So, I used Foursquare and Gowalla for a whopping month. And I got bored and ready to drop these applications faster than a rock in still water. It was fun to check in and show points and all that. It was fun to see that there were some restaurants and bars I’ve been to that were listed. At some point, I was tempted to create a ‘location’ for my apartment. And then I realized that I get absolutely no value from Foursquare, nor from Gowalla.
To be quite frank, I downloaded Gowalla more as an equalizer (e.g. not to be favoring Foursquare), but I am equally bored of both. Everybody and their mother has said that geo-location services are here to stay and that they are the future of social media. Uh, no, not really. Unless you have a data plan, and have set up push notifications, they are pretty much useless, because you can’t check-in unless you can broadcast it to the Internet.
What, if any value, do YOU get from Foursquare or Gowalla? What business-value is there with Foursquare and Gowalla? I see none, and I triple-dare anyone to demonstrate with a convincing, cogent and articulate argument that I am wrong.
Only four days after the terrible passing of her Mom, Canadian champion and reigning world silver medalist Joannie Rochette produced a very good long program to win a bronze medal in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Under the circumstances, nobody in their right mind would have expected Joannie to skate, let alone finish in the top three. We (all of us in Canada and many people worldwide) are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.
We salute you, Joannie, for an amazing effort and triumph!
A few weeks ago, Glenn Gaetz (Liberation BC) hosted Animal Advocacy Camp. I’ve gotten to know Glenn through our participation in several tech events, VanChangeCamp and Blogathon, and I consider him a friend of mine. I couldn’t make it to his event that day (I think I was in Nanaimo) so I asked him to write a recap. He generously accepted, and here is his recap. I’m so sorry I missed it! Thanks Glenn for the guest post!
A couple of weeks ago I hosted Animal Advocacy Camp, a one-day conference for Vancouver-area animal advocates. 80 area activists came to this free event to learn from each other about being more effective animal advocates.
This was an experimental event in a couple of different ways.
One experimental aspect was that this was pretty much the first time that anyone had organized an event that attempted to bring together activists from across the spectrum of animal advocacy in Vancouver. We had representatives from the SPCA and the Vancouver Humane Society along with more animal rights-oriented groups like Liberation BC and other activists with various other perspectives. Our interests covered a very broad sampling, ranging from pets and fur to farmed animals to ocean conservation. We also represented many different approaches to advocacy, and many different tactics, strategies, and goals.
The other experimental aspect was that the event was run as open space, meaning that the attendees set the agenda for the meeting at the beginning of the day, proposing and hosting sessions about topics they were passionate about. My role as event host was to open the space and then stand back and let everything happen, without exerting much, if any, control.
It wasn’t perfect, of course, and there is a lot to improve for next time, but I think the format really worked. “Normal” conferences stick to a conventional idea of knowledge, where someone who knows more about an issue presents her information, and hopefully we are able to absorb some of it.
Almost always, the most inspiring moments of a conference are the times when we meet new people and have conversations, where we learn form each other in a less structured fashion. Open space throws out all that conventional structure and keeps the spaces in between, those powerful and dynamic conversations, where people talk about what they want to talk about. Open space empowers each of us to follow our own passions by proposing topics and leading those sessions.
This being the first event of its kind in our animal advocacy community, some were likely challenged by the format. It’s hard to accept our own responsibility to make things happen, hard to realize that if we want to bring about change, we need to be the one to stand up and start those conversations. This event was an attempt to create a safe space to take those first steps, and hopefully build a stronger and more effective community at the same time.
Today, I saw two of my good friends (Scott Leslie in Victoria and Cathy Browne in Vancouver) lose entire blog entries due to system and/or wireless malfunctions. There is almost nothing that irks me more than losing a really good blog entry because of technical difficulties. So, for the most part, what I do is I use offline blogging tools. I will confess that for all the writing I’ve done, and all the geeky tools I’ve explored, I mostly use BlogDesk for my offline blogging. It’s reliable and it can be hooked up directly to your WordPress.com and WordPress.org blogs.
