Temple mountain

The temple mountains of Cambodia are unique structures that symbolize the faith of the Cambodian people. It also illustrated the power and wealth of the Cambodian kings. Most of these structures now lie in ruins, with a few of them still functioning as holy sites for Buddhists. Efforts are being taken by international bodies to restore most of these temples, so that they can be studied and admired by generations to come.

Mood Box

For my design class, I was tasked with the construction of a mood box. A mood box expresses your moods in a visual, 3-dimensional form. I have chosen to construct my mood box out of fiberglass resin. I am using the resin to build the box because of it's translucent nature, which I intend to apply into the design of the box.

The design was inspired by what my other half wrote about me, and by Minas Morgul, one of the towers in the Lord of the Rings. Here are some pics of the work in progress... ;)

Minas Morgul, one of the inspirations for the mood box

Preparing the base using polystyrene and fiber bond

Pouring silicone rubber onto a master to create a mold

A completed mold and the master, made from mounting board

The cast resin plates will be assembled to form the mood box sculpture, and I intend to install some lighting using LEDs and a battery pack. More pics coming soon!

Firebug in full

Here is the Firebug armour in full. As with all costumes, this one will continually evolve and become better. More details and weathering will be added on later, as we costumers strive to make our costumes as realistic and believable as possible.

Costuming has become part of me, and with the help of my other half, I am beginning to explore this new world. By exploring costuming, I also explore myself. I learn more about myself and where I am leading to when I design my costumes and help him work on his.

I also learn a great deal about the materials that he uses to make these costumes, and also about the techniques that are applied. So far, I am able to make my own helmet and armour out of board and fiberglass. I hope to be able to learn about fiberglass casting the next time I see him. It sounds interesting! :)

I also learned a lot about sci-fi and fantasy film and special effects techniques from him as we constantly explore new ways of making better costumes. I hope to be able to debut the Firebug armour during the Tunas Saintis event at MRSM Balik Pulau in October.

Firebug!

We have been upgrading my first armour for the past month. My other half had developed a few concepts for the new upgrades and even made a new back story for my character, Ni'Sya Gra'tua. Through the Mandalorian Mercs forum, we managed to get feedback and recommendations from our friends overseas. They consist of seasoned costumers and new members, even industry professionals, but they have been very helpful.

Here are some progress pics of my new armour, dubbed "Firebug".

Attaching straps to the plates

Sanding my mk.II helmet, to prepare for repainting

My other half working on my aluminum handplates

Me in the partially completed armour, during fitting.

Notes on the Temple Mountain

The Temple Mountain is a significant feature in ancient Cambodian architecture. The most famous of these temples is the grand Angkor Wat. This temple is the epitome of ancient Cambodian architecture, and represents the classical Angkorian style. Nonetheless, the first temple mountain appeared around 881 AD, and was known as the Bahkheng (Bakong) Temple.

The Temple Mountain is actually an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. The style was heavily influenced by Indian temple architecture. The enclosures represented the mountain chains surrounding Mount Meru. A moat represented the ocean.

The temple itself was a multi-level pyramid. The home of the gods was represented by an elevated sanctuary at the centre of the temple. Other notable temple mountains include Baphuon, Pre Rup and Ta Keo.

My 1st Year as a Merc

September 4th marked the first anniversary of my being a Mandalorian Merc. One year ago, I became a member of this international Star Wars costuming club with my other half, costume artist M.Hanif.

Who are the Mandalorian Mercs? We are Star Wars fans who make and proudly wear our Mandalorian armour during events and conventions in celebration of Star Wars. The club is based in North Carolina, USA, and currently consists of almost 250 official members worldwide. Malaysia has 2 official members presently, and several more are in the process of completing their armours.

Me (in white and blue) and my significant other during the casual photoshoot of Resurrection III.

Earlier this year, M.Hanif held his third solo costumes exhibition at the Tuanku Fauziah Museum & Gallery in USM, Penang. This exhibition was called Resurrection III: Rise of the Mandalorians. I was privileged to have been given the chance to contribute an article in his exhibition catalogue, and also to have taken part in a casual phooshoot which was held towards the end of the exhibition. I also helped him to handle a helmet-making workshop!

What made me hooked up on costuming? I have found out that costuming boosts my self-esteem. When you're in armour, you become someone else. Someone who could do things that you would not normally do... I had lots of fun in costume, and I get to meet new and interesting friends. It is now a hobby of mine, which is fast becoming a small business. We make and sell custom armour and props to fellow costumers, mainly from overseas. At least I get to make some pocket money while having fun!

To know more about the Mandalorian Mercs, please visit their website or the Jebat Clan blog.

Brief History of Ancient Cambodia

Ancient Cambodia is most recognised for its religious architecture. The emphasis is necessarily on this feature because only the temples and religious structures were constructed of stone. These structured have withstood the test of time and remain with us today. Other structures were constructed using perishable materials, and as such did not survive to the present day.

The most famous period in Ancient Cambodian history has to be the Angkor period. This period is said to have started during the latter half of the 8th century AD to the first half of the 15th century AD. The Angkor period began when the Khmer King Jayavarman II declared independence from Java and made himself Chakravartin ("Universal Monarch"). The Angkor period ended when the Thai invaders from Ayutthaya sacked Angkor and caused the Khmer elite to flee to Phnom Penh.

Scholars have developed a periodization of Angkorian architectural styles, each named for a particular temple regarded as significant for that particular style. These are:

• Preah Ko style (877-886 AD), known for their small brick towers and for the great beauty of their lintels.
• Bahkheng style (889-923 AD), named after the first temple mountain constructed in the Angkor proper north of Siem Reap. It is so-called "temple mountain" because of its distinctive shape, which symbolizes Mount Meru, the abode of the Gods.
• Koh Ker style (921-944 AD)
• Pre Rup style (944-968 AD), named after the state temple mountain of Pre Rup, includes the East Mebon and Phimeanakas temples.
• Banteay Srei style (967-1000 AD), known for its small scale and extreme refinement of its decorative carvings, which feature scenes from Indian mythology.
• Khleang style (968-1010 AD)
• Baphuon style (1050-1080 AD), named after the massive temple mountain of King Udayadityaverman II, had unique relief carvings with a naive dynamic quality that contrasts the rigidity of the figures typical of some of the other periods.
• Classical or Angkor Wat style (1080-1175 AD) defines the classical style of Angkorian architecture. This temple is perhaps the greatest of the Angkorian temples. Other examples include Banteay Samre and Thommanon in Angkor, and Phimai in modern Thailand.
• Baroque or Bayon style (1181-1243 AD), named after the state temple of King Jayavarman VII. These elaborately decorated temples exhibit a hurriedness of construction that contrasts with the perfection of Ankor Wat.
• Post Bayon style (1243-1431 AD), exemplifies the decline of Angkorian architecture.