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by Michelle KimDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. Views are those of the author. Media review tickets were supplied by Vancouver Opera. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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I was introduced to Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at six years old. Well, sort of. My parents were watching some rendition was on television, but I wasn’t allowed to watch, which confused me because with a title like Madama Butterfly, it sounds like it’s made for little girls.
I remember sitting in the next room and listening to a new kind of signing I had never heard never heard before and imagining the story was about a female teacher during the day (I was in French Immersion and often called my female teachers “Madame”), who turned into a giant, mythical butterfly at night. As the years went on, I eventually learned the opera was set in Japan and involved a tragic heartbreak, but part of me always carried these fantastical expectations for the opera—that it was larger that life and incredibly magical.
Vancouver Opera’s Madama Butterfly
The story about a young geisha who falls in love and marries an American, only to experience torment and loss soon after, is put together so poetically by Vancouver Opera that it completely exceeded all my childhood expectations.
Set designer Patrick Clark and video designer Sean Niewenhuis were able to transform a single set (Butterfly’s home) projecting various images on it, like the sun or cherry blossoms, to transition the space through time and emotion. This technique was even used during the intermission where a projected image of a mountainous landscape illusion of a traditional Japanese silk screen room divider.
Conductor Leslie Dala and director Michael Cavanagh carefully and thoughtfully reexamine the opera’s themes of cultural imperialism, the exoticism of the East, interracial relationships, sexism, and struggles against tradition.
Soprano Mihoko Kinoshita gives an incredibly visceral performance as Butterfly, which left me in tears during most of the performance, not because I pitied her, but because her ability to feel emotions, like love, so completely was so moving, admirable, and displayed so much courage. How fitting for this opera to be playing the same week as International Women’s Day since it’s a retelling of a story of a woman that, despite everything going against her, is still finding the courage to love so deeply.
Photo by Tim Matheson
Madama Butterfly plays until March 13th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, in Italian with surtitles. Tickets are still available for performances at 7:30pm and one at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 13, 2016. Follow Vancouver Opera on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
I am excited to announce that I have signed on as an instructor for a Business Blogging class at Camp Tech in Vancouver. Based in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Camp Tech is a collection of beginner-friendly, hands-on workshops for adults who want to learn practical tech skills. You can sign up for a relaxed and informative class, or a series of classes and earn a Camp Tech certificate.
Camp Tech Workshops in Vancouver
The Vancouver workshops, which range from 3 hours to 6 hours long, take place at HiVE (128 West Hastings) and are for all levels of web user. Categories for the workshops include blogging, Google Analytics, Illustrator, InDesign, MailChimp, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), WordPress, Social Media, and Writing for the Web.
Business Blogging
Having literally written the book on Blogging for Business it’s only fitting that the course I am teaching is Business Blogging. Here is the outline:
Savvy business owners and marketers know that business blogging is an essential part of a modern digital marketing strategy. So why does it often fall to the bottom of the priority list?
Join us for this new class taught by professional blogger and online marketing expert Rebecca Bollwitt. You’ll discover exactly what blogging and content marketing can do for your business or organization and how to create your own unique voice in a crowded space. Learn about content development and topics that drive traffic, and setting up an editorial schedule that is actually manageable. Understand how to recruit and work with the best guest bloggers and top influencers, and how to host contests and giveaways. And finally, discover how to measure your blog’s performance, so you know what’s working as you blog your way to business success.
The class size is small so it enables participatory learning and instruction, and everyone gets a blogging reference guide, the chance to network with other professionals and business owners, and a goodie bag with Camp Tech swag. Complimentary tea and coffee will also be served. Laptops aren’t absolutely necessary for this workshop, but they are welcome if you wanted to follow along – a smart phone would be great too.
Business Blogging Workshop at Camp Tech Where: HiVE, 128 West Hastings, #210, Vancouver When: Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm Sign Up: You can sign up online now for $85, space is limited
Other upcoming workshops at Camp Tech in Vancouver include: WordPress for Beginners, SEO: How to Drive More Traffic to Your Website, Writing Killer Web Content, and Intro to Google Analytics.
A car commercial, filmed in Vancouver, that actually showcases the city! I was honoured earlier this year when the Globe & Mail and Lexus approached me to be the star of their Vancouver commercial. I got to pick where we filmed based on my daily life, so of course I went into Stanley Park, showcased one of my favourite resources for local history, and took in a theatrical production.
