sanaaziz

Petal series

2012-02-02T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hello world, Sorry i've not been on here in a while, just been mad busy with final year work at uni. Hoping to get myself back to blogging regularly, so to start me off i'm posting pictures of two pieces i made before Christmas. They are part of a series of four rings. Hope you like them.

Love, Sana xx

melting.

2011-06-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

It is 42 degrees celsius, Everything including my brain seems be melting away as the air conditioner has conveniently decided to die on us today. Then again i won't be surprised if it's insides have melted away too. I've only been home for a week now, but have luckily managed to get myself an internship with a big international artist (more on that later) so hoping this productive start to the summers will last. Right, thats all for now, off to put some ice on my face.
x

Dissertation proposal 2

2011-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Title	More than just Jewellery - Symbolism behind rings; a comparison between the East and the West.
Summary	The symbolism and meaning behind jewellery has always fascinated me. I am intrigued by what gives a piece of jewellery its value, and what better way to do so then to investigate the symbolic, superstitious and religious associations that have been linked to jewellery, throughout history. I realize that this would be a subject too wide to do justice to, whilst staying within the word limit this dissertation has allowed me and given the time on hand. Therefore, I have decided to narrow down my research to the study of the symbolism behind rings alone, whether this is religious, superstitious, political, tribal or otherwise and to investigate the different functions rings have and still play in our lives. As Nick Barnad said in his book titled Indian Jewellery: “To interpret the social and symbolic connotations of jewellery is to appreciate the individual pieces on a much deeper level, beyond their undeniable surface beauty to the significance of their purpose, be it worshipping a deity or celebrating a marriage.” (Barnard, 2008, front flap) Rings have carried the highest amount of symbolism compared to any other form of jewellery (Scarisbrick, 1993) and I wish to investigate the numerous roles which this small, yet powerful item of jewellery has played in people’s lives. Jewellery has forever been an integral part of our lives, holding religious, sentimental and emotional significance for us and similarly rings have, throughout history, served various functions and have been substantially used for far more than just their aesthetic quality and adornment. For instance, rings have been used as a medium to reflect ones authority and power. Traditionally the only areas left exposed would be the hands and the head, giving people the opportunity to embellish these lavishly with jewels which is why it is rings and crowns that are most commonly associated with power (Walgrave, 1995.) Frequently rings will simultaneously fulfill more than one role and while maintaining their aesthetic appeal, they will carry a much deeper underlying function. Like France Borel says in his book: “Personal adornment is a major art, a meeting point of social function and esthetic pleasure” (Borel,1994, pg.28). In addition to the functions mentioned already rings have also undeniably always been symbols of wealth and in turn a reflection of one’s social status. Both in the western and eastern communities’ men and women adorn themselves with jewellery to distinguish themselves from the common man and in an attempt to move up in the social hierarchy (Walgrave, 1995.) Rings are also used to symbolize distinction and of course, one of the most obvious reasons behind wearing rings is that it symbolizes love, commitment and marriage. It gives one a sense of belonging, whether it is towards your spouse, tribe or religion. The reason for using a ring most commonly rather than any other item of jewellery to signify ones love is because the circle of the ring represents continuity, indicating the continuation of undying love (Choyt, 2007) The type of rings a person wears most certainly tells you a little bit about them right away, and when the pieces worn are religious, political, tribal or superstitious it becomes even easier to identify the person’s status, attitude and general lifestyle. France Borel likewise states in his book The splendor of ethnic jewellery that: “Body decoration is a timeless and ubiquitous social indicator. It summarizes the wearers status and life history…it serves as an instant ID” (Borel, 1994, pg.20) Looking back at history, one can see that the ring was one of the earliest forms of decorations adopted by the primitive man. In a world without mirrors, little contentment could have been derived from neck or head ornaments, which were only visible to others and not yourself. And thus Its only understandable that one of the most commonly used tools for self adornment came in the form of finger rings which would be admired not just be the viewer but also by the wearer themselves. (Ward, Cherry, Gere, and Cartligdge 1981) Furthermore I wish to investigate why certain types of rings are accustomed to be worn on certain fingers only. For instance, Wedding rings are most commonly worn on the third finger of the left hand. It is speculated that the Romans believed that a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart. Alternatively it is believed, that each of our fingers are associated with a planet, and the third finger of the left hand is associated with the Sun. Thus, wearing a wedding ring on that finger represents ones conscious, public declaration of ones love in front of everyone in daylight. (Choyt, 2007) Although jewellery is worn universally, its symbolic significance is likely to vary between cultures. As I pursue my research, I wish to investigate whether symbolism in rings varies between the Eastern and the Western culture. And investigate whether the use of symbolism in jewellery has declined over the years or not. I intend to do so by using the U.K and Pakistan/India as case studies and drawing a comparison between the two. Although I realize basing my research on just these two areas will not provide me with enough evidence to land on a single, definitive conclusion about the whole of the Eastern and Western culture, I do however, feel if substantial primary research is conducted efficiently it should certainly suggest and indicate a pattern in people’s attitudes towards symbolic rings and how they vary in the East and the West. And once backed up by a wealth of secondary research, in my dissertation, I should be able to draw some conclusions about the symbolism of rings, and how it is perceived by both sides of the world.
Aims	To investigate the hidden symbolism behind Rings; which will aid me as a jewellery designer by allowing me to incorporate relevant symbolic elements in my own work. Other designers and jewellery students will be able to benefit from my research in a similar way. To explore the powers gemstones are believed to have giving me a deeper understanding of why certain stones were and are still used in certain types of rings. This understanding will assist me in choosing the materials I would like to use in my own studio practice. To investigate if any cultural differences exist between the East and the West when it comes to religious/superstitious symbolism in jewellery, and in particular rings.
Objectives	To explore the symbolism behind jewellery and in particular rings, by conducting secondary research and thoroughly reviewing what others have already written in this area. To identify the different functions rings have served throughout history by investigating the historical journey they have undergone; from ancient ornaments to contemporary jewellery. To conduct interviews and questionnaires within the UK and in Pakistan which will suggest whether religious and superstitious beliefs people have regarding jewellery and rings differ between the East and the West. I intend on using pie charts and diagrams to assist in my comparison. To investigate whether the use of symbolism in rings has declined over the years or not by comparing past and current jewellery trends To investigate whether the wearing of symbolic rings has declined over the years by interviewing people from different generations; questioning the about their views and use of symbolic jewellery and analyzing those results using graphs.
Keywords	Rings History Symbolism Gemstones Function Culture
Annotated bibliography	*Barnard, N., 2008. Indian jewellery. London: V&A Publishing.* In this book Nick Barnard has selected more than a hundred pieces from the V&A’s unmatched collection to illustrate the richness of jewellery belonging to the Indian subcontinent and its significance, demand and influence in Britain. This book could potentially be one of the key sources I would use for my research. It contains a chapter titled “Who wore jewellery and why?” As the title suggests this chapter discusses the different reasons for which people in India have and still wear jewellery, in other word discusses the functions that jewellery serves in relation to the Indian culture particularly. *Borel, F., 1994. The splendor of Ethnic Jewellery.* London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. This book is dedicated to one of the world’s finest collections of ethnic jewellery, belonging to Collete and Jean-Pierre Ghysels. The book has a wealth of high quality photographs, accompanied by the history of those pieces, the functions they served, and the powers they believed to have had. The book has a generous mention of Indian jewellery and a heart racing amount of incredible images as evidence. As I am a huge admirer of traditional jewellery particularly, this book was incredibly exciting to go through, and potentially one of the key sources I would be referring to. Choyt, M., 2007. Symbolism of wedding rings [online] Available at: http://thephantomwriters.com/free_content/db/b/symbolism-of-wedding-rings.shtml [Accessed 9th march 2011] I was a bit vary of the websites I was finding as most of them didn’t seem to have an authentic and reliable source. This one however, I felt contained lot of useful context, and this article being used is by a well established author. The article is dedicated simply to wedding rings, how the concept originated, different types of wedding rings and the hidden symbols used in them to signify love and commitment. Content, D.J., 1987. Islamic Rings and Gems. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. This book was particularly fascinating to read because I was always under the misconception that Islam didn’t really encourage the wearing of jewellery and although I was aware that rings did play an important role in Islam, I never truly realized their significance until I came across this huge book dedicated simply to this. What makes the rings in this book special, and particularly relevant to my research is the fact that none of these rings were used for mere adornment, but each of them in fact carry a deeper symbolic meaning, whether this be engraved on it in the form of beautiful Quranic verses or stated more subtly through the use of particular stones or shape of the ring. Gregorietti, G., 1970. Jewellery; through the ages. London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. The book goes through the vast history of jewellery discussing different eras. It contains an useful, albeit somewhat brief section on the symbolism and superstitions associated with jewellery. Hall, C., 1994. Gemstones. New York: Dorling Kindersley Inc. Like most other books I found on Gemstones, this one too discusses each stones chief characteristics and qualities along with vivid coloured photographs. However, the main focus of this book is the scientific properties of stones, how they are formed and where they are found etc which is somewhat going off the trail of my dissertation. The two chapters in this book that do however, relate really well to my research and are likely to be quite useful are “Gems through the Ages” and “History and Folklore”. Krishna, U.R.B., 2001. Jewels of the Nizams. New Delhi: Department of Culture, Government of India. India has an incredibly rich history and culture, and in 1995 the Indian government acquired one of the most outstanding collections of gemstones and jewellery. This wealth once belonged to the Nizams of Hyderabad, who were reputed to be the richest men in the world. Majority of the collection included in this book date from early 18^th century to the early 20^th century. There is a separate section on rings, which includes some of the very precious rings that had been acquired at the time. The author has done justice to each piece, by talking about it individually, describing it and giving its history and significance. Krishna, U.R.B, Kumar, M.S., 1999. Dance of the Peacock-Jewellery traditions of India. Mumbai: India Book House Ltd. Incredibly beautiful book in my opinion; I may be slightly biased when I say this, as It evoked a great sense of nostalgia in me as I read through it. A wealth of photographs and text compiled in this book most of it being very much relevant to my area of research. Although, this book doesn’t have a section dedicated solely to rings, it contains a wealth of photographs and information on jewellery as a whole, with detail about stones, motifs and symbols used in Indian jewellery and what they all represent which is just what I am looking for. The book also has a section on crafts which gives the reader a slight insight into the making of certain pieces discussed which makes this book all the more fascinating. Oman, C., 1974. British Rings 800-1914. London: B. T. Batsford Ltd. This book was specifically dedicated to English and Scottish rings, making it very relevant to my research. I am confident it will aid me immensely when investigating the symbolism of rings in the UK, which as a vital part of my dissertation topic. Rings have served various different functions as already established; this books talks about some of those main functions in relation to Britain. There are chapters dedicated to each of the following functions; Signet Rings, Wedding rings, investiture and ceremonial rings, religious, magical and medicinal rings, political and portrait rings and lastly mourning rings. I was most fascinated when I read about morning rings as that was a category I was completely unfamiliar with. This book is however slightly difficult to read as it is heavily loaded with examples from British history which I am somewhat alien to, but surely I will get into it once I read it in more detail. Scarisbrick, D., 1993. Rings; Symbols of Wealth, Power and Affection. London: Thames and Hudson. This book taught me that throughout history, rings have carried the highest amount of symbolism compared to any other form of jewellery and since in my dissertation I want to research the symbolism associated with Rings, this book seems to be just what I was looking for. Diana Scarisbrick uses examples from history accompanied by photographs to explain the different functions rings have served through the ages. The book has chapters designated to each century walking the reader through the history of rings and how taste, design and cultural attitudes have evolved. Scarisbrick, D., 2007. Rings; Miniature monuments to Love, Power and Devotion. London: Thames and Hudson. With a collection of brilliant photographs of rings belonging to different countries and time periods, this book explains the various functions of rings by dividing them into major categories: signets; rings associated with love, marriage, and friendship; religious and protective rings, memorial rings; rings associated with famous people and great events and finally decorative rings. Shiffer, N., 1988. The power of Jewellery. Pennsylvania: Shiffer publishing Ltd. This book provides an illustrative insight into each gemstone, not only talking about the powers they are believed to possess, but also a general history of the stone, its origin, and its place and significant use in history. The images provided alongside the text are labeled to describe the materials used in the particular piece, as well as the time period it belongs to which makes it a lot more interesting to read about the stones. The author gives a detailed and well illustrated insight into the qualities, types, history and the religious/superstitions beliefs associated with each stone and also discusses different signs and symbols and their significance in relation to jewellery. I found this would be one of the key resources I would be referring to in my research as it had a lot of good content. Simmons, R., (Year unknown). Stones of the new consciousness; Healing, Awakening & Co-creating with Crystals, Minerals & Gem. East Montpelier: Heaven & Earth Publishing. This book does more than simply list Gemstones followed by their properties and believed powers. It talks about the conscious relationship the wearer can develop with a stone, introducing a new approach to meditation and healing. Although this books is an interesting read, I don’t think it relates all that well to my dissertation, as the focus of this book is more on ‘how to’ use these stones for their powers, and not so much on the beliefs associated with the stones which is what I am more interested in finding out. Simmons, R. Ahsian, N., (Year Unknown). The book of stones; who they are & what they teach. East Montpelier: Heaven & Earth Publishing. I found this book very useful as it provides a highly in-depth guide into gemstones, their scientific properties, history, essential energies and also tells you which stones work best together. The authors have done justice to each stone by talking about them individually, illustrated with beautiful photographs. This book was just as good to look at as it was to read. At the end of the book is an index listing all the stones that have similar physical, emotional and spiritual correspondences which is rather handy as it will save me the time I would ha ve spent doing so. Tait, H., 1986. 7000 years of Jewellery. London: British Museum Publications Ltd. This book covers a very in-depth historical review of Jewellery, with chapters dedicated to every national and tribal region of the world. It takes the reader through a well illustrated journey, discussing how different cultures and significant historical incidents have influenced Jewellery over the years. The chapter dedicated just to finger rings is the section most relevant to my research. The book discusses the different functions rings have served over time, and provides pictorial evidence alongside each of those categories. These photographs accompanied by descriptive paragraphs make this book a lot more fascinating to read, and more importantly easier to understand. Untracht, O., 1997. Traditional Jewellery of India. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. More than 5000 years of the development of personal ornaments in India are explored in this book. I was overwhelmed by the sheer wealth of images and information that the author had managed to accumulate and present. India has an unmatched and unbroken heritage of jewellery design, and its people have invested limitless energy and creativity in the making and designing of ornaments that celebrate the human body and serve a countless number of functions. This book explores those traditions, from antiquity to contemporary jewellery; the signs, symbols, motifs, patterns, colours and materials that were once and are still being carried forward with pride. Walgrave, J., 1995. Sieraad symbool signaal; The Jewel - Sign and Symbol. Antwerpen: Koningin Fabiolazaal In this book the author discusses the symbolism and significance of jewellery by looking at different cultures and time periods and explains what gives a jewel its symbolic value is the story attached to it; how and when it was worn. The book discusses the different reasons for which jewellery and in particular rings have been worn or in other words the functions they have served over the years which is one of the key areas I want to investigate in my research. Ward, A. Cherry, J. Gere, C. and Cartligdge, B., 1981. Rings through the ages. New York: Rizzoli International publications, inc. This book talks about the Ring, being the most popular form of jewellery throughout history. It examines the history, folklore, ritual and sheer significance of the ring, as well as its technological record of production from prehistoric natural substances to the more contemporary materials being used today. The book had four sections, the rings of Antiquity, Medieval Rings, Rings from 1500-1900 and finally the Rings of the 20^th century therefore taking the reader through a highly comprehensive and fascinating history of the ring. Ward, A. Cherry, J. Gere, C. and Cartligdge, B., 1981. The Ring-From antiquity to the twentieth Century. London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd.** Certainly an Interesting read, the authors take you through the history of the ring alongside lovely photographs. However, since this book was written in 1981, the last section on contemporary rings seems rather outdated now, and I will most certainly have to refer to more current books for information on contemporary jewellery, and instead use this book more for the earlier historic review of the rings.