So, my question to the blogging community out there – which other offline blogging tools can you recommend for my readers? I have only used BlogDesk, and I’m kind of afraid of using Windows LiveWriter. What else? Is there anything else you’d recommend?
As the Vancouver 2010 Olympics action wanes, our city continues to have amazing artistic stuff. The Vancouver theatre community knows that I give them priority when it comes to coverage on my blog, for many reasons, not the least of them that I’ve been a stage actor since I was 14. This time, the folks at Pacific Theatre are being kind enough to give away a pair of tickets to I Was Meant for the Stage. Below a brief description.
The life of the theatre! An homage to the spectacle, joy, stress, pain, elation, sensitivity, low self-esteem, egotism, rejection, and intimacy that we dedicate our lives to. From Shakespeare to showbiz, from first audition to final bow, join Pacific Theatre as we cut and paste theatre history into a tragic and hilarious pastiche. Featuring the writing and music of Robert Lepage, William Shakespeare, Christopher Durang, David Mamet, Daniel MacIvor, Queen, Noel Coward, and The Decemberists.
This wonderful performance will be playing March 10-13 at 8pm. For tickets ($17-24, GST incl.) you can call 604.731.5518 or buy tickets online at PacificTheatre.org.
To be entered into a contest to win a pair of tickets, drop a comment on this post. I will be drawing the winners on Wednesday March 3rd, at 11:30am.
As it so happens, I woke up this morning to find Rebecca’s beautiful post celebrating her 4th marriage anniversary to John. I became friends with the Bollwitts through the Vancouver blogging community, and we have had numerous chances to hang out, the three of us. There are many things we share in common, particularly a love for Mexican food!
I have told Rebecca many a time that seeing strong relationships like hers with John reaffirms my belief that there is, indeed, a soul mate somewhere for every one of us. I see how well-suited John and Rebecca are for each other and it makes me smile every time I see them together. Happy 4th Anniversary, my friends!
For someone who began as a chemical engineer (natural sciences and engineering), moved to doing an MBA (business) and finished in the urban planning/environmental studies/political science (social sciences) field, these quizzes always are fun because almost 100% of the time are wrong. This is the case – I am not a physicist (my best friend is, though – although he has a PhD in Public Policy and Engineering, he started as a physicist AND an international relations double major). Two of my brothers are much more natural scientists and engineers (both with PhDs in Mechanical Engineering).
You Are Physics
You are a highly intellectual and intelligent person. There’s not a subject that doesn’t interest you.
You are very drawn to theories, and you are capable of understanding incredibly complex ideas.
You are curious about everything around you – from the smallest cell to the universe as a whole.
You believe that there are many connections in the world that we can’t see. The way everything fits together fascinates you.
I have been doing a bit of coverage of Vancouver events during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but as I had announced a few weeks ago, I wasn’t really physically or mentally prepared to be covering Vancouver 2010. I started getting access to houses, pavilions and events a bit late in the game.
While the lack of preparedness is 100% my fault, the fantastic access I have been able to gain has been thanks to the wonderful folks of both the Government of British Columbia, Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and a few PR people who have worked hard at getting me access to the fun events I’ve written about. To all of them, thank you.
I will be profiling a couple of pavilions, and mostly I will be doing coverage of Paralympic Games, the Cultural Olympiad and houses in the next few weeks, because (a) I think Paralympics are just as (if not more) worthy as Olympics and (b) I am trying to get back into blogging with regularity.
You may have noticed that I have continued to blog about my usual stuff (dance performances, theatre plays, restaurants, etc.) I strongly believe in enjoying the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but after all is gone, I’ll still be blogging and telling my own story. I hope you come along for the ride.
Now, the question to you is – how have you enjoyed Vancouver 2010?
I have been kindly invited by the Oceanside Tourism Association on a press trip to experience the 2nd. Annual Parksville Uncorked Wine & Food Festival and I was delighted to accept the invitation for this weekend (February 25th to 28th, 2010). Last year, I had an opportunity to showcase Sidney by the Sea and Salt Spring Island and I am delighted to be sharing my experiences at Uncorked.
