Thursday, September 29, 2022
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
27th September 2022 Tuesday - internship review
Joy came by to review the two UNIMAS students, it was meant to be a short visit but it ended up being a 90 minute travelogue. One in a while, I turned to look at the three of them huddled in front of the laptop, when a bubble of laughter erupted. Later she and I chatted about how 6 months is necessary compared to the three, and how they should let the students actively seek their own placement. She agreed, and said she'll table at their next meeting but I had an inkling that it would be difficult for change. I have heard that the warm and caring Dean had been replaced by a man without talent for teaching ; a humourless bureaucrat.
More the reason for Iffa and Joanne and their cohort to venture further for their Masters.
Monday, September 26, 2022
25th September 2022 Sunday - Lim sisters
Mom celebrated her 80th birthday last night, we invited her youngest sister because she's the sort that would liven up a party. Her husband is also very sporting, and Mom is good of him.
It's a change from our usual family dinners, there's more chatter, more teasing and poking fun at each other, and laughter. I think I'll invite these two to dinner with Mom once a month, and invent events to celebrate; an engagement, a birthday, a graduation.
It's good for Mom, she was laughing a lot last night.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
23rd September 2022 Friday - postcards from the past
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Sean and Sara visited their mummy Selinna who took them out for an expensive omakase lunch in KL, and as dutiful grandchildren they visited their grandparents.
They brought back a letter that Sam wrote to Dad describing the reasons behind the purchase of our first TV set*. In that letter, she complimented me saying that I have helping out with cooking and cleaning while she minded Sean. We had just moved into our new house then and she was balancing a full time job and caring for Sean. I recalled cooking the simple dinners for us, including our helper, Yanti.
*we went to the Permai resort with WK who had two free rooms, during which Sean became quite fascinated with the tv set in the room. We took some photos of him in the large hotel bed, propped up with pillows. Right then, we decided that we should buy a TV for the house.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
22nd September 2022 Thursday - SAMA at Bankside, London
After visiting St Paul's, we walked across the bridge to visit the Tate. There were too many people inside, the weather was nice so there many people sitting outside at the riverbank. I sat next to a group of Asian students eating from a 'pot-luck' of takeaway meals, chatting variously in English and Mandarin. Several of the women were quite fetching, but then with youth and good skin everyone looks good. I wonder if this is the type of envy we aroused in our observers when Sam and I ate our summer lunches at Eastern Beach, or when we cycled along the Barwon River after shopping at the Sunday market.
When we were all ready, we queued up for a spot in Shakespeare's evening show.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
20th September 2022 Tuesday - father and son
Left for office early today, glad that there was no tennis. I was achey from the long massage yesterday, and also wanted to start on work earlier.
Monday, September 19, 2022
19th September 2022 Monday - change is good
The new office is far from ready, the other lot is still being constructed; the library, the pantry, the conference room and SML's cluster of workstations are still pieces of steel and plywood.
The front door was only recently installed and we are all seated in one area, some in make-shift positions while others like myself have taken up a permanent spot. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, I feel quite content and anchored at my workstation in the office. A spot which was inadvertently selected for me by Mark who said that my workstation was the centre of the office space. (we measured, and he was right 9.75metres in both directions)
I don't usually need additional motivation to work, but I feel re-energised in recent days. To walk the 9-minutes from home to the office via the troublesome overhead pedestrian bridge with its uneven steps, and later two flights of escalators (which make up for the troublesome climb up the pedestrian bridge).
Change is good, and timely as well with Sean coming into the office, with new and yet familiar faces joining us at MWA Architects Sdn. Bhd.
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Saturday, September 17, 2022
17th September 2022 Saturday - difficult parenting
We had drinks with EH at Boey's last night, (and met Morganne and Ted there) Belinda couldn't bring herself away from her parents, going beyond the call of duty so she missed out on a lovely evening. We felt bad about it as we have been and still are in a similar situation. Sam bore the brunt of it with my father - it was a depressing chore to look forward to, with nagging from mom, acting out and anger from my father. I had forgotten until Sam brought it up last night as we all took a minute and sympathised with Belinda.
We have mom over to the house now as we babysit her, she's never violent she doesn't complain about the food and drinks we give her - I made her a papaya and passionfruit smoothies which she declined at first making a face, then drank with a smile. She's mostly happy to be with us - today calling out to Sean upstairs asking him down for something to eat. (I was shocked about how soft her voice had become, she couldn't shout). She can be annoying with her endless cycles of questions, but we give slightly different answers each time and that keeps us from getting bored.
