I don't know why these pictures are saved under the "Meetings" album inside my phone.
Especially since I hadn't gone there for work, I hadn't gone there to meet anybody, and the only reason I'd gone there was to make an exchange of a portable battery that happened to be still under warranty.
So, the Verbatim (Singapore) office sits in an industrial building on a street called Genting Lane. What's interesting about this area is that it means different things to different people.
Some people know it for the office that they go to five, six days a week.
Others, however, know it for the clothing distributor company that (I think) still has their office there, and maybe a print/publishing department or two that sees good-looking people from Beauty and Fashion make their way there.
This afternoon we weren't there for this nor that.
Instead we were here because my friend wanted to switch his under-warranty battery and the store had told him to come here to Verbatim's main office and warehouse instead of doing the switch at the store.
So we did.
It wasn't difficult to find the place.
The Verbatim office is located at one corner which you find right after you step out from the lift and walk along this wide, sunny corridor.
One thing I love about industrial places is the space.
There is just so much space you won't get if you plonked yourself, say, at a designated office building just about anywhere. Sure, you might get great lighting, air conditioning and carpeted corridors but they tend to be narrow, there's no space for more than two people to walk along the corridor, and god forbid you try to put anything too heavy or bulky without security complaints.
No such thing at industrial buildings where the space is designed for work, for storage, for shifting, for movement in and out all day, all night.
It might not be the same for everywhere but here at least the corridors were wide and sunny and even the staircase landing had its wide square space that I'm not sure what it were intended to be used for.
I found myself a little fascinated by the staircases.
Rather, the staircase landing, because, really, whilst there are usually such spacious landings in industrial buildings, not every place comes with a window.
This one does.
Now, don't laugh at me for my fascination.
I'm not, and never have been adverse to industrial spaces.
Mr. Radioman had always worked in one, beginning with a factory at what I think might have been either Jurong or Lower Delta, then Chai Chee, then back again to Lower Delta.
And then after that came the time when the company I worked for decided it were wiser to be in an industrial space rather than a shop house.
The thing about industrial spaces is that they offer that heavy duty, 24/7, workaholic kind of environment where it don't matter what you store, how you store, what you place, how you arrange- just so long as it's not dangerous and it does not affect your neighbors left and right.
Generally, nobody cares.
There's no one to bother who comes in at what hour and stays how long.
There's no one to fuss about their wood floors if you so much as place a CPU down on the floor.
There's also no one to check on you about whatever electric load you're using because they're concerned you'll short-circuit the whole place down.
Everything that needs size and volume has already been catered for.
This is a place for the heavy duty.
But beyond that, what I like best about industrial space is that it's like a blank canvas. Some might find the place too rough tumble and coarse, but step back and you'll see that the bare bones space actually gives room for one to explore and be creative and do up the aesthetics whatever way you like, however you like, whichever way you want just so long as it's within the rules.
You don't have to deal with a carpeted floor unless you want to.
You don't have to deal with a perfumed space unless it's your own room scent that you chose.
There's no concern that you'll be moving things in and out at all hours of day, or night.
The aircon's yours- no central aircon that will get switched off.
And you don't have to worry whether or not your workspace will look personal, or professional.
It's entirely up to you.
If you want the workspace to look and feel like a living space, no problem, throw the work desk and office chair and armchair and carpet down.
If you want a space barebones with nothing else but a mug and wires, also no problem.
It's your choice.
You don't have to worry about anybody else's aesthetics except for what your work permits, and what you want.
At one time my workspace was very homely, complete with plastic drawers, bamboo mat, garden armchair.
Perhaps next time I might make it a bit more spa like, a bit more relaxing, with faux grass and carpet and little flowers everywhere and maybe, even lavender-scented air.