Books and I.

“One of these days, I will set your books on fire,” my mother told a depressive 2003 version of me.

It was almost a week since I had my presence felt around the house. The truth is, the books did not keep me preoccupied because as far as I remember, it was my intention to become invisible at home. It so happened that I had books in my room and my mother caught me several times in bed with Franny and Zooey. I didn’t panic because the least that a depressed person usually feels is concern for anything.

Frankly though, books, next to music, saved me.  

I was sent away to live with strangers when I was in high school. I stayed in a boarding house, sharing a very small room with two more students. Sometimes it was with a college student, other times with a high school. In those times we didn’t do much except study, netbooks and ipods were a thing of a future and the biggest mall in the city was just a large version of a grocery store. One of us brought a stereo cassette player and all the boarders would share in the free music.

In our little boarding house reading became our way to spend our leisure time. There, in our little house we formed groups based on literary genres—if you can call it such. I remember the two distinct groups: the romance novel group and (for the lack of better group name) the non-romance novel group. This non-romance group read varied stuffs, from the Melville, Kafka, Agatha Christie, and the pop-horror Stephen King. Sometimes these two groups merged, particularly when the topic of Sweet Dreams comes upon. In the romance section, I only went as far as Mills and Boons, my first introduction was when I was in grade 5 (11 years old) bored with nothing to read for summer. My mother had, in our rickety rattan bookshelf, some twenty something Mills and Boons (which I’m not sure if she’d read) given to her by a friend for safekeeping. What I’m not sure though, was, if Mills and Boon was my first introduction to “dirty books”, but I stayed away from them when an older person told me it had “dirty parts”. (What that old person didn’t know was, I already knew about the dirty parts.) My board mates however, were fond of Judith McNaught. Romance novels, like exotic foods, are acquired tastes and it was a taste i never did acquire. 

Looking back, it seemed that weekends in those days were very lonely, and comparing it to the lifestyle that kids now have, we’d be the geekiest lot. We spent our Saturdays holed up in our rooms, finishing a novel or two. Some of our housemates start as early as Friday night if the books were interesting enough, finishing 2-3 novels by Sunday. Book rental stores were in vogue 10-15 years ago and it was our habit to rent a handful of books for weekend reading.

I eventually developed dependence on books—and music—to keep me company, and to help me not make unnecessary small talk when I am around people I do not like to associate with.

My love for books was a double edged-sword. While I was gradually becoming better at my literary tastes and my skills in writing, my drive to focus on my academics waned. Arriving from school (already in university), I would plop myself in the most comfortable corner of my bed and read. Staying up very late reading, Having stayed up late reading, I would come to class tired, lethargic and impatient for the day to end so I could go home and melt in my bed reading. Reading (or reading for leisure) proved to be an addiction that led to my eventual failure, but it is a habit I never regretted getting. What I regretted was appreciating my textbooks too late; because when you’re a rebel and you’re hip, staying out of school and dissuading your textbooks seemed the coolest thing to do.

I found work in the city and moved out of my parent’s, leaving a good collection of second hand books, some, rare out-of-print editions. It has always been a strictly enforced rule of mine that all of my books are for “room use only”, having lost many from avid borrowers and admirers of my library. One day, our schoolgirl braved to browse through my dresser-pseudo-bookshelf and found out that most of them were just for show. The termites have eaten through 80% of my books and all that remained of them were the spines, a horrid reminder to a self-absorbed, book-hoarder me. My mother kept the news a secret, the way she kept the news about the death of my dog from me, convincing my younger sister (at that time my city roommate) to break it to me when the time is right. My mother salvaged all that’s been clean of live termites, stacking them inside the straw sacks. I told them to burn everything that isn’t readable anymore, but when I returned years after they were still there. Books with covers so pristine but once turned over, is nothing but a big hole right  the middle of the back cover straight through page 1.

I stopped buying books for a while after that and never went anywhere near Booksale. I also considered blaming my parents for the lack of bookshelf in our house considering that all of their children are avid readers, but I know that is not right because if there is a thing that should be blamed, it is the termites. And maybe myself.

