What is going on with my life now......

 Good day to you all dear readers.

I may not be a great modeller or a world famous one but I know for a fact that I do have my fans and the dear readers who read this blog and support all my modelling works. For my dear readers and fans, I make this post to tell you guys what has happened to me.

For the time being until god knows how long, I am stuck in Burma. For those who do not know where Burma is -

I had to leave the UK unfortunately. I was successfully in getting into a PhD programme and without it, there was no other way for me to extend my stay in the UK ( curse the tories and their taking away work permit visas and Tier-1 Post Study work) so I had to go back to my country, Burma.

All my models are left with my sister ( who is fortunately a British citizen )  who have kept them safely in big boxes, ready to be shipped to any country we both migrate to.

I have given up on the hobby, oh dear god no. My models are my babies, my models are my strength, part of my life. I could never give up.

But I am in a country that is forsaken by all kind of deities and modelling of any kind is nearly impossible so I won't be able to do anything modelling wise while I am in this country.
So my dear readers, please do not be alarmed if I am not putting out built model kits during the time I am in Burma. Although there is a few kits I need to publish that I finished before I had to leave so there will be some posts about them but I guess that's that. After that, it will be quite on my blog sadly.

So please bear with me while I am stuck in this country and once I migrate to another country ( I'm eyeing at Australia or Canada among the targets ), I will be building with the same energy I used to build.

Thanks for being so supportive of me during my time in London and please look forward for more.

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Rest in Peace, my dear cat

A great lost ..

He was really the best cat.

He was kind, quiet, gentle, and never cause any trouble. 

He was the sweetest cat ever and he always give massage while lying alongside me.

I will miss you so much Shittati.

I already do.

Rest in peace my very good friend.

May heaven open its gates to you for your friendship to me and my sister for nearly a decade .... ...

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My 2013 in a Nutshell

Well, another year has gone by ... boy, times flow fast isn't it?...

It seems like just yesterday when on the December of the year 2012, I went back to my heritage modelling : scale models, particularly tanks. I never regretted that decision as I'm more happier in that world then building gunpla. I still haven't given up on gunpla though.

So, lets do a little review of my year 2013 -

First of all - I got to meet a lot of new friends and some of them become very close, which is a great bonus.

As much as I gained new friends, I lost friends as well. Nothing serious, we just grew apart ( sadly, one of that is a best friend since high school)

I have finished a total of - 12 kits within the year 2013 albeit only 1 of them was a Gunpla kit so not exactly a bad rate.

I found a very very friendly and fun scale modelling forum and I am having the best time there.

Two modelers I look up to have recognized me and admitted that my skills have been improving at a fast pace and it was very nice to hear that. Probably the best thing I have heard (modelling wise( all year.

Life wise- I am still lonely.. haven't found a new gf yet.. :(

I got accepted into a master degree and really happy about it.

I got to visit the Bovington Tank Museum for my Birthday and it was a blast.

I got a chance to attend the 40th Anniversary IMPS UK show at Telford and boy, it was amazing.

So all in all, 2013 wasn't exactly a bad year. It could be better but I'm not gonna complain.

So with all of that, I'm gonna say good bye to 2013 and say hello to 2014.

I wish my dear readers a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and may you all have good luck and prosper in the coming year.

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These words Come from a Modeller's Wife

Immature ... Childish..... Shut-ins ..... Waste of money ... such are some of the many words that people used how on our great hobby. Many a time, our hobby has been discriminated by those hobby-less, pathetic bastards but from time to time, a voice rise up for us modellers and for today, I want to blog about such voice.

If you guys have been around in the hobby for some time, you guys will probably be familiar with Ryukaze. If not, here is his blog http://www.rkdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ so just have a look over. These words I'm re sharing are the words of his wife and these words are really nice and the whole blog post is an eye opener. All of these words I am re sharing blongs to her and I do not take any credit for those words.
_______________________________________________________________________

Why I think my husband's hobby of building model kits is SEXY. By  

IRONI IRINA

( That's RyuKaze style of taking pictures, BTW )

My husband is a toy collector. He collects Marvel and DC action figures, Transformers, Gundams, GI Joe and Star Wars vehicles and a whole lot of other things. He's not just a collector, he also builds, paints and kitbashes scale models/model kits of robots, tanks and a whole lot of other stuff that I'm not even sure what they're called.

A lot of people don't seem to understand this hobby. Some say its a waste of time and money. Most people even say he's immature. Well, I'm the wife. If anyone has anything to say about it, that would be me. And I think it's SEXY, and it was one of the factors that attracted me about him. And here's why...

1) It shows he has passion.

Men with interest or hobbies are passionate about something. People who are passionate feel strongly about the things they love and care about. The love and care that my husband puts in the details when he builds and paints models are impressive. He shows attention to minute little details that make all the difference. And that also means, he is VERY GOOD with his hands.

2) He is home. With me.

He builds and paints in his studio, sometimes in the living room of our small apartment. He just needs a few tools and a small space. The tools aren't expensive either. Unlike some hobbies with expensive equipment that needs the person to be in a field or a lake or somewhere other than home. So while he does his work, I just do my own thing around the house but at ANY TIME I need him, he is there and he is able to stop his work and attend to me. Even better, he can still borak with me while putting together a Gundam at the same time.

Example, if he plays futsal, he has to be at the pitch, then he lepaks with his friends after the game and there will be days where he wants to watch the game on TV or at the mamak with friends, while the wife stays at home or the wife follows and she has to lepak with all the cigarette smoke around. Errr... sorry, but that's not my idea of fun.

