This week I am choosing to review a small patisserie called Ceci-Cela. It is a relatively small in size restaurant located in the heart of Manhattan, New York. Its combination of old world european bake shoppe mixed with upscale decadent pastries have kept people coming back time and time again. Here you can have the full French cafe experience and sample a handcrafted croissant, pain du chocolat, or a chausson aux pommes. But it doesn't stop there you can also dine in their cozy cafe room and in French etiquette with their traditional lunch and dinner menus. As soon as you enter the main door you are exposed to a vast display case filled with only the finest of desserts which are all baked fresh daily on site. With excellent food comes excellent service, you can really obtain an European experience with the restaurants friendly and welcoming staff, who know how to properly pronounce the most difficult French words, to an English speaking tongue. Although no head chef is defined at the establishment all are of equal skill and ability according to others who have eaten here.
To further evaluate the restaurant, its clearly evident strengths are quite simply its outstanding cuisine and its classic sophisticated atmosphere. The croissants are called the best in New York (a very high earned honour for such an upscale city), their numerous options of pastries and work of art desserts are just as good to look at as they are to eat. This restaurant is authentic French baking and the aroma of fresh butter, cinnamon, chocolate, and sugar are a signature media of advertisement on the bustling city street. Like anything there are going to be some weaknesses. First of all, the area that the restaurant is contained in is very small, with little room to breath especially during early morning and lunch rush hours. Also, even though the service is friendly beyond compare, they are on the slower side. So if you are in a rush and want to grab a French pastry on the way to school, work, or wherever, you can expect to be a little late as it can take up to 30 minutes of wait time during busy hours. Nonetheless, I would definitely wait hours to eat here!
I have an overwhelming passion for the culinary arts and the intensive artistry that is pastry. To be bluntly honest the French do it best. This quant cafe is Paris wrapped in a box and thrown into the heart of the Big Apple. I have had the extreme pleasure of eating here when I was in New York. Not only would I recommend this place to a friend or even stranger, I would force them to go there with me! I loved the feeling you get being there, its almost indescribable in words but you feel so content and relaxed in this cafe, and are instantly drawn to their displays. Personally I love French cuisine so this was a massive hit with me, and I'm sure anyone else who shows a similar interest. Quite simply the best dessert I have ever had in my life was here (a banana creme variant of tiramisu). So, if you want the whole French pastry experience there is no place like Ceci-Cela.
The photo above was taken outside the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York City. For me there is something about New York that makes it unique from any other city I have visited. After spending a full week there I was never able to discover what that rare aspect was, nor figure out why this city made me want to revisit upon my departure. However, I do have a few theories you could say, of why I felt this way, and to start it all off, New York literally has something for everyone. With 5 boroughs of vast territory to explore, you are never limited to the amount of tourist sites, boutiques, or historic settings. Also, New York is filled with multiculturalism and diverse style, you always feel accepted and you have a massive platform to express yourself anyway you wish.
With reference to this photo particularly, I strongly believe that it sums up why I personally enjoyed New York so much. You can notice the older art deco style buildings that possess an overwhelming amount of character and history, while also noticing the high end shops that represent the modern world of New York with its trend setting fashion and art scene. The strong juxtaposition of old and new is truly why people keep returning to this city, as being able to grab a Starbucks coffee on your way up the over 80 year old Empire State Building is something rarely found. Based upon my experiences there I can honestly say that I plan on returning to this city very soon!
Photo #2:
This photo is of my high school's theatre group and I, and it was taken at the Sears Atlantic Theatre Festival in PEI. This was taken after the last performance of my high school theatre career, and with this group I have attended numerous festivals across atlantic Canada. Of all the things I was involved with during high school, I know that theatre is one of the aspects of high school I will miss the most. Theatre is an excellent form of expression and it has presented me with more opportunities than imaginable. Through all of the festivals I have attended, I have met life long friends, gained essential communication skills, and made lasting memories.
