If you remember the movie with Tom Hanks “The Terminal” (2004), you’d get a bit claustrophobic and somewhat not excited about the possibility of living in an airport. I did. When the PR company that is helping Vancouver International Airport promote their contest, Live at YVR, first pitched me, I said that the winning storyteller would feel claustrophobic. Kudos to them for answering my questions (scroll to the bottom of the post for more detailed information about the contest that was provided to me by the PR company of YVR).
Summer is apparently here, or so does the Vancouver weather seem to want to tell us. So I have been really delighted that so many awesome festivals are taking place during this period. The Greek Summer Festival 2011 is one of them, taking place from June 30th (yes, it started last week) up until July 10th, 2011.
he Vancouver Greek Summer Festival is an annual celebration of food, entertainment, and family fun — from the famous “Roast Lamb” and “Loukoumades” (a specialty Greek dessert) to the dozens of live singers and dancers on the Performance Stage to face-painting for the children (and adults!).
The first Greek Summer Festival was held in 1987 as a small weekend event, attended mostly by members of the St. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church as a fundraiser for the church. Since then, the festival (now simply known as “Greek Fest”) has grown to 10 days over two weekends, encompassing the Canada Day Holiday. It is now attended by almost 40,000 people from all areas of the culturally diverse Lower Mainland, as well as many visitors from around the world.
You have still a full week to enjoy the festivities. Hope to see some of you there!
I know that US citizens prefer to call themselves “American” as though Canadians and Mexicans and the rest of the southern hemisphere aren’t Americans, but I prefer to call them US citizens (in Spanish we call them “estadounidenses”, or “from the United States”, which is still kind of inaccurate as Mexicans are citizens of the Mexican United States – Estados Unidos Mexicanos).
Anyhow… I have a lot of US-born and US-based friends, two of my brothers and many of my nieces and nephews live in the United States of America, and some of them already have US citizenship. As a result, I think they will be celebrating and it’s a day worth celebrating as well. Even though the relationship between US citizens and Mexican citizens is actually rather rocky (thanks to decades of illegal immigration and rather draconian immigration laws north of the Mexican border), I am proud to say I have many, many friends who are US citizens.
The truth is, a government doesn’t represent a nation, and I love my US friends and family because they are amazing people, not because they are citizens of the United States of America. So, on July 4th, Happy Independence Day, USA!
A former student of mine is working with the DVBIA helping the City of Vancouver to organize Viva Vancouver. They have made 5 blocks of Granville Street (Hastings to Smithe) pedestrian-only for every weekend this summer. Some very cool activities and events happening on the weekends. Last weekend was Latincouver (which I unfortunately missed).
My student is in charge of this busking series in which they hire professional buskers for $50/hr to busk an hour-long set on Granville Street from 5-6 or 6-7 pm on Granville. She mentions that she’s been meeting some great, talented musicians.
Major points:
– DVBIA is hiring buskers for Friday evenings this summer
– To be a part of the series, you must audition; the DROP-IN audition is at Tom Lee Music 929 Granville on Saturday, July 9th from 2 – 6 pm
– Bring amp + anything else you need for your performance
– Email Kimberly at hughes.i.kim@gmail.com if you have any questions
Whether you are musician, a busker, or both, or know one, can you please pass around? Thanks!
This post hasn’t been paid for by neither the City of Vancouver nor the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. I’m writing it to support (a) the work of one of my former students and (b) help DVBIA find some great buskers who might find the busking series appealing to showcase their talent. As always, I retain full editorial control of content on my site.
This afternoon, my good friend Minna Van (co-founder of The Network Hub) and I went to Canada Place for the Canada Day. It was a completely packed (and just judging by what we saw in one quick 1-hour stroll), a very successful event. I know that the celebrations of Canada Day are still going but I have work to do so I will not be coming back.
