The crowd at the Molson Amphitheatre was eagerly anticipating performances by Nas and Ms. Lauryn Hill, who were to perform tracks from each of their landmark albums (Illmatic and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, respectfully).

My friend and I reached the venue at around 7pm. We weren’t totally upset when Nas didn’t hit the stage until well after 8 (he had a 7:30 call time), because he nailed his performance. I swear this guy is Benjamin Button or something, because at almost 38, Nas is looking as good as ever. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform the last time he was in Toronto, and he did live up to expectations this time around. Backed by DJ Premier and Pete Rock, Nas was full of energy, rapped with passion, used up a lot of the stage, and genuinely looked as though he was happy to be here.

Then comes Ms. Lauryn Hill. I admit, it was Lauryn that I really bought my ticket for, as I missed the chance to see her when she was in town earlier this year at Sound Academy (no complaints though, I heard she was 3 hours late for that one).

The first thing I noticed, besides the fact that she kept the audience waiting an hour and a half (she had a 9:45 start time, Nas was done his set around  9:20), was that the acoustics at the Molson Amphitheatre were terrible when she was performing. I’ve went to a few concerts at the same venue and had no complaints about the sound, so I’m stumped at to what the problem was. Lots of echoing going on.

And then she abruptly left the stage after the third song. I have no idea why, but she came back with a new hat.

Practically each of her tracks were virtually indistinguishable renditions of the original. I almost didn’t recognize them until a few bars into the song.

Now I’m not opposed to an artist re-working their own songs, but when a concert bills you for performing tracks from an award-winning album, it would be nice to hear some of it the way it sounded way back when.

And I don’t know if it was me, but Ms. Hill sounded like she was singing really, really fast. When she wasn’t singing in fast-forward she kept on gesturing with her hands to her band or the stage crew, nothing seemed too rehearsed. It was distracting and I personally couldn’t concentrate on the value of the music.

You would think that for a multi Grammy award winner things would go more smoothly. Especially since the reaction from her last show  in Toronto garnered mixed reviews.

Halfway through her performance I noticed people leaving… in droves actually (thankfully those included the row of drunken, loud, smokers behind us). I’m there thinking, ‘This is Lauryn Hill. You can’t just leave a Lauryn Hill concert mid-set!’ Needless to say, I actually left before the concert was over. It was going on 12:30am and my friend and I had to catch the streetcar to get the last subway home.

I was worried I would miss something good. We left just before she broke out with some old Fugees tracks (like “Ready or Not”), and it turns out Nas came back out and performed “If I Ruled The World” with Ms. Hill (dammit!). Oh, well… at least I still have the tracks on my iPod.

I think Lauryn Hill is a very talented artist. But I guess fame gets the best of some people. Time management would be a skill to work on, esp. if headlining a concert on a Thursday night, in a city with a noise curfew of 11pm, and not living up to the expectations of fans who were wishing it was worth the wait.

It’s not every day that I run across a show that really keeps me watching… and I’m the channel surfing queen. Hence, why I think the web series “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl” is so special. Because it isn’t on network television, it doesn’t succumb to the watered-down effect that frequently happen when a new show hits the air from a “based on the book/play/movie by __________” format.

It all started with a new feed “like” update from one of my Facebook friends last month. I was curious to find out what “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” was about. So, being Black… and awkward myself, I clicked the link and was brought to ABG’s fan page. Noticing the large number of fans (it was 10,000 at the time, now the page boasts over 16,000 thanks to a great social media campaign), I decided to watch one of the episodes that was posted via YouTube.

Written by, directed by and staring Issa Rae, ABG centers around our protagonist, J. Like the title says, she’s awkward… and black. J has a job she hates, her boyfriend had broken up with her, she has a love that’s unrequited, and constantly enters these hilarious social situations day after day. The commentary/narration of each episode has be LOL-ing everytime. There are so many quotables. It’s almost as if J says exactly what we are all thinking. She’s so blunt and crass about it, yet her passive-aggressive nature on the show juxtaposes that and makes it that much more entertaining.

