Raptors Social – MoVernie interviews Morris Peterson (MoPete) 2.0

A few months ago, the Toronto Raptors held its annual Raptors Charity Gala Event called “Raptors Social“. It’s an opportunity for Raptorsfans to meet & greet their favourite Raptors players in an off-court setting. Raptorsfans purchase the tickets and all net proceeds of the evening benefit the MLSE Foundation & the Regent Park Athletic Grounds project. For this year’s Raptors Social, the event was held at Muzik Nightclub. This event is always a BIG hit because the fans got to meet the entire Raptors roster all under the same roof and some lucky ones even get a drink or two prepared by their favourite players. That’s because some of the Raptors players such as Terrence Ross and Kyle Lowry (just to name a few) stood behind the bar counter, serving and mingling with the fans. It was a great evening for a great cause.

During the media session at this event, I got an opportunity to interview my favourite Raptors of all-time, Morris Peterson (MoPete), it was my second time interviewing MoPete. I still recalled the year before, when I interviewed MoPete, my legs were shaking. I had never got nervous interviewing anyone before but with my idol, MoPete, that was another story. This time, for MoVernie interviewing MoPete 2.0, I was more calm.

Check out my interview conversation with MoPete below:

 MoVernie: “MoPete, do you recognize me?” (me with a chuckle)

 MoPete: “Ya man! Wait, no no….How are you doing man?” as MoPete playfully inspect my fedora to act if he isn’t sure if he recognizes me.

 MoVernie: “Ha! Ha! Good to see you man! This is MoVernie on the MOVE. Beside me is my idol, MoPete, as always. Last time, I don’t know if you remember, my legs were shaking, but this time I feel alot better. But nice to see you again.”

 MoPete: “Thank you! Nice to see you again! You dressed pretty well tonight.”

 MoVernie: “You are the same Mo!”

 MoPete: “Thank you. Thank you.”

 MoVernie: “You know, this year is the 20th Anniversary, they showed alot of highlights about you, like the miracle shot, now seeing the purple coming back, what’s it feels like being part of the 20th Anniversary?”

 MoPete: “It feels good. Coz this organization has done alot for the city and being 20 years shows resilience, I have been to lots of ups and involves in lots of downs, this city keeps fighting man. And for 20 years, it’s special. There are a lot of guys that came through this organization over the years, like we look at a guy like Muggsy, Al and Antonio, those guys showed me the way, showed me how to be a professional”

 MoVernie: “So, what kind of message do you tell the younger players on the roster?”

 MoPete: “Well..I just tell them to stay focused and stay ready because in this league, it’s all about opportunity, it’s all about minutes and earning playing time and that’s what I try to encourage.”

 MoVernie: “You have a lot of highlights but what was the highlight that really stick to your mind?”

 MoPete: “One of my highlights was when I met you last year man”

 MoVernie: “Wow! MoPete man, that’s amazing!”

 MoVernie: “Well…tonight is for Raptorfans donating for Regent Park and charity, what type of message do you want to give to the Raptorsfans?”

 MoPete: “The Raptorsfans, well, I think this charity is good, you know, what we are trying to do is build courts around the city because basketball is big here, there are a lot of draft picks, a lot of people really watch basketball and part of that is, help building communities, have these parks available, so they can play basketball and achieve their goals.

 MoVernie: “Last question, my mom is a big fan of MoPete as well, she wants to know. Hey!, what is he doing right now after basketball?”

 MoPete: “MoPete is here chilling with MoVernie. Hey mom! How’s everything? Your son dress nice and look cooler than me. But it’s ok.” (MoPete with a smile)

 MoVernie: “I always see you coming back to Toronto, doing alot of things.”

