Batam Trip 2011

For the past few months, I have been rushing for Gunpla Builders World Cup and been to hell and back. In the end, I still came up short. But to thank my wife and co for been so understanding during this period (I know some of you might have been murdered by your spouse), we went on a weekend getaway to Batam, Indonesia. To be frank, I thought I was not going to enjoy this trip as there are no shopping, not much activities and, no Gundams. But I was wrong. I totally enjoyed it! The sea, the breeze, the atmosphere and not to mention the local food. I gorged myself to death there. 

A half an hour ferry ride and another ten minutes car ride, Turi Beach Resort is the place for a short trip. At the hotel room, I kept staring out to the sea, the view was breathtaking. Everything looked so calm and serene... Ahh man ... I like it. 

I left my Super-duper-telescopic-ultra-ultimate-camera at home, so I have to make do with my Samsung Galaxy Note. Yes, photos of this entire trip were taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note. Pardon the blur pictures, but I am no professional :) 

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Getting down to work

With Gunpla Builders World Cup over, it is time to get down to business. I have  three outstanding commissions on hand. 

Perfect Grade Strike Gundam

The plan was to create three striker systems in Perfect Grade format. I will be using the non grade 1/60 Striker set for this conversion. This will be a very interesting and  challenging project for me. 

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Singapore Gundam Expo 2011

I went down to Gunpla Expo 2011 this evening to have a better look of the entries. I felt that there is a dip in standards this year. That could be because of new participants entering the fray, I did saw a lot of unfamiliar names. If this is the case, then it is a very encouraging sign. Old folks like me could call it a day and let the young generation take over. Anyway, I took some entries selectively (it was very crowded) and hope to share with you guys. 

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The-O (Odin) MG - WIPS

I managed to downloaded all the WIP shots. I took them entirely with my Samsung Galaxy S2. This phone has never let me down so far. 

Order of the photos are pretty random in order. But they will probably give you an insight of my thought process throughout the whole build. I decided to created a page for all my WIPs for future works and make this a habit. Hopefully I can have a huge library of WIPs in time to come. 

Enjoy...

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A new focus

I need to rest. Period. I have been sleeping 2-3 hours every night for the past two months. Right now, I want to  give my body a break and shut out everything else.

I learnt a valuable lesson than Gunpla itself today. It shook me to the core, no doubt about it. I like to tell you all a little bit more. Why we work so hard for Gunpla over the years? For passion? For awards? To be frank, I gained something that outshine everything else, "friendship". The friendship I gained with all the folks at HAG/ HAW and Leon Ku especially, makes me complete. I like to say to them "we grew up together", being through tough times and HEY! we are still kicking and stronger than EVER! We have conflicts at times but nothing can derails our deep rooted brotherhood. 

How about the local/ overseas modelers I met along the way? Well, I am blessed. I am lucky to know a lot of friends from overseas and they are the best people  I ever met. And the best part? I am still making new friends everyday! 

And reading this emo post by Waylander also makes me realize how important my wife is. Today is her birthday, but I basically utilized all my leave for my entry, I could not join her on her off day. Yes I am mightyly guilty but she would have none of it. She wanted me to do my best and just as happy that I raised my own benchmark. Mark my words, I am going to spend more time with her and my children more now. 

It is a pity that the O did not make it to GBWC. But it may eventually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Right now, I will finish it and its BFG. Then give it a superb maintenance setup (it deserves that much) and then present to Hobby Art @ Work for display. To me, this piece has exceeded all my expectations thus far and I am very proud of it. So I will make sure all blemishes are corrected and to make it as perfect as possible. On the other hand, I am already thinking how to excel my current work and I think I still can improve even further (and throw in a few more surprises along the way). 

I have three interesting commissions coming up and I intend to start all at once. So expect more from me next year. Right now, my focus will be on finishing the O. 

On a side note, I am also happy to see that Waylander, cool guy I enjoy doing Gunpla with, making a marked improvement from last year BAKUC. Expect more from him next year. I am pretty sure of it.

Peace out, 

Toymaker 

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The O

OK. This ain't finished. That's the bottom line. I still have tons of decals to add and I have not even finish the BFG and base. But nevertheless, I will post some pictures of it since Mr Donc has already done up his. THe purpose of this build is to give the O an overhaul. I guess by now you guys have seen enough of those monstrous versions. So I have decided on the onset to do a "slim" version of the O. Of course there are not a single reference I can find out there. I tried several designs but could not find a suitable frame for it. 

And it so happened that I was fiddling with a PG Strike that I realized that its frame suits my idea perfectly! Well, by then it's already mid September and I have not enough time to work on something so massive. 

Well of course, this build was done in as a FACE-OFF with DC23. He has done a really impressive interpretation of the O complete with a nice diorama. Without further delay, I present to you my unfinished Master The O. Please forgive me for not completing this in time. I will finish a maintenance structure and post more WIPs soon. 

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Should I?

Yes, that's the question. I bought this on impulse and I am not really into cars. But I always respect the modelers as building these four wheelers is tedious and perfection is a must. I will probably do this once I am free from my other projects. Who knows, I might actually like it.... 

