Sooo... I leave for Scotland TOMORROW. I know, crazy. I can't really believe I'm leaving, even despite the fact that I'm basically finished packing. I guess I feel like I'm going to Scotland, but I feel like I'm coming back in a week or so. This is partially because my mom is coming over with me, but I'm glad she is. Even though I'm sure I would be OK by myself, it'll make her feel better to know I'm safe and well-adjusted (and hopefully I will be safe and well-adjusted!!).
I'm starting to get nervous! Well, at least when I really think about Scotland. Mostly the part about making friends and getting to know my 4 roommates (Ahhh, 4 is so many!). And picking classes! And making art again already... eak. Oh well, luckily I'm quite good at refusing to think about things, so I'm sure things will be OK!
Anyways, I just thought I'd check in one last time before I leave. I'll try to keep you updated on whatever it is that I'll be doing!
xoxo.
28 December 2007
18 December 2007
HI
Okay, so it has been QUITE a long time since I have written anything in here. I apologize for that.
Well, I leave for America on thursday! I have one full day left in the Netherlands. I do not know how these four months passed so quickly. It is crazy. And it does not feel real yet. I don't really feel like I am actually going home. But I have to say these four months abroad were exactly what I needed them to be, I think. I feel like I have grown quite a bit. And I feel like I am in love with art again. I think I have been out of love with art-making since starting at MICA. At least most of the time I have been out of love with art-making. I can't quite put my finger on why being here has renewed that love in me. Especially since AKI isn't quite the most conducive environment to find inspiration. At least for me it wasn't. But I guess in the end it was, but I feel renewed. I am really, really scared of coming home, though. I am afraid I will fall back into the routine that I came to follow while being at MICA. I am hoping that will not happen. I am also scared to come home and face the fact that things have evolved and changed during the four months I have been gone. To me, I would like to think everything would be on hold while I am gone. But that's not true. And it will be weird to realize things have changed and I have changed simultaneously.
But I cannot wait. I cannot wait to be home and to be back in my own country! I also cannot wait to see all of you! Although I will not get to see Christiane and Elizabeth, but I'm sure that will happen before we know it. Time seems to go by so quickly. More quickly than I expect it to, anyways!
Love you all, and cannot wait to see you all again.
Well, I leave for America on thursday! I have one full day left in the Netherlands. I do not know how these four months passed so quickly. It is crazy. And it does not feel real yet. I don't really feel like I am actually going home. But I have to say these four months abroad were exactly what I needed them to be, I think. I feel like I have grown quite a bit. And I feel like I am in love with art again. I think I have been out of love with art-making since starting at MICA. At least most of the time I have been out of love with art-making. I can't quite put my finger on why being here has renewed that love in me. Especially since AKI isn't quite the most conducive environment to find inspiration. At least for me it wasn't. But I guess in the end it was, but I feel renewed. I am really, really scared of coming home, though. I am afraid I will fall back into the routine that I came to follow while being at MICA. I am hoping that will not happen. I am also scared to come home and face the fact that things have evolved and changed during the four months I have been gone. To me, I would like to think everything would be on hold while I am gone. But that's not true. And it will be weird to realize things have changed and I have changed simultaneously.
But I cannot wait. I cannot wait to be home and to be back in my own country! I also cannot wait to see all of you! Although I will not get to see Christiane and Elizabeth, but I'm sure that will happen before we know it. Time seems to go by so quickly. More quickly than I expect it to, anyways!
Love you all, and cannot wait to see you all again.
29 November 2007
cool
I just had to show this - my brother's in the Cal marching band, and they did this amazing videogame-themed halftime show! Watch:
21 November 2007
Thanksgiving
Hi guys,
break started early for me last Thursday. I got out of class, packed my bags and ran down to the lightrail at 3:30. My first flight was delayed by about 45 minutes, but I made the second just as they were beginning to board. Since then I've been hanging out at home, taking small walks in the neighborhood, eating well, sleeping in - that kind of stuff. Also, I've been watching a lot of TV. too much TV, but it's all my parents seem to do nowadays, and TV is really seductive. I watched the Top Chef finale, a couple episodes of What Not to Wear, some dumb movies, the new season of Art 21, and this Animal Planet show about a husband and wife raising a hippopotamus in their backyard, narrated by John Waters. Also, video games. Also, not doing homework. (Then I realized there's something murderously counterproductive about this, so I decided I can't live here this summer. Maybe I'll room with my brother in Berkeley, or stay in Baltimore; I don't know. I mean, it's still good to see my family, and I love the Bay Area. I'm just not doing well, I guess; or, it's gotten to the point where "home" no longer feels like home.)
