IN LIVBERTY VILLAGE: LAUNCH PARTY @ ORO CUCINA - Page 6
GOOGLING JEFF JARVIS - Page 8
EN ESPANOL GOOGLING - Page 9 - 10
GRADUATE - Page 11
SONIA RORIGUEZ - Page 16
BEST TEE-OFF IN THE CARRIBEANS - Page 22
LAS ISLAS DEL CARIBE VACACIONES DE GOLF - Page 26
THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS - Page 22
Editorial
Our summer edition is truly a labour of love. I would like to dedicate this edition solely to our interns. It is testament to how talented Gen Y is, given the opportunity. Great job! I congratulate them in their hard work and diligence.We are pleased to share with you Sonia Rodriguez, a principal ballerina from the National Ballet of Canada, and a Canadian ballerina with a Spanish background. We are very proud to have her on our front cover. Given our summer edition is dedicated to the young talent that exists within our community we cover two different events, put together for and by interns: Graduate 3.0 and the inLibertyvillage.comís Launch Party at Oro cafÈ this past March. A feel and testament of what we have to look forward to in these up and rising professionals. So far this summer we have also lost a strand of our cultural DNA, Michael Jackson. On behalf of everyone here we would like to extend our condolences not only to the Jackson family, but also the Fawcett & McMahon family. This edition is also dedicated to Esmeralda a young soul. You will all be missed very much. These losses remind me again, that life is way too short. Tell those you love, that you do next time you see them for no reason at all. Valentines should be celebrated everyday.
Carpe diem.
Rod
Launch Party @ Oro Cucina
This April came the official launch of InLibertyVillage.com, the foremost site for community building in Liberty Village. The event was hosted at Oro Cucina, a local café and restaurant, featuring the work of resident artist Michael Golland and the culinary delights of Nick Delia, an artist in his own right.
InLibertyVillage.com is a site that promotes artists and businesses of Liberty Village, banding together the residents and workers in the area. The site allows anyone interested in the Village to see what it has to offer – be it local places to grab a bite or a pint, media firms, art galleries or any of the other abundant businesses that fill converted factory buildings, studios and lofts. Not just for advertising to the rest of Toronto, it promotes participation within the community as well with an events page. More importantly, it encourages businesses to take notice of one another.
And so came the launch party for InLibertyVillage.com at Oro Cucina on April 24. It truly was a special event as old friends got together and new connections were made amongst delicious food. Michael Golland, a dynamic and well-known personality in the Village, showcased his paintings and gave a passionate speech about the promotion and preservation of the community, much to the delight of the audience. There was even a Samba performance to shake things up.
One of the main highlights of the night, however, was the venue of the party and the sumptuous food served up by Nick Delia.
The very first wood burning pizza chef in Toronto, Nick has been in the business for over 25 years opening up in Liberty Village three years ago with co-owner Paul Aiello. Coming from an Italian family, it’s not hard to understand Nick’s passion for food and pizza especially. His godparents owned a chain of pizzerias in the sixties and seventies and eventually Nick started working there part-time, falling in love with spinning pizzas. He went on to George Brown for Culinary Arts, worked in Yorkville for about ten years, has had three successful restaurants to date and has now brought his talent to Liberty Village.
Chatting with Nick on Oro’s patio, enjoying a warm spring afternoon, he gave some insight about the event and the progression of Liberty Village. It is “the hottest spot right now. It’s growing – It’s looking like it’s going to become like a Soho of New York in Toronto,” says Nick when asked about why Liberty Village is the place to have a business these days. Although young and still in a three to five year development, there’s still a mix of “lots of good people”.
One of the main things we discussed regarding the development of the community was the lack of visible retail in the area. If businesses like gourmet food, fish and butcher shops as well as something akin to the St. Lawrence Market start up, more of a walking community will be created. Once people aren’t confined to a one-stop trip in their car and have more of an opportunity to shop and browse, the community will really start to develop.
Business is still looking bright for Oro Cucina, though. The summer brings full time hours, from 7am to 10pm seven days a week, and an inviting patio. The nearby Toronto FC games don’t hurt either; Oro benefits from the sheer volume of fans looking for a place to convene. Of course, more events are always welcome in Nick’s eyes, especially promotion within Liberty Village.
