An Interview with The Land of Deborah        By Lauren MacFarland Photo: Noriko Nasu-Tidball Described as sounding like “Sarah McLaclan and Jewel playing scrabble”, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter act ‘The Land of Deborah’ puts every inch of her infectious persona into her music. Her songs are introspective and upbeat, each written from the heart and telling a story. “Calling herself ‘The Land of Deborah’ was a unique way for Deborah to put a name on her creative brand, which doesn’t just include personal songwriting and performing, but also composing scores for television and film and video blogs. “Years and years ago I thought ‘Deborah’ was just so boring, so one night I decided to be called ‘The Land of Deborah’ and it just stuck,” she explained. “The way that I see it, the music comes from me and my mind is the ‘land’, so therefore ‘The Land of Deborah’ is songs from my mind! It’s not just the songs, it’s who I am, I also love art, and public art…and that’s what the ‘Land’ turned out to be. I get called ‘Land of Deborah’, or ‘Land’ or just ‘LOD’ and that’s kind of what it’s become.” Her various creative outlets have grown and expanded over the years as Deborah explored the different opportunities that came her way. “At the beginning it was just songs, but I’ve always wanted to do something with film and through a chance meeting I ended up writing a song for someone’s film. It’s not something I actively pursue, but if I meet someone and they need a score for a film I’m all over that.” Working for somebody else almost requires a separate muse, when someone asks for a specific type of song it allows her to exercise...

Lauren, Keiko (Editor-in-Chief), Joyce                                                                      Photo: Noriko Nasu-Tidball “I am always inspired and in awe at their dedication, determination, and creativity. They are like my children!” – Editor-in-Chief Lauren MacFarland After spending the last few months interviewing and writing about some amazing people, it feels strange to talk about myself! I’m a third-year undergraduate student at UBC, currently majoring in History (which is a lot more interesting than most people think it is!), a staff writer for the Kerrisdale Playbook and occasionally I knit. I love studying the past and how it connects with the future, looking at how we went from sitting around in fires in caves to sitting around laptops in coffee shops. Knowing where you come from is so important to figure out where you’re going to go, and knowing the history of a place is the only way to understand the world around you. I’ve lived in India, Dubai, Panama, and now Vancouver, a city with such a rich story to tell, but still so young, and it’s incredible to think that I’m a part of that. Kerrisdale is a beautiful neighborhood, but before this year, I’d never really stopped to pay attention to it. The bus from Richmond to UBC (which I spend more time on than I do in any actual class) passes right through the heart of Kerrisdale and gives a prime view of the little boutiques, the signs announcing little league matches and sidewalk sales, bursts of color outside the florists and a display of macaroons in a café window that are ridiculously delicious. Unfortunately, during...

An Interview with Renee Mynott“People first, building community first.” – Renee MynottBy Joyce Tam   In this prosperous urban city, do you ever have a thought of how your desirable home would be? Do you ever want your own personal space? Do you want to live with a group of people that share the same ideas as you do? Would you like to put your thoughts into actions and make this desirable home come true? Cohousing could possibly be one of the ways to help you achieve this dream. A desirable dream home of yours could be where you tell them how you want it to be, and they will do it for you. Cohousing is definitely an authentic project where residents will share the processes of planning, managing and owning their own desirable private homes, which is partly supported by a “community hall”.  This concept began in Denmark, then came to North American cities such as Vancouver in British Columbia. Renee Mynott is a community facilitator in the cohousing community, with a specific focus on seniors cohousing. She is currently working in senior cohousing in Langley that was the first place accepting cohousing in B.C.  Renee comes from a family of eleven siblings and everyone lived closely together. She knows the benefits and the love from growing within a community. She understands how important it is to live with a community, to build up closer bonds with others, to listen to each other and solve problems together. “I always have lots of people to talk to about things, or if I need help on something, we always have resources to share. I feel so blessed and I want everyone to have that experience,” Renee said. Coincidentally, Renee’s grandmother is also from Langley and...

