Footnotes to a Conversation, May 2, 2022
Portable Magic
My sister had the audacity recently to tell me that books are just “things.” Oh, no! Books are magic. They transport you to other worlds, open you up to new ideas, make you laugh or cry. Portable Magic by Emma Smith looks at the role of books as a physical object – from Zoom backdrops establishing your intellectual credentials to noise-reducing roadfill, not to mention as a receptacle for DNA from 17th century readers. So, yes. Books are things – but very important ones! [The Guardian]
With thanks to Stephanie for the bingo card from a Steveston bookstore and coffee shop
Urban Villages
One of the things I like best about Victoria is that it’s a collection of urban villages. Each of them has an assortment of independent restaurants, coffee shops, and food stores. In some cases, such as Vic West, the stores are scattered. I live in easy walking distance of 3 bakeries and a small deli/grocery store, but they’re all in different directions. In other cases, such as Oak Bay Village and Cook Street Village, there are a couple of blocks dedicated to shopping and socializing. You’ll find big box stores and large supermarkets in Victoria, but they’re not the only option. Big bonus – Victoria is on a peninsula so you’re almost always within a short distance of the ocean or a park. [Urban Village Planning Checklist, Planetizen]
Buying a Home? Here’s a Matching Pet
There’s a dog beside the pool, a cat lounging on the sofa – these real estate ads are doing more than just selling a property, they’re also offering abandoned animals a second chance. Hopefully, the new property owner will fall in love with the animal as well as the house. [Video in French, franceinfo]
Art or Theme Park?
Immersive art exhibitions such as the Van Gogh experience are commercial ventures with a hefty entrance fee. They don’t rely on physical objects so can be reproduced on a grand scale. But are they art spaces or theme parks? They’re entertaining, but do they engage our minds? [The Guardian]
“I Stand with the Microbes”
Cheese is not a traditional part of the Japanese diet, but one young woman, Chiyo Shibata, is incorporating Japanese foods such as cherry blossoms and sake lees along with Japanese microbes into her cheeses. She hopes to focus the public’s attention on the importance of microbes. “When that happens, they will see the importance of protecting the environment—the soil, the water, the air—in which these microbes live. It’s my job as a cheesemaker to stand with the microbes, to speak for them, and protect them now and for future generations.” [Atlas Obscura]
It’s a Fake
Businesses producing fake meat products tend to portray themselves as saviours of the planet. I’ve always had my doubts, which are confirmed in a recent report warning that “in many cases, switching to fake meat will make the problems with our industrial food system worse; fossil fuel dependence, industrial monocultures, pollution, poor work conditions, unhealthy diets, and control by massive corporations.” [Wicked Leeks]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.