RCMP & Me

I feel it is my duty to say: Kids, say NO to drugs!

Recognize this notebook?  Recognize the tiny Asian girl with pursed lips?  For some of you, yes, you would know this. 

In 1992 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, O Division (Drug Prevention Team), had a Drug Awareness project and needed five little RCMP’s to grace the cover of their notebooks.  I was one of them. 

This notebook was distributed across Canada to most elementary schools in hopes that students would say no to drugs.  The campaign had two versions of this notebook as well as posters.

I forgot about this until today, when my co-worker asked me why I was on her son’s notebook.   What a blast from the past!

The Importance of a Signature, BA, MA, PhD, Etc

I’m the Marketing and Admissions Coordinator for a fantastic school in Ontario, and part of my job is to correspond with a number of people via email.  These individuals come from different types of businesses holding various employment positions.  Everyday I read their emails and everyday I feel the sequence of letters after their names are getting longer and more difficult to understand.  Varied letters meaning higher forms of education.  BA, MA, MBA, BSc, MSW, LLB, PhD, Pg D, RDH, DDS, M.S. (candidate) and the list goes on.  So many acronyms, so many credentials, so many letters that some people just don‘t understand/know/or care about.

When did the length after your signature mean so much?  And what does it really mean anyway?  The people with the longest signature are those individuals who have wonderful executive jobs with an amazing six or more figure income, right?  They’re the ones who had the time, the money and the patience to freely sacrifice in order to quench their thirst for knowledge, right?  Some people take it that way.  But then there are others who see the more educated ones as those who truly lost more than they gained in the quest for intelligence.  They lost time, money, friends, even sometimes family members...tired of waiting, tired to being second best. 

For some, education pays off.  For others, not so much.  You may have all the credentials to be a university professor or executive, but you may not be working in your chosen field, or working at all, due to the lack of jobs out there.

Education doesn’t make or break a person.  On the contrary.  Yes, as mentioned above, those who are educated usually have plenty of opportunities laid out for them.  But on the flip side, there are many individuals who do not have education and they are successful in every sense of the word.  Men: Bernard Shaw, Tarantino, Sydney Poitier (was an elementary school dropout!)  Women: Angelina Jolie, Anne Beiler (you may not know her name but you know her pretzels), Liz Claiborne.  Both lists go on and on.  Education, although important, should not define a person!  Letters after your name should not define a person!

Sometimes I find myself yearning for more academia.  Pursuing something more specialized, pursuing a subject that I’m passionate about.  I know in the long run, I will benefit from more letters after my name.  It can lead me to new employment, pay grade, opportunities.  These amazing thoughts are usually accompanied by thoughts that perhaps I’m only thinking about going back to school because I feel it’s a way for me to keep up with the Jones’.  Tying into that notion, I caught a clip of "Big Bang Theory" and a the subject of having Master's degree came up, specifically how everyone has one nowadays. 





I have a BA…BA Honours to be exact, I also have a Pg D (Post-Graduate Degree), but that’s not an MA, that’s not a PhD (a PhD…imagine me with one?  that would mean I’d finally be the doctor my parents always wanted.  Hey, they never specified the type of doctor they were going for).  I’m more than happy with the sequence of letters after my name; however, sometimes after reading those emails and seeing the acronyms following the name, it makes me wonder how long I can get my signature.  But then that thought quickly leaves my head as I press “send” and go back to the job I like and a job that I am good at with the two credentials behind my signature.

Sincerely,

Abigail Santos, BA (hons), Pg D

If you’re interested in seeing other degree abbreviations, visit http://www0.hku.hk/pubunit/cal2004/images/pt14.pdf

Precious. Precarious.

