Watch out, Yoki! It's a skirt!

Things are progressing with our Jedi duo's costumes. Both Luminara's and Barriss' clothes are in good standing. I'm really happy with the color schemes we were able to pull off with the material choices. Luminara as the elder and more refined one has a brown-black theme going on and younger and more modern Barriss' theme is black with touches of blue. When Yoki put the dress on for first fitting, she looked in the mirror and said that Barriss is really Sith-like. No wonder, the character design was originally planned for a Sith.

We picked random belts to accessorize the costumes. I don't have hoop skirt underneath, so the hem looks bit collapsed. And don't mind the fact, that we look like ghosts with bad hair day!


My outfit has been ready for a while. Now that I had sewn Yoki's, we just put them on to see how they worked together. They looked good, but it was bit hilarious still. Yoki has worn a skirt, a dress or any piece of clothing with a hem approximately five times in her life time and never out of her own wish. So we had few laughs when she tried to cope with long skirt and heels; things that Yoki would never wear or at least not at the same time. She kicked the hem back and forth while trying to walk. To even the scores, I must admit that I almost tripped on mine. " What an elegant way of moving, beautiful Jedi-like flexibility, my master!"


Training ahead with maneuvering in the costumes . Let's add huge capes and we are done for!

This is more likely what Yoki would wear. But I think the dress suited her well too!

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I feel most Singaporean when …

… I am talking to Non-Singaporeans or when I am abroad.

At GyeonogBukGong, korea.

This is probably a weird theory but I seriously feel the patriotic-ness oozing in me when I’m with non-Singaporeans. Yeah, I’m weird like that.

And I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always feel the need to behave appropriately in front of foreigners because I don’t want to spoil the the reputation of my lovely Lion City. Call me old fashioned if you want but I feel that every Singaporean is an ambassador to their motherland.

What else can be a better representation of a country if not their people?

Which is why I do things like the Worldwide Cosplayer Photo Journey and tell people why they should visit Singapore. 

Starting the Worldwide Cosplayer Photo Journey gives me the chance to put my own country on a map and allows me to share this wonderful little island with as much people as possible. I love to share, I love being proactive and I love to be able to make a difference!

So here’s an entry to share my not so different sentiments as to what makes me a Singaporean.

Zephyus and I representing Singapore for the Regional Cosplay Championship 2010

1. Representing Singapore makes me feel Singaporean. I know it’s a given but whenever I get the chance to represent my country, I would always try to make the other delegates or guest feel my hospitality. Even if they don’t know me.

Kaya was my choice of gift last year. 2009 was Bakgwa.

2. Talking about Singapore also makes me feel Singaporean. Be it the good or the bad, just thinking about her and the problem she faces, reflects my understanding and attachment to her.

The Wishing Tree, Hong Kong

3. When I hear people speak in Singlish abroad. I feel the instant connection and the urge to hold their hands and prance around. Come on, don’t tell me you don’t get that! It’s pretty much a national identity already! Every nation has it’s own quirks yeah?

4. When something bad happens and I know there are official authorities I can turn to for help. It’s always assuring to know someone's got your back covered and you have your legal rights in a country.

5. When I walk into our MRT stations during rush hour with the knowledge that my train will come within 3.5 minutes.

6. When I teach my foreign friends how to use Singapore’s public transport systems and hear them marvel at its efficiency and ease-of-use.

Lotte Mall, Korea

7. When I go to the food courts during lunch hours and see tissue packets on the table. It’s a social culture!

8. When I hear my girlfriends joke about never accepting a marriage proposal that starts with a request to get a HDB together. And totally getting the joke without having to ask “What is HDB?”. Yes, a uniquely Singaporean predicament.

Incheon Airport, Korea

9. When I walk down the bustling streets of MyeongDong and they ask if I am Japanese. And without fail, giggle to myself after I explain I am Singaporean because their reaction never gets old.

Harbour City Mall, Hong Kong

10. When I gather with other South East Asian-ers and is the only Chinese group that will choose English to express themselves more than their own Mother Tongue.

