Tag Archives: community

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is in Full Bloom!

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Images by Allison Blake

I first learned about the Japanese tradition of Cherry Blossom festivals, or Hanami, during an undergraduate course in the philosophy of aesthetics. I heard about how everyone would take time out from their busy schedules to sit under the trees and immerse themselves in the beauty of the pink blossoms. We discussed how the beauty of the blossoms has as much to do with their fleeting presence as to do with their exquisite appearance. This awareness of the transience of the blossoms themselves and the happiness we derive from their splendor is described in the Japanese aesthetic term “Mono no aware” or “an empathy toward things”. This is an enduring concept in Japanese cultural and aesthetic traditions.

I have always looked forward to and admired the Cherry Blossom season, which is particularly rich in Vancouver thanks to many trees received as gifts from Japan. My parents have a cherry blossom tree that for years served as an exceptional climbing tree and a fortress of sorts. I remember climbing it while it was in bloom, and how I could be completely concealed within the cloud of soft blossoms. Now, every year the first budding cherry trees fill me with anticipation for when warmer, sunnier days will slowly but steadily start to beat back the gray damp walks to and from the Skytrain on my daily commute. I know that the cherry trees will only bloom for a short time, and by the time they are gone, I will be enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin once again!

Until I learned about the Japanese traditions surrounding this season, I had never really considered how brief a time we really have to enjoy these particularly pretty trees in the span of a year. Learning more about the aesthetic and philosophical traditions surrounding the trees deepened my appreciation of these natural art forms. I can’t help but consider how their slow emergence, or sometimes sudden appearance, transform a familiar landscape much the same way a piece of public art can change the experience of a familiar place.

The fluffy blossoms spanning every shade between fuchsia and white are even more moving when grouped together. There are countless streets lined with the blossoms and the VCBF website has 900 suggestions of places to visit and walks to take to appreciate the blossoms in all their glory. They even include updates of when a particularly popular area is no longer in bloom so that you don’t end up disappointed.

My particular favourite  spot is one I visit 5 times a week, twice a day. The entrance to Burrard Sky Train station is a tiered garden lined with rows of cherry blossoms and Magnolias. On nice days, the sun shines through the blossoms illuminating them like a forest of lights! As the buds continue to multiply, so do the number of people who stop to take photos, or simply to sit beneath them and bask in their magnificence for a while. I highly suggest you do the same. It is simply breathtaking. It is one of the best art shows of the year.

Patrick Lacroix – The Community Historian

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Who are you?

Identity is a process, no? Quite briefly, then, the process has made of me a happy graduate of Bishop’s University and Brock University, a graduate of history programs in both cases. I am also a product of Cowansville, located an hour’s drive east of Montreal. (I may or may not resent the latter’s accidental proximity to my hometown; to quote Graham Chapman’s King Arthur, “’tis a silly place!”) When I am not making unnecessary references to British film culture, I work as reporter in and around Cowansville for The Record, Quebec’s only non-Montreal-based daily English-language newspaper. Of course, one would expect there to be only one of those. Next fall I will be pursuing doctoral studies in History at the University of New Hampshire.

What do you do for fun?

Through the better part of the last decade I have sought, in my spare time, to address the deficiencies of my formal education. The most glaring omissions are literary: only recently have I become acquainted with Dumas, Faulkner, Maugham, Swift, and Zola. While I cannot minimise the enjoyment of conversations and occasional (er, yes, occasional) mischief with some very close friends, the fun I take away from intellectual pursuits fulfils a deep, visceral need. Some people, in addition, have the luxury of visiting exotic locales all around the world; I immerse myself in philosophy and history and at times I build, quite discreetly, an extremely abstract world that suits only me. Thrust into an exotic setting I would find a way to escape to a plane of pure ideas… I am an odd duck.

What is your favourite community? Why?

I wish I could cite that ancient order of errant scholars who travel far and wide in the process of acquiring and disseminating knowledge – most universities have been and remain model United Nations by the diversity of their teaching corps. But of course, scholarly pettiness and intellectual pride have interceded, a sign perhaps that knowledge and wisdom are of two perfectly distinct species. My favourite community, then? I care deeply for my dear old Cowansville and its familiar faces, and the community I found at Bishop’s University, in Lennoxville, was beyond all expectations. In fact the sense of shared identity and mutual affinity at Bishop’s was unlike any other personal experience I might recall, and it taught me the many definitions of community. Yes, let’s say Bishop’s. ‘Tis a silly place as well as a sophisticated web of blooming individualities. (Perhaps should we consider putting that on the university crest.)

