a dose of cirematology

Full Sleeve - 40 hours.

2011-12-12T11:55:00.000+11:00

CHE Xmas Party

2011-12-09T12:45:00.001+11:00

Haka dance. Drag queen. Booze. Gourmet canapes. Booze. Crazy people. Crazy dance!

Best Xmas Party ever! I think the video and the pictures speak for itself!

Retro Phenomenon

2011-12-08T16:23:00.001+11:00

In the past few years, the retro phenomenon seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Personally, I think it was cool when it first started, when everything was still reasonably priced. Shopping at second hand stores used to be cheap. NOT ANYMORE!

The craze has certainly jacked up the prices on everything retro. An old retro or vintage (a good way of saying old) chair might cost up to $200. A dining table (made out of timber from old farm houses) can cost up to $6,000.

Not only people dress and live retro, now you can have a retro haircut or an old school shave too. For example, a thing that used to be something for old guys and shunned by hip youngsters, going to the barber is now a cool thing (apparently). It is now run by retroed-up guys (in Richmond or Fitroy), with their too-cool-to-care fashion, pin up tattoos and Rayban glasses.

Cue Dr. Folicle. I was there yesterday, during lunch, just wanting a trim. When I walked in, first thing I saw was this giant of a man with long beard and long hair. He was busy showing his skills with the clippers to someone I assumed to be his apprentice. A second guy greeted me, sat me down then asked me if I wanted a beer. Seems like everyone who is getting a haircut gets a free beer too. Good touch I thought.

As I waited for my turn, I couldn't help but notice how this place is decorated. It is funky in a not-so-subtle kind of way. The shop owner (the giant, I assume) must be into taxidermy. Yeah, of course. This whole taxidermy thing goes pretty well with the retro style... so I'm not surprised.

I only have to wait for about 15 minutes before my turn. I was asked how I'd like my hair cut and if I want the whole she-bang (shave and ear cleaned). Do you want to guess what I said?

10 minutes later, I was done. $25 dollar poorer but content with the experience. I think I will be back. Next time, I might try and pinch the wolf head. :)

Project Barnstormer

2011-12-02T12:57:00.001+11:00

Howdy all. It has been a while since I write anything. There's actually no particular reason, just lazy and there isn't much to write about, till now.

As some (well, most) of you know, I'm currently building my first home. The building process has been going on for a while now. Even though we are so far ahead of schedule (was given a 20 week build time but now we are almost done in less than 14 weeks!) it still feel like a long time. I just can't wait till it's all done and thats when the fun begins. The fun of hunting down the right furniture, designing a dream space, experimenting with different ideas and experimenting with non-conventional materials on walls.

Even though it will be a few more weeks before moving in, the mission to hunt down every affordable/unique pieces of furniture, lights (fittings) and artwork online and in stores has started. So far, I've found too many things I like, some insanely expensive, for example a dining table costing $6,000, love it but can't afford it :(.

The style will be somewhat industrial/retro/contemporary. I'm planning to play with all kinds of textures on the walls ie wallpapers, felt coverings, wood and concrete. A lot of these are just ideas for now, whether it happens or not depends on the cost of either getting them done by professionals or DIY. This is gonna be fun!

Anyway, these are what's been purchased so far... and there are a few more on the list!

Large Vintage Industrial Rustic Timber Workbench. 275cm x 85cm x 57cm

Pair of Eames style arm chair vintage retro chair black danish armchair.

Solid Blackwood dining table (1.8m) & 2 benches.

Retro vintage Hans Hayson bed head/bedside tables - Danish Eames era.

Industrial rustic grey metal storage drawers and set of 2 vintage metal lockers.

Industrial storage trunk.

Vintage Thomas Edison vintage caged lights.

Inking November

2011-11-22T15:03:00.000+11:00

Daniel. Sydney. Wings of redemption over existing crucifix. Ink + Custom design.

Brent. Brisbane. Bear stencil. Ink.

Jason. Brisbane. Chef (teddy) bear. Ink + Custom design.

Troy. Brisbane. Tribal bear. Ink + Custom design.

Pimping TWELF :: Stage 1

2011-10-03T14:07:00.001+11:00

893 MAGAZINE

2011-09-20T14:22:00.000+10:00

My copy of Anton Kusters' 893 MAGAZINE is finally here. The photography is amazing - not in the sense of great angles or effects, it is more about the mood each and every one of the photo capture. Can't wait till the next issue.

More information about this book/project, check out my previous post titled : Capturing Yakuza – Anton Kusters.

Capturing Yakuza - Anton Kusters

2011-09-14T11:42:00.003+10:00

Recently, a dear friend from London sent me a link to a website. A website of a photographer with a very unique project. The project is called 893 - Yakuza. His name is Anton Kusters.

These are his words about this project...

893-Yakuza is a personal visual account of the life inside an inaccessible subculture: a traditional Japanese crime family that controls the streets of Kabukicho, in the heart of Tokyo, Japan.

Through many months of delicate preparations and negotiations by my brother Malik, our fixer Takasan, and myself, we became the only westerners ever to be granted this kind of access to that closed world.

With a mix of photography, film, writing and graphic design, I try to share not only their extremely complex relationship to Japanese society, and also to show the personal struggle that each family member faces: being forced to live in two different worlds at the same time; worlds that often have conflicting morals and values… It turns out not to be a simple ‘black’ versus ‘white’ relationship, but most definitely one with many shades of grey.

Preparations started in 2008, and access was granted in april 2009, for two years. The project is now at full speed, with all elements of the story being produced as we speak. in 2011 and 2012, several magazine issues (893 Magazine), a photo book (ODO YAKUZA TOKYO, sold out in less than 5 weeks), a documentary feature film, and a large exhibition will become reality.

Excerpts from his book/website.

Meet Soichiro.

He has agreed to us getting to know each other. Through the barriers of different languages and cultures, we will be approaching each other with the broadest possible open mind. To learn, to tell our stories. To gain trust and to share views.

—

Soichiro and his family control Kabukicho, in the heart of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Not much happens in the streets without his approval.

—

After more than 10 months of preparation and ground work by my brother and our dear friend Taka-san, finally, for the first time, we all meet over dinner. At first, Soichiro lays down the rules. Tells us what we want to achieve is near impossible. He says that the things we want to document, no outsider has ever been allowed to bear witness to. We eat, drink, smoke, and exchange gifts.

—

He invites us to his office. we talk some more. I show previous work, I show prints of Oaxaca and I show prints of “Sugar”. He tells me I photograph with a Japanese eye. He laughs when we ask if it’s true that all family members have tattoos, and if it’s painful to get one.

Then he shows his.

Each tattoo is so personal, he says, full of meaning to the bearer and his family. Only Sensei Horikyo tattoos for his family.

—

No rush. He understands and wants us to take time to get to know his family, time to develop our view. He believes in our way of working, and is confident we will bring this to a good end. He thinks in years, not days or weeks or months.

He does a lot of legwork in his family. Even though he his a boss, he still speaks to his bosses who in turn speak with their bosses. Within two days, we are invited to witness a closed meeting. Four members apologizing to the family for being in jail. My brother and I are nervous as hell going in.

No pictures allowed yet, but now we know. Soichiro walked the walk and committed. Our project has begun for the next couple of years. My brother and I… and Soichiro. Becoming friends, telling the story… I hope everything will work out.

I’ve worked all day to prepare everything. Made galleries on my portable; made prints at Yodobashi Camera. Wrapped everything up nicely to present to him. When we meet at his office around 11pm, Soichiro, my brother, and I go through the whole collection of images i have made up till that point. I’m nervous as hell.

Slowly we go through every gallery, every image… Once in a while he flags one because he wants to ask a question or he wants me to make a print of it. To be presented to the subject on the photo… as a gift. This moment, the first showing of the images, the big first moment, “Are they going to like it? Will they approve?”, actually goes by without a glitch.

I also tell him i’m slowly starting to see the way i want to tell the story, so i show him my first sequenced spread layout on screen. only 20 images. I talk about my views, what i have seen, what i have learned, and that i am setting the mood in this “first chapter”. He agrees and thinks i should continue in the same way.

—

I’m in the front seat, riding with Soichiro in his car on his way to Shinjuku. “One cuts off one’s finger to make a point”, Soichiro explains while driving. “Usually to show the sincerity of an apology after doing something wrong.”

“You cut off a single digit of your own finger in a ceremonial way, while facing your boss, and then you present the severed finger on a folded napkin to him. It reinforces the power of your apology. It shows that you’re serious about what you’re saying.”
Somehow, i don’t feel like questioning that.

Bright day. Early morning. A commemoration is to be held for a deceased family member.

The family is in charge of organizing the service. Before dawn, they set up a room with a white shrine and flowers… the family name as well as the person’s own name is displayed above.

Guests and other families have been invited, and by sunrise they are slowly starting to arrive in order to pay their respect. To welcome them, the family of the deceased lines up alongside the room according to hierarchy, Tanamoto Kaicho first. Every member of the mourning family has a white paper flower attached to the jacket.

—

I stand in the doorway silently. I see the guests enter the room, burn incense for the departed, and say a prayer for his sake. After this, they proceed to an adjacent room where they sit and talk to the family boss, have a cup of tea, and smoke a cigarette.

At this point they pay their respect yet again by offering a ceremonial envelope with money inside. The precise amount of this gift is determined by a complex mixture of factors like relationships, business ties, a statement, personal friendships or past commemorations.

—

Soichiro tells me that often the deceased is mourned several times over different services, depending on practical circumstances, or even plain notoriety. I’m imagining the practical implications of organizing a single service in the center of a city with a Yakuza family consisting of several thousand members… In this case, it’s the second commemoration, and also quite intimate. Nonetheless, the endless line of cars is quite impressive. There are several members on “traffic duty”, redirecting (regular) traffic and providing parking space.

—

Every time the next line of cars approaches, Soichiro tells me which family it is, and a few words about or their relationship with them. I watch the members who are lower in rank exit their cars first, and form a line next to the road at the entrance of the shrine. A few seconds later, when the boss pulls up and exits his car, he is surrounded by family members. Everyone bows and greets while he walks past and enters the room.

—

The end of the day. It’s over. The guests have gone, the rooms have been cleaned and everyone’s ready to leave. Socho, the number one boss, is the first to go… his car drives up and he enters. Again, all members are lined up, this time to say goodbye. I feel a little uneasy, a tall westerner hanging around at the wrong place, having no clue what’s going on.

The car is about to pass by, but then something happens: the car slows down to a stop, and the darkened back window opens to me. This is definitely not standard procedure, and quite a security risk too. I now see the boss sitting there in his car, smiling and looking straight ahead. It takes me a second to realize why he does this… but then I get it.

—

I smile. I take the picture, I bow and pay my respects. The car drives off and disappears in the distance.

P/S A second edition of his book is now available for pre-order.

QR Codes

2011-08-12T14:17:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, a friend emailed me a pretty cool article. It's titled - Brave hipster gets animated tattoo using a QR code. After reading the article and watching the video that was attached, all that's in my mind was if this video is legit.

You know, the last time, I got conned into believing a someone managed to tattoo all 152 friends on her arm. Now, if I were to think twice, I'd know it's not possible, each cell will be too small.

Anyway, long story short, I saw the video (see below) then thought, how cool it would be to get a tattoo of a QR code and have it linked to someone's contact details? That means whenever you are asked for your contact, just present your QR Code tattoo, get it scanned and voila, your contact details is now with this other person. And with that thought, I started researching on QR Codes. Found a couple but they are pretty average - you can only create a Code that directs you to a website or have some notes attached to the Code so when someone scan the Code, it will automatically direct you to a website.

The QR Code this guy got tattooed on his chest only directs the user to a website, in this case, he embedded a link (in his QR Code) to YouTube showing a video he posted.

Don't get me wrong, this is good but not what I wanted. I want to be able to scan the Code and it will show me contact details and with a click (a touch if it's an iPhone) of a button, save that contact details to my Contacts, in all relevant fields ie Name to be in Name, Address to be in Address etc.

After some digging around, I found exactly what I wanted. Well, here it is...

How to generate the code
• Visit Google’s Chart Wizard

• Click the Editor tab
• Select QR Code from the Chart type

• Reformat the sample below to and input your code

Sample codeMECARD:N:Your Name;ADR:Your Address;TEL:Your Phone Number;

EMAIL:Your Email Address;URL:Your Website;;

• Click outside the input field to have it render the QR code

What to do with your code
• Making the QR code larger makes complex codes easier to read by scanners.
• Take a screen shot of the finished image.
• Add the image to whatever object you plan to show people (business card, background on your phone, t-shirt, store front, billboard, etc.)

Code Readers
Now get a QR reader for your smart phone so that you can read other QR codes out there. For iPhone I suggest use a free app called i-nigma. Now that you've got your app, you can try out your QR Code scanner by scanning the QR Code I created on your left.

Happy coding!

Mike Smith - Family Tribute

2011-08-01T09:54:00.000+10:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

A State of Design

2011-07-25T11:01:00.001+10:00

Fed Square :: Level 3 Carpark

One thing I love about Melbourne is there is always something on. Last weekend, the annual State of Design Festival just started and will go on for about a month. During this month, there will be (design related) conferences, shows, workshops, exhibitions and artistic installations across city of Melbourne. One of the highlights of this year's State of Design is Look.Stop.Shop.

