"professionals"

i am currently working on my new condo in manila; i have had to hire an architect because of electrical and some minor structural issues. since he is there and is not only able to obtain the necessary permits, he can also access "to-the-trade" resources i can't without a professional. he is a respected architect, who works on both small residential projects as well as multi-million peso/dollar commercial ones.

however. i am finding it increasingly more annoying and frequent that he is imposing his style on my space over mine. wtf??? if i want something, no matter how unorthodox, it should be my decision. my mistake, possibly, but i think that he should act more as a facilitator than as an authority. am i wrong about that?

i'm just effing annoyed.

library love.

bringing the outdoors in, in an unexpected way: i had wanted to colour-coordinate my books for a long time, and when i finally did, i was surprised with not only how well it came out, but how it opened up and brightened the dark room. the addition of the blue walls and rug grounds the space, and mimics the sky and ocean just beyond the walls. sitting on the comfortable daybed covered in basic canvas is like lounging on the sand dunes below; or, if i'm feeling particularly capricious (read: ridiculous), like sitting on a cloud amongst the rainbows.

swimming pool blues.

wouldn't it be wonderful to actually have a pool that led out to the ocean?

Asut dreams

Taking pics around Saipan, there is a common blue hue, with random shots of yellow.


"pairi"


Latex duty free?


amariyu yan asut


Garapan bowling alley


the defunct Saipan Fishing Center, Garapan


modern day latte stone hauling.... kidding. pre-party prep -- whoa!

Saipan, Uncle A'be's house

Saipan, A'be's house - porch, originally uploaded by *caramimi*.

My Uncle A'be, lives a fairly natural life on his beautifully tended property. Although he has one of the last tin & wood houses on our family compound, his tidy house and garden is the charming ideal of tropic life.

I spent a few afternoons at my uncle's house having lunch. After a filling meal of tuna and rice (cooked on the wood-fueled stove), I took some pics of the inside and outside kitchens, and the surrounding property. The carnival of plant life and color, was almost too vibrant -- a feast for the senses. I especially loved the Asian touches Aunt Amy accented throughout their home.

petta (door)

kusina (inside kitchen)

All the cooking is done in the outside kitchen. Most families have gas-burning stoves, but Uncle A'be still prefers cooking with firewood -- even rice, despite the fact he owns a rice cooker.

The poured concrete sink in the outside kitchen. Utilitarian, yet beautiful design.

A tree runs through the outside kitchen, conveniently used to hold the cutting board.

aga yan chotda (ripe & unripe bananas)

Every home, I visited, had bunches of bananas hanging to ripen. I'm not certain of these varieties, but the small bunch in the back are the tiny thin-skinned bananas with sweet, firm, almost tart flesh, usually found in Asian or Latin markets.

The huge tree with tire swing was perfection.

Uncle A'be was particularly proud of this bunch of coconut trees, he made sure I photographed it.

multi-petaled hibiscus

acalypha hispida aka "Mother-in-law's tongue!"

garden fireworks

wonderwall.

i wanted to take advantage of the nearly three full walls of windows in my living room and make the most of the sunlight that pours in all day. i painted the walls white, but didn't want to get bored with it so i mixed pearlescent mica flakes (available at a well-stocked art supply shop like dick blick) into the paint. depending on the time of day/reflection of the sun, the walls change colour. here is what it looks like in the morning and through most of the day (you can just make out a silvery purple blue reflection); during sunset hours, however, the room takes on a lovely golden sheen like the beach below.

Saipan - willy nilly

Ai yi yi.... Old habits die hard. In the span of 3 months, my textile-collector-bug kicked in and I find myself with blue prints and a red bed. Chaotic bliss....