Tamy Emma Pepin

ALL THEY WANT

2010-12-08T22:54:00.001-05:00

INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS CHANTAL THUY

2010-11-07T18:31:00.005-05:00

Up and coming actress Chantal Thuy has been the talk of her hometown for sometime now; but after some stellar performances, in recent short films and on stage, New York, and the rest of the world, are starting to take notice. We recently met over tea to talk about her flourishing career.

Tamy: Hi Chantal, how does it feel to be back in Montreal this weekend?

Chantal Thuy: It feels great. I think Montreal will always be my home. You know I grew up here. This is where I got the acting bug and began training with some really great teachers at ASM (Actor’s Studio of Montreal). I will always be grateful to the theatre community here for giving me my break.

T: I remember watching you in Lysistrata. Even then I knew you were going far!

CT: (Laughs) I remember. That was such a long time ago! Was it in 2003 or 2004? And we did our first interview afterwards, didn’t we?

T: Yes. Even back then I knew your career would be worth following. So what's changed in the last 5 years?

CT: Well, nearly everything but some things stay the same. Back then, I was still struggling to figure out what I wanted from my life, I was an actress with lots of ambition and drive. Now, the hard work is paying off and I'm getting to work everyday
in my dream job. I feel very blessed. But some things haven't changed as well - I still love coming home to Montreal and being with my friends and family, going to the Tamtams on Mount Royal and Jazz fest every summer.

T: Well things have certainly changed! Your film was off to London in March and now you're doing a play that is going to Germany in December!

CT: I know, it’s all very exciting. Having work shown in Europe and America is wonderful, especially as London is such a global artistic center. It was a real honor to be accepted there. And I can't wait to got to Germany with the Galli Theatre.

T: In London you had the premier 'Of Anna and Dreams' of course, where you played legendary Asian American film star Anna May Wong. Tell us a little about the project.

CT: It was a film piece commissioned for the Chinatown Art Space in London, and has been shown all over the world. I got to work with O (Zhang - multi award winning artist), and she's amazing. I just found out it is going to the Hong Kong Art festival
in the spring of 2011. The project was a real labour of love. It's great to work with someone with such passion.

T: Apparently she delayed shooting till she found the correct Anna. It's like she was waiting for you. What a compliment.

CT: Yes, I actually auditioned for the part very late in the process, a few weeks before she began shooting because she had not found the right actress. I felt like I had a very good audition, but you never know with these things sometimes, so I was thrilled to get her phone call! I felt very lucky to have been chosen to portray Anna May Wong, it was a real privilege. She was an exceptional woman. So full of grace and generosity, but such a fighter. I love her spirit.

T: How do you prepare to play a character like that, especially one from a different era?

CT: I watched all her films and read all her letters. To begin with, I did a lot of research and then made it my job to be a keen observer of her speech patterns, mannerisms and persona. To really let her being sink into me. Once I felt I had enough information, I let all the homework go and I found her essence in my own heart. Then I could just let it all flow in the moment as we filmed. O (Zhang) asked me to reinterpret her, not just copy her; this allowed me to channel her soul whilst creating something fresh.

And it’s funny, because in the end, the era doesn't really make a difference. She faced the same struggle that is going on snow, though in a higher degree, but in different costumes. She was struggling to give the Asian American women a presence on the big screen, and we're still struggling right now. There's not many of us who are working regularly. I'm very lucky. Anna's story is still hugely relevant.

T: What do you think of people who say you're the new Anna May Wong?

CT: Haha, that’s flattering, but I couldn’t believe it--Anna is my idol! I would love to carve my path as she has, working in the United States, Canada and Europe. Being an international actress is the way of the future, especially as we are becoming more
and more in tune with other cultures and countries through the internet, as we know from your blog. But it's an honor to follow in her footsteps. And I'm having fun just finding my way in this new landscape of entertainment!

You can see Chantal as part of the Interpretations film competition giving another wonderful performance, in the piece “Penny Royal”. You can also catch her Off Broadway in New York City, playing the a female lead for the Galli Theatre in New York City before they leave for Germany in December. I hear she has many other exciting (undisclosed) film projects in the pipeline; and I know I'm not alone when I say that I can't wait to see a lot more of her.

How can you buy or sell the Earth?

2010-08-20T09:17:00.002-04:00

In 1854, the United States Government offered to buy two million acres of Indian land in the Northwest. Below is a tranlation of Chief Sealth's (Seattle) reply to President Franklin Pierce in December of that year. It has been described as the most beautiful and prophetic statement on the environment ever made.

The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and good will. This is kind of him, since we know he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer.

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us... This we know: All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

But we will consider your offer to go to the reservation you have for my people. We will live apart, and in peace. One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover - our God is the same God.

You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land: but you cannot. He is the God of man; and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to Him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste. But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man.

That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires. Where is the thicket? Gone. Where in the eagle? Gone. And what is it to say goodbye to the swift pony and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

So we will consider your offer to buy the land. If we agree, it will be to secure the reservation you have promised. There, perhaps, we may live out our brief days as we wish. When the last red man has vanished from the earth, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, these shores and forests will still hold the spirits of my people. For they love this earth as a newborne loves its mother's heartbeat.

So, if we sell our land, love it as we've loved it. Care for it as we've cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you take it. And preserve it for your children, and love it...as God loves us all. One thing we know. Our God is the same God. This earth is precious to Him. Even the white man cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see.

AT PEACE

2010-08-13T13:58:00.003-04:00

A sweet wind called vacation is whispering in my ear...

CNN Thoughts and the Face of News

2010-06-30T14:19:00.002-04:00

Larry King is hanging up his nightly suspenders.

Maybe that means there will be space for a non gray-haired white male on CNN's anchor homepage?

Just a thought...

Ces Prêtres qui Baisent

2010-06-13T20:53:00.005-04:00

À l'heure que le Pape Benoît XVI défend le célibat des prêtres, affirmant que celui-ci est le meilleur "antidote" contre le péché, imaginez-vous donc que je viens de découvrir qu'il existe au Québec, une association du nom de AGAPE:

Association Gay Anonyme Pour Prêtres Exclusivement

Oui, oui, ça existe. C'est en discutant de politique, de loi 100, de voile, de religion et d'avortement avec ma mère cet après-midi, qu'elle m'a raconté sa surprise en tombant sur une publicité de l'AGAPE dans un magazine traînant chez son coiffeur.

- Ben voyons maman, ça ne se peut pas. Ça doit être un truc de role play. Tu sais, parfois les gens ont de drôles de fantasmes...
- Non ma chérie. Je te le dis. J'ai même noté le numéro de téléphone pour voir de quoi il s'agissait.

Elle se lève et va chercher le bout de papier en question. Pendant ce temps, je sors le iPhone de sa cachette - ma mère déteste ma dépendance technologique.

Google.

En moins de deux secondes je me retrouve sur le site web de l'AGAPE qui décrit le fonctionnement de l'association comme suit:

"Les membres des groupes se rencontrent une fois par mois dans un lieu où ensemble ils fraternisent, partagent leur vécu, échangent sur des thèmes choisis d’avance. Trois fois par année, il y a une rencontre sociale où tous les groupes de Montréal et de Québec se retrouvent ensemble pour fraterniser autour d’un souper".

