Many people find it surprising that I mention I was bullied as a child when they meet my current self (also trained in martial arts and with a rather assertive and self-confident personality). But it’s true, and I have blogged about it here. And every year I try to always remember to wear a pink shirt for Wear Pink Shirt Day (which this year is this coming Wednesday February 21st).
You can learn more about Wear Pink Shirt Day on their About page. And you should definitely join us for Fashion’s Night OUT! (a fundraiser fashion show I am co-organizing with Erin Gee, Niki Blasina and Ashley Mangat, with all proceeds going to Out On Schools). Bullying happens to people of both genders and any sexual orientations. Let’s work together to stop it.
Remember the Olympic Streetcar? That little train that reminded me so much from the time when I lived in Europe, and that was so absolutely delightful to ride during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver? I miss it, and I wonder if you miss it too.
As I went for a walk with my friend Erica Hargreave the other day in South Vancouver, we came across one of the old Southlands stations. I noted on the Wikipedia entry for Arbutus-Ridge (this neighbourhood’s name) that the Vancouver-Steveston Interurban route passed through here. I have written about the Vancouver-Steveston Interurban before, but I had not realized about the existence of this station (Erica and I went there for a walk because I wanted to see the restaurant Senova on 57th and Cypress). Wouldn’t it be nice if both of these trams came back, thus expanding our transportation choices?
One of the catalysts for growth in the neighbourhood was the existence of the Vancouver-Steveston Interurban route of the British Columbia Electric Railway, known as the Lulu Island Railway, which ran between 1905 and 1952. St. Mary’s Kerrisdale, an Anglican church built in 1913, is one of the heritage structures in the uplands area of the neighbourhood.
My friend Stephen Rees (a transportation economist, planner and analyst of all things transportation in Metro Vancouver) has written a (lengthy but worth reading) op-ed piece on streetcars. Frankly, as someone who loves going to Granville Island about as much as going downtown, I would appreciate having a quick and easy way of getting from Waterfront Station to Granville Island without having to walk to the False Creek Ferries.
Also, I would not mind having the Arbutus line reconnected. In 2006, a group of my Public Policy students analyzed the options between having the (now existing on Cambie) Canada Line on Arbutus vs Cambie. In this case, what I’d like to see on Arbutus is sort of a streetcar or lightrail train. Just for touristic attraction (and why not, transportation too!).
Would you want to see the Olympic Streetcar back in Vancouver? With the 1 year anniversary of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, I kind of feel nostalgic for it. Even though I am not a fan of petitions for civic engagement (heck, I teach and do research in Public Policy, I certainly know of other lobbying methods!) but I would actually maybe even launch a petition to bring at least the Olympic Streetcar back.
This past Friday I was invited by my good friend MJ Ankenman (aka @urbanista on Twitter) to be part of the unveiling of a commemorative painting that marks the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Hycroft Manor. In their own words (from their website)
The University Women’s Club of Vancouver was founded on May 11, 1907 by a group of eight young women graduates from universities in Eastern Canada and the U.S.A. It was the second University Women’s Club to be founded in Canada. Our first president was Dr. Evlyn Farris. The University Women’s Club of Vancouver is a private club for active and interactive women. Located at our heritage home, Hycroft, the Club provides a gracious and friendly environment for members.
Their motto, “We promote education and opportunities for women and enjoy sharing ideas, interests and fun in our clubhouse Hycroft”, rings particularly relevant to me as I am a faculty member of a Canadian university and I take it upon myself to mentor my female students (my Mom is an academic too and I’ve been a big fan of women in academia and higher education all my life).
Thus it was particularly important for me to attend this event (in spite of my serious lack of energy). And, of course, it was an invite coming from MJ who (as you know) is a dear friend of mine and you know I almost never say NO to any of my good friends.
Credit: John Biehler on Flickr
Along with me, a number of friends of mine from the local blogging community attended (amongst them, Isabella Mori, Carol Sill, Ariane Colenbrander, David Drucker (and his wife Pam), and John Biehler, as well as my friend Cyndi Hunter from Yelp and a few other local lovely tweeps.
I’m thrilled to see that Hycroft Manor has started a blog to document the events leading up to the 100th Anniversary celebration. Two key events:
Saturday March 12th, 2011 An Evening Gala
6:30pm-10:30pm
Featuring Dal Richards & His Quartet, as well as Historical Tableaux, Silent Auction, Appetizers and No Host Bar.
Sunday March 13th, 2011 An English Tea
2:00-4:30pm
Featuring Ivan Sayer’s Vintage Fashion Show & Historical Tableaux.
I encourage you to attend both of those events, and to visit Hycroft. It’s absolutely beautiful. Thanks MJ for the invite! For more information, Hycroft Manor is on Twitter (@HycroftUWCV).
I was contacted by Best Buy Canada a few weeks ago to talk about their Free Phone Fridays, a recent project they launched, and should have launched this post (and its associated giveaway) MUCH earlier, but the whole month of February has been extremely challenging. Nevertheless, here it is, and more importantly, I have a few items to give away. So you may ask yourselves, what is Free Phone Fridays?
Every Friday in February Best Buy Mobile is offering a different smartphone for FREE with 3-year new activation! PLUS Reward Zone members get 2500 bonus points (over $30 value) with any new phone activation including Free Phone Fridays Phones!
I literally *barely* missed this past week’s Free Phone Friday, which gave away BlackBerry Bold 9780 on Bell, TELUS, Rogers and Virgin. The BlackBerry Curve is available on Koodo.
Beginning February 4 and running every Friday in February, Best Buy Mobile will feature two to three free mobile phones in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across Canada. Each week will feature at least one high-end, in-demand smart phone for free with a new, in-store three-year activation. Reward Zone members will receive 2,500 points for every new, in-store activation or renewal. The free phones will be announced every Thursday to Best Buy’s Facebook fans and Twitter followers.
