an international excursion ... well, three actually ...> part I

Thursday Night. Arriving in Macau, and sailing to Hong Kong.

So it's set.

After weeks of deliberations, I was set. Some wonderful people from the States, who I've been keeping in touch with these past few years after meeting them just once in KL, who lead amazing lives globe trotting all over, running humanitarian missions, with well connected and established contacts, visiting one international film festival after another, finally confirmed the dates. We had been planning to meet for a long time, with several failed attempts, but this time, things seemed promising.

And like some strange prophecy that would ensure our paths would intertwine again, it came to pass.I was off to Hong Kong. Again!

You see, after I told this couple in the US about my award and subsequent trip to Korea, these kind people forwarded my company profile to a prolific couple in Hong Kong, and they too were pleased about the recent win. You gotta understand, I wasn't kidding when I said that these people from the US were very, very well connected and were prominent globe trotters. They really DO have friends from all over the planet. Friends with equally unbelievable connections, and deep, deep pockets, I assure you.

Now here comes the interesting part.

The people in Hong Kong are multi - millionaires, owning properties and businesses all over the world, and so when the couple from the States told me they were looking for someone to help them with a project of theirs, a personal, close to the heart, kinda project, they asked me!

Me!

I couldn't believe it .. I was being invited to view a project in Hong Kong and to see whether there could be any possible future collaboration between ourselves. I was asked to come, view the site, study the historical significance of the venue, and propose design concepts to complement the location.

What a surreal proposal!

And so, after numerous emails, on deciding the best dates, we finally confirmed that December 18, 2009 would be the best time to meet. I would arrive on the 17th, and the couple from the States would come at the same time. So I left KL on Airasia flight to Macau (cause it was peak season, and no direct flights to HK were available)and arrived in Hong Kong, after taking the ferry from Tapai in Macau at 1030. By the way, the flight was delayed. Typical uh?

I reached Shun Tak Terminal at 11.30pm in Hong Kong, where once again some of my closest friends came to pick me up. Freezing in the 15 degree ambiance, they met me, and of course we exchanged hugs and off to a late night supper in Sai Wan. Bittersweet feelings about being here though. This was the fourth time I visited HK, and as much as I was happy about the whole affair, including meeting my Malaysian counterparts here, I wasn't as excited as I thought I would be.

Don't get me wrong.

The whole excursion was thrilling, and everything was sponsored, plus my eventual meeting the Americans, The Hong Kong couple and my buddies here in HK was a wonderful way to spend an early Xmas. But being here 4 times already...I'm sure you know what I mean.And so, once the night was over, I would meet with the international guests first thing Friday morning, and off we would go.

The name of the place, The Dragon Gardens. Just the mere mention of the name resounds the air with an Oriental flavour, doesn't it? Lets see.


Friday Morning. Dragon Gardens. Well, sorta.

Got a call this morning around 8am. Still in a state of drifting consciousness, I answered it. Oh yes, it was the American lady wishing me as politely as usual 'good morning', and telling me, that the meeting was postponed till 12pm. I said no problem. The truth was, I was smiling..great, I get to sleep in a little longer...oh yes..bliss....at least for 2 more hours, snuggled in the cold.

I was up at 10am. Got dressed snazzily, and was ready to leave. We were supposed to rendezvous at the Four Seasons around 12pm to meet everyone and have lunch. Oh wow, one of the premier hotels on the face of the earth, overlooking the cold, peaceful ocean, in truly opulent settings, with a tinge of Oriental influence here and there. Subtle but present. And after i got there, waited for a bit, and finally saw the lady that I hadn't met in about 4 years. Looking at each other we smiled our flashiest smiles in an instant, giving each other a hug and saying how wonderful it was to see each other again. She introduced me to her husband, after we meet the prominent couple from Hong Kong, we were off.

Off to the Gardens!

But first, we wine and dine! Before leaving for the venue, the first thing on everyone's mind was of course, food! And so, we hopped into the car, and ventured into Kowloon, and eventually to the New Territories where the Gardens were. We missed a couple of turns and got lost because of that, but the Americans jokingly said that they were grateful to the Hong Kong couple for the unexpected tour of the islands!

Well, a little bit of humour to lighten the situation always helps.

