Author’s Note: “Águas de Março” is this blog post’s official soundtrack. Please press play and enjoy!

It may sound wrong to you, but in my mind, the year only starts after my birthday! I grew up in Brazil with the idea that everything starts after Carnival, which usually happen 40 days before Easter. School, new projects, jobs, all serious things are kept (unofficially) on hold from Christmas to March. Coincidentally, March is also when the rainy season starts in Rio de Janeiro, bringing with it the end of the Summer. My birthday falls in the second week of March, so it always made sense to me that the year starts after my personal solar revolution.

But, what if you are an immigrant in a country where Carnival is only a warm and intriguing BBC TV segment? What if your internal clock doesn’t make sense to your Canadian family and coworkers? Well… I am still going through some adaptation, although 2010 was the first year that I completely forgot about Carnival and summer in Brazil . The Olympics and an overwhelming start to 2010 kept me busy enough during this first quarter.

I still like the idea that the year starts after March 11th though. 2010 could have started without a stressful identity theft episode (blog post to come) and a really exhausting trip to Brazil and back (another blog post). I am sorry that I am taking a little bit longer to catch up, but you won’t regret it if you stay tuned. Happy 2010!

Happy New Year: The Reality of a Brazilian Lost Between Two Countries is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

The Olympics are officially over. For 17 days, Canadians came together to celebrate the Olympic spirit and show to the world some patriotism. We were together on twitter, wrote enthusiastic blog posts about our Olympic experience, and discussed media and technology in conferences and pub gatherings around Vancouver. But, what’s next?

Today, the Canadian men’s hockey team gave us one of the most important gold medals of the Games. And that was our excuse to  high-five every single stranger that we saw on the streets. We are still celebrating our colours like there is no tomorrow, feeling patriotic, energized and strongly proud to be Canadian. However, we know that tomorrow morning our lives will go back to normal and there will be a need to cope with such unexpected patriotic energy. So, what are you going to do with your maple leafed heart?

I suggest that we transfer this new perspective to our involvement in our communities and in politics. The Olympics redirected the eyes of the whole world to Vancouver. We effectively publicized ourselves to an international audience, but like any product or service, we will need to deliver our promises soon.

Patriotism’s real meaning is to get involved in situations to attempt to find a solution. It means that you’ll vote even though you’re not obliged to, it means that you’ll take part in your city, your province, your country. Now that we have found ourselves as a nation, let’s act as one and make Canada the best place on Earth!

Go Canada Go!

Vancouver 2010: We Are a Nation! is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Photo Credit: Clayton Perry on Flickr

In the past week, several videos have been produced or gained the spotlight for showcasing our beautiful British Columbia.  After 9 days of Winter Olympics, I came up with this small selection. Enjoy!

Video Credit: Government of B.C.

Thanks to internet, “Vancouver City” came to life. Serge Chubinsky-Orlov and Linda Ganzini had a song without a video; David and Dan Newcomb had a time-lapse video that they didn’t know what to do but decided to post on youtube. The rest is history…

Great time-lapse video of the Vectorial Elevation light-show. You can suggest a design to this collective art installation here.

Video Credit: Jon Rawlinson Productions

Another sneak preview of the Colbert Report in Vancouver. Stephen Colbert and Michael Bublé sing the Canadian Anthem to the tune of the National American Anthem.

If you are not in Vancouver, but want to see live what is happening here, here is Robson Square LIVE! (via @Miss604)

You can also watch the Olympic Flame LIVE from Vancouver Convention Centre.

STREAMING LIVE FROM VANCOUVER BC CANADA via Megasoft DVB

Vancouver 2010: You Gotta Be Here! is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad and Canada Code are inviting people from all over the world to be part of its virtual stadium and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony. Brazil is the 11th country in number of submissions, but Canada Code wants to portrait a multicultural world in its virtual stadium and needs your help!

A Comissão de Turismo Canadense (CTC), 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olimpiad e sua edição de relacionamento virtual Canada Code promovem  o seu estádio virtual até o final dos jogos de inverno. Esta é a oportunidade perfeita para quem não pôde comparecer às Olimpíadas de inverno em Vancouver, mas quer participar de alguma forma desta festa. O Brasil é o décimo primeiro país em número de fotos enviadas, mas como brasileira, eu sei que a gente pode mais! Quem sabe a gente não ganha esta medalha?

To submit your picture, visit virtualstadium2010.com. Make sure that your file is not bigger than 1MB and features your best smile. I am at section 16, row M, seat 81. See you there!

Para enviar a sua foto basta seguir o passo-a-passo no virtualstadium2010.com. O arquivo escolhido deve ter no máximo 1MB e retratar o seu melhor sorriso. Assim que a sua foto for aprovada, você pode visitar o site do Code Canada e checar aonde a sua foto foi publicada. Depois disso é só tocer para que a sua foto seja uma das escolhidas para povoar a cerimônia de encerramento das Olimpíadas de inverno de 2010. Boa Sorte!

Vancouver 2010: Virtual Stadium 2010
Vancouver 2010: Ajude a Povoar o Estádio Virtual da Festa de Encerramento dos Jogos de Inverno is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

This morning, a warm Vancouverite crowd welcomed the Colbert Report show to the 2010 Winter Olympics host city. By 7:00am, hundreds of people started to line up for the Colbernation stage at Creekside Park next to Science World. The live recording started after 10:30am, giving lots of time to the show’s stage manager to “train” Colbert’s audience and speak about his connection to our city.

If you missed the chance to see Michael Bublé and Stephen Colbert today, you’ll can come tomorrow after 9:15am and be part of the second day of the Colbert Report show in Vancouver. Don’t forget to dress warm!

To help to spread the word about this major event, Colbernation’s website advises fans to download the exclusive comemorative poster and post it all over Vancouver.

Vancouver 2010: Stephen Colbert, Michael Bublé and Vancouverites is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Science World has become a great Russian House. Thanks to my friend Veronica Rivas, Raul Pacheco and I had full access to the Russian Sochi 2014 House and the opportunity to mingle with Russians and people from all around the world.

Photo Credit: Sochi2014.com

The set up of the Sochi 2014 Russian House effectively brought a taste of Russian culture to Vancouver along with the spirit of  Sochi, the next host city of the Olympic Winter Games. Organized in different lounges, the house showcases Sochi 2014’s partners and sponsors.

The Russian virtual hosts were the high point for me. Even though the house hasn’t explored all the interactive possibilities that a virtual display could provide, it was well done and unexpected.

Speaking of interactivity, the Sochi 2014 Russian House has several activities for the little ones. Of course, they are all related to a passion shared by both Russians and Canadians. Hockey.

Raul was really impressed with the media centre. I found it the ideal place to work and keep up with all the Olympic events.

Merchandise is already available at Bosco Sport. No line-ups if you’re thinking of supporting Team Russia during the 2010 Olympic games or want to get prepared for 2014.

Sochi 2014 Russian House cultural program is outstanding. We’ve watched Dimithy Kalinin’s Palalaika show and it was mindblowing. Click here, for more information about upcoming concerts and shows.

The Sochi 2014 Russian House is open from 12:00pm – 5:00pm to the public and it’s free. The evening program is available to accredited guests only.

Vancouver 2010: Sochi 2014 Russian House is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Another day of Olympic crazinesss in Vancouver! Another day of exciting discoveries!

On our tour on Graville Street we discovered that the Vogue Theatre (918 Granville Street) will be screening Today all the Olympic competitions for free. Tomorrow, daily tickets will be sold for $25.oo and tickets for the gold medal games will be available for $57.00. Vogue Theatre will donate $5.00 and $7.00 to the Red Cross for each day pass and gold medal tickets sold.  Weekly and all Olympic passes are also available, click here for more information.

Veronica Heringer-Ames and Shane Koyczan on Graville Street. Photo Credit: Vida Portatil

On our way to the cauldron, we bumped into Shane Koyczan, the Olympics opening ceremony poet, on Granville Street. Actually, I should say that we bumped into his fans first, then we saw who was the reason of the commotion. Koyczan is a simple guy from Penticton and seems a little bit suprised by his new celebrity status. He said on an interview to The Globe and Mail that this is a “sort of instant recognition” of a 12-year long career. Koyczan will perform soon in Vancouver. He told me that information about his upcoming shows will be posted on his Facebook group.

It was dark when we got to the Olympic cauldron. The streets close to the IBC were completely taken. I might confess that the big fence that separates the public from the cauldron annoys me. Again, if I am paying for it, I should be allowed to touch it!

Vancouver is a big colourful party. There are artists everywhere and the energy is contagious. You gotta be here!

Vancouver 2010: Vogue Theatre, Shane Koyczan and The Olympic Cauldron is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Ipanema and Winston in a morning snuggle. Photo Credit: Vida Portatil on Flickr

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in February is a little bit strange for me. In Brazil, Valentine’s Day (Dia dos Namorados) is celebrated every year on June 12th. We do exactly the same things that Canadians do: we wake up our significant other with a long kiss, go for dinner with him/her and order a bottle of good wine, and exchange gifts.

On my first Valentine’s Day in Canada, Mr. Ames took me to a jewerly store and ask me to choose my engagement ring. Mr. Ames has a really black sense of humour and I seriously thought that it was a really bad joke at the time, so on my first Valentine’s Day in Canada I also had my first fight with my forever valentine. But once he convinced me that it was for real, we had fun (I am supposing he had) picking out my engagement ring.

Mr. Ames and I got married 11 days later. I know, it was a really long engagement, we were really cautious before signing the papers.

It’s Valentine’s Day! Get out there and make this day special for your valentine! If he/she is the one, let him/her know about it! Life is too short to question your heart!

Happy Valentine’s Day! is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Vancouver is the best place to be for the next two weeks. The energy, the events, the people, everything is so powerful in this city that for the first time I am feeling overwhelmed.

Imagine1day did a great job in promoting a really successful flashmob on Robson street today. Mr. Ames, Sarah Ruediger and I watched over 3,000 people dancing happily for a brief 3 minutes from Cin Cin’s balcony.

After a great lunch, we kept our adventure in Downtown Vancouver and decided to behave like tourists in our own city.

Yaletown has been lots of fun as well. People who live here are taking over the streets and partying like there is no tomorrow (and God, I love to watch everybody having fun out there!).

There are also artists entertaining whoever is on the streets. Things are hot here and Vancouver is having a great time welcoming the world!

(Yes, we saw The Bay’s broken window… and yes, there were protesters everywhere.)

Vancouver 2010: Dancing in the Street and Yaletown is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World

Torch relay, day #106, bearer #43: Howe and Robson Street. Photo Credit: Vida Portatil on Flickr

It’s on! The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic games have officially started, and what a great day the Heringer-Ames family had yesterday. We woke up early to see the last day of the torch relay and had lots of fun watching the Olympic flame passing by us.

Photo Credit: Vida Portatil on Flickr

It’s Carnival week in Rio de Janeiro, but apparently the Province of British Columbia has the best party happening in the word. My city is wearing red and white, people are having fun on the streets and an interesting cultural program is a temptation to whoever is in Vancouver right now. Check out the Cultural Olympiad program and visit CityCaucus.com to find some free stuff to do in Vancouver.

Mr. Ames and I tried really hard to find a place in Downtown Vancouver to watch the opening ceremony, but all the restaurants and venues that were showing it were either packed or had a 3 hour wait list. Our home with Megabite Pizza ended up being the best option, but the crowd effect was still missing, so we decided to log in to Twitter.  And yes… that was the best idea ever!

I wish I had created an event, so I could share the comments here with you. I can assure you that they were brilliant and funny! If you’re interesting in reading what Vancouverites and visitors are saying about the Olympic games, the most popular hash tags are #van2010 and #Vancouver2010.

Shane Koyczan stole my heart during the opening ceremony. I’ve watched a lot of people interpreting poetry, but this guy is so far the best that I’ve ever seen!

(I tried to get the official video of Koyczan through CTV’s website but it’s just impossible. I promise to post it here when it gets to youtube!)

Mr.Ames and I are heading down to Robson Street, between Bute and Thurlow, to watch the Dancing in the Street flashmob at 3:30pm. See you there!

Vancouver 2010: Torch Relay, Twitter and Opening Ceremony is a post from: Madame Heringer's Little World