Hummingbird604.com » not a super crucial topic

Free wireless access in hotels: Privilege or requirement?

Raul — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:25:09 +0000

I travel quite a lot, as you can see by reading my “Travel” category posts, and whenever I travel, it’s almost a pre-requisite for me to have internet access. Not only for ease of writing in the case of media or familizarization trips, but also to take care of my consulting and academic business. So, whenever I read descriptions of hotel amenities, I almost always overlook the “free wireless access” point. UNTIL… the point, of course, when I *have* to pay for my own wireless access (in some cases, up to $15.99 for 24 hours).

Since I really can’t be without internet access, and I can’t afford to use the data from my iPhone, more often than not, I fork the cash (obviously, rather reluctantly). But the truth is, in the majority of hotels I have stayed at in the past 5 years, wireless is free. Should we assume it’s always free or should it be a requirement for hotels now to provide it for free?

Chime in on the comments section.

My 125,000th tweet: A newbies and oldies guide to Twitter

Raul — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:49:12 +0000

So, depending on how you count, I’m approaching my 124,995th or 124,989th tweet. Either way, I’m close enough to 125,000 that I can write the celebratory post right now. Last year, I auctioned my 100,000th tweet for charity to benefit the BC Cancer Foundation. This year I wanted to do the same, but unfortunately, I am a bit too talkative and I am literally at 125,000 and didn’t have the time to do a fundraiser.

So, what have I learned in the 4 years I have been on Twitter and what would be my advice for someone new on Twitter (and for anybody who is already on Twitter and considers him/herself a veteran or a social media guru). Here are 6 tips for newbies and not-so-newbies on Twitter. A few people have asked me “how did you get so many thousands of followers” or “what do you say that makes you so interesting?” or “why should I read your blog” (the two latter, recently told to me by someone to whom I answered “you don’t actually have to follow me on Twitter or read my blog – thousands of people CHOOSE to do so, but YOU don’t have to. It’s not mandatory.”. The reality is, I don’t know why so many people choose to follow me, but I’m glad and grateful that they are, because my online community makes me a lot stronger. I have been able to do a lot of good thanks to my online connections (be it 90 or 9,150). Whatever I do, I try to abide by the following 6 guidelines.

1. Be yourself.

Whatever you use Twitter for, use it to tell YOUR story. Twitter is nothing if a social tool. A medium to connect people through distances and spaces that ages ago were considered impossible to reach. I started using Twitter to connect with my friends, and I am still like that. A few of my own friends seem to dislike the Hummingbird604 persona, but the truth is, the Hummingbird604 and I are one and the same. And I love being who I am. Because online and offline, I’m always myself.

2. Be generous.

Retweet other people’s content. Share tips, views, opinions. Enable others to join the conversation. Be gentle and delicate with those who are just starting. Don’t just broadcast your own content, make sure to share other people’s. For a long time, I didn’t want to label myself as a community builder. I still don’t want to do it, but I can see the power that the size of my audience on Twitter can have. So, I try to always be generous. I try to harness my online power for good. I’m sure you can do the same.

3. Have your own style.

Don’t copy anyone. It’s not a good idea. People are able to spot fakes a mile away. Make sure that whatever you do online, it suits your style and your persona. Don’t think that by copying the way other people tweet, or behave online or offline, it will benefit you. Be distinct. I have my own style, and it saddens me when I see other people trying to copy me. Not because I fear anyone copying me, but because that means they haven’t found their own persona. I can tell you something: Your style will shine through once you find it.

4. Eschew drama.

Social media is an amplifier. It can enable good people to do a lot of good, the same way it can enable bad people to do A LOT of bad. Leave the passive aggressive behind. Make sure that your tweets reflect a positive attitude overall (I know there is a lot of angry people who have made that their brand – snarky is not really my brand – I tend to be snarky but trying to be ironic and funny). I have decided to let go of any online criticism. If I’m criticized, so be it. You can eschew drama too.

5. Be conversational and bidirectional.

Sometimes people ask me why I don’t retweet the content of others, when their own audience sizes are also substantial. I don’t support people who behave unilaterally. If you ask me to retweet something of yours and I have noticed in your stream you don’t do the same, you don’t build community, you can be sure as hell I won’t retweet you either. The conversation goes both ways, make sure to keep it that way. I am super busy all the time and I make the time to answer my @ replies. If I can (and my time is incredibly limited), so can you.

6. Lead by example.

If you want to be a social media superstar, make sure that whatever you do, is consistent and reflects your brand in a positive way overall. Be the first one to tweet at someone who is a newbie. Be the first one to follow someone with just a few followers. Encourage other people to be generous by being generous yourself first. I always try to introduce people who are new to Twitter (particularly my students) and encourage others to follow them because I know that I have a sizable audience and that they listen to me. You can do the same, regardless of your audience size.

I am not sure how long I will be on Twitter or what the next big thing in social media will be, but at least I can tell you – I have had and plan to continue to have a lot of fun on Twitter.

House chores ARE also work!

Raul — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:10:17 +0000

Credit: alandd on Flickr

When I tell my married friends (married with children) that I work 16-18 hours a day, some of them look at me a bit incredulous. How can I possibly be working that much? After all, I’m not married, I don’t have kids to look after, etc. But the reality is, there are house chores to do: Prepare food, pack lunches, clean the apartment, do laundry. The other day I tweeted so happy because I had had the time to actually do laundry. Sometimes, I work from home simply because that’s the only way I can get laundry and other things done. And when I make phone calls, I usually wash dishes on the go. So yeah, I do between 16-18 hours of work. But some of those, do include house chores. I wish there were House Chores Fairies. And yes, I do have a house cleaner but she doesn’t come every day and not even every week!

