Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Chapter : College and Valentine's

I was asleep in my room, since I had a rough day yesterday and came back around 5am this morning. Parents tend to disturb you at the peek of dawn even though they know that you just came back during that time and needed some sleep. But nevertheless, I think they are jus concern of me. My brother woke up at 630am asking me whether I will be picking them up, and with my face on my pillow I muffled a “Yes” to him. Thinking that I could finally manage to get some sleep without any disturbance, my dad came in and passed me a box. Yes, it was a box and even when I was half asleep I could manage to take out and see what was inside the box. Apparently it was from Amanah Raya thing and inside that box it has a little wallet for you to put your name cards in and also a pen. I thank my dad with my eyes shut and plopped myself back to bed and hid under the blankets because it was so nice and cold.

Now waking up, and I am sitting here typing this entry, I just realized that the date is 30th January and the next day is my final day in college. I am going to miss college due to the fact that I have made so many friends there and also not forgetting the memories too. Lecturers and friends who each of them manage to play an important role in my life, somehow influencing me without me even realizing. Thinking back throughout my college years, I never guessed that I could even reach this far. I must thank to all my friends and also of course the lecturers for guiding me through these 3 years. At first when I was doing my last term, I was just thinking it was just another day in college, another term, and more new things to learn. Then suddenly it dawned upon me, “This is your last term in college and soon you are a graduate”

I kept thinking, “Have 3 years gone by so fast without me even realizing?” I guess it is because I look forward to be going to college each day. Every morning waking up and going to college seem fun to me. It’s because I know that each day I will have a memories for me to remember by. It even could be as simple as Joey, Sylvia, Kelsie and I just sitting down…let’s say at Starbucks drinking coffee and talking about anything. It could be as simple as that. That is enough to be counted as a memory for me to remember by.

Coming to think of it, college have evolved me to become who I am today. Besides the outlook appearance which I could see from my previous photos, like what Joey said the last time when she saw one of my old pictures on Friendster where I was smiling and wearing some top and the caption there was “I must smile ßforced” , “Jessie, you look….so…PLAIN!” It was pretty amusing to see my previous photos and the comparing the ones now. Who knew that I have become a whole new person during my college years? Despite the fact from my outlook appearances, I tend to take things in a brighter side these days. During my high school time, I was pretty much a hyper kid but not that all optimistic. Guessed I learn to live to this motto, “You only live once, enjoy life to the maximum.”

According to Beatrice, she said that we might have a screening which made me really happy and also strive to finish the animation as fast as possible so she can get some rest. I really respect Beatrice because even though she is down with a dengue fever she still manages to continue on with the final project. Talk about pure determination. Most of the time I am pestering her to go home early but well, knowing her, when it comes to work, it must be completed first and she wouldn’t listen to me. Nevertheless, she did go home early once in a while, waiting for Adrian to send her home. But last night, wait, I should say this morning, I send her home instead because she did not know what time Adrian would be leaving. I could have gone back earlier but I was too exhausted and therefore I decided to rest my eyes for awhile before driving home. Who knew that I managed to sleep for full 30 minutes without waking up? I must have snored all my way through…it must have been embarrassing.

Yesterday Lucas Film came to our college and viewed each of our own demo reel and giving us feed back. Everyone had pretty much great feedback but basically I tell you what I was feeling that time. When Terrence when and showed his demo reel, I felt as though “Oh man, my demo reel sucks. Maybe I should hide myself and pretend I didn’t do it.” But I couldn’t because I was pretty much dressed up for the “interview” Then later Darren went and showed his thing. Knowing Darren, his works are beyond, in my own words…Godlike. That made me felt really bad and I also didn’t want to go out there and I kept whispering to Kelsie saying “My one so bad…Dare not show…” Kelsie just replied me with “Come, let’s go to toilet...” After Darren was Beatrice and I was sitting at the same row with her and the panic is starting to sink in. My hands were sweating because of my nervousness despite the fact that naturally my hands are really sweaty due to genetic causes…My sister also has really sweaty palms.

Continuing the story, Beatrice showed her kick-ass demo reel and they were pretty much impressed I suppose. I was too busy calming the butterflies in my stomach to notice it. Then Sylvia went showing off her awesome demo and also she managed to get some feed back. When it came to my turn, I wiped my hands on my slacks hoping that it wouldn’t be too sweaty when I shake hands with the person who is giving us the feedback named Matt. Previewing my demo reel I was basically shivering. Well, another factor to contribute to the shivers was because the air con was blasting at me and I was basically turning into a Popsicle on the spot. After seeing my demo reel, they clapped (well, technically after every demo reel they clapped) and Matt’s feedback was good. He liked my 3D modeling interior because of the lighting and he thought that it was a class lighting practice which was conducted here. Come to think of it, they should have these classes. Anyway, continuing on, he also said that my character animation, the walk with expression was really energetic which was pretty good. But he asked for basic walk, male and female, a basic run cycle, weight lifting and all that. It got me thinking to redo my weight lift and do some animating now.

