I heart PR.

It’s almost hard to believe that this school year is coming to an end. Wrapping my brain around the idea that once I finish writing this blog post, I will be finished all of my course work for this year and, in turn, complete my post-secondary education.

When I got into Centennial’s Corporate Communication and Public Relations program, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that I enjoyed a lot of the aspects of PR and thought it’d be a great fit for me. But since I began the program back in September, my perception of PR has definitely changed. Let me explain.

When I started this program, I have to be honest – I had this wonderful idea of what a career in the PR industry would be like. Glitz, glam and all that jazz. Volunteering for a lot of small PR agencies in Toronto did that. Little did I know that it was a lot more work than that. Don’t get me wrong, all of the great things I thought about the industry are true but there were many things that I didn’t realize went into the makings of a great career in PR.

One of the things that seem obvious now, but didn’t back in September, was how important writing was when it came to PR. I know, I know – you are all like “Oh come on Prichila, obviously writing is important to PR.” It’s true, I knew it was important but the various styles of writing, ways to position your objective, keeping it concise but getting your point across – these are the kind of things I didn’t expect.

Now when I read press releases, advertorials, PSAs, or even just direct mail – I can see the techniques that have been used and see how well pieces are written. PR professionals are some of the best writers in the entire world, I am convinced. If they put their minds to it, they can convince you of just about anything.

When I came into the program, I was already impressed with what I knew about PR professionals, but leaving this program now, I am excited to be able to say that I will be joining such an incredible industry, where talent and drive really does speak for itself.

My perception of what I saw myself doing has also changed after experiencing this program. In September, my heart was dead set on working in a PR agency. That was my “dream PR job.” But as the year went by and we continued to learn about various aspects of the industry, I learned that there was a lot more out there that appealed to me. With the help of CCPR, I’ve realized that I am more interested than ever in doing corporate communications for a large entertainment, technology or communications company. Something I never thought I would say eight months ago. This program really opened my eyes to all the opportunities and possibilities there were out there.

I always felt really great about choosing to do this program and, now that it’s come to an end, I feel even more confident in my decision. I am so appreciative of the people I have met, the course instructors who have taught me invaluable lessons and the friends that I have made. Here’s hoping that each and every one of us is successful with whatever path we choose.

Twitter Meet Ups, TweetUps and Twestivals.

Warning: This is a Twitter-filled post.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I am a tweetaholic. That may even be an understatement. I think it’s incredible that Twitter allows us the freedom to communicate so freely with anyone, no matter where they are. I’ve met some pretty awesome people through Twitter, who I may never have had the chance to meet otherwise. People who live all over the world, such as in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Argentina, etc. You get the point. This got me thinking.

Of all the people whom I follow on Twitter, I only know a handful of them personally (e.g. @jacobjunior7, @nikolegabriel and @ninadobrev). For those of you who use Twitter, have you ever stopped and thought about the number of people you follow that you have never met in real life? Most likely, the number is greater than the number of people you know and follow. Would you ever consider meeting up with them in real life?

Cue “TweetUps”.

“TweetUps” has become the commonly used term for Twitter meet ups. One of the most successful TweetUps happened last year was Twestival. Twestival, or Twitter Festival, is the largest global grassroots social media fundraising initiative to date, raising over $1.2 million within 14 months for 137 non profit organizations. On March 25, 2010, people in over 175 cities around the world, including Toronto, came together offline to rally around the important cause of Education. However, this TweetUp is on a much larger scale than what I had in mind. Would you consider meeting up one-on-one with someone you’ve only spoken to on Twitter? We all know about the “dangers of the Internet” and talking to strangers, but what is it that would change your mind about meeting someone you’ve met online?

