Archive for November, 2007

I’ve seen that coming

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Sigh, barely a week back in Malaysia and an argument with parents broke out. Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see this coming. Just wanting to be down in KL for a week to two and they blew up like the volcano that wiped out Pompeii.

The main crux of their argument was that it wasn’t nice to stay at someone’s place for more than a few days as I would be outstaying my welcome. Well that make sense and I’m fully aware of it but I’m 110% sure that I would not be a burden and would be a welcome. They just don’t understand it. Things are not as simple as they seem.

I can see and agree with their point of view but do they need to raise their voice shouting and scolding? Not only that, yelling something along the lines that I’m 21 and go do whatever I like, and if i want to go then go as they do not care anymore. The tone was as if they are disowning me.

I love my parents very much even though they can be extremely difficult. I try to be a filial son and be very obedient. However, this is one of the few times that makes me so frustrated that I feel like packing my bags and just leave.

How many times have they rejected and shot down what I want to do? I remembered when I was young, every holiday trip with friends have been rejected as soon as I opened my mouth. Reason? Safety. Then what about sleep overs? You have a nice house to stay, why bother people? Why am I always being restricted and caged? Is it because they like to be in control and take extreme offence to any challenge of their power?

When would they ever genuinely smile and agree to whatever undertakings or paths I’ve chose to walk down on? When would they ever just be happy and support me all the way? When would they ever be happy because I’m happy with the way my life is going? Despite my failures and regrets in life, I’m actually happy as long as I’m making the decisions and calling the shots.

There are many things I’ve done that would probably cause them heart-attacks or render them speechless. I’ve regretted and some of those things but I’m also glad I took the leap of faith on the others. I’m happy with the course my life have taken me. I’m living an awesome life in Melbourne and have a great and supportive girlfriend that is always there for me when I need her.

So, when would my parents ever ask me what I want? When will they ever respect my choice, my decisions? These are exactly the reasons why I do not tell them nor share with them many things in my life for I know, it will always be met with negative response.

Each and every time I come back to visit them, I hoped in vain that things will be different, that they would somehow finally see me as a person that is able to make his own decisions. And as fate would have it, my hopes always ended in disappointment and this time it was no different.

I’m feeling so frustrated now and yet I’ve no idea what I should do. Going to KL with the knowledge that your parents are fuming at your back and knowing that our relationship would be tense. Knowing that there would be a cold war on my return breaks my heart. I just can’t bear to see my parents being angry and yet sometimes I feel that they are manipulating my weakness. What am I to do, what am I to do?

Sleep would not come easily to me tonight, and hopefully, I would be able to make a decision by the time I’m awake. Sigh.

| Posted in Journal Entries | 4 Comments »

Unwired

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

I am suddenly feeling naked without all my technological gadgets around me. Back in Melbourne, all my electronics are connected together either wired or wirelessly. Back in Malaysia, I have none of those luxuries.

My PS3 is not connected to the net (wired/wirelessly) and therefore no free online downloadable content, my laptop and PSP cannot access internet wirelessly and both my PSP and my DS are unable to connect to official servers for online gaming. Worst of all is that I can’t stream all my videos and music to all those devices.

Then, there is the extremely slow and laggy internet. surfing the net and checking emails is beginning to become a chore. I miss my “command centre” back in Melbourne =`(

| Posted in Journal Entries | No Comments »

Home?

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

Now back in hot and humid Ipoh, Malaysia. There has been some changes since I was last back here. Firstly, there’s a new 24 hours drive in McDonald’s near my place! Now I shan’t starve in the wee hours of the morning. The fly-over has been completed and shifted the traffic problems in my area to another nearby area. Now its easier to get back home but harder to get to the one and only decent (actually its still horribly boring) place to hangout. So net effect = nil.

What hasn’t changed? The people. People that don’t dress decently cussing and spitting around and the many rude selfish drivers to name a few. Ah, Ipoh, backwater hometown of mine. Although, despite the negatives, the food here still tastes damn good. Food is the only saving grace of Ipoh ^_^

Nana came over today to make me my favourite Asam Laksa. Nana, she always cooks me all my favourite food. I’m so blessed =p Had roti chanai for breakfast as well at my usual local mamak stall. Still tastes damn good. Ipoh food hasn’t lost its charm ^_^!

