Archive for the travels Category

mirando al techo. (una tarde en madrid) / looking at the ceiling. (a madrid afternoon)

Posted in MADRID, common thougts, personal, travels on September 20, 2009 by TOI

En cualquier otra situación hubiera seguido haciendo cosas, si hubiese estado en la oficina seguro que seguiríamos trabajando, el paquete lo tendria la secretaria, mi ordenador seguiria siendo mi ordenador, y la vida seguiria igual, sin un pensamiento de mas. Si tuviera una buena conexión a Internet seguro que habria pasado el tiempo mirando las paginas habituales, comentando en twitter, actualizando cosas, leyendo articulos. Pero no, estoy en una casa que pese a ser de mi familia me sigue siendo extraña, y sin conexión a Internet. El paquete esta enfrente de mi, apoyado en la pared, un tubo de planos de 70×12 cm, con un cd y un sobre, todo envuelto en papel kraft, deberia decir mal envuelto. Espero que los de la mensajeria lo recojan para llevarlo a Atenas. Eso es lo que hago, nada mas. Mirar al techo y esperar. Después he quedado con el grupo a tomar algo, y mas tarde a cenar con una amiga, pero hasta entonces espero, estoy aquí atado, por mi paquete, por el futuro, por la ilusion y esperanza del ignorante. He hecho una llamada de telefono, he colgado y ahora espero. Podria leer, he traido libros conmigo, pero no conseguiria pasar de la segunda o tercera linea, podria ver la television, pero no conseguiria centrar mi atención. Bloqueado en la espera. Divagando sobre los 3 dias que voy a pasar en Madrid, pensando en toda la gente a la que voy a ver. Es raro la condensación de encuentros que me provoco cada vez que vengo. Una lucha entre el quiero ver a mis amistades y el me gusta estar tranquilo y no hacer nada. Nunca veo de forma tan seguida a tanta gente. Parece que mi vida se sigue basando en el principio todo o nada. O no pasa nada o pasa todo a la vez. Pasados estos tres dias, ire a Portugal a encontrarme con una amiga de Australia. Desde luego no hay manera facil de hacer las cosas, o al menos no debe ser tan divertida. Oporto-Lisboa-Faro y después por España.  Nota al margen. La conoci en Londres.

No todo es tan interesante como parece cuando uno lo escribe, ni tan emocionante, es simplemente normal. Mi normal.

En fin que estoy mirando el techo, esperando al de la mensajeria antes de irme a tomar unas cañas. Todo lo que voy a hacer en Madrid estos 3 dias parece muy absurdo mirado desde una perspectiva, todos son compromismos y objetivos que me he auto impuesto y elevado a la categoría de obligaciones, se supone que se hacen por gusto, pero eso depende del momento, y por supuesto ninguno reporta dinero, asi que son un hobbie. Vaya hobbies mas raros, con lo bien que una esta en casa, o no.

Sigo mirando al techo.

a nice trip around

Posted in personal, travels, whatever on September 19, 2009 by TOI

I am back from a long road trip across Spain and Portugal, I actually came back on thursday, but it has taken me some time to recover, plus I had a nice PS going 90 km away to see one of my idols. It’s been a 2 week trip and much longer since I last wrote in the blog. No excuses, not worth, not true. I’ve made a competition I knew I was going to loose, but it was fun doing it, I injured my shoulder, I’ve had research meetings, and I’ve had one of the best trips ever going around the country with some friends. It looks like a busy agenda, but somehow it feels like an empty and void period for me. Maybe because what I am doing and what my mind would like to be doing are different things, not sure yet.  The trip has made me a long lasting impression, one of those things I am sure I’ll remember forever, it was intense, fun, busy, full of anecdotes and challenges, I had some of the best and deeper conversations in very long time,  I’ve faced the mirror, and tested my cultural and professional knowledge, I talked to people from other backgrounds to see how different we are, I’ve been drained out in so many ways, and I have to say I really liked.

small break, readings and snacks.

