Mainly Main (magazine)

That I am in love with my neighbourhood (South Main Street, SoMa or Mount Pleasant, whichever way you want to call it), is not at question at all. I’ve written dozens, perhaps hundreds of blog posts highlighting great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and the history of my beautiful neigbhourhood. I am even doing a giveaway where I ask you what makes the area where you live so awesome (the Travellers Deck contest). So when I walked into Latitude on Main the other day for brunch with Mark and David from GayVancouver.net, I realized that there was another issue of the online and print magazine “Mainly Main“.

Mainly Main is a new print magazine that launches this December! Featuring commentary and satire, this East Van monthly periodical is sure to get noticed.

For some reason, my brain didn’t connect the dots, and I didn’t realize that someone I met in person and actually have hung out with is the brains behind the Twitter account of @MainlyMain. So, for all things associated with our fine area (Main Street), you can read Mainly Main. I look forward to reading the next issue!

The Nutcracker (@GohBallet) at The Centre in Vancouver for The Performing Arts (review)

Sharing artistic performances with people I love and care about ranks high up there on my list of things I enjoy. And last night’s show (The Goh Ballet‘s The Nutcracker at The Centre in Vancouver for The Performing Arts) was a very fine example. JT got us tickets and he really wanted my readers to share the holiday spirit of this exceptional production. So below you will find my review of The Nutcracker, superbly produced by Chan Hon Goh and supremely choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes. The set design by Zhang Dinghao & Li Ming, is absolutely astonishing and so incredibly appealing it’s mesmerizing. Music by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra is absolutely delightful (and who does not love Tchaikovsky).

This year’s production will feature two Principal couples, one from the Pacific Northwest Ballet and one from the National Ballet of Canada as well as live accompaniment from the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Running in Vancouver from December 16th – 19th 2010 at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. The Goh Ballet Nutcracker will also tour to Victoria this year for four shows at the Royal Theatre from November 26th – 28th 2010.

On to the review. First off, a small suggestion to The Centre in Vancouver for The Performing Arts: It would probably help to get a few more ushers on busy nights (and bonus the ones you already have, they’re awesome). Getting into an almost-sold-out performance of a ballet classic like The Nutcracker with a mixed audience that included lots of very young men and women was a bit challenging. The poor ushers (I only caught eye of two) were absolutely overwhelmed. But they never got grumpy with anyone and for that, they should be praised.

The Nutcracker is a magical tale that begins on Christmas Eve at the house of Herr and Frau Silberhaus and their children (one of them being the main character, Clara who enters a magical world following a nutcracker. I have seen outstanding ballet performances before, and one of them was actually last year’s Moulin Rouge, performed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. That show made me cry all the way through. The Goh Ballet’s Nutcracker was different from Moulin Rouge, though. Very pretty in the first act, but absolutely blew me away in the second act.

The first act, setting the stage for the development of the actual magical tale, which begins when Clara falls asleep with her nutcracker and is attacked by larger-than-life-sized mice (totally adorable) and her nutcracker becomes a handsome soldier who rescues her. Off they go into the beautiful Land of Sweets in Confiturembourg. Some of the dances in the first act showed a bit of asynchronous movements a couple of times when I expected the ensemble to dance synchronously (this may just have been the way the choreography was designed, and to be quite fair, I now realize that there was a mix of technical levels on the stage, from relative beginners to professional ballet dancers, so take my comment with a grain of salt). The mice attacking Clara are so delightfully fun they made the first act in and of itself, I think. Obviously, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the extraordinary skill and mastery of the magician.

This production has two main couples, Piotr Stanczyk, Mara Vinson, Sonia Rodriguez and Karel Cruz, all of them showcasing why they are la creme de la creme when it comes to national ballet. The prima ballerinas’ arabesques and pirouettes were extraordinary, and I grew fond specially of their arabesque penseés. Athleticism, aesthetics and originality are three words that come to mind when describing this version of The Nutcracker. I was absolutely stunned and raved about Mere Gagnon and her adorable bonbons, an ensemble of eight young girls and boys who performed cartwheels and backflips that I wish I had been able to do in my best years of dancing. Plus their movements were so absolutely well coordinated it was impossible to find fault in them. I wanted to shout “you go, kids!”.

The Snow King and Queen are stunning both in their athleticism, their own physical prowess and beauty and the chemistry they project while dancing together the pas de deux. The second act was (to my eyes and soul) exhilarating and dynamic. The Valse Des Fleurs was really cute. The dance between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier towards the end of the second act was simply superb. It’s also quite likely that most people will recognize the music of the second act of The Nutcracker much more than the first act.

The Goh Ballet’s intermingling of young, relative newcomers with experienced dancers is a strategy I have seen before, at Theatre Under the Stars’ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, where the up-and-coming performers learn on stage from the fantastic work deployed by their more experienced counterparts. While some may see this as a risky move on the part of Goh and , I see it as having faith in the ability of young dancers to assimilate their older counterparts’ performances by being immersed in them. And I *love* this idea.

Overall, my verdict on Twitter of The Nutcracker still stands:

The Nutcracker was mesmerizing, spectacular, strong and showy. I’m utterly impressed. THIS is ballet!

The Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition that must not be missed. You should run and see it, tickets for tonight and tomorrow night are available via TicketMaster.

Disclosure: JT paid for our tickets on his own dime. I am not obligated to write this review nor am I paid to write it either, but I felt I owed it to him to write about The Nutcracker since the reason why he bought the tickets was precisely so that, should I choose to blog about it, my readers could take advantage of the next two performances: December 18th and 19th. And you should!

Dinner at @HelmVancouver (The Helm, Downtown Vancouver)

Last night I went for dinner with JT to The Helm in downtown Vancouver, at the previous location of UnWine’d. The Helm’s executive team has done a marvelous job of creating the ambiance of a dinner club much like Montreal, New York, etc. The music is excellent and the food, outstanding. I did not take photos of the food this time, though, but I did take a few photos of their launch, to which I was invited a couple of weeks ago.

Sorry my photo was a bit blurry, but it gives you a broad idea of what The Helm looks inside. It’s pretty beautiful and the lights are dimmed at night

There are a number of great things about The Helm’s menu, not the least of them the fact that they source organic, local, farm-to-table, Ocean Wise and that their menu is pretty imaginative. We were greeted with complimentary champagne beverages and vinegar-salted chips for hors d’oeuvres. When we were looking at the menu, both JT and I were relatively full so we didn’t want to over-eat. I ordered Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Wild Mushroom Sauce ($11) and Savoury Bread Pudding with Turkey Confit Gravy and Huckleberries ($12). The cabagge rolls were absolutely delicious (I’m a big fan of cabbage rolls and Chef Tobey Nemeth’s are well done, stuffed until there is no space to put more stuffing inside).

