Final year of architecture school is
brutal.
Our main projects -Urban Design and Seminar- are both in large groups (four and five, respectively) and it's really, really hard to reach consensus on anything. I'm always working, staying over at someone or the other's place. Even when we work at my place, I'm still with these guys. 24x7. There's no real break. And when we all get frustrated and take some time off, we're definitely doing it at the expense of work. The schedule is grueling, one submission after another, with no space in between to contemplate on your design or discussions. Studio is majorly frustrating, and our faculty seems particularly unreceptive and uncompassionate.
I feel as if I'm always ranting/ complaining, whether to friends, family, and now, cyberspace.
This can not be it.
***
Delhi Dallying made its first series of posters (see
here) and organized its first walk. Yet to write about them.
***
***
Our seminar involves a detailed study of the mohallas of Shahjahanabad. We try to go every week and we've made some pretty good contacts in the old city. People are generally quite open and friendly; my (unvoiced) perception of an apathetic and too-fast-paced world is changing.
Reverting to cliche, the old city provides countless moments of pure aesthetic and experiential
joy. I haven't captured many of them (they are
so clear in my mind: surreal barber shops, the play of light and shadow, the setting sun, wind in my hair, the thrill of kites,
the food), but some I share here. For some amazing photographs, visit
here,
here, and the end bits of
here.
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| garbage |
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| haveli khazanchi, off of dariba. |
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| every corner chaiwallah |
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| the lime green building on ballimaran, a landmark for us |
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| meena bazar |
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| patangbaazi |
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| the sky on independence day |
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| ballimaran |
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| the mohalla of a dhobhi community in chatta shahji |
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| my favourite find, jama masjid |
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| printing press, chatta shahji |
