“Less is more” is famously the motto of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969). The idea is to reduce design to its necessary elements. Less famously, Mies picked up the phrase from his teacher, architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin around 1910. Behrens is considered to be the first industrial designer. In the 1930’s Mies…… Continue reading Less is More
Category: Japanese Concepts
Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning
Posted Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning.
Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning
The [Japanese] word ‘ikigai’ is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile … . [It’s] used to refer to mental and spiritual circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable. There is a difference between ikigai and the sense of well-being.…… Continue reading Ikigai: It Gets You out of Bed Every Morning
There is no Road
Posted There is no Road.
An All-Expense-Spared Trip to Chicago
On Sunday I submitted my 2018 tax return. I’m eagerly awaiting a $2 refund from the Feds. The tax refund got me into a parsimonious frame of mind. I decided to assemble an inexpensive trip. Incentives for a cheap trip The stars were in alignment: An email from Hyatt Hotels warned me that a bunch…… Continue reading An All-Expense-Spared Trip to Chicago
Travel Gear: Suitcase
This is our only suitcase. My parents bought it in the 1960’s, probably at the John Lewis “Bainbridge’s” department store in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. They understood durable quality, even though money was tight. It took me through my college days in the 1970’s and on to the United States in 1979. In my undergraduate…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Suitcase
Empty Spaces
Closed on our apartment, started filling the empty space.
The Time I Sneaked onto a Night Train from Communist East Berlin to Prague
August 1972. My brother and I stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin. We had just arrived from London on our first flight ever. The flight was cheap by 1972 standards: just £14. In 2018 pounds that’s £181 (US$230), a lot of money for us: I was an undergraduate, and my brother…… Continue reading The Time I Sneaked onto a Night Train from Communist East Berlin to Prague
Ma: The Space Between
Posted Ma: The Space Between.
Ma: The Space Between
Entrance to temple, Kyushu, November 2017. A torii (traditional Japanese gateway), and steps receding into the distance to an unseen temple, exemplify the Japanese concept of ma, the space between. The gate frames space. The steps provide space in time to prepare the mind. As I read around, there are many definitions of ma, but…… Continue reading Ma: The Space Between