Its rare...

Its rare that i find something through research for architecture that i find worth sharing with the world. I guess that might be sad, but it makes me happy when it happens...

"It will be said, then, on what shall we base our forms? Where shall we find them? And the answer is, in the world which is around you in space, and behind you in time. If you understand it and love it and enjoy it there is your inspiration. The more you are a part of your world the more inspired you will be."
How to Study Landscape -Garret Eckbo

love. truth.

amy.

Silence...

It makes me sad. Not blogging, it makes me sad. I just can't really motivate myself to share what i'm thinking with the world, or at least my small online blog world, right now. Sometimes all a person can do is "ponder on your bed and be still...make justice your sacrifice and trust in the Lord" Psalm 4

I had an entire entry written up, ready to explain away all of life's troubles...but that wasn't really fair, it would never do it justice. So instead, i'll leave you with this:


i will be okay. maybe not today. or tomorrow. not next month. but one day.

do me a favor....
read the bible
listen to Urban Outfitter's LSTN #11
and vote for me on ebay's lookbook... ebaylookbook.com/#288

that number has my favorite number in it, #28. Its also my dad's favorite number. See? Things are already looking up.

I haven't had much to say...

...or I just have too much to say and I don't want to. Life has me quite broken right now and I guess that has left me in a position of little words worth sharing with the world. All I have is this:

"I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies...."

This is just the beginning....Psalm 18.

You know you messed up when...

You're confirmation email from a buy on ebay reads like this...

"Dear friend,

Thanks for your payment ,we hava shipped your items after you pay for us ,in the normal it takes 10-20 working days for arrival.

please, feel free to contact with us after we shipped , we will reply you within 24 hours to 48 hours ,if we delay for respond or miss your email ,hope you can understand that.

Best regards,
speedy-china"


BAH!!!! hahah i should have known, Speedy-China!! Its a good thing I only paid a buck 49!

Friend

What a friend we have in Jesus!
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in Prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in Prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in Prayer.
Do your friends dispise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in Prayer.
In His arms He'll take and shield you,
You will find a solace there.

We sang this at church on Sunday and its one of my favorite hymns! As a young person, friends are terribly important. At every age you are influenced by who you hang around with. But as young adults, constantly changing and searching, friends help mold us into the people we become. And although I believe we will be changing constantly for our entire lives, I think that it is now that we will make the most important decisions that hopefully we'll hold onto and they will set us out on the road to make all of the future decisions. ha, i hope that makes sense. If not, read His word, not mine:

"Do not make friends with a hot tempered man,
do not associate with one easily angered,
or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared"
Proverbs 22: 24-25

And the truth!

"Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13

Could be New York maybe Hollywood and Vine...

I’m finally starting to come to grips with my trip to California and search for future city, future home. I think I’ve been going about it all-wrong, and here is why. Each city that I’ve considered, I love. I went to LA thinking maybe I would hate it and then I’d be able to cross it off of my list….no such luck. I still love NYC, London, Nashville… If I Love each city, does that then mean that I will be happy anywhere? Or rather, I can find a way to be happy anywhere? I think so. My new comfort will come from the saying, ‘let go and let God’, because when it comes right down to it, I pray that I will end up where he wants me. All of the research in the world won’t change that. I do not plan to sit idly by and wait to see what happens to me, but I just may take a backseat and see where the driver is heading before I jump to any conclusions. Maybe God is keeping this a mystery from me because something bigger is coming, something that will change my course into an unforeseeable future. Right now I should just trust that I will end up in a place that is right. And I can take comfort in the fact that if the first place isn’t right, I can move. People move all of the time, I move all of the time. In fact, I’m happiest when I’m moving, constantly exploring something new. Right now, I’m moving to Washington DC, and adventure in its own! I’ve been so wrapped up in trying to figure out where I want to be in the future that I’ve forgotten that I get to be there now. This is part of my plan, to take a step back from the planning and into the moment. I’m going to carpe diem the hell out of my time in DC…and also check out a bit of New York while I’m there….oh boy.

"Native American" fashion trends...

Completely alright or totally ignorant of American Indian Culture and rights?

Check this out:


(Cartoon by Jen Mussari.)

I have my thoughts, but what are yours? Today i stumbled upon this argument that apparently has been going on for a while, starting with the "hipster scene" wearing Native Indian headdresses. Apparently its an issue of Cultural appropriation, where one cultural group (in this case the Hipsters) adopt specific elements of another culture (Native Americans) as their own. When you think about this in relation to the fashion world, what can be considered unique? Isn't every trend guilty of this in some way?

Anyways, i'm going to do some more reading on this, I find it really interesting. Let me know what you think.

capturing fleeting thoughts of life...

Lets find boys in bands who write songs about having to compete with vampires
Lets find a new life where who we see is who we are with no questions asked
To a brand new start and chasing the edge
Let the logo define us and let us be reckless
To the boy competing with vampires, let him be honest
I may not make sense to you but when you experience this you will know
What I say may not be right but it’s where we are and its what we need
To know ourselves and our mistakes, to become something more
To the vampire, let him disappear, and be gone



do you get it? yeah...me neither. not yet.

5th grade. Remember it? I was 11 years old. NSYNC was my favorite band and Justin Timberlake had the most beautiful curly hair ( I still can't believe he cut it all off...) My dad surprised me with tickets to see them, my first concert. I think there was a hurricane or something, but for some reason, on the day of the show, it was cancelled. I cried. and cried. and cried. You would have thought that someone had died, because i laid in bed all day and cried.
Well, today. I'm 21. Apparently concert devastation will strike once every 10 years...damn...should a' seen it coming. I got home from work an hour ago and had a couple emails (one from Ticketmaster, one from Team Jonas) telling me that my Jonas Brothers show for next month has been cancelled. Alright. I'm not crying. I am mad. and confused....and well, just really really disappointed. For any one that knows me, you know how much this means to me. If you don't know how much this means to me and you're thinking, oh come on, get over it, well then you don't really know me.
Here is what the Team Jonas email said as the reason...

