Photowalk/cycle (Orchard, Selegie, Kampong Java)

I started of in front of Istana Garden (Singapore presidential palace garden). The gardener has prepared a new flower bed with nice orange, yellow and white flowers for APEC meeting about a week ago, and I have always wanted to come and take picture. Thus I applied for leave and went for a photo walk/cycle. It was really early (8 AM).

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

Sacchin is just a sucker for flowers.

From Pinky

Somehow there is pink colour lilies among the majority white lilies.

From Pinky

From Pinky

I then travels north and this is taken in front of centerpoint. They have a nice christmast decoration.

From Pinky

And this is in front of the shop houses near Emerald Hill Road.

From Pinky

I decided to enter Emerald Hill since I have never taken any pictures there. It has nice restored old shop houses within Orchard road, and it is not enclosed in glass like Parco (Bugis Junction) or Far East Square (Chinatown). They are still very much original at least from outside.

From Pinky

It is kind of interesting 2 storey shop houses facing 12 storey mall (Orchard Central).

From Pinky

Is the house tilted? No! I just decided to level the photo based on the Pinkies shoes. I guess it is bad decision cos it make the house tilted due. The road is going a bit uphill actually.

From Pinky

From Pinky

I then decided to go down orchard road and took photo at Cathay since I also never taken photo there. And I was hungry, there is no shop selling food (other than junk food) at Orchard Road, so I went to Selegie.

From Pinky

After my late breakfast, I went across the road to Selegie Art Centre, and took a picture there.

From Pinky

Guess where this photo is taken?

From Pinky

Need a hint?

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

More hint!

From Pinky

Yes, it is at Lasalle College of the Arts. It has a very unique designm and I took many pictures there.

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

After that I went to Kampong Java Road. Guess where is this? No it is not near a cruise ship. It is actually a hospital called KK Women and Children hospital. KK stands for Kandang Kerbau (Cow Pen). It is not to equate women to cows. The name is actually historical because around there during colonial time, there is a cow pen. That is why the name got stuck, even though there is no more cow in Singapore.

From Pinky

From Pinky

And this is taken in a park with a small pond near the hospital.

From Pinky

The sky suddenly turned greyish and I guessed it was going to rain so I stopped and quickly went back.

From Pinky

Sacchin cycling in Melaka

I have not posted any entry for a very long time.
Yes, I have been busy (and procastenating). But I make it a point that I post now since I have some new pictures.

I went to Melaka, Malaysia with my cycling friends for an overnight trip of cycling and eating, and I brought Sacchin with me together with her mountain bike. Too bad I don't have a folding bicycle model, suitable for pinky:st.

We were waiting for bus near Golden Mile Complex, so I took this photo after I gobbled some breakfast and a glass of Kopi.
Looking bright and shiny ready to go!

From Pinky

After some drama trying to load the bus with small luggage compartment with 20+ folding bicycles, we were ready! We even managed to persuade customs to let us keep the bicycles in the bus.

Then comes the 4+ hour ride to Melaka. The Kopi keeps me awake during the journey.

This is the front view when looking out from the hotel compound entrance, taken not long after we arrived at the hotel, and about to have a very late lunch (2:30 pm lunch)

From Pinky

And this is the hotel we are staying at, Aldy Hotel, near the old town center.

From Pinky

Below there is a bar cum restaurant. A fellow cyclist become the background (that green liquid in a jar was a drink ordered by another cyclist).

From Pinky

At night me and some cyclist went to eat pizza at a restaurant named Coconut House, in Melaka. It is behind Jonker street, opposite boutique hotel Baba House.

She is enjoying the various sizes of popular drink Coca Cola.

From Pinky

From Pinky

After dinner I went sight seeing at Jonker Street Pasar Malam (Night Market) but did not buy anything. I saw some really interesting umbrella that comes with metal cover and made to look like bottle of perfume or shampoo or wine etc, but the umbrella is rather small so I decide it was not a good buy. Small umbrella does not give much protection in monsoon season rain or torrential rain which happen frequently in Singapore.

Back to the hotel and sleep because we have to wake up and gather at 7 am the next day.

The next day we went for a long cycling trip along the beach to the direction of the cemetary of a Malay legend, Hang Tuah. However the cycling was furious and we did not stop long enough for me to take out Sacchin, and took her photo.

However on the way back we stop for chendol and the wait took long enough for me to take Sacchin out for a picture. At the background is the chendol shop, crowded with my cyclist friend busily eating chendol.

From Pinky

After than we went back to the hotel and those who are tired have a chance to recuperate. Of course, high on palm sugar (gula melaka) I hardly feel tired and I took Sacchin out for photoshoot. Here she is posing in front of the ruin of portugese fort.

