Oh no, it's finals week!

Oh yes, our final projects are due for a presentation this Wednesday. This means we'll be presenting our carefully labored, constructed hard toys and storybook progress, all recorded on video.

This means our class is cracking a bit under pressure.

The day started out alright, with people sanding plastic toy parts, testing paints and advising each other on paint methods and color choices. But a lot of us have way too much to finish before Wednesday, so panic was slowly setting in.

So a few classmates started trying to sweet-talk our workshop lab teacher to let us come in on SUNDAY, which is normally our only day off from the school week.

As if it weren't bad enough that we have to spend every full Saturday at school, toiling away on workshop toys like Santa's worker elves, we actually were pleading to have another workshop day on Sunday!

Then the Chair of the Toy Design department stopped by in the afternoon, with surprise cookie treats. She asked how we were doing and whether we'd be in tomorrow too. But we pitifully mentioned that we didn't have additional workshop hours tomorrow.

She gave us a look of shock and then had a quick talk with the lab teacher. Then she told us that we would be able to have lab class on Sunday after all.

To this, we responded with yelps of joy!

Later, I grabbed a quick dinner at McDonald's, where I realized that My Little Ponies were available with Happy Meals. So I brought My beautiful rainbow-haired, baby-blue Little Pony back, which of course was met with envy by Jan. She called another classmate, Carlito, who was still at Mickey D's to tell him to buy her a My Little Pony too, but without the Happy Meal.

Carlito came back, to tell us that the lady at McDonald's wouldn't let him buy a pony without buying a Happy Meal.

...to which, Jan responded, "What!? I'm gonna kick her in the face!"

I was equally dismayed by this news. And as we started bitching about how effed up it was that McD's wouldn't let her buy a pony, Carlito tossed the pouch of beautiful rainbow-haired party-themed pony at Jan, at which she cooed with glee. Oh that crazy Carlito.

Half the class stayed after lab hours, (as usual during finals) until 2am, when security guards kick us out. We generally manage to get along and laugh and listen to music while we work, but today it got to the point where someone left the room to cry, and later, another classmate sliced his finger with an exacto knife at his desk, dripping blood, causing him to nearly faint. Another student had to help him take a cab to the emergency room for stitches.

So tonight, I'm going to get a good night's rest, so I'm alert enough to not injure myself while working. And maybe I'll pick up some extra Vietnamese sandwiches to keep everyone's blood sugar up. And somehow I will finish this plastic baby "Girlilla," and it will be beautiful!

Another Day in the Life

Haven't done one of these in awhile.

This is for all my ol' colleagues who once worked at Yahoo! Sorry I couldn't be there for the UED reunion. Hope you kids are doing great! If you're wondering what I'm up to, this is a sample day of my school-centered life that keeps me from seeing anyone outside of class until I graduate in May:

9:45am Wake up late, with stiff finger muscles from sanding plastic toy parts for several hours over the last few days for model-making class.

10:30 Sick of the dreary winter weather, I book a flight to L.A. for January.

11:30 Take the 1 subway uptown to class, for which I am about an hour late.

noon Glance over my 106% grade on test (yay for open book & extra credit on math tests at a trade-focused school!) and then listen to the bucktoothed but almost-cute teacher review how to calculate the distance of a star based on its parallax & how to calculate sizes of spirals as they grow. Pleased to hear him say he'll be bringing chocolate Dunkin' Donuts to our final exam.

1pm Go out to get lunch, pass by outdoor vendors with cute accessories on the way. FIT somehow arranges this on most Wednesdays during the school year. Fashion schools in NYC are neat!

1:30 Pick up painting supplies, like spraycan gloss coating, tiny paintbrushes, tape, and face mask at the art supply store.

2:00 Browse 20 different feathered headbands at the weekly vendors near school and finally pick a pretty brown one to buy.

2:30 Return to classroom, open up laptop, and revise color studies of my baby gorilla hard toy.

3:30 Pull hard toy project & supplies out of my locker and spread out them out all over desk. Play iPod on my new lego-speaker so my classmates have some holiday tunes to work to.

3:45 Sketch concepts for candy toy assignment.

4:00 Research online for candy-based toys. Sketch a few more concepts.

5:00 While my classmates are sanding and refining their hard toys, (toys that we should have started painting by now but haven't,) I talk to the hard toy teacher about colors. We agree on purple fur, beige skin pink hair, pink dress, orange flower, and brown eyes.

5:30 Refine Illustrator file of final color choice, help Lilo brainstorm how to execute a Sushi-chef cat who prepares sushi candy into a toy concept.

6:30 After all the sushi talk, we get hungry and order Japanese takeout with classmates for dinner. Agree to split some sushi and a Katsu-don with Lilo, was we are in the mood for the same kind of food 90% of the time.

7:00 Start trimming off rough edges of my baby Girlilla's plastic body with an exacto knife and sandpaper.

7:30 Eat takeout food in the hall, with classmates. Lilo and I agree that the Katsu-don is disappointingly dry.

8pm Review candy toy concepts with teacher. We agree on a train that mines gem-shaped candies from a candy mountain.

8:30 Load up "Pushing Daisies" to watch on my laptop, as I continue sanding and filling gaps with superglue and some toxic spackle-like material on the baby Girlilla.

9:30 Cut holes in the top the Girlilla's plastic head to insert hot pink hair and a resin-cast hibiscus flower, as Jee, the girl next to me, slowly fades into zombie mode from sleep deprivation.

10:30 Berate Jee to stop sanding unimportant details that nobody will look at. I finally steal a part of her toy and tell her to go home and sleep.

11pm Align and cut holes out of my Girlilla's remote control to make room for buttons.

11:30 Photograph progress of hard toy, clear off desk, and put hard toy & supplies back in lockers.

midnight Take subway 1 downtown and walk home in pouring rain.

12:30 midnight snack, shower, late night tv, email, and review my schedule of tasks to complete final projects for the next week.

Tomorrow, I hope I start painting that Girlilla! If not, I will have all of Saturday to do it too. If I'm lucky, I'll have time to solder a circuit board, not that I really know how to do that yet.

Sunday's my only day off from class time, but that just means a whole day of work this time, since it's the finals crunch week. Wish me luck!

Look at the KITTY!

Last Thursday, my laptop refused to start up. So now it is in the shop for TWO WEEKS. OMG, right?

As soon as they took my baby away to get mailed to the service center, I switched to mobile phone mode, texting my friends and using it to check email and Facebook. And then I thought, "Well, maybe it will be good for me to not have a computer for awhile. Maybe I will get more sleep this way. Or actually take time to see friends and family outside of school."

Well, I won't know how that is, because the Toy Design chair (who apologized about stressing us out on Election Day) very generously got our IT guy to lend me a MacBook!!! Phew.

She just doesn't want me to fall behind on our design work. No excuses for me!! I kinda like how small this MacBook is so I don't have to carry extra weight to school...

In other news, I had to get up before 6am this morning to register for classes. OMG again. And I will be taking an online class for the first time next semester. It's a whole new frontier.

But I think it was worth it, because I will likely have FOUR DAY WEEKENDS next semester. Holy mother of GOD I cannot wait!! (Except for the part where I still have to take Liberal Arts classes in U.S. History and Indian Art History. And I will surely have so much homework that it will take at least half my weekends away.)

BTW I did dress up as Kenley from Project Runway for Halloween. Not many people really got it, but they did like my makeshift feather barrette. I liked it so much that I think I'll go buy some real feather headpieces.

Also, just as I finally started to get comfortable with my blunt bangs, Xtina and Madonna got them too. But I think they look a little weird on Madonna. I think I'll keep mine for a little while, as they transition from Bettie Page to Francoise Hardy length.

Not related... but I have to share this video, because even thought I'm not a cat person, this cat (aka "Maru) is pretty darn awesome:



Thanks to boingboing for bringing that into my life. Also thanks to BK for informing me that Barack Obama is a Scrabble fan (of course!) and once owned a pet ape.

Ok, taking a nap now. Got a math test tomorrow. OMG!!!

Party over, oops, outta time!

Rock Band 2 was a hit with my classmates, especially with the addition of rockstar-attire, a star-shaped-purple tambourine, a feather boa, a tiara, taro-flavored birthday cake, chips, candy-corn, pumpkin-flavored beer, blueberry-flavored beer, Canadian Molson, cider, vodka, and red wine.



It may have also helped that we just survived another draining all-nighter for a doll-design assignment, so we needed to celebrate and let loose.

However, it did take a bit too long to download new songs, so we had to switch to Singstar & Karaoke Revolution to finish the night with more song variety.

