18.2.2025 Tuesday - we have a school project but no fees

I spend the morning from 5:00 until 7:30 at home, and then from 8:00 until 11:00 designing and drawing up the floor plans for the school in Balai Karangan; a pro-bono project working with Toni and Craig. I show the plans to Leong and the others, Leong makes some comments and offer some suggestions - the others are too busy with their own deadlines to comment or look closely.  I will compile this with the 3Ds and send to Toni this week, it has taken too long. When I walk to work, I think about whether the young intern helped with this project or not, since I have to re-draw everything. I decide fairly quickly (by the time I took to walk from home to work) that she helped; in her explorations helped to congeal the structure, our discussions helped with the building sections (and later the 3D). And she will continue to help, after the scheme is packaged and sent off, she will continue to CAD my sketches for construction and submission drawings. 

17.2.2025 Monday - no gym early start.

 

They are lifting again, this time the cross trusses one storey high inside which the hotel rooms are placed.

A good start to the week, I know I will work especially hard this week because we are going away on Sunday. And I am worried about going away - so many thoughts fly through my mind before I fall asleep. I am being silly of course, I tell myself that and that I deserve the holiday. My colleague are taking my absence in their stride, making plans to attend important meeting for me - there is an important one where we have been shortlisted for a housing scheme. 

I pass my work to Jenny, and Sean, and Fiona, and Freddie - instead of sitting down to an office meeting, I sit down with individuals and go through their work.

changing the structural grid proved to be the solution for the re-sizing of the apartment units

16.2.2025 Sunday - too much sun

 

It was too early for some of us

I cycle to play tennis, because I have not used the bike for a while and also to loosen my achey hips. It seem to have warmed up my ankles which do not hurt too much during the one hour of hitting. Sam and I go for a laksa at a different place 'because we always go to the same place' - we visited Angel at her cafe on Bishopsgate, named after her son, George. 

rescued from the dead, now thriving happily in her little universe (our bedroom)

Sam introduced a reading programme for mom, it keeps her more alert towards the evening, and not so dopey (asking about people long dead and confusing us for her siblings)

SL is very kind, drives me to practice cover drives at the new Cricket Centre

New layout for Tasik Biru apartments 19x7 =  133 units

15.2.2025 Saturday - lazy day

MGM Spain

A short tennis session because R has difficulty breathing after a few rallies, he has very good strokes but is rather unfit. Sam and I have breakfast after which I return to nap (something I have not done for a long while) waking up only to eat lunch. I decide to eat less starting today - the exercise is great for cardio-vascular health but is doing nothing for weight loss. I just to put fewer things in my mouth, and return a vegetarian diet (with fish) and eat fruits and veg for lunch.

Late in the afternoon, I go to the office to see how Sean is doing. He is preparing his report for his professional exams, we work until quite late. I look at EL Croquis for inspiration for our current projects.

estudio gustavo utrabo

estudio gustavo utrabo

 

14.2. 2025 Friday - Pam is back

Early start because I want to draw out the problems and their solutions before speaking to Freddie at 8:30.

9:30 - Leong and I head off to Renna to review defects rectification; roofing, lobby light boxes, canopy cabling - it is a good visit. 

1130 - I visit Springvale site to see what Kenneth is worried about, not much but moving forward I can see that Sean will be get very busy. He drops me off at lunch with Sam, after which I go home for a Friday afternoon off - which I might do on a more regular basis starting NOW! 

..and we use it as an excuse for a dinner at No. 40. Pam is a good catalyst - Ivy Tan and her aunties and her children attend. Even my sister attends with Shing and Ashley - the first sit down dinner, and Shing gets a proper look at the house renovation. EH is chatty, making jokes with Pam about her upcoming trip to Scandinavia (he is very knowledgeable and I suspect that he wishes to visit these countries).

I have less of a good time; tired from work and too much sports (the early morning gym has an effect, I am just not aware of it till now). I mentally decide not to have any more dinners at No. 40 for the time being, still plenty to do there; the garden, the furniture, the books, the kitchen shelves, the gas hob, the passion fruit (where are the hooks Sean bought?). 

I thought that this diagram is important for better understand after speaking to TY on Wednesday so I update the presentation and re-send it to him

 

13.2.2025 Thursday - candid conversations

Today is one of those days when everything happens all at the same time, making me a little tense and anxious (but in a good way). AS wanted to chat so I go and listen to his concerns (which are getting fewer now) one of which is a cat who goes into the main lobby lounge to poo on the sofa. How to block off the vent block wall without resorting to the wire screen - I show him this photo and recommend artistically placing stones into the holes. Melvin thinks that the stones have to be mortared down or else the cat can move them aside. 

 830 a.m. - I sit down with PH's family for breakfast; I wanted to give my CASIO watch to one of the boys. It was Sean's birthday present for me a few years back - Oliver gladly accepted it. I see his mischievous side when we talked about him staying in Kuching during his school holidays. Fiona and Freddie come and sit for a while before we head off to Teck's meeting - I feel it important to do this once in a while, like the Mafia.

10:00 a.m. - good meeting with the client, things are going to site in April. We are given a new brief for the apartment; breaking the large units into smaller ones which are easier to sell. After the formal meeting, we have a good chat with the client who seems happy and candid in his conversations about future projects (not all ours). It is good that he can be candid with us, he knows we will offer an opinion, and that we can keep our mouths shut. 

3:30 p.m. - someone who should not keep his mouth shut is Sean who needs to communicate more, with colleagues, consultants, etc. In any case, things are cleared up - and we agree to meet more often.

12.2.2025 Wednesday - Chap Goh Meh

The 15th day of the Lunar New Year typically signaling the end of festivities, and families get together for a meal, usually dinner. I am the eldest, so I should organise a get-together but my heart is not in it. SO, Sam arranges to feed Louise at her place and we invite ourselves over with a selection of dishes Louise likes. 

Mom joins us and we see a glimpse of the social butterfly she was. 

 Today is Renna site meeting day - I get upset with the QS who routinely choose to pick at some matters (in a personal manner) rather than to solve problems and settle issues. We are 3 months away from completion, and she is picking on pedantic paperwork which should be settled outside these meetings. 

I leave earlier to see Sara and her team with SY - things are going well. Things are going well at the tennis courts as well, my arms is much better and I can hit out. I won 3-1 against Dr Kho.