 MoPete: “Oh! Definitely! Toronto is my home, it’s my second home. I look forward coming back, the people always show me a lot of love and respect. I think they respect the blue collar work ethic. And I told people that Toronto reminds me of Michigan. First of all, the people are great, they have the joy and the passion of what they do and they stick together. And that’s the big thing, sticking together through the good times and the bad times. I tell you what, this team is playing awesome this year, they have matured, they are feeding off the energy from the city. I think they got a taste from last year with the playoffs and now you can see it in their eyes that they are actually come ready to play at the beginning of the season.

 MoVernie: “Thank you man! MoPete & MoVernie interview 2.0. Thank you!”

 MoPete: “Thanks Mo!”

I would like to thank MoPete for his valuable time and thank you the MLSE TeamUp Foundation for the interview opportunity during the Raptors Social.

Did you know? MLSE 2015 Players’ Gala is happening this coming Sunday, March 29th at Real Sports Bar & Grill? Due to popular demand, tickets for this gala are SOLD OUT! However, if you want to donate for a good cause, you can still do so by clicking this link.

Follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) for more awesome pictures and videos on my MoVernie Journey!

Delta Toronto – Part 1: Hotel Room – MoVernie VIP Experience

Delta Toronto MoVernie VIP Experience – a 10-Part Series

Part 1 – Hotel Room (Our ModeDeluxe Weekend Stay)

Intro:

A lot of my peeps know that I love to travel and more importantly, I have a hotel fetish, meaning I care about the hotels that I am staying at. It doesn’t always have to be luxurious as it can be a small, chic, boutique hotel. But there is a common theme for all the hotels that I had stayed. They all have to be clean, modern, with a unique characteristic and flavour in its building, exerting a welcoming vibe and atmosphere for my stay. Most importantly, their services have to be on point because at the end of day, I want to have a relaxing and pleasant experience.

Delta Toronto caught my attention big time because it is one of the newest hotels in downtown Toronto. In fact, it is located at an up and rising community called the “SouthCore“. The SouthCore neighborhood consists of the south financial district, along with the new sports and entertainment districts that makes up this area. When Delta Toronto first opened in December 2014, they advertised themselves as part of the SouthCore neighborhood. Honestly, I didn’t even know what SouthCore was until they used this term. I thought it was a clever marketing tool by Delta Toronto to position itself as part of the neighborhood, joining the community. It gives a strong sense of cohesiveness and unity within the area.

A few weeks ago, my brother, Kenrick (aka MoKenny) and I were invited by Delta Toronto for a weekend MoVernie VIP Experience stay.

In this 10-part series, MoVernie will share the adventurous journey of his VIP Experience with his followers and audiences.

On a Saturday early afternoon, we arrived in style and parked my ride in front of the Delta Toronto entrance. Immediately, a friendly staff came over and greeted us. She welcomed us to Delta Toronto and asked us if we require any assistance with our luggage. Since each of us only have a mini carry-on (since it’s only a weekend stay), we told her that we were fine with taking care of our own luggage. She then took my car key and drove my car into the valet parking that was located underneath the hotel. It was a smooth and pleasant experience already from the get-go.

As we entered the main lobby, two standing Delta Toronto staff greeted and welcomed us to the hotel. One of them guided us to the concierge counter. At the counter, the staff was friendly and asked us for our names. In less than 5 minutes, he had already completed all the booking processes and paperwork and handed us our respective key cards. He gave us helpful instructions on the location of the elevators and how we should use the key cards in order to access to our floors. The information was appreciated and we found it very helpful.

Before we head up to our rooms, we walked around the main lobby a bit. The whole main lobby had a very high ceiling, which was very spacious. The entire area was chic, modern and full of fine artistic artwork that resembled some of the well-known Canadian landscapes and sceneries that represents our beloved country. Lots of modern wood pieces were also being used around the lobby. From a close distance, we could spot the restaurant called SOCO Kitchen + Bar (you can’t miss the visible sign) and at another space, we could see the open area of the whisky bar called the Char No. 5. Purple comfy sofa with comfy pillows was a nice touch at the main lobby, it felt like home away from home. But it definitely gave a warm and relax vibe in the building even though it’s freezing outside in our Toronto winter.

