If there is one type of charity that wins my heart above almost everyone else is that focused on education, and in particular, on adult education. When I was a child (I was 11 at the time), I told my parents I wanted to volunteer with INEA (the Mexican National Institute for Adult Education). INEA designs and implements literacy and numeracy programmes, and my focus was poor, gang-riddled areas in the city where I grew up and where my parents live now. I want to thank my dear friend Alexis Hinde for letting me know about a similar program in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side,Intrepid Pens.
The Intrepid Pens DTES Reading & Writing Society (“Intrepid Pens”) provides literacy-based programming for residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Through a variety of programs (including, at present, a book club, a creative writing workshop, and an arts and culture appreciation component) Intrepid Pens provides opportunities for guided writing and reading in the DTES, because we believe in the power of storytelling (and the sharing, healing, and growing that result) as a real vehicle for change. Intrepid Pens has been offering programming in the DTES since the summer of 2008.
I thoroughly believe that the best way to change the world is to educate people, and I am glad that there is a program such as Intrepid Pens. Thanks, Amanda, for taking the initiative to facilitate your programming. And I do hope that you can find a generous donor/sponsor that can help you take the programme and expand it to focus on youth and men, and not only on women.
Today the offering is a comprehensive Reading & Writing Program (“Intrepid Pens”) that includes weekly Book Club meetings, a Creative Writing Workshop, outings, and arts and culture appreciation. Between 2009 and 2011, Intrepid Pens met weekly at the women’s centre. Starting in August 2011, the group will meet at the brand-new W2 Media Cafe. At present, based on the nature of the space provided by the women’s centre, Intrepid Pens provides programming for women only. However, moving forward, with the help of a variety of DTES organizations and local sponsors, Intrepid Pens will grow to include programs for men and youth.
On a regular basis, I declutter my life. I get rid of toxic people around me, clothes I do no longer use, excess swag (yes, being a popular social media personality has perks, but accumulating swag is one of the drawbacks), and sometimes, books I cannot keep any longer. Or sometimes I want to just make space in my rather scarce bookshelf space (I am a book nerd, and I love actual print books who don’t need batteries, much as the world thinks that the print book is dead, which is a fallacy).
This week, while cleaning up my Mom’s house (I have a bedroom here, and a home office which is, as usual, chock-full of books of all walks of my life) I realized that I had way too many books and journal issues from my undergrad, my Masters and even my PhD, and decided to donate those books that I felt were good, readable and would be of value to libraries. Since I no longer do chemical engineering, I decided to donate all of my books to my alma mater’s library (I did my undergraduate degree in Mexico). I did something similar in Vancouver, but to my surprise, I found UBC and SFU’s policies for book donation rather ridiculous (they choose what they can or cannot receive).
I sought then to donate my books to my local library (Mount Pleasant Community Centre has a branch of the Vancouver Public Library), which was great. The only weird thing that left me scratching my head was the fact that VPL does not accept textbook donations. So, all of you undergraduates and high-schoolers who go to the VPL to study, you’re going to the wrong place, apparently!?
One thing that I’ve been simmering in my head (or cooking, better said) is to promote the creation of Reading Rooms in local shelters and/or other places where people congregate. What do you think? Crazy idea? Where else can you donate books?
A couple of summers ago, I had a taste of my first Calgary Stampede, even though my brother and my sister-in-law and nephews have lived in Calgary for quite a long time and even though I’ve lived in Canada for more than a decade. And despite the fact that I write travel features on my blog quite often, there are times when I am completely overwhelmed and forget to write about something in time. Well, the Calgary Stampede is literally upon us, and will take place from July 6th to the 15th.
Over the past century, the Calgary Stampede has welcomed millions of visitors to The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. And whether they rode a bucking bronc in the first Stampede or rode the C-train to Stampede Park last year, they all have a story to share.
I loved the Calgary Stampede, and hope you have a chance to check it out. I also may be able to run giveaways for some ticketed events. Stay tuned!
You know how there are those places that absolutely remind you of why you live in Vancouver? Bella Gelateria, located within the confines of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel (one of my favorite hotels in the entire Lower Mainland) is one of those. James Coleridge, whom I’m proud to call a friend, has made of gelato (specifically, the hand-crafted, thoughtfully-designed gelato he makes) an absolute art, one that I have been proud to showcase to many international visitors who come to Vancouver.
Eating some gelato at Bella Gelateria has become sort of a tradition for me and several of my close friends, including Mat Wilcox (of Wilcox PR fame). I took Sara Goldrick-Rab (professor of educational policy at University of Wisconsin Madison) to Bella Gelateria this year to enjoy some gelato. In general, I always take people I really like to Bella Gelateria if for nothing else so that they can taste some really, really good gelato.
I was thrilled when I found out that James won the world’s largest gelato competition in Florence (Italy). As per an informational email I was sent, here are some details.
James Coleridge, Canadian owner of the Bella Gelateria store in Vancouver, has been awarded both the public choice award and the technical award at the Firenze Gelato Festival 2012. The competition competes gelato masters from around the world in the art of hand-crafted gelato according to tradition.
Coleridge’s creation “Noce Pecan e Sciroppo d’Acero Canadese” (Pecan and Canadian Maple Syrup) was awarded first prize by the technical panel, as the best among the 30 master gelato makers. In addition, more than 200,000 visitors attended the Festival and were given the opportunity to vote for the best gelato. The people voted for Coleridge’s gelato and he was awarded with the “people’s choice award” in the competition in Florence, Italy from May 23 to 27.
