We waited a really long time for her
 to come at Much.  But we met some
 really nice/cool people.  Some of them
 found out I was from Calgary (3 hour
 flight away), and even tried to
 get me into the studio.  Anyway,
 as you know, I got to ask a question.
 But I should point out it was a question
 the lady kinda told me to ask ("What
 kind of mood were you in when you wrote
 Northern Star?")  I don't know how I got
 picked to ask, but I think she was some
 sort of promo lady.  The funny thing was
 that it was SO loud outside that I
 couldn't hear A SINGLE WORD of her answer,
 so I just stupidly nodded my head and smiled
 at her when she answered my question (she
 looked at me directly).  Too bad my hair
 was as flat as her chest that day.  ;-)
 I need to add more rise to it...

 She looked REALLY REALLY DELECTABLE at Much!!!
 I've seen many stars in person, and Melanie
 blew me away by how pretty she was, even
 with her short hair.  I'm a fan of her short hair
 now.  Her skin was very spotless, her arms
 looked bigger than in pictures (*not* her muscles,
 her arms in general), and her tattoos looked
 smaller and cuter.  Her phoenix eagle tatoo,
 one that I had originally thought was too big,
 looks smaller and very beautiful in real life.
 When she turned around, you could see her tight
 butt (very cute), and most of her lotus flower
 tattoo.  TRUST ME when I say her tattoos look
 even better in person.  Her jeans were cute blue
 jeans with some of kind of light playful pattern
 on it, and it was slightly folded up at the bottom.
 She had on cute and colorful runners.  Again,
 I stress that her hair looks REALLY good on her
 in person, it had dual colors (original dark and the
 dyed lighter color).  I'm THAT close to liking
 the short hair better than the original darker
 longer hair.

 I also nearly got into mega trouble at Much when
 during a quiet moment, I YELLED live on air:
 'Come the fuck outside'!!!  (we all wanted her
 to come outside to talk to us, but I made it
 known).

 I also did this quickie on Mel C at Speakers'
 Corner, just trying to promote her album.

 There was a really cute young girl on my right
 and her friend.  She was about 13/14, and one
 time yelled out:  "Melanie, can I move in with you??!!"
 She was a sweetie, I'll never forget her.  I remember
 when I was falling asleep waiting for Melanie
 to arrive, and she nudged me awake and gave me
 a small lecture on how I should not be sleeping
 at a time like this. We were also getting REALLY
 pushed and squished in the front, and she asked
 me to push others for her so we could have more
 room, too funny!!!

 There was this other Tommy Hilfiger bitch girl
 who got into the studio by faking tears and
 pretending she could not breathe.  I should have
 strangled her so she really could not breathe...  :-)

 After Much, Fee, I, and a couple of other guys
 we met (very cool and very nice - Mike
 and Craig) walked ALL
 OVER downtown looking at all the posh hotels,
 but we didn't see Melanie.  But it was a lot of
 fun seeing Toronto this way (the guys certainly
 knew their way around).  Mike is an Electric
 Circus dancer for MuchMusic, and a budding
 clothes designer.  Craig is a crazy guy who collects
 star autographs - he got 32 at Much Video Awards!!!
 He's also got an awesome Steps story.  He was
 at the Britney Spears concert and apparently went
 only for Steps (hee hee, sound familiar, Rinaldi??).
 Anyway, he had this huge Steps poster, and the Steps
 van went by, and H opened the window and
 pointed his finger at the poster and said something
 like "look"!!!!!  But he says the nicest stars he has
 met are the Vengaboys.  He also yelled at Rachel
 (the blond ditzy VJ at Much), and when she ignored
 him, he yelled BITCH!!!

Further to my last email, Ying looked lively
 and friendly at Much, moreso than in pics
 I've seen of her.

 Mike and Craig told us where she would be
 the next day, at a radio station.  (KISS 92)
 There were only a handful of people who
 knew this (thanks to Mike, the EC dancer).
 The people at KISS were VERY NICE and
 understanding with fans.

