Hummingbird604.com » local business

Job Sprout

Raul — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:30:23 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I’m quite keen on retweeting or passing on job opportunities. For obvious reasons, one of them being the fact that I better than anyone know how tough the job market was. So, I was keen to learn more about JobSprout. I asked the founder of Job Sprout a few questions about the company, which he kindly answered below. Thanks for the interview, Mike!

What is Job Sprout

Job Sprout is a modern job board that eliminates the headaches of a traditional job board. From a job seeker’s perspective, the site is clutter free, has easy-on-the-eyes formatting, and is easy to use. Job Sprout differs from traditional sites that make you click several links, only to leave you disappointed by the presentation. Our end goal is to make posting and finding a job simple, stress free, and most important, intuitive.

Most job boards do not represent employers. When you have a multi-million dollar company, the last thing you want to do is have a job board presenting your vacant position in size 9 font, has alignment issues, and inconsistent paragraph spacing. As an employer, you want a job board that represents the professionalism that has made you successful. If you want quality users and applicants, build a platform and community that believes that. If you build it, they will come.

We have so many other job-seeking sites out there (Monster, Work Cabin for enviro jobs, etc.) – what makes Job Sprout unique?

Job Sprout slaps you in the face with how intuitive it is. When you land on our site, you are presented with active jobs. All jobs will expire within 30 days of the post date and we limit the amount of job posting at any given time. By taking this approach, your job posting will not be a needle in a haystack. We don’t want to mislead our users. It is stressful enough for job seekers to find a job, so we try hard to eliminate all the headaches that come along with job hunting. Job Sprout focuses and innovates on the basics. Basics don’t change.

You will only find career-worthy type jobs on our site. Not to say that part-time or contract jobs are bad, but we’re committed to providing quality careers for our users. We are hearing from employers that many qualified people are applying for their jobs. I genuinely believe that’s due to the clearly defined rules we’ve created, leading to a quality community. This makes your target demographic willing to visit and explore.

For job seekers it must be challenging to get new gigs, alerts for jobs and so on – is it free for job seekers (you may have already responded this earlier)

We don’t charge users to view jobs and it will stay that way.

Why did you start Job Sprout (e.g. what’s your motivation behind the site)?

My business partner Ann Lee (@beipas) and I own a software company (Venture Cubes) and our philosophy is to build powerful but simple applications for our clients. We love the challenge of taking huge amounts of data and presenting it in a simple way. Attention to detail is very important, from how a user should feel when they land on the site, to font type and size. User experience is a huge factor to our success. We want to be part of the change and help make our community stronger by changing the way we hire, and the way we look for jobs.

No related posts.

The Rumpus Room (Main Street, Mount Pleasant)

Raul — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:01:32 +0000

The highest concentration of hipsters per square foot in a room, the friendliest and nicest service, and the tastiest burgers in a fairly large perimeter around Mount Pleasant can be found at The Rumpus Room on 11th Avenue and Main Street. Recently renovated, apparently, because I recall that there was another establishment there (one that I thought of writing about because it always seemed so… lonely).

I asked around on Twitter on where to have dinner close to my house (I have been working from home for a day and a half, when I’m polishing papers, literature reviews, journal articles or syllabi I often do this – lock myself at home). But nobody mentioned a restaurant I hadn’t visited yet, so what I did is I went to The Rumpus Room (on my friend Heather Watson‘s suggestion).

The restaurant itself is decorated totally hipster, but it’s so relaxed it’s almost unnoticeable. I sat on a very comfy reclining chair and ordered a standard burger ($9) with a potato salad side. I found the prices extremely reasonable. The potato salad was extremely well done, perhaps one of the best I’ve ever tried. Not crazy about the celery, but the creamy dressing complimented very nicely the sometimes a bit dry kaiser.

It was totally my fault that I didn’t order any toppings on my burger (speaking of which, they use hormone-free, free-range meat, just as an FYI – important these days). I felt a lot of garlic flavour and the beef patty was very moist and cooked (as they say) to perfection. I definitely think if I add roasted garlic (one of the toppings that The Rumpus Room offers) and probably some avocado, a basic burger can be a total heaven.

After dinner I absolutely had no space for dessert. The bartender and server both were extremely sweet and told me about their Sunday movie nights. Good times, I’ll definitely be back to The Rumpus Room.

A profile of Social Shopper

Raul — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:45:27 +0000

Social Shopper is a Vancouver-based group-buying startup. As you may have read, in previous months I have profiled a number of local, group-buying enterprises. I have been pretty picky in regards to who I profile, because I always want the focus to be on Vancouver companies, or Lower-Mainland businesses, or at least, BC-based, or Canadian-based. So, when Social Shopper approached me to see about a profile on their company, I agreed as they are Vancouver-based-and-staffed. Below is my email interview with Ehsan Baloochy, CEO and founder of Social Shopper.

1.- What makes Social Shopper different from other group purchasing agencies here in the Lower Mainland?

At SocialShopper.com we have a loyal customer base who are very engaged and come to us as a trusted source of daily deals and city guide. It is therefore, our responsibility to focus on featuring quality businesses, by having a screening process to ensure that we feature the best businesses in the city. We offer a wide variety of businesses so that our customers are excited to check us out every day! Since we’re locally based, we test out the products and services we feature, and also take a hands on approach with both our merchants and customers, so that we build long lasting relationships. SocialShopper is also socially conscious as we have used our “group buying” platform for various community and charity initiatives such as the daily deal: give $5 for $10 donation for Japan Earthquake relief, where within just a couple of days, we raised $20,000 by matching the $10,000 our customers so kindly donated.

2.- Why did you launch Social Shopper in Vancouver, when the market for group purchasing seems so competitive?

Actually, when I had the idea to launch SocialShopper in Vancouver there were no other similar group buying sites here. Being perfectionists, we went through a lot of heavy testing on design and functionality of the website prior to launching, as we wanted to ensure that the first impression for the user and their overall experience would be impressive and streamlined. Therefore, we decided to delay our launch which caused us to miss out on being the first to launch in Vancouver. However, I think the gamble was worth it because even though we launched after a few other deal sites, within only a matter of a few weeks, SocialShopper quickly became the third largest daily deal site in Vancouver, just after Groupon and LivingSocial – both of which are multi-billion dollar companies. We maintained that position for many months since launching, even with very stiff competition. We’re extremely proud that just in June of this year, SocialShopper jumped into 2nd place right after Groupon, beating LivingSocial’s revenues.

3.- What kind of deals would you like to advance with Social Shopper? (e.g. local companies, small companies, etc.)

During these challenging times consumers are looking for more value and SocialShopper wants to fulfill that need. Understanding the needs of the businesses we partner with is also very important to us and we pride ourselves on bringing them quality clientele that creates repeat business. We see a huge opportunity in merging deals, customer loyalty rewards, and mobile technology with the local commerce space in ways we haven’t quite seen done before. The possibilities are endless and SocialShopper has positioned itself to launch various products and services in the very near future.

4.- Do you collaborate with any other group purchasing agency? Is the landscape too competitive?