"Every year we have been able to visit new cities and fans, and this year is no different. As you may have heard there are some changes that have been made to the routing of the tour that now includes European and Central and South American dates. As part of our effort to bring the best concert experience to you, we've had to reorganize some of the North American tour dates. If we're missing your city, please know that we love you and we will be back soon. If any of the changes have inconvenienced you in any way we are truly sorry. However, we wanted to take the time to let you know how excited we are to see as many of you as possible on this tour. "

and by some...let me clarify...they cancelled 20 shows! Everyone in the Jonas world is like "oh, don't be mad at them, its not their fault"
Well, I'm sorry that you're 14 and haven't hit it yet, but in the real world, if your team messes up that means that you have messed up and while this may not be their fault directly, it is their fault as a musical group, as a business. Basically what it comes down to is money. Now take for that what you will...i'm not really sure what I think of it. Well, actually its discussing, if you say you're making music because you love it and because you love your fans...maybe its more about money that we'd like to think. But maybe its not about money...oh whatever, I don't want to rant, I just wanted to vent.

One more thing, how do I tell my 11 year old cousin that the show is cancelled and she won't get to see the Camp Rock tour? Maybe she'll cry. and cry. Just like I did when I was 11. I better warn her now to be careful with concerts when she turns 21.

All Saints!

I know, I know, my blog is totally random...but so am I?
Just wanted to share one of my obsessions.... All Saints Spitafields clothing company... they have the most epic denim, leather and architectural knit dresses on the planet! I don't actually own anything because....well...the price point is pretty steep. Oh well...someday....its like a Louis Vuitton...we all have to have something left to reach for, a goal to obtain, that one jacket that we WILL be able to afford one day! All Saints is from the UK (of course...its like the root of all of my obsessions...) but they are opening around 50 stores in the US over the course of the next year! Of course there isn't one within 500 miles of anywhere i am sure to be...but hey...New York is alot closer and more reachable than London...for now ;)

Look, Love, buy? haha.
http://www.us.allsaints.com/

oh! and the random tweet that brought on this blog...from @Rob_Hoffman...."Unisex at All Saints really means 'made for girls, but go for it dude'"
bahaha!

Nashville Rising

Nashville Rising, wow! That’s pretty much all I can say about it! Nashville was blown up last night by Country music stars making a difference. I was out of the country when the flood happened, but I remember hearing a little bit about it. I had no clue how serious it actually was. The floodwaters were 5 ft deep inside of the Opryland Hotel and Grand Ole Opry… if you’ve been there you can imagine how hard it is to believe that that huge, and ‘grand’ place was completely flooded! Its not scheduled to re-open until November. The flooding in some parts of Nashville was as bad as it was in New Orleans just following Katrina.
Some details of the flood itself…
The Cumberland River was 13 feet above flood zone, 30 people died.
It doesn’t necessarily surprise me that I wasn’t hearing about it in Europe, but apparently people in the States weren’t hearing much about it either. The oil spill and the Times Square Bomb both occurred during the same weekend as the flood and no doubt took the media attention. I wonder why it is that our media shoved the Nashville story to the side, though. Last night they gave me an answer. Nashville can take care of its own! Perhaps the media didn’t care to report about a flood where looting and crime didn’t take precedence over neighbor helping neighbor. Maybe there wasn’t a story there, or a story worth mentioning?
I think Michael W Smith said it best when he said something about Nashville not getting media attention because Nashville doesn’t need the government’s help. They can carry their own.
Not to down play what happened in New Orleans or anything, that was a tragedy in its own, but I can definitely understand why countless country stars, football players and political officials showed up last night to support their town, because It truly is their town. Amy Grant told stories of working on neighbor’s homes and Julie Roberts told her story of being helped when she was trapped in the second floor of her home. Country music has a way of bringing out the good things in people, of representing what is important in life and making it known. That’s why I believe in the goodness of all of these people, they are truly super heroes.
With that being said, here my story from yesterday ☺