3) It makes money, fame and glory. haha.

No, seriously, it does. A lot of people from around the country, no, world, yes, I said world, commissions him to paint or kitbash their toys. I can't tell you how much he makes, that's confidential, but know this, his "toys" provided him with the money to get married to me within 6 months. And you know weddings cost a lot kan?

And it gives me a sense of pride when I see his works and even more surprising when some random stranger comes up to him and says " You are Ryukaze? Man, I'm a fan of your works!". And as humble as he is, he just smiles and continues to have a conversation with that stranger about what else? Toys of course.

4) He really knows his stuff. He's not a poser.

Being a tv show host wannabe like me, I like asking questions and interviewing people. It totally pisses me when most times, the people who say they're into something can't answer simple questions about their interest. I however, equate people's ability to answer questions to their intelligence level. Articulate la basically. But believe me when I say, u can ask Ryukaze anything about the things that he likes and he can regale you with encyclopedic editions of it. I'm a nut for a good story, so I enjoy when he tells me the story behind Halo, Transformers and Gundams. And he doesn't pretend to know things he doesn't. Yes, his intelligence charms my pants off. Literally.

5) Immature? Man (or woman), you have no idea what maturity is.

Yes, he plays with TOYS. Some guys play with cars. Some guys play with fish rods. Some guys even play with women. I'd rather he play with little plastic things are not expensive yet has resale value in any given time, era even country.

All of us need something to amuse us, entertain us, to sustain our imagination and playfulness. Its what makes life interesting. I believe, to each his own.

He may not look his age, but when a situation needs him to man up, my husband does that without hesitation. It comes naturally that he protects my honor, my well being, my safety, my sanity and my happiness. And he fulfills his responsibilities.

Maturity is not about what one does as his hobby. Maturity is about taking responsibility and doing what is right. That is what being a man or "Da Man" is all about. Maturity is when you can show respect and love a wife unconditionally. Maturity is understanding the balance of both strength and weakness. Its not about being macho all the time. Control hensem is so passe.

6) The work he does is a work of art. So it gives a sense of achievement and fulfillment which feeds the soul which in return produces a very positive human being.

7) Its so easy to get him birthday or anniversary presents. Just look at his toy wishlist.

He is comfortable in his own skin being who he is and that confidence is what is charming about him. And that ultimately makes him sexy in my eyes.

His hobby makes him happy, and that makes me happy. He makes me happy.

So yeah, toy collecting and model kit building are awesome hobbies. So there.

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And here is the original blog post from Mrs. RyuKaze - http://irinairony.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/my-husband-is-toy-collector.html 

Well, there you have it. If you have girlfriends or wives or those bitches and bastards of friends that look down on our hobby, just show them this blog post. 

Happy Modelling people. Our hobby is a great one and always hold your head high with pride as modellers. 

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Mecha Modelling Guide Book : Apology for the delay

If you may all recall, I made a post about a Mecha Modelling Guide Book ( click here if you forgot ) that my friend and his associate are working out to publish. The kick starter program was fully funded through the generous donations of the the Gunpla modelling community and I would like to extend my gratitude (in my friend's stead) to those great guys out there.

Publishing is going as planned but things are a little bit complicated in the editorial part as Monoeye Publishing has to sort out a good 40,000 pictures and other texts and bits and bobs and not to mention a lack of manpower. As a publicly or rather, a community funded projects, there will definitely be bumps on the round and there will be a delay in the actual released. Monoeye Publishing asked me to convey their deepest apology for the delay and ask those who have donated or looking forward for it not to be disheartened. They are working on it even as we speak and the earliest estimate the book will come out will be around the end of July and the latest would be early August.

However, Monoeye Publishing has showed me a sample book and it is shaping up pretty nicely and yes, I have seen ( via skype video call, of cos) the sheer amount of photos, data and editorial stuffs that they have to go through. So, rest assured,  you all will be having your money's worth when this finally come out. Monoeye Publishing and I would like to ask you all to be just a bit more patient.

If you don't believe me, you can check out this video as well -

Thank you sooo very much for the donations and support for this big project and we ask you to be just a bit more patient.

Thank you for understanding and please stay tuned for more updates.

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Modelling; a hobby or something else?

''' Gary -
that is true.... sometimes... when i'm confused.... talking with friends or doing models or sketching really calms me down and.. i feel happy.. like in a world of my own
 really... i made the right choice making modelling my hobby

Miguel -
because doing it you can be a little boy...and a little boy doesn't get worried about adult silly things...if you grow older and think you must become serious and mature, you´re lost, we must always grow with the little boy inside and amaze with every single and simple thing in life like...the un, the Moon, the dust!!! a sand grain, how an animal looks like, whatever as if it was the very first time you see them  '''

That is taken from a very very old chat that I had some years ago with a close friend. It was back in 2008 and I was having a kind of crisis with my then-current relationship. And that is exactly what we said about modelling among all the various topics we talked about.The more I think about it, the more I realize that modelling is about stress-relief ( not the OTHER kind of stress, mind you ), something to make you forget about all the worries of a adult person struggling in this WAR call life. I fail to understand why it has to become something even more stressful.

That aforementioned friend, Miguel, always told me ( and I quote ) '' don't try to kill yourself, Gary '' with my models, to take things easy and just to enjoy it. The quote came up when we were talking about whether to put too much PE parts or not on our Panzers. Evidently of what he said, he build in the same way, I haven't seen him bashing his head on the wall over a model, he just keep building and he just enjoys it and with each kits, he seems to be improving.