We eventually arrived at this one restaurant where they decided to come to, and it seems the best duck meat, the best scallops, the best fishcakes, the best pork soups etc. were served here. Unassuming place though, hidden behind an alley, but rose to prominence after THE Jackie Chan paid this place a visit in the past. Yup, it seems that's all you need to make sure that if you ever decide to open an eatery, get a celebrity to endorse it, and you'll be rolling in the dough soon enough.

Once we were done, it was time.

Time to finally head to the Gardens. Yes, it was exhilarating. I felt like a big time architect, off to see a mysterious site, realizing the opportunity to materialize the tremendous design potential this place has to offer.














A venue steeped in history, permeating with cultural and personal significance.

















This was surreal, and we had arrived, the location definitely did not disappoint. Here we were at the side of a terraced mountain, clearly landscaped with beautiful rock gardens, lined with streams of water flowing naturally from one end to another, peppered with porcelain deities and ceramic pagodas, within a setting of a variety of lush, verdant greenery that carpeted the site, all undoubtedly presented in an oriental atmosphere.


















As we walked along the stone pathways, in meandering directions, I ensured that my eyes keenly observed the key elements that made this place unique in its own identity. Starting from 1 point, with a lawn in one side and a rock garden on the other, we headed up where at first I saw a simple, understated but undeniably elegant contemporary Chinese - style villa, with some auxiliary structures augmenting its presence, such as the Rest House, the Swimming Pool and The Cafeteria / Changing Room Annexe, all built on different levels in relation to the site where we stood.

















All lushly landscaped, all well positioned.


Continuing to walk up, I begin to feel with a greater sensitivity, the Oriental influence in the space on a more subtle level. The decorative bridge and pathway balustrades, points of interest highlighted with Chinese characters and structures, the tendency of using natural materials in their natural form, the shapes and designs associated with Chinese culture, placing structures and pathways in accordance with natural terrain of the mountain, and a host of other minute, incorporations began to seep into my visual and tactile sensing organs, and I feel like I'm beginning to appreciate the owner's pride in his heritage, culture and traditions.

One interesting point was mentioned. The original walkways were about 3 feet in width, which is pretty standard in dimension when designing a path, but there was a clear indication that the pathways had been extended. A very morbid reason was the basis for this extension it seems, as I was told that the reason had to do with the fact that the pathways had to be widened, so that the funeral procession that was needed to escort the deceased owner's coffin to the top, could comfortably walk up to the apex, and allow the owners last wish to be granted.

It seems, even in death, the owner had his way.

One particular spot caught my attention. It was simple space, with a partial retaining wall at the back, but what made this space stand out were 4 Chinese characters that once loosely translated, read, "All work is for the betterment of the public". It was a saying of great historical magnitude, and it was uttered by Dr. Sun Yat Sen, a prominent leader, who back in 1911, was part of the political and cultural momentous revolutions that had swept China, and had put her on the road to becoming the giant she is today.

There was a clearly magnetism in the air, when those words were uttered. You could feel the pride the lady had in her voice when she mentioned these words, and she could convey that pride to you personally through her spirit to yours.




Such is the power of literature.
Passion in every word, tangibly shared and celebrated.

As we kept walking up, we came to another significant point. A dull, shimmering Dragon Head statue, covered with thousands of pieces of broken coloured glass on its skin, clearly acted as a sculptural piece in the waterways of the gardens. Its head prominently rising above the surface of the water, where a stream sprouted from its mouth, and where its eel - like body occasionally broke the surface of the pond at certain places, conveying, perhaps a sense of fluidity and life.















"Look at me, o' wanderer, for though I may appear
still, tranquil and frozen,I am undeniably alive and I
guard this sanctimonious space,as I live within the
pristine, life - giving waters of this mountain, and
within the ancient trees and flowers that breathe
within the crevices of the earth, and within all the
living spirits that inhabit these dwellings that
you witness," whispered the dragon's soul in the
chambers of my mind.

As I touched its skin, feeling welcomed and no sense of trepidation, I observed that some of the pieces have inevitably been broken off, due to wear and tear. A natural state of things, no doubt. We then proceeded to the top of the site, the literal apex of the gardens. This was the most significant place in the entire scheme, as it was clearly the spiritual heart of the gardens. We walked through a gateway, and lo and behold, 3 prominent structures clearly stole my gaze, where I stood before a pond.















