Toronto, Ontario; Markham, Ontario
Ignite Gallery: Coinciding with #GradEx108 opening, #HarmonyMcNish (2023) Nomadic Homestead is recognized as a Sculpture & Innovation outstanding talent for a month. Trailer with single bed was constructed with a no-blueprint approach similar to settler-built architecture, including salvaged materials such as a washing machine door and hydro pole arms. Second floor venue buzzing with visitors. (Ignite Gallery, OCADU,l Mc;Caul Street, Toronto) 20220503OCAD University: Amongst the many #GradEx108 works, #emmyytranpaints (2023) Across the Way acrylic on canvas caught my eye. Landscape of a ferry ride out west, recollection of ocean, mountain and sky, with wind blowing on the top deck. Overwhelmed by the flood of art and design in a wide variety of techniques and materials across 6 floors, plus the party outside in the park to the south. (OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20230503Milliken Square: Burst of greenery in interior hallway of strip mall with difficult-to-find entry door. Focused entirely on Chinese clientele, many units still vacant from failed businesses during the pandemic shutdown. Signage outside suggested taking a peek, a brief exploration after my father’s appointment across the parking lot. (Milliken Square Shopping centre, Milliken Boulevard, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230509Costco Scarborough: Not a trip to outer space, but an assessment in a soundproof chamber in a hearing centre. Tympanometry test found eardrums moving as normal. Speech discrimination excellent in right ear and good in left, but tone testing showed moderate to severe slope in hearing loss. A hearing aid would mostly increase volume to make listening easier, but the patient declined for now. (Costco Hearing Centre, Warden Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230510Waterfront Innovation Centre: Open house @WaterfrontTO featuring model of Play Garden planned as a desetination venue on Villiers Island, west of Cherry Street where Commissioners Street ends. Scheduled to start construction February 2024 and open in spring 2026, foreground shows Fireboat Splash Zone, Black Bear Campsite, and Learning Centre. Arrived late to see panel with seated audience, I took the liberty of wandering around displays while listening. (Waterfront Innovation Centre, Queen Quay’s East, Toronto, Ontario) 20230512
Varley Art Gallery of Markham: Lion dance at opening of Longing Belonging & 100 Years exhibition extending the #LongTimeNoSee community works from Spadina Chinatown downtown in 2021. Recognition of 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada, and the Williams Treaties (1923) surrendering lands by seven First Nations in Southern Ontario. Photographic installations inside extended participation to Scarborough and Markham ethnic Chinese Canadians, and newer immigrants. (Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Main Street, Unionville, Ontario) 20220513
Varley Art Gallery of Markham: Kwoi Gin (2023) Finding Beauty Among Ashes of Ancestors Pain and Sorrow, reflecting the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act on family history. In the middle of the room, person items within a caged bed, evoking claustrophic isolation experienced by Chinese sojourners. Three walls with images of elderly mother’ preparing food, head tax snapsots, and poetry etched into walls of the Canadian Immigration Detainment building. (Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Main Street, Unionville, Ontario) 20231513Dim Sum King: Spring Festival dinner with the Lowkong Society started with karaoke before the meal was served. During dinner, more karaoke was invited from the audience, drawing a variety of Cantoneese and English lanugage selections. Our family joined in, both with less-than-harmonious vocals and hiphop dancing. (Dim Sum King, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20220513Cherry Street South Bridge: Touring southbound on bike lane on new Port Lands bridge, got a friendly wave from a three-wheel cyclist northbound. At late afternoon, the two-wheeled vehicles are almost as popular as four-wheeled over the divider. Construction still has temporary winding route north and south of the bridge. (Cherry Street South Bridge, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20230516Lambert Lounge: After first round with #DesignWithDialogue question, @redesign suggested getting up to stretch. Led to @playthink capturing proceedings on wall poster sheet, while participants wandered around room thinking about questions related to question by #HumbertoMaturana about How We Live Together. First in-person meeting since January 2020, next month may schedule not on Wednesdays, anticipating some other past regular attendees. (Lambert Lounge, OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto) 20230517Mount Pleasant Cemetery: First of four stops across two cemeteries for family qingming tomb sweeping on Victoria Day. Plants from previous years in good shape, we added three flowers, and dug an extra hole for an found potted plant left by another unidentified extended family member. We noticed that grandmother’s final date was finally chiselled into the tombstone, Uncle had said he would handle that. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Time pressure on family qingming tomb sweeping, with only one of four sons in town on holiday weekend. To burn hell money, we forgot to bring a lighter, and were fortunate that another Chinese family leaving nearby were generous in lending us a box of matches. Dad completed pouring out three cups of spirits, we took the picture, and then remembered to bring out the BBQ meat from the car for a quick lunch. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Added a plant to the gravesite for the Lee side of the family, tomb doesn’t look to have been visited by anyone this year. Lit incense and burned hell money. In the rush to leave, DY singed her finger on the hot can, before it cooled. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522
Pine Hills Cemetery: By the monument on high ground at the north end of the cemetery, the elders of the Lowkong Society gathered to remember ancestors. Planted flowers, read a proclamation, distributed oranges. Our family has been regular attendees since our sons were children, we noticed new directional signs added by grounds management. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230522
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Reading honoring ancestors by the clan elders of the Lowkong Society, on Victoria Day. Briefer ceremony this year, with flowers planted and oranges distributed. Good turnout with favourable weather. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220522Pine Hills Cemetery: As the clan ceremonies wound down just east of mom’s plot, we started digging a hole to put in new plants for this year. The large number of worms in the earth suggests a fertile ecosystem. More leisurely grazing on lunch, as the last of four stops for qingming tomb sweeping day. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230522Thorncliffe Park Community Hub: After getting booster Covid-19 shots, DY strikes the manner legs pose popular in Korea, to lower herself into the frame of childrens’ illustrations that must have been completed to pass the time up to the 15-minute wait for release. She mentioned to the nurse that her last shot hurt, and was given an ice pack to relieve symptoms. Late afternoon weekday visit, yet no wait, and the patient’s option for either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. (Thornecliffe Park Community Hub, Overlea Boulevard, East York, Ontario) 20230523Chinatown Centre: Looking through window into second floor exhibition space, @badasscrybb solo exhibition including couch in front of old television reminds me of growing up in a 1970s pre-digital era with optimism. Opening reception of from:future to:past saw hallway busy with visitors, entry into the small unit beyond a welcome mat surrounded with shoes removed, following Asian manners inside. Arts bringing grassroots community together in Spadina Chinatown. (Chinatown Centre, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20230525Bosnian Islamic Association: Nikah Islamic wedding ceremony conducted following afternoon prayers. Gathering included some familiar faces in the local systems thinking community, including an individual who wasn’t specifically invited, but happened to come to his local mosque to pray. Honoured to be included in the traditions of another culture. (Bosnian Islamic Association, N. Queen Street, Etobicoke, Ontario) 20230527
Beaches Lodge: For @Doors_OpenTO, official meeting of #Freemasons are not in progress, so visitors were permitted to view the large chambers. Cabinet with three doors shows the tools of the craft: (i) entered apprentice, of 24-inch gauge, common gavel and chisel; (ii) fellowcraft of square, level and plumb; and (iii) master mason of skirret, pencil and compasses. Spoke with a member with 4 years experience, this lodge has about 90 members, with 30 regularly attending meetings. (Beaches Lodge, Millwood Road, East York, Ontario) 20230528
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania: View from second floor down into archeological artifacts and original walls dating back to the 1400s, destroyed the Russian invasions in the 1650s. In the 2000s, the palace was reconstructed as part of nation-building after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. During the Grand Duchy periods 1500s-1600s, the palace was favoured not only by the Dukes of Lithuania whom maintained political distinctiveness, but also the King of Poland who established a commonwealth through the marriage of royalty. (Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius) 20230401
Bridge of Uzupis: Entering the Republic of Užupis on International Liars Day, border agents stamped our passports as we crossed the Vilnia River into the bohemian art district The theme for the 25th anniversary of the self-proclaimed republic is a protecting and nurturing angel, whose trumpet proclaims fellowship and faith in openness. We found the wall with the English version of the Užupis Constitution that encourages tolerance in Lithuania, including Man has the right to make mistakes. (Bridge of Užupis. Vilnius, Lithuania) 20230401