When Matt was giving his feedback, all I could mutter was “Yes, thank you. Okay.” And believe me, I sounded as though I am going to cry or faint. Then when it came to Kelsie turn, well, she was special! It is because they previewed her demo reel twice which she came telling me “Very embarrassing…they played two times…” To be honest, in that particular situation, they thought that Kelsie wanted to apply as a lighting artist and didn’t know that she also wanted to be an animator. Therefore Matt was focusing more on her demo reel seeing what lightings she have done and when Kelsie told him that she also wanted to apply to be an animator, they had to preview it again so he could see her animations. Pretty cool. After her turn, it was Bryan and he didn’t show any animations but more of his concept artist works. He is one talented individual with a pencil. His works is what I could say “Take your breath away.”

Furthering on, after Bryan was Chih Lun with his amusing demo reel and then it was Adrian showing off his little cowboy robot doing the walk, weight lifting and that concludes the interview thing. All of us have pretty many great feedbacks. They didn’t hire us on the spot of course. They just say “Just send us more of your demo reels on the basic walk..bla bla bla..” and asked us to wait for a respond. I felt so happy later on because it was over. Then I met up with Joey because Yuki was there and we ate dinner together with the rest of the doll lovers’ gang. Later Joey headed off to Pyramid with the rest and I couldn’t go because I had to complete the sound effects for our group’s animation.

Sylvia went home early because she has nothing to do and she wasn’t feeling too well. Beatrice and Kelsie stayed well, I understand for Beatrice because she wanted to check whether the songs that I do are suitable or not. But for Kelsie I guess her staying for the heck of it. Luckily she stayed though because she helped me to find some sounds that were needed for the animation. I have completed my task and will show Vincent by today evening, or maybe Beatrice might show it to him later in the afternoon. Some juniors were staying back that night itself and I just went to disturb them, because I was pretty bored and was too lazy to listen to classical music that will put me to sleep.

Then this junior, Siu Gi asked me, “Over here in Malaysia, during Valentine’s day..is it guy give girl or girl give guy?” Well he was a mixed Japanese so can’t blame him.

“Actually it works both ways. It is because we don’t celebrate White Day like Japanese do.” For you information White Day is a day when the guys give stuffs to the girl and for Valentine’s Day it is the girls that give stuffs to the guys in Japan. That is what I have heard.

“Oh, okay. So does girl prefers flowers or chocolate?” he asked.

“Both actually,” I replied.

“But if I give chocolate wouldn’t it be better? At least she can eat it,” he said.

“It is up to you I guess. Just give what ever you want to the girl. Whether be flowers of chocolates,” I said with a laugh.

“Oh, okay…thanks yah,” he said.

“No problem…” I replied.

Come to think about it Valentine’s Day is coming. Maybe I should go out and hang with Joey, Sylvia and Kelsie. Wait, I guess Kelsie is out of the picture because her boyfriend is coming back from Australia on that day. Oh well, Joey and Sylvia and I will have a blast. If anyone says that Valentine’s Day is meant for couples or for the love of giving something special to the person you like, I would say that it is wrong. I mean, true, it is a celebration where the guy or the girl gives stuffs to their girlfriends or boyfriend or crushes or admires. But I feel it is more like a celebration of love where you just can celebrate it with your friends and family.

The only time I went out on Valentine’s Day is with Daniel Lee, my church mate’s cousin. If I could remember, we went to the Curve and ate at T.G.I.F and I couldn’t finish the food because I was practically panicking again because I don’t know what to do and despite the fact that I don’t know what to talk to him. Believe me; it is rare to see me keeping quiet with a person I know. I guess there wasn’t any chemistry with me and him that night and thus, not much of a conversation happening. Or maybe he is just shy. But he was pretty sweet though, he gave me a real pearl pendant, thing necklace. Well, I think it is real because when I opened it at home there was this oyster thing which I have to pry open to get the pearl. The pearl was called a Love Pearl and he also gave me chocolates. That night itself my mother was really happy because her daughter is going out on a date with a guy and she kept asking me who is this “Daniel” and basically she asked me questions that is enough for her to put him on the list of “Son-in-laws to be”. My sister saw the pearl oyster thing too that night and she was screaming to my mom, “Mommy! Ting Ting got pearl necklace. No fair.” I felt pretty odd after that.If you are thinking that he and I actually got together as a couple, I would say no because I felt that he and I are just merely friends. Daniel managed to find another and I am happy for him.

Oh well, let’s just see what happens on Valentine’s Day this year and I want to see whether during that celebration would be a memorable one for me.

No comments: