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225_ARCHITECTURAL VICISSITUDE - PRESENTATION 01

2008-09-26T21:55:00.001-04:00

today was my first of many presentations which will occur over the next year (225 days). despite the limited amount of work necessary, it was still nerve racking knowing that the information i showed today would effect the work i produce for an entire year. the review when well enough. here are the three slides created for today.

an analysis of contemporary theoretical discourse

an analysis of virtual and geometric architecture and the theoretical readings which promote both

1st proposal of concept, program, and site options

Still Here...

2008-08-07T02:02:00.000-04:00

so...i'm still alive, i just don't really give a shit about blogging anymore. to sum up the past three months, i've been: 1)working, 2)partying, 3) traveling...just a little, 4) working some more...which blows by the way, oh and almost forgot, 5) my cuz from ireland is livin with me. here's a picture of us at pyt last weekend.

school starts in just a few weeks and i'll be starting my degree project. i think recording my project will be a good idea. ya...mite have to start that. in the interim, here's a few pages from my new portfolio. its 5"x10" plus an added fold so just imagine it folded in half. it'll make more sense when i'm done. until then...

Yellow...

2008-04-25T13:06:00.001-04:00

Only in West Hollywood

2008-04-25T04:38:00.000-04:00

uhhh...i think the image speaks for itself. sorry for the crude image but it's the best i could do while driving.

PHOTOgraphy_week13

2008-04-18T16:07:00.000-04:00

this photograph was taken over the midwest last week during the storms they were having.

Easily Amused

2008-04-18T15:54:00.001-04:00

PHOTOgraphy_week... uhhh

2008-03-27T02:58:00.000-04:00

so...i realized today that i was 4 projects behind in photography and chose to use the day to catch up. having said this, i decided, during a conversation with a friend, that i'm really disappointed with the Photo class that i'm taking which explains all the crap i've been posting. i'm looking forward to stop photographing chairs and shadows and getting back to some entertaining subject matter. here's some new crap...

urban landscape

shadow comp 01

shadow comp 02

britney caught off guard

furniture comp 01

furniture comp 02

body abstract...thanks k

WDHC

2008-03-20T22:14:00.000-04:00

here's my latest typography project. its a poster for an LAPHIL concert series coming up this year at the Disney concert hall. it's basically a study in the deconstruction of the traditional grid utilizing grid abstraction, hierarchy, and composition to inform both the design and potentially, the viewer.

NAAB

2008-03-16T05:09:00.001-04:00

here's a tast of one of the graphics i did for the NAAB (national architecture accreditation board) gallery which ended last week. this map showing all the countries woodbury is affiliated w/ is a 10'x6' vinyl cut graphic. the image doesn't do it justice.

PHOTOgraphy_week 6

2008-03-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

believe it or not...this environmental photograph is made from 33 photographs. mad PS skills...

PHOTOgraphy_week 02-4

2008-02-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

outdoor portrait

diffused light portrait

artificial light portrait

PHOTOgraphy_week 01

2008-01-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

i'm enrolled in a digital photography class this semester which so far seems like it's going to be a lot of fun. first weeks assignment was to photograph anything we want. heres a few of the pics i liked...

the cal trans building...

the disney concert hall...

the trash that bridges the gap between the two.

"My List"

2008-01-09T02:01:00.000-05:00

although not a huge fan i feel somewhat inspired by the words of the killers and have deemed this song good background music while writing this post. i guess i should start out by saying...happy new year. after reading a friends blog this evening i realized that it is 8 days into 2008 and i have yet again failed to make any new years resolutions. determined to for once set some good goals and actually abide by them i figure i should write a list (thanx for the idea jfk). here goes...

1. get my m1 license
2. pay off fucn credit card dept
3. throw away credit card
4. buy a motorcycle
5. get an internship with graft
6. don't crash motorcycle
7. get a tattoo with mom
8. find perfect girlfriend
9. learn maya
10. don't fuck up relationship with perfect girlfriend

well...maybe just a few things off the list will suffice. have a good year guys

IDEO’s completion commences my sabbatical from architecture...FINALLY

2007-12-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

exterior rendering showing dual program

interior rendering showing entrance to studio spaces

i'm not exactly done with this semester but having completed what seems like the longest most drawn out project of my life, for lack of a better word, is lovely. the above images are a couple of renderings i whipped up a couple nights ago. mad props to logarithmic mental ray.