Uzupio Meno Inkubatorius: Opening day for #IrmaLescinskaite personal exhibition Painting (Tapyba) at #UžupioMenoInkubatorius. Entering the building with windows covered for a dark space, the canvas frames were not affixed to the walls, but suspended with straps tethered from the ceiling, and illuminated with spotlights. Instead of walking up to the artwork, walking around the abstract splashes of colour adds dimensionality to the experience. (Užupio Meno Inkubatorius, Vilnius, Lithuania) 20230401
Gediminas Castle Tower: On a rainy Sunday morning, started the ascent from the east side near the river, up a steep cobblestone path, joining to a set of wooden stairs where we paused to catch our breaths. The first brick castle was built in 1409, and as a symbol for the city, collapse and was rebuilt many times over 700 years. The three-storey tower, as it now stands, was re-architected in 1933 guided by archeological reearch. (Gediminas Castle Tower, Vilnius, Lithuania) 20230402
Cathedral Square, Vilnius: Sunday market on a rainy second day of a connection visit, hat still wet from yesterday. Approached from Gedimino Prospektas, on the way to Vilnius Cathedral. Not in a shopping mood. (Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania) 20230402
Gerrard – Ashdale: Live Qawwali led by @SufiShahidKhan in early evening @GerrardIndiaBaz Ramadan Kareem. Learning about another heritage culture, within bicycling distance on the east side of town. Observed local politicians posing for publicity photos. (Gerrard – Ashdale, Little India, Toronto, Ontario) 20220419
Lower Don River Trail: Bicycling east through the Bala Underpass has southbound path marked as closed to December 2023. Construction machines on top of raised earth downstream foreshadows future Don River Park, wrapped around rail yards and the forthcoming Ontario Line. Enjoying early spring weather on an aimless bicycle route. (Lower Don River Trail, Toronto, Ontario) 20220416
Sugar Beach: City dwellers lounging on chairs facing southwest towards Toronto Harbour in late afternoon, enjoying the sunset. It’s still spring in Toronto, so high fluctuations of temperatures meant bright sun, but I was biking around with scarf and mitts. Saw some die-hard runners in shorts with bare legs at 10 degrees C. (Sugar Beach, Dockside Drive, Toronto, Ontario) 20230427
Toronto, Ontario; Vienna, Austria; Kaunus, Lithuania
Woodbine Beach: Eastmost #WinterStations installation of #NovakDjogo#DanielJoshuaVanderhorst (2023) Conrad, honoring #DeadRaccoonTO on July 9, 2015, when a dead animal rested at the Yonge-Church Street intersection for 11 hours, before being picked up by the city. Strolled westward via the boardwalk, many dogs enjoying the sunny day with their owners. Spontaneous date for us as a couple. (Woodbine Beach, Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto, Ontario) 20230307Leslie Grove Gallery: Acrylic on canvas #EricaChan#ak971022.ec (2023) The Secret Life of Jellyfish @ArtistsNetwork1 exploring ideas of Decomposition for @CentennialEDU . The Turritopsis dohrnii, known as the immortal jellyfish, is one of the few species that can individually revert from an sexually mature state to an immature polyp. Other artists interpreted the theme as decay, political commentary, environmental issues, or loss of identity. (Leslie Grove Gallery, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20220323Justina M. Barnicke Gallery: Ceremonial garment #HelloEudoro (2021) Manto No 5 represents the body facing God on Judgment Day. A closer look reveals found objects including buttons, coins, necklaces, a boot, and other paraphernalia. Part of The Counter/Self exhibition, where artists create and embody alternate egos,. (Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto) 20220324Austrian Airlines HON Circle Lounge Schengen, Vienna: On loan from @Leopold_Museum to @_austrian , #EgonSchiele (1912) Portrait of Wally Neuzil, his lover and muse (1911-1915). The short biography on the wall doesn’t say that Egon decided to “marry advantageously, not Wally”, so she left him and eventually became a nurse. Leisurely connection time in Vienna, the corridors are a maze. (Austrian Airlines HON Circle Lounge Schengen, Vienna, Austria) 20230328
St Michaels the Archangels Church: Late afternoon stroll by the 19th century church originally Lithuanian Orthodox, wasn’t expecting to find Hare Krishna chanting on the plaza, and then down the Laisvės alėja pedestrian street westward. Many couples and families enjoying the clear weather, but they haven’t put away the winter gear, yet. Most businesses closed on Sunday. (St. Michael’s the Archangel’s Church, Laisvės alėja, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230326