I will be in Parksville on Vancouver Island live-tweeting, publishing blog entries and will possibly interview some of the guests attending this fantastic event. I have always had a soft spot for Vancouver Island. When I was dating The-Person-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named-And-Broke-My-Heart, I almost made Swartz Bay and North Saanich my residence. While I went to Nanaimo for a research meeting and some work a few months ago, this time I’m there to cover a festival.
I find that there’s a perfect fit between Parksville Uncorked and my own blogging, seeing as I write about food, and my travel and personal experiences. Thanks to the organizers and promoters of Parksville Uncorked for the invite and for sponsoring my stay and travel. I will be tagging my posts and tweets with #ParksvilleUncorked.
The listing of events (including pricing) for Parksville Uncorked can be found here. I suggest you get your tickets soon because they’re definitely going to fly!
Naturally, I love good Mexican food. And naturally, I love going out for lunch with my friends. Combine both and find me a location close to my office at The Network Hub, and you’ll definitely have a happy Raul. A couple of days ago, my good friend Jay Catalan (one of the cofounders of The Network Hub) invited me for lunch to Tacos Mexico Rico. This restaurant is actually rather close to our office, and we had been meaning to go there and try the food (there’s another Mexican restaurant near by, La Taqueria, which I’m not sure if I’ve reviewed on my blog, but if I haven’t, I will soon).
The food at Tacos Mexico Rico is fairly authentic Mexican. I will admit, this is a tad surprising to me. I have eaten at Latin American restaurants where the owners are Salvadorean or Nicaraguan and they cook quasi-Mexican food. In this case, I will say that this is, indeed, authentic Mexican cuisine. I ordered a torta de pollo (a chicken sandwich, $ 5.75) and a Sopa Azteca (Aztec soup $ 5.50), both of them sizable portions.
The Sopa Azteca wasn’t as red as I remember it should be (which probably means it didn’t have as much chile as the traditional recipe calls for, nor enough tomato). It was flavorful, though, as was the torta. I recall La Casita’s Sopa Azteca is more traditional than Tacos Mexico Rico’s, but I won’t complain. The prices are fairly affordable, compared to similar Mexican food places around the Vancouver area.
Within reasonable commute (e.g. one or two Canada Line stops) and still within the downtown core, I would probably go more often to Salsa and Agave, Don Guacamole, or even La Casita. But Tacos Mexico Rico won’t be far down in my list of where to go for inexpensive and tasty Mexican food. If you are downtown and in the neighbourhood of Homer and West Pender, you *should* drop by for a bite to eat at Tacos Mexico Rico.
I am always very touched whenever I read people saying on their “Follow Friday” shoutouts that they love my writing. I do, indeed, blush. You’ll see, a few years ago (well, at the time when I began my PhD and I was taking graduate, PhD-level courses), a professor of mine told me that he really didn’t think I was a good writer. He said that my writing was awkward, that it was hard to understand my points and ideas.
Clearly (to him), I was unable to convey my thoughts and lacked the ability to put them in writing in cogent, concise, clear sentences. I was devastated. At the time, I hadn’t even learned Japanese, but I was already fluent in 5 other languages. How could I possibly be such a bad writer in the language of the nation that had adopted me as a son, Canada? I was floored.
For the record and as a side note, I have written two single-author book manuscripts (one in English, one in Spanish), co-authored one book (in Spanish) and have edited an academic volume (in English). I have published dozens of journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. I write two blogs, one personal (this one) and a research one (that you can read here). And I completed a PhD dissertation. In English. In a language that isn’t mine. I also have a bunch of journal articles in preparation, conference papers forthcoming, etc.
I sometimes lack modesty, but I won’t say whether or not I am a good writer. That’s for my readers to say. But there’s one thing I am – I am a consistent writer. I write as a discipline and I write for practice. It’s like a muscle. I write EVERY SINGLE DAY. Because I have to. Because I NEED to. Because putting my thoughts on paper (or, sometimes, online) helps me formulate and structure my thinking.
I think that my academic writing is pretty strong, and I would like to believe my non-academic writing is compelling. Why else would thousands of readers come every day to consume the bits and pieces of content I publish on a regular basis? To those of you who have told me, either in person, or on Twitter, or by email, that you like my writing – THANK YOU. Your continued encouragement keeps me doing this – writing.
