I will fully admit that having in-suite washer and dryer is quite handy. When I used to live in residence (at UBC, I lived at Fairview, St. John’s College and Green College, when I was a graduate student. Now that I am a faculty member I live off campus), I would use the self-serve laundry but it’s been a long, long time since I have lived in residence, so I totally forgot about the existence of laundromats.
Until this past week.
Mom decided that I needed to do all my laundry at once and thus we walked to find a laundromat so that we could do the whole batch of clothes in one sitting. It was the first time I set foot in a public launderette (at least, the ones outside the university). It was an experience, to be quite honest. It made me feel as though I had moved back to my student days. And I don’t want to ever go back!
It’s finally warm, it’s finally sunny, and it’s time to go to the beach and enjoy the water. In a safe manner.
As many of you know (particularly if you follow my Twitter feed and read my About Me page), I’m currently contributing to the social media strategy of The Community Against Preventable Injuries (Preventable.ca). Side note – did you know they are running a contest for a $100 gift certificate to Canadian Tire? You can enter by commenting.
Anyways, I was at the press event and had an opportunity to witness first-hand how people stop and think about the message “you are probably not expecting to drown today“. The reactions were to say the least, very interesting. The people I talked to as they walked by said stuff along the lines of “huh… I hadn’t thought about it this way“.
I am really fond of Campagnolo and Refuel, both restaurants I have had dinner at and appreciate. Recently, Refuel partnered with me for one of my three Father’s Day giveaway (dinner and a theatre show, in this case, the combo was at Bard on the Beach with dinner at Refuel – side note, these giveaways were wildly successful). So, I was delighted to come by for dinner with Lisa, Greg, Lisa’s sister, Jenny and Thad, and Colleen. We were there to celebrate Jenny and Thad visiting Vancouver, and we all had a great time. I had sworn off alcohol for a while and thus wasn’t able to taste the delightful concoction that Rob created in honor of Jenny.
That said, I was totally looking forward to the burger-and-a-drink special advertised on Refuel’s menu. I didn’t order beer, but I had pop with it.
As noted on their menu, the burger & a beer special ($15.50 daily from 3pm – 6pm & 9pm – close), is a dry-aged beef burger topped with bacon & cheddar (I ordered mine without the cheese), served with fries & a R&B Brewing Co. beer. It’s a pretty damn good deal and while my photo does not make justice (I hadn’t had a chance to have a photo with my new camera), it was SO big and SO tasty it was impossible to finish it all.
At $15.50, it’s in the range of prices of most places I’ve been to for Burger-and-a-Beer combos. Thanks so much to Lisa for taking us all out for dinner, and to everyone who were there because it was a heck of a lot of fun. I will have to come back to Refuel to get a taste of many of their other dishes, and I will for sure be back.
When I first entered the social media community, I insisted left, right and center that I wasn’t “in tech”. I happen to be a power user of social media, but I think of myself as an academic, first and foremost. My good friend Jordan Behan (who is married to the lovely Alex Lee-Behan, also a good friend of mine) has been one of the key people who have kept me connected to the tech community, someone who has been able to understand my dual identity (as a social media power user and as an academic) and someone with whom I share many interests, building a strong online community being one of them. Jordan is an all-around awesome guy. Happy birthday, buddy! Hope you have a wonderful day. Give my love to Jaxon, Alex and I’ll see you soon!
I would have never been to Au Petit Cafe if Minna hadn’t ever brought me here. Even though it is located in South Main (and therefore, pretty close by to this cute little Vietnamese restaurant). I went here for dinner/lunch with Minna and Erica Lam (Minna, as you may know, is the co-founder of The Network Hub and Erica writes The Style Spy and is also a social media strategist for Cossette West).
Au Petit Cafe is tiny, but always busy from what I hear. And the food is really good, but more than anything pretty inexpensive. I ordered a French bread sub with shredded chicken, vegetables and hot peppers, which I do not remember the price but I would say it was in the range of, at the most, $6.50.
