Acquire resources that enable your projects (or it’s all about the equipment!)

I have been having a little bit of a debate with myself on how much I should spend on resources that enable my blogging. I pay for a Flickr Pro Account (which I just renewed, that’s precisely what sparked my inner discussion), I pay for a web host to host all three of my websites, and I have been considering buying a new camera (paying as little as I can).

Things DO cost money, and given that I live a fairly budgeted life, I have been pondering what benefit do I get out of paying for the resources that enable specifically my blogging. And as soon as I start debating “should I or not renew my Flickr Pro account” I remember that, while I don’t get direct income out of my blog, I do need to have an online presence. I enjoy blogging and it’s brought me a number of amazing opportunities I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t spent the money to maintain my websites, and to make them attractive (e.g. being able to insert photos at will). As I emphasized yesterday in my workshop at FreelanceCamp Vancouver 2010, some things are just NOT free.

When I make decisions like these (e.g. whether I need to pay to renew stuff, or to buy a new laptop bag, or pay for premium versions of stuff), I remind myself that nothing is entirely free, and these are investments I need to make to enhance my activities, as a blogger, as a consultant and even sometimes, as an academic. Sometimes, you just got to pay for stuff, in particular, for the resources that enable your projects. And at times, one of those resources is even a house cleaner!

Mark’s Work Warehouse #Markover with @airdrie

At the end of April 2010 I had the pleasure of attending a PR event with my good friend Airdrie for Mark’s Work Warehouse. It was a lot of fun, because we got to try a number of clothing items. While I’ve been a customer of Mark’s Work Warehouse for a while (jeans, particularly) I have to confess it never occurred to me to wear any of their dress clothes. I walked out of the event with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that I really loved (given my recent weight loss I decided to go for slim-fit jeans and a nice t-shirt). Here is a shot of Airdrie and myself. Thanks to Mark’s Work Warehouse for inviting us, the event was a blast!

Raul’s rules of spring cleaning

My Mom is arriving on June 23rd and I want to make sure I have a clean apartment with everything she might need. I also want to make sure that I have gotten rid of everything I *don’t* need, so I’m spending my Sunday morning/afternoon doing spring cleaning. I am trying to set some rules as to what I’m going to get rid of (and since I have a tonne of clothes that don’t fit anymore, there’ll be a lot of clothes going to the Sally Ann or some other charity).

I thought of what I rules would I follow to get rid of stuff, and pondered whether there there any general rules? Productivity fiends would probably say “if you haven’t used it for X months, then you should chuck it”. So this is the set of rules I’m following (for now, I might update throughout the day).

Clothes
– If they don’t fit me now that I’m slimmer, I’m getting rid of them.

Books (academic)
– If they’re not for courses I am teaching/have taught, I’m getting rid of them.

Paperwork
– If tax-related or business-related, archive.
– Pack in a box previous years’ of phone bills, credit card statements, bank statements.
– Only keep the current year (2010) of house paper items (e.g. credit card statements, phone bills, paperwork).

Winter clothing
– Only keep 3-4 pairs of gloves, scarves, etc.

Can you suggest other rules? And more importantly, can you suggest where to give all the stuff

Session schedule for FreelanceCamp Vancouver 2010

10:00am-10:45 am

First floor – Contracts for people who hate contracts (Martin Ertl, Lex Publica)

Third floor, lobby – The importance of proper branding for small business (Kevin Simcock, 1000Watts)

Third floor, meeting room – No more bad days (Ben Kadel, Emotus Operandi)

10:50am-11:35 am

First floor – Business cards science (Sam Zipursky, AdviceTap)

Third floor, lobby – Pressure free selling (Howard Olsen, HighOutput Training Systems)

Third floor, meeting room – Email marketing (Corwin Hiebert, Red Wagon Management)

11:40 am -12:25 pm

First floor – Dream projects: Common Threads To Get More (Ted Morgan, Cabin Works Media)

Third floor, lobby – How to manage a creative project – (Corwin Hiebert, Red Wagon Management)

Third floor, meeting room – The concept of coworking (Jay Catalan, The Network Hub, with input from Ganesh, Chet Woodside, and Raul)

12:25 – 1:10 pm – LUNCH – THIRD FLOOR LOBBY – Michael Kwan and John Chow, featured speakers.