What is your superpower?

I am a committed seeker of knowledge, but my superpower would rather be that of expression. It is one thing to absorb, to amass information, and quite another to make sense of it, so as to ultimately share it without being redundant or reductive. While most superpowers must be used sparingly and with great caution, while literary inclinations are often misused and abused, I relish opportunities to harness language to thought, to put pen to paper, and offer a new vision, a new voice.

How do you use it to build community?

As a reporter for The Record, I use my pen to give expression to public trustees, small businesses, local community organisations, and concerned citizens. As an historian, I use my pen to give expression to ghosts – or so I would hope. I scour old, oft-dismissed documents and I find faint voices, rising, asking only to be carried forth into their future, our present. Readers need not worry; I have no interest in building a community of dead people… though I think I will have an advantage when the zombie apocalypse at long last strikes. Anyway, my point: community, like identity, is not a static fact, or a structure, but a process. Any present-day community exists in the past as much as it does in its acknowledged, tangible manifestations. Let forerunning voices speak, I say, and enlighten – in every sense of the word – the builders of today. Let there be a communion of the living and the dead in the interest of the former, a dialogue made only possible by the historian qua interpreter.

My Three Favourite Things About Patrick Are…

1. His favourite community! In spite of my incredible connection to – and powerful articulation-skills about – Bishop’s University, I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard the community described in such a perfect way: “‘Tis a silly place as well as a sophisticated web of blooming individualities.” Amazing.

2. Seeker, Amasser, and Expresser of Knowledge. Patrick seeks, amasses and expresses knowledge as a student of the most noble discipline in the humanities: History. He’s an Historian, too. The metaphor of giving his pen to ghosts is a great one. Patrick, for your noble pursuits of History – and your commitment to scouring the words of ghosts – I salute you.

3. So, He Made a Reference to the Zombie Apocalypse. I think that Patrick’s on to something with his idea of an Historian like himself colluding with ghosts to survive – if not lead – the Zombie Apocalypse. Pretty great. And this is all kinds of forward thinking genius.

- As told by John Horn

Jessica Pautsch – Positively Wooing Community

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Who are you?

Hello, I’m Jessica.  I’m still working on figuring that question out, but so far I’m a hopeful optimist, and an aspiring social entrepreneur volunteering to make cool community centric ideas into social profit ventures. Professionally, I am an aboriginal-industry engagement consultant that helps companies become more responsive to the communities in which they operate.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a big outdoor, food, eco, people, sport, and random encounters enthusiast.  So throw any of those into the equation and I generally have a good time.

What is your favourite community? Why?

I’m super lucky that my work, study, friends, and volunteer work expose me to so many interesting and dynamic communities in this city. The more I see the types of social organization here, the more I love this city.

This may sound nerdy but one of my favourite communities I’ve found is what’s been formed around the “social enterprise” movement.  This emerging community attracts socially and environmentally minded entrepreneurs who use business tools to create positive change in some aspect. People are supportive of other’s business efforts and often offer their experience to help build yours. That’s so cool!

What is your superpower?

If I love something, I benevolently coerce you into loving it too.

How do you use it to build community?

I love healthy communities.  I think that the number and type of connections you have with your social and physical environment ultimately determines your health and overall happiness. So, all of my professional and volunteer efforts have been geared towards creating positive connections between people and their environments. I started a non-profit called Eco Trek Tours with the intent to connect people to innovative environmental initiatives in their own back yards through fun, informative and affordable tours.  With my professional work, I’ve learned that financial independence is critical for First Nation self-determination and nation building, and so I use my role to help empower First Nations from the benefits of sensible resource development by building bridges between opportunity and need in responsible and collaborative ways.

My Three Favourite Things About Jessica Are…

1. The Power of WOO. The art of Winning Others Over can be used to achieve nefarious ends (never paying for anything, world domination, convincing others to do the wrong thing, etc.), so I’m pretty darn happy that Jessica uses her superpower – mindful passion that is convincingly contagious – to achieve positive, healthy and community-driven projects. Her “nerdy” love of the social enterprise community makes sense, too, as it takes both entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to persuade a diverse audience (investors, community-members, collaborators) to build and execute a common vision. And, well, when it all comes together its a beautiful thing!

2. Hardworking Team Spirit. I got to know Jessica on the football soccer field, where she is a force to be reckoned with. Jess brings the same kind of energy to sport as she does to work, and the team can always count on her to make plays and spark positive chatter with her hustle and willingness to throw herself into tough situations. And, when it comes to post-game-reflection, Jess is always well equipped with one or two timely, um, quips that reflect the kind of social intelligence that allows a person to speak with anyone, anywhere about anything. This is probably what makes Jessica such a great random encounters enthusiast.