The Canadian Coleridge, considered a Maestro Gelatiere, considers himself “a custodian of the old artisanal way of making handcrafted gelato preserving the technique from an old industrial world.” Coleridge originally learned the art at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Anzola dell’Emilia, Italy.
Bella Gelateria is located on the corner of Burrard and Cordova streets in Vancouver offering 30 flavours of hand-made gelato daily. In-store flavours change according to the weather and the season ranging from white truffle with black caviar, raspberry and beet sorbetto, or the famous 85 per cent dark chocolate gelato. Bella Gelateria offers more than eight different types of chocolate gelato daily.
Bella Gelateria is the first in North America to use classic gelato machinery advocating slow process and small artisanal batches. Every in-store item is made from scratch using local and in-season ingredients. Coleridge can be seen daily preparing the day’s fresh flavours at his store at 1001 West Cordova Street.
Dear James, as your friend and a loyal customer of Bella Gelateria I want to congratulate you on your award. You make us Vancouverites proud, very proud!
I haven’t had a chance to write about some of the Mexican wines I have been sampling while I’ve been here, but as I went shopping with my Mom the other day, I mentioned to her that it was really an emergency and that sometimes I did need a glass of wine to unwind (I’m not a really heavy drinker, and she knows this, so that’s why she never keeps wine in her house). We stumbled upon (literally) a bottle of Carlo Rossi Rosso Frescatto 2009, which I am loving. It’s not really rose, its more like a sweet red, and it’s delicious served cold. Also inexpensive. I wouldn’t serve this on a fancy meal, but it’s decent to sip while writing.
I have no clue how Dirty Vegas can be a house music trio with a song that pretty much sounds like the Sam Roberts band. For your listening pleasure, one of my favorite songs, ever: Walk Into The Sun.
Even though I have rarely had the opportunity to travel to Kelowna (and mostly I have gone only for academic conferences), I always have thought that it is an oasis within the province of British Columbia. I have a quick, 2-day contest to promote the new festival: Keloha Music & Arts Festival 2012, and you can enter by telling me your favorite Canadian artist/band on the comments section. My prize pack includes a meet-and-greet with headliner Dan Mangan (whom we all love) and a pair of passes for the Keloha Music & Arts Festival (it does not include transportation to and from Kelowna, nor accomodation though).
Photo credit: Kris Krug on Flickr
Keloha Music & Arts Festival is a waterfront escape into music and arts hosted in Kelowna’s Waterfront Park, along the beautiful Okanagan Lake on July 6 – 8, 2012. The all-ages event features 2 stages, arts exhibitions and installations, a beverage garden (19+), and an exhibitors’ village. The lineup has a heavy emphasis on rock, indie, alternative, and folk: 26 bands with one thing in common; they have an amazing live show. Artists set to take stage include Cold War Kids, AWOLNATION, Tokyo Police Club, The Sheepdogs, The Joy Formidable, Graffiti6, Dan Mangan, The Limousines, and The Dudes
It sounds like it will be an amazing showcase, with artists exhibiting their work for free, and it will be definitely family friendly. Plus the bands’ lineup sounds fantastic. More on these bands from the press release:
Keloha is a festival for the true musicfan. The lineup features 26 bands with one thing in common: an amazing liveshow. Acclaimed Torontorockers Tokyo Police Club headlinethe first night, along with local stars WeAre The City. Day two sees Welsh alt-rockers The Joy Formidable, taking a break from putting the final toucheson their second album to treat music fans to dirty guitar riffs and melodiclyrics. Plus, Caliband Cold War Kids will bring somepunk soul to the musical mix.
The final day of Keloha features Said the Whale and Hey Oceanfrom Vancouver, as well as Victorianatives Acres of Lions. Deemed ‘NewArtist of the Year’ at the Junos, DanMangan completes the list of BC artists. Fresh from Coachella andSasquatch, three-time Juno winners TheSheepdogs offer up their blast-from-the-past rock and roll, whilepunk-rockers AWOLNATION give fanssomething to head-bang about as the final act of the festival
An additional entry can be gained by posting the following on Twitter:
Shared w/ @hummingbird604 my favorite Canadian musician http://is.gd/pRxjwd to enter to win a @Keloha_Festival prize pack
Given that the timing is tight, I’ll draw winners on Thursday July 5th at 5pm (only 2 days running contest!). Good luck everyone, and come back to this point to check out if you won!
I am the busiest person I know. Period. I don’t actually know anyone who is busier than I am (and I do know a lot of people, and no, I am most definitely NOT being self-congratulatory). I am incredibly busy. But I’m not STUPID busy. I’m focused, work-and-play-time-defined-by-boundaries busy. I have spent years of my life refining my routines, strategies and tactics for what works for me. I am busy, and that is a good thing, despite what Tim Kreider says on his NYT’s Opinionator article. Being busy IS in fact better than being just idle. Let me explain why I think that.
Me, giving a talk. Photo credit: Invoke Media
If you have read my blog for more than a year, or followed me on Twitter, you probably know that I used to write a blog post, every six months, like clockwork saying “I am exhausted, I need ME time, I can’t cope with everything”. Like clockwork. Slowly but surely, these posts have stopped. Whenever I do need a break, I call for a moratorium on everything I do outside of my academic life: I take breaks from blogging. I refuse new pitches for stories/articles/posts. I write less on my blog.
