I think it is safe to say that everyone that went on the trip will miss the weather and flawless beaches of Rio now that we are back in Ohio. The snow and cold temperatures during this lovely “spring” surely aren’t helping Ohio’s cause a this point, but our return has had me reflecting mostly upon the differences in culture and learning to appreciate both. For instance I do appreciate being able to ask questions in English again! Crossing a street without fear of my legs being taken out is definitely a plus, too. On a more serious note, there are definitely things I will miss about Rio, but also things I am seeing in a new way now that I am back.

No matter how much I love a city I visit, there will always be something special about being home. To be surrounded by your own culture, in familiar places, with people you care about is something to never take for granted. It definitely adds a level of comfort everyone needs, no matter how long you have been gone. I do wish sometimes I could haggle the price of a pair of shoes down ten dollars or get some insanely fresh juice in Columbus. Unfortunately, our society and location are not conducive to such activities. Overall, coming home is a bittersweet experience. I am glad to be back and Rio will absolutely be included in travel plans down the road.

As I look back now, I think of all that used to be good. I can remember it like it was only yesterday. The warm air, the breeze coming in from the ocean. The luscious green trees, and plants that flow throughout the walkways let just that glimmer of sunlight stream down onto your skin. It was a magical place. If I think hard enough I can still smell the seasoning of the cuts of meat at the churrasco. I can still remember the cold of the ocean as I walk out further, my feet sinking deeper into the sand. It feels like it was only last week that I was standing with water up to my waist, and as I turned around I was met by a giant wave. I was crushed, sent tumbling underneath the water. Now, though, I’m sent tumbling by school work. Im drowning in 2-3 inches of snow. Instead of getting burnt by the hot, hot sun, I’m getting freeze-burnt in the wind of thirty degree temperatures. It’s a sad thought that it wasn’t so long ago things were much brighter. Now I’m back in Columbus, the “city of champions”. The “city of snow” is more like it. I guess since I don’t even step foot outside of Knowlton it doesn’t matter. I’m home, but why can’t home be Rio de Janeiro?

The best experience of the entire trip to Rio has been visiting the Botanical Gardens, from a Landscape perspective they are truly amazing. They have a richness about them that can only come from age and a lushness that is unique the the tropical climate they reside in. I was fascinated by the primary pathways that created strong axis through the site and by the secondary paths that formed intimate spaces for one to interact personally with the landscape. I was also fascinated by the materials used within the site, There is a bridge that seems to be made of recycled industrial materials, it seemed so out of place in the formal landscape yet it fit in due to the entire sites variety of materials and spaces. I was also amazed by the metalwork that created the walls of the orchid greenhouse, they were painted white and were shaped into an intricate curvilinear yet geometric pattern that was the perfect backdrop for the brightly colored and delicate orchids. I could have spent an eternity studying the landscape of that site, noting how it connected the urban environment to the natural, or how the simple plane of the water features perfectly counterbalanced the chaos of the vegetation. It would be a treat to one day be able to go back to those gardens and enjoy their serenity once again.

Crossing the the Guanabara Bay to Niteroí is an awe inspiring experience. The bridge just grows and grows into the fog of the bay. Oil tanks park, freckling the waves. The coast of Niteroí is covered in docks and cargo bays, building rigs and ships. Just past the gully of frights and container we headed up into the hills, soon revealing to us The Contemporary Art Museum, hugging the coastline. To one side the docks to the other multimillion Dollar condos.

The museum was envisioned and designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The structure is extremely figural. Mushroom like it stands on a small mirroring pool, reflecting the structure down. A long curving ramp leading up to the first level quickly spirals 360 degrees upward to the second. Here on the second level is the main portion of the museum and the space Niemeyer wanted to be entered first. The ramp is iconic of the classics Niemeyer spiraling stairs. He also uses it as a subtle way of introducing the brillian is  pop of red to the white mass, drawling visitors up and into the structure.

Although this building is fantastic, we were unable to explore the interior fully and I found myself looking at the surround areas. The museum sits on a sliver of land, on the bow of a hillside, just above a smal harbour. From the museums bistro you get a perfect view.

