Post-choreography. So hot.

Fact: In my younger days, I took 5 years of jazz dance classes. We’re talking sequins, spandex, and hair with enough AquaNet to withstand a tornado. The whole nine.

Last night, yours truly was thrust into the dancing world once again, as part of The White Hot Happening at the National Ballet’s White Hot Gala. After some incredible performances by newly promoted members of the company, as well as retiring dancer Chan Hon Goh, it was time to grab a martini and bust a few moves of my own.

And how on earth did I manage that? Like most of my crazy adventures, it was sort of by accident…

My friend Jess and I both receive emails from Dance Break, a program that makes ballet tickets more accessible to dance fans aged 16-29. I was out for coffee with another friend when I got a text message from Jess, asking me if I’d gotten the latest email, and if I wanted to go. I said I wasn’t sure, as I couldn’t actually see the email on my Blackberry, but that I’d let her know. She wisely pointed out that tickets would likely sell out quickly, due to the nature of the event and the fact that there were drinks after the performance with members of the company (ie. a super awesome night that was sure to rock our faces off). So I said, sure, yes, put me down for a ticket. Then I got back to the coffee…

When I got home that night, though, I was in for a surprise. Upon opening the actual email, I realized that this super awesome event was much more than I’d bargained for. In addition to the performance and the gala, there was going to be something called a “Happening,” which required me to go to a choreography session downtown. At the National Ballet. With Melissa Williams from So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Umm… Wait a minute. I have to dance? In front of strangers? Seriously?

Hello flashback to the early 90s! (Or Frosh Week, for that matter!)

When our choreography session rolled around in May, I walked into the studio and took a good look around. Surrounded by very fit women on all sides, I had a sudden urge to proclaim “this isn’t where I parked my car!” and run quickly out of the building. But thankfully, I stayed put. After all, how many times in my life am I going to get to learn a dance from Melissa Williams? Really now.

The choreography session was great fun—despite the presence of many video cameras—and we were asked to keep a lid on the dance so that it would be a big surprise for everyone at the White Hot Gala. And let me tell you, it was a secret worth keeping. Last night was a complete blasty blast. After a month of practice here and there, I’m happy to say that I danced my very best, and managed not to trip on my heels and face plant on the hardwood. What more could a girl ask for?

For more details on the White Hot Gala and Happening, check out this article from the Globe and Mail. And if a video of The Happening surfaces somewhere, you can be sure I’ll be posting it here as well!

Update: Here’s the video!

Anyhoo, back to The Hour. If you live in the GTA and want a great way to spend a few hours one afternoon, I highly recommend checking out a taping. Tickets are free, which makes for one very budget-friendly outing. George and Bradley Cooper in the same room, and I didn’t have to sell a kidney to be there? Life is good.

If you’re not familiar with Bradley Cooper, here is a sampling of his resume: Guest appearance on Sex and the City, “Will Tippin” on Alias (<3), The d-bag boyfriend in Wedding Crashers, The d-bag husband in He’s Just Not That Into You, and most recently, part of the hilarious cast of The Hangover (which opens June 5, and I can’t wait to see it.)

Highlights from the taping: Yours truly made it just in time, thanks to some stunning performances by the TTC. (Tangent: Why is it so hard to get a damn bus out here? I mean, really. Nothing comes for 20 minutes, and then? TWO buses going the exact same way show up simultaneously. I like a good surprise as much as the next girl, but not when it comes to public transit, thankyouverymuch.) So, being the last one in the studio, I got a chair right on the end of the aisle, meaning that in the intimate setting that is The Hour, Bradley Cooper (who my friend Sarah has dubbed “very lickable”) could have easily tripped over my purse on his way to the stage. Wouldn’t that have been lovely? “Random Girl Trips Will Tippin, Breaks His Handsome Leg.” Thankfully, that did not happen. Totally charming, very funny… Great interview. (And if you missed the awesome interview, you should absolutely check it out here.)

The other guest of the evening was Jeff Rubin, former top economist for CIBC, who explained his beliefs about how triple-digit oil prices are going to have a huge impact on our futures. Some really thought provoking stuff… And I especially liked his analogy about ping pong on a train.

I really can’t say enough good things about George Stroumboulopoulous (shocking: spell check does not like that one). He really seems to put his guests at ease in a very short amount of time. It’s really just a casual conversation that happens to take place in front of a bunch of people… and it’s pretty damn cool. Everything happens in one take; there are no do-overs. And I love that no question is off-limits (take that, Billy Bob Thornton), so you never really know what might happen. George even sticks around after the show to answer any and all questions that the audience throws his way. Check out some more of his great interviews from The Hour here.

