雲居日記–我在雲南有個「老」新家 / Cloud Residence Diary - My "old" new home in Yunnan, China
- 緣起
從盛夏到深秋，偶然的一段長途旅程，以考察加觀光的形式、用四個月的時間走訪了中國的西南一隅。
綜合考量了地理、氣候、人文、物產等因素，最終決定落腳在這座邊陲小城的一個老宅院。
- The Preface
It is said that life is just like a long journey, because no one can predict that how the journey will finally be or where to stay, on the long way of life.
In the accidental long journey from midsummer to late autumn, I spent four months to visit the southwest corner of China, in the manner of survey and sightseeing.
Upon comprehensively considering the factors including the geography, the climate, the humanities, and the productions, it is eventually decided to settle in an old house of the border town.
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| 老宅院的一景 / A view of the old house |
- 我的選擇–傳統的木造老房子
老宅院的主體是一棟當地傳統的木造老房子，緊鄰一個天井式的院子和一幢廚衛功能的建築物。
之所以選擇這種木造的老房子，主要是因為木造房屋具有地方的特色，而且經過歲月磨礪的物件具有沉澱的質感，此外就是個人喜好、用途等主客觀因素。
一開始把它當作自己的生活空間來經營，因此改造、裝飾都是親自設計，施工也多是自己動手。
首先整理出一個可供睡覺的房間，住進來之後再根據生活中的需求來改善衛浴、廚房等部分，而後再進行裝飾。
- My Choice - A Traditional Wooden Old House
The main part of the old house is a traditional wooden old house, which closes to a patio-style yard and a building functioned as the kitchen and the toilet.
The reason for choosing a wooden old house is mainly because wooden houses have the local characteristics, while old objects which have been worn with the passage of time have the texture of sedimentation. In addition, there are some subjective and objective factors such as personal preferences and actual usages.
In the beginning, it is taken as my own space for living, hence the reconstructions and decorations were all designed by myself while the constructions are mostly performed by myself.
A room for sleep is cleaned out first, other parts such as the bathroom and the kitchen are improved according to the needs of life after moved in, and then the decorations are performed.
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| 木造老房子的一角 / A corner of the wooden old house |
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| 粉刷牆壁 / Whitewashing the wall |
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| 利用舊物製作花架子 / Using an old object to made a flower stand |
- 改造、裝飾的理念
如同《聖經．創世記》中所寫的：「地是空虛混沌，淵面黑暗…神說要有光，就有了光。神看光是好的，就把光暗分開了」，老房子的改造、裝飾也是從最初的髒亂、破敗開始的。
經過一番清掃、修整之後，呈現的是清空的狀態，而後作為自己生活的地方，每天靜靜地去觀察、慢慢地去感覺，自然而然就知道這個地方該有些什麼、該怎麼改造或裝飾，才能達到渾然天成的效果。
我想塑造的是一個能讓人沉澱下來的環境，因此寧願空一點而不要冗餘，人生活在其中才能安頓身心、進而萌生創意，就像蘇東坡的一首禪詩中所說的「無一物中無盡藏，有花有月有樓台」。
空間的設計避免過度設計，試圖兼顧實用性和通用性，在考慮以後可能的各種用途和遮蓋建築物瑕疵的前提下營造美觀的效果。以客廳和房間的裝潢和布置為例，前者偏向中式、禪宗風格，後者則偏向簡約風格，需要時甚至兩者可以對調使用。就如同《道德經》中所說的：「有之以為利，無之以為用」，正因為它空、它簡約，才能便於變通運用。
- The Concepts for Reconstruction and Decoration
As described in the Bible: "the earth was without form, and void… God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness", the reconstruction and the decoration of the old house are also started from the original messy and dilapidated state.
After some cleanings and repairs, an emptied state shows, and then it is taken as a place for life to observe and feel day by day. As a matter of course, it will be known that what should be in this place and how to reconstruct or decorate it, so as to achieve the nature effect without affectation.
What I want to create is an environment capable of calming persons down. Therefore, it is preferred to be empty rather than be redundant, so that persons who live in it can settle whose body and mind and then emerge good ideas, as said in a Zen poem of the ancient Chinese poet Su-Shi: "Everything is included in the empty, which has flowers, the moon, and pavilion".