TAKE NOTE…a single act of stupidity overshadows all previous achievements

2007-11-25T01:50:00.000-05:00

keeping with this blogs recent tradition of highlighting my imprudent behavior i would like to tell a story of a young man who missed his boat from ensenada to los angeles (encase anyone was wondering, that idiot was me). having recently watched boondock saints i feel the need to "tarantino this bitch" to properly set the mood. I'M STANDING ON A DOCK IN ENSENADA WATCHING MY CRUSE SHIP SAIL OFF INTO THE SUNSET AND ALL I CAN THINK OF IS MY MOM AND DAD KICKING MY ASS. having said this i suddenly don't feel like elaborating on the events of the previous 5 hours but i will say that yes, i may have had a few to many drinks while exploring the streets of ensenada, but no i wasn't as drunk as what was conveyed to my parents upon their realization that i was not aboard. in all honesty i was under the impression that we had to be back to the ship at 5:00 pm, but i bet thats what every idiot that misses their boat says. i made it back to los angeles thanks to my awesome friends lechera and elefante from tijuana but thats not really the point of this post...

i'de like to take this chance to do what i have always had trouble doing in person. i'd like to apologize to all those who were insulted by my irresponsible and immature actions last weekend. please disregard my recent acts of stupidity as they are a poor reflection of my character. i'm sorry...please don't fire or disown me!

BON VOYAGE…wait that’s my boat!

2007-11-25T01:44:00.000-05:00

this is what it looks like to miss your ride back to los angeles. it's almost amusing that my favorite picture from the entire trip was at a time of desperation in which i realized that i was stuck in mexico...almost amusing.

"oh no...she's a rejector"

2007-11-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

two stories, one title.
sometimes when guys sing about giving blow jobs while wearing spandex, makeup, fishnet stalkings, and frilly womens boots from the 80's, i think they're gay...sometimes they have a wife, two kids, and are in the best band ever! i love you of montreal!
secondly...sometimes when you feel like you're hitting on conjoined twins you should just quit and move on. no matter how gorgeous one of them is, its just not gunna happen.

breast cancer saved my life...

2007-11-10T15:19:00.000-05:00

probably not the most sensitive title i've ever attached to a post but in many ways true...minus the whole cancer thing, and having breasts...whatever. anyway, after a sorority sponsored event on thursday night to raise money for breast cancer i found myself in an unpleasant situation reminiscent of my early days of puberty and the night i met my first girlfriends dad. the difference was, instead of being told to keep my dick in my pants i was being accused of driving drunk and was forced to administer balance tests as if i was trying out for the fucn circus. while these events may seem different, in both i found myself totally embarassed in front of a new girl and fearing for my life...hence the odd comparison. i wont give the blow-by-blow but i will say that while under extreme stress i found myself constantly referring to the breast cancer event i had just attended and my admiration for the Y-Me breast cancer organization...desperate times call for desperate measures. anyway, i'm happy to say that after mastering my balancing act i passed the breathalysers with a 0.07! (legally drunk = 0.08...isn't that some bullshit!). i was so happy i almost shit myself. so...the moral of the story is, when u go to a breast cancer event with a pretty girl (...and friends), 1) keep it to one drink, 2) turn on your fucn headlights when you leave the parking structure, and 3) keep your dick in your pants...metaphorically of course.

B-Riz + Hiz-Air (1) Midgets w/ Attitude (4)

2007-11-05T17:45:00.000-05:00

this weekend at my buddy DM's house i was manhandled by midgets with wiimotes during the first annually Wii tennis tournament. laugh all you want but, coming from someone who didn't even know what a Wii was, it was a blast. as you can tell by the tittle of this post my partner Hiz-Air and i were totally crushed by 14 YEAR OLDS. excuse the emphasis but during one of our 4 losses i referred to my opponent as a 12 year old and was abruptly corrected. "I'M 14 ASSHOLE". kids these days have some dirty fucking mouths. good news is, we totally got the prize for best dressed. that makes us the real Wiinners right?

San Francisco...The Transgender Capitol of the World

2007-10-23T18:48:00.000-04:00

I went to frisco this past weekend to visit IDEO (the company i am designing an LA office for) and went to the de young museum, the federal building, haight ashbury...blah blah blah. not to say that that stuff wasn't kool but this post isn't about architecture or marijuana, its about transvestites!

so, some friends and i went out to a few bars while we were up north and ended up at a trany bar. my friend of questionable sexuality recommended the place which kinda weirded me out but i figured it would be an interesting learning experience...sometimes stupid ideas sound good when you're drunk. when i walked in i was expecting huge dudes in dresses "birdcage" style but found myself almost disappointed when i saw regular people. I wasn't until the end of the first round that BO pointed out a waitress who...excuse my french...could have had a dick. i totally wasn't' sure until we decided to take pictures with them and she/he/it put its manly hand on my back. i will say, definitely the most convincing trany i've ever been kissed by.

