Interviewing a judge, Andrew Blauvelt, during PGH365 with special guest appearance of my double chin. Photo by Vinita Israni. (The lighting was super dark).
Overall, March was a pretty good month. Spring break, lots of reading, and some good news!
FEAST FOR THE EYES>>
- Things that make us smart. Donald Norman. Norman is a foundational read for the interaction designers and it was about time I read one of his books so that I could feel less out of loop. It’s actually other book, The Design of Everyday Things that everyone reads, but that was checked out of the library. But this was a super interesting book too! I finally finished it over spring break.
- The Fool. Christopher Moore. I haven’t read his books in a long time, but they had it at the library and I thought I’d indulge in some good-old fiction over spring break. To my pleasant surprise it takes place within King Leer‘s story and is written in the perspective of the his fool. Not for everyone as Moore is super brash, but I really enjoyed the spin on Shakespeare.
- A Separate Peace. John Knowles. I started this book and just finished it yesterday. It was really lovely and unexpected. I think I was ready for a different pace
- The Short Stories, Volume 2. Ernest Hemingway. Another library find. I just started and it’s a little hard for me to get into short stories, but I’m enjoying myself as well.
ENTHUSED>>
- Ok well, so some plans for the summer were made. Like I said last time, I had a positive experience with the career fair and felt incredibly lucky and humbled that some really great companies reached out to me and that I was in final talks with three super strong companies, each with different pros and cons. However, when the smoke cleared I could only choose one. I’m going to be working at Google in Zurich this summer! I ave no words to describe how lucky I feel. In fact, I have been afraid to tell people since I found out because I’m worried it might disappear somehow. But the contract has been signed!
- This is so silly, but during spring break I tried zumba for the first time and I really liked it! It’s like, super absurd and I feel like the most uncoordinated person ever to exist, but it’s fun! I went four days during the week and ran on the weekends since it finally got warmer!
COMPULSIONS>>
- I bought a bunch of yarn at goodwill and proceeded to addictively knit for three days before I had too much homework to sleep. But even know, my fingers yearn to pearl. I have big plans to crochet a blanket. Is it unreasonable to bring yarn to Europe? I think it might be.
COMPUNCTIONS>>
- The beginning of the month was filled with a lot of decision making. Although my final choice for an internship felt right, it was extremely hard for me to leave the other opportunities after getting to know their team members and the projects they were working on.
- I spent hours every day for a while looking for housing in Zurich, which was super stressful. It’s hard to find apartments in a place you’ve never been, in a different language sometime (thank goodness for google translate!), and for a short amount of time when you can’t meet the owners. I got no offers except from one man who described himself as “handsome” to me (ugh) and a bunch of emails from people trying to scam me (I looked up their email addresses). Finally, a very nice woman who owns a bed & breakfast in Zurich offered to house me and I couldn’t be happier! If I’m completely honest, I would much rather stay with a sweet little family than other interns since I’m kind of a low-key gal. I want to work, relax, see art museums, explore the city, the mountains, and Europe!
- In addition to housing in Europe, I’ve been canvasing Pittsburgh for a new apartment when I get back. Oh boy :/.
- My project for studio has has some ups and some serious downs. I feel like I’m never really on steady ground with it.
SIGHTS>>
- I volunteered at AIGA Pittsburgh’s PGH365 event with Vinita. It was so fun and beautiful of course. So glad to be a part of it.
STORIES>>
- 12 Years a Slave. I saw this on the first day of spring break, and man, whoa. Not starting off on a high note. But it was really good.
- Blackfish. A documentary about the orcas kept in captivity at places like seaworld and how conditions are really awful that it drives them to doing destructive behavior (i.e. killing their trainers), but seaworld just sweeps it under the rug.
- Sherlock. While doing calligraphy I started and became addicted to the BBC Sherlock series. So good! Another reason to love calligraphy.
- Shipbreakers. There is a film festival at CMU right now and I saw this film on the first night with Vinita. It was about the developing countries that break down ships by hand and their conditions are pretty bad. Not my favorite documentary, but pretty interesting.
- Web junky. This was the second documentary I saw and it wasn’t that good. It was about how China is treating juveniles who are addicted to the internet (mostly video games) like an actual drug addiction and sending them to army-like rehabilitation camps. The issue was interesting, but I felt like there was no story and so the movie just dragged on hopelessly. By that I mean they only showed really one perspective following around the kids. They interviewed the parents and some of the teachers but it didn’t really add anything to the story. You only saw how awful the camp was and it made me think that, with the world so bleak they’re not really showing them that there is something better to experience in the real world. Among other qualms I had about the movie.
- Her. I liked it more than I thought I would. I would recommend it.
- The Grand Budapest Hotel. Your typical Wes Anderson movie, I couldn’t help but like it because I was admiring all the design work. Did you know a single designer did all of the work?!