dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Guy + Tattoo = Hot?

2011-07-31T10:37:00.003+08:00

I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but somehow when I started drawing this guy, it's either put a shirt on him (but how could I, he's got a hot torso, haha!) or draw something on his body... As you can see, I decided on the latter and he still looks to me... So I can tattoos can be nice sometimes. ;p Hope you all like it! All done in SAI Paint Tool, love my new toy, haha! XD

Tattoos can be nice sometimes... ;p

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.80 | artist.mangaka

My newest love is...

2011-07-26T20:16:00.003+08:00

... SAI Paint Tool!!! Haha! I know, I'm sad, but I love to draw, so anything that helps me achieve that, well, of course I'll fall in love with it, hehe. Anyway, needed a bit of art therapy the other day and came up with this! Hope you all like it! xxx

~ tres hot!!!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

On the 65th Birthday of His Majesty...

2011-07-15T23:52:00.003+08:00

... my beloved aunt was given a medal (bintang) with the title of "Datin Paduka" ~ such a glorious day! I'm so happy for her, she really deserved it! One very dedicated and hardworking lady! XD Congratulations, Wajijah!!!

It's also a glorious day because I discovered a new paint tool to use - SAI Paint Tool! So much easier to use than Photoshop in terms of digital colouring! Love it! Here's a quick self-caricature which was done totally in SAI!

Self Caricature

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.80 | artist.mangaka

27th National Day of Brunei Darussalam

2011-02-23T15:47:00.003+08:00

[image courtesy of mapsof.net]

Just wanted to wish all Bruneians Happy 27th National Day! I'm so patriotic that I didn't even wake up to watch the celebration this morning ~ ooops! Hehe! XD Such a good day since it's a public holiday ~ woo hoo! It's all good!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.76 | artist.mangaka

A lifeline....

2011-02-11T22:27:00.003+08:00

For people in Brunei who are addicted to Facebook and want to log onto it using their mobile (I think I'm one of the last few people in the country who hasn't already done this!), please go here and follow the instructions. The link is courtesy of my friend, June! Thanks, June dear! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.77 | artist.mangaka

Belated b'day gift for Pip!

2011-02-07T22:33:00.001+08:00

It's way way belated - like TWO years! I know, it's crazy... Apologies to my niece, Fifah a.k.a. Pip! Anyway, it's done now - well, partially... this is just a sketch, the next phase is to ink and colour it. I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to do that, which is why I decided to post the sketch first. I hope Pip likes it, not sure if she's seen it yet. I'm happy with the outcome, since it's been a while since I last drew anything - rusty, rusty, this took me almost two hours! O.o

Vampire Knight Sketch: Senri Shiki x Rima Toya

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.77 | artist.mangaka

Usagi-chan says...

2011-02-03T18:38:00.020+08:00

Nini Boy, Dyanna, Nini Noi

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone who is celebrating Chinese New Year! May the new year bring you lots of luck and good fortune!

Coincidentally, my dad's birthday fell on the same day as CNY this year ~ what a great b'day present; luck and good fortune!!! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Dad! [big hug] Hope you enjoyed the steamboat lunch Mum prepared because the rest of us certainly did, hehe. Thanks, Mummy dearest!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.77 | artist.mangaka

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-01T23:28:00.004+08:00

So it is now the year 2011 - it's the year of new beginnings for me, since a lot of life-changing events occurred to me in 2010, and unfortunately not everything was good... Anyway, I'm not the type to mope about since I'm too much of an optimist for that, hehe. I'm not saying the not-so-good things that happened weren't emotionally difficult to take but what good is it for me to ponder over them. The best thing to do is to look forward and have faith. I aim to achieve a lot this year. How best to start but with the typical new year resolutions (achievable ones!), haha.

+ Be punctual and work smart
+ Achieve my target weight and get fit
+ Brush up on all my foreign languages
+ Work on at least one drawing a week
+ Work on at least one manga per quarter
+ Bake at least once a month
+ Keep in touch with family and friends regularly
+ Travel more
+ Get another qualification

I think that's all. Some may be too insignificant to be called a resolution, but who cares. It's more of a reminder for me. XD

Anyway, hope everyone is having a brilliant start to the year! Take care and will update again soon...

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.79 | artist.mangaka

Watashi no ID 11-2010

2010-11-19T12:49:00.008+08:00

A not-so-quick coloured drawing of yours truly, though it doesn't look anything like me, haha! XD I tried adding my red highlights to the hair but I don't think it worked very well. - sigh- Anyway, hope you all like it!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.79 | artist.mangaka

Trust is so fragile...

2010-11-16T12:52:00.003+08:00

I found a quote about trust by Friedrich Nietzsche, a German classical scholar in the 1800s:

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”

I can definitely relate to the second part of the quote, but the first? Who on earth would not be upset at being lied to?! Crazy, I would be upset all the way!!! FECKING LIARS!!! I can handle little white lies, especially when there is a good reason behind it, like protecting someone, etc. But big fat lies, NO WAY!!!

Sorry, just needed to let out steam! I'm fine now! On with my life! Signing out!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.79 | artist.mangaka

Colours brighten up my life...

2010-11-14T21:03:00.003+08:00

... or is it just because I'm finally doing more artwork, hehe! Anyway, coloured my last lineart this week so finally posting it up on my blog. Hope you like it!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.80 | artist.mangaka

I'm baaaackkkkk....

2010-10-31T22:39:00.005+08:00

Firstly, Happy Halloween 2010! It's been a while, a lot's happened since the last time I posted on my blog, not all good but it's ok, we should just move on and learn from experience! Haha, ever the optimist! XD But damn, it's great to be back, not just blogging... drawing, yoga-ing, etc. I feel more motivated these days, thank goodness. I feel I'm now getting back on track, hehe!

So to start off, here's my first artwork since the beginning of the year, really out of practice but no problem, practice makes perfect, after all! This is a Halloween fanart of one of my all-time favourite manga/anime, Skip Beat!, with one of my all-time favourite pairing (KyoukoxRen), no less, hehe. You can read read the summary on my DA, too lazy to retype it, hehe. Hope you all like it! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.80 | artist.mangaka

Ramadhan 1431: Day 2

2010-08-13T21:43:00.002+08:00

So today wasn't as easy as yesterday - for one, I had to work and for another, I had slight gastric pains. I guess my body isn't used to 2-meal days (sungkai & sahur). Aniki, Rozi & Dyanna came over to sungkai at our house this evening. Baby D.'s sooo kawaii, even if she does wet my clothes every so often, hehe. ;p I'm getting better at changing her diapers, a great feat for me! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.83 | artist.mangaka

Ramadhan 1431: Day 1

2010-08-12T21:39:00.005+08:00

It wasn't so bad, actually. I wasn't craving much for food and even after breaking my fast, I didn't binge at all, syukuralhamdulilah! I don't know, I've always found Ramadhan a good way to start a new leaf, I feel more focussed though not always calm, hehe. ;p Let's hope it lasts...

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin.84 | artist.mangaka

Selamat Berpuasa 2010!!!

2010-08-11T21:11:00.004+08:00

It's that time of the year again, so Happy Fasting to all Muslims for the month of Ramadhan! May we remain focussed and calm, despite abstaining from the usual necessities, insyallah.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Happy Birthday, Mummy-chan!

2010-06-14T23:37:00.005+08:00

Wishing my wonderful okaa-chan a brilliant birthday today! You certainly got a great advanced birthday present last Saturday - your very first grandchild!!! XD Anyway, hope you had a good time at dinner! Simple but it's always good to eat with family, hehe! Love you lots, Mummy dear! xxxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Welcome, Dyanna Haslan!

2010-06-12T23:11:00.008+08:00

Today at 13:28, there was a new addition to the family - DYANNA HASLAN - daughter to my brother and sis-in-law! Congratulations, you two! And well done, Rozi, it must have been tough work! But it was totally worth it because Dyanna is BEAUTIFUL!

Anyway, my parents and I went to visit them at the hospital this evening. The new grandparents totally doted on the little one. I wish I could cuddle her but am still a little sick so have to refrain for the time being. Ah well, I did manage to get a photo with Dyanna-chan...

So given my brother's interests in comics, you can guess where he and his wife got the name Dyanna from, right?! Hehe... I think it's a lovely name, though I did warn my bro that I might just call her "Shazam No. 2", haha. Aniki was none too pleased about my plan, so I'll just called her that when he's not around, hehe. Just kidding, Aniki! ;p Anyway, syukur alhamdulilah to the safe delivery of little Dyanna! May she have a wonderful future ahead!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

One of the coolest thing I've seen...

2010-06-07T23:08:00.006+08:00

So my cough is back with a vengence. Trying to see if my will can fight against it with a bit of help from some meds, sigh... Anyway, a colleague of mine told me about this live concert by the Black-Eyed Peas (who happens to be one of my favourite music groups), really cheered me up during this miserable time. You can view the youtube video here. Hope you'll all enjoy it too - it is just coolness to the max! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

I'm off from work till next Tuesday...

2010-05-06T11:18:00.002+08:00

...because I'm suffering from "rhinitis with airway hyperreactivity" - hehe, that's the verdict after two visits to the ENT specialist. I've been told that I actually don't have the flu or cold, something else is causing my postnasal drip to become overactive... allergens, most likely. Now the only thing to do is to perform an allergy test, but where to get one done? JPMC? I'll call tomorrow.

