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Omatsuri festival exhibits traditional Japan

Wentao
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Omatsuri festival exhibits traditional Japan

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An Omatsuri, or a traditional festival, is a good display of the Japanese culture and lifestyle beyond the modern likes of Anime and Manga. With that in mind, no wonder that the third year of the Calgary Japanese Festival Omatsuri expanded many patrons’ horizons on their knowledge of Japan.

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Sorry, I dislike face shots.
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…. And I know I have a leg tan. 😛

Happi coats: Being a admissions and food ticket sales volunteer, we received these to wear from Japanese Consulate while on shift. Despite the glaring sun making it a bit hot wearing them, wearing Happi coats (apparently a traditional festival garment) gave me a sense of new familiarity with the Japanese culture.

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The Omikoshi parade – Right after the opening ceremony was the Omikoshi parade, where a small Shinto shrine (pictured above) was carried by several participants. In doing my research, I found out that the divine miniature building is believed to be transporting a deity in the Shinto belief. While being small in size, the shrine was crafted intricately and caught the attention of those who passed by the display.

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Karate and Iaido – During the afternoon stage performances, there were excellent displays of both traditional martial arts. I find Karate a lot more of an active sport and Iaido a bit too passive for my tastes, but to each his own.

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A Dharma dog it is – While the interwebs gave me a variety of names to describe this somewhat-Japanese innovation (including the famous Japadog in Vancouver), the festival had it as a “Dharma dog.” Filled with toppings such as pickled ginger, onions, seaweed, and a light helping of wasabi, this cultural twist on an everyday item just can’t be better. If I ever get another chance to gobble one of this delicacy down, I would opt in for even more wasabi – nope, I’m not afraid.

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From Nakagama's!
From Nakagama’s!

Japanese vendors – With so many snacks and items to look out for, the lesson of the day for me is to never go to a festival without taking the urge to buy items from vendors into consideration. Now I regret not being able to blog while munching on bags of those snacks up above, for example. Oh well, I’ll savour it next time.

Do all these pictures make up for not catching on to many of the Japanese words I was taught while volunteering? Or maybe the fact I didn’t really get to see all the participants for the Yukata contest? I sure hope so. Domo arigato for taking a look at my two cents of the festival, and now I know what to be focusing on when I visit or volunteer next year.

If you would like see more of the festival, the organizers have put together photos on their Facebook page. Click away at our yycstreetfestivals tag for more festival posts. 🙂

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My thoughts on becoming one world

Asa Bapat
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One world: a world where everyone is happy, mingling together, celebrating the diversity, accepting the differences, promoting faith in kindness and humanity. In that world, every person had a reason to smile, and only one aim: to make that world a better place to live for everyone.

But alas! It was just a dream.

But that dream proved to be a special one- because it made me compare the world in which I live and the world in which I want to live.

You may say I’m a dreamer,
but I’m not the only one.
I hope some day you’ll join us,
and the world will live as one.
-John Lennon

The 21st century world has come closer due to industrial globalization.

What about globalization on the humanitarian grounds?

Why are there so many people dying in the Palestine? Why do Muslims feel unsafe in Cairo (Egypt)? Its
not all so rare to hear news about racism related crimes, or sex related abuse.This is the world we live in – where distances, discrimination and domination rule. Now take a moment and think of this world as community of human beings. Don’t let national borders, religion, faith race or sex disturb your thoughts. Thats the world we all will like to live in.

How do we create such a world? Is it even possible? If yes, who will do it?

Think about every person you see, you meet as a human being first. Forget about his job qualification, language, colour, etc. Start empathizing with his feelings and concerns. And trust me, in no time, you will see how alike we are as humans. And if we as a global community come together, identify with each others problems, suggest solutions, help implement those solutions, it wont be long before the world we live in will become the world we want to live in.

The feeling you get when a child smiles (and you know you are the reason behind that smile) when an elderly person trusts you and relies on you for support, or the depth of thankfulness you see in the mother’s eyes when you save her child are the same all around the world. Its not about the religion, country, race or sex; Its about all of us being humans.

P.S. – If you have never experienced one of these priceless feelings, you have not lived life enough.

Start living today.