It’s been 6 months since I came to spain, and they have gone extremely fast. I can say that I have done many things in this time, most of them unique, fun, exceptional, things that I was not able to do before, all those things I always wanted to do but had no time for, It’s like extended holidays, after 4 years of overworking, but somehow I cannot help but feel a bit guilty inside, like if I should be doing something other, like if I don’t deserve this, though I do. I am lazy, that’s a reality, and maybe I feel guilty about that, not about my time off. I always feel I should be doing more, and doing it better. Demanding and tiring.  I’ve thought about stopping all this, about giving up and having an easy life, why not, just kick back and enjoy, 9 to 5 job and make the most of it, but somehow i feel that would not be fair and that I would not be happy, but who knows. By now, I’ll just enjoy my time off, at least 3 more months and an exciting trip ahead.

I’ll try to post more, some funny things ongoing.

going to the show (36 hours and 3 countries)

Posted in "frefas", U2, irish, tamospaya, travels, urban on the move with tags on July 26, 2009 by TOI

Some things take time and effort, some others take money, some other will and determination.

The impact of big mass events is growing bigger and bigger every day. Some events are not only having an impact on their own city where they occur, but they make people move across the world,  making their impact bigger and more spread. This effect has been happening for a few years now with periodical events of great significance and duration like Olympic games and Soccer World Cups for the las 25 to 30 years, but nowadays it happens for a 1 day only events as concerts. Not only people from within the country move to the capital for the show, they come from all over the world.

This post is a brief record on what does it take to go to one of those big concerts and everything that is involved with it. 36 hours, 3 planes, 3 countries,  standing queues, rain, and much more for a 2h 20 min show.  And it was worth, no doubt.

Madrid 7.3o am. Walk out to the street into a diverted street with a few cars stuck at the start of the rush hour.

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Madrid. 8.00 am Underground to the airport. Rush hour in action.

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Madrid airport. 9.00 am As quiet as possible. Plane taking off at 10.30

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Dublin. 12.30 pm. Walking down O’Conell street. You can feel U2 are playing in town today. 80.ooo people expected in the stadium, around a third or a half coming from outside Ireland, T-shirts, street improvisations and pre-concert shows are everywhere. Special tran and bus services in & out of tonw. (O’conelly train station special information board)

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Croke park. 3.oo pm Queuing in the rain, people cheer the sound check as if  it was for real.

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Croke park. 5.3o pm Doors opened at 5.oo pm to enter into the circle. I was there since 2.30 pm.

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Croke Park. 6.oo pm People sitting on the ground waiting for the supporters to come out, it’s like a big family picnic, but nobody knows the others.

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Croke Park. 7.00 pm. Standing in full, while the seating area is empty while supporters play.
U2 came on stage at 9.oo pm

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Croke Park. 11.30 pm  After concert moment, Pics, greetings and phone calls.

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Dublin. 12.oo am. A huge crowd walks on Dublin streets in their way to downtown,

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Dublin airport. 1.30 am. People sleeping on the floor over glass pavement.

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Dublin airport. 4.30 am, It looks like rush hour or a massive city getaway, it’s only 4.30 at the Dublin airport checking area.

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London Stansted. 11.00 am. A few hour to kill whilst changing planes. Something to read, something to eat.  Fancy some seafood??

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Alicante. 5.oo Why should you put police at the border check, just let the people come in.

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Oh, yeah, there was one gig in the middle of this. U2 played home @ dublin,  it was awesome, I was there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFIdFUa_hUc&feature=channel

(http://www.youtube.com/user/U2006com) 24/07/2009

europan, submission, meetings, zaragoza, alicante

Posted in architecture, tamospaya, travels, whatever on July 11, 2009 by TOI

Last three weeks have been a bit busy, from a competition deadline to some meetings with city officials and a day visit to zaragoza.  Not much to talk about, but some images to sum it up.

Submission was fun as always, there is something happening on those nights that it’s tough to explain and probably people won’t get it unless you’ve been through it.  it’s that 5.oo am moment in which you just have to finish things up and there is this text missing or an explanation, and you need a drink to keep awake, and suddently someone comes with a brilliant solution, or something that at least at that time looks brilliant.

