partayy (nah not really)

I watched House of the Flying Daggers and American Beauty last night. American Beauty is such a wacked out film. I can't decide if i like it or not.

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This morning at 8 I took my dog out for a walk/run. She's pathetic and not a runner at all. I walked her for 20min and then went to the park to let her rest (Note HER and not me). Afterwards when i got up to head back she wouldn't even budge. She's a smart one. If she doesn't feel like walking or doesn't want me to keep pulling her away from other dogs she'd just flop down where she was. She flops in the middle of crossing a road and i have to pick her up to the other side of the road. Smartass dog.

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Wonderful. My mum is once again telling me the stories of how NYE and etc leads to girls getting pregnant. This was egged on by my sister's comment of "New years is the biggest day for cleaners" where she replied "New years is the biggest day for the Family Association cos kids come in to say they fell pregnant". We don't have normal conversations at home...that is when i do have conversations...rare though..

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MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL

unamused.

I am unamused.

So there's this dinner i will be having that was arranged days ago. I've nothing against dinners. I like them, especially casual and fun ones. But what i really can't stand are the overly prepared, pretentious, and contrive ones. Well this dinner is one of those that i can't stand. From past experience, they create awkward situations. It's like a friggin game. Us, the diners, must live through days of preplanned dinner ideas. The continuous location changes, times, days. The more changes and talk there is about it, the more anxious we become. Okay, maybe i'm overly generalising. But i know I get anxious.

I like spontaneous things, with no expectations and too little time to build up suspense. But what I'm really pissed off about is my fellow diner:

1. they freak me out on the first night when they say they're going to dress up. Dressing up for a dinner in general is pretentious to me. I didn't know what to say so all i did in response was go LOL. Yes i LOL'd.

2. I find out later that the particular restaurant is a 5star very sought out restaurant with ridiculous prices. So am i supposed to pay for this ridiculous meal? I certainly don't want you to pay for me cos that just gives the wrong idea. But I would've liked to have been given a warning for when my bank card rejects me.

3. a day later the restaurant decision changes. We're going elsewhere now. Fantastic.

4. I ask about the necessity to dress up and then they proceed to mock me for being gullible.

WTH right?

So from points 1 to 4, I am VERY unamused.

the wee mornings

I can't say im back because god knows when's the next time im going to post again.

In the last 2 days i have gone a tad OCD. A tad being that last night I stayed up til 7am cleaning and rearranging my room. It's still not done yet. Now its 4.30am and im still cleaning/rearranging. I have this whole grand plan laid out in my head you see. Im going to turn this whole teenage-hoarding-crap bedroom to a minimalistic-classy-simple bedroom.

Things still yet to do:

- Trash all my PRIMARY and HIGH SCHOOL crap.

- Find a way to let go of all these childhood stuff. Ive already managed to give away my 20 odd Dolly magazines to my neighbour across the road :D

- Trash unused makeup, jewellery, and clothes

- Basically trash everything I havent used in the past 3 months.

- Move my beige desk out and keep the mahogony one.

- Rearrange my wardrobe, bed, desk, and vanity table. (A days job i imagine)

- Buy new floorlength white curtains and white bedsheet set.

- Maybe get a clock.

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In other news, I havent worked in the past.....7days and counting. I feel so poor. Its holiday season for highschoolers so i've got no work til Jan 3.

3more weeks til i survived 1st year architecture

My final presentation panels :)

i wasnt very happy with the layout and there were things i didnt manage to do such as REDO MY GODDAMN ELEVATION. But considering my heart was pounding and my fingers were clicking on photoshop at 500clicks/minute at 6am, layout was alright...

In the 3days that i had to redo this whole presentation, i spent 45hrs on it hahah

Anyway it paid off cos my tutor said i'd improved alot since interim (which is a preliminary presentation 2weeks ago). HD would be a better praise though.

(Scroll down to....2..3 posts ago and there are my interim presentation panels)

Portfolio due in 1.5weeks. Time for frantic race no. 500 this year.

yo

Last final presentation tomorrow.

Trying to get the adrenaline going. Been at it for days. My archi classmates are practically my replacement family now. I see them more than i see anyone else.

Far out. im tired. Rather pissed off at myself too cos i keep having to redo things due to my stupidity and lack of thinking whilst doing it. gah.

Scavenge

So today for our construction tutorial we had a little fun pop quiz amongst our groups. One question i got asked was "how much does a clay brick weigh?" From years of experience in weighing apples and watermelons in Coles, i used my peripheral senses and said "3kilos" and I got it right.

Afterwards we had the funnest group activity we've done this semester. Each tutorial group had to find materials around the studio and design and create a life-sized structure.

