Happy October everyone! This blog takes place in the beginning of October so I'll be talking a little bit about recent activities (ironic that I'm making this blog at the end of October).
So far I've adjusted well to being here, at this point I am not as home sick as I was a week or two ago thanks to some great friends I've made here. I can tell you now that people have been asking if I will come back, and I definitely will! Recently there was a photography event at VCUQ, a photographer sponsored by (or working for) Canon came to the school. He told us all about how to take nice architectural photos properly and professionally. Not only that but also what type of camera equipment is best and how different lenses work...Even though I'm an interior design major, yes it's true, we use EVERY medium including photography! He not only showed us AMAZING interior/exterior photos but because he's in the business he travels all the time. The nice thing about VCUQ is that they have twice the amount of local or international artists come to the university. Recently there's also been a Japanese artist who makes kites from printmaking techniques. When I'm not doing work I love playing volleyball with my friends. Recently we had the end-of-the-year tournament and I was decent enough to play! It's nice to get out of VCUQ and my residence hall which is why I knew it'd be perfect to play volleyball. Unfortunately football (soccer) won't be until next semester. Makes sense since it's so hot right now. One regret I have is not coming in the spring not only because of the weather but I heard there are more Education City events happening as well. A food festival, a dance, VCUQ's desi night, so many things!! The main reason why I came now is because I am able to come to Richmond right after and see everyone again. I am glad I came now because of that instead of going straight into summer. Of course I miss everyone back in the states but at this point I'm trying to experience as much as I can here. So far I've met so many people and the Arabic slang is so fun to learn. Some common ones include" "Yallah", "Yanni", "Wallah", "Mashallah", "Inshallah", those last two incorporate God, such as "God bless" or "If God allows" sort of phrases. One other cool thing since I've been here, unlike in the states, a lot of people here think I am Filipino. I realized I have more Filipino features than I thought and it is strange because I've never been asked that until now. Crazy how the change in region can change the way people perceive different nationalities. And the cool thing is there are SO many different nationalities here. Hope my blogs are still exciting for you! I JUST posted some new Education City photos so check those out!! Salam! Peace! ~Margarita
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Hi! For this post I will be talking about the fourth week of September since the blog posts completely went over my head for that week. Thanks for continuing to read, specifically I will be talking about the goal to have VCUarts Qatar heard by VCUarts Richmond students and WHY.
Social media is a huge part of people's lives in this point in time and I've never been amazing at it. I don't post much on Instagram or Facebook (sorry mom), but during this trip I knew I had to up my game by posting pictures and creating this blog so people back home witness my experiences. On top of all of this, I remembered that VCUarts always lets people takeover their Instagram stories if students are studying abroad or participating in a big event. One day I decided to contact them and they said I could takeover the Instagram for a day! I ended up taking over the account during VCUQ's Culture Day. Basically a day where people dress in their cultural attire and bring food from their culture. There was music and dancing and I witnessed beautiful dress from Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria and even Mexico. VCUQ is small but it is so diverse which I absolutely love. Not only did the VCUarts followers get to witness culture day here, I also showed snippets of the IDES department and the projects we've been working on. They're entirely different from the projects in Richmond! Doing this made me realize that not a lot of people know about VCUQ. Not many know where it is. How big the student body is. Which majors are here. I only knew about this campus because I asked my department chair, "Where can I study abroad"? Currently I am thinking...more VCUarts people from Richmond need to hear about this sister campus. You'd be surprised how many VCUQ people want (and usually do) come to Richmond. Reversely, it's not equivalent. Luckily I got in contact with VCUarts' social media manager and he wanted to interview me about this trip. At the moment he is working on a profile of my trip and will put it on all of the VCUarts social media channels and the VCUarts blog. When it's done I will post it here. AMAZING. It's surprising to think that no one from the main campus has done this before. You may be thinking, "Margarita, isn't it expensive though?" Listen... I am saving more money being here than if I was in Richmond. But we'll get into those details later. The point is I really want more people to experience Qatar and know about it and the power of the internet