There's a bug in my soup...

Well, not exactly soup. And not exactly a bug.

I was having lunch just now with Jun, Daniel and Beng, digging into my porridge and yakking away on our usual nonsense.

Suddenly i bit on something like plastic after scooping it into my mouth. I lost it while chewing so i dug around my mouth with my tongue. Found that plastic-feeling piece of thing and eventually took it out with my fingers.

Loooo and Behoooold.....

A cockroach leg...

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By now i suppose you would assume that i would throw up the contents in my mouth, vomit everything into the toilet bowl, and make a hell of a commotion.

Didn't happen though unfortunately. I just chewed the remaining porridge in my mouth, swallowed it, left the leg on the table, and asked Beng to summon the boss.

I was quite surprised at my own neutrality towards this. I always assumed that if i found something gross in my food i would totally freak out and make a big boo boo about it. Turns out i was pretty calm.

Though i didn't bother finishing my almost empty bowl of porridge. I fished around the remaining contents to see if there were any other parts of the cockroach. Fortunately nothing else. I do pay attention to each spoon i put into my mouth so i don't think i ate the body. Besides i didn't feel anything crunchy.

So anyway, the boss arrived, i showed her the leg, pointed to my porridge, told here that was where i found it, and asked her to check the remaining pot in the kitchen for any traces of cockroach. She scooped off the cockroach leg with tissues, apologized and walked off for a bit.

Later she came back with my refund (which i tried to refuse) and apologized profusely although i really didn't mind. I just had to ask her to double check that pot of porridge again.

Wow, something interesting actually happens to me. Now i have experienced first hand how it was like to have a cockroach leg in my meal. No sarcasm intended. Tastes and feels like plastic...

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Vunderful...

My Desktop Computer dieded on 27/07/09 which was just last night. There goes spamming my favourite songs while i work. Somehow it always gives me problems towards the busiest moments of my semester. Fortunately i always do my TOA related work on my laptop. There goes producting new CGs for a time...

I left/lost my pencil case full of my trusty art tools at Zhia's Kitchen today for lunch. I hope it's still there tomorrow hopefully kept by the staff.

I made a stupid mistake of outlining my strokes before printing my SpongeBob packaging. I lost the bone design i did for the border of the back flap in the printing. Sigh i'm gonna just hand it in since it costed me some money there.

I can't really do simplified figures now that my tools are missing. I have to dig out some scraps of stationary that i have stashed somewhere to resume.

Stress is building up since the final assignments are all pilling in. I'm not good at handling stress eversince the days at Monash. Bear with me if i accidently yell at you or give you cold shoulders. I'm not in the bests of mood now.

Gone were the days

Gone were the days that being virtuous was a natural inherent thing for us human beings. Neighbors constantly watch your back, strangers lending hands to one another with no qualms, less incidences driven on by greed by taking what is rightfully not yours, just to cite a few examples.

Now it is a big surprise for you to see be able those things again. Some of us barely know our own neighbors. Why so? because it is not the norm anymore and everyone is suspected of doing us harm instead. We have grown wary of our surroundings; constantly on guard for unscrupulous beings.

Is it right to say society shaped us into what we are today?
but why let society shape you?
We shall shape the society instead.
Much like "Ask not what the government can do for you, Ask what you can do for the government."

It might not be much, but we need to start somewhere.
Make it a point to be the change you want to see, although the rest of the rat race is otherwise.
Sometimes a small change is what it needs to start the ball rolling.
And that small change might be you...

Ghosts...

Ah, i was suddenly interested in bringing this up.

I do believe they exist around us all the time, it is whether we are blessed (or cursed) to be able to see them. I choose to think of it as a parallel world or one of a different dimension. I am fortunate that i have not been graced or even encountered one in my years of life up till now. I hope there isn't an exception to my future. I respect its existence and dare not challenge it although i am quite a scientifically rationale person.

