今天好開心

竟然琪用msn了, 還主動向我打招呼。

好久好久沒看到她在msn了，還開了個facebook account！

好開心，能夠和她談談。

我的臉總是笑著的，好酸

但今天會很開心

老朋友？ 有些這樣的感覺， 雖然認識她不久，不深

Final Crit

Great, it's all over!

I had my final crit(critics) on monday, but I have been working last minute work non stop since Thursday morning 7am. This is to prepare for the last tutorial on Friday. The tutorial was very important, since I still can do whatever changes, if needed, for the presentation on Mon. So, I only have 4 hours, 2H on Sat, 2H on sunday sleep! it's a new personal record, sleep 4H in 103H.

I had a very stupid idea, just as what yee shuian told, to draw plans, elevations, sections MANUALLY( just with pen on paper).. I have been doing that for 2 days, but only produced virtually nothing. so stupid of not taking her advice seriously. I was thinking that maybe should draw manually on my first personal house design, as the mark of new architecture life. Then after 10 years, or 20 years, I can tell others that my first design is jz pen n paper! It's like the older generation told us that they have to write all assignments with pen, not computer, and feel very proud due to their great afford. In the end I gave up, draw on CAD instead. Much flexible, can change anything jz by clicking, no need to retrace, redraw...

I have been doing on the habitat project, to create a house for 3 inhabitants which I am free to define them myself. I created a 20-year-old uni fine art student, named Y, a melancholic, perfectionist, deep, creative, individualistic young man; a 45-year-old businessman, named T, a choleric, powerful, and rich, the main client for the house, father of Y; and a 66-year-old retired atomic physicists, M, a peaceful phlegmatic, easy-going, grandfather of Y. They are all singles, the mother divorced, the grandmother passed away. I put myself in a challenging position to meet the gap between 3 generation, and all males with very different characteristics. 

Then we went to the Kenmore, the site, 2 hours from here by bus. Designs and have a interim review 3 weeks later. It was not a formal review, just to present the ideas and more to site analysis. Then another 2 weeks to the final review.

In the final review, I was the last one to present, due to my name Ziyang Poh.. so good to have a name start with Z, not P anymore. I talked swiftly throughout the presentation, the tutors were stunted by my design, my model. One of the 3 tutors was Professor Simon Unwin (go for his book, Analysis of Architect, very nice arch basic. He was the former lecture in Cardiff, the rated no.1 architecture school in UK, but now he is in Dundee!) ,gave me a weird look and said: You are very mean! What he meant was I was trying to show off, but it was good, as I have the passion in architecture. He stared a while on one piece of my work, a dimensions study, and was quite impressed. I measured and recorded all the space in my flat, all the furniture, and all the dimensions of a precedent house, Villa Stein. He said that my house was very sensible, poetic, but just too complex, over complicated! Doug, my group tutor just smile at the side, and said it was even more complex in the first review. He was glad that I toned down the complexity of spaces, eliminated a lot of stairs, and was pleased with the creation of a breakfast space as a resolve to weird angles. Then, another reviewer was 4th or 5th year student. She like my design, and particularly love the room I designed for the 20 year-old-guy, very youthful and passionate she said. 

All I had was location plan, site plan, site analysis, site sections, house plans, elevations, and development drawings spread through the whole 5X5m huge wall, as well as models on the floor. 

Attitude

Woke up so early wanted to do draw the plan and section of the Kenmore, as have to review to the Doug Pearson at 10 am. I set the alarm at 5:30 every morning, to wake up my mac and I. The mac sleep every night 12 am and wake up at 5:30 am, so do I. However, when I go to school, it is shut down. 

I woke up, but just can't get the steam on to get started. I am afraid to draw the plan, though what I need to do is just trace it. WHY? To be honest, I had tried to draw the plan since monday, when the task was delivered. I failed to start, with a excuse of  " come on, it's just Monday and the review is on fri, still long way to go..." 

Then Tue and Wed just flew off like that. Thursday night, I escaped to the band and left the homework untouched. I couldn't even bother to do it. Well, JUST TRACING!

I told myself that it would be fine, 船到橋頭自然直。Definitely I would make it, it's me.

Yeah right.. 