Afin d'être admis il faut être prêtre ou avoir été prêtre catholique ou pasteur dans une autre Église chrétienne tout en se reconnaissant une orientation homosexuelle.

Malaise. Non pas relié à l'homosexualité, mais par rapport au fait que des prêtres dénoncent anonymement leur propre hiérarchie. Là mon problème avec l'Église Catholique: avoir la foi, respecter et aimer son prochain est une chose; instaurer une culture de peur et de honte, au point même que les prêtres se cachent sous l'anonymat est tout autre. À en croire les discours arriérés du Pape, chaque souffle est source de potentiel péché. Cette obsession maladive de contrôle sur la sexualité est un réel problème. Je n'irais jamais jusqu'à dire que le célibat des prêtres mène vers la pédophilie, mais reste que toutes ces répressions sexuelles, voir émotives, ne peuvent être bonnes pour la santé mentale d'un être humain.

Et comment peut-on devenir prêtre alors que notre identité et nos valeurs sont à l'inverse de celles imposées par le clergé. C'est à n'y rien comprendre. L'homme qui a peur du sang, ne devient pas médecin.

Le Pape a fait une quasi-syncope il y a quelques semaines à la suite d'une lettre ouverte envoyée par une quarantaine de femmes italiennes demandant l'abolition des lois sur le célibat des prêtres. Je suis curieuse de savoir ce que le souverain pontife pense de l'AGAPE. Est-il au courant que cette association existe - ou encore, est-il au courant et choisit-il de fermer les yeux?

Si c'est le cas, ça ne sera pas la première fois.

Extrait du Documentaire: Biosphere Demain c'est Maintenant

2010-05-20T16:25:00.004-04:00

Wow. Je suis assise à mon bureau chez Sid Lee et je viens de visionner un extrait du documentaire Biosphère Demain C'est Maintenant, qui vient tout juste d'être publié sur Escapades.TV

Il y a quelque temps, j'étais partie en Afrique pour travailler comme reporter sur ce documentaire et je suis vraiment émue de voir les images qui ont été tournées.

C'est la première fois que je vois les images des entrevues que nous avons tournées et je suis vraiment fière du résultat.

La sortie officielle du documentaire aura lieu en Novembre 2010, mais d'ici là, voici de quoi vous mettre sous la dent!

Purify me

2010-05-08T18:04:00.003-04:00

Whenever I clean, I always pop this film in the DVD player.

I guess it does to my soul what I do to the dishes.

Daniela Edburg

2010-05-06T23:33:00.001-04:00

This makes me really happy

2010-04-18T13:45:00.001-04:00

Found on the newly discovered and totally amazing Dujour Magazine website.

Africa Adventures #1

2010-04-13T15:45:00.004-04:00

1 Avril 2010. Première journée au Burkina Faso. Notre chauffeur, Madi, vient nous chercher à 7h00 question de passer à la banque et prendre la route pour le Bénin.

Après quelques heures de route à observer le quotidien des Burkinabés, Madi s'arrête pour chercher un bidon d'huile.

Au même moment, Jean Charest prend d'assaut les ondes radiophoniques question de bousculer mon esprit voyageur. Le temps de sortir ma caméra et voilà Louise Beaudoin qui me parle.

Je suis dans le fin fond de l'Afrique, sans téléphone, sans internet, sans contact avec le monde extérieur.

Les accomodements raisonables du Québec qui me suivent jusqu'ici...faut le faire!

Je souris...faut croire que même à l'autre bout du monde, on vit un peu tous les mêmes dilemmes...

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6 Milliards d'autres: à voir absolument

2010-04-09T09:14:00.004-04:00

Cette semaine dans l'avion j'ai découvert le projet documentaire 6 Milliards d'Autres.

Réalisé par GoodPlanet.org, 6 Milliards d'Autres, ce sont des entrevues réalisées sur cinq ans dans plus d'une soixantaine de pays.

5000 hommes et femmes du monde entier répondent donc tous aux mêmes questions sur l'amour, sur leurs plus grandes épreuves, leurs rires, Dieu, la guerre, la vie, la mort...

Le résultat est un touchant montage d'images, simple, et chargé d'émotions, qui nous fait comprendre que nous sommes tous semblables dans nos différences.

Bref un merveilleux portrait de l'humanité du XXIe siècle.

J'ai particulièrement accroché sur cette vidéo, où tous ces inconnus, depuis leurs coins de pays, nous parlent de leurs peurs...

Et celui-ci, qui m'a fait pleurer...la question demandée: quelle a été l'épreuve la plus difficile de votre vie?

Le film Témoins du Climat est aussi à regarder. Il fut diffusé lors du Sommet de Copenhague en décembre 2009.

Tous les films et les différents thèmes abordées sont tous sur le Youtube de GoodPlanet.org et je vous promet, ça vaut vraiment le détour.

Why you should keep a journal

2010-03-30T13:15:00.006-04:00

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up some place else" - Yogi Berra

This was written almost exactly 3 years ago. I remember the day and the place very clearly. It was at the house of my friend Chantal in Brossard.

In early 2007, I had just returned from Honduras where I was living for almost a year working as a reporter for the newspaper Honduras This Week. If I remember correctly, Chantal had just returned from a 6 month internship at a film festival in Hawaii.

It was a surprinsingly beautiful spring day and we sat together with our journals on the warm ciment of the backyard patio.

We both wrote down our dreams and goals, answering the same questions... What is your ultimate dream, what impact to you want to have on the world, what is your definition of success, where do you want to live. The list went on and on.

We talked, and we wrote, letting go of all fear, refusing to think that a dream can be too big.

And so I wrote..

"I want to produce and host my own documentary series around the world to bring different cultures and beliefs to the forefront and encourage greater acceptance of what is different".

Today is March 30, 2010.

I write this post as I wait for my girlfriend to come pick me up. I'm going to Africa.

Better, I am going to Africa to work as a reporter on the documentary film "Biosphere, Tomorrow is now", produced by Biosphere TV in partnership with UNESCO.

Tomorrow, I should be landing in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, then heading to Benin, where my two partners and I will meet the men and women who live in the National Park of Pendjari, which is part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

As you can imagine, I feel extremely blessed and grateful.

I will probably not have internet access during the next week, but I promise to keep you posted on my experience and on what I've learned. I will even film little "making-of" videos, which I will be posting sooner than later.

For now, the moral of the story, is:

1) write down your goals

2) work hard

3) work harder

4) enjoy every second

And keep your old journals....being able to go back and witness your own evolution is a precious little thing.

Love,

Tamy xox

On Grief

2010-03-28T22:00:00.001-04:00

some days are harder than others.
today is one of those.

.

On Fear and Conformity

2010-03-28T15:21:00.003-04:00

Erykah Badu's new Window Seat video has just been released. Twenty hours ago, she tweeted: "I was petrified while shooting this video ... but liberation began to set in. I conquered many fears in that few moments. I am greatful".

Grateful I am for individuals like Badu, who put their fears and vulnerabilties on the line in order to shake our roots and bring light to life's earnest truths.

Look at that "other", I say. Look at the sheeps. Hear the discord of their bells clinging as they sleep-walk their way through life. Look at all these unique acts of God, driving themselves insane, dying, in efforts to all look the same. To dress the same. To act the same. To think the same.

