26.4.2025 Saturday - Khaosiung

25.4.2025 Friday

24.4.2025 Thursday

23.4.2025 Wednesday

22.4.2025 Tuesday

21.4.2025 Monday

20.4.2025 Sunday - working from Home home

I sit at the sofa, I must not sat on one for a long time, and work on my Ipad drinking milky tea and listening to BBC podcasts.

Life is good. 

19.4.2025 Saturday

 

18.4.2025 Friday - a good Good Friday

 

17.4.2025 Thursday - 2 spoilt brats

Today is about talking to people. I speak to PH about my thoughts on a particular client, interestingly Fiona shares my views. 

Sometimes, we just give things a break, a pause for both parties to try other things, different methods with different people. It allows them to re-assess - they might find better candidates, they break from the routine of more of the same, or they might NOT find better candidate and return to us. All good, change is good. 

I speak with Freddie and Jenny about the masterplan; very direct and immediate - making on the pdf, pointing, discussing, confirming and finding with a 'good, I know what to do next'. 

I finalise hotel plans with Fiona, I promise to look at how to improve the layout of the corner units. They feel too static at the moment. 

Late in the afternoon, the Springvale team have a productive session to solve details, decide who to call for more details, to develop design of courtyards and skylights. 

The most interesting conversation takes place after dinner, at our food tasting with a local chef who will cook for our forum speakers. I like it when young people are receptive to construction criticism. No ego, no drama -  just a promise to make the changes after we give him feedback. 

The most least enjoyable ones are with the 2 interns:

16.4.2025 Wednesday - zookeeping

I dress up for an important meeting this afternoon and walk to work. I wonder if anyone saw me, Sam doesn't. Pity. She goes to KL for mom's birthday and to see friends. We're all feeling a sense of urgency as we approach the final innings.

Later in the afternoon, Freddie and I drive to Bau for a presentation by the zoo ppl. Team Zoo. The minister is a little Napoleon, clever fellow submitted an application for similar pieces of land covered by our masterplan. Never mind, I'll adjust the planning after Freddie amends the site boundaries. 

15.4.2025 Tuesday - appointed by the Pope

I have a good feeling coming into this meeting, with this man who appointed us to design their school on behalf of the Pope. Leong thinks that I now have a chance to be a saint. I tell him - good, because my horns are growing longer. 

I think it's good to have a different typology of project to do, instead of housing all the time. Earlier today, we meet with the zoo people and I realise that they are really passionate about the project. First we have to sort out the land matter. We also get Super Santai ok-ed for design development, so we have another project.

Low rise condominium near a private hospital. 

Ground floor of the school

14.4.2025 Monday - no lunch

Reducing food intake until later in the day. Played tennis in the rain. All good, nobody died. 

13.4.2025 Sunday - run, swim and cook

A long day that got longer when I take on cooking duties at No. 40 for the ultras before their flight home. Fortunately, everyone chipped in to help - Sara with the drinks, Sam with her bread, Sean with washing up, Chin2 with her veg dish and everyone else with their silliness. I think the Singaporean are more puzzled now than ever with us Sarawakians. 

 

12.4.2025 Saturday - Revit

11.4.2025 Friday - a different breed

10.4.2025 Thursday - a quiet dinner

9.4.2025 Wednesday - new shoes

8.4.2025 Tuesday - Michael Mosley

7.4.2025 Monday - grey Monday

We are not shortlisted for our Bagan Specialist Centre submission. We can try again next year.

She was rude, and continued to be when we speak on the phone. It seems my presence in the 'work' activities is upsetting to her. Strange, considering that I was the one who introduced the job to their company. I'll stay away, it's a small thing although I had earlier thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to see more of her.

In other news, Mark has resigned. I told Ricco my BIM plans. I told Arlene my fee share method. I told Ryan that it's ok to focus on school work now, and not to worry about office work. I will try to be kind(er) and help when it is requested.

Paddington Market. Photo by Sam 2000

6.4.2025 Sunday - school

 

5.4.2025 Saturday - AGM

 

It is the PAMSC AGM and we go because we need the CPD points; Freddie, Rachel and Chloe - they collect me from the gym. I enjoy this morning's work out, the tee shirt feels tighter in the right places. I am going to start doing the basic lifting exercises; squat, bench and deadlift. 

A highlight at the AGM, KC Law recorded his appreciation of my efforts in featuring local projects in the Borneo Architecture Journal website every Friday. Glad that he did, I think this means it will be recorded in the minutes, and better from him than someone closer to me. Speaking of which, I wondered aloud to Sam, why my 'friends' did not think to record their thanks. Envy I think, or some misguided notion that this should have been done with PAMSC, although ultimately I am STILL doing it for PAMSC members amongst others. 

In the afternoon, I work from home drawing up the plans for the new school. Mom keeps interrupting and no matter how hard I try to go with the flow; she irritates me. I am sure there is some remnant of my childhood which makes me react this way. 

4.4.2025 Friday - Don and Da drop by for lunch

We forget to take photos, but that is a good thing - it is simply a lunch and chat with people whom I enjoy the company of. Sam was saying how our kids do not seem to have more close friends from school. I remind her that I do not have many friends (from school or any where else) Friends whom I was close to then are now not in touch, I have not made the effort and neither have they. We have moved on, and apart. 

There is tennis in the evening, though no gym in the morning. 

Showing design intent to Laurance, who is in Xi'an

3.4.2025 Thursday - long game early night

I feel like the laziest person in the world, going to bed before 9pm right after finishing dinner. An hour prior, Ah Tuck stopped to chat with me at the squash courts - he noticed that I have been playing squash since 515pm. It was almost 7pm then, he thinks I am very fit. I think I am overdoing it - and tell Sam that I shall stop after a reasonable number of games, and stretch, and rest, and go home. 

I'll start that tomorrow. 

Long squash game, but no gym

I post construction photos of our project, Khin Phing asks if the water around SMC is flooding or deliberate - I explain..

2.4.2025 Wednesday - Mola says hi

 There's a milestone today, we meet with the school client to confirm our appointment and to go through the schedule of accommodation. He suggests meeting at the school which is in town. We decide to coincide this with a lunch with Mola whom we have not seen for years. And since today is also Jenny's 2-year anniversary, we have an extravagant seafood lunch. 

Although he thinks we simply text him our revised fee - 'no need to meet la' - we spend a good hour confirming layouts and discussing the way forward. He says something which we agreed strongly with - that we must work with integrity. 

If all goes well, by May we will be working for the Pope. 

1.4.2025 Tuesday - dependable people

From RIBA Journal - Herron and Associates

Imagination Building

I get dropped off after a coffee at home, I work on the safari masterplan, happy to get it moving along. No run this morning, my ankles are still sore. 

Melvin says that he will come in today, to complete the school SOA and diagrammatic layouts. We see the client tomorrow. As I walk to the office, I think about how fortunate I am to have dependable people in the office. Folks that you can leave stuff with and know it will be completed. No need to worry, no need for super clever people who might let you down.

Nice lunch with Don and Da, at Rume where we met Chin Nam and Jenk Kee

 
Core exercises, no run, no sports.