Ah... My yearend blog entry... well... not exactly... still got a couple more days before 2008 officially kicks the bucket but I might as well account for it while I still have the time...
Yes... I'm back in SG for 2.5 days because leave allocations are hard to come by... buti nalang medyo may mga... uh... options ako to travel back to Manila for the new year.
Looking back... one thing I did notice about last year's blogging is the significantly reduced frequency of posts... and the increased cryptic nature of how/what I'm writing. Back when I started, I used to blog at least once a week- blabbering about a lot of non/sense... trying to play to the crowd while at the same time remaining relatively unconcealed about what it is I'm talking about. In a way... it was also my attempt to sort my thoughts and to listen to myself.
But last year... My posts winded down to just... what... 1 post a month? It can't just be my schedule... because I did have some stretches of time to think clearly and strategize... but I realize maybe at this stage of life... most of what I've been thinking about revolve around very important life-decisions and moves which I feel would be better served by holding the cards in my hands much closer to myself - maybe I've evolved to listen more to my thoughts - without the public scandal of vocalising too much on my blog. :P Maybe not.
Anyway... Christmas was fantastic. It's been one of the best since I was... a kid. Growing up does tend to suck the life out of the yuletide season... but this time around, things are (hopefully/God-willing) looking up for a whole lifetime of Christmases/New Years...
Taking a page from the nonsense I was typing last year... these were the goals I set for 2008 and beyond...
1. Do well in Grad school- finish the dissertation... YUP CHECK... ITS NOW SITTING NICELY IN THE LIBRARY GATHERING DUST
2. Graduate! UHUH... SEE ABOVE
3. Work with a developer or major multinational firm in Sing (wag sanang pangproduction lang)... HA... YES... WAS ABLE TO GET THIS DONE... BUT CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRED ME TO DEFTLY MANEUVER AND SWITCH JOBS/COMPANIES...
4. Travel :) ... NOT MUCH TRAVEL HERE ASIDE FROM THE (soon to be more frequent) MNL-SG VV TRIP BUT... THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR THIS ONE NEXT YEAR... WITH POTENTIAL SHORT STINTS IN BRUNEI, SIKKIM, MALDIVES and VIETNAM... SEE HOW LOH?
5. Start earning and investing more ... YEP... FOR A HANDFUL OF MONTHS... WAS DOING WELL WITH THIS... WHEN THE JOBSHIFT SET ME BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS... WILL DEFINITELY NEED TO DO THIS... GIVEN THE PLANS I HAVE FOR THE MIDTERM
6. Socialize :) ... UHUH... LEARNING NOT TO TAKE MYSELF TOO SERIOUSLY... PLAYING IT MORE BY EAR NOW...
7. Win new projects for our office - prepare for eventual return to practice in the Philippines... YES... THIS WAS ALWAYS PLAN A... AND IM NOT SETTLING FOR ANY PLAN Bs... AM PLANNING/WORKING TOWARDS THIS.
8. Become more business savvy - with or without the MBA... ETO NA NGA... DUMIDISKARTE NA NGA... PAUNTI-UNTI MUNA... PERO GUSTO KO PARIN MAGARAL... MASKIPAPANO...
9. Teach?... AM CONSIDERING IT NOW AS PART OF PLAN A.
10. Learn another language... HAHA... MAHIRAP TO... PWEDENG... IMPROVE ON THE ONES I CURRENTLY KNOW? AND RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO CODESWITCH TO SINGLISH! WA LAU EH!?!?! KENNA ANYHOW LIKE DAT LOH?!
11. Learn to cook better... WELL... I'VE BEEN EATING BETTER... SO I GUESS WE JUST HAVE TO BALANCE THE EQUATION...
12.Build a relationship <ehem ehem>... UHUH... IN PROGRESS/UNDER CONSTRUCTION... NAIHABOL PA NI LORD ITO. ;) \m/
I left out a few things on the list... but am looking to add to the above for 2009 and beyond:
13. Lose weight (began shifting to a much healthier lifestyle... no more 60 hour workweeks for me... will need to eat less, run more, etc)... will
need to get to fighting fit... Elephants can be nimble too ya know?
14. Pray more... will definitely need this to face a lot of upcoming adversity.
15. Read/Listen more... learning doesn't end with grad school ;) Blog more... about urbanism, architecture, etc.
16. Be more sensible, patient and supportive... got to be a stable rock... ;) \m/
17. Be a better, more wholistic person (eg. son, brother, boyfriend/partner, friend/flatmate, professional, etc.) Of course we can't be everything to everyone... but these are fundamentally basic.
18. Learn about how all of this works/fits together... Be plugged in. Get that intuition flowing.
Here's to 2008... from Singapore to Manila, the Bird's nest in China, to Horton, the whos and the hobbits, to the Normanton+Carribean hometeam, to Our Lady of the Star and Elizabeth Hotel in Cebu... to wars and IOM's constant stream of refugees, to biochemistry and psychology, to counterpoint and the palladium... from caleruega to midlands, from bukit batok to the hort park... to friends of friends, to the increasingly small world we live in, to country club girls who have street cred... to faux helipads and araneta centre duets... from P&T and the barangay to Surbana and Jepoy... to the resurgent 49ers and to the forever young Arsenal squad... to cryptic and really bad poetry... to allnighters in the office for projects that never materialise... to reimbursible $10 dinners... to the upstream salmon walk which I miss... but don't want to be part of anymore... to making choices and choosing to be happy... and choosing to work on it... to Skype, Yahoo, Cebu Pacific, PAL, and SQ... and everything else in between... 2008 was great... and I pray that it helped prepare all of us to kick-ass in 2009!
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
Mitch's Quit Day... Patring redux... Nell's bisita... random photo rips from all over...
credits randomly go out to the ff. Tricia, Nell and Aldo... isang taon na nga talaga tayo sa SG. :P
Friday, 5 December 2008
Grace
And just when you thought
you have it all figured out
Yes, that's about as good as it can get
He taps you on the shoulder
and tops what you had in your head.
You want Him to smile?
Make plans...for you child,
have no idea what grander things
he has in store...
I am blessed and humbled.
For He continues to smile
at us from the heavens.
In the midst of all this
I stand still...peaceful...
and happy in His grace...
Ready to do as He wills.
you have it all figured out
Yes, that's about as good as it can get
He taps you on the shoulder
and tops what you had in your head.
You want Him to smile?
Make plans...for you child,
have no idea what grander things
he has in store...
I am blessed and humbled.
For He continues to smile
at us from the heavens.
In the midst of all this
I stand still...peaceful...
and happy in His grace...
Ready to do as He wills.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
can? CAN!
