FIRST CRIT!

Dear Friends,

My apologies for my absence from this blog recently. I must warn you that this post will also not have pictures...at least not yet. This past Saturday I thought I was going to be so on top of my game. I came back to campus, camera in hand, ready to finally get some pictures of studio and campus and get some studio work done. Well, to my surprise studio was locked (yes, on a Saturday afternoon...you can imagine my shock and dismay!) and my camera was not accepting my SD card. So all that to say I don’t have any relevant pictures I can add to this post yet.

One of the main reasons I wasn’t able to post anything last week was that we had a crit on Friday.  For those of you unfamiliar with architecture talk that just means we had a review of our work we have been working on recently. We did a precedent study (which is a study of another architect’s work) of different housing projects (as we are studying housing development in my studio here this semester). My group studied Coderch’s “Torre Valentina” which was planned for the coast of Spain in the late 50s but was never built. We had to make models of this housing project as well as produce a brief and propose concepts for housing based on the concepts of Coderch’s project as well as from our own ideas.

So for those of you who don’t know, last semester wasn’t my strongest semester. My last crit left me feeling less than enthusiastic about architecture and just school in general really. I was frustrated to say the least. Anyway, I really felt that when I came over here I wanted to give myself another chance to enjoy architecture. I’m glad to report I think I found some of that lost enthusiasm for the art. I was kind of nervous that I might shy away from conversation in the crit because I’m new and such....but I’m not one to shy away from conversation when it comes to architecture.

The crit ended up going REALLY well! I was so pleased! I actually felt prepared and rested....two things that are hard to come by during crit time for me usually. It was a group of four of us who work on the project. (On a side not, I was really happy we started with a group project cause it gave me an opportunity to get to know people right away.) There was really more like 3 of us though because one guy would never show up. That leads me to my next point.

Things in the architecture program are very different over here. I think a big part of that is for most of them education is free. It sounds great in theory but I have witnessed the negative effects it has. People are not nearly as competitive here, which is saying a lot considering I would not consider Judson competitive compared to most US architecture schools. People will just not show up to studio and it’s not really a big deal...especially with group projects cause the good students do the work and their partners just kind of slide under the radar. People also do not “live” in studio. Studio closes at 10 every night and I guess isn’t getting opened on the weekends either. We have more official hours of studio (20 hrs of class a week) but people are only in studio outside of those hours when a project is due soon.

Their standards for presentation are also very different. At Judson, doing a sketch drawing for a final drawing means it must be one fantastic well thought out sketch. I guess one cold say their presentations are more “artsy”. It has definitely opened my eyes to other ways people see things. This is not mean to put their work down, but a lot of what becomes final work I would consider unacceptable....not because it is not done well. Let me clarify. A model in my mind could be built very well out of balsa wood or chip board. However, I would never consider that model acceptable for a final model, because that is how my mind has been trained. I guess you could see it as a hierarchy of materials and methods. That has probably been the biggest adjustment when it come to studio.

We are launching ahead with a visit to our proposed site for the next project. Looking forward to it and hoping to have pictures to show soon!

Cheers!

JUST WALKIN' THE DOG....

 

 

 

 

Geneva and I saw this on our walk in Howth the other day and couldn't resist taking a picture. Hope you enjoyed the random photo :)

"Just walkin' the dogs....on my horse...no big deal."

JONNY JUMP UP

UCD has events every so often exclusively for American study abroad students (since there are 400 of us), and last night I got to go to one of those events. We went to a very famous pub called the Merry Ploughboy Pub. The Merry Ploughboys are an Irish band who always perform at this pub. At the intermission of their playing a group of Irish dancers also came out and performed. It was a great night of authentic Irish entertainment, a must see for anyone visiting Ireland in my opinion. Here are a few pictures. (Forgive the poor quality, it was pretty dark in the pub.)

the Merry Ploughboys

quaint interior of the pub

the Irish dancers

more awesome Irish dancing

the outside of the pub

This guy played all the wind instruments in the band (ones famous to Irish music). Here he is playing the uilleann (elbow) pipes which are similar to bagpipes.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE

So, if you were to talk to my studio mates that sit next to me and ask them about "Shawna's Random Thoughts", they would have some very interesting and not to mention embarrassing stories to tell you. I try to make it known that what I say after 11 pm (especially in studio) cannot be held against me because my brain is no longer functioning correctly. Well, this post is an exploration into "Shawna's Random Thoughts", but ones of a different nature.