 The people at the station found out I was
 from Calgary and wanted to ask me a few
 questions, so they interviewed me through a cell
 phone.  It went something like this:
 Radio:  Do you know we have quite a few Melanie
 C fans down here, including one girl who
 flew all the way from Calgary???  Hey, come on over,
 what's your name?
 Me: Angie!!!
 Radio:  And you flew all the way over from Calgary?
 Me:  You bet!!!
 Radio:  So you must be a huge fan...
 Me:  I certainly am!!!
 Radio:  Do you realize you are shaking??
 Me (I wasn't shaking, I was just freezing from
 the cold, but I decided to play along and say
 something jokingly like "I'm not anymore!!!")
 Radio:  Have you heard her new album yet??
 Me:  YES, it's fantastic!!!  I've heard quite
 a few tracks through the Internet, and my favorite
 ones are If That Were Me and Northern Star,
 they're AWESOME!!!
 Radio:  So, do you have a question for Melanie?
 Me:  Um, yeah...What is her personal favorite
 from her Northern Star album? (I realize that's
 a not-very-interesting question, but I honestly
 was not prepared for this.  Fee had a much
 better question....).
 Radio:  Hey, now's your chance....  Did you want
 to say hi to anybody back home??!!!
 Me:  YES!!  Hi to my mum and dad, and Krista,
 Mei Mei, and...
 (at this point, Fee motions to say hi to Mike
 Rinaldi), and so I scream VERY LOUD:
 AND MIKE RINALDI!!!!
 (although I know technically he's not from
 Calgary).  I later heard this live on air (they
 played the cell phone interview 2 minutes
 after they interviewed me), which was about
 5 minutes before Melanie arrived at the studio.
 I wonder if she was listening....
 I may have said other things in the interview, but
 I honestly don't remember.

 When Melanie's dark van pulled up, her people
 got out (Jenny looked quite non-expressive).
 She was in a hurry to get inside, but we all crowded
 around her (well, I kinda remained perched on my
 fire hydrant), but I managed to get Melanie's
 attention by handing her a small Madonna Blond ambition
 tour postcard (with a short message to her on the
 back).  She was walking in the station, when she noticed
 the M picture, she stopped a while, and she was
 clearly interested, and took it and said "Oh, Thanks!"
 in that lovely way she speaks.

 She was interviewed, said something about Madonna during it,
 and then performed a live version of Going Down.  They
 then played Northern Star on air.  her band came out first
 and piled into a white van.  When Melanie came out,
 it was fan pandemonium.  Weirdly enough, I never
 moved from my fire hydrant (I like it there on top),
 but I did manage to get her autograph (the full
 "Melanie C"), even though I never really asked for it.
 I had my arm sticking out with my Spice postcard,
 and then all of a sudden she moved to it and signed
 it.  I did shout  "Melanie, I wore my Madonna T-shirt
 for you", and she stopped, looked at it, and said
 "oh, thanks, that's nice...", but she was also at the same time
 being hurried by her people as she had to get
 to another interview.  But the funniest part was when I yelled
 out in a friendly way:  "Hi Jenny, Hi Ying!!!"  They were VERY
 amused at this (because I recognized them even though
 they are not that important), and shared a wonderful look
 and chuckle between the 2 of them.  And TRUST ME, it is
 not easy to get Jenny to smile...

 The bitchy girl and her friend were also unfortunately there,
 and they tried to chase Melanie's van as it left, and nearly
 got run over themselves.  I thought that was very stupid
 and disrespectful on their part.  The weird thing was that
 the bitchy girl tried to become friends with me, but I
 gave her the cold shoulder because I could not stand
 her attitude.

 I also became friends with Jo and Kayla, who were
 inside the Much studio during her interview the previous
 day.  You can watch Kayla ask Melanie a question if
 you've got the show taped...  Jo got some AWESOME
 pics of Melanie from the show....

