TTC this!

I, like many of you out there, am a Toronto commuter. I take the TTC every day to and from school in a 45 minute each way ride. Some people think I’m crazy, but there are tons of people out there who have it much harder than I do.
As much as I enjoy my ride on a day to day basis, sometimes I want to scream. Sure there are perks, but then there are those people who make me so angry. So, I would like to share with everyone some TTC etiquette that I think everyone should follow.

1. Let people off before getting on
Now, I think this is an obvious one, but often when the subway doors open someone is standing right there desperate to get on. Just move out of the way!!! I need to get off!!!

2. Do NOT sit in an aisle seat when the window seat is open
I don’t want to climb over you just to sit down. Just move over, I’ll politely get up when you have to get off.

3. Get up when you see an elderly, pregnant or injured person get on
Again, sounds obvious, but the other day I actually watched two women argue about who was going to allow the extremely elderly person sit down. And to my surprise, the very pregnant woman go up! The other women complained of back problems. Like come on!

4. Your bag does not deserve a seat of its own

5. Be conscious of the volume of your music
I may be trying to read, I don’t want to hear what you are listening to.

6. Don’t litter. Seriously
The other day I watched a man eat sunflower seeds on the subway, and he spit the shells on the ground. Ech.

7. Try not to be too loud or annoying
This is mostly for a younger audience, but I’ve probably had a long day and I just want to relax. Please be considerate of others around you.

8. Stand on the right, pass on the left
I’ll admit, I am an escalator walker. I have places to go and generally just want to get there. If you want to enjoy the ride, stand on the left, and get out of my way.

So, that is all I can think of right now. Please feel free to share any of your TTC pet peeves as this is your chance to let it all out. We are communicators, maybe this is the time for social change…

To all the techies out there

I recently came across a series of online life simulation type

I may be out of the loop, but I recently discovered these new simulation type games that are played online and to be honest, I’m a little confused. The one that I have heard the most about is called Second Life. For those who don’t know, Second Life in a virtual world where users are residents and are able to interact with one another through avatars. It’s not even really a game. There are no points or winners, but there is a currency and games to be played within Second Life. You can even do business! I mean, is this the new wave of social networking???

And second life is not the only one. After some research I have discovered number of competitors such as IMVU, Kaneva, Active Worlds and the erotic Red Light Center.

Is anyone a member? Can someone offer some insite as to the functionality of these programs? Anyone…???

Grammar is know good

Why is there so much emphasis placed on spelling, punctuation and grammar?

I get it. I know as communicators it is our job to communicate with accuracy, but is my career over if i send out a press release with a misplaced punctuation mark? I’m sure I feel so strongly on the matter because it is one of the areas I struggle in, but I also feel that people just care too much about it.

As a student my marks often suffer do to poor editing. I feel that content is far more important then anything else, but time and time again grammar proves to be my worst enemy.

We are currently writing targeted resumes and we are reminded to be sure to proofread, as if employers see one error they are likely to toss our resume in the trash. I mean, really? I know it is a part of PR, but if my comma is in the wrong place I immediately don’t get the job? I may be over exaggerating, but for someone who struggles when it comes to proofing, its terrifying. I’ve spent hours looking at my resume trying to perfect it, and I still don’t know if it’s good enough.

It’s not that I can’t edit. I have the books, I’m a pretty smart young lady, I can figure it out. I did get a b+ in copy editing. I just have a hard time correcting my own work. I print it out, sleep on it and edit the next day and still I seem to somehow not notice all the mistakes.

Maybe I’m just being dramatic. So consider this a disclaimer: This is my blog. It may not be perfect, but its mine. If you notice a mistake, please do not comment about it (unless it’s huge and embarrassing). If I have to obsess about grammar in every aspect of my life, my blog grants my immunity of all grammatical errors. So please, comment away, and if you feel like spelling something wrong, this is the place to do it.

me!

I would like to take this time to share something about myself. I love to travel. It’s my passion and I feel there is no stronger way to build your communication skills then by throwing yourself into a country where the people have no idea what you are saying. Some of my most enjoyable traveling experiences exist when I am completely lost and have no idea what I am doing.

Through my traveling I have become a better communicator. I have learned that some of the strongest messages can be communicated without words. I feel that many of these transferable skills will help me in a career in public relations as I have learned how to understand people. That’s really what PR is all about; know who your audience is and do everything you can to make them think, feel and act to get what you want.

I make it sound so easy.

I would also like to share another one of my passions, which is photography. I am excellent at taking interesting photos by accident. I would like to share some of my favourites, and yes, I took these all myself with my crappy digital camera. Enjoy!

Interlaken, Switzerland

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Paris, France

Prague, Czech Republic

Algerciras, Spain

Athens, Greece

Guayaquil, Equador

Fez, Morocco

Seoul, South Korea

What’s in a name?

Wow. My very own blog. I feel like I’m more credible as a communicator just by having one. With so much pressure to be “in” on the social media circuit I was starting to feel left behind. But now, I am a proud new member of the blogger community. Although blogging is growing trend in many industries discussing a variety of topics, I feel there is extra pressure placed on PR professionals seeing as communication is our forte.

I felt that pressure today when simply deciding on what to call my blog. I wanted to go with something smart and witty, but with my reputation on the line, is that really the way to go?

The thought of being googled and having potential employers discover my blog’s URL is prettyinpink or hotstuff (which I had considered) is terrifying, not to mention the fact that I might not be considered for the job. We are taught to be aware of what is said about us on the web as it can influence how we are perceived. It is frustrating to know that I could be judged because of a youtube video posted years ago.

And don’t even get me started on facebook. I have to screen what is said on my wall or what photos I get tagged in. Thankfully I don’t generally engage in activities that could be damaging to my morale…to my knowledge anyways…

As for the name, Ramsay Ramsay is the result of a type-o by one of our instructors. For some reason it stuck and it’s been a nickname ever since. I’m pretty pleased with it actually. But does it really matter what I think? What’s important is that I sustain my credibility as a professional. But really, how important is a name anyways?