1:10 – 1:55pm

First floor – Pricing freelancing services (Tom ‘Bald Dog’ Varjan, Dynamic Innovations Squad)

Third floor, lobby – Get your subconscious to work for you (stop sabotaging yourself) – Lorraine Berrington

Third floor, meeting room – Solopreneurs – David Neale (Neale.ca)

2:00 – 2:45 pm

First floor – Promote yourself using free online tools (Bonnie Sainsbury)

Third floor, lobby – Promotion online with free tools for musicians, artists, etc. (Andrew Lavigne and Jeff Arsenault)

Third floor, meeting room – Freelance is not free (Raul Pacheco)

2:50 – 3:35 pm

First floor – Community building for business (I COULD NOT FIND WHO WAS LEADING THIS SESSION)

Third floor, lobby – Connect your brand (Alisha Mann, AMVentures and Cecilia Lu, Kiwano Marketing)

Third floor, meeting room – Gadgets, apps and software for freelancing (Shan Shan Fu, Microsoft)

3:30-4:25 pm

First floor – Shock and awe – recognizing, managing and reducing overload (Pete Quily, ADHD Coach)

Third floor, lobby – Intellectual property for freelancers (Kemp Edmonds)

Third floor, meeting room – Dot. Tel (Rami , Webnames.ca)

4:30 – SESSIONS WRAP UP – LOBBY, THIRD FLOOR

What A Fool Believes (M People)

I was having a meeting with Cecilia Lu and Sofia Ribeiro from Kiwano Marketing this past Friday at Blenz on Richards and West Hastings and I realized that the song that was playing was “What A Fool Believes” but it was definitely not the Doobie Brothers’ version, but a much more fun song. You should check it out.

What A Fool Believes

FreelanceCamp Vancouver 2010 LiveTweetage #604freelancecamp

I will be doing a lot of running around FreelanceCamp and maybe lead a workshop/give a talk, but I wanted to keep the live-tweetage streaming. Hashtag your tweets #604freelancecamp and I’ll be able to capture them with CoverItLive.

Vancouver’s Next Top Charity #vntc

Those who read my blog frequently will know that I’m a big supporter of local charities and non-profit organizations. I was alerted by Justin Wong about Vancouver’s Next Top Charity. In Justin’s words, “it’s a friendly, online video competition featuring 12 charities and non-profits around Vancouver”. The organizers of VNTC are inviting Vancouverites to be the judges, and they also have some items up for auction to generate some prizes and money for the winning charity.

From what Justin tells me, “this event was created because of hardships from the recent economic downturn and how it has impacted these cause organizations. Our main goal is to help revitalize and increase awareness for the organizations. The videos will help people understand what issues exist and how these organizations address them.”

We hope that these videos will connect Vancouverites with the cause organizations. We hope they will further explore the issues and take actions to address them after viewing the videos. We’ve implemented incentives and encouragement for them to share the message with their friends. After 4 weeks of voting, the organization with the most votes will be crowned Vancouver’s Top Charity 2010 and be awarded with money and donations that we collect during the event’s run.

Vancouver’s Next Top Charity runs from May 24th to June 18th, 2010.

I am not afraid of saying ‘I love you’ – neither should you

Lately, I have been reflecting on how much I say “I love you” to the people I care for and it dawned on me that some people may be afraid of saying it back because of fear of being hurt or misinterpreted. You’ll see, I have been heartbroken. COMPLETELY heartbroken. I moved countries on account of having lost the love of my life. I denied myself of a myriad opportunities because of heartbreak.

But the truth is, I continue to love the same way – profoundly, intensely, and perhaps even recklessly. I love my family, I love my friends, I have loved my partners, all the same way – with intensity. I don’t know any other way of loving. Of the five boys in my family, I’m the one who is the least guarded, the one who lets his emotional walls fall faster than a rock in still water.

