Pro.Hac.Vice.

Sketch Dump

2010-05-12T13:12:00.001-07:00

Blithe (those hats were all the trend during the last winter)

Random drawing, rough sketch

Random drawing, newer version has colour

A DGM image I was going to submit, but time constraints and a whole bunch of other factors got in the way. Will ink this later.

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Two whole months without posting anything on the blog; all thanks to the dissertation and the upcoming exams. Plenty to do, so probably won't be frequenting here until mid-June. Alas...

Misc Doodles

2010-03-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Drawn this evening using Open Canvas; just needed to practice more, since I haven't done this in weeks.

An old drawing I did last term (sometime in November?), testing out one of the poses I drew during life-drawing class. Just wanted to see if I could translate the human figure in the real world into a more abstract style for these characters.

The spring, the sun; and breathe

2010-03-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Small version of Kidd, also posted on the Livejournal community. Now that term is over (it was actually over a week ago, but I had a tutorial during the first week of vacation) I can finally afford some time to breathe and relax again. Not to mention draw to my heart's content!

But who knows how long this bout of freedom will last for; I have another deadline next week, alongside a whole bunch of thesis revisions to make before this academic year is over. Ooh, and exam readings and preparations.

Year of the Tiger

2010-02-13T12:18:00.001-08:00

Updates+Old Rough-Sketch Dump

2010-02-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Kanda and Lavi, drawn 2008

Blithe, Aein, and Phys, drawn 2008

Group shot (Erebos, Aein, Blithe, Hoale and Edel): drawn 2008

Group shot: drawn 2008
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Guess what I found this year when I was home last month? Old sketches, so old and so amateur that my toes started to curl upon first sighting! But I need to document them somewhere, since the originals are disintegrating rapidly (curses, humidity!) Plus, always nice to have a laugh when I refer to these again in the future.

Back in the U.K. (after an eventful month back home; including my birthday, Home Office visa worries, intestinal infections), and the new school term has started. Much readings to do, essays to write. And since my last post, I've decided to move back into college; couldn't stand my anti-social flatmate anymore. Not only did she have this strange deluded opinion that I was making a mess in the kitchen (a miracle, considering I don't cook at all), she also invites strange guests into the flat without prior warning. And when she goes on vacation, she turns off the main fuse without thinking that I would still be living there in her absence.The moment she started hanging her Christmas decorations all over the flat and on my room door, it was time to go bye-bye.

College-living is nice, especially since my friends are around. It does have a bit of a downside; recently went to a folk dance (college event), paired up with one college-mate for two songs, and the next day he messages about wanting to know where in college I live (didn't ask to meet in a cafe or somewhere public, but my room. No thanks, I like my privacy.) I don't even tell my parents where in college I live, much less a stranger who I just met. (I'm sure he is a nice person, and that I am being oversensitive; but I do have a huge personal 'buffer zone'.) Think I'll just wear a hoodie for the next few...weeks. Or months. That is the last time I go to any social events.

Goodness. I've caught the sniffles. Better go remedy that. Will post holiday photos later.

Winter 2009

2009-12-13T03:32:00.000-08:00

Going home for the holidays, going to do some research, going to get several medical check-ups, will be back in January, moving back into college, have plenty of presentations and readings to do. Hectic month, and more hectic days to follow.

Summer in Autumn

2009-09-23T10:54:00.001-07:00

Today's product; the first image drawn since my dissertation was submitted (a couple of weeks ago). Don't really know what came over me; suddenly felt a lack of motivation to draw anything. So here is a rough sketch of Ue (left), Aein (right) and the TeaR (front, name short for Tea Rabbit).

An image of Blithe, drawn in July. Just playing with perspective, and there will be more sketches like these later.

Strange design for a headdress. Not really a finished design, but because I started this in July and just picked it up again, I'll just redraw it in another sketch.

Blithe; outfit study.

Drawing of Kidd from Soul Eater, from several months ago. Haven't designed the outfit yet, though I assume it would be a suit per usual. Read the recent chapters, and can't believe how slowly the plot is moving. New characters are introduced (which is fine), but there hasn't been any real character development with the existing cast.

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Can't believe how quickly time flies; Autumn has officially begun (that was a crappy Summer...what happened to the promised sunshine?) and the skies are gray and dreary. Primary and Secondary students are back in school already, but the rest of us in college is just enjoying life. Not like we had much time to enjoy the Summer; too busy writing dissertations and other essays to have fun (though to be fair, we did have one or two golden moments). The results come out tomorrow....eurgh.

Friends have been leaving town (the programme was only a year long, and many or going back to their home countries to work), but I am excited about the upcoming freshers week; potential to corrupt new minds. But the downside is that, for the friends that are staying for another year, they need my help with moving houses. Normally I wouldn't mind (if it were for one or two people), but it has gotten to the point where I am just sick of it.

At first, my grumpiness stemmed from the fact that I managed to move all my stuff to my new room by myself. But my opinion changed after seeing how much crap these friends accummulate within the year; at that point I knew they definitiely needed outside-help. I had one suitcase of clothes, a medium box of books and miscellany, one small wheely suitcase, and several small boxes (water kettle, shoes, bike helmet, other gifts I acquired this year). But for these friends, we're talking multiple suitcases (big and small), dozens of boxes, and large bags of other stuff. Cripes, its one thing to live comfortably in college through having personal belongings, it is another to literallybring your entire room overseas.

Oh, speaking of moving rooms, I recently moved into a private housing (since my college situation is a little iffy right now). Not a bad place (and the rent is cheaper), but my flatmate seems to prefer...living alone. As in 'avoid social contact' with me. Which works fine with me, seeing how I'm not a fan of awkward small-talk in the corridors anyways. Eh, maybe things will improve later this year.

Scribble I

2009-08-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Roundabouts

2009-08-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Aein, in a b+w type style. First in a three-image series (the other characters will be Blithe and Edel.)

Random scribble, the first picture I've drawn in a few weeks.

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Nothing really happens in town during summer. A whole bunch of summer school kids frolic around the city-centre during the day, and some of them have parties at the clubs after dark. As a cyclist, I am finding tourists to be of increasing annoyance; they don't seem to comprehend that the green traffic light means 'don't walk onto the road. Some of us don't care if we run you over.' At least ringing the bicycle bell as a warning is very cathartic...

...unfortunately, biking also has its disadvantages as I recently got totally soaked from the sudden heavy rain. Alas, U.K. weather, ever so fickle.

Dissertation progress is slow, and I've gone way over the word count. Still haven't finished all my readings, but I reckon I have written enough for the editing process to start. I feel dreadful that there is still so much to do, but taking today off was a good idea. Tomorrow I'll be back in the library trying to drain all the information from the book that is vital for the paper, but not surprisingly, cannot be borrowed.

Have friends visiting this coming Friday, and not too pleased about having them crash in my room for an evening (my room is small, and I like my privacy. This means I'll actually have to clean my blasted room for once.) Ah well, they'll be using the sleeping-bag, because there is no way an inflatable mattress will fit on the floor (even my suitcase is placed on top of my closet...that is how small my room is.)

Scribble II

2009-07-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

Don't really know if I'll ink and colour this one later, but we'll see what happens. Stupid weather is making me feel bipolar (sun, rain, sun, rain, sun, rain!)

Scribble

2009-07-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Darn, the summer started ages ago but all I can do is muster up the strength to scribble. Just a picture of Aein when he was younger, alongside some of his ramblings. Now to work on the dissertation...

Brief Norge Review

2009-07-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, Norway is gorgeous and I had fun traveling there. (Of course there were some downer moments, but the experience was well worth it.) The best thing would be the art museums, especially Edvard Munch's paintings in Oslo. The Historisk Museum had an impressive collection based on life in the Arctic Circle, but after going to the Pitt Rivers it seems slightly...barren in comparison. Would have no objections about returning there only when I i) get a job and make enough money (because everything in the country is expensive) ii) manage integrate outdoor components into the travel plans (cycling around the fjords would be incredible!)

Though must also add that I'm glad to be back in the U.K. Vacations are fun, but there is also work to be done. And it is nice to return back to the college and meet up with friends before they leave for the summer/permanently for home...not to mention, meeting up with other people to watch the new Harry Potter movie. (And as for the movie, I do have some complaints regarding the way the storyline was altered...but then again I watch for the special effects. And I've rambled enough about it to my friends, so posting about it seems a tad excessive.)

Must say that when you are my age and heard all sorts of shoddy innuendo used by other people in bars/clubs/pubs, the script in that movie did set off a few alarms here and there...and I'm not the only one that thinks that way. They even have a facebook group based on the dialogue...

Potluck Eve

2009-06-22T08:44:00.001-07:00

The title of this post has little to do with the image itself; I'm just going to a potluck in a hour or so. Anyways, a rough scribble of random characters...I really need to practice drawing more often this summer. Not really sure who the caption belongs to in the image, but I'll leave that open for interpretation.

Despite the exams and work from the previous term, I have been watching several anime series. I actually quite like Chrome Shelled Regios for the animation quality (and the illustrations used by the RPG itself are lovely), except some of the characters are annoying (and seems to effectively work against the progress of the plot)...and then there was Sengoku Basra, which ended up being hilarious (and I have my suspicions that it wasn't meant to be that way)....other than that, I haven't been watching much. Fullmetal Alchemist by BONES would be an interesting watch, but have been reluctant to watch the series again since they left it off pretty well in the previous season.

Procrastination Blues

2009-06-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days (more like a week) of procrastination, socializing, and endless bar visits, I can say that my brain is on the verge of a meltdown. (Which might explain why I drew such a wonky picture....it really wasn't supposed to turn out this way at all. In fact, I started by drawing Maka. I have absolutely no control over my hand today.) Nonetheless, this is the first picture in months. Months....since easter break, before revision and exams really took up all of my time.

So the partying has died down a bit, but now my friends are moving away for the summer (and some are bound never to return) so a bunch of good-bye gatherings are to be expected. And it is also the time of year for disappointments; where students find out what grades they get (we get ours this coming Friday), realize that they don't have enough money for tuition next year (and hence have to drop out of school), or find out that their academic dreams are dashed because of personal problems.

Yes, I've encountered some crying friends recently. And no, I have no idea how to cope with such moments. I know its not about me, but it really is difficult to find a suitable way to comfort someone when they're crying their eyes out. Should I give them a hug? Or do what I was taught to do since I was a kid, and leave them to their own devices? Well, hopefully there will only be good news after these few weeks.

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On a brighter note, I'm going to head to Norway for a couple of days. How delightful it is to realize that I don't need a Schegen (is this how I spell it?) visa to travel around Europe...I suppose that is when my passport really comes in handy. But before the summer travels begin, must write my dissertation, and enjoy a few more days of sunshine and snoozing in the grass....

...and then there is the more difficult task of avoiding people I don't want to see in town. Of course, not that there is anyone I absolutely hate, but there is this one girl where each time I come close to thinking she is a decent human being, would just go out and try to prove me wrong. She would do things like i)being an hour late or not showing up for meetings ii)act slightly antagonistically when others contradict her points iii)sometimes lie about the most random things. It is partially my fault that she thinks we're absolutely 'best friends', since I wasn't persistent enough (like the other people who she knows) in trying to create some social distance....maybe the best solution is just to avoid her in general.

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PS: thanks to Ancode for the post-exam well-wishes!

Post Exam Days

2009-06-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

I am finally back after a week of intensive exams (each three hours long, and it doesn't help that we have to wear these kooky gowns that makes tourists gravitate towards you for photos). Spent the previous term writing essays, revising, cramming, despairing, and sorting other stuff out. Not I'm spent, and life seems so directionless without the stress, the reading, and the writing.

Oh wait, I do have to write a dissertation by September, and I need to get moving with that. But right now I'm just elated....this feeling will probably dissipate the moment I receive the exam results. In two weeks time.

April Blues

2009-04-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Blithe in uniform; rough draft. I like this sort of uniform (and had one like it back in grade school), and I'm still not set on the colour scheme. I do like her stockings though....

Kidd at the seaside....I drew this soon after I returned from my seaside weekend wander. It was most delightful, and I guess I had so much fun because I had no expectations from it whatsoever. The beautiful weather helped a lot as well. Not really sure why I gave him longer hair, but it matches him...

Young Kidd wanting a lift. Drawn soon after the series ended; I'm terrible at drawing children.

Illustration of the moment: Kidd in a strange outfit I drew this evening. Those circles remind me on Eibon/Noah's technique

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Must get back to reading and work. Am feeling super unproductive this vacation; the fact that my other classmates are all working doesn't help at all. I feel terrible about not working, but then I don't feel like working because I'm feeling so terrible...cycle of death.

I'm also resting; after donating blood this week, I was foolish enough to immediately ride a bike and almost ended up losing my mind in the middle of the street. Moment of spasticity indeed. Luckily I managed to get to a bench, sit and sweat it out for 10 minutes or so, and then walk back home. Thought about asking for help from the people around me, but I didn't have enough energy to do so/ didn't want to bother anyone and admit to my stupidity. But it was alright; no one seems to have noticed my condition (half dead, flopped over my bike, sweating in freezing conditions) so I was left to my privacy. Or should I be worried that no one offered help...?

Scribble VI

2009-03-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Rough sketch of character designs for the IDS (Inter Dimensional Shells). The girl on the left is called IDDS/Idds (Inter Dimensional Defense Shield) and the boy on the right is known as IDOS/Idos (Inter Dimensional Offense Sword). I still haven't figured out the exact form of the shield and sword, so I'm just placing some random shapes here first. Everyone mostly calls them by their acronyms.

Scribble V

2009-03-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Again with the hats! I quite like the design of this one, I might actually use it for Ue in the future. It was sort of supposed to be a marching-band-type hat, but decided halfway through that it looks better if it resembled a cap instead.

Oh, almost time to turn off the lights in preparation of Earth Hour....8:30pm, everyone!

To Paris and back!

