Sunday, November 12, 2017
CELESTIAL
Here come my work in Maya this summer and my submission to the Rome Contemporary Chapel competition hosted by ARCH Medium. Envisioning architectural opportunities in the city of Rome was one of the highlights of summer 2017 as well as exploring the endless horizons of Autodesk Maya workspace.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
180 DEGREES
I've been wanting to write this post for a while and share what I discovered with those interested. Personally, it feels there should frankly be no person indifferent to the issues connected to their own health, future of our planet, or even animals undergoing unbelievable sufferings. A year ago, I had no idea of what information I was about to come across. It was a complete 180 degree shift, and a reason for me to finally become completely plant-based and perceive it as the most logical way to nourish oneself. I will address three most common reasons why and how I believe in what I believe today, hoping that I might change somebody's perception on animal-based foods.
HEALTH
In December, my dad told me about 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell. He was on a phone with me and mentioned this massive research collected by one scientist who suggested that the consumption of animal-based foods is very detrimental to our health. I was skeptical: how can some book change my beliefs and turn me into vegetarian, or even vegan? It did not make sense. But, as a person curious about nutrition, I read it. The more I read, the more flabbergasted I became. Animal-based products are correlated with cancer development? With diabetes? Parkinson's? Alzheimer's? Blindness? Heart diseases? Dr. Campbell introduces research from different scientists from all around the world and all of those suggest one thing people never thought of: animal-based foods are... really bad for us. The author named it 'The China Study' after his investigation of Chinese rural communities where plant-based food is prevalent. Chinese rural population rarely suffers from any of the western diseases, and the question is how much is it due to their diet? Rice and vegetables make up their daily ration, and they simply can not afford consuming meat which surprisingly leads to their incredible health results. While on average rural Chinese consume more calories than Americans do, their cases of obesity are fewer by a great number.
I studied more, and I realized another thing that struck me. Our bodies anatomically were never designed to consume meat in a first place. It doesn't come down to only our teeth which are resembling of frugivores' anatomy and not omnivores' or carnivores'. Our digestion system processes food for a much longer period of time than what it takes for an omnivore or carnivore. Our saliva is chemically not designed to boost the process of a meat digestion. In nature, species closest to ours consume fruits. So why do we neglect this critical information and why do we not get educated on what our bodies actually need?
The consumption of dairy is even a weirder concept. It is a liquid meant for baby cows to grow and develop as fast as they can. Why don't people drink giraffe's milk? Once I thought about it and realized what a non-sense it is, dairy became waaaay less appealing and appetizing to me.
One question that is typically asked of vegans/vegetarians is 'Where would you get your protein from?'. I recently watched a documentary called 'What the health?' on Netflix, and it addresses this question in a really nicely put manner. A typical American, highly concerned with the 21-st century hype about sufficient protein intake, consumes more protein than he really needs but he actually lacks fiber. So the real question here is 'Where do you get your fiber from?'. Regarding protein intake, I, a 20-year-old female of an average weight, need around 40 grams of protein per day. When I went vegan, I looked up nutritional information on acai bowls consisting of granola, acai, and fruits. So one bowl from Nekter juice bar has 10 grams of protein already, which satisfies one quarter of my daily intake. Incredible! Who could have thought! One of the doctors being interviewed in "What the health' reveals that he had never had a patient who had an insufficient protein intake. Wonders!
The only supplement I would definitely recommend taking is B12 which is synthesized by bacteria in nature. Animals receive it through consuming unwashed plants, and humans get it through eating animals' tissues. On a vegan diet, because we wash all the fruits and veggies and eliminate the bacteria, taking a supplement makes total sense.
I tried summarizing what I learned about the impact of veganism on health in this portion of my post. In general, I came to strongly believe that people can be perfectly fine off without necessarily eating animal-based products.
