Touched down in Pittsburgh, PA. It was great meeting up with ZY, and he got me comfortably settled in, then introduced me to local housemates Sky and Lost. (I call them the Lost Skies) Lovely house, i especially like reading in front of the "fireplace" radiator.
ZY may be the perfect tour guide/ambassador for Carnegie Mellon! Highly observant and knowledgeable, he led me around the grounds of its beautiful, modern campus on the back of his hand. Chokeful of culture, really fascinating.
It was cold, and it drizzled. No better weather for museums! The Carnegie Museum of the Arts and Natural History were a stone's throw away, and a wonderful place to explore. They have works from prehistoric times to the modern; from ancient hieroglyphics to minimalist paintings. Follow a docent, or go it alone in exploring art through the passage of time.
My favourite exhibit: Desniansky Raion, 2007 by Cyprien Gaillard. A video running 29 minutes long, showcasing architecture in a strange, spectacular fashion. Poignant and very unsettling - you'll understand when you watch it.
Not forgetting, the current exhibition of the season: Andrey Avinoff - in Pursuit of Beauty. He was previously director of Carnegie Institute and artist, explorer, scientist. Very interesting perspective into his inner life and thoughts, yet leaving much room for imagination. I met a docent guiding her artist friend along, M and J. We had a fascinating discussion about the interpretation of his artworks - but it was definitely way above my head haha.
Dinner at Burgatory, with Zy's friends HaoYee, Vincent and Darryl. Great-tasting but ultimately sinful burgers, and watch out for the hard liquor-ed shakes! They're sure to bring you somewhere nasty - to the depths of
For awhile now, it seems like God wants me to visit museums and gain knowledge. It just won't stop RAINING. And what better place to gain new knowledge than the Cathedral of Learning, one of University of Pittsburgh's campuses. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a religion dedicated to learning? Rather than, you know, eternal life and stuff. Very, very beautiful building with a gothic feel to it. Its Nationality Classrooms gave me some of my most enriching experiences here in Pittsburgh - it definitely deserves a patient, attentive walkthrough to glean much intimate knowledge about myriad cultures. Each room represents the culture of a nation, with matching decor, architecture et al that tell a fascinating story of history and society. They can be used for normal university classes too, wow.
Be greeted by the symphonies of Joseph Haydn as you step into the Baroque magnificence of the Austrian room. Learn about the peaceful marriage strategy of the House of Habsburg - Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria, nube! (Wars may be led by others - you, happy Austria, marry!)
Or get a feel of Ukrainian hospitality in its warm-bodied decor, embodied in the Slavic saying, "Gość w dom, Bóg w dom. " (When a guest enters the house, God enters the home).
I love how the Welsh room ended off with a romantic rendition of its humble, poetic culture.
To be born Welsh
is to be born privileged.
Not with a silver spoon in your mouth,
But music in your blood
And poetry in your soul.
Thousand points apiece if you can identify which culture the rooms belong to!
It continued to pour chillingly as I made my way downtown, climbing buses, asking for directions and running across bridges. I found my way to the Andy Warhol museum... home of the father of Pop Art and alumni of CMU.
Late at night, my first magical moment with snow... wish i'll never forget this moment.
And this marks the end of the urban trail in Pittsburgh... time for the wilderness of Pennsylvania! Heading off for a roadtrip across Pennsylvania with ZY and Lost, ranging across scenic Route 6.
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