During our lunch, Sam and I play a little game - we try to think who we are envious of, and after struggling for while she manages to name a gym friend who has slim thighs despite eating 3 large meals a day.
I have been envious of many people in the past, none comes to mind these days. I don't think it is because we have improved in our stature, rather we have matured and decided to be happy with what we have in life.
Sam thinks certain people feel that I should have set up the Borneo Architecture Journal website when I was serving at PAMSC, instead of doing it as a personal initiative. Perhaps they see it as trying to upstage the efforts of the local chapter of the Architects' Institute. These people have not confronted me directly, of course they won't - they are our biggest fans 'watching us from the sidelines' although unlike fans they do not offer applause. SY thinks that they simply watch and feel envious.
If they were to bring this up with me, I would remind them that:
- we served for 14 years, editing and producing the chapter's newsletter for 12 years - bring it from a 10-page newsletter to a 24-page mini magazine. Later the newsletter would evolve into a digital publication released fortnightly; alternating from one for news, announcements and government circulars (NEWS), with another for design and project features (FLASH).
- during our terms, we started the World Architecture Day celebrations, which evolved in Cardboard City, with student competitions, exhibitions. We did this for 6 - 8 years.
- and on top of that, our Media and Publication team took over the Design Forum and developed it into PDF (PAMSC Design Festival) which had design seminars, student design workshops and exhibitions. We arranged to have these video-recorded for YOUTube. During the pandemic, we converted the design seminar into a series of online lectures called 5at5 where speakers from China, Taiwan, Indonesia, West Malaysia and beyond 'zoomed' at 5pm on 5-consecutive Fridays to give a 30-minute talk, followed by a 20-minute Q&A. Each talk ends with a virtual tour of a recent project by the architect, using the video call function of his handphone. We had the recent Pritzker Prize winner, Liu Zia-kun take us for a tour of his office.
I feel this is substantial contribution, for a team of 4. The office bearers were not involved. This is usually the case in a committee of volunteers, if you are seen to be doing ok/well, the others step back and watch. And in the creation of the Borneo Architecture Journal website where we feature works by local architects and designers - we are continuing to benefit the local chapter and its members, I cannot call it a collaboration because the latter requires both hands to clap.
