CosFest @ Downtown East

15th July, Sunday ~ went to the 3rd day of CosFest held at Downtown East. It's the final to choose the Singapore team for CosFest in Japan. The atmosphere were much better than at Taka previously. No horrifying tight ass security to content with. The event was held inside two air-con shelters with proper stage. Outside, it's spacious enough for photo shoots. Weather wise was good also. It rain a little bit later in the afternoon, but overall, was a cool & cloudy day. Thanks goodness! Many cos-players/fashion dressers & me are grateful for that.

The event hall & stage


Many vendors were selling merchandise ranging from...

Memorabilia & Collectable

Costumes & Props


As to the cos-players/fashion dressers attending, great turn-out of many varieties, all in their glory with many impressive fantastic costumes. Now, who said all local cos-player sux? People who always commented local cos-players can't make it should attend a few more cos-play events before they anyhow shoot off their nasty mouth. Don't just judged by photos lah! Lots of those pix were not taken by pros. The real things are actually much better, almost always spoil by lousy photography!

Note: Again, I'm in many of the pix below. Just paying a tribute to those brave cos-players, in respect of their effort, devotion & commitment in the face of so much none-constructive criticisms.

Groups

Sexy Guitar, Hot Blade & Love Whip

Horsing around with Blue Face & Robotman

Knights in Shining Armor

Super Troopers

Guns & Roses, Peace & War

Love is in the air with music playing...

Me playing with cool props =P


An amusing incident. A photographer mistaken me as a cos-player, wanting me to pose for him. I agreed & OMG!... before you know it, numerous other photographers swamp in like crocodiles clicking non stop. I was like posing & changing poses for about 10 min, making me feel really like a fashion model. I'm too short to be one, but nonetheless, I'm overly flattered! =P

Me a Fashion Model? =P

Note: Pic by unknown photographer who post it in a forum

Went in late when they were announcing the winning team & so, don't have any pic of them. A pity. Anyway, as a grand finale, all cos-players went up on stage taking turn posing in their full glory.

Colorful display of cos-players on stage


Sigh... after watching a number of cos-play events & since I was always mistaken as one, I'm quite tempted to cos-play too. I wanna be my favorite anime character, Rei Ayanami from EVA! Or maybe some sexy & fierce warrior girl, but no wood or cardboard sword please! I want a real steel one! Hmmm... how about me trying to be a Tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell? How the hell I'm going do that... no idea. Haha... Anyone wanna sponsor me into cos-playing? Heehee... =P

Games, CosFest & Fireworks!

The last time we(forum friends) went to a board gaming cafe, the Settler's, it was fully booked. We vowed to try them & this time round, we made an appointment on Saturday, 12pm, 7/7/07. What a date... three sevens! I arrived two hours late due to some unforeseen incidents. I swear it got something to do with that date! Seven may be a lucky number to westerners, but it's not exactly a good number to the Chinese.

Settle's Cafe located at North Canal Road


It's a no fringe cafe with bare tables, cheap plastic chairs, but stock with lots of board games. Price is $17 or $18 per pax which include free flow of drinks, snacks & a meal. Seem quite expensive to me as their snacks is so-so only & that one meal is horrible! They have two branches(one at Katong) & seem to be very popular with lots of teenagers. With the popularity of computer games, I'm surprise that board games is still in vogue.

Board Gaming Haven?


I'm not into board games. Only played Monopoly, Snake & Ladder, Aeroplane Chess when I was a kid. Other than those, I know next to nothing about board gaming. Also tend to get bored after a while playing board games or even computer games. Some find it fun though. Nostalgia for their childhood or school days? Anyway, half the time I was at Settlers, I dunno what's going on. All I noticed are, board games tend to be noisy & oily. Noisy coz gamers are screaming their frustration at computer games which are destroying their board gaming world? Oily coz those people are eating & handling game's items at the same time... =P

Let the game begin...


One of the game we played involved drawing & making outrageous comments or guesses.

And this is how it goes...

The turn get passed...


Then slowly. but inevitably, it turned weird...

Virus in board games?

and the virus spread to the other gender...

It's good game!


At 4 pm, exited gays & lesbos from Settlers to spread our newly founded sexual preference to Ngee Ann City where CosFest was held. Cos-play... oh yes, lots of cross-gender dressers there! We will join them in force! Invasion of the mixed-up gender-identity-crisis board gamers! Charge! LOL!

Our target site


Damn! The cops were prepared & waiting for us! They fear us so much that they set up security points & barricaded the area where the event was been held. To get in, you have to surrender all your belongings to the mighty X-Ray Robot! Then you walk through the menacing Metal Detector. Inside, lots of police were in disguise, cos-playing as... cops! The place was so confining with the huge crowd. CosFest was also made smaller by kids who played netball there regularly & now have to content with half a court.

