Autumn and a new cafe

It is Autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere, or Fall for my American friends, and I am walking further afield to have my lunchtime coffee. This is part of my recent effort to walk more, in general. Actually, it is a lovely day today, quite warm,  and as such I am still indulging in iced coffees, a hangover from Summer. Today I am writing at a little cafe on Leicester Street called Bar Scopa. They have accommodated me at the outdoor table pictured above, and I have enjoyed my stop here. Earlier I walked up to a local park near the University of Melbourne, where people were enjoying the sunshine on the lawn beneath the trees. The grass smelt fresh, and the clouds are big and puffy: in short, a lovely day.

What point do I want to make about all of this mundane detail? Only this: life can be good when you pay attention to the little things. Things like the smell of a lawn after a mower has gone over it. Your day can also get better - albeit marginally so - if you go one block out of your normal way, stepping out of your routine, giving you a fresh perspective on your everyday world. My little walk through the park achieved this today.

Life is good!

A decision made on a beach with a beer: time for change

So I am back from the Philippines, and reacquainting myself with Melbourne town, which puts an end to my writing in, and blogging from, exotic locations - for now. I had a fantastic time in a great country, where the people are so friendly, and there is so much to see and to soak up and to do. I have no doubt that I will return to Manila, and when I do I might stray further afield, perhaps going to Borocay or Cebu; or to another beautiful place my good friend mentioned while I was away, the name of which temporarily escapes me.

Travel certainly does broaden the mind, but it also provides respite for the soul, which is otherwise consigned to trudging through each day with precious little that is new or novel to see, or to experience. Working in an office is nothing if not predictable, even if getting out and seeing clients provides some meagre relief from a sedentary life spent in front of a computer. 

In relation to such matters, I am thinking of spending some hard-earned money on a fitness tracker, in the faint hope that it might inspire me to be more physically active - although really, deep down, I just like the idea of acquiring a new high-tech device. This is the last technological piece in a personal puzzle: a device to measure my bodily movement as I progress through the day. I am thinking of a Nike Fuelband, imported from the US.

This device will join the collection of other machines that have insinuated themselves into my lifestyle, including my two iPads, my iPhone, and a personal favourite, my Sky WiFi ‘smart’ pen by Livescribe. Oh, and my three digital cameras. And my Motorola Xoom (what was I thinking?) The only challenge then is, what to do with all this technology? I feel all kitted out, and yet a little lacking in purpose. To address this deficit, and to test my writing and learning skills in new and exciting ways, I am contemplating a course of post-graduate study. Options on the table at the moment are psychology somewhere, interior design at RMIT University or Monash, or a Masters of Environment at the University of Melbourne.

This last idea is plagiarised directly from a friend who just started in the program, and is loving it. She planted the seed in my mind only yesterday; I had never heard of the course, and indeed it is relatively new. Unlike psychology, the Masters of Environment would build directly on my professional experience and undergraduate training, which is of course in architecture and urban design. And again unlike psychology, it wouldn’t take me 7 years to complete the course of study, after which I would be professionally starting from scratch.

My trip away gave me that most valuable of gifts, one that can only be found a certain distance from everything you call home: perspective. I am back, and I know from how I felt while I was away, that something has to change. As the man said, something’s gotta give. It’s time for a new direction.

Lunch at Antonio's, Tagaytay, Philippines

Lunch at Antonio's original restaurant, in a Spanish Colonial style mansion that sprawls over multiple connected levels in a glorious garden, was an aesthete's dream. For a start, the food was excellent; but even if it had been only average, the setting alone would have been worth the trip south of Manila to Tagaytay. It is not easy to find, but it is well worth the effort. It made the whole day memorable.

There is something about that Spanish Colonial style and the tropics that really floats my boat. What an inspiring way to live, aesthetically and sensually. So generous, and so well suited to the climate. In truth, it got me thinking seriously about my retirement plans, but that is an adventure for another day, and a topic for another post!

Some 'Imeldific' Modernity

I couldn't let a trip to the Philippines pass without at least one image of Imelda Marcos. I found this shot at a great site, Architektura.ph, which seems to be a vehicle for the local design community. I have also stumbled across the Urban Historian tumblr blog, which is about Manila as an urban and architectural place. This city seems to inspire passionate advocates, perhaps because of, rather than despite the fact that, it has been so roughly treated over the last 500 years. Click through on the image to learn about the Marcos years in terms of its relationship to architectural modernism.