In an effort to determine where I think I fit in within the domains of landscape architecture, I tried to diagram the field. The profession is opening, breaching into the domains of ecology and other sciences, sociology and other humanities, sculpture and other arts. I am so humbled that I get to spend the rest of my life contributing to this expansive profession.
ASLA Washu HotPot CrockPot PotLuck
A meal where east meets mid-west. A glorious get together during a stressful time of the year.
Fall in the Hall
Autumn's Ombré is an installation by the WashU student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) showcasing fall in St. Louis. Students gathered leaves from around campus, their homes, and neighborhood parks, tracing out their own personal maps of the season in the process. They came together to sort them and string them out following nature’s color theory, in a shifting gradient of tints and shades that runs down the length of the stairwell in Givens Hall from the third floor to the basement.
Design and Installation Team include: Margot Shafran, Tom Klein, Jingcheng Wu, Eric Kobal, Leilei Wu, Maeve Elder, Liz Hambor, Alisa Blatter, Briana Coleman, Anu Samarajiva, Amy Klein, Shelbey Sill, Jiahui Guo, Rory Thibault with inspiration and guidance from Jonathan Stitelman.
MLA Studio 501 Midreview
Recharged Solitude
To kick off the fall semester all Master of Landscape Architecture students take part in a design competition sponsored by Anova. This year, we worked in teams to design an urban orchard suitable to a vacant site in downtown STL.
My team included second year student Eric Kobal and first year student Nanqi Dai. We worked intensely for 48 hours to create a compelling strategy as well as a set of drawings and a physical model for the jury. In addition to growing fruit, the orchard had to also serve as a place for the community to come together. To that end, the development of original furniture suitable for the outdoors was a critical component of the teams' designs.
Our proposal plays off of the historical sense of the term orchard, a place where fruit is grown and harvested to supply the market with a product - a product that supplies energy to the human body. In this case however, the product being produced is electrical energy. Each furniture pod, roughly inspired by the form of a Shagbark Hickory shell, generates energy through the rocking motion it endures when a person is in the pod. Through the rocking and production of energy, the user can hook up their cellphone and use the pod as a charging station. While one may come to this orchard to refuel their phone, through the act of charging, it is our mission that they recharge themselves as well.
Further we sought to introduce historically native species in our plant palette to "recharge" the history of these trees as being used for human consumption. Nowadays, once significant for their nutrients, the hickory, persimmon and pawpaw, were relied upon. Nowadays they go forgotten. With the reintroduction of these significant native species into an otherwise vacant area, it also has the ability to the recharge of native fauna especially insects. All the trees we selected for the orchard were host species for dozens of native moths and butterflies. Additionally the flowers supplied nectar for bees and the tree bark itself was habitat for endangered bats.
Oh, and we were selected for second place!
Labash 2014
Eleven words sum up my experience at the Labash conference this year. They are: “I cannot think of a more noble profession than landscape architecture”. These words were articulated by Susan Weiler, principle at Landscape Architecture firm Olin, in a casual declaration to conference attendees at a local bar at the end of the weekend.
The Labash conference offered me a crucial platform to further understand the passion with and significance of the role of landscape architect within our society. I was humbled by the experience of meeting hundreds of other like-minded individuals from all over the continent who are devoted to the betterment of our environment, culture, and economics through the field of landscape architecture.
These passions range from the very small scale such as how to properly plant a tree (I attended a lecture called: Don’t get caught with your plants down) to the very large scale initiatives like Philadelphia’s endeavor to transition into primarily using green infrastructure as a municipal water management technique. All throughout my time it clearly reestablished why I am passionate about the profession and helped inspire me to progress through the challenges of school and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.
The conference was a unique way to network with students, firms, and material companies alike, and a friendly setting to begin to establish relationships with them. It is very likely that as we plow ahead in our attempts to improve the world we will collide with these familiar faces both as allies and as adversaries. Nonetheless, Susan’s words ring true; landscape architecture really is one of the noblest professions and the Labash conference really helped me to solidify my place within the community. I look forward to seeing those faces again and to working with them to strengthen our vital role as designers as social and environmental advocates.
Turkey 10 Months Later
Going through my sketchbook to remember my time and travels in turkey Summer 2013.
Travels in Turkey
After a few days of being hardcore design commandos today was a leisurely day of sunlight, sketching,and scenic views. Because yesterday was incredibly foggy, we were not able to take the ferry up the Bosporus as we originally had intended, so instead, today was the day!
