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National Road Safety Week (May 15-May 21)

Raul — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:15:55 +0000

A few months ago, I was flown in to Quebec for Michelin’s Ride and Road Drive Test, a small media tour with people from all over Canada and the United States, to test-drive the new Michelin tires. I was just recently alerted to National Road Safety Week (May 15-21) by the fine folks of Michelin, and thought I’d pass along their safety tips.

This is some information the folks from Michelin passed along:

With the May long weekend fast approaching, road trips are a natural means for Canadians to explore and enjoy the sights and sounds of the spring season. Whether you plan to take refuge at a cottage or go on an outdoor expedition, Canadians, and British Columbians, should be able to count on their vehicle to safely take them on the promise of a fun, and stress-free getaway. The recent Michelin Canada Safety Survey, however, revealed that 63 per cent of Canadians say they do not feel safe in their own car. Additionally, 73 per cent are also not very prepared for safety in their car. While there may be plans for a pleasant journey on the road, do Canadians know how to address their lack of confidence in the safety of their vehicle? Here in BC, the survey also found that 61 per cent of BC respondents said that they don’t create or update an emergency contact list.

I strongly recommend that if you go away for the May long weekend, you take extra precautions on the road. Particularly in light of what Michelin told me about statistics on road safety in BC: 61 per cent of BC respondents say that they don’t create or update an emergency contact list, and only 20 per cent of BC drivers say that are very comfortable driving in heavy rain at night. Considering that in Vancouver we are in a rain forest, this should be a concern! And given that I participated in the Preventable campaign’s social media strategy, I feel even more drawn to issues of road safety.

A few tips that Michelin sent me:

Regular tire maintenance

- Know how to handle a tire blowout, pay attention to your Tire Pressure Warning Light, use a tire pressure gauge on the tire to test if your tires need air; ensure regular tire rotation and alignment checks.
- Check your tires’ air pressure and compare to the sticker in your door jamb. Check your tires’ tread both visually and with the Penny Test. (Learn how here)

Wet driving

- Make sure your tires offer the proper amount of tread.
- Own tires that offer maximum grip in wet weather, such as the MICHELIN® Defender™ tire.
- Drive with two hands. Always.
- Slow down before turning, and maintain a consistent speed throughout the turn.
- While turning, don’t make any sudden steering wheel movements.
- Only brake in a straight line before the turn, and do so gradually. Do not brake during the turn.
- Increase your following distance from other cars significantly.
- If hydroplaning, do not accelerate or brake suddenly. Keep your foot lightly on the gas and steer the car forwards until your tires regain traction.

Know who to call for assistance

- Make sure you have proper roadside assistance before you need it.
- Make sure your vehicle is up-to-date on all inspections.

Thanks to Michelin for sending me these tips and reminding me of National Road Safety Week 2012. If you plan to travel this May long weekend or this summer, please pay attention to safety tips. Be safe on the road!

Write! Canada in Vancouver (Write! Vancouver)

Raul — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:02:08 +0000

I was recently informed about Write! Vancouver, a one-day writers’ conference that promises to raise the proficiency level of both emerging and experienced writers of all ages. Featuring a high-profile, award-winning faculty, Write! Vancouver presents a rare opportunity for writers, students, songwriters, screenwriters, and radio and television producers to improve their writing skills, enable them to connect with other folks and give them opportunities to enhance their toolkit.

Photo credit: Churl Han on Flickr

On Saturday, May 26, 2012, Write! Vancouver will offer a wide variety of workshops to emerging and professional writers. Write! Vancouver is presented by The Word Guild, the organization behind the annual Write! Canada and other regional writing events across the country.

Guest Speakers & Instructors:
• Dr. Iwan Russell-Jones, a BBC producer and director with more than 25 years’ experience and head of Regent College’s Christianity and the Arts program, will deliver the keynote address and lead a workshop on writing for television and radio.
• Marnie Wooding, writer and story editor with HarperCollins, and author of more than a dozen books, conducts two workshops: “The Story Editor” and “Adaptation: Making Sense out of Chaos.”
• Carolyn Arends, winner of two Dove Awards, teaches a two-session workshop on songwriting. Recognized as the West Coast Music Awards’ Songwriter of the Year, Carolyn is a three-time Juno nominee who has released 10 albums to date.
• KC Dyer, freelance writer, speaker, and educator, and author of nine young adult books including the Eagle Glen Trilogy, will lead the specialized Youth Track for writers in grades six through twelve. KC brings a wealth of experience from numerous associations, including that of being New Westminster Secondary School’s writer-in-residence.
• Eileen Cook, a multi-published author with books in six different languages, teams up with KC to run the Youth Track. Her latest release, Unraveling Isobel, came out in January of this year.
• Beverley Boissery—author, editor, teacher, publisher, and scholar—offers an intensive on novel writing and a workshop on building your website in an hour.
• Diane Tucker (BFA in Creative Writing from UBC), runs the “Poetry Boot Camp” and “Writers Helping Writers” workshops.
• Marilyn Norry, with 30 years’ experience in Canadian film and theatre, explores the essentials of memoir writing in her interactive “Writing Mom’s Story” workshop (www.mymothersstory.org).
• Tanya Hawke, a copywriter with 25 years’ experience in corporate communications and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University, presents “Writer for Hire: The World of Corporate Communications.”

Novelists Kathy Tyers and Mel Anastasiou will participate with others in the networking reception and Blue Pencil—one-on-one critique sessions with professional editors and writers. Book signings will be available onsite with conference faculty and featured authors of The Word Guild.

Online registration is now open at The Word Guild website. The conference is $99 for adults and $59 for youth, with discounts available to university students and members of The Word Guild. Coffee, lunch, and refreshments are included. Cutoff date is May 18 – no onsite registrations can be accommodated.

Write! Vancouver will be held on May 26 at Tapestry, located at 3338 Wesbrook Mall on the UBC campus. More details online. I have been entrusted with a seat on the workshop, and a lucky reader of mine could make use of this excellent opportunity. All you need to do to enter my giveaway is post a comment on my site telling me why you’d want to attend Write! Vancouver. Perhaps you want to write your first novel, or screenplay. Perhaps you just want to listen to smart writers. Whatever your reason, post it online.

I will draw a winner on May 24th at 2pm. In addition to your comment, you can earn an additional entry by posting the following on Twitter:

Told @hummingbird604 which workshop I want to attend at @write_canada’s Write! Vancouver to enter to win a seat http://is.gd/ch3YFM

Party for the Planet 2012 (May 26th) [Fundraiser for VTACC]

Raul — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:18:51 +0000

Photo credit: John Loo on Flickr

Who doesn’t like to dance? I certainly do, and even more fun when it is a fundraiser for a very worthy cause (on June 3rd, there will be a photo shoot at Kits Beach for an ad in the Vancouver Sun and The Province to urge Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark and the organizers are raising funds as the ads are extremely expensive!). Enter Party for the Planet 2012 at the Kitsilano Yacht Club. This party is organized by Voters Taking Action for Climate Change.

VTACC is organizing both of these events (the Party for the Planet at the Yacht Sailing Club is a fundraiser) to raise awareness of the need for urgent climate action in British Columbia through a photo shoot on June 3rd at Kits Beach (should you desire to contribute financially and/or attend, please check this link).

Unfortunately on the night of Party for the Planet I am in Victoria speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Green Party (it’s a non-partisan talk, just before you start piling up on me!) but you should totally attend the Party for the Planet organized by VTACC. Saturday May 26th, 8-11pm, admission by donation.

Feliz Dia del Maestro (Happy Teacher’s and Professors’ Day in Mexico)

Raul — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:41:34 +0000

My Aunt was a school teacher, my parents both have been professors (my Mom is still a professor of political science), and all of my brothers and I have taught from high-school to university (undergraduate, Masters’ and PhD). In fact, 2 of my brothers and I all have taught in foreign universities (my brothers in the United States and I teach in Canada). So, for me, May 15th has always had a very special meaning: Teacher’s Day (el Dia del Maestro).

University of Guanajuato, where I did my undergraduate in Mexico. Photo credit: Damaris Vilches on Flickr

In other countries (including Canada), Teacher’s Day is celebrated on October 9th, but in Mexico it’s celebrated today. So to my brothers, my parents and my former teachers and professors, as well as my Mexican fellow professors and academic colleagues: Happy Teacher’s Day!

In Memoriam: Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012)

Raul — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:20:40 +0000

I just read in the news that Carlos Fuentes, one of the most talented and prolific Mexican writers, has passed away. I’m extremely saddened by these news, particularly because I read Carlos Fuentes in my childhood and as I was growing up as an adolescent. It was Fuentes’ writing that gave me the opportunity to earn a 10.5 (yes, a 10.5 out of 10 – the first time a professor of mine gave me a grade higher than the actual top mark – this was an agreement between my professor and I where she said that if I wrote a superb essay she would give me extra marks so that I could earn a perfect A+ in my final exam. And as I stayed true to my promise, so did she).

Fuentes’ first novel, La Region Mas Transparente (the most transparent region, an exact translation, or as the Wikipedia entry calls it, Where the Air is Clear) is a classic work of Mexican literature, and one that Mexicans grew up reading (at least, I did in high school). What I loved about La Region Mas Transparente is that it really gave me a good insight into Mexican culture and heritage. More importantly, it enabled me to see Mexican identity from within, the synchretic blend of Aztec and Spaniard heritages. La Region Mas Transparente is an amazing analysis of the Mexican searching for his/her identity within and explores in depth the Mexican social fabric.

Since my parents were just as much of a book worm as we were, I grew accustomed to reading Fuentes’ writing. Aura, perhaps his opera magna, was a fantasy novel that created a bit of a storm because of its highly sexualized content (and I went to a Catholic high school, Jesuit liberal albeit, so it was a little bit less controversial to study Fuentes’ Aura in that context). And it was my literary analysis of Aura that enabled me to earn my highest marks in high-school Literature.

Despite Fuentes’ prolific body of work, and excellent prose, the Nobel Prize of Literature eluded him (not surprising, since the Nobel Prize Committee’s decisions are anybody’s guess). This saddens me because Fuentes died without having been honored with a prize that he most rightfully deserved for his complex narratives, his simplified and clear writing and his innovative presentation style.

Rest in peace, Carlos Fuentes. You gave Mexicans (and the world) an amazing body of work that we can still enjoy even after your passing.

Work BC

Raul — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:28:41 +0000

As I mentioned in one of my recent posts, many people don’t realize how much of my day I spend connecting people with potential possibilities for jobs. In particular, I make a point to retweet job postings that come across my Twitter stream and/or any potential possibilities for contract work as well. But not only do I do this on Twitter, but I also spend some of my time every day connecting either students of mine or colleagues with potential opportunities for improvement. A little of the work behind closed curtains and very few people actually knew this until I published my blog post a couple of days ago.

One of the things I love about BC is that it has so many programs and agencies focused on helping people land jobs. For so many of my friends this is perhaps the toughest thing to do – ask for help. And there is specialized help out there focused on helping job seekers hone their skills, perfect their research and improve their resumes. Enter Work BC, the now consolidated agency for job seekers in British Columbia (and if I am not mistaken, part of the BC Jobs Plan).