Sources:
http://www.oneworldfound.org/Favorite%20Quotes.htm
https://www.google.ca/search?q=One+world&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Dk0UUsOfEcSMyAGcrYCIBg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1331&bih=633#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=upmVkurHDn7KsM%3A%3BQ4EBAdxzE8WMNM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-2fgb5LrWFqc%252FTWYeNliAjvI%252FAAAAAAAAABU%252FDfqPeJP3qQ4%252Fs320%252FOneWorld.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fartsofhumanism.blogspot.com%252F2011_02_01_archive.html%3B400%3B282

Photo of the Day: Phoenix Street Art

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graffiti  (ɡræˈfiːtiː)
— pl n  , sing -to
1. ( sometimes with singular verb ) drawings, messages, etc, often obscene, scribbled on the walls of public lavatories, advertising posters, etc

(Definition from www.dictionary.com)

The term graffiti scares people. It scares them because they do not know there is more to it than gang symbols and vandalism. It is an art that is just as good as anything you can see at a museum. Think of it as an unconventional art, where no canvas is needed, just simply a wall and some paint, it creates a story greater than anything you pay to see or pay to have hanging over your fireplace. It is not there to bring in some income, it is there to be noticed and heard or sometimes just to get a glimpse of the beauty and talent one can create with their hands. Here is one of my favourite “graffiti” pieces or as I like to call it street art, I captured in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona through the lens of my fabulous Nikon 1.

art1 The photo says; It was all just a dream and I liked it. I was part of everything, I was free. Now I’m just me.

So what does it mean? Well, that’s up to you to decide.

Letting my inner food junkie run free

Julia
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Letting my inner food junkie run free

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Every year, there is one festival that I do not miss. It is the time where I can let my inner food junkie run free. This festival: the Taste of Calgary! Every August (this year it was Aug 15-18), the Eau Claire Market plaza is invaded by white tents bearing luring signs. After buying tickets ($1 each) from the festival booths, you essentially proceed to take yourself on a culinary exploration of Calgary. Amid clothing/jewellery vendors and promotional booths, restaurants prepare sample sizes of their premium dishes, and you can trade tickets (prices range from 2-5 tickets each) to taste their creations. Here’s a review of all the amazing things I tried (though some were better than others, it was all really good). Just as a note, I shared all these dishes, otherwise I would be unbelievably full and probably put on some weight.

Pineapple Beef Curry w/Rice from Delicious Thai

For five tickets, my expectations were high, and although they were by no means exceeded, they were definitely met. In general, I can’t stand anything spicy, and so that aspect of the dish lowered its appeal a bit, but that’s just for me. What stood out to me the most was how well the sweetness of the pineapple blended with it all. As well, the bed of rice at the bottom soaked up the juices and kept the flavours coming! For a festival-sampler, the portion size was spot on, and if you don’t mind some heat, give it a shot! 4/5

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Shepard’s Pie from Jamesons Irish Pubs

This dish was only three tickets, and for that amount, the portion was definitely fair. Aesthetically it isn’t quite a show-stopper, but the flavours made up for it. There was just enough seasoning in the meat portion, and the potatoes actually had a flavour to them. In my opinion, the only flaw was that after you have eaten most of it, the flavours are kinda bland because they are just the same and become slightly uninteresting (but still good) after you’ve already savoured the taste. 3.5/5

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Chicken Samosas from Delice Pastry Shop

At first glance, the two samosas didn’t quite seem to live up to a whole five tickets, but in the end they were actually more substantial than I expected. A crunchy exterior was paired with a fine ground up chicken interior, finished off with some vegetables. The flavours were foreign and yet not too eccentric, and overall the perfect balance of textures, flavours, and whatever else needs to be balanced. 4.5/5

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Greek Slider from Kuzina

First of all, I should say that I am a sucker for Greek food. And I was not disappointed with my four ticket purchase! The typical Greek ingredients, very much like what you’d find in a Greek salad, accompanied chicken on a pita to create the Greek version of a classic slider. It was quite messy with the sauce and diced tomatoes, and difficult to share, but the flavours I had were all good. Again though, I like nearly all Greek food I’ve tried. 4.5/5

