Animal Behaviours

An amazing squirrel crossing the road on the overhead electric cable. 

I see it many times.

The 8 week cat, my neighbour's pet. Absolutely adorable and cartoon-like.

Revisiting Student-hood

To become a student again after four years of graduating is a strange feeling. It's like a constant battle between the freedom one can take and the forces of institution that tie you down. This time, the feeling of being a student is a different one - something between the states of being confident and the underconfidence that you wish to fill up through your further study. As against the undergraduate study course where all is welcome and acceptable as a part of your learning, graduate studies are about foucsing, chanelling, tuning, fine tuning and sharpening your skills into one area for specialization. This process calls for a lot of discarding of what may be apparently interesting for you to know, but not necessary for you to learn. Thus, the probability of things you should be doing reduces.

On the other hand, being an 'alien' student in a distant country, I can now relate to experiences that students going to cities from small places for education undergo. I am sure that my present difficulty would help me appreicate and empathize with what outstation students undergo when they come to a new place, especially a city. The exprience of a city is overwhelming, since it gets you landed in an extremely complex web of rules, regulations and unfamiliarity at once. Inspite of the fact that I am not in a big city in US - infact I am in a very small town (not even a city) - I can feel the friction of unfamiliarity.

Unfamiliarity with history, culture and people; with systems, regulations and ethics of the place makes me quiet and feel secluded. Being a town, one doesnot see much activity here. And soon, when it becomes cold, streets will be laden with snow and there will be nothing to look out through my large window! The disconnect with a place due to your cultural roots being somewhere else can be distracting. My mind is preoccupied by thought of what can be done of this distance that I feel with this new culture. I generally try to fill this distance through writing and recording. In the recent days, I have found myself too distracted to record too...

And I absolutely dislike the fact that my experiences are following the trajectory of 'culture shock theory'. Where on one hand it comforts me, it also makes me feel quintessential...

But I am managing. Quiteness helps looking inwards. And perhaps it is one big aspect of learning.

Waste around New Haven

Around New Haven, I always find people carrying packaging boxes that they may have just emptied off a new item. The dustbins of the city are full of these brown card board boxes. Even inside the buildings, the dustbins always have a lot of cardboard.

Packaging material here can be perpetually found lying on the streets. Such stuff tells differnt stories of the place. That people are constantly engaging in newer products. That perhaps people are constantly changing, and hence constantly buying new products. That the University is buying a lot of new product all the time. That packaging in the US is intensive...so on and so forth.

However, all this material never goes to any further use. The nature of garbage in New Haven is much different than what I would find in Indian cities. There are many times when people may walk up to a dustbin and pick up thigs from it. It's absolutely a normal practice to so it in the US. But what is also tells about this society is that it's limits of seeing the potential of 'material'. The inventive minds of India would try and use up much of all the material before it actually finds place in the garbage can.

For example, we save most of our packaging, often turning it into containers, cutting it for smaller things, selling it to the nearby raddi wala for some money -- in the process of which we mobilize a lot of things and ideas. It gives rise to a certain kind of culture and chain of entrepreneurs. There is no such dimension here. Social space is very flat, and further reduced by the ingress of computer and technology. Technology has made this place, to a large extent, physically immobile. And on the other hand, they crave for more and more speed. Thus landscapes are flat, and textures are plainer...

First Sunday in the US

The Notion of the Campus

In the first week of my arrival at Yale, I found myself asking to the representatives at the international office, "What do you mean by a campus: when am I technically on / off campus?" This unanticipated question received a weak answer. My anxiety with the whole notion of campus was relative to the cultural baggage that I carried along with me from my country.

All campuses I visited in India were bounded entities. Be it CEPT, IIMs, or even regional universities. They are sets of buildings interspersed with a bit of landscape within a confined region. I imagined Yale to be like that too. However, the nature of Yale campus is different. The campus of Yale firstly means buildings that belong to Yale, and operate for Yale University. They could be administrative, educational or recreational. These buildings are interspersed within the town of New Haven, although within a definable geography. Thus the campus map of Yale overlaps with the map of the city.

It was only when I started attending my classes in different departments that I understood the nature of this campus. In some ways, it is interesting because throughout the city during the day time, you see students fluttering from one street to another. The University has mixed up completely into the city (town will be a better word - New Haven is hardly a city). Therefore people prefer to bike (cycle). Walking from one department to other could take you 10 -15 minutes. Walks are never boring across these 300-year old buildings.

'On campus' you have free wifi access. Many a times, you have weak wifi signals while walking on streets, leaking out of the thick walls of the university buildings. Yale has a free shuttle (bus) service which perhaps ties up the campus together. In some ways, it defines the University geography. The campus is tamed to a large extent. Buildings have been appended with wheel chair accessibility ramps, 300 year old doors are inflicted with electronic locks,  interiors are painted white and bright - and all this is done absolutely elegantly.

