Tag Archives: Get to Know Your Community

A Hunch about Lunch

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One of the most important communities in daily life is the work community. What do I look for in a workplace community? Well, there are a few key factors, but the latest to be added to my wish list is ‘a place where people eat lunch”.

Sharing a meal is one of the most powerful ways to build community and being “a place where people eat lunch” can benefit a workplace both culturally and in terms of productivity. Unfortunately, I have been noticing a major absence of shared meals in my working life and have heard this same thing echoed among many of my peers. I’m starting to think I’m going to have to move to Europe to locate this appreciation for the mid-day meal.

North American Culture prides itself on hard work and ambition. Michael Pollan, in his book, In Defense of Food; An Eater’s Manifesto, suggests that as an effect of this ideology, North American’s view food as merely utilitarian fuel rather than something to be enjoyed for it’s own sake. He brings up several examples of the stark difference between North American attitudes to food as compared to European attitudes the most striking example given is a comparison where American and French people are shown a picture of a piece of chocolate cake and asked what word it brings to mind. The most common American reaction is “guilt” while the most common French reaction is “celebration”!

Perhaps it can be chalked up to the fact that I was raised with a European attitude towards food, but I do not believe that eating a protein bar at my desk can be classified as lunch. Nor do I believe that it can have any long-term benefits to my employer or my career. I can see some very real and lasting benefits however, in taking a ½ hour to share a meal with my co-workers.

Sharing a meal is the fastest way to establish shared experiences, which are the building blocks of community. With strong community comes creativity because two heads really are better than one (and all heads are significantly more powerful when they receive more than just caffeine as a stimulus).  Creativity can invigorate a workplace and make its entire workforce more productive and motivated in all of their working hours.

Each of these outcomes produces more powerful benefits than that extra ½ hour in front of the computer and these are just a few of the benefits to be had when you turn your work place into a place where people eat lunch. If you aren’t lucky enough to work in one of these places already, why don’t you try something new for lunch today?

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.

Kim Horn – Adventure Awesome

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Who are You?

My name is Kimberley Rosanne Horn, I am a fairly excitable, opinionated gal (in a good way, I think) who was raised on Vancouver Island – currently living in Victoria.  I work in immigration policy for the Government of BC.  I like the outdoors, and I have freckles.  Also, my cat hates me.

What do you do for fun?

In my spare time, I  like to ride bikes, camp, hike, have picnics on the beach, cook new things in the kitchen, and, now that I have a BBQ, have garden parties.  I also like to drink wine, and am currently enjoying trying my hand at triathlon (which includes learning how to spell triathlon).  I’m getting married this summer to my fiancee, Ian, and so wedding planning is also fun (sort of).

What is your favourite community? Why?

I don’t think that I really have a favourite community, per se, but I have experienced many wonderful communities around the globe  (as well as some not so wonderful ones).  Allow me to explain – I really enjoy communities which have a few key traits:

1) a nucleas or gathering point of some kind, where people can come from all over to meet, eat, drink, play, chat, learn, do business, etc.etc.  I like being a part of a bustling little area, because it makes me realize that I’m connected to something much bigger than myself.

2) good, fair trade, organic coffee – because I am a little bit pretentious when it comes to my coffee, and I’m okay with that.

3) you don’t necessarily need a vehicle to live your life – you can get to work, school, the gym, grocery stores, etc. on foot or with a bike.

4) emphasis on the local – I don’t like the big boxy stores or franchises; rather, like to support local businesses by buying things that are grown or made locally – it’s more special and sustainable that way.

5) parks – there have to be parks, because in parks you find things like flowers, lovers, puppies, and children laughing…these things can always put the trials and troubles of life into perspective.  Parks also happen to be great places for picnics...which I happen to fancy.

7) friendly people – these days it seems folks would rather listed to their ipods or talk on their cellphones and wander down the street in their own little bubble, as opposed to engaging with those around them.

