cabeça dura

Sea lions, artisan-residence and sunrise on Mt. Tam

2009-09-15T16:42:00.003-05:00

And the fog. That magical, magical beast.

But I should start at the beginning, yes?

My cousin Bridget came to visit without a plan (hurray for mystery!) and hopes to see the sun rise from a mountain top. So, after an amazing night playing bocce and eating Italian-family-style with all our adults, we bent our minds on an overnight to Marin County.

First up : kayaking the Tomales Bay. We both crave the quiet of the water and weren't in any hurry to cross, so we paddled up as close as we could get to the crowd of sea lions lounging on the deck of an obliging sailboat.

The kayak outfitter told us that the sea lions have Shrek ears, but he also told us we should check out an abandoned "artists colony" at Laird's Landing. There was a couple walking amongst the cabins when we pulled up our boats and they transformed our stop with a pretty amazing story. Bob was bringing Mary to see the cabins for the first time. He's an artist and used to live in Marshall, the town we paddled from, back when the buildings belonged to Clayton Lewis. In advanced apology to my artist & architect friends, I had never heard of him before, but I am now fully enchanted.

good food & great friends @ Eat Real

2009-09-15T16:17:00.003-05:00

We started talking when the gates opened and barely noticed 3 o'clock rolled around. That's how you know they're friends for Real.

Jen, Pepper and I always seem to come together around good food. We met as garden volunteers and have been trading invites to picnics, potlucks and festivals ever since. This time it was the Eat Real Festival in Oakland. 3 days of street food and micro-beers made with local, organic ingredients - I can't even begin to recount the variety! There was ice cream and Korean BBQ and crunch salsa in a cone. We all managed to grab something different, and left full and happy.

Two bits I had to share : Liberty and Lina Bo Bardi (or at least her influence).

napa

2009-08-28T16:06:00.011-05:00

Saturday was the loveliest kind of whirlwind! Picnic on the Bay with Jen & Jessica - organic wine-tasting at the Frog's Leap winery - dinner across from Napa vineyards - and Ben Vereen.

I feel grown-up, Californian and broke. It was worth it.

getting dirty

2009-08-18T13:12:00.002-05:00

We've already had a few afternoons in the garden - lots of dirt flinging, wet shoes and new sprouts - http://clarksinthegarden.blogspot.com.

Redwood Park!

2009-08-18T12:45:00.005-05:00

I've been meaning to visit this park, and it was one of those days where each moment helps you to appreciate the next even more.

The trail starts off uphill in a mixture of dust, gold grasses and low trees. Suz decided this would be a great time to disappear! It's happened a few times, so my heart doesn't go straight to dizzy-speed, but hearing her crash and crunch back up to the trail made me exceedingly grateful.

There were a number of side trails and we headed for the Eucalyptus Trail because it went down into the river valley. Everything about the path seemed 'fresh' - it was shady and there was a mish-mash of sharp, minty eucalyptus.

Even that couldn't have prepared me for the redwood grove we wandered into. The pictures don't even begin to do justice - the gently filtered light and undeniably ancient green froze me for a bit. You get the sense that the soil is richer, that (in spite of the park signs) you are walking through a slice of floral history.

Still happy in CA!!

2009-08-11T14:20:00.012-05:00

"Slowing down" is one of those lovely states you dream about when you're working nasty hours and eating noodles on the fly. So, now that I'm jobless and cooking, why can't I turn my brain off?!! Something about feeling productive has been tattooed onto our DNA and, while my left-brain is sub-consciously married to job-searching, my right-brain is surreptitiously re-routing all that energy to things that I actually enjoy doing. Or things I've always wanted to do but haven't had the time/materials/cojones for.

More-or-less in chronological order...

Hiking in the East Bay foothills. Most of the parks share space with cattle ranchers, and when Suz came face-to-face with a cow for the very first time she nearly burst out of her harness. (Seriously, she flipped herself over and managed to twist it inside out.) Now when we go back she rushes the bulls with about 10 feet of good grace. Aye!

Hiking the Coastal Trail in Marin County. Until then, I didn't have a proper sense of the fog. It isn't really weather, it's much more physical and present than that - like one of those heavy velvet curtains at the theater. I love it.

Making pizza! Ok, the dough is $1.29 at Trader Joe's. Next time I'm in it for the whole pie, flour to cheese.

The Renegade Craft Fair! I didn't end up taking too many pictures (had to post the first one!), but I did buy a recycled metalcraft belt buckle from Buncombe Buckles (Asheville, NC) and some incredible merino yarn from Spincycle Yarns (Bellingham, WA). Such a great day with a long, hilly walk through a chain of tree-lined West SF neighborhoods to get to Fort Mason!

Homemade TOFU! This one deserves a second attempt (where's my tidy little cube?), but I grabbed a mish-mash of recipes from the web and made it while watching Kung-Fu Panda - not an intentional combination, but so much fun!!

Weaving bike tubes? I'm not sure where this is going, but so far the experiments have involved weaving, sewing, ironing, felted wool and grommets.

Collecting more graffiti in SF. Mr. Seahorse is wise indeed.

Mulching in the Visitacion Valley Greenway. I've been volunteering with Hands-On Bay Area in a group centered around urban gardening - some of our host organizations focus on increasing access to healthy food, others on ecosystem restoration and environmental justice, while others like VVG focus on neighborhood restoration. I signed up to get a hands-dirty perspective on the City and local non-profits and have found a great group of friends. (More pictures and our group blog HERE.)

Gardening with my niece and nephew!!! We don't officially get started until tomorrow, but this is a taste of our line-up : strawberries, 6 kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers and a handful of herbs. I don't quite have the audience for a shout-out, but the folks I bought these from are amazing : they grow all their own plants organically, offer classes in medicinal herbs and don't have a single stone statuette for sale. How many landscape shops can say that? Yay, Sunset Color!!