Trekabout. Meetings and progress.

2011-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

This semester we were asked to create an imaginary business, research into the products/services we were to offer, look into how we would source, produce, price and market those products. We needed to have a clear business plan, produce an effective marketing mix and most importantly work out the feasibility of our business idea and see realistically speaking how doable and successful it would be.

Our group met up every week over the last 6 weeks to develop this business plan. Our meetings would last over an hour, and would be constructive and fun. Our group has worked very well over all, with not a single argument or fight amongst our team members. We each pitched in ideas, contributed at every stage of the process, bringing our individual strengths to the project. On the whole this assignment has been challenging; pushing us to be creative and think out of the box, yet think rationally. We all agreed it was a good idea to get such a project as it helps us prepare for the professional world once we graduate.

Aside from the meetings, we created a facebook group for our team, where we would continuously upload any progress, post any questions or queries we had, share ideas/ suggestions, and organize meetings etc. This proved to be a very handy tool as it made staying in touch extremely easy, and was an online hub where we had everything stored for later referral and everyone had access to it anytime they needed.

The following is a brief gist of what we covered in each meeting, and what we organized for the next.

9th Feb, Attended- All

At our first meeting we went over our project brief, establishing clearly what was expected of us, and making a plan about how we would go about in achieving it. We went over what we had already researched about a post consumer to refresh our memory, and then started discussing the products and services they might be interested in as that would be our target market. We came up with numerous ideas, with one idea leading to another. In order to make an informed decision, we realized it was imperative that we went away and researched each of those ideas on our own, and see the feasibility of them all and bring back feedback and research to our next meeting.

16th Feb, Attendance- Everyone except Kirsty and Emilie who were on a study trip.
After researching a few different ideas our group decided to go ahead with the idea of selling a service, aimed at the hill walking community. We were going to provide an online hub to all interested in hill walking. Our interactive website would assist travellers to plan every step of their journey, from booking transport to accommodation. We would offer equipment and gear for rent, as well as have trainers to assist inexperienced walkers. The USP for our website is that it would have everything onsite, so our page would’nt redirect you to further sites, and the customer would get everything simply under one hub. Furthermore, to make our service unique we would allow our customers to create online profiles where they can share photographs, make their own personal walk calendar, put up their interests, hobbies and past walking experiences. This would enable people to meet and plan journeys with likeminded walkers, bringing the hill walking community a step closer to each other.

23rd Feb, Attended: All
On the 23rd we had another meeting in order to update Kirsty and Emilie, two of our group members who were away on a study trip the past week about our progress and new business plan. We also allocated tasks and an area of research to all the group members which they would then investigate further. I was looking into customer services; and marketing.
24th February, Attended: All

This meeting was arranged so we could bring everything up to speed, and bring back our findings from our area of research. It was also so we would see if anyone was facing any trouble so the rest could help them, and to generally brainstorm about where we were heading now. We also began thinking of a company name at this stage posting up any and all ideas we had on our facebook group.

4th March, Attended- All

At this meeting we started putting all the information we had accumulated together in a proper format that would fit into our presentation. We assigned roles to each of us based on our interests and strengths and then spent a few more days researching on our designated roles. I was made incharge of the marketing and promotional department. I was also looking into promotional costs. After conducting some research, I took down notes and made a couple of mind maps; photographs of a few are shown below. I was not only looking at the different mediums used for promotion, but also investigating their advantages and disadvantages to see which ones were best suited for our business.

8th March, Attended- All
We were now working on the final layout of our website. After discussing a few different options all team members agreed our company name should be Trekabout. Sam designed a logo for our company and I think he did a very nice job at it. Its simple but effective:

We were now also looking at writing out our mission statement, our business proposal and the ethics and values that formed the foundation of our business structure.

11th March, Attended- All

After looking into the different advertising tools, we realized two of the most effective and widely used online advertisement tools currently are Facebook and Twitter. Therefore, Dawn and I created a facebook and twitter page for our company as this would aid us greatly in reaching a vast audience, not to forget of different generations.

Here is a link to our Facebook and Twitter page respectively:

Trekabout - Facebook Page

Trekabout - Twitter page
Sam designed a web page for our company and below is a snap shot:

By this point we all had a very good idea about how the business would operate, but the work hadn’t stopped yet. We continued to investigate all areas of research, for instance, Emilie looked into facts and figures on the benefits of hill walking, Paula looked at the prospects for our community and Laurence looked at prospects for the company.

As I was in charge of the marketing, a designed a flyer for our company:

14th March, Attended- All

This was on of the last few meetings leading up to our presentation, We put everything together, and made sure it all flowed well and was visually appealing. Paula, Callum, Emilie and Laurence opted to speak at the presentation, as we decided more than four people giving the presentation would be too much. Them four met again later the same day to practice and run through the presentation once before the big day!

16th March, Attended - All

This was the day of the presentation, we presented 2nd and it went really well. We were all quite please with it, and it was good to see all the time and hard work invested pay off!

21st March, Attended- All

The presentation had been done, but we still needed to put together our portfolios. These consisted of all the research we had done so far, all mind maps, photographs and any sketches, notes or articles we had used.

22nd March, Attended- All

This was our last and final meeting, where we went over everything once more to make sure nothing had been left out. We organized all our notes etc, properly and in a presentable manner and also put together a bibliography mentioning all books, articles and websites we had referred to.

Hi, my name is Peter Smith, and I am a post consumer x

2011-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Our group organized several meetings for this assignment, The first one was just a brain storming session, where we all came prepared with our individual mind maps following research into what a post consumer would be like. The idea was to imagine a typical post consumer and see what their characteristics and personality would be like and to then represent that in the form of a poster. Our group decided we would create a facebook profile for the typical post consumer, and then use screen shots to help design the poster. The reason we wanted to create a facebook profile was mainly because we could all relate to it well, it would be more realistic; as though you were actually getting to know this person through his facebook profile, and also because we thought it would be different to what other groups might be doing.

In order to create a believable post consumer profile, we began a deeper analysis in to which groups he is likely to a part of, what would his age, occupation, activities, personality be like? If you look deeply into our poster, hopefully you will be able to notice the small details on his profile that help shape our typical idea of what a post consumer would be like. Below is a picture of our poster, followed by some photographs taken on one of our meetings:

Learning styles

2011-01-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

For the first assignment this semester we were supposed to take a short test often titled “Individual learning style”. What this test does is it determines how you operate and labels your individual learning style by analyzing your response to a series of work related questions. The aim was to help us determine what our learning style is, and how that fits in with that of our group members. Are we alike? Or, ideally is our group more diversified and mutli-modal, having a mix of styles enabling us to gain the benefits of each type.

After taking the online test, My results were as follows:

Activist: Strong
Reflector: low

Theorist:low

Pragmatist: Very strong

At first I didn’t know what this meant, and what the implications would be for me, but once I read the characteristics that’s make each of learning styles above in detail it all made perfect sense. In fact I found myself very much agreeing with the results.

ACTIVISTS

They involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences. The

immediate is important to them, enjoying the here and now. They are open

minded and enthusiastic about new things with a 'I'll try anything once'

philosophy. Activists are people who act first and consider the consequences

afterwards so they are busy on- the-go tackling problems by brain storming. They

like having other people around, involving themselves with others, at the same

time seeking to center all activities on themselves.

Activists learn best when:

involved in new experiences
problems and opportunities
working with others in team tasks or role-playing
being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task
chairing meetings, leading discussions

Activists learn less when:

listening to lectures or long explanations
reading, writing or thinking on their own
absorbing and understanding data
following precise instruction to the letter

REFLECTORS

They are ponderous about experiences and observe them from many different

perspectives. They methodically go about collecting and analyzing data and this

is the aspect they enjoy, postponing reaching definitive conclusions for as long as

possible. They have a cautious philosophy and tend to take a back seat in

meetings and discussions. They listen to the arguments before contributing to the

discussion. They adopt a low profile and have a slightly indifferent, unruffled air

about them. They act within a context of the past as well as the present and

include other's observations as well as their own.

Reflectors learn best when:

observing individuals or groups at work
reviewing what has happened and thinking about what they have learned
producing analysis and reports doing tasks without tight deadlines

Reflectors learn less when:

acting as leader or role-playing in front of others
doing things with no time to prepare
being thrown in at the deep end
being rushed or worried by deadlines

THEORISTS

They create complex, but logically sound theories from their adaptations and

interpretations of observations. They are logical, step-by-step people who

assimilate all sorts of facts into coherent theories. Theorists are perfectionists

who want everything to be tidily fitted into a rational scheme. They like to analyze

and synthesise. Questions they frequently ask are 'Does it make sense?' 'What

are the basic assumptions?' Their philosophy is based on rationality.

Theorists learn best when:

put in complex situations where they have to use their skills and knowledge
they are in structured situations with clear purpose
they are offered interesting ideas or concepts even though they are not immediately relevant
they have the chance to question and probe ideas

Theorists learn less when:

they have to participate in situations which emphasize emotion and feelings
the activity is unstructured or briefing is poor
they have to do things without knowing the principles or concepts involved
they feel they're out of tune with the other participants, for example people with different learning styles

PRAGMATISTS

They want to see if ideas, theories and techniques work in practice. They seek

out new ideas and take the opportunity to try them in practice as soon as

possible. They like to get on with things and act quickly and confidently. They

take ideas away from courses, events, discussions and at the earliest opportunity

experiment with them in practice. They want to get on with things, so are

impatient with long winded discussions.

Pragmatists learn best when:

there is a link between the topic and job
they have the chance to try out techniques
they are shown techniques with obvious advantages such as saving time
they are shown a model they can copy

Pragmatists learn less when:

there is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognise
there is no practice or guidelines on how to do it
there is no apparent benefit to the learning
the event or learning is 'all theory'

(Source: A. Mumford (1997), How to manage your learning environment)

I could completely agree with the learning style they put me in, in fact I remember being a bit taken aback by its accuracy for me personally, as I have never done a personality test which seemed to identify my traits so spot on. Most tests seem to give you vague answers that could fit on to everyone, but this one seemed a bit more relevant and thought out.

I could understand how this test would be useful because now I know where my weakness lies, and what are I need to work harder at. But at the same time it makes me wonder, is there a right or wrong style? If one has a very low on one area, is that necessarily a bad thing, seeing hes a very strong another? So in one way or another, he is getting his work done and finished. Then again I do suppose it is best to be balances and have the ability to move from one style to another depending on the situation.

