Friday, November 21, 2025
Thursday, November 20, 2025
20.11.2025 Thursday - SKM visits
SKM visits us with her daughter, Sam's cousin PuiHoong, they know so little about Kuching, and our life here. Sam and I agree earlier to host them, and host them generously - Sean collects them from the airport and bring them to dinner at the club. They will stay at Sean's place, good for him - it helps to get the place in order. He is still missing bits and pieces: a book shelf here, and painting there, proper crockery for entertaining, and so forth.
All good lessons to learn.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Friday, November 14, 2025
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.