In this harbour lies a mysterious island, with a villa build at the top. The locals don’t know if the compound is vacant or occupied, or it is even owned by anyone at all. These unanswered questions does not stop fishermen from using its geography to their advantage, casting their reels from the banks of the rock island. This isolated island and the mystery looming over this place intrigued me.

Don’t you wanna?

Let the music take over you. The subtle sounds of the bass guitar. The acoustic beats of the samba drum. The soulful voice of the woman in purple. And the complimentary sounds and beauty of the lady in blue. With each step, the Samba entered the soul and took control. You don’t move to the beat drum. The best of the drum moves you. It picks up your foot, gently taps it on the wooden floor. The tambourine grabs your hips and moves back and forth, swaying and swelling like the ocean. The guitar, feeds your soul, you’re desire to let the instruments move your body. And the voice, the voice is soothing, it lulls your consciousness to sleep, but you’re awake the whole time. You see all around you. You feel the warm people all around you. Inhibition is gone. The woman next to you smiles, and you grab her hand and hip. Both of you are puppets to the Samba, moving back and forth, side to side swiftly.

Then the music ends. The sweet voice that had hypnotized your every move fades away. The drums last beats rumble into an echo. The strings of the guitar vibrate back into their place of origin. Body’s stop moving. You and you’re partner let go, and you patiently await the return of the puppeteer. The Samba.

Today is the last day in Rio and we come to the Maracana Stadium. Maracana is one of the most famous soccer stadium in the world and has hold countless important soccer games since it was built, like the World Cup last year. It is a very successful stadium with the clear circulation for players, audiences, and staff. Different function areas are well arranged to meet various needs of different groups. Seats are painted in blue and yellow colors to represent their country with the green color of the grass together. It is really an excellent idea. Even the stadium is empty when there is no game playing, it is still full of color.

Honestly, I am so so so exited to visit here. Especially when I enter the main soccer field with the cheers coming from the broadcast, I even can imagine the players coming from the lounge to begin the game. I am a super soccer fan and always dreaming to watch a game of my favorite team, the Spain National Team. Although they failed in 2014 World Cup, their fans will never give up on them just like every member will never give up on their loved soccer.

I am not familiar with the South America soccer team, but I still feel so regret for not going to the soccer game on Wensday night. Maybe in the future I will have opportunity to watch soccer game and feel the passion of fans and sport.

I haven’t been feeling well the last couple of days because I ate something that seemed to disagree with my stomach. Though it was unpleasant, it was great to see that the whole team of administration was extremely understanding and supportive of me while ill. When I was feeling sick during the day, Aimee and her husband Mark both took a cab with me back to the hotel so that I could rest and recover for the next day. When it didn’t get better, Troy and Aimee both called a taxi and rode to the hospital with me. Even though it took a long time (and I’m sure it was very boring for both of them) they stayed there the whole time until I was released, made sure I got the right medication, and insurance information was taken correctly. The next day, I came to the lobby and our tour guide, Vanessa, was waiting for me with a full bottle of fresh coconut water (which is better for recovering than Gatorade, so she says). All of my peers were also extremely helpful in recovering. Some gave me fever reducers, drinks and things to eat that would make me feel better. I have been so thankful for everyone’s help with that. However, I feel that the advisors went above and beyond for me in getting me better. It really shows how much they care about their students and our well-being. I would truly feel comfortable going on any other trip with all of the experience, precaution, and care that they exhibited during my illness.

There are so many different modes of transportation here and every mode seems so common and frequently used. Yesterday alone we traveled by bus, metro, boat, and foot. Throughout the week we have also traveled by taxi, cable car, and of course by plane. Today we added train to our list after visiting Cristo Redentor. Other modes of transportation I have noticed have been car, bicycle, skateboard/penny board, and tons of motorcycles. It’s interesting to see the differences between here and Columbus or America in general; in America the pedestrians typically have the right-of-way even if they don’t ACTUALLY have the right-of-way. Cars and buses are always looking out for pedestrians in the U.S. Here it is quite the opposite. Our tour guide Vanessa told us on the first day to be extra cautious when using crosswalks because the drivers do not care for pedestrians, in fact they “treat us as bowling pins.”

The buses are something special to take note of, I can’t quite get over how fast the bus drivers make turns, and how confident the drivers are to fit down streets so narrow I never would’ve imagined possible.

