click to view illustration @TheNutGraph

Amongst other things, I've started a photography project with a friend (developing phase now); and my illustration on PAS's balancing act launches a new Comics & Cartoons column in The Nut Graph. It's a last minute illo (I changed it v late) done mostly on touchpad. I nearly drove myself nuts.

Webcam does many wonderful things, and I caught up with Jemufo over the weekend. She's studying in Spain now, and learning the language. 

This means I can now not-understand her tweets in Hungarian and Spanish. She could be bitching about me for all I know.

I haven't seen her face for so long, she has hair now! Well, by her botak standards anyway. I asked her good questions like what the girls in Spain are like, and she asked me difficult ones like where Melbourne is on the map.

Our second anniversary for our Facebook open-relationship is coming up. It's so wide open, we're not even dating. However, Marriagebot suggests that she will marry me, whereas I will wed my best friend. It also says I'll marry Daph, Nessa and Risha; all my best (and heterosexual) friends from Ipoh.

Jemufo didn't make the list (sorry baybeeee).

Nicholas is in Melbs for a week. Most of our conversations when we meet up begin with "I need coffee" and end in whatever cramped little cafe I've chosen to drag us to. Pic is when I brought him to see some graffiti laneways after, yes, good coffee in a cramped little cafe.

And a few grabby hands. Hehe.

Now if you'll excuse me, some sketches to do for a friend (half of Fortylove.tv), a Wordpress theme to code, and three character designs coming up!

It was a small street, so I couldn't help overhearing as they discussed, amongst other things, their dinner venue:

Girl 1: But it's dumplings! In soup!

Girl 2: Are dumplings in soup even a legitimate Chinese dish?

Lainie: .......

Girl 3: I didn't catch your name by the way. I'm Jenny.

Guy: I'm Bob

Jenny's possessive boyfriend: (interrupts) She's my better half! HAHAHA!

Bob: Oh.

Bob: ......I'm a doctor.

They were loud. I don't think I was the only one mentally facepalming over the awkward pick-up attempt, or going into mental overdrive thinking of various dumplings, in soups, Chinese, or otherwise.

On the weekend that Melbourne was hosting Malaysia Week, I decided my time would be better spent watching a barista from my favourite Melbs cafe compete in the Victorian Barista Championships. 

Talor Browne, of Seven Seeds / Brother Baba Budan.

Some photos from the event:

And finally, one picture of two of me. Thank you to (coffee fiend) Alex for the invitation to an awesome afternoon of coffee appreciation, and the introduction to Durkhanai.

As you can see from the looks of concentration, and the very careful pours they make, barista competitions in Melbourne are nothing like the crazy teh tarik competitions of Malaysia. I firmly believe if one of them threw coffee six feet into the air, and caught it in another 'lil cup, it would have totally rocked. I'd be the first to applaud.

More over on Facebook, if you're so inclined. 

I was on Tweetdeck and Twitterfox before this. Tweetdeck takes up more memory — my computer starts up noticeably faster with Mixero.

Mixero's use of screen space is more intelligent and elegant compared to Tweetdeck, doesn't feel as clunky as the multi-column approach. Also, it can be minimised to a floating toolbar on the side of the computer, which can be handy.

Functions: You get groups, active lists, multiple accounts, channels, window pop-outs, auto-complete usernames, auto-URL-shortener, @reply-to-all, follow conversation (like FB's wall-to-wall function), filters (ban or display certain words/users), auto-Twitpic, and Youtube /Twitpic previews.....if any of these functions sound unfamiliar, you can watch their introduction video.

Also, Mixero supports Chinese characters, and Tweetdeck doesn't. I have friends who update in Mandarin, so this is quite important for me.

Only drawback I can think of is that it's an Adobe AIR client — while that means compatibility across major platforms, it also means Mac users may not get the aesthetics they are used to for Cocoa-based Mac apps. It's the small stuff, like your window controls are on the upper-right corner, instead of the left.

That being said, it's no biggie, and still prettier than Tweetdeck.

Others have reviewed this lil app, I don't intend to go beyond an introduction. Read this review, if you wish: Mixero: The Tweetdeck Killer? | Geek Technica

For now, I will use Mixero, and await the day a swiss/Helvetica/minimalist (same difference?) Cocoa-based Twitter app comes along. If ever. (Tweetie doesn't support groups, which means I won't be using it. Ever).