Angie and I got to Nashville around noon and we decided to drive around the arena, check out where to park, before going over to Pancake Pantry for lunch. We walked around the Belmont University area (really cool shops and beautiful area!) and then, of course, found T Swift’s condo building ☺ haha. We’re stalkers, of course! We went back downtown and heard Taylor and Miley soundchecking inside of the arena. We ended up standing at a gate behind the arena and watching the guests arrive! We saw the coach of the Tennessee Titans, ZZ Top, Lynard Skynard, Taylor’s band, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, and Luke Bryant go inside. After a really quick wardrobe change back at the car (bah, we couldn’t wear the same thing all day of course…haha) we made it inside the arena and to our seats just in time . The show started with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill saying hello and introducing the show.
The line-up continued…
Carrie Underwood started with her new single, ‘Undo It’ and then ‘Jesus Take the Wheel’, which turned into an EPIC rendition of ‘How Great thou Art’!! She basically started the show with a standing ovation, it was incredible.
Blake Shelton followed and he sang ‘Some Beach’ and ‘Hillbilly Bone’ during which Trace Adkins came out and sang with him!
After that was Lynard Skynard who sang ‘Whats Your Name’ and a ‘Free Bird’/’Sweet Home Alabama’ medley, which was much better than I expected.
Michael W. Smith sang ‘My Place in this World’ which brought back the memories of my last concert in Nashville seeing him sing that song with Kevin, Joe and Nick ☺ He also sang ‘Bridge Over troubled Waters’
Amy Grant followed with a song that I don’t know the name of but one of the lyrics was… “We pour out our miseries and God just hears a melody, better than a Hallelujah” She also sang a rendition of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ which was really amazing. She spoke about the importance of faith in the community and how Nashville is so strong because of it.
Montgomery Gentry sang ‘Something to be Proud Of’’ and ‘My Town’
Then…….BAH!!! Taylor Swift!!! She sang ‘You Belong with Me’ and ‘Love Story’ I freaked out basically because it was incredible! And then she skipped off stage…like literally skipped. Hahaha I had to laugh…she is the strangest and probably one of the weirdest ones out there, but I love it! She is like my bff even if she doesn’t know it!
Luke Bryant sang ‘Country Man’ and ‘Do I’ *he is v beautiful!
LeAnn Rhymes sang two songs that I have never heard before…they must be new. This was the only act that I was disappointed in. Her album, Blue, was my first CD ever and I was so pumped to see her again, but eh, she was just alright.
Martina McBride sang ‘Loves the Only House’ and ‘Anyways’
ZZ Top was so awesome!!! I had no idea that they were SO cool! Haha they are like old hipsters with Amish beards and the most epic studded vests ever. I knew one of their songs…’sharp dressed man’ SO True!!
Julie Roberts sang a song that I don’t know….her story was especially touching, however, because her home was actually destroyed by the flood.
Miranda Lambert sang ‘White Liar’ and ‘The House that built me’
Jason Aldean sang ‘Big Green Tractor’ and ‘Country’ He was really funny, he said something like ‘well I don’t really know about all of these sentimental songs. I can’t really follow up to Miranda’s song, but I do know what I know, and I can sing about animals and farm equipment’ haha, he was great.
Next was….Billy Ray Cyrus. I have to admit that I was kind of excited about seeing Billy Ray…but man, when he came out with a tattoo covering his entire arm, wearing sunglasses and a bandana…I thought he looked more strange than even trace cyrus! Which is Ironic because Angie and I had just been discussing how it seemed like trace was kind of an odd addition to the Cyrus Clan…apparently not…Billy Ray sang some song that I don’t know and didn’t really say much.
Miley followed her dad, but did a MUCH better job! She was wearing underwear…and something on top of it! Haha, of course, its Nashville! Surely she wouldn’t show up in a unitard. She came in and said something about being glad to have a reason to come home. First off- let me say, that I am impressed that she was even there. Yesterday (June 22) was the day that her new album, Cant Be Tamed, dropped and she spent release night in Nashville at a benefit concert. Even if maybe she didn’t actually want to be there (who knows?) I do think it says a lot about her roots that she was there, especially because its not like she is getting a ton of press for it. She would get far more press spending the night wearing only her underwear somewhere in LA doing some sort of scandalous performance like she did on Monday night at the House of Blues. That is kind of sad that that is what gets the press and not her helping her hometown. I genuinely like Miley, I think. Haha.
Anyways, she sang ‘The Climb’ and she was awesome!! She belted it out and sounded amazing!
Tobey Keith followed Miley and he sang ‘Once was’ and ‘I love this Bar’
After Tobey Keith came the biggest surprise of the night…Sandra Bullock!!! I was like, WAHHAT?! It was crazy! Everyone was freaking out! She came out with an acoustic guitar and said that her friend, Faith, had invited her out and she figured she would do some comedy…but then decided that since it was Nashville, she should perform like everyone else…with a guitar. She dragged a stool across the stage and picked the intro into Iron Man…it was Hilarious! She then introduced Faith Hill who came out and sang a couple of songs including ‘Piece of My Heart.’ The female singers definitely stole the night and Faith Hill was an EPIC ending to that. From Carrie to LeAnn to Martina McBride and Miley and then Faith Hill…their voices are amazing!
Tim McGraw finished the show by singing ‘Southern Born’ and ‘Live like you were dying’ A line from Southern Born… “Jesus is my Friend, America is my home” I love it! The entire night was the epitome of southern comfort and country music, a love for neighbors and a love for country. It was so amazing! If you ever get a chance to be a part of something like this in Nashville, do it! It’s so genuine, like nothing else! Thanks for reading…I know its long ☺

2 Weeks later...

Well, I've been home for about 2 weeks now and...i haven't really don that much! Haha, I've been watching a lot of TV, playing Golf, reading alot...basically doing what i love to do in the summer...relax! I did start work at Anthropologie and made a trip down to Starkvegas to visit my friends :)

Right now I am busy plotting my next trip to London. I've emailed the AIA UK chapter to enquire about possible interning for an American Architect in London. In case you didn't know, once I graduate with my Bachelors degree in Architecture, I then have to complete 3 years of IDP (Intern development Program) before I can begin to take the 8 exams required to become an Architect. The IDP program has pretty strict requirements, one of them being that it must be done under an American Architect. The only way then to do an internship abroad is to find an American Architect working there. There are plenty of big name Architects that have offices abroad, and that is one option. However, I'm not really sure if I'm interested in working for a Big Name architect at a huge firm. I'm thinking more of a mid sized firm that just happens to be in...oh, say, London?

I'm having this constant inner battle...well, maybe not battle, but struggle to figure out where I want to be. After I return from Washington, I will try to get an externship (week long firm shadowing during spring break) which could possibly lead to a summer internship or year of co-oping, which could then in turn lead to a 3 year internship after graduation. Now, I know that the probability of finding the right firm on the first try is not likely, but It would make things simpler if I could pick the right city on the first try. I know that if I spend a summer interning in New York, that I would love it, but would that mean missing out on being in London? And I am going to LA in 2 weeks to check out the "vibe" there...my mom is trying to convince me that I will hate it (well, hello! i've been there before and I didn't hate it!) But, then again, she may have a point. But how can I resist the sunshine!? haha.

