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Sarah Prince

Labatt Brewery Tour

With only a few months left at Western, it’s time to complete my London to-do list. Inspired by a keynote speech by Jorn Socquet, VP of Marketing for Labatt Breweries of Canada, I was determined to visit the hidden gem that is Labatt’s local manufacturing plant.

For only $10 admission, anyone of legal drinking age can book a tour lasting about two hours. Thanks to Jade, who’s a real estate agent by day and tour guide by night, my friend Akritee and I, learned a lot about the brewing process. Eager to emphasize how Labatt incorporates recycling and environmentally-friendly initiatives, Jade’s explanations brought new meaning to infotainment. Although it was frustrating to see one red-capped bottle fall under the radar of a worker whose responsibility is to notice recycled bottles with caps still on them, it was a fascinating tour overall.

January 28, 2013 by Sarah Prince

iPhone Transition and Recommended Apps

After my last exam of the semester, I took the earliest train to Toronto the next morning, eager to finally pick up a new phone. Though my excitement was interrupted by a transportation-related delay, the shopping experience that followed was unlike any other. I finally got to browse though Yorkdale’s new extension, including Canada’s first Microsoft store, which was great because I’m a PC.

Photo Source: Mashable

Buying a black 16 GB iPhone 5, which’ll be protected by a black OtterBox Defender, was a fantastic way to start my winter break. The case is so mightily thick that my friends have been teasing me about how the phone looks, but having peace of mind makes it worthwhile. During the initial activation of my phone, it was immediately apparent that using it is as intuitive as people say. Once my contacts were transferred from my BlackBerry Tour 9630 (3 years old, with a trackwheel!), I could proudly call myself an iPhone owner.

I’ve had a lot of fun downloading and testing out apps. Here’s a list of 20 apps I recommend, sorted categorically:

Social Networking & Photo: Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Skype

Entertainment & Music: Flixster (w/ Rotten Tomatoes), GetGlue, Cineplex, Shazam, IMDB

December 30, 2012 by Sarah Prince

Concert Review: Chantal Kreviazuk

The setlist at Chantal Kreviazuk’s show Friday night at Centennial Hall made it seem like fans were privy to a unique live performance of soundtracks from popular films of the 90s and early 2000s. When she wooed everyone by playing popular hits like “Time,” this brought back memories of watching MuchMoreMusic before the channel’s re-branding, not to mention climactic melodramatic scenes from Dawson’s Creek.

Her career may have peaked in the 90s, but Kreviazuk’s commentary between songs was definitely timely for a concert in 2012. While introducing “Feels Like Home,” she shared that many couples gush about it being their wedding song, and then emphasized how divorces and multiple marriages have changed how people feel about it. Her anecdotes can be summarized by the themes of remarriage, rowdiness and rock stars’ lifestyles. Evidently an Apple customer, Kreviazuk also spoke about how much she loves FaceTime, especially when either she or her husband, Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, are touring.

Early on, Kreviazuk made self-deprecating remarks about forgetting lyrics 12 times, joking that she needed a teleprompter, even though such errors weren’t noticeable. What was more frustrating, however, was how Kreviazuk repeatedly faced the orchestra rather than the paying ticketholders. Although she was understandably impressed by the orchestra’s seamless collaboration, it would have been nice to see more of her facial expressions while singing emotionally-driven lyrics, no matter how “honoured” she was to play with them. Apparently she assumed everyone was a major Orchestra London supporter, but the weak applause when she acknowledged them indicated otherwise.

November 13, 2012 by Sarah Prince

On The Radar: ’90s Stars Return to TV

The Backstreet Boys are back, making their small screen debut in Old Navy commercials prior to their upcoming reunion tour with Kevin Richardson reuniting with the boy band. An Old Navy staffer has explained that their “target customer grew up in the ’90s, and that time period conjures an emotional connection, so [they’ve] worked with a number of actors and musicians who remind her of that nostalgic decade.” (Source: Bloomberg)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O1QS4r1JHc’]

In case that doesn’t satisfy your longing to see your favourite stars of the past, Old Navy has followed up with newer commercials featuring Joan Rivers (notably a hilarious woman on Twitter too) and Sex and the City star Mario Cantone. I’d love to meet the Fashion Police co-host, but so far I’ve had to settle for posing with Joan’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds’ Las Vegas location. What’s more, Old Navy has jumped at the opportunity to make interactive YouTube videos, enabling fans to watch different clips of Mario and Joan at faux fashion shows online.

November 5, 2012 by Sarah Prince

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