Old Town, Kaunas: Walking west along the pedestrian mall from New Town, the road turned left onto a cobblestone lowrise medieval neighbourhood. Pedestrians seem to be on a stroll, rather on hanging out in the early spring afternoon. Prior news stories about road construction in the distrct wasn’t apparent. (Laisvės alėja 90, Old Town, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230326
Kaunas Town Hall Square: Approaching westbound from main street Laisvės alėja, the twin towers of the Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature appeared further ahead. To the right, the town square fronted Town Hall, first constructed as a one-storey building in 1542. Today, the building may be most visited for the marriage registration office, and photo opportunities as a wedding hall. (Kaunus Town Hall Square, Rotušės alėja, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230326
Ramybės Park (Old Cemetery): Monument We Died for the Fatherland first unveiled by the first president of Lithuania in 1930, demolished in 1956-1956 by Soviets, reconstructed by #RobertasAntinis in 1994, after restoration the country’s independence in 1990. Noticed enclosed candles in the front that won’t blow out with the wind. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 led to the Soviets converting the cemetery established in 1847 into a park, after giving families a few months to rebury their relatives. (Ramybės Park (Old Cemetery)), Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230327Chacapuri Akropolis: Georgian cuisine for research team converging in Kaunas from Spain, USA, France, Canada and Switzerland, especially enjoying Khachapuri cheese bread and Khinkali dumpling stuffed with mushrooms and tarragon. Top-of-mind were travel tribulations rerouting around transportation strike in Germany. Experienced contemporary Lithuania on the third floor or a large shopping, a short walk south from St. Michael the Archangel Church. (Chacapuri, Akropolis Shopping Mall, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230327Kaunas Technological University, School of Economics and Business: Starting a colocated week with @snousala + @garysmetcalf to plan and outline an academic book on the transition from Industry 4.0 to 5.0. Publication for an EU project to be completed by end of 2023, with selected international authors. University building has Baltic decor, in the style familiar to me north of the sea. (Kaunas Technological University, School of Economics and Business, Lithuania) 20230328Kiemo Galerija Courtyard Gallery: Sidestepping northward through the parking lots between apartments, we found the 3-dimensional pink elephant sculpture repurposed from a shopping centre in Vilnius, installed in 2019 by #VytenisJakas. Situated on a warehouse too, the 4 metre high, 6 metre long, 200 kg artwork is much larger than the pink elephant 2-dimensional wall drawing named Deimūras, first installed in 2014. Residents living in the surrounding buildings appeared to be patient with tourists inspecting the variety of drawings and photographs outside their homes. (Kiemo Galerija Courtyard Gallery, Kiemo Galerija Courtyard Gallery, E. Ožeškienės gatvė, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230328Kaunas Technological University, School of Economics and Business: Convened @ktuin4act researchers for rapid collective authoring of book on Industry 5.0 edited by @snousala + @garysmetcalf. Short deadline for completion within 2023 focuses on the present, without the literature review and distractions of the recent pandemic years. Aiming for a book that is not a series of academic articles, but instead chapters that a technical-managerial audience might want to read. (Kaunas Technological University, School of Economics and Business, Lithuania) 20230329Restaurant Bokstas: Social evening for @ktuin4act faculty, many convened for research evalution exercise, others for Industry 5.0 book project. Relaxed conversation with many members travelling from other EU universities, comparing careers and living across in different cities. Menu listed choice of scorpionfish, known as a most dangeroous meal due to poisonous spines, subsequently changed to a whitefish indigenous to the Baltics. (Restaurant Bokstas, Kęstučio gatvė, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20220329M.K. Ciurlionis Museum of Art: Hanging on the wall in the Lithuania Folk Art collection, the Shaft Bow is a part of a single horse harness that attaches to the shafts of the cart, joining the shafts high above the neck of the horse. To be strong, yet light, the bows were made of willow, elm or bird cherry wood. This design was brought from the Mongols via the Russian Old Believers to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a state that ended in 1795. (M.K. Ciurlionis Museum of Art, V. Putvinskio gatve, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230330M.K. Ciurlionis Museum of Art: Hanging on the wall in the Lithuania Folk Art collection, the Shaft Bow is a part of a single horse harness that attaches to the shafts of the cart, joining the shafts high above the neck of the horse. To be strong, yet