Toronto, Ontario; Mexico City, Mexico
Delicious Paradise Kitchen: Schedule for family lunch at congee-noodle restaurant diverted, as grandfather decides his driving on the day of the first major snowfall is imprudent. Alternative plan to pick up takeout food from the local stall, and bring it to his apartment. Six dishes made-to-order with rice, complemented by barbeque duck and rice noodles ordered at the adjacent shops. (Delicious Paradise Kitchen, Silver Star Boulevard, Scarborough, Ontario) 20191201Lambert Lounge: Book launch #SystemsThinking Ontario @allennaleonard coauthor #VanillaBeer on #StaffordBeer: The Father of Management #Cybernetics. Illustrated life history by artist daughter, glossary by his life partner. Causal question-and-answer session on research contemporaries, development of ideas and world travels. (Systems Thinking Ontario, Lambert Lounge, OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20191209Design with Dialogue + Systems Thinking Ontario retreat: End of year annual reflection and planning host by @redesign for #DwDTO Design with Dialogue and #st-on #SystemsThinking Ontario. Surfaced some interests and opportunities across overlapping social communities in the city. DwD is the grandfather with spin-offs, now in at least its turn as members learn together. (Design with Dialogue and Systems Thinking Ontario, Playter Estates, Toronto, Ontario) 20191215Microsoft Reactor Toronto: Following notesbooks at Python for Data Science course @MSFTReactor@MaRSDD led by #DavidJeppesen @ProwessConsult. Python indexes strings starting from 0, but then the last character is indexed as -1. Full room said to be larger than last session. Many university students attending, learners don’t rest during school term breaks. (Microsoft Reactor Toronto, MaRS Discovery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20191216Maple Leaf Lounge, Pearson T1: Still enjoying benefits as a Million Mile @aircanada flyer. Family beginning first true non-conference vacation since our sons were children. Escaping winter by flying south for 11 days. (Maple Leaf Lounge, Pearson Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20191217Calle Rio Lerma: Apprehension of accessing keysafe at the AirBnB at 1 a.m., having been dropped off by an Uber from Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez. Wide door is beside two interior parking spaces, security key allows access to 5th floor apartment and 6th floor bedrooms. First time in Mexico City, neighbourhood appears to have life, even after dark. (Calle Rio Lerma, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City) 20191218Zocalo: Higher vantage point of skating rink on Plaza de la Constitucion, from @Turibuscdmx upper deck. Federal District building decked out for Christmas one week away. We started Circuito Centro Historico from Reforma 222 to Auditorio, and then changed to the Circuito Chapultepec Polanco. Sitting upstairs with temperature dropped after sunset, city traffic at a crawl, we abandoned the loop at the Museo Del Nino, and hoped an Uber ride would be more direct. (Zocalo, Plaza de la Constitucion, Mexico City) 20191218Cochina Licha: Noticed Mercado Medillin lit up en route to vegan tacos, so we circled back for additional courses as samples. Selected a busy curbside kitchen, friendly waiter pulled two tables in the back together, and gave us menu. Enjoyed tacos carnitas, tamale mole, tostada bacalao. Followed by dessert at Neveria Paleteria with mango and coconut popsicles. Some stomaches with regrets a little later, could be altitude, jet lag, or too much variety in foods. (Cochia Licha, Mercado Medillin, Roma Sur, Mexico City) 20191218Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc: Masa dough feeding into a press at small stall of #TortilleriaCuauhtemoc in back of our local #MercadoCuauhtemoc for fresh flatbread packaged to go, with salsas and guacamole on the side. From our apartment, we walk a few blocks for fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as sampling the centre aisle of open kitchens. The neighbourhood otherwise has convenience stores, but we haven’t encountered any major chains, since we arrived. (Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc, Mercado Cuauhtemoc, Calle Rio Lerma, Mexico City) 20191219Museo Nacional de Antropología: Stone of the Sun (Piedra del Sol) from Aztec early 1500s, buried mid-1500s under the direction of the Archbishop of Mexico to forget ancient sacrifices. Uncovered in 1790, transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral, then in 1851 to the Archeological Museum. Monolith has face emerging from earth hole, surrounded by four sons, with serpent on the outside edge. (Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City) 20191219Mercado Roma: Enjoyed bonus of live musicians at food hall first opened in 2014. Variety of food sampled included ceviche, beef with nopale, vegan tacos, paella and churros. Dining quality is considerably higher than street food we’ve had over the past 36 hours. Venue seems popular with tourists and local residents alike. (Mercado Roma, Calle Querétaro, Roma Norte, Mexico City) 20191219Museo Soumaya: Rodin bronze (1886) The Three Shades (Les Trois Ombres) centered under skylight on the 6th level, is unusual because such (i) heavy castings are usually on a lower floor, and (ii) The Gates of Hell (La Porte de l’Enfer) (1885) is at the ground level. Our family recognized the pieces, as they’re on the campus of Stanford University (placed in much closer proximity). This privately-owned museum has a strong