Talking with Nick, you get a feeling of the type of people that are making Liberty Village an exciting place to be; they are dynamic and vibrant personalities that are passionate about helping the community grow. As residence to businesses like Oro and passionate artists like Michael Golland, Liberty Village will continue to be one of the hot spots in Toronto showcasing some of the best and brightest talent in the city.
Googling Jeff Jarvis
If you needed to write an article about Jeff Jarvis’ book, “What Would Google Do?” where would you start? Ironically, one would probably start by visiting the search engine mentioned in the title. If you continued to fish through the countless waves of pages offered in the search results, you might even find the exact slides Jarvis used for his talk on March 25, 2009 at the Rotman School of Management for the Business Experts Speaker Series.
Jarvis is one part Don Knotts and one part Steve Jobs. Obviously well versed in knowledge of all things web related, Jarvis is an American journalist, former television critic and professor at City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. His blog (buzzmachine.com) has garnered much attention from the web savvy business crowd. He is a humourous, skinny prophet of the Web 2.0 era presented in his first book. Web 2.0 refers to web applications and design that facilitate a new brand of communication amongst users.
“What Would Google Do?” is 257 pages of criticisms, ramblings and anecdotes about how companies can learn to adjust to a constantly evolving world. Jarvis makes it clear that people should not use his book as a Bible; rather, they should use it as a lens to look through. For example: the transition from a content economy to a link economy. Previously, value was determined by the content of a particular good. Presently, value is found through the linking to the particular good. Jarvis uses the example of a local movie reviewer – not all newspapers need one when they can simply link a particular review online. The model, “Do what you do best, link the rest,” is increasingly apparent in the online realm where search engines direct traffic flow to various sites within their results.
Jarvis also promotes a new kind of transparency and openness in companies. This comes from his experience with Dell computers (he calls this ‘Dell Hell’’, also known as Jarvis’ First Law). After trying to debug a Dell computer and running into many problems, he was put on hold for countless minutes with customer service. Jarvis decided to post his complaint on his blog under the title “Dell Sucks” and soon attracted thousands of users that agreed. Soon the posting was creating buzz on its own and Dell began to take notice.
In February 2007, Dell created Dellstorm, a site that lets customers discuss any issues in an open forum where people were allowed to bash or celebrate all things Dell. At this point, Dell was no longer just the topic of conversation. It was contributing to it. Dellstorm revamped the company’s shoddy service reputation and placed them in a higher overall ranking, with negative feedback dropping 20%.
Jeff Jarvis is not the only Web 2.0 proponent. He is a strong supporter of the Cluetrain Manifesto, a set of ideas suggesting that businesses take hold of new technology and get connected to the restructured marketplace. The main thesis of the manifesto is that mass marketing and old models of communication are now obsolete since the Internet is unlike any other media. Jarvis states that too many companies change when it is too late or are unaware of the “cash cow in the coal mine,” as he puts it.
These examples appear among others in “What Would Google Do?” After reading about and Googling Jarvis, one encounters many hypocritical standpoints. First, Jarvis has been announcing the inevitable death of print – yet his book is hardcover. He points this out though, explaining that a publisher’s advance was offered if he printed the book. However, other versions are offered on audio and online. Also, Jarvis praises Google for taking hold of the free market provided by the Internet, “Free is impossible to compete against [. . .] The most efficient marketplace is a free marketplace.” Later in the book, though, Jarvis states that the Internet is very unsympathetic towards writers and the like. But Jarvis, a known leftist, should know that if content comes for free, how will contributors get paid? The current trend for media sites (youtube.com, myspace.com, etc.) is to get users to willingly provide free content, and in turn, gather profit from indirect sources such as ad revenue. This means that, inadvertently, user generated content is worth something, yet given up for free. But can online contributors make a living off of their posted work rather than through publishing with large companies? If the death of print is soon, what will happen to writers if there is no other choice but to publish works online for free?
At the end of it all, one finds Jeff Jarvis’ talk, book and outlook wanting. It seems we’ve heard this kind of neo-technological determinism too much. If the arguments are contradictory and old business models do not seem to work, what should we do? Coincidentally, the answer also comes from Jarvis. While signing my copy of “What Would Google Do?” we laughed at how I was the youngest person in the crowd and he scribbled, “What would you do?” It was simple. The answer to how we can adjust ourselves in this market lies in creatively molding our own ideas to fit this new world. This is something that neither Google nor Jeff Jarvis can give us.