In the time that I’ve had a Twitter account, I’ve only met three people I follow on Twitter in real life. I met Sharie (@PaulWesleyFanz) and Kaylie (@kayliebrooke) in Atlanta when I was visiting @ninadobrev, and Alex (@alexflint), who happened to work in the same mall that I worked in! This past week, I actually had the pleasure of adding one more name to that list. I got to meet Veronica (@fizzbones) in person. She lives in Montreal but was in Toronto for a few days, so we decided it’d be a great idea to meet up. I’ve been tweeting with Veronica for a little while now and when the opportunity came up to actually meet her, I was pretty excited! Now, don’t get me wrong. I know that just because someone seems like a nice person online, it doesn’t always translate into “nice person” in real life. But I trusted my gut instinct on this one and I was not disappointed! Veronica is a sweetheart and we had a lot of fun, exploring the mall and chatting over dinner. All in all, a great TweetUp.

I’ve spoken to a few of my friends about this and they think I’m crazy for meeting up with someone that I met on a social networking site. They think I’m insane for even considering the idea, let alone following through. Their argument? You never know who is lurking on the Internet. How do we really know who is sitting behind the computer screen communicating with us? They have a point, you never know who you’re actually talking to at any given moment. On the off-chance, it could have been a very bad idea. But I’m a pretty optimistic person, with good instincts, and I actually think meeting people on Twitter can be kind of awesome, to an extent. I can usually tell whether they are creepy and perverted or if I’d get along with them in real life, which is why I made the choice to meet Veronica (she’s awesome, btw). I definitely wouldn’t have made the same choice about other people whom I’ve encountered online and would never even consider meeting up with them.

What do you guys think? Where exactly would you draw the line between your online relationships versus your personal relationships? Is continuous tweeting enough to build a relationship? I’m the type of person who loves to meet new people, so I think that my instincts are a pretty good grounds to base my decisions upon. If you find people who have similar interests, values and ideas that you do, who’s to say that you couldn’t be friends with them in real life too?

The Internet Cordially Invites You to the Royal Wedding

With this tweet, I thee wed..

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past little while, let me break the news to you – Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally getting married. Cue the confetti, the applause and excited fans. Seeing as the last royal wedding occurred more than a decade ago, this one really has people talking.

But not only talking. This wedding has the world tweeting, liking and YouTube-ing their little hearts out. The event, which is scheduled to occur on April 29, 2011 at Westminister Abbey, is really causing a stir on the internet. Not only is this the first royal wedding to take place during an age when the Internet is like no other when it comes to connecting people to news and each other, it is also the first royal wedding to utilize social media to connect to the thousands upon thousands of individuals who want to know every detail about this royal affair.

The British Monarchy has done an amazing job at using social media effectively and to its advantage, regarding the royal wedding. Visitors can get their royal fix via a constant stream of news, pictures and videos at www.officialroyalwedding2011.org. People are also invited to follow updates via the Monarchy’s Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr pages.

The Royal Wedding Website
Since the launch of this site, it has provided detailed updates about every aspect of the wedding. Photos of the specially commissioned royal china and videos of official coins were shared alongside more wedding day oriented material such as wedding route slideshows and snapshots of the wedding carriage.

Social Media
In addition to the website, organizers of the wedding have utilized Flickr to share photos related to the Royal Wedding and also used the service to host photos of a young Kate Middleton, which were donated by the Middleton family. The Prince of Wales website is also sharing Twitter updates related to the Royal Wedding from the @ClarenceHouse account. YouTube is also being utilized to feature videos having to do with the wedding. The British Monarchy’s Facebook page is also being used as a hub for information regarding the royal family and the wedding.

Social media has turned the wedding of England’s second in line for the throne into an international sensation that more than rivals the popularity of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding more than thirty years ago. This initiative by the British Monarchy really demonstrates the power of social media because never has there been this much buzz about anything the British Monarchy is doing or planning. This royal wedding has become an event in itself through the internet, while Diana and Charles marrying was an event about two people being together.

Can you imagine how much more intense their spotlight would have been if it were amplified through Twitter, Facebook and a personal website thirty years ago? It will be interesting to watch as this wedding unfolds, as well as see how the Internet reacts on the day of.

iLove My iStuff.


