Out Of The Abyss...

Phew! Ha ha, yeah, I managed to write today. How so? Well, it's the Eid ul-Fitr holidays here in Kuwait, and so that has given me some respite from my summer internship. It's been keeping me real busy, working from the early morning until the afternoon. Time has slowed now as well since the latest bowling tournament has ended. Would you believe that I started competing in it within the last 4 days? Yep, well, I made up mind so late. In the end I didn't qualify, missed the cut by a mere 8 pins ><! Still, it was good fun. Now bowling is more mellow, and I'm only playing once a week in a team league, which is a great pace, allowing me to get back to all the little things I like to do.

I go back to my internship for one more week on Sunday (Friday and Saturday are the weekend in Kuwait). Then, on the 14th I'm off back to uni in Cyprus. Time has flown, and I must admit, that keeping so freakishly busy, and fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan has helped it along.

Okay, so I wanted to let you in on one of the best pieces of advice I think I've ever received.

"Start your own library, and never stop adding to it. Whenever you're traveling and you come across a book that piques your interest, buy it, and add it to your collection."

 Now, this advice, as "obvious" as it may be, had an immediate profound effect upon me. I'd been battling laziness and excuses concerning reading. I had stopped reading books! The horror! But this was the answer. So I went out and bought my first addition to my personal library (and consequently, I've added a library room to my imaginary house):

Architecture in the 20th century by Peter Gossel and Gabriele Leuthauser.

A great informative and referential set of books.

The books come as a set in two volumes. So far, I've managed to almost finish the first one, and it's been quite satisfying, reading from actual physical paper. As per usual, I got lost once again in my head, this time, daydreaming about my library. I wondered what my bookshelves would look like, what furniture would garnish the room, and how many levels my library would have. Studying to be an architect most definitely provokes me to salivate over an opportunity to design such a room. Perhaps in the near future ;].

Speaking of books. I'm also reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I'm not sure how many of you recognize the name, but it most certainly is a famous one within the literary as well spiritual world. I admit it does look like one of those self-help books, and well, it is. But, I'd recommend this one. I've so far gone 1/3 and it's effect is amazing! From my understanding, it speaks of a much needed inner-peace, and one that is very much achievable. It seems to me that tolerance and patience is the most I'll gain from not just reading but fully understanding and incorporating what the book is talking about.

Overcome that stereotype that shadows the self-help book, and pick this one up.

 The basic premise is that it tries to explain to you the source of all dysfunction in our lives: Ego. And it explains it well. Already, through testing its application in my life, it has given me results. I exhibit an inner patience I never knew existed. You wouldn't go wrong by picking this one up.

 I've also drawn one more friend of mine. Here is his portrait. His photos provided me with an opportunity to do one that was slightly different. The angle here was a nice change.

 What I liked most was the way the glasses switched from black to white across his face. Not quite complete yet altogether there.

Importantly though, is a thought that's been running through my head concerning my blog. I realized, quite a while back now, that my blog has no distinctive topic. Rather, it's a hodgepodge of the various things I get up to, but with no real system. So I've decided, that very soon, I'll be splitting it all up into different blogs. I'm not going to start all of them right away, but rather I think I'll just make sure I compartmentalize the topics and provide a bit of focus. Perhaps that will also let me blog more regularly. Here's hoping ;].

Read more »

Lazy days are Hazey days

Luke here.

Yes, that's right. I haven't disappeared, kicked the bucket, or if you're into the last Harry Potter movie as of late, disapparated. Yes, that's right, I'm still here and you're most assuredly stuck with me (erm, unless you stop following my blog, and never come back......please don't do that).

Why haven't I written in so long? Unless the title hasn't already given it away, it has mostly been because I'm lazy. Utterly and unabashedly lazy. I'm back in Kuwait for the summer, and I'm juggling bowling, my internship and lots and lots (and I mean LOTS!!) of sleep.

That smile? He err....he's on Prozac.

I got back into bowling after taking a year-long break. I didn't think I was going to play again, at least not this soon, and at first I almost didn't. But I was convinced to play and after a short practice session, and I do mean short, I tried my luck in a tournament. In Kuwait, bowling is big enough to warrant monthly tournaments. I made the cut into the semis and after 9 games therein, I played an average of 187 and jumped the cut into the step-ladder round. Not bad me thinks for being out of the game for that long. But don't be impressed too soon! I choked in the step-ladder and played a 147, losing to a 191 game. Kudos to the winner. Still, finished 7th out of 40 and I pocketed some cash and went home a happy man ;].

Unfortunately, not the kind of bowling I was talking about.

So now that Ramadan is fast approaching, the traditional Ramadan bowling tournament is already underway, and I've zeroed in on it (I just read Chris Ryan's "The One That Got Away", so I'm into Spec. Ops lingo xP). I'm drooling (no, not literally!) over the prospect of competing in this one ;].

Elsewhere? Yes, elsewhere. I'm doing my internship this summer, a requirement to graduate from my university. And thus far, I've been enjoying it. It's a small office primarily focused on designing villas. After reproducing a set of plans, I was tasked to redesign and propose an altered interior plan of a villa, where the clients requested the installation of a panoramic lift. Yes, you have read right. A panoramic lift. Quite a novelty, but it certainly made life a little hard for us architects (and intern).