It was hilarious. People flipped white boards, hung chairs/tables, used T-squares/wooden frames, and lots of string.

(1a) Lots of rolled up paper stuck on a paper frame and hung upside down

(1b) paper rolls being hung

(2) A really good use of a whiteboard flipped on its side so that it works as a swivel door. So clever hahah

It's an entry to an entrance.

And notice the random milkcrate hanging.

(3) Definately the most impressive one. Chairs creating arches and stuck together by tape. So clever

(4) "The Pirate ship" LOL. Grace's group and she's very proud of it.

(5) My group. We came up with the arching chairs idea before we saw the other group. But they definately did it better cos this isn't an arch and they didnt break a table :D

There is actually a string teepee spiralling down the centre, past the chairs but it doesnt turn up in photos cos the string's too thin.

Oh btw, the table on the left closest to the windows is mine :)

(5b) A zoom in on to the string teepee otherwise it doesnt come up on photos.

If you're wondering if our studio's always this messy, yes it is hahah

4more weeks and i can say i survived 1st year architecture

Here's some images of my presentation that resulted to 5 whole days at uni during

my mid-sem break while law students went to Goldcoast and partied.

Each of these pages are A1 sized. I have totally lost my sense of value of money. This isn't even my final presentation and it was 70bucks. In the next 4weeks i know i need to fork out 350bucks for another 100 on presentation, 200 on portfolio, and 50 on model. Everytime i throw so much money away i think about all the starving children in Africa and it kills me a little inside.

It's somewhat ironic. As architects, we're all so concerned about designs being sustainable and ecological. Then you take a look at how much paper and materials we use and throw away and you realise, designing something sustainable is probably an architects way of clearing their conscience.

ANYWAY, I hand drew all the drawings and scanned them in then photoshopped.

That axonometric drawing in the first page (the one with the red), that took me a total of 12 hours literally. It's my pride and joy and centre piece LOL

Look at my sperm whale in my tank below hahaha. Thats how i make architecture fun. Put whales in fish tanks and point it out to everyone

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And here's my model. It's definately not one of my finest work but my tutor seems to really like it so meh. All the blue parts you see, i did some resin casting and put in bits of blue pigments. It's messy stuff.

It's actually a really really flimsy model. Some pighead lifted it up while i was out for lunch and i came back to a distorted model with broken ramps and a piece of

it that was supposed to be sitting on the bottom inside of the building, on TOP of my roof. Whoever managed to do all that without completely devastating the model is quite impressive.

It's probably not unexpected for you all to hear about my psychotic sleeping patterns or lack of. In fact i'll enlighten you again. I've been awake for 40hrs. I stayed overnight in my studio sat 2pm to Sunday 11pm preparing for a presentation. This is also my 'mid-sem break'

When other people hear about our sleeping rituals, a lot of them automatically blames us for:

1. lack of time management

2. lack of self discipline

and when we hear this we get PISSED OFF. I have encountered so many obnoxious people judging us for what we do. We are perfectionists. Those who aren't will never succeed in our course.

We've been preparing for a presentation on Tuesday. Ever since the beginning of our mid-sem break, we've been coming into our studio and working.

I'll post up some pics real soon :)

Im ALIVE

HELLO MY LOVELIES!

Ive neglected my blogger side for wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long!

So here's a quick update on whats been up with my life.
Im still loving uni even though it's less of a thrill now (obviously) haha. I work at GJs for average 13hrs/wk which is A HELL OF A LOT especially for an archi student.

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Well here is what i've been doing with all my modelling for this sem. It's not alot cos it's all weekly building up work.

Basically each studio group got assigned a city. My city is Tokyo. I chose a site and built a mass model in wk 1.




I picked an area of my site and decided on the function of an Aquarium.


We did alot of plan/axonometric/circulation drawings throughout the weeks and just this week we had to do a structure model.
The form of my building concentrates alot around this large central tank running up through all 4 stories. A ramp circulates around the tank allowing access to all floors. The bottom level is to be underground level. (That little corner thats been cut off in the pic is actually part of a river that runs through my site.)
So yes, i shan't go on about it because i suspect you won't be bothered to read about my whole concept and design.

Hours taken for structure model: NOT A LOT AT ALL - 7hrs max.

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And for our Communications class this semester it's all digitcal media work.

http://comms-desa1002-2009.ning.com/profile/AmandaMeiTingChan

Here's a link to where i hand in all my assignments. It's basically like facebook cept for our grade. We've done collages and plans. If you know other ppl doing my course in my year, you can search them up in the 'Member's link and check out their work ( EG Alex Holman LOL).