The first of course was the Mausoleum, where the owner had been buried. It was a smooth, clean hemi-spherical dome of considerable size that was finished in a dull, stone grey appearance, and at the back were 2 immense fan like retaining walls, one stacked on another, that swept across one end of the dome to another. Reminiscent of a Buddhist Pagoda built in an Indian tradition, especially like the ones found in Sri Lanka, this dome was in the middle of the space.















It was flanked with a Closed Structure on one side, that previously housed some family heirlooms and an Open Pavilion on the other, which had painted artwork highlighting the seasons on the other, both extensively decorated from the inside and the outside. Next to these 2 edifices, were 2 smaller Circular Pavilions, which were based on pavilions in ancient China, where scholars and poets would gather to discuss ideas on philosophy, religion, art and everything else under the sky, and beyond it as well, I guess.











It was clear that this man was proud of his heritage, and the architecture he employed to construct his tomb, the eternal place he would lie, bones and flesh and all, conveyed his desire to showcase his pride, even from the afterlife.


We spent some time here, and eventually made our way down to the villa, that I first saw when I got here. Now, getting there was an interesting journey in itself. After taking several pictures, I went down, into a forest of Long An trees, which I was told that each tree was priced at one million dollars. They looked so lush and verdant, so alive and huge, and the canopy of leaves that towered the tops of these magnificent organisms created a beautifully dramatic play of light and shadow that flooded the surrounding environment in every corner. These trees were culturally important, and were valuable, in more ways than one.

One Million! Each! One Tree! One Million!





So I walked through this million dollar forest (literally) and headed to the villa to with the rest of them. We entered this villa, and immediately it looked like something out of a movie set from the 60's. It had an unmistakable, bygone nostalgic charm to its appearance, that obviously greatly enhanced its identity as a historical site. I was told that the house was designed back in the 6os by a prominent Chinese architect, that modelled certain elements of the house after traditional Chinese concepts that were linked to royalty and aristocracy, such as the sweeping roofs, the semi-symmetrical layout, the oriental motif inspired screens of the doors and windows, the usage of timber panelling and red columns and so forth, but neatly presented in a modern context. A stone platform of 2 dragons intertwined with each other in flight, marked the entrance, and welcomed us into the villa with steps directing us to the living space, flanked on both sides, like entering the Great Hall at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

























The villa itself interestingly had many little 'treasures' that were lying unnoticed and forgotten all over. One of the more peculiar 'gems' I had noticed was the collection of miniature figures of all the presidents of the United States in the dining room, arranged in a circular fashion on the dining table, neglected and fatigued. It was a curious sight, but amusing nonetheless. Other artifacts included, geisha dolls in a glass cases, and old style timber frame mirror etched with Chinese characters on its dull surface, and other curious mementos and souvenirs.










Undeniably, besides the house itself being rich,
it was a house sprinkled with rich things.

And what a view the house commanded! In the distance was the ocean, vast and gorgeous, and beyond that, a suspension bridge, like a floating, towering sculpture, placed in the backdrop, far, far away. The site was very cleverly chosen, and I suspect the view played an utmost important influence in the genral design of the house and the strategic location of the house, and dictated, to a certain extent, the layout of the interior.
The views, truly were, to die for.








The collective and intangible ambiance of the house
suggested a sense of quiet dignity.
Humble yet expressive.

Surrounding the villas were more courtyards and gardens, all designed to convey traditional elements in a modern setting, and after spending time here, I headed to the Rest House, one level below the villa. This was the spot which would house the weary soul on a hot summers day after swimming in the pool, and no doubt the setting for many a glamorous party, attended by the who's who of the elite, back in the good old days.

So much history behind each wall, behind each door, behind each window.

The last points of interest in this site were the fountain in front of the Rest House, the swimming pool and the adjacent annexe, which was easily twice the size of an Olympic pool and 2 pavilions that were located within the proximity of the space. One was a Tang Dynasty Style Stone Pavilion, located way up on one side of the mountain, and a Floating Japanese Teahouse Style Pavilion, situated in a pond nearby.










