Art, Life and Technology: June 2013

I've probably had this debate a million times. But I think I'm right here. There are certain things about the Pen that make it a lot mightier than the Keyboard.

One of my arguments went something like this:

When you use a pen to write your name, say Andrew, each letter is formed differently. You have to use your hand and stroke each letter differently from the next one. You're engaged not only in thinking about the result, the name Andrew, but also about how each letter should be formed. However, when you type your name on a keyboard, you can use a single finger and use the same repetitive tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap, six times, to write out the name. The letters are anonymous and the only thing that distinguishes them is their position on the keyboard. It's a cold, numb and mechanical process, devoid of feeling, emotion or any consciousness. It's like pressing a button to lower a mechanical saw to slice a branch off a tree versus using a mechanical saw, held in both hands to cut the same branch. In the first case, you see the result from afar, while with the saw in your hand, you feel the vibration of the motor as the teeth bite into the wood.

I'm sure that sometime in the future, someone will realise that a creative slice of our brain has forever been atrophied.

To add to this issue, you've probably read about the reasons why the qwerty keyboard layout is the way it is. My favourite one is a common belief, though untrue, that the keys were arranged to slow down the typist. In actual fact, the true touch typist has a lot of skill in moving their fingers along the keyboard and for the most part type much, much faster than anyone writing by hand.

But then, it's not always about speed. It's not about putting down the most stuff as quickly as you can. It's not about just filling pages with words. It's about crafting.

Say what you will, messy, rough, crude, course, jagged and uneven. There's something human about the pen and about handwriting. It's like a comfortable pair of jeans, open shirt, rough sandals versus the clinical, disinfected look of the uniforms worn by the officers of the starship Enterprise.

I posted about running in Kenya [http://mwaisplace.blogspot.ca/2013/02/running-in-kenya.html] and now it's time to write about running in Canada (though I've probably written about that too before).

Etobicoke lies to the west of downtown Toronto, and borders the east side of Mississauga. In my opinion it has the best of both Toronto and Mississauga rolled up into a culturally diverse, clean, green and mostly crime free neighbourhood. I run around the Kipling/Eglinton neighbourhood.

I leave my apartment down a narrow hallway towards the elevators. This isn't the hardest part of the run, the hardest part of the run is getting out of the apartment. Once I'm here, it's all good.

Outside, I'm greeted by cooler air, the snow's still on the ground but as you can see, the sidewalk is fairly clear. Another good thing about Etobicoke is that there's very little people traffic. The people traffic that you see is also either running or walking their dogs. Like Mississauga, most people drive since everything is at a distance.

A better view of the route that I'm about to take. A run down the sunny path. Here's where I actually break into a slow jog. Wake up the legs. They're usually stiff since I don't stretch.

Now onto Widdicombe Hill Blvd, there's a nice chill to the air, but usually this part can be quite windy because of the tall apartment blocks and wide open spaces. The wind has to squeeze its way between the buildings. If the sidewalk is icy it's easy to slip and fall if the wind is strong.

This is at the south-west corner of Eglinton Avenue and Lloyd Manor, looking west towards Mississauga. I've just crossed Eglinton from Widdicombe Hill Blvd and about to head west. On the left side is a gas station. The bike path to the left is full of snow so I'm going to run on the sidewalk.

Further down the street, it's not too cold so the sidewalk's wet not icy. On bad days, I'd still run but put spikes on my shoes.

Now getting to the corner of Eglinton and Martin Grove road.

I've crossed Martin Grove road, still running along Eglinton and now you can see the bike path.

But even though you can see the bike path, I'm still running on the sidewalk since the bike path is covered in snow for most of the way.

Still running along Eglinton, to my right you can see the road sign. You also see the sign indicating that the highways are close. Highway 427 goes north to Pearson Airport and south to the Gardiner Expressway, to Toronto, and the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) to Mississauga. Highway 401 runs east-west, going all the way west to Niagara falls, and all the way east to Montreal.

Still on Eglinton, running on the bridge.

At the top of that small incline, past the bridge, the next intersection is the East Mall road. This runs north-south parallel to highway 401.

Crossing the East Mall continuing along Eglinton, the bike path's gone and now we're on the sidewalk. You can clearly see the highway overpass ahead. At this point we've run a little over a kilometre, The 2K mark is coming up under the highway.

Getting close to the highway. There was construction going on during this run. They were building an on-ramp to get onto the 427. In order to do this they had to remove a cemetery that was to the left of this picture, on top of the small hill that you can make out.