Anyway, I've been told to rest, but how to rest when I'm coughing constantly to the point that none of my food is staying down and I'm getting bad nose bleeds (four today, last I counted!). Sorry, Aniki, the chocolate pudding didn't stay! :p Methinks I have to start taking mostly liquid food for a while. Argh! My wonderful Japonica rice! :(

Oh yeah, before I sign off, I just wanted to share the photos of my Aniki's wonderful wonderful cats, though my most favourite is Shazam! Chi's adorable too, but a very nervous cat. Anyway, hope you like the photos! Cheerios!

"Shazam!"

Chi-ou (Japanese for "King Chi", hehe.)

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Two Hills are better than one... ;p

2010-04-03T23:10:00.006+08:00

Damn, I am still bloody sick, coughing like crazy! It's terribly annoying especially during meetings, I have to step out every time I feel a coughing fit coming about! :( [sigh] Even so, I will not be discouraged, I'm resting lots this weekend, hope that will help. And fortunately, this week, Skip Beat chapter 155 is out, woo hoo! Below is this issue's cover page with Cain and Setsuka Hill (a.k.a. Ren and Kyoko), the killer brother and punky little sister! Why they act so close, I'm guessing it's because the role play is such that they're non-blood related siblings... maybe... Anyway, whatever it is, the pairing is tres hot, haha! XD Can't wait for the next installment on 20 April!!!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

The Way I Am...

2010-03-28T18:27:00.004+08:00

I can't believe this... I'm still sick, my bad cough is back! :( Seriously, I know what is wrong, but I don't know how to fix it... I'm doing everything my doctor told me to do... All I can do now is rest, but that's tough when one has to work, right?

-sigh- Just wanted to whine a bit! Anyway, found a song that really cheered me up... It was sung by one of the contestants of American Idol (yes, shock horror, I do watch it, haha!) this year. It's a song by Ingrid Michaelson called "The Way I Am" - it's so sweet. You can watch it on youtube, and the lyrics are as follows:

If you were falling, then I would catch you.
You need a light, I'd find a match.

Cuz I love the way you say good morning.
And you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching, I'll make it better.

Cuz I love the way you call me baby.
And you take me the way I am.

I'd buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair.
Sew on patches to all you tear.

Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Punkfest?

2010-03-06T00:03:00.004+08:00

The latest chapter of Skip Beat! is tres cool... well, that's just my guess from "reading" the raws, haha! I can't read Japanese very well, unfortunately. Anyway, a sneak preview:

A punky new character called "Setsu"... or is it? ;p Hehe, look out for the scanlations, SB! fans! My god, is her lip piercing really attached to her earring?! O.o

On a more "real life" note, it's totally busy as usual - SPARK site visits galore this week, even tomorrow, help! What happened to my weekend??? I've actually got homework - can I claim for in lieu, I wonder... [sigh]

Anyway, time for bed, early start tomorrow. Will update again soon, and maybe this time with a new piece of artwork? Hehe... Stay tuned! XD Night for now! Zzzzzzzz...

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

The worst is over... I think...

2010-02-25T19:48:00.003+08:00

I think I'm finally getting over this bout of sickness... though I had to visit the doctor TWICE! Once was last Saturday just before my trip to Singapore and the second was yesterday when I was due back at work. I was in no fit state to even drive so my parents drove me to see the doctor. She had to give me a med cert for this week to recuperate. The rest was much needed because now I'm feeling much better, yayyy! She prescribed me stronger meds compared to the previous ones, which I think did the trick as well. Sigh, this is the second time this year that I've been sick and it's only February!!!

Anyway, being sick is totally boring and irritating, I am not the world's best patient, always whinging and grumbling. ;p So now that I'm feeling somewhat better but still on sick leave, I decided to do a drawing on the ol' tablet, to depict my woes of being sick as hell! As you can see below, the medicine I was given was YUC-KY! But of course, I had to keep taking it... ewww! And yes, my hair is as tousled and I'm always in my jammies - how to go out, I'm sick! :( Anyway, insyallah, I'll be better by next week and back to work for me! Wish me luck! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Ich bin krank...

2010-02-19T15:33:00.005+08:00

German meaning "I am sick..." and while on annual leave! What bad luck! And I had so many plans - yoga, drawing, etc. but I'm stuck at home!!! It's not fair! [sob] So the only thing I can do is sleep, eat, watch TV and go on the internet! Well, at least something made my day today - Skip Beat! chapter 153 is out already... but didn't the last chapter say that it'll be out on 20 Feb?! Ah well, I'm not complaining... and the chapter's all scanlated, happy days! A scene from the latest chapter: Kyoko-chan, runnnnnnn!

Okay, resting time now... Hope I'll feel better in time for my trip! Amin!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

2010: Year of the Tiger - Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2010-02-13T21:13:00.006+08:00

Ooh, tomorrow's Chinese New Year! Angpow galore, hahaha! Anyway, Gong Xi Fa Cai to all those celebrating. Coincidentally, it's also St Valentine's Day, so much love to all, hehe! ;D

Oh yeah, lots of February birthdays - 03 Feb (Nynna), 02 Feb (Dad) and 08 Feb (Laupan); HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I'm currently on annual leave at the mo, so lots of plans - going to start yoga again from next Tuesday onwards (William, your studio is open then?), more drawing (I promise, Pip!) and catching up on work (unfortunately, hehe!).

Last night, I caught a movie called "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" with my niece, Pip! It was cool, I love mythological stuff, the effects were awesome, lots of familiar faces - I'd give it an 8.5! XD

Finally, a quick scene from the latest Skip Beat chapter (152) - can you guess who that guy is? Hehe, it's getting more and more interesting! >;) Can't wait for the next installment on 20 February 2010!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Ein Gutes Neues Jahr 2010!!!

2010-01-02T12:36:00.010+08:00

Hey all! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy New Year!!! A day later but it's all good! Lots of best wishes to everyone. Hope you like the quick CG sketch I did to celebrate the arrival of the new year!

Unfortunately, I can't write much at the moment. Taking a breather before going on to do more work. Yep, my weekend is unfortunately not work-free yet again... [sigh]

Oh yeah, before I say bye-bye, I'll leave you with a youtube video of one of my current favourite Japanese songs called "Love & Roll" by Supercell (I heard it from a short animated film called "Cencoroll"!). Enjoy! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Happy Christmas 2009!

2009-12-26T12:14:00.006+08:00

Just a quick message to wish everyone celebrating a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! Hope you all had a brilliant day with lots and lots of pressies! Well, I didn't have lots, hehe - only one but its totally kawaii!!! A huge domou arigatou to the one who gave it to me, you know who you are! [big hug] I'll post a picture of the gift later! For now, here's an artwork I did this week to celebrate the occasion (Thanks for encouraging me, Pip!):

Oh yeah, Adeline celebrated her birthday on Christmas Eve, so ALLES GUTE ZUM GEBURTSTAG, ADS!!!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

"Breathe is Life, Life is Yoga."

2009-12-12T11:11:00.002+08:00

That's the tagline for OMPlace Studio, my favourite yoga studio!!! XD It's been too long since I did yoga - bad, bad Lin! Anyway, I decided that I've been doing too many long hours at work, leaving no room for me to pursue my other interests, yoga being one of them! :( So now, it's time to prioritise "me time"! So tonight's class was my official first day back at yoga, let's hope I can keep this up. I'm hoping that since I'll be on leave soon, it'll be easier for me to focus on "me time", hehe! Anyway, today's class was a bit tough for me, I haven't been doing any proper exercise for several months now, but I did the best I could, it was a good class. I can still do a headstand, a bit wobbly but at least, I managed! XD

Also, since I'm on the subject of yoga, let me just wish my yoga teacher, William and his lovely new wife, Jacky many CONGRATULATIONS on their wedding last Sunday! It was my first Chinese wedding, I enjoyed it tremendously! Thank you for inviting me!

Okay, time to say good night! Will try to update this blog more regularly, promise! ;)

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

My heart is definitely Skipping a Beat! XD

2009-12-05T14:25:00.016+08:00

With respect to the post I wrote on 8 October 2009, it really does seem like I'll be doing "a post a month", haha!!! Anyway, just got back a few weeks ago from my holidays in Melbourne and a working trip in Tokyo! But don't really have the time to post up anything about them at the mo, this post is just a quick one - just wanted to show a scene from the latest Skip Beat! chapter (149):

"Ren-sama, what did you do to Kyoko-chan?!"

Hehe, you can read download the raws and translations from here! Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Greetings from Oz!

2009-11-04T00:45:00.000+08:00

Haha... well, I'm definitely not in Kansas! ;) Finally taking some leave and decided to spend it visiting my cousin in Melbourne. But guess what, I'm still working on my holidays!!! My friend was right, I shouldn't plan my holidays too much in advance, especially when one has such a busy work schedule.. but what can I do? It's the only way to get good prices on flights! :( Anyway, since it turned out this way, I had to compromise - day time for holidaying and night time for working. Now it's well after 3 am, I should rest but still have work to do... luckily tomorrow is an easy day, not like this morning, where we had to catch a bus at 7.35 a.m. for the Great Ocean Road Tour. It was great, very scenic, saw The Twelve Apostles (though there are only 8 now, haha!) both on land and by helicopter (not included in the tour package!), Lock Ard Gorge, etc. Oh yeah, I saw kangaroos and ONE curled up koala on a tree (they're hard to see, very well camourflaged!), it was sooo kawaii! Hmmm, okay, I think I'd better go... I'm supposed to be working! Later! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

A post a month?

