I had thought about how to culminate my 2 years of blogging now that I'm finally done. And really, once the final review was over, I just didn't really feel like spending too much time writing about it anymore.

You probably noticed that I didn't blog much this semester. It was just such a neutral semester, that I had nothing to blog about for the most part. It was by far, the easiest semester I've had in architecture school, and maybe any of my 7 years in higher ed. Well, maybe not my last semester in undergrad. Although I did write a big paper that semester...so yeah, maybe it was the easiest. I didn't pull any all nighters. Hell, there were days where I didn't do any work at all in the research phase. Literally, as a group, we would say on Thursday "Ok, see you Tuesday." Some people in the studio would show up once a week, etc. But the projects were all respectable.

I had KTA and really liked them. They are incredibly smart, intuitive guys. The downside was the 11 weeks of boring research we did before 4 weeks of design. But the interaction with them during that design phase was really great. In the end, my group came up with a pretty cool project that was very well received at the final review. It may end up in the Work 2006/2007 booklet (that thing they send out in early spring) and may be exhibited at the AIA NY. So it was like...2/3 really boring, with a cherry on top.

On Monday I graduate. Not terribly excited. The climax was on April 30th after we presented and you hear "Ok, thanks. That was great, but we have to move on." Then you're done. Monday is listening to a boring speech and just wasting my time so I can finally get a transcript that says "Graduated" on it so I can finally apply for my work visa. I've been F'ing around here waiting, so I can finally apply for my visa. During my interview, I told my future employer that I thought I could start mid June. But now, with the paperwork, etc two weeks+ behind, I have no idea when I'll be heading out. So it will be a month or two sitting around at my parents' house in Leave it to Beaver, PA. My friends scattered around the globe and me with no car. I hope I don't get all fat and stuff. Here I do a lot of walking and go to the gym, but there you have to drive everywhere and well, with no car I couldn't get to the gym nor do I have a membership.

But, sometime this summer, probably late June, early July, I will move to Tokyo for Hasselhoff's Terrifying Adeventures in Japan. My first real architecture job, and first job in three years, is daunting enough, let alone the fact that it's in Japan, and my Japanese is terrible so far. I understand more than I can speak, I understand the grammar and kind of the theory of Japanese, but that doesn't help me communicate. I don't have anywhere to stay at first until I find my own place (everyone I know is in the Kyoto/Kobe/Osaka region). I get big-time taxed my first year. As a non-resident alien, tax is about 20%, but in the second year when i become a resident alien, it drops to 3%. And, Japanese pay is typically a little lower (comperable, but lower) because people don't have student loans, they may live at home, etc. So it will be a bit tight for the first year. So we'll see what happens. Should be, exciting? Ha. Nevertheless, I'm totally excited and ready to go. I've been selling all my stuff left and right and will go over with almost nothing. Just me, my suit, my laptop and my sweet, sweet Nintendo DS. It will be an adventure and I think I'll learn a lot.

Oh, and how can I forget a final rant on Philly? So last weekend I went to see Spiderman 3 with my friend. I don't really know what happened because the entire movie was clouded by jackasses yelling, cursing and talking on their phones the whole time. Phones kept ringing the whole time! And people don't embarassedly turn them off, THEY TALK! So after enduring 2.5 hours of people laughing at every little thing that wasn't even remotely funny (and I laugh at a lot of stuff) or not understanding the plot (it's F'ing Spiderman for God's sake), we went to Ben & Jerry's. There were three people behind the counter, none of whom were working. We stood their waiting while the one guy proclaimed how gay he was, and this fat chick just sat there on a box laughing. The other guy appeared to be doing something, but not really. Finally they the semi-worker took our order. During this time though, literally 15 customers walked out. It's no wonder you walk down Chestnut around 14th and every other shop is vacant. People just don't care about anything. There is not even the smallest sense of care or pride in any aspect of people's lives. Not that B&J is an amazing job, but I know when I was 16 working in the mall or even 22 working in Target when I couldn't find a job after college, I did my job. Then the next day I go to deposit a check, both ATMs are down and the pen is smashed all over the wall. The bank branch is 1 year old. Then the next day, I went into center city to do some work clothes shopping since Japanese clothes tend not to fit me. I may as well asked strangers on the street for help because I went in 3-4 different stores and it was impossible to get any help. Pile on the screaming homeless guys (some F'ing 20 something dude grabbed my arm), trash floating around in the streets and all that other bunk, and all I can say is, "Philly, sniff you jerks later."

This should have been played before Spiderman (it's from the ATHF movie):

Don't talk, watch!
Don't talk, watch!
You came here. Watch it.
Don't like it? Walk out.
We still have all your ****ing money.

Do not nudge, kick or jiggle the seat in front of you.
I'm sitting there!
I am everywhere at once
and I will cut you up.

If you make out here,
I will cut your lips and tongue
from your head
with a linoleum knife.

Do not explain the plot.
If you don't understand, then you should not be here.
Your money is our money
and we will spend it on drugs.

Do not crinkle your food wrappers loudly.
Be considerate to others,
or I will bite your torso
and give you a disease.

Did you bring your baby?
Babies don't watch this.
Take the seed outside. Leave it in the streets.
Run over it after the show.

If I see you videotaping this movie,
Satan will rain down your throat with hot acid
and dissolve your testicles
and turn your guts into snakes.

This is copyrighted movie for Time Warner.
If I find that you've sold it on eBay,
I will break into your house
and tear your wife in half.