tired brain... (edited)

2 weeks have gone by and tomorrow is Friday! normally we would own this glorious day as the last working day of the week. unfortunately for our team, its the day my team leader, the fat, grumpy, middle aged man, will be returning from his Italiano trip. sad. we anticipate more grumbling, going on and on about how useless the trip was (and it probably was).

Despite his absence throughout this week, the week was not as blissful as i would had expected it to be. perhaps it was self inflicted. given that team-leader was away, i'd decided to seize the opportunity to take charge in some of the work and learning the ropes of trying to adapt into the dynamics of the team. all without the hassle of having team-leader yacking all the way.

apart from work, it was a good time to settle all my planned after work activities. time to get down to business of project change-of-lifestyle. fortunately, i have not been working beyond 7pm thus far and hopefully it will be that way for as much of the year. good thing my team leader is not an advocator of working after hours, just for the sake of it.

on a side note, i was called in for a second interview from a firm that i had previously been interviewed by. this time they were certain and determined to offer me the job as

an Architectural Executive (whoa... canggihnya). the package offered was slightly higher than the current and chances of a pay raised after probation is much promising.

slipping out from work during lunch time is a very new thing to me. given that 2 years ago, it would never cross my mind to such a thing. "betraying" my employer would be so wrong. but as i soon realised... loyalty my ass! seriously, at the end of the day none gives a rats ass of how goody and faithful you are towards your employer. in fact, its something they will take full advantage of given opportunity.

my cello instructor have been urging me to fix a date to lo

ok at cellos. my first lesson was a rather surreal one. never would i imagined myself playing such a beautiful instrument. the feeling was so nice. listening to the sound alone was mesmerizing.

i foresee my instructor not being too pleased of my lack of practice due to the current short-handedness.

it has past my curfew. time for bed.

last day...

in response to the sister's constant showing-off of her culinary skills... i have decided to challenge her with my own culinary extravaganza!!

my first home cooked meal in my new kitchen... sunday breakfast before service- scrambled eggs a la Gordon Ramsay style.

ka-pow!

confessions...

i was supposed to write about the gigantor mushroom i found at the back of the garden. it was a huge white puffball which spurts out spores when its dried up. unfortunately i was unable to upload the photos simply because i left the cables elsewhere. sorry mother lee.

in a couple more days i will be returning to life back in the island and i must admit i am dreading the days ending. these last few days have been very hard to savor given the fact because i subconsciously told myself to do so. this recent break has been rather interesting and much of it was spent literally at home. the past few days was spent to compensate my lack of outdoor-sy activities post surgery and do settle things that i have been constantly thinking about doing.

i'm lovin' it back home eating home cooked food and spending time with the parents which i had conveniently neglected them the whole of 2009. plus it fun observing how the parents are living their independant life post-children-leaving-home-and-making-it-on-their-own. Also and i must say that i have never watched so much tv. i think the past few weeks glued to the tv is equivalent or more than all the tv time i had in the past 3 years. doing basically nothing is fun and addictive.

despite me feeling so reluctant to go back there, apart of me feels like it is something that must be done (at least for the present moment). i wish not to regret living my life with certain unanswered questions that i know that i will ask myself in years to come if i do not seek the answers to them now. and it will surely haunt me for the rest of life if i don't. i guess sometimes you must see past the things in the heart that may be blinding you from the things that are running at a deeper end of ones thoughts that should not be ignored. heartaches are generally easier to deal with than headaches anyway.

and so many would ask why did i chose to accept the offer. of course i tell most people its simply because of the opportunity. the opportunity to work at a huge corporate boutique firm. the opportunity to witness and see how good quality designs are maintain without all the fuss despite being big. the chance to work with the best contractors in Asia that are in Singapore. and to take on projects that may cost 100 million dollars or more.

but there is another side to the story that most people would not want to believe and perhaps would think its stupendous. there are bigger offers that definitely could compare. sadly it aint as tempting and as coincidental at this.

the decision was made somewhat as result of this...

