Taiwan vacation with a magical touch of Rainie Yang

Wow, this is the most incredible thing that has happened to me yet.

Taking a long 2 weeks break from Singapore, I　am staying in Taiwan. What seems like another ordinary annual vacation back to the country I am born in, turned out to be very memorable this year.

The days I spend here are rather typical; sleep, awaken from sleep, watch television programs, have breakfast, have lunch, browse the internet, occasionally going out for walks, buying stuff, have dinner, watch more television programs, sleep, etc. Oh, not forgetting the part on visiting relatives.

Well, this year, its special. Really very special. There are 2 points to justify my statement. First, I discovered Taiwan's Largest Anime and Manga Merchandise Store.


How's that! Definitely amazing!

I bought about 15 manga books, and a handful of anime merchandise. ^_^

The next wonderful thing that occurred, can be illustrated with the below photo. Really, its self explanatory..


Okay, that two examples count as point 1. Now for the most important part of my point number 2, ta-daa!

Ahem~!

Its 9th May 2010, Sunday, Mother's Day. Where am I on such a special but not so special day?

I am walking along the streets of Ximen Ding. Aimlessly drifting around without a clear goal in mind. I have been walking for 30 minutes now. The only thought that comes to my mind is the fact that my mindless stroll brought me to a part of Ximen Ding foreign to me. An unknown part of Ximen Ding. Why am I walking on such an unfamiliar road? I do not know. I have skipped my previous schedule of visiting "Animate", and am now wandering aimlessly on an unrecognized street. I should be happily browsing manga and grinning away at myself. But I am not... It almost seems that I am unconsciously convinced that I should be walking on this exact foreign street. Not even questioning myself. There is something at the end of this street, that I am drawn towards. A strong sense of void fills my mind, refusing thought, but just advancing.

The road splits. A dead end? No. Its the rear of a building, a hospital. I stopped, fascinated by the festive mood that floods the small open area in front of the hospital; there is an event. Pop music is being played in the background. I can see the backdrop of a stage that was set up. Who is it? I wondered. The small area less than 50 meters radius from the stage is overflowing with people. I make my way to the front of the stage, as I begin to recognize the singer of the pop song music.

I stopped.

There in front of me, a gigantic advertising backdrop poster overwhelms me.

I see. Thats why its not strange to see such a colossal crowd literally swallowing the event area.

OH MY GOD.

AH MY GODDESS!

Its Rainie Yang. THE RAINIE YANG IN FLESH AND BLOOD SITTING ON STAGE signing autographs for her latest Compilation Album.

I am stunned. I paused for minutes before regaining a clear mind. Gotta..Gotta get that.. gotta get that!

I feel a whirlwind of emotions blow me away. This is impossible! But its happening. It feels like fate brought me to Rainie's Autograph Session just a single day before I end my vacation and return to Singapore. Its FATE! Its destiny! Its just sooo miraculous! Its a miracle! I am looking at Rainie Yang in flesh and blood! She is just sitting there on top of that stage. So near, yet so far away... She looks fabulous, simply gorgeous. She took my breathe away. I've seen her on television countless times, heard her songs on television countless times, but this is just so unique! This feeling that is making me explode in joy. I cannot believe my eyes. I can't take my eyes off her. The radiance she is emitting is unprecedented. I am blown away. Words simply cannot describe her aura, her charm, her beauty.

Thats it. I took out the remaining sum of money that was supposed to last me till the end of today and tomorrow, and got myself a copy of her latest compilation album.
Just the thought of getting her autograph personally in person, up close, makes me smile in jubilation.

All thats left is to get her to personally sign on the album. I approached a staff.

"erm, excuse me, how can I get Rainie's autograph?"

"Well, you gotta queue up, we've given out number tags. We'll call out the numbers, once your number is called, you can approach the stage."

"Where can I get a number tag?"

"We're all out of number tags. Its your lucky day, cuz Rainie will stay here today until every single fan got their album autographed. But you gotta wait until all the numbered fans got theirs autographed."

"Well, thats good news! So, erm, whats the last number you've given out?"

"700."

"What numbered fans are getting their album autographed?"

"150."

"..."

"..."

I look at my watch, its about 4pm. Well, its not like I have anything else to do. Rainie is trying her best too! Having so many albums to sign on.. She must have already been worn out after so many consecutive days of autograph sessions. Thankfully this is her last, and its somehow taking place on Mother's Day. Instead of celebrating with her mother, Rainie is spending her precious time making sure every last fan is happy. How admirable is that.