Loukoumades (dough puffs) from Kuzina

Two tickets got me six dough puffs, which I quickly decked out with the cinnamon and sugar provided. In comparison to the previous dish I enjoyed from Kuzina, these weren’t quite as amazing, but still they were quite a treat. It was kind of hit-and-miss, as a couple of them had a nice and sweet flavour, whereas others were bland. All in all I really just wanted to see what they would be, and that I did. 3/5

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Salted Caramel Gelato from Crepes & Cravings

Two tickets got me a fairly small serving of gelato, especially since I was sharing it, but the flavour and richness was still sufficient. Gelato is one of those things that really can’t go wrong, and it definitely didn’t go wrong this time. Especially considering how hot it was out, the gelato was a worthwhile purchase. 4/5

Sweet Nutella Crepe from Crepes & Cravings

Creeeppppeeesss and Nuuutteeellllaaa….. how could this not be delicious? The crepe was a good size, especially for four tickets, and it was accompanied by just the right amount of Nutella within it’s doughy folds of glory. I’m not even going to rate this one, because crepes are one of my favourite foods, so it wouldn’t be fair.

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Stay in the Loop with Marda Gras 2013

Wentao
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Stay in the Loop with Marda Gras 2013

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Masks, masks, masks everywhere? New Orleans style? You must the Marda Gras Street Festival!

Aug 11 was the day the hand clicker was in my palm and I was pressin’ away and greeting the patrons. Knowing I’m a bit late in the blogging game, let’s give my photos of Marda Loop and such a go!

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Pin making at the Open Streets Calgary booth!
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The solar panels you see on the left from Enmax were generating the power needed for the DJ on the right to play the music. That’s extremely cool to me.
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Wanna pedal and generate some electricity?
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Schuyler Snowdon!

After the clickin’ and countin’, I went on my festival hunt again as always, seeing snippets of this and snippets of that. So there you go and enjoy my snapshots of the festival. I enjoyed the masks lining up the streets and the eco-friendly activities. I missed the pet pageant and the chance to review Waffles n’ Chix (ohnomnom subway sandwiches at the volunteer tent), but I don’t regret soaking in more then my share of the street festival atmosphere.

Keep it here with yycstreetfestivals coverage on our site and the Marda Gras Facebook page has a nice photo album here. 🙂

The importance of hiking poles

kathy
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Recently my family and I embarked on a photography/hiking trip to the beautiful Lake O’Hara area. We are not avid hikers, but my dad and I are both photography fans and my mother loves getting in touch with nature. So when we found out that there was another lake to see, we had to go. Everyone said that there was some stunning scenery on the way.

We made our way up the narrow gravel trails and watched the receding lake below us. It really was stunning.

An hour later, we weren’t paying as much attention to the scenery. The trail was rock valley after gruelling rock valley, with the occasional consolation of a small lake on the side of the trail. This is where we stopped for a rest.

We asked a passerby how much of the trail was left before we reached the lake, and after informing us that there was still an hour left to go, he proceeded to remark on the absence of poles in our hiking gear.

It turns out that hiking poles are essentials for hikers and mountaineers. They reduce the amount of stress on your knees. While you’re coming down the trail, you work your knees, feet, ankles, and quads a lot. You might not feel it at the moment, but the next day the area will be sore. A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine found that hiking poles can reduce up to 25 per cent of the compressive force that is exerted on your knees while hiking.

They also help with balance and traction, allowing you to stay upright even in difficult and slippery terrain and therefore increasing your speed. Finally, they allow you to use your arms in addition to your legs to propel you forward and upward, making for an easier ascent, albeit at the expense of your arms.

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Hiking poles can also help you by allowing you to brush aside interfering bushes on the trail, or wave away insects. And if you do happen to have an encounter with a bear or other wildlife, you can throw your poles or wave them above your head to make you seem more intimidating.

So next time, be sure to bring poles. Here’s a tip: Ski poles work just as well if you have them handy.

Happy hiking!

Juniper’s Knot: A Kinetic Visual Novel by Dischan Media

admin
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“Juniper’s Knot is the tale of a lost boy and an imprisoned fiend who through eventual bonding, try and help overcome each other’s obstacles.”

