31 May 2023 Wednesday - happy hour

the revised schematics for the student housing proposal was also due today.

 No exercise today, but it had a different highlight: cooking lunch for office folks followed evening  drinks with the Intersection team. 

RF the new intern dropped by for a look-see, and was immediately put to work preparing for lunch. She was one of the student moderator at an on-line talk during which CW and I answered questions about design, practice, the profession, etc. She has 3 months of training starting in July. 

After lunch, I spent a nice hour talking with Fiona and JY about details, schedules for PD Residences. It was an enjoyable chat; no rush during which they framed potential problems and suggested solutions or sought my opinions.  

Sean finally send out the Sibu Condo eSPA set, and will pick up after his holidays in KK.

Like children taken everywhere to broaden their horizons and boost their immune system, we take my mom everywhere to meet everyone and drink stout.

30 May 2023 Tuesday

 

29 May 2023 Monday

 

28 May 2023 Sunday

 

27 May 2023 Saturday - 潇洒

YY is an architect who came for an interview'and became a client who recently retired to work on her own, doing affordable housing projects. She seems very happy. 

 I wasn't really interested in the talk but thought that perhaps Sean would benefit from hearing what young architects had to say about their work. And hopefully this might set a mindset of intuitively framing the design conversation as he worked. 

I also thought that Jenny might enjoy the community and the free lunch, so off we went. I caught the tail end of the talk by BFG, and met Sani's colleague who was told to look out for a bald architect in shorts. I didn't enjoy the design talk, the 2 young ones didn't have much to say though they spoke for a long time. (Sean's words).

There were enjoyable moments when I met up with friends, spoke to SY about PDF and Tay about a sharing series for/ organised by young architects. I corralled Johan into possibly planning one soon, he's one of new committee members. MW came over and asked his usual 'how are you, Ming?' I replied my usual 'very good' to which he laughed and said to Suh Chee standing next to me that I am the most 潇洒 architect he knows. Suh Chee tried to translate - cool was her translation. Later that day, Peggy gave me 'not affected by the opinions of others'. Collins Dictionary gave 'naturally unaffected.

Peggy also said 'it's a good thing' . 

26 May 2023 Friday - life in small towns: old man gone walkabout

I was quite looking forward to today's lunch, I delayed my physio by 30 minutes, and did all my work in the office. Sean agreed to drive me, the others decided to go to the same Japanese restaurant for lunch. 

We were queueing in traffic, when we saw an elderly man walking along the kerb. He was using a walking stick and his gaze was in the middle distance. 'What's he doing?' I wondered aloud as I rolled down the car window and asked in Hokkien 'where are you going?'. As he tried to answer, he staggered backwards and fell, hitting his head on the road.

Syahidah and I rushed out of the car to help him up, he was dazed but able to talk. We put him in the front seat and he gave directions to his home. After a few moments, we realised that he had no idea where home is, neither does he remember his home phone number (he gave us only 4 numbers). His memory was failing him, but not his hearing - he took part in our back seat conversations, answering/ interrupting in English, Mandarin and Hokkien. 

I told Sean that we should take him to a 'cop shop' speaking in code since the old man's hearing is so good. We headed to the police station in HuiSing. 

Just as we were turning, I asked if his children were in town, and he said yes and gave a name that I knew from a while back. I met his son while CK was working at the local council. 

After a roundabout of phone calls, we were able to locate the old man's son who then sent his son to collect grandpa. During the 20 minutes when we waited outside my lunch venue, the old man was chatty, joking with me about the scolding he's bound to get when he arrives home.

I ate my lunch one hour late, but had an interesting story to tell. 

25 May 2023 Thursday

24 May 2023 Wednesday - HL

23 May 2023 Tuesday L6

22 May 2023 Monday - Sg.Pg

 

21 May 2023 Sunday Shakespeare in the park

 

20 May 2023 Saturday Kch - SG Oasia

 

19 May 2023 Friday - Schematic Design for Exo

 

 

18 May 2023 Thursday

 

17 May 2023 Wednesday

 

16 May 2023 Tuesday - vitamin porridge

 

15 May 2023 Monday - dinner with Mike and Don

 Attended an engineering presentation from Kamal, which was informative and interactive conducted in good spirits. 