The Employment Program of B.C. replaces four provincially funded employment programs and six programs funded under the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement with an integrated approach for British Columbians needing services. The new program will make it easier for people to find work and provide stability for their families through a wide range of integrated employment services and supports.

WorkBC Employment Services Centres
The first step in accessing the Employment Program of B.C.’s employment services and supports is to contact a WorkBC Employment Services Centre near you. You can find a WorkBC Centre using our interactive map or directory. WorkBC Employment Services Centres are located across the province and offer client-centred, integrated services and supports that are responsive, inclusive and accessible. The purpose of the centres is to support British Columbians in getting a job – as quickly as possible – and keeping it.

You can follow @WorkBC on Twitter for more information and/or check out their website.

10 years of Eat! Vancouver (and a giveaway for a prize pack!)

Raul — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:04:58 +0000

Writing about food has been a mainstay of my blog, and I have written for a few years now about Eat! Vancouver, which is celebrating this 2012 the first 10 years of continuous celebration.

Hundreds of exhibits to browse, taste and shop! PLUS celebrity chefs, popular local restaurants, wineries, food and beverage manufacturers, cookbook authors, retailers, artisans, and many others from the culinary world will come together for a three day public extravaganza at BC Place Stadium on June 1, 2 & 3, 2012. EAT! Vancouver encompasses unique food experiences, opportunities to learn behind-the-scenes culinary magic from professional chefs, dynamic entertainment through celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and culinary competitions, diverse food, beverage and cooking related exhibits; and of course fantastic shopping opportunities.

To celebrate, I’m giving away a family pack of tickets (4) and spots in a wine-tasting seminar at the Grapes & Hops Presentation Stage hosted by WineDiva Deanna Van Mulligen. Once I draw winners, I will need to know the day & time the winner prefers to do the seminar. All you need to do is check out the program for Eat! Vancouver and tell me what event you would be most keen to check out.

To buy tickets to Eat! Vancouver you can check this link. And to check all the awesome events taking place at Eat! Vancouver check out this link. To enter my giveaway just drop a comment telling me what event at Eat! Vancouver you’ll be checking out (if you get my family pack or regardless, if you buy tickets).

I will draw winners on May 23rd at 2pm. Good luck everyone!

Drinking Water Week in British Columbia (May 13-19)

Raul — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:13:16 +0000

As it turns out, one of my current research projects is on drinking water, so it was kind of timely that I was informed about this week’s Drinking Water Week in British Columbia, taking place from May 13th through 19th.

The organizers also would like to ask you to take the pledge to be more water wise.

Drinking Water Week is taking place May 13th – 19th, 2012. This is a province-wide campaign raising awareness of our water in BC. We want British Columbians to learn more about their water and what they can do to protect it, and to celebrate the people and processes that bring clean water to our taps. All across BC there will be community events, watershed and treatment plant tours, open houses, and information sessions.

We have also set up the Community Water Challenge – if anyone takes a simple pledge to be more water wise, they are automatically entered into a contest for a water-themed getaway courtesy of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel and Helijet.

I’m glad that the BC Waste and Water Association is taking steps to encourage Vancouverites to drink tap water rather than bottled water. Check out their website for more information.

Best Patio in Vancouver and British Columbia 2012

Raul — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:03:13 +0000

I wore a long-sleeve shirt and jeans this morning and my warm, up-to-minus-10-degrees hoodie and I realized this weather is way too hot for warm temperatures. So yes, people. I have officially declared this weather t-shirt and shorts (in my case, manpris) and sandals weather. I urge you to proceed to your nearest patio for a cold beverage. I am hereby listing some of my favorite patios (I may have forgotten a few).

LIFT BAR AND GRILL – I took my Mom here for martinis last year. I was wearing manpris and a polo t-shirt and sandals. Definitely fantastic martinis (on the slightly higher end of the scale at $11-13 per martini) but really strong and solid.

The view from Lift Bar and Grill at dusk

CHILL WINSTON – Owners of one of the best patios in Gastown (and probably all of the Lower Mainland), Chill Winston boasts some great drinks, and it’s now earned again its site in my favorite places for a cold stiff drink. Cocktails affordable as they start at $7.

Bridges on Granville Island – Well, almost anything on Granville Island is fantastic, but Bridges is a favorite of mine. And they did have at Mojito.

Bridges’ Patio

Milestones Crossroads – Boasting one of the best views of urban downtown Vancouver, Milestones Crossroads has always had a very special place in my heart. They hosted my birthday two years ago and always are there to partner with me for any contest giveaways. And their patio is fantastic. Bellinis, anyone?

Six Acres: Creators of one of the best Pimms in town, Six Acres is affordable (Pimms at $5.75 last time I was there), and unpretentious. And it’s in Gastown. Can’t wait to check it out again. I miss my dear friend Chris Walts with whom I used to go to Six Acres all the time.

IN NORTH VANCOUVER:

Arms Reach Bistro (Deep Cove) – Hands down, the most memorable meals I have had (and the best times I’ve enjoyed a patio) have been at Arms Reach Bistro. An amazing view of Indian Arm helps. Also, I celebrated my PhD defense here (JT brought me here for brunch; first time I had had a martini before noon). I thought I deserved it. I had, after all, just completed my doctorate!

The view into Indian Arm from Deep Cove

IN VICTORIA, BC:

The Veranda at the Fairmont Empress – Strongest, best martinis I have had in a long while. And they’re affordable ($10). And they are made with such care.

The Fairmont Empress in Victoria from the harbour

IN PARKSVILLE:

The Pacific Prime at the Beach Club Resort: One of my favorite (and most sustainable hotels) in all of British Columbia, the Pacific Prime has awesome martinis and one of the most spectacular views (see below)

IN THE SUNSHINE COAST:

The Bonniebrook Lodge: A gorgeous bed and breakfast in Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast, the Bonniebrook Lodge has a beautiful restaurant that overlooks the ocean. Perhaps not a patio itself, but it’s so close to the water it almost counts for it.

I will be updating this list over the weekend and as I remember patios where I have had great drinks. How about you? Which patio is your favorite?

BLISS by Ballet BC (dance review)

Raul — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:00:29 +0000

Having had the pleasure of admiring Emily Molnar (Artistic Director of Ballet BC) and her work for a few years now (and as a former trained competitive dancer myself), every time I attend one of the performances that she puts forth with Ballet BC makes me wonder how does she do it, again and again. Consistently, Molnar’s company delivers energetic, fast-paced, choreographically complex and artistically brilliant displays of what high-level contemporary dance looks like.

Photo: Chris Randle

In Bliss, the first full-length work for Ballet BC since its renewal in July 2009, resident choreographer José Navas expands on the initial concept of The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes with two new sections: the first set to the music of Mozart and the second set to Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Song. The third section of this full company work is a reprisal of The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes, set to a musical collaboration by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar.

The first movement, Announciations (set to the Allegro from Trio in G, K. 564; Adagio from Trio in B flat, K. 254 Allegretto from Trio in B flat, K. 502), is a delightful and red-hue ocean-side stroll to the tune of a lovely poem (this work is inspired on the poem The Annunciation by Edwin Muir). The movement in this first segment relies heavily in pairs and multiple (triplet, quartet) combinations of fast-paced transitions and spins. Not as extremely acrobatic as the third segment, Announciations speaks to themes of exploration, wilderness and a realization of a world filled with mystery. The dance ensemble makes us want to know more, explore more and await some sort of annunciation. While the movement created in this first segment is complex, it is light enough that allows the viewer to capture the intimacy of interaction between dancers.

Photo credit: Chris Randle

I was not completely taken by the second segment, A Thousand Ways To Meet You Tenderly as the movements seemed (an 8 piecer in 4 pairs including Alexis Fletcher & Gilbert Small, Makaila Wallace & Peter Smida, Alyson Fretz & Connor Gnam and Maggie Forgeron & Dario Dinuzzi) to be somewhat depressing at points. The way I interpreted the second segment, A Thousand Ways To Meet You Tenderly was at times desperate and elusive, at times hopeful. With this segment, Ballet BC deconstructs love’s complexities. I recognize that there is desperation sometimes and frustration others, but I would have wanted to see movements that spoke to hope instead of (as I overheard some attendees) marriage. And well, what is marriage if not a combination of highs and lows? In A Thousand Ways To Meet You Tenderly, Ballet BC offers really a smorgasbord of different interactions between lovers/partners. I think the fact that it was set to Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs contributed to the company painting this somewhat saddening picture of 4 personal relationships (I also would have appreciated a same-sex relationship explored in the piece, maybe that is something that Ballet BC could do in the future). This piece’s launch last night was also a world debut.

Photo credit: Chris Randle

My favorite, by and large, was the third segment: The Bliss That From Their Limbs All Movement Takes. I was really impressed in how Molnar, Navas and their team engage in a bold move that pays handsomely, by mesmerizing us with fast paced, acrobatic, multi-spin synchronicities to end BLISS with a bang. The Bliss That From Their Limbs All Movement takes is a bold, ravishing, acrobatic, full-company display of Ballet BC dancing superpower, really. With extraordinary demonstrations of synchronic ability (not only in duets or quartets but even at full company, which is in my view, a testament to the dexterity and athletic prowess of Ballet BC’s dancers). The complexity of movement and frequency of cross-body interactions, plus exquisitely developed multiple spins, lifts and tourettes executed by all company members made me realize that in fact, bliss can come from limb movement. At points throughout the execution of The Bliss That From Their Limbs All Movement Takes, I wished I had stayed in dance school and were athletic enough to display that level of ability and dexterity. I wished I could be back executing movement in the dance world with a company.

Photo credit: Chris Randle

While I find unfair to single out any specific dancer, I have taken a strong liking to Connor Gnam, Alexander Burton, Maggie Forgeron and Alyson Fretz. Livona Ellis and Daniel Marshalsay have a body of work that is impressive and exhuberant. And Peter Smida and Makaila Wallace own my dancing heart. But this is just my particular preference of dance execution. Let me be fully clear: EVERYONE at Ballet BC is extraordinarily talented and gifted.

You should give yourself a treat and bring a loved one to Bliss. You will not regret it.

José Navas, Founder and Artistic Director of José Navas/Compagnie Flak since 1991, quickly became internationally recognized as a talented and charismatic soloist. His first group creations were characterized by their assertive sensuality, bold statements and unexpected universes. These pieces included an element of theatricality that is reflected today in his solo work.

Fascinated by the resonance of the body in space and by the calligraphy of formal movement, Navas is an architect of group dynamics, constructing abstract pieces geometrically and having them delivered by virtuoso performers. His choreography, created in a similar way to a musical composition, fascinate with their hypnotic beauty and their meditative character.

Tickets for Bliss can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 (855-985-ARTS) or online at ticketmaster.ca and range in price from $70.00 to $22.50 (excluding service charges).