A few weeks ago the closest person to me asked me a scary question, “where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?"  I heard it.  I sort of processed it.  I was surprised by it…for many reasons.  First of all, I was surprised because I was asked by this person.  Secondly, I was surprised because even with all the thoughts running through my head, there was no definite answer.  Hold on, of course I had AN answer, but not an answer (does that makes sense?).  What I said back was the clearest thing in my head at that moment and I said it without hesitation, “anywhere with you”.  Yup, that’s what I said.  Anywhere with you.  It’s true, so why not say it?  Anywhere with you is more than enough for me.  Scary answer to a scary question.  But I digress, this entry is not about how I love this person so much that I would go to Timbuktu just to be with them.  Nope, not at all.  This entry is about something much more.  

As much as that question scared the hell out of me because I really don’t know where I will be or want to be in 3-5 years, I heard something more scary a few days ago.  During my yearly check up with my doctor (one in which you should all be getting!) I had the tiniest of health scares, I mean tinnnnyy compared to what type of illnesses/diseases are out there these days.  But still, as tiny as it is, it opened my eyes.  I was told that, “if not treated this can lead to death”.                    
Hold on.                   
What?                   

If not treated, this can lead to death.  

If not treated this can lead to death??? 

WHAT?  When did life get so complicated and precious at the same time?  Just like the other question a few weeks back; I heard it.  I sort of processed it.  I was surprised by it.  I mean, it’s one thing not to know where you will be in 3-5 years, but it’s another thing to know that you may not even have 3-5 years to begin with.  What will I do now?  What should I do now?  What will this do to my family?  Friends? That closest someone?  WTF??  I’m sure “ lead to death” is the worst possible scenario, and I’m banking on the fact that it is, but whoa!, if God wanted to open my eyes to something, He surely did! 

I don’t know why I’m writing this.  It’s close to 2am on a Saturday night…errr Sunday morning now, and let’s be honest, this is a little bit depressing in my books, but I think I’m writing this to get it off my mind, to get it off my heavy chest.  This is just a way to put it out there.  A way to try to get my head around things.  All I’ve been doing is thinking thinking thinking, and over thinking is not a good thing. 

So I sort of have a plan.  Sort of being the operative word.  I’m putting this out there, to the void; to you, whoever you are.  I never knew life could be so complicated and simple at the same time.  I never ever thought I would be put in the position of questioning my time here.  I never thought that at my late twenties, this would be the thing that changes all things.  This tiny scare could mean nothing in the end, and I’m hoping this is the case, but it’s big enough for me to know what I need to do.  So, here I go, about to do…

"I Love It When We're Cruisin' Together"

Bit by the travel bug?  Few things to know before you go!

To know me, is to know that travel is one of my passions.  Independent, group, or with my better half.  Travel anywhere with anyone is what I live for!  I traveled across Canada, Europe, South America and Asia, mostly alone and fearless.  But there’s always the thought of, what would Mom think?  So for women who wants to travel, alone or not, I’m here to give them ideas of how to travel safe, how to travel fun and how to travel in a way that your mom will be comfortable at home knowing that you are off in a different part of the world on your own.

There’s so many trips to chat about but I’ll speak of the most recent.  Two weeks ago, I went on my first cruise with my two besties.  We headed to the Western Caribbean and from the get go I had no idea what to expect or what to pack, so here are some tips for would be future cruisers:

Few important tips:

Not water or Listerine,
just a way to save you money

• A lot, if not all, cruise lines have a policy of not bringing liquor on the boat.  That you have to buy their bottles of beer, shots of liquor or glasses of wine.  Or they will allow you to bring in a bottle of wine but pay for a corkage fee.  So if you’re just wanting to drink and not have to pay, then empty some bottles (any bottles, I used Listerine but shampoo and conditioner bottles work too … just make sure to rinse them out properly… vodka infused with Dove isn’t the best combination), put your favourite alcohol in it and if needed, use food colouring to match the colour of the original liquid (only if you’re using see-thru bottles).  Also, don’t forget to tighten up the lid and place it in a bag.  But if you must buy something on the ship, the buckets of beer is very reasonable ($25 for 6 bottles) 