Googling Jeff Jarvis SPANOL
Si usted necesita escribir un artículo sobre el libro de Jeff Jarvis "¿Qué haría Google?" (“What Would Google Do?”) ¿Dónde debería empezar? Irónicamente, probablemente comenzará visitando el motor de búsqueda mencionado en el título. Si sigue los peces a través de las innumerables olas de páginas que ofrece en los resultados de búsqueda, usted puede encontrar las diapositivas exactas utilizadas por Jarvis para su charla brindada el 25 de marzo de 2009 en la Rotman School of Management for the Business Experts Speaker Series..Jarvis es una parte Don Knotts y una parte Steve Jobs. Obviamente muy versado en el conocimiento de todas las cosas relacionadas con la Web, Jarvis es un periodista norteamericano, ex crítico de televisión y profesor de la Escuela de Posgrado de Periodismo de City University de Nueva York. Su blog (buzzmachine.com) ha recibido mucha atención del público interesado en negocios de la web. Posee muy buen humor y es un flaco profeta de la era de la Web 2.0 que presenta en su primer libro. Web 2.0 se refiere a las aplicaciones web y de diseño que facilitan una nueva marca de comunicación entre los usuarios.
"¿Qué haría Google?" es un libro de 257 páginas de críticas, divagaciones y anécdotas acerca de cómo las empresas pueden aprender a adaptarse a un mundo en constante evolución. Jarvis deja claro que la gente no debe usar su libro como una Biblia, sino que debe utilizarlo como un lente para mirar. Por ejemplo: la transición de una economía de contenido a un enlace de economía. Anteriormente, el valor fue determinado por el contenido de un determinado bien. Actualmente, el valor se encuentra a través de la vinculación con el bien particular. Jarvis utiliza el ejemplo de un crítico de cine local - no todos los periódicos necesitan uno cuando pueden simplemente colocar un vínculo especial a una crítica en línea. El modelo, "Do what you do best, link the rest", es cada vez más evidente en el ámbito en línea donde los motores de búsqueda dirigen el flujo de tráfico a diversos sitios dentro de sus resultados.
Jarvis también promueve un nuevo tipo de transparencia y apertura en las empresas. Esto proviene de su experiencia con los ordenadores de Dell (que él llama el 'Infierno Dell'', también conocido como "Primera Ley Jarvis"). Después de tratar de depurar una computadora Dell y de resolver muchos problemas, fue puesto en espera durante un sinnúmero de minutos con el servicio al cliente. Jarvis decidió publicar su denuncia en su blog con el título de "Dell Apesta" y pronto atrajo a miles de usuarios que estuvieron de acuerdo. Pronto el anuncio fue generando bulla por sí mismo y Dell empezó a poner atención. En febrero del 2007, Dell creó Dellstorm, un sitio que permite a los clientes debatir cualquier tema en un foro abierto donde a las personas se les permitió criticar o alabar todas las cosas de Dell. En este momento, Dell ya no es sólo el tema de conversación. Este contribuye a ella. Dellstorm ha renovado la reputación de mala calidad de los servicios de la empresa y los ha puesto en una mejor clasificación general, con una caída de la retroalimentación negativa del 20%.
Jeff Jarvis no es el único proponente la Web 2.0. Él es un firme partidario de la Cluetrain Manifesto, un conjunto de ideas que sugiere que las empresas se apoderen de las nuevas tecnologías y que se conecten a un mercado reestructurado. La principal tesis de manifesto es que la comercialización a gran escala y los viejos modelos de comunicación son ahora obsoletos, ya que Internet es diferente a los demás medios de comunicación. Jarvis afirma que muchas empresas cambian cuando ya es demasiado tarde o que no son conscientes de la "vaca de efectivo en la mina de carbón", como él dice.
