I spent my last 2 weeks back in Singapore. I was back due to the sudden demise of my beloved grandmother on the 30th of July. I didn’t plan to announce this because it is something personal but I’ve gotten quite a few concerned questions on my return so I think I best clarify this.
Having quite a bit of free time, I got to play around with something I found here. Paper model! I find the little buggers really cute and though its assembly is really simple (no glue, cutting required), I still took an hour plus to fix this. Great way to spend a boring afternoon/evening. 
Official site here.
Being back in Singapore, I was also able to participate in the Tamiya Modelling Competition 2006. This was originally planned in 2004 by the previous distributor of Tamiya products. But a couple of months before the event was dued, the distributorship of Tamiya products was handed over to the current holder, Stargek. Many modellers like myself who had prepared for the event were left stranded without a trace of the promised event…
Fast forward to almost exactly 2 years later. The event was finally held at Marina Square in the past week with much fan fare. From first look, it seem like a prestigious event. Marina Square is a very up-market location and the rental for a (almost) week long event has to be expensive. But upon closer inspection, the truth couldn’t be clearer.
The event is actually much focused on the more profitable R/C wing of Tamiya… The modelling competition, a second fiddle to the main event. But who can blame Stargek? Much of the profit from the pre-event sale already went to the previous distributor 2 years ago (receipts within a certain dates were required) and to fork out additional monies for the event would be unthinkable from a business point of view.
But of course, we can’t really complaint in competition scarced Singapore right? The last Tamiya event was almost 7 years ago?.. We literally crave for such events to happen. I managed to enter 3 entries, all made more than 2 years ago for the event. I was awarded a ‘winner’ award for IMO the worst of my 3 entries. 
Fate has a funny way. 
And for my effort in support of this event and emerging a ‘winner’ I was given a car kit!
…
Not too shabby if its a simple consolation prize I guess. But this has to be the worst prize a ‘winner’ has ever gotten from a local modelling event AFAIK. But then, its not all about the prize right? It’s about the spirit of competition and learning right? Interestingly, the marking criteria of the event was clearly shown to the participant. Below is a shot of the marking slip for my Xanavi Skyline GTR entry. Hm.. I think I shall leave the thoughts of it to the interested reader.
But personally, I feel the judging of different categories should not be based on the same criteria. How can the judging of automotives be the same as for dioramas?
I know, I know. Many people think I complaint too much. But I prefer to think of it as analytical criticism. I complaint but I give suggestions and solutions too, you know? Hehe.
1. Awards sucks – For the effort modellers put in, the ‘medals’ as really cheap. I think the ones we did for the PLAMO event was so much better. And the winner for ‘most creative award’ got a big-arse throphy! Which IMO, seemed just like the dude only joint the wrong category.
2. Prizes sucks – I got a car kit for winning in the automotive category??? Duh!! At least give vouchers? Didn’t it occur to them that car modellers would have just about EVERY kit they had already wanted? Don’t even get me into comparing what was easily thousands of dollars in cash prize offered by the previous organiser..
3. Judging sucks – I know I sound like a sore loser but am not. I conceit defeat in many ways but the judging left a bad taste in my mouth for reasons already said and more…
So after all these words, was this a successful event? Yes I would say it is. But is this a sign of good things to come? No. From my experience, competition like this which has lapse many years only draw in a huge influx of entries because of the ‘accumulated’ works by many modellers. If the organisers wishes to have a better or equally good response next time, they have to pull their socks up or take the easy way out by holding it in say,.. 2012??
Links (post any coverage in comments if you have them).
Max’s coverage of the event.
