Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2010/02/27-03/07 Tokyo

I’ve been in Tokyo for over a week every year since 2007, so I know the city sights well.  This 2010 trip saw me serving as a tour guide for Roy (who came on the same plane as me from Toronto), as well the many of the other visiting researchers.  On the first night, Sunday, the group convened at the usual hotel near Tamachi station.  We randomly chose a pub, where we puzzled through a Japanese menu and ended up ordering a hotpot from a waiter who spoke no English.

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Early Monday morning, we took the train over to the Tsukiji market.  Coming by a different route than before, we encountered a temple where businessmen were making offerings.

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In mid-morning, some of the tuna were still in recognizable forms, with fishmongers rapidly creating portions with saws and knives.

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On this visit, I discovered the reason that some tuna are called yellowfin.  These had a yellow fin smaller than a thumbnail.

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From Tsukiji, we walked through the Ginza, and up towards Yurakucho.  We stopped by a pachinko parlour where the machines were as loud in the morning as they are in the evening. Continue reading2010/02/27-03/07 Tokyo

2010/02/06 Art at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

While at a meeting in Tempe, Arizona, I discovered that Arizona State University has a strong contemporary American art collection.  An 1987 “Untitled Group” by Viola Frey was almost life size. Frey passed away in 2004.  While I was seeing this in Arizona, a larger collection of Frey’s work was touring New York.

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The back side of the work is as detailed as the front.

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The Ceramics Research Center at ASU is an open storage area in a plaza across the street from the more famous main gallery.

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The lowness of the J. Russell and Bonita Nelson Fine Arts Center foreshadows the galleries underground.

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From the bright Arizona sun outside, the way downstairs takes a few minutes for eyes to adjust.

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At the foot of the stairs is a bubbling fountain. Continue reading2010/02/06 Art at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

2011/12 Moments, December 2011

Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC.

Prince Edward Viaduct at dusk
Prince Edward Viaduct at dusk. View west from Danforth, towards towers at Bloor and Yonge. Red sky at sunset suggests sunny day tomorrow. Temperature just above freezing means winter pants, park and cap for cycling. Approaching the shortest day of the year, getting dark (Toronto) 20111202 1636
Vegan Raw Festival
Vegan Raw Festival. Christmas Cannelloni, with zucchini was wrap, red pepper and arugula for festive colours, cheese of cashews, agave, lemon juice and beetroot. Delicious. Free samples courtesy of Jennifer Italiano and her chef, from Live Food Bar (Toronto) 20111203 1438
Scrap Metal Gallery entry
Scrap Metal Gallery entry. “1. If this sign is on, the gallery is open. 2. If this sign if off, the gallery is closed but we forgot to turn the sign off. 3. If this sign is off, the gallery is closed. 4. If this sign is off, the gallery is open but we forgot to turn the sign on.” An installation titled “This Sign (For Scrap Metal), 2011, by Micah Lexier. Contemporary art at its finest, in a new private gallery in the back courtyard of 11 Dublin Street, in the Bloor Street West / Lansdowne Avenue neighbourhood (Toronto) 20111210 1505

Alpine Skis On Skytrain
Alpine Skis On Skytrain. Symbol of west coast living. Have seen riders with skis and snowboards on Skytrain as well as Seabus, because public transportation to North Vancouver slopes from home is so easy. (Vancouver, B.C.) 20111220 1554

2011/11 Moments, November 2011

Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC.

