Internship 2: Week 5 Daily Logs

{Day 19 - 05.02.11}

My mentor is not around today but I have been privileged to do a site walkthrough with two JACMI project engineers while doing their regular rounds and punch listing of structural and plumbing inspections. There’s nothing quite like the seeing how the professionals do it. Years of expertise and experience have definitely forged their keen eye and attitude with regards to their chosen field of work. Our mentor won’t let us interns at the top floor where all the ‘action’ is happening but Sir R and Sir F allowed us to accompany them. I documented photographs for the update of the monthly construction progress report and lavished that uncommon moment I’ll ever get to literally be on top.

{Day 20 - 05.03.11}

I’m a little bit down today. I wrote in my daily internship journal: “There is little joy and satisfaction in the world of construction. Dealing with concerns and issues, aggravated by stress, sleep deprivation and demanding superiors on a daily basis leaves one quite wandering if there is ever a sense of purpose in everything he does. No amount of temporary high acquired from cigarette, coffee, or even money can quench the emptiness that has become a result of one’s droning bout in the field.” I silently read for a couple of times the above statement and realized how harsh and dismal things are when I put it that way.

{Day 21 - 05.04.11}

I am privileged again to be with my mentor while doing his assessment rounds in response to the inspection request at the top floor. I was surprised to see how much work have been accomplished as compared to what I’ve seen from last Monday. While looking at my mentor as I ponder upon the words I wrote in my internship journal yesterday, I kind of feel bad for making such a hasty stereotype of how life is for the people in the industry. Perhaps my generalizations of everyone may have been premature to some degree. Today, I realized that what truly makes the difference is when you deal with menial things religiously. 

{Day 22 - 05.05.11}

Everyone in the office have been talking about their upcoming basketball game against the contractors and other design consultancy firms working under Grass Residences Project. It was obvious from the tone of their voices how excited and even jumpy they feel with these. It was a very big deal for most of them I realized as it may be the only form of team-building recreation they’ll ever get from burying their heads on the loads of work day and night. It such a shame I’m not a big fan of the game but I wish them all luck.

{Day 23 - 05.09.11}

A rather stormy weather and the heavy pounding of the rain left everyone moving and working in silence inside the site office. A 15-minute power outage came at around 9.30 in the morning that halted everyone’s routine. I was deliberately looking for anything to do that gloomy day. Site inspection request came at only around afternoon. The steel fabrication area was completely deserted and only a few handfuls of manpower can be seen working ironically for such a big construction project. It was all too surreal. I realized how the ever-changing weather’s stirrings can affect the schedule and production of everyone. We truly are bounded by the nature’s highs and lows.