Shalako

I know I've neglected this blog, and unfortunately it's going to be neglected for a little while longer. I'm still busy at work and considering it's now the second week of December I've realized how much there is I need to get done. I'm very close to being done with the quilts for my nieces, but aside from that I really need to start packing up my apartment. So much to do, so little time!


But for a super quick update, this past weekend was pretty amazing. I went to the Shalako Ceremony at Zuni. Zuni is a tribe about 3 ½ hours SW of here, only about 15 miles from the Arizona border. Shalako is a ceremony where 6 families are selected to “host” it – which involves building a new house, decorating it with donated/borrowed things (Native American blankets, jewelry, animal heads, etc.) and the festivities last for about a week or 2. As at all Native American ceremonies food is a big deal – the hosting houses have tables and chairs set out and feed anyone who comes – on Sunday, which was the main day, they probably fed around 600-900 people. On Saturday night/Sunday morning from about midnight to 8 am are the Shalako dances. Each house has its own Shalako and there are different dancers that go from house to house – one is a Fire God, some are Warriors, and then there are the Mud Heads. The Mud Heads are kind of like clowns – they are there to kind of taunt the Shalako. There are some images of it.

The tall ones are the Shalako Kachinas, and the normal-sized ones are different types of Warrior Kachinas.

Again, the tall one is the Shalako Kachina. The polka-dotted one is a Fire God Kachina, and the other one is a Mud Head Kachina.

Oh, and my boss helped one of the families design the house, that’s why we were invited. Not that you have to be invited to go though. On Friday and Saturday we helped out the family by keeping the tables clean and full of food and washing dishes. It was pretty cool.

no time!

So I don't really have time right now for a real update (surprise, surpise). I worked all day Saturday and Sunday volunteered for the Santa Fe Film Festival, and this week is looking like late hours at work. I guess it's a good thing that we're busy though! And this weekend Marc is coming into town, so after that I'll make sure I'll update (for real this time) because I'll have a lot of catching up to do and maybe more fun pictures. For now, here's a couple of pictures from the Santa Fe Film Festival.

Landscape at Val Kilmer's Ranch in Pecos.
I wouldn't mind sitting on my porch and looking at that!

Q&A after screening of Catch-22.
A very exciting moment in my life -- it's Alan Arkin!!!

balloon fiesta!!

First of all, to all those people back in Boston or elsewhere that looked at me like I was retarded when I said that one thing I was excited about in New Mexico was Balloon Fiesta, you're the silly ones. It was awesome. Very chilly, but totally worth it. 

Since I had never been before I didn't know exactly what to expect, but the website suggests you be there at 5:30am, so we were there at 5:30am. Getting up at 3:30am on a Saturday is normally something I'm not willing to commit to under any circumstances. Except Balloon Fiesta, I supposed. We did realize after getting there and seeing the whole thing that it would have been just fine to get there around 7 once the sun was up and all the balloons were taking flight.

So it was colder than expected, and none of us (me and my grandparents) had properly prepared. We most definitely could have used warmer jackets and more blankets. But it all went well anyways. While it was still dark outside a few balloons went up to test the wind and they did some fun, timed lighting of the balloons.

It was when the sun started coming up, however, that it became magical. My grandfather was the one who complained the most as we sat in the cold before sunrise, but once the Mass Ascension really got going, he was the most excited one out of all of us. I don't really think the pictures do it justice -- it's really something you have to be there for to really experience. So at this point all I can do is urge you to put Balloon Fiesta on your bucket list (I promise you won't be disappointed) and share a few photos out of the 374 photos I took.

no pictures.

I was successful in going out and seeing 2 houses done by a couple of the interior designers that were at the dialogue/luncheon on Friday. I tried to go to a third but didn't succeed in actually finding the house. With that said, if I do end up coming back to Santa Fe on a long-term basis, that's the way to live. These houses were really close to downtown but just far enough outside of town where it was quiet and offered panoramic views of the mountains. Yes, I'm aware that I wouldn't be able to actually afford a house like that, but can't a girl dream?

Unfortunately we were asked not to take pictures, which really didn't make a difference to me considering I forgot to charge the battery for my camera and I simply forgot to take it with me. The designer's projects I saw were Victoria Price and Jeanne Sei. You can see a picture of the kitchens in both houses here: http://www.santafeinteriordesignerspresents.com/tour.html . In the Jeanne Sei house her piece really was the kitchen, but in the Victoria Price house she did it all. It was very bold and bright and very obviously for a male couple. They must have a nice life -- right outside their bedroom was a private deck looking over the mountains with a built-in hot tub. Now that's something I could definitely get used to. In the Jeanne Sei Kitchen, which I just noticed is similar to the picture on the website but isn't that project, there's a huge panoramic window at the kitchen sink that looks out to the mountains. If I had that kitchen I might be a little more into doing dishes. Or not.

The reason I was able to go to this Interior Design Dialogue/Luncheon was because it was the back-up plan after our trip down to a couple of sites for possible future projects got postponed. I think it was worth it. The only downside is that they were going to take me to Acoma's Cultural Center that BFA+D did a little while back, but this week it will be closed for cultural activities. Another time then.

