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!

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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)

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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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and old diesel train locomotive and cabin...

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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Here is the photo of clock tower from ground floor.

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And this is from higher elevation.

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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From CuteFiguPhoto

L cannot decide which bento to eat.

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Or the dessert to have.

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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.

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You can find more of her creation at her blog.

Here is a photo of her being interviewed.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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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).

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

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And these are classroom diorama with the Wonderfest 2008 set.

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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"

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Custom Pinky from "Little Buster"

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

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Pinky:St Biker with helmet

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

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Custom Pinky from Fate/Stay Night

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Custom Pinky of Vocaloid Kaito (Sold Out)

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

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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.

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Another custom pinky from "Spice & Wolf"

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

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Custom Pinky from "Idolmaster"

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

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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.

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Another custom Pinky from unknown series to me.

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Custom pinky from "Macross Frontier"

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These are possibly generic custom pinkies

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Custom Pinkies with extremely ellaborate dress

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

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

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

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Pinky diorama traditional japanese set.

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Clubhouse?

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I dont know from which series these customs are from

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

Cycling in Singapore Central Business District

I woke up really early this morning, before sunrise, to go cycling with a friend in Singapore's Central Business District (CBD). Needless to say, two pinkies came with me and having their adventure story told.

Today Lui and Sakura came with me.
First stop, you need to refuel before a long journey so we have porridge at Tanjong Pagar Hawker Center, near Tanjong Pagar MRT. It was a yummy simple taste breakfast.
My friend become the blur background.


We then cycle around Shenton Way, and goes into the narrow lane towards Lau Pa Sat. Looking back, we see Temasek Tower as background and Lui & Sakura posed for a picture.


They took a short turn to the right and took another photo at the corner of Singapore Exchange (SGX) building.


At the corner of Marina Boulevard, Raffles Quay, and Collyer Quay, they took a few shots. First is the new statue near Raffles MRT.

Lui was a bit upset because she wanted a yellow bicycle like the one in the background, but that is actually my bicycle, which is too big for her.

They posed in front of Asia Life Insurance building, one of the surviving art deco building in CBD which undergoing a renovation to become a service apartment.

And this is Republic Plaza. The building is too tall to fit into the picture.


We then tried cycling from there going via Marina Boulevard to reach Suntec City but the road is closed due to construction. So we had to turn back and go via Esplanade Bridge.

While cycling there we stop to take a picture of Lui & Sakura in front of Fullerton Hotel. This hotel was previously an old post office building.


After cycling around Suntec City area, going up and down Benjamin Sheares Bridge, they finally settle and take a picture at Raffles Hotel, an old historical hotel near City Hall.


What is that yummy smell? After cycling for 2 hours, we are tired and decide to have a second breakfast. Coffee, and toasted bun with peanut butter. Yum.


Thats all folks.

Pinky Street Study Tour to Istana on Labour Day Holiday

I went to Istana (Singapore's Presidential Palace) on Labour Day holiday (1 May 2008), and took 5 pinkies in school uniform with me.

Here is the story of the trip.

After passing the security check which involve them entering the scanning machine, the join the crowd.

The weather was fine and the sky was filled with many interesting clouds.
Yoshiko was looking up admiring the nice clouds and got left behind


Yoshiko: #snap! Yoshiko power! and she ran to the front of the group, leaving Moe behind.


The girls walked under the path which is covered by the canopy of large trees.

Pucchi: Nice shade yeah, we like walking under the tree shade.


And they posed in front of the artilery piece at the center of the garden in front of the palace.


Moe was found wandering around herself in front of the palace. She seemed to be attracted by those children paying at the fountain.


Evil (with glasses): Nice flower, lets take photo here.


Sacchin: Kyaaaa! Here Pucchi, take photo with me!


And the girls took a group photo in front of Istana


Evil and Yoshiko taking photo at the side of the entrance


They went inside the place but unfortunately photography is now allowed inside.
Finally after admiring the expensive gifts the head of states give to each other, the girls came out, back to the garden.

Sacchin: Kyaaaa! See, flower on top of my head matching my hair colour.


They climbed a tembusu tree and took photo, but unfortunately since it was dangerous, only maximum 3 pinkies are allowed at a time on the branch.


Yoshiko: I hear birds chirping, where are they, where?!?


Yoshiko: Guys! Lets take picture at the gate. But only Sacchin and Pucci went up. The rest are too tired already.


Yoshiko also want to take photo at the main gate, at the presidential emblem but the police stopped her as ask what is she. She was totally offended, and was about to give the guard telling her off a lecture about the importance of love, freedom and harmless fun, but promptly stopped by the other 4 girls.

They went home tired and slightly disappointed not being able to take picture with the presidential emblem but overall it was a good outings.