I blogged about OceanWise earlier and I know that some people wonder if this is some eco-certification system. My friend J is doing her entire PhD thesis on eco-certification and corporate social responsibility, and if she was here, I would probably ask her to do a guest post for me. But alas, she is not, so I’ll re-direct you to a paper on the Environmental Protection Agency website that will explain a little bit about the Canadian eco-label version, Environmental Choice [Eco-Logo] which could be considered a variation on the eco-certification theme. Eco-certified products are (allegedly) less harmful to the environment.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
I should have chosen this as my second thread or overall theme. I am a salsa dancer, it’s in my veins and I can’t stop myself when I listen to tunes such as “La Vida es un Carnaval” (by the late Celia Cruz) or Micaela (by La Sonora Carruseles). Thus, I thought I should show an instructional video from Addicted2Salsa. My skill may have dropped a bit but I’m pretty sure I can still do these combinations. And my very qualified salsa partners (A, L, S and L) would look amazing too!
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
While we are on the topic of greener restaurants, some people have switched over to what is called the 100-mile diet. The creators of this diet indicated that they wanted to drink and buy food from suppliers within a 100 mile radius. It’s a good idea, I think, if you want to really act and support local farmers. As the authors James and Alisa indicate, it’s a challenge mostly because it’s hard to find where to source everything. But it’s not impossible to do, though.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
If you were like me, you liked TV shows like “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman”. Interpreted by Lindsay Wagner, the bionic woman (Jaime Sommers) became an icon of the 70s and early 80s. To this day, I love their rendition of the bionic powers (chichichichiching). This video shows the Bionic Woman in various episodes.
There’s a ‘reinvention’ of the Bionic Woman coming this fall, and it’s being filmed in… guess where… yes! Vancouver. It’s definitely not a remake.
Ok, so I’ll have to show J this post so that he can believe that I wasn’t joking when I mentioned that I wanted to make a career in restaurant sustainability (down the road, perhaps not now). Well, I found out that there is such a thing as the Green Restaurant Association. While still a US organization, I am hoping that we’ll be doing the same here in Canada very soon. And to be fair, I eat out enough that I can say I know a lot of Vancouver’s local restaurants (make sure to check my posts on places to dine out by reading through the 58 posts that have ‘dining out’ as the tag).
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
UPDATED – It is annoying that the time stamp doesn’t show correctly. I posted this at 8.30pm sharp. Grrr… not funny. Anyhow, needed to add the link for sponsorship anyways.
I’ve had these discussions on community-building over, and over, and over… (“do you feel part of a community?” is a question I often ask, and I am often posed this question). Throughout the Blogathon, I’ve actually felt part of an online community (those of us who are blogging for charities, being a small sub-community, and we the three Vancouver representatives are like the mini-mini-community). I’ve felt supported throughout the endeavour not only by my close friends (who are probably reading all the stuff I’ve posted) but also by the Blogathon community (very special thanks to Miss604, who in the end was the one who convinced me to join the Blogathon, has linked to me and who has kept the comments flowing).
I have kept a very low profile with my blog, and I’m even blogging sort-of-anonymously, but I wonder if down the road, I might join the community of Vancouver bloggers. I read some of them quite religiously, and I guess this effort will help me gain some additional readership. Perhaps then I’ll feel as though I am part of a Vancouver-blogger community.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Ok, so the owner of Curry Point (two locations: one on the UBC campus and one at Broadway and Cambie) offered very graciously 5 (five) coupons for a one meat + one veggie combo with bottled water (total value ~ $6.50 CND). Of course, since I have to try and make it fun, I had to wonder how to do a contest. So anyhow, this would be a VERY local contest (since both locations are on the West Side of Vancouver). Hmmm… let’s say I’ll give one of the gift certificated to the reader who can answer one of the questions I’ll be posting throughout the evening.
I think I’ll also have a gift certificate for another restaurant (I just need to confirm details). So, all in all, not bad for a day’s work. And all for a good cause:
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
UPDATE – Feeling incredibly lethargic. I wonder if it’s the food or the fact that I’ve been blogging for more than 12 hours straight. I’ve often wandered to other blogs, particularly Miss604 and OpenUp (both local Vancouver blogathoners) but even so, I am exhausted. I am really hoping I can go the distance.
I have also noticed a dramatic drop in blogs. The first time I checked we were at over 500 blogs. Now we’re at 394 (6.51pm). WOW. But they’re right – if you can’t do it, you can’t do it. It’s not worth over-doing it.
I am just running out of ideas for environmentally-related posts!