More on Ballet BC:

Ballet BC, a company of 16 talented dancers from around the world, is committed to the ballet of today. Solidly grounded in the classical ballet lexicon but with more immediacy and connection to the 21st century, the company presents a diverse repertoire of Canadian and international contemporary ballet. Now in its 25th anniversary year, Ballet BC continues its commitment to perform on multiple regional, national and international tours in addition to its regular performance season at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. For more information, visit Ballet BC on their website or follow on Twitter @balletbc

Disclosure: I attended Ballet BC on media tickets. As always, neither a positive review nor a review at all was expected. I retain full editorial control on anything I post on my site.

Depend’s Try It On Canada Challenge (Win a chance to be trained by PJ Stock and Isabelle Brasseur for the Underwear Affair)

Raul — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:22:00 +0000

One of the things that reminds me of my Grandpa (whom I loved very, very much and to whom I owe in great part being as successful as I am, because he always stayed up late with me when I was studying my undergraduate degree in chemical engineering) is the topic of incontinence. I don’t understand really why this topic is so terribly stigmatized. I just saw incontinence as a normal extension of my Grandpa’s physical decline, as sad as that was, it was normal. As his health deteriorated due to Parkinson’s, diabetes complications and other things, he required special underwear to deal with incontinence.

Photo credit: Alan Teo on Flickr

Thus the reason why I feel a personal connection and wanted to support the Depend Try It On Canada project. This campaign’ is a challenge to help eliminate the stigma of incontinence – a serious medical issue that affects approximately 3.3 million Canadians. As part of the challenge, Isabelle Brasseur and PJ Stock are each looking for one team to coach for the Underwear Affair’s 10K run (open division), which will be held in Vancouver on July 7.

Photo credit: Sangudo on Flickr

You may also wonder why these celebrated former athletes are involved. The answer is deeply personal; PJ has a close friend suffering from the unfortunate side effects of cancer treatment, while Isabelle’s mother suffered from incontinence in her fight against Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

I would like to encourage anyone who may be interested to enter for a chance to have their Underwear Affair team coached by either Isabelle or PJ. Full details can be found below.

Entry criteria:
To enter for a chance to win the opportunity to be coached by Isabelle and PJ, all people need to do is send an email to TryItOnCanada@ketchum.com with the following information:
§ Name, age, email address and phone number.
§ A proposed team name and overview of how they will incorporate Depend’s new Silhouette for Women or Real Fit for Men tastefully into their group outfit concept.
§ A personal account of how they have been impacted by either a cancer below the belt or by incontinence.

All entries must be received no later than 5 p.m. PT on May 22, 2012. Teams must include between three (3) and five (5) individuals to be eligible. All entries will be reviewed and evaluated based on creativity and how they incorporate Depend Silhouette and Real Fit Briefs into their group outfit. PJ and Isabelle will choose their winning teams from a pre-selected group of finalists. Winning teams will be notified by email no later than May 30, 2012.

The Grand Prize:
Each winning team will receive:
§ Fully paid entry into the Underwear Affair. (Value: up to $125)
§ $100 to help offset the cost of purchasing clothing and accessories for the group outfit.
§ Free Silhouette for Women or Real Fit for Men, courtesy of Depend.
§ Honorary coaching from Isabelle and PJ, including weekly tips and check-ins leading up to the event to help team members prepare for the big 10K open division run.

To learn more about the Depend Try It On Canada challenge, please visit their website.

Cookies Of Course (Harbour Centre, Downtown Vancouver)

Raul — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:07:44 +0000

A couple of years ago, I blogged about Cookies Of Course, but that post was so incredibly short it was kind of embarrassing. I am a die-hard fan of local businesses (Canadian first, but Vancouver-initiated too), so when I was coming back from an event I walked past Cookies Of Course again and I realized I probably hadn’t written about them in detail. So this post is hoping to remedy this shortcoming.

I love that they offer a detailed chart on things you didn’t know about coffee

A few details about Cookies Of Course:

Cookies of Course opened in Harbour Centre in April 1984.

Alan Boysen was the original Cookie Chef and Manager and is now the Head Cookie.

Cookies of Course had an outlet at Vancouver’s Expo ’86 (lots of cookies, lots of fun and lots of rent paid out!)

Cookies of Course has been owned and operated by the Boysen family since 1987.

I had an opportunity to swing by and purchase a couple of cookies with chocolate chip and chunks, and a low fat chocolate fudge muffin. I found the muffin a smidge smaller than some of the muffins I’ve seen in other coffee shops, but the texture, flavour and richness was definitely good. And I really enjoy the socially-focused elements of Cookies Of Course, like the fact that they support local charities and help with fundraisers. And the quality of their baked goodies can’t be denied.

I will continue to buy coffee and baked goods at Cookies Of Course, because I love supporting local businesses and they’re literally a 3 minute walk from my downtown office at The Network Hub. I hope you are able to check them out too.

Finca Los Primos 2011 Malbec #WineWednesday

Raul — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:19:16 +0000

So, I totally forgot to blog about my Wine Wednesday wine, but last night’s choice of wine was courtesy of Finca Los Primos. I know my dear friend Erin Dermer is a lover of Malbec, and sometimes I’m a bit afraid of sampling Malbecs WITHOUT her. But last night at the Pacific Rim Magazine launch, she wasn’t there, so I had to go for it on my own. So Erin, I hope you like my choice of wine for Wine Wednesday (one day late!). You can acquire Finca Los Primos 2011 Malbec at the BC Liquor Stores.

It retails at a very, very inexpensive $12.00. At 14% alcohol and a rich, velvety, flavourful, rich and complex, deep texture, I loved the Finca Los Primos Malbec, moreover because it’s a wine from Argentina. It’s not kosher nor organic, and has a 00 sweetness, but who cares. I loved it paired with the vegetarian canapés we were served at the Pacific Rim Magazine launch. And from what I tasted, this Malbec is great on its own and also great to pair with something with bacon (everything is better with bacon, to be quite honest!)

This best seller has a spicy, jammy and cassis scented nose with floral and savoury hints. The palate is smoothly textured and round with peppercorns black olives, smoke, vanilla bean, and chocolate flavours. Break out the all beef patties for this friendly and affordable red.

Overall, I loved the Finca Los Primos Malbec, and I’m sure when Erin reads this review she might want to recommend other Malbec’s to try.

Izze Sparkling Juice

Raul — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:59:09 +0000

You know when you enjoy something and you think to yourself “I probably should blog about this?”. Well, that happens to me quite often and one of those things I really enjoyed and thought “cool, this is kind of very Canadian” was the sparkling juice known as Izze. Well, turns out Izze isn’t actually Canadian, they have offices in Los Angeles, New York City. But hey, I still love them and find them quite tasty.

I was recently sent a sampler of IZZE Sparkling Juice for review (I had already consumed them on my own and was anyway going to review them, so this made it easier for me). The sample bottles I was sent were of the following flavours: Sparkling Pomegranate, Sparkling Peach, Sparkling Blueberry and Sparkling Grapefruit. I put them in the fridge to ensure they would be pretty cold upon consumption.

I found the Pomegranate and Blueberry tangy and really tasty, although the texture felt a bit light and the carbonation seemed a little high (little known fact: I worked as a chemical engineer for Coca-Cola, and I have a minor in Food Science and Technology, so I know a little bit about soft drinks’ manufacturing).

The Brix degrees (°Bx) of Izze Sparkling Juice felt about right for a beverage that boasts 70% of pure juice and a splash of sparkling water. What I did like about Izze (and call me a yuppie or whatever) is that it’s free of refined sugars, caffeine, high-fructose sugars and artificial flavours. That’s perhaps the part that I liked the most.

Overall, I do enjoy Izze Sparkling Juices. I am a big fan and supporter of Canadian companies, and I recognize that Izze could potentially be a competitor. What draws me to review them is not only the fact that I had already tasted them and liked them, but that they are distributed and marketed by Canadian Choice Wholesalers. The fact that IZZE provides opportunities for Canadian jobs and benefits Canadian families does encourage me.

Available at Choices Markets, IGA, Planet Organic Markets and Sunterra Markets, IZZE® Sparkling Fruit Juice comes in six varieties: Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Clementine, Blueberry, Peach, and Blackberry, for a suggested retail price of approximately $1.99. With summer just around the corner, there is no doubt that this refreshing and tasty beverage can add a twist to any social event or occasion such as a backyard BBQ, bridal/baby shower, birthday party, or a day spent with friends at the beach. Restaurant owners can have IZZE® Sparkling Fruit Juices as an addition to their summer drinks menu or add a splash to their sangria, mojito, or margarita.

For recipe ideas and to learn more about how versatile IZZE® Sparkling Fruit Juices are please visit IZZE on Twitter @IZZE

Overall, I will continue to drink IZZE Sparkling Juice on occasion (and of course, I will buy them from Canadian retailers!).

Disclosure: I was sent a package of 4 bottles of IZZE Sparkling Juice. Neither a review was expected, nor when I mentioned I would review the juices, a positive review was expected. I was going to write about IZZE Sparkling Juice anyways. As always, I retain full editorial control on anything that I post on my site.

SlutWalk Vancouver 2012 presents slutTALK Clip-Hop: An Evening of Film Clips and Discussions

Raul — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:36:00 +0000

SlutWalk London 2011. Photo credit: Tom Radenz on Flickr

Admittedly, I am extremely liberal in my thinking, but I have a real problem with the word “slut“. I think it’s misused and it makes people appear to be pointing fingers to victims of rape “as though they were asking for it“. While I am ambivalent about SlutWalk (because I think the branding could be different), I am 100% supportive of their goals and mission: to galvanize people and shift blame from the victims to rape perpetrators and reduce stigma around talking about sexual abuse. And I’m a feminist at heart. Thus, I decided to write about SlutWalk Vancouver’s slutTALK Clip-Hop: An Evening of Film Clips and Discussions. I believe open dialogue is key to reducing rape culture.

Join SlutWalk Vancouver in watching an array of excerpts from various films and YouTube videos about rape culture, victim-blaming and sex-shaming. Group discussions will be facilitated between clips. There will be informative and inspiring clips from NO!: The Rape Documentary, Sluts: The Documentary, and YouTube.

When and Where: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 | 6:00 pm | Rio Theatre | 1660 East Broadway
What: Doors open at 5:30pm. SlutWalk T-shirts, buttons and baked goods on sale before the show. Event at 6pm.
How Much: Admission by donation.

This is a 19+ event; no minors allowed, although minors are welcome to attend SlutWalk’s upcoming conference event on May 26th. I think it’s important to continue the dialogue around this important issue.

On self-promotion and my role in the social media ecosystem

Raul — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:38:47 +0000

Photo credit: estimmel on Flickr

I make no apologies about being immodest. More often than I would like, people seem to be annoyed at my self-confidence (which sometimes borders in cockiness, I will fully admit) and call me self-absorbed, self-obsessed and arrogant. What these people seem to often forget, particularly in the social media world, is that I’m not here to promote myself. I’m here to promote OTHERS.

Look through my Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, Foursquare and Pinterest platforms. LOOK CAREFULLY. Read throughout. I don’t blog about how amazing I am (with the mere exception of well, this post), or about how amazing my consultancy is. I am not trying to sell you tickets to my next speaking engagement or have you book hours of my consulting brain. I write about local restaurants (yes, the restaurants that *I* think *YOU* may want to eat out). I produce content about the Vancouver arts community (so yes, *I* get to enjoy theatre, dance, movies and other artistic shows, and then I write about them in hopes that *YOU* will make the choice to attend them and support a struggling local Vancouver scene).

I curate content on Twitter. More than 70% of my tweets are retweets of OTHER PEOPLE. Not retweets of my own content. If I post the slides of my talks, it’s not to brag about how smart I am, but to share whatever I think is useful to YOU, my readers. Little known fact: when I talk to public relations professionals (and I give many of these talks a year), I *always* make it clear to them that my priority are my readers. If there is a choice between giving ME tickets to a show, or giving away tickets so that one (or more) lucky readers can win them, I choose the latter.

So yes, I resent being called self-promotional. I resent it because if there is a clear choice I have made is to curate other people’s content. To promote OTHER people’s content. To connect people with one another. To build community. Little known fact: I send DOZENS of emails EVERY SINGLE DAY connecting people who are either unemployed or sub-employed with other people who may be hiring. I connect folks with one another that can benefit from a mutual relationship. I retweet job postings every day like crazy. I actively seek to find things that can help other people. I self-pitch when somebody is too shy to ask me to blog about a worthy cause. Would you call that self-promotional? I call that “service to the community”.

I was trained since I was a little child to value myself and to know my worth. So no, I am not really very modest. But that’s because I have worked VERY HARD to earn every single thing I have. I work 16 hours a day, many of those unpaid, to make this world better. But no, I’m not self-promotional, not really. And no, I’m not on social media to sell you anything or to promote my own business. I’m in social media to build connections, to build community and to build a stronger society.

That’s my role in the social media ecosystem. And if you want to call that self-promotion, then by all means go ahead. As Don Quijote said in Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s famous opera magna: “dogs are barking, Sancho… that must mean we’re moving forward“.

Rock of Ages in Vancouver (Broadway Across Canada) at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts (review)

Raul — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:38:49 +0000

My good friend Minna Van (co-founder of The Network Hub) once told me that “once the three fingers come out, sh!t is going to go down“. This is in reference to the sign most people make when rooting for a rock band (the index, thumb and pinky fingers signaling “rock on”). And I really enjoyed when the three fingers came out last night uniformly at Rock of Ages, presented by Broadway Across Canada at the Centre in Vancouver for The Performing Arts.

I was prepared to love Rock of Ages regardless of how the performance went before I walked into the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts. And I loved it as I left the Centre. What I wasn’t prepared for were a series of surprises in one of the most fun evenings I have had in recent times. I was not prepared to see an almost-full Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts NOT rocking out to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (Twisted Sister) or “Don’t Stop Believing” (Journey). I also wasn’t prepared to see one of the two leads (the lovely Dominique Scott in the role of young, naive and charming Drew) to be *almost* blown away by the vocal power and range of his co-star, a Shannon Mullen (Sherrie) whose capacity to belt out tunes was only paralleled by her physical plasticity (her dancing was superb) and an uncanny ability to charm the audience. Don’t get me wrong, Dominique Scott is a really good singer and he gives his all in this performance, but Mullen, Matt Nolan (as the chiseled-body, super-powered-voice rockstar and former leader of Arsenal Stacee Jaxx) and Amma Ossei (in a two role performance, but that I loved the most as Justice) all showcase a stronger range and vocal potency than the rest of the cast. And that is precisely one of the elements what makes Rocks of Ages such a fun show to watch: the diversity of vocal prowess, acting range and dancing abilities.

Photo credit: Scott Shurman (via Broadway Across Canada)

I will fully admit that I absolutely loved Mullen, Nolan and Ossei in every number they sang/danced. And while I wasn’t particularly impressed with the first act (which felt at times weakened by the divergences in how strong a particular singer was), this cast comes back with a vengeance in the second act, ending with a standing ovation to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.

Without asking for permission nor forgiveness, Rock of Ages paints a pretty funny yet honest (almost to a fault) view of what life would have looked like if you were a pair of young, naive kids who fall in love in urban and wild Los Angeles. And yes, for those of you who ask, this is NOT a show for minors (the sexual innuendo in some scenes gets a little bit beyond PG-13). I didn’t expect it to be, and I am a lover of all things 80′s music, so I was pretty comfortable with it.

Photo credit: Scott Shurman (via Broadway Across Canada)

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer – and in L.A.’s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ‘80’s. It’s ROCK OF AGES, a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. This 5 time Tony nominated musical, with a star studded motion picture in the works, is rockin’ its way across the USA. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on!

I was extremely pleased to see a number of friends of mine from the media and the arts communities, dressed in acid-washed jeans and bandannas, singing along to the tunes. Although it would have been MUCH better if people didn’t get up in the middle of the performance and disturbed their fellow attendees (this happened to a much higher degree at this show than any other shows I have been to). If you really need to go to the bathroom, try to disrupt as little as possible, people! And while I didn’t see anybody else dance on their seats, I was very pleased to see that the Vancouver audience clapped along when the actors drew the audience along. As I mentioned above, the first act (that sets the stage and develops the storyline of how Drew and Sherrie meet as well as details on the sordid life that Stacee Jaxx leads) was slightly slow, but the second act was a strong comeback that featured a number of full-assembly songs. I actually preferred these as they featured most of the cast and showcased everyone’s talents instead.

I make no apology about having loved Rock of Ages. I love 80′s music, and I was perfectly comfortable with the level of sexual innuendo, which is critical to the storyline. And what I loved about Dominique Scott’s performance is that not only did he grow stronger in the second act, but he gives his all throughout. Matt Nolan mesmerized me all across, even though he portrays sleazy Stacee Jaxx. His voice was extremely strong and he would make a great rock star. Shannon Mullen rocks the stage and is equally comfortable portraying Sherrie as the naive young star wannabe as she is portraying a voluptuous lap dancer when she is thrown into the underworld of cabaret-style dancing. Rock of Ages isn’t about the storyline, it’s about the music and the Broadway Across Canada production rocks the house with 28 of the best rock tunes of the 80′s era including Don’t Stop Believin’, We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Wanted Dead or Alive, Here I Go Again, Harden My Heart, Can’t Fight this Feeling, Renegade and I Want To Know What Love Is. My favorites included of course, I Hate Myself For Loving You, We’re Not Gonna Take It and the closing number, Don’t Stop Believin’.

Photo credit: Scott Shurman (via Broadway Across Canada)

The Cast of Rock of Ages includes Dominique Scott as Drew, Shannon Mullen as Sherrie, Justin Colombo as Lonny, Matt Nolan as Stacee Jaxx/Father, Matt Ban as Dennis DuPree, Amma Osei as Justice/Mother, Stephen Michael Kane as Franz, Phillip Peterson as Hertz, and Katie Postotnik as Regina. The ensemble includes: Chris Sams, Joey Elrose, Wesley Faucher, Lisa Finegold, Tymisha “tush” Harris, Alyssa Herrera, Patrick Joyce, and Danny McHugh.

You can buy tickets for Rock of Ages (pretty affordable I would say, at a range of $35-$75) from Ticketmaster. Rock of Ages is on a short engagement from May 8th through 13th in Vancouver at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts. Performances run Tuesday – Saturday evenings at 8pm, Sunday evening at 7:30pm with Saturday and Sunday 2pm matinees.

Food recommendations near by for dinner include Rasoee on Robson, Q4 al Centro on Richards Street, Hidden at the Westin Grand.

Disclosure: I attended Rock of Ages with media tickets. A review was not expected, and in the case of a positive review, it wasn’t expected either. As always, I maintain full editorial control over what I publish on my blog.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken! The Fellowship of the Butter Chicken! (theatre/improv)

Raul — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:21:58 +0000

It is rare that I get to showcase improvisational theatre (improv) and two events in a row is even more surprising. But I was informed about the production of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!: The Fellowship of the Butter Chicken! and wanted to highlight it on my blog. We definitely have some great theatre talent in our fair city.

Photo credit: Jesse Winter Heading

The Butter Chicken gang is back in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!: The Fellowship of the Butter Chicken!, an all-new live sketch comedy show where the laughs are served with a pinch of ethnic and a generous dollop of Bollywood spice. Join Vancouver’s South Asian comedy heroes in their quest to make audiences laugh, cheer, tap their feet, applaud wildly, and laugh some more.

Presented by South Asian Arts and Bollywood Shenanigans, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!: The Fellowship of the Butter Chicken! dishes up a fresh spin on the laugh-till-you-cry, edgy, racy, fast-paced, yummy comedy that previously satisfied the palates of thousands of theatre-goers in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!—The Best Of Show, The Butter Chicken Reloaded, and The Butter Chicken’s Back… Alright.

The venue is CBC’s Studio 700, and the players—the fellowship of comedy heroes—are Kulveer Taggar, Aga Postawska, Munish Sharma, Leena Manro, Sandhya Sharma, and Kallol Mitra. Race, sex, diaspora, parental expectations, village life: no topic is out of bounds for these comedy crusaders as they act, sing, dance, and Bollywood their brains out in brand-new skits penned by the Bollywood Shenanigans crew.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!: The Fellowship of the Butter Chicken! runs for four days—a total of six shows—from May 9 to 12, with late night shows on May 11 and 12. Tickets are $20 in advance (plus service charges) and can be purchased at Main Video (6621 Main Street in Vancouver), Kamal’s Video Palace (8268 Scott Road in Surrey), or online at http://www.eventbrite.ca. For more information, visit South Asian Arts or Bollywood Shenanigans.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

South Asian Arts aims to balance the lives of adults and children and develop their individuality through the arts. We are committed to creating performance and educational opportunities for professional & amateur artists and build artistic forums that act as a platform for building knowledge of South Asian culture via new projects, new ideas, and new collaborations.

Bollywood Shenanigans was created by Munish Sharma and Leena Manro with a mission to inspire the world and raise social consciousness through comedy, satire, bollywood song and dance. Bollywood Shenanigans brings together a talented collective of actors, dancers and writers who have appeared in film, television, commercials and other stage shows, with the goal to entertain audiences and to facilitate discussion on South Asian topics with respect to intercultural and cross cultural issues.

Unwined: Sip, Savour and Mingle (fundraiser)

Raul — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:15:29 +0000

You all know I’m a sucker for charitable events, and this time isn’t the exception, even more so because Unwined: Sip, Savour and Mingle is a fundraiser for educational purposes, as you can see from the information I was sent. Unwined: Sip, Savour and Mingle is a charitable event in support of education funds at Douglas College Foundation and the Coquitlam Foundation. NO MINORS – Must be 19 years of age or older to attend. Tickets: Available starting March 24 at Guest Services Coquitlam Centre. Early Bird Price: $30, April 15th to May 11th Price: $35 and Event Day and at the Door: $40. Please note: *Stores are closed during the Unwined event.

Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012
Time: 7pm – 10pm
Location: Coquitlam Centre, 2929 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam

Gather a group of friends together and enjoy sips of local, regional and international wines, cider, coolers and beer, as you take pleasure in savouring the tempting offerings of local restaurants. The sound of jazz adds to the unique atmosphere of Coquitlam Centre after hours*. Take part in the Silent Auction and vote for “Unwined’s Tasters Choice”.’

I have two tickets to Unwined: Sip, Savour and Mingle, and since it’s this Saturday I’m going to do an incredibly fast giveaway. All you need to do is (a) drop a comment on this post with the name/brand of your favorite wine and/or (b) tweet the following:

Told @hummingbird604 my favorite brand of wine to enter to win tickets to Unwined at @coquitlamcentre http://is.gd/FZBPMA

I will draw winners on Friday May 11th at 11 am, so please stay tuned both on Twitter and here!

Pitching Bloggers The Right Way: My guest lecture at @SFU #SFUPR2012 program for @NatashaNDavies

Raul — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:29:08 +0000

Natasha Netschay Davies (Moonraker and Peak), a friend and colleague of mine invited me to guest lecture to 3 groups of students in the Simon Fraser University’s Public Relations certificate programme. These are the slides from where I based my talk. You may recognize some of these slides as I have modified them slightly throughout the years. Obviously, my slides don’t fully represent my talk as I always use them just to provide me with talking points, but they should give you an idea of what I talked about in my pitching bloggers talk. I also refer people to my Pitch Me page quite frequently.

My Pitching Bloggers talk May 2012 (Guest Lecture for SFU Public Relations Program)

View more presentations from Raul Pacheco-Vega.

My guest lecture in University of Alberta’s #COMM506 #MACT2012 on The Networked Brand

Raul — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:59:31 +0000

My friend and colleague Dr. Kate Milberry invited me a few months ago to give a guest lecture at the University of Alberta’s Masters of Arts in Communications and Technology. Except for the fact that I was in an echo-generating room and that I forgot to wear a microphone (key whenever you give a Skype talk), I think it went well. I am my worst critic and I often times wonder if my talks were any solid or not. Call it academic skepticism. There’s always something I can improve. I have to admit, though, that the feedback I’ve received for all of 2012 in terms of keynotes and guest lectures has been fantastic, so maybe there’s that to account for.

I don’t have time right now to Storify the wonderful tweets of feedback generated from my talk, but here are the slides that I used to guide me throughout. You may recognize some of those slides as I used them as the basis for my Social Media Camp Victoria 2011 talk on Reputation Management and Digital Identity. They’re not exactly identical as I added some context on digital branding, online footprints and professional/personal selves.

The Networked Brand: Using Online Tools to Network Offline

View more PowerPoint from Raul Pacheco-Vega

Thanks everyone for the wonderful feedback and to Kate for inviting me!

Indulge: The Art of Beauty (fundraiser for @ArtsUmbrella)

Raul — Sun, 06 May 2012 02:02:39 +0000

As you know, I’ve always been a big supporter of fundraisers and charitable causes. Even more so, when those causes involve arts. Arts Umbrella is a fantastic local organization that aims to encourage and provide young kids with training in the arts. In Mexico, we had the locally-funded Casas de la Cultura (Houses of Culture), but here in Vancouver there is Arts Umbrella and I’m really happy that they are doing all sorts of fundraisers to raise money for their wonderful programs. This time, they’ve organized an event on May 15th (which I can’t attend because I am speaking at Science Online Vancouver): Indulge: The Art of Beauty.

More glamour, more pampering, more options! Spoil yourself with a luxurious experience in Holt Renfrew to support an inspiring cause. On this special night, indulge yourself as you choose from five exclusive services, tailored to you!

Details on the event:
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6:00 to 9:30pm
Holt Renfrew, 777 Dunsmuir Street

Ticket: $200 Purchase Now!
Attire: casually stylish
Hosted by: Traci Myles and Catherine Van Alstine
Emcee: Jonny Staub of The Beat 94.5FM (Jonny is a dear friend of mine, and I’m glad he supports Arts Umbrella)

Includes:

- Valet parking, compliments of Metro Vancouver BMW Retailers
- Bubbles, cocktails, wine, hors d’oeuvres
- Holt Renfrew fashion presentation
- Live entertainment
- A great silent auction and raffle
- A tax receipt for the applicable portion of the ticket price
- And of course, an exclusive service of your choice (options below)

Service Options

Your Heavenly Hair - This deluxe package is fully customized for your hair – starting with a personal style consultation and followed by an ultimate luxury treatment tailored to your hair type and particular concerns. Your locks will continually thank you for the next month for the moisture rich masque, which seals in all hydration and fortifies your hair. To stimulate your hair and scalp, you will be treated to a relaxing massage followed by a voluminous blowout, leaving you feeling gorgeous and runway ready!

Luxury Mini Mani - Do your hands need a little extra love? Plan to spoil yourself with a sensational mini manicure featuring a polish change, nail shaping and cuticle refreshment. To top it all off, your palms and digits will thank you for the revitalizing hand massage.

Fashion & Photo Shoot – Looking for fresh spring style ideas tailored to you? Need some new ideas to accent your body type? Your one-on-one professional style consultation can be as personalized as you need it to be, complete with industry tips, tricks and new fashion trends. Then pick your favourite outfit from your appointment for a mini Glamour Session photo shoot with Klik Photographic – perfect to update your Facebook profile photo after the event!

Just for Men: Wardrobe & Whisky – This year, the men don’t have to miss out! With the help of a Holt Renfrew style guru, plan to refresh your business or leisure wardrobe with industry tips, trends and personal advice. Or, if your partner is the one to please, be sure to go home prepped with ideas for the next gift giving season! Exclusively for the men, plan to sip and savour some smooth whiskies with expert Dave Mason, President of the West Coast Whisky Society.

The Final Look & Taste - Find your perfect look with a sophisticated and personalized make up application. The Holt Renfrew professional make up artists will create a stunning evening look and leave you equipped with the right tools and tricks designed to turn heads in your direction using current trends and the hottest styles. BUT before you go, you’re invited to meet Hodie Rondeau, “Chief Chocolate Officer” of Canada’s largest importer of fine chocolate, Xoxolat, for an enticing and exclusive chocolate tasting.

I hope you will be able to support the wonderful work of Arts Umbrella by participating in Indulge. More on Arts Umbrella below:

Arts Umbrella is a not-for-profit arts education centre for children and youth ages 2 to 19. Arts Umbrella is committed to delivering the highest quality visual and performing arts education to young people, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances.

Arts Umbrella caters to children of all artistic interests and skill levels— from pre-school to advanced pre-professional training. More than 270 tuition-based classes and numerous outreach classes occur each week, with innovative and high-quality instruction provided by almost 200 dedicated artists and arts educators.

The array of topics is exceptionally diverse and includes, architecture, cartooning, computer and classical animation, dance, film making, media arts, painting and drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, theatre and video game design. Using the best-quality instruction and materials, classes balance fun and creative expression with rigor and discipline.

Grey Gardens (@F_C_Productions) [theatre review]

Raul — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:25:47 +0000

I haven’t been able to keep up with the Vancouver theatre scene because I’ve dedicated most of my time to my academic life. I don’t regret it. It’s a trade-off I’ve had to make, and while I feel awful by missing so many amazing productions in this town, there’s very little I can do about it. But when I have the opportunity to enjoy a theatre show, it’s always nice to come back to old friends’ plays and in particular, to a theatre troupe I have admired for years, Fighting Chance Productions. I have had the privilege of seeing almost all of their plays, and I thoroughly enjoyed their latest one, Grey Gardens (at the Jericho Arts Centre until May 19th).

Bringing back two of my most favorite Vancouver actors, Cathy Wilmott (whom I saw most recently in Sweeney Todd) and Lucas Blaney (whom I also saw in The Wiz and Bare, two of my most favorite shows of recent), Ryan Mooney does it again with Grey Gardens: he manages to capture the audience even when the production is complex, nuanced and emotional. And Fighting Chance Productions’ troupe does this emotion-capturing seamlessly all the while bringing us two acts filled with conflicting emotions. I really hope they succeed in their fundraising efforts because the musical theatre that Fighting Chance Productions does deserves to come back to stages again, and again, and again. They are a young, talented company who are fighting with all their might to flourish (financially) and to bring to Vancouver stages some of the best theatre.

Grey Gardens is the musical based on the 1975 documentary about the lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, who were the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The documentary found them living as eccentric recluses in their shockingly decrepit mansion in the Hamptons. The Tony Award winning musical, which ran on Broadway from 2006-2007, follows the mother/daughter due from their days as glamorous aristocrats to their later days living in squalor. At it’s core, Grey Gardens is about the complicated mother/daughter relationship between “Big Edie” and “Little Edie”.

I found the first act (which is pretty much guessing how things went down, more of an imagination of what happened before 1973) a little bit complicated in that it’s not clear why the relationship between Big Edie and Little Edie was so complicated. While there is much love (and it shines throughout both acts and all three actresses at two different temporal scales), there is also a lot of conflict and contempt for one another. Fighting Chance Productions tells a story of a mother/daughter duo who are all the same fighting for their own place in the world and attempting to severe their bond, all the while making every effort to piece together their somewhat shattered and often times broken again relationship.

I love the fact that Fighting Chance Productions doesn’t only go the easy route, that they don’t only put together fun, mindless musical shows but they delve into deeper story lines, stories that need and deserve to be told and that enrich our thinking. I had a hard time processing Big Edie and Little Edie’s relationship as I am incredibly close to my own mother, and she has never been an obstacle for my success (much to the contrary, she was the first one to tell me to come to Canada for my graduate degree). But at the same time, I saw some of the reasons behind the complex relationship mother/daughter had. And yes, I did shed some tears, particularly in the second act (where there is a lot more assemble-singing, which I found refreshing – most of the first act I found it was centered around the story line development and thus much of the singing was taken by individual actors, though a couple of duets were lovely). Overall, I’d recommend Grey Gardens, in particular because it’s a good historical analysis told through the lenses of musical theatre. Complex relationships, drama, intrigue but at the core, a story of mother/daughter love, mother and daughter both incredibly unable to grow up on their own but always there for each other as though they were one.

Fighting Chance Productions’ Grey Gardens will run Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8pm at the Jericho Arts Centre from 5-19 May. (Please note, they have an added 3pm matinee on Sunday, 13 May and NO SHOW on Friday 4 May, as that they just had a special fundraising event that evening). Tickets are extremely affordable at sliding scale $15-$25 and are available now through the Jericho Arts Centre website.

More historical context on Grey Gardens taken from Wikipedia:

Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (1895–1977), known as “Big Edie”, and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (1917–2002), known as “Little Edie”, were the aunt and the first cousin, respectively, of former U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The two women lived together at Grey Gardens for decades with limited funds in increasing squalor and isolation.

