322# Kolam

322# Kolam


"Kolam (Tamil: கோலம்) is a decorative design drawn in a variety of sandpainting using rice powder by female members of the family in front of their home, especially near the threshold. It is widely practised by Hindus in South India. A Kolam is a sort of painted prayer -- a line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. They are generally symmetric.

Kolams are thought to bestow prosperity to the homes. For special occasions limestone and red brick powder to contrast are also used. Though kolams are usually done with dry rice flour, for longevity, dilute rice paste or even paints are also used. Modern interpretations have accommodated chalk, and the latest "technology" in kolams are actually vinyl stickers (that defeat the original purpose)."

All words above are copied and pasted from wikipedia.

For a moment i can't recall what does it called. I smsed a few friends for answer.

I didn't get any reply. Maybe they do not understand indian art culture enough to answer my question.

In the end i smsed Sree. Within minutes he replied me back. It's called as "Kolam".





Imu did one in conjunction with the diwali night. It was quite big. From the picture itself you can tell how big the Kolam is by refering to the size of the stage.

Too bad i didn't get to take close up shots of this Kolam. Wonder if it's still there tomorrow when i go back to uni.

Other than answering my question, Sree told me something more.

In fact, Kolam isn't pronounced as "Ko-lam", which how we pronunce for the word "Ko-lam" for "Lake" in B.M.

It's pronounced as "Koh-lem" instead.

I didn't know that...

Now i learnt something new again!


Wonder why am i writing something which seems irrelevant and doesn't seem to suit my style?

Because i saw a bigger, huger, and meaner Kolam before.







That was like... Gigantic.

Giga is too small to describe (1,000,000,000). So called it "Teratic" (1,000,000,000,000) can?

From far it looks like a carpet. At close only i noticed that it was formed by billions and billions of rice particles.

In case if you are wondering, ya, you got it right. That was our darrien over there trying to climb across it.


Spotted that fantastic artwork at The Gardens few weeks ago, when i went to Mid Valley for a movie with my batchmates after our Reproduction Assessment at uni.

To be honest, that was the biggest one i've ever seen in my whole life.

It's not that i'm a frog in the well, of course they are even bigger ones somewhere out there.

I'm pretty impressed by how beautiful creativities can be. Wonder how long did it take to complete.

And wonder what will happen if someone with big lungs sneezed over there.

321# 1/100 GN 001 Gundam Exia - Part 3

321# 1/100 GN 001 Gundam Exia - Part 3


Sorry for my excessive gunpla post recently.

I think before i get the next MG, the MG unicorn, this will be the last gunpla post over here.

Before i leave exia to rest in standby mode in my room, i decided to take a few shots of it in aerial mode with its seven swords, since some of them out there required for some action photos.

View more and full size photo here.

For imu batchmates, you guys can skip this post. Lol.





Seven swords.

From top to down, left to right: GN sword, GN long blade and GN short blade, GN shield, beam daggers and beam sabers.

Only mobile suit i could think of who has such number of melee weapons.

Wonder why is there an 8th item? That's the GN shield. And not to forget, there's a beam rifle. But it's hidden inside the GN sword.





GN sword.

Huge, mean, excessive, aggressive. Main melee weapon used so far as we can see in the episodes.

I'd prefer this over the rest of the swords because of its big radius area covered.





GN long blade and GN short blade.

The pilot just received these blades last week according to the anime, lol.

It works with the vibrating particles on it. Same mechanism as the progressive knife used in Evangelion? Mounted at hips when not used.





Beam sabers.

Seems that beam weapons are made compulsory in nearly all the mobile suits designed since year 1979 to today.

Don't really like it since there are so many swords already. Mouted behind the arms when not used, at area between the tricep and bicep (?).





Beam daggers.

Didn't expect it to be used as ranged weapon. Because the theory of beam weapons' energy is supplied from the MS's hands doesn't seem to allow it to be throwed onto the targets.