I have been entrusted by Best Buy Canada Mobile with a Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate and Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant, as well as 2 $50 dollar gift certificates to give away. To enter my giveaway, and since this Friday will be the last in the promotion, I’ll consider an entry either a comment on this post on why you need a smart phone, or a post on your Twitter stream of the following sample tweet (and obviously if you do both, you will earn 2 entries into the contest):
Entered to win a free smartphone from @BBYCanadaDeals and @hummingbird604 for Free Phone Fridays http://ow.ly/40aoP
I will run this contest until the last Friday of February, which is this Friday February 25th. I will be at Parksville Uncorked so I will be drawing and announcing the winner of my giveaway at 11:00am on February 27th.
I recently posted on my Facebook (personal and thus, private) Wall that I didn’t really get what the appeal was for TED (the brand) and TED talks in general. Call me skeptic, but most of the TED talks I have seen don’t seem all that inspiring to me. Nor the TEDx talks. Obviously, given that some of the folks I am friends with are involved with the TEDx movements, it also looks kind of bad (potentially) to post on my decently-widely-read blog that I eschew TED and TEDx talks, in general. It’s perhaps a bad social move. Why? Because by dissing the brand, people (and in general those of my friends who have organized TEDx events or spoken at TEDx) may get the wrong impression I don’t appreciate their hard work.
Nothing further from the truth.
But here I am, baring my own thoughts for the world to read. Even my thoughts that criticize TED and TEDx as elitist brands. And in a nothing-short-of-spectacular-life-coming-back-full-circle way, I found through two completely different routes the TEDxHouston 2010 talk of Dr. Brené Brown on the power of vulnerability (Dr. Brown studies vulnerability in a very different way to the way *I* study vulnerability – I study vulnerability and resilience of urban ecosystems, whereas she studies human behavior, compassion and courage – but I digress). And for the second time ever (the first, Jane McGonigal’s talk on games and saving the world) I felt inspired and I felt a real connection to the topic.
And the crazy thing is: I felt inspired by a TEDx talk.
You’ll see – a couple of years ago, I had a fantastic phone conversation with my friend Robert Ballantyne, who indicated to me that perhaps one of the reasons why my blog and my online persona (as Hummingbird604) are so successful is that I show myself vulnerable (not as the ivory-tower academic self that I also have). Not weak, not incapable of doing anything, just vulnerable. And what Brené said in her talk, being able to be comfortable with being vulnerable is actually really empowering, resonated with me and with the conversation I had with Robert. So much so that I had to blog about it.
Being able to say “I love you”first, is perhaps one of the key phrases that Brené’s talk really resonated in my brain. I love fully, completely, deeply, even though I have been heartbroken. I do everything I do with passion, with love and with my whole self. As Brené’s research would indicate, I live wholeheartedly. And I love it.
It really inspired me to see the theme of vulnerability permeate through my own academic, teaching and online lives. Like Brené, I am BOTH an academic AND a storyteller. And like Brené, I love qualitative research (we just focus on very different things). And I also remembered last fall, when I attended Susanne Conrad’s workshop at Imagine 1 Day, I remembered what my friend André Malan said to me: “you are a lot more human and less bullet-proof than Hummingbird604 is”. And it’s true. I’m vulnerable. And I’m quite happy with it.
In letting my students see both of my lives (my quite-neatly-separated personal and professional selves), I recognize there’s an inherent vulnerability. But that’s also what makes me different and puts me in a very different position to other educators who may or may not want to show a vulnerable side of them: I am a human being too, and in being human, I also may have pitfalls and shortcomings. I’m not only the flawless, hard-working professor Pacheco, but I am also Raul, who can at times feel exhausted, frustrated, and why not? sad too.
For the second time ever, a TED talk has inspired me, and I want to thank Brené Brown, PhD for a most inspiring message: vulnerability DOES have inner power. And quite frankly, unashamedly and unabashedly, I honestly believe I am enough 🙂 (if you watch Brené’s talk, you will understand what I meant by that).
I’m the guy who likes pretty buildings and is fascinated by architecture. So what attracted me to Sushi Oyama was the actual pagoda-inspired-house-style restaurant (on Kingsway, pretty close to Metrotown). I told JT that I wanted to try it out at some point, and we ended up having dinner there recently. The truth be told, I did not expect the sushi to be this good, abundant, tasty and filling.
And inexpensive! I did not bring my digital camera so you’re kind of stuck with iPhone 3G quality photos (no, I don’t have an iPhone 4 so I don’t have nearly as good quality in my iPhone pictures as I would like to!) I ordered a sushi roll combo ($9.50) and a piece of spicy salmon nigiri ($1.50). And by the time I was done, I almost could not continue eating. The size of each sushi roll is amazingly large.
Even for a healthy appetite like mine, I found the diameter of the roll and amount of food inside the roll pretty substantial. Very flavourful, although some sushi connoisseurs might complain that I didn’t order the specialty rolls. I just did not have the space. Verdict: I love Sushi Oyama. I felt a bit “exposed” in the very-well-lit room but overall, it was a really nice experience.
Am a foodie first, and a sushi lover second. And I’m a lover of Mexican food first and Japanese food second, but the one thing that always amazes me is to find similarities amongst both cultures. If you speak Spanish as a native language, chances are that your Japanese pronunciation will be decent (as they use little changes in tone, as opposed to other language like Mandarin).
I am no longer even remotely fluent in Japanese, but I still can listen to Japanese and understand quite a bit). But there’s another thing that is incredibly similar amongst both cultures: they both have dried, pickled plums and apricots. In Japan, they’re called umeboshi. In Mexico, they’re called chamoy. And I’m addicted to both. The last time I could do a side-by-side comparison was the last time I was in Madrid, Spain (no less!).