European permanent collection, we saw them in between temporary exhibits at the Museo Jumex next door. (Museo Soumaya, Polanco, Mexico City) 20191220Arena Mexico: Lucha libre tag team wrestling with aerial acrobatic moves thrilling the audience. We arrived after the show had started, and were pursued by scalpers up to the ticket window. Not the usual style of family excursion for us, we noticed other parents with young children donning the máscaras (masks) of their heroes. (Arena Mexico, Colonia Doctores, Mexico City) 20191220Callejon de Mesones: Mural by #SebastianBastardo @540c487671dd40c in Centro Historico rejuvenated in recent years. Five-hour walking guided walking tour starting from Templo Mayor, to National Palace, San Juan Market and Pulquería Las Duelistas. Did our best to avoid big Saturday crowds, but wall-to-wall shoppers coming up to Christmas. (Callejon de Mesones, CentroHistorico, Mexico City) 20191221Pulqueria Las Dualista: Saw agave succulents earlier in National Palace, so finished the guided tour with a taste of the beverage. Venue was packed, we eventually got a ledge with pulque in natural flavour, then with passionfruit and with guava. Sons declared it as Mexican kombucha, but not worth finishing. We were advised that natural tastes best within a day of harvesting from the source, thereafter the low-alcohol drink is better with a sweetener. (Pulquería Las Duelistas, Colonia Centro, Mexico City) 20191221Foro Del Tejedor: Our plans were not for a concert bellydancing with @sonorabalkanera, we had right venue but tickets for the wrong night. Usher was gracious to seat us in the balcony for this show. Voiceover that Bridging Mexico to Yugoslavia is Difficult reflected some of genre with modern instruments. Small theatre was intimate, couple on the ground floor energetically dancing. (Foro Del Tejedor, Roma Norte, Mexico City) 20191221Palace of the Jaguars, Teotihuacan: Family tour with a native Teotihuacan guide, starting with the living areas for the priests. Learned that the Teotihuacan constructed the site 200-900AD, at which point the city collapse due to bad harvest and disease, survivors moving on to more fertile lands such as Yucatan. The Aztecs arrived after 1300AD, and didn’t add much to the pre-existing structures. Impressed by the engineering on square columns, stucco painted with natural pigments, and aqueducts for fresh water and sewage. (Palace of the Jaguars, Teotihuacan, Mexico) 20191223
Descending Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Moon: Pyramid dating back to 200AD, the older of the two at the Teotihuacan heritage site. All of us were able to climb this shorter structure despite narrower stair steps walking sideways. On the subsequent ascent up the Pyramid of the Sun, DY got more than halfway up, before dizziness and nausea set in. (Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Moon, Mexico) 20191223
La Gruta: Family lunch in a cavern formed by volcanic activity, near the pyramids at Teotihuacan. Sampled pre-Hispanic cuisine, including caterpillars from agave plants, turkey and rabbit. Popular venue with many families on Sunday afternoon, shade welcomed after a sunny day up and down the nearby climbs. (La Gruta, Teotihuacan, Mexico) 20191223Jing Teng: Village-style Chinese cuisine in the Viaducto district, far south and east of the typical tourist venues in Mexico City. Waitress spoke Toisan dialect of my family, sons did the order in Mandarin. Third world service, with teacups coming to table in a bowl of boiling water. First cooked green vegetables after a week south of the border, comfort food settles the stomach. Walked around a few blocks, but find didn’t strong evidence of Chinatown vitality. (Jing Teng, Viaducto Piedad, Mexico City) 20191224Parque Mexico: Slow stroll on Christmas Day at 21°C through Roma Norte, unseasonably cold streak over past week broken. Park established in 1920s in a modern style, with organically winding paths. Teatro al Aire Libre Lindbergh in disrepair was budgeted for repair in 2013, now seems popular with the roller skaters. (Parque Mexico, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City) 20191225Museo Dolores Olmedo: Peacocks spreading their plumage, turning front and back, in the orange garden of the 16th century hacienda. Came to see the largest collection of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo paintings in Mexico, recognized many shown in the 2002 biopic. Dolores Olmedo, a businesswoman patron to Rivera and Kahlo, donated her home and funds for continuing upkeep of a museum featuring the works of her friends. (Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico City) 20191226
Trajineras Xochimilco Mágico: Arrived at boat docks around 5pm, asking if an English-speaking pilot was available. Jonathan was just about to go off-shift, and agreed to take us out for an hour tour. We climbed over a series of docked watercraft to arrive at one of the two named Linda. Jonathan barge-polled the flat-bottom boat out of the parking area, and then turned to port. He said he is a 16-year old, on vacation from school in San Diego, and his parents have a house nearby on the canal. He recommended a specific mariachi band, that came on board for one song. (Trajineras Xochimilco Mágico, Mexico City) 20191226
