Sunrise in this Sahara.

Heck-yess! I am in Phoenix. In this lonely sahara...but not lonely.
And yess! I am trying to put back life here or making the world more green. I am crazily busy with my conference but this incident rally made me so happy that I am compelled to write tonight.




"So what's your favorite book?", I asked her who madly loves Indian food in the metro rail on the way home from our pre-opening day of our conference, just thirty mins ago.
"Well...I love reading books but I can name five books that I like...I don't have any favorites as of now....don't be too picky and don't go on the border", she smiled. Her eyes are just awesome.
I (mis)understood that she is not that kind of addicted reader and replied with curious eyes, "Have you heard of Ayn Rand..may be 'Fountainhead'!?"
This crazy architect from Cali who just moments ago was giving me moral support on my theology of design, suddenly opened her purse's zip...I wondered.....! People are already watching us in the rail that why these folks are laughing too much!


OMG! It's Fountainhead. I can't believe it....!




Honestly, my eyes were locked into her eyes for few moments.
Be more specific, iris to iris. Pale green to brown.

Me, myself, my graphiti font and my Chuck Tyler.

Just me.....

Ain't just a shoe.

It's attitude...babe.

Whatcha say?

Run this town...(the Jay-Z way)!

"Making your mark on the world is hard.
If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. it takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of  failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you leanrn from it; whether you choose to persevere."


                                                                                         - Barack Obama.




Yesterday, I took the first interview of my life. I interviewed a celebrity architect in his Austin office. He is designer of one of the greenest home in the states. I was little bit nervous. A little, honestly. It felt really awesome. After the interview, he patted on my shoulder saying, "keep focused". He was not crazy type like me but he is cool. He is decent, polite and organized!


Duh! Creative-people never can be organised. I refuse to clean my room. Lol!


Back to story, I sent him my questionnaire earlier the night. Therefore, the interview was just nothing dram and melodrama........BUT I like it. it's my first duel with celebrity. Two years earlier when my friend called me and told that she was invited to dinner in Frank O Gehry's home, I was so jealous but I was so happy for her. Now, I interviewed Peter Pfeiffer and he invited me to his home. It's the house earned the highest point rating ever given by the Austin Green Builder Program (www.austinenergy.com), one of the most stringent programs in North America. Anyway, he is not Frank Ghery but he is he.


Here is the questions i sent to him. What do folks think? Was I cool? I'll try to post the video later.
Though blogspot sucks in video thing but.......! I'll put youtube link. I am summarizing everything here...not his exact words!

As an Architect, Peter Pfeiffer, do you think….

Is there a great chasm between collegiate architectural and the actual practice of architecture? If not, then to be in detail, can students design better than any practitioner?

Yes! There is. A huge.

.....

....

....

What is the hardest part of being an architect? 

To satisfy, convince and make client think your way.  

What inspired you to study/practice architecture?

My dad; Being a carpenter my dad had extensive workshop in home so I started playing with it from childhood. Eventually, it made more sense. 

(I don't know whether he was lying or not! For me, I love to sketch and create but I never thought that I will be end up being an architect with specialization in energy optimization )

Especially practicing Natural Ventilation?

It feels great when you save money through your design and use the nature properly.

What is sustainability for you?

Not the bookish knowledge but practicality with Life Cycle Cost.

What is the magic of “Texas Tuscan”?

Hahaha...It's goofy. I saw there are plenty homes in your city but It's not sustainable. If there is magic, I don't believe in that.

Do you think there is vast difference between architecture of the world than the USA? IF yes then what is it?

We, in the states build for only 10-15 years! We build box for temporary purpose unlike Europe or may be your country. Tell me about your country....hahahaha (smile).

(Peter Pfeiffer, you are cordially invited to my country. Come over. Let's do something for poor.)

What’s your opinion about the new dual-mode (partial nat. vented) buildings (i.e. San Francisco Federal Building by Morphosis)?

I personally don't like Tom Mayne. He is more into graphics not into architecture-architecture. 