After the discussions with the others and we came to this conclusion - the beam daggers act like the boomerang, where they have internal battery with them. Therefore the beam will still be active even they leave the MS for seconds.

Mounted at the buttock when its not used. I found this kind of funny though.





Beam rifle. Well hidden in the GN sword which i always forget its existence.

Hardly used in the show because it's still a melee combat MS indeed. By judging its gun barrel length (i don't think that's a barrel though) the ranged covered by the rifle shouldn't be very far.

And also the GN shield mounted at the left hand. Kind of small. The end looks sharp. Wonder if it could used to stab the target...





Exia with full weapons.

Kind of satisfied with this model kit even though it's not given any grade. But by quality wise it's equivalent to the High Grade. Look wise i'd day it nearly looks like a Master Grade.

The stand doesn't come with the model kit by the way. Sold separately with the price of RM23 - RM30.


For more huger and meaner pictures, they are all available here. I included some closed up shots as well. Take note that this is a Out-Of-Box product which only panel lining, stickers and markers are applied.

There's no putty, glue, sanding, crafting, spraying, coating or any kind of modification involved. Because i'm just a 1 year old collector...




Alright, taking a gunpla hiatus before i get my hands on the MG unicorn. Not too long actually. 3 weeks i guess. Now, concentrate for the Renal System.

320# 1/100 GN 001 Gundam Exia - Part 2

320# 1/100 GN 001 Gundam Exia - Part 2


This took me longer than i thought.

For the first night i started to work on this at 10.30pm. I started to do panel lining while the parts were still on the frame.

Before i done all of the lining, since some parts can't be reached before i cut them out, it was already 12.30am.

I spent 2 hours just to line some of the parts. Some of them only!

I stopped lining and started to assemble. By 1.40am i only able to finish the upper torso.





Yesterday i continued to work on this.

8.30pm to 1.30am... And finally it's done.

Spent total of 8 hours to assemble this 1/100 scale model. If plus those times taken to adjust ti and that, photos and everything, it nearly took me 10 hours in total.

Never knew it will took me for so long. The last 1/100 scale model i assembled was the 1/100 Legend Gundam. And that took me only 1 night to assemble, line and marker.





Did some trick at the generator. I used the green highlighter to color the inner part of the clear plastic part. Of course it's not even, since the highligher ink can hardly adhere to the plastic. But it does give some cool effect though.

This is the 4th 1/100 scale model i have assembled so far. I have 6 Master Grades instead because i always think that investing in MG is better than an ungraded model.

Other than the 1/100 Legend Gundam mentioned, and also this Exia, the other two 1/100 scale model i have is the Astray Red Frame and the Astray Blue Frame second L.

The Astrays are good in terms of articulations. But this exia seems to be superior than the Astrays.





Assembling the legs of Exia. It gives me that the feeling of assembling the MG strike. Pseudo inner frame of Exia. Looks very MG-ish. There are 8 points of articulations on the hip, knee, ankle and foot!

The proportion, articulations, details, gimmicks are all near MG level. The only downside i found from this model is the joint stability.

The polycaps used can't really support the joints well. Especially the hip joints, the legs will be pulled down by gravity during the aerial pose.





Since it's so detailed, i think i actually spent equal time, or even more, in lining this model than lining the MG Destiny gundam which i've just built recently.

Gosh, it's just a 1/100 scale model, but the parts to line with is more or less about the MG level. Having said so, there are 3 parts, or even more, to be lined with in each of every piece of them.

Plus the pieces to be lined are incredibly small. Usage of old liners are not recommended if the tip isn't sharp enough.

I used the old liner to line the large lines where the new marker to line the fine parts, since it's still new and sharp.





Beside the hardwork needed in lining, there are a few parts need to be colored.

The waist, arms, feet and GN sword are not moulded in grey where they supposed to be, but remained white instead. Anyway grey color stickers are provided for those parts, but somehow the grey part for GN blade isn't given.

Why do i need to rely on the stickers since i have the marker? I markered those parts carefully. But no matter how careful i am, accidents do happen.

