So hello. I told Joel that I originally did not want to write posts particularly on the shamby…. but I suppose that may have been because I didnt have much to say. Now I will. I am taking an internship as well as being in my final full semester here at MCAD, and so I’d like to share it with you all… But alas, my login wasnt working, and Joel had to fix it.
And now, as I bask in the glory of making my first shamb-post, I wait for my noodles to be done, and anticipate nervously my first official crit for Advanced Photography (SCARY), I will wish you all a happy friday!
Hi Shamby – sorry I have been distant from your walls. The life of angie leaves something to be desired (namely, shambot-surfing time). To what do you owe this amazing visit? well, yes, Shamby, it is because I am too sick to leave my apartment that I have time to grace you with my presence. Wonderful aint it? Yes, that is right. I am dying of the common cold – sniffling, sneezing, sore throat – pretty much the nyquil commercial. Nyquil what? Yeah, I love you, and am almost out. maybe I should go get some more? who wants to get out of bed? not me. I need some lovely delivery service to bring the following: soup, french bread (don’t ask why, it just sounds good), jello (did I mention sore throat?), nyquil, sudafed, I am really craving starbucks, oh, and someone to finish my homework. Um, yeah, I think that is about it. Oh, or like canned peaches, or applesauce, or other cold and wonderful things that make swallowing not painful.
Okay after the spending the past semester in the spending the entire time posting about my self important musing about Tokyo, I have decided to kick it up a notch and post something even more self-indulgent, let’s talk about my CLASSES! I will try to make it better by inviting anyone else to do the same.
Thermodynamics: No frills level 300 physics class. Book was under 50 boom boom dollars which is crazy for a physics text and the first problem set was an easy introduction back to physics problem sets and was actually kindof refreshing. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Computer Science 2: We are programming in Java, and let me say, for being famous for bad hygiene and social awkwardness I think computer programmers are really cute. Or at least their puns in Java are. The condensed version is called Espresso, there is another thing called java.beans and I hope to find more!
Film Studies special topic: Body Culture Technology: Do you know what that title means? I sure don’t. When we went around in class we had to say why we picked that class to study. I really had no idea what the class what about (it switched topics while i was in japan). So I said, “The things this course covers seems interesting to me.” As far as I can tell the class is a post-modern look at how technology changes the way we view the distinctions between body mind and space, and using films as texts to see how the common man views this distinction. The interesting thing about it is because we are interested in that we are actually watching what I would consider pretty bad movies, like Hackers. I dunno I am terrified because to me post-modernism basically means I can’t understand it. I looked at a reasonable sample of the 20 or so books we will be using this term and all of them on Amazon have reviews saying that they were incredibly hard reads! YAY! I kindof like the dichotomy of reading incredibly elitist books and watching base movies. I hope I can keep up.
Japanese Literature and Film: Wow… It really frustrates me to have just completed a 3.5 month homestay and trying to seriously study Japanese culture and rid myself of those simple monolithic statements about Japan, to sit in a class filled with Japanophile people mapping how they feel about Japan. It sucks that in a class that is supposed to be a serious study of japanese feminist writers a group wrote that Japan had “Cute Girlz!”. Or the group that spent the whole period making Ninja jokes. Ugh. I know i didn’t make friends when I told someone they were probably better off for not knowing J-Pop. The teacher and I bonded because she lived off the same train line I lived off of in Tokyo. Chuo-sen for lyfe! RESPEK!
Well, I hope someone else does a class thingy!
I de-flowered my studio today by working on my first drawing assignment. We are supposed to use our in-class drawing from last week for reference, and make a new drawing based on what we think drawing is. We’re also need to implement a “masking and unmasking” technique that we learned in class. Basically you draw something, say some cups on a table, then cover it up areas in the drawing by either using charcoal and blocking in color, or painting over areas. Then, you redraw what you just covered. I’ve never heard anyone talk about this method before, and I really don’t know how it’s supposed to help me understand what drawing is. Hopefully I will find out after class this Thursday after critiquing the homework.
An in-progress shot, maybe I will take a better picture when I’m done. I used my other drawing for reference, and I drew squares to represent areas where the composition was working well. I also used the squares to show shadowy areas. Any advice on what to do next?