My bread pudding with turkey confit gravy was excellent too, a very tasty and welcome variation on a classic bread pudding (which most of the time I’ve consumed sweet). I was pretty impressed with how varied the menu was. The portions are sizable (although you probably want to do at least 2 main courses if you’re pretty hungry). We did go for dessert: Gingerbread Trifle with Pumpkin Custard and Candied Pumpkinseeds (so light it’s not even feeling like dessert) and Coconut Panna Cotta with Lime Foam and Meringue (also very light and extremely well done). The merengue was incredibly tasty and tasted so sweet it was melting.

I ordered a drink (which sadly I can’t recall what the name was, but had espresso vodka AND Kalhua – enough said). I’ve had their drinks before and they’ve been nothing short of awesome. Overall, as I said on Twitter, The Helm is comforting, great ambiance and music, affordable (our bill came down to about $60 after tax and tip, admittedly thanks to a couple of complimentary desserts – thanks for that!). But still, it’s not expensive and that’s the one thing I like about The Helm: that while the decor and music look and feel swanky, the food is very comforting and it’s not pretentious at all.

We had the pleasure of having Chef Tobey come to our table and talk to us about the menu she’s about to launch, so perhaps this would be a nice time for you to come and check The Helm out. I already did and can give it the stamp of approval.

Disclosure: While our desserts were complimentary and we were greeted with complimentary champagne drinks and hors d’oeuvres, I paid for our dinner on my own. The fact that The Helm has been kind enough to sponsor two of my recent contests, including a dinner for 2 and a show, and a 4 tickets’ pack for their New Years’ Boardwalk Empire party pack, does not affect in any way, shape or form my perception of their restaurant (which is very good). As always, I retain editorial control at all times, a fact that is well-known to anyone who sponsors my contests or whose restaurants/artistic performances/events I visit for review or reporting. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

iHome iP46 (Rechargeable Portable Stereo System for iPhone/iPod with Remote)

I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas, but since he won’t bring me *exactly* what I want, I gave myself an early Christmas present. I bought myself an iHome iP46.

I had needed a new stereo system for my apartment for a while now. The previous one worked reasonably well with my iPod, but it didn’t work at all with my iPhone (and my iPod is not working at all, so I decided that needed I needed a new stereo system. It had to be extremely sleek (I don’t have much area surface where to put it, and my apartment is ridiculously small. So I shopped around, until I found it at London Drugs on Broadway and Cambie).

The iP46 is a sleek speaker system that’s ready to rock anytime! The iP46 includes SRS TruBass circuitry and 4 speakers in Reson8 chambers for an exceptional audio experience. The retracting universal dock charges and plays iPhone and docking iPod models. The built-in lithium-ion battery is rechargeable, so you can enjoy music anywhere without worrying about batteries. Remote Control Inlcuded.

I’ve had the iHome iP46 for about a week now, and I can tell you that I can now look forward to spending evenings at home, even if my neighbours upstairs are making a lot of noise. The volume and surround sound are superb, and it works marvellously with my iPhone. And the best thing is – it recharges it. Moreover, is Energy Star certified, so it works well for me.

For anyone who is strapped for space (and even cash), I’d strongly endorse the iHome iP46. Obviously, if you need a larger piece of equipment, well, then perhaps this isn’t for you. It is for me, as I’m on a constrained financial and space budget.

Disclosure: I bought the iHome iP46 on my own dime.

Win a Smoke-Free North Shore Prize Pack from @quitnowbc and @hummingbird604

photo credit: PinkStock Photos!

I hate smoking. I actually don’t smoke, but when I say I hate smoking, I mean it. I can’t stand second-hand smoke, and it’s a deal-breaker when it comes to anyone I have ever dated. In fact, I have never dated anyone who smokes. In 1999, I lost my Aunt to lung cancer, and she was a life-long smoker. Both my parents used to be smokers, and despite having been shaken by my Auntie’s passing, I think what really triggered my parents’ quitting smoking was exercising. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, both my parents took on respectively swimming (my Dad) and yoga (my Mom). After exercising for a while, they realized they couldn’t do it unless they had better respiratory abilities. So they quit smoking.

I’ve been approached by Quit Now BC (a non-profit, wellness-and-health program by the British Columbia Lung Association) with a giveaway to promote their Quit Now And Win contest (you should totally check it out – in addition to better lung health, you could win a substantial cash prize!).

With more than $20,000 in prizes, a 24/7 network of online and telephone support and a whole community of people providing advice and encouragement, the 3rd Annual QuitNow & WIN contest is a great way to motivate BC smokers to commit to quit.

Luckily, Grouse Mountain decided to partner me for this Quit Now BC contest, and in addition to them I have partnered with another fantastic couple of organizations (Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Lonsdale Quay Hotel) who will be giving away additional prizes to not one, but TWO winners in my contest, thus creating two fantastic grand prizes.

To start you on a healthy, smoke-free life (or to celebrate your quitting smoking in the past 12 months), I am giving away 2 prize packs. Each prize pack contains:

• Grouse Mountain General Admission passes (2 per pack) to walk around, skate, snowshoe. (As a matter of fact, all of Grouse Mountain is now smoke and tobacco free.)
• Stay overnight at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel (1 night stay), recently renovated and one of the most beautiful hotels in the North Shore
• Passes to the Capilano Suspension Bridge (2 per pack) to witness the Canyon Lights if you visit before January 2nd, or just to visit the bridge and area after January 2nd, 2011.

This contest is open to residents of British Columbia 19 years of age or older (transportation to North Vancouver not included!):

1. Current smokers who are considering quitting.
2. Former smokers who quit in the past year (between December 2009 and December 2010).
3. Family and/or friends of current smokers who would like to use the prize pack to encourage them to quit.
4. Family and/or friends of former smokers (quitting in the past 12 months) who would like to use this prize pack to reward them for quitting

This is perhaps my most challenging contest in that I have never smoked so I really have no clue of what to ask. I had to call upon 6 people (thanks Grace, Beth, Yvonne, Jen, Chris and Marc) to give me feedback on what to ask. So here’s the deal. You can enter the contest (if you are eligible as per the previous 4 elements mentioned) by sharing one of the following:

• A story of how smoking has affected you (or your family)
• If you already quit smoking, your story of how you quit – what made you quit, what steps did you take, etc.
• If you are a family member or friend of someone who smokes, how would you encourage someone to quit smoking (what would you tell them)
• If you are a family member or friend of someone who has recently quit, a note of encouragement to stay smoke-free or a note of praise

I will be drawing TWO winners, one for the folks who are in the “I already quit or I’m in the process of quitting” category and one in the family/friend category. You have until December 26th at 3pm (oh lovely Boxing Day) to enter my giveaway. Since my parents are both former smokers, I’ll have both my Mom and Dad draw one random winner from each category, by phone. I will be on a ferry headed to Nanaimo by then!

