12.6.2026 Friday - Victor

newbie passes the test

 

11.6.2026 Thursday - good outcomes

 I wrap up Juney's bread that Sam made for her, in a nice cloth Japanese-style because Jowie is coming to get it. I ask for a lift to the office and she obliges, we have become close friends over a short time. Even Yoshi is becoming more animated and talkative during our dinner outings. 

This morning, I sit out the housing meeting, and leave PH and Freddie to cut costs with the consultants. Over lunch they tell me things are coming to a focus but more work is needed, Freddie volunteers to go to next week's meeting if it takes place.

In the afternoon, we have a good discussion on how to proceed with the hotel project - it seems easier than what I expected. There are no real ego problems, just keen to get the project moving, Leong is a good fit for this project, and he seems to like the design architect.

10.6.2026 Wednesday - air-well not courtyard

 Some of my worries about this project is cleared today, Sean draws up an nice pictogram for the findings, it will be very useful for tomorrow's meeting with the client and the design architect.

9.6.2026 Tuesday - setting a high bar

I start the morning thinking that we have things sorted out for one project, only to have the client change the brief again. I get upset for a few moments, then I decide to work out some options with JY who is unflinching as usual. I tell the guy - ok, I will have a try. He says - ok, thank you. As it turns out, we are able to tweak the layout a bit to give him what he wants - which we do not really know until he tells me - ok, please proceed with submission. Lesson: do the work first, complaining does not work (for either party), sometimes the results are better than before, and it trains us to be more resilient (my colleagues can learn by example).

13K steps after pickleball - 2 people say ok but does not show up; not acceptable - I need to speak to one of them who routinely comes in late. I am not upset for long, as we go for dinner with our young people - they are happy chatting away - they are at a good place. And so are we.

during dinner, Jowie mentions that the young man seems very caring. I agree - he 'rescued' a little fish, who was kept in a little jar on a grocery shop counter. brought it home to a large tank, Sara says that 'Blobbly has started nesting bubbles. Someone is happy. 

8.6.2026 Monday - anxiety

 

7.6.2026 Sunday

 

6.6.2026 Saturday

 

5.6.2026 Friday -

 

4.6.2026 Thursday - cooking with Sam

When we first moved into No.34, I did a fair bit of the cooking as Sam was busy with the young Sean and Sara. My dishes were simple, similar to the Asian dishes I cooked when we were in Uni. Sometimes mom would supplement our dinner with a chicken dish or a fried fish - passed to us when we collected the children after work.  

In the intervening years, especially after Sam stopped working, I only cooked on special occasions; on weekends or for birthdays. At those times, I would cook western meals; a pasta, a roast, a loaded salad - which I still do on the weekends, nowadays at No. 40. 

Tonight after our swim, I cook a simple tomato sauce pasta in our new kitchen. It is a quick meal; easy to prepare, full of nutrients and tasty - Sean wonders if anchovies were the special ingredient in this simple dish. It isn't. I used fish sauce to boost the umami, and added chick peas for extra protein. 

3.6.2026 Wednesday - drawing with Sean.

 

2.6.2026 Tuesday - today is Eng Hooi's birthday

 

1.6.2026 Monday - Day 3 of working holiday

Started the day early - I decide not to put off calling a client, I know it is a public holiday but I thought I would see if he would reply. He does, clarifies a few things. Instead of getting upset about it, (it was his fault) I decide to treat this as a way to improve the scheme's efficiency, for me to speak to PH closely about a project, and get a project out of it. 

After that mind clearing, I arrive at a few solutions which PH agrees to develop - things are looking positive already.

In the evening, Sam side-lines me and cooks the entire roast lamb dinner for EH's birthday - we eat in the new kitchen and chat about this and that. 

 

31.5.2026 Sunday - Juney leaves us a gift

 

We ask her to continue to visit and stay if this 'travel' arrangement suits her; coming in from the sticks with her two dogs to stay at No. 40. She sleeps downstairs on the timber bed, her dogs in the tea room barking occasionally at strangers walking by. She leaves the house spotless, and some snacks and drinks for 'our next party'. 