If you are interested in health aspect of veganism, watch or read:
1. 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell
2. 'Forks over Knives'
3. 'What the Health'
ANIMALS
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarians. This was another aspect I never truly considered, because I thought it is a cycle of nature for a predator to hunt and a victim to be hunted. However, it is not. What perverted form humans turned this 'cycle of nature' into does not even nearly relate to the concept itself. Yes, animals do get killed, but have you ever thought what life they have before the slaughter stage? An endless suffering from the very beginning until the very end? Cows who get consistently impregnated over the span of their lives in order to be a milk producing machine and die at 4 from the exhaustion instead of 20? Chickens who are placed into tiny cages and made produce 300 eggs a year instead of regular 12? Chickens who eat their own eggs in despair because of a terrible lack of calcium? What??? How did that happen!
There are two short videos I became familiar with over this summer which maintained and furthered my perceptional 180 degrees shift.
This one is about dairy (it is 5 minutes long and absolutely worth watching):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI
This one is about the egg industry (a little longer but still very very very worth giving a try):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utPkDP3T7R4
Later on, the evening I decided to go vegan, I watched Earthlings (http://www.nationearth.com). It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. I would not be able to describe it (because Joaquin Phoenix narrates it way better) but for anyone with a heart, it is an absolute must-watch. We are born freely just like other species, and it does not give us any rights to turn other earthlings into our property. And if reincarnation is true, being reborn into cattle is one of the most miserable scenarios out there.
I went vegan because I do not want to economically contribute a penny to these heartlessness, deaths, and cruelty. Again, just a year ago, who could have thought.. I couldn't.
ENVIRONMENT
One of the biggest contributors to global warming (which is very real and very terrifying) is agricultural segment. Yes, not transport. Yes, not fossil fuels. Agriculture and livestock. The amount of CO2 being emitted by raising all these animals is way more than we can imagine. Sadly, however, people are rarely educated on this matter as well as the water consumption by this industry. It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Terrible hurricanes, ice caps melting, droughts and famine can be prevented or at least highly reduced just if we stop or decrease the consumption of animal-based products.
Environment is one aspect I haven't studied in detail yet, but 'Cowspiracy' on Netflix explains the subject pretty well. Again, it seems very important to me to at least be educated on all these topics, and then make a conscious decision whether you still want to stay an omnivore.
I tried summarizing why and how I got to the place I am at right now. There is so much more to it than what I described, but I might post more information later on. I was a pescatarian for a half a year before I became vegan around a month ago. All of the research I did implies that this is the most proper way to nourish yourself and not harm anyone, including our planet and other species. While I do not want to force my perspective upon anyone, I feel it is important to individuals who care about their health to realize what is truly happening behind the scenes. Some people might be concerned with how doable is veganism, and I can answer that I haven't regretted my decision even once ever since I went plant-based. I could not feel happier about my new diet and about myself at this point. We will see how it goes, but at this point I see it as the most sensible and the most kind solution.
HEALTH
In December, my dad told me about 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell. He was on a phone with me and mentioned this massive research collected by one scientist who suggested that the consumption of animal-based foods is very detrimental to our health. I was skeptical: how can some book change my beliefs and turn me into vegetarian, or even vegan? It did not make sense. But, as a person curious about nutrition, I read it. The more I read, the more flabbergasted I became. Animal-based products are correlated with cancer development? With diabetes? Parkinson's? Alzheimer's? Blindness? Heart diseases? Dr. Campbell introduces research from different scientists from all around the world and all of those suggest one thing people never thought of: animal-based foods are... really bad for us. The author named it 'The China Study' after his investigation of Chinese rural communities where plant-based food is prevalent. Chinese rural population rarely suffers from any of the western diseases, and the question is how much is it due to their diet? Rice and vegetables make up their daily ration, and they simply can not afford consuming meat which surprisingly leads to their incredible health results. While on average rural Chinese consume more calories than Americans do, their cases of obesity are fewer by a great number.