2009-03-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Photos from Paris: Pont Alexandre III, Louvre, and the Petit Palais. I have more photos, but I rather put those on facebook. Let me just say that the trip was stressful, but overall it was nice seeing new sights and going to a foreign country during the vacation....though the local Parisians could have been a tad nicer, especially in the language department. The metro was fun to use (and so much more comfortable than being jam packed onto a tour bus), but the rush hours are a nightmare to sit through. Especially when you're in a hurry...more on that later.
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Just got back from Paris, and felt like drawing something strangely...strange. Here is Aein wearing a headpiece that is a mixture of bamboo-structuring, clovers, beads, and etc elements. I suppose I was thinking of drawing a french hat, but then the asian imagery just entered my mind.

Scribbles IV

2009-03-20T14:25:00.001-07:00

Death the Kidd with mask and hairpiece...wanted to draw something like this for a while, but never mustered up the energy. It takes longer to draw this than if I were to draw and colour an image (such as the one below).

Aein, rolling (apparently faceless) dice.

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So I went to London on earlier this week, and despite seeing people from my old school and catching up on their current affairs, I regretted going so far from home. My shoulder is aching, and I can feel the early flu symptoms (it was bloody cold, the wind was strong). Not to mention I got carded at Sainsburys from buying alcohol for the people I was seeing. It really was one of those days where I wanted to spend it alone.

A pet peeve; just because my parents can pay my tuition does not mean they're rich. It doesn't mean I am rich (need I mention my part-time jobs and scholarships throughout my undergrad years?). It just means my parents saved up over the years to pay, by cutting back on a lot of things in the family. We didn't get the newest technological gadgets; we didn't have annual vacations to far away destinations. Affording the tuition doesn't mean I'm some spoiled child who doesn't know anything about the world. Oh course, one should take comments like that from ignorant and small-minded people in moderation, and just deal with it...

...damn I'm pissed. Hate it when people presume they know the sort of things we go through.

Scribbles III

2009-03-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hoale Te Reunion; the cloud-shepard and self-cutter. Actually know a few cutters in the past, and when they're incredibly intelligent and rational (the cutting makes sense in their perspective.)

Happy St. Paddies, everyone! Slept at 2am yesterday, and now I need more naps.

Scribbles II

2009-03-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Scibbles

2009-03-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

A quick doodle whilst I'm waiting for my salmon steak to cook in the kitchen :D yum. I'm not very good with backgrounds, though I must admit my backgrounds aren't normally as crappy as the one here in the image. Today is another beautiful Sunday full of sunshine and blue skies, but decided to spend most of the time indoors (asides from a brief moment where I went out to buy groceries.)

Now I have to think of my summer dissertation topic, and begin reviewing my old notes from the first two terms; exam prep should start soon. At first the intent was to revise today, but then my supervisor is right about taking some time off, feel refreshed, and then tackle the task. Which is why I'm also writing on this blog again.

Alrightio, just got back from the kitchen with my delicious salmon steak with carrots, potatoes, and rice. (No, it is not a weird combination.) Took me four tries to cook the fish to decency (not aiming for perfection here, just edibility); for the longest time I could figure out why the oil was turning brown before the fish was cooked, and why the fish was getting burned and yet the inside was still pink. As first I figured it must have something to do with my timing (when I pour in the oil, when I drop the fish); of if I distributed the oil evenly in the pan; or whether the water content in the fish was throwing me off; of if the nature of the fish meat itself was problematic (it had expired a couple of days ago). It was a puzzle that drove me a little insane for a week. Then my mum tells me that maybe, just maybe, I left the heat on a setting that was too high....such a simple solution.

Just going to dump a few random thoughts I had throughout the term:

-had a conversation with some friends the other afternoon, and one of them were so adamant about her preference for 'classical music' because it was so 'cultured'. Made some of us around her feel like barbarians just from mentioning 'rock music' around her. She's a nice girl really, but with a competitive streak that seems to be applied to everyday settings (think: competitive in terms of colleges, school work, life achievements, personal hobbies, etc). As for myself, I do like classical music; but I wouldn't actively go out their concerts, or buy their CDs. The music sounds nice, but I just don't understand it. More of an alternative rock/pop person here. Not going to force myself to like something just to make myself seen 'smarter'.

-I wish I were a more interesting person. I don't need a more interesting life (because I've had a fairly eventful one so far....lived through the lives of others) but if only I were good at conversations or knew what awesome things to say. Such a people pleaser....boo

-still don't understand the phenomenon known as 'children'. They lack appeal. How discombobulating.

It is going to take some time before I remember everything I want to say, so the rest will be posted next time. Off to get cleaned up, and then for an evening inside a theatre (the rare occasion I actually venture outdoors at night.)

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Still watching Soul Eater; the anime is surprising so far (walking cities...), but it keeps the plot interesting and unpredictable. The manga this month is also lovely but it was very much a build-up chapter; plot was moving, but to nowhere in particular. Grr. The art style makes up for it though. A little disspointed that Excalibur is on the cover of volume 14, since it would have been fitting for Kid to be on it instead....

Shikabane Hime: Aka was a good watch up until the antagonist were properly introduced; then started taking issue with the character designs, and plot holes, and the "what, why the heck did that just happen" moments. Stopped watching Gundam 00 since they started introducing new characters to be killed, and the story in Regios is moving so slowly... same goes for Jigoku Shoujo (it took around 20 episodes before the heroine realizes something was up with herself....even though we knew that was the case from the credits since episode 1.)

I complain too much.

Return!

2009-03-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally free from this term! Essays, readings, and other assignments can be put on hiatus for...a day before I need to star revision. I haven't updated the blog in a while, but hopefully the tweets should give people an idea how spastic the weeks have been. I even had a presentation this past Wednesday, and totally bombed (1700 words were coughed out in 5 minutes.)

I've also went through a severe rut during 5th week-- I sort of lost all idea how to have conversations with people. Started to lose all motivation for socializing and meeting people....and reverted to becoming the socially awkward oddball. Alas.

Just went to have lunch with friends, and one of them got their wallets stolen....I don't really know what to say about that. On one hand, it's not surprising; but then again, should it happen in such a small town?

Scribbles

2009-02-08T15:43:00.001-08:00

A rough sketch of Blithe with a scar (normally covered by her fringe). The shape and design of the scar might change later, but for now it should reach from the right side of the forehead towards the right ear. She normally keeps it hidden to avoid having questions asked about it (can't remember how she got it, but if asked she'll say it came from a fistfight with a local gang.....despite there being no gangs in her hometown), but otherwise she wouldn't hide it during off-school hours.

Random sketch of an unnamed character; the purple shading are the body markings. I wanted to create and draw a male mythical figure at first, he ended up looking fairly androgynous. Ah, but then they say transgressing gender boundaries is the ultimate form of power....so maybe this works best.

An image I drew for Lunar New Year, except I forgot to post it (or finish and colour it, for a matter of fact). A tad late to do anything about it now. Got a red pocket from the club I joined, except inside was one chocolate coin. Would have preferred some usable currency here...I'm a tad short on money.

Oh wait, my friends still owe me money from the Italy trip. A little miffed that it's taken over a month to get it sorted, though it's understandable since everyone is super busy nowadays. Or maybe I'm more miffed that no one brought the topic up again until someone else was nice enough to give a little reminder to all....

Am feeling a little better today. Managed to get some work done, though I'll still have to go back to the library tomorrow to continue with my reading. The endless reading. Hopefully the weather would have settled a bit by then and the road condition wouldn't be too slippery....otherwise we'll have a repeat of Thursday (toppling over onto my side when biking on snow).

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In random news, I'm glad DGM is making a return soon to Jump, but sad to see Meister go so soon. I normally don't like shounen sport series (especially of the football variety), but this one seems to be promising, and the cast is pretty good. Alas, maybe next time the author will have better luck with the rankings. Other series I've recently adopted again would be Gintama. The series never fails to make people laugh...goes to show that super-art skills (not that the one in Gintama is bad) isn't always needed for something enjoyable.

As for anime....now that Xam'd is over (I must confess that the ending wasn't anything like Eureka Seven, but given the 26 episode span it would be impossible to wrap up everything in the storyline so neatly. Still, I enjoyed the last episode), I'm probably going to try watching Shikabane Hime, or maybe Chromed Shelled Regios (the light novels were pretty good). Soul Eater is still the weekly highlight though...how will that end? Only another few episodes to go!

Frills and Smiles

2009-02-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

So I went for a snow fight on Thursday, feeling like a gleeful rebel when I put my tutorial essay off until a few hours before deadline. Except, it meant going into my tutorial the following day feeling super embarrassed after I realized my essay was littered with typos. ARGH; I don't normally make typos, and knowing that I did....so shameful. But I have a record of making crappy essays during week 3-4, so who knows what I'll churn out this upcoming week.

Proposal still not done, but making progress.

At least the new chapter for Soul Eater will be coming out soon, so there will be something to distract me from working again. But here is a picture of Kidd in...something I don't know. I just thought of it all the sudden and decided to draw tonight (despite the readings that need to be...er....read.)

Snow in Oxford!

2009-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what those people in the distance are doing, but they seem to be rolling a huge snowball. Hopefully for snowman-construction purposes only. So I spent the entire morning playing in the snow when I should have been writing my essay.... Ended up spending the rest of the afternoon inside my room rushing to finish my work; but to be honest, I don't regret it at all (until I get my essay back tomorrow). But the snow was melting and gross by the afternoon, so it was a good thing we ran outside earlier in the day.

Well, maybe I regret getting my jeans soaked and almost risking frostbite to my posterior, but how often do we get snow here? (Asides from March and April....). On the other hand, snow means I can't bike anywhere....

Eurgh, still stressed. Apparently we have presentations for class now....came out of nowhere.

Illust and Scribbles

2009-01-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

Kidd with long hair....I think it'll suit him! Anyways, just another skin-toning exercise using Open Canvas. Can't wait until the new chapter comes out in Feburary....

'Niu' year...terrible pun, but won't damper the New Year festivities (which were virtually missing from where I am right now). Of course, just for superstition's sake I went out and bought some clementines (pronounced 'gum' in Chinese, which is the same sound for 'gold'...hence associated with wealth). I asked my family for my New Year predictions, and basically they said anything could happen. Which is what happens every single year anyways, so what they said wasn't very helpful at all.

But you can't go wrong if you work hard and head towards your goal! Ahh, I wish I had some good old Turnip cake right now....

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Blithe Bauhinia, random study.

A study of (longhair!) Kid, part of another image I am drawing of him right now.

Maka and Soul (the first time I drew him! Took forever). Sorry if the quality of the last two scribbles were a tad fuzzy, but I drew them in super-light colours on Open Canvas and getting them into JPG format (and adjusting the contrast) meant degrading the quality quite a bit.

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Another unproductive weekend. Spent 4 hours staring at two chapters, and I'm not even sure if I absorbed everything I read in those. I suppose my day didn't start off great; I did all the grogecy shopping I needed to do, but then I ran into a bunch of Asian student tourists at the Chinese Supermarket. I don't mind tourists under most circumstances, but when you're in a queue carrying a bag of rice (yes, an entire bag, a very heavy bag), you don't really have the patience to appreciate 6 Asian girls cutting in front of you just because one of their friends had a spot in front of you. There were no apologies, nothing (not even a smile-- those girls stared at me like I was a monster or something). After they were all outside the store, I finally paid for the rice and left to get my bike (back at the city centre graveyard), when the entire bloody road in front of me was blocked by the same group of tourists. Taking. Photos. Gr.

I actually had to walk around the entire tourist group by stepping onto the traffic road, and hoped I wouldn't get run over by angry drivers. I was a fool to go to the Chinese supermarket on Saturday....

Eurgh, I've been making a fool out of myself during tutorials nowadays. Because I no longer have a tutorial partner, it means I have to actually talk to the supervisor now; not that there is any problem with that (since the man is very nice), but I could never articulate my answers properly. I write an essay, but then I forget what I wrote a day after I hand it in.....that is appalling. My supervisor would say that I made a good point in the essay, and I'll be sitting there saying "what did I write again? Did I write that?"

And as for the research proposal, I'm having to revise it right now (causing me endless woes, believe me). But then I'm very confused with the process; not with the bureaucratic aspect of the application itself, but what my (potential) supervisor meant the last time we met. Was it a 'yes' or 'no' with the supervising business? I feel like there is some miscommunication going on....not a great start. I'm very worried...

...which resulted in me losing sleep a couple of nights this week. And since I wake up at 7am daily, it means by 4pm I'm a sinking ship. Felt terrible about showing up to the pub-meet looking like I got ran over by a bus, and not being energetic enough to sustain a conversation with anybody. Why is it so easy for me to create awkward situations in social gatherings? It's like I have a knack for it....of all the 'skills' in the world to have....

Scribbles III

2009-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

Aein (younger) and Ue together, looking happier than they normally would. They're father and son, but not by blood (Ue adopted Aein at a young age). Ue may not look like it, but he is actually much older than Aein...

I was wondering; what happens to blogs and facebook pages when their respective owners die? I mean, we are the first blogging generation, and most of us are young-- but what will happen a couple of decades later when we're dropping like flies? The young people then would continue creating blogs, but would the older ones get archived, or would the owners of the blogging sites delete them?

Just a thought for today.

24 hour Review (image heavy!)

2009-01-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

Waking up in the morning to see the frost-covered ground...apparently it has never gotten this bad during this time of the year before. The Big Chill really is here!

Tragically, my birthday present for myself is a pair of shoes to wear for the exams in June....yes, I bought myself a pair of exam shoes for my birthday. Because I'm the epitome of positive thinking during all festive occasions. Do excuse the crazy socks, I would have taken them off for the photo except my feet were bloody cold.

The canal was frozen; we could even see the rubbish at the bottom of the river bed. You wouldn't have guessed that people threw their bicycles in there...and there is no way to lift that out of the water since it was encased in solid ice.

The Meadows, with a thin layer of frost. It made the entire landscape that much more difficult to walk on....it was like wearing hiking boots and being made to walk of concrete. For over 40 minutes.

The pub we went to from the walking trail; took 40 minutes to get here and another 40 to get back, but it was worth it. I can't imagine another pub where the environment was so tranquil and the scenery so nice. Probably would have been better in sunnier weather, but drinking hot chocolate under gray skies made the entire day an walk seem worthwhile.

