Name : Jul/Julie
Known as : North Swallow / Hoku Tsubameko. Currently changing to NS Chan Studio
Occupation:
- Current: Architectural Assistant
- Others: Freelance graphics designer
- Personal: Comics (Manga) artist
- Personal: Fine arts artist
Societies:
- Alumni of NUS Students' Comics and Animation Society
- Nanyang Contemporary Artists' Society - Head of Multimedia Department
Hobbies:
- Singing
- Watching animes
Julie's Phrases:
"I only eat processed food."
"Anything cute is 'delicious' to me." *slurp*
"I eat to live. But I live to eat desserts."
Basically Julie has big fat sweet tooth that loves all sorts of desserts :). But super duper picky with her proper food. Either processed food or snacks are her fav.
: Achievements :
Year 2010
- 2nd Prize Winner for Open Character Design Digital Category in Extravaganza - Graphite 2010 competition. Exhibition and Prize Ceremony held with Anime Festival Asia 2010 at Suntec Hall, 14 Nov.
Year 2009
- 2nd Prize Winner for Open Character Design Digital Category in Extravaganza - Graphite 2009 competition. Exhibition and Prize Ceremony held with Anime Festival Asia 09 at Suntec Hall, 21 Nov.
- Thesis project selected for City Exhibition (NUS Architecture Graduation Exhibition- "How does your garden grow?") held at Iluma Urban Entertainment Centre, 13 Jun.
Year 2008
- 2nd Prize Winner for Open Character Design Digital Category in Graphite 2008 competition. Exhibition and Prize Ceremony held with Anime Festival Asia 08 at Suntec Hall, 22 Nov.
- Exhibited individual installation for team exhibition “Site, Situation, Spectator” collaborated among Department of Architecture, University Scholar Programme and NUS Museum. Installation is exhibited in NUS Museum.
Year 2006
- Selected for Student’s Exchange Programme (SEP) to Lund, Sweden.
- Design Projects (Year 3 semester 1 and semester 2) selected for Department exhibition.
Year 2003-4
- Head of Manga Sub-Committee in NUS Students’ Comics and Animation Society.
- Pioneer as Head of 2004 “Graphite” Organising Committee to organise first TERTIARY manga drawing competition for 3 universities: NUS, NTU and SMU.
- Design Project (Year 1 semester 2) selected for Department exhibition.
Year 2001-2
- Assistant Secretary and Head of Publicity of Hwa Chong Junior College Chinese Orchestra (HCCO).
- Won gold medal in team competition (HCCO) in Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 2001.
- Performed duet in HCCO concert at Victoria Concert Hall 2002.
- Awarded First in comic illustration for competition organised by HCJC’s Comics Club 2002.
Year 1997-2000
- Awarded Best in Art Elective Programme (AEP) subject in 1997, 1998 and 2000.
- GCE O’ Levels: 9 distinctions, includes Higher Art Distinction in AEP, 1997-2000.
- Selected by school NYGH and Ministry of Education to represent Singapore in 1999 to Atlanta, Georgia, USA for overseas summer programme in Atlanta College of Fine Arts.
- 3rd prize winner in Singapore Story – Youth Edition Art competition organised by National Youth Council in 1998.
- Merit Prize winner in Care-for-Nature Spot-Art competition at Sungei Buloh Nature Park in 1998.
Year 1996
- Awarded 2nd position for Lions International Peace Poster Contest in Southeast Asia.
: Career History :
Architectural Assistant at DP Architects, 2009-current
Freelance Graphics Designer for mytimewall.com, 2008-current
Internship at K2LD Architects, 2007-2008
- Completed interior project for renovation of apartment at Hillington Green, Singapore.
- Completed interior project for creation of wedding banquet showroom at G-Hotel, Penang.
Internship at DP Architects Pte Ltd, 2006
- Participated in A&A works for Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore.
Internship at The Design Studio of Colin K. Okashimo and Associates, 2005
- Model-making
Freelance Graphics Designer, 2004 - Current
- T-shirt design for NUS Students’ Comics and Animation Society.
