Left to my own devices

2008-10-28T03:19:00.000-07:00

l>r: • The street of Hanoi • Pork seller

l>r: The famous weasel poo coffee

l>r: • The streets of Hanoi

l>r: • My first beer, Beer Hanoi. • The street of Hanoi

l>r: • The streets of Hanoi

2006-12-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

Year End Blabbering
Hard work and reward really work well with each other. Reward doesn't mean so much if we didn't work hard for it. This December, I experienced this bitter sweet combination more than once.

Firstly, it was joining the 24-Hour Comic Challenge. To register as a participant was already a tough decision to make. Factor like 24 pages including plotting, scripting and lettering was indeed impossible to my ability (I have been known as a really slow artist among my peers). I don't want to end up not able to complete the task or come up with such a rush job that is too embarrassing to look at later. But there is a voice inside keeps telling me I should take part. Its a tug of war between "meaningful event for a comic book artist" vs "can I endure this physically". As I spoke to the organizer WK Wong, he struck me with a very important point that pushed me to my final decision, if I don't do it now, its even tougher for me physically next year. I don't want to end up always thinking "I should have joint it the 1st time when I was still young enough". So I signed up.

To follow the rules of 24-Hour Comics, all I will bring to the challenge was a mindful of idea and a timetable. The event starts at 3pm, 16 Dec, 2006 and ends on 3 pm the next day. Here is my plan, from 3 to 7 pm is to plot, script and scamps for all 24 pages. 7 to 8 pm, dinner break. 8 pm to 3 am, complete the 1st 14 pages(half an hour a page). 3 to 6 am, sleep. 6 to 7 am, page 15 and 16. 7 to 8 am, breakfast. 8 to 12 noon, page 17 to 24. 12 noon till 1 pm, lunch. 1 to 3 pm, touch up and finishing. The only thing I did as preparation was timing myself to finish a sample page within half and hour. The result was not a bit rough but its enough to tell a story so I am happy with it. I was getting really nervous as the day approached because all I have is nothing more than a plan.

As the clock starts sharp at 3 pm on that day, I noticed most artists has started drawing while I am still writing away. Took me 3 hours to get all the script and plot line fitted into the 24-page layout. Thank God its worked out alright, I would be in deep trouble if the story doesn't work out in the end because I don't have time for a re-do. First part of my plan has passed with an extra hour(6 to 7 pm) so I decided to draw up the panels in my actual pages. Most spectators were puzzled by my action because all artists have been doing lots of pages by now while I was just drawing up empty boxes. 7 to 8 pm, dinner time. Had a good chat (and a beer) with Sunder, took longer than I thought, came back at 830 pm. Starts penciling. I realized that it would be smoother if I penciled all the pages instead of pencil and ink one page at a time, so the plan has to change a bit. To break down the time of 30 minutes to complete a page, now I have 15 minutes pencilling and 15 minutes inking and lettering. As it passed 2 am, 11 hours into it, migraine has took over my left brain, the pain even spread to my left upper jaw. It was quite dreadful. I have to gave up the plan of drinking the benedictine or essence of chicken I brought along to give me extra boost. I got my relieve by downing cups and cups of plain water and made the runs for the wash room. By 3 am, I have penciled all 24 pages plus inked and lettered 4 pages. As I am still on schedule, I decided to go for my sleep. Most of the artists are still drawing at that time. Cedric was a bit worry when I told him I got to take a nap. He was even worrier when I told him I will sleep until 6 am because I have only completed 4 pages so far. I slept for an hour and won't be able to continue. So I decided to go back and draw.

From 4 to 6 am, I was inking by half an hour a page but told myself to take it easy since this was my sleep time. After 6 am, which I was suppose to be back on full force, I noticed that I can't go any faster than half an hour per page. The thing was, I forgot to calculate the deteriorating rate of my physical self in my plan. No time to think too much, I continue to finish the remaining pages(18 more to go). Breakfast with fellow comrades Alan Quah and Sheldon Goh. I have so much in common with Sheldon(who won the second prize) as both of us have a full time job and only scraping up some spare time here and there to draw. Its even tougher for him as he has kids to take care off as well. Back to the drawing board after bread and coffee, timing already off according to my original schedule though. By 1 pm(if according to my original schedule, I would have completed and had lunch as well) I still have 4 more pages to go so I decided to skip lunch. It has been a record for me by then because I only slept for 1 hour for the pass 22 hours! I never been drawing non-stop for so many hours in my life. All of this was not possible if I didn't have 19 other artists to do it with me, really.