And so I express, I denounce, I raise my voice, I act, I sing, I laugh, I cry, I write. Even when it contradicts those I love and fear. I subvert the culture of regression and death.

But I too sometimes, am guilty. I have voluntarily censored myself. Even if just once. For that, I too am a victim, a participant actually, not an innocent victim, an endorser of Group Think.

I am conscious of those moments of weakness, the moments I've let fear creep in. Fear is a most poisonous disease.

Badu is medicine.

I am medicine.

You are medicine.

Serious Kudos

2010-03-21T15:22:00.003-04:00

Logorama is the 2010 Academy Award Winner of the Short Film category.

It's 14 minutes of brilliant.

Take the time to watch, you will not regret it.

On a personal note,

Let's make sure we are creating the world we want to live in.

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

Congratulations to H5, the French animation collective who made this film.

I am surprised it was even possible, legally. Pretty sure McDonald wasn't too happy.

Then again.

I'm pretty sure the cows being fed corn and chicken manure aren't happy either.

♥

Paris, Je t'aime

2010-03-15T21:05:00.002-04:00

Paris je t'aime - La Bastille
envoyé par Servietsky. - Les derniÃ¨res bandes annonces en ligne.

Anonymous

2010-03-07T12:27:00.004-05:00

Everywhere I go, there's people.
If I look at them, they look at my shoes.
I don't know what's going on.
I keep asking myself, do I have on really weird shoes?
are they abnormally beautiful? ugly?somehow alien?
It's not just one person who's interested in them.
it's almost everyone who sees me.
I go on the subway and look around.
I want to see someone like me. I want to see someone different than me.
i want to see someone and say something,
or just look or smile, or laugh.
I want to touch someone's hair.
I want to kiss their cheek and say hello.
maybe they would take my elbow and squeeze it lightly.
they might say they are happy to see me. just because: why not?
I am happy to see them but they want to look at my shoes.
I want to take off my shoes.
I do and then they don't look at me at all.

...

Graphic Poetry

2010-03-06T18:39:00.006-05:00

Click on picture to make bigger

For more of this awesome stuff

http://www.graphicpoetry.net

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Feeling ALIVE

2010-03-03T00:46:00.000-05:00

Alicia Keys in Montreal

2010-03-01T00:40:00.009-05:00

Alicia Keys is a shining light. I just got back from her Freedom Tour in Montreal and feel absolutely blessed to have been in the presence of such a positive force, a Woman, in all her Mighty Splendour.

In an era of exponential hollow entertainment, Alicia Keys is to me what the oasis is to the Bedouin and the Touareg: Life.

Beyond the keys that awakened my tears and the ones that tickled my smile, what I will mostly remember from this evening is that warm feeling of LIGHT, of GOD, of oneness, of Truth Seeking, of Perseverence.

That and the remarkable visuals created by Olivier Goulet, of Montreal's multimedia company, Geodezik....STUNNING! Here are some of my pics.

Elevate Yourself

2010-02-07T14:29:00.005-05:00

A book recommendation. One of my favorite pieces of literature. Had the chance to re-read it on vacation. It never gets old.

"Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it".

"All the voices, all the goals, all the yearnings, all the sorrows, all the pleasures, all the good and evil, all of them together was the world. All of them together was the stream of events, the music of life...then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om - perfection."

The author: Hermann Hesse, Nobel Prize winning novelist, poet and critic.

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The world has gone to shit

2010-02-04T15:39:00.005-05:00

Lindsey Wixson.

She’s 15 and the new face of Miu Miu.

Miu Miu calls this campaign: "the embodiment of a free-spirit on the cusp of womanhood."

How about: “the embodiment of one more unethical brand using a kid to sell clothes to grown ups”.

I repeat: kids selling clothes to grow-ups. Do you not see anything wrong with this sentence?

For this campaign to even exist, some of us have to be flashing the Benjamins at the sight of prepubescent 15 year-olds perverted as objects of luxury and desire.

Women.

Wake up. Fifteen year-olds are not a symbol of womanhood. The only thing that makes their spirit free is the lack of bills for them to pay. Fifteen year-old girls are your children, your cute but mostly annoying little sisters, nieces and cousins.

How does a beautiful and juicy ripe fruit not realize it is the best of all?

The world is going to shit. Keep buying into the horse crap and it might just be your fault.

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Here’s an idea

2010-02-02T09:35:00.009-05:00

The Vancouver Olympics.

Over the next few weeks, thousands of people will be covering the Games, from the smallest bloggers to the biggest media powerhouses.

I want to go to Vancouver and blog about the story behind the story. (keep reading)

Only problem is, I’m booked for contracts in Montreal at the same time. Since I have yet to figure out how to pull a Steve Urkel and clone myself, the least I can do is share these thoughts in the hopes of inspiring someone who can make them a reality – I know human beings usually do everything in their power to keep their great ideas for themselves, but hey… experience, knowledge and ideas are really nothing if not shared.

So. Back to the story behind the story.

The Vancouver Olympics = Thousands of homeless people being displaced and moved around like cattle. Leprous cattle.

I’m still not sure if I prefer calling that hypocrisy or just flat-out wrong.

There are more homeless people in Vancouver than Olympic athletes, so it won’t be too hard to find content.

Find a name for the project and start a Youtube Channel, a Wordpress blog and a Twitter account (may I remind you, these tools are free). Now hit the streets. Interview the homeless, give them a voice. Do portraits about them. Collect their opinions. Investigate. Take photographs.

Upload videos on Youtube at the same time as the most popular competitions are being broadcasted around the world. Then Tweet it up, use hashtags. The Olympics will be a trending topic on Twitter for two weeks! Take advantage of it to spread your videos and show the world a different side of the medal (no pun intended).

Go to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. See how it has been cleaned up for the occasion.

Talk to locals in the area (you’ll quickly realize that most people living in Vancouver are against the Olympics). Interview people working in NGOs, activists.

Ask questions.

Why is Vancouver not rehousing the homeless and removing them from the streets permanently instead of simply relocating them on more distant streets where they won’t risk being seen? It’s not like they just found out the Olympics were coming to their neighbourhood…they had months to take action!

How much money is spent arresting homeless people to sweep them under the rug? Couldn’t that investment be used in a more constructive way? How is hiding the homeless, then putting them back on the streets two weeks later going to solve anything?

Dig in! What is the situation of social housing in Vancouver?

Apparently, being a good host for the world for two weeks is more important than being a good host for your very own residents all year long!

Perhaps if Vancouver tackled the issue of homelessness with the same zeal they showed organizing the Olympics there wouldn’t be a problem with homelessness in the first place.

You see…..there is a LOT of content here.

I think that an insightful, rigorous and passionate blogger pumping out solid videos, photos and articles, live from the Olympic streets of Vancouver 2010 would be a hit.

And call me naïve… not only would it be a hit, it might even help make the world a better place.

So there you go.

* Please note that this post is not a critique of the Olympic athletes that train all year long with a discipline that I cannot even imagine being blessed with.

* All Photo Credits of this post: The BlackBird The man is worth checking out. Great collection of photographs and relevant information of the situation.

