still there, office

10 july 2009, Friday, kl



For the sake of posterity, I think I ought to get this jotted down.

I felt so desirable today. Seriously I am, I am flattered.

It’s totally the opposite feeling a month ago.

1. Ace messaged me from his invisible status this morning and seemed eager about the tentative Bangkok plan. He volunteered on every itinerary I have laid out. He wanted to fetch me everywhere, that son of a teak logger. He wanted to send me to the airport from Kanchanaburi. I declined, but would only take on his hospitality when I am in Kanchanaburi. Only to realize moments later that Kan, fondly referred to by locals, is actually 5 hours away from the airport.

2. That’s because Boom told me about it. Seems like I need to re-consider the alternative Bangkok getaway destination. Boom wanted to meet up too but in Bangkok. It’s going to be in Charoen Krung, fingers cross, otherwise, in a local restaurant in Ladprow. I don’t know, I leave it to intuition.

3. A little about Ace, he is my partner (in crime). I like him because we click. Although he looks like a faggot, he is 100% straight and he introduced me to Bangkok clubs. He used to purchase an LV for both his girlfriends each, whom he was 2 timing during Valentine’s Day simply because he cannot make up his mind and the sales assistant actually advised Ace not to get the same tote, because he has already got one the ‘other’ day when he brought his other girlfriend there. But he has since made up his mind and perhaps I may meet her too. He cares about his looks and in his car boot, he has an assorted pairs of shoes and shirts which he digs into whenever he heads to a club straight from office.

We were so drunk in D’Wa, he can still drive to a famous Chicken Rice shop where he had 2 plates of chicken rice. M had hers, I only took the chicken minus the buttery rice.

4. The GM called before lunch and requested me to email the designs to assist the project guy up north, something which I have forwarded before. I told him I don’t do things twice, but I felt a little love this morning, I didn’t mind being a nice guy.

5. A moment ago, a director from a reputable local design office gave me a call. It involves a shopping centre. He sounded desperate, I thought it was a joke. He said it's just a 6 month affair. Minutes later, his colleague called me again and she suggested dinner for further talks. I turned it down because I have some cheapskate houses to look into.

we have a small house in ipoh

21 june 2009, sunday lm. kl.

Last weekend back at home, M and I decided to drive to Ipoh for some snacks although we had a very heavy ‘there is not tomorrow’ breakfast earlier.

Since Ipoh has a relatively straight forward road network, locating Ipoh Garden was not difficult at all. Coupled with some good sense of direction and above all, a clear recollection of our childhood visits to the city on deserving weekends or as celebratory trips, destination was achieve without minutes.

Snack was just so-so now, not because it was just a hawker centre, but then again, I used to give Wooley’s a really high rating for a place to go to for an assortment of hawker delicacies. It was way back to those years when we were in high school, Wooley’s was my father’s choice for variety. It is newly refurbished now and equipped with flat screens, apart from the new coat of paint.

Back then, after chowing, it was customary for Pa to make a turn to our other house around the corner, every time we visited Ipoh. Just to check it out, he said, the condition of the house which was rented out. He is still a property maniac and being quite a lowly paid Primary School teacher, he is truly my mentor in most aspects, especially real estate. He is an undisputed winner.

His investments may not be something to shout about to some people, but from his miniscule savings and some side income giving tuition, the number of properties that he had in hand put a lot of people to shame.

I had a good look at him, over a breakfast table full of Chee Cheong Fun, Fried Kuey Teow, Fishballs, Noodle Soup and cups of Coffees and Chams, how much he has aged over the years. However, he still displays a youthful boyish look I will always cherish, the gap between his 2 front teeth which never closes, and the neatly comb back hair.

The Australian engineer designate who opted for teacher’s training to Kota Bahru, Kelantan due to some family commitments has come a long way.

Because we were already there, I wanted to show M of the said house, a single storey house which used to be a part of our family’s itinerary in Ipoh, I called Pa and asked for specific directions to the Ipoh Garden house, very well aware that it’s really just around the corner. He gave some vague instructions, like, ‘just behind Maybank’, which was fine anyway, but added that “the property has been willed to you, you should go and have a look”, “you can do whatever you want with it”.

After all his years of hardwork and savings, it’s a pity for him to just pass things he cherished to us. It only proves that all things are indeed impermanent, including ownership. But I know I don’t deserve it.

