MuchMusic, Make Me A VJ

When I Grow Up - Pussycat Dolls

When I Grow Up, I wanna be a famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies....Be on TV, people know me. When I Grow Up.

Yes, I used this song as an opener before, but this was probably the best song I could find to describe this blog right here. This lead single from the Pussycat Dolls' second album, Doll Domination, is exactly how I've been feeling, not only all my life but this current week!

As you guys must already know (or come to the conclusion), I love MuchMusic. I've been to their events, I've auditioned for them multiple times, and my passion and adoration for music and knowledge of celebrity pop culture makes me perfect for the job! Like the Pussycat Dolls sing, I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies! I wanna be on TV, and have people know me! However, that's not the only reason why I want the job. Actually, the main reason I want the job is because of my passion for music and my obsession over pop culture!

So, forunately for me, they have their VJ Search 2.0 going on, and after weeks of planning and production, my audition is finally out!

Not only on YouTube, but my audition is available on MuchMusic's website and is available for everyone to watch, rate, and spread the word!

Now, speaking of spreading the word, today I also realized at the amazing friends I have. It hasn't even been 24 hours that I have had the audition up, that all my friends are posting my links to their walls and getting their friends to do it as well. Some of my best friends from high school and even friends I only talked to once or twice are spreading the word! My audition isn't limited to Facebook! I've got friends on Twitter who are tweeting about my audition like crazy, and are getting their followers to rate, comment, and spread! In addition to Facebook and Twitter, I'm also a part of a few forums on which I'm getting people to spread the word!

I would like to take this time to thank EVERY SINGLE PERSON who is taking the the time out to rate me, watch my audition, and spread the word! Every little bit helps! Though I don't like naming names on this blog, a few people said somethings that really brought a smile to my face. I am posting some of those quotes below:

"Vote Khizer for the next MuchMusic VJ!!!♥ He knows the celebs, knows the gossip, knows the music, and is so easy to talk to! :) "

"if you don't win I'm going to lose faith in music television... okay, that already happened but still, you deserve it!"

"you deserve it man! Ive never met someone try so hard for something"

"im not gunna lie, when i first heard about the contest i was like "khizer is gunna win""

"oh don't worry ur a natural, u'll win this thing"

"You know what's stupid Khiz? ppl just post photos of them "looking hot" etc. and that's it - they cant even post a vid and reason why thy should be a vj. This isn't a competition based on looks. I really hope you make the top... 16 because I know this has been ur life long dream, and anyone who knows you knows you have what it takes and more :)"

"LOL khizer that video is hilarious!! good job!! good luck, i went on and voted. you so deserve this haha!"

"Not only did I vote for you, I sabotaged everyone elses votes. They all got one stars. Tee Hee."

"Khizer!! YOU ARE HILARIOUS! LOVE YOU. I'm a contestant too (#2191) But you def have what it takes. I think you made a ref to Latoya Howard in your aud vid (i think). Anyway she stole over 23K worth of things out of my house! Then fled back to Canada. I hope you win babe!!"

"Vote or die"

These are a few of many amazing feedback I got! You all know me enough to know that I have the drive and passion for this job! Thank you once again to everyone spreading the word, inviting their friends to join my group, tweeting about it on their twitter, posting the links to their facebook, commenting and rating on YouTube and rating on the site! You guys all know who you are and it means so much to me.

I pray that I win this thing and take it home!

For those reading right now here's your chance to watch my audition, comment on my video, join my group, rate my entry, and spread the word!

All it takes is 3 Simple Steps:

1) Watch my audition video on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix2EaW4ps7o

2) Rate my audition video on the Official VJ Search Website here:
http://vj.muchmusic.com/gallery/2267#gallery

3) Join this group, and invite all your friends to do the same here:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=136249614801#/group.php?gid=136249614801&ref=mf

It's 2009. It's Summer Time.

School’s Out – Alice Cooper

School’s out forever. School’s out for the summer.

That’s how this ultimate classic by Alice Cooper goes, and although my school wasn’t “completely” finished, I had an early start to the summer that definitely felt like school was out!

Compared to my fantastic summer of 2008, I didn’t think ANY summer could live up to my adventures in 2008, but respectfully this summer came in close if not surpassed that summer. It’s a tough decision. Though I have separate blogs on some of the events that happened this summer, this blog will attempt to be a recap on everything.

Being in university, my summer started early this year. Instead of the typical end of June, summer started two months early at the end of April. However, I decided to take a summer semester that ended at the June, so it was almost the same as being in high school. The difference however, was that everyone else was done school, so I still had many more adventures in those two months than I did in most of my summers. One of my biggest advantages for the summer was that I had a car in Ottawa for that semester. I had bribed my parents to let me have the van for the semester and they agreed!

We’ll start of with month 1: May

May was an extravaganza of its own. At the beginning of the month, one of my new close friends from University drove down to Montreal and saw the legendary Ms. Britney Spears in concert for her “Circus Starring Britney Spears” tour. Being a fan since I was little, it was definitely a concert I was excited to see and she did not disappoint. Her lip synching was a given, but her performance of the show in general and awesome choreography and entertainment in general made up for that fact. It was my second favourite concert of the year after Lady GaGa.

The following week I made my first (of many to come) drive home from Ottawa to Toronto. My roommate and I left Ottawa at 3:00 am because we both couldn’t sleep and had a road trip of our own back home. Though we live together, we hardly have time to socialize because of our busy lives so it was a good way for us to get reconnected. That weekend I took my cousin out on a surprise birthday part at Wonderland and got to ride the Behemoth. It is definitely one of their best rides and I urge everyone to check it out…if they dare. When I drove back to Ottawa, I had two of my high school friends come back with me and stay with me for a week. On the car ride back to Ottawa I received my first speeding ticket. I definitely wasn’t happy about that. During that week we tried to do as much as we could from checking out the Haunted Walk of Ottawa to eating beef tartar and bar hopping in Montreal. It was in that week that I heard I won a trip for two to LA (another entry of its own) that would take place the following week.