 We later tried to take the subways to catch Mel
 at her next radio interview.  Unfortunately, Mike and I
 were CHASING this girl who we THOUGHT was
 Fee from the back (same purple jacket), but when
 he entered the train and the doors closed behind us,
 the girl turned around to sit down, and we found out
 it was not Fee at all, but a damned lady that looks
 much like her from the back.  Anyway, we turned
 around and realized we left Fee, Tom, and Craig
 back at the platform.  They later got autographs
 at the next station (CHUM), but Mike and I missed
 her.  Anyway, it was a cool chance to get to know
 Mike better, on a friendship level, he really is
 a very nice/interesting/clued-up guy.

Because Fee and I were chasing Mel at radio stations,
 we didn't get to the venu until 5:30 pm.  But Jo and Kayla
 snuck us in front of the line (thank you very much to them).

 We met another very cool guy (also named Mike), a guy
 who I was very much enthralled with, more on an
 emotional level.  He's very intelligent and a Madonna fan
 as well.  He says the MOST funniest things...  I think him
 and I "understood' each other, if you know what I mean.

 Anyway, when we went in, we all crowded to the front of
 the smaller-than-I-expected stage.  we were packed shoulder-to
 shoulder like sardines.  But it was a good opportunity to meet
 more people, and Fee and others let me stand in front of them
 because I am so short.  (thanks.  :-)  )  Way before the show
 began, people began shoving and swearing, but it
 was also amusing.  Some people I know cursed out Bitchy
 Spice's friend, and picked on her (I kinda felt bad
 for her, to be honest, so I left her alone).  Mike took good
 care of me, and made sure I didn't get pushed back.
 He had this cool telephoto camera (but later had to
 give up the film, the security thought it was too intrusive
 a camera).

 All of a sudden, Fee taps my shoulder excitedly.  I turn around
 and see a silhouette of Melanie CHANGING in a private
 room on the top floor.  She didn't realize her silhouette was
 showing, so we saw her take her shirt off, take off her
 bra (she uses the 2-handed method), and then put on
 her concert T-shirt.  As Fee said, it was a wonderful
 pre-show...  foreplay, y'know...

 A guy who was full of himself suddenly collapsed to the
 floor in a faint.  He got up, but then apparently re-collapsed
 in Fee's direction!!!  He was lifted out of the show
 before it even begun...

 When she finally came on, it was quite a nondescript entrance,
 she simply walked on stage.  by this time, I was actually pushed
 to second row and slightly to the left of center-stage.
 She had on a red shirt with white lettering of "C A N A D A" on it,
 blue jeans, and gray runners.  Since I was so close, I took
 pics with Fee's camera, hope they turned out....  (??!!!!)
 The show was very enjoyable, mostly because the object
 of my affection was very close, and because I was right
 in between 2 front row people, I got a completely unobstructed
 view.  At first, you could barely hear her, the sound levels
 were awful.  But that improved soon enough.  You have all
 probably heard her song set through the Internet, so I
 won't go into that.  I LOVE the song Take Me Higher (or
 whatever it's called).  Her nipples/breasts were showing,
 but that's not a surprise.  I noticed her arms and hands seem very
 masculine (I'm not referring to the muscles, but to the whole
 affect of her arms and hands), and boy, does she have
 the nicest arms....  She was wearing an ear plug, so it was
 very hard for her to hear what we were all screaming at her.
 I did notice she was so much into her songs that she didn't
 seem to make exact eye contact with many fans.  I know
 fans want to think they had eye contact with Melanie,
 or that Melanie "noticed' them, but I think she is
 SOOOO much into her music that she focuses on the
 fans in general, if at all.  I think the only time she noticed
 my presence was when she noticed I was singing along
 when others weren't (only because I have heard the songs
 on the Internet).  The funny thing was that when she looked
 at me, I wasn't really looking at her at the time, but
 desperately trying to match up the words to her singing,
 but it was an interesting moment...