The common joke was that our drama group, and our exceptional director were like a strange dysfunctional family. Looking back on it we almost were a second family, we spent 8 hour rehearsals, week long festivals, and produced dozens of dinner theatres together. In our latest atlantic festival in PEI we were named the best ensemble production, for the entire festival. I have never felt such a strong sense of pride as I did at that moment, after all your hard work it feels like euphoria to receive applause and recognition for what you have accomplished. If you ever were to visit Baie Verte everyone knows the Copper Ridge Academy theatre group, and they always look forward to our seasonal productions. Being from a school of 360 students, and a community of 1300 people, most would never expect anything good (especially in the fine arts category) to be produced. I am happy to say that we proved those people wrong and that's why I chose this photo, it represents one of my most rewarding experiences that taught me more about myself than anything else ever could.
but you're biting your tongue
You've spent a life time stuck in silence
afraid you'll say something wrong
If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song
So come on ,come on
Come on, come on
You've got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Maybe we're a little different
there's no need to be ashamed
You've got the light to fight the shadows
so stop hiding it away
Come on, Come on
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
i'm not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
At night we're waking up the neighbours
while we sing away the blues
making sure that we remember yeah
cause we all matter too
if the truth has been forbidden
then we're breaking all the rules
so come on, come on
come on, come on,
lets get the tv and the radio
to play our tune again
its 'bout time we got some airplay of our version of events
there's no need to be afraid
I will sing with you my friend
Come on, come on
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful people
so when did we all get so fearful?
Now we're finally finding our voices
so take a chance, come help me sing this
Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful people
so when did we all get so fearful?
and now we're finally finding our voices
so take a chance, come help me sing this
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
so put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
they can read all about it
read all about it oh....
The form of a work refers to how the work is presented to an audience in order to deliver a specific message. In dealing with the song "Read All About It" by Emeli Sande, the first two main verses each contain 14 lines, while the chorus contains 12 lines, therefore we easily notice that the verses are equal in length. As for syllable counts in these lines there is no major repetition of lines containing the same syllable count, and furthermore the song has a wide range of syllable counts between lines, with some being significantly longer than others. Also, this song is a clear example of open form poetry because of these lines in varying length. Along with this, we notice that although the song has no distinguished rhyme scheme there are cases where the ending words of lines rhyme with other ending words. This includes the lines, "... sing away the blues" (stanza 3), and, "... we all matter too" (stanza 3). This can also be found in stanza 1 with the endings wrong and song, and tamed and ashamed. In dealing with poetic syntax this song is seen as having little to no punctuation and can be classified as enjambed. Finally the poem contains major emphasis of certain lines by using repetition, such lines as the refrain, "Come on, come on" are repeated throughout the song as a way of connecting to the audience by reinforcing that the speaker wants other people to take her advice and join him or her.
This song has an incredible amount amount of stylistic elements that are commonly present in numerous literary works including songs. First of all, the speaker in the song really has no defined gender mainly due to the fact that the subject matter is able to be addressed to either a male or a female. Although we cannot formally conclude the gender of the speaker, we can notice that the speaker is very persuasive, and encouraging, as they want other people to join in with them in expressing their ideas to the world and letting their voices be heard loud and clear. They use phrases, "So why let your voice be tamed?", and "So stop hiding it away," to further inform people that it's okay to be yourself and let others see who you are. The speaker could possibly be someone who used to be quiet and very kept to themselves, but once they let their voice be heard and lost their fear of expressing themselves, has experienced great success and greater opportunities. The speaker is more likely at least age 30 as they seem to be speaking from past experiences that occurred over a longer period of time as seen in the line, "... spent a lifetime in silence." In dealing with another element, the tone of the lyrics, is one of great optimism as the central idea is based upon how we need to let others hear our ideas and opinions in order to move forward and achieve great things in life. The line, "There's no need to be afraid," is clearly building upon this tone, as it reassures the audience that we have nothing to worry about in expressing ourselves, and that there are no consequences to our actions of being who we really are. The speaker is optimistic about what's to come as long as we quite simply be ourselves and let go of what's holding us back. Other poetic elements in the song are simile as seen in the line, "A heart as loud as lions," which compares our inner abilities and foundations to that of a lions commanding roar. Hyperbole can be noticed in the line, "I wanna scream till the words dry out, " which is a massive exaggeration that is indicating that the speaker wants to express themselves as loud as they can until they can no longer talk which is clearly not possible. Finally alliteration can be seen in the line, "You've spent a lifetime stuck in silence afraid you'll say something wrong," which contains numerous words in close proximity to each other that begin with the same constant 's' sound. These elements provide the song with a greater ability to get the main message across to its audience.
