As someone who is afflicted with S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), January and February are incredibly difficult months. What I usually do to battle this is to schedule myself to teach 2 courses. Because early Spring is usually “abstract-sending-season” (e.g. writing abstracts to present scholarly research at conferences), the workload is so huge that I don’t even have time to think about feeling down and blue with the horrible weather.
This Spring 2012 I am only teaching one course, because I need to concentrate on finishing 2 book manuscripts and about 7 journal articles, and thus my schedule, while still packed with activity, is much more flexible than any usual Spring. Thus, my sleep patterns have been screwed up (on top of having been sick and pretty much unconscious for two weeks).
Today I woke up at 6:15am feeling perfectly normal even though I went to bed after midnight. This is a sign. This means that my highest productivity period begins right about now (yes, during periods like this I can work pretty much 20 hours a day). And I CAN’T WAIT. Spring is almost here!
For those of you in Canada, you should turn your clocks ahead one hour this weekend. That means that we will start seeing sunsets at 7pm, which is a much more decent hour than 4pm. I’m SO EXCITED!!!
As a faculty member at UBC, I make an effort to support students’ initiatives (regardless of whether any of my current or former students are involved, but even more so when they are). One of the campaigns that touched my heart the most in recent years is 5 Days For The Homeless, which in Vancouver will take place from March 11th trough the 16th.
Five Days for The Homeless was founded as a local initiative by University of Alberta School of Business students. This initiative, after running very successfully for a number of years on the Edmonton campus at the University of Alberta, was taken national in 2008. To date, the campaign has raised over $750,000 for charitable organizations across the country and has spread its message from coast to coast.
Directions Youth Services Centre, operated by Family Services of Greater Vancouver, provides Vancouver’s homeless youth and youth at-risk with a single entry point to access the tools, support, and guidance they so desperately need to go about making healthy, positive changes in their lives. Directions strives to be accessible to all youth, regardless of their circumstances and fosters a culture of respect. Directions Youth Services Centre is working closely with the community to develop solutions to end youth homelessness in Vancouver and to change the community’s perception of street-involved youth.
One of the things I do when I travel is prepare lectures, or simply read scholarly journal articles or books associated with my academic life. Long-distance travel (usually when I go to Victoria by ferry or when I fly anywhere, either for a scholarly trip or for a media trip that has usually an associated academic component) is probably the only uninterrupted period of time.
1. Choose your seat strategically. Because I’m not a fan of long trips themselves, and because I travel by air so frequently, I have found that choosing the right seat can definitely help you accomplish more work. It’s one of a few tricks that work for me and help me accomplish some of my academic work while on the air. Because I’m 5’11 and I have long legs, I need A LOT of leg room. We all know that planes aren’t giving more leg room, so what I do is I choose the seat that is near to the emergency exit row. One of the seats is always moved forward a little bit (as shown here) and I make sure to (whenever I can) choose it and book online.
2. Bring with you a light blanket, and a light sweater. I am always cold, and we all know that air conditioning in planes tends to be really cold, sometimes. So what I do is I buy one of the small, light blankets that the airline itself provides (I bought a few years ago, so I just bring one with me every trip) and pack it along with a light sweater (I usually bring a V neck sweater that Minna, Jay and John from The Network Hub gave me for Christmas last year – warm and light at the same time). Both items fit in my laptop bag and they don’t increase the weight by much. And I can usually snuggle and read journal articles while staying warm.
3. Make sure to bring the light laptop (or a tablet). This is a lesson I learned recently. I used to have a heavy, 17″ ACER laptop that weighed a lot (and because of the battery dying, it was pretty much impossible to use it while I was travelling). Now, Air Canada has recently implemented power outlets in the seats (which I find completely awesome), and that enables me to travel with a dead-battery-power-outlet-only laptop.
At the time when I bought the previous ACER I did not realize that it would be a pain to travel with it (because it had a large screen, I thought to myself “yay! more space to write academic articles!”. Uh. Not a smart idea. The next laptop I bought (another ACER, indeed) is very light and I can prepare lecture slides, presentation/talk slides or write academic manuscripts in it even within the cramped area of a plane. I also use my HP TouchPad, quite often, to make notes and/or read PDF journal articles.
Whatever I bring (laptop or tablet) I make sure that I seat where I just told you (this reminds me of an article by my friend Alexandra Samuel who mentioned that she worried that the guy in front of her would break her laptop by pushing the seat to the back (what I do is I sit where there’s nobody else who will push their seat backwards). Protecting my laptop IS a priority.
