18.11.2025 - 61

 

17.11.2025 Monday - painting tools

 

16.11.2025 Sunday -

 

15.11.2025 Saturday - ankles hurting still

 

14.11.2025 Friday - student visit and a long lunch.

 3 of our young architects took time to talk about their work, about how lines on pair turn into built projects. They did well, showing clearly, from experience, from lessons learnt along the way. I listen in and add a word here and there, but I mostly learned as well: that they have been thinking, recording their work flow, that there are certain lessons that they want to share; about taking extra time to get things done right, about growing people, about personal growth. 

Sean mentioned that our biggest project might be the alumni which we are continuing to build, if we are not speaking about built architecture. I think that's a nice thought...

Later that day, I go to No. 40 and start cooking lunch. The office folks start arriving at 1pm, Fiona's parents were the guests of honour, her uncle from Lawas join us. Her father is very complimentary about our work culture, I hear it, I'm glad but I don't dwell on it - it's a ongoing process. We cook, and eat and drink until dinner time after which we pack up and go home. To eat Az's bubur kacang hijau cooked by his mom, with santan and gula apong - it's a bit too sweet and too rich for me but I really appreciate this young man's effort to contribute. Especially because his family is not well to do, and he still makes an effort. Sean says he often orders the cheapest lunch, I make up my mind - next week, I'll try and cook one pot lunches, and size it for more than 1 person. So that I can tell him 'there's lunch if you want it' - he deserves that.

13.11.2025 Thursday - pistachios and other bright shiny things

Sam is in the office today. She attended her first office meeting with our team earlier today. 

We are eating two cakes in the office pantry, a cheese one and a pistachio mille-feuille. Two birthdays - George and Fiona - Sam referred to our birthday girl as a 'kaixin quo', and she is right; a bright spark, intelligent and caring. I recall a text conversation on the eve of her departure from our office for further studies in Tsinghua Uni; she used a Chinese idiom to describe our parting   天下無不散的筵席 (tiān xià wú bù sàn de yán xí), which translates to "there are no banquets in the world that do not end".

Several years later, she returned, and the banquet continues.. 

12.11.2025 Wednesday - highlight of the month

We present the school design without much fanfare, I hope Brother Robert is able to put it past the school board. Emil has questions and comments, let's see how we can answer them and appease him. The engineer Anthony called the design 'elegant' which I think is a fitting description.

Sam sits next to me after seeing the SEDC folks about our appointment, she'll be stationed next to me in the office starting today. 

Let's see if we can get our UPKJ registration this week.