Therefore, I ended up in a Malaysia architecture firm called ZLG. (Try to google it to find some down to earth architectures.) It never dissapoint me and have totally changed my impression towards internship in Malaysia ( or maybe I am just the lucky one to be in a great company?)
To everyone I have encountered throughout this couple of months, thank you.
I have never imagined how an open office looks like, besides the Apple office that I have come across online. ZLG was a great example of how an open office works. It was a small firm, less than 10 employers. Nothing sad about that when you get to communicate with each of your colleagues every day, having lunch with together, having a group meeting which might include everyone in the office. No hierarchy, director may be sitting side by side with you and discussing the smallest detail of the project and guiding you how to proceed; clearly portraiting a role of a leader. I am a girl who afraid of troubling people, but they were so friendly in the way that I will never afraid to consult them when I don't understand certain things. It might be a very easy thing for them, but for me, it was a key to the entire new world and I am grateful for them in helping me to slowly unlocking the tasks.
The learning curve was intense, never reached a plateau.
I come into the office hoping I can learn something to improve my project and architecture career. And yes, I earned them, humbly. The learning curve was intense, never reached a plateau. Learning how to use AutoCAD in a faster way, how to utilise Sketchup in a good way, how to organise things, how a project borns from zero to a whole structure standing on earth, how to communicate with each other and how an office protocol works. I bet I will still a naive architecture student sitting in the studio doing line drawings and some fake renders if I never immerse myself in the real working atmosphere before graduating. However, I am extremely thankful for directors and colleagues in consistently believing in my ability and giving me tasks, architecture related tasks. I am blessed for what ZLG has implanted in me, everything.
As long as you are working hard, God will do something for you.
I am just an intern, and I have felt how intense this career will be, especially when there's deadline (deadline means a date to propose the project to the client in return to earn some money from them) I have no reason to complain about how dreadful it is, because there is sense of accomplishment every day when I go back from the office. Maybe I am still a freshman in the field. But this was the main reason why I choose to study architecture after undertaking a science stream syllabus for my entire study life before university: architecture provides flexibility. What colleagues have portrayed to me was not the tough part of the job but how successful they are in overcoming each of the dilemmas. Everything will get its way out when the time comes, provided you work for it.
Working 9-6 was just a line on the official contract, they basically work 24/7. Emails from clients, contractors, directors, colleagues hit you every second. Never ending fixing of the AutoCAD drawing until the last tile lays on the building. Making hundred of phone calls chasing for a drawing from engineers, looking for a sample material...
my internship team was cooler than yours.
"Though summer 2017 was not spent at the beach or the jungle,
eating good foods, taking nice pictures, I earned this in return.
Two months wasn't long for an internship but the experiences I gained were precious and priceless. From the first day of being so awkwardly sitting in the office until I get to fit in so well, luckily it never takes long. Thank you for offering me such a great first working experience, treating me like a real architect;
I am blessed.
Thank you ZLG fam; Huat, Su, Kamen, Lily, Megan, Brylle, Yizhi, Viktor, Carlos. You guys have been amazing. Thanks for keeping the door opens for me, I'll be back, hopefully.
30.8.17, signing off, Michelle."