Gerardo working on his leopard chair, that’s classy, eh, hahaha

ger working

Laura on the phone, what was it about, oh yeah, ….”hey A. could you tell me how to open AutoCad? I have forgotten, sorry to wake you up for this. “

laura on the phone

My workspace window at madrid school of Architecture. They have the fence so students don’t jump in desperation.

window view ETSAM

My workspace at the place I usually crash in Madrid. it’s all about comfort.

workspace at grandma's

After submission the meetings came, and so I went to Zaragoza for a day, firstly a traditional walk through downtown Zaragoza, where you cannot escape from the looming cathedral. Walking around town you can find anything you want, like a guy talking about his life with a green background for television, or a nice commercial passage, or a Wi-Fi square in front of the cathedral.

zaragoza main's

This was the street where I had to go for the meeting, lucky I found it, someone is asking for a parking spot?

meeting street

Well you know, I come from Canada, and I am burning in hell right now, you can see my redskin, apart from that, yeah, I like it whynot.

telling stories

the trip came to and end, a night ride to Alicante back,  speeding in the desert.

night on the road

blowing in the wind

Posted in travels, urban on the move, whatever on April 11, 2009 by TOI

a ride through the lands and roads of castilla,
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…the answer and the entertaiment in blowing in the wind my friend, we are riding through the wind
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countless, sameless, useless?? futureless? beautifulness????
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blue diamond sky in a spring afternoon, they roll as if they’re gonna be the forever.
timeless
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“lazyness” / 4 in a row

Posted in friends, spanish way, travels, whatever on January 3, 2009 by TOI

I was thinking that I was not going to write while in Spain. I am going back to London tomorrow night, I was feeling lazy, I guess I just change my mind.

After touring Spain the week before I basically decided to spend this one disconnecting myself from the world and planning the next steps after the rush of the end of the year and the end of my employment at SOM London. Surprisingly enough I’ve done much more things that I thought and I have been more efficient that I would have expected. Probably I just haven’t done what most people consider work, or productive tasks, but I have achieved more things in 2 weeks than in the previous 2 months at the office.

First week I devoted it to travel with my frien Fly through the wonders (some of them) of Spain and Portugal, second week I devoted to reading, watching movies, researching and writing.

My Spanish/ Portuguese tour. 

sunday 21st . Madrid. 
Monday 22nd. Madrid-Bilbao-San Sebastian
Tuesday 23rd. San Sebastian-La Rioja-Madrid
Wednesday 24th. Madrid-Cuenca-Valencia-Alicante
Thursday 25th. Alicante-Granada
Friday26th. Granada-Sevilla-Lisboa
Saturday 27th. Lisboa-Belem
Sunday 28th. Lisboa-Sintra-Merida-Madrid
Monday 29th. Madrid
Tuesday 30th. Madrid-Alicante. 

Probablynext time I should include some ore places, but I would love to do it slowly, like taking a month to tour Spain and enjoy it. Great country to visit, bad country to work in… at least today.

this road movie was change drastically to a movie marathon and some late night conversations.  As an example, in one night, from 22.00 h till 6.oo am I watched.

CASABLANCA-PERFECT STRANGER-THE DEPARTED-CLICK

tomorrow back to London. This is as far as I know my life..

miscellaneous II. the long way to the office

Posted in London, blogs, city living, shame, travels on December 3, 2008 by TOI

normally it takes me 35 min to go from my flat’s door to my desk at the office.
normally I get to the office between 9.3o and 9.45 am
official time to start working 9.oo am
route to the office. Bow road station. district line one stop to Mile end. Change to central line. 2 stops to liverpool street. Walk from liverpool street to old street.

On Monday I tried to get to the office on time. Various reasons for that.

Monday December 1st.
8.25 am. Go out of my building
8.35 am. I took the district line
8.38 am. I jumped onto the central line at MIle End.
As i entered the coach a lady sitting there just fainted. They had to call for medical assistance. Train stop
8.42 am.Decided to take Hammersmith line, so change plattfor and changed to Hammersmith line.
8.50 am. We are stopped at Whitechapel.There is a personill at Monument station, a few stations in front of us, all the trains on that track are stopped
8.54 am Decided to go out to the surface and take the bus
9.oo am I catch the 205 bus that goes directly to my office place. There is a huge traffic jum due to roadworks and Ring Road congestion
9.30 amI reach the office

normal time 35 min. Monday time 1 hour 35 min. And all because for ine day I tried to arrive on time.
Infrastructures and public transports are the element around which the city should be built, and we should find a way to be able to avoid interrumptions due to normal and frequent activity falilures. no?

 

Blogging.

