well hello folks,

i was sitting in my living room, and i realized it was 2010. i realized that four months whipped by. i realized i had two blogs to upkeep. i realized that i didn’t do such a swell job the entire time. i realized that i am in love with several people. (i will discuss them later) i realized that it’s time to crack down and get my life together! i realized that it’s time to clean my room. and i realized i should really make a few blog entries!

so here i go. halifax was ICED on yesterday. just after it was SNOWED on. now let’s review: eight to ten inches (easily) of wet, cold, slippery snow plus an inch of ice encasing it doesn’t really make for a fun, nor safe drive. last night i spent half an hour helping one car get out of a relatively level parking lot. this morning, i helped my roommate. and shortly, i need to get my own car out of that MESS. clearly i’m procrastinating.

as mentioned above, i am in love. many moons ago i discovered two musical artists, mr. dan mangan and dance yourself to death. i listened to these artists in heavy rotation and then moderate rotation. however over the christmas break i bumped them back up into heavy rotation and have listened to nothing BUT dan mangan and dance yourself to death. if my neighbors can hear my music selection they’re probably wondering why i listen to the same stuff over and over and over. although they SHOULDN’T, because these guys are awesome. neither are from halifax, although dan mangan did play during the halifax pop explosion. and dance yourself to death i saw in toronto. win win win yes yes yes win yes yes win win situation.

that’s all.

please. check them out, love them. thank me.

Winter will soon be upon us! I know this because a) the calendar tells me so, and b)so does the Halifax Harbour. The coldness that stems from the harbour is absolutely FREEZING. I miss summer and the cool breeze the Halifax harbour brought then.

BUT on the bright side, the Halifax Pop Explosion is currently underway with many acts floating throughout Halifax. Among the acts tonight, Japanther plays at The Seahorse , Two Hours Traffic at Coconut Grove and MSTRKRFT at the Palace! Also, Dan Mangan plays tonight at the Company House, CoHo. I never heard any of Dan Mangan’s songs until this evening, he’s really worth checking out!

For my next blog: A focus on a born and bred Halifax band-there are so many to choose from! AND Tegan and Sara have released tour dates including Halifax. I already have my ticket, do you?! They’re already sold out! Stay tuned to find out whether they decide to add a second show!

Happy Friday,
Melissa

I really enjoy alliteration, so I decided to use that technique in the title. You’re welcome.

And also, for this blog I decided to use proper capitalization. Again, you’re welcome. It’s been almost a month since my last post and if you had of asked me that particular question yesterday I would have guessed two weeks. Time is absolutely flying here on the east coast-concerts are coming and going, so are art and film festivals. Recently, the Atlantic Film Festival wrapped up and it was a huge success! I can’t wait for it to return again next fall. Also, this past Saturday “Nocturne” was presented in the streets of Halifax, and that too was a big success with many art lovers turning out to support the one of a kind event. It’s such an amazing thing to see the tiny but mighty city of Halifax churning out such great events that draw large crowds!

However being that Halloween is getting closer and closer I decided to mention briefly that everyone should check out (if they can) the haunted house located in Dartmouth at Alderney Landing. A classmate of mine went through with a camera to collect footage, and I had the privilege of reviewing it and let’s just say that there is a)a lot of screaming and b) a lot of clowns. It’s worth checking out! $7/door!

Melissa

and i didn’t even know it was him! i feel like such a silly goose. i was at my current place of work, a department store, and i’m folding denim. a gentleman comes and asks for my assistance. i help him. i’m a television production student and probably the biggest television producer and director on the east coast was standing in front of me chatting with me about my dream career in tv. it’s a good thing i shook his hand.

the second trailer park boys movie: “trailer park boys-countdown to liquor day” was written and directed by halifax native mike clattenburg and comes out on september 25th. (that’s close!) it did however premiere on september 17th at the atlantic film festival in halifax.

until then,

Socialize@OUTtv, the first gay and lesbian television network social networking site, is a new online community created for the community to share what we’re proud of online!  Every week OUTtv will highlight the top videos and pics.

Check out some of this week’s talent:

Ottawa Pride
posted by Amy Godin, Ottawa, ON

Relaxing (L) – View the pic
Other Half of my Rainbow (R) – View the pic

Check out more of Amy’s pics HERE

Ottawa Pride Bikers
posted by Perry Voulgaris, Toronto, ON

Ottawa Pride Bikers. View the pic

Check out more of Perry’s pics HERE

Join the Socialize@OUTtv community and see MORE videos and pics from this year’s Pride across Canada.

well, it’s actually only juice at the moment, as i have class in the morning. and we all know great minds think better sans a hangover.

