Transit onward to UCD

You have to get into the EU line only to get out as quick as you can.

This man’s remark sums up the Irish politics quite well for a foreigner. With the austerity signs, radio ads, and the vote no/vote yes posters, I’m seeing more politics than America already. Or maybe I’m just desensitized.

Regardless, Ireland has been one of the most wonderful places to explore. I’ve climbed mountains in flats, trekked the hills of Tara in sandals, and skipped Giant’s Causeway in boots. I’ve made fast friends. My new travel blog TumbleweedWords has already been given to strangers across the pond. My article has been edited for Niche. This blog is getting revitalized as more an update ground and musings on my life as it should be.

And all my photos from San Francisco have been uploaded. Yes. I think this 3-day interim had been good to me. Now to start writing. And studying. All over again. . .

&adobe keeps getting better

the golden gate bridge, taken from a trolley driving quite fast through the San Franciscan Forests

This web driven world is going to shatter the last generations perception of how the workplace needs to function and get involved.

Showing off WHO YOU ARE and WHY YOU LOVE IT is the new resume and job application format.

Speaker, Jon Perera, is all about the Creative Cloud and the Social Networking environment. The desire of students to stand out was crucial this welcome. CS6 can help students really STAND UP for their beliefs not in this workplace, but in their life. The new app Photoshop Touch was incredible! You can pull apart layers with your fingers, zoom in for fine detail work. It’s so innovative and simplified for any user.

Today, I can guarantee more fantastic times and more opportunities surrounded by like minded individuals such as Tom (CollegeInfoGeek) and Maximillion (Bright Futura). I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for Chinatown, Union Square, Pier 39, and The World’s Curviest Road (Lombard St.). 

There is something absolutely magical about coming to events like these.

Being constantly supported from all sides, seeing the successes, seeing the inner workings, and realizing, Yes. I can be a part of it, too. Yes. Change is not just possible, but probable.

and Yes. On days like today, even the Coffee Tastes Better in San Francisco. 

How to Meet Cool People From Your State: Get Out of It.

truth be told. the coolest people from the state of Iowa that I have met have never actually been in Iowa. It’s as if Iowa is their “downtime” or their “relaxation. I use air quotes to signify this simply because even though they feel like they aren’t doing anything, they are probably still involved in the online world, the college world, and this thing people over 25 call “the real world.”

that’s in air quotes for a different reason. 

regardless, I never thought a non drinking non partaking of free food event would be so festive, so fun, and so friendly. This kid that started a highly successful blogs knows both Yuuki (straaaange, as in he dated her best friend in high school strange) and My Tech Ninja (as in lived in his apartment this past whole semester).

Iowa’s got some super interesting and influential people. Watch out. You just won’t know they are from Iowa, because, well, they are never there. For that matter, neither am I. 

back to working out at a 24/7 gym, waking up to free coffee and with all luck a beautiful copy of the Wall Street Journal on my doorstep, and an exciting adventure in the world of Adobe Days @ 7:45! 

Breakfast like a True Texan in DFW airport. 

Now, I’m reliving two hours here at San Francisco at last! least of all worried about traffic or bus rides or being inconspicuous, i hope the front desk gives me cash so I have one dollar bills to pay for the exact change bus fare to get to Japan Town. @ least this breakfast was okay. cannot WAIT to meet everyone at tonight’s Wine Reception for the Adobe student bloggers. only time will tell what is all in store for me this trip! (: 

sleep deprivation and windy afternoons

today i have napped twice.

this morning i made eggs with spinach and red cabbage.

this day time i have practiced kanji, grammar, vocabulary, watched an episode of Merlin, and decided that Thursday night I am going to surprise my roommate with Dominos pizza.

because i can.

one final tonight over the texts i have read this entire semester. ah, cumulation. one final tomorrow morning @ 10am. which means don’t wake up until 8am, right? (: right.

meditative music is meditative. now to write more kanji, practice more grammar, flashcard more vocabulary, and go for a nice walk along the campus to get some energy back into my bones. why? because it’s necessary, fun, and by golly i don’t need a break so much as i need to remember this 日本語。