All in all, my birthday was great. Though I'm still not happy about growing up and getting older.
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Edel and Blithe

Kidd, in a drawing I did during the Summer 2008. It's half-inked, but I don't know if I really want to finish it off. Probably will, since I started it already, but I'll make some minor adjustments for the parts in pencil. This is one of the rare moments I still use traditional media to draw with; it's open canvas all the way now!

Was listening to the song as I was drawing, hence a semi-crazed-looking Kidd (with long hair!). The song was 'My Delirium', and it's damn catchy.

This is the image I most likely will ink on Open Canvas and colour. Started off as a simple doodle of Aein, but then I decided it might look nice if I added some extra stuff here and there..the reason behind the phrase on the bottom will be explained later.

Ice Sheets and Cakes

2009-01-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

Edel, Blithe and Aein together again! Just a rough doodle of the three of them (I don't draw this group often enough), and a brief design guide of their casual outfits. I reckon the colour scheme will undergo some revision later on, since I was just randomly picking out tones on Open Canvas.

The reason for such a hastily drawn image? Well, I'm bloody tired. My friend finally did call me back at 12:40am in the morning (technically ON my birthday) and actually agreed to go on the nature walk. Which was fantastic; the Meadows were covered in frost, and the Cherwell and Thames were frozen as well! I didn't think I would be able to see children and adults skating on the ice....which really wasn't that thick at all (it cracked the moment my friend and I stepped onto the ice). And because of the cold conditions, it made the pub drink so much more worthwhile at the end.

The walk was fun, but I think I would have enjoyed the entire outting so much more if I didn't sleep at 4am and wake up at 8am. To make a correction on the title; I actually didn't get a birthday cake, but I had a lovely box of the Sainsburys Chocolate-covered-Cornflakes.....innovative!

Blue to Grey

2009-01-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

Kidd and an unknown hand. I'll let anyone guess whose it is, because I have no idea.
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Asides from referring to my mood, the title also refers to the local weather. Blue skies are gone, and here are the grey skies of...who knows? I can't tell if that is snow or not. It is as though we're living under someone who is shaking their head and has a huge dandruff problem (the flakes are so small and thin that it looks like like skin....less disgusting than it sounds). The weather had warmed a little, and just after they fixed the heater by switching it off for entire days.

So it is my birthday tomorrow, and I'm feeling mellow about the whole ordeal. I even turned down an invitation to another friend's event just to hole up inside my room and avoid all human contact. And it doesn't help that my friend who promised to take me on a nature walk to a restaurant tomorrow is not answering the text message I sent...so I assume she's busy and won't make it tomorrow (ever the pessimist). I don't need presents, I just need some human company. On the bright side, if I do stay in college I might get some work done.

I need to get some grocery shopping done anyways. This has been a fairly hectic week, with the fridge breaking down and the cleaners having to throw away half my food (why would they keep the chicken meat but toss the vegetables if the fridge breaks down? Wouldn't the meat spoil first?). And then the Sainsburys Local cashier lady was awfully mean, telling me to "pay attention" (its a long story to explain, but I was pretty much dragged into it unwillingly). I don't mind the reprimand if it wasn't so condescending...or if it was justified. So now I'm having a personal boycott from the Sainsburys Local next to the cemetery, but there is the Sainsburys at Westgate.

Scribbles II

2009-01-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Kidd and Black Star together, another pose study. I couldn't think of another set of characters to put in their stead here....maybe Maka and Soul? But I started drawing Kid already, and I didn't want to change the character halfway through an image because it makes the end product look sort of weird...

Kidd; go snowboarding!

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So tired; I've been having trouble getting up in the mornings. Something about the cold weather that makes you want to cocoon inside your blankets for half a day. The weather here has improved a tad, though there is still not enough sunshine....one can tell when one's sunjar refuses to light up at night despite being placed next to the window the entire day. I've actually managed to start my proposal, but the more I read the more confused I get over the research question and I I feel as though everything is one big mess.

Hopefully I'll sort that out before term starts in a week....I wish I could work at night, but I tend to get sidetracked by alot of things....like drawing and catching up with BBC news. Must spend my friday reading and in the library cleaning up the proposal, since Saturday is the dreaded day and I won't have time to do anything academic then...curses.

Scribbles

2009-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

An image of Aein, drawn in a realistic style. A relatively realistic style, since I can never manage it in the end. I have finally decided that Aein really has no gender; he goes with 'male', but nothing really defines him as such. (The more I read anthropological texts, the more I realise that gender makes no sense at all!) Aein also doesn't have any concept of gender differences-- he often gives hugs and is friendly to almost everyone, and Blithe and Ue are normally the ones to drag him away from people.

A small version of Edel's design in regular clothing; he seems to prefer neck scarves. And indeed that is he usual expression...smiling takes too much effort. I originally intended for him to be from a well-to-do family, except he dresses as though he only receives hand-me-downs. He acts indifferent and mature most of the time, but in front of Blithe and Aein he reverts back to having a sense-of-humour.

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Eurgh, the heater still doesn't work. They tried fixing all the heaters inside the building (since non of them seems to work), but it is now the evening, the workers are gone, and it is still freezing. I'm starting to enter my depressive rut again. Haven't had that feeling for several months now, thought it wasn't going to come back anytime soon. Hopefully meeting people again tomorrow will drag me out of thinking crazy lonely thoughts...

Adios, Colour in Life

2009-01-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

Death the Kidd, in an outfit of my own design. Probably one of the last fully-coloured pieces (hence the title) I will be submitting for a while, since it is seriously time to start working again. Got another bout of reading done, and was going to head to the library only to find that it was TOO COLD OUTSIDE...so I scampered back into my room to take refuge under the blankets on my chair. Yes, I had to wear five layers plus wrap a blanket around me to keep warm inside my room. I hate to think what would have happened if I ventured out to Marks and Sparks to buy salmon...whilst biking (wind chill!)

The heater isn't working, and it is winter in the UK. What great timing.

Another pet peeve: the people in my building are returning after the break, and the kitchen was left in utter chaos. The right cooker was left covered with oil (I didn't know, so the moment I switched it on the entire thing started smoking), and the left cooker is sort of wonked up so it started beeping like crazy when I was halfway through cooking my curry dish. I ended up having to run upstairs to use the other kitchen instead.

And why do men leave the toilet seat UP after using them? Especially in places where the toilers are co-ed and we all have to share?

Shades in Pink

2009-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

I actually managed to get something done today; so cheers to that. Here is a doodle of Aein, testing out the colour schemes again. I'm colouring in a style used back in my highschool days (from Oekaki-ing), and I must admit that it makes the image look a tad richer than the cell colouring style I'm currently favouring....meh, not sure which one to stick with, but plenty of time to experiment.
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In other news, I'm starting to have an aversion towards going to the city centre. The town isn't bad, just that the youths loitering around Cornmarket and imitating Asian languages (in the degratory way) isn't making the place seem any friendlier. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and feel like just staying inside my blankets after knowing that I have to go to the Sainsbury at the centre (the bike trip in this freezing weather doesn't help either). Also doesn't help when the elderly population thinks you're incapable of speaking in English (and it is my first language, damnit!)...I felt dreadful because the elderly librarian was so embarassed when she presumed I only spoke an Asian language.

Another peeve; I know it is polite to call someone a 'lady'/'m'am' rather than 'girl', but I feel so old when people use that term when addressing or refering to me ;___; Either I look ageless (which works fine if I were in my forties), or I'm just OLD. It doesn't even make sense since I still get carded in pubs! I must be having such insecure thoughts since my birthday is in less than a week.

Another year, another 365 days wasted...

HAPPY 2009 partie 2

2009-01-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow: Sainsbury trip, need those potatoes and toilet paper rolls. Then WORK. Must work! Must motivate self to work and not doodle all the time! It is now a day and a half after the new year, and I must say that I've been getting readings done. Not as much as I ought to have (I'm only doing 100pages/day), mind you, but still getting something accomplished is better than nothing. But none of those matter when there are still essays to sort out ;___;

But still not motivated enough to start on tutorial essay and proposal......eurgh. Must work up the energy tomorrow....that is, if I wake up tomorrow at all. I've had such erratic sleep habits for the past week...eurgh. Really can't work up the energy to form coherant sentences anymore.

ARGH I just realised that my friend's birthday is tomorrow....another friend's birthday four days later....and my birthday soon (really, really soon) after that....and then another friend's birthday....and from that point on there is a birthday every other day. Cluster babies, I say, cluster babies. Our parents did this on purpose.

HAPPY 2009!

2009-01-01T14:24:00.001-08:00

First image to kick start the year! Just a rough doodle of Blithe, Edel and Aein. Spent my countdown inside the college pub, and no one knew when the countdown actually was, but we did it anyways and sang Auld Lang Syne nonetheless (except the person leading the song vanished half-way through, and we all got lost eventually....)

But I was delightfully surprised to wake up in the morning, seeing how I slept at 3am. But waking up and getting out of bed are two different things, and since it was minus 2 outside (I could see the frost on my bike from my room window...and every leaf covered with a layer of ice) and the heating doesn't work inside (nor does the corridor lights....or my room lights....or the toilet closest to my room....or one of the kitchen cookers.....), what else was I supposed to do? Brave the cold? Mind you, I just got better from my flu, so do excuse if I'm reluctant to chance illness again....

I don't really have any New Year's Resolutions, but I suppose I could motivate myself to finish my proposal, make a few more friends, play nice in college....or not. I suppose I could drop a pound or two, but in this cold weather I feel like having an extra inch of blubber might actually save my life. Bah, no point in being so ambitious; plus, no one really sees their resolutions through for more than a week or so. So for now, I'll just say....I'll do some work, and get things done. Once again, two very different things.

Happy New Year everyone!

(Now I'm off to puzzle out why there is salt on my Sainsbury Bourbons.....it's making my tea taste funny)
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Aein; pose experiment

Random character, random pose with dress

Kidd, in what was supposed to be balloon trousers but turned out looking more like a skirt... see the recurring poses? I'm trying to test their contexts and weight :D

Countdown to the New Year

2008-12-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

I just spent the entire weekend playing Mario Kart wii at my friend's house, eating good food and celebrating a late-Christmas the way it is supposed to be spent (in other words, doing nothing productive at all). I'm now completely addicted to the game, and after returning to my college I started dreaming of karting last night (dreams of karting right off the Rainbow Road...curse you, impossible course!). Of course, sweet victory tastes better when you're connected to the wifi mode and beating other real people elsewhere in the world...

But I'm feeling rather down after leaving my friend's house-- it felt like I could be living that sort of life (in a nifty house full with techno gadgets, close to the train station for London, having a flexible routine for work and free-time) that if I didn't have school, and if got myself a job and earned enough money to rent a house and find nice flatmates to share it with. It's the ultimate way of life for people in our age group! To be relatively carefree and settled...

...I'll cheer myself up by sampling all those chocolates I bought from Montezuma's in London.

A scribble of Kidd in Venetian dress-- not sure if I'm going to ink and colour this one (and yet I have a colour scheme in mind), but I might if I have time. This is going to be a quiet week, since the rest of my college friends left for home and no new anime episodes for my favourite series are going to be aired. I guess I should get working on my proposal and essays.....eurgh.

Get Ready for 2009!

2008-12-26T14:38:00.000-08:00

On one hand, I'm eager to be spending some time with my friends in London. On the other, I don't feel like walking out to the bus station at 7:35am (just because I don't want to have to park my bike next to the cemetery for three whole days....one of my friends got her bike stolen there before). Ah well, better call it a night and get some snooze-time in....before waking up at the appalling hour of 6:55am. Tragic. At least the SunJar (my one and only Christmas present this year) will make my evening relatively amusing....

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well, 2008 is drawing to a close; and what a year it has been. Good things (Obama, my graduate school placement, undergraduate graduation) and bad things (world economy, Summertime illnesses) have happened, but let's just all look forward to 2009 coming right around the corner. As for myself, I reckon I'll be staying indoors or going to the college pub to celebrate the new year...I'm past the days of going out for a countdown in crowded areas. My health and my level of sleepiness does not permit me to wander far from home after 11pm....

Smile Darkly

2008-12-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

A quick doodle of Aein, who is smirking darkly. He looks healthier here, but normally he is super pasty and sickly-looking....and nosebleeds constantly.

Anyways, happy holidays to all, and enjoy the winter break before the workload comes crashing onto all of us again....yes, Spring will be busier than the fall. Drat, some much for a sweet reprieve...

Scribbles II

2008-12-24T14:08:00.001-08:00

Kidd from Soul Eater (I left the three stripes off from his hair because I wanted to add those on computer instead)

Katsura from Gintama (Zura or Zurako?)

More Kidd from Soul Eater....might actually get around to inking and colouring this one later

Scribbles

2008-12-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Ue and Aein, rough draft of a larger image

Blithe, Edel and Aein

Aein, rough draft on line paper in pen

Ue in sketched poses (the right is his usual expression)

Ue and Aein (ten years ago)

Levante Lalune outfits (rough draft of design)

Edel and Blithe, testing out perspectives

Winter Break

2008-12-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I last posted, but things have been very busy. Work, term travels, etc etc. I just got back from Italy (photo above of Venice...a long story) a week ago, and I am pleased to be back inside my apartment room. Our travel group was literally bombarded with water from rain and....the acqua alta (high water), the annual foe of Venice. A good thing I brought rainboots (because we really had to use them in the duration of our stay), but unfortunately the others in the group didn't bring any sort of water preparation. So eventually most of us got sick, and I even had to bail out for a portion of Rome (top photo) because of the flu....

...and lets just say I almost got a stomach ulcer from the trip. It was fun, but navigating around (especially in Venice!) drove me crazy. And after hearing those flood alarms in Venice, I doubt my mind will be calm for a while...I think that was the first time I've been exposed to a siren (excluding fire alarm drills and earthquake drills). And it was especially not fun to have a map in hand when all I wanted to do is use both hands and grab my throbbing head to stop it from exploding. My fever was terrible, I finished off half the box of medication in one night. There was probably some limit as to how many pills I can take in 24 hours, but I decided to see if more medicine= speedy recovery (I must put a disclaimer here and say that no one should be as stupid as I...always follow the instructions! I just got lucky this time).

