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!

DLSZ Chapel Progress Photos :D

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

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...

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!

Progress Photos of the DLSZ Our Lady of the Star Chapel

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