Life at the Office

Lets start at the office, I guess, since that's where I spend the most time. Work has been quite and education. I've finally kind of got my bearings, and have recently been working on designing a little hotel. The modeling/designing process here is very hands-on, and very very different from any methodology I ever learned in school Sometimes it drives me crazy, as we do things in (to me, at least) completely counter-intuitive ways. Some days it seems like everything is based only on intuition and the conflicting personal tastes of way too many people. But some how it works, so I've been trying to put aside my pre-conceptions and roll with it. My co-workers tend to have many opportunities to make fun of my "stress face." On the other hand, Szuyin and I have finally completed our first full model! It's basically a giant glob of glue, but I love it.  Version two will be much cleaner, but the first try was definitely a great learning process. I'm used to a pretty clearly defined methodology, with a fairly clear progression, from concept to execution, and from paper to model, with a division between works-like and looks-like models. Here we had to think about room arrangements, aesthetics, structure, cost, window placement plumbing, water, overhangs, everything all at once, while simultaneously trying not to burn my fingers with the glue gun. It was chaotic, and involved a lot of un-gluing and changing things around, but has taught be a great deal about how crazy complicated a "simple" building can get. Thankfully I had Szuyin (another intern and my partner on this project), to commiserate and collaborate with, and the infinitely patient architect Patricia and model-maker Pak Putra to help guide us through.
Things I've learned.

1. Bathrooms are surprisingly difficult.
2. "Measure twice" is still never enough.
3. Do NOT leave the glue gun next to the handle of the coffee mug. Very Bad. 

4. Do not even try to compare your joinery to that of Pak Putra. He is a Bamboo Master. Any comparison with your giant mass of glue will only end in tears. That’s ok. It still looks like a house. … kinda.

And, thanks to Patricia, I finally figured out what all the talk about "Concept" was in architecture class! Turns out, it actually has a practical use once you get to the nitty-gritty part of design. Unfortunately, we never got past the pretty-poster stage in my classes, so I never got to figure out why we kept talking about flowers as metaphors. Now I am a huge fan or "creating a strong guiding concept." This is a big step for me. Thank you Pat. 

I guess that brings me to the people at my office. In a word: amazing.  The company, may have it's flaws ( it is a business, after all.) but the people employed here, firstly, represent an amazing range of backgrounds and a ton of talent, and secondly, are just really really nice. Most of the people who work at the office are Indonesian, but not necessarily Balinese, so I've met a wide range of people, who have ended up at PTBP in all sorts fo ways. More on them, later, but I want to paint a little picture if life in Bali for you, so i'll move on. 

Bali Is full of westerners, but the vast majority of them are tourists. I can wander to Kuta Beach, or come here to Ubud, and be surrounded by familiar accents, signage in English, and all sorts of brands I recognize immediately (including, incidentally, Croc's Shoes EVERYWHERE). And I enjoy doing that on weekends. But the rest of my time is very removed form this side of bali. It's kind of weird being a full-time working student in a place that is famous for being a yoga and surfing vacation paradise.  Most of that stuff happens between 8 am and 5 pm, while I'm sitting at a desk. Most days I leave the office late, grab dinner with my co-workers, and go home to crash. I started out living in Ubud, but once I realized I wouldn't really be around to enjoy the Bule (foreigner attractions, but would still be paying Bule prices, I moved to a little boarding house (kost) closer to the big city of Denpasar. I can come up to tourist-central on weekends, but the rest fo the time, it's much calmer in my little neighborhood along Jl. A. Yani, with much less traffic, way fewer bugs, and much cheaper food options. Love it. 

On weekdays, the entertainment is going out to eat. In Indonesia, there isnt much difference between the three daily meals. You could have the same dish for breakfast or dinner, and in about the same size.   At lunch I go out to one of the little Warungs in town, mime/sign to the lady working at front what i would like to eat, pull up a stool, and hang out. I can get plate of Nasi Goreng (fried rice) or Cap Cai ( veggie stir fry) , and some ice tea later, for about 12000IDR or $1.25.  I've learned I can probably eat $1 goat satay for every meal for the rest of my life and not get tired of it. 

Then I head back to the office. Some people nap in the post-lunch heat, and I pretend to work while watching the latest temple procession march by. There is a temple, ro Pura right across the street, a kind of high-level one serving quite a few of the neighboring towns, and it seems like at least one a week there's a ceremony, or a cremation procession, or something going buy, each with it's own many-piece gamelan band equipped with a giant gong or three.  

Next up: more on those processions and ceremonies.