Until 10:30am friday, I still can't finish the drawing. I can't escape, I paid to study. Then suddenly I received a message from a unknown number:

Where are you guys? You should be in the review

I knew I was fucked up. It was from Doug! Immediately, I ran to studio. He was there, sitting at the middle of the table, playing with his pen. He saw me, I was so sorry to him. I knew that he was waiting for me. Without hesitation, I sat beside him and took out my things while kept saying sorry to him. 

He gave me a murky smile and told me that it's alright, just no more next time. I was so ashamed. 

Then the one to one tutorial went on, he gave me a lot of guidance and ideas in the site analysis. Thank you, Doug!

I realised that whatever happens, just don't give chance to be late. Take up the mask, a thick and bold mask and attend the whatever meeting/ presentation, just do it. Sometimes ideas will just overwhelm spontaneously in a stress situation. However, the best thing is to be prepared all the time. 

motivation

 沈默，沈默， 沈沒。我沈沒了。。。

別來，回去。

Upload Pics on facebook

Yeah, finally found a easy way to upload pic to facebooks. Use the iPhoto, it helps a lot. Can organise all the photos and captions in the iPhoto first, then just click import and the pictures will be uploaded.

Yeah, If anyone interested, just add me at facebook, ziyang_poh@hotmail.com.

The photos of London is in the friendster. I'll stop uploading pic to friendster, and turn to facebook, as it is more popular and better feature.

Model making

This is a model making workshop by Keith Robson. We use strips of different colour polymer clay to produce the brick works for the model. The clay is harden after baked in oven for 15 min and will last forever.  

This is my work:

 

Keith's works:

This is built with normal card board

The details are incredible

cardboard with clay covered

The tiles are places piece by piece after it harden in oven.

9th time fire alarm!

Normally there will be 2 fire engines, sirening all the way from fire station to Tay Mills within 3 minutes after the fire alarm rang.

It was annoying. I decided to go CAD suit rather than wait for the fireman to check the false alarm. Picture taken on my way to school at 8pm. yeah, it goes dark at 4pm nowadays.

Life drawing first class

This week should be the reading week, but not for architecture students.

Although the schedule is a bit loose, but activities still go on. My first life drawing class is today!

This is an enclosed class room, specially for life drawing. As an art student, whether you study fine art, product design, or even architecture, just everything related to art, you will have to do go for 3 life drawing classes for this semester. A class is 4 hours! so just enjoy!

After the introduction and demo from tutor, we choose our own spot around the podium where the nude stand and start to draw. The tutor walked around, gave advise one by one and helped us.

It's my first time to draw a naked person, but no one feel shy at all, we just treat him as an object. When we have a small break, I even joked to my friend: lets to do some sections! - means cut him into half and draw the section! Haha.. feels more like an architect to do explore sections.

After the class. Drawing stands set around the podium.

We choose one of our work and pin on wall after the class. Review from tutor.

My drawings. I produce 3 drawings on A2 size plain white paper, with charcoal. We have to prepare our own materials, including papers and mediums. Some even use water colour.   

From left to right: 1st,  2nd and 3rd drawing. 

First one proportion inaccurate, very rough, but I like it.

For 2nd, the best most detailed, good proportion. The best among 3.

3rd: fast sketch, head too small, legs are nice. 

FIRE ALARM!!!!! it's 4am~

Again, 4am, we were like freezing chicken in the fridge downstair.

I have  my thick jacket on, 2 layers of long sleeves t-shirts, and a short sleeves one inside, but the cold air still penetrated through the clothing, went into my bones. 

40 minutes of continuous chill, killing my nerves, until I couldn't move my legs and hands. 

It was the Flat 1 1 's fire alarm, which summoned all the half sleeping souls, and to tortured them under the 8˚c freezer. The gust was taking away our body heat, left only the empty corpse on the floor.

(7th time in Tay Mills within 7 weeks)

Frustration

The Internet is down again! I am really disappointed with the BT (British Telecommunication). I thought that the broadband here is extreme. Nonetheless,  I waited for a month to get the line set up, waited a week for the line to be at it's optimal speed, and BREAK DOWN!

Other's still doing fine with the wireless, just my Mac, for unknown reason not functioning. It's the second day cannot connect to the internet. I realised I can't live long without internet!

Firstly I thought it was AirPort( not airport) that is faulty. The first thing to do this morning was to call the customer service. So, I registered the apple protection plan as to get the 3 years warranty, and called. The british lady on the phone can't understand my accent, wasted my time and money to give simple code to her, and in the end she hang up... what a joke. Then I did a second attempt, another british gentlemen pick up and guide me through the settings. Well, in the end he said that the IP add is right, nothing wrong with my mac, it's BT problem.

