COMM415 Class Weblog

Walking into John Fluevog’s new glassed store in Vancouver’s Gastown resembles much like walking into a cathedral. The former parking lot, now atrium, of 65 Water Street is sandwiched between two brick historical buildings, a nod to Fluevog’s inception in the area back in the early 70’s.

If his glass store is a crystal cathedral with its heavenly arched ceiling, than John’s shoes are its parishioners varying in shape, size and gender. Slabs of old oak from Cloverdale, British Columbia sit upon large sections of pipe from the Alaskan Pipeline, acting like pews for John’s spring 2008 collection. Above the assortment of Fluevogs lies a choir loft like mezzanine which houses the design studio for all things prophetically Fluevog.

His website’s small print on the main page reads, “…We are the cure for Fashion Spam, Designer footwear nonpareil, Champion of independent style, And even Open Source Footwear – John’s influence is everywhere. Your funky shoes from Fluevog cast Angelic love (on Earth, dude, as it is Above). Wear boring shoes? No ‘Voggin’ way! So, Don’t Delay – Fluevog Today!”

The Gastown location is Fluevog’s second store. His first can be found in the hub of Vancouver’s Granville Street entertainment district. But why a new store? “Because I’m expanding internationally…I wanted a place that had a vision for something that when people came here from other countries, other places, wholesalers from the US, would come here and go ‘oh this is what John Fluevog is about’ and it would make sense for them. So it’s a branding exercise,” says John.

Evoking uber-cool, John is dressed in black jeans, wears a grey jacket and coordinating black and grey man scarf. On his feet he wears his own designs.

While he has nothing on the horizon in Canada, Fluevog does have his sites set on countries like Japan, Singapore and Beijing. This makes up the 10^th store for the Vancouver born designer. When asked “why shoes?’” John’s answer is refreshingly real and anything but artistic rhetoric. “I’ve only done shoes because this was in front of me. I started doing it, like a lot of things, being in the retail business is not particularly easy, and I wanted product that was my own and I happened to be doing shoes, not because it was what I wanted to do, it’s just because I was doing it.”

John shares that he didn’t have any formal art training nor did he know he could draw until his mid 30’s. Call him a creative late bloomer John has poured himself into his art saying, “I’ve tended to be very lone wolfy about what I do. I do everything myself which may or may not be in retrospect a good plan but it gave me that sense satisfaction that I, I felt I needed to for some reason, to do everything myself. It was me and I did it. My name was on my product, I did it.”

But where does he get his ideas? “You just have them…they just are,” says the auburn haired Fluevog. “I think probably the best expression is I see things that aren’t there. Like I’ll look at someone’s shoe or I’ll look at something and I won’t see it completely…I only see what I want to see. And my mind shows me something that is actually not there but I see it, something like that.”

He admits to dreaming about shoe designs in his sleep saying, “colours, stitches, backs. I’ll wake up, I’ll dream about a back perfectly and I’ll draw it go back to sleep and boom, I’ll see the side of it, I’ll wake up draw it, fall asleep and boom…”

With this new store added to the Fluevog Empire, John, in spite of his achievements, has had to relinquish a bit of his control.

“I have a design team. There are three other people that are doing the designs, colourings, and some of the renderings, and they’re liaisons with the factories and all that kind of stuff.”

But giving up the control can’t be easy. Says John, “Yes it is hard. Very few people are actually genuinely creative. They’ll come to me with something they’ve seen some place before but for them to go out of the box and think of something completely different than they’ve seen before, it’s a different story. I want to be original; I’ve been that way all my life.”

His originality in his designs is what has made his empire distinct and his clientele are hipsters and fashionistas that set the trend for urban style.

“It’s not an easy road to hoe all the time because in the fashion industry most people want to look like everybody else. They want to fit into whatever subculture or group that they are trying to look like. So when you are doing something off of that the people that are buying need to have a strong vibe themselves, and the strength of character to be doing it on their own, with it not being in a fashion magazine.”

Evidence of the creativity of Fluevog wearers can be seen on the company’s webpage in what are called Flueshots. This online photo gallery features submitted photos of Fluevogians wearing their shoes around the world. The website which gets upwards of over 10 million hits a month – no lie – also has a section called Open Source Footwear where fans can submit their own shoe design in the hopes of being chosen as part of a Fluevog collection.

Spread among metal tables and workstations in the design studio the team is currently designing the 2009 collection. When asked what verb best describes the collection John says, “Handsomely elegant.”

“I think the art of being in business is a very artistic thing. I think that how we communicate with each other is an artistic expression, it’s our articulation of words, our communication and basically what’s been fun for me and my career is I have been able to take the things that I do and spread them out across the country so more people have known what I do that’s all.

I look back on it and people know my name all over North America and I can’t say that I went out consciously to do that, I set out to make some cool interesting shoes that I liked and that people would like… I hoped and the only way to do it was to open up more stores.”