While the group buying space is very competitive, we have had open dialogue with competitors and given each other feedback. To be honest, many of the deal sites have seen our success and have wanted to merge, invest, or buy us out. We have been open to and entertained all proposals as long as they mesh well with our company vision and culture. We see the daily deal space evolving, and a lot of collaboration happening. I feel that ultimately this will benefit and become a win-win situation for merchants, customers and the communities we live in.

5.- What makes Social Shopper unique?

Focusing on quality over quantity from A – Z, being locally based and giving back to the community through charity partnerships has been SocialShopper’s vision from day one and we have executed on that. We feel what has, and will continue to set us apart is the various loyal relationships we are cultivating. SocialShopper is planting these seeds as we’re looking at the big picture and we have a lot of interesting ideas which we plan on rolling out very soon. Our unique “anti-corporate” company culture has also played a great role in allowing our staff to work in open minded environments and “think outside the box” by ensuring we make a positive impact, not just as a business, but as responsible citizens. A rule of thumb for us here at SocialShopper is that if something we do is not a win-win-win for all parties involved, we avoid moving forward with it and that has helped us tremendously in making the right decisions.

I asked Social Shopper if they would be interested in offering a $250 credit on Social Shopper for one of my readers, and they agreed.

So here is the fine print: The winner will receive winnings by emailing Social Shopper, they will verify their account and credit their SocialShopper account. I will draw a random winner on Monday September 5th, 2011 at 2pm.

There is a number of partnerships that local companies are doing with Social Shopper. A couple that I found very interesting and that my readers might find interesting too:

$29 for a 3-Hour Exclusive Connoisseur Wine Tasting with Hors D’oeuvres at BC Wine School (Value $60)[Social Shopper deal]

$10 for Admission for Two Adults & Two Children OR Three Adults at Maplewood Farm (Value up to $22)
[Social Shopper deal]

Social Shopper has a number of other deals that might be of interest. You can find them on Twitter and Facebook and on their site. And to enter my giveaway all you need to do is tell me what is your favorite item that you shop, on a comment on this site. You can earn an additional entry by posting the text below on Twitter. As for my favorite item: I’m an addict to stationery. There, I said it. *blush*

Told @hummingbird604 which item I love shopping for a chance to win $250 credit @SocialShopper1 http://is.gd/T788oP

As always, I’ll draw a winner randomly from all Twitter and comment-based entries. Good luck everyone!

Disclosure: This post has not been paid for, nor do I receive any other form of compensation. Social Shopper sponsors the $250 credit for the winner of my contest, but I don’t receive an equivalent credit nor compensation for hosting the giveaway. As always, I retain full editorial control on anything published on my site.

Nognz Brain Fitness (West Vancouver)

Raul — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:00:40 +0000

I was invited a few months back to Nognz Brain Fitness’ grand opening, and unfortunately I couldn’t make it. But as an academic, and in general someone who uses his brain for work I was quite intrigued with the notion of a brain fitness academy. It appeals to me on many levels. I’m always looking for ways to keep my brain entertained, and while I’m working quite frequently until late, I think the best thing I can do is take care of my working tool (e.g. my brain). Thus I was happy that Nognz Brain Fitness sent me an invite and some of their materials.

There is no single solution to brain fitness. A combination of physical fitness, mental exercise, good nutrition, stress management and socialization are necessary to maintain and improve a healthy mind that functions better now and lasts longer. Our flagship store opened in West Vancouver BC in January 2011. Thank you to all our amazing new clients for making our opening a success. We have experienced joy, wonderment and met many new friends. Our hope to create a community hub where people can learn, discuss and participate in all aspects of proactive brain health and its powerful possibilities is happening.

I’ll definitely have to check Nognz Brain Fitness and their activities. You can learn more about them on their website.

Jenna Grant’s Concordia Retail gift package giveaway

Raul — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:30:33 +0000

During the month of June, artist and student Jenna Grant is gathering work by a variety of local artists and entrepreneurs as she takes over the Rize pop-up retail space at Broadway and Kingsway. She is calling the collection of locally made products Concordia. Jenna came up with this concept to help bridge the gap between local artists and consumers.

She has put together a little gift basket which includes a variety of products from the store, each made by a different local artist. The gift basket includes:

Greeting cards by Wendy Deakins
“Fuglies” stuffed toy by Suzanne Saint-Pierre
Matchbox and soy teacup candle by Jenna Grant
“Florarina” scarf made from vintage fabric by Emily Jo Heaps

It’s important to me to support local artists and my community within Mount Pleasant (I live in the area) so I was happy to run this giveaway. To enter all you need to tell me is what you consider is your favorite small gift. For me, an aromatic candle or a little bookmark is more than enough (I’m a rampant consumerist sometimes, but I appreciate the love, not so much the gift). So my question to you is – when you give a small gift, what kind of things do you like to give?

I’ll draw a random winner from all collected responses on the comments section until Tuesday June 28th at 2pm. Good luck everyone!

Illuminate Yaletown 2011 (Feb 11th, 12th)

Raul — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:22:37 +0000

Photo credit: Josh Lavoie on Flickr

While I can’t afford living in Yaletown, I love hanging out there. Many great restaurants are within a quick, 2 stop trip from my office at The Network Hub, and I have a lot of friends who both live AND work in Yaletown. From Friday, February 11 to Saturday, February 12, 2011 (5:59PM to 10:30PM), Illuminate Yaletown 2011 (co-produced by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association and Fireworks Marketing Group Inc. ) takes place and it should be a lot of fun.

The Yaletown Business Improvement Association sent me a little bit more information about Illuminate Yaletown for my readers to check out:

The district will be illuminated with various installations lighting up Mainland and Hamilton streets, Yaletown Park, Bill Curtis Square and the Roundhouse Community Centre with colourful artistic expression. Yaletown will be fused with LED lights, animated projections, new media video displays, electronic soundscapes and 3D technology to create a striking visual landscape. Mainland Street will be closed to welcome the expected 50,000 spectators that will refresh the city’s memory of the unique experience lived during the 2010 Winter Games.

It’s a FREE event, and you should probably consider checking it out.

MINI Richmond launches the MINI Countryman

Raul — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:00:28 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I got invited by MINI Richmond to attend a secret, undisclosed location for the launch of the MINI Countryman. This event was hosted in the London Aviation Centre air hanger. Since both Emme Rogers and I have a penchant for all things espionage (see our recent getaway to visit the InSecurity TV Show folks, including the always lovely Richard Yearwood, a personal friend of Emme’s and mine).

(Photo credit: Rick Etkin / Hope Watanabe for London Air Services – used with permission)

The MINI Richmond looked like a rather stylish soirée and I really wish I had been able to attend. Particularly because there was a staged performance of a getaway, some action-packed thug-fighting and saving of the maiden, as usually happens in spy action movies.

(Photo credit: Rick Etkin / Hope Watanabe for London Air Services – used with permission)

I know my friend Alisha Mann drives a MINI and I’ve been driven around one. I love this compact model, and I would be keen to test-drive the MINI Countryman sometime. And I loved the quote provided by Jason So, the Director of Group Marketing:

This MINI Countryman is the solution to the action-packed lifestyle, combining the DNA of a MINI urban-commuter with the adventurous spirit of a crossover. Whether you’re an outlaw on the run, or running from the in-laws – the MINI Countryman is your ultimate getaway car

(Photo credit: Rick Etkin / Hope Watanabe for London Air Services – used with permission)

Next time, I hope these events happen on a Thursday where I don’t have to meet with other colleagues in the evening. I look forward to future events that MINI may put together. Looks like I missed quite a fun event.