We finally did get one noise complaint from downstairs, just asking us to not jump so much. We mostly obliged, but kept the singing going. (It was Friday night in NYC and not even 1am!! Jigga please.)

In other unimportant news, I have since discovered that you can shake branches on the game, Locoroco Cocoreccho, which makes the game so much more manageable!! My god. So I take it back; maybe now I do enjoy that game.

Also I'm really ambivalent about Halloween this year. Last year was a pretty lackluster experience. I might just reprise last year's costume, if I even decide to go anywhere for the occasion. Or I might be more subtle and dress as a certain Project Runway villain. Hmm.

This week, we start a new assignment about green-friendly toys. Finally, an eco-conscious toy project! I'm so relieved. Except the syllabus already looks intense, because we have to research and design a whole line of toys with different price points, with class reviews, critiques, and presentations, in about 3 short weeks. Ruh Roh.

Is that a Full Moon Out?

Cuz all kinds of craziness is happening!

1. I impulsively ran out to buy a Playstation 3 last Saturday for some emergency karaoke. Yes, in my world, there is such a thing as emergency karaoke. At least this time I didn't break my tooth doing it. Phew!

Like I told Lilo, you laugh at me now, but you will thank me later.

2. Not only does Dubbledubs know all the lyrics to Corrine Bailey Rae's "Put your Records On," but he sings it like a champ.



Like a real pre-teen girl scout champ.

3. My friends and I consumed 80 pounds of amazingly delicious food at Fatty Crab, and we were still hungry for dessert (at Chickalicious –so much more satisfying than Magnolia Cupcakes).

4. The Emotion Eric and my other friend Kawabunga came over and helped to get the Internet working on my new PS3. (It only took two days for them to figure it out, even though they supposedly work in "tech-no-logy.")

And WELL WORTH it, as I was then able to download Singstar karaoke videos of Spandau Ballet's magic hit wonders, "True" and "Gold," as well as "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips for our eternal singing pleasure.



Jealous, no?

5. A sleazy weirdo from my long-ago past commented on my recent entry about sleazy men! Funny, disturbing, or ironic? Maybe all of the above. (Sorry Nick, just bein' honest there. You're not gonna change my mind on that one.)

6. My 2 classmates, Jee & Lilo cannot get that stupid "Beep-Beep" song by PCD out of our heads. Thanks, KP. Bum-bum, BUM-BUM, bum-bum-BUM!

(BTW, karaoke-ing to this is so much better if you replace the beeps with "crotch," "boobs," "butt," and the like, as demonstrated by Lilo.)

7. I passed on drinking cider and playing speed-Scrabble at home with my roommate and out-of-town friends just so I could study 3 problems for an open-book math test. WTF is wrong with me.

8. I took that math test, in which I calculated the number of Parsecs away an object is in outer space from earth, based on its positioned angle between the earth and the sun, also known as a stellar parallax. Oh yes, say it with me: SOH CAH TOA!

9. Two couples I know got engaged. I think Princess Tater & Prince Dodger started a trend! Congrats to Amy & Mark and Kevin & Coley!

10. Oh, one more thing: dogs can walk like people.

Welcome, Class of 2010!

Hello Juniors! It's come to my attention recently that at least one of "the new class" has been reading my blog. I haven't met you all, but so far you seem like nice enough folks. And it's apparent your drawing skills are ridiculously good. Your drawing teacher basically flaunted your summer work at us like we were inferior morons. (We don't take it personally. Well, I don't at least.)

If you've read my entries from the last year, I guess you've gotten a nice preview of your life ahead. I hope it hasn't worried you too much. I'm still in the program, and despite my blogging about all the work, lost social life, lack of sleep, toxic chemicals, ridiculous schedules, physical injuries, emotional breakdowns, crazy demands of teachers, rants about quitting school... wait, where was I going with this?

Oh yes, it's still a lot of fun and you are learning some really great skills.

As you have found out by now, first semester (plus Winterim) of the Toy Design program can be, how can I say it? Grueling? Crazy? Yes. It is a test of your patience, persistence, listening ability, resourcefulness, creativity, and willingness to learn. But just think! If you can just get past those few months, school will get just a little bit more manageable. And you will sleep regularly again in 2009. I promise!

That said, I will offer some general advice; sorry if it came too late:

1. Do what you can.
Improve as much as you can, and do as much work as you can, but don't stress that much about the grades. (–Especially don't worry about getting A's in drafting class. It's best to just be happy with a passing grade there.) Yes, you can lose some sleep, but we all hit a wall at some point. Just brush yourself off (when you wake up) and keep going!

2. Ask Questions
Sometimes the faculty likes to mix it up and try something new. This can lead to confusing assignments and guidance. If you are confused, just ask! That's what they're there for. Some teachers, are a bit reserved and will require you to be a bit more pro-active.

Or if you have a classmate that seems to be good at something, ask them how they did it or what tool they used.

Also, we "Seniors" are generally nice folk and would be happy to answer questions about what to expect. We definitely have some goofy weirdos, as I'm sure you do too. But don't be afraid. We will try to be honest and helpful, as much as we can.

And of course, you can always ask the Internet for answers.

3. It's about the TOYS!
Some of you know this already, but do not take criticism personally! Your concept teacher is wise and is just telling you what the real world will tell you about your work, but he says it in a much nicer way.

He is not talking about you, he is talking about your design and whether it'll sell on a toy store shelf. Listen and learn. Focus on what you can do to make your toy more appealing, easy-to-use, unique, accessible, and fun!

If you need to vent, just perform the necessary impersonation of whichever teacher amuses you the most, all Project-Runway-Santino style (not in front of the faculty, of course). I always thought of our concept teacher as our own Michael Kors. Have a laugh and move on.

4. Watch your health!
Okay, you're going to lose sleep, but it doesn't mean you can dismiss the rest of your body's needs. Drink lots of fluids, take vitamins, and remember to eat your meals! Don't touch the subway with your hands. Wash hands, carry sanitizer, and don't share cups and food. You do NOT want to get sick. Falling behind is a bitch.

5. Nobody likes a sycophant or a smart-ass.
Being a smart-ass is not cute to the faculty, and being a kiss-ass will irk both the teachers and your classmates.

6. Try not to annoy each other.
Be considerate of other classmates, apologize when you've offended them, and let bygones be bygones. Don't copy other peoples' ideas! The class itself is a small group, in a small space, and you are spending most of your waking hours with these same people for at least TWO YEARS.

Even after you graduate, you will enter a small industry, and stories of your being an ass will come back to haunt you! Especially now with the INTERNETS! So be respectful to each other!

Better yet: watch out for each other. If someone's missing from class, check on them, see if they need a missed assignment. Someday when they are VP of Hasbro, they'll remember what a nice person you were.

7. Give your brain an occasional reboot.
If you are freaking out, or you're really stuck on a design, you probably just need a short break. During my all-nighters, I would turn on my dance playlist and jump around for 5 minutes and then maybe grab a snack. Or a blueberry beer. Or a short nap (but make sure someone's around to wake you up).

We each have our own methods of coping. Don't do the booze if it you are a lightweight, because it will put you to sleep. Some of my classmates sing. If you're at home, have a short IM chat with a classmate to vent, then let them get back to work, because you should finish that rendering too.

8. Get your head out of your butt.
The rare moments that you get away from class to see friends, relatives, meet new strangers, or just see the city are also valuable for inspiration.

Watch kids play, look at what's going on in museums, window-shop, ask what people like, how things work. Play with gadgets, take a video game break, browse the Fashion Week coverage. Surf your favorite blogs. Look at cute animals. This all works for inspiration for toys. It comes in handy when you do actual research for your portfolio (during Winterim and Senior year) and future work.

9. Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be.
You may not want to hear this part.

I hope this doesn't happen, but the reality is that there may be a few of you that will not make it through the semester. It may be too much. Even with all your hard work, they may tell you that you aren't improving enough. Maybe you just don't have the discipline for it now. Maybe you've got too much else going on in your life to focus like this.

As the oldest person in my class, who has had a previous career and has witnessed many friends switch careers and endure quarter-life crises: your life is not over.

For one thing, you don't need a Toy Design degree to work in toys. Secondly, there are lots of other ways to apply your love for creativity and design. Whether or not you decide to stick with the toys may require some soul-searching. Listen to your gut.

If for whatever reason you don't stick with the program, you are not a failure. It's just a bump in the road, and you will find another success. If it's meant to be, you will come back to the world of toys. Just keep exploring what you can and like to do and something great will work out!