--This just in: I will be going with my boss to an AIA lunch on October 14th. She claims that they're much less fun than the interior design people, which wouldn't surprise me. We'll see how it is!--

So since my last update oh so long ago...

Outside of co-op, my dad and stepmother have officially moved to Round Rock, TX (outside of Austin). My best friend's dad will be officially moving to Atlanta (where her mom currently is) this week. That means my mother will be the only one left in Florida. (Aside from the few friends I still have left over there). So sad.

Work has been crazy busy. Last Wednesday we submitted 100% Design Development for New Mexico Commission for the Blind Senior Skills Center in Albuquerque. I got lots of overtime which is great, and now while we wait to move onto Construction Documents I'm working on the Zuni Mission Church Stabilization. I'm pretty excited about the Commission for the Blind project though. We're hoping to start construction late fall, and some of the interior finishes were picked out by me. =) Hopefully those finishes will be approved.

The week before last Barbara and Brian went up to the Seattle area for an AIANTA conference and apparently got some interest from some tribes up there, even ones in Alaska. That's pretty frickin' sweet if you  ask me. I must admit I was a little jealous though... Seattle has been on my list of cities to visit for quite a while now. One day.

On the future of my time at BFA+D front, I'm hoping to come back next summer. Barbara's already mentioned this to me many times, and I need to set up a little chat with her soon about really getting my IDP into gear and the possibility of me coming back. If it weren't for grad school I'd definitely be willing to come back for longer than a few months next summer. But if business is still good and they haven't hired someone permanent, it's definitely a prospect for after grad school. I did think about possibly putting of grad school for a bit, but I know myself well enough to know that it would be nearly impossible to get myself to go back to school after working for a year or two, not to mention getting myself to go back to the crappy weather Boston has to offer after being away from it for that long.

Anyways, tonight Barbara, Brian and myself are going to a lecture down at UNM School of Architecture. Their lecture series is under way, and Barbara and Brian will be the lecturers next month. Going tonight to check out the competition and see how our presentation should be set up. This weekend I'll be going to the Balloon Fiesta and the grandparents will be driving up for it too. I'm quite excited for that, and there will without a doubt be pictures. Next weekend will be my only weekend to relax this month. The weekend of the 23rd is the Santa Fe Film Festival which I will be volunteering at. My official post is helping out with the filmmaker's BBQ at Val Kilmer's ranch. Jealous? =) Then the following weekend (Halloween!) Marc is supposed to be flying down. He has yet to actually buy the plane tickets, but it is supposed to happen.

And then it's November (yet another crazy busy month). I honestly don't know where the time has gone this year. Next update: BALLOON FIESTA!!!

i know, i know.

I realize it's been about a month now since my last update, but work has been crazy busy! I would usually update during my lunch hour, but I've been working while eating most days in the past month. Right now I don't have the time to update either, but I do plan on updating this weekend. For now I just wanted to post this link for the Design Luncheon I just went to: http://www.santafeinteriordesignerspresents.com/dialogue.html . Hopefully I'll be checking out a couple of the houses featured in the home tour tomorrow also.

And next weekend I'll be going to the Balloon Fiesta! I'm quite excited for that. Not so much for the thousands of people that will be there, but it should be cool anyways.

So a real update on Sunday (maybe with some pictures of the houses) and then lots of pictures after Balloon Fiesta. =)

picture time!

So since my last update not much has changed. I went to the big Indian Market last weekend which was cool -- most of which really wasn't my style though. On Friday I went with Barbara and Brian on a site visit to the Zuni Pueblo (about 15 miles from the Arizona border), which was also cool. But what was awesome... On the way back from Zuni we made a pit stop at El Morro National Monument. AMAZING. Here's a few pictures from the many I took.

El Morro fronted by a field of yellow flowers.

 That is a bird, not a shadow. (Barbara got this one)

Even though El Morro isn't in this picture, it's probably my favorite.

i probably shouldn't wait so long to update next time.

It's a simple fact that I have a horrible memory. Therefore, this post may not be filled with very many exciting details.

Back to that drive down to Albuquerque. It wasn't too bad -- it actually ended up being Barbara, Brian, and myself. We met with a Native American-owned construction company, Flintco, although I'm assuming the Native Americans that own the company are at their headquarters in Oklahoma. The ABQ office was filled with southern boys and thick accents. It was amusing, but also a good meeting. We'll hopefully be able to do some collaborations with them in the future. Well, maybe not we including myself... I could very well be gone by then. But there was one interesting thing said in the meeting. As Barbara was explaining our qualifications and what we do, she mentioned that I was doing a wonderful job and she hopes I come back. Food for thought. After the meeting we stopped for lunch at some restaurant I can't remember the name of with mind-blowingly hot chile. I probably drank 5 glasses of iced tea -- and I'm talking huge, Sonny's-sized glasses. Not good on the bladder for the rest of the day.