In our group meeting we discussed each of our results, whether we agreed to them or not, And also tried to guess each others styles. I found it hard to guess the learning syles for the other members in my group as quite frankly we don’t know each other well enough to do so. We only meet at design studies meetings and only know that aspect of each of us. Since we are all from different departments we are unfamiliar with each others working patterns, routines and attitude towards theory and work practice. It was no surprise then that most of our assumptions were a bit wrong, not all, but most nonetheless. I was also surprised to find that one of my team members Callum Brown obtained very similar results to mine, although in person we both are completely different and seem to have very different approaches to work.

Fortunately our group is multi modal, which means we have people with a variety of different styles and strengths working together. This should greatly benefit us as we can now approach and tackle a problem or project keeping a variety of perspectives in mind. It does raise the question of will people with such different styles get along well and be able to work in a harmonious way? I personally think yes, because the styles did overlap each other, and we did see ourselves adapting to another style if situation required it as its never either black or white, you have to work in grey areas depending on whats best for that particular situation!

Merry christmas all! xx

2010-12-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hey all, just want to wish you a very very merry christmas! Hope you all have a lovely time at home, with your family and friends! Also a happy new year to you all and heres wishing you all a very successful, joy filled year ahead, and an inspiration filled productive one to all my fellow designers! and finally heres a shout out to Gizmo and Lisa Meowy christmas to you, you know who you are!
xxxxx

'Make me beautiful' - 2010

2010-12-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

Peoples obsession with tanning amuses me. I suppose its mainly because i have been brought up in a society where only fair women are considered beautiful. No it doesn't matter what you look like, as long as you are
fair, you are pretty. Most girls who are tan will tell you they have been bullied because of it at some point in their life. I was too, so i know quite well what i'm talking about. And when it comes to arranged marriages (which is quite common) it is not unusual for a girl to simply be rejected based on her dark complexion. I often wonder why people feel this way, is it because of how the media portrays women? Majority of urdu or Indian songs you hear, when describing a beautiful woman will make it a point to comment on her fair skin. I can think of so many just off of the top of my head.

Anyway, since coming to Scotland i've experienced a much different idea of beauty. Alot of girls here are just obsessed with tanning. Its amusing how as soon as the sun comes out, the shirts come off! Everyones looking to get a nice tan, where as in Pakistan girls just avoid going out all together so they dont get tan!

I find this obsession with tanning very amusing, because where i come from a girl practically spends half of her life trying to somehow become fairer. If it not a fairness cream, its facial bleach and if its not that its waxing and if nothing works, then plastering their face with so much foundation that you can only really imagine what their real face must be like. Will do whatever it takes to just get their godforsaken dark skin off of their faces. Ok well, that's a bit of a exaggeration, i admit, but whatever.

So, for the narrative project i wanted to create a broach that talks about peoples obsession with fake tanning and kinda talks about the concept of beauty.

On a later date, when i get some free time on my hands, i'd like to maybe make a similar broach about fairness creams... Both of them could form a set titled 'make me beautiful"

'I'm right here... you just can't see me' - 2010

2010-12-17T04:14:00.001-08:00

We were recently given a research oriented project. Although all our projects do involve initial research ofcourse, this one had research as more integral component. We were asked to investigate a designer/ artist and look deeply into their work practice and then give a power point presentation on it to our colleagues and tutors. From the moment i got the project brief i was quite excited about the presentation, yes, as nerdy as it may sound, i was very excited about it, and i did end up enjoying those ten minutes of presentation time veryyy much! It wasn't just the giving the presentation that i enjoyed, i did quite like focusing on just one designer, and implementing different research tools to find as much information about them and their work as i could.

The designer i was looking into was Lin Cheung. I really appreciate the idea behind her work. She investigates the reasons behind why people wear jewellery, what meaning does it hold for someone, and what it is that gives a piece its meaning and value. Her work is quite lovely, and i am a big fan of hers, To find her work, just click her

The second part of this project was to design and make a piece inspired by the work of the designer! we had been researching. We had to be quite aware of staying clear of visual plagiarism at all times ofcourse. The idea was to look for inspiration, Not copy! Instead of trying to find inspiration in her designs, i got more inspired by the idea she was working on. So i started investigating what pieces of jewellery people value the most, and why so, and also why people wear jewellery in the first place. i managed to collects tons of interesting stories from people but the one that i liked the most, solely because i could relate to it myself was a friend who told me she valued her late grandmothers ring the most, but never actually wears it cuz shes too scared it might ruined or lost. And then i started thinking about that more, as i too have a my late grandmothers ring, which absolutely means the world to me but i am too scared to wear it. Also some of my mothers rings are very important to me, but they dont fit me... so i was looking into the idea of how such jewellery becomes an "object" more than a piece of "jewellery", if that makes sense? And you want to wear it, because it means so much to you but you are too scared to, so is there another way of wearing the same piece while protecting it at the same time?

So i designed a locket, that can hold a ring that you cherish alot, keeping it close to you, protected, yet visible! so people can still see it, and appreciate it. I've posted some pictures of it below, i hope you like it :)

xxxxx

2x 500 word summaries

2010-12-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Sieraad symbool signaal; The Jewel - Sign and Symbol.

In this book the author discusses the symbolism and significance of jewellery by looking at different cultures and time periods and explains what gives a jewel its symbolic value is the story attached to it; how and when it was worn. The book discusses the different reasons for wearing jewels, or in other words the functions that jewels serve.

Throughout history clothing and jewellery has been associated with authority and power. Traditionally the only areas left exposed would be the hands and the head, giving people the opportunity to adorn these lavishly with jewels. This is why Crowns and Rings are most commonly associated with power. Rulers also like to base their authority on religious grounds as it increases their reliability which is why you find a red gem in the front of nearly ever crown in Europe. The red stone symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice giving “the king his power by god”. Similarly wearing rings can distinguish a person in authority from the others and it not too long ago that kneeling in front of prelates to kiss their ring was still a custom.

Jewellery is also used to symbolize distinction or as gratitude of someone’s achievement or services. You can tell what regard your benefactor holds of you based on the value, design and colour of the jewels given to you by them.,

Jewellery has also undeniably always been a symbol of wealth and in turn a reflection of one’s social status. Both in the western and eastern communities men and women adorn themselves with jewellery to distinguish themselves from the common man and in an attempt to move up in the social hierarchy. The author further discusses how in the 21^st century, jewellery is no longer the only tool to do so, as people are now leaning more towards expensive cars, houses and branded clothes etc.

Some more obvious things we associate with jewels include marriage, love and religion. Jewels are also worn merely for their aesthetic value for the purpose of adornment.

The author then has an in-depth discussion on how gems have always been used for the powers they are believed to have in terms of religion and superstition. Different superstitions are associated with different gemstones, these may have to do with their origin, colour etc.

What makes this book strong is the amount of evidence the author has given alongside his discussion, in the form of illustrations and photographs of jewellery through different time periods which not only act as evidence but also help understand the concepts better.

The Primary research conducted is not obvious from the book, although I am sure it must have been conducted. However, the amount of secondary research put into this research is simply impressive! Not only the reading that the author has done, seeing from the bibliography, but the wealth of images of historic jewels presented, all titled with brief descriptions and history is inspiring. It is this collection of images that has impressed me the most when reading this book.

The power of Jewellery.

The main purpose of this book is to explore the different superstitions and beliefs associated with gemstones. It provides an illustrative insight into each gemstone, not only talking about the powers they are believed to possess, but also a general history of the stone, its origin, and its place and significant use in history. The images provided alongside the text are labeled to describe the materials used in the particular piece, as well as the time period it belongs to which makes it a lot more interesting to read about the stones.

Since primitive times jewelery has been used to embody things like power, wealth, authority, rank etc. Some of the earliest materials used for adornment were ivory, amber and shell. The author then discuses a brief history of gemstones and demonstrates how since biblical times gemstones have been used in relation to religion and power. Many believed gemstones were living organisms, which would mature or ripen with time. Interestingly, it was also believed that gemstones were capable of human emotion such as jealousy or shock, and also would be able to anticipate the future or respond to their owners health and well being. It is because of this that they were initially worn as amulets, and were much later seen as ornaments.

Colour plays an integral part in deciding what role a stone will play in jewellery. For instance, Red stones were thought of as being remedies for bleeding and inflammatory diseases, whilst yellow was believed to cure bilious disorder and to heal liver damage. Green stones are believed to be good for eye problems and blue stones for sure-footedness. However these beliefs and associations do vary in different cultures. Similarly different stones are related to different seasons, different months and different days. Since ancient times, gemstones have also been considered lucky based on their relevance to the constellations in the Zodiac. The choice of the respective gemstones for each zodiac sign have changed over the course of history with Romans, early Christians, medieval Jews and Arabs all coming up with their own preferred list.

The book then goes on to discuss different gemstones individually, organized in alphabetical order, the author gives a detailed, and well illustrated insight into the qualities, types, history and the superstitions/ beliefs associated with each stone. The last section of the book discusses different signs and symbols and their significance in relation to jewellery. The anchor, the ship, angels, crosses, different animals, birds, flowers and fish are all used as symbols to convey different, more important, things. The use of the moon, stars and arrows…people, faces and hands all mean different things and the book provides and in-depth analysis of it.

Shiffer, N., 1988. The power of Jewellery. Pennsylvania: Shiffer publishing Ltd.

Walgrave, J., 1195. Sieraad symbool signaal; The Jewel - Sign and Symbol. Antwerpen: Koningin Fabiolazaal

Halloween is scary indeed!

2010-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Halloween is scary indeed....that is of course if you, like myself, find excessive boobage on the streets horrific!

Assignment three

2010-10-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

Our group met twice, once before and once during reading week to discuss our dissertation ideas and to generally see which direction everyone was heading in. Some of us want to continue with the topics we used for our Wiki entries, but i didn't feel like i would be motivated enough to to my whole dissertation on mass production and design, so i thought i'd prefer to go in a different direction. I want to base my dissertation on the social or economical problems facing Pakistan, and how design could help improve them. I thought of several social problems, but the one i feel most strongly about is illiteracy as i feel that that is the core problem from which most other problems such as unemployment, poverty, crime etc stem from. In my dissertation i want to investigate how design could help improve literacy levels in Pakistan amongst children and adults. Ofcourse, its still not final whether this is the topic i want to pursue or not, as there are alot of other factors i need to consider before i make chose my final topic. Some of these issues i was aware of from before, but some came up during our dissertation workshop on Wednesday. The factor i am most concerned about at the moment would be how i would go about conducting secondary research. From previous experience i know its not at all easy to find books or articles on Pakistan related subjects. I have Hardly ever found any significant information on the internet, as people just don't put stuff up on the internet in Pakistan that much. Which is surprising as the internet is used in pretty much the whole country now but still... I am not that worried about primary research, as i will be able to get my hands on that once i go home for the summers, and it'll be a good opportunity to meet and interview lots of people.

Another direction i may want to head into is the development of the crafts industry in Pakistan. The handicraft industry in Pakistan is incredibly diverse, from rug weaving, pottery and ceramics, hand embroidery, woodwork. leather to tile work. Over the years these industries seem to have maintained their traditionality, and it would be interesting to see how these practices could be modified to more contemporary design to target the western market. Another area within the craft industry i could study is how craft industry can be used to develop and improve the living standards of the people. It would be nice to link this to fair trade aswell, since i know that the women who do the actual hand labour for most of the crafts, hardly get paid their proper share.

Oh well, lots more ideas still in mind, just a matter of narrowing it down to one final one. The dissertation workshop was incredibly helpful i think as i helped raise alot of questions in our heads, and now that we have come up with them, its easier to find answers to them. It really gave us a very good sense of direction, and i might sit and go through the four stages of the workshop on my own again.

Below i'm posting up my dissertation mindmap (apologies for the bad lighting) and two pictures from one of our group meeting.

Facebook profile pictures

2010-10-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Amazing how much you can tell about a person just by looking at their facebook profile pictures! Lets face it, we all make a judgment about people the second we meet them. First impressions could be way wrong, but still we all do on some level conclude a little something about people based on simple things like the way they walk, talk, dress or act. What their hair is like, or in this case i'm talking about the way they pose! Lets see... we have the posers! The ones with every photograph photo-shopped or edited it some way or another. These are the ones who love to pout, pose, they love the self timer, will have at least one photograph of themselves taken standing infront the mirror. They are the ones who's facebook activity will be dominated by " ____ has changed her profile picture". Their photos are often so edited, or so... posed, with half their hair falling on their face in a sexy manner, or them looking another way so you can only see a part of their face giving the photograph a mysterious sexy feel, They forget to realize that in some of the pictures they put up so proudly you cant even see their face! But i suppose, it's the generous compliments they get under each picture from their friends that keeps them going! How do i know so much about these people? Well, i am one of them! I am a poser and i admit it!

Next, we have the girls with pictures of cute babies that aren't even related to her, just taken off of google! or flowers, or celebrities!! or fairies for fucks sake... seriously what is that even about!? They often have photographs of cute kittens sitting on top cute puppies talking about friendship or love or just how happy they are with this world filled with sugar and sunshine and pearldrops...... and its all a bit creepy to be honest. Oh well, i am what we established earlier as a self obsessed poser, so really i should not be judging! moving on...

