Next Flight back to Rio

hanging flags  Now that we’ve gotten back into the swing of things, with classes and studying and stress, its almost soothing (or maybe thats depression I don’t know for sure) to reminisce on the memories of Rio de Janeiro. This post circles back to my pre-departure post about the other flags seen in the airport. These flags pictured here were hanging from the ceiling at the train station at Corcovado mountain. These flags really spoke to me in a bigger way than the previous. Each flag has a different patten from the next, different colors, shapes, and story. Some share the same meaning, while others drastically different. And yet, with so much difference between them, they are all assembled beautifully together, assembled as separate entities all apart of one bigger picture. In Brazil, we experienced a culture different than our own, and that was only one country! Each flag can serve as a symbol of a different culture. This merely scratches the surface on the sheer vast amount of different cultures in this world to be experienced.  There are so many more, with differences and similarities to others at all ends of the spectrum! I think one should strive to experience all of these cultures and develop a wider global awareness.

Finally, this picture remains one of my favorites from Rio. I am not the artist behind this awesome picture, COMPLETE PHOTO CREDIT TO ASHTON. Still, this picture resonates as such a cool and modernistic representation of the city in its entirety. The text pictured here (if you can’t see because it is cut off) has a heart and then Rio, in a very simple, modern font. Very evidently so, the “R” is damaged, which i think is such a strong parallel to city. The city of Rio is largely a modernistic and evolving one. There may be its rough patches, such as poverty, crime and violence as a whole, despite that it maintains its beautiful image as “Cidade Maravilhosa”.heart rio

 

parrot sketch Finally, one of my sketches. (No judgement I’m not an architecture student) This is from the botanical gardens, a wonderful experience. This is a sketch of one of the birds i briefly saw. I had been waiting for the majority of the trip to see some beautiful birds and upon visiting the botanical gardens, I was sure I would finally find them. Upon getting there, I saw a whole lot of beautiful vegetation and structures, but not a whole lot of beautiful birds. I spent the entirety of the visit looking to the sky hoping for a glimpse of the precious *golem voice*. Finally in a split second, it was there! A beautiful green bird, conure was my assumption. I stumbled to get out my phone to take a picture, and just like that, it was gone. At first i was disappointed, but that really is the nature of birds. They are fleeting, never in one place for too long, one moment they’re there, the next they’re gone. I think that accurately portrays society, always in a state of change, never placid. One could view this as sad, as sometimes things do not return to the original state, or one could view it as beautiful, and appreciate the fleeting moments as they come.

Did I tell you I ran into Gisele on the beach?

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It is hard to believe that the trip is already over. I’ve had several dreams about Rio in just the past few days. I’ve never missed a city this much ever in my life. Something was so magical about the city and I wish I was there right now.

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I miss the group.

We are a group that naturally bonded together and it didn’t take much time and effort for us to know each other and learn about other’s characters. I appreciate the variety of personalities that we had, out-spoken, or hilarious, or quiet, or thoughtful. I wish I could be in Monday classes more often so I’d be able to see you guys more often.  Sorry I don’t have more group pictures because you guys already uploaded most of them…

I miss the people.

I love how friendly the country is. Every one we met there was so nice and welcoming, the crazy taxi driver that gave me a real life experience of fast and furious; the cool front desk person that always told me the direction in perfect English; the kids that we played with at the museum; the girls worked at maracana that loved my awful Portuguese jokes; the homeless guy that taught me the “surf-brake” handshake; and Vanesa the best guide I can ever ask for, and so on. This is part of why I like Rio over London because it feels more like home.

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I miss the food.

Oh my God. Where else are you gonna get a meal full of steak, pork, chicken, beans, rice and tons of other stuff for less than ten bucks? I miss the food so much, particularly when I don’t have much time during the day and stuck with the café food at Knowlton. Feed me please.

I miss the culture.

“Você é linda” (You are beautiful.) I made so many Brazilian girls giggle by saying that. In fact, Rio is beautiful. Can’t speak Portuguese? No problem. It’s actually hilarious to communicate with hand signs and body language, and most people are very patient when you are talking trying to understand you. It’s kind of different in States, as people seem to be more ignorant about foreigners, often times you would hear someone saying “I don’t speak Spanish, sorry.” Instead of trying to listen and help.

I miss the beach.

Beach, sunshine, coconut water, swimming suits, waves, 90 degree days, Cristo Redentor smiling you every day, what more can you ask for? That is the life.

I miss Rio.

 

Here’s an exclusive teaser of “Rio de Janeiro: The Movie” directed by John Dai.

Rio Video Sneak Peak

The Green of Rio

My favorite moment of our one short week trip in Rio de Janeiro, would be time we visiting gardens or the designed landscape relating to the famous buildings. In all, Rio is so different with Columbus, including culture, foods, people, language, buildings, etc; and also without doubt, the plants, trees, flowers in nature, which grow in South America.  Architects and Landscape architects have taken the advantage of characteristics of their local environment, and their designed landscape look so distinguishing with those I used to be familiar with. My first experience of the Brazilian garden, is the sitio of Roberto Burle Marx. Things are all new to me there; so many trees and plants I have never seen, and only if you are really in there, you can understand its scale; all the trees and flowers are in large scale! even the mosquito btw: ) I really enjoy the time spending in the sitio; all the things look green, but not the same green actually. The plants had been selected carefully, and they always being placed in a pattern of depth of color; in the middle is a large tree with dark green leaves and surrounded by other smaller lighter green plants, or in the opposite order; and layer by layer the change slowly going on; giving people a feeling of dynamic change even only in the color of green.

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I have the same feeling when we visited the botanical garden, and the small garden in front of the Ministry of Education and Health, below is a sketch I draw for it. How the Brazilian landscape architects deal with the harmony of botanical plants in their garden impress me a lot in this trip.

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Post Rio Reality

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.

Post-Trip Entry

Today marks exactly 2 weeks since we embarked on our journey to Rio. At this time, we would have been sitting in the Atlanta airport filled with excitement as we waited to board the plane to leave for Rio. It’s hard to believe that was two weeks ago, and now I’m sitting here looking at the snow falling outside of my window, wishing that I was instead laying on the beach in Ipanema.

The trip was absolutely incredible and I truly hope that someday I will be able to return to Rio de Janeiro. I’ve been to many beaches in the United States, but nothing compares to laying on the beach while admiring the beautiful, mountainous landscapes just beyond the shore. The views from Sugarloaf Mountain were by far some of the most breath-taking views I have ever experienced. I loved having the opportunity to explore the city each day surrounded by a group of people that were just as interested in the architecture and landscape as I was. Being part of a study abroad group while traveling is something I had never experienced before. It was a totally different experience than traveling with friends and family. It was also always interesting to come back to hotel and see what other people thought of the sites we visited by reading the blog entries. I especially always enjoyed viewing other people’s sketches. I was amazed by all of the sketching talent in our group, everyone’s sketches were so beautiful and amazing!

Overall, the trip was amazing and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about the culture of Rio and meet so many wonderful people. I will forever cherish the memories made in Rio de Janeiro and I can’t wait to go back someday!

 

Comparison of Rio to second day back in Columbus!

Comparison of Rio to second day back in Columbus!

Post Rio Depression

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?image

Post Trip

It has been days since came back from Rio. After finished all of the accumulated work of Spring Break, I finally got some time sitting down and think about the whole trip. Honestly, I have never think of I would go to Brazil so it is complete a surprise that I got this opportunity through Knowlton. The Rio trip really taught me a lot and I really had a lot of fun.

Before the departure, we are told to pay 120% carefulness to our belongings as well as ourselves in Rio. Thus I pictured a city with lots of homeless on the streets and police officers carrying guns standing in every neighborhood. But at the same time, I know the city is chosen for holding 2016 Olympic games and it is also a world famous tourism place so Rio has to have some reasons for being chosen and become such an attraction. What a mystery trip! After I got there and after few days of experiencing the city, I had totally different impressions. By walking down the city, it looks quit safe and relaxing. There are lots of people walking on the streets with their dogs and countless people hanging out on the beach. All of these make people assuming this is the whole image of this city. But Rio is a city with more than 6 million people and it is certainly that not everyone’s life is like that. Soon I found that southern part of the city is the tourism area and the western part is the place that most citizens are living and working. Luckily I got the chance to see both sides of the city. And observing how the most of people in Rio is living. The biggest impression Rio gives me is it is showing the existence of poor and rich so incisively and vividly. Even in downtown area, simple, broken houses exist among bunch of skyscrapers. Many countries have similar situation but Rio is one that showing it so directly. Also, as there are so many amazing architectures in the city, the contrast is even more obvious.

The Rio trip let me experienced the pleasure of exploring a new city both with a group and individually. Even though I have done some research about where to go in Rio, there were still some sites that Aimee and Troy took us surprised me, like the botanical garden. I did know there is such a place like that. Also, in free day we explored Rio downtown, besides the visit of Escadaria Selarón, which we planned ahead, we also discovered lots of new places that we never thought of in downtown. I guess that is the meaning of traveling- seeing things you never expected. 🙂

 

Post-trip

It was a long week after we got back from Rio. Tons of homework, papers, exams followed up the Spring break. It was just hard to relax in the middle of the semester. I was super tired after we got back from Rio at the beginning of this week, so I drunk a lot of water to re-hydrate myself to get over jet lag. Everything went smooth so far; I just missed the time we spent in Rio.

The weather dramatically dropped down from 85 F in Rio to 30 F here. It was a good feeling wearing short on street. I did wish summer would come faster to Columbus this year. It was a little bit snowing early today, but everything roused up from sleeping. It was so nice to see the little purple flower sprouted up on mud outside my house.

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Rio is such a beautiful and unforgettable city. From the Copacabana beach, Ipanema beach, Maracana stadium, botanical gardens, to the sugarloaf mountain, Christ Redeemer status, etc., Rio attracts people world widely. I was so glad we had the chance to see so many beautiful sites during our trip. I enjoyed this trip a lot! It was such a good experience to travel aboard with a group of friends with different majors. And everybody in this trip knew how to take care of themselves and help others.

It was so cool to see the culture of Latin American easily on street. I appreciated all the efforts Aimee and Troy had made. It was the best trip ever for me to travel with a group of friend

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The day we left Rio was raining again, just like the day we left Columbus…

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I felt relaxed in the trip. The time of visiting one project was well controlled, so we spent a good time on visiting and understanding it, meanwhile we had enough time to sketch or experience it. That was more than I expect, this was an exactly trip what I want that I could learn something while relaxing myself.

The idea of blog is super wonderful. In fact, I go through the blog every day, reading others’ blogs is fun. It is interesting to see other guys’ experiences, some are extremely different from me, but some have the same feeling with me. I would like to see how they read this city.

When I came back, my classmates are super curious about my experience in Rio. “How was your spring break?” “Was it good?” “Is it much warmer than Columbus?” “Did you see Niemeyer’s work?”… In order to answer these questions quickly, I posted several photos which can present my understanding of Rio on facebook. There were so many nice memories in Rio, it is hard to use limited photos to show the city.

 

Botanical Gardens

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.

Back To The Real World

Unfortunately, the weather back here in Columbus is not quite what we experienced in Rio de Janeiro. However, I am so thankful to have had the chance to go on a trip like that. I predicted I would be indulging myself with newness and a whole range of cultural experiences, and this trip exceeded my expectations. I did so many things that I would have put on my bucket list, if I knew they even existed before this trip. The place and people were great. Not only was a cool experience, but I learned a lot while I was there. The stress free atmosphere tends to rub off on you while you’re there, so it was nice to take a break from worrying about everything. Now, we have to go back to the grind of school, work, getting good grades, extracurriculars, clubs, and the list of things that stress us out goes on. But when I think of being in Rio or look at pictures, I feel like there is a little bit that I brought back with me. I won’t forget the people I met or the things I did and experienced while in Brazil. The Carioca lifestyle is a lifestyle that I could definitely see myself wanting to experience again. Until next time, Rio.

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Impressions of Rio de Janeiro

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Looking back to the sketches I did in Rio remind me a lot of experience I got from Rio. Rio is a city that combines so many unique features: beach, mountain, plants, and busy urban. The city of Rio is deeply influenced by the beaches because all kind of activities happen on the beaches. There are people jogging along the beach, laying on the beach, working out and playing volleyball on the beach. Beach become a place where Brazilians show their passion. The comparison between Copacabana and Ipanema is a way of showing how the urban is developed along the shoreline.

 

img049The day we went to visit Christ the Redeemer is really foggy that you cannot even see Christ’s feet. But I still enjoyed the unique view seeing through the fog. We have seen a lot of photos taken in a sunny day and Christ the Redeemer is hugging the whole city. Seeing even part of the status has already amazed me how huge it is and how much work and time it took to build it.

 

 

 

 

img045img044img047Inserted in Rio culture, Rio de Janeiro Cathedral has such a different interior and exterior look. My impression of the exterior when I saw it was a lot of concrete and this cathedral has such a strong characteristic. And the interior has such a strong pattern of colors, worked with the natural light from the outside. We also went to the Nossa Senhora do Brasil Church, whose scale is so much smaller than the cathedral. Different from the cathedral, the church is following the European style.

It is so fascinating to see the landscape and architecture in Rio, which speak to the natural contexts of Rio so much. Every piece of land tells a story of the city.

Back in the Snow

Since coming home to Columbus and reflecting on my trip to Rio I have come to realize that out of all the places I have traveled to, Rio is by far the most unique city I have seen. I am still in awe of its landscape and culture, something that I don’t think I will ever fully understand. The city utilizes the landscape in ways I had never seen before, such as the favelas climbing the morros, making the best of an ‘undesirable’ location. I was also amazed by the tunnels going under the morros, these extensive roadways were carved through the landscape causing minimal changes to the ground above it, true tunnels are common in the U.S. as well, however, I have only seen one other tunnel that rivals the impressiveness of the tunnels in Rio. The most amazing thing about the city was the minute details that gave the city its vibrancy17899_10206155642155321_7196572364319707353_n 10383118_10206155633595107_2626008949129084617_n rio, this is especially significant when in terms of the vegetation; never before have i seen such beautiful shapes and colors. Overall Rio is a truly beautiful city and I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to spend a week there. Now as I sit at my desk the bright sun and soft sand of Rio seems like a dream, but it is a dream that I will hold onto and always cherish. I hope that one day I am able to return and continue my adventures in Rio.

 

 

 

Unforgettable Memories

It is still hard to believe the trip in Rio has ended. For these days coming back to Columbus I always have a feeling that we are still in Rio and when I woke up it seems the sunshine is behind the window and the sound of waves…but going home is good as well! At least I can eat my favorite foods! I will miss the fresh fruit juice but honestly, most Brazilian food are not my cup of tea. However having a experience of traditional food like Feijoada is still awesome. It is a really marvelous feeling that when you come back, you feel accomplished; and after a rest of few days you rethinking about your trip, lots of memories have been reminded and you become surprised we have been experiencing so much. 