Alex
break started early for me last Thursday. I got out of class, packed my bags and ran down to the lightrail at 3:30. My first flight was delayed by about 45 minutes, but I made the second just as they were beginning to board. Since then I've been hanging out at home, taking small walks in the neighborhood, eating well, sleeping in - that kind of stuff. Also, I've been watching a lot of TV. too much TV, but it's all my parents seem to do nowadays, and TV is really seductive. I watched the Top Chef finale, a couple episodes of What Not to Wear, some dumb movies, the new season of Art 21, and this Animal Planet show about a husband and wife raising a hippopotamus in their backyard, narrated by John Waters. Also, video games. Also, not doing homework. (Then I realized there's something murderously counterproductive about this, so I decided I can't live here this summer. Maybe I'll room with my brother in Berkeley, or stay in Baltimore; I don't know. I mean, it's still good to see my family, and I love the Bay Area. I'm just not doing well, I guess; or, it's gotten to the point where "home" no longer feels like home.)
Alex
10 November 2007
Birds in the city.
Hi my friends. It's been a while, I hope you're all good. My life is mostly verrrry banal, working and walking in the various secret heaths and gardens of Bournemouth, and going to London practically every other week or something (not really true but it feels like it. Man, that coach ride is long). I went just last night, expressly to see Andrew Bird, because being in a different country makes it special (and more expensive). The venue was an old 1900s theater that's been converted into a pretty awesome club, and the show was equally awesome. I made a very small book as a gift, and after the show handed it to the singer from the opening band (Loney, Dear- were they at the show you guys went to?) and asked him to give it to Mr. Bird. Which is potentially very embarrassing, so I'm not going to think about it anymore.
Speaking of birds, anyway, reminds me of when Kelsey and I were in London having a cheap lunch in a Tube station after going through a museum, sitting on the grimy steps, watching all these pigeons scramble around on the floor. We were discomforted by this one pigeon which had somehow lost ALL its toes on one foot, so was walking with this freaky clubfoot. BUT THE WORST WAS YET TO COME.
Somebody had loosed all these M&Ms on the ground, and some pigeons were sort of idly pecking at them, I guess chocolate isn't their favorite food. And among these pigeons we saw a pigeon with no fucking legs. NO LEGS. NONE. It was actually gimping along on its amputated stumps. Seriously, this haunts my nightmares. Amputee Pigeon flew towards us at one point and we were terrified for our lives, but then some children chased it off. I felt sorry for it but I just couldn't take it. How does that even happen to somebody?
London pigeons: saddest birds in the entire world?!
Speaking of birds, anyway, reminds me of when Kelsey and I were in London having a cheap lunch in a Tube station after going through a museum, sitting on the grimy steps, watching all these pigeons scramble around on the floor. We were discomforted by this one pigeon which had somehow lost ALL its toes on one foot, so was walking with this freaky clubfoot. BUT THE WORST WAS YET TO COME.
Somebody had loosed all these M&Ms on the ground, and some pigeons were sort of idly pecking at them, I guess chocolate isn't their favorite food. And among these pigeons we saw a pigeon with no fucking legs. NO LEGS. NONE. It was actually gimping along on its amputated stumps. Seriously, this haunts my nightmares. Amputee Pigeon flew towards us at one point and we were terrified for our lives, but then some children chased it off. I felt sorry for it but I just couldn't take it. How does that even happen to somebody?
London pigeons: saddest birds in the entire world?!
01 November 2007
Death Ball and other things
It's been a while since I wrote anything here, so I figure it's about time.
A few days ago I finally turned in all the paperwork for my change of major... I had been extremely organized about it and gotten almost all of my signatures, had all sorts of meetings, and then I just let it sit for about a week and a half, even though I was only missing Eve Laramee's signature. I guess I was giving myself time to change my mind. I'm still not sure whether I've done the right thing here, but at least it will shake things up a little for me, which is something I need. I was starting to feel really stale. But now I feel a little scared, and a little excited and not very stale at all.