So I am currently on the hunt for both, umeboshi sources and chamoy sources. Would you please be so kind as to let me know where I can find Mexican chamoy and Japanese umeboshi? Thanks, all!
I can’t say that I relate to the theme of Nocturne (estrangement from family, redemption) although I do feel attracted to the notion of reinvention, and I’ve worked hard at reinventing myself all my life. Moreover, I almost always say yes whenever Sabrina Evertt, Director for Nocturne and the force behind Twenty-Something Theatre asks me if I want to check one of her productions. Her work is top-notch and her productions always amaze me. So, I do want to check out Nocturne (the only problem is that my schedule is so busy I may or may not have a chance). But that doesn’t mean that a lucky reader of mine can’t either. Sabrina has given me a pair of tickets for one of my readers.
A lucky reader will have a chance to check what promises to be a great production. And even if you don’t win, you should check this Twenty-Something Theatre production. My previous experiences with TST have always been excellent. Nocturne plays from February 22nd – 27th, 2011 at the Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive (Commercial and Charles), 8pm. Ticket Information: $20 Regular. $15 for 35 & under & Seniors (with valid id), $10 Preview and a 2-for-1 Talkback performance on Thursday, February 24th. Tickets available at the door (cash only) or from Tickets Tonight or by phone at 604-684-2787.
So what is Nocturne about, you ask?
Adam Rapp’s highly acclaimed play Nocturne begins as a former piano prodigy recounts the tragic events that tore his family apart. At only 17 years old the young man leaves home and sets out for New York City where he seeks an uneasy refuge in books and he reinvents himself as a writer. Throughout the next decade and a half he tries to cope with the ramifications of his own anguish and estrangement while making a desperate search for redemption. With a keen eye for human relationships and a deft ear for language, Rapp explores the aftershock of an unimaginable event.
It looks like it will be a very interesting play. And to give you a chance to check it out, you can enter my giveaway telling me your favorite book. As you can tell from the summary, Nocturne’s main character reinvents himself as a writer. What book has made an impact on you as a reader? I’ll draw a random winner on Tuesday February 22nd at 7pm, and the tickets will be for Opening Night (Wednesday February 23rd, 8pm).
I’ve written about Translink quite a bit, and I have been quite impressed with the various ways in which they are improving their social media presence, individual outreach and overall customer feedback process. And I loved their Travel Smart campaign during 2010.
Translink is now relaunching the campaign but now with a fully dedicated website, Travel Smart, and to encourage my readers in the Lower Mainland to travel smart and remind ourselves of how we coped with street closures during the 2010 Vancouver and Whistler Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games last year, they have offered me a prize to give away as a promotional item for their campaign.
I thought that the best way to start your day would be with a coffee as you take the bus, Skytrain, Canada Line or Seabus, so Translink is giving me a $50 gift card for one lucky reader. I’d be keen to learn if and how you changed your travel behaviour during the Olympics. Did you know that during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Vancouverites made significant changes to their travel behavior, and reduced vehicle traffic by 36% (data provided by Translink, 2011)? In my case, I didn’t change a thing. I’m 100% reliant on transit and walking.
To gain an additional (thus 2 entries in total) entry into my contest you can post the following text on Twitter:
Tell @Translink & @hummingbird604 how you @travelsmart – $50 voucher to @wavescoffee up for grabs! http://ow.ly/3XwqA
I will draw a random winner from all entries on Wednesday February 22nd at 2pm. Also, not only you can win a gift card for Waves on my contest, Travel Smart has their own contest, where you can win even more stuff (including an iPad!). You should check their contest too.
I’m a foodie, as you know, and I seem to also be a glutton for punishment. I work really hard and put in long hours. And thus when my friend Erica Hargreave (Ahimsa Media) told me about the show Glutton for Punishment and its host Bob Blumer (who also co-created the show), and how he had been taking on specific challenges and enduring various forms of punishment, I figured Bob’s story really fit within the overall theme of my blog (as I myself have been on a weight loss bent with somewhat grueling and punishing dietary and physical exercises since 2009 – if you’ve seen me recently you’ll understand).
Want to read more about Bob Blumer? I did not know he was Canadian!
Culinary adventurer Bob Blumer is the host and co-creator of the adventure television series Glutton for Punishment. Bob is an instantly recognizable television personality whose first award-winning series – Surreal Gourmet – debuted on the Food Network over ten years ago. He is also the author of six cookbooks including the newly-released Glutton for Pleasure: Signature Recipes, Epic Stories and Surreal Etiquette which Publishers Weekly raves is an intoxicating meal, equal parts memoir, lavish art book, multi-genre soundtrack and culinary tour de force.
As a chef, Blumer transforms common ingredients into wow-inspiring dishes through the whimsical presentations and unusual cooking methods that are his trademark. His artful approach to cooking combined with his confidence-inspiring instructions and contagious enthusiasm have given him a loyal following. As the host of Glutton for Punishment, Blumer channels his love of food and his natural competitiveness into a series of culinary adventures that are inspiring, entertaining and often amusing. In every episode, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
I know that Bob recently participated in a segment with my good friend Dawn Chubai (host of Breakfast Television) and that sort of closed the loop in common interests (as Dawn and myself both attend foodie events frequently and are both interested in healthy eating and exercising regimes). Episode 7 of Glutton for Punishment (The Best of) is about to air, and to promote it, Paperny Films has given me a set of DVDs of Season 1 and 2 of the show to give away. To enter my draw all you need to do is tell me your favourite recipe from all of Bob Blumer’s assortment. I’m a fan of rice, just saying.