The armchair philosopher / artist ruminates on his success. “Success is when we as ourselves integrate ourselves up wholly into the environment around us. To be real. To be genuine. And being real is not easy –‘what is being real?’ We all want to make things up, well you don’t need to make anything up because we who actually are, is very cool, all of us and I think that’s success. Success is having the freedom to be who we are.”

In the distance a cute hipster couple is seen. As her boyfriend watches, the rockabilly styled woman tries on a high-heeled version of a Mary Jane but with all the attitude of a Fluevog. When asked if he knows which one she’ll buy he says, “yes” – he always knows.

John is a “sole” survivor. Designing unique shoes throughout the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today John has had to adapt to the market, the times and relinquish some of his control…not an easy thing to do for this artist. Giving up the reigns is still hard. But now with help Fluevog is adding, besides stores, even more inspirations to his line accessories like belt buckles, handbags, laptop bags and even…chesterfields.

On the future? “I would like to do more art, I would like to start drawing things more…and that those pieces become pieces on their own apart from footwear.

All things considered Mr. Fluevog…you’re well on your way.

Sunlight splashes through solarium-style windows, bounces off a glass table top and onto a crisp, white beadboard-faced built-in banquette. Suspended lantern-style light fixtures frame a tiled countertop island, while Spanish gold walls provide the perfect backdrop for black-framed artwork. Although the ocean view from this third-floor kitchen—a reno in a recently remodeled White Rock home—is spectacular, so is the design.

On a bright Monday morning, Brianna Carson, a 27-year-old interior designer with a flair for the unexpected, shares the spotlight with her work. “I love using opposing materials and colours,” she says. And one look around the room confirms it.

A few well-placed white uppers punch up the mostly black cabinetry. Dark walnut hardwood floors juxtapose the charcoal tile backsplash and stainless appliances. A single red cushion tossed among geometric black and white ones on the banquette adds a pop of colour.

In the four years she’s been designing, Carson has tackled everything from colour consultations to entire renovations, and she’s loved every minute of it.

The design bug bit the Langley-based Carson early. “Growing up we didn’t have much money,” she says. “I was allowed to paint my room, but I also did things like put paper-mache over an outdated light fixture to create something no one else had.”

A penchant for all facets of design led her to enroll in the Interior Design program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.  “ ‘History of Furniture’ was the best course of my life,” she says. “I learned to appreciate design as art. Throughout history furniture was a privilege. It reflected what was happening politically.”

These days, interior design is big business; the plethora of magazines, websites and TV networks dedicated to it attest to its staying power. But just who sets the trends that cause design junkies to run to the nearest hardware store for their latest decor fix?

“Fashion sets design trends,” says Carson, “and we’re two to three years behind. If you want to be know what’s going to be hot, look at what people are wearing now—the colours, patterns and style.”

Carson says the trend is shifting from casual to elegant. “Everything is getting a little more swanky. Think martini bar: brushed silver, blue and dark brown.”

But there’s still room for individuality. “The great thing about now is anything goes,” she says. “You bring your personal style into your home. If you want to make your living room into a fuchsia library, you can.”

According to Carson, libraries are just one feature homeowners are requesting these days; outdoor living space is another.

“I know of a builder who, for most homes, provides covered deck spaces with built-in fireplaces,” she says, “so you can enjoy another living room year round. That’s the beauty of coastal living—you can be outside, you just don’t want to be wet.”

And when talking design, nobody wants to get soaked, either. Carson’s advice for the do-it-yourself set? “A consult is not that expensive,” she says, “even if you just want ideas. It’s worth the money; you save yourself costly mistakes.”

Fortunately, help is also available for the design-challenged, for whom do-it-yourself is not an option. In these cases, Carson recommends leaving it to the professionals.

Growing up with a father who did tile setting, she knows a thing or two about trades. “Construction is a definite sub-culture,” she says.

“When I first started in this business, I wanted to work with both homeowners and the trades—so I became a kind of ‘anti-designer’ designer. I like to keep everybody happy.”

The current construction boom has resulted in a shortage of trades-people so builders and homeowners alike are now scrambling to find reliable, professional contractors for their projects. In response, Carson has established a network of trades and suppliers she counts on for her jobs.

“Just give me a call,” she says. “Whether you need a new roof or an area rug for your living room, I can have any supplier or trade you require contact you directly. I’m kind of a one-stop shop.”

Though colours and trends continue to influence consumer choices, design remains highly personal.

“Interior design is not about ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ ” Carson says. “It’s about defining a space in the world just for you.”

For further information, contact Brianna Carson at 604.767.3211 or email brianna@harbourhomestaging.com.

Invitation to Canadian Journalism Foundation Event – The Law and the Internet: What you can and cannot do

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) invites you to hear from
one of the world’s leading experts on the Internet and law…

Michael Geist: E-Publishing & The Law

Date: Thursday, April 3, 2008

Time: Registration 6:00 p.m., Presentation 6:30 p.m.

