One year of darkness...

It is about this time last year that I decided to seriously get into the hobby. I was able to build a few kits (mostly aircraft) when I was in college (about ten years earlier) and my interest was really still burning inside. For two years I was just contented with looking at the beautiful kits in the hobby shop hoping that the day will come that I will be able to eventually pick one up and build it.

And it happened one day. When we passed by the hobby shop I told my wife that I will just go inside and have a look. And she said to me, "You have been in and out of this store for so long now without buying anything. And the salespersons already recognize you and they are probably talking about you now as you come in. Why don't you buy something for heaven's sake."

So I went in and tried to choose. I never had interest in armor and I don't know why I picked up a Dragon M4A4 Sherman for my first kit.

A year later, I have completed about thirty something kits (aircraft and mostly armor). With the help of FSM mag and website, I was able to learn a lot of things that really aided me in my work. No, I don't consider myself an expert or something, In fact I feel that I still have a lot to learn.

Let me take this time then to thank FSM and you guys for your help and encouragement. It has been a good year for me. A very dark year, I mean. And allow me to bore you with some of my early works. These are not really good ones but sometimes, I guess it is good to look back at our humble beginnings...

This is my first armor kit. The indy tracks really shocked me but well I have to do it anyway.





My second armor kit. An Academy M1A1. My first M1. Not so accurate but I don't mind. This was originally in NATO 3 color camo but I recently repainted it.





A Tamiya Tiger Late was a Christmas gift from the wife.





My fastest build (4 hours I think). Tamiya T34-85.





I almost hated this kit with so much fit problems. However, this was the only JS-2 kit that I could find. A Dragon JS-2m.





Again...thanks to all your help guys. I really see the light in the darkside and I intend to stay.