So today I saw how size does not matter when it comes to forms of amazement here in Santiago. To help justify this statement lets take a look at two examples starting with the smaller end of the scale. On our way to another campus of PUC we passed a house that had a privacy wall with purple and white flowers growing down it. Now I understand, just flowers; we have them in Ohio, however I have never seen a flower like this one before. After some research I discovered the name of the intriguing flower, it is a Passiflora × belotii. Also, to my amazement, I found out that there are similar flowers in the family that grow in Ohio. I believe this flower to be a prime example on the smaller end because as we passed by the house, there was a stop. Seems a number of students could not continue their walk without snapping a show of exotic plant. This obviously is something amazing and rare to us.
Passiflora × belottii
Found as far north as Ohio
My second example of scaled amazement would be the UC Innovation Center. This monolithic structure cannot help but bring attention to itself. Its the first building you see when walking from the train and last one on your mind when you go. The color and shape truly work to the building’s advantage. It is this hard gray giant that sits in the foreground of the Andes, and from some angles on the campus, looks like it is rising from the soft canopy made with the trees on campus. This just goes to show how size is not necessary when it comes to being amused by Santiago
The Innovation Center of UC looking north
Bryant, I completely agree that size doesn’t matter, when it comes to amazement in Santiago. I also saw this flower and was intrigued at the uniqueness. I have found many other flowers as well as fruit that have amazed me because they are things I have never seen or heard of before. The different climate in Santiago allows for more tropical fruit and flowers. It’s funny how in different places there are physical and natural elements that show that the culture is different. For example the subway stations and many of the projects we have seen have used the strategy of going down into the earth instead of building multistory buildings. This I believe is something that the Chileans do very well due to the frequency of earthquakes. Something like earthquakes affects architecture profoundly but it turns into a cultural norm that does not exist in places where we are from. Another thing that surprises me is the dry and aired climate in Santiago. That is something that also changes the culture immensely. Shelby, Asya, and I went to a social housing project today outside of Quinta Normal and we walked thru the “desert” to get to it. There was no vegetation and it was unbearably hot. We walked through some of the complex and there was vegetation here and there but I imagine it’s very hard to keep the greenery up. This is a huge difference from the suburbs in the United States. I find it interesting to observe the little things too!