Education is all about change. And fun makes it so much more effective. Here’s a great example from Stockholm – sent to me by a parent.

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October 9, 2009

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October 9, 2009

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Hi there!

I spent hours writing yesterday, I am so thrilled! Yesterday, I wrote a play, one that was inspired by A Doll’s House.

Play writing is easy and hard at the same time. One has to visualize what is going on as well as keep the exchanges short, short enough that the viewer knows what’s going on yet, not write a whole novel.

It is like writing the short story or a haiku, it’s an incredible experience of liberation, yet one has to control himself/herself.

Writing is the easiest hardest task I set out to do.

Ceylan

I didn’t get any of the stuff done on Saturday that I planned on doing, and spent all day yesterday trying to catch up on stuff. Still didn’t get either of the goals accomplished. However, I did get two job applications sent off (including one that had a heinous city application) and finished sending out all of the WF letters of invite. Plus, followed up on a few meetings.

Saturday was a gem. I made a very impromptu trip to Santa Cruz with Laurel, Sher and Marcelo. It was amazing. I really needed to get out of the house after a week of being holed up sick. Plus, I’d never been to Santa Cruz! We stopped at lots of little play areas along the way – got piping hot fresh artichoke bread, stood in awe at the boycott boysenberry pie and even went down a bumpy playground slide. We drove through campus, hung out on the boardwalk and saw a majorly blinged-out pigeon.

That’s some crazy blingitude.

Of course, Laurel and I just had to stop off into the bookstore when we saw the sign for cookbooks for $5 and under. I found this little gem for a paltry $3.

Best book store find ever.*

Then we had the most delectable vegetarian cuisine at Asian Rose/its-real-name-which-no-one-can-remember. We did a whole lot of shoe shopping, and got ice cream at the happiest place with the world’s happiest cows, forever immortalized as schnazzy wallpaper. Plus, we got to see Da Gnome, who has definitely done hard time. God, I love Santa Cruz.

So, a Hmong, a Chilean, a Jew and an Irishwoman walk into a bar…

Today, I have one of several rescheduled interviews, so this shall dominate my day.
1. Prep for interview. Kick petoochie.
2. Perhaps finish the writing sample later and send off that app.

Drinks with Mattie and dinner with AK tonight. Life is good! I’ll leave you with some sage advice.

A little present from me to you.

*Many things that I say are hyperbolic. This is not one of those things.

Below you’ll find a letter written to my son, Daniel who is 10 years old. It’s simply about a dad (me) coming to grips with the fact that I’m not spending quality time with my son like I should. Like many “good” dads, I’ve allowed work to get in the way. Dads, read on and let’s do better.

______________

Dad hugs and kisses his son

Daniel My Son,

I’m SO PROUD of you. You’re doing an awesome job in school. You’re hitting the books everyday. Kid, you’re pretty cool for a 5th grader.

By the way, I like how you’re handling the situation with the girl you like in school. She’s cute. Your mom and I like her. I like how you’re not letting her see you sweat, even though we know the real deal. Yea, she’s taller than you, and no, she doesn’t get giddy when you come around. But it’s okay.

Listen, I’ve had my share of weak-in-the-knees moments back in the day. In fact, I was afraid to talk to your mom when I first saw her. She had (and still does have) this “thing” about her that makes a guy get struck with awe.

Anyways. Last night when we where at the grocery store, I kept staring at you and smiling. I do that often, because you are a special kid, and I’m privileged to know you. I see me in you and so much more. I love you so much that you can’t imagine. Remember, “you’re my favorite kid Super Hero!”

The Apology

Well son, I have to apologize for something that I’ve failed to do. Recently, you started playing basketball. Every day I see how much being a part of something like Bball means to you and your confidence.

I’ve only been to one of your practices, and none of your games. Sad. For that I apologize. I’ve allowed work to get in the way. Yes; I’m working on a MAJOR project. But nothing is greater than spending time with you when you need me the most. Projects will come and go, but you and me kid, are forever.

Your mom told me what you said Saturday while I was at work. “Mommy, I miss daddy.” Man, that broke my heart son.