Look.Stop.Shop is a round-the-clock, program using design to promote a safe, vibrant and inclusive city as it moves from day to night. Walk a trail that will take you through Melbourne’s city centre to experience a series of inspiring installations by design-minded businesses.

This selected group of retailers has created unique window displays and in-store installations around this years’ Festival theme, Design that Moves. Participants include a broad range of traders from small independent boutiques, designer-owned and operated spaces and pop-up shops to department stores carrying everything from fashion, books, and lighting to objects. With many installations located in street-level stores, this diverse retail landscape provides 24 hour viewing.

Over the weekend, I managed to pop into the city and checked out the Design Trade Show. It seems like there are more exhibitors this year. I couldn't help but to take notes on some of the products on sale here. The idea on those products are very interesting. I was thinking of how I could manipulate those ideas to make them work with furniture or artwork which is more my style. Who knows, maybe I might start designing furniture. I do need furniture for the new house anyway so why not design it myself.

Apart from the Trade Show, I managed to also check out the Design:Market at Fed Square. Even though it was raining outside, this place was packed with, ermm, designers, posers... whatever you wanna call it. I prefer posers. People seem to have a different attitude in this space (myself included) don't know why. Some of them are alright though.

Stuff here are predominantly made by local designers. Hand made scarfs, beanies, jewellery etc. Typical over priced stuff if you ask me. However, some of them are pretty interesting. I didn't really spend too much money here, only a few hundred.

Not much, only $390 for a pair of Duckfeet

Posers?

I couldn't help myself - I bought the dark (army) green. Tempted to get the red one too...

Check out Tie-Ups

BYO Coffee cups

Week one.

2011-07-22T18:00:00.002+10:00

It has been one week since I started at CHE. I didn't get off to a good start though. I was down with a throat infection and have to call in sick, on my first day. Normally, it would be fairly awkward to call in sick on your first day but my boss has been very understanding and said I should have a couple of days rest.

I showed up at work the following day (Tuesday) and it has been fairly smooth sailing for me work wise since then. It will take me a week or two to learn the ropes, the style guides of each account I have to work on but so far, it has been easy. Maybe my boss is being gentle cos I'm new.

It is good to know that the agency is fairly flexible. There's no one looking over your shoulder or checking how long you were away from your desk, bitching about being on the internet etc. We come in, we get the job done, we go home. The work culture here is just like what you find at a healthy agency. Staff joke around, play around, music playing... most of the guys here stay till late not because they have to, because they want to. They treat each other like friends whom you hang out with rather than colleagues you have to put up with. This is how a successful productive team should be.

Lunch - we get our own cafe with the daily menu emailed to us at about 10.30am. See sample...

Good Morning!

Our specials for today are:
Cauliflower and pumpkin soup:    7.50
Battered flathead and chips with salad:    10.50
Baked chicken and pesto thigh fillets on steamed rice and salad:    10.50
Beef mince pita pockets with salad:    10.50
Bacon, tomato and spring onion penne pasta:    10.00
Spinach and feta tart:    with one salad - 8.00 with two salads - 9.50

Our sandwich fillings for today are:
Chicken, bocconcini, tomato, mayo, lettuce Beef, spinach, gherkin, tomato, tomato relish, seeded mustard mayo Falafel, tzatziki, roast pumpkin, red capsicum, lettuce, tasty cheese Ham, tomato, tasty cheese, lettuce, seeded mustard mayo

See you at lunch time :-)

Because today is Friday, at about 4.30pm, 2 nominated staff pushes a trolley with grog around the joint, stopping at each desk asking what we want for drinks. Wine, beer etc... I can get used to this.

Although all these are good things and I really do enjoy working here, I miss my minions back at Airport West. I miss people laughing at my lame arse jokes. I miss having my minions buying me lunch. I miss eBay. I miss giving Pete a hard time. I miss telling people to get fucked and get away with it.

Revisiting Aaron Lewis

2011-07-15T22:24:00.000+10:00

2 of my favourite songs...

Hello. Thank You. Good Bye.

2011-07-15T16:19:00.001+10:00

The day has come for me to say good bye to The Good Guys. It has been a pretty smooth ride and honestly, it has been a great joy working with them. Well, most of them anyway.

Like any establishment, there are always dickheads that spoil it for everyone. But all in all, it was good. Am I sad to go? Yes, very much so. But, I think it is time to move on. I felt that I need room to grow, creatively. I want more responsibilities. I want to move up in the corporate ladder.

I must admit, I do have doubts. Doubt if I made the right choice of moving on. Life here at The Good Guys was pretty good. 15 minutes to work. 15 minutes to work. Ample of parking. The people (most) I work with are good people. Pete Brown, the Brand Manager (the person whom I work with most of the time) was a great boss (I was asked once who do I work for, PMP or Pete Brown? I said Pete Brown). There is nothing off limits. We talk to each other like mates. We argue, we disagree, but the end of the day, we got things done and we were a good team. We know how each other works.

The coordinators were a bunch of goofers too. Lots of bantering between us and at the end of the day, its all for laughs. There's no hard feelings. Not that I'm aware of anyway. Most of them do have a special kind of relationship with me. They would come around and ask if I want lunch whenever they go out for lunch. Only me. Hahahahahaha.......

Anna, Yen, Faye & Tam. Girl Power, thanks for wearing RED (as for Anna, thanks for wearing Fluro!) Fleur Loden, I forgive you for touching my screen and no, YOU ARE NOT A FOOL :). Padma Palani, please, no more swearing in Hokkien. Someday, it'll get you in trouble. Daniel Young, my poster boy. Your support of my tattoo business will always be remembered. Now you carry my brand with you for life, peace brother! :)

And finally, the PMP boys and girls. Especially those who sits on the 'Bourke Street Mall". We've had plenty of laughs. I love the witty remarks. Mick Smith, don't forget the whale song when you are stressed. Joe Torres, Kor Nu Ti... or tell her to get back to her shell if she gives you the shits! Daryl, no more jokes about dickheads :(. Brad, you won't suffer from my intricate design for catalogues anymore. Touche, I'm ready for your next tattoo when you are :) Bron, no more bantering, :(. Katie, be nice to the boys will ya? I still owe you lunch. Johan, keep fighting for the rights (of everyone) within the company. Dave, hope you recovered from the operation of your pimple and sorry if I stuff up your plans for early retirement. Matt, now that I'm gone, no one will compete with you on the Plunger or the Brown Nose Award. Jacinta, shame you are not here for my last day here. I'm sure we will catch up soon.

That's it from me I think. That's all I can think of. That's all I've got to say. Like a true prince, I say PISS OFF AND GET BACK TO WORK!

Miss Chang - Chinese Man feat Taiwan MC & Cyph4 - Clip Officiel

2011-07-13T22:05:00.000+10:00

Chinese Man - I've Got That Tune

2011-07-13T22:04:00.002+10:00

Turntable Soul

2011-07-12T15:53:00.001+10:00

Chinese Man is a very underrated French DJ collective. Think Portishead. ON ACID. One of the group I normally play when I'm working, in need of background music, chill out, cruising and especially when I'm tattooing.

Their main influences are hip hop and jazzy electro, with samples coming from movies or old asian records. Somewhere between Birdy Nam Nam, Bonobo, Dj Shadow, or Le Peuple De L'Herbe.

Chinese Man - The Groove Sessions Vol 1 - Rapidshare Download here..

If you like them, you might also like...

• Gramophonedzie [click to listen]

• Belleruche [click to listen]

Mark Guardiani - Quoting Henry David Thoreau

2011-07-11T15:38:00.005+10:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

NIKEiD

2011-07-05T14:32:00.000+10:00

I was looking for a pair of vintage Nike Dunk and came across this site - NIKEiD. I'm not sure when this campaign was launched, all I know - I'm gonna be broke for the next few months.

In this site, you can choose your base design of your Nike. Predominantly Dunks, you can also choose to have a High or Low. I have not explore the site fully (I couldn't even get pass Dunks), I think you can custom Air Max as well.

Choose the different materials for your Dunk. From leather to Suede to Canvas. Choose your own colour combination. Stitching, the Swoosh, lace, outsole etc...customise everything. When you finish, you can even insert your Signature or ID.

Best part of it all, it's cheap. Well cheaper than you think anyway. It's USD$110 for a Dunk-Low or USD$135 for Hi-Dunk. You can't even get a good pair of mass produced NIKE for that price.

I'm experiencing goosebumps.

Signature

Pencil Tip Micro Sculptures By Dalton Ghetti

2011-07-04T15:34:00.001+10:00

Brazilian born, Connecticut based, Dalton Ghetti carefully crafts the tips of pencils into amazing micro sculptures. These miniature masterpieces are a side project for the professional carpenter, who has been perfecting this art for the last 25 years.

Dalton uses a razor blade, sewing needle, a sculpting knife, a steady hand and lots of patience to meticulously carve the graphite which can take anywhere between a few months to a few years. Over time he has broken many works in progress and keeps them in what he calls the cemetery collection.

One of the most fascinating things about these tiny works of art is that he has never sold them, only given away to friends as gifts.

via telegraph.co.uk

2 bears.

2011-06-20T14:43:00.005+10:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

I find this fascinating...

2011-06-09T15:27:00.002+10:00

Ok.. I am a sucker for conspiracy theory. A big fan of the Bourne Trilogy and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo saga and this story sounds exactly like one of those movies. Someone somewhere must have an idea what is really happening. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read on...

Extracted from The Age
This is the first article I read about this story....

Fears held for missing Syrian Gay Girl blogger

Amina Arraf was last seen being bundled into a car by armed men in Damascus.

WHEN Amina Arraf began blogging from Syria's capital about life, politics and being gay in the Arab world, it was February, the Arab Spring was in its first bloom, and the prospects of an uprising in authoritarian Syria still seemed remote.

She appeared then to have only an inkling of how profound the upheaval would be.

''I live in Damascus, Syria. It's a repressive police state … But I have set up a blog with my name and my photo. Am I crazy?'' she asked in one of the first posts on her English-language blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus.

''I have to begin by doing something bold and visible,'' she wrote. ''I can because I'm a dual national and have benefits of politically connected relatives.''

Nothing has been heard of her since she was seen being bundled into a car by three armed men in central Damascus on Monday evening.

With that, Ms Arraf, 35, a Syrian American, joined the more than 10,000 people plucked from their homes or city streets since the Syrian uprising began 11 weeks ago. Her disappearance might have gone unnoticed were it not for the attention she drew after a posting in April that propelled her to world fame.

The post, titled ''My father, the hero,'' recounted how her father used stern words to dispatch two members of the security services who had come to her home to detain her.

Citing President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, who is leading the brutal crackdown on the protest movement, her father said: ''They will not live forever, they will not rule forever, and you both know that. So if you want good things in the future, you will leave and you will not take Amina with you.'' The men left.

The post had more than 430,000 views and was reported around the world.

It was clear, however, that Ms Arraf was wanted. Days later, security services returned to her home, but she had been living in hiding since early May. When she was seized on Monday, she was on her way to meet another Syrian activist, raising the possibility she had been betrayed.

According to a posting on her blog by a relative on Tuesday, her family has been unable to find out which of the 18 branches of the security services is holding her. The witness to her abduction said Ms Arraf hit one of her captors before she was hauled away, a detail that would fit with the feisty, passionate and defiant personality that emerges from her blog, which eloquently captures the fusion of hope and apprehension sweeping the region.

''The Arab people are asleep no more and the Arab people, not the regimes, are making their own history now,'' she wrote on Sunday in one of her last posts. ''No conspiracy, no diabolical plot but the slow accumulation of grievances and indignities and a people who'd outgrown its rulers. We were still sleeping but barely. And a spark was all that was needed to awaken us.''

As word of her capture rippled through the online community some sceptics questioned whether someone who had grown up in the US and returned to Syria only last year could truly be said to speak for the Syrians battling to overthrow their regime. Others speculated that her American passport would protect her from the worst of the horrors endured by many other detained Syrians.

But in the posting on Sunday, barely 24 hours before she was captured, Ms Arraf made it clear that she did not consider herself immune. ''I keep my nails trimmed shorter than they have ever been lest I be captured and they try and pry them off,'' she wrote.

On Fridays, when the biggest protests take place, she would ink her name and phone number onto her arm before heading out to join the demonstrations, so if she were killed, her family would be informed, according to her blog. ''Today or tomorrow might be the last one for me,'' she wrote, ''or tomorrow might be the beginning of a new Syria.''

Then this article was published a few hours later....

Does she even exist? The mystery of the Gay Girl in Damascus

Jelena Lecic ... the Croat living in London says the Gay Girl in Damascus blog has been carrying a picture of her.

The alarming story of a Syrian-American lesbian blogger, who was reportedly kidnapped by armed gunmen in Damascus, sent the world's media into a frenzy - but now her very existence is being questioned.

Reporters have been unable to find anyone who has met Amina Arraf in person, while a woman living in Britain said photographs circulating on the internet were of her, not the blogger.

A grab from Gay Girl in Damascus

Arraf, known for frank posts about her sexuality and open criticism of President Bashar al-Assad's autocratic rule in her blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus, has also admitted to writing fictional accounts in previous blogs.

Some of that same material appears on A Gay Girl in Damascus.

However, Jelena Lecic claims Arraf stole her identity and has been using it for more than a year.