Then was a mandatory pre-proposal meeting at the Hubbell House. They recently finished a renovation/rehabilitation of the house and are now looking for proposals for a master plan to really bring the exhibit portion of the house up to snuff with the building. But, please, take the term "master plan" lightly. The people that wrote the proposal must be out of their minds or just clueless. Included in the scope of work are things as detailed as the text that will go on the exhibit displays. Are we historians or curators? I don't think so, and that's simply not a master plan, nor something that seems appropriate to finish in about 2 weeks time. They also mention a goal of making it a living history museum. Again I think these people are clueless. The house is fairly small, is only open a few days a week for a few hours, and has 1 person on staff. Not sure they realize a living history museum is people dressed in period clothing and interacting with the visitors. They don't have the space or the money for such a goal. However, based on the few people that showed up to the mandatory pre-proposal meeting, and knowing that a couple of them thought it would be way too much to take on, I think we'd have a really good shot at getting it. Is it really worth it would be the main question. We'll decide that on Monday when Barbara is back in town.

It's official. We've moved our office. I like the new place -- it feels much more open and there's so much more natural light. A definite plus. We had the movers move everything on Friday, Monday was full of unpacking, and it's now Thursday and we just got all the printers and computers and phones working properly. Thank goodness, not that it makes a difference for me right now. In the midst of doing a NM Statewide RFP that was due last Friday and moving, Barbara didn't have time to do redlines or gather stuff for me to do while she's on vacation in Michigan. So besides unpacking and organizing the new office this week has been filled with a lot of thumb-twiddling. She was fully aware that this was going to happen, but not to worry. She let me know that there is lots of work to be done, it's just all in her head. That's a scary thought. She gets back late Saturday night and will be leaving again Tuesday afternoon and be gone the rest of next week. So hopefully she'll be able to get some of that work out of her head in the couple days she'll be here.

And while she's gone I'm staying at the Biggs House and taking care of her cat, Ms. Sparkle, who's real name is Spackle. Which name she'll answer to depends on the day and her mood, but basically she doens't answer to me at all. She's 19 years old and the biggest pain in the ass. And I'm not a big cat fan in general, so that doesn't help. I'm in it for the extra cash. So Spackle has decided to stop taking her thyroid medication and stop using the litter box. Thank goodness the week is almost over. Besides the retarded cat, the Biggs house is pretty awesome. Barbara designed it 10-15 years ago when she first got started in Santa Fe. The owners live in New York and just come down for vacation on occasion. When they're not there they let Barbara use it if she wants. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. It's a huge U-shaped house with a central courtyard and a pool. One wing has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a family room and a kitchen. The bottom of the U, the front of the house, has a huge formal living room and another kitchen. The other wing has 2 bedrooms, 2 or 3 bathrooms, an office, a sitting room, and a study/library. It's insane. And at the top of the U there's a separate "game house" with a pool table and a bathroom, which on top of is a deck with a hot tub that overlooks the mountains and a golf course. It's ridiculous.

Anyways, back to thumb-twiddling and the stupid people at the Hubbell House. Since this is a less than busy week I got to go to Albuquerque yesterday with Brian to meet with a possible collaborator for the Hubbell House proposal -- someone who is more familiar with museums and exhibit design. Turns out he has a Master's in Architecture from MIT. Fancy. So we met with him at the Hubbell House and had another look around, and he pretty much had the same comments that we did about there idea of a "master plan". So, again, we'll see how that decision to move forward or not goes on Monday. On our way back to Santa Fe, Brian and I made a prolonged pit stop at the Santo Domingo Pueblo for their feast day. What a crazy concept. Basically every tribe has a feast day, at different times, but all in the late summer time it seems. Brian is from the Acoma Pueblo, and he filled me in on all the ins and outs of different tribes -- not that I can really remember all the details about them, but I can assure you it was interesting. So this feast day. Anyone can go, and let me tell you tons and tons of people do. In their plaza they have hundreds of people from their tribe dancing, two groups that interchange from about 7 am to 7 pm. And oh my god was it brutally hot outside yesterday. I was sweating just standing there, and the dancers were completely decked out in body paint and face paint and traditional clothing, dancing around in the sun. The dance was pretty cool and very interesting to see that part of a different culture. Now as far as the feast part goes, wow. Various families throughout the reservation cook all day, and you just go into their homes and sit down and eat, then go to someone elses home and do the same. It's seems like such a strange concept to me. Before going to study in Italy everyone stressed the implication of culture shock. Didn't get to me in Italy at all. But if you go on a reservation for a feast day, you're really in for a culture shock. But beware, the second you step onto a reservation, you now abide by their laws. So strange. The Acoma Feast Day is on September 2, and I'm sure we'll be there for most of the day instead of in the office. Brian, of course, will be helping out with that one, and his family will be of of the family's having the feast all day. He said their one house probably feeds about 500-600 people in that one day. And the Acoma Pueblo doesn't have running water or electricity. I don't know how they do it.

Well, that's about all I have for now. I'm going to continue twiddling my thumbs for another few hours then go feed the cat from hell. I'm really glad my boss doesn't go on vacation often.