4. Bring healthy snacks and beverages with you. I have noticed that, regardless of which airline I travel (and most airlines will NOT offer any meals at all, unless you purchase them), I almost never like what they offer. So before I get on the plane, right before, I buy a bottle of water (I know, I feel the guilt already!) or a soft drink or juice, and a sandwich. I also buy snack bars. This enables me to stay hydrated and well-fed while travelling instead of feeling like I want to pass out.
5. Bring an ergonomic travel pillow. You may be like my Mom, who can’t sleep on planes. But I can, and I am blessed by that. So, I take advantage of this opportunity by always bringing with me a neck-fitted, ergonomic travel pillow. If you sleep on the plane, that talk you have to give as soon as you arrive to the meeting (and trust me, it has happened to me) will go much more smoothly.
I have been blogging about Dining Out For Life (and participating in the event) for, at least, the last 5 years. The motto of Dining Out for Life is “Make a difference. Dine out & support people living with HIV/AIDS“. A few years ago (the very first time I did a Blogathon) I raised funds for A Loving Spoonful, as I am in complete awe of their mission: to provide nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS. Dining Out For Life is a charitable project that supports the mission of A Loving Spoonful, and as queer issues are important to me, and HIV/AIDS is an issue relevant to gay men, I think it’s a worthy cause.
Dining Out For Life is BC’s largest restaurant fundraiser, benefiting A Loving Spoonful and Friends For Life. Over 250 restaurants from Whistler to White Rock and across the Fraser Valley will contribute 25% of their sales that day to people living with HIV/AIDS. Participating restaurants from Whistler to White Rock and across the Fraser Valley have raised over $3 million for HIV/AIDS support services over 16 years. Invite your friends & dine out on March 29.
You can check the participating restaurants here. I will definitely be Dining Out For Life on March 29th, 2012. Please consider participating in this wonderful event.
UPDATE – a couple of photos of the recent media event:
Sheena Sargeant (Executive Director, Friends for Life), Lisa Martella (Executive Director, A Loving Spoonful) and me
I will fully confess that, despite being one of six males in my family (5 brothers and my Dad), I never thought about issues of gender until I was in graduate school in Canada. I grew up in a household where my Mom and Dad were equals. Where each and every single decision they made for me and my brothers was based on consensus. Where there was never a doubt: women were equally capable of doing anything that men do. My Aunts, Grandmothers, sisters-in-law and some of my best friends (all women), are all amazing in-and-of-their-own, and thus I always still scratch my head when I hear or read about glass ceilings. Simply because I’ve never discriminated someone (much less on the basis of their gender). I do take a proactive approach to encourage my female students to flourish and thrive, and I do the same with my queer students, but I think it’s mostly because I know they have the potential and I want them to achieve it to their fullest. I have a profound admiration for the role of women in this world.
March 8th marks the celebration of International Women’s Day and it will be celebrated, amongst other cities, of course in Vancouver. You should attend this event, even if it’s specific to the arts, because it’s one of several celebrations, organized and promoted by the City of Vancouver:
Thursday, March 8, 2012 from 6 to 8 pm
(An event to honour local women in the arts from the Remarkable Women poster series)
Creekside Community Recreation Centre 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver
International Women’s Day is commemorated annually on March 8 by the United Nations. It’s a day observed around the world, when all people come together to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women’s long struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. It’s an occasion for women and girls to unite and identify the collective goals that will become the benchmarks for our advancement in the future.
In 1910, an International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin, Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin’s suggestion with unanimous approval and International Women’s Day was the result.
This year, 2012, is the 101st Anniversary of the first celebration of International Women’s Day.
I won’t be able to attend, but I’ll definitely be celebrating the most important woman in my life: My Mom. Someone who has made of me much of who I am. And to all the women in my life, who are amazing, thank you for what you do to make this world better .
I first heard about Vancouver’s Odd Squad Productions Society (OSP) through both my friend Summer Dhillon and Jeremy Szafron. I recently found out that the Odd Squad Productions Society will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. A fabulous Gala Fundraiser will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Thursday, June 7th at 5:00 pm at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Presented by CIBC Wood Gundy At Bental, and at the time of press supported by more than 25 corporate sponsors, the evening consists of a formal sit-down dinner, Live Auction, Silent Auction, and a few hidden surprises that have yet to be revealed.
All proceeds fund Odd Squad’s efforts to keep youth gang-safe and drug-free. I just looked at some of the statistics they provided me, such as “60% of illicit drug users are between 15 to 24 years old”. It is definitely important to be proactive and empower and protect youth.
