Fabulous views of Tokyo at dusk are to be found at the Metropolitan Government Building Observation Tower on the 45th floor. I captured an image west of Shinjuku as we started our trip. What a cool city! ♥
Tokyo at dusk
Japanese doll window display
Tokyo craziness on Christmas night
Tokyo craziness on Christmas night
I enjoyed walking around Shibuya on Christmas day. So many crowds in shops it will make your head spin! When we went out in the evening for nightclubbing in Roppongi, we came across many revelers showing off their Christmas cheer and of course, the campy attempts at attention. In Shibuya, there were many impeccably made up girls in naughty Santa outfits around the world famous Shibuya crossing. At the above link is a motorcycle troupe wearing Santa outfits showing off and ripping it up in Shibuya. I only wish I were more adept at a digital camera to capture all the moments that intrigued me.
Lost in Translation
I am back from a very cool brief holiday in Japan! Having never been to Asia and raised in North America, it was a bit of a culture shock but a satisfying one because I love the thrill and excitement of city breaks.
I visited Tokyo and Kyoto in a whirlwind tour and noticed some interesting “Engrish” along the way. Although there wasn’t a lot of it, my senses were on alert for anything out of the ordinary. The words, the images and the sounds all contributed to sensory overload. Tokyo is sensory overload at all times! Kyoto was a slight contrast to the crazy, neon and concrete jungle of the Tokyo districts. I enjoyed a glimpse of traditional Japan, from the geisha and maiko to the the carefully preserved architectural displays in Kyoto. Both cities left an indelible imprint on my mind. I am reminded of my visit almost everywhere I go when I see cool technology!
This following week will see my photos posted along with further thoughts regarding my amazing trip. Please stay tuned..
Glossed Over blog: magazine critique
I <3 magazines. I have always admired the meeting of words and visuals in a tactile package that is the magazine. Surely the talk of the demise of traditional media makes the printed magazine all the more important, perhaps ephemeral. A thriving magazine is deemed prestigious in this hard to justify environment due to lackluster ad revenues and compelling content. I myself miss Jane magazine!
I admire magazines that seem to have a profitable business model along with unique offerings like Monocle. This magazine makes me feel like a temporary visitor in the world not only of men’s interest, but that of a cultured urban sophisticate surveying the global village. It’s a sometimes fleeting feeling and certainly not inexpensive. It begs the question: Can magazines make it in this hyper- evolving media landscape? Can magazines influence and change your perspective of the world?
Women’s magazines provide a view that I aspire to achieve and as a consumer of all things popular culture, it is ingrained in me to want the unattainable trappings of the women’s fashion magazine world. I am at once delighted to escape to this world that provides me with many hours of pleasure and reinforces my good taste and yet, I am perfectly aware that I will never be that persona I see on the page no matter what I purchase.
Glossed Over is a blog written by a former magazine editor, Wendy Felton, dedicated to breaking down the magazine rhetoric and messages, mostly to a female audience. She is unafraid to shine a light on the excess and hypocrisy, least of all the lack of representation of models, black or white or Asian that perpetuate in media today. I found some of her critique refreshing and useful though I don’t think I will stop reading my favourite fashion and lifestyle magazines like Vanity Fair, New York Times magazine and Purple anytime soon!
Let me know what your favourite magazines are. Join the conversation.
A World of Words: Vancouver International Writers Festival
The 23rd Vancouver International Writers Festival is coming to town October 19 – 24. Founded by Artistic Director Alma Lee, it is one of North America’s preeminent literary events.
Set in the heart of Vancouver at Granville Island, the festival has hosted such luminaries as JK Rowling, Salman Rushdie and Carol Shields. There is a focus on presenting undiscovered local Canadian writers as well as advancing literacy amongst young people with Spreading the Word, dedicated to access to great children’s writers to over 7000 youth.
If you love words and books, mingle amongst your fellow devotees at this festival and support local efforts at vibrant Granville Island.
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips
Want a quick guide to your grammar and usage questions? Try the Grammar Girl. In an easy to navigate website with archived tips, the Grammar Girl provides advice on grammar, punctuation, style and word choice. Created by Mignon Fogarty, this helpful website is also available on an iTunes podcast format, found here. Best of all, it’s free! Download it today for advice on the go. Or contact me today for advice and the attention to your work you deserve.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming..
Hello! I’m back from a short hiatus: learning during this great Vancouver summer. You can now anticipate more regular posts from me as I navigate my way through the communications world at SFU and beyond!
Convergence 2010, Wednesday May 26, 2010
I was fortunate to attend the conference on Wednesday to learn, network and be on the pulse of the digital marketing communications discipline. The focus of Convergence 2010 was on the newest and latest social media trends. Marketing professionals, tech enthusiasts and the media were all present. I found it appropriate when it was confirmed to me that Canadians were among the most social media heavy users in the world.
Opening keynote speaker, acclaimed author Marc Gobe, presented an insightful and inspirational view of emotional branding. Mr. Gobe believes that social media tools have different meanings to users: Twitter is for your head, Facebook is for your heart and Youtube is for your gut. It resonated with me especially when he proclaimed that people and not corporations own a brand. People feel a powerful emotional attachment to their favorite things and brands. To be a part of this favored status is to be a successful brand.
Panels on viral marketing, smartphones, mobile marketing and the much anticipated iPad rounded out the day. I enjoyed the videos made by Mark Malkoff, a filmmaker and comedian who famously lived in an IKEA for a week and employed guerrilla marketing to elevate their brand. I also enjoyed the awesome augmented reality device presented by Mr. Dominique – Sebastien Forest that accompanies the smartphone devices due out later this year.
The closing keynote by Dr. Ginger Grant, was very engaging and her approach to improving modern corporate culture by going back to our storytelling roots was eye opening. She is a great public speaker and utilized salient topics to convey her message in her presentation.
I attended a social reception at the pub after the conference wrapped. Although I felt it could be improved in terms of a networking experience as was advertised, I met some friendly people with great insights about their experience. I heard that I wasn’t the only student to attend the conference and some UBC business graduate school students were at Convergence. Although I went alone, it would have been useful for my school to sponsor a similar trip to the conference so students can stay abreast of current topics in marketing communications.
Overall, it was fascinating and entertaining to learn about the different approaches undertaken in this rapidly evolving new digital landscape. Hands on workshops may have elevated the experience so participants can come away with their own media strategies and enhance their education. I understood that there was a need to produce better stories to tell the audience and not a hard sell of the brands: to provide value instead of always selling will keep people talking about you. “Content is King but distribution is Queen”.