Tomorrow she'll be back in the afternoon, we plan to take her to the mall in her push chair. A change of scene for everyone.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
14th Sept 2022 Wednesday - postcards
Sketches for fun which were also the ideas for a boutique hotel by the river - the technique is a type of ink and wash but instead of the traditional water colour wash, I am using InkTense water marker pencils with a fountain pen outside. As for the design idea - the development is 'lifted' off the ground to allow views from the street and shop houses, it also then retains the ground floor as the public realm so the public can still view and experience the river side park and lastly lifting the hotel premises 4 metres in the air provides better sound and visual insulation and privacy and in doing so, gives off a sense of mystique and anticipation.
The hotel building will be supported on a 'forest of pilotis' with only 2 volumes touching the ground plane - the hotel lobby and lifts, and the fire escape stairs. The second and third floors are hotel rooms with an internal courtyard - alluding to the air well (tian jing) of the shop houses. The walls of this air well is cladded in timber paneling with fenestrations that look inwards via tropical windows, thus creating an internal streetscape, again alluding to the streets in nearby Chinatown.
Late this evening - we had a quick meeting online (GL, SL and me) and compiled a preliminary set which I sent to the client. Let's see.
Renna site technical meeting, plenty of sketches for Roxy's interiors and also for PD's additional design elements; the vent-block walls at the internal courtyard, ceiling details and kitchen tiles.
Met with the BSC team (Din) about the new L6 offices, and chatted to SL about design elements (she benefits from the discussions as it helps to confirm design ideas, she is coming along steadily).
I was disturbed by a client, who is re-checking design decisions made a year ago; delaying the project tender. We arranged for a meeting next week to settle the matter in person, and after PH agreed to come for this meeting - I stopped worrying and started drawing again.
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| Waterfront |
13th Sept 2022 Tuesday - Thai dining
After the afternoon's landscape design presentation by Mint, I asked if I could take her and Jinni out for dinner with my family. Before she answered she checked with Freddy who immediately called to invite his boss. After Teck declined, Freddy proceeded to invite a selection of mutual friends to make up the ten, which I thought strange at the time as I was hosting the dinner not him.
But I let him continue, in the car ride to the club (to drop me off for squash) he rang his list of friends and colleagues; speaking in Hakka. One of the people he invited was JP whom I thought was a strange choice, I had a tough time working with him as I thought that he was slow in responding to the demands of the job.
At dinner, I sat myself next to Mint, JP was seated to my left. He told us about his family, anecdotes about his childhood and uni. Mint thought that the food was yummy (she kept putting morsels of food on my plate) but the conversation was hilarious. I found the company refreshing, and decided that I should give myself time to know people as many are 'good guys' (to use Sam's assessment of the man)
And perhaps this what Freddy's intention as well, as I'm sure he had observed my run ins with JP about steel design issues.
Monday, September 12, 2022
12th Sept 2022 Monday - making bridges
We have started working full time at the office this week, but some of us aren't really in yet. JY is still working from home, I'll have a chat with her about her programme. Also this morning (on quite a busy schedule) Peggy wanted to have a chat about her work week and her mental health - I felt that we both came to a good conclusion. I'll get Sean to look in on her, and get her to work with him.
I had a good chat with PH about his trip to CCC in Bagan, and the strategy to push the Segamat KM along with the client's help. SL promised to compile a mock up set for BP, so I can plan the next stage of drawings which involves the whole team. I didn't find time to chat with George nor Fiona though I know they're working on their projects.
Sure enough, later that afternoon when I was at Tasik Biru with Teck, she rang to finalise the planning submission for the Office Park.
A good day all in all.
Saturday, September 10, 2022
10th Sept 2022 Saturday - emergency breakfast
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| Proposed internal elevation of apartment block |
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The day started earlier than usual when Ni asked me to take mom out of her house so that Ni can sleep. Mom was put on pain medication which seemed to give her hallucinations and keep her awake. It also sounds like the periods awake is starting to agitate mom and frustrate her resulting in arguments with Ni.
So, we collected her at 5:30 and we went to the market for noodles and coffee, mom was chatting and eating and all seemed normal. Except the subject matter of her conversation was very different, she was talking about people long gone, from years ago, from her childhood. She forgot that Pa has passed away and she can recognise Sam nor the kids. It worried me because this felt like Pa’s behaviour, I hope we have not triggered some onset of Alzheimer’s in mom.
It helped that Sean and Sara were around to distract and occupy her as I was getting steadily irritated by mom. I did find time to work though, once session when she was sleeping between 8-10 am. I worked on and sent Singgahsana to Teck, landscape ideas to Mint and spoke to Sherlin about the design of Level 6. It was very kind of her to take the time, and I mentioned this to her during our chat.
It was a tiring day without having done anything physically taxing, but I was glad when Ni came to collect mom and we could go to our dinner at Louise’s (when I enjoyed listening to Ian Bong).
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| Sketches of the Green facade for hotel in Kuching |
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Friday, September 9, 2022
Thursday, September 8, 2022
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