New posts will be hosted on WordPress

Dear all,

I've noticed that some of you have not changed your RSS feeds, changed your bookmarks and updated your blogrolls. I just wanted to say that in the future my posts will be hosted at:

http://hummingbird604.wordpress.com

I have imported all of my posts from Blogger on to WordPress, so even if you liked an old post of mine, you will still be able to find it on my WordPress site. So, please make sure to check that one.

Thanks so much for your continued support and readership!
Raul

Testing the waters I: From Blogger to WordPress

It's kind of ironic. Now that I've gained a more-or-less steady readership, and I'm on a few blogrolls (thank you guys for adding me!), I'm in the process of switching from Blogger to WordPress. A couple of days ago I imported my posts (it seems that even though WordPress says that only 500 out of my 622 blog posts were imported, I kind of can't see which ones weren't). And I can see most of the comments even though the converter says none of the comments were transferred.

So, go check my WordPress blog (it's pretty much the same content as here) and if you could, leave a comment or a trackback. I'm trying to see how it works. For the time being, most likely I'll be cross-posting (e.g. posting here AND there) to avoid potential surprises -- please don't change your blogrolls just yet, give me a few days to adjust. .

So, Matt Mullenweg and WordPress, here I come :)

Blogging from Flickr

the clock mt pleasant
From the Flickr photostream of Raul P-V (Rolex)

Given the number of entries I've posted on this blog (nearing 600!), you'd think I'm more of a geek than I admit to be. Well, not really. My good friends are usually the ones I run to, asking for advice on "how should I sync my iPod with my computer?" or even the super lame "I can't get my GMail to talk to my Flickr".

Anyhow, I have managed to link my Flickr to my Blogger pages and now I can blog a photograph directly from my Flickr photostream. Nomade Moderne suggested in a recent comment that I should find a way to add the Creative Commons license to my site and to my Flickr account so that people can use my photographs and content and link back to it. I think that his idea is pretty smart and I have started doing that, now that I have a bit more time. I am not 100% sure I have the right license on my Flickr account, but I think that the right one is here in my blog.

I have also increased the number of photographs on my blog posts, not only to make them look pretty (although they are nowhere near as pretty as some of my fellow bloggers!), but also to start transitioning from Blogger Padawan to Blogger Jedi. And yes, I know... that transition may require WordPress! :)

Upcoming event - Vancouver Blogger Meetup January 2008

I have been trying to attend one of the Vancouver Blogger Meetups and haven't had a chance to do it (been out of town, triple-booked, etc.) At any rate, I just checked the link (it says the event is full, but I don't care - I am still going to show up). Here are the details, as shown on the Vancouver Blogger Meetup website.

When: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Where: Our Town Cafe, 245 E. Broadway, Vancouver , BC V5T 1W4

I hope to see a few of the bloggers whom I have chatted with on email there.

4TheRcrd is officially launching tonight!

Jark is the strong force behind 4TheRcrd. Tonight (Dec 29th, 2007) is the launch party at The Wild Coyote, co-hosted by Phreshvibe. Details can be found here. I like the concept and I'm very much looking forward to seeing great stuff on the blog/magazine. Sleek and sexy design and layout, I think 4TheRcrd.com will be a good addition to the blogosphere.

I am so sorry I'm not there for the launch, but well, can you blame me? Beautiful views, gorgeous architecture and warm and sunny weather... I'll be back in Vancouver soon enough! Congratulations to the 4TheRcrd.com team!

I've made it big!

You know you've made it big on Vancouver's blogosphere when Rebecca (AKA Miss604) adds you as Best Blog in 2007 (Restaurant Reviews). I can't tell you how humbled and amazed I feel about this distinction. Thanks Rebecca! I have poured my heart into this blog, and have really appreciated getting to know new readers and fellow bloggers.

Interestingly enough, I've started noticing an increase in readership outside of Canada. A few people from the United States have started following my blog, and I feel quite excited. Normally, I know my readership is usually Canada-based or Mexico-based (for obvious reasons). But now I've got new readers (welcome!) that aren't based in either country. I even know that someone reads me from India!

Hope you had a wonderful Boxing Day. I spent today travelling with my brother, his family, my Mom and ML (around the beautiful city of Guanajuato). I will tell you about my adventures as soon as I am really exhausted. We all are. But we had a wonderful day. Let me leave you with a panoramic view of this beautiful city [Photo credit: AboutGuanajuato.com].

Nearly 500!

I started blogging in April of 2006, primarily as an outlet for pseudo-scientific thoughts I had. Then I realized that I enjoyed writing more than I thought I would, particularly writing up about stuff that makes sense to me. Initially I read blogs just for the fun of it (and to keep up with what my good friend LM had been up to). Now I blog because I enjoy disseminating my thoughts to a broader audience.

JT2 equated my blog to Facebook. However, I indicated that I could see four types of people who read my blog:

1. Those who know me in real life, and who know that I have a personal life beyond work. Those friends of mine enjoy reading my adventures and my comings and goings. For them, my blog is a way to keep into a facet of my personal life that very few people see in my work life.
2. Those friends of mine who live far away and whose only method of knowing what I am up to. These friends really cherish seeing my "life abroad" through the lenses of my blog.
3. Local (Vancouver and surrounding areas) bloggers whom I've met through my blogging. These bloggers have become good friends and I really do cherish the opportunity to get to know them through the blogosphere (shout-outs to Keira-Anne, Rebecca, Paul, Keith, Jark, Erika, Jennifer, Darren, Tanya, Corinna, Meg, Marcela and Lino, Beatriz, Ana Laura, Carolina).
4. Random people who reach my blog by way of Google and then become hooked on my stuff. These are the ones I need to grow. I want more people who come to my blog and then decide "this kid writes good stuff" and then become hooked.

I am going to take a page of Meg's, Tanya's and Rebecca's books and do something fun for my 500th post. Not sure what just yet, but stay tuned. Since I'm not in Vancouver right now and won't be back until the first week of January 2008, I might not do an actual celebration, but I'll think of something.

In the mean time, I'll ask you all to tell me - what have you learned about Raul by way of reading my blog (and in the case of my outside-the-blogosphere friends, that you didn't already know)? Comments absolutely welcome.