during my time at my previous firm, i had begun to develop thoughts that it was clear that it was a place that i couldn't see myself there any longer. and being so distracted i couldnt help myself to start thinking and planning of other opportunities. at that time there were only 2 firms that kept crossing my mind and felt strongly compelled to give them a try. of course the first was another design firm that was the original firm i had always wanted to try working at in Singapore. unfortunately it was a firm that kept itself very closed up from the rest of the architectural scene. however after working at a so called design firm with a staff size relatively similar to it, i felt it was time for something different. and the other option was the alternative. having been so stressed out at work one time, i decided to send in a job application to the firms as a way of testing the waters before i really decided to step out from the previous. not a tinkle of response was received. so i decided to forget about toying the idea and just moved on to other things.

finally came the day that i official resigned from the firm and had packed my bags to move on. job offers suddenly started to wheel in which i had never expected. and it would had only come after i had resigned which to me personally was a confirmation and assurance that i had made a good decision despite what some might differ. i wasn't throwing away an opportunity instead i had created more. oddly none were really greatly appealing, a few did manage to get my head to turn but not as to me wanting to jump right into it.

but alas a decision apparently had to be made as it was keeping the parents rather restless. the idea of their son being jobless and indecisive was such a worrying thing. so it appeared perhaps it was time to pack up, but not without putting up a small fight just to satisfy my own ego that the choice was not because there was no option but on the contrary was every choice that i would had made.

it was on a saturday morning, the girls had asked me out for an early morning breakfast as a welcome back gesture from the CNY holidays. as we were busy sitting there enjoy the different egg choices done, steph decided to pick up the abandoned morning newspaper lying on the table next to ours. as she was going through the classified adds section, she stumbled upon a architectural firm that was hiring. that firm was coincidentally the alternative firm that i had once pondered. so steph brought it to my attention and said perhaps it would be useful for me despite at that time i had told them of my more or less plans. but of course i had told myself to be more open minded and flexible so... no harm done trying to stroke a man's ego and apply to a firm that i had once applied but had not received any previous response. since i had already spent the past week working my ass off to sort out my portfolio and CV, i might as well just send it out. looking back, out of all the job offers it was the only job offer that i had actually applied to that required my own initiative and to a certain extend done with great effort. surprisingly they responded this time, and it turn out to be the toughest job interview out of all the rest and despite the nerve wrecking interview, i was offered the job instantly on the spot. strange given the fact they had previously ignored me. the company was not hesitant in their decision despite telling me they needed a week to finalise the offer, they got back to me officially the very next day. i had been offered the job out of a pool of applicants that ranged from 3-8 years of experienced. still find it hard to believe.

if i had not gone out for breakfast and if steph had not been antisocial and read the classified adds. i would had never tried to re-send a second job application. now you tell me if that's freaky.
further to that, despite me playing hard to get delaying on my decision and with my recent medical complications they were still willing to wait for me.

so despite my reluctance and feeling damn sien to work again and possibly a high chance of experiencing work dejavu. i guess i have nothing really to lose to see where it takes me... and the fact that this is just so damn freaky. nevertheless i hoping i will be able to give the place a second outtake and live life in singapore at a different perspective.

moral of the story is never to overlook the freaky things in life instead maybe you probably shouldn't. the third eye is much more valuable than the third nipple.

uncertainty...

so for the first time i've finally went through an MRI machine. i really didnt know what to expect and how it would feel to be in the tunnel. so when i was finally in there... i was pretty much blanked. i think being in the tunnel aint the problem, but the idea that you have to lay completely still for 30 minutes was indeed a scary thought.

thankfully i made it through with out much complication. although for numerous times during my time in the tunnel, i kept having these urges to lift my legs up or at least shake 'em. it was like a twitchy feeling. glad it never happened. but after that whole event, i realised one precious thing- that i was still in complete control of my body. although the legs really felt like being naughty (i like calling them naughty), my mind was in full control to make sure it doesnt. with moments like this you realised that it is a fine line between sanity and crossing over to the world of insanity. well i hope the results will not be as shocking as i keep imagining it to be.