I studied more, and I realized another thing that struck me. Our bodies anatomically were never designed to consume meat in a first place. It doesn't come down to only our teeth which are resembling of frugivores' anatomy and not omnivores' or carnivores'. Our digestion system processes food for a much longer period of time than what it takes for an omnivore or carnivore. Our saliva is chemically not designed to boost the process of a meat digestion. In nature, species closest to ours consume fruits. So why do we neglect this critical information and why do we not get educated on what our bodies actually need?
The consumption of dairy is even a weirder concept. It is a liquid meant for baby cows to grow and develop as fast as they can. Why don't people drink giraffe's milk? Once I thought about it and realized what a non-sense it is, dairy became waaaay less appealing and appetizing to me.
One question that is typically asked of vegans/vegetarians is 'Where would you get your protein from?'. I recently watched a documentary called 'What the health?' on Netflix, and it addresses this question in a really nicely put manner. A typical American, highly concerned with the 21-st century hype about sufficient protein intake, consumes more protein than he really needs but he actually lacks fiber. So the real question here is 'Where do you get your fiber from?'. Regarding protein intake, I, a 20-year-old female of an average weight, need around 40 grams of protein per day. When I went vegan, I looked up nutritional information on acai bowls consisting of granola, acai, and fruits. So one bowl from Nekter juice bar has 10 grams of protein already, which satisfies one quarter of my daily intake. Incredible! Who could have thought! One of the doctors being interviewed in "What the health' reveals that he had never had a patient who had an insufficient protein intake. Wonders!
The only supplement I would definitely recommend taking is B12 which is synthesized by bacteria in nature. Animals receive it through consuming unwashed plants, and humans get it through eating animals' tissues. On a vegan diet, because we wash all the fruits and veggies and eliminate the bacteria, taking a supplement makes total sense.
I tried summarizing what I learned about the impact of veganism on health in this portion of my post. In general, I came to strongly believe that people can be perfectly fine off without necessarily eating animal-based products.
If you are interested in health aspect of veganism, watch or read:
1. 'The China Study' by Dr. Campbell
2. 'Forks over Knives'
3. 'What the Health'
ANIMALS
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarians. This was another aspect I never truly considered, because I thought it is a cycle of nature for a predator to hunt and a victim to be hunted. However, it is not. What perverted form humans turned this 'cycle of nature' into does not even nearly relate to the concept itself. Yes, animals do get killed, but have you ever thought what life they have before the slaughter stage? An endless suffering from the very beginning until the very end? Cows who get consistently impregnated over the span of their lives in order to be a milk producing machine and die at 4 from the exhaustion instead of 20? Chickens who are placed into tiny cages and made produce 300 eggs a year instead of regular 12? Chickens who eat their own eggs in despair because of a terrible lack of calcium? What??? How did that happen!
There are two short videos I became familiar with over this summer which maintained and furthered my perceptional 180 degrees shift.
This one is about dairy (it is 5 minutes long and absolutely worth watching):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI
This one is about the egg industry (a little longer but still very very very worth giving a try):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utPkDP3T7R4
Later on, the evening I decided to go vegan, I watched Earthlings (http://www.nationearth.com). It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. I would not be able to describe it (because Joaquin Phoenix narrates it way better) but for anyone with a heart, it is an absolute must-watch. We are born freely just like other species, and it does not give us any rights to turn other earthlings into our property. And if reincarnation is true, being reborn into cattle is one of the most miserable scenarios out there.
I went vegan because I do not want to economically contribute a penny to these heartlessness, deaths, and cruelty. Again, just a year ago, who could have thought.. I couldn't.
ENVIRONMENT
One of the biggest contributors to global warming (which is very real and very terrifying) is agricultural segment. Yes, not transport. Yes, not fossil fuels. Agriculture and livestock. The amount of CO2 being emitted by raising all these animals is way more than we can imagine. Sadly, however, people are rarely educated on this matter as well as the water consumption by this industry. It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Terrible hurricanes, ice caps melting, droughts and famine can be prevented or at least highly reduced just if we stop or decrease the consumption of animal-based products.