Inexpensive food, great service, very nice people (the owner spoke to me in French, which I found extremely sweet). Overall, a great experience shared with awesome friends.
Thanks to my good friend Lisa Thomas-Tench, Mom and I are headed up North (to Whistler) for a few days for a writing retreat. You’ll see, both Mom and I are academics. She is a specialist in intergovernmental relations in Mexico, and I am a scholar of comparative environmental policy in North America (Canada, US, Mexico). We have been collaborating in a book manuscript that compiles our joint (past) publications.
Right now we are getting to the point where we are trying to make the whole manuscript complete and integrated. So, it’s important for us to just be away from all distractions and focus on writing. There are a few blog entries that are pre-scheduled (thank you WordPress for the “Schedule Post” feature) but for the most part, I will be very much offline for the next few days.
I know, a gutsy and risky move just before Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010, but I’m not scared as Isabella and I are already prepared and I’ll be available over the phone if there are any interview opportunities, or if I need to deal with anything associated with MHC.
Being my blog as it is, a personal blog with a smörgåsbord of just about anything (Vancouver, my personal life, dance, food/restaurants, theatre and music), it would be a bit irresponsible not to write about the upcoming Vancouver Folk Music Festival. I have written about it in previous years about it, but for some reason, my posts don’t appear in a search, and I am too busy with a few journal articles I need to finish to dig deeper. In previous years, we’ve had amazing acts ranging from Ozomatli to Michael Franti to Delhi2Dublin. This year, some people I know (including Vancouver’s own Jim Byrnes) are in the lineup (check it out). I would be delighted to check out Calexico, Bettye Lavette, and obviously The Malahat Review. El Puchero del Hortelano (Andalusian fusion) will be amazing I am sure.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2010 will take place from July 16th through the 18th. Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t be able to check any of the acts out (as I will be in Parksville, BC). However, thanks to the wonderful folks of VFMF am able to give away a pair of full day passes for a lucky reader and a guest so that you can check a few performances. To enter, write a comment on this blog entry telling me about the last time you saw live music (maybe even a folk band!). You have until Monday July 12th at 11 am PST. I will draw a random winner from all the entries accumulated up to that point. The evening schedule is here and you can buy tickets from the website.
For the past three years in a row, my friend Rebecca Bollwitt and I have done Blogathon (24 hours of blogging, one blog entry every 30 minutes, for a total of 49 blog entries, raising funds for charities). While we always say we will never do it again, we seem to always feel again attracted to the event itself. I have a very special place in my mind for Blogathon as it was the event during which I got to know Rebecca.
I think Blogathon has been the one event that has solidified Rebecca and my friendship online and the event that gave us opportunities to bond offline. So, whenever we chat about Blogathon, I am always willing to help in the organization. This year, Rebecca is again organizing and I am collaborating, as is Kristi Ferguson from the Fraser Valley Pulse. We have thought of not following the Blogathon schedule strictly (July 31st is a date I can’t do it) so we settled on August 21st (when we can all do it, and just before I teach again at UBC in the fall). So, save the date! It should be fun.
Most people think “naked people” when they think about Wreck Beach, the nudist beach at the bottom of the hill in the westernmost part of Point Grey. But I think that’s a short-sighted view of Wreck Beach. There is so much more to Wreck than just nudity. When I was a PhD student, I used to live at St. John’s College (the international graduate student residence) and I went to Wreck Beach many times (several of them with my ex-fiance). Thanks to Crystal Kwon I learned that Kokoro Dance is producing the 15th incarnation of the Annual Wreck Beach Butoh. This dance event takes place on Saturday July 10th and Sunday July 11th.
Sadly I am going to miss it because of Mental Health Camp on Saturday and I’m leaving for Calgary on the Sunday. As indicated by their press release:
Their performance includes 10-15 fully nude dancers wearing only white makeup as they dance on the shores of Wreck Beach in a sand and water experience that is unlike anything the world. It is in many ways, a celebration of nature and their opportunity to reconnect with an important source of their creative inspiration. Its uniqueness is precisely why it has drawn international participants and audiences in addition to our local audience. Additionally, it is open to anyone that is willing to work hard in challenging performing conditions which is another reason why it is so special. They have had 70+ year old University professors, mother-daughter teams, accountants, engineers and more participate!