Stolen identity ... a grab from Jelena Lecic's Facebook page.

Lecic is a Croatian woman working as an administrator at the Royal College of Physicians in London,
according to her facebook page.

Her representative, Kim Grahame of public relations firm Just News International, has been circulating photos of Lecic which appear to be of the same woman as that featured in articles linked to Arraf.

"I pray that Amina is safely returned to her family but I want to make it quite clear that I am not her despite my photographs being attached to this story," Lecic said in a press release.

It calls into question reports that Arraf was detained after weeks on the run in the Syrian capital. The only source of this information was a blog post purportedly written by Arraf's cousin Rania Ismail.

Ismail said that Arraf was last seen on Monday being bundled into a car by three men in civilian clothes as she was on her way to meet someone at the activist Local Co-ordination Committees, a group that helps document the protests calling for an end to the Assad regime.

Ismail said a friend accompanying her was nearby and saw what happened.

In February, an American blogger named Paula Brooks began communicating with Arraf via email but became suspicious when her IP address was traced back to Edinburgh in Scotland.

Arraf sent Brooks a photo of herself that matches the photos Lecic claims were taken from her Facebook page.

She told Brooks that her IP traced back to Scotland because she used a proxy to hide her identity, The Washington Post reported.

However, an email Arraf sent to Brooks discussing plans to study in Britain led her to suspect Arraf might have been blogging from the University of Edinburgh all along.

Media have been scouring records for confirmation that Arraf exists and have also been trying to confirm biographical information found in her blog, but have come up empty. No one, including the US State Department, has been able to confirm her arrest.

NPR reporter Andy Carvin said he had spoken to a number of people who claimed to have met or interviewed Arraf but found that nobody had even met her in person or spoken to her on the phone. Even a purported girlfriend in Canada said she had only had a text-based relationship with Arraf.

But Carvin said he still believed Arraf was a real person and speculated that the name was a pen name to protect the woman in Syria.

"Despite all the questions I have, I am deeply worried that this discussion about her identity could distract people from the possibility that she might be being brutalised in detention, and in dire need of support from friends and strangers alike," Carvin wrote.

It has also been revealed that Arraf has admitted to publishing fictional accounts on a previous blog that has been described as a "serialised novel".

"This blog will have what may sometimes seem likely deeply personal accounts. And sometimes they will be. But there will also be fiction. And I will not tell you which is which," she wrote on that blog.

The New York Times reported that some of the same material published on the previous, partly fictional, blog also appears on Gay Girl in Damascus.

An activist with the Local Co-ordination Committees asserted on Tuesday that Arraf was taken. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution from the regime.

On Wednesday, the same activist said the group had "no independent confirmation" and had reported it based on the cousin's blog entry, and from two people who claimed to be friends but who also got the information from the blog.

"As far as we know, nobody's emerged who has actually met her," the activist said.

Arraf's Canadian friend, Sandra Bagaria, who started a campaign to have Arraf released, is dismayed at suggestions she may have been deceived or that her Syrian friend might have been using a false identity.

''I don't know. I really can't tell. I would love to tell you I know," she told The Washington Post.

"I just want it to be clarified, and then I will deal with what I should and should not feel. But for now I just want it to be a little more clear."

Efforts to contact Rania Ismail, the purported cousin, were unsuccessful.

In the blog, Arraf says she was born in Virginia.

AP reporters tried to track down family and friends there. They found no public records with her name or her parents' names, nor evidence they were there.

Friends contacted Lecic after seeing the photo in The Guardian, her representative said.

"At first she didn't believe it, or that it was a mistake," Grahame said. "She realised when she looked that it was one of her photos."

Lecic asked The Guardian to remove the photo, said Julius Just, the organisation's chairman. He said Lecic was "extremely concerned" that some extremist might attack her on the assumption that she was a high-profile lesbian.

He said the newspaper pulled the photograph, only to replace it with another one - also of Lecic.

Editors at The Guardian declined to comment, referring to a correction on the website saying the images had been removed "pending investigation into the origins of the photographs and other matters relating to the blog".

Just News International founder Julius Just, said his client Lecic believed her identity was stolen about a year ago, when her Facebook photographs appeared on another person's profile. He said neither he nor Lecic knew Arraf's identity.

"Does this Amina Arraf exist? Is she a composite? Who knows what this story is?" he said.

Amina Arraf or Jelena Lecic? To be continue.....

Big Brother is watching...!

2011-06-02T15:25:00.006+10:00

Work log for a typical day at work*
(Face is hidden to protect the identity of the person involved)

*This post is publish as a joke only. None of the event took place.

Papa & Mama Chun goes to town...

2011-05-23T13:12:00.000+10:00

At Docklands. Mum teasing Dad with her chocolate gelato. This pic best show how they were the entire trip, bickering and pulling each other's leg, behaving like how the Chun's supposed to behave.

It has been an awesome week for me last week. I had such a good time hanging out with my parents who visited from Malaysia.

It has been ages since we all spend that much time together. The last time we spent more than a week together is probably 3 years ago. Even though I was back in Penang every year, we don;t spend that much time together. It's normally over dinners and lunches because I do have a very busy schedule whenever I'm back in Penang.

This is their second trip to Australia, the first one was when I was living in Sydney. Yes, this is their first time in Melbourne. They both think it's nicer in Melbourne than Sydney (sorry Sydney).

The first thing that they noticed was how cold it was. I must admit, it is bloody cold, at least the week they are here is anyway. Dad being dad, the cold weather is making him sleepy all the time (going to bed at 8.30pm is just silly) and Mum couldn't stop teasing him about it. The only thing that wake him up is seeing the sign 'SALE' at a store. Especially when the store is a brand (he loves Timberland) he knows. Now I know where I got my shopping genes from. Both of them, in their 60's out-shopped me.

Shopping aside, they were amazed at how expensive it is to buy a house in Melbourne. And they were appalled by how our builder charge us everything down to the last cents. I spent all week explaining to them that's just the way it has to be, nothing I can do about it. They were impressed with the house though. Very impressed.

There were a lot of ideas about renovation of the house thrown around between Mum and I. Like the old days, we always give each other ideas on interior design. I'm so much clearer on which direction I'm heading in regards to the renovation after talking to Mum. After all, she has been running her own interior design studio for more than 20 years.

Dad didn't miss out either. Every time we are near food (markets, lunch, dinner, grocery stores etc) he will give ideas about how to cook certain simple dishes. The funny part was when the time came for him to cook for us, he hand-balled it over to Mum saying she is a better cook. No action, talk only. :)

Got blossom?

2011-05-19T11:46:00.004+10:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

New York • Japan • Hong Kong • London... Maybe Melbourne?

2011-04-12T10:28:00.001+10:00

Extract from ufunk.net
How to optimize a 182-square-foot apartment

Exit Through the Gift Shop. Seen it yet?

2011-04-11T11:32:00.001+10:00

Extract from citysearch.com.au

This is a movie Banksy likes to describe as ‘The world’s first Street Art disaster movie’ – which it definitely is, but it’s also the story of ‘The world’s greatest Street Art movie that was never made’. All of which begs the question – so what the heck is it? You know there’s a joke on someone – you just hope it isn’t you - which I suspect is exactly what Banksy the Director wants you to think.

Review (not mine but...)
Despite the hours of intense discussion amongst intense people that Banksy’s directorial debut is likely to produce, if you allow yourself to roll with the fusion of fact and fiction and just enjoy the hyper-realistic ride, – there’s plenty to love about this movie – or the movie within the movie.

Let’s start with what we think is a plot: The movie begins with Thierry Guetta, an LA-based Frenchman who is obsessed with filming everything – he’s like a video paparazzi on steroids – and to say he is a nutter is one of life’s great understatements. On a visit back to France, Guetta accompanies his nephew, Space Invader, a well-known street artist, on clandestine escapades through the streets. This process reawakens his adrenaline gene, and Thierry’s obsession with street art is born. Upon his return to LA, Thierry meets and documents the work of various street artists through the Invader connection, including Shepard Fairy, who would go on to create the iconic Barack Obama ‘Hope’ poster. At this point, we are enjoying a documentary about a hapless videographer (he can hardly be called a filmmaker) beginning to document the evolution of the street art movement, with the hook being Thierry’s attempts to film the biggest player on the scene, who is also the most elusive: the Englishman known as Banksy. After numerous dead ends and fruitless attempts at contacting Banksy, Thierry is about to give up in despair. Then things get really weird.

Enter Banksy, who happens to be in LA and looking for a guy to show him all the best sites and watch his back while he does his thing (produce street art in the middle of the night without being busted by the cops). And as long as Thierry blurs Banksy’s face, he’s allowed to film. At some point in this next phase of the movie, Banksy works out that Theirry’s story is much more interesting than his own and somehow the movie becomes a story about Thierry, and Banksy takes second billing to this deeply flawed, highly amusing, either completely gifted or completely insane character. If you can believe that Guetta takes Banksy’s advice, reinvents himself as a street artist, and leaves the editing of his thousands of hours of footage to Banksy instead, then what happens next delivers pure joy for anyone in the audience.

At this point in the review, we will respect Banksy’s wish not to give away the ending, keeping in mind his hand-written press release advising ‘Everything you are about to see is true, especially the bit where we all lie.’ How it all ends provides the fuel for those intense conversations I talked about earlier, keeping in mind one of my favourite quotes from the movie, a line delivered by Banksy: ‘I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that anymore.’

Is it a hoax? Or is it fact?... you decide. I enjoyed it too much to really care...

Mark - Family Portrait - Full Custom

2011-03-21T10:26:00.003+11:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

Scott (Perth) - Om Symbol

2011-03-15T11:19:00.003+11:00

Ink :: WORKbyERIC

Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman,the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.

Flat Earth Website

2011-03-08T12:33:00.001+11:00

Website for Flat Earth Logistics - October 2010

View full website here: http://flatearth.com.au/

Current read

2011-03-07T10:44:00.001+11:00

The latest biography of Metallica - going back all the way from the beginning.

LEGO tattoo pilot pen ads

2011-02-16T10:43:00.000+11:00

lego tattoo ad campaign showcasing the extra fine lines of pilot hi-tec-C 0.25 mm pen

by Grey Barcelona

Touché's Custom Tribal Lion

2011-02-15T14:42:00.002+11:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

First tattoo of 2011

2011-01-21T17:04:00.003+11:00

Ink + Design :: WORKbyERIC

Well well well, 2011 is off to a good start. Daniel Young, a colleague of mine, agreed on getting ADOC tattooed on his knee!

It all happened some time last year, we were talking about tattoos etc, when he asked when am I doing him a tattoo. We talked about possibilities, he didn't really know what to get and I, jokingly said I will design you a tattoo and I will tattoo you for free. The catch is, it's gonna be the logo of my brand (or blog) ADOC which stands for a dose of cirematology. Without hesitation, he said yes.

I didn't really think he's gonna do it, so I played along, whipped something up fairly quickly, showed him and he said he likes it and it's good to go. I was thinking, "yeah right"

Anyway, when I came back from my holidays in January 2011, I confirmed with him again, he said yup, he's ready. On the day before the session, he was off sick, I thought he's gonna chicken out. Called and confirm his session, he again, said yes, he will be there. The following day, sure enough, he showed up and an hour and a bit later, he is branded for life.

NOTE: Those out there who wants a free tattoo, don't hesitate to contact me. :)

P?S: Sorry it took me a while to post this Daniel. You are officially my poster boy!

Siem Reap - Dec 2010

2011-01-05T16:31:00.000+11:00

Wow, where do I start?! What an amazing place Siem Reap is. Before I got there, I was a bit skeptical on the whole third-world country thing. It's not because of the poverty or I prefer a five-star holiday, it's because I grew up in the same environment so I thought there won't be anything I haven't seen before. How wrong was I!

We arrived in Siem Reap at 7.30am. The airport was nicely done (was told it's new). And clean. My first thought was Malaysia (or should I say Penang) should have a good look at itself. Everywhere we go, we constantly see people sweeping, picking plastic wrappers that tourists threw. The public toilets were 10 times cleaner than public toilets in Australia. Not a single plastic wrapper in the river that goes through the town area. It was so clean that if there isn't a bin around every time I want to throw my cigarette butt away, I put it out then hang on to it till I find a bin.

Upon arrival at our hotel (Golden Banana Boutique Hotel) we were greeted by some friendly staff. They offered us some Cambodian coffee and while we were sipping away, one of the staff gave us a brief (or not so brief) explanation on Siem Reap and what we can do. After the briefing, we were escorted to our room/villa. It is beautiful. Much than we had hoped for. Oh, when we tipped them, the grin on their face was priceless. And it was only a couple of dollars.

After settling in, we had a wander around town, looking for a nice restaurant for lunch. We didn't spend too much time out and about, we were tired because we didn't get much sleep the night before.

We had a couple of hours of rest before we head out again, this time to Nom Bakheang for the sunset. The hotel already organise a tuk tuk driver, Thy, to take us there. The ride was somewhat interesting. There were a few times where I thought we're gonna crash. Hehe.

Nom Bakheang was amazing. This is our first taste of what's the fuss about temples in Cambodia. It is beyond anything I have ever imagined! Photos I have seen doesn't do it justice at all. All I can say is go see it for yourself, they don't call it one of the seven wonders of the world with no reason.