If there’s a tip I would like to share with aspiring writers, academics, students (my own students, even!), bloggers and content providers, it would be write in a disciplined way. Write every day. Write even when you don’t feel like it. Put your thoughts and ideas out there.
As it usually happens when my dance card is full, I was late to the rally that was being organized on Twitter to have MukMuk (the lovely marmot-inspired mascot of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic) upgraded from sidekick to main mascot. I was right in the middle of an online meeting and arrived late. However, my friend Chris Breikss (founder of 6S Marketing) went to the rally and he allowed me to use his YouTube video of the demonstration. Personally, I like all the mascots, but I find MukMuk really cute. (Also, side note – FYI – my birthday is in September and I love plushies). A MukMuk plush mascot would be a really nice addition to my (growing) stuffed animals collection. Just saying…
Video below courtesy of Chris Breikss. Thanks for letting me use it!
UPDATE – I found a story on CanWest Vancouver Sun “Free MukMuk” – people still comment how much they love MukMuk. I think I’m going to make this post a Campaign to Make MukMuk a Main Mascot for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Because of my piano and dance training, and because I am the son of a soprano and was raised in a musical household, I tend to have really good memory when it comes to music. I was listening one day to a friend’s Blip.fm stream and I noticed that I didn’t recognize a beautiful song. I am well-versed in deep house, and clearly, that song wasn’t house. It sounded more like Earth, Wind and Fire.
I listened repeatedly until I found some of the words in lyrics’ listings, and finally found the song that has become my newest obsession: More Than One Way To Love A Woman. It’s a song that is over 30 years old (1979), sung by Raydio and Ray Parker Jr. The version I found on YouTube has horrible sound quality, but I managed to download the song from iTunes. I would strongly recommend you to give it a listen.
I have had a love affair with True Confections for almost as long as I have lived in Canada (over 14 years of my life). A dessert place that has two main locations. The first one is at Broadway and Alma (near UBC, where I did my MBA, my PhD and where I currently teach), and Denman and Haro (the West End location where I have spent many memorable post-Valentine’s Day and birthdays).
I am a fan of True Confections’ English trifle. It’s fresh, filled with fruit and custard, light and it reminds me of good times in London and Manchester (yes, I also studied in England – I’ve had a long list of schools I’ve attended in various countries). At $6.75, I wouldn’t say it’s inexpensive, but it’s also not super pricey. I also had a chance to taste their White Chocolate Martini ($ 5.95).
I wanted to try the strawberry cheesecake but I just didn’t have room in my stomach. The White Chocolate Espresso Martini completely tasted like dessert on a martini glass. The best martini mixing chocolate and coffee flavors I’ve had ever in the city of Vancouver. And that includes Delilah’s and The Crime Lab’s and Cafe Crepe’s martinis!
The one thing that sometimes I don’t like about True Confections is that it’s so popular that I have to line up. And as many of you know, I’m not a fan of lineups. All in all, I would recommend True Confections for dessert.
If you have any favorites other than TC, which ones do you like? Chime on the comments.
I had the pleasure of seeing my good friend Julie Szabo this morning discussing on Global TV the performance of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the first-ever North Americans to win a gold medal, the youngest ice dance Olympic champions, and better than anything, the first Canadians to win an Olympic gold medal in ice dancing. Congratulations to Virtue and Moir, 14 years working together really paid off. The best part, I think, is that there is still room for another medal. Joannie Rochette is the reigning world silver medalist, and I wish her the very best. I have a feeling she might win a medal here.
A couple of months ago, I decided to go back to competitive volleyball. The best way to re-build my muscle strength is through swimming, in my opinion. I’m of the opinion that if you are going to do something, you need to start RIGHT AWAY. No nonsense of the type “oh, I’ll start swimming…tomorrow“. So I grabbed a friend of mine and we went shopping on Main Street.
