Day 13: 6 Things Video Games Taught Me About Real Life

Song of the Day: R.PG. ~Rockin’ Playing Game~ by SuG (Fairy Tail OP)

Last December, I finished playing Persona 3 Portable.

It’s the ported version of Persona 3,  with the male protagonist Minato Arisato in Normal Mode and the game was quickly filed in the “Most Memorable Plays of All Time” section of my brain  (I’m not a die hard gamer but I’ve played enough to list down a sizeable collection).  With its colorful cast, intuitive storyline and intriguing theme, the diverse reality of Persona 3 is what the best video games were about: engaging and entertaining while teaching and inspiring.

[Side note:  currently I’m playing the female protagonist route–fan named Minako–in Maniac mode.  Because apparently I don’t have better things to do with my time.]

 

Video games may be a means of leisure but that doesn’t mean gamers don’t get anything from it.  It’s been proven in studies that video games help players develop better eye-hand coordination and improve strategic skills.  But more importantly, and on a more personal note, video games taught and affirmed to me things about real life in general.

Warning: Spoilers sprinkled ahead.  But juuust sprinkles.  🙂 

30 Day Anime Challenge XXIV: Moment that Shocked You the Most in Any Anime

Heave ho, Day 24!  
“Moment that Shocked You the Most in Any Anime”
Now doesn’t that take me back to the old days?
There are several animes out there that whip up interesting twists to the plot every  now and then.  Shame that most mainstream anime don’t have those anymore (becauseTobi actually being Obito is so frigging obvious) but you know what they say, the good things in life are so far and few in between.  Or wait maybe that was just me?  

Anyway, here’s my take on Day 24.  
It’s not that big of a surprise in hindsight, but give my once preteen brain a break. 😀

30 Day Anime Challenge XXIII: Favorite Attack Someone Used in Anime

Day 23 and rolling!

Fresh from talking about weapons and gear, next in line is coming up with a favorite attack in anime.
Hmm, I think the guy who came up with this was hit by a Kamehameha sized nostalgia.  For me, I’ve had several memorable attacks to choose from, most of them from female characters.

I’m not a big fan of Fairy Tail but I love a good number of their characters, including the female lead Lucy Heartfilia.  Granted, she doesn’t kick as much ass as the other girls in the show (I mostly blame the writers and the sexist portrayal in shounen manga for that).

But lack of satisfying action aside, Lucy is still one amazing mage.  As a Celestial Spirit mage (a summoner, if you will), she already owns a good number of key, with ten of them belonging to the legendary 12 Golden Keys based on the Zodiac.  She can also hold on her own without magic thanks to her whip.  But my favorite attack of hers is this uber amazing spell…

Day 12: 5 Things I Learned as a Novice Freelancer

Quote of the Day:

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”

-Pres. Theodore Roosevelt

When I first started freelancing, I was  a wide eyed writer with bold dreams of making money with her God given talent with words and inspired by the idea  of working at your hours.
Flashforward to one year later, with me a little less naive and a bit more grounded thanks to a combination of  experience and “Oh God where have you been my whole life?” freelancing blogs’ advice.

So in a nutshell, freelancing isn’t all that it was made out to be.
Case in point: when you’re a freelancer, time isn’t exactly yours to spend as you please.  A minute spent idling equals a dollar forgone.  Another is that if you’re not careful, you could get terribly underpaid.  I think most freelancers get to experience this at some point especially if they are literal neophytes and have to compete against veterans willing to work for cheaper than a dirt cheap rates (seriously, $0.5 an hour?!).  It’s a frightening reality once it hits you in the face.

This is not to say I’ve thrown the towel though.
I love freelancing.  But it isn’t without its drawbacks and frustrations that will make you want to ram your head to a wall at some point.  Still I picked up a few things that  made me better equipped in the bidding wars and client diplomacy  (and if you start thinking about something as if you’re off to battle, it’s that serious).

30 Day Anime Challenge XXII: Favorite Weapon/Gear/Armor Used in Anime

Song of the Day:  Nagareboshi He (Sailor Stars Insert Song)

Yo!
It’s been a while since the challenge huh?  Last 8 days to go.  I’m feeling a bit nostalgic.  😛
So what’s my favorite weapon/gear/armor used in anime?  Getting this one was a bit easier compared to the previous challenges.  I’ve liked this weapon since it was introduced in the series and was hoping that it would reach full potential sometime soon.

And it still hasn’t happened.  Hmph.
Still I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

On J.K. Rowling’s Newest Confession on Harry Potter and Why It’s High Time We Just Let Go Already!

Quote of the Day: 

“Thanks for the adventure.  Now go have a new one!”

-Ellie, Up

I used to have huge respect for Ms. Jo Rowling.
Which author wouldn’t be inspired by her rags to riches tale of coming up with a record breaking set of seven books while jobless, surviving on welfare checks and raising a daughter all by herself?  Because of her creativity, wit and prose, the world of Harry Potter has come to life with its engaging story, amazing characters and a reality so intriguing many a fan wished they were a part of it.
While I wished at the time that it would never end, Harry Potter came to a close July 2007 with Rowling herself stating that that’s that.  No more prequel or sequels.  Harry’s story is done, we all accepted that and moved on.
That is, save for Rowling herself; and with that, my respect for her was all but obliviated and sent down the sewerage drain.