I’m really excited about this contest and I do hope it encourages folks to consider quitting smoking. When my parents quit smoking I was so incredibly happy, I wish I had had the chance to have this package to reward them! Very excited to support Quit Now BC, and thanks to Grouse Mountain, Lonsdale Quay Hotel and Capilano Suspension Bridge for (as always) partnering with me in contests and giveaways. Much appreciated!

Disclosure: All prizes are sponsored by the respective organizations mentioned above, in an effort to support Quit Now BC, a non-profit campaign by the BC Lung Association. I am not paid to run this contest, nor am I obligated to do so. I am the son of two former smokers and a big promoter of anti-cancer causes, so I thought this would be cool. As usual, feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns, via my Contact Form.

Flashmob Caroling for Climate Action this coming Sunday Dec 19th

You may have heard recently of Sophie Harrison, who recently got interviewed by The Tyee (she is a Grade 11 student at Prince of Wales Secondary School who started the youth group Kids for Climate Action). Check out their website or their Facebook page to find out about upcoming events, which includes this Sunday’s flash-mob climate Christmas carolling.

From their website:

Kids for Climate Action is now organizing a flash mob for climate action. We’ve adapted the words to ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ Come out to sing and dance about climate change — it’ll be lots of fun and a great way to get our message across.

At 3:00 on Sunday, December 19th we will begin our flash mob in the food court of Pacific Center. It will start with group of about five somewhere in the middle of the food court, and then everyone else will join in. Remember — we have to be inconspicuous before we start. It would be great if people could just be sitting down eating, or milling about. Also, as soon as the song is over, act like nothing has just happened. Go back to eating your food, or just walk off.

At 3:20 we will hit a second location – Georgia St and Granville. Make sure everyone trickles out of the food court at different times, so it’s not obvious where we are going next. We will be doing our flash mob on the same corner as the Canada line exit.

I do know Sophie Harrison in person, and I’m very proud of her for taking steps to engage youth, educate them and galvanize them into action. Please do consider attending the Flashmob Caroling for Climate Action. There will be two locations to participate. And congratulations, Sophie, on the great work you are doing!

How to Lose a Bridge and By-Election, and still Win (Guest post by @MatVic)

‘How to Lose a Bridge and By-Election, and still Win.
By Mat Wright

Hi – my name is Mat Wright, and I’m an acti-holic. Thanks for allowing me into your reading room. July 2009 was a turning point. It’s when I turned from being a sometime voter, to an activist. As with all ‘addictions’ it starts simply. We know there is no cure, but your support is welcome…and, yes, I’ll take your pamphlets on ‘Saving One-Eyed Sand Fleas in the Aleutian Islands’. Your pain resonates with mine.

When I met my life partner back in the frontier days of the early ‘noughties’ she made a simple case – ‘run a business, travel the world, do illicit substances in the ‘name of research’: I’ll have your babies, but DO NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS.

That was a promise easy to keep as we lived in the Narnia of Europe (Belgium). A decade of health care, income and housing support, 10 Euro flights for weekends in Florence and Barcelona – and nobody thinking of destroying historic bridges. It all changed when we decided to move to Victoria in 2005, my University town.The place that nobody can hate, where everyone gets along.

The first few years were fine. Getting used to running over deer and raccoons in the driveway, and Googling road-kill BBQ recipes. The occasional windstorm and BC Ferry cancellation were fine, and dodging the increasing number of the high, inebriated and homeless in Downtown was a game – get home without getting slashed, win a frozen pizza. Sure, booze is way more expensive, but the guy with the moldy house, and sparking wires from the overhead transformer, next door had great dope. Things were great.

Johnson Street Bridge .ORG Wordle Tag Cloud

Then, without consulting moi (or 350 000 Capital Regional Residents), Victoria City Council decided to melt down the 80+ year old, historic Johnson Street Bridge as a few cyclists complained about tire wear (oh, and it might fall down in an earthquake). Well, that got the blood boiling – which is natural as it was the time of year to make Belgian style bloedworst – but then two online friends said ‘let’s make a Blue Bridge website, and see what happens’. Why not, said I – which resulted in myself, Yule Heibel, Ross Crockford and a star team of volunteers creating history (Part 1) with Victoria’s first ever successful counter-petition against Victoria’s diabolical plans to borrow billions (well – $42 million) to destroy our beloved bridge. Ha! That showed them – a few people, a simple website, some phone calls, bit of media play – and we can beat City Hall. Well done everyone, pat on the back. Let’s go home, and figure out how to pay the mortgage.

Oops – we got what we asked for. A year later, a referendum, and City Hall spending more billions (well, they ‘say’ $150 000) on a new campaign to replace the bridge. Oh, and cool timing, we’ll throw in a council by-election as a bonus. This time, while the Blue Bridge group was having fun with an Art Gallery, dressing up, and holding a massive forum, yours truly was campaigning for a wanna-be council hopeful (who had the right idea on the bridge). We both lost – Victoria Council now has the authority to turn the Johnson Street Bridge into window security bars for their offices at City Hall, and the runner up in the by-election is back to happily playing with boats in Victoria Harbour. FYI – Historic Part Deux is holding BC’s first ever Telephone Town Hall as part of the campaign, now everyone is doing it so it’s getting boring.

The moral? What would have happened if in July 2009 I passed on creating the website for the Johnson Street Bridge Campaign? If the answer was ‘sorry gang’ the cost would have been huge. I would never had the opportunity to be on CFAX, CBC (Radio and TV), CHEK. A-Channel, Globe & Mail, SHAW, Victoria News, Monday Magazine, Focus Magazine – and Face to Face with Jack Etkin. The chance to meet and work with great people from around Victoria, BC and Canada who care about so many issues. Working with Keith Martin, Chris Causton – connecting with so many Mayors, councillors, MLAs and MPs – getting into a political cause opened so many doors, and mainly for the positive (I may be persona-non-grata at Victoria City Hall, but who cares, I live in Saanich)

As for now, it looks like we lost the bridge battle, and the by-election, but won so much in friendships, connections and experience. No doubt, it has all been worthwhile, and continues.