Fixing the Net

Well, I’m fixing it NOW! My dad, your “grandpapa” was always in my life and demonstrated love constantly. Unfortunately, I don’t ever recall him getting involved in my extra curricular activities. Yes, he was proud that I was achieving great things, but I now realize that I needed his involvement more than anything. A dad’s involvement is worth more than dollars and cents. My “Pursuit of Happyness” means nothing if you’re not happy in the pursuit of yours.

Daniel, my twin, I’m making a commitment to being a better dad. I’ll attend your games and practices to cheer you on, and build you up. What I do better today, will help you tomorrow when you need it the most.

#11, I look forward to seeing you wear your jersey and new BBall sneakers. I’ll be the extra-excited dad with the digital camera snapping pictures while you’re running up and down the court with kids twice your size. I’ll be there to capture the moment. By the way, let’s work together to fix the basketball net at home. It’s long overdue!

Son, I love you!

Your #1 Fan,

Daddy

CUDO Winter League will take place on Sundays from 12:00 – 3:00 pm

Dates:

Dec:  6, 13, 20
Jan:  3 (tentative), 10, 17, 24, 31
Feb:  7, 14, 21

TOURNAMENT: Saturday, February 27th

tournament rain date: Sunday, February 28th

There is something oddly familiar with Alan Bennett’s new play, The Habit of Art now playing at the National Theatre. It has nothing to do with Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner, directing another of Bennett’s plays, the last being The History Boys at the National again. It has nothing to do with the subject matter either, a look into the relationship and lives of W H Auden and Benjamin Britten.

No, the reason The Habit of Art is so familiar lies in the content of the play, a rehearsal room, the setting for Bennetts new piece. The play is a play within a play, and the play happens to be towards the end of rehearsal period. (Still following?) The Lytteltons stage is thus the rehearsal room, with the bare bones of a set constructed, and slightly furnished. A small kitchen area is on one side of the stage, and on the other a series of desks, chairs, keyboard and scripts.

The lighting is simple, even the design evokes the reaction that this is all too familiar. Any person who works in theatre, or has had the opportunity to sit in a rehearsal room during a rehearsal will see the familiarities here, and it is executed marvelously. The witty banter between the actors, the assistant stage manager running around setting props and prompting lines, yes, this is all too familiar to me.

There is a slight concern then that, because of the setting of the play, that Bennett has excluded a whole sector of his audience who perhaps don’t know the workings of the theatre and the rehearsal room, yet this clearly is not the case. I might have been chuckling to myself at theatre related jokes, but equally these jokes transferred easily to the audience with great reception.

Richard Griffiths is as always on top form in this. Even the subject matter of playing Auden as a sexually driven, yet equally as boring man is done perfectly. I never thought I’d reach the day when I would find it amusing to listen to Griffiths telling of his delights of enjoying a mans genitals and pleasuring him in such a manner as I heard in The Habit of Art.

The storyline of the play (within the play) is an interesting one, and I do say this in a tone of – I’m not quite sure I like it. However, that’s not the point. For the storyline of the play, is actually that of the rehearsal room, it is the breaking out of character to criticise the playwrights words. It’s the getting thrown off your lines because an actor has yet to have their movement blocked for their short monologues.

What is brilliant about The Habit of Art is Bennetts ability to go, yes I am a playwright, I write, but sometimes we don’t always get it right. And yes, there are actors, who just act, how easy that must be! The director disappears, but the show goes on. It is Bennetts sense of understanding the world he is writing for. He openly mocks himself as a playwright by having a playwright as a character within his play, putting the actors off their lines and arguing with rewrites. Yet equally Bennett makes wise comments upon theatre and actors, comparing them to a solider, they are afraid.

There are some other remarkable people to mention in The Habit of Art, pretty much all the actors are strong, funny and play the parts excellently. Frances de la Tour is wonderful, playing the balancing act between the cast and the creatives. The peace maker in the rehearsal room. She is cool and  equally demanding too with her outbursts of “On, go on”, every time the action stops due to casual talking. Alex Jennings plays the role of the composer Benjamin Britten, and whilst he wasn’t someone who greatly stood out for me, his emotional engagement with his story did pluck at my heart strings slightly.

Adrian Scarborough as the biographer Humphrey Carpenter, has some beautifully comic lines, including his exclamation that he is nothing but a “device” in the play. This certainly racked up a few laughs at the National, for most certainly this character is only a device being used by Bennett or rather the playwright in the play to tell the winding stories of Auden and Britten.