Yesterday was my 2nd-to-the-last-day at work... and that would have been a fine excuse to do a lot of things that aren't exactly work-related or productive. But, anyway. It was our weekly meeting with the client - and I still feel a massive amount of responsibility and guilt for my boss and my project (a fast-tracked set of condos here in Singapore). This entry isn't necessarily about the job itself... but allow me to digress architecturally just for colour commentary.
So... the design team went over to the client's office (near ours) to discuss project progress and revisions on the unit plans. A lot of the work during the design development stage of the project involves placating / cleverly going around stringent authority requirements and refining unit-plans, blocking plans and common area provisions and finessing them into the tight, high-efficiency areas that the client requires (sometimes reaching 90.3% net efficiency - even padding all the way up to 116% net saleable efficiency.)
Everything was going well... my 2 directors were methodically going over the unit plans with the client's gm, project and marketng managers - who were bouncing the feedback to us on the spot; me and my colleague were working on recording these comments both in drawn form and in our minutes; when all of a sudden, the client's GM makes this snide remark at my directors.
He tells my bosses (in a sarcastic tone) to send out a memo to all the Filipino (emphasis on Pinoy) draughtsmen/women written in tagalog to make sure that they properly do (insert irrelevant CAD/draughting requirement), and to get the drawings done properly. Dalawang beses pa niya inulit yon... in front of me (who sometimes attends meetings in my office barongs - dahil minsan wala na akong masuot; and whom everyone in that room knows is a Filipino.)What's even more f*d up about this pr*ck is that he said exactly the same thing a week ago.
Now... so you have an idea... I have a lot of Filipino colleagues at work... in fact we help form the engine room of the office... and they happen to be the most capable and skilled set of architects, artists and technicians I've met- and why wouldn't they be?... when in fact they are all architecturally trained (majority are licensed back home). In other words... we all do our jobs well because to some degree... a lot of us are actually over-qualified for the job (anyway... that line of angst is for another blog post.) Now, don't get me wrong... we have a whole collection of other nationalities/ethnicities in the office as well... but... Pinoys make up a sizable chunk of the headcount.
So anyway... on both occasions (including last week's prelude) my colleagues/directors both nudged my legs and tapped me under the table to sort of convey irritation at the client's comment. (I'm sure my director was a bit worried that I might explode into a flurry of righteous indignation...)
When we got back from the meeting I told my good friend/colleague Mac (a true-blue chinoy) about what happened - and he burst out and told me I should have made a point - since I've resigned and I'm leaving anyway. Then he goes on and tells me that he too, goes to client-consultant meetings - but never heard these comments from the GM. (Maybe because... in outward appearances... he doesn't look like a pinoy... but dude I don't need to expound... Mac is as Pinoy as sisig and san miguel beer) But it just reinforces the fact... our only difference is the outward colour of our skin.
Maybe I should have stuck it to the man. Because I did feel a wave of pain go through me... and to some degree I now know what it feels to be discriminated... its as if the collective quiet pain and tongue-biting endured by millions of Pinoys abroad was channeled into my spine for a quick split-second. My toes curled as I tried to keep calm... and be the bigger man. I let it pass because it would be bad form to call him out at the expense of our firm's good standing with the client... besides... its not my fault he continues to be the ignorant bigot that he is - which makes him unworthy of a proper nationalist rebuttal.
The day before, Obama won... and has anchored this continuum of history for the struggle of African Americans against racial bigotry. His speech at Grant Park is a monument to the progress they have made... But please excuse me for zooming out of these incidents and looking at the big picture.
Today... millions of our fellow Filipinos work abroad and endure varying degrees of racism; used to quietly shrugging off the jabs and stereotypes to feed and raise their families out of poverty.
Slavery may have long been abolished. But one does not need to be in chains to be a slave.
The time will come... when our country and our people will not have to work for someone else - in someone else's land... til then and thereafter... we will continue to endure and be the bigger people.
So... the design team went over to the client's office (near ours) to discuss project progress and revisions on the unit plans. A lot of the work during the design development stage of the project involves placating / cleverly going around stringent authority requirements and refining unit-plans, blocking plans and common area provisions and finessing them into the tight, high-efficiency areas that the client requires (sometimes reaching 90.3% net efficiency - even padding all the way up to 116% net saleable efficiency.)
Everything was going well... my 2 directors were methodically going over the unit plans with the client's gm, project and marketng managers - who were bouncing the feedback to us on the spot; me and my colleague were working on recording these comments both in drawn form and in our minutes; when all of a sudden, the client's GM makes this snide remark at my directors.
He tells my bosses (in a sarcastic tone) to send out a memo to all the Filipino (emphasis on Pinoy) draughtsmen/women written in tagalog to make sure that they properly do (insert irrelevant CAD/draughting requirement), and to get the drawings done properly. Dalawang beses pa niya inulit yon... in front of me (who sometimes attends meetings in my office barongs - dahil minsan wala na akong masuot; and whom everyone in that room knows is a Filipino.)What's even more f*d up about this pr*ck is that he said exactly the same thing a week ago.
Now... so you have an idea... I have a lot of Filipino colleagues at work... in fact we help form the engine room of the office... and they happen to be the most capable and skilled set of architects, artists and technicians I've met- and why wouldn't they be?... when in fact they are all architecturally trained (majority are licensed back home). In other words... we all do our jobs well because to some degree... a lot of us are actually over-qualified for the job (anyway... that line of angst is for another blog post.) Now, don't get me wrong... we have a whole collection of other nationalities/ethnicities in the office as well... but... Pinoys make up a sizable chunk of the headcount.
So anyway... on both occasions (including last week's prelude) my colleagues/directors both nudged my legs and tapped me under the table to sort of convey irritation at the client's comment. (I'm sure my director was a bit worried that I might explode into a flurry of righteous indignation...)
When we got back from the meeting I told my good friend/colleague Mac (a true-blue chinoy) about what happened - and he burst out and told me I should have made a point - since I've resigned and I'm leaving anyway. Then he goes on and tells me that he too, goes to client-consultant meetings - but never heard these comments from the GM. (Maybe because... in outward appearances... he doesn't look like a pinoy... but dude I don't need to expound... Mac is as Pinoy as sisig and san miguel beer) But it just reinforces the fact... our only difference is the outward colour of our skin.
Maybe I should have stuck it to the man. Because I did feel a wave of pain go through me... and to some degree I now know what it feels to be discriminated... its as if the collective quiet pain and tongue-biting endured by millions of Pinoys abroad was channeled into my spine for a quick split-second. My toes curled as I tried to keep calm... and be the bigger man. I let it pass because it would be bad form to call him out at the expense of our firm's good standing with the client... besides... its not my fault he continues to be the ignorant bigot that he is - which makes him unworthy of a proper nationalist rebuttal.