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My usual boring tale of app store browsing was met with the discovery of a more superior, melancholic, and thoughtful tale of Juniper’s Knot, a kinetic visual novel made by Dischan Media. For those unfamiliar with what kinetic visual novels are, think of the concept of visual novels, which are similar to mature-themed, illustrated, interactive, stories. Sort of like a mature picture book with choices that change the storyline. Than remove the interactive part (no choices), and you will simply get an illustrated story that plays dialogue out to you whenever you tap your finger on your iPad or iPhone. Thus the term “kinetic visual novel,” is similar to “a moving visual story.”

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The style of storytelling in Juniper’s Knot revolves around two main characters: the lost boy and the imprisoned demon. The perspective of the story switches between these two characters on occasion to represent what the two are feeling. The demon is stuck inside the old manor, where for unknown reasons has been trapped there for implied centuries. The lost boy just happens to stumble upon her prison, after getting lost from a horse accident.

This unlikely encounter results in a conversation, where from the reader’s point of view, plays interestingly as both these characters are from different timelines. Implied by the boy’s dress, style of speaking, words, and daily life, the boy is from the Industrial Revolution (1760 – 1840). It is unclear when the demon is from except for the fact that she’s been trapped in the old manor for a very long time, in addition to her life in the outside world.

The conversation between the two, twists and turns into a complicated relationship. The boy, who is initially intimidated by the demon, is also slightly curious about the demons situation. The demon herself yearns for conversation and company after many long years, however is also bitter, sorrowful, and angry due to her situation and past. This mix of negative feelings is also being encouraged by her mechanism of freedom, which altogether is directed to the boy without the boy’s knowledge.

However, with all the emotions that you feel from this story, and with all the distresses, misfortunes and obstacles, it all leads into a surprisingly well done ending. The ending changes both characters lives forever in an unexpected way, and has left a mark on me as a reader for it’s miracle of creativity.

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In addition to the beautiful story and characters, I really also love the art and music in this. Whenever the story wants you to feel the melancholy and anger from the fiend, the music and art will make you feel it. Whenever the story wants you to feel happy and satisfied, the music and art will do that as well. Dischan media should really be congratulated for their work, with this project only being developed in a month, in addition to it being their very first project.

If there were any detriments in Juniper’s Knot, it would be the fact that the old English might be hard to read sometimes. Undoubtedly because of the timelines that these two characters are from. However if anything, I personally find that it helps with the overall mood of the story, and has actually made me learn a lot of vocabulary, and history of that vocabulary. Though if you can read modern English, you shouldn’t be too affected by the writing in this story. The story also deals with mature themes, which majorly come from the fiends past, and the emotion that this story expertly portrays. So if you can’t handle that kind of stuff, be warned. Though I do promise that the ending will make you a little happier despite the mature themes of the story. Finally if you are not an avid visual novel reader, or don’t watch anime, read manga, etc, don’t worry about it! Since this was my first visual novel and I still found it enjoyable as such.

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Juniper’s Knot is FREE and can be read from PC, Mac, Linux, or any IOS device. It can be easily accessed from the app store, as well as online downloads. The IOS app comes with all soundtracks, art, and extra art that fans and developers alike have made for this production. I am unsure about the amount of content in the desktop version though since I haven’t read Juniper’s Knot on that platform. Juniper’s Knot took me around 45 minutes to read, however I was also really into the story. I found Juniper’s Knot extremely enjoyable, so please enjoy it if you have the chance.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

Disclaimer:

I do not own Juniper’s Knot. All art, photos, and story belong to Dischan Media. Please support the official release.
You may find their website here at https://dischan.org/index.php

How the Chinatown Street Festival fared after the flood

Wentao
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How the Chinatown Street Festival fared after the flood

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On Aug 10, the Chinatown Street Festival was back (and better than ever!) Not only did it spruce up the area vibrantly, the festival exhibited how well the collaboration went in the community after the flood. Here are my highlights:

The Chinese characters mean the Calgary Chinese Merchants Association.
The Chinese characters mean the Calgary Chinese Merchants Association.
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Smile, you’re on camera! A pretty cool job, don’t you think?

Volunteering – For starters, with an awesome t-shirt design, we recognized all the communities where the flood waters were literally on their doorsteps. I’m looking forward to seeing people who have snapped em’ up for $20 at the festival. Since for most of the time I was on a volunteering shift, it was great knowing I helped set up tents and just took it a step further from just attending every year.