Environment is one aspect I haven't studied in detail yet, but 'Cowspiracy' on Netflix explains the subject pretty well. Again, it seems very important to me to at least be educated on all these topics, and then make a conscious decision whether you still want to stay an omnivore.
I tried summarizing why and how I got to the place I am at right now. There is so much more to it than what I described, but I might post more information later on. I was a pescatarian for a half a year before I became vegan around a month ago. All of the research I did implies that this is the most proper way to nourish yourself and not harm anyone, including our planet and other species. While I do not want to force my perspective upon anyone, I feel it is important to individuals who care about their health to realize what is truly happening behind the scenes. Some people might be concerned with how doable is veganism, and I can answer that I haven't regretted my decision even once ever since I went plant-based. I could not feel happier about my new diet and about myself at this point. We will see how it goes, but at this point I see it as the most sensible and the most kind solution.
Monday, May 15, 2017
THE UNUSUAL
My final project this semester was Skatepark + Library. Yes, it is quite an unusual combination on a site. This semester overall was all about the unusual – unusual materials, unusual programs, unusual environments. It makes you think outside the box and utilize materials seemingly unsuitable for the job. For example, I attempted building models out of Cheerios, rubber bands, electric wires, sequin fabrics, soap, shower sponges, plaster, and other crazy things. In the end, however, my final choice narrowed down to wood and acrylic to imitate three materials: marble, copper, and wood.
Skatepark and library had to coexist. Reaching beyond the requirements, I made them interweave to allow every visitor to experience both worlds. Here is what came as a result of my hard work (I will start with photos and include drawings at the end):
Skatepark and library had to coexist. Reaching beyond the requirements, I made them interweave to allow every visitor to experience both worlds. Here is what came as a result of my hard work (I will start with photos and include drawings at the end):
Thursday, March 2, 2017
PS on LA: where to find edible Mary Antoinette's wig (and some other tasty food)
Finally putting up my second post on my explorations of Los Angeles. This time the map is at the very bottom as I want to share the places with you first. I will describe some of my dining experiences: dinner at Broken Spanish, brunch at Prospect Gourmand, birthday celebration at Barton G., and lunches in Lobster. Hopefully, I will give you some inspiration for the upcoming weekend!
1. BROKEN SPANISH
To be honest, I never truly liked Mexican cuisine (chicken quesadillas never spoke to me) until recently I discovered that black beans, guacamole, nachos, and brown rice are actually pretty tasty. When I searched for the best restaurants in Downtown LA, Broken Spanish would usually be at the top of the ratings – L.A. Weekly even ranked it as their very first choice, higher than famous Bestia (http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/the-10-best-restaurants-in-downtown-los-angeles-6529794/2). Inspired by the reviews, we dined at Broken Spanish on a weekend night.
To our disappointment, food was not as amazing as was expected. One thing that was truly very delicious was crispy Tostada with beans and goat cheese. Tortillas with refried lentils were also pretty good, but the other vegetarian dish we took – Queso Fundido – wasn't worth taking at all. Cheese with peppers was overly salty, so we ended up barely eating it. Another thing that didn't go unnoticed was the emptiness of the restaurant. If Italian paradise Bestia needs to be booked months in advance, Broken Spanish was more than 50% empty on a Sunday night. The interior leaves a nice impression, so overall I would recommend coming in here to indulge in Tostada because that dish was worth it.
1. BROKEN SPANISH
To be honest, I never truly liked Mexican cuisine (chicken quesadillas never spoke to me) until recently I discovered that black beans, guacamole, nachos, and brown rice are actually pretty tasty. When I searched for the best restaurants in Downtown LA, Broken Spanish would usually be at the top of the ratings – L.A. Weekly even ranked it as their very first choice, higher than famous Bestia (http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/the-10-best-restaurants-in-downtown-los-angeles-6529794/2). Inspired by the reviews, we dined at Broken Spanish on a weekend night.
