i figure since i’m posting so much of my day-to-day life, i should put something interesting up here, so here we go, i’m going to talk about stuff that’s happened to me randomly, random memories and interesting encounters with some pretty cool people

it was march 2006 and i was in halifax for a weekend, couch-surfing with friends, enjoying my quasi-freedom at the tail-end of my eleventh grade march break. when i was meeting up with some friends downtown (i had a tendency to mish-mash groups of friends at the time so i do believe i was hanging out with dani, keigan, and then my friend colin who none of them knew and i had met through dramafest the year prior). anyway, while hanging out with them, colin mentioned that if i had nothing to do the next day, i would be more than welcome to join him downtown to go to this peace march protesting the third anniversary of the occupation of iraq. the next day, i bussed from sackville to downtown halifax and met up with colin and his friend on hollis street to march in a peace march about something that i didn’t know too much about. hey, at least i’m honest.

we marched, colin took photos (he’s a wicked photographer), and the whole thing ended with a concert up by inglis street by this monument; there was food provided by food not bombs, and speakers talking about the recent occupation of haiti. there were DJs, people dancing around the square, people holding these elaborate protest signs, megaphones, and just a really cool feel to the whole environment. think about it, i was an eleventh grade valley boy who at that point got out to halifax once or twice a year for socializing, i was floored with the whole thing to be honest… soon enough, michael franti took the stage and began performing; he did an acoustic set of his material that he does along with spearhead… i remember hearing “stay human”, “oh my god”, “everyone deserves music” and a few others; it was a bitterly cold saturday in march, but people didn’t care, they were so into it, the environment was amazing (like i had previously mentioned). it’s really hard to describe, but he spoke on his film “i know i’m not alone” (which i still really want to see… i wish i had made it to the oxford that night to see it), played music and just talked about the state of the world. the man is brilliant, and i recommend listening to/watching everything that involves him.

i was lucky enough to meet him afterward and get a photo with him on my polaroid camera, we chatted for a few minutes just about random things, he complimented my camera, and then i was on my way to meet friends for coffee on spring garden road.

that’s my story of how i randomly got involved in a peace march and met michael franti… hopefully that’s enough to keep you satisfied for a while. just for fun, i’ll include some photographic evidence, you’ll also get a glimpse of what i looked like back in 2006 with the orange patch in my hair and a nostril ring

circa 2006. check the abe-lincoln beard