Geronimo Bie Canadian Boxer Documentary Movie

Before there was Manny Pacquiao there was Geronimo Bie, a Filipino Canadian boxer from Vancouver, BC…

I am very excited about my bro’s upcoming boxing documentary. Global News first aired his story: A local kid, the first Filipino Canadian boxer to box for the Canadian National team in the 1980s.

Help finish the movie by making a donation!

Check out the Indiegogo campaign:

OFFICIAL WEB http://www.geronimo-movie.com/
TRAILER http://youtu.be/llu4Jrf_K08
INDIEGOGO http://igg.me/at/GeronimoMovie/x/9318497

Thanks for reading (and thank you for donating!)

Gears of War 3 Launch Party

Brothers to the End

Vancouver, Canada – Gears of War fans were treated to free bandanas, air brush tattoos, locust skewers, and a chance to play horde mode with their ‘squads’ at the Gears of War 3 Launch Party (Sept 10, 2011).

Whether on twitter, through xbox live emails or just by word of mouth, Gears fans lined up at the docks in Vancouver for a chance to play Gears of War 3.

The vancouver docks at the foot of main street provided the perfect industrial setting for the event. They even had tubs of ‘used cooking oil’ sitting around. Props?

BBQ Locust station

Wood carver station

Those lucky enough to have tickets (earned if they visited the butcher – save-on-meats – for locust meat 2 days prior to the event), also got a free Gears T-shirt!

Is Locust meat kosher?

It was a really fun event and although there were lines, it moved fast. One fan in line-up even said that it was much better than the Gears of War line at this year’s PAX. Probably true as most lines at this year’s PAX were ridiculous.

The event was organized in a way that you move with your squad of 5 to the various stations. When you first arrive, and get through the first line, you receive your Gears of War bandana (and t-shirt if u have a ticket). And if you don’t have a group of 5 friends, you meet some random people and form a squad.

The ballot station is next. Here you enter a drawing for a wood carving of the gears logo. It was neat watching the wood carver at work.

Wood carver showcasing his carving skills. Wonder why he didn’t just use his lancer…

Once that’s done, you move on to the Air brush tattoo station where you get your very own tattoo. It’s the most popular game tattoo done apparently.

And then it’s off to the grub station where they gave us Locust meat on a skewer with a side of crickets.

Mmm that was some tasty locust..oh and the crickets weren’t bad either. Tasted like sunflower seeds.

We had to wait in two more lineups before we actually got to play the game. Each squad was given two chances to play starting on Wave 8. Our squad didn’t do that well, considering only a few of us even knew how to play. I remember having to revive my teammates more than a few times. But it was fun nonetheless. New weapons, levels and characters, Can’t wait to play more!

On your way out you could also choose to take your photo with the lancer in front of a green screen. And they also handed out free Energizer batteries for your controller! Woohoo!

 

The staff of the event were dressed in army gear with bloody noses etc. They said they didn’t advertise this event as much as their last launch because they feared masses of fans would show up like they did at the Halo launch.

Gears of War 3 comes out Sept 20th, 2011. Midnite launch at Cambie Best Buy, Sept 19th.

Olympics Weekend Recap

Women’s hockey, Olympic Medals and more…

It’s hard to believe that we are into the last week of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I’ve become accustomed to my new work schedule(earlier to avoid delays with our commute). The city is alive and exciting every day, practically 24/7. Bars, Restaurants and even the skytrain have extended service and there is no shortage of Pride for whichever country you are rooting for (Go Team Canada!!). What will it feel like for everything to just go back to ‘normal’? Maybe we’ll all feel a sense of withdrawal.

There are still the Paralympics in a few weeks,  although it’s not as popular as the Olympics. In my opinion, however, Paralympic athletes are that much more courageous and inspirational because they are competing despite the challenges they face in their daily lives. I think I’ll probably check out sledge hockey or another event.

More Olympic Highlights
Saturday Night we checked out a Women’s hockey game (Russia vs. Slovakia) at Thunderbird stadium, located on the University of British Columbia campus (my alma mater!).
We arrived just as the first period was getting under way. As we got to our seats we were told that we would be moving because the nosebleed seats I bought had an obstructed view. We ended up being moved right behind the goal! Damn that was my lucky day ^_^ Russia ended up winning and it was a pretty exciting game with lots of energy from the crowd!

Sunday, we braved the 4.5 hour line to see (and touch) the Olympic medals at the Royal Canadian Mint. This is the first time in the history of the games that the public has had a chance to actually get that close to the medals. 6 medals were on display, Gold, Silver and Bronze for the Olympics and the Paralympics.

Each uniquely designed medal thicker and heavier than I expected. The medals are also wavy instead of flat, and that was all part of what the artist wanted to represent the mountains and oceans of the country. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

What would you do with a million dollars?