And not wanting to sound like a prick but my assignements so far have gotten fairly high marks so im not linking you to some shameful excuse for archi work.

:) cheers

:):)

Im making sure that i make the most out of these 6wks of holidays. By "make the most out of" I dont mean go out, party, drink etc.
I mean to reorganise myself.
Since uni started, i've stopped doing so many things that i used to do for myself. I've been a mess really.
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Im working now :) Well, technically i start tomorrow but I had an interview last wed. I dunno what the pay or general work hours are of yet...I asked the interviewer but she wasn't that sure. It's at Bondi and The Rocks (alternating between places). Also, I plan to do some 'work experience' at my sis' architecture work office during the other days cos its at Bondi too.
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I am a little self indulgent i admit. I tend to choose beautiful things over bargain deals. You also have to admit. Location matters. Now lets all go have a little bitch about the spoils of my life cos sometimes i throw myself into ditches of angst when things don't work the way i want it to.
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I do not enjoy drinking from glass cups with the Flintstones printed on them.

Nor do i enjoy seeing green plastic storage units placed in the bathroom.

Im replacing them all. Like it or not.
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LAST ALLNIGHTER

PULLING THE ABSOLUTE LAST ALLNIGHTER OF SEMESTER 1

WOOOHOO

1324

Hm lets see whats been happening in the last 2weeks.



Well my semester is practically over except for this one big assignment i have to hand in on friday.



On tuesday we handed in our final portfolio for semester 1. Boy was that hectic. Basically, i barely slept for 6days. In fact, i did an allnighter on fri-sat in my studio with 3 other archi lads. But it was kinda fun...in a wierd sort of way. We ate Shapes and microwave food, and drank instant mocha packets. I think on those 2 days, i'd stared at the computer screen for 30hrs straight. Good for my eyes, no?



So holidays are coming up. Im screwed for this assignment on friday though....But anyway, ill get down and dirty on that tmr.

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I have an obsession with the smell of coffee.



I also have an obsession with toast. I could live on that everyday for a year. I like jam or honey on it.



I like meeting new people. But then it also depends on who they are and the general company that they're with.



Sometimes ppl say i could pass for a 25yr old. That'd explain why ive never been checked for I.d. Not even once in Macau at the gazillions of casinos.

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These holidays are gonna be thrilling arent they. *sarcasm intended*

Im hoping to go out and maybe do nothing while being out. I dont mind. Just give me a buzz if ur sitting in hyde park feeding birds and ill join u. (Not literally feeding birds cos id rather die than to encourage their growth and already populating species)

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Goodbye my good friend

Someone stole my phone on thursday :(
My practically new phone that u guys saw me waving about so proudly last december.
It dissapeared within 10minutes of my talking on it. How stupid is that. Im soo peeved. I live off my phone.
I could not leave my house without having my phone.

Left my house keys? no problem, as long as i have my phone.
No wallet? okay, i probably should go back to get it.
No phone? No way, as if that situation could even occur.

I havent even gone through 6months of my 24month contract.

sigh. This post is a tribute to my lovely dependable phone. Ill miss u :(

In the mean time, im back to my old number. The 04** *** 123 one.
And scouting for a new phone.

One Hundred and and One

I realised that my last post was my 100th, oh well.

Since i like to repeat myself so much, could i just say again how MUCh i love uni? I love my friends, i love my course, i love meeting new people/making new friends, i love it all. I can't imagine how horrible it wouldve been if i hadnt gone to uni (if there had ever been a choice..)

I really hope all you uni-goers out there who havent found their calling yet, that you will soon. Stay strong, patient and make the most of it all.

I remember my 2nd day of uni the most, because it was the crappiest day of my entire short uni experience. It was isolating, depressing, friendless, and overcrowding. If i had to live that crap day every single day throughout my whole 5yr course, i don't think i would ever graduate.

Im not particularly patriotic about Sydney Uni but i do love uni itself. I think in a way, during high school, i was still trying to find myself so I didn't always feel like i was being myself.
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Oh yes, please tell me. DO I LOOK LIKE A REALLY GOOD GIRL?? I can't count how many times i've been told by how many people that i look like a super super good girl in a super super nice way. Omg.

I think highschool friends don't see me that way because you guys have seen me in my retarded stages of life (not saying im not still retarded) so the image of me then sticks to you.

Anyway i swear its cos my hair is straight or something and i wear jeans etc. I dunno but i dont get it.

Oh yeah, and just by looking at me, everyone can tell that i dont swear that much. In fact, they DARE me to drop the F-bomb "just for kicks".