This past Wednesday, my good friend Airdrie Miller (editor of Lip Gloss and Laptops, a Vancouver-based blog/podcast with a broadly-reaching, world-wide audience that focuses on the beauty industry) and I were invited to participate in an event organized by CityTV and eBeauty.ca. I was invited as a tag-along as I’m a guest host for Lip Gloss and Laptops, providing the male perspective on beauty products for males and I’ve often reviewed colognes for L&L. So technically, this wasn’t an invite for Hummingbird604.com as much as for Lip Gloss and Laptops. And I loved tagging along. Airdrie and I had a really great time talking to the fine folks of eBeauty.ca.
The event was emcee’d by my other good friend, Dawn Chubai (co-host of Breakfast Television Vancouver). I saw a number of local bloggers in attendance, including Erica Lam (The Style Spy), Olivia Lovenmark (Style Struck), Liz Sperandeo who works for Spectacular Ink and (a bit of a surprise to me) Rick Chung, who freelances all around the city but I’ve seen writing lately for Vancouver Is Awesome.
eBeauty is Canada’s new online shopping destination for everything beauty!
Owned and operated on home soil, eBeauty offers an extensive assortment of bath, body, and beauty products available to Canadian shoppers. With over 300 brands and new arrivals added daily, you’ll be able to find all of your favourite products, all of your can’t-live-without-must-haves, as well as discover a wide selection of new and exciting products available as soon as they hit the market.
eBeauty. Beauty for everyone.
I’m always a fan of events with great drinks (especially champagne mimosas!)…
Canada is my home, period. It’s perhaps something that my friends back in Mexico don’t seem to appreciate. They feel that I betray Mexico by saying that Canada is my home. But that’s the way I feel. Whenever I travel to international academic meetings, or even to go visit my parents in Mexico, and I walk through Canadian Customs, I always feel that I’ve arrived home.
And the way in which the customs and immigration officers welcome me always leaves me teary-eyed “welcome home, Mr. Pacheco”. I took some time to read some of my previous posts for Canada Day. I think you can tell how proud I am of living in Canada. Read the rest of this entry »
Every year, ever since I met Derek K. Miller (aka Penmachine), I would write a happy birthday blog post for him. And he’d comment on it. I would be invited to celebrate his birthday with his family, friends and him, of course. Last year, my Mom was in town so she was also one of the people who attended Derek’s birthday party. This year, Derek is no longer with us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t remember him.
Derek would have been 42 years old today. I miss him, in many ways. One of the ways in which I miss him the most is his amazingly incisive writing. I often wonder “what would have Derek written about the riots? What would he have said? . Derek wrote some of the best and strongest analyses of many tough issues. In the past year Derek wrote a blog post that completely mesmerized me, an incredibly kind and gentle post yet a ruthless indictment of anti-gay bigotry in the US (the reason why some young gay children are still killing themselves). Derek would look at tough issues and provide a viewpoint that would be incredibly compelling.
Given that Derek was an atheist, it’s kind of odd for me to say that I’ve kept him on my prayers. But more than anything, I’ve been remembering him a lot today, the day that we celebrate when he was born and that he was loaned to us for almost 42 years. Thinking of Derek on his birthday, today, even if he is no longer with us.
I was invited a few months back to Nognz Brain Fitness’ grand opening, and unfortunately I couldn’t make it. But as an academic, and in general someone who uses his brain for work I was quite intrigued with the notion of a brain fitness academy. It appeals to me on many levels. I’m always looking for ways to keep my brain entertained, and while I’m working quite frequently until late, I think the best thing I can do is take care of my working tool (e.g. my brain). Thus I was happy that Nognz Brain Fitness sent me an invite and some of their materials.
There is no single solution to brain fitness. A combination of physical fitness, mental exercise, good nutrition, stress management and socialization are necessary to maintain and improve a healthy mind that functions better now and lasts longer. Our flagship store opened in West Vancouver BC in January 2011. Thank you to all our amazing new clients for making our opening a success. We have experienced joy, wonderment and met many new friends. Our hope to create a community hub where people can learn, discuss and participate in all aspects of proactive brain health and its powerful possibilities is happening.