I will draw a random winner from all Twitter and blog entries on February 20th, Sunday, at 3:00pm. An additional entry can be earned by posting on Twitter:
Read my favorite @bobblumer recipe on @hummingbird604’s giveaway of Glutton for Punishments DVD sets http://ow.ly/3XeuP. What’s yours?
Due to the changes in schedule ‘The Best Of’ Episode will air on Food Network Canada: Monday February 21st, 2011 at 10:30 am & 11:30 pm ET and 7:30 am & 8:30 pm PT and Saturday February 26th, 2011 at 7:30 pm ET and 4:30 pm PT.
Just in time for Travel Tuesday, I am partnering with the organizers of Parksville Uncorked Wine and Food Festival 2011 (which I will be covering and bringing you all the action from the beautiful oceanside city of Parksville, British Columbia), a travel getaway prize that I would think my readers would appreciate.
The prize package consists of one night accommodation at the Tigh Na Mara Seaside Spa Resort in Parksville and 2 tickets to Parksville Untapped on Feb. 24th – Thursday. This giveaway is valued at more than $400 for the full package (check the deal that Tigh Na Mara is offering for Parksville Uncorked
If you win my giveaway, you’ll be getting a similar prize as the one shown above. So you may ask yourselves, what exactly IS Parksville Untapped? I’ll let the hosts, the Tigh-Na-Mara speak about it:
Parksville Untapped will showcase local breweries and feature beers paired with delicious regional cuisine. Greg Evens, Beer Historian, will offer a casual 30 minute presentation on the history of brewing on Vancouver Island.
To enter this giveaway you can earn a FIRST entry by commenting and letting me know what your favorite brand of beer is. I’m not a beer connoisseur but I do love me some Molson Dark. And a SECOND entry can be earned by posting the following note on your Twitter stream:
I told @hummingbird604 my favorite brand of beer to enter to win tickets #ParksvilleUntapped – what’s yours? http://ow.ly/3X7qP
I will be drawing a winner from all entries randomized, so you can enter my contest until Monday February 21st at 5pm.
The fine print on this giveaway – You are responsible for your own transportation to Parksville, Vancouver, British Columbia. Contest open to residents of BC, primarily. You must be of drinking age (e.g. older than 19).
Most of you know that all my sites (my research, my consultancy and my personal blog) are all built in the free, content management platform WordPress. While I am not a WordPress guru, I do know enough about it to do some basic tweaking and build a functional, “good enough for my own needs” website from scratch.
Alas, I’m not a developer. When I need something that goes beyond my knowledge, I ask WordPress gurus (a lot of my hacking has been done by J. Karen Parker, for example). And most WordCamps I have attended and spoken at have a heavy focus on people who use WordPress for business, and bloggers, but not a very, very strong focus on developers. But recently I was approached by my friends Vanessa Chu, Morten Rand-Hendriksen and Anny Chih to promote their latest project: WordCamp Developers (which in their inaugural, 2011 version will take place in Vancouver).
WordCamp Developers takes place on May 5th, 2011. You can find out more by following them on Twitter (@WordCampDev). You can also submit a pitch or attend, but this one will be focused on the developers, be forewarned! You can submit your pitch until February 28th.
WordCamp: Developers will feature 12 speakers and six un-conference sessions over the course of the one-day event. The following topics will be covered in two separate tracks: User Experience (UX) and Development Issues. Some of the topics:
§ JQuery, HTML5, CSS3, Aggregating Content, Information Architecture, Multi-user Sites
§ WordPress Design, User Management, WP 3.0 Theme Development, Multimedia Integration
§ Mobile, Security, E-Commerce, Building Plugins
You may notice that the frequency of posts declined last week as I felt I was burning out and I needed to take a much-required break (for you, 1 blog post a week may be all you do, but for me that’s like, nothing). But the fact is that my good friends Derek K. Miller and his wife Airdrie Hislop Miller made me reflect on whether blogging is a dreaded job or whether I can take it more light-heartedly and without stressing out.
More importantly, I need to focus on the things that brings the bacon home and pays the rent. This is NOT something blogging does, since I’m not a professional blogger). Derek and Airdrie could see that I was burning out and so they called me out on it. After reading their comments both on my blog and on my Facebook, I stopped to reflect on why I blog and what would be the best approach to it. And I found in my archives a great photo I took a few months ago. Its motto rings SO TRUE. I blog to differ.
Telling stories is part of who I am and what I do, both in my teaching, my research and my day-to-day life. I’m a natural-born storyteller, and I find what I do in the beautiful city that I call home (Vancouver) extremely fascinating. Other people may NOT like me or like my writing. They may not like what I do or my personality, but in the end, I like being different. I LOVE being different.
Whenever I have had the opportunity to have this conversation with any whom I have dated, or even had a friendship, I have told them the same thing: I like being unique. And I know that I hold very strong opinions, and that those opinions frequently are different from others. That’s why like the phrase “I blog to differ“, an entertaining play on words on I beg to differ.
I don’t blog for anyone else, at the end of the day, nor to make more friends, nor to be more admired. I blog because I enjoy having a digital canvas of my life, and painting my story in it. That’s why I blog.
I have written about The Wellness Show almost without a fault every year since I started blogging, and this year is no exception. I’m always a big supporter of exhibits that showcase the myriad ways in which we can take care of our bodies and minds. New Rave Productions is presenting the 19th annual Wellness Show, from what I hear, it’s the largest trade show in Western Canada, and it’s focused on showing attendees how to live a more balanced and holistic lifestyle. The Wellness Show includes exhibitors, speakers and demonstrations on a diverse range of Wellness topics. The Wellness Show runs from Friday, February 18, through until Sunday, February 20 at the new Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building Exhibit Hall C, 1055 Canada Place. General admission tickets are $12.50, Seniors and Students are $10.00, Children 6 – 15 yrs are $5.00, and Children 5 and under are free. There are also 3-Day Passes available for $27.00.