Homemade bread!! I was completely inspired by reading a friend's post on facebook, so I quick looked up a recipe and gathered the ingredients before I lost the nerve. Sooo glad I tried it!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of our best family project yet! I'm gathering all our supplies - little trowels and stakes and compost - and cannot wait to see Ryan and Allison up to their elbows in vegetables. Check for updates at our new blog : Clarks in the Garden!.

forward

2009-07-06T12:54:00.015-05:00

My dog and I headed North out of Austin on 183 and hunkered down in the back of the wagon after a beautiful sunset in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Then we got up with the sunrise and drove straight on in to Colorado.

Steve's wedding was such a fabulous hurricane of family and friends that I didn't even pick up my camera until we started hiking. This one is in an aspen grove just up from Ceran St. Vrain Creek.

A few more hikes and one visit to the badass National Mining Hall of Fame later, my friend Patty suggested we try Ice Lakes Trail outside of Silverton, CO - it's the sort of place that reminds you no imagination is more creative or courageous than Mother Nature's.

Suz loved every minute of it!

We wound our way through the mountains outside of Durango, CO - stopping to pick up a few bottles of honey wine! - and met up with Patty, her husband Ryan & dog Jack just north of the Arizona line. We had an INCREDIBLE time with them in Tsaile (and a little slice of Utah!), and finally got to meet their wonderful friends, Julie and Dave! We even ran a 'Just Move It' 5k! (The photo above is from our trip to Monument Valley - usually folks say storms are to be dreaded, but once you see rain fall from the desert sky...)

Yea for new friends!

There was a searingly hot stretch between Arizona and California that (though possessed of indescribably sheer white light) I'm glad is in the past...

...particularly because it has led me to San Francisco.

To exploring the Pacific Coast with my friend Coby.

To my family.

And perhaps to my own future garden!

After finally getting the not-so-good word from NOLA, I am thrilled by the opportunities that SF opens up and have already started digging through the want ads. More on that once my brain get's itself sorted! In the meantime, there are an obscene amount of photos HERE.

so maybe I got things a bit out of order...

2009-05-20T14:53:00.002-05:00

...the folks from New Orleans called and asked me to interview next week! My brain's busy rearranging itself, but I think it's safe to say I'm pretty excited. Yea - really, really excited.

ready. set. go.

2009-04-28T16:37:00.017-05:00

My landlord rented my apartment today.

I still don't know where I'll be in a few months, but I'm good with that. Even my family has started to get comfortable with this wanderlusty pathmaking.

Once I hand in the keys, me and Suz are headed for some downtime in Austin, then a whirlwind of family, friends and hiking from Colorado to Arizona.

With any luck, the next few posts will go something like this...

jenny & tim got married!!

2009-04-28T15:37:00.006-05:00

My lovely friends Jenny & Tim got married last weekend at a vineyard outside of Fredericksburg, TX. It could not have felt more like them - effortlessly beautiful and a hell of a lot of fun.

There are a few more here.

ann's house

2009-03-15T15:14:00.008-05:00

Heading to Austin most certainly means time with great friends, and Ann's house is always there to welcome me. For a visitor, its cool and quiet rooms are the perfect place to regenerate - the afternoon light is nothing short of magical and I swear I happen on a new collection each time.

More here.

Gavin again!

2009-03-10T08:59:00.003-05:00

IMG_1763, originally uploaded by lfrap.

Is he not the most beautiful thing!

All bald-headed and chubbs. Brian told me he weighs 17 pounds (at 4 months!) and that he couldn't be a happier baby.

Aye, to live closer....

Baby G * Gavster * Bear * Sweet Peetey

2009-01-07T15:49:00.013-06:00

IMG_2637, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

This is the newest, happiest (and chubbiest) addition to our family - his real name is Gavin, but the nicknames keep piling up. It's amazing what new life inspires you to say.

He is a magnificent snuggler, and holding him is pretty blissful. Needless to say, I put in a lot of burping time just so we could hang out.

More fotos!!

Christmastime with R & A

2009-01-07T15:35:00.009-06:00

IMG_2685, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

This first foto is from Christmas after Ryan and Allison were allowed to raid their little brother's stocking - shocking as it is, these guys STILL have not opened all of their own presents - it seems they love what they've got and can't imagine more. (Don't be fooled - they're great kids, but this is a bit random even for them.)

There are more here, plus a few that capture them at such great little moments...

the night the tide changed

2009-01-07T10:43:00.010-06:00

I can't believe I'm posting on this so late - with exactly two weeks until inauguration! - but we were in Dallas' Bishop Arts district on November 4th and wanted to share...

Fabulous homemade t-shirts.

A crazy crowd - being in the midst of such a diverse, yet energetically unified mass dissolved a lot of my frustrations with Dallas.

What's *hi* in the middle and round on both sides? That's right. It may be blurry, but this photo is proof that my home state came through.

Willie Nelson live at Billy Bob's!

2009-01-07T10:30:00.004-06:00

IMG_2440, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Sometimes overlapping plans make for the best experiences....

My friend Shawn and I were on the phone one night and he says, "I got us tickets to see Willie Nelson in Fort Worth!!" Brilliant!!! I am a huge fan, but my parents were coming to town that same weekend and I wasn't sure if they'd share in my excitement...turns out they are game for anything!

We had a lovely dinner with my mom's friend on Eagle Mountain Lake, then all four of us hustled a spot at the railing to see Willie. He's certainly getting older, but if you close your eyes you'd swear his cadence and guitar hands were coming to you straight from 1975. Absolutely amazing!

Asheville!!

2008-11-11T16:02:00.017-06:00

View from Black Balsalm Trail in the Pisgah National Forest.

Suzie and I traveled to visit my Lindsey in Asheville - it was an incredible trip with feed-your-soul hikes, fabulous vegetarian food (even vegan gravy!) and wonderful new friends (a big shout out to Amanda & Judd - I promise to get to Savannah soon!).