We`ve really experienced so much indeed. All the photos I collected in my computer, all the sketches I finished and being added, making me hard to forget this wonderful trip. And this is one of most impressive parts of what I have learned in the one week: the power of experience. Many things If you personally experienced you will get a better understanding,  and understanding of your own. That is what you cannot get only from looking the Internet page or pictures from books. Like the architectures and gardens we visited during this trip, only when you are really there, inside or in front of it, you understand its scale and the relation with the surroundings; for example, the cathedral we visited in the middle of downtown, surrounded by a bunch of modern buildings, making a strong comparison with its traditional and religious appearance. And like the Sitio and Botanical garden, you will never get to know how many types of botanical plants are in there, but when you are in there, you get a sense of what the botanical gardens looks like and their difference with our conventional garden.

Before this trip I wrote in my pre-post that I hope this trip will be an unforgettable, precious memory, and I`m really glad to give a conclusion now that it has been realized.

Brazilian Markets

I would say one of the most interesting parts of this trip is the two markets we visited. Let`s talk about the Hippie Fair first. It is not a very big market, but there are so many funny and cultural items. We visited on our second day in Rio, as being a tourist who still did not know much about Brazil at that time, I`d say it completely increase my understanding of Brazilian culture; how is Brazilian folk market looks like and how the local people behave in there as part of their daily life. Especially we learned how to bargain with the traders. Actually it is not strange with me because in China we often do the same thing; but also feeling interesting that you found it also works in Brazil, which is almost the opposite side of earth with your hometown. And I found it is challenging! It is not easy at all, especially when you barely know Portuguese and trying to convince them in your body language. But it`s funny at all.

  Speaking of there, The majority of people cannot speak English is part of my most impressive experience in Brazil. I`m really curious why they do not more positively promote the education of English. Because in my opinion being a famous traveling country which tourism is a large part to support its economy, promoting English will give more convenience and advance for sure. But that`s only a small question of my own, in all people are really nice there, you can always meet local people who can speak English help you to communicate with the trader, the restaurant etc.   People only speak Portuguese are fine as well without doubt.

  I really love those real handmade art pieces by the traders their own in Hippie Fair. Every one of them is different by the handmade, that making them unique. They do not like usual souvenir from the factory line which makes me boring. I really like the drawing map I bought from a really nice granny and the small house model from a old mister. 

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  For the last day we visit another market, and that is a really meaningful experience as well. It tends to be even more local, as Venesa said we might be the only foreigners in there. And that is true. There is even more funny things. I love the small trolley with poetry. That`s new to me. All the poetries looks interesting and I wish I could read it. And Lulu tried the braid thing, it is so cool I wish I did it but there was not enough time. The market experience really broaden my understanding of Brazilian folk life.

Football Game&Maracana

I’m a big fan of football game so when I heard we could have a chance to watch a local game at Wednesday night, I definitely said I’m not gonna miss it. The game is between Flamengo FC & G.E Brasil at the Maracana Stadium. This is a very good chance not only it is the “first fase” of the Brazil Cup, it’s also chance we see the Maracana Stadium at night and on a game.

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I have learned about the craziness and enthusiasm of the fans, but when I was really with them still I’m overwhelmed by the atmosphere! The song and beats are never stopped, even before and after the game. And I`d say it really boost the morale.  Since the Flamengo is the home team, the stadium is full of red and black. We were sitting at the very first one and two rows , and this is also my first experience to watch a game in such a close distance. Since I support the Flamengo, when they wins I stood and clapped with the fans, feeling excited as same as they did.

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  And at the last day we are very luck to have a guide trip in Maracana in the daytime. That is really good for me cause I have gotten the views of this famous stadium in different times and conditions. And thanks to the guide I have gained a better understanding of this stadium. I noticed the mix of yellow and blue seats, like the two colors are slowly melted together. The guide told us the yellow and blue, with color of grassland green, represent the idea of this country and flag. How interesting to learn that! The experience in Maracana is really amazing.

Miss every moment in Rio de Janeiro

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I must say that the Rio trip is truly an amazing experience for me. From this trip, I have achieved a small dream in my life. That is seeing a real soccer game in Brazil. In 2014 world cup, at that time I was in high school in China, I have told to my best friends that I really want go to Brazil to see a real soccer game. But it was really far away for me to fly from China to Brazil. And I always heard that Brazil is dangerous and I am afraid of going along. Luckily, I have the chance to go to Rio by this trip. And finally my dream came true. I did saw a real soccer game in the Maracana Stadium. That was really excited! I sat at the first row, watching the whole game and cheering for the victory of the Flamengo team. This experience will preserve in my heart forever.

From this trip, not only my personal experience get richer but also I have gained more academic knowledge. Like we have walked a lot to see lots of fabulous architectures as well as landscape architectures. Like the Contemporary art center, Metropolitan Cathedral, Ministry of Education and Health, and so on. My favorite is the Metropolitan Cathedral. I was inspired by the appearance of colorful windows inside of the Cathedral. The color of the window was emphasized by the deep dark of the other part of the roof. The colors stand out and I get addicted to it. What’s more, going to visit the real architectures can make me remember and understand them better. Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx were then not only a name of a famous architecture or a landscape architecture but also is someone that I have visited their projects in real! That makes me feel I am familiar with them and would like to explore them more.

Culture experience is also a big part in this trip. The food, the local people, the handicraft and the art on the street all gave me a deep impression. I will never forget a lunch with rice, chicken, black beans and mango juice on the street; sunshine and coconuts on the beach, colorful hand-make craft in the hippie fair and the song The Girl from Ipanema by Vanessa on the bus to airport. I really miss every moments in Rio de Janeiro.

There’s no place like Rio

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If I close my eyes and click my heels three times, will I wake up on Praia de Ipanema drinking fresh coconut water, tasting the salt from the Atlantic Ocean and staring out at the mountainous coastline of Rio de Janeiro? Will I hear the sounds of locals playing beach volley and vendors walking around trying to sell their jewelry, umbrellas, caiparinhas, or beach wraps? Will I feel the hot Brazilian summer sun on my face and the soft sand between my toes? There’s no place like Rio, and it’s all but a beautiful memory now.

As I sit here in Columbus looking out the window at a landscape that was covered in snow just yesterday, I can’t keep my mind from wandering back to those 85 degree days when I was able to walk around in a sundress and flip flops. So many images flash through my mind like walking on the Portuguese stone-covered sidewalks, sketching on top of Pao de Acucar while listening to Brazilian music coming from an island down below, hiking through Sitio Roberto Burle Marx being submerged in the most incredible variety of plant life and swatting at blood-thirsty mosquitoes, walking around downtown admiring the grand architecture, taking a stroll through Parque do Flamengo before stuffing myself almost too full at Porcao, watching a lightning storm behind Cristo Redentor from the hotel rooftop, the list could go on forever.

Every day was filled with such new and different experiences, and with each one I told myself “this is it, it can’t get any better.” I was proven wrong every single time. I really had that “this is it” moment on the last night; I was sitting on the rock at Praia de Ipanema watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon with some friends that I never expected to become so close with. It was so surreal, and a memory I hope never escapes my mind. The trip could have ended at that moment and I would have been satisfied because it couldn’t possibly get any better. I truly thought I was right until we went to a Samba dance club downtown where locals taught us how to Samba and we danced the night away to a wonderful live singer.

I had grand finale of “this is it” moments the next morning on the bus to the airport as Vanesa sang to us “The Girl from Ipanema.” I soaked in every last view of the mountains, beaches, and neighborhoods I possibly could. I don’t think I will ever hear a version of that song that will sound as good as it did when Vanesa sang it to us on our last drive out of Rio.

Before I get too carried away, I will end by saying this trip to Rio de Janeiro was one of the most phenomenal experiences I have yet to be a part of; it has opened my mind to the world outside of the US and only increased my desires to experience as much as I possibly can. I have gained the confidence I was seeking to be a successful international traveler and I proved to my family and to myself that if I put my mind to it, traveling is a very real and possible thing and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Nevertheless, there is no place like Rio de Janeiro.

 

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Reflecting From Snowy Columbus

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It didn’t hit me that the week was coming to an end until Vanessa sang “The Girl From Ipanema” to us on the bus ride to the airport. As I looked out the window at one final view of mountains and stars and sand, I was overwhelmed in thinking about all of the amazing experiences from the trip.

One of my favorite aspects of the trip was working to overcome the language barrier. It was a fun challenge to communicate with such little common language. Most of the locals that we encountered seemed willing and enthusiastic to talk with us and tell us about their city. I think that the largest way that I was able to overcome the language barrier was by communicating emotion; compassion, love and empathy are universal.

Everything that we did during the week was incredible, but there are a few moments that were particularly breathtaking. Walking through the favela was a reminder that the media often only covers a single angle of a situation; I had read about the drug-lords and crime, but never about the incredible sense of community that has arisen. I was awestruck by the view of the city from Sugarloaf Mountain on our first evening in Rio. It really allowed us to see how heavily dictated the architecture is by the prominent natural landscape. Experiencing the landscapes of Roberto Burle Marx gave me the sense of peace that only gardens can evoke.

Our week in Rio de Janeiro gave me an even stronger yearning to travel. Every place that I visit makes me realize just how much there is in the world that I don’t yet know about. There are so many people to meet and adventures to be had, and I’m so thankful that I was able to enjoy this one!

Withdrawal

Being back in Columbus only brings one felling to both my mind and body. Simply put, this feelings is the feeling of shivering. I thought the three blanket incident on the delta flight back from Rio would be the last time I was shivering this year. I had great expectations of spring as we headed home. I had remained in contact with some people in Columbus during our brief yet glorious tenure in Brazil. They were telling me that it was indeed warming up in preparation for spring. The very next day after I arrived we receive 2-3 inches of snow. I truly think it is impossible to express my sadness into words when I saw that first flake fall. It was an absolute blessing to be able to seek refuge in a tropical climate for 9 days, drink Caipirinhas on the beach, visit some of the best examples of contemporary architecture, as well as getting to know and hanging out with some pretty swell individuals. I am really going to miss all the bartering for cheaper goods, as well as the freshness of everything: whether it be the culture and people around or the food that I eat. I feel as if I am already suffering from churrascaria and fruit juice withdrawal. I will never forget this trip for as long as I live, and I hope this will not be my last trip to Brazil as I had such a great time the first time around.

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Niteroí + Oscar Niemeyer

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Post-Trip

As I write this sitting in the living room of my apartment, I have a Flamengo soccer Flag and Christ the Redeemer statue staring me in the eye. These two objects just bring up the question, is it really over? It only seems like yesterday that I was in class learning how to say Bom Dia and Obrigado (good morning & thank you respectively- both words which I used a lot down in Rio). It also seems like yesterday that I boarded the bus to go to Port Columbus to depart for Brazil. But as I turn my head away from my Brazilian keepsakes, I feel the cold 36 degree weather of Columbus running down my back. So to answer the question above, yes it’s over.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten. I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart this is the single greatest experience of my life. To pinpoint one thing I loved about Rio would be impossible, but as a whole it has combined to give me a week of my life that will never be forgotten. From getting so close with my classmates, to all of the wonderful sites we visited, to the amazing soccer game I saw at Maracana, to even just lifting weights in the “rock weight room” on the beach, everything about Rio de Janeiro was amazing. And saying this experience is the greatest in my life is no joke. This trip tops the experiences of watching my favorite NHL team win a Stanley Cup in person, my favorite NBA team win a championship in person, and all of my high school sports experiences which includes a soccer State Championship. I truly mean it, this Spring Break to Brazil was the greatest.
This wouldn’t be possible without my teachers Aimee and Troy who helped create such an awesome program before, during, and now after as I am able to describe it here. All of the sites we visited greatly contributed to my study of the culture in Brazil and I think I now have a good understanding, at least in Rio, of how life goes about in Brazil. This experience also wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful tour guide Vanessa. From her great knowledge about everywhere we went, to hooking us up with the exclusive places, and to getting us front row seats at the Flamengo game, this trip would’t have been as good as it was without her.
So the next question I think that is appropriate to ask is what is next? Well, I wrote in my pre-departure blog that I hope this trip inspires me to travel more. And with 110% confidence I can say that I will. I am excited to see what else the world has to offer and the many beautiful places that are around just as Rio was. What is also next is me finishing up school, graduating, and finding a job back home. But what about Rio de Janeiro and myself? I think if everyone went to a fair or market in the city, they saw the I (heart) Rio shirt. For me, the I and Rio on that shirt have combined as one to go into my heart as I truly fell in love with the place. So I for one will definitely be back to the city soon. And what is actually crazy is that on the plane ride back from Atlanta, I was reading a book titled “100 Greatest Philosophers of All-Time”. In that book, a philosopher named St. Augustine was described. And one great quote from him that sums up my experience is “the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” For my first time opening up the book of travel, I think I found the greatest page to read and that is Rio de Janeiro.

Brasilia do Oscar Niemeyer

 

I didn’t quite know what to expect from Brasilia before arriving there. I had heard things about the city from every point on the spectrum of good and bad. Because of this, I did my best to go with a completely open mind and form an opinion of my own based on experience.

The flight there went very smoothly. It was nice to take off from Rio and see the haphazard streets running into the mountain and then seeing the hyper-organized grid system of Brasilia from the sky. Although we didn’t see the “plane” plan because we were flying in from the south, the contrast of the two major Brazilian cities was still very interesting. After landing, we took a cab to a hotel. Due to our almost nonexistent Portuguese knowledge, we arrived at the wrong hotel. Our cab had left already, but luckily for us, the man at the from desk told us our real hotel was just around the corner. The hotel was clean, safe, and even included breakfast; a perfect place for a one night stay. The biggest downside to the night, however, was that there was absolutely no food within walking distance except a not so safe looking food truck. We had to skip the group dinner due to our flight as well, so we went to bed sans dinner in the capital city.

The next morning’s breakfast made up for the lost meal and we were on our way. It was immediately evident that the city was not designed around the pedestrian. However, it was not completely ignorant to the fact that they exist like most information about the city suggests. There were sidewalks, crosswalks, and cars were slightly less determined to run a person over than in Rio. The conclusion I came to seemed pretty clear. This was a city designed in the modernist era from a completely blank slate. Utopian organization schemes and technology were the biggest influences at the time. Therefore, the city had an obvious Utopian plan with major political buildings along the main axis with supplementary and residential going off a secondary cross-axis. I believe, for a country’s capital city, this organization works very well and puts on the facade of a pristine system that governments strive toward. The influence of technology also explains the sparseness of infrastructure for the pedestrian. Cars and buses definitely have the priority. The major axis is essentially a highway and works very efficiently at moving traffic quickly through the city. If you live in the surrounding area and know the bus routes, you would have no problem getting to work in a timely manner and not have to worry about parking. The sheer amount of buses was astounding. Bikers are next on the priority list for infrastructure. There is a bike path in one large loop along the interior perimeter of the axis. It was nicely paved, separated from the highway, and even had some nice landscape along it. On nice days, this would also be a very viable method of getting to and from work. As I mentioned, pedestrians were last on the list with thin sidewalks right next to the highway with almost no landscape. This still seemed alright because the workers only used the sidewalks for short distances to a bus stop or a food stand during lunch. The city is designed around the capital city worker, rather than the tourist. To me, this just means it’s a more efficient and less crowded organization that a fast paced political city needs.

