Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Chapter : The Interview

On Tuesday, I had an interview with one of the production houses’ company. My interview was at 2pm and the company was located in Kuala Lumpur so therefore I decided to set off early since I know that Kuala Lumpur is normally jam. Waiting for Joey to arrive at my place, I was getting ready my resume and demo reel, and checking whether the files are alright and so forth. The reason why I have dragged Joey along with me because I thought that if I couldn’t find any parking nearby the company, Joey could just sit inside and drive around. Despite that, another good reason is that if I get lost alone, it would be hell. If both of us get lost together it would be fine because Joey some what remembers thing and also not forgetting that she understands landmarks way better than I do.

We left the house at 11.30am and I knew that way to reach to Jalan Ampang. Once we reached to that road, we were already on the look out for the company. If you haven’t guessed it by now, I shall tell you that we got lost on the way. Frantically searching for the particular embassy that was the company’s landmark and we failed for a few times and were already at the peek of our panic state. More like me, not Joey because she wasn’t the one who is getting interviewed. After 2 hours of searching the company as though it was finding a needle in a haystack, we found it. To make matters worse, we actually drove pass the place before that and didn’t realize that the company was smacked right in front of our faces. One of the reasons we didn’t know that it would be the company because it was an old building. Not only that, we thought it was a house, not an office. Who knew that the company was inside that house itself? Another sad thing, there was a sign big enough for us to notice. The sign was as small as the numbers you see when you pass normal houses.

We found the company at approximately 1pm and we ate Mc Donald’s for lunch in my car right in front of the company itself. Well, we orders Mc Donald’s and take away and sat in my car to it because I was mostly afraid that I couldn’t get a decent parking nearby the company. After our lunch, we walked to the company and I told them that I was here for the interview and waited for a while. Joey was inside the company with me but she was just drawing her things. Later I was interviewed by one of the people there who came for the screening. My interview with him was pretty short and then he gave us a tour around the production house. Later on I was interviewed by another guy because I explained that I had an interest in doing 3D Compositing other than 3D Animating.

The people who interviewed me for the 3D Compositing asked me to come back to their office again for a 2nd interview with another demo reel where I have to show what I have done in my 3D Compositing classes and also my design works. At that time I almost died because I know that my works isn’t what you call high quality works and I have no choice but to comp it together and show it to them the 2nd time around. Now I am planning to do as much compositing plus animation works as I can since I am mostly free despite my part-time job and also picking up my brothers from school. The only thing that is stopping me from animating most of the time is because my computer is lagging for me but maybe not to others and also I really suck at modeling. I probably have to ask someone to help me OR teach me OR comment about my modeling work. Even though Beatrice said that people are looking at the animation not the model but I feel embarrassed to show my animation with bad modeling. Therefore I have made up my mind to do the best as I can in my modeling then I can animate.

After the interview, Joey was asked me, “Jessie, is that an interview?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Wow, it is so different from what I used to hear from my dad,” she said.

“Well, maybe because it isn’t the white collar sort of business-y thing,” I said.

We headed off to KLCC for a while and stopped by Kinokuniya and both of us bought something that made us really happy. Joey was saying that it was worth waking up early and also getting lost with me to get that book. Amusing I must say. Then we also went to Sungai Wang for a while but we didn’t buy anything there and I didn’t manage to find the bracelet that I was seeking. I managed to buy some nice earrings at KL Sentral though and Joey bought some hair clips at Sungai Wang. After all the trips there, we headed off home. It was really jam and thankfully I know my way home. Imagine if I didn’t know my way home and get lost and be stuck in the jam even more? Both of us would practically die on the spot and have no choice but to crack our brains to search for a sign that will lead us home. KL isn’t a place where I want to be honestly speaking.

After I reached home I had to do my part-time work because the dateline in on Wednesday, Joey rested for a while at my house because she had a headache. I woke her up around 9 something pm and she went home and I was stuck doing my work until now and therefore this entry existed. I am not happy with the work I have done because it was the first time I am trying to animate something really different from what I usually animate such as walking or weight lifting. In this work I am doing, I have to animate jumping and running and I keep getting the timing off and also problems with the character. Even though it is only a test pilot to show to the producers but I was determined to do it really well. I am now ashamed to show my works to them with such bad quality work.

But I don’t have the time to redo it again and not only that, my computer lags on me and I can’t open Photoshop and Maya at the same time if I want to do some textures because when I do so, I can’t even animate in Maya at all. The mouse and computer were screwed up really bad. So I have no choice but to show the sad results to them and hope that they will give me another chance to refine the big huge mess I made throughout the work. That way I would be happy that I am able to do something which I could feel that it is worthy to be called a good quality work instead of doing bad quality work and showing off to people as though my works are labeled “great”.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Chapter : The Screening

I had my animation screening on Thursday, 15th of March. All that I can say that it was a success though I was pretty nervous most of the time because a lot of people attended the screening plus my parents which I purposely “forced” them to attend. The dress code for the night was black and white pants or top but the girls have to wear skirts. So thanks to Joey for lending me the clothes for the night, even though she kept pestering me to wear the shortest skirt she gave to me instead of the asymmetrical skirt that was around above knee length that she had. In the end, on that night I was the asymmetrical skirt and a black top borrowed from her. I looked as though I was prepared to have a wonderful evening dinner at some fancy restaurant.