As for my suffering partner, her answer is simple. You broke your promise about politics: fine, ‘I’m now rescuing cats’ – which is why the home office smells of cat litter and the challenge is working around purring furballs.
Finally – this guest blog would not have happened. Thanks Raul! (nor would Raul and I be on Public Eye Online). Think about that! Get involved in something you care about, be an acti-holic.

Were you Naughty or Nice this 2010?

I love Blogthings. It always allows me to fill my blog with content when my brain isn’t inspired. I have a couple of guest posts and a couple of contests to launch but I’m crazy insanely busy and I can’t post them right now, so I’m going to let you do this Blogthings quiz. Were you naughty or nice this 2010? Do tell me! Because let me tell you, this quiz shows that I was super sweet 😉

You Were Nice This Year!

You’re an uber-perfect person who is on the top of Santa’s list. You probably didn’t even *think* any naughty thoughts this year. Unless you’re a Mormon, you’ve probably been a little too good. Is that extra candy cane worth being a sweetheart for 365 days straight?

Were You Naughty or Nice This Year?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Free to Imagineer (Guest Post by @MikeVardy)

Free to Imagineeer

I’m five weeks removed from a job that required me to leave my house every day. Five weeks removed from working full time there and part time on creative work outside of…well…there. Five weeks removed from having my creative psyche hampered by what I considered a strong state of ‘whelm’, while my wife and friends probably called it over and above that.

As I sit writing this, I feel five weeks lighter.

photo credit: moses talent-ed

My creative psyche (as productivity expert David Allen would say) has been freed up. My perspective has become balanced, not buried in a pile of work I had to do and work I wanted to do. The opportunity came to follow a path far more suited to ‘imagineer’ and thrive, so I took it. Not an easy decision, but the right one.

How do I know that?

Well, my newborn son’s smile that I get to see far more often than I saw my daughter’s when she was a baby is one reason.

Having the opportunity to write a lot more — and with more craftsmanship than I have in some time — is another.

As a matter of fact, those are really the two things that have been the greatest rewards of walking away from an old routine and into a new one. The pay is the same, but the benefits are far greater — even though I still don’t have health coverage with the new gig. (My wife’s got that covered, anyway.)

Ideas are flowing, I get to watch my boy growing. Maybe it wasn’t that hard a decision to make after all.

So what’s stopping you from pursuing your passion and giving yourself the time to ‘imagineer’? Maybe you don’t need to ask yourself that question. But I bet you know someone who should.

Pass this on. It might just be the most productive thing you’ll ever do for them.

This guest post was contributed by Mike Vardy, a good friend of mine and great writer, as a guest post for Hummingbird604.com

Mike Vardy is a writer/satirist based out of beautiful Victoria, BC. He’s currently waxing poetic as an idiotic productivity pundit at Eventualism and is the editor of the popular work/productivity site WorkAwesome. He now makes his living working from home watching his son smile and imagineering a lot.

Why I paid for @HootSuite Pro

photo credit: hootsuite

It’s not a secret that I’m friends (and in some cases, very close friends) with many of the folks who work at Invoke Media. Entering the social media and tech communities meant that I had to get to know many of the local startups. The folks of Invoke have been good friends with me for a long time. We’ve gone out for dinner, drinks, we’ve participated in many of the same events, and at times, we’ve spoken at the same conferences.

When HootSuite decided to announce their Freemium model, I was a bit torn. I love free. Who doesn’t? My budget has never been insanely flexible to allow for payments of all sorts. BUT at the same time, I’ve written about how freelancing is not free and how people shouldn’t take me for granted and assume that I will be giving them my expertise for free, just because I’m a super nice guy.

So I figured that it was important that I spoke the language that I have always used with my own actions. Or as they say, “walk the walk as I talk the talk”. So, I took the plunge and decided to pay for HootSuite Pro. I do have a few selected clients for whom I do social media consulting (in technology and higher education, non-profits and public policy/politics), and I do execute some social platform message delivery. So I figured, whatever price HootSuite is (and it’s not expensive, $5.99 per month), I will recoup it with my next few clients.

Even for my non-profit volunteer work (I manage the Mental Health Camp Twitter account), it is important for me to maintain the ability to schedule tweets and manage multiple accounts. So yeah, I did take the plunge, and I did buy the HootSuite Pro version. And no, nobody paid me to do this post. I just thought you should know why some of us are choosing to pay for HootSuite Pro. It’s a startup that I love and adore, and it’s a Vancouver-based technology-creating company that deserves to make money because, in case you didn’t know, developing technology IS NOT FREE.

Disclosure: I am paying for HootSuite Pro for the reasons noted above, and out of my own pocket. I have never received any sort of deferential treatment from HootSuite, nor have I been ever paid to review any of their technological platforms.

Dance Up a Storm for the Food Bank! (Urban Beat Dance Fundraiser) Dec 19th

My good friend Rebecca Coleman mentioned the “Dance Up a Storm for the Food Bank!” Fundraiser by Urban Beat Dance and I think I should promote it! I did take dance lessons at some point with Urban Beat Dance, and I absolutely adore the Vancouver Food Bank as a charity of choice for fundraising.

Urban Beat Dance Company is pleased to present their Annual Christmas Food Bank Fundraiser Swing Dance, December 19th, 2010. The Urban Beat Dance crew hosts a night of performance, lessons, prizes and dancing the night away, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The fundraiser runs from 8 pm until late at 927 Granville Street in downtown Vancouver.

If you’ve always wanted to learn to swing dance, the evening starts with an all-ages-welcome Beginner’s Funky Swing Lesson from 8:00 until 8:45pm, followed by swing, hip hop, tango, belly dancing performances from 9:30 until 10. Then dance the night away with your new-found skills. Come for the cause, stay for the fun!

There will be an amazing prize package raffled off (courtesy of CBC). The prize includes:
· 2 gift certificates for Milestones
· 2 gift certificates for Provence Marinaside
· 2 gift certificates for The Shark Club
· 2 gift certificates for Las Margaritas
· 4 tickets to VanDusen’s Festival of Lights

So take a beginners lesson, watch the show, meet new people of all ages, and know that your whole $10 is going to provide food for those who really need it this Christmas. Everyone wins! Urban Beat Dance Company’s annual Food Bank Fundraiser takes place on Sunday, December 19 from 8 pm until midnight at 927 Granville Street. Admission is by donation (suggested $10), cash only, at the door, and all proceeds go to the Food Bank

4:45 am

4:45 am.

That’s the time I wake up every morning. Except, of course, when my sleep schedule is completely screwed up. But in general, that’s usually the time I open my eyes and realize I have a day that promises to be really, really full of activities. It’s been a great year so far, and being disciplined and staying on top of my exercise/workout routine has really helped with my day-to-day activities.