He was right though. When I start modelling, I was attending my foundation course and coming from a Thrid World country ( Burma ) and suddenly being taught in the British Education system, I was struggling so much to follow, not to mention the language barrier which also impeded on my social life back then. Modelling was my let out. I remember building my very first model here, a Revell 1/72 Halifax Bomber, slowly on days that I don't have classes or the weekends. It was a blissful experience, away from the clamoring of the class rooms and coursework, hearing nothing but the music I turn on, seeing nothing but the model in front of me, holding nothing but the pieces and a glue bottle. Nothing but a little boy, enjoying his time alone, exactly what my friend said.

Skip a few years - I got settled in London, made friends, met other modelers  post on forums start getting recognized and things just become to change. My thinking changed, my purpose of modelling changed. What  I started as a hobby became something else. I don't know what it become, I still can't find the answer but its not a hobby anymore. Under the pretense of  building for myself, I began to build to get recognized, to be known, to get comments like '' great work'' , '' awesome'' blah blah. I like scratch building and I do scratch build and with what I have done on my Nataku, Noir, Astrea, Perfect and Legend, I was basking in the glow of those comments ( well, I am not exactly in the level of guys such as Julius Lim or Decay but I do have my own level ) that I was no longer building for myself but to get those comments.

I strived to improve myself, to be able to build like those guys, lying to myself that the reason was sorely to improve myself. That is only partly true as the other reason for that is to be popular (like the guys that build in Ora-zaku or the winners of GWBC and such).I did not realize I was wrong in thinking like that until a few months ago. I became competitive as well. I used to hate competition, I was a '' let me live/work/play with my own pace and freedom '' kind of person and I disgust the hatred that comes with competition. To think I changed just for some models that one builds for fun.

A few weeks ago, I was talking with one of my friends and we were talking about how one modeler ( i cannot name who for privacy reason ) skips sleep, stay up until like 5 or 6 in the morning which resulted in  deprivation of sleep, getting in trouble with his girlfriend, etc. My friend told me '' that's a kind of suffering u know, is it worth it? Do we do something to suffer or to have fun? now that's something to think about'' and I just had to agree with him. Yes, I do work on through the nights as well but only when I get days off for like 3-4 days or on my holidays. When I was in a relationship, I couldn't even build at all. (I'm working night shifts so my productivity reduced a thousand fold ) For something that is regarded as a Hobby, is it worth it to build something with so much compromises and sufferings?

I don't know that answer to that question myself, but I know this, I build for myself, as a hobby and I will be getting rid of all those stupid way of thinking slowly but surely. Come to think of it, I already started doing this with starting with my Legend Gundam WIP, many people says it is too tall blah blah but I turned them down ( politely, of course ) as I only have to please my own creativity. I might be contradicting myself to say I do not want ANY comments at all. I want.... I need the more important stuffs like feedbacks, tips, suggestion and advises, basically critiques. Constructive critiques, mind u, not somebody ripping on me.

I don't know if this kind of thinking is wrong or right but I am sick and tired of people saying shit to each other, being butt hurt, hating each other and competing with so much stress and seeing those, I just feel like taking it easy, sit back, relax and build and ACTUALLY enjoys WHAT I did and HOW I did it.

And I hope that my peers, my comrades, my juniors, and my friends can really enjoy themselves with the hobby without anybody looking down on them, ripping on them and keep making friends and comrades.
BUT if you are looking for Constructive feed-backs and a community with cool people, join us over at the MECHA LOUNGE any time.

Happy Modelling, to all.

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Why do we build model?

I have been thinking about this for quite some time and every time I think about this, even more follow up questions came up and I always become lost in thought and could never get an answer.  I don't really want to blog about this subject but a little small inconvenience happend with one of the winner of the Mecha Contest 2012 and the way he ''acted'' tempted me to make this blog post.

There's so many things I want to talk about regarding this issue; '' Why do we build models?? '' but let's talk about the d-bag who did that little inconvenience. I won't say who ( I could but I won' ) but he's one of the various winners of the mecha 2012. Long story short, just becase Ogami won 1st place in two category, he claimed that we weren't fair in our judging and blah blah blah and quit the forum, and said he will not accept any prizes.

The question of '' Why we build models ? '' have always been in my head and this guy actions just tempted me. Why do we even build models? Is it to win competation? Is modeling not one's hobby ? Is modelling something we do to pass our time? It modelling not a form of art, to be crafted, to be valued, to be appreciated by the amount of sweat,time and energy put into it ? What it is then ?

This ''hiccup '' with the winner is not the only reason I decided to blog about this. 5 years ago, when I first arrived to London from Burma, I got into modelling as soon as my sister gave me some allowance to buy models. I grew up with lego, by the time I came to London, I was 17 yet I was still making lego models, and for me, putting up things, watching something I'm building take form and come alive has been always a fascinating thing. Back then, even just snapping together a very very badly done 1/35 tank is enough for me, I would be happy. Obviously, I got into FB that same year and I had a chance to meet great modelling friends. We always chat about modeling, weathering and tanks and it was amazing, no elitism, no nothing .

2009, I got into gunpla and boy oh boy, I saw a great difference from the scale modelling world. People make so much of a great deal over something they buy with their own hard earned money to satisfy their creative side. '' Im better then you cos I can paint better '' .. '' no, im better then you cos I can do kick-ass mods '' ..... '' I do such great Scratch building that people regard me as a SB god '' .... What is this ?? What are all those ?? Is that even necessary ?

