Metropolitan Park

Azam invited me to join him and his family for an outing at the Metropolitan Park, Kepong. I arrived early so I wandered around the park for some worthy shots.

And it's worth it.

Happy Birthday Dhea Batrishea

It was supposed to be a fun day for her as what I had imagined and planned but unfortunately she got sick. Hopefully she'll be okay by tomorrow or else we have to get her admitted to the hospital (again).

As much as I'm sad over this as we were really looking forward to celebrate her birthday, I'm so frustrated seeing her becoming passive on this special day.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Dhea Batrishea, I love you so much.

We Only Come Out At Night

Creatures of the night, visible when emptied. Good night dear Dhea.

Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Festival 2010

I almost missed this colorful event hadn't I read the small article in the daily few days ago. I've missed it last year so definitely I won't let it recur this year. I'm keeping the text short as the event speaks for itself. More photos coming up.

Enjoy!

Our Little Project

Another Saturday is here and this time around I decided to do something different instead of going out. Why not get Dhea involved in a little project?

We bought her a table with two chairs two days ago after I spotted the Ikea's sale advertisement in the paper. Since it's for her, I thought of having her involved in assembling the table so that she would feel the sense of belonging to it.

It was fun and quite sad for Lira as she wasn't there to witness it.

I Failed

I failed it. Probably, as my wife try to comfort me - I am destined to remain as an architect. It's not that I really hate being an architect nor really wanting to become a PTD but the fact of failure really hurts me, some more when it's at the final stage. It's good to be in something new with different view but as fate writes it, I'm done riding the luck.

Well, basically it kills the mood for the next few months.

...and definitely I'm not going to try it again as it was indeed a try at the first place.

Another Saturday

For a start, a thousand apologies to Rupajiwa as I had to cancel an assignment with them today (Saturday, 6th of March).

The reason is, the night before, as routinely it has been for the past 5 years, I played a game of futsal with my friends. I'm taking it as my form of exercise (the only!) to keep myself worked out and expectedly it also incurred me some injuries. The latest, is quite mysterious as I would only feel the pain after about an hour into the game and it has been recurring for the past two months and last night was the worst. It took about 20 mins for me to get to the car because I had to take each step painstakingly.

It gave me a second thought on continuing to play football, a game that I love the most. I will retire from playing football if a diagnose from doctor proves me of suffering from a serious illness (as I am suspecting of now).

Coincidentally and sadly, we received a news of an uncle who was rushed to the emergency after he suffered a pain that restricts him to even slightly move his body. I understand he was an avid footballer before he suffered a slip disc a few years ago. Somehow, after going through series of injuries in recent years, I am starting to understand that my body is slowly ageing, increasingly to under-perform and easily subjected to a lifetime injury.

Later in the evening after my pain has slowly subsided, we went to visit him at the hospital and I brought along my ever faithful camera as it was supposed to have a day out shooting for Rupajiwa's assignment, so at least by doing this, it got to see the sunlight.

Like always, the talents are from the usual agency.

"I Want To Be Called An Architect!"

The title as it may suggests is not a statement made by me hence the inverted commas.

I am currently attending a 4 day course held at the headquarter of the Architect's Branch, PWD. In the 1st day of the course, at one point the speaker asked the audience who has become the registered member of LAM (Malaysia's Board of Architect). To my surprise as I was being honest at that time, I'm the only one who didn't raise the hand and somehow I was spotted by the speaker.

Before that, describing the situation I was in, it was a course called "The Architectural Basics". The title made me wonder, are they going to teach me how to walk again? However, after downloading the attachments from the confirmation of participation, I learned that it is a course formulated for newly recruited architects in PWD. So, why not? This might be useful to me because as a former private practitioner, I am currently at lost trying to figure out how the construction industry is being run from the government's perspective.

Considering me as a freshie as I joined PWD together with my super junior way back in UTM (they were at the other end of the spectrum in the cycle of an undergraduate in the school of architecture, where at the other end, I am just few months away from graduation), I am however suppose to be in advanced position if I were to accumulate the experience I had in the industry compared to the rest of the audience who raised their hands.

But, everyone except me? Even the newly grads? I even heard little laugh of mockery from the audience.

I am in no position to question their membership because they are indeed a qualified member of the board when they graduated. The thing is, it made me stood out from the rest and definitely I was asked the question - Why?

Caught off guard, however I calmly answered (and definitely it's not the best!) "Masih cari halatuju (still looking for directions)". It is partly true because I am still looking for directions in my life but it is actually not the exact answer for that question.

I am with intention not making myself a registered member of the board (and the association too - PAM) because I don't think in any way it patronizes me as a working class architect. Personally, I think these bodies are only useful for those with agendas - the professionals, mostly. Apart from as a tool for keeping the profession safe and guarded, respected and being professed accordingly with best ethics, it is also a tool that works well for the major players too - the professionals, as it also keeps them safe and guarded, etc. How about those who works for the professionals? To me, the question itself posed a major void to be filled with answers therefore I'm not going to elaborate the question further.

Someone will say, but at least it's the first step of becoming a professional architect. Being realistic, I know that to become a professional architect, the road is long and probably does not parallel with where I want to be.

I was naive as a fresh graduate, believing I could face the hurdles in becoming a successful architect. Little that I know what the hurdles are or how high I'd have to jump over it. After few ups and more downs, it strengthens my belief that a certain amount of achievements are cemented on a strong base of great sacrifices. To be a great architect, I'd have to give up my life - the life that I've modelled as how I want it to be. I have my priority.

-Merdeka, A Mere Rethoric?

From my point of view, to most young architects, joining these bodies is all about obtaining the title of a professional architect. The question posed by the speaker was a follow up to her previous statement of being a professional architect is the pinnacle in an architect's career. In her response to my weak answer, she replied that the least you can get from the title of a professional architect is to be respected by others (and all the glories of being called an architect) which is to me, something that is usually used to buy a 17-year old's conviction to join the profession.

Looking in a wider context, I know it was a "time out" question asked in between topics of the course therefore I was unwillingly contented with my weak answer and opted not to prolong the discourse. However, if it were the right place and the right time, I would really love to ask her and the audience only one question,

What would you do with your professional title?

With this basic question being asked, I know it brought a wider spectrum of possibilities and uncertainties of becoming a professional architect. And by the term "a wider spectrum", I really meant more than just "I want to open up my own practice" as an answer. Having years of experience being in various point of view to the construction industry, architecturally specifically, I wish them good luck of becoming a professional architect.

I wonder why is it Kamil Merican of GDP and John Ding of Unit One hasn't got their professional license yet but somehow have successfully built up and run their own practice of award winning design firm. Being smart or lagging in career?

For the mockery, please read the last paragraph from this post.

Okay, I know somehow I have to be a registered member as part of the requirement for government servant :P