The only thing is that I still have about 11 photo classes I have to take, and a required internship, (and history of Photo). I have a plan, but if it doesn't work out I will most definitely be graduating late. My two options are: take summer classes, or graduate in August of our senior year. I have only two academic-type classes left, and already 4 of my 3-d classes don't count for anything, but I'm going to try to take either an academic/lit class or a 3-d class or both every semester from now on. It's either that or take 4-5 photo studio classes (and only photo classes) every semester and graduate on time, but I most likely won't live to get my BFA if I do that. So long story short, my plan is this: go to Ireland (if I get in), take 3 photo classes, 1 academic, and a 3-d there, then after that semester ends, go to Spain for the summer, do a photography internship there, and take one or two photo classes at a school near my internship. If Ireland doesn't happen I'll take classes at mica this summer, and if the internship doesn't happen in spain, I'll graduate in August. Whew, sorry if that was boring. But that's my plan.
On to more exciting things...
Instead of going to the Halloween party, Alex, Hamster, Beki and I decided to go to the Great Halloween Lantern Parade. We had some friends who were stilt-walking zombies, so we actually go to walk next to them in the parade to make sure they didn't fall over. Beki ran to the rescue of one extrmely wobbly guy and had to hold onto one of his legs for part of the parade. He eventually fell half way through, practically on Beki, who had tried to ease him down to the ground since he was looking pretty precarious... he ended up wiping out anyway. It was lots of fun.. the zombie stilt walkers were dancing to the beat of a drum group right in front of them, and little kids with their parents were weilding all sorts of lanterns... One looked like a flying owl, there were also some strange ones that hovered above the whole parade... a whole troop of them. It's hard to describe what they looked like, but they were essentially long white poles with a bulb-thing at the top, and right below the bulb was a hoop with long white streamers hanging almost down to the ground. They were bobbing around in the air and looked very much like shredded ghosts.
We made a big circuit through Patterson Park, around the impressive pagoda that stands in the center. Eventually the parade was over and everyone climbed up toward the pagoda and sat down on the hill to watch a shadow puppet animation with a live jazz band.... the music was incredible and so was the animation. It was the story of three brothers who find the moon dangling from a tree branch and decide to take it. Each brother owns a part of the moon, and when they die, they are each buried with their piece. They can't rest peacefully though, and soon they (their ghosts?) try to return the moon to the sky, which they eventually do, with the help of a black crow. It was really very impressive. Everyone sat there in stunned silence. (you can find the animation on youtube.. probably type in Great Baltimore Halloweeen Lantern Parade- Luna). And I found out that anyone can be a stilt walker in the parade. You only have to go to two training sessions and they provide your stilts and costume... anybody want to do that with me next time it comes around?? I've kindof always wanted to learn to walk on stilts...
Okay, and finally the Death Ball..
My sculptural kinetics class meets every wednesday at four and we leave after only about an hour and a half usually (even though it's a 6-hr long studio). This week a girl brought in a Death Ball, for playing a crazy game by the same name. We all left the metal shop after watching a video on power tool racing, and headed over to the little grassy area outside Fox and Brown, where we made a circle of plaster dust in the center. The Death Ball itself is one of those large exercise balls, except that it's attatched to a 20 ft.-long rope, and is covered completely in duct tape. One person stands in the center of the plaster dust circle and whips the Death Ball around them by the rope, like a lasso. The people standing on the perimeter try to get into the circle and tag the person without getting hit by the ball, then they assume the position in the center. Because my class mainly consists of big metal-working guys, the game pretty much turned into a gladiator match. People were leaping over the ball, rolling into the center and slide-tackling the ball thrower, people were getting knocked over by the ball, or falling and flailing, or getting tangled in the rope and falling over over each other. We managed to gather a crowd of about 30 or 40 spectators throughout. All in all, it was positively exhilarating, and we decided to make it a weekly thing... Maybe I'll finally get back in shape!
I think that's about it, so long!