Plugged my PS3 to dad’s new HDTV and damn does it look good. My lil bro has been drooling over my baby ever since I set it up. Dad was really impressed with what the PS3 can do and the picture output quality. He said I must have spent a fortune on it and i replied that since he never got me anything like this (he got bro PSOne and PS2) I have to get it myself and he kept quiet…. ah well

Ipoh, still damn hot and humid, gah~ thank God for air-conditioners.

| Posted in Journal Entries | No Comments »

Homecoming

Friday, November 23rd, 2007

Here I am aboard the plane metres in the air leaving Melbourne to return to Malaysia albeit only for a month or so. Currently, I have travelled 3960 kilometres and another 2427 kilometres to go. I should be excited about going back to my place of birth, however I’m actually quite dreading it.

First of, the only good thing about returning back to Malaysia is that I get to see my love again after one year. It is the only thing that I’m excited about. But what about my parents you might ask. Well, I do miss them but I’m not entirely thrilled about the fact that I would be back under their control once again.

Years ago, one of the main reasons I moved to Melbourne is to have a fresh start in live. Leaving my past and regrets back in Malaysia to start a clean slate. The other reason was to escape the iron fist control of my parents.

From young, I do not have to liberty to do the things that i loved. No sleep overs, no travelling with friends, no dating. I lived most of my life at home, behind invisible bars, restricted to studying and a sheltered life. Did their control work for making me an ace student? Far from it.

Being back in Malaysia is like having my wings clipped. The fact that to go anywhere in Malaysia, especially in my home town of Ipoh, you need a car (public transport is horrendous back home) and me having to get permission to use their car effectively means I’m restricted.

Going out to meet friends every other day is a no go. Staying at home and game all day means I’m wasting my time. What exactly am I suppose to do then? All my life parents have been harping on putting my time to productive and efficient use. By that they mean doing stuff that robs your life of all joy and contentment.

It doesn’t help that my parents doesn’t like my girlfriend on the sole grounds of not being educated overseas. This preconceived biasness is driving a wedge between my relationship with my parents. There IS a reason why I do not call home anymore.

Everything I do, all I get are negative comments. I know they mean well by driving me to reach my full potential but that is just not the way. When will they ever be satisfied and contented with my decisions? When will they ever honour my wishes and leave me be.

It is my life not theirs. If I want to choose a life of suffering then so be it. It is my choice, my decision. Being shot down everytime I try to tell something that I’m happy with when they don’t agree is the Primary reason why I’m so secretive. I do not reveal my feelings and information about myself. The less people know, the less expectations they have of me, and the less disappointment and frustration I would get.

Nevertheless, I’m still looking forward to return back to Malaysia to see my darling again. One year is a long time. Long distance do suck. To those who has never been in one, do not say that you understand the difficulties as you do not know the true extent of it. Be that as it may, I have no regrets being in this relationship. You complete me and I can’t wait to start my life with you.

| Posted in Journal Entries | No Comments »

PS3 Loving

Monday, November 19th, 2007

PS3 LoveMy PS3 has never received much love from me ever since i bought her three months ago. All that has changed this past couple of days. She has my undying tender loving care and my utmost attention. She has never felt so loved before =D Now that my exams are over, I can finally catch up on the games I’ve collected over the past few months. So here goes my brief hands-on experience with those games.

Armored Core 4
I was greeted with an awesome intro as soon as I booted up the game. Once the game starts however, I’ve noticed a big change from the previous games in Armored Core series. The gameplay in AC4 is now much my furious and blazingly fast pace. In the past, mechs are only able to boost for a short while before they need to recharge their “boost-juice”. In AC4 however, the boost system has been given an overhaul and it is now integral to your survival. And with this new boost mechanics, an expansive map to fly around is a must and AC4 delivers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8FtNEgt9k]

Another significant addition to the Armored Core formula is Primal Armour (PA). PA is a force field of sorts which is fueled by Kojima. Weapons now have a PA piercing and PA reduction stat, and these play an integral role into your loadout choices when fighting against enemy Nexts (advanced mech suits that you and the other skilled mercenaries pilot).

