tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28966246425888643902024-03-13T10:33:29.342-07:00Quirky Life of the Noob WifeThe Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-37472269040300734712017-08-21T00:16:00.000-07:002017-09-01T16:46:28.174-07:00The Bookshop Back Home is OUT TODAY!As promised, my new book titled The Bookshop Back Home is finally out today after 7 years. :) Here's a beautiful review from Bookbed (which is a wonderful volunteer-based community on all things books), and I can't be more touched. thank you to everyone who pre-ordered! You can catch a copy of this wistful tale over at bit.ly/catherinedellosabooks :)<br />
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "karla" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">But the real pull lies in the prose. Reading was like listening to a song, in the sense that the author knows when to come on softly, build power or turn something up into a full-on hair-raising piece harmonized by a hundred instruments. The simplest moment becomes either a shattering or a victorious one because of how the sentences are strung together, causing me, the reader, an emotional roller coaster and half a night of staring blankly up the ceiling.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "karla" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> " - Bookbed</span><br />
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-24660381524859470852017-06-19T01:43:00.001-07:002017-06-21T20:32:23.218-07:00AUTHOR UPDATE: New book coming out soon! :)I've been working on this new-but-old thing since 2010, and when the #romanceclass2016 call came around early last year, I took it as an opportunity to finally take <span style="background-color: #f6d5d9;">this </span>manuscript out of the dusty drawers and bring it back to life. It's been forever since it got edited and revised and polished like cray-cray, and, finally, I'm about to release the print and ebook versions in a few months.<br />
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This is a HUMONGOUS step in my lifelong pursuit of the author life, and I am still forever plagued by paralyzing self-doubt every waking hour of the day, but here it is, and there's no turning back now. Here's just a little sneak peak at the copyright page of the book, to give credit to whom credit is due. :) The big reveal will be out soon, so stay tuned! <3<br />
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-14592783741494798782017-05-21T21:12:00.001-07:002017-06-21T20:33:22.131-07:00Alter Christus Feature from Porcey!Thanks to the amazing love and support of ABIGAIL JASHAEL BAGABALDO for promoting Summer Feels and featuring Alter Christus on her blog! You can check out her awesome Tumblr account <b>here!</b><br />
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<a href="http://porcupinestrongwill.tumblr.com/post/160910047564/summer-feels-review-alter-christus-playlist">http://porcupinestrongwill.tumblr.com/post/160910047564/summer-feels-review-alter-christus-playlist</a></div>
<script async="" src="https://assets.tumblr.com/post.js"></script>The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-15564998933918012642017-05-01T01:16:00.000-07:002017-06-21T20:34:01.243-07:00Summer Feels Book Launch and April Feels Day 2017Yesterday, friends, family, and fans all flocked together at the Urban Turf, U.P. Town Center for a delicious dose of FEELS. Not only did the live readings make us all swoon, but the Book Buffet, along with the book sales, were all too awesome for words. By the end of the event, the shelf that held all the romance books for sale looked like it was run over by an intellectual storm! <3<br />
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That said, a HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who came, supported, and FELT with us. It was my first author signing, and amidst the wrist pain and ink stains on my fingers, I had an absolute BLAST. All thanks to the Big Guy upstairs. :)<br />
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My heart is exploding. Thank you once more, and I promise that I'll have more solo books out soon for everyone in the near future. :)<br />
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Until then, you can still check out the ebook version of Summer Feels on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H" target="_blank"><b><i>HERE</i></b></a>, or shoot me a message if you'd like a print copy of the book! <br />
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(Photo credit from the amazing Miel Salva! You can check out her awesomeness <a href="https://mielsalva.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here: https://mielsalva.wordpress.com/</a>)</div>
<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-73226457966830907922017-04-17T20:30:00.001-07:002017-06-21T20:34:07.524-07:00COVER REVEAL! Summer Feels: a #romanceclass Anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As promised, today is the day for the cover reveal of "Summer Feels: a #romanceclass Anthology", and heart is just about to burst. Yep. That sounds just about right. You can click inside the post to see the actual cover, but before that, why not feast your eyes on all these teaser quotes from my story, "Alter Christus"? (Ooooh, aaaah!)<br />
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Intrigued? I hope so! Click inside for the cover!:)</div>
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<i>Blurb:</i></div>