Me with my friends Terra and Karen. Photo credit: Jules Morgan on Flickr
And I ALWAYS make sure that I spend time with the people I love the most. As my closest friends know, I make it my priority to make time for my loved ones (JT takes first priority, and when my family is in town, they do and JT takes second, and then the rest of my friends). I *always* schedule relaxing time, time with my friends, time for self-reflection. But I also work REALLY hard. I teach, I do research, I give keynotes and talks, I speak at conferences, I run workshops. I write. I volunteer. I connect people with others. I give of myself to the community, and I build community around me. All of this requires me to be VERY organized with my schedule. That’s why I wake up most days at 4:45am. That’s why I have a defined morning routine. That’s why I manage myself by the task and not by the hour.
Me speaking at WordCamp Victoria 2010. Photo by John Bollwitt
I *am* in fact, blogging this. Photo by Rebecca Bollwitt
THAT is the trick.
Scheduling yourself to the very minute, like I do, may in fact enable you to have more relaxing time. If you work smarter, harder and more focused, you can expand the amount of time you schedule to relax and just take life as it comes. If you read my schedule, you can see that while I wake up super early, there is ALWAYS time for something relaxing and leisurely.
Me eating cheese, one of those very rare times! Photo credit: Anthony Nicalo
But, do you ever sit down and smell the roses, Raul? Do you ever take enough time to yourself?
Not always. I do work very hard at taking care of myself. That was my goal since 2011. I try, but as I have always said, life is a balancing act. I am not always very good at balancing my free time with my busy time, but I’m always studying myself and trying to find ways to better myself. THAT is what I think is important.
And in the end, the answer lies, as Kreider says, in a middle-of-the-road solution.
Perhaps the world would soon slide to ruin if everyone behaved as I do. But I would suggest that an ideal human life lies somewhere between my own defiant indolence and the rest of the world’s endless frenetic hustle.
Me having a cocktail at the Bombay Sapphire Summer Cocktails Party. Photo by Raj Taneja
In my case, I thrive on being busy. Being idle only works for me for a very short period of time, the time I require to recuperate. That’s why I am a hummingbird. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now, the question on to you my dear readers: Are you always busy? Does this hinder you or do you thrive on being busy? Let me know in the comments section.
As a chemical engineer (yes, I was a chemical engineer before my PhD) I always have had a soft spot for anything that is associated with chemistry. I always wanted to be an alchemist and transform things with my touch. But I think I now transform humans with my teaching, and my research. And of course, with my theatre writing. The Alchemist, by Ben Johnson and produced by Ensemble Theatre Co-operative sounds like a really fun play, and one I hope you’ll consider attending.
Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist comically proclaims the lunacy of greed within all of us. Out to profit for themselves, grifters Face, Subtle and Dol Common, weave a series of intricate and comical cons throughout the city of London. Everyone from entrepreneurs to evangelicals forsakes any judgment, for a shot at self-indulgence and cold-hard cash, and Face, Subtle and Dol are only too willing to take full-advantage of their blind-faith. Written in 1610, Jonson’s play, seems peculiarly attuned to the cynical, disillusioned sensibility of 2012.
You can purchase tickets for The Alchemist on Tickets Tonight. Playing July 6-28, Wednesday to Sunday at 8pm, at 1675 Discovery Street (The Jericho Arts Centre). Wednesdays are “Pay What You Will”. Tickets ($17-$22) are available at the door and on Tickets Tonight too.
Melody Fury (now Tam) is a very good friend of mine, whom I don’t see nearly as often as I wish. Melody and I both write about food (though my blog is more of a smorgasbord) and I do have a lot of faith on her opinion as a foodie. Melody is also an entrepreneur and she’s organized several food tours (she organized the first Vancouver Food Tour I ever heard about).
Melody told me that she’s organizing a Gastown Craft Beer n’ Bites Tour and I thought I’d let you know about it since I am particularly fond of Gastown (my office at The Network Hub is located literally on the edge of Gastown and I have patronized Gastown restaurants, pubs and drink lounges for more than a decade).
Gastown Craft Beer ‘n Bites Tour
Monday to Sunday – $75
By no means a pub crawl, explore Gastown’s exciting craft beer scene on Vancouver Food Tour’s beer-centric culinary tour. With a passionate beer educator as your guide, curious beer lovers and serious beer enthusiasts alike will discover, enjoy and discuss craft brews alongside a variety of food pairings. Each destination features unique aspects of beer such as: beer history and brewing process, beer cocktails, modern gastropub snacks, how to pair beer and food, North West style beers, International selections, and more. Hop on board and meet fellow beer devotees as we taste, sip, and bite through historic Gastown.
Tour Includes:
Beer tastings at each of the 3 destinations (3 beer flights)
Delectable, hand-selected food pairings
Informative and interactive guided walking tour
Gratuities to your guide are highly appreciated
Time: Weekdays at 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Friday and Saturday at 4:00 – 7:00 pm.
Price: $75 CDN per person + HST
Meeting and Ending Spot: Inside Waterfront Station at 601 West Cordova Street at the public meeting area between Small Business BC and Starbucks. This is a 19+ event.
I am hoping I’ll be able to check out one of Melody’s Gastown Craft Beer ‘n Bites Tour sometime soon, as it sounds like a lot of fun!
