Project 28 success!

Project Level 28 was a success! (sort of...) Hit Level 28 one day after on my birthday! It was a long and tedious grind, given that I still hold a boring 9 to 5 job that does not let me become a Pokemon Master, but I did it. Such satisfaction. Such jubilation. And as such, now what? 

Game beside the point, another year on in life, another journey, another epic adventure. Still have yet to figure out what I want to do in life. Quit my job and go full time Pokemon trainer? Nah, don't dare to take the risk. Setting up a business of my own? Thought about it, talked about it, and still have no idea where or when or what to take action on. Sometimes I feel that my life is in a mess, the road ahead covered with fog, and the only way to know what is ahead is just to grope my way through. Never had a dream as a kid, nothing conventional anyway. 

Saw a nice quote on a 9gag post that us Pokemon kids didn't grow old, we leveled up. So leveling up to 28 brings forth a whole new set of challenges in life. Challenges that might need more training and preparation before facing. Yes I might not know what life has in store for me in the upcoming months and years to come. But I have a bag full of Ultra Balls and Razz Berries. I have my high CP Pokemon that I powered up with my stardust. Bring it on life, I am ready.

Just like this Squirtle in a Whirlpool, you can choose to either fight against the current, or just go with the flow :)

LEVEL 27

3 weeks into the game. 3 weeks of chasing Pokemon around my workplace. 3 weeks of walking the longer route home to clock more distance on the eggs. 3 weeks of dedication to be the very best, like no one ever was. And here I am, level 27.

Am I leveling up too slowly? Seems like those that are playing for leisure are actually pretty close in terms of level. My colleague who started later, and plays less, is only 4 levels lower. I know the EXP scales quite significantly after 20, but only 4 levels apart makes it feel that I have not put in enough effort.

This level 27 is also after using up all the Lucky Eggs that are gotten from leveling up. I think there are 4 or 5 eggs that I used. My colleague that has yet to even use a single egg is at level 21. 6 levels away. Makes me wonder if all that patience to collect and evolve the EXP fodder (caterpie, weedle and pidgey) is really worth the effort. Maybe the EXP scale can be better adjusted? Or not, I have come so far, others need to feel that pain in grinding level too.

So yup, 27 is the level. Target is to be 28 by September. That's 3 days away. That will mark my 28th year on planet Earth, and it will be really great if I can get the level by then as well. Fingers crossed.

PokeRun

Tried using www.pokemonradargo.com to locate the ever elusive pokemon running all over the small island of Singapore. Had a great time hunting Pikachus, Hitmonchan, Electabuzz, and many other critters on Sunday.

Trusted the website, maybe a little too much. Spotted a Dragonite near my workplace with 10min left. Sprinted across a few lanes and past so many buildings, makes me realise how long I haven't been exercising. But point is, when I got there, no Dragonite. Not even a shadow stating that it is nearby. Nothing. Just a very exhausted and sweaty me standing in the middle of nowhere.

Colleague of mine tried the same thing today. Kabutops appeared in the same area with more than 10min left. I let him have this, and actually I didn't join in cos I was expecting similar results to the fluke Dragonite. And guess what? Same thing happened. Not even a shadow...

Still have to give it credit though, the radar works most of the time. When it says there is an Eevee, there was really an Eevee where it pointed out. There was a Bulbasaur as well though, which the radar did not pick up. So question is how does this radar thing work? Don't think it is crowd sourcing, there will not be such accurate timing if it is.

Still playing around with the radar, hopefully I can find out how it works so that there will be no more fruitless runs to weird places looking for something that wasn't there. Will continue to update here on more Pokemon Go goodness. :)

Gotta Catch Em All

It has been 10 days since the release of Pokemon Go in Singapore. I can still remember the adrenaline rush when I saw the newsfeed on Facebook, when I received email notification about the game being live in the country I am in. It was a moment of ecstasy as I downloaded the game, and made preparations to embark on my epic quest to catch them all. Not too much trouble there, I am someone who packs for all seasons and occasions. My water bottle filled, portable battery pack fully charged, I am ready to Go.

