August 1972. My brother and I stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin. We had just arrived from London on our first flight ever. The flight was cheap by 1972 standards: just £14. In 2018 pounds that’s £181 (US$230), a lot of money for us: I was an undergraduate, and my brother… Continue reading The Time I Sneaked onto a Night Train from Communist East Berlin to Prague
Year: 2018
A Motorized Ottoman and Other Specialized Household Items
I like good solutions to household challenges. Take harvesting apples. When we had a house, there was a lovely apple tree in the front yard. Every year it produced an amazing quantity of crunchy, sweet apples. Problem: How do we reach the highest apples?Solution: We used an apple picker. Apple Picker A balding male who… Continue reading A Motorized Ottoman and Other Specialized Household Items
Don’t Touch the Concrete
Last week my partner and I walked along a Chicago residential street to Wrightwood 659, a brand new exhibition space designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The Antithesis The previous day, a wonderful volunteer docent, an elderly woman, went silent when I said that Ando walks on water. Maybe I had offended her religious sensibilities,… Continue reading Don’t Touch the Concrete
Finding Tadao Ando
This week my partner and I will make a quick trip to Chicago to visit Wrightwood 659, a new art space designed by Japan’s Tadao Ando. We’ll explore the inaugural exhibition, Ando and Le Corbusier: Masters of Architecture. In March 2014 I was vaguely aware of architect Tadao Ando when I took a boat to Naoshima… Continue reading Finding Tadao Ando
Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 is one of the “lesser” bridges connecting the east and west sides of Minneapolis across the Mississippi. The bridge is significant for its configuration as a deck truss, which is a rare truss type in [Minnesota], and innovative reuse of 1885 pin-connected deck truss spans that were reinforced in 1922… Continue reading Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
Ma: The Space Between
A torii (traditional Japanese gateway), and steps receding into the distance to an unseen temple, exemplify the Japanese concept of ma, the space between. The gate frames space. The steps provide space in time to prepare the mind. As I read around, there are many definitions of ma, but not one easy definition. The concept… Continue reading Ma: The Space Between
Snapshots: 3 Days in LA Using Mass Transit
Last week we made a short visit to Los Angeles where we cycled, hiked, explored, and saw a show. We got around entirely by public transport. For such a car-centric city, Los Angeles has a fairly decent system of buses and trains. Many points of interest can be reached by public transport. At LAX we… Continue reading Snapshots: 3 Days in LA Using Mass Transit
Which Bicycle Should I Choose?
Finally the rain came today. Normally I would use my own bicycle to run errands, but it doesn’t have mudguards. I would end up with a muddy stripe down my backpack. On a day like today, I prefer to run errands using shared, NiceRide bicycles. They have mudguards, and I can always switch to public transport… Continue reading Which Bicycle Should I Choose?
Insistence on Truth
March 2018. I was on an inter-city train racing through the countryside of southern Spain. Across the aisle was a mother and her teenage son: she was engrossed in an e-book while he was engrossed in study exercises. I needed to be engrossed in something. I wanted to close my eyes and listen to music.… Continue reading Insistence on Truth
Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2018
Last week. as we generally do at this time of the year, we day-hiked sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We stayed in two lodges so we could enjoy different sections of the trail without having to spend much time in the car. Day 1: Long Hike via Lake Agnes The lodge where we were… Continue reading Snapshots: Superior Hiking Trail 2018