Random Diary Post

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

I went through my old diary post dated back in February 2015. So maybe not that old. But it feels like a century ago. I'm sharing this here because I no longer feel as bad as I was when I wrote it. Plus, my writing was much better then than it is now. So, bawl, I guess?

No comic.

Just a lot of feelings..

Like tonnes of them.
 ***
Hidden 11.02.2015
I failed to kill it today. I thought I kept it in check. Shove it back there somewhere. Building layers and layers of wall around it. You can't get out. You can never leak out. I don't need you now. Just stay in there. Because I can never kill you. So please, can't you just sleep peacefully in the dark?

I saw your face the other day. It was so random. How was it that your picture just find its way to my domain? How was it that my heart still skips a beat whenever I see you? How is it? After all these years..

Last night I dream of you, handing me your wedding invitation. I swear I've been dreaming this for the fifth time now and it never fails to break my heart to pieces. Well, whatever left of it anyway. How are you these days? I'm curious..

Stalking commence..

What is this? Your dad passed away? I'm sorry it pains me. I'm sorry that I act like I still have the right to feel this way. I miss having to love the people you love. Having to exist in your universe. But I'm no longer there, am I?

Those hairline cracks on the wall start to chip. The holes are getting bigger. At first it trickles down shyly. And suddenly it just burst out, blasting the wall I've been so desperately strengthening. You are with someone new aren't you? She's the one, isn't she?

Why am I so selfish? How did I manage to turn this into me-me-me?

Please. This is painful. Kill me please. Kill me now.

Feelings are pathetic. Stay in there, you pathetic thing. I don't need to feel. I'm okay. Stop it with this nonsense. Grow a pair and live your life. You're not dying, you childish piece of shit.
***
Bila ntah aku nak melukis lagi...

Adieu
Terima kasih kerana sudi singgah dan membaca entry ini. Silakanlah merapu di ruang komentari bersama saya. Yeaha~

Tamparan

Friday, December 09, 2016

Aku nak luahkan sesuatu. Tolong terima tanpa bersangka buruk dan tanpa rasa aku holier than thou.

Semalam aku dikejutkan dengan public holiday dan cuti hujung minggu dibatalkan untuk memastikan semua kerja berkaitan MRT Station dapat dilunaskan sebelum 16/12/16 iaitu hari pembukaan MRT. Terkejut. Kecewa tak payah cakaplah. Aku seminggu ni cukup sesak. Nak berdiri pun rasa goyang sebab penat di site. Agak ironik sebab aku masih ada masa untuk taip entry ni. Tapi hati aku terpanggil untuk tulis benda ni sebagai peringatan kat diri sendiri bila aku kembali hanyut dengan dunia satu dimensi aku nanti.

Dengan hati memberontak aku gagahkan diri masuk ofis hari ni. Yelah harapan nak berehat esok dah hancur. Sungguh aku tak ada hati nak buat kerja. Tapi kerja tetap kerja kan. Mana ada sudahnya. Nasi lemak lauk paru aku tapau awal-awal. Sempat cilok, aku nak makan jap. Takut jadi gastrik macam semalam. Ye semalam aku seharian panjat stesen check pintu satu-satu, tak sempat nak berkutik. Aku harap korang ada peluang menjenguk Stesen MRT Sg Buloh agar korang faham betapa besarnya kawasan tu untuk aku menapak.

Nasi lemak elok atas meja. Sampai ofis aku siapkan paperwork yang tertangguh dua hari sebab berlama di site. Pukul 11 pagi ada temu janji di PJ Trade Center. Pejam celik pejam celik dah pukul 10.30 pagi. Memang tak sempat aku nak jamah nasi lemak tu. Aku dah menyumpah dalam hati. Nak makan pun tak sempat.  Bazir buang je nasi tu. Sah-sahlah aku tak makan dah nasi lemak klau dah pegi HQ, lunch terus kat sana. Kena pula time tu Bangla cleaner datang bersihkan ofis.

Aku panggil bangla tu, tanya dia makan paru tak. Takut tak makan. Tapi dia cakap dia makan. Aku yang tengah bergegas terus tinggal pesan, "Makan la nasi lemak atas meja saya. Saya belum sentuh, tak sempat"

Dia pandang aku dengan mata bergenang.

"Terima kasih Mem" kata dia. Aku senyum takde makna, dah aku nak cepat. Ucapan terima kasih tak penting buat aku. Aku bukan tengah buat charity. Aku taknak membazir je. Kalau orang taknak, aku buang je. Tapi dia sambung lagi.

"Saya dah empat bulan tak dapat gaji. Nak makan apa pun saya tak tahu"

Aku terkedu tapi dalam kesibukan nak mengejar temujanji aku anggukkan aje. Bukan aku boleh bayarkan gaji dia pun. Gaji dia dekat kontraktor aku, bukan dekat aku. Aku ingatkan lagi dia makan nasi lemak tu, dah rezeki dia. Tak putus dia berterima kasih.

Dah tenang aku duduk dalam kereta, enjin dihidupkan, tayar bergolek menuju destinasi, tiba-tiba air mata aku menitik. Hati rasa berat dan penuh. Ya Allah.. Apa aku buat ni? Apa yang aku keluhkan? Semalam adik aku tanya nak beli beras apa kat rumah aku sempat merungut cakap aku makan beras sakura wangi je. Jangan beli beras lain. Kau tau apa aku rasa masa tu? Aku rasa kecik. Aku rasa hina. Apa yang aku buat sebenarnya? Kejar masa. Kejar duit. Bulan-bulan dapat gaji tapi mengeluh kerja berat tak padan dengan bayaran sedangkan saudara seislam aku, duduk sejengkal dari aku, tengah resah tak tau nak makan apa, menangis syukur dapat nasi lemak sebungkus. Allah.. beratnya kelebihan ni. Beratnya kecukupan ni. Aku harap kau tahu aku ni orang yang sangat pentingkan diri. Jarang sekali aku berhenti melihat di sekeliling aku, memerhati apa yang berlaku. Jadi hari ni cukup kuat tamparan aku terima.