Below are a few other photos I really wanted to share, but you can see the rest here.

Just past Nashville, I was looking for a park to eat lunch and was told to head up the road - the woman gave the impression we'd just find a picnic table or two, so I had no idea we'd find this beautiful spot at J. Percy Priest Reservoir. (The other pic is Suzie's smiling face - roadtrips seem to cure her, too.)

Folks told me that during the 1996 Olympics, Atlanta officials bussed homeless men & women to the four corners, many of them landing in Asheville. Asheville and other cities (Denver) have retrofitted their parking meters to collect change for homeless shelters, food banks and other struggling organizations. The white-out marker suggests things are a little more complicated than straight-up donations, but I was impressed none-the-less.

Think of this as our calmest moment. "4 people, 6 dogs and one heluva ruckus!".

wonderful news!!

2008-09-22T17:22:00.006-05:00

The AIA Dallas Design Awards honored the students who designed and built the Holding House - check it out : http://bcw-congo.blogspot.com.

graffiti alley

2008-08-12T12:59:00.005-05:00

IMG_1385, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I'm not sure how often it happens, but just a few months ago an alley behind 4 or 5 blocks of Queen Street in Toronto hosted a graffiti carnival.

The first time it was like being passed by a really bright bus - I was a bit lost and took a sidestreet that formed a sort of graffiti cross-section. The next afternoon I stopped to check out a tiny-happy-healthy community garden and was so incredibly excited to find that the back gate led into a whole other arm of the same alley - it almost felt like I tumbled out into a sea of paint.

Even crazier was to run into several of the artists who cut through the alley whenever they get a chance just to see all that amazing work in one place.

This was one of my favorites ::

roots on the Gardner Expressway

2008-08-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

IMG_1386, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Farm Start

2008-08-12T12:33:00.003-05:00

IMG_1339, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

(Toronto adventures continued!)

Farm Start is a short drive from downtown Toronto, though the acres of farmland make it seem a much greater distance. These guys are a bit different from the other groups visited in that they don't serve as a community garden, but rather as an incubator of sorts for new Canadian farmers - so, folks who are new to farming, new to Canada, or even new to both, and who would like to begin their own small-scale market farm.

Farmers must submit an application and business plan, and because they know not everyone is born with both a green thumb and business savvy, they require that everyone participate in a small business workshop where they can focus on just the right bits for their business plan.

I'm awed by how much they've been able to accomplish in such a short period of time (this location has only been up and running for a few months) and by the poignant juxtaposition of the farm to its rapidly multiplying subdivision neighbors. The farmland was placed into a land conservancy, from which Farm Start rents about 15 acres, and the combination of trails and farm plots serves as an incredible example of the many, many ways open space offers benefit.

Congo Street

2008-08-11T00:01:00.013-05:00

Our students are really amazing!! I know I've told some of you a bit about what their doing, but it would be wonderful for more folks to visit their blog : http://r3works.blogspot.com/.

And though pictures tell so much, here's a bit of background...

Through my organization I help to teach a design/build architecture class at UT Arlington - my boss handles the technical bits and I meet with them to work through their thoughts about the soul of the project (they're building a house, but the relationships they grow in the neighborhood are so, so very important) - it's been really incredible!

They started as 8 students (now 7) finishing up designs through a series of community meetings and long hours locked together in a house that serves as their design studio, and are now building a house that will serve as temporary residence for families on Congo Street in the Jubilee Park Neighborhood of South Dallas. (This blog goes straight to the heart of Congo's relationship to the rest of the city).

Three families own the 6 houses on the street's North side, and together with students and some immeasurably generous folks we hope to renovate or rebuild all 6 without any of the homeowners having to move from their street or their families - one household at a time will move into what they've named the "holding house" until the whole North side is restored.

Still no word from the landlord who owns rental units on South side of the street, but maybe one day?

garden harvest!

2008-08-10T23:51:00.003-05:00

IMG_1497, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

They're not many, but I'm so excited about these lovely vegetables!

Until now I've mostly had chard, basil, and the occasional pepper, but right here you see my very first eggplant and my second batch of tomatoes! (Tomato #1 was far too exciting to wait until I even left the garden - temptation is so so tasty!! I must also admit that tomato #2 met the same end.)

IMG_1515, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Not quite the Food Channel, but I wanted to capture this too! I mixed the garden bits with some cannellini beans, garlic, onions and olive paste and ate it on my new couch - foi maravilhosa!!

honey harvesting!!

2008-08-10T23:31:00.014-05:00

Bit of a break between Toronto photos (more of those to come)!

My friend Johnice and I are both pretty new gardeners, and in an effort to try to understand just how a city the size of Dallas could have so few options for fresh, healthy, affordable produce (particularly South Dallas), we are trying to "meet" as many gardeners, food activists and food security organizations as we can to see where Dallas' own solutions might lie. There are an insane number of healthy, thriving organizations throughout the States and Canada (check out FoodShare) to learn from!

Gardeners In Community Development is one of Dallas' most valuable resources - many volunteers strong, with two at its heart who make a shoe-string budget go a million miles - with 6 healthy community gardens in both East and South Dallas. The plots at their Church of Our Saviour garden are overflowing, and tucked in back they have 2 bee hives that they harvest twice a year...

IMG_1460, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Honey frames straight from the hive.

IMG_1463, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Honey frame with the wax covering - feel lucky I'm not trying to describe all this, I learned so much about bees that afternoon that I foolishly imagine I could host my own Discovery Channel segment.

IMG_1472, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Johnice scraping the wax away.

IMG_1486, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Josh, Johnice's son, turning the centrifuge.

IMG_1484, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Honey!! (The wax gets filtered out, but otherwise it goes straight to the bottles).

need i say more?

