wow... an entire building fell over in shanghai! saw this on a friend's blog feed and just stared. and sort of laughed in a "how the heck could this happen??" sort of way. it was like "i'm a little teapot," architecture-style.
at least it was unoccupied and not on a high-density lot.
who to blame? i'm not sure, but we have to do better than this!
08 July 2009
07 July 2009
artifex : in inca
the workshop.
miguel ramis, the founder of artifex balear, gave us an introduction on the projects the stone masonry school has been working on. this includes mini domes such as this one, made with tiles in the catalan construction style.
on a typical day, the first half was spent listening to presentations by various architects, lovers of stone, masons, restorers, etc. structural engineers like santiago huerta spoke about the structural properties of arches and vaults, while architects like mit department-head yung ho chang and madrid's juan herreros presented projects showing how they've bridged the old and the new.
we were very attentive. here, flo (fellow mit-er) sits among the espanolas from madrid: elena, isabel, and paula.
in the second half of the day, we got to the nitty gritty with stone and mortar. at any one time, there were at least 3 projects progressing. flo slaps mortar onto the wall in one of our early exercises, prepping the wall for tile shelving.
(note: this is NOT as easy it as it might seem. see that layer of mortar on the bottom?
yeah, exactly.)
martin (mining engineer, originally from england) presents elena with a precious gift.
what is it?? a freshly-polished stone! how sweet.
what is it?? a freshly-polished stone! how sweet.
next: the project.
06 July 2009
rewind the clock : best kids' books
i was happy to read the nytimes this morning and see nicholas kristof's sunday article on the best kids' books ever. for anyone who's ever known me for even a short amount of time, there's almost always a book within reach (or i talk about one). as a child, i watched tv (mostly "saved by the bell"), but was more into the written word.
in short, kristof's list:
1. charlotte's web
2. the hardy boys
3. wind in the willows
4. the freddy the pig series
5. the alex rider series
6. the harry potter series
7. gentle ben
8. anne of green gables
9. the dog who wouldn't be
10. little lord fauntleroy
11. on to oregon
12. the prince and the pauper
13. lad the dog
agree/disagree? some of these i myself haven't read [those i have, in red], but it inspired me to make my own list of children's books (non-picture) that i've read over and over again (in no particular order) :
1. the trumpet of the swan _ about a boy who meets a mute swan and together regain its voice, in the most unusual (adventurous, and sweet) way
2. the dark is rising series _ i've always been fascinated by magic and its intersection w/ the real world. very well written and pre-harry potter, about brothers and sisters who encounter a magical realm closer to their own than they realize.
3. anne of green gables _ a dear favorite portrait of a spunky, rebellious girl who shakes up a conservative community, also coined the phrase "bosom friend," which i've used
4. a wrinkle in time series _ it's been a while since i've read these, but truly well written, about children who must step into another world to save their father
5. the phantom tollbooth _ probably one of my all-time favorites and the most read book of all, about a simple boy named milo who travels into a world [see a trend?] where everything is letters, numbers, and quite literally taken
6. the redwall series _ definitely the longest series i've kept up with (except for lately), each one about a different young hero/heroine who must prove him or herself in the face of adversary. it's a bit formulaic over time, although the classic characters (martin, etc.) are always great to read about. did i mention they're animals? and that the food is amazingly mouth-watering?
7. james and the giant peach _ sail away with a peach...and bugs! roald dahl was magical with words. i really appreciated the fact that his stories aren't cutesy like many other kids' books, incorporating peril and some aspect of the grotesque along w/ the fun and heroic.
8. harriet the spy _ i reread this recently - this nosy girl who gets in trouble for her honest (and sometimes abrasive) observations of her classmates lead me to keep my own notebook.
9. the indian in the cupboard series _ it took a leap of imagination to think that toys come to life, but isn't that what most kids wish for anyways? and it happens - with the help of a magically mysterious cupboard. the social commentary around omry's neighborhood also starts to come through with multiple readings.