Truth is, i am very afraid of such things. It is natural for humans to fear the unknown. In my case i have always been exceptionally paranoid and afraid of ghosts. I used to recall having to sleep with my parents for a week as a child after watching horror movies. Sometimes even longer. I was a kid that was very, very, afraid of the dark and always had to sleep with a night lamp.

Even though i was sharing rooms with my bro back then, i was always afraid once the lights went off at night. I slept at the bottom bunk of the double deck bed and usually my mind goes wild when i lay on it, thinking about the things lurking beneath the void of my bed. I know it was all imagination but i felt afraid and lay very still each night, willing myself to doze off.

To further bring in proof of my paranoia, going into a room with no one by myself IN MY OWN HOUSE was enough to scare me. I always found the lights switch pronto, say a little prayer for myself and got in. Darkness scares the hell out of me. I hallucinate that at anytime ghosts appear in front of me unbidden.

Also my old house used to be quite small. At night when i worked on my pc in the 2nd floor out in the hall, i am very afraid of the stairs behind me when no one is downstairs anymore. The darkness beneath scares me that i have to look over my back occasionally to assure myself. And let me tell you that i was at about 18-20 of age. I guess the passing of my grandad years before then did nothing to sooth my nerves. I told myself it was silly of having to fear the presence of my own imaginary grandad but i still freak myself somehow.

I did eventually get out of this fear of darkness, but horror movies and stuff related to horrors are a no-go for me. I will feel really uncomfortable for a few days to weeks after watching em. I am almost practically immune to gore and blood, but ghosts? nuh uh. Still scares the shit out of me kthanxbai! If i had a girlfriend and we somehow ended up watching horror movies, i will be totally hopeless in trying to act brave. Instead high chance i would be the one hiding my head in her fair bosoms, weeping like a little terrified child. (and taking advantage)

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I have heard stories of people having the '3rd eye' which enables them to see ghosts. Some used to have it when they were kids and eventually grew out of it. Some got it after getting into accidents. Some just have it all the time and choose to remain quiet about it.

I can't imagine myself being able to see them all the time. I will freak out maximus. I am curious though, how would those who can see ghosts since they were born feel about it. Numb? Normal like breathing? or is that why we have mad people around?

So to wrap this up, i think i have given more ammunition to people who want to seek revenge on me. Don't say that i'm not kind enough to let you know what gets to me. But i wont go watch horror films with you willingly. Not unless you tie me up and drag me there, to which you can try.

Enjoy first, Die later

Well, yea. I had a good time at Daicon during the weekend last week, and now i'm suffering like shit trying to catch up on the work i had not done or touched at all.

You see, last week on Saturday and Sunday there was an ACG event (short for Anime, Cosplay, Games) at Cyberjaya. More precisely in MMU. I was there with my bro and he was the camera man for 2 days. He finds nothing interesting out of these events and so, proceeds to ask me why i always find it enjoyable to attend it from the time it starts till the end.

Why? I wasn't so sure myself until i gave it some thought. I guess it's due to the fact that people attending this event smells the same as me. And when all of us gather at the same place at the same time, i seem to resonate accordingly and in perfect harmony with the surrounding 'chi' on the molecular level. It is a pleasant feeling that i cannot describe. Much like i think if you hang out in the library you naturally want to study sort of thing.

That is not the only reason though, i like to meet a new pool of art talents related to my hobby and at the same time, inspire those starting out to follow onto my footsteps. It is nice to see that my amateur-ish works help inspire some of the budding artists who want to take onto manga-style art. Also, when i sell my wares (which this time around are only badges) i love to see the happy faces my customers have. I guess that is why i love doing what i'm doing.

Also, during such events, i do not have to worry about restraining and composing myself from acting like a moron and idiot. No one judges the way you act as they too, let go of their reigns. Sometimes i like looking at what embarrassing things some people might do and laugh out thinking to myself that i would not repeat what he/she did. I think the same happens when i do something outrageous as well :P (well it's contageous)

Neways, nothing much happened on day 1 except my badges of 75 were sold till 9 were left. Also i discovered some people have weird commission tastes. Here is what i meant.

