Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Well Dubai has proven to me that it does in fact have way too much money for its own good!  It is the weirdest and also most impressive city I will probably ever visit.  There are some really great buildings in Dubai, but it does not go too far beyond that.  The city as a whole is so sporadic in design that it does not really have an identity, or sense of community.  The elements of the city do not flow.  I have never heard of a place with so many skyscrapers but cannot be traveled by a pedestrian.  In several instances, developers buy a site and fund a building without even considering the context.  That being said, I had a great day exploring Dubai!  It is basically a showroom of urban towers with the best technology exhibited throughout the city.

We spent a lot of time in the inside the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.  We all went up to the world’s highest viewing deck at 125 stories.  The view was unreal!  I felt like I was looking down at a model of Dubai.  If you concentrated hard enough you could feel the tower moving just slightly with the wind.  Burj Khalifa is an icon to architects everywhere; it is a feat of design and a precedent for the future.  I got to experience it firsthand! 

Before and after the visit to Burj Kahlifa we spent some time in the world’s largest mall.  I think I could have spent a whole week in there because it was so cool!  Fortunately for my budget, we were only there for a couple of hours.  In the mall is the world’s biggest aquarium viewing wall that was also very impressive.  Also in the mall I had the best cupcake and cappuccino ever in a bakery called Magnolias.
Later in the day we visited another mall in Dubai.  This is where the famous SkiDubai slopes are, the only indoor skiing slopes in the world.  If indoor skiing does not set a statement to the world, I cannot think of something that will!

While at a market, that was a little like a modern day medina, I found the perfect gift for my brother.  I hope he likes it as much as I think he will!  Hopefully I will be able to send many of my things home because my bags are about to burst! 

For dinner I had Papa John’s breadsticks and it occurred to me that Papa John graduated from Ball State!  And we were Ball State students ordering pizza from Papa Johns… in Dubai! 

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Every young architects dream is to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai because it is a playground for designers.  Today I visited Abu Dhabi; tomorrow I will visit Dubai.  Abu Dhabi is a brand new city built in the middle of a desert.  Skyscrapers appear on a new block almost every month.  Rapid construction is possible because of the abundance of oil in the country.  This is a city that makes their own islands and waters their entire land just to get grass to grow.  Talk about a waste of money! 

Seeing Abu Dhabi today has been refreshing and exciting because for the past 3 weeks we have visited old ruins and historic sites.  Everything here is new and modern, much more my style.  As far as design goes there are several great precedents for sustainability, but there are also several bad ones.  A Ball State CAP Alumni, Dan Renders was our guide for the day because he has worked and lived near the city for several years.  His current job is the director of sustainability for the World Cup in Abu Dhabi.  He showed us around and pointed out several of the projects he worked on.  We also go to visit a Gensler Studio where another Ball State Grad showed us the ins and outs of his job dealing mostly with design. 
So many projects today were very inspiring for my hometown project.  It is amazing how much you can absorb by being in the place.  So many projects are being constructed that there is always something to do.  I realized though that I would hate this kind of working environment.  It is so impersonal.  In most cases you are given design requirements, expected to find the quickest solution, and get it sold as soon as possible without getting to know the client.  I want to know who I am designing for and make an impact with that design.  I do not feel like hardly any project here is personal.  I would be so miserable with my life.

 Rod was explaining today that if we were not passionate about working 24/7 on a design then we might as well pack up and leave, in a joking manner of course.  I am passionate about architecture but in a much different way that most people.  Architecture will never consume my life; it will just be a job to me.  I am not driven by big firm jobs and fat paychecks.  In this career you are not successful unless you make it to the big cities.  My job someday will not entail any of this, I can promise you that!  It will be different.  I am so very excited to find out what this job will be, if in architecture at all!