From the press release I received:
Cooking stage demonstrations kick off with Alessandra Quaglia – the Dancing Chef on Friday at 2 pm. She’ll be cooking Virgin Sauce, Fennel and Oven Dried Compote, Roasted Red Pepper Aoili, and this cooking demonstration will be accompanied by a Salsa Dance demonstration by Mad About Salsa and CTV’s Dr. Rhonda Lowe.
Other mouth-watering demonstrations include Tempeh Country Paté with Winter Fruit Chutney and Rye Cracker Bread by Alison Kent, author of Canadian Living’s The Best of Vegetarian, and Magic Muesli, ORAC hot cocoa Turkey with Protective Spice Rub, and Kiwi Salsa by Theresa Albert, author of Ace Your Health: 52 Ways to Stack the Deck.
Favorite Vancouver chefs include Hidekazu Tojo of Tojo’s, demonstrating Wild Salmon Barbequed with Cyan Sauce, and Robert Erickson from Central Bistro making Moroccan Spice Rubbed BC Trout and Mediterranean red organic quinoa, sautéed French beans, and lobster bisque reduction. Sarah Rush, the winner of our 2011 Healthy Appetizer Recipe will demonstrate her winning recipe (Lemon, Chili and Mint Grilled Halloumi), along side executive chef from Choices Markets, Antonio Cerullo. Chef Cerullo will also be making Pork and Mushroom Crispy Lasagna, and the Show will also feature dishes from the executive chefs at Lift Bar and Grill, Brix Restaurant and the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa
Having eaten at Lift, Brix and the Kingfisher restaurants, I can’t wait to check out these exhibitions and sample these goodies. From what I hear, in addition to cooking demos, you can also sample goodies like organic cheeses, vegan smoothies, Hippie Chips, cooking stocks, juices, teas, hummus, tzatziki and other yummy dips, water, yogurts, coffee and teas, cheesebuns.
And I really want to try out what The Wellness Show calls everyone’s favorite: Denman Island Chocolate. Choices Markets is the presenting sponsor and will set up a “mini Choices” at the show, as well as sampling a wide variety of goodies all weekend long.
To promote The Wellness Show, the organizers have given me a $150 bag chock full with goodies. To enter my giveaway you can either drop a comment on this post (one entry) or post the sample tweet below.
I want to win a goodie basket from @TheWellnessShow and @hummingbird604 http://ow.ly/3Wqpd – click on the post to enter!
I will draw a winner on February 17th at 7pm, and then will contact via Twitter and/or email (please drop your email address in the post). Hope you get a chance to visit The Wellness Show, looks like it’ll be a lot of fun!
My friendships are very important to me, as anybody who reads my blog will know (and anybody who knows me at all). So much so that I make the time in my hyper busy schedule to at least, see most of my good friends once or twice in a period of 2 months at the bare minimum. In Mexico, February 14th marks “The Day of Love and Friendship” (Día del Amor y la Amistad). For me, Valentine’s Day has always been, a celebration of friendship.
This year, for the first time ever, I organized giveaways for Valentine’s Day, and I hope at least to have brightened some folks’ days with that. Thanks to every company who partnered with me for those giveaways (also, full disclosure: I did NOT receive any freebies from any of the companies that sponsored my contests for myself, all promotional items went to the winners of my contests, my readers).
I know for some people Valentine’s Day is a day that they dread or annoys them. For me, as it is a day when I acknowledge how lucky I am to have the friends I do, and how lucky I am that they love me as much as I love them, it’s never a day that I dislike. Today and every day, to those of you whom I am honored to call friends: THANK YOU.
For being there for me.
For reminding me of who I am every day.
For celebrating my successes and helping me stand up when I fall.
For laughing with me when happy times hit and for consoling me when I’m sad.
For loving me for who I am and not for who other people think I am.
For not letting me burn out and reminding me to take time for myself.
For supporting me in succeeding in my chosen career path.
The list is too long (and I feel blessed about that!), but you know who you are, and I love you.
My interest in urban and economic geography has often led me to try and research the history of Vancouver’s neighbourhoods and ethnic enclaves. I often wonder why Greektown (Kitsilano) has lost so much of its flavour, why Japantown near Chinatown almost disappeared. And then I found out about Hoggan’s Alley (where there was an enclave of black immigrants). Since February is Black History Month in Vancouver, I was delighted to be approached by the organizers of the Spirit of Africa Festival (which takes place on February 19th and 20th) to promote the festival and give away some tickets. The Spirit of Africa Festival, will include daytime drumming, singing and music workshops and evening shows.
I’m glad that folks associated with the African and South African communities have approached me recently to promote their events (remember I gave away tickets to the first-ever South African Film Festival 2011 and reviewed the movie SKIN). And coincidentally, my very good friend Rebecca Bollwitt is right now on her way right now to Ghana (Africa) on a blogging/travel trip (safe travels, Rebecca!). I can’t wait to read what she’ll be posting from there.
Photo credit: H’SAO (used with permission)
I am giving away a chance to win a free spot reserved at the West African voice and harmonies workshop with masters of A Capella harmonies H’SAO from Chad/Montreal who are the headliners of Saturday’s evening show.
I am also giving away a pair of tickets for the evening show by the Afro-pop sensation H’SAO, with opening local group of musicians and dancers (Yoro Noukoussi, Kurai Mubaiwa, Jacky Essombe & Navaro Franco) and special guest dancer ETIENNE CAPKO (Benin/Seattle).
For a chance to win, you can either comment on this post or add the following on your Twitter stream:
I entered to win tickets for dance & music performances at Spirit of Africa Festival 2011: http://is.gd/CLC3B1 (you could too!)
