24 March 2014

Sedikit Basah

Hujan pun membasahi tanah Jakarta,
begitu pun di pipinya.

20 March 2014

Grown Ups vs Kids

I wouldn't have been triggered to write about such issue if I have not encountered one. A typicality in everyday working environment in Indonesia, which rolled like a ball of fire, lighting up everyone on its way.


And so it came the day when working with corporation is not just a discussion. All of a sudden, it was the giant versus the villain. We were forced to work under great pressure with high demand in crazy hours. There was nothing wrong in working for the big names except that they often do not appreciate you that much. Maybe I'm just stereotyping, but anyway.

I once worked for an XYZ company and they called me a kid. They said they were working with a kid. And I was... Yes, I am a kid, so how does that make a difference? I was in awe that such thing could come out from the thinking of these people. I was imagining if such thing could be said by someone when I worked in Melbourne for example. As far as I remember, I had a pretty encouraging environment during my study, during my work overseas, without having anyone making discouraging comments significant enough for me to remember.

Typically Indonesians.

As if we were not told that everyone is the same, not relating to their age, background, classes, whatever. It seems like the little is belittled and the big is getting bigger, with no chance for people to grow to reach their full capacity.

The more I think about it the more I realize that people are insecure. Why would you think they call someone a kid if it wasn't because they feel threatened? They were threatened by the kid. Worrying that the kid would grow too fast and gain more than what they could have. What do you think they did when they were at a kid's age? But imagining now that you could do things that they can only do when they are 10 or 20 years older than you are now, makes a lot of sense no for them to call you a kid?

This is just a reminder of a life occurrence of bitterness, but let's move on now.

18 March 2014

Talking to Architect(s)

To talk about a matter beyond your capacity is pretty overwhelming. But anyway, here we are with Sou Fujimoto in his recent visit to Jakarta for House Vision Indonesia.

To talk about architecture, especially, is challenging. I was always like... What are you talking about? when I talked to architects due to their overwhelmingly broad vision of things. While as product designers, we are trained to go down to the very last detail yet sometimes we forget about context.

Hey, no offense. I always found a certain enjoyment when talking to architects, for your comprehensive view, for your passion in what you do. At times, I found some are making no sense, but sometimes people like Sou Fujimoto came around. He made a lot of sense.

Talking about exterior/interior, perhaps he was one perfect guy to talk to. Bluntly he said that exterior is just exterior, while interior is hard to define. Interior would have to be a gradient from the inside which will gradually bring you to the outside.

So then, does it mean architecture should focus on the outside? Why would there be architecture then.

When creating his House N, he must have been thinking about the outside in so many different layers. The house consisted of three nested boxes with openings based on a grid. The outer layer has no coverage whatsoever in its openings, while the two inner ones had coverage. That made the layer between the middle and outer skin became doubtfully an outside area yet not an inside. It seemed like you're inside but you're outside, but it's incorrect to say you're outside because you're inside. Anyway, I started to sound like an architect. The point is that the lines became blurry and therefore making the transition between exterior and interior to be seamless.

Personally speaking, I think architecture is sick. It's the type of sickness that makes you want to know more and question things endlessly. Good bad.

Do check out House Vision Indonesia's blog for more stories about architecture.

09 March 2014

To Live

"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live." 
-- Steve McQueen

That thing he said triggered the mind on so many different level. On how sometimes we have neglected our privileges, on how most of the times we focused on the disadvantages, on how we were reluctant to be grateful and on how we usually didn't make the most of our potential.

"To survive" is not as hard. We survive everyday already. We successfully fulfill our daily needs and some of us even don't have to bother anymore about the matter of survival.

"To live" is a bit harder if not much. Living your life means being honest to yourself, whether you've tried your best or whether you've played around a bit too much, for your life is your own responsibility.

I've just talked to a good, good friend of mine. He's the kind of guy who will laugh at all life has to bring to him. From him I realized how things can play out a little bit differently on everyone. Sometimes it's fair and sometimes not. That made me sob a bit. But I learnt too that to live requires a certain character, the type that differentiates you from everyone else. To be that person, I realized now, that you have to just walk your way through and not to complain too much. Basic problems solved with basic characters, no fuss, no hush.

Now, let's live.

05 March 2014

What Is A Good Day At Work?


A good day at work for me has become a day when everyone feels accomplished with what they've done, knowing that they've work at their best, tried their hardest yet keeping ourselves open for feedbacks. It has never been a day when I solely feel that I've got praises nor when I feel that everyone liked my design or whatever.

Working with fellow workers have its benefits and drawbacks. To me, it's a ride, but always a fun one. It's not easy to relate with fellow workers not to say fellow creatives. Although great minds are said to think alike, great minds also possess their own values, ideas and beliefs. Never been easy I must say, but when at work, we always try to progress, progress and make more progress until we've reached the desired result without being too selfish about what we think is right or wrong.

To work together requires a lot of patience, perseverance and empathy. People are hard as rock. It's a truly wonderful thing to experience working together with people of the same values and good characters, for they improve in the process and of course you do as well. Now a good day at work has transformed into be abundantly blessed environment surrounded by wonderful people. Praise.