Of course, I cannot leave my man Niemeyer out of this post. I have been a fan of his for some time. He made a name for himself as a modernist architect without following the very strict recipe that was given to him by his contemporaries. He turned the concrete white box with glass into something sensual and graceful. He took what worked in one building and tweaked what didn’t in his next project. They aren’t just carbon copies plopped into a site and called great architecture. He also utilized the great Roberto Burle Marx to create interactive and memorable landscapes rather than just flat, barely designed landscapes.

I also enjoyed how he uses local artists in his designs and gives them the space to do an entire facade instead of just a sculpture or installation. He does this with the national theater shown below. (The national library is below that).

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I have also heard criticism about his spherical buildings and the lack of design effort put into the interior. I saw this in the memorial we saw in Rio, but this museum was pretty interesting on the inside. Things couldn’t be hung on the exterior walls, but there were nice sweeping curved walls that made up for the space. There was also a curved ramp to provide an upper level gallery which used an inverted half-sphere for light hung from the ceiling. The Metropolitan Cathedral was my favorite in the city. That may be because it was one of the few I was able to enter, but it was moving. It seems small and pretty dark from the exterior, but that only makes what is inside that much more exhilarating. The entry makes you descend into the ground a few feet into a short dark corridor and then you emerge into a seemingly floating structure. The melodic voices of the worshipers fill the space and light explodes through the stained glass windows. I could have stayed in there the whole day and not regretted a thing and I believe that is one of the main goals of a religious building to move people and make them feel comfortable to stay.

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We did have to move on from that beautiful space and visit the political core of the city. I also really enjoyed the next building. It was the Ministry of foreign affairs and it was a twist on the modernist concrete and glass box. He uses faceted arched for the exterior and offsets the glass box inside. Marx brings the water all the way up to the glass to make it seem like a bobber floating under a concrete cage. The congress building (below ministry on page) was also nice in that it combines all the political “typologies” Niemeyer sets up along the axis. Because it is the center of the government, it is also the only building that occupies the middle of the axis. He has the flat box at the base like the ministry of foreign affairs, the spherical forms like his museum, and the office towers on top like the other ministries lining the axis.

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More sketches of the supreme court buildings and other monuments.

 

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pictures for fun!

Brazil is so fun! And amazing trip needs amazing photos!!!

It is time to relax and I decide to post a post which is not sooooo “academic”! I believe every photo has its reason, people would take them because they get a special moments and experience. And I find out that I have a lot of wonderful pictures in my camera, but it is pity that I cannot show most of them.

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This is my favorite Photo. It was taken at the building in the Flamengo Park. I flipped it because the reflection is so perfect that Jess’s shadow becomes the real person and her real body becomes the shadow. It looks like Jess was looking into the ground! I like it so much, do you?

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This is Brent, I flipped it too and made it looks like two same Brents are looking at each other.

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Haha, this is Wiatt, see, there is a bunny on his shirt~~ Cute, is it?

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Guess! Whose shadows?~~

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It seems like Troy is in a mirror~~

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My picture before Niemeyer’s building. Now I am a big fan of him~

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I am in Maracana Stadium!! Unforgettable memory!!!

I think everyone got their own experience in Brazil. Please share them!

 

Built and Natural Mountains

I think the most unique feature of Rio de Janeiro is the relationship between the built and natural mountains. Where the natural mountains are the morros, and the built mountains are the collection of skyscrapers. The morros are on a very monumental scale and the built environment seems to replicate and connect to the scale of the mountains. The skyscrapers mimic the height of the morros and the density of the buildings relate to the density of the trees found on the morros. I find the relationship between the built and natural environment an overall theme that should be considered in all designs. Personally, I think the best designs emerge when the architect and landscape architect work in unison on the overall design. Consistent relationships that enhance and build off of one another is something that I think is displayed well in the Ministry of Health and Education Building. The relationship of the trees chosen to compliment and enhance the height of the building results in an overall consistent design. The conditions surrounding the building are just as important as the building itself. If there is one thing that Rio has taught me, it is that the built and natural conditions should always work together to create a masterful work of art. Photo

Samba Samba, Don’t you wanna?

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.

Grande Lobster

The date was March 20. The year, 2015. It was a Friday. Never has there been a day quite like it. The specifics were awe-inspiring. Almost 6 feet tall! A creature of that size, just chilling on the beach! Who would have thought? First the rumors started after a 9 foot long catfish was caught by an Italian fisherman. People passed It off as an anomaly, but I knew better. I knew that something was up. I mean… 6 foot LOBSTER? What? I guess I’ll have to explain more about how this happened.

It all started in the morning. The waves were breaking 30 meters out at 3 meters to 5 meters high! It’s no wonder such a creature washed up on the sand. Anyways, though, it was a beautiful day, the Sun was shining high in the northern sky, and the two brothers were as clear as can be. The islands that lie 2-3 kilometers out looked as if I could swim to them with ease. Initially, I brought my sunscreen with me, but the mistake was not putting it on before hand. The Sun had already penetrated my skin. The others wouldn’t arrive for another 20 minutes or so and I had no one to apply the sunscreen to my back.

Ashton and I took immediately to the ocean. Our skin was dryer than usual and the ocean salt stung like jellyfish. The omens were compiling. Ashton was somewhere in the water, and I had just come up for air when the next wave hit. 15 feet tall, and I froze. All I can remember next is waking up with sand in my shorts on the beach. I looked up and there was Chloe, Ashton and Wiatt looking over at me. I waved, “Hey guys”.

They looked at me strange, and I could feel the sting of the sun as well now. My back must have been badly burnt.

Then, the locals and my friends shouted “Lobster!!” “Grande! GRANDE!”

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Last Night In Rio

Last night was our final night to enjoy the nightlife of the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. I had a big knot in my chest for as the daylight hours faded into dawn and finally to darkness. We spent some of the last daylight hours sitting beachside catching up on some sketches and enjoying the sound of the ocean and the breeze. As it started to get darker we left Copacabana Beach to watch the sun set on the Two Brothers of Ipanema Beach. We climbed the boulders on the nearest side of the beach and watched the sun go down on the opposite side. It was quiet and peaceful. Many people were there with there with their significant others (because its an excellent date spot), some were fishing or enjoying the company of friends, and others were just sitting peacefully. Though there were many people there, not many talked and conversed. We were all fixated on the setting sun and watching the city turn from day to night as we listened to the waves crash on the rocks. It was by far one of the coolest sunsets I’ve ever watched. That experience really showed me how much I fell in love with the city and its people in short week of our stay.IMG_3949 IMG_3951 IMG_3953

Cristo Redentor

christ  This was taken at the Christ the Redeemer monument on Corvocado Mountain. The picture is actually Ashton’s because all of my photos were too cloudy. Upon arriving at the monument and finding out the fog was covering eighty percent of the statue, i was pretty disappointed. However, despite the lack of visibility, the visit to the statue was very moving. The size was incredible as well as the height above the ground. Looking around and down at the city (which we couldn’t see) felt like we were in some other world, above the clouds almost (the fog helped with that). It really is intriguing to me how in pretty much any part of the city of Rio de Janeiro, you can look around and somewhere, on a clear day, see the Christ the Redeemer statue.  The statue has its arms open, engulfing the city and all of its people, as if he is always watching over them. On the backside of the statue there is a small chapel actually inside the Christ the Redeemer for worship. It really illustrates the strong presence of the catholic religion in Rio de Janeiro. Even though the fog may have diminished our visibility the visit to Christ the Redeemer was an overall eye opening experience.

Dusk on Ipanema Beach


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On the last evening that we spent in Rio, I watched the sunset from a rock that juts out from Ipanema beach. Everyday, tourists and locals alike gather along that strip of beach and clap during the moment when the sun falls out of view. I love this appreciation of the ordinary. I think we should all make a point of stopping to notice small moments of peace or joy like this one. People weren’t distracted by their phones, but instead were enjoying the company of other people, or simply looking out into the ocean. Nobody seemed rushed to move on to the next part of their day, but instead were fully engaged with the present.

During this hour of quiet, I reflected on my week. I thought about how quickly people are able to adapt to new circumstances. Over seven days, I grew accustomed to being surrounded by a foreign language and unfamiliar faces; I came to expect rice and beans on every plate of food; I began to enjoy waking up not knowing what adventures the day might hold. Most of all, I slowed down my pace of life to match the speed of the city. I hope to bring this home with me and make more of an effort to take notice of the beautiful things that life has to offer.

 

 

Botanical Gardens Visit

The visit to the botanical gardens has been one of my favorite locations so far. Initially, I did not think I would be very impressed with a big garden and a bunch of plants. However, it proved to be much more than an ordinary old garden. It is similar to the city in that each garden is a separate environment from the rest, with its own distinction and attributes to the garden as a whole. However, it is a place that provides a stark contrast to the noise and hustle bustle of a busy week day in Rio. The lush plants and abundance of water block out the city noises and surround you in an environment of calmness and serenity. The city seems, to me (a student who would be lost in an hour if driving its wild winding roadways), to be unorganized and confusing. However, the gardens have a clear organization and order with main axes and connection routes between and through gardens. The city is full of concrete, brick, and stone, whereas the gardens provide an abundance of organic plant life and animals (even monkeys). This gives a natural feel to the surroundings, like a place where you could relax and think clearly away from the chaos of the city. It is difficult to catch all of the color and lush plants and color in a sketch or even a picture.IMG_4023IMG_3928

Goodbye Rio

Today is our last day in this beautiful costal city but I believe no one wants to leave. After visiting the Maracana Stadium, Vanessa took us to the biggest local market Feira de Sao Cristovao. This market is totally different from the Hippie Fair. Most stuff which sold in Hippie Fair is hand made products with good quality and very unique. And because it near the beach areas, there were many tourists coming around and picked gifts for their trip. This market we visit today looks like serve for the local people in stead of tourists. Things here are much cheaper and the quality is less good than products we bought in Hippie Fair. But it is a good culture experience to see what Rio people come to buy for their daily life.

This afternoon is our last time to enjoy Rio. It is really hard to decide how to spend the last few hours. We six girls find a really cute cafe near Copacabana and enjoy the Brazilian deserts and nice coffee there. Everyone of us is not willing to leave this fantastic city. Anyway, our amazing trip will end in today but our friendship and precious memory will never end.

See you Rio!
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Maracana and Soccer Tradition

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.

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Free day experience on beach

I am glad today is free day for us. Because the past few days are quite long days and every night when I went back to the hotel, I just felt so tired that I didn’t want to do anything. Thus, today I decided to spend my whole day on the beach, lie on the chair, drink some coconuts and make up some sketches I didn’t finish in the past days. Yutong and I wake up at late morning and then we walked along street to find anything for our lunch. The street in our neighborhood is similar and unfortunately we went to the wrong way to the beach.But we found a pretty good restaurant by accident–Brasinha. I ordered salmon here and it was really huge parts of salmon and it tasted pretty fresh!image I also found it was really interesting that they cook potato like this. (In the picture) not like fries and it was really good!image After lunch, we walked along the Ipenema beach to the copacabana beach. We rent chairs and umbrella and just lying down on the beach. Copacabana beach has some differences with Ipenema beach. The store here is more bigger and has better restroom. People here are most families. When we tried to take selfies at the beach. A father of a family told us he is a photographer from Bali and would like to take pictures for us. We played on the beach with the seawater and he took pictures freely for us. He was really nice and we took a picture with his daughter. When we lying on the beach, we also saw teenagers playing soccer on the beach. They play really well and I really want to join them.
Lying on the beach for a long time is a good way for me to observe the beach life of Rio.
When we back to the hotel, we felt really sad because this was the last night in Rio and I believed I will miss the day I spend here.
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This is the sketches I made up on the beach. Actually on that day I only drew this one and then fell asleep on the beach.

Downtown Culture

For me, one of those most interesting things we have done on our trip is exploring downtown. A city really reveals itself inside of it’s core. Business, art, culture, and infrastructure are all on display downtown, with no one more dominating than the others.

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The cathedral is right in the mix of all of the company towers and definitely holds it´s own as a religious icon. The culture of the city is definitely different than the beach areas we had explored until that point. Rather than a casual carefree dress and atitude, most of the people there were dressed professionally and were in a rush like any other downtown area. However, I did appreciate that it was kind of a mix between a gridded plan and a circuitous European style city. There were definitely main plazas and straight main roads, but in between were some interweaved alley ways that had some nice places hidden within. In my opinion, this allows a little more expression within the city such as street art and facade art work that can be appreciated rather than destroying.

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The infrastucture was also very present as both good and bad. I saw that there were plenty of busses that were a viable and speedy transportation option. They weren´t overcrowded and seemed to get through the streets well. However, they were also putting in the underground train system, which congested the city quite a bit. I believe it will be a good thing eventually, but I think it was a bit of a lost opportunity that it didn´t get done before. It should be the goal of the city to better itself for the sake of being better as well as for the people. Instead, it was put off until absolutely necessary. I think public transportation planning involves some gambling and needs to be proactive rather than reactive to be truly successful.   bus

The People You Meet

There have been so many interesting people from all over the world that have made this trip great thus far. From our coordinator, Vanessa, to to random waiters and samba singers, these people have made the Rio experience amazing. John Dai and I actually started a project documenting some of the people of Rio. It has been interesting getting to know strangers from all walks of life in this city. For example, we spent time giving food and money to homeless people. One of them even taught us a handshake that we have been using ever since we met him. I met another man at a samba dance restaurant who was originally from Italy. When I told him we are from Ohio in the United States, he mentioned Columbus and said he knew the school there. He was businessman and had been to a conference in the city (and he even mentioned the football team). I never thought that I would run into someone from Italy, while in Brazil, who knows where I go to school in America. I love the culture of Rio, but it does not stem from the landscape, the beach, or the food. The culture here is enveloped in the people and their attitudes toward each other and life in general.

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Some plants sketches

We have visited two amazing gardens in recent couple of days, Sitio Roberto Burle Marx and Botanical Garden. Although the two places are all full of tropical plants, they give people different feelings. The landscape in Sitio Roberto Burle Marx is denser, and the plants are planted on hills like small forests. Also the landscape design near Burle Marx‘s house contains sustainable concept (rainwater reuse system). Thus, generally speaking, Burle Marx’s design gives people a feeling of home and makes people feel peaceful. There are some places and things there that really impressed me, like the using of stones and plants together and Burle Marx’s variety of collections. Those are where some of my sketches are come from.