• If you’re really keen on not paying for liquor then when you are on port buy a cheap bottle of whatever you fancy and wrap it in your towel/sweater and place it in your bag.  When you get back to the ship they run your bag in the x-ray machine, but three out of four times they won’t confiscate it (I bought a bottle of tequila in Mexico, and they didn’t take it away)

• Make friends with your room attendant.  They can give you inside tips of what to do in your ship, where to go during your ports, or they can just make your room an oasis and a home away from home

• Do go on your excursions!  We went to the Tulum Mayan Ruins in Mexico and climbed the Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica (only after going on the reggae party boat…soooo fun).  You may not get to visit these places again, so why not make the most of your experiences and time there?

The three of us taking a break from climbing Dunn's River Falls

• Get our of your comfort zone!  This tip isn’t only for cruising.  It’s for any type of travel.  Are you shy?  Too bad, get out there and talk to people!  How can you experience a culture without chatting with people who live in it?  How can you experience a culture without having eaten the local cuisine?  Get our of your comfort zone and see all the wonderful things that you’ll experience!!

• The ship has several restaurants, buffets, speciality foods and late night cafes.  The price you pay includes most of the restaurants so remember if you don’t like your food, you can always order another dish.  If you are hungry, you can always go to another restaurant or order seconds or thirds (in which I often did) 

Vegetarian?  NO problem!

• I’m vegetarian and sometimes vegan, and I found that Norwegian Sun was very accommodating to those who have this lifestyle!  Just tell your maiter-D and they will definitely take care of you!  They may need a day in advance, but trust me, the meal you get is worth it!

• Get a balcony!!!  You don’t need it but it sure makes the trip!  You not only get to see the scenery, but you also get the fresh air when you don’t want to go on the top deck that might be riddled with children

• Research research research!  Like everything in your life, a little preparation goes a long way!  Research weather (bring clothes to reflect this, plus clothes that don’t … you can always count on the weather man being wrong …. And you don’t want to be the one in the sun dress while hurricane Abi comes by)

• No English?  No problem!  Sometimes the best experiences are the ones you don’t understand.  Just immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy!

• Don’t over pack!  Use things you can re-use.  You don’t have to MacGyver to show how innovative you are!  That shawl you’re wearing on the plane can act as a blanket, a head cover when it rains or when it‘s extremely hot and it can even become a dress at times (trust me! … just bring a belt!), face wipes can act as sanitary wipes...there are so many uses for so many different items!

What to pack on a cruise:

• I wont get into the normal list of things like Passport, money, etc. what I will tell you is items you should bring that I found helpful:

• Forget the sunglasses (you don’t really want to look like a racoon when you get back do you?) and bring the hat

• It gets pretty chilly when the sun is not out, so bring a shawl.  This also acts as a blanket when you’re on the plane or a pillow if you needed one in your state room.  The pillows in mine weren’t the best so I used my shawl for the duration of my trip

• Don’t forget the incognito booze!

• No cell phone.  If you reallllllllllly need to keep in contact with your family/friends, they have a computer lab, but do you really want to pay an arm and a leg while waiting for a satellite to connect  while at sea?  You can be spending that time better…like on the pool deck catching some rays

That`s all for now, but I`m sure I will be back with more travel stories and travel tips!

Resolutions and Executions

I'm not usually one to make New Years resolutions.  I feel that if you want to change something in your life, if you want to try something new, or quit an old habit, then any day is a good day to do so.  However, as 2011 came rolling to an end, and since I noticed my bucket list is almost complete, I thought of some new things I want to do for the upcoming year! 

Among the list, 2012 will be a year to express myself creatively!  In anyway and every way possible...with this blog, with food, fashion, relationships, with everything!  As a self-proclaimed "not creative" person, 2012 will challenge me to at least try to be one!  And as you will soon find out, I'm up for all challenges!

Happy New Year!!! 
2012 is going to be MY year!