I have been betrayed, by former lovers and former friends. I have lost love in many ways. The love of friends, the love of former lovers. But I continue to love the way I do, because I find that, once people know that the love I manifest is legitimate, that I really mean it when I say “I love you“, then I am greatly rewarded and reciprocated. And as I once read Sandra Bullock quoted – “the beginning is scary, the end is painful, but it’s the in-between that makes it all worth it“. I’m not afraid of beginning new relationships (friendships or romantic), I’m not scared of losing love. It’s the “in-between” that makes it all worth it for me. And I hope it makes it worth it for YOU.

Keeping up with my exercise routine

A few days ago, my good friend Minna Van (co-founder of my The Network Hub) asked me if I were going to do a “this is where I am right now with my 2010 Manifesto, and this is what I am going to do in the next few weeks/months” post. I haven’t had the time to do an in-depth post, and this week has been absolutely tiresome (too much work, but happily, project deadlines have been complied with and clients are happy).

There is one thing that has actually made me really happy in the past few weeks: I have seen friends who have noticed the change in my body shape, and how exercise has positively impacted my own health. Having been a highly-competitive volleyball player and a professionally-trained dancer, not having exercised that much while I was working 100-plus hour weeks was incredibly tough on my physique and my own well-being.

When I recently spoke at WordCamp Victoria 2010, my good friend Janis LaCouvee mentioned that she did, indeed, notice the change in my body shape, a change I’m actually quite proud of. I try to consistently swim 3 times a week and do cardio and weight training 3 times a week. This week was hard in terms of exercise because for the first time in months, I had again a migraine (which is slowly fading today), but I have kept up with cardio. Not the same usual intensity I have, but at least, enough to get my brain juices flowing (because, seriously, I am sure we think better after a good workout).

So, in way of reporting back to myself and keeping myself accountable, I’ve kept with my exercise routine up to the end of May 2010. I hope I’ll be able to continue this good trend even when my Mom visits!

The Mount Pleasant/Main Street social scene

A couple of years ago, I wrote a post where I indicated what the community who visits Main Street/Mount Pleasant could be looking for in terms of activities. I often write about my neighbourhood because I love promoting local businesses, and of course, I’m interested in getting to know my formerly-industrial-now-residential area more in-depth.

This post could be extremely long if I don’t put the brakes on it, so I’ll just mention a few things that might be of interest for potential visitors, in particular, some of my personal favorites.

Lower and Mid-Mount Pleasant – early Riley Park

Drinks/bars/restaurants

– The Narrow (2nd and Main)
– The Whip (6th and Main)
– The Foundation (7th and Main)
– The Cascade (10th and Main)
– The Well (13th and Main)
– Burgoo (14th and Main)
– The Five Point (15th and Main)
– Latitude (16th and Main)
– Public Lounge Eatery (17th and Main)
– Coppertank (21st and Main)
– Crave on Main (23rd and Main)

Coffee shops and tea/dessert places
– Cuppa Joe’s (Broadway and Main)
– Gene (Kingsway Main)
– Our Town Cafe (Kingsway Broadway)
– Waves (10th and Main)
– Bean Around the World (10th and Main, 20th and Main)
– Sweet Revenge (25th and Main)

What are your personal favorites on Main Street-ish? I am going to update this post when I get more time.

Google Calendar owns my life

I usually plan my work life around a full academic year (2010-2011 in this case) and then add on top the summer months of the preceding year, so that is becomes a full fiscal year (in this case, most of my projects run May 2010-April 2011). The way I planned my academic year for 2010-2011, I made sure that the heaviest teaching load was in the January-April 2011 (two courses) as I would like to take some time in May 2011 to just have a holiday. I am a planning geek.

I was just programming the rest of this full year (e.g. June 2011 through April 2011) and booking time on my Google Calendar for everything (my office hours, the time I have allocated for Projects A, B and C) and I realized how much of my life is owned by Google Calendar. Seriously. I have gotten to the point where I ask my collaborators, and even my best friends “send me a GCal invite and I’ll accept it”. ics files and I have become very, very close buddies.

The truth of the matter is, I am always so busy that if I didn’t have Google Calendar (and my trusty iPhone who syncs with my GCal) I would probably fail at everything. I have marked deadlines for projects, birthdays, and even reminders for when I have to exercise and when I am supposed to be eating/sleeping. Not kidding you.