That was 10 days ago. And the fever has not died down one bit. Aspiring trainers, both young and old, are scouring the streets for the virtual critters and swiping their phones. Certain hot spots have already been identified all across this little red dot, and hundreds are flocking over to catch the legendary Pokemon of their dreams, building up their team, every step closer to being the very best. What a phenomenon it is, really heart warming to see the Singaporean 'Kampong Spirit' being rekindled. People on the streets are friendlier, giving friendly advise to each other, sharing the whereabouts to catch Pokemon, and even starting people off on their own epic journey. I once saw a young couple helping and teaching an old man how to catch Pokemon, and it was such a beautiful sight. Seems like after years and years of us being individuals living on the same plot of land, we are finally finding a common identity.

Of course there are haters, people who think the game is childish, who think the game is satanic, who think the game is a waste of time. And there are the neutral parties who, although not playing the game themselves, are not going to criticize you to the ground, and even try to find out more on this new trend. But to the haters out there, whatever the reason it may be, please be reminded that although there will definitely be some social and psychological concerns, it is just a game at the end of the day. Don't lump the extremists and addicted to casual players. The only change is that this game forces us to play in public instead of in the comforts of our own home.

And of course, to the avid gamers, to the aspiring trainers, to the Pokemon fans out there, do remember that this is just a game at the end of the day. Please still show concern for the residents in the area by not littering, by not disturbing and being noisy in the middle of the night. Look out for incoming traffic when crossing the road, not just at incoming Pokestops. Do not drive and play at the same time. Do not trespass. Dear trainers, you know the rules, please abide by them. Let's make this a better place for all. Quest On!

Songs In the Night

Sang this song in church yesterday: Songs in the Night by Matt Redman. Sang this song last week as well. But I only sat down last night to really listen to this song, to really read the lyrics.

God, You can tell the waves, 'Be still,'
Tell the ocean roar to pass
Lord, until it does, I'll wait here

God, You can part the raging sea
Bring the miracle I need
Lord until it comes, I'll wait here
and I will

Sing songs in the night, praise in the storm
You're God in it all and I will stand
I'll be still and know, whatever may come
You're God in it all

I am in the storm, Lord the storm is not in me
You will be my peace
I'll wait here, I'll wait here

This might not mean a lot to many, but for me last night when listening to it, somehow gave me a sense of calm and comfort. We always ask of God to relieve us of our suffering, to take the cup away from us. To tide us through the tough times and make us a better person. But we sometimes forget that while we are in the midst of the raging seas, while we are waiting for the miracle, we have to be still and wait upon the Lord. It is not easy, no one wants to wait in the middle of a storm. The immediate reaction will be to try to get out of the storm, to run from the situation. Many times we try to solve problems with our limited power, when we need to stand firm and wait. And above all, it is an important reminder that the storm is external. We need to be like a tree planted by the waters, a man that builds his house on a firm foundation. The things in life may buffet us from left and right, but with Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm.

And I guess my biggest takeaway from this song is that instead of complaining in the darkness, and despairing in the storm, we need to instead sing songs and give praise. Not an easy task when life gives you lemons, but knowing that even during the worst of times, the Lord is in control, gives you that much more reason to sing songs in the night. 

Pokemon NO

Wow, cannot believe how long it was since the release of this epic game that took the world by storm. Or at least, some parts of the world. Hope is rising, with Japan and Hong Kong getting the game. With rumours that the next one out will be in Brazil, in time for Olympics, seems that Singapore has to wait a while more. Not even mad, it will be pretty interesting to see the athletes running around jumping around catching Pokemon. Imagine someone stopping during the 400m race because their egg hatched.

So of course, as one of the sad countries that have yet to get into the Pokefever, some have turned to spoofing location, just to experience the game. To many, it is simply to catch their starter and to lock down their preferred nicknames. But there are those that went a bit further, in the quest to be the very best. I played for a week, got to level 20, caught a few Pokemon. But I guess when the game comes out in Singapore, I will be starting a fresh account, just so I can experience the literal walking to unique places, having the interactions that have been emphasized so much online by other trainers.