The day before, Obama won... and has anchored this continuum of history for the struggle of African Americans against racial bigotry. His speech at Grant Park is a monument to the progress they have made... But please excuse me for zooming out of these incidents and looking at the big picture.
Today... millions of our fellow Filipinos work abroad and endure varying degrees of racism; used to quietly shrugging off the jabs and stereotypes to feed and raise their families out of poverty.
Slavery may have long been abolished. But one does not need to be in chains to be a slave.
The time will come... when our country and our people will not have to work for someone else - in someone else's land... til then and thereafter... we will continue to endure and be the bigger people.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Overwhelmed
Madaling araw na, at eto pa ako... gising at nagbabasa. I am overwhelmed by the sheer rush of eloquence, emotion, passion, depth, love, angst, pain, insecurity and mysterious 3rd-person descriptions of what are obviously self depictions and re-enactments of things I have totally no connection to.
Wala naman talaga akong dapat pakialam; dahil ako'y hindi naman talaga dapat nakikialam... but I have no idea why I am drawn into this storyline. Ako'y nalilito... sa dami nang iniisip at dinadamdam - mataimtim na kausap ang sarili at hindi makapaniwala, na bagaman ako'y bumitaw na sa posibilidad na makakilala ako ng tao na ganito; eto ako - staring at someone who is so full of zeal for discovering who she really is; (ayun... babae pala ang bumabagabag kay pox) expressing an unrivaled sense of self-mastery and self-introspection - while at the same time being so unselfish and giving of herself to others.
As an introvert myself, I have long grappled with my own internal struggles - trying to find out who I am and balance my existence; not because I am wounded (everyone is) but because I know I could not turn around and accomplish my outward goals, without solidifying who I am and balancing myself out. Indeed, to know thyself is the most empowering feeling; because it drives and enables you to go beyond who you are - it establishes the baselines which begin to define our lives - and allows us to realise our promise - as agents of change and as men for others.
I do not know what to make of all these thoughts. Depth is in short supply at 1 am in the morning. I just know I may have stumbled into an important realisation that is yet to coalesce and form into something concrete.
Then again... this could just be driven by hormonal, and less intellectual infatuation/attraction - destined to evaporate in due time.
I hope not. Sayang naman diba.
Wala naman talaga akong dapat pakialam; dahil ako'y hindi naman talaga dapat nakikialam... but I have no idea why I am drawn into this storyline. Ako'y nalilito... sa dami nang iniisip at dinadamdam - mataimtim na kausap ang sarili at hindi makapaniwala, na bagaman ako'y bumitaw na sa posibilidad na makakilala ako ng tao na ganito; eto ako - staring at someone who is so full of zeal for discovering who she really is; (ayun... babae pala ang bumabagabag kay pox) expressing an unrivaled sense of self-mastery and self-introspection - while at the same time being so unselfish and giving of herself to others.
As an introvert myself, I have long grappled with my own internal struggles - trying to find out who I am and balance my existence; not because I am wounded (everyone is) but because I know I could not turn around and accomplish my outward goals, without solidifying who I am and balancing myself out. Indeed, to know thyself is the most empowering feeling; because it drives and enables you to go beyond who you are - it establishes the baselines which begin to define our lives - and allows us to realise our promise - as agents of change and as men for others.
I do not know what to make of all these thoughts. Depth is in short supply at 1 am in the morning. I just know I may have stumbled into an important realisation that is yet to coalesce and form into something concrete.
Then again... this could just be driven by hormonal, and less intellectual infatuation/attraction - destined to evaporate in due time.
I hope not. Sayang naman diba.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Strategy vs. Tactics
Sobrang tagal ko nang hindi nagbloblog... 
Nagresign na ako sa trabaho - hindi dahil hindi ko kaya yung stress kundi dahil... pakiramdam ko... wala na akong bagong natututunan and hindi naman din bago yung ginagawa ko kung ikukumpara ko sa ginagawa naming proyekto sa Manila. Naisip ko... kung ako'y magpapakamatay para sa architecture... gagawin ko sya para sa opisina namin... at para makatulong sa 'pinas... at hindi para sa opisina ng kung sino lang - at sa bayan ng may-bayan
Nakakadismaya para sakin dahil mula pa man - nasanay akong sumabak sa issue/problema from a big-picture perspective. Aminin ko na din - mukhang yun talaga ang forte ko - siguro masyado na din ako matagal na gumagawa ng maliliit na bagay - things that are oftentimes merely aesthetic on an operational level - kaya naaasiwa ako at nafrufrustrate ako sa kababawan ng klase ng arkitektura na ginagawa ko para sa opisinang nilisan ko. Kung nung dati - iniisip ko ang long-term strategy ng isang development - ngayon ang iniisip ko panay ac ledges, bay windows at mga coping/pop-outs nalang - na kung tutuusin wala naman talagang added value sa broader context;
Fine... I do appreciate good small details; but the truth is... as cheezy as it may sound... I decided to do architecture not merely because it is the most fantabulous ego-trip known to man... (aminado ako na isa yun sa dahilan) but because I always thought that change/progress in our built environment and human hardware will help change our world - and our country; but then, after many years of doing architecture I realise that a lot of it is just articulation - and that that true change springs from big ideas, policies and effective implementation. Its not just about pretty things and astig na graphics or visuals... its about content and the software that enables people to build the hardware.
So in conclusion... after my brief encounter with architecture here in the Singaporean context - I've decided na although marami pa rin akong kailangan matutunan sa Arki - mas fulfilling parin syang gawin kung nasa context ng sarili mong opisina/practice ito ginagawa; at mas may halaga ito kung sa sarili mong bayan tinatayo; I've resolved to do architecture as I have always done it... as a full-time amateur (just like the open source coders who've worked on the great pieces of open source software like mozilla firefox and linux... as a hobby... doing it on the side)
While as a dayjob... I've decided to focus on Urban Design/Planning - mas may added value/learning ito for me... and potentially for our design practice in the future. Its a luxury/blessing for me to have other options - indeed safety nets are in place. Which is why... I'm not going to pussy-foot my way around things anymore - bigger leaps and strategic moves are in play now. And I'm relishing the departure from short-term day-to-day tactical thinking; into broader long term strategy.
I'm not sure about what's in store about my next moves... but I'm trusting my positive gutfeel on the situation.
