Fruits & Vegetables

Warnings !
What you read here are just my thoughts & opinions. This does not mean others think & feel like me on these topics. What the h***, who cares ?

As far as I know, besides cucumber, carrots could be used as both food and powerful weapon. Carrots have many nutrients & vitamins, but I never like to eat them due to their hard textures. I only eat the red ones when they are soft after boiling them with pork-ribs, tomatoes and maize to make into a soup.

From a very young age, I like to eat only red apples as green apples always taste sour. I used to eat apples as whole, but as age is catching up, and with weak teeth, now I have to cut them into smaller pieces before eating them. I've never imagine this fruit could one day be a money-making brand name & trade mark.   

I like babanas too, as they are soft and sweet. A typical fruit for infants (without teeth), and the olds (with weak or no teeth). It is one of the fruits that could fix constipation problems too.

I love to eat papaya too as it is also both soft and sweet. Unlike banana, papaya needs some chewing before swallowing, whilst banana could be swallowed without chewing. Never swallow papaya without chewing, you would choke to death (Warning : Don't try this at home !).

Water-melon is one of my favourite fruit as it could quench thirsts in a hot summer climate like our country. The only set back is its size and weight which is not convenient to carry around. Also, I like to eat it fresh and cold after cutting. 

Durians are also in my fruit list although many shun them due to their strong pungent smell, especially ang-mohs (eurasians). I was told, this fruit has tonic effects on the body. But too much would cause constipation problems. I'm wondering why nobody ever invent the durian-banana or durian-papaya drinks for their complementary effects ? 

Orange is also my favourite fruit after apple. The only problem is it's quite difficult to find sweet ones and sellers never allow you to taste them before sale deal. Sour oranges make me wide awake with my eyes closed. 

For health & well-being, eat more fruits and vegetables.  

  

SMILE,......People are watching You !

WARNING !
This is my own reflection & opinion on this topic, and it does not mean that others think like me !  What the heck, who cares !

In my own nature self, I don't usually smile, because I perceive that I won't look good when I smile. Besides, I think I look "cool" and "serious" when I don't smile, and this makes people more hestitant to disturb me, especially when I am seriously on a job. 

One ex-colleague ever gave me the nickname of "Mr Serious" as I don't smile much in the workplace.
One trainer ever told me I had a pan-face, and he said I could create more laughters when I tell jokes with this pan-face. OK, at least, one good point for not smiling & looking serious.

Whether or not, your smile  would looks good, depends a lot on your face structure, i.e., how your eyes, nose, mouth, ears are layout on your face. Just observe people who smile. Some smiles look pleasant, some won't. Some people has a natural smiling face. Some don't. Some people, even, if they don't smile, they could still create laughters, like the guy above. 
But some people has smiles that are very artificial,.....& fake. We call these people "smiling tigers" or "knife hidden in the smile". These people are usually very dangerous people to work with & you never know what is up in their "sleeves", or mind.  

Many organizations set KPIs, to measure performance. But I think organizations never set SMILE as an indicator to measure how many of their employees actually smile each day at work. I strongly believe happy employees tend to smile more often, are more productive, and have less problems at work.
  
If you work for powerful people, this smiley indicator could also tells you if your boss is happy, & everything is ok,...If doesn't smile, or worst still, he sulks with a "black-face", then u know something is not ok, & perhaps a "great storm" is coming, & somebody's head would roll,.......   

When you join a new organization or a new group, your smile could make you new friends.
You never know when you would need one another, to solve problems and puzzles at work. These 3 women work in the same organization but I have never seen them taken any photograph together. So I drew them together to commemorate their friendship and teamwork in solving a work-related puzzle.

Not everyone could smile though. Some characters just cannot smile in their usual self, like Spiderman. Can you imagine how he would look like if he smile ???  He would look funny,  right ?  But I still don't know why I like to draw this superhero who always hide behind a mask. 

In the 70s & 80s, Master Q was my favourite comics as he always give me humour and put some smiles on my face. This character was created on the same year that I was borned. I believe the artist is a humourous person who has already passed on for many years now as there has been no more new editions released for a very long time that I could remember.

I collect & keep lots of funny cartoons, pictures, captions, newspaper cuttings that contain humour as I admire the artists' creativity in creating them to bring some humours to people.

Here is one example of a cartoon that I redrawn in 1975. If I could sell it one day & make some money out of it, I'd definitely smile. But I also know, artists never make good money when they are alive, unless you'r damn good at your artwork.

I observed that models on fashion cat-walks never smile. Especially female models.

I'm not sure if they are unhappy in the job, or they are not allowed to smile at all.

Perhaps, they'r stressed as they know that such career has a very short life-span, & perhaps they'r always thinking about their next career move. Also, I have never seen any old-age models who are successful.