On our second day, we did the main 3 temples, Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom and Angkor Thom. Again, breathtaking. The intricate carvings, the history behind every brick and stone... We were told a lot of things about these temples but I don't think I'll post them. It'll take too long.

Third day, we booked ourselves for the floating village trip. Here, you'll see how poor these people live. We were told 6000 people live here. There's an orphanage (on a boat), a basketball court (on a boat), school, sundry shop, hair salon, all on a boat. Some other facts were

• 10 - 15 people were killed each year from boat accidents.

• Some were killed from drinking the water from the river because they couldn't afford clean water.

• Only 2 or 3 teachers teach at the school.

• More than 200 kids in 1 classroom.

• $40 a month to learn English (you have to know English to become a tour guide and tour guide is one of the best job around.) but $10 a year to learn Cambodian.

• Our tour guide's got 8 brothers and sisters. His parent died in a landmine explosion 10 years ago. He is the only one supporting his family.

There are many more, but I think to give you an idea, those few points will do. We can't help but feel bad for the kids after learning all these facts. And having kids paddling themselves in their little bucket (pic below) to beg for money is just wrong. Peter and I knew there's no use giving them money, their parents will just take the money and spend it on drugs or alcohol. Our guide suggested we buy some rice and give it to the teacher at the orphanage and we did. 15kg of rice at USD$25. We just fed 200 kids. We certainly felt good after that.

We spent 2 more days traveling around Siem Reap, saw some amazing temples and intricate carvings, ate some good food and made some friendly people. There are a lot of things that I left out, things that I experienced and feelings I felt, those are the things it's better if you go experience and see for yourself because words can't really describe them. During my time there at Siem Reap, I realised how good we've got it back at home. Both Malaysia and Australia. I have not seen any of the local wear any branded clothes. No NIKE, no LEVIS. Not a fast food restaurant in sight. No McDonald's, no KFC. No big billboards of advertising (not even small ones). Everything cost a few dollars. I remembered, on our first night there, we went to the night market to do some shopping. You are expected to bargain here but the price we were bargaining was between a dollar. On our way back to the hotel, I couldn't help but to feel bad because it's only a dollar to us but it's a lot of money to them. USD$50 can feed a family of 4 for a month.

I can't help but to think some of these people probably resent the fact that they have to put up with tourists flashing their nice clothes and money around, taking pictures of them, walking around their village and inside their house and tipping them a dollar or 2. There's absolutely nothing they can do about it. They have to take that 1 or 2 dollars tip. If it is me, I will probably tell the tourist to fuck off and leave us alone.

You do have to go experience it for yourself. I'm thinking of going back again and if I do, I will volunteer at the orphanage. Maybe volunteer a few hours a day. See Siem Reap but also give back to the people who have suffered to make this land and it's wonders accessible to the people around the world.

Our villa at Golden Banana Resort.

Peter deciding on which/where to go for lunch on our first day at Siem Reap.

Siem Reap Old Market area.

Sunset at Nom Bakhaeng.

Hundreds of tourist were already at the top of Nom Bakhaeng when we got there. To reach the top of the temple, we had to climb the steps with each step as high as 1.5 feet and as narrow as 6 inches. You're fucked if you slip.

Too many tourist at the front with the perfect sunset view so we went to the back of Nom Bakheang. Lucky we did because we found this monk sitting at the back. Pic below.

My favorite pic this entire trip. Peter spotted this monk sitting at the edge of the temple (Nom Bakheang) and started taking a few snaps. I did the same.

Locals do come up here to worship. Here I am, being an obnoxious tourist, happily snapping others while they were worshiping. It is a nice pic though. :)

Dinner at Apsara Theatre with cultural dance. It was interesting learning the Cambodian culture and the local beliefs.

Day 2 - Angkor Wat. Sorry about the blurry pic. It was taken with my iPhone. Actually, all the pix were taken with the phone. Some came out ok, some a tad blurry/pixelated.

Couple of local kids waiting around Angkor Wat begging for money. I saw them looking inside bins to find food.

Locals going to work, I think. It was only 2 years ago that the government made wearing a helmet compulsory. Most of them still struggle with that so some (especially the driver) wears a helmet, not the passenger.

Day 2 - Angkor Wat. Pictures don't do it justice. Or maybe my photography skills just aren't good enough. I blame it on the iPhone.

Top of Angkor Wat. Well almost. They close off the top bit because someone fell from the top not long ago.

The carvings inside Angkor Wat. I noticed every statue carved is different, with different expression, wearing different clothes and in different poses. We were told that the temple was build first, then carved. So what happens if someone screw up the carving? Broke the nose of the statue?

Inside Angkor Wat. Apparently, this used to be a pool.

Peter seeking guidance inside Angkor Wat - from the tour guide. Hehe.

Even though Angkor Wat is swarmed with tourist everyday throughout the year, the locals still come here to pray. Guess they are used to it. Don't think they have much choices anyway.

Piles of stones outside Angkor Wat. Our tour guide told us locals stack these stones. They believe the higher you are able to stack yours, the longer you live. We had a go, mine wasn't bad.

Day 2 - The big fig tree at Ta Phrom.

This is where they shot Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie. It used to be covered in thick forest and only recently (not sure how long) the government cleared the bushes and made it another tourist attraction.

Peter mesmerised by the ermm... everything!

Angkor Thom. Felt kinda disrespectful after taking this pic. Oh well. Sorry.

The four faced Buddha at Angkor Thom.

Bayorn - inside Angkor Thom. There are a few temples in Angkor Thom. If I remember right, it is 3km x 3km.

One of the many headless Buddha in some temples. I don't remember why, I think it's something to do with changing of religion during that period.

Restoration in progress. A few countries actually donated the cost of restoration on these temples. France, Japan and others. See if you can figure out the Buddha lying on His side.

Cheeky girl posing for the camera (top). Kids pushing and shoving in their little bucket trying to score a dollar (center; left) Life at the floating village where 80% of them are fishermen (center; right) Heading home from a hard day's work (bottom)

Kids playing marbles during their lunch break.

The orphanage where we donated 15kg of rice. I love the pic on the left, reminds me of a scene out of Oliver Twist (top right of the pic) "Please, can I have some more?"

Our tuk tuk driver, Thy, studies while waiting for us.

My favorite drink - lime soda. After a long day out and about, having this drink will wake you up in a matter of seconds. It is so strong and limey, it works better than Redbull!

Peter scaring the local kid while getting inked.

Peter got inked on the 31st of Dec by Neng Synat.

Last dinner at Pub Street, Siem Reap, also last dinner for 2010. See you in 2011!

2010 - What a ride!

2010-12-02T17:17:00.002+11:00

Phew! What an amazing year! 2010 is definitely one of those year which is full of fond memories.

First off - work has been awesome! Secured a full time gig at PMP Digital - working for a client (The Good Guys). Initially, I started off as a designer, supposedly working on press ads and catalogs, doing changes etc. After a month here, I realised the job I'm doing is more of a senior designer. I'm happy doing that honestly, cos that means I get to be more creative and not get bored doing tedious price changes. But now, after having a new studio manager and changes of the process on how catalogs are created, I'm now officially one of the art directors. And of course, it came with a pay rise! Atmosphere at work is normally fun, we tend to make the best out of a bad situation by joking about it. 'You're all idiots' is one of the joke we have around the studio and every now and then, someone still use that line.... (pic: top row, center) Why so serious eh?

Then, the move. Both Peter and I moved to Footscray, which is populated by Viets. I really don't mind this place at all. It's close to the train station (not that I catch the train much) and Vietnamese restaurants and market. The only complain would be it's facing the main road, the traffic noise takes a while to get used to. And like all move, it involves shopping for new furniture etc and I must say, we did pretty well (pic: top row second from right).

Oh, not forgetting this little incident - when we moved to this new house, the cat, Rascal (pic: top row, far right), escaped after the first night. He was gone for 2 weeks and we pretty much lost hope of ever finding him. Maybe he was eaten by some Viets (just joking) but eventually, he showed up.

Next up... at long last... I bought the dream car! Well actually not dream cos it has never occur to me that one day, I'll be driving a Mercedes yet alone a SLK (pic: top row, second from left). Yes, it might be a used SLK but still, from driving a beat up Honda Civic Coupe to driving this, the difference is massive. I"M LOVING IT!

Another fond memory, Little Drew and her obsession with markers (pic: bottom row, far left), well actually obsession with getting her arms, legs and feet inked! She absolutely loves it. Whenever she comes around, the first thing she will do is go straight to her little box where all her toys and markers are kept, give my shirt a little tug and get me to ink her. I told her mom she might grow up being a tattoo artist or at least get tattooed

And then, there's Peter (pic: bottom row, center) and his support on my tattooing hobby/business. He's the first one who agreed on giving up his left arm for me to experiment on new techniques in tattooing. It is still an on going project though so hopefully, I get the time to do more work on his arm (pic: bottom row, far right). And with his support, a few other people, contacted me via email to get work done on them. It is situation like these that boost my self esteem and gave me the confidence to go all out and do a good job. Money made from these tattoo sessions were invested in getting more supplies and better equipment. It's all working out great and I've got at least 4 more cllients that wants work done in early 2011 so tune in for updates!

Last but not least, Hamish (pic: bottom row, second from left) and Ritchie (pic: bottom row, second from right). Over the year, I did multiple trips to Sydney, for both work (freelance, check out the website I designed from scratch at http://www.flatearth.com.au) and visiting old friends and most of the time, I stayed with Ritchie. He is the one who gave me his tattoo machine to do work on. I wouldn't be tattooing today if it weren't for him. So thank you Ritchie (love ya bra!) and Hamish - the retriever who sleeps with me when I stayed with Ritchie. On one occasion, when I was drunk, I thought the dog died beside me cos he was shaking then stopped with his mouth open slightly, on his back with his legs all stiff pointing upwards. And that gave me the biggest scare in 2010! (Hamish was just playing dead I was told later on, what a bastard!)

P/S: A big thank you for those who made this an awesome year... Peter Knight for being the best housemate, Ritchie Isherwood & Stilliano Doussis for being the best buddies, George and Cliff for my updates of Sydney, Tim Stranks for the tattoo books, Max Croft for being my regular client (tattoos), Hilary Grant and Peter Reid for the opportunity to work on your company profile and website, all Airport West PMP Digital colleagues, my sister for her instant noodles supplies, Mom & Dad for the support - mentally and financially and all you other party animals out there whom we've partied together!

2 design + 5 hours + 2 happy clients

2010-10-26T12:14:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday was probably the best day when it come to my own tattooing business. I did 2 tattoos for 2 different client and I must say, I'm stocked with the outcome and so are they. I am getting exposure, more and more people are asking if I could do them. My response is always the same - MY PLEASURE!

Matthew, a friend I've known quite a while wanted his first tattoo and I get the pleasure of doing his first. The design is an Aboriginal cave painting of a man holding a bow. His idea was to add more as time goes by, rounding up his lower leg/ankle. It's a fairly straight forward and simple design, it actually took me longer to set up than to do the tattoo itself.

Photo courtesy of Matthew

Next, was Max Croft. He was the guy whom I did a tattoo for few months ago. He saw my sketches here on the blog, liked one of them and contacted me to get it done. Anyway, for this piece, he wanted to add more colour and expand the existing tattoo he's got on his right arm. The brief was, roses, as colourful as possible and integrate the old with the new.

The before and after shot. Sorry about the quality of the photo. I will post a better photo once the tattoo heals up.

Courtesy of Tim

2010-09-22T11:41:00.005+10:00

Thank to Tim for the new addition to my tattoo design library. Now I'm inspired, with lots of new ideas on tattoos. Now who wants a tattoo?? J

A quickie...

2010-09-13T16:27:00.001+10:00

Phew... jeebus. Been crazily flat out lately. First, designing a company profile, followed by a website (first round creative done, thank god) and yesterday, did a tattoo of a chrysanthemum for Peter (an on going project, eventually, his left arm is gonna be covered with Japanese design tatts) and now working on a sketch for another client's existing tattoo.

I was gonna upload a pic of the chrysanthemum but the bruising around the area makes the design a bit too dark. I will post the pic soon, once it heal so stay tune...

Animator Vs Animation

2010-08-09T10:51:00.000+10:00

Animator vs. Animation II by *alanbecker on deviant ART

City of Life and Death (Nanjing, Nanjing)- Watch it

2010-08-04T13:10:00.009+10:00

If there is one movie you watch for 2010, make it City of Life and Death, especially if you are Chinese or interested in history of China. I've grown up listening to my elders talk about the atrocity of the Nanking Massacre but what I saw in the film was beyond imagination. Unlike Shindler's List or John Rabe, this film focuses not on one particular hero in this kind of atrocities, but the countless ordinary people suffering from the horrors of war. Director Lu did an excellently balanced view, some may say too balanced, from the civilians and the soldiers - Chinese and Japanese alike during the rape of Nanking. The subject matter is profound, the acting is top-notch, the cinematography is excellent, however, the pacing is deliberately slow to match the mood of the film.

Synopsis
City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of several weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed. The film tells the story of several figures, both historical and fictional, including a Chinese soldier, a schoolteacher, a Japanese soldier, a foreign missionary, and John Rabe, a Nazi businessman who would ultimately save thousands of Chinese civilians.

