1) AVCON 2010
Adelaide Convention Centre
July 23rd - 25th 2010
http://www.avcon.org.au/2010/
the Anime and Video Games Convention in Adelaide this year is back! i planned to send some artworks for competitions this year but since that i wont be here for the whole thing, i decided not to send any. it won't be as fun not being there during the event. but anyway it isn't too bad. been there last year. i'm not saying i expect it to be the same thing but just saying at least i have been there.
2) True Cinematic Gaming : Episode 4
Starcraft 2 - Wings of Liberty launch party
Gawler Twin Cinema, Gawler SA
July 26, 6.30pm
Event Facebook Page
this event is their first PC game event. and oh i am so sad i can't be there. i am a huge fan of starcraft (though not very good at it). starcraft was the first game ever that i waited for the release. the very game that i played at home, alone playing the single player campaign; played at school with friends at the computer room when our teacher was not looking; and the game that i played with friends in uni, gaming friends who set up a local bnet server.
3) WWE SMACKDOWN® @ Adelaide Entertainment Center
Aug 3, 2010
http://www.theaec.net/EventDisplay.aspx?eid=1653
yeah i know. lol. i used to really love watching WWF and then stopped when i first started uni. when i moved into a house with some close friends who enjoyed WWE like me, we even subscribed PPV wrestlemania event one time XD. but this event, i will probably not go and buy the ticket or anything. the idea of being at that event is pretty awesome tho.
but sad as i am, i am now on my way to London, then to Newcastle, then to Edinburgh, then to Glasgow, and head to Paris, and finally back to London. this post was written on Monday, a scheduled post i made before going away.
i will not have a laptop with me during the trip, so most comments will probably not be replied instantly. but i will try to find a way to get online.. we internet junkies always will find a way right?
so till next time.. i'll be in EUROPE bebeh!!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Event - True Cinematic Gaming Ep 3
the 3rd event of True Cinematic Gaming will be held today at Gawler Twin Cinemas, in Gawler. event starts 6.30pm and will end as late as 12.00am (but it normally ends around 11pm if not many attendees).
True Cinematic Gaming : Episode 3 is the third event of TCG, a fortnightly small competition for gamers to compete in various games of various (mostly) console games. although there is a favourite game that might be played, bet they are also open for suggestions of new games and good games with enough people to compete in. which means, a really good Halo player might win the first prize during Halo Night but during next episode, they may not have Halo anymore hence other people good at other games could have a chance to win as well.
but hey, its not the prizes that's important.. the the chance to gather with gamers and play console games on a huge cinema screen!
Gawler is a small town just outside Adelaide. almost an hour's drive from adelaide, and you can get there on the train (Gawler Line) which normally takes around an hour. unfortunately, Gawler line is being upgraded and it will take longer to get there. if you are taking the train, stop at Gawler Station (NOT Gawler Central) which is closer
i made a post about the Episode 2 event, there was a COD:MW2 competition that night.
although the event is fortnightly, there are sometimes special events. so, the next event, Episode 4, will be on the 26th of July. why that date? because episode will be sort of a Starcraft 2 launching party on the eve of Starcraft 2 launch date (27/07/2010). yays!
but............................. i wont be able to be there T_______________________________T
anyway, here's the poster for Episode 4 event.
and details about the whole thing can be found at TCG facebook page (follow link)
anyway, those people in adelaide area, grab ur mates and head to Gawler Twin Cinema tonight for True Cinematic Gaming Episode 3. tickets are $5 (spectators), $15 (competitors). there is a group discount tickets for competitors - $12 each for groups of 4 to 7 people, and $10 each for groups more than 7.
True Cinematic Gaming : Episode 3 is the third event of TCG, a fortnightly small competition for gamers to compete in various games of various (mostly) console games. although there is a favourite game that might be played, bet they are also open for suggestions of new games and good games with enough people to compete in. which means, a really good Halo player might win the first prize during Halo Night but during next episode, they may not have Halo anymore hence other people good at other games could have a chance to win as well.
but hey, its not the prizes that's important.. the the chance to gather with gamers and play console games on a huge cinema screen!