Mixero vs Tweetdeck verdict: Mixero is faster, lighter, better looking, and gives you lots of control. 

Links:

Mixero website

Mixero twitter

Selamat Hari Raya to everybody, I hope you had a good one! I wish I weren't missing out on raya food here, but I did have a pretty awesome Indonesian lunch with Daphne. Eat more rendang on my behalf, please.

Random Monday T-shirt drawing. Some people get the Monday blues. I get cravings to do little vector drawings on Illustrator. To each her own, I suppose?

One of the better parts of Melbourne is the reading culture. Bookworms seem to be the norm here.

Guernica, by Dave Boling. A decent novel so far about lovers during the bombing of a Basque town in Guernica; the eponymous historic event of Picasso's painting. My latest read.

There are secondhand bookstores everywhere, plenty of titles, book signings, specialty bookstores, literature festivals; the last time a bibliophile was here I spent a lot of time dragging her away from several purchases (perhaps shouting something like "your budget will die!"). 

(latte from Brother Baba Budan, with Alex)

Pair that with Melbourne's love for coffee, and you have my new past-time. Bumming around for hours in a cafe with a good book and a thick latte (with requisite latte art). This isn't very different from back in Malaysia, except for the latte art part. 

I love that I can get really great coffee near my apartment (at least, before 5pm), and cheap too.

(spot the Sai Baba portrait!)

My loyalties for coffee lie elsewhere, but for lots of comfortable couches, books for reading, cheap prices, being open late on Sunday, the friendly laidback staff, free wifi and attached art gallery (how awesome is the list?), 1000 £ Bend (361, Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne) gets my vote. 

The reason for this post? I am trying to figure out if this is a moment for food (extra spicy beef noodles from Noodle Kingdom), a book, Photoshop, or Illustrator. Book, or random T-shirt monsters? Whichever I pick, there will be Milo.

Milo, om nom nom nommmmm.

I leave you with some graffiti from Melbourne:

(piece by Aerosol Arabic —Pakistani dude from Manchester, UK — and art crew Crooked Rib)

 It's a huge piece, spans across the end of the alley. It's rather different from the graffiti styles I've seen prevalent in Melbourne, especially the buildings. The quote reads: "A Thirst for Change", and "Do not waste water, even before a flowing river" — Prophet Muhammad.

It's partially cropped, I have to return another day to photograph the lower half. Still, pretty awesome piece, ei? And apt for Melbourne too, with its prevalent drought issues.

[ As I type this, Alex is busying himself in the kitchen making supper. Ohai! ]

[`[*Test Results from Oz Broadband Speed Test*]`]

[(---------------------------------- Test run on [*19/09/2009*] @ [*05:58 PM*])]

[(Mirror: [*TPG*] Data: [*3 MB*] Test Time: [*163.56 secs*])]

[(Your line speed is [*150 kbps*] (0.15 Mbps).

Your download speed is [*19 KB/s*] (0.02 MB/s). )]

You think Streamyx is slow??

To say I am severely displeased would be an understatement....

Chevalier brought fossils (one she found) as visual aids :P.

After the booklaunch, we went to a Malaysian restaurant across the road, called Petaling St. It caught Alex's eye, not mine (Malaysian, fail). It's relatively new, and was quite packed when we entered. I went with my usual:

Hainanese chicken rice! It's not the best I've had in Melbourne, but it's still pretty good (the soy sauce was blander than I prefer, but I remain a sucker for this dish). At about $9, it's also affordable.

However, our dinner came with four insects. Three on my dinner (pic: one on my rice), which I picked aside. One was taking a swim in Alex's tea. I don't know why Bao was the exception, maybe she ate her share :D. In this sense, it really felt like I was having food from the dodgier streets of KL.

I mentioned it to the waiter, who dealt with it politely and quickly (after determining that the insect came with my food, and didn't land on it while I was eating .__.). They apologised, and took my dish off the bill. I appreciated that — to be honest, I wasn't expecting that much*.

It's a new restaurant, and it seems there are some teething problems with hygiene. That aside, the food is cheap, and tastes decent (Alex says his Char Kuay Teow turned out gooood).