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Summer loving happens so fast, as you'll find with Summer Feels, an anthology of 23 stories of love under the summer sun by #romanceclass authors. Savor the candied thrill of firsts—first loves, first kisses, first solo vacations—and the bittersweet triumph of second chances. Tour the Philippines as the stories take you to mountain retreats and island paradises. Let the magic of the hot sun, clear blue skies, and lots of love take you on a roller coaster ride of feels. With stories ranging from sweet to sexy, there's sure to be something for any fan of romance.</div>
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<i>Featuring stories by:</i></div>
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Elea Andrea Almazora • Erleen Alvarez • Ella Banta • Rachelle Belaro • H. Bentham • Halina Cabrera • Charlie Dio • Mina V. Esguerra • Elizabeth Galit • Georgette S. Gonzales • Ami Granada • Irene Jurado • <b><span style="font-size: large;">Catherine Lo</span></b> • Arlene Manocot • Bianca Mori • Eris Peñaluna • Farrah F. Polestico • Kit Salazar • Miel Salva • Fay Sebastian • Kate Sebastian • Yeyet Soriano • Marian Tee</div>
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Edited and compiled by Kate Sebastian</div>
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Cover and interior design by Miles Tan</div>
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<i>About the Designer</i></div>
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Miles Tan likes inhabiting imaginary worlds, from fantasy books to sci-fi shows to cheeky mysteries to role-playing games. She works with websites, plays with graphics, and is now currently painting with words. </div>
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Finding X is her first published novella. Her short story “Something Real” is included in the YA Luna East anthology, Kids These Days.</div>
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To learn more about her books, visit milestanbooks.com. To see more of the cover art she’s designed, check out milestanbooks.com/works. </div>
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<i>Stories included in this anthology:</i></div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“All about That Bass” by Fay Sebastian</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>“Alter Christus” by Catherine Lo</b></span></div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Fall for Me” by Miel Salva</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“The Game of Twenty Questions” by Elizabeth Galit</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“The Summer You Said Hello” by Ami Granada</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“At the Bermuda Triangle” by Elea Andrea Almazora</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Beachin’ Summer” by Arlene Manocot</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Buddy System” by Yeyet Soriano</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Busy out of the Friendzone” by Charlie Dio</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Flying with You” by Rachelle Belaro</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Guide for a Day” by H. Bentham</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Ready to Run” by Kit Salazar</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Secondhand Wanderlust” by Erleen Alvarez</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“The Search for the Kissing Monster” by Ella Banta</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Anything Can Happen” by Marian Tee</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Four Basic Principles” by Bianca Mori</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Love after Summer” by Irene Jurado</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Lucky in Paradise” by Farrah F. Polestico</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“The Swimming Instructor” by Eris Peñaluna</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Wedding Night Stand” by Mina V. Esguerra</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“An Overdue Adventure” by Kate Sebastian</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Buttered Sunset” by Halina Cabrera</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Then Derrick Was Back” by Georgette S. Gonzales</div>
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Yaaay! Please support local aspiring authors by clicking on these pre-order links below. And if you're attending #AprilFeelsDay2017 on April 30 at the U.P. Town Center, please, drop by Urban Turf and say hi! I'd love to meet you. <3<br />
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Book links:</div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H" target="_blank">Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H </a></div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34817829-summer-feels" target="_blank">Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34817829-summer-feels </a></div>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/summerfeels-pof" target="_blank">Print copy preorder links (Philippines only): http://bit.ly/summerfeels-pof </a><br />
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-37675608685207479142017-04-17T01:54:00.001-07:002017-06-21T20:34:18.872-07:00BOOK LAUNCH! Summer Feels: a #romanceclass AnthologySo...some might say that it's been a year since I last posted, but looking at the time stamp of my last post, you can clearly see that I've still got like two months before it officially becomes a year apart, so HA!<br />