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Lanterns, lanterns everywhere – Having these red lanterns hanging from all the light poles and trees in the area really helped to push out the festive vibe that almost reminded me of the Chinese new year. Being a lucky colour, the cheerful touch of red embraces the Chinese culture more than anything.

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TD’s awesome zodiac pins/magnets – A lot of visitors were attracted to TD’s booth at the festival, and I ended joining the lineup to figure out why. Turns out they were giving out these pins with the zodiac animal of your choice, which also carried a Chinese new year kind of feel. 😀

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Harmony Guzheng Ensemble‘s performance – A Guzheng performance evokes the fascination at the emotional notes produced by the zither instrument. Under the perfect shade, the melody brought visitors like me and the music kept me there for a good period.

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Sumo wrestling – The fact that participants had to fit themselves in the sizable suit along with the “hat” was just too hilarious to watch, period.

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Stage performances – By the time I got back to the stage to enjoy the performances, lots of keen people were already gathered around. I didn’t end up being there for too long, so you might just have to put up with that not-so-perfect photo. The costumes and dances that I saw had a lot of historical facts embedded in the presentation.

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Back alley adventures – Booths like the one for our recycling program and a small stage were actually held inside an alley right beside the Silver Dragon Restaurant, adding on to the on-street area. I enjoyed exploring a new, “hidden” part of Chinatown, a new source of fascination for an area I’ve been to countless times.

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Nenshi’s appearance – It was a great idea for our mayor to have come to the festival wearing Chinese-styled clothing, although I was too far away to hear most of his speech. Just having his endorsement is encouraging.

Next year, we’ll see how the Chinatown shops have stepped past the repercussions of the flood. Before I go, please navigate to our yycstreetfestivals tag for more Cowtown festival chronicles. 🙂

China delights at Globalfest 2013

Rebecca Yang
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China delights at Globalfest 2013
GlobalFest 2013
GlobalFest 2013

I have lived in Calgary for over 10 years and I have never attended GlobalFest, if you can believe that. But let me tell you, I have really been missing out. This Friday, I was fortunate enough to go to the China exposition of GlobalFest. I was surprised to see the array of cultural hubs that the festival incorporated at Elliston Park. When most people think of GlobalFest, they usually imagine a whirlwind of fireworks. However, many of us neglect the “global” aspect to the festival.

GlobalFest 2013
GlobalFest 2013

There were a countless arrangement of tents with different cultures represented within them. One of my favourites was the Mexican tent, with a display of the country’s traditional Day of the Dead. I also visited the Ukrainian booth. This was one of the most exciting tents, especially because of the swarm of children attempting to do the leg-burning Ukrainian dance. Not only were there tents to signify the variety of cultures within our community, but there were also an assortment of international cuisine. From Quebec to Poland, to to the tropical shores of Jamaica and many more, these ethnic food hubs drew hefty line ups within a half hour of the gates opening to the festival. My friend and I were fortunate enough to savour some samosas before the park became too crowded.Soon enough, evening crouched upon us and the fireworks began. I have always watched the fireworks from the distant quarters of my home’s balcony.

GlobalFest 2013
GlobalFest 2013

However, experiencing the fireworks from within the boundaries of the park was a completely more exuberant experience. From the distance, these magnificent fireworks only appear as mere sparkling lights in the sky. But from a close extremity, these fireworks are dancing to the featured music of the night. The effect of the variety of fireworks in sync with the tunes is just fascinating. This particular night’s performance came from China’s competitors, and so the fireworks enchanted the night sky with the melodies of the far East.

I cannot wait to attend more nights offered by GlobalFest. If you can, I suggest you to snag any tickets for the last treasured dates of GlobalFest. It is not just a fantastic display of lights in the sky but most importantly, a night representing the joining of an array of global cultures within our community. GlobalFest is truly “Alberta’s most explosive festival!”

What to try at Taste of Calgary

lily
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What to try at Taste of Calgary

August 15-18, lucky Calgarians and tourists alike got to sample some of the best food the city has to offer at Taste of Calgary in Eau Claire Market.

Unlike my friends, who took their time to wander about and visit the vendors and shows, my first priority when we arrived (given that I had skipped breakfast that day) was to dive into the food booths and sample everything. This was my first time partaking in this festival and I must say I was extremely pleased with what each booth had to offer.

