Archive | PermalinkAnother Day Another Sunset

All of a sudden another year ends. I can't believe we've lived here for more than a decade now. I can tell you how the skyline has changed over the years; and where on the landscape we were once able to make out traffic on the MRR2 highway. Through the changes in how the city looks, there are a few things that never seem to change: chief among it is the attitude of many drivers here. I could go on about that but I wont.

I'd like to say here's to a better 2013, but I think I'm just going to say if I do not deserve any better than perhaps I should not get it. But it gets better, I'd be grateful.

Click on the thumbnail for a wider look.

Keywords: kuala_lumpur

Archive | PermalinkTwelve Years Ago...

Ain and I were married.

Today, we woke up extra early to pick up Abang G from the bus station. Ain had applied for a day's leave. Then we sent Irfan to Al-Huda school as Abang G rested at home. Then we watched the season premiere of The Walking Dead before heading back to retrieve Irfan from Al-Huda. We got lunch for everyone. I did a bit of work. Then we sent Irfan to his Primary School, and immediately sent Abang G to a hotel in PJ where he would be attending a course throughout the week. Then, en route home, we went to Open University head office to pick up documents for my EPF education withdrawal. Upon reaching home, we rested for a while before we had to go pick up Irfan from school. Then we had scant time to get him dinner before we had to send him for tuition class. We had some dinner before we had to go out to get Irfan from tuition.

Then we wound down, and went to bed tired as hell.

It was the best anniversary ever.

Keywords: anniversary

Archive | PermalinkgMalaysia Conference

Earlier today I attended an event organised by Google Malaysia called the gMalaysia conference. It would be great to learn more about how Google products can help with my illustration business. Integrated with my Android smartphone, it's already a indispensible tool for marketing and communications for my work.

(Read more at your own risk)

Keywords: work_excursion

Archive | PermalinkThis Pangolin is Precise

So it came to pass that if I needed to use the new Bamboo Pen graphics tablet, I had to upgrade my operating system. Long story short: I decided on totally replacing my ArtistX 1.0 OS with Ubuntu's latest Long Term Support distro, which was 12.04 also dubbed "Precise Pangolin". After installing the sucker, I finally came face to face for the first time... with the Unity desktop! Click on the thumbnail above to see the desktop, including the Dash HUD.

Searching Ubuntuforums.org, I discovered how make a 3rd generation Bamboo Pen work with the Precise. I also reread on how to set up the Benq scanner using Snapscan's binary file so I can scan using Sane or GIMP.

Finally, I installed MyPaint I found on Ubuntu Software Center and discovered that it worked great with the Bamboo.

Below is my first doodle-type sketch using the tablet in conjunction with MyPaint: a handsome sort of fellow.

Keywords: artwork,computers,linux

Archive | PermalinkArise, Newer Graphics Tablet; But Not So Fast!

Once upon a time, I bought a Wacom Graphire 3 graphics tablet. With its stylus I made many a drawing, til its USB cable died screaming. Actually it died quite some years ago. In the interim, @plasticstitch had told me he had an unused Bluetooth-connected Graphire tablet and sent it by air mail to me where I made many more drawings. This device acted finicky with a Linux operating system, and I was using an Ubuntu distro. One day I upgraded to Ubuntu 10.04 by dint of installing the Ubuntu fork named ArtistX 1.0, and the device refused to talk via Bluetooth to the tablet.

Today I bought a new tablet, a Wacom Bamboo Pen. Its matte-black housing looks sleeker than the silver-hued Graphire. I'd prefer to have purchased a Wacom Cintiq 24HD, but the Bamboo Pen is the only one I could spare cash on. Incidentally it's the cheapest they had.

Having the USB connection instead of the Bluetooth would make it less finicky, but soon I discovered that even with the USB, the Bamboo Pen could not communicate with the ArtistX operating system despite all I could to read about it and troubleshoot it.

I had to find a new way to digitally paint once more using the tools I had.

Keywords: computers,linux

Archive | PermalinkFive Years Already?

Exactly five years ago Vin and Sila got married.

Happy fifth anniversary, you guys! May you guys be blessed with another hundred thousand centuries of happiness, and then some.

Keywords: anniversary

Archive | PermalinkEdumacation. Make it Happen.

One thing about looking for rezeki in Malaysia at my age, it's difficult to do so without at least an undergraduate degree or a diploma, and I have neither. Although I have experience in some fields, I don't have any official certificate telling potential employers that it's worth paying me whatever amount of money a month to do whatever job. I've had potential employers tell me during job interviews that I have the skills they need but they're unable to hire me because I had no degree. Some HR requirement standards or some such.

I have tried to obtain one before, but it was in a field that I should have taken when I was younger and had no work and family commitments to think about. So I'm back in the game, pursuing another type of degree. One which I believe is better suited for me at my age, which is Bachelor in English Studies.

And I think I look forward to the assignments they give with this degree.

Keywords: university

Archive | PermalinkHappy Birthday to my Favorite Brother!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Yooooooope (that's Hisham, in case you were wondering),
Happy birthday to you!

You are my most favoritest brother in the whole galaxy! Happy 437th!

And a p.s. Happy belated birthday to Yong as well. Sorry lewat again.

Archive | PermalinkAn Awesome Trip To The National Museum!

I haven't been to the Muzium Negara this century. So we thought we'd take a drive there with Irfan who has requested a visit there for several weeks now.

Unfortunately someone (well, two humans) made an illegal u-turn at a stoplight, causing the column of cars behind them to brake immediately. It was no problem for us, really. I braked on time. However, the guy behind us did not.

(Read more at your own risk)

Keywords: accident

Archive | PermalinkAshley's Sister Emma Auspiciously Arrives

Let's all welcome young Emma-Grace Ting ChangXin who was born on 26th October, at 3.555 kg and 51.5 cm. News has it her big sister Ashley-Joan has already requested to carry and help feed her.

 

Congrats to Michelle and Teik Sing!

Keywords: acs_sitiawan,birthday,friends

Archive | PermalinkIrfan's Fighting Fish

Our recent foray back to Kelantan during Aidilfitri rewarded Irfan with a new responsibility. A Siamese fighting fish, given to him by his Tok Cik Mi.

I told him don't, because the car is not really equipped to physically hold a live fish travelling eight hours at night, rocking and rolling over the mountain road. Irfan would be (and was) asleep for most of the trip because of our nocturnal journey. Despite all that, the fish survived all the way to Kuala Lumpur.

The following week, it survived a two-way journey between Kuala Lumpur and Sitiawan, which was nothing compared to its previous adventure.

Today, Irfan and I went to an aquarium shop and bought some stuff to beautify the fish's otherwise spartan living environment.

 

What else does a fish need in its aquarium? A phone extension? Hair curlers? Drapes?

Keywords: critters,irfan

Archive | PermalinkShudde M'ell Loves You

As Ain and I was walking on the beach on Lumut, we spotted this little creature on the sand. It had been deposited at the high tide mark, and it was presently low tide. Since the sun was about to climb into its maximum scorching position, I balanced the little dude on a driftwood twig and dropped it into a stream that flowed out to the sea.

Any ideas as to what this worm is?

 

Wherever it came from, I hope it didn't leave its kettle on when it left home.

Keywords: critters