Hey guys welcome to JZT updates 5!
Origami
(Un)fortunately, this week is more of settling down after a month of fun-filled adventure, trying to get our oriNani- I mean origami to work. Previously I mentioned that one of our course, Design Thinking and Expression, was an origami based course. Based on various considerations such as the human-machine relationship in behavioral response, we were tasked to create a smart origami robot that could ultimately interact with its surroundings and external stimuli, one that was ‘alive’ in a sense.
Over two weeks, our group gathered to create a butterfly origami, capable of responding to distance and vibration indicators. In addition, to add variation and enhance the feeling of life, we surrounded the front of the butterfly with proximity sensors, which increased its “sense of direction”. This backfired a little during the exhibition, but we managed to push through the problem smoothly in the end.
I feel that the Design Thinking and Expression course was a practical application of the design thinking we learnt in SUTD, in particular the process of analysing the problem, importance of activity diagram as a visualisation of ideas and the need to consider multiple perspectives. For example, we had to balance between practicality and complexity, as tipping to either ends would needlessly complicate our work because we would either have too little or too much to work with. I also got a quick crash course on Arduino and coding using C++ (+1 to skill). Lastly, it was also refreshing to deal with a primarily arts and craft course (during the first three weeks either way), rather than a fully academic module.
A new hairstyle for a new phase
So, what’s the one thing you do after a major exhibition? And no it’s not Karaoke (yet). That’s right, its dyeing your hair! Ok so maybe that’s not what one would do but was it something worthwhile, I would think so! (especially when you have 6 other mad friends to share the experience with) It feels like a part of the 100 things to do in ZJU exchange trip if you get what I mean. Honestly prior to this, I was always very skeptical about dyeing hair because I simply could not imagine myself with another look. But lo and behold, the end result wasn’t so bad (I think), so guess that’s one thing of the 100 things to do in China then.
Field trip to nowhere Rong Design Library
Tip of the day: Do not eat lunch with a group of friends who are about to go on a field trip because you’ll end up joining them too. 😀
So it all started with a meal and what I thought would be a productive day in the library. That was remained a thought when I got psychoed interested in the architecture trip that happened that day.
Located around half an hour from the IDI campus, this Rong Design Library was a concept Library that aimed to bring the traditional Chinese practices and concepts back to life through fusion with modern architectural concepts. The most interesting thing was that of the three founders, two were foreigners who were fascinated by the traditional Chinese practices such as the paper umbrella. There were many aesthetically pleasing sights there but one that struck an impression was how they recreated dye and powder of different colors. The founders chose to set the library in the village to find inspiration through the nature, something that cannot be recreated in an urban setting. I also had my first contact with the astounding sights in the village, which was a sight to behold. It was the kind of serenity (and fresh air) that one can never find in any metropolis, without the crowd and the skyscrapers (and pollution). Also a photo of clouds cut by the hill there. (Wew hope to see that in Huang Shan)
A regular essential in China
That’s right, this is the section for Karaoke! XD Anyway like the sub-title says, this is a regular essential for any exchange student who comes to Zhejiang to go for Karaoke. It is simply a bonding activity unlike any other. With enough people, you can purchase a package to sing for an entire night from 6 pm to 6 am (theoretically) at just around $8 to $14 SGD. In addition, the money paid is essentially a credit account for customers to purchase food, snacks and drinks to enjoy during the Karaoke session. And wow has it been a long time since I’ve sang my heart out (Shoutout to Vocomotives!!). Anyway, 15 of us (that’s right, it was 15 of us) sang during the session and surprisingly (not), only a few of us stayed til 6 am. After all, how often do you get to sing til 6 am. One of my personal favourite highlights was being able to get carried sing a duet (triet?) with two very talented ladies who had very mesmerizing and angelic voices. (Thanks Van and Fion for the carry) The main highlight though, was when all of us sang to a select few songs, which created this resonance and unspoken bond among the group, even thought some of them may have been complete strangers. At the end of the day, it is all these shared experiences that shape one’s memories and are the ones that ultimately help create an identity, which would be remembered years after.
Ok I think I’ve exceeded my word count this week (I’d like to think that way HAHAH), so like, comment and subscribe look out for the JZT updates next week!
Ps. I just realised how bad all these looks without visuals so I’ll be uploading the visuals for the past 4 weeks this week (or next week HAHAHA)
Ps2. For my next blog post since I’m doing my theme blog post as well (Oh my 3 blog posts T^T) I would be doing the very first version of top 100 things to do in China during a ZJU exchange!
Ps3. WOOOOHOOOOO SHANGHAI THIS COMING WEEK!!