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...I really don't know why I opened with that statement, considering it's my first post in a year (fine). But the point is that I'm crazy weird, and I'm sorry if the wifey stuff and the toy reviews had to take a backseat for the past months. This is because I have finally taken on the daunting task of trying to fulfill my dreams, and that is to actually get a book published, because THIS IS EFFING IT. (Please excuse the mindless rambling as this has been my dream since I was a teeny tiny little thing. So.)<br />
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The real point of this post is just to say that finally, a short story of mine will be published in an anthology along with 20 other amazing authors in a single, steaming, summer-iffic book titled "Summer Feels: a #romanceclass Anthology". (You can also check out my other short story titled "Who Killed Mrs. Nibblesworth?" published in the Inquirer <a href="http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/251450/killed-mrs-nibblesworth/" target="_blank">HERE</a>). CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I can't even believe it myself. But it's here, it's coming, and on April 30th, my short story "Alter Christus" will make its publication debut. WHAT THE WHAT.<br />
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I've also been creating my author profiles (eeep, author profiles!) and you can check out more info and updates in these accounts! <3<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheNoobWife/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/thenoobwife" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://amazon.com/author/thenoobwife.catherinelo" target="_blank">Amazon </a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/TheNoobWife" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://quirkylifeofthenoobwife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a></span><br />
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So yay and fireworks all around! And if you wanna help out aspiring authors like me, you can pre-order the book on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y51NJ9H" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and pre-order the print version <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkcuZAGwpZ-uQ0Z0qgEdCpThIZENNDde4IRuN1LQn8gndrAQ/viewform?c=0&w=1" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Cover reveal will be tomorrow...so stay tuned! YAY YAY YAY! *off to drown in tea*<br />
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-57726899224830834042016-07-09T05:34:00.000-07:002016-07-22T05:38:15.153-07:00Toy Review: Kawaii Cubes from Wish Factory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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According to their <a href="http://www.kawaiicubes.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>website</i></b></a>, "Kawaii Cubes initial roll out featured iconic licenses such as DC Comics, Superman vs. Batman, Suicide Squad, Looney Toons, and Hanna Barbera; featuring worldwide favorites such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Scooby Doo, Tweety Bird, Dorothy and The Tinman. Look for new licenses coming soon!" YES, YES, YES! </div>
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Supergirl's long blond hair extends towards her back, and she also has her cape flapping about behind her. Cuteness overload!</div>
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It's true though that the quality and the stitching of the Kawaii Cubes pale in comparison to Disney's Tsums. Each plushie comes with its own catalog/tag where you can see the other collectibles in the series, and it's obvious that the animated designs that the creators originally planned just didn't translate well into the actual plush. The characters are cuter in the design than in the finished product, which is quite a shame, because Batgirl has so much potential.<br />
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The shapes also vary for some reason, as not every plush is as "cubed" as you'd like them to be. Some are flattened just like the Wondy I got here. Factory defect, maybe?</div>
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I'm totally going to collect these lovelies nonetheless, and they come at Php299 each in major toy stores nationwide (such as Toys R Us and Toy Kingdom). I'm still torn between collecting my fave Bat family or collecting the DC Super Hero Girls for my niece's sake (who can only look, but not touch. LOL).</div>
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More of these to come, which will include the Warner Bros. characters soon!<br />
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-21083721743515801112016-07-02T05:12:00.000-07:002016-07-22T05:16:03.857-07:00Toy Review: Tsum Tsum Plush<div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRymWAQ1rU4/V5IL6pz97dI/AAAAAAAAAzY/_jOd1NQR9IoObZRs2pnuC3IO6jRwZsa5ACLcB/s1600/DSC00657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRymWAQ1rU4/V5IL6pz97dI/AAAAAAAAAzY/_jOd1NQR9IoObZRs2pnuC3IO6jRwZsa5ACLcB/s320/DSC00657.JPG" width="320" /></a>The Tsum Tsum plushies are among the first merchandise that came out when the Tsum Tsum app spawned a loyal cult following among us Tsum addicts. These stackable and insanely adorable cuties come in small, medium, and large sizes. The smallest ones come at around Php450 a pop here in the Philippines, roughly Php360 in Hong Kong, and only around Php250 in Japan. They're quite pricey for their size, and understandably so, <span style="background-color: #f3a8a3;">since </span>you just can't beat all that cuteness. And because I don’t want to burn a gaping hole in my wallet, I try to collect just the ones that I really REALLY like (plus, I’m still looking for Mike and Sulley).<br />
