This blog entry accounts for two episodes that happened over this wkend in my life, both of which are, well... "near misses".

Few months back I made a resolution to try and pass my IPPT for this work year, so to speak... and I did try very hard. I went for 2.4 runs twice every week for 2 weeks before I made my 1st attempt at IPPT a month ago. For that attempt I failed my chin-up. Well, the gah-men is quite accomodating in the sense that if you only fail one of the four static stations (can't help it if you fail 2.4km), you can have unlimited attempts at that single station, and if you pass that station within 3 months from the last full IPPT attempt, you are considered to have passed (with no incentive). I made use of this ruling and focused on just my chin-up. Well, I was pretty confident with doing the required 5 pull-ups cuz I got a bar installed at home, but alas, when I tried it yesterday (18th Oct), the crappy machine just couldn't register my 5th one!!!

I was quite depressed and sms-ed an army friend for some advise... and he said well, if the machine one don't register, try the manual one at Toa Payoh SAFRA. Which I did the next day (today, 19th Oct). It was kind of ganjiong because I only have until my next birthday to pass the IPPT!!! So I tried my luck today and the encik at TP SAFRA allowed me to take the single station and I passed...! YATTA!

Can't tell you how sad I was when I was cheated of my last pull yesterday. Stupid machines... I think next time better train for more, and be prepared to be discounted during the test date (by 1 or 2 pulls), just in case... This time it was really a close shave. It must be how Heracles felt when he managed to be relieved of the duty of carrying the sky (by cheating Atlas... okay lame). But it was really a great relief! Imagine the wkend b4 your birthday and all you could think of is "Damn... the dateline's around the corner and I cannot afford to go for RT!" For once in my life I actually dreaded my birthday... urgh!

Then again, I wonder what my boss will say if I told him I have to go for RT...

Alrightimoh~~~!!! The next "saga" is that I actually submitted my thesis project for a competition organized by Hunter Douglas. Well, I didn't win it. I was given a consolation prize, "Merit", if you like. Well sure it is a joyous occassion, especially when I really didn't think of winning, considering that the scheme'll be competing against built work. Getting a merit price, personally I do think it is an encouragement to be happy about. But certainly nothing to shout about I think, and still think so now...

My friends actually commented that they had to find out by themselves (cuz it was on display at NLB), cuz I didn't tell them that I actually got consolation prize. Well... you do know that I also had to find out by myself that a friend of mine won the imba prestigeous President's Design Award some time back -.-" Jokes aside, I really didn't think it was anything worth announcing.

The price presentation was held on Friday evening at Noumi Hotel (designed by Eco-id), at a function showcasing Swarovski crystals. The plaque and framed certificate were presented to my by Mr L.S. Tai (who was in the judging panel for Eco-Friend, together with Dr Y.C. Wong and many other well known architects). Some colleagues (Mike, Phillip, Kelvin) were there at the function and they were surprised too when I went up to get the award. Told them why I didn't think it was such a big hoohah that it was necessary to tell them also. Then Mike said something that got me thinking, "The prize itself is not really important. What's important that it is a joyous occassion, and we are happy to be your colleague and want to share the joy with you..." After that we went to Sketches at Bugis to 'celebrate'. His words did make some sense... Considering if the roles were switched and my friends won something (anything), I'll be so darn happy for them too and would want to know...

So... maybe I should tell my mom... cuz the only person that I really told was Chet haha... Anyhowz, this must be near miss #2 :)

Judge's Citation:

The entry promotes a mindset of ecological awareness manifested in the context of "recycli-city", where various forms of recycled materials are used as building materials. It presents a refreshing notion of "green" design in the re-conception and re-use of the scrap material. Although the techniques employed and the application of these materials remain academic and has yet transpired to spatial and experiential dimension, the scheme exudes a strong sense of environmental consciousness in its approach towards balancing architecture ambitions and environment concerns. The effort is commendable and thus deserves a merit award.

This is a refreshing attempt at reuse of materials and non-building materials or defining the "cradle to cradle" notion in architecture. The presentation is comprehensive of a design that shows delightful craft quality in its articulation and formal composition. The undertaking is ambitious and well researched. At the same time provocative in stimulating constructive feedback and critical reflections. The project is a large scale centre for promoting and demonstrating reuse and conservation of waste to useful things. The scheme illustrated various ways on how scrap, waste and non-building materials can be reused in making architecture.

A merit award is hereby granted by the jury panel to encourage more design endeavours in material use or reuse in creating a sustainable design. The Jury Panel also encourages the scheme to undertake a more critical integration of pragmatics and poetics in its design development.