Chasing Ice

In honour of the 20th anniversary of the HotDocs film festival, the Bloor Cinema decided to screen some of the audience favourites and award winners from the past 20 years. To sweeten the deal even further, a pass was available for all 20 screenings for a very reasonable price and the first 20 people were able to snag these for a phenomenal - a mere $20. That's $1 a movie! I was one of the lucky 20 and was determined to make it to as many of the screenings as I could. I am about halfway through the program now and will do a full write-up once it's finished, but one movie deserves special attention: Chasing Ice.

I've had my eye on this film for about a year now. I first heard about it when it screened at the HotDocs Film Festival last year and really wanted to see it but, unfortunately, my plans fell through. Disappointed, I was excited to hear that it was coming back to Toronto to screen at TIFF Bell Lightbox but I once again missed it. This time, when I heard that it was part of the HotDocs20 screening series, nothing was going to stop me. And boy was the effort worth it! 

Chasing Ice is a story of a talented photographer who set out on the mission to provide irrefutable evidence of climate change to confront the climate change deniers. After partnering with National Geographic to capture the changing climate in the Arctic, James Balog teamed up with scientists, engineers, and adventurers around the world to create The Extreme Ice Survey expedition. Since 2005, they have been capturing time-lapse images from some of the most remote places on Earth, in some of the most inhospitable conditions. Chasing Ice provides a glimpse into their journey. The visually stunning film is a must-see for everybody, no matter your age, race, sex, religious beliefs, and personal interests. Aside from the stunning images (which are breathtaking) and the scientific evidence it provides on climate change in an easily accessible and convincing manner, the film is also a testament to human will and perseverance. James Balog and his family are an inspiration of what ordinary people can do  and the lengths they are willing to go to in order to preserve our only home for the next generation. It will change your view on how you will be able to face your children when they ask you what you did to help stop climate change. Truly an inspiration.

Quite the difference from the previous screening

I wasn't the only one who felt this way about the film. The theatre was packed, and I've been to quite a few other screenings in this series to know that this is not a regular occurrence.  And the applause at the end was universal and deafening. If you get a chance, make every effort to see this film. Better yet, visit their website and help bring it to a theatre near you or host a screening yourself. I personally will not think twice about seeing it again.

WHAT: Chasing Ice screening

WHERE: Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Bloor and Bathurst

WHEN: March 25, 2013

COST: $0-$11 (there was a free members screening on another date and regular tickets were available for the March 25th screening)

INSIDER TIPS: Sometimes, when a deal sounds too good to be true, it actually isn't. If it's coming from a reputable business and you check directly with the provider, it is not a scam. After you pinch yourself and double-check your source, pull out your credit card ad snag it before it's gone. Also, check out the Extreme Ice Survey website for some of the stunning images from the expedition.

30 And Counting! - An Evening with Esprit Orchestra

A friend of mine (living proof of what might happen when you randomly chat someone up) volunteers at the Esprit Orchestra and being a fan of my blog, offered to score me a free ticket to the orchestra's season finale concert. Being who I am, I happily accepted. I have no idea how much tickets normally cost but am definitely counting this as a cheap thrill since chances are just about everyone knows someone who knows someone who can make something like this possible. All you need to do is make them aware you're interested. But I digress.

The program featured:

DENIS GOUGEON - Tutti (Esprit Commission and World Premiere)

ERIK ROSS - Burn* concerto for saxophone, percussion and orchestra
                       (Esprit Commission and World Premiere) 
 
ZOSHA DI CASTRI - Alba

MARIUS CONSTANT - TW.Z. (The Twilight Zone)

JIMI HENDRIX - Purple Haze

A couple of the pieces weren't really my cup of tea (though they definitely went over very well with the crowd), but the rest were lovely and the Jimi Hendrix piece in particular was a lot of fun (and I couldn't help thinking that some of my music friends would definitely have gotten a huge kick out of it).

In addition, the space itself is gorgeous. I've actually never been inside Kroener Hall, so was definitely looking forward to attending a performance there. During the intermission, we went exploring and I spent the second part of the performance coveting some rather comfortable-looking armchairs right behind the orchestra. Those looked to me like the best seats in the house. Rumour has it, the cafe on the lower level is also very good, so if you're looking for a beautiful spot to meet someone for a cup of coffee in the area, I would definitely recommend.