In the meantime still playing Ingress to plan out my routes to various Pokestops when the game is out. Not really playing it seriously in that game, but have already got to level 4, and will probably continue even when PoGo comes out in Singapore. Read online that the concentration of XM roughly relates to the appearance of Pokemon. So guess it is a good way to track and map as of now. Might be visiting town that much more often, considering the number of portals there. And there are also 2 portals near where I stay, so makes life simpler once the Pokemon Go app is available.

Oh please, just release it already. Before the hype dies down I hope....

Day 7

It has been 7 days since the release of Pokemon Go... 7 days since the hype began... 7 days since we started scouring the net, looking for ways to play the game before it is released in our country.

1 week doesn't seem like a long time, unless you are waiting for something to occur. And this particular week seems like eternity. I wonder why they have not released it yet. Of course, they will want to let us have the optimal gameplay experience by ensuring the servers are fully capable of enduring the player load. But 1 week is far too long. Seeing all these players in other countries catching hundreds upon hundreds of pokemon, levelling up and unlocking achievements. And here I am still waiting for the release in my country...

Nintendo, please fix this. Niantic, I am so disappointed. I already know how many star rating I am going to give them in the Play Store. 2 and a half. Full marks for the release of my beloved childhood game. But zero marks for not releasing it to us along with the rest of the world.

#TeamMystic

Oh Nintendo and Niantic, wei shen me ni zhe yang bad de? 11th of July 2016, still waiting for the release of Pokemon Go in Singapore. While youtube has floods of videos featuring people playing this awesome game, we are still waiting. While others complain of server stability, we wait impatiently for our turn to have that Pokemon experience. I know that the servers are overloaded, and they will only release it once they are comfortable and all. But seriously, they should know how big a game it will be, and how well received it will be globally. So since this is a given, why did they not prepare for it beforehand? Disappointment is the word right now...

What to do? Even downloading the apk file and installing it will show a map void of pokemon, no gyms or pokestop anywhere. The only thrill is that I was able to try my hand on catching my starter. Waiting is driven me crazy, even to the point that I downloaded the other Niantic game, Ingress, just to try out geo-location games. There has been rumours that it will be out only on the 27th in the other countries, but that is just too long a wait. Hopefully they can give us an answer as to when it MIGHT be available. Not even asking for a confirmed date, just an expected will do, since it beats not knowing when to wait until.

In the mean time, I have already decided on Team Mystic. Articuno has always been my favourite out of the three legendary birds. Already there has been people trying to get together on Facebook to be in the same team to control the same area. This game is going to be so epic in an island country like SG. Really cannot wait sia. Nintendo and Niantic, hope that you will resolve the server issue soon...

After a few weeks

Wow, cannot believe that I am actually missing out updating this blog due to work. Must be a first. Just in case you don't know, my work does not require me to do much, and the pay does not justify me doing more. So yup, the reason behind me being able to update my blog previously was due to availability of time during working hours.

Recently, the bosses want to do so much more. Starting new websites, setting up shopfront, importing goods to sell, even preparing for an event. Problem lies in the fact that they are still not investing in marketing, which is the biggest problem with our website. Without awareness, there is no point pushing for the rest of the stuff they want to do.

I don't get it. Is what we say too alien to them? Do they not understand the words coming out of our mouths? Worst of all, we are the ones on the field, the ones who understand the current situation the company is in. And we are giving our feedback and suggestions, but all falls on deaf ears. It is time to wake up ppl. Time to wake up.

Forward

Forced to look forward in life over the weekend. What do I want to do in future? Is where I am now where I am supposed to be? If not, where? How long should I stay here? Questions questions questions.

Watched Central Intelligence on Saturday, the one with the Rock (Dwayne Johnson) acting like a lunatic. Was funny, with some crude humour. No idea why there were kids sitting beside me in the cinema. Well, even if they are let into the theatre, guess they wouldn't understand the joke at all. All in all the show was mainly talking about a man who excelled at everything in high school, but got into a slump when in his thirties(?), at least I think it is thirties. I think that is what is happening to me right now. After schooling life, it is trying to settle down with a job that feeds me, not necessarily one that I enjoy, but one that meets my financial needs. Maybe now it is time to look at economical needs rather than purely financial.