Nur Hidayah.. Kau manusia yang cukup. Cukup makan. Cukup sihat. Tapi cukup jahil dengan keadaan orang di sekeliling kau. Aku tak berdaya nak tolong semua orang. Aku tak mampu. Tapi yang aku mampu adalah berhenti merungut dan sentiasa ingat untuk bersyukur. Aku berdoa semoga Allah permudahkan rezeki Bangla cleaner tu. Air mata aku tak boleh mengenyangkan dia. Tulisan di blog ni bukan berhasil penuhkan poket dia yang dah tembus 4 bulan. Aku cuma boleh cakap.. Sebelum kau maki pekerja-pekerja kau sebab lemau buat kerja, fikirlah, mungkin dia belum makan minggu ni. Ingatlah Day.. Tak semua orang cukup seperti kau. Tolong bersyukur. Dan tolong malu.

Day in India: Dharwad Diary

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Hi guise..

Previously on Day's Travel Log Series
Part 0: Prologue
Part 1: Bangalore Diary
By the way, just a heads up, this series tend to get lengthy. So if you don't like reading it's OK. I hope you enjoy the illustration.
We didn't stay long in Bangalore. You see, Onie's graduation was on 20 October 2016 so we had to make our way to Dharwad as soon as possible. Onie arranged for a sleeper bus trip instead of taking a flight to Hubli (neighboring town). We had to be mindful of our spending. Plus, sleeper bus is a unique experience. Why throw away the chance to try it?

What happened was that we called for a cab to take us to the bus station. Unfortunately, our driver was new in town and he didn't know how to speak English. Even with my limited Hindi couldn't help him find the place we were heading to. The ride was supposed to take around 15 mins from our hotel but due to his rookie mistake, we barely made it to the station 35 minutes later. istg Onie was close to passing out. If we had missed our bus, that's it. We would have missed her graduation.

Long story short, we boarded the bus and headed straight to Dharwad. But the journey was tedious, even with us sleeping most of the time. 9 hours in a sleeper bus and only once stopping for a bathroom break. It was challenging, okay? We reached Dharwad the next day 20 October 2016.

SLEEPER BUS (Bangalore - Dharwad)
Departure 10:52 pm local time
Sleeper Bus is a very foreign concept to me. I can't imagine how anyone could ever pull off something like that until I set foot in one myself. WHAT A GREAT IDEA! The fix bunk beds inside the bus for single and couple/double bed. You have your privacy to sleep in peace. In the morning i open the curtain to see miles of wheat field painted in orange sun (through the window). It was peaceful. It was foreign.

Before reaching our destination, the sleeper bus passed by a few interesting locations. Some I managed to capture, the rest slipped by while I snored like a bear. FYI VRL Logistic was the name of the bus company.

VRL LOGISTIC's Depot
We stopped by the VRL Logistic Depot for a few minutes. We're still unsure why. Definitely not gonna ask..
They made a prayer(worship) place out of two beautiful trees. They were done in green sarees. Flower offerings were hanged on their thin branches.
[20/10/16 6:33 am local time]

VANASIRI NAGAR, DHARWAD
Before reaching Onie's residence in Vanasiri Nagar, we passed through Hubli, a somewhat township. The town is marked by Kittur Rani Channamma Circle, a warrior statue as tribute to the Great Warrior of Kittur. It's hard to appreciate the beauty of this landmark due to bustling cars and jaywalkers. Hubli is painted in dry red dust, a contrast to the green pasture we passed by en route. Moving through Hubli, we proceed to our destination and were dropped off near the Dharwad Toll Gate. We got on the Auto (three wheeled public transport) to head to Onie's house. The roads were dusty and filled with more Autos and motorcycle. It was a common sight in India. Once we reached Onie's house, we quickly fixed our breakfast and took a refreshing bath before getting ready for the big event later that evening.


SHRI DHARMASHTALA MANJUNATHESWARA (SDM) COLLEGE OF DENTAL SCIENCE
26th Graduation Ceremony (95 Undergraduates)
We wore our national attire, baju kurung. Dad wore Batik shirt. It's a pity that we didn't wear songket. The idea never crossed our mind.. [5:00 pm local time]
CONGRATULATIONS DR. ONIE - In the midst of the taller graduates (lol) I saw my little sister and immediately my eyes were brimming with tears.

THE GRADUATION CEREMONY started at 5.00 pm local time. Dr Anuja Joshi introduced the graduates one by one and the parents were asked to stand up when the graduate walked up the stage. The most memorable parent was this one guy from Punjab. He was so proud of his daughter that when it was her turn to accept the certificate, he stood up, shouted poem of praises to his daughter. I might have cried a little at the sight of his adoration towards his daughter. I think all parents shared the same sentiment towards the graduates. All graduates received their scroll and gold silver coin. (Onie corrected me saying that it was a silver coin, not gold).
After that, the Medical Director, Dr Niranjan Kumar gave one of the most impressive and engaging speech I had the opportunity to listen to. He was fun, articulate and gave out a sense of authority at the same time sounding more like a friend than a teacher. There were many interesting quotes from him but the one that really piqued my interest was
"Always be humble to your patients. You are not the healer. You are only the tool for nature to take its course".
The ceremony ended at 7.30 pm. We quickly retreated to Mayur Hotel. For the life of me, I couldn't recall the food served there but it was nice.

The food was nice but I was too tired to record anything. It was our first Indian meal in India and it was so good. We left the dinner party early to rest. I hitched a ride with Onie's friend. It was so weird to see so many people still going around and about at almost 10 pm like they were having some sort of festival along the road. I don't know how to accurately describe the situation. There was hardly any street light. The area was lit up by the light from the Autos and motorcycle on the road but people were chilling by the road side despite the ongoing heavy construction nearby. Medec (Onie's friend) said that it was a common sight here. People liked to stroll at night and some of them didn't even have a house to go home to. Some still sleep in tents like nomads. Anyway, we made it home safely. We had our long awaited slumber for tomorrow we would be having a brief tour around the campus.


