Raven's Brew

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

June 2024 - Toronto ON

August 2023 - Skagway Alaska

It was our usual leisurely weekend, cloudy Saturday and rainy Sunday. I had two boxes of frozen spinach (why??) in the freezer and had the brain storm to make soup, also using some sad bits of vegetables that were languishing in the fridge.

Monday John did a grocery run and I went shopping, because I "needed" black capris, mission accomplished in Cleo's.

Cutting through the Royal York Hotel.

Tuesday we went to The Well, we had first visited this new building back in January, The Well, we had first visited this new building back in January, on the coldest day, but the food court hadn't opened as yet. WOW we were impressed with the selection.

John picked up his lunch from here.

I ordered from Blue Claw, home of the Canadian catch, fresh lobster from the east coast.

I was just thinking of knishes last week and how I miss them!!!

PRIDE flag on side of new TD building.

BTW, on our way there, we ran into an old friend and made plans for lunch.

Wednesday I took the 9:30 bus to Union Station and took the GO train to meet my BFF for lunch in Burlington. The bus was delayed by this, just passed the bus exit ramp, causing traffic to be backed up.

Pictures from the train.

Waving at John as I go by Palace Pier.

We had a good catch up at the Piper Arm, and I missed the 2:19 train by a minute, we hadn't bothered to check the schedule. I got the 2:49.

I have been lusting after this cookbook for eons but I knew I could find most of them on his blog/FB/YouTube, but I broke down this week. John has already tagged his likes.

Thursday we were planning on meeting above-mentioned friend for lunch but she begged out due to work and a vacation day on Friday. 

I thought I would do a quick run downtown for some groceries. I saw the 1:20 bus go by and waited and waited for the 1:30, with some other people and finally gave up and came back upstairs. I caught the 2:20 which was on time. The streets were teeming with Blue Jays fans and school buses. Then I realized the game was a "school game", which ENDED at 3:30, sheer chaos as the stadium emptied. My 3:45 bus showed up at 4:22 (never saw the 4:15 bus) so we had a full bus. I walked into our condo at 5:19!!

Friday dawned grey and gloomy as we pondered going out. I knew that the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) had not gone on strike at 2 AM as threatened, reaching a last minute agreement.

I found three tablets that John had set back to factory settings and gave two of them to our cleaning lady T for her girls. I also gave her some plant cuttings that needed a home (not mine)!

We decided to catch the 11:20 and got sprinkled on. The rain stopped as we walked to lunch.

It was very quiet downtown, everyone "works from home" on Fridays, and those that don't, used the TTC strike as a reason not to come into the city.

Photo taken from bus, wet streets and blue sky would not last long!

Looking north, in the distance, dark clouds are looming.

Aroma is our destination. When I worked at the Hyatt, on the right, we had consultants (IT guys) from India and we would lunch here. It is an AYCE, all you can eat Indian buffet. Today's cost is $22 a head, but that includes a salad bar, dessert, soup and lots of choices. Pakoras, samosa, naan bread, chicken tikka masala, goat masala (my favourite) chickpea curry, tofu curry, beef rogan josh, tandoori, rice, aloo gobi, paneer, fish masala, I think I got them all!

.

There was a huge downpour as we were eating, creating big puddles.

The rain let up when we left the restaurant so we decided to carry on with my our plans.

Luminato Festival Toronto is a multi-arts festival that celebrates the energy of the city and connects people through memorable art experiences. Every June, our festival transforms Toronto into a playground of art, creativity and conversation.

As part of this year's festival, Evanescent, a massive, immersive piece of 'art-chitecture' by Australian design firm Atelier Sisu, will be set up in two different locations in the city for the entire month.

The installation is comprised of gigantic iridescent bubbles that you can walk through and around, scoring some of the best Instagrams of the entire summer.

Gillie and Marc's public sculpture debut in Toronto features their newest creation, "He Was on a Ride to a Safer Place with Rabbitwoman and Dogman," on display at the renowned David Pecaut Square.

I knew I recognized their work! They have a piece in Yorkville.

This extraordinary piece invites viewers to join Rabbitwoman and Dogman on a cycling adventure led by a majestic northern white rhino at the front of the bicycle. Inspired by their travels and commitment to environmental consciousness, the artists have beautifully embodied their ethos in this interactive sculpture. Designed with a rear seat, the piece invites the public to become part of the whimsical journey, spreading a message of love, unity, and positivity.