Favourite communities include - Copenhagen (maybe the coolest city ever), Fernwood, Cook St. Village, and James Bay in Victoria (minus the freezingness of James Bay), Commercial Drive, the uptown part of Amsterdam, Sorata (Bolivia), Korcula (Dalmatian coast in Croatia), la Condesa (Mexico City).

Least favourite communities include – Langford, Orleans, Kanata, basically anything suburbia, where everything and everyone are generic and there is no spice or sass to life (also, you can’t do anything fun without a car…which is just sad).

What is your superpower?

I feel that my superpower changes depending on where I’m at in my life.  Currently, I have two 1) making spreadsheets, and 2) finding tasty foods that are wheat and/or gluten-free!

How do you use it to build community?

I use my first superpower to organize things, which is important in any community, large or small.  I use my second superpower to make me feel better about having to reduce my wheat and gluten intake!

My Three Favourite Things About Kim Horn Are:

1. Brother-Sister-Connection. Those who know us will say that the Horn Children are super-connected-to-each-other, hilarious, talkative, performers, helpers, competitors, athletes, and good looking. Most of these traits come from Kimberley.This being said, like the Sedin Brothers, my sister and I have an unspoken, almost psychic, connection that allows us to seamlessly navigate conversations, events, dinners, and to know what the other is thinking and feeling at all time. We’re not even twins. Or Swedish. This supwerawesome connection has seen Kim and I deliver over a dozen high-quality, family-oriented skits, songs, roasts, speeches, and extended improvised toasts. Our performances have become a staple of Horn Family Celebrations – Mama Horn’s 60th Birthday is going to be epic. And being epic is always a possibility when you have talent like Kim Horn in the mix.

2. Sense of Adventure. Hiking through uncharted Bolivian mountains. Taking her allergic to the Sun brother on the Nootka Trail. Backcountry skiing in avalanche-riddled mountains. Marathon running. Iron Man racing. Possibly being slipped a Geoffrey at a music festival. Exchange and solo-traveling experiences through Downtown Europe. You name it, Kim Horn has done it and done it well. Her sense of adventure is the stuff of inspiration and the stories that she’s collected during her treks through the remote locales of BC’s West Coast as well as following her near-death-experiences on the salt flats of Bolivia are truly the stuff of legend.

3. Professional Awesomeness. “Kim is your older sister, yes?” This is the question that I am often ask after introducing Kim to my colleagues or after she presents to my students. And, fair enough. My younger sister has accumulated more professional currency than many other Canadian women her age – the responsibilities she’s been given and the projects and portfolios that she has managed reflect someone who is as intelligent as she is responsible as she is mature. Kim’s drive towards her vision of success is inspirational and impressive and really, really makes my heart smile. She will be a leader of positive change on the provincial and federal bureaucratic circuit for years to come.

Special bonus reasons! Kim Horn is a really, really good photographer. She’s also really, really stylish (we used to sit next to each other in English classes at Bishop’s and I’d be wearing pajamas and my toque while she’d be wearing Montreal’s finest universite-chique outfits, and it was a hilarious juxtaposition). Kim’s a really good cook, too, and her Thai Green Curries are delicious. Finally, her athletic prowess is outstanding. For example, during the 2010 Merville Cup Championship run of Team Horn, Lamb, Horn, it was impressive to see my sister, who doesn’t actually play soccer, take to the field and absolutely dominate the competition by running them down and, maybe, hip-checking them into the garden fence every now and then. Amazing.

- As told by John Horn…

Nathan Wawruck – All Business

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Who are You?

Nathan wawruk. Born and raised in Vancouver – one of the few. I have a wife and daughter. And I do technology recruiting.

What do you do for fun?

That’s a good question. I generally focus a lot on food, and I take pleasure in good food. I think that Vancouver is a great city for food. There’s a lot of authentic, well-priced international cuisine. My work is also really fun for me. I am a headhunter for an IT
recruitment firm, so it doesn’t really feel like a job.

What is your favourite community?