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The Botanical Garden makes me feel it is a more formal design, especially the using of two rows of palm trees to define a road. Perhaps it is also because of palm tree is the symbol of royalty. The garden has more species diversity. I noticed the garden has some species from different parts of the world other than Brazil, like the Japanese garden and the plants in some green houses. Overall, it is different from the Sitio Roberto Burle Marx not only because it has a larger scale design, also because they have different design concepts. The place I chose for my sketch is a short road leading by two rows of palm trees, and at the end of the road is a statue standing on a center circle piece of land surrounding by trees. I saw it as the miniature of the main feature of the graden.

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Rio- record this colorful city

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Rio is a giant palette. In this city, I think most people can find their favorite color. During this trip, I tried as much as I can to record the color in this city.

Today is the last day, we went to the downtown to see the famous”Escadaria da Lapa”.  When I first enter this area, the typical Brazilian color- bright green and yellow was filled my eyes. The main stairs captured my eyes so quickly, they also arose my curious to explore higher and higher. Beside the flat stairs, the topo is arised so dramatically. It lookes like several cubes extrude from the soil and they stand there so vertically that I noticed that almost every visitors wanted to climb these big stairs and took pictures with them. The colorful tiles on the surface told the story of Brazil, it is an interesting way to show the history of the city and inform and educate citizens as well as visitors.

The second picture has a little bit Mediterranean expressions. It reminds me of Greece because of the blue.

 

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At night, we went to the top roof. From here, we can see the night vistas of Rio. What a charming and peaceful city! The lighting makes the foreground so stand out.

 

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Moreover, the botanic garden is full of color. Different color. I didn’t take photos by my phone, it is hard to express the garden by one sketch, but one thing I want to say is, because the shade of the foreground plants and background plants, the hierarchy of foreground and background also can be told by the color.

a free day wandering in Rio

Rio de Janeiro is a city that I want to wander around to every corner of the city, and today is a freeday! Zen, Ran, Yuanyuan and I decided to explore the city more. We went to the post office and sent a piece of Rio to our families and friends, hoping to share with them our wonderful experience in Rio.IMG_7126
DSC05853Our second stop is the Escadaria Selarón, which is a long, colorful steps. It reflects the colorful side of Rio. The materials it used is kind of mosaic, which share the same method with the pavement of pedestrians in Rio ( as we can find in along the beach and in the downtown area). Each mosaic is unique in terms of its shape and story. The step is like a collection of art from all the citizens and the story is continuing as you are walking along the steps, I can almost image the steps can be continued by generations and generations, which will finally become a stepping way that tell the story of Rio, an outdoor museum.
DSC05848The bright colors reminded me the green tropical plants in Rio, which is a huge contrast with the steps in color. The experience is so different from the Botanical garden, which was full of green. The trees along the steps also created shades, adding another layer for the Escadaria Selarón. The bright, high-contrast colors shined under the sun, which attracted a lot of tourists. We spent a huge amount of time there and really enjoyed ourselves.

Botanical Garden

We went to the botanical garden this thursday. It was an awesome experience to see around 6500 species distributed around the garden.This garden had a really good landscape design with all kinds of plants, so that those plants grew with each others harmoniously. Designer had well combined the primitive forest with the geometric shape of the garden design. This garden was founded in 1808 by King John VI of Portugal. Two rows of palm trees were the main feature of the garden. Those palm trees were so tall and they are standing straight like safe guards for this garden. From the picture below we could see how tall the palm trees were when we compared them to the size of us.

 

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This botanical garden itself was huge, so it took a long time for us to walk around the garden. I think this garden is a wonderful place for photographing, especially for a newly married couple to have them photos taken.

This botanical garden is a nice place to walk and see rare tropical plants. It has a very ecological environment that I see monkeys climb between trees.

There is a big statue in the middle of the garden which is called the Fountain of the Muses. I have a sketch about it as following:

 

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This botanical garden is a nature paradise conceived by the designer.  It is definitely worth a visit!

 

 

 

Botanical Garden in Rio

DSC06021The garden is indeed a museum for all kinds of tropical plants in Rio. I am so fancinated by the garden, all the individual plants and the way the designer use it to organize space. Every trunk of the trees are so unique. They are all like telling a story of the garden. Seeing all the movements of different human beings and other species everyday, they are always there. I am also very inserted to see the contrast between the older plants and the new plants. In this garden, you can see almost a tree life cycle at one time- they changed a lot.

 

DSC06017 It is very impressing that he designer used different trees to create the boulevard that help people to locate their location and direction. And use elements like a fountain to guide people’s view.

DSC06020The lily in the lake area all match with its context, which decorate the flat open water surface.
There is a Japanese garden inside, which reminds me the planting material it used in the other part ps of the garden- bamboo. It is interesting because the designer provided a different way of using the bamboo. We usually plant them in a linear way, but here bamboo are in branches. Created a lower canopy for the visitors. That might be because all the palm trees are growing much higher, which lose the canopy ceiling for people. But the bamboo are now functioning like this.
It inspired me that sometime, the same planting material can be used in different ways if designer can design with their features.

Brasilia

Brasilia seemed to be a case of expectation versus reality in our one day trip. Before the trip I had done some research on the Capital city noting its utopian organization around one monumental central axis. Although we were warned that it wasn’t a pedestrian friendly city I found it quite manageable to walk up and down the central access exploring all of the contemporary architecture it had to offer. However I do have to admit that the city has been optimized for transportation in that there are barely any pedestrian sidewalks, crosswalks, or bridges to use to cross the seven and eight lane highways that exist in the capital city. Although we were only able to explore the contemporary works done by Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx that existed on Exílio Monumental I found it very rewarding and inspiring to see these buildings in person. One negative of the trip was that we were only able to get into the cathedral as well as some of the museums and memorials. We were not allowed to enter any of the federal buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer, whether it be because they were closed to tourism during the week or because our dress attire was inappropriate for the building. Looking back I certainly would’ve dressed differently for the trip as it seems to be a completely professional city geared towards capitalalism and governmental activities. Another surprising aspect of Brasilia was that there were absolutely no food or shopping options other than one hyperdense cube. Upon entry we discovered that this hyperdense cube turned out to be a five-story shopping mall with one small section dedicated to a food court. After a long day walking up and down Brasilia the site of this food is comparable to a mirage in the Sahara. All in all, I have no regrets on the trip and I found it very exciting to travel on my own to the capital city and explore the contemporary works of a world renowned architect and landscape architect.

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Tropical Plants Worlds

We visited Sitio Roberto Burle Marx two days ago and it was a fantastic experience to see the very different tropical plants work together and create the very typical tropic style environment. Roberto Burle Marx is the master landscape architect in Brazil, just like how famous Oscar Niemeyer in architecture field in this country. Sitio Roberto Burle Marx was his manor and working place and he collected about 3,500 species tropical plants to create his private landscape world.

As a person lives in temperate regions in the most of the time, I have never seen so many tropical plants and I can not name any of them. Roberto Burle Marx is a genius for using and collocating different plants to create various atmosphere. I was impressed by two things: scales and colors. There are so many species that it is a hard thing to well organize all of them but Marx used diverse plants with their various sizes of leaves and put them together to form textures and give different sense in different areas in his manor. Because of the diversity of the species, the colors of the vegetations are countless. Despite the showy colors of the flowers, the green colors of all the foliage are never the same. There are so many kinds of green colors as well as orange and yellow color and they all together create a colorful tropical worlds.

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Botanical Gardens

One of our last big tours and visits we took on the trip was to the Botanical Gardens. This was one of the best sites in terms of relaxation and just a peaceful atmosphere. I was able to get some real good sketches in. I found this trail near the back of the gardens and followed it for a bit. Now I’m definitely not a nature guy by any means, but I can appreciate it. The trail was so serene just being surrounded by trees and water. I eventually came to a random concrete bench in the forest which was where I did my first sketch.
I continued on the trail until I finally decided to veer off of it and head down some steps. There I found a small waterfall which was beautiful. This was where I completed my second sketch. Some of the other highlights of the Gardens were the huge row of Palm trees which Vanesa explained the significance of. I also really enjoyed the Japanese Gardens. They had this cool path in the water that you were able to step out on and almost made it seem like you were in the water.
Another site that also caught my eye was the Bromeliario which contained a beautiful waterfall piece that was nice. I also found a lady from Sweden there who spoke English and said she actually knew where Ohio State was. Small world! But overall the Gardens as a whole was awesome. I was able to really meditate and just take time time to think about life with no distractions. This site is definitely one I recommend if anyone were to visit Rio!
A picture of my sketch from the first place I stopped along the path.
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Escadaria Selaron

There are so many things that I want to do in Rio de Janeiro for my free day, but it is too hard to do all the things together just in one day. Tangling for a long time, my roommate and I, we finally decide to go to see Escadaria Selaron in downtown for our free day.

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Escadaria Selaron is a set of the most famous steps in Rio de Janeiro. Those steps are the work of Jorge Selaroa. There are 250 steps which are covered in more than 2000 tiles collected from over 60 countries all around the world. I am so amazed to see all the little piece collection, and I think they are the most colorful steps in the world. This unusual creation not only make the neighborhood more pretty, but makes Rio a more colorful city.

Some of the tiled steps are very interesting. Since Selaron is known as a artist that depict a pregnant African woman, we can see his preference in his tiles collection. Facing the steps, on our left side, there is a 4*6 tiles size section that attracts my attention: a black pregnant woman with the wall map of Christ the Redeemer, and there are some words in this section “Living in a favela is an art. Nobody robs, nobody hears, nothing is lost. Those who are wise obey those who give orders”. It is interesting!

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Escadaria Selaron is definitely worth a visit in Rio de Janeiro. I do wish I have more time that I can see all the details from the tiles.

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Second Row Spectators

IMG_3091 This is a panoramic i took at the game on Wednesday of Maracana Stadium. The stadium was absolutely massive. Seating seventy eight thousand, it almost compares to the capacity of the Ohio Stadium. The energy inside the stadium was just amazing. The match was the first phase of the Brazil Cup, between Flamengo and Brasil RS. Both teams’ colors were red and black, and as easily guessed, just about every single person was dressed accordingly. Upon finding our seats (second row!! 🙂 ) we noticed the extremely spirited and loud section of people behind and to the right of us. I like to think of this section as an equivalent of Block “O” on a game day for the buckeyes. All sporting the teams colors, waving flags, blowing horns and even complete with a band, these people were ready for the game to say the least. At first we assumed they were the home (Flamengo) teams fan section but upon hearing boo’s with the entrance of the team, quickly learned they were on the opposing side. The game had a slow start, with a score of zero-zero for the first half. Flamengo delivered in the second half, scoring two goals and winning the game. To our surprise and much astonishment, throughout the entire game, even upon their opposing team scoring (twice) the fan section for the Brasil RS consistently cheered and sung and chanted. After the game was over, the fans still cheered on their loosing team. This truly was a display of not only good sportsmanship but the importance role football plays in these peoples lives. It is part of the lifestyle, cheering on your team, win or loose, no matter the outcome. This experience was eye opening and much admired.

Health And Rehabilitation

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.

Mapping Our Days

One piece of technology that we’ve implemented here in Rio is a GPS puck which, when paired with a smart phone, can track out movements through the day. Below are the results from our downtown tour on Monday as well as out trip out to Sitio Roberto Burle Marx on Wednesday.

 

Monday 3.16.15

Downtown via Metro, walking tour of Palacio Gustavo, Capanema, Metropolitan Cathedral, Lapa District. Visit Museum of Modern Art, Flamengo Park before group dinner at Porcão.

Downtown Tour

Downtown Tour

Wednesday 3.18.15

Bus to Sitio Roberto Burle Marx and group lunch.  Return to Rio for cog train to Christ the Redeemer and return to hotel by metro.

Sitio Roberto Burle Marx

Sitio Roberto Burle Marx

 

Cristo Redentor

The visit to Cristo Redentor (or better known as Christ the Redeemer) was a very special one for me. Not to make it about religion, but I myself am Catholic so this experience was especially breath taking. Though the clouds were heavy when we went up, just being up there was good enough for me. I tried all angles to look at Cristo Redentor but to little luck.
This was still very humbling in the sense of just how large the monument was. I mean just being around different parts of the city for a few days before actually being up there, you could see Cristo Redentor at almost every stop you made. I have hundreds of pictures of him at different angles all in different spots. But actually being up here puts the thing in perspective.
I had a very nice moment to myself up there religiously but I also took the time to examine the statue as a whole. It is truly amazing the detail that this statue has. For as big as it is, you wouldn’t think it would be that detailed. But the cloak that Christ was wearing (which was almost all I could see) was very detailed. I also enjoyed the train ride up. Going up through Corcovado provided a lot of good scenery and views. I am planning on going back to see it when the sky is clear which will hopefully be Friday!

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Futbol Game!

So I haven’t had a chance to post yet with a busy night and morning, but last night (Wednesday) was one the best and most memorable experiences of my life. A group of us went to a futbol game last night at the famous Maracana Stadium. And the game/stadium did not disappoint. We were taken in a bus to the stadium, directed to our seats, and taken back to the hotel after the game. A very good deal for only 210,00 reais!
For the game itself, it was awesome! We watched Flamengo FC play G.E Brasil in the first “fase” of the Brazil Cup. When we got our ticket, I didn’t know where our seats would be. I thought we’d be lucky to even get a seat in the upper bowl. But sure enough, as great as our tour guide Vanesa has been on this trip, we got hooked up with front row seats!
I’ve grown up and played soccer my whole life. I played on the varsity team at OSU for three years and the sport itself since I was 5 so I know a thing or two about soccer. But this experience blew away all expectations I had and increased my personal passion for the game even more. Flamengo won 2-0 including a last minute goal that was unforgettable. What this experience taught me was how passionate Brazilian people are about the sport. In essence, soccer depicts their culture. And that was seen by the away team refusing to sit down and stop cheering even though they were losing and even after the game was done. So, I can officially cross seeing the world’s greatest sport in the world’s greatest stadium in the world’s most passionate soccer country off of my bucket list. image

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Botanical garden

we went to the Botanical garden in Rio today. It is a big world for different kinds of vegetations. It is a good place for people to relax and have fun. But when I first saw the two lines of palms at entrance, it made me feel really serious and it seems that I would went into a palace. And when I got deeper into the garden, I felt more relaxed. The big trees created lots of shield places for people to enjoy the cool. And I really like the use of circle in the garden. I always believe circle make me feel more casual and relax. Like there are some circle shape area to plant bamboos and I enjoyed the time sitting among those area (except I was bitten by mosquitoes hardly at that time).image
And small circular lake in the garden is also a beautiful spot. There are some circle shape vegetations on the surface of the water and makes this spot looks harmony.
image What’s more, the circular void surrounds the fountain can be a good public gathering place for people. At the time I waiting for the group here, I saw a overdressed Brazil girl taking photos here. Her father told me that she is preparing for her 15 year old birthday party and that is why she is taking photos here.
imageThis place gave me a good spot to communicate with the local people to understand more about their life.I enjoyed the time I spent in the botanical garden.