One of my favorite things I’ve noticed about this city is the abundance/normality of VW hippie vans. That is my dream car to have during my 20s and it’s odd to see so many of them here compared to America, even many of the construction/commercial trucks are VW. I’ve also enjoyed watching the flow of traffic. It seems everyone is in a rush and cuts other people off, but since everyone is on that same page it feels like drivers are looking out for eachother while trying to cut eachother off so it works just fine. I probably wouldn’t be very confident driving through here, though..

The gas stations along Ipanema Beach are just a few pumps placed in the middle divider between the two directions of traffic, so cars can simply pull off, fill up, and continue on. I think this is a very efficient plan especially for a street as busy as the one off of Ipanema. I’ve seen this in a few other areas of the city.

Now all I need to do is find a nice Brazilian to give me a ride through the city on their motorcycle! (Just kidding)

There. I have slapped myself for saying I was going to miss all the American food yesterday. I fell in love with Brazilian food the first time I tried it. Sarah and I shared this Feijoada at a restaurant on the Ipanema beach called Astor. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite food ever but I appreciate the variety you are getting out of one “dish”(which is really like 7 dishes.) it comes with a vegetable I thought was sea weed, sautéed pork rib, some sort of salami thing, farofa which is a traditional Brazilian accompaniment on the table, rice, oranges and bean soup. It doesn’t look very exotic as it’s a noble and traditional Brazilian dish, but the flavor is in fact really rich. Lots of fat from the meat demands a good balance from the veggies and rice, and the soup lubricates and accompanies the dry-ness of everything else. You can’t get food-cultured without trying out the local drinks. The strawberry caipirinha and some cool mojito certainly added a strong summer and beach flavor to the meal as well. The platter of meat is called Churrasco, it’s essentially different types of grilled meat served together. It also came with farofa, rice and French fries, so it was more than enough food for four of us for a reasonable price at about 13 usd each. To a meat lover, Brazil is fantastic because almost every meal involves Carne (Portuguese for meat.) I’m certainly looking forward to feasting!

Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful city, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, vibrant, energized, robust, and exploring the identity of the city has been a wonderful experience. However, what I love about this city lies in the small details, the elements often overlooked.

An example of a building facade dictated by window air conditioners.

Rio is a very unique city, and it’s unlike any place that I have ever visited. Around every corner there seems to be a new experience, and the city continuously keeps you on your toes. I’ve experienced a new kind of rain while in Rio – it’s the kind of rain that one typically doesn’t use an umbrella for, and that would be the air conditioning rain. While walking along the sidewalks you will without a doubt experience the dripping window air conditioning vents. In order to save money, buildings do not install central air conditioning, thus leading to the result of facades completely dominated by protruding small rectangular boxes also known as air conditioners.

Everywhere you walk in Rio, you will find textured floor strips, whether it’s in the metro, along the sidewalk, or even in some cases, in buildings, the design of the city caters to the needs of people, especially for the blind. This small attention to detail is what makes Rio so unique, and so interesting.

There are many other examples of the small, yet impactful details. When analyzing a city, it is so important to always remember to never overlook the small elements that combine to create the whole.

We visited Cristo Redentor today, the massive statue at the top of Corcovado Mountain which serves as a universal landmark for the city. Before we boarded our train to the top we knew that would be heavy cloud cover obscuring our view of the city from the statue’s perch. I, however, did not anticipate such heavy clouds that we would struggle to see even the icon’s head!

This seeming inconvenience actually transformed my experience of the landmark into a more mystical one. Gathered on the two-tiered platform before Cristo’s feet was a mass of people just staring and buzzing in anticipation. The whole scene would go through these dramatic waves based on the clouds above: first near-silence as the statue was hidden completely, then a rise in conversation and preparation (many “Cristo” poses struck), then a culminating cheer as the cover thinned enough to see his face clearly.

What a magical experience! Sharing the cheer with everyone, and making a kind of game out of looking at a fairly straightforward statue, was humorous and rewarding. It seems a fever-dream of the egoistic architect, to have a crowd of people stare for minutes on end just to see your work. This kind of uncontrolled event is a fleeting moment of amazing interaction between the electricly alive people and the more rigid world of architecture.

The lively crowd was of more interest to me than the statue itself.