On to the last 2 pages, my thumb was too sore and its not bendable! My hand was trembling and I felt really sick of drawing. The last to pages was the toughest. I am so glad that I managed to get it all done by 2 pm. I must add that one of the best thing I did earlier(by accident) was to complete the last page first. I did that while drawing the second and third page because they were the same scene. So when I was on my 22 page, my immediate thought was there are 2 more to go but later realized that page 24 is already in the can really boost up my speed towards the finishing line.

By 230 pm, I have cleaned up the pages. Must apologize for creating a tremor when I was erasing the pencil lines off the pages. Next time, I would like to suggest to the organizer to leave a small gap between tables. As I handed in my works, I and walking towards the wash room, like a soundtrack that played by an orchestra, it it me. I never felt so good in my life for a long time. Its like a tiny step in terms of contributing to the comic scene but one big leap for my self achievement record. I was really glad that I took part this time because I don't think I can do it again next year(sorry, Cedric). I didn't feel tired, chatting along with fellow artists that came to support on that day(Eng Huat, Milx, Adi, Chee and of course my fellow Gilamon partners Michael and Sau Lim).

After the prize giving ceremony( I didn't win any of the top three awards and not expected to with talents like Krom and Alan around) as I went to my car, I began to feel tired. God bless my wife for driving me home to bed. She was supporting me all the way from the day I signed up. I took the next day off and slept thru it but its going to take a lot more rest then one day to recover.

Back to work on Tuesday, while taking care of my office responsibility, my mind has to start planning on Gilamon's presentation to the MDec panel of judges on the next day. I was still too tired to focus but have no choice but to force myself thru it. After having the whole ten minutes presentation outlined and agreed apon by Mike and Sau Lim, I went home and slept early. To win this MDec pitch means as much to me as the 24-Hour Comics because with the MDec grant, we could proceed to publish our graphic novel without having to worry about forking out the money from our savings. What made the MDec pitch more nerve wrecking was, while 24-Hour depended solely on my own discipline, the fate our pitch depended on the panel of judges' decision.

Wednesday morning, three of us met for breakfast and did a dry run. Michael was busy preparing the relevant pictures as our support to convince them that we mean business. By 2 pm, while waiting out side of the presentation hall with other fellow contestants, we were handed a piece of paper outlining the time frame and the content of our presentation. The alerting part was we only know it by then that we have only 4 minutes to present while the remaining 6 were reserved for Q&A! As the door to the presentation hall opened, the cold air flowing out of it makes the hall felt like the morgue. The mood was way too serious for a comic book pitch. This reminded me of my advertising days when I have to go for a business pitch. We were the second to present (after Krom) among the 20 finalists. As he went out passing his thumb drive to the officer, we only found out then that we are not allowed to use our own images for our presentation! They will just play images of artworks we sent in during competition. Gone are the chances to show them the exhibition we had done in Japan, at Galleriiisu or Taiwan Toy Fair.

So when it came Gilamon's turn, I have to squeeze thru the content for a 6 minutes(our original plan) presentation in 4. They even have a time keeper, that shows how serious they were about this. Ended up I couldn't even finish all the points I wanted to, let alone allowing Sau Lim to talk about our financial plan(I managed to elaborate on that for a bit). As judges posted their inquiries, I felt the good thing was coming thru when Reggie Lee congratulated us on the artwork well done. Ben, who was not allowed to judge us since we are colleagues, threw in a question our promotional plan gave me a chance to talk about the merchandise we planned to do. I managed to passed thru Milx (the judge who asked the toughest questions to all finalists) without a fuzz and its over.

As the rest of the finalists presenting their pitch, we were trying to calculate the chance of our winning and it seems very vague because there were some really good presentations. But I already felt a relieve because we have done what we could and we didn't do it too badly. The announcement came about 630 pm and yes, we got it!

