The collection so far...

Yes, I have been distracted recently. You can see I'm sidetracking from Gunpla a bit. Or maybe not... I am always fascinated with dinosaurs and robots, so with Zoids, you get both. 

To be frank, I started having Zoids when I was less than 10 years old. I had a handful of Tomy Zoids my dad bought from Hong Kong and some hand-them-downs from relatives. But that was about all I had back then. I did buy more when I was older but the interest eventually died off because they are just not popular enough so retailers abandoned them. 

So fast forward twenty years, I picked up this hobby. Took up Gunpla modeling, equipped myself with some skills and never looked back. Now, I have come to the point that I want to rekindle my passion for these mechanical dinosaurs. And I say there is no better time than now. 

Well, I decide to start by catching up with purchases of the HMM (Highend Master Model) Zoids. Obviously, I want to start building soon. But I need to plan where I am heading with this move. It's kinda "major" decision to me. 

"When I open this door, I will eventually close the other one..." 

My collection so far.. 

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Merry Christmas!

It's the time of the season again! Just want to wish everyone here Merry Christmas 
and a Happy New Year! 

                                             "May the good times and treasures of the present

become the golden memories of tomorrow.

Wish you lots of love, joy and happiness.

MERRY CHRISTMAS"

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My Thoughts On GBWC 2012 Winners

Alright, GBWC is finally over! First and foremost, let me congratulate all the winners especially Eday from Hong Kong. And not to forget all the finalists and other contestants from their respective countries. You guys should give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. 

Well, I have decided to write my thoughts about the 3 winning entries at GBWC 2012. I like to stress that these views you find here are solely my opinions and nobody else. You can agree or disagree with me.

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First Look - Nu Gundam Ver. Ka

This one is probably on everyone's "want" list. And rightfully so. The previous Master Grade version suffered from poor proportion and limited articulation. So this new addition is very much welcomed. Especially when it is produced by the great mecha designer, Hajime Katoki himself. 

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There she goes again...

It has been a long time since she came to me in my dreams. I was just thinking about her the other day. So caught up with life that I have little time for her. Come of think of it, maybe I have moved on (whatever that means)... Well until last night.

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Gunzoids!

Ok, we got carried away. 

Rather than settle for one quick-build Gundam each, Waylander wants to add another model to the build, a Zoid. We going to make it as a recon unit. This could turn out to be something interesting. So your bet is on whose? LOL... 

Buster + Saber Tiger Combo 

Duel + Shadow Fox Combo

Anyway, I came across a similar build at Gundam Guy. A 1/144 Jesta and Saber Tiger. A very unique build. Takara Tomy and Bandai. Who would have thought LOL... 

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MG Duel Gundam -First Look

These days, there is hardly anything bad to  say about the newer Master Grades. Quality has improved a lot. Take for example the MG Duel Gundam, I did a quick assembly of the kit without any treatment just to have a feel of it. 

• The redesign is great. 
• Assault Shroud armors integrated nicely. 
• Main articulation joints are pretty taut and secured. 
• Zero seam lines to treat.
• Great proportion (doesn't look as dumb and clumsy as before) 

Ok, maybe there is one problem that surfaced when I started posing it. The front armor skirting attachment tend to "pop" out easily. The same goes to the leg armors if you exert strength at the sides. 

But overall, this is a great kit. You should get this if you are a Seed fan. Waited ten years just for it to be MG-ized. But it is well worth the wait. 

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A wonderful day

Obviously the BEST part about this hobby is that I found my second family, Hobby Art Gallery (HAG). If not for the folks there, I would not have sustain for so long in this hobby. 

There is never a dull time when I'm with them. It does helps when all of us have something in common.  It has been 10 long years and HAG is still going strong. In fact, they have grown from strength to strength.

Personally, I feel that this hobby is not just about personal achievements or awards. I have met people from all walks of life who enjoy this hobby as much as me. Some eventually become my good friends. Now, that's the reward. Ermmm, I did encounter one or two  people whom I regretted meeting. Sometimes, it makes me wonder why some can do crazy or desperate things just to get what they want at the expense of everything else. Well, I leave that for another day. We will look into their brains when I have the time. Huh.