Half-Court Netball


Cos-players not only have to put up with the heat & humidity, but also the hassle of going in & out of the area, especially those with fake weapons. Months/weeks of loving artfully works on accessories were trashed in a few seconds, rendered inaccurate by those bright blue 'Pass Inspection' stickers! We found out the cause of the security problem is not almost harmless us, but a big shot name LKY. Chey... is he so afraid that some cos-players gonna assassinate him with their wooden swords & plastic guns? Remind me not to go to any events which have big shots attending.

Despite the stifling atmosphere, lots of cos-players/fashion dressers bravely faced all those security horrors & they came parading in various anime or movie imagery, portraying the fantasy world of otaku-ism(otakon?).

All walks of Otakon

Fancily dressed groups


How to improve social skills & making impression with others...

"Which skill should I choose?"


To protect someone who dress like me from buayas, I need fierce & strong bodyguards franking me where ever I go. =P

My bodyguards


To illustrate a point of me needing bodyguards, I was pestered by many photographers who asked me to pose for pic even though I'm neither a cos-player nor a fashion dresser. Next cos-play event, I'm gonna hang a sign on me saying "Only a Casual Passerby!" =P

Me with stolen chopper photo-ed by unknown photographer


Note: Like the above pic, I discovered numerous different pic of me at StreetFest & CosFest on the web. To those who took my pic, it's ok, I don't mind. Actually, I'm flattered. Thanks. =P

After my involuntary cos-play photo shoots, some of us went to Esplanade in the evening to watch fireworks.

An Esplanade Evening


I love watching fireworks! Watching fireworks is like sex. You waited & waited in anticipation, wriggling with impatience. When it cum, bursting with powerful & colorful orgasm energy, just take my breath away. Alas, like sex, it last only momentarily. Hahaha... =P

Let There Be FireWorkz!

Sexy Booming Ecstasy!


What a sexciting climax to an eventful day of 7/7/07.

Carnivore!

I'm a carnivore! Yayaya... I know monkeys like us are omnivore, but just look at those big cats. Tigers, lions, leopards... all look so cool & sleek compare to dull & fat cows, pigs, hippos... so ya, I'm a carnivore! RAWRRR!!!
Anyway, I prefer meat over limp veggies any day. So I jumped at the chance when my friends invited me to this Brazilian all meat restaurant known as Carnivore located at Vivo City. On Thursday evening, after work, we all turn carnivore! Meat, meat, meat & more meat! RAWRRR!!!

Carnivore at Vivo City

Nice interior deco


My friend had reserved a table with a view of the sea & Sentosa. Nice view, good company, good meaty meal... Oh, did I mention they have a small salad bar too? Never mind that! I just had a few tomatoes from it. Tomatoes, my favorite... no, not veggie, but fruits. I don't have any favourite veggie! =P

What are wimpy veggies doing in a place like this?!?


Place those meat on my plate now! Meat from skewer serve by two handsome cutters. Beef, madam? Yes! Lamb? Yes! Ham? Chicken? Fish? More Beef? Yes!!! The meat come fast & furious. More beef? Yes, yes, yes! Meat in my mouth... oh yes, I'm in ecstasy! I sound like some AV models... LOL!

Handsome meat servers =P

Platefully Meaty


I'm stuff so full of meat! Some of my friends suggested a jog round the building & come back for more. Hahaha...

Omnivore @ Carnivore


After all those meat, contemplate, felt so sinful. Need to go cycling again. =P

For more details about the restaurant, please visit my friend's food blog:
http://www.pyxian.com/

Japanese Pasta Weekend

Went on a Saturday afternoon (23rd June) with some forumer friends to try Japanese style pasta at Pasta de Waraku located in The Central along Eu Tong Sen Street. Their food styling is pleasant to look at & taste is delicious, but pricing a bit too steep.

For more details about the restaurant, please read my friend's commentary in her blog, food section: http://www.pyxian.com/

One piece of advice, don't order their set meal if you are a big eater. The pasta & pizza set which comes with salad, soup & drink didn't even fill me up even though I'm a light eater!

Pasta & Pizza set


One of my friends who ordered seafood pasta which look more filling to me.

Seafood Spaghetti with mussels, prawns & squids


After pasta, we went to Burger King & chit-chat. My friend had bought along her Pinky collection & we had some Pinky photo shoot. Some love Pinky, some hate them. Oh well... we just can't please everybody, can we? =P

Pinky Fun

Some Pinky which I like =P


Wanna go to play some games at Settler's Cafe, but it was fully booked. Didn't know it is so popular... next time then.

Group pic of forumers