- 2 Website Interface designs for NUS Students’ Comics and Animation Society, working with programmer.
- Poster Design for Graphite 2005 Competition.
- Costume designs for University Scholar Programme Rag Day 2004.
- Banner and nametag design for 3rd Great Asian Streets Symposium held in NUS, Department of Architecture.
- Logo and T-shirt design for Hall XI, FOC 2004 “Ignixion”, in Nanyang Technological University.
Multimedia Artist (contract-based), and Graphics Designer (freelance) at AsknLearn.com Pte Ltd, 2003-2004
- Participated in website competition.
- Developed illustrations and digital graphics for website layout or interface design, character design, stories illustrations, logos and icons, brochures, product covers, banners, posters, and simple computer-based animations.
- Participated in computer animated e-Learning softwares for educational uses.
: Qualifications/Education :
- Master Degree in Architecture, NUS, Singapore, 2009.
- Bachelor (Honours) Degree in Architecture, NUS, Singapore, 2003-2007.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Proposal and Engaged
I know this is abit late but still, I want to write this down to be part of the records of my life. On Tuesday 7th June 2011, which is 1 year after getting attached, Ed proposed to me! haha, so yup, I said yes. Definitely. And he thinks so too! argh, no uncertainties! But still Ed said he was so worried that the things will not carry out properly that he had butterflies in his stomach and couldn't sleep on Sunday! Monday he had to rush and coordinate things before the proposal next day.
Awww, so sweet of him and so sweet of all my friends and my dear sis who have participated and helped one way or the other.
The account of events which had interestingly taken place since early Tues morning....
I did OT until I reached home at 5:30am..... (Ed, Yock and Sis had been preparing stuff together during Monday night when I was OTing!) Sis woke up and asked me, "Are you going to sleep?"
"Of cos!!" And my sis said nothing afterwards. Halfway I was sleeping, my phone vibrated at my bedside. Thinking what it could be, I picked it up and there was this message alert that read "You have downloaded an App. You can change your setting to Automatic Download so that you can sync without external device." Something like that. I was puzzled, who could have just downloaded an app using my account? Surely not at this unholy hour of 5 plus in the morning! Can't be Ed rite. Then I saw my phone connected to my house's wireless connection. Hmm, my sis using computer this early? But I didn't suspect her as she didn't have my password. That's what I thought. Aiya, I'm tired. Don't care lar! And so I went back to LalaLand.
Next morning Ed called to wake me up at 11:30am. Mum also came into my bedroom and asked why I took leave and where am I going today. I told her I don't know. Mum retorted, "But when I asked your sis, she said 'Don't tell you!~~"
"Huh, why did she answer like that. I don't even know myself where I am going later!" Mum paused and spoke again, "Oh, Ed came yesterday."
"Huh, no lar, he came on Sunday. Yesterday I was OTing! He didn't come la!~" Mum kept silence and walked away.
After I bathed, Ed already arrived and we hurried off to lunch at PS Cafe in Dempsey. Super nice relaxing place! Food is great except that our dessert, Ultimate Fudgy Brownie Cake, was so rich and so sweet that it was a big killer and we felt we could not eat any food or sweet stuff for the rest of the day. Afterwards we went to Marina Bay Sands (as I don't want to go swimming/gym today). Throughout the trip, he tried very hard to kill off my anticipation that he may be proposing today. And said that I need to choose diamond with him, so that he knows which ones I like so that he can buy thereafter. How disappointing. And further to that, he tried to convince me not to get the ring and contribute the money to the house or furniture. And so I really think through and said maybe can consider to buy me Cintiq graphic tablet! And he said that is possible and still cheaper than a diamond ring.... Near the end of walking around looking at diamond shops there, I finally commented that a 0.4 diamond is good enough. Too big is not good. Hahaha..... (At this moment, Ed was thinking 'Oh damn it! Should tell me earlier!! Ahhhhh!~~")
We went to visit ArtScience Museum, which was showcasing Salvador Dali's and Van Gogh's exhibitions. Not bad except that the Lotus pond is not very well maintained.... We hurried back to Marina Sq to help Mum change money to Ringgit. So it's time for dinner and we were still too "full". Ed suggested to go to Sogurt to have yogurt as dinner... I didn't suspect him for specifically choosing that place for yogurt. Marina Link has a few yogurt shops lor. Anyway, we went and played with ipad. He also suggested to go inside our JC school to exchange present. I can't believe I still didn't suspect anything because maybe he can be just choosing a meaningful place to exchange gifts during our 1st yr anniversary together. Halfway through he went to receive or make a call. He came back and asked me to give up in my ipad activities to proceed to our next destination, which is our JC school.