Walk through the palms

a final walk out of Jardim Botanico of the group through the Royal Palm Avenue-

imagethough I have experienced many palm trees in my life, these palms in Rio

Royal Palm avenue at Jardim Botanico

Royal Palm avenue at Jardim Botanico

hold a special place in my memory

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Finally, an adventure using yet another mode of transportation for the group the Metro Superficie

 

Corcovado Mountain- Christ the Redeemer

Taking the train to the top of the Corcovado Mountain to see the Christ the Redeemer, I was so enjoyed sitting in the little red train. When the train was climbing up, the little red train was surrounded by greenwoods.​ Windows were open widely which let the fresh air flooded into the carriage.​ It was a visual feast to see the color of the red train against the color of green around.​

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This is a tiny train stop in the middle of the mountain.​ Local people who live in the mountain will take the train to transport up and down the hill.​

 

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There are trains in two directions: up and down.​ It runs every twenty minutes. Since there are only few forks in the middle of the track, the train which goes down will stop at the fork to let the other train which goes up ​to pass first.​ Everything just works in perfect order.​

 

 

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The day we went was not a good day to see Christ the redeemer.​ Seas of clouds enshrouded the top of it.​ It was hard to see the entire statue.​ But I was so impressed only by the outline of Christ the Redeemer.​ It was so incredible! Standing at the top of the mountain, Christ the Redeemer has gazed down at Rio de Janeiro with open arms.​ And this statue has became the symbol of Rio and Brazil which implies the meaning of peace.​

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If by any chance that I could go there again, I would really wish I could see Christ the Redeemer in a bright sky!

Getting ripped on the beach

imageJust doing some morning workouts on the beach. I’m trying to come here every morning simply because I enjoy this little “gym” the locals built on the beach so much. I love how all the weights are just concrete and metal cans, and how all the bars and poles are built in into the rocks. Having a beach view just motivates you so much for working out. I see numerous people jogging, lifting, and walking their dog on the beach every day. It’s ridiculously hard to say no to such a beautiful view in the morning when you wake up and feel the sunshine thru your curtains and decide not to workout. Vanessa also talked about that the government pays for seniors’ personal trainers. What a brilliant idea?! Old people don’t have much to do, so the government gives them the chance to just workout and get fit everyday for free. I think this ultimately makes the seniors more happy and also more healthy. Maybe they can live a few more years? I don’t know. But I know it’s a better idea than throwing them in the nursing house. Anyway, I got hit my concrete construction field style gym and get ripped with these old people, talk to you guys later.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

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)

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Feijoada and Churrasco

FeijoadaimageThere. 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!

Blood-thirsty Landscape

Sitio Roberto Burle Marx was magnificent to experience both visually and auditory. Although many of my classmates quickly became walking buffets for the mosquitos, the bugs seemed to not like me very much (maybe i´m just not sweet enough). It was fairly humerous to see my classmates jumping around and swatting at each other as well as themselves in a feble attempt to fend off the air raid of mosquitos. That being said, I was intrigued by the feeling of immersion that overtook me as we walked throughout the site.no matter where we were along the path there was so much foliage that I felt almost consumed by the plants. It was impressive to see the sheer number of species of different plants located on the site. Igor said there were some 3500 different species of which Marx himself discovered 40 species. This was a little shocking but inspiring to hear about such a prominent figure trudging through the forest in hopes of discovery. It was also inspiring to see some of the plants which had been growing since he himself brought them to the site in 1949, meaning some of those plants have been there and continued to grow for more than 65 years. The fact that this was a personal site as well as later being protected by the government allowed the plants to grow without boundaries. There were some plants that I was able to recognize, however they were far larger than I had ever seen before. Some of the leaves of the plants were as large as my torso. I was also impressed by the restoration and incorporation of the previously existing derelict buildings. Roberto Burle Marx was a true Renaissance man in that he was able to successfully incorporate nature, art and architecture into one beautiful site.

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It’s the Little Things

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 dominated by window air conditioners.

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.

Housing & Transportaion

Today’s morning trip was at Sitio Roberto Burle Marx. The place is full of amazing landscape designs and has over 3500 cultivated species. The botanical collections are well presented by Burle Marx’s design in this garden. The one I like is a landscape with rainwater collection system. He uses the rooftop to collect rainwater and uses the water into the landscape. It is not only makes the best utilization of water, but also gives the landscape continuously fresh water supply. I presume this is an early sustainable concept being implemented into housing design. Right now, lots of countries are using this design for residential projects, like the seaside housing project in Sweden. Rainwater is collected by the rainwater collection system in every building and gathered into ponds or other landscape in the community. So seeing Burle Marx’s design is reminding me of that.

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On the way back to the city, I noticed there are lots of multifamily housing projects in western Rio and even more are still under construction. Rio is a city with more than 6 million population so the housing demand is huge. In the western of the city, the main street is connecting many housing projects and the streets are walking friendly. There are pedestrians and traffic lights for people to across the street, which is safe and convenient. What associating with these high-density housing projects is a BRT line. It reduced about 50% commute time for people living along this bus line. BRT is a good choice for a middle or even larger size city because of its easier implementation and lower investment. With proper planning, it could help the local traffic a lot with increasing its efficiency. Columbus will have a new BRT line, which called CMAX by the year of 2017. It will connect downtown and Polaris area. COTA propose it going to reduce travel by 20%. Even Rio and Columbus are different in many aspects, the benefit of BRT line to local residents are same. Of course there might be problems showing up or people who opposing BRT projects. For example, in the US, some people oppose the project is because they think it will not have enough ridership or the station is a waste of land use. However, I think even BRT may have some sort of drawbacks, it still brings people to new areas with higher efficiency. The benefit on local businesses and city mobility is considerable.

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Spectacle in Architecture

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!

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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.

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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.

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.

The Business Side

While I have been introduced to, examining, and looking at the architectural/landscape side of the sites we have visited and passed as a group, I have also been individually looking at Rio in a business perspective as well (my major). One of the first things that I’ve noticed is that a lot of the people in Rio are self-made. Self-made meaning that they are busy selling things themselves. No matter where you go whether it’s the beach, downtown, or even just walking on the sidewalks there is someone trying to sell you something.

In the business world, this would probably fall under the category of personal selling. All of the vendors are nice (even though the language barrier is hard) and it seems like they truly care about you. A lot of the business takes place in markets and fairs. One of my first experiences with this was the Hippie Fair. I was able to use my negotiating skills to bargain on some quality Brazilian items.

Another part of business in Rio that I have been looking at are the actual corporations. Subway, McDonalds, and Burger King are all the big names down here that are familiar from America. What is interesting is that they have offerings that are tailored to Brazilian culture like the picante burger. One food place that isn’t in the US but is big here is Bobs. It is similar to the other fast food restaurants that deliver burgers. Some other businesses that I have seen include Sherwin Williams and Pizza Hut. One thing I’ve noticed is that almost all of the buildings the businesses are in are connected. A lot of the buildings are also vacant. I will be interested in continuing to look at this side of the trip some more.

The Good Stuff!

After a good night of a little R & R, I think one of the main things that I have come to love about Rio is the many tastes the city has. From the first day on Sugarloaf Mountain with the ice cream we ate, ever since my taste buds have been craving the local food. On Sugarloaf, the group stopped for a nice dessert which included delicious fruit and ice cream. The second night we were here, the crew had a great (unplanned) sort of buffet family dinner. I got to try and eat new foods that I have never had before.image

The third day was a day filled with a lot of walking. We looked at many sites and a lot of architectural buildings downtown. What was nice was that we were able to find our own way to our final destination of the night and that was the delicious Porcao. I have to say this was one of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. I myself am a big meat guy and Porcao was the definition of that. image

During the fourth day of lunch, we were again able to experience and find something of our liking. I decided to get pizza. It was very good topped with ham, onions, and green peppers. This was a little  different than the normal pepperoni that I am used to. Along with food, I’ve had my share of the local drinks here. The local draft, Brahma, is very good as is the Caipirina. I am usually not one to try new things but since I’ve been in Rio, I have been falling in love with doing such things.image

Niemeyer’s curving world

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Niemeyer’s world has high identity. Curving shape, white surface, round circulation… He introduces me into his own different architecture story. Oscar Niemeyer foundation building, white smooth surface make the building looks very neat when I stood in a distance. Also, the giant volume and big ramp determines the height of the building, which creates a sacred atmosphere there. He also used the color of yellow which reminds me I am in Brazil now, it is so real, and so Brazil! The most interesting point of his work is the ramp. I fancy it so much because I cannot only see the vistas from the building, but also my perspective view of Landscape is always changing according to the height of my sight and different horizontal spot. Moreover, it is good to see how people move on this ramp, how can people flow from different direction.

In addition, it is obviously that Niemeyer like to use water. It makes the hard space more soft. For the Niteroi art meseum, it blurs the edge of the building. I feel like the building embraces the landscape so nicely.

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The two sketches which is the Education& Health building and Niteroi art meseum. Straight line VS. curve line. Enjoy.

Downtown Rio De Janeiro

Today we set out to explore the metropolitan core of Rio De Janeiro. This was also the day that we were going to be taking public transportation for the first time on our trip. Leaving the hotel we headed west towards Parça General Osorio, the last stop on the Metro and where the start of a fast, looping bus route called the Metrô Na Superfície begins. As we headed down into the underbelly of the city we became exposed to how a large majority of Rio navigates through the urban center, by subway and the connecting bud routes. Currently Rio is in the process of expanding their Metrô lines, Line 4 in particularly. Line 4 will grow to reach out from Ipanema in the east to Barra de Tijuca in the west. This new line will commute an expected 300,000 people per day, taking almost 2,000 cars off the busy streets of  Rio during rush hour. At the platform for General Osorio I saw the dead-end where this expansion would fuse the regions. Down here is where the lazy, beach going Rio that I experience on our first day gains it’s speed. We quickly caught the Linha 1 or Line 1 taking us east briefly hugging beneath Copacabana then tail whipping north under Cristo de Redentor. After passing Flamengo and Botofago we got off at the Uruguaiana station. At the surface we got to the surface where Rio transforms from the towering condos and hotels of Ipanema to the lower laying timeless architecture of the 1800s in Uruguaina.

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We weaved our way through classical pediments and columns and ornate baroque detailing. Churches and stood in small squares. In midst of the labyrinth is The Royal Portuguese Reading Room.

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With its gorgeous multicolored skylight and lovely balustrades, the richly decorated Neo-Manueline interior is truly a slight to behold.

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The library holds the biggest and most valuable collection of Portuguese lterature outside of Portugal itself. There are over 350,000 volumes within the library, with collections of rare books that are several centuries old.

We continued through the lower part of the city making our way to the Metropolitan Cathedral. A massive concrete cone that rises out of historic Lapa.

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The Metropolitan Cathedral  or Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião lies in the former footprint of a Morro which was torn down to fill in the area of the bay that is now know as Flamengo.

The massive structure looks just that, massive. The bare concreted skeleton comes across as heavy and firm emphasing the presents of the Christian church in the city. The large conical shape has for sweeping stained glass windows that let vibrant streaks of dyed light into the interior.

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At one of the entrance into the main space stands a statue of Christ. He faces inwards instead off out as if he’s looking upon the alter and congregation. This specific spot of the cathedral captivated me the most. Something about they way he looks into the space ang holds his hand as if offering it out to you.

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Art in different forms

We went to Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art and this building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Even though I have seen it on Internet before the trip, it is still very impressive when I saw the building. I like the design of putting water under the building, the water creates a reflection of the building and makes the building more vividly. Also, this small pond kind of interacting with the bay behind the building, so the museum doesn’t look isolated from the environment. From today’s tour, I had a general understanding of Niemeyer’s work. He uses lots of curves and lines in his design, which makes the exterior of the architecture look smooth and extending. Also the using of color, like red and yellow in the design is another expression of Niemeyer’s design style. I guess all of these are influenced by Brazil sprits, free and passionate.

Rio Museum of Contemporary Art

Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art

Teatro Popular in Niterói

Teatro Popular in Niterói

In the afternoon, we visited Museu de Arte do Rio. The museum was opened in 2013. The roof of the building is connecting the new and the old building of this museum. The museum has four eclectic exhibitions of Brazilian and various kinds of international art. Among all the exhibitions, the one I like is from Marcos Chaves. He uses landscape to reflect cultural and political aspects of the society.

The pictures below are describing the Sugarloaf Mountain with people enjoying sun on the beach. The two chairs show that people used to have a good time there.

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Then there are also pictures showing a different side of Rio. These pictures are telling stories about people who are poor or struggling with their lives. What impressed me was his using of the Sugerloaf Mountain. The mountain doesn’t move and as it always is. But it expresses different feelings in different pictures.

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There is even a picture has the Sugerloaf Mountain with a bird feather, perhaps a pigeon. What’s the story of this pigeon? : ）

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Some Sketches

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Today we went to the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum. It stands out from its context so much that we were able to see it from a distance. It looks like the house in the movie “Iron Man”, which located on the cliff of the seaside and have an amazing panorama view. But the landscape design around it is a little bit disappointing. I think if the reflecting pool under the architecture can be extended even more and connect with the hard pavement, it will help the architecture stand out even more.

DSC05470副本 This is a sketch of the landscape design of palacio gustavo capanema, which help connect the architecture with its adjacent sidewalks. The height of the vegetation also change in elevation (higher inside and lower outside), which create a canopy for the paths into the side. The columns of the architecture speak to the trunks of palm trees, growing high and straight.

DSC05472副本 This is a quick sketch of Niemeyer way in Niteroi and some patterns on the facade of the building. The buildings are very much like the dancing movements, curvilinear and elegant, simple and strong.

Imperfections

Rio de Janeiro is a truly immense and busy city, over the past two days we have walked through Niteroi ( technically it’s own city) , downtown Rio, and the Copacabana/Ipanema area. In all of these places the traffic, crowds, and streetscapes remind me somewhat of New York City. All large cities hold some resemblance to each other, however, Rio and New York are shockingly similar. Both cities have a grungy side to them that is apparent in the imperfections that somehow make the place more beautiful. Graffiti is a common occurrence in cities, however in New York and especially Rio, the street art becomes a consistent part of the urban fabric that is as much a part of the city  as the roads or buildings are. There is an entire culture to the graffiti that hides beneath the surfac, for example, artists in Rio  from rival groups try to see who can tag the tallest places, therefore, one can find tags in places that seem impossible to reach and this quandary sets the mind spinning . It’s little things like this that truly make a city feel alive; while size, population, and diversity may also be similar between the cities, they mainly provide a more visual and spatial sense whereas the imperfections and hidden meanings behind it provide the city with a story and a life.

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Niemeyer’s Architecture World

It is a precious experience to visit four Niemeyer’s projects and explore his architecture world in one day. The trip gives me a very clear sense of his design concept. Every Niemeyer’s architecture can be considered as a sculpture art work and the use of concrete to create the pure form and interior space is really masterpiece. As a former architecture student, I was not familiar with Niemeyer and his works before I learned him in our class. But today, I am totally attracted by his architecture spaces.