To our disappointment, food was not as amazing as was expected. One thing that was truly very delicious was crispy Tostada with beans and goat cheese. Tortillas with refried lentils were also pretty good, but the other vegetarian dish we took – Queso Fundido – wasn't worth taking at all. Cheese with peppers was overly salty, so we ended up barely eating it. Another thing that didn't go unnoticed was the emptiness of the restaurant. If Italian paradise Bestia needs to be booked months in advance, Broken Spanish was more than 50% empty on a Sunday night. The interior leaves a nice impression, so overall I would recommend coming in here to indulge in Tostada because that dish was worth it.
2. PROSPECT GOURMAND
I can't necessarily say that this little place on La Cienega can impress you with an amazing interior: it is rather simple and it might be dark inside due to the narrowness and depth of the space. The food, however, was beyond delicious. We came here for brunch looking for some special and creative brunch menu and enjoyed whatever we ordered a lot. I went for Drake Farms Goat Cheese which was served in a cute little jar, while my friend Shivain did a more classical brunch move and asked for an omelette with hash browns, bacon, and cauliflower.
If you are coming here for brunch, I highly recommend requesting a table by the window. We unfortunately ended up sitting quite far from the entrance and barely saw even a glimpse of sunlight on a Sunday morning.
3. BARTON G.
Last fall, as my best friend Radhika's birthday was approaching, I started twisting my mind around where we could take her for a birthday surprise dinner. Something that would be super memorable. Well, Barton G. is quite an amusing dining experience, definitely worth trying at least once.
I booked Barton G., the plan was set, and we drove 'kidnapped' and blindfolded Radhika to Beverly Hills. Barton G. left a really positive impression in my mind. It has a very cozy interior in pastel tones and then the food is presented in funky, unexpected ways. The birthday girl ordered Mouse Trap Mac and cheese, while one of her guests ordered Lobster Poptarts which were served in an actual toaster. The final grandiose touch of the evening was the Mary Antoinette's head where her wig was edible – made out of cotton candy.
Barton G. is definitely one of the top-choices when it comes down to throwing a birthday party or to just surprising someone.
4. LOBSTER
Lobster in Santa Monica is an ideal lunch spot by the shore if you have been missing the picturesque ocean views along with the famous Santa Monica pier ferris wheel (coming here on a sunset would be a lovely option too). The space has a lot of windows and sunlight coming in, while the interior is quite plain. My parents are fans of lobsters and seafood, and they claim that the way that lobster is cooked in Lobster leaves the meat very tender and full of taste. I personally do not like lobsters too much, so when I tried the lobster salad here once, I can't say I fully enjoyed it. Fish and chips here, however, were so so good! I could come here everyday just for that. Mussels are a nice option too along with the salmon sashimi.
Monday, February 13, 2017
PS on LA: hot yoga, Beckhams, and spicy chai tea latte
When I just moved to Los Angeles a year and a half ago, I thought that I really want to get to know the city. Instead of locking myself up in studio working nonstop on architectural projects, I wanted to meet the town which was bound to become my home. Every time I visited some new place, I would quickly write down my experience in my Moleskin sketchbook. Now has finally come the time where I decided to summarize my explorations and share where I have been so far.
In every post of PS on LA, I will describe 3-5 places which somehow became memorable to me. This first time I will begin with Evoke yoga studio, Tatsu ramen on Melrose, Zinc cafe and market, and Verve coffee.
