Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Hello Netflix!

Dear lonely blog, I should give you more attention so old lady me will have something to look back on. Life's been good. There was a whole stressful situation back in September but fuckin' glad that's over so I can lax again. Sometimes, things turn out better when you're pushed to make a change.

So like, I caved in and went for the free month of Netflix ... and you know that when you go for these trials, they have you in for the long haul.

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Ended up binge watching a few series - Master of None and IT Crowd to be specific.

The IT Crowd
I don't know why I didn't watch The IT Crowd earlier .. so funny and geektastic .. it got me rolling around in stitches. Moss was my favourite character - he's so smart but super oblivious in social situations. Much like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. It's crazy how the guys end up causing trouble wherever they go, without realising it haha.

Oh man, there was this one part where Moss thought he was meeting a guy to teach him how to cook, but the guy actually got his English wrong ... and actually, he was looking for someone offering to let themselves be cooked and eaten by him! They laughed off the misunderstanding, and ended up watching Ocean's Eleven on his wide screen TV. Even though he had acquired this dangerous information about the guy, he brings around Roy to meet him too .. just so they can watch movies on his awesome television. Oh dear, oh dear ...

Master of None
Master of None is also pretty funny. Ansari takes serious topics and makes it easier to consume. It's about this Indian actor who was born and raised in America. In the series, he touches upon white privilege in casting movies/shows, relating to immigrant parents, feminism and relationships.

There was this one part where Dev (the main character) had admired this Indian actor who was in a big movie .. but it turned out he was a white guy in brownface. I think this highlights a big issue ... but things are changing because of shows like this!

It's great to see that there is more diversity appearing in television. First with Fresh off the Boat, and now with Master of None. I'd be lying if I didn't get even a little excited when I see an asian character in a mainstream show without it being a one-dimensional stereotype.

Other stuff I've been watching
Steve Jobs - The Billion Dollar Hippy
Twinsters
Scream Queens
The Office (UK)
The Secret
Ant Man
The Walk
The Martian

After much binging, I think I ought to do something a bit more productive ... hey, its been a while since I drew anything huh.

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Here's a few drawings I created during Inktober~




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My creative side needs to be ignited again!

Alas, I have a commission to do T__T

Until next time~

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Cosplay feelings

It was Auckgeddon last weekend .. wrapping up the con season for the year. This year there was a group for Popstar! League of Legends characters so I joined in. Unfortunately, I missed seeing some people T__T but there is always the next event~

(Above: Me as Popstar! Lux - Photographed by Lennon Nguyen)

(Above: Silly photo with friends)

(Above: With other League of Legend cosplayers! They all looked so awesome. I was so awkward haha *shot*)

After the event had passed, it seemed that a lot of people shared their thoughts about how cosplay was empowering to them in some way. And, I must say that it has empowered me as well. Come and read my story~

In my high school years, I was extremely shy and constantly worried too much about what people thought of me. I hardly went for the things I wanted to do including simple things like dressing up in cute clothes and wearing makeup. I was self conscious about the things I liked, how I looked, what I thought and how I acted because none of it seemed to be the norm in my little world.

Of course, there are many things that have helped shaped me into the way I am today. Still shy, but more confident and proud of what I like to do. Cosplay was one of those things. I voiced my thoughts and feelings about how I was scared of doing cosplay to my friend Amey, but you know what .. she said "Who cares what people think? Just do it cos you want to." Maybe she didn't realise it at that time, but feeling that acceptance really helped me!

Cosplay taught me how to put on makeup, sew clothes, sew plushies .. and now make armour. It has taught me to feel okay about the way I look, feel okay about being a complete dork at heart, and find out that there are plenty people out there who don't think this stuff is weird!

Some of those insecure thoughts were really stupid when I think about them now. They were all based on what other people thought ... and if people have a problem with stuff you like, thats all it is - their problem.

Anyone can cosplay, no matter what~!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Overload 2015

Yet another Overload in Auckland has been done and dusted for 2015! 

It was great seeing everyone's amazing work yet again, and being able to catch up with people too~

I feel like I must worry too much every year with this, when really I just gotta keep doing art consistently haha. I was surprised I was able to get as much as I did done, with career stuff taking priority lately. Everything seemed to fall into place! It's a real blessing.

