Travels: South Korea

The day after graduation, my sister and I went backpacking in Korea for two weeks:

Even though I have never been to Korea before nor did much destination research prior to departing, while there, there were several moments when I felt a strong sense of deja vu. About a month prior to our trip, I woke to a vivid dream of travelling through Korea and drew it down within minutes of waking (first image). It felt real, I felt the wind blowing as well as warmth from the sun and blue sky (that actually wasn't accurate, as much of the sky we saw there was always in a grey haze). I dreamt of a recreational trail / boardwalk that winded itself around and through a series of islands where at each opening were opportunities to explore. When we arrive at Busan (second image), I found that feeling. It felt incredible.

(Top left) Train station in Seoul.
(Mid left) On our first morning in Seoul, I met a carpenter in the prince's palace while noting how roof pieces fit together. He showed me his tool set, wood pieces, and pointed to the bright colours of pink, yellow, green painted at the ends. He was friendly and show pride in what he does. I was impressed. I forego sketching to listen to him.
(Bottom left) Rice patty fields were a consistent theme as we travelled by trains and intercity buses. I was beginning to identify a central pathway with the short end of each field abutting to the path. There are also a letdown into every field.
(Top mid) Tombs I observed on hills.
(Center) The most delicious seafood hotpot we've had from our first night in Busan. We pointed to our phrase book and grinned sheepishly, "What would you recommend?" A few awkwardly hand gestures later, the ladies brought us each a boiling bowl with squid, abalone, rice, spicy soup base, and of course, lots of side dishes. As we start fiddling with the spoon and rice, they felt compelled to guide us to put all the rice in the bowl. So much easier. That interactive dining experience is later succeeded with a BBQ place and the old man who showed us to grill meat...
(Bottom mid-right) Golf driving range over a parking lot. I adore that ingenuity!
(Top right) Hexagon train / inter bus station in Seoul.
(Mid right) Waiting outside a palace for admission.

 Dedicated to Patrick Condon, whom I immediately thought of when I saw the market in Yeosu, the coastal town that hosted Expo 2012. The neat thing about this market and other ones in Korea are the stores' deliveries are made in the front of the building. The scene of a motorcycle strapped with boxes and its rider keeping their bike upright with one foot is a common sight. Even chain stores like 7-11 would quickly park their van near / on the sidewalk, unload and deliver through the front door.

Travels: Hong Kong

Travel from 2012, Hong Kong:

(Left row) Too eager to jam pack our day, Julie and I hung out in downtown Hong Kong before any of the museums were opened. We spent over an hour on a bench just sulking and observing.

(Mid top) Neat park feature centred around a historic fortress.

(Mid middle, bottom, right row): Private residential landscapes.

Back Blogging

To be candid, since graduation, I've only picked up a pen to sketch intermittently and postings non-existent. While I haven't been slacking in pursuing other creative endeavours (some to be followed with future posts), I sorely missed observing and understanding places on a whim. It is this act that keeps a designer humble and curious, wise yet flexible. Enough said, it's time to bring things a little more up to date:

Sketching from the balcony of Chan Centre during performance by UBC Orchestra. 

A visit to Binning House, example of early modern architecture movement in Canada. 

A section-plan sketch of West Vancouver's streetscape.

A sketch in the Linked Hybrid in Beijing, China, 2010. 

RE: Thom -Island Studio

It has been 2 and a half year counting, I found this undelivered on my hard drive, oh my.

A section cut of our ferry boat on our way back to Vancouver. A worker on Deck 2 surprised me by miraculously appearing, peaked over my shoulder and added helpfully, "You missed a column." 

A clue as to where I sat during the presentation, hi Thom.

Thesis -Riparian in Our Midst

Better excerpts of my thesis live here than locked away from the world on my laptop. May this thirst for knowledge and design never end.

Title - Riparian in Our Midst
Location - Surrey, BC, Canada

Inquiry - “In the past, development has typically degraded stream environment and neglected cultural opportunities inherent in its landscape. This project proposes an alternative future where development reintegrates stream, ecology, and community by mitigating stormwater, enhancing ecological integrity, and providing cultural amenity.“ 

RE: Sheena and Laura -Dim Sum

What's a meal amongst friends? Over the art of dim sum nonetheless. 

Below is a map of dim sum locations I frequent, this includes our dine out at Kingsway. Having mapped this, Vancouver seems to exhibit a band of dim sum restaurants spanning along its north-south axis -either my ventures are limited in scope or that's where the ethnic communities are congregated. 

To let you know you've been thought about, I've drawn tea for three on three seperate dine outs. Laura, for you, a steamed bean curd with three types of mushrooms (far left, second down). 

 With all the staring (at the food) I've done at the restaurants, I think the waitresses were getting the wrong idea I was a mole from the food inspection department.

And with this post, I submerge into the depth of thesis until May. Safe trip Laura, Sheena and I are on our own epic journey in Vancouver.

All in my head...

Left with little time to explore, and even less time to feel rejuvenated, I spent my bus rides recalling moments when I felt uplifted, content, or charmed. Places I could close my eyes and trace the memories.  Slightly different from most sketches posted to date, these were drawn from hindsight, months or years later.

Portland - journey to Washington Park / porch of our hostel.

Beijing - stone archway to boat dock within Old Summer Palace / inconspicuous alleyway 

Nanaimo - dinner company / Surrey - rough contemplation about thesis site

SFU - terraced pub with honey-combed patios / Unknown - based on someone else's description

Beijing - stone path floating on depthless green water, surrounded by the bamboo ravine. 

UBC -Bean Around the World cafe (I believe the interior setting was much nicer when Salt Spring Coffee owned the place, the barista table with its high chairs was the only part they kept intact and thank goodness for that). 

Vancouver - narrow cafe in Gastown

Process

There is nothing like beginning the lunar new year with a healthy does of nostalgia. With thesis on the horizon, design process has been on the forefront of my mind -how does one process information? What data should be focused on? It also doesn't hurt that this balances out my lack of blog activities over the past months.

These are scans from a studio project sited along Kingsway / Metrotown. These snapshots, now three years ago, portray a site information gathering session.

Brain stew.

Conversing with shop keepers.

 Sketching outside of a tattoo parlour. 

 Sketching outside of a beauty parlour inside a mall.

Synthesizing on the bus.

Then on a unrelated but relevant note, sometimes, you really do dream things up. This was a scene I (sleepily) dreamt of shortly after my visit to Cumberland, the land of rivers and lake. The current consensus are that processes are diverse -sometimes linear, other times radial, then there are quantum leaps.

Coffee Talk

Everything has a story to tell, why should your coffee cup be any different?

Coming to a Starbucks where I sit next to you.

Rowdy Pub Night

 Sketching in Cumberland's town pub. 

I have an artistic classmate who encouraged sketching to capture movement on the karaoke floor. He later reinforced a 5 seconds rule per post-it where he snatched it away at the end of the time limit. In rough chronological order.

Arguably the best use of the waitress's memo paper.