[Click to watch the trailer]

Comment 1
I'm an overseas Chinese, growing up listening to my grandfather telling the stories about how bad the Japanese Military treating the Chinese people in WWII. I saw some of the movies made back in the 80's/90's about the rape of Nanking, to me they are exploitation movies and never affected me or leave me with profound experience. I'm actually disgusted with them making such low movies. Also most of the documentaries I watched never really does anything.

I watched Nanjing! Nanjing! - City of Life and Death tonight and it really drained me emotionally, the movie really depicting the real face/real ugly side of war, where the victims are always the people, doesn't matter what wars or which countries.

The movie itself doesn't really do the finger pointing like other movies, but it just showing, in my opinion, the fair view on what was going on back then without taking sides. And it shows one thing, the most profound thing to me, that The Chinese people can endure a lot of hardship that life throw at them and that's possibly why their cultures and civilization last for a long time.

Highly recommended for people who never really know this part of history, as Chinese I know about it, but for lot of my westerners friends who never been to China, they only heard about it but didn't realize how crazy it was and how significant is this event for the Chinese people. Most people know the atrocities the Nazis did in WWII, but not the Japanese Atrocities.

Comment 2
Since I am not Chinese, or of Chinese extraction, City of Life and Death has a different resonance for me. I know of the Nanking massacre (for which, it has to be said, the Japanese have yet to apologise or even properly acknowledge) from my own interest in history, as well as the John Rabe story (the Nazi who helped save thousands of Chinese civilians, until recalled to Germany since Hitler did not wish to upset his Japanese allies).

Therefore, for me, City of Life and Death retells a fearful part of history, but not one with which I have any direct connection. So while this film may resonate a certain way for Chinese viewers, be they from the mainland, Hong Kong or overseas Chinese, I can tell you that I, as a European, have seldom seen a film so powerful, gripping, dramatic and moving.

City of Life and Death is not nationalistic propaganda or a reversioning for the screen: no punches are pulled. The woman next to me was in tears. So be warned, this is not easy viewing. But by featuring on a few characters, allowing them to become fully three-dimensional human beings (not Chinese, not Asian, but human beings who live, love and feel) director Lu Chuan makes his audience feel and share their fear and terror as the Japanese invaders commit atrocity after atrocity on the fallen city's inhabitants. Never forget, this actually happened. If anything, Lu Chuan soft pedals on the horrors. They are depicted, but are not front and centre. This is not a horror film so gore hounds and ghouls should seek their thrills elsewhere. Rather, it is the arbitrariness with which the Japanese went about their murderous work that scares. Wrong place, wrong time: rape, torture, murder. This wasn't the efficient, methodical murder the Nazis introduced, but rather cold brutality, as a cat toys with a helpless mouse. Unthinking, unreasoning, just because.

Filmed in black and white, City has so many images and scenes that remain fixed in you mind long after the final credits have rolled. Lu Chuan even selects the grain and grading according to the action. The use of colour would, in this case, have weakened the film. But if City of Life and Death were just two hours of suffering it would be unworthy of an audience. So Lu Chuan gives us the central characters of Mr. Tang (John Rabe's secretary), Miss Jiang (a schoolteacher) and Kadokawa (a sensitive Japanese soldier who witness but cannot delay the unspeakable). All of them are helplessly swept up in the maelstrom, which Lu Chuan leavens with scenes of (attempts at) normal life, normal human interaction and naked attempts at survival. These are people with whom one can identify and empathise.

Yet, at heart, City of Life and Death is extremely uplifting. The message, at the end, is positive and optimistic. In writing this review, the film is coming back to me again. What I once read, black and white on a page, has been made real for me and, yes, I'm emotionally moved by it.

If you believe in the power of film, want a break from popcorn entertainment, are looking for a film that can make you feel (as opposed to having your emotions manipulated) then please go see this one. It's rare when I think a film should be seen, deserves to be seen, but City of Life and Death belong in that very rare category.

Comment 3
I finished watching this film two hours ago and the punch in the stomach I received watching it still hurts. I don't recall having received such a punch in my 60 or so years of film watching. Unlike films such as "Schindler's List" or "Empire of the Sun", this film does not take sides. It's like a candid camera operated by an invisible grand master hidden in the crowd or the rubble. It's just there recording events. As a result, despite the fact that it focuses on the big picture, the individual is not lost: Both the Chinese and the Japanese, each and every one of them, in huge crowds are real believable characters. This gives the viewer a grand and horrible sense of presence which is what makes it so painful. It would take courage to watch it again.

Lomographing on Virgin

2010-07-27T10:23:00.001+10:00

Bored on flight V880 - SYD - MELB. Iphone FTW!

Battle of Chucks

2010-07-23T14:59:00.000+10:00

Whoa... 2 pairs of killer Chucks to choose from. Which one, which one? Padded Collar? Strap Leather? Maybe both?

I love my sneakers. And I love Converse. It has been months since my last pair of sneakers and when I saw these, I just couldn't resist. For now, I just got the 2 Strap Leather. Ultimately, I'm hoping to own both of them. I'll just have to stop eating out for a week or so. Unless you people out there want to get them for me for Christmas. I know Christmas is months away but Christmas in July (here, some Aussies do celebrate that, just because it's winter) is just around the corner. I only associate Christmas with presents. What's the point of Christmas when there is no pressies? Bah hambug!

Retails Advertising

2010-07-16T15:32:00.002+10:00

Some of the work I did at the old agency. (Click to enlarge)

Press Ads

Top End Kitchen Catalogue

Digital Camera Catalogue

ADOC - Business card/s?

2010-07-16T11:45:00.004+10:00

Ok... I think it's time for me to really pull my finger out and get down to business. First step - get the business card done then apply for an ABN.

Why didn't I do it earlier? Because I'm lazy.

Why do it now? Read on...

2 weeks ago, got an email from someone who wanted a tattoo. To top it off, the tattoo he wanted is a sketch I did a while back. He said he was browsing through the blog, saw the sketch and decided he want to get it tattooed on his arm. Talk about boost in self esteem!!

Apart from that, I have also worked on a company profile for a friend (corporate). Finished all the stationary for them and now they want a website before the end of next month.

At the moment, with my full time job, designing a website and trying to sketch 2 tattoo designs, things are a little crazy. But it's all happening!

Anyway, enough about the rant. I have 2 different business card designs done and I'm not sure which one to go with. It would be bloody awesome if you can help me out by voting which one you like best (left of page, under profile).

Business Card A Business Card B

Graffiti on a whole new Level

2010-07-15T14:04:00.001+10:00

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

direction and animation by BLU

Melbourne International Film Festival 2010

2010-07-09T16:23:00.002+10:00

Hey hey. So, the MIFF is happening again. This will be the first MIFF since moving to Melbourne and after looking at the guide on what's on this year, I can't wait to go check out some of them. There are a lot that sounds really interesting but can't really do them all. I would be happy if I manage to check out a few of the following...

Program Guide 2010

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

UK, 2010 (Backbeat)

"The moral of this story is don't go looking for morals to stories, and if you want a message, fuck off down the post office."

An elder statesman of the punk movement gets a rollicking biopic, miles away from the sentimentality of recent music biographies like Walk the Line or Ray. Ian Dury was a hard-living, hard-hitting punk rocker who made no apologies and was quick to lash out at anyone foolish enough to pity his polio disability.

Delving into his tough childhood, his narcissism, and his rise and inevitable fall, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll gives a definitive account of Dury’s life. Features standout performances from Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) as Dury and Ray Winstone as his father.

More information: http://www.sex-drugs-rock-roll-thefilm.com/

Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

Canada, 2009 (Backbeat)

I am an Islamist! I am the Antichrist!'

It’s not often that a book can start its own musical movement, but Michael Muhammad Knight’s 2003 novel The Taqwacores, about a group of Islamic punk rockers, inspired a new generation of American Muslims frustrated by the constraints of their religion to rebel through punk rock.

Touting the contradictory mix of religion and anarchy in this emerging subculture, Taqwacore follows Knight as he rounds up Taqwacore bands and tours them through the US – where they play to unappreciative rednecks and religious zealots – before staging a concert in the heart of Pakistan, much to the bemusement of the locals.

More information: http://www.taqwacore.com/

Villalobos
Germany, 2009 (Backbeat)

“The goal is to use all frequencies, the whole range… It's the only thing we can do. It's our expression.” – Ricardo Villalobos

A legend on dance floors from Berlin to Tokyo, DJ Ricardo Villalobos has transformed the club scene with his personal brand of minimal techno and house, influenced heavily by his love of early jazz. Building tracks from the quiet solitude of his studio – ported to the public through the bass-heavy thump of the clubs – he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world.

More information: http://www.romuald-karmakar.de/info.html

Cooking History

Austria/Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2009 (Documentaries)

6 wars, 10 recipes, 60,361,024 dead.

If the cooks went on strike would there still be war? Pondering this question and looking at six of the greatest, bloodiest wars of Europe’s past, Cooking History is a culinary excursion through the field kitchens of battles fought, lost and won.

With sprinklings of sly humour and a pinch of stylised creativity, filmmaker Peter Kerekes (66 Seasons) interviews head chefs who have cooked in battles ranging from World War II to Chechnya, some of whom fed the enemy with their food and others who poisoned them. Their stories are funny, tragic, dark and invariably entertaining.

More information: http://www.cookinghistory.net

Cowboys in Paradise

Singapore, 2009 (Documentaries)

The unassuming film that inflamed an internet controversy and raised the ire of Indonesian authorities.

After meeting a 12-year-old Indonesian boy who announced “When I grow up, I want to sex-service Japanese girls,” filmmaker Amit Virmani saw the makings of a greater story.

In this entertaining documentary he uncovers the phenomenon of Bali’s ‘Kuta Cowboys’ – the bronzed beach ambassadors who’ve made Bali one of the world’s leading destinations for holiday romance. Interviewing the Cowboys and the visiting women taking part in these fleeting dalliances, Virmani presents a myth-shattering perspective on a tropical utopia, showing that paradise always exists elsewhere.

Virmani has weathered a wave of condemnation in the wake of the online release of the film’s trailer, with Bali locals fearful it would tarnish the island’s reputation, as well as those of the interviewees.

More information: http://www.cowboysinparadise.com/index.html

The Mouth of the Wolf

Italy, 2009 (Documentaries)

Documentary and fiction is blurred to striking effect in this love story between a macho ex-con and a transsexual, former drug addict.

Mary and Enzo’s unusual union commenced behind prison bars and now plays out against the bruised backdrop of Genoa. The memories of this fading world – beautifully captured through a wealth of vintage footage of the waterfront city – act as a poetic counterpoint to a relationship as fractured as its setting.

Drawing comparisons to Terence Davies' Of Time and the City and Peter Schreiner's Toto, Pietro Marcello’s debut exudes a maturity that belies his young age. Winner of multiple awards, including Best Documentary at this year’s Berlin Film Festival

“I had just come out of a bakery and met this man [Enzo]. We began chatting and he shows me the bullet hole marks in his leg. The film was born from that conversation.” – filmmaker Petro Marcello

Karaoke

Malaysia, 2009 (First Encounters)

“What is the reality of our environment and why are we unable to see past the illusion of this place we call home?” – filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui

Against a backdrop of bright, fast-paced karaoke pop this unhurried coming-of-age tale moves with the leisurely languor of a humid Malaysian afternoon, as a young man returns from Kuala Lumpur after a two-year absence to find that life in his village home has moved on without him.

A reflection on homecoming and the gap between fantasy and reality, filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui follows Betik as he helps out at his mother’s karaoke bar, a place where the locals come to sing their troubles away – and where Betik finds that he’s out of tune with the people that surround him.

More information: http://m-appeal.com/M-Appeal.com/our_films/Seiten/KARAOKE.html

Brotherhood

Denmark, 2009 (International Panorama)

More than just a gay neo-Nazi film.

Violent and affectionate, brutal and touching, Nicolo Donato’s feature debut is a tale that delves into the dichotomy of homosexuality within the ranks of skinheads.

The clandestine lovers are Lars, a young man who leaves the army for the fist-happy camaraderie of the ‘brotherhood’, and his mentor Jimmy. For two men accustomed to beating up on homosexuals, the unfolding of a delicate romance challenges their world views.

Brotherhood has won multiple awards, including an award for best film at the Rome Film Festival.

More information: http://www.myspace.com/broderskab

Cell 211
Spain/France, 2009 (International Panorama)

“Satisfyingly intense… keeps the viewer tightly handcuffed.” – Variety

A gritty, edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with powerhouse performances and calculated twists, this multi-award-winning film from filmmaker Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box) locks you behind its four walls and doesn’t let up.

When a riot breaks out in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons the inmates take over, led by Bad Ass, the toughest prisoner of them all. Juan, a new prison guard getting a grand tour of facilities, soon finds himself on the wrong side of the fence – and to survive he’ll have to convince the jailbirds that he’s one of them.

“A jeopardy-laden buddy thriller as two uneasy allies’ agendas twist around each other like a DNA helix.” – Screen International

Welcome to the Rileys

USA, 2010 (International Panorama)

Jake Scott – son of Ridley Scott (Alien), nephew of Tony (True Romance) – propagates the family filmmaking gene with this new take on the chivalry-for-the-destitute theme.

