mirpof

I had a long week last week. From technical meeting on Monday to Site Meeting on Tuesday to 3 days am to pm interaction meeting to another urgent site inspection on Friday. I'm exhausted, flat on my ass at the end of the week that I could hardly enjoy a fabulous Friday night family dinner of ikan bakar at Teluk Tempoyak. kesian kan. haha. Anyway, no matter how tiring it feels sometimes, I do gain satisfaction with the thing I'm doing. Working in a consultant company has given me such a great opportunity to learn so much about the profession. I love being in charge of a project, flipping through tones of thick heavy drawings and reports no matter how they often caused me paper cuts, rushing to the site under scorching hot Malaysia sun that often makes me dizzy, I love coordinating people albeit sometimes feeling all lost and confused when speaking to the engineers and other consultants, contractors, councils etc. I love discussing technical issues, giving out ide...

I had a hard time at the office today. The boss was mad at me.  However, I learned one valuable lesson. No matter how hard I try, or how much confidence I had, I need to stop myself from pushing too hard. I have my limit and still have heaps to learn. I should not rush into doing things or trying to do everything at the same time. Take things slow, not too slow that I would be left behind... but slow enough to avoid choking while chewing and digesting all the new experiences and information.  I made mistakes. I admit it. I believe admitting your mistakes is a step towards maturity. What's next? Be responsible? If you broke something- fix it, If you lost something - find it, If you took something - admit it, If you hurt someone - apologize, If you love someone - tell her. Ops! haha.. the final 'If' may or may not be a mistake.  What was my mistake? I overlook a structural discrepancies between engineer's and architect's construction drawings causing s...

There is a huge different between rightfully fulfilling a task through the power/position given and fully but merely exercising power over a situation . Yes I am stating the obvious. Although, the one who commits the second often claims to be doing the former. In the eighth month of my job, I was thrown in at the deep end.  I was assigned a rather difficult and complicated task.  But, Alhamdulillah, I'm not alone. I have a good mentor at the office. Sometimes, what I like about my job is meeting people. Although, most of the times, it gives me headache. By virtue of meeting, knowing and learning about others, it tells how different we all are. How we all have our own eccentricities, that sometimes we don't even realise but seen through others' eyes. Many of us who seem to be working in the same field, going through pretty much the same routine, be at the same place, speak the same language can always have different intention, dreams and mea...

Me, in loving memory. *lol* Let's just be bold and honest. Women got paid less in this industry and we have to work twice as hard. To do the work and to prove that we are worthy of the task and the consequences. We struggle to stand up to accusation that when we made a mistake, it is due to us being human, not because we carry womb in our stomach resulting in the reduction of our brain capability in handling big tasks. Men make the same mistakes that we do, thus, we deserve the chances as much as they do. Queen Elizabeth never married. We are, God-made emotional creatures. but that comes in a package, He made us excellent in multi-tasking. Don't worry about our emotion, whatever emotional turmoil befalls us, we'll get the work done.  There's a beginning to everything in this world. The first moment, the earliest experience in life of doing something major can be nerve wrecking to just anyone, men or women, young or old. To a young and inexperienced ...

I had never been good at realistic rendering, thus, for the past five years of study I always opted out for a rather fancy and surreal representation of my work, such is my final year project, The Tamed Giant  was presented in a comic style!  However, very recently, a fellow architect at the office had introduced me to this awesome software called Lumion, I was really fascinated at the quality of images it produces, and most of all the animated elements in it, like the rippling water, the swimming fish, the flying birds, the sun that rises and the people that move, more like shuffling, but hey... it's just too awesome and seemed way more handy than Maya and 3DMax. So I bugged him day in day out to install it on my computer, so he did. I had previously mentioned that Lumion comes in rather handy in comparable to those two epic software. But I like to make a point that  based on my little knowledge and experiences with Maya and 3DMax,  Lumion is a lot easier to le...

Naive. I guess that's how it seems to them. Well, there are 'common' things I don't know, or never heard of, thus when asked, I look rather stunned. Who the hell knows what ' demam kepialu ' is?! okay, at least there's someone else here who didn't know it as well and went googling for it. well, it's just good to know that I am not alone. cheers ;)

I like meeting suppliers, how they often try their best to convince me they got the best in their line of production. I like the way they look confidently into my eyes hiding their indignant of the doubtful air echoing in my every inquiry. I like the persuasiveness in the tone of their voice, how they get defensive sometimes to the extent they slyly yet professionally belittle other comparable products that I've never heard of. I like the cheerfulness in their smile, albeit for my faux admiration which I habitually give...and I'm getting better at it. I know that they know, the decision is still mine. That I can choose not to use their products regardless what the say and they are competing with other suppliers I might have met before who had probably won me. But they try their best still.  All in all, I just simply enjoy learning of new products and meeting enthusiastic people who have firm believe in what they are doing or at least that's ho...

