This has by far been the most difficult post to write. It would be pointless to try to detail or even summarize the past two months plus, and all the surprises and challenges I’ve faced, and decisions and changes that I’ve needed to make, but I’ll do what I can to give you an idea of what it’s been like.
Going back to April, as I said, I was preparing for my trip to
Yip, no electricity. Why? Well, without pointing fingers, let’s just say some things really are better when you do it yourself. At least they get done, even if not in the best way. Anyway, regardless of who was to blame, the outcome meant my apartment hadn’t received any electricity bills since we moved in, thus not paying for any, and hence, us getting our power cut.
In an odd way, it sort of brought things to a nice and slow, candle-lit, let’s-get-to-know-each-other-better-over-drinks-because-we-can’t-do-anything-else point in the apartment. Despite this, I really did want to do whatever I could to help get the electricity back before I left for
That Friday, I met with the Italian-Canadian professor from my first semester to show him some of the work I’d done for
I had thought that this time, because I was flying, there wouldn’t be any major surprises as far as getting myself settled was concerned, but as usual, I was proven wrong. Although the flight was pretty much as the ticket said (one and a half hours), waiting for my luggage and commuting from the Airport to my new free-of-charge six day temporary dwelling (thanks to www.coachsurfing.com) took until the evening, and shattered any plans I might have made for that day. Ah well.
The neighbourhood I was to stay in was pretty upscale and beautiful, just across the canal from the
The first of two design conferences (my main reason for going to
Now, it would really be too much if I tried to summarize my experience of both the conferences and time in
- a relearning that the “design industry” (if you can really even call it that) is filled with professionals of varied intelligence and levels of it, and unsurprisingly, papers and presentations that reflect that diversity;
- the realization that some conference presentations are nothing more than sale pitches for companies, universities, projects or personalities;
- the observation that the motivation for why many people attend conferences as obscure as those that deal with the issue (if there is one) of “design thinking” or “design management”, it’s sadly largely based on feelings of jealousy, insufficiency, or grounds for proving superiority or recognition;
- the good fortune of finding and getting to know a Turkish PhD professor living in Barcelona who has a good sense of humor and desire to “speak unspoken truths”; an American PhD that reminded me so much of a good high school friend in both character and intellectual pursuit; an American masters student studying in London who has pretty similar career interests and perspectives on culture and philosophy. (I spent a lot of time with those three guys, and feel like in my masters course in
- the nerve that I got during the last hearing of the first conference to actually stand up and be the last person to give my feedback on the work and ideas presented. (I think I was the youngest person to do so, and in a room of some 200 academics, that wasn’t easy).
The city itself was a pretty nice experience. Paris really is as beautiful as it’s made out to be. I saw a lot of the famous landmarks, strolled down the Champs-Elysees, ate “authentic” crepes, and yes of course, checked out a local salsa club. I didn’t dance though. A French girl I had met in Shanghai was to meet me there, but she came later than I expected, and since I was with my newfound American masters student acquaintance, I didn’t want to wait too long. I realized then the guilt in focusing on my own pleasure rather than over another person’s comfort. The situation also hauntingly reminded me of many mistakes I’m sure I’ve made thinking this way. So, instead of the dancing the night away, I spent it building a friendship. I returned to Milan the night of April 19th to a re-electrified apartment.
The next two days were the 2008 Salone di Mobile, probably the most popular public event in Milan by far. While the event focuses almost exclusively on furniture and household appliances (the traditional domain of industrial designers), and wasn’t really something I was really interested in at all, I felt obliged to go. The experience was a stark contrast to the conferences I had just come back from and had my head spinning in a daze, asking myself the question: How can I be a designer and not be interested in these things? I need to design a chair! Don’t get me wrong though, I think it’s good that people are designing these things (there was even Japanese equivalent of the Korean made Ceregem massage beds, ha ha), but I guess I just don’t want to be one of them. And so goes the quest for “what I really want to do for work”.
My computer wasn’t actually completely virus-free until after all this happened. One of my Latvian roommates, who apparently is as much a computer-geek as he is artist, helped me here. Who would have known?
It was around this time that I started to watch Canadian news and NHL highlights online. I don’t think I ever valued Canadian media and pop culture as much as I started to then.
On April 22nd, after an inspiring guest lecture on brand strategies focused on China, I went out with my Italian class to nearby bar. Since then, the class and the time that we spend together afterwards had really become something I really looked forward to. The students reminded me of high school, and the teacher lively, prepared, encouraging, and unlike the majority of Italian professors I’ve met here, on time.