“I get you!”
– J

“Am I the only one who pretends I’m in a music video when I’m by myself?” is the first sentence you hear from episode #1. No, J! I do that too! In episode 2 when her boss naively questions her about her new hairstyle, I was because I have to go through that whole song-and-dance routine whenever I change my hair and run into a non-Black acquantice. I was instantly hooked. Seven episodes later, I’m still amazed at the fact that somebody got it: A show was created that I can actually relate to.

“Oooo… you fancy, huh?”
- CeCe, after hearing that J is going on a “night-time date” with White Jay

Now I know that funding a video production can be difficult (hence why I veered away from the film school path). Issa Rae was able to raise over $50,000 through Kickstarter (a funding platform for filmmakers). Hell, I even donated myself. Why? Because along with the myriad of other fans I believe that AGB is a series that is needed in the media. The tweets and Facebook comments speak for themselves: there is something about J that we can relate to. And by “we” I don’t necessarily mean just Black women, but women of all cultures, men of all races, people of all backgrounds. Awkward Black Girl is a universal in its plot (we all go through awkward moments at times) yet it can also specifically hit home for a young Black woman like myself. It’s like J says what we have all been thinking (or even done) at one time or another.

Another important facet about the show that I commend Rae for is writing J without the tendencies that mainstream media has to typecast and sterotype Black women. J isn’t a hoodrat with three kids from five different baby-daddies, doesn’t wear a 12″ Remy weave, and you don’t need urbandictionary.com to understand what she’s saying. She’s a beautiful black woman, looking for love and respect, may be a bit insecure with herself, can’t really dance, and hates confrontation.

“Hair is the best thing to happen to rhythm-less non-Blacks”
- J, after getting advice from her from her best friend, CeCe about dancing.

As extreme as some of the characters on ABG can seem at times, after viewing the show you can admit that these are simply extensions of people who you may have run into at work or at school. Issa Rae is a talented triple-threat with her writing, directing and acting. I commend her for bringing such an entertaining and relatable show to the public eye. Every part of the production of AWB is done well. The storylines are refreshing (interracial dating is always a challenge to script), the cast are gems (can’t help but crack up whenever I hear “Baby Voice Darius” speak, and CeCe’s interracial dating tips were oh-so-funny), and the production is well done from cuts, angles and edits. If you watch closely you can see a few pop culture references throughout the series (such as the well-known dance-off with the characters in Save The Last Dance, or the stair scene from “She’s All That”).

The invite-only premier of episode #8 is streaming tonight. Yours truly got an invite to the viewing soiree. Episode #7 left us in a cliffhanger: What will happen after White Jay leans in for a smooch with our title character? Or will a love triangle with J’s office crush, Fred, ensue? Tune in tomorrow at 9am PST when episode #8 airs to the public. If you haven’t watched ABG yet, get on it!

“Like” ABG on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

As for now, I’m gonna get my awkward fix on!

Speaking of presents, I’m sure a lot of you at one time or another have been double-checking around the Christmas tree after all your gifts were unwrapped, wondering, “That’s it?”, or have tried to keep a straight face when you open yet another ugly, knitted sweater or boxed panettone cake (“Gee… it’s what I’ve always wanted!” )

That’s made me think of some of the gifts of yesteryear that I’ve always wanted to receive for Christmas, but never got. Here’s my list (in no particular order):

• Pogo
  Not only did this thing look like the planet Saturn, but it made you feel like you were bouncing on the moon (yes, I tried the one my friend got back in the 6th grade).



• Easy Bake Oven
  I swear, if I had this growing up, I cooking and baking would’ve definitely become my profession instead of my hobby.



• Dream Phone
  Is it too much to ask to call guys and get clues to find out which guy really likes you? “Hello, hunks!” Seriously though: is it just me, or are the guys in the commercial, like, 30-years-old?
  

  Click here to view the embedded video.

• Tamagotchi
  I borrowed my friend’s once. I vaguely remember killing the pixel-based creature.



• Girl Talk
  I’m not quite sure if I’d take the dare over the zit sticker.



• Mall Madness
  If I got this game as a gift, I would probably be more of a shop-a-holic than I am now.
  

  Click here to view the embedded video.