People has strengths & weaknesses. What strengths do u have ?  

Well, your smile can be your strength too !

It could bring you new friends, improve your working relationships and perhaps accelerate your career path.

But it could also be a dangerous weapon. Beware & be careful of people who use it excessively and irrationally !  There must be a reason for it !

People usually smile when they'r taking a family photo. They often want to leave a good impression that they are happy. Do you have a happy family portrait to keep ? 

If you have a happy family, a good job, excellent boss, have all the things you wanted, well,....SMILE & enjoy life !  

  
  

What's Your Theme ?

What's your theme in life ? 
I mean, your purpose for your existence ?

OK, nevermind.
Some caricaturists use a specific theme for all their drawings. Others do not & they draw anything under the universe.
So this time, I wanted to try to create some drawings with a specific theme. I chose the forefinger because this one gesture could convey different meanings,.......

The forefinger could be used to raise a point.
But who cares, unless you are a powerful person or a celebrity. Then everyone would sit up & listen to what you want to say. At times, in my opinion, one has to be firm & stand up for what is right, especially during critical moments. One also needs to have some courage to stand firm against some external forces which can be overwhelming. If one does not have the courage, it's better to keep quiet & act " blur" (stupid) in order to survive longer in today's work environment.

People does many things to make money. But they are also causing damages to the environment. Who cares,.....as long as nobody knows it. 
But I think our education system here does not teach environmental protections to the children from young age, unlike in Japan & other western countries. Without any drastic measures put in place in our education system, I believe people's behaviour would not change a bit for the next century. I've raised my point,...are you taking any actions today to protect the environment ?      

Someone has raised this point,...I do not know who. 

But I find it very meaningful to share it with others.  
So, I used a picture of my father-in-law to illustrate this point.
He is the boss of the house. So, when he makes a point, all would sit up & listen,...... except his grandchildren. They "bo-chap" (care-less/ignore) what he says. 

When I was a teenager, I played basketball in school as a sport.
But I didn't have the height and the physical size and also short-signted. So, when we play, the team captain always select me last after all the tall players had been taken. I don't blame him. In basketball, height matters the most, beside skills. Who wants his team to loose in the game anyway, right ?
So, from the time I left seconday school, I knew I could never be a basketball player. So, 1 career option is eliminated.

Today's children are very fortunate. They celebrate birthdays from first-month onwards, with grand parties & activities. Parents are more willing to splurge on their kids than themselves. Today's kids just ask for things, and their requests would be met without any negotiation. Most children these days do not realize the hardships their parents go through everyday to make enough money to feed them. I think this is not acceptable. How could I reward someone without him/her showing me why he/she deserves the things they ask for ?  

I find this point meaningful too.
"A journey of a thousand miles, begin with one step."
But you would never know what is ahead of you, so, I suggest you eat your cake / dessert first,........then begin your first step in your journey.

This is a hand-made card designed & made for an ex-colleague who became a mother for the first time. I ate the cake & in return, I sent my card.  

Run your own race,...

I don't really care who runs for presidency, it's their race, their choices to run.

In real life, we are already running and competing in many races in our life time.
When we were young, we :
tried to run when we first learned how to walk,
ran to reach the school gates before it was closed,
ran to catch the bus to school,
ran to the school canteen when break bell rang, 
speed to exit from school when the last bell rang,
raced to disappear to avoid punishments when we played pranks on others.  

When we become grown-ups, we run to :
avoid being the last person in the army (to avoid extra duties or punishments),
beat the traffic lights when it is turning amber, 
submit our tax returns on the last day of submission,
beat the other guy to queue for free goodies,
queue up at the ATM machine to withdraw $$$ when our government gave out dividends,...

Actually, in my opinion, in whatever races you are in, which route you're taking, we would all end up at the same finishing line. It's just a matter of time,.....and perseverance, of course.

Some races could be challenging & fulfilling. Some are enjoyable and motivational. You choose your own race and your way to run it. At times, it's good to take a break & do some self-reflection in a quiet remote place. Also, to pause & decide if one needs to change course or make changes to current actions, whether in career, family, or in business.

   Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia 2010

    Segara Anak Lake near Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia 2010

  

Singapore Presidential Election 2011

I believe every developed country would need a President to represent the country.
But, but our president has no executive power.
Why they need citizens to vote who to become presdient since he has no power to do anything for the people or represent the people or change any policy ??? 
Why don't the ruling party just vote & decide who to become the president & save people time ? 

Anyway, I don't mind voting.
And I just need to crack my head who to vote for as I know none of them. 

Previously, I told my ex-boss (also Mr TAN) to join in & stand for this PRESIDENT TAN  Election, so that this would save my headache. But he just smiled,....and said nothing of standing in,.....  why life is like that one lei !  

