Hummingbird604.com » personal life

Returning to competitive volleyball

Raul — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:45:49 +0000

Photo credit: Chris A. Michaels

No, that’s definitely NOT me in the photo. I wish I had that vertical jump right now! Because of my knee injury, and my apparent inability to strengthen my core muscles ever since the injury, my vertical is not as high as it used to be. Which means, I can’t be a power hitter of the calibre shown on this photograph.

BUT

I can still be a competitive player. And I *love* being a power hitter. There’s a degree of freedom that comes from the ability to hit balls really hard. I have gone through all three positions. I began as a power hitter, then I graduated to middle blocker when my team needed a powerful block (and I was the strongest of my team) and then I went to setter when for some reason, my hitting and blocking abandoned me.

Of all three positions, I think I have always been a better power hitter. So when I participated this year in the evaluations for the VGVA Competitive I division (a division that I played in during the 2007-2008 academic year), I felt a really strange sensation. I’m fitter than ever (fitter than I was in graduate school, of course, and during the first years of my post-doctoral life) which means I was able to field balls and recover faster.

I also hit some amazing serves and kills (spikes). My volleying is better than it was in 2007-2008. BUT I feel still that there’s room for improvement. That is precisely the difference I feel and one of the reasons I’m so proud. 3 hours of gruelling evaluations each time left me with a body that aches in places I never knew it could hurt. BUT I know that if I work hard this 2011-2012, I might actually come back to the competitive level I always wanted: a similar level to when I was playing at the provincial/national junior team.

And THAT would be amazing.

Two essential posts in getting to know Raul

Raul — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:27:05 +0000

I was thinking a few days ago, if I had to choose two posts that really depicted who I am, which ones would I use? I am particularly proud of this one and also of this one. If you are interested in learning more about me, I suggest reading those posts.

Weekend recap

Raul — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:39:33 +0000

One of the main criticisms I’ve had to field from my civilian friends is that my blog has become too tech/social media oriented, and that I’ve written much less about my personal life. Surprisingly enough, many tech people have told me that my blog is very personal. I can’t win!

At any rate, this weekend was a very good mix of civilian and social media life. By social media life I don’t mean that I actually did any social media event coverage, I just hung out with friend I’ve met through my blogging.

Thursday, after drinks with Lorraine and Dale, where we had a chance to see Simon (worth recapping on their own post) and dinner with Degan (restaurant review also forthcoming), and the live blog of Vancouver 2010 indie media centre meeting, I was really exhausted.

Friday was a good civilian day, spent most of the day a bit sick and in between naps, but luckily I managed to still go out at night. Saturday I had coffee with Lorraine at the Ovaltine, then coffee with Jonathon Narvey and Joe Solomon at JJ Beans, then dinner with Ianiv and Arieanna and a bunch of other social media and non-socmed folks at Earl’s Paramount (restaurant review forthcoming), and finally a Saint Nicholas party with Oana and Matt and a few other folks.

Today, I am basically out of commission as it’s my traditional JT evening and I’m going to spend most of the morning dealing with personal stuff such as laundry, etc. Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Events this weekend (Oct 24-25, 2008)

Raul — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:28:40 +0000

I am like, five-times-booked this weekend, but I’m going to have to say no to everything. While I am sorry to miss the company of many good friends (and a chance to see important and relevant stuff), I *have* to finish something (I’m on a deadline). So instead of feeling socially guilt-ridden, I’m going to take a shot at saying no. And I know that my friends will understand.

So here is a really quick roundup of the things that are happening this weekend:

- The Vancouver Health and Wellness Show at Canada Place. My loved friends at HappyFrog are doing a lot of media coverage for the show. Tris Hussey already has a post up, and there’ll be more coverage I am sure (DaveO is podcasting live).

- Gus kindly invited me to Sustainability 2008 (which is totally up my alley) but unfortunately, I’ve been ultra busy so I can’t make it either. But they have a totally wicked geo-thermal exchange exhibit today.

- The Parade of Lost Souls. Takes place in Grandview Park, procession starts at 7pm. I think that Lorraine (Raincoaster) and Heather (Hez) will be there, my understanding is that Lorraine will be liveblogging, most likely in the FearlessCity website and Hez will be interviewing participants/covering the event. It’s a wonderful event, check it out. And don’t forget about the Digital Shrine project.

- And of course, today is Media Democracy Day. I know that Ianiv and Arieanna are going, Tris will also attend so check his blog for a post on the topic. If you’re going and are covering the event, ping me and I’ll link you.