Location: St. John’s College, 2111 Lower Mall, University of
British Columbia

Description: Anyone who blogs, comments, sends e-mail or
otherwise publishes electronically is subject to the laws of
defamation and libel, according to University of Ottawa Law
School professor and internationally renowned expert on law and
the Internet, Dr. Michael Geist. The Internet and new
technologies have ushered in a seemingly unlimited array of
possibilities for access to knowledge, creativity, and public
participation. Dr. Geist will highlight the role that the
Internet is playing for new creativity and knowledge sharing,
while identifying the business and policy challenges that this
creates for journalists and journalism. The talk will be followed
by a Q&A moderated by Beth Haddon, Adjunct Professor at the
UBC School of Journalism.

There is no cost to attend the event, but guests must register
online at www.cjf-fjc.ca/programs.htm

Dr. Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa
where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-
commerce Law. He has obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree
from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.)
degrees from Cambridge University in the UK and Columbia Law
School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia
Law School. Dr. Geist has written numerous academic articles and
government reports on the Internet and law and was a member of
Canada’s National Task Force on Spam. He is an internationally
syndicated columnist on technology law issues with his regular
column appearing in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and the
BBC. Dr. Geist is the editor of In the Public Interest: The
Future of Canadian Copyright Law, published in 2005 by Irwin Law,
the editor of several monthly technology law publications, and
the author of a popular blog on Internet and intellectual
property law issues. Dr. Geist serves on the Privacy Commissioner
of Canada’s Expert Advisory Board and on the Canadian Digital
Information Strategy’s Review Panel. He has received numerous
awards for his work including Canarie’s IWAY Public Leadership
Award for his contribution to the development of the Internet in
Canada and he was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2003.
More information can be obtained at http://www.michaelgeist.ca.

Can You Read as Well
As a Fifth-Grader?
Check the Formula
March 14, 2008; Page B1

If you’ve checked the grammar of a Microsoft Word document, you may have encountered a baffling number. The readability formula purports to represent the text’s appropriate grade level. But it has its roots in research from 60 years ago.

Before computers, reading researchers attempted to quantify the ease of a work of writing using short excerpts and simple formulas. Despite computing advances, Word still follows the same model: It multiplies 0.39 by the average number of words per sentence, adds that to 11.8 times the average number of syllables per word, and subtracts 15.59 from the total. The result is the supposed minimum grade level of readers who can handle the text in question.

Similar formulas are used by textbook publishers and in dozens of states’ guidelines for insurance policies.
NUMBERS GUY BLOG

[Go to blog]
Is it possible to quantify the readability of a given text? Do you ever use these formulas? Share your thoughts in the blog comments.

From the beginning, these formulas were known to be problematic. A 1935 paper laid out more than 200 variables that affect readability. Most formulas incorporate just two, and not because they are the most important but because they are the easiest to measure. Then they’re mashed together, with weights set according to how the formulas work on standard texts.

“Everyone is waiting for this magic bullet that’s very easy,” says Karen Schriver, who runs an Oakmont, Pa., communication-design research company. But her experience with clients who have overly relied on these formulas have suggested that “maybe it’s just a stupid idea.”

Noting that the same passage’s score can differ by three grade levels or more, depending on the formula, readability consultant Mark Hochhauser says, “One of the things the field really needs is an updated formula.”

Even neurolinguist G. Harry McLaughlin says of his own, widely used SMOG Readability Formula, “The theoretical basis is c—.”

The formulas treat writing as a mere collection of words and spaces. Word meaning and sentence structure don’t figure. George Weir, a philosopher and computer scientist at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, says Word’s readability test thinks grade-schoolers could handle the nonsense passage, “Acuity of eagles whistle truck kidney. Head for the treacle sump catch and but. What figgle faddle scratch dog and whistle?” Similarly, “Had lamb little a Mary” and “Mary had a little lamb” score identically.

I asked Micro Power & Light Co., which sells readability-testing software, to evaluate a memorable 2004 Wall Street Journal front-page article. Four different formulas found it to be comprehensible to 10th-graders, thanks in part to its short sentences. The reason for the frequent periods: The article was about a new book written without verbs, and the article mimicked its subject, making for intentionally tough reading.

Word length is an imperfect measure. “Important” and “elephant” are long words that are easy for most readers, Dr. Schriver notes. Conversely, frustrated crossword solvers encounter plenty of uncommon three-letter words, such as adz, auk and lea. She adds that no formulas account for document layout — even short sentences with lean words are challenging when printed in an eight-point type.

The formulas have their defenders. Readability consultant William DuBay calls them “good enough,” and adds, “They’ve been extremely beneficial for millions of readers.” Among other uses, they were implemented to simplify newspaper writing a half-century ago, he says.

Some researchers are trying to make the formulas better, using new databases and computing power. Prof. Weir aims to create a formula that incorporates the frequency of words and word combinations in typical English writing, meaning “the” and “adz” finally can be distinguished.

