4.11.2025 Tuesday - a good day to start with

We have a good discussion with the school team - casual around my station, sharing the mouse - sketching with fat pencils and interrupting each other. We are able to come to a conclusion about the kindy garden, the auditorium form and the undercroft space. This will prepare us for the meeting later today with the full team. In the afternoon, Sean and I go to meet PH and TY - I want Sean to get comfortable with clients, and to have a break from drawing. He has known TY from TY's internship days - we find out that we are all first born sons, who typically carry the brunt of familial responsibilities; a curse. 

After lunch, we present our IBPJ project, which is well received though the client has some decisions to make before final submission. I mark up the plans as 'notes of meeting' for PH to relay to the others. We return to join the big group discussion for the school; to clear the direction for the submission of the schematic design report next week. Fiona is in charge, she seems relieved the ideas, and directions are confirmed at the meeting. 

I decide that directors birthday should celebrated with a long lunch which lasts until dinner

We have a good team, and it is a pity the dynamics are not observed by some people who are dear to me, and to the people in the office. They would have been so proud of how everyone has grown and perhaps even helped in the nurturing of these young people themselves. But alas, no - not enough time is spent at the office to have any lasting impression. It hurts me to think of this, that others regard us as a good working model, but those closer to us are not familiar with it. 

They seem unaware of our work load, targets, strategies, problems and celebrations - perhaps I have done too well in shielding her from the realities of practice (and in doing so, also obstructed her view of the mini successes and achievements; the small hurrah moments when we have a scheme approved, a compliment from a client, a design problem solved. Because they are not physically here with us, they miss out and become more and more detached. 

I do not expect any change, I will have to change. I am not sure the methods yet but they have to decide if and when they want to be in the fold, In the meantime, head down, bums up. SO far there is no nurturing from them either, it is a good thing that I am a first born, a weed which can grow from the cracks of a concrete pavement, and thrive with infrequent watering and attention.

I have a team in the office, not at home, I am a team of one