In my view, all the four projects are similar in some ways: one volume split by the line — the ramp. As the guide mentioned, Niemeyer’s stylised shape in his work is inspired and represented the curves of Brazilian women. While, I am more interested in the inner space of his project instead. Especially walking in the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation building, we can see the fantastic interior space created by the architectural shape, light, and shade. The architecture makes the material alive in Niemeyer’s world! However, I regret for the present function of the building. I do not think it a good space for office use but a best space for exhibition.

Another thing I am a little disappointed is the lack of consideration of landscape in his work and none of these projects we visit today has landscape design. Well, forget about this and see wonderful photos I take today in Oscar Niemeyer Foundation building!

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Exploration of Rio Downtown

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.

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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.

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The (Other) Divided City

Rio is often called “The Divided City” because of its wealth disparity, but there is another division of opportunity that is thrown into much less dramatic contrast.

Blind-accessible pathways in the subway station.

Blind-accessible pathways in the subway station.

 

The amenities given to the physically handicapped vary wildly depending on where you are in the city, ranging from the genius blind-accessible subway paths (that America could learn from) to the perilous sandbag steps of Ipanema Beach. The problem I believe lies in the spontaneous construction of the city. Only in the areas which were invested with large amounts of public funding are handicapped considerations made, or where tourists might be expected to travel. In the impromptu beach entrances of Ipanema, stacking sand bags was the simplest and cheapest solution to the problem of getting from the high boardwalk to the beach below.

 

 

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Where the lack of consideration becomes most discomforting is along the streetscape. The beautiful stone mosaic of the sidewalk becomes treacherous to a wheelchair or unsure foot.

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The incessant traffic is aggressive, and impatient to stragglers.

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Though traversing the city on foot must be hectic for those with physical impairments, there are solutions. Some of the wealthier establishments in new neighborhoods like Flamengo are finding ways to keep the character of Brazil alive while still catering to physical handicaps.

Beautiful handicap-accessible landscape at Porcao.

Beautiful handicap-accessible landscape at Porcao.

Even in areas with less resources such as the Centro district, considerations are put together, with hand-made blue ramps into streetfront shops and sidewalks. In the end, the two divided cities may be strung together. Where Rio experiences its dramatic swings in financial resources, so it sees the same swings in its consideration of the handicapped within it.

 

o-H-I-O

IMG_2896  Despite my far inferior “O” i am very excited to have taken the iconic Ohio State O-H-I-O (or should i say o-H-I-O) picture. I feel very proud to represent this university in our travels abroad to Brazil, especially with the newly opened Gateway in Sao Paolo. They say you can travel anywhere in the world and yell “OH” and hear an “IO” in return.While we didn’t yell OH into a crowd, we still are spreading the buckeye spirit to the beaches of Brazil (Ipanema beach specifically). I prefer Ipanema beach to Copacabana beach. Copacabana is a major hotspot for tourists, and while that may mean nice hotels and possible fellow english speakers, it merely scratches the surface when it comes to immersing oneself in the culture. Next door however at Ipanema however, is where many more locals can be found. The feel is much more authentic, much more “carioca” than at Copacabana. The beach goers are surfing, laying out and enjoying the heat. Plus, if you get there early enough, the vendors have yet to arrive and you can have a leisurely morning free of the constant pressures to buy “shrimp” or a beach wrap. It is interesting to see, two beaches so close in proximity, literally next to each other, with such differing dynamics.

3rd Adventure in Rio!^_^

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When I first arrived here, I have got several sad moments. I broke my flip flops which are pretty in the first day night. And I lost my favorite necklace and sunglasses in the second day.

But things are turned out much better when we go out. Climbing the Sugar Mountain, enjoy the fruit ice cream time with group members, walk along the beach… I cannot believe people like me can be here one day… And I did them!!!

Today is a long day with a lot of walking and now is midnight, I am still sitting on my bed and tying my stories. ，-_-#

One thing I noticed in Rio is its pattern. They have high qualities and it is easy for me to identify them. These patterns are like tattoo, rooted into the city so deeply, give Rio special personalities. And these pictures I posted are the typical patterns I can find. I think I will continue to collect more patterns in the following days because they are super interesting to me.

Waving paving of sidewalk, sea creatures of the tiles, you can even see contour topo on the wall! It is a city of possibility. Moreover, you can find rhyme of city. Even the trees are planted in geometry.

 

 

Roberto Burle Marx landscapes

Today we had the opportunity to explore landscapes designed by Roberto Burle Marx. The first was outside the Ministry of Health and Education, and consisted of a series of landscapes on both sides of the structure. I loved the way the organic, curvy forms of the gardens contrast with the harsh angles of the building. Aimee pointed out how skillfully Marx aligns a row of Palm trees behind a row of columns. I think this is an awesome way to unite the landscape with the architecture. I attached a sketch that I did at this landscape of one of the many beautiful plants incorporated in the design.

I was even more impressed with Marx’s “parque praia,” the long park that hugs Flamenco beach. He transitions from one type of landscape to another seamlessly, making each part of the park distinct while allowing each of those parts become part of a larger, cohesive whole. I loved how he incorporated things like a skate park and amphitheater that attract people who may not otherwise visit the park. Like the landscape outside the ministry of health and education building, Marx uses gentle curves to lead you smoothly from one area to another. In addition to admiring the landscape, we got the chance to try slack lining with some friendly cariocas!

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Centro e Praia do Flamengo

Step after step we traversed through downtown Rio de Janeiro (centro) absorbing the sites and sounds of a city in full swing during the work week. It was interesting to see the city so lively during the week as compared to the weekend. Although there were alot of people throughout Copacabana and Ipanema during the weekend, the amount of traffic and noise in the city doesnt even compare to the work week. One of the most shocking things to see other than the amazing architecture and landscapes were the way people interacted with each other. People were talking to the police (which almost never happens in the USA), walking in the middle of traffic holding normal conversations, and the cars of the city seemed to be in a constant horn battle to see who could honk their horn the most. I really appreciated walking as opposed to a bus tour because I think a derive throughout a city is truely the best way to experience and discover new things about a city. However, after the tour of Centro we were set free to roam throughout Parque do Flamengo. Parque do Flamengo was aboslutely beautiful in that once inside, I felt completely immersed in nature. Roberto Burle Marx was able to accent both the architecture as well as the surrounding landscapes with his plant choices as well as his precise organization of the plants: weather they were as small as a lilipad floating in a reflecting pool or as big as the linear organization of 60 foot palms.   This was a nice cap to a long day of walking because we got to stroll along the beach soaking in the sea breeze as we made our way to churrascaria porcao.

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Lost & Found

Off to the peak we went, all slammed into one cable car with at least a couple other families resembling something of a sardine can. There I stood in the cable car as it drew closer to the peak of sugar loaf mountain, snapping as many pictures of the beautiful surrounding landscapes as I could. Little did I know there was still so much more to see. I was under the impression that once we reached the peak of the Loaf it would simply be an observation deck or a small precarious platform to look out onto the bays from. However, to my pleasant surprise once we reached the top there was a gift shop, a place to eat, several observation decks in which you could see all of Rio de Janeiro, as well as an elaborate set of trails on the backside of the mountain. These very trails would become the cause of a very acute and temporary stress on my part. Somehow, Someway, my phone ended up outside my pocket. After retracing virtually every step I could remember taking, both before and after I remember having my phone yielded no results, I turned to Vanessa for help. She was able to quickly speak to most of the security guards atop the loaf asking weather or not they had found a phone or even heard anything about a missing phone. Luckily one of the security guards remembered another tourist asking where the lost and found was because he wanted to return “something”. This very security guard ran over to the cable car that was already on the platform about to leave, found the man the previously asked him about the lost and found and told him he in fact knew who the phone belonged to. With our fast acting wonderful tour guide Vanessa, the local security guards, a good samaritan (whom I wish I could have at least bought uma cerveja) as well as what seemed to be boundless luck on my part I was able to get my phone back and even get a few more photos coming down from the peak. To think all this happened on the first day, I simply cannot wait to see what lies ahead.

Flamengo Beach

03/16/2015 Monday

Standing in front of the Flamengo beach, everything is so pretty. I closed my eyes, and I can feel the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair. Sea water hits the rocks rhythmically, like the ocean is playing her solo to sing the praises of the sunset. Mountains, buildings, bridges, everything blend into one line at the edge of the slight. With the line of edges in the middle, things become symmetric: the sea becomes a mirror that reflect the light from the hidden sun. I love the color of the sea since it reflects the color of the sky.

Flamengo Beach

 

I count this Flamengo beach as the last mark of today’s long walking tour around downtown area. We had a really long-distance walking today, and I was so tired at the time we arrived Flamengo beach. But at the moment I saw this wonderful view, I felt so relaxed: everything is so great and peaceful. Along the beach, I can also see people do all kinds of exercises: walking, running, dancing, yoga, stretching, playing volleyball, playing soccers, etc. Brazil people are very involved in sports. They do know how to use their natural geographical and climate advantage, such as beach, ocean, and tropical weather, to make them live happier and healthier.

Parça General Osorio

 

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It’s funny how much can be fit into one single day here in Rio. I find it hard to believe that there is seemingly such little time in the States to stop and enjoy your surroundings while still going about your daily lives, where in Rio here they have time for fun and work. After leaving the vigorous beach on my first day in Rio de Janeiro we were able to experience and immerse our selfs in the weekly cultural market known as the Hippie Fair. Every Sunday craftsmen and women bring their work; vivacious paintings, skillful leather goods and artistries only found in museums hang amongst the canopy of tree at General Osorio.

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This is the heart of Ipanema, the last stop on the metro and social meeting grounds for the neighborhood of Ipanema. At the Hippie Fair I was able to get a breathtaking look at the people of rio. They are vibrant and terrible warm. They love to welcome you into their world and show you how to speak, how to dance, how to breath and relax like a Carieoca. They are embraceful!

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It was hard,!I must say, to keep from spending my life savings in reals buying all the unique treasures at the Hippie Fair. Tent after tent displayed works, in particularly artwork. I met a man, he was selling his oil paintings in the middle of he square. He spoke very little english but understood much. He taught me the meaning behind his paintings and the history of the farmers and the plight of the poor workers against the harsh stratified class system of Rio. Although it was difficult, my heart was breaking thinking about their struggles, struggles so foreign in my sometimes shallow reality I could hardly grasp. I was impressed by this man, by his hardships, his expression and his artwork. Needless to say I purchased one of his pieces.

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Although the Hippie Fair is the most popular, Praça General Osorio is not just used on Sunday’s for the Hippie Fair it is used every day and transforms by the hour! Every Tuesday one of most vibrant markets of Ipanema takes place. The locals call it “Terça feira”, meaning “Tuesday market”. Local tropical fruits and vegetables, fish and meats can be bought directly from the fishermen and framers themselves. They are incredibly skilled and generous-they will let you taste all types of fruits, nuts and cheeses. At night the parça is flourished with several restaurants who establish their dinning rooms on the Portuguese stone on the fringe of the park. The canopy of trees is becomes filled with the aroma of grilled kebabs and meats. This is truly an amazing place experience every day of the week!!

Ipanema

Sunday I woke to the misty morning of our first full day in rio. It was early and I was eager to get outsidei the hotel and enjoy everything Rio has to offer. So I left the hotel and l headed to the beach. !The streets where quite, hardly a soul was awake, just the occasional runner and dog walker, but other than that it felt like I was all alone. It was a was a surprisingly comfortable feeing as I walked along the ornate black and ivory mosaic sidewalks, watching the venders begin to set up for their daily ritual.

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Looking over the embankment I could see the pale sands of Ipanema weighted by the two brothers to the south and a large rock protruding in the ocean to the north. This rock, or series of large rocks piled high on each other captivated me….I had my heading. As I got closer I noticed the beach wasn’t only inhabited by street venders, the sands were freckled with teenagers lying in piles on each other cuddling, half naked toddlers playing in the rising waters, and energetic dogs tackling each other, leash-less. The soothing crash of wave interrupting my every thought, making it impossible to think of anything but the shear beauty of the landscape. As I approached the pier-like rock I began hear more barking. My passage between the hotels lining the beach and the rock lead me to a dog beach. What looked like hundreds of dogs played in droves around the few owners who watched them. Try as I did I couldn’t get through the crowd of canines without being covered in lovable licks and sniffs. But my destination was just past them so I mustered up the courage to be adored. Fishermen cast their lines from the edge catching the small fish that swam in the morning shallows. From the top of this rock I was awarded for my trouble with a stunning view of all of Ipanema.

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On my backside was Copacabana, more specifically a sliver of golden beach leading to Fort Copacabana. A thin wire fence and a armed guards stands as a barrier between the beach and the rocks leading up to the fort. These guard prohibited me from moving forward so I settled for a secluded cornered nestled between the beach and the rock, this is where I slipped into the sea.

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Like in all of rio beach front property is gold so it wasn’t long before beachgoers began to flood the tranquil sands. This is when I began to see the real heart of these beaches. The beaches are alive with locals and tourist alike claiming their own slice of the beach for the day. The vendors, now in full operations scurry around the towels and umbrellas, like ants in a colony, selling Globos and Matte

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Coco, my new favorite drink, epitomize my idea of the beaches here in rio. They have a way of breathing life in and reviving you. The water is like the city, rough but gentle — rash moments of adrenal rushes followed by calms of effortless motion, and utterly saturated by prolific culture and life.

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Lost in the Hippie Fair

I looked everywhere. No where, could the item I desired to collect, be found. One by one I scoured the hippie fair for a pair of well-made, fashionable flip-flops. They eluded me. Like the Sun and Moon which can never touch. Rotating on opposite ends of an invisible string that somehow, keeps them from drifting too far. Tent after tent, there was hand-crafted leather belts, hand-woven bracelets in a rainbow of colors. Green, Red, Blue, Purple, Black. Mixtures of some, mixtures of the others. I wandered by shops full of paintings on canvases of landscapes, architecture, favelas, the glorious human body in female and male forms. There were nick-knack stores filled to the edge with Christ the Redeemer carvings, key chains. More and more key chains. And when I thought there no more key chains to see, My expectations were shattered. More key chains. There were bird carvings, music CDs, coconut water kiosks, large sculptures of birds, elephants, people, etc…. The search went on.

Finally, I found them. A tent that specialized in leather work, and even more specifically, flip-flops. I gazed across the spectrum of styles and sizes. “Quento Custa?” I asked. The man standing behind the rows of leather feet liberators typed into his calculator. He held it up, the number showing was 75. 75 Reais. They wouldn’t even cost me 30 US dollars. What a bargain. I didn’t even want to haggle, I already felt like I was robbing the Carioca senior.

I picked my style, and the man asked me to sit so I could find the right size. I took off my current footwear and continued to size up the flip-flops. After two or three pairs that were a size or so too small, the perfect fit was found. I was the male version of Cinderella, and this flip-flip was my glass shoe. Perfect.