Several more-advanced readability formulas already have been developed. None are as convenient, or as criticized, as the Flesch-Kincaid formula Microsoft uses. Developed by readability researcher Rudolf Flesch in 1948, it was modified by psychologist J. Peter Kincaid in a study for the U.S. Navy in 1975, using reference passages. “Do not swing, twirl, or play with the nightstick” is part of a passage deemed appropriate for seventh-graders. Instructions that included, “All the jet streams of the Northern Hemisphere have their southern analogues” required a college degree.

The formula was tweaked once more by Microsoft when the company incorporated it into Word in 1993. Grade-level scores were capped at 12. Reed Shaffner, Microsoft’s product manager for Word, told me that the formula was changed in 2003, at least for Windows users. Those users can see results up to grade level 14, while Mac users won’t get results above level 12.

Why cap the results at all? “It’s a user-experience thing,” Mr. Shaffner says. Essentially, Microsoft is concerned about the readability of readability-formula results.

Prof. Kincaid, who today is the head of a modeling and simulation program at the University of Central Florida, tried unsuccessfully to get the formula corrected years before it finally was. Nevertheless, when he wants to use his own formula, he lets Word do the calculation.

That’s rare. “I write long sentences and no computer is going to tell me how to write,” Prof. Kincaid says. “I’m going to write the way I want to write.”
• Email me at numbersguy@wsj.com. Read daily commentary about numbers and join a discussion with readers at my free blog, WSJ.com/numbersguy.

The Numbers Guy – WSJ.com.

Raising Grace

Childhood Universals. What are they? Learning to read, write, walk and talk. Temper tantrums, feeding one’s self, and potty training. Growing up, bad hairstyles, new friends, first crushes, first day of school.

Children and adults alike can identify with these childhood and growing up universals. Grace Hansen understands and relates to these things well.

Grace, 11 years old, is the youngest of four girls: Leah, Erica, Abigail and then Grace. Leah is engaged and in university, Erica just graduated high school and Abigail is in grade 11. Grace is in grade 6 at a local elementary school in her hometown of Langley. She lives with her parents, Glenn and Ann Hansen in a cozy, yellow-walled town house in Murrayville. It would seem as the youngest daughter, Grace has an extra soft spot in her dad’s heart.

Meet Glenn Hansen, father of four girls, husband to Ann and the Director of Collegia Programs at Trinity Western University. Glenn reclines in his chair, his feet on the desk, and puts is hands behind his head and relaxes in his office. There is a large picture of his family eating when the girls were young on the bulletin board above the 5 x 7 of Grace’s most recent school photo. He laughs and smiles lovingly he delves into the memories he has from raising his youngest daughter Grace.

There are mornings where Grace “wakes up and doesn’t want to go to school, but she needs boundaries like every other kid.” Glenn explains, “I just tell her that she can come home after school, have a bowl of cereal and watch TV and she’ll agree to go to school. ‘School today, dad!’” she’ll say. “Grey’s Anatomy is her favourite show, she wants to marry George,” Glenn laughs.

It seems odd that Grace doesn’t always want to go to school. According to Glenn, “Grace is one of the most well known and popular kids at the school. We drop her off at school, she puts her backpack on and she runs to meet her friends.” Despite her popularity, Glenn is hesitant for what Grace’s scholastic future holds. “Her peer group at her current school is very laid back and accepting. The children don’t say ‘She’s weird. She’s different.’”

Grace is just like any other pre-teen, but she’s also one of 40, 634 people in Canada who has Down’s Syndrome (DS). DS is a condition where extra genetic material in the DNA causes delays in the way the child develops and often leads to a certain degree of mental retardation, ranging from mild to medium. In the United States, DS affects 1 in every 800 babies born.

While the DS comes with many challenges, Glenn acknowledges the role of Grace’s pediatrician in their outlook on her condition. Glenn explains that, “the pediatrician set us on a very positive course for becoming parents of a Down’s Syndrome child. His speech, his normalizing was huge. The pediatrician said, ‘She will reach milestones like every other child, albeit delayed. She will have temper tantrums, just like other children. Now, she will have medical issues, but we’ll deal with those as they come along.’ Little did Ann and I know, however, that leukemia and heart problems were all apart of Down’s Syndrome, in some cases. But every child wants to be loved and hugged, warm and safe, Grace is no different.”

Grace progressed through those childhood universals and reached milestones. Glenn recalls that, “it was a huge milestone when she lifted her head. Down’s babies have very low muscle tone. So when she lifted her head, we were like ‘Oh look! She’s lifting her head! Look! Look!’ Everything thing that she did that was ‘normal’ was, I think, celebrated more.”

