two steps behind

It is amazing how a building can last hundreds of years. Well, I really don’t believe that normal buildings will last that long. What it need is the care and the life inside the building otherwise it is just an empty shell. My auntie once asked me why new empty buildings feel so old and get deteriorated so fast compared to buildings that are half a decade older but, are full of life and joy.

Architecture really isn’t “just about” the design of buildings but it is really about the design of “space” and the interaction of those “spaces with people” In Bangkok, the idea of architecture is defined by the amount of square meters you can have in an empty lot. That is why most of the buildings here are built EXACTLY to the size of the vacant lot, perhaps only a meter away from the property line for people to walk.

And when I was in Europe, the architecture there amazed me in the point that they are so well maintained both its architecture and culture. The city is lively with culture that has been there for hundreds of years. The architecture enhanced that very rich culture making it is such a great place to visit or to eventually settle down.

This picture was taken in Madrid on my very first visit to Madrid on Easter Holiday 2009. I find Europe to be a very attractive place to live just as I have always imagined.

And guess what? I am done imagining about living in Europe because I am going to live in Europe, really soon!