It had been good. But someone did say all good things must come to an end. (Image from whatanerdgirlsays.com)

As it turns out, Rowling and everyone else willing is still milking the Potter world for all its worth.  First came off copies of the school books based on the magical world like “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (admittedly, these did come out even before Deathly Hallows was published).  Then came the supposed limited edition The Tales of Beedle the Bard.  Then came Pottermore by Sony (which isn’t quite picking up as its producers may have hoped).  Then there are these sudden out of the blue confessions and whimsical musings from Rowling herself.

The latest (and the worst for me) is her sudden realization that Harry Potter should have married Hermione Granger.

Day 11: 10 Things that Helped Me Beat the Dung Out of Writer’s Block

Quote of the Day: 

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain.”

– Dolly Parton

I once heard someone say that writer’s block is just an excuse.  You just have to keep on writing as much and as regularly as possible for you to get a good story running.

That, in my humble opinion, is a bucket of carabao shit gathering Beelzebub and his merry gang of flies.

Ah the dreaded disease they call writer’s block…
Have you ever been through a patch wherein no matter how many times you’ve started on an article, it just doesn’t feel right?  I’ve had the awful experience of typing opening lines to an article more than a hundred times with no success which went on for three hours.  It was frustrating pull at your hair and bang your head on the desk sort of way.

If only writer’s block were a real, breathing blonde idiot…

Why does one get the block bug?  A lot of reasons.
It could be because of stress, you burned yourself out, you’re exhausted, you’re in way down low or you could just be sick of MS Word or whatever it is you’re always writing on.  Whatever it is, writer’s block is a huge stressor that can cost you productive writing time (in my case, two weeks! Er-ming-garwd!)

Desperate to finally kick the bug where it effing hurts, I opened books and webpages for advice, from the ah that makes sense to the so ridiculous it works.  Here are ten of the ones  I’ve used most at some point in my road to recovery.

30 Day Anime Challenge XXI: Favorite Goofy Anime Character

Song of the Day: Hey! by Flow (Beelzebub OP)

Hey guys, I’m baaaaaaaaack!  

How was your weekend?  I had quite the restful one after my seminar with me stuck at home, just me bed and I.  Twas nice but I’ve had enough rest.  Back to work for me!

So Anime Challenge Day 21 is “Favorite Goofy Anime Character”.
Well that threw me to another loop for a bit.

Gwarsh! You oughtta smile more! Take it from me, a-hyuk!

Clown characters are part of the heart and soul of any plot and without them, some stories end up becoming too drab and dreary for comfort.  They’re like these miniscule glimmers of laughter spruced up in between the bulk that is the action and drama; the constant reminders that despite the bleak reality, there is always something to smile about.  Harry Potter fan favorites Fred and George Weasley are principal examples in the book verse, not to mention my personal favorite, Ron Weasley (so go eff yourself, haters and bashers!)

Even in the anime world, there are a plethora of goofs.  You know, the idiots who often play second fiddle to the protagonists in terms of skill but kind of rub on you.  Or the sidekicks that often end up making fools of themselves but are too lovable to diss.  Take for example, this guy…

Hey guys!
Uhm, nice weather we’re having?
OK seriously, a quick note:  I won’t be around starting tomorrow because of a nursing related seminar and will be back after three days.  Apologies for the resulting quiet on my corner from that.  But worry not for Chuchi will return with a vengeance!

Matta ne!
Chuchi

Image credits:
Chibi Hinata by pinkgirl123

Day 10: Chuchi’s Nindo Ex-G Resolutions

Song of the Day: 1/6 Out of Gravity by Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid)

I know I said it once, but ah, for the heck of it: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Don’t you just love New Years?  I especially appreciate the idea of new beginnings and the wealth of opportunities they represent.  For me, though, January isn’t just a month for a fresh new canvas.  It’s also a month wherein we look back on the old piece of art.
Flawed in more ways than one, but a masterpiece nonetheless.  One that  brought nearing equal amounts of joy and pain.  One that has taught me much.

The 2013 obra is full of blacks and shades reminiscent of that of Van Gogh’s heavily violent brush strokes.  In the span of 12 months, I lost my job, got snitched out of a job offer, got diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, hit the peak of obesity and drove myself broke.

But it wasn’t without a smathering of pastel butterflies: I took up freelancing, started this blog , begun Nindo Ex-G and met new people (virtually but still).  Let’s not forget the things to be grateful for, like me still have my loving parents, food on the table and roof over my head and, most importantly, me waking up every single day of that year and even until now.

That, more than anything, is a glimmer of proof that though I am at my lowest point, there’s hope for me to turn things around. So with that, I bid Sayonara to 2013 and greet 2014 with a fond Yoroshiku and a palette of Nindo Ex-G inspired resolutions.

Let’s go, 2014! (Image from http://anime-chibis.blogspot.com)