2010, December, I finished my first modded kit ( the Nataku ), I spent 9 months working on that single kit; yet, foolishly, I f**ked up the painting step and the finishing wasn't that great. OH MY GOD, some people really tore my ass off with the comments they give. Don't say that I cannot take feedback, I like feed back, thats how my current WIPs are much much more tidier then they used to be. Its just the sense of elitism that pisses me off.

I don't want to sound too contradicting so I will admit it, there are some really sucky works out there, I often do see them alot. And IF I do see them, if i don't have anything good at all to say, I don't say anything at all. If I think there's a feed back or two that I can give, I just post a comment like '' Good job finishing this but here is something or two that you can improve one; - seam lines .... blah blah so on so forth ''... I won't go there and say like your work is SHIT cos that would be insulting. I know and give respect to that fact that the as long as the modeler is happy with their own work, that's the end of it, period. Like I said, if we do not build models to satisfy our creative self, then what are we building for?

And recently, (but not too recently, say; these past months ), I have been reading up too much about weathering and finishing so that I can improve my finishing skills. The reason behind of me wanting so badly to improve my finishing skills is that quite a number of guys have said shit regarding my finishing ( no, not my friends ) and I was like '' F**k it, I'm gonna improve myself so that I can show them blah blah''. But then I realized I was wrong. I thought back to the time I started building AFVs, back then, Im just happy seeing my models sitting on my shelves, cabinet (even though back then, there will filled with brush strokes). Just because some idiots that I don't care about nor won't even have any impact in my life said shit about me, I shouldn't change my mindset over building. I have always thought building models is just for my own pleasure, but lately, it has become like a competition, this lingering thought in my head '' I must get better then those people '. So I have been asking myself '' Why do I build models ? Why do I sink all those money into those plastic if it is not for myself ?? '' but I know, I have known ever since I started, that I build models as a hobby, to enjoy myself, to pass free time in a good way and to make friends and comrades.


What about you guys, dear readers ?
What do you think ? Why do we even build models ?
Is it for our own satisfaction? or is it for other people to appreciate you?
Is it to win contest? Is it to gain Fame?
OR is it something else entirely ??

Foot note -
After talking to a comrade ( tember) about this blog post, I forgot to make a disclaimer; I didn't post this up just cos of some lame-ass things like some idiot ripping on my work or something. I just wanted to post some of my feelings and things I have been witnessing regarding the hobby and how people are so arrogant about it and why I see people spending more time arguing about who is better than actually spending time modeling or having fun.

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A little something that Got into my mind!!

Hello Ladies And Gents.

Forgive me, as usual, for the lack of update on the blog as my rota has been a complete crap since the start of the olympic and I just don't get enough day off and so on , so forth; life catches up, you know.

Anyway, A little funny thingy happend today then I got to thinking and I figure I might as well blog about it.
Right, to say, what I want to say what's on my mind, I need to go in to deails.

About 5 months ago ( I think 5 months, maybe even more) , I unexpectedly aqquire a student, an apprentice, who goes by the name of LunarWorks ( check out his blog here ). He HAD a great deal of potential and being a sorely modding man myself, I couldn't help but comment and give feed back on this works and from then on, he regarded me as his sensei/teacher and we have been good comrades ever since, he asks me for ideas, I ask him for ideas and so on.

But, like everybody ( you, me, and alll the other great modelers), since he was just started modding, his works was not that good-looking, messy just like me  ( which I still am, LOL; yes, I admit it ) and his paint work is even worse, ( no offense Lunar, but I'm trying to make a point here ). Luckily, he aquired another Teacher, by the name of Harry ( one of the estemmed Admin over at Mecha Lounge), who is a superb painter with more then 5 years of modelling/painting experience, ( Harry was just in and out of building models but he's one awesome builder ). Since Then, Lunar's skill have rockted to the point that he has Surpass me ( no kidding )

And currently, he is having a build-off with another member within our forum ( you can check out the build-off thread here ) and as usual, he comes to me, to talk, feed-back etc, and today, he tagged me on the update photos on Facebook. Being a fan of his works, I always see if he has made any update on the forum and I have already checked his works on Mecha Lounge, So I dropped a Wall post on his profile to say that I am aware of it.

A few hours in the evening, a mutual friend of ours ( I will not say who as This post is not for attacking him or anybody at all ) came in and commented ''' Student Surprassing Teacher''. I was quite confused and kinda annoyed that he has to say such a thing, in a way that sound like he just wanted to offend me. Its probably is the Wording of his comment or probably my own misunderstanding but the truth, I do not know as I havn't actually talked to him directly about it yet.

Anyway, what he said made me think; I was thinking about it the whole way on my way to work. I am happy that my student/pupil/apprentice ( whatever you want to call him ) has surprassed me. I have noticed it as well and to be painfully honest, I am so happy.

I am a nobody, nothing in life nor in the modeling world. I cannot paint a decent job, I cannt build kits as tidy and clean as I hoped, if people like DC23, toymakers are at level 99, I am at 6-7, max. But, the knowledge of actually passing down my skills ( whatever level they amount to)  to somebody and see that somebody really grow and level up really makes me happy.

To me, modelling is a passion, more so then a simple Hobby. My life is not settled, I may have to take a long break or even quite the hobby as a whole as things stand. Before, I always thought I am gonna leave something I can be proud of IF I had to quite the hobby; I was thinking about leaving some epic work like Julius Lim Mk-II FA or something. But now, I realized, its my pupil.

