Halifax, NS

My last Saturday in Halifax this summer, I was delighted to meet Zimbabwean, Mufaru Chakabuda, who had organized a day of African dance - I love dance.

Mufaru recently emailed very exciting news!!!

Her Maritime Centre for African Dance Adult Troupe is the only Canadian dance troupe invited to perform at the African Inaugural Ball for President Elect Barack Obama, at the Washington DC, Hilton Hotel. That's very soon!

Congratulations Mufaro!

(Mufaro with some tiny students in Nova Scotia)

The dancers will be Vida, Dally, Ruvimbo and Mufaro accompanied by drummers, Glenn Fraser, Wayne Hamilton and Jeff.

Executives from the Council on African Canadian Education and the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs will be speaking about the history of African Nova Scotians. Thanks to NS Tourism and Culture, Lynn Jones, Wayne Hamilton, Delvina Bernard, YMCA and Halifax Dance. We are excited for this opportunity and know that without your valued support, this would not be possible.

The troup, performing January 18 2009, is in need of donation for travel. Contact Mufaru at afrikandance2005@yahoo.ca

UP-COMING HALIFAX MCAD EVENTS

AFRICAN DANCE WORKSHOPS/PERFORMANCE

Performances/Workshops are available for booking for gatherings, birthday parties, (of all ages), and corporate events and more. Performances include live drumming, and are dynamic, engaging and educational! This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn more cultural elements about Africa from dancers raised and born in Africa

AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH PERFORMANCES (FEBRUARY-MARCH)

Available for booking now, with discounts. Ideal for organzations and schools looking to enhance cultural awareness. Bookings go on through March. Large discounts are available. For any other information, email afrikandance2005@yahoo.ca

AFRICAN RHYTHMN AND DANCE NIGHT - FEBRUARY 15

The African Rhythm and Dance Night, hosted by MCAD, will be held on Sunday, February 15 from 6/30pm onwards. Bring the friends, family for a treat. Enjoy traditional and modern African Dance by MCAD Dance Troupes, children, youth and Instructors! Also included are light African Snacks, including mandaza ( Uganda ), Muriwo nedovi (vegetables with peanut sauce), Samoosa, ( Uganda Style), Plantain with Cassava Leaf. Tickets are $15 and $10 for children. Location TBA

AFRO DANCE WORKSHOP - FEBRUARY 28

This is a day workshop being held in Halifax . Location TBA. Day will feature Gambian Dance, kwaito, Ghanaian Dance, Djembe and more! Workshop will run from 10am to 2pm with breaks. To register or for more details, email afrikandance2005@yahoo.ca or call 902.225.9267

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN AFRICAN DANCE????

February 6-February 8

Weekend Workshop at the Tatamagouche Centre. For Youth with an interest in learning various African Dance Forms. February 6 to February 8. For more details contact the Tatamagouche Centre.

AFRO DANCE DVD PACKAGE

The Afro Dance DVD package is available for purchase, and includes literary material. The DVD is for anyone with or without dance experience as it is a GENERAL introduction at a very basic level. To order your copy email afrikandance2005@yahoo.ca or call 902.225.9267.

AFRICAN DANCE WORKSHOPS/PERFORMANCE

Performances/Workshops are available for booking for gatherings, birthday parties, (of all ages), and corporate events and more. Performances include live drumming, and are dynamic, engaging and educational! This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn more cultural elements about Africa from individuals from the continent.

AFRICAN DANCE CLASSES

African Dance Classes of all levels and ages will begin in the week of January 23^rd. Locations will be announced at a later dated. Classes will remain held on the same dates:

Mom and Baby Classes - every Sunday from 3-4pm

Adult Classes - Tuesday 8-9pm, Wednesdays 6-7pm, Fridays 6-7pm

Children's Classes - Saturday 4-5pm

Couples Classes - TBA

Indian Dance Classes - Wednesday 7-8pm

Chinese Dance Classes (Peackocke Dance) - TBA

Maybe it's because we are mathematical beings.... you know.....the length of your eye is equal to the distance between your eyes....your hand size coordinates with your shoe size etc. So when I noticed that my point total presently ends with 999, this bit of trivia turned my attention to numbers.

A friend and colleague advised me when I joined active rain that people like lists.....not bulleted lists, but numbered lists. And now I am told, the lists should be odd numbers, not even. [And I recall when participating in art lessons years ago, the instructor advising me to paint three clouds, not two .......five flowers, not six etc.]

We are always looking for ways to make our newsletters more functional; so in my next newsletter, I will depart from my usual format of paragraphs and arrange some of the information in lists.....maybe it will be easier for consumers to digest the information and retrieve it later. Maybe they will hang on to the newsletter just a little longer! ;-)

Who knows? But in the meantime, my points total will get over that 999 hump....a wee bit of satisfaction for me!

Because of the time of year and situation with the economy, I must confess I've been a bit deflated lately! Being a new agent, I haven't as yet experienced that surge of adrenalin when the phone rings!

Then I realized it's time for attitude adjustment! I've come back to something my broker suggested......use positive affirmations each day. Well I've started doing just that.....my personal favorite is "if I work hard, and work smart, I will be successful!" That really says it all......and since coming to that realization, I've been much more confident and optimistic about my future in the real estate industry.

2009....bring it on!

No matter the gender, it's a fact of life that we must be security-conscious.

As a new agent, I would be very interested in knowing how others handle the issue of the first meeting with prospective clients. My office is located in an industrial park about 30 minutes away from my residence and I'm not sure I would feel any more secure having new clients meet me there after hours.

There is a coffee shop nearby but this may not be professional or private enough for a first meeting; as we all know....first impressions are important!

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.....have a wonderful day!

Melva

We all know how important the online factor is to the Real Estate business; but IMHO the personal touch will always be at the centre of customer satisfaction and networking.

This week I began door-knocking my neighborhood, which is also my farm district......simply to introduce myself, wish my neighbors a Happy New Year and leave them with a gift of a magnetic fridge calendar [with my business card attached].

People are more likely to keep a calendar than a newsletter so this will be my brand 'me' strategy for January.

So far the response has been positive....and hey, it's good exercise!

From winter wonderland......have a great weekend!

Melva