With what little knowledge left from University days, what I remember is that one of the measurement is based on Utility. And based on a perfect world with only 2 variables, there is a balance required between said 2 variables to achieve maximum utility, or in simple terms, maximum happiness. So coming back to my problem, I have an income that I can use to fund things that I like, things that increase my utility. But I don't have a job, I have work. Sometimes I just loathe the fact that I need to go to work, to do things that I see no future in, and basically being less and less motivated day after day.

Hopefully my unicorn shirt wearing Bob Stone shows up and gives me some advise on life, but not in the movie kind of sense. That guy seriously has a few screws loose.

Headache

The discipline level inside office is getting from bad to worse. And the bosses are to blame. Without them around to enforce working guidelines, not being around to motivate staff, seems like everyone is giving up on working properly here. I mean I have 3 people blasting music here, all of different songs and genre, hence headache number 1. Headache number 2 is being triggered by staff discussing about current affairs, like which star did plastic surgery, sings like crap last time, etc. I love music, but having all these noise polluting an environment that is supposed to be peaceful and quiet? And I like a good story, but maybe cos of headache number 1, whatever nonsense the staff are discussing about, makes me want to shoot them down immediately. Like who are you to judge someone's singing, not as if you are a fantastic singer yourself, or you are an American Idol judge. Please keep dumb comments to yourself, and stop lowering the average IQ of the company...

Rawgh, getting a little too easily agitated by things right now. I know that I am no better sometimes. I do play music during work at times, I do read and talk about affairs of the day here and there. But shouldn't we respect the fact that we are actually in an office, and this feels more like a marketplace, shopping centre lobby? But it is just me. I guess I am the only one that don't view the office as my own house, and thus not willing to enjoy it like the comforts of my own bedroom. I have a lot of complaints, from their attire to their attitude, their behaviour to blasting music I consider noise. But let me rant here, since this will ultimately fall on deaf ears.

Oh Head, please heal yourself, stop hurting whenever such nonsense happens cos there is more of such things in store...

Badmouth

Ok, this thing happened the past Sunday, so things are a bit foggy now. But here is the gist of what happened. Was taking a bus to meet churchies for dinner. Did not put on headphones as it was a little hassle (I know, I am lazy...). A group of rowdy teenagers boarded the bus, made a huge fuss on where to sit, contributed to noise pollution, and broke the peace that was in the top deck of the bus prior to their arrival.

Now of course I was not thrilled to have them on board. It was Sunday evening, and I just wanted some peace and quiet. Of course I understand them, as teenagers it is only natural for them to get a little noisy in groups. What I was not pleased about is less of the volume, but more of the content of their discussion. I guess they are colleagues working together in some restaurant? They keep talking about some chef, and they also seem to be a little tipsy, guess from drinking after work (even though it was only 7pm). Point is, almost as soon as they got on board, they are constantly badmouthing their chefs and the people they work with. That was almost half an hour of vulgarities spewed onto these poor folks that are not even present to defend themselves.

It was actually on this bus ride that I looked back at the times when I was sitting with my own group of friends, badmouthing those that are not present. And looking back, I must have sounded so uncivilised, so vulgar, so inconsiderate. I was literally disgusted with their conversation, down to every word they were using to put someone down. In a way, I guess it is God trying to let me see what I used to do, and that I should not be doing such ungodly acts in future. While I cannot guarantee that it will never happen, may I be constantly reminded that it makes me look so ugly and sound so uncouth.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Refuel

Had a terrible weekend. Ate LAKSA Steamboat with colleagues on Friday night. Didn't realise how bad an idea it is till Saturday early morning around 6am. Had a splitting headache and ended up puking. Worst part is I puked some black stuff that looked like seaweed and water, that is all. Wonder if it is something under cooked in the laksa steamboat or the Cuba Libre I had at Le Neur after...

And yes, I went to a bar with a live band to chill. Been ages since I did that, firstly cos the ppl I usually hang out with don't have the habit of chilling at bars, and secondly cos I am no good with alcohol. Anyways, went there to chill on a Friday night, realise that are a lot of ppl my age who does that, and ppl that are older as well. In fact, there was a really old uncle dancing to the loud music, really looks like he is enjoying himself. And of cos all the ppl around holding phones recording it down are also enjoying the sight. Wonder what gave him the courage to ignore the cameras pointed at him and just dance, even asking young girls around if they wanted to dance with him. Guess with age comes more than just wisdom, comes with the ability to block out noise from the surroundings. 