Estos ejemplos, entre otros, aparecen en "¿Qué haría Google?" Después de leer acerca de esto, y de 'googliar' a Jarvis, uno encuentra muchos puntos de vista hipócritas. En primer lugar, Jarvis ha estado anunciando la muerte inevitable de la impresión - sin embargo, su libro es de tapa dura. Señala esto, sin embargo, explicando que se le ofreció un adelanto si publicaba el libro impreso. Sin embargo, otras versiones se ofrecen en línea y en audio. Asimismo, Jarvis alaba a Google por aprovechar el libre mercado que ofrece Internet, "Es imposible competir contra lo libre [. . .] El mercado más eficiente es un mercado libre". Más adelante en el libro, sin embargo, Jarvis afirma que la Internet es muy poco sensible a los escritores. Pero Jarvis, un conocido izquierdista, debe saber que si el contenido es gratis, ¿cómo se puede pagar a los contribuidores? La tendencia actual de los sitios de los medios de comunicación (youtube.com, myspace.com, etc.) es conseguir que los usuarios voluntariamente proporcionen contenido gratis y, a su vez, recoger los beneficios de fuentes indirectas, como los ingresos publicitarios. Esto significa que, inadvertidamente, el contenido generado por el usuario es algo que vale la pena, los cuales sin embargo son dados en forma gratuita. Pero, ¿pueden los contribuidores en línea hacer una vida fuera de su lugar de trabajo a través de la publicación con las grandes empresas? Si la muerte de impresión está cerca, ¿qué pasará con los escritores, si no hay otra opción que la de publicar obras en línea de forma gratuita?
Al final de todo, uno encuentra las palabras de Jeff Jarvis, su libro y sus perspectivas. Parece que hemos escuchado demasiado este tipo de neo-determinismo tecnológico. Si los argumentos son contradictorios y los antiguos modelos de negocios no parecen funcionar, ¿qué debemos hacer? Coincidentemente, la respuesta también proviene de Jarvis. Mientras firmaba mi copia de "¿Qué haría Google?", reímos porque yo era la persona más joven en la multitud, y escribió: "¿Qué harías tú?" Fue sencillo. La respuesta a cómo podemos ajustarnos nosotros en este mercado se encuentra en creativamente moldear nuestras propias ideas para adaptarnos a este nuevo mundo. Esto es algo que ni Google ni Jeff Jarvis pueden darnos.
Graduate 3.0
On May 7th, 2009 Cg6 Inc. hosted the third annual graphic design graduate conference, a night for creative portfolio review, held at the Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto. Present were 36 marketing and communications agencies, as well as over 100 recent graduates from all over Ontario.
Graduate 3.0 has been around since November 2008 with a goal to establish a two-way conversation between agencies and graduates. Although the room was filled with nerves and tension amongst the talent, the graduates relaxed as soon as they realized the calm and easygoing nature of the event – for example, the graduates were forbidden from wearing nametags to encourage the confidence necessary in approaching each agency. The main goal was the placement of as many graduates as possible into internship programs. As Lauryn Zuk, one of the graduates in attendance, put it, “After four years of being fed institutional knowledge I, like the others, was there hoping to find someone or something to ignite my future, help pay off student debt and get me out from under my parents’ roof.”
As the night went on and people became more comfortable, it became difficult to establish the difference between agency representatives and graduates – no doubt the copious amount of beer assisted with this transition. After a while, even the shyest of nervous graduates were boldly and fearlessly approaching agency representatives, each with a stacked portfolio in one hand, a beer in the other and his heart on his sleeve. “For such a bourgeoning industry,” Zuk noted, “it was refreshing to see such an old fashioned networking event.”
Attending the event as an agency representative, I had the privilege of conversing with most of the attending graduates. In fact, I felt that after about an hour I was being hunted by those who had not yet shown me their portfolios. I felt their eager eyes on me with each movement, realizing that these graduates were determined to do what they love for the rest of their lives. They were well prepared and proud of their work, but not above the opportunity that an unpaid internship could provide. This eagerness made evident the difficult economic situation, but also proved, much to my delight, that there are still people out there fighting with all their might to make their dreams come true.
Sonia Rodriguez
Prim, proper and perhaps even a bit prissy. Having never met a professional ballet dancer, I have to admit, this was the preconception that I had in my mind of a ballerina. Not knowing any better, I thought Sonia Rodriguez, a principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada, would fall under this prim, proper and prissy category. Not so, as it turned out. I got a chance to speak with Sonia at the Walter Carsen Centre on Queen’s Quay and discovered there was just one word that I could use to describe her after our interview: lovely.Born in Toronto to Spanish parents, Sonia and her family moved back to Spain when she was five, “I was born here. A lot of people don’t know that actually. Even here at work, they don’t realize because I have the accent.” In fact, she remembers starting kindergarten not speaking Spanish very well and being extremely shy. After seeing her first ballet on television in Spain, Sonia begged her parents to put her in ballet classes, convinced that it would be magical and that she would be able to float across the stage with grace just like the dancers on television.