A conversation with Monica McGarry   A watercolour portrait by Monica   Interviewed by Joyce Tam   Why does art matter? There is always a romantic view of artists sitting by themselves and being eccentric. This is false. Nowadays these passive images of artists and art do not exist anymore. In today’s art world, art becomes an active agent that bridges with other neighbors within communities.   Monica McGarry is our special guest who speaks about how arts could promote a strong sense of community through connection, experimentation and interaction. She was graduated from University of British Columbia with an education degree, and is now an artist specializing in painting and drawing. She is also a photographer and an educator in art. Through educating young audiences from age two to eighteen, she is passionate towards educating people about art. In this process, she uses her own knowledge and gives it back to the community in Vancouver. Being an artist, she also takes this knowledge that she gains, assimilating and expressing these ideas back into her artwork. Art is no longer a one-way communication, it is an interaction between the public and the art world. To achieve this goal, Monica has been involved in various events and workshops. Using her life story as a role model, I hope this article would encourage readers in all age groups to recognize the importance of art and community involvements. “Art is something that brings communities together,” Monica said. She has participated in the Vancouver Draw Down project held in May 2012. This event included people from all age groups to make art collectively on the street, and thus to openly create art and connect with other people that share the same goal. Some venues were community centers, galleries with different drawing activities or in other schools. “It is free and that was a very good channel to engage with public,” Monica said. From this activity, participants could enjoy the pleasure of making art in any...

An Interview with Mr. Irfan Sheikh, the principal of Pt.Grey Secondary Interviewed by Lauren MacFarland One of the oldest schools in the area, firmly embedded in the history of Kerrisdale, Point Grey Secondary is an impressive institution, not just for its beautiful Gothic façade, but for the hundreds of eager, driven students whose main focus is making their school and community a better place. What was once a small school in 1929 has grown considerably into the modern high school it is today, it has seen generations of families attend over the years, and built a reputation for excellence. Principal Irfan Sheikh is now at the helm of this very busy ship, overseeing a multitude of programs and activities ranging from academic to athletic to community based. The school boasts numerous accolades in just about every discipline, Mr. Sheikh attributing these awards to the school’s emphasis on creating a “well rounded individual.”  Besides core academics, the school offers various elective programs such as drama, foods, music among others, all of which are found appealing by both parents and students alike.  For a school with such a rich history, it has adapted effortlessly in the modern world, successfully creating several online platforms for students and the community to remain engaged and informed on the school’s many events and programs. From the official Facebook pages to the Twitter feed, blogs for the music and art programs, Point Grey has created a vibrant online presence to ensure it never loses touch with its 21st century students. “We’ve got to react to what’s going on in the environment,” says Mr. Sheikh, “the school looks a little like Hogwarts, and what goes on is the magic of education, the connection to kids, the leveraging of technology, the approach that...

  By Germaine Koh Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Hello, Kerrisdale! My name is Germaine Koh. I’m the artist you’ve been seeing at work in and around the Elm Park field house, and one of the people you may have noticed running around the park wielding rope, frisbees, mops, beanbags, lumber, and an old couch. The Elm Park field house is one of seven new artist residencies launched in late 2012 within the Vancouver Park Board Field House Studio Residency Project. The goal of that program is to enliven previously-vacant field houses, using them as catalysts for community-building (read about the program and residencies here:http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/field-house-studio-residencies-in-parks.aspx). From an open competitive call for proposals, artists were selected to use these field houses as studios for two years, in exchange for community-based art activity. In my case, the project I proposed is closely tied to other aspects of my art practice, and one which puts the task of innovation into the hands — and legs, and minds — of community members. The project, League, is an open weekly gathering for the purpose of playing sports and games invented by participants. Each game, its playing field and its strategies evolve through trial and improvisation, and new and unusual equipment may be invented. League aims to inspire residents of diverse backgrounds and generations to come together to play, think imaginatively, and act collaboratively, in response to challenges posed by different situations. Everyone is welcome, whether they identify as athletes, creative people, both, or neither. The project is based in a belief that play is an essential human tendency that is related on one hand to problem-solving and negotiation skills and on another to a pure pursuit of joy. League participants are encouraged to tweak established structures and rules, to bring...

