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!
good for you...sometimes, i bet sobrang sarap ng feeling ng ganyan...doing what you really want and f*ck everything else.
ReplyDeleteindeed... its both a luxury/risk at the same time...
ReplyDeleteNice move. Goodluck. (PR na pero babalik sa pinas? :)
ReplyDeletejust wondering, saan office ka sa singapore dati?
An good architect like you must go home to the Philippines and practice and teach, in the name of the many Filipino Architects who are left with no choice but to sell their ideas for a cheap price of basic salary just so to help in the striving family. It's always a brave decision to go home and practice...so snaps for you! tsk tsk hehe gudlak man!
ReplyDeletesaludo ako sa 'yo. panahon na para sa bansa natin ibahagi mga talento natin.
ReplyDeleteGod bless sa plans mo, lean! :) at least, PR ka na!!! wuhoo!!! congrats! (ayaw ko pa, hehe:p)
ReplyDeleteHi Poco! Are you really going home? I think that´s great. Im here, working for some guy called Fos***r -- as nice as it sounds, its still Just a JOB, and its slaving for someone else.... just one of the people pushing the mouse, 80 hour workweeks... and more weekends. Sometimes I ask myself after a long hard day... is this really what I want? I salute you for deciding to go home and work for yourself... I think that takes a lot of balls and a true strength of will... ! Hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that Poco!... Been there, done that... Now the question is... can I make it back here in the Philippines as a practicing green architect? You are correct sir!... looking at the big picture. You seem to be in the right track... All the best!!!
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing I thoroughly enjoyed about my vacation, it'd be meeting you guys and knowing that there are still Pinoys overseas who keep dear ol' Mother Nation in mind, kahit relatively mas comfortable ang buhay abroad (aka, better pay, *kerching!*). I do hope na mauwi mo one day lahat ng mga natututunan mo diyan...pero in so "urban designing" Manila, I hope you won't sweep its population away to the outskirts *justlikethat* (the uhh, Tatang way).
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
:) pre... masasagot kita pagkatapos ng 7 november. haha... j/k... pm nalang kita
ReplyDeletePero... steph naman... mabangis si Lord Norman Fos***r! :D hehehe ... pero sa totoo lang... mahirap talaga... lalo kung bugbog na katawan mo lagi.
ReplyDeleteLahat naman tayo dumadaan sa zoom-pan-zoom-pan-spacebar periods dahil sa sobrang pagkaslave.
Anyway... as a postscript to all the relevant comments... Hindi pa ako uuwi... technically... but I'll be working on a few things via the internet. Hopefully it can be done that way. Pero I do have every intention of going back.
In a way... its kinda like securing the back-up plan; while working on the dream objective. Hedge your bets ika nga. ;)
huhuhuhu Ivy... plugged in na ko sa matrix... kinakaltasan na din ako ng CPF. hehehe... :D lufeht talaga ni tatang no?
ReplyDeleteHey Tricia :) in fairness... hind mawawala sa Pinoy ang pagmamahal sa *inang bayan :D hehe... sa totoo lang... nakakatakot din ang pagiging kumportable... dahil gigising ka nalang at hindi mo namalayan na ang tagal mo nang wala sa Pinas at nagpakasasa sa sarap ng buhay sa labas ng bansa. But ask any Pinoy abroad... and we all yearn for the chance to make it work back home... yun nga yung grand irony ng lahat... a lot of us find out what it truly means to be Pinoy by being out of the country.
ReplyDeleteCheers! and Tatang rocks! :D (in a... no choice... sige na nga tone) hehehe
Why not set-up a BPO in the Philippines specializing in designs? At least you get to do your thing without a boss and without leaving your family?
ReplyDeleteGood on you, Mr. Poco. Not everybody has the courage to say to themselves that they've had enough of one thing and would rather be doing something else. You are fortunate to be young and at the same time know what you really want to do. I sense a bit of uncertainty in your words, but that's ok. When I passed the board exam, the irony that hit me was the realization that I can do anything, even something not related to architecture! But I was SURE that i did not want to end up like some architects who became professors, and then STOPPED being architects, if you know what I mean. Nagiintrigahan dahil sa semestral load and tenureship, and forgetting that they should be architects first, professors second.
ReplyDeleteAs you grow older, you will realize that there needs to be a balance. If you saw the movie the Great Debaters, you may be familiar with the line "Do what you HAVE to do so that you can do what you WANT to do." So okay lang mag zoom-pan-zoom-spacebar-esc, if it lets you do other things, things that you really want to do.
Good luck on your future endeavours.