By the end of that week, I drove my friends back to Ancaster, but this time the van was more full. My Ottawa friends wanted to go to Toronto for a weekend and we figured that weekend would be best since I was going back there as well. Thus, we all had a tight ride back to Toronto. There was a little drama in the car, but by the end of the weekend it was all good. That weekend in Toronto was a secret as my parents didn’t know I was back that weekend. I stayed at my friend’s house in Ancaster and balanced hangouts with my Ottawa and Toronto friends a like. When we drove back on Sunday, I had my best friend come with me as she was going to come to LA with me.

Once we got back to Ottawa, I had two days before I went to LA for 3 days. Again, this is a separate blog of its own. Just like that, May had come to a rushing end.

Month 2 of my pseudo-summer: June

June was more of a study oriented month. May was filled with so much early summer rush, if I hadn’t paid for my summer semester, it would’ve felt non existent. Consequently, the first few weeks of June were spent studying while doing little things here and there in Ottawa. Checking out movies with friends, editing a music video project I was working on (shame on me, it’s still not done), and spending a lot of time with my sister and her kids. It was a month of special occasions as well! My brother got married and it was also my sister and brother-in-law’s 10th anniversary. The first two week of June was spent with that excitement.

The following two weeks of June brought more adventure. I went back to Toronto again. This time it was to attend my second Lady GaGa concert as well as the MMVA’s. This mission to Toronto was top secret once more like last time and my parents had no clue. This time instead of staying at my friends’ (though I did for one night), I spent two nights in the streets of Toronto partying it up (see MMVA blog entry). I went back to Ottawa, did my final exams, got hired at Wal-Mart (yes, third time’s a charm), and saw more movies with friends. June ended with a literal bang as my friends and I made a road trip to Montreal to go clubbing at one of the hottest clubs, Opera. There were about 10 of us; we shared a hotel and had an amazing time. When I got back from Montreal, I had one last exam on June 30th that concluded not only June, but became the “official” start to my summer. It was funny how that worked out.

Month 3 – The official start of my summer: July

July was a summer where I started working again. I got a job at Wal-Mart and I started working there. Because I’ve never worked there for more than 3 months during the 2 separate occasions I’ve worked there, I was hired on the occasion that I stay there for more than 3 months this time. I started working in the Deli again and also got a new phone, the Blackberry Pearl Flip. This also meant I signed my life away to Rogers for 3 years. In between work, my family came and visited me and subsequently took the car away as well as the summer semester was over
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Within July, I saw some more movies and also went back home to Toronto for a few days. In that time I got hired by Swiss Chalet (a restaurant that I not only love, but that is situated right outside my apartment). As a result, I had to do the unthinkable and abandon Wal-Mart. I still feel bad about it to date, although some people tell me there was no need to feel bad as the company itself is “Hell Mart”. I also went cottaging for a weekend in Quebec with my sister and her in-laws. It had been a while since I had seen them all so it was a lot of fun. I kayaked in the lake for the first time and also rode on a paddleboat in the middle of a lake and eventually got stranded. Our companion who was kayaking with us had to attach her kayak to our boat and drag us back to land. It was embarrassing. That weekend I also got introduced to late night poker and wore my Lady GaGa Poker Face glasses while playing. It definitely set the mood.

As the month came to an end I had a friend from Ancaster come visit me for a few days and we had some good times. I also had a friend from Kitchener who visited me and we went to a club in Quebec. It was at this club where I was introduced to some new tracks that are now dominating my iTunes most played. I also sold my ferret by the end of the month as my roommate was moving out and it was the best solution we found on how to share the ferret…we sold her and split the profit. Haha.




The final month and a week of summer – August / September

August was a month that involved a lot of travelling as well. The first week was spent in Ottawa just working, however it was in the second week that it started to get crazy.

During the second week of August I went on a family vacation to a marina in Ivy Lea (a few km away from Kingston and Brockville). During that week we pretty much did nothing but bond as a family and go tour the city we’ve seen every year for the last 4 years. We went to Kingston, Brockville, and Gananoque during the week and had the opportunity to eat at the Ivy restaurant at the marina where we had some of the best French Onion Soup and scallops we’ve ever tasted!

The following week I went back to Toronto for a few days where I had dinner with some forum friends, visited Ancaster, and saw Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince with my cousin. It was the same day that Toronto had experienced one of its first tornadoes (well at least from what I remember in my 19 years of living) and we got footage of it while driving back from the theatre. Had we not turned left when we did, we may have been struck by it. It was definitely exhilarating. That night we had no electricity and the lack of light brought us closer together. I understood what a real candlelight dinner felt like.

When I went back to Ottawa that weekend, my buddy who had also come in May came back with me for the weekend. That was probably one of the best weekends I had all summer. We chilled, saw movies, played Super Mario Bros (all weekend literally, it took over us) and also went to club Mansion. We had a great time and when he went back to Toronto by train, I joined him and spent another week in Toronto.

That week was also the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and oh how the days were longer to keep fasts! It was a challenge I was up for and surprisingly after the first few, they weren’t too bad. During that week in Toronto I did a lot as well; I spent time with friends in Ancaster, saw a close friend in Brampton, and hung out with my cousins. When I went back home that weekend I was met with boxes! My roommate was in between packing everything to move out so the house was all over the place.

