| Start: | Feb 12, '07 |
Wednesday, 30 August 2006
Sunday, 27 August 2006
Thursday, 24 August 2006
... thoughts : Project Cool Singapore
Airconditioning. A blessing for most in the hot weather that is Singapore. People today, shuttle not from tree shade to tree shade, but from airconditioned lobby to airconditioned lobby. Tropical weather apparently, is just too hot and humid for anyone to bear these days. But is it?
I'm old enough to remember a time when airconditioning was the exception, rather than the rule. We had big airy buildings and large shady trees to dissipate the sun's heat. I don't remember the air being quite so warm and humid either. Have temperatures risen in Singapore over the last couple of decades? I seriously think so. Airconditioning, ironically enough, is to blame. The amount of excess heat pouring out into backalleys and spewing into service corridors is simply horrendous. I remember a time when blankets were a must in the early mornings and one would shiver while waiting for the school bus in the pre-dawn. There was a time when even in the midday sun, standing under a shady tree was all that was required to keep cool. Today, nowhere outside of an enclosed airconditioned space is even remotely comfortable.
What can we do as Architects, Engineers and City Planners? I for one, see a need for corrective action on a societal scale. Our skyscrapers and new HDB estates are increasingly inching higher. We should be tapping into this well of cooler air high above us. There is a gradual
temperature gradient from the hot ground air decreasing as you go upwards, to temperatures as chilly as 10 to 20 degrees just a few hundred metres above us. Anyone who's been in a plane and watched the outside temperature indicator rise as the plane circles to land, will realise that there's a natural temperate climate (natural airconditioning if you will), just above our heads!
There are a few ways we can help lower temperatures at ground level, some of which are already being done, and literally cool Singapore.
1. We can forego the full glass facades of colder climates and return to more practical tropical architecture by minimising glass surface areas in direct exposure to sunlight, and create large shaded canopied areas and open verandas like the houses of old.
2. We could plan for closed airwells to shunt all airconditioning exhausts upwards and away from our streets as well as heat conductors that conduct waste heat upwards to be expelled using cooling fins place at the tops of buildings in the cooler stratas of air.
3. We could put into our city planning, a requirement for future skyscrapers to have active mechanical systems which take in air from the top of the building, to discharge at lower levels.
4. We
could turn off unnecessary lighting systems during the night so as not to continually heat up the environment and to allow the night air to cool. The major side benefit to this would even be a return to the spendour of seeing stars at night!
5. We could build into our city planning a macro view of city skyline profiles and modify the shapes of buildings so as to concertedly channel the cooler winds from the upper levels, forcing them downward to blow through our streets and minimise still air pockets.
6. We can increase the number of leafy trees within the city area to create not only more shade, but also to renew the air through the tree's natural respiratory processes.
7. We can build more fountains. Not only will it cool the air, it will also give Singapore more character and help beautify the cityscape.
8. We can also of course, simply turn off our airconditioners.
Activity - Archery
I shoot with a 68 inch recurve at the Potong Pasir Indoor Archery Range.
Anyone interested is most welcome to join my baobei and I. We usually go on Saturday afternoons (that is when we actually get off our bums to go.)
Wednesday, 23 August 2006
Tuesday, 22 August 2006
Project - Fossils
I got some of those from the Edinburgh museum. They are soooo cheap at the museum... something like $2 per piece. I got 6 pieces total and mounted them into 2 frames (from IKEA as you'd probably recognise).
The 3 paneled frame is hanging in my room, the single box frame was given to Thomas Chen.
I also recently obtained 2 trilobite fossils of Elrathia Kingi from Kinokuniya when they went on sale at 10% off. :p
Next year when I go to Drumheller, I'll buy some more (more awsome ones) and mount them for hanging on my walls.
The last one is a complete keichosaurus fossil I want to purchase.
Travel - LJM the Globe Trampler
LJM visited countries. Gonna make the whole world red.
create your own visited country map
create your personalized map of europe
create your own personalized map of Canada
create your own personalized map of the USA
Australia - Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Wollongong
Canada - Abbotsford, Banff, Calgary, Edmonton, Jasper, Kamloops, Pemberton, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler
China - Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hongkong, Macau, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou
France - Paris
Indonesia - Bali Island, Bataam Island, Bintan Island, Pekan Baru
Italy - Florence, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Verona
Japan - Chiba, Disneyland Tokyo, Fukuoka, Fujiyama, Kitakyushu, Kyoto, Tokyo
Malaysia - Alor Setar, Cameron Highlands, Desaru, Fraser's Hill, Genting Highlands, Gunung Ledang (Ophir), Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kangar, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Kangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan, Kuching, Langkawi, Melaka, Mersing, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Pinang, Seremban, Taiping
Mexico - Tijuana
Portugal - Coimbra, Fatima, Lisbon, Obidos
Singapore
Spain - Avila, Cordova, Madrid, Salamanca, Seville
Switzerland - Lucerne, Lugano, Mt. Titlis
Thailand - Bangkok, Haadyai, Pattaya, Phuket Island
UAE - Dubayy
UK - Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Sterling
USA - Chicago, Detroit, Disneyland Anaheim, Disneyworld Orlando, Grand Canyon, Kalamazoo, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mt. Baker, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, Washington D.C.
Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Monday, 21 August 2006
Sunday, 20 August 2006
Project - Wife (PRIVATE ALBUM)
"Union of the House of 梁 Liang and the House of 黄 Huang"
It started with a quaint marriage proposal custom, learnt from the Far Western Regions to propose to me future bride. "Wai Kit, je vous aime. Voulez-vous devenir mon epouse?" so I went in three languages, French, English and Cantonese, hand over heart, solitaire diamond ring in hand, right knee on the ground as taught by Jean in a flurry of e-mails in the months leading up to the event.
Moment captured for prosperity by dear friend Jean who's hands thankfully didn't shake, so caught up in the moment was he. The surprise on her face? Priceless!
Then I've got me car to go with me house so as to woo me wife. She be impressed enough to don fer me a wee bridal dress. The dress she finally selected after a long afternoon of going through the entire store's wardrobe is a lacy bodice that shows off her curves beautifully.
Our first two wedding banquet locations have been selected, the Marriot in Singapore and the Grand Plaza Parkroyal in Kuala Lumpur, leaving only the Ipoh banquet yet to be selected.
Koi Hin has graciously agreed to MC both Singapore and KL banquets and both of us are extremely grateful to have such good friends like him to make life that much more fun.
There will not be a bestman or bridesmaid for our wedding as they are rather redundant and not the least customary in our wedding traditions but there will certainly be many "Heng Tai" and "Chee Mui" to help out with the rites and festivities. The other reason of course is that the term Bestman is really... a misnomer as far as we're concerned. :p
Our wedding rings were made by Wai Kit's parents who used to be jewellers. Both Wai Kit and I are rather excited over this. Her ring is a nice 1/2 circle of 9 diamonds set into a simple band while mine is a similar band, minus the diamonds of course.
"Components they come together, in bits and pieces through both time and space... to march in unison, increasingly in rhythm..."
Tuesday, 15 August 2006
Union of the House of 梁 Liang and the House of 黄 Huang (PRIVATE ALBUM)
"... little things come together, components of two lives,
fitting and weaving, to brave life as one...."
梁傑明 Leong Kit Meng (Liang Jieming) & 黄惠洁 Wong Wai Kit (Huang Huijie)
25th August 2006
- Confirmation of Justice of Peace
15th September 2006
- Paying our respects to my Grandmother in Penang
> Flight AK6536 15 Sep - Departure Johor Bahru 1920, Arriving Penang 2025
> Flight AK6533 17 Sep - Departure Penang 1205, Arriving Johor Bahru 1310
21st September 2006
- Taking of Wedding Photographs
28th September 2006
- Food tasting @ the Marriot, Singapore
- Proper introduction of both families
2nd October 2006
- Wedding Photograph selection
9th October 2006
- Lodge marriage application with the Registry of Marriages
21st October 2006
- Food tasting @ the Grand Plaza Parkroyal, Kuala Lumpur
11th November 2006
- Pick-up Justice of Peace, Ms. Bertha Neo > 4:30pm
- Solemization of Marriage > 5:30pm
- Friends Banquet @ the Marriot, Singapore > 6:30pm
> Steve & Janie, you should arrive between the 11th and the 16th
16th November 2006 | Wedding Proper |
- Crossing of Customary Gifts & Dowry
- Receiving the Bride into my home > Morning
- Tea ceremonies (close family) > mid-Morning
- Presentation of Roast Pig to bride's family (brought forward from the traditional 3 day wait)
> Drive SGD1923B 16 Nov - Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, late afternoon departure
> Drive SGH5259M 17 Nov - Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, early morning departure
> Guys, take note: 17 Nov Party-nite. (Try not to start BEFORE I arrive!)
18th November 2006
- Tea ceremonies (relatives) & introduction of the couple to the extended family/relatives
- Groom's Family Banquet @ the Grand Plaza Parkroyal, Kuala Lumpur > 7:00pm, Dress code Formal
> Drive - Kuala Lumpur to Singapore 20/11
December 2006
- Post-Wedding Pre-honeymoon De-stressing Get-away, Tokyo Japan
> Flight TG410 6 Dec - Departure Singapore Changi 2100, Arriving Bangkok 2220
> Flight TG642 6 Dec - Departure Bangkok 2340, Arriving Tokyo Narita 7 Dec 0730
> Flight TG410 13 Dec - Departure Tokyo Narita 1045, Arriving Bangkok 1545
> Flight TG642 13 Dec - Departure Bangkok 1930, Arriving Singapore Changi 2250
Mid December 2006
- Renovations of Bayshore Park
Mid January 2007
- Registration of Marriage with Malaysian High-Commission
- Move-in and house warming
TBA 2007
- Bride's Family Banquet @ Hee Lai Ton Restaurant, Ipoh
TBA March/April 2007
- Honeymoon Western Canada
>>> Click here for Detailed Preparation Plans and Photos
>>> Click here for Wedding Photos
**********************************************************************************************************
Friday, 11 August 2006
Saturday, 5 August 2006
Friday, 4 August 2006
Project - Casting Chess Sets
I have these latex moulds for two different chess sets I ordered from Canada a few months back. One's a "Camelot/King Arthur" Theme, the other is the famous "Lewis Chessmen" (complete set). I was planning to cast my own chess sets and UrofPersia would paint them but then the project ran out of steam because I couldn't find a cheap source for Hydrostone for casting. Plaster and Resin are very common in Singapore but not suitable if you want a good quality set.
UPDATE 7th June 2009
Finally managed to get 10kg of hydrostone from Australia thanks to my sister. Here's my first attempts at casting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)