10. Have fun.
Who knew Toy Design school would be so hard!? But just remember: YOU GET TO DESIGN TOYS. Your friends outside of school are jealous, right?

This sounds cheesy, but when I ride the subway to and from school, even when I'm tired, breaking out, dateless, getting fat, cramped up, covered in clay and sawdust, and have too much to do:

I think about how I am one of the luckiest people on earth, to have this opportunity to live in New York City, to hang out with other creative, smart, and funny people, to draw, to make things with my hands, and to learn how to design toys!

Sometimes I even smile about it, like a secret joke, and people on the subway probably think I'm crazy or in love.

Best of luck! Now get back to work!

Back to the Nuthouse

School started this week, and already I am feeling the abuse. My ass is feeling sore from sitting on that hard, wooden chair ALL DAY LONG. The a/c is always too low or too high. Teachers are warning us of the impending workload and to stay on top of things. Carrying my laptop and supplies to school is already straining my shoulders.

On the first day, the chair of the department talked to us with an ever-present, encouraging smile, but she let it slip that several of the models made by our class last semester ended up looking like "shit" and that we weren't going to let that happen this year. We were also given the grand opportunity to tackle an extra assignment this year for the Toy Industry Association, an assignment that was already failed by a world-famous graphic designer. Just like last semester, we have classes for most of the day, from Monday through Saturday, and 4 out of those 6 days, we don't finish classes until after 8 or 9pm.

This year, our major project is to write, design, illustrate, and create childrens' books, based on our storybook plush character that we designed last semester. And then we design licensed toy products based on the books we create.

So on Wednesday, we each took turns presenting our outlines and rough plots for our story characters. Very quickly, it became apparent that everyone's invented storybook character was a mirror of themselves. It got to the point that my BFF and I had to refrain ourselves from cracking up, because as soon as each person started to talk about their characters, it sounded like them talking about their autobiography. And most of them didn't even seem to realize it!

After each character was presented, the class would ask questions, give feedback, and brainstorm to help them develop their stories, in case it didn't feel complete or needed more direction. In the end, it seemed that this process helped everyone quite a bit.

But there were a few storylines that sounded a bit flawed and unbalanced, which felt very awkward and uncomfortable, because it seemed to reveal unresolved issues about that person! And so toward the second half of the day, it began to feel more like a group therapy session that would never end. Or a painful Alcoholics Anonymous session that needed to be picked up another day.

For example, one story involved two main characters, who were part-human, part-animal (drawn much cuter than it sounds). Basically the story starts with them being ostracized by people in the city, so the main characters escape to the forest to find each other as best friends, who bond through their different but complementary personality traits. But they never reconcile with the people they escaped from!

So basically the story makes it sound like people will forever be evil. Or that you should just run away from your problems. Another student asked for clarification on what the message of the story was about. The answer was, "Well I see it as a story about acceptance, like people should accept other differences." Really? Huh. Because it sounded like the message was that different people should be segregated. Luckily after some brainstorming, we helped her balance the story out and she agreed to leave out the "evil people." Phew!

When I shared my character's story with my class, K-boy asked me if there was a romantic interest in the story. I said, "No. Princess Mooki is too young. She probably thinks she's too good for boys at this point. Maybe that'll be for Volume 5." I didn't even realize until later, that I had basically outlined an unusually feminist princess story, where she wasn't going to be saved by a boy; boys didn't even enter into the plot, and it was all about her learning to be the ruler she was destined to be.

It was a little exhausting to go through a whole day of this. But at the same time, I think it will be exciting to see everyone's finished work at the end of the year. After that class ended, already my classmates were acting loopy, goofing around and making strange voices like they were drunk or high. Except nobody had ingested any alcohol or illegal substances. And this was just the FIRST WEEK!

You see why I am a little concerned.

And THEN, today it verged into physical abuse when the chair of the department actually smacked me on the arm! This was over a totally normal question I asked about what was due the next day. I think she must have misinterpreted the question, (to mean that I expected another student to do more work than she had to?). I believe she smacked me jokingly, but it was kind of hard! Half of the classmates that witnessed it gasped, and then laughed nervously, because they all already kind of fear her.

I don't fear her (because I'm old and I know I can already get a job, which gives me the opportunity to not really give a shit about what people think, and I already have a degree so I don't really care about getting a 2nd BA). But I was weirded out all the same, and so my reaction was, "Uh, WOW." It was totally uncalled for, and not really that funny.

But I have learned from a very early age, that there will always be crazy people around me, and I am not fazed by them. They are temporary distractions, and I don't let them get the best of my good energy. Nonetheless, wish me luck this year!

Oh, in other news, the girls in my class have decided that our MIT-alum, Ph.D-earning math teacher is this semester's eye candy. Well, except maybe for his buck teeth. We like his brains, humor, hair, clothes, and that he noticeably works out. But he ruined it for me today though, when he revealed that he was born in 1980. Holy crap I am old.

Anyway, I've decided to be a Golden Girl. I recently came to the revelation that dating and relationships don't do it for me, even if I did have the time for it. I'm a really contented person on my own, as long as I have my friends and my creativity. (Either way I figure it's inevitable that I will become a crazy old lady, probably not much different from the chair of my department!)

So, thank you for being a friend. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidante...

Blargh

I accidentally ordered way too much food in Toronto's Chinatown for dinner and felt like I was going to regret it from the moment it arrived at the table. I wasn't even that hungry to begin with! I just wanted to try this noodle place that my cousin had recommended! It was so bad, I started to feel like I was in a food-eating contest. I stopped before downing the last two lychees in my drink.

I've generally overdosed on food over the last couple of days. My friend Amy stopped by for a wedding last weekend, so I joined her for a splurgy Omakase dinner last Thursday at Kaiseke Sakura (tragically, we both forgot our cameras). It was really wonderful, authentic Japanese food.

Then the other intern and I accidentally ordered way too much food at a Vietnamese food on Saturday. Plus we had the jumbo hot dogs at the street vendors for dinner. (Quite a bargain for Toronto food, and tasty too!) And last night, I met my friend Holly, who was visiting her brother who also lives in downtown Toronto.

After Holly introduced me to the delicious sushi from Sushi Marché, we went to get "Timbits" at Tim Horton's, which is apparently some kind of Canadian staple. Timbits are basically donut holes, so as you might guess, Tim Horton's is basically the Dunkin' Donuts of Canada.

I especially enjoyed the cruller Timbits, but ALSO I indulged in a special new strawberry blossom donut they had, that's shaped like a cute little pink flower, with red jelly in the middle and delightful strawberry candy sprinkles on icing. It is a sugary explosion of joy. It reminded me of the strawberry shortcake ice cream bar that you can get at New York ice cream trucks, which I also highly recommend!

I feel very lucky to know so many friends and family (who especially enjoy food), that even when I move to a new city (and country), I know I won't be go for too long without seeing someone I know. I think part of it is also getting older (having met so many people throughout the years), as well as having worked at such a huge company that employed such friendly people (Yahoo!).

I still miss my Karaoke-in' friends, but alas all my fun has to go on hold again, because I'm totally behind on my HOMEWORK! Isn't it enough that we have full-time jobs to deal with? As well as adjusting to new living environments!? I am reconsidering taking that year off from school or... perhaps dropping out. This is redonkulous. I have a degree already after all!

BTW, the judges on "Canadian Idol" are way too nice. Where is Canadian Simon??

(Donut image from Flickr user, Kodamakitty)

Dirty Designers

Sometimes I hear things in class, that might sound really bad out of context, such as these lines I've heard from our soft toy (plush sewing) class:

Sewing Assistant: Gimme your body.
Fred: What?

Jee: I really like Miso's tail! It's so fat.
Me: Yeah, I like a toy with a big booty.

K-boy: Do you like my body?

Of course, all of this is really quite innocent. The sewing assistant is always saying things that sound strange like that, because she is constantly helping us create and revise the sewing patterns for the body parts of our plush toys. And the students like to comment on each others' work.

This also came up when we were learning how to create light and shadow as we drew fashion dolls for our Computer Rendering class:

Will: Oooh. Miso, your boobs are really nice!!

And then there are other times, when we really aren't discussing toys at all:

K-boy: Your boobs grew.
Me: What?
K:boy: Your boobs grew.
Me: Uhm. No...
K-boy: (looks around the room) Jan isn't here today, so you win for biggest boobs.

I told Jan about this later, and she said, "I didn't know there was a contest." I said, "I didn't either."