We also have on facebook, the ones that just dont seem to care, its been 7 months since they joined facebook, and they still have the same photograph they uploaded the day they joined. For them, perhaps the point of a profile picture is to show people your face, mission accomplished with the first image, and therefore eliminating the bother of uploading more photos. You know what, i actually admire these people! They seem to have more of a life than i do anyway! I like to believe that while im sitting on facebook all day uploading photographs, they are out there fighting crime!

Next come the party animals, who love to put up drunken photos oblivious to how embaressing it will be if one day thoses photos come back and bite them in the bottoms. More significantly, oblivious of the the fact that their shirts fail to contain their breasts. Lets see your facebook information tells me you are a female. I believe it, there is really no need for proof. They will also most likely have atleast one photograph with paint on their face/wearing a fancy dress or perhaps in the middle of a drunken act of craziness such as climbing a lampost or humping a tree....

Right, its been an hour and i haven't changed my fb display picture :p, so i shall get on with that... but, if anyone has come across any type of interesting photos on facebook recently which i havent mentioned i'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment, but please dont take any names!

xxxxxxxx

Mass production and Design

2010-10-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Mass Production and Design

Sana Aziz

Jewellery and metal work

Introduction:

The term Mass production was first introduced to the English vocabulary in an article written by Fords spokesman William J. Cameron, submitted for the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1925. However, even before its publication in the Encyclopedia, New York Times published it as a full-page feature in their Sunday edition, tilted “Henry Ford Expounds Mass Production: Calls it the focusing of the principles of power, Economy, Continuity and Speed’ (Hounshell, 1984). Mass Production also known as flow production, series production or serial production, relies on three basic concepts: Specialization of labour; breaking down of tasks into smaller components allowing each worker to focus on one task, Mechanization; using capital instead of labour, and Standardization; producing identical products using identical techniques (Boone and Kurtz, 2010). However, there is more to it than just these three factors, as Henry Ford himself said:

“Mass production is not merely quantity production, for this may be had with none of the requisites of mass production. Nor is it merely machine production, which also may exist without any resemblance to mass production Mass production is the focusing upon a manufacturing project of the principles of power, accuracy, economy, system, continuity and speed”

-Henry ford, “Mass production,” Encyclopedia Britannica (1926)

Mass production brings with it several economies of scale for a business, including cost reductions in the form of labour and fixed costs such as rent, it reduces the probability of human error but most of all it is time saving. Roger Burlingame (1957, p.73) in his book Henry Ford, gives us a good example of this, as he explains how conventionally one person would assemble an entire magneto down at Highland Park, sub-assembly. This would take him twenty-five minutes. However, Ford split the work into twenty-nine smaller operations, added a conveyor belt and reduced the production time down to just four minutes.

Furthermore, the use of conveyor belts and assembly lines enables the process to remain stable and prompt. In the book ‘From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932’ Hounshell (1984, p.237) explains this concept with an example from the Ford Factory:

“In moving the work to the men, the Ford engineers found a method to speed up the slow men and slow down the fast men, the assembly line would bring regularity to the Ford factory, a regularity as dependable as the rising of the sun”

-Hounshell, From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932 (1984 p.237)

Epstein (1928, p.33) also discusses this ‘regularity’ in his book The Automobile Industry as he explains how it’s not just the production techniques that are preset, but even the time in which each task must be completed.

However, the limitations of Mass production should not be over looked. The standardization required makes production extremely inflexible. Initial capital investment and maintenance costs can be very high and it eliminates the possibility of making unique, one-off products.

History:

Technologies that led to mass production were being practiced in industries such as the sewing machine, the reaper, the woodworking industry and the bicycle as early as the beginning of the 19^th century. However it was automobile company Ford that really pushed mass production to the way we know it today by creating the assembly line (Houndshell, 1984)

Henry Ford took from ideas which had already been established, for instance the breaking down of the manufacturing process into smaller parts, which was pioneered by Elihu Root for an assembly system for Samuel Colt and paired this up with the use of interchangeable parts that could be assembled by unskilled workers (http://www.ford.co.uk/). In fact, in the book America and the automobile; technology, reform and social change 1893-1923 by Peter J. Ling (1990, p.147) it is mentioned that by1914, nearly three-quarters of Ford’s workforce was classed as unskilled!

“The assembly line, at the first Ford plant in Highland Park, Michigan, became the benchmark for mass production methods around the world”

[Image and quote taken from: http://www.ford.co.uk/FordInnovation/Heritage/EvolutionOfMassProduction]

Mass production at the Ford motor company is owed to the Model T idea coined in 1907. Although, it took a a year to build the machinery required, and production didn’t commence till 1909 (Burlingame, 1957 p.63)

From 1908 to 1923, Ford dominated the industry, in spite of not making any change in its product (Epstein, 1928 p.281). It is astonishing how the framework of the fifteen millionth Model T Ford produced in 1927 was identical to the one in 1908 when the model was first designed (Epstein, 1928 p.283).

Mass production and Design:

Although mass production is still ideal for certain industries such as canned foods, most businesses now have an inclination towards mass customization or flexible specialization. Brabazon and MacCarthy both discuss this emerging trend in their paper featured in the International journal of Mass Customization (Volume 2) explaining how the concept of mass customization maintains the benefits obtained from mass production, however it is a lot more flexible and guarantees a much more rapid response to customer requests.

Keeping todays ever changing trends and fashion in mind this type of production seems more suitable than mass production. The previous “one for all” concept would not deem suitable in the world we live in today where individuals have this dire need to be unique and have their own identity.

If you think about Jewellery design alone, mass production would simply not be an option for a contemporary jeweller. With every piece being exclusive and unique the work of a contemporary jeweller could not be further away from standardization.

Jewellery designers these days will often work on commission, which entails desiging and making pieces to match individual customer specifications; a concept that sits at the extreme opposite end from mass production.

Henry ford (1987, p.72) mentions in his autobiography titled My life and work, that while announcing the production of the Model T in 1909 he remarked:

“Any customer can have a car painted any colour so long as it is black”

- Henry Ford, My life and work (1987 pp.72)

A contemporary designer can’t afford to be this inflexible keeping competition and customer satisfaction in mind. In the 21^stcentury trends are changing more frequently than ever and it is mandatory to be adaptable to the changing market.

More simply, mass production is aimed at a mass market. For it to work, you need to have a large, steady demand for the product. Mass produced goods are often low priced; something the masses can afford. Designer Jewellery on the other is targeted towards a niche. The aim is not to have everyone buy your piece at a low price, but a targeted segment willing to pay a high price whilst appreciating its worth and uniqueness.

Even for the commercial jeweller or high-street brands like Accessorize who do need to produce heaps of identical pieces to supply to different outlets, batch production would be more viable option than mass production. Batch production is similar to mass production however it would allow the company to produce batches of one design, and then move on to a different design rather than keep producing one type of product throughout which would go out of fashion in no time.

Mass production is ideal however, for suppliers of jewellery tools and equipment. As well as for wholesalers of chains, ring shanks and similar ready made items that the contemporary jeweller will purchase often in bulks for their workshop practice.

Bibliography:

Books:

Burlingame, R., 1957. Henry Ford. London: Hutchinson & Co.

Epstein, R. C., 1928. The Automobile Industry. London: McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Ford, H., 1987. My life and work. Reprint ed. Salem, New Hampshire: AYER Company.

Houndshell, D. A., 1984. From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: the development of manufacturing technology in the United States. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press

Ling, P. J., 1990. America and the Automobile: technology, reform and social change, 1893-1923. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

E-Books:

Boone, L. E and Kurtz, D. L., 2010. Contemporary Business, 13^th ed. [online] Hoboken: George Hoffman. Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=LPYgF-y7IVIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s [Accessed on: 24.09.2010]

Papers:

Brabazon, P. G. and MacCarthy, B. Consideration of the relevance of standard quality techniques in Mass Customisation, International Journal of Mass Customisation Volume 2, Number ½, pp. 76-94 [online] Available at: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/527/ [Accessed on: 26.09.2010]

Websites:

Ford motor Company, 2010. The Evolution of Mass Production. [Website] Available at: http://www.ford.co.uk/FordInnovation/Heritage/EvolutionOfMassProduction [Accessed on: 24.09.2010]

Image:

The assembly line, at the first Ford plant in Highland Park, Michigan [Website] Available at: http://www.ford.co.uk/FordInnovation/Heritage/EvolutionOfMassProduction [Accessed on: 24.09.2010]

Assignement one- Group meetings + Mind map

2010-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

First assignment for this years Design studies module has started. We've been asked to work in groups of eight, with people from different disciplines. Although we've worked in groups before it was mostly just in our own department, so it's nice to meet new people with new and different styles of working. Gets you out of your wee comfort zone..

Unfortunately i missed the first group meeting as i was still in Pakistan, but was able to talk to my group members once i returned, and Paula was kind enough to help me catch up. So here's a big thanks to her! :) The first group meeting was basically just getting together and choosing a topic that each of us wanted to write on...My group has chosen gender, critical design, climate change, branding, crime and research. I have chosen to write my Wikipedia entry on mass production and design. At the first meeting my group drew out a mindmap of what the things, they would perhaps include in their essays...

Our Group met for the second time last week to discuss how each of us were getting on and to see if anyone needed any help. Unfortunately none of us had a camera on us that day so no photograph of the meeting :( Oh well, wasn't having a great hair-day anyway so i guess its not total loss? :p

Anyway for the next meeting we have to have our individual mind maps ready, so here's mine:

Found lots of books in the library to get me started, using lots of nice coloured paper to make notes on all the relevant pages, So far so good, lets hope i manage to get it all finished in time!

Sandra Backlund- yet another genius

2010-09-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Some stunning sculptural knitwear by Sandra Buckland. A must-see i think! Inspirational enough to actually make me want to pick up the knitting needles after years of running away from my mother every time she takes the initiative to teach me knitting. I think these are truly gorgeous!!

Paper dresses

2010-09-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just came across some rather amazing work by Russian artists Alexandra zaharova and Ilya plotnikov. These dresses made entirely out of paper. The silhouette has an incredible elegance to it, especially in the second piece. However my favourite would have to be this first image solely because of the head piece. I can relate it to sustainable jewellery and think its just lovely.

Please help if you can, every little matters :)

2010-09-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but each time I began to type, I’d just get really emotional and upset, and would erase it all back. Not talking about something doesn’t make it go away but to some extent it does help… However, I also feel that something as big and tragic as this should be mentioned on my blog and not ignored, in fact I am surprised no one else has blogged about this yet… It may have affected Pakistan alone, but it still is one of the worst natural disasters the world has ever seen.

The floods in Pakistan that were triggered by the annual Monsoon rain have affected nearly 20 million people. You can imagine its scale when you compare this figure to that of the other recent natural disasters around the world. Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that if the government statistics are correct, the Pakistan flood will have affected more people than Haiti's January earthquake, the 2004 Tsunami, and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake combined. COMBINED!

“The total number of people affected in the three other large disasters that have hit in recent years is about 11 million - 5 million in the tsunami and 3 million in each of the earthquakes” - said Giuliano.

The floods have destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and washed away entire villages, roads, bridges, crops and livestock. Leaving people not just temporarily displaced, but with nothing left to return to. What saddened and disgusted me the most was how looters have begun to exploit the crisis situation. Looters and opportunists used small boats to access vacated homes and took whatever was left behind. As people fled from the devastated areas, they could only take with themselves the bare minimum if not nothing at all. This too was often taken away by armed looters.

Mai Meema, 60, told the press "We left with our belongings in a tractor when armed men surrounded us. They snatched everything and fled. We were poor people but never slept on an empty stomach. This flood has made us beggars. We have nothing at all. They deserve God's curse. Instead of helping us, these criminals looted us."

I could not be more disappointed, it’s surprising how horrible people can really be. It is just shameful that someone could act like this in a time of such crisis.

The flood has not only displaced millions, but its affect on the economy cant not be ignored either. These floods have predicted to take Pakistan years back. (Although when you live here and observe things, Pakistan doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anyway. Not just because of the incompetent, unstable government but because of us people, our attitude and... ok this is for another time, another post.)

What does make me proud though is seeing the ongoing relief efforts within Pakistan, both led by the army and private NGO’s. I was also impressed by how generously the youth of Pakistan has volunteered to donate and help. Well that is at least what I have seen and experienced around me. The youth that I have always seen being immature, frivolous and downright superficial have suddenly stepped up and made a big effort to help the ones in dire need. And that made me really, really proud.

Of course, the damage caused by these unprecedented floods has been way beyond our resources, and International aid and assistance has been crucial. The international community has been ever so generous and kind, and we are all extremely grateful for their help. On the behalf of everyone here, I would like to thank each and everyone who donated. We desperately need all the aid we can get to provide food, shelter and medicines to the people who have been displaced and not to forget the re-establishment of the affected communities and infra structure.

For all those wanting to donate, you can do so with the Britsh Red Cross, or if you want to donate from Dundee you can simply contribute to the Dundee Mosque, who is currently collecting aid for flood relief. Every little helps, and we will be extremely grateful.

A small clip of the much larger disaster:

whatever happened to just painting!

