Saturday, January 30, 2010

Oh! One more thing

I came up with a different idea for the infographic I did last semester. i'm entirely unsatisfied with it and would like to redo it. I want to write out all the information to form a brain, but I'm undecided as to whether I want to hand write everything, or set it all on the computer. Decisions, decisions...

Hello 2010

Here are five projects I imagine myself doing this semester:
1 - Branding for my restaurant I have to build for my 3D class
2 - Setting some HP Lovecraft stories
3 - (re)Designing a band's album + promotional posters
4 - Package design, more chic and elegant than I've done previously
5 - Self-branding

I particularly want to do 2 and 5. 2 because it's a style very different than what I've done before and I'd like to explore it and challenge myself. As for the collab zine, our concept was to write about Thanksgiving and the different cultural interpretations/traditions. So far I've been mostly researching as I wait on my mom to dig up any Thanksgiving-related pictures she can find. I've also been asking my aunts and uncle for their point of view on their first US Thanksgiving. But during class, my partner and I decided on the size (spread, 10"w x 9"h), colors and some typefaces to choose from. I've also been collecting more swipe to use for collages in the zine.









Plus a picture my uncle sent me of my brother and I.

Also, my notes taken while talking with my mom on the phone about Thanksgiving and the Chinese version - Mid-Autumn Festival/Moon Festival:

mom's 1st american thanksgiving

moved from hk
haven't seen dad for 5 years
after living in US maybe 2-4 years, heard about TG
asked granddad for turkey
brought home 20lb turkey, huge
overcooked turkey
no idea how to cook
felt like 1/2 a day to cook
dry and unedible
doesn't know how to marinate
dry and yucky, don't eat it again. taste like rubber shoes
didn't know trimming, so had none
older generation chinese, don't know how to cook american food
got up extra early to cook, took it out at 7:30pm; only supposed to cook 3 hours max

working as teenager in Mei's (May's?); very nice, part-timer
gave each employer a free turkey
maybe ate it, but no memories of giving it away/cooking/eating it...

about 25 years ago, moved to NJ
invited mama and chut ye paw
forgot to remove net/plastic and everything
embarrassed
didn't know tradition, just wanted to eat the food
heard from friends how to cook and eat and why

marinate turkey with
soy sauce and sauce from chut ye gun
salt+cinnamon, cote inside to get rid of gamey/fishy smell
celery, onions to add flavor & add smell
hoi sin



Moon Festival/Mid-Autunm Festival

celebrate harvest

August 15, US calendar; but follows lunar calendar

moon cake
long time ago
gov't bad, treat people badly, rebellion
put little message in cake
pass around
tradition to eat cake