All the hard works from lettering the artworks, writing the document, taking leave to hand in our package(we were the first two to hand in with Krom) down to the presentation finally paid off. The reward won't be so sweet if we didn't work so hard on it. We also want to stress that we were very grateful for the swift decision of MDec to not allowing Ben to vote for us. The winning of the grant couldn't be so meaningful if not for that. The last thing we want, with all the effort we put in, was for people to think that it was not a fair pitch. Another thing I was very happy about was fellow comic artists Krom and Azhar who share the same passion Gilamon were among the winner as well.

So with all the hard works and rewards, with the Christmas long weekend, it should be party like there is no tomorrow, right? Wrong! After all that rush, my body decided to take a well deserved break down. I failed to go to work on Friday with serious cough and flu. Spent my Saturday and Sunday half sick, half partying. On Saturday, I managed to cough my way through an office party and a meet up at this small but very tastefully done drinking place called The attic after that. It was really bad on my Sunday lunch gathering with fellow Urban Comics mates, I have to retired after that. Monday was a complete stay in. Hence, this long winded writing. Hopefully I will be up again on Tuesday.

2006-11-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

Ostrich
I think I am going to stop reading the blogs that so boldly digging up the dirts of Bolehland. Its my problem, really. I felt that I am very depressed and angry at the place I live in after knowing the truth. To make things worse is that I can't really go anywhere else or do anything about it. I think by looking at the beautiful picture weaved on the carpet itself by the Bolehland authority is more soothing than smacking my face in the dirt underneath it. The truth reminds me of how helpless and insignificant I really am in the food chain. What else can I do to change the way things go? Yes, I can vote, but I have already know where my vote goes long before these great blogs exist. Its my problem, really. I am in denial. You guys have been doing a great job for the society, especially Encik A Kadir Jasin and Brother Rocky to name just a few. Thank you so much for flipping the carpets. I salute you all and encourage those who are stronger than me would continue to read or even write not just about the dirt but also ways to get rid of them. But not me, I just can't take the truth anymore, I have decided to be an ostrich. I am so sorry.
To end my declaration of being in denial, I would like to quote on wiseman Will's rapping, "Let God deal with the things they do, 'coz hate in your heart will consume you too..."

Amen to that.

2006-11-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Wrong
I used to think, the previous authority of Bolehland ruled with an ironhand. He controls everything. We, the little people, only allowed to know enough to continue living without giving problems to his reign. The current authority, however, is weaker. Lots of the ugly facts leaked out to us. At least we know so much more now. Hurray.
I think I was wrong about this. This one is worse. The previous ruler no doubt is not any better than the current one, but at least, he is concerned enough to not hurting the little people's feelings too much. At least he doesn't treat us like idiots. The current one, however, has reached a state that doesn't care what we think or know anymore. Business will still go on as usual despite our protests. Its like yes, you've found out what's going on behind the curtain, so what? Go ahead and do all the kicking and screaming till the sun goes down. We will still do it.

2006-11-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

James Bond Rocks

You don't want to mess with this man.

2006-11-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

Video Kills The Comic Stars
Perhaps the most important lesson Seeley hopes to impart in 'How to be a Comic Book Artist' is the importance of deadlines.

'The biggest pitfalls facing any comic book artist are video games and pornography,' Seeley said. 'Seriously, most artists work from their homes and they can't structure their day without the atmosphere of an office. Video games are pretty much responsible for about 85 percent of late comics.

I think 'Grand Theft Auto' alone nearly destroyed the industry. The other major stepping stone is artistic ego, which comes from a genuine desire to do really good work, but often becomes a selfish act of derailing the comic for the sake of the artist.

'A real comic artist in the US market should be producing a page a day. If you can't do that, you have to move to Europe.'

(Comments from Tim Seeley, author of "How to be a Comic Book Artist (Not Just How to Draw)" excerpted from Comicbookresources.com)

2006-11-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

Oh oh...