After a quick walk around, off we go to our respective rooms. Both of our rooms were located on the 33rd floor, which was quite high up (there are total of 46 floors at Delta Toronto). As we arrived on the 33rd floor, the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I could feel how comfy and solid the carpet was. Delta Toronto didn’t go cheap on the carpet, you could feel the multi-layers of foam support beneath the carpet, so every step, I could feel the comfort. That’s a nice touch!

Apparently, MoKenny had one side of the corner room and I had the other side of the corner room. MoKenny’s room was facing the south-east corner, overlooking the Air Canada Centre and Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, my room was facing the south-west corner, which I could see the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Rogers Centre and Lake Ontario.

As I placed my key card against the keypad on my room door, voila, I entered into the room!

There are 3 types of room styles being offered by Delta Toronto.

1) ModeRoom is the standard room that can be found throughout all floors of the hotel.

2) ModeDeluxe is located from 30th to 42nd higher floors. (MoKenny and I had the ModeDeluxe rooms)

3) ModeClub is located from 43rd to 46th floor, which includes access to the 46th Club VIP Lounge that provides complimentary hot breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres and alcoholic beverages, all included!

The moment I walked into the room, there were windows in the entire bedroom, giving natural sunlight shining into the room. There was a closet, with an electronic safe. There was also the mini coffee pot that I can make my own coffee or tea. There was a modern comfy chair and beside it, was an office desk that had all the connectivity docks for our laptop, smartphones, camcorders, etc.

I gave the king size bed a good test, it was super comfy. Clean sheets and comfy solid pillows. A clean, white modern room radiates the entire room. Two sides of the king size bed had its cabinets and storage space. A beautiful artwork across the bed rest gave it an artsy feel. Located near the sliding door were two hooks for hanging my winter coat. I love the details and the thoughtfulness by the designers, it was a nice touch.

And that’s not all, the main feature attraction in this unit was actually the huge bathroom! I have to say, the bathroom space was as big as the bedroom area. I was told that the corner rooms featured a great view of our city but also the huge bathroom space. As I opened the sliding door, boom, a beautiful stand alone bath tub overlooking the Lake Ontario. The tall bay windows stretched the entire bathroom, giving it a full view of our beautiful city. In the bathroom, there was the sink with cabinet shelving, a shower stall (in case you don’t have time to take a bath) and a semi-hidden open area for a toilet. Basically, the toilet was facing outside, if your hotel room is as high as mine (33rd floor), you don’t need to close the blinds that were provided in the bathroom, and you can freely do your business. More like the Snoop Dog’s song “I can see you but you can’t see me” type of deal here. But I recommend you to take a warm bath. Observing the warm water coming out of the facet and overlooking the beautiful city view was a top notch “good life” style experience. It gave a different perspective on the buildings around us. I could see the semi-circular shape of the Round House Steam Whistle Brewery just across the hotel.

MoVernie Fun Fact: Did you know that there are two shark graphics located at the top of the Ripley’s Aquarium? I think you would only know that if you live on a high-rise condo or on top of the CN Tower or getting a room at the Delta Toronto.

Delta Toronto also provided ample amount of bath towels, high end shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. The only small glitch and I would love to see Delta Toronto provide was the lack of bubble bath. It would be an even better experience if they provide bubble bath so it can elevate the bath tub experience to the next level. Otherwise, the whole room was fantastic with a great view.

Click here for more information on the new Delta Toronto.

Check out my previous article here – Delta Toronto – Intro: MoVernie VIP Experience

Follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) for more awesome pictures and videos on my adventurous journey!

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Special thank you to Delta Toronto for your kind hospitality, providing a unique, customized VIP Experience for MoVernie & MoKenny.

Check out more photos of my ModeDeluxe room at Delta Toronto below!