2008-08-10T23:14:00.004-05:00

IMG_1258, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

The city even has it's own "cycling" webpage. Aye.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

2008-08-10T23:13:00.002-05:00

IMG_1263, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I am drawn to churches - for the architecture and awe of the faith that drives people to create such magical, even mystical, spaces. It being early on a Sunday, I was blessed to sit in the church just before the service and listen to the choir soloist practice.

Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)

2008-08-10T23:04:00.002-05:00

IMG_1268, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

It seems Frank Gehry really does get around - but **fun fact alert!** it also seems he grew up pretty close to the old AGO. I can dig that.

Toronto!

2008-08-10T23:02:00.003-05:00

IMG_1249, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Ahhh - to live in a city with sidewalk patios!!

(Again, I wish wish wish I had more photos to share from my walks throughout the city, but this time I decided just to be in it - a million gardens and parks and so much energy - I have a new city-crush!)

along one of Everdale's many paths...

2008-08-10T22:58:00.002-05:00

IMG_1237, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

abandoned strawbale house at Everdale

2008-08-10T22:57:00.002-05:00

IMG_1240, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I know the folks at Everdale have gotten into a million projects since revving up in the late 90's, and though it's sad that they don't all get finished it was pretty cool to happen on a straw-relic!

Everdale THREE

2008-08-10T22:55:00.002-05:00

IMG_1229, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Everdale 2

2008-08-10T22:54:00.002-05:00

IMG_1230, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Everdale Environmental Learning Centre

2008-08-10T22:21:00.004-05:00

IMG_1231, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

After being with my family, I drove down through Ontario and stopped at Everdale on my way to Toronto. I wish I had photos of the drive to share - a wicked thunderstorm gave way to a sky split between angry, dirty clouds and golden-red sunshine with walls of fluffy trees broken by occasional wetlands - it's the sort of thing we're meant to soak up slowly, in a canoe or on your bike.

After an unexpected visit to the Silver Creek Conservation Area (read: I'm not the best navigator) the Everdale sign popped up and I drove down into the mini-valley where it sits. There's a flower and herb maze on one hill, a soon-to-be-finished maze featuring heirloom seeds (it's a test site for a great org called Seed of Diversity), an open-air barn with sheep and cows and a few donkeys, acres of organic vegetables, a community meeting space, a farm market, compost outhouse, solar showers, and a bio-intensive garden run by one of my wonderful tour guides, Farmer Andrew. Andrew's in his first year of internship through another amazing org called CRAFT and will soon head back to his hometown Mississauga to head up an urban agriculture group - he was so wonderful to talk with! I also got to meet George and Peter, brothers from Mississauga who grow much of their own food and are easing their way into a completely raw diet - such great tourmates!!

This photo is meant to form a triptych of sorts with the two that follow - far too difficult to capture the Farm in its entirety!!

and ryan!!

2008-08-10T21:36:00.004-05:00

IMG_1191, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Ryan's curiousity and giggle are completely infectious, and help to remind you that every moment should be savored. (Not to mention he makes a mean cup of coffee.)

I've got loads more photos of the trip (well, of Ryan & Allison mostly) here.

allison!

2008-08-10T21:32:00.004-05:00

IMG_1204, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

I can't think of a better way to get back blogging!!

This is my beautiful, goofy, dramatic and absolutely precious niece, Allison. We were blessed to have the whole family together for a week this summer - I love them all, but Allison and her twin Ryan have my heart (and I believe I'm wrapped around both pinkies).

Pop-Up Market in Bangkok

2007-12-03T22:05:00.000-06:00

From Street Use.

This is a really amazing use of space. If I can find it I will also post a photo from an oil change garage in Brazil that transforms into an outdoor cafe after dark.

Ryan in his Thanksgiving attire.

2007-11-29T09:13:00.003-06:00

Nov07 230, originally uploaded by lfrap.

Buddy, if you were any cuter it would be criminal.

the plants are shy!

2007-09-24T23:15:00.003-05:00

IMG_1973, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

When we went to Mario Cravo's sculpture park for the last time we found a patch of plants that close when you touch them and sat around trying to trick them for 10 minutes - then we somersaulted down the hill.

After being reassured that we would never be allowed to see Mario himself, some of the girls wandered back into his studio and we were privileged to listen while he talked about tasting and smelling and living Brasil. Certainly an artist who knows his fame, but it was an incredible experience all the same.

SARAh Rede

2007-09-21T16:24:00.003-05:00

IMG_1915, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

Rede! (I really like this word - it's pronounced like hedg-ie, and here it means "network", but it also means "hammock" or "net"...)

We had an incredible chance to visit the open-air hospital factory that provides parts and pieces for hospitals all over Brasil - everything from beams, to hand-rails, to really cool space-age beds. Lots of good discussion about sustainability and specific environmental issues at this spot!

Clara!

2007-09-21T16:18:00.002-05:00

IMG_1843, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

This photo doesn't do Clara justice, but I ought to have blogged about her by now and haven't!

She is an urban studies student in Recife, but has work with O'Norte (Lula's design firm) and came with Lula and Chico to give the architectural tour. Her introduction to this bit of the course came with a great deal of insight and sincerity that taught me a great deal, and had a huge impact on the women.

floor crits!

2007-09-21T16:13:00.003-05:00

IMG_1826, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

One of the groups presenting their ideas for the hill. Jay had each group take on a different aspect (water/agua, handrail/corremao, surface/superficie, benches/bancos, e landscape/paisagem), so they drew and presented and shuffled groups, and drew and shuffled and drew and shuffled til everyone had a chance at everything.

getting back to the blog!

2007-09-21T16:12:00.003-05:00

IMG_1823, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

So, life's soundtrack isn't in portuguese these days, but I'm procrastinating on some other work and thought I'd put up some more photos!

This is one of the student drawings for water solutions - inspired by the drains at Lina Bo Bardi's MoMA in Salvador. We ended up using a modified version on the hill that is elegant in its own right.

The Mohawk in Brasil?