Doug (James Gandolfini) searches outside his marriage for sexual fulfilment following the death of his teenage daughter and the refusal of his wife (Melissa Leo) to leave the house. At a strip club in New Orleans, he finds Mallory (Kristen Stewart, admirably shaking off the constraints of her Twilight role) who looks remarkably like his deceased daughter. Striking up a platonic relationship with Mallory, he attempts to offer her a brighter future.

“It reveals how taking risks and leaving our comfort zone can become a profound path to healing the human heart.” – Sundance Film Festival

City of Life and Death

China, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)

“Gut-wrenchingly up close and personal.” – Variety

Filmmaker Lu Chuan (Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, MIFF 2004) shows the ‘Rape of Nanking’ to be an appropriate and horrific title for the atrocities committed in the then capital of China during the Japanese invasion of 1937. In just six weeks over 300,000 people were killed and many more raped and tortured by Japanese soldiers.

In gritty black and white, City of Life and Death depicts the battle from both sides. At times both violent and harrowing, it gives new perspective on events that still lay heavy in the hearts of the Chinese, and remain a point of contention for the Japanese.

Lu’s visceral feature has garnered multiple awards, including the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Director at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Lola

France/Philippines, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)

“Though arthritic and weary, these two gray panthers offer a sharp, unsentimental portrait of cunning and determination.” –Village Voice

In the permanently flooded district of Malabon in Manilla a grandmother (or lola in Tagalog) grieves for her grandson, murdered by a thief. The thief’s own lola collects money to help her grandson avoid prison. Connected by crime, two resilient women find themselves linked inexorably to each others’ fates.

The Philippines’s most prolific contemporary auteur, award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (Slingshot, MIFF 2008) offers up a poignant slice of social realism, a neorealist-influenced take on the strength of family, the wisdom of age and the sacrifices made in the name of both.

Mai Mai Miracle

Rendered in the celebrated style of animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle), Mai Mai Miracle is an imaginative adventure story adapted from Nobuko Takagi’s autobiographical novel about growing up in rural post-war Japan.

Splice

Canada/France, 2009 (Night Shift)

Science’s newest miracle is a big, big mistake.

Almost a century after Frankenstein’s monster first lumbered across cinema screens, Splice proves the ‘humans as God’ horror genre never goes out of fashion.

With the support of executive producer Guillermo Del Toro and the influence of Canadian ‘body horror’ compatriot David Cronenberg, filmmaker Vincenzo Natali (Cube) wrangles his biggest budget yet to concoct something totally unpredictable.

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play superstar genetic engineers who add human DNA to their latest hybrid. The result is a creature with a startling amalgamation of limbs, a growth rate that’s off the chart, and a range of needs of its own.

“Splice explores our relationship to technology and the doors it unlocks. It pushes us to places we’re unable, or afraid, to go.” – filmmaker Vincenzo Natali

More information: http://www.splicethefilm.com

The Great Wave of Hokusai

2010-07-02T16:57:00.002+10:00

I have always been a fan of Japanese art, especially traditional ones. This wood block print - The Great Wave of Hokusai is definitely one of my favourite and it's one of the most reproduce artwork in the world.

In The Great Wave, there are three boats among the turbulent, broken waves. The boats mold into the shapes of the engulfing waves. Tiny humans are tossed around under giant waves, while the sacred, enormous, snow-capped Mt. Fuji is just a hill in the distance. These swift boats, called Oshiokuribune in Japanese, transported fresh fish, dried sardines and the like, early in the morning, to fish markets off the Edo (now Tokyo) Bay, from fishing villages on the Bohso Peninsula.

This is a seascape with Mt. Fuji. The waves form a frame through which we see Mt. Fuji. Hokusai loved to depict water in motion: the foam of the wave is breaking into claws which grasp for the fishermen. The large wave forms a massive yin to the yang of empty space under it. The impending crash of water brings tension into the painting. In the foreground, a small peaked wave forms a miniature Mt. Fuji, which is reflected hundreds of miles away in the enormous Mt. Fuji, which shrinks through perspective; the wavelet is larger than the mountain. Instead of shoguns and nobility, we see tiny fishermen huddled into their sleek crafts; they slide down a seamount and dive straight into the wave to make it to the other side. The yin violence of Nature is dismissed by the yang relaxed confidence of expert fishermen.

3 weeks ago, I made an appointment with Kane, a tattoo artist at Sideshow Tattoo at Moonee Ponds. I have heard good things about Sideshow but didn't know which artist is good and which isn't. So getting Kane to do my tattoo is more of a coincidence. He was the one who came up and took my appointment and like any other tattoo studio, the one who took the appointment and brief, generally take up the job unless you are the studio manager or apprentice. To be honest, I could not be happier for him to do it. He is not your typical tattoo artist - arrogant, smug and egoistic. He had no problem sharing his knowledge in tattooing, which is something I appreciate the most (and the awesome tattoo he did on me of course). He was showing me all kinds of little techniques of shading, colour applications, different needles and what they do. This is priceless, especially for someone like me who aspire to be a better tattoo artist.

Now about the tattoo process.... I do have a few tattoos on me, one took more than 10 hours to complete but this piece is by far the most painful. It hurts the most when it hit the tendons. You know that hot searing pain you get when you accidently knock your elbow at the corner of the table? Imagine having that feeling for 30 minutes straight.

Even though the pain were a bit unbearable at times, Kane, being a professional he is, kept checking if I'm alright and we were constantly chatting about tattoos, the industry and music. The tattoo is now healing fine, almost 100%. I will post more pictures of it soon. As for Kane, here's a little message for ya buddy - So when can I dig your brains again?!

Marilyn Manson's art - Scarier than Music

2010-06-30T11:35:00.000+10:00

US shock rocker Marilyn Manson has unveiled his latest series of paintings in Europe.

The 41-year-old singer-songwriter has previewed some of his artwork ahead of the opening of a joint exhibition in Vienna, Austria, and says he finds exhibiting his art scarier than performing on stage.

Manson, real name Brian Hugh Warner, has created a series of watercolours for the show, titled Genealogies of Pain - a collaboration with Oscar-nominated film director David Lynch at Vienna's Kunsthalle gallery. Lynch has contributed a series of short films.

The pair previously teamed up in 1997 for Lynch's film Lost Highway, in which Manson played the role of a porn star.

He admitted he was apprehensive about seeing his work displayed for people to criticise. Speaking at a preview of the exhibition he said:

“I feel very comfortable when I’m on stage in front of thousands of people. However, it’s quite frightening to come into a room that is full of my pictures and people looking at them.

“Art gives me the freedom I don’t have when I make music. In music you feel a connection to the voice and think about the person behind it. In art that’s secondary.”

The singer has cause to be nervous; at his first ever exhibition,The Golden Age of Grotesque held in Los Angeles in 2002, was likened to the work of a "psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy" by one art critic.

The Disposable Teens singer – who is engaged to actress Evan Rachel Wood – admitted he is so protective of his art, he won’t show anyone his work until he is completely satisfied with it.

He added to Austria’s Kurier newspaper: “When I finish a picture I don’t show it to anyone if I feel it’s not good enough yet. I’ve learnt to listen to my partners and my friends. For me it’s the biggest success if they like it.”

The 41-year-old rocker’s work is selling for around $AU60,000 – with the singer hoping the hefty price tag stops people from buying the pieces.

He said: “The prices are so high because I’m hoping no one will buy them.”

Google Goofs

2010-05-19T11:45:00.000+10:00

Google is probably the leading search engine most internet users used on a daily basis, but did you know that it's loaded with pranks, goofs and add-ons?

By searching for "Google Pig Latin" you can choose to have Pig Latin Google as your home page. It's just one of dozens of tricks you can play by hitting the I'm Feeling Lucky button on the Google Homepage.

And if you think you are bigger than Google, then try customise your search engine home page with your own name or phrase. To do that, search "Google Funny" and instead of the google title being displayed front and centre, you can have whatever you want. My favourite is Eric Is Awesome!! :)

Or are you a scholar looking for more sophisticated references? By searching for "Google Beta" you are given access to all the articles, journals and legal opinions you could hope for.

And are you unable to get on to Facebook - or any other site for that matter - because the boss has blocked it? Just type in cache:facebook.com and your problems are solved.

Too many searches and not enough time? Just type in "googlegooglegooglegoogle" and you will be given four smaller google screens on your page to hunt for four different things at the one time.

Ho cool is that?

P/S : If you guys reading already know about these little goofs, then tough luck! If not, have fun trying... :)

Submission to Threadless... again.

2010-05-17T09:23:00.000+10:00

Hi guys. I have this design submitted and it is up for voting at threadless. If you have a few minutes to spare, please sign up to threadless (it's free) and vote. I will love you forever for that :)

Score this design: "Like Toy Soldier," to help it get printed on Threadless!

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Ex-No Boundaries in Brunswick

2010-05-10T09:42:00.003+10:00

Over the weekend, I've got some friends visiting from Malaysia. These are the people I used to work with and still keep in touch. It was good seeing them again, speak some Chinese and show them Melbourne.

We didn't get to do a whole lot because of time but did manage to show them Hosier Lane (I reckon most designers would appreciate that place and in this case, they are all designers), The Roof Top Cinema at Curtain House, some exotic cafes and some good shops for street wear and books. All those were done in the city. We also had a wander around Victoria Market and after that, drove to Brunswick (how could I not show them this beauty of a place?).

Cruising down Brunswick Street, we saw an older guy in his full punk rock gear, giving us flyers about a designers market, which is just around the corner from where we were. Had to check that out and trust me, you can easily spend a few bucks here. All independent designers showing off the products they make themselves, this place has got a really hip feel to it. Maybe I should start doing stuff and start up a stall there myself. But I'm too lazy.

After the market, we pretty much walked up and down the street then head off to Smith Street where all the factory outlets are. First stop, NIKE and guess what, I bought another pair of sneakers. Classic NIKE DUNK. God damn it, I have been telling myself not to buy anymore sneakers before getting there but after seeing this pair of sneakers and it's only $50 bucks, I couldn't resist.

Ken & Markus cruising the streets.

Brunswick / Fitzroy

Ken & Showey

SKULL CANDY

While cruising the street of Brunswick, I found a store that carry Skull Candy Headphones with 20% discount. Bought 2, 1 for myself and another for a friend's birthday. When I got home and open the packaging, there are more than just headphones inside. There's a velvet tot bag, a Skull Candy bandana and the best part is the LIFETIME WARRANTY!!! If you break you headphone from aggressive music listening, slammed in your locker, car door, run over by a car, running into a wall, road biking sky diving, beating your boyfriend, blown up in an accidental experimentation with explosives or damaged in any other way, you get 50% refund. If it's any other faulty parts, it's full warranty. I repeat...FULL WARRANTY!!!

This is MINE!!!

Mid-life crisis started early...

2010-05-03T10:47:00.004+10:00

2 weeks ago, I mentioned about getting a new car. Well not exactly a new car, it's a new used car. Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor R170. Found this little gem online at carsales.com.au and after test driving it, I don't have any choice but to bring it home with me. With the price I'm paying for this, I can get a brand new Honda Accord or a Mitsubishi Lancer but it is a no brainer really, if you put all three cars side by side, which one will you pick?

The condition of the car is superb. Hardly any scratches, brand new tyres, full AMG bodykit - it has been looked after from the previous owner. The only thing that is not 100% is the side of the arm rest, which the vinyl is peeling a little.

So far, I have driven it twice, once to the mechanic to get it checked and the second time was to the audio shop to get a quote to upgrade the sound system. The reason why I have not driven it more often than I want is because it is still waiting for it's birth certificate (registration papers) which I will be getting on Thursday (3 days time). here in Victoria, it is cheap to get custom plates and I do like the idea of custom plates. I have ordered red plates with white text and it spells TWELF. I didn't want my name on it (always thought of having your name on your car is a bit of a wank) so I got TWELF, since there are a few significant things in my life happens on the 12th. The initial thought was getting the number 12 but it is way to expensive and the proper spelling TWELVE has been taken so TWELF will do just fine.

I must say, having the baby sitting in the garage for 2 weeks and can't drive it is a torture. A TORTURE!!

Quick Info

Series

R170

Body

Roadster

No. Doors

Seat Capacity

Transmission

Automatic

Gear Location

Floor

Drive

Rear Wheel Drive

Fuel Type

Petrol - Unleaded ULP

Recommended RON Rating

Release Year

1999

VIN Number

WDB1704472F003867

Country of origin

GERMANY

ANCAP Safety Rating

Engine

Engine Location

Front

Configuration

In-line

Engine Size (cc)

2295

Cam	Double Overhead Cam

Engine Cycle

4 Stroke

Engine Type

Piston

Engine Number

111973 22 ######

Engine Code

M111

Cylinders

Valves per Cylinder

Compression Ratio

Power

142kW @ 5500rpm

Torque

280Nm @ 2500-2500rpm

Acceleration 0-100Km/h (secs)

6.9

Induction System

Supercharged intercooled

Fuel Type

Petrol - Unleaded ULP

Fuel Tank Capacity (litres)

Fuel Delivery

Multi-Point Injection

Method of Delivery

Electronic Sequential

Carbon Dioxide (g/km)

235

Fuel Urban (l/100km)

10.0

Fuel Extra Urban (l/100km)

6.6

Fuel Combined (l/100km)

9.7

Wheels

Front - diameter( mm)

205/55 R16 91V

Rim Material

Alloy

Front Rim Description

16x7.0

Standard Equipment

16" Alloy Wheels

4 Speaker Stereo

ABS (Antilock Brakes)

Air Cond. - Climate Control

Airbags - Driver & Passenger (Dual)

Airbags - Side for 1st Row Occupants (Front)

Central Locking - Remote/Keyless

Control - Traction

Cruise Control

Engine Immobiliser

Fog Lamps - Front

Leather Gear Knob

Leather Seats

Leather Steering Wheel

Power Door Mirrors

Power Roof - Soft

Power Steering

Power Windows - Front & Rear

Radio Cassette - 6 Stack CD Changer

1/33 Ballarat Road - My home • My Space

2010-05-03T10:03:00.005+10:00

Have a look around. Make yourself at home.

