Sunday Test

We had to take Kristine to a school today because she accumulated a lot of demerit points. In other words, every time she does not do her homework, or was late in handing them in, various infractions in the classrooms and also not partaking in any of the school's activites, these will earn her demerit points.

These point will accumulate until usually before the PMR or UPSR sessions and depending on the severity of the points, they will have to undergo some tests to determine if they're still fit or eligible for next year's class or repeat the same whole year again.

And so, here she is, in one of the tests, to determine her Chinese comprehension

OK, if you believe that story, good for you and oh, you DO remember you owed me some money 10 years back, right?

This is the CCCC class where she had to go for a Chinese comprehension test. This test are for those students who came from an English or non-Chinese speaking background (I am offended because I am the real cause here, the Daddy Banana). Its not actually compulsory but I suppose, it would make her life in the school easeir...

The parcel from Germany

After the two events this morning (NERF & 'Horse vs Bull' GB), I discovered that there was a package from Germany waiting for me at home.

This is a very big package. I would not blame you if you have asked if I ordered a Pizza from Germany.

My very one 'complete' Preiser figures. They are expensive when compared to 'normal' model kit figures. But hey, with eBay, you can find them cheaper. And moreover, this is the first time I have seen modern US Army in 1/72 scale.

You get two trees in the box and yes, you can sort of combine to make your own figures.

Just look at the figure on the right. Its a Female, right?
But if you scroll back up to the box package, 'she' was painted as a Male.
Its the third figure from the left on the top row.

Different manufacturers have different scale, which I do not mind as long as the margin or error is minimal. Here, it is being compared with a Revell 1/72 (left)

So, now I have some US Army, I wonder if i can convert them into German Paratroopers for the C-160 Transall ....

What? You did not know I was building a plane? If you need to know, its here:

SFTPMS Forum, and/or the ARC Forum. They're both more or less the same unless you want to read the stories 100%.

Horse vs Bull 2012 @ICW

And so, right after my Airbrushing session, it was time for me to leave. But not before I managed to snap a few photos and hung around a bit for the SFTPMS 'Horse vs Bull' Group Build. This event was headed by Vince Yong (aka bombervince) where the main aim of the Group Build was to showcase different builds of Ferraris (Horse) and Lamborghinis (Bull).

Some last minute touch-ups...

Most of the Horses are here...

Whoa... the Aoshima Lamborghini Aventador!

I wanted to participate on this GB but because the only Aventador available at that time was the 1:10 radio controlled car, I could not enter. I mean, I can display it but it would not mean anything since its classified as a 'toy'. Then again, I did not realise I would have an Airbrush so soon either since I was planning on hair-brushing the models and then use sand paper on them.

Yeah, I had plans for it; from the lighting to the engine sound and the animated rear spoilers. Oh well, next time, then.

More blowing at ICW

This is the second time I am here and its been a few days since I last struggled with the Airbrush. (My finger is OK now, thank you).

Like all forms of Art, I realised that Airbrushing is no exception. You cannot just go in gung-ho and/or use brute force too.

I have airbrushed the surfacer in the cockpit. You won't see any difference because the model kit's plastic is grey. And rayloke was right that you need to use the light's to see where you have airbrushed the surfacer. It tends to leave a sheen when its drying.

The manual says to mix 80% Olive drab with 20% white. So, I just got a some aircraft green and mixed a drop of dark green instead. Hey, whatever colours available, I just get.

Later on, there was Olive Drab and White at ICW... shucks.

If I read the the instruction carefully, it said to shake and stir for 45 seconds which I did and this is what happened when I opened the paint for the first time.

Although the graphical instructions on the container said its can be used on an airbrush, I added some water just in case. Even with maximum pressure, its still very hard to push the paint out. Maybe I should add more water...

 

Well, the final result is brilliant. A smooth silvery surface. Alas, I am not looking for this result, so I forced myself to be disappointed.

 

 

22092012 NERF @SS2

I was late (again) this morning for the NERF Damansara session. This time, it was at SS2 and the turnout was very good.

Natalie (right) bought two pouches from Daiso which serves as her new Maverick holsters.

A shy new boy came with his Mom after hearing about us on Facebook. We let him try out one of the NERF blaster instead of waiting for him to go home and get his Recon. Yeah, we also let him play one of the games (w/o the parental consent form. Oh-oh). But he could not stay long since he has to study for his exams.