Man, I gotta pick just one?! When I was growing up, I was right in the middle of Vancouver. And I was lucky enough to have friends in the West and East. I went to elementary and High School in Kits. I had friends near Britannia. So, I experienced both worlds. But my favourite community is where I grew up, near Queen Elizabeth Park. Great for bike riding, getting outside. Having fun.

What is your Superpower?

I have an uncanny ability to recognize and/or brainstorm and/or recognize a wide range of great business ideas.

How do you use it to build community?

Well, business is about ideas. And I can get people brainstorming different ideas that connect with their skills and interests – I have a knack for recognizing these matches. The ideas usually come from just hanging out and talking, and then – in collaboration – I help people turn their ideas into reality. It’s better to talk about novel business with peopke than conceal them, because that’s how the ideas are going to become real. This partly comes from my experience in Japan [Editor's note: Nathan lived and taught in Japan for several years], where they’ve made a lot of innovation based on talking sharing business ideas. One idea is a capsule hotel – this is an analogy, basically, for many of the cool ideas from Japan. Don’t be surprised if you see one pop up in Vancouver soon!

My Three Favourite Things About Nathan Are…

1. Executive-style execution of ideas. Nathan’s the type of guy who’s always thinking up interesting business ideas. Ways to do things more efficiently or effectively. But while new ideas are a dime a dozen, Nathan is part of the entrepreneurial people in this world who won’t just think up an idea, but develop a pragmatic way of making it happen. Most importantly, he has the business knowledge and an arsenal of experience to bring to the table – taking the ideas from pie in the sky to potentially workable. Nathan is value added to Planet Earth.

2. Sardonic sense of humour. Nathan is a funny fellow. His observations are humorous. The way he imparts his “wise words” is amusing and is general commentary of the world around him is generally a riot. There are some people who know you could trust to keep you going when the going got tough if you were stranded on a desert island with only that person and a volleyball named Wilson. Nathan is one of those people.

3. His love of all things meaty. Here’s a carnivore that would make a T-Rex look like a vegan. I’ve sat with Nathan at a number of BBQs over the past few years. One involved a slew of Korean basted pork. Another time it was amazing yaki-niku style beef BBQ on Spanish Banks. His enthusiasm was infectious (like the Ebola virus).

John’s Special Bonus Favourite Thing About Nathan is…

He’s just so supercool. Nothing stresses this guy out! I love how – no matter what the situation – Nathan always remains calm, rolls with the punches and has fun while he does it. Nathan is a relaxing, connective force who epitomizes cool and makes everyone else around him feel great.

Melissa Orozco – Publicook

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Who are you?
Melissa Orozco, a publicist by day, an aspiring cook by night and a New Yorker at heart.
What do you do for fun?
Shop for antiques, paint, dog watch, try new restaurants, look at old photographs of my parents and imagine how I’ll turn out one of these days.
What is your favourite community? Why?
Dog-lovers and people who have an appreciation for great films and good music.
What is your superpower?
I’m oddly flexible – I can pull my feet around and touch my toes to my nose.
How do you use it to build community?
I do yoga!

My Three Favourite Things about Melissa Are…

1. Her AMAZING cooking. It’s just so damn good. Melissa shares my love for good cooking. She’s a bit more gourmet than me, which I respect. Her guacamole is the best I’ve ever sampled and her New Mexican style chili is terrific. Don’t even get me started on the Kobe beef steak…

2. She calls it as she sees it. Melissa doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s a straight shooter who shoots from the hip and will let you know if you’ve crossed the line, been really nice and made her smile or are just being plain ridiculous.

3. Her professionalism and mad PR skills. Most of us have had the unpleasant experience of dealing with a difficult client. In the PR industry, we’ll often get angry, irritable clients who expect to be on the front cover of the Economist. Melissa is able to deal with these troubling clients like a pro – sympathetic and driven, but firm. Oh, and she’s the only consultant I know personally who’s had her stuff featured in the New York Times. That’s “Boom goes the Dynamite” in the PR world.

As told by Kurt Heinrich…

Stewart Burgess – Architect-at-Large

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Who are you?