WHAT: 30 and Counting! Esprit Orchestra Season Finale Concert

WHERE: Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory, 273 Bloor St. West

WHEN: March 28, 8pm

COST: No idea (my ticket was free)

INSIDER TIPS: Chances are, you know someone who knows someone who works or volunteers for a place that offers free tickets to shows, performances, lectures, talks, etc. They might not think anyone is interested and may not even take advantage of it themselves. However, generally people like being useful, so if they know you're interested in something, they will likely let you know of opportunities like this. So don't keep your cards close to your chest. Chat people up and talk about your interests. If it's out there, you'll be amazed at what comes back to you.

BriteDrinksTO

Eventbrite hosted another event in Toronto this week, this time a happy hour type of event at an Entertainment District pub. Anyone could attend as long as they pre-registered online and the guests were treated to one free drink and some appetizers on the house. Jamie, their Marketing Manager, was on hand to chat about Eventbrite and answer any questions, but there was also no particular pressure to network if you didn't feel like it.

As per usual, I recruited some friends and we headed over for an after-work drink before moving on to our evening plans. The room was not overcrowded, so after schmoozing for a bit, we grabbed a table and spent some time catching up. The food came out around 6 pm (the event ran from 5-7 pm), which was shortly after I got there and thus quite perfect from my point of view. To polish off the night, Jamie announced that she will be sending an email to the attendees with $100 credit towards their first Eventbrite event. Not a bad deal!

WHAT: BriteDrinksTO - Happy Hour with Eventbrite at The Office Pub

WHERE: The Office Pub, 117 John St

WHEN: March 28, 2013 - 5:00-7:00 pm

COST: Free

INSIDER TIPS: Nothing I haven't said before - if you're not sure about something and it doesn't require a huge investment or time commitment on your part, it's worth checking it out. Not only is deviating from your normal routine fun, you also never know who you might meet or what might come from it. And if it happens to come with some free food and drinks, then you hardly stand anything to lose, do you now? :)

Speaking of Contests...Alchemy Pickle Company

When I first joined Twitter (which wasn't that long ago but feels like a lifetime now), I spent the whole weekend exploring, following, and getting to know life in 140 characters (or less). One of the companies I happened across is Alchemy Pickle Company, a small local producer of handcrafted fermented food and beverages. I first heard about the company from one of the panel members at a sustainability festival I attended, so I was very excited to be able to locate them and get to know their products.

As luck would have it, they ran a Twitter contest shortly after I started following them, giving away a tasting pack of their products. Today, I picked up my tasty treats from Rebekka herself, who treated my friend and me to a wonderful overview of her food preservation processes. Not only are the treats we collected delicious (we promptly had a tasting party upon returning to the office!), but we were also delighted to learn that they were 100% natural and literally packed with vitamins and nutrients. What a wonderful win this was! If you have a taste for pickled foods, I highly recommend you give this one a try. Some of the best I've ever had.


WHAT: Pickled food tasting pack (contest prize)

WHERE: Alchemy Pickle Company

WHEN: March 26, 2013

COST: Free (contact Rebekka for regular pricing and pick-up locations)

INSIDER DETAILS: Curtido was one of my favourites, so definitely give that a try. Rebekka also offers educational workshops on food preservation and other urban homesteading skills, as well as a small CSA program for her products. Contact her for details if that's something that interests you.

From Invitation to Instagram: Modernizing Your Fundraising Event

 Another wonderful event at CSI Annex. On the heels of a very successful event I attended at the same location less than a week before, this bodes well for any future events I come across. 

On this particular occasion, Eventbrite Toronto teamed up with the Centre for Social Innovation and Hailo cab company to offer a panel session on fundraising events. The morning session included breakfast, networking, a moderated panel, and a brief Q&A period, and worked very well for me since I generally have a rather full schedule after work. A beautiful breakfast spread spread was provided and the food was delicious (I always get excited when fruit actually tastes like real fruit). The panelists were great and very approachable. They provided real, honest insights into how they handle events in their own organizations. 

