The Man from Brazil

Ever since I entered LVLP, I’ve learned to appreciate straight lines and juxtaposition of cubist forms as opposed to details and curvilinear shapes. Or at least more than details and curvilinear shapes. I just appreciate the simplicity and timelessness of the design, although I’m learning to appreciate the quirks of postmodern concepts, more specifically, the deconstructivist movement. Some of my decon loving officemates might berate me. (Am I using this term right? Hehe.) I just appreciate buildings I feel that 30 years from now, I would still find beautiful.

After last year’s deconstructivist Thom Mayne, the Pritzker Laureate Prize for 2006 goes to Paulo Mendes da Rocha, who hails from Brazil. (sidenote: what’s with Paulos and Brazil?) Now, it usually takes me quite a while to absorb the names of architects and their works, especially if the work seems nondescript in reality and just became famous because of the architect or the hype generated by the publicity. But in the course of studying for the board exams, I discovered about him. I scanned this guy’s portfolio and found myself appreciating his works. The works are similar to that of ‘tatay’s’ in terms of austerity – simple yet beautiful.



Paulistano Athletic Club


Brazilian Pavilion


Forma Store

*pics are from http://www.landliving.com/articles/0000001025.aspx

Today's the last day of the review class. Yesterday was our last day in speed drafting. Anyway, about yesterday, we had an exam, a problem regarding a fastcraft terminal. In a way, the exam capped our 'graduation' (as we called our last day), with all of us, except for AK, dressed in white shirts. According to AK, sya daw yung valedictorian kaya nakagreen shirt sya. Hehe. Wala lang, trip.=) Make something special out of a seemingly mundane end. Anyway, I quite feel that in a way, no matter how hard I complain about how speed drafting has taken up precious study time, it was worth it, since I feel that I've picked up speed and get over my initial frustrations about drafting.

So fast forward to today. I went to the office and picked up our logbooks. Sir Ed already signed them, but I had several loose pieces of documents checked just in case it would be asked of us. Well, I kind of missed the office. I missed the titas and our officemates. And of course, the actual environment -- the office looked a bit different today. I just discovered they finally got around to replacing the dilapidated gypsum board panels. So yun, the place looked a whole lot brighter and more...officelike. Hehe. I mentioned the change to Sir Ed, and he kidded me the reason why that was possible was because there were so many of us who went on leave without pay, hehe.

We had tropical class for our last session. Hmm...we didn't really tackle that much info, just the basics. What I liked was the prof. (yihee - of course, you're still the best hon.=) ) Seriously, I wish we had more teachers like our teacher in trop. He was also the one who taught us hospital design, and in a span of three hours, parang...woah. Galing. All of us agree that he taught well.

Ayun. So that was that. Another day of drinking and breathing architecture. In a way, I can't help but think that even though I couldn't wait for review classes to end, I am kind of sad that classes in CDEP already ended. Hehe, medyo uneventful kse yung last day ng class sa kabilang review class....wait, I didn't even attend the last day. Anyway, you'll learn to like something you've been attending straight for 5 days a week for the last three weeks. I bonded with college friends whom I wasn't really that close to in college, tus I even met some funny people along the way. One of them even turned out to be a 4th degree nephew, hehe. (At least according to the family tree he showed me.)

Ayun ulit. 47 days to go before the exams. *Sigh*

The 4th of May

You might wonder why the title's like that. Wala lang, it's my best bud Armie's birthday. I miss her.;; I have to admit that I had a lot of things on my mind other than her birthday, but I guess... the ties that bind are there. There are things you just don't forget. And a close friend's birthday is one of them, particularly when her birthday is one of the must remember dates in my little social calendar more than a decade ago.
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Anyway, I just have to give myself a break from being all that paranoid over studying for the exams, relationships, career, national affairs, future eck. And I need to digest dinner. I want to watch a movie! When would Da Vinci Code be shown?
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Actually, I just want to vegetate (?) in front of the PC. I miss carefree summer days. I'm on break, yet I'm not exactly dozing on a lazy summer afternoon. It's more of me, a black bag that my mother uses for her trips to the wet market, and my trusty pair of P199 humongous sunglasses braving out in the sun. Well, just imagine me sweating it out every afternoon in going to review class and speed drafting class. And you can imagine how tired I am. Every end of the class, I just indulge in staring off into blank space - try it, so soothing.
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Anyway, I guess that's a paragraph of nonsensical writing. Must get back to studying about Feng Shui. Tata!