The day began early, with an 8:15am start. We tried to grab the usual FB1 or FB2 bus that stops right in front of our pension in order to make the 10:30am ferry up the Bosporus, however we missed it! Instead we attempted to walk to the main drag to catch another bus. We pretty much look like peppy tourists everywhere we go, and in this case we were clearly lost. Luckily, a very nice gentleman who was riding his bike past us, did a double take to point us in the right direction. Instead of the bus, he suggested we hopped on one of the yellow taxi vans that pick up people on the side of the road. This was a new, but not very difficult experience. It was easy enough to find space for all of us in these vans and it went directly to the ferry stop.
We got there just in time to run onto the ferry. As usual it was a tranquil and relaxing trip; we sipped on tea, and basked in the reality of being in Istanbul.
[It is interesting that overall it seems that the Turkish are a very relaxed people. They sip their tea slowly in cafes, sit around in groups smoking nargiles, and enjoy the leisurely game of backgammon. Yet,for some reason, when it comes to the ferry, they are extremely pushy. And the amusing part is that on every ferry there are probably over 300 seats, and plenty of standing room. The crowds accumulate when the boat hasn't even arrived yet!]
When we arrived at the ferry dock Sebastian and Eric (our pals from back at UC) were there to meet us. As a group we hopped on the Bogaz Turlan Bosporus Cruise headed on a 1.5hr boat trip towards Anadolu Kavagi. Anadolu Kavagi looks rather cute and peaceful with its two storey houses and a square covered with cobblestone paving. It is flocked with fish restaurants and ice cream stands! This is also the location of Yoros Castle, a byzantine castle built on a beautiful hillside. That of course meant we needed to climb all the way to the top of the mountain. While for some, it may have been a treacherous journey to the top, we made the climb look easy with our eagerness and supersonic sexy legs.
Unfortunately, when we finally made it, the castle was closed and we were not able to explore the ancient castle and fortification. Nonetheless, the vistas were beautiful and we have a relaxing and delicious seafood lunch at the top overlooking the Bosporus with Istanbul in the background.
By the time we landed back at harbour it was 3:30pm, but the last cruise back to Istanbul wasn't until 5:00pm. As usual we used the opportunity in this small village to sketch, and maybe eat a little ice cream and tasty fried dough balls. The time passed quickly and soon enough we were back on the Bosporus enjoying the beautiful horizons.
One of my greatest pleasures in riding public transit while traveling is people watching. That said, it is even more exciting to actually meet and talk with others. This time we met a group of travelers from Australia who were on a 7 week car journey from Turkey to Israel by land! The best part was that they were a group of friends who have known each other for decades and were finally able to take their first trip together!
Before we knew it we had landed back in Istanbul. From there we headed east
towards Karakoy where we meandered through the local markets and picked up some food for dinner. We finished off with the usual short bus ride back to the pension and quick stop at the grocer down the street for the local Efes beer. Our day of leisure ended with all of us gathered up on the roof terrace overlooking the Bosporus picnicking on our Turkish goodies!
Lost in Translation: A collection of signs during my travels
The Rest of our Trip to Thailand
So, now that I have been back in Cincinnati for over a month, its time for me to post about the rest of my trip. As we moved from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, the trip became fully packed, and left little time for me to sit on my computer and type out blog posts. I also became seriously sick - stomach flu esque, that went on for the next week until school started.
Anyways here are some pics from the rest of our adventures!
The Hotel Elevator - basically too hard to put into words how completely outrageous the interior was.
Bangkok: Day II
Blllahhhhhh I stupidly woke up with a cold. Suckkkkks - but when in Thailand, see Thailand! Our first stop for the day was the Grand Palace. We had somewhat of a slow start to the day as usual, so when we got there, the first order of business was obviously food. Right there in the middle of bangkok chaos between street vendors and tuk tuks was a Au Bon Pain. For some reason thats what we chose for breakfast....Anyway got some OJ to stock up on vitamins for the rest of the day. The contrast between the serenity of the cafe in contrast to the street was quite interesting - definitely an experience worth having.
The Grand Palace is incredible. It is a complex of temples, residences, and government buildings. Historically this is the location of where the King of Siam resides, however, these days the current King, Rama IX , lives at another royal complex not too far away. Anyways, the palace is beautiful, and extremely difficult to put into words: Vibrant Colours. Complex patterns. Intricate mosaic. This complex is also very interesting because the influence of other cultures such as chinese, english and indian on thailand is very obvious. The opulence here is exaggerated, but beautiful.
