THE BACKHAND, THE FOREHAND, THE SMASH, THE SPIKE, THE KICK, THE SHOT, THE GOAL

There has to be something in the background.  Say, the ground, the horizon, the sky, the trees.  There has to be something in the foreground.  Say, a figure.  Maybe an automobile, a pet, an insect, or maybe another tree.  There just has to be.  It wouldn't look complete, so they say.  There has to be lights and the shades.  And don't forget the colors, the hues,  the tints, the tones...different strokes, different approach, different styles, methods, applications.

And before you really have to make one there has to be a plan, a floor plan...call it a layout whatever but that's how it was.  But before doing so you got to have objectives and space requirements. And before having that you need to have a motivation, an inspiration, an aspiration. Besides the resources, yes, the resources.  You need to have the right resource, the source, the primary, the origin, the start.  So you can start, begin.

And while you're doing so, you need to have the same thing you need while you're doing it.  The way you are, the way it is, the way it was so you'd feel secure.  So you won't stray, so you won't go so far you can't be reached back.  Since it could be something that might or steal your soul away.  Or the task might need more of your time, the task could drain your brain, might need to keep you up so late at night.  You may forget what's real and what's not. You may have to go somewhere, talk to strangers. You may have to keep them informed about what's what, might need to stay away from them too.  You might need to isolate your self.  Yes, indeed.  You may have to find a way to feed yourself without somebody else doing it for you like it used to be.  Hahahahaha.  You need to keep your sanity.  By the way, how far did you go,  father, mother, brother, sister?  How do you brush your teeth?

YOU DIDN'T TELL ME

There are many ways to do these kinds of task.  But somehow, does the line "tricks of the trade' still matter?  Has your virtues evolved?  Even your beliefs about what is and what is not... could change.  And you could or would end up saying to yourself.  "Shit, that was a nightmare."   But is it? Hahahaha.  But there we go, there we are...here we go again.  

Again and a gain.  There we go again.

There are several ways to practice architecture.  Practice, yeah practice.  I'm not really sure why it's called practice.  Professions seem to call what they do everyday at work as a Practice.  Where do we think the practice end?  At the performance?  And isn't a practice a performance itself?  Hahaha

Since I am and have studied several years in this field, it is only fair to keep doing so. Or try at least to keep doing so.  You have to say it to yourself most of the time.  Because that's just how you keep yourself sane after having to keep in tune with whatever is going on that really matters.  Your line of work...your forte.  Whatever it is.  

 I did put some green tea on my coffee.  And Guided By Voices is playing. "How Do You Spell Heaven'

GAWK & CRAWL

There's something puzzling about crawl spaces.  No one pays too much attention to it down here. Who cares?  It isn't that important.  Why do you want to be self righteous? Save it, let it go. What's wrong with you?  Yes, you won't have to pay attention unless you need to at some point. It's like having to prepare for something that would or might happen eventually.  Like losing your teeth and wearing dentures at some point.  Or losing your hair, going bald on some areas of your head.  Or something like losing your own sense of humor, stolen taken by some invisible thief or something like contagious paranoia.  And the society keeps reminding you to just relax.  Don't worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will worry about itself.  Yeah right.

I see crawl spaces in between the floor beams and the roof beams, between the ceilings of every floor, or that spaces under roofs above the ceilings.  Places where it gets too hot and very dark for someone to crawl to.  You know, whenever you find yourself in your room alone in the daytime or nightime.  And as you lay on your bed, reading the paper, a book or something, you hear these scuffling noises on your ceilings.  And you keep wondering what could it be.  And you say to yourself, It must be the cat or just some mouse again, chasing each other.  And there are days when you are alone once again.  And the sound gets louder.  And you begin to wonder if that's a rat or a cat or even a dog or some other feline, mongrel, bigger creature.  But it sounds heavier.  Hmmm.  A cat doesn't sound like that. That sounds heavier.   And as you begin to  pound your ceiling with a broom or something.  To knock the ceilings, to tell them.  "Hey, keep it silent up there!", things would mellow down just to find out that it happens all over again.  Scratching the wood out of your closets, drawers, your cabinets, whatever that''s made of wood.  You find them crawling somewhere again. And hide as you begin to go after them. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

And as the days go by you have forgotten how many times this has happened before.  Watching your brother or your sister pinching his or her nose close, talking like an alien, taking out this dead rat out of the house.  "Oh crap, that smells bad,  really..really...it does."  And there you are, you find each other washing each other's hands, shoes, feet or something with soap...yeah with soap and water of course, and whatever else that smells disinfecting.. like alcohol...Shit! that stinks bad!...Eeeeeew gross!"