For hours, I tried to solve the broadband connection, but nothing worked out. I carried the whole desktop to the store room where the modem is to connect to the phone line. Plugged in the cable to my Mac, used the ethernet rather than the AirPort. It did work! Imagine you carry a desktop with all the wires around and set up at another place... Surprisingly, it was so much nicer to carry the iMac than normal PC. Beside the 20 inches screen, just one power supply wire, and the keyboard and mouse to carry. 

Then the most annoying part came. The BT customer service phone call is so stupid. To get to the area of technical problems, I need to go through the longest series of options,(at least 10) pressing 1,2,3,4... on the phone key and finally it led my to the technician phone. Then I waited for another 10 min before I decide to hang off the phone. I can't afford to throw ££££ like this. My one month's phone budget almost gone. It was >£6 just for that single call. Wow, RM 36? without solving the problem at all!

I decide to buy a cable and don't want to trust the BT customer service again. 

I was pissed off!

   

Matthew Building where I study

The Entrance, under the blue board, entering level 5. 

The Matthew building is a weird building. It has 7 floors, 4th floor is the library, 5th floor is the lecture halls, 6th floor is the studios and CAD suite, 7th floor is the office. 

Everyone get lost for the first few weeks in the building, definitely. Trapped in the building, can't find the way out or the toilet. Confused and can't differentiate between the studios and corridors.

However, it's a nice piece of architecture! 

This is level 5 and 6. The sunlight actually penetrating the building.( LKW, pls learn to make corridor bright and cozy)

Long spatial 5th level for displaying some artworks, along the lvl 6 narrow corridors are the studios.

Lecture Halls on the right.

Next to the space in the first picture, the long corridors extended. Studios are at the sides, lecture halls below. 

The Pit, where we wait for lecture and get socialise. A bit weird of the big rubbish bin at the middle, but not smelly at all. A mindful design. 

The Studio:

Long long studio!! We can just pop into any spaces as we want. It's for year 1 to year 4 students, year 5 students have their own space. We don't have individual workspace as they want to mix the students from all the years. Students used to have own space, just changed last year.

Dara, Irish group mate and also flat mate.

Spaces created by separators. Drafting tables, lockers, electric plugs, tables and chairs are everywhere. someone even bring in microwave and kettle to the studio. However, its open only between 6am to 9pm everyday.

My temporary work space. Ricky, my Hong Kong group mate.

Cantina, the canteen for Matthew Building(Arch) and Crowford Building(Arts). A very massive canteen, picture can't tell the space here. 

The Toilet:

See the tower in blue? It's for drying off one hands, better solution than hand dryer or tissue.

We can even take bath in the Matthew Building.

Or even buy some condoms…

Terrible

woke up late, went to the life drawing class after lunch. Dara and I went into the class. The classroom was like the dark room, windows are curtained, just a few downlight was shone. A male model, was twisting and turning on his chair, looking for the suitable position for us to draw. He not yet take off his clothing, but would take off  very soon.

Suddenly, someone told us that it was L1(life drawing group 1), not L2. We are L2. It was really a shock, because the time table stated L2 and I double checked it. Maybe the lecture informed us on MyDundee( an online system used that links teaching stuffs and students). Sadly, I didn't even see the naked guy before I leaved. 

Think positively, maybe we would have a nude female model when our time comes.  

Lazy Saturday

Saturday, I stayed at home organising my computer. Installed the Mac application, found some useful programs, like iFreeMem, Adobe Lightroom, and GimmeSomeTune, and so forth. Then watched the TV series, brothers & sisters with Kamil on my mac. Kinda wasted time watching tv series. Felt wasting papa’s money and a surge of guilt came from innerself. At night, I read Le Corbusier’s Villa Stein-de Monzie, after having mi sedap with egg, 小白菜，cabbage, carrot, corn, bacon, cup mushroom and red pepper.

party time...= =

I was just back from a party in Balmor tower, one of my batch architecture students organised it. At first, I was not willing to go, whispered in my heart when asked by Dara, my flat mate. Then, I thought that maybe it was the chance to meet new friends or to talk to some architecture friends. As a result, I changed my mind and went to the party.