2010-05-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

As much as i enjoyed designing and making jewellery this year, a part of me just wanted to return to the canvas. Having such a busy schedule didn't exactly allow me to keep painting in my free time like i would have hoped, but now that we're off, i finally had the chance to get messy with my paintbrushes once again.

to the windowwwwwwww, to the wall!

2010-05-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Second years over and its time to get the party starteddd!!!

ps. Does anyone know when we get our essay grades though? im getting anxious!!

Sustainability

2010-04-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

I've been exploring different ideas for the sustainability project, and the one i was most eager to peruse was using dead flowers instead of using gem stones. Dry petals can be just as beautiful...I've made a sample of one of my designs, and am quite happy with the way its turned out. For my final design, I'm hoping to use dead butterflies, i think it will look beautiful, im very excited! :)

Easter break creations

2010-04-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've just been trying to make the most of Easter break, and the beautifully uncrowded workshop... Here are a couple of random pieces I've recently made. Kept me busy, and gave me the opportunity to practice some of the skills we've learned recently... I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well? xxx

omg this is possibly the nicest thing ever!!!

2010-04-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

=D
i was doing research for our sustainability project and i came across this absolutely adorable idea. i would pay good money for one of these! i'm trying to find a way if i could possibly do something similar in the form of jewelery? hum..still lots more research to do!

Check it out:
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R0Rc6mb8H6E/S2sftYyxPSI/AAAAAAAADRA/1YPkpHnv3tY/s320/design-fetish-aminals-toys-made-from-children-drawings-5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://design-fetish.blogspot.com/2010/02/aminals-organic-toys-made-from.html&usg=__DKsL57wGFX9kGxmnpoF-ngqWlbQ=&h=310&w=320&sz=22&hl=en&start=138&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=o0lHUjRl20cKOM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djewellery%2Bmade%2Bfrom%2Bold%2Btoys%26start%3D126%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1

Assignment 5B - Essay

2010-03-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

Although I never questioned the relevance between our design studies module and our coursework at any point, I do however; now see it much more clearly. Throughout this year I have undertaken numerous studio projects, and simultaneously done multiple assignments as part of my Design studies module, but it is a shame that I never really tried to combine the two together except for only a few occasions. Looking back at my academic year, I can now see how I could have further expanded the boundaries of my research and sketch book work; if only I had made a more conscious effort to adopt some of the strategies I had learnt in Design studies. In this essay I will revisit one of the studio briefs I tackled this year, and explore the different techniques I would prefer to use if I had the chance to do it again

The project brief I would like to reconsider would be designing a piece of Catwalk jewellery inspired by a certain culture or period in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and was pleased with the outcome, but I still do acknowledge the fact that I could have taken it a lot further if I put some more research into it.

Similar to last time, this time around also I would begin with secondary research, but perhaps do it more thoroughly. I had decided I wanted to pursue the Indian culture as my inspiration. Now, since I wasn’t physically surrounded by the culture its self, I realized I depended on secondary research immensely, for which I mostly used the internet. The internet is a brilliant source of information; however I have realized now not to believe everything I read, but only reliable sources. It is important to check for references, and to be able to distinguish between actual facts and just opinions. Most of the research I did was on the actual culture itself, but if I had the opportunity to do it again, I think I would spend an equal amount researching contemporary designers to see what their work is like, what inspires them, what materials they use Etc.? Other than just the internet I would also like to make use of the library, perhaps even use Cross search? Reading books can be a lot more reliable I feel compared to reading articles on the internet, because most of the times id find myself reading off of rather dodgy looking sites and there was no way for me to really know how reliable and up to date that information was where as in books you can easily check the bibliography and the year of publishing to get that idea. This again was something I hadn’t learnt until I was made to practice the Harvard style referencing for an Essay earlier this year

To get a closer look on the Indian culture, I think it would have been helpful if instead of restricting myself to just articles and images, I had also looked up for videos on youtube, images/photographs on flikr, or perhaps even watch an Indian movie? I believe these would have really given me a true sense of their culture.
One technique I did use for this project that I had learnt from Design Studies was mind mapping. Whilst I carried out my secondary research I used to my studio wall space to make a big mind map of all the areas I could possibly branch out into. I kept making branches, sticking photographs and little post-its next to it until I knew which area I was most keen on pursuing. Now thinking about it, one more step I could have included here was to organize a wee brain-storming session with my colleagues. Although we had all picked different cultures, their opinion about my research would have been incredibly valuable. I could discuss with them my ideas, and gotten their feedback on it. Perhaps they could have contributed a few ideas themselves? One colleague in particular who I should have discussed it with is Suzi Plunket, who was also doing this project on the Indian culture

Coming to primary research, I see how I could have potentially used interviews to assist me in my work. There are plenty of International students in Dundee, my target group in particular would Indian and Pakistani students as they are the ones who would possibly know best about this culture. I would stick to a semi-structured approach, as that would give me the flexibility to branch out towards whatever aspect of their culture they thought was their favourite. It would also make the interview slightly more informal, and relaxed so the participants would feel at ease. By using semi-structured interviews I would be able to accumulate in-depth qualitative data which would be invaluable, however it may take me time to analyze the findings, as well as arrange for the interviews to begin with and I wonder if I would have had that sort of time available to me for this one project. What would have been incredibly exciting is if I could have gotten an appointment to arrange for an interview with a fashion designer or jeweler who produces Catwalk pieces. It would have been thrilling to get one on one insight into their work, not only could I learn from their experiences, I could maybe apply some of the techniques they use to my own practice in the future
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Observations would have also assisted me greatly in my research I think. Since I wanted to work around the idea of fusing together tradition and culture with contemporary fashion, I think it would have been useful if I had observed how people from different ethnic background dress in everyday life. Do they just wear what any British person would potentially wear or do they stick to their own “identity” and culture while living in a foreign country. Or what would be most interesting, Do they fuse both aspects together, and if so how?

Wow, I certainly could have pushed the boundaries of this project brief a lot further if I had applied all these techniques. Perhaps in the following year I shall. Thinking about where I see myself now as a designer, I do still have to admit that my priority is being a designer and maker of jewellery. However, even though that may be my priority, I do not intend on restricting myself to just that. After doing the same assignments and tasks as the people from other disciplines (graphics etc.) and following them on their blogs, I have come to realize how closely knit we all are. We are all designers, we are all equally creative and talented, and I think I would love to do an interdepartmental project next year.

Assignment 5A - Essay

2010-03-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

In semester one I conducted secondary research into the practice and of sex education in schools. In this essay I am going to mention the primary research I would like to conduct in order to pursue this topic further.

Before I begin, I would like to briefly mention my earlier research into the subject. I read a book called “Get real about sex- The politics and practice of sex education” by Aldred, PA, David, MED (2007) who conducted a 2 year study into Sex education being taught in all secondary schools under one local education authority in north of England. They used focus groups and questionnaires to investigate the view of different stake holders involved. I also studied a Journal titled “Teachers view of sex education: pedagogy and models of delivery” by Aldred, PA, David, MED, Smith, PS (2003). This article discussed the teacher’s perspective regarding the subject. Marsman, MCJ, Herold ESH (1986) investigated parents views on the subject in a journal titled “Attitudes towards sex education and values in sex education”. A lot of research had been put into all the above articles, and re-reading my essay from semester one has given me a good sense of direction towards where I want to head now.

In order to investigate this subject further, I would like to conduct some primary research in support of the secondary research I have briefly mentioned above (covered in detail in the previous essay). I think it will be crucial for me to conduct this research in order to be able to get first hand insight into the subject, and to be able to compare my own findings with that of my peers. After evaluating the different methods of research we have covered this semester, their benefits, drawbacks and their suitability I have come to realize that there is not just one way that I would like to pursue, but in fact the real strength lies in a combination of the different techniques.

I believe that one of the most suitable research methods for me would be to conduct interviews with the different stakeholders, such as the students, teachers, parents and nurses. It is vital for me to be able to collect rich, qualitative date from each of them in order to be able to study and understand the issue from their perspective, and I believe interviews would be ideal for that. I would prefer to stick with a semi-structured approach as it is flexible, and it would give me room to improvise as I go along making each interview personal and relevant to them. However, I do realize that by adopting a semi-structured approach I will be making it harder for myself to compare the results that I obtain because the questions may be slightly different for everyone. I do, also, question the appropriateness of choosing interviews as my research method bearing in mind the sensitivity and personal nature of the topic I want to investigate. Will students feel comfortable enough to discuss this topic with a stranger in an interview? The one-on-one nature of the interview might make them feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. I wonder if perhaps a questionnaire might be more appropriate because of the element of anonymity which may help students be more honest and open with their answers. It is quite likely that since the topic is so personal interviewees might feel awkward or shy, and answer what they think is most acceptable, rather than being honest which will just make the findings invalid. To make them feel more comfortable, perhaps it is possible to give the interviewees the option of sitting behind a divider that shields them from the interviewer if they are very stringent about maintaining complete anonymity.

Coming to the issue of how I would record my findings, I think it would be most effective for me to use a voice recorder rather than taking down notes. A voice recorder would assist me as it would capture every detail of the conversation, which can then later be played as many times as needed for analysis. I believe making notes would only take up more of the interviewees time, as well as make them even more self aware of their answers as they will be visibly being recorded on paper after every question.
By conducting interviews I realize that I will be slightly restricted to a smaller sample size as compared to say, if I were to use questionnaires. However, the richness and quality of the data I will be able to accumulate though interviews should hopefully make up for the smaller sample size. I am also a bit concerned about the element of the time that will be required to arrange and conduct the interviews as I will have to work around the schools schedule in order to cause them the least inconvenience. To top this, even more time will be required to then analyze the findings.

In addition to interviews I would also like to use questionnaires. Although this isn’t one of the methods we have covered this semester, I think it will help me overcome some of the problems I would face with conducting interviews. By mailing or handing out questionnaires to students or parents, I am guaranteeing them total anonymity, as well as providing them the ease of studying and completing the questionnaire in their own space and time. It would also help me study a larger sample, and since the questions will be the same for all, it will be easier for me to compare the results. I may initially face difficulty in coming up with the questionnaire, but I suppose I could always conduct some “test runs” until I settle on a final draft. There will also be the matter of how many people actually bother to return the questionnaire, but since I can hand out a large amount, I’m sure I’ll manage to get back a sufficient quantity.

Coming back to the techniques we learnt this semester, I think I would benefit immensely if I made use of observation as another method of research. Since I wish to study the effectiveness of sex education programs run in schools I think it would be very helpful if I could actually attend these programs myself, study the content, observe the methods they use (slide shows, lectures etc.), and try and observe how students respond and react to these programs. This may help me distinguish between what works and what doesn’t. I could video tape it, as well as make notes as we went along and thus use a “double-entry” technique. Of course, interpreting behavior isn’t the easiest thing and my presence may influence the teacher/ student’s behavior to what they believe is more ideal making the results invalid.

Furthermore, I would also like to observe hospital lounges to see how people respond to information brochures provided. Is that an effective way of promoting sex education? Do people pick them up, if yes, what are the most effective places to keep them; the reception, the waiting lounge or an information stand? I think mere observation would suffice for gathering such data.
Overall, it is essential that I do not depend solely on one method of investigation as that would limit me, but make the most of the different techniques I’ve learnt. What may be a drawback of one, can perhaps be overcome by another. It is imperative to question the appropriateness and suitability of a method instead of hastily choosing it because of its “text-book stated advantages”.

Bibliography

Aldred, PA, David, MED (2007) Get real about sex- The politics and practice of sex education, Barkshire England, Open university Press

Aldred, PA, David, MED, Smith, PS (2003) Teachers view of sex education: pedagogy and models of delivery”- Vol. 4, No. 1, 2003

Marsman, MCJ, Herold ESH (1986) Attitudes towards sex education and values in sex education, National Council on family relations Volume 35, no.3, pp 357-361

Last seminar- My experience of working in groups

2010-03-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

This year we had a few opportunities to work in groups and i have come to realize that working in groups is not easy at all! It can be quite nice if everyones equally enthusiastic, not neccessarily like-minded, but equally serious and keen. I used to think working with like-minded people would be fun, as everyone would get along, but have come to realize that the more diverse the group, the better results you can at times produce, because alot of different people are chipping in, and at the end of the day you have ideas and thoughts that you wouldn't have comeup with yourself.

But recently i have discoved how unbelievably frusterating it can be at times. In the last seminar we were divided into two groups and had to discuss our experience interviewing people, successes and failures, and how we would do things differently the next time. We also had to discuss how we could apply these techniques to our studio projects in the future. This had to be the most frustrating seminar i have ever had because very few people in my group were being serious. I felt like i was the seminar tutor as i kept finding myself asking everyone questions related to the assignement so we would stay on track. But hardly anyone seemed to be keen on talking about anything even remotely related to design studies. It was just the most frustrating thing in the world!!! i think we have sufficent time throught out the day to discuss all sorts of random crap and i think it should be fairly easy to refrain ourselves from doing that during that one little hour that we have a seminar. I was so tempted to just get up and change my group as then the seminar would at least benefit me in some way, but a) we were all cramped up in one small room and there was no room on the otherside, and b) i wanted to work my way through it, as i am sure in the future i will be put in similar situations where i will just have to find a way to deal with it.