I've probably been spamming all over social media, but here's what I had for sale this year, in all its pinky glory. Thank you to everyone who made the time to look at my artwork ^o^



I bought and traded a few things too~ Was so happy to get a signed poster from Noizi Ito >3< Thanks dear boyfriend for helping me get it while I was at my table~~ 

I was most excited to get a copy of Na0h's comic book as I followed her progress of creating it via social media. I love her style!




Above: Art from Kimchi Kiwi, Noizi Ito, Red Tail Design, Fira (new fave artist omg), Na0h, and some artists that I forgot to collect a business card from /o\ Please tell if you know any artist's work I haven't mentioned xD

I look forward to the next event!

In the meantime, I'm planning to set up an online store in the near future. 
Follow my facebook page here for regular updates on art stuff ^o^

Monday, September 21, 2015

Waiheke + Snow

Oh, hello dear blog. Long time no see.

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It was so freezing for a Spring day!

Went to Waiheke today with our web team. It was my first time wine tasting.

Quite an interesting experience, even though I have the lowest tolerance for wine. I learned that there are different wines that go with different foods - some better for savoury and some better sweet. Not that I'll be a wine connoisseur but its good to know!

The lady pouring us Pinot Gris.


Some shop displays in the store.


My preferred wine from the selection - Rose .. its pinky red!


Nice table decorations at Mudbrick


Nice chalkboard design on the wall at Fenice Cafe & Bar



I thought these lavenders looked pretty~


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I've also been lucky enough to catch the ski season on two occasions. In August, I went to Queenstown for a week with friends and recently to Ohakune with my boyfriend. Instead of skiing, I tried snowboarding for the first time this year! It was definitely an awesome skill to learn, though I'm still a total noob >//o//< 




When I went in August, I bought a two part snowboard lesson which was really helpful! I had absolutely no expectations of how I would be at this. I'm usually a very indoorsy type of person haha. One minute I was completely imbalanced with the snowboard, and later on I could actually control when I stopped and which direction I would go. I was so pleased with myself! Not that it means that I still don't fall down a zillion times hehe. 

Just one thing I may have to work on is stamina - I got tired pretty easily. *cough* Possibly a sign that I need to get more active with exercise and such ^-^;;

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I got motivated to start blogging again after reading some of Rainbowholic's posts. I love her blog - its so cute and uplifting. She wrote about how keeping a blog has helped her in both creative and personal respects. It's a nice way to share ideas, connect with like-minded people and be able to share a part of yourself with others in some way.

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Well, I'm getting a little tired /o\

Maybe that wine is still in my system! Until next time~

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Life + To The Moon

It's nice to have a chill Saturday. 

The highlight of the day was buying a chair, as lame as that sounds. I am utterly pleased with this, as I have been sitting on a foot stool for about six months since living out again. Now using the computer can provide more comfort, oh yeah!

And thanks to the nice person who helped me halfway back to my apartment.
They saw me struggling every step OTL. You're a bloody legend.

Had so much fun last night belting out the karaoke! Definitely is more fun when you have other people in the room who are also enthusiastic. They had all the Frozen songs too! ^^ Sold.

Spending too much time with people IRL can make me feel tired, even though its fun. I haven't had a hermit moment since two weekends ago so it feels good to get that energy bar restored back to green. If only I could have potions to deal with that, but in real life that would be drugs. And drugs are bad, mkay?

These past two months went fast. Let's roll back and see how much I can remember.

Started to get into drawing again. Baby steps.


Went to a bonfire night, board game parties, bush walking, escape room, caught up with old friends, made some new ones, karaoke, lantern festival, Hamilton Armageddon and anything else I can't remember. I should really note these in real time, huh. 

Dear future self, sorry I was too lazy busy for that.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Beach Day!

Had a great time with my friends in the weekend!


On Saturday, went on a photoshoot with some other friends.


Chlo-chan and I coincidentally bought the same dress without one another knowing. Great minds think alike!

On Sunday, I had a wonderful time at the beach in East Auckland.


We sculpted Rin from Free! in the sand.

 

Dat booty!

Don't know how our plan to build Baymax .. then Olaf turned into Rin's beautiful butt haha.

What a lovely way to end the summer holidays~

Now, back to business.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Year of 2014

O(≧▽≦)O HAPPY NEW YEAR !! O(≧▽≦)O

So 'tomorrow' obviously means a whole week (plus) later! Ahem, excuse my haphazard blogging schedule.

It is almost the end of my Christmas/New Year holiday and I'll be back at work on Monday, so it will be great to just chill out for these last few days before the routine kicks back in.