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Sorry as a National Sport

2010-01-28T08:05:00.005-05:00

"We are a nation that loves to say sorry. Scratch that: We are a nation that loves to get off watching other people say they are sorry. From Tiger Woods to David Letterman to lusty politicians like Eliot Spitzer, 'apology voyeuring' has become our creepy national pastime" - GQ, Feb 2010

Articles like these is why I prefer GQ over most women's magazines. It really entertains me.

On the issue of apologizing, I can't help but notice how saying sorry has become men's morning pill. You get caught up in emotions and you fuck up...but hey! Those three words (and I don't mean I love you) will always be there to get ya out of trouble.

Now, there's nothing wrong with saying "I'm sorry", but as GQ points out, there's a right and a wrong way to fess up.

In the wrong category? Akon. This, is what I would consider a "lame" apology. Tip: When saying sorry, never let pride get in the way.

So dudes, hit the news stand and flip to page 40 for your very own modern man's guide to apologizing.

And girls, we're also quite good at screwing up...so get your read on. Plus, the mighty hot Johnny Depp, aka. my favorite man in the world, is bracing the cover....

Dear Life

2010-01-19T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Healer

2010-01-11T08:09:00.007-05:00

Many of you (mostly women) might have read the best selling book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I've seen the book on the shelves for a few years now, knowing all my girlfriends were telling me to read it, but prefering to indulge in other readings...This month, knowing I was travelling to Morocco and Indonesia, I decided it was time for me to head to the bookstore and see what all the fuss was about. For those of you who havent heard about it, it's the story of a woman (Elizabeth, the author) who heads to Italy, India and Indonesia in search of who knows....a bit of happiness and mostly balance after a shitty divorce. The last chapter is dedicated to Bali, more specifically the town of Ubud, from where I am currently typing these words.

Only difference is I don't have a book deal, and I'm slightly tipsy at 9:15pm, live from one of the many cafes that are niched on the now famous Monkey Road.

Other detail of importance. I've been coughing like a bitch for two months. Before leaving to Morocco, my mom forced me to go to the hospital because my cough was seriously not normal. Every 30 seconds, I'm coughing. And so I headed to the only doctor opened on the South Shore of Montreal on Christmas Day. She concluded I had a bacterial infection and prescribed me some serious syrup, antibiotics and nose spray....which I took for 10 days during my travels in North Africa.

Nothing has changed. Still coughing and out of breath. (Meanwhile I quit smoking, it's been something like 15 days). Now I'm in Bali, with my bestfriend Caroline, and my dry ass cough.

Excuse my language, I'm at my second bottle of wine, and although I might re-read this post tomorrow when I'm fully there, in order to correct the many mistakes and cut out all the innapropriate parts that might make my future clients cringe...for now...this is what it is.

SOOOO....this is what I want to get to... In the book, Elizabeth (Liz), magically becomes best friends with two traditional healers, Ketut and Wayan....

And today, I dragged myself, and my cough, to see Wayan, a traditional healer, in the hopes that she may cure whatever is afflicting me. In the pictures you will see below, is my experience with Wayan, as she felt my energy field to measure my rates of vitamins, calcium, my digestive system, and yes, my general health. Lets not forget the palm reading, that was I must say, very accurate, apart from the part where she said:

"You, not smart, but you not stupid"

Oh, thanks Wayan, that makes sense. Not. Then there were parts such as the fact that I was really fragile after my birth (I did have meningitis, and almost died as a baby), and the weird revelation that I had been in two serious relationships in my life (one lasting a year and a half, and the other, two years). To this day, I've had two boyfriends, one of a year and a half, one of two years. She also said I was in my 7th reincarnation, that I would be married twice, and that 8 men would be madly in love with me, six of which I won't give a damn about....

My conclusion is that you have to take some and leave some, but overall it's been a very interesting encounter. Cutlurally speaking, it was an amazing experience....

And so I drank...all the magic potions, and the countless infusions of plants.

(yes...those are leaves in my va-g-g :|)

Yet, I'm still coughing.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Joyeuses Fêtes!

2009-12-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

Sufi Legend to Cure Disappointment

2009-12-20T07:33:00.006-05:00

Many years ago in a poor Chinese village, there lived a peasant with his son. His only material possession, apart from some land and a small straw hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father.

One day, the horse ran off, leaving the man with no animal with which to till the land. His neighbors – who respected him greatly for his honesty and diligence – came to his house to say how much they regretted what had happened. He thanked them for their visit, but asked:

- How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in my life?

Someone mumbled to a friend: “he can’t accept reality, let him think what he wants, as long as he isn’t saddened by what happened.”

And the neighbors went off, pretending to agree with what they had heard.

A week later, the horse returned to the stable, but it was not alone; it brought with it a fine mare for company. Upon hearing this, the villagers – who were flustered since they now understood the answer the man had given them – returned to the peasant’s house, in order to congratulate him on his good fortune.

- Before you had only one horse, and now you have two. Congratulations! – they said.

- Many thanks for your visit and for all your concern – answered the peasant. – But how can you know that what has happened has been a blessing in my life?

Disconcerted, and thinking he must be going mad, the neighbors went off, and on the way commented: “does he really not understand that God has sent him a gift?”

A month later, the peasant’s son decided to tame the mare. But the animal unexpectedly reared up and the boy fell and broke his leg.

The neighbors returned to the peasant’s house – bringing gifts for the wounded boy. The mayor of the village offered his condolences to the father, saying that all were very sad at what had happened.

The man thanked them for their visit and their concern, but asked:

- How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in my life?

They were all astonished to hear this, since no one could be in any doubt that the accident of a son was a real tragedy. As they left the peasant’s house, some said to others: “he really has gone mad; his only son might limp forever, and he is still in doubt about whether what happened is a misfortune.”

Some months passed, and Japan declared war on China. The Emperor’s envoys traveled throughout the land in search for healthy young men to be sent to the battle front. Upon arrival in the village, they recruited all the young men except the peasant’s son, whose leg was broken.

None of the young men returned alive. The son recovered, the two animals bred and their offspring were sold at a good price. The peasant began visiting his neighbors to console and help them, – since they had at all times been so caring. Whenever one of them complained, the peasant said: “how do you know it is a misfortune?” If anyone become overjoyed, he asked: “how do you know it is a blessing?” And the men in that village understood that beyond appearances, life has other meanings.

Five minutes ago, I was literally srcubbing my eyes, reaching for the laptop, in bed, and uploading the webpage of the Second Best Job in the World to see if I was in the Top 5 finalists. BUMMER. My video is no longer there.

My first reaction is disappointment. Disappointment because you put so much effort into something you really want, into something you believe you are the best at.

You tried, you worked it, you gave 200%, you payed attention to every single detail, you were honest and true to yourself. For all these reasons I don't allow myself to be either sad, angry or disappointed for more than 5 minutes when something doesn't work out.

A lot of times we simply don't see the bigger picture, and so we complain and crumble in negative feelings. Why didn't my realtionship work out? Why didn't I get this job? Why did my car get towed? And after five years now, I even feel comfortable saying why did my father die?

Things happen. LIFE happens. Sometimes, what you are the most convinced is good for you, is actually not the path you were meant to follow. But there is always, always, something else for you around the corner. How do you think I started blogging? If I didn't get rejected at the previous job I had applied for, I would never be where I am today.