Finals Week

as i stare at my computer drifting away into the blank space of my mind, i desperately want to write my play; i do! i’m actually incredibly excited to begin writing it…yet i find myself completely and utterly lost at a words to begin writing it.

i don’t know if it’s the lack of sugar in my system (wrong; i’m drinking Vitamin B Natural Sugars Starbucks Refreshers right now) or the lack of coffee (wrong; i just had a mug full @ my great friend’s house this afternoon) or the lack of sleep (maybe? but i got 6+ hours last night so, that should be fine). regardless, i’m not writing my one act play. i’m writing on my blog about not being able to write.

i’m such a hypocrite.

still, the internet has been seeing inside my soul as it shows me ad after ad for three topping dominos pizza and instant coffee. i battle those thoughts, eating red cabbage and spinach leaves instead–rather tasty to be honest; i love veggies. as my mind tries to relax and put itself in the right frame, i debate whether to move from the spot with free coffee and a somewhat pleasurable aesthetic to somewhere that i have no idea where. >.<;;; 

breathing isn’t difficult.
writing isn’t difficult.
starting is difficult.

and if no where is going to help me start, where should i go? i desperately need to write this. as in, i don’t/shouldn’t even go to the gym because that’s how badly i need to write this. when something takes priority over THAT, it’s d*** near important. (there was a pause of about five minutes here.)

maybe if i just switch tables….i’ll be able to work better. i think that’ll do it. or i could just go back to my apartment and study in the comfort of my floor and rearrange my room to make it even better? nah, there’s no way to rearrange my room and i write better at a table. so i think i’ll just move to another table at this same location facing the NORTH rather than the south. -breathes deeply-

we.
Can.
do.
THIS.
can we
not?  

Merry Beltane Wishes!

Dearest All,

For everyone who reads this lovely post, I wish you a merry and blessed Beltane.

Beltane literally translates as “first fire” and marks the second major festival of the year for me. As this post gets edited, images from my Instagram will appear. Because like every holiday, I like to celebrate with food. Healthy. Amazing. Good for you. Food.

For now, I needed to at least wish everyone a warm blessing for the coming month. Hopefully, it will indeed get warmer and brighter and my mouth will enjoy eating again. For right now, many thanks to all!

 

Sincerely,

 

Ashling

Going Dutch

After traveling to Pella, IA for the day, instead of coming back motivated to push the long haul into summer past the final two weeks of university, I came back exhausted. Not to say drinking Voodoo Chai in the downtown coffeeshop after sampling recreated authentic Dutch meats, imported basil&garlic cheese, and some really delectable pastries wasn’t rejuvenating. Yet, I found myself having finally lost the urge to do any more work.

Relaxation.

That’s the killer of my motivation.

I know I may complain on  here about my constant pushing and uphill struggle to get work done, but let me tell you. As soon as I take an unscheduled break, boom! I’m back to lazily meandering through the internets and laying on my bed wishing I had the strength to do simple tasks and workings. Oh no. ‘Tis not “burning out” necessarily, so much as I need recuperation time from my recuperation time. <<; What a life I live when I need to learn to relax from learning to relax.

On that note, imagine walking into a Dutch village from 200 years ago that has been pulled from a postcard. Oddly stuck in the center of Iowa, Pella is a quaint and friendly town. The small population of 10,000 people boasts a huge economic event the last week in April/first week in May called “The Tulip Festival.” Strangely enough, The Netherlands may be known for its tulips; but its really economic strength is tourism and Shell Oil.

Even so, The Pellicans (as they called themselves) adorn the town in bright tulip petals, traditional Dutch garb and wooden shoes, and offer authentic baked goods to everyone! I did not come during this time. Which explains why it was so easy to get a parking place in the center of town. The cloudy sky was still too bright for my eyes. Leaving my sunglasses behind was not the smartest idea; the long raincoat flicking in the wind behind me was. It was typical Netherlands’ spring weather: windy, offshoot clouds, but thankfully–no rain.