So here are some of the little things in life that claims my right as a red passport holding Singaporean.

Singapore might not be perfect but it is a very beautiful and well governed country. A country of vibrance, racial harmony and a country where its’ people can live in peace with assurance that their loved ones and assets will be protected as much as they can be. The assurance that life will get better if you work hard and the assurance that pushes Singapore forward with her people.

I hope you enjoyed reading this entry. For an entry that has so little text, it sure has consumed many time. This is my submission entry to mySingapore.sg’s blogger search! I hope I will be able to win a trip to Shanghai to experience the Singapore Day held there this April! Wish me luck and as usual, comments never kill anyone :D

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Convention season 2011

It might be bit early to start rambling about this years conventions; first one is months away and we don’t know our other plans for summertime. But I got so exited by a certain envelope, which arrived in the mail!

Desucon is not the first con we are going to attend, but certainly it’s the most anticipated one. Even if it have been held twice before, we've never got ourselves transported to Lahti(-city). Now we have accommodation and transportation on the site assured, which is good if we even consider taking Whiteys there. I’m already having nightmares of how we travel with the costumes, yet try to cope with wearing and navigating in them when we are half-blind and numbed by plastic. Good that we have experience by then! We are going to wear the costumes publicly first time in the beginning of April.

The first happening is Tampere Kuplii, annual comic festival held 6-10.4. We chose Snowtroopers, because they fit the theme rather well and we might not fry in them at that time of the year. We are little hesitant though. We have our doubts for equation: city environment, spring and white costumes. Of course we will weather the costumes out at some point, but I would like to do it confined and with a precise plan.

The next event for us might be Bakacon at Pieksämäki. We are not yet totally sure about attending it, but “small town convention” feels just so damn appealing. Other duo we are going to do this year and have actually started is Jedi master Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barriss Offee. These two are strong candidates for Baka. Even with Luminara’s head piece the costumes are rather easy to travel with. But then again it might still be possible to wear Snowies in May as far as weather goes, so we might not introduce Luminara and Barriss before Desucon.

Desucon starts the series of summer conventions. We have thought about Kawacon in the beginning of July and Ropecon for old time sake in the end of the month. It really seems that we are compensating for the last con-dry years. In 2010 we attended one and in 2009 the magical number was two.

We can be counted as cosplayers who enjoy wearing old costumes, so costume-wise everything should be in control. We have Joxter and Muddler who we have worn only once. Yoki would like to wear Snufkin again, now that she has let her hair grow. I could join in with a cosplay of a rather similar character type. The costume is still unfinished, but I think I might be able to pull it together quickly. Or I could take Samara out for a walk and for her first real con. Yoki also has promised that she could consider Kirika Yuumura to go with Mireille. They would effortless solution for secondary costumes. We also have seriously thought about reintroducing Sasori and Deidara, but not only as basic ones… Ho-ho… About this I might write more in the coming months.

With new acquaintances Baka-, Kawa- and Desucon we'll meet our old friend in September. Tracon VI is held at Tampere in 3-4.9 and... there is little I can tell next to that. Our plans for Tracon are still quite open. We can't really choose the costumes before we know where the World Cosplay Summit preliminaries are being held. Costume selections for end of the season is determined by that.

In any case, we are thrilled! I think we have nice set of costumes to display both in conventions and on videos. Only things left is to make the costumes and wait for summer. Looking at the thermometer reminds me that it's still some way to go.

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Jplex: Japanese singers coming to Singapore!

“ A super weekend of Japanese entertainment with JPLEX Volume 1!

Branded as JPLEX Volume 1, the first ever installment of the entertainment platform will bring to Singapore, for the first time, direct from Japan, three Anime Blockbusters, that includes titles like the latest Naruto Movie Naruto Shippudden: The Lost Tower and Sokyuu No Fafner: Heaven and Earth. Also on show is the third installment of the highly acclaimed Gundam Unicorn series. Coupled with these exciting movies are two concert performances from top Japanese music groups, angela and FLOW, whose music have been featured extensively in the soundtracks of the featured movie franchises of Naruto and Sokyuu No Fafner.”