Much to her chagrin, however, she immediately found out that dancing is not as fun and easy as it appears, “I didn’t really enjoy it in the beginning. It wasn’t what I thought.” The sense of freedom that she saw on stage was what attracted her to dancing in the first place and when she was told to stand a certain way she thought, “Wait a minute! Where’s the dancing?” She stuck with it though, and by the time she was eight or nine Sonia knew that dancing was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Sonia went on to study dance with Pedro de la Cruz in Madrid and at the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. She moved back to Toronto when she was seventeen and joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1990. After ten years of hard work, Sonia was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2000.
For being such an accomplished and worldly dancer, I was pleasantly surprised at how down-to-earth and relaxed Sonia was. Catching her in between rehearsal times, Sonia still appeared genuinely interested in speaking with me, not at all hesitant of opening up or talking about her personal life. A genuinely interesting person, she told me about her experiences dancing, being married to Kurt Browning and the one time she uncharacteristically became star-struck.
Even though I misjudged what a professional ballerina’s demeanor would be like, there was one thing that was a given – a passion for dance that oozes from her presence and her words when speaking about it. Being supported by a tight-knit, supportive and artistic family was incredibly important in nurturing Sonia’s dream; although there were no other dancers in her family (her younger sister tried to follow in her footsteps only to discover quite early that she hated it), there were painters, musicians and singers – there is no wonder Sonia was drawn to an artistic calling. She never aspired to be like any famous dancer but instead drew inspiration from the closeness of her family; her parents inspired her with their dedication and support, not only of her, but of each other as well.
When speaking about her experiences on stage, Sonia seems to be looking off into a faraway place, remembering an extremely personal and emotional moment, each one special in its own right.
Of course, in a dancer’s life not all performances can be perfect. Sonia recalled the first time that she didn’t have a good performance was devastating. While she was a student, Sonia only had to do two performances a year, allowing for a perfect performance every time. Performing more regularly for The National Ballet of Canada, however, was a different story. She missed a step in a technical piece and it seemed like the world was going to crumble. The whole ordeal seemed like a catastrophe, but looking back on it now, she realized it wasn’t a big deal at all. Sonia elaborated, “It always feels worse than it looks. You have this anxiety inside of you and you’re trying to keep it together. All time on stage is precious; you don’t have much. You don’t want to have a day like that. But it doesn’t happen very often.”
Sonia’s passion for dance doesn’t end after a long day of rehearsals or a performance, however. She, in fact, craves going out dancing and clubbing. Unfortunately, with two kids and a demanding career, she doesn’t get to do that very often. She has found a way to get that club experience though, albeit briefly. If you are ever driving down the street and a car pulls up beside you with music blasting it could be Sonia Rodriguez trying to simulate a night out on the town. But every once and a while she and her husband do get to go out and boogie – just not together. Since her husband is a professional figure skater, it’s obvious that he has some moves. Unfortunately, they just don’t mesh with Sonia’s, “I can’t keep up with him. He’s totally out of control.” A nice compromise is made though, and they dance near each other.
As Kurt can share her passion for dancing, I asked Sonia if she has learned how to figure skate since meeting her husband. The answer was a definitive no. When they first met she had never been on skates before, but she thought, “Oh, I’m so coordinated. I’ll pick this up quickly.” This was not the case, however, and she discovered that she is not a natural skater. It has given her a whole new respect for what her husband does, though. She can always give the excuse that she has to be careful of injuries, but she can be proud of the fact that she learned to skate well enough to make a special appearance as an extra in one of Kurt’s shows – even if it was just slowly skating around the rink.
Being a principal dancer for The National Ballet of Canada as well as being married to a Canadian Olympian, Sonia bumps into well-known celebrities every now and again. Thankfully, she is not one to be a star-struck fan. Once in Vancouver while the X-Files were still filmed there, she saw David Duchovny in a restaurant. Loving the show, she ignored her usual instinct of not approaching actors and calmly told David that she really enjoyed his work. He then proceeded to invite her to sit with him at dinner, much to her surprise. Recently at the Canuck Star Walk of Fame, though, Sonia admitted losing her typical cool when she found herself seated across from Sigourney Weaver at dinner. Sonia just kept thinking, “Oh my gosh! I’m having dinner with Sigourney Weaver!” and described her as so real and so nice that by the end of the evening she had to ask for a picture together. Sonia keeps it on her iPhone to boot.