The weather here is absolutely perfect compared to where we have been.  It is 75 degrees and sunny!  The long trek here ended up being worth it in just one day.  We began in Cappadocia with a 10 hour bus ride at 6:00 a.m. followed by 4 hours of waiting at the airport, and finally a 4 hour flight.  The flight experience was definitely not as bad as my previous one, except for the extreme heat!  I am pretty sure the whole flight was about 80 degrees inside the plane. 

Tonight Dan, Devin, and I went to eat at The Warehouse, a restaurant/bar suggested to us by Dan Render.  It is basically an American Sports bar, but you would be surprised how comforting it was after a month of foreign travel.  Another comforting experience, I washed my coat for the first time!  I knew it had to be disgusting because I soaked it 3 times, and every time the water was a dingy yellow.  I really miss the concept of a washer and dryer.  I just feel like things do not get as clean in the sink as they should.  It is the little things that seem to make and break this trip for me!                                                                                                                                                                                           

Cappadocia, Turkey

I am happy to report that the worst day of World Tour was followed by easily the best day so far!  Yesterday we visited some of the sites in Cappadocia.  Normally our tour guide would spread the tour into three days, but since we only had one full day, he chose a few of the best spots.  Everything was so amazing that it did not even appear to be real.  The landscape looked like something straight out of a dream, or movie.  I do not know how to explain it because there is nothing to compare it to.  I will start by saying that they are huge rock structures formed by volcanic ash.  The land is dominated by these mini mountains, which in itself is beautiful.  Add thousands of caves and cliff dwellings and you have one-of-a-kind Cappadocia.  I know we still have a lot to see on this trip, but it is going to take a lot to top this.

The first place we visited was an underground city.  Caves as deep as 8 stories were used as defensive living quarters.  The passageways were so small and narrow; I had to duck and squat most of the time to get through them.  My favorite part was the church that was located 6 stories underground.  The room was carved into the shape of a cross.  It was so cool to pray and imagine a worship service taking place down there.  On the way back up to ground level, I had to stop and use my inhaler.  There was just so many steps and a lower oxygen level than I am used to. 
Our next destination was the Goreme Open Air Museum.  It is a preserved section of an abandoned city carved into the rocks.  There were several cave churches that we visited along with a couple houses.    We ate lunch and continued on with stops at “The Three Beauties” and a castle.  Both places allowed for a 360 degree view of the entire area of Cappadocia.  It is indescribable and amazing!  The rocks are so fun to climb on, pretty much an adult sized jungle gym. 
Once again I wish I had someone from home to share the experience with because no amount of words or pictures can describe the beauty!  After visiting a place like Cappadocia, I do not understand how people don’t believe.  Who do they think created this all?  I wonder if God ever got bored creating regular mountains, so he decided to make something totally unique just to humor himself, and ended up with Cappadocia.  You have to admit; it is pretty fun to think about!

Right now we are on our way to Istanbul airport.  We had to leave Cappadocia at 6:00 this morning because it is a 10 hour drive.  From Istanbul we fly to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.  I feel another all-nighter coming on!  Hopefully this flight goes a little smoother than the last one. 
Instead of a “desk critique” I had a “bus critique” earlier this morning for my hometown project and for my course work.  So far, so good!  Both of my professors actually seemed a little excited for my project.  You would not believe how much a difference this makes with my confidence on the project.  At this point I am still excited about it, but we will see how long that lasts!

