23.9.09

429# Re-entry

This is the 5th day of my short break. Now only I have time to write something here. Or else Da Mang Ren aka the CBS will give me the same title.

I have 30 minutes before rolling out again, herein I shall rearrange my to-do-list for this short break.

1. Meet up with Jun Han to discuss about my elective project in his recording studio - Done.

2. Practice the songs on the bass for the upcoming performances during the university's 10th anniversary - Not done.

3. Take shots for my MG Gundam Exia in Repair mode as for review - Not done

4. Study Dermatology - Started.

5. Take som descent shots as to enter david john's photo contest - Not done.

6. Meet up with friends - This one has no end.

7. Play with my dogs - Not yet done.

8. Send my guitar to change new strings - Not done.

9. Learn new songs - Can't be done if #8 is not done.

10. Complete the poster of our research for the research day - The most impotant one, not done!


Now I realised that this one week break isn't that long, considering the amount of things to be done, where I can only do one in one day, somewhat.

Semester 8 could be the most relaxing semester ever since I entered the university...

13.9.09

428# [Master Grade Review] Gundam Exia Ignition Mode - Part 2

This is the part 2 review of the previously posted Master Grade model.

Previously I talked about the MG-ish parts and building of this model, now let's see what are the points which I found not so MG-ish.



One of those MG I have where it is not back heavy. Reason is because Gundam Exia only has the GN Drive at its back. That's one thing I like about AD era mobile suits as compared to the overteched Cosmic Era mobile suits which cannot stand on its own.



But this doesn't mean that Exia can stand on its own steadily. Centre of gravitiy of this model is still high because of its weapons on its arms. Having the GN blades attached onto its waist doesn't really help in bringing it down.



That's because of its double ankle ball-joint implemented which tends to be loose. So most of the times a stand is needed since it's rather unstable to make it stand on the ground.

The shoulder armors tends to be floppy too because it can't be slotted onto the shoulder peg which I thought it could. So it's merely connected to the arm with the GN hologram strip and tends to move around.



GN sword is rather stiff, which can be either good or bad. The handle tends to slip off from the hand when GN sword is converted to the pistol mode because of the stiff joint. Therefore there are few points to be held tight during the turning so that it won't pop out.



The GN sword can be slided aside so that the left hand can be free off to have a second handheld weapon. Quite a bright design but not practical - because the connection on the GN sword on the arm isn't strong and the sword may fall off easily.



You can make thousands of poses with the massive GN sword but it is not advisable to freeze the pose for a long period due to its weight. I've seen a lot of people complaint about the loosen joints on the left arm because of the sword.



Not so flimsy GN blades. Having chromed plated edges is weird but nonetheless it still added some coolness on the weapons. Attachment of the blades onto the waist is a good design but anyway it is not as strong as it supposed to be. If I still mount them there and move it around, it is just a matter of time to have broken parts.



Some close ups. The GN sword had became shorter, wider but not as flimsy like its 1/100 counterpart. The stripe stickers applied adds up more details for it but it was very difficult to apply unless it is cut into a few parts.



There more details on the legs, which has 3/4 inner frame instead of a full frame. That somehow lowest its weight and the lower part of the model tends to be light.

The GN condensers looked much detailed in this way. Having the sticker inside, a clear part in between with fish eye effect, and a green clear part on the outside which has the same detail of the sticker - making the condenser more realistic in this way.



Seems that I make more negative statements more than the postive ones. Having said so, nevertheless it's still a very detailed MG model worth buying. With a backpack free design this MG is enough to twist around with for the whole day.



Still haven't get the batteries for the GN drive. Next review will be on the Repair Mode.

That would be 1 more week later, when I go home for my another 1 week holiday.

427# Otorhinolaryngology: End

Usually I could write 3 posts before a particular posting finish. But now, the second post for the ENT posting is written as to conclude the posting. 2 weeks have passed just like that.

And while I went to make coffee in the kitchen half way typing this, I got sabotaged.



My self-declared handsome housemate's work.