 She's got stage presence, but she didn't move around as much
 as I thought she was, she basically stayed center-stage, or moved
 slightly to the left/right.  (moreso to the left side, which was
 our side).  The best moment was when she suddently crouched to
 the ground and spread open her legs.  My biggest complaint
 would be that she could have talked to the crowd more, maybe
 she was just shy??  ;-)

 Thanks to those of you who have uploaded songs to the Internet,
 I was able to sing along to some of them.  I noticed that
 for many songs, the audience could not sing along or anything,
 because they don't know the material at all.  That's why it
 was much quieter than it should/could have been.  One time,
 she sensually raised her shirt up to expose her Angel tattoo,
 and the audience just went wild...  I noticed the audience would
 go the most wild when she did such things with her body....
 All the girls (and guys) went WILD...

 When she spit her water, she did it on our side of the stage,
 so Fee and I both got wet in our left eyes.  The show was
 kinda short, about an hour and 15 minutes, but this
 was without much audience patter and just a small
 break before the encore.

 After the show, Fee, Mike (the Madonna-liking one), Jo,
 Kayla, and their 2 friends just WERE GETTING HIGH
 in the parking lot.  :-)  Well, only because we were so
 happy to see such a good show, and be that close to
 Melanie.  Jo said "She just has this AURA!!!"  That
 pretty much sums it up...  She was turning on EVERYBODY
 in that room, boy or girl...

 I had a nice walk with Fee back to the subway, and we were
 both going on and on about just how HOT she looks
 on stage (moreso me).  I said goodbye to Fee because
 she had to go back to London Ontario the next morning.

Well, this is it, the part where I met Melanie C at her hotel.

 I wasn't going to go to the Four Seasons, but I decided,
 "why the hell not??"  I was by myself though...
 Thanx Mike for telling me about her having
 to check out of the hotel that day...

 When I got to the hotel at 11 am, I was surprised
 to see NO OTHER FANS there, not even Bitchy
 Spice.  As soon as I sat down, I saw Jenny go into
 the hotel elevator, so I knew she was still there.

 I tried to act like I was a business person, I would
 sit down and read a travel brochure, and do things
 like occasionally "check" the time, even though
 I had no watch.  I started getting antsy because the check-out
 time was approaching, but no sign of her.  But one thing
 I did do was listen to everybody around me, trying to
 get any hint whatsoever of her plans.  I heard some guys
 talk about doing some sort of interview on the 3rd floor.
 I later saw a camera crew from what looked like YTV
 (Canadian national youth TV station), and so I tried
 to listen in on them by pretending to drop things
 near where they were.  (It's amazing what you pick up
 when people think you are not a fan, but an industry
 person).  I found out they had an interview with Melanie
 at 1:10 pm (which was after the check-out time).
 The HILARIOUS thing was that these
 YTV folk thought *I* was also from the press,
 and were asking me questions on whether or not
 she arrived and where she was, and what floor she
 was on.  I tried to answer to the best of my ability,
 and apparently fooled them very much that they told
 me the location and time of their own interview.
 (they said fourth floor though).

 I got sick of waiting in the lobby and proceeded
 to take the elevator to the 3rd floor.  I was surprised
 that i was able to walk around by myself around the floor
 without being questioned at all.  I think because I
 looked very much like an industry person...
 I checked in all the meeting rooms, but could not find her
 anywhere.  I then went up to the fourth floor, and listened
 in in all the private rooms.  I found out she had earlier
 been on that floor.  However, a security girl found me
 and asked "who are you with"?  She seemed shocked
 when I told her the truth (that I was just a fan).  She
 took me back to the lobby (because she said she had to).
 In the lobby, I noticed her entire band waiting for their
 transportation to the airport.  I had a most pleasant
 chat with them, mostly because it was just me and them.
 The most interesting point was when I asked them "so,
 do you like working with Melanie?" and there was a
 DEFINITE pause, before they looked at one another
 and eventually said "yes", but not in the most convincing way.
 I introduced myself, and got their names (well, it sounded like
 'Claire' (the dykey-looking one who actually doesn't look
 that dykey in person, she looked kinda cool), 'Meduse' (which
 I have told you about how sweet she is), 'Fergus', 'Paul' and one
 more whose name I didn't get at all (he is bald-headed, I think
 he is the keyboardist).  (Come to think of it, perhaps one of their
 band members wasn't there).  They are all from England, including
 Meduse, who was born in Portugal, but has lived in London
 for 12 years now.  Claire said she recognized me from the concert,
 and they all seemed pleased when in response to whether or
 not I liked the show, I said "oh, YES, it was AWESOME!!".
 They also asked where I was from.  When their van came, they
 were nice and said "nice to meet you".  And I told you already
 what Meduse said to me, which touched me in a way she herself
 will never know...