This wild tandem ride calls attention to the plight of the endangered northern white rhino, threatened by poaching and habitat loss. Rabbitwoman and Dogman’s autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soulmates serves as a conduit to reconnect us with nature and wildlife. With 70% of the planet's wildlife lost in the last 50 years, the call to action is urgent. 

The rain is holding off!

A new sculpture gifted by  the Anthony and Gay Longo family and created by sculptor Timothy Paul Schmalz, well known for his Homeless Jesus sculptures around the world.

Love Hands at Commerce Court.

We got on the bus just as the skies opened up!

This was the sunset after the rainy afternoon.

COOKING

Saturday steak, baked potato and broccolini

Sunday lamb shanks (carrots/corn/onion) mashed sweet/white potatoes

Monday hamburgers and chips (crisps)

Tuesday chicken dumplings (steamed/fried)

Wednesday wieners and beans 

Thursday Spanish tuna tomato stew with baguette. New recipe, John says it is a keeper, although he is not keen on stewed tomatoes. He is a very fussy fish eater. We did add hot sauce to it. $15 worth of tuna but we did get a good lunch out of the leftovers.

Friday steak with broccolini and balsamic roasted mushrooms

WATCHING

I watched the mini series The Ashley Madison Affair 2023 documentary mini series. Follows the hack of an infidelity dating website for married people that shocked the public with a scandalous data breach. And then John watched it!

We watched Bodkin Irish TV series 2024. A group of podcasters set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town. But when they start to pull the strings, they find a story much bigger and stranger than they could have imagined.

The Outlaws is a crime thriller comedy television series created by Elgin James and Stephen Merchant. Filming of series 1 was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We did watch some of this in August 2022 but didn't remember a lot of it and they have added two more seasons. It is quite funny.

The story follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence, set in Bristol. However, their luck changes – not necessarily for the better – when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that its true owners are very dangerous.

READING

I gave up on Wonderland. Boring characters.

I started The Ex-Wife, which seems like a trite topic done to death, however it was a good read.

Saying Good Bye to the Institute for Learning (IFL)

 “Saying Good Bye to the Institute for Learning (IFL)” by Joan Mesic, Senior Correspondent