I mean, to give a nameless modeler like me a chance to become his teacher, a chance to help him is a great thing he did for me. ( Think about it, any normal person would want somebody like DC or Toymaker or Erix98 to be their teacher ). Back in high school, my home room teacher talked about how teacher geniunely wants their pupils to be better then they are, to know even more then they know, and that they will always be proud of their pupil. I realize it now what she was talking about.

To be honest, I was like '' WTF??'' when I saw the comment but like I said, I had some thinking time, did some thinking and I realized, how damn happy I am. Student surprassing teacher will always happen ( just look at Naruto, he's even more powerful then Jiraiya now ) and I am damn proud of my student making superb mods and taking over the mantel. And I want him to grow more, that's why I just set up a Show-down build between me, him and another master Scratch builder, ( no other then ) ThelmosEngine. ThelmosEngine is like me, when he mods, he always think about functionality and purpose in the mods and design he does. Lunarworks is also following in that direction, as evident from the latest update he made on the Spallow.

All in All, this '' little something that got into my mind'', guys, is that I am so happy to have a pupil that have the potential to surpasss me and I am proud, as a teacher, that he has been making kick-ass Mods and also, thank you so very much Lunar, for giving me a chance to be your teacher.

Thank you so much and keep on churning out these great works, Lunar......

and Thank you, dear readers, for always supporting me, my works and my blog posts.
and also, Please do check out LunarWorks blog and give him your supprots as well. Thank you..

As usual, Stay Tuned for more

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Life as a Plastic Widow - Resharing a friend's Article

I have been meaning to re share this particular article my teacher (sensei)'s wife wrote some times ago. I believe this is a good read and something that all the modellers and their wife/girlfriends should read as well.

When I read this article, I felt nothing but envy for my teacher ( Chris Bryan) for how lucky he is to have such a supportive wife, a wife who not only support but also encourage modelling.

And after reading this, I felt I have to share this as AFV modelling is not really toy like, as evidenly, fighting vehicles are not toys. But When it comes to gundam modelling, or sometimes the mini figures or resin figures, we are looked down upon, frowned upon and smirked upon as guys in their 20s,30s still playing with toys.

And every time I see or hear something like that, I feel really bad. One of my ex-girlfriends never supported my hobby and back then, I felt like S**T so I know to a certain extent how that feels like. After reading this article, I figure I should share it for the many other ''Plastic Widows'' ,as Mrs. Bryan (the Autor)  put it, that they will know this is a hobby worth supporting, this is a hobby that is not harmful and this is a hobby that is not kid's stuff.

Life as a Plastic Widow

by
Lorelei Bryan

My husband and I were enjoying the rare treat of having dinner out alone; (rare because we have two teenage daughters at home and one grown daughter who lives a half mile away).    I was deriving great pleasure from the time alone as well as from the stimulating adult conversation.   One of the things I have always loved about my husband is his ability to carry on an intellectual conversation on nearly any subject imaginable.
He is well read and well informed so the potential topics of conversation are virtually limitless.  We were discussing, without interruption from the children or the dog, everything from the state of the plants in the yard to the state of the world.  We had just begun a fascinating dialogue on the ozone layer and global warming when…the inevitable occurred.  The conversation suddenly turned to plastic.
Yes, it’s true.  I am a “Plastic Widow.”  My husband is an avid modeler and this means that every aspect of our lives is somehow connected to modeling and, hence, to plastic.
Never heard of a Plastic Widow?  Oh come, now.  Certainly you are familiar with Football Widows, Basketball Widows, or Hockey Widows?  These terms refer to the wives or girlfriends of men who are so obsessed with these sports that they have had to make allowances for their husbands’ passion in their lives and homes in order to keep the relationship in existence.  A Plastic Widow endures the same fate with the exception that, instead of sharing her husband’s attention with sporting events, she shares her husband with his undying devotion to modeling.
Most of us know that our husbands are plastic junkies long before they become our husbands. If this is the case, we have no one to blame but ourselves for our predicament.  We knew what we were getting into.  For instance:
*Plastic knows no season; there will be modeling year round.
*We will be shown each piece at each stage and expected to say, “Wow!” and marvel at his craftsmanship.
*We might as well add plastic, glue, and paint to the budget.  It will be purchased; resistance is futile.
*We must lower our expectations of organization.  It’s not a mess, it’s a project.
*There are hobby shops in every vacation spot you may visit.
*There will be shows and competitions at which we will stand around and…well…stand around.
*Plastic junkies are afflicted with “modeler’s disease.”  They buy far more kits than they will ever build.  There is no cure
and they wouldn’t’t take it if there was one.
And last, but not least, every single topic of conversation can and will be related, in some way, shape, or form, to plastic modeling.
That reminds me…wondering how a discussion on global warming morphed into a conversation about plastic?  Any Plastic Widow knows that this was actually a short trip.  Global warming is responsible for the deterioration of the ozone layer.  The depletion of the ozone layer has led to scientific research on methods of producing plastic that are more environmentally friendly.  Implementation of these new methods of production will cost the model companies more and, consequently, the increase will be passed on to the consumer and the price of model kits will go up.  So, it stands to reason that global warming is responsible for the rising cost of the tools of the trade for our passionate modelers.  Any questions?
While all of this may sound rather overwhelming, the true Plastic Widow knows that, while his eyes may light up at the sight of ’78 Corvette Sport Coupe or a Panzer Battalion Series kit, his heart still beats for the woman who stands by him as the winners are called out at the show.  He knows that she is the one who will be beaming with pride when he is handed the award or the one who will tell him how his piece was much better and should have won when his name is passed over.  She is his biggest fan and his sounding board.  She pretends to understand what he explains about his plans for his next build.

