Thebarefootfoodie

In Defence of the Egoistical Architect I have always been a huge fan of Ayn Rand ( recently made hip by Paul Ryan's declaration of his fan-ship in his wanna-be VP pitch . Who can forget Howard Roark - strong, silent, master at his craft, Father of all Egoists!  A  truly fascinating character. It is not so amusing when your Architect is a type of Howard Roark, as the scenes unfold. For starters, I've been reduced to monologues. My wish-list trail has turned cold - cold silence at the other end. Ok, I take a few deep breaths and I start writing. " Revenge is a dish best served cold." I did tell Mr Y earlier that ours is an equal partnership - he has the craft, I have the pen. Here's the sub-heading " Architects are egoists by their own design." I have one very close architect girl-friend who's a super-charged ADHD turbo machine. She is  presently doing time as a foreign talent in a country not too far away, designing their public t...

Fit Vs Flab I t's a no-win situation when you hit a certain phase in your no-longer-so- young life. Metabolic rate slows down, a meal seems incomplete without the de riguer dessert to wrap it up; wining and dining is not an "if" but a "when". Exercise is not part of the everyday vocabulary. It seems more gratifying to watch mindless reality productions and commiserate with the ups and downs of "The Biggest Loser". One day it struck home. The weighing scales do not lie. It registered a whopping 5 kg increase over an ideal weight I had carefully nursed over the years. My teenage daughter had to talk me out of certain outfits - "Mum, that is so not flattering - your tummy is showing..." As if I don't know it - can't even squeeze into some favourite used-to- fit- so- well clothes anymore, and we can forget about jeans altogether - they are most unforgiving. Ouch, truth hurts. Time to do something drastic. I confided in the SS (...

It's a jungle out there If architects build houses for others for a fee, what do they build for themselves?  I found the answer when Mr Y kindly invited us over to his house one evening to discuss the plans, making the rare exception that he only sees clients on Mon to Sat, 10 am to 4 pm.  It was innocuously tucked next to a well-patronised coffee-shop selling roti prata and teh tarik, giving no hint of its identity as a dwelling place. The neighbourhood itself, is colourful, bustling with street life, with karaoke joints and hotels operating at 300% occupancy just down the road for the perky. Entering the doorway, we were gently led by the host into a labyrinthian maze of winding stairways, split levels of living space, opening up into an urban oasis of a roof terrace, resplendent with lush foliage of tropical plants that seem to claim their right of residency with their imposing presence. Cocooned high up there, looking over the stark contrast of bare roof-top...

A Plot, A Plan, A team of Players, A Plethora of Possibilities This little house sits on a plot of land in a neighbourhood I want to come home to - it is my kampung, the place where D and A grew up in, where I can satisfy instant cravings for local "chomps" and the familiarity of everyday sights descends like a breath of fresh air. Creature comforts, simple pleasures. A Plan has been drawn up for this little house to emerge as more than a shelter,  as a reflection of its owners' personalities and way of life. Nothing makes a better story than when an architect, after hearing what the homeowner desires, goes on to visualize and produces a design that not only captures the very essence and spirit of that dream; but takes it further than what she had imagined it could go... I have visited and baulked at the opulence of mansions,  waxed incredulous in shoe-box apartments, admired stylish houses, fantasized about capital gains from real estate,  remained unmov...

Rethinking the Basics The figures are already beginning to look threatening. It is now about 25% above our initial budget and we have not even factored in the Architect's professional fees, soft furnishings and my dream kitchen... Time to ditch my initial wish list and start all over again.  Part of the joy of being involved in yet another project is that it gives me a whole new purpose and focus, lifting me out of the predictability of everyday mundaneness. Books have begun flying off the shelves from the libraries - I can borrow up to 20 books at one go  ( for those who are interested in the math - it's 4 x 2 for me, as a Passion Card member, plus 4 x every other member of the Sim household ) One of the gems I happened to stumble upon is this book - compulsory reading for every potential home rebuilder, also known as " What Architects do not normally tell you." Here are some excerpts which should translate into dollars saved. Hallmarks of th...

The Man For the Job Mr Y is a story-teller. He punctuates almost every point he makes about design with an anecdote related to his projects. As he speaks, his bright eyes twinkle and his hand works furiously across sheets of paper making sketches appear on the white canvas. A meeting with Mr Y is akin to a private tutorial session on architecture and design 101. At this stage, he is only interested in our budget, based on $x per square foot of additional gross floor area up to the maximum allowed by the authorities; and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms on each floor. In our neighbourhood, we are allowed to build up to 2 storeys high. We learn that an attic and basement does not count as contributing to a "storey". On the downside, we will be affected by the compulsory erection of a bomb shelter, which, true to its name, will cost quite a bomb! We also learn the literal meaning of "setbacks" - building restrictions imposed on property owners. These a...