(He broke my heart. He does not know about the coolest building. I picked up my sketchbook and explained him about the A/C and non A/C part creating imaginary lines pretending the sketchbook is the section of the building. He liked the building, I guess. Don't hate Morphosis, please!)

What do you think about new Architectural-Engineering firms (i.e ARUP, Buro Happold or the NREL)?

Honestly, I don't have explicit idea about these guys but all architect should have the engineering knowledge.

(Yesss! My explanation is working under his head! Ohhaaah! Hoooo.....! I was doing freestyle inside.)

What is your favorite book? What book are you reading now, if any?

I am kind of into more business not into recreation. There is no more books in my bed side table.

(I forgot his fav. book. He told me. I will tell it later after watching the video again.)

If you enjoy music, What’s your favorite band or artist? what is in your CD/MP3 player presently?

I am a news person not a music person. Although I like 70s.

(Come onnn! You are in the music capitol...!!) 

What’s best moment of the day?

Morning when I initiate design thinking!

Or it could be late night when I finish some design.

Most satisfying project…

You can name this project. There are few but it's the best since it's my own residence and my wife is happy.

"Are you married?"

"No"

"You will see.....hahaha (loud laugh)" 

(I thought in my mind....to get the same-frequency-girl is difficult and more complicated is to make the decision that she is the one. She is the soul-mate. I smiled also.)

Your message to Texas A&M Architecture "Aggie"s (being a "Longhorn")....

You need to sell yourself. If your client fall asleep during your presentation, then you are gone!
You need to complete your sentences. You need to learn how to talk in paragraphs!
.......
.......
.....
......


(These are secrets! I won't tell ya!)






Yess!! Let's run this town.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

The title is completely inspired from David Sedaris's book where Van Gogh's pianting "Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette" (oil on canvas, 1885), is used as album art.

I recomend to listen "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Combria while you read this posting. I am listing to it and hopefully you will get a feel of my emotions from my writing (like the way Van Gogh wanted to express his every emotion through his variable brush strocks.).

After this crazy Halloween hangover, I've finished the 1956 movie "Lust for Life" - A portrait of one of my favorite artist Vincent Van Gogh. Anthony Quinn fetched oscar for the supporting role of Paul Gauguin, the best friend, real critic of Van Gogh. When Einstien invented e=mc2, nobody was able to solve the step-way he followed to this conclusion. It had been concluded that Einstien was 50 years ahead of his time. It was partially true; the theorem of e=mc2 took a long time to prove. Van Gogh, Escher, all of these gifted favorite of mine were never become popular before their death....and now their paintings/sketches are world's most expensive ones!
Yes! this is life.

When Van Gogh was shevering from shevere headache from his bipolar disorder, a sudden rush of blood in my head -outburst of tears from my eyes -deep breath with long sigh  happened to me like the normal way. Wish, I could just fly back to the Van Gogh time and tell this 'red head' guy that my next architecture will be based on your post-impressionism (Provided that I will be a celebrity someday! Don't laugh, please.). All his life, he cried for a companion, a real critic, a real good friend, a person who can feel his emotion from his work!
Goddamnit! This is life!

Maximum of my heroes have some kind of bipolar! Curt Cobain, too!
It's true that we, the normal people, don't feel the zenith and nadir of the emotion. There is true importance of night to have existence of day.

I wish that I can feel your way.....

Halloween...the way we do it.

My roommie and me : Before makeup.

  

After makeup.

If you have insulted my girl...

We were on our pre-pre Halloween party! With these folks, my classmates, once-hated pub area 'Northgate' become fun. I feel like I am back in my Kolkata days...where no fear...just rule the road...rule the club..and no rule. Yess! Here comes the rowdy prince of Kolkata. We solved all our illegal problem with just bribe. Yes! It's true. I never cared about police; and nobody ever dared to challenge me in my life ever or I would say that I never let it happen. If you are polite, I am. Believe me, I really have a split character.