All wonderful pieces of intricate design, scattered selectively around the site, that enriched the cultural prominence of the gardens.

When we were finally done, and needed to leave, I tried to savor as quickly as I could, the final few moments I had here. The purpose of my visit to Hong Kong, had been served, and now we had to head back to our respective accommodations. This had been a wonderful eye-opening excursion, and my sense of passion to my work obligates me to propose ideas and concepts that would enhance this spectacular setting, while allowing its existing identity to retain its presence and flourish now and in the future. And I profusely thank my guests who made all this happen for me once we parted ways back at the hotel.

Oh yes, I can't wait to get started on this when I get home.

visiting a zaha hadid masterpiece, 18.03.2008

18th of march 2008 was special for 2 reasons.

the first reason was because someone whom i hold very dearly in my heart celebrates her 16th birthday every year for the past God knows how many years now on that particular date. as far as she is concerned, she's always gonna be 16, and every year on the 18th of March, she simply celebrates the anniversary of her turning 16 .. year after year after year ...

and so dear sis, happy sweet sixteen ... again!

the second reason is the fulfilling of personal aspiration. to those of us who are familiar with the architectural splendors of certain British Iraqi woman, we are all know what an absolute powerhouse Zaha Hadid is, presently in the design universe. we know her designs, are literally, out of this world, in which her works celebrates concepts of movement and fluidity, created around a seemingly alien inspired design vocabulary, creating structures that at once baffle and fascinate our visual senses, resulting inevitably first in awe, then astonishment and finally admiration.


Simply put, this woman's work is WOW.

just google her. you'll get the picture soon enough.

one of her simpler projects however ( that is, if there is such a thing as a simple Zaha Hadid project ) was the construction of a unique mobile structure called "The Art Container" .


she was commissioned by Chanel to design an iconic exhibitionist structure that would house some of products that Chanel has produced over the decades that would exhibited at selected venues all over the world. I'm no fashion connoisseur so I can't comment a single thing on that. what caught my eye was the container itself and not such much what was exhibited within. I'm sure that Chanel has produced wonderful pieces of fashion, much admired by all, but my interest was of course strictly architectural in nature. now, the good news was this ... it seems one of the venues this year for this traveling exhibition would be in Hong Kong and the timing for the exhibition coincided somewhat with my sis's birthday, who currently ... get this...lives in Hong Kong!

Perfect. I get to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

So this is what I decided to do. I was gonna go to HK to visit this wonderful piece of work and celebrate her birthday with her husband at one go. I was excited..this was gonna happen! and so I packed up my bags, took my camera and on the 16th of March, 2008, I left for the fragrant harbour in the Far East. I was gonna see Zaha Hadid's work ...in person!

this was really thrilling and I loved the prospect of seeing her work with my own eyes, instead of some picture I would see in a magazine. while spending some time with 2 people I absolutely adore..









oh, what an adrenaline rush
this was going to be.

and so I reached HK, and finally, off I was to see this masterpiece.
and God, I was so glad i came!

it was unbelievable!
















there was this gleaming white pavilion in the distance, designed like a coiled snake ready to strike, with a smooth, uninterrupted ceramic surface, enveloped with an interlacing grid of black lines, that housed and exhibited some of the finest things Chanel has produced. the entire pavilion was placed on top of a flat roof, overlooking the glorious oceans from HK itself. it was placed at a location that took full advantage of its site, making sure there was ample space for the crowds to come, whilst enjoying 360 views of HK city, the oceans and of the opposite shoreline, where Kowloon stands. yup, perfect location.
















the pavilion itself exemplified and showcased the best of what Zaha Hadid has come to represent.
















an experimentation and exploration of forms that are curvilinear and deconstructivist, glorifying notions of fluidity, velocity and movement. her works seeks to challenge our perception of what architecture is, and pushes the boundaries of what is possible way beyond their limits. and she gets bolder and bolder with each passing design.

this art container was no exception to the rule. shaped by a curved axis, but distorted like an elegant ellipse, with a skylight in the middle of the ceiling reminiscent of lotus petals, the entire pavilion looked more like a flying saucer from another galaxy that had landed in the middle of the city, inviting people to come in, through its tantalising and intriguing gleaming ivory facade. people were drawn to this magical egg, and they couldn't help themselves by succumbing to its magnetic appeal.

