It is only 30 days until Christmas, and only one week before the holiday decorations go up in the Guesthouse to create the festive cheer our guests love. The past few years we have shared our holiday with many ‘orphans’ from around the world, as well as those who have travelled to Nanaimo to visit friends and family. Our annual Christmas Eve Orphans celebration is a fun event for young and old, including potluck dinner, optional Secret Santa and fun seasonal storytelling.

On Thursday 28th of October, 3 days before Halloween, we had a Pumpkin Carving contest at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse, fancy dress welcome!

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Little Lachlan with Anna & Kat"][/caption] It was Sunday the 9th of October 2010.

Little turtle Anna saw the light of the day in a German town called Stuttgart. She lived in a very nice lake area with her family and friends.

Hello, Hello :) I am Katharina and I am one of your hosts at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse since the 1st September 2010. I am going to stay here for six months experiencing the great ambiance at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse, in Nanaimo and on the whole of Vancouver Island! Hopefully, I will also have the time to visit some parts of the Canadian mainland, before I will return to Germany where I originally come from. At home, I am studying English and French - so Canada is the best place for me to be!

One of the most energetic newsletters you can subscribe to is William Jans. If you have not experienced his energy, joi de vivre, or amazing travel photography - you are really missing out.

Whoooooah girl! I went to Social Media Bootcamp in Victoria, BC earlier this week and it has me brimming with energy.  You can now talk to me about hash tags, checking-in, Mayorships, tweetups, Foursquare, Yelp, Scott Stratten, augmented reality and manufactured serendipity...and I would know what you're talking about.  I also have 10 solid fabulous ideas on how to effectively use social media to 'engage' with customers of the Painted Turtle Guesthouse.   It truly was a conference full of both big picture ideas and practical applications for business.  I jotted down what I took away from this supercharged event, so keep reading and click to download my notes.

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT From: ANewsVanIsland | October 05, 2010 Local Travel Writer Produces Vancouver Island Visitor Guide for I-Phone NAN

By Caralyn Campbell, Vancouver Sun October 2, 2010 Fifteen minutes after takeoff from Seair's Fraser River terminal, our float plane taxied up to the dock in Nanaimo Harbour. Nanaimo is a hardworking Cinderella of a city -- overlooked, undervalued and overshadowed by a royal city sister. For me, it was little more than a place to pass through on the way to somewhere else. Not any more. After a tour of the recently revitalized downtown core, with expert guide and third generation Nanaimoite Chelsea Barr, this little city won my heart. Downtown Nanaimo has a refreshingly simple bygone-era, small-town style, with an energetic cultural vibe that is palpable.

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 - Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 Saturday Dance Film and Panel: 7:30 pm Sunday Workshop: 11 am The show must go on! That's the decision of Crimson Coast and choreographer Susanna Hood after a recent injury caused the production to be changed from a live performance to a presentation of the professionally edited film version of She's Gone Away. The opening performance of Crimson Coast Dance Society’s new season will dive deeply into the light and shadow of human sexual experience in this film version of the the award-winning production “She’s Gone Away” by Toronto choreographer and dancer, Susanna Hood. Her very recent injury now prevents her from presenting a live performance tour and she has honoured her commitment to be in Nanaimo where Crimson Coast will present this film version of the dance on the big screen.