SDM COLLEGE TOUR [21/10/16]
We went for a quick visit to Onie's college, meeting some of teachers and friends. It was my first time going to a dental college and I must say, I was impressed. Onie said she was very lucky to be a student there because most of the knowledge she gained in class can be applied on numerous real cases that were referred to her during her housemanship. Dad was looking forward to performing Jumaat prayer with the locals but due to some conflict with our schedule and Onie's junior, nobody could take him around.
Anyway, one thing worth mentioning was the tallest cactus in the world preserved by the college. They even had the whole Guiness World Record certificate to commemorate the achievement. It was so tall that they had to brace it to the wall with metal loops. Afterwards we stopped by the Campus' Juice Booth frequented by the students. We had some orange juice and ciku juice to quench our thirst. I ordered a bottle coke as extra. We also ordered a serving of capati and butter parota. I had my first paneer butter masala and manchurian baby corn. They were delicious! I'm hooked on paneer ever since. FYI, paneer is a non-melting cottage cheese commonly used in Indian cooking to replace meat in vegetarian cooking. It tasted similar to hard tofu.

Onie booked us a flight to Delhi, way up north. We would have to go to Goa to catch the flight. So Onie arranged for a driver to drive us to Goa.

(we were waiting for the train to pass before we could cross the track)
TRAVELLING TO GOA [21/10/16, 3.50 pm]
At 3.30 pm, the driver arraged by Onie arrived at our doorstep, ready to take us to Goa where we were to board our flight to Delhi. I rode shotgun. We drove pass the vast field of corn, sugarcane, cotton and paddy. The greener countryside excited us. Life seemed calmer, slower in this part of the world. We entered Goa 3 hours later. We passed through the highlands laid as a border between the two states. I was dumbfounded by the several near miss with the lorries from the opposite side.We arrived at Goa International Airport safely, thank goodness. The time was 7.30 pm so we performed our prayer as soon as we got through the check-in and security checks. For future note, no praying area was provided anywhere in the airport. Best be prepared.
Touch down at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1.30 am. We were exhausted. Going towards the exit, we passed by this enormous wall piece, plated with what seemed like giant golden saucer and silver hands in traditional dance poses. Again, we waited for our driver to come at 7.00 am to avoid extra charges. So Subuh prayer was done at the waiting lounge. No prayer room, no biggie.

Oh god, that was long and tedious. one note I have to make is that I didn't see any chicken running around there. No cats either. But I've seen many pigs loitering around. They were so cute with round, plump buttocks. They were shy creatures to, always manage to slip away when we try to grab a photo of them. Cheeky bastards.

So that's it for my Dharwad-Goa entry. It's getting lengthy, eyh? I sure you enjoyed the illustration at least. I hate these the most because I was rushing to get them done there and then I barely manage to think straight. Oh whatever.

Adieu

Terima kasih kerana sudi singgah dan membaca entry ini. Silakanlah merapu di ruang komentari bersama saya. Yeaha~

Day in India: Bangalore Diary

Monday, November 14, 2016

Hi guise,

So I'm finally doing this huh? Anyway, I'm typing all my journal because my handwriting is awful. Apology in advance. I wrote my journal on the go. Grammatical error is inevitable.


At the age of 27, I, Deaday has finally embarked on a new adventure, TRAVELLING ABROAD. So naturally, I'm pissing my pants right now (figuratively). I'm taking MAS flight MH0104. I'm wearing what I think is my best blouse together with my trusted scarves, Mark & Spencer Relaxed Skinny Jeans and those spartan sandals again. I must say, I look good.

My flight will depart from KLIA at around 9:50 am. I don't know what else to do than writing on this journal. 30 minutes have passed since my previous sentence. We are now waiting for take off. Apparently the airway is congested due to weather issue over the Indian Ocean. The time now is 10:20 am. My mom has fallen asleep. Dad has been reading the flight brochure for the second time now. 

The aircraft is somewhat calm despite the children complaining about everything. I feel sorry for the cabin crew. During delay, they had to work extra hard to keep everyone happy. Of course nobody's happy during delays. But what do I know? I'm a first time flyer. OK! Time to take off. Bye Malaysia. Take us away, Captain
[10:23 am]

I sketched random things while waiting to board the plane like the view from Anjung Tinjau and the kid we met at the boarding hall. She was so friendly. My mom and dad were pleased. They love kids.


SEAT 22c : BRUNCH IS SERVED
So I was kinda stupid to think that I would be able to paint in flight. PRESSURE! Didn't you learn anything in Physics 101, Day? I make do with pencil sketching for now. OOOoo! The food cart is here. The smell is maddening. I'm having the non-vegetarian meal:
- Chicken curry & prata
- Papaya, pineapple & honeydew
- Corn custard dessert
- Apple juice & Spritzer mineral water
[19/10/16, 12:01 pm]

We touched down at Bengaluru (Bangalore) International Airport. I don't remember the exact hour but it's probably around 11 am local time. I don't remember. Everything was blurry and nerve wrecking. The immigration officer was stern, scary looking. I stuttered when he asked me our itinerary in India. Gosh.. I can't think of anything. But I made my way pass the officer not long after and we proceeded to the arrival gate after claiming our belonging. Onie and her friend Augustine were already waiting for us. Not caring for anything, I desperately asked for a cup of coffee so we went to Cafe Coffee Day (India's equivalent to Starbucks? IDK). I ordered a large cup of iced Americano. Iced! And he gave me hot Americano. When I asked "Is this iced Americano?" sarcastically of course and he was like "yeah," And that's it. It was so bizarre but I was too tired to deal with it at that time. I just wanna go lie down somewhere so Onie did exactly that. The taxi took us to Sri Laxmi Hotel in Bangalore. After nap and prayer, we set out for sightseeing.