If you haven’t heard the sad news it is true, BMO has decided to close the IFL which is located in Markham, Ontario next June, 2024 and is building a new learning centre in downtown Toronto near the Eaton Centre on Dundas Street. What we know is that the land the IFL is situated on is being rezoned and the bank is taking advantage of this opportunity to sell it. We can speculate as to why this turn of events is happening. It could be due to the cost factor of running the Institute. Also the speed of technology over the last two decades, even the last 5 years has changed the landscape for businesses and that includes learning. What was state-of-the art a few years ago, even days ago, is outdated today. The interventions and tools we use to learn are in a state of continual metamorphosis. Just think about the pandemic and how it has changed the way people work and interact - virtual, from home or wherever, with the help of technology. How many of us have ‘zoomed’ too much lately?
To commemorate the magnificent IFL structure and the forward thinking of the bank to invest in building it, we thought it would be timely to revisit some history about its beginnings and the architect who built it.
In 1990, Matthew William Barrett was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the bank. When he was CEO in 1989 he had an idea that he wanted to do something big for the staff as well as reinforce the culture of the bank. His vision was to build a learning centre for the employees. He even thought of using some of the artifacts in the bank’s archives to display them to reinforce the bank’s long history. After further research was done and the concept crystallized, work began to implement his vision. A $40-million investment was made to build the structure to help employees learn and actualize their potential in the bank and thus enable the bank to succeed in a competitive international arena in the future. As Matt Barrett said in the bank’s Press Release, dated October 1, 1991, “First and foremost, it is about people. It is a reaffirmation that to be among the best banks in North America, Bank of Montreal must have the best employees in the business.” The construction of the learning centre began on January 1992.
We have included 3 articles from the BMO archives: BMO’s “Press Release - October 1, 1991”; “Changing the Way We Learn - 2010” brochure; “First Bank News - The Doors Swing Open - 1994”, which our archive contacts have graciously provided to us. (The links can be found at the end of this article.)
When I read these articles it brought back many memories of my time as a Project Manager, Corporate Training when I was brought in to assess the course offerings in the Management and General Business curriculum with the purpose of making revisions where necessary to reflect the bank’s vision, values and the Corporate Strategic Plan. The Training department at that time was located at 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto. I remember the tremendous excitement in the department and the bank when the news broke. It galvanized the staff to perform at their best and refreshed our pride to be BMO employees working for a financial institution supportive of its employees and future success. There was lots of talk about the $40-million dollar investment. How exactly would the bank measure the success of its ROI? Such a large amount of money and many external unforeseen variables that might be out of the bank’s control. There was lots of hype as well as lots of questions.
Many of you will remember the renowned architect, Raymond Moriyama (1929 - 2023) who was hired to build the IFL. He was able to grasp Matt Barrett’s vision of the learning centre and then turned it into an architectural masterpiece. Moriyama became an architectural visionary and his passion, ideas and futuristic thinking helped to change the culture and face of Canadian architecture in the 1970s. The following is a peek into his childhood which will give you a sense of his character and the period he was born in.
Raymond Moriyama was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and came from a humble background during a difficult period in Canadian history. A time when Japanese Canadians were treated as enemies of Canada. WWII started in Europe in 1939. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, the Americans entered WWII. Canada participated in WWII until it ended in 1945. The Canadian government invoked the War Measures Act (1) as Japanese Canadians were perceived as spies. The Act gave the government the power to round-up Japanese Canadians indiscriminately and ship them to internment camps. Most Japanese Canadians at that time lived in British Columbia. Approximately, 90% of the Japanese Canadians were interned. For 4 long years approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forced to survive in internment camps. Many families were torn apart. After the war thousands were forced to return to Japan and many of them had never been in Japan during their entire lives. Raymond in some ways was fortunate as he stayed with his mom and dad in an internment camp. When he was a very young child, he had an accident which happened in his family’s small, cramped kitchen. A little toy aeroplane that he had built flew over his mom’s stove and caught fire. While Raymond was trying to retrieve it perched on a stool, he lost his balance and the hot, boiling soup on the stove spilt over his arm and upper back. His burns were severe and debilitating as he couldn’t move parts of his body. It took eight months for him to recover. During his recovery, while bedridden, he would watch the construction of a building from his window to pass the time. He became intrigued with the process and in particular with the person who looked like he was in-charge of the construction work. Later, he learnt that this person was called an architect and he decided then and there that that is what he was going to be when he grew up. Children will often declare that they want to be an astronaut, doctor, teacher, nurse, truck driver, or whatever when they are young. What is so amazing about Raymond at 4-and-a-half, he was emphatic about becoming an architect and actually pursued his childhood aspiration through his life and education and achieved it.
His story is truly one of vision, determination and freedom and instead of being spiteful of Canada and how he and other Japanese Canadians were disgracefully treated, he used his knowledge and skills to contribute and build a better Canada. Some reports indicated that he was a key player in the transformation of Canada from a colonial country into a multicultural country. Through his studies and beliefs, democracy, inclusion and social justice were integral in his architecture. How could he build something if he did not understand the psychology of man and his culture? How could he positively make change without this knowledge? I listened to his narration of his life events which gave me a glimpse into his determination to continuously learn, his open-mindedness, his bravery, tenacity and creativity which propelled him to achieve his dream to become an architect. (If you are interested and would like to find out more about Raymond Moriyama, go to: ”magical imperfection the life and architecture of moriyama” on your devices.)
Mr. Moriyama through his perseverance did become an architect and designed and built many of the buildings which were contemporary and futuristic at the time, e.g., the Ontario Science Centre, Scarborough Civic Centre and Toronto Public Library to name a few. As previously mentioned, he was the architect of the IFL. He designed the IFL to change the banking culture. The metaphor he used for the IFL was that the bow and arrow would represent the parent and the arrows its offsprings. The architecture is contemporary and the glass bow which everybody strains their necks to look up at and gasp in disbelief (especially on their visit to the IFL), brings the outside inside. The metaphor for me represents harmony and respect between people and the eco-system.
The IFL as many of you will attest to is an amazing place to learn, reflect and grow personally and professionally. It is sad that we will be saying good-bye to it. It was built at a time that brilliantly distinguished BMO among other financial institutions and businesses for its heavy investment in its employees, customers and the bank’s future.
We know keeping ourselves challenged physically, intellectually and socially are essential activities to help maintain quality of life. Learning is never-ending.
We would like to give a ‘shout out’ to our members to send us their memories or short stories of experiences attending courses, town halls, social events, etc., at the IFL. Please send them to us at: cyberpensioner@gmail.com
We look forward to your tales of how you experienced the IFL.
Joan Mesic, Senior Correspondent

Weekend Roundup

 Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveller

1. Starts with "W"
2. A Favorite
3. WEATHER - chosen by Tom

FAVOURITE 

WOK WALK Barcelona Spain

WEATHER

WYOMING perfect WEATHER for a road trip