30.4.2026 Thursday - quiet measure of success (for today's publication)

 

We have been doing this for 2 years; publishing a local project* or article at 7am every Friday on our website, and sharing the same on social media.

Our goal was to showcase local projects on a common platform, so that they can be easily accessed and retrieved, something which is difficult to do with printed media. Sharing the featured projects on social media also meant a wider reach; both in readership as well as collaborators. We wanted to be more inclusive, which meant that our publications grew to include student works, projects-in-progress, research articles, community outreach projects (sometimes in dual languages) - just so we can keep to our self-imposed deadline of presenting our followers with their 7a.m. Laksa Companion every Friday.

Earlier this year, we reached 1000 followers in Facebook and close to 700 in Instagram - it's a quiet measure of success, considering that this is a personal initiative by two architects assisted by a small team. Our collaborators include the local chapters of PAM in Sabah and Sarawak, and recently we are cross-linked with the Architecture Malaysia (AM) website; the Malaysian Institute of Architecture magazine.

Another measure of success is the increasing number of contributions locally as well as from overseas. With over a hundred entries in our website now, we have gone from merely collecting to curating – there is a body of works which can be composed according to themes, typology, region, and so forth – and re-published on the website. In this way, we are able to re-introduce past projects and articles as new followers join us on social media.

In the recent months, we have completed several interviews with Pioneer Architects in Sarawak; those who started practicing in the 1970’s. In the coming months, we expected to publish articles on the late Ar. Paul Yong and Ar. Ting Ing Chew. As long as the projects keep coming in, we will be able to keep to our deadline of publishing each Friday morning.

For those of you who have contributed to the website – thank you. For those of you who have not, it does not have to be a recent project – it just has to be something dear to you. Just as the website has become something dear to me, especially when we feature works by my former interns and students; winning awards and recognition for their efforts. Thank you for letting us share our pride in your success.

Wee Hii Min with Chai Si Yong & Jenny Chow - Founding partners

29.4.2026 Wednesday

 I dreamt that I was at my grandma's house, I remember the coarse floor boards underfoot. I was given something to drink, it was in the mid-afternoon; it was hot but I was comfortable, I felt safe. 

28.4.2026 Tuesday - up and about

Today, I venture out for the first meeting after my operation. Freddie and George are very attentive as though I am a patient, I show them and the client's team that I am fairly mobile and in good spirits. Our friend, JT who is in hospital after a stomach operation is not so fortunate, he is not in good spirits and is not eating. Sam thinks that it is because he does not have family support and is feeling a little depressed, though his behaviour towards his siblings does not help his situation. 

27.4.2026 Monday - sons and daughters

Yesterday FL came up to me at lunch time and asked if I wanted a takeaway lunch. I declined saying that I'll have a simple muesli lunch, and then joked 'who knows?, Sean might bring me something to eat.., no, he won't, I concluded. To which she said 'that is the difference between sons and daughters'. 

And I thought how sweet of her to express it that way. 

26.4.2026 Sunday - re-connecting, almost.

EH texted Sam last night so there are plans this morning to meet for breakfast. He cannot make it so we meet with the others instead, and update them on my ankle which is getting better. I am able to walk about with the boot now, and the wound is closing up. Motivated by this, I finish a good work out at the PD - we meet the good doctor and he obvious misses our chats; we talk in the car park about my recovery, about sports and about his previous recovery from the same injury.

I am reminded why I am reluctant to share too much about my situation, he does talk/share a lot about things that do not directly concern him/them. One good thing comes out of this belated meeting - Sam will join in a hospital visit to Johnson tomorrow. 

25.4.2026 Saturday - edit profile using the elevation view

Today is a work day, Sam takes me to the office after a simple breakfast - folks make way for me when they see my crutches (and offer us a place to sit). I work on the penthouse layout until Freddie tells me a few shortfalls, I stop and start on the Revit model of the butterfly park instead. Henry teaches me how to edit the profile of my balustrade, I am happy but am a long way off from a working set of drawings. 

Luckily Sean arrives to 'push' me to a gym workout and buys me a nice lunch after that. 

24.4.2026 Friday - something I have not done for a long time

The antibiotics are making me tired and sleepy, Sam is tired as well, coordinating the final touches of the renovation project. In the afternoon, I do something I have not done for a long time; I have nap at 230pm. I wake up at 4pm - I do not feel very useful. Sean has been more useful; attending meetings with clients on site and at their office. He seems energised by the productivity. He takes my my advice and pair a baggy short with fitting trousers (and vise versa, I told him i.e. baggy trouser and a fitting top. 

Later, Sean drives us to dinner at The Spring, I eat a lot of protein and drink one beer.

she brings lui chai to lunch and we shared one portion of rice, I was chatting to Tao so I snapped this photo to send to him