12th October 2023 Thursday - my last term

 Another issue of FLASH, the offspring of INTERSECTION, our local chapter's newsletter which I have edited and help edit for the past 12 years. There was a break in the middle, when I handed the reins over to another architect. I returned as editor in 2019, and we reformatted it as two digital issues each fortnight; FLASH for projects, and NEWS for circulars and practice notes.

After last night's meeting, I confirmed my feelings about stepping down. This will be my last tern at PAMSC - I don't feel the spark of joy when fresh issues are released. It feels like a duty now, not yet a chore and I don't want to arrive at that point. Someone can take over and do it their way, or the newsletter will go to sleep for a period of time - it is alright, some chapters do not have newsletters. This means that someone will take over PDF as well, which might not be as difficult as SY is still in the committee. 

It is the word and text that most people find a challenge. PS thinks it requires a special talent to do what we do, HJ thinks it is not talent but a passion for words and architecture. I think it is the small sense of achievement that we feel each fortnight when we complete and release another issue to our members.

Lunch with intersection ppl - PS and HJ will also take a break from the newsletter next term, we have progressed this far because we enjoyed each other's company and working together. PAMKL contracts this work to companies, it is not done by volunteers 

25 Feb 2023 Saturday - different strokes for different folks

Still groggy from yesterday's late night and drinking, the morning rain softened the day's activities - originally planned as a tennis morning with Ni. Instead EH arrived with Or Kuih made by his sister visiting from the States. 

What remained was a lunch with the PAM council members, I sat with Ivy and Datuk PI and a light conversation ensued; about ArcAsia, about Sri Lanka, about mutual friends, and traveling with difficult dietary restrictions. I divide people I meet into two broad groups; ones that I would have lunch with, and ones that I won't. From this visit to Kuching - I counted 4; the editor, the co editor and past chairperson and an outcast (whom everyone avoided like the plague), whom I thought was sincere in his quest to be vocal and difficult. 

Their approach is quite different from ours; we are less bureaucratic, we reach out to contributors personally, and they respond to us directly. This way we know what is in store in the coming months. We speak to sponsors directly as well, and they tell us what works for them, and what does not. We out ourselves in their shoes, and provide the service and feedback that we would like to enjoy ourselves.

1 April 2022 Friday 30-day running streak

 This is the cover for our last issue of INTERSECTION for the term - PS selected one of her photos (of herself). I had asked her for a photo of Kuching. 24 issues of NEWS & Flash for the term, and I haven't tired of it nor the people I work with. As committee members, we're volunteers as we're explaining to CK over a nice Japanese lunch - you continue to do your bit as long as it interests you, and you do as much or as little as you're able during your tenure. Just remember that we're doing this for our members, and our profession. 

19 March 2022 Saturday

(extract from INTERSECTION editorial)

It started as an inside joke to list down our work scope; Information (SY), Money (PS), Design (HJ), and Words (me). It then grew to record other tidbits of information about ourselves, for no other reason than to signal the conclusion of another issue - as the very last thing to put in print (at the bottom of the front page). These footnotes are so obscure that many of our readers only discovered them recently. What is clear though is that we are quite different in personalities and abilities - it makes a complex task easier. 

We have put out 37 issues of NEWS and Flash since Oct 2020. We are glad our members share our vision to record and promote their work, ideas and opinions; starting next term we will be accepting submissions from non-Sarawakians so long as they are well-executed and expressed. We are also expanding our team; formalising our relationship with Suan Lam and Tay Tse Yong, and including 2 roving reporters in Yasmin and Sean.

We are always looking for more work partners, features, articles, funding, free food and drinks and support of any nature, write to us. Needless to say - I am very proud of our little team of 4 plus 4; we work while you sleep. 

Nanu nanu, 
Min

9 March 2022 Wednesday Opening our borders

I have been in the Media and Publication sub committee for the past decade, and Chair for the last four to five years. We have always tried to do things differently, turning left when people were going right, which made it quite difficult for the Editor of our Institute's magazine to get us to march to his tune.

We're doing a series on Cities, he said. - we'd like to have one from your chapter.

Hmmm.. we said. 

We don't want you to be left out, he said. 

You could make it easier for members to contribute, I said. 

Hmmm.. how do you mean? he said. 

Well I told him then. 

And asked a few questions of my own. The answers seemed to say that the privilege of getting published in AM was the reward for contributors. I recalled being thanked with a complimentary copy of the issue I was featured in, and given a high resolution PDF of my article to share with clients, the builder, the plumber, etc. He doesn’t recall and didn’t look like he would issue the PDF as it would  'cannibalise’ itself. 

I felt bad for being difficult and rude, so I spoke to SY who confirmed that I was. But he agrees with my response. After that chat, I made up my mind to feature non Sarawakian architects and their projects, we want to make it easy for good work to be published. 

After this decision, I felt better immediately. 

18 Jan 2022 Tuesday No tennis, all rained out

In recent weeks, several people asked me how I can manage so many different things at one time; the practice, the teaching, the newsletter and the regime of exercise and activity (cooking for colleagues each Wednesday and my mother on Sundays). It is primarily because I have good people in my team; Sam to tidy up the loose ends for projects and manage finances, colleagues who have initiative and ownership and HJ who runs the editorial team like a school mistress. It also helps that I enjoy a challenge and like our work products - whether it is a door detail or another newsletter published on time. 

 

Character

INTERSECTION was re-vamped more than 10 years ago with Ivy as editor and I was her assistant. The editorial team has always been small - we are four people now. Each quite different in character from the other though similar in other ways - we are more likely get things done rather than wait, more inclined to include rather to cast out, willing to go the extra mile for a better article, layout or lunch company. 

After one year of digital publication, the editorial team has kept a relatively low profile, choosing to put the contributors and the news in the limelight. But for those of you who took note of the 'foot-notes' on the front covers should know us pretty well by now.

Pik Shia, Si Yong, Hui Joo and me.

 

Small town voices

This was my contribution to SMALL TOWN VOICES, a series in our architects' newsletter where people submit a childhood photo and reminisce about the time when that photo was taken.

I think I was 4 when this photo was taken (I am guessing that it was for my birthday). I was taken to a photo studio (I am guessing Empress or Great Wall) by my grandfather whom I lived with until I was in Primary 2. Kuching was a small town then and the house at Jalan Tabuan seemed like the centre of our little universe from where we walked to school (St. Thomas), to the shops (Shuan Hiang) and to the cinema (Rex) and for 'chicken in a biskit' (Ting & Ting Supermarket).