On the topic of Media Democracy Day, here is some info on the panel on new media [Info is from the Media Democracy Day website]

3:15 to 4:30 (Alice MacKay)
Panel 3: The Battle for New Media and Open Communication

We stand at a crossroads in the history of communications technology, a moment when traditional media are in disarray, and a new form of communications and organizing — more grassroots and decentralized — is on the rise. The Internet is upsetting conventional wisdom about “mass media” and changing media power in ways never before imagined. But change also raises new threats. Will an open Internet succumb to the same companies that control traditional media? The new challenge for us is to organize around and develop new sets of policies, projects, and tools that will finally give us an advantage in the decades-long struggle against the gatekeepers.
Panelists will discuss the fight for an open Internet, prospects for online/social media, and future challenges.
Panel Chair: Kate Milberry – Media and Technology Commentator
Panelists:
-Leslie Regan Shade – Associate Professor Concordia University, editor of “For Sale to the Highest Bidder: Telecom Policy in Canada.”
-Jeff Davis – Vancouver Open Network Initiative Cooperative (VONIC)
-Mike Tippet – Co-founder of NowPublic
-Robert Scales – CEO of Raincity Studios

UPDATE – Interesting Vancouver happened last night. You can read Rebecca’s liveblog here. Presenters included Tom Williams, Darren Barefoot, James Sherrett, Irwin from FearlessCity. Darren is staying over the weekend as he is also presenting at the Surrey International Writers Festival.

So… sorry for missing all these great events, but if there’s a time when I need to buckle down, this would be it.

An attempt to shift my lifestyle

Raul — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:16:45 +0000

Photo by Nomade Moderne.

Every few weeks, I make a reflective post, mostly on the state of my own health and wellbeing (although I’ve also written about how my life has evolved). I’ve had some scares before. I once blacked out for 1.5 hours, another time I was sick for about three weeks, and every week-long social media events leaves me usually exhausted and wanting to cocoon for the rest of the year (see my VIDFEST posts for more details).

The time I’ve spent with my family these past few weeks has left me pondering whether I want to continue leading the lifestyle I’ve had for much longer. As somebody once told me, “even hummingbirds need to rest“. I know that I’ve become popular as the ultra-speedy, fast-reader, fast-writer, uncanny photographic memory Hummingbird604. But I am also a human being who can also get really tired and feel overwhelmed.

I plan to take time to smell the flowers, not run around them.
I will try to commit to less things, be it academic or social media or just social stuff.
I will write if/when I feel like it, not when I feel obligated to.
I care VERY little about my stats, but I do care about my friends and my readers, which is the reason why I won’t stop blogging.
I know that everything will be ok, all I need is to SLOW DOWN.

More than anything, I realize that despite the circumstances of my trip to Mexico, I am VERY, very happy. Happy to be alive, happy to be able to help my family go through difficult times, and mostly, just happy to be me.

What is left unsaid often hurts

Raul — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:04:13 +0000

While my blog is pretty personal, I rarely post about things that really eat me up. Primarily, because I think that those are very intimate details of my life that I don’t really feel like I should reveal. However, these past few months, I’ve had a nagging feeling that there was something I hadn’t discussed that kept bugging me, and I just spoke about it in the past couple of weeks.

I talked about this with Tanya as I was walking her back to her place. While reminiscing, I can clearly remember that I had already had some hints of having something bottled inside when my friend LCB and I had brunch at Sunshine Diner and we touched upon the subject. Then I mused about it with Rebecca. I even mentioned something about it with my friend CC who is doing her PhD there now. At some point, I had discussed this in detail with my PhD advisor. And this past Sunday, I discussed it with my good friend JT. Since the list of people with whom I’ve started to share how I have been feeling is growing so I figured this was the right time to put it out on the blogosphere, in an effort perhaps, to let go.

What did I leave unsaid, you ask? Well, for background purposes, the program where I did my PhD is very interdisciplinary and intermingled. Therefore, there’s LOTS of people doing a heck of a lot of different stuff, and it has historically had problems with issues of cliques and cohesiveness. I volunteered for my program, A LOT. I organized workshops, events, seminars. I offered my analytical skills and critical advice to my peers in an entirely self-less manner. I read theses, papers, drafts, critiqued them (constructively all the time) and engaged in scholarship.

However, I think it’s fair to admit that I was disappointed with (some of) my peers, and with their engagement with me (as a person and as a scholar). A number of them, I do consider good and close friends. But in general, I have been keeping bottled inside a feeling that I never got back from my scholarly community what I gave. It’s not that I was (explicitly) expecting something in return. But I do feel somewhat neglected. This may sound entirely self-absorbed and selfish, but I think that, if you are in a community (whichever community, be it scholars, bloggers, etc.), you can (somewhat) expect something in return. In my case, what went around (care and interest in everyone’s well-being) did not come around.

The blogging community has been IMMENSELY more welcoming to me than my graduate program. I have received LOTS and LOTS of help, advice, I’ve been embraced and nurtured by a community of people with whom I’ve become friends, and that’s something I am very happy and grateful for. I already had a great circle of off-campus friends, whom I adore, and who devote their time and friendship to me (in considering off-campus friends, I would include some of the friends I made throughout my graduate program and faculty at the university, simply because we are now closer friends and not only peers)

Instead of dwelling on the pain that my peers’ behavior inflicted on me, I prefer now to move forward and look at the broad array of possibilities that are in front of me. Grad school is now a chapter of my life that, in my mind, I have closed, and I am happy to move on. I just thought I had to say this, publicly, openly, and honestly.

