28th July 2023 Friday - 'La Pedrera' Casa Mile

 

27th July 2023 Thursday

 

26th July 2023 Wednesday

 

25th July 2023 Tuesday

 

24th July 2023 - Monday

 

23rd July 2023 Sunday

 

22nd July 2023 Saturday

 

21st July 2023 Friday

 

20th July 2023 Thursday

I stayed in to draw details and mark up whatever drawings that were in front on my table
 

19th July 2023 Wednesday - documenting travel. the forbidden city

 

18th July 2023 Tuesday Technical meeting

 

17th July 2023 Monday - KCH - PNG

16th July 2023 Sunday - social experiment

 I volunteered to cook breakfast for the Thomians, as there were two 'new' people in town; one had just returned from a long stint in China; working in the hotel business, another from Sydney; retired from the airline business. The other usual faces were the retired accountant who now runs a grocery store and Filipino bistro, the food products wholesaler who likes to remind us that he was the top student in Upper Sixth Form (I told him that was because we left the school), the telecommunications specialist who is single and has a daughter whom he dotes on. The retired bank officer did not have a dialysis session today, and he brought his wife, who brought me some local barley, the last one of the lot was someone whom I invite as a social experiment, to watch his behaviour. 

15th July 2023 Saturday - borrowed family

Reminder to focus on our projects on site, planning to get Sean involved more as he starts to document the serviced apartments.

We had given money for his dad's operation, and I thought that he would not mention our involvement with his father. But he did, I wondered why - Sam thought it was to reassure his father that there are other forms of help from 'family', so that his father would not worry about this unexpected expenditure. 

That evening, we cooked dinner and E came with her sister; I was very pleased to see and told her so - we need you back in town. She is lovely and I think a bit lonely as well. Later we talked about spanning 14 metres and ways to reduce beam depths. Sam also talked to P about sponsoring gym sessions.

 

14th July 2023 Friday - departure

 There were two departures today - one was a good one, the other was only good in a way.

4pm - the young apprentice asked to leave earlier as he was going to his parents' house, he took with him the model which he made. Our agreement was that he tried out for a week and then decide what lay ahead. He decided to stop, he decided that he was not cut out for sitting down at an office job. We shook hands and I retuned inside to tell the rest of our team, I sensed a collective sigh of relief. 'We have done all that we can' - he was there for a total of 3 days. 

7pm - Syahidah was still in the office, today was the last day of her internship. She normally leaves at 5:15 p.m. her dad drives her home, but today she hung about to bathe the cat, to say her goodbyes and to take photos. I was not in the office, so she texted to thank us for taking care of her for the past three months. How appropriate, I thought - 'taking care' unknowingly she had hit the nail in the head because that's what we have been doing - taking care of the young ones. She will be back; to bathe the cat, to eat the rest of the chicken katsu in the freezer.

13th July 2023 Thursday - return

After calling in sick for two days, the young apprentice returns today - continuing the construction of a cardboard model, chatting with the interns, asking questions as well - I see Daryl pointing out things to him. There is hope, I thought. Perhaps he might stay and we can make something of this relationship.

We saw Teck today with the 2 new proposals, I think I will make a routine of seeing him every Thursday to update him. 

 

12th July 2023 Wednesday - linkages

I thought we had a very young engineer on site judging from his poor understanding of technical and contractual issues, only to discover that he has been working for 9 years. His understanding of even his company's own steel details was so poor that the contractor's assistant suppressed a laugh as he went to get a few steel links to illustrate a sketch detail linking two roof beams together. ( a detail which everyone standing around looking understood except for him ).
 

11th July 2023 Tuesday - walking home in the rain

car park canopies and wheel guards

Early morning discussion with the contractor and engineer about issues which have remained unresolved for a long time, not because they are difficult issues but because people were busy. In one hour, we settled most of the technical issues which have remained on our to-do lists for weeks. 

column base details for I Columns and round tube columns

 On the days when I don't exercise are the days when I feel restless towards the end of the day, my mood darkened with the skies when an evening run was not likely. I walked home in the light drizzle, I look forward to dinner at home - it is a simple pleasure one I continue to relish.

10th July 2023 Monday - Michael learns to draw

Michael starts his one-week stint with us to learn about drawing, about design, and generally to get a feel about working in a design company. We dreamt up several assignments for him -

- make a model of a showroom; lesson in understanding drawings, scale, learning how to make things with his hands

- review the brief of a food court and pose questions to the client and formulate a design brief

- measure our conference room, kitchen and translate the information into a series of drawings. (Peggy's idea).

