Rushing With Your Best Buddies! :D

This was purely coincidental, but guess I got a lucky break. :D

After getting tired of my collection of games, I decided to look for greener pastures. And I finally found myself new entertainment.

Top on my gaming list currently is Buddy Rush, a single-player, action role-playing game application available on Facebook. This means that so long as you have a Facebook account, you can play the game - simple. There are a couple of reasons why I almost fell in love with this game.

1. First of all, it's 3D! This makes it stand out among most of the games on Facebook, as many of them are 2D. and the characters are so cute!!!! ^.^

2. There are many fun quests for you to complete, and they can done together with your friends on Facebook or with NPCs, so this makes the gaming experience more interactive.

3. Other than playing on a computer, you can also play Buddy Rush on your iPhone and iPad, so you can go rushing with your best buddies no matter where you are.

4. Out of stuff to do? Well, you can go challenge in the arena or dungeon at higher levels, or go fishing! In addition, if you have completed the quests once, there also the Hard version of the quests which you can attempt. Believe me, they have stepped up a notch on the Hard version, so it's not as easy as previous attempts.

5. Finally, it's simple and user-friendly. All you have to do is click! Many new players prefer to start and stick to a new game if it is easy to understand and the controls kept simple.

However, I felt that there are certain things that still need to be sorted out, as these niggling imperfections reduces the gaming enjoyment slightly. Firstly, the inventory items cannot be sold , and this means you have to clear out your inventory spaces for more stuff. It would have been cooler if iems that players no longer want could be exchanged for chips to buy stuff or new rushers. Next, the game tends to have some connection problems when saving one's status after clearing missions. It can get a bit frustrating after a few times.

But overall, despite the slight problems it have, it is a pretty fun game to play on Facebook! What are you waiting for? Start your rushing today! :)

Interesting Read -- Boom! + In The Miso Soup

Recently, I have made a trip to Kinokuniya to search for good books to read.

I think I definitely made a few good purchases in this trip, which is why I am going to introduce 2 books in 1 post this time.

First up is the book "Boom!" which attracted me due to its neon orange cover and a very simple picture of a rocket in front. It turns out that it's a pretty interesting book for a light, leisurely read. It is written by Mark Haddon in 2009. This was originally adapted from "Gridzbi Spudvetch!", another of his works. However, due to the complexity of the name, it wasn't really very well known when it was published then and rapidly went out of print thereafter ( as Haddon puts it in his foreword, "It was a ridiculous thing to call a book. No one knew how to pronounce it... As a result only twenty-three people bought the book."). In 2007, he received feedback from a teacher on how her students enjoyed it everytime it was read to them and was finally persuaded to give the book a total revamp. And "Boom!" was born.

The story is about a boy called Jim, who was fearful of being sent to "that school in Fenham" because of his poor performance in school. To confirm his fears, he along with best friend Charlie went to tap in on their teachers' conversation, only to find them speaking in a strange language. After some detective work by the two boys, they realized to their horror that their teachers were aliens all along. At the same time, Charlie was also kidnapped by the aliens, so Jim and his 16 year old sister Becky went on a chase to rescue him...

I like the book because while the plot is simple (and perhaps a bit illogical), the writer's humorous and witty style of writing caught my attention. This is definitely a good book for a light read. (Note: just don't think too much while you are reading this. have fun and enjoy the book! :D)

The next book, Ryu Murakami's "In The Miso Soup" takes on a darker and more mature theme, as it explores Japan's pink industry. The story's protagonist, Kenji, is a "nightlife guide" who specializes in sex tours for foreign tourists. A day before New Year, he was hired by an American tourist, Frank to take bim on a guided tour of Tokyo's night spots. At the same time, it was also reported that a high school girl had been murdered and her corpse dumped at a trash collection site afew days before. Frank's odd behaviour causes Kenji to suspect that his latest client may be linked to the murder. As the tour progresses, Kenji finds himself embroiled in greater trouble...and greater peril.