More about the workshops (also from their information sheet):
Caravan World Rhythms presents Spirit of Africa Festival: drumming, singing, music and dance workshops. Come celebrate with some of the top artists from BC’s African and cultural community and renowned guest artists from Montreal and Seattle! Immerse yourself in their cultures and discover their arts during two days of high-energy inspirational workshops as part of the Spirit of Africa Festival.
Feb. 19 (12:30-4:45pm) drum circle and West African singing workshop at the Wise Hall. 8:00pm show with H’SAO & Feb. 20 (1:30pm-4:30pm) African music, dance and drumming workshops at St. James Hall. 7:30pm show with Africa Wali Guinean Drum & Dance ensemble, Aché Brasil and Kunaka Marimba.
Tickets are $5-$10 on a sliding scale for each workshop. Pre-registration possible by phone 778-886-8908 or email caravan@telus.net. Ticket prices are $15 in advance or $18 at the door for each show. Tickets for the 2-day festival are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Details for each day:
Day 1 : February 19, 2011. Location: Wise Hall-1882 Adanac St.
12:30pm-2:30pm: Welcome ceremony and drum circle
The Spirit of Africa festival will start with a drum circle open to all levels with experienced drummers and interactive drumming group leaders Munkie Ncapaya, Sandi Millman and Ron Stelting
3:00pm-4:45pm : African Singing Workshop with H’SAO at the Spirit of Africa Festival
This is a not-to-be-missed unique opportunity to discover and learn West African vocal technique and harmonies workshop with masters of A Capella singing Afro-pop band H’SAO (Chad/Montreal). As mentioned above, H’SAO will be the headliners for the evening show at 8:00pm.
DAY 2: February 20, 2011. St. James Hall-3214 West 10th Ave.
1:30pm-2:20pm: Zimbabwean music, percussion and singing workshop
You can immerse yourself in the Zimbabwean culture with the workshop taught by musician and singer Kurai Mubaiwa and percussionist and dancer Navaro Franco. Play music, discover new rhythms and sing! You might even learn a few new dance moves along the way.
2:30pm-3:20pm : Beninese Dance and music workshop
Learn new moves and dance to live music with the Beninese dance and music workshop with award-winning guest dancer/choreographer Etienne Cakpo from Seattle and multi-instrumentalist Yoro Noukoussi.
3:30pm-4:30pm: Guinean Drumming workshop at the Spirit of Africa Festival
Discover new rhythms and sounds and drum along with the festival’s headliner performers: Africa Wali Guinean Ensemble. The workshop is led by master drummer Manimou Camara.The evening performance by Africa Wali will start at 7:30pm.
You can check their website for more information, on their Facebook event page and via @VanAfricaFest on Twitter. I will be drawing the 2 lucky winners of my giveaways on Friday February 18th at 11am. Good luck everyone!
As you all know, I am a total sucker for superhero movies. I recently reviewed The Green Hornet and I can’t wait for The Green Lantern to hit theatres. I have also reviewed most of the X-Men movies, including Wolverine. So you can imagine how excited I got once I heard that the official trailer video for X-Men: First Class had been posted. For your viewing pleasure, found on YouTube.
Normally, Jan Karlsbjerg does these ones. But this time he wasn’t there (I don’t think he likes the idea of panels, but I totally understand where he is coming from). I am grateful to him nonetheless for the unofficial role of Scribe that he takes on, completely selflessly (and kudos to him for that). Here are my quick notes on the panel, and a great summary post by Dave Macdonald.
To be quite honest, I totally thought that the panel about blogging about sex was going to be packed. Nothing further from the truth. While there was a great audience of more than 20 people, I don’t think it was nearly as many people as I expected. I am an abstract theorizer so these are the concepts I gained and learned.
keywords I learned at #sexblogging panel: structure, consent, boundaries, respect, empowerment, speaking from “I” positions
I found that the theoretical lessons that one can draw from blogging about sex apply to all sides of blogging, as indicated above. Dave’s post is absolutely beautiful and a must-read. And more than anything, thanks to Danielle, Phaedra and Monica for opening up the conversation about blogging about sex, and to The Network Hub for space sponsorship. I do think that, along with our Building Communities Online Through Blogging, we are off to a great start with the mix of social and panels at the Vancouver Blogger Meetup.
Learn more about this meetup here (full disclosure: I am the organizer). Thanks also to Shane Birley for helping me as my assistant organizer, as well as Jonathon Narvey who is my other Assistant Organizer but he couldn’t be there last night.
My friend Jeff Meerman works as a Manager, Corporate & Public Affairs for the TD Bank Group and recently told me about the TD Winter Carnival at Robson Square. Since I’m all about sharing the FREE stuff (hey, I live on a budget, why not?), here is the information he sent me about an event TD Canada is putting together.
Photo credit: Ian Alexander Martin, on Flickr
To celebrate the anniversary, why not bring your friends and family for a day of skating at Robson Square in downtown Vancouver! Come down to skate or enjoy free hot chocolate, midway games, live ice sculpting and more. Make sure to get your free souvenir photo too. Sunday, February 27 – Noon until 4 p.m. Robson Square, 800 Robson Street.
I’m unfortunately not going to be there as I will be in Parksville covering Parksville Uncorked, but I would love to see some of the photos my readers snap.
While I can’t afford living in Yaletown, I love hanging out there. Many great restaurants are within a quick, 2 stop trip from my office at The Network Hub, and I have a lot of friends who both live AND work in Yaletown. From Friday, February 11 to Saturday, February 12, 2011 (5:59PM to 10:30PM), Illuminate Yaletown 2011 (co-produced by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association and Fireworks Marketing Group Inc. ) takes place and it should be a lot of fun.