I've got a consultation from my consultant regarding my allergic nose. From there I learnt that allergic rhinitis is one of the commonest complain in the ENT clinic. A biopsy could have been taken during the rigid endoscope for my nose.

A biopsy was offered by my consultant. But I wasn't sure whether he was joking or he really meant it. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma isn't no joke for me, because I'm a Chilese. I have a friend who had cancer but currently cured.



Could have been more brave and go ahead with the biopsy. But just imagine that you just wanted an advice from the consultant for your chronic sneezing problem and you were asked to do biopsy on the spot, would you? Wanted to do the biopsy on last thursday but the clinic was too busy...

A few days after that I asked him to write me prescription for my condition. So I've got loratidine and budesonide nasal spray. On top of that, amoxycillin was given too for my right thumb which had an allergic or infective reaction due to the house cleaning during the weekend.

Having said so, my compliance towards my medications are quite bad. I always forget to take them before my meals. Now I know how my patients feel.



2 weeks was just too short, I'd say 3 weeks would be better. So I only started to study yesterday after the posting ended, the very first time of me being so carefree.

In the end of the ENT In Focus book, there are some OSPE questions. One of the question is as showed above. Regarding the health hazard of playing the drums.

I'm not sure about other instruments, usage of ear plug is compulsory, especially if you want to rock out. I usually play the drums with the mp3 and the earphones are able to work as an earplug too so I have no problem with that.



But there was once when I was practicing Slipknot's song, "Sulfur" on the drums, I took off the earphones so that I could listen clearly on what I was playing.

After 20 minutes of playing without earplugs, I had a tinnitus on my right ear for the whole night - because I placed the crash cymbal at the right hand side which makes the most noise. Lesson learnt - earplugs!

By the way, I played the drums with eugene a few days ago and I didn't have enough of warm up and played the song "The Nameless" with fast snare solo. In the end I had a bruise at my right first finger.

Not that visible in the photo above, but it was quite painful.


ENT posting taught us on how to preserve our hearings, apart from the diseases of ENT.

1. Don't use cotton bud to dig your eyes.
2. Use earplugs when swimming.
3. When you watch tv with high volume, it's likely to have impacted earwax in your ears.
4. Earplug is necessary during drumming or jamming.
5. ipod is making ENT surgeons rich.


But I do enjoy ear digging, with the spade shaped metal rod though.

Dermatology is next.

5.9.09

426# [Master Grade Review] Gundam Exia Ignition Mode - Part 1

My 11th Master Grade model. Bought during the holiday.

Having a one week holiday means that I had to speed up my work-in-slow-progress into an express one.



I spent about 5 days to complete this MG, including the building, decals, coating and photo taking in its normal mode.

Will snap the photos for the repair mode when I go back home in half a month's time.



So as usual, I still prefer the semi gloss coating. Anyway having repair parts means that flat coat is needed. I coat the repair parts as well as the inner part of the shields with flat.

The tough part of coating them is that there are lots of part is not meant to be coated.



The GN condensers, cables, and the bling bling parts. Therefore before I coated them, I had to remove those parts away.

But specifically for the shoulder's cable, I didn't get to detach it from the shoulder armor, therefore I had to mask it.



With normal cellophane tape. No money to buy made in Japan tamiya masking tape.

But nonetheless it's still effective in covering those parts up from the coat.



Completed Gundam Exia with its seven swords.

One thing I like about Exia is its whole set of swords. Quite the Final Fantasy like.



I found the chromed bling bling parts on the swords and blades a little bit unnecassary. It may look better on the sword, but just plain weird for the blades since they are supposed to be entirely white on the blades.



GN short blade and the beam dagger. A surprising blade which made up from 7 pieces of parts. Very master-gradish indeed.



The GN long blade. The chromed part on the edge of the blade outshines.



A full view with the ignition mode parts apart from the seven swords.



The GN drive isn't cool without lighting it up. I still haven't manage to buy the LR41 batteries. I need 4 of them to light the GN drive up. A USB operated ignition perhaps?