The end of August approached that week as my roommate moved out and a new roommate (who’s also a friend of mine) moved in. The move was bittersweet. As happy as I was to see my new friend move in, I was sad to see my old roommate move out. Though we had our fights and whatnot while we lived together, our friendship came first and we were and still are the best of friends and that’s all that matters in the end! That week I had the weekend off from work so I went back to Toronto…yes I know, how many times will I go back? But it was my last visit before school started. During this time I met up with my Brampton friend again and we had our moments, and I also saw some of my family’s friends and my cousins. I went back to Ottawa and my last day of summer was spent with a friend I met in Quebec during an exchange I did back in 2006. We spend the evening together and had dinner at the Works, a classic place to dine if in Ottawa. As that evening ended so did my 4 month summer, 2 of those that were “official”.

As I reflect on what I just wrote, I am still undecided on which summer was better. Yes, this summer I may have done things of much more excitement but summer of 2008 was filled with some lasting memories of my final summer as a high school student. As always, I am thankful for having such great summers and such awesome adventures each year. Its depressing to see school start again, but I am really excited to start a fresh year at University. YEAR 2! I am excited for some of my favourite shows to go back on air like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives as well as continue some unfinished series such as Hells Kitchen. Work and school will occupy a lot of my time this semester, but after the summer I had, I can’t complain! Here’s to an awesome summer and an awesome year of University to come!

The MMVA Weekend

I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas

I gotta feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a good night…. that tonight’s gonna be a good night…that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night…Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday. Party every day, P-p-p party every day.

This feel good song and latest single by The Black Eyed Peas was similar to how I felt over the past weekend. The weekend I would like to call “MMVA Weekend”.

Starting off with my desire to go see Lady GaGa for a second time at her surprise show in Toronto, it ended up being a party weekend that included all nighters, after parties, friend hangouts, celebrity meets and much more. Starting on Friday and leading right to the end of Sunday and the early hours of Monday, it was definitely a party every day.

To make it a readable blog, I’ve divided the blog up chronologically to go day-by-day in the epic weekend adventure.

Day 1: Ottawa to Toronto, Friend Hangout, Lady GaGa Concert + After Party Friday, June 19th, 2009

An early start or maybe a late end was how my Friday began. Because of my excitement for the coming weekend, I did not sleep Thursday night, and left my home around 4:30am on Friday to catch the 5:45am train to Toronto. I arrived in Toronto around 10:30am with opening arms from a good friend of mine. We spent most of the day hanging out in Toronto that encompassed going to Centre Island, to having bubble tea and watching the construction of the MMVA stages. It was an overall fun time with some little complications but nonetheless fun.

After saying bye to my friend I ran down to the Guvernment Kool Haus. The Guvernment Kool Haus was the location of the Lady GaGa concert. I had VIP tickets that entitled me to a pre-party with GaGa (changed to an after party), early entrance to get VIP seating and private bar access; the latter which didn’t mean anything to me. Regardless of having early entrance, I was so excited to see her again that I couldn’t help but run. Upon reaching the venue, the line outside the venue was over a block long. I dashed to the front and was directed to the VIP long that was about 10 fans long. At that point, I also saw another friend of mine who was almost at the front of the regular line; it was she who told me about the surprise show. We texted back and forth while waiting and I found out she waited all day in line and had developed a burn because of. After about 15 minutes of waiting, an attendant came out and explained the VIP procedures. Parallel to the e-mail the VIP ticketholders received, the attendant reasserted how the pre-party was cancelled because of scheduling conflicts and that we can either get a refund, or get exclusive entrance to GaGa’s hosted MMVA pre-party after the concert (this also served as the concert’s after party) at Ultra Supper Club. I was definitely up for going to Ultra especially after my great experience I had last time I was there. After their explanation, they gave everyone who chose attending the after party option a wristband that gave VIP access. Shortly after, we were let in.

As soon as I was let in, I quickly got merchandise (just a GaGa thunderbolt necklace) and head to floor. Upon reaching the floor, I head to the centre and was pretty much front row. This got me so pumped because last time I saw GaGa, my only complaint was my seating (near the back of the auditorium) so this time I was so excited and energized to see the show again; full throttle. The venue slowly filled up and the anticipation began. Everyone was crazy waiting. After about two hours of waiting and listening to a DJ play the same songs over again, people fingering the stage because GaGa wasn’t on, and meeting a friend, GaGa finally took her throne; the stage.

The show’s was pretty much identical to the one seen in Ottawa, so I’ll save on that song by song detail, however the front row experience was just so much more incredible. Seeing her that close and signing back all of her songs was just an experience of its own. GaGa seems to make every one of her shows unique and once again she did the job. She mentioned how this was her final show of her “Fame Ball Tour” and the final time she’d be performing at intimate venues like this. She also mentioned about her coming back for her Kanye West & Lady GaGa tour and performed a piano version of Heartless. After the show ended, she did her normal encores while saying “you didn’t think I’d leave without singing Poker Face did you?” The show ended with a bang, everyone was happy and it seemed as if GaGa’s performance compensated for her tardiness.

The show was over and it was on to the after party at Ultra. The friend I made at the show was nice enough to give me a ride to the club and we chilled there as well. GaGa, again, showed up to the party quite a few hours late but when she did arrive, the club went bananas. Just Dance’s chorus played over and over and everyone went crazy. The security was strict. The fans were wild. GaGa was…well, GaGa. While waiting for everything around GaGa to settle, we were downstairs at the entrance of the club where Nickelback’s front man Chad Kroeger arrived and took pictures with some of the fans. He bumped into me while heading up the stairs and apologized for the bump. Damn! What an experience that was on its own!

We head back upstairs and waited at the barricade for GaGa. Security wouldn’t let any of the fans into GaGa’s booth so the fans retaliated when GaGa told the security to tell the fans she would stop for pictures and talking before she left. This made everyone, including myself, really happy as it was only a matter of time. The clock ticked and shortly after GaGa finally came to interact with the fans! Words cannot describe how dedicated she is to her fans and how much she cares. She didn’t just quickly say hi and leave, she took the time to sign autographs, take pictures, and meet all her fans! Waiting patiently I finally screamed out,

“GaGa we have the same birthday!”