Alison Bremner – a Tlingit artist     Alison Bremner (K’úwux) is a Tlingit artist born and raised in Southeast Alaska. Bremner is an Owl of the Raven moiety of the K’ineix Kwaan from Yakutat. In 2009, Bremner participated in a Coming of Age Ceremony; the first of it’s kind in over 100 years in Yakutat. It was then that Bremner began to dedicate her life to the Tlingit culture. After witnessing the beautiful regalia at Celebration 2010 in Juneau, Bremner’s passion for Tlingit art was awoken. “Traditional art is not simply art – it is an internal compass, a connection to who we are as people and where we come from.” Bremner creates regalia such as button blankets, octopus bags and hand-drums. Bremner also paints and weaves. Bremner believes that focusing on the positive side of the culture will help it move forward. “There is a misconception that all First-Nations people are stoic and somber. While there has been much despair in our history, there has also been much to celebrate. I seek to shed light on our native sense of humor. There is nothing quite like one of your aunties jokes”. Humor, with an underlying theme of perseverance. In her spare time, Bremner dances with the Mt. St. Elias Dancers of Yakutat and the Git-Hoan Dancers of Seattle. She also enjoys sci-fi movies and a good cup of coffee. Owl Button Blanket Wolves Button Blanket Green Eyed...

A Q&A WITH ROBIN CLARK by Lauren MacFarland Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tid-Ball British Columbia is easily one of the most beautiful places on earth, due largely in part to our abundance of forestry, giving our province a rich and diverse ecosystem.  Robin Clark, principal and team leader of Robin B. Clark Inc. works with local industry all over the province to ensure all forestry projects are done with sustainability in mind, preserving our natural wonders for generations to come.  The Tree of Life, an ebook inspired by his work with nature explores the connection between people and the earth, a connection that proves that “there is a beautiful blue print for life.”  1 )How did you get involved in ecological preservation? My parents, grandparents and even the great grandparents I never met, lived and worked in in rural areas and loved nature. Growing up our family spent weekends and holidays camping all over BC. 2) The Tree of Life reminds us that all people are connected to nature, do you believe that in our high-tech world, they have forgotten that? Why is it so important to remember this connection? The connection to nature has definitely been forgotten. I work mostly in rural communities where I would expect the situation to be different, but it”s not. It’s important to remember the connection to reduce stress and recharge ones batteries. 3) What does it mean to be a “steward to all of creation”? How can one participate in active stewardship? A “steward to all creation” is a tall order but bring ones attention to a small niche that calls you is a great place to begin. Small efforts by myself and many others are making a difference and moving stewardship from a concept to reality. There are hundreds...

In the spirit of the Chinese New Year Celebrations by Synn Kune Loh* a poet and visual artist CELEBRATION Predisposed response to beauty Spring rain calls me to life random thoughts deeply transparent a sigh of forgiveness unfolds the beauty EARTH CALLING What fulfills an inner longing   Mountain storm had let up Winter retreated earth preserved A double rainbow framed the road From behind temple doors, golden faced buddhas take a peek at the world. *Born in China, Synn Kune grew up in Hong Kong. He completed a BA in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport in the USA before his graduate study in Cultural Psychology at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontaria. An accomplished painter, he studied experimental art at the Ontario College of Art in Tronto. In addition, Synn Kune holds a Master degree in Therapeutic Counseling from the International College of Spiritual and Psychic Science in Montreal, Quebec. Synn Kune found his inspiration through the abstraction of forms and ideas. What makes his paintings unique is the metaphysical content, which explores the relaity of the ideal. The artist steps outside of representation to create a visual language using dots, lines, circles, triangles, squares, color and form. The result is a vision of ecstatic wonder and astonishment. “These paintings are about nothing. Therefore they are about everything.” ~ Synn Kune...

Interviewed By Aryan Etesami Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tidball   Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Darrin McCloskeyis a successful local author with a mind full of imagination and creativity. Darrin obtained his Bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1992, after which he decided to go on an adventurous odyssey to Europe. Following his passion for books and writing, Darrin spent a year working at the Dillon’s, The  Bookstore in Cambridge, England, and decided to travel around Europe. After returning to Prince Edward Island and being struck by the reality of the industrialized twenty-first century life, he found employment at a local gas station and later made the choice to move to beautiful British Columbia in 1995. Having arrived in BC, Darrin started a job as a dishwasher in Harrison Hot Springs and has taken on nearly a dozen of different jobs until 2001, when he started teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). Besides writing, he has been an ESL teacher, and has travelled to many different places around the world to teach English. Currently, Darrin runs his own publishing press named, ‘Black Ice Press’ and has already published two books:“Li’l Story: the true story of the rise and fall of the Great Canadian Novel” and “Garden of da Gulf”. Some random fact about Darrin: He is the youngest of six children (four sisters and one brother) and has run a half-marathon in 1:16:51!  Here is an interview I recently did with Darrin where he shared  some very interesting information about himself and his work: –       You have been in Vancouver since 1995, so would you now consider yourself a Vancouverite? A: I’ve been here since ’95, leaving my job as a gas jockey to find another out here as...