WHO: Kokoro Dance WHAT: 15th Annual Wreck Beach Butoh WHEN: Performances at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 10, and 11:15 AM on Sunday, July 11 WHERE: Wreck Beach at the foot of #4 Trail (West of the UBC Museum of Anthropology) HOW MUCH: Admission is by suggested donation of $5. Photography and recording of any kind is strictly prohibited.
I do hope many people are able to participate and witness this wonderful collaborative dance ensemble.
It is well known that Bard on the Beach is one of my most favorite theatre festivals, for many reasons. For one, I am a Shakespeare fiend. For two, Bard on the Beach (and especially Cynnamon Schreinert, their publicist) has always been super kind to me. They always invite me to their opening nights. They are always generous in sponsoring my ticket giveaways. Bard on the Beach recently partnered with me for a Father’s Day prize package (with dinner at Refuel Restaurant and Bar). I already had been to opening night of Much Ado About Nothing (read my review here) and I knew I was in for a treat. I still have yet to be disappointed with any Bard on the Beach performance. It’s such an amazing ensemble (cast, producers, staff, volunteers).
At the end of June, I had an opportunity to attend the Opening Night of Antony and Cleopatra (a Shakespeare play I read when I was probably 13). Interestingly enough, the Bard on the Beach performance was, to me, one of the most innovative ones I have seen in recent years. The synopsis, from the Bard on the Beach website itself, pretty much sums up the play:
Passion, war and betrayal erupt in this rich romantic tragedy. Although the sensual Cleopatra has conquered the heart of Rome’s greatest soldier, Mark Antony must choose between duty and desire. To secure a political alliance, he marries Octavius Caesar’s sister. His return to Egypt and Cleopatra ignites a war in which one of the world’s great love stories plays out its final chapter. As these larger-than-life characters engage in an epic struggle between the transcendent power of love and the military might of imperialism, events unfold that change the world forever.
While you may be tempted to hate Cleopatra during this performance (thanks to the wonderful performance of the lead actress), I think her behaviour may be in the end, somewhat understandable. A tragedy a-la Romeo and Juliet, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Cleopatra at the conclusion of the show. I brought my friend Trevor Boudreau along with me to this play (even though not a musical, it’s a wonderful show) and from our conversations after the performance, he loved it just as much as I did. Antony and Cleopatra plays until September 24th and you can purchase your tickets online. I would strongly recommend it, not to be missed.
Disclosure: The tickets to attend Antony and Cleopatra for me and for my Plus One were sponsored very generously by Bard on the Beach. I am not obligated nor expected to write this review entry, but I certainly feel that my readers would benefit from attending this play, and it’s an excellent one. 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.
A couple of weeks back, the kind folks at The Arts Club partnered with me as did the wonderful people of Glowbal Group to provide a full prize package for Father’s Day (one of three prize packages I gave away in honor of my Dad). A lucky winner got tickets to The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee and a GC towards dinner at Sanafir. From every single review I have read about Spelling Bee, every critic and reviewer seems to agree with me: it was FANTASTIC.
I had already had a chance to see Jeremy Crittenden (@jcritty on Twitter) last year in his personification of one of the five Christian singers in Altar Boyz (read my review here). As JT and I were making our way to The Arts Club main stage, I saw Jeremy whiz by (I haven’t made the time to interview him for my blog but I should, since he’s a really good actor, and a Vancouverite to boot!)
With music and lyrics by William Finn and based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin, The Arts Club’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee” presents us with the premiere championship, it seems, for Anglo-Saxon North American youth (sorry to say, but in Latin America, spelling bees aren’t all that pre-eminent). We witness as six wonder kids spell their hearts out (there’s a number of surprises for the audience that I am not going to reveal). A love story by all measures, The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee offers a solid 2 hour dose of hilarity, amazing music and wonderful performances.