• 3 bedrooms • 1 bathroom • 2 toilets • Backyard • Front yard • Remote garage • Off street parking • View of racecourse • Across the road from recreational park & river • Ducted heating & cooling
(Click image to enlarge)

Please VOTE!!

2010-04-30T13:29:00.004+10:00

Threadless - a website where designers can submit their design and if the design is picked for printing, the designer will get some money and of course recognition in the threadless community.

I have been doing a fair bit of shopping at this site, most of my t-shirts are from threadless so I thought I might give it a shot in submitting my own design. Please click on the link and vote. Your comments and votes are much appreciated. We shall see how this turns out....

Score this design: "corrupt," to help it get printed on Threadless!

Request

2010-04-20T16:44:00.004+10:00

iwant!!

If it's meant to be...

2010-04-20T10:42:00.011+10:00

Ok. I think it is time for me to say something about the relationship that turn sour between me and a friend who moved in with me when I was in Sydney. Hopefully, this will put a stop to everything and we can all move on.

It has always been my principal to look after a friend, be there and support. The way I look at it, i did everything possible, to help a friend stand on his feet. I opened up my house (even though there's not much to it, it's still my pride and joy) and let him in. Yes, we do split everything 50 - 50 (rent, bills etc) but there are more to just bills (at least to me, it's more than that). I hate to be petty but to live, you need more than a roof over your head and food in your stomach. You would need a bed to sleep on, a couch to sit on. A TV perhaps? Not only all these are shared, it also include my clothes. I have no problem with all these but when everything I did was not appreciated, it became a problem.

When everything went downhill, I recalled us having a huge discussion about it on the phone and thought we have came to a conclusion, we apologised to each other and sorted everything out. Maybe I was wrong because the week after, I saw smart arse comments about me on Facebook and on his other profile. I always like to give people reasonable doubts so I ignored it. But when I sms'ed and was snubbed over and over again, I just gave up.

The funny thing is, it has been more than a year it happened and I realised he is still dwelling on it. It is always everyone else's fault. Not his. By having a go at me on his profile is childish and when you have a go at someone, you don't have a go at their race/colour. It's just shallow. In my world, we confront the problem face to face. Not throwing little bitchy comments like a school girl.

It has been too many times this happened and I chose not to react or retaliate. Be a better man and just ignore it I told myself. I just couldn't be bothered with the tit-for-tat game.

Many a times I wonder if there is any chance of reconciliation? I believed there is but the idea of that was pushed away a little further every time he pulls his school girl stunt.

I must admit, I have had numerous discussion about this issue with one of my friend and this is what he said,
"I think he made a statement posting this message, kinda like fuck off. On the same time he is still upset about it. It bothers him that you are gone out of his life. I also think this is his childish way of saying he misses having a good friend! But he doesn’t know how to say it. That’s the best he can do. You know what, you would gain massive respect (well, in my world) if you would ring him and say Hello. But if you call him, he will think he is right and you call him out of guilt and he has the upper hand. He wouldn’t get it. . When in fact, its opposite, overcoming your own pride is one of the most adult things, no matter who is right or wrong..."

Maybe he is right. I still can't manage to overcome my pride. I think this is the furthest I would go - I will forget everything if I get a phone call for reconciliation. This would be the last time I'm ever gonna talk about this. I think I have done my part. Honestly, I have put all these behind me. I'm not making my life miserable by hating and dwelling on the past. It's stupid.

Huge month...

2010-04-19T16:20:00.016+10:00

It has been a hectic month, first of, I moved to Footscray with Peter, my house mate. The reason for the move was because the landlord's daughter wants to move in, so we as tenants, have to move out.

I'm like everyone else, hates moving. However, the move was pretty smooth. We spent a night packing everything in 1 room in boxes and by the end of the week, it's all done. I'm lucky to have a friend who drives a ute (utility) and managed to borrow the ute from his for a day so we can move the boxes to the new house. Rob, another friend of mine offered to help. We managed to move all the boxes to the new house within a day and the following day, the removalist came for the furniture. So everything was pretty much done in less than a week. Pretty tiring and stressful though. I think I'm gonna get someone to do everything next time I move. Can't be arsed.

2weeks after the incident. It's healing nicely.

The week after we spent most evening arranging furniture and unpacking and while doing that, I cut a big chunk out of my finger. Blood everywhere. Thought it would be alright if I wrap the finger tightly with bandage but nope. It was still bleeding the following day when I tried to change the dressing. We were supposed to be cleaning the old house before returning the keys, so with my finger in that condition, I get to stay home and the other 2 housemates went back and do the cleaning. Took almost 2 weeks for my finger to be fully function-able. At least I don't have to do the dishes at home. *wink*

After the move and moving the furniture to the right place, we did some major shopping. We shared almost everything we bought, had an agreement as to who gets what if either of us decide to go our separate ways. We bought a leather couch from Ikea (I know, not the best leather couch in the world but it was discounted from $1799 to $999 and the ottoman was from $499 to $259). So cost wise, it was a good bargain. To finish the shopping list were some dining chairs, chaise and ottoman, designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1956. I can only afford the replicas of course because the original ones are ridiculously expensive. Dining chair costs about $600 each and the chaise and ottoman cost $6,800. I have always been a fan of their work and I have longed for the chaise and ottoman for years. Can't wait till it's delivered tomorrow!!

• Solid maple timber base • Black powder coated stainless steel cross beams • Black High Gloss finish • Heavy duty ABS molded shell • Plastic glides for floor protection

Black Italian top grain leather • Wood Grain Ply

On top of all of these, I also tried to apply for a loan, for a new car. The Civic Coupe is a little beaten up and I have been thinking of replacing it for a while now. Today, (19.04) I got the phone call from the bank saying the loan has been approved. It's impossible to describe how stocked I am with this news. I actually saw a car that I like and went for a test drive with a mate last week. I didn't put a deposit on it because I'm not 100% sure I will get the loan. We did however shake hands to a price the owner and I are happy with. Now with the loan approved, it's only a matter of getting the cheque from the bank on Friday then sign the transfer papers of the car. If all goes to plan, I should be driving the new car by next week. Fingers cross.

(P/S : Check this space next week to find out more about the car...)

Gramophonedzie - Why Don' t You

2010-03-25T22:27:00.002+11:00

Ron Mueck @ National Gallery Victoria

2010-03-22T10:49:00.003+11:00

Ron Mueck (born 1958) is an Australian hyperrealist sculptor working in the United Kingdom. Mueck's early career was as a model maker and puppeteer for children's television and films, notably the film Labyrinth for which he also contributed the voice of Ludo, and the Jim Henson series The Storyteller.

Mueck moved on to establish his own company in London, making photo-realistic props and animatronics for the advertising industry. Although highly detailed, these props were usually designed to be photographed from one specific angle hiding the mess of construction seen from the other side. Mueck increasingly wanted to produce realistic sculptures which looked perfect from all angles.

In 1996 Mueck transitioned to fine art, collaborating with his mother-in-law, Paula Rego, to produce small figures as part of a tableau she was showing at the Hayward Gallery. Rego introduced him to Charles Saatchi who was immediately impressed and started to collect and commission work. This led to the piece which made Mueck's name, Dead Dad, being included in the Sensation show at the Royal Academy the following year.Dead Dad is a rather haunting silicone and mixed media sculpture of the corpse of Mueck's father reduced to about two thirds of its natural scale. It is the only work of Mueck's that uses his own hair for the finished product.

Mueck's sculptures faithfully reproduce the minute detail of the human body, but play with scale to produce disconcertingly jarring visual images. His five metre high sculpture Boy 1999 was a feature in the Millennium Dome and later exhibited in the Venice Biennale.

In 1999 Mueck was appointed as Associate Artist at the National Gallery, London. During this two year post he created the works Mother and Child, Pregnant Woman, Man in a Boat and Swaddled Baby.

In 2002 his sculpture Pregnant Woman was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia for AU$800,000.

DJ Mikey

2010-03-19T16:32:00.002+11:00

Antichrist Superstar

2010-03-11T16:03:00.001+11:00

A quick update...

2010-03-11T15:42:00.000+11:00

Here are some pictures that I took over the Chinese New Year (in Sydney) period and my recent trip (last weekend) to Sydney. It was good fun to let your hair down, do silly things and have a good laugh. It's even better when everyone participates :)

Mucking around at the Chinese Garden at Darling Harbour.

Back to Basic

2010-02-26T09:19:00.000+11:00

The only purchase from my Penang trip.

6 days

2010-02-25T12:39:00.182+11:00

It has been a while since I go back to Penang for Chinese New Year. With the new job and everything else going smoothly, I managed to have a quick trip back home to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family and friends. It was good to know that everyone is doing well. I had a lovely trip and had heaps of fun catching up. However, there are a few things that isn't great. The weather was awful. Humidity was probably 15000%. And the traffic... don't even go there.

I arrive Penang at about 11 pm on the 12th of Feb. William, a close friend of mine picked me up from the airport and he was late. Not that I really mind that much, I was happily sitting outside having a drink and a smoke. While I was waiting, I couldn't help but noticed how busy the airport was. There are absolutely no road rules. Park anywhere you want. Doesn't matter if you are picking up or waiting for someone. Double park if you want to. It's ridiculous but guess this is Malaysia.

11.30 pm. William arrived. Two minutes into the ride home, my phone started to ring. Then William's. Then mine again. It seemed that everyone was at the club, waiting for us. My body told me to forget about it and just go home but my mind said go for it. After a few minutes of persuasion from William, I decided to go home, drop off my bags, say hello to Mom & Dad, have a shower then off to the clubs where friends were waiting.

Soi 11. That's the name of the club and as soon as we walked in, we saw our group right away. There were a quite a few of them there and a few girls. What really caught my attention as we approach the group was two huge barrels of beer on the table. How are we gonna finish the drinks? The club closes at 3 am and it was already 1.30 am. To top it up, William ordered another barrel. It was a loooong night...

The following day (Saturday), I got up at 7.30 am even though I didn't get home till 5 am. Surprisingly, I was alright. No hang over, nothing. Got up, showered, dressed and ready to get on with the day. There wasn't much planned and nothing exciting happened today except for catching up with my grandma. Has been a while since I last saw her, so it was good to catch up. She couldn't stop smiling when I gave her some money. Yah, I'm a good grandson.

I spent most of Saturday relaxing, caught up with Daniel and William for lunch and coffee. In the evening, my parents, sister & I went to my aunt's house for reunion dinner. Most of the cousins were there and there were lots of food. We spent most of the evening eating, catching up and gamble a little. It is a Chinese thing to be gambling during Chinese New Year. Don's ask why.

On Sunday, everyone in the family visited the monastery to pay respect to our other grandparents. Most of the family members showed up, except for some of those who had prior arrangements. After that, we all meet back at Mom & Dad's for home cook lunch. After lunch, I was kinda over the family thing and William and another friend visited, so we had a dip in the pool. I must say, nothing beats dipping in the pool with a can of beer on a hot and humid day. We were there for hours, while my family was playing games upstairs in the apartment.

The rest of the trip back home was pretty much the same. Late night partying till 4am (that's average night out) food, drinks, relaxing and the occasional gamble. I won about RM200 in total I think, which is alright. The last time I was in Malaysia, I won about 2 grand.

By Wednesday, I was ready to come back to Melbourne. I was exhausted, felt as if I lost weight (from lack of sleep and too much partying). The flight back was not bad, however, the queue to check in was ridiculously long. I wasn't gonna queue so I did what I have to do. I walked up the Premium Check-In counter, gave the women sitting at the desk and bunch of bullshit and manage to check-in my bags without waiting for more than 10 minutes. Most of the people there waited for more than an hour. It's despicable, I know, but I don't have to queue. It was a very swift move. *wink*

Anyway, that's about it. I think I've covered most of what happened back in Penang. Most of what's worth mentioning anyway. Check out the pictures I took. They will give you an idea what I was talking about.

At grandma's. The area where I grew up.

My grandma. She is now 90 years old and She has never had any vegetables in her life. So what they say about vegetables are not entirely true. And a picture of my grandpa, passed away long time ago. Don't remember how long. Oooops.

Mom & Dad. Not sure when this was taken. Most likely before I was born because they look fairly relax and stress-free.

The altar at Grandma's. The one sitting in the middle is Guan Yu which is the same as my tattoo.

View from the balcony at Mom & Dad's. I love this spot. It's nice and quiet.

A visit to a friend's workshop. He do all kinds of joss sticks here. What you see are hand-made dragon heads and phoenixes which will be attach to 7 foot long joss sticks after the colouring process.

Daniel. Justin. William. Too much attitude these three.