Gawler is a small town just outside Adelaide. almost an hour's drive from adelaide, and you can get there on the train (Gawler Line) which normally takes around an hour. unfortunately, Gawler line is being upgraded and it will take longer to get there. if you are taking the train, stop at Gawler Station (NOT Gawler Central) which is closer
i made a post about the Episode 2 event, there was a COD:MW2 competition that night.
although the event is fortnightly, there are sometimes special events. so, the next event, Episode 4, will be on the 26th of July. why that date? because episode will be sort of a Starcraft 2 launching party on the eve of Starcraft 2 launch date (27/07/2010). yays!
but............................. i wont be able to be there T_______________________________T
anyway, here's the poster for Episode 4 event.
and details about the whole thing can be found at TCG facebook page (follow link)
anyway, those people in adelaide area, grab ur mates and head to Gawler Twin Cinema tonight for True Cinematic Gaming Episode 3. tickets are $5 (spectators), $15 (competitors). there is a group discount tickets for competitors - $12 each for groups of 4 to 7 people, and $10 each for groups more than 7.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
5 Things to Know If You Have a DSLR (and consider yourself a photographer)
this post is meant for people new to SLRs and people who share the same opinion about 'photographers'. i have written quite a few entries before about my annoyance toward wannabe photographers. but each and every one of them was left unpublished. i hate posting negative posts.
i know people have heard of this before, but i just wanna say it: 'owning an SLR (digital or not) does not make you a photographer'
ok enough with the negativity. i am starting to feel like an elitist jerk who thinks that i am better than everyone.. which i am not, not entirely. maybe just a little but i prefer to deny it. just to be clear, i like photography, mostly about the design aspect of it. so i don't care much about the tech and the proper use of lenses etc. as far as i'm concerned, even someone with a compact camera can snap awesome pics. i am only a hobbyist.
if you just bought an SLR, or planning to, or maybe have it but still feels a little weird (or perhaps shy to use it in public) when using it, i suggest practice and understand what all these mean :
1 - the correct way to hold an SLR
once i saw this malay drama on tv and her character is supposed to be a photographer or something. then picked up her dSLR, and held the camera like a n00b. tsk tsk tsk
2 - learn the SLR basic functions
ISO, aperture, shutter speed, light meter, and the most important of all (and also the easiest way to identify wannabe photographers).. focus. i think focus is the most important because a blurred picture is a complete FAIL. if photography is a language, then focus would be the proper grammar.
3 - learn the photography basics
composition (balance, rule of third, point of interest, negative and positive space, depth of field), lighting (using flash, not using flash, reflectors, natural light), colours (colour temperature, white balance, understanding the colour wheel helps a lot too), and bracketing.
4 - read tips, look at inspirations, practice, practice and practice.
i am sure a lot of SLR owners are already doing this. to be good at it (or everything else anyway), a lot of practice is needed. if you're using dSLR, make sure you have a lot of disk space and keep all the photos.. but by all means delete all the out-of-focus and ugly-as-shit ones. if you are using film, keep the negatives in a safe place. and tips, although it does not sound important when you have been taking pictures for years, are always a good thing. i still read photography tips before i go somewhere to travel. it's like a revision and sometimes, you come across simple tips that you never heard of.
5 - learn the advanced techniques
ok this part is not really important, but will help you improve. but start this only when you have mastered the basics and have done these things :
- sunrise and sunset photography (with silhouette)
- light trails
- panning and zooming effects
- multiple exposure
- marco photography
when you have done these successfully, most likely you have enough experience in photography. so move on to the more advanced things like:
- panorama (and vertical panorama)
- extreme macro
- HDR
- tilt shift photography
i think tutorials and examples of any of these techniques i mentioned are easily found on the net. lots to read right? yes, but it is a lot of fun too. just don't do everything at the same time.
omg this has become a long post. no matter. if you have read it i hope, in any way, it has been beneficial and not too much of a waste of time. again.. i'm no photographer. so all this are things i know about photography from reading, uni, internet, mags, and friends.. and blogs too.
and owh.. there's lots more photography techniques out there too. obviously.
^_^
i know people have heard of this before, but i just wanna say it: 'owning an SLR (digital or not) does not make you a photographer'
ok enough with the negativity. i am starting to feel like an elitist jerk who thinks that i am better than everyone.. which i am not, not entirely. maybe just a little but i prefer to deny it. just to be clear, i like photography, mostly about the design aspect of it. so i don't care much about the tech and the proper use of lenses etc. as far as i'm concerned, even someone with a compact camera can snap awesome pics. i am only a hobbyist.
1 - the correct way to hold an SLR
once i saw this malay drama on tv and her character is supposed to be a photographer or something. then picked up her dSLR, and held the camera like a n00b. tsk tsk tsk
2 - learn the SLR basic functions
ISO, aperture, shutter speed, light meter, and the most important of all (and also the easiest way to identify wannabe photographers).. focus. i think focus is the most important because a blurred picture is a complete FAIL. if photography is a language, then focus would be the proper grammar.
