issue launced a blog.
issue: a student run organization through the university of texas school of architecture
launch: blast off from solid ground into the unknown in hopes of making an impact
blog: intra-web communication device to share stories, blurbs, documentations, wit and the like, pertaining to the UT architecture community.

[check it out here]

greenbeltglory

so i have found a rather large gem [do they always have to be small?] better yet, i have found a huge diamond. no, that doesn't work either. well, to me, this locale is a place of refuge that makes me feel like i don't live in texas, not meaning to say there is anything wrong with living in texas. it is just that i am accustomed to runs and ventures happening in the foothills of the rockies or the indian himalayas, [not too bad]. i knew the barton creek greenbelt was there, but i did not realize how close it was to my digs. it is close. across the street and down the hill a tad, close. out of the four times i have been there, i have pulled off three successful attempts at getting royally lost. scrambling here and there, knowing i had placed a carin there or here, i popped out in foreign territory. oh the beauties of running into the unknown. if you live in austin or are making a trip you cannot pass up a hike, bike or trail run in this outdoor playground. plus, i hear when we it rains [ha] the creek fills with water [see below] and you can dive right in. i'm on the waiting list for that!

welp, here is a fantastic shot [i didn't take] of barton creek greenbelt looking rather nostalgic. just throw some color in the mix and nix the water.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

home: studio: where the sunset never fails you.



...for those of you comin' home

baddaboom


grad school starts tomorrow.
yep.
that means a heck of a lot has happened in the past months, well, since may of my last post. it saddens me that i have been cheating on this blog with other amusements. the least of which is couch lounging, the most of which is bavarian journies. if i could chat and relay all that has been felt/experienced/gazed upon/devoured/soaked up, please believe me when i say i would. though to be quite honest with you, whomever you are, things just got a little too personal. so personal it made some changes. good, great, wonderful changes.

moving forward....i have a new city to explore. austin is the choice and it gives me great pleasure to traverse through this city and find its magnificence. because i hear it's there to experience.

rajasthanitimes

we ventured west. far far west to the thar desert of rajasthan.

this was the first time to really be a tourist traveler, if you will, in india. and let me tell you, it was as crazy as you would imagine india to be. we were hooted at, adorned, part of family portraits, hawk eyed by rickshaw drivers, hassled by locals trying to get our last rupee. each night we fell face first completely exhausted into our "bed" though our landing place seldom came in the form of a traditional mattress & sheets. it could have been the overnight train berth, the soft thar desert sand, or the local bus economy seat we took to agra where my feet extended out the window to fully stretch out for the evening.

jaisalmer was magical and an oasis amongst the harsh desert land
jaipur was pink and full of nightly commotion that landed us at a fashion show
agra is the host city for the taj mahal and an obligated venture for any architect

a few shots of jaisalmer
i couldn't let you live without seeing
[and more to come]

-oooooooooooooooo----------some of the local flavor

the camera lens got a bit of sand in it....oops----ooooooooooooooo

i here declare this space: soft & sandy-----ooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooo------we survived a year-sandstorm.
this was the first light of the next morning
we drank sand.
i'm not kidding

a jain temple inside the fort with helpful staff :)-------oooooooooooo

ooooooo------jaisalmer fort struck by moonlight and jeeps

goatgiving

a shot from a day-trip to ladour village this past weekend where we gave four goats to the woman in green. she had tears of joy to give us in return.

this one time...

i went to the local hospital.
my tummy was not feeling so great and needed some attention :( i blame the delicious yet new food Annu cooks for us and i've been indulging in each day. though apparently a weak stomach is even common for the local indian. just maybe i am fitting right in, now for the blinding white complexion i've managed, that is a different story.

my first visit to the landour hospital was with ivy and sure glad she accompanied me on this venture. who would have known to go to window #2 promptly? also being sure to leave zero space between you and then next person in '"line" or you would perpetually be between the last and second to last person. if you managed to stand your ground you were awarded with questions in this order:

are you married?
why are you single?
what is your husbands name?
well then, what is your father's name?
don't you have correct change for your visit?

then on to room #5 or #7 depending on ...on...well i'm not sure how they determined that one, perhaps whichever doctor became available first. then back over to window #1 to settle your bill for the 1.5 minute doctor visit and brown bag pills. lastly, over to the pharmacy to pick up said medicine. waaaala! medicine given to cure me until the next time i swallow a drop of unfiltered water or devour an unwashed bunch of grapes.

there was no insurance needed, no background medical history or even a check of the passport to make sure i am who i am. just happy to serve and quite inexpensive. thank you, indian health care.

