http://citiesofyou.com/rss Cities of You is a project that envisions people as imaginary places. Inspired by Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, through words and images, I travel through each city and describe their special properties- how the buildings are built, how the people live, its history, culture, and reputation. en http://citiesofyou.com/rss http://citiesofyou.com/static/_coy/img/image_src.jpg Cities of You is a project that envisions people as imaginary places. Inspired by Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, through words and images, I travel through each city and describe their special properties- how the buildings are built, how the people live, its history, culture, and reputation. http://citiesofyou.com/posts/zd16f-city-56-nembahh-hemnabh-k zd16f-city-56-nembahh-hemnabh-k Sat, 21 Dec 2013 15:07:00 -0600 In the city of Nembahh, relationships carry weight. That is to say, the more relationships you have, the heavier you are. Because of this, Nembahh is a city that slowly drifts, since the only way for Nembahh to stay still is if relationships were distributed symmetrically like a diamond or snowflake. The particularly gregarious citizens compete to pull the city in their own direction. Furthermore, relationships are constantly being forged and broken. The most popular person in town could suddenly become controversial, and the citys center a gravity would abruptly shift in the opposite direction. Lawmakers have put checks and balances in place to prevent any one individual to accumulate a disproportionate number of bonds, which may lead to an urban planetary system that revolves around a single star. And citizens are also wary of those at risk of cutting all ties to other people, which would lead to them drifting, weightless; a planet seeking the pull of another.
In the city of Nembahh, relationships carry weight. That is to say, the more relationships you have, the heavier you are. Because of this, Nembahh is a city that slowly drifts, since the only way for Nembahh to stay still is if relationships were distributed symmetrically like a diamond or snowflake. The particularly gregarious citizens compete to pull the city in their own direction. Furthermore, relationships are constantly being forged and broken. The most popular person in town could suddenly become controversial, and the city's center a gravity would abruptly shift in the opposite direction. Lawmakers have put checks and balances in place to prevent any one individual to accumulate a disproportionate number of bonds, which may lead to an urban planetary system that revolves around a single star. And citizens are also wary of those at risk of cutting all ties to other people, which would lead to them drifting, weightless; a planet seeking the pull of another.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/p516c-city-55-noonine-bonnie-j p516c-city-55-noonine-bonnie-j Sat, 04 May 2013 16:56:00 -0500 The round houses of Noonine are tossed in the air and caught in a cascading pattern, loosely resembling a figure eight. This activity is performed by the two sides of Noonine—East and West. Though complex and dizzying at first, when you live in Noonine for a long enough time, the repeating patterns become a source of tranquility. The gentle rising and falling, like a lullaby sung by streets and avenues, cradle its residents. Some describe the juggling pattern as hypnotic if you are tightly focused on the city’s skyline, as the figure eight—or the sign for “infinity”—slowly begins to expand, like the Fibonacci sequence, first encompassing you, then the neighborhood, then the entire city, then the continent, until you and the universe are equally large.
The round houses of Noonine are tossed in the air and caught in a cascading pattern, loosely resembling a figure eight. This activity is performed by the two sides of Noonine—East and West. Though complex and dizzying at first, when you live in Noonine for a long enough time, the repeating patterns become a source of tranquility. The gentle rising and falling, like a lullaby sung by streets and avenues, cradle its residents. Some describe the juggling pattern as hypnotic if you are tightly focused on the city’s skyline, as the figure eight—or the sign for “infinity”—slowly begins to expand, like the Fibonacci sequence, first encompassing you, then the neighborhood, then the entire city, then the continent, until you and the universe are equally large.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/b61c9-city-15-visit-1-otagani b61c9-city-15-visit-1-otagani Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:38:00 -0500 In the beginning of every spring in Otagani, there is an annual Festival of Exhalation. On the day of the official spring equinox, there is a city-wide countdown. The numbers are not shouted as they are during New Year’s Eve; rather, the citizens murmur them under their breath to conserve precious air. When they get down to one, the citizens take one deep concerted breath, sucking all the city’s air into their lungs, collapsing the fabric walls around them. Then there is complete silence for about twenty seconds. Then the city starts to toss and twitch. The children burst in a barrage of exhales at first, as their lungs have not yet grown to full capacity. The soprano panting and puffing slowly give way to baritone hacking and hemming as the elder citizens struggle to recover their breath. The walls of the city slowly start re-inflate, starting with the outer edges of their citizens—the young and the old. Moving inward, the tweens and the middle-aged exhale with frustration, wishing they were just a little older or a little younger. Then the teens and their parents prove to each other they can last as long as the other. The twenty-somethings are left glaring at each other with delirious pride. Their faces are like bright red tomatoes; they would pass out before they concede to their peers. Towards the end, the city is like a stadium, with just a handful of athletes in the center, surrounded by a sea of wind, cheers, and jeers. There is old air, there is young air. There is air that births more air. There is prideful air, there is modest air. In Otagani, the air is as alive as its citizens.