I have been thinking this week that despite the fact that I wake up so early, I am still always leaving my house at 8:00 or 8:30am, arriving to my office either downtown or at the university by 9:30 or 10am. And I’ve been awake since 4:45 am. Why is it that I arrive so late?

I think the answer lies in what I’ve been reflecting on in the past few months: I am holding two full time jobs. Well, technically speaking, I am holding four full time jobs if you consider that I do research for one research institute, have my own consultancy and have clients there that I do projects for, I teach at a university AND I maintain a personal blog and an active social media presence.

I’m not about to complain, but I now realize how I have been able to maintain Hummingbird604.com while not feeling frustrated that I am not working hard enough on my academic and consulting. Because I do all the social media *outside* of normal office hours. I write blog posts and schedule promotional tweets over the weekend or early in the morning, before I head to the gym or late at night as I am “winding down”.

No wonder I have to be in bed by 10pm at the latest. I’m curious to know how long I will be able to keep up this pace.

Becoming Canada: Our Story, Our Politics, Our Future (book review)

A month or so ago, I was invited to be part of a select group of 200 bloggers worldwide who Eco-Libris invited to review and have 200 reviews published on November 10th, the 2nd Annual Green Books Campaign. Unfortunately, around then I was completely sick and swamped, and right now I am still swamped but wanted to have this review out, as I have found the book I was assigned, “Becoming Canada: Our Story, Our Politics, Our Future” by Ken Dryden, an extremely interesting read.

On Wed., Nov. 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. This year’s participation of both bloggers and books has doubled from the event’s inception last year.

The 200 books to be reviewed are in a variety of subjects including cooking, poetry, travel, green living, and history, and come from 56 publishers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that are participating in the Green Books Campaign. This diversified group of publishers includes both small and large presses who all print books on recycled and/or FSC-certified paper.

This year’s campaign is supported by Indigo Books & Music, the largest book retailer in Canada, as part of its efforts to draw attention to the need for more environmental paper in book publishing. This is a core goal of Indigo’s environmental program, reinforced by Indigo’s industry leading environmental paper policy.

On to the review of Becoming Canada…

From the perspective of a comparativist like me, Becoming Canada is primarily a historical analysis, not much of a comparative one (I am different from other bloggers who participated in the program in that I teach in a department of political science, although my focus is environment and public policy). I’m not a Canadianist, though (I compare Canadian-Mexican-US environmental policies), so take my review with a grain of salt. I’m offering my honest view of the book.

As way of introduction, Ken Dryden has been in fact a Canadian politician and lived in Canadian public life for many years, so he has much of an insider’s insight into the way Canadian policies have been created and implemented. While I admit that I had no clue who he was before I was asked to review the book (as I mention above, I’m not a Canadianist), I’m utterly fascinated by the stories he tells in Becoming Canada. This book does not purport itself to be a definitional analysis of what Canada is and what it’s supposed to be. Defining Canada is such a controversial topic, and Dryden is not controversial in his analysis, in my view. He tells the story of Canada as he understands it, as he lived it and as he looks to the future.

A longitudinal (and at times rather too-detailed) account of the history of Canada and Canadian politics, I found that Becoming Canada explored in too much detail the role of the United States of America in defining what Canada is in the 20th Century, and the first four chapters of the book really felt much like a combination of an auto-biography of Dryden himself interweaved with a historiography of the Canadian political landscape. It’s no surprise, though, and the writing style completely suits Dryden and his history in Canadian sports and politics.

I found the last 3 chapters of Becoming Canada a lot more focused on what Canada should look like, and on Dryden’s view of Canadian-ness. As I re-read the earlier sections of Becoming Canada (after reading the book from cover to cover), I understood what Dryden wanted to portray in his book. He wanted to share his vision of Canadiana but needed to provide the historical and cross-national, continental context for it. I was slightly surprised and somewhat disappointed that Dryden eschewed Mexico in his analysis of Canada within a North American context, but I am definitely not surprised that the focus of the book was so strong on the role of the United States in shaping Canadian political life. Becoming Canada is a profound-yet-not-overwhelming, easy-to-read first-hand account and plea for a united, healthy and strong Canada. Dryden’s vision is extremely interesting and you should read this book.

Becoming Canada
Our Story, Our Politics, Our Future
Written by Ken Dryden
Category: Political Science
Format: Hardcover, 248 pages
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
ISBN: 978-0-7710-2945-5 (0-7710-2945-4)

Pub Date: October 19, 2010
Price: $28.99

The Helm Boardwalk Empire New Year’s Eve 2010 Party (giveaway)

You may remember that I was a guest of The Helm at their fantastic opening party. I’ve been really impressed with the management team and they’ve been incredibly supportive of me. You may remember they partnered with me for a prize package giveaway that included dinner at The Helm and Christmas on the Air at Pacific Theatre. The Helm will be throwing a fantastic, Boardwalk Empire New Year’s Eve (NYE) Party and kindly have given me a total of 4 tickets to attend this NYE shindig. This promises to be one fantastic night out and you will be able to ring in the New Year in style!

Be a part of the Helm history and ring in 2011 with us! Canapes, cocktails and a sparkly, glittery evening celebrating one of the most fabulously decadent eras!

Tickets are only $50 and it includes a 3 course meal canapes/party favors/complimentary champagne at midnight. If regular guests choose to dine AND stay for the late night portion, we will sell them tickets for the late night at a reduced rate of $40 a ticket.. You can contact the folks at The Helm to purchase your tickets (this party promises to sell out, so act fast!). And there will be a lucky reader who will win my 4 tickets (I’ll be giving this prize away as a 4 tickets pack, so you and three friends can party in style).

To enter my giveaway, I want to hear your best memory from a New Year’s Eve. Maybe someone proposed to you on New Years Eve. Maybe, like my good friend Chris Walts, you were BORN on NYE. For me, the best NYE I ever had was in Madrid, with my brother and my Mom, ringing in the year 2002. That year, I had been extremely successful professionally and personally, and we spent Christmas in Paris and New Years Eve in Madrid. So blessed to have my brother and Mom as two of my best friends.

So, tell me in the comments sections for a chance to win 4 tickets to The Helm’s Boardwalk Empire New Year’s Eve Party, the story of your best NYE. I’ll draw a random winner from all entries that participate in the contest up until December 28th at 8pm. I will be away on holidays, but will just log on to my computer in time to check the comments, approve them and announce the winner. In addition to a comment, if you want to add one entry, you can also tweet the following:

I want to win tickets to Boardwalk Empire NYE from @HelmVancouver and @hummingbird604 – read my NYE story! http://is.gd/iNNSP

I can’t wait for The Helm’s Boardwalk Empire Party, promises to be great!