When they replaced Roger Moore with Timothy Dalton, I had my doubt but there was a good reason for this as Roger has way passed his prime as the famous British secret agent. Dalton may lacked the smooth elegant of Ian Fleming's original character but he pretty much made it up with the action department. Dalton's Bond was more intense and real compare to the final few Moore's offerings where mostly his stunt double did all the dirty job. Yet Dalton failed because somehow, he lacks of Bond's smooth and cool quality.
When I watched Daniel Craig walks into a casino dressed in Bond's iconic black suit and bowtie, I have a bigger doubt of him filling the shoe that was taken away from Brosnan. I don't see the reason why they need a new Bond at this time. Brosnan pretty much complete the Bond equation and he is at his prime of things. If a younger Bond is what they are looking for, Craig certainly doesn't look the part of a young rookie Double Oh.
I really wish he won't fail as I think he is a fine actor. I really enjoy Layer Cake mainly because of Craig. May he brings all the quality of Bond out thru his skilled acting despite his lacking in the area of height, looks, hairline and oh, his blondness.
Go for it, kid. But lets hope this is not another case of studio fucking things with their commercial "calculations"...

2006-07-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

Superman Returns, hurrayy~:_D

Lois LaneSiti Nurhaliza

Here are some of the things I observed during watching Superman Returns:
• Lois Lame looks alot like Malaysian superstar Siti Nurhaliza
• Nothing can really happen in the movie(or the comic books) coz Supes will "always be around" to right the wrongs
• Man falls down from the top of a building, no problem. Ship ripped into half and sunk into the ocean, its okay. Giant "Daily Planet" globe falling from the sky, no worries. Plane to crash into a packed stadium? Good! We need the audiences' applause later!
• Supes looks really dreamy even when he was being brutally beaten up by Luthor's goons
• Lois Lame couldn't have a ciggerate even if she wanted to, coz its not right
• No one was harmed during the whole movie despite of all the disaster they squeezed into it. (spolier alert)The only person appeared to be killed off was done by Superman's son!!!
• Going thru the whopping 154-minute movie is like having to finish a really big cheese cake all by yourself. After eating the 1st quarter, you are already full but you still have the rest to finish.

2006-07-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Happiness

suratjulian: bro, i must say our quality of life is going to the dump lah
nalan_dewa19: why?
suratjulian: dun u think so
suratjulian: like new stuffs dats coming up. how many of them we cud b happy about
nalan_dewa19: yalah...
nalan_dewa19: man...
nalan_dewa19: not that we're happy...
nalan_dewa19: we kinda hate it to boot.
suratjulian: cineleisure failed
nalan_dewa19: seriously?
suratjulian: teruk wo
suratjulian: i haven't watch a movie there yet
suratjulian: but i was there walking around
suratjulian: the structure is quite bad compare to its neighbouring malls like ikano n the curve
nalan_dewa19: owh, okay.
suratjulian: the car park is terrible too
suratjulian: worst of all, according to cartoonist stanley
suratjulian: he watched superman there
suratjulian: as the movie comes to n end
suratjulian: as the credit came up...
suratjulian: its was cut off
suratjulian: credit part was cut off
suratjulian: make way for cathay cinema ads
suratjulian: fucking idiots
nalan_dewa19: holy fuck!
suratjulian: i dun dare to go
nalan_dewa19: that's a travesty, man!
nalan_dewa19: yalah!
suratjulian: no respect
suratjulian: i dun understand, how can malaysian can b like dat
suratjulian: i mean if they hav da same mentality like us, dis wud b a wonderful place to live in
nalan_dewa19: yeah...
suratjulian: da thing is, the ppl who appreciates the better things in life(like us) doesn't run the business
suratjulian: doesn't run the big bad corp
suratjulian: doesn't run the country
suratjulian: they r run by big fucking blood sucker whos out to bully ppl like us
nalan_dewa19: there's too much selfishness in them; too much cynicism. That's the problem. They said they care but they don't.
nalan_dewa19: It's all about the dollar.
suratjulian: honestly i cannot find happiness anymore by looking @the serroundings we live in
suratjulian: actually i wanna write about this in my blog, but i guess i hav spilled it here hahahahaha
nalan_dewa19: well, it's a ranting worth to be written twice.
suratjulian: hahahah
(This is an excerpt from a conversation I had with my pal Nazim
, use with consent)

2006-05-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

What Nazim thinks he has figured out about M:I:III so far...