La Quinta Luna in San Pedro Cholula (in the state of Puebla, and part of the Metropolitan area of Puebla) had me at “who would have guessed San Pedro Cholula had such a beautiful and hard-to-find, gorgeous boutique hotel?” (and yes, my dear fellow #WeVisitMexico travel writers – I did not use “hidden gem” – be proud of me!) Had I been given the option of changing hotels and staying at La Quinta Luna for a night, I would TOTALLY have done it. And even though the prices are again, a bit higher for the Mexican standards that I know ($150-$220 USD), Hotel La Quinta Luna is absolutely worth the money you pay for it. Before I discuss our breakfast, let me show you just exactly why did I want to stay here at least one night, had I been given the chance.
La Quinta Luna is situated in the oldest living city of the American Continent, Cholula, in the outskirts of Puebla, approximately 70 miles east from Mexico City. The hotel is located in the quarter of Santa María Xixitla, which is part of the city of Cholula since the prehispanic period. La Quinta Luna was found in a seventeenth century mansion, which was completely restored in 1996-1998 by the Cárdenas González de Cossío family, who still lives in it and manages the hotel.
The house is a catalogued historic building which fully preserves its original structure. During colonial times, the house probably hosted Don Juan de León y Mendoza, a descendent of the Prehispanic indigenous nobility and one of the most important chiefs of the earlier eighteenth century. Today, there is an exquisite contrast between classical colonial arquitecture which is represented by the building, and contemporary Mexican art which dresses its walls with colour and form.
On to our breakfast. I have to say, as a Mexican (much as though I was representing Canada in this press trip), I sort of felt weird to be having Chilaquiles almost every morning. Not because I have any problem with chilaquiles, just that I had the chance to sample a broad variety of ways in which chilaquiles are made. Who would have known Puebla and its surrounding municipalities had so many different ways to prepare a dish that at first glance would look even pedestrian, and it is actually delicious?\
Different cooks will make chilaquiles differently. In the case of Hotel La Quinta Luna (which translates as “The Fifth Moon”), a red or green sauce is prepared separately and corn tortilla chips are drenched in it just before serving the dish. In the case of my Mom’s chilaquiles, she cooks the tortilla chips in the sauce. At our hotel (El Sueño Hotel and Spa) chilaquiles were cooked and served with chicken or shredded beef, much like my Mom’s. Our chilaquiles were preceded by a fruit platter and some juice, much like the continental/Mexican breakfasts I’ve had before.
I really liked the opportunity to visit a different hotel and have breakfast there (I’ll fully confess I didn’t find much difference in quality of breakfast, all were fantastic. I think the extra allure was in visiting a different hotel/location and trying various styles of cuisine).
I am disappointed that I didn’t realize most of my Quinta Luna photos were out of focus (something I fixed later in the trip), otherwise I’d show you the rest of our wonderful tour throughout this gorgeous boutique hotel. I am also disappointed that I did not have the time nor the opportunity to check out the Library, because there was an event happening there at the time. But if I ever organize a retreat, I’ll definitely consider La Quinta Luna. You should check out their cultural tourism packages, they’re pretty great.
And here is a group photo of my lovely WeVisitMexico fellow travel writers.
Disclosure: My trip to Puebla, sponsored by the Mexico Tourism Board, includes transportation, activities and meals. However, my posts are written in my own words and everything I write is entirely my own opinions. Any out-of-pocket expenses are paid out of my own dime. As always, anything that I post on my site is entirely my responsibility and I retain full editorial control.
I wish I had loved El Mural de los Poblanos more than I did. There, I said it. Of all the epic meals I had during my WeVisitMexico Puebla Tweetup, I have to chalk El Mural de los Poblanos’ performance as that of a middle-of-the-road restaurant for what the expectations were. And not because the restaurants’ staff and general manager weren’t on top of things. They were, and kudos to the general manager, who went above and beyond the call of duty. The reality is, whether it is in Canada, in Mexico or in any other country I have visited, tasting menus suck. And I got a tasting menu at El Mural de Los Poblanos. Not the best move, in my opinion.
Tasting menus are, by definition, smaller portions of what you would consume in a normal meal. Often paired with spirits and/or wines, tasting menus are extremely popular in Canada. And while I rarely patronize restaurants that offer them, I can understand how a customer who wouldn’t be able to visit otherwise would want to do them. When I eat out, I prefer full portions of meals, and at every other stop during the WeVisitMexico Puebla Tweetup, that’s exactly what we got. And yes, sometimes our meals were heavy precisely because of the fact that we ate full portions and I had to stay up until I had digested everything. But again, a tasting menu is poised to disappoint as it doesn’t really represent the marvels that said restaurant can produce.
While El Mural de los Poblanos offers top-notch Mexican (and specifically Poblano) cuisine, smaller portions presented in the tasting menu left me wanting a more full-blown experience. Ambiance and decor get major brownie points, particularly the Poblanos mural. Now, on to the actual meal.
We began with a traditional Cemita (basically, if you deconstruct a Cemita you can make it with a sandwich of Chalupa Poblana – simple as that). Delicious and most definitely Poblana. So far, so good. Our Cemita was as traditional as they come, but since our dinner at El Mural de los Poblanos was already our second dinner during the We Visit Mexico trip, I already had tasted Chalupas Poblanas and wasn’t all that excited.
Our hosts at El Mural de los Poblanos followed up with a chicken and tomato Tostada, which again, isn’t that different from the basic Chalupa. I make my own Tostadas, so much as I really enjoyed the flavourful mixture on top of the toasted corn tortilla, I had had already enough and wanted a different dish (and was starting to wonder whether I was going to try a broad spectrum of derivatives of Chalupas Poblanas).
