NICK FORRISTALL (audio arts & acoustics major) writes:
We've been to around four gardens so far. These gardens are traditional Chinese gardens as they might have been in the days of Confucius. The gardens were created as a place for intellectuals to wander and think. It's no wonder why; they are completely serene and I can think of no emotion which comes from them other than contentment and complacency.
The first photo is taken at The Humble Administrator's Garden, which is located in a smaller city about an hour's drive from Shanghai. This garden was phenomenally beautiful- with rock formations, water, grasses, and trees; it was impossible to deny its beauty.
This photo is taken of a view from across a pond. I had become burnt-out on gardens in general...we had been to a lot that day. But after taking a look again, I realized that the garden view looked fake. The formations, the foliage, and lake...it all looked like a mini-golf course. I say mini-golf course in the sense of a place my family took me to in the fifth grade. The course was called Pirates Cove, and the whole place had fake rocks, rock speakers, and green plastic carpets. This is what the garden looked like.
The second thought I had compares to the first time I saw Stanley Krubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I have since faded in my interest in the film, but nevertheless: I thought the backdrops were the most crazy thing I had seen ever. They looked real-they were perfect-but most were made in a studio, specifically for the film, and then discarded. This view was backdrop material for something phenomenal.
We're all having a good time, and seeing a lot of stunning, sometimes even shocking things.
Nick Forristall is a junior in the audio arts & acoustics department.
Nice. Their scenery is so amazing with the trees, the rocks, and their architecture. You said you've seen some shocking things! Can you elaborate more on that?
Posted by: Christian Carvajal at January 17, 2008 9:49 PM
