Saturday, December 29, 2007

Art In Me...

Recently like I have said, there have been a spark that is tingling around my mind especially in the area where art ideas and interests are coming from. Part of the reason is I was fortunate enough to meet two things in my life recently. One living, one well... not alive you might say. First would be a book, I've never said anything about it before but there are a few artists, whether it may be fantasy artists or comic artists, but there are a few of them that I really really admire and I do follow their work. No... I don't remember their titles and stuff, but just from looking at them I know it's their work.


One of them would have to be Alex Ross. There really is no set of words that can describe his work. Basically he is a comic book artist, or rather a comic book painter to be more specific. The interesting thing that sparked my interest is his airbrush works. Seriously, you have not seen The Flash, Shazam, Justice League and many other famous characters till you see his artwork. Most of the time, they pretty much look alive as if it was a photo. I remember when I first see his work it took me a while to realize they were drawn and colored instead of a photo with effects. Really really amazing artwork from him.
Some example artwork in Wiki

Second guy would be Imperial Boy. Nope it's not his real name... d'oh. I am not very sure what his real name is, been looking for it but failed. Probably because I don't read Japanese. Yup the guy is a Japanese manga artist. His work is breathtaking and detailed, the colors are usually very milky soft tones, Wow... just wow. Basically what really makes me go nuts over his work is the background. His landscape and background work is amazing. Usually his artwork consist of characters drawn in a pretty normal and dull way but the background is simply amazing which really makes me speechless sometimes. Now when I say drawn in a pretty dull and normal way doesn't mean his character sucks, just that his landscapes/scenery/background really just makes me speechless each time. In fact I stumbled upon some of his work in a famous book that I wanted so badly last time in MPH. Bought it and it was great. The book is titled Robot Volume 2. Basically it's a collection of works by many young current manga artist with they really really really amazing work.
Some example of his work in Wiki
Some example artworks from robot magazine/book
Another site with robot magazine/book stuff



Another artist caught my attention recently and I have practically downloaded his tutorial videos and I watched it and it was really really great. The guy I am talking about is Carlos Cabrera. Practically the guy does digital artwork mainly most of the ones I saw was using Photoshop. Really amazing work. Most of his videos which are an hour to two hours long shows how a blob of nothingness turns to an amazing art. Don't really know much about him but he seems to have a lot of projects from pretty famous companies. Some of his works are in fact for games and advertisements. His works are usually concept art, fantasy themed, monsters etc. That kinda stuffs. And the artwork really looks amazing.
Example of his artworks in his portfolio

I wish I am as good at these artists. Hopefully one day. Living here, specifically in this country really doesn't spark much motivation for me to come up with ideas on what to draw in the first place. I don't know why but everything seems so geometrically straight and dull and artificial. I want curves and a sense of nature. But then I still try my best to get myself going sometimes. Just want to be a bit more hardworking in it, that's all I ask for.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Friends...

Strangely enough being someone who rants a lot about how bad I am treated by my friends, I haven't spoken to them much lately. Maybe it's the fact that have practically cut any form of connection with them whether they noticed it or not. Maybe it's for the better. Who am I to be sure of such a complex matter in life.


Even though I have had friends since I was small, I have only known the true stripes and fangs of friends in the recent years. Yet it doesn't make me someone who is less hurt by them. Over and over I have fallen in the depths of the pit of despair and disappointment. Foolishly I still climb up and took a dive into it again over and over. It makes me wonder to what point my tolerance for pain is. At what point will I say stop and start revolting against what pain that is coming towards me.


I have witness so much but am still unable to get the facts right till now. Recently I have learned that couples and friends don't really mix that well. I don't really think that I have a sense a jealousy for couples that I know of. Strangely enough I have witness it countless amount of time where friends who are already a couple acts cold towards me compared to the time when they needed me. It saddens me, it really saddens how much they have actually forgotten about me. But I will just leave it at that as I still owe lots of my friends that does not give me any privileges whatsoever to sad anything bad about them as it would only make me more depressed for doing just that.


Lately I stumbled upon someone who posted up a question in a forum. He/she asked "Can friends be forever?". Being someone who have gone through quite a number of them I would have to say sadly no. Although I would wish for friends that are forever, it just isn't possible when people start rambling on about how I should just let things be and how I should move on with my life. What kinda cheap getaway card is that?


Upon reading more and more of the nonsense people reply to the kid, I took notice of one which kinda sounded practically like what I have been through. I started with a fairly large group of people. In the early days, everyone was fragile. We had nothing except in the right hand was the faith towards a God and on the left was a hand of another friend. Years passed, what was needed have been achieved, rewards came in abundance and the only way to carry the reward was to let go of one of the items in the hand. Did they let go faith or did they let go someone? I am not sure. That is really up to them to decide.