I love Mexican soups. My Mom makes the best Aztec Soup on this planet, and I was looking forward to trying the Sopa de Esquite (corn-on-a-cob soup). Sadly, I was given a mini-taster of sopa de esquite. While very tasty (and a little spicy as they might have added a touch of Chilpotle chile) I really wanted a full portion. Since I found having a Cemita and then a Tostada really heavy on my stomach, I welcomed the Sopa de Esquite heartily despite my disappointment in portion size.
The best dish of all El Mural de los Poblanos’ tasting menu was, without a shadow of a doubt, a skewer that contained Mole Poblano, Pipian Verde and Pipian Rojo. Pipian is a traditional mole sauce based on squash seeds. My absolute favorite was the Pipian Verde (green Pipian). Light, perfect portion size after the heavy hitters on the earlier stages of our tasting menu.
Desserts included Pan de Elote (cornbread, which I found completely pedestrian regardless of how cutely presented it was) and Cremita (a custard that quickly became my favorite dessert). Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed with our dinner, but again – not because the service wasn’t top-notch (it was). The food was great. But I’m not 100% sold on choice of appetizers, nor on portion size for the soup.
Towards the end of our meal, my fellow Anglosaxon travel writers did try escamoles (larvae) and some other weird Mexican delicacy. Now, my palate is definitely NOT ready for that. And I know that it looked weird that the Mexican in the group did not eat worms, but I wasn’t about to either. Apparently they were very tasty. Frankly, I do hope El Mural de los Poblanos can take my feedback in the positive and constructive way that it is intended. I would definitely recommend people to come and eat at El Mural de los Poblanos. I just wouldn’t suggest ordering the tasting menu.
Disclosure: My trip to Puebla, sponsored by the Mexico Tourism Board, includes transportation, activities and meals. However, my posts are written in my own words and everything I write is entirely my own opinions. Any out-of-pocket expenses are paid out of my own dime. As always, anything that I post on my site is entirely my responsibility and I retain full editorial control.
I have a thing for boutique hotels, as anybody who has read the Travel category on my blog may realize rather quickly. Despite having stayed at many boutique hotels in several countries (though more recently a large majority has been in Canada), I did not know that there was such a thing as an association of boutique hotels in Mexico. Before, when I travelled to Mexico, I would go with some of the names I recognized easily, like Hotel Real de Minas, or Fiesta Americana. Or some of the anglosaxon chains like Holiday Inn. But I hadn’t really stayed at Mexican boutique hotels. Until El Sueño Hotel & Spa came into my life during my #WeVisitMexico Puebla Tweetup.
Any time I stay at a hotel, whether it is a sponsored trip or I pay out of my own pocket, or someone else pays (for example if I stay as part of a work project or an academic meeting or conference), I write my honest opinions, and I will follow this philosophy with El Sueño Hotel & Spa in Puebla, particularly because I think that there is room for improvement for an already very solid experience.
First off, El Sueño Hotel & Spa is really a dream. Boasting gorgeous Spanish-era architectural features, El Sueño Hotel & Spa’s rooms are named after famous Mexican women artists. I was very proud with myself for recognizing many of them, like Leonora Carrington, Tina Modotti, and of course the room where I stayed in, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. As any self-respecting well-educated Mexican should have done, my parents made me read Mexican literature and appreciate Mexican artists well beyond what was required in our schools. So, I immediately recognized many of “the dreamers” as El Sueño Hotel & Spa calls them.
I stayed in a Standard Plus Suite (32 m2), which includes shower bath, flat screen TV, mini-bar fridge, hair dryer, safe box, some special amenities like a welcome fruit platter and 2 courtesy martinis. Wireless internet is publicized as only being available in the courtyard but I was able to work seamlessly in my room. While I loved my suite, I was absolutely fascinated with the additional amenities of El Sueño Hotel & Spa, those that so many people don’t seem to value. I didn’t care much for the spa or the hot tub (both of which were located at the top of the renovated, XVIIth Century house). I was enthralled with the Reading Room.
I’m sorry. I’m a geek, a book nerd and someone who really appreciates having a Reading Room (which could easily double as a Meeting Room). I was able to peruse the Reading Room while writing and decompressing after long days visiting Puebla. Because, trust me – much as we have a lot of fun during press trip, they’re also tiring.
What seemed to be something that annoyed a lot of people on TripAdvisor (the fact that on check out, hotel staff actually come to your room and check whether anything is missing or any of the consumables-for-purchase) didn’t really bother me that much.
I did request that staff honored what was offered on the website, specifically a Thermos with coffee in the morning). Staff went (at least in my case) very much out of their way to make my stay very pleasant, and I’m pretty sure that they did this with every single guest.
While I found my room noisy at night, I always sleep with ear plugs and I chalked what happened to the fact that I was too close to the stairwell that took people to the upper level. I found my accommodations extremely comfortable and I slept like a baby. I would have loved staff to bring me coffee at the ungodly hour of 6:30am when I was awake already but that’s not their fault.
While I didn’t use the spa or most of the other facilities, I found the architecture absolutely adorable and I wish I had spent more time at El Sueño Hotel & Spa. Not an inexpensive hotel by Mexican standards, room prices are rather inexpensive, with rooms ranging from $100 to $250 USD.