The OSP educates young adults through film, presentations and workshops, and by providing peer mentoring support.
Odd Squad’s vision is to design programs that honour and motivate youth, encourage them to set positive goals, lay their own path and stay On Track by keeping drug-free for a long and healthy life.
The mission of the Odd Squad Productions Society is a very noble one:
To educate the public about the devastating effects that high-risk behaviour has on members of our community. Today’s youth face difficult choices, enormous peer pressure, and more readily available and potent mind-altering drugs, than at any other time in history. Odd Squad ascribes to the notion that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ and that drug prevention programs are a more cost-effective and healthier investment for youth than treatment.Through valuable and thought-provoking visual media tools, the Odd Squad organization brings its mission to life.
Read a bit about the story of the Odd Squad Productions Society
Founded in 1997 by seven determined Officers of the Vancouver Police Department, Odd Squad Productions Society (OSP) is a registered B.C. non-profit society and charitable organization that has developed a unique approach to community policing, crime prevention, and public education. Odd Squad generates funding through donations and grants from the private and business sectors. We are totally an independent organization that is not a part of the mandated and budgeted police department or government-funded ministries.
Our fundraising allows educational presentations, crime prevention programs, peer-to-peer mentoring workshops, and the production of award-winning documentary films. Having first partnered with the National Film Board of Canada for Through A Blue Lens (1999), Odd Squad has continued to produce numerous, hard-hitting, educational documentaries.
I hope to be able to make it to the gala, as it’s in June, usually when I travel for academic presentations. I loved the documentary Riding With Madonna, produced by the OSPS. You can check the trailer here:
You may have read on my site that I sit on the Executive Board of The Network Hub. I have had a desk here since 4 years ago, and I love it. The Network Hub has been an amazing launch pad for small businesses of different walks of life. We (The Network Hub) have a worldwide network of coworking spaces and often collaborate with other coworking locations on projects, much like the one you will read about here. I am proud of being part of the group of entrepreneurs who calls The Network Hub home. I just realized that the conference “The Coworking Space Ship” will be coming to Vancouver (on March 28th) so here is some information for you. Hopefully you will be able to attend, as it will be hosted by The Network Hub.
Not long ago, the word “coworking” was still unknown to most people. Today it needs little explanation. That’s because the number of coworking spaces around the world has exploded, attracting tens of thousands of independent workers who are looking for a collaborative place to do their jobs.
The dramatic growth of the coworking movement worldwide will be the topic of discussion at a mini-conference in Vancouver on March 28. The mini-conference, called the Coworking Space Ship, is organized by the coworking websites Deskwanted and Deskmag, along with the The Network Hub, a dynamic Vancouver coworking space. The evening will feature talks from experts on the global collaborative work scene, as well as discussion about exciting developments within Vancouver’s independent work movement.
The coworking movement has been developing rapidly across the planet. The number of coworking spaces has been doubling worldwide since 2005, reaching 1300 last month, according to Deskmag’s Global Coworking Survey. Part of the driving force is no doubt the over 300,000,000 mobile workers worldwide, according to Foresster Research.
Talks at the event will include an in-depth analysis of the Global Coworking Survey, the biggest and most detailed study of the trend. The survey contains lots of interesting facts about coworkers. For example, the survey found 38% of coworkers increase their income and 83% increase their productivity simply by moving from an isolated home office to a collaborative environment.
As well as global coworking issues, the event will consider issues important to the vibrant Vancouve collaborative work scene. The Network Hub and other spaces would like to strengthen the local collaborative community by encouraging more interaction between the different coworking spaces. This event will be held in an unconference style, to ensure that all voices have a chance to be heard equally.
I asked my good friend Jay Catalan, one of the cofounders of The Network Hub, to assess the way in which he sees coworking has transformed regional development in Vancouver:
Since we opened up the doors of The Network Hub in the summer of 2006, the landscape of work in Vancouver, our neighbourhood of Gastown in particular, has changed dramatically. There are a lot more freelancers and startups working in the area nowadays. We believe having a coworking space like ours in the neighbourhood has helped to attract and keep local talented professionals and entrepreneurs who may otherwise have been unable to find a suitable and affordable place to operate their businesses. It also creates a supportive ecosystem of independent workers through the organic networks that are formed when people get to know each other through coworking or through the many public events and workshops that are held at the space. We’re very excited to be part of this mini-conference on Coworking, as we envision how the movement will take shape in Vancouver and the rest of the world in the years to come.