The last few days have been challenging. I like challenging. I like it because it often produces good final results. However, I am just entering the beginning stages of this challenge, a.k.a. the really hard and lonely part. I knew it would be difficult, but I didn't really KNOW. It's like the difference between knowing your coffee is hot because your cup reads "caution: HOT", and knowing it's hot because it burns your tongue when you drink it. I now know because I felt the burn.

Now there are a few things you should know if you are reading this blog (which is shocking in and of itself because there are no pictures....lame I know). First, I am not writing this to vent (or gloat). Second, I am not looking for pity. Third, this is a blog of my life, not just "my trip to Ireland". I plan on posting the good and the bad, because to see only half the picture is not really seeing at all.

The last couple of days my friend Viola has been on my mind a lot. She joined us third year archies this past semester at Judson. Everytime something difficult comes up at school or just in general I think, "Oh my gosh, this must be how Viola felt!". Looking back, I wish I had the perspective I do now when I had met her. I don't think I was ever mean or anything like that. At times I was intentional about including her, but not nearly as much as I could have been. I keep thinking if I had really gotten it, if I had really understood what was going on I would have acted differently. I would have been SUPER intentional. But I get to go back to Judson now and treat people the way I wish I would get treated. This leads me to another thought.

How similar is this to all of life? I can't help but see parallels between this scenario and life and death. When I die I will see things in a whole new light. I know I won't be spending my time in heaven counting the ways I didn't get stuff right on earth....but just roll with me for a second (and remember by the time I post this it will be after 11 my time!). I don't want to overlook people. I don't want to overlook pain and suffering. I don't want to forget who this life is really about, but sometimes I do. I wish I could say I've got stuff figured out (cause my type A personality would love that), but I don't. I get stuck on my own problems and worries and dramas and really anything I can grab on to that is about me. Why? I don't really know. Maybe because we live in a society that is about fixing yourself so you aren't a burden to others rather than letting each other bear one another's burdens. I don't know about you but I prefer to hide my burdens in the basement. You know, I'm not talking about those nice basements with carpet and big screen TVs where teenagers hide out. I'm talking about that dark creepy basement with cobwebs that you never venture down to when company is around. Yep, those are my burdens in the back corner behind the water heater in the chest with the lock box in it. Safe, secure and out of the public eye. Maybe it's because I'm insecure and think that if the people around me felt like I was a burden, they'd simply move on to something new and easy and exciting. Maybe it's because junior high is the worst! Can I get an AMEN!

Maybe I'm stuck on my own problems because it's my choice. For better or worse, my problems are mostly my decision. If I really want to change, I can. It's predictable, which is easy, I suppose. When you start adding other people into the equation the product is unknown. Someone may be highly affected by your presence in their lives, or seemingly not at all.

Maybe, just maybe it's because if I let myself see people with all their problems, I won't be able to not change. Change. It is many of the things I try to avoid all bundled into one. Change is unpredictable. Change is unrelenting. Change is humbling. Change is more than knowing and more than KNOWING. Change is action. Change is hard.

So, after that bit of reflection, I return to the point. Life is hard for everyone....even for people who are good at hiding their burdens in the basement like me. The good news is no one has it all figured out and no one has too. The goal is not to solve world hunger. It's seeing the hunger guy on the corner and doing something about it. Jesus didn't die so we would know how to die....He lived so we would know how to live...without reservation...without apology.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

So this past Sunday my roommate Geneva and I went on a little trip to a small port town a few miles from Dublin called Howth. It was definitely a chilly day to be out and about. We had our first experience with the "DART" which is a train that runs along the east coast of Ireland through many of the port towns. One thing I have noticed is how clean public transit is here. I guess the city as a whole is also pretty clean at least in the city center. Okay, on to our adventure.

Irish sailboats in the harbor

So it was around lunch when we got to Howth, but neither of us were very hungry so we decided to explore first. Well, Geneva was like "Hey, look at those hills, I want to go up there!". So we just started walking up a road which started getting steeper and steeper and farther out of the town center. There seemed to be a lot of touristy people walking the same direction so I figured we must be headed to something cool. Well, we were.....kind of. To sum it up it was just the beginning of a path the goes all the way around the circumference of the peninsula that Howth is on. We didn't realize this until we made it to the opposite side of the peninsula and decide to take the map out to figure out where we were. This was also after about an hour and a half of hiking, but what a hike it was! Unfortunately, there is no way the pictures can do it justice. Being here has made me realize how little sight can truly portray a place. The sounds and smells and tastes are all so vital to really understand a place....but all I can show is pictures so I guess that will have to suffice. Back to my story. So even though it was a very cold and long hike (it probably took us 2-3 hours in total), it was well worth it to see the beautiful untainted seaside of Ireland. About half of the hike was along the edge of steep hills leading down to cliffs and the ocean below.

