Bigger plan

為了準備11月去Patagonia之旅，我們決定回去New Zealand嘗試多日登山。本來是訂了去Routeburn Track（32公里長登高1635米）4天3夜，結果到了用去當天早上因為大雨淹水，那個區域 (Milford Sounds)的登山步道全部關閉，除了一條Kepler Track（61公里長登高2216米）3天2夜，所以臨時改去Kepler Track。

In order to prepare for our November trip to Patagonia, we decided to go back to New Zealand to try out multiday tramping. We originally booked Routeburn Track (32km elevation gain 1635m) for 4 day 3 nights, however on the morning to start trekking, all tracks in the Milford Sounds area including Routeburn Track were closed due to flooding, with the exception of Kepler Track (61km elevation gain 2216m) for 3 days 2 nights, so we decided to change over to trek Kepler Track last minute.

意思就是，本來一天走10公里變成一天走16公里，可留宿的營地也少一天所以按原計畫裝備反而多帶了食物加重了背囊。

What that means is, originally we planned to trek 10km per day, now it becomes 16km. With 1 night reduction in campsite availability, we have also brought too much food as packed according to original plan which in turn added to the weight of our backpacks.

第一天走5小時登高到1200米，風大雨大，留宿一宿。第二天應該沿著山峰過兩個嶺，結果因為連夜的大雨步道淹水甚至開始下雪，風速估計為120公里，步道關閉。只好按原路下山，另覓營地過夜。

Day 1, we trekked for 5 hours in the wind and rain, reaching elevation of 1200m, and stayed overnight in the cabin. Plan for Day 2 was to walk along the ridge to cross 2 summits, but because of the rain overnight which started to turn into snow, wind speed reaching 120km/ hour, remaining Kepler Track was closed for safety reason. We could only descend back down the same way we came from, and camped elsewhere.

難道這一切都是徒勞嗎？我可不這麼認為。 我學到的教訓有：

1. 自然的力量遠比人類大太多太多了
2. 人不應該將計畫安排得滴水不漏並預期事情會按計劃發生
3. 當事情不按計劃發生時，計劃其他的，然後好好享受吧。這所有的一切都是在一個超越了你我的 宏大計劃之中

Was it all for nothing? I think not. I learnt that:

1. Nature is a much greater force than human
2. one should never plan too tightly and expect things to go according to plan
3. When plans don’t work out, just plan something else and enjoy. It’s all part of a plan bigger than you and me.

於是我們唱著Queen樂團的 “We Will Rock You” 和 “We Are the Champion”  上了又下了Kepler Track，後來又轉移地點去Wanaka爬山露營，好好的享受了我們的假期。

So we sang Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champion” up and down Kepler Track, ended up camping and trekking in Wanaka, and definitely enjoyed our holiday.

Top of cloud

Accepting the fate to descend 

on the descend 

amazing sunset at Milford Sounds campsite 

camping by Lake Wanaka has always been the most peaceful 

Kindness

我最近去了庫克群島的艾圖塔基。非常非常美麗的藍色珊瑚礁，夜星似乎要溢滿出地平線⋯但是最讓我驚嘆的是人們的友善，尤其是其他的旅行者。

Recently I have been to Aitutaki of Cook Islands. Beautiful beautiful blue lagoon, night sky filled with stars to the brim of horizon... but what amazed me the most is how friendly everyone was, especially the fellow travelers. 

我想一般來說人們有種天然的慾望，想對別人好與帶給他們快樂，所以人們才能夠團結成為社會。但是當人們分別成不同立場的團體 - 無關好/壞，只是不同 - 有不同的利益與輕重順序，使得單純的「對人好」愈來愈困難，不管有沒有私心。

I think in general people have the natural urge to be nice and bring joy to others, which is how is humans bond to create society. But as people segregate into groups of different standing points - not better / worse, just different - with different interest and priority, it becomes increasingly difficult to simply “be nice”, with or without hidden agenda.

然而在我旅行時，我就只是「我」，不是某項目的建築師，某某的親人，某某的伴侶。某個方面來說這是異常自在的一種，簡單的存在的狀態。或許其他的旅行者也感受到了同樣的自在狀態。

However when I travel, I am “me”, not architect of the project, family of abc, partner of xyz. In a way it is liberating, to be in the state of simple being. Maybe other fellow travelers feel the same liberation. 

