Negotiation

I went to Camden Town yesterday with my sister and her boyfriend. First I went there just to go out and get away from my homework. It will do me good because I am usually stayed indoor since I started University again after Christmas Holiday.
My sister usually can't help herself to buy stuff. So her boyfriend told her to try to deal with the seller because the products was expensive. And she did it.
We realise that her boyfriend is quite good at negotiation and we decide to ask him for advices.

So I couldn't help myself to try. And I was quite successful. I find myself making good deal.
I realise that since I have been to the Lille trip I feel so much confidence in myself. 2 years ago I went before to Camden Town and I was scared at trying to negotiate with someone, even speaking to a seller was difficult for me because I feel like he will force me to buy the product.
I am so happy with myself with the fact that I build so much confidence since I started the year. Now I will be able to tell any client the cost of designing their garden and I won't be afraid to tell them what it is really worth and to explain the cost.

Here is the top I brought yesterday. I could have smile a bit more in this photo to show my happiness.

Lille trip

I had a wonderful week at Lille with the school as most of you know. Unfortunately I didn't have time for putting stuff on my blog as it was a very hard and tiring week. Even so it was a very good experience which I am never to forget. I learn so much that I don't regret it.

So this time I will describe this trip most of us went to.




First day:
We visit the centre of Lille very quickly. Too quickly but what I remember of it is that all those buildings apartment or monuments, palace,... are of various period. It was a total chock as modern were build next to baroque or medieval and mix to any type of buiding. There was no area which was only of one style. It was just a mixture. I really didn't like that. But at least it is good if you want to learn architecture of various period in one day.

Opera

Place General de Gaulle

Nice details, very traditional. I love those traditional details.

Inside a building we find a brocante: flea market. The structure of the building has impressively ornate.

drainpipe of the same building

The other side of the building

Typical street in France with bar and restaurant on either side. Here they forgot to take out the chirstmas light still written on it Christmas market.

Now we are in Paris!! Just joking!! It just look similar to the Louvre. We have a lot of square in France with very few planting except on the border.

First I didn't what was the use of this square because we have no access to it. But I realise one day later that it was actually used for the metro station: Republique Beaux-Arts.

Entrance of Jardin Vauban, a typical garden in France as I know them when I lived there 8 and half years ago. Only greenery (lawn and shrubs) with trees and simple paths.

Then we went to eat in a French restaurant: La Veille France. I love the food but it was too much, too rich. I couldn't finish my plat. It felt so good to finally eat French food again. I do eat French food at home but when some ingredient are missing it has not the same flavour. I really miss French food the most.

Day two:

Visit of the Eura-technologie and the site we have to design this week.

Eura technologie. This building is the centre of Eura technologie and is also called the castle.

Extension of the canal

Those wetland are used as filter to stop pollution to go into the canal.

Sign in French only.

Sculpture on water

Derelict site

Lovely detail on wall

local tile

Great smile Grant.

Unfortunately Cafe close when we arrived (closed between 14.00 till 16.00) I am starving.

Return in the class in the afternoon to start group work. At the start it was quite a chalenge to put all our idea together. But we all agree on some and we quickly decide what we wanted to do. I love my group. There was a good relationship and understanding between each of us.

My group (group 2)

Our concept diagram

quick form of the idea and the landform we want to create.

Day three:
Lucas and Elise (French student) are really good at quick model to get an idea of the site which is great. I realise that it is important especially when there is landform and to build your idea. We also had to present our plan in the afternoon. I think we were all prood of what we achieve all as a group and we all participate. It was a good group work I think.

We can clearly see the development of our plan

The final plan.

Masterplan with moss and mount of sand,... to add more effect.

Day Five:
The group have been redone on day three after the presentation. So now we are around ten people in the group (now called group C). It was such a challenge to put all the idea together again. We had one day of argument and discussion about what we should do, what need to be redone. I sometime was tired of it. But finally at the of the day we know what we were going to do (on day four). At the end of the day I had a huge head ache. In some of part of the design I disagree but as some of us only disagree we decide to do without it. I find it hard to work with ten people because that mean ten different ideas. Finally on day five we were rushing to do all the work to hand in the next day.

All the group.

Model I help building. Lucas was the leader so I told us what to do. Lucas is really good at model as he has a clear image of what he wants and I think that's a really good point.

Day six:
What a day. It was so hard. We were putting all the stuff together and adding details. I was very stressed and grumpy so people were getting away from me. Sorry everyone. I find it hard to finish the project as I like to hand in project completed and not half done. So I was adding annotation on drawings and creating the A0. Anyway. I was doing so much work that at the end of the morning when we were finish. I feel like I was still working in my head. It was just a brutal stop. And for the last three days I had horrible head ache, probably due to the amount of work we had to do and the fact that I didn't get lots of sleep every day.
Finally the presentation arrive and I was very relieved.

Adele posing in front of her project

One group (sorry can't remember the group number) with Alick, Claudia and Aija.

Aija with a bright smile. Probably relieved that it is finished.

My group with Simon, Grant, Paula, Susan P, Susan W and myself (English student).

You can see that we are glad that it is finally finished.

I am always thinking about my project that I am doing at school. Even if I have finish this week at Lille I haven't finish the year so I am taking interesting picture which could be useful for my final project. Here is a picture of the green roof of Eura-technologie at Lille.

Splendid view and more green roof.

To sum up I find this week very interesting. It was a very good experience which I don't regret even if I am really tired and they were very long and hard days. It is hard to describe. But I learn new technique that are faster and I am realising more what are my good and bad point so from now on I will be able to move forward and hopefully my mark will become excellent and I might not have to tire myself to death. (sorry just a way to say that I often don't get any sleep this year and my body is getting weak and telling me that I need to change that). I hope from now on I will be able to get the work done without been so tired and with few sleep. One other thing I forgot: we sometime didn't eat lunch or eat late, early, at various time or we eat too much. So due to that I feel sick this week-end. I think next time I have to prepare myself and buy a sandwich before going to class.
So what I will be doing is : organise my lunch, draw more quick sketch, render more quickly and efficiently (colour that can be seen from far away), build quick model with any material and stop myself going into too much in the details before looking at the general (especially for plan, model,...)

I think we should be all proud of what we achieve this week. I am amazed.