So I stood there waiting, and waiting, and admiring her beauty at the same time. There were 2 occasions where it drizzled and almost rained.. Astonishingly, it did not.


As time pass, the sun has gone down. And its all dark. 7pm. My whole body is aching.. My back is aching, my waist hurts, I cannot stand straight. The last numbered fan has been called. Its finally going to be my turn to see Rainie up close. She must be exhausted after so many hours of autograph signing. But not once did she allowed her tiredness to show. After so long. She still maintained that cheerful look. She looked as vibrant as ever, even though deep inside, she must be collapsing. I am impressed by her once more. She is such a strong, caring, affectionate young lady, young idol.

Its time. The staff called for those without a number tag. And the lot of us gathered and formed a line. I am starting to get nervous.In just a few moments' time, I will be in front of Rainie, I suddenly feel that there are so many things I want to tell her.

"You've been great!", "Thanks for the hardwork!", "I'll always support you!", "I'm from Singapore! I'm really fortunate to be able to see you today".

I am up on the stage. Rainie and I are just separated by a small table. She looked beautiful up close, so perfect. I am in awe, words were taken away from me.

"Thank you!"

"err.. Thanks."

Those were the only words we exchanged. That is enough to make me grin. Her voice, so sweet, in the most natural form, not from any speaker or microphone, but directly from herself. Not spoken as a part of a song, or to anyone else, but to me. Wow..

She shook my left hand with her left hand. I can feel the touch of her fingers, her palm. So soft, so small, so fragile compared to mine. The magical touch of Rainie Yang. I will never forget that moment. The moment that brought a second of fantasy into reality. She was always so far away, out of my reach, the reach of an ordinary person.She is an idol. Never did the thought of seeing her in person even came close to my imaginations. But this moment, just this moment I am able to see her, exchanged words with her, felt her hand in mine. She is so near, but yet so far away.

I suddenly feel that I can relate to all her fans that have supported her for all these years, sacrificing countless hours waiting, just to see her in person for less than a few seconds, and exchange a word of greeting, a soft handshake, to express how much they love her. Its all worth it. definitely.


She will never remember me, for I am just another one of her countless fans. She will never know me, for I am but an ordinary person of little significance of the World she lives in. But I will forever remember, the special moment that made my heart skip a beat. That split second where she actually sees me, came to know that I exist, even if its just for a split second, that split second she dedicated to me, to sign my name on her album, to look me in the eyes, to shake my hand, to express her gratitude for me, buying her album and supporting her. Such a wonderful moment, a marvelous experience, the magical touch of Rainie Yang.

Surprising...

へえええええええ！！

久しぶり！！！　いやああああああああ！！！　僕。。。　終。。。自由だあああああああああああああ！！！

軍　から退位　された。。。　いやあああ。。。涙が出そう。。。

でもね。。何と。。。もう一月が立ったんだ。。。

僕も　久しぶり　で　ブログ　書く始めた。

いや・・・　最近ね、　いつも　ふらふら　してた。。。　人生　を　楽しんでいます。　まあああ。。。あの。。英語に戻れます。。。今、ニコニコ　動画　を　見ていた　間　で　書く　していた。。　コメント　が　書きたい　から。。。　日本語で。。まあ。。。上手　でわない　から。。

Hmm.... I was thinking ... Maybe.. I should keep this beautiful little blog updated as much as possible... Looking back... she has kept me company since... wow... thats quite a lot of years now..

I have finally regained my freedom... Now is the HUUUGEEE turning point of my life.. The M-U-L-T-I-P-L-E SPLIT PATH That I have to choose to walk...

What exactly do I want to see myself doing in the future? What exactly do I want to see myself do now? Well, I did something I know deep down inside.. I have always wanted to strive for.. Yes, thats right.. I want to draw.. I want to express myself on paper. I want to create fantasy worlds of magnificent scales. I want to show the world that I am capable of accomplishing great things in this one chance of life I am given.

I am a gamer, I am an artist, I am a musician. I love everything I do. I love people that do their best to strive at what they love to do. My love for everything is so vast.. I know.. I know cannot complete everything with perfection.. But I still want to do EVERYTHING.I know... I am a rogue. In the definition given in .Hack G.U. The rogue class.. he possess the ability to wield a wide variety of weapon classes. He can outmatch any average class in combat. But he can never master any single type of weapon class. A jack of all trades.. But master of none. Like the red mage from Final Fantasy.. Red mages can cast both black and white magic spells. But can never become proficient enough to cast high level spells..

