Monday, April 25, 2011

Paris! Here I Come!

Dear Paris,

In 12 hours time, I will be departing from Nottingham to London to Paris! I will be spending 3 days in Paris, looking at the Eiffel Tower, Champ Elysée, Notre Dame, The Louvre and maybe Chateau de Versailles. Really hope 3 days is enough to cover these famous attractions!!!

As you know, I had been trying to learn French for about 5 months + already. However, I don't think I can converse with any French people there.. Haha.. 

So, dear Paris, please co-operate with me and make this trip a memorable one. Paris is one of my dream city. I am now so excited to visit you. There's so much to expect of you. 

Regards,
Cassiemissy

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Dear Readers,

I will be going to Paris tomorrow and will be back on Friday. I am prepared to take a lot, many, thousand of photos! I really my memory cardS are enough for these 3 days! XD

I will be back with a lot of stories to share. I am so excited now. All I can write is EXCITED! 

This is the 1st time after I came to the UK, going to another country. And it is PARIS! My dream place. I've always wanted to visit this city. Finally, I finally got my wish and am going there in about 12 hours time! Oooh..I'm so excited AGAIN!  ^_^

So dear readers, enjoy your holidays (if you have it). I hope I get to online while I'm at Paris, then I can update my status! 

See you everyone is a week time!

Regards,
Cassiemissy

Thursday, April 21, 2011

A Walk in the park - The Aboretum

Was walking around Uni area trying to take some nice photos. Without realising, there's this so beautiful park just behind one of the many Uni buildings. About 3 minutes walk from the main building. So near and yet I've never notice. I have read about this park in some brochure but never know that it is just round the corner. XD

This park is really awesome.
Especially since now spring is here with the sun shining bright and warm, the flowers and trees are growing splendidly. I'm really very enthusiastic with all the different types of flowers found around Nottingham. It is so pretty and bright coloured that I just had to snap and snap and snap. Some of them I've never seen before. 

A collection of my favourites

It really makes the whole place a paradise

The Arboretum entrance

While I walk through the entrance, the first sight that greeted me is the pink trees. I thought of Sakura instantly. XD

Pink against green is the best. Remember the colour wheel? Red and Green? XD

Meet this little doggy with his owner. Very active little fellow and keep running around. But he is so friendly. Cute little guy.

Found a tree with this pretty craving on it

One part of the park with all the colourful flowers

I notice my shoes add to the colours...XD

Well, it has become our must-do-action everytime we are at a park..haha
We jumped so identical though.. haha

Ducks.. Walked out from the pond.. Funny creatures

The pond in the park. Many ducks there.. One pair were fighting and creating some commotions.. Flapping their wings roughly and quacking loudly.. XD 

The romantic lane

Love this very much! 

Another entrance of the park

Parks in the UK are really splendid. It was well designed and planned. Everyone loves to spend their day in the park I noticed. Just yesterday, when I'm walking there to take some photos, the whole park is full of people lazing and sun bathing on the grass. Full of people. 

While me?

I am grumbling about the hot sun shinning on me..

XD

ps. I still don't like the sun shinning HOT on me.. 

pss. But I do enjoy the bright sunshine. Not too hot please.. XD 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spring is here



Spring has arrived. Sunshine floods the skies. Flowers are blooming. 

Currently, I am very addicted to snap any flowers I saw. 
Yesterday, since I am quite free, I decided to compile all my pretty flowers photo to become a short clip. T
This is the 1st time I did a short movie and am very excited to play with different functions. 
Might make another showing all my pretty photos of the buildings soon. 

Take a look at the clip. 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Random writing ~ can ignore

The sky tonight is very pretty. As I look up from my laptop, I stared straight ahead at the blue but a little cloudy sky. It is 8pm but it is still bright. It seems to cheer me up as I feel that I had more time. As once it grow dark, my instinct tells me it is time to curl up in my bed. Now it only grows dark around 8.30pm and time seems to be longer. I know I am writing rubbish now. It is because I am taking a break from writing my dissertation. I ran out of idea. Nothing to add in to it. This is outrageous. I can't think of anything to write. I am scared. I need inspiration. I think it is because I have not written anything for a long time. I remember reading somewhere that free writing will bring inspiration and that's what I am trying to do. The rules is not to stop, just write, anything that comes to your mind. Do not edit. Don't think. Just write. Free flow. And that's what I am now doing. I had just eaten my dinner. I feel very full. But not satisfied. Because I had been having the same type of food for 3 days now. I am just too lazy to think of something different. What is going to be done to me? I long for holiday when all I had been doing all day is sit and eat and surf the net and watch drama. Oh, and being worried about my project but not taking the initiative to work on it. I am tired of thudding down to the workshop everyday and being ignore for hours before I can do something. I don't like this. Tomorrow is the tutorial again but I am not sure what I have to show except for my dissertation and the model that took me 2 weeks to make.. mind the word..make..not completed! Omg! I am complaining again. Why can't I just be satisfied. I think it is just no satisfying like what I had just written in my dissertation minutes ago, there is no end to human craving. Maslow once said that "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately happy. What a man can be, he must be." The only problem is, I have not yet found out what I can be so I couldn't be ultimately happy, could I? Are you?


