rbo in the city » milan

Ciao Cinque

rbo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:59:11 +0000

Just like that, it’s over. Part of me can’t believe it, or maybe I just don’t want to believe it. Years of waiting, a semester of planning, and 2 months of indescribable experiences came to an end tonight… and it will be a most memorable end, for decades to come: Finishing one of the most extensively delicious seafood dinners ever, to a storm of hail, thunder, and lightning. The skies flashed, the streets flooded, and the occasional passing car left a wake of floating leaves and bubbles. We watched out the window, waiting for a break to run back to the dorms. It stopped, it started again, car alarms sounded, wet shirts ran past. Our opportunity came, and we walked the streets together, admiring the frequent lightning bolts revealing soft mauve clouds in an otherwise black sky.

We watched the complete and wonderful photo and video summary of our trip, and the special feature, ‘death bus’.. nicely capped by a round of hugs, and the signing of Brads guitar (the one he bought in Roma). Although I missed my hug from Rus, he made a point of coming to get one, and to remind me that gruppo cinque was my group.. I was the center around which people were selected, and I was successful in my role. He thanked me, whole-heartedly, and I was grateful. Reflecting back, at times it felt as though I did not belong to any group within the group – I’m solitary by nature, but when all others seemed to pair up, it was noticeable and maybe a little saddening.

What Rus reminded me in saying this, was that in not belonging anywhere, I belonged everywhere.. able to bond the smaller groups and maintain the cohesive spirit. I sought out the lonely ones, or the ones I had not talked with/walked with recently, and made a point of seeing how they were doing. I suppose it’s one of my gifts I was unable to define before coming to this place with this group of talented students and friends.

I will remember these days. I will remember all that I saw, and all that I learned. I must remember my time in Milano, and Firenze, and Chianti/Dolciano and Roma. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes only once, and this was it. ItaliaDesign 2008, GruppoCinque.

Grazie mille, Arrivederci, e Buona Notte.
rbo

Omegna

rbo — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:35:08 +0000

Maybe Milano is an ok area after all..

Today we rented some cars and drove up to Omegna to visit Bialetti and Alessi. Rus had been trying for years to have an interview / factory tour with Bialetti, and this year we finally had the opportunity. The drive itself was up through tunnel after tunnel with lush greenery and foggy rain the entire way.

Once we arrived in Omegna, a small factory town at the foot of the alps, we learned that they could not do it earlier because the factory was undergoing machinery changes. The women were very kind, and they allowed us to take photos throughout the entire factory. When we reached the packing area, I was taken back to my time at Dickson’s last summer (and empathized with the workers packing and stacking the boxes, also because their jobs are soon to be replaced by machines)

The best part was after our lunch (at a place they recommended). When we returned, they had gift bags for each of us, which included a small moka express.. it is only for 1 cup, and they seem quite cheap, but they were free nonetheless, and simply added to the overall feeling of welcoming. To top it off, the sun had come out by that time, and we could see the snow from the Alps peeking out above the valley. We said goodbye, and it time for Alessi.

Every year, Rus has gone up to the Alessi factory. Sometimes for a factory tour, other times for interviews in the Museo Alessi (an archive of all the prototypes and other items from Alessi’s past). For us, it was only a visit to the store.. but it was a good visit! We probably bought too much, but with smiles on our faces we packed into the cars and began to drive back. As we turned onto the highway, the mountains in the distance glowed under some of the most beautiful lighting I have ever seen – complete with soft blue clouds in the sky above and bright rays of sunlight filling the space below. It was wonderful.

.. and so was the orange juice squeezed from my very own Philippe Starck ‘rocket’ juicer..

Benvenuto a Milano

rbo — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:26:23 +0000

After a few days in Milan, I think this is the city that has been the most difficult to adjust to. I expected it, but it’s more real now that I’m here. It’s incredibly high-maintenance: everyone here is styled perfectly, and it’s very difficult to blend in. We had 2 days off, which just finished, and most people bought quite a few things to help them look a little more Milanese – but with my shopping abilities, I was quite unsuccessful. Which is something of a disappointment, because for most of the trip I was looking forward to buying a nice pair of jeans and shoes from Milan (but being here, I can see there were many better deals in Rome).

With the energy spent on that, and on using the metro no more than twice a day (the weekly pass only allows 2 uses per day), and attempting to not spend as much on food, I’ve become completely exhausted, and in doing so, quite homesick. I wouldn’t have minded a good, vancouver lunch with some friends back home today.

It’s a bit of a sad note to end the trip on, but we do still have 7 days remaining, with studio interviews and factory tours. Heck, just on Friday, Stefano Giovannoni took us on a tour of his home after our interview. It was like Cribs, italDesign style.

At least I still have Barcelona, if I can figure out how to get there and where to stay when I arrive (and what to do while I’m there). Beach sounds good, as well as a few architectural sites like the mies van der rohe pavilion and of course everything by gaudi.