It is moments such as this that reminds us once again that Alan Bennett is a master of a playwright, a living monument to all things good about theatre and his ability to write about situations and characters. Witty, heart-warming, and fantastically funny, that is The Habit of Art for me.

The Habit of Art by Alan Bennett is playing at the National Theatre and booking until April 2010. New tickets to be released shortly so check the National Theatre website for details.

Join Nicole in The Mystery of the Crystal Portal as she searches the globe on an eye-popping quest to find her father and discover the truth behind the Crystal Portal. The Crystal Portal game features innovative hidden object gameplay, an intriguing storyline and stunning full-screen graphics. Want to learn more?

Read the full The Mystery of the Crystal Portal Game Review

New image in the theme park photography contest

…
let’s play BOX photography picture

About 4 days ago, most of TP had its annual CCN day or Campus Care Network Day, where students set up booths to sell different kinds of stuff/entertainment to earn as much money as possible for the needy students. What my care group/class sold was drinks, which was quite simple, except for the fact that it was last-minute planning. Even so, it was quite ok, and I didn’t look at how much we earnt.

C235 setting up shop

Drinks anyone?

Most of the time though, I walked around the campus to take photos.

CCN day had been great for me, (all thanks to the many chances I have to take as many photos as I want). I’m a bit grateful that the school didn’t make it compulsory for juniors and seniors to set up booths, since I know that they ware busy, as I know I’m gonna be next year, though I think I will come again to take more photos…

Zhi Xiang

Now we have Colorstrology! our own specific birth color according to our birth sign, ruling planet, time and date of naissance, etcetera. Scary thing is mine was pretty accurate…just as accurate as for the other millions of people born on the same day as I am

Well, have fun with it!

Welcome back to Cradle of Rome! You are given plenary powers of the greatest Emperor and you are not to let your people down. Rome is historically meant to be the city of wealth, power and success. So, make glorious Rome thrive and glow in this wonderful puzzle CRADLE OF ROME 2! Build a new Rome and become a legendary Emperor!
Cradle Of Rome 2 game blog at wordpress

I’ve been thinking about traveling quite a bit, I suppose because I am going to Florida in a couple of days for a tradeshow, then going home for Thanksgiving.

I am quite scared actually, of the tradeshow, but the overwhelming feeling of relief and euphoria from knowing that I will be at home soon is making me quite giddy. That combined with Jen and Peter’s engagement. (You should’ve seen me at work. I was not just a little crazy.)

-

Over the weekend, Nark and I took Mel out to SF, and we took the bus instead of Bart. It wasn’t too bad, but I think because the company was good. Nark usually gets motion sickness, but she didn’t even complain during the whole bus ride and she hates buses! The whole time we were in SF, we pretty much just walked around, but it was so much fun (albeit, quite tiring; I’m so sore!) that I knew it didn’t matter whatever we did, so long as we were together.

The thought made me happy and grateful that God provides to us people, and I thought about all the times I’ve traveled. What was most fun was definitely being with people.

But then I thought about different places that I want to travel to that have nothing to do with people–like Japan, because I want to be fluent (and eat Japanese food. and buy cute things. Don’t mind me.). Or Europe, where I want to go to museums and experience culture (and eat some more food. Yes, food is consistently the prevailing thought in my mind).

Humans just want what they can’t have. The grass is greener on the other side, right?

Since Kaizer doesn’t like crowded places, we brought him to the playground at Clove on Saturday evening.

Hardly anyone visits the playground, so Kok Loon and Kaizer had the entire place to themselves. They went up and down the slide together so many times …

I was pretty impressed that Kaizer could scale the wall all by himself with no help at all from his father.

Both of them soaked in the jacuzzi for a while before we had dinner at the place. Kok Loon commented that when the four of us go out, it’s as if he’s having an individual date with Kaizer because he doesn’t get to interact with me/Titus much since we are always busy with feeding/changing/napping, which is quite true.