2007-08-20T18:29:00.002-05:00

IMG_1746, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Our last stop for the day was meant to be at the Parque de Pituaçu, a stretch of green along the northern beach coast that now holds the works of sculptor Mario Cravo. It was pouring rain and despite the efforts of two students who jumped the fence, we weren't getting in to talk to Mario.

But on the way out we saw this fence and it looks a whole lot like the fence Jay did at the Mohawk bar in Austin.

lunch

2007-08-20T17:59:00.002-05:00

IMG_1730, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Day 3 of the tour. We tried desparately to keep lunches to a quick stop, but we're in Brasil and these ladies love a few beers and family-style sit-down. Me, too!

We were at the Lago de Abaeté, which holds a lot of history. It is the color of saffron, surrounded by sand (though it is freshwater), and was used for more than a century to wash clothes, but it is also believed to be the locus of magical energy to which Salvadorians attribute the unusual number of drownings.

my girls at Lapa

2007-08-20T17:54:00.002-05:00

IMG_1643, originally uploaded by meganclk.

silhouetted

2007-08-20T17:52:00.004-05:00

IMG_1626, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Emily's photographs at sunset inspired me to try this one out. We were at Rodoviara de Lapa, one of the major intra-city bus stations that has remarkable examples of Salvador's first ventures into concrete and tension bridges. They sketched, I took photos. (The next few photos in line show them waving - 15 estrangeiros with cameras don't ever go unnoticed!)

o por do sol

2007-08-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

IMG_1613, originally uploaded by meganclk.

We were out on O Forte São Marcelo at the end of day 2 on the architectural tour - all the girls were sitting along the top wall, sketching the city (I sketched a bit as well - it's been such a long time and it felt really nice!) with this incredible sunset in the background.

5 minutes later a gray wall of rain closed in and we all took cover in different tiny rooms (used to be cannon bays) along the base of the fort.

nossa petite princesa

2007-08-20T17:44:00.003-05:00

IMG_1599, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Emily is one of those souls that you can't help but photograph all day long.

watercolor?

2007-08-20T17:39:00.003-05:00

IMG_1548, originally uploaded by meganclk.

The light was so perfect!

the houses under the road

2007-08-20T17:37:00.002-05:00

IMG_1550, originally uploaded by meganclk.

One of my favorite views back toward the port in the old city.

As Catatumbas de Mercado Modelo

2007-08-20T17:27:00.002-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_CatacumbasdoMercadoModelo, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Below Mercado Modelo, a huge marketplace that used to mark the water's edge Salvador's port that now caters more or less to tourists, these catacombs housed the sick and injured Africans who were considered unsuitable for slavery. The building was constructed knowing that the tide would rise and fill to the roof of the catacombs.

(Very somber, but the history is incredibly important.)

Piso da Solar Unhão

2007-08-20T17:21:00.002-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_OPisoDeSolarUnhão, originally uploaded by meganclk.

The Museu de Arte Contemporaneo in Salvador is an old port building redone by architect Lina Bo Bardi. The bottom floor of the building is still crisscrossed by tracks used to move carts from the pier into storage rooms - now a restaurant called Solar Unhão, the floor transitions really gracefully from what you see in this photo to cobbled stones that Lina had installed.

Cidade Baixa e Alta - Contemporanea

2007-08-14T06:35:00.003-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_ACidadeSeparada, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Looking back on the city from one of the piers you are able to see a sort of social division through architecture. Below the paved road from the commercial district up to the apartment towers of Ondina, Vitória and Barra, there are densely-packed self-constructed houses right along the water.

As alunas na Elevador

2007-08-14T06:27:00.002-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_AsAlunas, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Part of the architectural tour takes us from the tip of the old city, Pelourinho, down to Comércio, a relatively contemporary part of the city that was built over the port and coastline of Salvador. This connection (the Elevador) between Cidade Alta e Cidade Baixa - upper and lower city - is parts architectural (these guys are standing in the arm of the Elevador, built in 1910), and socio-political (the Elevador was built well after more than two generations of slaves carried the foundation of Salvador up the hills on their backs).

A Graffitti de Limpo

2007-08-14T06:16:00.002-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_GraffittideLimpo, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Graffitti in Salvador exposes a great deal about Brasilian politics and culture. Passionate and talented artists are given the opportunity to cover empty walls along the highways, covered construction walkways, old buildings and other moments with their work. It is respected and left untouched with a certainty that is sometimes surprising to me - it's not entirely uncommon to see artists play off of one another, creating a unique story-line authored by 5 or 6 people.

On the other hand, some are frustrated because it is art fostered under the control of the government and many worry that it ultimately stifles the creativity and growth that the ordinance claims to offer.

A Parede de Lina Bo Bardi

2007-08-14T06:04:00.002-05:00

07_ORoteiroArquitetura/Dia2_LIna´sEdificio, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Lina Bo Bardi is one of Brasil's most beloved architects and activists. She was born in Italy, but made her home in Brasil and became forever entangled in the art and politics and soul that govern the country.

This is one of her buildings in Salvador, arguably not the best photo, but a good taste of her work - the texture, the alternate fluidity and material strength, the placement (it´s on a fairly untraversed hill that connects the lower city - Cidade Baixa - from the upper city - Cidade Alta).

Nossa Guia Espiritual

2007-08-14T05:57:00.003-05:00

07_RoteiroArquitetura/Dia1_NossaGuiaSpiritual,Lula, originally uploaded by meganclk.

This is Lula, one of our architectural guides, but also friend, fellow architect, master musician, passionate artist, capoeirista, activist, and animated expressor of ideas.

He is one of 3 founding architects at O'Norte in Olinda, the historical center of Recife, but he now lives in Austin with his wife Lúcia, who is a filmmaker. Check out this website for shows of his band, Seu Jacinto!

Dakota is a man magnet

2007-08-14T05:51:00.003-05:00

07_RoteiroArquitetura/Dia1_AsAlunasBonitas, originally uploaded by meganclk.