you know how it is in television shows where doctors so easily request patients to go on these stupid MRI machines. they made it seem to easy. going through the machine was like walk in the park. well perhaps for the doctors it aint a problem. but the poor patients that have to endure being totally motionless in a round tube. scary. i wonder how fat people could fit into the MRI machine that i went through, it seemed pretty narrow. also i thought it would greatly help if they put a mini tv in the thing or at least play some classical music at the background. it would greatly help ease the horrible feeling of solitude and claustrophobia. so about these doctors and their MRIs, man! apart from it being a painfully suffering for the patients both mentally, it's also freaking expensive. i wish Architects could charge clients the same amount with plotting drawings and also together with the exorbitant consultation fees. 60 bucks for a freaking minute of consultation. in fact it was barely a consultation... more of a referral to spend more money.

been watching a fair amount of TV of late. and i realise the amount of shows there are about doctors and lawyers. and now they even have a show just on nurses. wow why do the media embrace so much on these people. plus they are the 2 professions with the highest amount of fee charges. man, we sure do love our doctors and lawyers so so much!

cats...

this is in response to Serene's blog entry about Mishu...

bottles of champagne...

"6 months isn't so long... everybody gets corrupted."

- tracy from Manhattan (1979)

its been almost a week at the little island. so much has been going through my mine that even i had not anticipated. it is true that life is about making choices, but seriously when there are choices which determines your life, it aint that easy as someone thinks. every decision becomes so difficult. i would give you the breakdown on what the decisions are thus far but i can honestly tell you that its still very much very sketchy. the hardest part is trying to make everyone think that its a-okay, everything is under control. but although it has not reached to a state of tearing my hair off it is still difficult indeed. but the underlying problem is me, what the hell do i want and where do i want to be at this present moment, although home is something that is never to late, but the underlying question is-when? putting thingsinto perspective isnt so easy as there is so much emotion involve when deciding, and it is necessary because the heart does matter when one decides. i know many of you readers are thinking... "just fucking decide already, but i can only retaliate with a Fuck you and go kay poh someone else life". haha. you notice the last bit of "haha" is just a pretext of relieving the tension of the said words before.

now what are the options you ask? well its between getting a little more of a taste of near perfection before going back to the realm of dissapointment, corruption and having to work 10 times harder to get things right. you think joannechew's husband would be a glimmer of hope of the state of a place? i doubt so... he's a fucking idiot just like any other young punk over there. oh forgive me for being so crude and offensive in my remarks, but when a man is in distress and in a state of deep thought. things can get pretty out of control in terms of verbal description. but seriously i hope i am wrong.

so its about getting my priorities straight. to understand the human context of things. things that can't be changed over night and with out rational reasons. contractors cant just suddenly be able to do things beyond there ability and clients who cant just decide that they are willing to pay for something that is beyond their understanding. no its impossible. it requirespatience and a tactful thought, because really, everyone else is fucking stupid except you.

i am a very upset man. upset on things that you cant change overnight and things that you can't control. so anyway, i have been going for a few interviews lately. thus far all of them have offered me a job, except perhaps in terms of salary it can be quite hard to swallow. but i guess its better to sell yourself high first rather than going low and ending up with shit. (unfinished)

so anyway, the song Manhattan has been running though my head endlessly. its a very architecture song i should say. CONTEXT! people... CONTEXT!

books i've been preoccupied with thus far...

Echo of Space/ Space of Echo - Atelier Bow-Wow

Studies- The office of Ryue Nishizawa

Constructing Architecture:materials/ processes/ structures, a Handbook- Andrea Deplazes (Ed.)

Atmosphere- Peter Zumthor

choices...

you've come a long way...

mmmm...