On the 26th, after a good conversation with one of my Indian classmates, I came up with four task-orientated categories of pretty much all job types I could think of: make, manage, sell & buy. (Yeah, I know, I can be a geek too). There’s not much more to add to that here, other than to say that from this I came up with two concrete directions in which I can now redirect my career: sell energy technologies or manage consumer research. Either way, I know I’m moving away from design (“make”).
My class group presented our third workshop proposals to a representative of the said company from the previous post on the 28th. Feedback was unsurprisingly unsubstantial, even after each group presented their work twice. But surprisingly, despite being a Monday, we weren’t to have another class until the Wednesday of the next week. Why? See if you can follow this logic: The company representative that we were supposed to be doing our next and final workshop with, wasn’t available the next day. Labour Day was on the Thursday, and so that meant that Friday would also be a day off, and of course, as our “regular schedule” was supposed to go, we weren’t supposed to have classes on Monday or Tuesday the following week, so that just left Wednesday. But of course, why have one day of class and let the students think about the project for the next eight days when you can just give them a vacation instead? So, no class Wednesday too. I love this place. The next day, I made my plan for those eight days (largely computer work).
For a change of scenery, and the comfort of feeling like I was in “school”, I spent most of my next few days in the university biblioteca (library). It was there that I met my newfound Italian studymates, who along with my Italian class, have really made my stay in Milan a bit more comfortable and easier.
On May 3, a picnic in the park with some of my Italian classmates and an extended invitation to my roommates, meant a surprising change in the dynamic of our apartment: the introduction of Mexicans. This began the language and cultural exchange between the Latinos and Latvians. Being the outsider to both groups wasn’t really a new experience for me, but like any foreign environment, knowing how and when to get involved has always been the challenge.
Two days later, after spending most of the day writing my summary of Paris, I came back to the apartment to see a really depressed and confused roommate. With one of other roommates, we watched the movies “Go” and “Criminal Lovers”. “Criminal Lovers” is French film that tells a story of increasing emotional complexity and strange plot twists. Not too far from the situation in our apartment if you ask me. With “Go”, a statement about success really got to me. I don’t remember the exact quote, but it said something along the lines of: “Nowadays, people often succeed by keeping others down rather than by showing genuine talent”. Based on my experience in an international masters program, I’d say there’s a fair bit of truth in the statement. The next evening we watched yet another movie together before calling it a night.
On the morning of May 7th, my Chilean roommate announced that he would leave the apartment, no matter the consequences according to the contract. The reason given this time apparently had to do with personal feelings and conflicts more than anything else. After talking to him on the way to class that morning, I couldn’t help but relate his situation to that of mine when I decided to stay in Edmonton after my first trip to China. Now, I think I really understand what my real motivation was, and why it was wrong.
When we arrived in class, we were greeted by another pleasant surprise: no class! Why? Because the workshop tutor was ill, and in classic Politecnico fashion, there was no substitute planned. So, I spent the day shopping with a classmate instead. I felt like I had almost forgotten how long a day of shopping can be. Add to that the heat of the day (at +25, summer seemed to already have arrived), and the temptation of “dolce” (sweets), and I was spent. It was in that experience that I realized once again that my mind largely occupies itself with three topics: philosophy, work to do, and (you guessed it) girls. It took some time for me to relax and enjoy yet another day off, but when I did, I ended up buying a pair of shorts and a shirt, and napping in La Rinascente (the staff let me do that I assume because my partner-in-crime was busy buying the whole store (I exagrerate, but after an hour, it felt like that).
The next day was the last day my Chilean roommate would be a roommate (at least for the week). The morning was slow since we were told that we didn’t have class until the afternoon (at least we were going to have it). We talked all the way to a career fair that morning and continued once we got there. On the way to class, I felt I finally understood his reasons for wanting to leave. Once again, relating it to my experiences, it amazed me how similar people think and react given certain conditions. I would say that that’s evidence enough of some kind of “human nature”. My psychologist brother would have to verify this, but I really believe that all people are the same deep down, with the same needs, faults and “programming” (though I hate to use that term).
The afternoon was a bit of a surprise too. It turns out that for our last company workshop, my Chilean roommate and I would be in the same group. I hoped that would be a good thing.
After my Italian class and after-class amusement, I returned in the evening to the feeling of an empty apartment. My Chilean roommate had left his goodbye note on the wall. I made my dinner in relative silence until my Latvian roommates arrived with two new friends which were apparently staying over for a few days, along with a new Mexican boyfriend. I really wasn’t in the mood for anymore surprises, but in that situation, I felt like I couldn’t do anything, so I didn’t. I slept in parts that night, my roommates (old and new) leaving and returning early in the morning. Fortunately, I didn’t feel too tired when I got up.
