Since I’m currently in this “let’s all feel good” mood, here’s how simple, unexpected acts of niceness can change the general mood.
That was the nice me. And now, the bitch: this wouldn’t work in Vienna. When you try to be unexpectedly nice to people here, they won’t react at all – if you’re lucky. If you’re not, they’ll scold you. Yeah, we all just love this city!
Thank you, Vice for the interview with Oscar Niemeyer!
Niemeyer is the living legend of architecture. A Brazilian, he was Le Corbusier’s student and later created the capital of Brasil from 0, in the middle of nothing. Today, Brasilia is protected and considered one of the greatest achievements of modern architecture. He is a big communist, he is 102 and still going to his office every day. He believes architects should have a wide spectrum of culture (as should all other creative people, I would say) so he employed a teacher who came to his office for 5 years to teach his architects about philosophy and universe.
And here what he says about life:
“We (Niemeyer and his friends) want to say to young people that life is more important than architecture, more important than anything else. Life is about knowing how to behave, how to be fair and enjoying being nice to others. That’s it. But life is not important. I don’t want to say that it’s shit. But it is just what destiny threw into your lap.”
Yes, today let’s celebrate the immense power of own convictions, of joy, of letting go, of just not giving a damn, of doing your own thing, of loving life… (and – I hate to say it but I must – good drugs):
P.S. Thank you, Oliver!