The end marks the start

Very soon I will be graduating. Yes..I am getting my degree! Is a huge step, is a dream come true, is a future I am still trying to grab on. I am actually feeling really lost now. I have no idea where I want to go. However, I know for sure I am not going back to Singapore for the time being. I miss everyone back in Singapore but there are many reasons for me to stay on here and the main one is JOBS. No company is willing to pay me for relocation if I go back to Singapore. Especially during this time when economy is bad. I already have friends who got a job but the company close down and now they are jobless again. During such time when job are hard to come by, I can only do my best and pray for God's favor. I need open doors and direction! I need more creative juices~ I still got so much more to learn and try out. I totally feel like time is running out and I am freaking out a little. My room lease ends at end of May. I gota find a new place to live. I need to sell off my stuffs before I move. I got A LOT of stuffs. Every friend who come to my room was like :...Joy...you got a lot of stuffs in your room!" Yeah..I am a junk collector. Bleah~ Now I am working on my portfolio again so I can send them out to companies. Exciting...scary...ooo....

God help me~

The end of the Term

I have finally "finish" my senior animated film. A 3 mins animated film that took about 9 months to complete. Starting from Conceptual design, to camera composition to animation to piecing all the shots together. It was very emotional for me as I see my whole film be place together. It was always at the end of the journey that one will feel all the hard work is all worth it. This is the love I have for animation and this is what I want to be doing 20 years down the road. To keep creating. It is not just about making things move but to make them believable and to tell a story, or I should say my story, my expereinces and my thoughts.

I managed to have a chance to show my head of department my film and portfolio as I was trying to exempt myself from a course. I didn't get to meet up with him during an arranged time but I left him my portfolio and film for him to go through to justify my exemption. I got a call from him to drop by and see him. He was a very busy man and I hardly get to see him at all actually. It was a good feeling to hear from him that he enjoyed my film and would like me to improve on one of the shots and then be send to art festivals. I was very excited and thrilled to be acknowledge of my talent. For my film to be screen in art festival is one of my goal and dream. I thank God for favor and opportunities. Thank God for training me to be patient, to know he is in control.

I am heading to Tokyo for an off-campus program on 29th Nov -13th Dec and then 23rd DEc to 2Jan I will be spending Christmas in NY with Aaron and his family. Come to think of it.. Quite a few of my dreams are coming true this year and more to come. 1) Visit Ghibli Museum 2) Christmas in NY 3) road trip to NY (still pending) 4) Have my film be send to art festival (still pending)

I will be graduating in March 2009. Where am I heading to is still a mystery. Next year I am going to be hunting for job...hopefully the economy is better by then . :)

Peace from God

Last week I was at LA and had a good/tiring/frustrating time. 1stly it is stressful and exciting enough to be talking to companies like, Disney, Blue Sky, Laika etc. I was so tired from walking around everyday and had slept on the hotel floor for 2 nights. Sharing a room with 4 other people really is no fun. Aaron had not been too nice to me either due to the stress of getting a job and stuffs... Lastly, the necklace i been wearing for 5 years broke. I was pretty upset about it as that is like my promise with God - Once I put on that necklace, I am a child of his and i am never going to turn back...I know God's love for us need no objects to represent but this is kinda my way of telling him...blah blah blah... Anyway the whole trip was just pretty unhappy...I was edgy and depress... Finally when i am at LA airport ready to go home...I realize I lost my small purse that contain my business cards and others that I had collected during the Siggraph conference. On top of that there is like 100+ dollar in it. I am of course discouraged and upset. The funny thing is the moment I know there is nothing i can do...I felt a sense of peace. I know the purse can only be at 2 place and is either there or not and nothing i can do about it but just pray. It feels great to know God is so close ...always...no matter what. :)

MIA

I have been so lazy to update the blog. Ahahaa..I think no one have been reading em anyway. I just want a place to rattle away I guess. Somehow feel that i am getting old. I can't stay up late anymore. All I been doing is eat, sleep, work and I got not much energy to do others. End of July is coming and soon i will be going to LA for a week. I have never been to Siggraph and this is my very 1st time. Sometimes i am really stress out about getting a job and pay back my parents the amount of $ i had spend. Thank God for MDA grant. Prices in US have been raising due to the Gas pricing. Airlines now charge $25 per baggage...soon you need to pay more for isle or window seat. Is my timing to come US wrong? Uncertainty always cause me to worry. It also gets me excited. For now, is all about learning as much as i can and put up a good show. I can only trust God as he leads.

Goodbye Kat and Don

Today Kat and Don have finally squeeze all their belongings into their caravan and embark on their 5 days journey to LA. It have been 2 years since we know each other. I can still remember when i first got here, we often have meals together. They fed me well and we were always joking and they just love to tease me. I can't imagine being all alone during my first few months. Kat have really taken good care of me not just physically but also giving me advices on all things. I enjoyed the time doing grocery shopping. We check out good deals and somehow Kat know which days have special deals. Through them i am settled in this comfy room and a wonderful church. Don on the other hand have given me advice about drawings and is always fun to go sketching with him. A great humble artist who got an internship at Disney. I am very happy for them and knowing that God would be leading them in all things, I am sure they will be well-taken care. I didn't cry when they left but I know I will when i start missing their company.

Disaster close to home

Uprooted trees, damaged church building, lost of electricity, empty shelves in the frozen sections. This is what i saw as we drove to Super Walmart on friday. A tornado had hit that area that i frequent on thursday afternoon. I used to take no regards to the warnings I received so many time
during my stay here. After seeing the scary sight, I will think twice heading out if I received a warning. Since I had been so sheltered from natural disaster, I never know what to do if I really encounter one. What to do? Where to hide? What to take? Geezz....I think I should find out more if I am preparing to live in US for while.

Break Time!

YEAH! At last...the end of the quarter. I didn't sleep for the last 2 days, rushing the concept for my senior film. Ended my last day watching the animation graduation show. Seeing what i took part in on the big screen is really awesome. I spend weeks of hard work on aaron's project during the 1st half of the term and my last half was rushing my project. It was crazy but satisfying. :)  Check out the stuffs i been doing here. 

Yesterday i met Aaron's mum and brother. I am pretty nervous. Well...really nervous actually. I don't know what to say, what to talk about...etc etc.... I guess last night was just bad cause i was so exhausted. My eyes were burning and i am so ready to past out. Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony and i will be going with them with aaron around...brrr....oh well, i guess is a good thing to let me open up more. I will be spending a week with them at Orlando. Yeay~ Leaving on sunday morning to Universal Studio and Seaworld. I will be back next week! For now, i need to sleep soon and get ready for aaron's graduation ceremony. :D