The 2012 tournament takes place June 1 to 10 in Rovinj, Croatia. MUNDIAVOCAT takes place every two years and Vancouver’s legal community will again have a strong representation with a team of 18 lawyers from nine firms. The team this year includes lawyers at all points in their careers.

According to team Captain Kinji Bourchier, a partner at Lawson Lundell, there is an elite level of play at this tournament because most teams come from countries with a football culture.

“This global gathering of lawyers brings together people that are so different but at the same time, they all share a similar bond for the love of the game, and for 90 minutes on the pitch we are all equal and focused on a common goal” says Bourchier.

Lawyers and international soccer? Who knew?

An article recently published in the BC Council for Families magazine, Family Connections, explored this concept of play across environments and cultures, and found that environments and cultures do indeed have a very large influence on play. These findings touched on some of the key differences John and I had explored – for example, one large factor that can lead to differences in play include whether there are other play partners around (neighbours, cousins, siblings, friends), and how safe it is to run freely around the neighbourhood.

Some interesting cultural differences were also explored within the article. For example, in Western society, it is emphasized that parents should devote time to play with their children, while in other cultures, the extended family plays a much larger role in playing with children than the parents. The idea of having structured play (e.g. sitting down to finish an art activity, like making a bracelet or using toys with numbers/letters) vs. free play (e.g. children engaging in pretend play, like playing kitchen) is also something that varies across – and within – cultures.

With the even-diversifying cultural landscape we find ourselves living within, these different approaches to play can lead to some interesting learnings, creativity and flexibility – but hey, isn’t that what play should be all about anyway?

*John may or may not have had an imaginary friend named Sparky.

If any of the above resonate, you’ll love the new Laneway Learning program that’s cropped up out of one of Melbourne’s mega-awesome laneways. The concept is simple – cheap, informal, relaxed classes that are aimed at letting working people learn new things in a totally non-committal way. The aim isn’t to make experts of learners, but rather, give them a taste of a cool new skill that they can go home and practice.

The classes for June range from the foody (Homebrewing on May 30), to the academic (Law, huh. What is it good for? on June 20), to the delightfully bizarre (Every stupid trick I know on June 12). What they have in common is that they’re all one night only, they all go for a maximum of 75 minutes, and most awesomely, they’re all only $12.

What I love most about these classes though is that both the topics and the teaching is 100% community crowdsourced. Anyone can suggest a class they think would be cool, and anyone can sign-up to teach a class based on their area of expertise, however niche. You don’t need to be a professional educator to teach, all you need is a bit of passion and the ability to get other people excited about the things that you’re excited about.

These classes would have to be pretty close to my idea of the perfect night out. A couple of friends, a couple of beers and learning about something great in a totally non-committal way. If you don’t live in Melbourne, start packing. This is worth moving for.

When I graduated from Prince of Wales in 1999, I remember it feeling like a bit of a non-event. I was never all that concerned that I wouldn’t be able to finish. I came from a  privileged home of loving and supportive parents with the means to support me in anyway deemed necessary. I was awkward and “down in the dumps” much of the time. But I never considered leaving school or changing the way I was doing things. Grad was a foregone conclusion. The question was just what my marks would be and which university I’d go to.

Last Friday, I attended the Vancouver School Board’s Adult Education Graduation Ceremony at John Oliver where for some students, nothing could be taken for granted. It was an eclectic and inspiring crowd.

Many of the students who walked across the stage that night had survived refugee camps, alcoholism, drug abuse and other significant life challenges. Their acceptance of the diploma was a vivid symbol that perseverance pays off.

Other students had chosen the Adult Ed path because they’d found the traditional  routines of secondary schools overly constricting and difficult to manage. Their success at the district’s six Adult Ed Centres showcased that an alternative model like adult ed’s course-based curriculum can be just as effective in preparing students for post-secondary enrollment and success.

Finally there were mature students looking to improve their English, nail down an additional college pre-requisite course (or two) or just improve their marks.For many of these students, adult education served as a ladder to climb higher in pursuit of their career, education and life ambitions.

Throughout the Grad that evening, it was clear there was something special in the air. When a large proportion of your grads have managed to succeed despite (often considerable) adversity, that’s what tends to happen. There were many examples of these successes.