When asked about her connection to her Spanish roots, Sonia remembers when she came back to Canada at the age of 17, not speaking any English. She still had relatives in Canada and her parents felt better knowing that she still could keep that connection to family and Spain while readjusting to life in Toronto. As she became more immersed in the Canadian lifestyle and eventually married to a Canadian, Sonia’s Spanish background became less influential; now she realizes that as she gets older, she craves more of her roots and misses the customs and traditions she was used to while growing up. The need to be in touch with her Spanish identity that had fallen to the wayside has returned, even though she is not as involved in the Spanish community as she would like to be. However, Sonia now makes more of an effort to be aware of the various Spanish events in Toronto. Although she doesn’t think about being a role model for the Spanish community per se, Sonia is always touched when she hears that someone in the community knows of her and that she is the only Spanish dancer at the National Ballet of Canada. She does, after all, carry the nickname “Chiquita” among her peers.
It is clear that Sonia loves what she does and treasures every moment that she gets to spend on stage. As a dancer gets older, she realizes that her career is not as long as it seemed when she was seventeen, but even after taking time off for the birth of her two children, every time she has come back there’s even more desire, according to her. Even after achieving as much as she has in her career, a dancer can never get enough. Sonia sums up perfectly, “Having children has given me time to realize how important dancing is to me and how much it’s just part of who I am. It’s not just a job. Once you’re a dancer, you’re always a dancer. You might retire or might do something else but it’s so in you. It’s in your blood.”
Her top 3 classic ballets that people should see:
The Nutcracker because it’s a good introduction.
Giselle because we’re doing it soon and it’s fantastic.
Sleeping Beauty because I hold it quite dear to my heart, as it’s the first role I did as a principal dancer.
GOLF HOLIDAYS
Holidays combined with Golf in the Caribbean Islands have been captivating travelers for centuries.
The Caribbean Islands are famous for their beaches, sugar-soft sand and as a peaceful place to take time out and relax. Although the islands are often visible from one another, they are different. Some of the islands are lively and developed while others just have picturesque panoramas over the turquoise and emerald water. The Caribbean is a great place for golf and because each course is so unique there are enough courses to satisfy the most avid golfer.
BERMUDA
Extraordinarily pleasant weather and a distinctive island escape make people love Bermuda heartedly.
Bermuda is composed of approximately 180 islands linked by bridges. All of the islands feature spectacular beaches, vegetation and unique wildlife. Golfers have always been attracted to Bermuda’s scenery, agreeable climate and sophisticated activities. All golf courses offer spectacular ocean vistas.Ocean View Golf Course 9-holes, 35 par, 2940 yards. As the name suggests, magnificent north-shore ocean views are a feature of this popular nine-hole golf course.
BAHAMAS
The Bahamas, specifically the Grand Bahama Island, maintains an international glamour and tropical ease.
Golfers come from around the world to play in world-class-tournaments.
Popular golf courses in the Bahamas: Paradise Island Golf Course 18-holes, 72 par, 6776 yards; Dick Wilson designed. South Ocean Golf Course 18-holes, 72 par, 6707 yards; Joe Lee-designed.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The island offers a selection of resorts with their own golf courses, carefully designed incorporating the hills and coastline.
Designed in 1978 by Robert Trent Jones Sr., The Playa Dorada features an 18-hole, 6730-yard, par 72 course with lush terrain, sloping hillsides, wide fairways and huge sand bunkers. Punta Cana is a surprising hidden paradise located at the edge of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana Golf Areas:1. Cap Cana Golf courses in Cap Cana; 2. Punta Cana Golf courses in the Punta Cana and Cabeza de Toro areas; 3. Bavaro Golf courses in the Bavaro beach area; 4. Roko Ki Golf Course in the Roko Ki development in Macao beach
CANCUN
The Golf Club of Cancun was designed in 1976 by one of the most famous and talented architects, Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course is built right on an old Mayan ruins site. The golf course is perfectly integrated with this impressive archeological treasure, making golf in Mexico a magical experience.
The Playacar Golf Club is a spectacular Championship Golf course located near Cancun with 18-holes, par 72, 7144 yards, located on Riviera Maya surrounded with the clear turquoise lagoon of the Caribbean Sea and the Mayan jungle.