Vancouver is just one of ten cities that will be visited by the Coworking Space Ship, which is a traveling roadshow moving across North America. The event is a chance to meet up with coworking enthusiasts and connect with the coworking community in Vancouver. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
While they are on hiatus, Canadian indie band Broken Social Scene continues to be one of my favorite bands in the entire world. And this is one of my favorite songs, “Pacific Theme”. For your listening pleasure.
My good friend Gus is someone I keep close to my heart even if I don’t get to see him often enough. Gus, and his partner Russ, have become part of my family. They say friends are the family you choose, and I’m thrilled that we’ve all chosen each other as family members. Gus is, like me, of Latino blood (Argentinian blood runs through my good friend’s veins). We often speak in Spanish and we cherish our friendship even if we don’t get to see each other very often. Gus, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and look forward to celebrating with you sometime soon!
I know, kind of strange the name of that Mexican band, Kinky, eh? But their music is fun, dance-able and has a lot of energetic overtones.
Kinky is a five-member band from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, formed in 1998 as part of the Avanzada Regia musical movement and consisting of Gilberto Cerezo, Ulises Lozano, Carlos Chairez, Omar Góngora, and Cesar Pliego. The band’s music is heavily influenced by Latin music, rock, dance, and techno. Although a majority of songs are sung in Spanish, some songs contain English lyrics. Since the release of their studio album, Kinky have been signed with Sonic360 Records.
This song is called “Presidente” (President, in Spanish). Hope you enjoy it.
I am a lover of fine Italian food, but for some reason, I sometimes don’t have the time to go and visit all the restaurants I would love to (also, I wish I had an unlimited budget, which I don’t). So, I am glad that we (JT and I) had an opportunity to (FINALLY) visit La Buca, in Dunbar/Southlands. Anybody who knows me even a little bit will know that I’m a lover of all things “restaurants and other things in urban spaces where you would never even think they are there”, and La Buca is one of those. Located on Macdonald, near King Edward (25th Avenue), La Buca is somewhat off-the-beaten path. But it’s worth the trip.
Classic regional cuisine is the star at this bustling neighbourhood trattoria. Here, rich flavours and hearty dishes inspired by the Italian countryside command an audience that is never disappointed. Black and white tiled floors, a 32-seat dining room, and a walk-through kitchen. Step inside La Buca and you’ll feel right at home.
Coincidentally, the night we were there for dinner, La Buca was offering Ling Cod in Puttanesca Sauce. I usually compare Puttanesca pastas across the board to decide whether I like a place or not. I have to admit, I loved the Puttanesca sauce at La Buca. While I was a bit taken aback by the presentation (because I ordered the Ling Cod, with an extra bit of pasta sauce), I loved the flavours. Puttanesca is a sauce that needs to be discreet and subtle or otherwise it’s extremely overpowering. I found La Buca’s Puttanesca flavourful, without “yelling out”. As in, cooked with enough subtlety that it made me consider it a gourmet dish rather than just a bunch of olives, capers and garlic thrown in a tomato sauce.
Overall, it wasn’t an expensive dinner ($66 before tax for both of us), and I am really thrilled at the outcome. I’ll definitely come back again. Besides, the service was good (I wish we had had our water glasses refilled more often, but as far as the quality of the food and how accommodating they were to me and JT, I have absolutely no complaints). Worth visiting.
Disclosure: I paid for both my and JT’s dinner on my own dime.
Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris.
The art, the fashion, the wine!
Whether you’re enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park…
You’ll love living in the most chic place on earth.
Team Hope and Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales 3rd Annual Tip A Wee Dram for Cancer Research on March 15, 2012 is a whisky tasting fundraiser in support of the BC Cancer Foundation’s Ride to Conquer Cancer.
This year, taste from over 35 whiskies at seven different tasting tables with a number of the whiskies being brand new to BC. The evening also includes both a live and silent auction with lots of great items to bid on and a special treat from the Delta Police Pipe Band. We are also expecting a couple special guests to join us to pour at the event: Mike Nicolson, a 36 year veteran of Scotch Whisky distillation and Dan Volway, Brand Ambassador for the Erdington Group (Macallan, Highland Park & Famous Grouse).
Check out Team Hope’s website for more information on the event. Held at the Croatian Cultural Center, 3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver – just blocks south of Commercial-Broadway Skytrain Station the event starts at 6:45 pm and will finish by 9:45 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. There is ample free parking and remember to plan a safe ride home.