I peered into the different sandwich shops. Each serving and catering to a different crowd of age and dynamic. Skipping the elderly crowd at a Bologna Cafe and the high school student crowd at the Brew, I meandered into a corner side venue. The Coffee and Soda Fountain knew what I wanted before I had ordered it. My tired eyes and overexerted effort to get to the counter may have tipped them off more than my  appearance. Then again, going with three foreign looking men and carrying various baked good bags probably didn’t help.

Voodoo Chai + 1 espresso shot, how I adore your spicy kick and smoothe aftertaste on the roof of my mouth that had been previously burnt by a creamy, rich Tomato Basil Soup @ 2:30 in the morning two days/nights/24 periods ago. Another wonderful treat to tease my taste buds and make me wish for more free samples? Basil&Garlic Gouda with Dried Beef. I know, it’s not my usual fare when I go to different ethnic locations. Don’t fret; the baked good sweets will come soon. But in all honesty, nothing tasted more savory and more palatable than that combination right there. I didn’t know Dried Beef existed (not jerky), much less that it was slow-smoked, lightly-salted, and it was JUST the flavour of the beef begging me to eat it. Small portions was just enough? AMEN! This means that everything I buy is just enough.

Despite the restaurant my Professor took us to being a complete and utter flop, I thoroughly enjoyed my time talking linguistics with a Dubian (Dubai, get it? Haha….ohkay, sorry), ballroom dancing with a Dutchman, and  lamenting on the bitter taste of Netherlands’ licorice with a Mexican Des Moines native. If only I had been awake for the 6 hours I spent with them, rather than the 2 after the espresso shots, then maybe they would have had a better time with me. At least I know I had a fantastic time with them!

Evacuate the Dance Floor!. . . Again: Jefferson Building

Warning this is an emergency. Evacuate the building. Warning: this is a declared state of emergency.  

he was a just as confused as we were....

Usually, I hear those words INSIDE of a building. However, today I did not. Instead I heard them outside walking down the Iowa City Downtown, followed by some sirens, and a lot of disgruntled people. Regardless of the situation, emergency was far from it. Huddled outside in the predicted (used loosely here) 50° F weather was no fun for these students and professors who were hauled out of their comfortably warmer offices for the bittersweet rush of cool air and a whole lot of fire trucks.

Cars drove into the shouldn’t be a two way street hoping to squeeze by. Ha! Dozens of vehicles began to clog the already too narrow street and what was everyone doing? Well, what normal people do in emergencies. Take photographs.

I myself took quite a few to commorate this event.

Making my way into this crowd of people, I found an old professor of mine. What’s going on?  I questioned, hoping for some juicy tidbit of an exploded toaster or a microwave bag of popcorn set just a little too long. No. Just an unknown cry of a faulty alarm that may or may not have said Iowan Springs shouldn’t be cold enough to make the boiler overheat.

oh that poor SUV mirror....

It may not have been worth my time if the fire truck–bless him–hadn’t at that moment made the entire thing worthwhile. Inching his way a little bit up to see if he could let one car escape the fray, his right back corner completely tore off the left side mirror of the SUV Police Car. As if the SUV Police Car didn’t have enough trouble in Iowa City’s vibrantly anti-gasoline, pro-environment culture driving around and parking in downtown IC.

Yes, I did burst into fits of laughter. Yes, I did take pictures. and Yes, I am one of those people that thinks emergency alerts are the funniest things to happen after you’ve gotten 40% off Iced Coffee [because that's all your mouth wants], discounted apples [because fortune would have that you walk in when they're mispriced], and still somehow heard the emergency voice over the numerous sirens.

Ah, yes, for a day that had nothing productive attributed to it because I just didn’t want to do any of it. It sure has been one incredibly packed day.

