, a fancy photo sharing thing.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
the weather, vancouver and me
When people told me that BC weather is great I never doubted it. And I guess part of the reason why we chose the West Coast to settle in was in fact the beautiful summers and mild (er) winters, among many other wonderful things. I've not been disappointed so far but I do have a couple of observations about the weather, the forecasts and how it manages to interestingly shape moods, fashion and people's sense of humour in the city.
Where I come from we also have four seasons, wet, very wet, hot and very hot. In addition to that, we are used to encountering serious weather systems - including 20 typhoons a year. So while people do listen to weather forecasts, it doesn't have the same level of airtime, talktime and impact on people's daily lives as it does here. I remember the movie "Weatherman" that starred Nicholas Cage and somehow I related to his situation especially given the unusually finicky weather we've been having recently.
Vancouver's weather forecasters, who all have a good following though not necessarily like Justin Bieber, receive kudos for forecasting great weather but feel the heat when the weather turns sour as it has in the past week and in recent days. My guess is that if the weather forecast is wrong and the sun comes out, people celebrate and forecasters get a pat in back nonetheless. But beware when the opposite happens.
Today, the 24th of October was a particularly good example of the fickle weather: it went from overcast, heavy rain, drizzle, sun, then pouring rain. Three interesting things happened on our way to Church. When we stepped onto a Skytrain car, we saw one guy, fully drenched and just wearing a polo shirt - he may have missed the weather forecast. Most of the other commuters were in autumn wear, some with umbrellas. By the time we were midway to our destination, the sun was shining. We went out for mass this morning and the light drizzle has stopped but by the time mass was over it was pouring; then the wind came.
I guess one really just has to be prepared for the worst when it comes to Vancouver weather. And with my five months worth of experience with West Coast weather, I've learned that to err on the side of caution and be prepared for anything usually works. So with rains forecast all day tomorrow; you can be sure that I'm fully geared up whether it rains or shines.
Where I come from we also have four seasons, wet, very wet, hot and very hot. In addition to that, we are used to encountering serious weather systems - including 20 typhoons a year. So while people do listen to weather forecasts, it doesn't have the same level of airtime, talktime and impact on people's daily lives as it does here. I remember the movie "Weatherman" that starred Nicholas Cage and somehow I related to his situation especially given the unusually finicky weather we've been having recently.
Vancouver's weather forecasters, who all have a good following though not necessarily like Justin Bieber, receive kudos for forecasting great weather but feel the heat when the weather turns sour as it has in the past week and in recent days. My guess is that if the weather forecast is wrong and the sun comes out, people celebrate and forecasters get a pat in back nonetheless. But beware when the opposite happens.
Today, the 24th of October was a particularly good example of the fickle weather: it went from overcast, heavy rain, drizzle, sun, then pouring rain. Three interesting things happened on our way to Church. When we stepped onto a Skytrain car, we saw one guy, fully drenched and just wearing a polo shirt - he may have missed the weather forecast. Most of the other commuters were in autumn wear, some with umbrellas. By the time we were midway to our destination, the sun was shining. We went out for mass this morning and the light drizzle has stopped but by the time mass was over it was pouring; then the wind came.
I guess one really just has to be prepared for the worst when it comes to Vancouver weather. And with my five months worth of experience with West Coast weather, I've learned that to err on the side of caution and be prepared for anything usually works. So with rains forecast all day tomorrow; you can be sure that I'm fully geared up whether it rains or shines.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Social what???? - what I’ve learned about social media so far
Blogs, twits, FB are words that do not normally compute for an intensely private individual such as myself. I've been dodging these for as long as I can remember. However, social media, like the proverbial internet is not easy to ignore. As a marketing professional, I have to know it, learn it and use it. It is yet another one of the hottest channels by which to communicate with an increasingly mobile and connected consumer.
And it is not just limited to the tech savvy or the young. In fact, the use of social media tools bridges the wide divide between generations. Why do I say this? Well with Facebook now being more popular than email, tweeting being the fastest way to get your thoughts out to as many people, and the blog becoming your personal gateway to connect with people who share the same ideas, passions and or causes, social media enables an ordinary, very private individual like myself to connect given that I have the choice to let them or not into my world.
So do I like it? I’m weaning myself into it with the view that I may eventually find its relevance to my career if not to my life and decide to embrace it like everyone else I know. I’ve always liked to write so perhaps it’s time I allow myself some “freedom” to do just that as well as to share my talent with my friends. Maybe in the future I’d even decide to share my thoughts with the rest of the world.
My most recent experience attending a networking session such as the Vancouver Beer MeetUp was an eye opener. People with a specific interest - beer - are able to hook up and get together as like- minded individuals. Some have formed good friendships especially those who’ve been with the group for sometime now. But this group was quite warm, embracing Vancouver newbies such as me. One lesson I’ve learned from this experience is that other networking events could be equally interesting and I should continue to explore and experiment.
My friends and everyone else swear by Facebook. Some have found long lost friends, relatives, schoolmates. One such example is this college organization of mine whose members I've lost touch with ages ago. What do you know, I found them on FB! So despite all my protestations, I now have a Facebook account. I'm just trying to keep it quiet but with my recent registration, I'm sure it’s just a matter of time that people find me.
musings of a reluctant social media newbie
My first purely social networking event that wasn't tied to any business activity proved a success. I enjoyed it; thinking now that I may soon be trying out other equally interesting events. Vancouver has a very active networking scene and such events, now I know, need not be daunting. In fact, as I blogged recently, it turned out truly enjoyable.
As a newcomer in a strange place, my recent experience opened my eyes about possibilities and the enriching nature of simply being open to new things. Such networking events truly made possible by social media tools such as blogs, websites, and the ease of information flow in the worldwide web, is just one way that social media enables people to connect. It certainly is an awesome way to do so.
I've also began reading blogs and have found a few blogs which mirror some of the things that interest me. I won't mention all of them (just a few) yet until I'm much more comfortable using and linking to their sites. After all, the only reason why I'm doing this is that it is an assignment for my social media course and being still a very private person, I am keeping the network lean so to speak...that is until I really get the hang of it.
As a newcomer in a strange place, my recent experience opened my eyes about possibilities and the enriching nature of simply being open to new things. Such networking events truly made possible by social media tools such as blogs, websites, and the ease of information flow in the worldwide web, is just one way that social media enables people to connect. It certainly is an awesome way to do so.
I've also began reading blogs and have found a few blogs which mirror some of the things that interest me. I won't mention all of them (just a few) yet until I'm much more comfortable using and linking to their sites. After all, the only reason why I'm doing this is that it is an assignment for my social media course and being still a very private person, I am keeping the network lean so to speak...that is until I really get the hang of it.
Monday, October 4, 2010
being new
being new offers a lot of possibilities and pitfalls. adjusting to a new environment is not just about acclimatizing. you could get lost in the whirlwind of new faces, new names, new places such that everything becomes a blur eventually and you wonder when your mind, never mind your body will ever catch up and get used to everything.
learning something new
it is always fascinating to learn something new everyday. but a challenge to learn so many new things all at the same time within a day. For example learning to be social media savvy for someone who has never been into it. it is like cramming loads of information learned from my social media class.
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