@GayCompatible’s Valentine’s Contest with @SeanHorlor and @OUTTv

Raul — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 04:33:43 +0000

Photo Credit: Nicky Forsman
(used with permission)

Dating in Vancouver seems to be equally bad for straight and gay people, from what I can see (at least, from what people seem to tweet all the time!). I follow some of the GLBT online reporters, as well as Out TV, and so I noticed a contest that Gay Compatible was runing featuring my friend Sean Horlor. I caught up with him over coffee last week and asked him what Gay Compatible was and what was all this contest about. We took the opportunity to catch about everything we hadn’t been able to (we probably last chatted when we both covered the Winter Olympics 2010 Pride House). Sean emphasized that Gay Compatible is NOT about “the hookups” as commonly known, but more relationships.

It was interesting to see the contest, as it asked “where would you take Sean on a first date“. Seeing as I’m always keen to find new places in the Greater Vancouver area, I jokingly said to Sean “I know about 40 different places I could take you on a first date that wouldn’t be your standard, run-of-the-mill first-date“. I’m glad to see a dating website that at least purports to cater to dating and relationships. It’ll be interesting to see how Gay Compatible fares in the gay men dating market. And it was, as always, good to catch up with Sean.

The contest that Gay Compatible and Out TV have sounds like it has some really kick-ass prizes.

Caesars Entertainment Vancouver Office Launch

Raul — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:10:47 +0000

Some of my best memories have been in Las Vegas, to be quite honest. And yes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for this one, which was my very first international conference. I organized a panel at the Annual Meeting of the Latin American Studies Association and it was my very first successful international panel. And guess where it was? In Las Vegas. And despite my predictions, all of my panelists did show up to their panels. But we all were thrilled to have a chance to visit iconic places there, including the Caesars’ Palace.

photo credit: jimg944

Many of my good friends in Vancouver tend to go to Las Vegas for their holidays, and it’s almost a sure fact that they end up visiting the Caesars’ Palace. My own brother got married in Las Vegas! So it’s not a surprise that Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment) decided to open a new sales and marketing office in Yaletown Vancouver. It does make perfect sense. And Caesars Entertainment hired an absolute pro to run things – my good friend Alex Lee-Behan.

To kick off the launch of the new office Caesars threw a big bash for their clients and VIP at Joe Fortes. Ten executives traveled up in a jet to attend. Caesars has now opened new offices in Chicago, New York, Dallas and now Vancouver, BC. I totally love Joe Fortes, even if I’m not a big fan of oysters. It was funny to hear that 800 oysters were shucked. I did get an in on one of the 9 giant seafood towers. Also, the champagne flowed and I got a chance to enjoy many of the appetizers (since almost none of them had cheese, yay!).

As I’ve said before, Alex Lee-Behan always throws the best parties, I have to admit. She is “in the know”, and has an amazing ability to ensure that the events she organizes are well covered. It was a great evening to hang out with a few select Vancouver media personalities, many of whom you may recognize (amongst them Dawn Chubai, Catherine Barr, and of course my lovely Plus One for the evening Yvonne Yuen)

I asked Alex about why did Caesars decide to open an office in Vancouver, although as I mentioned above, it does make perfect sense to me. Alex said to me

Caesars Entertainment is about the experience. We want our customers to get the best of everything; service, food, casinos and hotel amenities. We would love the opportunity to plan people’s next getaway to Las Vegas, Tahoe or even New Orleans. We’re bringing a more personal host approach to Vancouver.

If you’d like to stay at a Caesars Entertainment property, such as Caesars Palace, Paris and Planet Hollywood, you can call the Caesars Entertainment Vancouver Office at 604.568.9288 or email Alex Lee Behan at abehan@caesars.com.

Cookies Of Course (Downtown, Harbour Centre)

Raul — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:45:15 +0000

I have only sampled their coffee but it’s good, and they have a good selection of cupcakes. And more importantly, they are a local company, and you know I’m always a promoter of all things local business and entrepreneurs.

Pier 73 at the Delta Airport Hotel

Raul — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:00:24 +0000

I was invited to the re-opening of Pier 73, the restaurant of the Delta Airport Hotel. I have previously reviewed Delta Hotels’ restaurants, for example, I took CB to Manhattan earlier this year, for brunch. But this time, I wanted to check Pier 73 at the Delta Airport Hotel in Vancouver, and even though I had to attend the 70′s-themed launch party on my own I was glad I made it, as I got to bump into my friends Jay Minter and Mijune Pak.

The Delta Vancouver Airport is situated in a beautiful garden setting on the banks of the Fraser River with a 138-slip Marina. Only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver and on the doorstep of the Vancouver International Airport, this waterfront property is an oasis for all travellers. Cycle or take a leisurely stroll on the more than 20 kilometres of riverside trails that connect to the hotel.

They had a band playing 70′s hits

And the food was simply delicious…

PIER 73 Restaurant is a great destination for casual lunch meetings, relaxed dinner gatherings, or evening drinks with friends. With floor to ceiling windows and a magnificent view of the Fraser River and North Shore Mountains PIER 73 offers an eclectic yet comfortable menu. Located behind the hotel and suspended above the Fraser River in the heart of a 138-slip Marina, PIER 73 is a popular spot to take in the beautiful West Coast Sunsets after a long day of travelling or meetings.

This is what the hotel looked like back then.

I’m grateful I got an invite to check out Pier 73 and I am also very happy to know that there is at least some transit coverage that increases accessibility by bus and Canada Line. You have to get off at the Bridgeport Canada Line station, and then take the community shuttle C92. It’s my understanding that the Delta Airport Hotel also has a shuttle to Bridgeport Canada Line station but don’t trust me on that one yet.

An interview with Lesel Radage of @GroosterVan

Raul — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:45:36 +0000

A few months ago, I began talking with Lesel Radage of Grooster, a group purchasing local venture. I’m always keen to profile local entrepreneurs, and more so if they actually answer to my questions when they’re challenging (I am an academic, after all, I think about things in a more analytical way).

Lesel was very gracious in meeting with me and answer my numerous questions. These are four that I thought would be particularly interesting to my readers. Thanks Lesel for giving me an insight into Grooster!

1.- What makes Grooster different from other group purchasing agencies here in the Lower Mainland?

A. Grooster is a super lean start up, with just one full-time employee. The success of any business is directly related to the intimacy with which you know your clients and customers. I’m really looking to learn what our subscribers and businesses want, so that Grooster can adapt and change to provide a better model before we start to scale.

B. We really look to develop on-going relationships with the businesses we work with. We focus on working with our client’s objectives to develop promotions that are sustainable and meet the objectives they set. As a result, the deals you find on Grooster may not appear to be the best ‘price’, but the value to the business and consumer has been well thought out to ensure the best experience for all parties. Remember – cheapest price does not always mean best quality.