Will I be back? No. I had my first Melbourne stomach ache tonight, within an hour after my dinner. And, it usually takes a lot to make my stomach cave like that.

Technically, it could have been anything I'd eaten the past few days, but it's too coincidental for me. Still, Alex is fine after his CKT, and Bao is presumably doing okay too. Just my plate? Hrm.

Anyway...No matter how used I am to Aussie cafe prices for Asian hawker food...

...$9 for Maggi Mee Goreng. I don't intend to get used to it at all.

Hee. I miss a lot of friends back home, but I particularly miss the good, cheap food. Which is not to say I cannot get Malaysian food here, I just miss the company.

[ *As opposed to Duck King, Jaya One, whose manager pretended there wasn't lil glass bits in their food after I nearly ate it, despite spitting it out, and incredulously showing it to her. She insisted it couldn't have come from the kitchen, because she "asked the chef". I was there for dinner with Jemufo when it first opened, and was very upset. ]

I stayed with Amber (pic) and Bela in their very cosy home, filled with Star Wars memorabilia. My first -6°C experience. My fingers so cold, they actually hurt. I made grand declarations that I'd never complain about Melbourne's crazy weather again (like everyone else, I lied).

Amber looks comfortable here, I was probably wearing several layers when I took the photo.

Christchurch has such clear blue skies. The girls took me through their usual weekend routine, which began with souvlakis next to the arts centre.

This dude was busking where we bought our souvlakis, singing in Maori:

Very musical language, from what I gathered. Amber told me about the current politics for Maoris, and I told her a bit about our OA issues.

The nearby weekend arts and craft market: stopped at some stalls to chat with their friends.

Amber's holding up a crazy awesome pillow (Bela in the background). I forget the name of the felt artist, but she had heaps of funky wares, and showed us a beautiful self-portrait she painted.

(Later on, we walked by a tree with some veeeeery familiar eyes).

Next to the arts centre was The Fudge Cottage where they gave out heaps of free samples of fine handcrafted fudge. Oh my life.

More from Christchurch:

Of the many arty things over the weekend, this stuck out in my memory. An installation by the collective et al., That's obvious! That's Right! That's True!, exhibited in Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu. At the time, I enjoyed the Séraphine Pick exhibition more, though now I remember less of it.

View from above, right after I saw the art gallery's permanent collection. Saja.

A band performing at The Dux, a pescotarian-friendly pub with delicious food and good beers. Amber and Bela brought me along to meet their friends that night, most of them philosophers, some writers.

Pulling a beer. There's a really good looking chef in there.

The photo does him like, no justice, but if I could bring back a souvenir from NZ for some friends back home, he would be it. But apparently, that's not how he rolls.

Humans see sculptures. Birds see elaborate toilet bowls. I usually dislike public statues of figures (this sculpture is the closest I can think of as an exception), since I have my doubts about systems that put them in that historically-significant position.

Also, this form of status display inevitably look pompous to me. Buy a shiny watch people can ignore, dammit.

I hereby declare it isn't a proper arts festival until someone puts on funny clothes:

Like so. OMG ANTLERS AND BIG HAIR! I LIKE! These performers were walking all over the city, stopping wherever they pleased to perform, doing dances, reacting to each other.

They actually performed near The Dux the night before; I thought it the best place they could perform their ritualistic, shamanistic dances — next to a lot of drunk people.

 Their performance is called: My Heart is a Beast (The flock).

They were grasping their antlers, mooing loudly*. They were interpreting the spiritual, animal side of humanity, straining against the city's confines of the city. 

On the other hand, Slip was a project by Crochet Christchurch; over a period of time little representations of life were added all over the city, like on this lamp post.

To me, it's a sweet, cutesy gesture more than anything else at this stage; you're supposed to take one of the crocheted flowers with you, and wear it. I should like it, but it was a miss for me.

Take a flower home with you! — yes.
The city is alive, see? — no.

Perhaps I don't buy the idea of life through such quiet, controlled, still little doses. It's a nice perspective, just not one I reconcile with the idea it seemed to be going for. And it seemed a bit literal to actually put flowers/vines, felt like there was more room for exploration. Still, I can imagine this being really popular.