3. She’s a Stylish Changemaker! Full disclosure: the “style” comment comes from my obversation that Jess can pull off colourful, possibly-Hawaiian, shorts on the soccer field and an argyle sweater vest during post-season-celebrations with unique aplomb. As for the changemaking, well, she lives it every day by engaging with First Nations communities for some of the most difficult and important conversations in this part of the world as well as, in her volunteer/”free” time, building community-minded enterprises that not only make a difference but, ideally, also an organization-sustaining profit. How she has the energy to play sports once a week is a superpower all on its own!

Dispatches from Silverstar (Part II)

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Photo courtesy of nonanet

Sitting 20 meters above a steep black diamond run on the back side of Silverstar, I watched in wonder as a tiny soul slowly but surely trooped up the hill (not down it as per usual) with skis slung on her shoulder. She was accompanied by a ski-patrol guy clad brightly in red. As the Powder Gultch chair lift rotated me closer and closer I recognized with a shock, that the little figure carrying her skis up the mountain was indeed my lovely red-headed wife. As I soon learned, after skiing for an entire day and a half on a green run called Far Out, she’d decided to diversify her “easy run experience” by trying out a new run – this one on the other-side of the mountain. This wouldn’t be a bad idea, but unfortunately, my wife’s sense of direction leaves something to be desired. After following the markers for Aunt Gladys (a long meandering easy run that tracked across most of the mountain), my wife had “missed the turnoff” and ended up on Calipher – a steep black diamond populated by massive moguls. There was no easy way down.

Worry turned to panic as she stared down a steep black diamond run under the chairlift and contemplated snow-plow turning down the hill, all the while under the steady eyes of gawkers in the chairlift above. Several skiers came by and asked if they could help. One kindly gentleman from Salmon Arm named Pat (an older retiree who frequented the mountain every week) offered to coach her through the descent and take each mogul together. Even this was too scary a thought to contemplate.

Pretty soon, my wife made up her mind. Unstrapping her skis, she began a long march up the hill, tearing up under little goggles as she went. That’s when Matthew, the ski-patrol savior arrived. With constant reassurances that “this sort of thing happens a few times every year – don’t worry about it!” she trekked with Matthew to the top of the hill where Sarah, another ski-patroller waited patiently with a snowmobile to complete the extraction. It was an embarrassing journey that was made significantly less embarrassing by the considerate nature of all those around who were lending a helping hand.

After she’d been zipped back up the hill and rendezvoused with me, my wife was still regailed by the generosity and helping nature of all those on the mountain who lent a hand to help during her little personal skiing crisis.

Everyone at the mountain was incredibly nice and thoughtful and it showed how many good kind-hearted people are out there. Maybe you’d find that on every mountain, but part of me wonders if its something peculiar to the smaller and more rural ski areas.

Header courtesy of Paul Jerry

A Community of Madness – Round 1

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[Editor's note: people, the Editor-in-Chief of this blog loves basketball, higher education, community, competition, and when they all slam together in a mess of cheers, tears, body-paint, over-achievement, and ridiculously awesome excitingly uncontrollable hyperboles. Exclamation point! Over the next three weeks, John and his American-import-possibly-mustached-BFF, Alex Grant, will engage in witticisms and precarious predictions pertaining to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. As players, teams, schools, regions, bank accounts, pundits, pride, and - yes - nations collide, you will get a true sense of what the March Madness community really means. Enjoy!]

toddwickersty / flickr creative commons

Let’s Set-up The Madness

JOHN: This is the third time that my March BFF, Alex Grant, and I have written about our experience with March Madness, the greatest sporting event in the history of the world (yes, I’m including gladiatorial “games” and the archery tournament from Robin Hood).

We did it in 2010 and 2011, too. Both times were amazing. Just like this time. Amazing.

So, why do I love the NCAA 64-team-single-elimination-Men’s-Basketball-Tournament so much? Here’s why:

1. There is always a possibility that two “Wildcats” or “Bulldogs” will play each other. Rarely do two teams with the same mascot name compete in any professional sports league* worth its salt, which is too bad, because it’s hilarious.

*[Editor's note: Somehow the unique and pro-Roosevelt (Teddy, not FDR) mascot name "Roughriders" was used by two teams in the, like, six-team Canadian Football League. This is also hilarious].

