CURATORS OF SWEDEN @Sweden

Have you heard about Sweden's new social media initiative?

It's called Curators of Sweden, and it's pretty darn cool. Here's how it works:

Every week, a new citizen of the country get's handed the cyber keys to Sweden's official Twitter account, @Sweden. According to the project's website, the chosen candidate can tweet on just about anything - from things to do in Sweden, to their own diverse opinions and ideas.

"Every week, someone in Sweden is @Sweden: sole ruler of the world's most democratic Twitter account," the website cheekily explains.

The idea is the brainchild of VisitSweden, the government's official tourist agency, and the Swedish Institution, a public agency that seeks to promote the country to the world.

Of course, chosen curators have to abide by Twitter's wafer-thin posting rules and not post anything criminal in nature. But apart from that, curators can post whatever their hearts wishes.

To name a few, so far we've heard from a 60-year-old retired journalist, a high-school student, a Muslim woman who practices law, a bus driver from Stockholm, and others from very different walks of life.

In 140 characters at a time, we've gotten a glimpse of what their Sweden is like. They can post pictures and followers of @Sweden can ask questions to the current curator, leading to interesting public discussions.

I think it's a brilliant way to showcase a country's diversity. It shows that there really nothing really like a 'typical' resident of a country, and celebrates the diversity of a nation.

A couple of days ago, 27-year-old Sonja Abrahamsson, this weeks custodian, raised some discussion about censorship when she Tweeted about Jews and gays.

Below is one of Sonja's Tweets. Here are a few more of her eyebrow-raising comments.

After receiving some disapproving messages from a few of her follows, she posted an apology and clarified that she didn't intend to offend anyone.

I'm guessing it's a pretty sizeable responsibility to represent your country on the international stage, and this little experiment is just that.

When asked by the Wall Street Journal in a phone interview, the social media manager of VisitSweden,  Tommy Sollen, said it was essential that the project gave everyone room to express their opinions.

"It's very important for us to let everyone take a unique viewpoint," Sullen said. "Every one of our curators is there with a different perspective."

Maybe introducing a little bit of censorship could make the project more professional, but it's kind of cool how it is right now - raw and original.

Overall, I think Curators of Sweden is a pretty neat initiative which is out-of-the-box and different.

OH RAMEEZ

I read the original article bashing the commentary of Rameez Raja on theunrealtimes.com, an Indian website known for publishing spoofs and parodies on cricket and politics.

Hats off to the author for a witty and thoroughly enjoyable piece of writing!

Below is my humble contribution to all those who are united in the belief that Rameez Raja is an awful, awful commentator.
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Commentator Rameez Raja was docked 50% of his salary on Monday after yet another painful stint of commentary during India's stunning win against Pakistan over the weekend.

As Virat Kohli waltzed to yet another splendid century against a high-quality Pakistani bowling attack, all Raja could conjure up on air was, "He's looking as Kohli as a cucumber," causing fellow commentator Sunil Gavaskar to bury his head in shame and not say another word for the rest of the match.

This is not the first time Raja has been penalized for his commentary. In 2007 he was officially warned by the ICC when his commentating of an India versus Sri Lanka encounter forced nearly half the viewers to switch to The Paint Grower's Channel.

But on Sunday, patience was running low for viewers at home as well. Pankaj Singh, a software engineer from Punjab, said he almost did damage to his television after listening to Raja rant about cucumbers and bullets on air.

"All I wanted to do was enjoy my weekend by staying home and watching some cricket," said a visibly distressed Singh, a father of two who retired from cricket after dropping the same batsman thrice in one over while fielding at long-on.

"I almost put a shoe through my TV when Raja started commentating - good thing my cousin was there to stop me or else I would have had to buy a new one."

Singh said he ended up muting his television set and left the commentating to his three-year-old daughter, who he said did a better job than Raja.

But with reports coming in that Raja is working extra hard on improving his commentary, things could be looking up.

While his fellow commentators enjoyed a round of golf at the scenic Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka on Monday, Raja opted to stay inside the media box at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium and practice his commentating.

"How does Ravi Shastri sound so cool on air?" he was heard muttering furiously before attempting several versions of, "that went to the fence faster than a tracer bullet," eventually causing a smattering of crows on the outfield to scatter in alarm.

Aussie commentating king Richie Benaud said that Raja needed to focus on the basics of calling the game, and perhaps try saying it instead of spraying it.

"Commentating is like bowling," Benaud said in his trademark calm and reassuring voice. "You've got to maintain a consistent line and length that always keeps the batsman interested."

"Right now Rameez is all over the place - he's bowling wides and no-balls - perhaps he's just in the middle of a really bad spell."

With the IPL just around the corner, cricket fans can expect some relief to their ears as Ravi Shastri will once again grace the mic during the eight week cricket bonanza.

A Cobbler’s Tale

Cobbling. It’s a word that’s wouldn’t look out of place in a 17^th century Old English dictionary. But for 45-year-old Paul Lavigne, it’s what he does for a living.

Born and raised in the pocket-sized town of Mattawa near North Bay, Lavigne is the owner of Moneysworth and Best, a shoe repair service at the Billings Bridge shopping centre. 

Lavigne moved to Ottawa when he was 20 years old, and was introduced to cobbling when he found a job at a shoe repair store in Rideau Centre. 

He worked there for five years before becoming the regional manager of Moneysworth & Best in Eastern Ontario, whose head office was in Toronto. But two years later the opportunity arose to buy a store in Ottawa, and Lavigne took the chance with both hands. 

“The company was downsizing and that’s when I purchased this store here,” he said “I’ve been working in my own business now for almost 15 years.”