She came up to me and said, “You do?!?!”

I replied, “March 28th, yup!”

“WOW,” she said.

“Can you sign this,” I asked as I gave her my Paparazzi CD-Single.

Many people were around so she took it and while interacting with others forgot to sign it and gave it back to me. I held it and waited.

“I came all the way from Ottawa to see you and your show today,” I exclaimed.

Admiringly she replied, “Wow thank you! Did you like it?”

“I loved it!”

“I’m glad,” she said, very appreciative.

“Can I get a picture,” I asked.

She nodded and posed while I asked someone to take my picture with her. She made the sexiest face and I was just stunned and happy to get a picture with one of my favourite singers! She started mingling with other fans and came back to my side as I asked her once again to sign my single and make it out to “Khizer”. I gave her my marker and spelled out my name as she personalised my CD. Then again, I took out my camera and took another picture with her, this time “MySpace” style. Those few minutes I had with her were incredible, fantastic, psychotic, sick, and hypnotic!

The friend that I had asked to take my picture got an opportunity to take a picture with her as well and I returned the favour. He was lucky enough to get two pictures with her as well, and get his sunglasses signed! After we both got our VIP GaGa treatment, we started making our way out of the club. We exchanged e-mails and everything and finally he asked me if I needed a ride somewhere and already grateful for everything, I denied the offer and said thank you.
The truth was, I was supposed to head to an all night party in Ancaster with my friends, but the last bus had already left Toronto and I wasn’t going to make him drive 1 hour out of his way to drop me. Instead, I spent the night in Toronto as a very happy hobo at a 24 hour Tim Horton’s. Oh how I love Canada for being home to the greatest coffee shop in the world.

Day 2: Toronto to Ancaster, Visiting Friends. Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Like Friday, it was another early start. I took the first train that left from Toronto and went to Aldershot. Because of my fatigue over the last two nights, I fell asleep on the train and didn’t wake up till about 25 minutes after the train arrived. MY BAD! As a result, I had missed the connecting bus to Hamilton GO, and had to wait 25 minutes for the next bus. It was all good. It was pretty early in the morning still that I wasn’t in a rush to get anywhere.

About 45 minutes later I arrived in downtown Hamilton. I still had a way to go to get to Ancaster. I went to Central Library and “freshened up” while texting friends to make plans for the day. Around noon I finally had some plans made and took the bus to a transfer point where I met my good friend. I’ve been friends with her since grade 8, and she’s been my longest friend in Ancaster! She picked me up with another one of my friends and we went for lunch at Jack Astor’s. A favourite of mine! After that we went for an adventure just like old times! It was a lot of fun and it made me reminisce about all my memories in Ancaster.

The reminiscing continued after my friend went to work and had to leave me for a while. In the meantime, I walked around the city dropping by different locations and meeting friends. I saw my “intellectual lover” at her work place and also dropped by my “frenemy’s” place. I saw my close neighbour before finally making plans with another good friend of mine for the evening. He’s always really open to hanging out and always opens his doors for me to stay at his place overnight when I come to Ancaster. I took in the offer and we had a party with some other friends that night. We had a great time and it felt just like our high school days! It was a lot of fun and definitely added to the epicness of the weekend.

Ancaster is the one place I can go where I’ll always be happy. Even if there’s no one to hangout with and even if I have no house there; it always is and always will be my true home.

Day 3: Ancaster to Toronto, hangout with friends, MMVAs + MMVA After Party Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Sunday wasn’t an early start…at all! My friend and I had both slept in and instead of getting breakfast, we went for a “Father’s day brunch” at Jack Astor’s. I know it was twice in two days, but the restaurant isn’t as common in Ottawa so since I moved, it’s a rare treat! The restaurant was walking distance from his house and it was a beautiful day so, we had walked there and back. On the way back we bumped into one of my old friends from Grade 11. She actually saw us walking, stopped her car and made the effort to come say hi and then give us a ride back. We were really close friends in grade 11 but slowly distanced for unknown reasons in grade 12 and ever since, so it was really refreshing to see her again!

After getting back to my friend’s place, I started getting ready to go to the MMVAs! It was my first live MMVAs. I had never gone before because it had always interfered with my school and exam schedule. This year, although I did have an exam the day after, I made it a mission to go! As soon as I got ready I dashed out the door. I had to take the bus to the station which would take me about an hour so I needed to hurry. While walking to the bus stop I saw my former Communications Technology teacher’s car at her workplace and hopped in to ask her if she could possibly give me a ride to the station. She said she’d be getting off work in 10 minutes and then she’d be glad to give me a ride! I was thankful to having such awesome teachers and people in my life.

While waiting, I called my dad and wished him Happy Father’s Day. I had to be really sneaky as he had no idea I was in Ancaster, or Toronto period. I was supposed to be in Ottawa…or so he thought. It was finally time to leave and I made it to the station just in time to catch the bus to Toronto. It was a packed bus and it was rush hour. Not really a good combination.

