returned

no words to describe the four days, really. i'll find them sometime soon, but for now, early on tuesday, all i can say is simply gorgeous. my solo journey.... where the destination was inconsequential compared to the ride.

my legs pedalled 240 miles (386 km) alongside mountains and lochs over high passes, streams and bridges, under hawks and giant pine forests. one day of rain. (and wind, and a flat tyre).
the bicycle survived, as did my legs. i'll map it for you soon.

ongoing list-serv debate on the seams of architecture and politics

"David Brain"
It is precisely because design matters that it is too important to be left to the designers. When designers talk to (and design for) other designers, we get the object fetishism of Modernism. Modernist architecture is what you get when you abstract design from engagement with social and political practice.

Isn't a key point of the movement the idea that the public should care about the form of buildings and cities, and not just leave it up to the specialists? That the public should recognize the relevance of design to things they care about, to the quality of their lives?

You can't have it both ways. If you want design to matter, then it's not up to designers to decide what matters and what design should try to achieve. So it's political and its 'progressive' (since it has to do with working to bring things more in line with shared values).

This is a movement that is nothing if not principled, and should recognize that there are political principles implied in its design-centered ideals. The same principles should apply whether one wants to ally with Republicans or Democrats. Neither party represents
a politics that is particularly in synch with the politics of New Urbanist ideals.

yesterday marked the end of summer

and this morning, the beginning of autumn. wednesday's endless grey drizzle, fogging the windows and seeping the chill into your bones. hoodies out, skirts to the back of the closet, wind biting through summer linen. thursday dawning bright, but the edge is there, welcome the morning chill, the cold fingers and the crisp air, banished of overnight warmth.

created the perfect morning run, the air so clean and thin, stealing the sweat from my face. the birds and squirrels know it too - there is an urgency to their actions, flurried preparations and enjoying the early dawns. they'll fade soon too, my runs shifted to pre-dawn leaded skies.

i've done everything but cook the rice for my cycling trip. it's all been packed up, loaded on, balanced, and unloaded again for my morning commute. the weatherman predicts rain all four days. i still can't wait, but i'm gathering my willpower. and extra rain gear.

Western and Eastern people look at the world in different ways,

bbc

The latest study found that to start with, both American and Chinese students fixed mainly on the background. But after 420 milliseconds the Americans began to concentrate their attention more on the foreground objects. This was not true for the Chinese, who kept throwing glances at the background.

Its findings appear consistent with previous research which has suggested Eastern people think in a more holistic way than Westerners, instinctively paying greater heed to context.

The researchers also tested the ability of volunteers to remember previously seen foreground objects when they were superimposed against new backgrounds. The Chinese students were more likely to forget they had been shown an object before. In their memory, the foreground object and its original background appeared to be bound together.

The researchers, led by Dr Richard Nisbett, wrote: "The Americans' propensity to fixate sooner and longer on the foregrounded objects suggests that they encoded more visual details of the objects than did the Chinese. "If so, this could explain the Americans' more accurate recognition of the objects even against a new background."

The researchers suggested social practices may play a role in the differing approaches. "East Asians live in relatively complex social networks with prescribed role relations. "Attention to context is, therefore, important for effective functioning.

looking west

looking west
Originally uploaded by wonderwomanyank.

things you learn about london

the induction pack for construction workers on a large hospital must be printed in 16 languages. and there are translators on site constantly.

hasidic jews in stoke newington walk along the canals on sunday afternoons. endless boys with curls in pushcarts

large african sunday congregations can be held in the oddest places. abandoned warehouses, for example.

enjoyable

it's been a sneaky weekend of my favorite things..
ice cream, phantom of the opera, the london eye, hamburgers with guacamole, jerk chicken wings, conversations on american cultural integration, waking up in the sun, cycling to new parts of london, fresh blackberries staining my fingers, quiet reflections cleaning my bicycle, and more vacation planning.

i leave on the overnight train on thursday. bicycle still needs some heavy preparation, it's shopping time tomorrow. more excited every day about this trip, even after a good 40 miles today reminded me what i'm in for. but i'll be swapping east london's abandoned warehouses for the highlands mountains. i had accent troubles booking the tickets (since when does 'ta' mean t?) , and i can't wait to wake up in inverness on friday morning.

the other vacation? i'll be in new york the 20-23rd of October. oh yeah.