………..Is something I am terrible at. Allow me to elaborate:
I am finally almost finished with my espresso training at the Java House. I can make espresso, Lattes, Mochas, Hot Cocoa, Americanos, and other wonderful treats that are terrible for me, but I still can’t make some things like Capuccinos or Macchiatos, however,I will learn soon. I have made most of these things before, since I had a coffeeshop job before J ta tha H, but the way they make stuff is a lot trickier. At my old job it took me about an hour to learn almost everything, but at Java House it took me two hours to learn to steam milk properly. (When I finally did get it right, I got a round of applause from the 5 or so coworkers who were in the store at the time.) They have really high standards for drink making, and really specific things that they want you to do when you make things like espresso and steamed milk. If you make a Latte that is too foamy, then you have to throw it out and start over again (and who wants to be all bloated and farty from a foamy latte anyway?) At first it was really intimidating, and my first training session was a little terrifying, but the second one was really fun. It’s really cool and challenging to try and make a perfect drink.
I am probably coming off as a coffee snob, or a Java House tool to all of you guys who don’t know me that well, (and some of you that do, I know my g-f has said something to that extent…) It’s just a cool skill and I am proud to have finally picked it up.
Here’s another sketchbook page. I’m debating whether or not it’s worth it to post these because I don’t really have a reason to. I’m not enlighting you with an anecdote or my opinion on environmental strategies or the current war developments. To tell you the truth I live most of my life not knowing or understanding our sociopolitical status. Ignorance is bliss, they say. Maybe it’s not my role to give you that kind of information, but what I can do is offer a little insight on what’s going on in my brain, and also what’s going on in the art world. Hopefully it’s enough to fill some kind of creative void you may be experiencing.
Emma and I talked about how she can’t draw guys that well (even though she can) and I can’t draw girls. So, here we go I tried. I like the monster girl with big hands strutting along with the crazy heels. If I can’t draw a normal girls in the future, I guess I’m okay with monster girls.
it’s been quite the week.
finally, i’ve arrived…i am officially moved in to my apartment in brooklyn heights (which, if possible, is even more amazing than i remember it being when i first came out to see it). but what happened in the days that led up to the move, you ask?
well, i’ll tell you. if you insist.
it all began at work, at harper’s. all was normal, i was planning on going back home after work and having myself a nice plate of noodles and watching gilmore girls, when fate intervened. he was in the form of intern barry, a nice guy (and the one who sits next to me in the intern cubicle). previous to his internship at harper’s he worked at a place called the paris review (a big deal in the literature world). well, the paris review is sort of old school–and they host these swanky cocktail parties every few months. all of us at harper’s were invited, including me (by way of barry).
it started at seven, and previous art intern bree (who i met that afternoon) and i showed up about 7:30. we were offered free drinks straight away, and they flowed freely all night (heaven is 150 smarty pants people smashed into posh offices, getting trashed, let me tell you). i met tons of people, most notably the former interns at harper’s–i think i met 3 art interns and twice as many editorials, who all cling to their harper’s experiences like the remnants of a previous relationship (apparently, the real world isn’t quite as fun. who knew?). i stumbled home, accompanied on the subway by an equally inebriated intern suzannah, at about 11–then entertained the ben for a few hours by phone. well, i was entertained, anyway.
wednesday was the babysitting experience–the woman’s name is lisa (this is cynthia nixon’s cousin–she was ON sex and the city once) and her kids are isabella and gabriel. it was lovely, and very profitable. i think i may be babysitting as a part time job for her (she apparently needs some help mondays and wednesdays–my free days).
thursday brought more excitement–i had dinner after work with about 8 other nysp-ers (brannan from tennessee sort of orchestrated the get together). it was great, and i think it’s going to be a fun group. but i seem to be the only internship student (awesome). this means, essentially, everyone else will be bonding in the studios all week while i am at work, alone. so sad.
as luck would have it, new nysp friend juliet offered to help me move friday afternoon. her and i braved the subway together with my loads of stuff, then had a bonding session while shopping on atlantic avenue (items bought: sheets, sponge thingy for dishes, and bath towel).
saturday i was woken up at 11 by intern suzannah, who called with big plans to venture over to the international center for photography and check out the cartier-bresson exhibition, which was awesome. it was busy, since we didn’t get there until early afternoon, but definitely enjoyable (and i got my sexy flapper quota from the louise brooks mini-show downstairs. hooray for pandora’s box, man).
this morning, i was instructed to be home in the afternoon to receive my birthday package from the ben. i had just returned from my run when he called to check if it had arrived.
then my buzzer rang.
yes, that’s right. my valiant, noble white knight of a boyfriend flew all night to get here this morning, and he is this minute sleeping off a minor case of i’ve been up all night-itis. but he’s here to buy me my first beer and gallavant around the city for a whole week! hooray for ben and the best birthday present ever!
ok. enough. pictures to be posted soon. birthday on tuesday (send alcohol).
Okay guys. I am usually not one to brag (kind of). I am also usually not one to party all night (kind of). However, I am going to break the first one because last night I broke the second one in the CLASSIEST WAY EVER.