A VERY LATE LUNCH @ LAN THAI (5TH AVENUE MALL)
It's funny how we are now in India, walking and breathing the smell of India, choose to have our first meal at a Thai restaurant. And you ask me about India's smell I would say it is surprisingly pleasant. Why so? Because you can always smell delicious curry wherever you go. My first few hours in India has been deliciously inviting but I had quite a few warning about eating street food here so yeah, maybe not now. 
I'm having Seafood Pad Thai and Bubble Milk Tea. A very homely choice. I love Thai food and Lan Thai is as authentic as a Thai food can get (at least on a Malaysian standard). We are heading to the streets for a shopping spree and I'll need all the energy I can get from these delicious food. Laterz..
[3:30 pm local time]

From the 5th Avenue Mall at Brigade Road, we crossed the road to a nearby Converse boutique. I'm a big fan of Converse sneakers but never bought one for myself. I don't know why. To me they're damn expensive. It's expensive still but I feel like if I don't buy one for myself, I'll regret it forever. So I bought one. The store keeper was a young man around my age. I was startled when he suddenly grabbed my feet and tried to put the shoes on me. My dad was like "What the hell.." but it was so sudden. Anyway, it was getting waaaay too weird so we left soon after payment was made.

We went to Garuda Mall, a few blocks away to search for phone spare parts. I don't know. I just tagged along. But while at the Mall, I went to Forever 21 store and nabbed myself a jacket. A very cool looking green jacket. (It looks cool to me. Heyy..)

After calling for a take out from Lan Thai, we headed back to our hotel. We rested for a few hours because later that night, at around 10 or so, we boarded our sleeper bus to Dharwad. Basically we were travelling from the the southern end of Karnataka state to its northern end. India is massive. Fuh.. But that's a story for another day.

Adieu

Terima kasih kerana sudi singgah dan membaca entry ini. Silakanlah merapu di ruang komentari bersama saya. Yeaha~

p/s:
Rasa cam Cinderella hahahaha getis

Goodbye, Kembang

Friday, November 11, 2016

Hi guise,

Tanggal 11/11/16, Kembang, our family pet has passed away.

Kembang dah tua sangat dah. Kalau nak kira umur dia pun aku tak ingat dah bila dia lari dari rumah lama dia pastu join duk ngan kitorang. I was the closest to her back when I lived with my parents. After moving out for matriculation, I was no longer her favorite sister. Adik aku yang kecik tu kawan baik dia.

She loved Nabe so much. They played hide and seek together. Talk to each other. Sleep together. It went like that for a while. When Nabe had to go to a boarding school, Kembang was left at home with Umi and Abah. She missed Nabe dearly. Mom told us of how she would eagerly jumped at Nabe whenever Nabe came home on the weekends.

We knew her time was near. She was so old. So weak. She had lost most of her weight. We knew that we were going to get that call from home about her death. But my sisters and I (Cauda and Onie) had less than a week to get home and we were updated through the Whatsapp about her declining condition.

"Kakak, Kembang dah takleh bangun. Badan terketar-ketar. Bukak mulut nak makan pun tak boleh"

I was worried but I prepared myself for the worst, it's her time to go. She's so old. So weak. It's almost her time. We had Nabe updated us on Kembang's condition from time to time hoping that she would make it to next week when the family is there to send her away. But at 3:17 pm Nabe updated us the news.

"She has left us"

Nabe texted. I knew for a certain that all four of us were fighting back our tears. Kembang was not just a pet. She's a family member. I know it sounded like nothing but seriously, she's the only family pet we ever had (if we don't count Chiko, the one eyed cat I used to help feed and dad discarded her somewhere because she wouldn't stop breeding. I know. I still have beef with my dad on that matter)

I was consoled by the fact that she died with Nabe by her side. They were best friends. It's only nature to have Nabe bury Kembang. Don't be too sad, Adik. We know you did your best. It's her time to go. 





Adieu, Kembang. On vous aime.

Her final hours..

Rigor mortis..



Shared Dreams

Monday, November 07, 2016

Hi guise,

A few years ago, we made a pact..
Us two walking the earth..




It's time for me to live up my dreams albeit your perpetual absence. I don't plan to reminisce about our young dreams. I'm not upset. In fact I'm relieved. It is still my dream, with or without you. Life moves on. We've crossed our paths once. I don't plan to stop my journey just because you take a different route. I'm happy for you as I am for me.

Congratulation on your wedding. I know this might not reach you but still I wish you all the best in life.

Now Day.. Pack up your things. We're going on an adventure.

Adieu

p/s: Kicking off the travel journal to India, weeehuu!!

Terima kasih kerana sudi singgah dan membaca entry ini. Silakanlah merapu di ruang komentari bersama saya. Yeaha~

Artfriend Raid Part 3: Papers and Faber Castell Pitt Pen

Monday, October 31, 2016

Hi guise, good Monday.

Artfriend The Curve (Mutiara Damansara) ; Level 2 escalator pintu utama. Bersebelahan dengan Reject Shop

This will be  the last part, I think. Unless tiba-tiba aku buat perangai pergi beli barang kat Artfriend lagi. On a serious note, ada sapa-sapa boleh recommend decent art supply store area Seri Kembangan tak? Aku nak cari Pigma Micron pun payah kat sini.

Anyway, hari ni aku just post semua benda yang ada dalam camera roll aku in case ada sapa-sapa yang minat. Untuk post-post sebelum ni boleh rujuk list di bawah:


Let's go directly to papers. Ok, macam yang dah aku terangkan kat entry Part 2, aku terlupa nak snap gambar harga bleedproof marker pad. Aku berlama gak kat bahagian kertas cat air hari tu sebab duk gigih mencari Strathmore Watercolour Journal. Nak cari Khadi paper memang tak mendapat la sebab India export ke Philippines, Singapore ngan Thailand je. 

Anyway, mengenai watercolour paper. Aku bukanlah pakar yang sesuai untuk bercakap mengenai kertas yang terbaik untuk cat air. Kebanyakan orang pun pakai drawing block dan menjadi je cat air tu. Penggunaan kertas juga bergantung kepada teknik cat air yang korang nak guna. Rata-rata yang memilih kertas cat air akan consider tiga benda: 1) Bleeding/water retention properties 2) Thickness 3) Surface

Berbeza dengan colouring marker, watercolour tidak memerlukan surface yang terlampau licin. Permukaan yang sedikit kasar sebenarnya membantu pigment warna untuk melekat elok. (based on personal observation. Silakan gelak kalau salah). Tapi ni pun bergantung kepada preference. Ada orang suka kertas licin. Water retention properties adalah bagi aku yang paling penting sebab nak blending pastu nak guna banyak layers. Kertas yang takleh retain air agak payah nak blend banyak layer which can be frustrating because watercolour can be a bit wild. Again, feel free to laugh at my amateur observation.

