Black is the new black.

On the way to work with my two colleagues, this seems to be pure evidence that designers sport black.

The frustrations of language learning

It has been a year and a half since having moved to the Netherlands. I live in a small town on the west of this fair country; a quaint and for what seems 11 months of the year, quite a cold climate city that goes by the name of Delft. For the past year, I have had bouts of immersing myself in and out of the dutch culture.

On arriving, I joined a house with fifteen dutch girls from my university and lived there for six months. My plan was to stay in the country for six months on a cross cultural exchange from my home university in Sydney, Australia. However as I slowly got to know the people and culture, I felt my time passing quickly, and extended my exchange period to a full year.

I had joined my university's student rowing society and dedicated much of my free time to rowing training and competitions. Rowing is a large student sport within the netherlands and I learnt much of the dutch culture by participating in one of their national sports, and made most of my good friends here.

At the end of this year, I am not sure if it was the co-curricular activities, the new found love of my studies, or the thought of having to again uproot my life, but I attempted to transfer my course from Sydney to Delft. After numerous months of waiting and stressfully biting my nails, an acceptance letter came through, and I was admitted as a full time masters student at the University Technology, Delft.

By that time, I felt as though I knew much more of the culture. I'd found love at the rowing club, I'd moved in with new housemates that I could called my family, and I had even acquired a bike collection.

However, learning a language is one of the most difficult aspects of the Dutch culture that I am still yet to accomplish, and I feel that until I can communicate in dutch with my housemates, I will never completely understand the dutch culture or its people.

For the most part, we get on quite well, we eat dinner together each night, we share breakfast together, and we go on house outings. Most of this is done in dutch, and I am quite happy to sit and listen to my housemates, however after a year of listening, I feel that I am getting fed up with living in a country and only just-getting-by with the language.

For the next few months, I am going to try and improve my dutch, and I guess here (there is no place better than the prying eyes of the internet and those that don't know me) to vent about how the results go.

It is November, and therefore clearly the Christmas season... which means our house has had its first Kerstdiner.

Seasons greetings

JMP does Delhi

In the second year masters program at TU Delft, Design students have to work in cross-(design) master programs. Together with 4 other boys, our group is travelling to India to work on a rickshaw project in Varanasi. This will be done in corporation with the Rotterdam based organisation ENVIU. Over the next 6 months we will create and build a working prototype.

We touched down this morning in Delhi, and will be here for the next few days. Jesse from Enviu is putting us up in his house, and we had a great time exploring Old Delhi today. People warned me about culture shock, and shucks, i thought i was prepared. However, it isn't until you arrive yourself, and experience riding in a rickshaw on the wrong side of the road, or are tempted to eat street food, that you only begin to realise that you are in India.

Here are some snaps from today.

Cooling off at the Jama Masijd. Saree on a Motor Indian Boys holding hands. Saree Sunday Jama Masijd Jama Masijd Indian Streets Indian Rickshaws Stay Poised.

Influence.

Influence is you. It's what creates you. People might look at you and think "damn, that girl is original", but the person you are, is the people that have influenced you. Each person that you come into contact with, changes you whether it be for the better or worse.

Imagine with me for a second, will you? We'll use a situation that everyone encounters. The Supermarket... Say that you're going to the supermarket and you bump into someone. She smiles at you, and says "don't worry about it". She's wearing brown boots, and has hair half way down her back, a t-shirt that comes just above her belly button, and tight-ish jeans on. You can recall her outfit years later, it was so cool. To this day, you want to dress just.like.her. For me, it might be that way that people put a piece together.

There are two people that come to mind, that have influenced me in a strong way. I am saying this because whenever I am in a sticky situation, I think "what was he do.."

I'm not saying that there aren't more people, but these three, but let's call them two, people, have influenced me more so than others. Perhaps it was their personality, but looking back, I think what I loved about them most, was their intelligence, humour, and quick wit. 

Rocking Chairs.