The customization interface has now been overhaul and is now more transparent and intuitive. Tweaking your mech is now much more easier and streamlined. Despite all these improvements, what hasn’t changed is the length of the missions. Missions can end as fast as 30 seconds, which isn’t satisfying at all. I’ve yet to try the online mode as I’m still going through the campaign.

Lair
Ah… notorious Lair. It was seen as a critical and commercial failure. It has been criticized for its control scheme which is Sixaxis motion control only. Western reviewers gave it abysmal ratings whilst Eastern reviewers gave it high ratings.

Its actually quite intuitive. You tilt the controller left, and your dragon banks left; tilt right and dragon banks right. Pull up and the dragon does a 180 degrees turn and whipping the controller forward will make your dragon dash forward. Its really like handling the reins of a dragon. I find that the controls aren’t that hard to master and I guess those that complained about the controls are either (a) refuse to embrace new control schemes (b) whipping and jerking the controller like a madman or (c) ego-istic noobs who can’t adapt and blame their failures on the controls.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpUL_VoCxE4]

In lair, you assume the role a dragon-rider named Rohn. The game is broken up into chapters and each chapter are essentially maps where you are given tasks of defending a certain area, destroying certain objects, eliminating enemies or creatures, and other mission-based objectives. After completing each stage, the player can earn either gold, silver, or bronze medals, depending on performance during the level which in turn unlocks combos and bonus content.

Most of the game’s battles are air-based combat (whats a dragon game without superb aerial combat eh?) with some fought on the ground by landing the dragon and fighting troops and other land-based creatures. I’m currently having a blast playing this game. And I passed the supposedly horrifying fifth mission, Crossing at Dawn with a silver medal to boot.

Folklore
Folklore (aka Folksoul for Asian versions of the game) is a game that documents the eerie quests of two individuals and their mysterious calling to the village of Doolin (Lemrick for Asian versions of the game) – a place where the living can meet the dead. Soon after the hero and heroine enters the village, they are met with a murder scene and so the story starts.

The game is broken up into two parts. During day time, you’ll be running around the village searching for clues, more specifically, keepsakes of the dead. The keepsakes of the dead are the key to the netherworld. Once you enter the netherworld, thats when the action starts. You’ll fight through hordes of folk (monsters/creeps etc) and defeat the folklore (boss) at the end. Then it repeats again. It may seem repetitive, but it will make sense once you start playing the game.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yRI8zWx0h8]

The battles are the backbone of this game and it all takes place in the netherworld. You use the left analog stick to move your character and the right stick for camera control. L1 locks-on to an opponent and enables strafing, and R2 lets you dodge/roll in any direction. Folk powers can then be assigned to your four face buttons and it can be changed on the fly by just hitting the L2 button.

Folk powers come from beating up said folk and yanking their souls out via the sixaxis motion control (i.e. whip your controls up and up comes their soul). For mini-bosses and the Folklore at the end, the said yanking of souls become more involved. From moving your Sixaxis controller left and right in the right rhythm to bash their souls on the ground left and right to weaken them even more to yank them out to yanking the controllers up and down in sync with the timing, it really works well and serves to keep the action fresh and is undeniably the game’s main selling point.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHFJ2Aso6jQ]

There are 2 characters in the game which you can play and the advance the story from the point of view. You have to play both to advance the overall story but afraid not as both characters have different combat styles. Ellen is more tactical and actually summons absorbed folks to battle whilst Keats is more hands on where folk extend from his body for some physical attacks. There are over a hundred different folks in the game and their attacks are all different. To add to the variety, Ellen and Keats gain different powers from the same folk!

The Eye of Judgment
Eye of Judgment (yes, Judgment is spelt like that in this game >.>) is a card battle game that utilizes the PlayStation Eye in order to read playing cards, placed on a mat, and project the depicted creatures in 3D on the screen. The primary mechanic and draw of this title is having the PlayStation Eye scan your card and display the creature on the screen in full 3d. Card recognition only takes a second. Once recognized, the creature arises in a flurry of lights, runes and special effects and appears to be standing on top of your otherwise normal looking card.