I will admit that I have listened to many genres of music in my time and this particular song is associated with a genre I normally don't listen to. In this case though I really enjoy this song, simply because of its relevance to not just modern times but throughout history, and its ability to become associated with all walks of life from all areas of the globe. Currently we are in a world full of elections from municipal to federal, civil wars, and issues surrounding freedom of the public in developing countries. In each example we see people who are having difficulty with expressing themselves honestly, and truly being who they are. We see in the Middle East people who are now making their voices heard after decades of struggle and conflict. We see musical artists exposing themselves beyond what was normal years ago, as they want to have their voices heard. We see it in technology, fashion, and literature. Essentially its everywhere, people are letting their ideas be free, allowing them to grow and develop, and letting them influence others as they read or view them. We can't let external forces get in the way of our self-expression, we simply need to ignore everything working against us, and lose that fear of being heard. So all in all I do like this song, it encourages you to scream out what you have held inside for so long, because really where would we be today if people never let go of the fear of letting their voice be heard. Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Alfred Hitchcock, where would science, social acceptance, and the art of film be today if these people had kept quiet and not pursue their ideas. This song tells us that we cannot worry about how people will perceive us if we be who we are, and it can be interpreted that the only thing holding us back is ourselves, and until we let go of our personal restraints who knows what we can achieve. This song is fully titled "Read All About It Part III" meaning that indeed it is a remake of a previous song who bears the same title. Emeli Sande wrote her own personal interpretation of the original song after working with the original artist, and in fact her version is significantly different from the original. One key thing is that the central idea of the original was still kept in tack when this song was written.
Talking about yourself, whether it’s through speaking, writing, or typing, is one of the most polar topics out there, as in we either love it or hate it. For me I lean more towards the hate side, but surprisingly it’s due to the fact that I have so much I want to tell everyone, and trying to get all of that anxious information from my brain to a piece of paper can be hectic. I mean ask anyone who knows me and they can tell you from experience that I like to talk and more specifically very loudly, but for now I’ll try to keep everything to a reasonable length. So let’s start with the basics, my name is Andrew and I spent the past 18 years of my life living in Baie Verte, which is a very small town in central Newfoundland. Even though living in a small town may restrict you to what opportunities are available, I would still strive to be involved in whatever was being presented to me. From volunteering at regular charity events to attending a green mining internship, I always try to keep busy and get to know this world that I live in. Along with this, I was involved with my high school’s theatre group for the past 6 years, attending numerous festivals across Atlantic Canada, and then to further pursue my interest in the fine arts, I have been practicing the art of photography, and trust me I am still extremely amateur. Theatre and being a part of my school’s leadership committee are two things I will definitely miss from my high school years. Even though I lived in a small town I was never at a lose as my friends, family, co-workers, and past teachers are all my supportive forces through these upcoming years, without their guidance I honestly would not be where I am today. Now I am not a small town person in any sense, I enjoy the fast pace, high rise buildings, and multiculturalism of a larger city. In the past I have travelled across Canada attending various conferences, programs, and festivals, and through these experiences I have learned that there is so much we are not exposed to by living in a more isolated area. This has prompted me to develop a strong interest in traveling, and recently I visited New York City, where again I was immersed in a strong atmosphere filled with vary languages, clothing, and history. One thing I wish to do in university and these upcoming years is to travel to places I have never been before, as I want to experience the varying cultures on our planet, and create lasting memories. To add just a little more about myself, I have worked as a tour guide and with the provincial government as summer jobs. These were both exceptional opportunities as again I met so many people from all walks of life, and I attained many communication, technical, and personal skills. Along with being involved in these activities, I enjoy listening to European house music which is a more lively, and upbeat genre that I have particularly taken an interest to. Also, I enjoy watching reality TV, the Food Network, and a regular dose of Ink Master. I know that your television preferences can’t get more complex and broad than that, but I guess it’s because I’m a complex person. Presently I am registered in English 1080, mainly because it is a pre-requisite for pharmacy school but more than that I sincerely hope that I can improve my writing abilities and grammatical knowledge. I won’t lie and say that English was always a passion of mine because through high school every year we would be taught the same curriculum and each year it would get even more boring. Now being in university I really hope that changes, I want to learn more about the dynamics of English and how to execute them properly on paper. I want to become interested in the world of literature. Mainly though I want to change that strong dislike for English to a strong liking for English. This is what I consider one of my goals for the upcoming year, but I also wish to attend pharmacy school in my second year, be involved with the overwhelming amount of opportunities that are now available to me, and most importantly enjoy the whole university experience.