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The details are totally on-point, and as you can see here, Ariel even has a girly hair accessory with her. Buzz and Woody both have their own shiz, too—Woody with his cowboy hat and Buzz with his miniature wings clipped on his back.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">These plushies are easily available in Hong Kong toy stores (check out my <b><i><u><a href="http://quirkylifeofthenoobwife.blogspot.com/2016/01/guide-to-toy-shops-in-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">guide to Hong Kong toy shops HERE</a></u></i></b>) as well as in any Disney store, or even at the airport. Locally, you can only get them at the various toy shops in Shoppesville Plus, particularly inside the many stalls of Big Boys Toy Store (be prepared to handle the steep price markup, though).</span></div>
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The special edition Chip and Dale stacked on top of each other is a keychain that’s exclusive to Tokyo Disneyland, and they’re a bit smaller in size compared to the standard plushies. Unfortunately, you can’t separate them (unless you destroy the stitching—nooooo), but they’re still adorable, anyway.</div>
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I am waaaay far from collecting all the ones that I have on my wish list, so this post will hopefully continue to grow as my collection expands. For now though, I'm genuinely happy with these furry friends!<br />
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-89540175440559169842016-06-27T03:10:00.000-07:002016-07-01T08:05:54.400-07:00Toy Review: Tsum Tsum Vinyl Mystery Stack Pack Series 2 by JAKKS<div class="MsoNormal">
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For Php199 a pop, these blind packs feature different Tsum Tsum characters, each with their own background set or prop. This is already from Series 2 of the Vinyl Mystery Stack Pack from JAKKS (because Series 1 just didn’t interest me very much), and the quality is incredible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The paint job is spot-on, and the details and lines are high-quality. There’s even a Tsum Tsum logo and a Disney trademark under each detachable piece of the props. Check out the one engraved on the Alien's rocket floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This Alien from Pixar's Toy Story even has "The Claw" inside his rocket, so it's totally legit. I can almost hear him saying, "You have saved our lives; we are eternally grateful!"</div>
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My favorite from the bunch is Cinderella, who comes with her own castle (which looks oddly like a washing machine haha). You can even open and close the latch that's supposedly her castle window or something. Love, love, love.</div>
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Hubby and I really wanted Ariel, but no matter which toy store branch we go to, she always seems to be out of stock. The kind salespeople keep informing us that Ariel is the most sought-after among them all, because she's rare and probably only appears like twice or thrice in every box set. Still, we're pretty happy with what we've got. Here's Anger from Inside Out looking all fiery.</div>
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Best of all, the Tsum Tsum characters themselves aren’t made from rubber. The last time the hubby and I splurged on some Tsum Tsum collectibles, we were totally devastated when we opened up the packs and the Tsums were all sticky and slimy (DO NOT GET THE SQUISHY VARIANTS!). We had to just give them away because there was just absolutely no hope of keeping them on display with that kind of texture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I'm totally looking forward to the next series, because I hear Sadness is going to be there. And now that we've got this Kapa-Method down pat, it'll hopefully be a cinch ;P </div>
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-69290034704565851042016-06-20T02:34:00.000-07:002016-07-01T02:39:26.296-07:00Toy Review: Gudetama Gashapon Keychain<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_h0wvYdaRA/V3Y0N9em40I/AAAAAAAAAxI/LvgK-x2aXCU9he73zU04XWt3LRwcEJ7OgCLcB/s1600/DSC00608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_h0wvYdaRA/V3Y0N9em40I/AAAAAAAAAxI/LvgK-x2aXCU9he73zU04XWt3LRwcEJ7OgCLcB/s320/DSC00608.JPG" /></a>I fell in love with this adorably lazy egg the moment I saw his tired face and wobbly butt in toy shops everywhere in Hong Kong last year. Gudetama, the lazy egg, is Sanrio's latest cuddly creation, but unfortunately, he is not exactly popular here in the Philippines. I had to scour the metro for just glimpses of him, and occasionally, I'd spot him in certain toy conventions every now and then. But lo and behold! One day, the hubby and I stumbled upon one of the more obscure Gashapons in SM North Edsa The Block, and Gudetama was there! Obviously, I bought tokens like a crazy maniac and started collecting these keychains just because they can't be found anywhere else. Just look at that shameless little butt and tell me he's not adorable!</div>
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Each token costs Php60, and every Gudetama Gashapon keychain requires two tokens. So for Php120, you can get your hands on Gudetama's different egg forms and torture him for all his laziness.</div>