i tried to run but my buddy JL, the one i mentioned earlier, in his drunken stupor tried to come out of the closet by making out with "it". while trying to justify his actions he later asked me if it was gay to make out with a girl that used to have a penis. i'll leave this question for you to ponder. in case you were wondering, i reassuringly told him he was a fag.

in other news...my mom's failed attempts to turn me gay have lead to attempted canine transsexuality. poor max/maxine

climbing mountains really makes you realize what a fat-ass you are

2007-10-17T01:18:00.000-04:00

just to preface this story i'll start wednesday night in studio where i sat all night working on the same fucking program diagram i've been working on for the past month. Thursday...ya, more of the same fucking program diagram and even less sleep. and finally friday, (this will be the last "fucking" of this story...i promise) the most pointless fucking mid review ever.
now that i've got that off my chest i can tell you about my stress free exercise intensive weekend. My dad, his business partner jim, jims son andrew, and i climbed up the side of mount whitney to the cottonwood lakes as part of a tradition we've had trouble keeping. well, its actually been about 9 years since the last time i went but who's counting. there's actually not a whole lot to tell. i didn't sleep at all on thursday night for my presentation friday then skipped most of studio so that i could drive out to lonepine to start my backpacking extravaganza. long story short...we climbed up a big mountain, which as you can tell by the title of this post was not easy, we froze our asses off in the snow like real men do in the wilderness, then we climbed down. sounds boring but it was actually pretty fun. i didn't get any fishing in but since i decided to lug my big ass camera and tripod up the side of the mountain i figured i should take some good pictures. here's a few of the lake we camped on and the surrounding landscape.

a few words of advise to any who feel inspired by this post and plan to go backpacking in the wilderness:
1. bring a large knife or you'll end up cutting up your dinner with a nail file...ask my dad
2. don't be too lazy or too proud to carry up the extra 2 lb padded mat to sleep on, its totally worth it.
3. and finally, check the weather before you go...apparently it snows in the mountains. who knew?

the most depressing 30 SECONDS of my life

2007-09-23T03:03:00.000-04:00

instead of partying with friends last night i took pictures of myself in the dark...wow

how to be PC in situations regarding NIKE

2007-09-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

san fernando home (sorry about the barrel distortion...not my camera)

while trying to remain relatively "politically correct" i find myself constantly entertained by the stupidity of the human race. when i first saw this amazing site in san fernando this last weekend three questions immediately came to mind: who (with regards to race of course), why, and finally how? while these questions simmer in your own mind let me just entertain you with a few of my own thoughts. who: without jumping to conclusions i"ll simply state that based on the neighborhood i was in it's fare to say that this person has no affiliation with the nike corporation. why: i'm still kinda stumped by this one but i'm willing to give this person the benefit of the doubt and say that it was like that when they moved in? how: and finally, the question that has been really lingering in my mind. unless i'm totally out of the loop i'm pretty sure this isn't something they sell at the local home depot and thus means that this person went to the effort to, by hand, create not only this portion of the fence but a total of 17 of these pieces. now thats dedication.

I THINK I ATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN CHINA

2007-08-17T03:05:00.000-04:00

30 seconds

2007-08-11T02:02:00.001-04:00

Dana Point...10:52 pm

my max is cuter

2007-08-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

so i got home on wednesday's afternoon and drove strait to lucky boy for a breakfast burrito, which mite i add, was fucking amazing! but, even more exciting was what i was greeted by as i walked through the door. i sat down to eat but before i could take a second bite my mom told me to close my eyes because she had a surprise for me. i put out my hands and was shocked when i was handed this little puppy.

his name is max and he's a little terror. the funniest pary of the whole situation is the immense amount of hatred lizzie (my moms other dog) has for max. all he wants to do is play with her but lizzie wont have anything to do with it. so...we now have two dogs in the house, one thats extremely jealous and wont eat, and another new addition who is totally cute but is only 10 weeks old and still isn't potty trained. its quite the fiasco.

The End

2007-07-30T16:42:00.000-04:00

this is officially my final blog for this summers study abroad trip...how depressing. that was the fastest three months of my life! it feels like just yesterday i was sitting at lax drinkin bloody mary's while waiting for our flight to china. as fast as it went i still cant wait to go home. its weird being away for so long. for my last couple days here without school work hanging over my head i decided to play tourist and see all the things i missed or wanted to go back to. heres some photos...

berlin dome

gallery by schinkle

1968 olympic stadium

libeskin's jewish museum

gehry's dz bank

foster's reichstag dome

to be continued...