And stay tuned this week while I play Catch Up On Life, with reports on Canada’s Wonderland, The Toronto Blue Jays, 101 in 1001, EA Sports Active… And, yes, wedding plans! (All in one week? That’s the plan!) But first? There is a bottle of wine that is calling my name…

Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

It’s been a busy week, friends. Between my web-tastic new gig and personal schedule, there is a lot going on. I’m still getting the hang of my new job, as some of the stuff I’m working on is very technical and totally new to me, but I’m also loving every minute and every new thing that I get to learn. Ahh learning… Where would this nerdy girl be without you?

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to accompany my friend Heather to UofT for the Toronto leg of Chuck Palahniuk’s Pygmy book tour. It was my first time at a Chuck Palahniuk reading and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. The man is quite entertaining and I spent a good chunk of the evening laughing my butt off. Here are a few highlights from the night…

• Chuck’s explanation of where the idea for Pygmy came from. You can actually find the story in a recent interview that he did with Metro News. The moral of the story? When in Germany, always go with a translator. Always.

• Inflatable penguins.
Sorry, make that autographed inflatable penguins. While I didn’t manage to snag one, I definitely enjoyed watching people scramble to blow them up and sqeak their feet in order to win a copy of Choke on DVD. (Has anyone seen/read Choke? Would you recommend it?)

• Re-written bedtime stories.
Interpreted to match the kind of writing found in Pygmy, classic children’s stories like “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” got the full Chuck treatment and wound up hilariously twisted. (During a Q&A someone asked if he’d ever consider writing a children’s book. He explained that he had, and gave a run down of the story… Oddly enough, no one will publish it. Heh…)

• Costumes.
As Heather pointed out to me when she asked me to join her for this adventure, if we dressed up as Model UN delegates, we’d win a prize. In a note from Chuck, he said, “Don’t let your dignity stop you from having a good time, and I won’t feel like such a freak, myself.” Well, I went ahead and took those words to heart. Why else do you think I’d be roaming the streets of Toronto looking like an Irish superhero? Heather also dressed accordingly as “Heather, Queen of Scots” in tartan and a tiara. (Go ahead and click on “Costumes” above for proof!) I can’t wait to find out what my mystery prize is! Big thanks to Heather for such a fantastic evening.

In other news, this week I learned that I should not attempt to do anything without the assistance of my glasses. Post-shower, I’m getting ready to go out and reach for my sample-size Vera Wang Princess perfume. I give myself a little spritz on the neck and wrist and then realize… that’s not Princess. What did I just spray on myself? Why is it so strong? Glasses… where the eff are my glasses?!

Upon closer inspection, I realized that I’d spritzed myself with Vera Wang for Men. Lovely. You know, in a manly way. (Epic. Fail.)

As for today, I’m off to a choreography session with Melissa Williams from So You Think You Can Dance Canada. More on that tomorrow, after my limbs have had a chance to recover!

Photo by Linda Nguyen (@L_Nuggie)

Alright, I know I promised a post-concert review in yesterday’s post, but after getting home and relaying the awesomeness of the evening to B-rad, it was pushing midnight and I was one tired (though happy) girl. I decided to sleep on it and return bright-eyed and bed-headed to gush about the evening.

But first, let me share a little gem from my subway ride, because I do love a good TTC tale. I was on the train heading to Queen, quite engrossed in my Metro crossword, when suddenly there was a woman sitting on my lap. Literally. I’m not totally clear on the details, but it seems that a somewhat elderly lady had gotten on the train with a friend, and when the train took off, she hadn’t quite made it to her seat and lost her balance. So there she was, sitting on my knee, holding on to a centre pole and trying to pull herself back up. With some help from another rider, we got her to her feet and into a seat where she said…nothing. Not “Thanks,” not “Hey, sorry about the mall Santa routine back there,” nothing. She didn’t even respond when I asked if she was okay. At first I thought, “Well, that’s odd…” but there are plenty of reasonable explanations for it, ranging from embarrassment to the fact that I’m a notoriously quiet talker. Bygones.

Anyway, I made it to Massey relatively unscathed and picked up my ticket. I’d thought that being close to the back of the main floor might be a bad thing, but I was happily surprised to find that I had a great view of the stage. The opening act for the evening was David Martel from Montreal (whose album you should also buy on iTunes because he’s pretty darn cool). Along with a fantastic cellist (whose name escapes me) and bandmate Natasha Landry doing vocals and playing a very cool mini folding xylophone contraption, Martel put on a great show that featured stripped-down versions of songs from his album, I Hardly Knew Me. When your set ends with a singalong-turned-whistle-along, you get two big thumbs up from me. That’s entertainment.