light, the bows were made of willow, elm or bird cherry wood. This design was brought from the Mongols via the Russian Old Believers to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a state that ended in 1795. (M.K. Ciurlionis Museum of Art, V. Putvinskio gatve, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230330Kaunas Picture Gallery: Entered #TatakoSaito (2002) Manomano Theatre Waiting-Room No. X, originally created for her companion #GeorgeMaciunas, a famous #Flexus artist, in the You + Me Theatre exhibition. The room is a closed area, with one part of the wall and ceiling splashed with red, symbolizing occupied, and another part in green, as free. Tiny tables and chairs glued above are complemented by small mirrors on the walls and ceiling, so that visitors might not only study the contents, but also view other participants in the room. (Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio gatve, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230331
Kaunas Picture Gallery: Iron stand at adult eye level for #ChristianRaduta (2022) Doiphin (Acrobat) made of resin. Part of #SweetDreamsFoundation exhibition, in an call by the #NidaArtGallery to artists showing the current state of uncertainty dealing with the war in Ukraine. (Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio gatve, Kaunas, Lithuania) 20230331
Toronto, Ontario
St. Michaels Hospital: Emergency room visit checked ultrasound and xray as normal, but soft tissue brusing ln wrist and hip could take a few days to unstiffen. On Dundas Street eastbound just before Bond Street, a car struck my bicycle, and I fell on top on my left side. Traffic continued, no pedestrians stopped. Ambulance drove me one block, police came and noted the event, but it was a hit-and-run with no witnesses. (St. Michael’s Hospital, Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20230207
The Theatre Centre: Dinner-theatre @CahootsTheatre production of #BetweenAWokAndAHotpot with #mandamlin later plays name-that-actor, not scripting @jean_yoon in audience stage left. Instructing audience members not only on ingredients and protocol for communal dining, but also the history of Taiwan, immigration, and Asian-Canadian identity. (The Theatre Centre, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20230209
Hirut: Reinterpreting Black Disciples from The Triodes band, called by @robocchipinti (bass) with @michaelocchipintimusic (guitar), @hug_the_mod (violin), #DavideDiRenzo (drums). Paul Neufeld was listening in the audience, and then left to play another gig. World class musicians in a neighbourhood east end venue, casual and low stress, (Hirut Cafe and Restaurant, Danforth Avenue, Toronto) 20230211
Hirut: Without sequencer, #AreYouGoingWithMe called by @robocchipintii (bass) with @michaelocchipintimusic (guitar), @hug_the_mod (violin), #DavideDiRenzo (drums). One of two #PatMetheny tunes played in the early set. More improvised than rehearsed, key features of the composition were preserved. (Hirut Cafe and Restaurant, Danforth Avenue, Toronto) 20230211
Heartland: Halftime show is highlight for non-fans of professional sports, with an ex-varsity football player providing commentary this year. Resumption of annual Superbowl party tradition a reason to celebrate, after some years of pandemic shutdowns. Representation from our family members was low due to travel schedules, we invited a few friends to round up the numbers. (Heartland, Mississauaga, Ontario) 20220212St Michaels Hospital: Struck by car 2 weeks ago, right hand x-rays last week, finger splint today installed in hand clinic to be worn for 6 weeks, 24 hours per day. Fourth distal interphalangeal joint noted to be in hyperflexion on all views consistent with a mallet deformity, implying extensor tendon insertion avulsion. No associated fracture detected. discomfort is on left side rather than right, just problems typing the letter O. (St. Michael’s Hospital, ‘Queen :Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20220222Centre for Social Innovation Spadina: Special community lunch @csiTO prepared by @NewcomerKitchen, drawing attention to conditions following recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye. First speaker direct from Syria a few days ago, spoke about difficulties with cold weather even before the earthquakes. Supporting groups locally in Toronto packing supplies to be airlifted to the region, and doctors reaching out across the ocean. (Centre for Social Innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20220222
Fortune Seafood Restaurant: Cake topped with fresh fruit to celebrate grandfather’s birthday (on the Western calendar) slightly early, and Noah’s birthday slightly late. Courses of Vancouver crab, Peking duck, white cut chicken, pork chop, beef with greens, grouper tofu in pot, all finished off by our sons. Restaurant is operated by a new owner since the many years we’ve been here, the quality will see us return. (Fortune Seafood Restaurant, Midland Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230225
Toronto, Ontario.