The BIGGEST BEER CAN i've ever seen

2007-07-21T20:34:00.001-04:00

the beer tasted like shit, but the experience was worth it. whats up with the germans and their need to make everything so big?..and even more important...why aren't they all fat?

the ultimate driving machine meets the ultimate manufacturing

2007-07-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

not to say that my time in berlin hasn't been eventful and educational, but my experience at the bmw factory in leipzig this last tuesday made my trip. designed by zaha hadid, the entrance of this factory, as can be expected from zaha, is beautiful. but, where the magic happens is inside. unfortunately, we were not permitted to take any pictures during our 2 hour tour. past the administrative functions of zaha's building lies a massive factory (obviously not designed by zaha) which encases the most advanced and intuitive manufacturing i have ever seen. while walking through the factory i felt like i was in a starwars episode, totally surrounded by machines building machines, droids transferring parts from one station to another, and a surprising lack of human inhabitance. i never realized how advanced production of these beautiful cars was. hers a couple pictures of the exterior

oops, i did it again

2007-07-17T17:36:00.001-04:00

for some reason oblivious to me, i decided to ride the the line of the berlin wall on the hottest day since we've been here with a cut off t-shirt and no sunblock. real smart! you would think that i would have learned after my last sunburn incident which left my hand prints scarred into my chest. apparently i'm a slow learner.

yes, it hurts as bad as it looks

uhhh...ya, thats my watch tan. sexy isn't it

i'm gunna die of chines food poisoning

2007-07-14T08:56:00.001-04:00

todays been a stressfully day. first a fucked up haircut and now this...

my buddy just sent me a link about a popular snack in china. it made my stomach turn. lets just say...i ate these a few times and now i know why they tasted like cardboard. check it out.

no-hawk

2007-07-14T08:41:00.000-04:00

so i tried to get a fohawk/mullet/weird euro haircut today (they're really popular in germany) at this hair studio next to my apartment but things didn't quite work out...actually, i got the exact fuckin opposite of what i wanted. after about 5 minutes of hand signals and the most broken english i have experienced yet, i was under the impression that the hair stylist knew what i wanted. 2 min later i realized that she was doing the exact opposite of what i asked for...a bozo haircut if u will. she cut the back really short, trimmed the top, and left the sides totally long. to make a long and extremely nerve racking story short, she totally fucked up my hair! don't worry, it all fixed now. this is officially the second time i have tried and failed to get a fohawk/mullet/weird euro haircut. i think someone is trying to tell me something.

The Bauhaus

2007-07-13T11:34:00.000-04:00

the corner of gropius allee and bauhaus strasse

this week we went to the bauhaus. for those of you who don't know, the bauhaus is the culmination of all that is modernist architecture. since my first year in arch school i've been subjected to architectural history, all of which somehow ties back into walter gropius and the famous picture of this building below. it was almost surreal to, not only see it in person, but to spend a night there.

the bauhaus (a very close impersonation of the famous bauhaus photo)

sorry i haven't been posting very often or in very much quantity. there's alot going on here in berlin. between all the class, school work, bike tours of the city, and the most outrageous party scene in the world, i'm not sleeping too much. i cant believe i'll be home in 2 weeks...this trip is going way too fast. how depressing.

i cant think of a title for this post that isn't insensitive

2007-07-08T07:01:00.000-04:00

on friday we visited our first concentration camp just outside of berlin. although it is apparently not one of the most preserved of the camps in germany it still evoked feelings of entrapment and darkness (of course it didn't help that it was gloomy and raining).

the entrance to the camp which all prisoners walked through. literally translated "work will set you free"

central gathering area for all prisoners

one of the few abandoned guard houses remaining on the site

possibly the most disturbing area in the camp...this is were prisoners were taken in groups and shot. it is conveniently located next to the morgue

one of the remaining guard towers

on a lighter note...this is my place of work. as you can see, we have a studio on the 10th floor of this 15 story building. on floors 12-15 is one of the best clubs in berlin (or so we've been told). on friday night after our depressing but good visit to genenkstatt concentration camp, we decided to test the waters. it was great. i wont reveal too many details but i will say that i left the club at 7 in the morning. unfortunately, saturday was solely a day for recuperation. i cant wait to go back! (after i get some work done of course)

mein neues Junggesellehaus!!!

2007-07-04T17:32:00.000-04:00

what do you guys think of my new bachelor pad in berlin? doesnt it look cozy?

just kidding...

Guten Tag! (06.18-07.02)

2007-07-02T12:40:00.000-04:00

i think that means good afternoon? i'm in berlin, germany now which means that my 2 week vacation is over. sorry i havent posted anything in a while, i've been without my computer and internet for the last couple weeks. my last couple of days in england and my week in spain were great. i'm not gunna give you the blow-by-blow cuz i don't want to bore anyone but i guess i'll hit the key points. i think i saw every tourist attraction in the city and a lot of amazing architecture. gaudi's work (sagrada familia, park guell, casa mila...) and the contemporary architecture of the city (barcelona forum, agbar tower,...) was amazing. as usual...here's some photos.

sagrada familia

park guell

barcelona forum

i have no idea what this is but it looks kool

...ditto

agbar tower

back to work for me...