Markets, Markets, Everywhere!

Before arriving in Rio de Janeiro, we learned about the markets in class. However, I never expected there to be so many markets! It seems that everywhere you look, there is a market. It’s absolutely wonderful!

I’ve always valued hand crafted items and one-of-a-kind treasures. I love all of the artwork that I have seen in the markets. Each painting has it’s own unique character and I love the texture of the paints used. There are so many skilled artists here in Rio, and their work is exquisite. I have had the opportunity to visit two markets so far, once on Saturday night along Copacabana Beach beach, and we all went to the Hippie Fair Sunday afternoon. I loved experiencing the markets at different times of the day because they feel like two different experiences. During the day at the Hippie Fair, it was bright and sunny, somewhere close to 90 degrees and there were so many different sounds and smells. You could hear musical instruments being played at some of the tables overlaid with the sound of cars honking, people’s conversations, and the sound of a street musician. The whole market seemed to be buzzing and there was a very high energy surrounding the entire market. The sun was incredibly hot, and it was nice to walk under the vendor’s tents to escape the heat of the sun. At the street market along Copacabana Beach, there seemed to be a slightly calmer energy; there was not as much hustling and bustling. The air was cooler and there was a very nice breeze that circulated throughout the market. The items found at this market weren’t always handcrafted, and this market definitely seemed to be targeted more on tourists, whereas the Hippie Fair seemed to target not only tourists, but locals as well. The items displayed in the mart at night were lit by artificial lighting, which in my opinion, has a different effect than when they are lit by the summer sun. Negotiating with the vendors has posed many difficulties. Most of them do not know English, so trying to figure out how much something costs is always interesting. The one girl vendor pulled out her smartphone and used the calculator to explain the costs of the items she was selling. I thought this was a very clever approach and made communicating much easier!

Overall, I have really enjoyed my time here in Rio, and I hope to visit many more markets before having to return to the US. I think my favorite part of the markets are the paintings – I wish I could buy them all!

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Feira Hippie de Ipanema

It’s so nice waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and looking out to see the sun shining. The view from our hotel is marvelous; we can see tall buildings down our street with a small mountain peeking through in the distance, but the most spectacular view is that of the canopy of trees along the streets below. Frank made a good comment when we first got a tour of the neighborhood: “it’s like New York, with trees.” The canopy of trees makes a significant difference when walking down the streets here and makes the 90 degree sun feel much cooler.

As I reflect on Day 2 (yesterday), I think of how lucky we were to be able to experience different parts of their culuture at the beach and at the Feira Hippie de Ipanema. At the Hippie Fair I was able to find an assortment of things to bring back home to the family and friends that helped me get here. Most of the vendors spoke little to no English, so it was challenging trying to negotiate with some people. I learned that while it’s always beneficial for you to try getting items for less Reals (as most of the vendors are expecting you to do), there are some things worth paying full price for and not offending the vendor, such as handcrafted art pieces or the handmade pants I bought (see picture). The Portuguese language is very beautiful; it sounds as if each person has found their own rhythm when they speak, it’s very melodic and I am inspired to pick up another language soon.image

Ipanema and Copacabana beach & promenade comparisons

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

 

Pão de Açùcar

Day One: Success!

*Unfortunately the wifi in our hotel is nothing too spectacular so posting my blog entry from yesterday is a bit delayed.*

Today we rode to the top of Pão de Açùcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). We got breathtaking views of the city and the geography of the area. I learned my new favorite way to eat ice cream – add many different types of fruit first (I got pineapple, banana, watermelon, and kiwi), then add a small dip of vanilla ice cream and top it with crushed peanuts. Muito delicioso!

Upon arriving at the top of the mountain, I explored a little and soaked in the views. The buildings seemed minuscule compared to the massive morros (mountains). It’s truly mind blowing to see a city that is home to millions of people be so dense and compact as the built environment weaves around the bases of the mountains, sometimes even climbing up the sides. I will have this view in the back of my head throughout the rest of the week as we travel on the ground and learn about the city more in depth.

A few of us wandered on a trail for a while until we reached a bench overlooking the water and some small mountains and buildings in the distance. We heard Brazilian music being played on the ground below and decided it was the perfect spot to stop and sketch for a while. As I was sketching, clouds began rolling in. I would look at my paper to sketch a coastline and look back up to see nothing but whiteness (compare sketch to photo below). It really put it in perspective how high up we were, we were literally sitting in a cloud! I still can’t believe the cable cars used to reach the top of the mountain were built in 1913..

 

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Tchau!

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~

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Hippie Fair

Today we went to the Hippie Fair at noon. It was not very big. Yutong and I almost visited every small shop. We both interested in finding cute and colorful handicraft. Thus, visiting hippie fair was something we did interested to do. I wanted to find something that are quite special and can represent Rio to decorate my next year new apartment. And when I saw this small map hanging on the booth, I thought it was cute and it looked nice for my room. The old grandma who sold this small map told me that it was all made by herself and her daughter. I also found a really beautiful mirror at this booth. It was made of the tile of a car and I thought it was amazing! We also saw lots of other cute stuff here. Colorful Parrot made by lots of wires, a cute leather bag for packing drinks, lots of beautiful jewelry made by different materials like leather, wire, stone or steel. I also bought lots of stuff today. Like a handmade notebook which has a handmade real spoon on the cover, a beautiful favela painting on the cloth and so on. I think Rio is a really amazing city. People there no matter how old they are, they all really talent! Lots of seniors do their artworks here and sell to people. This is maybe what I want to do when I am old. Making my own art work and sell them to who like them!

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Amazed by Rio

We got to explore Rio a little bit more today, mainly around Ipanema and Capacabana beach. It is so good to lay on the beach and run into the sea. I saw a lot of interesting trees along the beaches and streets, which I think we might be able to see some of them in the botanical garden.

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is Ficus microcarpa, which I used to see a lot in south China. It has those interesting roots on its branches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know the name of this plant. I found this on the sidewalk around Ipanema area. It looks like a scaled pineapple.

 

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This is a tree I saw on the way to the Capacabana beach. It has some hanging planter attached on its trunk. A living planter!!!

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Vanessa introduced this Rio snack to us on Ipanema beach, it is called Globo. It has two tastes- sweet and salty and will melt in your mouth.

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We are sharing the Globo together, I like the sweet one 😉

 

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We had an amazing lunch/dinner in “nomangue”. We had a combination of different seafoods. The grilled lobster is so good. You can almost smell the fresh air from the sea.

 

 

Reflections on the First Day

This city has a syncopated rhythm. The people walk slow and drive fast. It is a New York smeared across a tropical forest. The beauty that comes from that is captivating.

It seems like every inch of this city begs to be photographed. The people are kind and patient with a grand kind of showmanship about it, reveling in any stumbling bit of shared communication as much as I did. Trying ask if a vendor made his bags himself was rewarding for both of us, him smiling with a proud “Sim” and me thrilled in successfully generating my question. I bought the bag for R$ 97, $33 in the US.

The view from Morro de Urca toward Niteroi.

The view from Morro de Urca toward Niteroi.

The journey to the top of Pão Açúcar was calmly amazing. The impression of this landscape is irresistible, the city is nothing without it. At the top of the mountain, the grand sweeping views were inverted in the tight and tiny patios all along the top park. I felt I could have stayed and sketched there forever, it was so varied, and so quiet. The city seems to have learned how to create moments of sublime peace like these from the hills themselves.

A small patio on the bay-side of Pao de Acucar

A small patio on the bay-side of Pao de Acucar

At night a group of four of us went up to the rooftop pool, which we thought was a hot tub because of its appearance. This city and country seems to understand the value of rooftop spaces in a way that I wish the United States would. All along the Ipanema promenade full-grown palms, ferns, and bushes can be seen flowing over rooftop patios. Our pool area serves as more than water recreation; the multi-platform space serves as a semi-private urban space to socialize. The views brings about a feeling of voyeurism about the city, giving grand views from the comfort of the private rooftop.

A terraced green space teetering on the edge of Pao de Acucar

A terraced green space teetering on the edge of Pao de Acucar

Ice Cream atop Pao de Acucar

What better way to enjoy the view at the mid-point of Pao de Acucar than with some ice cream and fruit.

Wyatt, Brent, Reyna, Ashton, and Sarah enjoying some ice cream and fruit on Pao de Acucar

Wyatt, Brent, Reyna, Chloe, and Sarah enjoying some ice cream and fruit on Pao de Acucar

Reyna, Ashton, Chloe, Sarah, Jay and John enjoying ice cream and fruit on Pao de Acucar

Reyna, Ashton, Chloe, Sarah, Jay and John enjoying ice cream and fruit on Pao de Acucar

Brent, Sara, and Ashton (and Wiatt) at the mid-point of Pao de Acucar enjoying some ice cream...and the view.

Brent, Sara, and Ashton (and Wiatt) at the mid-point of Pao de Acucar enjoying some ice cream…and the view.

Pi Day 3.1415926

In honor of Pi Day (3.14.15) and our visit to Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), Sara Kline was kind enough to leave the official OSU mark…a Block ‘O’

Sarah Kline signing the Victorinox wall at the top of Pao de Acucar

Sara Kline signing the Victorinox wall at the top of Pao de Acucar

Sarah Kline signing the Victorinox wall at the top of Pao de Acucar

Sara Kline signing the Victorinox wall at the top of Pao de Acucar

The Victorinox Wall atop Pao de Acucar

The Victorinox Wall atop Pao de Acucar 

First day in Rio

The group arrived today to a hot and sunny day in Rio. After short tour of the local area around the hotel students explored options for lunch and/or the beach to get their first taste of Rio. We met at 3 for the bus taking us to Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain). The dramatic bondhino (cable car) takes visitors to Morro de Urca first where the group enjoyed an ice cream and fruit snack (and some frisky marmosets) and a group photo.

Knowlton Rio Culture and City Group photo at Pao de Acucar

Knowlton Rio Culture and City Group photo at Pao de Acucar

Panoramic view from Pao de Acucar

Panoramic view from Pao de Acucar

Then up to Morro de Acucar to explore for the final panoramic views to Niteroi, downtown, Flamengo Beach, Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. Final drive around the exclusive neighborhood of Urca before returning back to the hotel was a wonderful end to a first day in Rio.

First Day

This has been an absolutely perfect day, although it started out a little rough due to being uncomfortable on the plane, It has certainly turned into a wonderful day. After leaving the airport we took a bus to the hotel and by driving through the city we were given an amazing view of the various neighborhoods. The favelas came straight up to the highway so we were able to see an interesting view of them without actually being in them. It amazed me that although they are simply shacks and run down buildings, it didn’t seem like such a horrible place to live. I understand all of the issues with the favelas but as I viewed them I couldn’t help but notice the little things like a tricycle on a roof or a beautiful garden on a patio. these things gave the favellas a sense of life and community that you don’t hear about in news stories and such.

Once we arrived at the hotel I was pleasantly surprised by our room, it is simple yet beautiful, perfect for this trip. I was excited to explore the local neighborhood with the group after settling in and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the streets.

Our next adventure was to Sugar Loaf  and it was beyond amazing. Once we reached the peakimage of the mountain Ana, Reyna, and I followed a path through the jungle to a little bench overlooking Copacabana and Ipanema. It was the perfect opportunity for us to sketch and as we sat there we listened to Brazilian music coming from a small island down below, the entire experience was perfect, I hope to always have that memory.

Last Supper

Arbys The Ultimate Burger

 

O Arby’s! My Arby’s! My stomach is going to miss all the American-ness in the next few days. We had a nice lunch/afternoon-snack at a restaurant in the Columbus airport, during which I got the “Ultimate burger”. You just can’t go wrong with a patty fired on the grill with some bacon, mushroom and blue cheese. The onion ring also adds some crispiness and a slight side-kick to the flavor. Ugh I’m hungry again but I don’t really want to spend more money on food before I even leave the country. I know I am probably gonna write a post about how awesome and delicious the food in Brazil is and come back bash myself about this post in the next few days, or maybe even tomorrow. Now that I’ve written my critique about American food, I actually wonder what Brazilian food tastes like. Well, I guess I’m just ready for everything but the language about Brazil in general. (Yeah, having to miss many of the pre-portugese lessons doesn’t help much…) Alright Brazil, here’s Johnny!

 

 

 

Pre-Departure!

It’s odd…it wasn’t until last night that it hit me that in less than 24 hours I was goin to be in Rio de Janeiro. I was at dinner with some friends, overwhelmed, when this reality settled in. There I sat as my burrito got cold. Hands clamped to my face in astoundment. I  have never traveled outside the United states and although I have always wanted too, I simply thought it would for some reason never happen- that the world outside my own was too extraordinary for me to ever get to experience in person.  Going over seas is something other people did, not me, inparticularly my family. My overprotective parents and all their reasons for not leaving main land USA, it’s not safe, they don’t speak English…anything to get us to say at home. So in these past weeks I’ve have felt like I have been going through the notions and not actually putting myself in the perpective of actually experiencing the neighborhood of Lapa, or the gardens at the Sitio Roberto Burle Marx or soaking in the sun on copacabanna beach. Even now sitting on the tarmack at Columbus International Airport I am still not convinced that I will be rio. The rain is tapping on the window making it’s impossible to fathom what Rio, Brazil or Southern Hemisphere, for that matter, will be like.image

But what I do know is that I am extremely excited and can’t wait to see the sun rise over another continent, speak with those of a different culture and ancestory, eat strange cuisine and be surprised at how delicious it is! As I sit here prior to departure I don’t know what to expect…I am apprehensive, enthrawed and as impatient as a two year old. RIO HERE WE COME!!rio landscape from video

Wavin’ Flag

flags These are some cool flags i came across while exploring the airport. ( There were more…I would have liked to capture all of them however panorama only let me get these….) I have always loved exploring the different flags from each country and what they stand for. Especially in an international airport, a central hub of transportation where people come from all over headed to various places around the world. Pictured here, sixth over from the rightmost flag, is the Brazilian flag. Headed to Rio de Janeiro, i am very excited and anticipate seeing this iconic flag all over. A flag is such a strong representation of the culture and values of a country and as we begin our journey and prepare to enter a new one, i think it is important to be cognizant of the possibly differing values and most certainly different culture we will encounter. These various differences in lifestyles, cultures, and values can be compared to the differences we see in flags, each having its own unique pattern, color, and meaning associated with it. The concept of these flags and the many things they stand for is intriguing to me and i think is something to be admired.

Next stop…Rio de Janeiro!!

Pre-Departure Rush and Wait

imageBeing the expert procrastinator I am, I had to get a lot of things done this morning. I started the day early with anticipation for Rio of course, but I had plenty to do before the flight. First, I drove to grove city to look at a horse barn. My girl needs to move and I’m the one that has do to the house searching for her. Her name is Sterling, she is pictured here, and she gets to move in the weekend after we return from Rio! Next on my to do list was to get a new set of pens for sketching. A new trip definitely requires some fresh pens to get you really excited to sketch. I then ran to the bank to get out some cash that I could exchange once in country. Finally I finished up some laundry and frantically packed. No matter how hard I try to prepare, I can never seem to pack for trips until the last minute. Maybe it’s the rush you get from going to the airport feeling like you forgot something that makes me postpone the chore.