When asked what childhood fears Grace has, Glenn says, “She has normal fears

but, I wonder if she has as many of them. She’s never manifested a fear of the dark, she’s perfectly happy to have the door closed and lights out when she sleeps.” Glenn laughs and blames himself for instilling in her a fear of bees, flies and mosquitoes. “She just freaks when a bug, like anything, even a fly comes near her. I used to do the same thing with bees. I wonder if I just would have swatted a bee away if Grace would be as scared.” Grace’s fear of bugs is rather large, Glenn recalls, “There was one day actually that Ann and I just heard her screaming. I ran to her to see what was wrong. One of the kids had a plastic spider but Grace thought it was real. She was just terrified so I picked it up and plucked all of its legs off to show her that it was fake. I just held her as she cried and said, ‘No Grace! It’s not real! It’s okay.’”

For Glenn, God has spoken to him through Grace in many ways. He explains that, “That’s when it hit me. I just felt as if He was saying, ‘Glenn, how much time do you spend in fear and anxiety? I can show up and rip the legs off the rubber spiders in your life anytime. Just trust in me.” Glenn and Ann have continued to trust in God as they raise their family. Through the death of several family members, including their son, Ann’s battle with breast cancer, Grace’s leukemia and continuing medical conditions, the Hansen’s faith has been strong in Him.

Grace’s ongoing medical condition is fluid in her ears, which is also not uncommon for DS children. Communication is extremely important for Grace and the Hansen family. As in many relationships, when communication breaks down, there can be serious issues. “Frustration gets the best of her,” Glenn says, “She doesn’t hear well some of the time, and if she gets sick with a head cold, it’s worse. She can’t speak very well sometimes. When you can’t hear well, and you can’t hear well, communication is a challenge. It’s frustrating for everyone.” Some days the Hansens get a note in Grace’s journal that will say, “Grace got frustrated and slapped a kid today.” Glenn laughs as he humorously quips, “If you couldn’t communicate with people getting in your face, wouldn’t you slap them?!”

Regardless, Grace is still a well-liked person at school and in her community. Glenn attributes this to her social sensitivity. “We had a friend over who had just washed her hands in the kitchen sink and needed a place to dry her hands,” Glenn smiles and chuckles, “Grace went down the hallway to the linen cupboard and got a towel for her. No one else in the room noticed it, but Grace did.” Glenn also feels that Grace demonstrates more aptitude and responsibility than his other daughters. “Grace will make herself ham and eggs with toast for breakfast and wash the pan. Most normal sixteen year old ‘normal’ kids don’t or can’t do that,” Glenn laughs, “my heart just swells, I’m so proud of her.”

“Grace wants to be just like her big sisters,” Glenn says. And what little sister doesn’t emulate her big sister? “She’s all girl! So that means, a fashion sense, personality in her dress, expression in body language. It’s all the same,” Glenn remarks, “But she also has this beautiful ‘not-so-much self-consciousness.’ That’s the terrible thing about us, we get all of these self-esteem, self-doubt, self-conscious issues… we get all of these attachments and life can really screw us up. Grace doesn’t have that.”

For Glenn, comparing Grace to his ‘normal’ children is like comparing “chalk and cheese’ and while the Hansen family sees the differences in Grace, they don’t see the difference as inequalities.

Regardless of their love, Glenn still wonders about the future. “I don’t know if when she’s 13 or 14 if it will be different. I don’t know if I’ll be crying because of the hurt she feels from the rejection because she’s different,” Glenn remarks, “I have to qualify that as a parent. I think most people can relate to befriending the different kid, the one with the bucked-teeth or big ears might not be okay with the ‘in’ crowd. It’s sickening. It’s evil.”

“I don’t know what the future holds, but we’ll get there a day at a time.”

Word Count: 1, 378

At first glace they resemble things that look like they should be inside of a cat litter box. Their smell on the other hand awakens the “nasty” in female pigs and yet they sell for thousands of dollars a pound. While they may just be the ugliest food we consume, the beauty of the truffle is in the eye of the beholder, on the palate of the consumer and in the prosperous wallet of the supplier.

Up there with caviar and foie gras, the truffle has long been classified as the fungal choice of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But lately it’s been seeing resurgence with hipsters and foodies alike and in the most unlikely of places – comfort food.

Take for instance the “Shorty Poutine” at Vancouver’s Mainstreet hang – Crave. At just nine bucks the appie consists of truffle parmesan fries topped with a tasty portion of shortrib jus. An extremely popular plate on the always busy eatery’s menu, this traditional Quebec dish is so rich and intense in its truffle flavor that you couldn’t handle it if it were bottomless…in fact that could be borderline insulting. Less in more in this case as poutine connoisseurs have met their match.

The same could be said for Executive Chef Rafael Gonzalez holding court at the Yew at Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. His menu also spotlights some “renewed classics.” Like the girl next door but with a wicked dark side, the Black Truffle Macaroni and Cheese is anything but predictable. Classic al dente penne is coated in a rich un-frilly farmhouse chedder sauce and infused with the earth’s best kept secret, the black truffle. It sure ain’t what your mom used to make. This unassuming plate stops foodies in their tracks.

