Helsinki, Finland; Hameenlinna, Finland; London, UK, Scarborough, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario
Kiasma: Julia Varela (2016) X/5.000 from the series Hijacked, plasma screens crumpled and rendered useless. Inspired by terrorists erecting screens in Mosel to promote propaganda. Museum exhibition of Ars17 features contemporary artists on the digital revolution. (Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio, Helsinki, Finland) 20171201HAMK: Saturday lecture to master’s students scheduled in the luxury of space of a large classroom. Reorganized discussion into small groups, sitting around a table might have improved interactions. In a new building on the university campus. (HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171202Ahvenisto Lake: Winter swimming area kept clear of ice by air bubbling near shore. Steps down from public sauna are kept warm for health enthusiasts who want to warm up before plunging into the cold. In early evening, saw visitors headed towards the building, then a woman emerged in near freezing temperatures to enter the water. We walked a path around the lake, illuminated after the sunset before 3:30 p.m. (Ahvenisto Lake, Hameenlinna, Finland) 20171202Rosso: Our friendship is a continuing conversation since my first visit to Finland in 2003 (and meeting in California in 1999). This restaurant has been truly local for over 50 years, predating fast food chains. Neapolitan pizza with vegan cheese an indulgence leading to overconsumption. (Rosso, Sibeliuksenkatu, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171202Museo Militaria: Days before centenary of Finland’s independence, immersed in longer history of land controlled by Sweden, and then Russia until the revolution of 1917. Jaegers trained in Germany in the few years preceding, became core of white (anti-communist) army who defeated the red and Russian forces. History explains why Finnish engineering and telecommunications figure large in the society. (The Artillery, Engineers and Signals Museum of Finland, Vanhankaupunginkatu, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171203HAMK: Soft launch @daviding with @MinLii of Open Innovation Learning book in Finland, in advance of formal event in January. In conjunction with Open Data Hame meeting, led to practical questions about engaging greater participation supporting regional travel and tourism initiatives. (HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Visamäentie, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171204Dipoli: International students on intercept lunch between other activities on campus. Completed renovation of Dipoli touted as first step in the new university campus plan. The granite interior was part of the original design from 1966 for the Student Union of the Helsinki University of Technology. Hope they got a good price when it was sold to Aalto University Properties a few years ago. (Dipoli, Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland) 201712015Helsinki City Museum: Helsexinki exhibition celebrates sexuality, gender and sex. Equal Marriage Act came into force in March 2017, legalizing same-sex marriage beyond the Registered Partnership Act in 2001. This new museum building opened near Market Square and the Senate in May 2016. (Helsinki City Museum, Aleksanterinkatu, Helsinki, Finland) 20171205Kamppi: Coffee with @jannejsalovaara talking about graduate studies and careers with impact. We had shared experience of interdisciplinary innovation in the Creative Sustainability program circa 2010-2011. Making change requires more than just talk. Comfy leather chairs, then two security guards came to escort the man sleeping next to us, out of the mall. (Kampii Keskus, Helsinki, Finland) 20171206Saatchi Gallery: Kate MccGwire (2011) Corvid is a 3-metre serpentine form, made of 20,000 crow and pigeon feathers. Muscular and tensile, without beginning or end. Part of the Iconoclasts exhibition). (Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, London, UK) 20171207BAFTA: Christmas menu available, but we selected from the regular menu lunch menu in the busy member’s club for the actors in film and television. Hosted by a working media professional, I wouldn’t have recognized any celebrities as a visitor to this country. A quick meal, due to an unexpected emergency at home. (BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London, UK) 20171207
One, Two, Three, Swing! Tate Modern: Danish art collective Superflex created a site-specific installation for the third annual Hyundai Commission. Adults and children can take art less seriously on the three-person seats. Gloomy shadows in the gallery after the early winter dusk. (Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, Bankside, London, UK) 20171207