All in all, everyone said that I look really nice that night and it was flattering but I was more concern about whether the event is going on fine. I was in charge of the ushering and I had to walk up and down the stairs guiding the people who arrived for the screening. Beatrice and Adrian were the MCs for the night and I must say that they did a great job! Everyone was amused and entertained for the night and even though I screwed up part of my presentation speech, but Beatrice assured me that I did fine. Most of the time, the entire class of DG 41 were hanging outside because we didn’t want to stand inside crowding the auditorium. So we just waited outside and let the audience watch the screening and we could hear applauses from them when each animated movie ended.

After the screening, we went in one last time and thanked the people who guided us throughout the four months and also thanking the people who attended the evening. When it all ended, the production companies came to us and gave us their name cards saying that they will contact us next week or we could contact them if we are looking for a job. My cousin’s friend, Yap also attended the screening which clears the suspicion why my mom was really friendly and was able to talk to people who attended the screening. I was talking to him for a while explaining my tasks and also how was college like and also what position I am looking for as a job.

I also met some old lecturers who used to work in the One Academy such as Koon Wah and also Aik Sern. Not only that, I met some of the seniors who have graduated from the academy and I managed to talk to them for a while. Boo and a few juniors also made it to the screening and I was happy that Boo was able to make it because he came all the way from his work place to attend the screening. Joey didn’t attend the screening but she did watch the entire animation before that when I went for this game production house sharing. That night of the screening was really a memorable night for me.

After the screening and when everyone went home, the entire DG41 plus Hooi Ling, Sheng Han and Vincent went to KFC for a small celebration dinner. When we reached there, I saw some seniors hanging around there and we all one big gang sat there and had our dinner. We also celebrated Darren’s birthday which was supposed to be a surprise but it was partly my fault that the surprise birthday party failed because I asked Hooi Ling where was Chih Lun and she answered me without thinking, “He went to get cake for Darren” and during that time when she said that, Darren was just standing next to me. So that is how Darren found out about his surprise birthday party.

After our KFC dinner, the seniors who joined us for the night wanted to watch a movie and they wanted to watch a horror movie. They invited me as well but I am the kind who doesn’t watch horror movies so I declined their offer. So I head back to my car with Darren because he asked me whether I could drop him off at his work place and also I went to drop Beatrice and Vincent at their house. Honestly speaking, I already missed those times I spend at college with them and I really hope that we will keep in touch and will once in a while meet up just for a drink or for a movie. It would be fun to find out what is going on with their lives once in a while.

Not only that, I think if I am not mistaken, Joey called me one time and we were both talking on the phone…suddenly we came to this conversation about that special someone we know from college. It was so amusing when we found out that the special someone and another special someone are getting really close. After I found out that the special someone already broken off with the “spouse”, the realization dawned upon us that both of these special people are getting things on. We laughed so much when we were talking about it until the topic was still fresh in our minds the next day. The next day when I met up with Joey and the rest at Pyramid for a while, we told Yuki about this topic and all of us couldn’t stop laughing for a while and making a big joke about it.

When I went to church on Saturday after meeting up with them at Pyramid, something really funny happened. Maybe I was just having too much fun by myself or just thinking so highly about myself…but hear is the story. During mass, at this one point when the priest says “Lets now offer the sign of peace” and we have to bow to the priest then bow to others to show the sign of peace. During that procedure I was attending mass alone which I am used to it and I quite enjoy it…anyway, back to the story. As I was just offering the sign of peace to the people around me, I saw…spot this one cute guy looking at my way and I offered the sign of peace to him. Then later when I went up to take Holy Communion, and when I was walking back to my place, that particular cute guy whom I noticed and caught his eye smiled at me and I smiled back.

Even though I had this mini smile inside of me, but I was sure that the guy was just being nice. After mass ended, I was walking back to my car; I was so surprised that he was following me behind me! I was so amused and surprised at the same time that I had a hard time hiding my smile. I don’t know whether that guy caught me smiling to myself because all I know that I blushing really red and couldn’t even look properly at where I was walking. Then I called my mom because she called me during mass which I can’t pick up the phone then because it is rude and talked to her for a while. Then that guy suddenly walked in front of me and after I hung up on my mom, he was walking in front of me and I was walking behind of him. I really was trying to hide my overly red face and I just kept looking down on the floor. But I noticed from my view from the ground, he turned back to look at me a few times and that actually made me go even redder.