One cannot talk comfort food in Vancouver without mentioning Feenie and his famous weenie. Not only does Rob dish out the gourmet dog, but he also serves up the paramount of all comfort foods, the Shepherds Pie. Ringing in at 17 bucks this culinary merge of duck confit, mushroom duxelles, corn and red wine is also adorned with – you guess it – truffle scented mashed potatoes.

The union of the truffle with comfort food is like the marriage of Celin Dion and Rene – somehow it oddly works. But what’s more strange is how these little diamonds of the dirt make it onto our poutine plates and palates of today. Found near the roots of trees such as oak, elm and hazelnuts, these ugly lumpy mushrooms can only be located by the extraordinary nostrils of the truffle hog – a highly skilled pig. Truffles give off a smell, similar to the pheromone in boar saliva which turns these “Petunia’s” into frantic females often resulting in the truffle’s fatal attraction. In recent years suppliers have been training “truffle” dogs to locate the fungi as the hogs often gobble up the precious delicacies as soon as they get within a nose of them…making extraction a bit challenging and stressful considering a pound of truffles can go for as much $7000.00 US at auction.

Amateur and professional chefs alike can purchase truffles at high scale grocery stores like Vancouver’s Urban Fare, but they’ll need to call ahead as the boutique doesn’t always carry the dingy pungent fungi. Latin for lumps these “tubers,” are literally flown in from France and Italy and can range in price from $20.00 all the way to $70.00 depending on the size and the time of year they were harvested. Because of the difficulty pigs have in digging through frozen soil, the price in the winter is much higher and the availability is much scarcer.

What keeps them pure and their commodity up is the environment where these delicacies grow. It simply can’t be duplicated commercially. But a small organization in British Columbia comprising of producers, mycologists and professional agrologists is hoping to change all that. Called the Truffle Association of BC or TABC for short, the group is dedicated to the commercial truffle industry in the western province, and is conducting research into the viability and sustainability of the Perigord variety of the black truffle. Farmwest.com sites the goals of TABC stating, “It is hoped that in time this project will lead to the development of a new, sustainable agri-business opportunity in the province, with resultant economic development and job creation benefits.”

Fast forward 20 years in British Columbia and truffles could be as readily available and in copious supply as salt and pepper is today. A sprinkle here, a sprinkle there and why not over the shoulder for good luck …hey it’s only truffles!

In the back yard of Lonnie Cameron’s Langley home, two hockey nets stand against the fence—a nod to the family’s sport of choice.

“Like most kids, I had dreams of making it to the NHL,” says Cameron, a 44-year-old husband to Nancy and father of Brayden, seven, and Logan, five. “I played junior hockey in the prairies until I was 20, then coached for a while. But what I really was enjoyed officiating.”

After a stint at the Western Hockey League School of Officiating, Cameron landed a position in the WHL in 1987, and spent nine years plying his trade while eyeing a jump to the big leagues. His focus and hard work paid off; he got the call in 1996. “The NHL offered me a contract,” he says. “I accepted, and twelve years later, I’m still skating games—coming up on 750 of them.”

Sitting at the kitchen table, Cameron points to the color-coded calendar on the refrigerator door. “See the lime green? Those are away days.” Bright green highlighter marks most days; the yellow and pink denote his sons’ hockey games and practices. “Nothing happens without consulting that calendar first,” he laughs.

With his regular schedule based on 75 games plus six exhibition games, add in the coveted playoffs and it could total 100 or more games a year. “It’s a lot,” he admits. “Obviously all 100 games aren’t in Vancouver; I’m lucky to get half a dozen of those. I average about 125 nights a year on the road.”

At home Cameron’s wife, Nancy, holds it all together. “She’s awesome,” he says. “When I’m away, she’s judge, jury and executioner.” So, how does she manage?  

“You just do,” says Nancy, a part-time elementary school teacher. “We’ve had lots of support from family; my mom is nearby, and Lonnie’s parents would drop everything to come help out.”

But there are a few perks, too. “We earn a lot of Airmiles and Marriott points,” says Cameron. In January, Nancy and the boys joined him in Los Angeles during the All-Star break, where they took in a couple of NHL games and a visit to Disneyland before flying home together.

When he’s in town during the season, they make sure to enjoy special outings—like restaurant visits—even if things don’t go quite according to plan. “The other night, we went to Red Robin,” says Nancy. “Hockey was on three different TVs—and all three of them were watching. I thought, ‘Well, isn’t this a nice family meal?’ ” She shrugs and smiles. “They definitely have that bond.”

She looks over at Brayden, who lies on an area rug that looks like a giant game board, playing a hockey video game.

“Nancy is a hockey widow,” Cameron jokes. “With both boys playing, weekends are heavy-duty; sometimes the van is going in two different directions at the same time.”

