About Curious Incidents

Back in college, my friend told me to read The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time and I never heeded her advice until 2011 came knocking. Back in Germany, a friend of mine told me that this book was just strange and scary and so I heard so many different opinions without even knowing WHAT the book is about. I decided to get myself a copy through Amazon (which by the way is like my favorite book shopping place on earth), and finally decide for myself.

I was off to a slow start because the book was a draggy read. Mark Haddon tells the story of a boy named Christopher Boone who has Asperberger's Syndrome. The fact that he has Asperger's is however never said. Christopher tells the story of a dog named Wellington who was killed during the night with a pitchfork. Wellington was the neighbors dog and Christopher was the first to find the dead dogmaking him the prime suspect. That is why he embarks on the adventure of finding the real killer.

The journey however leads him to see and uncover so much more. He discovers that his mother did not die but has left him and his dad for another man who happened to be the husband of the neighbor whose dog was killed....WHEW! So the neighbor started an affair with Chris' father and when she broke it off, his father killed the dog. This makes Christopher scared and he finds the letters of his mother that he never got because his dad hid them. He then travels to London and finds her all by himself.

Christopher's way of seing things is simple. He doesn't pick up on feelings or sarcasm or expressions. He understands just the words that are said to him and not the underlying implications or meanings. Having Asperger's he also doesn't like to be touched or have many people around him. He also makes his day dependent on whether he sees red cars or brown cars because he hates the color brown.

There are many interesting, insightful and peculiar things that Haddon did with his character and that allows us a genuine look into a person with such a syndrome. Even though the story was off to a slow start, it still captured me and kept me thinking what will be next. A different read, perhaps not even a light one, but definitely one to ponder upon.

Excerpt from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by Mark Haddon:

I decided that I was going to find out who killed Wellington even tough Father had told me to stay out of other people's business. This is because I do not always do what I am told. And this is because when people tell you what to do it is usually confusing and does not make sense. For example, people often say 'Be quiet,' but they don't tell you how long to be quiet for. Or you see a sign which says KEEP OFF THE GRASS but it should say KEEP OFF THE GRASS AROUND THIS SIGN or KEEP OFF ALL THE GRASS IN THIS PARK because there is lots of grass you are allowed to walk on.Also people break rules all the time. For example, Father often drives at over 30 mph in a 30 mph zone and sometimes he drives when he has been drinking and often doesn't wear his seatbelt when he is driving his van. And in the Bible it says Thou shalt bit kill but there were the Crusaders and two World Wars and the Gulf War and tehre were Christians killing people in all of them. Also I don't know what Father means when he says 'Stay out of other people's business' because I do lots of things with other people, at school and in the shop and on the bus, and his job is going into other people's houses and fixing their boilers and their heating. And all of these things are other people's business.

Elizabeth Gilbert and her Mega Bestselling Masterpiece Eat, Pray, Love

You guys saw it coming, I have also jumped on the bandwagon that was so popular in '10 when that blasted movie came out. The difference is that a friend introduced me to the book back somewhat in '08 and I never have gotten around buying it until I got back from the Philippines. So I bought it and read it simultaniously when the movie came out of course not watching the movie before reading it.

What can I say; the book is just a big journey to your soul. It is simply great. It is heartbreaking, funny, and deeply moving. If you do not know the plot yet, here it is. Elizabeth decides to travel to three countries after her nasty divorce was dealt with. She wanted to travel to Italy, because she loved the language and loved the food. India was her next destination because she wanted to stay at an ashram that was led by her yogic teacher. And finally she wanted to go to Indonesia because she was supposed to help and learn from a local healer. She made a deal with her publisher to write about it and thus getting the cash advance to finance her year of travel.


She stayed in each country for 4 months and found something in every country. In Italy she found pleasure again through food. In India she found herself and god through prayers and in Indonesia she found her husband and thus completing the title of the book with love. The stories within the story were the most interesting and funny tidbits. Gilbert made me feel as if I was travelling with her and actually experiencing the culture myself. Eat Pray Love is a great read that I enjoyed.