After reaching Toronto, I got my luggage checked by VIA and as a result had to get my train moved 2 hours since the luggage checked opened at 9 and my original train was at 7. It was worth it since it would be such a hassle carrying everything around at the MMVAs. After getting everything figured out, I finally walked down the streets of Toronto to the MMVAs. I met up with a friend that I met on my Summer Exchange program to Quebec in 2006 and we found a spot to stand to watch the red carpet show and the see performances at the main stages.
We made it half way through the red carpet show and were able to see many celebrities arrive the streets of Toronto in their own special way. Girlicious, Black Eyed Peas, Drake, Marianas Trench, and Billy Talent were all among the many stars that were in attendance at the MMVAs. The most shocking red carpet experience was by Aaron Carter who wasn’t advertised as coming and hadn’t really been doing anything “special” to come. I mean that in the nicest way possible. As the red carpet show was about to end, my friend and I started moving closer to the main stage. Eventually when we could move no further, we stopped and were about half way to the front of the stage. We had our cameras out and were ready to party. All we had to do was wait.
The show was going on air live so it started on time! The Jonas Brothers opened the show and it was incredible. Being a pretty big fan of their music, I was really excited to see their performance. They opened up with Burning Up which was a great start to the show and set the stage for a series of amazing performances by many other artists. The rest of the night was documented with Facebook Status Updates! We saw great performances by the Black Eyed Peas, Billy Talent, Kelly Clarkson, and most exciting, Lady GaGa! Her performance topped the MMVAs and was definitely worth seeing live on the streets. As mentioned before, she always adds something unique to her performance and at the MMVAs she performed a remix of Love Game / Poker Face that she created just for the MMVAs! Every performance was amazing and the fact that everything was performed live on the streets of Toronto was just brilliant. Tim Deegan from MuchMusic once said that there’s no need for wristbands because seeing it from the streets is very cool itself. He was very right and it was definitely an unforgettable experience.

After the show, my friend and I head to Ultra where the official after party was being held. We arrived as soon as many of the celebs were going in. We were right in front of Brody Jenner when he got out of his limo, and I was able to grab her hand. My friend and I waited for a bit, and eventually she thought it was best if she went home. I dropped her off and at first, I was going to head back home as well, but I thought I would spend another night out and head back to Ultra. To my surprise, there were still many celebs who had yet to arrive and by this time the rush had died down, so I was able to position myself right at the barricade for the red carpet! I saw the Black Eyed Peas walk in and Tabook said “what up” to me. After they went in, the PR for Ultra started signalling other artists/ bands to come in. Here is a list of the celebrities I saw walk in and had conversations with!

Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian – Saw them walk the red carpet

Marianas Trench – Saw them walk the red carpet

Robin Antin – She walked in with Girlicious. I asked her to come take a picture and she did. I then told her I loved her, and of course she said she loved me too. As she walked back to the red carpet, I told her to bring the Paradiso Girls (an upcoming all girl group she created) to Canada and she happily said “YEAHHH! PATRON TEQUILA!” I shouted out back, “It’s a GREAT song,” as she did more red carpet poses.

Girlicious – Right after, I called Chrystina from Girlicious and asked her to take a picture with me as well. She did and again, I said I love you so much, and she replied with “I love you too handsome”. Dang!

Tila Tequila – Saw her walk in. She was a total bitch going in and didn’t take pictures with anyone.

Lights – She came in and was posing for the red carpet when I called her up and asked to take a picture with her.

After that other bands went in. They were expecting the newly formed band Stereos as well as Taylor Lautner to come, however they didn’t show up. I was surprised I didn’t see Aaron Carter! The party was rocking and from outside you could hear them playing Black Eyed Peas’ latest album, The E.N.D. Celebrities slowly started leaving the club. Karl Wolf, Marianas Trench and many others were leaving in their limos and taxis. I bumped into Sarah Taylor as she left and told her she’s my favourite VJ. I asked her how the after party was and who her favourite was and she didn’t even have to think to say “GaGa!!!” I also saw Video On Trial Juror Trevor Boris leave the party totally wasted. Another interesting leave was by Tila Tequila. She demanded that they open the barricade for her instead of her walking through the designated exit. I asked her if she could take a picture and she agreed, but instead just walked away. This gave me even more reason to dislike her. Finally I saw who I thought was a character from Twilight come out with her friend and asked her, “Aren’t you from Twilight?”

“Yeahhh!” she replied.

“Can I take a picture with you?” I asked.

“Sure!” she replied as she finished sending a text and posed for a picture.

A character that was so evil in the film was so nice in person. It was then that the party slowly began to end and all I really waited for was the Black Eyed Peas to come out. I overheard the security guard say that they will take them out through the back so I rushed to the back only to be overtaken by security. Unfortunately the security ruined my chances of a picture with them or a proper meet. It would have been a bigger disappointment, but I was fortunate enough to meet so many celebs on the red carpet and have a great weekend that I didn’t complain.

It was déjà vu once again as I head to the same 24 hour Tim Horton’s as a very happy hobo. It was an extremely long weekend and it was good to sit down and rest.

Day 4: Toronto to Ottawa, journey home and final exam Monday, June 22nd, 2009

This day concluded my epic weekend. The Via Rail station was minutes from the Tim Horton’s so I walked there and picked up my luggage. I then got onto the train and slept for almost the entire ride home. After getting home I had to run to my Psychology exam, before finally getting home.

Overall, the MMVA weekend was a fun filled, sneaky, epic, and adventurous weekend. I was surprised at how I was able to pull everything off and was so thankful for the many memories and experiences I had. I definitely look forward to the MMVAs next year and see what kind of adventure that brings!

The Ping Pong Blog (...continued)

I Hate This Part – Pussycat Dolls

I hate this part right here. I know you’ll ask me to hold on, and carry on like nothings wrong but there’s no more time for lies ‘cause I see sunset in your eyes. Will we sleep when I tell you what’s hurting me? I hate this part right here.

A follow up to the Ping Pong Blog I wrote earlier, I Hate This Part by the Pussycat Dolls is a song to best describe the series of events that followed the split.

It was June 4th when I got a text from her asking to meet up to talk. It had been a few weeks since we had spoken and now that she was back in Ottawa she felt that it was really important that we meet up and talk…at least one more time. Although I felt there was no need, friends and family recommended that I go have one last talk with her. Thus I made an arrangement to meet up with her after my “class de Français”. Living on residence, it wasn’t a long walk from my French class, and while walking to her place I definitely felt like Nicole Scherzinger when she sang I Hate This Part. I felt I finally understood what “part” it was that she hated.