May 27th is World Tequila Day

Or at least, so do some people in Mexico say. If that’s the case, and if they need me to help spread the word, so be it. I am not a heavy tequila drinker (heck, I’m not even a heavy drinker at all!) but I do enjoy a shooter here and there every so often. I’m a fan of margaritas and I can appreciate good tequila. I am, after all, Mexican. My Mom knows her tequilas and she often brings me gourmet versions of them.

Tequila, a spirit originally derived from the nectar obtained from Agave-Tequilana, a Mexican cactus that grows in the geographical proximity of the Mexican city of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, is one of the most popular spirits worldwide. I found it slightly funny that the English version of the Wikipedia entry for Tequila (the spirit) is almost more detailed than the Spanish version, which I would assume is written by a Mexican.

I ran out of tequila this past year but I’m hoping that since my Mom is coming this summer I will be able to score some gourmet tequila. I know that Jose Cuervo has held a few events here in Vancouver, but for one reason or another, I never seem to be able to make it to those. But hopefully one day I will. It’d be even much more fun if Corralejo or Don Julio organized events in Vancouver!

The SeaWest Lounge on the BC Ferries

I have previously written how much I don’t like the actual trek to Victoria by public transit and ferry, and in the future, I think I’m just going to take the Pacific Line Coach as recommended by several of my friends. But the one thing that really saved the trip from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (in addition to the fact that I was going to see good friends of mine in Vancouver Island and speaking at WordCamp Victoria)

Spending time at the SeaWest Lounge made it easier for me to write and read during my ferry trip. For me, the SeaWest Lounge was a logical decision – either I could sit in the not-so-comfye chairs or just pay for the lounge. For $10, considering that it includes goodies (crackers, cookies, tea and coffee, and even some fruit and baked goodies), given what it provides (air conditioning and comfortable seating).

One of the things I liked about the SeaWest Lounge was the fact that the atmosphere was so quiet. Even though I had to be “sush-ed” once (I didn’t realize it was supposed to be quiet), I do like this element and I’ll pay more attention in the future!

The Chinatown in Victoria (British Columbia) #yyj

I have visited Victoria (British Columbia) dozens of times, first when I was dating The-Ex-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named and then afterwards visiting friends, and most recently, when I spoke at WordCamp Victoria 2010 a few weekends ago. Whenever I visit Victoria, is such a short trip that I rarely have the time to walk around. This time, though, I at least made some effort to go and see a little bit. One of the things that caught my attention was the Chinatown.

From what I understood, the Chinatown in downtown Victoria is the oldest in Canada and second only worldwide to San Francisco (Wikipedia entry). While I have read that gold (the metal contained in minerals) was what brought the first Chinese people to Victoria in 1858, it seems a bit strange that there is not a very visible Chinese population in Victoria. From what I could see, the population was actually rather primarily Caucasian.

It was nice to see Chinatown, though. My photos don’t do it justice as they are iPhone-photos, but I did capture some of the fun elements of the neighbourhood.

Dr. Ginger Grant – Your Brand: Experienced Through Digital Storytelling

Corporation 2.0 – Social Media and the New Organizational Chart #CVG10

Craig Malanka – Director, Digital Communications, EA Sports
Annette Bradford – Online Producer, CBC Documentary Unit
Stephen Bailey – Marketing Director, Fluevog Shoes
Allen Chen, Senior Manager, Customer Insight and Online Marketing, Future Shop

Marc Gobé Keynote Liveblog #CVG10 Convergence VIDWEEK

Follow along my liveblog below (you can activate it by hitting Play, and comment by clicking in the window for commenters – please state your name). The Twitter hashtag for this event is #CVG10.

Child-minding and Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010 #mhcyvr10

Isabella and I were having a discussion a couple of weeks back (right after Northern Voice 2010) on how we were planning to make Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010, e.g. deal with child-minding at the unconference. Let me add all the disclaimers. First of all, this is a non-profit conference. We are hoping to get some sponsorship (not in kind, but in cash).

We are hoping to find enough sponsorship to cover expenses (you know, lunch and coffee costs!) but we recognize that we might not get a lot of it. Second, a few people people may be short in cash so they might need a scholarship to participate. Third, there are a number of issues that may be associated with child-care (e.g. having to have professional staff take care of children, etc.)