View looking back toward the harbor where we started....still early in the hike.

Photo at beginning of hike which took us as far as you can see in this photo...and beyond.

Me on some typical carved out stairs found on the trail.

Our never ending path, but who can complain with views like this!?

View of lighthouse from a distance. The sun on the water behind was so awesome.

The yellow flowers seen here were everywhere in the fields along our hike.

My first "Fish and Chips" and it was to die for!

 Once we finally finished our hike and made it back to town we stopped at this cute diner called "The Brass Monkey". I felt I had to document it with a picture of my meal since it was my first real "Fish ans Chips". It was amazing, of course, with all the fresh fish just steps away. This little place was super busy for being in such a small town. It was also right along the harbor which made it a prime spot for tourists like us to grab lunch. 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. I'm sue there will be more to come soon. Cheers!

OH HOW TIME FLIES

It's so hard to believe that today (well technically yesterday) marks one week since I arrived in this great city. My mind can hardly process all that has already happened in my small amount of time here. Here is a small overview of some of the best and worst moments of my time here so far.

BEST MOMENTS:
1. getting here early with Tina (my roommate) and exploring "Temple Bar" and the canals
2. finally meeting Sue Philpott (my sort of academic adviser) from my university here who I have been corresponding with for over 6 months
3. walking the streets enjoying the unique smell of this city along with its warm temperatures
4. rhubarb yogurt!!! my new found love
5. getting to know the locals and their way of life

"WORST" MOMENTS:
1. aweful tooth ache on the flights here
2. trying to figure out "self checkout" at Tesco (our very small grocery store)
3. choosing to wear high heels and then proceeding to walk like a mile to our destination (my feet are still mad at me for that one)
4. attempting to use the bus system here for the first time and by myself....let's just say the buses are for locals...not foreigners...SO CONFUSING!
5. not understanding a thing someone is telling you when they are speaking your own language

Even though I have a list of "worst" moments, they really aren't even worst moments because they were either challenging me and thus making me a better and stronger person or were a small part of other great memories being made. No matter what I took away from these moments, I loved them all.

God really does work for the good of those who love him. SO often I think something has not worked out and that I have to settle for something else. Later, however, I realize that it was simply God orchestrating something better for me that I could not see or understand at that time. For example, I had really hoped to live on campus. It made the most sense to me. However, it didn't work out for me to be able to do that. I was bummed and worried to say the least. I had no idea where to live. I ended up getting to live in the city in the awesome house I am in now and it is such a blessing. This city has so much charm and energy that I know I would have missed out on if I had been living on campus. This house is also in a PERFECT location for me. I am in the historical center of the city and also walking distance to the main places in the city anyone and everyone wants to go to. God is good!

Enjoy your weekend...I know I will! Cheers!

LESS TALK, MORE PICTURES

The streets we walk everyday.

My roommate Tina and I at the park.

 A day out on the town with my roommate Tina! We had a great time, though our feet were exhausted by the end of the day. Tina and I both got here at the end of last week and the rest of our roommates just showed up this week so we have had a little more time to get to know each other. We have also had more time to get over our jet lag. (The rest of our roommates are still sleeping for most waking hours.) Tina is a psychology major from Maine. The picture on the right is pretty typical of most of the architecture around where we live. It is historical English architecture. If you notice in the picture they have a lot of.....perpendicular parking? I don't know what they call it but it is strange. It makes even a two lane road super wide. In the middle of these blocks you will find a small lane that takes you though the center of the block where the servants and such would have lived way back when. That is where I live. However, the buildings you see in this photo are now businesses rather than homes.

St. Stephen's Green

St. Stephen's Green looking beyond to the city.

Me in this AWESOME park!

These pictures are from the park that is pretty close to where we live as well. The parks here are super nice, as you can see! They are also gated so you can't enter after nightfall. They are super landscaped and green as well. It has been great weather here so lots of people were out enjoying the park.

Ireland weather has been way different than I expected. I expected cold and really wet. Granted, I realize it won't stay as warm as it has been (most days are in the high 40's to low 50's), but this weather isn't abnormal here for this time of year. It does rain often, but it typically is in spurts and not for very long. It is cloudy everyday though. It feels a lot like spring back in the States in my opinion.