Well, since I do enjoy one vodka tonic sporadically (e.g. every few weeks), a friend of mine suggested that I looked into Vodka 360. The creators of this beverage indicate on their website their commitment to “eco-awareness and corporate social responsibility”. Of course, all disclaimers apply here (e.g. drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive, etc.) And full disclosure – I have nothing to do with this company. I just like vodka-based drinks once in a while. It’s exciting to see that environmental issues are gaining more visibility.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Considered by many the best bass of the 80’s, Mark King was the leader of a great British band, Level 42. This is one of their best tunes, in my humble opinion. Makes you want to stand up and dance. Or at least, it has that effect on me.
UPDATE: I made it through the first 12 hours!!!! I can’t believe it. I’ve commuted from home to the office, stopped 3 times, almost didn’t get my post on time 3 times, and I’m still standing.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Ocean Wise is a program initiated by the Vancouver Aquarium and it is intended to encourage the consumption of seafood that comes from certified (presumably sustainable fisheries). It’s a great idea, I think, and lots of Vancouver restaurants have adopted Ocean Wise. I’d encourage you to check out their webpage.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
I’m not going to lie and say I wouldn’t enjoy living in Yaletown. There are plenty of good restaurants near by (Nu, El Patio and La Terrazza are just a few of them), a beautiful park (David Lam Park) and an amazing seawall. However, the rental prices are through the roof, and if I wanted to live in YT I would necessarily have to share accommodations and find a roommate (or make A LOT of money). I don’t think I’m ready to go into debt to live in YT. Although it’s a beautiful neighbourhood.
All these years of living alone have given me a newfound freedom. I absolutely enjoy having no issues with regards of who gets to shower first, how clean our apartment is, etc. I have all these conversations with myself. Living in Yaletown would mean to me having great perks (hey who doesn’t enjoy taking the AquaBus for a short trip to Granville Island or Kits Beach?) but also would mean paying much more than I pay now. Unless, of course, I found a really great one-bedroom within my budgetary restrictions :-), which may be hard to do but definitely not impossible.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
*** Ok, so I admit this one is slightly early but I’ve been having wireless issues for the past two hours and frankly, I need to change my location ( I am currently blogging from Kitsilano but have posted from the Main Street area and Cambie 🙂 ). Will try to post exactly at 5:00pm but may have Wi-Fi issues – so don’t think I’ve given up if I don’t show up by 5:00pm sharp) ***
So a good friend of mine is writing her PhD thesis on green buildings, and I thought, “hey this might be another environmentally-related topic”. So I would just like to call your attention to the issue. Green building practices seek to increase materials, water and energy efficiency in buildings. I could mention lots of them in the Greater Vancouver area (like the Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability, or the C.K. Choi Building) but in addition to that, I want to call your attention to the role played by organizations such as Canada Green Building Council or the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. These organizations promote the implementation of sustainable practices in buildings. Very cool work.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Pamela Anderson, from our own beautiful British Columbia, has made a name for herself in many ways, one of them through her formerly syndicated TV show, “VIP”. I loved the music and I always wanted to have the YouTube clip. Managed to find it once, then it was quickly removed. Managed to find it again, though. Don’t you like the music? If I had my own TV show, I’d like this type of music as the theme. Of course, I don’t have my own TV show but hey I still like this tune!
UPDATE – My pledges are up to $ 57.00 already! YAY 🙂 I thought I would do worse than that, hehe. So keep’em coming… and to those who have donated, many thanks!
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Ok, so I got hooked on to Treehugger thanks to M (who is now way up North undertaking some really exciting archaeological work). And recently I got an e-mail from a friend who suggested that if I used Black Goggle instead of normal Google I would save energy. I am not going to enter the debate (mainly because I don’t have the time to calculate the savings and all that, although it would be fun), but here is the Treehugger post that discusses this particular tool.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
It would be a gross understatement to say that I love my friends. I think that if there is such a thing, I am friend-addicted. I have a fairly solid bunch of people around me who keep me sane through thick and thin.
They have to put up with phone calls at night when I have to rant and complain about stuff at work (or heartache, as the case might be).
They join me in adventures around town (shopping at IKEA or the Kwik-E-Mart).
They follow my craziness throughout the day (yes I know this Blogathon is a crazy idea, but I’m doing it for a worthy cause that you all know I strongly support).
They sponsor me (thank you guys!!!) at Blogathon 2007.
They are ready to tell me the truth even when it hurts.
They share in our enjoyment of the fine things in life (such as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, taking in a concert, shopping on Main Street, having a home-made dinner, watching movies, and sometimes, they even read my work-related stuff!)
I am grateful for the friends I have. At all times, you know I think the world of y’all !!!!
Note on A Loving Spoonful donations page – I was just informed by one of my friends that there might be an issue with the secure donations at the A Loving Spoonful website (it appears as http instead of https). So maybe you may want to do your donation by cheque or something. A good friend of mine who was kind enough to pledge me has called to inform them of the issue. However, you don’t need to donate today. All you need to do is pledge, and then fulfill your pledge soon-ish!
Keep’em donations coming! And to those who have donated, thank you for your kindness!