I like this book because of the surprises it gave me throughout the book, but the horror parts left me a bit shocked and a bit hard to digest. But this book gave me an insight of Japan's sex industry and some of its traditional cultures. Infused with horror akin to a slasher film, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

So make your pick, the fun, entertaining "Boom!" or the dark, ambiguous "In The Miso Soup". Whichever you pick, you are bound for an entertaining read! ;)

The ChaeRa Sisters

I got to admit, 2NE1 is my favourite girl groups.

Their style is different from a typical cookie-cutter girl band. (Note: I am not referring to any groups in particular.) Be it whether they are on stage, or offstage, they just want to enjoy what they are doing and have fun.

Their bond is so close, that they really looked like sisters if you haven't known who they are.

Especially the ChaeRa 'sisters'...their chemistry is pretty awesome.

Note: Even if you do not know what they are saying, the actions are still quite cute and funny.

29 May 2011 -- Sailing On Stranger Tides!

Being a fan of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, there is no way I am going to let the opportunity of watching the 4th installment pass. So when my friend thought of watching it as part of the movie outing, I was pretty much excited!

Anyway, this is the summary of the story:
Captain Jack Sparrow travels to London to locate his impersonator, who has reportedly been recruiting a crew to search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. First Sparrow rescues his former first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, who is about to be hanged, though the two are captured. Jack is brought before King George II, who wants him to guide an expedition to the Fountain before the Spanish find it. And heading the expedition is Jack's old ally/nemesis(?), Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now in service to the British Navy.

As Jack escapes, he met his father who warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. Jack also discovers that the impostor is his former lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz), daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard, who wants to escape his death prophecy by finding the Fountain of Youth. Jack is forced to join Blackbeard's crew and to lead them to the Fountain. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who memorized, then destroyed, Sparrow's map, barters with Barbossa to lead him and his crew to the Fountain. And this is where all the adventure starts to unfold...

Johnny Depp works his charm as usual in this movie, as the witty and cheeky Jack Sparrow. However, Sparrow's antics may seem a bit lethargic and somewhat predictable for viewers who have viewed the last three movies. Still, he is the crux and provides the main entertainment in this movie.

For viewers who miss the Turner/Swann romance of the first 3 movies, this movies provides some sort of replacement in the form of a romance between Philip, a missionary captured by Blackbeard's crew, and Syrena the mermaid. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite have the same entertainment appeal as compared to that of Turner and Swann.

For people who are familiar with the franchise, I felt that the movie took a refreshing change as it now focuses on Captain Jack Sparrow's solo adventures after "At World's End". This, basically means no William Turner (Orlando Bloom), no Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and no more of the couple's romance story. It's ALL about Jack Sparrow. I thought it is more of a standalone movie rather than a continuation to the trilogy. Therefore, new fans of the franchise do not have to go through the first 3 films before watching this movie, as "On Stranger Tides" has little/no relevance to the previous installments, save for a few titular characters (including Jack Sparrow, obviously.).

This movie is definitely worth watching, and viewers get to enjoy the awesome and captivating scenary of Hawaii, where the movie is filmed. Oh, don't forget to stay back after the movie to take a look at the short but interesting post-credits scene. :D

On another note...after watching this movie, a couple of interesting questions popped up in my mind. Here's a few questions to share:

1. Blimey, is Blackbeard real?
Well he is real. According to a purple-covered book I have in my drawer (where the book is left to collect dust), Blackbeard definitely exists in history. Born as Edward Teach in Bristol, he was famous for being a vicious pirate and died in 1718, when he was killed by a small force of sailors led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard. References to other websites also showed that he and his crew operated and terrorized sailors mainly on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from 1716 through 1718. However, unlike in the movie, Blackbeard is definitely not looking for the Fountain of Youth. But we all know the movie is just fiction, although speaking of which...

2. Does the Fountain of Youth exist?
Yes and no. A search on the National Geographic website did state that this legendary spring, which has the ability to restore youth of anyone who drinks its waters, is sought after by many throughout history. Writings on Alexander the Great did have some references on this magic waters. However, the name linked most closely linked to the search for this legendary spring is 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. Accordingly to the stories, he believed that the Fountain of Youth is located in a place now known as Florida. No wonder, as de Leon's name did pop out a couple of times throughout the movie.