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at El Sueño Hotel & Spa. Very comfortable, and staff is extremely friendly. Breakfast is included with your room, with the exception of incidentals (e.g. a can of Coke), and it is always delicious. To be noted, I fully and completely approve of the martinis El Sueño Hotel & Spa offers. I also had dinner and breakfast at El Sueño but that merits a post in and of itself.
Disclosure: My trip to Puebla, sponsored by the Mexico Tourism Board, includes transportation, activities and meals. However, my posts are written in my own words and everything I write is entirely my own opinions. Any out-of-pocket expenses are paid out of my own dime. As always, anything that I post on my site is entirely my responsibility and I retain full editorial control.
Today is the Pride Parade in Toronto, and I know this not only because several friends of mine are in Toronto right now enjoying the festivities, but also because I often use Toronto as a case study of people who are extremely liberal and open minded who have a rather conservative Mayor, who (counter to British Columbia’s Mayors) has never openly given Toronto queer folks his wholehearted support.
Pride Toronto. Photo credit: nouspique on Flickr
I’m proud that my Torontonian friends are so supportive of Toronto Pride and of queer folks. Happy Pride 2012, Toronto!
Every single federal election (at least the last 3), I have lived outside of Mexico. While Mexicans can now vote abroad, it’s a coincidence that I was able to vote in this year’s federal and state-level election (well, actually it’s for all 3 levels – federal, state and municipal). For me, making the most of my civic duties is a right, a pleasure and a responsibility. I teach Public Policy, and it would look really BAD if I, the professor, weren’t actually exercising my democratic civic rights and didn’t vote. I always keep telling my students in Canada that if they don’t vote (when they have the right and capability), they thus forfeit the right to complain about their government.
If you are Mexican and living abroad, I hope you have voted. And if you live in Mexico, you can find your voting booth (casilla electoral) by providing your Section on the IFE website, as well as the state you live in.
Yesterday I started tweeting with the hashtag #CanadaMusic and remembering some Canadian singers and bands. In no particular order, here are some tunes that totally make me nostalgic and think of Canada on the first Canada Day I’m not in Canada to celebrate, ever since I moved to Canada. These songs are sung by Canadian bands or singers, not particularly Canadian-centric though.
I first heard this song when my friend Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) posted it on Blip.fm and fell in love with it. Hey Rosetta! is a Canadian indie rock band and I absolutely love them.
I worship the ground The Tragically Hip walks on. The first song I ever heard in Canada by a Canadian band was “Little Bones” and I have loved them ever since. My friend Tamera Kremer also loves them just as much as I do.
I discovered Broken Social Scene by fluke, but my dear friend Jay Catalan has always been a die-hard fan and he introduced me to more of their fantastic music. Bonus points that I’m jealous of? The band follows Jay on Twitter. How’s that for awesome>
I loved The Sam Roberts Band from the moment I heard Brother Down. It was like my anthem for when I would drive across British Columbia. My favorite type of roadtrip music, Sam Roberts never disappoints.
I saw Chromeo live at the Commodore in Vancouver last year and I absolutely loved them (I already was fascinated with their music, but seeing them perform live was even more amazing (as I shared the experience with my then-interns, Jessica Brodeur and Anabelle Bernard Fournier).
I admired Bif Naked even before we became friends. I had heard her music before when I lived in Mexico and in England, and I adored her. While living in Vancouver, I met her in person and we hit it off. Bif is the most humble and amazing person I know, and she is just such a rocking girl. I’m proud of calling Bif a friend of mine, and of course I love her music. My Whole Life is one of my anthems and I love winding down from my exercise routine with it.
I have the weirdest tastes in music. I swear to God. I really do. For some reason, I love some hard rock tunes, almost verging on grunge. One of them is Sex Type Thing, by Stone Temple Pilots. It’s not a new tune (in fact was released in 1992) but I just discovered it last year. And I love it. For your listening pleasure, here is Sex Type Thing by Stone Temple Pilots. A bit grungy, but always delightful. I would totally sing it in karaoke style.
Today is a really special day for two reasons: The first one, my adoptive home (Canada) celebrates a birthday. But my homeland (Mexico) also celebrates a day of civic duty: election day. Every six years, Mexico elects a new president (Mexico is a presidential regime, completely different to the first-past-the-post electoral method of choosing a Prime Minister or a Premier in Canada). For the first time in history, it is entirely likely that any of the top three candidates (Josefina Vazquez Mota from PAN, the first woman really with a chance to become President in Mexico; Enrique Pena Nieto, from the party that ruled Mexico for 70-odd years, PRI; and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from the leftist party PRD, whom many believe technically won last election but PAN’s Fox gave it to Calderon, and who very well may actually win rather cleanly this time). Today’s election will be momentous and Mexico is on its heels.
It is weird not to be in Canada for Canada Day. While I have always considered myself a citizen of the world (I have lived in many countries and continents, more than I care to count), Canada has always felt home to me. I used to verbally fight and snap at people people when they asked “how do you feel being back at home?” referring to Mexico. I have lived in Canada, off and on, for 15 years or so, give or take. Vancouver, a city whose residents seem to have an inner conflict that makes them love and despise it, has been my home. And I flourished in Vancouver. I feel every bit as Canadian as anybody who was born in Canada. I end my sentences with “eh” and respect values of multiculturalism, honesty, diversity and respect for the rule of law. I celebrate Canada. I have spent years educating Canadians (both Canadian born and immigrants). And while I’m fully aware that I’m an immigrant to Canada, Canadians have always treated me as one of their own, and proudly boast my successes as theirs. I am proud to represent Canada and its diversity.
