My visual agenda

As I sit here tryna figure out my schedule for the week, a futile task since anyone could agree I'm never on schedule but always on time, I'm reflecting on the past week. How eventful it was, the palette of different experiences I dabbled in, and the fulfilling opportunities I had to hook up with old friends, new friends and family...

• Monday: Downtown Inspirations

To start my week off right, I met up with Bianca and Sheldon downtown. We scanned downtown, had lunch, brainstormed ideas for Bianca's upcoming photoshoot, and even had a chance to be entertained and impressed by a street-performing magician. To wrap the night off, we had a profound conversation which gave me a whole new set of perspectives and overall solidified why I trust these two kiddo's and why Bee is more than a best friend, she's my sister.

• Tuesday: Wing Chun

Now this was by far one of the most unexpected things I had a chance to do this week. After seeing the weather forecast and deciding to abort our beach mission, Bee and I met up anyway, walked to Thompson Park and lit up while being rudely interrupted by various species of wildlife. After getting stoned, we tagged along with her uncle, a vigorous Tai Chi and Kung Fu practicer. Little did we know, we'd be sitting in on an all-male, advanced Wing Chun class. As we were informed, Wing Chun is a type of Kung Fu developed over 250 years ago in China as a response to the outlawing of all weapons. It was created by choosing the most efficient Kung Fu techniques, and passed on by the only surviving Grand Master- a female. 

 Now I've gotta admit, Bee and I were a little intimidated by everyone's extensive knowledge of the sophisticated movements, but we participated in the meditative "warm-up", and then watched the men put their style to combat. Plus, the instructor was pretty hot...

• Wednesday: Karaoke Night 

After a night of hard work at the Red Stick, I headed on over to Boston Pizza to meet with a couple of friends at Boston Pizza for their weekly Karaoke Night. Scooners were $7, a lot of people came out, and the dudes hosting the karaoke were pretty funny. Various pints later we found ourselves singing along to classic Bob Marley, Abba, and Spice Girls songs. I wasn't drunk enough to make it to the mic, but I sure had fun watching everyone else give it a shot. I cheered along enthusiastically as a couple friends swooned "Weeee are the champions..."

• Thursday: Beelicious Bake Sale 

The day was finally here! On Thursday, Bianca held her first Beelicious Treats Bake Sale. Before work I had the pleasure of stopping by and helping her prep the sales area, draw in curious passerby's, and spread the word. Her treats were so visually appealing with their exclusive designs, bright colours, and incorporation of toppers that people couldn't help but be drawn to her "kiosk". While I was there a dude was happy to buy a tray of cupcakes! Needless to say, Bee successfully sold out her treats and helped promote her new company. Unfortunately, I had to leave pretty early to make it work, but not without buying a tray of cupcakes to share with all my co-workers!

• Friday: Shop Till I Drop

Friday night blues? Nothing fixes those like a quick downtown shopping spree before work. I picked up some cool sunglasses and a bunch of additions to my summer wardrobe! Unfortunately, I hadn't checked out the weather forecast and ended up caught up in a huge rain/thunder storm. A combination of lightening, high winds and pouring rain successfully soaked me to the core and I had the pleasure (uugh) of riding the rocket with a bunch of other wet, smelly people.

• Saturday: Local Sounds

After working all day and having a restless sleep the night before, Bee and I jetted to Suba, at College and Spadina in time to watch our friends perform at "DJ Scuffs Presents: Local Sounds". The night involved a showcase of local hip hop talents from around the city. The lineup included The Lego Gang, Mike Dara, Rez Rida, Teddy F. House, The Airplane Boys, Element, and a couple of others. I was thoroughly entertained by the Lego Gang's flashy, energetic performance (save for a couple of audio glitches that made it difficult at times to get the full impact of their fun music. I was happy to run into many familiar faces and spend the night with some of my dear old friends. The highlight for me personally was watching my friends Mannie "Beck Motley" and Jay "Bon Voyage" of The Airplane Boys rip it on stage. A combination of their high energy levels, incorporation of jazz and rock n roll elements, funky rapping styles, and sophisticated lyrics resulted in their clear passion for delivering an unforgettable performance. Beck Motley's acapella delivery left even the most hardened "hood hip-hop" fan impressed. Their live band, which included two electric guitarists and a keyboard player,  helped lend their performance an appealing, unique flavour and I was pleased to overhear various conversations of satisfied, brand new fans. 

Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/theairplaneboys

JOB VERY WELL DONE, BOYS!

• Sunday: Momma's Day!

Ahhh Sunday, the universal (?) day of rest. My day was filled with a physically exhausting, long day at work and fatigue from the last night's 3 am jog in -3 weather, paired with the 5 hours of sleep I got. I jetted home on my break to give my mom her mother's day surprise, then returned to work. I soon forgot all my woes when I was finally able to go home and spend the night with my mommy, whom I deeply adore, admire, respect, and am inspired by regularly. My mom is my personal Wonder Woman and she never ceases to instill in me valuable life lessons about what it means to by a strong, independent, charming and compassionate woman in this day and age.

Happy Mother's Day to all the new mommies, all your mommies, and all the women who hold our world together!