Thank you, O Canada!

Raul — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:00:05 +0000

I moved to Canada nearly a decade ago, not knowing what was going to happen and uncertain about my future, funding for my degrees, and the life over here. All I knew is that I was leaving behind an incredibly annoying boss, a job that while I liked, was just extracting the life out of me, and a really strong social networks of friends, as well as my family.

I now have family all over North America, have lived in Europe and moved back to Canada, and every morning I wake up feeling free, happy and fulfilled. I have a LOT of Canadian friends, both born-Canadian and immigrants. At one of the gatherings I organized recently, I discovered that out of the six people in our table, NONE had been born in Canada.

I have fell in love with a Canadian, I have had my heart broken by a Canadian, and despite this, I love Canada. I love its multiculturalism. I love its freedom. I love its uniqueness. I love the fact that I have many Canadian friends, and many non-Canadian friends, all of whom I love dearly.

I am enthralled by what Canada has offered me, and while I am keenly aware of my roots and my origins, I am also very happy to be living in Canada. On your anniversary, thank you Canada for giving me so many opportunities for growth, for love, and for happiness. Happy Canada Day, everyone!

Too much information meme – Raul’s answers

Raul — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:08:35 +0000

Always lovely and mindful of how busy I have been, Rebecca had decided not to tag me for the “Too Much Information” meme that she got tagged on (originally I think Larry also tagged Matt Collinge AND Jonathon Narvey, so technically, at least three of my friends have now been tagged). Nevertheless, I figured that it would only be fair to voluntarily self-tag and here are my answers

1. Who is your favorite musical artist?
I grew up in a household where the mother is a soprano, the father plays the guitar, and all five boys (e.g. us) play the piano. Therefore, I am very associated with classical music, and therefore Beethoven would be my favorite musical artist. Always the black sheep, I decided to switch to contemporary dance as my form of art, and from there, I went to salsa and tango. Thus, it is no wonder that some of the musical artists I like are Latin (please refrain from making the Ricky Martin/Enrique Iglesias joke – thank you). Finally, I *love* Canadian musicians – Matthew Good, Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain, Chantal Kreviazuk, Avril Lavigne, and Jann Arden to mention just a few.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
I think that most respondents have referred to painters/sculptors in their responses. Following the same trend, I am a big fan of Renoir, Michelangelo, Van Gogh. Quite obviously given my heritage, I am also a big follower of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Finally, I consider acting as a form of art (I am trained as a theatre actor) and thus I am also a big fan of Meryl Streep and the late Heath Ledger.

3. Who is your favourite blogger?
TMI. No, I’m just kidding. I don’t think I have a favourite blogger. I make a point of reading *at least* all the blogs in my blogroll, and the majority of those people are friends of mine in real life now. While my blogroll definitely needs some updating (particularly since I’ve started reading the blogs of new Twitter friends, both followers and reciprocal follows), I am usually pretty damn good at reading (and commenting) when I think I can add to the conversation, and no, I don’t think I can prioritize anyone and say “this is my favourite blogger”.

4. If you could meet anyone (alive or dead), who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them?
This may sound like a really dumb answer, but I really would like to have met Albert Einstein. He was supposedly an outcast and his IQ tests were miserable, according to some reports I have read. I just would like to know how he would see the world as I know it. As for living people – I think I’ve met some wonderful people (famous actors, writers, politicians). That being said, I wouldn’t mind meeting Michaelle Jean in person, if anything just to ask her what does it feel to be such an iconic figure for Canada AND an immigrant.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Originally, I was going to be a doctor. I am now a doctor, but of a different kind, hehehe. My parents were incredibly patient with me. They put me through lessons for everything. I studied library science, criminology, interior design, chemistry, you name it. I think my financial debt to my parents for my education is ranging in the six figures realm now.

6. What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know?
Well, not sure if it is interesting to YOU but it is interesting to me. Did you know that the two major fears of every human (the only fears with which we are born) are the fear to loud noises and the fear of falling? Of course, you could add a third (the fear of making a loud noise when falling).

7. If you could live in any point in history when would it be and why?
My ex was a historian, so I always got asked this question, and my response is always the same: France in the late 1700s. Did you know that the Declaration of Rights was signed in 1789? What made the French people at the time decide that all men (and women) are all equal? (mind you, the actual wording seems to refer only to men – how inappropriate!)

8. What is the most interesting job you have ever held?
I will have to say that hands down, being a professor (instructor, teacher, however you want to call it). I witnessed my students grow with every class, their self-esteem and confidence in the command they were gaining of the material. Learning about local issues and national issues and analyzing them through different theoretical frameworks and using different research strategies was always fun. Although, truth be told, being a bartender really does bring out a whole other side of me

Now, should I tag someone else? Nah – I’ll let you voluntarily self-tag. I am sure more than one of you will do it, sooner or later