shanghai photo travelogue part 1

 taken in 2008

taken in 2013

going to China in a few weeks

guess what air asia i don't need in flight entertainment i came prepared

a dream

I was visiting my old high school friends and they did not pay attention to me, almost ignoring me. Then I was pushed into an exercise class which was already one hour running, and I was late. I was made to wear a fancy costume, which was a selection of animal onesies at the back of the room. I chose the raccoon. After I managed to get the onesie on the class had ended and I had to chuck the costume out as soon as I wore it out. As I was walking out of the class I saw my high school friends again, sitting, chatting away and eating lunch. I asked how they were but they didn't respond. Then I told them I was going home and they said, 'Ok'. I walked home through the passage I used to take to get from my primary school to my house. The park near my house had changed, it was overgrown with hills and also had beside it one high rise apartment that had been built there years ago. And there was little water in the pond, for it had not rained in months. When I went home, I walked inside to find that it was the study room cubicle in a library I was in days ago. Next to the study room cubicle was a stationery shop which sold A3 paper named 'bachelor paper' which was dark grey and 'masters paper' which was white, and I had been in that store a day ago just browsing for A3 paper. Next to the shop was a small cafe which I had also want to on that day, and the shop was about to close for the end of the day. I wanted to order a certain drink, but the cafe did not have any of it left. I ended up ordering a coffee and black forest cake. The cake was half-eaten as the staff moved the customers out to close the shop. So I moved back to the study room hoping to finished the cake off but I realised the cake was not with me, and when I looked back to the cafe the doors were shut. I had to study. Study for what though? I knew something was due. I was growing anxious as I didn't know what assignment was due soon. I was to shut myself entirely for a week away from everyone. Outside the window of the study room the sun was setting down a blue sea.

I woke up from the dream feeling tired, depressed and lonely.

I'M BACK

with

what I gained during a summer studio in Milan:

-a new found appreciation for Beyonce
-a new found appreciation for baby animal anything
-time playing in the snow for longer than I really wanted
-many unwanted (mostly) nuzzles from Kamila
-weight from all that pasta (inevitable)
-a zillion clothes from Zara


what I didn't gain during a summer studio in Milan:

-knowledge of how to design a building in a foreign context
-knowledge of designing a huge complex building in short amount of time