30.5.2026 Saturday - cleaning up

 We call off the pickleball and decide to have breakfast together instead and spend a long time, sharing food and stories about each other. After that, I start Day 1 of my holiday work - got some troubling feedback from a client, but am able to get help from PH. One of the benefits of having partners at work as well as at home. 

To take my mind off work, Sam and I go shopping for a new jet cleaner; we do not really need one (we are not that clean) but she says it would help her with the gardening, so we got an economical one which one can use for up to 30 minutes before the pump overheats. This is OK we tell the shop assistant (we are not so hardworking). 

These excursions remind me of the ones we go on during university days - armed with a simple itinerary which we over complicate with hours of aimless wandering about and debate about which sandwich shop to get lunch from. 

29.5.2026 Friday - frustration and relief in equal measures

SY comes for a chat, I think he wants to air some grievances and also to update me on the latest news from Taoyuan. I listen as he tells me about his plans for the July trip; we will visit the job site upon landing, followed by a trip south to Taichung on Day 2 and 3, after which we will return to Taoyuan for the launching of the landart exhibition, and then maybe spend one day roaming the outskirts of Taipei instead of attending the design forum. I will frame this into an itinerary and share w the others before telling Eric. 

He also tells me that their firm has won a prize for a school project, I am happy and envious in equal measures. I am  glad it is them, but wish our school project will more forwards.

. 

Today we have some long chats about work matters about getting any drawings done. I am determined to draw during this long holiday break, I will go the office daily.

28.5.2026 Thursday - because we can

 

..have drinks at 430pm followed by dinner at No. 40. It coincided with directors getting their half-year incentives, so it is timely as well as answering folks when they ask 'where are you having early drinks and dinner on a work day evening?' - because we can.

We have some non-office folks (and non-humans) at the dinner as well; Juney is staying at No. 40 as her holiday home with Bear2 and Gypsy (a Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever). The 2 dogs are quite a hit with our guests, which included former colleagues; Louis, Bryan, Roosh, Peggy, Doreen - it is quite wonderful to see them interact and laugh out loud even though they have not been in touch for quite a while. 

Sean tells that there are 37 members in his lunch chat group; many have left the office, some have left Kuching. 

27.5.2026 Wednesday - a full day

.. and the morning is barely over. Jowie collects me from home to have a hit of tennis before pickleball. She hadn't played for a year and I am keen to re-introduce her to tennis. I am glad that my strokes are still there although J tells me that my string are flat.

As it often happens with new friends, the breakfast after the games is longer than the games themselves. Yoshi is more talkative now that he is been to our office. Adn Sara joins us, which is always a highlight. 

Fiona is working it seems, she sends me the minutes of meeting. I add my 2 cents, which ends up becoming the frame work of a letter. I'm happy with it - doing well in contractual correspondence is not about having good English, it's about having a clear chronology and a good understanding of the Contract. 

We finish the day at 11pm, after cooking food for Thursday's office do. 

26.5.2026 Tuesday - the arsehole in the room

 

25.5.2026 Monday -

 

24.5.2026 Sunday - Enghooi meets Jowie

 

23.5.2026 Saturday - space form and delight

 

22.5.2026 Friday - Sean prepares for a talk

We prepare for dinner with the Japs, it is interesting how much I look forward to these little breaks in my routine. These two are warm, genuine and amazingly easy to get along with - considering that we only met in December last year. I am afraid I can't say the same of several of our 'older' friends; one has become secretive and small minded, another also steers the conversation back to herself, and the other is always complaining about something or another.

Sean leaves dinner early, we suggest that to him; he will be giving a talk tomorrow at the PAMSC Centre - form, function and delight.

21.5.2026 Thursday - talking to Louis and Henry

Henry borrowed our models to show to students at an education fair. This morning he shares some photos with me; Louis is at the fair as well. These two are good ambassadors for the profession; they should engage well with the students. And because of this photo, I send Louis a text and we start a conversation - I will see him this Saturday at Sean's talk.
 