3 - learn the photography basics
composition (balance, rule of third, point of interest, negative and positive space, depth of field), lighting (using flash, not using flash, reflectors, natural light), colours (colour temperature, white balance, understanding the colour wheel helps a lot too), and bracketing.
4 - read tips, look at inspirations, practice, practice and practice.
i am sure a lot of SLR owners are already doing this. to be good at it (or everything else anyway), a lot of practice is needed. if you're using dSLR, make sure you have a lot of disk space and keep all the photos.. but by all means delete all the out-of-focus and ugly-as-shit ones. if you are using film, keep the negatives in a safe place. and tips, although it does not sound important when you have been taking pictures for years, are always a good thing. i still read photography tips before i go somewhere to travel. it's like a revision and sometimes, you come across simple tips that you never heard of.
5 - learn the advanced techniques
ok this part is not really important, but will help you improve. but start this only when you have mastered the basics and have done these things :
- sunrise and sunset photography (with silhouette)
- light trails
- panning and zooming effects
- multiple exposure
- marco photography
when you have done these successfully, most likely you have enough experience in photography. so move on to the more advanced things like:
- panorama (and vertical panorama)
- extreme macro
- HDR
- tilt shift photography
i think tutorials and examples of any of these techniques i mentioned are easily found on the net. lots to read right? yes, but it is a lot of fun too. just don't do everything at the same time.
omg this has become a long post. no matter. if you have read it i hope, in any way, it has been beneficial and not too much of a waste of time. again.. i'm no photographer. so all this are things i know about photography from reading, uni, internet, mags, and friends.. and blogs too.
and owh.. there's lots more photography techniques out there too. obviously.
^_^
Thursday, July 8, 2010
tentang The Day We Met
people normally remember every single detail of the moment they first met their other half. as for me i did not quite remember all the details when i first saw her 16 years ago.
we went to the same secondary school, a boarding school. i was a nerdy (not the genius kind) kid. 'sivik' kid they called me because i follow all the rules and doesn't really know how to have fun. and when it comes to girls, i was entirely clueless.
on the first day of school all the 'freshies' had an assembly, our very first, wearing our new school uniforms for the very first time. before the assembly we lined up according to our dorms and entered the main hall in lines of new students. there was a rather long (but forgettable) assembly and then we were sorted into our classes.
at some point before or after (i am quite sure it was before) the assembly, standing in line with my dorm mates, i was trying to look for anyone i had know in primary school. there was supposed to be three of us that was selected to go to this school. but i have not yet seen those people i know. maybe they did not accept the offer and decided to stay home. boarding school is not for everyone anyway
looking around, i saw this girl, walking in the long line of girls. she was fair and her cheeks were rosy. she wears her uniform a little different from others, she kinda looked awkward wearing it, and she did not smile or laugh. she had that clueless and a little scared look on her face like the rest of us. i remember thinking that she was extremely cute, even without any cute expression on her face.
i felt something.
i was a nerdy kid, feelings toward girls are alien to me. confusing and a little bit embarrassing, even just to myself. but albeit not understanding what i felt, i remember that moment very well. because i felt something
we did not meet until a few days later. she was in the same class with me. we were the same class for three straight years. now, 16 years later, we are still together.
last night i wished her happy 3rd anniversary.. and i can't wait to celebrate all our future anniversaries with her until the rest of my life.
again, happy 3rd anniversary sayang
we went to the same secondary school, a boarding school. i was a nerdy (not the genius kind) kid. 'sivik' kid they called me because i follow all the rules and doesn't really know how to have fun. and when it comes to girls, i was entirely clueless.
on the first day of school all the 'freshies' had an assembly, our very first, wearing our new school uniforms for the very first time. before the assembly we lined up according to our dorms and entered the main hall in lines of new students. there was a rather long (but forgettable) assembly and then we were sorted into our classes.
at some point before or after (i am quite sure it was before) the assembly, standing in line with my dorm mates, i was trying to look for anyone i had know in primary school. there was supposed to be three of us that was selected to go to this school. but i have not yet seen those people i know. maybe they did not accept the offer and decided to stay home. boarding school is not for everyone anyway
looking around, i saw this girl, walking in the long line of girls. she was fair and her cheeks were rosy. she wears her uniform a little different from others, she kinda looked awkward wearing it, and she did not smile or laugh. she had that clueless and a little scared look on her face like the rest of us. i remember thinking that she was extremely cute, even without any cute expression on her face.
i felt something.