I would like to create a rocking chair. Perhaps I should move to mexico, or just make one myself... I have decided to take initiative and start doing things. This is next on my list then...

A truly Dutch Experience

Tomorrow is Valentines, hence the photo. I snapped these two via what my friend Suze calls the "hip" shot... It's simple, Point, and shoot... But from the hip. No idea what will come out, but i was lucky with this one.

I've now been in the Netherlands for 6 months, and i have been inspired in so many ways. I am currently taking a master program in SPD. It consists of learning how to design, as well as how designers get to that final product and the many stages which are incorporated into the process before the metal is taken into the warehouse for cutting.

When moving to a new country it is a whole new process. Everything starts all over again, a complete learning process. You find out a lot about yourself, and i can definitely see that myself. Especially working in groups. You find out how you would act in a work environment, and it has definitely helped me grow as someone who voices their opinions etc.

The language, once something filled with plenty of "ggggrrrrrrs" and throat sounds that i found next to impossible are (perhaps unfortunately) becoming less of an effort to pronounce. I enjoy practising what little dutch i know.

Something that i have picked up on here though, is the high intake of small chocolate sprinkles. In australia, we have Fairy bread, which for those of you that don't know, is buttered (generally white) bread. This is then dipped in 100's and 1000's which are coloured pieces of sugar. Yet no person would pull out a 100 and 1000 sandwich at a work place, or university for that matter. In fact, i think this meal, or perhaps afternoon tea snack for a better phrase, is only given to 5 year olds and younger. I think i was a let bloomer, and sneakily ate this at the age of 8, but by 10, if you're still eating this, you wouldn't tell your friends about it.

Yet here in there netherlands, many of my friends casually pull out their lunch box during the break, and break open a chocolate sprinkle sandwich. At first i was overwhelmed at the number of people that found it more than usual, but now i just chuckle.

On coming to the netherlands, i didn't think the culture would be as different from Australia as i have found it, but it is refreshing all the same.

I hope to keep seeing small cultural differences like this...

Over and Out.

The TU

Well, I have arrived in Delft, and am currently taking courses in Strategic Product Design at the University of Technology, Delft. Travelling the world, seeing what is our there in other parts of the planet, ideas from designers from anywhere from Taiwan to Columbia. I've met so many people, and am slowly expanding what I know as well. I've been able to discover that the possibilities within Industrial Design really are endless.

Petit France, Strasbourg

Strasbourg, in the heart of Alsace, was where i have spent the last two years. Coming home after a life changing experience, has made my unsettled in my surroundings back home, but is allowing me to see just how much i have grown as a person. I believe that my design work has benefited as it, as I am a much more focused person now, who loves their degree.

As for Petit France itself, its hidden character is seen through the cracks of the boardwalks and the running water of the rivers underneath your feet. The creamy colours blend together, and when walking through this mini paradise, you are the sheer details of the houses and feel of the cobblestones underneath you remind you of how lucky you are to be able to walk these streets.

$2 a day

As a designer, I need to be looking out for the future, as well as the imprint that i am placing on the world, which is why i took the challenge of using $2 a day, for 5 days ($10) as part of the Oaktree's annual fundraising event.

Melbourne

After arriving back in melbourne, i find myself wanting to travelling again, but it is just going to have to wait for another time.

DELFT

As part of the Netherlands, Delft is going to be home to me for the next 6 months (August-February), as i was accepted on exchange to Delft university! Already having travelled to amsterdam, i know that i will be in store for a very, beautiful city.

Marcos Torres

Now, this evening's finding is absolute gold. Warmly Buttered toast, these designs aren't for the faint hearted. He puts his soul into his work, hope you like it too.
You can find out more from Marcos' website.










Short and Sweet. Good Night Sydney.

SWATCH

So here is the first of my out-of-uni-for-fun assignments. Designing the graphics for a Snowboarding Trophy. I really enjoyed getting back into Illustrator, and am please with the result for Swatch.



Art Rules | Swatch

Update! Currently, you can also see it here. Click Him!