Not surprisingly, this kind of inappropriate banter is usually started by a guy. I don't mind it when the gay guys do it, because it's just silly and often funny. But when the straight ones joke about boobs or whatever, it's not so funny. That just comes off as more awkward and sad. Luckily that doesn't happen much, and it's never really directed at any of the ladies in class. Cuz that would just be sexual harassment.

But don't ask me why one of the gay guys was checking out my boobs. (I think I had a more fitted sweater that day.) He is also the same one who suggested we get married, but he just wants me for the U.S. citizenship.

Learnin' American with Miso & Lilo

We have a few international students in our Toy Design class, all from Korea. One of them, Jee, sits next to me. So every once in awhile, she will ask Lilo (who is American-raised, from a Taiwanese-American family like I am) or me to explain something she doesn't understand.

One day, during our Soft Toy (sewing) class, Lilo was studying out loud for our History of Industrial Design quiz, partly to help us study too:

Lilo: How do I remember that William Morris did the Pimpernel wallpaper? Oh. I know. William Morris was a pimp! Pimpernel Wallpaper!
Me: Hah! That's good. He was a pimp!
Jee: What is "pimp?"
Me: Umm.... it's a hooker's boss.
Jee: A hooker's boss?
Me: Prostitute? A prostitute's boss. But people use "pimp" as slang, like "Dude, you're a pimp!"
Lilo: Yeah, "You're a pimp" is like "You're awesome!"
Jee: So "pimp" is "awesome"?
Me: Yeah, in slang. But in real life, pimps are bad people.
Jee: They're bad? But why?
Lilo: Yeah, he like, owns the hookers, and the hookers do all the work.
Me: And usually they're abusive. Not like I really know about these things, haha.
Lilo: Yeah, like they take all the money from the hookers and then slap them around, hahaha.
Me: But they make lots of money and they flaunt it. Like, show it off? So that's why it's used in slang like that. Like, if you have a cool place, someone would say, "Dude. Your place is pimpin'."
Lilo: Yeah.
Me: But some people think it's politically incorrect. Like, it's really a rude thing to say.
Lilo: No, it IS politically incorrect. But we just say it to be funny.
Me: Yeah, it's more like "gangsta" slang? Like mostly rappers will say it normally? But we wouldn't really say that, unless we're just being ridiculous.
Lilo: Yeah, it's like how we call each other "bitch."
Jee: Ah. Okay.

Other times, Jee will ask us to help her correct her pronunciation. She works very hard at it, because she knows presentation skills are important job skills. Also she doesn't want to sound like she's cussing when she doesn't mean to.

Jee: Miso.
Me: Yes?
Jee: "Sheeyt."
Me: Hmm. close. "Sheet."
Jee: Shit.
Me: Nooo. Sheeeet. Wider in the mouth. Sheeet.
Jee: Sheeeit.
Me: Better. It's "eeeee", versus "ih."
Jee: I can't tell the difference! Do it again.
Me: "eee," "ih". Sheet, shit.
Jee: Hmm. Do you like to eeat a peach on bitch with a sheeteh?
Soo: "Peach" sounded good...
Me: Yeah, just say it like you did with "peach."
Jee: Eit a peach on bitch on a shit.
Me: Hmm. "Eeeee!"
Jee: "Eeeeeeee!"
Lilo: Sheeet. sheet.
Jee: Shieet.
Me: Closer?
Lilo: (shakes head)
Jee: Eat a peach, on beach, on a sheeiet.
Jee: Sheiieet.
Lilo: Now not as slow.
Jee: Shiet.
Me: Hmm.
Jee: Shit.
Me: No.
Lilo: You know, I don't really use "sheet" that often.
Me: And I think people can figure out what you mean in context anyway.
Jee: I know, but I don't want to say the wrong word in a presentation!! Sheeit. Sheeit. Shit.
Me: You could say, "Eat shit on a beach, bitch!" to someone you don't like. Or "Eat a peach on a beach, bitch!"
Jee: No!
Me: Okay, say "Eat a peach at a beach on a sheet."
Jee: Peach. Pitch. Bitch. Bitch. Sheeit. Sheeit. "Eeeat a peach on a beitch on a sheiit."
Me: Hmm. Just keep practicing!
Jee: Sigh.

Later, toward the end of the day, we were in our Computer Rendering class, learning how to color and shade plastic-looking dolls:

Jee: Your doll is peem peem!
Lilo: What?
Jee: Peem... peem?
Lilo: Oh. PIMP-in'. Is that what you're sayin'?
Jee: Peempeen?
Lilo: Pimpin.
Jee: Peempeen? Peempin?
Lilo: Pimpin.
Jee: Yours is peempin.

Aww. I will miss my classmates this summer.

One more year. ONE MORE.

Here it is, the hard toy project that nearly killed us:



I didn't design this. We built this project, based on an existing design. We were just learning about construction methods for this assignment. Thankfully, mine looks pretty decent, but it's not properly constructed. We were supposed to screw most of it together, but we ended up super-gluing most of it, due to lack of time. And who knows if this floats like it's supposed to. We gave up on making any of the parts squirt. My doors open, and the flag can turn, so that's a lot more than I expected to get done.

Here are some of the other Marina sets built by my classmates:



That front one, by Soo, is nearly perfect. She is one of the very few that actually completed every part. But even she didn't attach the rooftop to the house. I chose to leave my rooftop detached as well, and I gave up on making the nozzles for the firehose and gas pump, myself. You might notice that some of them gave up on finishing a lot of the parts. And I don't blame them. In the same week, we had papers due, plush toys to finish sewing, oral presentations, and exams to study for! I could only finish what I did by pulling a couple of all-nighters. It was painful.

So, even though finals were done Monday night, I am still recovering from the exhaustion. Well, I was almost recovered yesterday, but then I went out for a late night of dancing with the new Senior class (my class) and the newly graduated class of Toy Designers from FIT.

So now I'm recovering from:

• manual labor of building hard toys (during which I breathed toxic fumes, callused my fingers, and coated my fingertips in crusty superglue and paints)


• frantically sewing plush toys (which caused me to have my first sore back in years and left most of my clothes and bedroom in a layer of aqua-fur lint)


• lack of sleep from writing papers and sewing all night


• drinking plentifully at Elmo's Lounge in Chelsea


• dancing a few too many hours in gold heels at Sway in West Village

I know of three different students who started crying in despair during finals week. Note: they were not all female, and I was not one of these students. Honestly, it was too much to work to expect from us. We had to make compromises toward the end on the quality of what we were going to finish. It's difficult to make those decisions, because flaws are so obvious on a visual end-product.

I'd say I was probably the best in my class at staying calm about the whole process. (It might be all those years of working with unrealistic deadlines.) Luckily we mostly retained a sense of humor together toward the end, which kept us sane. A few got caught up in ridiculous drama over who got more assistance time with the sewing teacher and whatnot. I wasn't too concerned with any of that, because I was pretty independent about my sewing work. And fortunately most students were pretty generous about helping each other out, as we were all struggling to finish.

During finals week, I started to mutter a lot to myself. Most often, I would say, "Ohhh, you little SHIT!" when something wasn't working like I wanted, and someone would say, "What?" And I'd say, "Oh nothing. Talking to myself again."

Sunday night, at around 1am, I got agitated while painting one of my hard toy pieces in white, because I kept seeing tiny splotches of red show up randomly on it. I said, "Tschh. Where is this red paint coming from? Aggh. How annoying." Then I kept trying to wipe it and reapply the white paint, until I said, "Oh. Is this red paint? Wait. This is blood, isn't it? Oh yes, I see the cut now." I had cut my finger slightly on an exacto knife earlier but didn't notice.

Also, I wounded my knuckle on the sander machine, while working in the Toy Shop (–not a store, but the wood shop, with vacuum-molding machines and a paint room). I didn't even really feel it too much, but I saw it, and thought, "Crap. That doesn't look good. At least it didn't really hurt... maybe it's not that bad... it's not bleeding... yet? Ohhh is it going to bleed now? Dammit, it is. Now I have to interrupt my workflow to clean this thing and bandage it? Sheesh."

So I calmly dug up the one crappy Hello Kitty band-aid in my computer bag. (We ran out of bandages in the classroom's first-aid kit, and nobody had refilled it.) However, it may come to you as a surprise, that Hello Kitty bandages don't stick that well. I tried to ignore the flimsy bandage flying around as I cut more wood and molded more plastic, but the bleedy wound peeking out was a little distracting. And I probably didn't want sawdust getting in there. So finally, grabbed some blue artists' tape to stick the bandage better to my hand, which looked utterly ridiculous, but I didn't have time to be concerned with appearances at that point.