LOL... I ran out of time...

Freedom

It is within my grasp.

The year that almost seemed impossible to arrive is already the present.
After such a long struggle, light has finally placed her gaze upon me.
But will this beacon of light be my ticket to salvation, or will it burn my
eyes that were so used to darkness and the void?

'Uncertainty' is the word of the month. Alas, I am in doubt.

My Mark

Lets see... its been pretty long since I last wrote something on this blog. As a matter of fact, its not just this blog. Its been more than half a year since I've written anything anywhere, on paper or computer. Man, my English must have deteriorated. That is something I have lost touch with since I'm forced to commit myself to that 'something-every-man-must-go-through.' All my readers, sorry to have disappointed you. If you still happen to stumble across my quiet little blog, then you must be really lucky.

Well, what do you know? A little longer than a day ago, I was still stuck on an island, stripped of my freedom for 9 days. Now I'm finally free! (Err.. Semi-free... I guess.. until the 2 years deadline arrives...) A lot has happened since I last updated my blog properly.. I just hit my 300 day mark a few days ago. Phew.. So, that meant 65 days have past since 13 March 2009. Gotta keep fighting no matter what!

My mother and brother just left for Taiwan this morning. I took half day leave to see them off. This year will be the only year since God knows how long, that I will not return to Taiwan. Well, at least I have no desire to buy things there anymore, other than their local delicacies.

Since I couldn't make it to the Local Universities... I had been thinking about private Universities. But... After slightly checking them out, I realize I can't can't reserve a place first, like Local Universities... So that means I can only apply for them on the same year I wanted to study.

But I'm still quite unsure of what I am capable of accomplishing.. Despite years of schooling, I have not found a rock-solid area of interest that I am confident in achieving and exceling..

Hours and hours of my free time is spent via gaming.. Is that really the way I should spend my precious time with? If not, what then should I focus on? Thats a hard question indeed.. Especially when time is so precious to me now.. With the constricted freedom I'm experiencing now.. Nonetheless.. I can only see time fly through and space out blindly.. Until I really make a decision.. I'm still stuck in the middle of nowhere..

Ocean Moon: Volume 3

Hello fellow readers,

With my recent investment on a new console, the XBOX 360, be prepared to enjoy a whole new expanse of video gaming insights and opinions like never before.

This purchase also marks my embarkment on full-fledged console gaming. As of this day, I own every single 7th Generation gaming console there is on the market.Congratulations indeed. (phew.. I almost bled to death just covering the costs of buying them..)

This are strange times indeed, with the seemingly impossible phenomenon becoming reality. The Playstation 2, known for her massive library of RPG games, have been succeeded by Playstation 3; with current library of RPG games(not even decent ones) as pathetic as ..hmm.. one? This is a major disappointment for me, a PS Ex-'fanboy' that choose PS3 over XBOX 360 for the sole existance of Final Fantasy XIII, exclusive, a year ago.

The market indeed, is the largest determinant of Grade AAA game titles. Multi-platforming is the best bet in drawing out the largest revenue possible. Square-Enix knows it best, betraying sony fanboys by making their flagship title "Final Fantasy XIII" go both ways.

Back to the topic, the only decent RPG game I know of on the PS3 is Eternal Sonata: Reprise. Ironically, its an upgraded port from XBOX 360. Ta-daa! Multi-platformed..

While the XBOX 360 on the other hand, having learnt from past mistakes recognizes the gamer audience of the RPG genre and invested a hell of alot of effort into improving the situation from the past generation. With decent RPGs like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Eternal Sonata, Infinite Undiscovery, Tales of Vesperia, it is almost as if SONY and Microsoft swapped their major-genre focus.

While FPS games are mostly multi-platform, Sony's FPS games have made up the majority of the top-rated PS3 games. Baaad decision sony!! (at least for an avid-RPG gamer)

Now, a little feature story on the latest games I have purchased for my XBOX 360.

Lost Odyssey

This brilliant masterpiece is morphed into life by non other than the Father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi. Whats more, Music Genius composer Nobuo Uematsu had his hands on the music of Lost Odyssey. With 2 masters like that on the team, nothing could seemingly go wrong.