The Plastic Widow is a woman who loves a man who loves to model. If she is wise, she will use this to her advantage.  Remember…for every kit or supply of paint, every bottle of glue or package of after-market supplies that is purchased, therein lies leverage for that pair of shoes, that new outfit, or that dinner out that of which she has been dreaming. Of course, the conversation during dinner will always turn to plastic, but, hey, we Plastic Widows knew that would happen all along.  We’re used to it.

————–

The Bird would like to thank Lorelei Bryan and Chris Bryan for the kind permission to publish this cool article!

And to all the modelers that is facing the same kind of crap that All of us are facing from time to time, just keep your head high, and keep showing off your creativity.

For people who knows not the true meaning of creativiy are nothing but pitiful people, unable to taste art, taste creativity and are thus, simply jealous of us for what they cannot do.

Keep on modelling, dear Modelers and to all those singles modellers out there, just show this to girls and let them know how much they can take advantages of us - http://modeller-innovation.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/date-guy-who-builds-model-kits.html 

And girls, if you have any boyfriends who is a modeler, just be proud of what your boyfriend can do for not all people are creative.

Happy modelling guys....

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Why The Bird Has been InActive lately

Hello There Folks. I guess its about time I start explaining what's going on with my life and WHY in the hell I have been so inactive when it comes to modelling and blogging SINCE early April.

Well, folks, The answer is pretty Simple. Yours Truly has finally land himself a job. After being Jobless for 1 whole year after graduating in 2011, I have a job.

But don't get too excited, Its just a small time job. I got in a receptionist in a Branch of a Hilton here in London. Started from Apr 10 and I was swamped with training and full time that I couldn't even touch my models.

To make it worse, OR better, there was an opening for a night auditor position and I knew I had to take it when an opportunity arise. Sure a night shift really messes up my time table but as a night auditor, I get paid more and also, I can have a better position to put down on my CV. Not to mention, this can also secure me a good foot hold IF I wanted to venture out into the Finance field.

So basically, I had to leave my house at 9pm, get back home at 8 am and had to sleep and the circle continues. That is why I have been SOOO quite these days.

But rest assured, I haven't quite the hobby yet and yes, I still build and with the money coming in, I plan to build more.

In the mean time it's taking me to adjust to my working life, I sincerely apologize for my lack of activity and I hope you guys will understand and bear with me in this time of adjustment.
Thank you guys and love you all.

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'' Date a Guy Who Builds Model Kits ''' - ReSharing A Fellow Blogger's words

Hello All and All Hello. 


As I was browsing around on FB, I Came across this particular blog post from a fellow modeler/blogger. And I really feel like resharing his words as those words are just too (in lack of a better words.... ) AWESOME. 


I do not take credit for those great words, All the credit go to the original author which you can access to his blog here - http://raigarage.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/date-guy-who-builds-model-kits.html 

DATE A GUY WHO BUILDS MODEL KITS

This is in response to 'Date a Girl Who Travels' (in which I totally agree with the notion but anyway):

Date a guy who builds model kits. Date a guy that would rather spend his money on some plastic rather than one that spends his money on vices. This guy would rather spend on an object of art rather than what he can consume in an instant.

Date a guy who builds model kits. He would rather spend time at home to get on his masterpiece rather than what society places as 'macho'. Or go this friends to go build some more rather than just drink the day away. He is not afraid to pick up that sable or airbrush and be called a lot of names for the sake of his hobby. He is not afraid to scour every hobby, hardware and craft store with you if it means that he would find that material he is looking for his kit. He is not afraid to discuss how color theory works or how you would think his latest kit would look like in your eyes.

Date a guy who builds model kits. He is the kind that is not good at his hobby but in other practical things as well. He could tell you what adhesive would be best for what material. He could easily lend you a hand at fixing your leaking faucet, all because he has an innate understanding of its mechanics. He's reliable in do-it-yourself stuff and will impress you on what he can do.

Date a guy who builds model kits. He's the one that you can talk to about aesthetics. When he says you are beautiful, he means it and that is because of your good taste in color combinations. When he says that what you are wearing is fine, believe him as he finds it well chosen and coordinated.

Date a guy who builds model kits. Do not antagonize his hobby. Encourage him and talk to him about him as this would actually be better. Be with him as he builds and paints and before you know it you'll be doing the same too. He'll be with you and his works of art, for he'll never go anywhere else.

Find a guy who builds model kits. When you do, love him and marry him and for sure, you will never be the same.

Again, I take no credit to those words. All credits go to the original author. Here is the link to his blog - http://raigarage.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/date-guy-who-builds-model-kits.html

I really feel like sharing those words as those words are somewhat true. Thank you Ryan Toledo for writing those words.

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Modelling 101: Don't bite off more than you can chew

Hello Ladies and Gents ( if there is any ladies at all that read my blog post). Welcome to another post from the hummingbird.

Right, in this post, I would love to talk about another basic thing junior modeler need to know. And its basically about ''biting off more than you can Chew''.

That's right folks, ''Biting off more than you can chew''. It can happen, it will happen and it happened to me. Ruined a 1/144 Freedom and a 1/100 Heavy Arm and not to mention, I'm living in a country where Gunpla is very hard to come by.

Before I go on, have a look at my failures owning to my mistake of biting off more than I can chew.

As you an see, these are the result of me biting off more than I can chew. The Freedom, I bought it back in 2008 and I saw White Base's freedom and inspired by it. The Heavy Arm, I got it in early 2009 and was inspired to MG-fied this thing. 