Synn Kune Loh a poet and visual artist Born in China, Synn Kune grew up in Hong Kong. He completed a BA in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport in the USA before his graduate study in Cultural Psychology at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontaria. An accomplished painter, he studied experimental art at the Ontario College of Art in Tronto. In addition, Synn Kune holds a Master degree in Therapeutic Counseling from the International College of Spiritual and Psychic Science in Montreal, Quebec. Synn Kune found his inspiration through the abstraction of forms and ideas. What makes his paintings unique is the metaphysical content, which explores the relaity of the ideal. The artist steps outside of representation to create a visual language using dots, lines, circles, triangles, squares, color and form. The result is a vision of ecstatic wonder and astonishment. “These paintings are about nothing. Therefore they are about everything.”  Synn Kune The Reality of The Ideal  Paintings are all acrylic on canvas.   The sky is never empty, 2012   The Tipping point, 2012   Fascination, 2012   Assumption, 2012   Entering the Memory Field, 2012   In the not too distant future, 2012   How to watch the sky, 2012   Pushing the boundary, 2012   One Day You May Find This Useful, 2012   Day of Departure, 2012   The earth is always full, 2012   These paintings are accompanied by his own ‘haiku’ poems.  Collections of his verse continue in popularity, with a book available today; ” A Journey to Camatkara”, Alpha Glyph Publication,...

 by Trina Moran   Author of the soon to be published A Mythology of Sound, Joël Tibbits professional life is grounded in the areas of music composition, film making, sound design, and yoga. Originally from New Westminster and Surrey, Joël has been involved with music since his teens and holds a degree in music composition from Simon Fraser University. Overall, Joël is most fascinated with exploring facets of consciousness through music and sound.   Joël started becoming involved with music in high school where he learned to play guitar, piano, and even began composing his own music for guitar, cello, and piano. He later pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Simon Fraser University where he majored in music composition, specializing in esoteric and contemporary music. During his studies at Simon Fraser, Joël participated in a summer music composition program abroad in Darmstadt, Germany where he had the opportunity to meet and study with internationally renowned composers. After his university education, Joël spent a year in Japan studying Samurai philosophy. He exclaimed that hundreds of years ago in Japan when the Samurai class was still prevalent, their class also became obsolete and re-emerged as artists. Joël claims that studying Samurai philosophy in Japan revitalized a sense of artistic self within himself. Also after SFU, Joël focused on martial arts (Kung Fu, Hung Gar) and mystic practices such as tarot, Kabalah, spirituality, theology, metaphysics, and cosmology. Currently, Joël enjoys working on short films. He currently worked on a web series that parodied the hit television show, Mad Men. It went on to compete in the 2012 LA Webfest and took home 3 awards. Joël also worked on ‘filament’ a short film he directed in 2011 which follows a character through a variety of environments while exploring...

An interview with Erin Moore, a grade two teacher at Kerrisdale Elementary School Interviewed by Barb Mikulec* *Director of the Provincial Retired Teachers executive   *First Vice-President of the Vancouver Branch Retired Teachers Association Photographs by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Q: What interested you in becoming a teacher?   A: I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. My mother and aunt were teachers and I saw how much of an impact they had on their students’ lives. I wanted to be able to show each child that they can succeed and reach their goals even when faced with challenges. The journey so far has been even better than I could have ever imagined. Q: What are some of the creative things you enjoy doing with your class?     A: I love showing the students that there are many ways to learn and understand new concepts. Due to the various learning styles, using manipulatives, technology and hands-on experiments can really be beneficial and helpful. Fine Arts is also a way for the students to show their creativity.  I like to use many different types of materials and techniques to produce pieces of art that center around  class themes or holidays. Q: Where did you go to university, and why did you choose it?  A: I went to UBC Vancouver, as I was living in the area and knew they had a great Education program. I also did my Bachelor of Arts degree there. Q: What can a class do to promote harmony and prevent bullying? A: Discussing and preventing bullying is one of the most important concepts I focus on each year. It really is important to do so at an early age so that it does not become a problem later on. I...

