Fridays @5

Here we are at Fridays @5 again. The original inspiration was from light-growing columns at LAX, but many people said "beer cactus." Six sheets of 3'x8' plexi-glass were lasercut and wrapped around existing poles at the parking lot. Each column was filled with bags of ice. We wouldn't have any problem sticking beer bottles into lasercut X-scores! .........it didn't quite work that smooth. The X-scores were slightly too small for bottles. We ended up supporting cracking columns with plastic wrap.

The importance of mockup, working with others, and how many unexpected issues come up during construction...I learned these design-build experience through Fridays @5.

Chile

I came back in LA once and left for Chile right away. My backpacking plan for this end of the summer was to practice my survival Spanish. In Santiago, I was alone most of the time, but in a bus to visit small villages, tourists were obvious to each other. I met a couple of Europeans. Conversations between them shifts smoothly from German to French, Italian to Spanish. Once I joined them, we talked in English. My Spanish was horrible. I was asking simple questions, knowing that I wouldn't comprehend the anser anyway.

Small towns seems to be relying on tourists for the majority of its income. But I was surprised they were not aggressive at all. In San Pedro de Atacama, price of tours to visit certain location are exactly same in any office. Since they don't have to compete for some reason, the atmosphere was pretty relaxing.

Shanghai

Visiting other countries is more fun if it is to see somebody I know. I visited Sky in Shanghai for a week. He was doing internship there. We walked around Shanghai half a day and the rest of the day, we sat down in a nice cafe to read and study. In Japan, people will pressure you to leave when customers are hanging out, but in Shanghai they didn't seem to care.

Internship in Tokyo

For this four-month summer break, I worked at Architecture office in Tokyo. It was a small office where I cannot even go to restroom without asking somebody to move. The residences I participated in designing also were amazingly small. Architects in Japan are extremely good at fitting everything in. Lot to learn from their tricks.

Meantime, I was hooked to Ballroom Dance and a team of Japanese comedian, Oriental Radio. I usually went home at around 11pm, took shower, ate, and watched those TV shows till 3 or 4am. And woke up at 8am to go to work.

On Saturdays and Sundays, I also worked at wedding receptions as a waitress. So from Mon to Fri, I sit in front of a computer. And Sat and Sun were labor days. Thinking that I am one of Japanese that work too much, I still felt it was worth pushing myself during summer break to enjoy the feeling of being independent: It was the first time I made money through what I learned.

back in Japan

毎年夏に帰国する上に温暖な南CAに住んでいて日本の冬がどれだけ寒かったかさっぱり忘れてしまった。アリゾナ出身のルームメイトは、ロスに住んでいる人は皆気候にスポイルされているとよく言っている。自分だけが一年に一度しか友達に会えないつもりでいたけれど、大学生活も後半になると皆 就活や卒論で忙しく、そう頻繁に集まっているわけでもないらしい。毎年帰る度にお好み焼きかお気に入りの居酒屋をリクエストします。