The sky tonight at 8pm

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

200th day in the UK

Having been in the UK for the 200th day, I feel that I should remind myself what I have had gained so far.

Coming to the UK for my Master is a big decision. No. A bold decision. But a decision that I did not regret. After exposing myself to the world for 200 days, I am not as naive as before, if not more. I've met more people than I ever do, people from all over the world, all ages and all kinds of character. The funny ones, the bold type, the clever ones, the witty ones, the elegant kind, the friendly ones and of course, there is those hardworking ones. I realised an important element of making friends with these people. We get to share our cultures and understand each other country and background more. Now, at least I can say I contributed to the fact that lesser people believe that Malaysian and people who lives on the tree.

Ok, joke aside.

People I met here shares the similar interest. We are all designers and artist. Everyone have a passion in their arts and I am really surprise to see the amount of passion they have. It actually amazed me. It is only when I chatted with them that I realised how small my world had been.

I've got a classmate that I would remember for life. She is from Botswana. A country I've never ever heard before. The first time I saw her, I know that she is friendly. She smiles all the time and talk everything with so much enthusiasm. I've never met anyone like her. She does not come from a pure design background like some of us. She is more towards the business and management type. Unlike many of us, she have exams and written many papers. She don't do models and cut her fingers with the bloody cutter like me  and never use a CAD software for her work. She don't sit around for ages solving design problem for some bloody products.

However, I admire her for doing all the above for the pass 200 days I've known her.

She comes up with a set of design, go into the workshop, get dirty and tired, making her products. Spent the time in front of the computer, working endlessly to get to know the CAD software. She has got a strong mind. Eventhough she is struggling, once she aim to do it, she did it. She is tough.

There's another classmate of mine that remind me of the chinese proverb, 真人不露相. He is the 1st person I met when I went into the class for the 1st day. He sit at the couch with his laptop. We exchanged a 'Hi' and that's it. I am so nervous that first day that I don't remember what I thought of him. But I remember thinking I've got a bunch of good classmates. That's all.

He is very smart. He did everything in detail and simple. He managed to make all of us 'wow' when he tell us about his work. It is nothing fancy nor special but it is the way he puts it that makes me think, "this is really good!" He is from Shanghai. He is into Slow Design. You would be surprised at the amount of research he had done for his project. He had a solid background in Product Design as that's his major. He had been working in an international company for some years before coming to the UK. For some reason, I think that his thought are really independent and matured. And no, he is just older than me about 3 years. This guy in my opinion are really different from the rest of us. While everyone of us are like struggling with concepts and such, he is relax and laid back. He seems to know what he is doing and what he wants to achieve. I would be proud to tell people that this guy is my friend if I saw him showing his proud smile in somewhere someday. He will be 'someone'.

My another classmate is from Thailand. I don't remember my first impression of her as I don't speak to her a lot at first. I am the shy shy and silent silent type. She is another of my gang. So, how is two person of the same kind to talk a lot? Haha.. However, we grow to be quite chatty in a matter of time and now we talk a lot and laugh at all kind of absurd things. She is the kind of designer that would come up with something interesting. Her research are interesting and she is another one who knows what she wants. I always admire people like this. Another with a solid background in Product Design, she is able to produce work that make us all cram around her shoulder to have a peek.

While she never mentioned it, after she is back from her Christmas break from Thailand, she brought back 100 pieces of fully answered and analysed questionnaires. All of us just 'O' our mouth. This is another designer who diam diam ubi type.. Planning to utilise Thailand handicraft skills, her products are going to be a hit within the western community.

Oh, not to forget the other guy designer classmate. Like the others, he is from a Product Design background as well and therefore had no problem with many of the manufacturing process and blah blah blah not like me who did not know what is a CNC and precision. Coming from Taiwan, he decided to do contribute to the environment and design some space saving furniture. While at first he is quite constrain in his ideas, now, his work are the best among us. He might not show much but in fact, he has a lot of great ideas waiting to be dig out.

He is the one among us that make sketch models to show our lecturers and this interest everyone. In my opinion, what he is doing, is what I have been expected before I came here. Instead, everyone seems to talk and discuss a lot about an idea or a philosophy but not the design. Term 1 come and pass and nothing about the design. Only him. Although there is a lot of improvement to be done to his design according to the lecturer, but he did come up with designs.