From there we ventured over to the river for a ride through the canals. This was an opportunity to see how many people in the region live. Here is a comparison of the two extremes that exist in Thailand currently:
Along the river we stopped at two other temples: Wat Arun, and Wat Pho. At Wat Arun you can actually climb up the temple through a series of very very steep steps. I got about halfway up until I realized all of a sudden I was terrible fearful of heights! Who knew. Just on the other side of the river is Wat Pho. This is where the Big Buddha lies. It is a huge gold leaf buddha lying on its side inside of a temple.
Wat Pho is also known for its Thai Massage Medical School. So of course since we were there we went for our first massage of the trip. Thai massage is very different than swedish massage typically found at the fancy spas at home. Thai massage is a combination of stretching and putting force on pressure points, while massaging at the same time. Most of the time is is kinda paintful, but at the end you feel really relaxed and spaghetti like.
Next we headed to a mega mall called MBK. There we met up with Annie! Exactly, how crazy is it that I haven't seen Annie in over a year, and the place we are able to meet up in is Bangkok and not Toronto? It is so nice to see her and I am really glad she can tag along with us for a few days while we are here.
My mom, Annie and I looked around the mall a bit while Brad and dad went back to have a fitting for their suits - we will meet them at a restaurant for dinner later. But getting to that restaurant posed to be a challenge. Here, many of the taxi drivers refuse to put on their meters for foreigners . They know they can get more money if they ask for a total sum for the ride. But I am sorry, we are not going to pay 250 baht, when the actual ride is only worth 50 baht. Anyway trying to find a taxi driver willing to drive us to the restaurant (near Khao San Rd) was difficult, especially because we were at a place with many tourists. Eventually we settled on a tuk tuk ride for 150 baht. The only problem was that our driver didn't really know where he was going. So instead of taking us to our final destination, he dropped us off on a grand boulevard fairly close. Although close, we had no idea where the restaurant was. In actuality it was about a 15 minute walk, but our quest to find it took a lot longer. Luckily Annie had her guide book with her, which increased our chances in finding it - maps usually help, but basically we just continued to ask people on the street where is was until eventually we found it. We were about 45 minutes late for our dinner reservation, which was almost ideal, because Bradley and Dad were equally late because their fitting ran long.The meal ended up being a bust. Not terribly good food, but it was just a meal, oh well.
A small street food booth we encountered on our way back from the restaurant to Khao San rd.
Afterwards we took a stroll down Khao San Rd - which is essentially a tourist rd. It caters to backpackers and vacationers looking for a place to party, eat, drink, and shop. Regardless, it had an energetic vibe that resembled that of the rest of bangkok.
Bangkok: Day I
Arrived in Bangkok! We had a very pleasant flight on Thai Airlines. Boarding was a breeze because everyone boarded at very different times. There wasnt the typical lineup with everyone fighting to get space in an overhead compartment. Instead it was very calm. It helped that the plane was very large and brand new. We were able to watch movies etc.
And we have arrived in Bangkok, Thailand! Quite a temperature adjustment from 13 degrees celsious, to thirty degrees celcious! When we first arrived in Bangkok you cannot help but notice the throngs of visitors. It is clear that Thailand is a vacation hub. The visiprs seem to come from all over asia as well as australia and europe.
While the flight was relaxing, the airport was crazy busy. People where moving in every direction. I couldn't help but consider what an amazing architectural problem this airports circulation issue is.
Apparently it has the worst traffic in all of the world - I am not sure I believe it yet, but the traffic is pretty bad. It took a really long time to get form the airport to the hotel. Like in HK they drive on the right side of the road. Unlike in HK, they don't actually follow the rules of the road, or stay in lanes.
Our Hotel. Super glitzy and fun. This is clearly a family vacation.
Now that we have arrived and dropped our stuff at the hotel...whats the first thing we do? Go to a tailor to get suits made of course ;) Brad and my dad getting expensive suits made for them. Thankfully they offer food and refreshments while we wait.
Final Days in HK
Mid Level Escalator: the world largest covered escalator that connects Central to Mid Levels up the hillside through a series of escaltors, bridges, and elevated paths.
It seems that anywhere you go in Hong Kong, you run into some sort of street market.
Momg Kok: Highest population density in the world. Crowds of people squeezing through the street. Definitely the most dense subway station I have ever been too.