But, quite honestly this time "sticking thought it" was just not worth it. I really dont want to be rude, but if people dont want to be serious, they should'nt attend the seminar, and its just not fair to come and ruin it for someone who does.

A message in the bottle?

2010-03-20T12:57:00.001-07:00

Our project this time was to study religion and spiritual beliefs different cultures associate with gemstones. I have already discussed this in one of my previous posts, so just posting up a few pictures of the ring i have designed for it. I was studying Islam, and as i was reading into history, i came to discover that the Prophets favourite gemstone was a Carnelian (also known as an Aqiq). It is believed that he used to always wear a Carnelian ring in one hand, and recommended that other men should wear rings with Carnelians in it aswell. What fascinated me the most was that it is believed that at the time revelations and hadith(sayings of the Prophet) were engraved in gemstones as a way to record them and keep them intact. I was quite fascinated by this whole concept and so wanted to work around the idea of keeping messages in the form of stones. The ring i made is quite small and is designed to fit the top of your finger. The bottle is filled with water, and Carnelians. the cap/stopper is removable, and the idea is to be able to collect stones (messages) and keep them intact in the bottle, and if say everyone had one of these, you could collect messages, as well as pass them on to others who could then collect it along with their messages...

Assignment 4- interviews

2010-03-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

So for this assignment we were given a list of topics, out of which we had to choose one and interview people about it. The topic i chose was "What objects do people treasure the most and why?" I chose this topic because i think it related really well to my field as a jewellery designer. Also because earlier this semester we read Chapter 4 of Guy Julier's book The culture of Design and one of my colleagues Rebecca posted on her blog, her thoughts about commissioned jewellery as compared to mass produced jewellery, stating she strongly felt that only commissioned jewellery is meaningful, whilst i debated with her that inexpensive, off the rack jewellery can be just as important to someone, say if someone special gave ito them. And that meaning can be attached to anything no matter how ordinary a piece of jewellery may be. We Further discussed this point with Kate at our following seminar, and although we didn't manage to reach a conclusion, we could see and understand each other’s views. So i thought if i interviewed people about "What objects they treasure the most and why" i may also able to get some more insight into this issue about "whether its only commissioned jewellery that is meaningful, or can off the rack pieces carry the same significance for someone, and why?"

I began with first making a mindmap around the topic, thinking of the areas that i wanted to cover, and coming up with the questions i could ask in order to get the most informative responses, and at the same time i had to be quite careful to not ask any "leading questions" (or thats what it was called in psychology, whatever little i remember from my A levels) which could basically lead the person into inadvertently answering what they thought was expected from them or the "right" response. We were also asked not to ask the question directly, which could result in a simple yes or no answer, but work our way around the actual target question. I came up with a list of questions, but didn't stick to any particular order, and nor did i ask each participants all of the questions because depending on their objects some of the questions i had planned didn't exactly make sense. My interviews were quite informal, which i think was good because it made the participants a lot more relaxed, and it made me alot less nervous whist speaking to them aswell.

I interviewed two girls and one guy, and i was really hoping atleast one of them would pick a piece of jewellery as their object. The first girl i interviewed said that for her it would have to be her stuffed animal caller Tiger. Initially when she told me it was a stuffed toy, i assumed it may be one from her childhood, so i asked her how long she had had it for, and she answered four years now. Which shows that it isn't necessary for one to have an object for too long to start forming attachments to it, Although in some situations four years is a considerable amount of time. I wanted to know why she formed a particular attachment to this toy, so i asked her if she is the type of person who gets attached to people, places and things quickly. I also asked her if her family and friends had similar objects that they treasured just to see if this sort of thing ran in the family, and if her family members all had little objects they treasured it would perhaps suggest that she had been influenced by them. She told me that her friends possibly had items they valued alot but her the family members are not the type who would get attached to material things at all. The next question i asked her was about whether she believed in superstitions, and that objects can have supernatural powers, such as bringing luck? She told me she didn’t believe in things like these, however she does feel comforted by the presence of that toy. When i asked her how she acquired the possession, she told me it was given to her by her mother, as a sort of farewell gift, when she was leaving for Dundee, but she said she didn't want to go into more detail about this. So i quickly went on to another question about whether that possession had actual monetary value or just sentimental value? and the answer was obviously just sentimental value for her. This shows that an object really does not need to have actual value, for it to be valuable to someone. It is about what that object reminds you of, and in this case it was her home, and her mother. I also asked her if aesthetics mattered or was it just the meaning behind objects? And she answered that aesthetics did play a role, and if someone gave her a present that wasn't to her liking she would be a bit disappointed, however, when it came to her actual family, it wouldn't matter what they gave to her as long as it was them who gave it to her. I thought this was really quite sweet, and kind of helped me on my previous debate about commissioned/mass produced jewellery since to her a necklace bought from of any shop would carry alot of meaning, even if it wasn’t commissioned for her particularly just because it was given to her by someone special. Which supports my argument that jewellery does not necessarily have to be commissioned for it to be personal and important.

The second girl i interviewed said the object she treasured the most was a necklace given to her by her grandmother on her 16th birthday. She had had it for five years now. She also didn’t believe that objects can carry supernatural powers, and nor did she think this necklace brought her luck or anything, in fact she didn’t even wear it much at all, but she still valued it alot as it was a gift to her by her grandmother. When i asked her if she thought the object had monetary value or sentimental value? She said mainly it only has sentimental value, but yes, the necklace could possibly also have some monetary value. When asked whether she would ever be willing to sell or exchange the object for something more in keeping with her taste, she refused instantly. I was very excited with this second interview as the object in this case was a piece of jewellery because now i had the opportunity to ask the question that i very keen on knowing, but couldn't apply to the previous interview. My question was "If given an opportunity, would you get a new more contemporary piece commissioned that incorporates your grandmother’s necklace in it, or would you prefer to keep it intact in its original form?" I was very eager to know the answer to this as i remember having a discussion with Kate our seminar tutor about this in one of our seminars. After spending some time thinking about it she told me she would rather keep it intact in its original state, because altering it would take away its true essence. In both the cases what was important was who gave them the object, rather than the object itself. I also asked her if this was a necklace that she would have bought for herself and she refused (which again shows that although it was not exactly to her liking, it still carried significance to her). Lastly I asked her whether she would like to pass it on to her own daughter one day, and said she would absolutely love to.

The third person I interviewed was a guy who works at Tesco. His response to my questions was quite different from the others. For him it was not about the sentiment but the practical use of the object. He said he treasured his laptop the most, without which he doesn’t know how he would survive. Here, it was not about what/who the laptop reminded him of, or what it symbolized but his sheer dependence on it for daily use. He admitted the object did have monetary value, and when asked if he would replace it when a better model was launched he shrugged and said “yea why not?” So unlike the other two, for him the object was easily replaceable, yet, at this moment in time, it was one of the things he treasured the most. I felt after these three interviews that perhaps women think more with their heart, whilst men are more inclined to think with their brain. The two women I interviewed were quite emotional, where as the guy was being completely practical. Another thing I noticed was that the guy was quite brief in his descriptions while the women like to describe their objects and go a bit more into detail. It was nice to see how how this agreed with a wee experiment we were shown by Jonathan Baldwin in one of our lectures about how women tend to go into more detail when asked a question as compared to men.

Overall I did enjoy this assignment, despite being a bit nervous in the beginning, I felt a bit more relaxed and comfortable with every question, and in the end did manage to get a lot of good information from just three people.

Reflecting back

2010-03-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I missed my last seminar because i wasn't feeling well at all that day, but i discussed it with my fellow colleagues the next day and they told me that we were asked to reflect back on our observations, and see what we could change in order to obtain better results. We sat and discussed our observation techniques, and what it was that we were looking for, and i realized that i had not picked up on as many details as i would have liked to. If i were to go back and do this assignment, i dont think i would change the location, as i quite liked studying people at a coffee shop, however i think it would be alot more interesting if i perhaps went back there at different times and noted how the crowd and their behaviour changes as the day passes by. Do people behave differently in the mornings, as compared to lunch hours or in the afternoon? Another thing that i think could result in some interesting observations would be to perhaps go to another coffee shop, other than Starbucks and see if the same "rules" apply there? Is it just the Starbucks ambiance that makes people behave a certain way, or are you expected to behave in that certain way in all coffee shops? I think i should have also studied people in more detail... in my initial experiment, i did try and look into peoples behaviours and form stories with them... however i do think i could have taken that alot further. I should have perhaps spent more time at the coffee shop, and really put alot of time and imagination aswell, into observing particular people. I think the reason i did not spend asmuch time there was because i felt a bit uncomfortable sittin there observing people like that. I though it was a bit obvious, and that i might be making other people uncomfortable with my presense. Perhaps i should have chosen a bigger, busier place where my presense could have gone unnoticed and i could have felt more comfortable doing this assignement.

Who needs men when you can have GEMS!!! =)

2010-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

So currently we're working on a stone-setting project, which i am very very excited about. I absolutely LOVE wearing jewellery with semi precious stones and i think this is a good opportunity for me to make some wearable jewellery for a change . Also, we were finally taught how to make rings, which i think our entire class was very excited about. Although, have to say, making rings is way harder than i thought it would be. And now since this is our fourth project, there is no way we can justify a poorly finished piece, which is actually a bit stressful because i really underestimated how much effort goes into cleaning up and finishing off a piece. One would assume that thats just the last step in the process of making, but it really takes almost the same amount of time as making the actual piece.

Anyway, we were asked to research into different religions and study the significance of, and the beliefs different cultures attach to gemstones. Over the years the belief that stones carry supernatural powers had declined, however alot of people still believe in these and i found it rather interesting to read into this. I found some really nice books in the library, aswell as some articles on the internet regarding these, and as i read them i wondered to myself whether i believed in this or not? And... well i dont know, i mean i do believe in alot of things, but i couldn't quite make up my mind about this. I think what put me off a wee bit was how every stone seemed to have the same oh so wonderful powers, it was just the same few words repeated for everyother stone, and some of the things said just seemed a bit too unreasonable to belive in, such as stones being able to cure diseases and stuff... i mean i know that superstitions and beliefs do disagree with logic, but all this was just a bit too much for me personally...

What infact i thought was most interesting was that when i couldn't quite make up my mind about how i felt about all this i thought i would get my sisters opinion on the subject, and to my surprise, she happens to believe in all this with quite a bit of conviction actually. And it was just interesting to see how two people with the exact same background and upbringing could have such different views about these things.

Anyway, i was going through some of my jewellery, and i bought some cheap stones from the department for practice.. below are a few pictures of some of them, and also a picture of my first attempt at making rings!

Assignment 3- Design Safari

2010-03-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Right so for this assignment we were asked to observe how people behave in normal day to day situations, and in particular pick up on the different unspoken rules that we all adhere to in society or perhaps even note how some people deviate from those norms. I was quite eager to do this assignment because like a lot of other people i thoroughly enjoy observing people. I find it really fascinating, how you can look at someone for a while, observe their attire, their body language, perhaps the company they are with, the things they are buying or doing, and without even having to speak to them you can at times discover so much about them. It is interesting how people can give out certain vibes without even realizing it, and it doesn't take long for one to attach a story to them simply based on what they come accross as. Certainly, a meer obsevation is not enough to form a judgement about someone, but i suppose its part of human nature to do so.

So, from the list of places we were given, i chose to base my observation on a Starbucks, Coffee shop in town. Took a sketchbook with me, made some notes and drew some quick setches while i was there. It was the morning of a working day, about 10am. I was meeting a friend there and she reached there before me. The place was only half full at the time and so she managed to grab one of the cumfier sofas. This in itself reflected a norm, people usually try and go for the big sofas instead of the coffee tables, perhaps simply because theyre more comfortable, which is fair enough. Infact, its almost like otherwise they have to "settle for the coffee table" but at the back of their mind theyre still thinking about the better seats. This was sort of prooved when we eventually got up to leave, and these two ladies sitting near us immediately jumped up from their table to get the sofa.

As i looked around, i noticed a significant amont of people sitting there reading whilst enjoying a good cup of coffee. On one table there were two middle aged people sitting both equally engrosed in their respective books. For a good ten minutes that i observed them, without a joke, they didnt interact with each other even once! I found this very odd and unsocial, bordering towards rude. Why come with company, if you're hardly going to acknowledge their pressence? Then again, they both didnt seem to find this unusual in anyway. I guess its true that whats concidered "normal" behaviour is quite subjective.

As opposed to this couple, was another younger couple sitting to my left. They were both rather talkative, and quite lively. The guy seemed over enthusiastic about everything he said, and i wondered to myself where he found all that energy at ten in the morning! The couple had a pram beside their table, and every so often the woman would lightly rock the pram back and forth.

Two other rather lively women were sitting besides them, next to the window. Both seemed the same age, and i could lightly overhear their coversations. This made me quite uneasy actually, since so far i was observing people, but respecting their space and privacy, however now i suddenly felt like i was crossing that line, and prying in on them. They seemed to be jumping from one topic on to the next, and most of their conversations revolved around discussing other people. Throughout out their coversations, they kept looking out the window, i suppose i wasnt the only person there who enjoys observing radomers!

