I’m back after an intense and enlightening month of ethnography field research in Malaysia and Indonesia and then more research in Sweden and Denmark. Still thinking about all the people who’ve touched me over the past month+ and parsing through over 3,000 photos (I’m a good Asian!). Lots of thoughts and observations to trickle out over time, but as a start, trains with open doors (Indonesia and Malaysia) are better than trains with locked ones (Sweden and Denmark). Sticking your head out like a dog in a car - and better yet, doing this with other people - can be one of life’s great moments.

I’m so happy and honored to be a 2009 TEDGlobal Fellow! Yay! The inspiring conference features some of the world’s biggest thinkers and doers and I’ve spent many mind-churning hours glued to my laptop watching videos that include Bonnie Basler on how bacteria talk, Malcolm Gladwell on choices, Jimmy Wales on the birth of Wikipedia, Kwabena Boahen on a computer that works like the brain, and Nicholas Negroponte on touch-screen interfaces (in 1984).

TED recently launched a fellows program to help others join the community and gain some mentorship. After applying, twenty-five people were selected and we’ll attend the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford, UK in July, exchange ideas, form a greater social network, and share our ongoing experiences on the TED blog throughout the year. I don’t know how I was able to slip into this impressive crowd that includes a leading female Kenyan software developer, a Jamaican robotics expert, and a next-generation Burmese human rights activist, but I’m excited to meet them and the lesson learned is - throw yourself out there! I look forward to good times ahead and check out some more of my favorite TED talks here. View more info and the press release for the 2009 TEDGlobal Fellows.  And if you’re interested in becoming a TEDIndia fellow in November, you can still apply until June 15!

Etherea record store, NYC

When played enough times, songs will become forever bonded to a particular place and time in your life. Bel Biv Devoe’s Poison reminds me of my parents’ home (it was the radio, not them ha). Giorgio Moroder’s The Chase reminds me of my first NYC apartment. Nico’s These Days takes me back to Johannesburg. And now I think I’ve solidified a song for my first month in Helsinki - California Dreamin’ by The Mamas and The Papas. It’s my emotional artillery to stave off the cold…

If you’re in luckier weather in Los Angeles, the New Media Caucus is hosting an exhibit called “@” at Sci-Arc this week that includes a participatory L.A. version of my Post-it Notes for Neighbors project. It coincides with the College Art Association Annual Conference, which looks like a neat gathering about the visual arts and includes a screening of The Cool School, a PBS documentary about how a few renegade artists built the L.A. art scene from scratch.

New Media Caucus Reception for the Exhibition “@”
With live cinema by Be Johnny and Potter-Belmar Labs
Thursday February 26 9:30 pm
SCI-Arc: 960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Big thanks to xtine for helping arrange the gallery show!

NYC’s Architectural League recently launched an inspiring online project called the Urban Omnibus that showcases design and activism in the City. They were kind enough to feature my thoughts behind my Post-it Notes for Neighbors public art project. Check it out here!

Big thanks to Cassim Shepard and the Omnibus family!

Snow tagging in the UK (hat tip to Melinda). Usually street art leads to the branded version, but not this time, as far as I know. Neat idea, especially in Helsinki, hmmm…

Image from Springwise.com

Small talk turned into performance art…

Morning in Helsinki in January is like one long dawn and the afternoon like one long sunset. It’s actually kind of romantic and I’m finally awake for that time when the sky goes from dark to dewy and is good to reflect by, but this time it lasts for many hours and it doesn’t mean I just pulled a loop-around.

Update: That was an unusual day. Now I know better. How many words do Finns have for “cloudy”?

Always an NYC holiday highlight - Bergdorf Goodman window displays (by David Hoey and Linda Fargo).

I’ve got a bag of proposals that may never see the light of day, but they can live on here for funzies and future inspiration. One of these is Data Walk: Bringing Demographics to the People. According to data from the 2000 Census, a particular block east of Allen Street is 50 percent more Asian than the block directly west of it. And a block north of Rivington Street has 40 percent more divorced couples than the block directly south. If you walk down these New York City streets, however, these numbers don’t add up. What does it mean when spatial data is defined by arbitrary boundaries? How does the U.S. Census compare to its original people and places? Data Walk will bring demographics to the people by mapping Census data directly onto the landscape. The boundaries of Census blocks and tracts will be drawn on the sidewalks with a continuous chalk line and paired with select statistics to make this information more accessible and bring awareness to its strengths and inaccuracies. See more here…

James Reeves and I have come up with a new project called The Important Project that addresses political issues through research, writing, and design. Right now we think elections, chalkboards, and people are important. This may change. Check it out, read about important things, and add your thoughts to fun surveys and polls!