Some truly lovely photos from last week's Malayan Classicism book launch by Chan Hao Ong. I'm tremendously grateful to the URA for making this event possible, and to the NUS ArCLab for providing such a beautiful venue for the launch of my book.

Had a lot of fun chatting with @rachman_joseph for his great piece on a topic very close to my heart: the rich, but often overlooked, heritage of my hometown Kuala Lumpur

Never inappropriate to talk about vasiform balustrades, in my experience.

Popping on here to share this @AsianStudies podcast in which Amanda Achmadi, Paul Walker and I talk about our recent book, Architectural Encounters in Asia Pacific.

2024

Anyways I reckon I won’t be on here much in the new year. If we’re mutuals, feel free to shoot me a message if you’d like to stay in touch elsewhere. If not, know that I’m grateful for you all, and all that I’ve learnt from you.

So it’s been a year of mixed blessings. I know my pains have paled in comparison to the suffering of so many this year, and I have much to celebrate. I hope 2025 brings you all much joy, and that the hard moments are tempered with so much sweetness.

This last week was particularly difficult. Last Monday, we said goodbye to our beautiful dog. She was diagnosed with cancer in August, so we knew her time was limited. Meds helped her feel at ease for a while. Her rapid decline, while upsetting, meant she didn’t suffer long.

But it’s also been a very difficult year. I’ve often felt overwhelmed by the things on my plate, deeply saddened by the horrors happening around the world. It’s also just generally hard being an only child living over 6000ks from your elderly parents.

I also taught a subject I’d designed from scratch for the first time ever and received really positive feedback from my students. This was definitely a highlight of my year. As were the weddings of a number of close friends. I got to share so much joy joy with people I love.

As the year comes to a close, like many people I find myself taking stock. By all measures, it’s been a great year. I launched my first book, visited archaeological sites I’ve wanted to see since I was a child, swam in new seas, and saw places that brought me to tears.

Home made 擔擔麵 is best 擔擔麵

Making 擔擔麵 for dinner this evening and realised I was out of chilli oil but it all worked out in the end

Home made chilli oil is best chilli oil 🌶️

Caryatids of Coburg

Season’s Greetings etc

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals

I would pack lunches more often if this was my lunchbox

Isn't this fragment a bit shaped like Australia? It is a piece of Dharmaraksa's translation of the Lotus sutra, excavated by the Otani expeditions at Khara-khoja.

I think I’m going to reject this request because I’m not sure there’s any #synergy here