Fish in Forest

Is it a dream that fish can swim in the forest? No, it does exist in reality! During the rainy season in the Amazon, the water level of the rivers can rise 10m or more. Thus the rainforest is transformed into part of the river where fish and dolphins swim through the tree trunks. The flooded forest becomes fish's paradise, for they have more places to hide from predators. The trees can also stand in the water for 6 months or more. I learned all this from BBC's Wild South America, another amazing natural world series.

I'm so fascinated with this magic transformation of space in nature. I can't help thinking that even the natural world possesses such flexibility and possibility, what about architecture? Shouldn't there be more wonders to be created?

Greener Xmas Tree

What a great idea to make a Xmas tree out of recycled cardboards! The tree was designed and developed by Cloud Gate Design LLC, a Chicago based design house. Cloud Gate Design was founded in 2006 by two designer friends, Nick Ng and Dan Greene, as a way to bring environmentally conscious alternatives to market.

In addition to taking the pressure off existing tree farms, a portion of the profits from the Cardboard Christmas Tree sales are donated to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Trees for America Program. For every one dollar donated to the program, one tree will be planted in a damaged forest.

source: Inhabitat

Wegman Dogs

Dogs 101, a fun series on dog breeds, is airing on Animal Planet. When introduing Weimaraner, it features William Wegman, the artist whose favorite subjects are Weimaraners. I remember seeing the famous Wegman dog on the introduction of an Art: 21 episode.

These Weimaraners (especially the one named Man Ray) almost became icons in contemporary photography. They are supermodels who pose well in front of the camera. Their noble and mysterious appearances have made them particularly charming.

With the current economic crisis, more and more dogs and cats have been abandoned by owners after foreclosure. Animal shelters like Humane Society are desperate for help. Usually it is the best season for adoption, but this winter feels extraordinarily cold and sad. God bless...

Holiday Taste - Italian Soda!

Almost everytime I go to Whole Foods, I pick up something new, something irresistable. Last weekend was the Pomegranate Italian Soda. The taste is far from American soda, but rather like a mix of champagne and juice, just so wonderful! It's all natural as well :)

I've already become addicted, and found that Trader Joe's and World Market also carry the product. Ian just bought me new flavors to try: Blood Orange and Orange Passion Mango. Hmmm, it's gonna be a delicious Thanksgiving!

Casapueblo

Today on Travel Channel Samantha Brown: Passport to Latin America features Montevideo, Uruguay. My favorite spot there is Casapueblo, a hotel+museum+gallery designed by well-known artist Carlos Paez Vilaró. Sitting on the cliffs, this 13-story building embraces the extraordinary view of the ocean. No straight lines but only organic forms are found throughout the space. He actually built up the walls with his own hands and a simple shovel, just like working on a huge piece of sculpture.

To me, Casapueblo is a combination of the white buildings of Oia Santorini and Gaudi's free forms exemplified in Casa Mila. I'll have to check out all these places in my life!

Wild China

I was totally blown away by BBC’s documentary series Wild China. It’s not only the best documentary in terms of presenting China’s most breathtaking landscapes and wildlife, but also an ecologically conscious journey rethinking the balance between man and nature in the midst of China’s booming economy.

Everyone would be impressed with all the extraordinary views captured by the film crew. They traveled to the most remote yet otherworldly areas to get the first-hand images - wild giant pandas’ copulation was filmed first time ever in history. As a Chinese, I was so touched by all the sacred landscapes and exotic wildlife which are unknown to most of us. At the same time I was deeply concerned about many endangered species out there under human threats. I hope every Chinese can watch this documentary and make efforts to protect the remaining beauty which could be lost forever.

Unique lifestyles of various minorities in China are explored with an emphasis on the use of natural resources. Some Chinese traditions associated with animals and landscapes are also integrated into the depiction of natural environment. The soundtrack is outstanding as well, which results in a perfect fusion between Chinese traditional music and the poetic dimension of the landscapes. Obviously a good amount of research on Chinese culture was accomplished when making the series. I wonder why we Chinese can’t make such high-quality and meaningful shows about our own natural heritages.

No-Name Jersey vs Helmet Stickers

Last night’s PSU vs OSU was a close game between two football teams with strong traditions. As a Penn Stater living in the Buckeye nation, I found the following fact even more interesting: PSU’s quarterback is from Ohio; OSU’s quarterback is from Pennsylvania. I’m not gonna comment on the game here, just want to point out the big contrast in their jersey styles which reflects the fundamental differences in their football cultures.

The blue-and-white Penn State jersey is probably the plainest among all college teams. More distinctive is the "no-name" feature: only the player’s number is shown on the jersey. This classic and modest look is well in tune with Joe Pa’s coaching style: teamwork rather than individualism is more heavily emphasized. Ohio State jersey, on the opposite, is much fancier especially with the eye-catching buckeye-leaf stickers on each player’s helmet. The stickers have been a long time tradition at OSU to reward superior performance. They serve as a key incentive among football players. It reminds me of the “red flower system” I experienced in my grade school in China, which was manifested in the film Little Red Flowers. Today many colleges are the adopters of helmet sticker system, but it’s certainly not for Joe Pa - "I've never been for that stuff, that's why we've never had names on uniforms because nobody achieves anything without the others.”

It’s hard to say which approach works better, since both PSU and OSU have had excellent performance over the years, and different approach makes each team a unique one. Maybe they should learn more from each other to balance teamwork with individualism.