Underneath the highway. Not pretty, but in the morning there's little traffic and not a lot of noise. At the time of this run it was pretty noisy.

Woo, hoo! Cleared the highway and about to emerge on the other side. A nice slow run up.

Eglinton looks really busy near Martin Grove, but here there's little traffic. I suspect that most of the traffic coming west from Toronto get off onto the highways and doesn't make it this far. At one point in the winter, this part of the sidewalk wasn't cleared and I ran on the road. Onto oncoming traffic, of course!

Still running up hill, this is tough in the mornings since my legs at this point are still only warming up. But the uphill grind is good for the lungs. This can be a bad stretch if they don't clear the snow properly.

Renforth drive intersection with Eglinton. For my weekday morning runs I'll turn left here and head towards a 14.3 K distance. Today we're trying to get close to 17 K so it's onward to Centennial park. This is just past the 3 K mark.

Despite what it looks like, this is really pleasant and peaceful in the Summer. After the uphill, this flat section is welcoming.

We're close to Centennial park. To the left is an indoor soccer arena.

I said indoor soccer didn't I?

Parts of the sidewalk are damaged. In this case there was some construction which wasn't completed. To the left is wet muddy snow. Where to go? Where to go?

I eventually skirted around the right side, onto Eglinton road and around to the other side of this pool.

This is the corner of Eglinton road and Centennial Park Blvd. You can see the sign for the golf range ahead. I'm going to turn to the left into the blvd. This is just over 4.5 K

Down Centennial Park Blvd. There's no sidewalk on both sides of the this road so I choose to run in the oncoming traffic lane. This way we can play chicken to see who moves out of the way.

In the summer, it's still quiet on this blvd. Surprisingly, I've never been hit by a golf ball though I've seen one or two bounce off the road.

It's a long winding road, about 2.5 K to the next major intersection on the other side of the park. We're past 5 K here going to the 6 K mark around the bend you see in front of you.

Centennial Park Blvd. changes to Mill Road which runs into Burnhamthorpe Road. This is the Mill Road and Burnhamthorpe Road intersection. I'm going to turn left and run along Burnhamthorpe. This is now heading back east. We're still in Toronto.

Looking east on Burnhamthorpe after the left turn above.

Up ahead is the West Mall road, which like the East Mall road, runs north-south on the west side of highway 427. I'm going to cross the road and head over the highway. This is about 8.5 K.

I'm at the west off-ramp from highway 427. Cars travelling south on the 427 getting off the highway end up here and they can turn left to go east towards Toronto, or right to head towards Mississauga. I'm going to continue straight on. This is just past 9 K.

Approaching the bridge to go over the highway.

I took a picture to my left, that's highway 427.

I'm in the middle of the bridge on Burnhamthorpe Road which goes over highway 427. Not a busy day and not a lot of traffic.

Getting to the other side of the bridge.

I've crossed the East Mall, still on Burnhamthorpe Road heading west.

Burnhamthorpe and Kipling intersection. This is about 11 K.

You can just make out the Kipling sign.

Still on Burnhamthorpe, now about 11.5 K. This is downhill and quite pleasant.

There's a ravine to my left. In the summer, you can't see it because of the dense foliage.

Dundas Street, I took a left off Burnhamthorpe. Some interesting murals in this part of town.

A better look from Dundas of Mimico Creek.

Yes, another bridge, this time it's Dundas Street crossing Mimico Creek. We're heading to the intersection in front. That's Islington and we'll make a left turn heading up.

See, I told you it was Islington!

And I also said it was Dundas.

It's going to be an uphill grind.

Uphill, so unfair after more than 12 K.

This is getting close to 15 K.

St. Georges golf club, very posh, very elitist.

They sometimes hold the Canadian Golf Open tournament here.

Passing one of the obscure entrances to the golf club.

Up this little hill.

Squeeze into that bridge.

Now I can see Eglinton ahead. The Eglinton and Islington intersection where I'll make a left turn heading back east. Past 15.5 K at this point and there's a slightly relaxing downhill section here.

There's the Eglinton sign. Why on earth did I take that picture?

I've turned left and Eglinton road is on my right side. To my left is Richview Collegiate, Andrew's first school on returning to Canada.

I'm at the Eglinton and Bemerside intersection. I lived at this corner (well not really the corner but the house on the corner to my left, which you can't see) from March 2007 till the end of November 2012. We're back on bike path country.