Still, Nancy seems to take it all in stride.  “I love that Brayden and Logan play,” she says. “It’s a team sport—they learn to cooperate and work together.” She heads down to the playroom to check on Logan, who has a friend over, while Brayden, who is finished his video game, climbs onto his dad’s lap.

“Bray’s lucky,” Cameron says. “He gets to catch a couple of games every now and then, gets to know some of the guys.” So, who is Brayden’s favourite player?

“The Sedin twins,” he answers. And when asked what he thinks of Cameron’s job—and calls—he can’t resist getting in a little dig. “Sometimes he’s blind.”

“Hey, this is on the record you know,” Cameron laughs. “You should tell the truth.”

The two share a chuckle as Cameron continues. “I miss so much. Tomorrow both boys have ice time, and Brayden has a game I won’t see because I’m traveling.”

The family manages to stay connected, though. “Those phone bills get pretty big during the season,” Cameron says.

And both boys are sure to get in on the conversations, too. “The other day,” Nancy says, “I heard Logan ask, ‘Hey, Dad, are you in Washington? Can you say hi to Ovechkin for my friend, Nicky?’ ”

The pace is a little different in the off-season.

“In the summertime,” Cameron says, “people wonder if I work because I’m out there playing street hockey with the kids every day. But I also put in most of my training during that time. I get my ounce of sweat done for the day so I can barbeque and wave to the neighbours,” he laughs.

Come the first week of September, he hits the road again. “It’s is a huge transition,” says Nancy, “because he’s been home all summer, day and night, and then he’s gone for up to 10 days.”

Tomorrow, Cameron leaves to work Phoenix; two days later, he’s in Nashville—then Atlanta, Miami and Carolina.  

His typical workday includes a flight to one of the 30 cities that comprise the NHL; Cameron and the others on the four-man crew of officials might all arrive from different places. “After a light work-out,” he says, “we meet for lunch, talk about the previous night’s game and the teams that are playing that night. There may be a history of bad blood, so we’ve got to be on our toes.”

And is there anything else that helps them prepare for the game? “The big thing is an afternoon nap,” Cameron says. “Sometimes we work three games in three nights in three different cities, so it wears on us pretty hard. After the game, we grab a beer and some chicken wings and turn in. Then we head to the next city and do it all over again.”

Despite a rigorous schedule, his love for the game keeps him lacing up those skates.

“Sometimes it’s 21 hours of waiting,” says Cameron. “But the best part of the day is the three hours I’m out there on the ice.”

finally figured out this word pressing thing so i’m going to see where this post ends up…

Headline: Day care lessons

Subhead: An elder’s thoughts for the younger generation

Knock knock. The homeowner answers the door, talking on the phone and sorting papers. She runs a day-care business in a converted car garage. As she continues talking, her mother, Marie Gaukel, sits with the children in the day care. Observing the two toddlers, I join her.

Marie, 67, wears a dark blue sweater and grey pants. She’s knitting a pair of blue mittens. She watches as the toddlers play with the toys. Charlie, a boy with curly blond hair, looks at us with his eyes wide open, while Meenu, an East Indian girl, gives Marie a hug.

“Open your arms for her,” she says to me, but Meenu simply looks at me. “Well not like that,” laughs Marie, implying that my arms are opened too wide. “You’re not an elephant.”

I narrow the gap, but Meenu remains hesitant. Charlie, however, embraces me

“Can you imagine that Charlie gave Todd a hug?” Marie asks her daughter. Apparently, Charlie doesn’t offer hugs too freely. Meenu then follows suit.

Scenes like today are typical in the day care. Marie occasionally spends time at her daughter’s home and helps with the children, leaving her contemplating these toddlers’ futures. She reminisces her own childhood.

“I used to love roller skating,” she says of her hobbies as a child. “I tried ice skating, but I nearly killed myself so I gave that up,” she laughs.

“Those days we didn’t really have hobbies like you guys do now,” Marie says, commenting on her experience as the older of two daughters raised by a single mom. “I would come home from school and look after my little sister. That’s where my spare time went.”

When she wasn’t in school or taking care of her sister, she was working. Marie’s mother was a registered nurse and matron at several major hospitals. She eventually trained Marie to be a nurse’s aid. Marie’s work was in the geriatrics department of the hospital.

“I did this for quite a few years, even after I was married and had kids,” she says.

These medical experiences exposed Marie to life’s brevity. At one of the hospitals, there was a program that took alcoholics and drug users off the street and brought them in to get immediate treatment to clean up their lives which hung on a string.

“That was an eye-opener,” she says.

She then tells me how she earned a degree in Business Administration having only completed up to grade 10 in high school. “I tell you, I cried from some of the tests, but I [still] passed with 97%,” she says. “I really enjoyed it.”

Marie was married at 18 and gave birth to the first of four children by 19. She tells me that this could almost be considered routine, which kept her from pursuing other things in life.