I remember when I first read the Sufi legend of the Lost Horse. The moment I read it, it stayed with me forever. Today, everytime I feel a sense of disappointment taking over me, I go back to it. By the time I'm done reading, I'm back up, thankful for life, happy to have tried, proud of conquering my fears, smirking at life and wondering which crazy adventure and dreams are next.

Life is short. Too short to spend much time wondering why things didn't work out.

There will be failures, but only if you see them as such.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The Copenhagen Wheel

2009-12-18T09:11:00.001-05:00

Pretty amazing...i love where social media and new technologies are going #inspiring

Sounds of an Introspective Sunday

2009-12-06T16:21:00.002-05:00

Inspiration Untitled

2009-12-06T14:07:00.004-05:00

Note to self

2009-12-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

"Passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction" - Kahlil Gibran

A very personal reminder, kept in my most secret journal....
Transposing it here
In the public sphere
For the benefit of other passionate souls
Always keep the flame,
The convictions
In check.

♥ It's all positive ♥

...............................................................

You have no idea.

2009-12-01T19:57:00.001-05:00

You have no idea how hard I have looked for a gift to bring You.
Nothing seemed right.

What is the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean.
Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.

It's no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.

So- I've brought you a mirror.

Look at yourself and remember me.

- Mevlana Rumi

Gary Hayes Social Media Count: see the future grow before your eyes!

2009-11-22T14:13:00.005-05:00

Just found out about this very cool application created by Gary Hayes that allows us to know how many people are blogging, uploading videos, tweeting, and facebooking by the SECOND.

If some companies are still wondering if it's worth investing in social media...these real-time social media statistics should be a good indicator of where business is heading!

L'empathie

2009-10-12T11:20:00.001-04:00

Un vidéo qui dit tout

RIP Sultan Munadi

2009-09-19T18:11:00.001-04:00

In the past few months of my Twitter life, I’ve seen top trending topics like RIP Michael Jackson, RIP Patrick Swayze and RIP Farah Fawcett spread like wild fires.

Without taking anything away from these deaths, I am waiting for topics such as RIP Sultan Munadi or RIP-all-the-civilians-dying-in-war-zones to be subjects of interest to the general public….

Who was Sultan Munadi? A fixer.

What’s a fixer? A local journalist that fixes everything for western reporters working in war zones. When war reporters work in zones of conflict, they are never alone. Walking in their shadow, guiding them, translating for them, connecting people for them, is a fixer.

On September 5th, Sultan Munadi was to bring New York Times journalist Stephen Farrell from Kaboul to Kunduz, Afghanistan. They were captured by Talibans and four days later, a commando of the British military decided to take things in charge. Despite screaming “journalist” at the top of his lungs, Sultan Munadi was killed. Stephen Farrell him, was rescued.

Western reporters risk their lives abroad. I have a lot of respect and compassion for the rigorous ones who chose to do so in the name of Journalism with a Big J.

The reality of most war journalists is that they ignore warnings. They go against strong advice regarding dangerous areas they were told not to go to. They go to get their story. Because of this, critics of Farrell are calling him “reckless” and “irresponsible”.

Although I think it is not fair to make that judgment, it is crucial to ask ourselves how Western journalists are using fixers.

War correspondents will come back home with a big story and a name for themselves. The fixer on the other hand, is the one who dies…taking equal the risks, without equal the glory or the pay.

So while we’re all concerned with who’s big moment Kanye West is gonna interrupt next, we are missing out on much more important issues.

And in 2009, we still don’t have freedom of press.

RIP Sultan Munadi

Full Moon in Full Effect

2009-08-05T21:50:00.001-04:00

Still and Wistful, I sit,
Admiring you, Full Moon.

Another cycle died tonight,
A new one will be born

Where does the old one go?
Remind me of my own mortality
Remind me to live fully
Every month,
A secret rendez-vous
With you Full Moon

Same time,
Same bench,
You remind me to live simply
I ask for your blessings
My mind wonders
I imagine a girl in a field of rice
Watching you My Moon
A sailor lost at sea
Watching you My Moon

I hear hundreds of prayers
And my heart is full of love
Thanks to you
Full Moon

Do you remember the last time you were attentive to the moon?

On fear and difference

2009-07-11T17:10:00.004-04:00

"I think that one of our most important tasks is to convince others that there's nothing to fear in difference; that difference, in fact, is one of the healthiest and most invigorating of human characteristics without which life would become meaningless. Here lies the power of the liberal way: not in making the whole world Unitarian [Universalist], but in helping ourselves and others to see some of the possibilities inherent in viewpoints other than one's own; in encouraging the free interchange of ideas; in welcoming fresh approaches to the problems of life; in urging the fullest, most vigorous use of critical self-examination"

- Adlai Stevenson

Loving Kindness : Metta Sutra

2009-07-08T21:11:00.004-04:00

She or he who wants to attain peace should practice being upright, humble, and capable of using loving speech. He or she will know how to live simply and happily, with senses calmed, without being covetous, or carried away by the emotions of others.

And this is what she or he contemplates:

May everyone be happy and safe, and may their hearts be filled with joy. May all living beings live in security and peace—beings who are frail or strong, tall or short, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far away, already born, or yet to be born.

May all of them dwell in perfect tranquillity.

Let no one do harm to anyone. Let no one put the life of anyone in danger. Let no one, out of anger or ill will, wish anyone any harm.

Just as a mother loves and protects her only child at the risk of her own life, let us cultivate boundless love to offer to all beings in the entire cosmos. Let our boundless love pervade the whole universe, above, below and across. Our love will know no obstacles, our heart will be absolutely free from hatred and enmity. Whether standing or walking, sitting or lying, as long as we are awake, let us maintain this mindfulness of love in our heart.

This is the noblest way of living.

Femi Kuti at Montreal Jazz Festival

2009-07-06T12:03:00.008-04:00

After only 30 minutes on stage, Femi Kuti had made me reflect, laugh, dance, and forget.

After only 30 minutes, he had also played the piano, the saxophone, the trumpet and the clarinet. I looked at him and imagined Miles and Coltrane... whose names he didn't forget to evoke.

So far, one of the highlights of my 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Conclusion? African people know how to throw a party. Here are a few of my pics.

Drake's Video

2009-07-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

Directed by Kanye West, the video for Drake's song "Best I ever had" is finally out today.

Even though he is still to release his first album, the ex-degrassi's name is on the lips of every single person in the hip-hop industry right now.

Funny how a Canadian needs to be given love by the likes of Kanye and Lil' Wayne in order to get kudos from his very own hometown.

In any case, Kanye posted the video on his website today, to mixed reviews.

For me, it's a two thumbs down. With so much momentum going on for him, I would have liked to see Drake push some boundaries. But that's too much to ask.

Drake "Best I Ever Had" from kwest on Vimeo.

Montreal Jazz Fest: La Maison du Festival

2009-06-30T11:43:00.006-04:00

Exciting news! Montreal has a brand new concert venue and it's got some serious soul! I was there last night, for the very anticipated inauguration of La Maison du Festival and its intimate cabaret-style venue, L'Astral.