My name is Prichila, and I am an -holic. Anybody that knows me, knows that I am an Apple fanatic. I love everything that Apple stands for; the way that they market themselves, the way they stand out and the way their products seem to fit my needs perfectly – it’s kind of magical. I currently own a MacBook, an iPad and an iPhone 4 (I have an iPod as well, but I don’t use it very much seeing as the iPhone has kindly stepped in to take care of my music. I still love it dearly though). The next Apple product that will be in my possession? The iPad 2. I know I was not the biggest fan of it’s name when it was first introduced; I mean, come on – iPAD? I can’t believe that Steve Jobs and co. could not come up with a better name, but alas – I’ve grown to love my first generation iPad and everything it can do and look forward to getting the iPad 2.

Surprisingly, this post isn’t about my undying love for Apple, although it’s somewhat related. I’d like you all to take a few minutes and think about something for me. Think about how you think your life would be without all of the gadgets that you have? What would your life consist of without your cell phone, your laptop or your television? Sometime last week, my good friend Antony’s MacBook was stolen while he was at the library. When I heard about this, I was really upset for him. Even though it wasn’t my stuff that was stolen, I thought about how I would feel in that same situation. I would be absolutely devastated if my MacBook (or any of my iStuff, for that matter) was taken from me. We have become so used to being surrounded by technology that it’s also pretty hard to consider what our lives would be without them. I mean, I know we’d physically survive but it’s funny to think about how our society has become so dependent on communication and media based technologies.

In one of my classes last year, we discussed the Amish in reference to groups in society that resist technology. The Amish are probably the most well-known group of technology resisters in the USA. Each Amish community follows a set of religious rules such as living apart from the rest of the society and that their lives should be plain. They traditionally don’t use electricity, don’t use telephones, or travel in cars. The Amish are not completely resistant to technology; the Amish community will adapt a technology if it falls within their guidelines. But mainly, they wish to remain apart from the general society by maintaining a simple way of life, which rejects technologies that foster dependence on the outside world. The Amish probably think our society is ridiculous for becoming so dependent on so many things.

I think it’s also really important to understand that our society perpetuates the idea that utilizing these technologies is the norm and is what individuals should strive for. We obviously live in a consumer based society that portrays the idea that we have to have the newest, coolest gadget because it will benefit our lives greatly (which I admit, I’ve fallen victim to – e.g. iPad). With this idea continuously being reiterated, I think it becomes harder and harder for our society to consider the way the Amish live as an ordinary way to live. I, for one, could not imagine dropping all of my gadgets, electricity and my car!

As abnormal as it seems to me, I still think that it would be interesting to live a day in the life of an Amish person – just to see what it would be like to live without certain technologies. Don’t get me wrong; I love my “stuff” to death and I probably wouldn’t be the same person I am today without it. It’s just interesting to think about how these various types of technologies actually shape who we are, what we believe, how we act and how we choose to communicate with others. Think about it.

Meet Sarah Kay.

I discovered her on YouTube earlier tonight, as I failed miserably at falling asleep. I liked to think I had a way with words but this girl is incredible – and she’s my age. It’s a little bit amazing how words alone can be used as an outlet to narrate seemingly little experiences with such big emotion and intensity. Check out a few of my favourite performances by Sarah. Do you guys know of any other good spoken word artists? I’d love to know about ‘em.


“Hands”



Favourite Line: “Hands learn, more than minds do. … I love hands like I love people. They are the maps and compasses with which we navigate our way through life. Some people read palms to tell your future but I read hands to tell your past. Each scar marks a story worth telling.”

“B”


Favourite Line: “She’s going to learn that this life will hit you, hard. In the face. Wait for you to get back up, so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air..”

“Tooth Brush to the Bicycle Tire”

Favourite Line: “But in my dreams, you spin around me so fast.. I always wake up dizzy. So, maybe one day you’ll grow tired of the road and roll on back to me. And when I blink my eyes into morning, your smile will be the only one I see.”

“Brother”

Favourite Line: “You are my favourite stick of dynamite. You are the opposite of a rubber band. There are so many things I would tell you if I thought that you would listen and so many more you’d tell me if you believed I would understand.”

Hooks, Heartaches and Healing.

“Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard. Take me back to the start.”
– Coldplay “The Scientist”

Life is a funny thing. I’ve always been a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t necessarily understand the reason in the moment. Things happen and we feel like our entire world is about to collapse yet, somehow, we manage to get through. When I think back on these moments, I can distinctly remember how I felt and what helped me survive an experience that seemed to be almost unbearable. There were always friends that surrounded me during these times. Good friends, I must say. I know other people may indulge in food, drinking, some sort of new hobby – anything to take their minds off of what they will be forced to face eventually. Aside from those good friends of mine, I’ve always been dependent upon music to help me push through a tough time.

In my case, it’s the lyrics that get me every time. Even if it is just a single line, a hook, the whole chorus or the song in its entirety. It’s incredible how one song can make you feel like somebody else in the world knows exactly how you feel in that very moment, in that very experience. It’s like they’ve taken the words you couldn’t find to describe how you felt right out of your head and weaved them beautifully into a musical work of art. Even when you think there aren’t any words to describe how you feel. It gives you a moment or two to escape into a place where what you’re feeling and what you’re going through make sense, even just for a few seconds.

Weirdly enough, I always seem to discover a specific song while I am going through a hard time. It’s as if that song was just waiting.. waiting patiently for me to come along, find it and feel it. As cliché as it sounds, I really do believe that music can heal the soul. I’m not sure how exactly it works but I know how I feel when I’m going through something and music helps. Once you get through the phase of listening to the “my life is horrible and I’m so sad right now” songs, you move on to the “This was hard but I will get through this” songs. Then comes the “I am strong and will not let this experience break me, ” songs, followed by the “I know I will be happy again, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now” songs.

There is a song for every single stage in the healing process, you just have to find it. Here’s hoping that, if you are like me at all, you find the songs that will help you through your tough times. Because you will get through it, even if it seems impossible, as I was continuously reminded of every single day, by those songs and by those very good friends of mine.

Life In A Day

Hi friends!

I didn’t realize that my next post would be this soon but I just came across something pretty awesome and I thought I’d share it with you lovely people. I present to you.. Life In A Day. Life In A Day is a global social experiment to create a feature film, that will be directed by Kevin MacDonald and produced by Ridley Scott. These guys are attempting to create a user-generated feature film, shot solely by individuals around the world on one day. On July 24 (TODAY!), you have 24 hours to capture a small glimpse of your life on camera. It can be anything. Your walk to work, lunch with friends, an all nighter for a final paper, a wedding, birth of your baby, singing in your bathroom, cleaning your room; the possibilities are endless. Videos can only be recorded between 12:01am and 11:59pm in your time zone on July 24, 2010, and then you’ll have 7 days to submit your footage.

Along with whatever you submit, Kevin is also asking for three questions to be answered:
1)
What do you fear most in your life today?
2)
What do you love?
3)
What makes you laugh?

Last, but not least, he also wants you to pull out whatever is in your pocket when you are filming this glimpse into your life and tell him about it.

I think this is the coolest idea ever. As Kevin mentions in one of his videos, this movie is going to be like a record of what it was like to be alive on this one day. The questions he’s asking to be answered seem simple enough but the answers might surprise you in how similar or how very different they turn out to be. I think it’s great that filmmakers are using social media in ways that no one has used them before. To make a film about a day in your life is one thing, but making a film about a day in millions of lives? Sounds pretty awesome to me. As Kevin says, it’s going to be like a time capsule that people in the future can look at, years from now and say, “Oh wow. So that’s what it was like back then”.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to film anything unless it’s from my iPhone, seeing as my sister has my camera with her in Kenya at the moment. I might give it a shot, who knows? Watch the video that I posted below and check out Life In A Day’s YouTube page for more information. Let me know if you’re going to film a glimpse into your life today and, if you do, post the link in the comment section so I can see!

Just over 23 hours left to film, good luck and have a great day :)

Honey, I’m Home!

Hi there!