Snow in Vancouver

Raul — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:30:01 +0000

I was complaining that it was too early for us to have snow in Vancouver by mid-November, and found photos on my Flickr stream indicating that there had been snow in Vancouver by November 25th of 2010, so it’s not unlikely that we would have this kind of weather around the same time in 2011.

Do you like snow? Personally, I’m not a fan. Looks pretty but feels slushy and cold.

On adapting to being a middle blocker (volleyball)

Raul — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:00:30 +0000

These past few weeks, I’ve come to realize how much I had missed competitive volleyball, and how at home I feel now that I’m playing middle blocker (or middle, as it normally is called in English). As I was growing up and played competitive volleyball at the junior provincial and national levels, I got used to being a power hitter. That’s what I was trained to be.

When I was the captain of my high school’s team, I played middle block because I was the one in my team who was in the provincial junior volleyball team (and thus was supposed to be the most skilled), but not really because I enjoyed the position. Of course, right now I am NOWHERE near the level that I used to have as a teen, but I’m working really hard towards that level again.

I don’t jump anywhere where I used to, but I’ve become a lot more skilled at analyzing where the power hitter is attacking, and that’s shown in the past few games. My team is pretty happy with me playing middle blocker and I’m having an absolute blast.

These reflections reminded me of how much I love volleyball. Just for your viewing pleasure, Mexico vs Canada in the Junior Pre-World Championships (you can tell that the Mexicans DO have an amazing level).

THIS. OMG, SO THIS! Language and the Urban Dictionary

Raul — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:16:26 +0000

Despite the fact that English is not my first language, I have been immersed in it full time for the last 15 years. I teach in English, I write my research in English, I grade papers in English. I consume news in English. In some ways, I am almost forgetting my Spanish. And Spanish is my mother tongue. I was chatting with Minna yesterday and she was mentioning that I’ve overused THIS.

Maybe because I find it so endearing. Or maybe because I’m more of a slang user now. I find myself using the Urban Dictionary so much more lately! So what does Urban Dictionary tell us about THIS?

One-word response placed after a quote on a message board as an affirmation of the author’s agreement with the quoted person’s view or opinion. Commonly used on Fark.com.
Some guy: “Nice to see that the human race has advanced to the point of using robots to poke things with a stick.”

Another guy (after quoting above): This.

I’m really sorry if you follow me on Twitter and you’ve seen me retweet stuff and comment “THIS. OMG. SO MUCH THIS”. I promise I’ll wean off of this.

Total pun intended.

Wordless Wednesdays: The UBC Museum of Anthropology at night

Raul — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:00:16 +0000

My weekend routines

Raul — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:00:09 +0000

I’m a creature of routines. I wake up every morning at 4:45am, work, head to the gym, do my workout, head back home, shower, have breakfast, work, work, work and then do my evening activities, be it attend events, work on my blog, or work on some other stuff. Lately I’ve realized how some stuff slips my mind unless I continue doing it as a routine. So, most of my weekend routine consists of:

SATURDAY
- Morning:
+ Call my parents (phone)
+ Call my brothers (phone)
+ Catch up on email
+ Do laundry
+ Grocery shopping
+ Spend time with friends if possible
- Afternoon and evening
+ Work
+ Catch up with friends or attend events

SUNDAY
+ Morning
+ Call my nephews in Calgary
+ Call my nieces in Los Angeles
+ Call my Mom and Dad (again)
+ Fold laundry
+ Prepare lectures
+ Prepare workload for the next week

What is your weekend routine?

The demise of the desktop computer?

Raul — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:08:01 +0000

photo credit: Al Abut

JT and I were having a good ol’ geek conversation the other day where I mentioned I was thinking of buying a SSD (solid state drive) for my desktop. Call me old-fashioned, but I get a certain amount of excitement from editing a paper, a report or a book manuscript on my desktop. In fact, I feel much more in control of how I blog and so on. Somehow, my brain is wired to think “big desktop computer = great editing capabilities”. Don’t ask me why, it may be just me. I guess I also associate the fact that I completed my doctoral dissertation and 2 book manuscripts on my desktop computer.

JT thinks that as we move more into the world of mobile devices (smartphones, tablet personal computers, etc.) slowly but surely bulky, heavy, not-moveable desktop computers will find its demise.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

On cleaning up, cleaning out and a new era in my life

Raul — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:45:20 +0000

photo credit: khrawlings

When my Mom visited Vancouver recently, she noticed that my apartment (I live in a shared household but my own private apartment, as you may have read if you’ve followed my blog for long enough) could have used some home improvement. She insisted that we throw all the garbage in common areas of the house, organize my kitchen cabinets, wash and mop floors, wash the bathroom, etc. Basically, we did a whole cleaning out of my apartment. I have read somewhere that “cluttered space, cluttered mind”. Don’t get me wrong: I’m extremely organized. EXTREMELY.

I would not be able to juggle my academic, consulting, social and personal lives if I were not organized. But there is always room for improvement, and my Mom showcased that to me. So we threw a lot of garbage out, I acquired a new couch, and lots of kitchen organizing stuff. And I hired 2 interns for Hummingbird604.com. Having a Content Manager and a Project Manager allows me to free my brain to do what I need to focus on: my consulting and academic lives..