Food and a Bath (06.16-06.18)

2007-06-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

finally!!! some good food! for the past few days i've done nothing but eat and drink. its so nice to eat food not because i'm starving or because i think it would become an interesting commentary for the blog, but because its good. and the beer...dont get me started on the beer. LP and i have been getting shitted - 'dritte' (my new favorite norwegian way of saying drunk) at lunch and dinner almost every day. sunday we shared a traditional sunday roast and a plate of bacon wrapped faggots! yummmmmm. The english love their faggots!!! that afternoon i began my new list of things i've tried...BEER. Sorry, the list will not be as exciting as the one i compiled in china but it will definitely be more fun for me. i think this list will last the duration of this trip.

monday we took a trip down to bath and actually made it there!!! third times the charm! bath is a beautiful city renowned for (i bet u can guess) their baths. after a tour of the roman baths and a stroll around the city we decided to pause for a quick pint in a local old mans pub. while at coeur de lion, i began to talk with an older gentleman who was a retired engineer. by the end of my pint i had met a few of the other old men (all very interesting and intelligent people), the owner of the pub/brewer of the beer i was drinking, and the owners of some other local pubs. they gave me a list of the top 10 pubs in bath and a map where they were located. it was great. if only i had time to go to them all. next time...

tried to go to london on tuesday but missed our bus...not a whole lot to say about that. instead LP and i went to a pub and had a few pints, walked around bristol and did some shopping, got my hair cut, and finally "drank the bar dry" (an event at the bar that LP works at). they needed to get rid of their booze, we wanted to get drunk, so it was pretty much a win win situation.

off to barcelona tomorrow...sangria and paella here i come.

England (06.15...)

2007-06-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

I MADE IT TO ENGLAND!!! i've never enjoyed the site of "whites" so much in my entire life. after a long flight my friends and i sat on the runway waiting for a spot to dock. to make matters worse, i was harassed by the snooty old man at the customs booth because he didn't like americans and then the airport lost the entire flight's baggage for about an hour. it all went a bit pear-shaped but once i saw LP all was great.

after a short drive, a quick dinner, and an ever faster shower we were off to the UWE degree project show. unfortunately, we were caught in the rain on the way and walked into the the show completely soaked. it made for an interesting time. the show was great. heres a example of some of the graphics, illustration, and textiles work:

LP's exploration of the word [poole]
http://www.vibs.no/

SP's (LP's flat mate) illustration work
http://www.shellyperkins.co.uk/

nothing seemed to go as planned the entire day but it was still quite a lot of fun. it's great to finally be in england...

The End...of china that is

2007-06-14T05:15:00.001-04:00

today may have been my last day in china, but it was definitely my favorite day. ya, we were chased by security a couple times and almost arrested, but how many people can say that they have been inside both the olympic stadium (birds nest) and the aquatic center (water cube).

ln, jfk, sn, and me after our first failed attempt

our trip down to the new olympic center started out very poorly. the first 2 gates we visited turned us away before we could even begin to ask about touring the stadium (our inability to speak any chinese didn't help the situation). finally we took matters into our own hands. by this i mean we jumped a fence and became trespassers. for the next hour or so we inched our way closer and closer to the stadium. it was during this march that we were confronted by security/police on more than one occasion. thankfully, every time we came in contact with their blue and white van there was a barrier between us.

just about every side of the stadium

at about noon time the entire construction site emptied for lunch and the boys and i were left to roam the site with very little threat of being removed. it was at this point that we decided to make our way into the stadium. all i can say is that i have never been so excited about architecture in my entire life. for lack of better words...the olympic stadium is the most beautiful building i have ever experienced.

when we finally had our fill, we decided to try our luck at the aquatic center. ln and sn worked their magic and before we knew it we had convinced 2 sets of guards to let us enter the building. this experience didn't last long. the workers were back from lunch and insisted that we could not tour the building without hardhats. as we walked out we snapped as many pictures as possible.

this was the perfect way to end a great experience in china. i'm off to england tomorrow and then i'll be in spain the following week. not sure how often i'll be able to access the internet, but i'll do my best to post whats going on. Zhi jian...

I Want Some Real Food!!!

