Taking a turn around the room

This antiquated phase gave me the idea for this photo-montage; a panorama of faces collected almost 30 years ago. Judging from the number of people, it must have quite a big occasion; were we on our way to a concert, was it the Bach recital in the old church near our house? No one remembers, we can't even recall the year.

Dez and Freddo reckon it must have been1988, though Cardie thinks it's closer to 1989 on account of Rosa being there. She left for Europe after graduation and worked for Forster’s; I think we were all a little in love with Rosa.

Next to her with long curly hair is Simon who is now in politics (and without his curls), I remember his deep voice and slow drawl-y way of speaking. Marcus was from a year our junior; a very good student and photographer, I don't know him very well and can't remember his friend's name. Sitting next to Sam is Iain who left us two years ago – I like his sense of humour and generosity, and I remember that Sam had a soft spot for him.

Annette who is talking to Sam was studying to be a journalist and once interviewed me for a school assignment. I think it was about the relationship of one's cultural background and eventual personality or character. In it she said that I had a propensity to tell a good story. (I had to look up 'propensity'.)

Next to her is Nicola (?) - a good pastry cook, her specialty is Florentines which she secretly calls "vomits" on account of their splattered shapes, I think and certainly not their taste because they were heavenly. I tasted them once when she made them for a garden party at Dianne’s, during which I met her and Annette.

Cardie is an unusual combination of cool and edginess – perhaps a precursor of grunge? I remember him as being half asleep most of the time yet able to come up with wonderful design schemes. He and I were workshop partners for the Silver Medallion Award. Min (real name Marie) nearly got us beaten up once when she re-wrote the menu of working-men’s pub; changing ‘fried lamb brains’ to ‘shit-for-brains’; ‘calamari and chips’ to ‘calamari and foreskins’, etc. At the time, I think she was going out (to use another old fashioned term) with Freddo who once said ‘..no man, don’t call him a cunt – cunts are nice things’. In Australia, Freddo is the name of a chocolate treat in the shape of frog. Tim next to him is more restrained and last seen converting an old church in Geelong into centre for restoring old timbers – I wonder if he is still doing that (I should write to him).

Dianne is precious, she unknowing perhaps taught to me to put myself in another person’s shoes and see the other point of view – something that I am still learning to do well. She visited us when we got married in Kuching and came along for our honeymoon in Penang.

So, this was my circle of friends and acquaintances in Geelong who have in some way shaped my thinking and my attitude towards people, life and work, or at the very least given me stories to tell -  even if they are 30 years too late.

One question though – Dez, where were you?

Long strides and a chipper outlook

Our good friend, Iain Heggen passed away on the 11th of April in Geelong. Sam and I have known him since 1986 - we met during the Second Year of Architecture School in Deakin University.

He was one of the few that kept in touch after our return to Malaysia - which makes it hard to bear and harder to believe. There will be no more funny emails from Iain with photographs of Geelong.

His funeral was on the 20th of April - several of our close friends attended. Dianne who was unable to attend shared a touching story about how she first met Iain. She writes - 

"If I was to be there I would recall that I first met Iain when I responded to a notice he'd pinned up around the architecture studio. It offered free accommodation at My Buller during the week of the DU ski club trip.  The free accommodation turned out to be an igloo which we would build ourselves."

While I am glad that some of my friends were able to attend Iain's funeral. I regret not being there. I regret not telling Iain when I had a chance that in many ways he represented the Australia that Sam and I remember fondly to this day - the warm friendship, the irreverent wit and generosity.

Years after I returned to Malaysia, he would surprise me with phone calls - "because it is Easter
over here" or because it is my birthday (or his). Once I told him that I watched a televised
bike race through Geelong - he replied "Oh, I was there, did you see me waving?"

I took this photo of Iain and Wendy in our porta-cabin studio during Year 5; as an engagement present to the both of them. 

Iain Heggen; an all round good egg with long strides and a chipper outlook - as Cardie so aptly puts it.