By the afternoon, we were at Roxy Impiana with the full team and a target to complete by the 21 July this year. 

14 May 2023 Sunday

 

On account of my strained calf muscle, Sam drove me to work as she had to feed Arlene's cats and dogs (they are away in Bali). I used the early start to clean the kitchen table, make coffee and review the Tasik Biru BP set. Then I spoke to Sean and Leong about Sibu condo. We're getting there, though it crossed my mind that if the client were to put it through 'peer review' again, I shan't get upset. It's his money and his right to do this, we get an experienced architect to review our work. Signs of growing up. 

I also looked through MC's drawings for the showroom, he is quick but careless and doesn't have the finesse of LH. I'll have a quiet word with him. I didn't eat lunch as planned but went for a swim in the sun, and a chat with Sam in the car. We have to assign my mom's care to Sean this weekend when we're away. We decided to book him a couple of nights at the Hyatt Centric for his troubles. 

13 May 2023 Saturday lunch with Mike and Don

changing design and the sub-con meant an extra set of drawings and another level of attention needed to ensure compliance from someone un-familiar with what we want in our design.

 Early start, no exercise as yesterday's tennis combined with the extended fasting (until one meal a day: dinner) seemed to be adequate. I was in the office later as it was raining, when I arrived Jenny was also coming up the stairs, she is dedicated I must say. I wonder why this commitment did not help her through her Part 2. At the office, she wanted to discuss the master plan, and begged off and postponed till the afternoon. When I came out later, she was tidying up the PCs and my books - I was first annoyed then decided that she has a point and moved my stuff into the library. I do like a clean 'house'.

At the next table, is a tennis friend with another woman (not his wife) and Solomon described them as regulars and 'partners'.

Don is in Vancouver doing research into cancer ('I am a scientist') and Mike is with the Sheraton in Hangzhou, and has not been back for years. 

Lunch with Mike and Don, and Da and Hoon Kwang at Solomon's shop - talking about school days and retirement. I really enjoyed the banter as these two were good at it, and I have not seen them for a long time. There was a time when I looked up to Don, who was so knowledgeable and cool, with Mike Wong (and Ho, this one) with their soccer, and Nazir with his wit. 

watching Sia's niece's graduation from Oxford

Later in the afternoon, I cooked ginger chicken with rice wine, chicken and sweet corn soup, a prawn omelette, and stir-fried cabbage for dinner. I am making this my routine on Saturday, cook for family - today's family include Ivy and Sia. Pleasant surprise when Hong Yi showed up at Jenny's invite - he is working and gave Ivy his contact; draughting services, rendering, and the such. I invited him to drop by any time to use the office, he is a good 'kid' self taught with a good design eye. He has problems with deadlines, etc but people do grow out of that.

12 May 2023 Friday - a bit sleepy, a bit lonely and not hitting well

Refining the elevations, the client has a problem with Le Corb's briese soleil and asked for a different outlook

 On Fridays, I get to the office before 715 a.m. to let Doreen, the cleaner in - she works for 4 hours and leaves just before lunch. While she cleans the office, I sit in the conference/dining table and do some sketching while listening to a TV programme. This routine overflows into the other mornings, and I now start my days early and I leave earlier as well (at 4p.m.) to swim, play squash or tennis. 

During these early morning starts, the cat tries to dominate my space while I try to enjoy a quiet moment with coffee before people start coming in to work. 

Today is a bit of a downer as PH and Sherlin leave for KL and Fiona is on leave, fewer people in the office. I work for half a day, cook lunch to eat/share half of my pasta with HongYi (who arrives to have his photo taken for our website), go for my physio and later tennis till 630pm.