2007-06-12T07:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is a picture of me eating an insect! Apparently bugs are on the menu. Last night my friends decided that it would be fun to go to wangfujing (a night market in Beijing) for dinner. For some reason unknown to me, I decided to tag along. Peer pressure’s a bitch. After a few beers we worked up enough courage to start eating. I am proud and also disgusted to say that I have now eaten locus, grasshopper, scorpion, and even sea horse. Those of you who know how terrified I am of bugs can appreciate this achievement. Some of my more adventuresome friends tried water beetle, centipede, and silkworm…I hade to draw the line somewhere. It was the strangest dinner of my entire life but I will never forget it. Enjoy the pictures…

an assortment of insects...yummmm

jfk enjoying th largest centipede i have ever seen

wow...thats a big one

dm and sh manhandling their centipedes

If anyone is interested in watching a video, check out these links:
(((bugs 01)))

(((bugs 02)))

Beijing (06.10-11)

2007-06-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

beijing is unlike any city i have ever been to. since 2001 when they were chosen to host the 2008 olympics, the city has been over run by construction. it is by far the most modern city i have ever been to. over the next week we will be seeing as much of the city as possible. our first couple days were an introduction to the historical aspects of our surroundings including the forbidden city and the great wall of china (located outside of the city).

I'm sorry to say this but, the forbidden city resembles disneyland...there were tourists everywhere, lines, street venders, and pretty much everything you would expect from an amusements park but the rollercoasters. the chinese have got to be the only civilization that refurbishes their historical architecture (not to say that that is a bad thing). the entire forbidden city looked as if it was built only last year. we entered the northern gate of the city and worked our way south which is actually the exact opposite of how the city is meant to be experienced. this forced us to exit the city into Tienanmen square, the largest public space i have ever seen. apparently this space is meant to house a populous of about 600, 000 people not including the street which can accommodate 6 tanks driving abreast. we walked across the square in hopes of seeing the encased body of mao but where disappointingly turned away. heres a picture of the group in front of the entrance to the forbidden city.

monday morning we decided to get out of the city. we first stopped at a cluster of ming tombs. i wont talk much about this because i wasn't thoroughly impressed by the site. the tomb was in great condition but frankly, it looked just like the tomb we saw last week. let just say that the historical chinese architectural style, while extremely interesting, has become somewhat repetitive. we then made our way to the great wall of china. For those of you who have not experienced this monumental wall, it is by far the most spectacular sight i have seen since i have been in china. after a short gondola ride up a steep mountain we were left to explore. two hours later we had walked many miles along the wall, my legs where shaking, and i could barely breath, but i could have stayed longer. the wall is, for lack of a better word, was amazing.

Zhi Jian Nanjing

2007-06-10T11:24:00.000-04:00

of all the pictures i have taken in china, this one takes the cake. for those of you who don't understand i will simply say that this was slightly out of character for my teacher NR. its nice to know that even our teachers know how to have a good time

the evening started out at a very nice restaurant at 1912...unfortunately, the drinking started after our stressful post office experience at about 3:00. By the time dinner with our partners and teachers ended we were all totally shit-canned and ready to dance.

the club that night was by far one of the most fun nights i have had in nanjing. not because of the music or the mass consumption of alcohol, but because it was all of us. dancing on the stage at a8 had become a regular event but dancing with my teachers on a stage while jfk is stripping and our chinese partners are trying alcohol for the first time definitely made this night a night to remember. Heres a few pictures of the mayhem. sorry...i was told i couldnt post any of the really good pics.

no comment needed

i only put this pic up because i liked my GQ pose

beijing here we come...

Prost!!!...from China?

2007-06-05T10:50:00.000-04:00

Ok...maybe the German restaurant was a little premature but we couldn't help it. Sorry for the horrendous picture but it was the only one that i had that illustrated the tremendous size of this beer. It was like the biggest beer i have ever had for breakfast (don't worry mom, we had breakfast at 2:00 because we were out till six the night before...sorry, that wasn't very comforting). Lets just say...Shanghai is nothing like Nanjing.

Our class was only supposed to go to Shanghai on Sunday but naturally a few of us opted to spend a little more time away from Nanjing. After our presentation in the afternoon, we hopped on a train in hopes of arriving in time to go out to some of the infamous clubs. Based on what i said earlier i am sure you have gathered that we had a good time out. the next day was a little rough but don't worry, we got plenty done. The afternoon started out with breakfast at a German restaurant which, might i add, was amazing. We then headed out to do some sight seeing. Unfortunately, we got sidetracked. 5 pairs of designer jeans, a jacket and a pair of shoes later the day was gone and it was time to go out again. Sorry to gloss over the shopping but theres too much to talk about. Just so you know, I only spent $90 dollars on everything i listed above...The shopping in this city is outrageous.