The moderator did a good job asking a variety of questions to guide the discussion. There wasn't a lot of time left for questions at the end, so allocating more time to this would have been great. I also wish the event had been better attended, since it was a good one. However, this didn't really affect my personal experience and, in fact, simply meant that there was more food, more space, and more opportunities to ask the questions that were on my mind. The panel, both in their presentations and responses, treated the attendees as peers, which was lovely. They also provided some great practical tips from their own work experience and I look forward to trying out some of the online tracking tools they had mentioned. Finally, the event organizer sent out a thank you message to all participants the next day, which included an additional resource to check out and a $100 credit for new Eventbrite users towards a future event they may wish to put on. 

Overall, this was a wonderful start to the morning and only reinforces my suspicion that everything CSI touches is likely to be thoroughly enjoyable.

WHAT: Panel discussion on fundraising events

WHERE: CSI Annex, 720 Bathurst St. 

WHEN: March 25 - 8:00-10:00 am

COST: Free

INSIDER TIPS: Go. When in doubt, always err on the side of optimism and expect something to be worth your while. If you can spare the time and there is no great expense/inconvenience for you to attend, get dressed and out that door. You never know what idea might pop into your head or who you might meet.

Yoga Conference & Show

I have great respect and appreciation for yoga but I certainly won’t be traveling to India any time soon to spend a month living in a remote Ashram to learn form an obscure but legendary yogi. I dabble now and then but I would relegate myself to the ranks of occasional enthusiasts. When the yoga conference and show came up, I had some doubts about attending, but with a free admission ticket and some free time on my hands, it was hard to say no. 

There are basically two main parts to the yoga conference: the trade show and classes at the main stage, and the break-out sessions covering everything from meditations to teacher training (these cost extra to attend). As I mainly go to yoga for the lovely heat I can feel right in my bones (I’m a fan of hot yoga), paying extra for the workshops didn't really appeal. I also personally like my yoga in a quiet studio, so bending over backwards in front of random strangers didn’t particularly appeal to me either. Which left shopping. Works for me! 

Sadly, the shopping experience was rather lacking. While there were a couple of nifty products here and there, there were also a lot of booths offering rather hippie-looking clothes and services that definitely brought to mind late-night TV quacks. Unfortunately, a few run-ins with these right off the bat made me weary of just about everyone at the show, as I was conscious of people trying to make a buck by pushing poor-quality products on yoga-minded individuals because, apparently, we’ll believe anything as long as it’s deemed “spiritual”. I personally took an offense to some outrageous health benefit claims on the part of the few people I stopped to talk to, since as a highly educated person, I tend to question things like that and don't just take miraculous claims at face value. This is unfortunate, because there were some legitimately unique businesses there that I would normally love to explore had I come across them in a different setting, but the general atmosphere made me question them and I kept my distance. So the shopping part was a bust. 

On the bright side, I picked up some free trial passes to a few studios in the city and found out about a new studio coming to Queen West that sounds rather exciting. Also, Car2Go was at the show handing out free memberships, which was a nice bonus, especially since I cancelled my Zipcar membership a couple of years ago because I wasn’t using it enough to justify the annual fee. 

Overall, not a total loss but not something I will go to again. For those thinking about attending, the real value is in the workshops. It’s not my thing, but it could very well be yours.
 

WHAT: Yoga Conference & Show

WHERE: Metro Toronto Convention Centre

WHEN: March 22-24, 2013

COST: $15 general admission; extra cost for workshops

INSIDER TIPS: Many yoga studios and yoga apparel stores offer free passes to the yoga conference (valid for general admission only, not for the workshops). Before you buy a ticket, see if a studio near you can save you the trouble. I personally came across 3 different ones that had free passes available. With so many options available, there’s really no reason for anyone to pay for their ticket.

10th Annual Toronto Timeraiser

Timeraiser is one of my favourite events and I attend religiously every year. The concept is both simple and genius: Timeraiser pays fair market value for local art pieces which are then auctioned off to do-gooders at annual events across Canada in exchange for volunteer hours. The evening includes a networking/volunteer matching session with 10-20 agencies, a silent auction for the artwork, and an entertainment portion. The winners are announced at the end of the night and those people have a year to complete the volunteer hours they've bid on the pieces before picking up their art at next year's event.