When i was a graduate student, pregnant, out of work with lots of time and learning from past mistakes, I read and worked hard in my academics. Thanks to ABD, I found a connection in creative writing and my field of study. Creative non-fiction and I were a perfect match and I need not give up on my line of work to be able to write imaginatively. It was then that I re-discovered my love for books, books that tell stories, stories that are real.

My collection is growing again, albeit more expensive one this time, especially with that of my husband’s combined. Last night, avoiding the rush hour congestion, the three of us—husband, kid and I—went to the second hand books store hoping to find a cheap addition to our mini-library. I bought 4—Larry McMurtry’s Roads (and a bonus of 3 museum passes, a boarding pass of London-Istanbul trip of the book's previous owner), Gunter Grass’ Peeling the Onion (PHP20.00 only!), James Wood’s How Fiction Works, a socio-ethnography book and something about the war Iraq (again—I already have about 4 books about the war in Iraq). My fascination with war diaries and war stories came after the invitation to join a project in Afghanistan, which, much to my husband’s delight, did not push through—my joining, not the project.  Husband wanted to buy the Museum and Art Spaces book, thought it was expensive and accidentally found Phillip Nobel’s Sixteen Acres instead. He checked out the book because the title font was interesting, and found a gem.

 

Books. Books are the most reliable material friend to have around. They will never let you down and they will never leave you unless you intentionally lose them or let them go, or unless your mother sets them on fire. 

FIN.

Say, what?

because i am such an information maniac i did this thing tonight:

i studied kengo kuma's work from the interview he gave in 1997 in the book that i've talked about here. some god at the forum i joined in would be interviewing him tomorrow. and i was sore for not having read the kuma interview thoroughly, especially after i learned the forum god needed more questions for his kuma interview, because i was not able to formulate interesting questions to throw to kuma-san.

Kuma in 1997 interview was an anti-hero. Tandao Andao was already popular then, too popular he could be the poster boy for Japanese architecture. He openly discussed his being a non-devotee of small houses architecture and branded architecture, both of which Tadao popularized--though maybe un-intentionally.

what i am beginning to love about this book is it encourages people like me, non-architects who are interested in architecture--beyond the practice of architecture, the pre-requisite of knowing the technicalities, the sciences and engineering behind putting up a building, and without any ability whatsoever in drawing. It was encouraging, what Kengo Kuma in this book said about the need for architecture to spread its wings. For it to see beyond the limits of civil and material engineering, because architecture of today no longer deals with just the enclosed spaces. Psychology, sociology and virtual spaces are starting to be one of the many components of architecture. Logically, it follows that programs should not be solely made by architects themselves. Meaning, dude, comments that i make, my opinion and thoughts that i shared in PF's studies are so legit (although not necessarily correct, ahe ahe) they matter after all!

i felt vindicated in my want to study this ever evolving field, although i'm still unsure if the RLAs i know feel the same, because usually when they talk architecture they only want to discuss the details of construction. It makes my brain bleed. I'm sorry.

what is probably more important, and where us, Filipinos can learn a lot from is that traditional, village architecture aren't amateur and unremarkable. Ultimately, it is harmonious marriage of space and its intended use (activities in the space) that prevails, not the style, not the brand of style or the state of the art materials used. It will be good if we try to view things in this perspective, sans the theatrics of exoticized nationalism (that the malls sell).

and last advice from kuma master himself: "...it is [not] necessary for architecture to beat every other field." (a lot of moonlighting CEs can also learn from this) every type of media and other fields can certainly be used to work with architectural to achieve a purpose. isn't that humbling?