• Skip-It
  This was definitely a workout. I forgot how many “skips” I clocked, but I was in the high double-digits for sure.



• Teddy Ruxpin
  Who wouldn’t want a talking, animatronic teddy bear? Just as long as it didn’t end up like Chucky. LOL@the zombie-like response from all of the kids in the commercial after Teddy asks if they could be friends.
  

  Click here to view the embedded video.

Now of course Christmas is not all about the latest fads and gifts, so I’d like to thank Mom and Dad for the gifts they did manage to get me over the Christmases (like the Lite-Brite, She-Ra doll, Popples, Nintendo and the Star Trek paraphernalia). The holiday season is about being thankful for what you already have, spending quality time with your loved ones, and helping those less fortunate than yourself during this great season. As commercial as this holiday season has come, stemming from its humble beginnings with the miraculous birth that one silent night, I hope that everyone acknowledges the true meaning to the season and enjoys their holidays to the fullest.

That’s when I decided to try something a little different. When I visited the new David’s Tea, I picked up a delicious tin of crème caramel rooibos tea. After looking around at their selection of infusers I came across the Blomos Teastick. It seemed pretty cool, but I didn’t want to shell out $25 plus tax for it. I searched the net for similar teastick, since I was worried that the perforations in the Blomos model were a little too big for oh-so-scrumptious rooibos tea. I stumbled upon Gamila’s Teastick,  and found one selling on eBay for $15.99. After reading some favourable online reviews, along with the fact that it saved me a few bucks over the Blomos Teastick I decided to purchase it. Gamila states that:

this is the ultimate infuser for tea enthusiasts features intuitive “scoop-slide-steep” functionality while it reflects the aesthetic of traditional loose tea service. Durable enough for industrial use, it has no breakable mechanisms and is constructed entirely of 304L stainless steel with holes small enough to infuse the finest of teas.

Entirely made of kitchen-grade stainless steel, The Teastick boasts it’s made for a lifetime of of home use (we’ll see about that). I must admit, the design is very stylish, but does it actually work like an infuser should? I can now say that it does after finishing a warm cup of tea. Even the packaging is pretty cool, complete with info on how to use and care for your teastick, as well as some brewing tips.

After washing my Teastick in warm, soapy water, I dried it off and got ready to test out my new gizmo. It slid open pretty effortlessly, and I noticed the little locking mechanism on the top of the perforated sleeve. It’s pretty

roomy inside the Teastick once you slide the sleeve all the way to the top. I was worried that the tea wouldn’t have enough room to steep.

When scooping up loose tea with your Teastick, make sure you kind of shimmy the tea in the scoop so that it levels off with the fill edge. And you want to be careful not to overfill it because tea needs room to unfurl.

I had a small cup, so I didn’t fill it too much. The sleeve slipped back down and locked easily and I dunked the stick into my cup of hot water and waited about 5 minutes for my rooibos tea to steep. What I also like about The Teastick is that it doubles as a stir-stick (and it also looks pretty chic in my cup of tea).

Clean-up was a breeze: I just slide the sleeve back up, dumped out the tea, and washed The Teastick with soap and water (note that it’s also dishwasher safe). If some loose tea leaves get stuck in the little holes, the sleeve is large enough that you can use your finger to pry any out (and this is coming from someone with pretty big hands ). I also like the little curved handle at the top of The Teastick. It prevents it from falling into larger mugs or teapots, and allows it to rest evenly on your table or saucer with minimal drippage while you sip your tea.

Now, because the type of loose-leaf tea (rooibos) that I used it had some small needle-like leaf particles in it, and a few did float through the perforations, but it wasn’t as much as I thought it would be. For drinkers of full-leaf tea, such as green or black, I think The Teastick would be perfect.

Scoop it. Slide it. Steep it. Brewing a cup of tea is that easy with The Teastick. I think this was worth what I paid for it, but if you can’t afford to pay for the $18 + shipping as noted on the Gamila site, check out eBay for sellers. I haven’t seen this model of infuser in any stores in Canada as yet. And if a teastick isn’t your thing, then you can always test out the various tea infuser balls, glass tea infusers, infuser cups, Gamila’s new super-cute Teastick Gems, or simply stick to the ol’ teabags. Happy sipping!