  Interviewed and written by Trina Moran   When we give back to a community, it is felt locally. When we give back to the planet, it is felt on a global scale. For Radu Postole, serving the community and the Earth go hand in hand and has become a career. A recent graduate from UBC’s Integrated Engineering program, Radu is a systems engineer for SunCentral and a volunteer engineer for the Tetra Society of North America (a non-profit organization that creates assistive devices for people with disabilities). At SunCentral, Radu is a project manager and operations engineer. As well, he oversees various design concepts. Currently, he is working on solar tracking technology that uses sunlight to light office space. This concept utilizes mirrors on the outside of office buildings that track the sun, lenses that concentrate the sunlight, and a light guide to pipe the concentrated light into the depths of the building. Electric lighting is also used in this method, but is instantly dimmed when the sun shines, making this a hybrid energy source. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The process is instantaneous. Therefore, the sunlight outside is instantly converted into the lighting used inside. Human benefits to this hybrid lighting system include a better workplace environment and a connection to the outdoor environment. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Vancouver = Rain city. Also, with hydroelectricity available in this region the cost for electricity is low. This specific type of hybrid energy source is marketable to regions that experience longer, frequent periods of sunlight throughout the year (California, Spain, Portugal) where hydroelectricity or other affordable energy is not always an available option. Overall, Radu’s goal at SunCentral is to further develop this concept so that it becomes a readily available option for...

  Graduated from Emily Carr University 2012 as an industrial designer. He is passionate about observing people’s daily needs and problems, whether psychologically or physically. Through the process of design thinking and hands on model making, he explores and cultivates creative solutions, which balanced between form and function, and also poetic solutions that enrich people life experience in an elegant and riveting way. His works encompasses medical product design, consumer electronic product design and furniture design. His graduation project, “funup”, a rehabilitation electronic product concept, explores the possibility of altering people’s unpleasant experience of the rehabilitation process into a more fun and engaging experience by utilizing state of art technologies. Currently, he is working on a series of hand made whirl threaded lampshades, which come in different shapes and colours that represent different stories and emotions of the maker. By immersing himself in the process of making, the repetitive motion not only focuses his mind, but also brought up memories and emotion of the maker. Through this work and design he wishes to share his experience and stories with people in a seamless but also direct, open but also intimate way. whirl lamp whirl lamp Bloom Lamp Bloom Lamp More About Adrian….GO...

  Joy Silver a retired elementary school teacher and a trainer of the Spirit Play How do we choose to live our lives? Joy Silver explores what being spiritual means to you. She explains us how the Spirit Play Methodology of telling stories can be used to model universal values and respect our interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. The stories can inform and inspire all children of all faiths to act in the world with compassion, to recognize what we have in common; and to understand our differences. An Interview with Joy Silver Video:...

Vancouver Park Board Commissioner and liaison to the Kerrisdale Community Centre Interviewed by Colin Booth, Aryan Etesami, Keiko Honda & Barb Mikulec  Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Q1: The KCC is one of three centres that you are the Park Board Liaison, What do you see for our particular community centre in the next five years? KCC is very unique in the sense that it has great history, a well used library, swimming pool and skating rink. The community is very diverse but very different than the other community center that I advocate for. For instance whereas I am fighting diligently for Strathcona Community Centre to make sure that their breakfast program that feeds up to 200 hungry children daily is funded and acknowledged I also bring the awareness to the Vancouver Park Board that the swimming pool at Kerrisdale is in desperate need of repair and will need ongoing maintenance. The rink is also a big piece if infrastructure that needs to be addressed. I know that seniors play a huge role in all that you do in Kerrisdale so we need to keep that in mind as we move forward with any planning and programming. I would also like to see more community gardens in the area as it gets families, seniors and youth out working together. I think it is not really my place to say specifically what Kerrisdale Community Center should be in the next five years, my job is to listen to the people that frequent, work and staff the centre and bring those thoughts back to the board and staff. Q2: How can the City of Vancouver help to make affordable, accessible and sustainable early childcare? Early Care and Learning is one of my main priorities as I feel being...