I will confess I’m partial to Jeremy Crittenden and his performance, but everyone in the cast is absolutely amazing. I felt very much like the geeky/nerdy types, particularly the one who speaks six languages and has always been an overachiever. I thoroughly recommend The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (and let me tell you, it will be worth your money).
Disclosure: The tickets to attend the play for me and my guest were sponsored very generously by The Arts Club. While I did not pay to attend the show, I would gladly pay to attend, as it is a great production. This post hasn’t been paid for either. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times, and producers and publicists are well aware of this. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.
I’m really not sure why the area around Broadway and Cambie is now called “Crossroads” but I think its name is fitting. I was very concerned with what would be of this area during the Canada Line construction. But seeing a number of restaurants opening and business in general blossoming (from what I can see as I walk down Cambie Street now) really makes me hopeful.
One of those new restaurants, and one of my absolute favorites in the Milestones chain of restaurants is Milestones Crossroads (@milestonesxrds on Twitter). I recently wrote about Milestones on Robson, and I have eaten at just about every other Milestones in the city. The interesting thing here is that not only is this particular location a franchise, it’s franchised by local entrepreneurs. I was invited by Andrea Mac Farlane to the opening of Milestones Crossroads and I brought along some of my close friends (Minna Van and Jay Catalan from The Network Hub and Nathan Tippe and Andre Malan, both from UBC).
These folks have fairly substantial audiences on Twitter and also have good blogs, AND appreciate good food (we had a few nibbles from their menu), great drinks (one of them a new, Erin martini, completely lethal!) and a wonderful atmosphere. We all wanted to share our experience at Milestones Crossroads. The opening had a summery, Hawaiian flavor. The Beat 94.5 also joined us on site to offer awesome music and live entertainment. I fired a couple of interview questions to the franchisers of Milestones Crossroads, which I’m reproducing below.
1) Why Milestone’s and why a franchise? You could have chosen any other restaurant to franchise, but you sought Milestones, what made you guys make that decision?
We both have many years of experience with Milestones and felt Milestones is a brand that aligns well with our values.
2) With so much variety of restaurants around the Cambie corridor, it might look like a challenge to open a new restaurant in the neighbourhood. What made you guys decide for this particular location?
We believe the Cambie corridor will be the new hot spot for Vancouver and we love competition. It makes everyone better. Perhaps most importantly, when we had the opportunity to secure such a great view of downtown and the North Shore mountains, one which is so rare in this city, we had to take it!
Overall, it was a great experience to have a taste of what Milestones Crossroads has to offer, and I want to take this opportunity to thank Andrea for the invite, to Erin Maher for connecting me with Andrea and to Milestones Crossroads for welcoming me and my crew along. As you might have seen on Twitter, we had an absolute blast!
I can’t recall which movie I was watching, where I listened to this song. But I fell in love with it. I had never been able to find any video associated to Blip.fm but this time I was successful. Video found on YouTube.
You were broken inside but you’re no fool
You keep wearing that smile ‘cuz you’re so cool
You’re just pretending life is so good
And you remind me of someone I once used to be
You broke the fantasy world
But since you’re well
The future knocks on your door
Every night we’re there
The kingdom is changing
But the king will survive
And you remind me of someone I once used to be
Me of someone I once used to be
Me of someone I once used to be
And he reminds me of someone I once used to be
You were broken inside
But you’re no fool
And you remind me
You were broken inside
But you’re no fool
And you remind me of someone I once
But you’re no fool
And you remind me of someone I once used to be
And you remind me of someone I once used to be
Me of someone I once used to be
Me of someone I once used to be
I am a very, very frequent Twitter user. To be quite frank, there is rarely a day when I don’t open my Twitter client (I use both TweetDeck and HootSuite). I use hashtags (words preluded by a # sign) in my tweets to be able to track conversations around any particular topic (for example, for Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010 we are using the hashtag #mhcyvr10). The hashtags I use try to add information about the specific topic I am tracking. Amongst the people I follow (and even some people I don’t follow but whose tweets are re-tweeted by people I do follow), I have a number of what I call “hashtag-happy people“. Folks who use LOTS of hashtags within their tweets.
