then, ever since we've stopped working together (which was about four years ago) she continues to be a great friend who I've talked about some big career decisions and thoughts with.

It is truly impressive that a person would spend that much time and energy into helping you grow and develop in your career. This is certainly something I've taken away and practiced with those interns and Account Coordinators that worked with me - hopefully, I lived up to the same standards that Kim set!

2) Awesome bosses are secure with their skills and abilities.

They know when to give their two cents and know when to back away to allow their team members to run the show. They recognize when they have to talk and when they have to listen. They believe that when their employees shine, they do too in association. I've been very lucky that there have been bosses that have let me run with projects full speed and trust I'd get the work done. They've let me step out and present even when my title wasn't anywhere close to theirs. Andreas Doerig really fit this to a tee. When we worked together, he let me present work, he allowed me the freedom to run with my own projects and was always there when I needed help. He had a calm approach but knew exactly when it was necessary to step in and add his input so that nothing fell off the rails. He always credited me and the team and called us out for the great work we did. When we shined, he did too. Couldn't have asked for a better boss there.

3) Awesome bosses are good people, both in and outside of the office.

These are the people who you want to have a drink with at the end of a long, stressful day and talk about other things besides work. They are good judges of character because they have great character themselves and know how to read others well in order to help them when they need it the most. They are understanding and put more value on the emotional quotient of their jobs than the intellectual part. I'm not saying these people are dumb feeling obsessed people; these are super smart individuals who just treat others as human beings because they know how they'd like to be treated themselves. There was no other boss that upheld this more than Jane Prendergast - also calm and collected, she was always happy, never let anything bother her and really empathized with me when I faced a challenge. She's one tough Account Director too - I've seen her go head to head with Clients, but she always finishes the conversation with a smile on her face and still holds the standard for me as the happiest person I know in advertising.

Those to me are the three main characteristics I valued in my awesome bosses - there are other's to mention, but I can go on and on. The three I've pointed out above, Kim, Andreas and Jane, really embodied all three of those characteristics and I truly thank them, and all of the other great bosses I've had for helping me in my career.

Cheers to you all.

(Kim and I in 2008 at a cottage with other TBWAers)

What I'll Miss About Toronto: #21 - The Inappropriate Things About Advertising

It's been a full week since I've been able to post - as much as I want to blame work for not being able to put my thoughts towards this blog, I can only blame myself.

On the topic of work, this is my last week of advertising (ever?) - counting down the days seem surreal. I've left other workplaces before, but this time it's different. I won't be starting anywhere new - I will be funemployed (by choice, I might add).

This leads me to think about some of the great things I get to do at work and to be my crazy, eccentric self without having HR breathing down my neck. Here's just a couple of things I get to do at work that make other people both judge me and secretly (and sometimes openly) envy me.

(1) Forward Inappropriate Photos and Viral Videos

Why are people in advertising some of your coolest friends? It's because they are always the first to get the viral video forwards and then finally share with you non-industry folks on Facebook. One of my favourite photos of all time was forwarded to me by a co-worker, it made me crack up for about 5 minutes and it's a t-shirt having fun with Tourettes. In fact, I bet you if you search all of the reaction videos to 2 Girls, 1 Cup, the three biggest demographics would be teenagers (obvs), military (they are a bit messed up with all that war stuff) and ad people (we do it for the shits and giggles - no pun intended).

I believe at other companies, this would be flagged and you'll get a warning email from IT and HR. Cunts.

(2) Drinking is OK because we have a beer / spirits client

One of my friends asked me about five months ago at dinner, "Terence, honestly, how much do you drink every week?" In her eyes, I saw some true concern while waiting in anticipating the answer. When I said, I probably drink about 7 - 8 drinks a week (1 per day, really folks), her face fell. I guess she was thinking I would say about 15 - 20.

Alright, Mad Men has certainly helped perpetuate the fact that we are consistently drunk. It doesn't help that we have a party for absolutely about any occasion - someone's goodbye party (drink), Christmas (drink), a new client win (drink), showing up to work (drink).

But look, when you have a client that is a beer or liquor manufacturer / distributor, you have the obligation to help support that client, just like I do with any other Clients I've worked on (well, with the exception of that time I worked on hair colouring).

We work hard, we play hard and we show up the next day (with dark sunglasses and the garbage can placed strategically near our feet).

(3) We're mean and judgmental (and like making close to the line racist comments).

At the casting session I was at today, I looked down at my notes and was so shocked that I could write such blunt comments down - if ever expressed to that actor directly, I am pretty sure it would reduce him to tears. But hey, if you're saying it, it's likely others will too; as agency folks, we have to be critical.

Besides casting, there's just some other fun moments that help break up tense moments at work - those moments where you really need a joke to help elevate everyone's spirits again. Thankfully, I've been able to leverage my ethnic background to help lighten the mood. Using a Chinese accent while saying "Oh solly, so solly" or exiting stage left like a Japanese Geisha while pretending to play the mandolin has always worked for me to get people to do what I want. Now that that secret's revealed, I guess I can't use it anymore. Shit, now I have to get the old rice hat and planter's outfit out of storage.

Boy, I can go on and on, but I'll likely get myself and other people in trouble - this should be enough to keep you slightly entertained. Whatever, I'm sure there will be even more incriminating blogs coming out soon. Just you wait until my "Things Good Bosses Do" post.

The Excitement Continues...

Two big things happened today. The first - I got my Taiwanese passport. The second - my dad sent me the plans for Tibet.

The minute I told my dad about quitting my job to do some travelling, he offered to take me on a trip to Tibet with him and my uncle. And he offered to pay. My response? "FUCK YEA I WANT TO GO." I don't think he understood the "FUCK YEA" part but understood the enthusiasm.

One big hurdle - obtaining a Taiwanese passport. Since I was born in Taiwan, I have citizenship. However, somewhere along the way, my family misplaced my Taiwanese passport and haven't had one since 1989. The main reason for getting my Taiwanese passport this time - there's a $250CDN extra charge between a Taiwanese and Canadian passport - so it just makes sense. Let me tell you - this was not an easy hurdle. To get my passport, I needed to fill out forms that were all in Chinese, having to get my previous Canadian passports as proof of my travels to Taiwan and my household registration card from Taiwan. Needless to say, all that work paid off and I got my Taiwanese passport today.

Now - onto Tibet. Here's the itinerary:

Taipei - Shanghai - Shining - Lhasa (17 days to explore the capital and Gonggar, Gyangtse, Shigatse, Sagya, Lhatse) - Shanghai - Taipei

I have no idea what any of those cities (or if they can even be called cities) are like but I'm beyond excited. Tibet seems like a dream and the opportunity to travel there is not something everyone can say they will be able to do in their lifetime. So I'm very lucky and thankful I have a Dad who is so generous to take me on this trip of a lifetime. These 21 days will be a great time to bond with him and my uncle and to get away from technology and the hectic pace of city life. I want to take this opportunity to take incredible photos, write some inspired stories and have time to reflect on life.

The countdown begins for April 21st. 80 days to go!