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

Next to the hotel there is a small park that play host to an old properller aeroplane ...

From Pinky

and old diesel train locomotive and cabin...

From Pinky

From Pinky

There are fire engine and bullock cart too but there is no good place to place Sacchin for a good photo.

The sun was way up when I make it to the old town center, but undeterred I took her photo anyway.

Here she is by the fountain.

From Pinky

From Pinky

There were a lot of tourist, local and overseas, and it was Sunday, sunny and bright. The colourful tricycles are there for the tourist to hire.

From Pinky

This is the old church but I am not sure if it is still in service. May be it is already converted to be a museum.

From Pinky

This is the photo from higher elevation, up the stair case on top of souvernier shops.

From Pinky

From Pinky

Here is the photo of clock tower from ground floor.

From Pinky

And this is from higher elevation.

From Pinky

Up the stair case (from the front) or the hill from behind you will have high elevation view to one end of jonker street.

From Pinky

After that I walk along the river bank behind the rows of shophouses and took this photo.

From Pinky

From Pinky

There is river cruise available too, but I did not take it. I like the comfort of being on land best.

From Pinky

At the end of the row there is a parking lot and opposite that there is an old church. There was a mass held at the time.

From Pinky

That was it, I went back and meet my friends before we are set for lunch, and after lunch we took the bus back to Singapore.

Sweet & cute discovery at Singapore Toy & Comic Convention 2009

I went to Singapore Toy Comic Convention 2009 (SGTCC 2009) and was quite bored with the range of toys and comic. The only interesting thing there was the display of Blythe doll (amazingly cute with freaky realistic glass eyeballs), and the artist gallery.

One artist which catch my fancy (and earned some money from me) is Stephanie aka Asuka. She made such a wonderfully detailed mini cake and bento and cookies and many many more.

From CuteFiguPhoto

a

Here are the 2 pinkies (Range Murata collaboration) at the cake shop, acting as waiters.

From Pinky

All those cute cakes are made by Stephanie. The totoro dolls also.

From Pinky

She also made a cake counter full with cute little cakes and cookies but they are not pinky scale so I did not take a photo of that.

I left Nendo L, Shana, Zetshubo Sensei and Sebastian at the booth which she shares with another artist.

From CuteFiguPhoto

From CuteFiguPhoto

L cannot decide which bento to eat.

From CuteFiguPhoto

Or the dessert to have.

From CuteFiguPhoto

That causes some commotion. A lot of people come and took photos! Hopefully more will buy from Stephanie. I hope she is not annoyed with that.

From CuteFiguPhoto

You can find more of her creation at her blog.

Here is a photo of her being interviewed.

From CuteFiguPhoto

Pinky Catch from Japan Trip

Finally I have unpacked and here are some of my catch that is related to Pinky:St.
I have a lot more but since they are not related to Pinky I do not post them here.

From Pinky

Wonderfest 2008 Pinky, Custom pinky legs (g-kit), and Yoikono Bukiset (aka Pinky:St weapon set) are from Vance booth during Wonderfest 2009. I was delighted to find that Wonderfest 2008 Pinky was still sold then and disappointed at the same time that there was no Wonderfest 2009 Pinky. Sacchin are bought from a shop in Akihabara, but could not remember where. I just bought her because I did not bring any pinky for the trip and want to take some photos. Gunslinger Girl Pinky:St are bought from Mandarake at Nakano broadway. It was second hand and it has been opened so it is actually cheaper than what listed on Mandarake shop online. I was really happy that I manage to get this.

Below are not pinky but the packages are from Vance / Mr.Hobby with booklet in Japanese which guide the reader on how to paint kits, do modding etc.

From Pinky

Morning walk in Oimachi, Tokyo

1 more day and I have to go back to Singapore already :(
So I woke up quite early and had my breakfast.

I brought Sacchin to the canteen (bought her in Akihabara, my I cant remember how many copies of Sacchin I have now, probably three?) and also my camera. Here is my Sacchin's first photo in Japan! Yay!
Behind was K-On! tea (left) and a glass of orange juice.

From Pinky

Here she is off-focus standing in front of the flat facing the hotel.

From Pinky

I stayed at Toyoko Inn in Oimachi, Tokyo.

From Pinky

Lets walk around the neighborhood. I have walked frequently from hotel to the train station, so I want to see what near the hotel that I have not explored.

First off, here is the public phone. :)
It is still there in Japan. Amazing, considering the high mobile phone penetration there, public phones are still around and they still use coins. In singapore most of them are converted to phone-cards already

From Pinky

And this is the sign board for the hotel visible from the pedestrian sidewalk.