The tip of the marker isn't fine enough and i screwed up the white parts at the GN sword. Had to use the pen knife to scrap those exceeding parts off...





"Seven swords" of Exia. GN sword, GN long blade, GN short blade, Beam saber x2, Beam dagger x2. Stole the polystyrene from the store room temporarily to make this shot.

Now my problem is that i have no space to display this completed model.

All 13 of my revoltechs are backed into box. 4 HG 1/144, 3 other SDs and 2 more 1/100 scale models have to be kept in their respective boxes due to the space restrictions. Display only 6 SD on the book shelf, all 6 of the MGs plus 1/100 Legend and this 1/100 exia only right now.

Therefore i have 8 of 1/100 size models plus those 6 small SDs on display . Displaying 14 of them is a lot since my room is so small.

Will get 2 glass shelves from Ikea once i move. Now i just have to bare with the space and the dust. Don't even have space to keep those boxes now...




MG 102, Unicorn Gundam. Coming soon on December. Should be right after our Renal assessment. Getting this MG for sure after the exam.

2 more weeks to go for the exam. No more gunpla, study.


PS: Headache now, slept for 4 hours only last night because of this model kit. Gosh.

319# 1/100 GN 001 Gundam Exia - Part 1

319# 1/100 GN001 Gundam Exia - Part 1

Intro of info

Really, sometimes i should just stop reading reviews about the recent model kit.

From somewhere over the internet, i was linked to this page.

The blog is kind of cool where the modeller shows parts of the model kits to modify and comparisons with respect to something... etc.

I had no intention to buy the 1/100 exia at all since soon or later it's going to be released in MG format. But heck, from the review i learnt that this 1/100 scale model has so much of improvement and it's even approaching MG level!

In the end, after the lecture at 6.30pm...





I went to buy it...

Since it's just a 1/100 scale model instead of an MG, therefore the price is also lower, at 2,300 yen. Supposedly RM70. But of course we must bear the tax, transport fee from japan and the profit from the seller need to earn, i bought it for 2,682 yen, which is still reasonable.

Saw somewhere selling it at 3,206 yen. That's too high for me.





There's no stress at all building an ungraded model. Unlike the MG models, a lot of parts are made for its complexity.

But somehow, this 1/100 model is approaching the MG format models in the sense of its proportion, outlook and posibility.

Of course, i got to know all these only after reading the review. Realyl shouldn't have read them. Evil.





10 frames only in total.

Unlike the MG models where the frames are bigger, more parts, and could have up to 20 frames in total.

I guess i'm able to finish building it in one night. But only the straight build only though. Since i do panel lining and markering (if necessary) along the way of building, guess i can't finish it by tonight.

Because it's already 10.33pm right now...





I was wondering how could be light blue parts be in this model.

Surprisingly those parts are made by TPF rubber. Not bad though, only rubber i came across in the model kit are the polycaps, which made from PC rubber.

This TPF rubber is softer and lighter than the PC rubber by the way. Of course, it doesn't need the strenght unlike the PC rubber situated for the joints.





Manual and an extra piece of paper with the prototype of exia.

Dengki hobby magazine Febuary issue of 2008 is giving the parts for the HG 1/144 exia to convert it into this prototype model.

Sounds cool. A must buy issue for sure. Once i get it, only i will consider to get the HG or not. Because i already have the 1/100 right now. Plus most likely exia will be released in MG format.

In the end, i'd be having 3 different grades and 2 different scales of exia!



PS: Renal system is gone. Not studying.

318# Salt for your kidneys

318# Salt for your kidneys


Sorry to say, but i can't describe how much i dislike the current canteen in the uni.

Now we have only one canteen in the uni since the chinese and the malay ones left. No more option for the students to choose in between chinese food or malay food.

Anyway the current canteen have all kind of food provided, which is supposed to be a good news for everyone. But for me, i don't find it any better than the previous ones.



Kean seng's left hand insisted to be in the part of the picture.


Last friday i bought the chee cheong fun from the canteen.