Aku jumpa dua jenis bahan yang digunakan untuk kertas cat air, selulosa dan kapas. Personally aku rasa kertas cat air kena ada a certain percentage of cotton. Kertas yang diperbuat dari kapas lebih tahan lasak. Bila aku guna cat air ada satu benda yang paling buat aku menyampah adalah kertas yang luka sebab padam kuat sangat ataupun cat kerap sangat kat satu tempat. Benda ni selalu jadi bila guna drawing block. Sebab tu tak boleh kasar sangat dengan drawing block biasa. Berbeza dengan wood pulp paper, cotton paper lebih lasak dan kurang luka (aku tak tau term betul dia apa).

Ramai orang kata nak pilih kertas cat air ni yang penting adalah ketebalan dia. Not entirely true but it's good to have a certain body to the paper to avoid warping. Kertas nipis sangat mudah meleding menyebabkan aplikasi layer kedua agak rumit. Mengenai hot press cold press lak aku macam tak reti beza sangat. Kertas hot press lebih padat berbanding kertas cold press. Pressing method juga mempengaruhi permukaan kertas. Hot press lebih licin berbanding cold press. So depends on how much you want your paper to absorb water, you can use either one. Behavior of water on your paper determine the end product of your artwork. So it really depends on you.

Ada banyak brand yang offer watercolour paper walaupun agak payah nak dapat kat kedai alat tulis biasa. Pilihlah ikut kemampuan dan kesesuaian. Yang penting kalau nak tahan lama pilih acid free paper sebab acid free paper tak menguning kalau tinggal lama. Antara kertas yang ada di Artfriend dan harga-harganya:



CAMPAP arto (Cold pressed, 10 sheets pack) - some prices are missing, sorry about that
- A3, 300 gsm, cotton - ??
- A4, 300 gsm, cotton - RM 13.00

- A3, 300 gsm, cellulose - RM 17.00
- A4, 300 gsm, cellulose - RM 8.50

- A3, 200 gsm, cotton - RM 18.00
- A4, 200 gsm, cotton - RM 9.00

- A3, 200 gsm, cellulose - ??
- A4, 200 gsm, cellulose - RM6.00

Fabriano (Cotton, cold pressed, total pages unsure 15-25 sheets per pack)
- 30.5x45, 300 gsm - RM169.60
- 23x30.5, 300 gsm - RM126.14
- 24x32, 300 gsm - RM 49.82
- 18x24, 200 gsm - RM 41.23
Price and product detail for this brand is a bit confusing. I should have taken more precise note.

Dah setel part kertas, aku nak brief sikit pasal Faber Castell Pitt Pen


Truth be told, aku sangat intimidated dengan product ni. Ramai yang bagi review tiptop. Aku sebagai seorang yang dari kecik pakai Faber Castell (barang reject free orang bagi) agak bias bila bab beli brand ni. Plus harga dia mahal nak meninggal. Dah la tak jual satu-satu (kat Artfriend. Tempat lain aku tak tau). 

Artfriend carries two sets of Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen; Set of 4 dan Set of 8. Yang aku confuse pasal product ni, description dia cakap Indian Ink tapi Tinta China. Aku confuse terus. Sebab chinese ink yang aku biasa jumpa bukan waterproof. Kononnya sebab ada tambah gelatin yang membolehkan ink tu untuk soluble bila ditambah air. Berbeza dengan dakwat india yang campur shellac menyebabkan kemasan akhir dakwat india nampak berkilat dan waterproof. (sumber google) Pen ni waterproof yang pastinya so I guess it's the later. Tempoh kering dan proof properties pen ni tak dapat aku komen sebab aku tak pernah pakai. Sama juga dengan kehitamannya. Tapi kepada sesiapa yang mencari-cari product ni, harga yang ditawarkan di Artfriend adalah seperti berikut:-

4 Pitt Artist Pen (Manga Black Set) - RM40.00
8 Pitt Artist Pens (Manga Basic Set - with grey toner) - RM88.00

Sampai sini je entry mengenai harga barang di Artfriend. Aku biasa survey harga barang yang aku minat je so guoche ke oil paint ke, memang aku tak check. Even water brush pun aku dah tak check harga sebab rasa membazir beli banyak bukan guna pun. Aku still tak reti perbagaikan penggunaan saiz berus. Kalau korang berpeluang ke Artfriend The Curve, aisle yang direct depan counter pembayaran tu ada Copic dan pen. Belah kanan bahagian depan ada pencil colour dan graphite. Pergi belakang sikit ada cat air, cat minyak dan sebagainya. Bahagian paling kiri, adalah bahagian kertas-kertas archival.

I bid you good luck and happy shopping.

Adieu

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Travel Read: Murakamis

Friday, October 28, 2016

Hi guise,

I don't remember the last time I actually finish reading a book. I can't read physical book, you see. But anyway, during my trip to India, I actually finished reading one.

I contemplated a lot whether to bring Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 or Kafka on The Shore I bought few months ago. Bringing books to a road trip seems so pretentious. But better be safe than sorry. Considering the later being the lighter one, I brought Kafka on The Shore with me.



At first I was like, there's no way I'm gonna finish reading this book before this trip end. I had my watercolor set with me, full arsenal of my best pens, my trustworthy journal and of course my ever entertaining smartphone. There's no way I'm gonna have enough time to even touch the book.

I tried reading it as soon as we boarded MH0109. 2 pages and I was knocked out cold. I switched to sketching and poof, I was revived to life. Yeah, I'm never gonna finish reading this, I thought. Smartphone was useless as soon as we landed in India. I can't connect to the internet unless my sister turned on her hotspot and that thing drained up your battery like crazy. So I enjoyed few minutes of web surfing before my sister started complaining about her dying phone.