But then you try to look forward to change the lights over head.  That ceiling.  That ceiling that's been repainted all over  and over again.  And then that crawl space.  That small space.  Just around a meter or lower.  Come on.  It's more like walking, with knees bent.  No one really crawls up there except the rodents. And as you go through that manhole, that ventilation space, usually through the bathrooms, carrying a flashlight to see what's up there. And there it is.  That world up your ceilings.  Electrical wires, junction boxes, trusses made of wood, flexible hoses...oh dear..  bolts, and what else?  Cobwebs, dirt and the smell of rodent feces.  That time you really wish if you could just wash it all up with a giant soap and a giant water hose.  Or even for just a few minutes, an hour or two, a day or a week, mabe a month.  If only I could remove the whole roof of the house and put it back again..That time you really wished you were a giant...Hahaha.   

TECHNICAL REVOLUTION, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNICALITIES

I tried doing it how it should be done.  But there is technology that may keep you obsessed about something that interest everyone apart from something that interest me alone.  I've seen how one gets too crowded in his own thoughts that nothing seems to matter anymore anyway.  But on some days, where you get to have so much time alone, that it seems that the best thing to do or the excellent thing to do is not get too overwhelmed and just let some things pass you by and catch what you can for the present purpose.  

So say you declared something you love doing and treat it as your own business since it is what you are capable of doing or studied about.  And so as what they said "Hang on to your Ego" is the only thing you needed to keep, to keep the your own balance.  For so long as you know what's right in your own logic, the same as what we are raised to be.  Architecturally speaking, it's in the details.  Oh God! :-) 

NEW ORDERS AND PAPER TRAIL GAMES

There were several times that I was able to successfully ordered food by telephone or the cellphone.  Jollibee was one of those food companies that offer this system.  Around here we also have Garrido's to do the same. There's also Dexter's Pizza if I recall.  These are only just a few of those that we can conveniently call at haste.  These Food Delivery system gives the caller or the customers the convenience of not  having to go out and jut dine at home instead.  This practice has spurred call centers to flourish. Notwithstanding other businesses that happens on the internet superhighway. It's just almost like hailing a taxicab by phone.  

In the past we're not really keen on asking for receipts. For as long as the goods and services rendered were built on mutual trust, who needs a receipt?  But as soon as you become an employee for another commercialized company, a business office, an enterprise, these so called receipts are being asked for by superiors.  Along with cash vouchers and other documents that happens everyday, liquidations, inventories, reimbursements, cash advances, cash payrolls, among others. Some sort of a trace or a proof of purchase of goods or services. More of this process becomes so endearingly annoying at times that even taxicabs these days also give receipts.

By the time you start your own business to pursue, you'd be flooded with all these things you need to satisfy. Up until now, I still wonder how every business owner, a proprietor or worker really take these things seriously.  It all comes down to how one manages his or her own.  And it all starts in the household.  How much at home do we really care about all these things? Won't it be easier to just let go of this corporate practice or  will it bring bankruptcy if the business owners do not follow this practice?

But if you simply go somewhere in the open market to buy  some fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, food for a simple meal, a keen observant would point out that this system is not really practiced. We rode along inside jeepneys and tricycles, bought some goods and services never having to worry about this.  So, what do you think? Will I need receipts for when I buy some flowers, candles and wine for my loved ones to take homeward bound with me?  What for? So some entity could gossip about it?  Hahaha

STREETNAME MISSIONS

And that place were named after trees.  And that place were named after flowers.  And that place were named after planets.  That place were named after zodiac signs.  That place were named after what else?  And the place were named after mountains and volcanoes.  You'd find Sierra Madre, Batulao, Mayon, Kanlaon, Arayat.  Taal, Pinatubo  and should I look for Mt. Everest somewhere?

It was kind of wonderful and confusing at the same time how streets were named after countries in Europe.  There was Greece, Italy among others.  I'm sure you can find France somewhere or maybe Denmark or Finland.  And if some unsuspecting friend would ask you where you've been,

you'd just tell them, "I've been to Greece yesterday.  It was wonderful."  And that friend would or might take you seriously, he or she might walk away puzzled.

And at another place, streets were named after virtues.  You can find Justice, Integrity and Fortitude.  You can also find Wisdom somewhere too.

EXTREME BUSINESS ABSURD PROCEDURE NICETIES

Now we have come to a point where the Business Class will have to fight for its legitimacy.  They will have to prove their expertise on certain tasks.  And so multiple entities will provide certifications just so they could perhaps prove to peers their expertise, their experience and give their clients and customers a feeling of security.  These certifications will have to be legitimate as well signed by whomever authority figure once again and will be shown and framed inside offices.  And before securing these certifications, they'll have to undergo certain seminars or training.  And these training will need and eat more of your time and money.  So much like going to school again.  After school where we somehow reach a point and achieve that paper called a diploma. It's kind of depressing that we are continuously being betrayed by these institutions, their procedures and their requirements.  It's as if we have to keep bowing down to some kind of authority, some kind of superior that does not end.  