Riverside neighbourhood: Delivery of new double bed for the new year, ordered online on Boxing Day sale. Had previously tried out store model in person, referred by salesman towards a firm old-style bed like they used to make. Not a fan of the pillow top style that we had brought down from Gravenhurst in 2019, when we were closing out the store. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20230104Queen Street Dental Centre: New tech in real-time 3-D dental scanning, assembling images captured from moving a wand around the mouth. Cracked molar yesterday, scheduled for new crown this morning. Resetting expectation that original teeth eventually wear down for elders. (Queen Street Dental Centre, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20230111Market Square: Lunar New Year of the Black Water Rabbit party, featuring @MikeHansen on okonomiyaki grill. Venue and inari sushi by @KellyOkamura, leading the toast of a New Moon in the evening, although the official time was late afternoon. Contributions to the buffet by some from #Systems Thinking Ontario regulars who we’ve only seen virtually for many months, and some east side neighbours whose kids attended the same schools of our sons. (Market Square, Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20230121Oma Chiropractic: Updated technology with chiropractic drop table, where a segment is fastened in a raised position, so that when doctor applies thrust, the table releases and patient’s body continues past the point of rest. Also receiving localized impacts from an activator adjusting instrument, rather than manual spinal adjustments. Loosening up lower back muscles from sitting at the computer too much last month. (Oma Chiropractice and Wellness Centre, Munro Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20230123Maha’s: Overdue weekday social lunch taken as opportunity to sample homestyle Egyptian cooking at a family-owned east end restaurant that doesn’t serve in evenings. Conversations about multi-year authoring projects with some pressures to come to a close. Leisurely midday break, but then back to homes for more writing. (Maha’s, Greenwood Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20230124McCleary Playground: South of Queen Street East, on the east side of the GO train tracks, the wall looks bare not only because it’s winter, but because trees were removed, presumably for the installation of future noise barriers. Entrances to the Riverside-Leslieville station on the Ontario line will be on the west side of the tracks, not this side. Beginning of a snowy afternoon rush hour, schoolchildren are walking home, not playing in the yard. (McCleary Playground, McGee Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20230125
Congee Queen Agincourt: Lunar New Year lunch, deferred by one week due to schedules, even with only half of our sons in town. Convened via three cars from scattered locations downtown, because crosstown traffic gets snarled. Early into the Year of the Rabbit, prospects are looking up. (Congee Queen, Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230128
Toronto, Ontario; Mississauga, Ontario
The Second City Toronto: Intermission at early Saturday show in new venue, with bumpers on television screens recalling the history of The Second City performers in previous theatres. Six cast members in extended skits involve longer stories than improv shows we’ve recently seen. Ladies may be uncomfortable in east unisex washroom with toilets and urinals; the west facilities have one room with toilets and urinals alongside another room with toilets only. (The Second City, 1 York Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221203One York Street: On elevated walkway, just west of bridge northbound to Scotiabank Arena, Banksy (2010) Guard with Baloon Dog was installed in 2017 as part of PATH route. After an early show at The Second City, the family took a scenic stroll, unsuccessfully making all of the right turns to stay inside. Our sons are more familiar with the current nightlife spots than the parents. (One York Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221203John M. Kelly Library: Big splash of colour with @GinaRorai (2007) Are You There, painting 72″ x 60″ visible as soon as the door in the third floor stairway is flung open. The work of the Toronto-based artist probably gets scant attention by hundreds of students who pass by every day. The art is part of the Donovan Collection, the benefactor a professor at the university. (John M. Kelly Library, St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto) 20221206Centre for Social Innovation Annex: Arrived @csiTO Holiday Gathering around 7pm, the live art station for community painting had already been in progress for 2 hours. When we left at 9:30pm, unclear whether more contributions had improved aesthetics. Vegan chili, bread bar and non-dairy cheese, speeches, dance performance, conversation in a room with loud music. (Centre for Social Innovation Annex, Bathurst Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20221208
Bliss Chinese Cuisine: Entrance of bride MY and groom JL in traditional Chinese attire, followed by dancing lions and drummers, halfway through banquet. City hall wedding in the morning, gathering with family and friends in the afternoon to share festivities. Event was put on the calendar only 5 weeks prior, lots of support gained by the circle of friends. (Bliss Chinese Cuisine, Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario) 20221210