What was the year of 2014? Well, the ultimate achievement was definitely getting into full time work in an industry I enjoy. I will continue to strive in this area for years to come, so it will be an ongoing course of development.

On the personal side of things, things pretty much stayed the same if not worse. Some circumstances this year have made me feel a little more fragile and I hope to rise above it again and help myself as much as I can.

I forgot that when I get into my work, I really get into it and have no room left for anything else ... I tend to have a one track mind once I'm set on something ...  but I suppose its normal for the first year and hopefully I will have more energy to spare in 2015!

There were some pretty cool things that happened in 2014 though ...

Japan Trip

First overseas trip! And oh boy, was I excited.

I had the opportunity to go to Japan with a group of friends and it was AMAZING, It was everything I had imagined and there's no doubt that I will go back there again!


I appreciate all the everyday things the country has. The convenience stores were ever so convenient. The items that were so expensive in New Zealand were so affordable! (Duh) The people were so polite and courteous to one another. The customer service was amazing. People took care of the way they dressed more. The packaging is so cute. They have mascots for everything. The souvenirs were too cute. The environment was so clean and curated. The night life was buzzing so things were still happening after work hours, like malls were open till 7-ish every day! Everything was presented so well. Japanese graphic design! Trains were on time, and very handy to travel from place to place. THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE - I HAVE NO WORDS. I didn't save too much for spending though .. so next time I shall be fully prepared >o>

People were so stealthy with their games haha ... when we were in the Tokyo trains, everyone looked so professional but I would always get a few streetpasses on my 3DS every time I passed them. Managed to collect at least one person from every region, oh yeah! This shall be the challenge now every time I go to a new country~ alas it will probably be more difficult unless I go to a convention or something.

It was also the first time I've been in a country where the people were predominantly Asian, so I don't know ... I guess I felt at 'home' if that makes any sense. Even though I'm Chinese ...

If I have some time, I may do a photo log of my experiences there to keep as a memento. Hopefully everything will come back to me when I go through the pictures.

There are just too many things to mention that I don't know where to start!

The verdict: Best trip ever!

(Now, where did I put those photos ...)

Concerts

I was fortunate enough to attend two concerts of two amazing artists. Paramore early in the year, and Kimbra later in the year. Both performances were strong and had amazing stage presence.


Chlo-chan and I (and Kimbra!) We were fortunate enough to be in the second row~ Wooo!

Kimbra's performance was so passionate and sonically driven! I love her flared dress too. So cute.

(I seemed to have misplaced my Paramore pics, noooo .. will go on scavenger hunt!)

Shopping Trips

I like to shop alone most times, because that way I don't have to inconvenience anybody and take up too much of their time. Cos I am so fussy, I take forever deciding if I want to buy something or not. Only recently did I discover that there was a Japanese makeup shop in the city! IPPONDO! Apparently it was already there for nine years, but somehow I must have missed it. It is a dreamland~ All the cute makeups! All the hair dye colours! Eye shadow palettes in the cute colours I actually use! Blush colour palettes that are more subtle and soft in colour! And OMG .. Dolly Wink products. Once I used the Dolly Wink eyeliner, I never want to go back. Super waterproof even for my oily as eyes. I'm gonna be a gullible consumer and say that the packaging of the products are amazing too. This is the graphic designer part of me showing ~~


It's also fun going on cosplay shopping trips with friends too. Manukau is a great location to buy fabrics. David's Emporium has quite a few affordable fabrics and haberdashery, and if items can't be found there - Spotlight is just a walk away.

Annie Cosplay

I managed to complete one cosplay! I am terrible and left this till the last week before Armageddon .. when I had freelance work due that week too /o\



This year, things have got to change. There is more responsibility and costumes are more complex.

I am glad I managed to finish the costume. The character was Annie from League of Legends. The items I made were the pink backpack, kitty headband, dress and leg warmers~ Ended up buying a teddy bear for a makeshift Tibbers (that does the haka, LOL)




I remember how hectic that week was! But Amey was also making last minute progress with her TF2 costume too, so we had a mini sewing party which helped lift the spirits and motivation too!

Conventions and Cosplay Events

Always something to look forward to every year! Overload, Armageddon and various new cosplay events that have popped up everywhere~ It is always such fun participating in events where you are allowed to embrace in your geekiness through and through ^^

Australia Trip

Planned a fun two week getaway with my bestie, Lunatarius. The trip turned out to be an epic adventure of theme parks and being a tourist, food, shopping(!) and good ol' relaxing.