Where, oh where was I going to find swimming trunks that would be discreet enough for a faculty member at the university? And not spend half of my monthly allowance? The answer was, surprisingly, Miranda’s Hat. Located on Main Street, at 3680 Main St, near 23rd Avenue (pretty much across from Crave on Main)
What I love the most about Miranda’s Hat is that the sourcing of their products is of high ethical, and environmental standards. I bought two swim trunks (one of them, quite obviously, is much more revealing than the other one, because of course, I think that it’s better to have more modest swim trunks for the university pool), and I was quite pleased both with the pricing and the quality. I would recommend you to visit Miranda’s Hat any day of the week!
As part of the Vancouver International Dance Festival and the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, March 12th and 13th will mark the World Première of Mascall Dance’s The White Spider.
Inspired by Henrich Harrer’s book of the same name, which tells the story of Harrer’s expedition to scale the North Face of the Eiger Mountain, this dance is an abstract collage of forces that depict the complicated predicaments faced by those confronting life and death and the elements. The White Spider runs March 12 and 13 at the Roundhouse Community Centre.
The organizers of VIDF (via Rebecca Coleman) have been kind enough to give me a pair of tickets to give away for the opening night of The White Spider, for one lucky reader. You know the drill, drop a comment on this post before Friday March 5th at 2pm.
A couple of years ago, I attended “Brew 2.0“, perhaps one of the very first social media experiments that Molson Canadian (now Molson Coors) had engaged in. At the event, I met Tonia Hammer, the Community Relations Coordinator for Molson. It is rare that I click with people instantly, but when it happens, it’s fantastic. I have given lots of talks about the best use of social media in marketing, public policy and environment. One of the elements that I have always stressed is building relationships, not trying to sell your product. One of the best case studies I have used has been Molson, whose team is really good at building those.
And Tonia is particularly amazing at maintaining relationships and friendships. So, even after the Brew 2.0 event, Tonia and I kept in touch, via email, Twitter, etc. We became good friends. When Blogathon 2009 came, she also supported my efforts (at the personal level) as did Molson (at the corporate level). I never forget anyone who gives me a helping hand, ever.
I have a very special place in my heart for Tonia Hammer. She’s smart, she’s fun, and she has a very kind heart. Tonia is in town currently for the Olympics (I saw her at a recent Rickards Dark launch) and I’m hoping we’ll have a chance to celebrate. On this day, my dear Tonia, I hope you enjoy your birthday. We’ll have to find some time to raise a cold Molson to your health! Be well, my friend.
You can also wish Tonia a happy birthday by sending her a tweet at @MolsonTonia.
I have been walking around the city, mostly because I am invited to pavilions, houses, etc. and I want to check all the Olympic action, but also because even with public transportation, it’s almost impossible to get around without feeling like you are in a sardine tin.
The weather has been amazingly dry, sunny and not so terribly cold. So, I’ve had a chance to take a lot of photos. For some reason, I always end up walking along the seawall (from Granville Island to the bottom of the Cambie Bridge, near the Olympic Village). If I had the cash, I would rent or own around here.
These are some of the most recent photos I took around this area, and they reminded me that I love this city. It’s been my home (on and off, since I’ve also lived in Europe for a while) for over 13 years. This city, with its highs and lows, is my home, and I love it. And I’m happy to showcase it to the world during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
If you are from Vancouver, what is it that you love about it the most? And if you’re NOT from Vancouver, what have you liked the most about our fair city?
I had the pleasure of taking the Chevy Volt (electric car) and the Equinox (fuel cell) for a quick test drive (within the enclosed range of the parking lot of the Vancouver Planetarium) thanks to an invite by Wilcox PR and General Motors Canada. I’m not a specialist in energy nor in transportation, but I *am* an environmental policy wonk.
So, I gladly took the invite. I love driving (yes, all of you grasroots treehuggers can start throwing stones at me) and I rarely do it enough (despite our Translink’s sometimes horrendous transit service, I remain a loyal customer). From the notes I took, I learned that for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, General Motors as the official vehicle provider committed 8 fuel cell vehicles to the flotilla.