The Yaletown Business Improvement Association sent me a little bit more information about Illuminate Yaletown for my readers to check out:
The district will be illuminated with various installations lighting up Mainland and Hamilton streets, Yaletown Park, Bill Curtis Square and the Roundhouse Community Centre with colourful artistic expression. Yaletown will be fused with LED lights, animated projections, new media video displays, electronic soundscapes and 3D technology to create a striking visual landscape. Mainland Street will be closed to welcome the expected 50,000 spectators that will refresh the city’s memory of the unique experience lived during the 2010 Winter Games.
It’s a FREE event, and you should probably consider checking it out.
Having committed to a full-time academic/consulting career and a full-time social media life (and by that I mean, participating in events, providing exposure, organizing contests, etc.) was a decision I made 2 years ago and it was carefully calculated. I measured my own progress in taking care of myself and so on. I focused my holiday on writing a book around water governance in Mexico (and I *love* research and writing).
I should have just rested.
I figured I could come back in January with the same level of energy. I didn’t. January is a tough month by all measures, I am teaching 2 courses, and my consulting and research are full-fledged and blossoming. So I can’t really do everything I thought I was capable of doing, even if I am organized and wake up early. I overdid it. I accept it. I talked to JT this past weekend and said to him that I could easily see the signs of burnout. We had dinner on Saturday and the topic permeated throughout our conversation.
It’s a fact, I’m going to have to cut down, and I know I promise this to myself all the time, but the fact is, this time I can see the effects of overcommitting to things. I got sick on Thursday. I calculated how many contests I was running and I thought to myself “oops, I think I’m running way too many”. I love giving, and giving of myself, but if I am to keep my 2011 promise to take myself as a priority, I need to start doing that.
While it was edible, and filling, I did not find Fumiyoshi Sushi anything to write home for. I think I’m going to stick with my trusty Spin Roll or Momo Sushi, or if I’m feeling adventurous and heading to Yaletown, I’m sticking with Sushi Maro. Don’t get me wrong, Fumiyoshi Sushi is not a bad sushi place. Its menu is varied and I wasn’t hungry. But I think that there are other places with tastier sushi.
All of the above said, if I want variety, instead of going to the same 3 sushi places I go to, I will venture to Fumiyoshi Sushi. It’s good enough and it’s less than 2 blocks away from my office at The Network Hub.
Disclosure: I paid for my and my companion’s sushi
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Trevor Boudreau (tb communications) invited me to be part of the Nokia Canada N8 Direct and Project event, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This competition challenges 30 Vancouver-based artists and online influencers to direct an innovative movie that has been shot and edited entirely using their Nokia N8 smartphone.
During the event, each director will screen their minute-long short film in front of a live audience of their peers. Winners will be selected by judging panel presided over by well-known Canadian music video director RT! and audience reaction. After the event, 10 finalist videos will be uploaded to Nokia’s YouTube channel where they will be given a platform to generate buzz and potentially become the next Martin Scorsese.
Smartphones have become increasingly advanced and are breeding a new generation of “citizen” filmmakers. The Nokia N8 is equipped with a 12 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens that allows users to shoot HD-quality video and edit them with an intuitive built-in editing suite. It’s also the first smartphone to offer a true home theater experience and only global smartphone that offers Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. Consumers can simply plug the device to their home theatre system with an HDMI cable that comes in the box.
I showed up very briefly at the event at the Vancouver Art Gallery, where I bumped into a few of my good friends, including Ariane Colenbrander, Roland Tanglao and John Biehler, as well as Peter Davies and April Smith (AHA Media) who documented the event almost in its entirety.
I wish I could have stayed for longer as it was a very well run event. I look forward to future Nokia Canada events.
I can’t believe it took me THIS LONG to get to Anducci’s in Burnaby. JT and I were all set to try a 50’s diner in New Westminster but we ended up having to drive back. I used my UrbanSpoon iPhone app and found Anducci’s and since we were already almost in the Burquitlam border, we decided to drive to Anducci’s.
Credit: Photo by Anducci’s and used with permission.
I did not bring my camera to dinner (it was just an evening out for JT and me, so I was not all that interested in having the camera along with me. I did take a couple of iPhone photos of not-so-good quality so I ended up just leaving them at that. JT ordered a really nice flatbread and I ordered a curry-infused chicken and chorizo rottini.
I’m a bit surprised that the menu I ordered from is not the same version as the online one, but seeing as Anducci’s staff were very nice to me and contacted me, I think it’s just their interest in keeping the menu varied.
Considering that the bill for our combined meals came to less than $35, how the flavors were excellent and the service was prompt, the food tasty, I’d say that my verdict is: Anducci’s is comfort Italian food at very reasonable prices. Its Burnaby location should not deter you as it’s relatively close to Lougheed Mall (and thus within reach of a Skytrain station), and the food is great.
I bumped into my friend Tyrell Witherspoon over there, which was also very nice. Overall, a great experience at Anducci’s. I’ll definitely come back.
Disclosure: I paid for JT and my dinner at Anducci’s. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this blog entry is just to describe and document my experience at the restaturant. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
Today is Music Monday and I have an exclusive interview with Vancouver’s own Louder Than Love. A few weeks ago, I contacted Paul Lambert (the lead singer/guitarist of Louder Than Love) and asked him if he could grant me an interview on exclusive for Hummingbird604.com. I asked a few questions I thought you might enjoy reading and thus here it is. I am also giving away a set of their two CDs to one lucky reader.
Photo credit: Caitlin Soroke. Used with permission.
Dan is the keyboardist for the band, Nate is the rhythm guitarist and back-up vocalist and I’m the lead singer/guitarist.