I have gone to Timeraiser for the past four years and will continue going for as long as it's offered. I already do a lot of volunteering, so getting a chance to win some local art is just icing on the cake. The first year, I brought a friend and neither one of us won any art (most pieces go to maximum bid - capped at 100-120 hrs - at which point it becomes a draw among all those who submit matching max bids). The second year, I brought another friend and we both won art. Last year, neither one of us could bid as art winners but we brought yet another friend with us who also won art. This year, our third friend picked up her art and couldn't bid; we were both excited to be able to bid again but, unfortunately, didn't win anything.

Both my friend and I agreed that, while still great, this year the event was not as good as in the past years that we have attended. They moved to a new location at Artscape Wychwood Barns and while stunning, it didn't quite feel the same. The evening felt like more of an event at the Distillery, where it used to take place. I don't know if it was the layout, the remote location, or people coming in from two different entrances, but something just felt a little odd. Perhaps we just need another year to adjust since we really did love the Distillery location.

With respect to the art, I personally felt like this year I didn't love many of the pieces as much as I did in years past. There were still pieces I enjoyed tremendously but in prior years those stood out to me more and it felt like there was more variety. I also felt like there wasn't as much art this year as in the past strictly numbers-wise. Perhaps this was simply en impression created by a bigger space and a much more spread out layout, but I couldn't shake that feeling.

I found the opposite to be true about the agencies - there were a lot more present on site this year, however I found these predominantly concentrated in the social services sector and lacked variety. Many of the agencies at this year's event offered similar services and I was already familiar with them (and in fact had seen some of them at prior Timeraiser events). I would love to see much more variety at next year's event, particularly considering that this event draws many repeat attendees who are not newcomers to volunteering. I did make one great connection with a new organization that caught my eye, but would have loved more chances to explore.

That's just me nitpicking, mostly. Despite a slight sense of disappointment, I still love the event and will continue attending every year (and encouraging my friends to jump on board). If you haven't been to one of these yet, I highly recommend checking it out. The cause is fantastic, the concept is genius, the crowd is well-meaning, and the catering is always fabulous. The Toronto event always happens in early to mid-March and sells out each year, so be sure to get your tickets early and arrive in time to participate in all portions of the event.

WHAT: 10th Annual Toronto Timeraiser

WHERE: Artscape Wychwood Barns, 76 Wychwood Ave

WHEN: March 22, 2013 - 7:00 pm

COST: $20

INSIDER DETAILS: The Toronto event sells out every year, so be sure to get your tickets early or you will miss out. Also, be sure to arrive at least an hour before the bidding opens so you have a chance to talk to all the agencies you are interested in. A list of participating organizations is usually available online before the event, so you can check them out beforehand if you so wish. Finally, if you are bidding on art, be aware that many of the pieces will go to maximum bid and if you are bidding on a few, the last few minutes before the auction closes can be a nail-biter. You can only submit the matching bid cards once the piece actually reaches the maximum bid "price", but this might not happen until the very end. Figure out what you want to bid on, get some matching bid cards from the Timeraiser volunteers, and pre-fill the information on the cards in advance. That way, if the bidding sheet reaches the maximum bid point at the very last minute, all you would have to do is slip the card in instead of stressing over getting all the fields filled out in time.

Beer and Cheese Class at St. Lawrence Market

A few weeks ago St. Lawrence Market ran a Twitter contest and - incredibly - I won. This week, I got to bring a friend with me to a beer and cheese pairing class in their upstairs kitchen for a 2-hour long party for our taste buds. On the house.

First of all, the space itself is gorgeous. I've been there once before for a nutrition workshop and I love everything about it - the vibe, the aesthetics, the staff. And it's extra neat that on this occasion we got to overlook a completely deserted market below us, since it was after hours. Last time I was in the kitchen, the market itself was open and you could hear the hustle and bustle of a busy market day floating in over the railing. This time, the great big space was empty and quiet, which was a bit surreal in a very cool way.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted with a glass of a German wheat beer and an array of smoked/cured meats and scented cheese to tie us over until the other guests arrived. It took my friend and I no time at all to polish off the better part of the whole tray, which was very much to out liking (and the sweet mustard the meat was paired with was quite spectacular). Our host graciously introduced us to the other staff and offered us some history on the origin of the tasty nibbles.