LN and I in a store at the copy mart

That night was somewhat uneventful but I would like to mention that i had the best Cheeseburger I've had in three weeks. Well, the only cheeseburger I've had in three weeks, but thats not the point. As i am sure you have gathered, we took every opportunity to eat anything but Chines food while we were in Shanghai...it was great. We went to bed somewhat early that night in anticipation for the next days site seeing.

Monday, we were supposed to be back in class but we hadn't had enough of Shanghai (sorry nick but we had to experience as much as possible). In the morning we went to the Jin Mao tower (the tallest tower in Shanghai) and went to the observation deck to view the entire city. The view was spectacular, but unfortunately it was an indoor observation area.

After the tower we made our way to the Yu Garden in the historical area of town. The garden was beautiful, but yet again the weather hindered my ability to take a decent picture. It was cloudy the entire day and rained a few times but the garden and the surrounding buildings where very enjoyable. I wish i had a scanner so that i could show some of my drawings of these places...they do a much better job of illustrating the atmosphere.

The final site for the day was probobly the most interesting place i have been on this entire trip. A select few of us were invited to visit s.p.a.m. which is Qingyun Ma's architectural office in Shanghai. In case you don't know who i am talking about, Ma is the new dean of the architecture program at USC and the project architect for Rem Koolhaas. While we were there we gathered with a group of students from University of Toronto, USC, and SCI-arc to watch a presentation of the offices most recent work. Lets just say, i would move to Shanghai in a second if i was offered an internship at this office. Enough said. We had to leave the presentation early to catch our train which was disappointing but i don't think it would have been good if we had missed another day of class.

Now that i am back in Nanjing all i want is to be in Shanghai. It was an amazing city full of history, culture, contemporary architecture, and yes, a great variety of food. Only another few days here and then we are off to Beijing. I cant wait. Heres a couple more pictures i took while exploring the city...

China Urban Project

2007-06-02T05:52:00.000-04:00

I’m done! Sorry I haven’t posted anything lately. We had our final presentation for our urban project in Nanjing this afternoon so I guess I’ve been slightly preoccupied. I wouldn’t say that my group finished but with projects like these I don’t think there is ever a final resolution. If anyone is interested I will show you the entire project (about 60 slides) but until then here is a few slides of our final proposal. I’m off to Shanghai for the weekend. I’m sure I’ll have some more interesting news to deliver on Monday when I return.

Bachelor Pad

2007-05-27T02:14:00.000-04:00

So i Guess some of you were interested to see our living conditions. They may not be the nicest rooms but at least they have air conditioning and a proper toilet. No complaints here

Nice Hat

2007-05-27T01:21:00.000-04:00

Suzhou (05.26)

2007-05-27T00:21:00.000-04:00

Finally, we got out of Nanjing! Saturdays trip to Suzhou started at about 7 in the morning after a long night at the clubs at 1912 (a bar district by our apartment). Suzhou is a small city about half way to Shanghai. Its supposedly one of the most beautiful canal cities in the area, but seems to be experiencing quite a bit of industrialization and growth. While we were there we went to Zhuo Zheng Yuan (the Humble Administrators Garden), the Suzhou Museum, and a very beautiful Pagoda for which i have no name. I am almost ashamed to say this but, the garden was of the most interest to me. Not because of the beautiful landscape, but because of who i met there...and by met i mean followed around for about 30 min. I was taking pictures and looked up and saw the one and only Natalie Portman. For those of you who don't know, she's the beautiful actress from the new Starwars movies. In case you where wondering, she's just as hot in person as in the movies. Ok, back to school now. The garden was amazing. Apparently, it was built during the ming dynasty in the 14th century and although it has been rebuilt recently, retains many of the same characteristics of the original garden.

After the garden we went to lunch which was better than i had anticipated. On the way jfk decided to try to fit in with the culture but instead just came off looking like a racist American. We then went to the Suzhou museum, a recent installment in the city. It was very nice but i'm still not a huge fan of museums. I'd much rather just experience the city in it current state which is actually what we did next. We had about three hours to kill until our train back to Nanjing so a few of us went exploring. When we got away from the main drag we experienced some very culturally rich areas. After we decided that we were totally lost we hopped into some rickshaws and headed towards the cities pagoda. Unfortunately, our request was lost in translation and we ended up at a "massage" parlor". The drivers all laughed as they called the girls out to the cart and made rude hand gestures. I would explain further but I'm sure you can use your imagination. After that fiasco the drivers actually took us where we asked.

The pagoda was amazing but the hike to the top definitely took it out of us. I didn't realize how out of shape i was until i reached the top and was gasping for air and seeing stars. Thats about it for our excursion. The train back was about as eventful as a train can be. Overall it was a good day. I'm looking forward to more excursions like this one. One more week of hard work and then we will have plenty of time to explore! I cant wait.