 

 

 

New Balance Sneak Preview 2015

New Balance Canada was giving the media a sneak preview of what’s coming for its brand in 2015 at Madonna’s very own Hard Candy Fitness Toronto. There were different types of shoes categories for die-hard runners, semi runners, normal runners or wannabe runners such as myself who just want to wear stylish kicks on the red carpet (LOL).

Other than kicks, there were apparels for men and women. New Balance staff introduced us the latest kicks design, materials and the technology that were being applied in various types of shoes. All these improved elements provided the right balance for their customers who are looking for a balance of style, comfort, foot protection and usability.

What I love New Balance most are the choices of funky colours which you know by now that MoVernie is really out there, who ain’t afraid to wear something that stands out. There are so many choices and so many nice kicks that it will be tough for me to narrow to just one. Tough choices! Be sure to check out the New Balance Canada website here to purchase the apparel and kicks that fits your needs and lifestyle!

Thank you to New Balance Canada & Strut Entertainment for having me at the #NBPreview2015!

Follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) for more awesome pictures and videos on my adventurous journey!

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Check out more photos that I snapped at the New Balance Sneak Preview 2015 below!

 

Delta Toronto – Intro: MoVernie VIP Experience

Delta Toronto MoVernie VIP Experience – a 10-Part Series

Intro:

Delta Toronto, the newest downtown Toronto 4-star hotel was opened in December 2014. It is located at the hottest Toronto community called the “SouthCore“. SouthCore is the latest up and rising buzzing community that combines the financial, sports and entertainment districts all in one place.

Delta Toronto is a modern, state-of-the-art 46-floor tower. In this hotel, it consists of a restaurant called SOCO Kitchen + Bar. There is also a whisky bar called Char No. 5.  A SOCO TO GO for fast and easy take out service, specifically for people who are always on the MOVE. On the 46th floor, it has a Club VIP Lounge that has tall bay windows that showcase the amazing view of the Lake Ontario, CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and Ripley’s Aquarium from high up.

Combining the amazing food, cocktails, modern hotel rooms and suites, excellent service and top notch location, Delta Toronto has all the right elements to give you the best experience during your stay.

As Delta Toronto’s slogan sums it up, “Expect Even More“!

A few weeks ago, MoVernie and his brother, MoKenny were kindly hosted by Delta Toronto for an Exclusive MoVernie VIP Experience. Within the MoVernie VIP Experience, they each got a high-rise hotel corner suite room, a big tour around all the facilities and amenities that Delta Toronto has to offer. Fine dining at SOCO Kitchen + Bar was part of the VIP Experience and of course, a relaxing Whisky Bar 101 at Char No. 5 was also part of the agenda. More importantly, the brothers also got to check out the spectacular view of the city on the 46th Club VIP Lounge for both hors d’oeuvres and morning breakfast!

In this 10-part series, MoVernie will share the adventurous journey of his VIP Experience with his followers and audiences.

Click here for more information on the new Delta Toronto.

Click here for more information on the SOCO Kitchen + Bar.

Click here for more information on the Char No. 5 Whisky Bar.

Click here for more information on SOCO TO GO.

Follow me on Instagram (@RealMoVernie) and Twitter (@MoVernie) for more awesome pictures and videos on my adventurous journey!

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Special thank you to Delta Toronto for your kind hospitality, providing a unique, customized VIP Experience for MoVernie & MoKenny.

Sunshine – UNO Music Video Event

This wonderful event took place in the chic part of downtown Toronto. Uno is an upcoming singer with an outstanding and unique voice. She has the great looks of a wonderful singer and her voice is even more touching. The “Sunshine” music video release was a private event by invitation only which had an open bar with a wide variety of drinks from white wine to champagne and also a range of snacks.

Her video and song is based on heartbreak and the basic things that the youth in the society go through emotionally, this video certainly stands out due to its unique and crisp quality. Also the theme and actors were perfect in their roles.

Uno is certainly an artist to watch out for in the year 2015 as her album is certainly going to spread like a wide fire both locally and internationally.

Check out Uno’s “Sunshine” video.