Since I have decided to go back to my good 'ol review format I will once again and forever give you an excerpt from Eat Pray Love:

The following morning, I arrive right on time for the 4:00 am meditation session which always starts the day here. We are meant to sit for an hour in silence, but I log the minutes as if they are miles - sixty brutal miles that I have to endure. By mile/minute fourteen, my nerves have started to go, my knees are breaking down and I'm overcome with exasperation. Which is understandable, given that the conversations between me and my mind during meditation generally go somthing like this:

Me: OK, we're going to meditate now. Let's draw our attention to our breath and focus on the mantra. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Naamah Shiv-

Mind: I can help you out with this, you know!

Me: OK, good, because I need your help. Let's go. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Naamah Shiv-

Mind: I can help you think of nice meditative images. Like - hey, there's a good one. Imagine you are a temple. A temple on an island! And the island is in the ocean!

Me: Oh, that is a nice image.

Mind: Thanks. I thought of it myself.

Street Fighter 4

There are just a few beat 'em ups out there for PC and one of them is Street Fighter IV. I used to love those games on consoles and I was a big fan of "Dead or Alive" but that was during my Dreamcast days.....Yeah where were we? Oh yeah, Street Fighter 4 impresses with a nice little intro movie full of artsy fartsy graphics which I liked by the way. The welcome screen is the good 'ol Street Fighter screen.

Intro Movie Captured

You can play different modes from Arcade Mode to Live Mode which connects you to the internet via Windows Live and allows you to play online. I chose to play Arcade mode to watch the little cutscenes and I loves the scenes because of their anime style and storyline. I played two characters namely Crimson Viper, an american agent, and the imfamous Chun-Li, the chinese cutsy girl.  You see that I love playing girls and deep inside is a strong belief that girls will eventually be stronger and kick ass in fighting. You can access more characters once you finish the Arcade modes with each character.

Now about the game play: Let me tell you guys, freaking beat 'em ups on keyboard is a tough cookie. I constantly keyboard bash and I really don't want to have to. The moves are hard to fulfill when you can't even properly rotate the move directions like on a controller. The game play itself is super fun. Moves are varying and good and the graphics received some brush ups but stayed pretty much the same; in 2D with now a little hint of 3D.

Cutscene playing Crimson Viper

The Arcade challenges in particular were difficult as hell. I love fighting games and I am a crack at it, but this game on PC? No way hose did I ever win in normal mode. I had to play in "Easy as Pie" Mode in order to even get to Seth who is the boss. Seth just drove me nuts. Until now I haven't defeated that bastard and I think until I won't defeat him, you guys won't see any other games coming around in this blog -.- ......... Don't worry I can discipline myself into trying three times in a row per hour ;).

Street Fighter IV is definitely a must have for beat 'em up fans, but be sure to have a freakin controller by your side when playing.

Seth the Boss in Arcade Mode

Cutscene Chun-Li

                                                                         Happy Fighting Guys!

Prototype

Prototype is an action game that focuses on the main character Alex Mercer who wakes up to find himself changes. A concept we all know works well for movies and other games. Alex however is not a Mr. Goody Twoshoes but more like a swiss army knife that can do absolutely everything. He flies, he falls, he jumps and he kicks ass. 

The storyline is kept simple: he wants to find out who changed him and seeks revenge while uncovering his past. Alex has become what people like to call shape shifter, which means he can shift into any person he wants to and he can also transform his arms into claws, blades or hammer fists. He can shield himself and has the ability to create a whip out of his hands. There are plenty more added bonuses to discover.

This is the Skill Upgrade Screen where you can buy your enhancements.

The game starts with a storyline and several missions which you can play through. Once you have finished the missions, you can basically go about and destroy everthing that's in your grasp. Similar to GTA-like games, the military starts noticing and you will have more and more enemies to bash.

Cutscene

The game itself is fun as hell if you enjoy bashing and violence. After all this game has been banned in several countries for being too gory and Germany being one of them. I love how the character goes about in the city and how you can freaking run on walls skywards, sideways or down. You also have a level-up like set up in this game where you have to buy your advancements such as your blades or hammer hands. After every mission you get the chance to upgrade.

Thie is the cloak skill where you can change the appearance of Alex.

Another nice feature is the mapping feature where you get to see the origin of every dead character, assuming Alex killed them, and you see who they are connected to in order to learn about Alex's past. To sum it up; the graphics are great, the gameplay is just sheer fun and the storyline is good but generic. If you want to find out why this game is banned, get it and you will find out. If you happen to live in one of those banned countries you may order through Amazon or through Ebay.

Alex attackung.

