Masters

Even when I feel really happy to have the opportunity to study in Japan with a scholarship, Japanese education is based on a very simplistic way of seeing things (at least in public universities) and they divide studies into 理系 (sciences) or 文系 (humanities), and then environmental design somehow stays in between, not really fitting into one or the other, specially a profession like Landscape Architecture. After thinking a lot about this, I have considered that instead of continuing studying LA here in Japan with my scholarship, it would be better for me to study something more scientific so to speak, and then go back to design. Which is why I have almost make up my mind about applying for the Master in Sustainability Sciences in Tokyo University.
Then, as always, I like to dream about the future, so I was just checking out Master programs in Landscape Architecture around the world, (I think I have been doing this since even before I started university :p) and here are some of the options...

CANADA
University of Guelph (I actually applied to the BLA there when I was at high school, but they told me I needed one year of university studies in Colombia since we only study 11 years at uni... but I have always really like this uni for some reason)
University of British Columbia (I love Vancouver, and it looks like an interesting program being under the School of Architecture + LA)

NZ
Lincoln University (Just because I want to go to NZ someday :P plus I find it really interesting how they always have Maori studies over there)

EUROPE
Wageningen University (Netherlands - Just studying in Europe is great reason enough... and it seems to be a very good program)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (I really like the program description, and after working in IKEA my interest in this otherwise cold, up in the north, expensive country grew)
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (Germany - but I dont need to learn German before, though I would like to!)

UK & USA -> I guess I am still avoiding the USA as a place to study or live, and for some reason I also lost my interest in UK recently... no personal feelings! I may still consider UC-Berkeley just because there is lots of hippies around. :)

A small start

Had been thinking for a while to create a blog to post stuff I found about Landscape Architecture, Ecovillages, Sustainability, and anything related to my studies, so it will become something like a library for me. Specially now that I have to start researching for my thesis, and then go to Master guess it will be a great idea to keep my ideas in order...

It's a shame I wont be able to go the Ecocity Summit (since it would have been an amazing opportunity to get lots of incredible information, meet wonderful people and make great connections) but I will try and take the most out of the information they've been publishing in their ecocity media blog, and do some networking through the internet I guess.

Sometimes I feel so apart from my career, but whenever I find a great project I just feel so fascinated by the idea of what I myself could do to create a better living environment more in harmony with nature, animals and ourselves. So lets hope this blog will help me stay in touch with the landscaper part of me.

It all starts within us~
Peace