Other things on tap:
- Celina (my sis) will be in town... so Singapore Tourism Board guide nanaman ako
- Thoroughly enjoyed the deepavali holidays ;) For a lot of good and bad reasons
- Yumoyoyo diet nanaman ako :P
- PR na ako
- Nakakamiss ang Grad School... my next few moves are the closest I can get to going up that Ivory Tower again
- Miss ko na ang Pinas/Family ko
- Miss ko na ang aso namin
- Pleasant Surprise talaga... maliit ang mundo :P
Anyway.
Sa uulitin
always kick ass!
Friday, 22 August 2008
DLSZ Our Lady of the Star and Parmenie Hall Dedication
Lenny Poco's speech during the dedication:
I feel blessed, and incredibly humbled to be part of this occasion, and this project – which would not be possible without the tireless support and dedication of DLSZ’s board of directors, the La Salle Brothers, the past and current administration (Mr. Ronnie Holmes, Mr. Jun Elloso, Engr. Cheery Tayco and staff), the entire project team– and of course, blessings from God Almighty.
And although – we are partaking of the finished product – that of a building, manmade – as finished or as raw as it is – as perfect or as flawed as we may all be...the most important part of the story... is the process of finding ourselves, our faith, our design, and our direction with the help of God. That is the underlying theme of this Chapel and of Parmenie as well.
For us, it was a very human and iterative process... starting with our initial goal of inspiring a feeling of awesomeness and intimacy... we spiralled upward into a process of learning, asking questions, revising and revisiting previous assumptions...
We learned a lot from it – not just about designing a place-of-worship, but also about working together (as a father-and-son endeavour and within the project team.) But at the end of the day... the truth is... we just let God take the reins of the project from us and allowed him to steer us toward what you see now.
It’s tempting to think about what this building means and symbolises – we’ve heard that onlookers have started calling it an ark – and maybe with reason... subconsciously the cross outside may read as the bow of Noah’s giant boat... but truthfully... we didn’t mean it that way.
What we did try to evoke was the process of discovery... of finding your faith... much like our design process... everyone in life starts out initially believing in something... for any Christian and Lasallian for that matter, we listen to our Christian Living classes and we take to these teachings as fact.
But as you grow old, and as life leads you through the dark ramps and tunnels – you start questioning your faith, re-examining your beliefs and learning things your own way; as you question and as you are challenged by God... you see the faint glimmers and rays of light from the holes along the dark ramps that symbolise our struggle and journey to Him... and just when you’re about to give up on your faith... you find it... and you are enveloped in the sheer brightness of God’s wisdom, the warmth of Christ’s love, the tightness of Mary’s embrace – and the enlightenment of the spirit. You open up to Him, and you learn that you are part of a church – of a community that worship and bathe in His light.
It is with this storyline we draw inspiration for this House-of-God. We know that finding our faith is not the ends, but is merely the means to be of service to our neighbours.
We hope that the Chapel and the Parmenie become the symbolic starting points for each Lasallian’s spiritual journey in life. We hope that it helps us to find our faith and enables us to continue to do everything... for the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Praise be to God!
Saint John Baptist De La Salle
Pray For Us
Live Jesus in our hearts
Forever!
Monday, 18 August 2008
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Congrats to the new architects
Congratulations to Arch. E.L. Plan, Arch. Joseph Tenedero and Arch. Alan Abiva... We're proud to be part of your success... You kick ass!!! napakaproud ni Erpats sa inyo... (ako rin siyempre)... I never had any doubt about it. I hope maging tradition na natin to sa office :D
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Folks + Louisa Visit Singapore
my parents and youngest sister visited Singapore for graduation... (di bale next time Celina ikaw naman...) we enjoyed quality family time hehe...
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Dateline 11 July 2008
Its been quite a while since my last post... I've been too busy... although I did get to enjoy a month-long break at home in Manila - most of it was spent helping out in the office and getting myself back on the arki groove. A few hitches came in the way... with a few odd reminders here and there of my mortality and... again... why I have to be in Singapore... working/learning and making a living for myself... at least in the near future.
Graduation from NUS is on monday... and few enough people graduate from college; much more for grad school, which is why it is a major milestone for me albeit a largely ceremonial one. My folks are flying in for the weekend and I get to play tourist guide again.
I was never one to soak in the "wonder" of a moment such as a commencement or awarding ceremony... those few who know me from way back would know why :D. But seriously... I'm prone to usually taking it with a grain of salt and moving on to the next step. In a lot of ways... life is a lot like riding a bike. Its good to see the sights... but you'll never get anywhere if you slow down and lose momentum... if you do slow down... you fall off. They say... you learn the most from a failure... and to get up when you fall down; on the other hand... if you're on to something... keep going and keep trucking!
I've started working for an architectural firm here... and its been quite a rush... the pace is incredibly fast- the scale and intensity of the projects from masterplanning to finishes can seem daunting - but I look forward to learning as much as I can. I am after all one of the youngest architects in the roster - and although I'm not necessarily a newbie to the show - the context is definitely fresh for me.
All of this was happening - a whole month before graduation... not just because I want to hit the ground running, but also because... economically... I can't afford to just sit around and watch the turtles at the park downstairs... real life costs money... and everyone needs a job to live - I just happen to be one of the few who enjoy my job... but literally... I need my job to live... because doing it/learning it makes me feel alive.
I have a whole vomit of things to say... largely a backlog of thoughts that run the usual spectrum of available words. But to summarize:
1. I wasn't prepared - but I was literally stopped in my tracks and got a bit emotional to realise that (although I will understandably have to still do so in the future)... I'm not a CAD jockey anymore... after half a lifetime of zoom-panning, offsetting and filleting my way... I am an architect now... not just by my professional title but by what I do... not everyone will understand me... and I'm sure a few will think that this guy is a cocky bastard... but I don't care. If there's one thing that bothers me is that, while things have changed for me - it isnt the same for everyone else... and I understand and respect that - if anything... it gives me so much more respect and patience when working with my colleagues in the office... because I know what it takes to be in the frontline slugging away with CAD.
2. Life should be full of firsts... you should always be over your head. you should always be reaching/ going beyond what you thought you knew/you were capable of doing. First projects, first jobs, first dates... are all part of the growing process...
3. People who are too comfortable make for the most boring and uninteresting specimens. Comfort leads to boredom... boredom to atrophy... atrophy to sleepwalking and dying while alive. Those who went through struggle/anguish/pain/suffering in any form or shape oftentimes become the most distinct/special/treasured characters you will run into your life. There is an unspoken understanding amongst those battle-tested veterans... one glance and you will see the silent strength that buttresses the most unique characters.