Blardy hell, from Rm0.50 per piece the price goes 120% up into RM0.60 per piece.

I paid RM1.80 for 3 pieces and hoped to enjoy my tea break with the hot nescafe kao before the lecture starts.





But too bad it was too salty.

I'm not sure whether is the sauce or the chee cheong fun itself. But i just couldn't take it.

We are studying the renal system currently, which partly deal about how our kidney work to maintain and eliminate the salt in our body.

All the mechanisms appeared in my mind that moment, told me not to eat food which are too salty.





But hey, i have paid RM1.80 for it.

Even though Rm1.80 is just a small amount of money, but i shall not waste the food because there are millions to billions of them dying of starvation out there.

This super salty chee cheong can only be respected if it was born over there.





The chee cheong fun had my respect.

I had nothing to eat other than that, therefore i decided to reduce the salt content of the chee cheong fun by rinsing it. Even though thuan tzen asked me to leave it just like that. But no, i shall not let the chee cheong fun die without fulfilling its commitment.

The sky juice is free of charge in the canteen (which is the only good thing i found from the canteen) and it was fresh boiled hot at that time, which able to warm my chee cheong fun at the same time.





I could only eat it after i got rid of the salty sause by rinsing it.

I didn't finish the whole plate in the end. Only managed to eat 80% of the whole thing. Just feel that what i did was kind of stupid.

I know you feel it so.





From a glass of clear plain water it turned to be a glass of suet cha, which sendimentation.

This is what i would get if i forced myself to eat it with the sauce.

Imagine how much salt in there, how much of water i would need to drink in order to balance up the water content in my blood, and how freaking hard my kidneys are going to work in order to excrete them.





I nearly took the chee cheong salty cup to drink it instead of my nescafe. That was really close.

Bad public relationship, bad pricing, bad food, bad maths.

I can't say anything more than that.



PS: If one day you find the chee cheong fun ok, tell me. I give myself a second chance to try again.

317# 21 x 3

317# 21 x 3


This week could be the week where i attended the most times of birthdays in my life.

Went for Naomi's one on last saturday as the previous one mentioned, and there's another one on sunday.

But this one is a little bit different, don't have to travel too far away since it was just at a friend's house.





This cake from Beryl's look funky. The chocolate topping looks like noodles where i nearly get some to eat with my chopsticks.

I'm not sure whether the flowers and leaves are edible or not. Someone tried it and it was tasteless. Plastic?





Happy 21st Darren.

I called Chan to buy a cake there since we have no time to get anything for him. It's quite cool to have 2 cakes to cut with on your birthday.

I just remembered that i actually cut a cake last year, with my face slammed onto the cake.





I took a break on Monday, and tuesday there was another friend's birthday.

Kelf has just turned 21, too.

No fancy party or funky cake, we just went to OUG for a dinner.





Kelf, Harry, Toilet, Roney, Kien Wei, Tks, Chan, Tucky and me.

When 9 of us put together, the only word you can think with could possibly be "DoTA".

But hey, i have quited playing as well as Chan. We played only once during Reproduction system. Now we bertaubat already.





A break on Wednesday, and Thursday, which is today, Roney turned 21 too.

A few of us went Mid valley to celebrate his birthday.

A very hearty meal we had, and this time we have a very funky cake.





Precious moment. Kind of hard to capture a picture when someone is cutting a cake with a smile, for my phone...

Sweet.

Actually i knew that the trick of "going out to buy something" for sure was to get a cake in fact, but hey, how could you celebrate a birthday without a cake?

Oh yeah, i did this year.





Although the ice cream cake was small, but it was harder than you could ever imagine.

Actually we should have took it out from the box to thaw it for a while before cutting it.

Tucky was trying hard to cut the cake into pieces for us. But using the knife in the restaurant wasn't really a good idea...





Because it will break somehow.

No, not the body of the knife itself, but the handle of the knife.

This shows how well dry ices in the box can freeze the cake well.





During the way back, i was kind of rush and i missed the exit to seremban from the car park. I ended up heading to bangsar.