Some met new people to hold on to. I don't want to be the mean selfish guy to say WTF cause I don't have the right to do so cause it's their life. In fact most of the time I am pretty much happy for them. But the fact that they let go of me just doesn't make sense at all. What makes it even worse is that the reasons that is given is just out of this world sometimes.


Personally I don't think I am much of a guy worthy of friends. I don't like to talk much but I am pretty sure I am a good listener. I have goods and bads. But recently I felt a little disgusted by myself. The feelings I have seems to lead me to think of myself as slowly trying to make people around me feel the same pain as I do. I think from all the values (not the good ones) that I have gone through about myself tends to show that I have become somewhat of a lone ranger with heck of a lot of bad luck mixed into me. I recalled a certain character in a supernatural chinese show once. This character was fated to not have friends and close ones and anyone close to him will fall into despair. Being the hero of the story he lived a live of solitude ensuring that everyone is saved from the curse that I am pretty sure he didn't ask for.


Maybe I am something like that. I do notice people around me being in despair. Maybe subconsciously I have pushed away every single one of my friends away for the very same reason. Okay it's getting late and I don't want to drag people into a load of nonsense that might pop up in my mind. Long story short, I hate people these days, I hate how they are so selfish, I hate the stupid reasons they give me, I hate the fact that they only come to you when they are in need, I hate the fact that they don't contact me anymore, I hate it when there is nothing I could possibly do, I hate the fact that they don't understand me, I hate the fact that I get blamed for every possible reasons that the relationship between me and them have gone sour, I hate the fact that they don't take notice of the situation that is happening in front of them and they don't realize it, I hate the fact that I can't do a thing about it and the only thing I could possibly damn do is to avoid everyone and avoid the whole confrontation whatsoever, I hate the fact that we never get to discuss this, I hate the fact that the only things that we ever talked about was not even of slightest importance compared to the debate of what toppings I should put on my hotdogs, I hate the fact that I knew them, I hate the fact that for everytime you said you were hurt the same way I did, I was hurt 10 times more, I hate the fact that whenever I have something to say you were not there to listen, I hate the empty promises you gave me, I hate all the fake smiles you gave me, I hate the fact that there a knives behind my back and they belonged to you, I hate the fact that you went away without saying a word, I hate the fact you went away, I hate the fact that the more I hate you the more I felt bad, I hate the fact that I have to be the one to notice it all, I hate the fact that everything wrong in the world is caused by me, I hate the fact that those who are closer to me hurts me more without even noticing it, I hate the fact that there is just so much I have hated over the past years, that writing it all down here is just a waste of time cause one way communication never did, is or will ever work.


The fact that I am still alive right now shows that I am in denial and you are being ignorance regarding the matter.

People That Ticks Me Off...

I didn't want to mention this since I have been pretty much in a good mood lately but then again some things are meant to be said... some people just have to do the dirty work. Anyhow, there is just this couple of people, I am not saying who but then again I think it involves a lot of "outsiders". Now I am not saying this particular group of people are bad and you should have a bad impression of them but rather a few of them that make the whole group looks bad.


I came home from work today feeling lucky cause I manage to avoid a downpour by a mere couple of seconds. Pressed the elevator button and waited patiently for the elevator to come and came this guy with both his hands full of stuff. When the elevator came I pressed the button for my floor and being the nice person and goodie goodie guy I am lately, I ask which floor he wants to go to. He said something which I didn't quite catch in the beginning. So I said "I'm sorry, what?". I am not sure whether he was intentional or not but he kinda raised his voice when he replied me "ONE". Okay there are just two things that are simply wrong here. Grammatically, it should be "first floor" but I would accept "one" if he would just be a little nicer when freaking replying. Sheesh.


Next is the people who ruin the nice looking lines. These people tend to not understand what a line is. Well being the goodie goodie person I am (not), a line is a formation of people one beside another or one after another. What I can't seem to understand is what is so hard for people to understand that when you trying to get any services and there is like more than yourself, you freaking get in line. Lately, I've been taking bus a lot and for some reason everytime, I must say congratz to some Malaysians who actually automatically without even noticing forms a line and obediently wait for their turn. Then comes THOSE people, walks straight to the front and looks at you blankly as though they don't know what a line is. Now I am not trying to be high almighty, I do cut lines myself at times but then again when it comes to normal situations, it really puzzles me why is it so hard to understand what lining up meant to these people. Then one day I finally notice some little teeny tiny evidence of the reason why. I don't remember which newspaper I read but according to guy who wrote the article, he encountered somewhat of a rush hour when going on a train overseas (I refuse to disclose the exact location) and practically he experienced what it is like to get into one of those train which involves lot of pushing and being pushed around to an extreme level I might say. Maybe it's normal overseas, I am not sure but then there is there and here is here, I think everyone should respect the people and the place they are at.


