Views from a Dutch Ferry

Frankfurt

Views from a Hungarian Bus

 My years in Melbourne has made me very fond of trams

Turm der Weißfrauenkirche - White Tower of the Church of Our Lady

At noon on Thursday the 4^th of April, a bus full of Sarawakians driven by Georges; from Budapest with tour guide, Ivano from Roma - were dropped off at Willy Brandt Platz presumably to take photos of the big Euro sign and the 40 storey Euro Tower. I obliged although it was all a bit bland. Others disappeared into a nearby pub – it WAS lunch time after all and dinner time in Malaysia. 

The plaza was cold and windy so Sam and I left it to wandering up one of the side streets; looking for something with a bit of character or out of character, as all the buildings appeared so strait-laced and homogenous. We spied the curved canopy of a hall with a white tower beside it and I sketched it while waiting for our friends to finish their meal and beers. I regretted not joining them for beers but am glad to get my first sketch of Germany. 

Later I found out that this is the Church of Our Lady and the White Tower is the site for an art installation that will transform it into a multi-coloured lantern built with larch lattices. 

Bicycles in Frankfurt

We arrived in Frankfurt on the 4th April after a stopover in Dubai – it was late morning and 4 degrees. The bare branches of the trees flanking the highway reminded me of “The Blair Witch Project” – until I saw signs of life, cyclists on a bike track that ran parallel several metres from the edge of the road; padded, gloved and backpacked. Bit late to be going to work, I thought. Then I saw a woman with a child in her bike carrier; the young girl was holding something colourful in her hands, listening intently as the woman spoke to her over her shoulder. Perhaps on the way home from playschool or should I say ‘kindergarten’ since we are in Germany - it is be wonderful to run along these bike trails I thought.

A few days later, I found myself running on one of these trails in the early morning. It was 4 degrees. It was good as an experience but not good for the hairs on my legs as they dropped off over the next few days.

Mayday Mayday!

I have fallen behind in my blog entries – the trips to Yangon and Europe are only partly to blame, as I have been busy at work finishing off our ‘ job-bank’ projects. These are projects which are in their initial stages and require resolution for planning approval. Since planning approvals can take up to two years, these projects are similar to money in the bank; fixed deposits to be put away for a future rainy day. They will not be built for another two years at least.

 Amongst all the large scale projects, I consciously find time for smaller projects to keep myself in touch with the process of exploration and drawing. I usually do these projects with the younger members and students in the office - as a training process for them. 
I enjoy the smaller projects as they usually foster more informal communication with the client, as can be seen in the notes and sketches above. They serves as our 'minutes' of meeting; the sketches do replace a thousand words (quite easily). Not all my drawings are hand drawn; I like the sketchiness of this software making it more akin to the hand drawn line than a photo-realistic image.

In May, I will try to sequence my blog entries according to the Europe trip as I have made many notes of events and stories in the making – and sketches to accompany them. I mentioned in my earlier post that this is a study trip organised by our local Architects’ Institute; so the priority is to visit buildings and places of culture and interest, with side trips to sample local delicacies with an open mind and wallet. As the trip progresses it becomes clear that unfortunately, not all our travel companions share this attitude.

Frankfurt

We are in Frankfurt as part of the study trip organized by the Sarawakian Architect's Institute; 24 of us including our friends and significant others were given an itinerary packed with architecture, cuisine and for those who are able to absorb beyond the surface; culture.

Conversations with M: ceased

This is a tribute to Marcel Wu who passed away in Toronto on Christmas Day 2012; I posted some of our chats in ‘conversations with M’  . Marcel had positive influence on me - in the way I conduct my business and treat the people whom I work with.

 Although he left Sarawak more than a dozen years ago, he was a homegrown architect who left behind a rich legacy of architectural work. I was privileged to have trained with him during my time at Kumpulan Design. Marcel had an impressive ability to formulate design solutions quickly, reinforced by his superb draughtsmanship and strong narrative style with a propensity towards formality and monumentality in his built work. During his time at KDI, Marcel designed the many buildings and oversaw the designs of even more.

He was a teacher at heart, fond of imparting lessons over long breakfasts and even longer lunches. He had a way of making people feel important to be part of his team; recognising those whom others pay no heed and giving credit when it is due. Long and hard as Marcel worked, he always set time aside for his wife, Kummy and their family.

In 2000, Marcel decided to retire and move back to Canada to spend more time with his family. By that time, his third child Avril had been born. The next 12 years brought much joy to the family as Marcel and Kummy travelled the Americas. In retirement, Marcel finally found time to hone his craft and produced several collections of paintings and to develop his interest in gardening with Kummy.

In late March 2012, after returning from a cruise vacation Marcel was diagnosed with lung cancer. The disease was at an advanced stage but he refused to give up and fought for more time. In the next 9 months, Marcel re-acquainted himself with old friends throughout his life.

It was during this time that we started writing to each other; mostly talking about the subject dear to us both – Kuching. For my sketches of Padungan Road and Carpenter Street, Marcel would re-tell stories last heard during our lunches at the “Cholesterol Café” (roast meat stall next to the Padungan Police Station, now relocated) – and although he put on a brave front, it was clear that one day soon our conversations would cease.

On the 23^rd Dec, Marcel wrote his last email to me – he was hopeful though worried about the impending winter. He wrote “……still kicking my legs while I am able to. Still pinning much hope on TCM. Can’t seem to find the right words to use in the morning. :) Winter is set in. There is the stiff coldness. Walking as a cold stiff cannot be much fun.”

I will miss receiving emails from Marcel. I wish I had insisted on seeing him during his trips back to Kuching; he is always so occupied - everyone wants a piece of his time and attention. He will be fondly remembered by all of those who had the privilege to know him.