Stewartworks is an architecture student, supermodernist critic and community investigator.

What do you do for fun?

Investigate architectural communities by bicycle, spend many hours designing projects that will most likely never be bulit, bake occasionally delicious treats, attempt to become increasingly climate-secure through DIY projects like jam and blackberry picking

What is your favourite community and why?

Community is the feeling of general well-being that can be achieved in many situations.  It can come from a store clerk’s smile or the collective sigh of a music festival audience as a space shuttle passes overhead, twinkling dimly.

What is your superpower?

The courage to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and own up to it.

How do you use this power to build community?

Honesty, tempered by attention to detail, must be fundamental to community development.

My Three Favourite Things about Stew Are…

1. Creativity. This word/term/idea is thrown around a lot in our hyper-innovative society, but Stewart takes the concept to amazing new levels. He builds things. Draws things. Creates exceptionally fertile grounds for discussions and thought-sharing. Hey, he even stores compost in his freezer with very, very, very creative results. I absolutely love spending hours talking with Stew, because I always learn something new about life, the universe and everything.

2. Directness. Straight. To the point. Razor sharp. Poignant. Slightly edgy. Personally, I appreciate straight-shooting and feel that all-too-often people sugar-coat and glove-wear when delivering difficult information. I like how Stew

3. Stylish, Tight Clothing. French hipster architect artist poet professional recycler revolutionary soccer player gardener jam makers wish they looked as good as Stew looks, baby. Mostly, as a creator and wearer of hilarious t-shirts, I am inspired by Stew’s collection of simply fantastic – and thoughtful – attire.

SPECIAL BONUS REASON: Nose-solidarity! Few close friends can sympathize with what it means and what it feels like to have a beak. Stew can. And, I think, we’re both better people because we have each other. And our noses.

As told by John Horn…

Shimwa Blaise Pascal Twagirayezu

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Who are you?

I am Shimwa Blaise Pascal Twagirayezu, current undergraduate in civil engineering at Michigan tech.

What do you do for fun?

I mostly like to interact with people and if possible do it assisted by some alcohol.

What is your favourite community and why?

ASCE, american society of civil engineers, there is no special apart from the fact that it represents great opportunities as far as my career is concerned and that it allows me to learn from people who have been through the way I am taking right now.

What is your Superpower?

I believe that any power U have that is above average would never be considered as superpower, nevertheless I would like to mention that my ability to empathize is quite extraordinary.

How do you use it to build community?

People all over require only one person to listen to them and pay attention to their feelings, even though I cannot praise myself as possibly being able to do that to every one, I by the way have a possibility to empathize with any situation regardless with other unessential factors such height or other …. Sometimes this abilities beaty gets lost in translation and the only result is total hate towards my character.

My Three Favourite Things About Blaise Are…

1. Eloquent Assertiveness. I met Blaise in Kigali, Rwanda in 2006, and he immediately impressed me with his candid, insightful, thoughtful, and very direct history of East Africa and the region’s current struggles with neo-colonialism. It was inspiring stuff.

2. Goal Setting. Immediately upon my return to Canada (then Victoria), Blaise persistently contacted me about studying in North America – it was an uphill battle to say the least. And now the young man finds himself in Michigan studying civil engineering. Well done, Blaise!

3. Musical Stylings. He’s a great DJ who can produce solid beats from here to Kigali and back again. Rock on, Blaise!

Evelyne Aikman – Designer, Artist, Seamstress, Entrepreneur, Awesome!

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Who are you?

Eek. I am probably the Eel, in Eel & Ermine. I am a seamstress and designer,  I am also someone who very recently became an entrepreneur in small clothing shop sort of way without quite knowing what that might entail (daily gumboot assignations included). I guess that I am a person or thing that lives and breathes and eats and thinks, I think, and is somehow a grownup now. I am also a person who is lucky enough to have made the acquaintance of John Horn before it was even cool to do so (before it was cool to know it was cool), and am now feeling/suffering from/ benefitting from the aftereffects.