The house was designed in 1897 by Joseph Greenleaf Thorpe and purchased in 1923 by “Big Edie” and her husband Phelan Beale. After Phelan left his wife, “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” lived there for decades more, over 50 years in total for each woman. The house was called Grey Gardens because of the color of the dunes, the cement garden walls, and the sea mist.

In the fall of 1971 and throughout 1972, their living conditions—their house was infested by fleas, inhabited by numerous cats and raccoons, deprived of running water, and filled with garbage and decay—were exposed as the result of an article in the National Enquirer and a cover story in New York Magazine[3] after a series of inspections (which the Beales called “raids”) by the Suffolk County Health Department. With the Beale women facing eviction and the razing of their home, in the summer of 1972 Jacqueline Onassis and her sister Lee Radziwill provided the necessary funds to stabilize and repair the dilapidated house so that it would meet village codes.

Disclosure: I attended Grey Gardens on media tickets, but as always I retain full editorial control on whatever I publish on my site. All companies know that all opinions expressed here are mine, and neither a review is expected, nor a favorable one is either.

Cooking For A Cause (May 11th, 2012)

Raul — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:00:57 +0000

I am always keen to promote charitable events, even more so if they are organized by companies and organizations that have an environmental focus and clear interest in preserving the environment, particularly when it comes to vulnerable regions (those where First Nations are involved are of most interest to me). I was informed about Cooking For A Cause recently, and thought this was a great event.

Come join leading environmentalist David Suzuki, radio and television personality Vicki Gabereau, Canadian rock icon Matthew Good, and the Gitga’at First Nation to officially launch Guarding the Gifts – The Liiga K’yilama Fund and to draw attention to the dangers and risks to the Gitga’at people and the Great Bear Rainforest proposed by the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. Cooking for a Cause will provide a forum for expressing a shared concern while highlighting Guarding the Gifts’ interconnectedness and the vulnerability of the eco system in a tangible way.

The reception will feature an intimate evening of entertainment including a solo acoustic performance by Matthew Good, engaging dialogue, and a culinary adventure of wine and cuisine featuring ingredients from the Great Bear Rainforest prepared by renowned Canadian chefs, all set in the historical Gulf of Georgia Cannery in the beautiful Steveston harbour.

Guarding the Gifts is a charitable fund, founded in 2010 by members of the Gitga’at First Nation and King Pacific Lodge (a resort operating in Gitga’at territory) and proceeds from Cooking for a Cause will go towards raising awareness and supporting Gitga’at community empowerment and environmental conservation.

Cooking for a Cause

Date: Friday, May 11, 2012
Time: 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Location: Gulf of Georgia Cannery
(12138 Fourth Ave, Richmond, BC)

Ticket Price*: $300 – Group of 8 Tickets*: $2100

* No tax receipt available . Tickets are limited, reserve now!

Gala For Hope 2012 (hosted by Mount Saint Joseph Hospital’s Rapid Access Breast Clinic)

Raul — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:34:08 +0000

Since I live in Mount Pleasant, it is often likely that I will want to promote charitable stuff organized by those who work in the area. I found out that staff at Mount Saint Joseph’s Rapid Access Breast Clinic (RABC) are hosting Gala for Hope on May 12, 2012 in Richmond to raise funds for a much needed mammography machine.

With an additional mammography machine patient wait times will be significantly reduced. Cancer is a disease that impacts all Canadians and faster diagnosis is needed.

Gala for Hope will consist of an Indian buffet dinner and multicultural performances for all ages. Former television host, Sukhi Ghuman will be hosting the evening. Special performances by the Vancouver Academy of Music faculty string quartet, Kohinoor Folk Arts Club and The Balladeers will highlight the evening.

Time: 5:30pm-12am
Place: Riverside Grand Ballroom, 1231 Burdette Street, Richmond, BC.
Date: Saturday May 12, 2012
Tickets: $75.00, Please purchase tickets online at Gala of Hope

About Rapid Access Breast Clinic:

The Rapid Access Breast Clinic (RABC) at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJ) in Vancouver, British Columbia, is on the front line of efforts to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer. We offer you quick access to all the tests that you would need to expedite the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Connect The Dots and International Stop The Tar Sands Day (May 5th)

Raul — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:14:23 +0000

May 5th is an international day of action and awareness for two events – 350.org’s Connect the Dots and International Stop the Tar Sands Day!

In the true spirit of solving problems, these events are joining forces in Vancouver.

There are two ways to mark the occasions with us:

1) Come down to English Bay Beach (roughly where Denman meets Beach) any time between noon and 3:00, and bring any questions you have about the tar sands, oil tankers, pipelines, or Vancouver oil issues. You can talk to people who have answers to your questions, or you can get literature from one of our volunteers that helps connect all the dots! Look for all the ‘dots’ running around, or, if you like, stand somewhere remotely near us, and we’ll find you! Bring something to eat and a frisbee or an instrument to play and join us for a picnic from 2:00 to 3:00.

2) Volunteer to help distribute information to passersby in the English Bay area from noon to 2:00 on the afternoon of Saturday May 5th. This will be done in pairs, in a fun, creative way, that emphasizes the importance of community, big-picture understanding of the environmental problems we’re facing, and the real-world solutions we can all employ to make an impact. You don’t need to have a ton of experience with these issues to help. Bring something to eat and a frisbee or an instrument to play and join us for a picnic from 2:00 to 3:00.

(Please contact oneajklein@gmail.com, if you’re interested in helping out!)

So put on your polka dots and head down to the beach where we’ll help you get big-picture with a lot of issues that, let’s face it, can be pretty tough to piece together. Whether you’re helping out on the day, or doing your part by getting informed about these issues, please join us as we mark these international days of action and awareness.

Remembering Derek K. Miller (@penmachine) #WeLoveDerek

Raul — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:29:01 +0000

Photo credit: Derek K. Miller

May 3rd marks exactly 365 days since my dear friend Derek K. Miller (@penmachine) died. His last post touched the lives of over 16 million people within the first few days after his death, and many more millions after. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year.

I clearly recall where I was exactly 365 days ago, and it’s only fitting that I spent the same evening with the same person: I was sitting at UBC, on JT’s car, sobbing uncontrollably on his shoulders while he hugged me as hard as he could. He said nothing, he only held me in his arms, ran his fingers through my hair and tried to console me and comfort me. My friend was gone, and cancer had yet again triumphed over me.

I wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination Derek’s closest friend. That privilege was bestowed upon several others, whom I was privileged to meet and work with afterwards in the preparation of Derek’s memorial. Those closest friends of Derek (along with my dear friend Airdrie, Derek’s widow), made me feel part of something incredibly special.

In this past year, I have tried as hard as I have been able to, to follow Derek’s and Airdrie’s advice: to take care of myself and to stop pushing myself to the limit. I have taken days off. I have gone away for entire weekends. I have taken blogging hiatus more than once. I hired interns. I’ve let blogging pitches go unanswered.

I wish Derek were here. But that’s an impossibility. But his memory lives in mine, and his digital legacy lives on to teach me (to teach us, anybody who chooses to read this incredibly wise man’s online heritage) how you live to the fullest while loving to the fullest. My dear friend Airdrie, I think of you everyday, but even more so, I think of you and your girls on this difficult day. I think of Derek’s parents and of his extended family. And Air, your strength in the face of pain has taught me many a lesson and I’m proud of you. So proud of you.

Today, I’m thinking of you, Derek. And I love you, my friend.

Sal y Limon (Kingsway and Fraser)

Raul — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:21:45 +0000

There’s a new Mexican restaurant in town, and it’s here to stay. The most authentic Mexican food (and the least expensive, on top of that) this side of Dona Cata (which is far and a bit inaccessible, as it’s on Victoria and 35th Avenue), Sal y Limon has a very small staff (only 4 people, including the owner), but it has an incredibly broad variety of Mexican dishes.

As authentic as the ones I ate in Mexico, and some about as equally tasty as my Mom’s own cooking, Sal y Limon is definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant in town now.

Sal y Limon has been open only for 2 weeks, but I have seen them already make a big splash. I went there for lunch today and ordered a Spicy Hawaiian Torta and Menudo Soup (a combo for $9.75). Modestly decorated, but super clean and really friendly staff, the food was extraordinary. The Hawaiian torta was pretty big, filled with beans, ham, pineapple, sauce and purple onion, as well as condiments and spices. Extremely tasty and definitely as I remembered the Torta Hawaiiana.

The owner was super sweet in that he fixed my menudo soup the way I liked it (a spicy broth that was almost a mix of pozole and menudo). I loved the menudo (though it could have been a little bit spicier) and overall, it would have been enough food for me to keel over and sleep. Equipped with Mexican drinks (Jarritos, Sidral Mundet and Mexican Coca-Cola), Sal y Limon has a small space but it’s warm and full of Mexican food goodness.

I came back for dinner and had a Huarache con Pollo Pibil (Pibil-style chicken huarache). Extremely big, with pollo pibil that was perfectly made, tender and flavourful, with just the right amount of spice. Very much made as the huaraches I used to eat in Mexico, I washed it off with a tutti-frutti Jarritos. And I paid $12 for dinner. Incredible, eh?

Overall, an amazing restaurant and I wish them all the success that they deserve. One note: please be patient as they have only 2 staff during lunch and 4 for dinner, so if you crowd them, bear in mind that they’re in the early stages. But you should run, not walk, and try them out. Sal y Limon is the real deal.

Disclosure: I paid for both of my meals on my own dime.

#WordlessWednesday Tulips

Raul — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:43:00 +0000

Mental Health Week 2012 (May 7-13) Canadian Mental Health Association

Raul — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:36:40 +0000

Because of the work I’ve been doing in the past few years advocating mental health causes, I always keep Mental Health Week on my radar. Organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Mental Health Week 2012 takes place next week, May 7 to 13th. As I have noted in previous blog posts, 1 in 5 Canadians will face a mental health issue in their life. Thus it is important to (a) be informed, (b) be generous and kind and (c) participate in events that de-stigmatize mental health.

The theme for Mental Health Week 2012 is “Mental Health For All“. The Canadian Mental Health Association has produced a handy fact sheet with some tips for mental health wellness.

We’re celebrating 61 years of improving people’s understanding of mental health through our annual Mental Health Week, May 7-13, 2012!

CMHA’s Mental Health Week is an annual national event that takes place during the first week in May to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is Mental Health for All. Mental Health Week 2012 will focus on key topics that will help the public have a broader understanding of mental health, including: Kids Have Stress Too!; Resiliency: at Home, at School, and at Work; and Mental Health is Everyone’s Concern. Take a look at the fact sheets in our Understand Mental Health section. Local events and activities are planned in communities across Canada. Find an event near you, or plan your own!

For a listing of the Vancouver events, please click here.

Not Myself Today Canada – a wonderful campaign to de-stigmatize mental health #NotMyselfToday

Raul — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:39:32 +0000

A few weeks ago, I posted on my personal Facebook account that I just wasn’t feeling myself that day (one day after having felt on top of the world). Mood swings are not a rarity in any human, and I’m not immune to them either. In fact, this past weekend I disconnected for 2 days completely, and just read and did work (and chores). This prompted a very close friend of mine to call me and check up on me (which was very nice, and reassuring). But I’ve always been open about when I don’t feel myself. I think social media has great potential to enable people to engage in the conversation about mental health (note that I use mental health, rather than mental illness – I am used to talking about mental health, as I translate it mentally from Spanish “salud mental”).