So anyway, I'm relieved it's over, and I'm really happy about my two-week break before my internship starts. –Except, I will have lots of homework to do over the summer on top of the internship, and frankly, we are afraid of senior year. It doesn't sound like it will be that much easier at all.

Not to mention, that working this hard does not bode well for a social/dating life, which is a travesty for someone living in a nice apartment in New York City. Will calls me the "femme fatale" of the class, and K-boy has asked to marry me, which is sweet, but sadly, I think I will only ever get this kind of flattery from gay men. Straight men seem to be incapable of expressing actual feelings with me until it's too late. Also, I'm super picky, so I may end up being single for life. And I think I could be okay with that.

On the other hand, maybe I'm not missing that much, because I've had a string of disappointing relationships, with guys who have mostly asked to get back together with me a year later. Also, they've all gone on to marry the next girl they dated.

I never had that weepy "When Harry Met Sally" reaction; in fact, I've predicted it half the time, and I'm relieved they found someone else good for them. I certainly couldn't deal with them anymore. I'm just a little tired of being the trainer girlfriend. Can't I get some kind of referral bonus or something for the time spent on these guys?

Plus, the recent guy I dated has demonstrated some real jackassery. I knew the crocs were a bad sign! The pretty eyes, Scrabble skills, and karaoke talent must have distracted me, but I know better now. It's ALL IN THE SHOES.

STOP IT ALREADY

See that last blog post?

Yeah, well add another day of (much needed) hard toy hours on Sunday.
Plus we found out today, about an important meeting Friday, before Marketing class, to talk about our summer internships. You know, because we have ALL THIS FREE TIME.

So... I don't know when I'll get to study for Art History or write that paper. It will be a miracle if I finish building that Marina bath toy set for hard toy class.

Also, I stayed up all of last night, sewing. I nearly sliced my hand at while cutting fabric hapazardly at 5am. Luckily I had band aids.

Sewing class was supposed to end at noon, but it was clear that the whole class still needed at least another 2 hours to finish their work. So everyone was frantically sewing, ironing, mending, cutting, past the end of class, and I know at least two people started CRYING in the process. At 2pm, the next class arrived to use our classroom, to find it filled with piles of sewing supplies.

The next teacher to use the classroom was not very sympathetic (aka a jerk). We packed up and cleared out into the hallway, as I finished sewing up my last seam. I felt victorious, as I did manage to add sew detail on my monster's crown and scales on its pocket, which I didn't expect to have time to do. I even added a little hangtag to it; the teacher had one of those retail plastic things to attach the hangtag to the toy.

Some students were helping others who were struggling to finish their toys, as they were about to have a nervous breakdown. Some of us who did finish happily admired each other's work and quickly took photos of our creations as they were soon to be rudely taken away from us, like babies going to the adoption agency. Despite the madness, our teacher thanked us for the hard work and even said, "When you start running toy companies, remember me! I have four kids to feed and will need the contract work!"

After sewing class, half the class still had oral presentations to do (I did mine last week, knowing that I didn't want to add that to this week's hell), and nobody had eaten food since last night's dinner. I was just telling someone last week, that I never feel like needing a massage, but I really needed one.

Luckily our History of Industrial Design teacher was kind enough to bake us gingerbread for our last day! And despite our weariness, a lot of the presentations were really interesting (about Barbie, Waldorf dolls, Ningyo dolls, Super Mario Brothers, "Spectacles," and the Hummer).

Finally when class ended, we went outside to find a warm and sunny day. I treated myself to a medium Parksberry with mango and strawberries (which were slightly frozen --not as good as Pinksberry, but acceptable). There were even vendors selling clothes and jewelry, and I bought a cute little green top.

Then I went home and slept for seven hours. Now I need to get up (after midnight!) and start a seven-page marketing paper... and probably that Art History paper too, while I'm at it. Classmates are already texting me and calling me with questions about Marketing class notes! I don't even really know how to write this thing. Blargh.

OMG TOO MUCH WORK

Seriously, WTF, FIT Toy Design!?

Monday 10am - 9pm
Hard Toy lab hours (woodshop)
Hard Toy lab & class
Ancient Art History class (oral presentation)

Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Soft Toy class (finalizing storybook plush)
Hard Toy lab hours (woodshop)
Computer Drafting class (3-D rendering & orthographic views of car due, plus presentation)

Wednesday 1pm - 9pm
Motor Learning class (Childhood Toy analysis paper due)
Computer Graphics class (Storybook logo/hangtag vector art due)

Thursday 9am - 5pm
Soft Toy class (final Storybook plush due)
History of Industrial Design class

Friday 1pm - 4:30pm
Marketing class (8-15 pg marketing plan due, plus final exam)

Saturday 10am - 6pm
Hard Toy lab hours

Sunday
Frantically cram for Art History Final
Write my Art History Paper
Glue or Paint anything I can for Hard Toy
Freak out and then pass out

Monday 10am - 9pm
Hard Toy Lab
Hard Toy Class (Final Marina Bath Toy set due)
Art History (Final Exam and paper due)

Tuesday
hibernate

Wednesday
Intern for my last day at Head Start with the pre-schoolers
Start clearing out my room for my summer subletter
Find that passport so I can go to that internship in Canada

Now I must go sew like a madwoman.

Another Day in the Life

9am: arrive at my Soft Toy class - lay out my Princess Monster color drawings, sketches, early prototypes of my monster, and sewing supplies.

9:30: transfer pattern shapes of my princess monster to muslin fabric

10am: Start cutting out patterns. Begin to ask classmates where we should eat for lunch, as we have a larger break today before the next class, and the weather is beautiful. They all mumble something indecisive, (as usual)

10:30: Act jovial, as visitors from the Toy Industry Association bring their kids to see our class for "Bring Your Kids to Work Day"

10:40: One boy looks at my princess monster drawing. I say, "Do you have any questions?" And he asks, "Why is one tooth is larger than the other?" I say, "Well, she's imperfect. Like people are imperfect. And I thought it would be funny." Later, he says, "Good luck!" He seems nice, but I can't tell if he's being sincere or facetious.

11:00: Help my classmate figure out how to adjust her plush monster shape, so that it has more of a old-man beer belly

11:15: Start sewing my third prototype for my princess monster. Hear my Plush Toy teacher announce that she's five months pregnant with her fourth child!

noon: Start to freak out as hunger rage sets in

12:20: Frantically find cookies in my emergency snack box to eat, knowing that my classmates take forever to pack up and agree on lunch

12:30: pack up and head out the door to lunch, hoping the rest will hurry up

12:45: Run across the street to get "Parksberry" (a Pinkberry knockoff), only to find that their yogurt machine is broken!

1pm: Get exasperated waiting for the last student to join us for lunch, promptly grabbing two of my classmates to finally go find a new place for lunch

1:15: subway uptown to 42nd Street, then delight in the beautiful, sunny weather while wandering around Times Square

1:30: Finally decide to eat at Junior's, which I had never been to. They bring out free pickles and beets!! I have a chocolate egg cream drink, egg salad, and a delicious matzo ball soup. I decide that I love this place, for its retro decor & music and yummy homestyle food.

2:30: walk briskly to the MoMA, where we are meeting our History of Industrial Design teacher for a tour. We check out the 3rd floor exhibit of Industrial Design, and then the Elastic Mind exhibit, where I spot one of my ex-coworkers' new media art (and also co-alumni of UCLA). Especially amused by the interactive shadow monster art, the Jonathan Harris piece on internet dating, and the products for a "lonely man." Decide that I'll have to go back later, since it's crowded and I'm too tired to look at everything.

4:45: Check out the bookstore, since our teacher offered his staff discount to us. Note a couple book titles to mark on my wishlist.

5:15: Join two classmates to hunt for doll accessories for our plush toys. They need shoes and I need a tiara. We walk over to American Girl, which I've never been to. It's a madhouse of girls and doting parents, and I am unimpressed by the aesthetics of these dolls. They have maybe 30 variations of the doll faces to choose from. But I am surprised to see that the one doll option with the Asian face appears to be the cutest! (Seriously! Go see for yourself!)

5:30: walk over toward Build-a-Bear, where we also find "Friends 2B Made," (–which is like Build-a-Bear, but with plush girls and boys instead of plush bears and animals.) My classmates find a couple shoe possibilities, so they buy them as backup. I buy a princess outfit at Build-a-Bear that has a decent tiara, as a backup for my princess monster.