I used to come to Café Il Nido with JT (I remember we did have a serious talk here, that’s probably why I never have forgotten it) more frequently, and then all of a sudden, I totally forgot about its existence. Maybe the fact that it’s slightly hidden, could be seen as a hidden gem.
It’s always hard to choose what to order at Café Il Nido. The variety of dishes is substantial but the truth is, you want to eat them all. For starters, I wasn’t terribly hungry. But I wanted to try a few dishes. I started with a Minestra del Giorno (soup of the day) which was a butternut squash with a hint of spice, very tasty. At $8, it’s just the right price point for a first dish.
I chose to have a 50-50 order from Café Il Nido’s lunch menu, with Pollo (chicken breast sautéed in lemon dill sauce, $22) as one of my main dishes and combined it with Agnelotti (lobster stuffed ravioli in sundried tomato cream sauce, $18). I can almost hear my foodie friends scolding me. How dare I combine a lemon-dill dish with lobster-stuffed ravioli. Well, what can I say. I love strong flavors. The chicken was really well done and the lemon dill was supreme. The lobster needed perhaps a bit more “ooomph” in the flavor department (although it’s not as strong, I would have thought that the lobster would be more flavourful that the tomato cream sauce).
Overall, a very nice meal. I’ll definitely have to come back and try again the lobster, and perhaps a few other dishes. I do recall from previous times I’ve been to Café Il Nido, the food has been good, and this time wasn’t a disappointment (although I really would like to see a broader variety of pastas. Café Il Nido is definitely a higher-end establishment and thus the price point that you will expect is higher than the traditional, $10 lunch small joints. But the food is good, and the service is consistently good regardless of whether you’re a student bringing your date for lunch (the table behind me) or someone taking a client for a nice Italian meal (the table to my far left).
Overall, I enjoyed my lunch with my friend Danica here and I will have to come back again.
Disclosure: I was invited by Café Il Nido to come for lunch and check some of their new lunch menu items, although that doesn’t change my review perspective (given that I noticed what other guests were eating and made notes about their experience) and I will definitely visit soon again, this time on my own dime.
I can’t wait for this movie to come out. There’s a number of scenes that were filmed in Vancouver, so it’ll be great to check it out. And apparently, Ethan Hunt’s niece comes out and plays. I have no clue how she will be able to help Ethan but apparently being a spy runs in the family.
As it turns out, Canada Day 2011 is coming fast (July 1st). I am aware that there will be a number of celebrations at Canada Place to celebrate Canada Day. I also know that my friends Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) and Bob Kronbauer (Vancouver Is Awesome) will be spearheading a Social Media Hub at Canada Place (located by the Innovation Nation)
I’m actually not sure where I will be this Friday (e.g. whether I’ll be at Canada Place or elsewhere) but I wanted to find out more about whether there would be a Canada Day celebration in my neighbourhood (Mount Pleasant). Apparently, there is, according to Urban Mommies:
Mount Pleasant Canada Day
Canada Day at Mount Pleasant Park and Pool
Mount Pleasant Community Centre
July 1st, 12pm-4pm
Celebrate Canada’s birthday outside in the park with an afternoon of entertainment, arts & crafts, face painting, and other activities. Suitable for all ages! Area residents interested in performing or volunteering at this year’s event are invited to call Paul at 604-713-1881. Free swimming! For more info please call 604-713-1888.
I’m really looking forward to celebrating Canada Day. I’ve been in Canada for way more than a decade and there are all sorts of reasons why I want to celebrate, and I’m always thrilled to find out more information about events that happen in my neighbourhood. So if you know more about what’s happening in other neighbourhoods, feel free to let me know. And Happy Canada Day in advance!