你相信人性本善還是人性本惡？

我通常選擇相信前者 - 那是唯一能夠解釋當人們處於自在狀態裡，自然表露出的善意。

Do you believe humans are born kind or humans are born evil? 

I always choose to believe in the former - that’s the only explanation for when people are in their liberated state, they display such genuine kindness.

The world you see

我一個朋友嘗試經由實施一個”3-1法則”，來達到工作與生活的平衡。所謂的”3-1法則”就是：瘋狂工作3週，旅行一週。從她那裡我聽說了許多世界上最美好的旅遊勝地。

我們最近小聚了一下。她現在開心多了，但是已經停止了實施”3-1法則”。她說：

我本來是想從一些事情逃離。我猜想我現在可以接受，”事情就是這樣了“的事實。

最終，我們看世界的方式，決定了我們所在的是什麼樣的世界。外力（例如 ”3-1法則”）僅僅只是幫助我們達到某種心態 － 一個”濾鏡” － 的工具，讓我們能夠看到我們想看到的世界。我們的心態（而不是這些工具）才是達成目的的竅門。

 A friend of mine was trying to achieve work/life balance by implementing a “3-1 rule”: work really hard for 3 weeks and travel 1 week. I hear about the most amazing destinations around the world.

We caught up recently. She is now a happier person, but has stopped the 3-1 rule. She said:

I was running away from something. I guess I have now accepted that it is what it is.

In the end, how we see the world determines what kind of world we live in. External forces (eg. The 3-1 rule) is only an instrument to help achieve a certain mindset - a filter - for us to see the world the way we want to. It is our mindset (rather than the instrument), that does the trick.

CAN / ENJOY

我一向都會游泳，但卻從來沒有完全的享受游泳。在我的認知中，游泳就是與氧氣的角力 － 動作的速度及連動的氧氣消耗，讓我覺得一直被自己追逐著，令我氣喘吁吁，筋疲力盡。儘管如此我仍然持續的游泳，主要是為了保持健康，及讓我在工地現場持續站數小時的腿能夠短暫的逃離地心引力。

留意到不同的是在我從 新喀里多尼亞 旅行回來後的第一次游泳。在 新喀里多尼亞 時，我們不知疲倦的浮潛，跟著海浪漂浮尋找海中多彩的珊瑚及魚群。身上配備的安全裝備讓我無須考慮游泳的技能程度，而完全的享受海水。我感覺到如此的平靜。

I have always been able to swim, but never quite enjoyed it. I used to find swimming a struggle with oxygen - the pace of movement and consequent oxygen consumption made me feel as though I was chased by myself, leaving me short of breath and exhausted. Regardlessly I continued to swim for fitness, and to briefly alleviate sore feet from gravity after standing on construction site for hours.

It was the first swim after traveling to New Caledonia I noticed the difference. At New Caledonia, we snorkelled for hours tirelessly, looking at the colourful corals and fishes following the wave. With all the safety gears, there was no need to consider swimming skill, and I was able to fully concentrate on enjoying the water. I felt such peace.

回到雪梨後我去了第一次的游泳，我突然留意到當我把頭埋入水中，我又能夠與那個平靜的感覺再次連結上；當我完全的沈浸在水中（並緩慢的換氣）而非急促的趕著完成我例行的游泳趟數（並氣喘吁吁）時，游泳是多麼舒暢的活動；而游泳的重點，對我而言應該是 我在水中的時間，而不是我在換氣的時間。

我終於明白了，其實我一直對 離開陸地身在水中 感到恐懼。當我放開了這種恐懼，接受了身在水中的狀況，我了解了其實沒有什麼需要懼怕的 － 畢竟，我是會游泳的。從那時起，游泳成為了我期待的活動，不再只是為了保持健康而已。

我可以被教導技能，但不能被教導如何去享受這個技能可以帶來的歡愉。那是得要自己摸索的。

Once I was back in Sydney and went for my first swim, suddenly I noticed that when my head was in the water, I was able to reconnect with the peacefulness; that swimming was much more pleasurable when I fully immersed myself in the water (and breathed slowly) rather than racing to finish my routine laps (and out of breath); that the point about swimming for me should have been about the time I spent in the water, rather than the time I took in oxygen.

I realised that I was constantly in fear of being in water where I was away from the land. Once I let go of the fear and accepted the fact that I was really in the water, I understood that there was nothing to fear for - after all, I can swim. Since then, swimming became something I look forward to, instead of something I do just for fitness.

