Hi, I'm Jeff. I'm the most recent addition to the Raincity Studios team, taking on the role of Marketing Director, and have just relocated to Vancouver from Montreal. It's only been a couple of weeks and I'm just starting to get acclimated to the city, but my experience thus far has been great. I thought I'd share a few things I've learned about the city so far:

5. Vancouver has a (Beautiful) Reputation

It may not be the best gauge of place, but you can learn a lot about a city by what people tell you when they find out you're moving there. Sure, this kind of assessment is bound to be full of stereotypes; I received several comments about organic food, lulu lemon and general fondness towards the caliber of homegrown decriminalized products. But more than anything, Vancouver seems to be a city that is admired by people everywhere. It falls into the category of "Canadian cities people outside of Canada have heard of" and I often received the same response: "oh, I've always wanted to go there - I've heard it's soooo beautiful!" Well, it's true. Vancouver is beautiful. Even on an gloomy overcast morning, knowing the mountains are just beyond the clouds and ocean's a stone's throw away makes up for it all.

4. Everyone has an opinion on the Olympics

Arriving at the vancouver airport, it's overwhelmingly apparent to any visitor that the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming to Vancouver. From the ubiquitous Inukshuk to the giant sized LED olympic rings that greet you as you're leaving, the airport, like the city, seems painted in olympic colours. And all of this excitement has indeed stirred up a bit of controversy as anticipated costs are beginning to soar and locals residents are voicing their concerns over how the city will be impacted during and after the games.

While the opinions about the games are mixed, everyone I meet at least seems to have one. Some people are very enthusiastic and excited about the attention the games will bring Vancouver while others are more critical of the effect the games will have on the city and local culture. While both sides may never be completely happy with how the games turn out, it's encouraging to at least see so many people engaged and aware of what's happening. Coming off of the last summer olympics in Beijing where media coverage was problematic, I'm excited to see how Vancouver is going to pull this off and hopeful about opportunities for social media creators to record and share their olympic experience. The more people who have an opinion, the more people will be engaged and the more people will participate and help to shape the character of these games and influence how they will be remembered.

3. Vancouver is on the Internets

And hopefully, many of those olympic experiences will be shared online. My introduction to Raincity Studios and the city of Vancouver was during the 2009 Northern Voice personal blogging and social media conference held this past February at UBC. While conference attendees came from all over, there were plenty of locals and it was a great opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting folks from the ever-active Vancouver blogging community. Everyone was incredibly friendly and it made for a lot of great conversations. Since then I've been trying to get a feel for the city by reading local blogs like Miss604, Vancouver is Awesome and Vancity Buzz. I love seeing the this kind of local media flourish and I've been encouraged by many of the cultural initiatives around networked technologies I've seen taking place in town. The Fearless City project is the kind of stuff that really gets me excited and there are going to be some great opportunities for local innovation coming out of the forthcoming W2 Community Media Arts Centre. I like a city where this kind of social media creation is helping shape the local culture and lived experiences of its residents.

2. Vancouverites Work Hard and Play Harder

I've really enjoyed my introduction to Raincity Studios and I've learned quickly that the good people in the office like to work hard and play harder. I've enjoyed the active cycling culture and observing the pride people taking in making their way around city using pedal power. I also had the chance to make it up to Whistler and catch some good snow before it was all gone. I've quickly come to appreciate the benifet of living so close to nature. I'm inspired by hearing the outdoor adventure stories of my colleagues and very impressed with all the activity in the streets.

1. A Touch of West Coast Optimism

Okay, I feel like it's a bit cliché to mention the rain in Vancouver again, but I think it says something about the people here. I obviously arrived during the very rainy spring season, but I can't tell you how many people have told me not to judge the city by what I'm experiencing now - "just wait until the summer," they say. And like everyone else here, I have no problem waiting. I know a rainy day in Vancouver is still much nicer than a -35 snowstorm in Montreal or a windchill in Alberta that will freeze your eyelids shut. Perhaps that's one of the nice things about Vancouver: even on its worst day, there's always somewhere else in the country that has got it worse. And the mantra, "just wait until summer", is always said with such assurance and optimism. In tough economic times, it feels good to be around people who are still expecting a bright future. A good attitude can go a long way.

Vancouver has a lot to look forward to in the next year and I'm really excited to be here and experience as much of it as I can. I can't think of better place to be and I feel privileged to have joined this great team at Raincity Studios. Everyone has been very welcoming and has made me feel right at home here at the office. And perhaps my experience of Vancouver has been greatly influenced by this interesting bunch of people, but I'm thankful for the insight they've offered and excited about the future here in Vancouver.