Gee… I feel like making more tea!

What did I get? One full size (300ml) bottle each of Hydralicious Featherweight, Reconditioning and Self-Targeting shampoo and conditioner. That’s 6 bottles (looks like I don’t have to go out and buy shampoo anytime soon)! But wait… there’s more! Matchstick also supplied me with 20 full value coupons for Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoo or conditioner for me to share with family and friends (and even faithful blog readers like yourself).

So onto my experience with the shampoo. I didn’t get a chance to wash my giant head of hair since I received the package until last night, because I didn’t take out my weave until then (boy, did my hair ever grow). Now we all should know that different types and styles of hair require different hair care techniques–Black hair in particular. Because Black “African American” hair tends to be very dry (because of it’s thickness and the inability of sebum to get to the entire surface at the end of the hair), it’s important not to shampoo too often otherwise it will dry out and break off. And keep in mind that not all Black hair is the same… it’s important to find what works best for you and your hair. A shampoo once a week seems to work best for Black hair, as well as maybe rinsing with plain water on a daily basis (check out the informative Treasured Locks website for more Black hair care tips).

So taking in these Black hair care tips, I decided to go with Herbal Essences Reconditioning shampoo and conditioner, since it’s formulated for dry/damaged hair (it’s the one in the pretty purple bottle). Let me tell you, that if I didn’t just eat dinner I probably would’ve tasted that concoction: these shampoos and conditioners smell great! The Reconditioning pair smells so fruity, and is “fused with extracts of shea, moisturizers & Hawaiian sea silk”.

Pouring the shampoo out of the bottle I noticed the pretty swirls of the mixture itself (it wasn’t just on the outside design of the bottle)! Turns out that I didn’t need to squeeze so much shampoo into my hand to lather up my hair: When I shampooed my hair a second time after rinsing completely, I noticed that all I needed was a quarter-sized dab of shampoo and it lathered up my entire head (and I have a lot of hair). So after washing twice, I used the conditioner . It felt so smooth on my hair. Usually I have to put a lot of conditioner in, but with Hydralicious I actually noticed that it covered my strands. I left it in for a couple minutes rinsed and towel-blotted my hair to dry. I didn’t experience any burning-eye or funny-taste-in-mouth sensations with either the shampoo or conditioner which is always a plus.

Now it’s hard for me to remember the difference in my hair texture after each and every shampoo since I usually have extensions/weaves/braids in so often, but my super curly (and happily nappy) hair did feel quite soft and was easy to manage when my sister went to cornrow it minutes later (it didn’t feel like steel wool at all ). Of course I did also add a bit of Shea “All Naturals” Shea Butter Super Grown Herbal Formula to the roots.

So what did I think of the new Herbal Essences Hydralicious? If my review wasn’t clear enough I really liked it and think the Reconditioning set worked well with my hair. I’ll most likely try the Self-Targeting shampoo & conditioner set in the near future, and maybe even the Featherweight set (for hair that needs body… even though my afro probably doesn’t).

Aside from the actual product itself, I thought the curvy design of the bottles fit well in your hand while your in the shower. The little “trivia” questions that are at the back of each shampoo/conditioner duo. On the Reconditioning shampoo for example, the “?” is: What is the average number of bridesmaids at a wedding? In order to find out the answer you have to take a look at the back of the conditioner bottle (4 is the answer by the way), and vise-a-versa. A nice little way to pass the time while you’re waiting for your conditioner to penetrate your tresses. I’m in love with the swirls that are visible in each of the shampoos, as well as their vibrant colours. The latch system is well designed and makes the bottles easy to open (I remember scraping my thumb a few times on other shampoo/conditioner bottles in the past because the cap needed so much effort). And of course the smells are intoxicating! The Self-Targeting shampoo takes the cake in that department, boasting “extracts of red vanilla & whipped aloe”. The Featherweight shampoo has “extracts of water lily nectar and passion fruit”. Yummy!

So I have a stack full of free Herbal Essences Hydralicious coupons to give away. Stay tuned to my blog for details on how you can win yourself a pair, so that you can try out this licious shampoo and conditioner yourself!