Some thoughts about creating a home… sometimes it is easy to be seduced by the physicality of building, but that ironically steers us away from creating architecture
culture without cultural burden
I was very flattered when Yukino approached me to design the new Simply Native Japan (SNJ) store. As a company promoting traditional Japanese artisans and crafts, SNJ brought to Sydney many hidden treasures which stood the test of time, providing a glimpse into the depth of the Japanese culture- and for such a company to approach a Taiwan-born, Australia-trained architect, to me signified a shared universal appreciation of design sensuality without cultural preconceptions. For that I remain deeply grateful.
There are 3 essential parties for a successful project delivery: client, designer, and builder. Here I had a trusting client, so what was my job as the designer? I believe that Architecture is a way of life- the physicality of design is to, and only to, support the non-physical way of the individual lives I design for - be it commercial, residential, or public project.
For SNJ, my design needed to support the value of the company. A value which questions fast consumerism, promotes appreciation of details, and celebrates characters of individual artisans. An appropriate context was necessary to bring out the essence of this value. I took hints from traditional Japanese country houses (“kominka”) and structured spaces of various proportions into the large western heritage volume of the premises. Every action in the shop - looking up the tall display wall, taking shoes off to step up into the cosy tearoom, moving the delicate screens to explore spaces - brings people one step closer to where the products came from, subtly instilling a deeper understanding and connection with the objects on display, building a sense of intimacy between people and the objects; in an abstract way, these actions also slows down the perception of time in the shop.
The relationship with the builder has been a highly collaborative and satisfying one. Haiyan and his team have brought expertise and flexibility, and most importantly, a spirit of “wanting to do better” to the build. We established a common vision from the beginning of the project, which enabled easy communication throughout the process. Like all constructions, this process was not without its unique challenges, but we were able to overcome together to arrive at a good result.
Similar to the community SNJ has created over the years, I feel this project has definitely been a team effort from the three parties. I am proud to say that SNJ is a place for people to take a break for a minute from their busy lives, to “smell the roses and enjoy the view” on their different life journeys. I hope you enjoy coming to the SNJ shop, as much as I loved working on this project.
Markings
有時候我喜歡簡單快速的繪畫。有限的時間讓我必須鄭重選擇要在畫紙上留下什麼印記。我們的一生也只有有限的時間；更是絕對必須鄭重選擇要在我們身後留下什麼印記。
Sometimes I like the simple quick drawings. The limited time really makes me selective of what to put on paper. We have limited time in our lives too; need to be selective on what marks to leave behind for sure.
5 minute life drawing in Artline and ink
No theory
德賴斯.范諾頓：「我想表達的是真實，而不是某種理論。」
我聽到你說的話了，德賴斯，我真真切切的聽到了。對我而言，建築是生命的方式 - 而我們只能活這麼一次，就是現在。在未來如果有任何人想理論化任何事都是超出我的控制範圍了；我唯一僅有的任務就是有一致性並全心全力的生活著，然後相應的持續創作。
Dries van Noten: “I want to show reality, not some kind of theory.”
I hear you, Dries, I really do. Architecture to me is the way of life - and we only live once, like, right now. How ever anyone may want to theorize in the future is out of my hands; my only mission is to live congruently and whole-heartedly, and to create accordingly.
Beginner’s surfology 3
人生如潮汐。我們來這一遭不是為了改變它，而是為了跟隨它。
所以我才希望能更好的衝浪。
Life is like the wave. We are not here to change it, but to follow it.
That’s why I want to get better at surfing.
Who’s the boss?
任何事物在我們的人生中都有其合適的地位。
Everything has its own place in our lives.
Forget profession
Joan Gardy-Artigas 說：
“一個人的職業並不是最重要的；這個人的特性，精神，及創作才是重要的地方。其職業必須廣為人知且被尊重，但是它也必須適時的被遺忘因為它限制了自由。
而這個自由將引領通往藝術的道路。”
Joan Gardy-Artigas :
“Profession isn’t the most important thing; One’s identity, spirit, and creations are what matters. The profession must be known and respected, but it also must be forgotten because it restricts freedom.
And this freedom leads to art.”