Had an adventure in the car looking for direction for about 1 hour, and we reached subang. Actually i could use the LDP way back to imu to drop roney and kien wei off, but i choosed the kesas way which is more secure. Had to pass 2 Kesas toll though.

Took me 2 hours to reach home. Tired.




I guess there's no more birthdays anymore right? Lol.

Happy birthday to all of you all.

316# Naomi 20

316# Naomi 20


Just got back from Sunway Hotel for Naomi's birthday. It's too late for a horror movie (haunted by Fobbiden Siren last night) therefore i decided to write this as a dedication to our comedy queen.

This is supposed to be a surprised party for her, organised by yum yao. But thanks to Noris who didn't aware of the situation, sms-ed her to apologize saying that he couldn't show up for her birthday party.

No more surprise, gone...



Mike customised ice cream type II - Vanilla chocolate chip + strawberry ice cream. Topped with chocolate chips, strawberrries, chocolate from the chocolate fountain and some berry syrup. Type I was given to tks.


I didn't know that the Sunway Tower Hotel and this hotel are two different building. I parked at the tower and realised that i was at the wrong building.

Luckily it wasn't too far away, just a walking distance to the hotel from the outside.





7.15pm i reached, some of them were already there waiting for the signal to hunt.

Quite a lot of us went, 31 people in total, too long to list.

We took 3 rolls of tables, nearly occupied the whole corner of the restaurant.





50% off for a buffet in Sunway Hotel was a good ideal. We paid less than Rm50 for the buffet which was quite not bad.

Standard buffet food expected, need not to mention.

But the variety is kind of little with respect to the amount of money people paying over there.





Anyway, there's only this much of food you can take in at one time, no point if you have unlimited types of food waiting for you. Example, Jogoya.

Seafood lasagna, teppanyaki, kebab roll... For me, these few stand out. Pretty delicious then the rest.





Yum Yao distributed these party hats to us to mess around.

You can wear it wherever, and however you want.

I wore 2 at a time on my chest, too bad i don't have the photo with me.





These three fellas really like to do funny poses. Can't expect the serious Han ying is in fact a person who likes to pose around.

The moment i took this picture, the image reminded me of something.

I took a picture of 3 of them together before.





Huh, May of this year we went to Mid valley and we had lunch in Dominos.

I actually took a picture of them where Han Ying's pose really pwned.

But actually she can do better than that.





Rabbit with horn.

Oh yeah.



They were playing a card game named "Bridge", which i could only barely get some idea. But never mind, will try to learn during our hospital posting at Kuala Kubu Bharu soon.





Chingli abusing the food.

See, some of us really wearing the hat even when we were eating.

I wore it out to take food as well on the back of my head.





A few of them came late, about 8 something or 9 because they were having a basketball match at semenyih.

Heard that got pwned by some international player who can slam dunk with both hands and swing on the ring.

They looked totally exhausted. The amount of food they took to recharge the aftermatch energy really freaked me out.





I didn't bring my camera there because i'm just plain lazy. I would like to be in photos instead of being a cameraman, too tired of it.

So sorry if i have sabotage you all in taking photos. I know i did. No offense but i just like to disturb for fun.

James threatened me not to post his photos on M106 blog with my ass-showing gay picture in his camera. Oh well, we all posed gay-ly so i think it doesn't matter.

Since i can't pose his picture on the M106 blog, but i can still do it here.





Here you go James, muahaha...

Regardless the poor quality of this picture, Naomi's big exophatalmus eyes are still very visible.

11.11pm (not exactly), cake cutting session.

Zher lin did a very good performance by singing a chinese song to Naomi. That was really sweet.

And the electricity got cut off once he finished singing the song...





2 big and 1 small candle, mistake. She claimed that she's 20, not 21.

I don't understand why everytime when i try to take pictures of people cutting cake, tks will sure be in the picture. I think this is more than just coincidental... lol.


Happy birthday Naomi. And... Get a boy friend soon. LOL.