Eye of Judgment is played on a 3×3 grid board and the goal is to control 5 of the 9 fields. Each field (squares in the grid) has an elemental alignment at the top and another element on the underside. The elements of each field are important. There are 5 different elements in this game and the are opposed to each other. Fire opposes Water, Earth opposes Wood and Biolith (Machine) is neutral. Placing a fire creature on a fire field nets it 2 extra health whilst placing a fire creature on a water field nets you 2 less health.

Each player has a deck of 30 cards. Each turn, you draw a card and receive two mana and may then proceed to perform any general actions which include spell casting, turning your creature into another direction and of course attacking. Summoning a creature ends your turn.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cqg1GEmH5w]

This game is easy to learn (can be taught in 5 minutes) but hard to master. There are many strategies one can pursue and the best and rarest card won’t necessarily win you a match as a summoned creature will stay at the field it was summoned into and can only attack specific locations. These creatures also usually costs alot of mana per attack and mana in this game is at a premium. Eye of Judgment is a very solid and balanced game.

If thats not enough there is an online component where you can duke it out with your friends or participate in the official leaderboards. To be able to play online, you need to scan your entire deck via the Playstation Eye and the computer will draw cards for you and you will have to search your deck for the said card. This helps prevent opponents from secretly drawing cards needed to win.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGENvUO9I3U]

I’ve clocked in alot of hours in this game both offline (to tweak my deck) and online against friends and the leaderboards. Gimmicky yet fun (Wii was considered a gimmick but look at their success!).

Heavenly Sword
Heavenly sword is an action title with martial arts inspired combat with Hollywood style presentation. The presentation is superb overall, character facial expression is spot on and conveys alot of emotion which helps tell the story. The developers even enlisted Andy Serkis of Gollum fame to lead and act the motion-capture scenes.

However graphics does not maketh a game. The style of the game is similar to that of God of War and hence its biggest strength is its combat system. Nariko (the heroine) has three different stances and each of them has its own set of moves. Holding L1 puts you in the ranged stance where the sword separates into two parts that are swung around on chains (ala God of War), holding R1 triggers the power stance where attacks are slowed but heavier and holding neither triggers the default speed stance.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr64ctJo8jc]

There is no block button as Nariko automatically blocks when not attacking. To be able to block effectively, you need to match the incoming attack type (enemies will glow a certain colour as a cue)with the correct stance. This mechanics requires agile and sharp wits to pull off. Myself however would rather be on the offensive as the best defence is the best offence ^_^?

I’ve only played this briefly for about 40 minutes or so and I can’t comment much. So far, I’m liking what I see. I will come back to this over the next few weeks. So many games, so little time. Sigh.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6o-3PkJbds]

| Posted in Articles | No Comments »

Government Conspiracy

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

“It’s a government conspiracy, you know. First they charge for food, so you have to have a job, which eats up all your free time. Then they release all the games at once, when you have no time left to play them, just to see if they can break your will.” – Ethan McManus, CAD Comics

So true so true. This holiday season, tons of games are getting released. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, Assassin’s Creed, Kane and Lynch, Call of Duty 4, Need for Speed: Pro Street and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune to name a few.

Not to mention the many games i bought which I’ve no time to play because of exams like Bioshock, Armored Core 4, Folklore, Lair, Heavenly Sword and most recently Eye of Judgment. Not only that, I’ve to deal with shortage of cash. I’ll be out of the country for a month plus as well which cuts down even more gaming time T.T so many games, so little time…

Or maybe, I should start staring at the clock hoping vainly that there is some latent power within me to bend the time and space continuum ala Hiro Nakamura. Dream on >.>

I guess the only good thing that comes out of this is one month of bliss with my love =)

| Posted in Comics, Journal Entries | No Comments »

Landlord

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

This has got to be the scariest landlord ever =p


(Either JavaScript is not active or you are using an old version of Adobe Flash Player. Please install the newest Flash Player.)

| Posted in Comedies | No Comments »

Pre-exam Fakeness

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007

It never ceases to amaze me every time I walked along the path to this building. The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne just looks grand. I visit this place about 8 times a year. As thrilling as it is to walk this path, the atmosphere around this serene place is always tense. The reason for this is that this is one of the main official examination hall for the University of Melbourne (they do not own this place but they rent it each time I presume).