2. European Football Hooliganism Spirit in North America. In the Supporter’s Pledge of my Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2012 Season Tickets book, I have been asked to play my part for the team by “deafening our visitors by joining in our club’s chants, songs, and shouts” and “making our home pitch a fortress; a place no visitor wants to play” and “blinding our opponents with a sea of white jerseys, caps, scarves, and flags.” The simple fact that the fans of March Madness, unlike fans in any of the professional sports on this continent (except, ironically, soccer fans), paint their bodies, stand up for the entire game, sing songs, and take things too far when it comes to challenging the opposition is the realization of something special in their communities. And remember, people, keep it positive!

3. Anything* can happen! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 19 year olds frequently cave under the immense pressure of having 20 million people watch them break a full-court press with their team is up by one point with 45 seconds to go and your mom is yelling at you to shoot but your coach is, like, “work it for one shot!” and then your special lady, she’s, like, “I love you, baby” but all you can think about is how to accurately describe how the French Revolution started because it’s the topic of your history paper and you need at least a 72 to pass the class and you have a job interview for an internship with Rebuild the Dream and holy crap I’m being triple-teamed and I’m 5’10″ and they’re so big and they fouled me and oh my buddha I have to hit two free throws, which would usually be fine, because I’m money, but I can’t stop thinking about how Napoleon was also 5’10″ and now my mom is yelling at the coach and – gulp – here we go…

*[Editor's note: "Anything" never really happens; only once in the last, like, 30 years has a team ranked below fifth made it to the Final Four. Still, ridiculous and unpredictable things always happen. Like Alex choosing Purdue (ridiculous) and whether or not he will have submitted his 500 words by Wednesday (unpredictable)].

ALEX: Dearest John. Can you smell the energy? Do you feel the faint thrumming in your fingertips? The extra bit of pressure in your accelerating pulse? That’s the Madness my friend. It’s steaming down the track, furnaces blasting, and it’s nearly here.

YES! It’s true. Somehow it’s another year, and somehow, it’s March. I don’t know how either of these things happened. In fact, if I hadn’t seen your bombastic antics up close and personal at our mutual friend Kurt Lambreich’s wedding, I might have even forgotten our deep burning rivalry. But worry not my friend, for I am here to do battle in the brackets for another year. And this time, I have devised a plan so fiendishly flawless, so breathtakingly brilliant, and so stupefyingly strategic that I am guaranteed to take home the gold-plated trident we use as a trophy.

markfive / flickr creative commons

Let’s Make (Bold) Predictions

ALEX: In years past, my results in this battle of wits, patriotism, and athleticism (NB: no actual athletics required) have been like an undersized, 3-shooting, midmajor team named the Fightin Windexes. That is to say, I’ve been streaky.

But this year, all that is about to change. And because you’re powerless to stop me, Horn, I’ll even tell you why.

Number 1: Karma. Because last year held such miserable results for my favored sports teams (Purdue eliminated by VCU, Twins imploded and blew up the core team, Canucks crushed all my hockey dreams, and the Saints ended up being contract assassins) I am now due for a bracket run of epic proportions. It’s science.

Number 2: Good omens. Just yesterday, I noticed that the interior light in my car has started working again after I thought it was burned out. And last week, someone who owed me a dinner that I had completely forgotten about gave me 10 bucks. These are both pretty sweet scores, but they’re also something more. They’re harbingers of my coming success in our match of the ages.

Number 3: By far the most important part and keystone of my bulletproof strategy, I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I have worked hard to remain complete ignorant of all subtleties in the college game this year. I will be picking based on raw gut instincts alone. I don’t know if an Iona is a basketball team or a charged atomic particle.  I’m not even sure if John Calipari is still coaching with a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet around his ankle. Your fancy “insider knowledge” will be your undoing, much as it has been mine for the past three years.

Alex's Picks

JOHN: Well, I did something strategic awesome hilarious pretty stupid right from the start. Last year, Michelle won our four-way-pool (Alex, John, Michelle, and Old Man Dean) by applying this formula:

hilarity of team name x 64[( jersey colour - symbiosis of mascot) - (affiliation during the Civil War - size of English Lit. department)] + “your gut” ÷ MADNESS = The Duke Blue Devils.

Yeah, I wish I was joking. It wasn’t even close. She won like Charlie Sheen. Anyway, I didn’t go so far as to use math this time, but I did go so far as to use words. One word in particular, actually. And that word is “State”. For the first round I have selected every team with “State” in their name as my winners. Is this logical? Yes No. Will it help my chances? Yes No Probably. For you see, readers and fans, any good March Madness bracket needs to be sprinkled with some gut feelings and incredulity and a team from Nashville that some guy on the television yelled about yesterday in a super-convincing way.