I realised that a lot of times I got a really good idea for a post,or a really good funny thing that just happened to me, but at that moment and even that day I don’t have the time to stop what I am doing and put myself to write the post. so many times I have “unborn” posts, which piss me off, so I have thought that probably talking about architecture and society, or more about ideas than about occurrences would be a better and more interesting idea for the blog. Also I am gonna try to write the quick stuff in twitter, I like the  140 character rule. Let’s see how it goes.

Fraud.
On my way to work on Sunday I came accross this guy who showed me his arm bleeding and asked for money for a cab. I offer to call an ambulance bu he refused and went away asking more people for money. I felt something was weird with that guy. Well, tuesday I saw the same guy doing the same trick to other people. I though thatn values and respect are in the lowest levels ever.

Through Canada. Through my mind

Posted in friends, travels on September 24, 2008 by TOI

Well, after my New York visit, I’ve spent my last few days in Canada, mainly Montreal, though we made a quick visit to Lac Saint-Claire.

It’s been quite an interesting trip, and certainly I’ve learnt a lot, among other things;

I’ve learnt that I should practise my french more and that I shouldn’t be so lazy.
I’ve also get to know this group. Sigur Ros, and they guys really rock it. We went to one of their concerts last Saturday. 
I’ve learnt that you can have a pleasant, not very stressful life and keep earning money (god, so clear my mind is out of London),
I’ve re-learnt that the sun is bright when it shines outside London. mmmm I think I am bitching to much London today.
I’ve learnt that is really easy to stay where you are and that it requires a great effort to move, I’ve learnt that is really easy to complain and destroy but no to propose,
I’ve learnt that is really easy to make the same mistakes other did before and you might even don’t notice it . I’ve learnt  that identity is really important for some people,
I’ve learnt that I should be on holidays more often, or forever.

The trip was also really good to keep going with my research and my thesis, reinforcing some arguments, dismissing others, and overall i gather quite a lot of material.

Today’s post looks quite reflexive and lacking of action but it has been truly some nice relaxing days, and I have to really thank a lot my friends Louis & Lisa, for hosting me, showing me so many things, riding the bike with me through the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, Canoeing on the lake and do so many things we have done together these days.

It was a true vacation. Next stop…. Spain.

NY living – my apartment’s floor is inclined

Posted in Installations, NYC, architecture, city living, house inside, travels, walking on September 14, 2008 by TOI

So, that’sit. We have rented an apartment here in NYC for 6 days. As we are 3, a 1 bedroom apartment was economically quite cheap for a short termrent. The location is perfect, East Village, just a couple of minutes from houston st and bowery.  The only thing that is a bit weird is that the floor os inclined, but not just a bit, quite a lot, I think the slope would not comply with the 5% maximun slope for people with disabilities (no, just kidding).

On the other hand one good thing is that has little/no furniture, so I am using the floor again and I really like that, I like to recover the use of the floor level, like sitting on cushions and so on, kinda mix between japanese and arab.

Aboutthe city, it is just awesome, one of those place you are meant to be in. Temporary Waterfall installation is so, so. The one under the Brooklyn bridge is perfect, really cool, the others are Ok, but nothing spectaculatr, overall, worth seeing.

Yesterday I did one thing I never thought possible, I walked the whole day, no metro, no bus, just walking, from 14th street to battery park. Who said NYC was too much? I find its scale perfect, not overwhelming, it is just dense, but density in the good way.

on the road

Posted in rush, travels on September 12, 2008 by TOI

last 3 days have been an incredible rush, including a day trip to the netherlands (photos and Update to come) (I always put that note and then never become true, but I will do it one day, I am slow catching up, but at the end I get there). So I’ve been arranging everything to get ready to go.

Today I am going on the Road for 3 weeks. Itineary (aprox) is as follows.

Fri 12. London to NYC.
Thu 18-Fri 19.  NYC to Montreal. Driving through the vermont Forest.
Visit to Quebec and Canadian Lakes. Site visit.
Wed 24. Montreal-Burlington-NYC-London
Thu 25. London to Madrid
Tue 30. Madrid to Alicante
Visit to Valencia
Sun. 5. Alicante to London.

As I am an internet Junkie I bring my laptop/my world with me, so I will keep checking and writting.
I realise my life without the net is miserable. Again as ever4ything in my life, with or without you makes a lot of sense.

P.S. I gave up the idea of having a normal life, for once and forever.