2.- Why did you launch Grooster in Vancouver, when the market for group purchasing seems so competitive?

The space is extremely competitive, but there is an amazing opportunity that remains largely untapped. Literally thousands of businesses are looking for new ways to reach new customers. The existing group-buying companies are barely scratching the surface of all the local businesses that want to participate in the space. Vancouver proper has a population of around 600K, but there are another 1.5M people in the metro area. Only in recent weeks has the odd offer from Port Moody or Coquitlam started to appear. The model as you see it today will change very soon, as companies are innovating and the game will change very soon. Fierce competition requires innovation, nimble operations and stellar execution – so far, Grooster is managing all three.

3.- What kind of deals would you like to advance with Grooster? (e.g. local companies, small companies, etc.)

I am keen on featuring great businesses and business owners. I like to feature locally run, small companies both well known and off the beaten path. Meeting with business owners and hearing their stories is one of my favorite parts of this job. I like to feature retail and product based stores.

4.- Do you collaborate with any other group purchasing agency? Is the landscape too competitive?

I think that it is critical to consider collaboration with other players. I take the time to meet with other local and not so local entrepreneurs in the social, mobile, local advertising space. We share information and look for opportunities to work together. I am currently looking into a few partnership opportunities.

The Fair at the Pacific National Exhibition

Raul — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:11:52 +0000

I remember when I arrived to Vancouver for the very first time at the middle of August. The first Canadian person I talked to asked me “did you go to the PNE?”. I was totally out of it. I had just moved to an English speaking country and had no interest whatsoever in knowing the local customs, all I wanted was to adapt quickly to my new environment. So I forgot about the PNE. For about a decade.

Each year, as the school year begins, I am always reminded about the Pacific National Exhibition and the Fair. And for the most part, I ignore it, not because I am not interested, but because I seem to have this ancient self-defense mechanism about the first thing I learned about Vancouver – that there was a fair in August hosted at the PNE.

And for the first time this summer, thanks in part to my good friend Gus Fosarolli, and thanks to the Raise Your Hand Movement closing party for Josh Dueck breaking the record for most high-fives within a 24 hours period, I ended up visiting and actually hanging out at the fair at the PNE. It’s not that much different from other famous fairs in Mexico (and in some ways, the fairs in Mexico are MUCH better), but more importantly, they keep some of the attractions open all year long, and that’s awesome.

The PNE celebrated it’s first 100 years and that’s super awesome. I’m glad I finally had a chance to enjoy it!

Megaphone Magazine (@MegaphoneMag)

Raul — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:10:17 +0000

Given that my office is near West Hastings and Richards (at The Network Hub) I often bump into vendors of Megaphone Magazine. I had never made the time, quite honestly, to chat with any of them, although I did know a little bit of what the purpose of Megaphone was. I recently talked with the vendor who sells them outside Harbour Centre (Jim, if my memory doesn’t fail me).

From their website:

Megaphone is a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver by homeless and low-income vendors. The magazine comes out every two weeks. Vendors buy the paper for 50 cents and sell the magazine to customers by donation. All money from the transaction goes into the pocket of the vendor.

Selling the paper gives our vendors a sense of pride and has helped some overcome homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and their mental of physical illnesses. By giving them a place and a voice in their community it helps raise their self-esteem.

I have previously profiled the Hope in Shadows Calendar, and I am a big supporter of initiatives that help people in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver, one of the most impoverished areas in Canada.

I bought two of the Megaphone magazines ($2 suggested donation) and always try to get one when I see a vendor on Broadway and Main. You can donate to Megaphone Magazine (this link goes to their donations page).

Au Petit Cafe (South Main)

Raul — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:00:52 +0000

I would have never been to Au Petit Cafe if Minna hadn’t ever brought me here. Even though it is located in South Main (and therefore, pretty close by to this cute little Vietnamese restaurant). I went here for dinner/lunch with Minna and Erica Lam (Minna, as you may know, is the co-founder of The Network Hub and Erica writes The Style Spy and is also a social media strategist for Cossette West).

Au Petit Cafe is tiny, but always busy from what I hear. And the food is really good, but more than anything pretty inexpensive. I ordered a French bread sub with shredded chicken, vegetables and hot peppers, which I do not remember the price but I would say it was in the range of, at the most, $6.50.

Inexpensive food, great service, very nice people (the owner spoke to me in French, which I found extremely sweet). Overall, a great experience shared with awesome friends.

Milestones Crossroads (Broadway and Cambie)

Raul — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:45:24 +0000

I’m really not sure why the area around Broadway and Cambie is now called “Crossroads” but I think its name is fitting. I was very concerned with what would be of this area during the Canada Line construction. But seeing a number of restaurants opening and business in general blossoming (from what I can see as I walk down Cambie Street now) really makes me hopeful.

One of those new restaurants, and one of my absolute favorites in the Milestones chain of restaurants is Milestones Crossroads (@milestonesxrds on Twitter). I recently wrote about Milestones on Robson, and I have eaten at just about every other Milestones in the city. The interesting thing here is that not only is this particular location a franchise, it’s franchised by local entrepreneurs. I was invited by Andrea Mac Farlane to the opening of Milestones Crossroads and I brought along some of my close friends (Minna Van and Jay Catalan from The Network Hub and Nathan Tippe and Andre Malan, both from UBC).

These folks have fairly substantial audiences on Twitter and also have good blogs, AND appreciate good food (we had a few nibbles from their menu), great drinks (one of them a new, Erin martini, completely lethal!) and a wonderful atmosphere. We all wanted to share our experience at Milestones Crossroads. The opening had a summery, Hawaiian flavor. The Beat 94.5 also joined us on site to offer awesome music and live entertainment. I fired a couple of interview questions to the franchisers of Milestones Crossroads, which I’m reproducing below.

1) Why Milestone’s and why a franchise? You could have chosen any other restaurant to franchise, but you sought Milestones, what made you guys make that decision?

We both have many years of experience with Milestones and felt Milestones is a brand that aligns well with our values.

2) With so much variety of restaurants around the Cambie corridor, it might look like a challenge to open a new restaurant in the neighbourhood. What made you guys decide for this particular location?

We believe the Cambie corridor will be the new hot spot for Vancouver and we love competition. It makes everyone better. Perhaps most importantly, when we had the opportunity to secure such a great view of downtown and the North Shore mountains, one which is so rare in this city, we had to take it!

Overall, it was a great experience to have a taste of what Milestones Crossroads has to offer, and I want to take this opportunity to thank Andrea for the invite, to Erin Maher for connecting me with Andrea and to Milestones Crossroads for welcoming me and my crew along. As you might have seen on Twitter, we had an absolute blast!

The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden (Chinatown)

Raul — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:23:17 +0000

Of the beautiful museums and areas that one can visit in Vancouver, one of the most under-rated and the one that I had been trying to visit for the longest time is the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Last year, Donna Chen (who collaborates with the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden) contacted me about some suggestions in the social media realm (the Garden is now on Twitter, @vangarden).

But I had never visited. Until a couple of weeks ago, on the same day when I did Roedde House Museum and Cardero Bottega.