Once the other guests filed in (quite the diverse group, including a man date or two, which was adorable!), we were seated to a beautiful spread of cheeses and dug in under the supervision and guidance of our host. Each cheese was paired with a beer and we learned quite a bit in the process. The beer pairings came in rather quick succession, so at times we found ourselves struggling to keep up, but we managed to polish just about everything off. My friend doesn't actually like cheese (but loves beer), so she got my extra beer while I got her cheese. At the end of the night, not only was I happily cheesed out, I also got to take my friend's helping home with me and enjoyed it for lunch the next day (it really pays to bring lunch to work when you end up with empty tupperwear for occasions like this!).

Together with the opening nibbles, this is what we enjoyed over the course of the evening: Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse wtih cumin-spiced cheese, Tyrolean speck, green peppercorn salami, Bavarian mustard, and Red Fife bread sticks; Steam Whistle Pilsner with La Tur; Propeller IPA with Britannia 7-yr-old Cheddar; La Trappe Tripel with Langres; Howe Sound "Pot-hole Filler" with Stilton; Mort-Subite Kriek with Ashley. My favourite beer was La Trappe Tripel and my favourite cheese was Langres. There were also some fantastic condiments that were served with the cheeses and both my friend and I enjoyed those tremendously.

Overall, it was a wonderful (and tasty) evening and we learned quite a bit. The class was aimed at amateurs, not heavy-duty gourmands, so if you are looking to be blown away by things you've never heard of, you might be a bit disappointed (e.g. Stilton, Cheddar, and Steam Whistle are all things I am very familiar with and I'm no food snob). However, if you are an average person just looking to enjoy a neat experience and a fun night out, you'd be pretty right on the money. This definitely falls more into the category of an experience than an extra sophisticated foodie event, which is right up my alley and wins my vote every time.

In terms of main take-aways from the event, there were a few:

1. Beer actually pairs with cheese better - and easier! - than wine. Particularly if you love serving condiments with cheese, which tend to not work with the wine so well (but work with beer). 
2. The history of beer is quite fascinating. Who knew!
3. If you're not a "beer person", it might be because you keep "giving one more shot" to the same old Molson dry (or its equivalent). If you are going to discover a beer that you like, you're more likely to do it by trying a really unusual brew than sticking with the same old "safe" choices. Many local breweries have been experimenting lately with different flavours and styles, so go out of your comfort zone and try something completely whacky. You just might discover that you don't hate beer after all. 
4. Beer colour is actually a very poor indicator of what it will taste like. The general belief that darker beers are heavier and more bitter than the light-coloured brews simply does not hold true. Colour and taste can vary greatly and do not bear a direct correlation.

WHAT: Beer and Cheese class at St. Lawrence Market

WHERE: St. Lawrence Market Kitchen, South Market building

WHEN: March 21, 2013 - 7:00-9:00 pm

COST: $40+HST (my friends and I both attended for free as contest winners)

INSIDER DETAILS: If you are on social media, enter any and all contests that interest you. You never know when you might win! And pretty often, the prizes are quite impressive. I have now won 3 fantastic prizes on Twitter and I couldn't be happier. You might think this is insanely good luck, but I actually don't usually win. You just don't hear about all the other great prizes I've coveted but that have gone to someone else. When I do win, however, it feels fantastic and I couldn't be happier with the results. So try it - often - and you just might get lucky! Also, if you are going to a food event and are not a big eater, bring some empty take-away containers with you. With the exception of fancy gala dinners, this is a very acceptable practice and nobody will look at you funny. In fact, they'll be quite jealous they didn't think of it themselves. And you'll be glad you did!

CSI Catalyst Launch Party

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the Centre for Social Innovation for a few years now but have never been to their Annex location in Toronto (I did attend an event at their Spadina location last year). When an opportunity presented itself to both check out the space and learn more about crowdfunding, I thought it was a great chance to kill two birds with one stone and signed up without hesitation.