This is a new era in my life.

Doing all these changes to my life at the beginning of August 2011, ensuring that I have a clean(er) start as we move into the 2011-2012 academic year makes me think that this will, by all standards, one of the best if not THE best professional year I’ll have. As Gus put it very nicely the other day, I have, indeed, worked extremely hard to get where I am. And I can now more clearly see the fruits of my work.

I’ve needed to trust now my interns to do stuff and I’ve begun to learn that when you choose the right people and the right fit, you can achieve great things. I have a lot of faith in both of my interns, in that I determined that I had found the right people to work with me. I’ve built a great team and now I look forward to doing the same in my academic and consulting lives too.

It’s cheaper for me to buy a monthly @Translink bus pass

Raul — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:00:30 +0000

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr.

This past month (June 2011) I did a little experiment of my own. I knew I would be travelling over 60% of the time throughout the month, so I did not buy a monthly bus pass ($81 for One Zone), and instead I only bought packs of 10 bus tickets ($21 per book of 10 FareSavers). As of the time of writing (June 26th, Sunday) I can confirm this was a really stupid idea.

Despite the fact that I was in Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Parksville, and Montreal for the better part of the month, I am so incredibly dependent on public transit (Skytrain, Seabus and Canada Line) that I will need yet another 10 pack of FareSavers given how frequently I use transit. That will make it equivalent (well, in fact more expensive) than having just bought a monthly pass ($84 vs $81).

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr.

You almost always need to do this kind of exercise to see if you are getting any value out of the transit system. I am, and quite a lot. I bus back from the gym to my house, I bus to the university, to my office downtown, I shuttle quickly on the Canada Line and do short trips (e.g. Waterfront to Yaletown and back) to meet with clients, or all the way to Broadway/City Hall. So, overall, I get more value for my money, even if I’m travelling out of Vancouver, if I buy a monthly bus pass. Guess what I’m going to do next month when my Mom comes to visit?

The Nelson Gnome (on Nelson Street, West End)

Raul — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:45:31 +0000

I’m sure many of you may have spotted it, but does anybody actually know the history behind this cute little thing? JT and I were walking around the West End today after dinner at Wild Garlic (SO GOOD, blog post forthcoming) and I noticed it. Much to my surprise, it appears that I’m not the only one who noticed it, definitely. JT had already seen it more than once. I had seen the little mushroom quasi-gnome house on Barclay, but this one, was totally a surprise to me. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve ever come across it.

A new way of promoting local businesses

Raul — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:46:36 +0000

With all the buzz around social media, it was very refreshing to walk around West Pender and find a building that promotes its businesses in quite an innovative way.

Have you seen any other innovative ways to promote local businesses? I’m not a fan of sandwich boards, to be honest!

The logistical nightmares of a North American family

Raul — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:38:30 +0000

All my brothers and I studied our graduate degrees either in Canada or the US, and 4 out of the 5 of us live in Canada or the US. My Mom did her PhD in Spain, and throughout that time, my brothers (and I) have either graduated from their degrees or married or had children. The fact that we are all spread all around North America makes my Mom’s summer travel plans quite complicated, and sometimes turns into a logistical nightmare.

I just talked to my Mom this morning and it turns out that due to unforeseen circumstances, she can’t really come visit me in July of 2011, as we had planned all along (and as I had planned my own year). I totally understand how she wants to spend time with each of her five sons, and I don’t put any pressure on her to come visit me, but now I’m left scrambling trying to readjust my summer schedule. Stay tuned. Fingers crossed for a Mom visit towards mid-end of June.

Happy Easter

Raul — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:45:08 +0000

photo credit: abbilder

Easter is one of those Anglosaxon traditions that always seems to fly by me. I would have not even realized it was Easter weekend if I hadn’t called my Mom and asked her where she would be and she said “in Mexico City, visiting your cousin, as it’s Holy Week“. WHOA. Holy Week already!? When I lived in Mexico, as students, we had Holy Week and Easter Week (2 weeks of MUCH NEEDED holiday).

But here, as I work 7 days a week, I wouldn’t have known unless, of course, my clients were not working (and the university is, of course, closed for the most part). Clearly, I am using this 4 day weekend as an opportunity to catch up on (what else? work, and of course, blogging). But I remember clearly that my Mom asked me “don’t forget to go to church on Sunday“.

Somebody told me you shouldn’t talk (or blog) about sex, religion and politics. Truth be told, I think for the most part I stay away from all of those topics, in particular religion. I do believe that there is a God (atheists, please don’t drop a comment on my blog trying to convince me otherwise. Thank you). Despite my believing in God, my relationship with Catholicism has been somewhat severed for various reasons (all of which are private and thus you would not be privy to those – please don’t ask about those either).

But it always amazes me how different meanings Easter has for people, in particular in North America. I hear about the Easter Bunny, Easter egg hunts, Easter brunch. For the Catholic Roman church, Easter marks the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But I do not see the correlation between Easter eggs, Easter brunch and Easter bunnies.

Whatever the reason you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a good one.

Happy Easter!

The hummingbird as my symbol

Raul — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:49:24 +0000

A lot of people keep asking me why Hummingbird604. The first time I ever wrote that description was in early 2007, thanks to my good friend MJ Ankenman. The story is actually not that recent. My nickname ‘hummingbird’ came from my ex-fiancé, who indicated that I had the energy and speed of a hummingbird (which, for the most part, I do). I speed-read, I touch-type 100 words per minute and I have photographic memory. Very handy tools for someone who did a PhD and now teaches at a university. And obviously the 604 refers to the area code of where I live. I have collected paintings, photographs, coffee mugs and necklaces/jewelry with a hummingbird theme.