I can be taught the skill, but cannot be taught the enjoyment to be gained from having the skill. It is something I needed to learn myself. 

Simplicity

當我們去露營時，我們只能夠帶上最必須的東西。帳篷是那麼小，只能容納得下基本需求。

我想念這種只能被必須品包圍的感覺; 它讓我直視到底什麼才是必須的。

像是排毒一樣，得定期執行方能保持頭腦健康。

When we go camping, we only bring the most essential. The tent is so small it only fits the bare minimum. 

I miss that feeling of able to only be surrounded by what I need; It makes me question myself, what is it that I really need.

Like detox, this needs to be done on regular basis in order to maintain a healthy headspace. 

Camping at foot of Livingstone Mountains, North Fiordland

asking the wrong question

造訪 Oscar Niemeyer 在巴西的作品，簡直像是造訪另一個星球。

“紀念碑性”被提升到了另一個境界 － 他的建築裡包含了無窮的想像，歡快，及力量。

但是卻是在造訪了他較不為人知的Brasilia大學內的 ICC教棟，與美好的 Palacio do Itamaraty 後，我腦中才開始了自我問答。

我的認知中，建築的目的有兩個極端 － 一端是為了人類的舒適，另一端是為了發表一種宣言，即“紀念碑性”。Niemeyer著名的作品多為紀念碑性的那端，例如：Niteroi, Congresso Nacional, Museu Nacional Honestino Guimaraes。它們絕對的是一種宣言，並有著創造歷史的角色；我不得不對 Niemeyer的才華折服。但是這些並不是令人能夠舒適的逗留的建築物，簡單來說人們的舒適與否並不是這些建築物的設計重點。

Visiting Oscar Niemeyer’s work at Brazil was like visiting another planet.

Monumentality was taken to another level - the imagination, cheerfulness, and power of his architecture.

But what really started the mental debate in me was after visiting his relatively little known ICC at University of Brasilia, then the fabulous Palacio do Itamaraty.

In my mind, purpose of architecture has 2 extremes - on one end is for human comfort, on the other end is for statement making, the monumentality. Niemeyer’s famous woks are mostly the statement making end of spectrum: Niteroi, Congresso Nacional, Museu Nacional Honestino Guimaraes are good examples. They are definitely statement - and history - making, and I can not but wonder about the brilliance of Niemeyer’s mind. However these are not comfortable buildings to be within, simply because human comfort was not the point of these buildings.

Niteroi

Niteroi

Congresso Nacional

Museu Nacional Honestino Guimaraes

我幾乎要斷定這是 Niemeyer 一貫的建築手法了，直到 ICC 告訴我不同的事實。ICC 相反的是以人們如何使用空間，以及自然如何與建築融合為中心的作品 － 而不是幾何圖像或形體。建築元素甚至可以被無視，因為逗留在 ICC 的感官經歷才是讓人印象深刻的設計要點。然後是 Palacio do Itamaraty，完美的平衡了兩個極端。它一方面達成不容置疑的紀念碑性，同時環境又是如此怡人的讓我不捨得離開，能待多久就想待多久。

這讓我質疑，在1970年到達了Palacio do Itamaraty的境界（兩個極端間的完美平衡）後，為什麼 Niemeyer 會走上一條設計道路將他帶領到1996年的 Niteroi－重量級的紀念碑性與輕量級的舒適性，即”不平衡“？

I was convinced that this is how Niemeyer approached architecture, until ICC told me otherwise. ICC was really more about the way people occupy the space, and the integration of nature - not so much about geometry and form. In a way the architectural elements can be ignored as the sensual experience of being there is (designed to be) so much more impressive. Then there is Palacio do Itamaraty, striking the perfect balance between the 2 extremes; whilst it was doubtlessly monumental, being there was so pleasant that I would have loved to stay there, in the building, for as long as I could.
It made me wonder, having achieved Palacio do Itamaraty (perfect balance between the 2 extremes) in 1970, why would Niemeyer then went on the path leading to Niteroi in 1996, which is heavily monumental but light on human comfort, i.e, unbalanced?