IMG_1845Destination Pearl House offered up takoyaki for three tickets ($3) per tray of three dumplings. In my opinion, they went a little overboard with the bonito flakes and could’ve used a bit more seaweed, but overall the takoyaki was delicious. 4/5

IMG_1855Their Taiwanese styled shaved ice with fresh fruit, however, was a bit of a disappointment. The first thing being that there wasn’t actually any fresh fruit involved in this treat. The red bean didn’t mix well with the little orange jello bits and the shaved ice gave off a strange, milky aftertaste. 3/5

IMG_1848Here’s something interesting, I’ve always really enjoyed mini melts, but I didn’t know about their BIG big-sized sorbet melts until today. My friend tried the grape and soda flavored ones, and she told me that although they were decent tasting, it wasn’t anything to be made a big deal of. 3/5

IMG_1853The sweet nutella crepe from Crepes & Cravings was absolutely amazing. Then again, how can you go wrong with nutella? This crepe is the perfect combination of crunchiness and creamy sweetness. I would highly recommend this delicious treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. 4.5/5

IMG_1856IMG_1857The butter chicken with rice and crispy chili potatoes from La Jawab might’ve been my favorite item out of everything I’ve tried. The butter chicken and rice was only rich, and only slightly spicy. My only criticism being that there should be more added for the $5 value. 4.5/5   The crispy chili potatoes were excellent as well, and was only $2 for a very filling amount. 4/5

IMG_1862Delicious Thai‘s sticky rice with mangoes was very refreshing after the richness of the butter chicken. Even though the mango slices weren’t exactly ice cold like I would’ve preferred, this dessert was overall very satisfying. 3.5/5

IMG_1864The last item on my agenda was the bacon wrapped prawn from Halo Steak, Seafood & Wine Bar. I was really curious as to whether bacon would go well with seafood; and the answer is yes, it does. The prawn was a little salty for my taste but overall, it was an enjoyable treat. 4/5

Zest up your summer with lemon macaroons

Lauren Morris
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Being a complete coconut fanatic, I have always had a soft spot for coconut cookies, and when it comes to this fruit the macaroon is its cookie king. Macaroons usually do not contain flour; instead, the principle ingredient which takes its place is coconut. When I found this Food Network recipe for Lemon Coconut Macaroons I knew I had to try it. Not only was it a macaroon recipe, but also used lemon, and personally, I believe lemon is the best of all the citrus fruits. It brings a zesty appeal to baking, be it pies, squares, cookies or cakes. I was also intrigued to try this recipe as it was from the Food Network, because recently I had made the Food Network’s Curry Chicken Burgers – which I must say, turned out phenomenal. I dove into this recipe filled with excitement and optimism.

Not at all to my surprise, this recipe did not disappoint; these macaroons had the perfect coconut-y Macaroonstexture, and in flavour reminded me much of a lemon meringue pie. These cookies were popular with my family – within days, the entire batch was gone. On top of the fantastic flavour, these cookies are extremely simple to make, as with most macaroon recipes all the ingredients were combined into one bowl, and took about 10 minutes to prepare- lucky for me as I was also making a meat pie for dinner!

The only complaint with the recipe, and really this is more of a suggestion, is to add more lemon zest – I used the entire rind of my lemon and squeezed half of the lemon juice into the cookies. However, this really depends on how much you like lemon, and how strong you want the citrus flavour to be. Or you might want to try making lime or orange macaroons. This is perfectly plausible, and a super easy substitution to make. Simply use the citrus fruit of your choice and follow the recipe as you would any other. Still, no matter what fruit you choose, there is one guarantee; this recipe will be sure to zest up any moment!

DIY: Pages of Memento – make your own book!

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Once again, the long, relaxing days in the sunshine is approaching an end. The busy days of school life is doggedly following close behind what is the last wisp of the freedom gained during the summer holidays. Perhaps you are starting a new school; perhaps you are returning to the same old. Whichever it is, the carefree spirit of the two enjoyable – or maybe monotonous – months will soon be missed. Before you take a step forward, it is always nice to document the unforgettable experiences of travel or hanging out with friends; or maybe you haven’t done anything exciting during the summer like myself… now’s the time! Make your own little book of memories, make a nice clothbound notebook, or even surprise someone with a gift!