I was told to be blessed, for this silk frolic scarlet dress, not everyone has. They said, it suits me best. Like no other dress, perhaps this is really the best looking dress among all the ancient dresses you could find in my broken wooden chest. What I never told you. I was a warrior before. My feet are here but my heart remains in the war... and no dress gives me comfort like the steel vest I used to wear... and nothing makes me feel secure like the rusted helmet in my kept-life.  I wish for no luxury, I yearn for days with swords and archery.  I haven't written my story. Don't try to chain me into this palace of disgrace. Of me, being a lady and must remain within the life of celibacy, abstained from challenge and mystery? Enough. There is no harmony in the song you sing for me. I wish for nothing but to remain a warrior in this dried soil of reality.  and no one knows best, but He. The heck was the above writing? ahaha. I was called out for a...

Here's my final project for everyone to have a look at. Click on the image for a larger view. This project is a polemical response to the Malaysian Government’s proposal to build yet another mega tower as a landmark for Kuala Lumpur in the Petronas Twin Tower tradition. The proposition responds to significant public disproval by providing an alternative design to the existing 100-storey mega tower proposal, and in turn seeks to answer whether built form, other than a high rise tower can become a landmark for a city or region?  The critical architectural act is defined by a simple and vernacular process of ‘braiding’. In this case the two separate towers of a Petronas Complex are ‘braided into one’. The two are bonded, separate things united, unity suggested. This is envisaged as an appropriate landmark metaphor for a multi-racial country. A further insight is possible...imagine this...the mighty tower now lies prostrate. It is reclaimed by Kampung ...

Image taken from here ahahaaa... I never knew it is called Jitra Toilet.... ahhaha..

Hello. How is everyone today? ahaa.. that sounds a little like a teacher or maybe a tv presenter or maybe some boring dj in the lamest radio channel. oh, do you know that I once wanted to be a tv presenter or a dj. I think I blogged bout that before.  Anyway, today, I would like to write about charms or attractiveness. eh! whats up with all this formality.. ahah.. this post should be a brief one.  What defines attractiveness to you? I've been browsing through Lat's cartoon these few days for my major project. Since my project looks very much cartoon-ish, my sv, Neil suggested I should present it more like a comic, and make it very Malaysia-ish.. thus, I decided to present it in the manner of Lat's. I tell you man, it's difficult to copy something as great as that. ah! this is so nostalgic! I think I called in tumbui instead of tumbung. Image taken from here . Browsing through some of his cartoons took me to various cartoonist/ artist websites,...

Bismillah... A friend, upon knowing how I never had any exam except 3 minor tests in 5 years study asked how do I really cope with presentations, don't I feel nervous or anything. I guess for most architecture students, weekly presentation is like going to the toilet in a cold wintry night. It's  torturous sometimes, but we gotta do it anyway because to wet your mattress during winter is the worse decision ever, It ain't no sun to light it dry, leaving you sleeping on the floor for the following months. Damp and dirty mattress will invite bedbugs... and, oh, you know what they do... ok sudah2.. the analogy is getting to far... but who wets a mattress even in a other season? baloq sungguh. eee. pengotoq. Anyway, most of us can actually do the presentation subconsciously... u know, like how you p** with your eyes half-opened/closed. It's just something we used to do. fullstop. Nevertheless, for major presentations... as for me, I still get fireflies in my...

Thursday was somewhat momentous. ahaha.. that prolly sounds a bit too dramatic. Anyway, I had a second mid crit for my major project. One last public review before the final presentation in November. I was all nervous since the night before. I really shouldn't be for I've been doing project presentation for like almost five years till now, but somehow, I was indeed not quite myself. I had a restless night like a typical-night-before-crit, in which I would either had no sleep or sleep like a sheep jumping on a trampoline on his two feet. I mean, tidoq jaga-lena-jaga-lena.... Unlike many other students, I was asked by my supervisor to prepare slides presentation other than 3A0 posters that go on the wall. I didn't finish the slides until like 30 minutes before the crit session started. It added to my nervousness that I had never set up the built-in projector in the allocated studio room where we'll be presenting. Being the only person using it, it was all up to me to set ...