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I'm not entirely sure what he's saying in these speech bubbles that come with the keychains, but I do know that he's probably complaining, as he always does in the Sanrio video clips online. Gudetama just can't be bothered, and he's constantly whining about how miserable <span style="background-color: #ffd9de;">his </span>life is, how he doesn't want to move, and how he just wants everyone to "leave me alone". </div>
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I was fortunate enough not to get any doubles (because Gashapon machines--or blind capsule machines for those who aren't familiar--are always a risk; you never know what you're going to get). Each Gashapon has Gudetama in a different egg form, which is really creative. There are just endless numbers of ways to cook an egg! </div>
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My ultimate fave is this burger version of him. Just look at the detail! These keychains are really small, so the paint job and the detail with which each is made is just incredible. The material is also really smooth--it's not made of rubber and has an almost powdery texture, so I don't think you have to worry about getting them dirty or having them melt in the extreme heat. </div>
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There's a tiny botched paint job here in this Gudetama version near his eyes, so that's kinda disappointing. But still, everything else looks pretty good, and for Php120 a pop, I really can't complain.</div>
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Here's the complete set! As of writing this, the Toy Kingdom The Block branch has already run out of Gudetama Gashapons, so I'm hoping they'll refill the capsules with the next series soon. Or better yet, I hope Gudetama's fame reaches our country so we can see more of him everywhere!<br />
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For those who have no idea who Gudetama is, here's one of Sanrio's clips. I guarantee you'll find him just as adorable as I do after <span style="background-color: #ffd9de;">watching </span>this!:)</div>
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<br />The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-3089235059222380852016-06-17T00:02:00.000-07:002016-07-01T00:05:07.762-07:00Top 8 Most Exciting Stuff From E3 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
The annual E3 has always been a much-awaited event that we gamer geeks just love to look forward to. With so many things to gush about this year, here are just some of the biggest highlights from the expo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1.Sorta-Kratos has a beard now in the next God of War game</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. All about Star Wars and VR</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing VR Mission literally brings the Star Wars franchise to life. Superstar Amy Hennig from Uncharted is also working on a Star Wars game that’s reminiscent of Uncharted styles based on the sneak peek. Plus, Bethesda Softworks is taking its open world action-packed game Fallout 4 to Virtual Reality. The future is here, ladies and gentlemen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. Titanfall 2 and its single player campaign</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Want to know more about Isaac Asimov’s laws of robotics? EA’s sequel now features a single player campaign that most gamers were requesting for in the original game. The promising campaign also features sentient Titans, so you can expect a lot of personality from them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. Resident Evil VII goes VR</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The series is already so incredibly creepy as it is, but if you add all that to VR, then prepare to suffer through countless sleepless nights lying awake in sheer terror. The teaser alone is enough to make anyone develop permanent anxiety. See for yourself below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5. EA launches Play to Give Initiative</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How would you like to rack up points and convert your scores to actual charities in life? Gamers can now earn in-game achievements in some of EA’s games (Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, Battlefield 4, Battlefield Hardline, Madden NFL 16, Fifa 16, etc.) so that the publisher can donate up to a whopping one million dollars to charitable institutions such as Code.org, SpecialEffect, Code2040, HeForShe, and National Center for Women & Information. Talk about gaming with a heart!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6. The Amazing Spider-Man for PS4</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Developed by Insomniac Games of PlayStation franchise Ratchet & Clank fame, the exclusive Spider-Man game for the PlayStation 4 has a trailer that looks absolutely, well, amazing. You don’t call him the Amazing Spidey for nothing! Just check out the trailer in the clip below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7. Hideo Kojima makes the fans go wild</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Because this is E3, it’s quite obvious that the great and legendary Hideo Kojima would make an appearance. There was some in-engine footage of Norman Reedus for Death Stranding, and while we’re not sure what the game is all about just yet, Hideo Kojima alone is a good bet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo’s game-changer</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, last but certainly not the least comes Link’s next adventure. Nintendo certainly kicked off its presentations with a bang with the massive demo for merely a fraction of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The