This hobby is a journey. And to me, I focus on the journey and not the destination. You find satisfaction while doing an activity and not when you are finished with it. If you get what I mean.  

Every year, HAG organized these barbecues and I always look forward to them. Because this is one of the functions I enjoy going and especially with all my buddies there. Just want to thank Joyce, Sam, Eric and all the folks at HAG for all these. And I wish HAG soar to even greater heights!

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Duel and Buster combo

Spent the last few hours working on this but only managed to assemble the Duel without the Assault Shroud. This build will be a collaboration with Waylander, who is currently working on the Buster Gundam. It will be a speed build and OOB with alternate colour schemes. 

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Time to move... (and after thoughts?)

With everything done and dusted, I thought it’s time to move on to the next phase. Next year will be a really busy one for me. I am actually looking forward to finish the Zoids Shadow Fox but have to put it on hold since I have two long outstanding commissions to complete. It won’t be nice to let my customers wait for too long.

First off, a Perfect Grade Strike Gundam complete with all three Striker Systems. Although I have the 1/60 scale non grade weapon systems, their details and forms are too crude for a Perfect Grade Gundam. So I need to do an upgrade for the Sword Strike and Launcher Strike sets. It will be a challenge for me indeed. Throw in a mega sized maintenance base and the Aile Grasper, you can imagine this is one huge project.

Found this picture on the net but couldn't trace the source. 

Another amazing work by a Japanese modeler (I assumed) 

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A crazy trip

Imagine this:-

- Two guys who share the same passion for the same hobby; 

- With loads of free time after competition; 

- And have absolutely no clue what to do with it; 

Saturday. 4 hours and the half and more than 300 kilometers later, Waylander  and I made it to Kuala Lumpur. The intention is to take a better look at all the GBWC entries in Malaysia, meet up with the local lads, buy some stuff and head straight back to Singapore. 

First stop: Infinite Creation. A local hobby store with a really huge area for modelers to gather and work on models. 

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Combined Work-In-Progress photos for Odin

For those of you who follow this blog, you guys know that I seldom document my WIPs. The same goes with my Odin. Well, I spent some time consolidating all the random photos I took and will repost all of then here in random order. To those who have requested for WIP photos, hopefully these photos will suffice your requirements :) 

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HMM Shadow Fox - First Look

Time for some relaxation before I go back into more serious builds. I choose the HMM Zoids, Shadow Fox for this little exercise. First, I really like the design of this fox, the gold and and dark blue colour scheme. I would love to do a dark gun metal and gold scheme. That would be cool. 

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One for the lads

Sent down for a second look this evening since I did not have a good look of the other entries since the monster entries are getting the limelight during submission day. After a quick glance, these entries caught my attention. 

This Duel/ Musha Gundam combination is really good. Who would have thought the these two can be blended together and look so nice? I will suggest to this modeler to follow up with Buster and Aegis as well, LOL. 

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Pros vs Hobbyists mentality

Following the coverage of S'pore's 2012 GBWC and discussions with fellow modelers, I noticed that there has been a lot of buzz regarding the mega builds and how everyone is going BIG this year. It's all been fun to read, but there is one debate that I have came across, that I feel I have to address - Mainly, some people saying that mega builds are by the "pros" who have the money to buy multiple kits and just bash every part they have together to make some humongous monster. And that supposedly kills the competition for hobbyists in the process. I would like to add my two cents worth on it:- 

• Firstly, there is no such thing as a distinction between "pros" and "hobbyists", especially in Singapore. All pros are hobbyists. But maybe not all hobbyists are pros. How do you become a pro then? Stick to the hobby and improve. When you reach a particular level some day, it doesn't matter if you churn out a humongous piece of work or a tiny little 144 scale kit. People WILL see you are a pro.

• Granted, to build a "monster" kit, you do need to invest some money. But here's the thing - if I gave a beginner the same amount of money a so-called "pro" used to build his mega kit, is that person able to come up with something of the same calibre or better? You should know better. So a lot of money might mean a mega build, but does not necessarily mean it's a good one.