- NOWNESS movie “El Raco” by Marc Puig
我一直在問我自己，我們究竟是為什麼而創作呢？我想是為了經由我們的創作來傳達我們的信仰及我們的價值觀吧 - 至少現在我是這麼認為的（我也知道這個答案將會隨著時間慢慢演化）。我們的職業是我們選擇來創作的一個媒介，而這個選擇從來就不應該是單一排他的；只要我們的創作繼續維持它的真誠。
I have been asking myself, why do we create? I think it is to convey our beliefs, our values, through our creations - at this moment anyway (and I know the answer will evolve over time). Our profession is a medium in which we choose to create, and that choice is never meant to be exclusive, as long as our creations remain honest.
better
「創作」是創作者的鏡面反射。身為創作者，不要刻意去創作與眾不同的作品 - 因為每一個人都是獨一無二的；如果焦點是在於誠實的反映自我，那麼創作出來的作品自然而然的會成為與眾不同的。
而且，如果想要創作出更好的作品，很簡單的，我們創作者則必須要成為更好的自我。
“Creation” is a reflection of the creator’s true self. As a creator, don’t try to make something different - because every single person is unique; If the focus was about truly reflecting the self, then the creation would naturally be different as the result.
And, to create better creations, we creators simply have to become better selves.
Plant lessons 3
我養了一株漂亮的 「希望」蔓綠絨 有一陣子了。
I have this beautiful plant for a while now. It is a Philodandron “Hope”.
最近在我早晨的例行散步時，我開始在各種地方注意到它的存在 - 公園，行人步道，想得到的地方幾乎都有。 它應該在那些地方生長了數十載了吧？只不過我不知道罷了。
Recently, during my morning walks I have started to notice it everywhere - parks, sidewalks, you name it. It would have been growing in those locations for decades, I just didn’t know.
直到自己擁有一個 希望，才能夠認出 希望 的形狀；然後你會發現，只要你願意留意四周，希望 無處不在。（我就是要語出雙關）
It takes owning one Hope to recognize the shape of Hope; and you will realize that Hope is everywhere if you are willing to look. Pun intended.
My “Hope”
“Hope” can be found everywhere
In the far horizon
今天早上在外出辦事時我剛好碰上了Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic 衝浪大賽決賽。
When running some errands this morning I chanced upon the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic Surfing Competition Final.
我一開始充滿了好奇並想瞄一眼，但是人潮車潮把我推向了海灘的大老遠處，以致我僅僅能約莫看到海浪間漂浮著的幾個黑點與海灘上擁簇著的更多的黑點們。
I was initially curious and wanted to steal a peek, but with the crowd and traffic I ended up so far down the beach, that I could barely see a few dots floating amongst the waves and many more dots densely scattered on the beach.
於是我駐足眺望著海灘；海灘的遠處，有一些黑點在爭執著誰在海浪上旋轉的更好些，雖然他們居然能夠乘著浪的一個事實其實就已經足夠精彩了。
So I stood and gazed at the beach; far down the beach, some dots are fighting over who spins better on the wave when the mere fact of them wave riding is already amazing.
我可以確信，當我們建築師們為了一個局部細節掙扎時，對於非建築師們來說我們也可以看起來像一堆黑點不知道在爭執著什麼。而我們也會忘卻，我們居然能夠為人們生活行為的方方面面提供物理空間的一個事實，其實就已經足夠精彩了。
I am sure when us architects struggle with a corner detail, to non- architects we also look like a bunch of dots fighting for something. And we can forget the mere fact of us providing physical form to various aspects of people’s lives, is already amazing.
就一下下，我只想簡單的眺望海灘而退出作為黑點們的一員。就這麼一下下。
For a little while, I simply want to gaze at the beach and quit being a dot. For a little while.
Plant lessons 2
我今天去一個私人賣家那裡拿回了這株美麗的虎尾蘭。
我：「在照料虎尾蘭上有沒有什麼特別需要注意的地方？」
賣家：「沒有耶⋯ 我其實不怎麼為它做什麼，甚至不太給它澆水⋯ 它也這樣不痛不癢的活得好好的⋯」
我：「嗯，它就是這樣的全盤接受欸？」
賣家：「⋯它就是這樣的熱愛生命吧。」
是的，要向虎尾蘭看齊。
I went to pick up this beautiful sansevieria from a private seller today.
Me: “is there anything I need to watch out for in its care?”
Seller: “not really... I don’t really do much for it, hardly gave it water... and it’s doing just fine..”
Me: “just takes it all in hey?”
Seller: “...it just loves life.”
Yes, Be Like Sansevieria.
Somewhere over the rainbow
在電影「Judy」裡，扮演 朱迪.嘉蘭 的 芮妮.齊維格 說道：
As Judy Garland, Renee Zellweger said in the movie “Judy”:
... 這並不是一首關於到達任何目的地的歌。 它是關於⋯ 向著一個 你曾經夢想的地方 漫步前進的歌。或許，或許這樣的漫步代表著你的每一天。而這樣的漫步本身就必須要是足夠的了。它是一首關於 希望 的歌，而我們所有人都需要 希望。
... it isn’t a song about getting anywhere. It’s about... walking towards somewhere, that you’ve dreamed of. Maybe, maybe the walk is everyday of your life. And the walking has to be enough. It’s about hope, and we all need that.