Event: Jplex (Japan Entertainment Platform)
Date: 5th, 6th March 2011
Venue: Republic Polytechnic
Website: http://www.jplex.asia/ 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jplex-Japan-Entertainment-Platform/127177644020390

And so it seems like the team that has brought us Anime festival Asia, is here with another J infused event. Packing an entire weekend this coming March, with rockin Japanese music and Anime screenings.

And the famous band that did the famous Naruto Opening songs are here too along with the superb Angela!

Priced at $98 each, the tickets will grant you access to an intimate session with the Japanese celebrities. The concert will include a meet and greet session open to a maximum of 300 attendees. Autographs appears to be permitted only for official merchandise bought during the event. You guys will probably have to camp at Jplex’s Facebook page for more updated information.

I doubt I can afford the concert tickets but the Anime screening looks cool.

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I’m cool with insults and I’m ugly.

You know, its weird how people of our generation communicate and connects with each other. Living in the age of web 2.0, social networking sites and speeding internet connection has definitely changed a lot of stuffs.

And it’s funny how I’ve gotten myself into this predicament; the focus of an internet troll.

Not like I’m new to it since it’s so easy to leave ‘constructive’ comments on every single thing thing you have an issue with online.

Stop telling me they should not hold hands and omg THE CHAIRS!

I mean, 375,296 views, 1825 comments and 136 dislikes (growing at the moment) can’t be all peaches and cream.

 

Erm yeah, and I don’t understand why you’re so happy about it ._.

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Thank you, thank you, I get your point.

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And occasionally, some engrish I fail to comprehend totally because the sentence structuring conflicts in intent.

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If you’re going to say its just Youtube people, then check out the comments on Niconico, 135,453 views,12,964 comments and some of the rudest comment ever.

In case you don’t understand Chinese, that yellow text says “She is freakin ugly”.

That’s not even the worse. I have old classmates telling me during gatherings that their friends in camp (National Service, go google) upon knowing he knows “Kaika”, would immediately have a tale or rumor about “Kaika” to share with him. Seriously, I didn’t even know “kaika” was anybody worth noticing! Someone tell me I ought to be happy.

And I’d be damned to admit that none of what they claimed seems to be archived in my memory! Either I’m suffering from memory loss or someone’s been fanning some stories. And I just laugh them off.

So yeah, you can tell I’m totally cool with misunderstandings and insults.

But some spammers/trollers are just downright persistent, weird and…. dumb.

 

Seriously, go read the comments. It is VERY entertaining.

So the guy started off by claiming that I have no rights to upload that video and that the copyright belongs to the models in the video, in this case, lovely Olivie and Miyako. Many people have misunderstandings about Copyright and Infringement laws so I wasn’t too upset about it. Just thought I’d let him know the correct rules.

 

And then he flooded me with a series of repetitive comments which the better part of me chose to ignore. Until a few weeks later, I saw Olivie’s comment on the video. Indicating her thanks to the guys for emailing and informing her about the video and educating her with the WRONG copyright information! That was when I really started to boil!

 

If I was rude and arrogant, I don’t know what’s polite!

 

It’s one thing to be misinformed and ignorant, and another thing to instigate conflicts! What more wrongly accusing the right and spread wrong information!

And so from telling me I should get the model’s permission, he has gone on to demand that I produce a certificate to prove I am the owner of the event/mall (wth certificate?! Does he think we’re talking about a swimming or cooking class?!)

And he even went on as much as to show me this picture as a prove of the “Youtube rule” that the uploader and videographer has no rights over the video.

I don’t want to come across as being mean or sarcastic but seriously, does he think I’m an idiot?

I know I look bimbotic but seriously, give me a break!