small no doubt in size and structure, but undeniably colossal in appeal and presence.















once inside, we were given earpieces to get a personal narration of the significance of each exhibit. we walked in, looked around, but I was of course more interested in the pavilion itself. I loved the way the interior walls curved in and out, how they were elongated in certain places and flat in some others, how the entire hall was dark, and only in the heart of the pavilion was the area flooded with sunlight.















spaces were divided in clusters of subtle circles and unique mirror and light features were placed at random spots adding to its incomprehensible design layout. certain areas were elevated and on cantilevered platforms and others followed a spiral axis flat on the floor. it really was as if we were inside an aliens' spacecraft, our minds blown away by the presence of technology light years ahead.


dark and mysterious, intriguing and mystifying.















so we walked around following the natural curve of the exhibition pathway and eventually after it was all seen, we left. the curved spaces within were lit selectively, and nothing about this place was normal. it was as if we had walked through a looking glass, and stepped into another dimension where the accepted rules of construction were tossed aside and where the imagination of the designer was allowed to run wild and free, unconstrained by the laws of gravity or physics. I wasn't allowed to take any photographs inside and so all I have are memories, but thankfully I stayed on taking as many photographs as I can of the exterior, admiring it as much as possible before I leave, realizing of course that once I do, I won't ever have the chance to touch this breathtaking piece of work again.

I was satisfied. Content and calm.















I was happy that I made the decision to come and witness for myself the power of the human mind in designing something that was so exceptionally unconventional and radical, in actual, materialised, tangible form. Leaving a deep impression on me on the power of thinking outside the box to create something spectacular, and an even deeper admiration of this woman's work, I was awestruck as I left the venue. I just hope I'll be fortunate enough again one day to see another of her masterpieces. after all,I was lucky this time, would it be too much to pray for another round of luck again, soon in the future?

Time will tell. I just hope it'll come sooner, rather than later!

happy birthday, myself !

yes,

its my birthday, and as strange as it seems, somehow it feels right to make an entry in my blog. some close people have already wished me well on facebook, so thats kinda cool and its nice to get good wishes every once in a while.so as i write this, conan's the tonight show on astro in on, and a couple of wise cracks are in the air.of course its way too early for anything to happen, so lets just see what the day brings. i'd like to end this entry with a list of projects that i'm particularly proud of.

a church in bangsar, entitled [ The Lantern Of Peace] . i was given the chance to design a house of worship and i felt blessed that the people in church were happy with my ideas and accepted a non- Christian to design a sacred sanctuary for them.



















An office for the Legal Aid Centre, which is connected back to the Malaysian Bar Council. this is the division of the legal fraternity that helps people who cant afford lawyers and thus does mostly work on a pro-bono basis.








the beginning of my first bungalow project in shah alam, called
The House Of The Luminous Heart, where the design centres on ideas rooted in a language of the tropics, an architectural vocabulary of earthly colour schemes and materials, a sense of openness from one space to another, high ceilings and long eaves. its so cool for it all to be coming together these past 6 months or so. thank you, frank llyod wright.















a restaurant that serves pastries and dessert, that is based on a mix of an eastern - influenced appearance within a modern space. the wallpaper subtly showcases a pattern of leaves in a quite gold hue, flanked above with a wave - like form that has lights placed randomly like stars at night, and a general ambiance of warm colours and lights and calm surroundings. this one im gonna call [ The Forest Of Golden Leaves ]










the beginning of a design for a residence that incorporates a contemporary indian identity. a juxtaposition of white geometric forms with an intricately design aluminium screen filled with simplified lotus images. i'm gonna call it The Lotus Cube.









its been an interesting year, no doubt, and undeniably the best thing so far was my trip to seoul, south korea. lets see what else this interesting year brings, shall we?

seoul, south korea > part IV

so this was it.

we had finally come to end of the journey,. like i wrote in my last post, thoughts of this nature were the last to float in my mind before i finally slept the night.

i was sad.

