Thursday, February 28, 2013

The glitz of ritz

Ritz-Carlton: quite a place.

Kuala Lumpur city centre vs twilight

Love the look of this building under the dim light of twilight. It has such character. I feel sorry that I couldnt do more than these 2 snaps, as am in the rush to get to my next place of appointment

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fine-tuning

Preliminary stage is over, and now fine tuning every single nooks to ensure the design practically works.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Lenggong Valley: Archaelogical Heritage Site

We are here for an Architecture Ideas Competition for a Visitor Centre to Lenggong Valley Archaelogy Museum which has recently being recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. Lenggong Valley is now an important archaeological site where evidences of human settlement from the Palaeolithic age were found. 

During my early childhood days, we would feel devastated if our dad announced a trip to Kelantan via Grik. We would definitely pass through the small town of Lenggong and the road is so winding that, we would take turn to barf. But nowadays, there is a new hiway bypassing most of the small 'kampung settlements' like Lenggong and offer a more comfortable journey across Peninsular from West to East..  more on Lenggong




The Archaelogy Gallery of Lenggong Valley


Lenggong Valley


briefing done by the Director
of Heritage Department
Bukit Sapi: remains and traces of volcanic
ashes from Lake Toba
eruption


Sunday, February 24, 2013

Missed-the-turn

Cautious: If you are driving from north, penang for instance and are heading south via the North-South Hiway, or if you have intentions of getting into Ipoh, please be extra alert on your driving. You should have immwdiately start paying attention to the signages, once you leave the Menora Tunnel and following the winding-down-the-hill-road, as it is where the chances of you missing the exit would be high. WE DID! Sad but true. We are too engrosed in a deep conversation, and we missed the cue to get into the right lane to get into Ipoh. Therefore we end up driving down all the way to next exit of Simpang Pulai. It is because the hiway system in Ipoh has been changed recently, where hiway users could opt to use a direct route from north to south of which you were supposed to exit Ipoh first in order to continue your south/north journey previously. So, It is quite a distance to be making a u-turn, especially when the actual place is just right at the corners. At RM3.60 and a *few kilometres extra, Carelessness sure is costly!

Lenggong Field trip

630am: reach Chemor from Tambun. Undecided whether to head for Lenggong via federal road or hiways. Chose federal road which pass through Sungai Siput town
715am: reach Kuala Kangsar. On the look out for a place to have breakfast
745am: had our breakfast. leave Kuala Kangsar for Kota Tampan
830am: reach Durian Pipit and it's raining. 15minutes later we reach Lenggong Valley Archeology Gallery, Kota Tampan




Saturday, February 23, 2013

Ipoh and gibbous moon

Ipoh again. The sun which has already making its way towards the lowest horizon over the west still sprawling some of its rays washing over all there is exposed on the surface of the earth. Golden rays gives a warm reflections and it gives such serenity of the space. It gives more reflections towards the gibbous moon which has started climbing up on the east horizon, creating a wonderful glow on the surface of the blue skies. Isnt it such a wonderful way to end the day, and to welcome a good night.

Ipoh: Limestone wonder


If you are travelling around Ipoh, you would see a lot of these limestone hills

Behrang-NKVE rest area

If you are heading north from Kuala Lumpur, the comfortable route would be via North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE). There'll be a few rest area along the way on both directions for users to make a 'pit-stop', have a break, get a cup of coffee etc etc and this particular stop is one of it. However it's just one of those smaller one which could cater a smaller crowd at one time but it's still functional well.

Sunset of Edinburgh

A beautiful sunset in edinburgh as seen through Cathy's lens ;)

KTM: in serious need of improvement

KTM: keretapi tanah melayu berhad is the company responsible for the entire train stations and railways in Malaysia, ever since the early independence day. In fact, their monopoly could even begin since British colonisation, but let us detached it from that link of history as it would sure make them look even worst.
It seems that, KTM has not been learning much over the years of experience. It seriously shown by this unfunctional screen and the delay of train. Moreover as the the main central transit station, KL Sentral is seriously aint showing off much of its status especially the waiting area down-under. The place is not well-lighted, and the temperature is suffocatingly humid, which basically a total discomfort for us using their train services. Ain't they ever knew that public spaces is entitled to a certain criteria of lux-calculation to emphasize on functionality of the space. And being the service provider for so long, aren't they ever aware that comfortable temperature is a must for patrons of their service. How could they let such thing un-noticed?