Bliss Chinese Cuisine: Family weddings are a rare occasion to catch up with extended family, convening from around the province. Stories related about unfortunate scheduling, recent births, and infants sequestered away from crowds. The increased height of children is a reminder that we should visit more frequently. (Bliss Chinese Cuisine, Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario) 20221210Bliss Chinese Cuisine: Honoured to share afternoon with cousin bride, and meet the groom for the first time. Banquet of 10 courses as per tradition, we observed the couple visiting table-by-table, leading toasts and chatting with guests. Lion dance and comedian were unusual, heartfelt thanks to parents closed the festivities. (Bliss Chinese Cuisine, Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario) 20201210Mustard Seed: In downstairs atrium, Christmas Tree to celebrate the season. Short visit with DY on Movie + Pizza program, not really a participant. Afternoon walk around the neighbourhood, near freezing temperature clear of snow. (Fontbonne Ministries, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221220On The Rocks: Reunion of the #SystemsThinking TO meetup founded by @DerailleurAgile, that I joined 2018-2020. The group went on hiatus, just before pandemic shutdowns, and meetings in person have since become the exception. The planned place for tonight was the after-meeting drinks venue Betty’s on King, but its impending shutdown has attracted swarms, leading a staff member to suggest walking south and west. (On The Rocks, Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221220Riverside neighbourhood: Holiday plans disrupted by flight delays from Vancouver. Drove to Pearson for pickups, 1:00 a.m. arrival came home at 5:00 a.m. after waiting for luggage was fruitless; 3:00 a.m. arrival is still at airport at 1:00 p.m. to file claim for lost luggage. Chinese beef stew for Dec. 23 dinner has become Dec. 24 lunch, if we can coordinate time zone shifts. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20221224Gautama: The lights are still bright in Little India on December 24 evening, so Indian buffet was a nice change of pace for a family meal. None of us refilled our plates as much as we used to, and the appreciation of vegetables is higher. Easy access in the local neighbourhood was appreciated, with temperatures still below seasonal norms. (Gautama, Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221224Riverside neighbourhood: Daughter-in-law and sister on first visit to Toronto, holiday season meant all of our sons are in town. Still recovering from delayed flights from Vancouver, plus jet lag. House decorated for Christmas holidays, more family events ahead. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 2022122Riverside neighbourhood: Opening Christmas stockings on December 24, as Christmas Day gets busy with in-law commitments scheduling. New experience for Vietnamese nationals on diasporic Canadian protocols around holidays. Lineup on the stairs has been an ritual for our sons since they were young. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20221224Dragon Pearl York Mills: Reservations for 11, lunch choices included turkey, although Asian specialties seemed more popular. Opportunity for grandfather to meet up with family now mostly scattered across Toronto, extended through grandsons marriages. Many trips out to the serving queues, with notable repeat visits to stations for sashimi and for duck. (Dragon Pearl Buffet, York Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225Woodbine Beach: Brightly coloured lounge chairs facing Lake Ontario, but cold winter winds discouraged a long stay. Educating a newcomer to Canada on dressing tips in a 35-degree switch drop from Vietnam last week, includes the use of a hood when a toque isn’t desirable. Winter fences have led to an off-leash area where dogs are overjoyed to be playing together, while their masters are calling for them. (Woodbine Beach, Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225
Riverdale Farm: The sheep in the paddocks on Residence Road don’t recognize Christmas Day, so the City of Toronto Parks employees treat this as a regular day. With the sun setting, the sheep’s started bleating together, and moving towards the west fence. Attentions may have be drawn to movements over in the horses being moved indoors for the evenings, with an expectation by the sheep for equal privileges. (Riverdale Farm, Winchester Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225
Scotiabank Arena: Family arrived into 9 seats, just in time to rise for the singing of O Canada. Boxing Day afternoon game between Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators. Many more sports fans came with children, later waving to the roaming cameras to get their faces on the big screen. (Scotiabank Arena, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221226
Scotiabank Arena: Mid-game faceoff in third period of Toronto Marlies (tied for first rank in the leauge) versus Belleville Senators (last in rank) on Boxing Day. Control of the puck was with the Marlies winning 3 to 2, with 36 shots on net compared to 20 for the Senators. Special occasion with visitors new to Canada, one son commented that we’ve never gone to a professional sporting event as a family. (Scotiabank Arena, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221226Scotiabank Arena: Family from overseas joining for the full Canadian experience, watching the Toronto Marlies defeat the Belleville Senators in a Boxing Day match, 3-2. First taste of poutine from the concession stands. Subgroup continued on to Eaton Centre to see the crowds, more than shopping. (Scotiabank Arena, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221226Tim Hortons Airport Road: One 10-pack of Timbits, please! Waiting near the airport, as one of our holiday visitors is seeking the luggage that wasn’t unloaded off the plane 3 days ago, deadheading back westward. I’m not a frequent customer of this Canadian institution, as I don’t drink coffee, and would buy donuts for others to enjoy. (Tim Hortons, Airport Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20221227Gristmill Lane: Spiky illuminated art installation named The Snow Family resembling the uniqueness of snowflakes on Gristmill Lane. Winter Village market on December 27 was busy with visitors on the Boxing Day observance, when most other venues were still closed for holidays. Tourist-oriented kiosks welcomed customers, regular businesses and galleries had locked doors. (Gristmill Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20221227Service Canada Gerrard Square: The good news is that Service Canada treats every individual the same; the bad news is that