1st Semester

Ist Semester (September- December)

This is the first model we had to make for design workshop class. The theme was lines and intersecting planes composed in a space of a 1" cube. It was a 3 hour class and at the end of it, I had a few scribbles on my butter sheet and had managed to bend a bit of wire into ONE petal. Yup, that’s all I did in 3 hours (I spent most of that time laughing. Shuwana's "madness" had already begun to have ill-effects on me or vice-versa or was it just madness resonating between us, we shall never know) BUT, I had an idea and could imagine every detail of it in my mind. It was going to be an abstract model of a hibiscus or a gul-mohar flower. Thankfully we had until next class to have it finished (there were even people submitting it in December before final submissions!). Working on it was a nightmare!!! The frustration of winding that shoe-lace-like material around and round and round would have caused me to fling the whole thing out of the window had not this lovely course allowed me to do work in front of the TV! That was a nice movie... oh look, I'm almost done!

Pottery Workshop- This was lots of fun. A local potter came in along with his wheel. It was a challenge trying to explain to him what I wanted to do (shame on me for not knowing the local language!) I made most of it on the wheel, but the hole, I had to do with my fingers.... On the right are a few of the other's pots and Maria's head (or more precisely- the head that Maria made. lol) after we varnished them.

Carpentry Workshop: I missed the actual workshop at college, but the following week my room became a temporary carpentry workshop! I was initially sawing with a hack saw blade (yes just the blade... don't know where the handle disappeared to!). Then, noticing that my fingers were turning blue and that I would probably not be able to lift my arm the next morning, took out THE ELECTRIC HAND SAW. It was freaking heavy, and for fear of losing a finger or an arm or even a leg for all I know, happily accepted the help of my Dad. I love laminate; it covers oh so many mistakes. And the red paint adds a very delightful touch! ;)

                 

I don't know why I took a picture of my colour chart. This was the day before submissions and I had wasted so much time doing this simply because it was fun! Especially like the blue swirly thing.

I suddenly realised that I was one model short and so managed to make this in about 15 minutes! Supposed to be RHYTHM and I managed to include rhythm in colour, shape, size, texture and direction. (looks like something I could have made when I was 6, nevertheless I still like it!)

I SO wish I had taken more pictures! Then again, there's always next semester (and another 8 more after that).

p.s. Lots of fun pictures were taken from our Building Construction workshop in the rain... but they are all over the place i.e. with lots of people and I only have a few that I downloaded (because somebody forgot to take their camera... tch tch tch).

WORLD PEACE!

I was one of those girls who loved dressing up and parading up and down my imaginary catwalk pretending to be competing for a crown, and then smiling at myself in the mirror as I placed the sparkliest hairband I could find, on my head.

I still watch those pageants, but its not the gowns, the gaits, the smiles or the hairstyles that grab my attention. No, what catches my eye, or lets say my ear are their SPEECHES! (or whatever you call them- the part where they open their mouths and a sound comes out which is not a giggle)

I was watching Miss. World 2007 last month. When speaking about their "Beauty with a purpose" project, Miss. Hong Kong China, Kayi Cheung said with the sweetest smile ever, "It makes me very very happy, when I make old people very very happy." She is representing her country, for crying out loud. Did she honestly think that that would warm people's hearts? She's 23, not some 6 year old who helped an old lady cross the road!

Then to Miss. Peoples Republic of China, Zhang Zilin, the question, "What is your aim in life?" "My aim in life is to carry the torch at the Olympics next year."Perhaps she's received a vision that her life will end at 23 and that the only thing she can possibly do to leave a mark on the world is to be the one to carry the torch at the Olympics next year. Poor thing! Lets all hope she gets to fulfil her dream and manages not to trip as runs with her 4" heels. (She won the title of Miss. World 2007 by the way, well obviously with such an innovative goal!!)

Now, what was that phrase that resonates through these pageants? Oh yes- WORLD PEACE. What do you wish for in this world? World Peace. What do you want the world to pray for? World Peace. If you could bring about a change in this world, what would it be? World Peace. If the first 14 finalists don't say it, you can count on the 15th one to say it.

So, they wish for World Peace- what do they aim for?- eradicating poverty???!!! Yes, I'm not joking, that's what they say. But that's the most brilliant aim, so whats wrong with that?

Well, I would think, if that was really their aim in life, they would be working their toes off studying economics or sociology or working as a missionary in some third world country and not wasting the past year filing their toe nails and curling their eyelashes on a low-carb diet posing in front of a camera and practicing their speeches. (yes, I'm rolling my eyes)

Ok, fine. Say, they want to work on their aims after they win. I mean, they have certain responsibilities when they are in possession of the crown. But, (inhale) for that they have to win and to win they have to beat 80 other contestants and to get to the finals in the first place, they would have to win the Miss. (country's name) crown and to get that they would have to beat 30 odd finalists in their own country and to be in their country's final, they would have had to be shortlisted from the thousands who sent in their picture and bio data!(that was a long sentence, inhale) So, when considering the options available to achieve this dream, Miss. (World/Universe/Earth.... whatever else there is) is not the most promising one.

BUT, what if you do actually win? Then yes, you actually do get to do something. I've seen those pictures- Miss.World cutting the ribbon to inaugurate some health centre, Miss.World carrying a poor malnourished Indian child while she is wearing a pair of Gucci sun-glasses and carrying a Chanel handbag, Miss.World holding hands with an AIDS infected woman before being whisked off in her private jet to attend a fashion show at Milan.

Hmmmmmm.. how do I end this article? I'm not usually so negative. They are very beautiful women. Their fashion artists definitely have good taste in colours and style and their personal trainers do excellent jobs in perfecting their stride and postures and I've always wondered how those judges narrow it down to one!

adios!

p.s. I still love dressing up!!!! ;)