4. Don't get me wrong... its not about the money, the prestige, or whatever it is that motivates people to work. As my good friend Mac says... Its about being able to be part of bringing something/creating something and enriching the world. A whole lot of people go through life asking what it is they can see, do or take from the world to "enrich" themselves... a lot of people turn the world into their "bohemian" playground... a list of destinations to see... a list of things to take photos of and senses to sate. But at the end of the day... its not what you take from the world... but what you add into it. That is what makes every person alive. Life is so much more than the "literary" or "cinematic" scenes that a lot of people fantasize about...
5. Confidence is fickle. Attraction and love are in fact, both decisions. Friendship can be cultivated. But rock solid building blocks and common ground is the hardest to find. If you have common solid ground... waste no time building on it.
6. Assumptions, presumptions inferences, educated guesses... are the lifeblood of modern living. Survival is predicated on intuition and awareness. To deny or question your hunches may seem prudent. But to do so... wastes much more than time... because you will never ever have all your variables neatly laid out for you.
Anyways... til next time lah!
Graduation from NUS is on monday... and few enough people graduate from college; much more for grad school, which is why it is a major milestone for me albeit a largely ceremonial one. My folks are flying in for the weekend and I get to play tourist guide again.
I was never one to soak in the "wonder" of a moment such as a commencement or awarding ceremony... those few who know me from way back would know why :D. But seriously... I'm prone to usually taking it with a grain of salt and moving on to the next step. In a lot of ways... life is a lot like riding a bike. Its good to see the sights... but you'll never get anywhere if you slow down and lose momentum... if you do slow down... you fall off. They say... you learn the most from a failure... and to get up when you fall down; on the other hand... if you're on to something... keep going and keep trucking!
I've started working for an architectural firm here... and its been quite a rush... the pace is incredibly fast- the scale and intensity of the projects from masterplanning to finishes can seem daunting - but I look forward to learning as much as I can. I am after all one of the youngest architects in the roster - and although I'm not necessarily a newbie to the show - the context is definitely fresh for me.
All of this was happening - a whole month before graduation... not just because I want to hit the ground running, but also because... economically... I can't afford to just sit around and watch the turtles at the park downstairs... real life costs money... and everyone needs a job to live - I just happen to be one of the few who enjoy my job... but literally... I need my job to live... because doing it/learning it makes me feel alive.
I have a whole vomit of things to say... largely a backlog of thoughts that run the usual spectrum of available words. But to summarize:
1. I wasn't prepared - but I was literally stopped in my tracks and got a bit emotional to realise that (although I will understandably have to still do so in the future)... I'm not a CAD jockey anymore... after half a lifetime of zoom-panning, offsetting and filleting my way... I am an architect now... not just by my professional title but by what I do... not everyone will understand me... and I'm sure a few will think that this guy is a cocky bastard... but I don't care. If there's one thing that bothers me is that, while things have changed for me - it isnt the same for everyone else... and I understand and respect that - if anything... it gives me so much more respect and patience when working with my colleagues in the office... because I know what it takes to be in the frontline slugging away with CAD.
2. Life should be full of firsts... you should always be over your head. you should always be reaching/ going beyond what you thought you knew/you were capable of doing. First projects, first jobs, first dates... are all part of the growing process...
3. People who are too comfortable make for the most boring and uninteresting specimens. Comfort leads to boredom... boredom to atrophy... atrophy to sleepwalking and dying while alive. Those who went through struggle/anguish/pain/suffering in any form or shape oftentimes become the most distinct/special/treasured characters you will run into your life. There is an unspoken understanding amongst those battle-tested veterans... one glance and you will see the silent strength that buttresses the most unique characters.
4. Don't get me wrong... its not about the money, the prestige, or whatever it is that motivates people to work. As my good friend Mac says... Its about being able to be part of bringing something/creating something and enriching the world. A whole lot of people go through life asking what it is they can see, do or take from the world to "enrich" themselves... a lot of people turn the world into their "bohemian" playground... a list of destinations to see... a list of things to take photos of and senses to sate. But at the end of the day... its not what you take from the world... but what you add into it. That is what makes every person alive. Life is so much more than the "literary" or "cinematic" scenes that a lot of people fantasize about...
5. Confidence is fickle. Attraction and love are in fact, both decisions. Friendship can be cultivated. But rock solid building blocks and common ground is the hardest to find. If you have common solid ground... waste no time building on it.
6. Assumptions, presumptions inferences, educated guesses... are the lifeblood of modern living. Survival is predicated on intuition and awareness. To deny or question your hunches may seem prudent. But to do so... wastes much more than time... because you will never ever have all your variables neatly laid out for you.
Anyways... til next time lah!
Friday, 30 May 2008
Monday, 28 April 2008
Glow
the mottled canopy
encloses the darkness
of the outdoor room;
faint glimmers
light the paths
that lead to nowhere
and beyond
you take me up
over the benign
and sober
and bring me
to the heights
from which i see
what was once
obscured from below:
the glowing sky
lit by your towering candles
burning the far edges
of our horizon
you're steady
yet fleeting presence
brings my motor
to a hum
taking me back
from the brink
of burnout
and into rest;
i wake from slumber
and stare in jest
lost in thought
within the depths
of your intent globes
which see
and reflect
the joyful bliss
and irreverence
that you're spirit
brings
as light casts itself
on the ridge
i wake from slumber;
yet i wait for nightfall;
to again
see the glow
that your candles
bring
encloses the darkness
of the outdoor room;
faint glimmers
light the paths
that lead to nowhere
and beyond
you take me up
over the benign
and sober
and bring me
to the heights
from which i see
what was once
obscured from below:
the glowing sky
lit by your towering candles
burning the far edges
of our horizon
you're steady
yet fleeting presence
brings my motor
to a hum
taking me back
from the brink
of burnout
and into rest;
i wake from slumber
and stare in jest
lost in thought
within the depths
of your intent globes
which see
and reflect
the joyful bliss
and irreverence
that you're spirit
brings
as light casts itself
on the ridge
i wake from slumber;
yet i wait for nightfall;
to again
see the glow
that your candles
bring
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Thursday, 3 April 2008
beyond
Step out of your mind,
and join the lofty thoughts
that light his sky
gaze out of your eyes
into the harsh glare
and beauty of his world
step out of your consciousness
and liberate
yourself
from the pedestrian
into the heroic yet sublime
flow out of your heart
and feel the heady,
beating rush - the tempo
of his long driving steps
feel out of your gentle hands
into a man's -
sanded by
his labour of love
and grip for life
feel outside your belly
into his tensed gut
braced for life's impact
raring for the next blow
stand above
your own shoulders
and step on his
and see beyond
your own dreams
walk beyond yourself
and actually feel
the ground you trample
and see
where you ought to be
go beyond
from small to medium
to large, even grand
your world
is so much bigger
than yourself
i can show you
if you let me
and join the lofty thoughts
that light his sky
gaze out of your eyes
into the harsh glare
and beauty of his world
step out of your consciousness
and liberate
yourself
from the pedestrian
into the heroic yet sublime
flow out of your heart
and feel the heady,
beating rush - the tempo
of his long driving steps
feel out of your gentle hands
into a man's -
sanded by
his labour of love
and grip for life
feel outside your belly
into his tensed gut
braced for life's impact
raring for the next blow
stand above
your own shoulders
and step on his
and see beyond
your own dreams
walk beyond yourself
and actually feel
the ground you trample
and see
where you ought to be
go beyond
from small to medium
to large, even grand
your world
is so much bigger
than yourself
i can show you
if you let me
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Restless
the mind weaves
between the brilliant flashes;
fingers grasping deftly
at nothing,
trying to stop me
from freefalling
into the depths;
where i know
i lose myself
to questions and doubt;
you set me off balance
bearings lost
burnt away
by your sheer radiance;
you jar my faith
in the universe
and leave me
no space for my reason
nor my rhyme
for they fall
with your preoccupation
for things i'll never
fully fathom...