The necklace you see in the photo above is a gift from my good friend Minna Van, for my birthday last year. My friends Ianiv and Arieanna Schweber also gave me a hummingbird necklace, both with Canadian First Nations motifs, also for my birthday of last year. And you may have seen my ‘hummingbird’ mugs. Little known fact: Aztecs used to wear hummingbird talismans.

I read somewhere that “The hummingbird is the healer. It fulfills the Creator’s promise that to those who suffer injury or loss all shall be restored. It reminds us that spirit may be light as air yet it remains strong and tireless.” There’s plenty of symbolisms attached to the hummingbird. One thing I can say – I definitely feel represented by the hummingbird. I do have immense amounts of energy, fly from one topic to another, from one event to another and my speed is remarkable. But, like hummingbirds, I need to stop and rest. And more importantly, I enjoy sweetness. Sour grapes and I don’t align well

Do actions speak louder than words? On saying “I love you”

Raul — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 02:08:42 +0000

photo credit: GabrielaP93

I’ve blogged about how it looks almost as though some particular cultural groups and ethnicities seem to be able to say “I love you” more often than others. I am the kind of guy who will say “I love you” way faster and way earlier than other folks will say it to me. Saying it (and obviously meaning it) comes naturally to me, and I’m not sure if it’s my Latin blood or just the nature of who I am.

My brothers are very loving too, but they aren’t that particularly affectionate. They will often do stuff that clearly demonstrates how profoundly they love me, but they don’t usually say to me “I love you” or at least, not as often as I do.

This weekend, while at dinner with JT and one of his very best friends, we talked about saying I love you”. It occurred to me today that, while I definitely appreciate the gestures (and in particular, the grand gestures), I’m quite fond of being told “I love you”. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I usually tend to be more ‘mushy’ and affectionate towards my friends, because V-Day to me is more about the friendship than it is about romantic love.

I’m not saying that actions are irrelevant. Words without actual meaning or actions, don’t really show much love. But I think there is value in saying “I love you” as much as meaning it and doing stuff for your loved ones (friends, family and/or romantic partners).

What do YOU think?

My Sunday morning routine

Raul — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:08:52 +0000

I used to NOT be a morning person. I was a night owl. Even wrote Productivity Tips focused on “follow your Circadian cycles“. In early 2009 I began re-training my body and brain to wake up early in the morning again as I used to do when I was in my early teens.

From my experience, human beings are creatures of habits and routines. I am certainly not the exception. I love routines. Routines are also part of the stuff I do research on (I study institutions, rules and norms, and routines are part and parcel of the processes that establish rules). And I love studying myself. So I began thinking this morning about being disciplined, my own habits and what my Sunday morning routine consists of.

On Sunday mornings I usually sleep in until about 7:00am (yes, I know that for some people I wake up every day at Insanely O’Clock aka 4:45am) but being up this early helps me accomplish all my consulting, academic and research goals and also, my social media tasks.

I usually stay in bed until about 7:30am and then start my coffee maker. Sunday mornings are the days when I call my parents (who live in Mexico), my brothers, nieces and nephews (who live in Canada and the US), my cousin (who is like my sister and lives in Mexico too) and some of my friends in different time zones. I chat with them for about an hour (not each of them, but overall) as I putter around and do some apartment cleaning. I exercise 6 days a week, so on Sundays I don’t go to the gym.

I then usually have a light breakfast and proceed to begin doing some work. I’m trying to be more disciplined and not come into my office (neither at The Network Hub nor at UBC) on weekends, and it’s been working out so far. This morning I’m heading to West Vancouver for the Barking Mad Tweetup, but otherwise, I’ll be doing work, so I’ll be schlepping my laptop.

What do you usually do on Sunday mornings?

The sandwich as a budget lunch item

Raul — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:30:01 +0000

I am a big fan of soup and sandwich combos. For some reason, I think a soup and half a sandwich is always enough food to keep me going until dinner time (remember, I now eat the way Canadians do, with lunch at 12, 12:30 or 1pm. If I were still in Mexico or in Spain, I would eat no earlier than 2, and I would have a very big breakfast). As I mentioned earlier last week, I’m being more budgeted than 2010 now.

Earlier at the beginning of the year I decided that I would make a conscious effort to bring my own lunches to the university and to my office downtown, and as much as possible dinner as well. I found a really fast and inexpensive staple to consume for lunch: a sandwich. Actually, with the amount of exercise I do, I end up needing two. But my normal lunch has consisted in the past week of 2 sandwiches, a can of pop and a little individual bowl of yogurt.

Given that I am often strapped for time, the fastest lunch sandwich I can make is composed of 2 slices of bread, a few leaves of greens, onions, and guacamole, on top of some sliced chicken breast, roast beef or sliced turkey breast. Quick and easy sandwich to assuage your hunger.

Why do I hate DMs?

Raul — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:21:07 +0000

photo credit: shawncampbell

I have been thinking of putting together a full-fledged page on “My Rules of Engagement” (e.g. my criteria for following, my rules of commenting, etc.). But I really don’t have the time, and I think there many rules I have, so it’d take me a while to put together. All of the above said, there is ONE thing that is, and continues to be my eternal pet peeve – the direct message. I hate them. I hate them SO much. And for so many reasons.