2009-10-08T19:41:00.005+08:00

Just as I was just starting to get back into the ol' blogging mood, WORK happened! It's been non-stop with assignments, meetings, events, etc. And at the end of October, I'll be "block-travelling" for a few weeks - working trip, annual leave holidays and again, working trip!

Anyway, fortunately, I managed to get a breather from the work scene, but only for a few hours. Will be working again once this post is published. So am I stressed? Yes, I am! But it's a good sort of stress... but ask me again in a week or so, haha! ;p

Oh, yeah, Fifah celebrated her birthday last Tuesday - OTANJOUBI OMEDETOU, PIP! Hope you had a brilliant time!

Right, have to get back to grindstone! I will definitely try my best to post more from now on! xxx

p.s. All Skip Beat! fans, this happened in chapter 145! Oh my god! Nooooo!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Last minute ad!

2009-09-12T08:48:00.009+08:00

Ooops, I was meant to post this earlier (Sorry, Rozi!) but better late than never!!!

"Rozi Yunos is offering decorative ketupat making services. For 4 rolls of ribbons that you supply, she will turn them all into ketupats for 15 dollars labour charge, and you will get 5 different types of ketupats (satay, raya, bawang, kikik, diamond) to give your home that festive cheer! If using her supply of ribbons (3/4 inch width), it'll be 50 cents per ketupat for the first 50 pieces, and 51 and above is 45 cents. You can contact Rozi at her blog for orders!"

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Back in the game!

2009-08-27T03:26:00.006+08:00

Haha, I'm finally blogging after months and months of silence, other than the occasional message on the chatterbox (which happened to have been deleted, so I got a shoutbox instead, hehe!). Anyway, I can't sleep! I keep thinking about an issue that's been irritating me for a few months now and trying to figure out what's the best solution! I mean, it's Ramadhan month now (Btw, Selamat Berpuasa to all Muslims out there! :D) and getting irritated while fasting - not good! But what to do, what to do?! Usually, I'd confront the issue to sort it out, but things sometimes work so differently here. -sigh- Insyallah, a solution will come to light soon. At the moment, all I need is patience. Oh, and sleep, hehe. It's almost 4 a.m. - had to eat something before fasting starts, though I wasn't really hungry. Anyway, going to go crash now. Later, all! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

My first in lieu day off!

2009-03-31T15:57:00.004+08:00

Woo hoo! I'm finally able to take my in lieu day off today! It's to make up for having to work on a Saturday last month! But you know what, I can't seem to get out of the normal working day routine. I woke up as usual at 6 a.m., had to call work around 8 a.m. and then msn-ed about work in the afternoon. Seriously! It's definitely got to do with having a day off in the middle of a working week. My colleagues must think I'm mad! XD Anyway, can't stay and chat - going with dad to watch a film called "Knowing"! Tschusssssss! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Rapunzel I am not... XD

2009-03-24T01:00:00.007+08:00

Hallo everyone! It's been a while, things have been major busy, serious! Some days, I don't even have time to open the internet browser! Anyway, just a quick post to show off my new hairdo, hehe. Yep, for those who knew me during my uni years, me with short hair is nothing new... but even so, it's been a while for me. I've had long hair for over a year so the new look took a bit of getting used to. But overall, I'm happy with the change - my hair's easier to manage, some people have told me that I look younger (that always makes my day, haha!), etc. etc. etc. Anyway, that's it for now - it's late and time for bed. Btw, I've decided to stop my weekly goals, 'cos it made me lazy about doing proper blog posts, hehe. XD Gute Nacht!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 07 [2009]

2009-02-09T06:33:00.005+08:00

Yayyy, finally started doing yoga again! Hopefully, my fitness regime will be back on track on a more permanent basis from now on. XD Anyway, my weekly goals are:

Fitness:

Saturday: ~~Yoga (OM)~~
Sunday: Yoga (OM) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Social activities: ~~lunch with Rozi (Mon)~~; ~~dinner with Jus & Kartinie (Mon)~~; ~~lunch with Irra (Tues)~~; ~~dinner with June (Tues)~~; ~~dinner with Nurul (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with Irra (Fri)~~; ~~dinner with June (Fri)~~; ~~birthday party (Sat)~~; ~~lunch with relatives (Sun)~~
Shopping: ~~bag~~; ~~pre-wedding gift (for Irra)~~; ~~books~~; ~~manga~~; ~~cards~~
Domestic chores: organise room [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~; ~~send clothes for drycleaning~~; tidy car [X]
Manga list: ~~Otomen (volume 4)~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Skip Beat (episode 18)~~; ~~Natsume Yuujinchou Season 2 (episodes 5-6)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 06 [2009]

2009-02-03T07:51:00.004+08:00

Here are my goals for this week:

Fitness:

Thursday: ~~Yoga (OM)~~
Saturday: ~~Yoga (OM)~~
Sunday: Yoga (OM) or Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Social activities: ~~Lunch with June (Mon)~~; ~~William's studio opening (Mon)~~; ~~lunch with Olivia & Irra (Tues)~~; ~~family dinner (Tues)~~; ~~lunch with Olivia & Irra (Thurs)~~; ~~doa selamat for Nynna (Thurs)~~; ~~dinner with Pinah, Nurul & Nynna (Fri)~~; ~~Rizal's bersanding ceremony (Sun)~~; ~~dinner with June (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: organise room [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~; ~~send clothes for drycleaning~~; tidy car [X]
Cinema: Underworld 3 (Sat) [X]
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete); Puppet Master Sakon (complete) [X]; ~~Skip Beat (episode 17)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

My first National Disaster experience!

2009-01-28T13:45:00.001+08:00

And insyallah, it'll be the last - Amin! Anyway, here are some photos taken by Aniki outside our house on the night of the "Great Flood". My god, we had mild floods before but never this bad, it looked like a river was passing through our house!

At our driveway - Dad's the guy with the red and white umbrella!
The water got halfway into our garage!

Our "simpang" (the following two photos) - The poor neighbours! :( We were lucky!
Dad raised our land by several feet before building the house.

Our "backyard" - you can see our neighbour's house.
If it wasn't for the wall, I think his house would have been badly flooded.

The staircase at the back of our house - the water level reached the third step!!!

So that's what happened Tuesday-Wednesday last week! The result: major power cuts (we had no power for 3 days!!!), no water supply (fortunately, this only occurred three times, and the third lasted half a day!), landslides, traffic problems (due to traffic lights being down, destroyed roads, flooding in our major road tunnel, etc.) and the worst thing, two people drowned! :( So what happened? Why weren't we prepared? I hope this incident brought awareness with regards to the major changes that need to be done to Brunei's infrastructure and whatnot! Swift action, if you please!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2009-01-28T13:25:00.000+08:00

A bit belated, but Happy Chinese New Year to all celebrating! May everyone have a prosperous year! XD

[Image courtesy of SilkySteps.]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 05 [2009]

2009-01-27T06:21:00.003+08:00

Ack! An extremely bleak start to the week, due to heavy rains, flash floods, etc. I'll post photos later! Btw, no electricity at home, so this week's goals are a bit late in being posted! :(

Fitness:

Thursday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Saturday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) or Badminton (MS) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Social activities: ~~lunch with Yusri (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with Fifah (Fri)~~; ~~dinner with June, Siti & Yusri (Fri)~~; ~~lunch/dinner with Nynna, Nurul & Pinah (Sun)~~; ~~Rizal's nikah ceremony (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~; ~~pick up drycleaning~~; ~~send clothes for drycleaning~~; tidy car [X]
Bill payment: ~~DST (Sat)~~; ~~Telbru & e-speed (Sat)~~
Cinema: ~~Inkheart (Mon)~~; Underworld 3 (Sat) [X]
Manga list: ~~Love Attack (Vol. 1-3 & 5)~~; ~~Cross x Break (Vol. 1-2)~~; ~~Song of the Hanging Sky (Vol. 1-2)~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Puppet Master Sakon (complete) [X]; ~~Skip Beat (episode 16)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 04 [2009]

2009-01-22T06:30:00.002+08:00

Ack! An extremely bleak start to the week, due to heavy rains, flash floods, etc. I'll post photos later! Btw, no electricity at home, so this week's goals are a bit late in being posted! :(

Fitness:

Saturday: ~~Walking~~; ~~Swimming~~
Sunday: ~~Walking~~

Miscellaneous:

Social activities: ~~lunch with Rozi (Mon)~~; ~~lunch with Rozi & Fel (Tues)~~; ~~Jus' b'day dinner (Wed)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~
Travel: ~~Singapore trip~~
Shopping: ~~books~~; ~~manga~~; COPIC Ciao Markers 72-Set A [X]; COPIC paper [X]; ~~work clothes~~; ~~shoes~~; CK Contradiction perfume [X]; ~~toiletries~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Puppet Master Sakon (complete) [X]; ~~Skip Beat (episode 15)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 03 [2009]

2009-01-12T17:54:00.015+08:00

What's with me at the mo? I'm tres procrastinating! :( Argh!