Upon entering, a security guard called out to us and Ed ran over to explain to her (that he is the guy going to propose and which he told me later that she replied very loudly "Oh! Soooo you are the guy PROPOSING!!!") By the time I walked up to them, she was telling Ed to call the rest of the people down to leave afterwards. I was still not giving a second thought about this. I was just puzzled that we outsiders still have to help her ensure the rest of the students to come down to leave.
Finally at the class bench, and I commented it was too dark to see anything clearly!! I was opening his gift when he opened a video on my ipad (which is a bdae gift from Ed ^^). I was puzzled at how the video got into the ipad. Then upon opening the present aka box, I saw my own ring. I was all the more puzzled at how he got my ring in there. And then the boards that said "Will you marry me?" and "June 7" came down, hung from strings, then our 2 angry birds soft toys came down too! And I am MORE puzzled how I didn't notice my yellow bird was missing at home and how did it ended up there. And then paper stars were thrown down and I thought it was water at first.... Oh oh oh all puzzled! And Ed ran to a big box and brought out a bouquet of 99 roses!! Woooww and I had to find the real ring in there. I panicked until Ed gave me a hint. It was kept in a rose ringbox which looked like a rose stalk!! hahaha Ed said it was obvious but I thought in times of panic like this, it was a good camouflage. He began to ask me the question and commenting that I should answer soon as he had been kneeling abit too long... Tsk!! So impatient! After "ya la ya la", I said, "yes, yes, YES!~" and after opening the box, I was shocked to see the ring with quite a big diamond and I actually exclaimed loudly "Ahhh, it's so big!"
Ed called the rest to come down. And I looked up at the balcony to see one bunch of my JC classmates! I was too jubilant and kept laughing and squatting to the floor. But unfortunately, we had to quickly bring down the boards and carry the bags, box etc to get out from the school as the security guards already threatened with the security alarm. Some left due to work early the next day. The rest of us went to Holland V to have supper, drinks and chit chat. This is when I "interrogate" them on how all these started and to find out my sis has been the "spy" and helped out a fair bit. I'm so touched!
It was a surreal happy ending. Currently the ring is sent for resizing. Abit loose. Hopefully it can be collected by end of this week or earlier.
Btw, both of us went back to clean up the place next day but most of the stars were gone though. The cleaner in the school is too hardworking.... or somebody else is hardworking to have cleared up earlier than us..... And managed to gave Ed his present on the second day too. Oh well~ what a memorable day and week! Get to walk around, eat, watch movie and exercising!!
Thanks dear!!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Crow Attack!!
I actually wanted to start on my New Year Resolutions, about how I should really start learning how to cook some dishes and learn how to iron and sew basic things.... But I think there is more interesting thing to share with you guys.
What happened on last Thursday morning was that I was in Clementi, walking past a carpark. Suddenly, I felt tight clutches on my head. I was stunned for 1 or 2 seconds before I realised something was actually clawing on my head. Quickly I tried to grab the thing that was hurting me. Then it let go and flew away. Looking up, it was a big fat crow. YUCKS!!! I only made a "AH!" exclamation despite very astonished. I kept touching my head whether it had food or stuff on my head. There's nothing weird leh! I was puzzled... My hair was washed just that morning and it was still moist from the water. Thinking that the bird should very well understand now that I am a human, I continued to walk away.