The Yale 'blue' dominates the colour scheme throughout the town and there is strong architectural control on the signage design. Blue = Yale. Or perhaps, like navy, cobalt or sky, there should also be a Yale blue - wonder why we never heard of it! But what I mean to point out is that colour defines the bounds of the campus too.

These bounds become very important after 6pm and before 6 am since students are advised to 'remain in groups', 'not carry expensive items' or 'not flash your phones' especially during this time period. Within these bounds, we can avail special security services between 6 pm to  6 am! Thus, the campus redefines itself through circuits of security routes.

Finally, from whatever extensions the meaning of campus could have, I have realised that the glossary we worked with in India has a different dictionary for itself here. It would take me time to understand these nuances of language (purely word-meaning relationships) to be able to fit myself into this new system perfectly.


This post can also be found at www.yalestories.wordpress.com

Culture Tickle

I have been in the US for two weeks and what people call 'the difference' is sinking in now. There are both - pros and cons of this difference which is what I am going to attempt noting down here. I have been wondering since the first week if I  wanted to just 'travel' this new country or 'be here' for two years. Cultural adaptation becomes an important issue when you are going to spend a considerable amount of time in a new place - which means a new geography, new ethnography, new ethics and new climate. The constant struggle of rationalizing a future - or perhaps resolving a future creates further complication with the notion of cultural adaptation. What I essentially mean is that it may be as difficult to get into a culture as getting out of it. Meanwhile, this conflict has arisen between the culture that I assumably must leave behind and that which I am in geographically / ethnographically etc. There are simultaneously two aspects that I need to think of - my original roots and my new ground. If I remain in the middle, I would be losing out much of both the worlds - or at least that it what it seems right now.

In one's attempt to keep peace with both these worlds - there is a mental friction. In the beginning, this is pronounced since one is trying to catch up with two different time zones - and at the same time, switching between cultures while communicating, adjusting to accommodate both these worlds into the same time frame. Imagine being awake at the end of the day to talk back at home when your parents want to and being fresh yourself in the morning to attend to your work in the morning. Or vice versa. When you can not cope up these two worlds within a single time cycle, it creates irritation and frustration; making you feel inefficient. The comparison of this inefficiency with your recent past when you were able to manage much more in the given time makes you feel even worse. This coupled with a lot more activities that you need to balance yourself which were once taken care of by your family members makes you almost vulnerable.

Although, managing a lot more activities is an anticipated phenomena. A more crucial thing is the loss of friends, family or room mates with whom you can share these things. Some people are lucky to move in to a same course or program together with a known friend to a same country. Other people who like things harder make a choice like me - completely isolated from any familiarity. Building this new familiarity almost feels like responsibility. Otherwise, there is no social security or space that you look forward to. The construction of this social space  is really important and essentially you do not know the limits of it - you therefore constantly try to limit it, often to just a single person or two. That may not always be healthy.

On the other side, there are beautiful things that you encounter too. Here, I would become more specific and talk about my experiences.

I never thought Mumbai - the place where I come from is such an important dot on the map. As soon as you introduce yourself as a resident of Mumbai, you can almost see a sparkle in their eye. Mumbai has perhaps become more popular because of Rahul Mehrotra being the Dean of Harvard's Urban Planning Department. However, as more and more students from western countries are being taken to India, Mumbai for studying urban space, I am generally able to find common ground to initiate a conversation. On the other hand, India still remains an exotic location for people to travel. My background in architecture and therefore knowing places helps in connecting further with people  where I am generally familiar with Indian cities that they have visited. Talking about idiosyncratic ideas on India is interesting and I find it fascinating to know peoples' impressions of the East.

Architects are highly regarded here and that is another positive dimension. But in general, all people are highly respected, as long as they are involved in any kind of education. Since systems here are so liberal, many people also do not pursue education seriously.

Lastly, in an orientation, one of the speakers said a very sensitive thing: "You may think that back in your school, you were the best and you would always be amongst the top five; and in the initial semesters, your performance may go down. Many people take it as a challenge to their egos. But remember that you are in a University like Yale, and thus in a class of no. 1s from all across the world. So remind yourself that you are competing with the best of the best, and you are one of them. Don't prejudge. Give yourselves time."

And that quite sums up the feeling right now...

Glossary of terms

Lecture: Class consisting a large number of people (about 50). It's an informative session where you are fed with information on a subject. The information flows one-way, that means there is no real discussion, but just a presentation (oral, etc) by the lecturer.  If the class is too large, it could also be broken up into smaller groups led by individual Teaching Fellows.

Seminar: Seminar is a small class consisting anywhere between 8 - 12 people. Students are expected to read up the material specified by the faculty and be ready in the class. Sometimes, a student may also take the lead to present the readings to the whole class. the class thereafter is about discussion and elaboration of ideas. It is more interactive and dialogue oriented.