We were discussing on the shotgun grip for the Longshot and with some huge PVC pipes, they have done theirs. Me? I am still busy with the SFTPMS Group Build so this will have to wait. Also, if I want to sell it now, I do not have the capital to start the R&D and casting.

The HDD

Man, this is taking me days. What we have here is my former Toshiba Notebook 3.5" hard disk and it was plugged to some USB-to-IDE adaptor. Years ago, when I plugged it onto my Windows XP Notebook, everything was hunky-dory. But now, after digging it up from storage and transferred 45GB of data on another Windows 7 system , it became unreliable.

I am not sure if the USB connection was the cause and I really hope its not since the cable cannot be unplugged or replaced And I also hope that it was not the Hard disk either (because I have no money nor the intention to get a 32GB flash drive just to transfer stuff). But then, I am happy as I got most of the important Data out which I thought was lost but was in there for a very long time.

Alas, for those waiting to access the Zarjaz issues, the Thrillsuckers got to it first. And it took me DAYS to transfer from the HDD to the NAS via Wifi. (NO I don't have a long Network cable, thank you)

The penny has dropped

This was a conversation I had with Bruce regarding my first airbrushing experience on Facebook. Then Kenny chipped in and LOL-ing.

Its more than six days which I realised that our conversation has another 'meaning'

1:144 Revell Trinity House Lightship

Strung out and hung, all on a whim.

I nearly bought this today. On a whim. No. OK, take it as it is - impulsive.

Yes, I nearly bought this ship today just because I know it was sitting on the shelf for years. And I know that the moment I notice it, I will hype myself up that this ship is important and once I want to get it, its gone. And then I will search all over the Internet to get it as a 'revenge' to myself. And the kicker?

"It just a simple model, spray paint it red and add some lighting, it'll be perfect"

Riiiiiiight.

And all this when I had less than RM15.00 in my wallet.

Let's look at this model in more detail.

Its a red ship that has no engines, which serves as a floating lighthouse for the threacherous waters off Dover and Deal which is famous for shipwrecks and lost lives. It broke from its anchors in 1954 during a strong 80mph wind. The only survivor, hung on for eight hours before being rescued.

Based on the detailed fact above, how can anyone slap in some paint, put on some lighting and screw up the model's base and be happy with it? Yes, although its just a model, the more you search it up on Google, the more you still start to gain respect for this humble ship, 'The Trinity Light Vessel no. 90'

This model was originally from FROG in the 60's, then taken over by Russian Eastern Express and eventually, by Revell Germany. Its now out of production.

Perhaps, I shall get it, not because I really really want to light it up but more as a futile and some lame way to immortalise this ship and its noble task.

[Update:  27092012]
I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it! I got it!

Blowjob at ICW

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

You must pay to PROMOTE

"Tell friends this post is important". 

Just recently, I noticed a new link, 'PROMOTE' right after I posted a, well..., post. Being the ever curious fatty, I decided to click on it and then, a window popped up.

You can now 'promote' your post or posts that you have shared in exchange for a small sum. What it does is that your post will be featured in your friend's news feed and are labeled as sponsored. How long you 'promotion' lasts, I am not sure but the attractive thing is, your post can be anything, be it text, video or even photos. However, you cannot promote Group posts or Private messages. And other questions. For more information, you can get it from this FAQ.


Before you start to complain and grip about FB making money and taking advantages, etc., you have to remember that this is the norm when it comes to real world media.


And here's the great thing, its a wonderful tool for Businesses. However, for individuals, its not so hot. Then again, its hard for me to see any potential since I am still not familiar with FB.

The 6-piece potato

This is a classic.

While I was helping my Wife cook dinner as fast as she could, she pointed to some potatoes and gave me the following instructions:
1. Peel the potatoes.
2. Cut them in half, and
3. Then cut them further so that I get six pieces out from each potato.

And I did that. Exactly. Except that my mind has some problem with step #3. Because we're rushing to cook the dinner, I had to go from Engineering mode to normal layman mode so that I can understand her instructions better. Take it from me as I have experienced this before and its the difference between the bed and the cold hard floor

Unfortunately, its hard to do that because my brain was still stuck with a design problem and so, while doing the change, my mind literally froze.

And in computer-speak, my brain 'hang'-ed. All I could think was, how to cut them into 120º pie sections as there were no protractors to measure the angles...