1 There are twists and turns in the plotline(of course there are, its the M:I trademark)
2 Agent John Musgrave(Billy Crudup) is the double agent
3 The villainous Owen Davian(Philip Seymour Hoffman) will kill off Ethan's wife infront of him in the beginning of the movie and what we see after that would be the event that leads to this tragedy

I am not saying anything. Not a single word to reveal anything(Except for item no 1, which is just stating the obvious). Nothing.

Dang! I am dying to discuss with him on this movie but for the first time(I think), I actually watched a film before he does.

For M:I:III, 3 quarter of the show was really adrenalin pumping. JJ Abrams did a fine job on it. However, we can forget about the last quarter of the movie. The Cruise man continues to murder off the original idea of Mission Impossible one movie at a time.

For Nazim, you are a bright boy. Just remember what you promised me, always use your power for good never for evil. Now get your fat ass to the cineplex!

2006-05-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Rakan COP
A friend of mine was robbed when she was having a drink at a roadside mamak stall. Her handbag, which was placed on her lap during this incident, was grabbed infront of the mamak crowd. She fell, everyone was stunned. Before her friends or other patrons could react, the robber has already zoomed off on a bike which was waiting for him nearby.

After recovered enough from the shock, naturally she went to make a police report. The "cop" in the police station told her that this is completely "normal" in our neighbourhood. She went back feeling helpless of course. The next day she recieved a call from a "cop", its not regarding her robbery case but a case of asking her out for a drink. She was shocked for the second time.

I think our rakan "cop" is getting a bit too friendly.

2006-05-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Fastball Special comes to life

Just watched a clip from X3(tq, Fariz) as a giant robot, which we only see its eyes in the dark, running rampage, Wolvie walked casually towards an open ground while everyone is panicky and trying to hide. And he looked at Colossus. At this moment I was thinking, could this be true? Is this gonna be my fav Fastball Special? Yes, its true. Not only its Fastball Special, its Fastball Special done right. The rampaging robot? Its The Sentinel!!!

And wait till you see what Wolvie did to it(I don't wanna give away too much)!

Man, this alone is worth to go and watch X3.

2006-05-03T04:04:00.000-07:00

Doodling

My fav waste of time during marketing meeting :P

2006-03-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

Summer Movie Magic
I was treated with a few summer movie trailers during the movie, Inside Man; MI:III, Miami Vice, Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Get me all work up, giving me hope for this batch of Hollywood summer offerings. The power of movie trailers.

Half way thru Inside Man, its strikes me that how real and yet intersting this story is being presented. Its so different from those trailers I watched earlier.

My urge for Hollywood summer blockbusters has been cut down to half.

(Another good movie watched recently: V for Vendetta)

2006-01-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

CNY
Chinese New Year(CNY) is just around the corner. 8 days away as I write this. Used to be the major event of the year for me especially during my schooling days. As I get older and all those "exciting-for-donno-what" feeling slowly fates away, I begin to see what CNY means in general. It means people would spend on things that they don't normally willing to, treat themselves better for its a once a year thingy. Allow to be charged extra for the hairdo and stuffs. Buy those almond cookies (or any kind of heaty cookies that would cause us soret hroat every year)for the price of RM22 per 100 tiny-pieces. New clothing, red mostly. Going to every house and being served more heaty cookies and mandarines(also the reason for our sore throat since they are heaty too). Rushes. Expensive food at the hawkers(once a year thingy). I missed those wonderful "Moon Travellers" and "Raja Kelawa", nowadays firecrackers cost hundreds(if not thousands) and they all "looks like the Merdeka Day one lah".

Basically its all about the money(how Chinese). For prosperity's sake, haha...

Thank God certain part of the excitement has finally fade away and I am able to be more of a spectator rather than the one in the ring. We should not treat ourselves badly when we are happy, or to be happy actually.

2006-01-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

Look Up!

Is it a bird? A plane, no? Oh, its erm... Major Zombie. A very early look at the forth coming "A Rip Roarin' Street Brawl".
Also check out gilamon by Lefty, Michael and Sau Lim.