[ Kesian jugak la, it's not like I'm critiqueing anything else from the festival in this post ]

Anyhow, it was something to watch at the festival, balancing it out against the street performers; humanity bursting through, nature bursting through. Apparently a lot of things stretching the fabric of reality in Christchurch, fortunately there's an arts biennial to relieve some of that tension.

Night view of the site-specific video installation, Waharoa. In the daytime, the containers open up for short film screenings. I actually thought they made quite a good selection of short animated films.

Also caught a bit of the local buskers. Amber and Bela had just told me about their friends, and I chanced upon them drawing quite a crowd.

This is The Motley Two...Also known as:

David Ladderman (his specialty's the ladder), and his cohort:

The Mullet. He's very proud of it. Gets him all the laydehs.

Er....Many daring feats were attempted during their performance? Quite a fun duo.

And I couldn't resist, so....this is possibly the only photo of me in New Zealand:

Very touristy, I know. I won't blame you if you judge me.

These girls were great to me in Christchurch, and in return, I volunteered your collective hides to show them around; Amber is planning a SEA trip in the future, and I vaguely mentioned that I have friends in Malaysia with either brightly coloured hair or a penchant for allowing (near?) strangers into their homes.

[ I also remember Christchurch for the junk food binge. My hormones were acting up, so I ended up eating Whittaker's bittersweet peanut slab, L&P soda, KFC (my monthly embarassment — tastes like the one in Melbs, ie: nothing like Msian KFC), Bluebird chips, a Memphis Meltdown Big Hokey, and whatnot ]

Christchurch: Where I met a lot of vegetarians, philosophers, and a friendly South American cabbie called Marcus (you pay him in fare and kisses). A lot of drinking/eating, and wandering around the arts festival.

Randomly surprised Kiwis by being multi-lingual (I really wanted my food from the fish and chips shop).

More photos than I, or my laptop, can handle. There was warmth in Christchurch, from the people, but not the weather. Temporarily shared a place with two girls and a huge cat (and Darth Vader).

The view near where I stayed.

*I lied, but it reads like a more honest caption than what they were actually doing, which I shall still keep a secret.

Of course, I've been up to fuckloads since then. I even have photos/videos of some of them. But for now, I submitted a t-shirt design onto Threadless of Hantu Kote, or Hantu Kangkang. Yknow, the male equivalent of Hantu Tetek.

I'm not sure they'll consider it PG-13 enough for Threadless. Sometimes it strikes me as being squeaky clean (except when it comes to violence).

Going up twenty levels within a week is pretty chronic; Farmville is a time-based game. This means I'm at it almost all day.

I'm not concerned with levelling up, that's a side-effect of manic ploughing and harvesting (for every sentence you read, someone is removing me from their friendslist).

Meesh says my farm is too messy, but I like it that way. I think I'd lose a lot of interest if I were to arrange them all in neat boxes.

 Liy was the one who introduced me to the game, and she might regret this since she'll be visiting Melbourne next week, and her tour guide will want to be at home, planting digital tomatoes, picking apricots and collecting truffles.

Farmville is still in beta, so there are frustrations like server syncing problem (play for ten minutes and it saves nothing). But because it's still developing, new features are rolled out all the time, like a controlled stream of treats.

 This is my other addiction; this game is totally awesome. Weaponry plants (as in cabbage-cannons, not nuclear-warhead assembly factories) make up the army that defends your brains from hungry zombie armies.

Lots of mini-games, puzzles, strategy; the truly fun part of this is the mayhem when hundreds of zombies storm your house, and there are so many projectiles flying across the screen at them you can't really tell what's going on.

This dancing zombie (all resemblances to persons dead or alive are coincidental) makes me smile. There are a lot of quirky zombies here.

If you'd like to give the games a go, here are some links:

Farmville (on Facebook).

Plants vs Zombies (also, PvZ's official Youtube channel)

Free online games:

Sonny 2; rpg — you are a zombie soldier (there's a theme, yes), customise your weapons, outfits, slay others, etc. No snacking on brains)

Meowcenaries; control cute lolcatz soldiers on various mission.

HRmageddon; rpg — Your job is in danger, your soldiers, the other employees in the HR department. It's survival of the fittest. Your army of bitchy salesmen, managers, receptionists and IT guys duke em out for office domination.