But I am so not used to a bar now, I actually felt that the music was too loud. Bass player was fantastic, loved his runs, hoped he could have played more. But that sub woofer amplifying that kick drum, that BOOM BOOM BOOM that hit my chest and hurt my head and eardrums. Maybe old is not too suitable a word, maybe unaccustomed may be the right word to use. Been a few years since I last clubbed, and now I cannot even tahan this music. Jialat liao la....

Refueled at Refuel cafe on Sunday. Really liked that French Toast thingy with Nutella and cinnamon and fruits. All combined into one tasty dessert that gave the cafe the name it deserves. Was really a gd way to relieve the Monday blues. Guess the days of clubs and pubs are over, cafes and afternoon tea is the way to go now.

Ok, this post is getting too long, back to work. Update again with other stuff, especially my rants :)

Hindsight

Spent a portion of the morning reading through posts that I wrote years back. Posts about movies, of virgin experiences, of YEP trips, of studying, of One Love, and of life experiences in general. In many ways, it seems as though I have moved on from my teenage years. I can look back at those posts and laugh at how childish I was, and how simple life was. But in some ways, life did not change, I did not change. Was complaining about having to suck things up and just do it just a few posts back, and after reading past blog posts, realised that I was typing the same thing years back. Same topic of having to just take things in stride, to suck it up, and just do it.

Goes to show how matured I was in the past, and that I made no progression from then. Am I stuck in a rut, unable to move on because this hole, although causes me to be stagnant, is also comfortable? Do I really need to move on? I have questioned myself many times on that. To take that leap of faith into the unknown. To step out of this comfort zone into the cyclone of turmoil outside. But the gap is too wide, the hurdle too high.

Going back to a post that I blogged about years back, I pray for 2 things. Wisdom and Courage. Wisdom to know where to to jump, and the Courage to do so. Wisdom to plan the path moving forward, and Courage to forge ahead. So be it leaping over the gap or falling into the abyss, be it tripping on the hurdle or clearing it, may these 2 things leave me with a life well spent.

Rant 08/06/16

I really don't like it when people don't keep their promises. Punctuality for example, if the designated time is 9am, you come 5min before, not 9am sharp, nor any later. Don't seem to understand why people find it so hard to grasp such a simple concept.

Why today's rant? Seems like I am tasked to do another task that I absolutely loathe. Is this what it means to grow up? To do things that you don't like, but due to others throwing the responsibility on you, to suck it up and just go with it? I refuse to accept it, especially since it was labelled as an optional task and also one on a voluntary basis. Did I volunteer? No. Did I even show the slightest interest in doing this shit? No.

I believe that at the end of the day, it is something unavoidable. Something that I will eventually try to come to terms with, suck up, and get it over with. Of course, it will continue to traumatize me for years to come, but I believe that is the intention. So yes, screw this shit, I will do it, although unwillingly, and putting minimal effort into it. End of the day nobody wins.

Ok, enough of the rant. That calmed me down enough. Enough to see that I should not be putting my trust in Man, in things of this world. That they will fail me, they will disappoint me. And in this world of reciprocity, in the law of equivalent exchange, I will fail them and I will disappoint them.

Cowabunga!

Heroes in a half shell, TURTLE POWER! Watched the TMNT film Out of the Shadows on Saturday. Was a pretty good film, good laughs all around, and the standard turtles addicted to pizza jokes. And of course having Megan Fox around just makes the show all the more interesting. 

Was watching a Youtube video from CinemaSins, and I couldn't agree more. For ninjas, they seem to make too much noise when moving around. What is with that ninja code of being swift and silent? Seems they didn't actually pay attention during ninja movement class.

But more to the point the movie was driving at. The turtles have been living in the shadows, and being the teenagers they are, they want to blend into the crowd, they want to get out of the shadows and into society. And I can kind of relate to how they feel. As a Sound man and a Bassist in a band, there are times when this becomes sort of a dilemma. You want to have that recognition for your work, you want your time in the spotlight as well. It just feels like the guitarists and the drummers get all the attention and all we get are nothing when we do our job well, but stares when we actually do mess up a little bit. 