2 days...

theres just so much to clear and handover within a span of a week. up till this day i am still working as per normal. although my hours on site has been reduced to a minimum. theres just so much backlog to clear in order for my successor to have an easier life taking over the jobs. i must admit that i took for granted some of the filing work that should had been cleared earlier. oh well will just make do and try to clear as much.

been receiving calls from people asking about my departure. some even called to tell me that they have also made plans to quit. haha. well its nice to hear people thanking me of the work and their appreciation of working under me. some of them although i must say must of the time i wanted so badly to strangle them for their incompetency. but i guess we're all but humans with various skill levels.

had lunch with my client for the house project. it was thank you gesture for running the project and in hopes to maintain a continual relationship beyond MKPL. i guess in the end he did in some way see my reasons of me leaving the company. apart from showing his appreciation, the client also had wanted to introduced me to a friend of his. apparently they were quite impress by my work and perhaps maybe would grant me some job offers. i reckon mostly A&A and ID jobs. as the lunch hour approaches the end, the client offered me a parting give of huge ang pow and bottles of wine. i was in utter shocked to receive such gifts. nice.

then over at dinner, a friend of mine had been wanting to offer me a job to run a house project. it is by the most expensive house i've ever encountered.

i suppose this resignation process has become a rather interesting affair. so much options to decide from... i really don't know what to do.

while i was showering, i started thinking and envisioning how life would be post MKPL. to my horror i had this thought of perhaps i might have this feeling of emptiness. i worry that i might actually not be able to cope with this new found freedom and would miss the busy times. i have become so used to the busy routines that perhaps i might missed it. scary thought.

1 week to go...

i have been counting every single heartbeat of my time in the office. i realised that i did become rather attached to the company but at the same time i felt betrayed and had lost trust in the things that i used to believed in. perhaps maybe because i have outgrown myself to the things i loved and thought passionately about. my perception of things were fulfilled yet after having a taste of it i realised a certain emptiness to these things that i onced believed were the very essences of my profession. no doubt there are things that i've learn that still strongly remains and have shaped me in ways i might had aspired yet never knew would be attainable.

as the morning ends... 1/4 of the weekend has ended.

on a side note. the imaginariumofdrparnassus was disturbing and the company was even rarer. how strange it was.

2 weeks left...

as you can tell, i am seriously desperate for my days to end sooner. every passing second matters to me. i know it aint healthy but what can you do when your heart is more or less detached from the place. all you ever really can think about is when.

anyway, had tang and viv over my place earlier. initially wanted to meet up for the usual pre-week drinks but because i had to clear some work stuff, they decided to bring have the session at my place instead. it is a pity that i have to leave this place after being so comfortable here. but deep down i know its never really a place i can feel at home or rather a place i will never accept it as the final stop. i hate paying rent or the idea of paying for something that will never truly be mine.

and so as time slowly passes by, thoughts of future plans/ endeavors are starting to play around in my mind. so many options and things to choose from. jules call it the quarter life crisis. the idea that you've reached the age where you have truly grasp the idea of the world being your oyster. you now want to decide and zoom into a specific aspect of things to focus on. but because the oyster is so friggin big... you just cant decide which to choose from. and that really bugs you.

okay... i am like so sleepy now.

twoandahalfweeksandwhyisn'titanysooner...

as most of you would know by now. my departure from the little island is soon to be. with just over a couple weeks more i will be leaving the hard work behind. blood sweat and tears had gone into the projects but unfortunately decisions have to be made. i will not bother to detail the reasons for leaving but i assure you that it is in hope of bigger and better things.

I can really feel that i am mentally drained out from all of this. i struggle to get out of bed every morning (also might be due to the working till late), and how i will always at a certain point of the day feel so lost and confused about work. i tend to stop and imagine this big pile of things to do that i know its physically impossible to complete. with such negativity in mind, half my brain just gives up trying. it is a very bad thing to contemplate about but its this sense of defeat that reminds me that theres only so much a person can do. perhaps i h

ave not reached my full potential and have yet to really learnt all i can within these years. but where is the cut off line? and a bigger question... if its worth it?

well i told myself that its not the work that was bad but it was the environment that made the work more stressful than it is. the management has a funny way of training people. i will always want to learn but at the same time i also want to live. and if the company's definition of living is about constantly pushing your boundaries and compressing all your experience within this short time frame without stopping to rest and reflect, then i'd rather learn things the longer way. it is true that the amount of learning you get here is exorbitant. bu

t i can feel my mental being sucked dry like a wrinkled prune. i just can't do it anymore.

and so it's onward to other brighter and different things...

>much later...

i must admit that i am still a little possessive over my projects. knowing that all my work will have to be handed over to some other human makes me feel a little uneasy, jealous and sad. simply because i feel that most of the shit work was done by me and the ultimate credit will still go to whoever if the last man standing. sigh.

the handover has already begun...

>much much later... after 2 cans of beers.

sigh!!!!!!!

running out of steam...

seriously i guess that there are things in life best left not knowing. it should be only a thought in passing but never to let it dwell till you go crazy. but being the curious cool cat that i am... i just couldn't resist. sure enough... the regret that was inevitable.

just realised today that the GM is planning to rid the current PM for the project. that is horrible. i really love the PM... a real nice chap who wasn't afraid to do things his way. but that same enthusiasm also caused his departure from the project. i guess we humans no matter what will not be able to segregate our personal feelings with our professional judgements. with him gone... that would mean that the GM will be in more control of things. in other words its a huge warning sign for all to run the hell out. the project is a disaster! and it will only grow worst. when people of the higher ranks are getting more involve... it is never a good thing. and i can feel that the angmoh is slowly throwing all the crap to me. so typical. yes and off he goes to do his bloody fucking "dry-lays".

on the other side... the client wants to increase the ceiling height for the living area. another big problem at this late stage. sigh. perhaps its my fault that i failed to really study the option of raising the ceiling. but my take was that the living room is not suppose to be the hearth of the house instead the family room was suppose to be the main gathering space for the family. i gave them a 5m high space with a skylight. i dunno how to reassure the client on this tomorrow. the micro part of designing has begun. wish i could solve all of it... but i fear that i probably would not be able to stay that long. initially i had contemplated another year. but from the way things are going it probably aint happening.

too many things crashing all at once. that includes my own life here.

today has been a rather short day in the office. usually from wednesday onwards... most of my days are spent out of the office and on site. now tell me how the heck do i have time to draft my drawings?!

anyway... well morning site meeting was a nightmare. watching the client banging the table and threatening to sack anyone and everyone who makes the slightest error is really very stressful. then in the afternoon met my other client and his wife to review the landscape proposal. the contrast between a big time developer and a private owner is very telling. developers is all about just getting the job done as early as possible yet still must be able to achieve top quality works. with private owners however, its about trying to satisfy their own ego and the amount of emotional energy put into it is unjustifiable.

so anyway... i must say that my trees and flower knowledge is almost close to zero. well... the only knowledge i have is knowing how to differentiate a Frangipani from a Busheda, which isnt very hard... a bougainvillea between a orchid. har! but i'm so honored that the client, despite my lack of knowledge in plants, still respects my ideas and decisions in every aspect.

the wife obviously knows far better stuff about plants than i do. after the meeting i went home to google all the plants she had mentioned... its gonna be a long discussion with the landscape specialist.

a picture of a Cochlopermum, also known as a buttercup tree. well i agree with the client that its a much more unique and sculptural tree as compared to the common Plumeria trees. the flowers are huge!

on Friday well be heading to Bulthaup to finalise on the kitchen system. i had to reassure the client that using the wood finish for the cabinets is a way classier choice than the stainless steel finish. it was a hard one because i personally also love stainless steel. i think the tricky part is having to deal with natural materials. no architect can truly control mother nature. i guess while we're there... we might as well stop by Xtra to check out some furnitures, if all can be covered then... i might not need to go furniture shopping with them over the weekend. Apparently its the best time to buy furnitures because of the clearance sales...

and i've set my eyes on the Jesse range...

i think for this beach house... i'm gonna go for the warm gray/ natural modern theme. those timber boards would be so perfect for this house... and at my wits on experimenting with the timber... trying all sorts of method to get that washed out rustic effect. i've tried white wash... acid wash... grey wash... i think the timber specialist is getting rather frustrated as well.

another new chapter...

came across a "sweded" version of the Karate Kid on youtube. it was so lame yet somehow it still does in a way manages to summarize the whole movie in 8 minutes. who would had thought you could learn karate just by mastering your household chores. but its seriously still a kick ass kungfu pow awesome movie. then again i realised that despite me loving the first movie, i actually had never watched all the subsequent sequels.

sadly... the holiday season is over and its back to normalcy. sigh.

been reflecting on the pass decade and how funny it is that i tend to remember some over the strangest things. well it's been nearly decade since i've left home and away from the parents. only to return for the holiday seasons.

i actually made a chronological timeline listing a few highlights during the past years... but decided to keep it to myself after a second thought. i guess there are some things really better left untold. hah!