I have thought of a squash game and a nice Chinese dinner with Pa and Ma next week, on a working day. Screw work.

I miss them both. I have not been a great son.

This post is certainly not published in conjunction of father’s day.

skoda has the same kinda engine too

10 june 2009, wednesday, kl


On the way to the office this morning, without a hands-free kit (thanks to the chinese compatible model), called and inquired about a pre-owned Skoda Octavia Combi, just out of curiosity and in the evening on the way to a certain site, the air conditioning stopped blasting half way.

Something must be wrong with the newly replaced fan which affects the cooling system which affects the ‘water circulating’ system which resulted a blinking temperature signal on the dashboard. The previous replacement was not cheap.

After the appointment, dropped by the mechanic and the signal magically disappear. What kind of hide and seek is this?

The problem is, I still love cruising in this Mark 3 of mine.

Further, I still do look forward to motherland mainland.

last day of braces

2 june 2009, tuesday, kl



It’s not supposed to be over a year but it did, since 2 Syawals ago.

This morning, I had 2 slices of peanut butter on whole meal bread and Milo for breakfast while watching CCTV9 and the last gulp was usually a very natural gargle to flush out bits and pieces trapped in between those higher range stainless wires.

Very naturally too, the tongue went to work.

It’s experimental, because it involves no extractions and from the looks of it, pretty successful, if only I wore more of those elastic bands, but I was lazy. But it is not easy, I have to meet people.

Lunch was nearby site, Sungai Chua, at a half timber-half brick village shack, chomping on Chinese styles vegetable of morning glory and potato shoots stir-fried with garlic in a very monotonous way. Perfect. Main course was the steam Pomfret with rice vermicelli in soupy Teochew style.

Now, these fine strings of vermicelli are never a threat, a superficial nor a hygienic one. I am skilful enough to untangle those even before leaving the table. Nothing is impossible, not the fibrous pineapple, not the lamb shank. Only things was, my favorite Chinese persimmon was a real after-consumption nightmare.

With the wires unplugged, a very exposed wall of enamel is now exposed. The previous metallic clamps fastening to each and every piece on its frontal like a network of high-tech alien will be dislodged.

All it all, good and bad times of the parasite tracking me going places, interiors, alleys, restaurants, shacks, stalls, cafes, bistros, high level meetings, low level chats, fags.

Kind of miss it now. Baby come back. (no, no, just kidding)

banh mi is not mee

25 may 2009, Monday, skygarden, d.1



There was a tropical storm in HCMC this morning and dragged till late evening. It’s on and off in the afternoon.

I just realized that I actually had 4 ‘Banh Mi’s today. A Vietnamese version of the French baguette stuffed with meat fillings and some essential ingredients.

One in the morning, 830am, at De Tham, Pham Ngu Lao area. Fillings consist of their kind of ham and red dyed pork slices. Pretty standard stuff. They inserted some cilantro which brought up a notch. It’s ok since it’s crunchy.

The second one was awesome, like 10 minutes after the heavy Pho Bo dinner. It seemed like a bare stall but because it offered kebab fillings, I could not resist. It’s along D. Cach Mang Tam after getting out of D. Vo Van Tan’s Pho Bo. Turned out to be the best Banh Mi I have ever eaten and kebab and baguette totally complimented one another. It’s a shame that these Vietnamese don’t know how to capitalize on this apparent combination which is still no commonly found here in the city, yet.

A Banh Mi minutes after a heavy meal and rave about it. How good was it? Think about it?

The third one was found along D. Nguyen Trai, opposite Zen Plaza. This one is special. They offer barbeque pork meatloaves in the size of 50cents coins (Malaysia) as fillings, well, apart from those essentials, lettuces, cucumber, pickled carrot, mayo, margarine, and with a dash of soya sauce and their chilli sauce for some Asian leanings. I would have rave about this too, but since I had the kebab one earlier, this was kind of affected. But it’s interesting and a really good choice.

The last one was taken away as supper, minutes before I got into the taxi. It’s late, and dark and by then I have covered quite a fair bit further away from the centre by foot. It’s another run of the mill baguette but most ‘Banh Mi’s here in Vietnam maintain a certain imaginary standard, so, it’s actually quite good anyway.

Isn’t it strange to sound like there seemed to be a different theme everyday huh?

an undefined outing made define

24 may 2009, sunday, skygarden, d.1















1. i dont choose them, they choose me, lol. kidding.
chau & duong. chau 's really cute huh? she serves me all the time. it's a local street cafe!