A random find: a small japanese ramen joint just off of LKF. We passed it earlier in the day, but it had about a 50 person wait. We strolled pass in the evening in the off chance it wasn't busy. We arrived at a great time, because we were second in line, before a large crowd of partyiers showed up. Oh and the food was amazing.
Brad and I took a late night trip to his university to finalize his checkout and give some of his leftover things to a friend of his. At the same time I was able to see the campus and dorms!
Airport Express Train Terminal at Central Station where you can check into your flight, check in your bags, then take an express train right into the airport. All you need to do once you are there is go through security and find your gate.
Day III - Shenzhen Here We Come
Its the sunday before Christmas, and the perfect day to take a trip to China to go shopping!
After a slow start we finally got on track - headed north to Lo Wu Station where we went through a million security controls in order to leave HK, get chinese visas, then enter china. Quite a process, but finally made it.
There we were shuffled into the mall by some of the scouts who wait outside to bring you to their store. The mall at first glance seems quite simple. A large atrium of 5 floors, and escalators to take you up and down. Around the atrium seems to be a ring of stores, selling the typical watches, jewelry, clothing, handbags, and shoes. What isnt visible at first glance are the dozens of hidden hallways that lead you further into the haven of commercialism. The further in you go, the more you get sucked into this world of 'looking' (what all of the vendors say to you as you wander through the aisles), bargaining, and buying presents (an excuse to keep at it).
Regardless, we knew exactly where we wanted to go - to Dragon. For years now, every time my parents go to HK, they go to Shenzhen specifically to visit Dragon. There they are able to purchase fantastic eye glasses with prescription lenses for extremely fair prices. I may or may not have bought a few pairs this time....but you will just have to see for yourself.
By now it was 2pm, and we were ready for lunch. Being in China, it was only appropriate to sit down to a dim sum feast. That is exactly what we did. On the top floor of the mall, hidden behind a clothing store and a show store is a hidden find. Right there in this crazy mall was the best Dim Sum we have ever had, not to mention the peking duck.
We spent the rest of the afternoon rummaging through these stores 'looking and bargaining', until my brother and dad found these two ladies. Bradley was on one of his usual quests, this time looking for a brief case for his laptop (he had actually bought one the day before, but it was unfortunately too small to fit his computer). Anyways, on his quest, he stumbled into two ladies who promised to take him to a 'wearhouse' where there were lots of choices. At that point my mom and I were just trying on the filled glasses - so bradley, my dad, and these two ladies stood there waiting for probably 40 minutes while we finalized everything. It was already clear that if they were willing to wait that long while we tried on glasses these ladies meant business. FInally we were done and we began to follow the ladies back through the madness of the mall down the escalator out to the street. We figured we were only going a block or two into a different mall type building. Wrong. They led us through the bus depot, onto the roadways walking through all the car traffic. When we asked how far we were going they answered 'just there' pointing to the direction of the what seemed like out of place Shangri La Hotel. We continued to walk through oncoming traffic, crossing the street and laneways at what seemed like very dangerous intervals. eventually we made it to the other side to the hotel. Of course thats not where they were taking us. Again, we were weary of this adventure - its just seemed sketchy. Regardless we continued to follow them until they led us to a back alley that seemed more like a construction site than a residence. They shuffled us to the base of a decrepit apartment building - what I assume most living quarters look like in this part of the world (but I really don't know). We followed them in, and up to the seventh floor. Little lighting, metal bars on all the doors, and dirt everywhere were definitely making my internal sirens go off, but nonetheless we continued to follow. We finally arrived at their apartment door, and entered this:
Rows and rows of fake purses, wallets, belts, etc. What a relief. We weren't being lead to a human trafficking scam, or being robbed. Just a typical illegal knock-off dent. At first it was great - looking through all the crap we don't need. But really this stuff is all over HK in Mong Kok, and then again all over the mall we were just in. It seemed royally stupid that we followed these two ladies for even worse quality fakes than we had seen before. Nonetheless we did some shopping. It turned into a bit of a screaming match by the end. In all honestly the things were wanted to purchase were not at all good quality, and back at home we wouldn't have wasted money on it. But we were hear, basically trapped. In the end we basically paid them just to let us leave.