6pm: head toward the subway, then spot a 99-cent store. I stop in to see if they have tiaras. They have some, that aren't so pretty, but I buy one just in case (only 99 cents!). I also spot red, star-shaped child sunglasses that are party favors. I buy them for my classmate who has designed his plush monkey with star-shaped glasses.

6:20: subway downtown to Canal Street. I peek in a couple cheap Chinatown junky jewelry/accessories stores to browse rhinestone supplies. Nothing looks good.

6:40 stop in a fabric shop, where I find gold lamé fabric, thread, and pink rhinestones, with which I hope to create the perfect tiara.

7pm: get home, exhausted, have a snack, check my email, IM with a friend, and blog.

Now I'm going to watch 30 Rock with some leftover cheesecake from my roommate who spoils me, then hit the hay.

(Tomorrow I go intern with those cute little 4 and 5-year old kids again. And for Marketing class, we're meeting at the Times Square Toys R Us for another tour! I'll have to remember to go pick up an 80s Edition of Singstar and Karaoke Revolution's American Idol Encore while I'm there.)

Meet the Cast

Here are bios of my classmates, to help you keep track of who I'm talking about in future stories about Toy Design school (names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty):

Will:
Ex-Textiles major, next oldest in class after me, pescaterian, lactose-intolerant, and loves Bravo tv. Works part-time as a licensed masseur. Used to make plush toys with elaborate diorama sets as art projects. Used to live in Rhode Island and once lived in S.F. (and doesn't care to move back to S.F.). Once had ambitions to be a back-up dancer and loves Janet Jackson.

Nicknamed the "Wizard" or "Papa Smurf" due to his maturity, wisdom, and generally kind and calm demeanor. Is probably the most domesticated in the class, as he lives with his partner and a dog. Initially a quiet guy, but has surprised us with his dry sense of humor. Tends to get ambitious with impressive detail in his work. Design influences: H & R Puf 'n' Stuff, Raggedy Ann, Weeble-Wobbles. Interning this summer at Fisher Price in New York.

K-boy:
International student from Korea, previously the star of the Textiles major, highly fashionable. Long ago, served as a veejay for MTV Korea (!?) and also served in the Korean military (thus knows how to break apples and human necks with his bare hands). Also spent time in Rhode Island, studying hotel management.

In his late 20s, loves Mariah Carey and Disney songs. Wished he had the Barbie dreamhouse as a kid. Somehow gets away with inappropriate jokes and pinching everyone's ass in class. Manages to have dates ready any moment he gets free. Sits to my left and likes to show me cute boys on Facebook. Being a perfectionist, he sometimes obliviously insults classmates' work and regrets it later. Interns this summer at Mattel Barbie/Polly Pocket, in Los Angeles.

Jee:
International student from Korea, with a degree in graphic design. Loves video games, manga, Tim Burton, baby seals, Ewan MacGregor, and dark indie movies. Has the sickest marker-rendering skillz. Works way too hard sometimes, and doesn't eat or sleep enough. Hands are perpetually cold.

In her mid-late 20s and sits to my right, so we lament about our inability to meet appropriately-aged men while we are trapped in school. Says her icy cold heart doesn't let her cry, but is actually very compassionate and considerate. Still struggles with her accent and often asks Lilo and me for clarity on English words and American pop culture. Has a knack for getting hit on by guys who make food. Interns this summer at Hasbro, in Rhode Island.

Soo:
International student from Korea, with a degree in sculpture. Has a boyfriend in Korea (who might move to NYC for school too). Speaks with a slight British-Korean accent. Sometimes brings us Korean snacks or her own Korean cooking to nibble on. I once witnessed her nibble a carrot into the shape of a highly realistic finger. Used to skateboard and perhaps used to be a tomboy but is fairly girly now. Masterful sculpting skills makes her fearless with woodshop tools. Interns this summer at Manhattan Toys in Minneapolis.

Megan:
Quiet punk-rock-styled girl, third oldest in class. Used to make DIY crocheted/knitted toys and sell them. Frequently changes hair color and collects really unique, vintage-illustration-based tattoos. Smokes cigarettes. Raised without television and attended one of those unconventional-method-based schools like Montessori but not Montessori?

Loves Morrissey, Rockabilly, and Hall & Oates. Does not have a Facebook account. Favors designing plush toys and fairies. Loves french fries, recently broke from vegetarianism, and went back to having meat. Interns this summer at Alex Toys.

Lilo:
The other slacker Asian-American girl in class, has a Biology degree from Cornell. Used to be in an a capella singing group, sings while she works. Loves candy, Jamba Juice, and gemstones. Met her current boyfriend in high school. Became my class BFF when we discussed her strawberry-flavored Yan-Yan cookies on the first day of class.

Still a tween at heart; loves Hannah Montana and High School Musical. Really wants a furry kitten. Dresses 80s and listens to Blondie and Cyndi Lauper. Excels at unabashedly girly toy design with sparkles and hearts. Hates blue and loves pink and purple. Has tattoos of a panda and a unicorn and loves Tokidoki. Sits across the table from me, loves to talk and sass back at our classmates. Easily fears teachers and stresses out, even though they like her. Interns this summer at Fisher Price with Papa Smurf.

Carlito:
Ex-Fashion Illustration major and ex-Computer graphics major. Columbian roots, lives with family in Queens. Is Facebook friends with Marc Jacobs and always has cute sneakers on. Owns Tokidoki earrings. Always ready with a fierce pose for photos. One of three smokers in class. Doesn't eat pork, favors his Parksberry/Pinkberry with strawberries and mango. Frequents the gay dance clubs, sometimes with K-boy. Interns this summer at Madame Alexander.

Jan:
Ex-Interior Design major, Portuguese roots, lives with family in New Jersey. Early 20s, still calls her fiancé her "boyfriend" (and is forced to postpone her wedding until after graduation because school is so crazy). Takes smoking breaks with Carlito and Megan. Loves to watch South Park and collect vinyl toys with her fiancé. Has several pets at home and really wants to give away one of her rabbits. Interns this summer at Madame Alexander with Carlito.

Yajing:
The third Taiwanese-American girl in class, would be the Asian Ally Sheedy from the Breakfast Club. Has an Environmental Studies degree, is glued to her laptop more than I am. Friendly when spoken to, likes to comment on Facebook Walls, but is oblivious to anything outside of her little online bubble during class.

Always has her webcam on with her long-distance boyfriend. Proud of her PC, plays video games during boring lectures. Is secretly genius, as shown by an IQ test taken in Psychology and her love of drafting class. Loves eating takoyaki and breakdancing. Enjoys rendering plush. Interns this summer at Toys R Us.

Baby:
Ex-Illustration major, youngest in class, laments about not being 21 yet, gullible, super-conscientious about school. Generally wants to be everyone's friend. At FIT on a scholarship; takes pride in having never missed a day of class. From Staten Island and claims to be half-Italian-Asian because he's half Syrian.

Excels at pre-school toys and generally likes to put the same big cartoon eyes on all his toys. Owns VHS tapes with Star Wars and old cartoons on them. Enjoys "Golden Girls" and pick-up lines with ridiculous puns. Interns this summer at Hasbro with Jee.

Scott:
Ex-Illustration major, middle child of 7 kids. Designs absurdly funny toys. Extremely tall. Only 21 years old but loves Eddie Money. Loves ice hockey, but isn't from Canada (actually from Buffalo, I think). Builds things quickly in our hard toy class. I believe he interns this summer at Mega Brands.

Fred
Ex-Illustration major, 21 years old. Escaped political unrest (of Haiti?) as a child. Very muscly guy; one teacher asked if he was on steroids (jokingly?). Excels at vehicle rendering. Likes to say, "That's sexy," when giving compliments, which sometimes rubs others the wrong way (as we are discussing toys for children). Loves to quote Dane Cook and Dave Chapelle. Interns this summer at Toys R Us with Yajing.

Dan
Ex-Illustration major, ex-graveyard digger. Fast, compulsive sketcher. Loves Cyndi Lauper and Godzilla's enemies. Socially very shy but open to attending all kind of events. Loves to watch Gilmore Girls and bake cookies. Has longest hair in class and always wears black. Designs surreal and psychedelic characters. Has karaoke'd to Blue Oyster Cult. Interns this summer at a company (whose name I can't remember at the moment) in NYC that makes costumes and toys.

Miso:
(Me) Ex-web designer from California, with a degree in Graphic Design from UCLA. Oldest one in the class, youngest in my family generation. Fan of karaoke, Halloween costumes, dancing, knitting, rhythm-based video games, mid-century design, Japanese pop culture, and general cuteness. Addicted to shoes, Japanese stationery, internet and coffee, always needs naps.

