Globetrotting on a budget

Globetrotting on a budget Chances are you might be heading out this summer, or you'd like to be – if only you could afford it. Time and money are always an issue preventing us from travelling, but if money is stopping you, consider saving up and incorporating some money-saving habits into your future travel plans. Sometimes it can be difficult to get everything organized before a trip, or you might want to plan one and not know where to start. Here are some helpful resources to get you started.

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Kensington Market comes alive

Citizens filled the streets to the sounds of electronic belly-dancing music. A crowd huddled in a circle around a group of performers who wore belly-dancing costumes and jingled their bells in time to the music. People took photos and clapped after each dancer went into the middle of the circle. Walking down Augusta Avenue, the smell of hot corn tomales and empanadas, samosas and thai spring rolls emanated from each food stand and wafted into the nostrils of passers by. Local artists and vendors sold their jewelry and paintings to visitors and residents who make their homes in Kensington Market.

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Montreal: The place to be for Mutek

Each year in early June throngs of electronic music fans descend upon Montreal for the Mutek festival - a unique program of experimental music and visual art installations. This year the festival delivered a high quality program that techno aficionados have come to expect. Many excellent genre-crossing acts performed and, despite relentless rain, attendees revelled in danceable music and learned about exciting new musical groups from North America and Europe.

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Plastikman Live transforms Detroit

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For one weekend at the end of May Detroit is transformed into the place to be for all techno music fans and globe-trotting industry workers who come from as far as Europe to party, celebrate the global techno subculture and make business connections. This year marked the 10th anniversary of Movement Festival, Detroit's annual electronic music festival and to celebrate, they hosted a special live headliner - a Canadian – the techno icon Plastikman, a.k.a. Windsor born Richie Hawtin.

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Tips from eco-entrepreneurs

Several sustainable business owners in Toronto shared their thoughts about being resilient and ecologically responsible during the recession.

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Eco-frugal in Toronto

TORONTO - April 2009 Networked Streets
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Reusing, refashioning and building community As both social entrepreneurs and activists try to save their money, conserve natural resources and build community, eco-frugality appears to be thriving.

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Wine appreciation 101

Wine appreciation is as popular as ever. Wine marketing creates a culture of its own. Wine blogger, Monika Janek uncorks her perspective on the world of wine. Video produced originally by Amanda Connon-Unda for the Ryersonian.ca [wpvideo E66PiTff]
 

Video profile: Homegrown Skateboards in Nova Scotia

On Jesse Watson's trip to Toronto in November, the skateboard company owner spoke about how he has been creating skateboard culture for years in LaHave, Nova Scotia. Homegrown Skateboards makes small runs of skateboards - sometimes only 20 editions of a board. For Watson, his work is craft production in the age of mass production: It's local, craft-based and borne out of a need to skate. His skateboards link culture, art, and collaborative design. Watson's Skateboard designs and his guest-artist series boards were on display at Harbourfront Centre until January 3, 2010.
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My VIDEO profile can be viewed on the Ryersonian's website .
 

Reimagining public space, one plant at a time

[wpvideo iovtAoAT] As part of our series on unique artists, Amanda Connon-Unda discovers how a pair of artists - Sean Martindale and Eric Cheung - create artistic interventions that compel people to think about their lived environments. Video Notes: Produced by Amanda Connon-Unda Featuring Sean Martindale and Eric Cheung Some photos provided by Sean Martindale (http://picasaweb.google.com/sean.martindale/PosterPocketPlants#) Made in Toronto, Canada, in December 2009.