Fitness:

Tuesday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Thursday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Saturday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Apr 2008 [X], Aug 2008 [X] & Dec 2008 [X]; colour logo [X]
Manga: scan oneshot page [X]; edit oneshot pages [X]
Website: finish designing new website [X]; update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with Irra, Krystle & Jess (Mon)~~; ~~dinner with family (Mon)~~; ~~dinner with June (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with Olivia (Fri)~~; ~~dinner with June (Fri)~~; ~~attend wedding (Sat)~~; ~~lunch with Pinah, Nurul, Nynna & Rizal (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: organise room [X]; tidy car [X]; ~~send clothes for drycleaning (Mon)~~; ~~pick up drycleaning (Sat)~~
Transportation: ~~send car for second servicing (Sat)~~
Beauty spa: ~~manicure & pedicure (Fri)~~
Shopping: ~~wireless bell~~
Cinema: ~~City of Ember (Sun)~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Earl & Fairy (complete)~~ [Verdict: 8.5/10]; ~~Ceres - Celestial Legend (complete)~~ [Verdict: 9/10]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 02 [2009]

2009-01-05T00:30:00.013+08:00

I can't believe this, I caught the flu last Tuesday and since then, I wasn't able to do very much! What a way to start the new year! :( Well, must try better this week!

Fitness:

Thursday: Gyming (FZ) or Yoga (VDA) [X]
Friday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Apr 2008 [X], Aug 2008 [X] & Dec 2008 [X]; colour logo [X]
Manga: scan oneshot page [X]; edit oneshot pages [X]
Website: finish designing new website [X]; update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with Irra, Sab, Jess & Krystle (Mon)~~; ~~dinner with June (Thurs)~~; ~~dinner with Yus, Meela, June, Pinah & Nurul (Sat)~~; ~~sushi with Jus & Tinie (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~; tidy car (Sun) [X]; send clothes for drycleaning (Sat) [X]
Beauty spa: ~~haircut (Fri)~~; ~~massage (Sat)~~
TV series: Heroes (episodes 9-12) [X]
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Zombie Loan (complete)~~; ~~World Destruction (complete)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Selamat Tahun Baru 2009!

2009-01-01T20:28:00.010+08:00

Firstly, I'd like to wish everyone a very:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

I didn't do much on New Year's Eve! Was meant to meet up with my cousin Yusri who just got back from Australia that very afternoon, but that was cancelled! Gomen ne, Yus-kun! :( Unfortunately, I came down with the flu, what a way to start the new year!

Anyway, a bit of reflection, 2008 was a pretty good year for me. I achieved quite a bit:

I started a new job.
I made new friends and got to know some of my relatives better.
I started doing yoga (and can now do a headstand - not perfectly yet, though!).
I managed to lose some weight (but need to lose more and get fit, hehe!).
I started drawing more and established a manga-drawing circle with Pip & Fel.
I finished my German language course.
I started saving for the future.
and so on...

As for last year's resolutions, I only achieved 60% of them, so I must thrive to achieve better in 2009. So without further ado, here are my resolutions for this new year:

Improve my skills in Business Finance.
Continue with my Japanese language lessons.
Improve my Malay, German and French language skills.
Achieve punctuality.
Draw at least one manga.
Lose weight and MAINTAIN the weight loss!

Hmmm, my 2009 resolutions aren't exactly major life-changing ones, but that's okay. I'm not putting any of those in the list, since they are ones I constantly try to achieve and improve on - they do not need a time limit, hehe.

Oh, yeah, I changed the look of my blog yet again - this time to mark the New Year! ;) I've never used a manga/anime image for my background before, so this is a nice change! I decided on the Ren-sama and Kyouko pairing for the first one! XD Can you tell that I love "Skip Beat!"? Haha! Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying the first day of the new year! Peace! ;)

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 01 [2009] & Happy Islamic New Year!

2008-12-29T00:27:00.012+08:00

Woo hoo, Week 1 of 2009!!! Hehe, a little premature, I know, seeing that New Year doesn't start till this coming Thursday, but it's okay - technically, yesterday was the New Year for all Muslims, hehe. So:

SELAMAT TAHUN BARU HIJRAH 1430

Oh yeah, I didn't manage to achieve 85% of my goals for the final week of the year 2008, but it was a close one - 77% (Hehe, I'd like to think it's close enough!). Anyway, here are my goals for the first week:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga (FZ)~~
Tuesday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Thursday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Saturday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Apr 2008 [X], Aug 2008 [X] & Dec 2008 [X]; colour logo [X]
Manga: edit oneshot pages [X]
Website: finish designing new website [X]; update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Social activities: ~~dinner~~ ~~with family, Zati, Zana & Amalina (Mon)~~; ~~lunch with June (Tues)~~; ~~breakfast with Jus & Mus (Thurs)~~; art session & dinner with Fel & Fifah [X]; ~~dinner with June, Adeline, Meela & Siti (Fri)~~; ~~lunch with Nurul & Pinah (Sat)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~; tidy car [X]
Beauty spa: massage (Sun) [X]
TV series: Heroes (episodes 9-12) [X]
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Daughter of Twenty Faces (complete)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Christmas Artwork: dr.rin & the Christmas Stocking

2008-12-26T23:45:00.002+08:00

Hehe, the title sounds like it's something from a children's storybook! XD Anyway, this is my gift artwork to everyone who's celebrating Christmas! Sorry it's a day late! Happy Christmas again!

ps: Finally, dr.rin produces another coloured artwork, haha! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Frohe Weihnachten!!!

2008-12-25T21:00:00.004+08:00

Just a quick post to wish everyone celebrating a very:

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Many best wishes!

ps: I want this Magic Growing Christmas Tree! I used to have one! Ah, chemistry in action!!! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 52 [2008]

2008-12-22T07:22:00.018+08:00

It's technically the last week of the year since the New Year will fall middle of next week! I'm aiming for at least 85% achievement of weekly goals this week, so wish me luck! Danke! XD

Fitness:

Tuesday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Thursday: Gyming (FZ) [X]
Sunday: Walk (Stadium or Bukit Shahbandar) or Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: ~~draw Christmas artwork~~
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; ~~update deviantART site~~
Social activities: ~~lunch with June & Siti (Tues)~~; ~~lunch with Liza & Helen (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with my family, Pinah, Nurul & their parents (Thurs)~~; ~~art session & dinner with Fifah (Fri)~~; ~~attend BDAM '08 with Zati (Sat)~~; ~~BBQ @ Nynna's~~; ~~nieces' sleepover at my place (Sat-Mon)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~; ~~pick up dry cleaning (Wed)~~
Banking: ~~withdraw cash from HSBC (Sat)~~; ~~go to BIBD (Sat)~~
Shopping: ~~SC voucher (Sat)~~; ~~"Daughter of Twenty Faces" anime (Fri)~~
Cinema: ~~Yes Man (Sun)~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Skip Beat! (episode 12)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Aesthetic Tribute: December 2007

2008-12-15T12:45:00.001+08:00

Just posted the second fanart I mentioned in my previous Aesthetic Tribute post (which can be viewed here) - I know, it's about time! Hehe! Anyway, this fanart is of one of Hikaru from Magic Knight Rayearth! You can view it here. Enjoy! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 51 [2008]

2008-12-14T22:20:00.016+08:00

Just jotting down the list of goals for Week 51. Oooh, only a little over two weeks before the New Year of 2009! XD

Fitness:

Saturday: ~~Gyming (FZ)~~
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute Apr 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]; colour logo [X]; CG clean original artwork [X]
Manga: edit oneshot pages [X]
Website: finish designing new website [X]; ~~update Aesthetic Tribute subforum~~; update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with Irra & Jessica (Tues)~~; ~~visit Zati (Tues)~~; ~~lunch with parents (Tues)~~; ~~dinner with Aniki, Rozi & Sarah (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with Imah (Thurs)~~; ~~lunch with Irra (Fri)~~; ~~dinner with June & Siti (Fri)~~; ~~visit Meel in KB (Sat)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise room~~; tidy car (Sun) [X]; ~~send drycleaning (Sat)~~
Bill payment: ~~Telbru & e-speed bills~~
Post: ~~cards~~
Anime list: ~~Natsume Yuujin-Chou (complete)~~; ~~Skip Beat! (episode 11)~~
Manga list: ~~Otomen (volumes 1-3)~~; ~~A. I. Revolution (volumes 3-4)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha!

2008-12-08T15:57:00.004+08:00

Just a quick message to wish all Muslims "Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha"! XD I hope it has been a brilliant day for all. As for me, it's a day of rest, lazing about, eating and watching TV, haha! I did NOT forget my prayers, though! ;p Peace to all!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Anime: Toshokan Sensou (Library War)

2008-12-08T12:19:00.009+08:00

This anime was a totally wonderful surprise! I had seen it in the DVD shops before but was in two minds about buying it - it's usually the case for me when it comes to war-type anime! The only reason I decided to take a look at the synopsis on the interweb was because my all-time Irish anime buddy (Domou, Gary-kun!!!) recommended it. So glad I listened, I totally LOVE this anime series!

[SPOILER ALERT!!!]

The characters are great, funny, can't get enough of them! My favourites are, of course, Kasahara Iku and Doujou Atsushi - what an odd pairing, but so lovable! It's so cool that the two don't follow the usual rules - for one, the girl (Kasahara) is taller by 5 cm compared to Doujou!

