the long and winding road

In my current project, I've attended the last three meetings with the client, that is a council in London. The project architect LR is trying to give me as many chances to be involved in important occasions as possible as she promised before. However, I am now faced with a difficulty. In the meetings, literally, I can only understand half of the conversation.

LR suggested to prepare the minutes. After the first meeting, I have somehow written a draft and LR seemed a bit surprised at what I've done. She even said 'this is perfect!', though many of the notes have been corrected by her. I myself thought it was better than I've expected. I've told her that I used do this when I was working in Nepal.

In the second attempt, it's got worse. Most of my notes have been corrected by her. In the third one, at last, she's done it before I try! I understood that's probably because we were so busy that she needed to organise our work in the most productive way. But I also thought that she might have a bit disappointed with my second minutes.

I have realised I must try really really hard. Unless I wouldn't be able to have a meeting with a client just by myself, I would never have a chance to work as a project architect. COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR ANY ARCHITECTS!!

The road is long.

day of the match

Last Tuesday, for the first time I've heard the cheering from the Emirates Stadium just in front of my house.

Basically, I'm not convinced with the new stadium, but the real chees of English football is literally exciting. I can surely recognise when Arsenal scores, just with the cheers from the stadium! Though I'm not an Arsenal supporter (I rather dislike it), I want to see the match at the stadium just for once, as a 'stadium-spotter'.

life on ‘life on mars’

On Tuesday night, I’ve watched the last episode of a TV drama called ‘Life on Mars’, on which I’ve been hooked lately. The leading actor John Simm is so very cool! This is a story about a Detective Chief Inspector working for Manchester Police, who had been hit by a car and woken up back in 1973. He isn’t sure if he has gone back in time, is in a coma or has gone insane. He struggles with working as a Detective Inspector in a totally different circumstance in thirty years ago, and tries to work out how he can get home.

This was the second series, following the series one broadcast a year ago. When I happened to see a couple of episodes of series one, I thought it was very interesting. Because of the strong accent I couldn’t follow everything, but the atmosphere of the drama was very special. – A good air of 70’s, the wild but human cops, with great 70’s music.

Yes, music is an aspect of this drama. As you might have recognised it, the title derived from a David Bowie hit song ‘Life on Mars’ and is the theme song. As 1973 was just in the glam movement, many of glam rock music, such as T-Rex and Sweet, were featured, very loudly!

I couldn’t see all episodes of series two due to the ‘bloody’ annoying ex-flatmates, but I could enjoy the final one very much. It was a very much ‘understandable’ end of the show. I thought it was a very happy ending, but I felt a bit sad about it’s all ended – I felt like staying there in 1973 forever.

Actually, I’ve bought the complete dvd set of series one recently. I’m watching it day after day, and listening to Bowie every day. I really hope this will be on air in Japan, I’m sure it will make a hit. It’s really cool!!

back to the 'back to the future'

I have moved to a new house, as I really couldn’t stand the couple flat mates’ mess and behaviour anymore.

This time, I’m gonna live in a family house. But it’s more individual than the so-called homestay as the house is big and I don’t have to share the bathroom with many people.

One of the best aspects of this house is the cosy and spacious living room, where I can sit on a sofa and relax with cable TV. Just on the next day of my moving in, I happened to see the film Back to the Future on TV, when I was sitting the sofa. This is one of my favourite films. Actually, this is the film I’ve seen on the very first date with my very first girlfriend in 1986. I’ve already seen it several times but every time I see it it reminds me of my younger days.

I don’t know why but the girl in the film called Loraine, the ‘future’ mother of Michael J Fox as Marty Mcfly, synchronises with my girlfriend at that time. I was feeling as if I’ve travelled to the past…

The occasion I was watching this film this time was completely different from the place when I first saw it. I’ve realised that I’ve travelled so far from that time… I’ve never imagined at that time where I would see this film twenty years later and how I would feel about it. It is obviously impossible to predict ones future. If I could travel to twenty years ago, what would I like to say to me in 1986?

The address of this new house is, actually, called ‘Loraine Road’. When I first heard it, I just felt it’s a bit familiar name… Yes, it is.