And lastly, smokers and loud talkers. Trust me there are more but I rather not think about it right now cause it spoiling my mood more and more every second. There seem to be a bunch of people who smokes and puffs like a factory chimney and blowing their smoke into people's face without a sense of any human-like rationality. I don't know what is in their mind. I don't even want to know but for goodness sake please blow it back into anywhere else but everyone around you. Next are loud talkers. Honestly I think two things are wrong here. First, my bad for not being able to understand what they were saying since it's a foreign language. Secondly, please for God's sake pipe it down a little. Goosh, it really feels like I am right in front of an amp sometimes when a pair of them talks loudly like nobody's business. This my friend is called noise pollution and personally I haven't not witness it till recently and I regret withnessing it. At first I thought hey this people are cool, they are practicing freedom. Freedom my a$$. Honestly I felt like shoving my shoe up both the smokers' and loud talkers' mouth. Then again I would end up having to go back home with a sore eye and barefoot.


Sigh I guess this is life. I just accept what happens in my life no matter how bad as somewhat of a test of faith for me. Nope I am just not the religious type that praises Him ever so often but rather someone who appreciates what is in store for me by Him. Somehow I think I have taken so much blow from Him or maybe not Him but from someone, that I have become totally numb and unable to return fire. Heck I even say thank you and remember them as if they happened yesterday. Reminds me of what my friend used to say "I can forgive you but I will never forget what you did". Somehow it all make sense now.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Holiday... Not... Kinda

Well I am back from my four days holiday. Sad thing is my leave haven't cleared till now. Oh well it doesn't seem to be my problem now since my leave was neither approved nor rejected. I am guessing the guy who is suppose to approve my one teeny tiny day of leave had not been around since Hari Raya Haji. So basically there weren't much I can do. I had to buy tickets and whether he rejected that leave or not I have actually already taken it. Too bad for the guy. Not really sure what happened to the guy though. Before the holiday I heard one of my colleague asking the admin people about how was he or something. Not sure. Didn't bother with other people's problem.


My four days were OK I guess. Started with a whole half an hour or more of sunbathing... in the bus when the Penang Bridge was in a heavy jam. Cars were piling up a couple of miles back from the toll booth. Thank God for godly bus driver, we managed to get through pretty fast after that.


Got to see my nephew and my parents. Somehow my nephew got pretty excited over a Rubik's cube I brought home. He don't know how to solve it but then again he is pretty amazed and announced it's his. Of course I am not giving him that. I just let him play with it. According to my parents, he is starting primary school like in a week or two. Good luck to him. He is gonna need it. Though I feel that he is a bit not ready for that. Oh well, we'll see.


Had a pretty relaxing days at home. Went for church on Sunday with my parents. The church seems to celebrate two occasion. The Sunday before Christmas and also on Christmas day itself. So there are two service that is pretty important I guess. Ate a lot during the 3 days I was there. Had fun.


Finally the big incident happened on if I am not mistaken, Monday. Basically my house have been having lots of power disturbance like lights flickering as though there is not enough voltage. If I am right on Sunday when my mom switched on the fan, there was this terrible burnt smell of plastic or something rubber. Quickly we offed everything and try to pinpoint the smell. Seemed to be coming from the switches. On the next day when we came back I noticed a red/orange colour light coming from the main fuse beside the meter. I thought "Hmm I never notice that light before. Maybe it's suppose to show that there is voltage or something" and never really took notice of it.


Until my dad notice it and said that it was not suppose to be lit. And instantly my dad went and meddle with it and the so-called "light" came off and dropped on the floor. Turns out it's not a light or LED but rather it was heated wire. The wire was not fixed properly that there might be possible sparks generating between the wire and the place its suppose to be tightly connected to. So much sparks that the wire heated up to a red and amber colour. Meaning it was pretty hot that the wire actually melted when my dad meddle around with it. So we called the TNB people and got them to fix it. So far everything seems fine.


Super dangerous if you would imagine a family going out of town for a couple of days with this condition. The whole place would have burnt down or something. If I am not mistaken if it's heated more and more maybe the rubber coating or plastic cover or anything flammable might catch on fire. Seriously dangerous.


Holiday officially ended today. I sat on an early morning bus back to KL. Slept most of the way back. Pretty good sleep I guess since I stayed up quite late watching TV. I don't get the previlage to watch TV when I am here. So yeah it was worth it. More to write but this is getting too long.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Rubik's Cube...