Tickets are $50.00 per person and must be purchased before the event. You can purchase your ticket by going to this website or in-store at Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales: 3020 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver, BC. Click here for map.
If you are like me, you know people whose lives have been impacted by cancer. I can honestly say that not a year goes by without someone I know being touched by cancer and I’m tired of it. It would be nice to help those impacted by cancer by attending Tip a Wee Dram. You can even make it a night out with friends: have dinner beforehand and then go and taste some lovely whiskies. The evening is guaranteed to be a fun night and a great opportunity to support a good cause.
So yeah, I’m eating my words. I caved and finally got on Pinterest. Major usability and interface issues, but the potential for 3 things got me on.
1. The attribution element.
One of the biggest turn-offs for me was to see pins of people who didn’t own rights to the image, or who didn’t credit. This seems to assuage my concerns:
2. The potential for storytelling.
I am a travel writer. I tell stories and I can see how I can pin photos from other places and compliment the story I am telling. Also, if you take a snapshot at my Pins, you can see kind of what things I am into. It’s totally baring my soul for the public to see, literally.
3. The potential for community building.
The fact that you can repin, like and comment is the same thing as with Flickr, Foursquare, and Instagram. The beauty I see with Pinterest is that people seem to take it as very casual, hobby-like. So the potential to build a little community of Pinners who follow your Boards and who create interesting Boards for you to follow, as you communicate with them via Likes, Repins and Comments, is huge.
And you can follow me on Pinterest here as hummingbird604.
Last year I covered the Salt Spring Island Film Festival 2011, but this year unfortunately my schedule has been way too crazy to even remotely consider attending. Realize this: I missed Parksville Uncorked 2012, the food and wine festival I never used to miss. And that is because I was busy and I was also sick. But the fact that I cannot make it to Salt Spring for the Salt Spring Island Film Festival 2012 does not mean you cannot. You still can!
Opening with close-ups on the three women present in Art Kane’s famous 1958 photograph “A Great Day in Harlem,” Girls in the Band tells the poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, groundbreaking journeys from the late 30′s to the present day. These incredibly talented women endured sexism, racism and diminished opportunities for decades, yet continued to persevere, inspire and elevate their talents in a field that seldom welcomed them. Winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Opening Night Friday March 2, 6 PM at GISS.
So what is the Salt Spring Island Film Festival Society, you ask?
The Salt Spring Film Festival Society is a non-profit charitable society incorporated in 2010, whose mission is to educate, inspire and activate our community through a festival of independent documentary film from Canada and around the world. We present films that explore music, art and culture, engage humanitarian and social justice concerns and deal with environmental and international issues. Filmmakers are invited to the festival to present their films and lead lively discussions.
The line up of films looks absolutely incredible, so I strongly recommend that you take some time off of your weekend and go to Salt Spring Island to check it out. Be forewarned: Salt Spring Island is a different time zone. It’s a place where people relax and live their lives in a less-frantically-paced life. So, yeah, it will be good for your soul.
Festival entry is by donation. Please be generous when you donate. Learn more about the Salt Spring Island Film Festival here.
Few things make me happier than dinner with one of my closest friends (Air). She is fond of the Guu Izakaya family (I have my reservations, mostly because of the attitude on the Thurlow one), but since she is, as I said, a very close friend of mine, I decided to go with her instinct. And I’ll have to admit that, for someone who translates Japanese food into “oh my God I need sushi so I’m going to run to MoMo Sushi”, it’s always interesting to try out izakayas. So we went to try Guu Otomokae (the Guu Izakaya that is located in Gastown).
I was crazy about trying this Japanese style Ahi tuna steak, and I think we expected something very different but we ate it nonetheless. Moist and tasty, but not extremely flavourful.
This dish, I was totally surprised by how much I liked it.
While the mixture may look gross at the beginning, in the end it’s incredibly tasty, a Kimchi Pork Bibimbap.
And the reality is, who doesn’t love tempura shrimp bathed in spicy sauce. I certainly do! These are called Ebimayo. Absolutely delicious.
I tend to like thick slices of seared tuna in a spicy noodle bedding, but that’s just because it’s one of those dishes that I had at April Point Resort and stayed with me. Guu Tataki, if I’m not mistaken.
Dessert was simply absolutely delicate. Bananas, deep fried batter and ice cream? Sign me up! The Banana Tempura was one of the best dishes we tried. Overall an amazing evening with a great friend.