While I appreciate the value of adding metadata, I rarely can retweet those tweets because they are filled with hashtags. My username (@hummingbird604) occupies 16 characters (if you include a space between my username and the actual tweet. That means that I need to keep it brief when I retweet stuff. And I appreciate people’s brevity and the reduced use of hashtags. So most frequently, I simply remove all of their hashtags (or at least, the ones I think won’t be tracked and won’t expand the conversation further) and try to shrink their message as much as I can.
I am not one to preach about specific best practices (I believe we all crowdsource rules of engagement in social media channels, but I would strongly suggest to my hashtag-happy people to cut down on the hashtag use, so that your message doesn’t get diluted. I found a video of Chris Messina talking about hashtags at Northern Voice 2010 (video by Stephen Hui of The Georgia Straight) that I thought would be interesting, for instructional reasons.
While I made the very conscious choice NOT to live in the US and NOT to teach at any of the awesome American universities where I could easily find a position as an assistant professor, I have many reasons to have an appreciation for the United States of America (USA). Two of my brothers live in the US, very happily, and with their families. Three of my brothers did their graduate degrees (two of them, PhDs).
Two of my brothers have taught at American universities and educated US citizens. My research is on North American environmental policy and that includes US environmental policy. I have spent extended periods of time in the US doing research. And I have had numerous students from the US who have been extremely bright, and I have a lot of ex-pat American friends here in Vancouver. So, for many reasons, I wish the US a very happy birthday!
Deep Cove holds some of the nicest memories of my life in Vancouver. Admittedly, it’s not located within the city of Vancouver (it is a little community located in the easternmost part of the District of North Vancouver, as indicated by the Wikipedia entry for Deep Cove). Quite often, JT and I hike the Baden-Powell Trail. We usually climb all the way up to Quarry Rock and sit there to witness the breathtaking views of Indian Arm.
This past Friday I took my Mom to Deep Cove. We walked around Panorama Park, and had dinner at Arms Reach Bistro. We sat on the benches in the park and had a relaxing time chatting about life, and in particular, my life in Vancouver. I think that the more I show Mom what my life looks like now, the better she feels about my decision to live in Canada and to stay in Vancouver.
More of my photos of Deep Cove on my Flickr photo set.
I had written reviews of Arms Reach Bistro before, when my blog was hosted on Blogger (the horror!) but I haven’t updated my review, even though I have been again to Arms Reach Bistro several times afterwards (ARB is where JT took me to celebrate my PhD defense too). Deep Cove is (as most of my friends know) one of my most favorite locations in the Greater Vancouver area (located in North Vancouver).
It is well known that I love North Vancouver. Many of my good friends live there, and there are plenty of gorgeous locations to have a lot of fun in the North Shore.
Since I absolutely adore Arms Reach Bistro, I figured I had to bring my Mom here for dinner (besides, we were already in Deep Cove, so it made perfect sense). My Mom ordered Spicy Spaghetti with tiger prawns and handmade chorizo sausage tossed with chillis,lemon zest, tomato sauce and fresh basil ($16).
I ordered Penne Chicken with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, Caprine goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil and basil chionade ($16). Given that I don’t really eat cheese (if you have seen me eat cheese it’s been pretty much against my will and because I have been offered and I feel guilty turning it down), I asked if they could remove the goat cheese and add capers and olives instead. They kindly obliged and my dinner turned out AMAZING.