Lastly, there is another addition to our group but up until now, I still do not really know what is her project all about. I grab the word 'Logistic' 'Manufacturing' and 'Costing' somewhere though. She is not from a design background as well. More towards engineering path. She is from Spain. I am quite friendly with her as she is very nice. We talked a lot. However, her project is too difficult for me to understand. Nothing about design. I think I am too stupid to understand hers.

That's my classmates for the year. A bunch of friendly gang.



Now, about other people that I've met, some is from Fashion and Marketing, Fine Art, Photography, Graphic Design, Film and Television and others. It will be too long to describe about them and I am sure no one would want to read about it. Anyway, to get to know this people really tweak my interest in arts and design. I feel I have rediscovered the art and design world. It is so fascinating to listen to their idea and what are they doing about their projects. It is totally different from what I have been doing so years. Well, I sound like I've been in the industry for many years while in fact, it's only 9 months. Anyway, some of them work with clay, porcelain, glass and some mix them all together to form another thing. Isn't that interesting? And the idea behind that.



Oh dear..I had been going on rambling about people I've met. Maybe I should just go on to another topic?


200 days in the UK. 

I have learned to be independent and I just realised that I cannot be sharing rooms with other people. I could not tolerate other people untidiness while I can tolerate my own. I just hate my kitchen, especially the sink and hob area. My flatmates seldom never clean up after them. They tend to leave them in the sink for days weeks. They do not clean the hob after they cook until the flat inspection day. From a sparkling white hob to a grubby black hob, it only takes about 2 days the most. I am really tired of cleaning after them that I stop helping to clear the sink and scrub the hob after them since early this year.

During Christmas break, all of them went home. I am the only one left in the flat and I am so happy. I have the whole kitchen to myself. Clean for a month. When I am the ony one using the kitchen, I am able to keep the sink clear of any dishes, the hob sparkling white as I clean after I cook, the floor dry and clean as I wipe them often. When my flatmate return, only 1 of them at first, after the 1st hour, I walked into the kitchen and I saw the sink already have a habitant. 1 small teaspoon was already sitting there, ready to be clean and put back into the drawer. Just the 1st hour, and there's already something. I do not dare to tell you what happened next in case you lose your appetite and blame it on me. You get what I mean now.

200 days in the UK. 

I am now improving my English. Up until I came here, I could tell people that I am confident with my English. However, once I'm here, I feel so foolish. Yes, I understand them perfectly. But, to them my English must seems like a preschooler. Speaking is difficult. It is alright in Malaysia when all we speak is Rojak English. Everyone understand each other rojak. Here, I often make a fool of myself when I had to repeat myself few time before they understand. This is embarrassing. The problem is the slang. I do not speak the same slang as them and they do not understand Rojak slang. What to do?

Eventhough it had been 200 days, I still can't speak the way they do. I tried and even I shivered when I listened to myself speak so weirdly. Still, I hope my English did improve themselves. Afterall, it had been 200 days.

200 days in the UK.

I learned to be alone. It is a tough lesson in life. Slowly though, I am getting used to it. However, I still wish I have someone to talk to at night in my room. Someone to laugh with. All I had is my laptop and dramas. When PPS stop streaming TVB drama, my world nearly crumpled and crushed down. Luckily my brother send me a link to DL.. My world is saved.

To tell the truth, sometime I enjoy being alone. When I am enjoying my dramas, I like to be leave alone. However, I do not like to be alone all the time. Sometime I really wish I am back home, with my family, and I can talk anytime. Now, I can only talk when I am at Uni. More than half of the time, my mouth is kept shut. Unless of course, to eat, which I did very often.

200 days in the UK.

Being here as a Master student, no one is going to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Because to them, nothing is wrong. The project is something you propose and you are going to realise it. They will just give you some thoughts or 'yes' 'good' 'interesting' words. Lecturers here encourage you to proceed. While my background from KBU had been the opposite.

At first, I feel very positive of the encouragement I've got from them. Now, I began to hate that. At times, I think that the locals sometime are being so 'smiley' face. They agree to everything and call you 'dear', 'darling', 'love' eventhough you are just paying at the cashier and you don't know them. I know it is the way and they are showing friendliness and I am not saying they are not right. But, to me, I began to not know when they are being sincere at showing their love and appreciation and praise and when they are not.

My lecturers never disagree with me. At the beginning, I feel that is a fresh, since I would not be criticize but after time and time of agreement and word of praising, I couldn't differentiate whether or not they really think it is good. I never know for real what I am doing now is the in the right path or not since they kept saying that is fine. They say fine to everything. Everything is fine? How can that be?

Me in the workshop


200 days in the UK.