My Thoughts for July,...

Since 2006, I have been running every year in the Standard Chartered 10km run. But this year, I have decided to quit this run because the organiser has jacked up the registration fee by 50%,.......even for early-bird past participants who register early.

This is a no, no for me ! How could they do this ?
As no reasons were given for the price increase, I just boycott it.
I feel that they should have kept the cost low and go green to save the environment and cost. I just need a number tag and a RFID chip to record my timing which I can check online after the run. I do not need any runner vest, certificate or the finisher medal, which I have plenty at home occupying spaces.

I hope one day, the organiser and sponsor can devise an ala-carte system to let runners decide & pick what they want & pay for what they want. Just like no-frills budget airlines : pay basic fare + extras you want.  

I dream that some day, somebody or some organisations could organise no-frills, free or charity runs to help community & those in needs. This dream inspired my drawing below.

In Singapore, I see that photo studio is a dying business. 
Almost all photographers are now mobile & shooting outdoors. I salute my cousin who closed his photo studio many years ago & rented out his space for passive income.
From the 70s to 90s, taking family portraits were quite common, but not anymore. People now shoot photos whatever they want, and whenever they want & make them as family photos. But I think this is boring, & family caricature is more interesting & humourous to create. See my own example here. Can you spot which character is me ?  

Many caricature artists create some kind of icon to represent them in communication media or for their artworks. Many of these iconic caricatures are of very high quality standards. Somehow, I feel I need to do the same,........just for laughs. Below drawing is my first attempt to create my own icon for future use. I'm not so satisfy with this water-color drawing, there is still room for improvement,..... 

Recently, I received invitation from my ex ang-moh boss for his girl's first year birthday.
He still remembers me even after he has gone back home to france.
I did not attend his party, so I send him a hand-made greeting card for the fun of it. 
I believe customised greeting cards with caricatures & captions can be developed for many purposes. If you have this needs, please contact me.

These days, kids are so fortunate and lucky. They celebrate their birthdays every year from year 01. I had my first birthday dinner event only on my 21st birthday at a coffee-shop below my block.  

  










  

Keeping Pets

Recently, I met 2 of my ex co-workers for breakfast.
They had impressed me with their knowledge on pets and how to select them. One keeps birds and fishes, while the other keeps a dog. I salute them for the time, $$$ & efforts spent on their pets. 

In my opinion, some pets are not meant to be kept, unless you provide a natural habitat space for them to roam around in a natural environment, like in a zoo or bird park. I cannot imagine myself keeping birds as pet, as I see it as an act of cruelty to keep birds inside a small cage because birds cannot  flex their wings & fly inside a cage. Unlike dogs, where they are "walked" daily by their owners. Or fishes could swim freely in a reasonably sized tank.

I want to discourage people from keeping birds as pets. It's more humane to let them live in their natural environment. So, here, I try urge others and to also hint to my friends, with the picture below, & prong them to understand the "feelings" of their pet birds.

General Election 2011

My niece, Rachel,...

 

During the Singapore's last general election period, I asked my niece Rachel to pick up some toys resembling those political parties that were contesting in the election, in order to predict which party would win. She picked up the hammer & pose for my photo. So, I made it into a caricature drawing & wanted to use it as a poster for the rally. But I was too shy to show it,.......in public.

After the election, I received a request to draw the politicians who had won.
So, I took a few of their photographs & created this piece, with them holding their party's logo & their slogan. The requestor has wanted to presented this drawing to them in their celebration.

I am not so satisfied with this drawing, it could be better. The water-color did not flow well on this non water-color paper meant for markers only. Next time, i need to use the right paper.


 

I casted my vote today,.......

 

Today,I casted my vote, my 2nd-time as long as I can remember,.....
I brought my paint-brush to the polling centre, and wanted to use it to mark my ballot paper. But the officer stopped me at the entrance.
She told me "don't be funny", I am only allowed to use the pen provided at the ballot booth, and nothing else could be used to mark the ballot paper,......what a disappointment !

It's time to make a decision,........

Dear friends,

I am kind of "depressed" these days, you know......just look at the picture here, & you would understand me..............hehehehehe,.......

Come next week, I have to cast my vote as a singaporean, 2nd-time for me for living in this country.

There are 2 parties "fighting" for  my vote in my GRC, & it's a tough decision to make. At least for me ! 

There are many external influences in these campaigning days,.........but I see no political party uses any caricatures in their campaigns communication stuff. What a pity. I believe this type of artform can relate better with voters,. rather then just talk, talk, talk,.............hehehehe,.......

Also, caricaturists could make some small money from such event.

So far, I saw only 1 party uses a mascot. But its publicity is very low !