i was a nerdy kid, feelings toward girls are alien to me. confusing and a little bit embarrassing, even just to myself. but albeit not understanding what i felt, i remember that moment very well. because i felt something
we did not meet until a few days later. she was in the same class with me. we were the same class for three straight years. now, 16 years later, we are still together.
last night i wished her happy 3rd anniversary.. and i can't wait to celebrate all our future anniversaries with her until the rest of my life.
again, happy 3rd anniversary sayang
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
tentang Nasi Lemak and The A-Team
NOTE: this post was written last week.
so what about them? well if you don't live in malaysia, it would probably be kinda big a deal when you eat nasi lemak.
other than nasi lemak (with prawn sambal and the usual condiments) and chicken rendang, there were chips, which i found out little kids really love, a lovely (bought) coffee pecan cake (whats a birthday without the cake right?), various juices and soft drinks. a friend made this awesome jalapeño chilli and cheese fritters, it looks like cekodok but tastes awesome.. if you love cheese that is
the last person left at around 11pm. an awesome day.. and then i took this picture. presents from everyone
i have to say.. my favourite would be the Neil Gaiman book. GH5? love it too but not as much as the book tho. thank you my wife for getting it for me. i have been looking for pre-owned Neil Gaiman's books everywhere but couldn't find it. lol i know.. i'm a bit cheap when it comes to books :P
of The A-Team
on sunday we went shopping for clothes we need for our next trip next month. bought heaps. maybe because we were in such a good mood. but it was pretty good because we did not spend all that much at all. later that day we used the free tickets i got and watched The A-Team.
when i was a little boy i remember, vaguely, watching the tv show. i remember how i would think that Mr.T talks really fast. but what i remember most is my A-Team bed sheet.. with Mr.T's face huge in the center, the van somewhere, the other guys somewhere in the middle too.. and explosions everywhere.
but this movie remake is not something i would go see at the movies if not for the free tix. honestly, i expected it to be like a guy's version of Charlie's Angels remake. i thought well, lets go watch it and have fun since it was free. so we did just that.
it turned out, that movie was extremely fun to watch. no.. not 'fun' like how lots of people say GI.Joe remake would be (which was a waste of my time to me). but genuine, proper great action movie with excellent sense of humour. and to have gone there expecting to see this mediocre, perhaps a bit cheap, quality movie, made the experience just so much better. i love unexpected, awesome surprises if i meet the director i'd apologize to him.
so what about them? well if you don't live in malaysia, it would probably be kinda big a deal when you eat nasi lemak.
of the Nasi Lemak
like mentioned in the previous 'teaser' post.. it was my birthday last friday. so on the next day we invited friends over and made nasi lemak and bought cake and chat and laughed. it was a fun day. i am surprised how satisfying it feels when friends come over, even when they are extremely busy and stressed (for some), and have a good time. and even more satisfying to see them liking the food we (as in my wife made them.. i tried to help) served. i think i'm actually growing up
other than nasi lemak (with prawn sambal and the usual condiments) and chicken rendang, there were chips, which i found out little kids really love, a lovely (bought) coffee pecan cake (whats a birthday without the cake right?), various juices and soft drinks. a friend made this awesome jalapeño chilli and cheese fritters, it looks like cekodok but tastes awesome.. if you love cheese that is
the last person left at around 11pm. an awesome day.. and then i took this picture. presents from everyone
i have to say.. my favourite would be the Neil Gaiman book. GH5? love it too but not as much as the book tho. thank you my wife for getting it for me. i have been looking for pre-owned Neil Gaiman's books everywhere but couldn't find it. lol i know.. i'm a bit cheap when it comes to books :P
of The A-Team
on sunday we went shopping for clothes we need for our next trip next month. bought heaps. maybe because we were in such a good mood. but it was pretty good because we did not spend all that much at all. later that day we used the free tickets i got and watched The A-Team.
when i was a little boy i remember, vaguely, watching the tv show. i remember how i would think that Mr.T talks really fast. but what i remember most is my A-Team bed sheet.. with Mr.T's face huge in the center, the van somewhere, the other guys somewhere in the middle too.. and explosions everywhere.
but this movie remake is not something i would go see at the movies if not for the free tix. honestly, i expected it to be like a guy's version of Charlie's Angels remake. i thought well, lets go watch it and have fun since it was free. so we did just that.
it turned out, that movie was extremely fun to watch. no.. not 'fun' like how lots of people say GI.Joe remake would be (which was a waste of my time to me). but genuine, proper great action movie with excellent sense of humour. and to have gone there expecting to see this mediocre, perhaps a bit cheap, quality movie, made the experience just so much better. i love unexpected, awesome surprises if i meet the director i'd apologize to him.
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