We are SIX weeks away from Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010, and we recognize that Post-Partum Depression is one of the most relevant issues that could potentially be discussed at MHC. Thus, we want to open the floor to parents (mommy and daddy bloggers, and even those who aren’t mommy/daddy bloggers but are parents and could help with suggestions). How do YOU suggest WE make Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010 more child friendly, considering that (a) we can’t have a dedicated room to set up child-minding and (b) we can’t afford the professional staffing ourselves.

Say, you were a parent and you wanted to participate in MHCYVR10 but you weren’t able/wanting to leave your children behind… what would YOU do – or what do YOU suggest WE do to help you attend? We want to make MHCYVR10 a success and we want to learn from you. So, on to you folks – HELP ME. Make suggestions.

Livetweetage for @OnlineStrategy’s #3tyvr talk on integrating social media strategy

I have an organizer’s and volunteers’ meeting of the Mental Health Camp Vancouver 2010, but I’m happy to capture the livetweetage of Guacira’s talk tonight.

UPDATE: I’m embedding both the ScribbleLive and the CoverItLive iFrames as both of them are thoroughly unreliable. Some tweets show on one of the iFrames but not in the other. Lovely.

The sweet goodies of @Bonchaz Bakery Cafe

There are a number of fringe benefits to coworking at The Network Hub. One of them is having a number of coffee shops and bakeries, lunch spots, pizza joints and sushi places. One of such is Bonchaz Bakery Cafe, a place where Minna and Meriko and a number of our colleagues have been able to feast our sweet tooth with delicious baking goodies.

Their location (dangerously close to The Network Hub, seriously it’s about a 45 second trip downstairs) makes them the perfect place to pick up a pastry, a coffee and head back to the office. You can also follow Bonchaz on Twitter.

I am particularly fond of the pastry you can see in this photo, which is kind of similar to Mexican “conchas” but not exactly a ‘concha’. I also just like the service you get from the super nice staff. I thoroughly recommend Bonchaz!

The Yorkton Film Festival 2010 #yff10

I have covered film festivals in Vancouver on my blog a few times, but it’s rare that I write about other province’s film festivals. But this one is special to me.

My good friend Erica Hargreave (Ahimsa Media Inc) has partnered again with the Yorkton Film Festival and will be bringing her team (including the sexy Emme Rogers and Liz Kearsley) to Yorkton this week to provide some interactive storytelling (follow the #yff10 hashtag to keep track of all things Yorkton Film Festival) as well as follow the @YorktonFilm Twitter account). From the Festival’s website:

That fated night was 60 years ago, when thanks to brain-child of James Lysyshyn, a young National Film Board field officer, the Yorkton Film Festival was born – the first and oldest film festival in North America. A film festival that over the years has brought together great minds such as the likes of Bruno Gerusi, Gordon Pinsent and Garry Morse. Individuals like Oscar Nominee animator Cordell Barker have won a Golden Sheaf at the Yorkton Film Festival, as has two time Oscar Award winner Frederich Back.

What makes me a lucky blogger? Answering @LizStrauss’ question

Liz Strauss, a big figure in the blogging and social media world whom I follow on Twitter as well as read her blog (Liz is the founder of SOBCon, Successful and Outstanding Bloggers), asked today on Twitter – what makes you a lucky blogger? I answered, briefly, that I had the best readers in the world. Which I do. I have been reflecting on this topic for a long while now. After 4 years of blogging, what I really have gotten out of blogging is the opportunity to connect meaningfully with amazing people who now fill my life with joy and happiness.

Beyond that, I have had the opportunity to help support charities, non-profits and local events. I have been strongly supported in my efforts to co-organize Mental Health Camp Vancouver with my dear friend Isabella Mori (whom I wouldn’t have met had it not been for blogging).

I blog because I love writing, because I love connecting with people and because I am able to wield the relative power and influence that being a semi-popular blogger and internet quasi-celebrity towards great causes. I wouldn’t be able to do as much good as I think I do now if it wasn’t because a number of people love reading my blog (despite my many foibles and shortcomings). Because, I may not be perfect, but I love every single bit of myself. And that’s perfect enough for me. And yes, that is also part of what makes me a lucky blogger.