What do you do for fun?

I like to paint pictures and sew things and cook foods, and bake foods with sugar and then decorate those foodstuffs so that they look inedible. I also like to run, a lot. I like to read beautiful prose by amazing authors and then write long stories without plots or endings in a fruitless effort to emulate their talents. I like to go hiking and camping with my lovely husband Adam and mischievous dog Kolya. I would like to go bike riding, but find the steep and uninviting hills of San Francisco more than my antiquated bicycle can bear, so I settle for the flatlands of wine country whenever I/Adam have the chance. I like to think about things too much and wax poetic about them if anyone will listen. I like to travel whenever I have the means to do so.

What is your favourite community and why?

My favourite community is my family. Is that allowed? Anyone who has met anyone in my family can attest to the fact that they are amazing. I grew up on a farm in the wild woods of Cape Breton Island with a super pair of parents and more siblings than I can sometimes recall (or at least recall to call), and all of them are unique and wonderful in so many different ways that I’m not even sure where to start. Let’s just say that the super pair of parents were, and are, adept at making everything we need (ed) and we lived off of the land as best we could, in the rural modern sense of the term. And that the siblings wandered to all corners of the Earth (except Antarctica), where their charms and talents prevailed above all and their deplorable inter-communication skills were overcome by brotherly, or more often, sisterly, affection.  To paraphrase; my parents have always embodied and instilled in us a sense of self sustainability that is an invaluable asset in a world where so many humans have become divorced from the processes that keep them alive. They have also given me a good sense for what is ridiculous and what is not.  I am very grateful for that knowledge and wisdom, as well as the inspiring and surprising things that it has engendered in my lovely sisters and brother, who are always there for me and each other, no matter how sporadically we manage to see each other.

What is your superpower?

My superpower is making things. I am really good at making lots of different things. In my life I have been historically good at making artworks, specifically oil paintings that look like things that I think I feel like. But then I learned, while working in a cake shop of really over-the-top decorated cakes for people who want to think that they are eating artwork, that making all things is related. And that if you are not afraid to attempt making something, you will often succeed. And once you start making a lot of things for yourself your idea of wanting and needing changes quite a bit. For example, I rarely buy anything that I think I can make for myself, but then if it doesn’t seem like a good use of time to make, I won’t, and then I know I didn’t really need it. So much energy is wasted so that people can acquire useless objects; it can be baffling.

How do you use it to build your community?

I have very recently channeled my superpower into the opening of a small shop in San Francisco called Eel & Ermine, where my business partner, Elinor, and I, make all of the clothing that we sell.  We also made or repurposed almost everything in the shop including our work table(recycled door), counter(recycled crate and window), dressing room situation, racks and other display style things (with some assistance from our husbands when any power sawing or model boat assembly was required). We also stock hats by a local friend and milliner, Kitty Andrews, who makes everything from scratch. Our goal is basically to reintroduce our community to handmade goods, to the point of possibly seeing your garment being made (by us) while you wait. The idea is to make a shopping experience as enjoyable as possible, as well as make people aware of where their goods are coming from, and how they are produced. In this way they can also be a part of the process by choosing fabrics or requesting alterations, producing a unique and customized piece. We want our store to be accessible to as many people as possible (well, just women for now) who buy clothing, so our price point is relatively low. We’re hoping to get a few people at least away from the mass-produced, customer eating machine of big time retail stores. And maybe even inspire them to start making clothes themselves. We have already had such good feedback from people stopping by and most are amazed that we make things ourselves, but that’s what everyone used to do!

That's right. It's a duck-shaped zucchini. Do you have a problem with it?

Since we also want to save the world we also have several designs made from recycled materials, and none of our clothes are made from styrofoam, so rest easy John. For example, our boyfriend shirt is a men’s dress shirt, re-tailoured and jazzed up for gals. Our customers can also bring in their guys’ old shirts for us to remake for them, which aside from the obvious goodness of recycling, is also pretty nice sentimentally, provided you have fond feelings for the former occupant of the shirt you have commandeered.