That I love the Vancouver Art Gallery is well known. That I love good wine, is also a well-known fact. And that I love well-matched food with amazingly surprisingly inexpensive wine ($15.99 a bottle) should also be very well established. So, I was totally thrilled to have been invited to the Apothic Red wine launch this past week at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I love events held at the Vancouver Art Gallery, I might just add.
My good friend Arieanna Schweber is heading up to Whistler this weekend with her husband Ianiv and she asked on Twitter about recommendations for dinner. I did not blog about Araxi nor other good options that she could have (including Alta Bistro or the Bearfoot Bistro which I’m totally hitting with my Mom when she comes visit). But one that I forgot to mention was La Bocca (in the heart of Whistler Village).
I’m going to overlook the fact that I think its website is totally horrendous (auto-plays music, it’s only in Flash and doesn’t work in Chrome). The decor, the food and the service are all impeccable. The website isn’t, but all other aspects are. And besides, really, who of us who write about food really pay much attention to the website anymore? We take notes. At least, that’s what I’ve taken up to do now.
I bring a little notebook and write my thoughts. And from my notes, what I recall is that La Bocca’s menu is substantially broad, and pretty solid. JT ordered a wok with noddles and stir fry (pretty standard ‘Chinese’ fare). I had been craving penne with some sort of spice, and so I ordered a penne with sausage. I wouldn’t say that I would make a trip to Whistler JUST for the food here, but the pasta was tender and flavourful, and the sausage was pretty tasty.
La Bocca is a funky place and it’s not a bad idea to visit when you’re in town, it has enough space to accommodate large groups and more importantly, the food is consistently decent. I’d take a second visit here if I’m already in Whistler.
Disclosure: I paid for my and JT’s lunch on my own dime.
The North American cast of Mamma Mia. Photo credit: Joan Marcus. Used with permission.
My teens were marked with reprises of ABBA’s songs. One of the songs that has always stuck in my head is Mamma Mia. Combine ABBA with a fantastic cast and you have MAMMA MIA. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ MAMMA MIA! is a fantastic musical based on the songs of ABBA, and it returns to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre August 16 – 21, 2011 and runs Tuesday through Sunday.
While I haven’t seen the movie with Meryl Streep, I’m really looking forward to checking this production in theatre, particularly as it’s here at home.
The North American cast of Mamma Mia. Photo credit: Joan Marcus. Used with permission.
An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya – from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.
The performance schedule for MAMMA MIA! at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre is Tuesday, August 16 through Saturday August 20 – 8pm evening performances, Sunday, August 21 – 7:30pm evening performance with Saturday and Sunday 2pm matinees. Tickets for MAMMA MIA! range from $25.00 – 88.00 plus applicable charges. Tickets went on sale Monday, June 20 at 10am and are available through Ticketmaster online, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone 1-855-985-5000. Groups of 15 or more call 1.800.889.8457.
Produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal. Music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. MAMMA MIA! has choreography by Anthony Van Laast, production design by Mark Thompson, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch.
X-Men: First Class has been out for a few weeks, but I hadn’t had really the chance to go see it (even though I knew what it would be about – the beginning of the rivalry between Professor X, Charles Xavier and Magneto, Erik Lensherr). Xavier, the powerful telepath is shown in his youth as a cocky, somewhat reckless young academic (perfectly portrayed by James McAvoy, who totally wins me over with his Charles Xavier) who is impetuous, youthful and has a keen interest in demonstrating to the world that his and his peers’ mutation can help transform the world. Lensherr, sublimely chanelled by Michael Fassbender, is the emotionally-and-physically scarred magnetic-superpowered German young man who is seeking revenge against Sebastian Shaw (a creepy Kevin Bacon who owns this role like no one else) for killing his mother. Xavier and Lensherr strike an unlikely alliance after a botched attempt to beat Shaw by both Xavier (and his human troops) and Lensherr (vulnerable against the powerful telepath Emma Frost).