I waited a few minutes, typical, but eventually she came down and was all smiles and acted “pre-split up”. I was a little astounded at how easy it was for her. She soon realized I didn’t feel the same way and it was when she asked me for a hug that I realized it may not have been that easy for her as well. We got onto the bus…the 95 it was as I clearly remember, and we started talking. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” is what she kept repeating in attempts to justify everything. I told her how it wasn’t all what she did that was hurtful (though that was a part of it), but it was more so how it was carried out that was more hurtful.

It wasn’t really a short talk; it lasted from the bus ride from the school to the mall. It carried on throughout the van ride from the mall to Wal-Mart…oh how that place has so many memories to me, and continued a bit more in the parking lot of Wal-Mart till we drove back to her residence. In simple terms she was sorry and felt horrible for what she did. On my end, it wasn’t a matter where a sorry would make everything okay. We had had a really unique relationship and the way everything was carried out was just horrible. I had to find out through means of Facebook that she was with someone else. Her excuse for not telling me beforehand was because she “got in an argument with her father”. She had told me about the event itself on a flight home that was supposed to be joyous. On top of everything that she did, the way she did it was just salt on the wound.

It was after I explained it to her that way that she had nothing else to say. “Eh eh, there’s nothing else I can say” – Lady GaGa. There was no further point in arguing about it back and forth any further. “I still love you and care for you. There’s so much we had together” she explained further. That was the problem though, it was the fact that we were never friends, but always those two people with feelings and crushes for each other, that made it hard for us to keep a friendship. How would it work? How would we be able to hangout without looking at each other thinking about everything? How would we be able to go to the movies or for coffee without playfully flirting or messing around? It was hard, and that was the reason that I felt it would be best that we don’t talk or hangout….at least for a while. This wasn’t easy for her to grasp. So many “whys”, “ifs”, “and “buts” but I was set on my decision. It would be the best for both of us. “So will we ever see each other?” she asked. “Hangouts with large groups and at school , potentially”, I replied. The sun was setting and it was time for me to go. The irony in that statement couldn’t be bigger. It was a cliché moment. She left the car and was walking back to her residence. I could see her walking away in my rear view mirror when my phone vibrated. It was a text from her: “I’m really sorry”. With no reply back to that, I looked in the mirror one last time seeing her turn into her residence safely, and drove away. The part I hated was over. I reached home just as the sun finished setting and that’s how another chapter in my life was over.

Movie Review: What Goes Up

What Goes Up

Directed by: Jonathan Glatzer

Starring: Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, & Molly Shannon

Release Date: May 29, 2009

In this decade, we’ve come across many high school comedies whether it is the sassy Mean Girls, the dark Juno, or the promiscuous John Tucker Must Die. Near the end of the same decade we’ve come across a comedy that combines the features of all three of these and goes “up” and beyond in addressing a serious issue using a comedic approach. If this were to be the last high school comedy of this decade, What Goes Up definitely ended the new millennium with a bang.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to attend the VIP Premiere of What Goes Up, a dark comedy dubbed by the producers a story of a “different class of misfits”. Going into this film, I had no idea what to expect and thus created no expectations. I didn’t know much about the cast in the film except Josh Peck (Drake & Josh, The Wackness) , and Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire, War Inc.), the latter being the only reason I had interest in the film. From little summaries, I knew it had to do with the fail of the challenger but being born in the 90s, I wasn’t very familiar with the base of the story and thus I went in with a fresh and open mind to the film.

The film revolves around a journalist played by Steve Coogan (Night at the Museum) who is sent to cover the death of a hero in this forsaken town. Upon arriving in this town he realizes the death of the hero isn’t the only news worthy tale in that town, but also the death of a high school teacher who he knew in his college years. Little did he know that teacher played a crucial role in the lives of his students (also know as the “misfits”). Imagine putting a burnout, a rebel, a seductress, a jock, and a cripple all in one classroom. In a normal situation, this would be complete chaos. In the case of these students, this teacher brought them together and taught them how to appreciate each other for who they are, not how they choose to live (a principle that still isn’t clear in today’s world).

As a result, Coogan shifts his story on the lives of these students. The cast playing the students contain some pretty big names: Hilary Duff plays the schools “queen bee”, a beautiful girl who is ‘popular” but like all popular subjects in high school she has a deep and emotional past. Josh Peck plays a disturbed student who is looking for a bit of recognition and Olivia Thirlby plays the dark rebel who like all rebels has a dark past and a reason, per say to rebel. Other cast members include Max Hoffman (son of Dustin Hoffman) and Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live). Coogan’s exploration and view in to the lives of these students draws him way over his head and by the end of it, he learns the true meaning of a “hero”.

After watching the film, I was left on the edge of my seat with my heart on my sleeve. The movie was one of the very few, if not the only one that brought many emotions out by the end. It is rare to see a film that is comedy to have that effect on someone. Normally when a film has many cast members and many underlying stories going on, it loses its focus and leaves the viewer lost in translation. Although this movie has so many characters with so many complex stories, each one of them was fully developed and left the movie with a solid and “complete” feeling. The film was deep, it was emotional, it had humour, and it had drama. Unlike other comedies like Mean Girls and John Tucker Must Die, this high school film addressed a very serious issue and still managed to come out on top.

The performance of every cast member was brilliant; Steve Coogan’s timing was perfect; Hilary Duff’s transformation from the innocent “Lizzie McGuire” to the sultry Lucy in this film was not only amusing to see, but superbly carried out. Like Hilary Duff, seeing Josh Peck go from his dopey comedy role as “Josh” in Drake and Josh to a disturbed student in What Goes Up was incredible. His acting was superb and really touching. Saving the best for last, Olivia Thirlby gave what I thought was the best performance in the film as the troubled rebel of the film; I definitely gained a lot of respect for her and definitely think she is a face to watch out for.