The @FairmontEmpress Hotel (@FairmontHotels in Victoria BC)

Everybody and their mother had suggested to me that I should have afternoon tea at The Empress (now the Fairmont Empress) in Victoria, British Columbia. The funny thing is, given that my ex *is* (or was, don’t know to be quite honest) from the North Saanich area, I have visited Victoria more times than I can remember and I have, indeed, had afternoon tea at The Empress (in the past). But not this time. I was too busy giving talks.

But my stay at The Empress was nothing short of fantastic, and I’m not saying this just because they sponsored my stay. The truth is, anything I could possibly need was at my finger tips. I had Internet connection in my room, complimentary coffee and tea, and a lot of great reads. More importantly, the comfort of my suite was only matched by the fantastic service of the Fairmont Empress staff.

I should give a shout out to Duane, in particular, as he was incredibly helpful at all points of my stay. I arrived to The Fairmont Empress on Friday afternoon and was promptly registered and given the key to my suite, located in the Golden wing of The Empress. I spent most of Friday evening and a bit of Sunday morning just relaxing in my suite, because I was so exhausted. My room was extremely comfortable.

I was able to make use of the swimming pool and the gym facilities as well, and I would definitely recommend the Fairmont Empress Hotel as not only is it a fantastic hotel but also a place where you can basically just do everything you want. It’s a great home base for visitors (and even residents alike). You can also follow The Fairmont Empress on Twitter.

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Disclosure: My stay at the Fairmont Empress Hotel was sponsored very generously by the hotel as part of their sponsorship package for WordCamp Victoria. My expenses to travel to and from Vancouver Island were covered by the organizers of WordCamp. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this blog entry is just to describe my experience at the hotel. 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.

Win tickets to “The Boy Who Went Outside”

My friend Allyson McGrane (Left Right Minds) kindly offered a pair of tickets for me to give away on my blog for The Boy Who Went Outside, an original play-with-music based on the life and struggles of the American musical revolutionary Harry Partch. The play is directed by Conrad Alexandrowicz (Wild Excursions Performance), with a cast rounded up by Meghan Gardiner, Anna Hagan, Josue Laboucane, Michael Mori, Richard Newman and Linda Quibell. The music is by Lee Gellatly. Running from May 27th Wed. to May 30th Sat. at 8pm, Sat. & Sun. matinees at 2pm too, at Performance Works, Granville Island, tickets are $20 adults / $15 students & seniors;BOX OFFICE: or 1-800-838-3006

The Boy Who Went Outside deals with the political and dramatic implications of music as an art form, and as a means of cultural production. Ultimately, the play is about who is granted—or who is able to claim—the right to speak, to express him or herself in the world. This is an exhilarating work that opens up a broad range of artistic and cultural questions for its audiences.

The play will take place from May 27th (opening night) to the 30th. I am, unfortunately, unable to attend but one lucky winner will have a pair of tickets for the show on opening night. All you have to do is write a comment on this blog entry and mention a quick bit of your last experience with a cultural event (be it music, dance, theatre, or non-performing arts). You have until 2pm of Wednesday May 26th to enter the draw.

Good luck!

Quantum Deli Bistro (New Westminster)

My good friend Minna (The Network Hub) and I had a series of meetings in the suburban city of New Westminster (originally, the capital of British Columbia), a few weeks ago. We hadn’t really had lunch so we stopped at Quantum Deli Bistro for a quick bite to eat on our way back. It’s located at 41 Sixth Street in New Westminster, a couple of blocks away from the Columbia Skytrain station.

Quantum offers a variety of savoury and sweet goodies. Minna and I settled for a soup and a side of bread (Borscht soup), which I have to say, I found really tasty. I’m not really a fan of many soups in Vancouver, but this one was really good. My biggest surprise was that they had wifi and such a broad variety of foods in their deli selection. The cafe is really well kept, clean and ample.

In the future, if I feel like having a little bit of time away from the pace of Vancouver, I might hop on the Skytrain and head to Quantum Deli Bistro for a bite to eat and to work in my computer. The wifi was pretty strong and the food good, and the decor is kind of pretty. I really liked it.