Legendary pianist Oliver Jones and the singer he calls "the most-underrated jazz singer in North-America", Ranee Lee, made history last night as they were the first artists to perform on a stage that will soon embrace the biggest names of jazz music.

I am really excited, as I was sitting there, sipping on my white wine, I felt overwhelemed with a groovy feeling worthy of a 1920s Chicago jazz club.

No need to say, La Maison du Jazz is going to be my second home and "chouchou" hangspot.

Montreal's famous pianist, Oliver Jones hits the stage with band

The venue: L'astral

Oliver Jones on the Piano

First song performed at L'Astral. Beautiful Love by Ranee Lee

Singer Ranee Lee

La Maison du Festival's bistro, Le Balmoral, nice!

The chandeliers in Balmoral

Marc Lagrange

2009-06-28T01:19:00.006-04:00

"The environment and the beauty of women motivate me every day" - Marc Lagrange

A Family Tree for all of Humanity

2009-06-27T19:22:00.004-04:00

Human diversity has always fascinated me. Like many before me, I’ve often sat under the stars wondering who had come before me. Where did my ancestors come from? And if we all came from the same source, why did we all look so different? How did we become so diverse?

A few years ago, I tried to do my family tree with my father. After much research, we eventually reached a point where we no longer had any information to keep us going.

That’s what Spencer Wells, a genographer who analyzes DNA from people from regions all over the world – and that I’m completely obsessed with, calls “history”.

Turns out, within the last 200,000 years we all shared a common ancestor in Africa, and that analyzing genetic data allows us to trace human migrations over the past 50,000 years as our African ancestors migrated to other continents.

I was always a firm believer that we all came from the same origin. That we were all related, no matter how different, we were brothers and sisters. All of us. That belief has led me to develop an even greater source of inner-peace in moments of intense annoyance by other human beings: compassion.

Spencer Wells is an amazing, eloquent and extremely intelligent speaker. Here’s one of his presentations in which he explains how we can build a family tree for all of humanity. It’s fascinating.

Playlist of my videos

2009-06-23T19:52:00.003-04:00

Be kind to thy fathers

2009-06-21T03:31:00.006-04:00

Sitting on a rock
Flowers in her hands
Is a fatherless daddy’s girl
Reminiscing on a man
Years of devotion
And tempests of laughter
He taught her everything she knows
Her eyes forever brighter

Parental relationships can be toilsome
But may you be kind to thy fathers
Indulge in their guidance
And drink from their wisdom
May you never let the sun go down
Before expressing gratitude to thy fathers
Because just like the emperor
Thy fathers deserve a crown

Tell me the legends of your generation
The ones you’ve told me again and again
When we fed the birds
And photographed the flowers
Stories that made me impatient
Daddy, you’ve told me a hundred times
I would give anything
To hear your adventures again

So may you abuse thy fathers
Seek their advice and ask them all the questions
But most of all, may you shower them with love
While thy fathers are still there.

Hotties 4 Humanity

2009-06-18T11:04:00.004-04:00

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

Pour diffusion immédiate

Montréal, 17 juin 2009. TRACK ENTERTAINMENT et HOTTIES 4 HUMANITY unissent leur force pour présenter BUSINESS NON LUCRATIVE, une soirée bénéfice organisée pour la MAISON VICTOR-GADBOIS, qui prodigue des soins aux malades en phase terminale d’un cancer. L’événement, qui aura lieu le 26 juin prochain dès 19h au BUSINESS LOUNGE&TAPAS, produira plusieurs artistes de renommée internationale, dont l’effeuilleuse Scarlett James, le duo de DJs Blond:ish et les DJs Julian Prince et Yanik Coen.

C’est le tout nouveau chef de l’établissement, Victor Charlebois (l’Assommoir), qui élaborera le menu. Une prestation jazz accompagnera le repas, qui sera suivi d’un encan humain. De beaux célibataires et des personnalités seront mis aux enchères, accompagnés de prix tels que des spectacles, des sorties au restaurant, des journées spa ou magasinage et des nuitées à l’hôtel.

Dans une ambiance « Cirque burlesque », les invités pourront, en échange d’un don, se faire coiffer et maquiller, se faire bécoter ou se faire prédire l’avenir. Animée par Tamy Emma Pepin avec la collaboration de Josh Silver de HYPE ENERGIE DRINK, de MOST WANTED, de FYUL PRODUCTION et de MONDE OSÉ, la soirée promet plusieurs surprises.

Au coût de 50$ pour un diner trois services, les billets sont en vente sur le réseau www.wantickets.com
-30-

Informations : Claudia Sofio 514-886-9363
Elsie Yu 514-402-3985

Buika

2009-06-16T18:36:00.003-04:00

I never get tired of this woman's voice.

Both albums, Mi nina Lola and Nina de Fuego are amazing from A to Z. If you're looking for a CD to play while hosting dinners at home with friends or summer night get togethers, I strongly recommend you give Buika a listen.

Love,

T xox

Dolan, tu m'impressionnes

2009-06-02T21:15:00.007-04:00

Vêtu de noir de la tête aux pieds, Xavier Dolan se tient seul sur scène. Nerveux, il demande à ses producteurs de venir le rejoindre. Il y a trois ans, Dolan commença à écrire le scénario de J’ai Tué Ma Mère. Il avait 17 ans.

Lundi 1er Juin 2009.

Ovation au Cinéma l’Impérial.

Évidemment, je pleure. J’ai pleuré tout le film. Des blessures que je croyais cicatrisées avec le temps, me semblent tout à coup bien vives. Mettre des Band Aid des fois ça empêche d’inspecter les plaies.

Mes larmes goûtent l’ingratitude de mon adolescence. Mon rire, l’ironie d’une relation amour-haine.

Xavier Dolan est un génie.

J'ai Tué Ma Mère, gagnant de trois prix à la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs de Cannes

Acteurs et producteurs rejoignent Dolan sur scène

Xavier Dolan

Quand le rideau se lève

Anne Dorval et Xavier Dolan

L'ovation

Moi mes souliers ont beaucoup voyagé

Ted.com inspires me

2009-05-27T11:00:00.005-04:00

Ted.com is a website that I check on a regular basis for inspiration and intelligent insights. The site posts videos on the best talks from the world's most fascinating thinkers on subjects related to technology, business, global issues, design, science, entertainment and much more.

Today, I was particularly moved by Michelle Obama's passionate plea for education, talking about the importance of education for women as a tool to control their destiny. Being a straight A student is indeed, really cool! Here's her speech!

Bixi

2009-05-10T17:50:00.003-04:00

I am completely psyched for the launch of Bixi on May 12th.

Last week I took a Bixi for a spin, showing you my favorite bike routes in Montreal. Here's the video ;-)

For the full scoop and article, visit my Tourism Montreal Blog

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Blogs/Girls-Getaway

Great Day calls for Great Vid

2009-04-25T20:00:00.009-04:00

It was 26 degrees today in Montréal and the first glimpse of summer to hit the city was enough to get the entire population out of hibernation and unto the streets, the parks and the many restaurants and patios of town.