Being Jonathan Glatzer’s first film, it is marvellous and one I would recommend everyone to watch. All it requires is attention from beginning to end so one doesn’t get confused. Other reviews might give it a negative review, but if you sit down and understand the film, I promise that it will not disappoint.

What Goes Up, definitely goes up and stays up as well.

I'm In LA Trick

Any Other Day - Hilary Duff

On a day like any other day, sky so blue it could take your breath away. ‘Cause I remember where I was when I heard the news, I remember where I was when I heard the news, I remember where I was….sky so blue like, any other day.

That’s how the most recent song, probably last in a while, by Hilary Duff goes. That is also the perfect song to describe my series of extremely fortunate events last week. It started off with me making a music video to this song for a promotional contest for Hilary Duff’s latest film, What Goes Up, and ended up with me winning a trip to L.A to attend the premiere of the movie with the cast and crew!

It all started out when I heard there was a promotional contest created by the team of Hilary Duff’s film “What Goes Up”. The contest was to find the most dedicated fan of Hilary’s by asking fans to make something that involves the film and also proves how you are a fan. The winner would get a signed prize pack of the soundtrack and poster of the film. I jumped on this opportunity by making a video to the single ‘Any Other Day’ that was released from the movie. While shooting and working on the film, I came across another contest for the film. This contest had the most amazing prize of all time; an all expense paid trip for 2 to attend the premiere of the movie in L.A. For this contest the rules were to write a 100 word piece on why you are a fan of Hilary’s (or any other cast member of the film). I worked for days on my entry and had it ready just before the deadline. This was my submission as featured on the What Goes Up official movie blog (http://whatgoesupmovie.blogspot.com/):

Hilary Duff is more than a celebrity; she’s a role model who has helped me get through the deepest struggles in life. In 2007, I went to give my grandma breakfast when I heard her take her last breath. Having no one to lean on, Duff's self titled album became my companion through this struggle. Attending this premiere will not only give me the opportunity to thank my role model for greatly influencing my life, but will allow me to see a movie that emphasizes how one event that occurs on a day like “any other” can change life forever.

On May 21st I received an email from the What Goes Up insider team stating that I was one of the 10 winners of the contest and if I could give them my number so the executive producers of the film could call me personally. Upon receipt of this e-mail I was ecstatic. I wasn’t 100% sure that I won, but the part about the calling me personally gave me high hopes! I replied to the e-mail and soon after I got a call from the executive producers. “I remember where I was when I heard the news” was a line that could best describe that moment. I was in the grocery store across my apartment, Independent, when I got the call. The two producers, James Hoke and Anthony Miranda were both on the line personally congratulating me and telling me I won the trip for two to L.A! They told me how the entry was amazing and that I understood the concept of the film and that they couldn’t wait to see me. I was so thrilled! I made the first phone call to my best friend who I had promised to take if I won, and she did the same! I told her about the win and she was just as excited! Within a few days all the travel arrangements were set, my passport was ready, and my friend had made it to Ottawa so we could fly out together! The trip lasted three days, so I will include my experiences on a day by day retelling below.

Day 1: Wednesday May 27th, 2009

Wednesday was an early start as our plane departed Ottawa at 6:00 AM. It was a flight with a stop-by in Detroit from where my friend and I caught a connection flight. After a few hours, we arrived in Los Angeles at 11:27 am. In Ottawa time, that would be 1:27. It was funny to see how my cell phone clock changed when I was in Los Angeles.

Getting off the plane at LAX was an experience of its own. It was the airport that was always talked about; where all the celebrities flew out of. Outside, there was a driver waiting in a car that had a sign with my name on it. We already started feeling the celebrity treatment. The ride to the hotel was very fun. It was cool to see different parts of the city that was so different from anywhere I’ve been. There were palms trees nearly everywhere and movie billboards in every direction you turned. It definitely felt like the city of celebrities. In about 15 minutes we arrived at our hotel, the Four Seasons.

The hotel was beautiful. I had never stayed in a hotel as marvellous as that before. At the hotel we met up with the PR person for the movie who welcomed us and told us about the $200.00 credit we had on our room. She helped us get checked in and gave us her number to contact if we needed anything. We were in our room shortly after and unpacked and admired the stunning view. We could clearly see the infamous Hollywood Hills and many other cool landmarks! The rest of the day was spent relaxing in our room and exploring our hotel. We also had lunch in the lounge. I had ordered a chicken dish, while my friend ordered pasta.

Later that evening we got a call from the producers of the film welcoming us and ensuring we were having a good stay so far. They invited us down for a meet and greet but because my friend was asleep and I was extremely tired, we decided we would see each other at the premiere the next day. It was definitely the cherry on top of a great day to hear from them!

Day 2: Thursday May 28th, 2009

Thursday was a very long day. It started off early morning when my friend and I ordered “brunch”. It wasn’t quit breakfast, it wasn’t quite lunch. We watched a little TV while I texted a friend of mine who was in Los Angeles for a few days as well. We arranged a time to meet up and soon after I was out the door.

Because I wasn’t really familiar with the bus system of the city I decided to go strolling in the city. I was a typical tourist looking at every angle taking pictures. The city itself was amazing. The houses were all so unique and different than the ones back home, and as mentioned before there were palm trees everywhere! Designer stores, high class restaurants…everything you could imagine was in that city. I met my friend and we went to Starbucks where I got the most delicious Watermelon juice. It was freshly pressed and not from concentrate and was just amazing. I still crave it to date. After some more touring of the city with my friend I made my way back to the hotel to get ready for the premiere of the film.