Surprisingly there were just 3 architecture students, excluding me and my another 2 architecture’s friends who went there together. In fact, party or bar is the most common night event here. Moreover, the spot light is always on the drink! Drink means beer, wine, vodkas and whatever with alcohol.

I told them I would not drink for the night, but eventually, I tried some wine because my Taxes friend told me wine is healthy... I mean “yeah”... I drank because I was too bored there. The music was loud, they were just drinking and talking...

The party was blown off, because a group of them said: let's go Union.. And more than half went to the union. Student Union to me, in my first impression when I was surfing Dundee’s net in Malaysia, was a welfare society for students. Astonishingly, it is a bar and disco place. Everyone enjoys in the union, drinking or looking pretty girls or handsome boys to fuck off. To me, it is bullshit. Meaningless. It is not my culture, seriously.

I had my first drink there, a sole beer, with lemon; then a thick black Guineas; followed by a shot, forget the name though. I licked the salt on left hand then quickly “throw it into me” (a new phrase means drink it fast) with right hand and finished it by biting a lemon immediately. Actually it was a small cup of alcohol, but I was told that it was very strong, more than 40%; then a mix of Coke and didn’t know what beer. So, £2 per drink, I took 4 drinks, and had to pay for the stupid £6, cause subsidised by Dara. I get drunk for the first time, face,ear and eyes turned really red. I wouldn’t forget about that night for my first drink, though it was not a nice memory.

My attitude toward drinking is:
I wouldn’t reject any culture of the local, including drinking and party and pub.
I’ll be open to accept anything, but still, I’ll pick what I should and forget about what I shouldn’t.
I paid £9.9K but the local didn’t pay any. So, I should be the one who work 9.9K times than them in architecture, right? Of course with a bit of social once in a while.

K, enough, sleep now.

Mapping Entrance- First Design Project

Well, this is my first group project. It is called mapping entrance. We need to draw out the whole doorway in the actual size. Sounds easy isn’t it? So, after the lecture we went to our destination, which is of course a doorway. In fact, it is an old, gothic entrance of a library. We were led by a tutor, named Dog...Oops, it should be Doug... Then, we sat down and started to draw out the door in our sketch book.

Well, I really thought that I knew what drawing was. I was even very confident that I knew how to draw anything because everyone said that I am very artistic. Anyway, it was just a static building. I tried to sketch out the doorway with a pencil on A4 sketch book. Lines were not straight, dimensions were out! More importantly, I didn’t know how to draw 2D from this 3D world!

I was so frustrated about myself, so disappointed. Yeah, I will catch up drawing by myself this year, I promised. How? I’ll draw at least 5 sketches a day, as my own homework. As though I am so ambitious... The truth is I really need to draw to fill in my compulsory sketch book!!!! It is part of the assignment that determines pass or fail for the year.

Go back to the mapping entrance. Then, we measure it, label it on one of our group member’s sketch book. My sketch book was half way drawn, I’ll continue with it later. My english is too poor, really hard to even listen and understand the daily conversation of my group members. They speak real fast and fluent, with all kind of different accents and local words, some irish, some english, some Scottish... I was kind of left out. Truly, I need to work out with my listening and speaking as soon as possible, if not, I would be alien someday.

Fire alarm, again

Well, It’s 4.04am now (26/9/08). It’s the third time I went down from the 4th floor due to the fire alarm! The fire alarm was so sensitive; I really had enough of this kind of stupid ‘expedition’. If including the fire alarm at uni, this is the 4th time I run out of a building due to the firm alarm.
Last two time were the mistake made by lady smokers, this time I think was the same reason too, just that I was lazy to find out who was the super hero who could summand a 60 people gathering at this particular sleepy time. Anyway, we were not allowed to smoke anywhere in the flat. They still don’t learn from the experience. I really hate the buster!

I was working for my first week assignment, a presentation for tomorrow 9am. The title was the ‘inspiring place’, where we can use any method to present to the tutorial group of 13 people. We can have any place, which is inspiring for us, and this is my place:
It’s a forest on top of the hill 20 minutes walk from my flat. It is a common place for old folks to stroll around with their best companion, dog. I went there alone with my lovely G9 camera of cause. After passing through all the residence houses, I came to a flower garden. Just behind the garden it was a big piece of land dedicate for the nature forest. Most of the trees are pine tree, an evergreen coniferous tree that has cluster of long needle-shaped leaves.
There were two small diverging paths that leading to unknown destiny. I simply chose a path and a sudden open space turn to me. I love the space so much, without any reason, I just stop at the centre of the space enclosing by the bushes and trees. The wind was freezing, the temperature definitely less that 10 degree Celsius but I can’t feel the cold. The feel was so great. I just love the place. I like the setting, where a large stone on the ground as a natural sitting place. The leaves were rustling while some were lifted by the gentle wind and eventually fall to the ground. Some songs of birds accompanied on the melody. The sound was soothing and peaceful.