After snagging a copy of I Hardly Knew Me and chatting with David and Natasha (who were both lovely), it was time for Ms. Adele to take the stage. She opened with Cold Shoulder, which seemed like a natural choice due to its upbeat, energetic tempo. Of course, she could have opened with “I’m A Little Teapot” and I’d still have thought it was incredible. It’s just that voice… that brilliant, powerful, soulful, incredible voice. And her attitude on stage is fabulous as well; after the first two songs she was joking about how she hadn’t meant to be dressed so casually in an oversized sweater (“I sleep in this jumper”), but had gotten cold on her tour bus and didn’t realize what she was wearing until it was too late (“Oh f*ck, I’m in my pyjamas.”) Incredibly talented, and also incredibly humble.

So. Highlights? Well… everything. Apart from the material from 19, which I already adore, I was a big fan of the covers. She knocked out some excellent renditions of Many Shades of Black, Etta James’ “Fool That I Am,” and Sam Cooke’s “That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On.” In the encore, she also performed a song that will hopefully be on her next album (but isn’t finished yet), called “Stand By Me.” But, being the completely biased critic that I am in this case, my favourite songs of the evening were definitely Hometown Glory and the Bob Dylan cover, Make You Feel My Love.

Solo concert adventure over, I’m back at home and waiting (im)patiently for Adele’s next album. Looks like I’ve got a new girl crush…

I’ve been an Adele fan since I heard “Hometown Glory” on So You Think You Can Dance of all places (something about that moody piano intro gives me goosebumps every time…) so I couldn’t pass up the chance to see her at a venue like Massey. And while I’m hitting the concert solo this evening, which will be a new experience for me, it’s one that I’m definitely looking forward to.

Check back later this evening for thoughts on the show! In the meantime, check out this great interview with Adele from Tuesday’s Globe and Mail.

Update: Thoughts on the show are here!

This Magazine is celebrating its colourful new makeover with a sure-to-be-fabulous bash at Supermarket on March 10. Music, cheap mags and a cupcake bar with CMYK icing… What more could a girl ask for?

Need more details? You can get ‘em here.

Welcome to the club.

While B-rad and I are frantically hitting up the stores this weekend (assuming we can get out of the house, thanks to “Snowmageddon” here in Toronto), you can rest easy with a few helpful shopping tips from yours truly, which are being featured right now as part of Canadian Family’s Holiday Survival Guide. 

Until next time, bust out the hot chocolate and stay warm!

There’s no denying that we’ve run into some tough times. But we’re not alone. I recently had the opportunity to read a great piece by Yuki Hayashi in the Winter 2009 issue of Canadian Family that delves into a side of this financial meltdown that we may have overlooked – the global food crisis.

While many Canadians find themselves fighting to make ends meet this Christmas, for those who already struggle to provide food for their families every day, our current economic reality is even more of a crushing blow. And it’s not just here – it’s everywhere. Global food prices are skyrocketing. Staple foods like rice and grain are harder to come by. It’s a dismal truth that even the sunniest optimist can’t deny. Dismal, but not hopeless.

To complement Yuki Hayashi’s piece on the global food crisis, I had a chance to research and write about the many ways that we can get involved and help those in need. (If you’re interested, you can read about it here.) While I mostly focused on how you can help families in developing countries, I think it’s important to point out ways that you can get involved locally to ease the struggles of those in your own community. So, while I’m up here on my soap box, I’d like to suggest a few ways you can help out this season (and all year long):

Support a local food bank. Whether you donate food items or just volunteer your time, you’ll be playing a key role in the fight against hunger in Canada. There are drop boxes for non-perishable items all over the place this time of year, so why not make the most of them?

Give the gift of time. Second Harvest is a fantastic organization in Toronto that distributes fresh food – perishable items that would otherwise be thrown away – to those who need it most, via 250 social service programs in the area. And they’re always looking for volunteers!

Sometimes, it does take a village. Student nutrition programs across the province are working to ensure that kids everywhere have the chance to start their day with a full belly, which has been shown to greatly improve learning. By getting involved, you can help to ensure that no child goes hungry at school. 

Any other suggestions? I’d love to hear them! 

