WHY I LEFT THE USA

I’m starting over. Everyone likes starting over, right? 

Let me start off by re-introducing myself. My name is Jason. I am a Korean, who grew up in Czech Republic, and spent the last 9 years studying in America. I studied architecture at Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design and recently moved back to Prague to continue my studies at the Architectural Institute in Prague (ARCHIP).

The most frequently asked question lately: Why leave such a good program for a virtually unknown school?

Because I can. Ha. 
But really, the biggest reason was: I felt trapped in America. I was being told how to chase happiness instead of finding it in the present. For me, institutions can only go so far in educating me. I’m a type that not only needs to hear stuff but to actually see and feel the stuff.

It’s a big risk, but hey, this is what makes life exciting. Like a frog taking its step back before making its big jump forward, I wanted to step back from the chasing.

So here I am. Back in Prague, the city I call my home. And this is my preparation to make the big leap forward.

SKETCHING AWAY THE FEAR

I’m not a good sketcher at all. I never learned how to draw, which was why I always avoided sketching as much as possible. When my friend Daniel from Virginia Tech visited Prague, he encouraged me to join him when sketching. Here it is: my sketch of the Dancing House by Frank Gehry. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my drawing actually somewhat resembled the building. Because I was an architecture student, I was ashamed of my poor drawing skills, but at this particular day, I was motivated to stop being so afraid of “not being good” at something. After all, you gotta start at some point, right?

The Dancing House has a special place in my childhood not necessarily for its aesthetics, but because it showed me what architecture can also look like. It was a “whoa” moment as a kid. So in a way, I’m glad that my first step to conquering this fear(?) of drawing started at the place where my dream to be an architect was sparked.

#INSTAGRAM

I was just featured on @_diala's first #followfriday post.

I don't think it's extreme of me to say that Instagram has changed my life over the past few months.
After spending 9 years in the US, I moved back to the Czech Republic this January where I was plunged into a place I called home yet a society that felt so foreign. Waking up in mornings to only wonder why exactly I needed to wake up. Wanting to step out of the house but not having the courage to. Leaving all my friends behind and trying to adjust to a new setting with zero friends was a daily survival.

Until I rediscovered a hobby of mine: photography. But photography is only fun to an extent unless you have someone to share it with. Instagram turned my hobby into a lifestyle as it gave me the opportunity to share my story through my lens. It became my motivation to keep shooting. Instagram is a pure community of people who simply love taking pictures. No prejudice against skin color, where one lives, or what one does, as long as the story and creativity behind a photo is delivered.

So thank you IG, for being my companion for the past few difficult months. Thank you to all my IG friends (I don't like the term "followers") and to the new friends I am about to make. And a big thank you @_diala for discovering me and supporting me - you really are a role model for this community.

Keep shooting, my friends!

P.S. If you don't have Instagram, you can check out my photos here.

I AM NOT LUCKY I AM BLESSED

DAY 1: STAFF MEETING

Hello everyone! It’s been a long ass time since I’ve updated my architecture blog. Sorry about that. Perfectionism + Laziness make it terribly hard to keep up.

A little update:

I’m done with my first year in architecture school at Virginia Tech (about damn time!). I was in Prague for a month to see my parents, and I just got to Boston a few nights ago to start my first job at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Yeah, I know, even my heart skips a beat every time a person asks, “Where are you working again?” It’s sort of embarrassing, actually, since I really don’t deserve this kind of opportunity. I am not lucky, I am blessed. (Thanks, Nicki Minaj, for a great line.)

The summer program is called Project Link - a career discovery program for high school students who want to see what architecture and design is all about. Exactly 3 years ago, I was one of the high school students to participate in this fully-funded program. Today, I will be walking in the Gund Hall, not as a student, but as a Instructor’s Assistant.

Wish me luck!

A JOHN LENNON FOR OUR GENERATION

I visited the John Lennon Wall in Prague with my paps today. It's been already 17 years since my family has moved to Prague, but it was actually my first time visiting the Wall (as far as my memory goes, at least).

John Lennon was and will always remain as an icon of peace and freedom. The Czech people started to paint his pictures and graffiti his beautiful lyrics on this wall during Communism in the 1980's. The Communist police tried to stop this movement by arresting the activists and repeatedly whitewashing the wall, but by the next day, the wall was full of poems, flowers, and paintings of Lennon.

Today, the John Lennon Wall continues to be a symbol of peace and love, inspiring many people to still come and freely paint on the wall. One unfortunate result of this is that the famous huge painting of John Lennon's face is deep buried under the new layers of paint. On the other hand, it's amazing to constantly see new messages scribbled on the wall - a clear evidence that people will never cease to stop fighting for peace, freedom, and equality.

I want to be a John Lennon for my generation.