And another semester ends...

 

 

Anillo de huesos

                 Objective: make different forms with files

Abre bocas

 

Objective: Open one side of the hole in different forms with a saw while the other side remains circular

Anillo de Garras 

Objective: Make a ring with designed prongs and designed band

Gemelos 

Objective: Design and fabricate a father's day gift

Casquilla pequeña 

Objective: Make a casing for a baby's pearl earing

Pulsera de texturas 

Objective: Explore ways to make texture on metal

Happy (early) Valentine's Day!

Here is my latest project from school. The topic was "Dia de los enamorados" or, Valentine's Day. I had to come up with a variety of ideas, and from there select six, and then narrow it down to one to make in the studio class. Here are the six options, and a professional photo of the final piece!

Alternative Methods

These are from my Volume class-where we make jewelry out of everything except what you would expect. Including lettuce...project runway style!

First Semester

It's been a long time since I last wrote, but here's what I've been up to in the last couple months...

These are the pieces I made in my studio class. Nothing too impressive yet, but gotta start somewhere..

After months of sawing and filing my hand are getting nice and beat up. But through blisters, callouses, cuts, and burns I'm enjoying what I'm doing. That's all you can ask for, right??


Up next: design and create commercial a piece for valentines day and an then an artistic piece about extraterrestrials, hm...

A taste of Galicia

So, I've been here for almost a month now, and I'm finally starting to feel like Vigo is my home. I have a job teaching English, have made some friends and have my first jewelry class on Monday. So far I have really enjoyed the way of life in Galicia, and I am looking forward to everything that is to come!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to have a true introduction to Galician culture. A new friend took me ou to lunch where I had my first taste of pulpo a la gallega (Galician style octopus) and pimientos verdes (grilled green peppers). To my suprise the flavor of the octopus was pretty good, they make it with olive oil and ground red pepper. It has a nice little kick to it! The texture is a little strange, but all in all not too bad.


Then we went to the beach where we spent the day surfing (very poorly) with some of her friends on the northern coast of Portugal, then we came back to Vigo to have a late dinner at a traditional Galician tavern. The people here really know how to eat and drink well! Wine is so superfluos that they brought us four bottles and served it in bowls instead of glasses! We ate tortilla de patatas, calmares, more pimientos verdes, and some sort of sausage. Que rico!! Dinner was followed by traditional Galician music and dancing. The music is very similar to the Celtic style-with bagpipes! Everyone played along using pairs of shells for percussion. We ended the night with the traditional drink of Galicia-Liquor cafe. It tastes like Kahlua, but is supposed to be a lot stronger!

First post from Vigo!

What a wild week it has been! Starting last friday with the Hurricane warnings and having to make all new arrangements for getting to Spain. Mom and I eneded up driving into the hurricane to NJ to stay there without power for 3 days. Finally I was able to get a flight out Tuesday. I flew Newark to Lisbon, Lisbon to Porto, then took a bus to Vigo. I arrived Wednesday afternoon, ran over to my school to figure out what I had to do for my entrance exam on Thursday.

Everyone at my school it very friendly and helpful, but when it comes to getting real information about the course they are definitely lacking...I was under the impression that there was one test on Thursday at the school, based around art History. Turns out it's a two day test, in Santiago de Compostela, and includes history, math (physics and graphing), gallego (the official language of Galicia), and Spanish language. And, the directions were only in Gallego. I saw the test and just laughed because I figured there was no way I would pass. But, 6 hours later the test was over and it turns out that I passed (with the highest grade of the other 3 people that took it). I don't understand how that's possible, but at least I have a little more confidence for the last portion tomorrow, which actually is based on Art History and drawing.



Saturday was spent walking all corners of the city to look at apartments. I saw a total of 5 this week, and really didn't like any of them but one. I ended up selecting the apartment that overlooks the ocean and I have 2 boy roomates. I hadn't thought of living with boys, so we'll see how it goes!

After five days in Vigo I am finally starting to feel like this will be my new home. I'm sitting in my new apartment watching the sunset over the atlantic, which is beautiful. I moved my things into the apartment this morning, and then went to the beach this afternoon. Northern Spain is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, and I have to say I liked it better than the beaches in Southern Spain, where all of the beaches are pretty rocky. And, the beach is only about 10 minutes away on the bus.

 So, all in all it has been a week of lots of ups and downs. Half the time I'm so excited to see what the year will
bring, and the other half I think I'm
absolutely crazy and I should be back
in the States. But, I'm here, so check back to see where things take me! Ciao!

Goodbye Badajoz!!

I know it has been at least 2 months since I last wrote, so I'll just give a short overview of what I have been up to for the last couple months since Valle de Jerte and Galicia:

*Dad came to visit for Semana Santa. We started in Madrid, came to Badajoz then wandered around Portugal for a few days.

*Went to Mallorca with Maureen for the weekend at the end of May. That trip concluded April, which my crazy month of traveling.

*Stayed in Badajoz almost all of May, and then my job ended on May 31st.

*Met Maureen in Madrid to start our trip to Romania and Hungary. My wallet was stolen on the metro in Madrid immediately, so I spent the evening canceling my credit cards and being stressed. Then had some interesting times figuring out Western Union in Bucharest, but then had a wonderful trip through Transylvania (Sinai, Brasov, Sighisoara, Sibiu, and the Transfargasan Road through the mountains) then worked our way to Budapest on a 16 hour overnight train.

*Back to Badajoz for a couple weeks, including a 3-day camp with 2nd of ESO, Birthday celebrations, enjoying the Feria de San Juan, and my Flamenco recital.

*Mom and Joc arrived and we packed up everything in Badajoz, spent a night in the Parador de Merida, and then headed to Copenhagen for a week. Then to Barcelona to meet Miss Sara Jenks, and now a few days in Badajoz before heading home tomorrow.

Wow, what a crazy few months.

It's strange now to be saying goodbye to Badajoz, but I know that it will always hold a special place in my heart, along with all of the wonderful memories I have of this year. I can't put into words how amazing this year has been, and how fortunate I feel to have had this opportunity. I want to thank everyone at IES Sierra la Calera. I really appreciate everyone's openness to me (and my less than perfect Spanish) and their willingness to help me with anything and everything that I needed. I learned so much about myself and about Spain, and I will always feel that I have a home in Badajoz.


Now onto another adventure...Galicia, here I come!