希望，就是相信著在我們面前的未知裡，隱藏著等待被我們發現的 美麗。
Hope, is to believe that beauty lies in the unknown ahead of us, awaiting discovery.
Not about winning but about believing
「要是放棄的話，比賽就等於結束了喔⋯⋯？」安西教練在漫畫 灌籃高手 中如是說。
畢竟，只有真誠相信自己會贏的人，才有機會可以最後贏得比賽。
“When you give up, that’s when the game is over for you......?” Said Coach Ansai in manga Slam Dunk.
After all, only the ones sincerely believe in becoming the winner, would have the chance to finally win the game at last.
(C) Takehiko Inoue Slam Dunk
Importance of being an outsider
亞歷杭德羅·阿拉维纳: 「設計行為即是在既有中做出選擇」
Alejandro Aravena: “to design is to prefer”
這是多麼令人有共鳴的訪談啊！我多年的思想彷彿在他的話語中組織成形。
What a resonating interview! All my thoughts over the years seem to have been organized in his words.
能夠聽到與自己相同想法的另一個人說話是這麼難忘而感動的經歷啊。
To hear another person with the same thinking is such an unforgettably moving experience.
Remember to think this way
幾個月前當坐在骨外科醫生診療室外等待時，同樣也在等著的一個女孩好奇的問我：
「你是為什麼來看骨外科的啊？」
「我騎腳踏車時被一台小卡車撞到，他將我撞倒在地，從我身上碾過，後又倒車再次碾過⋯他這樣重複了3次⋯然後當他終於停下來時他居然將小卡車停止在我的腳踝上⋯所以我來看骨外科。」
Few months back while waiting outside the Orthopaedic surgeon’s room, another girl also waiting asked me :
“So why are you here to see the surgeon?”
“I was hit by an ute on my bicycle, he knocked me over, drove over me, then he back the ute over me... and he repeated it 3 times... and when he finally stopped he stopped the ute right on my ankle... so I’m here to see the surgeon.”
在我解釋的過程中，女孩的眼裡逐漸被恐懼充滿，她用手蓋著自己的嘴驚呼道：
「妳一定是一個好人，才可以這樣劫後餘生！」
Through my explanation the girl’s eyes were gradually filled with horror, she covered her mouth and gasped:
“You must be a good person to have survived that!”
⋯那倒是我從來沒有過的一個想法。自從年初的車禍以來，我不停的質疑自己，為什麼這樣的事情要發生在我身上？我是做了什麼壞事才受到這樣的懲罰嗎？畢竟肇事司機的行為屬於過失殺人，只不過他沒有成功的拿走我的生命。女孩說的話讓我恢復了一些正能量。
... that was a thought I never had. After the accident at beginning of the year, I constantly questioned why it happened to me? Have I done something bad that I deserved such punishment? After all what the driver did was manslaughter, except he failed to take my life. What the girl said restored some positivity in me.
在我進去骨外科醫生診療室時，女孩說：
「祝妳好運！要繼續做妳在做的好事喔！」
⋯是的。繼續前進，繼續相信。
Before I head into the surgeon’s room, she said :
“Good luck! And keep doing whatever good you did!”
... Yes. Keep going, keep believing
Sin of Uninteresting life?
阿蘭.巴迪歐：”當有些事情不易達成時，如果我們允許自己接受將它放棄的念頭⋯我們將允許自己接受一個無趣的人生。”
Alain Badiou: “If we settle on the idea that as soon as something is hard, we have to give it up... we will settle for an uninteresting life.”
- NOWNESS movie “LoveSick: The Question of Love” by William Williamson
我想問的是，所謂無趣的人生是怎麼定義的？是什麼人的立場來決定的？
My question is, how is the so-called uninteresting life defined? And from whose point of view?
Change our past
未來是正在被製造中的過去。
要改變我們未來的過去，唯一方法是盡量在現在活得完整。
Future is Past in the making.
To change our past in the future, the only way is to live to our fullest now.
Plant lessons
在植栽店的店員要把一小片多肉植物的破片丟到垃圾桶裡時，我把它拾起，帶回家後隨意插到一些土壤裡。
一週後，它開花了。
它提醒了我，生或死，有時候只是我們的選擇。
I picked up this little piece of scarred succulent broken off the main plant from a plant shop, when the shop assistant was about to put it into the trash bin. I took it home and stuck it in some soil.
A week later, it bloomed.