2010... time to get serious?

proposition... S.A.

post-christmas and pre-new year at kl was rather relaxing. sadly was not able to find time to use the hotel facilities during my stay. then again guess it wasnt the priority. but i must say that the wedding was a complete bore. it was just shake bride and groom hands as you enter, sit down and make small talk with the people, eat and just eat, witness an average toasting session, shake the bride and grooms hand on the way out. yes... how very exciting indeed. it would had been slightly more entertaining if there was like some speech or special items just to engage with the bored crowd. well it would had been a consolation if there were hot babes around... sadly none at all!!

but apart from that... everything else was good. the food was yummy.

some poor quality photos taken with my HP camera at random...

my mind is gradually becoming more clear headed on things to come.

caffeine high...

the past few days i've been going to bed relatively early and waking up early to arrive at the office 15 minutes early. thats a very good thing. unfortunately i predict this beautiful streak will be broken. me the genius brewed myself a cuppa at 11pm. it comes natural to me to want to drink coffee when i'm working even when i'm at home. so by the forces of nature... i was driven to have that coffee and now i'm regretting it so badly.

so since i'm having trouble trying to sleep. i decided to uhmm... nag. but the plus point is that with my brain being so pumped up by the coffee adrenaline. i've managed to work out on all my letter/ email replies to the contractors. recently one of my contractors have been shooting emails trying to blame the architects for the cause of delay in their works and evade themselves from their responsibilities. writing to refute such erroneous claim is a very tricky thing. in some ways... it could be a trap. on the other hand, i have another contractor who is so onz on getting the job going yet... very poor in their correspondences and paperwork. and i have to write them a whole list of to do works and to help them record every single item discussed and remind them to submit ALL their paperworks. every time i mentioned the word write or report... the contractor would roll their eyes and give me the "do i really have to?" look. i guess it is a very tedious task. i know for sure... because i myself have to do all these administrative things as well. but then i would then give them a long explanation trying to rationalize with them the importance of all these paper work.

i've finally confirmed my reservation at the Westin in KL. perhaps this time i will try and spend more time in the hotel and indulge myself with the facilities. the last time i stayed at the Westin i was barely in it. now i'm thinking whether i should further extend my stay there...

it seems 2010 will be the year many friends are planning to visit KK. majority of them specifically have set their eyes on the mountain. and what better way to save their accommodation fee by staying with a local during their trip. so maybe 2010 would be the year i would pay many visits back home. in a way to compensate the failed trips back home in 2009.

on to other miscellaneous things... i was informed that check shirts are back. yeehaw! *spank that ass... biatch!*

you get what you ask for...

birthday gifts...

surprise mock up of my RC wall that was to be ready on Monday. I spoilt the surprise when i visited the site on Friday.
... and my new Universal Dock that came together with a 100SGD apple voucher because the Magic Mouse was out of stock!!
nice...

reasons why... im still here.

there are 2 projects under my wing that have been sustaining my sanity. but again... one of the project has the potential of driving me insanely nuts. nevertheless both projects are a good example of working with 2 different contractors and projects of vast difference in scale.

finally for the last 3 years we've finally reached the stage of constructing the e-deck. of course the residential units are still no where near its supposedly completed stage. sigh...

but on the other hand, after the long 3 year hiatus. my little house has finally started moving... and moving pretty fast it is. imagine it was suppose to start construction 1 year ago. i must say i am rather proud to see my little baby taking its shape...