Happy Holidays

Kicking my Lancaster habit is unlikely to happen any time soon, as all three of her novels are on my Summer Reading list. It’s just toting them around in public that seems to get me into trouble… and by “trouble” I mean “hopelessly awkward situations with random men I’ve never met before.”

I give you Exhibit A:

I’m riding home on the bus (like the TTC Goddess that I am) and indulging in one of my favourite bus riding activities: catching up on books I promised myself I would finally read. This time, it’s Bright Lights, Big Ass (which you need to buy immediately, if you haven’t already done so.) I’m enjoying it so much that I don’t have time to stash it in my gigantic Mom Purse before I exit at my regular stop.

Imagine my surprise when a complete stranger says to me, “Hello beautiful lady, are you enjoying that book you’ve got there?” (I kid you not. That is actually what he said. But wait. It gets better.)

Me: “Yes, I am!” (I smile, but keep walking.)

He: “Well hold on a minute, let me see it.”

See now, this is the part where any normal person would likely say “I’m sorry, I’m in a bit of a rush,” or “I really can’t chat, I’ve just gone into labour.” Something. ANYTHING. Anything except “Sure.”

Me: “Sure.” (Another smile. Why must I smile so much?!)

He: (Reading the title) Bright. Lights. Big. Ass. (Pause) Do you think that you have a big ass? (See? I told you it gets better.)

Me: “Well, I’d like to think that I don’t…”

He: “Well, I think that you have a perfectly reasonable, medium-sized ass.” (This may actually be the strangest and yet most lovely compliment that I’ve received in my entire life. A medium-sized ass… what more can a girl ask for?)

Me: “Oh… um… thank you!”

He: “My name is Rupert. Who are you, beautiful lady?”

…And this right here, is the part where any normal person would make something up on the fly. Fudge the truth a bit. Tell a little fib. Lie their face off… Alice, Agnes, Alexis, Frank. Something. ANYTHING. Anything except…

Me: “Alicia.” (D’oh!)

(We shake hands)

He: “Well, Alicia. It’s very nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your book. You remember me, now… and give a holler the next time you see me.”

Me: “Oh, I will! Thank you! Have a great day, Rupert!”

–

And that is how Rupert from Weston became my new BFF. Thanks, Jen Lancaster.

Note to self: Start wearing iPod and sunglasses at all times. And maybe give up smiling. Or at least learn to lie.

And now, because I love a good story… I’m turning it over to you guys. What’s the craziest thing a stranger has ever said to you? There’s bound to be some hilarious tales out there… so let’s hear ‘em!

When I was in high school, I refused to use the school washrooms. I knew that they were cleaned daily, but it didn’t matter. After witnessing countless numbers of female students standing on the toilet seats to adjust their kilts in the giant bathroom mirror, I decided that they’d never be clean enough. (This often meant “holding it in” for seven or eight hours a day while I was in class… How my bladder survived, I may never know.) Fast forward to the present. In our shiny new office here in the west end of Toronto, amidst rooms with lavish leather chairs, multiple kitchens, and pristine boardrooms, there is one major problem: We only have one Ladies’ Room.

After months of enduring flooded counter tops and stalls littered with toilet paper, I think it’s about time for some Public Washroom Etiquette 101. And so, I give you the Top Five Bad Bathroom Behaviour Busters. (Alliteration… It’s super awesome.)

1. You might spend half your life at the office, but remember that you don’t actually live here.
The kind of bathroom behaviour you engage in while in the comfort of you own home is not always appropriate for the office. This includes brushing your teeth whilst going pee. I don’t need to know that about you. Seriously.

2. All sinks are not created equal.
…So if you need to wash your dishes, take them to the kitchen. When there are only two sinks and a line of women with dirty hands behind you, it’s not time to start scrubbing out your coffee mug.

3. Look before you leave.
As happy as I am for you that the All Bran challenge is going well, perhaps it’s best to keep a little mystery between us, don’t you think? There is no shame in the double flush; David Suzuki might frown upon it, but your co-workers will thank you.

4. Paper the seat if you want, but leave the floor alone.
Unless you decide to pee on the floor… But that’s a whole different entry all together.

5. Take a cue from the boys.
Have you ever played the “Urinal Etiquette” game? It ought to work the same way for the ladies. When there are 10 bathroom stalls, and 9 of them are free, you don’t need to choose the one right next to me unless you have some kind of crazy stall loyalty. It’s bad enough that I have to use a public washroom… I don’t need an audience, too.

So there you have it. Print it, post it, live it and love it. Let’s all make office living a little bit more bearable this week.