what had been an incredible journey of discovery and delight, was pretty much at an end. so unfair ... why do all good things come to end so quickly? i got up around 630 am, with a sad feeling in my heart, whilst my shoulders were heavy, and my spirit was down. i try to always be in high spirits as much as humanly possible, but like all mere mortals, i do occasionally feel the blues.

this moment was one of them.

so all i could do, was muster the strength to get up, get dressed and get ready, and by around 7am, we were downstairs. first things first was of course breakfast. my room mate, Grey had gone down first, and i told him I'd see him there shortly. needed a moment of silence. to pray for serenity. and for gratitude for everything i had experienced here, in korea.it was the least i could to convey my thanks to the divine. pray, in silence.

i was downstairs by 7am. i met grey at the restaurant and i was surprised to see another familiar face had joined us. her name is ira, who's from indonesia, but works in singapore. great, the more the merrier. and there to join us too, sharan from taiwan. perfect. another international gathering for breakfast that morning. i loved it.

we sat there, talking to each other about how much we enjoyed everything at the Olympiad, the stuff we did, the friends we made, the work we did. and everyone pretty much felt the same way we did. bittersweet moment for everyone i guess. and after breakfast was done, the four of us took one last shot together, before we boarded the bus back to the airport. sharan didnt follow, her plane was at a later time, and so we said goodbye at the hotel. ira followed us..two guys, a girl and airport.


the bus journey was quiet, everyone dozed off for an hour or so. i was looking around, trying to visually savour as much as possible before we reached incheon international airport. i wanted to take photographs of the airport when we initially reached, but i decided that when we eventually left, i could take shots then too..i just hope i have the time. and so as soon as we reached the airport, we got out, immediately looked for out check in counters and followed procedure. mundane. nothing out of the blue there. as soon as we were in line, i took the chance to leave the grey and ira for a while, while i frantically rushed to as many places as i can in the airport complex to take as many pictures i could of this futuristic terminal.























"a humongous structural concoction of technology and space elegantly designed as a transportation hub like no other, in this part of the world. the way light filters through its glass facade, the selected usage of natural stone and timber, the clever insertion of green spaces and the high tech, 21st century look and language of this terminal. i loved everything about it. i so wished i had more time to marvel at this wonderful piece of architecture, but time unfortunately, was not on my side,"

when all was done and over, i made my way to see grey and ira at the departure hall. i checked in, and thats where when my luggage was checked, both my toothpaste and shaving cream got confiscated. my shaving cream, for God's sake! but i didnt wanna argue, cause you know, the officer was just doing his job, and i didnt want anything to sour this journey, least of all a can of shaving cream.





















i met them both at the departure point, and we made our way to our seats and start to prepare ourselves for the long, tedious and boring 7 hour journey back home. of course, we decided to just get 40 winks while we could, and for the first time in 4 days, i finally felt fatigue setting in. i finally felt my body shutting down, my systems slowing inevitably, and my eyes began to close. but guess what.

i couldnt sleep ... even after all that, i couldnt even yawn. and so what next? well, the movie The Taking Of Pelham 123 was on, and i did want to see that back home months ago, so thats exactly what i did. they showed some strange korean movie before that about a bunch of girls being trained for some major weight lifting tournament and it seems it was based on some true story. well, at least least the showed travolta and washington after that. not a bad movie and after it was over, i just tried to sleep the rest of the trip away. vaguely successful there.

after 7 hours, we finally reached home. the three of us got off together of course, and i took ira's card for safekeeping. i think she was in transit and she was gonna take another flight to singapore. i was with grey, and eventually we said our goodbyes as well. i got my luggage, went straight to KLIA express and went straight back to Sentral. as i sat in the train, i took the moments i had, sitting silently, looking out at the greenery that greeted my eyes, and the humidity that enveloped in my body coming to the realisation i was home. straight home, after i reached Sentral, took the earliest taxi i could get and i was home by around 7pm. my parents greeted me of course, but all i wanted to do was sleep.

and thats' exactly what i did.

this magical, surreal journey had come to an end, pretty soon my life would return to normal. back to work. back to society. but this is an experience i was never gonna forget. it will always be close to me, lodged in the chambers of my heart, for as long as i live.

thank you, God. thank you so much.