First, the space: if you've never been to CSI Annex, I highly recommend a visit. The space is not only visually stunning, it is warm, inviting, and positively buzzes with collaboration and innovation. It was full of young socially responsible professionals working away at coffee tables and antique-looking couches and rather made me wish I worked there too! An onsite coffee shop, a communal kitchen, a random piano, and unisex washrooms only add to the charm and reinforce CSI's mission. I will definitely be grabbing my laptop and parking myself at one of those coffee tables next time I have some time to pop downtown to do a bit of work. A truly inspiring space.

Next, the presentation: CSI partnered with HiveWire to launch a crowdfunding platform for its members and the first few featured businesses were onsite to talk about their projects and answer any questions. All the key players were present and provided valuable insight into the nature (and future) of CSI and crowdfunding and it was very refreshing to see so many capable, dedicated individuals working together to make something good happen (especially when we are bombarded with bad news and dour projections every day by the mainstream media). It is equally inspiring to see how many young people are taking the risk to put themselves - and their dreams - out there instead of setting for soul-draining jobs that easily pay the bills. Check out my favourite two projects of the night: YCR and SociaLIGHT.

Finally, there was a networking portion after the presentation. I couldn't stay long because I was already late for class, but everyone else got chatting and exploring further and there was a real sense of community in the room. Many of those in attendance seemed to already know each other and were happy to reconnect. CSI generously provided affordable drinks (with the first one on the house) and complimentary nibbles, and there was not a disposable plastic cup, plate or fork in sight! Events that promote the social good and reflect this commitment in the way they run their events = awesome.

WHAT: CSI Catalyst Launch Party

WHERE: CSI Annex, 720 Bathurst St.

WHEN: March 20, 2013 - 5:30 pm

COST: Free

INSIDER TIPS: I had to run after the presentation portion because I have an evening class, so this wasn't an issue for me but generally, I would feel quite out of place when everyone else seems to know each other (yes, self-confidence can evaporate quite rapidly under the right circumstances!). If this is you as well, bring a friend for support and to help you keep the conversation going when you approach new people. Between the two of you, you'll be able to come up with good questions to ask and comments to make to make the best use of the opportunity to meet new people.

The Most Fun Art Studio Ever?

Twitter is an endless source of local events and activities for me and the more obscure, the better. When I came across the event invite for an open house at the 4Cats Art Studio, I didn't really concern myself with the lack of details in the announcement. After all, it claimed to be "the best, most fun art studio ever" and promised "refreshments & fun" and a chance to "Tour the studio! Experiment with different art making techniques!". What greater incentive did I need? I bundled up and headed over to the far-away Junction (quite the trek for me and not the most accessible neighbourhood).

The studio is adorable and has a leg to stand on when claiming to be the best and most fun ever. The walls are lined from floor to ceiling with colourful artwork and it's a very warm, inviting space. What I didn't bank on (having glimpsed that they offer adult art classes and corporate parties) that it would be packed to the rafters with little kids. While I would have loved to play with the potter's wheel, splatter paint on the walls (yes, there is a splatter room!), or make plasticine dolls, it somehow didn't seem appropriate to elbow excited little kids out of the way. I took a quick look around, picked up some brochures, and went for a walk in the neighbourhood since I was already out that way (in the process discovering that Tea Blendz has closed shop, which was rather sad to see).

While I felt a little out of place in a packed house full of tiny tykes, it was really heartwarming to see a real community out to play. The approach to the studio was lined with strollers and many people seemed to know each other. If you live in the neighbourhood and have some little ones at home, I would highly recommend this place. The staff were wonderful and the kids were having a blast.

WHAT: Art Studio Open House

WHEN: March 16, 12:00-4:00 pm

WHERE: 4Cats The Junction, 1615 Dupont St.

 COST: Free

INSIDER DETAILS: If you are driving, I would suggest trying to avoid the Dupont/Dundas/Annette intersection - it's a bit of a confusing nightmare and takes a long time to get through if you catch a red light (just because there are so many of them at the crossroads). If you are taking the TTC, the most straight-forward way to get there is by taking the Junction bus (#40) from Dundas West station to Dupont. You'll need to cross to the north side of Dupont and walk to the first set of lights before crossing back to the south side of Dupont to get to the studio. There is no crossing on the south side (yeah, don't ask me who planned that intersection). Also, check out the class schedule at the studio and their party packages. It really does look like a boatload of fun.

The neighbourhood is changing and art is literally spilling over into the streets everywhere you look.