cycling in the scottish highlands

trip's planned. Next Weekend. Inverness to Glasgow. 220 odd miles. 4 days.
through this. and this. and this.
Two Sleeper Trains (London-Inverness, Glasglow-London) . check.
Two Nights in Hostels and One Night at BnB. check.
Bicycle. Check. Bicycle read for 4 days on the road. Not Check.

bits and bobs

the construction men next door have almost finished creating a roof terrace on the building next door. it has taken all summer.

unfailingly, the weekends are cold and wet. the weeks, when i'm safely indoors, are sunny, hot and gorgeous. cycling this morning, the chill creeping in from the river and dewy commons, possessiveness started - i'm hugging these green trees and parks until autumn sets them on fire, and winter blows the leaves away. the days noticeably shorten now.

finished xioguan's 'one man's bible'. not an enjoyable read - difficult emotionally and structurally - as he jumps from 1975 to 2001 and from first to third person. but pockets of text and imagry stay with me. a man so determined to express individual freedom he forcibly disconnects from everything. no attachments - to nothing, with no one, for no woman.

i wanted to go to nyc next weekend. i think i might go cycling in scotland instead, if i can get sleeper trains. glasgow to inverness, 220 miles in 4 days. new york will have to wait.

Mandy from chicago says 'you're shitting me' (instead of 'you're kidding'), and the english just stare. i laugh.

爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
it is funny i can hear the sound of pigs squealing from here
the days go by, and become years says:
: )
yhe days go by, and become years says:
are things changing in cameron?
爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
they hogtie them and put them in rafia baskets and load them in the back of taxis
the days go by, and become years says:
or is it a pretty static country
爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
they won't shut up
爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
the internet and cell phones are making things happen
爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
this place probably wasn't here a year ago
爱新觉罗 Jesse: a la luz del cigarro, voy al molino says:
flash drives just came from china for about $20

must rise early tomorrow for cycling

now that i've posted, i'm duty bound by the deadening weight of all your expectations.

that and I did little outside work today but sleep in, talk on MSN and lay on a park bench in the late afternoon sun warmth. endlessly blue sky, giant green leaves fluttering, birds circling, swans swimming, airplanes on their heathrow descent - a park full of hijab wearing women, half naked runners, children and commuters cycling, the odd rollerblading pack, elderly women strolling and little triads picnicing everywhere. shared smiles with strangers. it was warm until 7.

i'm looking for a flatmate in london come early September. i want to live near Hyde Park and in a flat with lots of natural light.

calculus - measuring the rate of change

Focault believed a person's identity only existed in their interactions with others. We believe we have an identity because we have to talk about ourself, but in actuality there is no constant person 'essence' that remains despite time. What makes us 'us' is when we interact.

I think it's a sliding scale - some characteristics take years to change, and others depend on momentary blood-sugar levels. Mongy wonders how I have changed in one year. He's uncomfortable because i'm not talkative, not engaging, not 'here'; i appear tired, distant, and reluctant.

I'm hoping it's just perception. I'm tired at midnight because I work 10 hour days, often without a lunchbreak, days where I don't just stare at the computer but talk, interact, make decisions, instruct other, learn, exchange and must be present at all times. When I'm not at work I'm used to living alone in my head, and so when he says i'm tired and dull, I can't explain that really, I'm thinking about everything, I'm just not used to sharing it all. Who wants to hear my random thoughts as I walk along the street? And on Saturday, I do enjoy simply sitting and listening to others, but I have no desire to animate myself, no desire to network, and even very little to make others laugh. Even when I'm interested, all I want to say is 'thats great' - no need to sell my enthusiasm, I'm enthused, I promise!

There is no doubt that I am not the same person I was in Cairo last June, but have I changed enough to be an unrecongnizably different person?

those kids...

those kids...
Originally uploaded by wonderwomanyank.

its 5 on friday

and the end of another eventful week. my job role has shifted, i'm transitioning, tenders are due, and we've just hired this amazing urban designer that I'll be working with.

david and i have split amicably, i've been running enough that the weight's falling, mongy's in town, and it's good to see old friends. i'm still struggling with jet lag but it's slowly improving.

time for a quick jog before heading out on the town....

cafe quijano

shameless post for more of their music... i've got desde brasil, llaves de raquel, la taberna del buda, and lola. any other title suggestions? anyone want to post me a cd? any argintines out there?

kate

kate
Originally uploaded by wonderwomanyank.

thank you thank you thank you. for the constant interpreting, drinking, eating and trip-managing. for listening to drunken rambles and late night laughter. for interesting discussions, disagreements, and for friendly hugs. for a wonderful holiday in a crazy city.