Alot of things during the trip annoed me, and I felt it was inappropriate to voice them out during travelling (plus, it wasn't as though my companions didn't have tensions between them, so if I said anything it would have made things worst). Now that I've been in the presence of others for 7 days straight, I've decided to spend Christmas and Boxing Day alone. All alone in my room, just enjoying the silence.

Just spent Christmas Even eating curry and going online. And doing alot of reading.
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Death the Kidd in a simplified version of a Venetian dress (what is with me putting him in dresses all the time?)...I really haven't drawn anything in ages! I recently read the latest chpater of Soul Eater, and I can't believe Kidd got swallowed up like that-- now we have to wait until January to find out what happens. The anime is also progressing along nicely, and the plot is starting to deviate from the manga story-line...so now I'm just curious to see how they end everything. Only about another 20 episodes to go!

Still catching up on Xam'd (animation quality still going strong!) and some Gundam 00 (this season seems less interesting than the previous one, but that is just a personal thought). I've pretty much given up on Jigoku Shoujo (given up since season 1)...

Election Night 2008!

2008-11-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Obama won! I doubt my absentee ballot was counted in the end (I doubt California would have voted for anyone else), but I'm still happy I voted. Now sleeptime for me, since I actually stayed up watching the results.

October Blue Skies

2008-10-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence: a lot has happened since I left Hong Kong on the 29th of Sept. Flew to the U.K., settled into my parent's temporary apartment there and then slowly unpacked my things at my new dorm. And then my parents left, which I was fine with at their send-off; but ended up to be a one-women-sob-fest once inside my room. Bought a bike to get around town, and called most of my U.K. friends (I knew them from highschool in H.K.)...started reading and writing essays for classes....well, lets just say it is a good thing I'm kept busy otherwise I'll be super depressed.

Or is there even a reason for me to mope around? The town is gorgeous, the people I've met are awesome....maybe this will be a better time than my undergraduate experience?

But here is the thing; I don't know if I'll have time to draw this term. Alas, alas....but school comes first. At least winter break in in seven weeks....

Unbalanced!

2008-09-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

An old sketch I did while studying during sophomore year. I can't figure out why I can draw backgrounds using pen/pencil+paper, but when it comes to using my wacom tablet I just end up creating a mess. It's not even a matter of applying pressure, since the tablet is pressure sensitive and OC adjusts to that. I think it's a matter of mood and motivation when having a piece of paper in front of you.

So unsymmetrical, I'm surprised he hasn't coughed up blood yet. I started the drawing as a background study, but somehow ended up like this. Kept erasing things over and over again and I just got sick of it. I'll definately try again later on, but as for now....I'll just stick with this.

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Damn, I hope there isn't another typhoon coming around to H.K., otherwise I'll have to delay my flight to the U.K. next week. Not like it'll create an inconvenient setback in terms of attending introductory programmes on campus, but it just means I'll be awfully tired.

As anyone can tell, I'm getting over my reluctance to leave the 852. In fact, I'm rather excited to leave home and see what else is new in a different country; perhaps the idleness of Summer is finally losing it's appeal? Nah, can't be. I'll end up whining for a break again as soon as the assignments, essays and readings crash in.

Still nervous as hell.

Work in Progress: Small Talkings

2008-09-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

A tad messy, but I haven't really had the energy to clean up my linework. At least I got the postures to look semi-decent. This is a rough draft of an image I'm going to finalize later (another image in the WIP pile? Alas.) Always though Kidd and Black Star would make an intresting friendship, since they're both crazy but in different ways.

The fall anime season is about to start, and obviously tons of anticipation going around for Gundam 00 (as for myself, my interest only develops after I start watching....can't judge from previews and commercials.) I'm surprised to see several titles on the list...mostly Jigoku Shoujo. I honestly thought that series was over, but it'll be interesting to see how they ressurect the dead/vapourized character.

Polos and Jeans

2008-09-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Image of Nicoli Hatchson (nicknamed 'Mane' because of his hair when untied). Very dedicated towards wearing polos and jeans, and interns in the school infirmary. (The jeans in this image didn't turn out the way I wanted, but this is only a rough draft of the character-- will definitely redraw this image later on with a background.)

To the right is Blithe's brother Monday (also interns as the school medic), and the character on the left is just one of his patient-friends. He's one of those over-protective brothers who unfortunately is deemed 'useless-in-a-fight' by his younger sister. But really, it is the sentiment that counts.

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So I got a haircut this weekend, and there is nothing like making small talk with the hairstylist. He's not a horrible person, but then he brought up the fact that I was so pasty despite the 852 Summer filled with glaring sunshine. (Awkward answer of "....I was born looking this pasty. Sorry.") At least my mum and the hairstylist have good conversations.

Still nervous about flying next week (gaspage!), but my suitcases are mostly packed and surprise-surprise, I don't have that much to bring. Granted, I've already shipped two medium boxes of books and extra clothing-- but books are impossible to carry on plane since they're super heavy (and darn european flights have so many luggage weight limitations.

Banners

2008-09-20T06:24:00.001-07:00

Since my blog has been started for over a year, I think it might be time to put out some banners. No need to comment if anyone choses to link, though an email with your own website would be nice (so I could add your website back.) The three choices here cover Furies (original art); DGM (Kanda!) and Soul Eater (Kidd and a skull....how morbid.)

Art Dump

2008-09-18T23:25:00.001-07:00

Faces One; face studies, basic

This one I did during my research on the 852...sometimes I draw political images, but this probably isn't one of them.

Faces Two: All about contact

I drew these characters from a series I read a while ago-- don't exactly remember the name. Will find out later. Drew this one in pen back in 2007...

Another pen drawing of Furies characters, featuring the older designs of Blithe.

Mooncakes on Monday (technically Sunday)

2008-09-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Work in progress (again!)....of Kidd. I still need to neaten the outline and etc....I really ought to draw with a specific process instead of flipping back and forth. I just read the RAW for the newest chapter, and I'm amazed how the art style has changed over the past few months. The fight scenes are so much more awesome to read...which makes me wonder whether or not Bones is going to animate that chapter later on (seriously, how are they going to fit everything from the manga into 51 episodes?) But back to the current chapter; it was very interesting to see that Kid's hair isn't permanently like that... wonder what he'll look like in the future?

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The aforementioned Mid Autumn image-- Mid Autumn was on Sunday, though we were given Monday as a public holiday. (And a rough image of Maka, because I haven't drawn anything of her for a while). Obviously I had no idea which direction to take the image, hence the electic elements here and there. Ah well.

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And I forgot to mention the Legco election outcome. Everything turned out relatively fine, with the democrats (not the pseudo-ones) winning enough chairs to veto any bad ideas coming from the government. One of my favourite politicians got another term there, so its bound to be another 4 years of amusing government meetings and arguements all over again. Heh.

NANO!

2008-09-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Guess what I got as an early birthday present (a really early birthday present....since its not until January)! My dad decided to buy it because it was cheap, and because he wanted to take it for a test-drive first...so right now he's just browsing through the photos and albums, turning the thing 90 degrees every now and then. But I get to use it when I head over to the UK. Apparently I wasn't the only person on campus who ordered one, since the delivery guy had an entire truck full of ipods that had to be delivered to students in dorms.

And Happy Mid Autumn to everyone! Mooncakes for all. Shall post something related to that soon enough.

Scribble

2008-09-09T05:13:00.000-07:00

Look ahead to see what's behind! Just a quick doodle of [young] Kidd before running off for another hotpot session tonight at TaiPo. I don't understand why it's so much fun to have hot foods during summer, but really cold stuff in the winter. Maybe my family has masochistic tendencies when it comes to eating....

Tuesday Blurbs

2008-09-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have a knack for creating weird looking things. Here is my warped version of Snow White-- it'll be so much fun if I could design these things as an occupation (I know there is a job like that, but they're super competitive and unpredictable....if you don't create something popular all the time, you're dead in the industry.) But if I do happen to be able to contribute a character to the fuzzy-mascot industry, that would really be great.

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Here is a rough draft of Erebos Rose's outfit; the hoodie idea was already in my head, but the gold bangles and necklace only came to be after having dug through my sister's jewelry box (to be fair, I was looking for my sister's USC flash drive, and once she even had it inside a tissue box....so no surprises I'm searching in such random places.)

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I'm so tired after having ran around Hong Kong for the past four days. Meeting relatives, friends and other people I-think-I-know before I leave for the UK. Was worried about meeting people in such hot weather (because I sweat bucketloads under direct sunlight and in high humidity places), but most of the people I met were also from abroad....and were also sweating profusely. So to any local HK person, we just looked like a group of people who went swimming. Delightful. As sad as I will be to leave HK on the 29th, I'm also glad to be out of the horrid weather....and to the rainy gray skies of England.

For crying out loud, it's September already; cool breezes are supposed to have arrived! Why are we still having a heatwave now....don't recall the temperatures ever reaching so high for such an extended period of time. Reaching the 30Cs was a rarity back in the highschool years-- whereas this year everyday was over 30C. Normally by mid-autumn festival we can don on our long-sleeve shirts already. Speaking of mid-autumn, the festival is on Monday and I have every intention of going to the lantern parade on campus. I got a goldfish lantern as a gift this year, except the thing feels too damn flammable and I'm too scared to put a candle inside...so I'm using a torch instead. Not environmentally friendly, but I would like to have my hand remain ...noncrispy. Woot, Mooncakes! Woot, Full moon! Eurgh, and children.

Might go crazy if I see a horde of children carrying plastic lanterns (the electrical kind with the music players included...)

Geez....I must have spent half my summer postings here complaining about the effing weather in HK. I love the city, but would totally relocate the entire thing (infrastructure, people and the land itself) to an area with a colder climate (everyone looks good in winter coats....that's an axiom!)

Lunchtime

2008-09-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

I remember when my pre-school teacher would call for us to eat our lunches inside the classroom. Whatever it was that they fed us, I'm surprised I managed to survive on it (I was a picky eater when I was young, with alot of requirements about what foods were 'clean' and which ones just looked too gross to ingest...it got to the point where I would only eat boiled eggs.)

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It's raining today, which really isn't helping me get out the door to head to a group dinner. So unmotivated. Something about rain and thunder that makes you want to stay indoors and just sleep the day away.

I also hate that students are going back to school now on campus, which means there is more competition over who gets a seat on the university school buses (the buses used to be so spacious during the Summer, but now it's jammed packed with rude-and-loud students, smelly post-basket-ball-game guys, and people with really-large-backpacks-backpacks-like-they're-refugees.)

Week (not over) in Review

2008-09-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

I'm finally going to draw DGM stuff again, after a prolonged hiatus on the from the series in general. Here is just a warm-up image testing colours and composition etc. Maybe I should have done this for the Valentine's Day cards I sent out last year....but no matter. Even if I did use this image, Kinko's (only the Kinkos around my old university campus) printing would have messed it up anyhow. Happened twice before....either the staff print the images onto the wrong sort of paper, or they go crazy on the resizing business and mess up the resolution of the images....gr.

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I am still angry on Monday after getting my visa back. I'm angry that I can't get angry at the British Consulate staff members. I mean, those people work 8 hour days, 5 days a week, and it must be stressful for them to sort out documents of hundreds of people. But that doesn't really excuse them for losing my passport when I went to collect it; or the fact that they told me to sit down and wait but then forgot that I existed....until closing time.

Was literally the last person sitting in the office at 5:00pm (closing time). The people at the counter only noticed me when the security guard asked why I was still sitting there by myself. Then the people behind the counter remembered that they were supposed to be looking for my passport....a task they should have been doing [but forgot to do] when I first approached them at 3:30pm. Ended up leaving during Central rush-hour....what a nightmare.

But the upside of the day was seeing some really weird people inside the office area. There was this girl in front of me that dressed like a hooker; a black long sleeves shirt, short leopard print skirt and 4 inch heels. Top all that with at least an inch of foundation and some serious hair dye/perm job. It's a wonder her face didn't melt in the 30C weather-- then again she had brought her minion to carry her purse and fan her (another duty of said minion was to help the girl up the stairs...she couldn't walk up with those heels on.)

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My new bicycle decided to die on me on Tuesday, thanks to a busted front tire. The dude at the shop said it must have been something really sharp that pierced the tire, since the inner tube was damaged but the outer layer was unscathed. It's probably caused by a piece of the rubble left behind by the construction workers, but it doesn't really matter. Bike is back to full health (fixed for only 35HKD....I recommend Chap Shing Bicycle shop for cheap stuff and good service. Located on 39 Yan Hing Street, Tai Po), and I'm flying across the parking lot giving car-owners heart attacks by swerving really close next to their BMWs and Mercedes. (This is why you should only drive a Volvo/Honda/Mazda/Toyota when you're living in a residence filled with active young people and kids.)

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On a more personal note, my friend and I recently realized that we both have some serious guilt issues. We're always guilty about people we've treated poorly in the past (in highschool we were complete a-holes), and we're guilty the way we drain our parent's finances and time every single day. We also guilty about some of the friends we've wronged before, which lead to some broken off ties nowadays-- but we've learned how to suck it up and live with it, since it can't be expected that you're liked by everyone to begin with.

After some discussion at Starbucks, we are left more confused than ever. Living with a sense of guilt is pretty nerve wrecking (and anxiety inducing....and has led to many-a-sleepless-nights), but there also is no point in remedying past wrongs after so many years of non-contact (what are we supposed to say: "hey, remember me? Sorry I was such a b*tch back then. No idea what was running through my head. So anyways, what's up with you"?). If only we could offer an apology to people in the past, we would; but would the apology even hold the same meaning now as it would have then? And then there are the people who don't need apologies, but rather will initiate contact with you again with no conditions whatsoever and still be chummy with you...which makes it even harder, because whatever crap you did to them in the past is always lingering there like some invisible barrier.

'Friendships' and the like are so confusing as a concept; don't get me started on 'relationships-as-a-couple'. Some of my other friends fight with their other-halves all the time, and things always ends with tears and lots of over-the-phone-consolation-at-night...don't really understand why they bother being with another person in the first place. It's an awful lot of trouble, isn't it?

Or maybe we're thinking too much about this entire business? The above rant isn't supposed to make much sense, I'm just rambling whatever was discussed this week combined with what was running through my mind. My thoughts are in such a disjointed state that coherent points aren't being made in those paragraphs anymore....