One of the funniest scenes is when Doujou tried to pat Kasahara's head when she was wearing heals, hahaha! Another cute and funny moment is when Doujou was explaining the organisational structure of the Library Defence Force - ah, "chibi" moments! XD

And much as I like interesting storylines with in-depth plots and unexpected tragic moments, I also love happy endings! Predictable, but who cares! Although they didn't go into much detail as to what happened between the two main characters, it's pretty obvious from the last scene of the final episode (episode 12)! Thank-you so much to the creaters of this anime!!! I'm in anime heaven at the mo!

Anyway, if you want to know more about the anime, please check out its Wikipedia article.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 50 [2008]

2008-12-08T12:01:00.016+08:00

70% achievement for Week 49 - s'okay, I guess. So what's the agenda for this week? XD

Fitness:

Thursday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Saturday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]; ~~scan logo~~
Manga: ~~scan oneshot pages~~; edit pages [X]
Website: ~~update ari-rin.com~~; ~~update deviantART site~~; finish designing new website [X]
Social activities: ~~dinner with Justina, Kartinie & family (Tues)~~; ~~lunch with June (Wed)~~; ~~dinner with June, Adeline & Meela (Fri)~~; ~~lunch with Pinah & Nurul (Sat)~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise bedroom~~ [not completed but I did a fair bit, hehe!]
Bill payment: ~~electric bill (Sat)~~; ~~pay Pinah for partial hotel costs(Sat)~~
Anime list: ~~Nabari No Ou (complete)~~ [skipped several episodes, too much angst for my liking!]; ~~Skip Beat (episode 10)~~
Manga list: Otomen (volumes 1-3) [X]; A. I. Revolution (volumes 3-4) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

New look for Christmas!

2008-12-04T11:54:00.003+08:00

Hehe, a quick post before I go off for lunch. I decided to change the design of the blog a little. It's Christmas in a few weeks, a holiday celebrated by many of my friends so I wanted to mark the occasion with an appropriate design. Just something simple... and the image of the snowflake isn't mine! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 49 [2008]

2008-12-01T08:21:00.017+08:00

Too lazy to write anything, other than to list down this week's goals - so here goes:

Fitness:

Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Thursday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Sunday: Gyming (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]; ~~draw logo~~
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; design new website [X]
Social activities: ~~dinner with Jus & Tinie (Mon)~~; ~~lunch with June (Tues)~~; ~~dinner with Aniki, Rozi, Fel, Fifah & Zawi (Wed)~~; ~~lunch with June (Thurs)~~; ~~dinner with June & Adeline (Fri)~~; ~~art session with Fel & Fifah (Sat)~~; ~~hangout with Nurul & Pinah (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~
Banking: ~~go to BIBD~~
Bill payment: ~~DST bill~~; ~~Telbru & e-speed bills~~; electric bill [X]
Subscription: ~~Borneo Bulletin (Dec)~~
Fasting: ~~ake up some fasting days~~
Shopping: ~~long-sleeved shirts~~; ~~Toshokan Sensou (anime)~~
TV series list: ~~Heroes (episodes 7-8)~~
Anime list: ~~Toshokan Sensou (complete)~~
Manga list: ~~I hate you more than anyone! (volumes 3-4)~~; ~~Blood+: Yakou Joushi (complete)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Photos: Anime Festival Asia 2008

2008-11-25T12:55:00.002+08:00

If you didn't know, I was in Singapore with my two cousins (Pinah and Nurul) over the weekend, flew over Saturday morning and back Sunday night, and if you don't think that's enough time to do much, think again - it is possible to do anything if you plan ahead and don't dawdle! Singapore is small with an extremely efficient transport system! I did 95% of the shopping I planned (which was actually a lot!) as well as attend the anime convention that was on in Suntec City!

Anyway, below are some photos taken at the anime convention (AFA '8) - it's been a while since I went to one. This one wasn't as big as the ones in UK but it was good fun! I have to say, cosplayers in Singapore can really pull it off. XD The coolest one of the lot is a Mobile Suit Gundam cosplayer - hats off to the guy! He even got on our local paper, the Borneo Bulletin! I didn't buy anything at the convention, though there was something that is on my wishlist - a Wacom Cintiq tablet! My god, the smallest one (A4 size, I think) cost almost $2000! I think it'll be quite a loooong while before I even dream of getting this one. Thank goodness I already have a tablet! One other plus at the convention was that I got to take a photo with a huge poster of my favourite manga/anime series, Skip Beat! I want that poster for my room!!!

All in all, it was a good break last weekend! Thank god for Sat+Sun weekends (as oppose to Fri+Sun ones, hehe!).

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 48 [2008]

2008-11-24T06:18:00.010+08:00

Last week, especially the weekend, was great! Although I didn't get as much of my weekly goals done as I wanted, it was still productive in a way! Oh yeah, I was in Singapore at the weekend (photos later!) for a quick shopping trip and anime convention. It is possible to get lots of things done in less than 2 days in Singapore, you just need to plan a little bit ahead! XD Anyway, here are my Week 48 goals:

Fitness:

Tuesday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Wednesday: walk (Tasek) or gym (FZ) [X]
Thursday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Saturday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~art session with Fel & Fifah (Fri)~~; ~~lunch with June (Fri)~~; ~~lunch with Pinah, Nurul & Nynna (Sun)~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; pick up drycleaning [X]
Shopping: ~~toiletries~~
Manga list: ~~Zig Zag (volumes 2-7)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 47 [2008]

2008-11-17T06:25:00.008+08:00

Oh my god, totally did no exercise last week, but with good reasons! I guess I needed the rest! However, I only got less than half my goals done! Must aim for better achievement, so here are my goals for this week:

Fitness:

Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Wednesday: gym (FZ) [X]
Thursday: Yoga (VDA) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; ~~update Aesthetic Tribute subforum~~
Social activities: ~~dinner with June & Meela (Mon)~~; ~~art session with Fel & Fifah (Wed)~~; ~~dinner with Justina & Kartinie~~; ~~lunch with June, Meela & Adeline (Fri)~~; ~~anime convention with Nurul & Pinah (Sat & Sun)~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]
Shopping: ~~manga~~; ~~makeup~~; ~~work clothes~~; ~~footwear~~; ~~art stuff~~
Movies: ~~watch Madagascar 2 with Meela (Empire)~~
TV series list: Heroes (episode 7 & 8) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

My first BB appearance!

2008-11-12T16:29:00.004+08:00

And it was by chance, haha! I was attending a two-day seminar commemorating World Town Planning Day 2008 in the International Convention Centre. I met Meel's aunt (though she calls her Kak Lin) there during the opening ceremony. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been viewing the model of Brunei's Land Use Master Plan, at which point we were unknowingly being photographed by James Kon (I got that name from Borneo Bulletin!). Anyway, I got a bit of a surprise today when Irra texted me to say my face was plastered on page 3 of today's paper! Thank god I looked respectable! I was fortunately advised by Irra and June to wear a certain article of clothing (hehe, you can guess what it was!) when attending the seminar! Thanks, guys! XD Anyway, you can view the article here. As for the seminar itself, it was rather interesting (which was a nice surprise!) and I've gained a good deal of knowledge regarding the topic of town and country planning. I think it would be useful in my current line of work, hehe.

Actually, it wasn't just me from SLA who got the limelight in today's paper. My new collegue, Cynthia, can also be seen in a group photo, related to a workshop being held the same day by the Young Entrepreneur Association Brunei (YEAB). She was meant to attend the seminar at ICC with me, but she was already committed to attending the YEAB workshop (wouldn't have minded going to that either!). Anyway, the article can be viewed here, if anyone is interested.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Name cards: Rozi

2008-11-10T07:00:00.000+08:00

Oooh, there's a cool photo of the name card I did for Rozi. I'm really proud of it, but of course, it had Rozi's input too! It's for her, after all, hehe! Took me ages to slice them up but they turned out a cute size. You can view the name card at Rozi's blog. I must design one for myself one of these days, once I get established as a mangaka, that is - Amin! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Aesthetic Tribute: September/October 2008

2008-11-09T22:32:00.003+08:00

Yayyy, I did some artwork, finally! XD This is the first of the two finished works I did. I didn't have time to properly "CG clean" it, will have to redo it at a later stage! The other one is scanned but is harder to clean! :( Anyway, you can view the first fanart here. It is of the main characters from one of my favourite manga series, Penguin Revolution! Hope you all like it! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 46 [2008]

2008-11-09T21:55:00.011+08:00

Again, not a bad week! Got some artwork done but not finished. Fitness wasn't good, though, due to back pains, will do better next week! So here are my goals!