Museo del Chocolate: Raking patterns in the cocoa garden box, frequently levelled by a watchful staff. Museum tracing indigenous use of chocolate both as food and in ceremonials, through the popularization in Europe by the Industrial Revolution and into the 20th century. Guided tours in Spanish only, we were satisfied reading signs in English. Street outside filled with squatters, mansions were damaged in the 1985 earthquake and abandoned. (Museo del Chocolate, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City) 20191227Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo: The Labyrinth for Birds @muac_unam, @edgar_calel (1986) El laberinto de pajaros, an installation of 18 painted cardboard boxes. As a fan of contemporary art, enjoyed the multiple exhibitions and galleries of this museum more than historic art collections in the city. University campus was closed for holidays, our taxi driver circled around to 3 gates, and then found the destination of the Outdoor Sculpture Space with a lock on the gate. (Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo, UNAM, Coyoacán, Mexico City) 20191227Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México: Variation on Home Alone 2, Lost in Mexico City, as RDI extends his stay for three days, while the family boards a plane to Toronto. A Nexus card isn’t enough to board an international flight, and his passport was misplaced on a Saturday. Presuming a consultate visit on Monday, rebooked flight home for Tuesday, and reserved an AirBnB. It turns out that the passport was in the bag of AHI, who was on a flight to San Francisco 7 hours earlier. Documents on the way via courier. (Terminal 1, Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México) 20191228
Riverside neighbourhood: Back home in Toronto, DY down with delayed Montezuma’s revenge. Three of four sons also had symptoms around days 9 and 10 of our 11-day vacation. Pity for RDI recovering in Mexico City, flying back overnight. Minor jet lag for me, biked to Chinatown to stock up on groceries, temperature drop tomorrow with possible snow. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20191230
Southbound Canada Line rises in height to cross over Fraser River via the North Arm Bridge, with a gradual turn west towards a shorter Middle Arm Bridge. Rafts of log booms see bundles of timber floated downstream on the way to processing. Scenic exit from the city on the way to YVR. (Canada Line Skytrain, […]
In morning shade, Kim Adams (2001) Squid Head is two rear ends of cargo load delivery vans. Without cabs or steering wheels, the lack of human driver foreshadowed vehicles 25 years later. Initially noticed the lack of license plates on the complementary blue GMC rear end, along our journey from city centre to YVR. (Vancouver […]
Photorealistic machine feel at centre of Ewan McNeil (2023) Roller Ball acrylic on canvas. Incongruous with floral patterns in background. Part of the Pattern Language exhibition also showing Dana Cromie. (Pendulum Gallery, RBC Place, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia) 20250505
Leisurely lunch with @chris_wiesinger discussing Language Action Perspective, Heidegger and life histories. Previous connection via @chaunceybell, followed through on idea that we should meet when in town. Offshoot threads to others we haven't met in person. (Nuba in Gastown, West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia) 20250505
Walking through Vancouver West End, encountered creatively designed public space officially opened in 2022. First new park in 10 years, full of visual interest with skybridge, play areas, pavilions, coffee shop. High urban density, serves 30,000 residents within a 10-minute walk. (Rainbow Park, Richards Street, Vancouver, British Columbia) 20250504
Still a free thrill to carefully descend and ascend the arc of the bridge, holding handrails to moderate speed. Posted sign says closure in the fall, maybe time for resurfacing that happens every 10 years. Valley for the Lynn Creek is separate from the larger Capilano River, where we visited the fish hatchery. (Lynn Canyon […]
Dyadic waterfalls may follow Shinto style of complementary Odaki (masculine) and Medaki (feminine) forces of the natural world. Original small memorial garden with kasuga style lantern honouring diplomat Nitobe Inazō builtin 1935 did not survive vandalization when Japanese Canadians were sent to internment camps in the 1940s. Norman Mackenzie, president of UBC (1944-1962) recognized Nitobe […]
Overhead sculpture, light projection onto floor, + audio recording Yuan Wen (2025) Play in the Field, part of Impos(s)able Impositions: UBC Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition. At end of hall, drawings on xuan rice paper. Noises were intruding from the installation just over the wall, with sounds set for the opening night reception two […]
Outstanding view of North Vancouver mountains, and West End city centre from second floor patio on south shore of English Bay. Club is private for sailors, but upstairs is open for public. Can't remember visiting this venue when I lived in Vancouver in the 1980s. (The Galley Patio and Grill, Jericho Sailing Centre, Discovery Street, […]
Hoist from 1930s industrial heritage was moved opposite Sea Village in 2022. Prior location was hidden by Emily Carr University site 1980-2017 at 1399 Johnston Street, a building still vacant. Tower has become a landmark near southeast end of street, visible from Public Market. (Historic Yellow Crane, Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia) 20250503
Two years after submitting an academic manuscript and responding to double-blind reviews, “Rethinking work, with the pandemic disruption” has now been published in the International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior (IJOTB) as earlycite. The article has a DOI (Document Object Identifier), and should be streamed with an official volume and issue number soon. The […]