What a great thing for a place to do to people! This kind of anticipatory spectacle is something I would love to explore in architecture: the hidden icon, the randomly-timed event, these become moments of collective excitement and interaction, curiosity, and wonder. Whether it’s a religious statue shrouded in mist, a faithful geyser, or a giant cuckoo clock (which Troy told me about), dynamic moments of spectacle create powerful moments. Curiousity, anticipation, wonder; it sounds like an architecture that can reignite the magic of childhood, and that would be a beautiful thing.

Today is really a busy walking day! We were walking all day through Rio’s downtown area and visited many wonderful places. It is also the first day we use the public transportation in Rio. The subway is much better than what I thought before I get on it. It is neat and  well ordered. One thing need to mention, we met a nice musician in the train and everyone enjoyed his music during the short trip.

Rio’s downtown like many metropolis all over the world: high-rise, high density, large amount of traffic and people, and always busy road. The city has very unique sidewalk using the local white and black stone as materials and sometimes have special patterns. The other phenomenon I considered during today’s trip is the mix of old building and modern architecture. It is also common in most cities with a long history like many European cities and  Asian cities such as Paris and Beijing. How the old and new architectures coexist in the modern society is a fantastic thing. There are some examples below.

The Real em revista library we visited today is the architecture I like most. I was very interested in it when the classmates introduced it in the neighborhood presentation because I am always dreaming having a wall filled with books I love. And today, I am shocked by the book walls and the well preservation of both the interior and exterior of the architecture. The details of the shelves and columns as well as the skylight window are elaborate.

Hello all-

below is the beach comparison assignment as I discussed it on Sunday morning on Ipanema beach. I will try to find another place on this blog site to situate this assignment in addition to this blog posting for easier access.

The assignment is to be completed in your beach comparison groups,

Documentation will include: (working) diagrams (with lots of notes)  in your sketchbooks over several pages since the beaches are quite long, sketches, photos, videos, audio

This assignment is a work in progress that we will discuss several times, possibly Monday and Tues or Wednesday on the bus + later. Assignment can be completed on Sunday when the promenades are more pedestrian friendly, but also in the evenings walking to/from dinner and other days you are on the promenades and subsequent days you are exploring this area.

items to include in analytical comparison:
Infrastructure: post markers, restrooms, utility buildings
Landscape Architecture: vegetation (placement, scale, shade, shape), barriers/markers separating zones, floor patterns and colors, how the landscape makes connections, natural rock outcroppings
Amenities: restaurants, markets, art,  daycare, vendors
Culture markers: statues, sand castle sculptures, floor patterns, flags, graffiti
Transportation: zones & width for cars, people, bikes comparing Sun to other days
Temporal uses: Fitness, markets, sport, night compared to day, protests, sunsets

as noted some of these items may overlap in one category or another, perfectly fine

let Troy or I know if you have questions, looking forward to seeing your analysis-Aimee

Went to the most representative places of Rio-the beach! Both Copacabana and Ipanema~ the streets next to the beaches are amazing. They are wide and clean. Most importantly, they incorporate beautiful landscape into the design. Huge palm trees made the outline of the streets. Then many kinds of other tropical plants also being incorporated. All of these are interacting with the beach, ocean and sky, which makes the city looks so harmonious. Which really surprised me is the speed limit of e streets next to the Ipanema beach, 70… This makes me want to explore the whole city on their roadway design. It is so different!

In the afternoon, we went to Hipple fair. I always believe this kind of fair is a good representation of a city and it dose in Rio, too. There were lots of local handcrafts, and food as well. I found that leather products are the things that they really like. Leather bags, belts, purses, bracelets, etc. I got two book markers and a small map there, oh, and a blended juice~ I really like these handmade things, they make people feel the originality and the effort of the artists. And from the using of colors, I can almost feel the sprit of Brazil~ Hot hot hot~

Below is the requirements for you blog posts for the Rio trip.  These will serve as the basis for conversation both while we are abroad and once we return.  Please remember to keep all posts congenial and constructive.

– 7 Total blogs:  1 prior to the trip, 1 after the trip, and 5 during

– 2 of the 7 posts must be in response to a classmates post

– A ‘post’ must be at a minimum of 200 words to be considered

– 5 media files must be incorporated in your posts, 1 of which must be a sketch.  You may incorporate multiple images within a single post

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