Trina Moran UBC Faculty of Arts Interns A Staff Writer for Kerrisdale Playbook   As a fourth year Arts student, I decided to take on an internship to utilize the skills and experiences I have gained from my years as a UBC undergraduate. As a staff writer intern for the KCC, I have been given the task of creating a platform for the stories of the beacons of the Kerrisdale community. Everyone that I have the pleasure of interviewing is enlightening with their pride of their community, their role in it, and how their work and role impacts others. Hailing from New Westminster, BC, I appreciate the firm presence of community within Kerrisdale and believe that it is quality that sets it apart from other communities in Vancouver. Being a theatre major, I realize the importance of everyone’s role in a community and how they are like the pieces of a puzzle. Every piece is unique, but it is as a whole do we see the true image. When Trina is not writing articles for the KCC e-Newsletter or doing UBC student related things she is an avid theatre attendee, actor, playwright, director, actor, bartender, coffee drinker, delicious food enthusiast, yogi, dinosaur impersonator, and amateur...

The road is life and is a dilligent and long one….I was in awe of him; he is truly an inspiration. ~ Editor-in-Chief Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos Shakuhachi Artist (Japanese Bamboo Flute Musician and Teacher) Interviewed by Editor-in-Chief Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Q:   Could you please tell us your cross-cultural backgrounds? What was your upbringing like in Japan (as non-Japanese ethnically speaking)? How did you feel being “gaijin” in Japan? What is your identity now? A: My parents are from the Philippines but I was born in Japan. We lived on a US military base but made frequent visits outside to be with Japanese friends. I was very young so I don’t really remember too much about Japan so I had no conceptual understanding of what a gaijin was. I moved to the US when I was about 6 and went to school there completing university. I returned to Japan after university to study shakuhachi for the first time, which is when I understood more deeply what a gaijin was. Although I have a western mindset, my spirit has always been Asian with a particular affinity to Japan. I moved to Canada in 1997 and have since attained my Canadian citizenship. But I feel that I am more a citizen of the world that is open and loves learning about other cultures and traditions. But there is something in the centre of my spirit that is Japanese. Q:  When made you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in Shakuhachi master? Who were the early influences? A: My major in University was Eastern Comparative Religious Studies and I was originally attracted to the monastic life and/or academic life and was headed that way. But when I first heard the shakuhachi flute, I wanted to go to Japan to study...

‘To Do What One Loves’: An Interview with Paul Tavai-Latta   ‘To Do What One Loves’: An Interview with Paul Tavai-Latta Interviewed and written by Trina Moran On a drizzly (typical) Vancouver day, Paul Latta dons a red Hawaiian print shirt and sunglasses as he zips around the Lower Mainland to one of his many busy dance studios, one of them being based here at the Kerrisdale Community Centre. Hailing from Rarotonga on the Cook Islands, Paul is dedicated to teaching, performing, and managing Polynesian dance through his dance school, Paul Latta Dance Studios, and his dance company, Paul Latta Show Productions. From his productions and performances Paul Latta is well-known for his authentic dance performances in traditional authentic Polynesian costumes and for being an international Polynesian dance champion. Upon moving to Canada when he was six years old, Paul mentions that as a child Polynesian culture, which included dance is all that he knew and struggled that during his childhood in Canada there was nowhere for him to pursue this particular passion. However, Paul discovered tap dancing and instantly became fascinated by the sounds and synchronized rhythms of it which he related to the intense drumming of Tahitian dance. During his studies in tap dance & stage performance Paul learned the business side of the dance world. In this included a vast knowledge of: staging, bookings, lights, theatre, commerce, television, media, and all other commercial aspects. As well, Paul quickly learned some of the negative aspects of show business such PR aspects, awards vs. jealousy, and financial aspects. Paul describes this experience as ‘[learning] at a young age how to deal with the good with the bad.’ As a young adult Paul studied at the Brigham University, Polynesian Cultural Centre in Hawaii and received his Master...