He seem to take our instructions well, able to articulate questions and opinions, and he sketches quite well. He ate our office-cooked lunch, after which he asked to leave for a nap in his car. 

Lighting points at No. 40

 

Bathroom details

the upstairs toilet has one open side which is screened with shower curtains

9th July 2023 Sunday - doing math with mom

I felt a bit sad today - not sure why - maybe it was the weather, or the early morning run, or maybe it is  the lack of productivity. I had set out to do a lot this weekend, only to satisfy myself by saying that reading magazines online is a kind of productivity as well. 

Jenny is back, and we will discuss the masterplan and the website launch this week. Penghui will be here on Monday and we can really plan some things.

Stepping Stones by Lyons Architect

8th July 2023 Saturday - date night

both escalators were not working, she complained and said she won't be coming back

That evening, I arranged for Sia and Ivy to meet Kamal whom I thought they would like him, and I thought Enghooi especially would like Kamal's stories about engineering and his projects. 

Sean finally got the 3D printer to work and I saw him explaining this gift to Ivy, I wonder what they must think of our raggedy band of colleagues. Especially when HongIk appeared from the bathroom after his shower, to eat dinner and all the leftovers. Kamal summed it up when dinner was served - this is the way to live, Min. And again when he recalled his engineer's assessment after meeting us - they are just like us la..

 

7th July 2023 Friday - Flash Friday

We have been doing FLASH and NEWS for more than 2 years now; and although it has become easier to produce each issue, it has been harder to gather articles behind the scenes. This is what SY meant when he talked about the sustainability of the newsletter and some of the other events which we organised. Once we stop having an interest to continue, there is no one to take over. Expecting volunteers to take on such a big responsibility is unrealistic, one way to continue would to be to do it through a private entity.

Late that night  - I decided to start my morning walk-runs again. Let's see how I go, the vibrams need a dusting off.

6th July 2023 Thursday - freedom

No more looking over my own shoulder, it is a relief and a regret at the same time. 

As I prepare for the 10 a.m. meeting with T and Kamal, I thought about the young man who is coming in for not only apprenticeship training but also lessons in work ethic, self discipline and vocation. 

 Later that afternoon, we met with the e-mart people to discuss their new show gallery - it looks like Leong will be getting a new job from a new client. They are excited about the design, I will get the young man to build a model of this design. 

5th July 2023 Wednesday - not 100 percent

I know you asked me to design a house for one of your sons, and since you didn’t tell me which son we decided that all your sons can have a new home; three villas with similar layouts organised around a courtyard to create a garden entrance into the houses. 

 Still coughing but better after a full night's rest - I expect a full day of work at the office because of my two days away. Sure enough - I was cornered by Peggy and her team about the masterplan once I set foot in the office.  Something about coordinating the plans for the various precincts and the various comments offered by team leaders. Soon sorted out by asking for a print out by the end of work, nothing like a tight deadline to coagulate a fragmented team (like making taufoofa)

We lost another team member when Sara decided to take a break to focus on helping her friend set up a event company. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - I thought as I was also mentally preparing for my meeting with a young man who wants to apprentice at our office. Perhaps it is for me to give him a chance; to learn, to find his passion when no one else will. Not even his family. Besides, it will not be me alone teaching him these things, but the whole village of us. Peggy calls it saving a 'life'.

2:30 a.m. I was surprised at how small he was; slight and simply dressed, a bit nervy. I took all talk about poor health off the table at the start, and we talked about goals, commitments, and family. After 45 minutes, we agreed that he would try out for a week; we are not a school, it is a job and work products are the paramount outcome. And after a week, we will talk again and decide there is a future in this. 

6:30 p.m. PAMSC meeting - the food at the Rock Road place was expensive and tasted mediocre (as it would if I tried to cook them). The company was lively as always with one person being particularly opinionated while not having done anything so far, annoying. In any case, I managed to convince them to have a couple of free CPD events, to encourage student and technicians turnout. 

I went home and worked until one a.m. to finish the sketch up, powerpoint and frame letters of rebuttal for Annie. 

4th July 2023 Tuesday -

3rd July 2023 Monday -

2nd July 2023 Sunday -

1st July 2023 Saturday - meeting Lena