• Which brings me to the last point - Some people have been seeing pictures of the mega builds and dismissing them as "messy", "fail", "can't see anything" etc etc. This might be true for some big builds, but not all. I think the tendency to simply dismiss a build just cos it's big might be due to the bias-ness mentioned in the above two points - the accusation that these modellers are simply richer guys who whack everything into a monster kit.

At the end of the day, it's simple - your quality and creativity never lies. It's not about money or size of build. Just down to skill level. 

While I can go on and on about this for the rest of the night, I believe it is more productive to continue working on my next project and start leveling up. 

I suggest you do so too. 

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GBWC 2012 Singapore

The last time I saw massive entries for Gundam competition was several years ago. But this year the trend is back! It is safe to say that everyone is cranking it up for the competition. The free trip to Japan for the winner must be pretty enticing. After all  Japan, Diver City, why not give it a shot? 

Back to the main topic, the entries. I was there to submit my entry last evening and took pictures of all the entries that were there. Please accept my advanced apologies if yours are not in them. For starters, this year's entries are pretty good compared to last year. And that pleases me. At least everyone is improving. The layout of the exhibit area is also good with showcases well lit and this makes viewing a pleasure. 

Here are some of the entries,

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The-O (Code name: Odin)

EVOLUTION

There you have it. Odin is fully done and now I can finally move on. This was meant for GBWC 2011 but due to a series of unfortunate events, I had to pull out at the last stretch. I thought it was a pity to give it all up. On the other hand, this withdrawal had in fact indulged me with the luxury of time. Time to re-modify and re-design Odin. I wasn't really happy about the first version anyway and was determined to give it an overhaul.

previous version 

  Updated Version

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Gunpla Contest by Gundam Dipendente

Recently, I am got to know Mr Antonio Scasserra, who manage the Italian blog, Gundamdipendent which provides their local community with Gunpla-related news, galleries etc. A very passionate and really friendly fellow! 

Well, this blog is into their second year and they are kicking it off with the second Gunpla Contest. Well,  I think it's a good idea if people can participate in online competitions for the exposure. I used to enter a few of these competitions and made a lot of friends locally and abroad. It is very enriching. Hence, I always encourage everyone to be active in forums, share works, tips and participate. 

Well, here are the information to the contest, gunpla-contest-20-by-gundamdipendente. 

Take a peep if you have the time guys! :) 

Open publication - Free publishing - More gundam

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Nu Gundam Ver.Ka (MG)

Since I have some spare time to blog, I choose to talk about the one upcoming release that I am looking forward to. December will see the release of the much anticipated Master Grade Nu Gundam Ver.Ka. I like most of the designs from Hajime Katoki and will definitely get this one. I may even buy two! 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 5.5 (3 November 2012)

Day 5.5

Good news and bad news. Good news is I can be discharged today. The bad news is my platelet has not increased since the last check. Considering my extremely low blood platelet count, doc told me that there are risks involved if I want to be discharged. But I reckon that it will be months later before the platelets go up to acceptable levels. That is one risk I have to take. Prolonged stay here may in fact, make my condition worse(if you get what I mean) LOL. 

Well, I'm still pondering I should jump right back to complete this monster. Anyway, it looks like a kitten now compared to Waylander's entry. At least I have the luxury to consider my next move. And I will take my time doing that. 

Will see how things unfold the next few days.... 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 5 (2 November 2012)

Day 5

Another awful night, I am not sure I am here to recuperate or suffer. My "neighbor" was pretty restless last night, creating a din. Phew... And to add insult to injury, another "new uncle on the block" blatantly smoked on his bed and I was looking all over the ward for the source and didn't even realize it was from my room. He is one ninja i must say. Anyway he was caught later and told off. But at 5.30am, I was awoken by the stench of cigarette smell in the air. I had enough. I complained to the staff nurse and ask her to either remove his cigarette pack or him. 

Doc will check me tomorrow and if my platelet is on a upward trend, I may have some good news. Keeping my fingers crossed. I can't wait to put this hell behind me. 