Planters-EastYorkCivicCentre
Planters East York Civic Centre. With frost coming, does the city put cabbages into its planters? I’m not a gardener, so I don’t recognize flora well. (East York Civic Centre) 20111112 1549
Pantages fixture
Pantages fixture. Bentwood hanging electrical light in the Rehearsal Hall of the Pantages Hotel. While the venue name suggests entertainment, the Canon Theatre is down the street. Today’s meeting is technical briefings with the usual PowerPoint. Long room, good sound reinforcement for presenters. (Toronto) 20111115 1540
Red eggs for 100-day birthday party
Red eggs for 100-day birthday party. Traditional Chinese symbol and celebration that baby will live. Our sons had one-month haircut parties, a little longer gives new mom an opportunity to catch up more on sleep. Ten course meal followed. (Markham) 20111119 2003
Vancouver Chinatown gate on Pender Street
Vancouver Chinatown gate on Pender Street. Dusk comes early in Vancouver, on walk from west to east Pender Street. Noticed more Chinese herbalists in 2 block radius than we have in Toronto. Encountered one of East Side Cultural Crawl sites, artist live/work space on third floor of Main Street building. (Vancouver) 20111120 16:36
Container cranes, Port of Vancouver
Container cranes, Port of Vancouver. Eastward view from Seabus headed south to Vancouver. Illustrates city as a working port on the Pacific Rim. Ferry route uses Port as landmark, then turns slightly west for Waterfront Station. Rainy morning had short respite before participation continued for rest of day. (Vancouver, BC) 20111121 1054
Vancouver Art Gallery, 2nd floor landing
Vancouver Art Gallery, 2nd floor landing. Collection leans towards the conceptual at Vancouver Art Gallery, lots of phenomenology in contemporary and last century works. Tuesday night admission by donation, visited with DY. Photographing art is not permitted, but some building features are scenic (Vancouver, BC) 20111122 1956
Stainless steel text, Burrard St. and Cordova St.
Stainless steel text, Burrard St. and Cordova St. Public art installation on west face of Vancouver building tower at Canada Place. Liam Gillick (2009) “Lying on top of a building the clouds / looked no near than when / I was lying on the street”. With no spaces between the words, reading the text would be better on a non-rainy day to decipher the meaning. City of Vancouver Public Art Program, presumably in cooperation with the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, where it’s installed. (Vancouver, BC) 20111124 1258

YVR, mountains to north
YVR, mountains to north. A clear day in Vancouver, after a week of steady rain. There was snow on the ground when I arrived. (Vancouver, BC) 20111125 1208

2011/10 Moments, October 2011

Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC.

Green Room
Green Room. Bright lights in alley led me to find the Green Room, a student hangout bar in the Annex. Was open in the 1970s when I was student, and I never went. Was closed for a long time, then recently reopened. I still don’t drink, so it’s not a real attraction for me. (Toronto) 20111005 20:28
Banksy Church St. behind 70 Esplanade
Banksy Church St. behind 70 Esplanade. Last Banksy work in Toronto, street art behind plastic protection, graffiti on top. Smaller than I expected. Noticed at Banksy was here. And he survived the wrecking ball , sidebar to What Banksy’s Toronto Pieces Look Like Now, originals at Nick Mount on Banksy (Toronto) 20111007 1844
North Vancouver cafeteria view
North Vancouver cafeteria view. View of Vancouver skyline across the Burrard Inlet, from cafeteria of North Vancouver office. The man-made scenery looking south isn’t the same as the natural glory of mountains looking north. Still, the harbour view is a better than average fringe benefit of west coast work. (North Vancouver) 20111013 1142
Seaplanes at Coal Harbour
Seaplanes at Coal Harbour. iew north with seaplanes docked at Coal Harbour, and North Vancouver beyond. White planes seem to be the standard colour, so the yellow one stands out. (Vancouver) 20111014 1020
Muchmusic Nightbox
Muchmusic Nightbox. John St. window of MuchMusic open, @nightboxmusic performing @nml NewMusicLive. Camera jib was swinging wildly inside during the song. Cool fall Tuesday afternoon, so few onlookers compared to summer. Window rolled down a few minutes later. (Toronto) 20111018 1752
Fall Dusk Riverdale Park
Fall Dusk Riverdale Park. Looking west over Riverdale Park towards downtown Toronto, cool overcast fall day, but leaves on trees still haven’t turned yellow or red. Living near Lake Ontario, frost comes at us slower. (Toronto) 20111023 1802

Chinese Herbs For Fever
Chinese Herbs For Fever. Three bags of undescribed roots and twigs for decoctions after Chinese doctor diagnosed weakness, fever and slight cough. After a last night’s phone call with Telehealth Ontario nurse, I expect a better resolution with this approach instead of visiting the clinic with western medicine. Had woke up feeling better, but fatigue set in within a few hours. I biked very slowly to Chinatown. 20111029 1344

2010/01/02-02/01 Addison, Texas

The Town of Addison, Texas is a relatively compact community in north central Dallas.  If you’ve been to the Dallas area, and had dinner in on the restaurants on Belt Line Road, you’ve been there.  The town hall follows the traditional style of the area.

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The back yard of the town hall has a bridge over a small stream.

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Over at Addison Circle, traffic circles a roundabout, with the metal sculpture Blueprints, by artist Mel Chin.

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The fountain at Bosque Park continues to flow in the evening.

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In business travel, it’s often the little sights that are memorable.

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