Now that the holidays are over
(I did manage to squeeze in my moment of silence to mourn the
removal of my tree this weekend), I am willing and ready to face
the task ahead of creating and keeping my New Year resolutions.
And just as a special gift for you, I will share my secret to
keeping these resolutions every single year - simply pick things
that you absolutely cannot help but do! Not only does this little
trick help you get things done, but you will be amazed at the
confidence you feel when you reflect on your year and all resolutions
are accomplished! So here is a sample to get you started.
My resolutions:
1. Come up with at least 5 or 6 amazing Story
Ideas each month to pass along (tough one - but so far, so
good).
2.
Be sure to eat at least one salad a week (heck, even a
garnish can count if you are not a salad fan - of course, one
salad
is the bare minimum).
3. Tackle mood slumps by spending time on
my appearance (if there has ever been a better reason for
a pedicure, I have yet
to hear it!)
4. Meet at least 10 new people this year
(one media event and you will nail this one down early).
5. Keep smiling
(likely the hardest one, but not if you invest in
a great whitening toothpaste - you will want to flash
those
pearly whites!).
See, it's easy! So here is to all your
kept resolutions, and now that I have you thinking of them,
number one on your list
could be "Write a story based on that great idea from Vancouver,
Coast & Mountains!".
Happy New Year!
So the apple dropped and unfortunately you were preoccupied
with yet another family tale from your storytelling aunt
at the holiday gathering, never mind
that you had heard this particular story for the past 4 seasons! Here is your
chance to celebrate New Years all over again (if anything, it gives you a month’s
grace on those resolutions!). Check out Richmond and all of their upcoming
celebrations for the Chinese New Year. Aberdeen Centre is home to the Aberdeen
Countdown Event, which is rumored to be the largest of such celebrations outside
of the homeland for the Chinese New Year.From the Flower Fair to the live entertainment,
it is a celebration sure to link generation to generation.You may also get
your photo taken with the God of Fortune at Yaohan Centre (this cannot possibly
be a bad thing!), as well as celebrate with the “Awakening of the Chinese
Northern Unicorn and Dragon Eye Dotting Ceremony”, accompanied by the
God of Fortune. For a unique setting to the festivities, visit the International
Buddhist Temple, sampling traditional snacks and foods, auspicious flower arrangements
and Chinese calligraphy at the Chinese New Year Bazaar. So go ahead, binge
on the chocolate and hold off on that gym membership for another month, the
Chinese New Year doesn’t begin until February 8, 2007! See www.tourismrichmond.com for more information.
Care for some intimate knowledge of the upcoming 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Game host venues? Impress
your friends with not only the bragging rights
of having visited the location of the upcoming Games, but wow them with
your fantastic knowledge of hidden facts, secrets and
not-yet-divulged details
of the area. Discovery Self Drive Tours is a brand
new product available to help
you find your way from Vancouver to Whistler, while listening to local
celebrities Zack Spencer and Dagmar Midcap share a
wealth of information about the region.
The information is extensive, you make your own choices about what to listen
to and where to stop. I am sure you must have a memory of a bus tour in
your past (almost everyone does!) when you have been
plastered against the window,
craning to see that fabulous photo opportunity location that the guide
is raving about, only to realize you are trapped by
the
dirty window and your camera
will never capture that image. Let those sad memories slide and try a guided
tour that you control, and be the envy of your friends at those dinner
parties!
Visit www.discoveryselfdrivetours.com for
more information.
MEDIA
NOTE: If you wish to obtain a copy of this CD for
a story, please contact Jennifer at jennifer@vcmbc.com and
we will work to arrange this.
So, the last time you slept in a tent, not only were you
13 years old, but you foolishly set it up at the bottom
of the hillside.Who knew that there was
going to be a torrential downpour or that “waterproof” didn’t
really apply in these situations! Needless to say, after an experience like
that, tents have rapidly fallen out of favour. But you have not yet heard of
the Tenthouse Suites at Rockwater Secret Cove Resort on the Sunshine Coast.
You will fall in love with tents all over again, and these ones are far better
than your soggy sleeping quarters of yesteryear. Imagine yourself sipping sparkling
wine, basking in the enchanting silence of the treetops, letting your toes
tingle on the heated slate floor, your muscles melting in the hydro-therapy
tub, and your heart warming to the shoji screens and fireplace. Finally, let
your soul take flight as you cap the night on your private veranda under blankets
of stars. Who knew tents could be this fun? Visit www.rockwatersecretcoveresort.com for
details.
It may be one of the most debated holidays ever – do
creamy milk chocolates and red roses truly tell how much
you may love someone, or is Valentine’s
Day simply a commercial grab to boost slow February sales? Whether you are
a romantic at heart or perhaps an outspoken cynic, this year remove yourself
from the pressures of Valentine’s (let’s not even start to describe
the pressure if you are single!) and, instead, conquer it. Valentine Mountain
Trail is lying in wait for you to hike it, located in
Powell River on the Sunshine Coast. The 0.6 km (0.4 mi) trail offers views
of Mowat Bay, Cranberry and Powell Lake, in addition to the surrounding islands.
Not only will you see beautiful plant life, and possibly small wildlife along
the way, but if you bring your “valentine" you
might be able to share a kiss in a true tribute to Valentine’s day! See www.discoverpowellriver.com for
more information.
Get out the khaki hat and safari suit – in fleece that is! Start planning
the safari of a lifetime, only you don’t have to worry about malaria
and unknown jungle species for this one. Head out on a Snowshoe Safari in Joffre
Lakes Provincial Park and the Matier Glacier, and take in such spectacular
scenery, you may be hard pressed to find its rival. Whistler Cross Country
Ski & Hike and the Coast Mountain Guides are based in Whistler and will
lead you headlong into the heart of winter. Your guide will help you to track
animals, examine all types of winter ecology, and get a great workout on snowshoes.
Well, maybe you won’t see zebras, but you are guaranteed an experience
not to be missed when visiting the future region of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games. See www.whistlerski-hike.com for
information.
