Travel guide to design world

time to retrace my footsteps , in the boot of the world, where I have spent the best 6 months of my life, some drenched in design, some soaked with memories, some with travel galore... but all in all, it was an experience worth having at any cost

Before I introduce you to my experiences of being in Milan for 6 months, it would be beneficial to introduce my background... I come from an army background. I have been travelling through out my life, shifting places, school every once in 2 years, I am a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi and before I could finish my 3rd semester, 7 of us from our batch had decided to opt for an exchange programme to NABA ( Milano, Italy), starting from the January to the may!

I have been used to domestic help all my life, found a clean cupboard, home cooked food available at the platter, never got to experience hostel or sibling trouble... but before coming to Milan.

Packed with 2 overcoats in the Delhi January chill, from there and then on, 12 Indians crowded at the Rome airport staring at the branded outlets! Some of us, jumping at the Ferrari outlet, others drooling at the Armani, Gucci, Versace, Bvlgari, and so on and so forth! From here on we greeted a warm Hello to the Italian way of life! And the Italian winter stood grinning at us!

Our final destination was 54, via Torelli Viollier, Milano, one house 12 Indian students and the journey began.
the mornings where the most eventful moments of our days, armed with 2 bathrooms, we would line up half an hr to get 5 minutes of release, the hurried bathing,changing,brushing, shouting was all a part of the next travelling shifting, changing metros to finally reach the campus. We underwent an exchange programme with 15 other American students. The Americans came from Philadelphia and West Virginia! We were a class mix of product and graphic design students.

NABA was a wonderful experience; we learnt the basics of Italian language, good enough to convey mangio la pizza e bevo Il wino bianco! We also had a very interesting module of contemporary Italian society, wherein we learnt the different phases of Italian history through out the era, as visualized by important Italian directors. We learnt through movies like Amarcord, La Dolce Vita, The Bicycle Thief, Romanzo Criminale, The Last Kiss, of the changing times of Italy.

We also had intense modules of graphic design, interactive design and product design! Though interactive design was a new sphere of design for us, it was wonderful to visit the exhibitions at trienalle and around Milan.

Also, our course was designed in such a manner that we got to visit the “Milan fashion week” as well as the “Salone de Mobile”! What better bargain could a design student ask for! The added bonus was that as soon as we touched the Milan fashion streets we were exposed to the hectic Milan sale!

Caught in the sale season, warming up to pizzas and wines, carnivals and festivals, designs and theatres! The more we asked, the better we got!

In fact, during the month of February, the entire of Italy is painted with the carnival season. The best place to go during these times is Venice, and that is where we headed! To see a fully crowded picturesque Venice was a high...but to see beautifully dressed masks, walking almost in a ghostly manner was a magical experience. The lashing blue of water meeting the faded gray of the old streets of Venice, tourists hidden under long feathered masks, wines in hand, and a tune to everybody's lips, we all walked stunned by the gold of the Duomo, under the long majestic towers of San Marco square, catching the sparkle of Morano glass! Since, Venice was the 1st trip we made, it undoubtly remained the best we had had so far!

Our routines were fixed, we had classes starting from Monday to Thursday, wherein we would travel in the streets of Milan, learning and appreciating the hidden architecture, visit museums, church, and galleries. The most interesting part of our curriculum was a list that was given by NABA to us, as places we must visit and things we must do! And why it became necessary to follow because we were required to give a presentation. the list included the most happening places of Milan, which included the Ice bar, Spontini ( the yummiest pizza place!), fashion brands like D&G, Roberto Cavalli, teatros, bookshops,so on and so forth! In the undertaking, we came across some of the most interesting places in Milan and boy wasn’t it fun!??

We had a long weekend starting from Friday to Sunday free to us so that we could make the most of it by travelling! Therefore, now I can proudly boast of visiting Florence, sienna, Borgosessia, Como, Paris, Rome, Torino, and Pisa! And each place has had its uniqueness and own adventure!
Coming to Italy wasn’t just about studying design, or so as I thought! the entire package became complete with pizza's , focaccio's, wines, ricotta, apertivos, shots of cafe, Sunday masses, finding a Duomo in every city we went, ah of course the gelataria! Here also I would like to add, those who really care for ice creams! Should definitely visit Bologna and should try the gelatria, they beat the ice creams world over! Ciocollato fiondattas to cremas to tiramisus, even to those who prefer fruity flavour, the ice creams they offer are worth paying a visit to the student town!

In fact, other than food, drinks and places, what is worth living it up in Italy is the spirit of the people! The freedom of being yourself, the delicate blend of the past and radical future, the co existence of everything, merged by the flow of one language!
Coming from a country of many languages and many religions, many RSS and Shiva Senas, orthodoxy and eve teasing, to see the romantic Italians in their full form, 1st came as shock of open mouthed stare, but gradually it became a norm to see people sunbathing in the parks in nothing except their undergarments! Unguarded and so free! This freedom is what I shall take back with me as a strong memory!

Now a few weeks are left for me to make my final trip back home, I have started packing my luggage, wishing by every minute crossing by that I could become a brick of the roads, still and static, silently absorbing the everyday gossip of the everyday life, in a busy city of fashion and gold, hidden in glorious past and future untold!

Just hold it in sight… for a moment alone,
and then
turn slowly to ask “ un café per favour!”