you broke me out
of my formerly
unassailable stance...
no longer solid,
no longer clear;
bring me back
from the restlesness,
into the standstill
that i know
only your spirt brings...
between the brilliant flashes;
fingers grasping deftly
at nothing,
trying to stop me
from freefalling
into the depths;
where i know
i lose myself
to questions and doubt;
you set me off balance
bearings lost
burnt away
by your sheer radiance;
you jar my faith
in the universe
and leave me
no space for my reason
nor my rhyme
for they fall
with your preoccupation
for things i'll never
fully fathom...
you broke me out
of my formerly
unassailable stance...
no longer solid,
no longer clear;
bring me back
from the restlesness,
into the standstill
that i know
only your spirt brings...
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Thoughts on Thesis Projects and why Urbanism
I haven't had the chance to properly articulate my thoughts lately. I've been immersed with schoolwork and the basic business of living - you know... the stuff that a lot of comfortable people tend to take forgranted: laundry, cooking, ironing, etc ad infinitum 
. But seriously... these things take quite a lot of time... and unless you'd want to end up smelling bad, looking bad and eating nothing but MSG-laden chinese food... you really have to get things done.
The past semester has gone quite fast... I'm thoroughly enmeshed in work - 5 modules of work actually... including dissertation and an extra elective. I have to say that the academic experience has been extremely eye-opening. It has forced me to reassess how I see the practice of architecture and planning in the Philippine context and has made me realise just how badly behind we are from the perspective of thought, discourse and analysis. Notice... I mentioned defficiencies in thought process... not in talent, flair or style. (all of which I think we might have too much off... )
Past experiences has made me a lot more stoic about things I'm very idealistic about. I've learned to just take a lot of things as a fact of life and just as a course of normal business... especially in a small, subsistence economy like the Philippines... I'm better off biting my tongue and just focusing on the task at hand. But I digress... but let me talk about how I got into Urbanism and why I decided to take Urbanism.
When I was in 5th year Architecture, I underwent the same rite-of-passage like everyone else... the Thesis project. Among architecture students ... It is the perennial act of indulging your "designer" ego and finally getting to do forms and buildings you'll probably never be able to do. The usual theme for thesis projects included iconic high-rises, museums, performing arts centres, etc. So anyway... I really did not start from a fixed form or project programme - heck... in fact I didn't know exactly what I'll end up doing... What I was sure of however, was my intent to try solving a something innately close to my heart => parking in UST. Yes... wow pocs... kaganda naman ng thesis mo... parking building.
But then I realised... the lack of parking within UST was just a canary in the mine... it was an indicator of much bigger problems/issues that concerned both the campus and the city of Manila as well. So... to keep it short... I ended up doing a very aesthetically constricted building... because I had to stick to the aesthetic of UST... (which suppressed my pagkadesigner a great deal) and began to focus on the design of public spaces, open spaces and learning spaces... it became an exercise in identifying the problems of a site... and then recommending an urbanistic solution (a building) which also just so happened to have an architectural program or use (a college building). It was - dare I say... different because I did not come in with a megalomaniacal agenda to indulge my ego. I just wanted a parking space.
So anyway... during presentation... I was quite frustrated because I was surrounded by amazingly well rendered, iconic architecture... but then I took it with a grain of salt and just accepted it... in Architecture school... the professors never questioned the intent of the student to design the project... whatever it may be... an airport, a museum for dogs, a pile of dung for that matter... because it was just a fact... they never questioned intent... because professors probably look at students like little kids... "Give them something to play with..."
Thus thesis projects evolve to be exercises in aesthetics... as far as projects were concerned... everything is iconic... everything is grand... everything was an object building. This is the case now... from all the thesis projects I've see on multiply... no one tried to engage the city... no one tried to do something meaningful in terms of solving urban problems... it was status quo... look good=feel good.no one wanted to do a fabric building... (which incidentally... I did).
Ok... so hindi na ako magbubuhat ng sariling bangko... But now I realise... to not question intent is wrong itself. Unless students and architects learn that buildings are just part of the bigger picture - that of the city... we as architects will end up designing buildings that sit in the middle... iconic yes... but are anti-human... and anti-urban as well.
In a way... the thesis was my introduction into urbanism... except I didn't know what to call it back then. Now... I realise that we architects are both the culprits and the solution to the issues that plague Manila... we just need to reorient our education system to see things differently. We, at some point, have to overcome our preoccupation with form-making... and become problem solvers in the scale of the city. More than the wrapping of the building... we have to learn how to appreciate thoughts, strategies, and concepts to real pressing issues...
<ehem ehem> <end rant>
Enlightenment starts... with the search for a parking slot.
. But seriously... these things take quite a lot of time... and unless you'd want to end up smelling bad, looking bad and eating nothing but MSG-laden chinese food... you really have to get things done.The past semester has gone quite fast... I'm thoroughly enmeshed in work - 5 modules of work actually... including dissertation and an extra elective. I have to say that the academic experience has been extremely eye-opening. It has forced me to reassess how I see the practice of architecture and planning in the Philippine context and has made me realise just how badly behind we are from the perspective of thought, discourse and analysis. Notice... I mentioned defficiencies in thought process... not in talent, flair or style. (all of which I think we might have too much off... )
Past experiences has made me a lot more stoic about things I'm very idealistic about. I've learned to just take a lot of things as a fact of life and just as a course of normal business... especially in a small, subsistence economy like the Philippines... I'm better off biting my tongue and just focusing on the task at hand. But I digress... but let me talk about how I got into Urbanism and why I decided to take Urbanism.