CUBA
Cuba is the largest Caribbean island in size (750 miles long) easily accessible from Canada and Europe. There are many excellent beaches on the mainland and on offshore keys. There is an extremely strong Latin culture and Spanish colonial architecture in Havana, Santiago and other cities. Cuba has a large tourism industry with many hotels, resorts and world-class golf. The Varadero Golf Club opened in 1998. This par 72, 18-hole, 6269 metre course was designed by Les Forbes, the Canadian architect who spent many years working with the renowned Robert Trent Jones.
PUERTO RICO
Rich soil, temperate climate, warm sun and a variety of natural landscapes: these conditions make for good golfing and Puerto Rico has some of the finest courses in the Caribbean. All Golf courses are located in Puerto Rico's countryside in cities such as Aguirre, Aquadilla, Cabo Rojo, Ceiba, Coamo, Dorado, Fajardo, Fort Buchanan, Humacao, Palmer, and Rio Grande. Just some of the many courses: Aguirre Golf Club, Berwind Country Club, Caguas Real Golf, Club Deportivo del Oeste, Coamo Springs Golf Club & Resorts, Costa Caribe Golf Club Dorado Beach, Dorado Beach East, Dorado Beach West, Dorado Del Mar Golf Course, El Conquistador Resort & Country Club.
Golfing can be a relaxing experience, as well as exciting competition when visiting a multi-faceted vacation destination in the Caribbean
Travelers may arrange package vacations to fit the needs of golfing and non-golfing enthusiasts alike. With a large variety of activities, the perfect climate and plenty of beaches, this beautiful Caribbean region makes for a truly memorable leisure or business experience.
The Little Black Dress
As a Style Guide for Vive La Mode with fashion training in Toronto and New York, as well as her own women’s collection, “Fantine”, Stephanie Wierzbicki is no stranger to fashion. In this issue, Stephanie offers her insights on a timeless classic – the Little Black Dress.
Coco Chanel’s early 20th century creation, the Little Black Dress (or the “LBD “), traditionally has a hemline at or above the knee and is preferably sleeveless. It is regularly referred to as being classic, timeless, and understated. While the LBD has survived through strong shifts in fashion trends, from the 1926 silhouette to Audrey Hepburn’s iconic sheath in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, this slinky gown has shown a new – sexual – side in modern times, becoming a double threat.
Present in hotel bars, restaurants, clubs or dinner parties on a Friday or Saturday night, the LBD has become a specific type of sexual armour. Women wear it to be classic and iconic, but also because the LBD has created a safe, yet still very sexual, canvas where men are able to connect the dots. No matter what time of the year, when the sun goes down, the LBD comes out.
On a community blog, one user talked about her LBD: “When I feel like anonymous sex, I wear my Black Dress. Boat neck, backless, long sleeves, and about a size too small. The hem on the skirt is just below the hip, high and being tight it rides up easily. I usually wear it with black stockings and a garter belt. Depending on how slutty I feel, underwear is optional. It’s a great dress for flashing.”
Perhaps our views of the LBD today reveal what we think men will find attractive. One would like to believe that men have become a little bit more sophisticated than to judge a book by its cover; however, we all move at such a feverish pace that we have no choice but to make a split second visual decision. First impressions count. Perhaps the LBD is the perfect first impression then; it captures attention and invites people into our world, but never reveals too much about who we really are or what we are really about.
For the modern woman whose archetypes include Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) in Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) from Sex in The City, the Little Black Dress is a symbol of her independence. The single, city girl doesn’t want a relationship with a stable, boring man. She wants to wander the streets free in couture outfits, always wielding a martini glass in one hand. She does well on her own, has many friends and admirers and loves to be loved, but never tied down. She sees life as a limitless adventure and endures heartaches and surprises. She is constantly searching for that perfect relationship and will go through great lengths to find it; chances are she will be wearing that perfect Little Black Dress when she finally does.
There is no hat or handbag that could possibly carry the power of this singular, but diverse, article of clothing. The LBD should be sexy, fitting the woman’s body just right. It should carry a woman gracefully through all occasions, from a gallery opening to New Year’s Eve. In the LBD she signifies her transformation from the full skirts of her youth, the denim of her college years, and alludes to her current aptitude in life and in fashion.
The woman who wears the LBD today is inherently sophisticated not only by choice, but also by necessity. The legacy of the little Black Dress will continue to live on, encouraged by magazines and fashionistas alike with the phrase, “Every woman must have one!”