Friday, February 22, 2013

Greens

These matured greens; trees and shrubs within the compound of Intekma Resort gives a tranquil effect to the area. It bring down the temperature of the day and it soothe whatever feelings one is having

Shah Alam's congestion

Snapping away part of Shah Alam's early morning traffic congestion. There are days that were far worst than this.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Hunger on strike?

Just completed with presentation materials for this afternoon, luckily managed to get my colleague to present it so I can concentrate for tomorrow's session. Fine tuning next presentation...and a bit hungry but then dont feel like eating...

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The waiting game..

I always tries to be early for my appointment, so that the early turn-up could gives a better first-impression of my organisation. I do expect people could tolerate on 5-10minutes of being late. However, it really pissed me off when I was made to wait more than an hour for no apparent/declared reasons!
Appointment at 1030am, am here at waiting lounge at 1015am, and I'm still here at the very same waiting lounge, same chair by 1130am. Darn!!!

Intercity grooves

I'm commuting via train again this morning. Done it yesterday for my appointment in Melawati which is at the other end of where my office is. And this morning, I have to get myself to KL city centre where there'll b another appointment scheduled. I think it's the best economical and practical way to get to city centre, not forgetting a greener approach to it.

By yesterday's afternoon, my itinerary for this week is practically full. So does my team back in office. We gonna have series of 'bumper to bumper' presentation and it's all scheduled for this week. Not that we are insane enough to create such schedule but it's from different clients and different type of priority, and most important of all not much that we could do to reschedule most of it.
So, have a blast if week!
inside the train

the train's door opening up at station

Towers around city centre

Standing at the 6th level of KLCC's Tower 3 looking *east, would be overlooking series of tall and slender towers standing tall next to each other, blocking the horizon.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Architect on Weekend tasks

It's drizzling outside.
I'm stucked with CN Blue's tune.
And I'm also stuck with design progress..been scribbling lots

Under the shaded trees..

Under the shaded trees,
You'd feel that you are at peace,
but you know, the world is only for lease,
So, you have to enjoy its breeze,
while you can still breathe,
even under the shaded trees.

Nasi Kandar Zainul PJ: awesome brunch

What else can be said, other than we love the *'nasi kandar' here. The taste is still the same as the first time I tasted it last ten years ago! Enjoy!!

* Nasi Kandar Zainul is located in PJ State, at the Ground Level of Multi-storey Carpark next to Shah Village Hotel, the same row of A&W drive through outlet.

*Nasi kandar is the terms used to describe a mixture of various types of curry gravy onto a plate of warm rice and eaten with a selection of fried chicken or fish head curry or other selection of side dishes. Those mixture of curry gravy are the ones which gives a specific distinctive taste to a particular 'nasi kandar' vendor. 'Kandar' also describing the way the dishes were being serve during 60s-70s by means of vendor carrying around pots of curry and rice hanging over a stick that being carry on theier shoulder.

Russian Meteor Blast

Owh, am so outdated. Just happened to read on the recent meteor shower in Russia. from this link Theage.com and this link Euronews.
It made me remember the similar sighting of a meteor shower back then during my early childhood days. It was awesome! But it's not as huge impact as this one. 


Photo: credit theage.com


Friday, February 15, 2013

Great Eastern Mall


I was here in Great Eastern Mall for an appointment. Really, am here for work not any shopping/leisure purposes. Fancy that an appointment could be held in such place? I could say, that's the privilege we have as an architect. Appointments, opportunities are always open and flexible and we usually try our best to 'entertain the request' our client or potential client as long as it's not breaching any laws or morale values.  So,  here I am.

Great Eastern Mall, is rather small in size. It's more like a 'neighborhood mall' rather than 'an anchor mall' like Suria KLCC, Pavillion or such. It has the vibrant and exclusive atmosphere but with a very reasonable crowd which create a more comfortable ambiance for you to hang around. the whole complex is well-kept, with not sign of 'building-distress-syndrome' as of yet, rather clean and very well lighted. The car park area in basement is well lighted and equipped with ample directional signage. Most of all, the public washroom is in neat condition as well. A good recommendation for hang-out place if you are not into crowds.

Jelatek

 
Am standing at the platform of Jelatek Station looking down towards the Jelatek Road intersection. It's pouring cat's and dog, and I'm thinking deep on how shall I get myself to my next location from here.