From Pinky

Now I am standing in front of the flat which is facing the hotel. At the background is the hotel with minimal parking lots. The green box near the blue car is the public phone, inside a booth.

From Pinky

Lets take pictures with beautiful flowers planted by the locals.

From Pinky

It was summer, around 9 am already so the sun is very bright.

From Pinky

From Pinky

I think this is some kind of fruit or vegetable?

From Pinky

Isnt this very nice. I think this is the best photo with flowers!

From Pinky

Near the crossing to the mall, there is a McDonald Outlet. Their menu is different from Singapore's menu. For example, they have hot-dog.

From Pinky

From Pinky

They have al-fresco dining too, and for some reason Ronald is feeling shy this morning.

From Pinky

Next to McDonald there is a Ramen Shop. Hmmmm...

From Pinky

I cannot remember where this place already...

From Pinky

7-eleven is quite big in Japan. They call these konbini, short form of convenience shop (with Japanese style of English Pronunciation)

From Pinky

A sign on street lamp-post about a clinic nearby.

From Pinky

Sake shop! I dont think we can take photo here at night. But dont worry, all the drunk people are gone in the morning.

From Pinky

Some sign on the road, which I think say uphill climb. Possibly to remind the driver to switch to lower gear.

From Pinky

And here is the bicycle park at one of the apartment. They have 2 stories, so the bicycles are also kept in multi levels to save space.

From Pinky

You can find drink vending machines almost everywhere. One word of caution, if you do not like yorghurt, dont buy drink called Calpis. It tastes like extremely diluted yorghurt.

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

This is a public car park. You still need to pay though.

From Pinky

OK that is all. Need to go back to hotel and prepare for today's trip. :)

Wonderfest 2009 Vance Booth

I was at Wonderfest 2009! WOOHOO!

And guess which booth I visited first?
GSC! LOL. OK the queue were damn long no chance to buy special wonderfest item so I gave up and guess which booth I visited next? Not far from GSC there it was. Vance!

And here is Yoshiko Super Deca Pinky:St

From Pinky

And of course I have to take photo with her too.

From Pinky

OK I was not so in shape then, but round is a shape right? LOL.

These are the prototype of series 9 (PK025, PK026, PK027). They are all Yoshiko (face template) with different costumes: School uniform, more formal evening costume (probably going out for a date or meeting with friends) and very casual daytime weekend costume (at the shopping mall).

From Pinky

Here are custom colours for bitter and sweet Saki. I am not sure where to buy or if we can buy at all anywhere.

From Pinky

And these are classroom diorama with the Wonderfest 2008 set.

From Pinky

I will post what I bought there later.

Also will post separately the many photos of custom pinkies found at Wonderfest 2009.

Wonderfest 2009 Custom Pinkies

Custom Pinky from "Gunslinger girls"

From Pinky

Custom Pinky from "Little Buster"

From Pinky

From Pinky

Custom Pinky Light Armoured Vehicle, to complement the official release Tiger Tank

From Pinky

Pinky:St Biker with helmet

From Pinky

Custom Pinky from "To Aru Kagaku no Railgun" (top row) and Tsukihime (bottom row)

From Pinky

Custom Pinky from Fate/Stay Night

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

Custom Pinky of Vocaloid Kaito (Sold Out)

From Pinky

Custom Pinky of Vocaloid Ren & Miku Hatsune (sorry they are off-focus)

From Pinky

Front row is I believe from Vocaloid or that universe, left rear is custom pinky from "Spice & Wolf", and right rear is another version of Vocaloid Ren.

From Pinky

Another custom pinky from "Spice & Wolf"

From Pinky

I bought the g-kit custom legs from this counter. They are very detailed.

From Pinky

Custom Pinky from "Idolmaster"

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

Another Vocaloid Miku Pinky Custom, and I cannot remember from which anime/manga/game the 3 custom on the left are from.

From Pinky

Pinky custom from "Zero no Tsukaima", and I cannot remember from which anime/manga/game the 2 on the right are from. They are probably from same series as below.

From Pinky

From Pinky

Another custom Pinky from unknown series to me.

From Pinky

Custom pinky from "Macross Frontier"

From Pinky

These are possibly generic custom pinkies

From Pinky

Custom Pinkies with extremely ellaborate dress

From Pinky

From Pinky

This is from a booth that has a lot of custom Pinkies all over.

From Pinky

Did you see 3 of them are sitting down with crossed legs? Custom legs! Not on sale. :(

From Pinky

Pinky diorama set. This is the one I like most! Summer on the beach!

From Pinky

Pinky diorama traditional japanese set.

From Pinky

Clubhouse?

From Pinky

I dont know from which series these customs are from

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

From Pinky

Well that about it until I dig more photos and update this. Thank you for reading. :)