Ever since I have come to Europe, I have not stopped moving from place to place. Each stop marks as a landmark throughout the journey. Because, each experience is so unforgettable and rewarding.
There's no better way of living in a foreign city than living as a student. France is a very student-friendly country, and in particular, Paris houses so much resources in terms of art and design history, and there are lots of happenings in the city too. Although with a different language, and a different kind of mentality, Paris is a bit difficult to live in at the beginning. From dining to socialising with people, it took me courage and patience to adjust myself to all those new experiences.
ENSCI's style of learning is very different from Chelsea's style, of course. I have to admit that language is tough for me. Because of the lack of ability in comprehending others and expressing myself, I did not feel as comfortable and confident as I was at Chelsea. Hence, I could not have maximised the possibilities there. I was assigned to the 1st years, so the project was designed for technical block rotation between weaving and knitting. Textile design programme at ENSCI was not a BA programme, so most of the 1st years have some experience in textile design. I was certain that I wanted to do knitting, so I asked to stay in the same technical block throughout my stay. The colour project I was involved in was much more structured and stiff in terms of way of working. There was a specific agenda of what I am working on as time goes on. It was also challenging to work on the same project for 12 weeks. But, because of that, I learnt to have a more focused perspective to approach colour and knitting, which is quite a good thing for me to practice. Nonetheless, the resource at ENSCI was definitely a bless for all the textile design students. There are tons of yarns for students to experiment with, and they are all free. Plus, I had a close relationship with my tutor, who I meet almost four days a week. She gave me honest and constructive suggestion that helped me to progress my work.
Another major class I took was Review of contemporary art in Paris. It's an english-speaking class, so I could got the most out of it. I am really glad that I chose this class, because it was not a studio base class, so we got to walk around Paris to view the latest/ interesting exhibitions. Without the guidance of our teacher, I wouldn't have gone to many of those hidden artistic and cultural places in Paris. Hence, understand Paris in a different angle. At the end of the term I needed to put on a presentation alone, because French term doesn't end till February. The presentation should be inspired by the class in whole, and we can present it in anyway we wish. As I always have a habit of collecting tokens, such as tickets to the show, advertisement flyers, or taking photo myself. I decided to use these materials and transform them into a series of souvenir for my fellow classmates and teacher as a way of showing my care. In return, I received appreciation and happiness from them. It was a very unique and intimate experience with a group, which I do not get a lot in London.
Before I left for Paris, there were so many uncertainties, and I was afraid to miss out from Chelsea. Even though, I do have so much work to catch up, I am so grateful that Chelsea and ENSCI gave me the opportunity to live in my dream city- Paris for four months. There were lots of times when things did not go the way I expected it to be, but nonetheless, I had fun. Because of these ups and downs, it made my Parisian adventure even more memorable and rewarding.