Instead of being elated every step I take towards this monument of grandiose like I did about five to six years ago when I first moved to Melbourne, my steps get heavier each passing moment as I approach this Monument of Doom.

Then, as you approach closer, the air changed to one of oppression. You feel as if a giant invisible hand is pushing down at you and whispers of death and misery can be faintly heard as the leaves rustle at the whims of the wind. The imposing monolith stares down at you seemingly as if it is taunting and laughing at your insignificant existence.

Originally uploaded by Itchy Feet @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/itchyfeet/23486286/

Closer still past the fountain, clouds darken and the ominous chants of the agents of death are now audible. The closer you get, the louder and more imposing the chant is. The chant so full of despair and hopelessness, it begun to draw you in to the jaws of oblivion. You know you should not be succumbed to this evilness, yet the lure is too enticing to resist. And so, the chants grew louder and louder until it pounds at your ears. It goes….

Death. Die. Never study. Shit. This is like the Hardest subject ever. I’m so dead. I’m like can’t be fucked to study. Oh my God i just looked at my notes and gave up. I’m like so gonna fail.

Come on fellas, stop faking modesty. You look at them, you’ve seen them in classes answering every damn questions. You see them coming to tutorials with fully-prepared-colour-coded-typed preparations. They are smart. They will be the last person on earth to fail. Yet, you see them chanting and claiming this exam will spell the end of their miserable lives. Then, you see them saying the same things again the next exam. And again. And again…… And yet, when their results are out, you see straight honours.

The fakeness is annoying. Just be yourself and don’t join in the crowd. Its not cool.

Tags: , , | Posted in Articles, Journal Entries | 1 Comment »

Drive-in…..

Tuesday, November 6th, 2007

I’m sure you guys have heard of drive-in-theatres. For the uneducated, it is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.

For a visual representation of the wall of text that i just wrote, below is an image of a drive-in-theatre, the Lunar Drive in Theatre in Dandenong, Victoria (Australia).

Well, now you’ve seen the ye-olde classic form of entertainment, now check this out.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzEyHebd9SU]

Park To Play is an installation which can turn any car into a joystick for playing games like Tetris, Pong, Space Invaders or Pinball. The car dashboard and the doors become the buttons on the joystick. Hell yeah, we’ve had drive-in-theatres, why not drive-in-GAMING?

Tags: , | Posted in Articles | 1 Comment »

Permission for Sex – DENIED

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

Once upon a time, there lived a couple. They were very much in love. To show his appreciation for his lady, the man took her on a romantic getaway.

Girl: Oh my God! This is awesome! Oh my, oh… this is really beautiful! Thank you *insert name here* so much! This is the best anniversary gift ever.

Bloke: Yes my love, anything for you.

Girl: This is so romantic… come over here you cheeky fella.

*couple starts to embrace each other*

***5 minutes later***

Flight Attendant: Excuse me sir and madame, sex is prohibited on board this flight.

Bloke: Wtf? I paid for this! You guys sold me a romantically decorated cabin with a double bed, privacy and endless champagne and then say I can’t have sex?

Flight Attendant: I’m sorry Sir. All we ask of customers, wherever they are on our aircraft, is to observe standards that don’t cause offence to other customers and crew. Enjoy a pleasant flight.

And so, what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary gift turned into outraged. This is a highly stylised/overblown/fictitious scenario based on the true experience of passengers on board Singapore Airlines new Airbus A380.

 

The carrier asked passengers on the A380 to refrain from sex while ensconced in one of its 12 first-class suites, which boast the world’s first airborne double beds. Apparently, while private, the double cabins are neither sound proofed nor completely sealed.

Its kinda stupid to painstakingly make the cabins romantic and yet not allowed do what comes naturally. >.>

Read the original news article here.

 

Tags: , , , | Posted in Articles | No Comments »