I started Gunpla at late 2007 and the freedom was like my third gunpla since I started and there was only a limited resources to which I can access. In short, I had no idea what the hell I was doing or how to do thing. I was just inspired by other's great build that I wanted to do something like that. I was 18 back then, that also speaks a lot, as I was still very young and just wanted to copy something great. And boy, I did copy with out proper learning, proper practice and all I got was failure. But that didn't discouraged me, it fueled me to learn from them. Of course, those two models became wastes.

Its true gunpla is very addictive and inspiration is very very important. But perceiving inspiration in the wrong way can result in disaster. For a young and aspiring modeler, seeing so much inspiring builds can and will fuel him to try to be like his inspiration, be it modding a kit or painting kit. 

If that's that case, I just want to say this - Take things slow. Research, Ask around, read tutorials and practice first. For instance, lets take MatX for example. He does great modding job. One would (and surely be) inspired by his crazy, awesome, out-worldly modding. And from that inspiration, would come drive to mod and without proper practice, thinking one can do it,  one will start cutting up his gunpla, only to find that it is near impossible to get even a fraction of the modding done. Evidently from my past photo, that exactly happened to me. I didn't research enough and I went ahead and BAM, Failure. I bit off more than I can chew and I was left with two crap. 

I seriously don't want my juniors to go through what I have gone through as it is quite painful and a massive waste of money. So, please, take it from a man who went through this, do not DO NOT bite off more than you can chew.

I hope this post have been nice and educating to read. If you require any thing regarding gunpla, please don't hesitate to ask me and even if you ask me something that is not my expertise, I can refer you to my friends who know more. 

Thank you all for reading and as ever, thank you for your ever lasting support. 

Stay Tuned until the next update.

Edit - to add to this post, A great great modeler by the name of Matt Tomczek said and I quote 

''  I understand that Gunpla is hard to come by for you, but I actually disagree entirely with this. In order to learn, and progress, you need to do more then you can. If you just "take what you can eat" you'll never get better or learn anything at all. In the event that you ruin a kit, so be it. You learned the lesson, and yes it sucks that you lost some money, but in the long run you'll understand what you did wrong and will learn to either prepare better, or avoid your mistake. '' ... 

This is true yes ... but at the same time, I have seen many junior modelers biting off more than they can chew and doing something they still cannot do and put into a bad community, that will have a negative impact on those said modelers. 

The most important thing is , instead of biting off more then you can chew and getting negative results and what not , I would just like to advise to take things slow and practice and slowly and surely, it will come to you. Just don't rush.

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Tweaking around with photoshop part 2

Hello Dear readers.

Again I apologize for the non-modeling related post.

This is another post about some of my works on photoshop....

Again, I am nothing more then an amateur in this but I had fun doing a bit of photoshop and I enjoy it as much as I'm working on my models ... so yeah, I just wanna share it ...

And this is another of one pic of my fav sister - 

And this is one of a beloved younger sister and one of the most beautiful of Burmese in London

The following two photos are those of my closest younger sister 

And this one if one of my best friends

Well, I was having some kind of block on photoshopping and i can only produce as much .... but i have been practicing and I would be able to yield more better photos ...

Until then, Stay Tuned....

Thanks for looking

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What Modeling Can Offer - Part 2

Hello dear readers. This is the continuation of PART 1 of ''' What Modeling Can Offer''. 


I guess nothing special introduction is necessary as I have explained in PART 1 already, but just for convenience sake. This post will be mainly about What This Hobby Can Offer other then a few modified Gundam kits and a beautifully weathered Scale model kits. And What This Hobby Can Offer, dear readers is the GIFT OF GREAT FRIENDS.


DISCLAIMER - THIS LIST IS NOT LISTED ACCORDING TO PREFERENCES, THE LIST WAS JUST LISTED WITH WHO-SO-EVER NAME FIRST COME INTO MY MIND.

Chris Bryan

This is the 2nd master out of two in the world of scale modeling. Chris and I have been friends since the early 2009 when I was still handpainting massively thick paints, right out of the paint bottle. He was the very first person to teach me that is just wrong. He was also the master that I always bug to ( that is , before I bug Glenn after bugging Chris.. hehe ). Chris was always guiding me in the right path to be a successful scale modeler and being a father himself, he is so patient  and gives great advice. Always accepted him as a master and will always respect him. Oh, don't forget, Chris has made a huge, kick ass diorama and makes so  much of a wonderful ( in lack of better words) models but just like Glenn, you will never never ever see him act proud of arrogant ( I know the mustache suggests otherwise.. haha). A master and a friend I am proud to have. You can check out my master's work on his FB profile. 


Cris Cook @ Kriz 

No other then one of the trio of admins of MAC forum, Chris Cook AKA Kriz and known by other user names as well , which i cannot find out anymore. Kriz ( i will use Kriz on this Chris ) and I know each other since a year ago I think, when he was banned at Zero-G, he caught up with me on FichtenFoo and sent me a PM. But I was kinda a noob with social life back then and didn't carry on the massages and the friendship kinda stop there but after MAC and skyping on MAC, Kriz quickly became a trusted friend and a mentor. He always teach me how to be a good moderator, how to communicate with people and how to stand up for myself. Kriz also gives me great advice from time to time ( sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't hehe ) and he has been a like a father to me and I am more then grateful to have such a man as a mentor and a friend. Here is the link to his Blog.