Must stop playing my rubik's cube... Who would have thought a combination of 25 small cubes with 6 colours and a couple of guides and tries would make this so addictive. I just spend 3 - 4 hours playing around with it just now. Somehow I finally caught the idea of how to solve it. Thought I am not yet 100% sure.


Maybe it's my nature of being someone who likes routines, rules and perfection that makes the mere cube make of plastic and coloured by stickers be so much more addictive than the Epilogue mission I forgot to play in one of my PC games. I just can't stand the cube sitting there in it's stand unsolved. I have to make it all same color.... I must...

Monday, December 17, 2007

Weekends Over...

As predicted my weekend came and gone by faster that I can say the word "Weekend" itself. I spent the whole Saturday afternoon shopping and walking around buying unnecessary things. Oh I bought myself a Rubic's Cube (or Rubix). Always wanted to have one of that. Finally solved it for the first time just now at night. Pretty satisfying feeling.


Anyways after the shopping spree, my friends fetched me back to their place. Pretty neat place I would say. Not a big place but pretty homie and boy do they have lots of stuff to meddle around with. Nintendo Wii (sadly didn't get the chance / don't have the mood to play), a gaming laptop, my own Nintendo DS, so much... too much. Surprisingly when I have so much to choose from I don't have the mood to play. I ended up playing around with the laptop a while and was playing my DS before I went to bed. I guess I am getting too old for these stuffs... soon.


The party was OK I guess. A lot to eat but I am the shy type that I end up eating not as much as I am suppose to *ahem*. But it was fun seeing them playing with the games and stuff. The parents were very sporting indeed. The next day was pretty much a waste of time in their house. Watched Star Dust... again.... for me. But it was pretty good.


You know it's funny that I always thought people actually wakes up like 6am or 7am in their house. As in old people, parents, etc.; I always assume they wake up early. Maybe it's due to the fact that my parents do that like everyday. But seems like most people like to spend their weekends sleeping till later and waking up and relaxing which I think my parents should do once in a while! Anyways, got up pretty early, waited for the rest to wake up, then this guy, I didn't manage to ask who the heck that person was... I am assuming the brother or cousin or something, quite of age looking, but wakes up to watch cartoons on TV. Then later on the rest woke up. And ended up having brunch(I think) of leftovers from lastnight and waited till they going Cyberjaya so that I can catch a ride with them.


Quick and painless weekend I guess. Got my sweet phone. Everything is working fine. I finally manage to configure everything properly today. Including the EDGE and GPRS and MMS and all the crap and also including the software to transfer stuff to and from my PC. Everything is working fine.


Rubik's Cube is evil I tell you. It's somewhat awfully addictive to a certain point. Maybe it's just my nature of being someone who don't like something to be disorganized and "not solved". I ended up watching shows halfway and solving it a little and alternately doing so. Cause my hands... they just felt so itchy... can't stop solving...

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Weekend With My Phone...

Finally I am off the chains of the week days. This week really felt weird. I felt like I was tight up with nothing but air. Kinda hard to explain. But it's this feeling that you get when you know something bad is going to happen and your heart is already racing, you're breathing heavily, clenching your teeth trying to expect something bad to happen. Then the feeling was gone suddenly... Feels weird, feels like I am a paranoid freak.


Weekend is gonna be awesome. This week is my friend's birthday and the girlfriend is like throwing a small party. Sweettt... nah. Not the party. I am not a party guy. Plus it's not going to be one of those crazy party anyways. Sweettt.. cause I am going to see my new phone. Awesome. Finally found a way to actually get it from my friend. Else I wouldn't have know when to meet up and get it. Going to be great. Plus I think I will end up playing lots of games there or something. (Gamer fan's house... what to do)


Personally I don't like birthday parties. Mainly, as someone who is going to something like this I felt kinda bad not bringing anything. And there is like a whole lot of people. I'm not talking about this current party. I am just talking about the past parties and gatherings. After so long and people still don't get it that I am not comfortable with crowds and playing stupid games and doing stupid activities with them. Those so-called activities that just supposedly would gurrantee a more enjoyable party which usually backfires when it doesn't get the proper response from the people who are at the party.


I mean come on... once in a while you get the chance to hang out with people you like and please and comfortable with... you don't wanna be playing silly games. You want some time to catch up on stuff. Listen to people's amazing life stories. Telling lousy lame life stories. Lying about how OK you are. Whatever it may be, I really hate having those silly stuffs in parties and I will never get why they actually included them in parties in the first place.


Maybe that's just me, I don't know. Personally as someone who is pretty average anti-social lifestyle, the moment I get the chance to meet people I am comfortable with, all I wanna do is to catch up on stuff and I don't really care much about how the party is going. I guess I am more of a one to one person or one to a small group person. Oh well... better get ready.