After dinner I ordered a chocolate martini [$ 8.10] (I know that Arms Reach Bistro’s martinis are amazing, I have had them before). Fantastic. The service was top-notch, our server was amazingly prompt and sweet, and we really had a fantastic time. I have always loved the service and the food at Arms Reach Bistro. I would always recommend this place for dinner (and no, not a single bit of my dinner was complimentary, I paid all in full! it’s just that the food is amazing and the service was superb)
The University of British Columbia has a very special place in my heart. It’s where I did my MBA, my MEng and my PhD. It’s where I teach university-level courses (mostly third year). Some of my best (current and former) students have been UBC students. And it’s also where my Mom has attended my and my brother graduations. I made amazing friends here.
I have educated a large number of incredibly smart young people at UBC. So, it’s always nice to bring my Mom (a professor herself) to visit UBC this summer. The views are breathtaking when it’s sunny and warm (as it was this past Friday). My Mom knows this campus really well.
Mom used to come and visit me, and also my brother (he also did his MEng here) when we both lived on campus. But it’s nice to always have another visit. The campus has changed a lot from the last time she was here. She was really impressed with the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. We also walked by the Rose Garden and outside the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
I am glad the weather held up, because it had been pretty bad in previous days!
I don’t like Wonder Woman’s new costume. There, I said it. And I think I’m not alone in feeling this way. I have read some of the 261 comments on DC Comics’ blog entry where they unveiled the Amazon’s new costume and most of them dislike it. I have been a Wonder Woman fan for decades. I grew up adoring her, and I knew more about Amazonian history than you could possibly imagine (Themiscyra and Paradise Island elder Amazons would be so proud of me). I have never liked the reinventions, re-launching, re-imagining of anything. So it frustrates me that DC Comics went this route. Oh well. At least they kept the tiara, the W sign, the belt and the bracelets. And I figure that in a way, they are trying to make Wonder Woman more urbane, more hip, etc. But as a reader on the DC Comics blog said, leather jackets are so 1990s.
Something that people may forget is that this reinvention of the costume is similar to the one that she wore when she lost the Wonder Woman contest to Arthemis (while Arthemis wore the traditional costume, Diana wore a short jacket, all-blue version with spandex shorts, remember?) I fear that DC Comics forgot that nobody liked that costume either.
Given my research expertise in comparative environmental policy (with a focus on North America), a lot of academic folks have asked me why I didn’t choose to take the usual, post-PhD tenure-stream academic route. Today, a former colleague of mine (who hasn’t finished her PhD yet) asked me the same question, and it’s been coming up lately in conversations, for one reason or another.
Let me share a story with you, that I don’t think I have even shared with my Mom yet (but I will, as soon as I post this entry). One time, my eldest brother (who is one of the world’s most renowned heat transfer modeling experts) asked me what my priority was, professionally. Without a hesitation, I answered “my Mom”. My brother was shocked. How could I prioritize my Mom’s wellbeing over my own professional future?
And the truth is – my Mom would NEVER let me prioritize her well being over my academic career. My Mom is an academic herself (and a pretty renowned one – she is a political scientist who does research on intergovernmental relations in Mexico, and the different models of governance for federal governments, municipalities and states). Two of my brothers are also faculty members at foreign universities. But the choices I have made have all been consistent with prioritizing my personal life and my own well being and that of my loved ones, before any job. Sure, I want to be successful, and sure, my family and friends want me to be successful. But quality of life is too important for me, and seriously, right now I have the kind of academic career I want.
I teach at the university level, I do rigorous academic research, I consult and on top of that, I keep a balanced personal life, with exercise, time for myself and time for my loved ones. And if I had to give up something to focus more on my family and on my personal life, it would be, in order – social media, more academic work, more consulting work. And the last two things I’d give up are consulting and teaching.
Social media is NOT my priority. Having a tenure-track academic position is NOT my priority. Gaining accolades and being tremendously successful in my professional life is NOT my priority. Being loved, being healthy and having my loved ones close IS my priority. And that doesn’t mean that I don’t work super hard to be a successful educator, researcher, consultant and social media practitioner. What it means is that, when everything is said and done, all I will have to account for me is my own happiness, my own health and the well being and love of my loved ones.