We had so many free time when car riding across the country. Bangalore to Dharwad took us 9 hours on sleeper bus. But it was a midnight bus, so sleep was the best activity. The trip from Dharwad to Goa took 4 hours. The road was bumpy. I couldn't write anything on my journal without risking stabbing our driver next to me. Let alone to read book. Huh! Flight from Goa to Delhi took 4 hours. After late dinner, I soon retreated to dreamland. There's something about sleeping on an aircraft. You just had to.

Our driver in Delhi, Rajiv Bhai was a careful driver. I could draw while in the car but I won't trust inking on a moving vehicle. By now my favorite pen busted due to aircraft pressure. All journal writing-drawing slowed down significantly. I shouldn't have use it in flight. As I said, my smartphone was practically useless the whole time. I finally picked up the book from the bottom of my bag pack. And that was when things picked up a pace.

The 4 hours drive from Delhi to Agra was filled with me reading few chapters of the very confusing book. The language was simple enough to understand but the theme remained chaotic for at least halfway through. I wanted to stop reading but there was nothing better to do so I glued my eyes on Kafka Tamura-Nakata story arc. When we set out for Jaipur, I was already at Johnny Walker's introduction chapter. Things got interesting. It was a slow burn but it was a definite burn. Another 4 hour passed and I almost wanted to skip dinner just to finish the book.

I finished reading the whole book on the last day in Jaipur. I actually regretted finishing the book so early since we still have 6 hours drive back to Delhi to catch our flight home. So when we arrived at Indira Ghandi International airport, I  raced to the bookstore, looking for anything by Haruki Murakami. The only thing on the shelves by the author was two copies of The Elephant Vanishes, a compilation of short stories.


I tried reading it but the excitement to board the plane rendered my focus astray. I don't know when I'm gonna pick up that book again. Probably never. Probably tomorrow. I don't know. But one thing I know, bringing books to a road trip is never just for a show. It's actually a very good idea.

Adieu

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Artfriend Raid Part 2 : Copic Colouring Marker (2016 updated price)

Monday, October 17, 2016

Artfriend The Curve (Mutiara Damansara) ; Level 2 escalator pintu utama. Bersebelahan dengan Reject Shop

Hi Guise,

Selamat kembali ke Part 2 Penjelajahan Artfriend. Kepada yang belum baca Part 1 dan entry Copic yang sebelum ni, jemput ketik:

Part 0: Copic Special Entry
Part 1 : Sakura Pigma Micron & Koi Water Colors

Selepas dua tahun baru aku buat price update untuk product Copic kat Artfriend. Ye, aku sangat rajin dan prihatin. Aku tahu. Lepas dua tahun, sudah semestinya ada perubahan harga kan? Tolong jangan buat-buat terkejut.

Aku agak berpuas hati dengan marker set yang sekarang ada di Artfriend. Dulu hanya ada box set yang mahal tak ingat dan marker sebatang-sebatang. Sekarang Artfriend dah upgrade sikit, dah ada special sets.


Dulu aku dah pernah terangkan beza Copic Ciao, Sketch, Original dan Wide kan so eloklah aku terus sentuh pasal harga dia. Secara puratanya, harga Copic dah naik dalam RM1 berbanding tahun 2014. Itupun tak termasuk GST lagi/ Sedih, aku faham. Cuma bagi yang betul-betul minat aku masih lagi berpendapat yang Copic tu berbaloi untuk dimiliki. Warna dia terang. Flexible brush dia selesa digunakan. Ink dia boleh refill. I mean, in the long run, it's good to have these bad guys in your arsenal. Panjang pulak merepek. Ok ni harga baru Copic kat Artfriend:

Copic Ciao 3cc (1 pc) - RM10.81
Copic Sketch 4cc (1pc) - RM15.79
Copic Original 5cc (1pc) - RM15.79
Copic Wide (1cc) - RM24.91


Selain dari beli Copic satu-satu atau box set (12, 24, 36, 72 and 358 pen sets), korang boleh gak pilih special sets. Harga dia bergantung kepada jenis marker dan bilangan dia. Ada banyak kombinasi colour yang Copic tawarkan bergantung kepada jenis penggunaan. Ada colour set yang aku terlepas pandang so aku listkan yang aku sempat snap hari tu je, k?

Copic Ciao 6 pcs set - RM64.87
- Copic Ciao Hair Set
- Copic Ciao Skin Set
- Copic Ciao Jewel Tone Set

Copic Sketch 3 pcs set - RM47.38
-Copic Blending Trio Sets (1-6 trios)

Copic Sketch Toning Grey Set (5pcs Copic Sketch + 1 Copic Multiliner SP size unsure) - RM105.36

Copic Sketch 6 pcs Set - RM94.76
- Copic Sketch Skin Set
- Copic Sketch Sea Sky Set
- Copic Sketch Bold Primary Set
- Copic Sketch Secondary Tone Set
- Copic Sketch Floral Favorite Set

Kalau dah nak mewarna dengan Copic marker, haruslah pakai ink yang Copic-proof. Copic marker ni alcohol based marker so tak semestinya pen tu waterproof akan Copic-proof jugak. The best choice is to use Copic Multiliner. Berdasarkan pengalaman, selain Copic multiliner, ink yang paling best pakai dengan Copic marker adalah Deleter Black Manga Ink 2 & 5. Siapa yang selalu guna dip pen, this is a very useful note for you.

Sakura Pigma is copic-proof to some extent. Bila ntah aku nak test betul-betul ni. Certain reviewer cakap Copic-proof, certain cakap tak. Setakat yang aku test, tak copic-proof sangat. Kalau nak pakai brand lain, aku cadangkan pakai Prismacolor punya marker tapi good luck la kalau boleh jumpa kat Malaysia. Kalau jumpa, kongsi, aku pun nak try pen dia. Kawan aku yang juga pe-Copic tegar bagitau yang Faber Castell pitt pen juga copic-proof. The best copic-proof pen she has, according to her and I believe that statement. Aku tak try lagi pen Faber Castell sebab mahal nak meninggal. Tunggu part 3 untuk harga dia.