After all of that rushing from eight to noon, we sat at the Columbus airport. Now we are sitting in Atlanta airport. The hurry up and wait game of traveling never gets old. Talk to you from Rio soon!

Pre-departure

It is still unbelievable we are going to Rio in about only sixteen hours more…yesterday at this moment I were struggling with packing my baggage. We will go to such a far place and it`s always hard time for me to deciding what I want to pick/leave. Now I`m sitting at the airport in Atlanta. Can `t wait to say hello to Rio! As these days in Columbus the weather is finally getting warm which makes me very happy all after a long and tough winter, I believe in Rio I will definitely get much more pleasure. Isn`t exciting? I have never been to South America and I hope this would be a unforgettable and precious memory in my later life. I will experience the different culture as much as I can, through my eyes and my sketchbook. And when I get back to Columbus I will have a bunch of stories and events that I want to talk to my friends; every time when I`m thinking about this, my excitement get much and much higher…! I just can`t wait learning some Brazilian folk songs and eating lots of delicious South American food. Hopefully everybody can get the great experience and we will make the best program: )

The Great Escape

As I prepare to take flight to Rio de Janeiro, I can recall the turbulent journey it took to get here. To get to Atlanta. It started when Jon Dai suspiciously tried to woo a TSA agent and it turned into a 8 hour epic of wandering hall after hall seeking a restaraut that would fill our needs. Nothing world work. A burger joint? Too specific. A pizza place? To greasy. Finally our group, the Fluffy Bunny Slippers Football Club, found what we were looking for. The buckeye cafe. It was the beginning of a beautiful meal, with beautiful people. It ended in the destruction of a chicken fingers, pizza and a large burger with fries. Bite after bite the delicious morsels of fried and baked goodness were decimated. We left no survivors. Not even the H2O could withstand our reign of terror. Little did we know, the sustenance would get its revenge.

Only an hour into the flight, they rebelled. They came with a vengeance like the men of Troy swarming from within the wooden horse. They ate at us from within. They gnawed, and chewed untill the revolt was quelled by none other than the H2O itself.

“It’s our duty” it said. “We cannot fight them”

The H2O had an influence like no other. One bye one, the sustenance lowered its shoulders and bent the knee to the charismatic molecule.

The rebellion was over. And now, that all is safe, I can calmly move on with my life. I can take flight to the city of Carnival without hesitation and enjoy my trip.

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Pre-departure

We’re at the Atlanta airport waiting for our flight to Rio, and it’s fianlly hitting me that we’re going to be in Brazil in 12 hours. It seems like we’ve been planning and preparing for so long that it hasn’t felt real until now. The taste of spring that Columbus gave us this week has made me even more ready for 90 degree weather in rio.

When I was swing dancing this week, I happen to meet a young woman named Livia from Sao Paulo who recently moved to Columbus. She told me that rio is her favorite city in the world. Upon finding out that I know so little Portuguese, she taught me some useful phrases that I’m excited to try out. Livia also told me about a dance style called forro that is very popular in Brazil. She recommended that I try it while we’re there, and showed me a video of what the dance looks like. When we get there, I want to find out if there’s somewhere in the city to dance, and hopefully get a group of people to come with me and experience this aspect of Rio’s rich culture! I’m interested to see how social dance culture differs from the United states.

 

 

 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

My sister has always said “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Ever since Aimee introduced the Rio trip at the Knowlton all school meeting in the beginning of the year I have been determined to be a part of it. I had to work through some obstacles, but I’m currently sitting on a plane headed toward Atlanta so I’d say it was a success!

I participated in the SERVitecture spring break trip to Toronto and Buffalo last year, and we got so much snow that Habitat for Humanity gave us a snow day; needless to say I am 110% ready for a destination where the sun is shining and winter coats aren’t necessary. ☀️
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So I got a really nice free water bottle the other day from the Sustainability Fair on campus, and I forgot to completely empty it before going through security at the Columbus airport. There was only a sip or two left in the bottle and I was lucky enough that the woman checking my bag let me keep it… I guess Friday the 13th isn’t starting out too horribly!

I can’t wait to land because it’s too bright to stare out the window, I’m too excited to sleep, and the sooner we land the sooner we take off for Rio! Wooooo! I’m so excited to share this experience with you all, and here’s a shoutout to the Rio Trio Plus One from your awesome Team Captain:)

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Post-departure Pre-departure

The adventure begins!!! We are finally off on the first leg of our journey and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope that the upcoming events will meet and surpass my expectations. I know that we have a long night of travel ahead of us but rather than feeling dismayed by the upcoming hours I am looking forward to it. I hope that Aimee is having better weather in Rio than the rain we have had up here all day, I am curious about what it will actually be like in Rio seeing as how the forecast dramatically changes for it daily. I hope that since it is in a tropical climate the forecasts that predict rain actually mean pop up showers like those of Florida. Even if our trip is bogged down by rain, we will still have an amazing time enjoying each other’s company and the culture of Brazil.
Upon landing in Atlanta (my least favorite airport ) I hope that the group manages to stay together and stay calm in the hectic bustle of the Atlanta airport. Once we manage to find our next gate I plan on using some of my time to explore the terminal and to hopefully find a Chipotle (fin

Columbus Airport

Columbus Airport

gers crossed!). Hopefully a solid meal like that will make me comfortable for the long plane ride ahead and to make up for my lack of a meal earlier today.
Best of luck to all of us traveling on this very superstitious day and may we all make this trip something special.
Over and out!

Airport Angst

I find myself sitting in the Atlanta airport beginning my three hour layover in route to a ten hour flight. Although some may find the idea of a ten hour flight slightly obnoxious, I am a firm believer in the idea of risk versus reward. I think a ten hour flight is a miniscule price to pay to escape Columbus and the climate it has had to offer for the past six months. About four or five months ago when we found out we would be going on the trip I was excited to receive the news however the trip itself was still so far away that it really didn’t hit me until recently. The course we have to take is a good foundation for the culture and architecture however, nothing can ever compare to actual immersion within a culture and society. Theoretical speculation is crucial for the discussion of architecture and culture, but, I just simply can’t wait to be in Rio de Janeiro to experience all of it firsthand. I would have to say I am most excited to go to sugarloaf the first day, as well as Brasilia later on in the week. I think it is going to be truly remarkable to see Brasilia and all the contemporary architecture it has to offer.

Waiting at the airport

Pre-departure
Now I am still in Columbus waiting at the airport to fly to the Atlanta and then finally to Rio. I am wearing a T-shirt and feel a little bit cold. I can’t wait to fly to Rio to feel the warm. Columbus is now raining and I hope Rio will have lots of sunshine. I can’t wait to walk through the district in Rio and see beautiful Brazilians on the street and also taste the delicious Brazil food. Fourteen hours flight is so long the same as the time I will fly back to Beijing, China and probably I will spend all time in sleeping so that I won’t feel uncomfortable for sitting for fourteen hours. And when I wake up I believe the sunshine in Rio will be shining on me, people in Brazil will smile at me. Everyone in our team now is boring and waiting. Some of them are chatting and some of them are sleeping. Yutong next to me is playing her iPad and keep chatting with me.We both feel exciting about the upcoming trip. I just hope the transport time can pass quickly!

It’s Actually Here!

As I sit in the Port Columbus airport outside of Gate C55 (our flight gate to Atlanta) it is finally hitting me that we are officially going to Rio. 6 months ago in November when I found out that I would be going on this trip, I was very excited but I put it to the side because it was so far away. Even when the course started in January and I started going to the required class, I still sort of put the trip to the side because it was a few months out.

But now it has really hit me and I can’t explain the excitement/anticipation that I am feeling. Having only traveled out of country to Windsor, Canada thus far in my life, Rio de Janeiro is a big step up as my first real international trip. To be honest, I don’t know what to expect down there. We have gone through various cultural lessons such as learning the language, political leaders, and customs of Brazil, but I don’t think learning about the culture actually compares to being immersed in it. I do plan on taking it all in though and making the most of this experience so I can write this as another great chapter in my life.

This is an experience of a lifetime and I am so blessed to be given the opportunity to do this. I am looking forward to everything we have studied and learned about. Out of all the sites planned, I cannot wait for Christ the Redeemer. That will truly be a breath taking experience I think. The only thing I am not looking forward to is the 10 hour flight. What is there to do?!? It looks like I finally have to study for Econ. Bummer!

Pre-Trip Thoughts

I am currently sitting in the Columbus Airport, waiting on our plane to arrive to take us to Atlanta (our first stop on the way to Rio). I have been anxious all day to just begin the trip and be there already. I can’t wait to be in the warm weather when I step outside the airport for the first time! I also am excited to be immersed in such a culturally rich environment. However, there has been a lot of waiting around instead of getting gone for the beginning of this journey. This is a stark contrast from what the rest of my day has been like, as I got up and went to class, then raced home to finish packing before we had to meet at the bus. In my haste, I seem to have forgotten one of the more important items…..sunscreen. But, Im guessing it won’t be too hard to find in an airport or even when we land. Since that realization of forgetting something, I have been paranoid of leaving something else important at home or setting down a personal item and forgetting where I put it. We are about to board soon though. I didn’t go to sleep last night so I’m hoping I can catch up a little on the plane.

Departure Time~

I just felt it is so unreal that we are about to departure to Rio TODAY! Yesterday we were still busy working on exams and homeworks and most importantly—didn’t pack yet, lol. But today we are going to this different country in the Southern Hemisphere. And today I still have my studio which will done by 12:30pm then I need to rush to the airport right away~ (posting while I am in the class… lol) I have to say that I always struggle with the last minute packing thing but I did it with an unusual exciting last night until 3am, and certainly this morning, too… Hope I got everything I need~

Just like the professor showed us in class, travel is an investment to ourselves. I do feel it.  From all the trip I have exprienced and countries that I have visited, I feel different things everytime. I found that people are living in so many different ways and to see the differences is very interesting. Trying to involve and to understand their culture is also an interesting process. You may make some mistakes in this process but eventually you will find things that you  never think about. Also, from a student perspective, I also found there are more things that I can do with my career and it comes in different forms in different places. This time, I am about to experience the passionate Brazil culture. I do not know how it is but I believe it is going to be an exciting adventure~

The leaving time it approaching~ Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe trip!

 

 

Storm Before the Calm

I haven’t really had time to process this trip yet. I have had my head down trying to get through this week, studying and working on projects right up until 10 am today when I finished my midterm in Arch History. It’s only now while I sit in the Knowlton Library waiting for 12:30 to come that the full realization of the experience we’re all about to have is washing over me. It is a wave of refreshing relaxation to finally have nothing standing between me and this momentous trip. At the same time however, the bliss of oncoming relaxation in paradise is mingled with fear of the radical newness of this impending experience.

I’ve never been out of North America. I’ve never been somewhere that the majority of people don’t speak my language. Those are some scary propositions for me, but they are thresholds I have been wanting to cross since I was young. It is such an intoxicating blend of terror and excitement, thrilling, to be leaving the world of intellectual speculation about the world from a distance to actually being in it. I feel so young, so ready to have impressions made on my mind and heart.

I think this is the great contradiction of preparing to travel; the total release and relaxation of having the bags packed and the world ready to swallow you, swirled together with the gut-fear that comes before the leap. I will relish it for these next 90 minutes.

~//~

Brown Shoes, Black Pants, Don't Care.

Bags Packed: Relaxation/Butterflies in the Knowlton Library.

 

Pre-Departure Entry

Well, I am currently on hold with Delta Airlines, so I decided that this would be the best time to write my pre-departure entry. I am trying to get everything in place before leaving in … 11 hours. I figured it would be best to obtain my Delta Skymiles account information before waking up tomorrow since I know that I still have a lot of last minute packing priorities to take care of when I wake up. At least maybe tomorrow night I will be tired enough to fall asleep on the flight since I know that I am not going to get much sleep tonight. At this point (1:30am) I would say that I am roughly 70% packed. I just hope that I don’t forget anything!!

I have to say, I am getting really excited to leave for the trip tomorrow! I feel the past days I have been so busy that I haven’t had the opportunity to really realize that we are about to travel to BRAZIL! (Side note: the Delta hold music isn’t too terribly bad – minus the automated guy that keeps informing me of all of the wonderful opportunities that Delta flights offer. However, he fails to mention the price of the “fully-reclining seats”.) Anyways, back to the pre-departure anticipation and brief overview of what I am most looking forward to. I am super excited to learn about the culture of Rio first-hand and experience many new things. The trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on our first day is something that I am really looking forward to because I am thrilled to experience the breath-taking views from the top of the mountain. I just want to continuously remind myself to take in every moment and cherish every scent, taste, and sight of Rio de Janeiro.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous for the flight tomorrow. I have always enjoyed flying but I always get a little nervous leading up to the actual take off. I just remind myself of the wonderful place that we are actually flying to and that seems to allow me to relax.

I wish everyone the best of luck as they finish their last minute packing and I hope everyone at least gets some sleep tonight!

At this time tomorrow we will officially be en route to RIO!

Good night!

Pre-departure

It is rainny today. I am so lucky to escape from Columbus to a sunny world. I feel like everyone is like me, expecting to lie on the beach, watching bikini beauties and enjoying the sunshine. Although we have learned something about Brazil, like: culture, music, architecture and so on, I still feel pleasant to imagine the future trip: unexpected moments, breathtaking sceneries. I know it will be a little bit different from books and videos online.

In order to fully devote myself on the trip so that I will not worry about my assignments, I stayed very late in studio. I have spend too much time on them and I have barely got sleep these days, so I think it might be a good idea to catch up some sleep on the plane.

Now I am sitting in the airport and waiting for our flight. My brain is crammed with assignments. I know it is time to start to relax and enjoy, I can’t. Because I know after this trip, there are lots of assignments are waiting for me, and some of them are on the way. Umm, maybe I just need to clam dowm. Take a breath…

Welcome to Rio!

Boa tarde! My first full day in Rio, and excited for you all to arrive in two days-

Cristo Redentor

Hot with spotty sprinkles at Cristo Redentor yesterday (Christ the Redeemer) but a stop to sketch and for the best mango juice on the way up was rewarding. Analyzing the details of the statue and trying to figure out how it was assembled is thought provoking.

Many steep steps, bring sturdy shoes, was very slippery walking around the statue base.  The cog train cutting through the Atlantic rainforest up to the statue is dramatic-

Sketch from Cristo Redentor looking west

Sketch in progress, from Cristo Redentor looking west

 

Some more advice in class but for now: It is hot and humid, copy of passport on your body needed in the city (or original if you want),  streets are difficult to maneuver so bring comfortable shoes!

 

 

talk to you soon in class-

Aimee

Blog Requirements

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