Clouds



I find this multiple level of cumulus as very interestingly dramatic.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Diverse

The social exposure of my current lifestyle is limited to a very close-circle of friends, and business acquaintences. Thus it has also created a limitation for me to actually being exposed to the 'outside world' beyond the circle. Not that I'm very fancy of such exposure, but having the opportunity to seat through a 30minutes ride in the LRT gives me an opportunity to actually sees the 'colorful diversity of races out there'. It is not that I'm exposing myself to be called racist of some sort, but this 'adventure' really open-up my eyes that Kuala Lumpur is no longer limited to the basic Malay, Chinese and Indian. It is now being populated by other races, other colors; I can see a Caucasian, some bangladeshis, indonesians, arabs..and perhaps myanmar people as they look closer to malay but they simply arent.

It is interesting time-filling exercise to try to figure out who or which originality they really belongs to by screening the tone of language they're speaking, the way they're dressed-up, their body lamguage, their gestures when they're together in a group, their accessories etc etc. I think I may guessed some of them correctly and there are also some that I can't really tell from all those observations. Perhaps, my people-watching skills need to be polished up.

Instaweather: Klang Valley today

Am on my way to my 4pm appointment accross KL by tren
(Photo & weather report by Instaweather)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Tambun

This set of shophouses would be all there is about the tiny Tambun town which estimated of being not more than 500meters a stretch.
I wonder what significance there is for such small township to exist back in the colonial days. I have been passing through this town my entire teenage days, and these days the town has shown its signs of 'exhaustion'. If there is some interesting story behind the town, it'll be worth to dig up the history of Tambun! (So, add on to my 'cart' for ongoing task)

Monday, February 11, 2013

Ipoh: a panoramic view

Wedding reception: Malays style

Am attending two weddings reception this afternoon. Both within a walking distance from home.

A wedding reception for Malaysian Malays usually being held in the afternoon where the main agenda is to celebrate the bride & groom getting together with heartiest lunch by the family serve to all family and friends. The theme and culture might be a littlte different from Chinese and Indian, but the concept is still the same; to celebrate the unity of two hearts-two people-two family binded together with a marriage knot! ;)

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Contrail over Ipoh skyline

Jusco Ipoh

The sign board at one of the main entrances which depict 'Jusco' was installed back then when this shopping complex was opened in the 90's. It has later been refurbished and re-brand as AEON, but the sign board where left unchanged. Perhaps because people still address this mall as JUSCO IPOH and I never heard it was mentioned as Aeon in any of conversations among locals.

Strings of festivity

Sunway Ipoh always geared up their small township with thematic decorations. You can get yourselves into the festive mood everytime you pass-by the area. Currently, there're oriental lanters hanging from post to post.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

CNY traffic

It's the day of Chinese New Year's eve, and as it has been for all Malaysian even Singaporeans, it involve a whole lot of inter-city, inter states travelling for the day and for such multi-racial country, it is an equal opportunity for others who are not involved with family-get-together-for-dinner to travel about as well. So here we go, trying to reach Ipoh for a wedding reception and a few other appointments, brazing through the traffic which has volume up compare to ordinary weekends.
We opt for a strategy of bypassing hiway-vs-state road when the flow got too slow, certain spot within hiway were clogged with cars trying to get a stop by the rest area, whereas the rest of stretch flow smoothly. So altogether, it's a 4hours journey getting from Sg.Buloh to Tambun exit compare to normal 2hours!

Friday, February 8, 2013

A morning start of an Architect

Another early morning start to beat the Kuala Lumpur traffic. It's either you are way too early or you gonna late for your appointment. I always choose the former. It saves a lot of 'time' actually.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Blissful morning

Site Inspection: part of an architect's routine

The scope of an architect, was not limited to the design board alone (or the pc nowadays) but he or she has to do a period inspection on the on-going construction of the building that has been design to make sure things are constructed accordingly..

Site-study: homework of an architect

When an architect were requested to design a building, he or she MUST visit the potential site as the basic 'homework'. It is where they would gather information in regards of the site that would be use to assist their designing process. Information like the type of existing topography, existing landscape and vegetation, existing access etc etc

For an instance Site A as shown in the first photo could be justify as an easy site to get start with as it's already in its ready-condition to be develop.Site B on the hand would need a whole lot more of studies, and analysis and more information on existing inverts, services etc etc as it has a complex condition to begin the design process.






An architect would have to lead the site study, get as much help as possible, for example a land surveyor need to be appoint to gather all the information of the existing topography, and a civil engineer would be needed for a study on the hills slope and earthwork procedures.
These all would be part of a process being terms as 'Site Study'