When I arrived to school, I was one of only a few, thanks once again to another infamous Milanese sciopero (strike). That was good for me since it gave me time to put together some ideas to help guide my group along (something I felt I’d be doing a lot of that for that workshop). The good thing was that it would give me good practice in leadership and proactivity.
I returned to Caffe Carribe after months of absence that Friday, and got reacquainted with many of my fellow Ital-salseros. It was great to be back.
Saturday, May 10th, I joined a friend for a tram party in the evening. Something like a lesser version of the Carnivale in Venice, complete with masks and all. A strange, but pleasant surprise for sure. I ran into one of my roommates, my new ex-roommate and some of my Mexican Italian classmates on my way back to the apartment late that night.
The next two weeks from Sunday to Sunday (apart from school work) consisted of: watching an Italian people-with-disabilities play; attending an Eritrean independence day celebration; being “discovered” in the salsa scene by a pretty “plugged in” salsero who has since showed me different venues for salsa in and around the city; beginning my resume writing, portfolio making, and interviews for internships; going to another classmate’s birthday party and a few too many late night parties with my roommates; the unsurprising return of my Chilean roommate. The last of which made for a good Sunday, on May 18th, where we watched Zeitgeist together and had a long discussion about design and its (in)significance.
Saturday May 24th was a day to remember. Having no work to do for my job for over a week, and feeling no specific pressure to revise my resume and portfolio, I spent most of the day relaxing. By whatever fortune, my Chilean roommate and I got to talking again that evening, and at some point he remarked that he “felt bad” that after seven months he was finally getting to know me “as a friend”. That was a totally unexpected surprise for me.
Later that night, we went out to a club together to celebrate our new level of friendship. However, before we could enter, my Chilean roommate stopped to continue our conversation, which was when we were approached by a typical street vendor (usually from Asia or Africa selling things anything from bracelets to neon lit animal hats). Now, a normal interaction would have included: a greeting and demonstration of the items for sale by the vendor and then a show of compassion, confusion or disgust by the would-be customer. However this time, my Chilean roommate engaged in a rather lengthy lecture on business and strategy to him, taking points straight out of our course! It was a hilarious experience, like something out of a movie, but I tried to hold back my laughter. What a night.
May 27th was the day my class began its final work on “the technical feasibility of one of the past projects”. The day turned into something more of an experiment in democracy, with each group that had worked on their projects defending theirs as “feasible” until the last vote was cast. There were also those who “switched parties”. And as always, I fell into both categories. Work begun on each project the next day. I got what I voted for.
Class finished early on the 27th so that we could attend another guest lecturer, this time from MIT, who presented three experimental projects on mobility, tourism and consumer experience. I thought they were really interesting, but Ezio Manzini, (the host of all of these guest lectures) gave his final critique of the work presented on the grounds that fashion was not considered in these experimental projects, and making a differentiation between Design A (a design team) and Design B (a designer). It was at that point that I started to understand my confusion with the design industry. I think I have always thought of design more as Design A than B. It was also at that point that I decided not to listen to Ezio Manzini so much anymore.
June 1st was another important day for me, as it was the day I finally received direct client feedback on the work that I’ve been doing for Shanghai. After an hour long Skype meeting with my boss and his client, and a subsequent meeting with only my boss, the project had been redefined. What does that mean? Basically, while not all the work that I’ve done is now useless, it means that I now have two months to create a “technically feasible” concept based on what the client now wants and not what he wanted. My boss gave me the option to quit the project earlier if I felt like it wasn’t any longer of interest to me, but for better or worse, I said I would stay on until my internship. Coincidentally, this does impact any plans I might have made to travel back to Shanghai once my course is finished, leaving my future once again to the great unknown called September. This experience also echoed thoughts worth repeating again: any projects consciously thought of as good or bad, should NEVER be given priority over things that matter most in life, like relationships with neighbors, friends, families and lovers…
Perhaps this was a reason why this past Friday, after a class confrontation with my Chilean roommate, our relationship has taken a turn for the worse and he is planning to leave the apartment for the last time. With less than two months left in our contract, this comes at a difficult time. My Latvian roommates plan to leave by the end of this month, and the owners have already been looking for replacements, but with limited success. While I am not too worried about who will be paying the rent in July, I am more concerned about what new surprises are in store, and trying my best to anticipate them.
…
On a positive note, I got to see one of the brighter sides to my Italian experience on Italy’s Festa di Repubblica, as Andrea Bocelli gave a live performance in the center of the city, and have since started watching Euro 2008 (Go Germany!). However, I’ve also had to say goodbye to my Italian class this past Monday, and start to say my goodbyes to the salsa scene as places close for the summer.
Some of my family and friends will be visiting in the next few weeks, and at this point, I could use the familiarity. But before that happens, I’ve got a lot of work to do.
So it goes.
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