The chaos of this adventure left us a little weary. It was definitely time to go through all of the checkpoints again and headed back to central. We made our way back through the traffic, to the bus depot, then back into the mall. By the time we left the mall it was 9:15 - not too late. After going through all the checkpoints, making our way back to the MTR, and then getting all the way back to central station took about two. By now we were hungry again, but little did we know every restaurant in HK seems to be closed at 11 on a sunday evening. Its ironic that at an obscure hour in Toronto when we are looking for a meal, we head to China Town - yet here nothing seemed to be open. Anyways we found a place that resembles something like the HK version of Frans Diner. A mish-mash of cuisines, all super cheap and barely edible. But we were all very thankful we found it :)
Day II
After a well needed sleep, day two began with a trip the a sport complex near Jordan station to watch bradleys game. The complex was pretty neat - it had every field and many many athletes using them. It is nice to see public amenities actually being used!
The weather was perfect. Apparently sun isn't too common around here and we were very lucky to get a sunny warm day. Of course I dressed for a cool day, but oh well. Because of the gorgeous weather, we knew we had to head up to Victoria Peak where there is an amazing view of the city. But first we had to wait in line. We waited in about a 1.5 hour line to take a trolley up the mountain to the lookout. The trolley was awesome! It went on such a steep incline - I have only heard about historically for streetcars, and never actually experienced personally (much like the legendary ones that used to exist in Cincinnati). When we finally arrived at the Peak, the view was breathtaking. Although foggy, you could see the miles of skyscrapers and mountains that make up HK. This view also gave be a basic understanding of the city's general layout.
Up at the peak we sat down to a typical wonton noodle soup lunch. Super yummy -- exactly like the late night dinners in china town I grew up with. From there we head back down. Dad has a cold and he was about done for the day. So he headed to the hotel, planning to meet us later, while bradley, my mom and I headed to Mong Kok market to get some shopping done. We went straight to the ladies market. A typical market of booths and stalls directly in the middle of the street. I found the experience a blast. Lots of people, many nationalities, and so many things to buy. Many stalls have very similar items, but the process of bargaining and looking for exactly what you want was fun. It was especially funny when all three of us worked together to get the best price we could.
Not surprising we also stopped for a 'snack' at a favourite of Bradley's a local szechuan place famous for serving a sour and spicy noodle bowl. I wasn't hungry but I graciously shared one of these dishes with my mom. More amazing though was my grapefruit honey iced tea. The drinks here are the best. So many more options than just soda or water. Every place has its own unique tea combinations, and I am loving it.
Eventually my dad met up with us. We did some more shopping....finally we made out way to a fancy mall called Habour City. There we went to a roof top patio, ae an amazing chinese dinner and watched the famous 8pm laser show. Not quite what we had expected, but still worth seeing. All the buildings have lighting and laser capabilities that certainly adds some colour and excitement to the skyline at night. It was fun, especaiily because it is christmas season and many of the builings were christmas themed.
By this point my feet were out of control hurting. I made the stupid mistake of wearing my fall boots all day with incredibly hard soles. I was in agony, and admittedly grouchy. I was super content going back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. From the harbour we took the Star Ferry back to Central Station then headed back to the hotel. In one day we took a boat, car, subway, and trolley to move through the city. There is no question that HK is amazing.
Rugby Game
So the rugby match didn't go exactly as predicted. Only 8 people showed up on Bradley's team to play in the tournament :( Eventually two more arrived, but they didn't make it until after half time. Usually, their team of of muscly foreign exchange students came in handy over their opponents, but lack of players really did them in. No worries. They left the field with their heads held high eager for redemption in the next game. Unfortunately they didn't have any more games. Regardless they did an awesome job.
Bradley has really bulked up while in HK, and his athleticism has definitely increased! Also, he found a fun outlet for all the aggression boys seem to carry around with them. Rugby is an activity he is bound to carry with him even after he returns back to queens.
Arrived in HK
Goodmorning. I have arrived in the great city of Hong Kong.
The plane ride was unevenetful. We were very lucky to have bulkhead seats, so tons of leg room - making the 15.5 hour long trip much easier to survive. Unfortunately though we didn't have a window so I couldn't watch our landing into this new city. Although I quickly learnt that it is super foggy here and I probably wouldn't have seen much on our decent anyways.
First thing we did was take the airport express train into central. There, we waited for a cab to take us to the hotel. But, because it was the driver shift change we couldn't get a cab and ended up taking a hotel shuttle there - worked soo much better especially because my mom, my dad and I each have our own suitcase.
By the time we got up to the hotel rooms, it was about 5pm here (so about 4am Toronto time, meaning we have been up for 21 hours, not too bad but I was definitely starting to feel sleepy). Thats when we met up with Bradley, who took a cab from his residence with all his luggage to our hotel - he too had some taxi issues, but in the end he made it here just fine.