I don't know, As i type all of this it sounds a bit ridiculous...like maybe I should take the opportunities that come and trust that that will be right. I have my entire life to live in as many cities as I want. For some reason though...I feel rushed...like I need to figure it all out right now. Who knows....All I know is that I will feel a little better about my future if I actively pursue the things that I want to do. And if that means spending summer 2012 in London, I think I might just do anything to get there. Thats what living your dream is about, right? Doing everything you can to get there...not just living life passively... which is what it feels like I'm doing sometimes. Things seem easy, everything falls into place. But when they do fall into place, it might not necessarily be the place where I really want to be. It might just be the place that was easiest to get to. I don't want to look back on life and say, well I never really did anything to get there, It just sort of happened, and yeah, it was okay but What If? What If i lived in London, or LA, or New York, or Nashville, or anywhere? And now I'm back to my original dilemma of picking the place where I want to be...and being back in this place puts makes me think yet again, that I need to remember to calm it down a bit. I DO know that I do not need to worry about these things because there is a far greater power than myself guiding my life. And I will be where he leads me, *as long as I listen*. So maybe thats what I am struggling to do, listen very carefully and not leave any options out.


After all of this life thought...here is a bit of comedic relief that I thought was really funny. You might not...it deals with two things that people criticize me and alot of girls for, but hey, I am what I am ;)
From Nick Jonas' live chat the other day...
Question via twitter for Nick - team edward or team jacob?
Nick - "I don't really choose teams. Only when it comes to Baseball. Now if one of them joined the Yankees....well, that would most likely be, ha, never mind. next question."
bahaha!! I'm sure he was thinking Taylor Lautner...the way those boys have to edit what they say is hilarious to me. I only wish i could here everything they really want to say and not just what is publicly allowed.
Another quote from the chat...
Question- Was you scared when you were stuck in the Elevator
Nick "hahah, waaasss you scared?" (in a semi getto voice...HILARIOUS!)
check out this link and go to 00:24....haha.

Trip wrap-up

I apologize for the lack of posting! Internet and time on the final leg of the trip was scarce!
So the last post was...Genoa...wow! Alot has happened since then! Well, for starters I am home now, and able to post pictures!
After our amazing day in Chinque Terre, we spent a few hours in Pisa. Pisa was, slightly overrated in my opinion. Basically all that is there is the complex (the baptistry, cathedral and tower). The tower was amazing to see, it was leaning way more than i was expecting! However, it cost 15 euro to climb to the top, ha! Even the baptistry and cathedral cost to get into...I sort of have an issue with paying to get into a church. If the church is supposed to be a safe place, then how can they charge to get in? Eh...oh well, just my own issues with the tourism industry....of which Pisa thrives on. I took the standard "watch me hold up the leaning tower" photograph...I felt so lame! haha, hundreds of asian tourists and myself holding up the leaning tower of Pisa together..oh man. haha.
After Pisa, we headed on to Florence, a very beautiful city! By the time we got to Florence, we only had 2 days of the trip left, which meant our sketch books were due very soon. Over the course of the trip we were taught a specific technique for analytical drawings of public spaces, building facades, plans, sections and details. That being said, the majority of our time in Florence was spent catching up and finishing sketches. This was pretty difficult especially since our Hostel had a swimming pool and a rooftop terrace! haha, it turned out alright though and I was able to finish my sketches just in time (on the train to Rome, hehe) Seeing the David was a highlight of Florence, he was so much taller than I was expecting! I snuck a few photos ;)
I'll post later about my post-trip trip through Rome and Verona with my Mom and my sister and my arrival home, where I have enjoyed countless hours of couch potato-ing and tv watching :)

Milano, Genoa and Chinqe Terre!

Last Saturday we left Catania on a plane to Milan. We only had a couple hours in Milan, so we took the metro to the Piazza Duomo. It was insane. That might be putting it lightly! That was the day of the Inter Milan and Munich Soccer game...apparently a big one? There were thouands of people wearing black and blue, screaming, dancing, throwing fireworks and smoke bombs and blowing horns. It was nuts!! We toured the Duomo as much as we could with all of the festivities going on and also saw the Galleria. My thoughts of Milan will always be amazing because of the craziness that was taking place in the Piazza Duomo that day!
We got on a train that afternoon to Genoa where we stayed at Clemson university's villa. Genoa was beautiful! We got to the villa just around sunset and the views from the balcony were stunning. I cant wait to post pictures so that you all can see! Our time in Genoa was a bit slower pace than it had been before and it was really nice! Hans gave us a tour of Genoa and we did a bit of drawing and a bit of shopping ;) Genoa wasn't touristy at all and there was a beutiful water front and harbor where Renzo Piano's Aquarium was.
Our second day in Genoa was spent at Chinqe Terre!! Chinqe Terre literaly translates to 5 lands. It basically is 5 small towns located on the Mediterranean sea and connected by hiking trails. Each town is between a quarter mile and 2 miles apart from the next. We started the day in the first town and spent two hours at the beach, which we were all stoked about after the let down from the Syracusa "beach" aka rock! After that several of us took the ferry to the third town where we did some shopping and found a really cool store\gallery of this guy who was trained as a graphc designer and architect but now just lives at Chinque Terre and makes and sells art, amazing. Epicness occured in the third town when we found a bunch of students, like ourselves, jumping off of this huge rock into the water. Of course we had to do it, and it was a blast!! It was maybe 15 or 20 feet tall. I got a bit cut up climbing up, but it was definetly worth it! After that we took the ferry again to the fourth town and had dinner. North Italy is known for its Pesto, so that is what we had! It was delicious. And, fyi, Pesto translates to Basil Sauce in English...i thougt that was kind of funny. We "hiked" (but really just followed a nice paved path along the mountain side) to town number 5. We chilled on this super huge rock for a while before getting on the train to go back to Genoa. Chinque Terre was definetly a highlite of the trip for me. The water was as clear and as blue as the carribbean (although it was much colder) and the views were stunning. Italians definetly get props for painting their buildings beautiful sunset colors to contrast the mountains and the water, every view could have been a painting. What a life that would be to be like the artist that we met.... live in a beatiful place, paint a few pictures, eat some delicious pesto...wow.