 I went back to sit down.  That's when the main security guy asked me
 who I REALLY was, and when I pretended to be a business
 associate at Nortel, he didn't believe me (probably because
 the security girl on the 4th floor had briefed him).  What I didn't
 know at the time was that he thought I was not even a fan, but
 a professional autograph hound, who was trying to seek a celebrity's
 autograph and then sell it for mega-bucks.  Anyway, I was kicked out.
 Undaunted, I immediately proceeded to the back entrance, and thank
 goodness, it was an entrance that let me go to the second floor 
without
 having to go through the lobby.  I then later took the elevator
 from the 2nd floor to the 4th floor.  This time, the security girl 
was
 in
 one of the rooms, so I quickly hastened to the opposite side of the
 room, again trying to listen in on people.  I found the YTV interview
 room, and the interview was about 10 minutes away.  I stayed outside
 the room (knowing that Mel C had to pass me before going in), and
 then did one of the scariest things in my life:  Whenever a security
 girl/guy
 came by, I would pretend to speak in my cell phone and "talk 
business"
 (even though the cell wasn't even on, LOL)!!!  I would say things 
like:
 'yes, could you fax me the invoice to the office number....  no.. not
 that number,  the other one.  Okay, thanks.")
 I fooled quite a few security people,
 and no one even bothered to check me out or verify who I was...
 I think you would be surprised that I could have walked into one of
 those
 plush private rooms and use the bathroom, sit down, relax, make a few
 phone calls, you name it...

 But as fate would have it, about 5 minutes before her YTV interview 
was
 supposed to begin, the head security guy who threw me out of the 
lobby
 came by on his rounds....  He seemed shocked to find me there, and
 proceeded to take me all the way outside, and said if I was to enter
 the hotel again, I would face tresspassing charges.  I sat outside
 for a while, before I went back into the covered driveway (but not
 into the hotel itself), trying to look for Melanie.  He saw me again,
 and then THIS TIME, he took me to the hotel's underground security
 room, and made me sign a security form.  He checked my id and
 everything.
 He also took down my entire name and address.
 I had to sign a form that indicated that I understood that if I 
entered
 the hotel anytime in the next 6 months, or if I even walked on 
ANYTHING
  that was part of the hotel property (this includes a branch of a 
tree
 that is on their curb amongst other things), I would face a 1000 
dollar
 fine and be arrested.  Indeed, it was a scary, if not amusing, 
moment.
 Heck, even if I touched a flower on their front yard outside the 
hotel,
 I would be in violation, he said.  Needless to say, I was kinda
 paranoid from that moment on, and I was just about to go home
 and realize that it wasn't in God's will for me to meet Melanie.
 Also, I then found out that they had their entire security team
 on watch for me...

 While I was outside deciding what to do next, I actually bumped into
 a friend from Calgary who was in Toronto visiting his sister.
 I had a nice chat with him, but refused to say why I was just banned
 for 6 months from the Four Seasons (do you know how hard it is
 to say you're trying to meet a SPICE GIRL and you're a 22-year old
 girl)??!!!