It reminded me that, life or death, sometimes is only a matter of choice.
About pho and truth
多年前我與幾個朋友在雪梨的一家越南小吃店聚聚。當店員將我們點的牛肉粉與其慣常配料的香料金不換，萊姆切片，及豆芽菜送上桌時⋯
Many years ago I was at a Vietnamese eatery in Sydney with a few friends. When our beef pho’s were brought to our table with the usual side plate of Thai basil, lime wedge and bean sprout..
朋友A（手指著金不換）：「這些看起來不太對，通常應該是用其他香料的⋯對了，應該是薄荷！不是這個！」
我：「⋯我不這麼認為。我印象中牛肉粉的確是配金不換的。我蠻確定的。」
我與A接著進入了一個 圍繞著牛肉粉之金不換或薄荷的 頗為熱烈的爭執，與此同時旁觀的朋友B與C默默的吃著他們的牛肉粉。
A (pointing at the basil) : “These look different. Normally the pho’s come with something else... that’s right, they should come with mint! Not this!”
Me: “... I don’t think so, pho’s come with basil from memory. I’m pretty sure.”
Me and A got into a slightly heated argument over mint and basil for pho, while B and C continued eating their pho’s in silence.
我（開始產生自我懷疑）：「那麼不如我們在這裡問問店長吧（他是越南人）。」
A：「不！為什麼你不能接受我所說的是真的？你只是為了反對而反對。你難道不知道你用這個爭執破壞了我享用牛肉粉的興致嗎？」語畢A憤然離開了小吃店。
Me (started to doubt myself) : “Fine, let’s ask the shop owner (who is Vietnamese) right here.”
A : “No! Why can’t you accept what I say is true? You are just disagreeing for the sake of it. Don’t you know you’re ruining my pho over this argument?” and stormed out of the eatery.
B（看著我舉起手招喚店長）：「你為什麼不就讓他算了呢？如果你們接下來繼續為了這事吵下去，我可不站在任何人那邊哦？」
我：「我只是為了不要一直記住錯的事情才要問的。」
C從頭到尾保持著沈默。
B (seeing I was raising my hand trying to catch the shop owner’s attention) : “why don’t you just let him be? I’m not taking anyone’s side when you guys continue to argue afterwards about this ok?”
Me : “ I’m finding out so I don’t remember the wrong thing in the future.”
C remained silent the entire time.
結果我是對的。
Ended up I was correct.
雖然我承認 所謂的「真實」其實大多都一種基於個人記憶與經歷所形成的 主觀存在，但是同時我也承認另一種「客觀真實」的存在，那是一種被多人共有而基於文化/歷史的存在；一種不被個人信仰扭曲，並超越我們任何一個人的存在。
Whilst I acknowledge that the so-called “truth” largely is a subjective matter based upon individual memory and experience, I also acknowledge that there is an “objective truth”, the one that is shared by many and based upon culture/ history; one that does not alter because of an individual’s belief, one that is larger than each of us.
對A而言：
主觀真實=Olivia在找架吵
客觀真實=A所相信的
For A:
Subject truth = Olivia is picking a fight
Objective truth = what A believes
對我而言：
主觀真實=Olivia在解釋/確認一個客觀真實
客觀真實=就是客觀真實
For me:
Subjective truth = Olivia is explaining/ confirming an objective truth
Objective truth = simply what it is
我們生命中都有像A，B，C這樣的人們：太過自信的，政治正確的，不關己事的。在之後的幾年，在不同的情況下我常常想起他們。你會讓這些人改變你與客觀真實的關係嗎（相信或質疑或不再相信）？我才不會。A可以一輩子都用薄荷來配他的牛肉粉，那完全是他的自由選擇；我則選擇以牛肉粉該有的方式來享用它。
There are people like A, B and C in our lives; the overly-confident, the politically-correct, the none-of-my-business. I think about them often in the years to follow, under different circumstances. Would you let them change your relationship with an objective truth? I would not. A can have pho with mint for the rest of his life , it is entirely his choice;; I’ll enjoy mine the way it should be.
後話：今天我與A又去吃了越南牛肉粉。我親眼看到他安靜的把金不換放到他的湯裡。
ps. Today me and A had pho again. I saw that he quietly put the Thai basil into his soup.
Where you live
Wayne Dyer：「介於 花朵 與 野草 之間唯一的不同在於 人們對它們的批判」
最近，你是住在 繁花盛開的花園 中，還是 雜草叢生的荒地裡 呢？
Wayne Dyer : “The only difference between a flower and a weed is judgement”
Lately, have you been living in a blooming garden, or a overgrown field?