She will kill me if she sees this, but I love the photo. Dakota is wickedly smart, incredibly beautiful, and fluent in português...it's a perilous trap (unwittingly on her part, truly) for dream-seeking Brasilian men.

a casa de nova orleans

2007-08-14T05:44:00.002-05:00

A Casa de Nova Orleans, originally uploaded by cabeca dura.

This house, from the outside, could be on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans, and it has some of the same energy I imagine. It was built by a really wealthy Catholic family and has been, in turns, inhabited by slaves, squatters, and ghosts.

For now, it is empty, but is being renovated by a non-profit that works with homeless youth. A telling story of Brasilian politics...the director of the organization asked the government for the house and was denied, but when another, even less politically desirable group sought ownership, they were told that the house was already being given to the non-profit. (Sorry, my memory's a bit fuzzy on the story, but these are the basics.)

uma fantasma?

2007-08-14T05:35:00.002-05:00

07_RoteiroArquitetura/Dia1_LorenaNaRibeira, originally uploaded by meganclk.

After the market we went on to one of the most important churches in Salvador, Igreja do Bonfim, and then to walk along the port in the suburb of Ribeira.

Lots of little conversations going on along the boardwalk...this photo only shows half of the conversation, but it is Lauren´s free and intensely happy face - so beautiful.

A Experiência Sensorial

2007-08-14T05:29:00.002-05:00

07_RoteiroArquitetura/Dia1_ExperienciaSensorial1, originally uploaded by meganclk.

This is day one of the architectural tour...we began in a feira (something similar in set-up to a farmer's market) - smelling, tasting, watching, bargaining, talking, planning meals - everything comes back to the essences of Bahia.

garden wall in Ilha de Maré

2007-08-14T05:22:00.002-05:00

07_IlhadeMaré_UmaParede, originally uploaded by meganclk.

boneca bonita

2007-08-09T13:45:00.002-05:00

07_IlhadeMaré_EmilyÉUmPeru, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Our beautiful Emily allowed us to bury her deep in the sand and give her peacock feathers (though when we were done it was a bit more like a turkey...).

Ilha de Maré

2007-08-09T07:34:00.002-05:00

07_IlhadeMaré_AVistadaPousada, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Wes gave the students a few days off before starting the design process so a few of the girls (Niraya, Emily and Fatima), Taia (sort of my Brasilian counterpart) and I headed out to Ilha de Maré. Our pousada was perched on a hill at the far end of the beach, and after beers, an amazing dinner (the girls had lobster straight from the bay!), and some swimming we walked over our hill for ice cream...and found a few puppies and some pigs napping on the other beach. (The pig story is my favorite...I will try to write it later!)

A Galera!

2007-08-09T07:29:00.005-05:00

These are the girls and some of our lecturers!

Bottom row (sitting L->R): Roopika, Lauren, Christine, Tessa
2nd row (sitting): Taia, Adriana, Wes, Paula, Cobre Mansa
3rd row (standing): Ritinha, Fatima, Niraya, Dona Marçia, Sue, Emily, Marcelo.

Adriana and Paula are

our beach umbrella

2007-08-09T07:24:00.002-05:00

07ScavengerHunt_APraiaDasArtistas1, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Wes thought this particular bar on the beach would be a great scavenger hunt destination because all the umbrellas and seats are made from wood and reeds (a welcome contrast to the ubiquitous - but comfortable! - plastic chairs).

refletir

2007-08-09T07:21:00.002-05:00

07ScavengerHunt_APraiaDasArtistas2, originally uploaded by meganclk.

After leaving the Centro Estudos and following two guys riding bikes with sandwich boards to a great new vegetarian restaurant, we headed up to the Praia das Artistas, a beautiful, slow beach on the Northeastern edge of the city. We got fresh juice, agua de coco (coconut water) and talked a little about ghosts and spirituality - it was a good day.

the Scavenger Hunt!

2007-08-08T06:26:00.002-05:00

07ScavengerHunt_ChristineEFatima, originally uploaded by meganclk.

One of the ways we oriented the students to the city was with a Scavenger Hunt - 3 groups, 5 different places (each group had to go to 3 of them - an Afro-Asian cultural center, a beach, statues, markets, churches), 1 day, city buses and a lot of good energy.

This is Christine (L) and Fatima (R) who were in my group - we went to the Centro dos Estudos Afro-Orientais, but the school (Universidade Federal da Bahia) was on strike and the guard only let us in to look at the classrooms...we managed to find the creaky old door that opened to the roof and climbed out for a bit before we got caught.

the movement...

2007-08-08T06:20:00.002-05:00

07FICA_AsAlunasPracticandoAu, originally uploaded by meganclk.

music and movement with a mestre

2007-08-08T06:17:00.002-05:00

07FICA_SueComCobrinha, originally uploaded by meganclk.

Capoeira is such an important part of Salvadorian culture - it transcends the game and music and fuses itself with the most basic elements of social interaction. I think of it as a metaphor created simultaneously, symbiotically with the things it seeks to describe - traffic and pedestrians, time...for these reasons the Studio brings students together for an introduction to the music and movement of capoeira.

This is Sue with Mestre Cobre Mansa (or Cobrinha)!

drumming on the North Coast

2007-08-08T06:06:00.002-05:00

07LitoralNorte_IvanTocandoAAtabaki, originally uploaded by meganclk.

After visiting the site and talking with Jorge about Candomblé (an almagamation of several African and Indigenous Brasilian spiritual traditions) we dropped Meghan off to the airport and headed to a beach far, far up the north coast.

On the way, we picked up Wes (our culture instructor) and two of his friends - Pancho and the infamous Ivan*. This photo is of Ivan and Lauren drumming on the beach at sunset - the music inspired me to move and the setting took all the heaviness off my shoulders.