I have been to London for Christmas break. A week in London make me realised that I am wise to choose to study in Nottingham. If I were to be at London, I will be long broke and back in Malaysia with clothes and items not necessary. Experience snow storm in London and it is damn cold. Walking around shivering is really an experience not to forget.
Me with Mr Big Ben


Went to Manchester to meet Siew Hon and his friends. Visit the famous football stadium Manchester United. Not interested in any sports but the stadium. Afterall, thousand of people are watching this stadium in the TV around the world. And I really want to step my foot in these famous place.

Me inside the MU stadium

Visit Cambridge for a day by car. A real experience since I've never travelled by car in the UK. Thanks to my classmate from Spain that have her car and willing to drive us for the day trip. Amazed with the Cambridge city as all the building are so beautiful. Really different with Nottingham. Bicycle everywhere. University and churches everywhere. It's really beautiful.

Fiola, Elitzza and Me at Cambridge

Took a 1 hour bus to Derby two weeks ago. Spent the afternoon taking photos of everything. Derby is small and nothing special. Quite similar to Nottingham city centre but it is refreshing to be at another place for one day.

IMO, Derby most beautiful statue

Legoland last weekend. Windsor is a nice place. Legoland is fun. Being a child for a day really refreshes me. Everything is fun and colourful and simple. Nothing complicated and that's the way life should be. Since life is short, why worry ourselves about every little things?

Legoland most funny man

In another 2 weeks, I will be travelling to Paris and spent 3 days strolling Paris romantic street. I hope it live up to my expectation.

Travelling is really an eye opening experience. I've seen so many things that I would only be able to see in books previously. The most memorable of all up till now would have to be the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Old Trafford. Big Ben wins the 1st place.


  

Monday, April 11, 2011

A trip to Legoland

The last two weeks is a little of a 'waiting' torture. We have a two weeks off from various class because it is assessment weeks and therefore, right after Monday presentation, we have nothing. However, we are booked into workshop to enable us to work on our projects. So, I grabbed the opportunity to go into the workshop to seek help for completing my rough model. Before that, I've been into the workshop few times but it was terrible experience. The technician is helpful, no doubt, and friendly. However, they are TOO VERY THE BUSY! I've been kept waiting the whole morning just to complete a small mould which will only take about 30 minutes. The technician are all busy with the undergraduates deadlines. So, since these two weeks the undergraduates are having their term break, I was hoping I could complete my model quickly. However, luck was not with me. There are a few times when I couldn't find anyone to help me. The workshop is empty. Empty of students, empty of technician as well. Go figure. Two whole weeks to complete this.

My sketch model

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Alright

Enough of my project. 

Now, LegoLand!

Went to Legoland at Windsor on Saturday and it was a lot of fun. We don't get on a lot of rides since we don't have much time and most of it is for kiddies but everything is very pretty and fun! Lego is everywhere. 


Wake up at 5.45am. Meet everyone at 6.30am. Reach train station at 7am. Our train departs at 7.28am.

From Nottingham to London St Pancras International to Windsor & Eton Riverside

However, due to some mishaps, we travel to London St Pancras to Paddington to Slough only to Windsor  =.="

Finally reach Windsor at around 11pm. This is the Windsor Castle behind us. 
^_^

Was at Buckingham Palace last Christmas but did not get to see changing guards. However, we saw the return of these guards while waiting for the bus to Legoland. ^_^ 

Can see them so much clearer here

Finally, we are here. 

Was so excited to see everything Lego. Everything is colourful, bright, fun, happy.....

The famous Lego man!

So excited to see them everywhere. 

Xian

@_@

A small Lego farm

Everything Lego. But the shape was built so in detail. Love it so much.

We played this and get wet. Quite wet. Luckily it is sunny and therefore not cold. Haha.. It's fun though but a little longer, I will be dizzy already.

Me and the amour guy

Everywhere in this theme park is Lego people, Lego building, Lego items.. Nice

Spring is really here. Look at the beautiful flowers

The Egypt-thingy.. hehe 

Amazing lego structure..so real

Sahara desert?

Digger Challenge

Another kiddies play.. But I love their Lego man .. See how they stand on top of each other? So cute? kakakakaka

Lego City

Very beautiful view here

It has been some time since I've seen something so pretty and colourful. Thanks to the blue sky.

^_^

Mr Policeman

Kiddy play water.. 

Don't they feel cold? Haha..

Miniland - Italy

Very very very detail

Rome


Very realistic

Pretty?

Holland

All windmills

Suddenly wish to go Holland.. Haha..to see more of these Holland windmills...

^^

Stonehenge 

Although I 'still' haven't been there 'yet'.. but these lego stonehenge look really Real.. hahaha

Changing of guards at Buckingham Palace.. They move around with music!


Very pretty no matter from which direction.. haha

London famous red bus.. hehe

London Underground Station...

The train move..and there is announcement as well..haha.. all lego!

London cityscapes! 

Big Ben at my head..

Our group photo of the day



Very exciting days ya!


^_^