After I went to my car, I really couldn’t see him in the eye and I quickly drove off in a rush. I looked at myself in the mirror and I could see that my face looked like a beetroot. It was so red. Then I quickly called Joey and told her about the incident and I regretted horribly that I didn’t even stop to say hi or to catch his name. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a while and I kept complaining to Joey about it. Due to this reason, call me a sinner or whatever…I have determined to go to church every Saturday just to catch a glimpse of the guy again. I know, I am going to church for the obvious wrong reasons but it is just this time only for the heck of it. That is what makes church more enjoyable now.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Chapter: A "typical" Sunday

On Friday Joey and Sylvia had a sleepover at my place which is basically the first time I had friends over my house staying a night. It was pretty fun because we just sat down and chat and watched some shows. Nothing big happened because it is just a small sleepover. Try imagining three people squeezing onto a queen sized bed. It was cool that everyone managed to get some good night’s rest without getting rolled on or pushed off the bed. Well, if someone would get pushed off the bed it would be mainly me because I was at the edge of the bed technically.

Then on Saturday we woke up around 12 something pm and Sylvia went to get her parcel which a friend of hers delivered to her but got stuck at the customs and she did some things and had to pick up the parcel at the post office located at Kelana Jaya. Joey was doing some of her work and I was basically walking around the house doing nothing and feel asleep later on. After when I woke up, we headed off to the Curve do so some shopping which is basically stalking after Borders for the books that are sold there.

Then we walked around the Curve and Cineleisure and found nothing interesting and head back to my place. They ate dinner with my family and my mom cooked curry crabs which they enjoyed it a lot. Then Sylvia went back around 10ish I presume I couldn’t remember then Joey hung around for a little while before heading off to her own home. I’m glad that they managed to enjoy some time at my place even though there isn’t much to do nor I am much of a hostess.

Sunday was pretty much an all-boring day for me because first off I went to church and I met up with some friends after mass and so happen his sister is just about to finish Form 5 this year and was planning to go to the One Academy to study. Well, it is more like she is looking at some offers for colleges for the time being and so happen I’m a graduate from that college. Then later reached home fell asleep and woke up just in time for dinner. Seriously, I don’t know how long I have slept. I have been sleeping too much lately and it is getting a bit annoying for me because most of the time I spent is on my bed asleep. I am turning into some kind of a weird bum I assure you.

Then later Daniel Lee called up and asked to meet up with him because he got a part-time job offer for me. So I met up with him later around 10ish pm and met his friend too and now I’m basically having a part-time job without me realizing. Things happened really fast during that period of time and I am pretty happy that well, I have something to do now instead of bumming at home. Now my siblings have one week of holiday and therefore they will be running around at home and then I will start my work for my mom next week which my mom said that there is a lot of things for me to know and to do. It would be pretty tough for me because I am an animator student and I am going to learn how to do accounts and filing and all those secretarial things.

Well, my mom is going to pay me if I am not mistaken RM 500 per month since I am not experienced in the line she is doing and I think it is pretty much a fair amount and I was hoping that she would make it RM 800 so I could park some cash aside so I could save up to buy some things that I really want. Though it isn’t much but I guess it would do for the time being since I am mostly at home and doing nothing most of the time besides becoming a driver picking my siblings from school. I guess with the cash that I would have I would buy some books that I am wanting to buy for quite some time now and probably some gifts for my parents since I haven’t been giving them some presents for their birthdays. What a bad daughter I have become.

But come to think of it, it would be easier to shop things for my mom but I wouldn’t know what to get for my dad. What is there to get for a person who can buy anything he wants? A tie is too common and besides that my dad has enough ties already. If I want to buy him t-shirts, my dad is pretty particular when it comes to t-shirts because it has to be me think if I am not mistaken, 100% cotton or so ever that sort of requirements that he wants when he gets a t-shirt. In the end, I end up having trouble getting a “perfect” gift for my dad.

Anyway, my high school friend suddenly came up to me wanting to play a game of Reversi and that time when I was playing with him, I was busy chatting with my friends, typing this journal entry and doing some surfing and I wasn’t even paying attention to the game and it was so funny when I won a few rounds and he was like,”After tonight I am going to disturb you each day just to play Reversi.”

“Erm, okay…I don’t mind that since most of the nights I am just doing my normal thing and it would be interesting to have a game with you once in a while,” I replied.

“Yeah, I must practice with you each day so one day I can surpass you!” he said.

“Sure…erm…Okay?” I replied confused.

As I am typing this entry right now, he is playing Reversi with me and he keeps pestering me why I take so long to make a move. But in the end he managed to win me and he was like,

“Did you give me a chance to win?”

“Nope, I don’t think so…” I replied.