I went back to the hotel and got ready for the premiere. I had bought a new shirt just for the event and made sure I looked my finest. We soon got a call from the producers to go down to meet our driver. This is where we met up with James Hoke the producer of the film, and his wife. We rode in the same car as them and felt so VIP. In the car we were able to have a discussion with James and he allowed us to ask him questions. He was so down to earth and he really put his heart and soul into the project. He was so dedicated to the film it was unbelievable.

After we arrived at the venue for the premiere, Pacific Design Centre, James and his wife introduced us to other crew members. We met up with Anthony Miranda, another executive producer and also the producer of the film’s soundtrack. He told me it was a pleasure to finally meet me and that he loved my essay. I met his wife, and was then escorted with them to the hall of the movie theatre. There, we met up with the PR person again as well as other cast and crew members. Unfortunately, Hilary Duff was unable to attend the premiere but they told me that she did read the entry. That enough meant so much to me. We took some pictures behind the poster of the film as well as did some interviews with the press/paparazzi. It was surreal. They asked me what it was like winning the contest and what I was most excited about. It was amazing. I felt like a celebrity.

We went into the theatre and were placed in our VIP seats. There we also met with Richard and his wife. He was part of the What Goes Up Insider team and we had exchanged many emails. He was also the one that brought me the news of winning the contest before I got the call from the producers. It was great to finally meet him. When everyone was seated, Jonathan Glatzer, the writer of the film was invited up to make a speech about the film. However, before that took place another surprise came my way. The master of ceremonies had made a short speech about the contest and told everyone at the premiere about my essay and invited me to stand up while I got an ovation. It was a really emotional moment for me and I couldn’t be thankful enough for everything that had happened to me that week. Jonathan Glatzer gave his speech and the film began. Though a little bit slow at the beginning, the film picked up and was beyond amazing and definitely sparked more emotion in me. It was one of the best films I had seen in a while and I loved it! A review will be posted on this blog shortly.

After the film premiere we went back to the movie hall where I congratulated every crew member on such an outstanding and brilliant film. I did a follow up interview with the same people who asked my opinion on the film and my favourite scene and to do a shout out for the film. It was so cool! A lady also came up to me and congratulated me on the win and also made a few flirtatious comments. Because she was nearly my mother’s age, I reckon she was a little bit tipsy.

We waited for James Hoke and his wife once again, and once they had finished speaking to everybody we went with them to the after party of the film at a club called Eleven. On our way there, James was beyond happy that we had enjoyed the film and told us that the fact that we liked it means much more than what any critic would say about the film. We soon reached Eleven, a really hot club for which the upper level was reserved to the What Goes Up team. We got VIP wristbands and had an amazing time. We took pictures with the crew members and mingled and danced. At about 12:00 am our reservation was up and the general public was allowed in. This is when we realized it was a gay Middle Eastern club. We saw some really interesting things, and the music was awesome. Shortly after, we made our way out of the club.

It was a day of amazing. It was an amazing morning, amazing after noon, amazing movie, amazing after party, and amazing night. I was so glad that I had won the contest and I was given this opportunity.

Day 3: Friday May 29th, 2009

The night wasn’t over yet. Just as we thought we were being escorted home in the car, we were told that we were going to another club called Bar Deux. Could it get any better? This club was located at Hollywood & Vine, another infamous location that is also mentioned in Hilary Duff’s song “Wake Up”. The club was right at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the most exclusive clubs in town!

At first we were almost denied entrance because we were underage (in Canada the age is 19, while in the US it is 21). The PR person that had been so good to us the whole trip was able to pull some strings and get us in. The club itself was really hot inside and had many different rooms. We were sitting in a lounge with the producers of the film and also danced some more on the dance floor. The music was less top 40 and more 90s and even some 80s music. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun. I danced with the PR girl as well as with the producers of the film and my friend. Soon we had to vacate the lounge we were sitting in for one reason and one reason only. PRINCE had a reservation in the lounge we were sitting in! I had to move where I was sitting, because Prince wanted to sit there! That’s how exclusive the club was! It was so exhilarating. Everyone was having a blast! Soon during Madonna’s Into The Groove, James Hoke took off his suit’s jacket and put it on me to wear. I felt so special and so thrilled. It was symbolism of an event that happened in the movie where one of the main characters of the movie gave another character his jacket because he felt he was deserving of it. It was like a re-enactment of that scene and I truly felt so humbled and so special. It was then that James had asked what I wanted to do in life. I told him I was undecided between Medicine and Film and he told me that I had a friend if I went into medicine, and if I went into Film, I had not only a friend, but also a contact. He had really reached out to me and it was just amazing. I learned a lot about him and I really felt so honoured that night. My trip could not have got any better!

Soon after we left the club and were faced with a little bit of paparazzi who were trying to get a snapshot of Prince. The producers and directors were going to have an after party of the after party’s after party at one of the crew member’s house however; my friend and I thought it would be best if we went back to the hotel since we had a flight in the morning. We went home with Anthony Miranda and his wife and he recounted how my essay was really personal to him as he had gone through something similar. He told us about the film and more about the production of the soundtrack. We got back to the hotel, and they gave us their best regards and that it was a pleasure meeting us and hoped that we had a great experience. We then went back to our room, discussed the film and our most memorable moments, packed our bags and crashed.

We got up a few short hours later and met our driver downstairs who took us to LAX. It was the same driver that drove us to hotel when we first got there. We got checked in at the airport and were soon on our way back to Ottawa. Like before, we had a stop by in Detroit before reaching our final destination; home!

The trip had come to an end. Summer hadn’t even started and I felt like it was the best part of my summer. I was extremely thankful to everyone apart of the What Goes Up team for giving me such an extravagant experience. It was an unforgettable trip, a great movie, and a one of a kind experience to say the least! It was a day like any other when I heard the news, I still remember where I was when I heard it.