I discovered this place around two weeks ago, and I can guarantee that this hot yoga studio will provide you with one of the best workouts you could find. Evoke offers different classes, both heated and non-heated, and the ones I typically go for are Flow 2 and Sculpt. The temperature in the room is maintained at around 95-99 F, and it is highly encouraged that you rent or buy towels because everyone sweats really intensely during the class. These workouts are perfect fit for both yoga fans (Flow 2 class would be your go to) and athletes interested in core strength and body building (Sculpt engages all of your muscles, you would do things like burpee jumps, exercises with light weights, sit ups, abs, etc). For the first two weeks, I paid 25 dollars, and you go as much as you want. I can tell you I go there every other day because the workouts are literally the best. Definitely worth trying. The only advice I would give is to start out carefully – the rooms are very heated and the workouts are very hard, so give yourself some time to adjust first.
 |
| The door into the yoga wonderland |
2. TATSU RAMEN
This small ramen place located on Melrose proved to us the proximity of celebrities to real life people in the city of Los Angeles. Last spring, as we all were sitting at the table and enjoying ramen submerged in hot broth, the entire Beckham family entered and joined the line to get some noodles. David Beckham was wearing a low cap, and I didn't even realize at first who is standing five meters away from our table until I heard all of my friends excitedly whispering. I've probably never met any famous person so randomly and in such unpredictable place, so Tatsu definitely registered in my mind.
Overall, I can't say that I am a fan of the food at Tatsu. Both times I was there, I would get chicken broth with regular ramen noodles, but the broth is super heavy and thick, not to my taste. Next time I might try something else because it wasn't the best pick for me. Also, the place is small and gets crowded easily on weekend nights, so it's better to come in for some ramen on the weekdays.
3. ZINC CAFE & MARKET
I have been here only once so far but already fell deeply in love with Zinc. Good thing it is located in the Arts District, not too far from USC. First of all the exciting news – it is vegetarian! I'm not a vegetarian myself, although I'm really close to the vegetarian lifestyle. I have already eliminated meats and poultry from my ration leaving only seafood on occasions (all The China Study influence on me – I might write a blog about this research sometime). Second good thing – although it's vegetarian, the menu is really big! They have pizzas, pastas, salads, burgers, and everything on the menu seems super delicious.
When we came for dinner, I ordered Thai salad with braised tofu and brown rice while Radhika had Heirloom tomatoes with burrata. Thai salad turned out to be a little spicy, but both were really tasty, so I highly recommend salads at Zinc. Radhika was telling me, however, that the other time she tried the Cauliflower pizza, and it had somewhat a bland taste. Maybe avoid ordering this one.
The interior seems really cozy, Zinc also has an outside seating in a small garden lit up by comforting string lights. The interior space is divided into the cafe area and market zone, so checking out Zinc market is next on my list. If you are a vegetarian or love vegetables, I highly recommend visiting Zinc.
 |
| Happy Radhika (a.k.a excited vegetarian) |
 |
| Thai salad and Heirloom tomatoes with burrata |
4. VERVE COFFEE
One of my absolutely favorite coffeeshops in Downtown LA. Looking for a perfect place to study away from campus? Here you come. Verve welcomes you with the walls of greenery, minimalistic industrialized design, and the best chai tea latte you could have asked for. One of the things I love about this place is the big wooden table in the middle of the coffeeshop which allows room for all of your notes and a laptop. I just feel like a lot of coffeeshops are not convenient for studying due to this lack of space, but at Verve, if you are early enough, this table almost guarantees you are going to be productive.
I'm not a coffee person, but my friends who tried coffee here say it tastes really good. I usually go for chai tea latte, which has just the right amount of spices and not too sweet. One thing to know is that the food choice is not too vast here, it mostly comes down to snacks like pastries, yogurt parfait, or quinoa salad.
 |
| Oolong tea and mocha with whipped cream |
Monday, February 6, 2017
SUNSET PACIFIC MOTEL
Foggy Sunday morning in LA. Me and Brandon Bacall traveled to Silver Lake to check out the Bates Motel – an abandoned building which was completely painted white by French artist Vincent Lamouroux. Even the palm trees nearby are covered in white paint. Looking even more ghostly in such unlikely for SoCal weather, Sunset Pacific Motel seemed like an interesting place for a shoot. Once we arrived, it was also cool to discover how this little area has many colorful graffiti walls.
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