Lavigne said it’s been an exciting journey for him, and that business is flourishing for his shop in this small, yet bustling mall.

“It’s different every day, we’re always getting something different so it’s a challenge – it’s not boring,” Lavigne said.  “I think we’re very lucky, being in a small shopping mall that the business is doing very well.”

Married for the better part of 17 years, Lavigne has no children but is the proud owner of two cats.

“Cats are cheaper,” he explained. “They listen and don’t talk back,” he added with a laugh.

Some family tree searching by Lavigne’s father found that footwear related professions seem to run in their blood - at least distantly.

“It’s funny, my dad did some family history research on our family and he found that our great-great-great grandfather came from France, and he was a shoemaker there,” Lavigne said.

With the help of Roeun Luy, his lone trusty assistant, Lavigne said the store easily treats 300-400 pairs of shoes every week, with the most common kind of mending being done to heels.

In his 20 odd years of cobbling, Lavigne has encountered many odd things, not the least of which was changing the colour of a piece of lingerie for an adventurous party-goer.

“I’ve dyed a corset for a woman a long time ago for a Halloween costume,” Lavigne said with a small chuckle. “That’s been the strangest thing I’ve ever done.”

Lavigne feels that in this day and age, technology adds to the challenge of mending shoes.

“It’s a little harder,” he said. “You got to really adapt to the new stuff that’s coming out and be more open-minded when you’re fixing stuff.”

“It’s not as easy as it used to be 20 years ago, the shoes are not made the same, the quality is not the same so you got to figure out ways around it.”

According to Lavigne the business of mending shoes is going to continue to strive, seeing that consumers have pulled their purse strings just that little bit tighter.

“I think it’s going to stay strong because people seem to be watching their money more,” Lavigne said. “I find that people come to check to see what it would cost to fix their stuff before they go out and buy new things.”

He feels it wouldn’t be a bad idea if post-secondary schools started introducing cobbling into their programs.

“It would be nice to see a college come out with the trade to teach people how to do this,” Lavigne said.

“I have customers who complain all the time that there’s not enough shoe repair and there aren’t enough people who know how to do it.”

So what’s the secret to keeping that favourite pair of shoes in tip-top shape?

“Make sure they’re always clean, protected, and polished,” Lavigne said. “Just making sure the soles and the heels are always maintained - you do that you can keep them forever.”

As Lavigne pours glue into the heels of a pair of Uggs, a woman hustles into the store, clutching a bag with three pairs of shoes crammed into it. 

THE SHAWARMA GUY

Despite its rather dingy ambiance, the Shawarma Byte restaurant found on the corner of King Edward Street has a certain liveliness about it.

A few minutes inside and the reason becomes apparent – employee Hassan Hannoon rushes busily back and forth behind the counter, serving hungry students from neighbouring OttawaU fresh shawarmas, a traditional Arabic sandwich.

“And what can I get you, amigo?” he asks a customer, holding his hands out over a sumptuous looking array of pickles, tomatoes, garlic sauce and the like, while a massive mountain of meat roasts merrily on a spit behind him.

The better part of 29 years of age, Hannoon moved to Ottawa eight years ago from his hometown of Nablus, on the West Bank in Palestine.

“I came here to get myself educated and start a new life,” he says. Hannoon got a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Carleton University before going on to get himself a master’s in biomedical engineering, graduating earlier this year.

Currently he works as a software tester at Optimal Payments, a money transfer services firm, and also works part-time at Shawarma Byte.

Hannoon says that it’s all about presentation when it comes to making shawarmas.

“We have a saying in Arabic that goes like, ‘It is the eyes that are going to eat before the mouth,’” he says with a broad smile.

“If the food looks good then really, it doesn’t matter how tasty it’s going to be. But if it looks bad from the start, then even if it tastes good no one is going to like it!”

As is the case with many immigrants like himself, moving to Canada was a big decision for Hannoon. He came here alone, without his family, but with hopes of getting educated, finding work, and settling down.

“What I love about Canada is that you can write your own future here,” Hannoon says.

“You know what’s out there so you can plan a future for yourself and work towards it. Sometimes even if you don’t get 100% there, you get close,” he adds.

He attributes the common phenomenon of ‘culture shock’ as the biggest hurdle in settling down to his new life in Canada.

“For me the hardest part about getting used to life here was adapting to the culture,” Hannoon says, glancing outside at the direction of a nearby bar where the sounds of a promising party seem to be brewing

“For example back home in Palestine drinking alcohol is not a very common thing to do. But over here it is almost like a norm. Everybody is doing it and it is all around you.”

He says language too was an obstacle.

“Learning the language was tough as well. When I came here I knew only a little bit of English and it took some time to learn it fully. Although I still have a pretty strong accent!” Hannoon says, his rich Arab accent more obvious than ever.

The burly Palestinian admits he is still momma’s boy, saying that his mother is what he misses most about home.

“Cooking and food and all of that you can get by. But your mother, you know, you can never forget - that’s what I miss the most,” Hannoon says, his voice faltering ever so slightly.

Hannoon dreams of moving back to Nablus one day, but for now, he feels he is not yet ready.

“I want to make sure I have something to go back to,” he says.

“I’m planning on getting a house there and things like that so when I go back, I have something ready there for myself.”

Are there any plans for a Mrs. Hannoon in his life any time soon, and maybe a few junior Hannoons?

He laughs softly, saying, “Soon inshallah (Arabic for ‘God willing’).”

“Hopefully in the next year or two I plan on getting married and starting a family.”

As Hannoon returns to the counter to serve another customer, a rugged looking youth with extra baggy jeans, he smiles genuinely and asks, “Good evening sir, mutton or chicken?”