 I continue to work on the Red Horn today. Managed to complete the whole body. Four legs and I will be done tomorrow. Looks like I need my wife to bring Dark Horn on as well. 

These few days of enforced rest was good. I have been caught in the rat race for so long that I lost touch of my inner self. Time to take a step back and assess my life. Family, Work and Passion. Usually, the three don't mixed. And it is tough to achieve a balance as well. I admit I am too absorbed and obsessed with my hobby and I need to pull out before I get burned out. But to be frank, it's my interaction with certain people that really "burned" me than the actual hobby itself. Anyway, I am going to leave that behind me. 

First step to recuperation is to spend more time with my family. You can't turn back the clock you know.... Before you know it, your kids are all grown up and you never really get to know them. That would be terrible. 

Well... yawnnn...talk more tomorrow... enough excitement for today. 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 4 (1 November 2012)

Day 4

I did get some decent sleep today. Perhaps I tire myself too much for the past three days. Well, doc came in this morning and said there was a increase of platelet count to 5000 which was pretty insignificant. I told him even if it's only 50 points, I'm already happy. At least it increases. My wife was pretty happy about the news. 

Today, I worked a little longer on the Red Horn. Assembly is definitely more complex and fittings are pretty tight as well. The details are very intricate and complex. I really like what I am seeing so far... 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 3 (31 October 2012)

Day 3 

I think i slept less than 3 hours. The effects of the steroids are kicking in making me very alert and at the same time, denying me sleep. That would be ideal for me if I was working on my GBWC project. 

Today, there are good news. The Specialist explained that my Platelet level had dropped to 3000 from 7000. At least it didn't plummet to 0. I supposed that's the good news. Anyway, it's fairly obvious. One small prick on my hand resulted in a huge bruise. An early discharge seems impossible. 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 2 (30 October 2012)

Day 2.

Didn't get much sleep. A noisy neighbor who kept me up the whole night. Now I feel worse than before. But it can't be helped. Bed-ridden and possibly after a stroke, what do you expect that poor man to do? And that is the least of my concerns now. 

Well, no spitting of blood for today which is a good sign although more red spots appeared. That is to be expected. I am experiencing some back aches and a mild but dull headache too. Nothing  I can do about it.  Being a workaholic, I can't stand not doing anything. 

My hands became to itch into the second day of "idleness". I gave my wife a call and told her I needed medication, urgently. So she dropped by with the remedy during lunch time. Boy, am I glad. At least now I will be pre-occupied for the next few days. Provided I don't cut myself and bleed like nobody business LOL.. 

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Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - Day 1 (29 October 2012)

The moment I saw the whole basin went red after I rinsed and spit out the water, I know something is not right. I took a quick look at my arms and true enough, little red spots everywhere. I told my wife I won't be working today and need to seek treatment immediately.

I packed some stuff and before heading out, sat in front of my GBWC entry for awhile. "Looks like I'm going to have to sit this one out." It's kinda suck with the finishing line in sight. All the effort and sleep I sacrificed have all come to nothing. 

Come to think of it, things have not been going well for the past two-three weeks. First my daughter had stomach flu and was hospitalized. And the following day, I had to sent my dad to the A&E Department for a very bad flu. After that hectic three days, I came down with flu myself and was effectively out the whole week. And when things look to be back to normal, my uncle was warded. I have not seen him for quite some time and was shocked when I visited him. He had withered a lot. I know it was a matter of time. 

(He passed away this afternoon when I was been admitted into the hospital.)

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Deadline looming...

I got to admit. I just do not have the habit of posting Work-In-Progress pictures of my competing entry. Simply because I want it to be a surprise. It will not be fun if everyone knows what I am doing or seen my work before actual submission. But I thought I should let my readers know I am still around and trying very hard to complete my entry for this year. 

Hopefully by November, I can produce something that I'm happy about, for once. 

And since, everyone been showing snippets of their WIPs following up to GBWC2012, I will follow suit and leave you with something ;) 

See you guys in three weeks time!  

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Gunpla Expo Singapore 2012

Her face says it all. Her first Gunpla Expo. 

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