Well yesterday was my final presentation.....
It went very well, the jurors seemed please with the work Mallory and I had done. Of course we received our share of negative feedback but overall our project was reviewed positively. There was one particular criticism that one of the reviewers stated, he said "our project is too specific and it is impossible for it to be replicated any where else". I personally took this as a great complement...all through my studies so far it has been stressed that a design should be specific to your site; unless the design brief calls for a scheme that can be replicated elsewhere, your project should fit well within its context and not fit well within the context of another site!
The reason I did not post a blog from yesterday was because of the "festivities" we had last night during our final dinner with the professors. Kathrin, Thomas, Ivan (materials professor), and Toni (one of the studio professors) all came to dinner last night. The meal was unbelievably delicious and filling, I tried a rice dish which is cooked in squid ink! It is completely black and"oily" looking but it was surprisingly very tasty. After dinner the professors treated us to "spirits" at a nearby bar. We did not get back until relatively late/early this morning...it was a great way to end the semester. The concept of "hanging out" with my professors would not translate as effectively in the states, but somehow this idea works brilliantly here in Spain.
Today the last group of students had their final reviews...and I said my final goodbye to Jordi and Toni! They both said that if I ever had any questions to email them and notify them if I ever make it back to Barcelona! Later in the afternoon me and a small group of people went to Good Friday mass at the cathedral. This mass was much longer and ornate than normal. Apparently the Spanish have this custom (maybe it is Catholics in general) of carrying a large cross with a sculpture of Jesus on it through the church; they bring it to the alter and everyone is invited to come and "kiss" the body. I did not go up and do this because I did not want to perform the ritual incorrectly, however it was still neat to watch everyone else. At the end of the service we ran into Thomas and Kathrin and spent a few hours walking around the city and "tasting" bakeries that they recommended. They treated us twice at two different bakeries...the sweets were also very good. After our dessert tasting I had to say my final goodbye to Kathrin and her husband, which was very difficult...I will miss her the most!
The beginning of my end her in Barcelona has begun...I only have four more full days here in the city to explore and experience the culture! There are still so many things that I have yet to do in this wonderful city, so there is no time to waste. My academic semester abroad is over and summer 2012 officially started today, this will be my longest summer break...let it begin!
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