Yet I can’t forget my civic duty with Mexico. My parents live here, many of my friends live here, and it is the focus of my scholarly research. I also lived here many, many years and I love every bit of Mexico. And during my last media trip (WeVisitMexico), I was proud to be a Mexican national who calls Canada his home and who showcased Mexico through a very different lens than others could have. Helping Mexico return to North America’s center stage and empowering Mexican citizens to succeed is now as high on my agenda as Canada is. I will always feel a dual citizen and someone with two souls and two hearts, and I will always retain Canada as my home, but Mexico will also always be my homeland.
Spending time in Mexico is every bit as good to my soul as it is in Canada, and this duality (Mexico-Canada) will always be part of my personality and my very self. To Canada, Happy birthday and thank you for providing a fertile ground for me to succeed and become a well-recognized Canadian immigrant. And to Mexico: have a momentous Election Day, and I will exercise my civic duty to vote today, in person. I will have both countries always in my heart, and love you forever.
Me volunteering at the United Gospel Mission Texas BBQ luncheon with Glowbal Group
My Mom threw a party tonight for my nephews and nieces (mostly, for those who live in Canada and the United States and are right now visiting in Mexico), and as per usual, I spent the last 3 days running around, helping set up her house, cleaning. Today was a gong-show. While I regularly host events at The Network Hub, and I grew up hosting my parents’ friends’ children, hosting a children’s party requires an entirely different skill set. One I’m glad I have polished again, as it may come handy at some point.
As I was having dinner with my Mom, I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I’m exhausted, and I cannot even go to sleep. I’ve worked so hard (juggling family life while doing my work, and trying to stay on top of my online community with Hummingbird604.com) that I think at some points I have lost sight of just how much I do for other people, and I do it selflessly. I don’t say this as self-congratulatory, but just as a matter of self-reflection. I use my blog to bounce ideas off of myself and as a record of everything I do, and something I look back on and examine my progress.
I told my Mom that I find it amazing that I wake up every morning, and instead of thinking of me and how to better myself, or further my career, the first thought that crosses my mind (and no, I’m not kidding you) is “which people do I need to help today and how?”. I check my social media email to see if I need to blog about a specific non-profit that asked me to spread the message about them. I check my university email to see if any of my students needs a letter of reference or a colleague needs feedback on a scholarly paper. I check my personal email and often find requests for help from either former students, or my family, or friends.
It hurt me deeply to be attacked online a couple of years ago when I co-organized Mental Health Camp Vancouver with Isabella Mori. It hurt me because somebody said that the reason why I volunteer so much and do so much community work is because I enjoy being popular. That my work can be so inaccurately misconstrued just blew me away. At the time, I was way more sensitive about it than I am today. Right now, I’m at the point where if people think I help others because I love the popularity, so be it.
Even in my scholarly work, the first thing I think about is “what can I do to help solve this world’s environmental problems?”. I spend countless hours thinking of ways to shape human interaction to enable them to collaborate to reduce pollution and strengthen environmental policy. And yes, of course I am human and sometimes all I want to do is break down in tears. I don’t appreciate being under-appreciated.
I once told a very close friend of mine that I can’t define myself without a volunteering/community service component to my life. My parents drilled into my brain and into my soul that I was an agent of change and that yes, I should be happy to be so talented, but that those talents had to be put to the service of society. And I keep thinking that, ALL THE TIME. What can I do to help Mexico? What can I do to help Canada? How can I be of service to society?
Being who I am (an academic with a double-life as a public figure with a quirky personality) requires a certain skin thickness. I face attacks quite often and my public persona is misconstrued in more ways than I care to count. But one thing is certain: I can’t ever stop being part of a community and being of service. It’s in my nature, in my blood and in my soul.
Last year I wrote, for the first time, a blog post for my friend Derek K. Miller where I knew I would not get a comment on my post acknowledging it. Derek would read my blog on a regular basis, and very often he would provide insightful remarks on anything I wrote. I miss Derek, and I know that the way I miss him is nothing compared to the way Air or his daughters or his parents miss him. But I didn’t want to let the day pass by without remembering him. Below is the last self-portrait photo he took of Airdrie, himself and me, at Tanya’s wedding.
Photo credit: Derek K. Miller
Air, M and L, Karl and Hilkka – I’m thinking of you today, and sending you love.
I have written about parks in British Columbia and in the Lower Mainland (not only Vancouver’s parks) for a very long time, and it’s probably my fault that whenever JT and I discuss where we should go for a walk, he answers back “well, given that you wanted to blog about just about every single one of them, I think we’ve pretty much run out of parks in Vancouver”. Yeah, I agree with him. Sometimes he would actually suggest a specific park if I hadn’t written about it. So I’m always delighted as Canada’s Parks Day approaches (usually the third Saturday of July (in 2012, falls on July 16th.
The Madeira Marina, in Madeira Park, on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia
First celebrated in 1990, Canada’s Parks Day is an opportunity for Canadians to participate in one of hundreds of unique and fun events taking place in parks and sites from coast to coast to coast.
Stanley Park, in Vancouver
I hope you take this opportunity to enjoy all of British Columbia’s and Canada’s parks, and celebrate National Canada’s Parks Day. And a question to you all? which is your favorite park in Canada? I am honestly partial to Panorama Park in Deep Cove, as most of those of you who read my blog know. But I also like Qualicum Park in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island.