2009 has been a good year for PC role-playing games (CRPGs). We’ve had Drakensang and Risen so far, and Divinity II: Ego Draconis is set to be released next month. In between the first two and the latter, BioWare’s Dragon Age Origins has just been released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Dragon Age Origins is a new fantasy world created by the talented developers at BioWare who have already proven that as far as CRPGs are concerned, they’re at the top of the heap. The studio has chalked up big and critically acclaimed hits like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and the Mass Effect series.

As high fantasy-esque worlds go though, I don’t think there’s a lot of stuff in Dragon Age Origins that’s new though. There’s the fantasy realm that’s facing the looming threat from an evil horde led by an arch demon that takes the form of a dragon, and all the ‘good’ folk – which comprises elves, humans, magi and dwarves – must ban together under the terms of ancient treaties crafted by an expert and elite warrior caste, the Jedi, whoops, Grey Wardens. Intermixed in the lot and forming a good bulk of the major quests in the game are the player character’s efforts to unite the races together who don’t enjoy the best of relations among themselves.

Truth to tell, you’ve seen it all before elsewhere. But BioWare has become especially proficient in employing the well-established game play norms for games of this genre. There’s plenty of character customization by way of looks, skill and attribute growth, and specialization. And there’s a reasonably large range of inventory items for those of us who’re pack rats, though the inventory system itself could use some work. And the story – conventional as it is – is told through long cut scenes that come off a great script, terrific voice-acting and animation.

There’s also a cast of very well-defined and interesting characters who’ll join up with you, and each person has a back story which at various points when recounted will require a reaction from you as their party leader. Depending on your reactions, their attitudes towards you will change, which can either open up new abilities and benefits, or if conversations go awry or your actions in some other story element upsets them, they could leave the party forever.

What’s especially well-done too is that like Drakensang which I really enjoyed as well, story decisions in Dragon Age Origins aren’t always painted in broad and clear strokes. There’s the aforementioned effect on your party members for instance, and there’s also the fact that many decisions require you to make tough choices between what’s moral and what’s practical, or choosing to side with one key character and offending another important one.

These key defining decisions aren’t just for show either, as decisions you make will have far reaching implications that show up either immediately, or much later on. Of the many CRPGs I’ve played over the years, I can think of only The Witcher as another game which has been able to stretch story-based decisions to the same extreme.

Nicely too is that the first hour or two of a new game depends on the race and class you choose for yourself in new character generation, and while each beginning ties in smoothly with the main campaign, they’re still distinct enough within those couple of hours to warrant several repeated start-ups of new games just to see the different beginnings.

There’s a huge amount of content in the game of about 70 hours with the bulk of time to be spent in the main campaign. There are some side missions that you can also take that’s integrated nicely with the main story. They’re well-worth the time to complete, as in several instances they flesh out further the back stories of your party members, and in turn their attitudes towards you.

The game isn’t especially easy too. Even at the easiest difficulty setting, you’d be pausing combat encounters frequently to issue new and complex orders to your party members. There’s a detailed behavioral script that you can customize for each member too that’d alleviate some of the hand work. Either way, party wipes are very common, but saves and reloads are reasonably quick for at least the PC edition of the game.

Lastly, Dragon Age Origins is available for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 though I suggest you get the PC version for better party control, more view options and a more manageable interface. And it’s all to be had for less money than either of the two console versions.

Very highly recommended.:)

(Pictures from Gamespot)

Grandpa Ron and I had a great weekend in Portland with Austin, Bella, Madison and family! It had lots of surprises, twists and turns, yet it was a whole lot of fun and very insightful for us.

Austin is so much taller and so much more vocal! Bella is so much more a young lady as well – she’s four. I had fun one-on-one time with Austin on Friday while Grandpa Ron was serving jury duty. Then Austin, Bella and I went back to the Portland airport and picked up Grandpa Ron – practicing counting to a hundred and twenty five along the way.

Then on Saturday Bella and I went with Mommy to her Baby Shower while Grandpa and Austin went to the Vancouver, WA train station and watched trains move around.

Back in the hotel room Austin used the portable luggage holder as his own train. He climbed in, sat on the middle straps and showed us how he was moving his train – with air brake releases, clunking and sssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh-ing and all. Sometimes he was the conductor and sometimes he was the engineer. It was a lot of fun watching his imagination at work. I do have pictures so I’ll get them posted – maybe tomorrow night. Now it is time to unpack and get to bed for bright eyes for work in the morning!!

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