Fitness:

Tuesday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Wednesday: Yoga (VDA) or gym (FZ) [X]
Thursday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Saturday: Yoga (VDA) or gym (FZ) [X]
Sunday: gym (FZ) [X]

Miscellaneous:

E-mail: ~~write replies to friends' e-mails~~
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]; ~~finish original art~~
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Fasting: ~~make up some missed Ramadhan days~~
Social activities: ~~breakfast with Nurul, Pinah & Ka Jamie~~; ~~dinner with June & Meela~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom; ~~pick up drycleaning~~; ~~send more drycleaning~~
Shopping: ~~plan shopping trip~~
Job-related errands: ~~attend 2-day seminar~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
dr.rin | artist.mangaka

Weekly Goals: Week 45 [2008]

2008-11-03T06:23:00.007+08:00

Last week was good - got lots of things done. Here are my goals for Week 45:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Thursday: Yoga class (VDA) [X] (ugh! body's aching like mad!)
Friday: gym (FZ) [X]
Saturday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & August 2008 [X]
Website: ~~update ari-rin.com~~; ~~update deviantART site~~; ~~update Aesthetic Tribute subforum~~
Social activities: ~~breakfast/lunch with Pinah, Ka Jamie & Nurul~~; ~~dinner with June & Meela~~; ~~lunch with workmates~~; ~~dinner with family~~; ~~dinner with Jus & Kartinie~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]
Internet: ~~sort out internet connection problem~~
Clothes & accessories: ~~pick up new clothes from tailor~~; ~~pick up new sports spectacles~~
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-Level Chemistry~~
Beauty spa: ~~buy membership with Thann Spa~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
- dr.rin | artist.mangaka -

Photo: Guess who??? XD

2008-10-30T16:12:00.006+08:00

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."
- dr.rin | artist.mangaka -

Occasion: Aniki's & Rozi's Engagement

2008-10-28T09:24:00.005+08:00

Last Sunday, Aniki and Rozi got engaged. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the ceremony due to work committments which I couldn't get out of! :( Fortunately, my dear cousin Pinah (a.k.a. Nomad) took some photos of the event at my house. I'm just waiting to see the photos from the actual ceremony held at Rozi's. Anyway, just wanted to wish the both of them many congratulations and best wishes!!!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 44 [2008]

2008-10-27T16:51:00.009+08:00

Not much to say - last week was mad busy, so much was happening. Anyway, my Week 44 goals are as follows:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Thursday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]
Saturday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~

Miscellaneous:

Art: ~~finish fanart for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007~~
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Social activities: ~~Lunch with Pinah, Ka Jamie, maybe Nurul & Nynna~~; ~~Halloween party at Red Canopy Cafe~~; ~~lunch with June & Irra~~; ~~dinner with June & Meela~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~; ~~send more drycleaning~~
Shopping: ~~buy more pretty material~~
Clothes: pick up new clothes from tailor [X]
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-Level Chemistry~~
Phone & internet: ~~pay DST phone bill~~; ~~pay Telbru & e-speed bills~~; ~~inform Telbru about e-speed connection problem~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Totally sharp!

2008-10-21T13:03:00.005+08:00

So today I found out that Irra (my office mate) knows my cousin through her brother-in-law (Irra's, that is). Gila eh, small world berabis! Anyway, Irra wanted to make sure that my cousin (Rozie) was the same person she knew. So off I went to google her name to find a photo and guess what I came across - turns out that Rozie's a bit of a sharpshooter. She was the best eagle eye shooter at the Annual Shooting Competition amongst Branches of Women Police in Brunei two years in a row! I found one Borneo Bulletin article for 2008 and a few articles from last year (here's an article from the Brunei Times). It's so amazing, my laidback cousin being the best shooter! I'm so proud of her! Congratulations, Rozie!!! [hug]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 43 [2008]

2008-10-20T01:24:00.009+08:00

Must do better! Anyway, weekly goals for Week 43 are as follows:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Thursday: Yoga class (VDA) [X] (sigh, it rained heavily last night and I can't make Saturday class either... noooooooooo!!!)

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
Art: finish fanart for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Dressmaking: ~~send material to tailor~~
Social activities: ~~something on Tuesday (hehe!)~~; ~~dinner with Meela & June~~; ~~lunch with Pinah and Nurul~~; Aniki's engagement [X] (unfortunately, I missed this due to compulsory attendance at Company Open House in Lumut! [sniff])
Domestic chores: ~~pick up car seat~~; organise bedroom [X]; ~~organise computer area~~
Shopping: ~~pretty material~~
Beauty spa: ~~manicure & pedicure~~
Job-related errands: ~~Company Open House~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 42 [2008]

2008-10-16T11:54:00.009+08:00

Not as many goals this week, but that could change as the week goes by... hmmm, wait! We're in the middle of the week already, maybe that's not realistic, but then, when are my goals realistic, haha! ;p

Fitness:

Saturday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Sunday: Yoga (Zunic) or a walk [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: ~~finish fanart for Aesthetic Tribute for October~~ ~~2008~~
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~meet June and Meela for lunch/dinner~~; ~~lunch with Pinah and Ka Jamie~~; ~~visit Linda and her new baby~~; ~~Art Day/Night~~
Domestic chores: organise computer area [X]; organise bedroom [X]; clean bedroom [X]; ~~send car seat to be laundered~~; ~~pick up drycleaning~~
Anime list: Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

The working life...

2008-10-16T00:11:00.001+08:00

So I'm now well into the third week at work (though the "first week" was a joke, since I only "worked" for one day before going on a 4-day weekend for Hari Raya, haha!). It's been good so far but also rather tough, lots to learn but so little time (so what else is new?!). Anyway, just wanted to post a few photos of me and my WONDERFUL (NOT! haha!) new collegues AND friends, Irra and Jay. Oh yeah, during my interviews and so-called first day of work, I was wearing the headscarf (see first photo), just to be on the safe side. As you can see, the moment I found out that it's not a requirement, off with the tudong, haha! ;p

And here are Irra and Jay a.k.a. Firdaus (isn't that a cute photo of Jay, hehe). Irra's sharing an office with me, and she started working the same time as me. There's also Nani but she's working on the ground floor - I don't have a photo yet! Jay's been in the company a while, though it doesn't show, hahaha! >;D Anyway, he has an office of his own, but it's ok, I bet he's lonely, hehe. So hope this working life remains smooth-going, satisfying and fun - Amin!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 41 [2008]

2008-10-05T23:43:00.003+08:00

60% - Not bad, not bad... it's getting there! Anyway, my weekly goals for Week 41 are:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Thursday: Yoga (at home) [X]
Saturday: Yoga (at home) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~meet June for lunch~~; ~~meet up with Meela~~; ~~Hari Raya celebration at work~~; lunch/dinner with Pinah and Ka Jamie [X]; visit Linda and her new baby [X]
Accessories: ~~send material to the tailor~~
Shopping: ~~yoga blocks~~
Domestic chores: organise computer area [X]; organise bedroom [X]; clean bedroom [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Best wishes to all...

2008-10-02T23:55:00.011+08:00

It is almost the end of the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. I think it was a good day, albeit a bit tiring. Tomorrow will be even more hectic, I think, but oh well... Right, just wishing every Muslim out there:

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI!!!
MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 40 [2008]

2008-09-29T18:00:00.009+08:00

I did pretty okay last week, though I should aim to get more and more done, till I can achieve at least 85% of my goals each week. I'm also happy since I managed to get some artwork done! XD Will post something about that later. Anyway, here are my goals for the week:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Friday: Yoga (VDA) [X]
Saturday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Apr 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~Hari Raya open house~~; ~~visit relatives and friends for Hari Raya~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~send clothes and car seat for drycleaning~~; ~~pick up car seat~~; ~~send more clothes for drycleaning~~
Shopping: ~~cleaning products~~
Job-related errands: ~~confirm arrival of referees' testimonials~~; ~~start new job~~; ~~sort out TAP details~~
Anime list: TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 39 [2008]

2008-09-22T21:54:00.007+08:00

Not bad last week, but could do better! :( So here are the goals for this week:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Wednesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~ [I can do a new pose! I think it's called "Clown"... or was it the initial pose of "Tripod"?]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & April 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com; update deviantART site
Social activities: ~~sungkai with Nurul, Ka Jamie & Pinah~~; ~~Tini's b'day BBQ~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~unpack the rest of the boxes from Germany~~; send baju kurung & car seat for dry-cleaning [X]
Job-related errands: ~~check if referees have sent testimonials~~
Tuition: ~~give Chemistry grinds to Nurul~~
Gym-related errands: ~~freeze FZ membership for a month~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Sirsasana in action!

2008-09-22T17:30:00.008+08:00

Hehe, thought the shrinking effect looked cool... XD Anyway, my cousin Nurul (a.k.a. misery) was over for Chemistry tuition this afternoon and she wanted to see me do the head stand (Sirsasana). I took the opportunity to ask her to take a photo (it's hard to do that when I'm in a yoga class, hehe!) with my phone because my digital camera wasn't charged - dammit! The last time I did a headstand was on Friday (see previous post) so it was a bit touch and go today, hehe... I need more practice! But I managed to keep myself upright and away from the mirror/cupboard... I still think my shoulders are not as spread out as they should be and my arms are too far apart. It's tough when William's not around to tell you off, haha! So ta-da... behold my headstand! XD Special thanks to Nurul for her help! Domou!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

A new love...

2008-09-19T09:50:00.010+08:00

Haha... hold your horses, because it's not about a guy, and neither is it about a girl (but I bet you all'd just love to get your hands on that kind of gossip, haha!)... It's about YOGA, Hatha yoga to be exact, which focusses mainly on Vinyasa! (and everyone sighs collectively in disappointment... except perhaps Rabz, hehe!) Anyway, if you've been keeping track of my weekly goals, you'd have known that I've been going to yoga classes since early July, and now that's all the exercise I've been doing. It's the one kind of exercise that is able to help with my lower back problems and general joint aches, thumbs up to alternative medicine, hehe! And thanks to my brilliant yoga teacher, William! XD

Right, the real reason for my finally blogging about this new love... well, this morning when I decided to drag myself to the yoga class in Mata-Mata after only 4 hours sleep, I didn't expect a miracle to happen... after less than 3 months of doing yoga, I am now able to sustain a head stand on my own... well, almost, the mirrored wall is there behind me just in case, hehe... but I managed to keep my body from it in the head stand position... Unfortunately, due to fasting and sheer exhaustion, I was only able to sustain it for several seconds, but that's good enough for now... I can't wait to see how I'd do once Ramadhan is over! :D So extremely thrilled at my new skill! Let's hope I can keep up with this new advancement... fingers crossed!

