Now however it is done. Finished. Over. Thank god.
With the exams over and results I'm extremely pleased with and the addition of a complete two weeks until the start of next semester, yes that is right two whole weeks, I couldn't really be much happier.
Already I've started plotting how to spend my time and money and myself with my two flatmates are very much thinking of doing a bit of a tour of Italy via interailing! Rome, Venice and Naples are on the cards and perhaps Verona so it's my new job now to start hunting for a route. Luckily the Venice carnival is currently taking place which means there is going to be loads to do when we do arrive but I'm just unbelievable excited to see it for myself.
As far as Milan goes the last few weeks I've discovered a a bit more about the city again and conclude that unlike us Brits interior décor really doesn't play much of a role in a restaurant or bars and it seems you find unlikely but great places in strange places. If I had an award such as my bar of the week I would be giving it away this week to a place called 'Cape Town' just off the top end of the Naviglio Grande. Drink prices are average being about seven euros a cocktail but they are worth every cent and the place itself is always bustling with a great atmosphere.
Getting back to the exam period I'm proud to say that out of six exams all with a maximum mark of thirty I've scored 30/30 in four (fashion design, textile design, knitting and prototyping), 29/30 in one (pattern cutting) and 28/30 in one (marketing). Really I couldn't really have asked for much more.
In contrast to what I would call a British exam the way the Italians do it is a whole lot different and completely bizarre to understand. For a start being late, in England it's just not done, fifteen minutes early is pretty much the guideline. Here runs the system I can only describe as don't worry turn up as you like, it's more of a system of formal reviews that are very informal which is nice. The picture is our Marketing exam.. you get the gist.
The work I've done for each of the exams I'm very happy with especially so in Fashion Design where we had to create a A3 bound book to show our designs, illustrations, fabrics and flats together to communicate as best we could our two capsule collections. I'm working on scanning the pages in with samples added to have an interactive pdf file for my portfolio but it is also a fantastic hard copy piece that I'm able to take to interviews.
In creating the book I had to watch a fair few YouTube tutorials on InDesign as I've never had the need for it before and can really say 'I didn't get it'. Now if I were to be bold I would like to refer to myself as an InDesign wizard. Being Adobe the program shares very similar features to both Photoshop and Illustrator and the interface of the program is pretty much the same so with a bit of help it is easy to adapt to if you already have knowledge of the other programmes. The tutorials I watched were fantastic and by a YouTube channel called 'TastyTuts'. There are about ten tutorials in total each focusing on a different area but all being important stepping stones so for anyone wanting to learn I highly recommend them.
Link to the first tutorial > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHDy_nEvgd4
I've put an array of my photographs in relation my different projects below, sorry for such poor photographs but my camera seems to be on strike on the moment and is refusing to play the game.
My mood right now though? Now that is it all over? Happpppy.
(Also imagine Pharrell Williams Happy playing in the background..)
What we have also been given in preparation for next term and the possible subjects we are able to take. This semester I have the options of the following; industrial fashion accessories, craft fashion accessories, semiotics, history of contemporary art, illustration, CAD pattern drafting, pattern making and performative arts. In all honest I'm not really sure what to expect from a couple of them but we do get the chance to trial and for the first two weeks of the semester you are able to attend different classes before making a final selection of what subjects you would like to carry on with. Next semester we will also get a completely new set of professors again and I'm hoping they are as knowledgable and fantastic as the ones we had this term.
I have also booked flights home again for easter leaving on the 3rd till the 29th of April which means I miss the design week here in Milan at the start of April which is gutting but I the cost of flights meant to it had to be that way. At the moment I am hoping to work through Easter because I really need the money. As I mentioned in previous posts everything is expensive here and especially after spending money on exams the money provided by the erasmus scheme is only just enough to live on if your not being extravagant.
Exam period is very expensive at NABA and you are expected to pay for more materials than at a typical university in england in total I could estimate spending about €175 - €200 on things like fabric, printing and yarns. This may just be the combination of subjects I took this term being demanding but if you are planning on attending the school be ready for the financial hit.
February has also meant experiencing Valentines day in Milan. On the day I had a woman date with my best friend as we're both sad, lonely and in need of a large quantity of wine we had a walk down Naviglio grande stopping at a few wine bars on the way and stumbled across a little Italian version of the love lock bridge on the La Seine river in Paris. On the night lots of couples went to add their padlock onto the bridge and although it's got nothing on the version in Paris it's still a really nice thing to see, my photos not the best but you get the idea. By the time we we're coming home from Valentines day we didn't find the concept so cute and instead cursed the happy couple with jealously before drowning own lonely sorrows in a kebab like two twenty year old singletons should.
February has also meant experiencing Valentines day in Milan. On the day I had a woman date with my best friend as we're both sad, lonely and in need of a large quantity of wine we had a walk down Naviglio grande stopping at a few wine bars on the way and stumbled across a little Italian version of the love lock bridge on the La Seine river in Paris. On the night lots of couples went to add their padlock onto the bridge and although it's got nothing on the version in Paris it's still a really nice thing to see, my photos not the best but you get the idea. By the time we we're coming home from Valentines day we didn't find the concept so cute and instead cursed the happy couple with jealously before drowning own lonely sorrows in a kebab like two twenty year old singletons should.
On the last Sunday of every month in Milan on the Naviglio Grande river there is a huge antiques market that takes place. I was told about this by a friend at NABA back in December but only this month have had the chance to go. The markets sells many varied and very quirky items from furniture, hats, sunglasses, clothing to art work and walking sticks it's completely worth a browse just to see the bizarre items from the past. As a market though this is not a cheap on and the price for anything is sky high, I fell in love with a beautiful antique flowery hat with a veil but when I asked how much it was and he replied €120 I quickly put it down again and walked away at a brisk pace. The little green swearing gnome you see below was one of my favourite things I saw, available in most colours if your struggling what to get me for my birthday I'd very much appreciate this little guy. There is also a fantastic hat stand full of different coloured ostrich feather creations and other less extravagant hats that your free to try on, I think Emily looks particularly fetching in the burgundy creation. This is all alongside uncountable other stands, the market also expands all the way up the side streets. This is a great time to experience Italian culture as all the bars and restaurants on and surrounding the canal really come to life and it's something you can visit over and over again without tiring due to every changing stock.
Finally I'll leave this post with just a random picture from the other day I'm pretty proud of, just walking around a suburban street of milan this picture of a bicycle was painted on the wall outside a house and I just couldn't resist trying to get a good shot.