Of course afterwards we had to go for dinner. The decision as to where we should go was complex - but not something I was involved in. My brother, Bradley has been here for six months, and my parents have been here on a number of occasions, so I left that decision to them. They ended up choosing a favourite sushi spon in Mong Kok. It was delicious. Probably the freshest sushi I have ever had! What was even more exciting though was the trip to get us to the restaurant. The subway here is so much more thourghough than any I have even ridden before. It is complex, but very organized, making the travel no hassle at all. There were people everywhere - as expected.
Overall, HK seems like a fantastic city pulsing with energy. The masses of people everywhere are not overwhelming like I had predicted. Instead it adds a sense of safety to this city. It seems basically impossible to ever be alone.
First thing tomorrow we are headed to Bradley's rudgy game - then who knows, but I am sure it will be amazing.
Mis En Place
Those people who know me, know that I am seriously into food. I try, as often as possible to find time in my crazy schedule to try out a new recipe, visit a hot new restaurant, or return frequently to favourites.
My interest in food originates in from my family. The Shafrans are a pack of foodies who constantly try to one-up each other at the dinner table. And growing up in a multicultural mecca like Toronto has made my exposure to cuisine as natural as breathing. There, you can find the greatest dim sum on the same block as Mexican, Vietnamese, Kosher deli...and the list goes on – thank you Bathurst and Bloor!
But what is really most exciting about food, is the layering of the flavours and the experience one has while developing those flavours - finding the right ingredients, tasting your progress, discovering the right technique to get the outcome you want, and then of course sharing your food with others.
Food is very similar to architecture in this respect. However, it is those unplanned mishaps and straying from the recipe that really make cooking exciting. Like in cooking, architecture has a recipe, but it is only when you alter that recipe that you really discover the essence of the dish: space.
The process of design is like the process of preparing a grand meal. It takes planning, deep thought, a winning concept, terrific timing, a collection of quality materials, a set of skilled tradesmen, and of course an audience. Also, like food, it must respond to the values of our time: economically, environmentally, and socially. In food we have coined the terms: local, organic and leftovers. In architecture we have local, energy efficient, and reused.
Food and cooking does an excellent job of defining our society. Likewise, Architecture is the built form of the society. It represents who we are, how we function, our values, our morals, and what is important to us. Like food, architecture has a distinct nuance depending on its origin. It is about layering elements to establish a unique flavour. It is both a necessity and a delight. It is the responsibility of both the designer and chef to determine what elements must be used to showcase the overall message.
As a child, my dad made sure to teach me ‘mis en place’ or ‘put in place.’ This means before you cook a dish or a meal, take out all the ingredients you need before you are ready to start, then put the individual ingredients away once you are finished using them. As much as I tried all my life, this process never seemed to go just right. I was always sure to take out everything I needed before hand, but the putting things away was always the challenge. You see, it never seemed like in cooking you were actually ever finished with an ingredient. Instead of following the recipe to a T, I would always add a little of this here, and that there. I could only put away the ingredients once I was sure the dish was done. The same goes for architecture. As much as we try to stay organized and go step at a time, somehow the process is much blurred. It is non-linear and requires you – like when creating meal – to dabble in many ideas at once to find the best outcome.
Bon Appetite!
And so it begins!
My first website. My first blog. And. My very first post!
Thank you for visiting and taking a look at what I have to offer. I am enthusiastic to share my thoughts on my world. Here I hope to blog about my creative endeavours, and life experiences. I am a new writer, so it may take me a while to get into the swing of things, but I am confident this will be a great learning opportunity for me to hone my skills. If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
So, a little about me. I am a girl who wishes she could stay at school forever, without the deadlines. I love learning and developing my abilities. Moving out of my comfort zone scares me, but in the end pushing myself always seems worthwhile.
Four years ago, I made the move to Cincinnati from Toronto. At first it was culture shock. I was out of my element, and didn't quite know how to flourish. I focused on school and personal relationships, but now I am ready to work on my design related interests and become more involved with my community. This comes at a non-ideal time. In only a few months I will be graduating, and most likely moving out of Cincinnati to focus on grad school or start my career.
For now, I am focusing on Hell Week here at DAAP - trying to finish up all my work, getting ready to publish our studio book, putting up our installation and trying to make some time to work on grad school applications.
In the meantime, here is my unfinished website!