Portuguese vs. Malay

Queijo = Keju (Cheese)

Manteiga = Mentega (Butter)

Bandeira = Bendera (Flag)

Igreja = Gereja (Church)

Ananas = Nanas (Pineapple)

Toalha = Tuala (Towel)

Meza = Meja (Table)

Escola = Sekolah (School)

Sepato = Sepatu (Shoe)

Garfo = Garpu (Fork)

Snowy London

Being in the tropics reminded me about the London snow in February. How it shocked and halted London, how emotions shifted from frustration of long queues waiting for public transport to celebration of the rare chance to actually play.



I was awaken at 4am and snow had already started dusting the city, like icing sugar on light vanilla sponge. It was beautifully quiet. By mid morning the streets and buildings looked like they were covered in white chocolate ganache, then thick marzipan.





I was greeted "good morning" by a stranger. Smiling. First time in London. People were out on streets with their children. Laughing. Snowmen sprung in frontyards and parks. Met an Australian guy on Putney street and took a picture for him. "This is freakin awesome" he said. Dogs running around delightedly snowfighting with people. Local pubs making a fortune.

That day I managed to draw blank and retreat from fear of uncertanties at work, later secured my new job in Lisbon which proved to be a magical experience.

They call it the "worst-ever snowfall in southeastern England since 1991". It was quite prosperous for me. I went to work the next day and found Marcia and Duarte equally amazed.

Dynamic Learnscape

West End is a place where modern urban living is provoked by the preservation of traditional culture and knowledge. West End presents opportunities to create a learner-centered instead of the typical retail-centered urban core.

This project proposes a decentralized learnscape network formed by “fourth places” – informal learning places, which add dimension to the existing “first” (home), “second” (work) and “third” (informal gathering) places.

These “fourth places” stimulate and enrich informal public learning through contact with places and people in the community: workshops, teachers at home, professionals etc.

The unique junction of Jane, Boundary and Russell Street is a place of movement and eruption. The “jig places” – cafes, the “goanna”, the 4AAA radio kiosk, form a loose edge that defines the junction. The proposal is another internally sprouted “jig”, which marks this unique junction and instigates public learning activities that will bleed beyond its edges and complement existing infrastructures.

The proposal promotes 3 levels of learning:

• Street wisdom – spontaneous exchange of knowledge, friendship, culture, emotional and spiritual support in public
• Place cognition – Understanding of West End as an “island”, cocooned by the river and sense of uniqueness.
• Shopfront learning – Inheritance of knowledge and skills through informal learning
  
  

The folding element is generated from the context and function of the proposal. It is the spine that accommodates the solar cells, community notice board, bus shelter, amphitheatre and bicycles for community use. The twisting form stimulates strong conversation with the “Goanna”, and re-establishes gestural and visual connection to the river.

我回来了

我在举目无亲的他乡游离了那么久，终于回家了。该归位了。以前多少次大肆宣扬要回来都没有发生，这次没计划的，却落实了。

亲切感不是没有的。这几天陪爸妈去晨运，pasar，复诊，逛街。。。街坊们的脸孔虽然有点陌生，但问候还是亲切的。虽然巴生的道路一改再改，新桥一建再建，害许久没坐在驾驶盘后又轻微路痴的我慌乱失措，所幸该记得的地方，我都还懂得。

惆怅也不是没有的。我８年多没有在这里生活了，虽然我还是恋家的，但我害怕我恋的除了爸妈以外，就没有其他的了。抽屉里的信件和日记，是自高中毕业，出国以来就不敢碰的。因为害怕太纯净的回忆太脆弱，一碰就化为灰烬。今天一打开，除了厚厚的一层尘，还有蟑螂蛋！是想考验我的勇气吧，看我敢不敢整理这沉寂的回忆。

盛了一桶水，用抹布轻拭本本日记，封封信上的灰尘。本想用速读来筛选信件的去留，但一读起来竟沉溺了。我多久没有提笔写长长的一封信了？这种手温犹存的信，就算事隔多年，我还是能一看信封与字迹就知道是谁写的，内容大概是什么。我就凭这样的直觉重温了那些温馨的，放弃那些不堪回首的。我记起了，我的感情还是真实的。我还是爱这里的。我回来了。