(now, i move aside and pray i made a correct interpretation/analysis of the interview.)

metareview

because i was not feeling inspired to write a follow up on that book review and other thoughts (which you can read here) (PF came home for the weekend, i had a lunch date and some more other dates) i decided to remain lazy instead by posting a series of reviews of the book here:

"Shaking the Foundations reveals the passions hidden behind the cool, abstract exterior of the Japanese design scene. Through a series of in-depth interviews renowned architects such as Tadao Ando, Arata Isozaki, and Kazuo Shinohara speak out on issues ranging from the philosophies of Japanese Modernism to the politics of urban planning in Japanese cities. Often contradictory, but never dull, these interviews offer compelling insights into contemporary Japanese culture." (this one did not have the name of the reviewer...)


and

When the inevitable backlash comes against the cult of Koolhaas, one of the charges against him will be that his polemic about Asian architecture and urbanism is based on a shaky understanding of the countries involved. Koolhaas will no doubt be accused of creating a modern form of what Edward Said termed 'Orientalism'; that is, the tendency to impose a Western construct on Eastern cultures (Murray Fraser, November 1999). (An abstract of the longer article which can only be rad if you are a paid subscriber. Though short, this might be the best comment I've read so far because it reminds me of how Filipinos tend to view Filipino history and culture (yes, including architecture): with western eyes. I will not even begin to tell you how a licensed Filipino female architect called me un-nationalistic after saying that i do not expect Filipinos to really win in international competition. I am digressing, yes. Just because i was not all praises for Filipino works does not mean i do not like being a Filipino nor am i not nationalistic, because for one, I STAYED. HERE. I work here, in the Philippines.) (And also because when i first watched a Koolhaas interview (or documentary--was it?) about his China exploits he looked very haughty. And also because PF said he's really that. a snob.)

Third and last, the omnipresent Amazon Review:

Questioning the spirit of Japanese architecture today, this book tries to identify the mind-set and philosophy driving some of the world's foremost eastern designers. It reveals the personalities and passions behind the cool, abtract exterior of the Japanese design scene in the form of a collection of interviews. Renowned architects speak out on issues ranging from the rebirth of Japanese design after World War II to progressive technologies, while newcomers disclose the trials and tribulation of "making it" in today's competitive market. If past and present are any indication of the future, then this volume predicts that Japanese architecture will gain a stronger foothold and following in global design theory in the decades to come.

that's all folks!

Interviewing Japanese.

Husband recently bought a used book entitled Shaking the Foundations: Japanese Architects in Dialogue. It features interviews conducted in 1997 by Christopher Knabe and Joerg Rainier Noennig (editors) of 15 Japanese architects. What's interesting about this book, as my husband also mentioned to me gushing about this, is that each of these architects were made to comment on the philosophy and/or works of other architects featured in the book. Some were not intentionally asked to comment but in the course of the conversation eventually did.

Japanese are by and large, not very confrontational. When they comment, it's usually so meticulously edited of any form of negativity that if not read or heard well sometimes sounded like praises. In my experience working with a handful of them, they do not comment, especially if they have nothing better to say.

I've finished reading interview with Kisho Kurokawa, Riken Yamamoto and Kengo Kuma -- all very varied in their philosophy. I especially enjoyed Yamamoto's interview because he talked mostly about city planning, of how architecture directly affects the social structures in the community, and how the government failed . He told of how the mere widening of the street disrupted the social activities of his community, virtually erasing all of what he's known his community for. It probably was the same feeling when the flyover along General Luna was built. it created a virtual wall that created a permanent demarcation between Melly's and UP. Now, very few university students go to Melly's and Melly's has stopped being an influential shady shanty to the high school kids. The UP High are starting to miss a lot of high school now that the flyover is there.

Yamamoto discussed a little about architectural education in Japan. Yamamoto said that Japanese architecture education is engineering and not design oriented which is surprising considering that a handful of them have been well-praised for their designs.

Meanwhile, Filipino architects are now mostly in Singapore or in the middle-east, working as CAD monkeys so they can afford iphones and macbooks. That is the kind of architecture education that you get from Iloilo universities.

Apparently, Architect/Architecture is just some high-falluting title for a profession that could render one virtually penniless. And if one would really choose to become an architect, a lot of sacrifices are made. I understand PF's choice of wanting to practice his profession in the city because if i were in his shoes, i would certainly make the same decision.

as to why, i will discuss tomorrow.


UPDATE:
Somebody from pushpullbar is actually interviewing Kuma-san tomorrow (February 4)! The real interviewing Japanese. Wow, if that forum is not the best forum in the world, i don't know what is.