Ethos: Catching up with @EllenPruyne on shifts in lives and careers over the past few years. Working amongst millennials, while senior leaders resist change and defer moving on. Stress amongst expats higher, as Brexit terms are still under negotiation. (Ethos, Fitzrovia, London, UK) 20171207Heathrow 1-2-3 station: Noticed Mark Wallinger (2013) Labyrinth 269/270 on the wall beside the first ticket machine that a traveller would encounter entering the Piccadilly line from Heathrow Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3. One of the unique 270 works in vitreous enamel, black lines with a red X to cue the pathway. Commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. I hadn’t paid attention on prior trips to London, but I forgot my Oyster card at home, and thus purchased and got a refund on another for the 2 day visit. (Heathrow Terminal 1-2-3 Underground station, London, UK) 20171208Highland Heights: Circa-2009 PC power supply diagnosed as dead. Replaced, plugged in to Asus P5E-VM motherboard, discovered disk partitioned with Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04. Fixed startup with Boot Repair, BIOS predates USB installation, so DVD disks required. Brought computer tower home and updated to Xubuntu 16.04, runs great with 6GB RAM. (Highland Heights, Scarborough, Ontario) 20171212Corktown: Retreat led by @redesign for designwithdialogue.comst-on.orgunifytoronto.ca reflecting on progress with communities. @DwDTO started in August 2008, will have been running for a decade this year. Breakouts gave time for social talk over potluck snacks. (Corktown, Toronto, Ontario) 20171214Yonge Street, north of St. Clair Ave.: View north from midtown on a clear winter day, beyond Deer Park to the west and Mount Pleasant Cemetery to the east. Beyond the Beltline Trail bridge, urban density increases with concrete towers. (Yonge Street, north of St. Clair Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20171220Tinuno: Kamayan feast of Filipino grilled fish, squid, shrimp, kebabs, pork and garlic rice went quickly with everyone eating with hands in plastic gloves. Visitors from Vancouver a good occasion for a special meal at a venue where reservations are required even for an early dinner. A fun experience, relieving the stress of planes arriving late, and then driving through rush hour traffic. (Tinuno, Howard Street, St. Jamestown, Toronto, Ontario) 20171220Degrassi Street Park: Playground spacenet not an attraction when there’s winter snow everywhere. Observed children down the street playing on their front lawns, as parent cleared walks. Unusual walk for me from home to Chinatown East for groceries, too wet for bicycling, shopping list too small to justify driving. (Degrassi Street Park, South Riverdale, Toronto, Ontario). 20171223The Monkey Vault: Parkour for family day. Hopping over benches, swinging around a pipe and leaping through a window was fine. Running up a wall was a bigger challenge. Was almost through the entire beginner’s class, when I injured my ankle, probably by not staying on toes and putting down the heel. Trying to remain active at da shou birthday. (The Monkey Vault, Syme Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20171224Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu: Christmas eve Sunday a tough day to have a birthday lunch, with many restaurants closed. Korean hosts welcomed us as a family, giving us extra dishes. (Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu, Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20171224St. Michael’s Hospital: Referred to emergency room by family practice urgent care clinic earlier in the morning. Left with immobilizing boot, and appointment tomorrow for ultrasound and then orthopedic clinic. Had deferred reality of injury for family holiday time, hospital had been operating on skeleton staff anyway. (St. Michael’s Hospital, Shuter Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20171226Fracture Clinic: Ultrasound confirmed completely detached Achilles tendon. Standard procedure now is to splint the injury, foot down in planar position and let the tendon grow back naturally. Surgery has higher risks of infection, with similar results although one month faster (for pro athletes). Plaster split is actually just on the top, flannel wrap is open to the bottom. Will return in 19 days, plan is to switch to an fibreglass walking air cast with lifts that get lowered every 2 weeks. Splints and casts for 3 months, then son #3 advises lots of months of stretching, from his similar experience. No pain today, will have to learn to use crutches, otherwise moving in a fencing stance. (Fracture Clinic, St. Michael’s Hospital, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20171227ReBOOT: Donating old monitor for computer recycling, reducing clutter in the house. I have been the passenger-navigator, son #1 is the driver. In high school days, he volunteered at reBOOT, before they relocated, twice. (reBOOT Canada, Evergreen Brickworks, Toronto, Ontario) 20171228Riverside: Da shou celebration, man’s 60th and woman’s 61st birthday as a complete cycle around the Chinese calendar. Grateful to see many friends who we knew before our sons were born. We offered the peach longevity buns and red-dyed eggs, plus gift of rice bowl, chopsticks and spoon to take home. Unfortunately heavy snowfall led to a few last-minute regret calls, we’ll have to follow up when the weather improves. (Riverside district, Toronto, Ontario) 20171229
Riverside: Party for da shou extended an extra day, as guests arrived one day late by mistake. Happy to open up a bottle of Valpolicella for a catch-up conversation, it’s better that they drove on a clear day from Collingwood. Sons weren’t so involved, one gone on a flight for a holiday in Utah. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20171230