I’m sorry my little blog has been so empty for the last little while. My life has been a little bit hectic over the last little while, but I’m back now. I thought this post would just be a quick update of my life since my last post.

iPad

My boyfriend and my mom teamed up and surprised me with an iPad as a graduation gift and, let me tell you, I am in love. I find myself using it all the time and I take it with me wherever I go. It’s a lot more convenient than my beautiful little MacBook is (I still love you). If any of you have had a chance to pick one up, these are a few of my favourite apps:

Kindle: Yes, yes, I know. iBooks. But Amazon’s pricing still kicks Apple’s ass. I’m reading a lot more now, so if you have any recommendations for good books, let me know.
Newsy: Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a news fanatic. Learning about news stories from various angles in well put together videos is even better.
Flipboard: I only found out about this app a few days ago but it is awesome. It has a beautiful interface and is the first personalized, social magazine. The only downside right now is that they’ve become too popular and are always over capacity when I attempt to link my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I can’t wait until I can use it to its full potential. I love it enough to wait.
Mashable: Obviously. I had no doubts that their iPad app would be amazing.
Angry Birds: Addicting game #1. Super fun and well designed. Well worth it.
Plants vs. Zombies: Addicting game #2. Visually stunning and insanely addictive.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4. It’s beautiful. I love it. I’m getting it. I know there have been some issues but I have no doubt that this phone will be amazing and make me really happy about my purchase. ..and if I’m completely wrong (worst case scenario), there’s a fourteen day return policy. That’s all the news I have for you on this front.
Sidenote: Insert FaceTime joke here.

New House
WE’VE FINALLY MOVED IN! We’re here and it’s awesome. It was a long and hard process (that’s what she said), but it was well worth it. My family and I are still getting used to it but it’s definitely beginning to feel like home. I still need to pick up a few things for my room (new desk, wardrobe, etc) but I love it. If you see a brown girl, running around IKEA constantly, it’s pretty safe to assume that it’s me. Here’s a shot of what my new room looks like.

University Grad!!!
If you aren’t aware by my constant twitter updates, this blog is now being written by an official university graduate with a degree and all! Although, I’m not done school yet (enrolled in a PR program for September), I’m officially done with university! It was great, I made some amazing friends and more amazing memories that I’ll always have. Education wise and career wise, I have higher hopes for my college experience; more hands on, more relevant career information, etc. I can’t wait to start! Here are a few pictures from the day of my convocation:

Trip to Los Angeles!

Last, but not least, my trip to LA! Thanks to Klout and Virgin America, I won a free trip to Los Angeles! Klout is a company that measures online social influence and, according to them, I was influential enough to get an invite to try out Virgin America’s flights from Toronto. I’ll keep you updated on this trip too, I’ll be going in the second week of August! I absolutely cannot wait. Only 14 days left!

Phew. What an update. I’ll be blogging more regularly from now on, so keep checking back. Until next time. :)

Happy Mother’s Day ♥

I’m sorry I’m late but with one minute to spare, I just wanted to wish a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the awesome mothers out there! :)

I just wanted to take a minute and do a quick post for Mother’s Day. I don’t understand why there is only one day dedicated to mothers. Mothers are like super women! They can always manage to do a million different things and make it look easy. Have you ever stopped and actually thought about all of the things they have done for you? I, for one, know first hand how many things my mom has accomplished and continues to accomplish every day, while staying the amazing woman that she is. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without her. So here’s to all the awesome moms out there! Thank you for everything that you do :)

One more thing. Every Mother’s Day, without fail, my sisters and I will buy my mom a card (along with gifts, of course) and will always write the same riddle/poem in the card. When we were younger, we did it because we thought it was the best thing ever, but now we continue it because it’s become a tradition. I’ll post it for you guys here, let me know if you figure it out ;)

Happy Mother’s Day!
Here is the riddle/poem :)

read see that me
up will I love
and you love you
down and you and

High School Musical.. But Not Really.