According to the brochure:

Ming Dynasty scholars were the elite of their time and highly educated officials in the Imperial Chinese government. Secluded behind high white halls, their living spaces were shared with their extended family and friends.

The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first of its kind built outside of China. Fifty-three master craftsmen came from China with 950 crates of material and constructed the Garden using traditional methods – no glue, screws or power tools were used! The result is this enchanting space imbued with the perfect balance of yin and yang.

The Garden has two areas, one that is free and one that is paid (complete with guided tours and tea). Admission per person is $14 and if you become a member ($25) you can have up to 2 complimentary passes. I chose to become a member as I know my Mom would love to come visit so I’m planning to bring her along.

I plan to attend one of their Friday evening concert series (for the summer, hours of operation are 9:30am to 7:00pm). Located at 578 Carrall Street in Chinatown, I would strongly recommend this beautiful museum/garden. I had a wonderful time visiting (and yes, it is incredibly peaceful).

My good friend Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) recently visited too, and here is a link to her post about her experience. I would strongly recommend people to come visit, as it is totally worth it!

@WinkBeauty Mad Hatter Summer BBQ today (Saturday June 5th)

Raul — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:20:27 +0000

photo credit: liakapelke

My good friend Minna (The Network Hub) mentioned she was attending a BBQ today, and I wondered what party she was referring to. I just learned recently that it’s one organized by the wonderful Wink Beauty Lounge & Boutique girls.

Wink is located at 67 East Cordova Street in the Koret Lofts, at the street level (between Carrall St. & Columbia St.) You should totally check it out.

Admission is free, and the Build-A-Burger is by donation, where proceeds benefit the Street Beat Sandwich Ministries, which hands out thousands of sandwiches to the homeless twice a month.

The Mad Hatter Garden BBQ is a celebration of the 2 years of Wink Beauty Lounge & Boutique, and will take place from 3-7pm. You can bring your hat to the BBQ, there’ll be complimentary faux lashes/nails, a chance to win a WinkBeauty basket, and it sounds like it’ll be fun!

You can RSVP by calling 604-696-9465. Alternatively, I’m pretty sure you can just drop by. It sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun (even if I don’t actually need faux lashes!)

Grand Opening of Prestons Restaurant at Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

Raul — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:00:45 +0000

Whenever I am invited to restaurant openings, I am almost always betting I’m going to bump into a bunch of my food blogger friends. It is a nice departure from other social media events I attend and one that I really enjoy. As the organizer of the Vancouver Blogger Meetup, I feel kind of responsible to know just about every blogger in Vancouver, even if they don’t know each other prior.

Given that my blog has a very strong food review component, although it’s not its main focus, I always feel privileged when I get to be as a guest to these types of events. Plus, I get to eat really good food AND write about it. I was invited this week to take part in the grand opening of Prestons Restaurant at Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. I had walked by the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel earlier this year.

Joined by popular foodie bloggers Minju (FollowMeFoodie), Sherman (Sherman’s Food Adventures), Victor (Ho Yummy) and Jason Sanders as my Plus One, I had an opportunity to explore the various types of dishes that Prestons offers. While for some people restaurants at hotels may just be seen as the places where travellers eat while on business trips (at least, that was MY view when I was doing a lot more work-related travel), I have had a chance to sample a few of the restaurants hosted at hotels in Vancouver, and I have no complaints. But in the case of Prestons, I would go beyond “no complaints”.

Prestons is the kind of restaurant where I would bring a friend for dinner. We were offered a sampler of their menu (all of it, not only the Mixers, but we went through the main courses and a beautiful sampler of dessert sushi – yeah, dessert sushi! I had never eaten it, though I had seen it in photos). When we arrived, I made a point of chatting with Chef Alessandro Vianello to find out more about their menu.

I loved the seared diver scallop & sweet prawn gyozas, presented in cute bamboo baskets. I also sampled a small bowl of traditional Pad Thai with chicken, prawns & tofu. Bear in mind I do not usually eat Thai food, so for me, it was great. I found the slider burger very tasty but the bun was a little too big. The flavors were fantastic, though. And the martinis. Prestons’ martinis are incredible.

Keeping in line with what I have done at other restaurants in my recent reviews and/or coverage of new restaurant openings, I looked at the price lists, and I found main courses priced between $13-$26, in the general range of what I have seen in restaurants in downtown Vancouver (and I would say not badly priced for a Coal Harbour-based restaurant).

The food was very good, I found the ambiance of Prestons very nice, and the service was really superb. And the dessert sushi was nice too (although I wasn’t totally sold on the fruit ‘nigiri’). Prestons is located at 1177 West Pender Street in Coal Harbour, Vancouver, BC. You can make reservations by calling 604-673-2173.

Disclosure: My and my Plus One’s samplers and drinks at Prestons were complimentary. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this media dinner was to introduce several foodie bloggers (myself included) to Prestons. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.

The sweet goodies of @Bonchaz Bakery Cafe

Raul — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:45:15 +0000

There are a number of fringe benefits to coworking at The Network Hub. One of them is having a number of coffee shops and bakeries, lunch spots, pizza joints and sushi places. One of such is Bonchaz Bakery Cafe, a place where Minna and Meriko and a number of our colleagues have been able to feast our sweet tooth with delicious baking goodies.

Their location (dangerously close to The Network Hub, seriously it’s about a 45 second trip downstairs) makes them the perfect place to pick up a pastry, a coffee and head back to the office. You can also follow Bonchaz on Twitter.

I am particularly fond of the pastry you can see in this photo, which is kind of similar to Mexican “conchas” but not exactly a ‘concha’. I also just like the service you get from the super nice staff. I thoroughly recommend Bonchaz!

Miranda’s Hat (Main Street)

Raul — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:22:56 +0000

A couple of months ago, I decided to go back to competitive volleyball. The best way to re-build my muscle strength is through swimming, in my opinion. I’m of the opinion that if you are going to do something, you need to start RIGHT AWAY. No nonsense of the type “oh, I’ll start swimming…tomorrow“. So I grabbed a friend of mine and we went shopping on Main Street.

Where, oh where was I going to find swimming trunks that would be discreet enough for a faculty member at the university? And not spend half of my monthly allowance? The answer was, surprisingly, Miranda’s Hat. Located on Main Street, at 3680 Main St, near 23rd Avenue (pretty much across from Crave on Main)

What I love the most about Miranda’s Hat is that the sourcing of their products is of high ethical, and environmental standards. I bought two swim trunks (one of them, quite obviously, is much more revealing than the other one, because of course, I think that it’s better to have more modest swim trunks for the university pool), and I was quite pleased both with the pricing and the quality. I would recommend you to visit Miranda’s Hat any day of the week!

The Mount Pleasant Community Centre

Raul — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:07:07 +0000

Pretty much anyone who reads my blog knows that I live in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, in Vancouver. I am a big promoter of where I live for several reasons. First, I find it incredibly accessible. I live within walking distance (less than 5 blocks) from three of the major bus routes in Vancouver: 3 Main/Downtown, 8 Fraser/Downtown and 19 Metrotown/Downtown. Second, I find Mount Pleasant absolutely great. It is a very lively neighbourhood. I actually think it is true that Fraser may quickly become “The New Main”, and as a matter of fact Main Street is a wonderful, happening neighbourhood. Third, I love Mount Pleasant’s character.