Before I cast my vote, I would ask myself some key questions and try to answer them mentally. 

As this is a very serious decision, for this topic which is very sensitive politically, and I want to avoid any "troubles", (you know what I mean, if you are living in this country),.....I cannot disclose what are in my thoughts. Contact me, if you really want to know what I think, & I can only share it with you in private over a cup of coffee,......I don't mind if you buy a hot meal too,.......................hehehehehe,.......

Whatsoever the election outcome next week, life goes on, .....and we all have to adapt to the changes to come if we continue to live in this country. 

My motto is : "If you can't change them, then embrace them". It's the only way for survival.

For the time being, I use the holiday breaks to complete my homeworks & assignments. Submission due dates are near,......I need to work day & night to try to complete them.

Blog you next time !

Regards,

LeefhCaricature

 

Taking a BREAK from Caricature !

Hi Friends,

For past few weeks, I have been evaluating some options to enhance my career. 

One option is to become a full-time caricaturist,.............hehehehehe,........

But I assessed and concluded that my current drawing skill is far from the standards required to make a living out of it. I still need lots of practice, practice, practice to achieve the professional standards I want. This would takes time & efforts.

For the interim, I have to add some value to my current job. 

So I had decided to take up a 6-months part-time academic diploma course at the polytechnic. The government sponsors 70% of the course fee. Mind you, it' not on caricature drawing,........it's something else, which I hope to supplement my current knowledge in my current job. This course takes up 3 evenings per week of my time (12 hours/week), with lots of written assignments for submission for assessments. Workloads are heavy in this course, which lasts till end of Sep 2011. 

Hence, it would be tough to squeeze out any time left to practise my drawing skill. But I will try........cos, it's still a hobby to me. I'll have less time to blog,...... 

But if you need me to do any drawings / projects for you, you can still contact me. I'll try my best to respond to you as soon as I can, & try to fill your needs.  But this would take some time.  

Take care,.......all my friends.

Drawing People Whom (..............)

Drawing People Whom are Family
Drawing family members can be fun, if they like it & to laugh at it.
Otherwise, it can also be a source of family conflicts. So be careful what you draw.

I started to draw my brother's family in year 2000.
It was more a portrait drawing than caricature as I drew it based on a photograph. 
I wanted to frame it up and give him as a gift. But I never did - too lazy to complete ths project.

This year, I drew his family again, but with caricature in mind.
His family has since expanded, and the drawing theme came from the fact that my brother likes to drive car fast, even, with his MPV. I hope he would never get into trouble with the traffic authority. 
This drawing theme is based on fast car.
I wanted to make this into a framed picture for his family. Today, this project is not yet completed,.......no time lah, I'm very busy mah !

Drawing my sister is quite challenging.
I find lots of difficulty in drawing her face and I had to try many times to get a final likeness of her in this drawing. She has thick bushy hairs and this took me very long to complete this drawing.
I find that drawing people with lots of hairs could be very challenging. It could take up lots of time. Easiest is to draw bald people. But caricaturist / artists can't pick customers with hair or not, correct ?  Life still goes on,......especially if you depend on it to make a living !

Drawing my wife is the most adventurous and risky thing to do. I advise you - don't try it ! 
I used many of her photos as drawing practices when I have the time, especially weekends. 
The stake is very high as she would then comment on my finished drawings,........ why like this,....... why like that one huh ?,.......... why so ugly one  !!!!!!   I said "this is caricature drawing wat,.....it is suppose to look funny mah". 

For drawings that are not to her liking, I was "punished" to sleep on the cold kitchen floor for that night,........(sob,....sob,...sob,...). Life is tough !
So, to please her again & to avoid troubles at home, I had to draw her more in portrait form, rather than in caricature form. See the drawings below, and you would understand what I mean.

Drawing children is fun too. I drew my niece and nephew in 2003. Then I stopped.

So far, I did not draw children much.

My opinion is : children's faces change rapidly, unlike adults whose faces change less rapidly, and they look more or less the same, only with age. 

And for children drawings, I don't think they would keep them for long. They just laugh at it at that moment & then throw them away. Unlike adults who know how to value & keep them, especially those drawings with sentimental themes or fond memories.

But don't get me wrong, my friends, and followers,.....

I don't mind doing children caricatures, if requested & the money is good !

In this world, money talks a lot & loudly too !

Drawing People Whom are Powerful
I rarely draw people who are politicians or powerful. I try to avoid troubles,.....
It would be very risky and dangerous to draw them funny. I wouldn't want the police to appear at my doorsteps and then,........troubles start. You know what I mean, don't you ? 

So far, I have had only drawn a few.
I cannot put names on the drawings. You have to figure out who they look like.
Even then, I had to censored some portions before I release my drawings on this blog.