A scrapbook I made for my friend, Michelle. Photo credit goes to her.
A scrapbook I made for my friend. Photo credit: Michelle.

Materials you need

  • card stock paper
  • scrapbooking paper
  • fabric
  • (optional) button and sewing suppies
  • (optional) string / ribbon
  • cutting instrument (scissors / X-acto knife)
  • adhesive (glue stick / double-sided tape / double-sided foam tape)

Instructions The Pages

1. Cut the card stock paper into the desired size of your page spread (that is, twice the size of your book). The easiest way with the least hassle is to cut letter-sized pages in half.

Feel free to put anything in your pages - you could start off with a blank slate and use the finished product as a scrapbook, or you could print off pictures and start from there!
Feel free to put anything in your pages – you could start off with a blank slate and use the finished product as a scrapbook, or you could print off pictures and start from there. It’s totally up to you!

2. Fold the card stock paper in half.

All pages folded and ready to go! If you have pictures on your cardstock, remember to fold the pages inward so the pictures end up on the inside.
All pages folded and ready to go! If you have pictures on your card stock, remember to fold the pages inward so the pictures end up on the inside.

3. Glue the pages together.

If you have pictures on your page spreads, make sure they're right side up before gluing!
If you have pictures on your page spreads, make sure they’re right side up before gluing!
Keep at it! Glue all your pages together like this.
Keep at it! Glue all your pages together like this. Be sure to keep the side that’s open glued on the same side – you don’t want to end up with an accordion!
Eventually, you'll end up with something like this.
Eventually, you’ll end up with something like this. Your book is half finished! Now on to the cover…

The Cover

1. Measure the thickness of the glued pages.

By accounting for the thickness, the spine of the book can be made.
By accounting for the thickness, the spine of the book can be made.

 2. Cut a piece of card stock with a height just a little longer than the pages and a length just a little longer than the length of the page spreads plus the thickness of the pages.

5-Cover
A diagram of the dimensions.

 3. Fold the card stock as shown in the diagram above. The thickness of the glued pages will be centred on the cover card stock paper as a result.

4. Cut a piece of fabric a little larger than the cover card stock.

6-Fabric

5. Using double-sided foam tape, glue the fabric to the card stock. If you don’t have double-sided foam tape, it is suggested that you cut a piece of cardboard for the cover instead, so that the cover is nice and stiff.

Be sure to use a separate piece of tape just for the spine portion of the cover, or the cover won't fold properly!
Be sure to use a separate piece of tape just for the spine portion of the cover, or the cover won’t fold properly!

6. Fold the extra bit of fabric on the edges onto the other side of the card stock. Glue the edges down.

8-Fabric Taped

7. (Optional) Sew a button onto the front of the cover. Attach a piece of looped string or ribbon long enough to reach from the back of the cover to the button.

When attaching the loop of string, account for the thickness of the pages.
When attaching the loop of string, account for the thickness of the pages.

The Assembly

1. Cut two pieces of scrapbook paper with the same size as the page spreads. These two pages will be used for attaching the core of the book to the cover.

2. Centre the book pages on the spine of the cover. Glue one side of the scrapbook paper to the book pages, and the other side to the cover. Repeat for the back cover.

10-Attach

  The Final Product Violà! Your own little book of memorabilia is finished!

11-Collage

Photograph and instruction credit: elena

I hope you enjoyed my DIY! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below. Don’t forget to check out other DIY projects here!

Infographic: Fifty Amazing Facts About Earth

Ananya
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o-EARTH-FACTS-900Just when we thought we had a handle on earth, it never ceases to amaze us with more knowledge… the undiscovered beckoning towards those curious, open-minded and courageous enough to seek more.

Screamin’ for Village Ice Cream!

Julia
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vicIn the day of commercialized and therefore often chemically-infused products, food often falls subject to less than superior standards. Tragically, ice cream is one of the victims. Don’t get me wrong: a cone from Dairy Queen is still a great treat. But in terms of a taste sensation? Something to make your mind and mouth go wild? Now that’s harder to come by.