The Volt will be available in Canada in 2011 (and in the US at the end of 2010). Obviously, I asked the question – “why did the electric car never take off”. So Tony Pozawatz, Tom Odell and the rest of the crew took some time to explain to me a few pieces and bits about the size of the battery, the chemistry behind the electric car’s generation process and the upcoming movie “The Revenge of the Electric Car”.
Thanks to GM Canada for giving me the chance to test both vehicles. I do need to learn more about the possibility of a hydrogen highway, the chemistry and physics of both the electric car and the fuel cell car. All I can say is, I loved both cars, and I love the possibility of reducing our carbon footprint and switching to alternative, more sustainable energy sources.
Disclosure: I was given an opportunity to drive both the Equinox and the Volt as part of a media/blogger relations program initiated by Wilcox PR on behalf of General Motors Canada. Everything you read on this post is my own, unbiased opinion. I have not been paid to post this, nor received compensation of any sort. 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.
I had never been to any beer launch event where I was supposed to taste the beer in the dark. Well, that’s what my friends from Molson Coors managed to lure me and a number of other friends of mine to do. Mark Busse, Rebecca Bollwitt, John Biehler, Rob Lewis, Karen Hamilton, Lorraine Murphy, myself and a bunch of other local news outlets were invited to a paired tasting of Molson’s newest brand, Rickards Dark.
For me, it was an opportunity to see my good friend Tonia Hammer, who works for Molson Coors, meet Forest Kinney (one of Molson’s communications recent hires) and hang out with good friends, as well as eat fantastic food from The Irish Heather, very aptly paired with the beer. The sensation is, definitely, a different experience. I am the kind of guy who doesn’t really drink beer, but the pairings were outstanding. You can see the rest of my photos here. Thanks to Molson again for inviting me to such awesome event. As usual, it was a great time.
From what I learned, Rickard’s Dark is an ale with 4.8 % alcohol by volume It is indeed creamy with a hint of Quebec maple syrup. I enjoyed it with perogies, shepherd’s pie AND bacon ice cream. Yes, bacon. You heard right. The things we learn… The rest of my photo set is here.
Last night, I was invited by the kind folks of the government of British Columbia to a somewhat-secret event. I wasn’t given many details, all I knew is that “I was on the list”. Given that I always have wanted to be a secret agent in another life, I figured to myself “heck, the invite comes from a dear friend of mine, and it’s from the government of BC, so I kind of can’t say no”. Am I ever glad I didn’t say no! I ended up at a really wonderful party hosted by Vancouver Pride, and the planning/project management team of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. You can see a promotional video here.
The goal of this event was to share and bask in the excitement of having the first-ever Pride House, celebrating gay pride. The event, You Just Gotta Be OUT Here! was hosted by Sally Barton and Claire Squires. I bumped into many familiar faces and dear friends from the GLBT community, and it was nice to be hosted at the Vancouver Art Gallery. While I didn’t stay for too long, I fulfilled one of my biggest dreams: I met Mark Tewksbury in person (and even got a photograph with him!). Mr. Tewksbury won the gold medal in the 100 metres backstroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. An openly gay former athlete, Mr. Tewksbury is a fantastic role model.
We all can strive to be more like Mark Tewksbury. I was very happy to get a chance to share some Olympic Pride with him and a number of other fantastic folks from the GLBT community in Vancouver. You can visit Pride House on Bute near Davie, it is hosted at the Qmunity building. Thanks to the BC Gotta Be Here team for the invite!
I have written a number of restaurant reviews on my site, not because I consider myself a foodie, but because I like to share my experiences with my readers. Also, as I mentioned before, I use my site as my very own personal journal. “This is what I did last week” kind of thing. During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the one constant I have seen is line-ups at pavilions, houses and events.
I am not a fan of lineups. I have never been. I’m the kind of snob who will snub anything that makes me wait anything over 15 minutes (I have very, very gladly told many Yaletown and downtown Vancouver restaurants to go and find a new customer because I am not waiting in line for 30-45 minutes). The thing is, I have been reading online (on Twitter and various blogs) that Gastown and other parts of the city’s restaurants have not had as much business because patrons seem to be flocking just a certain area of the city.