*Ivan is infamous because he helped found Olodum, a world-renowned drumming group from Pelhourinho (the old section of Salvador) - but also because he would, without any outward indication, let out a yell that would put a fog horn to shame. He also made incredible mouth music - like the magnified sound from a drop of water.

Yeah, posting! ...that is if you´re still reading :)

2007-08-08T05:56:00.002-05:00

07Plataforma_AsAlunasEstãoOlhandoAsEscadas, originally uploaded by meganclk.

I´m in the midst of trying to put up a bunch of fotos - this sort of picks up where my last real post left off...all of the students at the project site in front of Jorge´s house and terreiro - it is amazing how different it looks from last year.

so much things to say right now...

2007-07-26T23:42:00.002-05:00

I´ve been so lax in posting to this, and promise to fill more things in before the weekend´s over - suffice to say, I love where I am and becoming family with the students and talking with my friends, but my brain (and sometimes my heart) hurts from being in the midst of all of the days´ frustrations.

My role here gives me a window into all of the discussions and lectures that the students receive, but I sometimes feel as though my own continued exploration of place is completely stunted - most of my interactions are so functional and inert and I really ache to just put down the baton and BE HERE. Being not-a-student also complicates my ability to express my frustrations at times - even when I agree and sympathize I am compelled to stifle my opinions and solely offer my ears and a means to act on whatever issues are at hand.

This is a bit of a vent, so my apologies for posting something so down while I´m here - to make up here´s one of our many sunsets along the north coast (Litoral Norte)...

Hoje.

2007-07-14T13:09:00.001-05:00

Finalmente, today. 07.14.07.

Lauren arrived early this morning. A fellow Longhorn and Brasilophile - she´s been working in Recife at Lula´s office, another UT architect, but this one a Brasilian artista with an incredible firm in the historical neighborhood of Olinda. He will be a design professor along with Jay Sanders. She and Taia have already been talking away, and I know that the language immersion will be incredible for all of us.

And now I am here. At the moment, Taia has gone with the women to Porto de Sauipe, where his family has an incredible house one the beach. I will nap soon, and await our next querida, Sarah, and instrutor da cultura, Wes.

Arembepe until now

2007-07-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

The last few days have been a whirlwind....

Meghan and I caught up over a wonderful dinner of pizza and sangria - so much to talk about with education and her father´s work in curriculum (ôtimo!) and the course.

Then, I met the first two students, Roopika and Christine, who have been venturing all over Salvador already and, together with Meghan, we made a trip up to Arembepe, a small fishing town whose famous hippy village and local Ford plant have somewhat transformed it - but I believe that there is still a great deal of magic there. When we visited last year I met Luis, a community leader, with my friend Helene and when we arrived this year Luis greeted me and invited us all into his house to see his art, to meet his guests from Uruguay (they´re in the circus!), and to offer us agua de coco (coconut water straight from the nut).

The trees still bent the same way from the wind on the coast - the light over the wetlands is still the same silvery gold trapped in globes of mist - the turtle with an inverted shell still watches over his friends with sorrow and (likely) envy - the walls of the open restaurante in the hippy aldeia still have words of welcome and divine intentions - and the dirt road is still as red.

Tessa arrived yesterday - I went with Domingos (our incredible host) to the airport and then into town to make new keys while Tessa rested. Making keys takes some time, so, true to Brasil, we went and had lunch, walked a bit, and I had a chance to talk and learn from Domingos´friend Cesar. He has studied English for 14 years, but, to help me, he didn´t truely let on until later in our conversation - so many new words at once! - he is also translating Jorge Amado´s second book and hopes to begin translating the rest of his stories and poetry (only 18 or so have been translated until now).

Then Meghan and I met with Taia! He worked with us on the project last year and has both a passion for change and an incredible love for his community, Coutos, a suburb of Salvador close to where we will be working. He will live with us at the house as a student, a teacher, a guide and our lone man. He hopes to learn more English with us, because in the fall he will move to the U.S. to marry his incredible namorada, Ariana, an American storyteller whom he met working with Meghan on another project.

And, last night, perhaps the best surprise of all. The group, (myself + Tessa + Christine + Roopika) went up into Pelhourinho and amidst a skirmish over some "free" peanuts, the phone rang and I talked to whom I thought was Taia, who wanted to know where we were so he could meet us. But, like a ghost, my friend Naoul appeared - apparently I was talking to him on the phone and he gave up trying to explain that he was not Taia and started walking around to find me. Such a good hug, and a wonderful night for all of us. The girls are as charmed as anyone, and he has already begun his patient lessons in portuguese with them. We sat, drank, pulled up more chairs for friends of his we saw in the street, visited the incredible apartamento that he shares with a friend overlooking the ocean, and talked until forever. I am so excited to see my friend again, and know that the women will get as much out of their friendship with him as with anyone in Salvador.

A new day!

2007-07-14T12:27:00.001-05:00

07.12.07

It is all so seamless - so familiar - I just stared down the hallway at Dona Marcia´s (where our group stayed last year), and it is as if I´d been waking up to stare at the same spot the last 353 days. I am in awe, and yet the moments when I am seeing something again for the first time fade almost as soon as they begin - fleeting pangs of memory replaced by the real thing. Some of it, I know, is because Meghan (Axis Mundi´s director) and I are walking and talking - seeing O Largo de Pelhourinho under bluish street lights I retraced a version of my scattered and many steps up that hill and, again, my smile must have looked like a veil to great secrets.

A bit in contrast, at times my memory has reconstructed itself from so many happy moments that keep popping up (like a carnival shoot-em-out game) until I am walking in a corridor of all the festas and shows and lazy nights we had ever experienced.

I´m writing with all the sounds that belong to Dona Marcia´s street - Rua Direita do Santo Antônio (#135, I think) - there is no lull, just life.

And there, I heard him (was waiting for him) - "Bras Gas....Bras Gas" - a voice I could pick amongst voices, a deep baritone laced with copper bells. He is the propane deliveryman, and he is like clockwork every morning.