Symposium: Lectures constructed around a single theme. The format is presentation + dialogue. A symposium is more public in nature and invites more people to participate. It is generally a day long or 2-3 day long where you have a keynote address announcing the theme, where each session could have a moderator and as a whole, the symposium may have a conclusion.

Colloquium: Colloquium is generally a course which goes along for a semester. Students may get credits for it by attending it. It can involve different speakers each session. Thus, its format could be seminar, lecture, etc. depending upon the strength of the class and involves a longer duration of study unlike a symposium.

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School: A building which houses activities / programs related only to study.

College: A place where different facilities like a place of study, living, eating etc is encompassed in a single building.

Campus: An organization of schools and colleges that lie together in close proximity to each other. They may also extend to include other aspects (like recreational facilities, international centres, etc.) within their geography.

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Course: Is equivalent of a topic in a subject which tries to cover a small aspect of study. Ut has credits you get for (i) attendance and (ii) course work which is generally writing or studio based.

Program: A collection set of courses make a program. Programs make up for a degree in a field.

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Assistantship: Generally assisting the lecturer/professor in tasks that are more physical in nature (menial jobs). These could include setting up projectors, arranging classes, collecting material for the class, preparing presentations, etc. Assistantships are generally paid by the hour, and are low paying positions.

Fellowship: A fellowship generally means that you assist the professor in more intellectual tasks like taking smaller groups of discussions for a larger class or also checking papers written for a class, etc. Fellowships are paid in lumpsum and are not hourly jobs. Sometimes, one may not even be required to teach or work for the class in case he/she gets a fellowship. It could just be an award of a fixed amount of money.

This post can also be read at http://yalestories.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/glossary-of-terms/

The IKEA Store

(details later)

Summer in New Haven

Of people singing, dancing, idling, cycling, talking, walking, jogging, running, eating, playing in the summers at New Haven!

The park above is called New Haven Greens - the Historic park which would like at the centre of the 9 square grid that the town was originally planned as. Squirrels, pigeons, sparrows and bugs move freely right now. The squirrels are large and fat - when they jump, they look really nice. I saw a squirrel crossing road through the communication cables above - it was like a performance! Dogs and cats never stray - they are exotic domesticated pets. All benevolent!

Trees prepare to shed their leaves and streets are beginning to accumulate the most beautiful dried flowers. I have picked some. They look like exotic ornaments. Soon the streets will be laden with exotica! Mohabbatein leaves are everywhere - I mean maple - all picture perfect.

The town is too old and it feels like living in history in the city centre, ie the Yale University! It's quite a thing here too - People hold their heads high for students studying at Yale even in New Haven. The other day when I was trying to frame a picture, a lady came by saying - "Oh! that would make a great picture!" - I smiled when her son prompted enthusiastically, "She studied here!" I reaffirmed and congratulated...Even when people on streets come to know you would be studying at Yale, they wonder and appreciate! It feels very special...

In Search of Academic Space

This article has been published in Evergreen Rachana, August 2012 issue.

- 1 -

“...an architect ought to be able to accomplish much more in all the arts and sciences than the men, who by their own particular kinds of work and the practice of it, have brought each a single subject to the highest perfection.”

 - Pytheos; builder of the temple of Minerva at Priene.

The question of ‘academic orientation’ in the present context is a critical one – it creates a dilemma whether to locate a pattern in the way Academy of Architecture (AOA) has operated by far, or to chart a future orientation for the school. The idea of “orientation” also calls for rooting the present in the past, in order to move into the future.

‘Academic’ relates to studies that are liberal rather than technical or vocational. It often extends to the “theoretical” or “speculative” and is not tied down to a practical purpose or intention in the present or the real world. An ‘academic’ person is generally more interested in the ‘how-s’ & ‘why-s’ and thus is inquiry-oriented. Such inquiry helps one to discover the ‘self’ and defines one’s position or point of view to operate within the complex societal construct.

The relationship between the academic space and practice has always been contested. The perception of this issue with regards to the functioning of AOA has always been unclear. The pressure to cater to the needs of architecture professionals in our country in the early 60s and 70s may have compelled AOA to train students who could soundly ‘build’. AOA has had a reputation of training students who can handle the pragmatic aspects of putting together a building well. The idea of a successful architectural practice then relied on precisely that – academia thus became a dormant function of the practice, only catering to a certain demand of the market.

However, the introduction of the virtual – the television & computer over the 80s and 90s brought in a complete shift. The resulting proliferating technical tools and possibilities of engagement with multiple media challenged the established idea of ‘architectural practice’. The consolidate practice with the single “author-architect” who once controlled and facilitated all aspects of erecting a building dismantled itself into an inter-relationship of a variety of consultants who now handled different aspects of the building industry. 