Increasing The Hype! Adobe Creative Suite 6

All semester I have been tirelessly working. From university classes to summer convention planning and now to the reveal of this! (Adobe work), I haven’t been running around as crazy as I could have been. Then again, I’m probably overworking myself as usual. Regardless, I love every single minute of it.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

That being said, I’m pleased to announce something that I’ve kept secret for months. I have had the opportunity to work with the most fantastic people and experience the newest and best software the design world has to offer. I’ve been one of the many who’ve worked this past semester not just keeping things secret, but making things better. So I am pleased and proud to announce the upcoming and finally allowed to talk about–

Adobe Creative Suite 6!

the faces of Adobe just keep getting brighter.

As a university student by profession and designer by hobby, my monthly budget is usually filled with textbooks, groceries, and other student expenses. Even with the fantastic deals corporations like Adobe offer students for their products, I’m left to wonder what makes the newest editions of their products any better from the older editions. I know I could purchase older editions off the Internet. If I wanted to make sure I had the latest updates, I could share with friends or use the University’s computers. Why should university design students bother including the expense for the latest design software?

Why not?

As this multi-media designer will tell you, there is nothing more convenient than owning your own software. University computer labs are not open twenty-four seven—neither is your friend’s basement apartment. For us Northerners, trying to battle a blizzard just to use Photoshop or Illustrator is both silly and potentially skin damaging. Frostbite doesn’t look attractive on anyone’s nose, ears, or cheeks. Having our own copies is essential to our life’s work, even if during school it remains a hobby.

After sitting on multiple conference calls outlining Adobe Creative Suite 6, I can barely contain my excitement for this product! Professional and student designers will be squirming in their seats to get their copy. However, I can guarantee the Adobe production team is doing everything in their power to make them try. Past Adobe editions haven’t changed that much from their predecessors. A few bugs and glitches were fixed, but other than that the products worked pretty much the same: computer bound applications with little flexibility outside other Adobe products.

breaking records and pushing limits: Adobe CS6 does it all

Adobe Creative Suite 6 is the complete repurposing and re-marketing of Adobe products. Expanding the playing field for professionals, teachers, and students alike, Adobe is finally creating a market for every interest in the social media world. Industries once thought separate from the Adobe market are being brought into many aspects of Adobe CS6. Even the layman designer could easily market themselves in multimedia industries with a more understanding User Interface that is carried across the new Adobe CS6 line.

In this technology-driven world, design software and computer skills (or lack thereof) can make (or break) a graduate’s resume. The college student audience needs to get on board, despite Adobe’s wide professional audience. How can we expect to be competitive in the professional world when we aren’t familiar with the technology in our school years? We cannot skimp out on ourselves simply to save a couple hundred dollars. In the long run, that could be another thousand in the bank.

It’s not just me that’s taken notice. Since Photoshop CS6 was released as a public beta on March 22nd, 2012 for Mac OS and Microsoft® Windows® platforms, there have been nearly one million downloads of the software worldwide – surpassing any public beta in Adobe’s history. With its increased performance of editing in real time and a new Content Aware Patch feature, Photoshop CS6 has raised the bar for photo editing software.

Having been through the complete beta testing stage of CS6, I can guarantee Adobe’s claims of streamlined content and performance throughout the software. Before CS6, Adobe tended to look unfriendly to the average consumer. Yes, it was powerful. Yes, it would help. But was it worth the hours it took to learn the product? That was highly debated. Not anymore.

where there are people, there is beauty; where there is art, there is Adobe

Adobe CS6 has carried over their Photoshop interface to include multiple easy to access icons to help the casual user begin to use their products right away. The CS6 interface is beautiful, streamlined through all their products, and softens the once overtly professional tone.  Adobe Creative Suite isn’t just a feature upgrade; it’s an experience upgrade.

With Creative Cloud technology, students can take their projects with them. From the dorm room to the classroom, Adobe isn’t confined to a high-performance desktop machine anymore. It can sit on your lap in the park. It can workout with you as you cycle. It can even help you study—procrastinate—during the upcoming finals week. With what ever it is going to do for you, it’s strong artistic and business capabilities make Adobe CS6 something for even the non-design majors to get excited about.

Get Excited. Get Noticed. Start Saving Up.

Adobe’s pushing the limits of the design and technological world; and You will be too.