A few days ago I finally turned in all the paperwork for my change of major... I had been extremely organized about it and gotten almost all of my signatures, had all sorts of meetings, and then I just let it sit for about a week and a half, even though I was only missing Eve Laramee's signature. I guess I was giving myself time to change my mind. I'm still not sure whether I've done the right thing here, but at least it will shake things up a little for me, which is something I need. I was starting to feel really stale. But now I feel a little scared, and a little excited and not very stale at all.
The only thing is that I still have about 11 photo classes I have to take, and a required internship, (and history of Photo). I have a plan, but if it doesn't work out I will most definitely be graduating late. My two options are: take summer classes, or graduate in August of our senior year. I have only two academic-type classes left, and already 4 of my 3-d classes don't count for anything, but I'm going to try to take either an academic/lit class or a 3-d class or both every semester from now on. It's either that or take 4-5 photo studio classes (and only photo classes) every semester and graduate on time, but I most likely won't live to get my BFA if I do that. So long story short, my plan is this: go to Ireland (if I get in), take 3 photo classes, 1 academic, and a 3-d there, then after that semester ends, go to Spain for the summer, do a photography internship there, and take one or two photo classes at a school near my internship. If Ireland doesn't happen I'll take classes at mica this summer, and if the internship doesn't happen in spain, I'll graduate in August. Whew, sorry if that was boring. But that's my plan.
On to more exciting things...
Instead of going to the Halloween party, Alex, Hamster, Beki and I decided to go to the Great Halloween Lantern Parade. We had some friends who were stilt-walking zombies, so we actually go to walk next to them in the parade to make sure they didn't fall over. Beki ran to the rescue of one extrmely wobbly guy and had to hold onto one of his legs for part of the parade. He eventually fell half way through, practically on Beki, who had tried to ease him down to the ground since he was looking pretty precarious... he ended up wiping out anyway. It was lots of fun.. the zombie stilt walkers were dancing to the beat of a drum group right in front of them, and little kids with their parents were weilding all sorts of lanterns... One looked like a flying owl, there were also some strange ones that hovered above the whole parade... a whole troop of them. It's hard to describe what they looked like, but they were essentially long white poles with a bulb-thing at the top, and right below the bulb was a hoop with long white streamers hanging almost down to the ground. They were bobbing around in the air and looked very much like shredded ghosts.
We made a big circuit through Patterson Park, around the impressive pagoda that stands in the center. Eventually the parade was over and everyone climbed up toward the pagoda and sat down on the hill to watch a shadow puppet animation with a live jazz band.... the music was incredible and so was the animation. It was the story of three brothers who find the moon dangling from a tree branch and decide to take it. Each brother owns a part of the moon, and when they die, they are each buried with their piece. They can't rest peacefully though, and soon they (their ghosts?) try to return the moon to the sky, which they eventually do, with the help of a black crow. It was really very impressive. Everyone sat there in stunned silence. (you can find the animation on youtube.. probably type in Great Baltimore Halloweeen Lantern Parade- Luna). And I found out that anyone can be a stilt walker in the parade. You only have to go to two training sessions and they provide your stilts and costume... anybody want to do that with me next time it comes around?? I've kindof always wanted to learn to walk on stilts...
Okay, and finally the Death Ball..
My sculptural kinetics class meets every wednesday at four and we leave after only about an hour and a half usually (even though it's a 6-hr long studio). This week a girl brought in a Death Ball, for playing a crazy game by the same name. We all left the metal shop after watching a video on power tool racing, and headed over to the little grassy area outside Fox and Brown, where we made a circle of plaster dust in the center. The Death Ball itself is one of those large exercise balls, except that it's attatched to a 20 ft.-long rope, and is covered completely in duct tape. One person stands in the center of the plaster dust circle and whips the Death Ball around them by the rope, like a lasso. The people standing on the perimeter try to get into the circle and tag the person without getting hit by the ball, then they assume the position in the center. Because my class mainly consists of big metal-working guys, the game pretty much turned into a gladiator match. People were leaping over the ball, rolling into the center and slide-tackling the ball thrower, people were getting knocked over by the ball, or falling and flailing, or getting tangled in the rope and falling over over each other. We managed to gather a crowd of about 30 or 40 spectators throughout. All in all, it was positively exhilarating, and we decided to make it a weekly thing... Maybe I'll finally get back in shape!
I think that's about it, so long!
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