This...in your living room...any thoughts?

So anyway, that required us to redraw the plans and redesign the en suites. It was quickly solved and the clients agreed with the new plans. Mission accomplished. So now, I've been asked to come up with a proposal for a cinema complex to be built on a large lot. It's quite a departure from villas but it follows closely behind what we do at uni. I've already got some random ideas popping up in my head and a few abstract sketches down. So it'll be fun ^^.

I know, it looks like scribble to anyone other than me xP.

 Okay, okay, I'm not going to write everything I'm doing all in one post. I'll save it so I can post in tid-bits and keep my blog a little more regular. But I'll finish up with a portrait I did, one of many I intend to do =]. Enjoy.

Likey?

Read more »

Remembrance and Rumination

The summer has started, and I've got a lot to organize. But I thought I'd resume the blog with these:

 

Never be afraid to jump off the edge...No Regrets. Just Love. :)

 

 An eternal truth...thankfully, most of us learn this sometime or another. That youthful obsession with what's hot and what's not takes a backseat to what's really important. The meaningful acceptance and growth of real love. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder...and that's why, everyone is beautiful. :)

An ode to a beautiful girl, and a beautiful person. I hope you have a great summer too Nutcha. :)

Read more »

Ignorance is bliss

Ok, I have a legitimate and good reason for not blogging for a while. I've been up to my neck with coursework and exams. I'm done with my design jury and now I'm wrapping up the finals, and consequently, my 3rd year in university.

Today I'll be writing about music choice, specifically while studying. I'll admit that my choice is quite narrow, even when I'm in a fickle mood. I'll rotate around soft rock, punk rock and alternative music. On the rare occasion, I'll switch to a bit of house, techno and some harder rock. I've never been good at picking up on lyrics from songs. Unless I concentrate on what is being said (sung), the words are lost upon me. Music seems to play in the background of my mind, which explains why I'm horrible at singing along to songs. It seems the ramble in my head won't be replaced by anything XP. The benefit to this, is that I can study and read while listening to music. Right now, I'm treating my ears to a Turkish song. Its slow and beautifully paced melody is heavenly. It's akin to listening to any other song to me, but even when I'm concentrating here, it's still lost on me, because I don't know Turkish. When I listen to the song, I imagine a message of a pledge of unending love. I'll admit, I'm helped along by the music video, which involves an old couple. It's so calming, I can only sit and remove myself from worry. Here, ignorance really is bliss. Unless, knowing what he is singing about makes it that much more appealing and meaningful (which it probably does).


So I suggest you give the song a try. Don't worry too much about what he is actually saying, but try letting your imagination fill in for him. It works wonderfully for me. In a word; Tranquility.

Read more »

It's a Material World...

The centre of attention; Kengo Kuma.

A lot of people braved the hot, claustrophobic environment provided by the people jam-packed into the EMU Activity Centre Theatre Room this morning. It's not surprising, since people of our guest's caliber don't pop round often. As such, students, instructors and other guests had the pleasure of listening to featured guest, Kengo Kuma (Tekken anyone?). Born in 1954 in Kanagawa, Japan, he acquired his Batchelor's in Architecture from the University of Tokyo in 1979, and has since made a notable name for himself around the world. The stage was set with a white furry rug, a tasteful, glass coffee table endowed with a wonderful wreath of flowers, complimented by a cream armchair; Mr. Kuma's "Seat of Power" if you will (one of great comfort I'm sure, I had to stand the entire time >_<).

Muahahaha, I own the creamy throne!!!

As he took the stage he radiated a quiet sophistication, one that naturally originates from someone of experience. Before he started, to my delight, everyone stood up in silence for a minute to respect the afflicted Japanese victims of the recent colossal earthquake. Clad in black and cream attire, his voice rang throughout the auditorium and exuded a humble wisdom. He seemed an amiable sort of person, and very gently began to express his ideas and perspectives concerning his works. As he took us on a tour of his efforts in architecture....my feet got sore and my legs got tired...I was standing for quite a while you see.

Trust me, they were all sleeping not long after this picture....zzzzZZZ

He mentioned a number of his projects, which I'll refrain from naming, you'll have to Google search them :P. His ideology behind his architecture seemed to exhibit a desire to revive a respect towards tradition and to express them in a 21st century interpretation. If his works weren't evident enough, his discourse reverberated with his tried-and-true and preferred process of Material ----> Form ----> Planning, as opposed to the conventional Planning ----> Form ----> Material. He displays a fond adoration of materials as expression. " Materials is necessary for unique buildings, don't forget the diversity and variety of them.", he purported.

Glass/Water

 

Great Wall (Bamboo) House

 A very short Q&A session followed his oration:

Instructor: "I would like to hear your opinions and views about working within an urban context."

Mr. Kuma: "Working within urban contexts always provides a lot of restraints, depending upon the country you're working in, which is why I prefer working outside of the city major. But I'd have to say that compromise has to be made, and two things need to be achieved; safety and human space."