10. the little prince (le petit prince) _ although i originally read this in english, it became more meaningful in french. many bites of knowledge and wisdom in this slim, magical volume.
11. the chronicles of narnia _ this series needs little introduction or summary... the description, narrative, conflict, and resolution in the end have all lead me to read through the entire series and love it. the movies don't really do it true justice, but are good all the same.
12. misty of chincoteague _ i really loved horses when i was younger (and still love them), and this book revealed to me the beauty of the animal and the fascination of chincoteague, one of the few places in the US with wild horses. later on i went camping on assateague island (right next door) to see the wild horses.
13. the wind in the willows _ toad and frog. friendship. hilarity. and i like animals who are portrayed in such a human-like way.
in short, kristof's list:
1. charlotte's web
2. the hardy boys
3. wind in the willows
4. the freddy the pig series
5. the alex rider series
6. the harry potter series
7. gentle ben
8. anne of green gables
9. the dog who wouldn't be
10. little lord fauntleroy
11. on to oregon
12. the prince and the pauper
13. lad the dog
agree/disagree? some of these i myself haven't read [those i have, in red], but it inspired me to make my own list of children's books (non-picture) that i've read over and over again (in no particular order) :
1. the trumpet of the swan _ about a boy who meets a mute swan and together regain its voice, in the most unusual (adventurous, and sweet) way
2. the dark is rising series _ i've always been fascinated by magic and its intersection w/ the real world. very well written and pre-harry potter, about brothers and sisters who encounter a magical realm closer to their own than they realize.
3. anne of green gables _ a dear favorite portrait of a spunky, rebellious girl who shakes up a conservative community, also coined the phrase "bosom friend," which i've used
4. a wrinkle in time series _ it's been a while since i've read these, but truly well written, about children who must step into another world to save their father
5. the phantom tollbooth _ probably one of my all-time favorites and the most read book of all, about a simple boy named milo who travels into a world [see a trend?] where everything is letters, numbers, and quite literally taken
6. the redwall series _ definitely the longest series i've kept up with (except for lately), each one about a different young hero/heroine who must prove him or herself in the face of adversary. it's a bit formulaic over time, although the classic characters (martin, etc.) are always great to read about. did i mention they're animals? and that the food is amazingly mouth-watering?
7. james and the giant peach _ sail away with a peach...and bugs! roald dahl was magical with words. i really appreciated the fact that his stories aren't cutesy like many other kids' books, incorporating peril and some aspect of the grotesque along w/ the fun and heroic.
8. harriet the spy _ i reread this recently - this nosy girl who gets in trouble for her honest (and sometimes abrasive) observations of her classmates lead me to keep my own notebook.
9. the indian in the cupboard series _ it took a leap of imagination to think that toys come to life, but isn't that what most kids wish for anyways? and it happens - with the help of a magically mysterious cupboard. the social commentary around omry's neighborhood also starts to come through with multiple readings.
10. the little prince (le petit prince) _ although i originally read this in english, it became more meaningful in french. many bites of knowledge and wisdom in this slim, magical volume.
11. the chronicles of narnia _ this series needs little introduction or summary... the description, narrative, conflict, and resolution in the end have all lead me to read through the entire series and love it. the movies don't really do it true justice, but are good all the same.
12. misty of chincoteague _ i really loved horses when i was younger (and still love them), and this book revealed to me the beauty of the animal and the fascination of chincoteague, one of the few places in the US with wild horses. later on i went camping on assateague island (right next door) to see the wild horses.
13. the wind in the willows _ toad and frog. friendship. hilarity. and i like animals who are portrayed in such a human-like way.
05 July 2009
quote
“tourists don’t know where they’ve been,
travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
somehow so exemplified in a familiar place you once lived, like new york.
in mallorca, i found i got tired of having my camera stuck to my face.
having my batteries run out (in palma, on the highline) is actually a great thing to happen, in terms of seeing and experiencing.
in mallorca, i found i got tired of having my camera stuck to my face.
having my batteries run out (in palma, on the highline) is actually a great thing to happen, in terms of seeing and experiencing.
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