George @ BlackLotus

George and I become fast friends after he added me on facebook since 2010. Well, he was a single man back then, I was with my ex so we didn't really talked much back then but we were friends and this year, I found myself a good friend in him. He was one of the very few the still listened to my about my break up, about how lonely I felt, u know, the usual break up stuffs. George is a good friend who finds the time to encourage me, talk with me, listen to me and help me move on. Not only he did a tremendous job as a friend over my breakup, he is a skilled modeler and always helped with choosing concepts for my builds. A serious like just like myself, but a kindhearted friend none-the-less, a friend I am proud to have, and a brother I am honored to call. You can check out his works via his profile on the MAC Forum. 

Steve Santos @ sneeper1980

IF not for MAC, I would never have this great man. Steve Santos aka sneeper1980, a newly promoted moderator of MAC, is a great man with love for his friends so big, it matches his big body ( joking about the big body, Steve.. haha ). Honestly though, I have no idea of this guy existence. Even after he becomes active on MAC, I wasn't aware of him. Thanks to kamm, he started using skype with his ancient computer ( which crashes like hell ), only then I have the honor of becoming a friend with him. A true friend none the less, he values friendship as much as I do and stick by this friends ; mainly me as I was always teased at by the gang ( I hate you guys.. u know yourself who i'm talking about haha ). A friend who also helped me to move on with my breakup, a friend who share some common principles and morals. Steve is, and will always be, a true friend for me a brother I cannot trade for otherwise. Check out his Youtube Channel and don't forgot to subscribe.


Paweł Cynk @ Aulon

Seriously, I hate this bastard..... nah.. I'm just kidding. He's another friend that I have the honor of becoming friends with. Paweł Cynk @ Aulon is nothing more then a cold antisocial bastard ( or so he claimed to be ) but don't let that fool you. He's a great guy, crack jokes and always help me out with my concepts. If you guys, the readers, can remember, he is the guy that I had a build-off with. Having a build off with my worth adversary was fun as much as spending time with him on skype. Despite his cold behavior, he is a good friend and a good friend he will remain. Aulon, being a greedy guy, has both a blog and a youtube channel. Be sure to follow his blog and subscribe.

Adrian Navarro Sicat @ krescenhaze

Adrian aka krescenhaze and I have been friends since july 2010, the time when the hummingbird started flying out of the nest. We were in the same group, GMAC, i believe he is a later comer compare with me and he started his works on his famous IJ and we became friends after commenting on each other's works. As he is busy with work, he can't come online to skype that regularly yet we always talk on facebook, me asking for his help in my concepts and he doing the same thing for me. Being also a fellow moderator of MAC, he is also a friend with Vanz  as well as Paul @ the'Virgin'angel and of cos, me and Vanz and Paul also have constant contact on FB, posting on each other's wall and Adrian joins into our conversation, having no idea what in the hell we were talking about, haha. Another friend I am proud to have, all account of this hobby. Here is his official FB page and you can check out his works via his MAC forum profile.

The list goes on and will not stop here. Its already a long post already and I don't want to bore out my readers. Part 3 will follow slightly after. STAY TUNED FOR MORE.

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Being Too hard on your own works - Don't be

I was just reading back the comments I received from the wip thread of the Nataku I made and I came across this comment once again ...

A comment made by a dear and beloved friend; no other then Kamm, the hand painting assassin, himself ... he typed and I quote -

" I think its admirable all the effort you put into this Gary.... you worked really hard on it so far and I think your too hard on yourself. The problem with seeing "great inspiring" works somtimes opens your eyes too much. it makes you think all your work isnt good enough. Just look at it this way man...


Enjoy the hobby, and enjoy inspiring others. Your mods and work on this inspired me to try more better modifications. Just trust your MAC bros that mistakes are what make you progress and being able to laugh about them helps your mind stay clear and focused. More time spent worrying/dwelling less time will be spent enjoying.


Just remember mate, you inspire me.  '''

And Another great comment from another one of my close friends , Daddy Vanz, he said and I quote

'' what I  see in you my bro, is that you have ''lots of patience and determination ''to finish this kit...and we are here to keep on supporting you !!      


keep it up @hummingbird !!! keep flying !!! '''

Those two comments really really really helped me to get better and not feel down about my own works.

What kamm said is true as seeing so much great works out there alike, you always feel down looking at your own stuffs. For me, every time I see MatX's gimmicks or Julius SBing or Don's weathering OR so many other great kits out there, I feel like just hitting my head against the wall, thinking,  ''' gosh I want to be like them ... why can't I build like them''.
The thing is, don't think like that, please just don't. They are they, you are you .. that's what I have found out these days. MatX sculpt plate in his own way ... and I sculpt plates with my own way ( namely the stairs method ) and that's how it should be. No point bashing your head in for something other have done.

Like kamm said, seeing so many great kits opened my eyes and I compared my kits with their kits (which of cos, makes it look like $H!T) but it really doesn't matter. Enjoy the hobby, and enjoy inspiring others is the way things should be. I started out with nothing but now, I inspire people up to the level of the Hand-painting-assassin with my modding. Keep building, Keep practicing and you will get there in no time.

And considering what Vanz said, lots of patience and determination is the key to a successful build... hell, not only in model but also in life too. I spent 9 months on a crappy HG .. 9 months .. I didn't quit and I sure don't want my fellow modelers, most especially my juniors to quit. Please, never ever do.

Perseverance, being the key to success, is needed in all aspect of life and , no doubt, is very very useful in modeling.

So if you have hit a wall, sit back, relax, chill, think things through and keep on building.

Happy modeling guys....

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