Ian MacKenzie's - A BRIEF HISTORY OF MINE

Born	Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada
Educated	- Green Acres Public School - Saltfleet High School - McMaster University - Graduated MixMaster 1982 Combined Hons B.A.
Post- Graduate Studies	Mac 1983 Political Science M.A. programme Post-graduate career was self-terminated one year into the two-year programme due to a general disenchantment with the theory of natural selection.
The Creative Period	Left the halls of academia to do stand up and improv in Toronto for a few years. Various venues. Various troupes. Various brushes with greatness.
The Business Period	Left the world of stand up/improv when offered a job general managing a luxury wilderness resort in Northern Ontario. Mushrooming personal debt-load a major factor in the decision.
The We-Shall- Overcome Period	Left what should have been the Plum Job of All Time at the resort after only one year. 'Sleazoid owner's personal whipping boy' not part of the original job description.
The Expat Period	Accepted a three month contract position in Tokyo working as a cross-cultural advisor for a Japanese Securities firm. Transition from total wilderness to urban hell seemed challenging. Remuneration seemed outrageous. Paid holiday seemed appropriate. Re-upped for a year-long tour of duty since no pressing engagements in Canada demanded my presence.
The Freelance Period	Went freelance after realizing that my sponsor company in Japan was making a fortune pimping me out to the other companies in their keiretsu. Tripled my income while undercutting my ex-employers. The cash cow had learned to milk itself... Was amazed to find that I could be PAID to spend long hours drilling flight attendants and at one point was - get this - paid to ski at a new resort make it look international! Branched out from corporate relations to work as a freelance translator for a French pharmaceutical giant.
The Writing Period	Published a fanzine journal of my travels in Japan and S.E. Asia as a means of keeping in contact with my closest friends. More friends became interested through referrals. Mailing list suddenly pushed three digits. Postage suddenly no small expense. Sold some of the articles to English-language publications in Tokyo as a means of making journal pay for itself. Realized that writing could pay.
The Duncan Hines Period	Decided to return home to manage crumbling family situations after realizing that a three month vacation had snowballed into five years.
The Travis Bickle Period	Spent the first six months back in Canada curled up in a ball in the basement of my house. Had never realized how pathetic some aspects of Canadian culture were until I stepped out of it and tried to return. Decided that I either had to write a column to express this frustration or find myself a clock tower. Veronica Magee at VIEW brought Hamilton's lack of decent vantage points to my attention and offered me a weekly column. Realized that writing doesn't pay. Offered my on-air services to CFMU FM 93.3 in order to use their production facilities to produce a series of humourous cross-cultural radio segments to sell to a REAL ( ie: paying ) station.
The Current Chapter	Putting together a book on Japanese culture and trying to make freelance writing pay for more than my monthly coffee tabs at Starbucks.

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