Upper Penang Road, where most of the drinking sessions took place. If I'm not mistaken, there are more than 10 clubs in this area.

Mud crabs and lobster. Seafood dinner is a must whenever I go back to Penang. You feed 10 people with all kinds of seafood for less than AUD100. How can you say no??

Well deserved break....

2010-02-01T12:37:00.006+11:00

It has always been something I wanted to do in Victoria, that is a road trip up Great Ocean Road and check out the amazing scenery that I'v heard so much about. Well, last weekend, I got exactly that.

We decided to leave work an hour earlier than usual, get home and pack and out the door by 5pm, have dinner at Colak and reach Warrnambool before 9pm. The plan was to stay at Warrnambool on Friday night, check out Warrnambool and its surrounding on Saturday then head back to Melbourne via Great Ocean Road on Sunday.

We managed to get out the door at 4.30pm which was great. The drive up to Colak was pretty smooth, traffic was alright, nothing to complain about except a few dickheads here and there (as usual). I'm not 100% sure but I think we reach Colak at about 6ish and had fish and chips at the local park. Not really a good idea unless you are a fan of seagulls. Wished I had my blowpipe with me.

The rest of the trip was rather nice, driving towards the sunset, listening to music and random chats about nothing and everything.

When we got to Warrnambool, even though it was close to 8.30pm, it was still light. The motel that we checked in was big but very basic. It does have a spa though but the shower doesnt work properly and the milk they have in the fridge for us is past its used by date. Nothing much we could do about it so we decide to head out to the local supermarket for some supplies, nibblies, milk etc. This is where my iPhone comes to good use, locating the closest store. *wink*

Saturday

Got up, showered and ready for action! Found a nice little cafe for breakie (it's cheap and the food was pretty good) then off we go, discovering little spots and towns surrounding Warrnambool. The plan was to take things as they come, so it was a fairly relaxing day. We went to the local market, had a walk on the beach, checked out some local antique stores and went to the so called Cheeseworld. And what a laugh that was. Even though it's right beside the factory where they produce cheeses, the joint was a bit sad. We had lunch there and I was served the most amazing (not) chicken schnitzel I'v ever had in my life. Somehow, the schnitzel doesn't have any chicken taste and to top it off biting it feels as if you are biting on carboard. Thick cardboard!

After lunch and spending a few dollars on cheeses and snacks, we head off to Logan's beach which is known for whale watching. And of course, we don't see any because it is not the right time of the year. It was, however, a very nice beach and the cool breeze and the scenery makes it a very enjoyable experience and we did manage to snap some pictures.

We head back to the motel after Logan's, we were fairly tired so we spend the rest of the afternoon at the motel, watching tennis and random movies.

Sunday

Waking up fairly early (well 9am is early for me on a Sunday) had breakfast, packed and ready to go again. I must say, I was fairly excited because it will be the trip back to Melbourne via Great ocean Road. This was what the trip is all about, the 12 Apostles!

The drive was as usual (I mean usual throughout the trip, beautiful scenery everywhere). We did have a few stops before we got to the 12 Apostles and the scenery on each stops were breath taking. The stops weren't busy but there were enough people around to make the walk ways crowded. Especially those retards that spread among themselves and assume people will give way to them. Dicks!

A few stops later, we got to THE spot. 12 Apostles. The walk way towards the cliff face was very well looked after, was wondering how much the local council spend on maintenance.

Anyway, enough said. I'v got to my desired destination now. The rest are not relevant. Enjoy the pictures... wish I had more but I don't.

Good effort

2010-01-29T10:39:00.007+11:00

olo

nice try! ... and thanks for the publicity too.

Project Koi

2010-01-25T10:47:00.007+11:00

The past few weeks I have been working on a tattoo whenever I get some free time at work and at home. 2 weekends ago, I started doing the real thing, starting with the outline.

After spending more than an hour prepping the station (cleaning, sterilizing and making sure everything is in place) I move on to apply the stencil to the area which is gonna be tattooed. I'm not sure why (maybe the quality of the stencil paper) the stencil won't stay on. After a couple of rub with antiseptics, the stencil were wiped off the skin which was bad. After all the anticipation of finally getting the artwork done, it would be a depressing to postphone it again. It has been 6 months since I said yes to doing the tattoo.

A few cigarettes later, I came to the conclusion of sketching the artwork on the arm, fuck the stencil. This is kinda risky, as some of you know, I'm not the best freehand sketcher in the world. I thought, fuck it, let's give it a try. With a marker pen in one hand and my sketch in the other, I started scribbling with structure of the Koi fish followed by the waves then the details. The hardest part was the head and the eyes. Getting them the right size and not look like a sweet potato took me a while but after trying a few times, I managed to sketch something half decent.

After the little drama, the outlining process went on without any problem. I must admit, I was a bit nervous in the beginning but as soon as I started tattooing, time just buzz by and before I know it, it was 2pm, time to take a quick break and have something to eat. 15 minutes later, I was back inflicting pain again. The whole outline process took a little more than 2 hours which wasn't bad. I was happy with the outcome, so I wrapped it up for the day, sterilized the tattooed area again and clean down the work station. The rest of that day, my mind was fully occupied with the possibilities of colours and shading techniques, what would look good and what would work on the tattoo. Pretty much everything about what's the next session gonna be like.

Yesterday was the pre-planned day to do the colours and shading. It would be the make or break session. I started doing the usual set up and without any hitch, the shading process begins. Started off with the darker grey area then moved on to the lighter grey. The shading turned out a little darker than I wanted but it's still not bad because after it heals, the colours will be lighter. This is because when the ink is applied to your skin, your skin tends to swell a little and you do bleed. This makes the colours darker than it looks, so I wasn't worried about the darkness of the grey.

After the shading, I moved on to the red, followed by the yellow. You might not see much of the yellow on the Koi in the pictures but trust me, adding the yellow to the scales and fin areas made a huge difference. Then at the end, white is added to highlight certain parts of the Koi and waves. I must give credit to Peter for sitting through the process without much complain even though I know how painful it must've been. I tried to be as gentle as possible but sometimes I just have to do what I have to do.

Five hours later, my legs were a bit numb, Peter's arm were swelling up, I know it's time to call it the day. The tattoo is looking pretty much like how I wanted it (not 100% though, I would give myself 70%). There are a quite a lot of work to do yet, more things to be added to the back of the arm and definitely need to do a touch up.

Anyway, stay tune for updates on this project of mine. Till next time folks...

Sketch on paper.

Work station.

Freehand sketch on skin. Easier to get the right position because of the existing tattoo.

At work.

Outline done. A couple of errors here and there but the shading and colours will cover the errors.

Half way through...

Final product... work in progress.

Productivity at WORK

2010-01-15T15:05:00.005+11:00

Sometimes listening to your own iPod at work can be a bit boring. Especially when you have heard all the songs in your iPod a gazillion times. Lately, I have been getting into podcasts a fair bit. Listening to Hamish & Andy's podcast certainly makes the day goes by quicker and on top of that you get a good giggle. For my Malaysia friends, check them out. They are pretty stupid but really funny.

Now it would be boring to just listen to Hamish & Andy cracking jokes so some good trance (especially when you are in the mood to plug in the earphones and have the "DO-NOT-TALK-TO-ME-I'M-BUSY" sign on your desk) wouldn't go astray either. Thus I recommend Above & Beyond TATW. With a good mixture of guest Djs around the world mixing the most up-to-date tracks, it is not surprising to find productivity at work (when you are in the zone that is) goes through the roof.

P/S Please be aware of bandwidth usage. We would not want to get anyone in trouble now, would we?

Hosier Lane

2010-01-04T10:29:00.010+11:00

01.01.10, me and some mates from Sydney caught the tram to the city, just to get out of the house. Everything was closed, only a few major stores were open, like Myer and David Jones. Having not much to do, we walked around to Hosier Lane to take some photos of graffiti from well known artists such as Banksy (google Hosier Lane for more photos). This lane way is absolutely covered with paint. One of my favorite spot in Melbourne because the artworks are constantly changing with new artists trying to out do others' artwork. This is one of the must see places in Melbourne especially for designers and artists.

Anyway, here are some of the pix I managed to snap with my iphone...

It's good to know that there are parties like this out there. I mean if you are a graffiti artist, you would wanna hang out with the same kind or at least people who know what you are talking about. Having blank walls for taggers or artists to showcase their talent with good music and drinks, the appreciation for graffiti is certainly there and the culture itself has come a long way. I should go check out these parties one day and see what it's like.

The Kit Is Here!

2009-12-30T16:43:00.002+11:00

Ok, the wait is over. Finally got my new set of tattoo machine. Yes, I still have the machine given to me by Ritchie but I do need 2 more guns to be able to get started. ( Yeah I know. I'm full of excuses.)

To be honest, it's the confidence thing. Having only 1 tattoo gun means there are possibilities of stuffing up. What if the only gun stop working when I'm half way doing a piece? On top of that, I need more colours and needles and getting the whole kit only cost a bit more, complete with colours and needles.

These might not be the best tattoo guns but they certainly do what they suppose to do. Don't know why I say they are not the best either. Maybe it's because they are from China. But then 1 in 3 products nowadays is from China. Who am I to judge.

Anyway, stay tune for more post on my tattooing expedition.

So this is Christmas...

2009-12-29T11:26:00.005+11:00

So this is what Christmas is like in Melbourne. I must say, this is a very different from the other Christmas I'v had in NSW or Sydney. To start, I received 3 presents from work. A BBQ starter pack hamper from The Good Guys marketing manager, a box of chocolate from someone (was left on my desk when I wasn't around) and a bottle of champagne and some chocolates from The Good Guys Marketing department. The joy of working with a big company... :)

Next, got a booklet of movie posters from the 40's. It's interesting to see many of the style used back then is being used now. There is indeed a cycle when it comes to design styles.

The best Christmas present was definitely the studded belt with the space invader buckle and a pair of Carhartt jeans. I'v had my eyes on those jeans for ages... and ages... and ages. Now it's MINE!!! Thank you, thank you!

Presents aside, it was nice to also have a few days off work. Had a nice traditional Christmas lunch with Drew and her grandparents, Tom & Jan, Kristen & Eilis and Peter.

Going to the city for Boxing Day was a big mistake. I did manage to get some good bargains but not worth the stress. There were queues to get in the stores. And it's almost every stores. I did however found a pretty cool music store though. It's called Basement Disc and it's located at one of those lane way in the city and it's sort of underground. A lot of cool music titles can be found here.

On 27th, I was invited to go to the Knight's family picnic at the zoo. beautiful day, cool breeze, nice sun and great food. What more could I ask for?

All-in-all it was a good Christmas even though I miss my family and friends back in Malaysia. Hope all of you had as good a Christmas as I did.

My Christmas presents.... Mmmmm.

Basement Disc

Face painting. I think Drew might grow up loving ink on her skin...

Relaxing at the zoo.

Drew with her Christmas presents, Dora the explorer gears.

The Knight Clan.

a dose of cirematology

Full Sleeve - 40 hours.

CHE Xmas Party

Retro Phenomenon

Project Barnstormer

Inking November

Pimping TWELF :: Stage 1

893 MAGAZINE

Capturing Yakuza - Anton Kusters

QR Codes

Mike Smith - Family Tribute

A State of Design

Week one.

Revisiting Aaron Lewis

Hello. Thank You. Good Bye.

Miss Chang - Chinese Man feat Taiwan MC & Cyph4 - Clip Officiel

Chinese Man - I've Got That Tune

Turntable Soul

Mark Guardiani - Quoting Henry David Thoreau

NIKEiD

Pencil Tip Micro Sculptures By Dalton Ghetti

2 bears.

I find this fascinating...

Does she even exist? The mystery of the Gay Girl in Damascus

Big Brother is watching...!

Work log for a typical day at work*(Face is hidden to protect the identity of the person involved)

Papa & Mama Chun goes to town...

Got blossom?

New York • Japan • Hong Kong • London... Maybe Melbourne?

Exit Through the Gift Shop. Seen it yet?

Mark - Family Portrait - Full Custom

Scott (Perth) - Om Symbol

Flat Earth Website

Current read

LEGO tattoo pilot pen ads

Touché's Custom Tribal Lion

First tattoo of 2011

Siem Reap - Dec 2010

2010 - What a ride!

2 design + 5 hours + 2 happy clients

Courtesy of Tim

A quickie...

Animator Vs Animation

City of Life and Death (Nanjing, Nanjing)- Watch it

Lomographing on Virgin

Battle of Chucks

Retails Advertising

ADOC - Business card/s?

Graffiti on a whole new Level

Melbourne International Film Festival 2010

The Great Wave of Hokusai

Marilyn Manson's art - Scarier than Music

Google Goofs

Submission to Threadless... again.

Ex-No Boundaries in Brunswick

Mid-life crisis started early...

1/33 Ballarat Road - My home • My Space

Please VOTE!!

Request

If it's meant to be...

Huge month...

Gramophonedzie - Why Don' t You

Ron Mueck @ National Gallery Victoria

DJ Mikey

Antichrist Superstar

A quick update...

Back to Basic

6 days

Well deserved break....

Good effort

Project Koi

Productivity at WORK

Hosier Lane

The Kit Is Here!

So this is Christmas...

Work log for a typical day at work*
(Face is hidden to protect the identity of the person involved)