On another table were two middle aged men sitting, both very well dressed and sophisticated. I would assume they were colleagues who were off for a wee coffee break. They both looked quite similar, and infact when i scanned the room again, i noticed how everyone present was accompanied by someone who was very similar to themselves. Same age groups, same dressing style (both men in formal attire, two girls both in casual hoodies, a table with 5 girls on it; all 5 wearing black!)

On a more general level, i noticed how people tended to just stick to their own selves, and mind their own business. The only interaction was with people sharing the same table. There were some friendly staff memebers about however i didnt notice anyone going out of their way to acknowledge them or thank them before leaving. People just left their cups and dirty tissues scattered about the table when they got up, and no one really bothered to tidy up the table a bit before they left. Another thing i noticed, and was actually quite surprised about was that when someone arrived earlier than theire friends of partners, they would just go ahead and order their coffee and star having it without waiting for the other person. This personally was a bit unusual for me, becuase my family and friends, we always wait for everyone to arrive before we start eating just out of courtisy i guess. But here this "unspoken rule" didnt seem to followed at all.

Another norm i noticed was that when people arrived in groups, at least one person would first go and get a table for everyone before joining the rest in the queue. Leaving ones jacket or bag on the chair seems like a perfect indication of the table being "taken" by someone and everyone immediately understands that sign.

I enjoyed this assignment, however there were times when i felt a bit judgemental and as though i was invading someones privacy which made me a bit uncomfortable. Also i was thinking about how easy it was for me to be sitting there observing people and coming up with stories about their lives, and that it must be just as easy for someone else to be sitting there doing the same about me, and that made me a bit self concious and uneasy...

Ralph, the bunny

2010-02-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

My brother just sent me this photograph, and i thought i had to share it with everyone. How cute is he!!! his name's Ralph, and hes the holds the record for being the worlds largest bunny. (and in my opinion, also the record for the worlds cuttest rabbit feet!)

You can read more about him here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250918/Ralph-rabbit-breaks-mums-record-worlds-biggest-bunny.html

Assignment 2

2010-02-18T17:15:00.001-08:00

For the first part of this assignment, we were asked to choose three random images, and then show them to a variety of people and ask them to analyze whats going on in those images, and then come up with a story that in some way connects all three images. I used the following three images:

I asked a couple of people from different ages, backgrounds, and fields of study and collected the following stories:

"There was a homeless guy names Adam, one night he got really drunk and killed a cat which he later stuffed in a white bag and kept next to him"
Sara Aziz, 23, 4th year Fine Art student at Duncan of Jordanstone

"George was a happy man. Not wealthy like many other people in his city but happy nonetheless. Why? Because of his cat, Princess. She was his rock, his comfort and his friend. Despite Georges status in life, he always preferred to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. Part of the reason was because of his cat princess and part was because he had no ties to keep him anywhere"
Ross MacMahon, 19, Web Design & Development at Abertay

"There once was a homeless guy Tom who went out drinking one night, and found a stray cat that he immediately fell in love with. From then on, although he didn't have much else, he tried to keep the cat with him at all times"
Rafay Hasan, 20, Majoring in Accounting and Finance, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio Cleveland.

Lucy, his cat had been with him for the past 7 years. He couldnt believe she would come under his own car and die that way... So, this is a story of a man who ran away from everything. The bottle became his friend, replaced the cat, and has been his companion since then. The only connection he keeps with the rest of the world, is through old newspapers thrown away for recycling purposes"
Muhammed Ali, 20, BA Science and electrical engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.

"There once was a furry, slightly spoilt cat Cinders, who peed on an old mans foot, who was too drunk to notice it at the time"
Sohaib Ahmed, 28, Accountant, Dundee

It was interesting to see how different people could come up with such different stories based on the same three images. I suppose their own personality, creativity, visual literacy or perhaps even sense of humour is reflected in the way they interpret images, making their stories subjective and different from the others. This experiment agreed with Roland Barthes concept of polysemy and that images dont necessarily have one fixed meaning, and that people can derive different meanings from them depending on perhaps what areas of the image they focus on, and how they may be able to relate it to their own life experiences. I got a variety of stories, but the next part of the assignment was to deliberatly manipulate peoples views and make them all come up with similar stories by adding a fourth image. My "target story" which i wanted people to reach was that a "there was a homeless guy who didnt have much as he spent all his money on alchahol, however he had a cat who he loved and kept with him all the time"
I didn't expect people to come up with the exact same story, however i wanted them to mention the companionship between the cat and the man. And for that the fourth image i chose was the following...

After adding this image (oh my god, how cute is this cat btw!:] ), i was fairly confident that people would come up with the right story, and most of them did. I asked five other people, and all of them mentioned the bond between the man and his cat, which showed that by adding more obvious images you can manipulate peoples views and make them think the way you want them to. They had different interpretations of the wine glass. A few based their stories around the theme of the man being drunk when he found the cat, one said that a guy had a drinking problem and his cat stuck with him through out it. Which was sort of what i was looking for. So i added a bit of text to the image with the wine glass, so that people thought of that image the way i wanted them to, and so replaced that image with the following..

After adding the text, i asked three more people and they did infact all mention the man as having a drinking problem, one of them referred to the guy as an "alchaholic". This clearly agreed with Barthes argument of text fixing meaning. By adding the word Addiction everyone incorporated drinking as being a problem the man had. It was no longer a matter of "him just being drunk at the time of finding the cat", or like one guys more metaphorical interpretation before "as the glass being half full". Now it was clearly about substance abuse.

When i first read Roland Barthes essay "Rhetoric of the Image", i could see what he was talking about, but couldn't understand the concept quite as clearly, although after conducting this little experiment the concept of polysemy, and that text fixes meaning has become a lot clearer.

Jewellery exibition tomorrow! (Friday)

2010-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

hey everyone! in case you haven't heard already, second year jewellery students are exhibiting their work for their catwalk culture project tomorrow (friday) at 5pm, in the jewellery corridor at DOJ. Pop down if you're interested, it should be good! if nothing else, there will be some free wine...lol. so yea, hopefully see you tomorrow! xx

Catwalk project- final piece

2010-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Here are the photographs for my final piece. I owe Mairi Burrow, for modeling it for me, and for doing such a brilliant job at it :) Thank you! xxxxx

Catwalk project - inspiration

2010-02-18T05:57:00.001-08:00

So my catwalk piece is finally finished! =D. This project, we had to design and make a piece of catwalk jewelery, inspired by either a culture, or a period in history. I researched a couple of cultures, and eventually ended up going for the Indian culture. I did try, promise, to move away from Indian or Pakistani themes this time around, however, after some research, i realized i didn't feel as passionately about any of the others ones as much as i did for the Indian Culture. I looked into numerous aspects of their culture. One of the things i found rather exciting was the concept of turbans. i thought they related well with my project since i could perhaps create a very large, contemporary turban of some sort. My tutor Chrissie seems quite keen on it aswell, however i ddint persue that idea eventualy, since, for me personally, turbans are not that unique since i have grown up seeing them.. and i wanted to do something a bit more.. "not obvious" if that makes sense? I did enjoy reading about the history and significance of turbans though. What different colours represent, and how turbans are seen as a sign of respect, belonging to a certain group, social status (bigger ones showing a higher position, as compared to the simple ones), religious beliefs etc. I found images of some preetty groovy turbans actually :)

God, look at the size of that thing! just looking at it is giving me a headache! Now that i think of it... i could probably.. fit inside that turban :s hum... interesting..

From this i moved on to looking at other kinds of head dresses that i could perhaps get inspired from and started searching into their gods, and how they are dressed. Again, found some really interesting images. I could extract so many different ideas from each one of them, since their gods are all so extravagant, with highly flamboyant and exaggerated head dresses, jewellery and attire.

Personally i found the Rajasthani atttire and jewellery one of the most interesting aspects of the indian culture. The women all seem to be wearing very heavy, chunky metal jewellery which although seems quite uncomfortable, looked interesting. Most of the jewellery made feel a bit uneasy, cuz it seems very restricive and almost as if.. they person was being kept controlled and captive in some way.. again, if that makes sense?

I also enjoyed looked at their attire, which gave me a good idea about what colours i may want to use for this project.

Speaking of colours, i also found some very colourful and cute/kinda creepy Rajasthani puppets!

Lastly, i wanted to look into their music and dances, particularly provincial fold dances.

How beautiful are these? i just loved the forms being created by their dresses, and the colours and all, gorgeous :)

And finally found THE image! this woman above, is actually doing a Rajasthani dance, and believe it or not, she actually has all those pots stacked up on her head whilst dancing! i was like "woah dude!" :p. so i looked up some videos on youtube, and was just blown away really. and thats when i knew this was what i wanted to base my project on!

in some of the videos, the women actually had fire burning over the pots, which was a bit freaky to be honest

So yea, at the end of all my research, i knew two things. A) i want to base my project on pots in some way and B) i want to travel to india!

xxx

Photo swap. Assignment 1, Semester 2

2010-02-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was quite excited about this assignment right from the beginning, because I thought It would be really fun to see peoples photos growing up, and compare them to my own and see how different or perhaps even similar our lives may have been growing up despite being in two absolutely different countries and surrounded by two rather distinct cultures. I wasn’t that keen on analyzing their photos to guess what their lives must have been like because in a way I felt like I was prying on them almost judging them and certainly was afraid of offending someone. I was however quite excited about my own photos being analyzed just because I wanted to see what people think of me by looking at my photos and how accurate they are.

I exchanged my photos with Yi Nan Sun, a girl doing textiles. I had never met her before, which was good since we were asked to make our judgments solely on each others photos. We both exchanged photos of our home and rooms, however we were facing some slight communication problems which hindered our assignment. I mailed Yi Nan photos of my home, and my room in Dundee both so she could maybe make a comparison which I thought could result in some interesting insights. The photos Yi Nan mailed me weren’t exactly what I was expecting, out of the six photos only one was of her room and one of her studio space, the others were other buildings. I think perhaps Yi Nan didn’t understand what was asked of the assignment right away, but it’s cool I completely understand because English isn’t my first language either and I have been there myself. I really did not want to intimidate her or make her feel like something was wrong so I’ve just tried to do the best I can with the two photos I could use. In fact, once I started analyzing those two photos, I realized that from even those I was actually able to make a lot of assumptions about her personality.

Looking at all the colour and balloons in her room, I could tell that Yi Nan perhaps has a very cheerful and bubbly personality. She also seems to have a lot of cute stuffed toys in her room which i think indicate that she is quite girly and in touch with the little child inside her, which i think is sweet and also maybe shows a gentle and caring side. I was wondering if the stuffed toys are new, or perhaps child hood ones which she has saved? If the later is true, that would kind of show that she like to hold on to memories and cherish them. What makes her appear as even more feminine and girly are the flowers on her side table and the colour scheme of her room. All I see is white and pastel shades, nothing too bold and striking. Nothing particularly stand out, it’s all quite subtle and subdued. From this I assumed that she is perhaps slightly timid and passive.

She also seems to have put up some photos in a decorative manner above her bed, indicating her creative side aswell as the fact that she is close to her friends and family. One of the photos seems to to have Chinese font in the background which i suppose just states the obvious; that she is from china, but also that she is quite close to her family and friends at home and also maybe misses them? Some of the photos are with her friends at nights out, which I think show that she likes to go out and have a good time. This I think contradicts a bit with my previous assumption of her being a timid person… which is interesting I think.

The second photo I analyzed of hers was of her studio desk space which seems to be rather empty. She hasn’t really pinned anything up or made much effort to make that space "her own" it is a lot like everyone else’s desk. This again I feel reinforces my assumption of her being a slightly shy, passive person. She doesn’t seem too bold or eager to express her individuality; then again that is just my assumption.

I mailed her what I thought, but haven’t received a reply just yet so I’m not sure how accurate I was, once I get her reply, ill post that on my blog aswell. She did however tell me what she thought of my photos.. which was

“from your photos` i think maybe you like brown or some colour like this~ because i found your room is not very colourful~ and you are a quiet girl . you like shopping? a lot of little object in your room ` such as doll, nail oil``` your family is the middle class~ your home is big and nice, and you have a car~ do you like popular music?”

To be honest, I was really disappointed by this reply because it doesn’t really say much at all. I was certainly expecting more in-depth analyses. She said that she thinks I like brown, which is not really true. She thinks I’m not a colorful person, which is fair enough, seeing just colorful her own room was im not surprised she thought that. She thinks I am a quiet person, which actually made me laugh out loud because If anyone knows me, they would tell you I am anything but quiet. I don’t really know where she got that from, perhaps because I’m a really tidy person…I don’t know! Also I have no doll in my room, I don’t know where she spotted one but again I am anything but a “doll” person. Stuffed toys? yes, Dolls? NO! haha, oh well..

Anyway so I wasn’t really that pleased with the results so I thought maybe put the album on facebook and ask others and see what they thought of it, and if they could reveal something more interesting.

Home:

Most of the responses I got were saying that I seem to be creative and artistic. My house they said was elegant and classy showing sophistication and a good sense of design. They said I seem to be fond of nature as there are a lot of windows and plants in my house and also a lot of light. As for the design and decoration of my house, all the credit goes to my mum. She is the one who has decorated it all, and in fact sat with the architect at every stage and contributed to the layout. So I think more than me, my house represents my mum’s personality. When I was thinking about this I have realized that I am in fact fond of all of the things which my mum likes, I have the exact same sense of décor and taste. Which reminds me of our Cannon lecture where JB questioned whether taste was acquired, and I now that I think of it in my case it certainly has been something I have taken on from my mother.