There was Suryya Jan who’d recently been awarded a full ride scholarship from UBC after surviving an awful earthquake in Pakistan and moving to Canada to excel both academically and in the community. There was Khine Htwe, a Burmese refugee who was made a class valedictorian and is headed to UBC to study science. And then there was Ali, a young Iranian student who survived years in a Turkish refugee camp until he was able to immigrate to Canada. Ali’s goal was to head to BCIT and one day become a food safety inspector so that he might help people avoid getting sick. The guy eked goodness and promise. More than anything his story (and the story of many other grads) reminded one to be thankful for our lot in life and conscience that with hard work and perseverance everything is possible. Talk about an inspiring community of people.

The message about showing interest still stands – because people should always try to impress others by knowing the most about them, not by showing off self-congratulating coolness – however, Friend of the Blog (FOB), David Singh, recently shared an Inc.com article by Jeff Haden called “The Six Habits of Truly Memorable People” and, well, the author made a compelling case for having fun and living a richer, fuller and more exciting life by being interesting.

Here are Haden’s six steps:

1. Don’t see. Do.
2. Do something unusual.
3. Embark on a worthless mission.
4. Embrace a cause.
5. Let others spread the word.
6. Get over yourself.

The last two points were what sold me. One becomes memorable – if not a legend – by collecting stories so compelling that others spread the word on your behalf. Which is what I will do right now for another FOB, Zac Whyte, whose Road to Sparta campaign represents a story worth telling about an unusual character bent on ridiculousness (re: causes/missions) who has clearly gotten over himself. Zac, like so many members of our Get to Know Your Community, um, community, have stories worth spreading and I encourage you to share his within the Twitterverse with some clever Facebookery.

Zac Whyte / Day 66 on The Road to Sparta

I’ll wrap it up with a gem of a closer by Haden – here’s all you need to know about why being memorable transcends resumes, value propositions, and even perfection to build and sustain powerful relationships:

Personally and professionally, you feel compelled to maintain your all-knowing, all-achieving, all conquering image.

And you’re not a person. You’re a resume.

Stop trying to seem perfect. Accept your faults. Make mistakes. Hang yourself out there. Try and fail.

Then be gracious when you fail.

Remember, you are a person. Whether for personal or professional reasons, you build relationships with people to make change. And people like stories. So make sure that yours are interesting ones.

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Thanks to the good people at zacwhyte.com (Zac is the best people) for sharing the photos – send Zac some encouragement as he embarks on the Road to Sparta.

The trail runs past a wide range of interesting sites (neighbourhood library, awesome cycling bridge, old New West prison, gorgeous lakes, angry looking Canada geese) which we were sadly unable to spend too much time observing due to the pouring rain that buffeted us throughout the day. Below are a few photos that chronicle the journey – which despite the weather, was a very good one. To learn more about the Greenway and other associated routes – visit Translink’s website.

Despite the rain, we enjoyed a brief picnic of nuts, strawberries and raisins in Burnaby's lake district as we watched Canada Geese give us the evil eye.

Amazingly tasty meal at the Dublin Castle Pub in New West. I got the soup and beef dip. Skipper enjoyed the very British Shepherd's Pie

Photo by Simonlouw

Slash grew up in 20 square blocks of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. He discovered guitar as his passion and honed his skill while friends fed him, gave him places to sleep, drugs to smoke and part-time jobs. He partied at a young age and was exposed to industry: his mother dated David Bowie, he met the Rolling Stones at a house party, and a good friend of his spent years stalking Aerosmith. The SoCal music scene was so incestuous that Slash attended high school while Motley Crue smoked cigarettes outside his classroom window. The Hollywood Area was a hub of artistic and musical creativity.

People in LA joined and left bands at will to jam and develop. Artists had loads of free time to craft and pursue their ambition. While Slash forged his early identity, Tracii Guns formed LA Guns and battled for club space with Axl Rose & Izzy Stradlin’s Hollywood Rose. These bands, which merged to become the first Guns ‘N’ Roses, were revolving doors of musicians. The early ’80s was a developmental period for Slash and his future band mates. They evolved as individuals, but more importantly had constant interactions within the Hollywood music scene that developed the vital friendships that would catapult them to success.