In some ways, her upbringing was a burden. “I sort of resented it,” she says. “I was a teenager then; I didn’t go to the parties. When I had a date, my mother, oh my goodness, it was a war of the worlds,” she says, noting that much responsibility was placed on her as the eldest daughter. “[This] helped a little bit with [raising] my kids, but each person is an individual with whole new experiences.”

Such experiences played out in different areas of family life. On certain occasions, she and her husband took the children on trips in a motor home. One particular long weekend, the vehicle experienced trouble. Her husband pulled off to the side of the road and tried to fix it and injured his shoulder in the process.

They drove him back to a hospital to see a doctor. He needed a shot, and the needle was dirty. Back then, used syringes were boiled in sterilizing fluid and reused. On this long weekend, however, the sterilization process appeared to have been neglected.

“I guess they didn’t do it that Friday,” Marie wonders.

11 days later, her husband died from lead poisoning, leaving Marie a widow at 36-years-old with four children.

“It was quite an experience,” she says. It happened so fast that no one could have anticipated it. “Our whole lives were turned upside down.”

The death happened just days before her oldest son’s graduation from high school. He was a competitive runner who set various records in his school, many that are still standing. He continued running, but spent the majority of his time crying in the boys’ washroom.

“It was a major adjustment [to the family],” she says, “but we survived all that.”

Nearly 30 years later, Marie still considers these chapters as significant to who she is today. “I haven’t lived a very exciting life, [but] I’ve learned a lot,” she says. “Experience is your best teacher.”

We watch as the toddlers continue playing with the day care’s toys. Meenu sits and spins on a small merry-go-round. Charlie stands behind a little red chair, gazing at us with his open mouth resting on the top of the chair.

“It’s nice to see they [both] have a mom and a dad,” Marie says of the kids. “Both of them, their parents really care [about them]. You don’t really see much of that nowadays. You have all these strangers living in the house, and no one relates to anybody.”

“They love you freely, unconditional; they don’t judge you. That’s why I like the little ones.”

Yet Marie holds some apprehension for Charlie and Meenu’s futures. She’s not necessarily worried about the children themselves, but the world they’ll be facing.

“Life today is so different from when I was young,” she says. “I wouldn’t want to be raising children now.” She comments on the instabilities of society that don’t care if a child is raised in a stable household. “Even if you have a good home with them and they’re learning and everything else, once they get into the outside world, it’s hard to hang on to them,” she says.

“What we had to worry about, when I was young, was getting pregnant or getting drunk. Nowadays, that’s the norm.”

Her concerns go beyond these. She says that she’s been watching programs about global warming.

“It’s scary, it’s really scary,” she says, commenting on people’s environmental choices and the effects of luxurious living. “You go down my street and there are about ten cars in each driveway; nobody’s going to give that up.”

In light of these worries, I ask her what advice she would offer them based on her own experiences in life.

“I would tell them to be true to themselves,” she replies. “You’ve got to have lots of confidence in yourself, you really do,” noting that people are held responsible for the choices they make.

“You have to believe in yourself. And believe in your own judgment, in your own gut feeling. That’s the one that’s true to you,” she says.

“Whenever I’d listen to anyone else, it was…[sighs]”

Marie then looks back at me. “I really envy you guys, you know that? Because you have so many opportunities. When I was [your age], your big thing in life was to get out of high school and to get married,” she says. “It’s not a wonderful thing to look forward to.”

“Oh, it’s just such a big world out there, and there are so many things you can do,” she says.

“I wish I was young again.”

Family members sometimes joke that she should act her age. “My grandkids tell me, ‘Oh Grandma, you’re too old for that.’ But I still get my two cents in,” she says. “I’m not dead you know [laughs]. My mind’s good, I don’t miss much.”

We get to talking about the elections in the United States. She stays current with the latest results and scandals, as well as endorsements of Barack Obama, her candidate of choice.

“Have you heard of Wyclef Jean?” she asks. She tells me about the recording artist and his contribution to the campaign trail.

Marie reiterates her desire to be young again.

“But I just wish so much to have what you have right now. Oh, I’d do so many things.”

Yet she doesn’t regret the life she’s lived.

“I’ve learned a lot; I’ve had a lot; I’ve lost a lot,” she says. “And now, I’m just even.”

Whether you’re writing an article intended for the Langley Advance News, or for our class project, the deadlines have shifted. Here’s a revised schedule:

Feb 6 Roxanne Hooper will visit class. Be prepared with article ideas and lists of questions you intend to ask your subject.

Feb 27 No class – reading break

March 5 In-class critique of finished articles. After you complete changes, the pieces will be emailed to Roxanne (for the Advance) and/or to me, for the project.

March 12 In-class, Roxanne will coach each writer, one-on-one, with suggestions for story package. I will do the same with those who are submitting only to the class project.

March 26 Final draft due, copied to me and Roxanne.

Other deadlines will be inserted into this schedule as the project continues.

Roxanne’s email address: rhooper@langleyadvance.com