is helping me do that. No one really knows about Qatar except when they have Qatar Day in Richmond and Richmond Day in Qatar. Even then, it's hard to hear about it. Not only is it the Utopian architecture and great food in Doha, but it's mainly the people I've met that have made this experience so amazing. I know there are others that would love to come here equally as much. To echo what I wrote in the Intro page, Living here gives you a knowledge of many things outside of Western culture. The gift of studying abroad is that it gives you the ability to go outside of a culture you are used to. Even then, there are so many things that I can relate to with the people here, it's pretty amazing how that works. Additionally, this city is a designer's paradise. I have seen innovations big and small that you cannot get in America. That's all I have to say about that. I mainly wrote this post for those that hear about the blog on a social media channel. If you are one of those people, thanks for reading until the end! I know blog posts can get lengthy! Once again, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. I can answer them in a blog post. Additionally, once some of the VCUarts social media posts come out I will tag them here. Salam! Peace! ~Margarita Hey to those reading! Apologies for not writing in over a month, it has been more chaotic than expected but I am planning on updating you all ASAP. A lot has gone on from promoting VCUQ to adjusting to the different interior design curriculum. Currently we are having a fall break so this is a perfect time to collectively reflect on what the IDES classes are like and what else I've seen!
Four weeks ago felt like a rapid haze. Not only did it mark a month being away from home, I officially felt homesick and almost lost in my tracks. If you know me I'm an organized workaholic but at this point my motivation got lost because I was lost in my classes. At this point we were working on a major collaborative assignment in studio with graphic design students and working on a set of construction documents in the graphics class. The mix of these projects for some reason took a mental toll on me, my brain is working differently than I am used to. Not only is the program very digital-heavy here, but at this point I felt like that was the only option in our projects. Was it the only option? Not necessarily. Interior design is interdisciplinary, I forget that at times especially when everyone is doing one method. On top of this, there were more lectures as well. I missed the hands-on programming that professors do in Richmond more. I can't say specifically what felt off but the programming here made all the difference. To sum it up, it's more by-the-book programming here. Our construction documents had to include way more components as if we were giving them to real contractors. Each project had a very "step-by-step in this order" ideology. My friends here said that is exactly what it is. The professors put you in positions that you will most likely experience in actual firms and clientele...I began to realize even though it got highly intensive and rigorous at times, it prepares you well for what could confront you in a workplace. Additionally I cannot complain about the professors because they are all amazing here. I've learned so much from them. But basically, they are really good at making sure you ride a bike without having ridden one before!! On another note, I had some gaps of time to use leisurely. My friend Amna (who is my all-time favorite) and I decided to go to The Torch about 20 minutes from Education City. It is a 51-story tower compiled of restaurants, salons, and hotel rooms that each have outstanding views. We heard about Three Sixty Restaurant so we decided to go there and try the dessert (everything else costs an arm or two). We go up the high-speed elevator and take a seat in the lowly-lit space. The layout is a ring because the tower is cylindrical and the entire ring platform where the seating is is moving at a very slow speed. This way after 5-10 minutes your 40-story view changes ever so subtly. It was a crazy experience. Somehow you could feel the silent evening outside of the massive windows while there were quiet or loud conversations going on in the inside of the space. A restaurant 40-stories up not only changes the atmosphere of the space but your own mental presence. Not only did we experience something so grand and rich in stature, we did it on a good budget. SMS...Spend Money Smartly! On another cool note I visited the golf club that is near EC with VCUQ. We were given a tour by some of the admin, a Scottish guy showed us around and he was very nice but turns out it is a farther drive than expected. A plus side? It is a state-of-the-art professional 18-hole with a driving range next to that and it is WAY cheaper than Top Golf. We got to use the driving range which was awesome and they had spare left-handed drivers. Are my arms still in shape? Somehow yes! Thanks for reading, once again I will try to summarize each and every week. Pictures will be added soon as well, including the projects we have done! Questions? Feel free to ask in the questions section of the website! Salam! Peace! ~Margarita |
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