Despite it being one of the most miserably rainy days of the season, I had so much fun showing the crew some of my favourite trails in the park and then observing what they wanted to feature. I also got to showcase the City of Vancouver Archives, and get a lift to a Broadway Across Canada show.
Globe & Mail and Lexus also featured an interior designer from Calgary, a master sommelier from Toronto, and a creative director and designer in Montreal.
Last year I began a partnership with Seekers Media (FestivalSeekers & SnowSeekers) to produce and share content from their network of adventurers. This spring, I am joining them on the road for Social Media Content Production and Amplification Workshops that will visit 17 cities in BC and Alberta, in partnership with TELUS Optik Local.
BC and Alberta Workshops
The workshops are aimed at people working in small businesses related to the travel and tourism sector who want to boost their social media presence. Topics will range from improving photography and video skills to how post the most engaging content on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Western Canadian travel and tourism stakeholders across BC and Alberta are invited to attend the workshops being held at a centrally located venues in all cities, including Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer and the Medalta Pottery Museum in Medicine Hat and many universities and colleges in between.
#SeekersSocial Workshop Dates and Info
The sessions run 10:00am to 4:00pm and tickets are $10 + GST per session, or $25 + GST for the full workshop which includes lunch.
Richmond Wednesday, March 16, 2016
In partnership with Tourism Richmond and the Richmond Olympic Experience
Nanaimo Thursday, March 17, 2016
In partnership with Tourism Nanaimo
Victoria Friday, March 18, 2016
In partnership with the Craigdarroch Castle
Penticton Wednesday, March 30, 2016
In partnership with Visit Penticton and Okanagan College
Kelowna Thursday, March 31, 2016
In partnership with Okanagan College and the Hotel Eldorado
Kamloops Friday, April 1, 2016
In partnership with Trinity Western University and Tourism Kamloops
Prince George Monday, April 4, 2016
In partnership with Tourism Prince George and the Twisted Cork Restaurant
#SeekersSocial Speakers
My co-presenters are Jeff Bartlett (photo) and Chris Wheeler (video) along with our host, Jim Barr.
Jeff Bartlett @photojbartlett/jeffbartlettmedia.com
Jeff Bartlett is a Jasper-based adventure who, for the past six years, has carved out a globe-trotting career many would be envious of. Jeff’s motivation is simple: “Inspire people to get out and do it themselves.”
Chris Wheeler @apreswheeler/chriswheeler.ca
Chris Wheeler’s handle – @apreswheeler – sums up his passion: swapping tales from another epic day in the mountains. Based in Whistler, he’s parlayed his love of the outdoors into a successful business, producing videos and building social media marketing campaigns for clients.
Our sessions will be hosted by Seekers Media founder, Jim Barr. In 2008, Jim founded what has now become one of Canada’s most successful digital media publishers, with two online communities, SnowSeekers.ca and FestivalSeekers.com. The award winning multi-media brands use social media, mobile and online story telling to inspire people to seek new Alberta and BC experiences in all seasons.
The team will continue on to Cranbrook and the Alberta dates without me throughout April but you can check out those talks, dates, and venues here.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. We enjoyed a complimentary media stay at Tigh-Na-Mara and BC Ferries vouchers for our trip. Views are my own. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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After a very long work week, on a Friday that seemed never to arrive, my sister picked me up in Downtown Vancouver and we headed for the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. A little black rain cloud carrying the stress of the week followed us up from the car deck to the onboard cafe as we caught up over coffee.
Outside, the waves in Howe Sound weren’t their usual shimmering emerald, instead they were grey like the sky and just as full of water. I tried to answer emails between sips of coffee, she talked about divorce, I talked about work.
When we docked at Departure Bay, driving off the vehicle deck and down the ramps towards Nanaimo, the sun appeared, and the windshield wipers were turned off. Following the highway road signs to Parksville, a wave of anticipation swept over us and we realized we were on our way to a wine festival with spa time. We had left our little black rain cloud of stress behind us — somewhere in the Salish Sea — and we traded it for a pair of little black dresses.
We got the keys to our cottage, which was a new (to me) accommodation at the resort since I had only previously stayed in the seaside lodges. Just a quick jog down the road from the main lodge and conference centre, past a row of other cabins and before reaching the multi-room seaside lodges, we turned past an ancient arbutus tree that seemed to have a heart carved into it as we reached our private driveway.