Primarily, because it makes a really bad assumption – that I am going to read it, because, “obviously, I’m on Twitter all the time” (I am not, you see – right now, I pre-schedule my tweets much more than I used to last year).

First off, I recognize that I don’t follow everyone back. I don’t have the brain capacity to do so. I follow about 650 people and that’s about 500 too many. And the problem is, I do follow some “DM-happy people”. You know, those who send DMs for just about everything. I have been THIS close to unfollowing them all. There’s only about 10 people in the whole world whose DMs I pay attention to. The rest, I ignore.

There are many types of DM that I really dislike, and some that I do enjoy. I dislike DMs that ask me stuff that can be public. “How are you doing?” is not precisely something that needs to be hidden from the world. “Thank you for that retweet” is not something that needs to be hidden from the world. But, seriously – do you need to thank people in private? As my parents taught me, scold people in private, praise or thank them in public. If you were asking me “I heard that you have been feeling depressed, are you ok?” by direct message, sure (and even then, I’m so terribly public most likely I wouldn’t mind if you asked me by @ mention). Or if you are feeling down, of course I’ll respect your privacy. Or stuff that is just between you and I, and that is really private. For example, if you really didn’t like someone’s behavior with regards to how they treated you. That’s confidential, and personal. We can talk about that via DM.

Lots of people think “well, Raul, there are so many things that can be resolved so fast via a very quick DM“. That’s not true. If you have access to my DMs (e.g. if I follow you), in all likelihood you have my cell number. Which means, you can text me. Which means, I’ll get it pretty much instantaneously because, contrary to Twitter, I *do* carry my cell phone EVERYWHERE. AND I can respond to you pretty much immediately.

I know, I have my rules, my quirks and I know that many people get annoyed by them. So be it. If you want to reach me, there’s my contact form, there’s email, there’s a text. Heck, there’s even a public @ reply. But DMs, I really, really don’t need to clog my DM inbox. Plus, can you imagine if Wikileaks released my DMs to the public? There would be a diplomatic debacle!

PS – Before anybody thinks that this note is aimed at anyone in particular, IT’S NOT. My beef with DMs and DM-ing stuff that can be public has been publicized widely, both on Twitter and here on my blog.

At that time, I posted:

I am fiercely protective of my email (I receive hundreds of them) and of my DMs. I find direct messages, intensely private. Because I live such a public life (and because I don’t give a damn if people think I clog their feeds – after all, it’s their choice to follow me, and being too noisy on Twitter is one of the characteristics that define me), I use DMs only, and only ever when I am saying something that REALLY needs to be private. Otherwise, I live (as my friend Chris Walts says) on my @ replies tab.

When I follow someone, I give them access the capability to send me a direct message. I hope and expect that they are judicious in their use of DMs. This may sound awful, elitist, snobbish or whatever. But it’s how I feel. I don’t force anyone to follow me. But when I choose to follow someone, I choose to give them access to the possibility of telling me stuff in private that they might not want to have on public streams (and that is of very confidential nature!). I trust them, and implicitly, I expect them in return to make the best use of that access.

I also unfollow most people who unfollow me not out of a “THERE, if you unfollowed me, I can unfollow you too”. I unfollow them to remove their ability to send me a private message. It puts us back again on an equal ground.

One of the reasons why I spend SO MUCH TIME on Twitter is responding @ replies, and I try to make a point to respond to each and every one, because I feel that, even if I don’t give everyone access to my private DMs, I give everyone equal access to a conversation with me.

The ‘bag of additional stuff’

Raul — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:52:14 +0000

I seriously have no clue how did that happen. I now not only bring along my laptop bag with my laptop, books and papers but I have begun to bring what I have started calling “the bag of additional stuff”. The one I am carrying today has my lunch box (I now make my lunches and take them with me to my office or the university), an umbrella, a set of dress shoes (I change my shoes with the weather, leather-soled shoes tend to not behave well in slippery surfaces), the bag for my digital camera, my travel mug (coffee), and 2 cinnamon buns I just bought, as well as my toque and my ear muffs. Seriously, when did commuting lightly stop?

Living out of a suitcase for two weeks

Raul — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:51 +0000

photo credit: chris.corwin

While I love traveling, I almost always reach a point where I need to go back to my own apartment, my own bed and my own stuff. This happened to me during my recent writing retreat on Vancouver Island, where I stayed in several fantastic hotels in Victoria, Courtenay, Nanaimo and Parksville (you will hear all about it in the next few weeks). It was nothing short of absolutely fabulous. It was peaceful and allowed me to complete a major project (the first draft of my forthcoming book on water governance). But certainly, after living out of a suitcase for two weeks, I was ready to come home and realize that I have way more clothes than what I had packed. And wake up in my own bed. Ah the contradictions! We want to travel, yet we want the perks of a full set-up house.

“Del majadero y del patán, cualquiera es su padre”

Raul — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 22:10:13 +0000

“Del majadero y del patán, cualquiera es su padre”

I clearly remember when my Dad said this to me. He had just told a rather rude and obnoxious individual on one of the Metro trains in Mexico City to give up his seat for an elderly woman (who clearly did need the seat). My Dad (at the time, I was a mere 7 years old) used to tell us, his five boys, that there was a reason why we were being trained the way we were: to be agents of change. To be champions of the disadvantaged, if so required.

