Sunday, 16 November 2014

The past two weeks

 {classroom}


 {shopping center}

 {American supermarket}

 {purchases - various chocolate bars and peanut butter chips for cookies}

 {oven light in the kitchen at night}

 {bike renting, then it started to rain}

{supply store at school}


If it were a weekday I would have been in the greatest mood to write here, because I would have other things to do for school - sketching, researching, aka homework, and so writing here would have been just the perfect distraction from that; but it's Sunday and I am lazy, I have not done anything these past two days and now posting about how my week at school went feels like reliving it all again.
As I said. I am really good at being lazy on weekends.I do nothing for school, cause I know I have Monday off and figure I can catch up on work then. All I like to do is talk with R, watch a few series episodes, cook, eat, drink coffee, sit in bed till I'm tired of it. Instagram! I really like checking it out. You can find me there, most days. I check my blog, other bloggers, recipes, make shopping lists if I find some I want to make the coming week. On Saturdays I try to get out a little, walk through the city, check out some clothing stores, take pictures.
I found a second hand store that's pretty decent and I like to browse through their clothes and find a piece or two for wearing inside the house and they have a good selection of table wear/ dish towels and things like that, which I like. I have gotten bored with my clothes, my inside clothes. I like to have loads of them and change them often. So goes with plates and cups, but I'm not gonna start buying those now.
Homework for school has started to pile up. I have loads of stuff to do at five different courses. And I need to be on board and track with everything especially since I'm going/flying home earlier.



This past week we've had courses exclusively outside school. Four days of 'field trips'. That meant getting up a lot earlier to get there on time.
First off our regular once every two weeks visit outside Porto, at the Thirso factory.
Then on Wednesday we visited a clothing firm in the center, not far from my home.
Thursday and Friday two mornings at this far away factory/firm located almost an hour away from the city on rainy weather...just a delight.


{palm trees}


{countryside}

 {pattern cutting}

 {canteen}

 {courtyard}






 {an exhibition we got to see}







 {Atelier des Createurs - they call it}

 {on the highway}


  {autumn in the countryside}

 {the factory s store}








I really don't want to get into details here. Basically we've been shown fabrics and the whole process of clothes making. From receiving an order to make a certain number of pieces from the final product, everything was explained to us in PORTUGHESE, but I did understand 80 % of it.
 I did, seriously and my colleagues do not believe me. Having to hear it every single day and nothing else, really makes you understand.You have no choice.
The people working there, at the factories are so incredibly kind and generous with their time. They always say that we can come back and if we have questions to call them and ask. They were patient and just so nice, I couldn't believe it. People are really nice here, really really nice.
I'm grateful to have this experience. Now I've started to relax more and concentrate and I realized people here are so hard working and you have more opportunities here, than back home. Here, you really do stand a chance to get a decent job in the field. I feel jealous of these girls here, my colleagues. Cause they are from here and will probably make it. I will have to get back afterwards.
I wish we had these opportunities back home.

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Just bought my plane ticket...Yay!!!








Yes. It's settled! I'm coming earlier home. On the 12 December. Can't wait... But I'm also a little nervous about my exams here when I come back from my sweet Christmas holiday.

The weather has been a bitch!!! Wind, cold, rain, moist everywhere. My clothes took 4 days to dry out. I've been kind of housebound. Starting from tomorrow I'll be mostly at school, so no more of that. I'll be out in the rain, especially with these school visits coming up next.

I feel like I'm kind of going into a reading mood... I have a few new books on my nook and I would like to relax and enjoy them... But maybe on the weekend, for now.

Monday, 3 November 2014

on a school related trip, school and a bit of visiting around and unimportant stuff


{roof glass}

{autumn morning}

{countryside}

{lunch room}

{class}

{inside I}


{inside II}

So, once every two weeks we have a whole day course at this factory - they call it. But it's weird, I was expecting ladies at the sewing machines and fittings and stuff I have seen at Nichi in Iasi, and there were none. There was some equipment but the rest of the place was empty, and it's more like a place where a fashion show would take place. So basically this lady talked all day about men's jackets in detail and shared with us a little bit about her experience with working for big designers like Paul Smith and some others. It's interesting but hard to follow. Next time we're going to start making patterns. God help me.


{fellow collegues}

{entrance hall special}


{Advanced Virtual Models class}

{class room}

I guess I'm starting to get used to school. I heard we're going to be visiting a lot of studios/ factories that specialize on men's clothing these next few weeks. So that's going to be interesting. And hard to follow with the portughese and all.
  It's time to really get into researching and drawing and learning so I won't be busy during the Christmas holiday. I can't wait to see R. And my family. And my friends.
Must buy plane ticket very soon!!!












Doing some visiting on the weekends. I keep on meaning to rent a bike and never do, and it's sad cause now the weather has gotten bad and it's rainy and windy and coldish...
I haven't visited anything past the river yet, but I figure I got time. I went to Ikea for a quick shopping session. I almost got lost and didn't know how to get back in the city... I found some cute Christmas decorations and a great knife. Cause these guys I'm living with don't know what that is.



I went to this show this weekend. Its called tuna. I know, funny. Tuna Universitaria do Porto.  
Basically like a choir, with girls or boys  - students from different universities here in the region and they sing and dance and the Portuguese people are really into it. It has a long history and stuff. It was interesting.






I've done a bit of cooking but nothing worth talking about here. Just the usual. The canteen food at school is not that great, for me, that is. So I'm trying to cook ahead and take lunch with me. We have a microwave oven and you can heat your food there. I just don't feel like cooking that much, don't feel excited about it anymore. Cause I'm only cooking for myself and usually eating alone. It sucks. I found a chinese supermarket close to where I live and I may try some recipes... Dunno.