Disappears impulsively in search of food or coffee. Sounds like a squirrel, snacks on Pocky, Hi-Chew, and clementines. Attracted to nerds and has a knack for meeting cute guys who live in the wrong city. Indulges in fruity cocktails and Vidal Sassoon haircuts. Would rather have a pot belly than go to the gym. Uses too much chartreuse, light blue, and orange. Interning this summer at Spin Master in Toronto!

***

Okay, enough procrastinating today. I must return to sewing up my princess monster, drafting vehicles, rendering dolls, and comparing Ancient art.

Conversations in Toy Design

I am often reminded that I am back in undergrad, when conversations like this happen:

Youngest classmate: Man, we just saw the grossest thing.
Me: What happened?
3rd youngest classmate: We saw this old couple, making out in public. ALL over each other.
Cute Gay Korean Dude: Ohh, what if they're in love!?
Fellow 30-something: Where did you see this? On the street?
3rd: McDonalds.
Me: McDonalds!? (laughter)
Youngest: Yeah, they were sitting at McDonald's, just going at it, all out in the open!
CGKD: Hahaha. Was it really that bad?
3rd: Yeah, it was gross! There was tongue and stuff!
Youngest: I don't know. But they were too old to be making out.
Me: How old are we talking?
3rd: I don't know, but they should not have been making out.
Youngest: I don't know, but people over 30 should not be making out.
Fellow: Over 30!? (rolls eyes)
Me: Wow. That's old. Um, don't even talk to me anymore.
3rd: It was bad! They were like: (suddenly starts to mime-re-enact the couple, with flailing tongue)
Everyone: AUGgggh-EEWWW!!!!

During a class break for History of Industrial Design, I showed my BFF the new super-cute Vancouver 2010 Olympic mascots, designed by Meomi:

BFF: Why are the Olympics in Canada again? Wasn't it just there?
Me: I don't know... They have a lot of snowy land?
BFF: Like, why isn't it in some place new, like Greenland or Iceland?
Me: I don't know. I don't really follow the Olympics much anymore. I feel like it's not quite as exciting as it used to be.
BFF: I think it's still exciting. Where else has the Olympics been? Has it ever been in L.A.?
Me: Yeah! The '84 Olympics!
Fellow 30-something: '84 Olympics? Were you there?
Me: Yeah, my brothers were big into Track & Field, so we got tickets to see that.

Later, it dawned on me, that about half my class weren't even alive in 1984. And I was old enough to remember going to the Olympics. I remember that, and seeing that really awesome Orwellian Apple commercial.

In Marketing class, we did an exercise where we made up toy concepts and quickly brainstormed marketing plans around them. One of the classmates brought up the idea of advertising one of the toys on shows like "Yo Gabba Gabba".

Teacher: Have you all seen "Yo Gabba Gabba"?
Class: Yeah!
Teacher: What do you guys think of it?
Me: I LOVE IT. It's crazy!
Teacher: Yeah, that show seems to appeal to twenty-something or thirty-something parents, who grew up with rap music and that sort of thing. But Fisher Price actually passed on that license...
Me: Whaaa!?!?
Teacher: I know, right? But SpinMaster got that license, so it'll be interesting to see how well that performs.
Me: Yeahhh!

Go SpinMaster! That's where I'll be interning this summer. I will be on cloud nine if I get a Dancing Brobee doll out of it!

I've found that the sweatshop–er, sewing lab hours are conducive to conversation, as we're basically doing light manual labor, pushing fabric across the machines and yanking thread all day.

Cute Gay Korean Dude: I saw the movie, Jumper.
Me: Was it any good?
CGKD: Yeah, I liked the movie. It was fun. But I don't really like those actors, Hayden Christensen and the girl.
Me: Wait, the brown-haired girl?? The girl from The O.C. –you don't think she's cute?
CGKD: No. Uh-uh.
Me: What!? I think she's sooo cute.
CGKD: No. You are so much cuter than she is.
Me: ...

I would guess the straight boys in class might disagree with that. But I'm not complaining...

As my class was busily sewing up cute stuffed animals designed for infants, we discussed our Chinese Astrological signs. My BFF was sewing a little fuzzy hippo, the quirky Korean girl designed a patched bunny, and I was working on a chubby squirrel.

Quirky Korean Girl: Do your friends sometimes think you are like a kind of an animal?
BFF: Hmm, yeah, I get koala, panda, sometimes otter...
Me: So all the cute animals, basically.
QKG: (looking at me.) What about you?
Me: Well. I used to be a little obsessed with monkeys. So if you asked my Californian friends what animal they'd associate with me, they'd say monkey. I had an email list that had monkey in its name, and some of them call me the Monkey Queen.
BFF: Monkey? No, I don't think you're like a monkey.
Me: No?
QKG: No. I think... more like... squirrel.
Me: Squirrel!?
BFF: Yeah. I can see squirrel. Like, "Chee-chee-chee-chee-chee!"
Me: Huh. I like squirrels... But I'm clumsy.
QKG: You're a squirrel!
Me: Squirrels aren't clumsy. They jump from branch to branch and climb walls! They're like Spiderman!
BFF: So squirrels are aspirational?
Me: Yes. Squirrels are aspirational. That's what I'd put as a strength for my infant toy if I made a marketing report for it. "Squirrels are aspirational."

The madness continues.

I wanted to blog about my first day I had at the local Head Start classroom, but I'm about to start an insane week of school:

Sunday 11am - 6pm
Sewing lab hours (for Soft Toy class)

Monday 10am - 9pm
Hard Toy lab hours (woodshop)
Hard Toy class
Ancient Art History class (midterm exam)

Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Soft Toy class (finalizing infant toy, sketch storybook characters)
Hard Toy lab hours (woodshop)
Computer Drafting class (Diego Boat drafting project due)

Wednesday 1pm - 9pm
Motor Learning class (Infant Toy analysis paper due)
Computer Graphics class (spaceship & alien rendering due)

Thursday: 9am - 5pm
Soft Toy class (final Infant plush due)
History of Industrial Design class

Friday: 9am - 4:30pm
Intern at a Head Start class of 4-to-5-year-olds
Marketing class (possible midterm exam, tbd)

I'm not even quite sure how completing this week is even possible. The Saturday after, I take off for a much needed Spring Break, in Sunny California, thank GOD.

Wish me luck!

Saturday Happy Fun Times

I didn't get to meet the animator last Saturday, but I think it was for the best.

He emailed me recently to say hello. His email address looked related to a website, and being the resourceful ex-tech-professional nerd that I am, I had to check it out. It turned out to be a web page that pointed to some of his animated shorts...

Aaand, unfortunately, I didn't like them. They were not aesthetically pleasing, not very clever, and not very funny.

That's the tricky thing about being a creative professional, when you date other creative professionals. You have to respect the quality of their work. And if it's no good, then it's especially awkward.

Oh well. ANYhoo, I did end up having a lot of fun Saturday with my class BFF. We started with the Michel Gondry "Be Kind Rewind" exhibit, which was small, but still amusing. We wished we had seen the movie first. Maybe we'll go back after seeing the movie.

Then we filled the rest of the day with more fun, including:

• wine-tasting at Vintage, a Soho shop that sells local NY wines. The BFF found a strawberry wine that featured a unicorn on its label. She was pretty ecstatic about that.


• browsing the madhouse of Kid Robot's apparel sale (didn't buy anything)


• delicious chocolate espressos at Aroma Espresso Bar


• browsing the madness of the Marc Jacobs sale (didn't buy anything there either, but we did get a free photo w/ a giant skunk)


• red velvet cupcakes and banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery


• book-shopping across the street from Magnolia (to do some research for our storybook project)

Well that was all the fun I'll have for a little while, because next weekend we have class all day, both Saturday and Sunday. And I have a midterm and a paper due next week, along with a crapload of design projects that need to be completed before spring break. Ack! Good thing it's still fun (except for maybe drafting in Cobalt)!

Speaking of which, I have to run to my Motor-Learning class now!

Yay for Snow Days!

Last weekend, I had my first snow day! –meaning, school gets cancelled because it's too snowy and cold outside! That was a novel thing for a Californian like me. I got to stay in my PJs all day and watch the pretty snow fall outside. And I even enjoyed the snow on my windowsill, even if it only really lasted for a few hours.

