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SCOUT LIST: 11 Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now & Next Week

by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

Watch | The Vancouver International Film Festival is still going strong, but the clock is ticking and if you want to squeeze in a few more films, you’ll have to get planning. Narrow your options down by browsing by series (Organisers have classified films into a number of series such as Canadian Images, Cinema of Our Time, Nonfiction Features and Special Presentations). There is a lot to take in. This week we’re keen to check out  City Lens: 60s Vancouver by Night and Day –Vancouver Archival Film Program (Videomatica’s Graham X Peat pulls four films from the CBC Vancouver vault. Each mirroring the grit and glory of our city, with imaginative visions when darkness falls, fuelled by jazz and neon: The Seeds, PNE Midway, The Outcast, and City Patterns—in glorious black & white!
Tuesday, October 9 | 6:30pm | Empire Granville 4 and again on October 12 at 12:20pm (Granville 1) | Details

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez | Zulu Records is really throwing down with the awesome sauce this week. On Thursday night “the amazing Rodriguez, subject of the incredible Searching for Sugar Man documentary film, will be stopping by Zulu Records for a short discussion on his extraordinary music and life!” Never heard of the dude? Wiki him. Sit down and watch the documentary. This is just one of those things that you need to trust us on. To be in a room with this dude is going to be amazing. Charles Brownstein of Northern Transmissons will MC the event and moderate questions, et cetera. Rodriguez is performing a sold out show at The Venue later that evening so please arrive on time, and be mindful of the fact that he’s only available for a short time.
Thursday, October 11 | 7pm | Zulu Records (1972 W 4) | Free

The Choice 2012 | At all curious about the impending American election? PBS Frontline is.  To satisfy their curiousity they’ve made a two-hour long documentary that outlines the “places, people, and decisive moments that made the men who are competing for the presidency.” Comprised of hundreds of hours of research and dozens of original interviews, this show aims to “reveal new details and fresh insights about the two candidates — and our choice this November.” We’ve never advocated for a television show and this definitely ain’t our “choice”, but Frontline has a habit of nailing these sorts of shows (also: Mitt Romney is a total goof).
Tuesday, October 9 | Check your local listing | Details 

The Bees Needs | Learn about the diversity of our local pollinators, why some bees are at risk of extinction, and – most importantly –  how you can help protect them. Attend the evening lecture,led by Elizabeth Elle (associate professor at Simon Fraser University) at VanDusen this week.  Get out there and learn to protect those bees!
October 11 | 7:30pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak) | $15 | Details

DIY Cheese | There’s a cheesemaking gig going down this week. Cheese is big in this town and cheesemaking courses sell out in a heartbeat. Don’t sit around contemplating whether or not you’re going to jump in for too long. Just jump. “Cheesemaker David Asher Rotsztain will demonstrate and explain the techniques for making three basic styles of cheese: paneer, yogurt cheese and camembert, an aged rennet cheese. These lessons will provide a solid foundation for those interested in making cheese at home, or anyone who wants to know how their cheese is made. The workshop will emphasize a ‘natural cheesemaking’, with a focus on simple, DIY methods that are well suited to the home kitchen. David will also discuss the topics of raw milk, rennet-free cheeses and dairy ferments. At the end of the workshop, we will feast on our freshly made cheeses.” If you click here to find the class is already full (like I said, in a heartbeat), then click here for a second gig going down October 27.
Thursday, October 11 | 6-9:30pm | UBC Farm Centre, 6182 South Campus Rd | $40 (Materials included) | Details

Dylan | Yep, Bob Dylan is in town. He’s playing at Rogers Arena, so don’t go thinking it’ll be an intimate affair. But hey, there is no way that seeing Dylan live could be a bad idea. Oh, and did we mention Mark Knopfler will be there too? Not too shabby!
October 12 | Doors 6:30pm / Show 7:30pm | Rogers Arena | $40-$125 | Details 

Apple Festival | This fall festival is educational, delicious and inexpensive. Wander the UBC Botanical Gardens, take in live musical performance, visit tasting tents to sample up to 60 varieties of new and heritage apples (all grown in BC) and watch tree grafting and cider-pressing demonstrations. There’ll also be Master Gardeners available to discuss apple-related diseases and pest management for those of you who have trees at home. And if you see those people who have trees and are getting free expert advice but you’re jealous because you don’t have a tree, don’t fret. You can also buy many varieties of apple trees grafted onto dwarfing root stock to plant in your own garden. But the best, most superbiest part? No end of apple pie, hot apple cider, caramel apples, apple chips and organic BC apple juice! There’s a lot to do with these baubles of original sin!
October 13 & 14 | 11am to 4pm | UBC Botanical Garden | $4 (kids free) | Details

Shrooms | We’re right smack in the middle of mushroom season and that’s all kinds of good news. Get dirty by heading out for a hike to pick your own. Swallow Tail Tours runs a culinary mushroom hunting trip that teaches participants how simple it can be to forage edible mushrooms out of our local forests. Think chanterelles, porcinis and oyster mushrooms! $39 (include a lunch). Book a hike now while the weather is so amazing.
Now through mid November | Swallow Tail Tours | $39 | Details  

Get Lucky | Sarah Gee is showing at the Lucky Gallery this week. Expect a series of totemic shapes made from collaged paper and acrylic on matte board that “are stacked forms with a vaguely hierarchical or lineal composition, reminiscent of the First Nations totems [she has] loved and admired [her] whole life. These, however, do not refer to either familial or spiritual transformation. Instead they are mute, inward looking. Using a private language of symbols such as The Oar, Star and Halfstar, and Unblinking Eye, these strata are concerned both with the formalities of hard edged abstraction and the implications of signage.” Woot.
October 12 | 6pm | Goodluck Gallery (243 Union) | Free

Chow | Gastown scores a new restaurant this week. Lily Mae’s is finally opening it’s doors to serve the neighbourhood French and European-inspired rustic food. First time restaurant owners Jeff Jefkins and Armand Tencha took over the old Cafe Dolcino space (sandwiched between The Diamond and The Sardine Can on Powell Street) way back in the Spring and they’ve been working hard to transform the 25 seat space in to an inviting ‘comfort cafe’. This is their first week, so go easy!
Lily Mae’s | 12 Powell Street | 11am – 9pm | Details

Heads Up: Writers & Readers Fest 2012 | The line up for the 2012 Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival is pretty sweet, and if you move fast there’s still a chance of you scoring tickets. Author Martin Amis will be there to talk about his new novel! Junot Díaz (Pulitzer Prize winner for The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao) will also be there, and so will Dennis Lee (Alligator Pie), Margaret Atwood, A.L. Kennedy and David Suzuki. Spoken word fans will be thrilled to catch the trifecta of C.R. Avery, Ivan E. Coyote and Lemn Sissay. There is even stuff for kids (notably Mélanie Watt of Scaredy Squirrel fame).
October 16-21 | various time | Various locations – Mostly Granville Island | $various prices | Details

Have a good week!

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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