Cut those crap. I am a coward like you! Here is your story.
2:30 AM; Northgate; on college main road; just at the road blocked area. We met up after all our crazy pub hopping. It's time to pick up girls. Take it easy; that's not my biz. Unlike my american friends, I talk to girls, pick up their no but I never used those no for anything! May be it's my freakishness! At around 3AM, we saw one girl and she was just wearing a micro mini skirt and tiny tank top with her wide pierced belly button open to public. She was with her boyfriend. To be honest, I was little bit tipsy and we all decide to tease her! She was looking just like a porno star. Suddenly, my friend went to her and said that all my friends were saying that you have 'beautiful' belly button. She was trying to show off. and trying to express that I am the sexiest bitch over here. I don't know what the crap my friend was telling to her but she started saying 'Thank You' to all of us. LOL. It was funny. It was our turn. Me and my friend laughed out loud saying, "for what?".
She was damn fvcking embarrassed. Yes We wanted to make her feel that. Then my friend called my other friend back and just started talking trash about the bitch over there. "A bitch should never be called beautiful. Come on, she is not our standard.", I can hear these even that bitch was properly able to hear that.

She went so mad. OMG! She went so fvcking mad. We were still laughing.
Her boyfriend came to beat us up! LOL! we laughed out again. I confronted him with bold face, "We were talking to each other...not to you Ahole."
He was so mad, "What did you say?"
"Nothing. just prised you and your ability."
He was so fvcking mad. He was really wanted to punch me on my face. Honestly, from my experience I can tell if someone has real guts! I was not afraid at all. I knew that nothing was about to happen! I acted so cool.
His insulted girlfriend grabbed him and pulled him to walk away from there. "Let's go. These are crap. Let's not talk talk to them.", she was annoyed, pissed off and insulted like a cornered cat. Believe me, I watche her face and I was laughing inside and her face did not make me angry at all. She was seeking help and no one was there to help her. I thought in my mind that it's your punishment to be half-naked and being on the street. Although I am no one to punish her but she kind of provoked us to do this shit.
I looked into our friend's face and they started smiling. That guy become a big joke!
His another friend appeared saying, "Do you know that guy is my brother in MMA?"
 My friend appeared behind me saying, "Do you know in India they do Free-style wrestling?"
I was so fvcking happy! I went in between these guys; pushed them back putting my hand over their chest, "peace..buddy...peace. No more talk here."
People were all gathered over us. Bar tenders from the nearest bar came by.


It was so cool. I was feeling like....Yess! I am in my kingdom, Kolkata...I am back in days of motorbikes!


While I was coming home, I thought about the poor guy! I laughed inside my mind.
Ohh! That's for sure that my girlfriend will never be dressed up like a bitch. But if someday if she does, honestly, if you have insulted my girl....no matter who you are, Holyfield or Md. Ali, may be I will  be bleeding. I will make you bleed from you nose.

Wanna some candy?

Our library annex is open 24 hours. 24x7. Studying here, is so much fun.
Though I had a small office space which I got being a research student, I love studying here. During this season, mid-term season, this place is fulloffun. Once I saw a guy dressed like a black, scary chimp and suddenly surprised me asking where he could find the computer. The way people dress (I am pretty sure that you can find helllotta variety of night suites! "The Sartorialist" will definitely find some materials for his blog, I bet.), the way people hurdle for booking rooms or laptops...I will be missing all of these. Holy Shit!


"Do you want some candy?", the girl asked us. The guy behind her started whispering, "It has some cocaine! Don't take it". I was into my music-study world. I plugged off my ear-phone and then realized about these candy guys! They are just random and they are just offering candies for fun.
"Do you want some?", I looked with curiosity into her eyes. She smiled. I grabbed the whole pack of candy and pulled towards me, "Did you say that it has cocaine! I want it all."
The girl just lol. The crazy kid behind her started laughing, "I like that...I like that, Man".

I was compelled to steal this image from a buddy-blog. Thanks, Anupreet.