Of course I also had to take advantage of the snow days for some much-needed rest and play time. Friday night, I went to dinner and an avant garde John Zorn concert with my cousins. The show started with a quartet, including a harpist, vibraphone player, electric guitar, and double bass. It was a little reminiscent of Combustible Edison's lounge music, or a sort of retro tropicalia sound with a touch of surf rock, which I quite liked. The vibraphone player was very animated and had hair like The Muppets' Beaker, which made him especially entertaining.

The second part involved Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson (credited in the show as "The Lovers," which apparently they are in real life) reciting romantic Jewish poetry with a chorus of four women as accompanied music. That was really unusual and interesting, but for some reason, I hate to admit: I got super sleepy. Maybe it was the low, soothing quality of their voices. At the end of the show, I saw Lou Reed standing about three feet away from me as we left the theater lobby! Afterwards, we went to Good World, (a Swedish bar/restaurant) where I enjoyed an Elderberry cocktail and way too much dessert.

When I thought the night was over, I went home, only to find that my roommate was hanging out with three of our friends, watching cable tv. (BTW, I told them I saw Lou Reed, and one of them said that he didn't know who that was. Sigh.)

So of course with my arrival, that turned into an impromptu Karaoke Revolution & red-wine party, even though my throat was still healing from a cold. That probably wasn't wise, but it was definitely fun! (BTW, my roommate and I highly recommend the Merlot by "Independent Producers".)

Saturday night, I found it very peculiar to be wearing a mini-dress and boots, under a big puffy coat, walking around snow! I joined some classmates and friends for drinks, dancing and late-night diner food. One of my classmates met up with a cute boy, who kindly paid for all of our diner food, supposedly because we were all students. I think it was more to impress my super-cute classmate, and I think it kind of worked. (Except, that super-cute classmate is spending spring break in Paris with another boy.)

I wasn't thrilled with the house music at Cielo, so I almost pushed to go dance some more at Sway, where they have poppier tunes. But my younger classmates wussed out! But then I also realized it just got way too cold when we left the diner, so I went home around 3am.

Sunday night, I attended a tiny Oscar-watching dinner party. It dawned on me that I had never been to an Oscars party, which is strange, given that I'm from L.A. –Even more ironic: this may well be the year I was least aware of the movies (having been trapped at school for the last six months). I hadn't even heard of any of the foreign film nominees! The only Oscar nominees I had seen were "Juno" and "Persepolis." But now I can say I have friends who worked on an Oscar-winning film!

Kudos to Grace, Geenie, and Erich, who prepared the most delightful dinner, involving: blood orange martinis, blood orange sangria, some-kind-of-artichoke soup, blood orange salad, polenta, pork w/ caramelized onions, and ice cream with home-made chocolate truffles (made from Green & Black's organic dark chocolate)! Amazing.

Also at this dinner party, I met a guy who sometimes DJs at Cielo. I also met an Interactive Designer who briefly worked for the same manager I once worked for at Yahoo! Plus, she graduated from and taught at NYU's ITP program, where some of my other tech friends went. (She said they were instructors when she was in the program.) Also one of the party hosts works for IDEO, and of course he knows the few people I know from their Palo Alto office. Small world.

***

This weekend, we won't get a snow day, but my usual Saturday class got bumped to Sunday. So... I might actually work in time for a date with an animator, who seems to have a lot in common with me. That might be great and all, but I am concerned about developing a habit of meeting great guys three months before I move to another city. (—And in this case, another country.)

But my voice is still hoarse (from a cold that started over 2 weeks ago!), so I don't know if I should go on a date in this condition. Actually, I sound a lot like my roommate's normal voice now, which is kind of sexier, so I guess it's kind of fun. Except if I go on a first date like this, will he be disappointed later when my voice returns to its normal, squirrely, 7-year-old, self?

(Side note: my roommate and I are slowly turning into each other. I got her sucked into tv shows, like "Weeds" and "Make me a Supermodel", and I am growing out my hair to her length and now my voice sounds like hers.)

Either way, I'm making a point of going to see Michel Gondry's "Be Kind, Rewind" art exhibit tomorrow. Now I'm just debating between seeing DJ Jazzy Jeff perform tonight at the Museum of Natural History, or catching up on homework. Hmm.

I told my classmates about the DJ Jazzy Jeff night, and one of them responded with, "Isn't that guy old? He looked old when he was on 'Fresh Prince.' Like thirty-five or something."

Somebody, please shoot this kid.

A Day in the Life

Thought some of you'd like to hear how a typical day of a Toy Design student is, so here is a detailed account of how today went for me:

8:30 bundle up in puffy jacket, leather gloves, pom-pom hat, and furry boots for 11-degree weather

8:40 run out the door to catch the uptown R train

8:45 get on train, start reading The History of Industrial Design for a quiz, struggle to turn pages with gloves on

9:05 look up to discover I just missed my street stop and am already late for class

9:10 get back on the downtown W train

9:15 run into class late, apologetically

9:20 set up my sewing machine and open up my MacBook Pro to show my teacher color studies of my plush squirrel

9:30 watch the teacher demonstrate how to revise a plush toy body to fit the desired shape, as my hunger grows and boredom increases, as I think she's going over what I already know how to do

9:45 sneak out of the class to feed my hunger rage; run to McDonald's to grab a sausage burrito meal deal, plus their tasty premium Hazelnut iced coffee

10am donate extra burrito to starving classmates (as I only ever really need one burrito and maybe one hash brown), start to sew a revised squirrel body in muslin (fabric), as I explain to my class BFF that I only eat breakfast, fish filets, and minty milkshakes at McDonald's

10:15 stop sewing, to show my teacher my color studies and decide on plush fabric colors and textures; we agree on blue-green-yellow striped accent patches, possibly a cuddly soft turquoise furry fabric, and a chartreuse fleece fabric

10:30 alternate bites of food and sips of orange juice and coffee with sewing, while asking classmates questions about the significance of the Singer sewing machine in 1876

11am grab stuffing to fill the new squirrel body, while listening in on classmates quiz each other on the significance of Wedgwood Queen's Ware pottery in 1790, the .36 Colt revolver in 1851, Thonet's bentwood chairs in 1836, Pugin's armoire in 1851, and James Whistler's Peacock room in 1876

11:30 Laugh at my classmates, as they start getting goofier and punchier by the minute, while studying for the quiz and deciding on lunch options

11:45 Adjust version 2 of my plush squirrel body with pins; cut up new sewing pattern shapes while laughing at the absurdity and gall of my sewing teacher as she shares some ridiculously judgemental anecdote about "Mexicans on the train"

noon Pack up sewing machines and supplies, choose the Szechuan bean curd over rice from a Chinese takeout menu

12:10 check email while listening to classmates quiz each other, gameshow style

12:30 write email replies, then notice when one of the dorm guys bizarrely brings up a pornographic term ("Babuke?"), to which we all respond with a resounding "EEWWWWWWW!"

12:32 get even more disturbed, when this same guy explains that "the girl usually throws up afterward," at which I say, "Usually??? What do you mean by usually? How do you even KNOW? Wait. I don't want to hear about it anymore, we're about to eat LUNCH."

1pm start to eat lunch, then realize it's not that tasty, and that I'm not very hungry

1:15 Get all excited telling my classmates how my internship interview went

1:30 Check email again, watch an awesome clip of Improv Everywhere, performed at Grand Central Station then post it to Facebook

1:45 Look over class notes to review last details for quiz

2pm Take History of Industrial Design quiz, delighted to find that it's about Wedgwood Pottery, which I remember the most about

2:15 Type notes on my MacBook Pro while enjoying a colorful and funny lecture, in which the teacher explains how two 19th century designers enjoyed the menage-a-trois, even in the staid context of Victorian England

3:45 class break, in which I check my Flickr and find updated photos from my favorite designers at Meomi, realizing that they were just in NYC

3:50 Suddenly remember that Vicki Wong of Meomi is Canadian and designed the 2010 Vancouver Olympic mascots; then realize I could probably stock up on mascot toys when I go to Toronto this summer, then show how insanely adorable they are to my classmates who all start to coo at them (–even the guy who knows too much about pornographic terms)

4:00 Agree with my class BFF that Christopher Dresser looks kind of like Edward Norton and was a way hotter 19th-century designer than William Morris; marvel at how Japanese influences were as big back then as they are now in product design, but for different reasons

5:00 hop on the 1 train downtown and delight in the combination of wierdos and fancy business folk I pass on the way home

5:20 check email, Facebook, Scrabulous, start blogging

5:45 catch up with my roommate who gets home from work, finish blog entry

7pm ponder whether I should nap or have a quick dinner and go to bed.