Nostalgia

On Friday afternoon, a co-worker sent a link to some photographs of New York City she has taken during her work visit to the East Coast.  Then it hit me and I got home sick.

I miss New York City.  It was my home for the last year and a half.  I did what most twenty somethings dream of doing after graduating college.  I had fit everything into two suitcases and exceeded the limit by a few pounds.  I remember saying good bye to my parents and brother at the security gate.  The next morning I arrived and took the SuperShuttle to Chappy's place in the Upper West Side.  I stayed in his spare room through Columbia's dormitory housing for two weeks as I tried to find an apartment.  The room was 6'-0" by 9'-0", had a twin mattress on the floor and didn't see the light of day.  Everything eventually worked out and I settled in.  I was missing California at the beginning (only natural) but by month four or five, I was loving it all.  There's something magical about the city that you can't quite find elsewhere.  New York fosters a creative energy and you can see it through the buildings, the design firms, and through the people that live there.

I think moving has been a healthy remedy for myself.  I know I want to try out a European city at some point (maybe Amsterdam, London or Copenhagen).  Shanghai is a beast in its own right.  The last five weeks have been incredibly eye-opening as I've tried to find my niche.  

Inspired by:

http://nymag.com/news/features/56014/

These days...

I've been learning Grasshopper for Rhino (an visually based interface for scripting), trying to learn the fundamentals of Rhino scripting, trying to learn Mandarin, memorizing everything LEED, going to the gym and meeting people here and there.  I wrote my first facade script today!  Granted it was quite elementary but now I can change the panel dimensions, spacing, and rotations!  I really like my job.  I've been learning these new digital tools and designing a bit here and there.  I think the biggest hurdle I passed last week was realizing the importance and awesomeness of scripting.  I was getting stressed out the other day for the first time in a while because there's just so much to do and learn.  

I'm going to go to the fabric market this weekend and try to get some summer dresses made.  It's basically an indoor bazaar of tailor vendors and you have to bargain your way into getting things made.  I'll start off small -- maybe one or two dresses.  I went to the electronics store the other day and salesmen and women shouted as I strolled through the overheated hallways of the four story complex.  I'll be honest, I hate bargaining.  I think it's because I'm not good at it and I don't know my Mandarin well enough.  I prefer shopping on my own terms and only wanting assistance when I want it.  (Is that very American?)  I don't want someone shouting at me as I cross into their retail boundary line.  I'd rather see the price and decide to buy it based on that price.  It's a stupid game we foreigners play with the locals.  Cut the bullshit and just name a final price - take it or leave it.  Erika says that I need to get that first good deal and I'll get pulled into this game.  Maybe this will change when I go to the fabric market.

  

After my LEED test, I'm going to go to Suzhou.  I need to start going on short weekend trips to cities near Shanghai.  I can't believe just last year Alicia and I were in D.C. on our awesome trip to see Ngan.  Time flies by so fast.  I've already reached my one month mark here.

People use their business cards here!

...too bad I don't have any yet.

I love diagrams

I got my first El Croquis today!

For $15!

I want this.

Laptop bags are ugly.  But I came across this leather school bag by Proenza Schouler.  Too bad it's $2000.