on the first working day after Christmas, the line can be long. Assisted newcomer with S-1 (not an SW-1) visa obtain a Social Insurance Number, as Government of Canada has improved privileges for students, allowing off-campus work while still enrolled in school. Waited 4 hours standing in line to be assigned a chair in the queue, then 30 minutes to see an official; next time, there’s an online booking system for a timed appointment. (Service Canada, Gerrard Square, Toronto, Ontario) 20221228Art Gallery of Ontario: In the #EdPien (2022) Present: Past/Future exhibition, furniture installation has signs encouraging visitors to sit and become immersed. Secondhand items were sourced from individuals in Toronto, reminiscent of the repurposing of found objects from 13 elderly members of San Agustin suburb of Havana, Cuba who were recorded and interviewed. Showing newcomer from Vietnam how Canadians share time together indoors despite the season, when inclement conditions make outdoor cafes impractical. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20221228Art Gallery of Ontario: In career retrospective, #DenyseThomasos (1999) Virtual Incarceration is acrylic on canvas 11 feet high by 20 feet wide. After her figurative paintings in the 1990s, the artist moved towards abstraction referencing the grid as a pervasive modernist device. The monochrome of this work led into other pieces with more splashes of colour. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20221228Upper Cornell: Invited for holiday season hotpot with my father’s friend’s family. One pot cooking meat, with the other pot vegan, as I wasn’t the only plant-based diner at the table. Convening family from Montreal, they reported travel past vehicles still in the ditch on the 401, from recent inclement weather. (Upper Cornell, Markham, Ontaro) 20221229
36 Lisgar Street: Moderating the White Elephant Holiday Potluck, with attendees contributing gifts to the pool. Each then drew a sequence to choose an unwrapped gift, or steal the gift of a prior selector. Good opportunities for catching up with friends, starting at 4pm and running through 11pm. (36 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221230
As the book on Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 was taking shape in March 2023, I was invited not only to serve as an editor, but also to contribute as an author. The edited volume is the final deliverable for the In4act project centered at the KTU School of Economics and Business in Kaunas, Lithuania […]
Beyond city-building as urban planning is the idea of a Music City. This sees development of cultural life across a wide variety of arts, alongside economic benefits brought to the region. At the 119th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in March 2024, socio-cultural designer Adam Hogan and musician-designer Ziyan Hossain joined moderator Zaid Khan in conversation. […]
Having reached year 6 of an espoused 10-year journey, the Systems Changes Learning Circle is (again) convening monthly Dialogues on Social Innovation at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. Starting up in 2019, the Circle was convening regularly in the Climate Ventures space at 192 Spadina Avenue. The pandemic interrupted in-person meetings, and the […]
EQ Lab runs Dialogic Drinks, “the kind of philosophical discussion you have in a coffee shop or bar”, twice per week. Wtih this group interested loosely in questions on leadership, I was invited to host an online session on March 12 (evening in Hong Kong and Singapore, really early in Toronto) and on March 14-15 […]
At the 118th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in February 2024, behavioral scientist Cameron D. Norman and design strategist Tara Campbell were invitied for a conversation guided by Zaid Khan. The panelists are both alumni of the Strategic Foresight and Innovation program at OCADU. Some time ago, they had conducted a research project on evaluation […]
An article on “sciencing and philosophizing”, coauthored by Gary S. Metcalf and myself, has been published in the Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, following the ISSS 2023 Kruger Park conference in South Africa, last July. There’s a version cacned on the Coevolving Commons. This article started in a series of conversations […]
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 ›
How might our society show value for the long term, over the short term? Could we think about taxation over time, asks @carlotaprzperez in an interview: 92% for 1 day; 80% within 1 month; 50%-60% tax for 1 year; zero tax for 10 years.Read more ›
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 […]
The selection of readings in the “Introduction” to Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2, Penguin (1981), edited by Fred E. Emery, reflects a turn from 1969 when a general systems theory was more fully entertained, towards an urgency towards changes in the world that were present in 1981. Systems thinking was again emphasized in contrast […]
In reviewing the original introduction for Systems Thinking: Selected Readings in the 1969 Penguin paperback, there’s a few threads that I only recognize, many years later. The tables of contents (disambiguating various editions) were previously listed as 1969, 1981 Emery, System Thinking: Selected Readings. — begin paste — Introduction In the selection of papers for this […]
In a recording of the debate between Michael Quinn Patton and Michael C. Jackson on “Systems Concepts in Evaluation”, Patton referenced four concepts published in the “Principles for effective use of systems thinking in evaluation” (2018) by the Systems in Evaluation Topical Interest Group (SETIG) of the American Evaluation Society. The four concepts are: (i) […]
How might the quality of an action research initiative be evaluated? — begin paste — We have linked our five validity criteria (outcome, process, democratic, catalytic, and dialogic) to the goals of action research. Most traditions of action research agree on the following goals: (a) the generation of new knowledge, (b) the achievement of action-oriented […]
