A quick trip to Melaka and a quick sketch session.

I drove down to Melaka on Sunday to get some things done and managed to squeeze in a quick sketch session in Banda Hilir. It was a really hot day, I had to scoured for a place with a good enough shades before settling down to sketch. Usually I will set in my mind to sketch an area and find a place but it was the other way around this time.

There was a tight window of opportunity and I didn't want to waste it. I don't usually go to Melaka and pretend that I am a tourist. It is kinda my hometown anyway.

Sketch # 1 : The path of the river cruise in Banda Hilir..

 

This place has cleaned up nicely over the past few years. I have never been on the river cruise but from what I heard it is supposedly the best way to view the area and it is fun too. Banda Hilir is permeated  by its rich colonial heritage and history. Melaka is one of the cleanest city in Malaysia. I love it here.

Skecth # 2 : UMNO Museum.

I have always wanted to sketch one of the red buildings here and in front of this building, there was a tree big enough to protect me from the scorching hot sun. You can stop grinning sheepishly now because I have no political affiliation with this party. :P

I would totally die of skin cancer if I were to sit out in the open in that weather even for a mere 15 mins. Can you imagine how hot it was? I think it was around 34 deg Celsius. Goodness gracious me!


For what's its worth, I think it was the best 1.5 hours spent.

Note : Willing to try anything (well mostly anything).

A friend asked me what have I been up to lately. In response to her question,  I said, "Plenty".

Then she went on and asked me, "Anything of your own?"

I didn't quite catch the meaning of it, so I asked her what did she really mean.

She laughed and told me that usually whatever that I have going on is because of my boyfriend. I will take after whatever that he is currently into; hobbies and activities.

LOL.

Looking back at all the things I've done, it rings true for the most part of it.

I always ended up doing things that my boyfriend is doing. In my defense, it is normally because I support whatever that he wants to do and I don't mind learning and taking up the challenge even if it means that I have to do new things, things that is out of my comfort zone. Things that am not used to. (Hence the tagline of this blog).

That is where the fun lies, isn't it?
Usually the boyfriend would ask (politely most of the time), if I want to join him for *insert suggested activity here*..

Of course I would!!

I learned to surf and dive because of my ex and now am running, cycling and sketching because my current boyfriend, Mr Snots. He is a runner and very artsy fartsy kinda guy. We have been together for almost 5 years now and all I can say is that my knack of "stealing" his activities is working well. Haha.

But what people fail to see is that I don't have to try too hard to do all these new things. It usually comes naturally to me. I have always been active ever since I was in school. Even back then when I was in Uni, I enjoyed doing outdoorsy activities and I still play futsal now...occasionally. So taking up other sports or outdoorsy activities because of my boyfriend is no big deal. I can adapt easily.

Not many people know that I have always been drawing and doodling, but of course it was not to the point of what am doing now - going out sketching. I have always loved paintings in general, but to be presented with an opportunity of starting a small business of our own? No one is their right mind would want to pass that up.

I guess my relationship sparks new interests in me, or even brought out and heightened all the interesting stuff that lies underneath my mundane life. We bonded during these times and it is beyond fun that I have someone to do all these things together although I don't mind if doing it all alone either. With all that is going on right now, I am not complaining.


But really, don't you want a girlfriend that is more than willing to take up all the challenges thrown at her? You should feel loved .... or .. maybe a bit intimidated. :)

Scenes from all my cycling trips -some with Mr Snots, some I went cycling alone.

Sketching

Sketching has been taking so much of my free time lately. I love the feeling of getting absorbed in the process of translating the image in front of my eyes on paper. Skills are pretty rusty, and I hope with a lot of practice, I will be able to gain back my steady hand.

I still feel a bit awkward and slightly embarrassed in doing sketches in public; with people looking over my shoulder and the heat.. oh my god the heat. Sometimes when the heat was just too much for me to handle, I took a picture of the place and sketched it at home.

Sketching of a picture googled for Cinque Terre, Italy.
My ultimate travel plan. I wish I will someday get to go there and sketch the the coast live.
One can always dream..

Sunny Poppies.

Behind Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Last weekend, we decided that we were just too tired of shopping malls - we have always hated the malls but we always go there to eat and it is the closest to home. So we decided to take it outside and go to the places that we think we can just sit down for few hours and let our mind absorb all the surroundings - and after much deliberation we ended up in Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur. That day was a very hot day  but we managed to find a spot under this massive tree and spent an hour or so sketching.

Planning to go out sketching more.

 

Sunday Project.

I'm always looking for something to do on Sunday; things that I can tweak around the house. Since Saturday is dedicated entirely for Mr.Snots, so that automatically makes Sunday a "Me Day". Doing chores and running errands are definitely apart of the itineraries. But of course, not every Sunday is spent doing those things. I alternate my Sundays between doing normal boring house chores and art projects.

Since I was out of art supplies and my creative juice wasn't flowing well last weekend, I did something for the apartment instead. I painted my work area; because to be honest, I kinda feel bored with it already. So here's the before and after picture of it. It is actually quite small but am not complaining.



Next project --->the wet kitchen. :)

Fun Weekend.

Pfth!

I was back in Muar for the long extended weekend.

Drove back with my cousin and her boyfriend, and picked Adik up in Melaka before heading back to Muar. Adik wanted to spend the remaining of her school holidays at my Mom's place.

My family was never a big sahur family. Yes, when I was young and was just started fasting, we were forced by Mak to wake up for sahur, but since we are all adults and mementingkan tidur dari makan, the only obligation that my Mom has this fasting month is to remind us to eat something before we sleep, or the very least, get up to drink glasses or bottles of water to keep us hydrated.

But this time around, with Adik in the house, my mom has specifically instructed me to kejut Adik up for sahur, and make sure that Adik has plenty to eat.

Since I was the one responsible of taking care of her (well, dah bawak dia balik kenelah jaga), so I have no choice but to agree.

I set my alarm clock at 4.30 a.m and knowing my laziness, I gave myself a time buffer of 15 mins to roll about before I finally get my lazy arse up.

Sunday morning, at 4.30 am sharp, surprisingly I woke up almost immediately after I shut the alarm and watching Adik sleeping beside me so soundly, I tiptoed out from the room, washed my face and brushed my teeth. Pergi dapur, panaskan the chicken soup and rice from berbuka time, fried telur mata kerbau, then only I woke her up.

I asked her to wash her face, brush her teeth and teman her for sahur. After she had finished eating every bit and pieces of the nasik and telur, although reluctantly, I asked her to turn on the TV and wait for the food to settle in her stomach before going back to sleep. At the same time, kejut Mak and Ayah for their sahur drinks, kemas meja, basuh pinggan, masukkan baju into the washing machine, and by the time I’ve done with all those things, it was almost 6 a.m and Adik was already asleep infront of the TV.

This is my first time taking charge of the sahur time, making sure everyone is good to puasa the next day.

And all I can say is, NOT BAD!!

This is my first time updating this blog through my handphone. It makes me feel hip and techy. Coolness. Hehe. Or should I use the word Poyoness instead.

About yesterday. I've managed to scratch off a couple of items from my to-buy list. So this morning, am going to search for the remaining items, and quickly come up with today's list.

Am going off to Ace Hardware to get the all the things to finish off my mural today. We'll see how ugly it turn out to be. Later.