Holidays and Homework

Holidays,
For all I am sure should be a break.
So because we all want a break so badly,
Someone says, well great, we can just assign a little homework and then
it will be like a break, because Heaven forbid we do nothing but eat on Thanks Giving.

But I think we forget that life has meaning to a good portion of the population and that
a Holiday isn't a break from life but actually a chance to do something different then work and school.

So I planned to do all my homework.  But a storm hit, my family got sick, I ran around helping
everyone I could, food got cooked, cleaning got done, and I took time to catch up with friends who really
needed someone to talk to.

Results, to bed every night around 2 or 3 am, up every morning around 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Unhappy people, with near death driving experiences just to met up and eat a turkey, and of course
my homework isn't done.  How much later would I have to stay up.  I could of just left everyone to their misery and left the house dirty and been really rude like that.  But I didn't, and now I am down with the flu and one more day before I return to the most brutal two weeks left of school.

It's ok, life isn't fair and I know this, so I will be ok, this isn't complaining, this is simply me wondering
how do we as the people of this part of the world figure that a holiday is a time to get really burdened by
our education and then burden others with it too.   I don't know but I think being swiss and taking a holiday  would be more worth my time.  I mean two months on Holiday would absolutely rock!

. . . ok back to real homework.

Final Frustrations and UnFriend Day!

What is art?

Problem Solving is my first answer.
But there is this little problem that needs more solving then say an assignment or any other artistical wall.

Artist block,
They say you just work through it and you become stronger and never get held up again.

What if you have an assignment due and so you start working ahead of time to get it done.
Example,
I sketch, and sketch, and think and think, and take a step back, nothing.
So, fresh paper, new inspirational setting.  Sketch, sketch, step back, sketch sketch.
Nothing.
I got home, it is time to sleep.
The assignment is due tomorrow.  So I give them what I got,
Critic, is of course the pit of despair with mosquitos everywhere.
The words that no one is saying are the most painful.  Which I found funny.

I wanted to be the one to bash my piece, because I think it is ok for me to do that.
But not them, that's the immature part of me speaking.

So I take responsibility for my creative "Wall" and don't blame it on my printer, or my dog.
I didn't even blame it on my cold room or that I couldn't keep sketching in the best place ever because the sun goes down at like 5:30 these days.

No I took the blame, and this is my blog on why I sided with my co-workers and we have now named today Unfriend Day.  Smashing Facebook and anything else we want on the way.

:D  This was fun, now I will return to sketching, sketching. and sketching.

My new experiences in China

I really like to try new things, not just so I could say I did it, but because I did get to do it!  Something new is something more that becomes a part of who I am and what I love.

This camel at first I thought was fake because he didn't move for so long.
Then he did and I just wanted to taught him, I bet I could of rode him but
I was too sigh to ask anyone.

When I came to the Elephant I just had to ride it after I touched the rough skin
on his trunk.  And I didn't expect this but he lifted up instead of me climbing on his back.
:D It was great fun and not too expensive.

Me and Bob

Wasn't expecting this

Shanghai Transportation and Shopping

Rules of Shanghai Driving 101

1- Big guy wins

2- No lines and no signs (just optional)

3- Know honking techniques (warning: they are tonal as is the language)

4- Lights are optional

5- Traffic lights are optional (warning: break at your own risk)

6- Pedestrians are targets even if they are on the side walk

7- Don't jump to ride an elephant (unless you like to be laughed at)

8- Obey Train entry and exit rules, or get really embarrassed

9- This is a tunnel, this is a bridge (know the difference)

10- Taxi's believe death is unavoidable (enter all cabs with care)

Now that we have the driving and basic train rules down.  

Let's discuss Shanghai greetings in shopping:

Street shopping and bargains:

The Seller will say things like this...

Hello, you want to buy, this very cheap.

I have smart price for you.

I am your best friend,

I give you friend price.  Very nice.

While bargaining, always offer 20% to 30% of their first offer. (ex. He says $100, you say $15)

Have a set price you will not go over, make sure it is really set.

This means you walk away if it doesn't fit your price. Never start with your final price, work up to it.

Don't linger if they wont drop to your final price, leave with determination to find a better deal, 80% of the time if you had a good price set at the beginning, they will say ok, and you got it.

Look for the key words above.

Hello = they are willing to bargain

Very Cheap = not cheap for you, cheap for them.

Smart price = for him, not for you but he has lowered the price a very little

I am your best friend = he will go lower, but don't get pulled in to agreeing with him and paying too much.

Best Friend price = 50% of his first offer or 2 for 1 deal, not low enough, but this is usually were all people fall and say ok.

I never get the best deals unless I start walking away, if you didn't get that far then you didn't get the best deal, you did ok, but not the best.  He got the deal if you didn't get that far.

Shanghai is awesome, and remember never be rude, in bargaining, politeness is always a must, they don't care if they don't sell to you.  Be human, don't make their day bad just because you are richer and still want the best deal.  

Court Jester Flash Animation

This is my first flash animation,


http://www.fall10.graphicinterfacedesign.com/students/sashby/anim/courtjester.swf


As far as programs I have learned this last 6 months, Adobe flash is my favorite.
I think that it is really fun and enjoyable.  Time consuming as it may be, it still
kept me really entertained.  It was like a mind game instead of doing an assignment for class.

Also the content helped with that and made it that much better.

I picked the Court Jester because of the great lines and it is a movie I use to watch
all the time while growing up.  Also my oldest brother acts goofy just like the
Danny Kay does, who is the lead in this movie.