Rabbit Hop

2008-08-29T02:23:00.000-07:00

A new image to commemorate my new laptop being in official use! I am still a little heartbroken over the extra money spent on this laptop, but it doesn't really matter when it's still a great and usable device. My only other woe? It's vista. Open Canvas threatened not to open several days ago, but the problem vanished the moment I downloaded the wacom vista driver...hopefully that is the end of that.

But there is always something unnerving about using a new version of Windows software....I'm so used to XP I feel like they shouldn't have changed anything at all. Of course, that's really up to the people are Windows, who do what their increasingly large bank accounts tell them to do (I'm joking. Gates does a lot of charity work around the world.)

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In other news, the Hong Kong legco elections are coming up (Sept 7th), and alot of the current candidates are looking not-so-fabulous. It's not that they're scandal ridden, it is more that they don't seem likely to be able to improve anything. They keep promising to control inflation, look out for the middle class; but how exactly will they do that? And there are candidates who even declare themselves 'independent' but are actually affiliated with government officials from the mainland-- seriously, what are we suppose to think?

Lunches and Snacks

2008-08-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Had lunch with friends yesterday in Central, and it's so strange to see some of them working real jobs now. One of them wore a power-business-suit with proper heels and make-up, which was a little intimidating at first....and it took a while to get used to. Anywho, managed to find a nice place in Central for lunch, and the bill totaled to less than 100HKD per person...a pretty good deal considering Central is one of the most expensive places on earth. Everyone around us in the restaurant wore suits and carried blackberries and were busy making business deals....while my other friend and I were donned in jeans, shirts and hoodies. So out-of-place...not that I mind. DEVIATE!

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Anyways, I went to apply for a UK student visa yesterday and it was hell. I arrived at 9:40am (thanks to my dad who went all the way to Admiralty even though his meeting was in North Point), handed in the relevant forms to the people and waited until 11:40am before they called my name. And that was only to pay for the visa, the actual photographing and fingerprinting procedure wasn't until 11:55am. As if the wait wasn't bad enough, I started going crazy during the wait. Thought they called my name once, but there were two people talking at the same time over the comm that I wasn't sure and sat for an hour wondering whether I made a mistake or not.

And then some lady announced to everyone that we had to have banking statements dating at least three months prior (and I'm sure that wasn't on the Consulate website when I read the list of required materials!) so another bout of worrying came. My dad told me it should be fine since the officials could hardly care less about what you provide as long as they know who you are generally, but the anxiety isn't completely gone.

And I still have to go back to the office on Monday to get my passports back.....fabulous. They told me to arrive at 3:30pm, but I'm not keen on waiting for another two hours and then braving the Central rush-hour masses (people queue up, but it's still crazy.)

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My mother came home with this today; some kind of bean bun with chocolate. Looks too cute to eat. Still pondering whether that is a unibrow on its forehead or just its hairline.

People, People, Everywhere

2008-08-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

So I finally managed to get into the Computer Convention last night (after a failed attempt on Saturday-- too many people, and it would have taken an hour to get inside the building!), and apparently people have nothing better to do during weekdays. What happened to work and school? I'm still on my Summer holiday so that's a pretty good excuse to be browsing for computers on a Monday evening-- but what excuse does that middle-aged old man have?

Alright, I'm just being harsh because the amount of people and the noise was very stressful. In fact, the din left me temporarily deaf and I only began hearing things again this morning (it was worst than the music at Club C...back in the day.) Speaking of clubs, the convention was like a nerdier version of Lan Kwai Fong; the ratio of men to women were about 6:1, and there were plenty of posers all around. Electronic posers, mind you-- people who act as though they know 'all-that' about something just because they read the back of a box before you did.

But there were highlights to the convention, and they come in the form of cheap electronics. Snagged myself a pair of nice earphones (because my old ones that came with the i-pod died on me...damn you, Apple! And my warranty just ran out too); a digital photo frame; and various USB memory sticks for way under 10USD. Some heartbreak did happen as well....saw my Wacom tablet and my new Fujitsu laptop be sold for about a thousand dollars cheaper than the retail price which I got mine for. The again, I bought my wacom tablet more than half a year ago, so maybe that might explain the price drop..... but still, the laptop price! Nevermind, doesn't change the fact I have an awesome laptop.

And finally had my first share of Peking Duck [for the summer] last night; absolutely wonderful. I can see why tourists requested that the Beijing chefs bring some over to London for the 2012 Olympics. Wait until everyone finds out about the Nanjing Duck...

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Now that Maka and Chrona's fight is pretty much over, I'm eager to get back to the rest of the Kishin arc-- starting from next week. And after the next couple of episodes, maybe we'll even see a new opening sequence...

Next Station

2008-08-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

An image of Aein and Blithe together getting ready for the next station: London! Well, this applies for the Olympics but also for myself...grad school starts on October 1st.

Well, the Beijing Olympics are over, and I'm still nursing a headache from last night. Might have been the noise my neighbours were making during their celebrations, or it might has been that I stayed up too late (ended up watching movies- plural!- after the ceremony ended.)

The closing ceremony was pretty nifty, with lots of fireworks and shining lights. The London segment was interesting, though they were pretty much dwarfed by the scale of the other performances. The dancing was very energetic (tempted to use the word 'flexible) and creative. Leona Lewis was a confusing choice to represent London, and the poor girl didn't really have much of a performing moment; not with the awesome guitar drowning her voice out, and the cameraman focusing mostly on the guitar the entire time. (She's still a good singer though, nothing really changes that.)

Nonetheless, since I'll be in London in 2012, definitely will go to their opening ceremony and see how they convey their youth culture to the world. Might as well celebrate the fact that I'm almost past my youth, and must party while I still can.

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Death and stuffed animals....morbid stuffed animals. Afterall, he's not really about unicorns, 'plushies' and anything that seems approachable.

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And hurrah, I got my D-Grayark book today through the post! Scans posted online does it no justice. I did my maths; it's cheaper to order books online in Japan and have them ship it over to the 852 than to buy the book in Sogo HK! I don't understand where those extra charges come in; tax? Import fees?

In other news I'm getting my UK visa this Thursday, and I'm almost peeing in my pants. The guidelines on the website are effing scary; I can't bring anyone else with me, I can't arrive more than 15 minutes early, and I have no say in anything. I remember going into the U.S. embassy and I almost coughed up blood with the eerie silence and the stares from the security guard and other officials.

Scribbles

2008-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

I hated yesterday's image so much I had to draw something else...kept staring at the image and had to take it down. So here is a spin-off of Chapter 52's cover page: 無敵! At first I had no idea how to finish off the image, but then monochrome seems fitting. And the asymmetry...how strange seeing it paired up with the character. I scrimped a bit on the background.

Bruises and Cuts

2008-08-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Just read the latest Soul Eater chapter (had to get the Chinese scanlations instead of the RAW...took me forever to understand what was going on). Now I'm left pondering what happens in the next issue. Couple of spoilers ----->Eibon [sans mask] actually makes a surprise appearance this time around, while Free and Kidd decide to cooperate to fight Mosquito. That's pretty much the summary of the entire chapter 52. Their fight was really awesome though, and who knew they would work so well together? But will they really die from those injuries? One of them is an immortal, the other is...a god? Who knows. Damn cliffhangers.

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The plot in X'am:d is progressing at a nice pace, though I still have my suspicions whether those 26 episodes could really cover everything and include character development. On the other hand, Code Geass R2 is progressing way too fast. I didn't really like any of the characters in the beginning, but after the series became an extermination-fest, things got interesting. I'm sort of left wondering if the only people left standing at the end would be the antagonist and the....well, other antagonist. (There aren't any good people in the series...they're all mentally warped.)

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Oh hell, why did TVB hire a bunch of random people for their Olympics coverage? Not only are they guessing the rules half the time, they're making pointless commentary about each other. Not to mention that one of their correspondents they sent up to Beijing can't speak Mandarin properly (seen her guess her way through several sentences before.) Not that ATV is any better, but at least they get experts on their show to explain what constitutes a winning move by the athletes. Too bad I hate the rest of the channel (as in the television series, and misc. crappy programming.)

Spin and Dropkick

2008-08-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hell, I love designing these little dresses, and I would make these for my younger cousins/stuffed animals if only fabric wasn't so darn expensive (unemployed and saving up for tuition right now.) Anyways, tried to draw out Chinese textile patterns here, but the pixelation of the images might have messed up the outlines. I love Chinese and Japanese textiles...whilst the latter is prized for its simplistic graphic designs, the former has such a rich and organic quality to them. Of course, I also like Indian textiles and Scottish plaid....and basically most fabric patterns (except animal prints, neons and metallics.)

The image is of Maka and Kidd...with Maka ready to kick some serious posterior soon.

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Damn, I'm being prank-called by some brat with nothing better to do. My father picked up the phone the first time, and the second time I did....and she basically told us to eat something-out-of-the-toilet-bowl. Not amused. If the brat doesn't cut it out, I'm getting the phone company to trace the effing call and grill that kid. While you can choose to have your caller ID omitted, the phone company has a record of everything, so it'll only take a minute to find everything out....this is why one should always do their research first [on how to make a clean getaway] before annoying the crap out of other people.

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So nervous about graduate school. Still nervous. Oh so nervous. ARGH. Need to watch Olympics to ease my mind....synchronized diving this afternoon. Just the preliminaries, but it's still diving. On another note, while I can understand why people are passionate about freeing Tibet (to be honest, I share similar sentiments), I think demonstrating next to the site of the Olympics is a no-go. Demonstrators will not earn local support for their cause because they; disrupt the Olympics (something that is very important to the locals); have entered the country under the pretense of being tourists (and ended up protesting, thus displaying deception); it is considered very rude to be a guest in the country and yet try to speak out about politics.

Good thing that these protests are happening on a small scale, otherwise it really will increase the us vs. them mentality in different countries involved. And then I'll be totally effed where ever I go, since I have dual nationalities and residency rights...and people will be asking me which way my opinions go (like they did in the U.S. this May). Grrr.

Warm Weather, Cold Fuji Apples

2008-08-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

My friend came over today and made me watch the entire Mononoke series (as well as the three chapters of Ayakashi)...and what a fabulous series it is! Was skeptical about the animation techniques and the character designs, but it all proved to make each episode so addictive to watch. Especially love the direction and how the plot progresses, how each frame is composed, and especially the ideas with the fight scenes. So many colours, so much more awesome.
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Alas, last Sunday a level-5 fire occurred in Mong Kok, and two firemen (and two civilians) died because of it. And the media showed footage of one fireman's daughter cry non-stop in front of the fire station later that day, as well as the entire family in mourning ;____; (heartstrings!). Not surprisingly, many 852ers also bought flowers and paid their respects in front of the burnt building...it really is good to see everyone in Hong Kong is expressing their appreciation for everything the firemen did. Firemen in general really deserve more status in society...they put up with fires, rescue people in rural areas and fish surfers out of the waters during typhoons. I hope the 852 government will do building checks more regularly now so things like this never happen again.
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In a lighter topic, I must thank whoever introduced men's volleyball/gymnastics/synchronized diving to the Olympics. Never knew how much fun it would be watching all the athletes run across the television screen, while we (indoors with air-con) snack on fuji apples (bought 24 of them in one go because they were on sale) and just...gawk.

Scribbles and more

2008-08-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

The new chapter of Soul Eater is out today, but I haven't read it yet. Yet to see what happens this time- who will fight who? Anyway, just a quick scribble here of the best comedy duo in the series. (Someone's suit is getting stained by grubby fingerprints, and someone else is going to get beaten to a pulp.)

I don't draw Maka nearly enough; which is strange, considering she is one of those female characters in a series which is likable and has a spine. So prepare to see how doodles of her here later on. Drat, I should really head to the beach to cool off in this weather, but not bothered to call people out+pack+travel+clean out sand from shoes later on.
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So the Olympics have started, and I have got to admit that the opening ceremony was awesome. Especially loved the segment where the people in scholar-garb were paying respects to the word '和'. The colour pairings between the costumes and the environment was wonderful, and never expected to see the torch be light that way. Some people thought the entire event was too flashy and over-the-top, but people are entitled to their opinions and mine happen to be different.

Now, time to watch the diving events....love watching people spring off those boards. And then flipping the channel to the men's gymnastics. (There are so many perks to living in almost the same time-zone as the Olympic host city....live broadcasts!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Check out the geological characteristics of 852! They say 852 used to be infested with pirates during the imperial period, and I think I see why; too many caves and coves and natural ports to hide in. Awesome, I would love to explore these places when I have the means and the time someday....

Ponderous Day

2008-08-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

An image of Kidd; just testing the tablet. Used to have an aversion towards drawing on the computer...but now it's so much fun. Not to mention how much less eraser dust there is involved in the process. I'm starting to wonder if I'll even need to bring my sketchbook over to graduate school this fall (limited suitcase capacity).

Oh, and I have a new venture with a few other online people: making personalized graphic design stickers. I'll post several of my ideas within the next few days.
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Yesterday was one of those days (this sentence sounds grammatically incorrect already) where you're just hoping the rain wouldn't flood your house and your brain. It was a typhoon 8, and while I'm glad my parents got a day off....they got the day off to spend with me. I know I shouldn't complain, but there is always something vexing about not having full control over your own schedule. Bah, I'll stop whining. I ought to be grateful that I get to spend a few more hours around them, since it'll be 'weekly-phonecalls' soon again. Drat, and I promised myself I won't think such depressing thoughts for now...

Another topic: did I mention how much I dislike the equestrian events already? I don't mind the horses; I just mind the fact they're holding the event here in 852. The only reason they're having the horses here is due to a technically in animal-import policy up in the mainland....and knowing this sort of ruined the entire mood already. Combine that with the super motivating speech of the Hong Kong equestrian representatives today on television (something along the lines of "not needing to win, just to represent"), makes us all so much eager for the event to take place.

If the computer screen is precipitating, that's just my sarcasm at an all-time high.

But I need to clear something up first: I'm not against the Olympics or the participants, I'm just grumpy that they're only having an event in the 852 because of a rule. Personally I like watching the waterboard divers, but the gymnastics event look too painful... so I tend to skip over these.

