Shades of Bluefields, Nicragua

Will follow up with some images of the community work we did down there.

Nicaragua!

I'm in Nicaragua! The humidity is about 98%. I'm sweaty and aware of my natural oils constantly. I'm here with a group from a course I took last semester. We're working with a community here and working on all things related to making waste a resource. I am specifically working on biodigesters, a device that turns waste into methane, which is a gas that could be used as an alternative fuel for electricity or cooking.
More later!

This Moment

"They looked like an army of futuristic female automata, marching out in identical black-bowl wigs and black lipstick, some with their eyes blanked out by narrow slivers of wraparound sunglasses. The clothes they wore were equally uncompromising: stark planes of tweed, felt, and flocked fabric, precision-sliced into geometric angles and unfamiliar volumes." 




-Sarah Mower on YSL Fall 2008 Women's collection

Beautiful music

STUMBLEINE 

Who are they and why am I just learning about them?
They remind me of BURIAL, but lighter and a bit happier.

On Solitude

"Sometimes you have to stand alone to prove that you can still stand." -Anonymous

"He is his own best friend and takes delight in his privacy whereas the man of no virtue or ability is his own worst enemy and is afraid of solitude." - Aristotle

Keeping in Shape

Exercising and jogging have been on my New Year's resolutions list for as long as I can remember.  However, I never actually kept it up long enough for it to become a good habit.  I realized today, the few essential things that really keep me motivated.

Call me geeky, but tonight was the second night I jogged with my big Bose headphones. I know, I know. You're wondering about my nasty sweat, but the fact of the matter is: I need loud thumping bass in my music when jogging. You have to be extra careful and must do a 360 degree check around you for cars though! Secondly, I need a long track that syncs with my running pace. Yesterday, I tried listening to Sevonte Swing by DJ Pump, but it proved to be too groovy and slow for jogging. Tonight I tried episode 8 on DJ Star Im's streaming radio. And it was PERFECT. The slow build-up actually motivated me to run longer. Thirdly, the first half hour of sunset is an absolute ideal time for me to run. it's not too hot. There aren't as many other people around and the sky makes for a idyllic setting. The fourth thing i realized is that it's best to run where there are a lot of trees. Bad air is more evident when you're gasping for air. And last, but not least a bottle of cold water. On my way back home yesterday after my run, I felt my head getting dizzy and lightheaded. Today, with a good chug of water, I felt fine.  Now, I just have to keep this up!

In case you're wondering what happened to hip hop...

In my opinion, it didn't make it past the late 90s! The genre is just not the same anymore. This is worth watching if you're a fan of TCQ and everything/one related to it. I thought it was a touching story. I even shed a tear.

De La Soul

Quick and Chic

A good friend brought me back some London sweets in this black envelope and stuck a generic white label on it with her lovely carefree handwriting. I can't help admire how minimal and chic this quick little package came out to be.

Beach Landscapes

I love the ocean, but it's really miraculous to see how beach flora differs from coast to coast. Hilton Head Island, SC

In and Around Madison Square Park

Active public space is one of New York City's best features.

Otto Piene's Final MIT 150 Sky Event

Olafur Eliasson @ The GSD

Nature's Systems

Otto Piene Sky Art Test Run

The final performance and sculpture will be 5 times the size of this one.

Moodymann is the man.

Thank goodness for youtube.

Let's reuse!

In the Fall, I organized a campus wide reuse event called "Choose to Reuse". It took place on November 19th, the last day of America Recycle’s Week. Drop-off began at 8:30am in Lobby 13 and we opened up for pick-up from 11am to 2pm. There was quite a diverse group of participants and attendees, ranging from MIT staff, students, faculty to visitors. Participants dropped off all sorts of odds and ends, appliances, clothing, books, and even a heavy duty all-in-one printer, which was snatched right at 11am! We ended the day with clothing and techno-cycle items left behind, which was ideal because those were the items that could most easily be donated or properly recycled! Let's continue keeping reusable items out of the landfill!

Winter Hodgepodge

Cambridge, MA
Random observation of a graphically beautiful composition on the street. Teehee!

A Final Project

This past semester, we had options to take some electives. I chose to take one called Second Skin for Extreme Environments taught by the renown Ute Meta Bauer. The extreme environment was to be chosen and interpreted to our liking. My team chose complete darkness. Our final project took the shape of a hood+sleeve auditory device. The goal was to put the user in darkness and then enable them to navigate with a cone/stethoscope device we created and attached to the sleeve. Ultimately, the point of our prototype is to make the user more aware of our hearing sense. Oftentimes we rely only on our vision and don't realize how much we can comprehend through hearing only. This device would train you to do so, use upon use.

Last semester of Core

At MIT's M.Arch. school, we have something called a core program, which means 3 semesters of architecture bootcamp. I am now in the thick of finals in my last core semester. And starting next semester, I will actually have time to blog.

In the middle of all this, the wind blowing into my room has calmed me down, tremendously.

Marking One's Territory

by sleeping like nobody is watching.

Union Square Park (weekday, rush hour)

Urban Agriculture Workshop

I'll be partaking in a summer urban farming workshop with Terreform One, a non-profit organization that started the lab called Terrefarm. The first week allows us to soak up information and knowledge on the subject, the second week takes us all over NYC to witness where urban farming is taking place and the final week will be packed with conceiving and completing a built farm of some sort.

They talk to me.

Do they talk to you?

Track for the Late Night

Holding On For Dear Life

Today, I learned from a farmer that you can bury fallen succulent petals in some dirt and it will grow roots and produce another beautiful plant. How self-sustaining these succulents are. Nothing goes to waste.

Vertical Garden

Solar House facade at Montreal Biosphere


Bucky Fuller's Biosphere for 1967 World Fair


(Taken over the past weekend during Canada Grand Prix)