Flash Mob

definition of Flash Mob:
A group of people who appear from out of nowhere, to perform predetermined actions, designed to amuse and confuse surrounding people. The group performs these actions for a short amount of time before quickly dispersing. Flash mobs are often organized through email and/or newsgroup postings. *urban dictionary


The most epicness of epicness occurred in Catania on friday night! The night began with a sit down Sicilian dinner with the Italian students. It included a lot of seafood and it was amazing. We had octopus, squid, shrimp, salmon, swordfish, risotto and of course, cannolli! After dinner we went with a few of the Italian students to this thing called flash mob, which I had never heard of. It was the most bizarre/totally fun thing ever! It started at the top of the hill and probably about 2,000 people started dancing and marching and jumping and skipping down the hill all listening to their individual ipods and going crazy! We were the only ones without music but it was still awesome! We just clapped and danced and went crazy and then the entire mob made its way to the Piazza Duomo where we took part in the longest conga line ever!!! There were so many people just dancing everywhere and going crazy! I have a pretty epic video of it but unfortunately I can't upload it yet. After the flash mob we went with the Italian Students took us to a bar. There were so many people on the streets you would have thought it was some sort of festival. The only time I've ever seen that many people out in Starkville is Bulldog bash! The Italian Students said that Catania is like that every night, I swear its like they never sleep!

Here is an image of the Piazza Duomo where I spent probably around 6 hours sketching in Catania, its also where I took part in the EPIC conga line :)

Hello Sunshine!

Well, its been a while because this trip has gone from taking it easy in Europe to 90 miles an hour non stop touring, walking, jumping, dancing?
The past week has flown by and I am doing my best just to remember everything we did! Last...well, around a week ago?? we left rainy Rome for beautiful and sunny Sicilia! We stayed in Catania Sicily, home of Mount Etna, the first legit volcano I've ever seen. (I didnt actually take this picture, its from the internet...) I don't have access to a card reader so for now, these pictures will have to do. That is pretty much what it looked like though, although there was less snow.

So, a couple stories about Catania...
One day we took a trip to Syracusa, Sicily. It was about an hour bus ride from Catania. The landscape was almost desert like, not quite what i was expecting. The University of Catania's Architecture program is based in Syracusa on the ancient island of Ortesia. We were planning on having some time by the sea while we were there but unfortunately the weather turned pretty cold and gross. By this point we were so tired of the weather ruining everything that we didn't let it stop us. Several of us jumped from a 15 foot rock into the Mediterranean! It was absolutely freezing and absolutely crazy but I would do it again in a heart beat! Here is another image from the internet of what the sea looks like there.... (hopefully ill get some jumping pictures up soon)

There is so much more to tell but it will have to wait until tomorrow! For now look up "flash mob" on youtube and i'll tell you my story tomorrow :)

The Swiss Alps and Cheese...Cheezits and Wine!

Hello! Well its been a very long mostly internetless 4 days. Our second day in Basel was amazing. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining!! (we havent seen it since...) We visited the cathedral in Basel that they call the Munster...sort of an odd name for a church i thought. It was beautiful and the view from of the Rhine was amazing. We went to an Architecture museum...it was...very strange! There was a lot of theoretical stuff, in museum form? Strange videos and charcoal on the walls and a strange lady dancing. One wall had words on it 'peter pan, peter betrayed jesus, peter rabbit, peter rabbit layed easter eggs' yeah....haha.
On Sunday we took a train from Basel to Como Italy. We went straight through the Swiss alps and it was incredible! I have never seen anything so tall and gorgeous! They were snow capped and as picturesque as you can imagine! I guess since its spring time, the snow is melting and there were water falls everywhere, it was just amazing! I will try to get pictures up as soon as I get the chance.
Story time...Getting of the train in Como, i forgot one of my bags. I jumped back on the train where a bunch of old people were just standing in the aisle with their bags between me and my bag...so i leaped over them saying 'skuzi!' (haha, lame) and leaped back over them but the door was closed. Andy and Jason ran down to the conductor and were trying to tell him i was still on the train (insert dramatic music and me panicking) He finally i guess realized that they were speaking English and said 'WHAT?' and they some how got across that i was still on the train and needed to get off. He motioned for me to go the down a few cars and then it was like that scene from Titanic, I am running for my life the way he told me to go, but then there is this old guy pushing me the other way saying no, go this way, and im saying 'NO Get off of me!' as i leap through the cars and finally exit the train.
haha, it was v. dramatic, you know. Maybe I remember it a bit differently than it occured, but i def could have ended up in Milan without my wallet or anything. stranded. haha, that could have been an even more exciting adventure but i am glad that I will not have to find out.
Como was a bit dreary when we got there and a huge storm came through as we were sitting at a table on the sidewalk at a restaurant. Our first meal ended up being frozen pasta and the second was McDonalds. So needless to say, our first day in Italy was not quite what I expected.
The second day, though was better! Our Hostel was really nice, quite like a Hotel room really. We had really good luck with hostels in both Basel and Como, I think it has spoiled me for the rest of the trip because i certainly cant expect the places that Hans has booked to be as nice, haha!
I have realized that I love the way Italians do their shopping, through the window! You can walk along the street and just window shop, seeing everything and the prices. I loved just walking around Como and looking into all of the store windows. Our second day in Como was a monday, and apparently they mean it when they say that things are closed on Mondays. It was even hard to find a place to eat. I cant imagine how they get buisness done or how this is good for their economy, most stores and places of buisness are only open 6 hours a day!
We took a fairy ride around the lake and saw a couple more of the small towns built up into the hills. They were so coloful and fun! We were looking for any signs of George Clooney, but no luck. Later I found out that he is filming a movie in Hawaii. oh well.
That night we had really good pasta at a restaurant in one of the piazzas. It was decently priced and worth it. I was even able to get coke with ice for 2 euro, which i didnt think was too bad! We had some wine in the room and joked that since we couldnt afford cheese, the cheezit snacks that Andy packed would have to do...they sufficed.
We are in Rome now, but more on that another time. The city is calling and i think i should go find out what it is saying! Chiao!