Dublin is divided my canals. Along the major canal is a big tourist hot spot called "Temple Bar". This is not a specific "bar", but more like a region of the city. Yes, it is over-priced and touristy, but very cool never the less. It has the same dense feeling and old architecture that you see throughout much of the city. When you think of walking down the streets of Dublin this is probably very close to what you would think of. It was fantastic!

Liffey Canal

bridge over Liffey Canal

corner pub at Temple Bar...love the cobblestone streets!

DANCE

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learn to dance in the rain."

Yes, I stole this quote from Pinterest, but it's great never the less. And while this quote did inspire the name of this blog, the title has a little different significance to me. I would not describe my life as a life of storms. I would describe as one big, huge, undeserved, out of this world blessing. My life has not been perfect by any means. But in the larger scheme of things I really have nothing to count but my blessings. I have healthy, loving, godly and supportive parents. I have wacky, wonderful brothers who, as a huge bonus, have produced some freakin amazing nieces and nephews. I've been able get a great education and make better friends than I could ever ask for in the meantime (friends who I miss very much btw). I have great church families both at school and back at home. I also have had the opportunity to travel and I LOVE it. Granted, it is usually challenging, stressful, expensive and even painful at times. But all of these thing are part of what make me....well, me!

So....what does "dance in the rain" mean to me? Well, if you really know me then you already know how much I love to dance. You probably also know how little I actually DO dance. That makes me sad. (This is where I start sounding a little weird....which also if you know me is pretty typical.) Not because I'm so good at it or because it's "cool", because it is a part of who I am. If you are a dancer you know exactly what I mean. If you are not, it will be pretty clear in Heaven (so please go there, I hear it's to die for...)because there will be dancin' in heaven cause that's what I'll be doin'.

Dance is expressing what you are thinking and feeling with your entire body. Dance is honest. Dance is abandoned. Dance is freedom. Dance is emotional. Dance is exposed. I don't just want to dance,  I want to be dance. I want to be free to be entirely me, entirely who God created me to be. I'm not always great at letting myself be free. It was once said, "Freedom can only be experienced when you choose not to return to the bondage." Freedom looks a little different when you're wrapped in a nice cozy blanket of bondage. Freedom isn't easy, but it's always worth it.

Things you must understand about rain in order to bring this thing full circle.
     1. I LOVE rain. Rain is good.
     2. It rains in Ireland...a lot.
     3. Rain is often associated with difficult or depressing times.

I have no idea what the next six months holds for me. What I do know is that I want to be me. I want to know who that girl is and be her, without any hesitations or constraints. I want to strive everyday to charge ahead with purpose. I want to be steadfast. I want to change. I want to let go. And all I have to do is dance in the rain.

HOME SWEET HOME

Here it is, my home away from home! I just arrived in Dublin on Friday night. I won't lie, the journey here wasn't too much fun between aching teeth, almost loosing my passport, and 3 flights over 24 hrs (18 actual hrs). But the worst is over for sure! So I met my landlord the night I arrived and he is so great! (Though, to be honest, I haven't met one Irish person that I haven't thought was super sweet.) He even gave me a quick tour of the neighborhood so I would know where to go for food, groceries and transportation and such. I have to say I am so blessed to be living here. For those of you who don't know, I was hoping to and planning to live on campus. However, those plans fell through. So I started looking for off-campus housing and found this. It is in the historical part of Dublin and is within walking distance of the city center. It is also in a more quiet and safe area. I love it so far....and I still know barely anyone and have no idea where I'm going, so I figure it can only get better from here!

So about the house....I live on the right side of the white house in this picture. The second window in from the right is that you can see is the window to my bedroom. Since I was the first one here I got to pick my own room, and I love it! I don't have a roommate and I even have a full size bed in my room without it being crowded which is awesome. For not being in the States I feel like it is a really nice house (with character which is a bonus for someone like me!). One of my roommates arrived a few hours after me so it has just been the two of us this weekend. She is super friendly and easy to get along with which is a blessing as well. There are still four more girls coming who should arrive tomorrow. Excited but also nervous to meet them all.

So That is a little about my crazy adventure so far. In future posts I hope to keep away from giving a play-by-play of my days (which is the direction I feel this post is leaning in). I say this mainly because I think that would be boring to read, and most likely boring to write, but also because I want this to be more than I list of the stuff I got to do while I was here. To be honest, I have no idea what direction this blog will end up going in, but here is what I do know. I don't want to go back to the States the same person I left as. I'm not just talking about the ways I will inevitably change; I'm talking about purposeful change. I don't know what that entirely looks like yet, but I know God has a great plan for this time in my life. And ultimately, that's what I hope this blog reflects.

Cheers!