Point learnt from the movie, just do your very best, give your life to what you believe in. People will eventually come to recognise your efforts. The spotlight is cool and all, but the most important is to believe that what you are doing is worth it. Cowabunga.

Apocalypse

Watched X-men: Apocalypse on Tuesday, very entertaining movie. Their version of Quicksilver definitely trumps the Avengers version. Guess he "didn't see that coming", ba dum tss :)

Was wondering how humans can still be living so casually in a world with mutants powerful enough to wreck the entire planet. I mean, Magneto is literally strong enough to change the poles of this Earth. Maybe they are procrastinating, waiting for mutants to turn against each other and kill themselves off, same plan as that Zemo guy had in the recent Avengers movie.

And that this entire movie occurred due to a Human error, not covering up after herself. But I like the reference that things that are swept under the carpet will one day have light shine on them, and the ugly truth will be revealed.




Other than that, I really love the opening statement. Cannot remember the exact lines, but it has something to do with control. Power without control is a disaster. You can give a man wings, but without control, he will fly to the sun and burn.

And one final takeaway from the movie. I feel that this movie speaks so much about real life. Many a times we have that much power in us, yet we do not believe that we are capable of performing beyond our own limitations. Then along comes someone with capabilities of amplifying our power, way beyond what we believe we can do. But ultimately, it is not our power that defines us, but our beliefs, and we have to take the path we believe in and not ones others try to lead us into.

Hangeul

Something I am trying to pick up recently, speaking and reading simple Korean. Who knew a short 2 weeks trip to a foreign land could motivate me so much to learn a new language? Ok, it is definitely not a cheap getaway, already spent more than a thousand booking air tickets and accommodation. Not to mention the car that we need to rent, tickets to NANTA (my friend's mum was recommending it so strongly I had to see why...), and a short trip to the DMZ. Yes, going to one of the most dangerous places in the world. The divide that literally crackles with tension of a war breaking out at any given time. 

So I am learning Korean, not just to be able to watch Korean variety shows without subtitles. More importantly, I am learning it to communicate with the locals, to find my way around, to make sure that what I am eating is actually edible, and where the toilet is. You know, the important things in life...

Got past lesson one, kind of got a pretty good hold on the Korean vowels. Lesson two on the Korean consonants just blew me away. Need to put in way more work if I want to memorise all 14 of them. Hope this drive will continue to motivate me all the way till I can speak something legit.

Two Oh One Six

Opps, seems that I have abandoned this blog for years. Maybe it is time I picked it back up again? Yes, of course this is just a wall for personal rants. But looking back, reading back, it seems that it was blog writing that acted as a journal, keeping my memories intact, keeping my grasp on the English language somewhat there. Was chatting with a friend on looking back at old blogposts, and did that today. Guess that is also what motivated this post.

One other thing that was mentioned to my friend was how life became a little stagnant after a while. After finishing Uni, after getting a job, life became an endless routine. It is a endless cycle of wake up, go to work, go home, sleep, repeat. Highlights in life are long weekends or overseas trips. Sometimes it seems that I am only working for these moments in life. That was actually the theme for one of the youth camps that I organised a couple of years back. Dejavu. The feeling that you have experienced something before. The team wanted to share something to the campers that they can take as a learning point in LIFE. So end of the day what was decided is that Life is much like Dejavu. Everyday seems like something experienced before. Secondary School seems like a repeat of Primary School life. Last week's church activities seems similar to this weeks. Sang the same songs during Christmas caroling last year. Sometimes everything in life seems to be put on repeat. We just fail to notice it.

The side of the story we are telling is that life has been constantly preparing us for future. We have been preparing for the future all this while. The part we are not telling, the dark truth is that homeostasis can be scary. While some consider it efficient, it can also be viewed as being stuck in a rut, not being able to escape this grave that was slowly and constantly being dug year after year. 

I am looking for a way out. Something that gives me the spark in life, without leaving the comforts of a stable life. Hopefully a balance can be found. Someday. Hopefully.