Footnotes to a Conversation, May 26, 2025
“To create one’s own world takes courage.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
A Sidewalk with a Motor
Riding the bus is complicated. You need to consult a timetable and install an app to pay the bus fare. You arrive early at your destination because of the bus schedule, and you may have to leave early to catch the last bus home. It doesn’t have to be that way. “A well-run bus system is an express sidewalk—a piece of infrastructure that dramatically expands the number of destinations within walking distance.” Like a sidewalk, buses need to run frequently. They need to take people where they actually want to go and not wander aimlessly. They need to be reliable, and they need to feel safe and dignified. [Fast Company]
Corner or Intersection: Which do you prefer?
Which do you prefer? An intersection where you must focus all your attention on crossing the road safely or a corner with a coffee shop or corner grocery store? Intersections should be important parts of the city landscape. “By definition, they are where people's paths cross as they come from different directions, and because of that, they are places where chance encounters and serendipitous meetings can happen. They represent a part of the street where we can see down side streets and thus deeper into surrounding neighborhoods, allowing us to explore the city more in depth. They are the spots where people must wait in order to cross to the other side of the street, pausing their trek for a few seconds or minutes of reflection.” [Social Life Project]
The Perfect Soy Sauce
“Korean traditional soy sauce needs three things: soybeans, water and salt … And care and time. Without time, there is no flavour. In modern life, everyone is rushing. But some things cannot be rushed.” [The Guardian]
Travel Diary
“From postage stamps to jetliner specifications to items he packed for the journey, José Naranja’s sketchbooks capture minute details of numerous international trips … Everything from currency to noodle varieties to film references make their way into small books brimming with travel ephemera and observations.” [This Is Colossal]
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.