Winter 2009

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

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

Roundabouts

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

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

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

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...