... And Naoul is here. He doesn´t live with Dona Marcia now, but Meghan says he visits at night and I so look forward to seeing him.

...and on language

2007-07-14T12:17:00.001-05:00

Speaking a language that is new to you or that you speak rarely at home, you live inside an invisible box with boundaries of communication. Familiar transactions are empowering and make you feel functional (to yourself and perhaps to those around you), but any variation in the pattern causes confusion and momentary (feelings of) helplessness - ´was that information important?´, ´does that mean tonight or tomorrow morning?´, ´pay now or later?´...it feels wrong to nod and smile sometimes because I worry that I will smile or laugh at something I should not (updates on the evening news or an insult intended for me), so I apologize and ask for a simpler explanation.

It is interesting what we assume when communicating this way. When you speak with someone whose native language is not your own you have to determine what layers of metaphors and slang to peel away, and, for me, in doing so I have discovered just how much I take linguistic short-cuts for granted and that words whose English meaning we transfer from one situation to another (you can take a class, take the bus, take a number) don´t necessarily translate.

some thoughts & expectations

2007-07-14T12:09:00.002-05:00

07.11.07 (and, still...)

I have the urge to keep writing, I think, on what I expect of the next 5 weeks - the group is so different from last year (10 women!) and I am not arriving in Salvador after weeks of total immersion - some of these women have already had incredible experiences in Brasil themselves, speaking português and loving every moment. I know that my role in the group will be much tempered and supported by their own lessons and travelers´ intuition.

I am nervous to come off as a know-it-all - pointing out the obvious, if only because I reason that they seem important to note (bus stops, the laundry, where to get a great breakfast and watch the ocean) - and that it will seem that I assume they know far less than they do in giving advice or directions. I realize how much I learned last year as our group worked together to learn the city.

revisiting the past

2007-07-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

07.11.07 (still!)

...now I have a rush of emotions from my first visit to Brasil - as if someone has held them for me and waited patiently to hand them back (surely I would return, ne?). I imagine I look as though I am harboring a fabulous secret.

Wait - the beginning!

2007-07-14T11:57:00.002-05:00

Ah! I forgot the most wonderful beginning!

I should start with my last day in Austin...one last breakfast taco at Quack´s with Stephanie - a blur of last minute moving errands - a short trip with Coby, (trying to) catch up on a whole summer adventure between the bank and a wonderful bowl of soup (lime and extra pepper!) - more last minutes in the house that has been my home for the last two years (amazing!) - clearing tire marks off the wall from early morning biking and one last bath (double duty to clean the tub!)

Sarah had a long evening at work, but we manage to fit in a bottle of wine on Larry´s porch to talk about friendships and travel and knowing yourself - I am so blessed to have met her as a true friend when I first arrived in Austin. When Larry arrived home I watched a bit of a movie with him - I could only stay a bit, no sleep, just sweeping and double-checking everything - then Stephanie pulled up and two very sleepy people rolled out to the airport.

I snored all the way to Atlanta, but on the flight to São Paulo my seatmate was an elderly man - the sort that inspires you to catch his elbow, and it reminded me how much I miss my grandparents. He has two children in the U.S. and was returing from the wedding of his grandson - the "Inglês, Urgente!" book in his lap began a long conversation in a mixtura of português, english e questions - miming is helpful, but the pocket dictionary is gold.

Entering Brasil, I am happy - our talk dissolves many fears I have been able to rid on my own.

Eu chegei!

2007-07-14T11:45:00.001-05:00

There is so much to write already, so read on at your own risk!

07.11.07 (my journal date)
I arrived yesterday - last night - to São Paulo. Friends of Ô de Casa (a hostel) picked me up at the airport - Paulo e Sushi, irmã e irmão - then lovely André checked me in and I played cards with four men from Dublin - Jaime, Daniel, Ian & Red (I´ll have to think on his name...). I don´t know what they call their game, but it comes from Red´s family, involves a spiral of cards, and I think I will call it "John & Margret", after his parents. After that, a good sleep - a funny dream and then I find myself in line to Salvador.

Meeting two sets of travelers - a Polish couple just rounding up 6 months of travel and a Swedish man about to begin (not a big city person, just looking to trek South America) - the bug, the urge to travel, to have absolutely no idea what comes next...their nervous energy is infectious.

In the cab I knew immediately that I must come back to São Paulo - the driver makes me feel comfortable in português, and the buildings...large, beautiful houses of every architectural style and era pose as medical offices and small businesses - the atmosphere is different, but I am somehow reminded of the embassies in D.C. along Massachusetts Avenue (?).

It is crazy to step off of an airplane - the same rounded floor treads and accordian walls as I walked through in Atlanta, and yet the change is palpable - all I needed was one breath and I know I am back in Brasil.

Getting started...

2007-07-02T12:11:00.001-05:00

I started this when my friend Patty first sent me her blog link ("Patty has a blog?!", I thought, "It would be so cool to have a blog!"), and playing with the layouts and pretty colors became a bit of a diversion (see subtitle) as I worked on my thesis - like a good procrastinator, I never managed to put up a worthy post, but now it will be a perfect way to keep in touch without jamming your inboxes!

The next several weeks I will be in Brazil working on a design/build project with ten students (all women this year!) and an incredible group of teachers/guides/designers/mentors. I cannot wait to reconnect with some of the people we worked with last year, and though I'm nervous about my new responsibilities, I'm up for a challenge and am in total awe of the opportunity to return (to açai, and Olodum, and samba, and Tia Maria's granola...).

So, I will do my best to post often (with photos!), and I can't wait to get questions or links or fun stories from you all!

much love,
megan

ps - Here are a few photos of where we're headed...

This is the view from the neighborhood where we'll be working.

The hill we'll walk up everday (I don't know those lovely people walking towards me, but our house will be in the neighborhood just beyond the houses at the bottom of the hill).

And a cool panoramic photo from our project last year.