Ephesus, Turkey and a very picky airline

Today’s events confirmed my thoughts about flying, and by that I mean; I pretty much hate it right now.  Flying with a group of 26 people, and enough luggage to last us 3 months is a bit ridiculous for me!  We arrived at the airport about 3 hours early, which ended up being a good thing.  We were greeted at the door by x-ray machines that had to check all of our things before we even entered the terminal.  At this point we were informed that no liquids or creams were allowed in our carry-on bags.  All 26 of us had to re-arrange our luggage and make sure all of our liquids were in the bag we were going to check.  Next we went to the counter to check our bags.  There, we found out that our checked bags could not exceed 33 pounds, or we had to pay extra.  Every one of us was under the assumption that it could weigh up to 44 pounds, because that is what most other airlines require.  I scrambled around for about 10 minutes trying to situate my bag because it was 5 pounds over.  I gave some of my stuff to a couple people who had a bit extra weight to spare.  As soon as I had this figured out, they told us our carry-on bags could not exceed 17 pounds.  At this point I just gave up because my carry-on was about 10 pounds over the limit.  Oh!  Now would be a great time to tell you that it was about 80 degrees inside the terminal! It was just so hot it made the whole situation twice as worse!  Hot, frustrated, and homesick I checked my carry-on bag and left it at that.  Normally it would not be too big of an issue, but it was so unexpected that I had my ceramic bowls from Morocco, my medicine, and my bathroom supplies all in that bag, basically everything of importance.  After all this, we had to go through security again before boarding the plane!  All of that trouble for a one hour plane ride! 

As I write all this down at a 5-star hotel 8 hours later, I realize any number of things could have happened to worsen the situation.  So I am thankful that did not happen.  At the time though, I was over it and ready to book a flight home!  I lost my cool at the airport.  Hopefully I can use that to learn from.  Next time something happens I will try to let God worry about my ceramic bowls potentially breaking, or my medicine getting lost, or the excessive extra bag fee I will have to pay.  Now that I put it that way, it all seems a little silly to get upset over!  Ok, my medicine was a big deal though!

Before the flight, I actually had a pretty good day.  We visited Ephesus in the morning with our guide.  It is a very well preserved Roman city with some famous architecture principles.  I was more excited for the fact that Ephesus is one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelations.  Paul also spent a significant amount of time in the city doing missionary work.  It was more than amazing to walk in the same streets that existed in the bible days.  This is a place where Christianity began to take a hold throughout the world.  It is days like today that I wish I had someone here with me to share the experiences with.  Also it is days like today that I wish I could call home and dump everything on my mom.  Somehow it always helps me feel a bit better.  But since I cannot exactly do that, I guess you lucky readers get to hear it all!  I apologize to you!

Troy, Turkey

Our first stop of the day was in Troy, Turkey; the site and city of the great battle of Troy.  It was pretty cool, but there was not much to see.  It has not been preserved very well so there are a bunch of crumbling walls, and not much else.  We could not even see the famous horse because it was being restored.  It was still fun to see the land and to say that I have been to Troy.

The rest of the day was pretty much a blur because I spent it sleeping on the bus.  I did wake up for about an hour to visit a silk factory.  It was pretty interesting, but who has hundreds of dollars to fork out for a silk-woven rug?  We finally arrived at our hotel around 6:00p.m. just in time for a beautiful sunset.  Cappadocia is coming up soon and I am excited for it.  These travel days are starting to get old!

Canakkale, Turkey

Well there is nothing too exciting to say about today because it was a bus travel day.  We drove west and south of Istanbul, with a destination of Canakkale, Turkey.  It is located on the West coast of Turkey.  We were supposed to visit Troy, but the ferry was closed due to high winds so we were not able to make it on time.  Hopefully we will make it there tomorrow.
 
We got to our hotel in Canakkale at about 4:00 p.m. and were given free time for the evening.  I headed out with a group and explored for a while.  They city has a nice developed waterfront that sets the atmosphere for the whole place.  On display in the city center is the giant horse used in the movie Troy, so that was fun to see.  I need to watch the movie when I get home! 
Shortly after, we found a really nice restaurant to eat at on the waterfront.  The place was pretty modern with awesome graphic designed menus.  We also had a view of the sunset, and most importantly, the food was fantastic.  I had mushroom and spinach stuffed chicken and caramel cheesecake for dessert!  It was probably the most relaxing meal I have had on this trip! 
We headed back to the hotel fairly early, which I was ok with.  Our hotel had a great wifi connection, along with pretty fancy rooms.  Complimentary hot tea, slippers, Turkish delight, and snacks along with a super comfy bed made this my favorite hotel so far!  There was only one downfall.  As I turned on the water to take a shower, I realized that it was a yellowish- brown color.  I was in great need of a shower, so I had to deal.  I am sure it was fine; it was just probably not as refreshing as it could have been.  I spent the rest of the evening Facebooking and Skyping!