I have written about many restaurants and other amenities around my neighbourhood, but I had been a tad remiss in showcasing the brand spanking new Mount Pleasant Community Centre, which was re-deployed from Ontario and 16th Avenue to the corner where Kingsway, Main and 7th Avenue all converge.

The MPCC has fantastic, modern and well-equipped facilities, although I’m 100% sure that residents do miss the outdoor pool (I hope someone saves it!). I am a member, and I exercise in the fitness centre. For a quick overview of the MPCC and everything that they offer you can read up more on this link.

On having the right equipment and the right office environment

Raul — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:15:28 +0000

For the longest time I have been addicted to office spaces and office supplies. It must be the fact that my parents are lawyers. I was my Dad’s and my Mom’s office manager for the longest time when I was in my early teens. Yes, you read right. In my EARLY TEENS. For some reason, I’ve always loved doing things the earliest, the soonest, etc. I don’t know why.

It occurred to me this past week that one of the reasons why I feel that my productivity is stifled when I am working at home is the lack of appropriate office space. I’ve been blessed with having such a great environment at The Network Hub. As I’ve called it before, it’s my “home away from home“. For me, and for other entrepreneurs, it’s a launching pad from where our work skyrockets. And Minna and John have been fantastic. In particular, I’ve worked now more recently with Minna and with Christy (UrbanBella) and will be doing more projects with them in the very near future.

The setup of my office here at The Network Hub allows me to have a printer (the HP PhotoSmart that I am in the midst of reviewing) to my right and to my left, I have space to place the photos of my family, my to-do tray, and the stuff one needs usually (coffee mug, water bottle, pencil and pen box. I try really hard to keep everything very organized, but I’m not always extremely successful.

One thing I can tell you – having such a positive energy around me, so many entrepreneurs, and the infrastructure (including wireless, dining areas and meeting areas) that make my work day so comfortable is really a blessing.

Just a reflection after spending a lot of time at my office at The Network Hub, and particularly in light of the closure of WorkSpace – I do hope that the members will be able to get a new space soon I know that Dane has been working really hard to help their former members to secure new office spaces.

Guest theatre review – Bash – latter days

Raul — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:00:30 +0000

Writer Stacey Robinsmith can be found at www.theleftcoast.ca providing Vancouver and beyond with commentary and analysis on a daily basis that is informed, insightful and irreverent.

The Carousel Theatre is where many children’s plays such as Love you FOREVER…and more Munsch, the adaptation of children’s’ author Robert Munsch’s stories are put on the stage. However, from August 19th to 22nd, a Neil LaBute play, bash—latter day plays is playing at the Carousel. It is not possible that infanticide, gay-bashing or murder committed by seemingly normal people, could be further in theme or content from the kids’ plays that typically play on this stage.

LaBute’s play is actually comprised of three single act plays, or perhaps more accurately, three separate confessions of savage killings by three otherwise everyday folks. It is reported that initially LaBute wrote this play with the main characters overtly being members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Not surprisingly, the church did not appreciate this nod in their direction and hence his split from the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

The opening act has Michael Bean walk on the stage set with one white straight-back plain wooden chair on an otherwise entirely black stage. Bean plays the role of a “man” who has met someone in a hotel lounge and returned to his room to confess his sin and crime. And what a confession it is; his hatred for women is confessed line by line. His nervous movements and gestures, the partially full glass of water he carries with him and the pained expressions on his sweaty face all reveal this misogynist for who he is. Bean plays the role of the confessor with stunning realism.

As quickly as Michael Bean leaves the blacked out stage a young couple appear. John, the grinning male, is played by Stafford Perry while Veronica Campbell plays the role of a gushing Sue. Perry’s 10,000 watt super smile is his prop while Campbell’s giddy enjoyment of their big night out at a party and her “little black dress” are hers. While Stafford’s ear to ear grin can warm the hearts of audience members, it is his ability to instantaneously go from the beaming youth to the darkly dangerous gay-bashing animal who himself has a latent homosexual desire that is most frightening. All the while “Sue” is describing the party scene in her childishly giddy voice. This act of the play is creepy beyond words. Fortunately after this act there is a fifteen minute intermission to let the sell-out audience escape the stifling heat of the theatre.

Post-intermission the stage is set with a chair in front of a table, with a tape recorder, cigarettes, ashtray and a glass of water on it. Enter Nevada Yates Robart in the role of a “woman”. Nevada is dressed in orange coveralls to reinforce the fact that she is in a prison-setting. Her story of childhood sexual exploitation is told in the wide-eyed wonder of a child in a woman’s body. The voice and facial expressions tell the tale of a child’s stolen innocence.

The cast and crew of this production were all unpaid volunteers. They put together a disturbing, shocking and poignant play that demonstrates how thin the veneer over the monster within everyday people really is. If you want to see theatre in its most raw form, get to the Carousel Theatre and witness this production of Neil LaBute’s bash—latter day plays. Love it or hate it, you will not soon forget the performance.

Disclosure: This guest post was written by Stacey Robinsmith for Hummingbird604.com. Tickets to attend the performance were sponsored by Xua Xua Productions (thank you). As with any review I post on my blog, I retain full editorial control.

Rent (Musical) by Fighting Chance Productions – Theatre review

Raul — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:22:53 +0000

Last spring, I was invited by Ryan Mooney (Artistic Director of Fighting Change Productions) to see TICK TICK Boom! The show was fantastic and by the end of it, I had an opportunity to talk to Ryan about their upcoming productions. He mentioned that they were preparing RENT, and asked me whether I’d come for opening night of their first 2009-2010 production. Well, the time came already as I was joined last night by Lorraine at the opening night of Rent as a guest of FCP, at the Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver.

With intertwined themes of love, poverty, passion, heartbreak, homelessness and redemption, Rent is a fantastic musical that shows you just how important is love in human life. From the description on Wikipedia:

Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of AIDS.

I really enjoyed this all-Canadian production of Rent. Since it was opening night, I am sure that there’ll be things that the production will want to smooth. For the first number, I wish the sound engineering had been more focused on the actors’ voices than the music. The rest of the show was absolutely delightful. The actor who plays Angel definitely steals the show, regardless of the fact that Rent is a multiple-actor cast production. And not surprisingly (I’ve seen other Fighting Chance Productions), the closing number brought the audience to their feet.

Without a doubt, this was one of the most enjoyable versions of Rent I’ve witnessed, and from what I understand, the first time Rent is presented with an all-Canadian cast. I recognized a couple of actors from other productions and I had a chance to have a brief chat with them along with Lorraine. I would strongly recommend attending this musical. It will run from August 7th to 30th, 2009 at Presentation House in North Vancouver. Below you can find the video to the popular song “Seasons of Love” (not with the cast of this particular production, though)

Ryan gave me a pair of tickets to give away on my site, and an invite to see the show myself, which I really appreciate. Since the theme of rent is in great part, homelessness, to win these tickets, just drop a comment here offering an idea (no matter how far-fetched it may be) to solve homelessness. I will draw the winner on Wednesday August 12th at 4pm.