Aboard the local bus heading for Cholon, I just found out I took the wrong guide book. It’s the newly bought Indonesia instead of the out of date Vietnam which explains why the outing was going to be non definitive and quite aimless.

After coming to terms with it, it actually suited me fine, to just, stroll along aimlessly, getting lost in the extensive road network, taking it easy. I think I must have paced tens of kilometers under the heat. After all, walking solo is liberating.

Cholon is the Chinatown of HCMC.

I have no idea of its boundaries because it’s not a mere street, but a zone, so it’s vast. The whole zone was actually built on a wholesale strategy through history, so, it’s as good as a huge wholesale market with different streets selling specialized products. One will surely be struck with surprises of what a particular street offers at certain nooks and turns but because it is such a huge area, it will be really tiring to traverse, by foot.

So far, I have only managed to venture into the followings - domestic products, home ware - plastics and steel products, motorbike parts, rice, Chinese sausages, sacks – gunny and plastics, condoms and aphrodisiac medications, praying materials, helmets, tyres, cooking utensils, lanterns before I gave up on the whole of Cholon. It’s quite impossible really.

Cholon is quite a messy area, depending really, but buzzing to no ends and extremely chaotic at times. The Chinese here are Cantonese and unlike Indonesians or the Thais, it’s widely spoken.

Perhaps the more defined spot is Cho Tay Binh, the ̣market complex which is rectangular in shape with a courtyard in the middle. The pastel yellow building, it’s filled with clothes and textile merchandisers, snacks wholesalers, some home-domestic products wholesalers with a meat market and a row of hawker stalls at the rear of the gigantic building.

So, really, how define a walkabout can be without a map, so, after much satisfaction of doing my best in ‘traversing’, after 3 solid hours (definition through time), there appear a relatively nice local café, non-air-conditioned, no frills except some bright paint but high ceiling. PU strings weaved chairs. I just wanted to quench my thirst and enjoy a cuppa, stare into the rhythmic recurring swamp of motorbikes ala Frenchies, flip and scan through my newly purchase pirated book, while being served by 2 skimpily dressed waitresses.

Of course I must stress that the 2 waitresses did not play a role in my stopover although they were extremely friendly and curious, taking turns to sit beside me once customers were settled. It's strange because it's only 'what your name?', 'how old you?', where you from?', silence, smile until there was something to attend, repeating the same in a cycle once back. Really funny. Chau and Duong, their names.

Another 2 hours of traversing, unexpectedly bump into a highly patronized double level, Pho Bo shop. Packed to its brim, it must have been the best Pho Bo I have ever eaten. It may sound unbelievable, but the texture of the beef slices reminded me of Wagyu. Its broth, unbeatable, a little on the sweet side, I was told sugarcane was used. Generous amount of beef slices and balls and tripes. Soft and slurpy pho (white flaten rice noodles)

‘So, you tell me, define or not define?’

2. what else? unbeatable as yet.

coffee, hcmc, vietnam, subsets

23 may 2009, Saturday, skygarden, d.7



Never have such an overdose of caffeine within a day, to enlist, really out of this world local coffee in a Pho shop for breakfast, once at Ben Thanh Market because it’s just so atmospheric , another at Au Parc near the cathedral because it’s French and just a couple of hours back, Irish Coffee at Senarata because it’s already dark.

See, there is always a reason.

Vietnam is still rated as my favorite country to go on a recurring basis, but I have only managed to familiarize with what HCMC has to offer 2 hours before touching down. So that shows how well I can get re-acquainted with the country, any part of it.

HCMC amazes me due to its departure from the ‘traditionalist, arty, historically cultured’ perception of Hanoi, forming an individualistic character albeit the presence of French influences which can still be distinctively felt in architecture, urban planning and livelihood gels for some relationship. Well of course, their market reforms and their Marxist-Leninist ideology on democratic central-lining should be considered mutual as well.

Having said the above, it’s as marvelous discovering the different ways and identities and different pairings with regards to place and impression, mood and character, while the subject matter remain status quo. Coffee is still coffee, with a slight twist maybe. That’s Vietnam.

It’s sure relieved to experience optimism after a short bout of disappointment with the state of affairs back home. They say grass is always greener on the other side, but really, which side is it?