The 128th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario was convened in person. The classroom was filled with current students, alumni, our regular participants, and a few curious newcomers. Moderated by Zaid Khan, the conversation was sparked by Stephen Davies and myself (David Ing) on the evolving styles in learning systems thinking. Stephen has been leading SFIN-6011 […]
The “Understanding Systems” SFIN-6011 course is a requirement in the master’s program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU. For winter 2025, the class is now led by Stephen Davies, breaking the incremental evolving of content since 2008. While still on faculty at OCADU, the original course designer Peter H. Jones is now a Distinguished […]
In the 1970s, five ways of knowing were established by C. West Churchman in The Design of Inquiring Systtems. In the 1990s, his student Ian Mitroff carried on the tradition and extended that work in The Unbounded Mind. Now in the 2020s, the technology of Generative AI opens up opportunties to query or request responses […]
For readers with an interest deeper than the 15-minute presentation given in August, the Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Socio-Technical Perspectives in Information Systems (STPIS 2024) have now been formally publishied. The invited paper on “Reifying Socio-Technical and Socio-Ecological Perspectives for Systems Changes: From rearranging objects to repacing rhythms” was reviewed by the […]
The 125th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario coincided with the closing day for the RSD13-RSDX online program. As a regular systems convening group, we’ve had monthly meetings since January 2013. Zaid Khan moderated a discussion including me (David Ing), Tim Lloyd, Allenna Leonard, and Kelly Okamura. We recollected starting as a spinoff from Design with […]
Rhythm and pitch are primordial to language. Susan Rogers, after a career becoming Prince's recording engineer, turned to complete a PhD in psychology focused on music cognition and psychoacoustics.Read more ›
David L. Hawk (American management theorist, architect, and systems scientist) has been hosting a weekly television show broadcast on Bold Brave Tv from the New York area on Wednesdays 6pm ET, remotely from his home in Iowa. Live, callers can join…Read more ›
Following the first day lecture on Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1 for the Global University for Sustainability, Keekok Lee continued on a second day on some topics: * Anatomy as structure; physiology as function (and process); * Process ontology, and thing ontology; * Qi ju as qi-in-concentrating mode, and qi san as qi-in-dissipsating mode; and […]
The philosophy of science underlying Classical Chinese Medicine, in this lecture by Keekok Lee, provides insights into ways in which systems change may be approached, in a process ontology in contrast to the thing ontology underlying Western BioMedicine. Read more ›
In conversation, @zeynep with @ezraklein reveal authentic #SystemsThinking in (i) appreciating that “science” is constructed by human collectives, (ii) the west orients towards individual outcomes rather than population levels; and (iii) there’s an over-emphasis on problems of the moment, and…Read more ›
In the question-answer period after the lecture, #TimIngold proposes art as a discipline of inquiry, rather than ethnography. This refers to his thinking On Human Correspondence. — begin paste — [75m26s question] I am curious to know what art, or…Read more ›
Timothy F.H. Allen, president of International Society for the Systems Sciences 2008-2009, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, on May 1, 2025. With his work on ecosystem ecology, I learned more about living systems than anyone else in the systems community. After his retirement, he was proud of putting together a […]
In 2024, WordPress Studio was released, making installation on a local computer simpler. The instructions were modified from MacOS to Ubuntu Linux, by Daniel Kossmann, “How to install WordPress Studio in Ubuntu Linux” | Jun 15, 2024 at https://www.danielkossmann.com/how-to-install-wordpress-studio-ubuntu-linux/ I already had NVM installed, but in Terminal, with the result “command not found”. In the […]
The appreciation of change is different in Western philosophy than in classical Chinese philosophy. JeeLoo Lin published a concise contrast on differences. Let me parse the Introduction to the journal article, that is so clearly written. The Chinese theory of time is built into a language that is tenseless. The Yijing (Book of Changes) there […]
In trying to place the World Hypotheses work of Stephen C. Pepper (with multiple root metaphors), Nicholas Rescher provides a helpful positioning. — begin paste — Philosophical perspectivism maintains that substantive philosophical positions can be maintained only from a “perspective” of some sort. But what sort? Clearly different sorts of perspectives can be conceived of, […]
Finding proper words to express system(s) change(s) can be a challenge. One alternative could be diachrony. The Oxford English dictionary provides two definitions for diachronic, the first one most generally related to time. (The second is linguistic method) diachronic ADJECTIVE Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “diachronic (adj.), sense 1,” July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3691792233. For completeness, prochronic relates “to […]