1. What could be possibly louder than love? Why did you decide on a name as enchanting as “Louder Than Love”?
Dan Okano: The name was inspired by a documentary of the same name about the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The Grande Ballroom was one of the first places that would take in acts that were outside of what was mainstream at that point. Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Jeff Beck, Cream and The Who were some of the bands that played there during that time. It started a movement and was the breeding ground for creative bands on the cutting edge of what rock and roll would evolve into during that decade. I think we all are inspired to be a part of a band with those type of intentions.
2. What is your main inspiration, who/what inspires you?
Paul Lambert: I am personally into classic writers. I grew up listening and studying everything from Miles Davis to Pink Floyd, Metallica to Bob Marley. I also find a lot of inspiration in non-musical activities like Ping Pong…The minute frame of time one has to decipher what kind of counter spin to apply to an oncoming ball, then successfully deliver a slam leaves no time to worry about the daily troubles of life that generally kill the creative process. It really is the best time to compose… after an intense Ping Pong match.
Photo credit: Caitlin Soroke. Used with permission.
3. Being such a multi-faceted band whose styles encompass anything from hard rock to vocal harmonies, how could I define you? What makes Louder than Love who they are? What is your style?
Paul Lambert: We are at heart a rock band but like a lot of the bands of the classic rock era, we do not have boundaries when it comes to experimenting with instrumentation, song writing, and production. For instance, our first album “Dark Days” had an incredibly intricate and layered production style featuring complicated songs and instrumental parts reminiscent of Pink Floyd. It also featured a lot of songs with completely different styles ranging from singer songwriter stuff, to hard rock, to bluesy rock. Our latest EP “Coming Around” has a much more unified sound. We went in a much different direction in the treatment of the songs favoring a more direct and stripped down approach to highlight the story telling nature of the lyrics.
4. Being a Vancouver-based band, what is one particular characteristic that you have noticed when you play for a Vancouverite audience?
Paul Lambert: We have had some incredibly supportive and vocal audiences in Vancouver. We’ve seen everything from the entire bar singing along to the chorus of Dark Days (our first single), to guys crowd surfing and doing vampire shuffles (don’t ask). We really started noticing it a lot more when we began touring and were able to compare crowds in different cities to home. For instance, Seattle seems to have a really active scene but people are so conservative. You’ll be lucky if they raise their fist in the air once! Nothing beats home.
Nate Parsons: We have always had extremely supportive and energetic crowds in Vancouver. The biggest thing we’ve noticed is the wide range of people that come out to shows. We’ve got the young guys who really dig the heavier stuff, but we also have a ton of female fans who love singing along. We had a friend just yesterday say, “My mom has your CD in her car and can’t stop listening to it.” That might not sound like the coolest thing in the world, but it’s a really awesome feeling to look out from the stage and see what a wide range of people really enjoy our stuff.
5. Where can we hear you next? Tell me a bit about your next gigs.
Dan Okano: We are currently embarking on our second Canadian/U.S tour and will be playing Kelowna, Kamloops, Nelson, Nanaimo, Victoria, Whistler, Seattle and Portland. Our next local hometown shows will be at the Biltmore Cabaret on Feb 7 and the Shark Club in Vancouver on March 12. We are also doing a really fun rock band clinic for the grade 9 students at A.R. MacNeill Highschool on Feb 17th!
Photo credit: Caitlin Soroke. Used with permission.
6. I like grunge (yeah, weird as that sounds). Tell me about your grungiest tune. What inspired it?
Paul Lambert: I don’t think it’s weird at all! Our grungiest tune would probably be Bad Apple from our first album “Dark Days”. The refrain of the tune is “Bad Apple poison to yourself, you can’t replace that shattered life that’s on your shelf, Bad Apple what are you going to do? When the whole damn world is falling down on top of you…” This song can be taken quite personally as most people have told me. I think everybody has known a Bad Apple at some point in their lives. Somebody who is on a reckless pursuit of self destruction. It can also be taken many other ways which I think is the beauty of song writing. Everybody has their own idea of what a song means.
7. Are you romantics (yeah, ALL of you) 🙂 and does it manifest in your writing and songs? (don’t be shy!)
Nate Parsons: I’ve been with my now-fiancée for 3 and a half years, and she’s the most incredible girl I’ve ever met. If you asked her, I’m not sure if she’d say I’m the most romantic guy, but I know she loves it when I try. I proposed to her at a rock concert at the Gorge in Washington, with the Kings of Leon tune “Immortals” blaring in the background. It’s a story she loves to tell people, so I guess I get a passing grade on that one! Writing romantic tunes is easy, its sharing that intimate part of yourself with others that’s tough. Writing is like therapy. Write songs for yourself first, and if other people enjoy it, all the better!
Paul Lambert: I would rate myself 11 out of 10 on the romantic scale. I often find myself serenading my girlfriend with the aforementioned song “Bad Apple” over a candle lit dinner. It works like a charm!
Dan Okano: Ha! Well romance definitely has its place and its time. And we are certainly striving to make a connection with our listeners, which is sort of romantic! But otherwise to all you readers out there…no, I am not romantic and I do not like long walks on the beach…
Louder than Love plays on February 7th (tonight!) at The Biltmore Cabaret. You should totally check them out! And for one lucky reader of mine, I will be giving away one set of the 2 CDS of Louder Than Love. All you need to do is check their website, sample a few songs and let me know which one is your favorite (or which one you find most intriguing). I will draw a winner on Valentine’s Day, February 14th at 5:00pm
You can also earn an additional entry by posting the text below on your Twitter stream:
Entered to win a set of @LTLBand CDs. I listed my favorite Louder Than Love song here http://tinyurl.com/4t8u2gf You could win too!
As any smart music band is doing, Louder than Love is on Facebook, on Twitter and obviously on MySpace.