Istanbul, Turkey

It amazes me, the diversity of the world. Istanbul has brought another culture that seems completely different than we have experienced so far. Oddly enough, it might be one of my favorites. The hospitality here is great, mostly because they want your money, but they are genuine. The food has been good too, and much cheaper than Europe. Yesterday I was able to get a half of a chicken, and rice for about $5.00.

The first day in Istanbul it rained pretty much the whole day. We did not get to see too much except for the Haggia Sophia and The Blue Mosque. They ended up being enough in one day for me because it was so fascinating. The Islamic religion fascinates me because of the discipline in the religion. The Islamic Call to Prayer happens 5 times a day and is the coolest thing I have ever heard. It is a chanting of praise projected all around the city from the mosques. Coming from American culture, I think it is amazing that people stop their lives 5 times a day for prayer. The call to prayer is a sound that I will never forget. I have to admit, though, it is a little creepy to wake up to.

The inside of Haggia Sophia is beautiful as it is decorated completely with Arabic Calligraphy. Words cannot describe it, so I will not even try. Pictures do not do it much justice either. There is a column in the mosque that will make a wish come true if you can rotate your thumb in it, 360 degrees. Of course I had to try it. I am not telling you my wish though!

The Blue Mosque was even more incredible because I witnessed the religion in action. Several locals were praying while I was inside. Before you enter the mosque, it is required that you take your shoes off. Another experience I will never forget. Imagine a couple hundred people in a mosque with socks on, carrying their shoes. I’m not going to lie, the whole place smelled like feet, but I am sure it is all the same to God. Being in a completely different religious culture makes me stop and question everything, in a good way. It is a great test of faith.

Constantine’s Palace is one other piece of architecture that is famous in Istanbul. We spent about an hour there, but to be honest I do not know too much about it, except for the fact that it was once Constantine’s Palace. It was pretty awesome to see the idea of luxury in Istanbul, and it was fun to sketch too! And that is probably the first time I have ever said sketching is fun! What is happening to me?

Another grand experience in Istanbul is shopping at The Grand Bazaar. It is one of those places you can learn about, but never fully understand it until you shop there yourself. As I walked through it, I felt like a piece of red meat about to be eaten by vultures. Shop owners stand outside their booth and do everything but grab you in order to get you into their store. Once you are in it is almost impossible to get out without a purchase. When you look at a product for more than 2 seconds, you basically commit yourself to buying it, or instead, minutes of hassling. Plus, there are never prices listed. I hated it at first, but after a while it became a game, and a new way of shopping. I was able to get a couple scarves for half the asking price and a pair of earrings for a quarter of the asking price. Being a naturally timid person, I was pretty excited.

Another activity in Istanbul was a Bosphorus river tour. It was more relaxing than anything, especially because we went after an entire morning of our first design charette. My mind was so tired after the charette, but I ended up with some really great design ideas. A design charette is basically a big brain dump where everyone comes together and critiques each other’s idea. I can’t believe I am about to say this, but after going through a month of no physical studio, it was kind of nice to get back into it.

Yesterday I walked from Europe to Asia. Sounds like a big feat, but all I really had to do was cross a bridge. Still though, not many people can say they have walked to Asia. My first impressions of the continent were not the greatest, only because I had to walk uphill the entire time. There were some pretty cool stores that made it worthwhile.

I was able to Skype my family tonight, which I am so thankful for. It is amazing how close you can feel thanks to technology. Plus it is free!