He has a habit of texting me seemingly random images, for me to guess what the task is for me. I teased him - this is too small for you, houses...? he countered - you want to do or too small for you? I told him I like designing houses, so we have a new project. 

11 May 2023 Thursday - railing design, a lunch reunion and a dinner reunion

Changing design and sub contractors - simplifying it to its bare essentials with 3 added functions: a guardrail is a guardrail is a guardrail, until you add an upper frame which conceals a light (to read the menu, to see what you are eating and to provide ambient lighting), with a narrow counter top for drinks and small plates, which is also a horizontal barrier deterring people from getting too close to the edge. The change of the sub-contractor is also a good thing, I am tired of listening to excuses.

I wanted Teck to meet all my architects, today Sherlin briefed him on the YKS proposal she answered questions clearly and expressed opinions with confidence. He must have been quite taken by her because at the end of the meeting, he gifted her a belian cigar box. It is nice and heavy, well-made and too difficult to carry back to KL. I will use it to put cookies in, and have it on the conference room table. 

Members from the 'alumni' came for lunch - Vivian, Freddie and Bryan

Joyce and I worked in Port Moresby, with Hwong and Andy

I promised Joyce that I would cook lunch for her and her family, she dropped by with bottles of wine and brought her husband Joseph and eldest daughter. As usual, others in the alumni heard and arrived for lunch as well - many people sitting around the table eating food I cooked. I am making plans for Joyce to work on the interiors of our projects, she is good and might be a bit short of work. 

At 630 - we had dinner at Robyn's new place, she prepared a nice dinner for Sam and I, Swee and Ivy. We watched the sunset from her balcony.

7:00 p.m. I have not seen this aspect of Kuching before, neither have I seen the jets of water from the riverside fountain which appeared at 8:00pm

 

10 May 2023 Wednesday - PAMSC meeting

idea for a ceiling, light fitting in a lift lobby

 I look forward to our monthly PAMSC meetings, they joked and say that it is because I don't have any friends. But I think it is because I am able to report progress and productivity - our fortnightly newsletters. Tonight is special because we tabled our proposal for a design festival in November and it was accepted. Of course they will accept it, another member was meant to organise one for March this year but that petered out into a series of half day lectures.

I went for a long swim before the meeting, and arrived earlier to order the food (lots of vegs, one meat) and have a quiet sketch and drink before the others showed up. Tonight was special as well because we have 3 new members, young architects Alfred, Johan and Lau. I will invite them to participate in our events.

9 May 2023 Tuesday time to sit quietly and draw (interrupted by an annoying man)

 

Today was meant to be a busy day; a visit to the site to review built in fittings, then a 10 a.m. meeting to discuss Building Plans submission schedules for apartments and later at 2 p.m. a client invited us to visit an engineered timber factory. Normally this would screw up by day somewhat especially if I had planned to draw. 

But PH kindly offered to let me sit out the 10 a.m. meeting - in return I finished the Block 13 proposal for him. Leong and Fiona attended the site review at PD residences - which left me time to work on Tabuan Desa with Hui Phing. 

Freddie attended the factory visit for me, but brought back an annoying man (steel contractor) who wanted a re-cap of what we had briefed him a month ago. He uses this excuse often when he is unable to finish the work. Other excuses include 'has it been confirmed by the client?' (after our drawings have been issued for construction one month ago), 'so and so told me it is no longer required' and so forth.

I decided that we don't have time for all this, and rang the client to suggest changing the wall sculpture in steel to wall paneling in timber. He agreed (it will be faster and cheaper) and for the remaining works, he will engage a less experienced steel fabricator to work with us. 

Life is too short to put up with other peoples' insecurities and petty concerns about point scoring.

My young people have better ideas about how to spend their time wisely - Yasmin (forever the glue) invited them to go bouldering, and to my surprise many went and judging from the photos enjoyed themselves (not from the bouldering but from the company of friends).

Peggy, Sherlin and Jenny

Hui Phing

Eunice and Peggy