 Student: "Please tell us how you develop your ideas and progress them. What lines of thinking do you employ?"

Mr. Kuma: "I prefer not to use drawings, though they are a necessary part of the process, but I like to work with models rather than images. The real feeling you get from working with them, even small ones are always better than images. And at a certain point, a reality check through these models is made rather than getting caught up with images and drawings."

Student: "Sir, please tell us how the knowledge and experience gained as a student affected or influenced you once you made the transition to a professional atmosphere. How much growth did you experience once you became a professional, was there a marked difference?"

Mr. Kuma: "Err...I was not a good student [Laughs]! I didn't study practically in class so much, and I didn't study details too much. I liked to travel, to see real buildings. I was always with friends looking at real buildings. And we would have...err...fights about them [Laughs]. These fights are important, and an important experience."

That marked the end, and he was gifted a few tokens of appreciation and applause before he quietly made his way off the stage and out of the auditorium. I quickly escaped my cramped spot against the side wall, and managed to reward my deprived lungs with fresh air. All in all I enjoyed the showing, and learned a few things. I do hope that we manage to bring more guests like that of Kengo Kuma to tell us of their views and experiences regarding a career I'm stuck with, I mean that I most assuredly enjoy (hehe, mum and dad). Besides, more guests can only be healthy for my blog ;P.

Read more »

Inspiration and Perspiration.

I'm not sure what your reasons are for reading my blog, (unless you're one of the many who I've systematically coerced into becoming my followers) but chances are that you're bored. We've all been there. Small amounts are harmless but large doses are fatal (well...not really). I remember a long time ago (in a galaxy far away) where I became extremely bored. Time seems to slow down to a snail's pace and you go quite insane! Consequently, I quickly learned how to circumvent those episodes. And I discovered that there are many ways to do so. The best way outside of hanging out with your buddies, or subjecting yourself to the various kinds of entertainment media out there, is by adopting a hobby. What's mine you may ask? Mine is art.

Art? That's not saying much now is it? Well, that's the beauty of it. Art is so liberal. It can exist in many forms and expressions. Expression is an integral part of art. Boredom is a state of mind that can be expressed. I keep myself busy now exploring any kind of art I discover. Soon you'll find that, once it becomes a habitual hobby (art being new each time it's approached), it no longer exists to stem boredom. It becomes a part of who you are. It can quite literally become the key to a door you never knew existed, opening up so many opportunities. We're the lucky ones as well, reading this you're already using the best medium to find one.

Now I always look for new ways to express myself. A part of that is looking for the inspiration to motivate my creative juices, and produce my next masterpiece (I live in a small world....my world...I'm the master in it...). To express how much I love my girlfriend, I decided to make a tribute for her; a drawing of her face, but not with my usual pencil and pad. How did I find the medium this time? I simply looked down at my desk, and found these:

Anything can be used for art ^^

There's freedom in expression.

I got one of her photos, used some software to help break the image down and then I got to work. I toiled for 6 hours to make what is now a piece of art on my wall, right above my desk. Now, I can look her image anytime I want, especially when studying and work has got me all stressed out. She calms me down, puts a smile on my face, and I get right back to work. Mind you though, I'm still searching for more ways to do my hobby :)

My baby ~ Nutcharee

So, I hope I've motivated you to kick boredom in the nuts. What you do doesn't have to be art, if you feel you aren't creative (which will be a topic featured in my blog in the future), there are plenty of things to do out there to keep you preoccupied. Good luck!!!

Read more »

This is FOOTBALL!!!

Which one of us could have known? To a certain extent, I did expect this, but I can say that I wasn't prepared for the thrashing we received last night. Unfortunately for us, we had to play a knock-out round to qualify for the round robin style group stage. We were soundly trounced. This is not to say that the lads didn't perform, in fact I laud the efforts of each member of Blue Shell.

Our match was scheduled for 10 PM, and in true football fashion, we played in wet conditions. Running out onto the pitch, I could feel the cold air challenge my muscles. Blue Shell had quite a following there last night, and as much as we competed for the ball and for goals on the pitch, our supporters vied for aural supremacy with those of our opponents' supporters off of it. But we were, without a doubt, outclassed. They were harder, better, faster and stronger. We lost 6 - 0, with barely a look-in towards their goal. All in all though, we had good fun, and it was nice to find out just where we stood within the bigger picture of football within the university.

The wet weather has continued into today as the sky is splashed with slate-grey clouds and the ground outside is damp but in the distance, sunlight perforates through. The scene looks heavenly. It's funny though, since I never used to like the rain. I used to hate how I could never go out. At how I could not see my friends. I didn't like to get my socks and shoes wet. The cuffs of my jeans dirty. I hated all of it. But now, the gloom brings along with it such a sense of romanticism. Images of cups of hot chocolate come to mind, staying in with my better half, who incidentally is half-way across the world. But being on my own right now is also okay, the mood inspires introspection and reflection, and more than that, appreciation. One need only stare out his window into the beauty beyond. Yeah, I know, it sounds so corny, but it's true...and, it works.

Read more »