 

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Don’t worry guys, I’m not upset about it and I’m knowledgeable enough to know everything I did is legally correct =) I should probably block him but he is such an entertainment now. I mean, he even helped created a blog entry \o/!

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Where it all began

Three years ago I suggested to Yoki that we should make an account on Youtube. About cosplay, I stated and we started to think a fitting name for us. We are slightly more cautious with our costumes now, but back then were bit clumsy for time to time. That gave birth to the first part of the channel’s name.

We wanted to have an opening video, but because it was winter we couldn’t have a proper photosession. Our first video was a slideshow and consisted material from the previous summer in form of casual Sasori and Deidara. The next spring we made our first video. It literally took hours to film; we didn’t have any particular plan, we only knew how it should end. But we had fun time wandering around Aulanko’s beautiful park confusing people with uniforms and Finnfoam swords. Nowadays we make shoot scripts and pretty much stick to them. And more importantly we demand from ourselves to have an idea worth executing.

What originally got me to ask Yoki about this whole Youtube-thing? I had bumped to other groups who made cosplay videos; Fighting Dreamers Pro, Koi Cosplay and one group, who had made video about Axel and Roxas. I have played Kingdom Hearts once or twice, but next to that I really don’t have knowledge of the games or characters aside from fanart and Wikipedia, but still the Axel-Roxas one had the biggest influence on me.

Now after nearly twenty different videos and handful of new ideas we are quite sure of what we are doing. Comedy seems to be our thing, even if we have few “serious” plans for upcoming summertime.

Oh yeah, last Friday Yoki uploaded some silliness to celebrate our account’s third anniversary!

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Hetalia x Just Be Friends ?!

HOMG, Axis Power Hetalia fans and Just be Friends fans behold! This is probably the only chance you'll ever see these 2 polar titles appear in the same sentence together.

 

 

 

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SERIOUSLY, TELL ME YOU DIDN'T LAUGH!!!!

 

 

This video is done by a group of awesome Filipinas!

Composer: Dixie Flatline

Vocals: Zebra Rapbit

Prussia : Ami ( http://lolitamyangel.deviantart.com/ )
Hungary: Donjie ( http://suki-chii.deviantart.com/ )

Photographers:
z3ll ( http://z3llll.deviantart.com/ )
Erving ( http://huzafan.deviantart.com/ )

Video Editor:
Andre ( http://aeade.deviantart.com/ )

 

 

And yes, they even uploaded it on Valentine’s day itself (Philippine hour)!!! Please go and check out the video at their original Youtube page and leave them a comment to tell them how awesome they are!

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WWCPJ: 6th receiver selected!

You don't know how glad I am to announce this =)

The Worldwide Cosplayer Photo Journey have finally moved on again! This time, it is Bumbley from Ontario, Canada! Woots! Watch Riko, our lovely 5th participant from Malaysian select the 6th participant below ^_^

Llamas >w< !

Much thanks to Riko for sending out the parcel and being part of this project!

The biggest reason why the parcel stopped over at Malaysia for more than a month was because the first 2 selected recipients went Missing-in-Action and did not respond to Riko’s emails. Poor Riko had to film and upload the selection video 3 times! Quick! Comment and praise Riko for her diligence now!

It is always frustrating and disappointing when such incidents occur, especially when they happen one after another (1st and 2nd try). So let’s pray the subsequent receivers will respond promptly and that the parcel reaches Canada safely!

Just a gentle reminder, the Worldwide Cosplay Photo Journey is still OPEN! To participate, pop over to the WWCPJ page now to leave a comment! The project will end in June 2011.

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Final Fantasy Giveaway Results!

Apologies for the wait but it is wait no more. I have come with the results for the Final Fantasy giveaways! And the winner is entry number 92 !

Congratulations to Yamina el Gaad for winning the Square-Enix Booklet and File. I will be contacting you shortly.As with all my giveaways, if the selected winner fails to respond within 5 working days, I will choose another winner =)

 

Thank you for all your hearty responses! Please don’t feel disheartened if you didn’t win the giveaway because there will be more to come =) Just remember to stay tuned to the blog ^_^

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Near closet cosplay

It seems that after Snowies I have too much time to spare... Well, I can justify this as posing practice if nothing else!