The Road to Canterbury (theatre review)

Raul — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:00:49 +0000

When I arrived to the Queen Elizabeth Park (thanks to David Miller, who picked me up at the office as he was the winner of the tickets that the kind organizers of The Road to Canterbury sponsored) I was greeted by Simon Ogden, who is one of the strongest theatre forces in this city. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I had some idea that the performance would be good.

As I indicated previously, when I read the press release for The Road to Canterbury, I knew that I was going to see some exploratory, experimental reinvention of Chaucer’s tales. And what a reinvention this was! I don’t think I can make justice to the excellent performances of everyone in the cast without giving away much of the plot, but suffice it to say that you should really see it. Five of Chaucer’s Tales of Canterbury are re-enacted in a modern time, fourth-plane exhibit.

An interactive experience of The Road to Canterbury and a supporting cast who are able to stay in character and interweave their storylines with the tales themselves are only two of several strategies that Sebastien Archibald uses to enrich the participant’s experience. Each one of the tales is retold, in faithful homage to the original, but with a twist and a strong link to current events.

Like Chaucer himself, Archibald uses the absolutely gorgeous backdrop that the Queen Elizabeth Park offers to create compelling stories that offer social commentary and criticism to our status quo. I had an absolutely delightful time, and I would strongly recommend you to attend. Thanks to Itsazoo Productions for the invite to see this performance, and for sponsoring tickets for one of my lucky readers.

You can read more about The Road to Canterbury from my preview post located here.

All’s Well That Ends Well (Bard on the Beach Performance)

Raul — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:42:05 +0000

Credit: Ginalan

I have always been a fan of theatre (as my readers will know – I’ve given away A LOT of tickets on my site for theatrical performances, thanks to the wonderful sponsors that have provided me with opportunities to reward my readers). My main aim is to showcase the local talent in Vancouver (and overall, in British Columbia) with all these contest giveaways and with my reviews of theatre plays. This year, Bard on the Beach has been kind enough to sponsor two contests (one for Othello, for which I’ll be drawing a winner this afternoon, and one for Comedy of Errors).

I knew that JT had wanted to go to Bard on the Beach with me and attend the lecture series as well as do the picnic (i.e. the whole 9 yards), so I met him at his place around 3pm and we took the Aqua Bus towards the Maritime Museum. We went for a nice walk around Kitsilano Beach and then attended the lecture series. I’ll describe the series in more detail in a subsequent post, but suffice it to say that it was an excellent event.

We then picked up our picnics by Emelle, the official caterer of Bard (JT purchased an “All’s Well” picnic, the heartiest/biggest meal of them all). While I liked the food, I was kind of taken aback by the cold picnic in the format they did it (cold rice and cold chicken). For the next time we go there, we’re going to order sandwiches (The Comedy picnic).

After dinner we headed to the stage where All’s Well that Ends Well would take place. Admittedly, I am a Shakespeare fan. Admittedly, I have been a theatre actor and fan for many years. But that doesn’t cloud my judgement. This was a PHENOMENAL performance. The gist of the play (a problem play, as English scholars call it) is that Helena, a poor woman from a lower class, cures the King, she wants his son Bertram as husband. He runs away but Helena, wise and street-smart, has devised a plot with Diana (the woman that Bertram has tried to woo) to win him back. There’s a lot of talk about sex

I was delighted with the performance, and all the actors did a phenomenal job (although of note I should indicate the delightful work of the actress who played Diana). This kind of problem play (where there is no exact measure of comedy or drama) also presents fantastic challenges of interpretation. Is Shakespeare being sexist, anti-feminist or is he empowering women?

Overall, I had a delightful evening with JT and I am ever grateful that he invited me along. This is the kind of stuff that friendships are made of. We walked leisurely over the Burrard bridge towards his apartment so that he could drive me back home and as we strolled around, we had a chance to discuss about how great Bard on the Beach is. If you have a chance to attend a performance, I thoroughly recommend it. All’s Well was entirely sold out the evening we saw it, so you may need to check about ticket availability.

And if you want to see Othello, enter my contest for 2 reserved seats tickets for Thursday’s performance!

The Lazy Gourmet’s BBQ

Raul — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:08:01 +0000

A couple of weeks back, The Lazy Gourmet invited me to a summer BBQ. While I am no longer the top-ranked UrbanSpoon food reviewer, I remain in the top five and I am also heavily involved with the food blogging scene in Vancouver. The Lazy Gourmet does not actually have a full-blown restaurant (although they do provide to-go lunch options), but more importantly, it is a local business that is heavily focusing on providing sustainable food catering options. I was particularly happy when I found out that the salmon they use is Ocean Wise approved. For me, being a local business with a focus on sustainability and a genuine interest in the community always earns you brownie points. I wish I had had more space to sample all of their catering items. Unfortunately, the BBQ was on a Sunday when I was (as usual) triple-booked. Also, I was on my way for dinner with JT and he would have not appreciated it very much if I hadn’t eaten what he cooked for me! Overall, my experience with The Lazy Gourmet was very positive, particularly when I commented about my editorial and disclosure policy (i.e. I’m not obligated to write about anything nor do I endorse anything that I don’t feel right). I gave Ginger a few tips on Twitter and encouraged her to tell management at The Lazy Gourmet about getting a blog. More importantly, it is key to remain engaged with customers. I have had very little experience with caterers (only having really worked with LunchBox in Gastown for Mental Health Camp) so it was nice to learn more about The Lazy Gourmet. You can read more on their About Us page. Thanks for the invite to the BBQ! Next time, I seriously hope I’ll have more room for more tasty food!

Bluewater Adventures Boat Trip

Raul — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:31:14 +0000

Credit: Rebecca Bollwitt

Yeah, twice in a row I’ve been on a boat this week. But this time, it was an experience that was also much more intimately associated with what I do both professionally (as an scholar of environmental studies) and personally (I love nature adventures). A small number of local bloggers (myself included) were invited by the good folks of Bluewater Adventures on a short (3 hour) boat trip around Indian Arm, on the North Shore. This is not traditionally their route (as they travel to the Queen Charlotte Islands, coastal British Columbia and South East Alaska amongst other destinations), but they wanted to showcase what they do and I think I speak for everyone in saying that we had a fantastic time. As many of you know, I am a big fan of local businesses, particularly those that have overarching sustainability goals that are embedded in their day-to-day practices. Bluewater Adventures is the first carbon neutral eco-tourism adventure company (I know for a fact that they acquired their carbon offsets from Offsetters, a local Vancouver non-profit company that helps companies become carbon neutral by offsetting their emissions through donations to projects generally focused on carbon sequestration and/or other carbon minimization strategies).

I was kind of disappointed to hear that this local, environmentally-focused adventure travel company wasn’t more well known in the local community, but I would like to believe that our coverage (Colleen‘s, Rebecca‘s, John‘s and mine) will help somewhat raise their profile, as the company is very much deserving of kudos, in no small part for their commitment to sustainability, carbon neutrality and eco-tourism. We boarded the Island Odyssey around 4:30pm at the municipal dock of Deep Cove (one of my absolute favorite destinations, as you may have read previously on my blog) and headed up Indian Arm. We toured the Indian Arm and were given an extensive descriptive tour of the beautiful surroundings we were witnessing. For wonderful photos of our adventure, check Rebecca‘s and John‘s Flickr streams. For me, this was also a bit of a lesson in history as Rebecca gave me a few tidbits here and there on the history of the region, particularly when we were crossing the area near Buntzen Lake, a hike I’ve wanted to do for years (maybe one of my readers/fellow bloggers would like to join me in a Buntzen Lake trip).