BUT, just mere minutes away snoop dogg himself is probably rapping, smoothly, this lyric and more as he is performing live tonight at the halifax metro center. unfortunately i was unable to attend. a fantastic friend of mine is currently front row center, perks of being an on air personality at Z103.5FM. She’s hopefully taking pictures.

a follow up on the halifax pop explosion: GIRL TALK WILL ALSO BE PERFORMING HERE. saturday october 24th. $20 doll hairs.
look:

cheers to the last two hours of the weekend.
melissa

greetings from the east!

i have just returned from my evening of work, and a school ‘gathering’ and decided that for my next post, it would be official that i talk about the theatres that halifax has to offer. the theatres that i’m going to suggest you visit on your next visit to halifax have something to please everyone!

neptune theatre:
this theatre, located on argyle street in downtown halifax is atlantic canada’s largest professional regional theatre. various acts a performed throughout the year, including original pieces and favorites such as peter pan. neptune is a traveling theatre, meaning some of the acts actually travel around and are performed at various places, such as school and universities. when i was in junior high we had a neptune performance in our gym, and an entire stage and set was assembled for our enjoyment.  neptune theatre is also known for their acting school, accepting and teaching the chosen students the art of acting.

halifax feast:
this one has the opportunity to be, in my opinion, an excellent date. dinner and a show. and i happen to have first hand knowledge that it is a nifty little experience.

bus stop theatre:
this quaint, moderately hidden and queer/queer friendly theatre is located in the heart of north end halifax. it showcases all of different kinds of art and acts that halifax has to offer, which of course, is many. nuff said. oh, and the name? it’s true, it’s right by a bus stop. adorableness.

with three different theatres with similiar goals (to entertain and show off halifax and the talent that is holds) you are bound to find something that you will enjoy!

chat soon, ciao!
melissa

greetings from halifax,

just a note and a general overview of the upcoming pop explosion that halifax hosts annually:

it’s going to be amazing. don’t let the name pop explosion fool you into thinking it’s going to be all one genre. the name may be generic but the festival is anything but. it’s a very queer friendly festival, as most are and it hosts many different music acts each year! memorable performances from years past include spiral beach, as well as tegan and sara.  i attended many of the previous acts, including tegan and sara-all of which were fantastic. the venues are small which allow for an intimate concert as well as incredible picture taking opportunities- if you’re into photography. which you should be.

this year the festival runs from october 20 to 24. some of the bands that have already been confirmed include japanther and mstrkrft. tickets (regular and vip) are already on sale! you can get ticket info here and more info on the festival
here

you can be sure i’ll be there, will you?

being that it is currently summer, i’ve decided to compile a list (because i still like lists) of the reasons to visit the lovely halifax during the summer months. these are just three of the many reasons to come and tour this beautiful province.

#1-halifax international buskers festival
eleven days of buskering fun. if you’ve ever witnessed any sort of street performing or buskering before you know what you’re in for with this festival:  jugglers, fire eaters, dancers, acrobats, comedians, magicians, girls in bikinis, men in underwear, air brushed tattoos and street meat! the halifax international busker festival is an annual totally queer friendly event that takes place along the boardwalk of halifax. with several stages and a new act every hour from 11AM to 11PM. the festival is free, but most audience members make a small donation at the end of the performance of what they deem to be appropriate. the boardwalk is the most busy you’ll see it during the entire year, and it attracts a wide slew of people making halifax a very diverse place to be!

#2-concerts, concerts and more concerts:

areas like citadel hill, the commons,alderney landing and many other small venues play host to amazing acts every summer. the amazing acts include but are not limited to KISS, the rolling stones and sir paul mccartney. all of these artists and more have graced halifax with their celebrity presence. pending weather some concerts draw as many as 50,000 locals and tourists. halifax hotels, bars and shops boom with business and equal just another reason to drop by and walk around.  note that the cannon is shot every day at noon from citadel hill. It’s not actually a cannon anymore, just a real sound and feel. don’t be embarrassed if you find yourself jumping sky high in fear, I still do. every day, like clockwork.

#3-unique restaurants, pubs and cafes:

the beautiful breeze that the east coast provides is just enough to successfully enjoy a sunny lunch out on a balcony at one of the many small cafes and restaurants that halifax has to offer. most queer friendly, some specifically queer these unique places have more to offer than just coffee and sandwiches.

paperchase cafe: a sweet little cafe over a magazine shop that has just about anything you would be looking for. it overlooks a unique part of the city through garage doors that open to expose the area.

the argyle: a lovely restaurant named after the street it’s located on. my personal favorite would be the louisiana chicken sandwich

the wooden monkey:a local, vegetarian and vegan specialty. rumoured to be one of ellen page’s favorite places.

mollyZ: gay gay gay gay full of gay.

as you’ll soon find out, halifax is just as fun and interesting in the fall, winter and spring as it is in the summer. promise. which reason would you enjoy the most?

ciao,

melissa

greetings from the east coast, specifically halifax, or as i like to call it-halifornia

my name is melissa and i will be your ambassador for all things halifax. especially if they’re queer/queer friendly and even more especially if they involve halifax’s entertainment industry.

i look forward to bringing you an update or more a week on lots of different issues and topics-thereby hopefully sparking discussion and creating some excitement about halifax!

i realize perhaps maybe knowing me better will aid in a more trusting blogger/reader relationship so i’ve compiled a list (i like lists) of facts that may help you get to know me:

-i’m 5’8 and i have green eyes.
-i love chicken, water and oreo ice-cream.
-i really really REALLY dislike pickles, tomato soup and pb&j sandwiches.
-i taught swimming for four years.
-i prefer to wear flat shoes and a t-shirt looks better with a vest.
-my favorite television show is f.r.i.e.n.d.s!
-i believe in ghosts!
-sometimes i listen to music when i grocery shop.
-i consider my mom my best friend, still to this day!
-i can crack my shoulders.
-i write with all lowercase in situations like these, i am totally aware.

there, i now feel as though we’re friends! however we all know you’re only real friends once you’ve accepted a friend invite on one of the many social networking sites.

i look forward to hearing from you, until next time,

melissa