Take a picture of this...

This was today in the beautiful town of Basel! The view of the river and the bridge (1215) was absolutely incredible! The old part of the town that we have explored is really small and has so much character and charm. The streets are tiny and there arent too many people. In fact, we have only met two other americans. There are hardly any cars and you are free to walk through the streets and cross wherever you want (v. different than london!)





Yesterday we took a bus into Germany and went to the Vitra Complex. It is a furniture factory/architectural mecca. We toured (german tour....) a Zaha Hadid fire station (picture <) a Frank Gehry Museum and factory, a Herzog and de Meuron building, a Jean Pouvre pavilion and a Tadao Ando building. It was incredible! The German tour was a bit hard to follow, but the guide did a pretty good job of giving us the basics in English. Vitra itself makes furniture, so we got to sit, touch and photograph many amazing and famous chairs. I got really excited about the Mies furniure! Ive also determined that my house (far in the future) will be the absolute coolest. with the coolest furniture ever!!
Getting to Vitra was an adventure. Turns out our passes didnt work for the bus to Germany and then the driver wanted Euros, which none of us had. It turned out alright in the end after some really awkward exchange of confusing looks and questions.

The last photograph is the Herzog & de Meuron Building (my fav)
















More to come! <3 Amy

More about London...

I felt inspired last night and decided to write a little more about London...

The hostel that we stayed in was in the neighborhood of Victoria and we got to know it quite well. Jason broke his glasses so we walked around and found an optrician, also finding many thrift stores or "charity shops" as they call them. There were alot of old ladies, fruit stands, sketchy groceries and homes in Victoria.

Some of the architecture that we saw...
The Gherkin, Norman Foster and City Hall, also Norman Foster were in "the city." We did the typical architecture field trip-middle of the night-visit and take alot of pictures-trip to these buildings. It was fun :) We also went to the Tate Modern, a Herzog and de Meuron building. There was some fairly decent artwork but unfortunatly some of it was really gross and made me quite nausious really.

I loved loved loved Westminster Abbey! The Lady Chapel, built by Henry II was breathtaking and literaly gave me chills. Scott and myself opened up this trap door in the ground. It had a v. creepy ladder to the cript level, i`m pretty sure we almost encountered some super old skeletal remains. Burried at Westminster are the Bronte sisters (v. cool) Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Vicotira, a couple Marys, and a few guys named Edward, Charles and Richard. Also burried there was Cromwell, who overtook the British government. He was there for two years until the crown was restored and they dug him up, hung him and then dicapitated him. Brutal. Charles Darwin is burried there...we found this quite curious. I wonder how his relations to the church were at that time?

Today we went to Germany but more on those adventures later :)
If you would like a surprise from my travels, please send me your address on facebook!

one more note- pardon my misspellings. I am the worst speller in the world and this computer thinks that everyything i type is misspelled. I think it wants it to be in German ./

MIND THE GAP

Well, i have just spent 3 days in London. I loved it! London is definitely the city for me. I spent an hour in HMV, the music store in Piccadilly circus, they have the best music! Lets see, some highlights....
We flew in on Monday and it took forever to get through customs. After that it then took forever to find Chris, and in the end, we never did. I guess our paths got crossed and we ended up meeting him and Scott at the Hostel. The hostel was pretty cool, a lot of fun people (mostly Aussies). The first night we walked around town and passed by Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar square. It brought back lovely memories of last summer with angie and glor! We (by we i mean scott) invented the most fun game...its called, "finished your drink and try to jump on the lion." If you have been to Trafalgar, you understand. If you have not, the pictures will explain!
I love Trafalgar square, it is definitely my favorite place in London! I also really enjoyed Westminster Abbey. We spent 3 hours in the church and ended up loosing two people from our group... i was convinced they were eaten by the dungeons of the Abbey until they turned up at the Hostel 6 hours later....it was a crazy day, haha.
I definitely made time for topshop and did some serious damage. It was brilliant.
I will definitely miss hearing "this is the Piccadilly line service to cockfosters. MIND THE GAP!"
We have just now arrived in Basel Switzerland and the Hostel is incredible. It is super modern and really nice. Free internet is a ++!! As of now I am really concentrating to post this blog because the swiss keyboard is nothing like the American one and it is v. difficult. Oh, and btw, I saw a British girl text "v. surprising" and I was like, "this is definitely where i belong!"

Pictures to come!

The Official start to the TRAVEL BLOG!

Well, here we "go, go, go again" except...i guess not again? considering i've never had a travel blog before....haha.

Tomorrow we take off from Atlanta to London! I'm very very....stressed. I'm becoming a little more excited but mostly there's just a lot of things to be stressed about. Today I had a list a mile long of errands to do and now I'm trying to cram my entire life into a little bitty back pack (alright...its not so little, but it still won't fit!)

Besides stressing out about packing, I think i've just about figured everything else out...hostels...trains...planes...everything. Well, except for that we don't have a way to get from Basel Switzerland to Rome. I think we're just going to wing it! That what Europe is about right? Getting lost, taking chances...and having a bit of fun along the way.

I'll be posting as often as I can, and hopefully with pictures :) Most of our hostels have wireless so I should be in touch.

Here we go.... ( nsync lyric there...)

Coming Close!