I really appreciated how well crafted is X-Men: First Class. Casting was spectacularly well done, in particular I’m thrilled with the way in which January Jones portrays Emma Frost (not at all wimpy, but an extremely powerful telepath with the ability to turn into diamond). Frost gives Charles Xavier a run for his telepathic money in their first encounter, although afterwards Xavier and Lensherr are able to subdue her by combining their powers. Read the rest of this entry »
This past month (June 2011) I did a little experiment of my own. I knew I would be travelling over 60% of the time throughout the month, so I did not buy a monthly bus pass ($81 for One Zone), and instead I only bought packs of 10 bus tickets ($21 per book of 10 FareSavers). As of the time of writing (June 26th, Sunday) I can confirm this was a really stupid idea.
Despite the fact that I was in Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Parksville, and Montreal for the better part of the month, I am so incredibly dependent on public transit (Skytrain, Seabus and Canada Line) that I will need yet another 10 pack of FareSavers given how frequently I use transit. That will make it equivalent (well, in fact more expensive) than having just bought a monthly pass ($84 vs $81).
Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr.
You almost always need to do this kind of exercise to see if you are getting any value out of the transit system. I am, and quite a lot. I bus back from the gym to my house, I bus to the university, to my office downtown, I shuttle quickly on the Canada Line and do short trips (e.g. Waterfront to Yaletown and back) to meet with clients, or all the way to Broadway/City Hall. So, overall, I get more value for my money, even if I’m travelling out of Vancouver, if I buy a monthly bus pass. Guess what I’m going to do next month when my Mom comes to visit?
I’m sure many of you may have spotted it, but does anybody actually know the history behind this cute little thing? JT and I were walking around the West End today after dinner at Wild Garlic (SO GOOD, blog post forthcoming) and I noticed it. Much to my surprise, it appears that I’m not the only one who noticed it, definitely. JT had already seen it more than once. I had seen the little mushroom quasi-gnome house on Barclay, but this one, was totally a surprise to me. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve ever come across it.
I’m a big fan and promoter of music festivals (as you can see from my coverage of LIVE at Squamish, The Vancouver Folk Festival and others). So, when The Kulth Music Festival 2011(to be held in Coombs, B.C, approximately thirty minutes north of Nanaimo B.C. on beautiful Vancouver Island) contacted me to see if I could write about it, I gladly accepted. Many of the musicians and groups in the lineup are pretty awesome, including Ron Sexmith, Stars, TGLTP, The Boom Booms, Aidan Knight, Current Swell and more.
When: July 16th & 17th 2011 Where: Coombs Rodeo Grounds are located at: 2601 Alberni Hwy, Coombs, B.C, Vancouver Island (North of Nanaimo) Gates: Open Saturday 16th at 9:30 am and close at 11:00 pm. Open Sunday 17th at 9:30 am and close at 7:30 pm Tickets: Tickets for The Kulth Music Festival are as follows: a weekend pass is $135 (Youth $100, Seniors $65). Single day tickets range from $50-75. Kids 12 and under are free.
The festival will be held on the Coombs Rodeo Grounds, owned and operated by the not-for-profit organization CHRCO. The Coombs Hilliers Recreation Community Organization is made up of a bunch of great folks that manage the event site for community and cultural events. We are lucky to have such a space in our community, so we ask that all event participants please respect it and the rules set out by CHRCO and The Kulth Music Fest. These rules are reasonable, and developed in the interests of safety, and to comply with the laws of the land.
The whole festival is looking pretty good, like their headliner theme: “The Folk Fest With An Edge”. Traditional performances by local aboriginal groups, it’ll be a family friendly event with kids zone + kids performances, as well as sustainable practices in place for waste management through a program called “Zero Waste”. Plus, festival veterans who have run festivals for over 10yrs. Overall, looks like a lot of fun.