Rei Ayanami from Evangelion doing a Kamen Rider 'Henshin' or transformation pose. -_-;;

Slightly more stuff happened on day 2. I joined a character design art competition. Didn't win as usual but i'm still pretty happy with my own stuff. 2nd and 3rd place was taken by my Kamcao doujin group members :)

I dunno what happened to the original prize, which was supposed to be airbrushes, i heard rumours that it got stolen. So they got cash instead ;A; *screams silently in jealousy*

3rd place by Daniel Lee. Didn't snap the other works sorry ^^;;

my entry, well...sorta reused but yea i love this design. I broke the rules which was why i assumed i missed the chance to grab a position :P (I'm just blowing my ego up to feel better orz) Wasn't supposed to depict religious-related material which i did with the wings and halo. bleh.

After the competition was the arrival of the 'Seiyuu' (voice actor) Chihara Minorin at around 3.30pm for her concert. She voiced acted Chiaki from the anime Minami-ke, Yuki Nagato from the anime "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi", and etc. I wasn't particularly interested but i guess this is the closest thing i would come to attending a 'concert'. I didn't get special tickets to see her upclose but it was good enough all the way back at the hall. I had some friends who managed to secure tickets and ended up having sexy voices after screaming throughout the concert.

Somewhere along the concert, Chihara used Chiaki's voice and said "Malaysia saiko da bakayarou" which meant "Malaysia is awesome, Idiot!". Many took it as an insult because they did not understand that she was voicing and playing out Chiaki's role lmao. Research up people if you are true fans xD.

Back to the weekly routine of unlimited home works.
I am the bone of my pencil...Over a thousand prons i have drawn...Unlimited HOMEWORKS.

i need a break...

I AM THE HAMMER!

Well, remember the bitching i did about not winning contests at this entry? >>> here-we-go-again

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GUESS I JUST BROKE THAT CYCLE AND STRUCK GOLD!!!
Literally struck GOLD!!

holy sh...

'I am The Hammer. I am the sword in His hand. I am the Gauntlet about His fist. I am the Bane of His foes and the woes of the treacherous. I am the End.' ~Grey Knights

Sob, it was certainly overwhelming when i found out about it. Tricia was even more excited than i was when she gave me a ring on Wednesday to congratulate me. She congratulated a very blur me before telling me that she saw my name on the list of gold medalists xD

"Many, many heartfelt Thanx to all who sms-ed/called me to give your congrats to me m(_ _)m"

The impact didn't really sink in until my slow brain took a couple of minutes to digest what i just heard. Then i was shaking uncontrollably with excitement lol. I was finally able to taste the experience of achieving something i have longed for for so long. After those relentless and bitter past track records of failing that i had T_T finally....

My 2nd entry.
Poor Midnight Carnival didn't manage to bag anything. xD

It must be partly due to those numbing experiences that drove me to never give up, to further outdo my previous selves. Like what Kin Sun said, what's more important is that each new piece that you work on, make sure that it is a little-teeny-weeny-bit better than the previous. Gradually time will bear the fruits of labor.

Of course, although i did manage to snatch the gold medalist title for Manga Illus category, i am far from remaining content. I know that i am still very 'amateur-ish' and that there is a lot of room for improvement (a room as big as the universe). Looking at this piece now i feel that the judges must have made a mistake to have awarded my sub-par work with a gold. Nevertheless, i am thankful for the opportunity they have given me.

The day i entered The One Academy has been a day of blessing (as well as a sweet torture). I am very fortunate to have my family's support for me in this eccentrical line that i am towing. I will treasure and cherish the skills/knowledge that i have gained in my endevour here, be it bitter or sweet. It feels good to be reminded that it is through a conscious choice on my own part that i am still where i am today.