Quite dissappointed that plenty of part swapping needed for the repair mode. I was expecting the entire repair mode head unit will be given but only the damaged parts are given and have to detach the normal mode ones to swap them.

The broken sword looks really cool then the intact ones.



Gundam Exia with its full equipment seven swords and shield attached.

Will continue the review next time.

Time to study ENT.

425# Semester 8.0 - Otorhinolaryngology

Oto-rhino-laryn-gology.

Too long? Just Ear-Nose-Throat in short.

Still too long? ENT then.

My first posting for semester 8, started for 1 week. It's a 2 weeks minor posting. Still have 1 more week to go.



The ENT tools. Headlamp and a otoscope.

We need to observe as many normal tympanic membrane as possible so that we can appreciate the normal ones from the abnormal ones.

So far I've seen more abnormal tympanic membranes than the normal ones. Too bad. Most of my friends' cone of light are distorted. Yesterday I saw Aspergillus infection of the ear, white dots in the lump of black, as well as the white creamy candidiasis infection. Won't forget it after seeing it.



Nikki inspecting Sumi.

During the first day of the posting I've got a free consultation from my consultant :D

I have the issue of running nose for quite sometime during morning and I'm allergic to dusk. So my consultant inspected my nose and found out that I've got a septal deviation and right inferior turbinate hypertrophy.

Later on I got 10% cocaine sprayed into my nostrils as local anaesthetic for endoscopy. Found out that I have adenoid hypertrophy, where usually shrink in size after early teenage. And that's the reason for my allergic rhinitis.

By the way, I kept on forgetting to remind my consultant to write me a prescription for a steroid spray for my allergic nose. No, I don't want to do surgery for my adenoid!



Spent almost 100 bucks for biscuit, cup noodle, coffee, note books and toilet roll.

Biscuit is my breakfast, snack and supper, which I like. No, I don't like cup noodles. We know the consequences of eating it but sometimes I don't have a choice.


Minor posting, or rather, semester 8 is a total slack. I need to start to read my ENT book now.

2.9.09

424# Hobby Japan October Limited: XN Raiser

I didn't expect this to hit here so fast!

Thanks to my friend SaiB for preordering this issue of Hobby Japan for me, which comes with the first grad XN Raiser. It was out in Japan last Tuesday, and it reached here on Sunday. Sooner than I expected.



The whole focus of this issue goes to the XN Raiser, which is only available in with the magazine.

Or it's just another way to expand the 00 side story?



Quite nice box art. Dengeki Hobby's Rasiel Gundam and the GN Sefer didn't get a decent box art design so this XN Raiser is a win in term of this.

The box that I got was quite ok in condition. But there was some damage at the side of the box because it was tied up with the whole stack of the magazine.



Content was secured. Quite a number of parts in one runner.

Too bad it's plain white. Means that painting is necessary.



The buster sword are quite big for a 1/144 scale.

It's longer than the MG 1/100 Gundam Exia's GN Long blade.



Extensive coverage of the XN Raiser in the magazine.

There's even a scratch build 1/100 XN Raiser! Not too hard for pro modellers I suppose?



One of the most important gimmick of this XN Raiser is that it is compatible with all the second 2 00 mobile suits.

Not only Exia, even the XIII can mount this kit, but with some modifications needed.



The pin up that I quite happy with - the GFFN Strike Rogue gundam.

I don't like the Strike Rogue's design, but I like it because it's a Katoki's drawing.



1/35 Ver.Ka RX-78-2 Gundam!

The first time I saw it being displayed during the expo I really hoped that it will get a release and it really does. Price is not release yet but I guess being a Ver.Ka + GFFN + limited + 50cm tall model, the price can easily hit RM5,000 once it gets here.

Wish I can have it, but I can't even afford it even it's RM500.


Won't be building this XN Raiser anytime soon, because I don't have the 00 Raiser!

Going to wait for 00 Raiser + GN Sword III, and Hong Kong version of this magazine too. Hope it will be available locally here.

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