Alex' flying skill.

Growing Up with The Sims

The Sims kept me glued to the PC screen for hours and still keeps a tight spell on me. Somewhere and sometime in the age of Windows 98, The Sims came out and was the first people simulation game in the market. It created a hype and thus plenty of Add-Ons and Will Wright was a genius for having created such game. I spent countless hours creating the perfect looks, the perfect house and try to improve the skills to get the perfect job. With all the later Add-Ons I just started investing more and more time into the game and into making my character the greatest possible.



The idea has not much changed when Sims 2 came out. There were just major upgrades such as the actual Sim who looked just so much more human and less stick figure. They added expressions, movements and changes while aging. You were able to select wishes for the sim and select their life time wish and make them happy. The continuity of aging was a lso a big concept in this game where you could actually age from baby to grown up and also get pregnant. Everything is just closer to real life. What would Sims 2 be without the expansions as well? Same concept, same expansion packs from Nightlife to University, everything was there again.



The Sims 3 added an universal interactive neighborhood where you don't need to wait for another place to load when you visit a community lot. You can even visit your neighbors and spy on them. The whole system changed where everything is now connected to the world as a whole. I love how you can also create personalities whether they be neurotic or flirty. Jobs have also changed because you are able to also do assignments outside the job and you can even decide whether you are working effectively or whether you want to have a chat with your collegues instead.

There are also different kinds of professions where you can work independently from home as an artist for example or you could choose to become a stylist where you actually choose different styles for different Sims. The Add-Ons have also changed drastically. You can now travel abroad and actually own a vacation home there and have missions. Sims 3 reminded me almost of an roleplay simulation because I felt like I am doing some level-up think with my character. Another expansion also enables you to be a celebrity and actually make a living out of it. Sims 3 has altered the Sims Universe and ultimately improved it. They however also make tons of money out of it since the new universe allows you to spend money online to buey different furniture and looks for your Sims.



The Sims Universe is definitely worth a dip no matter from which genre you come from. I grew up with it and still relish in the fond memories of it. Happy Siming!

Tribute to the Good Ol' Lara

I was raised during the dawn of computer games and consoles. After I received my first game boy, my gamer future was set to be conquered. One of the biggst influences in my gaming life is Lara Croft. She shaped my childhood, accompanied me in my adolescence and still captures my interest as an adult. I was around 8 or 9 years old when Tomb Raider came out. It was an innovation and something different from the pixelized ego shooter Doom, that dominated the market during those times. And she was a WOMAN. Not just any woman also, but an elite bombshell. I loved her, I wanted to be like her and I played her if you know what I mean ;-).

When I was younger, the sudden attacks used to scare me shittless and it took me forever to continue playing, and to be perfectly honest it still does now at times, but exactly these moments are the ones I treasure. Oh and do I need to mention her outfits? I just played for the sheer curiousity on which outfit was next. I also loved the story line and the voice. Ok, nuf' said, let's get into gaming business.

I am particularly presenting the first 5 games, namely Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider Chronicles. I particularly loved part II and Chronicles. In every game there was still the obligatory Croft Manor Tutorial which just was a delight in playing for me. You could test yourself, get to know your manor and most importantly bash the butler. I enjoyed all the hidden tidbits that were to be found in there. Up until Chronicles, the style of combat and the story were created in the same format.

I will in due time create a portrait of the latter games namely Angel of Darkness, Legends, Anniversary, Underworld and Guardian of Light. However there is indeed a 9th installment coming in Fall 2012. Until then let us pay homage to our favorite digital queen Lara.

Total Distortion

Let me take you back to the 90s where a lot of things seemed to be trendy. One of them was Windows 95. Oh, nostalgia...... One of my favorite games during the 90s was Total Distortion. This game was developed in 1995 and is basically an adventure in a different dimension where you, the music video producer, has to make and sell music videos to be able to get back to earth.

You start off with zilch money and work your way up to stardom. In the beginning you get to explore your space station which includes a workspace, a bedroom, a kitchen and an energy room where the exit is located at. In the workspace area you can communicate with the outside world, buy items, make videos and take a look at the radio fishtank. In your bedroom you may check out different books with different types of games in them, and you are able to go to sleep. Whenever you sleep, you will find yourself in a dream game which you have to win to get healthier and more refreshed.