The next 7 days= hell week for all Architecture students. Juries are next wednesday and until then i'll be (should be) locked up in the Studio while wishing I were outside partaking in all of the Bulldog bash super weekend (I don't even know what its called...) All I know is that there will be thousands of people having fun all around me (they've already put up tents across the street!). They'll be taunting us and laughing at us because we have no life. Actually, they won't be doing those things because for the most part, they don't even know we're in here. Haha, I prefer it that way. It is also my last weekend in Starkville for a very long time, so I will attempt to enjoy it the best I can.

In other news...I'm obsessed with Justin Beiber's song "Baby". I, however, hate that i'm obsessed with it because I really don't like Justin Beiber. Oh the dilemmas of my life...

16 days until Europe! That is where my thoughts are, constantly. Unless of course, i'm listening to Justin Beiber.

fiction and Bumpits.

I think maybe one of the reasons I get so caught up in things is because I struggle to believe in fiction. Not as in believing that hobbits and mermaids really exist, but I really don’t believe that it is possible to write a truly fictitious story. At the heart of every story there is a truth, and the truth is always real. Its as real as it can be, nothing fictitious about it. Why then, is society so adept to accepting these truth through fictitious characters and unbelievable plot lines (mental image- Avatar). Does it cause us to struggle to believe the very same truth when it comes from a truly real experience?

Eh, maybe that doesn’t make any sense...

…another thing I was thinking about….

You know how in other languages nouns are either masculine or feminine? Who gets to decide which is which? Is there a rule to go by? It seems very random! For instance, take a fairly new word….. Bumpit! Are bumpits masculine? Or feminine? Le Bumpit or La Bumpit? I would say feminine, but then, I guess you never know.

dreamer

I want my job to be listening to music while in a warm environment...outdoors...maybe in a hammock? Wouldn't that be nice...

Another stolen entry...

This is a post from Rob Hoffman's blog. He is pretty legit. If you like what you read, go read his entire blog, RobHoffmanMedia

Brain Vs. Heart

March 19, 2010

So we all come to a point in our life, many points actually, where we have an inner struggle between what our brain tells us to do and what our heart tells us to do. Therefore, I’m going to subject both organs to a steel-cage match and see who comes out alive.

Test one – Weight

The human brain weighs anywhere from 3-4 pounds. The human heart weighs less than one pound, coming in roughly around 0.7 pounds.

Winner: Brain

Test two – Importance

Clinically speaking, it is possible for one to incur serious damage to the brain and still live, because the heart supports the entire body. While it would suck to be completely brain dead, note that “heartdead” is not a word because, well, you’d just be dead.

Winner: Heart

Test three – Fragility

The heart is located in your chest, and the brain is encased in a skull. I’d imagine it’s easier to get through most of the chest than a thick skull, however, one time I drank a Slurpee too fast and it screwed up my head. You never hear someone say, “Ah! I ate that ice cream too fast! Heartfreeze!!!!” Heartburn is an issue that must be considered as well, however, at 24, I don’t experience that quite as much as I do brainfreeze. I’ve also moved to California from the east coast, so I’m more accepting of too hot than too cold.

My deciding factor, however, is heartbreak vs. stress level. If someone breaks your heart, it doesn’t physically hurt, but when someone destroys your mind with a hard math problem, your brain will throb.

Winner: Heart

Test four – Longevity

In the US, it’s far more common for people to die from heart disease than from brain crap-outs. However, it is worth noting that as you get older, you get progressively more stupid and forgetful. Killing braincells by smoking marijuana doesn’t necessarily apply to the average American, but all of us love our cheeseburgers and chili-fries and high-fructose corn syrup.

Winner: Brain

Test 5 – Perception

It’s always easy to spot someone who follows their brain exclusively, and someone who follows their heart. In summation, accountants are lame, and musicians are cool.

Winner: Heart

Outcome: Heart 3, Brain 2

It’s hard for people like me to survive. I act with my heart and rarely consult my brain, because I go after what I want and not what’s best for me. I manage most of the time, but it does get hard when you find out that what you want isn’t what’s best for you.

I still have hope though, and maybe my heart will lead me to something that my brain can agree on.

One thing that both my heart and brain do agree on is that eating a burrito while chugging a frozen margarita is not cool. Heartburn and brainfreeze all at once. That was a rough day.

I'll just sit right here...

....and have another beer in Mexico! Hola amigos! I'm loving life here in Mexico! Only one day left of break though :( and then its back to the real world. Oh well. I've already decided to spend my last month in Starkville laying by the non-pool and reading as many magazines as possible while learning italian and planning my trip to Europe! Adios...or Ciao?

Alright, I did a little more reasearch...

Demi posted "Then" by Brad Paisley on twitter. Before, she has claimed to not like country music....but Joe does? Read the Lyrics...

"remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mezmorized
And three weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

Chorus

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

And i remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn't care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then"

Another Tweet:

"Find someone who finds you beautiful with no makeup while wearing sweatpants... You'll never feel more loved."

And another song Posted.... "I have and always will" Dave Barnes

"t where love is, fear won't tread All of these friends here agree We're right where we should be  Underneath all your white My Lady, My Love, My Bride In your darkest hours Will I love you still I have and I always will  I guess it's because I just do Following heaven's clues This is a big mystery How I found, you found me  Underneath all your white My Lady, My Love, My Bride In your darkest hours Will I love you still I have and I always will  And you are changing now Your part of me somehow And I will never be alone  In your darkest hours Well I love you still I have and I always will I have and I always will"

And all girls know...usually when a girl posts a song, its because she is connecting the lyrics to her current situation.

Do guys do the same thing?   Here is the only thing Joe has posted on twitter that could possibly mean that anything is going on....