However after a few steps, the crow CAME BACK AND ATTACKED ME FROM BEHIND AGAAIIIINNN!!!! This time I was truly freaked out and after shooing it away, I cupped the top of my head and ran away from the carpark screaming uncontrollably. I think this time it really caught the attention from other pedestrians across the street. I kept looking up to see where it flew to. Only to find that it flew and landed on one of the trees. There are no other crows in sight...... Hmpf!
Being too shaken from fright, I called up my sister and texted bf, telling them the blizzar incident. I felt I need to tell someone immediately else I would go mad. Sis said it might have recognised the wrong person for revenge while her colleague said probably it was trying to protect her nest which could be nearby. My colleagues were laughing after hearing this and teased that probably the crow mistook me for a big female crow and tried to mate with..... my head??!! What I thought when I got the first attack was that it mistook me for a tree stump to rest on..... But the second attack had proven not so. However I do agree my hair was pretty long and bushy when viewed from the back.... It can really mistook for some nest or really think I am a big bird....
Haiz puzzling and disgusting.... because you can never imagine how dirty their claws might be. Immediately after I reached the office, I smeared a handful of the hand sanitiser all over the top of my head.... Argh!!!
Monday, January 03, 2011
Mental Preparations
It's been a while since I last post an entry. Apologies, alot of office project deadlines and competition deadlines to settle with all the way right up to Christmas. At least the good thing is that all the rushing work and competitions ended right before Christmas so that we can really enjoy the hols. However immediately after the submissions and right before Christmas, I got sick, very bad cold with sore throat, cough, flu and fever! All of them together at one shot. The worst hit since secondary or JC sch years. And I am still not 100% recovered at this moment... Nevertheless, I have enjoyed my Christmas with JC friends, and colleagues, and had a super wonderful memorable time with bf over the new year hols~ :)
Ok, now back to the topic on "Mental Preparations". As one grows older, there are many mental preparations to look out for and be aware of. There are more commitments and more expectations from you, regardless it is coming from friends, company, family or society. And one of the most common "mental preparations" talked about around people of our age now is Marriage. I did think about what it is expected to do when one is an adult and lives by oneself. But I didn't think much further about it then until recently when the word "mental preparation" was mentioned to me recently.
As I was washing my dishes after a late dinner just now, I was thinking that if I am independent or married, not only I will have to be washing dishes after every meals, I also need to know how to wash/clean up or maintain cleanliness and conditions of shoes, furniture, and even to learn how to iron properly. Some of you will know that I could not iron, or rather I am banned from ironing in the house and thus had developed a slight phobia on ironing....
But these are only the tip of an iceberg, or just the beginning. There are more important "mental preparations" to make if you want to get married. But then again, responsibilties aside, we should not forget to enjoy the whole process, and takes things more easily. It should bring happiness more than thinking about chores. For young couples to start thinking about marriage in Singapore, I guess the "mental preparations" that came up to my mind would constitute not only financial planning, but also how to bring close relationships between the parents of the two parties, close relationships with each other's parents, and getting to experience and understand what "family" is, and embracing everyone as the bigger family, and many more. It's really a whole new phase of life. Very enlightening, refreshing, challenging and yet sweet. :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday~~
Ahhh peaceful sunday.... transferring and backing up my computer files.
And one happy thing to add is, I finally solved the problem of failure in installing my window updates for my laptop. It's a problem of nearly 1 year and recently I was too irritated by the accumulating long list of updates, long waiting for the starting up and shutting down that I actually emailed Microsoft support for help.
They are really really good!!! Though I had to try a few solutions suggested but in the second time they replied with another set of solutions which solved my problems!!!! Finally today I cleared all my outstanding updates!!! Genius! I love u!!! Cheers~~
I hope this will solve my problem permanently!! >.< *prays*
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Peace
It was a chain of rushing work.... From Extravaganza (Graphite) 2010 manga competition, followed by office work consisting of submissions and flying to Shanghai for presentation and back to Singapore to work on submissions again, finally this weekend I am able to sleep and rest abit at home.... But from next week onwards, it will be another chain of hell coming up. *cries* But I am still looking forward to xmas.... :) xmas bbq with frens and bf. yay~
Nanyang Contemporary Artist's Society has changed its name to Artist Society of Singapore. And we are trying to do more artworks to showcase on the web and next year's publication. So I am getting calls from LaoShi to chase me to produce artworks... >.< *cries again* no time! I will try I will try I will try!