The Gold Coast had very nice warm weather! It was quite dry compared to the more humid warm weather we get in Auckland. It was a nice time of year to travel because it wasn't too packed in this tourist area. We went to a few of the theme parks - Dreamworld, Movie World, and Sea World.


Above: The view from the Eureka Skydeck in Melbourne

Melbourne is a nice, liveable city. Felt like a bigger Auckland - with better transport and more places to shop. Seems like a place that is easy to adapt.


Attended a gaming convention called PAX. First overseas convention! Mostly hung around the board games area and showed up for the cosplay talks that were held that day. Much insight, and glad to get some useful tips for future cosplays - especially with my future endeavour into creating armour!

Managed to buy Cards Against Humanity! It was a very good idea. Been having the best time playing and giggling along to this game with my friends since xD The only downside was that it was a pretty heavy item to take home OTL


Made a little mouse out of paper~


Randomly bumped into the talented Ry! xD

Had just encountered him tabling at Auckland Armageddon just week earlier~ I remember being so excited to see him at the event the first time last year because it was the first time an international artist I admired online had come to little ol' New Zealand! [Artwork]

(Excuse my derp face roflmao)


Was fortunate to meet an online buddy in Melbourne - the awesome, talented Chan! It was also the first time meeting someone I talked to online~ She showed me around the city and nice places to eat.

Helped influence my decision to buy cute items of clothing faster too >o> Darn it - feeding my shopping addiction~ Now, I wear that pink usamimi almost every day haha - thank you.

Hope to visit again!


I may need to make a photo log of Australia as well at some point as a memento~ too many things to mention.

The verdict: Awesome getaway across the ditch!

Christmas Holiday

These past two weeks have been a blast! We had free drinks at work on that last Friday haha, and launched right into holiday mode.

Below: Tapas with some workmates


Travelled a little during the break. Spending time with family. Went to Paintball for the first time. Caught up with friends with watching The Hobbit and dinner at Doolan Brothers. Played lots of board games which was a lot of fun! Cards Against Humanity seemed to be a best buy of the year as it seems to be a hit when lots of people are gathered together. Always a game that has you rolling on the floor with laughter. Made paper children, and geocaching with Amey. Saw Big Hero 6 with Lunatarius.

Below: Clay Pot Bibimbap in Hamilton! Mmm, dat crispy rice.


Below: Christmas Eve gathering.

Watched The Hobbit -> Dinner at Doolan Brothers -> Dessert and Cards Against Humanity at Goode Brothers! So much fun >u<



Below: Paintball haps with my cousin's cousins and their friends.

I don't think I will go to paintball again unless super peer pressured! I ended up eating paint /o\ But it was a good experience to tick off the bucket list, lol xD



Below: Making Paper Children with Amey




She made creepy paper heads of Janelle and I /o\ Totally accurate of course.


Been to Rotorua a couple times, but somehow this is the first time I encountered geothermal activity without having to pay to see it o.o We were out geocaching when we chanced upon it~



Played some board games with Lunatarius n his crew, including this one called 'Hot Tin Roof'. Cute game where your little board markers are cats, and the aim of the game was to collect the most fish.


Managed to get myself into playing some handheld games too - especially Tomodachi Life of which I am so addicted to at the moment! It's nice being god for once ROFLMAO. And its funny seeing real life people and fictional characters interact ... let the shipping begin.

I do not know why I subject myself to playing Five Night at Freddy's though /o\ I bought it for Amey! But she insisted I should have a go too. *Nervous laughter* Never again ..

Maybe you should play~



I just travelled back to Auckland on New Year's Eve and felt a bit dizzy. Guess why?

I started playing Persona Q on the bus, and I wanted to take a photo of a cute quotes ... but when I was trying to position the phone in the right angle, I got a bit nauseas. Darn it, dorkiness you did it again!

Cute new character - Rei-chan~
She seems to be obsessed with food hehe



Had the best ever Skype session with some friends counting down the last minutes of 2014 while geeking out and playing Cards Against Humanity online.


And then, today - had an impromptu photoshoot with some other friends. This was my look today. Am so tempted to go blonde for real, so had bought two boxes for that moment when I will take that leap! We'll see if that happens ...


So much fun during this break, when I thought I was just gonna draw my life away haha.

And now its almost come to an end!

Maybe I'll take it easy these last few days~

What about 2015?

I'll keep it simple this year.

In 2015, I want to be happy.