We would also love for our shop to be the kind of place where friends from our neighbourhood can stop in for a chat or a coffee, and since Elinor and I both love to bake, we always have some sort of sugar based item available for consumption as well. For this dropping by and hanging out purpose, as well as for those not actively participating in a shopping trip, we have set up a small seating/relaxing/snacking area. Just nice, you know?

My Three Favourite Things About Evelyne Are…

1. Bottomless Talent. She’s one of those people who is just good at so, so many things. Painting, writing, sewing, building, singing, debating, hugging, drinking, problem solving, and, probably, math, science, and sports – but I mostly know her passionate artistic side. When you hang around Evelyne, sooner or later (usually sooner) you will be inspired to do something creative.

2. The Aikmans. True story, they’re the best sort of folk – local with global minds, organic and delicious. That’s right. I’m talking about people.

3. Randomness. Every now and then I will receive an email or typed (on a typewriter, it looks like) letter from Evelyne Aikman. And it will be a stream of consciouness narrative of some sort. And it will go on for pages/screens. And it is brilliant in its honest simplicity. And such a random, delightful surprise really makes my heart smile. So, Evelyne, thanks for that.

As told by John Horn…

Emily Jubenvill – Green Thumb and Mind

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Who are you?

I am Emily Wren Jubenvill, although known to my Grandmas as “Picklesnerp,” my mother’s hippy influence is apparent in my name and life. As an green spaces advocate, permaculturist, guerrilla knitter and gardener, environmental scientist, entrepreneur, veloist, traveller, and lover of marine invertebrates and magnolias I keep my days fairly busy and live through my passions.

2. What do you do for fun?

I just spent an amazing nine months living, working, and studying on farms in New Zealand and Australia. Why? “For fun!” is the easy answer, but to study permaculture, and learn more about the wonders of growing food and animal husbandry gets down to the nitty gritty of it.

Leaving the rolling pastures and Kauri forests behind, I’m back in the urban jungle of Vancouver. Staying in touch with my growing roots at my community garden plot in Nelson Park, and volunteering with the Vancouver Public Space Network as Green Spaces Coordinator.

Pedal power is a constant theme in my life as my main mode of transportation and fun. This Spring I decided to up the ante and join the Ride to Conquer Cancer. I remember my step-grandfather’s fight against cancer when I was a very young child. I did not understand what cancer was; I thought that there was a bean stalk growing inside him that made him sick. Now I understand that cancer is more complex then a bean stalk, and it certainly will require more then a firm tug to uproot a cure. Raising money for cancer research and support services at the BC Cancer Foundation, the challenge will be two fold – physically (over 300Km ride in two days!), and before I even hit the road I’ve committed to raising $3200 in the three months… that’s about $35 a day! Of course I can’t do it without the support of friends, family… and Daily Gumboot readers! If you want to pitch in $10 to help thousands of families facing the battle against cancer this year, and help prevent men, women, and children of the future from facing this horrible disease then you could give a donation.

3. What is your favourite community and why?

I love the communities of microorganisms that live in our soil, and make it such a fertile and productive place. Although hidden from the naked eye, and a tough crowd to get cozy with, these guys really know how to work together to get things done. They’re all for long term diversity, atmospheric carbon reductions, and very supportive of each other and their neighbours . Although each species may go through population booms and busts, they work in cycle with their plant companions to make sure that nutrient exchange is most efficient.

If you’re more interested in the human persuasion, then I have to give props to the Vancouver Public Space Network “community”. It’s made up of the most passionate, energetic, supportive, hard-working individuals who literally “get it done” because they’re doing what they love – engaging with and  improving ever facet of our community’s public spaces.

4. What is you super power?

My energy and enthusiasm. I’ve been told it can be infectious. I like the idea that I can brighten someone’s day with a simple smile or by simply looking at the bright side of a seemingly crummy situation. Or turn apathy into involvement by adding a little spice and excitement to the mix.  I think the power of hope is wildly underestimated, and I think that it’s an awesome super power.