I love Meryl Streep, who was nominated for the Oscar a few years ago (as well as Viola Davis, was also nominated) for her role on Doubt. And it’s very coincidental that now Pacific Theatre is putting Doubt on stage.
Giovanni Mocibob and Kaitlin Williams. Photo by Emily Cooper.
How far would you go to protect a child? In John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, a Parable, presented by Pacific Theatre, Sister Aloysius is faced with this very question. Her answer is swift and ferocious: if a child’s welfare is at stake, there is no time to waste. She acts. So when suspicions are raised that the young priest Father Flynn is spending too much time with one of the young male students, she does not hesitate. Hit by her fierce crusade Father Flynn is left to defend his actions, but without concrete proof on either side both are guided only by the strength of their convictions and the nagging of their doubts to guide them.
In the role of Sister Aloysius is Erla Faye Forsyth (Holy Mo). Giovanni Mocibob (from My Name is Asher Lev fame) will be bringing Father Flynn to life, while Kaitlin Williams (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) takes on Sister James, and Leslie Lewis Sword (Miracle in Rwanda) as Mrs. Muller. Meryl Streep was Sister Aloysius and Viola Davis was Mrs. Muller in the widescreen.
The second in Pacific Theatre’s Shanley Series, Doubt, a Parable provides a fascinating contrast to Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Both represent high-stakes conflict between fierce characters, one slithering along with eloquent and subtle nuance, while the other stumbles, screams, and battles its way to the finish line.
Details: DOUBT, A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley When: March 2-31, Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm with 2pm matinees Saturdays Where: Pacific Theatre, 1440 West 12th Ave (at Hemlock St), Vancouver, BC Tickets: $16.50-29.50 (HST not incl.) – to reserve call 604.731.5518, or visit pacifictheatre.org.
To enter my giveaway for a pair of tickets to the March 7th performance, please tell me an anecdote of how you’ve protected someone you love. After all, this play is all about protecting the innocent (in this case, at whatever cost). I am overprotective with my friends always, and most of them know this.
I will draw a winner on March 5th at 2pm. Please check back here on that date to see whether you won. For an additional (maximum of 2 entries overall) entry into the contest you can post the following:
Entered @hummingbird604 and @pacifictheatre’s giveaway for Doubt, A Parable. You can enter too!
I have been entrusted with a pair of tickets to give away to the event “Anderson Cooper Live in Vancouver” at the beginning of April, a $300 (plus taxes) value. I’m thrilled to be doing this, as I like investigative journalism (I am, an academic, after all).
Photo credit: mroach on Flickr
So, the question you need to answer to enter my giveaway is who is your favorite investigative journalist in Vancouver?”. Or maybe, just your favorite investigative Canadian journalist. I have a soft spot for many journalists in BC, like Sean Holman, my own former student Tyler Harbottle, Andrea Woo and Erin Loxam, Rod Mickleburgh from the Globe and Mail, Stephen Quinn, Lisa Johnson, and Theresa Lalonde from the CBC, Gillian Shaw, Mike P. Hager from the Vancouver Sun, the list is long! Who is the journalist you follow/trust? It may of course be more than one!
For an additional (total of 2) entry, post the following on Twitter:
Shared who’s my fave journalist with @hummingbird604 http://is.gd/z0WaOd to enter to win tickets to #CooperYVR Anderson Cooper in Van
I will draw a winner this coming Monday, March 5th, at 2pm.
UPDATE – How could I forget one of my favorite journalists, my friend Kim Bolan (who covers organized crime in BC) and my friend April Smith (who is a new media journalist who broke some stories, including the fire in Little Mountain and the fire on Broadway and Main).
I used to trick Google into separating both of my identities online, the professor/academic and the human/socialite. The reality is, about 90% of my students now know both of my identities, so it’s kind of useless to do so. And I love using the online power of the Hummingbird604 to promote my students’ projects. In particular, this Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) project: the Arts Last Lecture, which this year brings Canada’s boyfriend (and here I thought *I* was Canada’s boyfriend, but apparently George is, hehe): George Stromboloupolulos.
Tickets are insanely cheap ($10-$12) and for the first time, the Arts Last Lecture is open to the public, so you should come! It will be undertaken “In Conversation” style.
This year’s Last Lecture features a more interactive “in conversation” style with audience participation. Join us for an intriguing evening of conversation with Canadian media personality and humanitarian George Stroumboulopoulos, March 16 at the UBC Old Auditorium!