When I was in 5th year Architecture, I underwent the same rite-of-passage like everyone else... the Thesis project. Among architecture students ... It is the perennial act of indulging your "designer" ego and finally getting to do forms and buildings you'll probably never be able to do. The usual theme for thesis projects included iconic high-rises, museums, performing arts centres, etc. So anyway... I really did not start from a fixed form or project programme - heck... in fact I didn't know exactly what I'll end up doing... What I was sure of however, was my intent to try solving a something innately close to my heart => parking in UST. Yes... wow pocs... kaganda naman ng thesis mo... parking building.
But then I realised... the lack of parking within UST was just a canary in the mine... it was an indicator of much bigger problems/issues that concerned both the campus and the city of Manila as well. So... to keep it short... I ended up doing a very aesthetically constricted building... because I had to stick to the aesthetic of UST... (which suppressed my pagkadesigner a great deal) and began to focus on the design of public spaces, open spaces and learning spaces... it became an exercise in identifying the problems of a site... and then recommending an urbanistic solution (a building) which also just so happened to have an architectural program or use (a college building). It was - dare I say... different because I did not come in with a megalomaniacal agenda to indulge my ego. I just wanted a parking space.
So anyway... during presentation... I was quite frustrated because I was surrounded by amazingly well rendered, iconic architecture... but then I took it with a grain of salt and just accepted it... in Architecture school... the professors never questioned the intent of the student to design the project... whatever it may be... an airport, a museum for dogs, a pile of dung for that matter... because it was just a fact... they never questioned intent... because professors probably look at students like little kids... "Give them something to play with..."
Thus thesis projects evolve to be exercises in aesthetics... as far as projects were concerned... everything is iconic... everything is grand... everything was an object building. This is the case now... from all the thesis projects I've see on multiply... no one tried to engage the city... no one tried to do something meaningful in terms of solving urban problems... it was status quo... look good=feel good.no one wanted to do a fabric building... (which incidentally... I did).
Ok... so hindi na ako magbubuhat ng sariling bangko... But now I realise... to not question intent is wrong itself. Unless students and architects learn that buildings are just part of the bigger picture - that of the city... we as architects will end up designing buildings that sit in the middle... iconic yes... but are anti-human... and anti-urban as well.
In a way... the thesis was my introduction into urbanism... except I didn't know what to call it back then. Now... I realise that we architects are both the culprits and the solution to the issues that plague Manila... we just need to reorient our education system to see things differently. We, at some point, have to overcome our preoccupation with form-making... and become problem solvers in the scale of the city. More than the wrapping of the building... we have to learn how to appreciate thoughts, strategies, and concepts to real pressing issues...
<ehem ehem> <end rant>
Enlightenment starts... with the search for a parking slot.
Monday, 18 February 2008
Saturday, 9 February 2008
What to learn from Super Bowl 42
Ah... so I finally have the time and words to write about last week's amazing upset. The 18 win, 0 loss New England Patriots were beaten 17-14 by the underdog New York Giants... what a game it was... the first 3 quarters were ho-hum... but the 4th quarter was heartstopping!
1. In the biggest stage, the biggest battle of your life... you got to play loose... you got to enjoy the moment! Patriots QB Tom Brady was as tense and stiff as he was on a first date... (haha... ok that didn't sound right... he is after all dating Giselle Bundchen), while the Giants offense and defense were getting it done by enjoying the game... playing the game, being loose... having fun!
2. DEFENSE wins championships... indeed the maxim holds true... a ton of offense won't do you good if you can't hold your fort. In life... as boring as it may sound... conservative and sensible plays win the game... the truth is... bold, pivotal moments are too few and far between... what we need to learn is to muster the energy to fight for the slow grind... for every inch.
3. Karma is a bitch... Yep... allegations against the Patriots were still flying around on Super Bowl Week about the videotaping scandal that happened on Week 1 of the regular season. Indeed... it cast a dark shadow over the Patriot's dynasty of 3 Superbowl wins. There's probably more controversy to come once new evidence surfaces against them during their match against St. Louis several years back.
4. Pedigree means something... got to admit... blood matters... first it was Archie Manning as marquee quarterback for the Saints, then its his son Peyton (who won last year's Superbowl/MVP) and then this year Eli Manning (the youngest of the brood) wins the Superbowl and MVP award in the most miraculous fashion... escaping 3 sacks and hitting David Tyree on a leaping catch... with Patriots safety Rodney Harrison battling him every inch of the way down for ball possession. That's pedigree. It runs in the blood!
5. In life, the pivots/junctions are the most important... The quarterback of the offense (in the NFL) is the most important position, because he makes the calls, adjustments and executes the pass plays... which is why... the New York Sack Exchange... headed by the chief broker... Michael Strahan, and his colleagues Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyora, et al. were vital in disrupting the flow of the game. In life... just as in biology and football... if you want to take something apart... start with the joints.
There's so much more to be said about the game... with all its storylines... prettyboy QB Tom Brady being humbled to the ground... Patriot headcoach Belichik running off at the 1 second mark... without finishing the game... 18 year veteran linebacker Junior Seau coming out of retirement only to lose in the big game again... the former pain-in-the-ass drill seargent/coach Tom Coughlin transforming to a fun, affable, team leader... all of which are very fertile ground for life lessons... who says sport isn't applicable to real life? Now back to real life for me
1. In the biggest stage, the biggest battle of your life... you got to play loose... you got to enjoy the moment! Patriots QB Tom Brady was as tense and stiff as he was on a first date... (haha... ok that didn't sound right... he is after all dating Giselle Bundchen), while the Giants offense and defense were getting it done by enjoying the game... playing the game, being loose... having fun!
2. DEFENSE wins championships... indeed the maxim holds true... a ton of offense won't do you good if you can't hold your fort. In life... as boring as it may sound... conservative and sensible plays win the game... the truth is... bold, pivotal moments are too few and far between... what we need to learn is to muster the energy to fight for the slow grind... for every inch.
3. Karma is a bitch... Yep... allegations against the Patriots were still flying around on Super Bowl Week about the videotaping scandal that happened on Week 1 of the regular season. Indeed... it cast a dark shadow over the Patriot's dynasty of 3 Superbowl wins. There's probably more controversy to come once new evidence surfaces against them during their match against St. Louis several years back.
4. Pedigree means something... got to admit... blood matters... first it was Archie Manning as marquee quarterback for the Saints, then its his son Peyton (who won last year's Superbowl/MVP) and then this year Eli Manning (the youngest of the brood) wins the Superbowl and MVP award in the most miraculous fashion... escaping 3 sacks and hitting David Tyree on a leaping catch... with Patriots safety Rodney Harrison battling him every inch of the way down for ball possession. That's pedigree. It runs in the blood!