A folk fest with an edge! Kulth Music Festival is a community celebration for families and music buffs. The festival brings together heavy hitters in the music scene, alongside a showcase of new musical talent. Kulth (pronounced cool-th) Music Festival recognizes its community roots and borrowed its name from Mount Arrowsmith “Kulth-Ka-Choolth” meaning “jagged face.” Local and international music ranging from reggae, world beat, folk, blues, rock, and electronic will be on offer in Coombs, BC July 16 & 17, 2011
And I’m giving away 2 weekend passes (valued at $270 + service fees) and 2 backstage passes for Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party for 2 lucky readers of mine. To earn a first entry, check out the lineup and come back to this post, and tell me which act you’re looking forward the most on the comments section. I’ll admit that knowing how much Rob Jones and Emme Rogers like Ron Sexmith I will look forward to check this one out. How about you?
To earn a second entry you can just post the following on Twitter:
Told @hummingbird604 which show I want to check 2 enter 2 win weekend passes 2 @thekulth . Which one is your fave? http://is.gd/9NYNrG
I will draw 2 random winners from all entries on Monday July 11th at 1pm, to allow enough time for you to plan your weekend in Coombs, BC. Good luck everyone, and I hope you’ll all get a chance to check the Kulth Music Festival.
Beaver tails. I did not realize that was the name of this delicious quickly-fried dough, which in Mexico we probably would call “suela” (sole). In the Mexican version, you cover the dough with salty/savoury stuff, like refried beans, ground meat, chili, etc. In the Canadian version (at least the ones I saw in Montréal) you cover them with sweet stuff. I ordered a beaver tail with banana and nutella in my most recent trip to Montréal, and I absolutely loved it. Crepes? Who remembers crepes when you have beaver tails? And apparently, this dessert is very “Canadiana”.
I found a recipe for Beaver Tails. Have you ever tried beaver tails? If so, what’s your favorite?
I think that one of the ethnic minorities or groups that has really left an impression in Vancouver, yet for some reason it’s only visible once a year is the Greek community. I happen to have many friends who are of Greek descent and I love Greek food, myself. And as a matter of fact, I used to be a Greek mythology geek. So much so that I even participated in a contest!
Greek Day Vancouver 2011 takes place on June 26th, Sunday, and it’s a day that I thoroughly enjoy. I’ve blogged about it in previous years, and I love the music, the dance, the overall fun. I’ll do my best to try and swing by Greek Day Vancouver 2011, which usually takes place in Kitsilano (where there used to be a Greek enclave).
While Greek Day is this Sunday, there have been and continue to be a few events. Check the listing here. And check the Greek Day Vancouver 2011 program here.
Back for another exciting day filled with the sights, sounds and tastes of Greece. Broadway, from McDonald to Blenheim will be closed off to traffic for another year to make room for a world of delicious Greek Food, interesting kiosks and exciting entertainment. The original and still the best street festival in Vancouver and this year, we’re going GREEN! Be Greek for a day! This is a FREE, FAMILY event – everyone is welcome! On Broadway, between McDonald and Blenheim
While I’m not an oyster fan (I know, shame on me), I am keen to check the Bearfoot Bistro World Oyster Invitational in Whistler, for several reasons. First, because that would give me a chance to check Bearfoot Bistro, which I missed last time. Second, because it sounds like a fun event. More information from the press release I was sent.
Hosted by Whistler’s award-winning Bearfoot Bistro restaurant, the competition is by invitation only with international contestants from countries including Australia, Belgium, Japan, the U.S. and Canada. The event takes place on Sunday, July 10 at 2 p.m. at the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler. Complete with live entertainment, fine wines and delicious bites the first year of annual event is not to be missed. Tickets are on sale for $45 with net proceeds being donated to the Canadian Red Cross relief fund for Japan. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Bearfoot Bistro World Oyster Invitational site.