A couple of months ago, via Ferg Devins from Coors/Molson Canada, and more recently via Tod Maffin (both Tod and Ferg are friends of mine) I found out about the website Not Myself Today Canada. Coincidentally, today (April 30th) is the National Day of Action.

The Not Myself Today campaign launched on April 2, 2012 and will continue through May 14th. Throughout the campaign, we’re asking people to take the ‘Not Myself Today’ pledge, share their mood on a mood map of Canada, share their personal stories about mental health and learn about the issue. A highlight of the ‘Not Myself Today’ campaign is the Day of Action on April 30 when an all-out blitz of events will be happening in schools and workplaces across the country.

The campaign is promoted by Partners For Mental Health, a national organization working on galvanizing social action towards mental health (and speaking positively about it).

Partners for Mental Health, an independent registered charity, is a national organization dedicated to “supercharging” a social movement that will transform the way Canadians think and act towards their own mental health, and towards people living with a mental health problem or illness.

In partnership with others, we will empower and mobilize Canadians to take action that will:

- Encourage people to pay more attention to their own mental health and well-being.
- Positively change attitudes and behaviours towards those living with mental health problems or illnesses.
- Help change policies to improve the mental health system.
- Increase funding for programs, services and research.

You can follow Not Myself Today Canada on Twitter (@NMTCanada). The website encourages you to (a) Pin your mood to a national map (a great visualization, in fact – with surprising results I might add) and (b) take the pledge to support and encourage the conversation around mental health. There are many reasons why it’s important to talk about mental health and I’m glad that Not Myself Today discusses them at length. Overall, a wonderful campaign. I pinned my mood today (where I’m feeling stressed about the end of the school year), and I found it liberating. Maybe you will too.

Ballet BC presents BLISS (win tickets!)

Raul — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:00:43 +0000

The work of Ballet BC never ceases to amaze me, and I have been waiting with baited breath for their next performance. This coming month of May, Ballet BC presents Bliss at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from May 10-12, 2012 with three evening performances at 8:00 pm, featuring a reprisal of José Navas’ acclaimed ballet The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes, first presented in the fall of 2010 and his response to that work.

Artists of Ballet BC. Photo credit: Chris Randle

In Bliss, the first full-length work for Ballet BC since its renewal in July 2009, resident choreographer José Navas expands on the initial concept with two new sections: the first set to the music of Mozart and the second set to Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Song. The third section of this full company work is a reprisal of The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes, set to a musical collaboration by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar.

José Navas, Founder and Artistic Director of José Navas/Compagnie Flak since 1991, quickly became internationally recognized as a talented and charismatic soloist. His first group creations were characterized by their assertive sensuality, bold statements and unexpected universes. These pieces included an element of theatricality that is reflected today in his solo work.

Fascinated by the resonance of the body in space and by the calligraphy of formal movement, Navas is an architect of group dynamics, constructing abstract pieces geometrically and having them delivered by virtuoso performers. His choreography, created in a similar way to a musical composition, fascinate with their hypnotic beauty and their meditative character.

Tickets for Bliss can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 (855-985-ARTS) or online at ticketmaster.ca and range in price from $70.00 to $22.50 (excluding service charges). And I’m partnering again with Ballet BC to give away a pair of tickets to Bliss. All you need to enter is tell me what is your definition of bliss. For me, bliss is a number of things: waking up on the coast of Parksville/Qualicum Beach at 5 in the morning and have a coffee on the balcony of say, The Beach Club Resort, or the Tigh-Na-Mara. Or bliss is also spending 6 hours with my nephews walking around the seawall in Stanley Park and showing them the beauty of our city. Bliss is also a nice dinner with JT and catching a movie or a theatre performance. So, how do YOU define bliss? What is blissful to you?

I will draw a winner on May 6th at 2pm. You can add an entry to your comment below (a total of two entries) by posting the following on Twitter:

Shared my definition of bliss with @hummingbird604 to enter to win tickets to @BalletBC ‘s BLISS http://is.gd/cyIB5b

Win tickets to 1 of 3 films at the DOXA Film Festival 2012

Raul — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:00:47 +0000

I have been entrusted with not one, not two, but THREE pairs of tickets to the following films, and thus my giveaway will have 3 winners.

Love MEATender Wednesday May 9 | 1:00 PM | Pacific Cinémathèque

What’s the price of the pleasure most of us take for granted every day? This documentary gives us a clear answer, and it’s not pretty. Meat consumption is one of the major factors in climate change: behind every sticky cold cut, every juicy steak, every McDonald’s hamburger is a small contribution to a big problem. LoveMEATender is an engaging and surprisingly upbeat look at an industry out of whack. Tracing the history of our culinary habits, outlining the disastrous rise of corn-fed cattle, and breaking down the science of our meat addiction, the movie lays out a sober case with surprising cheer. The facts here are so damning that there’s no need to preach: in a situation as dire as this, simple education is activism. The film is chock full of statistics, tables, and graphics, but this is no square screed—it’s a fun, optimistic call for change. –MA

Meanwhile in Mamelodi Sunday May 6 | 4:00 PM | Pacific Cinémathèque

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday till Friday, each and every morning, good morning boss…” croons Steven in Meanwhile in Mamelodi, a wistful, colourfully cinematic portrait of the lovable Mtsweni family. Set against the 2010 World Cup—plastic horn vuvuzelas blare all around and radios broadcast up-to-the-minute highlights—life, for the most part, carries on as usual. Steven managing a small, idiosyncratic kiosk in the “Shack Side” of Extension 11—one of the countless districts in the township of Mamelodi, South Africa—devoting tireless hours in order to support his two children and wife. Intimate voice-over from him, as well his spunky seventeen-year-old, Moskito, divulge their life’s ambitions and dreams with startling candour: “I have to make a difference,” explains Steven, as if it were matter-of-fact, busying himself with store renovations. Mixing the Mtsweni family’s daily stoicism with the ebullience of sport and sweet song, Meanwhile in Mamelodi is an artful window into a community overwhelming in spirit. –JM

A Fierce Green Fire Saturday May 5 | 9:00 PM | Vancity Theatre

In the words of environmental justice advocate Bob Bullard: “There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air—and most people I know do breathe air… then I would consider you an environmentalist.” Director Mark Kitchell (Berkeley in the Sixties) takes an equally expansive approach in his survey of the environmental movement. Inspired by Philip Shabecoff’s book of the same title, A Fierce Green Fire examines the greatest battles fought and won over the last century—from David Brower and the Sierra Club, to the Love Canal residents’ struggle against toxic dumping, to Greenpeace activists putting their bodies between whaling harpoons and their prey. Interviews with Paul Watson, Bill McKibben, and just about every rabblerouser, activist, and firebrand on the planet lends a magisterial heft. This glorious stretch of a film is a celebration, a cri de coeur, and a call to arms. Many battles have been fought and won, but the war rages on. –DW

A Fierce Green Fire Official Trailer from A Fierce Green Fire on Vimeo.

All you need to do to enter my giveaway is tell me which show you’re most interested in checking in the wonderful DOXA Festival (it can be one of these three, or it can be any other). I’ll draw 3 winners on May 3rd at 2pm. This is a short giveaway so enter fast! I will add another entry for a maximum of two if you post the following on Twitter:

Shared which @doxafestival movie I want to check out with @hummingbird604 http://is.gd/Y3fxiB to enter to win tickets to DOXA Festival

Cinema For A Cure (May 5th, in support of cystic fibrosis research)

Raul — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:17:14 +0000

As you know, since a couple of years ago I’ve been writing about Eva Markvoort (a very popular Vancouver/New Westminster blogger who passed away from cystic fibrosis at a very young age). So, cystic fibrosis is one of the causes that I hold near and dear to my heart. Thus, I hope that you will join many other folks who are interested in these causes on May 5th at Denman Cinemas to kick of CF Awareness Month with the Vancouver debut of two award-winning CF-related films: The Power of Two and Foreverland at Cinema For A Cure!

6:30 pm – The Power of Two is the incredible true story of twin sisters, their battle with cystic fibrosis and their successful double-lung transplants. Academy Award nominated director, Marc Smolowitz, will be joining us for a Q & A after the film.

9:00 pm – Foreverland is a Canadian feature film written and directed by Max McGuire, a Canadian living with cystic fibrosis. Foreverland features American actor Max Thieriot and memorable performances by Academy Award nominees Juliette Lewis and Demián Bichir. Max McGuire will be joining for a Q & A after the film.

I have a special fondness for cystic fibrosis, so I would ask my readers to please help me spread the word! Invite your friends, family and co-workers to come and share this evening of film and philanthropy benefiting Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Purchase tickets online here or visit CinemaforaCure.com for more information.

On Track: Peer-to-Peer Mentorship with the Odd Squad Productions Society

Raul — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:11:00 +0000

Some of the things a few people don’t know about me include the fact that when I was much younger, my parents made every single effort to enable me to explore different career options, including criminology, forensic science and police-related work. So that’s one of the reasons why I feel a very profound fondness for the work of the Odd Squad Productions. In fact, this coming Saturday, April 28, 2012, forty Grade 10 students nominated across the Lower Mainland will engage in this one-day interactive workshop with volunteer officers from the Vancouver Police Department and Odd Squad Productions Society. For those of you don’t know what the Odd Squad Productions Society do, they are a a non-profit organization dedicated to prevention education for youth.

This learning program is called ON TRACK and exposes participants to the harsh realities of drug use, addiction, and criminal lifestyle through interactions with police officers and street-entrenched people. Youth walk away educated with take-away lessons that will enable them to mentor their peers through school presentations about the realities of life they have learned. I find this kind of workshop extremely education and positive. I do believe that our future generations need mentoring from a young age, and the work of Odd Squad Productions Society helps shape the way in which Vancouver youth can evolve.

Agenda

· Saturday, April 28th 2012 from 10 AM – 10 PM: Interactive workshop at the new

VPD Tactical Training Centre in downtown Vancouver

o Welcome by VPD Chief Jim Chu

o Morning presentations dedicated to gang and drug awareness by expert

squad members

o Afternoon interaction with emergency response (ERT), dog squad training,

and Marine Squad boat rides

o Late afternoon participation in a VPD Judo Club class

o Evening walk-about escorted by beat officers on the DTES

· May 2012: Students are required to make a presentation to fellow students in

association with a mentor (school counsellor/teacher or School Liaison Officer)

· Thursday, June 7th, 2012: Participants will be honoured as Youth Ambassadors and

awarded medals at the 2012 Odd Squad Gala Fundraiser at the Vancouver

Convention Centre. This year’s gala celebrates the 15th Anniversary of the Odd

Squad.