Room in Dundee:

The following two pictures are of my room at home:

Brothers room:

One girl pointed out that my house has a fusion of contemporary artifacts and a sense of culture and maybe that is true for my own personality aswell? Which it is. The walls in my room and my brothers have been painted by me and my sister, which people said show an artistic side as well as indicates that I am bold and expressive. Other than that, a couple of people said that I seem like a bit of a neat-freak as there is nothing lying out of place in my house, which is I think true to some extent as well.

Anyway, this assignment didn’t go exactly the way I had expected, but at the end of it all I did have fun with it. I think I made a lot of assumptions about Yi Nan Sun, and for all I know I could be way off. (still awaiting her reply). This task has just made me think that photos can be quite misleading, they mostly state the obvious, and it’s perhaps not fair to make assumptions based on them. I know overall in this task a lot of people got a lot guesses right, but I think they were mostly stating the obvious. I don’t know if pictures can really tell you so much about a person’s life? Sometimes they really can, but other times its just one photo, taken on one occasion. So what you extract from a photo may be true, but only for that one time. For instance if your smiling in a childhood photo, its so easy to say that “oh you were a really happy child” but that really isn’t necessary. Pictures can easily lie. I think one needs much stronger research to base their assumptions on, and six photos or so are really not enough.

Slumdog secret millionaire

2010-01-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Recently i had a wee bit of an emotional outburst in one of my posts. I just started thinking too much and got overwhelmed. I do, sincerely, apologize for my language, and am very thankful to all of you who showed concern. Feels really wonderful to know that i have so many people to go to if i ever need any help :) so thank you very much! xx

After that post Lisa Cresswell called me in her office for a wee chat, and she recommended i watched Slumdog secret millionaire as it revolved around the same topic, and could possibly help me channel my thinking in a more constructive, positive manner focusing on what it is that i can do to help this issue of poverty rather than bringing myself down with it.

Here is the link to that show, in case you missed it on TV. It certainly is something worth seeing.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/slumdog-secret-millionaire/4od#3022559

When i first saw this, to be honest it made me even more upset than i was before. I knew that the aim of it was to see the brighter picture, and how Seema Sherma, was giving back, and how i could too, do the same in my own little capacity. Yet it was hard to think about just that when they kept showing you the slums and specially the little children in that state. I just couldn't help but question if its worth me being here, and spending all this money on education, living costs, travel etc. when we could be spending the same amount helping make someones life better? Quite honestly, if i think about it, i do want to be a good, successful designer, but i don't know if i want that more than being a good person. I couldn't help think, that if i were to die tomorrow, what is it that i would say i'm really proud of doing?:s.Yet if i were to make even one persons life alot better, i would consider i was successful in life which would make me alot prouder and happier with myself.

Anyway, after watching this program, i decided that instead of just procrastinating over it, i need to make a decision of what i want to do, and start planning towards it. If i'm focused and determined to achieve it, hopefully i will! I didn't want to post anything on the blog right after watching the video, because i was feeling really overwhelmed and i knew my emotions are going to get the best of me. But now after a few days, i have calmed down completely and am using my head! I actually have a really good plan for some charity work in the summers when i go home... (will post about it later when the time comes)

Super excited about it!

xxxx

Also, heres another link Lisa sent me, again worth looking at :)

http://www.ideo.com/work/item/ripple-effect-access-to-safe-drinking-water/

Niche or Mass marketing? Both perfectly good in their own right...

2010-01-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

So i just finished reading chapter four of The culture of design by Guy Julier. Have to say it wasn't exactly a very easy reading, though i did find parts where i really got interested and suddenly felt the urge to read further, but then my attention would be broken by a slight over does of "jargon"... if that makes sense? erm.. well thats what i though. I found myself having to re-read sentences and paragraphs, and make notes while i went along to really be able to understand it. What was actually really interesting was that every time i'd come to a concept that i was a bit familiar with; that i had studied before in business studies, i'd immediately get really enthusiastic and be like "oh thats interesting...i want to read further" but then i would not be able to maintain that flow, because it was taking me quite long to understand everything. Anyway, this is just a start, and im sure i'll really get into the book once i read further, just like i did with the The tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell.

So anyway this chapter made me think about my future as a Jewellery Designer and Maker and how i would like to market myself. I think i would certainly prefer to target a niche, making commissioned pieces that although are my designs, keep in mind the customers preferences, ideas, and in turn make the jewellery personal for them. As well as something unique that they can cherish and be proud of since theyre the only ones that have a piece like that. If not entirely commissioned, i'd would like to make pieces that are multifunctional and can be worn in alot of different ways so that people can accessorize them according to their own taste, and so contribute to the deisgn of the piece and make it personal to them.

I am not against mass produced jewellery at all, i think its not fair to comapare the two since they are targetted to two completely different adudiences. On the one hand "One-off, commissioned pieces are personal and their uniqueness gives them alot more value" yet on the other hand, inexpencive jewellery that is sold in large amounts, is easily affordable, you can manage to accumulate a big variety, and have differnt things to wear everyday. So what if alot of other people have similar jewellery, if it looks good with your outfit, fair enough!

I absolutely love collecting jewellery and accessories and so what if theyre not commissioned, that doesnt necessarily mean they cant be personal to you. If you have a piece, even if its something you picked up from a cheap road side stall, over the years, you start assossiating stories with it. You remember events that happened when you were wearing that piece, or a conversation which perhaps was started by that piece. Infact, now that i think of it, perhaps these are the pieces that are actually more personal to you, than jewellery you ask some designer to make for you will ever be... just a thought really, I know its not black or white.

xxxx

I feel like a big massive pile of crap. with some more crap on the top.

2010-01-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

Hey you guys,

So I was quite excited about Indian winter on TV since I am basing my current jewellery project on the Indian culture. I have always been a big fan of the Indian culture, since a lot of it been incorporated into to my own culture of Pakistan over the years, and thus has a lot of influence on my taste and work. So yea, I was quite excited to see all the programs that were going to be on TV for the Indian winter theme.

However seeing the slums in India, the poverty and just the state that all the kids and people were living in has left me more depressed than inspired. And I know that, that, is only one side of India, and that there is huge amounts of disparity in living standards though out the country, and all of India is certainly not like that, yet it is obviously very upsetting to see people in that condition. No matter how little or many there are. I personally think I was more upset by it then perhaps people who have always lived in the UK. Although for them I can imagine it must be a bigger shock to see people living in a state like that, but to be honest, seeing it on TV is nothing like actually seeing it in real life. I think I feel more strongly about it because I have seen people living like that in real life, back in Pakistan. And honestly you can see a million documentaries on tv, but I swear you will never realize the actual extent of it unless you witness it for real. Although I have never seen slums in Pakistan that are that bad, but I have certainly seen my share of beggars’ and homeless people on the streets, and it is just the most upsetting thing in the world.

Indian winter started off with the Slumdog Millionaire, a movie I’m sure most of you have seen? Do you remember that scene where that (you have no idea how hard it is for me to not swear right now) anyway that guy who takes all those kids and then teaches them how to sing and then once they have learnt it, blinds and disfigures them and sends them out on the streets to beg for him? When I saw that scene I literally just died inside cuz I have at soo many occasions seen blind, burnt or badly disfigured beggars sitting on the streets, beautifully singing verses of the Quran and stuff, and I never really realized the horrific background behind it until I saw it in that movie. And it just hit me then that how real all this really is, cuz I have seen it for myself.
The worst part is that you don’t even know how to react to the whole begging culture, do you keep giving them money, and in a way encourage the demented (again, give me some credit for not swearing) … people..behind all this? Cuz I know a lot of them have been forced into this, and well since so many of them have been so badly disfigured, and are illiterate the sad part is that they almost don’t have any better option than to beg for their “leaders” or whatever. If they have god forbidden been subject to assault already, then they actually have no other better place to go, because its hardly likely that they will find work and atleast this way they are being fed regularly otherwise they would not even have that much. So its like, even if you don’t want to encourage the sick minds behind it all, you keep giving the beggers money because you feel for them, and are thus inadvertently keep the trend going.

Yet at the same time, a lot of them are not being forced into it, and have just come to realize that begging is as easier way of making money than working. And I personally don’t like giving beggers like that money, especially not young and middle aged men and women cuz they could infact easily find work even if theyre illiterate. Theyre are plenty of jobs for unskilled workers in Pakistan, and by giving them money just like is only encouraging this whole trend of begging. The most touching thing is when you see little kids on the streets begging, and they’re just the cutest little things ever, and they just don’t deserve living like that. Ang God, the best BEST feeling in the world is when instead of giving them money which would just go to their parents, you buy them some icecream, or something nice to eat, and oh my God, you can not imagine their expressions. Is is by far just the most amazing feeling in the world, at first theyre really shy, and surprised, and hesitant. And when they finally take it, theyre whole face lights up and they start blushing and then take the food and run away giggling. And I swear, you could buy five pairs of shoes but it would not make you feel as happy as this would and I just cant help wonder why I have been blessed with such an amazing life when they’re living like that. Like honestly what have I done to deserve all this? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Its all my parents hard work, not mine. And why should I be living such a better life than someone else..what, just because it was my fate to be born in a good family?

And oh my God, do you know what the worst part of it all is? That despite the fact that I have everything, everything I have ever wanted, Alhumdulillah, I still spent the whole of Christmas break very depressed. Why, just cuz I couldn’t go home to see my family? Just cuz I was a bit homesick? Screw that, atleast I know they’re all safe and healthy and happy. I have everything I want, and MORE and yet I spent every other night last month crying, just because I was homesick! And well a few other equally stupid now that I think of it reasons. Aaarrghh!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo pissed and DISGUSTED with myself right now. Like dont get me wrong, you have no idea how much I love God, and I thank him for every single little thing all the time. And even in December when I’d be crying over my own stupid little problems id always be feeling guilty, cuz I felt like I was being ungrateful but then id just kinda apologize to Him, saying I wasn’t meaning to be ungrateful but I was just upset about something and I couldn’t help but just cry at that time. But you know what no I can not justify it cuz it is just stupid of me to be upset about anything when I am so blessed. God right I just feel like I’ve been so ungrateful and quite honestly a big bitch. (and I am so sorry, excuse my language please, but I swear there is no other way to describe myself right now) I feel like a shallow little piece of AArghhhhhhh !!!!!
Arrrgghh I feel like I punching myself in the face!!!!! Ok you know what I should probably stop sharing this with the world. Its now 6.40 Am and I should try and get some some sleep.

xxxxx

majorly disappointed in the students Union!!

2010-01-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

So as most of friends all know already, i don't drink...at all. And i am highly disappointed at our students Union knowing that they don't serve any non-alcoholic cocktails. The whole of last year i practically lived at the union, along with Natalia :p, but you know what i am sooo fed up with having to drink coke! that i just don't see the point of going at all anymore. I mean honestly, how many times can you expect to go out and have coke and still have a good time? i don't at all think that one needs alcohol to have a good time, i for one have never had it, and yet am always the last person off the dance floor. But at times you don't necessarily fancy dancing, and want to go and just chill out for a bit, and well if you dont drink you literally are just sitting there feeling useless and pathetic, quite honestly.

The only other place in Dundee that i know of that serves non-alcoholic cocktails is Templane, and i am big fan of that place. If i go there with my friends, i don't stand out or feel like i don't belong there. And their cocktails taste amazing aswell, so going out seems worth it.

I strongly feel our Union needs to introduce non-alcoholic drinks like those served in Templane, for students who don't drink. And its not just me, i actually know quite a few other muslim students who don't drink. And even students who do, can enjoy a non-alcoholic version if say they have work the next day or are driving.

The Union did actually serve such "mocktails" a couple of years back, but they stopped because apparently people weren't buying them enough. I don't see how that would matter much because its not like they need to buy special ingredients for it, they already have all the mixers.. and its not like they have to prepare it before hand so it would get wasted if they didn't manage to sell any of it. Besides, its the Students union i thought they're agenda isn't to make profits its to "serve the students and cater to them" so even if there is a wee minority of international students that don't drink, don't they still deserve a place in the union?

You know whats even more disappointing? That on their site they had this whole thing about how "they want to know what the students want, our they serving the right drinks? is the menu ok, what needs to be changed" and all that. And when i, and a couple of my friends mailed them suggesting they introduce some non-alcoholic cocktails to the menu i never even got a reply.

so thats me (the person who spent all of last year going to the union)officially saying shes done with it!

Do not try this at home! lol

2010-01-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

Right so i'm really really fond of dancing, and have always wanted to learn belly dancing particularly. So, since i had so much time on my hands this December I thought why not dance it away. I couldn't find any dance classes here in Dundee that i wanted to join, and with all the snow I couldn't convince myself to leave my flat much and so thought why not just learn belly dancing online? So i started looking up some belly dancing videos so i could perhaps practice at home. Well,until i found this video! You have to see this; made me laugh so hard my non-alcaholic cocktail went up my nose!

ps. I know its not nice to laugh at other people, but trust me i have had way more than my share of dance accidents aswell. And i laugh at myself just as much then :) xxx