Anyway, jauh aku kona, harga multiliner tu pun aku tak sempat ambik hari tu. Termasuk dengan harga bleedproof marker pad. Ugh.. Aku punya dah habis. Bila la nak menapak lagi ke Artfriend beli kertas. Anyway, sampai situ je entry Part 2 ni. Part 3 tak pasti la bila nak post.

Personally, bagi aku yang self taught dan orang yang dah try both colouring marker dan watercolour, dua-dua colouring method ni lain skill dia. Bila dah biasa pakai marker, agak tak syok nak pakai watercolour. Dan bila dah biasa pakai watercolour, sangat tak syok nak pakai marker balik. Masing-masing ada pro and con. Selain Copic, ada lagi brand colouring marker lain yang korang boleh pilih dari yang high end sampai la yang school grade. Yang murah tak semestinya tak bagus tapi feel dia of course la lain. Pokok pangkalnya kemampuan dan kesungguhan. Sebelum beli apa-apa material baru, rajinkan diri baca review dulu. Bersepah review kat internet. Favorite site aku Jetpens, Sketchblob dan Parka Blogs. Tak pun search je kat Google search bar, confirm naik discussion thread pasal pen-pen yang korang cari tu. Jangan takut mencuba tapi pada masa yang sama jadilah pembeli yang bijak.

Adieu

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Artfriend Raid Part 1 : Sakura Pigma Micron & Koi Water Colours

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Artfriend The Curve ; Level 2 escalator pintu utama. Bersebelahan dengan Reject Shop

Hi Guise,

Hari ni aku nak kongsikan sikit Lawatan Sambil Belajar ke Artfriend. Entry kali ni aku akan cuba tulis dalam Bahasa Melayu. Bagi sape-sape yang tak faham atau perlukan penerangan boleh komen kat bawah atau email ke geena218@gmail.com . Spam akan dipadam.


Today I am sharing our visit to Artfriend. I'll be writing in Malay so for those who have a hard time understanding me, do drop your question in the comment section or email me you query at geena218@gmail.com . Spam mail will be ignored and deleted. 


Aku tak pasti la entry Artfriend ni ada berapa part. Aku asingkan ni pun sebab taknak bagi confuse dan taknak bagi loading time semput yang amat. Untuk Part 1 ni aku fokus kat brand SAKURA je dulu. Sakura ni brand dari Jepun. Kepada yang nak baca spesifikasi lengkap produk-produk SAKURA boleh jenguk Sakura of America Website.

Sedikit disclaimer, ini adalah sesi TIDAK BERBAYAR. Aku bukan wakil Artfriend. So sebarang perbezaan harga adalah tak disengajakan. Aku rujuk tag harga yang diorang letak kat aisle tu je. Semua harga adalah sebelum GST, harap maklum ye.

SAKURA PIGMA MICRON



Sakura Micron ni memang antara pen kegemaran pelukis-pelukis yang biasa gunakan felt pen. Saiz nib yang ditawarkan Sakura Mikron adalah antara 0.05 ke 0.8. Kepada peminat brush pen, Sakura Mikron ada mengeluarkan felt tip brush pen. Korang boleh pilih untuk beli satu persatu atau set. Ink dia waterproof  tapi tak Copic proof (kecuali kalau fine line yang dah dikeringkan lama. Nanti aku test betul-betul kang jahanam Copic korang). Beza antara Pigma Brush dengan Professional Brush tu aku selain daripade barel dia kaler lain-lain, aku takleh komen sebab aku pakai Pigma Brush sahaja.

Sakura Pigma Manga Set (6pcs) - RM37.20

  1. Micron 0.05
  2. Micron 0.1
  3. Micron 0.5
  4. Micron 0.8
  5. Pigma Professional Brush Pen (Fine Brush)
  6. Gelly Roll (white)

Sakura Pigma & Brush Set (6pcs) - RM37.20

  1. Micron 0.05
  2. Micron 0.1
  3. Micron 0.3
  4. Micron 0.5
  5. Micron 0.8
  6. Pigma Brush
Sakura Micron 0.05 - 0.08 (1pc) - RM6.15
Sakura Pigma Brush  (1pc) - RM6.15
Sakura Professional Brush Pen (Variety Unknown; FB,MB,BB) - RM8.40
Sakura Gelly Roll white (1 pc) - RM4.90

SAKURA KOI WATER COLORS (FIELD SKETCH TRAVEL KIT)


Kepada yang follow instagram aku mesti dah tahu yang aku sekarang tengah obses dengan water colour. Aku tak banyak try brand lain so aku tak boleh nak compare. Tapi Sakura Koi  memang popular di kalangan watercolour artist amatur dan juga travel log illustrator. Sebab saiz dia compact, senang di bawa ke mana-mana dan adanya satu waterbrush free dia bagi so senang korang nak pakai bila-bila masa. Dalam dia ada built in mixing pallet so tak perlu bawak palet lain.  Sakura Koi Water Colors Field Sketch Travel ada 3 set.

Sakura Koi Clors Compact 12 colors - RM69.00
Sakura Koi Colors Compact 18 colors - RM99.00
Sakura Koi Colors Compact 24 colors - RM129.00

Kalau yang tak minat jenis cake set macam ni ada je yang tube tapi aku tak survey pulak harga dia.

So setakat ni jelah dulu. Untuk brand lain tunggu lain hari kita borak.


Adieu

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How I Met Your Mother

Monday, October 10, 2016

Beng's Artwork.

Hey Guise!

So I had an eventful weekend.. Let me tell you a story of How I Met Musa's Mom..
Pada awalnya kitorang takde la rancang sangat nak jumpa sebenarnya. Duk borak pasal art supply kat group chat pastu tiba-tiba poof! Ok jom jumpa.

I wrote about the meet up in my journal so why don't we just get straight to the juicy bits. Shall we? (Worry not, I type them in the caption so that you won't have to read my hideous handwriting. I do some proofreading too. It's not gonna be perfect but it'll do) 

I'll post a separate entry for the Artfriend raid and the latest price tag so stay tuned, k..