I always find it a bit 'poyo' to always use 'stress' as an excuse for something. Eg; to get angry at others, to act sick, to skip classes, to apply for special consideration for late presentation/exams, to cry like a baby out of the blue. Nevertheless, I think I in my not-so-right-mind do all the above except applying for a special consideration because as for me, no matter how stressful a situation can get, alhamdulillah... I always find a way to keep up with datelines. So it is what it is, saya jugak poyo lah mcm tu. Anyways, we all have our own ways in managing stress... eg; shopping, p bertumbuk dgn org, tidoq tak bngun2... it always good to channel out our negative energy as long as, tak menyusahkan orang. apparantly, kalau p shopping pakai credit card cik abang tu, kesian la.. bertumbuk ngan org tu lagi buruk perangai. There are also many reasons why someone gets so stressed out Workloads is a common example, a good and acceptable one. but there are many other re...

"Asriah, please don't get married... kalau u kawen semua ni nanti hilang..." Alynn

I came to RMIT (my uni) hurriedly this morning.. worrying not be able to get any computer to work on for I wasn't as early as I should have been... there are only a few computer labs in this design school and during weekdays like this, some of the labs are used for teaching and only one or two are available for students, and most of the time, if you're late... most of the computers are already taken... Since my computer is now old and lazy, not to mention making sounds like the engine of an aeroplane.... I prefer to work at RMIT, the computer is faster, the softwares are all uptodate, faster and unlimited internet connection, I procrastinate less etc etc etc.... Anyway, on my way here... as usual, I took a tram... however the pakcik tram (driver) seemed to be a little careless this morning, he stopped the tram so sudden causing me who was standing without holding on a thing to loose my balance andddddd.... fell... well, almost did. but was saved... by a stranger... *say: aaa...

I'm feeling rather frustrated that I wasn't placed in my most preferred studio. Oh, I better explain a bit about balloting. Here in RMIT, the design studio (class) placement is a bit unique. We are not placed to studio according to year or semester. First of all, we are all classified by levels. To complete up to master course, we all have to do 9 studios (level 01 - level 09) + 1 semester of major project.  The levels are divided into 2. Lower pool (level 01-05) and Upper pool (level 06-09). So now, I'm in upper pool  level 09. The highest and unfortunate level of all. haha... why it's unfortunate? Let me explain. In a studio, there will be mix of levels. Being in an upper pool studio means, you'll be in a class of students from level 06 to level 09...and being a level 09 student means, you're the senior, the most experienced, and tutor(s) will have a lot expectations on you. The assessment is also based on levels. What's balloting? No. Not for choosin...

Bismillah... Every molecule of body is aching to blog for I have a story to share. An occurrence that really made my day. But first of all, a few updates. +I'm now back in Melbourne. It's a cold summer over here. I don't expect the weather to be like this in February. Melbourne weather is such a woman. Can't wait for autumn, my all-time favorite season, it will be my last autumn here inshaAllah. +I am in my final year of architecture... still remember the first day I got here. The semester is commencing soon. Pray for me my friends for I'm indeed feeling very anxious about it. So the story.... A friend and I were heading for a lunch in the city. We were walking along Swanston Street when a guy of mid 50 or maybe 60 halted us by his 'Assalamualaikum...'  He started by asking if we speak Arabic. I, who only know a few basic words considered myself don't know the language. We expected him to be a person who doesn't speak much English and needs a...

"If you don't trust in the the drawings, don't expect us to trust in you. " .there go my emotional remarks. =.= I really get frustrated when people say, architects don't understand reality, they learnt theories, only do drawings, and drawings are never the same as the built. Well, true it is, drawings are lines on paper. there are made out of inks... and of course they are not the same as the built. The accuracy also varies, depending on the scale of the project, the experience of the architects and draftsmen and many other factors. But hey, we were not only taught and trained to dream, but also to make the dream build-able. People had been drawing on walls and slates to plan buildings since forever. The purpose of the drawings is not just to visualize the idea and work on the building, but to guide and access the whole building process... so you don't get lost at some points not knowing how to connect a low wall to a roof... or run out of budget because som...

This is my last semester project (Semester 01, 2010) I've been wanting to put this on the blog since it was presented which is about 5 months ago.... but soooooo lazy to adjust and write... and now, I end up chucking in just my speech.   The Blurred Masterplan The project is a metaphor of Melbourne city. It is generated by the blur master plan or a blistered satellite view of Melbourne city and its surroundings. The blur master plan is a reverse representation of a typical master plan which is meant to give a different perception about Melbourne city. It represents the fuzziness of Melbourne City, its history, urban life and memories. The reading of the master plan which has been visually interpreted by the idea of distance between the dots hence becomes the rule to generate the form of the building. The rule is explored through three main strategies that response to Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction.  Firstly, the project celebrates the interdependency between form an...