Gus Digital
my digital realm, my digital voice
Vectorial Elevation – Vancouver 2010
Feb 7th
From February 4 – 28 between dusk to dawn, 20 robotic spotlight will create a canopy of lights over English Bay known as Vectorial Elevation. The art work was created by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer from Montreal for the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
Vectorial Elevation is an interactive artwork that allows participants to transform the sky over Vancouver, Canada. Using a three-dimensional interface, this web site lets you design huge light sculptures by directing 20 robotic searchlights located around English Bay. A web page is made for each participant with photos of their design from four cameras located around the city.
The other day I got to test this out and created my own design which was quickly displayed for all to see.
The designs change every 12 seconds and if you can’t make it to Vancouver, you can see live streaming video of the designs from 4 cameras positioned around the area.
If you’d like to see more photos, please check out my Flickr set on some of the designs I captured the other day.
Pee-wee Herman Gets an iPad
Jan 29th
Alright, I wasn’t going to say anything about the new Apple iPad, but after watching this video of Pee-wee Herman with the iPad…well what more can you say!
Enjoy!
BTW, you can follow Pee-wee Herman on Twitter – @peeweeherman
Vancouver City – Video
Jan 26th
Today while reading some news sites, I came across this wonderful video featuring our lovely city Vancouver as it gets ready to host the world for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. What is fasinating about the video is it is shot in timelapse HD. The pictures are truly amazing and it captures the mystery and beauty of our city.
“Vancouver City” video is a collaboration between Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. Vocals are by Linda Ganzini. For more information and music downloads go to www.innerlifeproject.com.
Great Job guys, very cool and awesome video!
Pan Dulce – Argentina Style
Jan 25th
During Christmas and Easter my grandmother from Argentina used to always make pan dulce (or panettone, so us North Americans like to call it). As a little child I just use to marvel at how she would make HUGE amounts of it and share it with all family members as well as guests when they would stop by for a mate. The last time she was Canada I had asked her for the recipe as I wanted to make it some day. Unfortunately I never got the chance to do it while she was alive.
About a year ago I asked my sister Gladys to see if she had written down the recipe and she was able to send me the details. Alas Argentina, like most European countries, use grams instead of cup measurements and my first few attempts at making pan dulce fell flat, though still tasty. This past weekend I combined another recipe my other sister Maria sent me from a cook book and added the ingredients that my grandmother would add into hers. I here by give you a mash-up of my grandmother’s recipe with one my sister Maria had found.
Ingredients
- 1 dry yeast pack
- 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of yeast extract – marmite
- 4 whole eggs, 1 egg white (room temperature)
- one zest of lemon
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla
- 125 g of unsalted butter (room temperature)
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup of walnuts
- 1 cup of raisins
Instructions
- Add the yeast pack to about 125ml of warm water with some sugar and let stand to froth for 10 minutes
- in a bowl combine flour, sugar, 4 eggs, butter, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and yeast mixture and mix until all blended
- transfer dough onto a lightly floured flat service and knead the dough until the dough has a smooth touch texture and not sticky (about 10 – 15 minutes)
- place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it up with a plastic bag and let it sit for 2 – 3 hours in a warm place until the dough doubles in size.
- place the dough back on a lightly floured flat service and roll out the dough to a rectangle roughly 12″x24″
- add the walnut and raisins and knead the dough.
- Split the dough into 2 equal pieces and place then into 2 lightly buttered bread baking dishes
- cover up with plastic bag and let the dough rise for 2 – 3 hours until the dough just slightly reaches the top
- in a preheated 375 degree oven, place the baking dish and bake until golden brown (between 30 – 45 minutes depending on your oven).
- to garnish use 1 egg yolk and wash the crust with it and sprinkle some sugar.
I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do. My grandmother would be so proud of me!
Happy Birthday Junior
Jan 1st
WOW hard to believe, but Junior today turns 3 years old. Yup our bundle of joy is growing up.
What can I say about Junior, he’s got to be one of the most wonderful dogs I’ve ever had. He’s been so easy to train, very loyal, and always wants to show you love and affection.
We’ll probably spend the day as any other day, except maybe today he’ll get some more lovely treats!
Happy Birthday Junior.
Goodbye 2009
Dec 31st
Today is not just the last day of the year, but it’s also the last day of the decade (remember Y2K?).
This year started off great. I got to travel to Argentina after 15 years and got to introduce Russ to my family and my roots. Reconnecting with family and seeing Buenos Aires as an adult and on my own for the first time was truly the highlight of my year! I got to attend my very first Northern Voice and BarCamp as well as help Raul with the very first ever Mental Health Camp this year. I began to explore photography more by purchasing a Canon Rebel T1i and attending more photowalks. I continued with my Olympic Volunteering dreams by auditioning for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies (alas they didn’t think my hip-hop dancing was good enough for the ceremonies). I got to participate in more media events thanks to my blog including, Chill on the Hill, meet some of the Paralympics athletes and some of the Canadian snowboarder team. I got to attend more theatre events this year including Les Miserable and The Evil Dead – The Musical. I became one of the Vancouver Opera’s live bloggers for their 50th anniversary year which allowed me to attend Norma and meet the cast backstage.
This year is not without heartache either, but overall this year wasn’t too bad.
I am looking forward to 2010, with the Olympics just around the corner and I’m hoping to grow more professionally as well as grow my photography through more photowalks and maybe invest in more equipment.
Hopefully you will be spending your last day with friends and family. So here’s to you 2009! Thanks for stopping by!