Death Bunnies over Horses anyday

2008-08-04T21:27:00.001-07:00

Death the Kidd with Death Bunnies. Generally, I think all rabbits are evil anyways, so they make a fitting pair. (Or trio, if you want to get all technical here.) It's good to see that Soul Eater has finally resumed the plot after a week of filler...though I wonder if the anime is going to conform closely with the manga later on. The anime is meant to last 51 episodes, but the manga is now at chapter 51 and they're still not done fighting. Who knows?

It's going to be a busy Fall this time around. Plenty of shows to watch, and I don't only mean anime.
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I totally forgot that the equestrian events are being held in Hong Kong this Summer. That would explain the recurring images of horses on the television, in the shopping malls and...well....that's it. Good job advertising the event, 852 gov. Way to promote.

But then I shouldn't be expecting that much. Afterall, the 852 gov is famous for promoting the voting process for legco this September, and hell knows how much effort they put to convey registration instructions to young people. They did such a stellar job that I missed the news and didn't hear that the registration cut-off was....a year ago. I shall now shake my fist and wait for the next round.

Back to the horses: I have a friend who is apparently volunteering for the equestrian event, and told me that the security there is absolutely horrendous. Not that the guards are lax, but that the technological capabilities the security firm employs to detect weapons and explosives is simply not up to par. Though the security people deserve some credit for bringing in real scanners to put on a show, rather than nick cardboard boxes from old ladies and stand there making "beeping" noises themselves.

It's August; no countdown yet?

2008-08-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

That the rate fashion is going (changing fast, going in circles), I wouldn't be surprised is overalls made it back onto the streets bigtime. Personally, overalls should only be worn if i)you're working in construction/other manual-labour-intensive jobs ii)you're under the age of 12. I already saw some jumpsuits last time I was in Causeway Bay (bear in mind it is summertime right now, and people drink plenty of liquids so toilet-trips are frequent; so the jumpsuit makes no logistical sense at all!) Or maybe such worries of the overall-revival is pointless. Afterall, I remember some people in L.A. tried to reintroduce the trend but were pretty much ignored.

Not going to explain the title to this post, because it'll just make me depressed. And I've managed to escape the bouts of melancholy so far this Summer (save once), so I would appreciate not having it return. Yet. Save the mopey-ness for when I head over to the U.K., and I have to start living by myself again.
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And I just started watching X'am:d Lost Memories by Bones. It's made by almost the same team that brought Eureka Seven, so there were worries that the plot would be too similar, that the characters would resemble the last series too much. Let's just say that's not the case here. It's supposed to last only 26 episodes, so not sure whether the scale of the plot is going to be as grande as Eureka Seven at all-- but things look interesting so far so it's probably going to be the most interesting series of the Summer.
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EDIT:
The previous illust (Thought Puddles, see last post of July) was too messy, so I decided to draw Aein again (albeit as a 'scribble' instead of 'illust'.) As one can tell, wasn't too bothered with the outfit design here...but do like the colour scheme.

illust: thought puddles

2008-07-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Why is the weather so spastic right now? One minute it was awesomely sunny, the next it felt as though we were having a typhoon. I don't remember 852 weather ever behaving in such a manner.

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My intestinal issues from last week are pretty much gone, so it means I can eat solid foods again. Not sure whether I should go to the doctor to make sure it is nothing chronic, but I honestly feel horrible if I had to spend money again in such a short period of time. This guilt is thanks to my sister, who has been amazing passive-aggressive in her emails as of late. I wouldn't have cared (since I don't exactly like her anyways...people thought it was strange that I didn't cry when she left for college or got married, but honestly, we're not close) but I know some of the things she said are true.

Namely, going to an expensive college. Not like that was my fault, I had no idea what the tuition was before setting off four years ago. My parents told me not to worry about it. And now my parents are offering to pay for my grad tuition as well-- I didn't ask for it, they just offered. In contrast, my sister had to pay for her own grad programme, so understandably she's not exactly happy about it. She didn't say this out loud in the emails, but kept asking over and over if I was going to be "financially responsible" for myself, or whether I was going to "get a part-time job in England".

First off, whatever our parents do for her is none of my business. Adversely, whatever our parents do for me is not her concern. (Hell, I didn't even care that our parents paid for her car and part of her flat). And what is with her having me get a part-time job in the U.K.? The student visas have incredible limitations with it comes to employment, and I've done several years of work as an undergrad. I think some of that money would cover the costs. Plus, she didn't even get a job during her grad days....

...eurgh, I'm just annoyed at my sister and her attitude. I just hope this isn't one of those things that'll last a lifetime.

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In case anyone is interested, The Kooks are playing in 852 on Aug 21st; I didn't open my email for several days to read the livenation notice. Tickets are 380HKD to 580HKD each, so they're a little on the pricey side...

Scribbles II

2008-07-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just another scribble, a break in between finishing my stash of WIPs from last year. Yes, last year. I'm so bad with time management and motivation when it comes to finishing off something related to art. It's a good thing I don't intend to become a professional artist since one of the key ingredients--patience-- is lacking in me. Don't know how I managed to draw a winter image when the aim was to draw a summer one; maybe I long for the cold days to return.
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Oh yes, the official 'hot days' [from the ancient agricultural calender, pronounced 'dai shu'] has settled into the 852. Temperatures are soaring to the 30s, and already this past weekend a dozen people fell ill from the heat. (Of course, some people were just asking for trouble when to decide to hike up a mountain in the middle of summer). Don't reckon the days will cool off anytime soon, but as long as we all stay indoors and hydrated, everything should be okay. Now if only it was considered fashionable to sweat bucketloads (there is such a stigma against sweating in Hong Kong. It's such a bother; afterall, sweating is a natural human process to cool down the body! If people continue idolizing the image of pale skinny girls prancing in the sun without a bead of sweat...hell, lost my point) life would be much more enjoyable.
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Random news: I fell ill again. Some sort of intestinal infection, nothing serious-- just means I'll be having a rendezvous with the toilet more often than I'll like to. The pain is not as bad as the time I got food poisoning (though pretty damn close); and I ended up with cold sweats, itchy skin, abdominal cramps, and general sense of fatigue. The cramps normally subside after I sleep for a while, and only reoccurs during the night. Maybe I should keep the lights on and fool my intestines into thinking that night doesn't exist....

From the Post with love

2008-07-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

I got my copy of the Gundam00 doujinshi anthology today. It's so different when your work goes into actual print! Everything looks all neat and tidy, and because the image is scaled down, the images look almost professional. (Except because I know which areas on my drawing went wonky, because...I can see them). The wonderful image on the facing page was done by Kaiser.

Haha, shameless plug for myself, an image of Blithe and Aein. But it was great to be part of an anthology with so many other talented artists!

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In other news, I am about to kick myself. I accidentally forgot to save the layers for the Soul Eater draft (previous post), so now the lineart and colour layers are merged together. Drat. I'll have to redo the lineart, but all is not lost. It just means I'll have to finish the image like the oekaki forums I used to use...(I used the oekaki BBS when the programme was still in its primitive phases....I recall only have 2 layers to work with, and a limited colour palette).

Scribbles (and WIP!)

2008-07-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

The WIP: This image just just a rough draft....and I'm actually inking it as I'm typing this entry. It's such a pain, since I accidentally whacked my hand against the MTR railing yesterday and now putting pressure on the third and fourth fingers is proving to be a difficult feat. But yes, an image of a younger Maka, Black Star and Kidd together! I know the storyline has Kidd being the last to join the group and only meeting the other two after the prologue, but its fun to imagine what would have happened had they all met earlier (bloodshed, most likely). Tried to draw them in character.

The scribble: Chichi to Ko. I love the fact that while the son is so uptight and worried, the father has such a whimsical way of doing things. It's surprising to see the Maka and Black Star teams getting so much character development in the manga, yet the Kidd segments aren't progressing much...not counting the rift that could happen between him and his father since the Reunion Express fiasco.

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And I must be the last person to hear about this, but an Eureka Seven movie? I can't believe they're actually making one! It's bound to be a good watch-- studio Bones can do no wrong. Sort of worried what the movie would do to the entire series itself, since they ended it with everything wrapped up neatly together (such a bittersweet last scene)...then again, it could potentially make the entire series even better and add more depth to the plot.

And I'm wondering when the Gurren Lagann movie is going to be finished (was there even a movie? I was trying to keep track of too many things and some news slipped from my mind).

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And the most random thing of all; I need a pair of board shorts. I'm not kidding. I just realized that I have to go to the beach soon and right now my entire closet consists of denim jeans. Oh, wicked college years, why have you converted me into a permanent denim-jeans wearer? You have blinded me from the range of other articles of clothing.....;___;

Illust/wip? Can't decide.

2008-07-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

I actually draw the entire kimono out, but decided to crop the image for the blog. (I haven't finish the rest yet, and so it looks better as is). I still have to shade and highlight like crazy on the image, but it's close to completion. I'll probably post the thing on DA afterwards...despite the fact that several days ago I resolved not to visit the site that frequently anymore. I'm probably still attached to the page because of all the people I met there and also because dammit, I've had the site for over 5 years! (Though technically I've used it for less than 3 years....I do the vanishing act pretty damn often. I blame it on poor time management and a ton of schoolwork. Woe be the student who goes to competitive private schools).

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And is it wrong to hate my neighbours before actually having met them in person? They posted a notice saying how they would be renovating their flat up until the 24th of June, but they're still drilling like crazy upstairs. Not to mention that the drilling and hammering continues on throughout the weekend. My parents decided not to complain about the noise...something about being diplomatic and reasonable; but then again, they're both off to work and I'm at home trying to read. It's summertime; half the kids in my block are stuck at home having to listen to the racket all day long.

Scribbles+Semi-Spoilers

2008-07-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Whilst I like the composition of this image, I am rather miffed that the colour quality came out duller than I wanted (some things must be sacrificed when changing the image format). Thought about properly outlining this image for a more polished and refined look, but ultimately decided that 'freehand' suited the image and colour scheme more.

Ooh, I read the new chapter of Soul Eater today! Even though I wasn't overly eager to read the Ox and Kim subplot, it was still fun to see how the entire situation resolved itself. Never thought it would have ended that way. And Kidd is still his neurotic self, even in such an important moment....HAHAHAHAHHA!! I can't wait until the next issue in August...sounds like there'll be an interesting fight coming up.

Strange things

2008-07-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have a habit of drawing strange characters like the bear here. For others in this series, please refer to the drawings below (you'll see a rabbit and also a bat in the background to the Blithe and Edel b+w images). I used to draw these things in highschool school for creative class, but stopped after one of these characters got copied by my CDT classmate...and who later claimed it was her invention. Strangely enough, by that time I wasn't even angry; probably because i)I knew I could come up with something even better later on ii)it felt like such a trivial thing to argue over back in my teens. But now that I'm older and more bitter about life, I will probably cough up blood at the scent of plagiarism of my- or my friends'-- works. (I don't care if anyone copies the style of drawing; I get peeved when it has to do with the composition and character/outfit designs).

I just realize that my little rant is sort of pointless. Afterall, I'm posting images in a blog....that I didn't advertise anywhere...
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I always find it strange when a relative (be it older or younger) decides to declare their relations with you through facebook. (Yes, it just happened to me). Not that it's a bad thing, but it is rather strange when you're reading comments from your friends, and suddenly you encounter a paragraph full of 'elderly affectionate advice', or some random comment about how-well-you're-doing-in-life and how-it-makes-them-proud. Even stranger are the comments from your aunt which actually hailed its origins from your mother. Yeesh.

In other 'elderly+technology' news, my aunt has discovered the joys of email [and the existence of the internet in general], so she keeps forwarding the most pointless things to everyone in my generation. Hell, my hand is getting tired from checking all the 'delete' boxes....

Illust (b+w image coloured)

2008-07-08T20:59:00.001-07:00

Left to right: Aein and Erebos.
So difficult to come up with a colour scheme for these outfits! I could have gone the usual route and used the typical colour palette I normally go for, but I really wanted to try something new. Clashing colours, here we come! To be honest, I like Aein's outfit colours more than Erebos', but I like Erebos' outfit design more than Aein's. No matter, these things can be revised later on (hell knows how many outfits I gave Blithe already).

Wednesday Woes

2008-07-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Eurgh, what a monstrous dress. Frills, bows and poofiness all around....can't believe that little girls enjoy wearing those. For my part, I used to rip them apart just running and climbing around in Australia (you don't make friends with other kindergarteners without destroying something). So here is a rough drawing of Blithe with one of the dresses from her collection. Apparently she likes all things grotesque...dresses included.
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In other words, I will probably abandon my DA account for the time being (but not delete the account altogether yet...need to find time to sort out those works). I'll be sad to leave a lot of the friends I made in those circles, but I'm also tired of having drawings be made for the sake 'submitting' something every now and then. It's just a personal preference, nothing grand or related to the whole 'commercialization' debate. I just draw for fun, I don't profit from it and nor do I intend to in the future....

Thunder; loud, flashy-- just like people

2008-07-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Just a speculative drawing on what Kidd would look like without his obsession with Symmetry...which is why I made the character look as asymmetrical as I could. Actually had a lot of fun designing the cape and the entire outfit ; and because the series is so heavily based on fantasy, the imagination could run a little off tangent.
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Anxiety attacks are still coming, and generally feeling dissatisfied with...well, there isn't really a non-pompous way of putting it....other people. I'm sick of the inconsiderate behaviour seen everywhere in Hong Kong (cell phones are the bane of my life, especially in bookstores and cinemas), sick of the fact that the city doesn't resemble the Hong Kong I grew up in. The place feels so foreign now, with its slew of mini-malls everywhere and tourists charging down the streets. I don't exactly hate the city, just that I'm feeling less attached to it every day.

Most young people don't always treat the elderly with respect (e.g. not giving up their seats on public transport and at coffee houses), children are shouting at their Filipino helpers (obviously power-tripping on the fact that their parents are the employers...carry your own damn backpack, you brat), other people walking right into you and not apologizing for courtesy's sake, and people not even caring about the city itself. Not saying that 'caring' should equate 'following the cheesy-as-hell PSA commercials issued by the government', but just to be aware of things happening all around, and not let the government's vision of the city overpower the public's opinions of what Hong Kong should look like in a decade or two. Right now, I'm predicting.....mini-malls and pseudo-cultural centres all around, sprinkled with high end shops at every street corner, with the entire city having as much character as....an airport overladen with duty-free shops. Delightful.