below is a photo of the house... preparing the rebars for the swimming pool and the balancing tank. the foreground is the living room. if you notice which i am sure you cant... the contractor had to do a quick improvisation on the rebar and structural changes. had to arm twist the engineer to change the structural design error. i hate it went engineers wants me to compromise on my side as a result of their lack of due diligence and failure to read the architectural drawings in detail. and so i refused to allow the engineer to psyche me in tolerating the stupid cock-up of having a structural column sitting right into my koi pond. he spent 15 minutes on the phone then later in the meeting trying to pacify me and trying to convince me to look at a different angle by accepting a "box-up". i realise both M+E and structural engineers love to use the word "box-up" as a means to solve every error in detail.

the tricky part was that the error was only discovered after the pile cap was completed. so we had to transfer the structure by introducing a tie beam of 500x1000mm to support the column structure sitting on a 125mm cantilevered slab. haha amazing stuff. now i know how capable the structural engineers are... all they need is a little arm twisting stimulation to let them think outside the box. and we all can talk about cost later... i suppose. haha.

apart from the little house on a little island... there is the monstrous condo development. this... structural design is relatively more complicated. literally each floor is supported on a transfer slab due to the stepping terraces. imagine the 6 storey structure is also sitting on a 500mm thick transfer slab. the mother of all the transfered slab in this entire development. haha...
the e-deck finally taking shape... thats the upper e-deck where the BBQ area is located and right below is the function room.
this the handrail design for the typical penthouse. i find it rather too complicated after seeing the mock-up done by the contractor. the design was to resolve the level changes of the steps yet to keep the continuity of the railings. so it was design on the basis that a person can grab and slide their hands along the handrail without any obstruction to its continuity.
a photo of the swimming pool balancing tank...
its true that i do all the fun stuff in the office... haha.

ending in echoes of silence...

finally started sending out my resumes to a couple of firms over the weekend. well, fingers crossed and hope i get the interviews. at the moment i am being very picky and tasteful in the firms i've applied to. i guess its more of the quality and my specific agenda than anything else. unlike 3 years ago where i just spread my net all out to see which kind soul would be so nice to hire me. i was a sponge that wanted to just absorb every single droplet of water that i can possibly absorb. but after 3 years, i've come to realise the certain dos and donts that i wish to include in my learning curve. in a way its like readjusting the steepness of the curve and go straight to the specific things i want to learn.

however, if i do not get the job or find that the place ain't suitable enough... then it might be bye-bye Singapore. i really do hope i get my first preference... it was my first preference of firms when i was applying for jobs in Singapore 3 years ago. surprisingly it still is. unfortunately they were not hiring at the time... and being so popular there is a high chance they might not be either this time, or are very picky on their applicants. sigh.

well another hidden agenda and reason why i hope to get into that company is because of its affiliation with [The Theaterworks]. then perhaps i would have the opportunity to do some stage set designing as well.

so here's a new prayer assignment for you folks!

lately i've been blasting my iPod with lots of rock music. drowning myself within this spectrum of music genre is due to my need to detached myself from the environment... be it in public transport, public areas, and at times at the work place. and perhaps to avoid the need to entertain the silence within my head that would lead to weird thoughts. the band, Foo Fighters, in particular have been my frequent listen. i've been looping their complete discography from The Color and Shapes to their recent Greatest Hits album. thats listening to 7 albums of non-stop head banging music. friggin awesome!

other strange listens would be U2. a band that i am not very fond of in the past, mainly because i hate Bono's annoying ne-ne vocals. but i am beginning to be rather respectful of "the edge's" echoey guitar riffs. it can be rather hypnotic.

aside from Rock music... i still do keep up with my usual listens. the most recent findings is Stan Getz's Bossas and Ballads: the lost sessions

i'm beginning to be able to distinguish clearly his sounds and style of play from other sax players. its a really good album. the sort you can listen early in the morning or late nights before bedtime.

finally got around to buy my ticket to the [Chick Corea] concert. i didnt manage to find anyone that would be interested or available to kawan me. ofcourse... shlim kept insisting i ask Debs to go. but i was reluctant to. don't ask me why.