VanDusen Botanical Gardens – Festival of Lights
Dec 28th
In my 8 years that I’ve lived in Vancouver I had yet to visit VanDusen Botanical Gardens. I had always wanted to get my camera and walk around the 55 acres and just go crazy, but never just got off my butt and just went. It’s interesting to note that the lands was the Shaughnessy Golf Club from 1911 until 1960 until it moved to its current location. The VanDusen Botanical Gardens didn’t open until August 30, 1975. This coming year, 2010, will mark the parks 35th year!
This past Boxing Day a friend of ours suggested we venture to the gardens to check out their Festival of Lights which this year takes place from December 11, 2009 to January 3, 2010 between the hours of 4:30 to 9pm daily except Christmas Day. Admission is only $11.45 for adults, $8.30 for Seniors and young adults, $6.25 for children and a family pass for $26 which includes 2 adults and and their children.
This year some of the highlights include:
- Santa’s Living Room: Dec. 11 – 24 with Santa appearances 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 p.m.
- Svend and Jens, our Scandinavian Christmas Elves appear nightly in the Centre Court
- Starchild and Company’s puppet show featuring The Sugar Plum Fairy’s Garden: Dec. 26 – Jan. 3, in Santa’s Living Room at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 p.m.
- Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake: starting at 4:30 p.m. Two different shows – one show on the half hour and a different one at the top of the hour. Two different shows repeating in sequence throughout the evening.
- Gingerbread Wood
- Golden Chain Walk
- Community Choir Concerts on the Deck at 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm, dates and choirs TBA
- Make-a-Wish Candle Shrine
- Candy Cane Lane
- Sparkling Spruce in the Centre Court
- Candy Cane Express model train
We arrived just before 6:30pm on a foggy night, which quickly left as we entered the grounds. Alas I was hoping for some fog to start off the evening, I was glad there wasn’t any during our Dancing Light show. The following are some of the shots I took.
The fog did later roll in and I managed to take some extra shots.
It was great fun. My only suggestion is to make sure you are dressed warmly and bring your own hot chocolate. The kids will love the puppet show and singing elves that will walk around the gardens. Enjoy yourself!!
You can view all the photos on my Flickr set including a video of the light show.
Relaxing Christmas 2009
Dec 28th
A few days before Christmas, there was something that just didn’t seem right. I just couldn’t put my finger on it and it was starting to bother me. I’m not sure if it was the fact that my plans to spend Christmas with my family, after 8 years, fell through, or the fact that this year we didn’t get the snow fall of the last 2 years. There was a dullness happening and I needed to quickly get a hold of this.
On Christmas Eve, Russ and I didn’t go anywhere, we just hung around the condo and listened to Christmas music. I think this helped my spirits as I actually began to feel happy. I got a chance to speak to all the members of my family in Toronto as they were all gathered at my parent’s place. I think just talking to them helped change my mood. I even surprised my aunt in Argentina by giving her a call on Christmas Eve. That really lifted their spirits hearing from me and it lifted mine.
On Christmas Day, we visited a friend in West Vancouver and had nice relaxing afternoon with him and quickly ran home to get ready for our next outing with other friends. This “hipster” Christmas (or what I like to call “orphan” Christmas) dinner was wonderful. Miranda and Ryley opened their home to friends and people they knew that had no plans for Christmas dinner. They provided the turkey and ham, and everyone else brought some other fixings. Overall 18 people over for dinner and not an empty stomach was left.
Boxing Day was another relaxing day of not doing much. I’m proud to say that I didn’t even venture out to the stores. I don’t feel I have anything that I truly need – yes there are TONS of wants. I’ve been trying to live on a budget and not venture out on Boxing Day helped. We did end up going to Vandusen Botanical Gardens for their Festival of Lights, but I’ll write about that in a different post.
Preventable Christmas
Dec 24th
I can’t believe Christmas is tomorrow, it’s amazing how quickly the season returns.
Last week I attended a blogger information session from Preventable where Dr. Ian Pike highlighted the Communities initiative for winter sports safety. Preventable is all about making individuals aware that accidents can happen, but the majority can be avoided if we take precautions. As I am not a skier, it was amazing to find out how many skiers and snowboarders still do not wear helmets or wear the wrong helmets while on the slopes (yes folks, bike helmets are not to be used while skiing as they are only good for one fall).
We might all remember earlier this year Natashia Richardson’s skiing accident which caused her untimely death. Not only was she not wearing a helmet, but she was only on a “bunny slope” at the time. Brain injuries can be prevented by wearing a helmet folks.
During Christmas it’s all about enjoy time with friends and family, so think twice before you stretch on a ladder to put up lights, think twice before you go down a slope without a helmet, think twice before run across a street, think twice before you get behind the wheel after a few drinks.
Have an enjoyable Preventable Christmas!
Quick Update From Las Vegas
Dec 9th
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update from Las Vegas. the weather has been cold here with temperatures at freezing during the evening. I’ve had to wear my heavy winter jacket to keep me warm.
I haven’t gambled much here ($5) so far. I’m not a huge gambler to begin with and of course all the machines are just hungry for your money.
Food and items are not cheap. you would think during a recession restaurants would want your money and have a reasonable menu, but alas that is not the case. I’ve been trying to keep my meal cost down, but let’s face it, it isn’t easy in Vegas.
Tonight Russ and I are headed to see Cher. this one of Russ’ icons and I thoght this woul be a great Christmas gift for him, since he bought the tickets to come down here.
I am surprised that nit many hotels here are decorated for Christmas. The only two hotels that have gone out of there way are Ceasar’s and The Ballagio. I’ll have to upload photos when I get back home.
Well time to back to some shopping as there are some great deals on clothing to be had here.
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