Dust

When DUST was first introduced in the early 2000, I was quite interested. What caught my attention was the drawings on their website which, was more of a "What if Germany won WWII" scenario, or something to that vein. Little did I know, it steered my modeling journey towards Ma.K. Unfortunately, after their announcement and much fanfare, DUST became very very quiet.

It was not until last year that I heard of DUST again. And this time, it was brought in locally by another company, to be sold at Hobby HQ. The prices for these items are quite pricey but its normal. But hang on, before you scream "rip-off", hear me out.

These 'mecha' models are cast in resin, and when you open the box, its not just lumps of resin in a polybag. No, they have put a lot of effort into packing each individual piece and present them in the best design possible. When I had the chance to open one, it was like opening a treasure chest and pulling out each piece to be assembled is like mere blasphemy to something so sacred. 

OK, on the other hand, this is a perfectly normal price for a resin kit, moreso, when its related to gaming. Don't believe me? Go to any gaming shop and just peep (yes, peep, not stare) at the price tag. Then you start to appreciate your 1/35 tanks more. Ha ha.

Instead, I settled for this cheaper kit, which is a 1/35 PLASTIC model kit. Now, I have some DUST.

This is almost on par with the selection of 1/35 figures on sale. But if you compare it with the number of parts, details etc. Its still a bit on the pricey side. Good thing is, if you buy this, then you add a box of German troops that comes with a lot of accessories, its bliss. Lastly, it pays to buy at Hobby HQ because, this is not the price I am paying for. Heh. Made me wanted to buy another box but well, it was the last one.

This is something new to model kit box packaging. I have never seen this design except for computer related items such as mouse and keyboards.

And looking at the instructions and the plastic sprues, its going to be an enjoyable time. But alas, into the 'to-do' bin first. Now is not the time, plus, Chinese New Year is less than a week away...

TV to KK Part II

Anyway, I realised that getting the TV into my car was actually the easy part. The hard part was transferring it from my car to Wife's car. As I have said again, its bulky and heavy. So, what's the problem?

The problem was to do the transfer without scratching any of the cars and also not dropping the TV in the process. That's the problem. After much heave-ing and ho-ing, we did it. Oh, and I did not injure my back this time. Phew.

The scary part in having the TV at this location is that this is the most bumpiest location in a car. Don't believe me? The next time you're on a speeding bus or van, try sitting near to the end when it hits the humps. Trust me, not even Panadols would help.

We have packed some lunch on the way so that we would not have to waste any time eating out since there is a lot of things to do today.

The picture quality on this TV is amazing. While we go about our chores, we distracted the girls with some DVDs.

Yeah, they're very happy during dinner time because it meant eating at the Clownhouse. This is one of the rare occasion we got a Family pack. Worth it or not, when you see the bill, its a tough one to swallow.

Kristine does not usually go for Sundaes but tonight, I'll have to go without.

Its more DVD for them since our chores are not finished yet.

Oh boy! Its supper time! This means we get to try out the stove!

Kaelynn counting the drinks from the Clownhouse. Once good things is that they allow for refills but it must be Pepsi.

My favourite instant mee.

Yeah, more DVDs for them, until their eyes pops out.

And so, the TV has been tested for at least half a day without any problems. My only concern is that there is no TV stand and alas, it must sit on the floor until we find a solution.

TV to KK Part I

Thanks to my friend Chi Ming, I got a Sony TV. Not that I am elated but its just under the circumstances of things which came about. For you see, after not seeing him for more than a decade, his life has changed. A lot and its the best he can come to terms with. Still I miss his Dad.

But on the other hand, he is free. Free to kill those who opposed him, free to kill that which threatens his very being. Yep, he is free to do all this. There is no stopping him and even the local enforcement did not even bat an eyelid. This is the freedom he has, just as long as he keeps upgrading his PC and download software patches.

How I got this TV was well, not because I wanted it but because they have now upgraded all TVs and Monitors in the house into flats. Yep, and this one is taking up space. So, I agreed to his offer. One thing I liked about his household is that the whole family really takes care of things. Which is a complete opposite to me where I tend to take things apart. And so, when I looked at the TV, its as if it just came out of the showroom and well, shelved. Untouched. In other words, it was working beautifully and in pristine condition.

And the worse hurt was, I considered him an ex-friend and yet, he is still happy to see me.

Transferring the Sony from his house to my car was quite an effort because these TVs are huge and heavy. Mostly heavy. Thank goodness my car can take it but I have to drive slow, though. Not going to spend time and fortune for some guy to come over and recalibrate the screen.