Arts

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Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival is in full bloom

By David Hollinshead, Staff Writer

tarting this Thursday, from Gaon 5 to the 20, the sixth

annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival will be in season. The festival has grown to be a very popular event in Vancouver, celebrating not only the thousands of beautiful cherry trees throughout BC, but also the diversity of Japanese culture, as it brings people together in sparking international friendships and cross-country exchanges.

There are many things to check out at the festival this year. One such event is the Cherry Blossom Umbrella Dance, which celebrates the rain and blossoming of the cherry trees. Another is the Cherry Jam Downtown, where

the Umbrella Dancers will be heading to Burrard SkyTrain with performances and lessons to those who wish to learn. The Jam also offers a special lunch box, prepared by some of the most accomplished Japanese chefs in Vancouver.

The Sakura Days Japan Fair is

another event that takes place over two days, and includes cultural art, performances, and food. Guests will be able to sample premium sake, festival food, and even partake in a Japanese tea ceremony. In addition, there will be a children’s tent, where the kids can learn how to fold origami, dress in yukata (a type of kimono), experience storytelling, and exhibit Japanese toys. There will also be tree talks and walks, where observers can enjoy narrated journeys through the cherry orchards. There are several walks to go on, so you never know what you just might see.

Long before these many events (and more) were established, the festival began in 2005 as a non- profit society, based on the tradition of the Japanese Sakura Festivals.

By 2007, the festival had expanded into a charitable event, featuring activities ranging from public lectures to musical performances to fine art and craft exhibitions. However, the festival didn’t have a secured home until 2008, when it was Offered a place at the VanDusen Botanical Garden. It was there that the David C. Lam Cherry Grove was planted in honour of one of the festival’s kindest benefactors, nicknamed the “Blossom

Benefactor,” David Lam (1923- 2010). Thanks to him, gardens were planted across Metro Vancouver, and 37,000 trees now span, amongst other places, David Lam Park and the UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research.

Dr. Lam was a huge supporter of the festival, and showed his passion with many different stories and imparting “cherry wisdom” upon us all, exhibited in a quote displayed proudly on the festival’s website:

“When you promise to do something, give it all you’ve got and be like the cherry. The cherry tree gives us everything it has: its beauty, fragrance, and colour, and asks for nothing in return. Alas, they have but only a short life; they give us everything they have to make us happy. I am mindful of the shortness of my own life,’ and with all of us helping, he wished to make his life the fullest and make as many people happy as possible.”

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival will have all of the events listed and more taking place throughout the city during April. Be sure to start your spring off right, and come out to celebrate this fantastic cultural experience.

Every word counts

Check out ‘Pearls 31’ at a Douglas bookstore near you!

By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor

ach spring, the Creative HE Writing Department updates and releases an anthology

book entitled Pearls. Many of you creative writing and English students are already aware of this, but for those that aren’t, Pearls features a collection of the best writings by Douglas College students who've taken creative writing courses in the past year.

This year’s edition, Pearls 31, debuted with the annual Evening of Pearls book launch. The free event, which took place on Friday March 23, featured readings of selected short stories, poems, and other works by several of Douglas College’s finest writing students: Laura Cuthbert, Avalon Doyle, Bryce Tarling, Morgan Nicholsfigueiredo, Renee Barry, Will Richter, Leslie Sakata, Matt Szekeres, and Theresa Henry- Smith. Accompanied by music, each reading brought a different perspective of style and content based on the many different talents involved in this year’s publication.

Every rendition of Pearls has

specific pieces selected by a team of creative writing professors at Douglas. Glenda Leznoff, who teaches screenwriting (film and theatre screenplays), personal narrative, and fiction, was one of the professors who worked on Pearls 31. Leznoff shared a few words with us in regards to process behind and the content of this most recent edition.

“This issue includes poetry, fiction, personal narrative, and scripts (play and film),” she states. “Students who are signed up for any of [the creative writing] courses are potential candidates for Pearls. At the end of each term, the CRWR [creative writing] instructors select the best pieces of writing from his or her classes, and then pass this work to another instructor for editorial judgment. This ensures that each piece is read by an impartial judge.

“We look for excellent writing that displays a high level of skill and entertainment value. Over the years, the size of Pearls has expanded—this issue represents almost 50 writers.” Leznoff elaborated by saying, “Perhaps

the larger issue is due to the increased number of courses we offer in creative writing, and also to the quality of students we are attracting.”

As an occasional student of creative writing courses, I can say it’s true that there’s been something of an upturn in the standard of student writings; it’s amazing to find what some of your peers can produce. It was in one of Leznoff’s Writing for Film classes last year that I was given the pleasure to hear readings from one of her personal picks in Pearls 31, entitled “Rum for Wisdom” by Brock Zawila, which Leznoff went on to state was “this year’s winner of the Maurice Hodgson award.”

Amongst her other picks from this year’s Pearls, Leznoff said,

“T haven’t read all the pieces, so

I can only speak to the ones I’m familiar with. [That said,] Leslie Sakata wrote a fascinating story, “Universal Point After,” based on her experience as a hostess in [a] bar in Japan. [Another is] Morgan Nicholsfigueiredo, [who] wrote a comic and touching story about the childhood fort that was built in

Douglas College Department of Creative Writing Proudly Presents

om An Archology of Work by Dougias Cofege Creative ting, ‘Students Dougie College Studio Theatre Room 41001 700 Royal Awe. th Floor H He iinet Book Launch An Anthology of Work by Douglas

‘One block from the Mew ‘Westminster Skytrain Station

College Creative Writing Students

Readings by:

Laura Cuthbert

Avalon Doyle

Bryce Tarling

Morgan Nicholsfigueiredo Renee Barry

‘WILL Richter

Leslie Sakata

Matt Szekeres

Theresa Henry-Smith

DOUGLASCOLLEDE

Music by Sheldon Witt Light refreshments will be available. Everyone i welcome to this free event.

his backyard.”

Pearls 31 can be picked up at your local Douglas College bookstore. Do yourselves and your fellow students a favour, and take the time to read what these brilliant minds have created. Who knows, you may even be inspired to become the next featured author in Pearls 32!