We will also be hosting a small, intimate reception with George following the main event. If you are interested in attending, please select this as a “ticket add-on” when on the ticket purchase screen. The reception will be a wine and cheese event and thus is 19+ only. Please note we are not currently accepting anymore RSVP’s to the reception.
I had to take one for the team. Otherwise there would have been no Wine Wednesday post. I kid. The reality is, I have been sick for 2 weeks and I just worked 14 hours straight, at the university, and I needed to relax. So, I opened a vintage 2008 bottle of Sola-Nero NERO Red Wine. And there you had it: Operation Red Wine O’Clock had been initiated.
Sola-Nero is home to a quaffable wine collection that goes well with people. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing white, a mysterious red, a beautiful blush or an eegant port, our wines
are sure to suit your every taste. Perfect for a night out with friends or for a relaxing evening at home.
NERO is a peculiar wine. Without the depth and body that you would expect from a strong red wine (Italians are famous for their strength, and their food, cuisine and beverages would be, theoretically, equally strong). Pretty good value for the money, and more importantly, a good light red wine. Frankly, with how heavy red wine hits me, it’s necessary to have a good red that is not as strong.
Nero, Italian for dark, reflects the mysterious personality of red wine. The moon, a beacon in the darkness and symbolic of hidden passions, conjures up the emotions associated with red wine. Nero is soft in the mouth with rich dark cherry and currant flavours and a hint of oak. Enjoy Nero with tomato based pasta sauces or on its own as you relax by the fire.
I love the way in which my neighbourhood is flourishing (even if I know that right now there’s a pretty heated and controversial discussion around Broadway and Kingsway, in Mount Pleasant). I had written before about how much we needed a coffee shop or two, that would serve as anchors. We have a few in Mount Pleasant/Riley Park/Little Mountain, and I’ve written about several of them.
The list of local community coffee shops in Mount Pleasant, Riley Park and Little Mountain is growing: The Outpost Cafe, Marche St. George, Coco et Olive, and the most recent addition is now Matchstick Coffee Roasters, on 15th Avenue, near Kingsway and Fraser. What I love the most about Matchstick is how close it is to my house. Also, the decor and the fact that they make each cup of coffee individually.
I had a chance to try it out with my good friends Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit and Gillian Shaw and we all loved it. But while it has wifi, please remember – come, enjoy your coffee/tea and then leave promptly. This is a community cafe, don’t hog the tables!
I was bullied as a child. Not once, not twice. Not three times. Relentlessly, throughout primary school and secondary school (Grades 3rd-9th). Because I was short, I was geeky, I was nerdy and I was way smarter than anybody else in my cohort. Admittedly, as I have grown older, the bullying has had a different overtone, if it ever appears: it’s envy badly disguised as passive-aggressiveness. But I can’t ever forget (and hardly forgive) any of the bullies that I faced growing up.
Because I had older (and stronger, and extremely loving, and willing to break anybody’s noses and arms) brothers, I always felt I had a recourse. But my recourse was never my school teacher, nor my peers. Nor the school administration. And most definitely, not society. I remember parents of my bullies telling my parents “Raul needs to learn to protect himself from our son”. And of course, my parents’ blood boiled.
Photo credit: Anna Vanna on Flickr
Whenever I hear all this rhetoric around anti-bullying policies, campaigns like “It Gets Better” and the “Pink Shirt Day”, my blood boils too. And yes, I do notice that I have previously written about (and in support) of Pink Shirt Day, and It Gets Better. But I’d like to give people a reality check. Bullying stops AT HOME. With parents who teach their children that NO, it’s not ok to attack other kids. That it’s NOT ok to push over other people to get what you want. That it’s NOT ok to call a kid a “fag” or a “weakling”.
I did not survive bullying thanks to my school. In fact, I have a little bit of a chuckle every time I bump into a former teacher of mine. They always praise me, “Raul, you are so amazing and so successful and you have reached so far“. And then I smirk. And then I tell them “yeah, so different from that little small kid that you never protected when you were my professor, right?”.
I survived bullying thanks to an amazing family. Thanks to wonderfully strong parents who trained me and my brothers, every day, to find in ourselves what we did best. Not to list, as bullies expected me, my shortcomings and vulnerabilities. But to always see myself as strong and capable, and better than anyone in my cohort. I survived thanks to my amazing brothers who always took it upon themselves to fight my battles when I wasn’t physically able to do it myself, because at 12, I didn’t have the physical strength than many of my cohort folks had.
And then, Tae-Kwon-Do and self-defense training happened.