A wood-burning fireplace with logs stacked outside, a living room with skylight and full kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. It was so charming — like summer camp for adults. We threw on our coats and walked across the road to a gazebo that looked out over the water, facing east towards the mainland’s south west coast, and watched the sunset’s reflection behind us paint the sky pink. Back in the cabin, we popped the cork on a bottle of wine that was waiting for us and officially let our weekend begin.
We had an enviable agenda that included spa time at The Grotto Spa (soaks in the mineral pools and facials), tickets to the Sip & Savour event for Parksville Uncorked, Bubbles & Brunch at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville, and a dinner where we experienced the forage tasting menu at the Cedars Restaurant & Lounge at Tigh-Na-Mara.
The sold out Parksville Uncorked wine tasting & pairing event was buzzing. Live music, canapés, a s’mores bar, and the best of BC and Vancouver Island wines being poured all around the room and in Cedars Restaurant & Lounge. What made the evening even better was that it was supporting Variety BC, and I had just sponsored the Social Lounge at the Show of Hearts Telethon the weekend before. We mixed and mingled, met some winemakers, bought our raffle tickets in support of Variety, and I’m sure we would have danced, if dancing was part of the evening’s program.
Following Uncorked, I pulled out a headlamp from my purse to light the walk back to our cabin in true West Coast fashion: Wearing high heels and Gore-Tex jackets.
On Saturday afternoon we had some spare time so we looked up some local hikes and found Little Qualicum Falls just 20 minutes away. We spent about 2 hours walking around twisted arbutus trees and moss-covered Douglas Firs next to the thunderous network of waterfalls in the Little Qualicum River canyon that ran down from Cameron Lake.
Upon our return to our cabin at Tigh-Na-Mara, we traded our hiking boots for gumboots and took a walk along the water between the resort’s beach front and Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. The sand glittered with purple mussels and white oyster shells, and stroller tracks weaved between seaweed that brushed up during a recent storm. The air was filled with the scent of evergreen and sea salt, and our wind-blown hair made selfie-taking difficult but we rolled with it.
We kicked the sand off our boots and returned to our cabin for a glass of wine, as I got the fire started. My sister, who works full time, goes to school, and is a single mother of 4, curled up on the couch and napped. I honestly don’t know how much sleep she gets or how she fits everything she needs to do in a 24 hour day. I covered her with a blanket and kept the fire crackling as the brightness of day faded from our skylight.
When she awoke, our conversation that night was far different than the one on the ferry. We talked about our ambitions, hopes, and dreams. We recalled games we played during our childhood, the clever and witty comments my niece and nephews crack daily, and we laughed. We laughed until our eyes swelled with tears.
In the morning before check out, we brewed some tea and I lit one last fire. We put our cozy sock covered feet up on the coffee table, hugged our warm mugs with both hands, and talked some more. If we had the time, we would have made one more trip to The Grotto Spa to soak in the pools then lounge in fluffy robes in the sunroom while reading our books.
Grotto Spa image courtesy of Tigh-Na-Mara
On the way back to the ferry we listened to music, we had conversations that went beyond the usual emoji we might text to each other once a week, and we talked about the next trip we each had planned. The return sailing was calm and serene. When the wind blew it didn’t shake the boat, it cleared away hesitant rain clouds.
Taking time to have a Girls Getaway contains far more substance than the simple pleasures of a mani/pedi and popping a cork on a bottle of bubbly. It’s about letting go, reconnecting, bonding, having fun, laughter, smiles, and sure a glass of wine (or two).
You can start planning yours now with Tigh-Na-Mara’s new Girlfriends Getaway Package. Get away to the #1 Spa in Canada, according to Spas of America, and enjoy some of the wonderful perks and simple pleasures we experienced. This package includes relaxing at the spa, a night out at Cedars Restaurant & Lounge with a signature cocktail followed by great food, fun and laughter. Follow Tigh-Na-Mara on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
The story about a young geisha who falls in love and marries an American, only to experience torment and loss soon after, is put together so poetically by Vancouver Opera that it completely exceeded all my childhood expectations.
Outside, the waves in Howe Sound weren’t their usual shimmering emerald, instead they were grey like the sky and just as full of water. I tried to answer emails between sips of coffee, she talked about divorce, I talked about work. 