The phrase above can be translated loosely from Spanish as “anybody can (and should) be the rude person’s parent”. The meaning of the phrase (as I understood it from my father) is that, should it ever come down to it, you should take it upon yourself to teach manners to rude people, and protect the disenfranchised if they are ever being bullied or attacked in your presence.

I’m happy to put this into practice whenever necessary. Although I’m quite well aware of the potential negative side effects (e.g. that the bully in question may retaliate against me), I think it’s part of my duties. One of the beautiful things about being trained in martial arts is that, even if I get clobbered, my assailant won’t go home clean either.

I may not be perfect, but I was definitely very well raised by my parents.

No related posts.

Suggest wording for my email auto-responder

Raul — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:21:09 +0000

I will be away on holidays, and my plan is to not check email, Twitter, social media in general. I’ve been pondering of what to post in my auto-responder that will be well taken by clients yet it’s witty. The draft one I was planning to use is

Thank you for your email. I will be away from December 23rd to January 3rd inclusive. During that period and in the interest of my own sanity, I will not be checking emails, nor Twitter/Facebook. If you are a current or prospective client (I NEED TO ADD SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR MY UNIVERSITY EMAIL), and it’s an urgent matter, I will have your messages forwarded to my cell. Otherwise, please enjoy your holidays because I plan to enjoy mine by not stressing out about how many emails I need to read, tweets I need to respond to and Facebook messages to comment on! All the best in the New Year!

Too snarky? Not witty enough?

4:45 am

Raul — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:29:25 +0000

4:45 am.

That’s the time I wake up every morning. Except, of course, when my sleep schedule is completely screwed up. But in general, that’s usually the time I open my eyes and realize I have a day that promises to be really, really full of activities. It’s been a great year so far, and being disciplined and staying on top of my exercise/workout routine has really helped with my day-to-day activities.

I have been thinking this week that despite the fact that I wake up so early, I am still always leaving my house at 8:00 or 8:30am, arriving to my office either downtown or at the university by 9:30 or 10am. And I’ve been awake since 4:45 am. Why is it that I arrive so late?

I think the answer lies in what I’ve been reflecting on in the past few months: I am holding two full time jobs. Well, technically speaking, I am holding four full time jobs if you consider that I do research for one research institute, have my own consultancy and have clients there that I do projects for, I teach at a university AND I maintain a personal blog and an active social media presence.

I’m not about to complain, but I now realize how I have been able to maintain Hummingbird604.com while not feeling frustrated that I am not working hard enough on my academic and consulting. Because I do all the social media *outside* of normal office hours. I write blog posts and schedule promotional tweets over the weekend or early in the morning, before I head to the gym or late at night as I am “winding down”.

No wonder I have to be in bed by 10pm at the latest. I’m curious to know how long I will be able to keep up this pace.

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On being part of the event circuit

Raul — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:00:42 +0000

Last week, I bumped into Sarah Rowland (whose reading you might have read on the 24 Hours Vancouver newspaper) at the opening of Q4 al Centro at L’Hermitage, and after a quick hug, she told me “hey Raul, I haven’t seen you on the circuit lately, how have you been? Oh, right, you are probably in the middle of final exams, aren’t you?”. I answered “yes, I am… and I have a pile THIS BIG of final research papers to mark… *sigh*”.

Admittedly, I attend restaurant openings (like The Helm’s recent opening)

Annika, Cindy, me and Cristina

Galas and fundraisers benefitting non-profits (like The Night of New Beginnings)

Michelle Clasius (Covenant House), Elaine Lui (Lainey Gossip) and me

Travel media events (like the recent Tourism Victoria social mixer)

Julie Ovenell-Carter (Why Go Canada and These Boots Travel) and me

Wine and food events (like the Mission Hill Wine)

Fashion shows (I used to model, so I can’t get it out of my system)

Fashion events, and product launches (like the recent Naked Boxer Brief launch)

Non-profit media events (like the Raise Your Hand for The Record with Josh Dueck event)

Richard Loat, Gus Fosarolli and me

But I don’t attend events for a living I wish I could, though!

I will fully admit that I felt really happy that Sarah (and for the most part, the vast majority of my fellow bloggers/media personalities as well as most of my PR partners) understood that the blogging, event and social media stuff I do is my side gig, not my main one. The main one is research, teaching and consulting. I’m a full-time academic (and even if I am not what you’d call a professional blogger, I take my blogging and social media activities quite seriously and professionally).

To be quite frank and honest, I decline a substantial number of invites. So, really, the number of events you see me at is actually a very small fraction of the total of invitations I receive.That’s not being snobbish, it’s being honest, and strategic. It’s also called taking care of myself. I can only attend so many events before I get exhausted. Admittedly, it was my “hummingbird-like” personality that added to the popularity of my blog: the fact that I would visit (and often, write about) so many events on the same night.

I really don’t do that anymore (the whole visiting 5 events in a night), or at least, I try my hardest not to. I don’t want event organizers to even think that I’m not adding value and respecting their event (a perception that is totally untrue, because if, with my ridiculously busy schedule, I make the time to attend even for 5 minutes, it means I DO care about the event). So, I’ve eschewed drama and conflicts around this and decided only to RSVP to events I actually can attend. I may say on my social platforms that I’m quadruple-booked for the evening, but in all truth, what that means is – I have 4 events on my agenda, but I only RSVP’d to one and I will only make that one. And sorry to the three who invited me. I often will tweet about the events I won’t attend to give them exposure, quite frankly. Simply because I find that’s the only thing I can possibly do.