That’s what happened after an entire day of walking from streets to urban central parks, boulevards to back-lanes to riversides. By the way, drinking ice milk coffee is the most genuine drink to experience in this part of the world. Why? Because it just wont happen in any other part of the world.

part of the world=asean

re-conditioning to (strange) atmospheric re-entry

22 may 2009, Friday

It’s been 3 weeks now.

I am still readjusting.

It is certainly lack of actions here. It’s a world of difference in the morning.

The level of acceptance in design is still unperturbed. They must be really comfortable with those mixed-fruit-with-prawn-paste stuff so-call designers dish out to them.

Our leaders are more interested in filling up their piggy bank then uplifting the country to a higher level and securing a better position financially in the global arena.

I can now see, why are we still stagnant here when countries in the region have rose to the occasion claiming to be dragons respectively. Despite some presence of really good but always inadequate infrastructure and builds which has sprouted in the country, it does not serve as an index for real growth. I can now see why our currency is not even listed in airports worldwide.

I miss the courtesy of passengers relieving their seats for senior citizens. It’s a 98% record in public transport there, mind you. I miss the punctuality of public transports and its vast networks, definitely the convenience of it.

It’s comforting to see a single ‘nationality’ there despite of their Uighur, Tibetan, Mongolian, Yunnan origins. It not the same here and those multiracialism peace crap that they advocate to the world is actually a joke. It’s even more multiracial in Paris and Amsterdam, and they don’t eat each other up.

Now, I can see the effectiveness and its benefits of a single iron fist central committee in administering a country. There is no hanky-panky, people rose due to genuine delivery and often scrutinized by one another for the love of the country, and nothing more than the country and her people. Officers work their way up whereas young guns graduated from Oxford with the help of some exclusive scholarships for a certain race get to help out father in law. That’s why it’s sadly the opposite here.

The executive, legislative and judiciary which is supposed to be independent of one another is in fact under one roof, but still incompetent, it’s a joke. So much so, isn’t it almost as per a single big governing body when all 3 components are unified. Everybody is wasting time here.

I miss the open competition to all available projects in the public sector. And close competition in private sectors. Irregardless, it’s the competitive atmosphere which is driving the country forward.

But to be frank I still cannot accept the mandatory napping sessions over there although I have almost gotten use to it (happening to them).

OK, flight to Ho Chi Minh in 5 hours. I just need to get re-acquainted with anywhere to do with socialist ideologies.

By the way, Star Trek was great and it was my first outing to anywhere public, last wednesday.

shenzhen + hongkong; a final review

30 april 2009, Thursday, tt-sz-cn



Pairing half a liter of Paulaner with the lou-poh paeng from the shop below at this hour is totally insane. Serious.

There are reasons for both the items. Paulaner, because it is one of the rejects from my luggage. You know the quiz about the 3 or 4 items one must pick to a deserted island thing? This is exactly it. Moreover, I have enough exotic beer at home.

Loh-poh paeng because the many schillings I have accumulated over the months just ought to be spent instead of being dead loads, and becasue Wing Wah pastry incidentally gives me a fair amount of good memories. So, it’s only good fortune to be able to purchase one, moments before it closes. Oh yeah, 20% after 8pm, closes at 10pm.

Packing up really delayed my consumption, coupled with hunger, that explains why for such pairing at this hour. I am really such a ‘connoisseur’ huh?

It’s a mere 8 hours to Chek Lap Kok and the last 15 hours was really fruitful, able to do a general overview walkabout to wrap up. I seriously deserves it simply because I was still contributing to the office even till yesterday, although I should have been on holiday a week ago.

It was a real late starter, only able to leave home at 3pm. Passing by Shennan Da Dao, the main boulevard spine of Shenzhen. Prior to that, dropped by Gang Xia to document some demolishing works, perhaps the last pocket of those old expire low cost dwellings. I was enthralled by it, because it’s political and it’s about urbanism and developement. Yes, Still Life, the movie beautifully shot in Changsha really moved me. Find it and watch it please. Otherwise, rent from me.

The buzz of this Special Administrative Region is still as strong. The sidewalks were full of pedestrians, it’s festive. People tend to wear lighter clothes now, although the cool breeze is still deceivingly around. There was an antique stall along the way, and I have added some weight to my luggage. It was irresistible. Communist Chinese memorabilia is simply irresistible!!