In the beginning of every spring in Otagani, there is an annual Festival of Exhalation. On the day of the official spring equinox, there is a city-wide countdown. The numbers are not shouted as they are during New Year’s Eve; rather, the citizens murmur them under their breath to conserve precious air. When they get down to one, the citizens take one deep concerted breath, sucking all the city’s air into their lungs, collapsing the fabric walls around them. Then there is complete silence for about twenty seconds. Then the city starts to toss and twitch. The children burst in a barrage of exhales at first, as their lungs have not yet grown to full capacity. The soprano panting and puffing slowly give way to baritone hacking and hemming as the elder citizens struggle to recover their breath. The walls of the city slowly start re-inflate, starting with the outer edges of their citizens—the young and the old. Moving inward, the tweens and the middle-aged exhale with frustration, wishing they were just a little older or a little younger. Then the teens and their parents prove to each other they can last as long as the other. The twenty-somethings are left glaring at each other with delirious pride. Their faces are like bright red tomatoes; they would pass out before they concede to their peers. Towards the end, the city is like a stadium, with just a handful of athletes in the center, surrounded by a sea of wind, cheers, and jeers. There is old air, there is young air. There is air that births more air. There is prideful air, there is modest air. In Otagani, the air is as alive as its citizens.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/nf0da-city-55-vorotha-evan-r nf0da-city-55-vorotha-evan-r Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:45:00 -0500 Tall leafless trunks cover the island of Vorotha, a barren forest at first glance. When you look a little closer, you see the wooden pillars slowly expand at their bases, then gently spread upward. Beneath, what is happening is some form of diffusion—of people, of things. It is quite efficient, actually; transportation requires absolutely no added energy. One only needs to join a crowd (the more concentrated the better) and Vorotha will naturally pull the cluster apart, hopefully in the direction they need to go. The same goes with things. For example, there are no hoarders in Vorotha. Hoarding—lets say, newspapers—will simply result in a papery explosion. And similarly with emotion, theres nothing like grudges or crushes in Vorotha. You cannot bottle up hate or love for too long, as the city will force you to distribute them evenly.
Tall leafless trunks cover the island of Vorotha, a barren forest at first glance. When you look a little closer, you see the wooden pillars slowly expand at their bases, then gently spread upward. Beneath, what is happening is some form of diffusion—of people, of things. It is quite efficient, actually; transportation requires absolutely no added energy. One only needs to join a crowd (the more concentrated the better) and Vorotha will naturally pull the cluster apart, hopefully in the direction they need to go. The same goes with things. For example, there are no hoarders in Vorotha. Hoarding—let's say, newspapers—will simply result in a papery explosion. And similarly with emotion, there's nothing like grudges or crushes in Vorotha. You cannot bottle up hate or love for too long, as the city will force you to distribute them evenly.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/k12b4-system-6-visit-1-vumaaste k12b4-system-6-visit-1-vumaaste Sun, 31 Mar 2013 17:37:00 -0500 The thread between father and daughter is violet, with hues of extravagance when the violet is saturated, frustration when darkened, and magic when brightened. The thread between mother and son is red, with moments of strength when ignited, danger when flickered, and desire when cooled. Between friends, the thread is chartreuse that mimics growth and healing. Between lovers, orange implies the sensation of heat, and symbolizes endurance when mixed with yellow and pleasure when mixed with red. Between ex-lovers, azure is the color of the sky, mist, eyes, and steel. Strangers and the estranged are treated similarly with yellow and gold, the color of bittersweet, cowardice, and imagination.
