18.8.2025 Monday - eating cheese naan while presenting a design idea

 

17.8.2025 Sunday - out of action

 After the morning's pickleball, I should have stayed in the office to work. Instead I agree to play squash and pull a hamstring muscle (slightly but you can sense it can get worse). So, I am out of action with perhaps walking and shoulder exercise being the only possibilities for the next few days.
 

16.8.2025 Saturday - saying no and letting people have their own way

124/80

Today I find out that HP is an only child, and one of the few who traveled out of her hometown to get a university degree. Her school friends are mostly married with children, and still in the hometown. Her parents are also still there, running a small coffee shop that opens at 5:30 a.m. and close after lunch or once all the noodles are sold out. Dad is in his 70s but looks younger - she tells me, her mom is in her fifties. She tells me this while she drove to Impiana Hotel where we have organised a tour for some university students.

  

15.8.2025 Friday - back in action

 

After the early morning meeting with FK, I decide that we will write to him in the future instead spending time trying to resolve matters face to face. I cannot decide if he is not component, or too lazy or simply a muddled thinker - in any case, it wasted an hour of our time. 

14.8.2025 Thursday - touching up

 Judy's auntie passes away this morning, she was 55 and the youngest of Elaine's sisters. Judy has been caring for her since she was placed under home palliative care, I wonder if Judy can now come to Japan with us. The accommodation and travel arrangements would have to be adjusted and revised of course, but I have faith in the system set up by our young people. They are very capable and caring, and would think about the best way to accommodate without minimum ripples. 

I see this in the way we share work with our work partners as well. When I tell one that the fee share is 70-30; they instinctively take on that amount of work load (and usually more) whereas when we decide that the work split is 15-85; again the word load is adjusted and revised to suit these new percentages. 

A conversation with PH who spoke to a client about a potential project in Miri

A conversation with HP who then spoke to Ellie, the M&E coordinator on site

Talking to George about solid-void relationship and honesty of expression

13.8.2025 Wednesday - egos and insecurities

called up for an impromptu site visit to discuss air-cond locations and ceiling heights; interestingly that the M&E engineer was not present.

A client once asked me what is the most difficult part of a project - 'the construction part' I replied. And went on to explain that it is not the management of the contract which is the most challenging but the management of the various people in the construction team with their various egos and insecurities, their various capabilities and shortfalls.

I used to rail against who are insecure and inaccurate, but nowadays I deal with the matter at hand; and ignore whose fault or responsibility it is. 

Sean tells us that another two floors later and we would have reached the full height of the office block

 

Later that day - we were thanked for showing up on a rainy afternoon to solve a problem with water ingress into the hotel lobby

12.8.2025 Tuesday - vaccinated

Working on several things with several groups of people: 

1. George and the PJ apartments
2. Penghui and Demak housing
3. CYCU and the temple stage
4. Fiona and hotel bridge
5. Ricco and stairs
6. HP and the gym
7. LH and Precinct One

All small elements within our projects; some on site, some on the drawing board, some still in our heads. But all needing a little kick further down the road - there are more which I will need to do tomorrow. 

We are rewarded with a meal by the Sims, we eat at the Golden Arch Mall - the location of our former office (1999-2001 - and I am glad to see the back of that building).