And so, the first two potatoes (left) had funny shapes...
My Wife and I kept staring at it before I realised what had happened.

Luckily... luckily she made me cut the potato in half so I did not have to worry about in 3D...

Just ryoga it

Yeah, just Ryoga it.

Its a new term both of us coined it during lunch today. But the way I see it, there are two stages:

The first stage
This is Bruce's definition which is very close to the term of NATO (No Action, Talk Only). Its usually harmless but it indirectly increases one's reputation of being a TCSS  (Talk Cock, Sing Song) person. However, it is only harmless when your well meaning friends do not join you in your enthusiasm and seeing their resources/efforts go to waste in the end.


The second stage
This is more to my definition.

"A person, who, during the heat of the moment, follows the herd and puts in all their enthusiasm/energy/concentration into the project, (unwittingly) gaining attention and showing off (depending on your own points of view). But halfway into the project, the 'mood' or enthusiasm is usually gone and it suddenly becomes a 'burden'. The project is then temporarily stopped, usually followed by a lot of reasons when asked about its progress and eventually, abandoned."

This is the more severe case, where your friend/s who fully supports you in your passion gets the full brunt of the effect. They see their resources go to waste, promises broken and also, possibly, have the same reputation stuck to them, turning into a social pariah. Never mind if you have used thousands to buy lots of tools, aftermarket parts and even scoured the Internet dry for information. It will all go to waste at the end.

But regardless of the two stages, the most important result of the 'ryoga' effect is that at the end of the day, there is nothing to show for it. The only image I can think of was the Circus Ring Master:

In the dark circus tent, where all the spotlights are trained to this one man in the centre, looking magnificent in topcoat and tails, complete with a shiny top hat. Many people have come to see him tonight, and the place is packed. With his hands twirling on his big moustache, and with a big smile on his face, his booming voice builds the crowd into an excited frenzy. Everyone is waiting in eager anticipation of what he is going to show them. Weeks before, there were announcements and scraps of news that this thing of his will be worth seeing. But then, halfway through his mesmerizing voice, he announces that the show is over. There is nothing else to see because... he's bored. Only the decency and the "I know this will happen" attitude of the crowd stopped them from causing a riot and burning the whole fiasc..er, circus to the ground.



And now, having recognise the sickness, when it comes to modeling, he will do what he likes instead and not 'follow the flow' in participating on Group Builds on models which is not his 'in-thing'.

And slowly, I am pulling a ryoga on a lot of things too. When I 'stick' to a person whether its a friend, colleague or even a Boss, their habits tend to rub off on me. Which is a bad habit because sometimes I am sot immersed in it, I could not take a step back. So, everyday is a constant fight to stop this NATO rot or else, like all TCSS, I have nothing to show apart from wasting everyone's time.


I must really get back on track. No, I must get back to my top form. I must.

Bantah!

I was walking past a group of people crowded in front of a sign. I wondered what it was and well...

Everyone was looking at the sing and murmuring to themselves and no, it has nothing to do with iliteracy

Seems that there will be a new commercial building built over the squatter area turned car park.

[Update: The next day...]
I passed by again and this time, more people were gathering and speaking in Tamil. I could not understand what was being discussed, but the word, 'Bantah' (Protest in English) was heard many times. Then again, it could be something to do with their Temple literally in front of it. Or maybe, it was their home which was 'cleared' more than two years ago. Although the notice mentioned that it was announced on the main media between 3rd to 5th September, they had until 18th September to do this. I am not sure when the board was erected but it was only yesterday that I 'noticed' it.

Watch

Kristine came up to me last night and told me that the new watch that the Auntie from Australia bought for her the night before, was not running. Fine, I thought. Its expected that any stuff you buy from China is going to crap out on you sooner or later, depending on your luck. For Kristine's it was much sooner than soon.

So, after the first looksee, seems like the battery is dead.

I had to go out and buy these 'new' batteries which costs RM2.00.
Luckily, it was for a pack of 10, which makes them 10 sen each.

After comparing the first battery and with the new one which has more juice, the watch is still dead.

And sadly, there is nothing I can do with this watch since if I were to go to a watch repair shop, I would either be advised to get a new one (since the repair job would cost more) or laughed at and cajoled inot buying a 'real' watch instead...

Oh well, let's see if I have some extra cash soon or not.