The end of Shennan is basically the Central Train Station, and that’s exactly what I did, I went beyond the border again, by boarding the train for the New Territories of Hong Kong. Sheung Shui was the destination, and I would say a great choice and a last minute discovery.

Sheung Shui has an extremely appealing neighborhood with a medium size town centre, and very self contain. Its town centre consists of mainly low rise blocks of 3-5 storey shop houses so, it’s really a world of difference from those nearer to the waters. The town centre is clearly brighter and seems more exposed at the top. Surprisingly, there were many of those greasy, crowded car workshops at the other end of the town.

There, I also watched, contemplatively, a 7-aside football match, held in a cement court mere meters away surrounded by the concrete jungle, something I really enjoy doing given the time and opportunity. It’s totally liberating. Observing the kind of facilities this former British colony provides to her citizens, relatively puts shame to what Malaysia offers. The workability and good order of all these facilities, overshadows Malaysia’s neglect and bad maintenance, above all Malaysian’s appreciation of such amenities.

Throughout the half an hour at the community’s sports court, the maximum usage of those amenities I witnessed, surpasses my deep impression. As a taxpayer, one will never feel cheated again, even if one may not utilize such provisions by the government.

I am still struggling to comprehend the benefits I was given or will receive (if any) from my little amount of tax paid when back in Malaysia. I seriously could not think of anything. Even my ‘senior citizen’ parents were given free public transportation rides throughout Shenzhen.

To wrap up the night, a sit down dinner at my personal favorite restaurant in the Luo Hu Commercial Complex, just a stone throw away from the border. Despite the omission of my all time favorite Stew Fresh Oyster dish from the menu, coupled with the permanent absence of my 2 extremely close and regular waitresses for greener pasture, I am still enthralled by its menu. I would say one of the best, in this part of the region, given its reasonableness in pricing. It’s call Choi Dip Restaurant at one end of the complex, 1st Floor and it gave me extremely good memories, so much so, I have brought each and everyone who visited me to dine there. Although I must confess that dining without that particular dish and those 2 waitresses will never be the same again, just those little details which just make a world of difference.

So, believe me, I am a true connoisseur. A truly unpretentious one too. :p

lou-poh paeng - lit. wife's pastry, a type of cantonese chinese pastry

'home deliveries'

19 april 2009, Sunday, tt-sz-cn


After several extensions and near legal clashes, the whole Central Library has now been successfully submitted. There are still so much that we can improve, but really, there will never be an end and if that is the case, it will surely never materialize, so certainly some solutions have to be brought to site. I am glad that it’s over but cannot wait to see it sprout out from the fine sandy strata of Doha.

It’s a strange contract, so the architects will only manage the design through RFI’s and very periodical visits. The whole contract was just based on an oil rig procurement method which is kind of absurd.

It’s a bittersweet office relationship with Europe and the Middle East, but it’s a really interesting discovery in terms of how far we can go in design, technical and contractual matters in comparison to what is being practiced in the industry worldwide. Suffice to say that I hate to see the office being bullied but glad to see that it has all came to a stop.

That means, it’s also time to go.

Before that, a schematic design direction presentation of a 30-storey office block linking to a mall is scheduled, at 4pm. I look forward to this, at least as a wrap up. Not quite look forward to present what I have but to at least call it the end. So imagine for the last 2 weeks, 2 issues running along side by side. The high rise and the institution. Given a chance, I would welcome an extension of time, but I really need to take a break.

But really, this presentation is something I really dread. It’s going to be a potentially tongue tied situation. I really cannot imagine doing Pudong-hua in its entirety! My vocabs are just so limited.

I can safely say, “I am not feeling well” because when one was drown with one too many glasses of Paulaner at an underground Chinese rock joint call Musibase, very similar to a hashish pub in Old Amsterdam belting out some communist propaganda rock numbers on a Friday night, coupled with an early rise for a certain trip to purchase more art pieces the next morning, but soaked wet in an unscheduled shower in Longgang amidst a visit to the Old Hakka Courtyard House Museum in the evening, the excuse will certainly hold lots of water.

Reinforced with a lightning quick 4 hours trip (inclusive of travelling time from point A to point A) to Central and Tsim Tsa Tsui to run some errands, slotting in a Yung Kee roast duck extravaganza lunch (over-rated), worsening my condition, I really cannot see any reason the management will doubt me.