Spring break...

So this week was spring break. Actually, it's called 'Reading Week.' They abolished spring here. 'Spring' semester is called 'winter' semester... 'spring break' is 'reading week'... next comes summer. I'm really ready for summer too... it's been unseasonably warm this winter (yeah, here too) so all of the snow and ice is still on the ground from thanksgiving, but between snows it warms just enough to turn the snow on the sidewalks into slush. Wet feet suck. Lesson learned: buy waterproof boots next year.
So I've spent my week working on re-submitting a grant request that got turned down last week, compiling paperwork to get a work visa, rearranging my apartment, working at studio, listening to Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World, Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, and Robert Solomon's Will to Power: The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. I've read all three, but yet another thing I love about architecture is that you can listen to books on tape while you draw, model, design, render, etc.. It's a great way to learn... multi-tasking, if you will, and really relaxing. I've gotten to hang out with Thomas, Suzi, and the kids (Steven, 12; Nicholas, 6 or 7; Peter, 16 months). I've had dinner ther a few times this week. They're great... my insurance against starvation.
Speaking of starvation, I came trudging home from school in the snow last night trying to think of what I could find to make for dinner and found a package waiting for me at the door! Darla Cottingham, long-time family friend, sent me a care package filled with food! It was a really nice night after that. My tiny little cupboard lookd so full! I made Chicken [of the sea] Fettuccine Alfredo and watched Fahrenheit 9/11. Man, I think Michael Moore has a talent for uncovering conspiracy, but I really can't stand that guy sometimes. I know that's what he wants... but I guess I'll just have to buy in. Anyway, if you haven't seen that movie, it's worth watching. Just pay attention to the facts about the people and try to block Moore's voice out... you ought to be fine.
So today I plan to go over to Thomas' house and play with Peter for a bit and then get some studio time in. I need to put away the laundry I finally washed sometime today too. Doing the dishes wouldn't hurt... off I go, then. Merci de la lecture. Au revoir.

New pictures up...

So I scanned a bunch of pictures I found in old notebooks and put them up. Just doodles... but they were done during classes mostly so they're weird... "Mike" weird... so you can't be offended.

I enjoyed my weekend. Since changing studios things are much better at school. I'm less stressed and cruising. I didn't do anything this weekend but relax and catch up on errands, laundry, dishes, etc. Seems like all I do these days is work my ass off at school and then work my ass off at home catching up with everything I let slide to work at school. Geez... Anyway, so I have to turn my laptop in tomorrow for repairs so I'll be out of the loop for a few days. Hopefully not more than a week. We'll see. Until then... goodnight all.

No guff from the swine...

So I've conveyed a bit of what's been going on between my professor and I... very unprofessional relationship based on some unknown slight he's found against me. I went to the school director after two particularly nasty, particularly public outbursts by my prof on Friday and asked him [the director, Marco] to mediate a talk between my prof and I. Paul [my prof] wouldn't talk unless someone [his boss] made him. Marco was very supportive and understood the situation both from my words and from Paul's history as one of the worst-rated professors on faculty... consistently. So over the weekend, it was determined that Paul just could not come to terms with the situation and wanted me moved out of his studio instead of talking to me. Now I've been moved to the studio I requested in the first place. Much better. I told them that was not my preferred option because we're halfway through the semester already but evidently, Paul feels that I "constantly undermine his authority" because I always have questions. I don't know... doesn't make sense to anyone else either. HA! HAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA! HAAAAAA! I did it! I stayed quiet, took the verbal abuse for a few weeks and in the end Paul knew he had no cause to back his behavior and knew he could not come out looking good if we were to sit down in front of his boss! He knew that whatever his problem was (and I still don't know) he couldn't justify it. As opposed to sitting and having a conversation with me in front of a neutral party he'd rather just get rid of me! HAAAAA HA HA! I love it! Sweet poetic justice! This ALL started because Paul's friend who is in charge of studio placements told him that he wasn't my first choice and I had tried to get out of his studio. Paul was offended, I think, that I would agree with the MASS consensus and choose someone else to teach me. Things are now the way they should have been in the first place! I had such a great day! I felt like the one guy to make it out of Alcatraz! The studio I was moved to is really the only one where most of the people aren't constantly grumbling and waiting for the semester to be over! I've been moved into a smaller group of students, better profs, and a better project! So patience and suffering payed off this time, folks. I held my course, made sure I was minding my own business and doing what I was supposed to do and I let him yell his way into putting me in the studio I requested in the first place. The whole school knew about it by the end of the day. They had seen how he treated me and most every one of them was pulling for me. I got alot of "congratulations!" today... feels good. They were particularly impressed that I held my temper so well and never really reacted to him. I ["the American"] surprised them by being quiet, patient, and longsuffering. See... I'm doing our country proud and breaking stereotypes in a foreign land! So now I have to try to put money together to take a trip to NYC in a few weeks. We're driving so it may be manageable. We'll see... I don't have to go but it would be really helpful since my design project is sited in NYC. That's a whole new issue to tackle... which I can do now that I have had that tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders. Thank you! Good night!

Portfolio!

Finished! That took all stinking day but my portfolio is online now! I's 3:30 AM so I'm not going to check for broken links yet but if you find one shoot me an email, eh?

My friend Jenne says:

"No guff from the Swine. But don't beat the swine up, either."

My neighbor Allie says:

"I want to see more movies made with people getting killed by icicles."

That's it folks! Portfolio's in!

Well I've been out of the loop for a few days finishing my portfolio. I got it finished a couple days ago, spent 2 days tweaking the layout, and turned it in yesterday with my application packet. In case I haven't explained, I was accepted into the Architecture school, but into the qualifying year program and not the actual graduate program. That means I have to complete a year here to get some pre-graduate classes out of the way and let them take a look at me for a year. So, in the end, they're going to evaluate my application with a fresh portfolio (which is in the middle of being put online... probably by this weekend), an 11.0 gpa (out of 12... that's an A average which is really good for up here), and some freshly-revised writing samples. I'll make it into grad school... that's not a question... but I am competing for scholarships so it's important how high I rank on the acceptance list. I should know something in the next couple of weeks and I'll pass on the word ass oon as I get it. As far as the rest of school goes, I should be able to float through the rest fairly stress-free. I just need to make A's to keep any scholarships I get. No problem. :) Today I have to do some dishes, some laundry, and write a paper for class in the morning. Fun! Fun! Fun! Here goes...