5. In life, the pivots/junctions are the most important... The quarterback of the offense (in the NFL) is the most important position, because he makes the calls, adjustments and executes the pass plays... which is why... the New York Sack Exchange... headed by the chief broker... Michael Strahan, and his colleagues Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyora, et al. were vital in disrupting the flow of the game. In life... just as in biology and football... if you want to take something apart... start with the joints.
There's so much more to be said about the game... with all its storylines... prettyboy QB Tom Brady being humbled to the ground... Patriot headcoach Belichik running off at the 1 second mark... without finishing the game... 18 year veteran linebacker Junior Seau coming out of retirement only to lose in the big game again... the former pain-in-the-ass drill seargent/coach Tom Coughlin transforming to a fun, affable, team leader... all of which are very fertile ground for life lessons... who says sport isn't applicable to real life? Now back to real life for me
Thursday, 7 February 2008
Nothing new...
You go in prepared...
with the right mindset;
its nothing new
you've done this before
a few variations
here and there;
first as a wingman,
sometimes in a group,
eventually on your own;
you try to play it cool
try to be disconnected
unaffected even
its nothing new
you psyche yourself
run mental reps
try not to make
a fool of yourself
they run you through the intro
pleasantries exchanged
handshakes even?
smalltalk here and there
then you realise
the mark isnt there... yet
you dribble your play...
shuffle around
til the mark arrives
you get floored...
derailed even...
by sheer appearances?
by the intimidation
offered by the entourage
or just by the sheer rush
of seeing the mark
knowing... who
for the next
succeeding moments
will be intricately
listening
and picking you apart
beneath the casual
detached air;
your palms sweat
and your throat rasps
in a dried out gasp
you pace yourself
you pick your points
time it right...
not too soon;
else you look too eager...
not too late;
for she is fickle;
make your pitch
you flex
based on your reads;
improvise...
its nothing new...
it ends;
cast the line
make the pitch
sell it soft!
you get out
and walk back
feeling the cold
hard pavement
through the fading
soles of your shoes
a warmth runs
through your belly;
the scene lingers-
doubt eats
into your conscious;
nothing new...
it falls flat;
with the resonance
of a thud...
dead in the water
without a chance...
for it ended
before it started
its nothing new
but its never
ever the same.
each one both better
and worse than the last.
I'm sick of the game.
with the right mindset;
its nothing new
you've done this before
a few variations
here and there;
first as a wingman,
sometimes in a group,
eventually on your own;
you try to play it cool
try to be disconnected
unaffected even
its nothing new
you psyche yourself
run mental reps
try not to make
a fool of yourself
they run you through the intro
pleasantries exchanged
handshakes even?
smalltalk here and there
then you realise
the mark isnt there... yet
you dribble your play...
shuffle around
til the mark arrives
you get floored...
derailed even...
by sheer appearances?
by the intimidation
offered by the entourage
or just by the sheer rush
of seeing the mark
knowing... who
for the next
succeeding moments
will be intricately
listening
and picking you apart
beneath the casual
detached air;
your palms sweat
and your throat rasps
in a dried out gasp
you pace yourself
you pick your points
time it right...
not too soon;
else you look too eager...
not too late;
for she is fickle;
make your pitch
you flex
based on your reads;
improvise...
its nothing new...
it ends;
cast the line
make the pitch
sell it soft!
you get out
and walk back
feeling the cold
hard pavement
through the fading
soles of your shoes
a warmth runs
through your belly;
the scene lingers-
doubt eats
into your conscious;
nothing new...
it falls flat;
with the resonance
of a thud...
dead in the water
without a chance...
for it ended
before it started
its nothing new
but its never
ever the same.
each one both better
and worse than the last.
I'm sick of the game.
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
A tribute to Brother Felix Mason FSC
I just heard the news from Manila that our one and only beloved "pogiman" Bro. Felix has just passed away. If there is anything that would closely resemble a collective memory for each one of my contemporaries in DLSZ, he would have been it. He would call us down to his office whenever our birthday would come up, and he would give all of us a "stampita" of a specific saint or image with relevance to our birth month.
The beauty of this uniform gesture is... despite the fact that everyone gets called in, he always manages to keep each encounter specific, warm and genuine. Thats the kind of man Bro. Felix was. During my trips to his office, he would tell me about his time growing up in San Leandro, California and how he'd play pelota (a racquetsport like jai-alai) with his fellow wine-country lads. He was kind of like a happy version of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.
His presence was both public and personal... he was a steady outpost of warmth and sincerity in the midst of the socially-charged, cold, cliquish, conformist atmosphere that permeated high school.
In fact, truth be told, I probably wouldn't be able to receive the kind of quality education from zobel if not for him - because my mom appealed for leniency through him because at that time, they were strict on age requirements and residence requirements... i think it was a strong matter of policy wherein first priority would be given to residents of AAV... think of it as early affirmative action in a local context - it was just before my batch wherein they started to accept more and more village outsiders.
Anyway... to Bro. Felix - thank you for all the memories... we will miss you dearly... but we'll be happy knowing that you'll be up there in the great vineyard in the sky... enjoying the vino in between your epic pelota matches with your bigger family.
The beauty of this uniform gesture is... despite the fact that everyone gets called in, he always manages to keep each encounter specific, warm and genuine. Thats the kind of man Bro. Felix was. During my trips to his office, he would tell me about his time growing up in San Leandro, California and how he'd play pelota (a racquetsport like jai-alai) with his fellow wine-country lads. He was kind of like a happy version of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.
His presence was both public and personal... he was a steady outpost of warmth and sincerity in the midst of the socially-charged, cold, cliquish, conformist atmosphere that permeated high school.
In fact, truth be told, I probably wouldn't be able to receive the kind of quality education from zobel if not for him - because my mom appealed for leniency through him because at that time, they were strict on age requirements and residence requirements... i think it was a strong matter of policy wherein first priority would be given to residents of AAV... think of it as early affirmative action in a local context - it was just before my batch wherein they started to accept more and more village outsiders.
Anyway... to Bro. Felix - thank you for all the memories... we will miss you dearly... but we'll be happy knowing that you'll be up there in the great vineyard in the sky... enjoying the vino in between your epic pelota matches with your bigger family.
Friday, 11 January 2008
Times Plaza
Project Completion Photos - the building was finally topped off at 21 floors, after being suspended at 12 floors due to the financial crisis of 1997.
L.A.Poco Architects
Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts
Project Completion Photos - located at 3f Times Plaza, Taft cor UN Ave. Manila
Interior Architecture: L.A.Poco Architects
Interior Design/Furnishing: Far East Interiors
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