John's picks

My big upset for the first weekend will happen when West Virginia muscles over Ohio St. Other than that, it’s pretty clear that the Canadians on New Mexico State will power past Indiana and Long Beach State (also powered by Canada) will eek out a victory against Los Lobos. It goes without saying that the underrated powerhouse that is South Dakota State will trounce the overrated Baylor Bears. As for the State vs. State first-round-battle, I’m obviously picking Murray State (basically playing at home) to blow-out Colorado State and then roll through Marquette like Kurt Heinrich rolls through defenders on the soccer field or through butter that he puts on his, um, rolls for din- shoot … I was in trouble a quarter of the way through that double metaphor!

Oh, and Purdue will be out in the first round, Alex, and Kansas will beat Michigan State in the final.

Go Vanderbilt!

Fire At Will / Flickr Creative Commons

[INSERT TRASH TALK HERE]

JOHN: This gets harder and harder every year because, Alex, you’re such a sweetheart of a man who makes great choices when it comes to food, community and women, but poor choices when it comes to basketball. Oh, and Cranium – an ingenious Canadian invention  – is more of a sport and a game than your national pastime, NASCAR elections militarism baseball.

Oh, and I miss you and think/know you’re great and am lucky to share this experience with you, good sir.

ALEX: Now, every year we reserve this space to trot out the same old saws about why I’m really great and you’re really loud. Well this year, things are a bit different. I’ve seen you carve a Turducken one handed, and you’ve seen me belt out November Rain. We both know what the other is capable of. So I respectfully tip my jaunty cap, and suggest that we join forces against our better halves, who are always winning this thing anyway. What say you? Can we overcome our Shakespearian love/hatred to best our loved ones at reading the bracket tea leaves? Probably not, eh?

[Editor's note: he said "eh?"! Feud averted!]

Robin and Michelle Will Probably Win

MICHELLE: This year, my formula is an even simpler one. Here is what I took into consideration:

1. The livableness of the city, because the more healthy and livable the community then the players will do better.

2. How awesome the fans are totally determines how pumped-up and excited the players will be; my research shows that pumped-up players perform better, especially when they live in a healthy, happy and vibrant community.

3. I’m all about underdog teams that have a chance of winning, like North Carolina! I’m kidding. Like Murray State!!! [Editor's note: about halfway through her selecting John may or may not have had to explain what "the numbers next to each team" meant].

4. Bonus points for any team from a state where I know someone (my friend Caroline went to Layola).

Consequently, the winner will be North Carolina. Haha, my friend’s name is almost Carolina!

Michelle's Picks

ROBIN: Well, Alex has finally wised up and decided to apply an age-old rule to his March Madness picks: the woman is always right. Yep, you got it, Alex stole my strategy. This year, Alex has correctly identified the winning strategy as knowing “ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.” He says, “I have worked hard to remain completely ignorant of all subtleties in the college game this year. I will be picking based on raw gut instincts alone.” But where did he come by that strategy? Me. As evidence, I’ve selected a few key passages from my “chitter chatter,” which appeared on this esteemed blog March 16, 2011.

My first point of advice last year was, “Don’t, under any circumstances, take the bracket seriously.  Over-thinking is enemy #1.  Think to yourself: ‘Geez, this is really dumb.’ and  ‘Who cares?’”  And second, I shared, “Above all else, go with personal affiliation and INSTINCT.  Is your great-great-grandpappy an Akron Zip? They’re in.”

These words speak for themselves.  However, I take this blatant violation of my intellectual property in stride.  This year it’s a battle of instincts.   Too bad for Alex that women are better than men at that too.

Robin's Picks

–

And that was 2,000 words of awesome!

Who will have better March Madness Predictions?

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Whitecaps FC Community Asset Review – Part 1

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Editors’ note: Kurt and John are firm believers that Vancouver can and should be the Canadian epicenter for growing the sport and culture of soccer football soccer. This is a self-described healthy community. We can play outside year-round, as fields are rarely closed due to snow and/or freezing. And, most importantly, Vancouver is the place to expertly develop the sport of soccer because our city’s team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, shares this goal and so demonstrates this vision through its Club Structure and the Whitecaps Foundation, which aims to create the fittest generation of BC Youth by 2020.

As Vancouver Whitecaps FC season ticket holders, Kurt and John are well-positioned to evaluate how the franchise showcases its commitment to “be a significant community asset” – so, following every match we will reflect on this commitment by answering two questions. Here they are:

How is the team a significant community asset?