 All of a sudden, I see Melanie's driver, and I motion towards him.
 He comes by, and I think he was talking to the head of security,
 because he didn't ask who I was, but just came up to me and asked
 me what I wanted signed.  I told him all I wanted was a picture
 with Melanie, but that I couldn't go nearer to him because I was
 just banned from the hotel.  He said that she had to leave very soon
 and rush off to the airport, but he said he would see what he could
 do.  All of a sudden, I see Melanie's party leaving and getting into
 the van.  I stayed where I was (because I didn't want to
 be arrested).  But then the driver motioned towards me to come
 up to them, and that it was okay (I didn't know he kinda knew
 about the ban in a more detailed way by that time).
 Anyway, I knew this was my only chance, and I said "to heck
 with being arrested, I'm gonna get my picture".  I rush up to
 the curb and then Melanie comes out.

 Everything from that time on is a blur.  I realized she was in
 a hurry, so I tried to be as quick as possible myself.
 She looked very nice (if not "normal"), and not dressed up
 (gray sweatpants).  She said something like "hello', in a soft
 shy way, while also trying to tie a scarf around her neck (and
 she politely smiled too).
 I was INCREDIBLY apologetic, and said how I
 felt bad bothering her, but that I really wanted a picture.
 She said "oh, it's not a problem".  as we got closer,
 I said I saw her show last night, and that was it was awesome
 (gee, I better get another word), she smiled and said
 "oh thank you!".  Now, I was afraid to put my arm around
 her in any way because I didn't want her to get the
 wrong impression (ie. I didn't want her to know the truth
 that I'm quite attracted to her physically, LOL).  But as I handed
 my camera to the driver, she put her right arm around my
 back (because I'm so short, it wasn't the stomach) and pulled
 me in tighter.  I was in heaven, and so it is very hard to remember
 this moment exactly.  I did *slowly* put my left arm around her
 stomach/back,
 but I made sure not to be too aggressive, or, um, eager (even though
 inside
 I was so eager beyond belief).  The driver snapped the picture
 after saying something like "okay, get ready".  After the picture,
 I think I said "Thank you" but it is all a blur to me.  I then said
 (MORE TO MYSELF and to the driver), "I feel so bad!!"
 I said it in a very endearing way, something my close friends
 know me for.  BUT, Mel thought I was talking to her,
 and she instantly whipped around and said loudly and with
 much concern  "oh, darling, why??"  I SO DID NOT expect
 her to reply like this or even to listen to me (partly
 because I know how shy she can be), so I was
 stammering, and said that I just felt bad bothering her.
 She must have thought I felt bad because there was something
 wrong with HER!!!...  All of a sudden, I notice the security
 guy, and I started getting a little scared, thinking that he
 would arrest me.  But to my shock, he smiled at me, and said
 "glad you got the picture you wanted".  You see, he was mean
 to me the previous times because (as he later explained to me),
 he really did think I was a professional autograph hunter (because
 he thought I was clever, didn't look like a fan, and that I was
 a fast runner).  (the last point is ironic since I never ever ran
 that day, not even once, I just found second entrances into
 the hotel)  But he finally seemed apologetic, if not amused.
 I also noticed Melanie's party with huge smiles on their
 faces.  I think partly because they too thought I was referring
 to Melanie when I said "I feel so bad", and because they knew
 about the security team on watch for me because the security
 thought I was an autograph hound, and also perhaps
 because Jenny/Ying recognized as the girl from the previous
 day who said "Hi Jenny, Hi Ying!!"  I think the driver
 had a chat with the security guy about me as well, since
 the security guy all of a sudden knew I wasn't an autograph hound
 (because as you notice, I did violate my ban when I rushed
 towards Melanie to get the picture).  As the van drove away,
 I did wave to the driver, and the second row of seats in the
 van, but because the windows were tinted, I couldn't
 exactly see who/where I was waving at.  The driver
 also waved to the head of security, indicating that they
 must have chatted about this in some sort of way (because
 in the hotel, the driver did not seem to know the security
 guy at all).   But the amusing/good thing is that everyone
 in the van seemed to be smiling/laughing at everything
 that just happened, so at least I made them leave
 Toronto happy somehow...   LOL

 As I have said, the pic turned out well (or at least Mel did,
 I still think I looked much worse than I am capable
 of looking).

 Whew, that's it!!!