Few things make my life more interesting than little quirky streets that carry with them a lot of history. In this case, El Paseo del Chorro (and la Bajada del Chorro) in San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato) are part of San Miguel de Allende’s history and folklore. When I visited, I was surprised to find women washing clothes in little basins, much like they must have done in more ancient times.
Originally, Fray Juan de San Miguel and the Franciscans built a chapel near the railroad station and a small pueblito (village) formed around it. They named it San Miguel – today the area is known as San Miguel Viejo. Another monk of the time of Fray Juan de San Miguel, Fray Bernardo Cossin moved to higher areas of San Miguel, where a spring was providing fresh water. This area is known today as El Chorro. You may see on certain days women washing their cloth there. At the same time El Chorro serves also as an exhibition place for artists and their works.
Photo credit: Chris (OSFlicks) on Flickr
From what I read on this blog post, apparently there is a park built around it (Parque del Chorro).
Chorro Parque is built around one of San Miguel’s most winding streets. This small peaceful park climbs up to the natural spring and church located at the top of the hill.
Photo credit: Humberto “Sachiel” Lopez on Flickr
Historical accounts published on the Lonely Planet guide indicate that El Chorro played quite an important role in the founding and development of San Miguel de Allende.
The town, so the story goes, owes its founding to a few over-heated dogs. These hounds were loved by a Franciscan friar, Juan de San Miguel, who started a mission in 1542 near an often-dry river 5km from the present town. One day the dogs wandered off from the mission; they were found reclining at the spring called El Chorro. The mission was moved to this superior site.
You can read a little bit more about El Chorro on this page (in Spanish). I seriously need to come back to San Miguel de Allende to visit more and showcase it for my readers. Doing the WeVisitMexico Puebla Tweetup press trip really peaked my interest in showcasing Mexico and many other countries I’ve visited and lived in.
Ironically enough, despite the fact that I’ve done a lot of travel writing, I have rarely written about Mexico (and also ironically enough, about Guanajuato, the state where my parents live). And not because I haven’t travelled in the country itself (my parents’ philosophy was “get to know your country first before you get to know any other“). Mostly, because I have spent the vast majority of my previous years writing travel posts focused on promoting Canada.
But since I decided in 2012 that my blog’s main focus would be travel, I figured I need to dust off material I already had prepared for when I decided to write about other countries I have visited and/or lived in (for example, Mexico). One of the most beautiful cities in the state of Guanajuato (San Miguel Allende) is home to two of the people I love the most in the world: my best friends’ parents. Both of them ex-pats, they are as Mexican as they come (simply because they have adopted Mexico with as much love as Mexico has adopted them). My best friends’ parents contribute to life in San Miguel Allende and they have invited me several times to visit them.
The last time I went to see them, I brought along my friend ML and my Mom. We went by El Instituto Allende, basically the arts hub in San Miguel Allende. From the Instituto’s website I gathered that it played a catalytic role in San Miguel Allende’s economic and social development:
San Miguel de Allende was founded in 1542, reached its heydey in the 17th century and underwent a severe economic crisis in the late 18th century. The wealthy moved elsewhere and the destiny of the town sank in a sea of uncertainty.
In 1927, while touring Mexico encouraged by intellectuals Alfonso Reyes and Jose Vasconcelos, Peruvian artist and diplomat in exile, Felipe Cossío del Pomar visited San Miguel de Allende and fell in love qith the quality of light. Some ten years later, following a dream, he started the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes on the premises of a former convent at that time serving as an army barracks.
San Miguel then began to write a new chapter of its history in which education and art played a major role.
The school attracted students who meant income for the local merchants. Money began to flow in. A new hotel was built; home windows became showcases filled with merchandise for the new clientele. The town boomed almost overnight.
After reading some of the history of El Instituto Allende, I find a bit embarrassing that, given how much art is a central part of my blog, I have not paid enough attention to the fine arts, to be quite honest. I do support local art galleries in Vancouver, especially the Vancouver Art Gallery, but I really need to increase exposure on the fine arts, as much as I do with the performing arts.
When we visited, we had a chance to walk around and enjoy the architecture of El Instituto itself. The interiors are gorgeous and it looks like an extremely conducive environment to undertake training in the fine arts. I will have to come back to San Miguel Allende to visit El Instituto Allende again.
As I said in a previous blog post, I sort of have established a routine on what is coming up. Because I have been covering extensively the dance, theatre, fine and performing arts in Vancouver for the past 6 years, I already know more or less when festivals are fast approaching. One of my favorite is Dancing on the Edge Festival (simply because of my training as a former competitive dancer).
Check out the action-packed schedule of performances. I can promise you (because I have actually attended Dancing on the Edge before) that the performances you will be seeing will be completely worth it. The Dancing on the Edge folks have created several packages, with a full
Canada Day is indeed a special event for all Canadians. To celebrate this day, access to all national parks and national historic sites managed by Parks Canada will be free on July 1st. Come visit us and experience a truly inspiring part of our shared natural and cultural heritage.
Visit the “1812 on Tour” kiosk presented by Parks Canada, and learn about a significant chapter in Canada’s history, as well as the most important locations, forts and buildings related to the War of 1812. With more than 20 War of 1812 sites, Parks Canada is the leading presenter of historic experiences from this pivotal era in North American history.
Despite the fact that Canada is still a very young nation, I love its diversity and inclusiveness, and I’m proud to celebrate Canada Day and to help Parks Canada spread the word about all the fantastic Parks, Historic Sites and Historic Persons we have.
