Blackberry Priv

(I quite like that music...)

Oh yes, I have been drooling over this for more than a week now. But when oh when oh when will it be released here in Hong Kong? As a long-time BB user, I was terribly let down by its "Classic", the user interface (and everything else) is SO counter-intuitive that, seriously, I almost threw it out of the window a couple of months ago. The only reason why I stopped was cos I feared it might hit someone on the head on the street. 

I missed the "Bold" terribly. It has to be one of their best model, ever. There was a time when placing a call (oh yes, as simple as that) meant thumbing the numbers in and press the call button. Now I have to actually get to the dialing screen first (how utterly stupid is this) before I can thumb in the number ... of course, by which time I just want to thumb the bloody phone to death. While I am at it, I used to be able to set the phone to sleep (10pm) and wake up with an alarm (6.10am) automatically. Can't do that now. I have to turn the stupid phone to "Bedside Mode" the night before first so the alarm will go off automatically the following morning. Not only do I find saying "Bedside Mode" every time before I go to bed extremely stupid (Blackberry, I hope you are listening since I Hate You So Much Right Now), when plugged into a power source, it just doesn't work. "Bedside Mode", I command, and the phone will SEARCH the term on the Internet. Oh, you f***ing idiotic phone!!! I don't want you to search it online, just f***ing go to Bedside f***ing Mode already. Yes, that was when I almost threw the phone out of the window, with the charger in tow. 

Need to calm self down with a quick yoga practice...

Sadly, because of this lingering swelling in my right knee, I have been off the mat lately. But today I will take too simple classes so to ease me back to my regular practice. Will hope to get back to teaching next week ... but I have a feeling I won't be going back to the theatre studio ... it is so hard to teach a bunch who is so diverse in experience and level. We'll see...

Game-wise, have started playing Persona 4 Dancing All Night, which is a little underwhelming. It's a rhythm game but I don't think the gameplay is very rhythmic. Have also re-discovered Uncharted: Fight For Fortune, a fantastic card game that I didn't quite get the first time round but am having some success this time around. There was only one boss that was close to impossible but was still able to beat him. Hurrah! 

Danganronpa 1: Trigger Happy Havoc *spoiler alert*

Yes, I'm working myself backwards with this game series. Strangely enough, I really didn't enjoy the first instalment when I downloaded it off PSN awhile ago. The (school) environment is a bit blend (despite use of psychedelic colours); the characters do not immediately leap out (especially when compared with those in the sequel); and the first mystery was also a dead giveaway. So, I thought it a bit dull. However, having already played Goodbye Despair, the gameplay itself is a lot easier (NO Logic Dive! NO "improved" Hangman's Gambit!) and the logic seems to make a bit more sense. Though I still choose the easiest level simply to gameplay less fiddly (white noises...) Also the class trials don't last as long as those in the sequel (which can take at least two hours...)

The Original DGR cast

Also, the characters, though not immediately appealing, tend to stick more. They grow on you over time. While the cast of Goodbye Despair is a lot more fun and wacky from the word go -- and frankly have a much more interesting backstory (they are Ultimate Despairs on a reform programme went wrong) -- they are not as memorable (?) They tend to get lost in all the many, many twists and turns of the narrative itself. Of course, they also choose to kill the game's fav Chiaki, which is such a big no-no!!  

In the first game, the characters tend to be more sedated, on the surface anyway, but there is so much simmering underneath. The dark side of the Ultimate Pop Sensation, the Bromance between Mondo and Taka, the secret of the Ultimate Programmer, the mysterious Kyoko (a more stroppy Chiaki) and, of course, the unlikely couple Toko/ Genocide Jill and Byakuya. I think they are more fleshed out though the "Ultimates" in DGR2 are more relevant to the plot/story ... like, I have no idea why we have Hina, the Ultimate Swimming Pro while I can see the importance of having the Ultimate Mechanic Kazuichi. But at least Hina is cute.

I've just started Case 4 and I know what's ahead (like, I am totally spoiled with the plot) but other than "who", I find the "how" and "why" equally interesting. Persona Dancing All Night will have to wait a little longer still... 

Discovered below video... which is cool but why have Celeste instead of Sayaka the Ultimate Pop Sensation, which would make more sense thematically??

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

More (photos) on this game... just completed Chapter 3 (god, these "class trials" are SO LONG and those mini games such a chore...) and the storytelling is pretty gripping. Heard chapters 4, 5 and 6 are excellent so looking forward to advancing the game. But agree Chapter 3 is pretty weak and needs to take a break from that lengthy trial...

Happy Days

Cute

Kazuichi Soda has all the fun lines...

New Games and Some...

Finally! Persona Dancing All Night is here!!!  Bought the limited edition that came with lots of goodies (including two CDs!!) so am quite pleased. However, after all that wait I won't be playing it any time soon because I am in the middle of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.  

Moment of hilarity ...
Oops ***spoiler***

Now, here is a weird game. I first played a Danganronpa title many, many months ago (in Chinese) and decided I hated it. I love murder mysteries (and solving them) but this game is a little sick (I rechristened it the Sicko Game). It is about 16 students trapped on an island and the only way out is for them to kill one another. Ahem. So Japanese. Conceptually it's totally violent ... well, so is some of its presentation, really. The gameplay I found really hard to grasp as I didn't quite understand the Chinese instructions so I played it for a few hours and gave up. 

However, I did find the characters memorable. So when I saw the English release, I decided to give it another go. Only to read that in order to fully enjoy/ make sense of the sequel I'd need to play Danganronpa 1: Trigger Happy Havoc first. So I got the English release for that and played the first chapter. The pace was just too slow so I decided to just watch the walkthrough on YouTube and jump to the sequel. *LOL* 

So, am now in Chapter 3 of DGR2 and totally into it. I think, overall, characters from the sequel are better as they are more wacky and funny than those from the first game (which in general is much darker in tune and very claustrophobic). End of Chapter 2 was so heart-breaking it brought a tear to my eye ... something I totally did NOT expect!

Persona DAN will just have to wait.  

Meanwhile, I've started to teach yoga (charging $) and it's been both fun and challenging. There was this issue of insecurity at the beginning (like, omg, the students are better than me!) but one of my instructors told me that, once I step on that mat as an instructor, it doesn't matter who's better than who doing what ... it's my duty and responsibility to lead and teach my students the best I can!!! And that's what I've been doing and it really is a rewarding experience ~ :-)