Side Note: I apologize for waiting so long between posts! I wanted to make sure I took the time to post a well-written blog, instead of one that was rushed and half-assed. I’ll try my best to blog more frequently and more consistently from now on. :)


High school is a weird period in your life. Everyone goes through it, so I know most people can relate. For a lot of people, it’s like discovering a new world. Most of the time, if not all, you’re starting fresh at a new school, you may not have the same friends with you that you’ve had for the past few years, your grades actually begin to matter a little bit more in relation to your future, and you begin to adjust to the oh-so-wonderful world of hormones and dating.

The high school I went to, Wexford C.I., was a school for the arts, which meant its focus was on visual and performing arts. At my time at Wexford, I was in both the Drama Focus Program and the Music Theatre Program. Before you ask (because I know you will), it was nothing like the movie High School Musical (although I would have loved to go to school with Zac Efron). I’ll admit there were times when my friends and I would sing random songs or act out funny scenes, but we didn’t break out into song and dance numbers every time someone felt like it and not every situation resulted in a happy ending for all.

Now, I don’t just sit around and reminisce about high school, because honestly I’m glad it’s over. The reason why this post came to exist is because last week, Sunny and I visited our old high school. We were there because Nina was doing a Q&A for some of the students at the school, and she was only in Toronto for a short period of time (literally, it was like a minute), so we thought we would drop by, say hi and be the awesome friends that we are. Being back in those hallways brought back a lot of memories, seeing as I basically haven’t been back at the school since I left.

I started thinking about my friends, old flames and big moments that happened while I was at this school. I made a lot of friends throughout high school, who I was really close with during those four years, but who I haven’t spoken to since I graduated. Of the friends I made in high school, I only regularly speak to about… six or seven of them. I know when you finish a big chapter in your life, it’s just natural for people to drift apart but it’s funny to think about who we choose to keep in contact with and who we don’t. It’s also an awkward situation when you run into someone from high school that you used to be really close to, but are not anymore. There’s always that awkward pause before you approach them, where you tried to avoid eye contact but you failed, so now you have to say something. It’s always the same conversation…

You: Hey! Oh my god, I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?
Them: I know! Long time, no see! I’m good, how have you been doing?
You: Good, good. What are you up to nowadays, school, work?
Them: Oh, I’m doing “such and such” with my life, you?
You: That’s good to hear, I’m doing “such and such”!

..and then there’s an awkward pause again, as one of you figure out how to end the conversation quickly so you can leave and never again feel as awkward as you just did. It’s also funny running into people who were really popular in school, but are doing absolutely nothing with their life and are working at McDonald’s or something in the meantime. It’s such a cliché but it happens so often, you can’t ignore it. I, on the other hand, find it awesome to be able to say I just finished a university degree and actually have some sort of plan for my life. It just goes to show that high school can help shape and define who you are, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to what your future is going to be like. That decision is up to you.

During our short visit, I also got the chance to see the place where my ex-boyfriend from high school dumped me. Now before you start throwing a pity party for me, know that it was the best break up I could ever experience. When I started dating him, I was really young and naïve, and was still in that phase where I couldn’t be mean to someone because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings (I’m still a nice person but now if someone needs to hear the truth, I’ll be the first to break it to them – nicely of course). He was still really immature (and I can’t blame him, he was a 17 year old boy) and not at all what I was looking for in a long term relationship. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy who’s probably more mature now and better boyfriend material as well. Looking back, I don’t regret it at all because I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I definitely learned a few lessons from that relationship too. I realized what was important to me in a relationship and in a person, which in the long run helped me realize that who I’m with now is perfect for me. Also, in this case, there is a happy ending for everyone. According to Facebook, said ex has been with his girlfriend for just over a year now. I’m happy for him and I’m glad that he found someone who’s great for him.

So, as awesome as High School Musical made high school out to be, it doesn’t always work out the same way in real life. People move on, friends drift apart, old flames just don’t cut it anymore. There are things that I definitely learned from my years in high school and I wouldn’t change one thing. Although there are a lot of people who I don’t keep in contact with anymore, they all played a part in making me who I am and I thank them. I don’t think I’d go back to my high school years (once was definitely enough), but I’m so glad that I’m still surrounded by some of the greatest friends I’ve had since high school; without them, I probably wouldn’t be the same person.

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