“You lie! I am so going to play with you again!” he said.

“Okay, whatever you say…” I replied with a laugh.

“Maybe tomorrow night, I’m off to bed,” he said.

Then after we bid each other good night, he went off to bed and I am still online writing this entry and occasionally drawing some stuff which I am planning to post it in the forums. What can I summarized up from my day? From a boring Sunday to, I have a part-time job and I have a partner to play Reversi each night. Funny.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Chapter : Chinese New Year

It has been a while since I last updated my blog. Many things happened through out the months and I barely updated my blog on these matters. Blame it on the lazy bum hormones that started to kick into my system. For the first time in history, well, my kind of history, my family and I celebrated Chinese New Year in Kuala Lumpur. Normally, we would pack our bags and head off driving down to Malacca with all the jams and butt-aching rides because you are cramped up with your siblings and maid at the backseat. Being in a family of six isn’t what you call a small thing.

Anyway, summarizing up what happen during Chinese New Year is well…really not too shabby. My mom cooked some dishes and invited her friends over and well, I also invited my friends over and some managed to make it and some didn’t. So to those who managed to visit me during Chinese New Year thank you for coming and to those who didn’t, I’m sorry that you didn’t have the time to make it but you are still welcome to visit me at my place! I got pretty tired with Chinese New Year because my parents have a very big social group of friends and their friends they met are based on different things. Like for instance, one group is their social dancing group, another group is from a Beijing trip during one time they went and you get the picture.

Honestly speaking, with all the aunties and uncles I have met, I still don’t know who they are and only certain aunties and uncles that I managed to remember their names. If not, three quarter of the time I would just smile and say “Happy New Year Aunty / Uncle!” and that is it. My sister and brother would know them better because most of my parents’ friends have their kids going to the same school or because from their dancing group classes. During Chinese New Year, with all the open houses I have attended, I really got sick of eating mandarin oranges and well, the food that they served till I was craving for sushi.

My cravings was fulfilled when Joey, Yuki and Sizer came by over one night and we decided to head off to the Curve instead of Sunway Pyramid because they wanted to go to Borders and check out the mangas selling there. So they came from KLCC and I was busy watching GTO on TV while waiting for them. When they arrived at my place, I got ready and we left. We ate at Sakae Sushi restaurant and I must say that the place is pretty cool. The restaurant is computerized where you just have to place your order through the computer and the waiters / waitress will deliver it to you. All four of us just sat down and ate our share of food, talking and laughing our heads off and I think we even made the waiters stared at us because we were acting really like a bunch of psychotic people. But heck, that is where all the fun is.

Anyway, pushing the event forward, just yesterday Joey and I went to One Utama because she wanted to get her ears pierced and I accompanied her. It has been a while since I saw someone pierced her ears and Joey was getting nervous over it because she was afraid of pain that would be inflicted upon her. We walked around and we stopped by MPH and I bought some books while she orders her books. After I have done my purchase, we finally went back to the shop that does ear piercing. Joey was still having butterflies in her stomach because she said that the shop looked scary and I was assuring her that the people there isn’t scary at all and sides, she is just piercing her ears…not getting a tattoo at her butt or something. After when she got her ears pierced she was happily telling me that it was painful and numb and I had to scold her not to touch her pierced ears too much.

Then when we reached my house, we sat in my room reading the books that we bought and well, after a few hours of hanging out at my place, she went home and when she went online, she was telling me that she was enjoying the pain in her ears and she wants to get more piercing but she only wanted four holes. When she told me that, it got me thinking, “So much for telling me that she was allergic to pain.” I wanted to pierce my ears again but I decided to go against that idea due to the fact that I am allergic to nickel and chrome and therefore I can’t wear those earrings that are sold in normal shops unless I go to a jewelry shop like Poh Kong and pierce my ears there and have gold studs in my ears. My parents’ would kill me if they find out that I pierced my ears again.

My dad is asking me to work on my portfolio and I guess I have to start on it really soon. I can’t help it because I am being a super big lazy pig for not doing it and also like being obsessed with the animes that my friend gave me to watch. Can you believe it that I managed to sit down in front of the computer watching one particular anime from the start till the end in one sitting? My dad said that my back is going to haunt me when I grow older because I was slouching in front of the computer while watching those animes.

As soon as I have the mood to draw, I will keep on drawing non-stop and put together my portfolio. It would definitely take up a lot of time but I have to start on it somehow so my dad wouldn’t be mad at me for not doing my portfolios. Despite that, Chinese New Year gave me a nice scar on my nose which hurts like mad so I decided to put a plaster over it so I wouldn’t be an asshole to hurt it even more with my long fingernails. Joey kept calling me “Robina Flower” because of me wearing the plaster over my nose. Honestly, I kind of like the plaster over my nose and I don’t know the reason why.