If you asked me my current state of mind, I would have to respond in the form of an embedded YouTube code, so here it is. You might have seen this already, but it's a great reflection of my mood...feeling the love :)

I personally spent the day at Parc Jeanne-Mance, right across from the Mount-Royal, and had a most delicious picnic that involved fresh baguette, cheese, paté, cucumbers, melon, pretzels, pink popsicles and white wine. The fact that you can actually drink your wine in city parks of Montréal makes it that much more amazing.

I also crashed my first game of Dungeon Dragon with the most adorable kids. After 4 rounds I was out. Boy can these kids run. Good times!

If you liked the video, please visit http://www.playingforchange.com for more amazing songs around the world :)

Love, Tamy xox

Love Montréal :)

2009-04-21T14:54:00.001-04:00

So nicely done! Kudos!

Tourisme Montréal shifting to 100% Web-based advertising

Unique, Useful and Updated: My Tourisme Montréal Blog

2009-04-20T12:26:00.006-04:00

I cannot hide my contentment right now! My blog is UP and RUNNING faster than Usain the Lightning Bolt! Weeeehooooo :-)

Whether you are coming from New York City, Boston, LA, Miami, Washington, Toronto, or simply want to rediscover your own city, my Tourisme Montréal Blog will NEVER leave you stranded!

From the best shopping to the most relaxing spas, a click here is a click to enchantment...à la Montréal :-)

Clovys TV

2009-04-17T20:14:00.004-04:00

Hier soir je me suis rendue au Théâtre Télus question de réaliser quelques entrevues lors du lancement de Clovys TV.

C’est dans une salle comble, qu’armée de mon micro, je pris le pouls de l’auditoire. Engouement, professionnalisme, ferveur...attentes. Les invités, d’Angelo Cadet à Mélanie Renaud, en passant par George St-Pierre et Bruny Surin sont unanimes. Il était temps!

Vous me demanderez, c’est quoi Clovys TV?

Clovys TV c’est une nouvelle chaîne de musique spécialisée en culture urbaine qui fera ses débuts dans le paysage télévisuel québécois à l’automne 2009. Plus précisément c’est la troisième chaîne de musique spécialisée au Québec après Musique Plus et Musimax.

À une ère où ces chaînes cherchent désespérément le Nord et où le web a un impact crucial sur la façon dont on consomme la musique, il est normal de se demander si cette initiative n’est pas un peu risquée. Or qui ne risque rien, n’a rien.

Clovys TV ne pouvait arriver à un meilleur moment. Parmi plusieurs commentaires recueillis, la satisfaction générale que Clovys ait reçu le feu vert de la CRTC, puisqu’il s’est créé un gouffre intergénérationnel et interculturel des plus importants dans le monde de la télévision québécoise. Un manque qui sera rapidement comblé.

Hip-Hop, Soul, RnB, Funk, Zouk, Reggae, Salsa, Musiques du monde…la diversité et la créativité retrouvées dans la musique urbaine seront sans aucun doute deux forces majeures de Clovys, qui en plus de sa programmation à 65% musicale, viendra ajouter du contenu percutant sous forme de reportages, de films indépendants et d’émissions culturelles.

Je suis personnellement très enthousiasmée à l’idée d’avoir une chaîne de télévision québécoise et francophone qui représentera enfin notre population sous toutes ses formes et ses couleurs. Une chaîne rassembleuse, qui je l’espère réussira à rejoindre les jeunes et les moins jeunes en nous faisant découvrir la musique d’ici et d’ailleurs, d’hier et d’aujourd’hui.

Longue vie à Clovys TV.

Tamy is Montreal's Girls Getaway Insider :)

2009-04-07T10:52:00.001-04:00

Find me on Facebook! Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/tamyemmapepin

And send me all your crazy ideas and suggestions!

GIRL POWER xoxoxox

Dream It. List It. Do It!

2009-04-05T09:44:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, I came across a great little book called Dream It, List It, Do It.

What's in it? Inspiration! A reminder that there are no limits to your future or to all the things you could be and do...

Buy land in the country
Define my likes and dislikes
Throw pebbles at my girlfriend's window
Pray with more focus
Avoid drama
Set career goals
Find the courage to tell my dad I'm not a Republican
Win an Oscar
Eat an apple every day
Ride a camel across the Sahara Desert

No dreams are too silly or too wild!

I've always been a believer, I never took no for an answer, and always felt a strong connection with the Universe. When I believe in miracles, miracles happen. When I believe my thoughts have the power to change my life, my life begins to change. And when I am certain that I will find love, love appears.

I want to go on Oprah. Within the next two years, I will find a way to go on Oprah and talk about the magic in my life.

The reason I am finally putting it out there is because defending your ideas in public, forces you to make an even bigger effort to live accordingly.

Write it down and make your list public. Inspire the ones around you! Visit www.43Things.com and find inspiration!

Love, Tamy aka. The one who will be on Oprah, who doesn't know when, but who knows she will...and that's all that matters.

Empress - Spreading Love on International Women's Day

2009-03-08T15:52:00.004-04:00

Kick up your heals and let your hair down my Lady
You are the flowers that grow wild
And the wind that makes the corn fields shiver
You are the commanding current that drives the stream
And the tranquil lake that soothes the soul

At high tide you may resonate in silence
But at low tide it is your laughter that speaks,
Men have wondered for centuries why God had made you so complex
But in all those layers is where Venus rests,
And just like the forest that is enchanted
You will remain mystery. Queen.

You are the greatest design of architecture known to Earth
The Universe lives in your lap
And the World goes round in your center
Don’t be afraid of your powers
Because you are the Warrior and you are the Goddess
You create and you destroy.

May you embrace your sexual gifts,
And not be ashamed of being virgin or whore
Because your soul is intricate
And your beauty is multifaceted

May you not give into jealousy,
But realize that we are made as unique acts of God
Woman you are all these beautiful things,
But you also betray and compare the goods
You silently complain that one has it better than you do.

The enlightened woman tries to make the most of her virtues
She knows that the power of the fish lives under the seas
And that the reason the tiger doesn’t fear the hyena is because he is aware of his own strength.
So let us not be bitter towards each other,
But applaud our differences, virtues and flaws. Queen.

Your existence was built from ashes of generation
So let us not be blinded by the present
And remember to give thanks to those who have come before us
Virginia Woolf, Betty Friedan, Nina Simone, Frida Kahlo,
Viven Leigh, Emily Murphy, Simone de Beauvoir, Suzy Parker,
Dorothy Dandridge, Benazir Bhutto, Gloria Anzaldua, Coco Chanel

Let us also give praise to the faceless woman whose name doesn’t come up on Google.
Every mother, friend, daughter and sister,
Who has stood for what she believed in,
Who has sacrificed her own to feed her children
Who has worked twice as hard to be respected in the workplace.
To that woman hitting the glass ceiling
May you shatter it with your intelligence, your tact and your strength.

Queen.
May you remain noble and humble,
Kind and giving,
Creative, conscious and fearless.
In days of struggle,
May you remember that you are that Empress
And that you hold all the necessary tools
Right in the palm of your hand. Queen.

May you accept these wishes
On this day that celebrates women all around the world
And let all the Ladies in your life, know that
They too are Queens.

Happy International Women’s Day ;)

Love,

-T-

© Copyright -Tamy Emma Pepin- 2009

Please visit Gendercide Watch and help raise awareness on the massive killings of female infants that are swiping Asia. See how you can get involved! Thanks!

http://www.gendercide.org/case_infanticide.html

Success

2009-02-26T10:08:00.007-05:00

This morning the phone rang with great news.

This one position I had auditioned and re-auditioned for was going to be mine. I wanted this so badly--sooooo badly. I had given my best, I prayed, I waited and finally I had surrendered. I knew it was perfect for me, that I was absolutely suited for IT. Maaan did I want this!

And so I jumped in the fluffy sheets of my bed ecstatically going Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

It reminded me of Marion Cotillard and all those other amazing Oscar speeches, which have made me shiver and cry of joy over the years.

I love success.

Real talk. I love success because there is so much that lies behind a single achievement. So much hard work, so many tears, so many disappointments. Contrary to what the industry portrays with its instant success stories and no-lifers turned reality-tv celebrities, success is a path for the strong, the determined, the fierce, the dreamers and the believers. Success is a true act of faith. Success is a struggle, and what a beautiful and rewarding one!

So let us savour it while we have it, and let us smile in delight at our compeers’ success, so it can in turn inspire ours.

Here are some of my favourite Oscar acceptance speeches ;)

HALLE BERRY

CUBA GOODING JR

MARION COTILLARD

I heart Banksy

2009-02-21T14:54:00.017-05:00

His identity might remain in the dark, but there is nothing obscure about Banksy’s artwork. Biting, downright witty and full of purpose, Banksy’s art makes me smirk in approval without fail. The man is a genius.

His pieces give life to dead walls and forgotten corners of cities around the world, offering some of the greatest satirical comments of all times. His work beautifies, questions and promotes reflection.

Of course, that is only my humble opinion, and many other people would disagree with me... in 2007, some London boroughs, such as Tower Hamlets, decided to treat all Banksy’s work as vandalism and remove them.

I guess England already had their share of rebellion in Winston Smith, protagonist of Orwell’s famous portrayal of pervasive government surveillance and control. Some sixty years after the masterpiece was written, England is still not ready for messages like these…

And so they erase them, some elitists still arguing that the man is a vandal rather than an artist….(?!”/$%?!/)

But as Banksy says:

In 2004, the Bristol native candidly walked into the Louvre and hung his own version of the Mona Lisa… “To actually go through the process of having a painting selected must be quite boring. It's a lot more fun to go and put your own one up", he says.

Gotta love Banksy…

So instead of paying myself a trip to the museum on this lovely Saturday afternoon, I thought I’d travel the web and rediscover some of my favourite Banksy pieces...

Banksy got his hands on 500 copies of the Paris Hilton CD, which he trafficked with his own cover info and CD before redistributing them to more then 50 record stores across the UK...

Brilliant!

Why am I famous? What have I done? What am I for?

If you don't know who the little girl in the middle is...get your google on. Kim Phuc.

On the Israeli West Bank Barrier...

Indoors work

Watercan Girl

Man hanging out of the window on the wall of a London sexual clinic

For more on Banksy's artwork visit www.banksy.co.uk

Chris Brown investigated for assault on Rihanna...what's not being said

2009-02-18T10:42:00.001-05:00

She gave him an STD, he was spotted with another woman, she threw the keys of his Lamborghini out the window, he said he was going to kill her....the rumors bustling around Chris Brown and Rihanna's recent domestic violence case are multiplying by the minute all over people's lips and fingertips as they yap away in the world's blogosphere.

And here I am, asking myself....How can so many people be missing the point???

The question that needs to be adressed is not whether Rihanna was flirting with Kanye or Timbaland, but why are a 20 and a 19 year old (Read KIDS) involved in a case of domestic violence. What ever happened to puppy love?

Now sadly, if human beings sometimes need direction to make their own opinions and guide their behaviors, I am even more ashamed to see how the media is handling this situation, nurturing gossip instead of tackling the bigger issue that is at hand.

Domestic violence is inexcusable. PERIOD.

What strikes me the most is that in a 2007 Giant Magazine interview , Chris Brown finally spoke up about his own childhood, growing up with his abusing step-father.

" He used to hit my mom, he made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself...I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was gonna go crazy on him one day. I hate him to this day."

Domestic violence is a cycle that needs to be broken.

Unfortunately, the incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna is nothing but a reflection of millions of other women (and men) who are victims of domestic violence. Only for most of them, their cries resonate with guilt and silence.

Producers, writers and TV hosts alike have a responsibilty to raise awareness and to give a voice to all these people. Instead of spreading gossip, they should use our interest in this celebrity-related story and give out the resources that are available to help both victims and abusers all around the world.

As to ridiculous bloggers, self-proclaimed insiders and Perez Hilton wannabes, who are you to judge two people you hardly know but through the cover of a reality-distorted magazine. Everyone who has been in love knows that no relationship comes without its share of pain. Instead of gushing on others left and right, why are we not helping eachother out?

Perhaps our obsession with celebrities has become so grand that making the world a better place is something that no one cares about anymore.

So let us gossip away and feed ourselves on the back of other people's problems in the name of entertainment.

On this note, I will leave you with some food for thought from an author I love dearly, Don Miguel Ruiz:

"Gossip is black magic at its very worst because it is pure poison. We learned how to gossip by agreement. When we were children, we heard the adults around us gossiping all the time, openly giving their opinions about other people. They even had opinions about people they didn't know. Emotional poison was transferred along with the opinions, and we learned this as a normal way to communicate.

Gossiping has become the main form of communication in human society. It has become the way we feel close to each other, because it makes us feel better to see someone else feel as badly as we do. There is an old expression that says 'Misery likes company,' and people who are suffering in hell don't want to be alone. Fear and suffering are an important part of the dream of the planet; they are how the dream of the planet keeps us down."

T.

Demo Reel 2008

2008-10-07T23:01:00.005-04:00

Hey guys,

So here it is, finally, my demo reel, realized with excerpts from my shows aired this passed summer on RDS, Global and VOX with additional content from my experience at Musique Plus and Clubplanet.com --almost 2 years ago!

Time is flying and things are moving forward thanks to determination, passion and hard work! These little stepping stones are for me considerable achievements, yet its only the start of a beautiful and successful journey! Big things ahead for the Dream Chaser ;)

Love,

T.

Free Spirits

2007-04-09T16:36:00.001-04:00

Free Spirits desire the emancipation of all humankind
Free Spirits conceive a habitable, harmonian world
Free Spirits know that no revolution has gone far enough
Free Spirits reject cynicism & despair
Free Spirits resolve immobilizing antinomies
Free Spirits dream extravagantly
Free Spirits prepare the negation of capital
Free Spirits meditate social transformation
Free Spirits subvert the culture of regression and death
Free Spirits affirm the power of the imagination
Free Spirits seek the gold of time
Free Spirits convulse with high humor
Free Spirits reveal the poetry of life
Free Spirits dispel religions via living myths
Free Spirits find images to inspire action
Free Spirits refuse to exploit misery
Free Spirits evolve models of equality and freedom
Free Spirits exalt love
Free Spirits act in history
Free Spirits leap into the unknown
Free Spirits imagine possible futures
Free Spirits move to realize surreality

Free Spirits: Annals of the Insurgent Imagination (1982)