It is here that I want to re-introduce the idea of being ‘academic’ as explained earlier, to perhaps problematize the way in which we look at institutions, and therefore reconsider the role of an academic space – should such a space exist to critically address the changing modes of production or should it merely become a default function of demand of the market? In other words, should architectural schools enable their students to reflect upon and think of possible newer ways of emerging practices or should they reduce themselves to become vocational centres which equip students with sufficient enough skills to work in architectural offices?

- 2 -

Academic environments are difficult spaces to be achieved and sustained. In our systems, academic environments require new energies to take over existing redundant ways in which we operate and teach. As institutions age, they have a tendency of sliding into a comfort zone where they function through established and time tested norms. If institutions refuse to update themselves periodically, they start deteriorating – a phenomena which can be easily studied through the older architectural schools in the country.

In order to nurture an academic environment, we need inspiring leaders having a wide exposure who can motivate students to take up challenging decisions and act upon what they believe in. Academic spaces need to help students to look within and get interested in themselves. At the same time, it is the students’ responsibility to keep up the spirit of an institution by taking up newer initiatives and participating in a larger dialogue with their city. A successful academic environment will not be possible until both – the students as well as the teachers are equally excited about learning and teaching. Academic spaces can potentially become the most charged grounds for experimentation.

- 3 -

The projects that we tried to conceptualize for the first year design studio over the last four years have consistently tried to evoke an academic discussion. The design programs went far beyond the utilitarian aspects of architecture. Programs for first year have two important academic functions: to make students de-learn fixed ways of thinking drilled into them by schools up till the 12th class; and to reorient them towards a field of possibilities that can be explored through architecture over the five years. The tools we used to construct our programmes were quite different. Instead of the projects like cafeterias and bungalows, we offered students stories and machines. Instead of asking students to design sanitized (minimal, clean looking) spaces, we asked them to engage with garbage and junk. Instead of laying out spaces like kitchens and living rooms, we asked students to program spaces for various emotions and preserving memory. This was essentially done to break the students’ perception of architecture as a profession of constructing buildings and subsequently draw them towards the idea of experience and dwelling. Students come with a heavy bias of designing an architectural form, and crave to make objects instead of spaces. We consciously tried to question this myth through our projects.

Changing tools of operation creates equal proximities for all kinds of students in grabbing the object of architecture as well as engaging with an idea. Our project “Body-Envelop” is one such example where we asked students to document activities of a hawker in the city of Mumbai and design a mobile work-live envelop for them. Students recorded the act of a body negotiating the city through its clothing (the hawkers’ shop) while addressing issues of anthropometrics and shelter in its specificities. The project was rooted in the cultural conditions of the city and made the students sensitive to an alternative way of space making.

Secondly, these tools allow for a wider understanding of the field and neutralize latent social disparities (a project like a ‘cafeteria’ or a ‘bungalow’ talk of a certain ‘class’ of economy and are fairly reductive). Projects like “Marrying Machines” or “Garbage Warriors” invert such notion and look at everyday objects imaginatively and derive new meanings and methods of arriving at an architectural form.

Lastly, such programs help in conceiving newer methodologies of approaching an issue, unlike those, where the parameters of building always remain constant (e.g.: the user, structure, planning, services, etc). Projects based on texts like “The Little Prince” or Kafka’s “The Trial”, although ambitious and successful only in intent, exposed students to mediums like texts, images, poetry and literature making a design process more artistic, abstract and “academic” than technical.

Abstraction allows newer imaginations of form and function, thus challenging purist ideas of shaping a building. Many projects we experimented with also dealt in conceptual spaces. The merit of project like “Hell is very badly done” or a “Repository for the Little Prince” is that it demands equal thinking from the faculty as well as the student to realize an alternative space. Through such projects, both are able to delve into other disciplines of art, philosophy and poetry, making architecture more liberal and holistic. These tools enable debate and discourse within an architectural studio.

Today we increasingly find architectural practices adopt a multidisciplinary approach – those simultaneously involving themselves in research and building. In such view, it is almost imperative that AOA re-establishes its academic grounds in order to sustain larger challenges that the future holds for the architectural profession. Until then, we only remain in search of an academic space.

Image 1: Marrying Machines: Sewing Machine + Coffee Grinder / Viren Modi + Akshay Mokal

Image 2: Garbage Warriors: Sleeping bag out of waste cloths and wires / Aditi Mhase

Image 3: Body-Envelop: A hawking object-space for a corn remover on street / Namrata Lodaya

Image 4: Hell is very badly done: a conceptual apparatus / Raashi Parmar (pic) Kartik Rathod

Image 5: Hell is very badly done: a surreal landscape / Ayushi Singh (pic) Kartik Rathod