Disclosure: The tickets were generously sponsored by The Helm. I’m neither paid to post this contest, nor to write a review.

Win a @TravellersDeck pack

When I first moved to Vancouver, I remember one night when one of my best friends took me for dinner out and she pulled a little coupon (the Entertainment Book coupons). She paid for a very fancy dinner at a rather discounted rate. So I got hooked up on coupons. Right now, group purchasing is all the rage on every social platform, and the funny thing is, I like my coupons traditional. And one of those quasi-traditional coupons and discount cards is the Travellers Deck.

Travellers Deck is an insider’s eating and shopping guide with over $750 worth of savings. Uniquely packaged in a deck of 58 double-sided cards, it helps both locals and visitors get off the beaten track and discover the hidden gems of Vancouver. Packed with exclusive discounts and helpful features, such as maps, the “must tries” and “must buys”, Travellers Deck is THE independent guide to Vancouver’s best local restaurants and shops. And in case you were wondering, no one has paid to be included. All businesses are handpicked by a team of passionate Vancouverites who eat, live & breathe the city.

I have a Travellers Deck to give away and I think the best question I can ask for my contest entrants is – what makes the neighbourhood you live in awesome? I live in the Mount Pleasant (South Main Street, or SoMa as they’ve come to call it) and there are so many things I love about it. It’s close to Downtown Vancouver, yet far away enough. It has everything within walking distance (I think its Walkability Score is over 75), and it has some really cool restaurants and bars.

For a chance to win this Travellers Deck (I will mail it to you by standard mail), tell me what makes your neighbourhood awesome?. I will draw a random winner from all entries I receive from now until December 22nd at 5pm (the last day I will be in Vancouver, as I am going away on holidays). For another mode of entry into the contest, simply re-tweet this blog post directly from Twitter (if you comment AND tweet I’ll count it as two entries). Or tweet the text below:

I want to win a @TravellersDeck from @hummingbird604. Learn about what makes MY neighbourhood awesome! http://is.gd/iNkq2

Disclosure: I wasn’t given the Travellers Deck for free (I had already acquired one and had never used it and always wanted to give it away, so I’m using it for the contest). I am neither paid for this post nor am I required to write about Travellers Deck. I’m just an absolute fan of coupons and addicted to do giveaways. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via my Contact Form.

On being part of the event circuit

Last week, I bumped into Sarah Rowland (whose reading you might have read on the 24 Hours Vancouver newspaper) at the opening of Q4 al Centro at L’Hermitage, and after a quick hug, she told me “hey Raul, I haven’t seen you on the circuit lately, how have you been? Oh, right, you are probably in the middle of final exams, aren’t you?”. I answered “yes, I am… and I have a pile THIS BIG of final research papers to mark… *sigh*”.

Admittedly, I attend restaurant openings (like The Helm’s recent opening)

Annika, Cindy, me and Cristina

Galas and fundraisers benefitting non-profits (like The Night of New Beginnings)

Michelle Clasius (Covenant House), Elaine Lui (Lainey Gossip) and me

Travel media events (like the recent Tourism Victoria social mixer)

Julie Ovenell-Carter (Why Go Canada and These Boots Travel) and me

Wine and food events (like the Mission Hill Wine)

Fashion shows (I used to model, so I can’t get it out of my system)

Fashion events, and product launches (like the recent Naked Boxer Brief launch)

Non-profit media events (like the Raise Your Hand for The Record with Josh Dueck event)

Richard Loat, Gus Fosarolli and me

But I don’t attend events for a living 🙂 I wish I could, though!

I will fully admit that I felt really happy that Sarah (and for the most part, the vast majority of my fellow bloggers/media personalities as well as most of my PR partners) understood that the blogging, event and social media stuff I do is my side gig, not my main one. The main one is research, teaching and consulting. I’m a full-time academic (and even if I am not what you’d call a professional blogger, I take my blogging and social media activities quite seriously and professionally).

To be quite frank and honest, I decline a substantial number of invites. So, really, the number of events you see me at is actually a very small fraction of the total of invitations I receive.That’s not being snobbish, it’s being honest, and strategic. It’s also called taking care of myself. I can only attend so many events before I get exhausted. Admittedly, it was my “hummingbird-like” personality that added to the popularity of my blog: the fact that I would visit (and often, write about) so many events on the same night.

I really don’t do that anymore (the whole visiting 5 events in a night), or at least, I try my hardest not to. I don’t want event organizers to even think that I’m not adding value and respecting their event (a perception that is totally untrue, because if, with my ridiculously busy schedule, I make the time to attend even for 5 minutes, it means I DO care about the event). So, I’ve eschewed drama and conflicts around this and decided only to RSVP to events I actually can attend. I may say on my social platforms that I’m quadruple-booked for the evening, but in all truth, what that means is – I have 4 events on my agenda, but I only RSVP’d to one and I will only make that one. And sorry to the three who invited me. I often will tweet about the events I won’t attend to give them exposure, quite frankly. Simply because I find that’s the only thing I can possibly do.

I can’t do that to myself anymore (the whole “try to fit 5 events in one night”). My body can’t take it.

I keep finding old tweets and blog posts of mine where I say “I’m so exhausted I want to cry“. That’s not healthy to me. Particularly, if you think about the fact that I blogged last year about how in 2010 I was going to focus on myself, before focusing on anyone else.

I will fully admit I considered shutting down Hummingbird604.com earlier this year. Yes, I did. But I was able to (luckily) find a way to combine all of my professional activities with my social media side gig. Admittedly, this means I wake up earlier than most people do on Saturdays and Sundays and devote substantial amounts of times to writing blog posts, uploading photos, sending emails to PR representatives, managing contests, scheduling tweets to promote my content, etc. Blogging and social media are full time jobs!

At this point I am still working full time as an academic (with great consulting projects), but I definitely think I need to find a way to schedule my social media work within the actual work week. Because right now I’m working two full time jobs. I don’t know yet how I am going to do it, but stay tuned, because I will try my best.

[UPDATE – Yes, I know. It sounds slightly ridiculous that I insert a post on how I can’t be on the event circuit anymore, yet I also post about recent events I attended. I wrote this post PRECISELY because of the fact that in the past few months, and in particular this past week, I’ve managed to schedule myself properly, attending only one event per night – and that’s about as many as I’m going to attend in the future, one or MAXIMUM two).