Note: Image was taken from White Lotus Yoga.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 38 [2008]

2008-09-14T23:55:00.009+08:00

Straight to the point, my goals for Week 38 are as follows:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga (VDA)~~
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~; badminton [X]
Sunday: Yoga (at home) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X], April 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; ~~update Aesthetic Tribute subforum~~
Social activities: ~~sungkai & coffee with the SAT~~; ~~meet up with the usual suspects (haha!)~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; unpack the rest of the boxes from Germany [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning~~
Clothes & accessories: ~~adjust spectacles' frame~~; ~~buy lining material~~
Job-related errands: ~~medical check-up~~; ~~request referees' testimonials~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

A new beginning...

2008-09-14T03:51:00.011+08:00

So another one of my 2008 resolutions was achieved yesterday when I signed the contract for my new job... Yes, you heard me, I am now employed!!! And not just any job, the job that I've been dying to get my hands on since I first heard about it! Uh-huh, the one with the Sungai Liang Authority. I am over the moon! Anyway, I officially start work on the 1st of October, which may or may not be the first day of Hari Raya (Eid), I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Heh, personally, I'd prefer it if Hari Raya fell on the 2nd of October, since I'll end up having a 4-day weekend after just one day of work, haha. But seriously, doesn't bother me either way. Anyway, just wanted to share with everyone my happy news! xxx

ps: The image above is of a Koru pendant (identical to the one I got in New Zealand). The Koru in Maori culture is a symbol which represents new beginnings or new growth.

Update [14.9.08 @ 22:39]: I decided to change the design/colour scheme of my blog to signify a turning point! ;p

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 37 [2008]

2008-09-08T01:20:00.006+08:00

Scratch that, my room is still a mess, even though I've done some organising! It's more work than I expected. [sigh] This week, it has to be done this week! Anyway, here are the goals for Week 37:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: Yoga (at home) [X]
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]
Saturday: Yoga (at home) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
E-mail: ~~write replies to friends' e-mails~~
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Post: ~~special card~~
Social activities: ~~sungkai with Aniki, Rozi & Sarah~~; ~~sungkai with Mum, Jus & Kartini~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; unpack the rest of the boxes from Germany [X]; pick up drycleaning [X]
Tuition: ~~give A-Level Chemistry tuition to Nurul~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Towards Ramadhan...

2008-09-01T23:33:00.001+08:00

Wow, it still doesn't feel real to me that Ramadhan starts tomorrow... I have, however, said my niat but I don't think it'll hit me till tomorrow when I can't eat or drink anything! It's my first time fasting in Brunei again after such a long time, it'll be interesting to see if I can cope with it, especially with the heat. Anyway, I intend to go on as normal, going to yoga and maybe have a game or two of badminton with Rozi. Hope I'll survive this routine! Anyway, just wanted to say to all Muslims out there:

- SELAMAT BERPUASA -

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 36 [2008]

2008-09-01T23:20:00.003+08:00

The house is finally starting to look like normal, still more boxes to unpack but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel! However, the state of my room is still the same, hehe! It will get organised this week! Oh yeah, Ramadhan starts tomorrow! Hope I won't get lazy to get my weekly goals achieved due to food deprivation! XD

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Wednesday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
E-mail: write replies to friends' e-mails [X]
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; update Aesthetic Tribute subforum [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with Rozi and Aniki~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~pick up laundry~~; ~~send clothes for drycleaning~~; ~~unpack some of my boxes from Germany~~
Tuition: ~~give A-Level Chemistry tuition to Nurul~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Dragonaut (complete)~~; ~~Crescent Love (complete)~~; Amatsuki (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Sorcha's Birthday!

2008-08-25T07:15:00.002+08:00

A quick birthday post for my tres cool friend, Sorcha! Lots of best wishes especially for her! And may she gets lots of brilliant research results as her birthday presents! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 35 [2008]

2008-08-24T11:00:00.004+08:00

[sigh] Mad busy yet again! Our stuff from Germany finally arrived last Wednesday and we're still not even halfway done with unpacking and whatnot! :( My room is still a mess! [sigh] Let's hope I'll get most of my goals done this week.

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Wednesday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]
Saturday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
E-mail: ~~write replies to friends' e-mails~~
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; ~~update Aesthetic Tribute subforum~~
Social activities: ~~meet up with June and Meela (I hope!)~~; ~~lunch with my cousins~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~pick up laundry~~; ~~help with organising the house~~
Tuition: ~~give A-Level Chemistry tuition to Nurul~~; help Zati with schoolwork [X]
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; Dragonaut (complete) [X]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 34 [2008]

2008-08-17T10:10:00.006+08:00

Whoa, it's been a while since I posted my weekly goals - been up to my ears with lots of stuff since the parents got back, mainly to do with the house. Anyway, without further ado, here are my goals for the following week:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Tuesday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Thursday: ~~Yoga class (FZ)~~
Friday: ~~Yoga class (VDA)~~
Saturday: Yoga class (VDA) [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
E-mail: ~~write replies to friends' e-mails~~
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X], Mar/Apr 2008 [X] & Aug 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Volunteer work: Special Olympics [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with Ka Sur~~; ~~breakfast with Liza~~; ~~lunch with Rozi~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; iron clothes [X]; ~~send blankets & car seat cover to be laundered~~
Shopping list: ~~medication~~; ~~"Dragonaut" anime series (DVD)~~
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-Level chemistry (Paper 5)~~; help Zati with schoolwork [X]
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]; ~~Neo Angelique Abyss (complete)~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Ocassion: Süper Awesome Birthday!

2008-08-17T00:12:00.003+08:00

Ooops, almost forgot to post a birthday wish for Mr Süper Awesome himself, Ali A.! Hope you had a good one, dude! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Three's Company!

2008-08-17T00:05:00.001+08:00

A quick message to wish my three dearest people a brilliant birthday! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Lotta (13.08), my goddaughter Erika (15.08) and Elenita (17.08)! Miss you all lots! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Sai's "Lucky" Day!

2008-08-08T12:51:00.002+08:00

Right, it's my dearest friend Sai's birthday today (heh, actually her birthday can be celebrated on either the 7th or 8th of August, but I decided to post this on the 8th due to the lucky number 8 - so it's the 08.08.08!) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAI!!! [big hug] Hope you have lots of good times today! Btw, this is the only digital photo I have of you - "stole" it off your college website somewhere, haha! ;p I'll catch you on MSN soon! Things are finally settling down, so will hopefully have more time to spare!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

And we have lift-off!!!

2008-07-26T15:51:00.003+08:00

Hurrah for E-Speed!!! It finally got set up in the house this morning and the speed is so wonderfully stable and fast so far! Well, that's when using LAN, but I think the wireless connection is pretty good too! We got ourselves a subscription with a bandwidth of 1Mbps - thanks, Dad! XD So I think I shall be online more often these days, so look forward to lots of blogging, facebooking and chatting next week, hehe! This week is "Organising The House" Week, because my parents are now back in Brunei, and here to stay! Yayyy! I'm really happy, despite some temper-raising moments, haha! Anyway, will blog more later! Tschuss! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 30 [2008]

2008-07-24T23:41:00.002+08:00

Right, this is rather a late post for my weekly goals - not that I haven't been achieving any! XD The parents are back in Brunei so I've just been too busy to post much this week. Anyway, here are my goals for Week 30:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class~~
Tuesday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill~~
Friday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Saturday: FZ workout programme [X]
Sunday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]

Miscellaneous:

Blog: clean up posting backlog [X]
E-mail: reply friends' e-mails [X]
Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2008 [X] & Mar/Apr 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; ~~update MG subforum~~
Social activities: ~~shopping with June~~; ~~breakfast with Liza~~
Domestic chores: organise bedroom [X]; ~~clean bedroom wall~~; ~~clean back of cupboard~~; ~~do laundry~~; iron clothes [X]; ~~pick up laundry~~; ~~send blankets for laundering~~; ~~send baju kurung for drycleaning~~
House refurbishment: ~~paint bedroom wall~~; ~~seal edges of shower~~
Subscription: ~~setup e-speed~~; ~~setup Astro~~
Shopping list: ~~desk~~, ~~office chair~~; ~~cleaning products & utensils~~; ~~bathroom mats~~
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-Level chemistry~~; ~~help Zati with schoolwork~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]

Let see if I can top the 64% from last week! ;p

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Hari Jadi Liza!!!

2008-07-21T23:51:00.001+08:00

Today's the birthday of my dearest friend, Liza! I've known her since my A-Level years, though we didn't become close till later in university. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to have a celebratory meal with her on her birthday due to her work and family commitments. Not to worry, we'll celebrate it soon! Hope you had a brill day, Liza dear! [hug]

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Celine's Birthday!

2008-07-19T23:59:00.000+08:00

A quick post to wish my dearest amie, Celine, "Bon anniversaire!" - lots of best wishes for you today and in the future! Hope you and the twins are doing well! Missing you lots!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 29 [2008]

2008-07-15T23:15:00.006+08:00

Last week wasn't great for my fitness goals - lower back pains! Hence, I'm not doing weights till later in the week to give time for my back to recover, insyallah!