Another good day :)

I went through A LOT to do this structures model. Ran around the whole of Hyde park the nightbefore this was due cos i hadnt started and didnt have any balsa sticks. Art shops around city either ran out or were closed. In the end i bussed it to Waterloo to get some off my friend. Life saver.

Anyway, pulled another all nighter for this. Its not really a suprise anymore aye.
It paid off though. My tutor loved it and the head guy of archi faculty took a pic of it. That means i should show up to nxt weeks lecture cos last time he took a pic of my work, he put it in his lecture powerpoint.

Time taken for structure model: 10hr (+ alotta caffeine and binge eating)

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1:1 drawings of building details. These were 7-8 metres long and hanging from 2nd year studio to the main canteen area.

Time taken for drawing: 5hrs
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Inspirationally brain dead

Ive slept 2hrs in the last 48hrs. Or better yet, ive slept 9hrs over the last 96hrs.

So it's interesting.

If you could choose, would u rather:

(A) read and study books in concentrated periods of time during your week

OR

(B) engage with model making and creative things at every second of your 'free' time.

Even though I am exhausted, addicted to caffeine, unable to establish when my meal times are, or when i am supposed to brush my teeth and shower. I still love my course. I would definately choose option B but occasionally when I am struggling through 5hrs of studio with 0hrs of sleep, i do briefly consider option A.

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This was a collage we had to do back in wk2... Little did i know we had it real good then. _____________________________

This week's weekly assignment for my Communications class. We had to build 3 Diagram models of aspects of our given building which was Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple for me. I chose to represent mass/material, light, and circulation in my models.

This is my storyboard where we had to place a story we made up weeks ago inside our given building. We had to use photos of our models and etc.

Its pretty hard to read...but start with the top left frame and and move along horizontally.

Basically my story is based on a nightmare i had back in HSC times where this guy was chasing after me with an axe and i was running around my house (I actually wrote about it back then in this blog...)

Total time taken for Communications hw this wk: 50hrs

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For next Tues' design studio we have to build a structure system from part of our model (the coloured one in my othe post). I chose to do the spirally bit running down the centre (blue/red bit)

My googled inspiration:

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A bientot :)

- My sis and I eating out at our local hotel. They sell Cruisers for $8 so i sneaked off to the Bottle Shop next door and bought them for $4.

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sorry for sounding cold and distant over your news. Itd made me upset

-This is for you,

from me

I know u wont see this but thats okay.

Its a one off and i made mistakes in it.

Classical Gas by Eric Clapton (1/5 page of it anyway)

NoDOZE

I have not slept in the last 41hrs :D

I made this coloured model for design studio. That grey model u can kinda see in the pic, that was my original. We had to use different colours to represent the different kind of spaces in our plan.

Time taken for coloured model: 15hrs

Time taken for origincal grey model: 25hrs

Funny thing is that these are all just weekly studio exercises and homework.

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This is what we did yesterday for our Construction class. It was supposed to be a 'speed model' done in groups of 4 and basically we were thrown into the deep end (cos our construction tutor is NOT helpful at all). We were given plans and had to make a 3d model out of them.

Our overal product :) we reckon it looks pretty cool.

Time taken: 5hrs

Masquerade

TSA cruise with friends. A little easter gathering with old and new friends. They are indeed sitting in a cot with a guitar._______________________________

Im thinking i'll wear flats and carry my heels tmr. I learnt my lesson after tsa. Can't wait to catch up with all my high friends!
Im not prepared for tmr at all. No dress, no mask, no transport plans.
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Ciao amigos
x

Attachment prone

- that is me, also as a characteristic of the ENFP personality type.

I have 5months. 5 months to either distach myself and cause myself less pain when the time does come or 5months to make the most of.

I hate this. I get attached to people, places, and things so much that i find it so hard to let them go. Eg, highschool where in the last couple of weeks i was an unpredictable bag of waterworks.
I don't get attached to things that easily but when i genuinely like them or enjoy a place, i want to keep them forever.

See, ENFPs only make up 7% of the population. Therefore it is fairly possible that my attachment issues is only onesided. Everytime i think about time and its continuous neverending nature, my head starts spinning and i can't breathe. Would pretending and lying to myself that it's not really happening just cause more sadness later?

What's also distressing is that if you take away the proximity, you take away the love. Meaning that for me, as an ENFP, i start forgetting about people when i stop having contact with them and i stop caring about them as much. I really don't mean to or want to but i know it'll happen.

I'm on a selfish streak too. I want to keep friends to myself so im not thrilled about recent events.

SOMEONE GIVE ME A PAUSE BUTTON PLEASE