Ryan Reynolds is (apparently) single again

Everybody knows how much I love Ryan Reynolds. He’s a great, funny actor. He is Canadian, and originally from Vancouver. While I don’t wish anybody to break up, I just learned that apparently, Ryan and Scarlett Johansson have split. Apparently, being The Sexiest Man Alive didn’t help much, did it? At any rate, I can assure you there’s thousands, tens of thousands of happy men and women about that split. Ouch. Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that 🙂 You know what I mean. I may just need to say that there’s been a shift of rankings on the Top 10 scales.

Christmas on The Air (@PacificTheatre) – guest review by @niftynotcool

“Christmas on the Air”: As Comforting as Cozy Flannels

I must confess that I came to see Midnight Theatre Collective’s “Christmas on the Air” at the Pacific Theatre feeling much more like Scrooge than Santa Claus. Maybe it’s the endless rain we’ve been having– I just hadn’t been feeling the Christmas spirit. “Bah humbug,” my skeptical little heart thought, “another Christmas show with carols and laughs and tender moments and hard hearts in need of softening and everything turning out alright in the end.”

And it was. And it did. And that is why I finished the evening with a smile on my face.

The story, made delightfully local by playwright Lucia Frangione, revolves around a small Vancouver radio station broadcasting their Christmas Eve Special. The struggles of the characters (all employees at the station) are interwoven with the stories, music, advice, and advertisements provided by the station to their listeners and studio audience.

Even though I found the character histories slightly confusing at times and wasn’t always sure how the physical aspect of the performance blended with the fact that the show was meant to be on the radio, by the second half of the evening I just didn’t care. In spite of myself, I felt my heart being warmed. I was reminded of elementary school Christmas concerts, the CBC, bundling up to visit the neighbours, and every other little piece of Christmas that seems to last year after year.

“Christmas on the Air” is certainly nostalgic, sentimental even. But it is also funny and entertaining, performed sincerely and lovingly by a talented and incredibly energetic cast, who play each part of their broadcast, whether it be recitation or advertisement, with agility and enthusiasm.

If you want to be reminded of the Christmases of old, “Christmas on the Air” is the show for you. If you want to listen to beautiful arrangements of Christmas carols sung by exceptional voices, “Christmas on the Air” is the show for you. If you want to witness a very memorable reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas”), accompanied by a series of pratfalls executed so deftly the spectacle can only be called virtuosic, then “Christmas on the Air” is certainly the show for you.

When I left the theatre after watching “Christmas on the Air”, I felt, more than anything, comforted. And I think that is exactly what a Christmas broadcast, whether on the air or in the theatre, is meant to do.

“Christmas on the Air” runs at Pacific Theatre until January 1. Please call Pacific Theatre at 604-731-5518, or visit pacifictheatre.org for more information.

This guest theatre review was contributed by Lauren Kresowaty. Thanks to Pacific Theatre for sponsoring my tickets giveaway!

Sometimes nifty but never cool, fairly well-travelled with more to explore, Lauren hails from rural Saskatchewan and now resides in a little nest/apartment in East Vancouver. Lauren is a cheerful pessimist by day (working a real job!) and a theatre artist, aerial silks enthusiast, and blogger by night. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Simon Fraser University. You can learn more about Lauren by visiting Nifty Not Cool or by following her on Twitter.

The Whole Foods Holiday Scavenger Hunt

I’m always a fan of being invited to fun events, and as I mentioned in a recent post, I’m always keen to see friends from different scenes. I didn’t really know what to expect when Whole Foods invited me to their Holiday Scavenger Hunt.

Yeah. That one running? That’s me.

I am SO GLAD Whole Foods invited me to their Holiday Scavenger Hunt.

I never get to chat in-depth with Michael Robertson (Granville Magazine), Mijune Pak (Follow Me Foodie), Claudia Kwan (PolyMedia Athlete), Richard Wolak (VanFoodster), Erin Ireland (It’s To Die For) and Cassandra Anderton (Good Life Vancouver), even though all of them are actually foodie friends of mine and we usually attend the same foodie events (restaurant openings, media events, etc). Also, it’d been ages since I saw Karen Hamilton (Tiny Bites). So, it was really good fun. For the first time in a VERY LONG TIME, I actually got to chat with my foodie media friends, and that was very pleasant.

Moreover, the event itself was a riot. We were given shopping lists and we engaged in a race throughout Whole Foods to find our items. We got to keep said items, and the winner (in this case, Erin Ireland) got to have a huge cart of food donated on her behalf by Whole Foods to the Vancouver Food Bank (one of my favorite charities).

Yeah, that’s Erin with the Whole Foods donation to the Vancouver Food Bank

We were also treated to a number of nibbles from their Holiday Menu (did you know you can order your Christmas dinner turkey with all the fixings and stuff from Whole Foods? No, neither did I).

Festive Party Starters (as sampled)

• Prosciutto Wrapped Melons: seasonal wedges of melon and figs wrapped in prosciutto (Small: $44.99, serves 8-10)
• Tomato & Bocconcini Skewers: cherry tomatoes, bocconcini and fresh basil served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette (Small: $49.99, serves 8-10)
• Chicken Crostinis: toasted crispy bread rounds topped with grilled chicken, olive tapenade, roasted red pepper and pesto cream cheese (Small: $44.99, serves 8-10)
• Smoked Salmon Crostinis: toasted crispy bread rounds topped with smoked salmon, capers and dilled cream cheese (Small: $44.99, serves 8-10)
• Tomato Crostinis: toasted crispy bread rounds topped with roasted tomatoes, chevre and basil (Small: $44.99, serves 8-10)

I also liked the fact that they offer “budget-conscious” options (as they sent me on their email)

For the budget-minded host with a family of ten on the way into town, a focus on presentation and portioning can help create the finest flavours of the season without sacrificing quality or funds. Whole Foods Market “small bites” recipes cost approximately $0.50 per piece and are sure to provide flair to your holiday spread!

Disclosure: While I got to keep the full basket of goodies I shopped for at Whole Foods, I’m not paid to write this post nor am I obligated to. It was just a fun event and enjoyed being a participant! As with anything I write on my blog, I retain editorial control at all times. If you have any questions or concerns, please do feel free to email me via my Contact form

Q4 al Centro (at L’Hermitage Hotel) Opening Night #Q4alC

As you may remember, a few months ago I was invited by Patrick Corsi (owner of Q4 Restaurants) to have dinner at Q4 in Kitsilano with my Mom (Q4 is a restaurant that I had loved and adored for years, and to which I am tied by fond memories). So when I received an invite to join a few media personalities and friends of the ownership team (Alex Tsakumis and Patrick Corsi) to the opening night of Q4 al Centro (located at L’Hermitage Hotel, near Richards and West Georgia), I jumped at the possibility.

Despite my ridiculously busy schedule, I always make a point to show up at events I have RSVP’d for, and in particular, Q4 holds a special place in my heart as they treated me and my Mom extremely kindly this past summer. So I showed up bright and early.