Tales of Vesperia

The first ever 'tales of' RPG to hit the 360. Bandai Namco definitely shocked everyone when they choose to deploy this gem to the 360 and no where else. Back then, everyone was dead sure that this title will be a PS3 exclusive. But, we were all hit in the face...Famed mangaka Fujishima Kosuke designed the characters. What else can I ask for? (avid Ah! My Goddess fan ^_^)

Ocean Moon Vol. 2

Hello gamer fans, sorry about the delay. For this article of Ocean Moon, I have decided to touch on the famous NDS sleeper-hit "Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword".




Story

In this game, you continue the story of Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa in his epic fight against evil. A year has passed since the Dark Dragon Blade incident from Ninja Gaiden(XBOX/PS3). When Ryu finally had time to settle down and rebuild his village, a new evil surfaced and threatened to drag the world into Calamity.

The game begins by introducing a new character, the female ninja Momiji. After her routine ninja sparring with Ryu, Momiji made her way back to the village. Suddenly, a vicious dragon fiend appeared out of no where and attacked Momiji. Overpowered by this fiend, Momiji fell unconscious and was kidnapped.

Thats where Ryu comes in. Back at the village, Ryu was attacked by ninjas from the rival Black Spider Clan. What could this unexpected attack mean? It appeared that the same dragon fiend that attacked Momiji was connected to the Black Spider Clan.

After realizing that Momiji was captured, Ryu set out on his new adventure to save Momiji and uncover the truth about the Black Spider clan.

On his path to Momiji, Ryu will visit many familiar places such as the Vigoorian Monastery and the Underground passages, as part of the illusion created by the dark dragonstones.

These dragonstones hold mysterious power and plays a vital role in Ryu's quest to save Momiji. In the end, Ryu must face off against the greater fiends Ishtaros, Nicchae, and even the dark dragon itself to rescue Momiji, and save the world before bedtime. Tough job for a Ninja, thats for sure.

Concept

The game consists of 13 chapters, each with boss battles to close the chapter. In this game, Ryu will visit many stages that would be familiar for past Ninja Gaiden(XBOX) fans. Only smaller in size, but still beautiful to look at. This game is basically a mini-port of the XBOX Ninja Gaiden. The bosses return with all their former glory, but only a bit easier to beat. The platforming in this game is much more straight-forward as compared to the console versions with a much more simplified control.

Controls

This is where the game truly shines. You hold the DS vertically, with the left screen displaying a map, and the touch-screen is where all the action is. you basically use the touch-screen and the stylus to do everything in this game. To move Ryu, must press on where you want him to be. To attack an enemy, just press your stylus across the enemy and Ryu will unleash his dragon sword on it. jumping and ultimate techniques work in a similar fashion. By holding onto any of the buttons or d-pad, and Ryu will guard enemy attacks with his sword. Tap on the screen while guarding and he will do a side roll.

To activate ninpo, just tap on the icon and trace the symbol that corresponds to the specific ninpo.

The whole experience and fast-paced and amazingly fun. The microphone also comes into play, but only as a minor part in collecting secret items and waking up certain old geezers.

Design

The graphics are simply outstanding. It truly brings out the power of the NDS. The animation is magnificent. The battles flow very smoothly and the controls are incredibly responsive. Mastering the game requires split-second accuracy on the players' part. Dialogues are done with text boxes, with minimal voice acting once in a while to portray the tension and emotion of the characters. i.e. a shriek to depict shock. or a greater fiend's laughter to depict evil. It adds personality to the characters.

The cutscenes are made up of still pictures drawn in an japanese anime style. It reminds me of the classic NES versions of Ninja Gaiden. It brings back memories from the good-old-days, and works miraculously well with the 3D aspects of the game.




Overall, this is an excellent, must-have for all action-adventure gamers that own a DS. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Don't forget the extra unlockable stuff that will add to the fun!

(Sorry about the rather disorientated and rushed article as I really... wrote it in a rush. I'll try to spend more time doing research and stuff next time. Thanks for reading anyway!)

Ocean Moon Volume 01

Gaming has taken up a significant part of my life. I’ve been playing video games for as long as I could remember. The first ever game I could remember playing was Super Mario Bros. on the NES. Those were days of good clean fun. No violence, no gore, no explicit content. Well, I’m not saying that the current age is filled with them. Its just a little bit more, in comparison.