More about the Odd Squad Productions Society:

With disturbing statistics, such as “60% of illicit drug users are between 15 to 24 years old”, there is a critical need to be proactive and protect youth. Odd Squad Productions Society educates young adults through documentaries, educational presentations and peer mentoring workshops. In 2010/2011 Odd Squad reached 38,000+ people with 372 presentations. Independently funded, OSP relies on corporate and private funding to sustain their mission.

Holy Crap Cereal

Raul — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:39:09 +0000

In my most recent media trip to the Sunshine Coast, we drove right by the Holy Crap Foods Inc. factory, and I couldn’t help but laugh. After all, “holy crap” is a phrase most used to note surprise. But I’ll have to admit, pricey as I might find it (and I do find it kind of pricey), Holy Crap is actually a pretty good cereal, and one that I hadn’t found taste for until I mixed it with non-fat peach yogurt (yes, I’m lactose intolerant but I eat yogurt). Overall, would I buy Holy Crap on a regular basis? Probably not. I’m not vegan, nor am I celiac, nor do I have problems with salt (yet) or sugar (yet). But it was pretty good when I ate a couple of spoonfuls with my yogurt, and I felt really satisfied.

I had to let the cereal soak a bit and get soggy with the yogurt (otherwise it feels like you’re chewing tiny micro-rocks), but other than that I actually quite liked it.

Holy Crap breakfast cereal contains all natural ingredients (no GMO): organic chia, organic hulled hemp hearts, organic buckwheat, organic cranberries, organic raisins, organic apple bits, organic cinnamon. Our three main ingredients are some of the oldest perfect foods known to humans. Our key ingredient, chia or salvia hispanica. This is a recently revived oil seed crop from the Americas that was once more valuable than gold to the Aztecs. The Tarahumara, the greatest long distance runners on the planet, have had a long history of using this slow burning rocket fuel for both athletes and warriors alike.

Allergy alert: seed oil. Each bag is 225 grams and contains 8 full servings. From the package, I found out that it’s kosher, gluten free, lactose free, sugar free, salt free, wheat free, nut free, all-natural, vegan, high in fibre and iron, source of calcium, source of omega -3 and -6, no cooking required.

And given the health benefits associated, I can totally see myself buying it on occasion. But if your diet requires gluten-free, or salt-free products, you probably do want to buy Holy Crap cereal on a more regular basis.

Disclosure:I received a sample bag of Holy Crap Cereal in a media bag for when I wrote about The Wellness Show, but I did not receive any compensation to review it, either from Holy Crap Foods Inc., nor from the organizers of The Wellness Show. I just love the fact that it’s a Mom-and-Pop kind of operation on the Sunshine Coast. As always, I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.

No related posts.

DOXA Documentary Film Festival 2012 (May 4-13th)

Raul — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:23:09 +0000

How do I know it’s almost May? Well, because The 2012 DOXA Documentary Film Festival launches May 4–13, 2012 with an amazing collection of films from Canada and around the planet, that’s how. It looks like it will be another fantastic year of wonderful films. In their own words, “DOXA is presented by The Documentary Media Society, a Vancouver based non-profit, charitable society (incorporated in 1998) devoted to presenting independent and innovative documentaries to Vancouver audiences”. I love how DOXA innovates year after year by looking to highlight new, awesome filmmakers and films.

The Documentary Media Society focuses on educating the public about documentary film as an art form through DOXA Documentary Film Festival, a curated and juried festival comprised of public screenings, panel discussions, public forums and educational programs.

DOXA 2012 breaks new ground with our opening live presentation of the National Film Board’s Bear71. An interactive and immersive experience that blurs the boundaries between wild and wired life, Bear 71 will feature musical performances from Tim Hecker, Loscil, and cellist Heather McIntosh in the stunning setting of Saint Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.

DOXA celebrates Canadian women documentary filmmakers, past, present and future with Making Waves: Spotlight on Canadian Women in Documentary. Making Waves will feature a full-day celebration with panels, interactive features and talks, followed by a galas creening of Brishkay Ahmed’s new film Story of Burqa: Case of a Confused Afghan.

DOXA is exceptionally thrilledto close out the festival with Alison Klayman’s Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. A remarkable look at the struggle for democracy in China through the incendiary work of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, Never Sorry captures Ai in action as he launches broadside attacks on government corruption and censorship.

You can check the full programme here.

Nelson The Seagull (Gastown)

Raul — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:23:55 +0000

I have an ambivalent feeling, not towards Nelson The Seagull‘s staff, location and food (which I absolutely loved, so much so that I blurted out quite loudly that I was annoyed by the six or seven hipsters who were hogging tables AT LUNCH TIME), but towards the price of their food. Admittedly, sandwiches in this part of town (Gastown) are now going up to $10-15 per sandwich for lunch, but I think that is a little bit on the excessive side (particularly when you can have a fantastic lunch at MoMo Sushi for $7. I am not kidding).

Prices aside, the staff at Nelson The Seagull are amazing, the ambiance is really nice, the room is spacious and comfortable. All ingredients to make your sandwiches are made in house. I ordered a roast beef sandwich (which was big and I wasn’t really hungry afterwards) with hummus and pesto. The roast beef was great, and the hummus had the perfect blend of spices. At a $10 price point, and with a very small portion of salad to go, it was a bit on the expensive side of things (and I just realized that Nelson The Seagull does brunch, which is much cheaper).

Overall, I have to say it was a pretty good, sizable sandwich for lunch. But I wish the prices of sandwiches in Gastown hadn’t gone up that much, because you can certainly tell that they are going up fast. That happened with the sandwich shop at Social Le Magasin and it seems to be an upwardly trend. This notwithstanding, I’ll definitely come back to Nelson The Seagull, particularly because I want to try their brunch.

Bread and coffee. That pretty much sums up what we are all about. At least it should, if you have the same romantic visions of how bread and coffee should be done as we do. Nothing instant, no flavour shots, no anonymous frozen ingredients, nothing wrapped in suffocating plastic and no destroyed, decaf, coffee. Just fresh bread, along with local organic fare, great company, sun stained afternoons and the best espresso we can pull.

Disclosure: I paid for my lunch on my own dime.

The Bomb-itty of Errors (theatre review)

Raul — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:41:11 +0000

You may wonder why, if The Bomb-itty of Errors (produced by Temporary Thing and Twenty Something Theatre) closed already I’m reviewing it? Well, because I think it deserves a special blog post (I wrote about it when I previewed it with a tickets giveaway, but it is definitely worth talking about). I wish I had attended The Bomb-itty of Errors MUCH earlier in their run (my life is hectic, and people probably get bored of me telling them that it is crazy, but that’s a sad reality of living two lives at the same time). But I’m glad I did attend, before the run was over.

JT and I arrived to Studio 16, which is an intimate studio/auditorium right in the building of Café Salade de Fruits, a wonderful French bistro in the South Granville area. When we got into the building, we realized that the format of The Bomb-itty of Errors was going to be unique and different. In this project, produced by my friend Sabrina Evertt of Twenty-Something Theatre fame, the audience was encouraged to purchase drinks, sit down and enjoy the show (as though it was a musical show that you would watch at say, The Commodore).

I now understand why this strategy worked so well (the night I attended The Bomb-itty of Errors the studio was a completely sold-out, full house). Going against my usual perception of the projects that both of them tackle, Director Catriona Legler (whose work I love) and Producer Sabrina Evertt offer us an incredibly fast-paced, absolutely hilarious and never-a-dull-moment, entertaining production where the Shakesperian Comedy of Errors is reinvented as a showcase of dexterity, costumes wizardry, agility and hip-hop/rap singing.

The Bomb-itty of Errors is a fast-paced, energetic, musical “ad-rap-tation” of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. Elizabethan times get pumped up with live hip-hop flavour, as the actors sing, rap and rhyme fun, catchy, and laugh-out-loud songs that retain much of the bard’s original text – all with a live DJ on stage and original music by Anami Vice. Starring Brian Cochrane, David A. Kaye, Niko Koupantsis and Jameson Parker.

All four actors deserve kudos, although I’ll admit I have always been partial to the work of Jameson Parker. Brian Cochrane and Jameson Parker are, from what I heard on the day of the performance, the crazy kids who decided to approach Sabrina with this project, and I’m glad they did. Catriona does, as she usually does, her thing and is able to extract like-ability, powerful energy and a fascinating mimetic ability from each of her actors. Kudos as well for the multiplicity of costumes and the ability to hold each persona separate from each other. AND… the live music was phenomenal. And how could I forget the fact that each and every act was sung in rap?!

Overall, I really hope that Theatre Twenty-Something and Temporary Thing produce another play like this. As I commented on Twitter, we have some of the most amazing theatrical talent in Vancouver, and I hope audiences in this city reward them. And I’m excited for what this city’s theatre can produce. Fighting Chance Productions are now doing some serious stuff and Theatre Twenty-Something is producing musicals. WHAT NEXT? I can’t wait to find out!

Disclosure:JT and I attended on media tickets generously provided by the theatre company. However, I would completely have paid for my own admission as the show was fantastic. As always I retain full editorial control over what I publish on my site.

The Marquis (South Granville)

Raul — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:46:48 +0000

You know those hidden gems that I’ve been writing about lately? I don’t know how but I always happen to come upon those. The Marquis in South Granville (between 10th and 11th Avenue on Granville) is one of those hidden gems. I think it’s because it’s kind of hidden, and people don’t seem to realize it’s there. But yes, it is actually classy as it portrays itself (although I am not sure why they added the TV screens)

Quite frankly, I wouldn’t have added the TV screens, I like the room nice as it is without them! My good friend Jana and I arrived there right after the Live At Squamish launch party at the Commodore (it was a tad too noisy for me, thus we decided to head to The Marquis, a place I had been wanting to check for YEARS. Yes, you heard me. In my decade(s) of living in Vancouver, I had NOT checked The Marquis. I am glad we did, not only because we had a fantastic time, but because I got the Assistant Manager (Jenna) to create a sweet drink on my name (The Hummingbird, so if you like sweet martinis, you should totally ask Jenna to make you one).

That is, you should ask her to make you a Hummingbird; she will know what that means.

Nowhere else will you get the opportunity to enjoy the superb variety of authentic dishes presented in such elegant style and ambience. Truly a celebrated marriage of old and new, served to you in the tradition of European graciousness. Our menu offerings are prepared by accomplished chefs who are equally at home with native dishes and international haute cuisine, with this blend of preparation and style of service European gastronomie comes into its own and takes its rightful place. The Marquis offers a totally new way of casual dining, a place where traditional rises to new levels of continental elegance, yet remains very much at home. An experience that is at once European and cosmopolitan Canadian. Sooner or later a restaurant like this had to be created.

I think both Jana and I agree that The Marquis is everything it promises to be and more. While we only had an appetizer and a few martinis, I think the experience overall was fantastic. Rarely have I felt more at home than at The Marquis. And the martinis aren’t out of your range ($10-12 is a bit on the higher end for a martini, but these are VERY strong and VERY well made). Overall, I will definitely return.

Disclosure: Both Jana and I paid for our own drinks on our own dime. Nobody expected us to write a review, and as usual I retain full editorial control over anything I post on my site.