While reading the bio, I also read Tom Rath’s Vital Friends (Gallup Press), which shaped how I interpreted Slash’s telling of events. According to Rath, a vital friend is “someone who measurably improves your life; perhaps a person at work or in your personal life who you can’t afford to live without.” Not everyone in that scene could have been successful in GNR; Tracii Guns didn’t carry the band to the same level of notoriety. More important than talent, Slash needed to find musicians as driven as he was, and crazy enough to think success was possible. He eventually found collaborators and they amplified each others’ successes. In Slash’s own words, each member of GN’R was

“Street-smart, self-sufficient and used to doing things his way only…. we became a unit that had each others’ backs as fiercely as we stood up for ourselves… we didn’t take kindly to criticism from anyone… and did nothing to court acceptance and shunned easy success.”

In my mind, GNR forged something new. When compared to the scene at the time, no other band was like them. Despite the band’s relatively short-lifespan (they had other problems), Appetite For Destruction is one of the great rock albums of all-time, up there with Who’s Next, Back In Black and Led Zeppelin IV. Back-to-front there are no bad songs.

GNR wasn’t waiting for the market dictate their fate; they were determined to force their brand into the market and gain acceptance on their terms.

This doesn’t just apply to music. The world has an insatiable appetite for the new and next best. Sometimes it’s not for marketers to decide what’s right for us; seams open up simply because someone followed a passion. The world has an iPod because Steve Jobs followed a passion. We have a self-help movement because Tony Robbins followed a passion. These innovations tapped into a core longing, one we maybe didn’t even know we had. GNR did and it exploded into commercial success.

It’s easy to understand when 4 guys get together to start a band, even if they suck. No one laughs at them for trying. But we laugh when average Joes try to create something that’s never been tried before. Why is it so weird when people follow a passion to an area other than art or music?

This is important news for a lost generation that stalled in the 2000′s. Maybe it’s time we followed the GNR formula: instead of battling it out as individuals labouring anonymously, hoping for approval, maybe we should form our own “bands” around passion and see where that leads us. Some things in this world need to be said and maybe they’re better driven home with the intensity of a Guns N’ Roses concert.

Header photo by liza31337

As Vancouver Whitecaps FC season ticket holders, Kurt and John are well-positioned to evaluate how the franchise showcases its commitment to “be a significant community asset” – so, following every match we will reflect on this commitment by answering two questions, which are below. Sometimes we bring friends and/or family-members to the game. And sometimes those awesome friends and/or family-members write awesome blog posts about the experience.

How is the team a significant community asset?

Vancouver Whitecaps FC is not only a bicycle friendly organization, they make cycling to games easy by collaborating with The Bicycle Valet. This encourages bike riding to and from the game, which certainly aligns with the club’s vision to develop the “fittest generation of youth in BC by 2020.”

I was lucky enough to attend both home games last week and rode my bike to the games with Michelle on Wednesday and Kurt on Saturday. There was certainly some powerful community building in the lineup for the Bicycle Valet, too, as cyclist chatted about Eric Hassli’s brilliant goal (below), tips about how to get to and from the game, and how beautiful a city Vancouver is for cycling.

WHAT COULD MAKE THE CLUB AN EVEN BETTER ASSET?

With the summer season upon us and BC Place located in our city’s gorgeous False Creek/Downtown ‘hood, Vancouver Whitecaps FC has an opportunity to leverage the beauty of its community – there might not be a better place to spend summer than in Vancouver. For some cyclists, though, getting outside for exercise isn’t enough, so my proposal is that the club incentivize cycling to and from games.

What does this look like and how can it be done? Simple gestures, such as coupons or gift certificates to Whitecaps FC business partners, represent great strating points. Grander gestures, such as “Bicycle Day” or “‘Capscycle”, would go a bit further to honour the folks that travel to experience sport by, well, experiencing sport and emitting far fewer emissions en route to doing so.

So, think  about it, Vancouver Whitecaps FC. See you at the bike valet!

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Masthead photo courtesy of Mafue’s photostream on Flickr