The thread between father and daughter is violet, with hues of extravagance when the violet is saturated, frustration when darkened, and magic when brightened. The thread between mother and son is red, with moments of strength when ignited, danger when flickered, and desire when cooled. Between friends, the thread is chartreuse that mimics growth and healing. Between lovers, orange implies the sensation of heat, and symbolizes endurance when mixed with yellow and pleasure when mixed with red. Between ex-lovers, azure is the color of the sky, mist, eyes, and steel. Strangers and the estranged are treated similarly with yellow and gold, the color of bittersweet, cowardice, and imagination.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/zb9a6-city-54-gdilila-kristin-g zb9a6-city-54-gdilila-kristin-g Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:58:00 -0600 There are two pieces that make up the city of Gdilila: the body and the hands. The body is no surprise; the streets are the arms and avenues, the legs. The temple is the temple (of course), the bridge is the neck, and so on. But the city’s hands are more interesting. Ever wonder where traffic jams come from? It’s when the index finger lifts the avenues ever so slightly. Thunderstorms are jazz hands, while a gentle breeze is born from a swift flick of the wrist. Serendipity is actually caused by the touching of two pinkies. Tragedy can be endured by firmly, gently pressing hands together, and can be overcome by slowly pulling them apart. And something that is lost can be found by running a finger along the wrinkles of the palm.
There are two pieces that make up the city of Gdilila: the body and the hands. The body is no surprise; the streets are the arms and avenues, the legs. The temple is the temple (of course), the bridge is the neck, and so on. But the city’s hands are more interesting. Ever wonder where traffic jams come from? It’s when the index finger lifts the avenues ever so slightly. Thunderstorms are jazz hands, while a gentle breeze is born from a swift flick of the wrist. Serendipity is actually caused by the touching of two pinkies. Tragedy can be endured by firmly, gently pressing hands together, and can be overcome by slowly pulling them apart. And something that is lost can be found by running a finger along the wrinkles of the palm.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/y5912-city-22-visit-1-jirameas y5912-city-22-visit-1-jirameas Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:43:00 -0600 The boulders that balance Jirameas are not the kind that you would find laying on the ground or cut by the forces of erosion or ice. Each mass of rock is hand-carved by citizens of Jirameas to reflect the appropriate size and shape of the ailment it represents. For example, to create the boulder for disease, they swing sledgehammers to create visible and hidden fractures that permeate the rock. For poverty, they rub sandpaper on the rock’s surface until it bleeds . To create the stone of corruption, they hollow out the rock, creating a just shell that will shatter if thrown too hard. And when pondering how to carve the boulder of ignorance, they sat and sat and thought, until they gave up.
The boulders that balance Jirameas are not the kind that you would find laying on the ground or cut by the forces of erosion or ice. Each mass of rock is hand-carved by citizens of Jirameas to reflect the appropriate size and shape of the ailment it represents. For example, to create the boulder for disease, they swing sledgehammers to create visible and hidden fractures that permeate the rock. For poverty, they rub sandpaper on the rock’s surface until it bleeds . To create the stone of corruption, they hollow out the rock, creating a just shell that will shatter if thrown too hard. And when pondering how to carve the boulder of ignorance, they sat and sat and thought, until they gave up.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/qf3a1-landmark-15-anirsti-kristina-l qf3a1-landmark-15-anirsti-kristina-l Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:57:00 -0600 As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.
As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/z87d2-landmark-14-amelhi-michael-l z87d2-landmark-14-amelhi-michael-l Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:56:00 -0600 As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.
As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.]]> http://citiesofyou.com/posts/hc358-landmark-13-arnond-brandon-v hc358-landmark-13-arnond-brandon-v Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:54:00 -0600 As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.
As old as the continents, there are four permanent ocean waves, given the names: Anatati, Arnond, Amelhi, and Anirsti. These are the only four waves that have been recorded to change the geography (and thus history) of entire land masses, and each has been noted to abide by a unique temperament. Anatati, the Wave of Sanguine, plays with how she crashes upon the coasts, with her accidental brush strokes that paint the many unique natural wonders that we worship today. Arnond, the Wave of Resolve, is the force that pushes the ocean currents, taking direct instructions from the Moon and Sun. Amelhi, the Wave of Reasoning, with a long and pointy body, supervises the direction, flow, and temperature of our bodies of water by thrusting and cutting lesser waves as necessary. Anirsti, the Wave of Mindfulness, creeps at the ocean floor, tasked to contemplate the entirety of the world as it existed and what it will or will never be.]]>