Spare part models

OK, this is one of those times I regretted being a banana. I spotted this article (OK, photos since I can't read Chinese) about some guys in a spare parts shop creating some very nice models with what looks mostly like clips from windshield wipers.

Being the Bad guy...

Is this Karma? I am not sure.

All the time I was at school, I kept getting a lot of slanted pluses to the point that sometimes, I think the Teacher was trying to give me marks but she was writing crooked...

And so, now, here I am, helping my Wife mark some papers and this time, I was not writing crooked...
Maybe, one of these kids could be a Teacher's Pet/Child/Grandchild.

And so, if that is true, man, Karma is going to be very bad news for them as the results were not that good.

Shoes

Mommy asked the girls to arrange their shoes and this was what they did instead...

Facepalm or not?

Tai Chow Dinner

OK, its dinnertime and since everyone was still full from the Kajang Satay Lunch, Auntie decided to have dinner closer to home and not some food court kilometres away. Which is a bit disappointing for me since I was hoping to catch some DVDs from Unker Ho. But then, since I am not working, money is hard to come by.

For those who do not know what to order, fried rice is always the best solution.

(Clockwise from top left): Dad's plate of rice, Lemon Chicken, Fried rice, Kong Fu Chow Hor Fun, Ku Lou Yoke and the new item in the middle, Kon Mai Fun.

Service is a bit slow tonight because the second plate of the Mai Fun is still not here

OK, the plate of Vege is here.... right after we finished everything

So, remember, when you're at that place, ask for the Kon Mai Fun. Its delicious!

Works out to be about RM10.00 per person... OK lor.
If this was in the 90's it would feed about 12 people methinks

Satay Lunch at Kajang

After our trip to you-know-where with our you-know-who to do the you-know-what, we decided to stop for lunch in Kajang. They were discussing on the idea of having Satay at night in some food court, which is like eating a mouldy apple while locked in a freezer. And so, just to prove that Kajang is very near to the City, I decided to drive all the way there. Which is not an easy feat since I managed to go in the opposite directions as given by the GPS.

After some phone calls, we managed to get in touch with a relative who pointed us to a shop which is located just across the Police Station. If you're coming from the main road and the Police Station is on your left, the shop is on your right. But you need to make a U-turn, though. (try not to do that in front of the Police Station). Actually, I was thinking of going to Haji Samuri but with some people commenting that quality suffered since they expanded, I decided to give it a miss.

The shop in question is The Restoran Malaysia (aka Nyuk Lan Kalajng Satay). Although it is Chinese-owned, it is actually certified Halal. The reason which made us chose this place was because of the meat cooked there. The chicken meat are actually from the white meat and the beef is reported to be quite tender (but we did not order this). For some who are used to the normal satay which has chicken fat and the caramelised taste, the taste here is quite dry. Healtier? I cannot say but it is a refreshing change.

One more thing. Parking... is... a... nightmare...

The satay sauce is full of peanuts and if you want it to be hot, they will add the sambal for you, which, in my case, made the sauce a little bit bitter. Hot and sweet but slightly bitter. Also, I like to fully coat my Satays with the peanut sauce, which is not easy since the bowls are very small. For a moment, I actually thought there was some severe peanut rationing in the country.

We started off with the chicken satay which comes with the peanut sauce and the ketupat. Nowadays, the only real pleasure for me when it comes to satay was eating the cucumber and onions, dipped in the peanut sauce. Again, I thought there was some onion trade embargo with India.

Then, we ordered the noodle, which I suspect is the Hai Lam mee and it is very very good! And it actually made me forget about the onions and the shallow peanut sauce bowls.

With the smiles on their faces, I am quite happy that we made the right choice.

Its fresh from the grill and they're so good at it, none of the meat was burnt save for one.

Panoramic shot. Depite today being a Public Holiday, minutes after I took this shot, there were a lot of hungry customers waiting for empty tables.

For more information, here is the address. I did not call them up since I know there is a old lady at the counter. Any smart remarks from me would usually get a "Hah?" response in different tones anyway. But one day, I am going to ask if they can reserve tables...

Restoran Malaysia (Nyuk Lan Kajang Satay)
31 Jalan Semenyih
Kajang
Tel: 603-8733 1160
Opens from 10am till 11pm
Closed on Tuesdays

If its alright with them, the next chance I get, I will try to bring my own onions...