in total:
one time registration fee------- 200 rupees
plastic cup for testing in the lab-- 75 rupees
3 different prescriptions---------70 rupees
that comes to: $7.67 USD !

photogs

well folks we had a photo contest in the office. all the way with an anonymous vote. the hardest part was choosing just ONE photograph to enter. our amazing in house photographer, anni, won. not such a big surprise as her image was wonderful. plus, i'm a fan of repetition.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
here is the one i picked; taken right after we arrived in bombay.
also included is a haiku description just for you, you're welcome.

open eyes to dark
locals gait, rickshaw hail, horn.
nightscape of Bombay


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



take a look at that gentleman [photo by grahamfrank]

for the love of clothes

i don't know that i have experienced in full the relationship that is love/hate. but that all changed when i met the DUPATTA. the dupatta is the scarf, the shawl, the wrap, the long hanging piece of fabric that completes the entire salwar kameez outfit. presenting yourself without the dupatta draped around your neck would be like showing up for an interview without your suit pants on. the salwar kameez is the typical attire for northern indian women while in the south you see more women wearing sari's. the pants [salwar] have room for two, maybe three and are beyond comfortable. plus, you can wear them in any color of the rainbow and not look like a popsicle stick. it's cool if everyone else is doing it, right? and i quote " No respectful lady would go out in public without a Dupatta and silk drawers"...oh my.

the love: this little pieces of cloth is more than amazing in so many ways, it is versatile to the max and it comes in handy when i least expect it to. so far the dupatta has served as:

- a SCARF [duh] to cover what girls have and boys don't - it's the truth.
- a "lights out" mechanism while trying to fall asleep on the overnight train to mumbai -
- a gimmick for carrying too many figs to fit in my palms - exhibit a
- a semi-structural draping to protect my face from the sun -
- towel usage when yours is forgotten at home -
- opened up wide for use as a blanket on a cold ride with the windows down -
- protection device from bugs & grass while napping -

the uses or misuses

the hate: hate is such a stout word. when it comes down to it i suppose there is less animosity towards the dupatta than i thought. the thing is, i associate it with a scarf and a scarf keeps your neck warm in frigid weather. you should want to wear a scarf. the last place anyone wants a long piece of fabric around is their neck. especially when one is hot or tangled or fighting for freedom from a thirty lb. backpack and the dupatta has somehow wrapped itself in knots. yes, then you want to rid yourself of the thing, but alas you put it where it is supposed to be and carry on. maybe it's like someone coming to my home county and taking the laces out of the running shoes. maybe.

cookery.

so much of experiencing the culture is the indulging of the local food.

there is amazing variety you get with each new place you dwell in and curb your appetite. on our project trip our project leader confessed that he gets most excited about the food as he travels throughout this country, and it sure does change from state to state here. i didn't see one chapati [wheat tortilla type bread multi-tasking utensil] while down south in tamil nadu. and ate more mounds of rice than i consume in a year back home, even as i took only moderate portions of the starch. actually, the indian menu was a rather small anxiety that came up when i found out that i would be living here for an extended period of time. indian food has made its way around the block and is relished by many, many i know. now, i would go to moderate lengths to say i am an adventurous eater and will try just about anything once. though upon arriving and eating homemade indian food i just couldn't move myself to go back for seconds, ever. it was the "soft" consistency that got to me, the mushy-ness, if you will. though the flavors and spice were welcomed. with a few months under my belt i've grown accustomed to this style of cooking and have come to love a few dishes. i will no doubt be bringing home some recipes to my american kitchen. however, i do hear that they just "don't quite taste the same" when food is cooked out of it's own home roots. we will see!

...it can be a little odd taking pictures of food, but once you eat a delicious meal and there is nothing but a blank plate you always wish you had snapped a shot of the art that is food...

{plates too large for normal food consumption}

{sauce.sauce.chutney.paper-thin goodness}

{dihe, subjee, dal and poppers!}

{a breakfast schmamwich pre train boarding}

{veggies of too many kinds}


mmm.mmm. delicious.

"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only
who is foreign."

{women in their saris in front of india gate}

i just returned from a three week journey that took us all across india. the homecoming, as i have discussed before is such a beautiful thing. and for the the to semi-prompt to do list:

respond to the racked up electronic mail
hear familiar voices from across the ocean
stretch the legs with trail runs & yoga
process with words and pictures a plenty
snuggle in my cocoon bed
devour more books
and last but not least-relay a few musing thoughts on this little blog