I can’t do that to myself anymore (the whole “try to fit 5 events in one night”). My body can’t take it.

I keep finding old tweets and blog posts of mine where I say “I’m so exhausted I want to cry“. That’s not healthy to me. Particularly, if you think about the fact that I blogged last year about how in 2010 I was going to focus on myself, before focusing on anyone else.

I will fully admit I considered shutting down Hummingbird604.com earlier this year. Yes, I did. But I was able to (luckily) find a way to combine all of my professional activities with my social media side gig. Admittedly, this means I wake up earlier than most people do on Saturdays and Sundays and devote substantial amounts of times to writing blog posts, uploading photos, sending emails to PR representatives, managing contests, scheduling tweets to promote my content, etc. Blogging and social media are full time jobs!

At this point I am still working full time as an academic (with great consulting projects), but I definitely think I need to find a way to schedule my social media work within the actual work week. Because right now I’m working two full time jobs. I don’t know yet how I am going to do it, but stay tuned, because I will try my best.

[UPDATE – Yes, I know. It sounds slightly ridiculous that I insert a post on how I can’t be on the event circuit anymore, yet I also post about recent events I attended. I wrote this post PRECISELY because of the fact that in the past few months, and in particular this past week, I’ve managed to schedule myself properly, attending only one event per night – and that’s about as many as I’m going to attend in the future, one or MAXIMUM two).

Ryan Reynolds is (apparently) single again

Raul — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:15:34 +0000

Everybody knows how much I love Ryan Reynolds. He’s a great, funny actor. He is Canadian, and originally from Vancouver. While I don’t wish anybody to break up, I just learned that apparently, Ryan and Scarlett Johansson have split. Apparently, being The Sexiest Man Alive didn’t help much, did it? At any rate, I can assure you there’s thousands, tens of thousands of happy men and women about that split. Ouch. Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that You know what I mean. I may just need to say that there’s been a shift of rankings on the Top 10 scales.

What brings you to your happy place?

Raul — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:54:25 +0000

I’ve had a rough few weeks, not because it’s been a bad time for me in life, but more because I’ve been working really long hours. As a result, I tend to have short temper and little tolerance for stupidity, rudeness, etc. Recently I had to “bring myself to my happy place” and thought of a few things that do bring me to a happy place. In no particular order:

Carrot juice
Good artistic performances
Grape jello
Reading funny tweets
Chatting with smart and kind people
Cinnamon buns

What kind of things “bring you to your happy place?”

James Franco: The New York Times’ 14 Actors Who Defined Cinema in 2010

Raul — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:00:43 +0000

Thanks to one of my current students, Jon Chiang, I found this video of James Franco “seducing” himself. Very fun. Love him or hate him, James Franco’s acting has defined 2010. I can’t wait to check out 127 Hours.

Suggest some cardio/running songs, please

Raul — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:57:12 +0000

I was having an online conversation yesterday with Lisa and Terra and I was pondering on which songs do people use for cardiovascular training/running. Here is a very quick sampler of what I listen to on my iPod:

- Where Are We Running (Lenny Kravitz)
- I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On (Dino)
- Deliver Me (INXS)
- Physical (Olivia Newton John)
- Alive (Black Eyed Peas)

I’d appreciate some other suggestions.

What mixed drink are you?

Raul — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:10:38 +0000

Apparently, I’m an Appletini. And you?

You Are an Appletini

Most of the time, you’re a typical party animal. You know how to have a good time.
You’re a friendly, fun drinker. Drinking usually brings out the best in you.

When you drink a little too much, your flirtatious ways can get you in trouble.
You really up your sex appeal when you’re super sauced. Drinking totally lowers your inhibitions.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don’t Talk About Blogthings

Why do I do contests and giveaways?

Raul — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:45:34 +0000

Many, many people who have either met me in real life at a local event (or national, whenever I’ve met people from the online world in other cities), or at one of my speaking engagements, have asked me why do I run contests and giveaways given that I’m not, as they would call it, a professional blogger (e.g. I don’t get paid to blog on Hummingbird604.com).

The truth is, it’s become slightly addictive The first contest I ever ran was a snowshoe-ing experience at Cypress Mountain coupled with a chocolate fondue dinner for two. That was in February of 2009. As time has gone by, my blog has become much more widely read, I’ve gained many more thousands of followers on Twitter. Hundreds of PR folks pitch me on a daily basis.

So, naturally, the variety and number of giveaways I run has increased. From tickets to Flamenco dance exhibitions to luxurious travel packages to dinner and a theatre show, to cases of locally-produced soda pop, to external hard-drives, to tickets to international film festivals, to color printers to a weekend of music, beer, travel and adventure I’ve done quite a broad variety of giveaways. And I love it, particularly when people email me to say how much they enjoyed the experience. I blogged almost a year ago how much I loved doing contests.

I do know that some bloggers do charge a contest administration fee. I think that’s a smart idea, and I may do that in the future (of course, as I always do, I disclose who sponsored the giveaway and if I were to get paid, I’d disclose that I got paid to run the contest too). You may have read my Giveaways rules page.

For now, running giveaways on my blog gives me same warm and fuzzy feeling as writing on Hummingbird604.com. It makes me happy to be able to, in some way, promote local businesses and worthy causes as well as give some of my readers a chance to enjoy stuff they otherwise perhaps couldn’t. And that’s a fantastic feeling.

