10.12.2025 Wednesday - meeting Andrew and Helen

 

9.12.2025 Tuesday - nice work today

 

8.12.2025 Monday - running slowly for now.

 Building competence is the things that equips us to be able to be safe in what we do. I think it builds confidence as well. I am better in a team - when PH is here to stand in for meetings and inspections, I am relieved to work on design issues and deadlines with the rest of the team. Interestingly, the 3 of us, including Leong are the earliest in the office each morning, the young ones tumble into the office according to age, (almost) with Clarissa coming in after 9a.m.

Most employers would take issue with this, but I let is pass - they give back their hours by staying back, and doing work as needed on the weekends. We don't talk about it, and everyone works around each others routines, they make arrangements to suit their projects and deadlines. It takes another tasks from the 'management's' plate, one less role to patrol. The last person to arrive at the office comes in at 2p.m. sometimes later. I have no say in her routine, but mentally object to it, not as a 'boss' or leader of a team. It sets a poor example for her team, and put added pressure on her partner - who is already over-worked doing projects from both practices.

I start with a slow-ish run this evening at the gym, after hearing a fellow architect talk about 'running' - it motivated me to start running again. I realise that I can give up most of the racket sports, but running - I would like to be able to do again, out in the open. 

7.12.2025 Sunday - Martin Parr

 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/aug/24/theres-something-very-interesting-about-boring-martin-parr-on-his-life-in-pictures

I had the run of Parr’s house and he did everything I asked of him. His wife, Susie, kindly made us some coffee and got on with other things while we did the shoot. At the end, I suggested I could do a portrait of them together and we walked a little way down the street, where I photographed them on a steep hill. Using that hill worked quite well, as it accentuated Parr’s physical stature. Asking them to lean together and support each other was also symbolic, because no man is an island.

1970s. Paris - Susie

6.12.2025 Saturday - breakfast at the market, lunch at the club

 I find myself gravitating to the more distant of Sam's relatives, cousins from Kuantan, the in-laws, random babies and  young people at the lunch. The others I don't have time for - Yasmin pointed that out - that we use the word time as a commodity of how we value our relationship with a person. As in 'I have more time for Bob rather then Jane' and 'I won't have lunch with him'.

Family members - I don't know what to say to them about the greetings. 

She used to be so vibrant and full of enjoyment of the good life; laughing out loud (usually at other people, including me). Now dumbed down, what a waste of an education. The men are the same, there is too much tact in the conversation, I don't what to say to them. I chat to the wives, one of them is very annoying and does not know it - she invites us to join them on a trip to China. The drunk is still the drunk, I am truly tired of him - it is not funny anymore. 

Saujana Club: grilled chicken, fruits, fried bitter gourd and red wine, Dinner was chicken as well, with veg/potatoes on the plane.

Eating too much food, three meals a day; chee cheong fun with Selinna at ICC Pudu

5.12.2025 Friday - working by a nice window, and later dinner with lovely people

 

BL chilli pan mee at KIN2 restaurant, Lunch: roast meats, KT soup, kaya puffs and egg tart

coffee and cake at Paris Baguette

D: rice with rendaing, veg, sate, omelette at Madam Kwan's

4.12.2025 Thursday - repairing so that a bit of the skill continues to live on in the object repaired

My left ankle is getting better, and I am quietly optimistic. I leave for KL this afternoon so I decide to go to work earlier but not before walking for a bit, listening to Irish people talking about how the Japanese repair broken porcelain and how differently the Chinese do it. Kintsugi embraces the notion of beauty in imperfection; wabi-sabi. 

My first time in the PJ house since mom passed, we spend a long time in the Grab car before deciding to change restaurant; a Szechuan type that specialises in spicy fish dishes, chicken with dried chillies and peanuts. To our surprise Dad really enjoyed the food, and also Lynn whom we invited to join us for dinner and a beer. She is Dad's new live-in helper, she is 48 with 4 kids - 2 in Malaysia, one of whom is 30 years old. 

too much food: noodles for lunch, rice on the plane, and this nice Szechuan dinner with Dad and Lynn (Armelyn Aquino)