Third of Three

2008-06-27T04:08:00.000-07:00

And here we go, the last image of the series with Aein, Blithe Bauhinia and Edel Clementine May. At first I thought I wouldn't have the motivation to finish all three images (thought it might felt more like finishing a job, than drawing purely out of interest), but these b+w pictures were fun to design and draw.

Pink and Black

2008-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Damn, I hate it when you change the size of an image and its resolution just shoots right to hell. Pixelation, degradation of colour quality.... pet peeves of mine. Another image of デス・ザ・キッド from Soul Eater. The character is so spastic, but simply too funny to draw (though I do agree with symmetry being the best thing). Figured pink would be a nice colour to use with such a menacing person. Can't wait for the "黒龍" chapter translated into anime and see some of the Bones-animated fight scenes. Bound to be good.
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Received college assignment from my graduate school, and I''m pretty pleased about it. I won't be getting the scholarship I wanted, but disappointments are a part of life and no one can have everything happen their way. I'm just having slight anxiety attacks over packing everything up from H.K. and heading over to the U.K. (as opposed to last time when I left for the U.S.....it was a nightmare getting stuff over there and back after four years), and meeting really smart people. What if I revert back to being antisocial and appear totally daft in front of others? What if my current level of knowledge is not up to par? What if I start having those recurring stutters of mine back in the undergraduate days? ARGHH??? Concerns such as these are normal....right?

My mother also wants to accompany me and my father to the U.K. for the start of term, and whilst I appreciate the sentiment it is also troublesome to have a parent nearby when you're trying to....fit into a new crowd. (E.g. during freshman year she kept asking if I wanted to stay in the hotel with her during the middle of the week, after the term started). I'll regret telling her not to go with me, but I'll also feel obligated to spend the first few days of school with her just because she made the trip overseas. And if I do that, how will I even manage to hang out with fellow classmates? It's not my mother's fault, just that these persistent feelings of guilt [when I can't meet with her] never go away.

Don't even get me started on what will happen if my parents die in the future. Its a mental realm I venture to constantly (not that I want them to die, of course...but it is an inevitable fact that shouldn't be ignored), but end up feeling depressed and scared. It's not the separation that irks me, but the strange feeling of removal of someone from my life. Such morbid thoughts on a Friday....hate to think that stuff would come up on the following Monday.

I didn't share these worries with anyone (because they sound stupid when I voice them out loud), yet I wish someone would just tell me everything will turn out alright. Maybe a bottle of booze (just joking, I don't drink) and some Prozac will be the ones to say it.

Typhoon 8

2008-06-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

Part of a three-image series; the first was Aein (previous post), this one is Blithe Bauhinia, and the last one will be of Edel (in progress). I've changed the clothing design for Blithe again, and it is bound to change as soon as I start having time to sketch about again. Surprisingly enough, even though I've been drawing these dresses for a while, it seems that they've become quite popular this Summer in Hong Kong. Must have been picking up some trends unconsciously or something.

Unfortunately, that is not to say that most of the girls on the streets know how to dress appropriately; often times I run into people dressed like a bad-disco-explosion from the 80s (too many bright colours), and then I see the girls dressed like the 1970s hooker around the corners of Mong Kok. And then there was that atrocious outfit with too many layers; a wife beater over a tee-shirt and jeans, topped with another one piece dress with the wrong proportions. At this point, I'm inclined to think that such fashion crimes are the fault of the clothing makers....for even creating such horrendous articles of clothing and making them accessible to the public.

In other news, a typhoon 8 hit Hong Kong this morning. Evil bastards took the signal down right before noon, so everyone still has to go to work for the afternoon. Not like that affects me (seeing how I'm on Summer vacation), but it was definitely not worth hearing my mother grouch over the entire situation. Can't blame her though, I would have been pissed to learn that I have to go out across the harbour just for a couple of hours of meaningless work. I'm just hoping the typhoon would mean the end of the heatwave plaguing Hong Kong this last weekend.

Blue Skies, Grey Skies, Blue Skies

2008-06-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

Of course, I have been drawing this Summer. I don't think I'll survive if my head was stuck between the pages of a book for an entire day. Anyways, just a picture of Aein in a really strange, twisted style. I'm sort of liking this psychedelic vibe in illustrations right now, so I think I'll just go with the trend. Probably going to leave this one in its b+w format because it just adds to the confusion of which plane goes where...

Also have been catching up on the Soul Eater series. I must admit that the first time I read the manga I wasn't really a fan of the style, but it grew on me. Plus, it is one of those series that transitions so well into animation (seriously, the fight scenes?)...and it helps that BONES is the studio in charge of all the episodes. (Recalling the Eureka Seven series.....one of the best in the 2000s). I drew Kidd on paper, but I ran out of ink so the outline quality is lower per usual.

And...finally.....the work in progress. Haven't done much DGM stuff nowadays, but will definitely get back to it eventually. Actually drew this image before the other two above, but I didn't want to ink it on paper since the lines are bound to come out ragged and too extreme. So thinking about using my Wacom tablet and drawing this on Open Canvas instead (which is going to be so much more time consuming). Gah.

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More graduate school choices have emerged, but I am pretty dead-set on which one I want to go to. Pleased I will be heading to the U.K. because that is where the majority of my friends are, though it is doubtful how often I can maintain this blog once my Masters course starts in the Fall. So I better make use of the time I have the Summer....it feels like a brief bout of freedom before another prison sentence. (Mind you, I actually like learning and studying so I'm grateful for a graduate school opening; I just dislike how institutions limit your use of time by piling as much work as they can on you at the same time).

Eurgh....I can't type too much, my annoying mother is being indecisive about everything and is talking to me non stop.

Black Rainstorm warning

2008-06-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

So my badminton match has been cancelled today, thanks to the black rainstorm warning being announced in Hong Kong. I really want to just don my raincoat and trample outside and get soaked, but my mother is giving me hell at the very mention of the idea-- she doesn't want me to catch a cold. But I'm a twenty something year old person with a decent immunity system. Boo hiss. Kill joy.

Torrents of water coming out everywhere; even bursting out of the sewers themselves. The alternative to running outside in the rain is to stay indoors right and enjoy the scenery...

..and not think about the current global problems. Thing is, I'm physically young so it means I still have a couple of decades to tough things out. And the current state of the environment makes me want to give the planet back to the current generation of older adults and ask for a refund or an exchange. Then again, we young ones did things to pollute as well. Don't get me started on the health of the economy right now. Not the best time to be graduating and looking for work in the U.S.

I wish that I'll become a better adult, the sort that will be good for this planet.
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Ooh, the new album from Weezer was released earlier this month; I totally forgot in the midst of unpacking and sorting my stuff out since getting back from undergraduate studies in L.A. Pork and Beans is a catchy song, but I heard that the album received mixed reviews in general. But burn the music critic, I say! I love the band no matter what they do. I'll prob head out to HMV and buy the disc in a few days....when the weather clears up.

EDIT: Just checked the price of Weezer's Red Album on HMV. Not going to fork out 150HKD when I can buy the same thing for 9.99USD on Amazon (translates to 77.92HKD....without tax. With tax, it is still under 100HKD). To hell with you, HMV. I'll buy the good music elsewhere. I can deal with the wait time during shipping. Waiting doesn't cost me a thing.

Insomnia blues

2008-06-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

An image of Aein and Erebos together. Every now and then I get an urge to draw characters in random clothing from my weird imagination. I have yet to come up with a colour scheme for these outfits, but I'll manage to conjure something up sooner or later.
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Not exactly a high resolution or quality image right now, but the original is pretty big so once I finish I'll use that one instead. For now, this thumbnail will have to do. I don't really know what came over me to draw Kanda in such an outfit or pose, but it's cute. But Kanda is cute as a kid, so what can I say? Can't wait for the new chapter this week.
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Nothing much happening still. Was supposed to do some Anthropology reading, but Thursday isn't exactly a great day for me to work. Ever since I've been back to Hong Kong I haven't been sleeping well. I'm not sure if it is still jetlag, the fact that I've heard a ton of Chinese ghost stories recently, the wooden floors in the house making noises, or the Chinese medicine I've been given to get rid of my abdominal pains. Either way I still wake up in the middle of the night for a toilet run, and then I find myself rolling around in bed wide-awake.

Children are trouble

2008-06-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

A picture of Kanda and Lavi as children (because they're too cut in recent chapters), with a [long-hair!] Allen. Kanda and Lavi are totally manipulating Allen with their pouts and glossy eyes. I always think children cry not because they need to, but because they want to. Certainly was the case when I was young, you can get a lot of angry adults to back off just by working those tear ducts. Fine, maybe not all children are evil; just that I was a conniving child.

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Eurgh, family drama tonight. To be fair, it isn't exactly a 'family' drama as it involves some random git. The bastard ran into my sister's car, and she's trying to get him to pay for damages whereas he just decided to play "missing jackass" with her on the insurance claim. She calls him, he hangs up on her and then pretends that nothing happened. So my sister is going civil lawsuit on his ass.

And my mum just let out another slew of old-fashion 'conservativism' thinking. Apparently something to do with 'internet being evil with those suicide sites' and all, and how 'suicide is a sin and everyone is going to go to hell'. The latter statement I have no empirical data to prove or disprove (or do I even care, since I'm atheist?); the former I can only say two words- first amendment.

Starting to wonder how a conservative mother managed to spring two liberals out of her womb...actually, the bigger question is: does my mother even know what the hell she is saying half the time?

Days Lull By

2008-06-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing new happening as of late, just sitting idly by awaiting news from the graduate programmes I applied to. Turned down two offers today, and I'm not sure if it was a such a good idea to do so...hopefully I'll just plod on ahead and believe that I've made the right decision (I mean, there is no alternative, is there?).

Can't stand living with my parents this Summer, but it can't be helped. I hate the lack of privacy and how my parents assume they know what I'm like (despite popular belief, parents do not know everything). And their way of thinking is so close-minded and "old-school" [mixed in with some persistent racism that still exists in some Asian cultures] that I'm inches away from whacking their heads whenever they express their opinions on current issues. Not saying that my own opinions are any better than theirs; but at the very least I'm willing to listen to others.....my parents are old and stubborn. And treats me like I'm still in effing grade school. No mother, you can't dictate a bedtime for a twenty-something about-to-be-grad-student.

And I hate the fact that they pick on my weight issues. I know I'm not a size 0, and probably not even a 4, but not everyone's skeletal frame is meant to be that skinny. Not every girl wants to look like a washboard/twig/12-year-old-boy. I'll be healthy and exercise, but I'll be damned if I have to starve myself to achieve a decent weight.

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The new DGM volume 15 cover is gorgeous! Would totally buy it if I could venture to Causeway Bay where all the manga shops are. (I like reading manga in its original Japanese text....you lose something with translations).

Before I forget....

2008-05-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Please support the G00 anthology; there are plenty of talented people contributing towards this, and the book is bound to be interesting. Plus, if you like my illustrations, you'll see it inside (shameless plug).

It's even cheaper than most of the doujinshi you'll find online (10USD for the book, 16USD figures in the shipping fee). Seriously, just click the link and find out more!

INDIE!!

2008-05-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

The image I am going to use for the self-profile at the end of the G00 anthology. I was going to draw Tieria again, but I really wanted to try something different and more personal instead. So I'm using two of my own characters, Blithe and Aein. With a trillion daisies. Could have done the flowers using screentones, but then they'll look inorganic and....foreign from the rest of the drawing.

And the actual G00 drawing I am doing on one page. Didn't want to draw an entire comic strip (I knew I was going to be pressed for time), nor did I want to write an essay. I really do admire people who have the dedication and creativity to come up with works like that....as for me, one page is such a drain already. I haven't screentoned this image yet, and hopefully I will get that done soon enough. Yar.
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Finally got my hands on Indiana Jones tickets today. While I must say that the plot was a little bit of a stretch--for crying out loud; it's Indiana Jones! Doesn't have to make much sense. (Plus, with Spielberg in the equation...it was bound to happen). Good to see Harrison Ford back in business with his hat and whip.

Home Once Again

2008-05-25T05:57:00.001-07:00

So I'm finally back in Hong Kong after my little skit in Vegas and L.A.; and I take my words back from my previous post. I don't regret going to the Grand Canyon at all, the scenery was spectacular and the trip very educational.

But it wasn't without its problems. The meeting time for the Grand Canyon tour was 6:15am, and due to late buses; late tour-mates; car crash on the freeway; broken bus; another car crash on the freeway; detours, we got back to the hotel by 11:35pm. Needless to say we were all grumpy and tired at the end of the day, and it didn't help that we were wearing Summer clothing on a desert-cold night.

And right after the heatwave from graduation week, we were greeted with a series of thunderstorms in L.A., which also adversely affected (alliteration!) our flight back to Hong Kong. It was bad enough that LAX is currently undergoing renovation (meaning that half the airport was being taken apart), but the air hostess at the check-in desk was slow as hell , not to mention that there were a trillion children on the airplane with us.

I've even nicknamed the one sitting in front of me 'Damien' (from The Omen), because she wouldn't stop crying....not even to sleep or breathe.

But, one spot of good news is that I got into my graduate school of choice. So it is 'hello U.K.' for me afterall! My grades from my last semester as an undergrad are out, and it's the same as my freshman year; won't reveal what they are, but I'm just extremely pleased. Hyuk.

Surprisingly enough, saying goodbye to my friends in L.A. didn't turn out to be as difficult as I thought it would be. Perhaps I over-prepared myself for this sort of separation, so by the time I actually came around to experience it ...it was just such an 'old' feeling. Or perhaps I've been hanging around my L.A. friends way too often for the past few weeks that I might have 'overdosed' on their company. OR, it could be that they don't seem to regard the finality of my departure from L.A. on the same level as I do, and therefore I don't feel as though they actually will miss me (probably not true, but I can't help but assume at this point right now).
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Is it just me, or are the recent two DGM chapters super amusing? I love the characters so much that even if the plot is sheer crack I'll read it. Plus, having a mini-Kanda in there doesn't hurt.