Views of the Zhuo Zheng Yuan Garden

Just some shots from around the city

The "nameless" Pagoda

Week 02 (05.22-05.24)

2007-05-24T05:23:00.000-04:00

Its been raining for 2 days now and i packed nothing but shorts and t-shirts. The weather makes it kinda hard to enjoy the city, but on the bright side, its conducive to work. And trust me, we've got plenty of that. Todays trip was interesting. In the morning we went to the Ganxi House in Nanbuting. It's one of the few remaining historical buildings in the area. Unfortunately, due to the weather, my pictures didn't turn out. I posted a couple below but they definitely don't do the architecture justice. We have another presentation tomorrow for the urban design project we are working on so I'll probably be pulling another all-nighter at the local tea house. I'm kinda disappointed with the lack of time we are allowed to explore the city but we've been told that our final presentation is on june 2nd, leaving us an entire week of exploration in Nanjing and Shanghai(only about 2 hours away by train) and then the following week in Beijing. I cant wait to do some more drawing, photography, and overall tourist stuff. One more week of hard work!

One of the many courtyards at the Ganxi House

Ganxi House rock garden

Ya, its just a tree but but i liked it

Original furnishing from the early 19th century

Savages

2007-05-22T12:37:00.000-04:00

At dinner tonight the discussion of shit and places to shit was brought to my attention after a friend saw the facilities at the restaurant. At the end of the conversation we came to the conclusion that, because the Chinese prefer to shit in a hole instead of a toilet, they are savages. Once we decided this we asked ourselves, “if they’ll shit in a hole, where wont hey shit?” Well, our question was answered during our short walk home when we passed not one, but two people taking a shit while sitting on a bucket next to the sidewalk. I’m not sure but I think it was a father and son. Dad, why haven’t we ever bonded like that? Oh ya, it’s because we’re not savages. Sorry everyone, no pictures this time.

Week 01 (05.14-05.21)

2007-05-22T00:31:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

Hope the beginning of your summer is going well…so far mine is going great. I’ve been in China for a little over a week now and there has been no shortage of excitement. Door to door it took us about 24 hours to get from LA to Beijing, Beijing to Nanjing and then finally to our apartments. Sounds pretty bad but I guess I didn’t mind it.

I’ve come to the conclusion in the past few days that China is crazy! I guess I’ll start with the food. We have been eating the weirdest shit! Our first meal we had black snake, some interesting spiked white fish, and some other shit that was unlike anything I’d ever seen in my life. Since then we’ve had eel a couple times, dried duck blood soup, these eggs that they buried in the ground for a year and then fed us raw, some weird duck liver pastries for breakfast, jelly fish soup, pigeon…and the list goes on. You may not believe this but it all tasted just fine. The best part about the entire situation is, the food is totally cheep! I took out 200 Yuen ($25) the first day we were here and it lasted me about three days which is weird because I was spending quite extravagantly. I played for a huge dinner the second night for 6 of my friends and it cost me $9 with beer and everything. My lunch today cost $.75. Its soooooo cheep!!!!!!!

Besides the food, everything’s about the same…hahha! Wait, no its not. I was at the hospital today (don’t worry, I was their for a friend) and it was the most surreal experience of the entire trip. As I sat in the waiting room, waiting for my friend to finish his appointment, I took the chance to observe the interesting group of people which surrounded me. (Mom, you’ll appreciate this) I watched as a woman repeatedly hocked up phlegm and spit it on the floor in front of her, an act I’ve recently learned is very common throughout the country. As this was going on, an elderly man was chain smoking, numerous men walked around carrying their catheter bag in one hand and their penis in the other, and an enraged elderly man yelled at the nurses. To say the least, it was an eventful morning.

While getting acclimated to the city we’ve also been doing quite a bit of school work and exploring. Our project, in a nut shell, is basically an excursive in urban documentation/research and development which we are doing with a partner from Woodbury and a couple partners from the university in Nanjing we are studying at. I don’t really have anything to show yet, but as soon as I do I’ll post it. I hope it turns out good!

Anyway, I’ll do my best to continue posting information and pictures on this blog as often as I can so that everyone can check out what I’m doing. Feel free to E-mail me any time or leave a comment on this blog. To leave a coment just go to the bottom of the page, select "comment" and start typing. I’d love to hear from all of you. Hope you like the pics.

chinese + American students after our first dinner in China
View of Nanjng from Purple Mountain

New housing blocks on our site in Nanbuting

Cipea's Starchitecture construction site

Zhonghua Gate (1366)