Well, the ‘Caps beat the Impact 2-0 and you should read the wise words of my main man Simon Fudge for all the great details.

As this is the first post about the first game, well, I’ll keep it short and sweet. Vancouver Whitecaps FC demonstrated its role as a significant community asset by the way the team brought together people of different shapes, sizes, cultures, ages, neighbourhoods, and (kinda) socio economic statuses to enjoy a spirited match of very good soccer played by men from dozens of communities around the world.

Any time thousands of people high-five each other, sing songs together and embrace an opportunity to meet new people the event that makes this happen is an asset to our community. And this was the scene at Bell Pitch at Telus Stadium in BC Place on Saturday. And it was a beautiful thing.

What BIG IDEA will make the club an even better asset?

Here’s the idea: break the BMO Banking/Sponsorship hegemony!

BMO is “the official bank and a proud fan of Vancouver Whitecaps FC” and one of the club’s founding partners. The bank is also hedging its bets in terms of MLS support, as its logo adorns the uniforms of both the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. Further, Toronto FC plays at BMO Field. So, is BMO really a proud fan of the Whitecaps? Or is the company just a proud fan of strategic cross-marketing opportunities?

Vancouver is a different kind of franchise in a different kind of city, which is why our recommendation for this week is for Vancouver Whitecaps FC to strategically align itself with Vancity Credit Union. One particular piece of cool collaboration between the ‘Caps and Vancity could be ongoing support of Vancouver’s Street Soccer League – some of the Whitecaps players have already trained with homeless players from Portland FC and Vancity funds many of the services, programs and places upon which Street Soccer players rely. I mean, how cool would the Vancity logo look on the uniforms?!

Vancity is all about economically, socially and environmentally healthy communities, which certainly jives with the goal to create the fittest generation of youth by 2020. So, think about it, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Vancity. You’re made for each other!

Holly Langland is Carpe Diem!

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Who are you?

Well, my life purpose is bringer of light, play and possibilities and the older I get [Editor's note: she's not old] the more I realize how true it is and how hard I strive to achieve my purpose. And I realize how much I need to get out of my own way and just be it and live it!

What do you do for fun?

First of all, I do whatever I can to make my life fun. In fact, I take issue with dividing fun from everything else. So, for me living is fun. My life is fun. Having said that, I really enjoy cooking, listening to the birds – communing with nature, that is – and defying the odds.

What is your favourite community? Why?

In [self-assessment tool] StrengthsFinder my top strength is Connectedness. My community is humankind, and I need to live in a community that is limitless; I need to be a part of something that recognizes the beauty in all human beings as well as the fact that, really, I’m no different from someone in, say, Ghana. Humankind’s similarities far outweigh our differences and through understanding and celebrating these similarities we can overcome our differences. I think that this kind of approach and understanding will allow our community to not be run down by all the mechanisms of life, like bills, debt, structure, rules, and all the rest of it.

What is your superpower?

You know, I think my superpower is seeing peoples’ beauty and vulnerability at the same time. Whether it’s at a bus stop or Starbucks I am often approached by people – one time, a guy started singing me a song – because I feel like I’m on the same page as them. So, showing kindness is my superpower; I give people the benefit of the doubt without seeking any judgment.

How do you use it to build community?

People like to be seen, noticed and acknowledged. I’m able to extend a hand – physical, mental, emotional – and do it in a way that make people trust me. I strive to give more than I get and this approach naturally creates an opening in any community.

My Three Favourite Things About Holly Are…

1. The Big Picture. She gets it, explores it, and celebrates it. Such an approach is very evident given her above description of her favourite community: humankind. Holly is positive and hopeful about our inteconnected global community recognizing that we’re all more similar than different and that, through acknowledging this fact, we can make the world a better place. You gotta love this kind of positive mindset!

2. Amazing Listening Skills. I worked with Holly for just about three years. One of the many things that makes her so good at developing talent is her ability to listen … actively. Holly knows how to take in information – even rambling, semi-disconnected, incredibly tangential stuff from yours truly – and ask really, really, really good questions based on what she heard. And, through these questions, the person to whom she’s conversing is usually empowered with the necessary tools that will allow them to develop their own solution and/or strategy for being awesome. So, thanks for that, Holly.

3. She’s an Amazing Cook. My lovely and talented wife, Michelle, has four rules about meals: they must be affordable, healthy, tasty, and easy to make. Not only do Holly’s many creations hit all of the previous touchpoints, but they exceed them! Dinner parties at Chez Holly are simply delightful, and it was always a pleasure when she brought in culinary creations for potlucks.