I won’t tell you where to eat or what to do while you are out and about having fun and taking in all the wonderful things that are in town during Vancouver 2010. But what I *am* going to do is share with you my Dining Out category and a listing of those restaurants I have eaten at, because I think it’d help those restaurants that aren’t located in the downtown core and could benefit from tourist spillover.
For years, I have felt snubbed by BC Hydro. You may actually not know this little bit of personal information but, once upon a time, I was on the job market, as a newly minted PhD. And I really wanted to work for British Columbia’s power producer. Actually, I wanted SO bad to work for BC Hydro that even before I graduated, I spent endless hours to submit resumes for various positions at BC Hydro. I think, overall, I might have submitted more than 20 (twenty, yes, you read right). Many, many of my close friends have, at some point, either worked there or remain there. I have an MBA, a chemical engineering degree, a PhD in environmental studies, and yet BC Hydro has never hired me. You would think that with my background, my expertise and my research on water and environmental policy, as well as my business and engineering skills, I would be a logical hire. But no, never. Not even an acknowledgement.
Now that I have got that out of the way and out of my chest, and since I am no longer in the job market (at least, not for a full time job, since I do consulting on my own, plus my teaching and research), I feel that I should also highlight the things that BC Hydro is doing right. I have recently written about the Power the Games Facebook app. And there’s one big one, in my opinion:The Power Smart Village.
I had previously walked by the Power Smart Village but today I actually made the time to walk around and see more of it. I was already on a walk with my good friend Gus and we ended up touring the BC Hydro’s Kilowatt Cafe, and the exhibits that BC Hydro put together for kids. One of the things that really impressed me was the really positive energy that EVERYONE involved with the Power Smart Village radiates. Every. Single. One. There’s not a single frown. Not a single scowl. Everyone is friendly, all staff members (mascots, demonstrators, people dancing on the Club Energy (the Sustainable Dance Floor), are extremely helpful and sweet.
I did get to dance at the Club Energy, although quite frankly, I don’t think I generated that much energy. The DJ had ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin and Footloose, but I wasn’t particularly excited by the songs they were playing other than those. Not that the music isn’t great, it’s absolutely fantastic. But the truth is, BC Hydro has done it right with the Power Smart Village. The activities for kids, the staff that deals with the children, everything.
I am also incredibly proud of the way in which BC Hydro highlights their Paralympics athletes. For all the hype and attention and media coverage able-bodied athletes get, the Paralympics don’t get nearly as much, so I am very happy to see that BC Hydro has created huge displays to show their pride. Kudos to BC Hydro, another thing done right.
I would very strongly recommend to the public to come visit the Power Smart Village, located on Dunsmuir and Homer (in the main BC Hydro building). You can follow Power Smart BC on Twitter.
I think that, for all the hype about the business that the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are supposed to bring to Vancouver, not many new customers have been dropping by Sinclair Centre, located literally half a block away from the IBC. It always amazes me that Vancouver has so many gems and people keep not knowing about them.
Sinclair Centre in downtown Vancouver (at 757 West Hastings) is the home to a gazillion fantastic little shops. The Perfume Shoppe is one of those gems. Located at the top of the second floor of Sinclair Centre, The Perfume Shoppe is owned by Nazrin, a lovely lady who took the time to show me a variety of very non-standard, rare fragrances. Her shop reminded me of Paris, and its parfumeries. I tried a couple of scents and we discussed the notes of what I like wearing, and I was positively impressed with Nazrin’s vast knowledge of the perfume world.
You won’t find your run-of-the-mill Carolina Herrera or Gucci fragrances here, but you may not want to, anyway. The Perfume Shoppe is a place where I would come to do what it took me 4 years of my undergraduate chemical engineering career to do – to find my perfect cologne. Right now, after having tested a variety of Kenzo, Calvin Klein and Issey Miyake’s, I have decided to go back to my Carolina Herrera for Men. But once I have the kind of cash you’d need to buy these rare, exotic and fantastic perfumes, I will go back to The Perfume Shoppe and ask Nazrin to find me the right scent for my skin.
I would recommend a visit, most of her customers are international and she has a website, but the parfumerie is absolutely exquisite.