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Gundam Expo and other updates

15 November 2011. Mark your calendars guys! Gunpla Expo is finally coming to Singapore! This Gunpla exclusive event is finally making coming to our shores. Personally, I am pretty excited about this. Why? Because I bet the organizers will make this a grand event. Some of the highlights of this event include:- 

1. Introduction of the brand new series, Gundam Age. 

2. Gunpla Builders World Cup 2011 (Singapore) entries on display. 

3. Release of the Real Grade (RG) Freedom Gundam ( a must buy for me). 

4. Custom Bearguy exhibition, this will be fun to watch. 

5. Model kit session with Mr Kawaguchi.

6. Gundam Caravan.

7. Gundam Image Girls (not interested).

Event exclusive merchandise includes:- 

- HG 1/144 Gundam Age-01 Normal Full Colour Coating Version

- MG GNT-0000 00QAN[T]

- HG 1/144 GPB-04B Pink BearGuy (Limited Edition) 

- HG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode) Pearl Clear Version 

And for your information, Shengtai, the local distributors for Gunpla products is looking for promoters for this event. If you are interested, please contact Sheng Tai Toys at 6743-3636.

So, see you guys at Sengkang Compass Point! 

And for those who are participating in GBWC2011 and Custom Bearguy, do take note that photo submission has been extended to 8 November 2011. 

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Mad rush to the finishing line!

The finishing line is in sight! As you can see, most of the products are up on the shelves. What a sight! With the retail side done, the  guys at HAG can concentrate on the work area for students/ modelers. I am really looking forward to this. Finally a place in Singapore where local Gunpla/ Sci-Fi modelers can learn and exchange ideas, and most importantly, HAG hopes to foster Gunpla culture here and encourage and inspire people to take up this hobby.

Modeling lessons are also conducted at the new place by our big guy,Sam. Now, with more space,  Leon, Eric and I will be playing our roles as mentors to the younger modelers. We are exploring the viability of lessons/ tutorials on specific/ special techniques on top of the basic courses by Sam. I think it is time to push the next generation of modelers up the ranks, don't you think so? 

Oh, did I tell you about a lounge area for members/ visitors to chill out? Yes, HAG has set up an area just for that. We will also make reading materials/ reference books available.

As most of you may be aware by now that Hobby Art @ Work "HAW" will launch on 18 October 2011, next Tuesday.

For that day, the first three customers to spend S$188, S$88 and S$48 respectively will be entitled to free memberships worth just as much. Take note that this only applies to the first three customers to spend the respective amounts at HAW.

And for a limited period, the six-lesson basic gunpla course offered at HAW will be at S$200 dollars instead of the usual S$250. 

There are still work to be done. And HAG folks are working around the clock and their socks off for this workshop. And thanks to them, Gunpla modelers may soon have a place they can call "home" :)

STAY TUNED GUYS!

HAW Hanger is still a Work-In-Progress! 

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Hard at Work

I drop by the workshop today. The guys were busily assembling furniture. Now the workshop is beginning to take shape. I am looking towards the days when I can work on my projects here. Hobby Art @ Work will begin operating on the 18th of October 2011. This is next Tuesday! However the official launch is  scheduled on the 5th of November.

Address:                 12 Arumugam Road, #06-04 

                             Lion Building B Singapore 409958

Operating hours:     12 pm to 8.30 pm 

Take note guys! I will be posting more information on the shop this week so keep a lookout for it. 

 Assembly manual not an issue with us. We read countless ones lolxxx... 

Shelves displaying the stocks. Here is definitely more spacious compared to Sunshine Plaza. A lot of standing room for people. 

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Customized HG BearGuy @ Gunpla Expo

Listen up Bearguy lovers! I just receive news that November's Gunpla Expo @ Compass Point, Singapore will be featuring customized Bearguys at the event!

This is the chance for you to have your customized bearguy displayed at the event! All you need to do is to take front and rear photos of your kit and submit to 'sttgundam@gmail.com' by 28 October 2011. 30 entries will be selected and 3 best entries will get a exclusive expo limited edition Pink Bearguy! Please refer to the poster below for more information.

If you guys are not sure about customizing Bearguys, this will give you a hint.  HAG organized a bearguy groupbuild a few months ago and it was a blast! So I suggest to guys to get cracking. Time is of the essence! 

See you guys there!!!!

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Moving up the next level

2002 was the year I discovered Hobby Art Gallery (HAG). 10 years on, they are still going strong and if not, even stronger than before! I always have a special place for HAG as the folks there played a very important role in my hobby. But I leave this story for another post at another day as I have very exciting news to share with you guys. 

Yes! HAG ver.2 is going coming! I always believe that this day will come and not a day too soon! With bigger space, they can finally set up a workshop. I always dream of a place where I can work on my models with the rest of the guys, do demos, set up focus groups on Gunpla etc. All of a sudden, Gunpla seems to be even more exciting than before. 

Expect more things to come in the next few weeks. I will have more details of HOBBY ART @ WORK very soon. Meantime, thought I show you some pictures of HAG's "WIP". 

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