Prizes will be awarded for first ($5,000), second ($1,000) and third-place ($500) winners and contestants will also have the opportunity to challenge the Guinness World Record for oyster opening (current record is 38 opened in one minute). Once the record has been confirmed, the winner will receive the $1,000 prize award. There will also be a “”best mignonette”” contest, open to all competitors. The creation of the mignonette sauce is open to the shucker’s interpretation, with the best narrowed down to three finalists by the guests of the event. The finalists will be judged by the Bearfoot Bistro World Oyster Invitational judges and Bearfoot Bistro Executive Chef, Melissa Craig. The winner of this competition will receive $500.
When: Sunday July 10, 2011, 2pm – 5pm Where: Bearfoot Bistro, 4121 Village Green, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada Tickets: $45 + HST (Net proceeds to Canadian Red Cross Japan Relief)
Isabella and Raul Credit: Karen Hamilton (Tiny Bites) on Flickr
You know how there are people who arrive in your life and live an indelible mark in it, and regardless of how much time you do (or do not) spend with them, they’re always there for you in the good, in the bad, when you need them and even when you just want to vent and get something out of your system? My dear friend Isabella Mori (who writes the blog Moritherapy) is one of those people.
Isabella is one of the most kind-hearted, generous, smart, sensible and well-meaning individuals on the face of this planet. Gifted with an amazing ability to be empathetic and understanding, Isabella has enhanced the lives of many, many people, myself included. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to be her successor as a Vancouver Blogger Meetup organizer, and a co-organizer of Mental Health Camp Vancouver.
When we sat down and talked about how rough this 2011 had been on us, we both wanted to get up and say “yes, we can do this simply because we’re Isabella and Raul and we always accomplish what we set to“. And we both realized at the same time that we’re mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. And having the capacity to understand how each other feels and supporting each other’s efforts is part of what makes my friendship with Isabella very special.
Isabella, I’m so proud of you for your amazing strength, your compassion, your ability to stay focused on the grand vision rather than on the short-term goals, and for your ability to always stand by your friends and believe in them, even when some of us don’t always believe in ourselves. Much love as always, and happiest of birthday.
I’ve been in Montreal this week for research meetings and thus I’ve spent a substantial part of my day indoors collaborating with scholars, activists, government officials and representatives of all three countries (Canada, United States of America and Mexico). Since I’ve been exhausted, it hasn’t been easy to go and discover Montréal. Today, June 24th is a day of celebration of Québec history and heritage.
On June 24, 1880, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society organized the gathering of all francophone communities across North America. The event was the first National Congress of French Canadians (Congrès national des Canadiens français). On this occasion, the citizens of Quebec City were the first ones to hear the “Ô Canada” of Calixa Lavallée, based on a poem by a Quebec Superior Court judge, Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The song was commissioned by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. It was well received but did not become a widely known song for many years. English words were later written for a royal tour in 1901. In 1980, “O Canada” became the official national anthem of Canada. In 1908, Pope Pius X designated St. John the Baptist as the patron saint of French Canadians. From 1914 to 1923 the processions were not held. In 1925, 91 years after the Ludger Duvernay’s banquet in Montreal, June 24 became a legal holiday in Quebec. In Quebec, June 24 or St. John the Baptist Day is officially a paid statutory public holiday covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards.[1][2][3] In 1977, an Order-in-Council by Lieutenant Governor Hugues Lapointe, on the advice of René Lévesque, declared June 24 the national holiday in Quebec.
My experience in Montréal has been incredible (I’ve been here before many times, but always within an academic context so I’ve travelled very little and almost seen nothing when I visit). Next time I’m here I hope to spend a substantial amount of time visiting and learning more about this beautiful city. Happy St. Jean-Baptiste Day, everyone!
The 29th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awardswere held on June 20, 2011 at the Commodore Ballroom. Each year, the Jessie Awards recognize outstanding contributions to theatre in Vancouver. This year, I had the opportunity to attend as media and cover the event for Hummingbird604.com.
