Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2014/10 Moments, October 2014

Toronto, Ontario; London, UK; Keimolanportti, Finland; Espoo, Finland; Helsinki, Finland; Oslo, Norway; Nottingham, UK; Coventry, UK; Hull, UK.

Jazz Bistro
Jazz Bistro. Classy family night, jazz piano with @wmatsushita. Rare to have all four sons at home at the same time. (Toronto) 20141001
AC856 new 787-8
AC856 new 787-8 . New config, see USB, still looking for AC power outlet. Sad goodbye to DY, she had traveled with me since July. Will wake up in London early. (Toronto Pearson Airport) 20141005
LHR T2 early
LHR T2 early. Tuesday morning Heathrow check-in opens at 5 a.m., but passengers not yet going to gates. Automobile sculpture would be interesting, but T2 too mammoth, and B gates 15 minute walk away. (London, UK) 20141007
Bus transfer at Keimolanportti
Bus transfer at Keimolanportti. Second time taking bus from Helsinki Vantaa airport to Hämeenlinna. After 15 minutes west then north on highway, first bus parks at truck stop, and waits for second bus to arrive and face other direction. Luggage is moved, then passengers board. No platform or signs. Pragmatic, but strange in total darkness when it’s cold outside. Major route towards Tampere. (Keimolanportti) 20141007
Used books for free
Used books for free. At Häme University of Applied Science, bookshelf had old technical manuals, a few research reports published by Finnish institutes. Nothing inspiring, a few familiar titles obsolete for the immersed. (Hameenlinna) 20141008
Plush blue catfish
Plush blue catfish. Life sized mascot of lake fish now extinct in Häme region. Hidden in second floor corridor. (Hameenlinna) 20141009
Kitchen at Aalto Design Factory
Kitchen at Aalto Design Factory. Drawers with “free to use food” and fridge where “unlabelled food can be used freely” illustrate Finnish cooperative design culture, simple and clear. Real time video feed of Tongji Design Factory in Shanghai shows how small the world has become. (Espoo) 20141010
White suits on parliament steps
White suits on parliament steps. Saturday night in Helsinki, this group isn’t the only one dressed up for night out. Black is more popular for women with long eyelashes. (Helsinki) 20141011
Art Week Helsinki at the Cable Factory
Art Week Helsinki at the Cable Factory on Flickr. Slow Sunday on west side of a Helsinki. Free art exhibition less interesting than cavernous building, finished roughly. Grey day outside, but mild the enough for walking and talking. (Helsinki) 20141012
Trash art, Jari Miranda
Trash art, Jari Miranda. Exhibition at Aalto Arts: The Flying Car, The Bubble, Desk, El Cello, all 2014 works. Creativity on display in industrial setting. (Helsinki) 20141013
Oslo Lufthavn platform 4
Oslo Lufthavn platform 4. Can see breath on cold Oslo mid-October morning, cooler than Helsinki earlier in the dark. Waiting for local train to Sentrum, sign says Delay. Reality is train only a few minutes wait, so, Norwegian precision? (Oslo) 20141014
Myra Lokka Park by Vøyenbrua
Myra Lokka Park by Vøyenbrua. Dusk walk from U. Oslo to Grunerlokka includes scenic path south on east bank of Akerselva River. Instead of 40 minute commute in and put off city centre, 70 minute downhill stroll was relaxing. (Oslo) 20141015
Akerselva River at Vulkan
Akerselva River at Vulkan. Rainy morning 10 minute walk north to AHO includes crossing scenic Akerselva River at Vulkan complex. Calming start to the day. (Oslo) 20141016
Peter Jones presenting at #RSD3
Peter Jones presenting at #RSD3. @redesign on Flourishing Business in Oslo, while @aupward in Cleveland. Living up to Relating Systems Thinking and Design title for symposium. (Oslo) 20141017
To French and English Gardens
To French and English Gardens. Henrik Wergelands Garden Pavilion at the Norwegian Folk Museum. Drizzly day will get worse, go outdoors first. (Oslo) 20141018
Astrup Fearnley permanent collection
Astrup Fearnley permanent collection on Flickr. Disappointing Europe Europe show in Oslo immediately lightened by seeing Damien Hurst 1993 Mother and Child Divided, walking into front door. The curator makes the difference. (Oslo) 20141018
Passport check, OSL
Passport check, OSL. Ways to create stress in air travel. Gate from Oslo, Norway to Manchester, UK is beyond unexpected passport control. A case for not waiting for the very last moment to board. (Oslo) 20141019
Well stocked Chinese mart
Well stocked Chinese mart on Flickr. Over lunch in Nottingham, Martin asked what fermented black beans look like. Around the corner, the store has them both in small plastic bags, and cylindrical paper cartons. No need for the jars with pre-made sauce. A signal of cultural diversity in a university town. (Nottingham) 20141020
Fountains at U. Warwick
Fountains at U. Warwick on Flickr. Cool fall day in Warwickshire, wind blowing the fountains. Visiting IIPSI, at WMG, enjoying stroll from conference centre through campus. (University of Warwick) 20141021
Two heads, tourists
Two heads, tourists. After lecture, waiting for taxi, asked to pose with Chinese tourists by statues outside Hull Business School. The man seemed to like my winter hat. How many cameras, smartphones and tablets used for one good digital photo? (Hull) 20141022
Art installation in progress
Art installation in progress. Large assembly at the Tate Britain requires construction crew to make an artist’s work presentable to the public. in the atrium of 500 Years of British Art, between the 1540 and present day periods. New display by Philip King opens Dec. 8, still 6 weeks away. (London) 20141023
Premonition: Ukrainian Art Now
Premonition: Ukrainian Art Now. Anna Sorokovaya 2013 “Illusory Body” illuminated hanging clothes is lit blue by the neon installation on the other side of the room. Some Saatchi galleries reserved for the Wine Experience London, so visitors are directed to upper floor exhibitions. (London) 20141024
Terminal 2 - The Queen's Terminal
Terminal 2 – The Queen’s Terminal. Check in concourse to Heathrow Terminal 2 spacious, which means super-human scale from Piccadilly Underground through security. Gate in T3 (London) 20141025
LHR T2 play area
LHR T2 play area. Crawling space for baby area on the ground, climbing space for juniors above. (London) 20141025
Used book sale
Used book sale on Flickr. Last day at annual Trinity College book sale. Shelves less dense, but still found treasure: Boulding’s Ecodynamics, a systems theory work that I’ve never found before. (Toronto) 20141027

New streetcar tracks
New streetcar tracks. Leslie Street south of Queen Street still under construction, but east-west blockage is now clear. In a few months, will have screeching turns on rails, as streetcars come and go to new barns. (Toronto) 20141030
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