17.6.2025 Tuesday - another nice lunch

 

16.6.2025 Monday - Ruthie's Table 4

Listening a podcast about learning about a person by having a meal with them - whether they look the waiter in the eye, whether they are nice to the waiter, whether they push the chair back when they leave the table. If I were to add to the list - that if it is a home cooked meal; whether they offer to help with the cooking, or washing up. 

Recently when I cooked at No. 40 for some young architect, one young man who has just returned to Kuching offered to help with the cooking and I am trying to recall if he offered to help with the washing up. I think he did help to clear the table, and returned to ask if he should open another bottle of wine. SO, he did not do the washing up. I wonder what that means...

15.6.2025 Sunday - many things done today

Many things done today; the best of which is the start (revival) of the woodworking - Sean and I make the first planter for mom, complete 20k step challenge ( I hope I can keep this up). Yesterday we printed one of our photos and will collect the framed picture on Monday. I have the acrylic paints for the canvas at home, and will start this week. 

I am still unwell, and not happy with situation. But pickleball goes well, it seems that I will be playing doubles and maybe mixed doubles. Lunch is promising, we will see if there is anything else I can do. 

Meanwhile in preparation for the week ahead.

1. Wait for the hostel appointment (contact EJ and ask)
2. Temple Street renovation (work with Milan)
3. Check and issue MAC2 plans and perspectives (issue today - strata plans can be later) 
4. Check Toorak house floor plans and 3D views (80%)
5. Super Santai - club house
6. School plans later this week (Clarissa)
7. Impiana BOMBA inspection (Freddie)
8. Singgahsana BP (call council)
9. discuss Springvale construction details
10. Ask for LH's semi-d drawings (no sign of them)
11. appointment for 4.5Mile

14.6.2025 Saturday

 

13.6.2026 Friday -

 

12.6.2025 Thursday

 

11.6.2025 Wednesday

 

10.6.2025 Tuesday - Wedding bells

Jason and Angelna

appreciating the ramp entrance nowadays with mom in a push chair

the former UOB Bank building

herding kittens

he looks like his grandmother, who would have been bursting with pride

 

9.6.2025 Monday - out of sorts

 A strange day - I should blame it on the weather which has been incredibly hot. I start well enough; chatting with everyone and making sure deadlines are met. Then I myself melt into a haze of not doing much which is productive. Even my lunch is disappointing. At tennis, the highlight is the bicycle ride down to the courts.

Hopefully tomorrow is better, we will attending a wedding at the courthouse. Poh2's youngest grandchild is getting married - the 3 of Ah Kiong's children have come a long way; both parents are gone now (when they were in their teens, Kiong first and followed quite soon by Jenny). Sam and I will attend and make the most of the morning and afternoon. I will take the afternoon off and go and print this photo taken in Glasgow.

1. Wait for the hostel appointment (contact EJ and ask)
2. Temple Street renovation (work with Milan)
3. Check and issue MAC2 plans and perspectives (issue today - strata plans can be later) 
4. Check Toorak house floor plans and 3D views (80%)
5. Super Santai - club house
6. School plans later this week (Clarissa)
7. Work matrix for Precinct 1
8. back lanes at Kensington (Shahreena and Belinda)
9. Impiana BOMBA inspection (Freddie)
10. Singgahsana BP (call council)
11. discuss Springvale construction details
12. Ask for LH's semi-d drawings (no sign of them)
13. Zoo drawings

8.6.2025 Sunday - follow through

I meet Da and Don for breakfast and decide that we have enough to chat about to last another meal. And so plan to have a small dinner with friends at the club this Thursday. Looking forward to that. 

I also catch up with my emails from the Taiwanese students, and tell them to send me their flight information. Most appear to want to know how a project begins and is executed until its completion, and also to experience working in an 'international' situation (and practice their English).

I then find an email from April (Sam opened it which is why I missed it) from Chris about Dianne:

Hi Min and Sam,

I saw Peter on the weekend, he came to see Dianne at the place she is

staying now. He brought the gift you got for us, it is very beautiful

and I showed it to Dianne. Thank you very much for this.

Dianne is now in a pretty nice place courtesy of the Alfred hospital

that have some beds in a private nursing home. Not sure how long she can

stay there, it is a complicated process we are working through. She's

eating very little now and spends much of the day sleeping. There are

moments when she wakes and her face lights up and appears happy. I'm in

there every day, keeping her hydrated and watching youtube videos of

driving around Italy on the TV there. Marc Dixon came in to visit

yesterday too.

I'll keep in touch,

Best wishes, Chris.

I have decided not to entertain anyone of our friends and wait for them to take the lead - let them host dinners and such for a change. I don't feel the need to cook for them this weekend. 

A mental workout with Sean

A physical workout for everyone to try

7.6.2025 Saturday - no running

The result of two days of talking and thinking about several of the on going projects. Still no exercise because of the sore ankle but had a good session of design chat with Sean about the Toorak House. 

Next week, he starts on the SPVL steel works.

 

6.6.2025 Friday - Lighthouse Library

 

A quiet day - everyone is busy with their work; heads down, one can almost hear pencils scratching paper. Freddie rushing off to attend a meeting halfway through a meeting, L wanting to confirm a meeting before hearing back from PH. These do not bother me, they are signs of people wanting to do a good job - by at least turning up for the meeting in Freddie's case, and L wanting to tick off a job item (and cease the client's concerns). And to make the effort to do their best. 

Our dinner - Korean rice balls wrapped in seaweed

Sia's dinner

5.6.2025 Thursday - a short week

Odilon Redon - The Smiling Spider

 Back to work - first an early morning assignment for myself

1. Wait for the hostel appointment (contact EJ and ask)
2. Temple Street renovation (Jenny)
3. Check and issue MAC2 plans and perspectives (late) 
4. Check Toorak house floor plans and 3D views (today and Friday)
5. Super Santai 3D (save scenes)
6. Draw floor plans for school meeting for next Tuesday (Clarissa)
7. Housing sub division reply given - tell him what we are doing
8. back lanes at Kensington (Freddie)
9. Impiana BOMBA inspection (Freddie)
10. Singgahsana BP (call council)
11. some sketches for Jefferey (tell him no)
12. discuss Springvale construction details
13. review MTT (this weekend)
14. Ask for LH's semi-d drawings (no sign of them)
15. call AS for Satok Quay
16. PD fee claim
17. Renna fee claim
18. check MINwee email for Ros's appointment
19. start compiling EJ s fee claim
20. Status of PJP fee payments
21. Zoo drawings
22. visit Freddy's framing corner

4.6.2025 Wednesday - meeting Louis

The students from LKW are still in touch and in this case, reaching out to update me on their careers, and also to confirm that there are still opportunities for us to work together. 

3.6.2025 Tuesday

 

2.6.2025 Monday - reading for fun

I finally finish reading Peter Fitzsimon's Sydney Opera House, 2 years after we bought it at the Sydney Botanic Gardens. 

I had no idea...

1.6.2025 Sunday - 4th pikabol session

Early start to the day, with pickleball practice with the PAMSC people (who would have thought!) which ended with a nice breakfast with Sam and Pik Shia. A compliment from her boss (and business partner) - that I am doing the right thing for the fraternity with the establishment of the website.

Compliments like these are the best, because they come from people who have little relation with us, little to gain from praising us.