For pricing details and a thorough overview of bookings and spaces available in the 2009 calendar of BlueWater Adventures you can click here. Thanks for the invite and for the awesome tour!

LunchBox, the official caterers of Mental Health Camp #mhc09

Raul — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:39:58 +0000

This post is a follow up of Mental Health Camp, but it wasn’t until recently that LunchBox had launched their website. So, that’s why it’s so late here. Thanks to Darren Barefoot, we were able to meet up with the BC Mental Health Foundation Executive Director, Dee Dee Sung, to discuss the possibility of sponsorship for lunch. For both Isabella and myself, it was very important to provide lunch at Mental Health Camp.

Sharing a meal is such a bonding experience, and we knew that people would be tired if we didn’t have a break (and their glucose level would drop to dangerous levels without food). So we searched around for the best catering company in town. We wanted someone who sourced local ingredients, who might potentially employed sustainable practices and a small local entrepreneurial shop. After a recommendation of Bradley Schende (M2O) we settled on LunchBox.

When I contacted LunchBox about catering to our event and informed them that we had a certain limit to the budget we were able to spend, they were very generous to sponsor the remainder through a generous discount. This gift was very substantive and we were extremely grateful that combined the generous support of the BCMHF and LunchBox, we were able to provide a free, delicious and nutritious lunch to every participant at Mental Health Camp.

I wanted to thank again the BC Mental Health Foundation for sponsoring lunch, and to LunchBox for so generously giving us a great discount that allowed us to cover food costs with the support of BCMHF. From the feedback we received at MHC’09, 56% of the participants absolutely loved it, and 22% liked it a lot, so with over a 75% rate of ‘Excellent’ I would feel strongly about recommending LunchBox if you have any local catering needs. They were also extremely well located for our needs as their office and small restaurant is located right on Railtown (across from the offices of Invoke Media).

Sins of the City Tour (Vancouver Police Centennial Museum)

Raul — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:07:46 +0000

Credit: John Biehler

I’m always lucky to be blessed with amazing friends, and Chris Mathieson (the Executive Director of the Vancouver Police Centennial Museum) is one of them. We had talked about me possibly attending a Tweetup “Sins of the City Tour”, where a group of people from the local Twittersphere would be roaming the streets of Vancouver and listening to historical musings of our fair city’s criminal past.

I knew I was overbooked with work, but Chris (always a gentleman and always having my back) ensured that I scored a spot in this most amazing walking tour. Many of my local friends, including the good folks from Mojave, Gus and Russ, Corinna and Adam, Stacie and John, my always adored Emme Rogers, Tris, the very knowledgeable Lorraine, Dale McGladdery, Ian Alexander Martin, Jon Jennings, and many other good tweeps were there.

Credit: John Biehler

For me, historical tours of the city of Vancouver are always a highlight. Last year, when my friend Rebecca and I did National Digital Media Day, we roamed the streets of several municipalities. Rebecca very patiently shared many historical tidbits of Surrey and other areas of Vancouver (she writes a well-known series of blog posts on Vancouver history). So, I’m always fascinated when history is recounted in front of me. Chris is extremely knowledgeable and he really showed his expertise. It was also kind of neat to see someone whom I consider a good friend of mine in a working environment. I guess that’s kind of what my friends who attend my academic presentations feel when they see one of my talks. While I am not a very frequent visitor of the Downtown East Side, I am always fascinated and puzzled by the stories that are embedded in the walls, on the streets and in each building.

- Why did the women of the trade migrate from San Francisco to Vancouver?
- Why did the high-end brothels end up locating themselves on Alexander Street?
- Why has Japantown all but disappeared?

I am an inquisitive guy and I will have to take another Sins of the City tour so that my curiousity be satisfied. In the mean time, I would just like to invite you to participate in this most wonderful experience.

You should also know that the Vancouver Police Museum is a self-funded and self-running organization. Therefore, please consider donating to keep this amazing project running. I know that it will be hard for JT and me to score a visit to the Vancouver Police Museum unless we meet earlier on Sundays, but I just learned the great news that the Museum will be open from 9am to 5pm on Sundays too! Learn more about the Vancouver Police Museum here.

I took some video of Chris speaking about the history of the women’s sex trade in the Downtown East Side (sorry for the “mmmmhmmm” that you can hear from me, but Flip cameras have a way of absorbing the noise from the person holding the camera).

Upcoming seminar: “Cyber Security and Your Business: How to Protect Your Customers from Online Threats”

Raul — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:30:01 +0000

My good friend Jonathon Narvey invited me to a Better Business Bureau event where Vaclav Vincalek, the President of PCIS will be speaking on “Cyber Security and Your Business: How to Protect Your Customers from Online Threats”. This event promises to be a very good one (although given my commitments, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it).

The link to the registration page is here. A brief summary of what Vaclav will be discussing in the seminar can be found here.

The presentation will include an overview of the following issues:

* How and why cyber criminals target your business

* The consequences of a web security breach

* How effective network security, web security and identity management tools and practices can protect your business assets and your customers’ privacy

The Regional Assembly of Text (Main Street, Vancouver)

Raul — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:50:01 +0000

Credit: eldan

If you’ve been reading my blog for long enough, you’ll know that I’m a big supporter of small business, eclectic shops and in general anything that has to do with Mount Pleasant and the Main Street area of Vancouver. I live here, and I’m blessed because I get quick access to anything I may possibly need, or within a very quick bus ride. Anyhow, in my previous explorations of Mount Pleasant I had come across The Regional Assembly of Text, but had never remembered to write about it.

I was recently reminded of this cute store, founded in 2005 by Brandy Fedoruk and Rebecca Ann Dolen because I walked by a couple of days ago. The first time I visited was with my friend AF. We both thrive in writing letters the old-fashioned way. I think I’m a natural-born writer, despite the fact that when I was little I never felt competent to write stories. I never thought of myself as a storyteller. At least, not until now that I’ve been blogging for over three years.

In my quest to find more about the Regional Assembly of Text I found this post by Sophie Munn who mentioned she’d like a store like this in her region (I think she lives in Brisbane). One of MANY really cool features of this cute little store is the Letter Writing Club. There is no cost and everyone is welcome. From their paper advertisement:

We provide paper, envelopes, typewriters, tea, cookies & encouragement

The Letter Writing Club takes place every first Thursday of the month at 7:00pm. I seriously hope to attend the next one. If you want to find out more about the Regional Assembly of Text, please check their website or drop by (it’s located near 24th Avenue and Main Street).

Journalist 2.0 Panel Liveblog (Convergence ’09) #cvg09

Raul — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:15:15 +0000

Journalist 2.0 liveblog

Journalist 2.0 – Convergence ’09

(05/11/2009)