20.5.2026 Wednesday - full of opportunities

We have an important meeting today, to meet a client for a hotel project, it will be in collaboration with a design firm. We propose some changes: some quite drastic, some practical for buildabilty and maintenance.

At the meeting, Dato says that the proposed omission of the basement car park is shocking. I ask him - in a good way or a bad way? though I know the answer. We have not built anything with them yet, although the feeling and feedback from our interactions have been fruitful. One of the directors say that we are 'good at getting the basics done well'.

On the way to the pool with Sean, I suggest some ideas for his talk, including taking 2 afternoons off to finish his presentation. It's important to feel prepared for the talk, this will be his first. His mother is very proud.

19.5.2026 Tuesday - a wish comes true

The day ends well, Sam joins me for a swim and she says that she enjoys it

Today starts with a target met; drawings of an initial idea is sent off for tomorrow's meeting. I remind myself myself not to fall in love with the idea, and not to worry about what will happen in the meeting. It is a bad habit, one which draws energy from me - I must work and think in the present. 

Keeping to that mindset, I speak to a young man about his work programme and tell him that I expect more from him. I want focus, he agrees to work on that. In return, I take one project from him so he has more time on his hands. I speak to him about his overlong lunch break; he returns home to eat with dad who cooks lunch for the both of them. This is a nice break which I am sure the father looks forward to, but sometimes the cooking is late and as a result the young man returns late to the office. I suggest that he gets dad to text him when lunch is almost ready, and then he leaves the office. A simple solution, like the chat itself is a simple solution to a problem which has been nagging at me for several weeks. 

Should have done it earlier.  

18.5.2026 Monday - new kitchen

 

Sam must have read my mind or my blog, because today she prepares dinner for us in HER new kitchen for us (with new chairs). Admittedly it would need several more rounds of dressing up before it gains the hominess we want, but for a start it is a nice place to eat together. The young people are chatty, talking about their work, and laughing out loud (I notice that the space is a bit echoey, the surfaces are too hard)

I also notice that my batteries run low rather quickly these past two nights, I think it must be because of the evening swims before dinner. I like this routine and will continue them, especially if Sam joins me to exercise. 

At work, the new girl starts on her first day at her first job. We have a chat about the probation; how it is also for her to assess us, about benefits; trips, seminars, etc, I sense her confidence and feel that she will ask if she has questions, and later she will comment if she has an opinion. Belinda is buying us breakfast in view of this little exchange; she paid us a compliment 'how well we interact with our min-ions'

17.5.2026 Sunday - I feel a little sad today

 

.. but I am not sure why. I feel better after my gym workout and a few laps at the pool. I need to exercise more frequently, I need to move. I even miss walking not to mention running and sports. 

The new kitchen is completed, in as far the building works is concerned. But Sam and I have a bad habit, we slow down and slack off when it comes to the final push, as a result the final outcome, the desired product sometimes take longer than the construction itself. 

16.5.2026 Saturday - pickleball and then nothing else

 

15.5.2026 Friday - Ruth Asawa

Watching a film clip about this designer who worked everyday, who was sidelined because of her race; interred during WW2, not allowed to teach but nonetheless succeeded in becoming an important artist in the States. 

 

4 of us have a good design discussion about the hotel project, the 2 women had put in a lot of thought and arrives at an interesting solution. My phone call at lunch time is not so productive and I start having some doubt about this young man, perhaps reacting out of concern that we might that over the lead, which is never our intention. 

Freddie helps Sean with his housing meeting, and having done my day's work, Sam picked me up earlier to get her old photo re framed before heading to our Mother's Day dinner. 

see all the faces of the young people, who decided to host a dinner for the mommies whose kids are away - how thoughtful...

 

14.5.2026 Thursday - fruitful, and I walked to the office

 Back at work after my trip, I immediately clear several easy deadlines; a synopsis for my talk in October, framing some questions about work split, speaking to George on zoom with Freddie. 

13.5.2026 Wednesday - eating meals in a different place but with the same person