At Dundee

Well, I don't have much time here to post somthing on, cause I still didn't have internet conection now in my room. I'm in the city library, cause can't even login to the university's computer yet, as I not yet matriculate. It means i haven't got my pass to access internet.

This is a very nice city, the weather is qutie cold, it's 13-18 according to my Mac. But I think it's I'm just fine with it. Just have 2 cloths on at all times, and with a thin jacket if going outdoor.

This week is the Week zero, which for us to settle down. I have my kitchen settled, bought some kitchen utensils.

Step into the Scotland

Finally after the 10H in bus, I arrive at Dundee Bus station.

Abu Dhabi

Had lunch in house, cause the restaurants did not operate for the fasting period for the whole month. If the restaurant wish to operate, it must not be in the public exposed place, like market or shopping mall, instead, it need to cover the restaurant with cloths and close the door. It's like eating secretly. They say this is to pay respect to the local Muslims.. Malaysia better!

The poor restaurant really suffer a lot. They only have less than half the profit for the month but rental still the same. So, some of the bigger companies, like starback, take the opportunity to close the shop for renovation.

Bout 3 o'clock, Aunty brought me and little cute cousin stroll around Abu Dhabi with GMC-General Motor Car- American's car. Abu Dhabi have quite a lot of high rises, but much shorter and less ambitious comopare to Dubai. Only 20 to 30 stories high and most are comparabily old buildings.

We went to Marina Mall, just beside the sea. The temperature here was extreme!!! It was 38 degree celcius, a common temperature for them. What to expect in a desert city? Aunt said this month is fall, so the teperature is decreasing. For Aug, the temperature surge up to 50 degree. But I still need a jacket at night, cause every building is air-conditioned. We can't go outdoor when the sun is high in sky, even at night, the temperature is above 30.

Quite adventurous for us to stay in contect with the hot air outside, when we leave a building to the car, or when we step down from car to run to a building. My spectacles will condensed with vapour once coming down from car. Besides, the extremely humid air made me hard to grasp for air.

Finally I bought my toothbrush, a toothbrush which reflects less is more.

Aunt drove to the site to Fetch uncle back for dinner. As an architect, he work in a temporary office next to the construction site. For the first time I stepped on the desert sand. So fine, just light touch with foot on the sand would make it fly high.

We waited for the ISLAMIC OPERA SONG, and rush to heal our empty stomach at a Bei Jing restaurant. My uncle was so surprise. There was no car on the usually jam road. He said everyone were inside the restaurant.

At night, I discussed my whereabouts in London with another uncle. He studied in Glassglow, as an architect too, and stayed in London for 2 years. So lucky to heve a good guider here.

Dubai

First day at Abu Dhabi. Uncle take leave to entertain me to Dubai. Lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The food there is bit different from M'sia. There is only high class restaurant at UAE, you can't find mid range restaurant. 1MYR= 1.06939Dhirham. So, look in the price below, I ate Salmon fillet for 58dhs.

My set of lunch

Then we went Dubai, about one hour journey from here, Abu Dhabi. First time I saw a GMC-General Motor Car. An America's car. I asked why GMC? Uncle replied: to support America, or it will collapse. Yup, the GMC's sale fall 30% this year, as Toyota and Honda sales boost up in US.

When over 120km/h. If not, it would state the temperature. It was 38 degree Celsius.

This is how it was in the desert.

This is how it is along the road.

The Burj Dubai, when complete, estimated 162 stories, 818 m, twice the height of twin tower and is still waiting to be built, as it want to be the tallest building forever. It waits for the compatitor to finallise their plan. If any other building plans to be built heigher, the Burj Dubai still can climb heigher as it wish, since the foudation is built to accommodate much more levels.

Along the main street, the buildings are fantastic. All kind of shapes, as heigh as KLCC.

The air quality is not good, filled with sand.

Went to a shopping mall, forget the name.