Ok, so it seems I never get a chance to rest 100% yar..... lol. But I am still happy la.... Must remain happy-minded!
Oh btw, I got second again for the Graphite competition this year again. GRRR!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
angry
as I continue to work on the stuff.... i got sad.... and wanted to post my feelings on FB status... and I realised I cant even do that becos there are ppl that must never hear what I will be saying abt. so I tried to change privacy settings. And I realised "Posts by me" includes everything from photos and status etc.... THIS IS SAD. I cant separate status from the photos. Meaning, I cant even set privacy settings to my status to specific ppl....... ARGGGGGHHH. Now I am more angry than ever..... haiz.... ok la, not angry but very very frustrated and irritated... In the end, blogging here is still my only means of venting out my frustration.....
What am I exactly. Why am I doing this..... I have no mood to do work which I know they are just extra and/or shit work that so conveniently DUMPED on me. IDIOT. F it. I dun care whether I am mean ornot, but at the spur of this moment I want and I wish some junior or intern to take over this. But I am the most damn junior in there, it's so unfair. In terms of degrees and batch, my peers are doing other meaningful things than being bogged down by all these tiny pieces of crap work. ARGHH I want to vent out somewhere NOW.
Eventful weekend~
Yup, recently many happening things, so it's pretty exciting but tiring~
Been playing with my new iphone,..... which began with all the transferring of files, converting and syncing.... thanks to bf, otherwise I think I won't know how to settle all these in one single night. Other than playing with the apps, I have an eventful weekend!
On Sat, we went to yock's new house to check out on the tiles and decide some colour schemes, followed by looking at some lights and then furniture. Both me and bf got pretty excited looking at them. Of cos I feel excited for Yock and her mum too~ Shopping for furniture is very inspiring~ (*erhem*, especially when money is not involved). After which we parted ways and both of us went to 'walk walk' elsewhere :) At night we joined some archi frens and caught an outdoor film outside National Museum. Guess wat is the film's name!! It's "Electrical Dreams"!! It's so so very relevant to us!! Our JC fav mass dance song! hahaha the show is very interesting and considered very impressive for that time.
Then come sunday when colleagues and I went to visit our Malay colleague's place to celebrate their Hari Raya. The food was good!! yummy.
Now I have to rush office work that has to be done by tonight. How sad.... Never get to work on my graphite this weekend but I'm still so happy to have such wonderful weekend - spending time and doing things tog with him.
Words can never describe the feeling of having someone there. Being loved and pampered in a way.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
All the nonsenses and disturbances in life
Recently my PC's HDD died on me.... so I have a new HDD, no softwares etc... have to install one by one. But the problem is... things that I really need like Photoshop etc, I dunno why but I cant get it install and work properly .....
It's damn irritating when so many thing to put back into the comp like the way it was and when there is no time for me to dilli-delli..... Due to the recent business trip and this crash, my work is greatly hindered.... I lost quite some sleep while trying to figure how to install this and that. And btw, my previous one is XP.... now I am using win7.... some things dun work the same k.
This is still not the end. Just yesterday I received notice to fly again on Monday.... Omg.... hahaha.... sian rite. tiring tiring..... I think I am an experienced luggage packer soon.... my packed toiletries etc are always 24 hrs ready to go. hahaha~
I hate the spammers to my blogs' comment section. argh, gave me false hopes of having readers commenting.... :p
Nevertheless, the time spent with friends and bf yesterday was nice. :) There are still many ppl to arrange to meet up... busy life eh~
PS: I overspent too much in HK trip........ really no savings for 2 months.....
