Footnotes to a Conversation, October 25, 2021
Diversity or Novelty?
They’re corner variety stores with a difference as they stock snacks and treats from around the world. There are Blue Flame Takis from Mexico and elderberry-lemon flavoured Shokata Fanta from Serbia. The Vancouver shop owners say it’s challenging to stock such a wide range of products – “if it’s not exotic, it’s not going to be in here” – but both stores have opened second locations.
This story excites me on several levels. I would love to visit and investigate all these different products – even better if someone could describe them to me and explain their popularity in their home country. In addition, I am always hopeful that if we can embrace diversity in our food, we will eventually embrace diversity in our community. I try to remain optimistic. [CBC British Columbia]
Life During Lockdown
You may be familiar with David Hockney’s California swimming pool paintings, but I’m much more interested in some of his later works using an iPad to paint nature. During lockdown in Normandy, he painted a series of pictures of spring from beginning to end. Green and exuberant, to me they represent hope and life and joy. [The Guardian]
I’m also very fond of Hockney’s paintings of his dachshunds – far more interesting to me than swimming pools. [David Hockney Foundation]
Design
I’m excited about moving into a new apartment with a completely different layout, a balcony, and a second bedroom, so my mind is occupied (when I’m not preoccupied with packing and checklists) with interior design. I ran across a practical article with 18 ways to create a more beautiful home and thought I’d share it with you. I like the idea of sleeping in a nest, of flexible space, and of embracing curves: “I am of the opinion that anyone who wants to rest his rear end on a rectangle adheres in his heart of hearts to a totalitarian creed … One of the principles of biophilia is that sharp-angled objects stimulate the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with fear, whereas rounded forms are suggestive of life.” [The Guardian]
Photos taken at Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island
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.
If you share my love of nature, I suggest you also read EcoFriendly Sask that I publish in collaboration with my brother, Andrew. Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces (downloadable directly from the website).