My definition of a good home office

Raul — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:00:50 +0000

At my Mom’s place in Mexico, I have what I think is the quintaessential definition of a good home office. Check it out.

Of course, I don’t have the space in my microscopic apartment to do this, but once I move to a larger space, I will definitely use this design. My brother designed this home office, I paid for its construction (the carpenter was a genius and so is my brother).

I love stuffed animals

Raul — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:33:17 +0000

There, I said it. And yes, I have a collection. And yes, there is proof.

Now you know what to get me for my 2011 birthday. You’re welcome.

Snow in Vancouver

Raul — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:00:13 +0000

While it looks pretty, let’s not forget about those less fortunate who live on the streets.

On having the right equipment for the snow

Raul — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 05:56:05 +0000

photo credit: popejon2

Today was the first snow fall of the year 2010, and I was ready for it. Last night, after attending the Pier 73 re-opening party in Richmond, BC, I stopped by the Oakridge Mall to buy a couple of pairs of snow boots. You may have seen my tweets about it. Far from being real rampant consumerism, my purchases were smart decisions, I think.

I realize now why I feel so well and strong these days: because I am capable of accessing anything I need. I don’t have everything I want, I have everything I need. I have enough warm clothing to layer up, and the right type of footwear and outdoor gear. Despite having been living within a fairly tight budget, I am blessed to have everything I need, the right equipment for the snow.

I feel extremely lucky that way.

How much of your professional life depends an internet connection?

Raul — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 05:43:03 +0000

I took a short 1.5 day holiday this weekend but had to do some work nonetheless. Much of my work (academia, consulting and my non-paying-yet-rewarding-in-so-many-other-ways social media stuff) depends on having an internet connection. It was amazing to realize that I can’t answer my students if I don’t have access to email. I can’t upload documents on to the collaborative sites that have been designed for that purpose.

By the same token, much of the work I do as a consultant relies on having access to the web. It’s a bit scary, though. It’s not an addiction, it’s dependency. So, I just paused to ponder – how much of everyone’s professional lives does depend on the web now?

I can’t function without exercise anymore

Raul — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:21:36 +0000

This past weekend saw me go on a trip (combined academic talk, media trip and R&R). Of course there was a lot of food and drinks involved. Which somehow altered my exercise routine. It’s interesting what you learn about yourself by looking at how things like exercise and stuff affect you. In my case I have explored how lack of exercise affects me. I’ve realized (the hard way) that I can’t function without exercise anymore.

If I spend more than two days without exercising I find that I feel more fatigued, need at least 1 or 2 naps, and end up feeling tired and unfocused. I have decided that wherever I travel, I need to make sure that I plan my evenings in such way that I don’t over-eat, get enough sleep and exercise with the same intensive approach I normally use.

Exercise, praised you be.

This is me, at my best…

Raul — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:37:45 +0000

This past few months, I’ve been feeling really well balanced (yes, despite my 13-14 hour work days, I do schedule time to relax and have time with friends, and of course my workouts). I’ve gotten back into my early morning routine of heading to the gym, doing some work before heading to the office, having breakfast, then head to the office, and work really hard. I have been leaving my office around midnight every day (I get into the office around 9am, but I’m awake around 6 am).

I have been noticing my energy levels being consistently high, and I feel I am accomplishing a lot. I was walking with my good friend Minna this past week, and she mentioned that despite the fact that I may be tired sometimes because I’ve been working so hard, it’s a good tired. And she said the phrase that has stuck with me “this is you, at your best”.

And she is right.

Right now, I feel powerful, energized, I feel that I am accomplishing almost everything I am setting myself out to. I am exercising every day, I am getting enough sleep, I’m eating healthy and balanced, I’m still spending time with friends (I went to little Aiden’s birthday last weekend, as you may have noticed, and I had a chance to hang out with Chris Walts and Lorraine Murphy a bit last night).

I am undoubtedly working really hard. Teaching, research and consulting are the bulk of my money-making work. And on top of that, I’m still doing social media (blogging, building my online Twitter community, covering events, doing giveaways and promoting local businesses and non-profits).

But every day, I put on my earphones and begin playing music on my iPod as I walk to the bus stop, and I read my Twitter stream and my news, and I reflect as I do this “wow, I feel SO great”. I feel capable of achieving just about everything, and I feel that my life is showing balance. I’m happy. I’m healthy. I’m in one of my best moods, even though it’s rainy and dark out. If there is one way to describe how I feel it would be how my good friend Andre Malan described the Hummingbird604 persona: “bullet-proof”.

This is me, at my best.

The magical minute 13 in my workout routine

Raul — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:22:09 +0000

photo credit: JarleR

Despite how hard I’ve been working (at some points, seven days a week, up to 13 hour days, which makes a work week of over 100 hours), I have made a real effort to maintain my physical fitness. As one of my resolutions for the year 2010 was getting fitter (because I promised myself I would be able to play competitive volleyball again), I do cardiovascular activity 3 days a week.

At the same time, I do weight training 3 days a week too. Monitoring my body’s performance throughout has been a lot of fun (I am a data fiend). The interesting part for me is that my cardio routine is a bit of a struggle up until minute 13th. And then, for some reason, I feel like I can climb the Grouse Grind the same way my friend Sebastian Albrecht did (by the way, what an amazing feat!)

Not sure why that is, but it’s been consistent. After minute 13, all my workouts feel way easier. How about you? Do you have the same response as my body does?