After spotting the place in numerous Calgary magazines and articles, Village Ice Cream was obviously the perfect choice if I were looking for amazing cold stuff. So, after driving through downtown, we finally reached this little haven. It’s kind of off the road and would be hard to find, except for the fact that even at 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, there was a substantial line reaching out the doors. With most places I would judge this as a problem. But luckily, the line went smoothly and quickly, probably partially due to my anticipation and growing appreciation of the ice cream.

vicccIn this small but modern, well-furnished and decorated shop, your attention instantly goes to the menu. At 10 regular flavours and a couple seasonal and sorbet and vegan flavours, the menu isn’t huge, but it honestly doesn’t matter. You are allowed to sample as many flavours as you want, and you’ll soon discover that they’re all insanely good – which makes your decision difficult enough already. But then you also have the choice of getting an ice cream sandwich, a fresh homemade waffle cone, or a sundae which includes hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top.

I’m already terrible with decisions, but I knew they would all be good here, so I was able to decide upon a sundae with salted caramel. My mom got the same but in a fresh waffle cone (which she reported was scrumptious and amazing), and my dad got a vanilla bean sundae (Village Ice Cream can even make plain vanilla wonderful). Not a bite was regretted. We chose to eat on the nice, clean benches inside, but there is also lots of room outside, including a wooden benched area with shrubbery.

viccNow, why was this experience so awesome? Why is this ice cream so good? Although the price does recognize that this ice cream is special ($7 for a sundae, and I believe $5 for a cone), the fresh, creamy goodness makes it worth it. The owner is determined to use organic, real products. No shortcuts, or artificial flavours, just the real deal. These pure flavours blend with the perfect ice cream density and texture, and you are served heaven in your mouth.

Oh, in case you haven’t figured this out, I highly recommend trying out Village Ice Cream! They’re open everyday until 11 p.m., so you have no excuse not to go there ASAP and realize what ice cream can and should be. 🙂

 

How to draw? What to draw…? Be creative!

E
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tumblr_mjgqtoKIbU1qzfya1o1_500
Photograph source.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle

Have you ever wanted to draw or create something but couldn’t figure out what, or don’t have the confidence to do it? No one has to  be a talented artist to be creative. All one has to do is to pick up a pen and start doodling. You’ll surprise yourself sometimes!

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”  – Vincent van Gogh

The subject of your creativity doesn’t have to be a glamorous landscape. It doesn’t have to be a model. It doesn’t even have to be anything. Get inspired from everyday objects, photographs you like, quotes, books, TV shows, patterns, your family and friends – sometimes even a mug can be inspiring! You just have to be patient with yourself in the process. Sometimes the product doesn’t even come near what you’ve imagined it to be – but don’t give up! Keep those creative juices flowing!

Lately, I’ve been having quite a Photoshop frenzy, so I thought I would share some of the things I’ve drawn (there are some tips in the captions):

London_Quote
The tower of the Big Ben was referenced off my Starbucks mug. The background texture was a picture of a car hood I took!
The Great Gatsby_Quote_Saddening 2
To be quite honest, I have no idea now to draw faces or eyes… Or really anything, for that matter. The eyes were referenced from Daisy in the recent movie of The Great Gatsby.
SH_Quote_JM Spider
Yes, another referenced from a Googled image of a black widow spider, combined with a quote from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.
For all Sherlock fans...
Mix and match: Don’t know how to draw a concept you have in mind? Search up pictures of its components and imitate it! (In this case, it was the pill bottle from A Study in Pink and a chess piece).
Sherlock_The Final Problem
Found a photograph you like? Combine it with your own ideas! I saw a picture of Sherlock with a really nice balance of tones and textures and decided to draw it. The dramatic departure of Sherlock Holmes in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes simply could not be forgotten, so I’ve added his letter to Dr. Watson in the background.

And of course, if your artwork turns out to be very similar to someone’s photography or artwork, it is always great to credit the author with an “inspired by” if you’re posting it on the web. Please do feel free to share this post with others – we’d appreciate it if you could link it back to the Youth Are Awesome post or the original source if you are sharing the images (as I have spent several hours on each of them! Yes, sometimes the creative process can be long and arduous, but the result is always worth the effort).

What are you waiting for? Get creative! 🙂

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