(Faye's Artwork.. Pretty! Pretty!)
8 October 2016
I don't remember the exact time I stepped into Artfriend but according to the chat log, it must have been around 1:00 pm. I spent some time snooping around the aisle before Faye showed up, clad in dark shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows and snapback covering his hair (Hmm.. Am I curious about the hair? I am). He is this tall guy with glint of brilliant eyes, curiously lurking around Copic-Sakura aisle (looking for me).

I knew it was him from the moment he turned back to greet me. I think we said hi in our heads because the first thing he said to me was "Where's the pen?" (referring to Sakura Micron Pen I've been spamming on the group chat.)

We carried on raiding the place until our hungry tummies gave us away. Oh and the staffs were lowkey staring at us for staying too long. Hahaha. When we headed to the Chicken Rice Shop, Faye's friend Intan joined us. Oooo.. How I loved her scarves. Pity I didn't get to snap a picture of it. Later on, my mysterious friend joined us for lunch and after a session of I-Wreck-Your-Journal, we went back to Artfriend. LOL.





9 October 2016
OK.. This is going to be a long story. So yesterday I went to meet Faye. We were accompanied by our respective friends; Intan and Mystery Guy (we'll call him Mystery Guy from now on). When I asked Faye about Intan, he denied that Intan was Ben. I was a bit suspicious (more than a few times to be honest) but I am a gullible person so I chose to believe Faye.

The day ended splendidly and when we got home Mystery Guy texted me asking if I believed what they said about Intan being non-Ben-person (lol, what kind of sentence is that? Die la)

I said I didn't think about it too much because Faye denied it a few times. But then Mystery Guy pointed out Intan's faded henna which was similar to Ben's (from a photo she shared on our group chat). Yeah, Mystery Guy was a very observant guy that way.So Sherlokian. Oooo~

I asked Ben later that night about the henna theory but again, she denied it (even went as far as surprised to know about Faye bringing a girl to our meet up). She asked to meet me the next day.




I said "YES! Of course"

So the next day, at about 4pm, I drove to IOI City Mall to meet them. (Ben told me that she was going with Faye). During the confusion with our meeting point and the relatively new place, I saw Faye by the fountain, standing next to........(drum rolls)... You've guessed it.

INTAN!

And at that moment I realized, yup, they got me. They truly did. Intan was indeed Ben and I felt like hiding out of embarrassment. Sure I was a bit mad at first but more than mad, I was actually relieved to finally meet Ben in actuality. An I was so sorry for not talking to her more yesterday. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know 'Intan'. You see, I'm not good with stranger and I assumed Intan was a stranger.

They both apologized profusely for their naught. I don't know. Maybe because I was (and still am) a simple person, I just laughed it off. Oh well, this is absolutely going to my journal. Thanks for the prank, Ben and Faye.

And congratulations, Mystery Guy. You were right all along.


****

So that was the story of how I got played by these two naughty full grown children. To tell you the truth, it still feels like a dream. I've befriended them both for quite some time now. So when we finally meet, it was not as awkward as I thought it would be with exception of The-Intan-Incident of course.

I had my suspicion. The name Intan was the biggest clue. And I did text Ben when we're having our lunch together. I failed to catch Intan replying to text or anything. But then again Ben was also quiet the whole afternoon. The thing with me is, when I decide to trust a statement, I will ignore every doubt I have which was exactly what I did with Faye and Ben. Not that I'm upset about it. It just shows how gullible I am among friends.

It was all fun and game. Yang pentingnya aku dah jumpa Beng! Hahaha. Ada gambar lagi. Since I don't have the permission to share their photos, I'm gonna keep them with me for my personal viewing lolol.

Curious?

You should be.

Adieu

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Journal Keeping

Thursday, October 06, 2016

I don't write diary.. I don't do journal. Not after my cousins sneaked up on me when I was 8 and read my diary. It was embarrassing..

But I think its good to have that sort of things. You know. Just for fun. So I started doing journal. A watercolor journal some more!! Die laa.. It's just that I wanna be able to draw and write on the go. Who knows maybe some day I'll pick up travelling and do a travel log. Hey, I can dream. Anyway, I've just got my first Moleskine journal on Tuesday and I'm hooked since then. It's not for watercolour so I was a bit upset. I bought the wrong one, how typical! Never mind. I still love it nonetheless. The paper warp a bit but it doesn't bleed through which is fine by me. Here we go.










Why hello there. I didn't know that you can wear other shirts than the oversize bright neon shirt you always wear. Bright pink? (yeah I got the colour wrong) Wow! You must be in a great mood. Well yeah, in my defense, it's a shirt..still.. Long cut shirt with pattern front. Pretty comfortable if you're not planning to go to the construction site. Back outdoor? Hahahaha Yeah right.
(Proofread the best I could. Now kill me Grammar Nazi.. I've failed you)

Didn't get to colour this one so it end up being B&W

It was written rather impromptu so forgive my language. My grammar can never be perfect but I'm trying.


Adieu
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There's a Monster Inside Me

Thursday, September 22, 2016

I have a few monsters hiding inside me.

Anger
Pride
Disgust
Suppressed Sadist

But right now, the reigning monster is hunger. I can never be full. 


Anyway..
This is random.

Selamat makan tengahari everyone!

Adieu

*watercolour

Happy Birthday, Sis

Friday, September 09, 2016

September 9th

Everyday I am thankful for having you as my sister. For as long as I can remember, you have always been kind. You forgive people too easily. You love too deeply. Allow me to hate those who hurt you on your behalf.. Nur Wardah Abdul Halim. Thank you for being born. Thank you for being my sister.
Come home soon. I miss you.

Adieu
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Day,


Part time normal, most of the time comic enthusiast. Almost always borderline crazy. Still experimenting with comic blogging. An engineer with a vision to not be taken seriously. Everything you read on this blog doesn't represent my gender, religion or profession as a whole. Other name you might associate with me are Deaday, DayGoon, JaeminGoon and *cough* Mona *cough*