2006-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

Afro Love

Finally, Afro Naz and Killer Geisha is united as it was meant to be! What am I blabbering about? Well, Vovin has been promoted to be the editor of our company's manga-theme special project. Vovin + manga = Afro Naz + Killer Geisha. Gambate, Vovin-san!!!
Eventhough he is not actually hook up with a real geisha(yet), he is not exactly lonely either. Being a "chic-magnet", he has got his handful most of the time.

2005-12-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

The final Chapter
Year 2005 is a year which i-pod(like Astro) continues to be a thing of my desire. Unfortunately, according to my rationally-driven mind it is still way down on my priority list.

2005 is also a year I actually managed to complete a 12-page comics, "Tales of a Convenient Store Robbery #972". Its a story originally concieved by Fairul Nizam(Roy) and later being twisted by yours truly(sorry, Roy). Next year will see the return of Major Zombie in his full gory, I mean glory. He will be kicking ass in the street of Penang as I would like to put him, in a story called "A Rip Roarin' Street Brawl"(working title)

Also, a farewell to Irfan. All the best.

2005-12-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Bound
In a car on the way up north, S told me he is trapped by what he knew. He is trapped by feng shui and can't get out of it.

"Its easy," I said, "believe in God and you won't be bound by feng shui or whatever superstitious shit out there."

"Okay, but I can't just believe. I need to experience before I can get there." S said.

Hmm... He has a point. We only starts to believe when we are convinced, or we when we have absolutely no other options. I almost forgot I have my fair share of turbulances before I "got here".

Hopefully his time will be soon, then he will experience freedom.

2005-12-22T19:38:00.000-08:00

2005-12-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Dog Man Sea

After Europe, I thought there won't be any trip that can top the level of adventure anymore. I thought ant trip would be a piece of cake. of course, I was wrong. And the last thing I would expect is that this new level of adventure came from a short trip to Port Dickson. What so dofferent about it is, this time we bring our dog Wang Wang along. We never bring her anywhere in the car before except to the vet(which is just 2km from home). This is 2hours of driving, staying in an apartment will of friends and horny dog who's after her all the time.

And then there is the beach. Like most lady, Wang Wang doesn't like to get her feet wet. And did she get wet. Not sure if she enjoy it though but to us, seeing her paddling in the water and running around the beach has made the whole effort worth while.

My apology to all Muslim beach goers on that day.

2005-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Us
Haven't been talking to you like this for so long. We don't even go for lunch nowadays. Both of us has been busy with our area of work and interest. Certainly feel good when we can seat down and chat about whats happening in our life lately. What you have to go thru is very frustrating but be patient, my friend, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel if you hang on. I may not offer any immediate resolution but I glad to be your listener.

You will pull it thru, I am very sure of that. Just remember, you are not alone.

P/S. You asked me the reason why did I took down all my links, well, its to stop the news from spreading. To make it easier for you to manage the situation. I will put them back soon :)

2005-11-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Are you Jimmy Choo?

You know you've made it when your name is being mention in a Pharrel Williams song. I was listening to his latest, "Can I Have It Like That" and in the middle of it, it goes: "from Louisdales to Jimmy Choos is real..."

Whoa, Jimmy, you're the man now, dawg!

For the ones who has no idea who is jimmy Choo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Choo

For the ones who has no idea who Pharrell is, I am sorry.

2005-11-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Halal food in Penang
We all know the char koay teow, the asam laksa and the hokkien(prawn) mee is unbeatable but the problem is, they are non-halal. I have been thinking, what if I need to take my Muslim friends for makan-makan trip to Penang? Is there gonna be enough attractions that I know of? So I have been digging in my memories of halal yummies, and before I forget, here they are:

Nasi melayu at Transfer Road, nasi kandar at various spots, mee udang at Teluk Kumbar, traditional indian restaurant near Rope Walk, roti canai near Hutton Lane, nasi lemak bungkus Riffle Range, mee Sultan at The New World, mee Agong at CRC, pasembur at Gurney, cucur udang at Padang. Oh look, I've got two hands full now (and more to come). Guess I am ready.

2005-11-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

What!? By bus!!?

Nazim, with eyes bulging out, asked me, "Whats the problem, man?" He is always puzzled by the horrifying look on my face whenever he told me that he took the public transport home. I can't help it, I don't trust them. Especially the buses. Either they don't come on time, or the schedule is too far apart. And the route, the drivers, I can go on and on and on. Yet, this Orson Welles looking guy, take in at ease, day in day out.