Edit: Oh yeah, I just washed my black wig. Yoki don't know what to expect when she comes for the weekend next time. I can give a hint! It starts with an "l".

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Skip beat Photoshoot

*SUPER intensive graphic load and nauseating narcissm*
So my last photoshoot post got quite a few encouragements from you guys commenting that you like the content so I'm here for another! I reckon most of you would know of my shameless pimpin endeavor last month for ORA's Smiling Contest. And my submission picture was myself cosplaying as Kyoko from Skip Beat.

Would you believe if I say this picture has not been touched up at all? (Not trying to imply I look perfect, I just feel that technically, it’s a very well taken photograph with adequate lighting and doesn’t need much touch up (as long as we look at it with eyes of kindness). Even though if I want to, there’s lotsss I can do )
Photos in this entry are all unedited (at least not by me) unless otherwise stated. 

It was a simple and very last minute Photoshoot so there's nothing spectacular arranged. Much thanks to Juliana for taking time out from her schedule to shoot with me =)

The costume is comfortable and easy to make and I don't have any tips to share either. So I'm just here to share the gazillion amount of photos taken in a bid to lessen the amount of photos that have seen their graves in my HDD.

Don't you just hate how you can take a few hundreds photos per shoot but only showcase 2% of it? So what happens to the rest of the 98%?! Starve and die in your HDD till the end of time!!!

I don’t know about you but I can never get myself to delete the other photos away. So with every photoshoot, my HDD becomes 1- 2 Gigabytes smaller. Thank goodness memory space are cheap now.

Check out Juliana’s awesome Photoshop skills  

The shoot was held at a popular local landmark and there were heaps of people everywhere. Trying to get an empty background was definitely not an easy task. 

Singaporeans who don’t know this place should be ashamed of yourself! Stop reading this post now and go explore your country!

Multitudes of test shots where I relish in expressing myself Collage made with Picasa and some slight touchup done to prevent my eyebags from scaring you. Yes, IKR, the last 2 pictures are so manly. The ladies love me

I’m sitting in the shadow of Juliana’s Light Shade. My eyes couldn’t take the full glory of our cardinal Sun so you guys will just have to deal with the awkward shadow. Yes, my wig is really messy =(

 

Really liked this picture even though its too blur =( The kite is real by the way. Great timing yeah xD?

My fringe and face spoilt everything but I like how Juliana posed me ;D 

This is narcisstic, I'm finding it hard to justify this post.... -_-

Oh well, High 5 !

One thing I realize after this Photoshoot which I seriously ought to have realised long ago. But you know what they say about a picture speaking a 1000 words. And I guess having photographic proof speaks louder than any theories.

I realize If you don't want to have to post-process your photographs, then make sure you and your photographer set up the light well! 

The only reason why these photos are presentable without Photoshop is because Juliana (photographer) set up an awesome Light stand to illuminate my face. And we took effort to make sure my face is getting as much light as it could by facing the right angle or have a reflector to fill the light in.

Kyoko’s not happy she has to mop the floors again

If you and your photographer can't afford a reflector, fret not! Just find some big white material (Vanguard sheet, styrofoam) and they can do the trick too!

 

Kyoko the Saikang Warrior 

Hold the lights!

Oops!!!!! 

The long wait for Ren to be done with his interview…

Abruptly ending my overly long and nauseating entry here because I’m really sleepy. I’m sorry I got too photo happy and hope I didn’t kill your bandwidth with my nonsense photographs.

You can tell I enjoy having fun and living the character when I’m cosplaying. Even though I admit, half of the pictures are me with a silly face but ….. you know you love Kyoko :D yea yea?

Pink Panther Kyoko

Hope you enjoyed this entry! Leave me a comment to tell me you’r still alive after this photo flood :X

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