–

As told by John Horn…

Celebrating Introverts

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Possible Introvert courtesy of sahlgoode/Flickr

Introverts are dynamic, creative and inspiring members of our community. They just don’t tell us about it all the time.

But enough about me writing things. Check out this TED talk by Susan Cain entitled The Power of Introverts.

Full disclosure, I’m an extrovert. In fact, I am such an extrovert that I’m dangerously close to being one of the lunatics that Ms. Cain mentions in the pretty darn good talk above. My lovely, talented and tolerant wife, Michelle, claims that she’s an “amnivert” but is probably an introvert (we’re all a bit of both, right?) – fun fact: Michelle absolutely has a suitcase full of books.

One of my dear friends, Holly, describes knowing how introverted and extroverted you are by reflecting on where you get your energy from. For example, on Saturday night Michelle and I were invited over to our friends’ place at 9:30pm. We were both exhausted after a day of home renovations. Consequently, Michelle stayed home, as she gets her energy – some of it, anyway, from the monk/rabbi-like solitude described in the above TED talk. I, on the other hand, went over to our friends’ house (it was only a block) and stayed there until almost 3am because there were people in attendance who I hadn’t seen in awhile, new people to meet (strangers are just best friends I haven’t met yet, in my opinion), and there were promises of playing games. Needless to say, we all got our energy for Sunday from different places in different ways.

As I work in a school that is also, um, a workplace, Ms. Cain’s ideas certainly struck a chord. I have definitely worked with many introverted students, much of the time advising them on how to find their element in a loud and impulsive world of extroverts seeking to win friends and influence people. Further, many of the things of which Ms. Cain is wary – loud brainstorming, charismatic speakers with half-baked ideas, hyper-teamwork – reflect my preferred working style. And this has me thinking about my introverted colleagues and how best to engage them going forward. So I’ll ask them about it; such is my style.

So, introverts of the world, as you thoughtfully and quietly engage and reflect on our communities – you allegedly make up between 30-50% of the world’s population – be sure to let we extroverts know your story because we’d love to help you tell it. Also, don’t be afraid to tell us to be quiet every now and then. We need introspection and solitude, too.

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Masthead photo courtesy of sahlgoode

Octopi Underperforms in 2-1 Victory Over Turfinators

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Nobody left the pitch happy on Wednesday night. Not the Turfinators (they lost 2-1). Not Octopi Vancouver (they/we should’ve won 8-0). Not the UrbanRec official (Octopi may have lost its sportsmanship award).

Many of the Octopi team members – except Jen, Jess and Nicole, whose positive energy and team spirit were awesome and semi-contagious – left the field in angry states that truly ran the gamut of sensation; from Erin Loxam’s “we could’ve done a lot better” to my yelling in the car on the way home things like “I had the whole right side of the net wide open and shot it right at the goalie because I’m an idiot” and “those guys couldn’t control their bodies and almost hurt a lot of people with their goonish awkwardness.”

But enough about that. What about the soccer football?

Roger Hosking started the scoring on a one-timer – which was also a cracker – off a gorgeous heel-pass from centre-midfielder and Architect at Large, Stewart Burgess. The onion bag bulged and Octopi got off to a fast start.

The Turfinators answered back quickly, as White Socks – their one All-Star-caliber player – weaved his way through our entire side and then sniped a perfect snipe into the top corner of League MVP David Willinsky’s goal. Colanders contain water better than our team’s collective defensive effort contained White Socks on that play..

The next 20-30 minutes unfolded as an exercise in goal-mouth futility for the Octopi side, who had no fewer than 87 exceptional scoring chances that unfolded not as goals, but as near misses, huge misses, incredible misses, goal-post-bounce-offs, shots right at the goalie, shots right at the sideline, shots right into the sprawling legs of defenders, and, yes, shots backwards, too.

Luckily, the team’s savior, Roger Hosking, came to the rescue with a well-timed strike that beat the Turfinator keeper with ease – Roger did a neat thing by not shooting the ball 10 meters wide or right at the goalie. Well done, good sir.

By the end of the evening, the Turfinators’ unintentionally chippy play (they put me on my butt at least five times and absolutely flattened our star striker Erin Loxam) and Octopi’s collective inability to put more balls in the back of the net resulted in the vocal presentation of some heated and biting feedback at the opposition players and an UrbanRec official that may or may not have come from the author of this blog post.