And then, I realized I survived thanks to myself. To my inner and outer strength. To the fact that I was no longer afraid of fighting a battle, breaking a nose or a rib, and demonstrating that it was enough. In a Catholic, macho society like Mexico, not fighting your own battles was seen akin as being weak. So I did. I got into as many fights as I needed to stop my bullies.
But no, I didn’t survive thanks to any PSA. And it pains me to see that people seem to think that because we film beautiful PSAs and we wear pink, and we tell kids that it gets better, that we somehow seem to lose grip on reality. It does get better, yes, but IF AND ONLY IF you have a support system in place. You have seen it time and again, even kids who have filmed It Gets Better videos have taken their lives. AFTER filming them. WHAT WENT WRONG? I have no idea.
Pink Shirt Day is tomorrow, and yes I will be wearing a Pink Shirt in support. But more importantly, I will continue to do what I do best: tell my nieces and nephews that no, it’s not ok to push over other kids, but that if they are attacked, there are a number of ways to defend themselves. And that sometimes, enough is enough.
Being sick for the better part of two weeks is not fun. Being sick to the point where my brain is actually, completely unable to function, is even worse. You’ll see, whether I like it or not, my brain is my work equipment. I teach, do research, consult, train and mentor students. My job does not stop with my 9-5, I also do social media stuff, and try to maintain a blog of decent repute for a large audience, as well as a variety of social media platforms. Obviously, if you want me to write something mildly coherent, I need to be mildly functional as well. Well, to be quite honest, I haven’t had the presence of mine to do anything mildly coherent in the past week. Which totally sucks. But now I appreciate my health and my brain even more. And let me tell you something: I am no longer the superhero I once was.
Most of you may be wondering why I haven’t been blogging nor attending events, nor anything to that extent. Sadly, I’ve been so sick that I have been unable to even think straight enough to write meaningful content or emails. I’m hoping to be better next week. In the mean time, I’m giving myself a break and I hope you will cut me some slack too.
I had the pleasure of being invited for afternoon tea with my good friend Cassandra Anderton to the Urban Tea Merchant in Vancouver’s Downtown Financial District. I had collaborated with the Urban Tea Merchant before on giveaways and had tea there with Keira last year, but never had I used the tea salon and thus it was an opportunity to enjoy the actual service, and the experience.
Conveniently situated between Georgia and Alberni Streets in downtown Vancouver, this location serves local residents, businesses and distinguished travelers. The Tea Salon, with its elegant white linen tablecloths and French Tea Service is perfect for client meetings and office events. The Tea Bar and En Route services are a unique alternative for people on the go. Our custom-designed Loose Leaves library-style wall offers a selection of over 200 teas. Tea Gifts, Tea Equipage, Exotic Home Décor and Lifestyle Accessories are available throughout the store to add to the enjoyment of your tea ritual experience at home.
What you get at The Urban Tea Merchant’s Tea Salon is the experience of sharing more than a cup of tea, you share some quality nibbles and the company of close friends, or your loved ones. The Urban Tea Merchant offers a relaxed atmosphere and an extremely broad variety of teas. During our visit, Cassandra and I enjoyed and shared a pot of the Love Me Tea (fresh, sweet, and kind of romantic I’d say) and a pot of the Bain de Roses with a Signature Tea Sandwiches service (a selection of tea sandwiches, seasonal greens & 1837 black tea-infused vinaigrette, $12) which is offered Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
Cassandra and I also shared a Warm Pear & Brie Sandwich from the Urban Tea Merchant’s All Day Dining menu (10:00am to 5:30pm, $16). This warm pear & brie sandwich comes with double-cream brie, fresh pear, sweet basil aioli, seasonal greens with strawberries and caramelized walnuts.
We finalized our combo with a Sweetheart Rio For Two ($20 per person), which included chocolate dipped Matcha madeleine, “Love Me Tea”, Chocolate Cake Delight, “Bain de Roses” & “Timeess Tea” chocolate dips, also served with fresh fruit.
Evidently, having afternoon tea is an experience that one should try at the very least once in a lifetime (though preferably, with certain frequency as it’s such a civilized ceremony). I look forward to coming back with some others of my friends). The experience was exquisite both for me and I think I can speak for Cassandra too.
Disclosure: While both Cassandra and I were guests of the Urban Tea Merchant and thus our items were complimentary, we were neither required nor obligated nor expected to write a review. I had been wanting to write about the Urban Tea Merchant for a long while and this gave me the opportunity. As always, I retain full editorial control on anything published on my site.