2005-10-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

Maaf
The most wonderful thing about Hari Raya is not kuih raya or the excellent cooking of Roy's mom, but the idea of maaf zahir batin. Its not only a time for us forgive, but also to humble ourselves down and to ask for forgiveness. How beautiful is that?

I mean, if God can be merciful to us, His children, why can't we do the same for our brothers and sisters?

2005-10-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

K.O.R.
I would expect Kor to be the last to leave the team. Turns out he is the first. Well, thats life.

I first met him during a youth holiday camp. I was among the invited speakers on comics and Kor was one of the participants. I only found out about this when I interviewed him for a graphic designer position years later. I didn't take him then because he was just fresh out of college and didn't have any design experience. I told him to come back when he has gained some. He did come back a year later and I took him in. He has become my very enthusiatic designer ever since.

One of the funny things he always do(without knowing, I hope) was verbally repeating my words of instructions while I was checking his works on the computer. Another thing is, for some strange reason, he keeps referring to Chin as "Ah Cheng".

Good luck, chum, and thanks for coming back for that second interview.

2005-10-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Chemical
Our PM's wife died of cancer on Monday morning. From what I read, she has been treated with Chemo Therapy in the US, I am sure they have given her the best.

Perhaps its time to think of other ways to treat cancer cell? Come on, we can do better than a brute act like pumping harmful chemical in our body to kill all good and bad cells, after that hoping for the good cells to grow back and the bad cells to go away.

2005-10-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hate and Love
I read about this in Our Daily Bread today and find it very true, thought i post a little snipet of it here.

"Be careful with hatred. . . . Hatred is a passion requiring one hundred times the energy of love. Keep it for a cause, not an individual. Keep it for intolerance, injustice, stupidity. For hatred is the strength of the sensitive. Its power and its greatness depend on the selflessness of its use." Olive Moore, 19th-century English writer

Hatred can be the strong side of righteousness, but it needs a sign written on it with large red letters: Handle With Care.

2005-10-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

Europa

"I think its time we start planning for our Europe trip again." My wife said.

"OK." You don't argue with someone who fought stage three cancer and won. Certainly not about a dream trip that we set out to achieve since ten years ago. So we planned. I worked on my job schedule, she worked on hers. I trained my faithful staffs, making sure that things would run smoothly when I am away. Taking an 18 days trip is no easy task. Thank God it turned out fine. My designers hold their position well without me. They do me proud.

At the end of the trip, I felt like I have reached a landmark of my life. Its not like an easy holiday but sort of a course. We worked hard to get there and we worked hard during the trip too. Planned everything from places to go, budget(ringgit is not helping), transport etc. And we walk and walk all over the place. Everyday we woke up as early as 6am and we came back normally after 11pm. Check into a hotel, check out another day. A week after we came back, both of us still have dreams of travelling.

We love it.

"Lets do it again in 10 years time." Said my wife.
"OK." Start planning.

2005-10-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Afro Geisha

Vovin is complaining(about something, as usual). This time his Nazriness asks me, of all the 8 character I designed for his "Gita Kasih Sang Vagabond", why can't I at least include the characteristic of Afro-man and Geisha in it? His obsession of such eclectic combination is getting stronger by the day. Since the design is done, I have no choice but to add an extra drawing just to fufill his demand. Here.

2005-10-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Great Malaysian Invention

To my Muslim friends, Bulan Ramadan is a month for cleansing the body, mind and soul.

Its also a time for me to visit the pasar Ramadan. And deep in the crowded pasar, there is a great Malaysian invention, murtabak jala. In the age of cross over, mix n match, cut n paste, it just fits right in as an instant classic.

Going to the pasar Ramadan with my Muslim brothers is certainly a highlight of the month and murtabak jala just make it even better.

Selamat berpuasa.

2005-10-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

I Draw!
Vovin was complaining (about something, as usual) that I sounded too much like a musician rather than an artist in my blog. So, I decided to do something about it and write about something I love most, drawing.