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Increasing urban density is considered as one of several potential solutions to urban sprawl, and an alternative that would lead to a more sustainable urban form. The phrase Eco-Density has been mentioned several times (some people argue that the term has even been trademarked, but I am not too sure about this). Among the proposed strategies towards ‘Eco-Density’, we can find increasing density around transit routes, reduce single-unit dwellings, to name a couple.
The Vancouver Eco-Density Planning Initiative seems like an interesting idea, and I’d like to learn more about it in the near future.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Phew, I almost didn’t make it – I needed wireless access and I had to find a place.
I used to be a trained dancer, and abandoning it is something I regret every day of my life. It is something that defines me and that I am actually good at. And now I see all these fun dance-related events and I feel that my heart sinks, because I have been unable to participate in any of them. So I have decided to start anew, and to join several of these events.
The Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square, organized (I think) by SalsaVancouver.net, take place on Sunday afternoons during July and August, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.
I think I need to go back to dancing as part of my weekly routine and my life in general. And these events are free, so they shouldn’t weigh heavily on any of our wallets.
Hope you’re enjoying the blogs. I got to go to work, so I need to find a couple of coffee shops with wireless. I tell you, it’s hard to blog and take the bus!
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
Many of my colleagues cycle to school, work and many other functions. I have found that living in East Vancouver, I feel less prone or tempted to bike all the way to work. But many of my East Van peers commute using their bicycles, so in theory, it can be done. Of course, it also depends on equipment. I used to have a bike, and when I did, I biked everywhere. Now I don’t and I am not entirely sure I want to buy one just now (other more pressing needs).
I commute by bus, and walk A LOT. But more recently I’ve thought about taking up biking. If I end up buying a bicycle, I will want to ensure that I have a good one that allows me to commute fairly long distances. Of course, the alternative would be to take my bike and commute by bus and then run around using my bike. I just haven’t gotten around purchasing a good bike. Now, with this Vancouver weather, I am strongly discouraged about biking in the fall, when the weather can be actually quite gloomy and rainy. But I am all for encouraging others to commute using alternative, more sustainable modes of transportation!
Monica Seles is a Yugoslavia-born, US-naturalized tennis player, whom I’ve admired for many, many years. According to her Wikipedia entry, Monica Seles is listed as the 13th greatest player of all times. She won 9 Grand Slams (4 Australian, 3 French and 2 US Opens). One of the matches I most enjoyed was her defeat of Steffi Graf in the 1993 Australian Open Final in three sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-2). During the first point of this match, you can see Monica Seles actually serving and volleying (even though she was more of a baseline player). This is one of the best matches in women’s tennis you’ll find.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
*** Sorry for the slightly delayed posting — I needed to find WiFi access ***
So out of sheer will, I decided to do the Grouse Grind. For any Vancouverite who prides him/herself of being truly Vancouverite, this is a must-do. The Grouse Mountain trail (Grouse Grind) is a 2.9 km hike, with an elevation gain of 2,800 feet. Some people say that for a fit person it should take about an hour to complete. In my case, even though I think I am pretty fit, I took longer because I had to stop more than once. I actually stopped more to talk to people than because I was tired. You can get to the bottom of Grouse Mountain by bus, and it is one of the most frequented hikes in Vancouver. Worth doing it, even if just to say you did it. And yes, it is a way of connecting with nature (hence the sustainability tag).
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
I have to confess that I’m a non-expert blogger. I create my posts and link to websites, and post some YouTube videos, but that’s the extent of my blogging savvy. When I’ve been browsing other bloggers’ sites (mainly because we are all doing Blogathon) I have noticed that people can track who has linked to their site. How do you do it? I use Blogger, so perhaps my platform isn’t the best suited (I don’t know). I know some people like Typepad or WordPress. But I have grown used to Blogger. And I kind of like it.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
With so much rain year-round, it would be tempting to think that there is no water scarcity in Canada. This thought could be misleading. Tofino, a small town in British Columbia, almost shutdown last year because of water droughts. Water scarcity is a reality, and just because we don’t see it we can’t deny it. Click here for a website chock full of resources on water (the World Water Assessment Programme, based in Paris).
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
The phrase “working at a coffee shop” has often triggered a few strange comments from my friends. “Are you actually working as a barista?” is often one of them. The truth is no, I don’t work at a coffee shop, but I do work AT a coffee shop. Yeah, I know it sounds strange. What that statement means is that I often bring my laptop and some papers to work with and start my work. That’s what I mean by “working at a coffee shop”. And on that note, two things.
Caffeine is not working. I’m very sleepy.
Vancouver has LOTS of coffee shops with wireless that you can work at.
I found a really neat webpage that tracks WiFi in Vancouver (coffee shops particularly). Check it out.
“Because nobody living with AIDS should live with hunger” (A Loving Spoonful), please consider donating.