Allow me to stand on my soap box for just a moment: players and officials, when an emotional competitor who frustratingly underachieved during the game and is upset with himself apologizes to you for his inappropriate behaviour, don’t tell him to keep his mouth shut and then say something else that can’t be repeated on this blog. A happy and healthy community this does not build. At the end of the day, it’s just sports!

Oh, one last thing. League MVP and Vancouver Whitecaps back-up goalie, David Willinsky, also made a win-saving stop with about 10 seconds to go in the match. Amazing.

Editor’s note: a special thanks to Jen for her enduring positivity – as I reflected on my life choices and poor performance at 2AM on Thursday morning, your kind words and enlightened spirit made my frustration melt away.

Jim Bright – Chaotically Edutaining!

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Who are you?

I’m a man whose older brothers when growing up emigrated to live in Australia, and who found himself many years later doing the same thing. Part of the deal in the move was to teach Vocational Psychology, and that is where I got my career development mojo.
I am a person who loves humour and likes to perform, to make career development entertaining but with a deadly serious message inside – so I am like a reverse Christmas Cracker – pull apart the glitz and bang, and inside is a serious message wrapped up in a corny joke!

What do you do for fun?

Well according to the probation agreement I have undertaken not to do THAT for fun anymore!!!! I was watching a program tonight on politics, wine and cooking combined – and that covers a lot of my interests. My pleasure is cooking a feast for a table full of friends, playing some great music (very often Canada’s Oscar Peterson or other jazz), great Australian wine and a discussion about music, politics, philosophy, cricket or all of them combined. I also enjoy sailing and racing socially on the beautiful Pittwater north of Sydney where I live. Often time on the boat ends up with food, drinks, music and conversation.

I also have a passion for comedy, comics and comic films, and will watch Laurel & Hardy, Marx Brothers, Peter Ustinov, Woody Allen and many many others for hours.

Currently one of my favourite things is sitting on my deck under the stars listening to Cannonball Adderly with the Possums (the native Aussie animal not a backing group!!!), with something good from the Barossa Valley (Shiraz) or a good unwooded Chardonnay.
Going sailing with my kids and friends either social racing, or overnighting with picnics etc
Watching good quality cricket. Cooking for dinner parties with good friends

Technology is also a passion. I had a personal computer in my early teens in the early 1980s and have been brought up with them. I got an early agreement with Virgin games to write a computer game, got an “O” level in electronics and since then have been hooked. My dining table often has 3 MacBook pros on it, and I’ve etherneted most rooms in my home and have set up a wireless music system that allows me to play different music in four different parts of the house simultaneously, something I can set up from anywhere in the world!! I am never far from my iPad, MacBook Pro or iPhone. Indeed recently my friend Jennifer in the USA mailed me on LinkedIn asking me about my iPad that I was using just after they were released at the NCDA conference a few years back!

What is your favourite community? Why?

The local and international community of careers practitioners because they are devoting themselves to bettering the lives of people within their communities in very tangible ways and often for little reward or recognition. More personally, my family are beyond immensely important to me.

What is your superpower?

I am told I can be both entertaining and informative when I talk, I think talking and presenting is my strongest suit. I hope to convey my passion for Career Development and convey complex ideas in simple and/or amusing ways. I have a wicked sense of humor that I occasionally let loose on twitter or on stage, but I have to be careful as it can be quite screwball and runs the risks of being misunderstood.

How do you use it to build community?

I try to spread the message about the importance and the possibilities of Career Development and to develop innovative ideas to take our field forward. I do this by speaking to professional groups and communities and through my journalism, blogging, podcasts and radio work.

My Three Favourite Things About Jim Are…

1. Edutainment. The man is a role model of mine when it comes to the combination of learning, humour and media. Jim’s shift happens moniker and his hilarious tweets are the stuff of learners’ delight. I’m lucky to have seen Jim present a few times and certainly enjoy engaging with him throughout the Twitterverse. I mean, it’s hard to not be edutained by a gentleman who speaks of public houses as one of the best places to explore and discuss career possibilities.

2. Visionary. Check out The Factory Pod and learn more about Jim’s collaboration with Robert Pryor on the visionary concept called The Chaos Theory of Careers. I apply the idea to my work with students and their career curiosity each and every day. Let’s face it, the chaotic and ever-changing world of work affects my approach to life, the universe and everything, too.

3. Connectively Engaging. Whether it’s a LinkedIn discussion group or a listserve, Jim brings his ideas, opinions and creativity to many career-minded conversations. Through the questions he asks and myths he seeks to debunk, Jim makes us all better practitioners.

As told by John Horn