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class~~
Wednesday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill~~
Thursday: ~~15 mins treadmill & Yoga class~~
Friday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Saturday: FZ workout programme [X]
Sunday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & Mar/Apr 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~dinner with S.A.T.~~; ~~meet up with Jus~~; ~~meet up with Meela, June & Adeline~~
Domestic chores: ~~organise and clean temporary room~~; iron clothes [X]; ~~pick up drycleaning/laundry~~
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-Level chemistry~~; ~~help Zati with schoolwork~~
Transportation: ~~send car for first servicing~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (episodes 9-23) [X]; Night Head Genesis (episodes 9-24) [X]; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]
Reading list: ~~"No Choice But Seduction" by Johanna Lindsey~~; ~~a number of recently bought thin paperbacks~~; ~~Nurul's chemistry notes~~

Ack, delayed in posting this list but I did have a good start this week! :)

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Birthdays Galore!

2008-07-15T16:55:00.012+08:00

But only one turned 62 today, hehe! That would be His Majesty, The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, so a very happy birthday - Daulat Kebawah Duli Tuan Patik! XD

I have quite a number of friends whose birthdays fall on the same day! What a coincidence! So here they are: Meela, Graham & Julien (a.k.a. LMG - you must ask him yourself what this stands for, haha!) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU GUYS! [hug]

Other birthdays in July included those of my cousin, Nurul (we had a mini celebration at her house last Sunday - photos later!) and Ann-Marie (a dear friend from my A-Level days). Hope you two had a brilliant birthday!!! [one more hug]

And finally, belated (sorry!) birthday wishes to Terry, Cidalia, Gary (and congratulations also to Gary since he recently passed his Ph.D. viva - hmmm, I should call him Dr Gary, hehe!), my cousin Yusri and Nuala who celebrated their birthdays in June - hope you guys had a good one! [yet another hug]

And I think that brings me up to date with people's birthdays - next one is pretty soon! Later! xxx

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Aesthetic Tribute: May/June 2008

2008-07-12T08:28:00.004+08:00

I finally got my May/June 2008 fanart posted! I actually finished it on time for the deadline but I had to install a new scanner, which delayed my posting of it! Gomen ne! Anyway, it's been a while since I posted new art. This one is of Saya and Haji from the anime/manga "Blood+". You can view the fanart here. Enjoy! :D

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 28 [2008]

2008-07-07T12:00:00.005+08:00

Yet another set of weekly goals...

Fitness:

Monday: ~~Yoga class~~ (William is an amazing Yoga teacher! XD)
Tuesday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Wednesday:~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill~~ ~~& Yoga class~~
Thursday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X] & ~~Yoga class~~
Friday: FZ workout programme [X]
Saturday: FZ workout programme [X]
Sunday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Weight loss: at least 1 kg [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X] & Mar/Apr 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~sushi with Amy & Co.~~; lunch with Nynna [X]; ~~sushi with S.A.T.~~
Tuition: ~~help Nurul with A-level Chemistry~~
Domestic chores: organise temporary room [X]; ~~iron clothes~~
Cinema run: ~~Hell Boy~~
Anime list: ~~Nodame Cantabile (episodes 1-8)~~; ~~Night Head Genesis (episodes 1-8)~~; Vampire Knight (complete) [X]; Nabari (episodes 1-8) [X]; ~~Tactics (complete)~~; TRC Tokyo Revelations (complete) [X]
Reading list: "Convergence" by Sharon Green (fantasy) [X]; ~~Nurul's chemistry notes~~

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 27 [2008]

2008-06-30T14:15:00.009+08:00

Hmmm, productivity was bad last week - it was only 44%!!! :( One good thing was that I finally was able to strike the "weight loss" goal! I lost 1 kg, woo hoo! XD I'm so chuffed! I hope achieving this particular goal keeps up! Anyway, here are this week's goals:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~FZ workout programme~~
Tuesday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill (meeting up with Rabz in FZ Mall @ 7-ish am!!!) & Body Balance class~~
Thursday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill & Yoga class~~
Friday: FZ workout programme [X]
Saturday: ~~FZ workout programme & Body Balance class~~
Weight loss: at least 1 kg [X]

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Dec 2007 [X], Mar/Apr 2008 [X] & ~~May/Jun 2008~~
Website: ~~update ari-rin.com~~; ~~update deviantART site~~
Social activities: ~~NBT Treasure Hunt~~
Domestic chores: organise temporary room [X]; ~~iron clothes~~
Interview: ~~job as analyst~~
Tuition: ~~help cousin with A-Level subjects~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (complete) [X]; Night Head Genesis (complete) [X]; Vampire Knight (episodes 1-9) [X]; Nabari (episodes 1-8); Tsubasa RC (OVA 1-3) [X]
Reading list: "Convergence" by Sharon Green (fantasy) [X]

Ganbatte, me!!! XD

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 26 [2008]

2008-06-23T01:12:00.009+08:00

Yayyy, I really did well in achieving my goals this week! 64%! Let's hope I can keep up this good roll! XD So here are the goals for Week 26:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~FZ workout programme~~
Tuesday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Wednesday: ~~FZ workout programme~~
Friday: 45 mins-1 hr treadmill [X]
Saturday: ~~Latin Aero class~~
Sunday: FZ workout programme [X]
Weight loss: ~~at least 1 kg~~

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute for Mar/Apr 2008 [X] & May/Jun 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]
Social activities: ~~lunch with June, Aniki, Rozi & Adeline~~; ~~lunch with Rozie~~; ~~lunch with Kak Nagai & Abang Alim~~; meet up with Kak Sur [X]; ~~meet up with Amy~~; ~~meet up with relatives from Mentiri (Kak Jamie, Pinah & Nurul)~~
Domestic chores: organise temporary room [X]; iron clothes [X]
Interview preparation: ~~job as analyst~~
Anime list: Nodame Cantabile (complete) [X]; Night Head Genesis (complete) [X]; Vampire Knight (episodes 1-9) [X]; Nabari (episodes 1-8) [X]
Reading list: "Convergence" by Sharon Green (fantasy) [X]; ~~a number of recently bought thin paperbacks~~

Wahhh, another busy week - they are 25 weekly goals this time as well! O.o

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Weekly Goals: Week 25 [2008]

2008-06-16T00:05:00.016+08:00

Hmmm, I really have to try and achieve at least 50% of my weekly goals. Maybe I'm being too optimistic and setting too many goals, but I want to keep busy! ;p So for Week 25:

Fitness:

Monday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill~~
Tuesday: ~~FZ workout programme (by Michelle)~~
Wednesday: ~~45 mins-1 hr treadmill~~
Friday: ~~FZ workout programme~~
Saturday: ~~45 mins-1hr treadmill~~
Sunday: FZ workout programme [X]
Weight loss: at least 1 kg

Miscellaneous:

Art: finish fanarts for Aesthetic Tribute Dec 2007 [X], Mar/Apr 2008 [X] & May/Jun 2008 [X]
Website: update ari-rin.com [X]; update deviantART site [X]; design haslin.net [X]
Social activities: ~~meet up with June, Justina, Amy~~; ~~visit relatives (in Gadong)~~
Domestic chores: organise temporary room [X]; ~~pick up dry-cleaning (Tuesday)~~; ~~mild spring cleaning~~; ~~laundry (including Aniki's, haha!)~~
Shopping: ~~car accessories~~; ~~green lining material~~
Bill payment: ~~DST (Prima)~~
Dressmaking: ~~send 1-2 sets of material for baju kurung to the tailors~~
Reading list: "Convergence" by Sharon Green (fantasy) [X]; ~~a number of recently bought thin paperbacks (romance)~~

Again, I'm definitely readjusting the list of fitness goals once I get the class schedule from Fitness Zone. Hopefully, I'll have a more accurate list of goals by tomorrow.

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Watashi no kuruma! XD

2008-06-15T21:57:00.009+08:00

Woo hoo! Yes, you guessed it, my new mode of transportation, hehe! So this is the news which I wanted to blog about yesterday. I just got the photos off June today. XD Anyway, my new baby is a Hyundai Accent 3-door a.k.a. Sport with manual transmission (a very important feature for me when it comes to cars!) and is Blue Onyx in colour! This is the first car I've ever owned and I love it!!! I've been driving it around a lot since I picked it up from Setia Motors yesterday morning (in wet weather and a traffic jam, just my luck, haha!). The fact that I'm driving a manual car seems to be doing wonders for my aching back and legs - weird, but very welcomed, indeed! Anyway, I was going to name my car, but I decided not to in the end, hehe!

Before I sign off, I also would like to wish my dad "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY"! He's off to Switzerland and Austria at the mo, lucky! I want to go to Austria!!! Anyway, love you lots, Dad!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."

Occasion: Message for Mummy!

2008-06-14T23:21:00.001+08:00

Yeah, it's my mum's birthday today! Unfortunately, my bro and I weren't able to celebrate it with her this year since she and Dad are still in Germany! :( Anyway, hope she's having a brilliant day in Berlin, even though things are somewhat busy at the moment. Anyway, love you, Mummy! XD

Oh yeah, another good thing happened today, but I won't blog about it yet, hehe! Maybe tomorrow or the next day. Sorry for making everyone wait! I'm waiting to get the photos! ;D Anyway, catch you later!

"Beginning is easy, continuing is hard."