It is after that graduaton that one should keep in mind that he or she will or still will have to undergo several examinations, procedures.  Too many things to satisy, too many people to please.  So much bureacratic nonsense happens that almost always every office reflects too much crap.  How often do we see these people around?  And should there be whistles blown? 

How does one simple worker break free from this?  You know these nonsense rule our lives everyday that it almost and will probably continue.   I will try to make a list of this procedures and complain on each and everyone of it besides the schools.

> Social Security System 

> Government Insurance System

> Philippine Health Insurance Systems

> Land Transportation Office

> Department of Public Works & Highways

> Department of Tourism

> Department of Interior and Local Government

> and several more...

And if I am having hard time doing all these bureacratic procedures,  God help those dumber than me.

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT ADVANCES

Before it was just as simple as creating your own email address.  Something you may disregard at some point when things get really silly.  But it really is silly doing so.  It really just doesn't add up when you keep going on line and see all the things that will and has come to your attention.  The only way to keep it in control is set your mind straight and simplify.  

One of several ways to keep your data at bay when you feel unsecured digitally is to just let it all be.  Why bother?  Maybe it's not for you.  If you get too impatient say how your computer is slow, or how your internet connection lags in between tasks.  Don't lose your temper over which you yourself cannot accept that it's not really even or came from you. The wonders of how this internet connectivity has somehow and seems to rule our lives these days.  It just clearly shows how an entity could go berserk.  It really is some sort of an anarchy in the making.  Something that would give you the freedom to search something about on.    Because someone gets too inquisitive, and adventurous to the point of exhaustion.

THE SHITTY HEALTH OFFICES

There is this system in contracting and subcontracting construction projects where the client would demand services from an engineer.  The client's company business say, a factory of toys, a plant of some sort or industrial facilities, sure should have or is composed of different departments. The most common of which are the Administration Department, The Finance, The Maintenance, The Machine Rooms, The Engineering and The Medical Department.  And the obligation of having to ask for services outside of the company say, a subcontract for a particular task may have to be done by the company's in house, resident engineer.  The Engineer can or may have to look for a contractor to engage, say an Architectural output of working drawings.  For it is kind of unusual for a company to have an in-house architect.  It kind of does not fit to have an in-house architect around.  Architects somehow do not belng inside factories, am not sure why.  Or do they?  And so the engineer may have to look for an Architectural Firm, say to renovate or redesign their existing place of work, a building, their factory, their mill, their plant, whatever. 

But somehow these people would require certain expertise and certifications.  They would have to demand the requirements for safety and security of a specific task.  I have read too much of these training and attendance certificates that am not sure if they really are reliable.  One of my friends who is  a subcontractor says that these requirements do not really apply for people who only had to visit.  And these Certifications and even the Identification Cards can be faked anyway.  So, what do you think?

THE EMPTY BUILDING

Indeed there was history.  There was history on their settings too familiar and now too obvious to obscure or even obfuscate. It's like trying to insist that Hotels are better than Homes.  Make it a Condotel, an Econotel, an Apartelle, a Motel, a Hostel, whatever you want to call it, still you better have to be at Home or feel at Home literally and methaporically, or even simile speaking. There's too much shame to keep you from noticing it.  And too filthy not to notice. It's like having to keep looking at the trash that still keeps turning up showing up on your line of sight, persistent and shameless.

And as you keep yourself busy with your own word processors or computers, with a desk...somehow at some point you'd feel like one of those people they call a receptionist. And it gets weird as the days go by. And suddenly everyone else in the family thinks that you have gone crazy as they continued to go on with their own business of having to keep what somebody else or some group has planned to build or continue to build.  What happens if one of them got confused and deduced very reasonably, and asked what's that for really anyway?  Tourists? or Colonizers?  Where the architect would suddenly insist "I'm sorry, we really don't need to do that anymore." or  as the building is done said something like "I'm sorry, stop it.  We shouldn't continue. What was I thinking?"

It's something like "What do I need to build a movie theater for? Don't they have their own flat screen TVs at home? What?  What do you mean they have no homes??

And so the architect was so blinded by his own convictions that all he or she could do was hide and recall his own doing, his past, his memories, his life.  And finally said to himself?  "God, what have I done?"

Let's turn it into a school.  Haha.