In Italian, al centro means “at the centre” and it’s a perfect tribute to Q4 al Centro’s location downtown on Richards at Robson, connected to the elegant L’Hermitage Hotel. Ideally situated merely blocks from Queen Elizabeth Theatre and The Centre for Performing Arts Rogers Area, and BC Place Q4 al Centro is a perfect pre and post event destination.

For me, Q4 al Centro is the perfect location and style of restaurant. My office at The Network Hub is literally 2 blocks away, it’s really well connected by transit (lots of bus and Canada Line/Skytrain options – the Skytrain is half a block away). And if at some point in the future I decide to do a giveaway package with The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts, or the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Q4 al Centro, this is the perfect pairing.

Thanks to Q4 for inviting me to be part of their celebration. It was great to see so many good friends of mine from the foodie blogging scene, including Mijune, Sarah, Cassandra, Ariane, Colleen, Catherine, Grace, to name a few. I did miss a few others including Raj and Richard, but I think that was because of the timing. Also, I couldn’t stay long. I have a pile THIS BIG of final research papers of my students to mark. Which reminds me… I should get back to it!

Winter cleaning my apartment

photo credit: lisaclarke

As the end of the year approaches, I am finding myself spending more time reflecting on what 2011 is going to bring me, what I need to be planning for, and what kind of work I will be doing. It’s been a rough year not because it’s been bad, but because it has been so insanely busy. I have every single hour of my life scheduled up until December 23rd of 2010. I’M NOT KIDDING.

The one thing that seems to be coming along nicely, and I can see a nice pattern emerging, is my decluttering (both professional and personal). I am learning to say NO to things I can’t do, and I am getting rid of stuff that is cluttering my mind, my soul and my life. As I did at the end of 2010, I am making adjustments on the personal commitments I have towards people, and getting rid of negative emotions around me.

Moreover, I have been spending at least 1-2 hours every day for the past few days decluttering my apartment. It’s been amazing to see how nice my little place (not pictured above, by the way) is looking now that I am getting rid of just about everything that really was dragging me down. I hadn’t cleaned my bathroom drawers in a while. I hadn’t thrown away stuff from 2006!

It’s time for me to do some winter cleaning. I want to start 2011 anew, refreshed and with a new set of priorities in my life, a reduced-yet-stronger circle of friends and a series of new professional and personal projects. Quite frankly, after as successful as 2010 has been, I can’t wait for 2011.

On advancing my field of research (in environment and public policy)

This post is probably most suited for my research blog, but I feel it has a personal element to it, so that’s why I decided to write it on here. I am cleaning my apartment and (quite obviously) there’s a lot of older research stuff that I am sorting and packing away (stuff that I read when I was doing my PhD, old books, some of my research interview tapes).

I came across the January-February 2000 issue of a journal called “Business Strategy and the Environment” (which I think has morphed now into Corporate Environmental Strategy). In my early career, I focused a lot on regulatory versus non-regulatory policy instruments (in plain English, on how and under what conditions do people comply with environmental regulations and standards, and whether having a voluntary agreement to reduce pollution actually works).

It hit me abruptly, after I read it, that we are still asking the same question in 2010. It’s been a decade and we still haven’t seen much conclusive work in the regulatory realities of environmental law enforcement. I mused on Twitter that I felt I hadn’t advanced my field that much. But truth be told, at least I try. I work hard, long hours to try and understand human-environment interactions and the best way to design environmental policy.

I may have not advanced my field much, but it’s so vast and broad, at least I feel I have contributed, even if a tiny bit.

What brings you to your happy place?

I’ve had a rough few weeks, not because it’s been a bad time for me in life, but more because I’ve been working really long hours. As a result, I tend to have short temper and little tolerance for stupidity, rudeness, etc. Recently I had to “bring myself to my happy place” and thought of a few things that do bring me to a happy place. In no particular order:

• Carrot juice
• Good artistic performances
• Grape jello
• Reading funny tweets
• Chatting with smart and kind people
• Cinnamon buns

What kind of things “bring you to your happy place?”

Seussical The Musical (@CarouselTheatre)

photo credit: MC Quinn

I’m a very big supporter of Carousel Theatre. This past summer, they offered a number of free performances and their theatre productions are targeted primarily to youth and families, as indicated on their About Page. I found out about their production just this morning. Normally, I would be on-the-ball and checking what’s going on the theatre scene, but I’ve been so busy with marking!

Carousel Theatre, now in its 36th season, stages a mainstage season of theatre specifically for young people and their families. In its early years, the company performed at several different venues in Vancouver including the Arts Club Seymour Street and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre before moving to our home on Granville Island, where we operate a small arts complex that includes administrative offices and two rehearsal halls. Carousel is one of the long-term resident tenants at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.

My good friend Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit (aka YoyoMama.ca) recently published a review on her site of Seussical The Musical (written by a guest blogger) and apparently the show has been terrific so far. I hope to have a chance to check it out, because I’m a fan of Carousel Theatre. And I love musicals.

More about Seussical The Musical:

This hilarious musical, based on the works of Dr. Seuss, will make everyone laugh and dance in their seats.

You can get tickets by calling the box office, I suggest you check their Tickets page beforehand.

Bah! Humbug! A Staged Reading of A Christmas Carol (theatre)

While just about every theatre company in our fair city of Vancouver (and beyond, as proven by theatre companies beyond Metro Vancouver) knows that I promote theatre on a very regular basis, not everyone reads my blog, to be quite honest. Every so often, I come across stuff that nobody pitches me and that I think it’s worth sharing. As I was leaving the gym this morning, I found a promo for Bah! Humbug! A Staged Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Since I am a big promoter of anything theatre AND anything that supports Downtown East Side residents, I decided to blog about it. I found out that Bah! Humbug! is being put together by SFU Woodward’s and Vancouver Moving Theatre in association with the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and in cooperation with the Community Arts Council of Vancouver.

Directed by Max Reimer, and Starring Jay Brazeau, Bah! Humbug! is an adaptation of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, which sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun. From the flyer I got at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre:

Produced as a staged reading and musical event, this timeless story continues to speak to us today, especially in light of parallels between the economic disparities of Victorian London and Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. Join a cast of professionals and Downtown East Side community actors in this spiriit-lifting story brought to life with words and song. Expect a few entertaining detours along the way with surprise special guests!

Performances on Dec 17th at 7:30pm and Dec 18th, 2pm & 7:30pm, at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Goldcorpo Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street. Tickets $19 Students and $29 Adults, by phone at 604.873.3311 or online at SFU Woodwards.