5. How do you use it to build community?

I’m always out talking to people about what they love and what twists their noodle, then I try to make a connection between their sweet spot and whatever is already happening in the community – it’s about building bridges, expanding networks, and helping people realize that they have a stake in what is going on in their community and the world at large.

My three favourite things about Emily are…

1. The Farming Business. Few people can thoughtfully and realistically and seamlessly float between the world of urban natural capitalism and farming as viable career options. Somehow, some way, Ms. Jubenvill does it with ease – don’t be surprised if full-fledged Jubenvillian farms spring up all over the Vancouver cityscape in the years to come.

2. Social media before it was cool. I’m not saying that Emily invented Twitter, but she didn’t not invent Twitter. Ms. Jubenvill taught me a heckuvalot about The Internets before things like “social media” were used as viable agents to engage people about  important ideas involving this poor little planet of ours.

3. Storytelling with a Purpose. Emily gets down to business with thoughtful efficiency. She also has a million stories about ten million interesting people, places and things. Most importantly, Emily can make every story she tells relevant to her current projects, the people she meets, and the natural and cultural landscapes in which she finds herself. Her ambition and potential know no bounds, and Emily herself is a fantastical story with a myriad of purpose. She’s one to watch this decade!

- As told by John Horn…

Andrew Titus

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Who are you?

My name is Andrew Titus. I am a human male in my late twenties. I work for a green energy technology company as a mechanical designer and I really love what I do. Perhaps, in the future, I will work to improve sit-skis – right now, with a lot of them (not the Canadian ones) there is a great amount of room for improvement, so I’m excited to do some work on that in the future!

What do you do for fun?

I ride bikes  – if I’m road biking it usually involves a big ride to Deep Cove, Horseshoe Bay, or Cypress; I’ve also done a sweet couple of ride – dodging over to the American side of the border – along Zero Ave (I don’t know if that’s actually what the road’s called). I also like hiking, camping, random road trips. Last summer, with two weeks notice my special lady and I just jumped in a car and drove…it was a great time.

What is your Favourite Community and why?

I don’t know what my favourite is, but one of my current favourites is “First Week Club” – when it comes to advertising for movies, it’s pretty much make or break in the first weekend; a lot of independent and/or Canadian films get pulled by production companies because they don’t make enough money during the initial release. This community, “First Week Club” involves friends seeing a film it before it comes out and then spreading the word within their networks. People then bring interested friends, film enthusiasts, and entire communities to the featured film. A very cool idea.

What is your superpower?

[This question was wrestled with for awhile, as Titus had a hard time thinking about what he has that no one else does - quickly, friends at the dinner table stepped up to let Titus know what makes him, well, super]. My superpower is probably my unique ability to take a commonly used object and transform it into something else that is useful in another, elegant,
meaningful way – some of my projects include redesigning a clock, two barbecues, a lawnmower, and I am currently researching how to build a real bamboo bicycle.

How do you use your superpower to build community?

I help all of my friends with bike repairs. [During the conversation, people at the table were yelling things about bamboo bicycles like this: "When you do it, let me know! I want one!" Here, let me show you how you need to blend metal with bamboo for the bike [INSERT HILARIOUSLY AWESOME ENGINEERING LESSON ABOUT BICYCLE FORKS WITH A DINNER FORK USED AS A PROP].

My three favourite things about Andrew Titus are…

1. He is pretty much always in a good mood. Titus is always up for a conversation about, well, anything. He has a great smile, exceptional listening skills and is genuinely interested in what people have to say. His fun-loving nature makes him a must-have addition to parties, dinners and outdoor adventures.

2. Creativity of a mechanical sort. As a math-idiot, I have a fantastic appreciation for people who can apply creativity to machines, appliances, furniture, and all kinds of other tangible objects. Titus builds real things. And these things help him build communities.

3. He is a giant. I mean, come on, he can hold the Tower of Pisa in the palm of his hand! Titus also hosts great parties.

- As told by John Horn…