Last weekend, while Vovin is throwing his temperamental ass around Penang, I was flogging away designing 8(8!) Characters for his new creation and squeezing them into a panel. Its for the header to his blog tale, www.gita_online.blogspot.com. In order not to let all those extra sketches go to waste, I decided to publish them here.

Basically, its for his Vovin-ness’ fantasy tale called, “Love Song for a Vagabond” (I took the liberty to translate it from the original ‘jiwang’ title: “Gita Kasih Sang Vagabond”)

These characters, according to his Jiwang-ness, are based on his friends and the background is basically like Lord of the Ring. First come, “Dia”, or “Him” in English. Hmm... I wonder who is this character based on, himself?

Dia is an ordinary guy around the age of 25.

Second character is called Sophia, a very down to earth princess.

Zach the thinker wannabe and also a wonderer. On top of him is Adia Ninavia, a pigeon(?).

Zen the apprentice magician, youngest among the group.

Jami, less bandito and her partner Samaseer.

And finally, Ahmad the warrior.

To read Vovin's story or see Lefty's finished artwork, visit gita online

2005-09-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

Without A Care
We were talking about how some indie musicians are really rich, they can spend as much time as they like to create their own music. Isn't that great? Just do whats coming from your heart without a care of the real world? Without a care of one's financial needs? I told Eu Seng then, if that could happen to us, both of us won't be here any more. He could be working on his music and I could be drawing my comics till our ears bleed, without a care.

"Ah... but we are respondsible human being." I remembered legendary artist Baba Chua told me when we discuss about the state we are in. He too, is facing the same delimma but not showing a bit of slowing down.

Respondsible human being? Would it be better if we are not?

2005-09-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

Multi-tasking killed my music
When an album from a my favourite musician was released, I would spend days listening to it. Listening means just that, enjoying, absorbing without doing anything else. Listen to the words, the instruments, the arrangement. Listen until I would be able to follow it in my mind like a trail. Before the end of one song, I would know how the next song begins.

Nowadays I listen to music while working, drawing, reading, anything but just... listening. I tried to just sit down and do just that once in a while but before the end of the third song, my rational mind would manage to break in, take over. Make me feel guilty over being so luxury about time. I can't relax, can't breathe. I struggle and I give in. Yes, I m pathetic.

I miss the days of music listening. Its something that I have lost. Hopefully one day, it will be back.

2005-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Wrong Guy
"Hey look, its you!" A friend pointed out a picture in Juice. "What!?" For a moment, I thought the one in the picture was me, too.

In the cases of gangster hitman getting the wrong guy, I always wonder how could that happen? How could that be possible? Now I begin to see the picture.

Hopefully, whoever looks like me don't go around pissing off any gangsters or hooligans, thank you.

2005-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Roman Kodian
When I experienced something thru life, movie, music etc, my mind comes up with thoughts. They r vaguely lingering around my head. Sometimes, when I m lucky, I came across articles dat speaks like a hammer dat knocks me into my senses. Articles dats sharp, witty, creatively written and most importantly easy 2read. Articles dat make me laugh, inspired, excited, energized n wanna scream "Yeah, man! U got it!!!" I m da type dat hav lingering thoughts. Roman Kodian is da guy who does those brilliant writings. Check them out.
http://romankodian.blogspot.com/

2005-09-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hanashippanashi
Just bought a port. I promised myself not to spend leisurely anymore this month but I can't help it. This is too wonderful to skip. Its actually a manga called Hanashippanashi(The Never Ending Tales) by Mr Daisuke Igarashi. I discribe the series of 3 books as a port because it can transfer you to another world. Not only its a delight to read, its also an inspiration. Through Mr Igarashi's work, I m being transfered to this strange, yet wonderful world in the far corner of my mind. Its brings me to places that I can't go by myself.

2005-09-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, The Rolling Stones!!!
Who ever write an article on The Stones or do a review over their latest album, "A Bigger Bang", pls don't talk about their age anymore. For the past 25 years it has been brought up as an issue whenever they come up with a new album(Combined age of 900, already in their 80's bla bla bla...). Don't you all have learnt already? This is The Stones and age is NOT an issue anymore. They are already beyond that, thank you very much.

Rock and roll don't age. They just keep going---