The kitchen is one of the funniest rooms in the station. You can make different kinds of sandwiches and drinks that are going to be very important once you roam around the outside dimension. The energy room is only used to stock up energy sticks so that you will still have electricity within the tower.

In order to make good videos, you have to get raw material from the dimension itself. For this you need a camera and a guitar. The camera for the obvious and the guitar for the guitar heroes that will attack you throughout the dimension. Getting through the dimension is also tricky since there are plenty of riddles in order to get to a place. The video material is either gathered or pre-set. Music is also already included in the game as well as the effects, so all you have to do is cut them together.

The game is basically a click adventure, but very colorful and creative. The creativity is probably the most mind-boggling of all since it's so....well....weird. That is exactly why I loved to play the game. It is weird, yet challenging and most of all fun. If I was to rate this game it would get an A-, because the creativity makes the game different and fun to play, however the game time itself is a little short and thus the reduction.

Total Distortion is still available for download, but only as a torrent (which of course is illegal). I still happened to have a CD from back in the day, but that got lost somewhere in space too. If you still want to check that game out, try Amazon.

Happy Gaming Guys!

Katie MacAlister = Awesomely Crafted Stories

I am finally writing about my all time favorite author Katie MacAlister. If you knew me, you would immediately say that her types of books just give me the best of all my favorite topics: fantasy, Vampires, Dragons, Love, Sex and the deep conversations somewhere in between. Oh, and did I mention to forget the HUNKS?!?! Yeah so pretty much my department ;)

The first book by Katie that I have ever read was "A Girl's Guide to Vampires." I remember this special day clearly when I was walking through the aisles of National Bookstore in Dumaguete City, Philippines (that was like, gosh, 4 or 5 years ago) and I saw this beautiful cover that just literally spoke to me "buy meeeeehhh" and I had to get it. Turned out that this book and all the other ones that followed, would pave my readership road to undying loyalty towards Katie. "A Girl's Guide to Vampires" held me from the very first word until the last symbol. Katie just has the ability to literally make you a book addict. I felt every second of my being, that I absolutely had to freaking continue the story until it's finished. I remember for this book particularly that I started it in the afternoon and read it throughout the night until I finished it. It was the FIRST book EVER I read in one sitting. Immediately I set off to buy the other books and thank goodness I found some other books by her. I gulped them down like they were food. Unfortunately, getting the other books was a little difficult because back in the Philippines it wasn't that easy to order online and I had to order her books from Amazon but they had to deliver it to Germany first and then it would be sent to the Philippines from a relative of mine. That was the trouble I went through to quench my thirst for her books.

The first books I read were the so-called Dark Ones Novels. Instead of calling the characters vampires, Katie invented the Moravians of which there are the ones who are made into being a vampire and the ones born. The ones without soul are the ones made called Dark Ones. They are stronger that normal humans, they do suck blood, but they can't fly and don't have all the mystical superhuman abilities like changing into bats. Every Dark One has a Beloved who is supposed to give them their soul back. Dark Ones only have one Beloved that exists for each and once the rituals are completed, they are bound for life. In the end, only the Beloved can feed the Dark One and if the Beloved dies, the Dark one will die too.

I loved Katie's approach to vampires from the very beginning and I think that her vampires are unique in abilities and story. What I also like about her books is that every book is an independent read itself, but all characters are somehow connected to each other and will eventually appear again as a guest in another book. Every book also has its love story and plenty of yummy flesh to ponder on which makes the reads even more exciting. MacAlister does not only write about vampires, but she also writes about dragons and contemporaries. I will present the dragon stories to you in an entirely different post however, so keep looking forward to that.
Katie made my life brighter and she strengthened my love for books as well. I cannot wait until I have another book in my hands that is labeled Katie MacAlister.....

New Addition: Games!!

Dear friends,

I have decided to add yet another topic to my blog in order to stimulate your minds and hands at the same time. I decided to add Games to the blog. Since I am a really big computer nerd, I admittingly do play tons of computer games. I will surely, at some point or the other, talk about different types of games that actually happen in real life, but for now the focus is on computer games. I will be giving you guys reviews of games I had played over the decades I lived and played in and I am expecting some feedback too on your part ;)
If you want me to test a certain game that you are however unsure of, then please do email me. I hope this will tickle your gamer bone to the core :)

Happy Gaming!

Sincerely,

Me