Anyway, video gaming has come a long way. The family tree of consoles have spread tremendously in the short span of less than 20 years. Each of her descendants growing ever-more powerful, beautiful, stunning. I am the proud owner of the following consoles, in my chronological order.

-Nintendo Entertainment System
-Sega Genesis
-Gameboy
-Sega Saturn
-Sony Playstation
-Gameboy Advance
-Sony Playstation 2
-Nintendo DS
-Sony PSP
-Sony Playstation 3
-Nintendo Wii

To celebrate the ever-rapidly growing gaming industry, I have decided to become an amateur gaming critic, writing articles about feature games, reviews of games I love, and the favourite TOP lists. Stay tuned for further updates.

Next up, is the TOP 5 NDS games that I own.

For my first article, I am starting with the first ever game console that I purchased with my own money. The hard-earned cash I got from my first ever part time job.

The innovative excellence of the NDS is without equal. Dual Touch Screen Gaming is unprecedented. Shigeru Miyamoto has outdone himself to come up with such a brilliant portable system. It is fun, functional, durable, and affordable. What else could we ask for? Brilliant games come naturally with brilliant systems. Besides the conventional games to surface on the NDS, Nintendo also has a plethora of unique games with unorthodox gameplay elements. This is indeed the Dual Experience, satisfying both conventional hardcore gamers, and casual first-time gamers.

So, here are the TOP 5 List of NDS games that I own, and think that you should too.


5: Animal Crossing: Wild World
This casual slow-but-carefully-paced game is perfect for anyone who just wants to chill. You live in a forest with animal neighbours and basically your goal is to… live. Simple as that. You can spend your free time interacting with the animals, or carrying out recreational activities like home décor, fishing, bug catching, and even star gazing. This game can last you at least a year, because it makes use of the date and time you set into your NDS giving it a pseudo real-time action. When you play at night time, the game really is night time. Also, the seasons change according to the months, giving it a real fun experience. Expect the unexpected in the game. Everyday, there is something different happening, it makes you want to turn on the DS and check out whats going on every now on then. It gets even better with Wi-Fi where you can visit other player’s town and basically just hang around!


4: Bleach DS: The Blade of Fate
The infamous anime series spawns its first VS fighting game on the NDS. The Battle system of this game is pretty impressive; basic combat has a very gentle learning curve while advance players can customize their fighting style with the card system. Mastering it is essential in winning as some effects of the card system can really turn the tide of the battle. Imagine this: spamming ultimate attacks for 10 seconds. You get the point. There is over 20 characters to choose from, each has its own specialty in battle tactics. Be flexible with the cards, and master each character! The game truly shines at Wi-Fi battles, where you can put everything you’ve learned and earned from the AI to the test against other players.


3: Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends
Pet simulation games never became more successful. The NDS is the perfect system for this game. Ever dreamed of getting a puppy but couldn’t? Wait no longer, because all the responsibilities and liabilities of getting a pup is gone with Nintendogs! It never ages, it never dies, it never drops fur on your carpet! Whats better? You get to feed it, touch it, walk it, and even teach it verbal commands! Don’t need to be shy! Just shout ‘sit!’ at your puppy and watch it do the magic. You can even bring your pup to competitions and watch her make you proud to be a pup owner! No time to take care of her anymore? No worries, theres always the off switch! Just remember to shower and feed it when you care for your pup again, and it will be as good as new!


2: Trauma Center: Under the Knife
Ever dreamed of becoming a doctor? Wait no longer because this surgical masterpiece is here to make you feel like a pro! You get to save people from all sorts of illness; from physical injuries like cuts and broken bones, to viral epidemics! And you do all that at the tip of your stylus! It’s a very interactive game of decent length, very addictive. The story is quite well-written too. There’s never a dull moment. You can feel the tension in the briefing room as you prepare to operate. The difficulty gets racked up more as you proceed, luckily this isn’t real life and you can always re-load that save file and try again. Every operation is graded, so perfectionists, rejoice!


1: Trace Memory
The number one DS game that I own. Trace Memory. An excellent game that makes use of every single feature there is built in the NDS. From the microphone, to the touch screen, and even the fact that NDS has two screens! Figure that out by playing it. It’s a puzzle solving adventure game where you, as Ashley Robbins, explore a deserted island in search of your father. It really makes the saying “short but sweet” very agreeable. The story is really well written as well, with some plot twists scattered around. It is games like this that makes the NDS shine.