The Olympic Medals!!

The beautiful Olympic Cauldron stays lit for the duration of the games.

Team Canada lost to Team USA in Hockey yesterday in a stunning upset 5-3. Canadians everywhere were silent after the loss and even this morning at work, the hockey game was the first topic we discussed. Hopefully tomorrow they will be up to the challenge of Germany and then Russia (ovechkin!) on Wednesday.

Good luck Team Canada!!!

Check out some awesome Olympics video by Albertart

Winter Olympics 2010 – First week

Weather is not something we can control…

Okay, so foreign and local press have said that there have been so many things going wrong at the Winter games that it may be worst games ever… You know what, weather isn’t something that can be controlled. AND there’s really no denying that Vancouver is the place to be for the next couple of weeks, rainy weather or not. The Winter games though far from imperfect, has made the city come to life with so much to see and do. So they’ve had more than a few glitches…I think the city is compensating for those glitches, fixing what they can as they go. And Yes, the typical Vancouver rain was hanging around the first few days, causing issues up in Whistler, but the sun now continues to shine, let’s hope it stays that way into next week.

So many free things to do also means many line ups for food, to get into venues, or the Olympic Store downtown. It’s like an outdoor concert, which spans across the entire downtown core. It also means a ridiculous increase in food/drink prices and events being at capacity. But if you are willing to wait in those hour long sometimes longer, lineups you will be treated to a live band, food+drink and a great atmosphere. Where else can you party with people from around the world?

Unlike many lucky people who took vacation during this time, I have to work during the games, so I try to stream the daily action and listen to the audio. After work it’s off to meet friends, enjoy the free pavilions or just watch some Olympic action. Have yet to attend an Olympic event but looking forward to a Women’s Hockey game this weekend! Every night it’s been packed at the different ‘houses’  and pavilions. But I am not about to go out every night. I’d prefer to be smart about it. With some places charging 18% gratuity (Cactus Club is among them), and $8 beer, $8-12 burgers, it totally adds up and isn’t necessarily worth it.

Here are some tips when walking around the pavilions:

• dress warmly, gloves, toque(or beanie if you’re American), good walking shoes
• bring cash, noone takes your plastic at the tents
• camera to take photos
• wear your colors, whatever country you want to support

Enjoy your stay and the Winter games!

The Spill Canvas playing with Meg & Dia, PlayRadioPlay and Idiot Pilot

Local Event: Vancouver, BC, Concert @ the Croatian Cultural Centre

Last Thursday, October 18th, the Croatian Cultural Centre was definitely the place to be to hear some great music. The smaller, more intimate venue gave the fans a chance to see their favorite bands up close and even meet them after the show. The typical rainy Vancouver weather didn’t stop the enthusiastic crowd from coming out to the early show.

Starting things off for the evening was Idiot Pilot, followed by PlayRadioPlay. Both bands treated the audience to the ambient sounds of rock mixed with electronic/Indie pop tunes. The highly anticipated band, Meg & Dia — one part Meg (Guitarist) & Dia (vocalist) and one part Nicholas, Jonathan and Carlo (drummer, Guitarist and bassist) didn’t slow things down with their performance. In addition to their well known tracks including Monster, Masterpiece and Cardigan Weather, they played two never performed songs, one of which was called “Best Friend Girlfriend”. They recently joined the tour, having previously toured with Spill Canvas during Warped Tour. Headlining the show, The Spill Canvas kept the audience satisfied with their performance despite an equipment malfunction in the middle of their set. Bandmember Nick (vocals), was able to continue the song, serenading the crowd with just an acoustic guitar. Excellent recovery!

Sisters, Meg and Dia

Meg signing autographs for excited fans.

The Spill Canvas

Nick Thomas on Vocals

It was great to see all the support for these Indie bands. Good luck on the rest of your tour and thank you for such an enjoyable show!
Their fall tour continues…The Spill Canvas + Meg & Dia will be touring for the rest of this month and next. They will be visiting a few more cities in Canada and even more cities in the States. Be sure to check them out on tour!

Vancouver International Digital Festival, VIDFEST 2007

The 4th annual VIDFest kicks off this weekend at the Vancouver International Film Centre. The Digital Festival attracts those working in the various areas of digital media, from games and digital entertainment to animation and mobile applications. But it is not just for the ’employed’, the event features a recruiting fair and plenty of networking parties. Conference sessions, seminars and film screenings, like that of the 4 hour film shot in Vancouver, “Sanctuary”, are just a few other things to look for at this year’s festival.

Organizers:

The Festival is produced by New Media BC and aided by an Advisory Board and Program Committee. New Media BC is a not-for-profit full service agency. We represent the digital media industry at large and implement strategic projects derived from ongoing dialogue and consultation with our sector.