Palacio do Itamaraty

ICC at University of Brasilia

Palacio do Itamaraty

Palacio do Itamaraty

我發現我問錯問題了，難怪得不到答案。問題跟建築無關 － 何謂建築？我們建築師應該設計的是甚麼樣的建築？我們該以甚麼手法進行建築設計？..這些我們慣常問自己的問題。

問題應該是：“甚麼東西是只有 Oscar Niemeyer 才能夠為這個世界創造的？” － 不是“一位建築師”，而是“Oscar Niemeyer”。Palacio do Itamaraty 令人贊歎，但是 Niteroi 是完完全全的 Niemeyer。這才是這個世界想從他那裡得到的創造，而他心裡也明明白白。有時候重點不是在於一個人想給予的是什麼，而是在於周遭想從這個人那得到什麼。

你是不是也對自己問錯問題了呢？你知道什麼是唯有你才能為這個世界創造的嗎？

I realised I was asking the wrong question, no wonder I was not getting the answer. The question is not about “architecture” - What is architecture? What architecture should us architects design? How should we approach architecture? ..the questions we ask ourselves all the time.

The question is “What is it that only Oscar Niemeyer can bring to this world?” - not “an architect”, but “Oscar Niemeyer”. Palacio do Itamaraty is hands down amazing, but Niteroi is undeniably Niemeyer. And that is what the world wanted from him - which he knew. Sometimes it is not about what one wants to offer, but about what the world wants from him/ her.

So, have you been asking yourself the wrong question? Do you know what is it that only you can bring to this world?

Lucky or Unlucky

最近的紐西蘭之旅中， 我們的帳篷被強風吹倒，大雨如天堂漏水般傾盆而下，我們的裝備溼透了。

一夜大雨捲縮於車子裡後，清晨我在完全的寂靜中醒來。車內狹小的空間充斥著柔和的晨光，是的，雨是停了 － 但是雪取代了雨。春末夏初之際，居然下雪了。

在大雪中我們跋涉了許久，可見度極低，數步之外只是一片白茫茫。我只能想像風景該是如何美好，如果風景可以讓我看見。

在這個時間點上，我只能感嘆太不幸運了。

During the recent trip to New Zealand, our tent was blown over by gale force wind, rain poured down in bucket loads, our gear was soaked.

After a night of heavy (and noisy) rain in the car, I woke up in complete silence. Little space we had in the car was drenched in soft morning light, and yes, the rain had stopped - but the snow had kicked in. Between Spring and Summer, it snowed.

In the snow we trekked for hours, visibility was so low that everything beyond the immediate surrounding was whited out. I could only imagine how spectacular the view must/ could/ should have been, behind all the white, if only I could see.

At that point in time it definitely felt unlucky.

那天在Mount Cook我們先是走了Tasman Valley Track步道。雖然下著雪我們仍然決定按照計畫接著行走更長的Hooker Valley Track步道。兩者都應該是簡單的步道，但是礙於天候都讓我們用了更長的時間。

沿著Hooker Valley Track步道，在看完了（一部分的）Tasman冰川後，雪開始慢慢停了。在幾乎走完整個步道時，我們路經接近步道入口的一個觀景點。數小時前經過這個觀景點時什麼都看不見，只有一片天地渾沌的不知所謂。

我們決定再給這個觀景點一次機會 － 而這是多麼好的一個決定啊。

On that day at Mount Cook we first trekked the Tasman Valley Track. Despite the snow we decided to stick to the original plan and continued on the longer Hooker Valley Track. They were meant to be easy short tracks, but turned out to take much longer given the weather condition.

Along Hooker Valley Track, on the way back from seeing (some of) the Tasman Glacier, the snow started to ease. Right at the end of the entire track, we passed by a look out point near the track entry, where we could not see anything except for white fog when starting the trek.

We decided to give the look out point another chance - and what a good decision we made.

的確，感動會因為匱乏而加深。

大自然知道如何才能最有效的展現它的壯麗。如果沒有早先可見度的匱乏，我就不會這麼的被這壯麗的風景所感動 － 這光線，這深度，這明晰。我彷彿從獨自的漫長的冥想中醒來，終於睜開了眼睛。

在這個時間點上，更因為之前的不幸運，我只能感嘆真是太幸運了。

畢竟，不到最後我們不會知道命運到底為我們安排了甚麼，我們就別太早下定論了。

It is true, that appreciation definitely deepens through deprivation.

Mother Nature knows how to present its magnificence in the most effective way. Without the deprivation of visibility prior, I would not have been as moved by the view - the light, the depth, the clarity. As though I had come out of a long meditation in isolation, and finally opened my eyes.

At that point in time it definitely felt lucky, in debt to the unluckiness, for sure.

After all, we will never know what is intended for us until the vey end, so lets not label things too early.