"Maybe I know, somewhere
Deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways
To make it alone
Or keep a straight face

And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable, distance
And up until now
I had sworn to myself that I'm content
With loneliness

Because none of it was ever worth the risk, but

You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception

I've got a tight grip on reality
But I can't
Let go of what's in front of me here
I know your leaving
In the morning, when you wake up
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream "

- The only exception (Paramore)

But then again, maybe all of this means nothing?  Its just what i've found on twitter.  What would I do without twitter?  Get a real life...probably.

After tons of speculation that Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas are closer than ever (Did you see the sparks in their music video for "Make A Wave"?!), Demi just confirmed on The Billy Bush Show that she IS officially dating Joe!

When Billy Bush asked if she's dating a Jonas Brother, Demi replied, "Umm, maybe."

"Which one? Joe?" asked Billy, and Demi said, "Yeah. He's actually... he's my best friend."

Knowing they were definitely more than just friends, Billy went on, "So you guys went from boyfriend-girlfriend to best friends?"

"No kind of the opposite," Demi said.

"Oh? So you're dating him now?" asked Billy.

"Umm, yeah he is my best friend and he is incredible!" Demi exclaimed!

Demi went on to say that Joe is a "complete gentleman," who "treats me to the most amazing places." And she called him "perfect!" Aww!

Are you happy that Joe and Demi are finally dating? Do you approve?

Photo: Courtesy of Disney Channel"

Ok, So I'm not sure if I'm ready to comment on this yet. Apparently it broke yesterday, Team Jonas has been going nuts! To me it looks a little weird...Demi doesn't usually speak like that, but hey? Maybe it is true. There isn't a video or recording of this being said though, which is a little odd. For now, I think I'll take it for what its worth and wait for a confirmation/denial straight from Joe or Demi. Until then....happy Jemi day? haha...we'll see.

What is this?

Its the Swiss Alps!!!

Why is it in this blog?

Because this blogger is going there!!!

My summer trip to Italy is finally coming together and it looks like the pre-Italy trip will start with 4 days in my favorite city in the world- London! I'll then fly from London to Basel, Switzerland to check out some bad ass modern architecture and then take a train through the Swiss Alps, connect in Milan and move through to Vicenza Italy. The plan is to spend a day in Vicenza and a day in Verona before my Maymester class starts in either Milan or Genoa on the 11th. I'm really excited! The Maymetser schedule hasn't been confirmed (neither has the pre-trip one for that matter) but hopefully that will all happen by the end of this week! I guess my blog will morph into a travel blog while I'm gone.

Speaking of traveling, I'm going to Cancun next week! I probably wont blog from there as its a place to relax, not spend countless hour on the internet (I'm going to attempt to go twitter free for a week, I think it will be good for me)

Happy Spring break if you're on it, or almost spring break if you're almost on it! We can make it! Thats what I keep telling myself anyways...

Rambling thoughts...

If a dream comes true it has the positive outcome. The dream. If a dream comes true, it has a negative outcome, the “be careful what you wish for outcome,” the unforeseeable.

With every up there is a down, with every high a low.

Is the dream worth taking? There will always be negative outcome. So, take the dream and hope for the best. A fifty-fifty shot at what could change the world and at what could end it all. But in the end, if it is all a mess, is the mess really so bad?

If you’re stuck in a valley, the only way to go is up. That’s not so bad. Its actually kind of nice, to know things can only get better. But then I guess you’re back at the beginning, where you make the choice, is it worth it again?

You could just end up back in the valley.

Or not.

The not is where you put your faith, your faith is what makes your dreams, your dreams are what keep you going. If there’s not a dream, why climb out at all?

being a redhead...

"Redheads may be hotheads, but they get colder quicker. They also bruise more easily. And they feel more pain.

All this comes from a series of studies done in the last few years on people with genes for red hair. Red hair is red due to excess production of the molecule pheomelanin. While we brunettes produce more eumelanin (dark brown pigment), redheads produce an excess of pheomelanin. Too much of this yellow-red pigment is the result of mutations in the MC1R.3 gene. Redheads have two copies of this variant allele, one from each parent.

So what does the “redhead gene” have to do with sensitivity? University of Louisville anesthesiologist Edwin Liem suspects that when both copies of the MC!R.3 have mutations, which is the case for redheads, the melanocortin 4 receptor is faulty, inefficient, and/or unable to be transported to the surface of cells. This receptor happens to modulate sensations of cold and pain. Another explanation is that the mutation in the MC1R gene, the same one that produces too much pheomelanin, affects hormones that stimulate pain receptors in the brain.

In one study, Liem and his colleagues compared the pain tolerance of sixty naturally red-haired volunteers with sixty brunettes. The redheads began to feel chilling pain at around 6C (43F), unlike the volunteers with dark hair, who did not really begin to ache until the temperature approached freezing. In another study, by Liem et al., women with various hair color types were exposed to electric shock. Turns out, the redheads needed about 20 percent more anesthetic to put down the pain (confirming the common belief among anesthesiologists that redheads are tough to knock out). While redheads have normal blood counts and coagulate blood the same as anyone else, a study found that they bruise more easily. Yet another studyfound that redheads are more than twice as likely as women with other hair colors to fear and avoid the dentist.

These studies have been done on women only, and it’s unknown whether red-haired men would have the same outcome. However, there’s evidence that pain pathways differ between the sexes.

Redheads are stereotyped as being hot-headed, tempestuous, dramatic, high-strung. Is it possible that a genetic sensitivity to pain can affect temperament? It’s fun to speculate. For some, physical pain may translate into emotional pain. Sensitivity may tip over into volatility. Could a fiery, short temper even be a pain avoidance mechanism? Why not — after all, a good offense can be the best defense."

THANK YOU to whoever posted this! Be cynical, laugh, whatever you want! Its true!! Redheads do feel more pain, and if you know me, you know, I bruise like a peach. And my temper...well...I just may be quick to react with aggression, but that doesn't mean I'm confrontational, just feisty. :) :)

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