In 1984 a molecular biologist, Peter Davis, decided to leave Australia and follow his wife back to her homeland in Malaysia. It must have been a difficult decision. Moving to a new country and culture must have entailed a big change in lifestyle, and personal sacrifices.
But there was one thing about Malaysia that made it particularly difficult: its hot and humid climate. Peter was especially intolerant of heat. So for over 20 years, Peter has made the problem thermal comfort housing into a personal crusade. I reckon that his discomfort was our gain.
Two years ago he came out with the book “Thermal Comfort Honeycomb Housing”, ( I was co- author) which outlined a cheap and energy-efficient solution to the problem.
We are now working together to produce 5 three-minute videos to tell his story. This is the first instalment.
Movie atYouTube
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Living in Kuala Lumpur
Living in the city, you can get easily under people’s noses...
Evening view of the Petronas Twin Towers. Eighty-eight stories high, it is one of the tallest buildings in the world
My wife and I was walking back to our car at the basement of the Petronas Twin Towers. I was absent-mindedly reading some brochures about mobile broadband when Nooreha asked,“have you got the keys?”
I said no, she said yes. As I went to the passenger side of the brown Perodua MyVi , I heard the doors click to unlock.
Perodua MyVi
“There, you see, the car keys are with you!” I opened the door, bent down to move aside a magazine from the seat, then sat down.
“Hello!… Excuse me!” said someone who had come in at the drivers seat. I looked up from the brochures and saw a Chinese lady who was definitely not my wife. Stumped, I could only blurt out: “Hey! Where’s my wife?”
Nooreha in fact was standing in front of the car, looking back at me. I made a quick exit, too embarassed to even say sorry. Her car, in fact, was two rows ahead. We were laughing out loud the next half an hour.
“Keep up your absent-minded ways and one day you’ll get a slap on your face” , my wife warned me.
About that she is right. (But it also turned out she had the keys...)
Evening view of the Petronas Twin Towers. Eighty-eight stories high, it is one of the tallest buildings in the world
My wife and I was walking back to our car at the basement of the Petronas Twin Towers. I was absent-mindedly reading some brochures about mobile broadband when Nooreha asked,“have you got the keys?”
I said no, she said yes. As I went to the passenger side of the brown Perodua MyVi , I heard the doors click to unlock.
Perodua MyVi
“There, you see, the car keys are with you!” I opened the door, bent down to move aside a magazine from the seat, then sat down.
“Hello!… Excuse me!” said someone who had come in at the drivers seat. I looked up from the brochures and saw a Chinese lady who was definitely not my wife. Stumped, I could only blurt out: “Hey! Where’s my wife?”
Nooreha in fact was standing in front of the car, looking back at me. I made a quick exit, too embarassed to even say sorry. Her car, in fact, was two rows ahead. We were laughing out loud the next half an hour.
“Keep up your absent-minded ways and one day you’ll get a slap on your face” , my wife warned me.
About that she is right. (But it also turned out she had the keys...)
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