I had already committed to judging the Best Burger Competition in Yaletown so I had to drag my Mom along for the other event I was committed to – Vancouver Social Media Club TechKaraoke. I organized one the year previous, along with Maura Rodgers, and it was a lot of fun. And this time, I didn’t organize, I just showed up (Lorraine Murphy, aka @Raincoaster, was the organizer).
You should join us next time! Also, I didn’t know that Kemp Edmonds and Heather Watson (Hez) knew how to sing, especially Heather amazed us with her Karaoke chops! Thanks everyone who came along!
I briefly attended the Vancouver Blogger Meetup of June 2010. You might wonder “why did you attend so briefly if you are the Organizer of the meetup”. Well, you’ll see – my Mom is in town for a month and I am not about to drag my Mom around town to all the events I am invited (or even the ones I’m organizing).
I did that for the Social Media Day meetup and for VBM, very briefly. But as soon as my Mom tells me she is tired, I just leave, which I think is perfectly fine. Also, I have two wonderful Assistant Organizers (Shane Birley and Jonathon Narvey) who are organizing really wonderfully and who have picked up the challenge really well.
My Mom enjoyed meeting a number of my friends and it was fantastic to see that the number of attendees has slowly and steadily growing. Lots of new faces and many old friends too. Thanks to Jonathon and Shane for organizing (and for the Neanderthal Arts Festival tickets for the giveaway), and to Jan Karlsbjerg who is always our faithful scribe. Here is his recap of the evening.
It was a lot of fun, and I think my Mom really enjoyed the whole experience. Making the final decision on Hamilton St Grill was really hard as all burgers were really good. The following restaurants submitted entries:
These were the restaurants who participated:
SOCIETY Dining Lounge
Earls Yaletown
BBQues
The Hamilton Street Grill
Section 3
The Hub Restaurant
Glowbal Grill
All in all, a lot of fun and thanks to Charles Zuckermann for inviting me! Thanks to my fellow judges too, it was a lot of fun.
For all practical purposes, I am Canadian. I say “eh” at the end of my sentences. I write “colour”, not color. I am addicted to maple syrup, and some of the people I love the most in this world are Canadian. I have found incredible success not only in the academic world but also in the online realm. I completed my graduate degrees here (Masters and Doctorate), I teach at the university level here, I educate Canadians, I am part of the Canadian academic community.
But more importantly, this is my home. This is my life. Canada is the country that I chose to live in, not forgetting my roots, but building my future. As I have written before, I fell in love with Canada. I fell in love with a Canadian. And I am in love with the idea of being a Canadian myself.
I would like to believe that my work furthers the progress of Canadian society. Several of the research projects I am currently undertaking focus on Canadian environmental issues (mostly water). I collaborate with other Canadian institutions within a Canadian university and a Canadian research think tank.
More importantly, I have grown to appreciate Canada because living here makes me feel safe, welcome and successful. I have amazing friends, many of whom are, like me, immigrants to Canada. We all chose to live here and we are proud of the nation that has adopted us.
On your birthday, Canada, thank you again for adopting me. Because every time I fly back from whichever country I went to visit (Mexico included), whenever I talk to the border crossing agent, I always say the same “I am coming home”. Yes, Vancouver (Canada): you ARE my home.
I celebrate ALL of my friends’ birthdays, but there are a few whose birthdays I celebrate especially “with gusto” as they say in English (even though gusto actually is a Spanish word). Derek K. Miller a good friend of mine whom I met through blogging, is celebrating a birthday today June 30th, and I am absolutely delighted that he is. You see, even though he blogs about just about everything that interests him, he is currently fighting cancer. And surviving it. And that more than enough reason to celebrate. I admire Derek not only for how bravely he fights, but how cancer is just one of the topics he writes about. Cancer does not define who Derek is, Derek defines who Derek is. I feel blessed to have him and his entire family (Airdrie, Derek’s wife, is one of my best friends) in my life.
Derek K. Miller is a writer, photographer, editor, father, son, friend, husband, and all around awesome guy. Happy birthday Derek! Here is to many more!