Overdesigning is avoided in the design of the spaces. It is attempted to give consideration to both the practicality and the versatility, and the artistic effect is made on the premise of considering possible future uses and hiding the defects of the old house. Taking the decoration and arrangement of the living room and the room as an example, the former resembles to the Chinese style and the Zen style while the latter resembles to the simple style, and even the two can be used interchangeably when needed. Just as described in the Dao De Jing: "what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness", which can be easily adapted to different uses since it’s empty and simple.
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| 一堵白牆的變化 / The change of a white wall |
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| 客廳的一角 / A corner of the living room |
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| 客廳的另一角 / Another corner of the living room |
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| 房間的一角 / A corner of the room |
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| 房間的另一角 / Another corner of the room |
- 過程中的甘苦與體會
兩個月的時間，把一個破敗的地方變成雅致的空間，這是一個化腐朽為神奇的過程。儘管還有許多可以改善的地方，但至少已經足以讓人身心舒適地居住在其中了。
除了需要許多的修繕之外，老房子還有許多先天的限制和缺點，例如不完善的水電網路和簡陋的廚衛設施。因此在裡面進行日常生活的同時，還要去發現它的缺點、找到解決方案、而後進行改善，所以改造、裝飾老房子的過程就好比人生的修行，在應付生活的過程中認識自己、根據自身的特質來揚長補短。
作為一個嬌生慣養的都市人，從原先的很多事情需要假手他人，到依靠自己的想法和力量去經營一個生活環境、以至於生活本身，經歷的是一個磨練知識、技能、性格等許多方面的過程。
在這個過程中偶然發現到，原先只是為了遮蓋建築物的瑕疵所作的改造或裝飾，卻常常能創造出令人意外的、別出心裁的效果。同樣的道理，儘管世間沒有完美的人事物，只要用心去打理，先天的限制和缺點也可以轉化成獨一無二的特色。
- Feelings and Comprehensions in the Process
Changing a dilapidated place into an elegant space in two months is a process as if turning the foul and rotten into the rare and ethereal. Although there are still many aspects to be improved, which is adequate to make persons who live inside physically and mentally comfortable.
In addition to requiring many repairs, there are many inherent limitations and shortcomings of the old house such as imperfect water and power lines as well as humble kitchen and bathing facilities. Hence, it is inevitable to find out the shortcomings of the old house, find the solutions, and make the improvements, while carrying out daily life in the old house. Therefore, the process of reconstructing and decorating the old house is like the practice of life, in which one needs to know oneself while dealing with one’s life and then make use of the advantages while improving the disadvantages according to one’s own characteristics
As a pampered urbanite who used to ask for the helps of others in many aspects, now I cannot help but to manage a living environment and even life itself depending on my own ideas and capabilities, which puts me to the test in many aspects including knowledges, skills, characters.
In the process, it was occasionally found that the surprising and ingenious effects were often created by the reconstruction or the decoration which was originally intended only to hide the defects of the old house. For the same reason, inherent limitations and shortcomings can also be transformed into unique features as long as they are cared, in spite of the fact that there is nothing perfect in the world.
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| 初步整理後的庭院 / The yard after the preliminary arrangement |
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| 庭院的一角 / A corner of the yard |
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| 木造老房子的一景 / A view of the wooden old house |
- 展望未來
到一個遙遠的異地、開展一段新的人生，是現實的生活、而不是天馬行空的夢想，因為所選的不只是一個新的地方、更是一個嶄新的生活型態，影響的是人的工作、休閒、社交、身心等方方面面。
漸漸學會經營一個能讓自己安頓在其中的環境和生活方式，只是一個好的開始而已。希望在不久的將來，能夠更多地運用自己的所長和興趣，除了自身的發展之外、也對這個新的地方有所回饋。
找到一個喜歡的地方、做自己喜歡的事、分享一切美好的東西，人生的意義和快樂，也不過如此了吧！
- The prospect of the future
Going to a distant place and to start a new life, which is a realistic life, not an unrealistic dream, since what chosen is not only a new place but also a brand new life style which affects a person in many aspects including the work, the leisure, the social contact, the body, and the mind.
Although I’ve gradually learned how to manage an environment and a life style which can settle myself, it is merely a good beginning. It is hoped that in the near future, I will be able to make more use of my advantages and interests to contribute to the new place, in addition to developing myself.
Find a favorite place, do what favorite, share everything good to others, which should be just the meaning and happiness of life!
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| 晨間彈琴 / Playing Guqin in the morning |
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| 工作時間 / Working Time |
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| 靜夜讀 / Reading in a quiet night |
丁酉，立春 (2/11/2018)
@騰衝，雲南省，中國 (Tengchong, Yunnan province, China)
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