Travelling

2008-05-19T21:25:00.001-07:00

My paper is done, it has been handed in, my ties with the school are pretty much over in terms of academics. Now I just have to wait for the grades to come out in a week or two.

My parents are in town so everything has become much more hectic. They were helpful on moving-out day, and now my book collection is packed and shipped back to Hong Kong (it was expensive and required much labour, but it is totally worth it. Love you, Stephen Colbert and Richard Dawkins; best authors ever!).

Oh yeah, I've long since moved out of my apartment near campus (that dump!), and surprisingly enough I don't miss living in undergrad housing. I thought I would feel a tinge of nostalgia, remember long summer days laying on the bed looking up at cloudy skies; only that such scenarios never happened. My sophomore summer was spent going to class in record-breaking heatwaves, and my junior summer was packed with my part-time job and my internship. Never even saw blue skies.

And today was my last day on campus and saying goodbyes to my friends over in L.A. I shouldn't blame my parents, but it is awfully difficult trying to take my time and enjoy my 'last moments' when you know you have to rush around and meet their needs as well. The 24 hours in my day aren't meant only for me. At the very least I'll be seeing some people again this summer (professors and classmates) and others in the near future when I go to graduate school. Boo yar!

So, heading to Vegas tomorrow....not drinking, not partying, not going to gamble; not even sure why I am going. But my parents wanted to go to the Grand Canyon and Vegas, so I might as well go with them before I leave L.A. for good. Sort of wish I didn't have to go and sit for a while longer with my university friends, but to sound wise for a moment, goodbyes are inevitable.

Shoot. Still have to finish my doujinshi page for G00.

GRADUATION!!!

2008-05-16T16:48:00.001-07:00

I am now officially the class of 2008!!! (Photos to come later).

I don't feel as melancholy or sad as I did a couple of days ago; and hopefully I won't feel that way again for quite some time.My professors were really nice and said some wonderful things; which made me look forward to whats the come and not always yearn for what I had.

But, the weather was bloody hot, and they made us sit directly under the sun. The Californian sun. The summer Californian sun. I was lucky I put on some SPF50 sunblock; my friend did not and walked on stage looking like a lobster. Eventually we both gave up sitting according to protocol and just ran into the shade and squatting there.

Now, to finish off loose ends...such as papers and goodbyes to people I didn't see today at the ceremony...

Countdown to Graduation: 3 days

2008-05-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

View from old dorm room....I didn't even edit the colouring on this photo. The skies in California are naturally this blue. I won't go into the technical explanation as to why this is (and I learnt about it for an entire semester)...keep some magic alive in this world. Oh wait, I'm sounding like those people who advocate Creationism and ban Evolution from the school curriculum....
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ARGH. Only three days left until I'm booted out of campus! No more roaming the libraries in the morning/afternoon/night (or to sum it up; anytime); no more running to class thinking I'm late; no more half-assing assignments and being splendidly surprised when I'm not placed on academic probation; no more sitting in Commons wondering what the meaning of life is. Now I'll have to wonder what is the meaning of....taxes. Or the meaning of work in a cubicle. Such depressing thoughts. Granted, I've postponed my doom for another year (shimmying off to graduate school), but the inevitable will happen someday. I don't know if I can continue living life if I'm always thinking of such gloomy thoughts everyday. [Someone give me lithium! Just joking]
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Phone interview with graduate school admin went horribly this morning. Not only did I unintentionally make a snide comment (I didn't know how it sounded until it came out! I swear!), I also came across as a rambling fool. I was trying to say too much in too short a period of time because I prepped my answers in advance. Alas, when will I ever learn....ah well, got admitted to two schools, need to hear back from four more....
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Got rid of a stash of my manga today. I didn't throw it in the trash, I donated it to the people [mainly otakus] in my dorm. I didn't want to sell it to other people online, because i)I've read them and ii)even with postage, I can't see how it'll break-even or be cheaper than buying it directly from Kinokuniya. Frankly put, I'm surprised any of them wanted the manga since they're mostly BL- er, of a different genre. But the doujinshi I'm keeping for myself. My mother would have a heart-attack if she ever saw what they were about (key operative here: if). Also sold my television, so it's no Law and Order: SVU for me tonight. I must confess that I find Christopher Meloni to be incredibly awesome. I didn't watch Oz (too poor for HBO), but after seeing screen-captures and reading summaries; he definitely earns brownie points from me. Each time I see him and Hargitay on teevee I'm just cheering "Benson and Stabler!!!" (Yeah, the original Law and Order and Law and Order: CI just doesn't interest me as much).
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Parents arriving to L.A. tomorrow, and I know I need to get myself geared to express an entire range of emotions (and here I thought I was a semi-sociopath...guess only at specific moments). Happy to see my parents; sad to be leaving my friends; annoyed at my mother when she criticizes my apartment; grumpy at my dad for getting us lost on the freeway, then sympathetic to him after mother starts nagging at him; proud when I'm walking across the stage to receive my pseudo-diploma; fearful that my professor would rip my honours sash off and yell that I wrote 40 pages of bull; embarrassed when people offer congratulations; worried about my future; lonely after I see my friends for the last time on campus this Friday.

At least I know I spent my time well with my friends in L.A., so I won't be leaving the city with too many regrets.

However, my biggest regret would be not whooping my roommate's posterior today. She lied through her ass and told everyone she was graduating....walking the ceremony does not equal graduation! And she's staying in the dorm for another 3 days (same as me), because apparently she can't wake up early enough to move out on the actual day she was supposed to...bah. At least I'm 60% packed.

Countdown to Graduation: 7 days

2008-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Just let me wax poetic for a moment. I dug these images up from my freshman stash of photos; all taken from within Parkside (both were taken inside my room, but I was standing at different heights). Freshman year was such a trial; got very depressed... was bitter, resentful, angry...the works. (I shamefully admit that I acted like a spoiled kid back then. My parents deserve some sort of prize for dealing with me over the phone).

L.A. is experiencing some sort of cold front right now, meaning that the skies are gray, and the atmosphere is very depressing. To be honest I like this weather, but it doesn't make for a nice back-drop when it comes to taking photos on graduation day.

I know my parents will insist on taking photos all around campus like tourists....to which I'll have to suck it up and bear with it. I doubt they'll get another opportunity like this; since I don't have any younger siblings and my elder sister managed to miss her graduation by accident (she might try to convince me otherwise; but I found out the truth...from our mother. I love it when siblings try to conceal their shame, only to have them exposed by their parents. This is why I never tell my parents anything).

Eurgh, I hate my graduation gown. I feel like some old-school London streaker/flasher when I'm wearing it over my dress.
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I got an email from one of my library supervisors today wishing me the best of luck. Made me feel much better about leaving everyone I've met over in California in less than two weeks. I just wish I won't become too attached to H.K. afterwards and lack the will to travel across the Pacific Ocean to visit everyone in a few years time (I need to get my ID card renewed in 2014). I've spent my entire childhood traveling from country to country, but I've never thought twice about leaving people behind. Why is this so much more difficult with age?

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Zut. One of my roommates (I know which one; there are four girls, myself included. One doesn't shower so never has the need for a towel; the other is never home. That just leaves one girl left...) stole my towel from the toilet. I don't know what happened to it, but I'm sure it isn't good. My towel has been missing all afternoon, and I've searched my entire closet and laundry hamper but to no avail. I don't want to go through my roommate's stuff so I don't know for sure if they have it or not.

Had to dry myself with a bloody piece of cloth half the size of a standard pillowcase...damn. Not my proudest moment as an undergraduate. Other moments I'm not proud of include:

-telling my mother about my suicidal thoughts only to have her dismissed them, and have her tell me that the remedy to my depression was to "think happy thoughts"
-encounter my 'aunt' (H.K. people would know what this means), and having to improvise with paper towels
-taking toilet paper from the school because our apartment ran out, and we're too cheap to buy a new bunch
-running down the hall to use someone else's toilet at night, because one suite-mate took a mega-dump and clogged BOTH toilets
-getting drunk, singing songs from movies in the 1940s and hugging random passerbys
-crying in class
-crying in the toilet cubicle inside a school building...

...more to come someday. Right now I've damned myself enough.

Countdown to Graduation: 8 days

2008-05-08T21:43:00.001-07:00

A week of no DGM.....and now it's back! Nothing like waiting for new chapter of DGM to make you realize how quickly time flies by.
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Alright, I'm officially unemployed right now. Today was my last day of work (I could have continued working on Friday and Tuesday; but I have an exam on Monday and my parents are arriving on Wednesday, so it isn't a good idea for me to spend too much time at the library making 9USD/hour). I don't think I'll ever find another job where I can take hour-long coffee breaks and still get some money out of it. I'll miss the library; a few supervisors came and said goodbye, but I didn't want to get too mopey and sentimental so I just casually breezed out the doors after exchanging a few words. Sort of regret not being more verbal, but its not as though all of us had daily conversations to begin with.

I seriously doubt I'll be missed though. I was always that creepy girl who never spoke much and made awkward small talk when forced to. Plus, they will have a new batch of workers coming in the fall, and I'll be quickly replaced...

Countdown to Graduation: 10 days

2008-05-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Oh hell, someone stop me before I spend some of my part-time-job-income on Indiana Jones DVDs. I must admit that I'm a closet-enthusiast of the upcoming Indie film; used to watch the movies as a kid and never got tired of any of them (huge rolling stone scene? Classic. Spent hours thinking how the builders even managed to lodge that thing in place for so many years). I would go and watch the new movie on the 22nd if only I didn't have an afternoon flight to catch on the 23rd...so I suppose I'll have to wait until the film is released in Hong Kong. Bummer.

And my Olympus XA2 camera might be dying; the film rewinding mechanism isn't working properly! I had to manually roll the film under my blankets. Plus, some exposure problems as well. There were some snazzy shots from the most beautiful day (lighting was perfect!), and only half of each image can be seen (the other half is over-exposed). Grr. Damn camera did take awesome photos in the past, so I am most reluctant to throw it out. Will post images later.

Not looking forward to seeing parents in town.

Repetoire

2008-05-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Just an image of Erebos 'Nano' Rose and Aein together. One always coughs up blood, the other nosebleeds like no tomorrow. No wonder they make such good chums.
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Yes! thanks to hard work and dedication (or, spending 9 hours straight in the library writing), my thesis is 90%-92% complete! All I need to do is just polish off the conclusion and discussion portions, and tweak the transitions here and there between paragraphs. And then let my professor tear it apart on Monday. Oh joy. Anyways, I admit that I wasn't very specific as to the happenings on Thursday night, but I participated in a long standing tradition at the college I go to; and it was awesome. At first I thought I might have to go through it alone (seeing how I didn't want to get my phone wet so I left it at home...and then I couldn't find my friend at the meeting point because of the crowds), and it is a good thing that I was lucky enough to run into the people I was supposed to. So the last day of classes passed without much incident; except for a slight case of intestinal infection on my part. Funny how I start my freshman year with intestinal infection, and end with the same ailment too. Lets just hope I don't have to rush to the porta-toilet during the ceremony itself. But it was nice to end things quietly on a Friday afternoon having lunch with friends and just chatting away. Some good news would be that I'm getting over my attachment with the campus now. Came to the realization that I don't miss the university itself as so much as the undergraduate lifestyle that went with it. But then we all have to grow up eventually, and better now than never and realize that you missed out on so much more by staying in one spot your entire life. But this doesn't mean I'm not going to cry when I leave L.A. Sob.

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My friends and I were talking today and we agreed that it isn't wrong to hate someone to the point where you actually take delight in their misery and failures in life. Call us horrible people if you will, but what can one do? Damn, thats the situation with my roommate and I right now. Well, I dislike my roommate, and I hate my flatmate. My last flatmate is perfectly fine, and she's a cool person to hang out with.

The other flatmate is an absolute slob, and apparently doesn't like us because we're not the same kind of person she is (replace 'same kind' with 'race'...but I don't want to make her sound like a racist). But my roommate just won't stop bitching about the smell (actually had a breakdown in front of her parents), and since slobby flatmate left for the weekend there really isn't much we can do about it. Drama queens.

Countdown to Graduation: 14 days

2008-05-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

Busy busy week; the last week of school is always hectic. Classes to go to, art projects to finish, essays to write, free lunches to eat, senior undergrad statuses to abuse....

Went to the end-of-year party at my part-time job, and got a free gift. Never realized how much I will miss my supervisors and co-workers until now. Sure, the job was repetitive and boring, and was labour intensive; but I also had a smashing time meeting new people. Plus, what job lets you get away with taking hour-long coffee breaks and lets you throw books into dumpsters? My official last day of work is next Thursday...and after that I'll be unemployed.

And running in water fountains is bloody awesome. The photos of the top are from the event, and I was worried that my camera would die after having water be splashed on it (but it turned out fine!). The water was gross and cold; my clothes are still soaked since last night; I got a few cruises and scratches, but it was totally worth it. Waited four years for this; but now I'm too tired to even move around. (Plus, I ran across campus last night; the most exercise I have had in years). Saw some old freshman/sophomore friends who I fell out of contact with; but thats life. I don't expect myself to be talking to everyone I met throughout my life.

Also, I picked up my cap and gown, and I feel like an oversized Batman. I swear the guy who measured my head wasn't looking at the tape measure properly; the cap is a little too tight, and makes my skull look super elongated (conehead!) But I felt a surge of smug satisfaction when a girl claimed that her head was big....and she only had a 7" skull! My head beat hers in terms of size.....(and probably ego).
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Now I have to finish my thesis before next week and have it proof-read and fixed. Need to revise for my exam, though I couldn't really care less how I do now. Need to buy a proper outfit for graduation.

Countdown to Graduation: 17 days

2008-04-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Ah, here is an image I will never finish. I started this early 2007, but I kept changing the character designs over time and now...this is seriously out-of-date. Edel has shorter hair and looks more masculine, and Aein has a straight fringe and an asymmetrical hairstyle. But the colour scheme has remained the same.

I'm also doing a Gundam00 doujinshi page....must start now. Check out the Gundam00 Livejournal page for more information!