schmuck

My cabin was always a place to get away from life. Whether it was to be in a solitude place, or to have fun with friends, it was and is still a wonderful and relaxing place to be. Our family didn't always have a cabin on our property. Ten years ago, we had decided to sell the old camper we were living out of and build an actual cabin. So, right in the middle of tall birch trees, overlooking the lake, is our small cabin in Remer, Minnesota.

I never ran out of something to do. When I was five, I would go rock and toad hunting, which would occupy me for hours. When I was 15, I found peace when I sunbathed on the dock and listened to the waves wash up on shore. Although the activities that I found interesting changed over the years, my cabin never changed. The lake was still deep and beautiful, with the trees towering over it. The inside of my cabin was still chucked full of food and friends lauging (and occasionally having a few drinks). There was always a roaring fire outside which was the neighbors signal to come over, and you can bet they will be there until about one in the morning!

There was never a sense of time, and it didn't matter. There were no deadlines, no bedtimes, no wake-up times. That is what is so amazing about going up there (although Sunday morining is aways a bummer). I cannot compare any sensation of relaxation compared to staying there. I have been going to my cabin for about 16 years, and I never once took it for granted. To me, it is the most beautiful and serene place on Earth.

Posted by Karla Salwasser at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Paris was in pretty rough shape. In fact, Paris's look hadn't changed since the middle ages. The streets were crowded and narrow, the blocks were cramped and the city was very unclean.

Baron Haussmann was a civic planner during this time and was asked by Napoleon III to help rebild Paris. Haussmann's plans were to tear down the slums and old neighborhoods to pave the way for big boulevards, opera houses, and public buildings to put in it's place. He also made a new water and sewage system for the city, which saved many citizens from disease. He brought a whole new quality of life that Paris had never seen before, and created the Paris we know and love today.

Although Haussmann created such a wonderful new city, he was still criticized by many for ruining the "Old Paris". The renovation brought up the controversy over gemeinshaft vs. geseleshaft. Gemeinshaft refers to the social aspect of the city. The "roots", one could call them. People argue that after this change, the city became more focused on it's economy and it's economic well being than the people itsself. It became disconnected and impersonal. Which leads me to geselshaft. It is the basis of economic activity, and the flow and circulation of the economy. After Haussmann changed Paris, they say the people changed as well.

Haussmann did wonderful things for Paris to make a better quality of life for the people, but not everyone would agree with that. To some, his plans would be a social design issue, but others would call it a social design accoplishment.

Posted by Karla Salwasser at 5:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As I walked up to the Midtown Exchange Building, the first thing I noticed was all the different ways people were getting to this place. I had come by car, but along side me were bikers, walkers and convieniently, a transit station for bus riders. In front of the building there was a fairly large metered parking lot and bike racks available. I had pictures of all these things, but unfortunately, since I am a little computer impared, I have not quite figured out how to upload them.

Not knowing what to expect, I walked through the front doors of the building right into the hustle and bustle. My plan was to walk through the whole building to get my bearings and then fully examine the place. As I strolled around the edges, I saw many different vendors with goods and produce. When I made my way to the middle, I noticed a considerably larger amount of people. I looked around and saw a variety of different kinds of foods from all over the world, many which I had never heard of. Quickly, I put two and two together and realized wherever there was food, there were people to eat it.

In the very center of the market, there were tables set up for people to comfortably eat their food and enjoyed the upbeat music of a guitar player. There was even a balloon artist making sculptures and animals!

I was asked to define the energy of the environment. Initially, when I thought energy, I thought of the way people moved in the building. Where were the "hot spots"? Where were the "dead spots"? As I thought about it, these were not the only factors affecting energy. Lighting, colors and aisle patterns are examples of other factors. The colors and lighting was smooth and warm, which was appropriate, I thought, because I was remided of warm places by looking at the goods there. Strolling though, I had a feeling of energy that reminded me of a trip I took to Europe two years ago, and of other marcados I have visited in Mexico. The aisles around the outside were spacious, only because of the lack of people strolling there. The aisles leading toward the center of the market were a little skinnier, but they also were filled with more people waiting for their authentic food!

Looking back at my experience at the Midtown Global Market, I have decided it was a good one. I found many authentic goods and merchandise that I had not seen before. The produce and food looked unbelieveable, but unfortunately, I had just eaten and didn't get a chance to try them. I found the Midtown Global Market was a wonderful and breath-taking representation of all different cultures and races around the world and really worth my time to go and check out.

Posted by Karla Salwasser at 3:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)