expansive map is already impressive as it is, but the depth of experiences that the stunning game offers doesn’t stop there. The open-air adventure features interactive environments (where you can do things like cut down trees to cross ravines) and Shrines of Trials totaling about a hundred locations scattered everywhere for eager gamers to look for. This quest entails countless puzzles and compact challenges that will keep even the most skilled problem solver intrigued. There are a number of ways that the puzzles can be solved so that players can earn a Spirit Orb from the monk masterminds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While players are busy exploring these puzzling Shrines, they can also earn different Runes that can unlock certain skills. For example, when you use the Stasis Rune, you can stop moving objects for a time. The Magnesis Rune enables you to lift up and throw metal objects. The Cryonis Rune makes ice pillars appear and helps Link freeze water.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As for combat systems, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does not disappoint. There is a wide variety of new weapons that players can use, some of which you can take from your enemies while some you can find. Be wary as the weapons gradually wear out as they are being used, so scavenging for weapons is a must. And speaking of scavenging, Link can also forage for food such as apples and mushrooms in his local environment. If you like to cook, you’ll be happy to know that cooking different raw ingredients together not only replenishes Link’s health but also provides special effects such as limited heat or cold resistance. This kind of resistance is useful for when different climates occur—Link can keep himself warm during low temperatures with proper clothes, a torch, or the right kind of heat resistant food. Climate is pretty dynamic here, as Link can attract lightning bolts if he is wearing metal equipment during lightning storms. How cool is that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even more ground-breaking is the game’s compatibility with Nintendo’s amiibo, and you can catch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when it launches for Wii U and Nintendo’s top secret system called NX in 2017.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What are your personal favorites from the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016? Did we miss anything that you wish were on this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*This article was first seen on<a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/top-8-most-exciting-stuff-from-e3-2016/" target="_blank"> The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-49024695387597702182016-06-13T23:46:00.000-07:002016-06-30T23:50:37.345-07:00Want to rule the galaxy? Be a stormtrooper at ToyCon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What has plastoid composite body armor for blast protection, modified sniper plates for field operations, and a soft spot for helping others? It’s none other than a Stormtrooper from the 501st Legion, and at the ToyCon 2016 at the SMX Convention Center last June 10-12, these troopers with a heart of gold spread the terror (and love!) of the Empire all weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Bad guys doing good</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Every year at ToyCon, avid collectors hold exhibits of their prized possessions, trusted merchants lay out their wares for eager bargain toy hunters, and cosplay fanatics duke it out on stage and revel in the sheer joy of wearing their fandom. While the other participants of ToyCon last weekend lined up for much-awaited comic book signings, rocked out to Kristian Nairn (who will always be revered for holding the door for all of us) and his Rave of Thrones, and gushed out to Dean Cain’s interviews, the members of the 501st Legion’s Philippine Outpost patrolled the grounds in the name of the Empire. Of course, when they’re not trying to rule the Galaxy or trying to scour the scene for trooper hopefuls, they’re happily posing for pictures with devoted Star Wars fans—all in Vader’s name, of course!<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Some people join The Rotary Club, The Lions Club, or other charity organizations. The 501st is no different,” says John Sideño, trooper since 2011. “Currently, we have a membership of 7,000 members worldwide within possession of at least one screen-accurate Star Wars costume.” So no, they are not mascots or cosplayers, and yes, the 501st Legion is that huge. As the leading force in fan-based charitable occasions, Vader’s Fist not only promotes undying loyalty to the Empire, but it also dedicates itself to brightening the lives of the less-fortunate people around the world—one humble Stormtrooper at a time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The official Philippine Garrison of the 501st Legion is a non-stock, non-profit volunteer organization. Aside from ruling the Galaxy, all they really want to do is to volunteer for charity, which is why they never charge for appearances in events. They have already helped organizations such as Tuloy Foundation, PGH Silahis ng Kalusugan School, Kythe, Inc., HERO Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines, and so much more. “Last year, we raised over 14.7 million USD for charity coming from Garrisons all over the world,” says John. “It’s fulfilling, but it’s also hard work.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>For the love of Star Wars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Dressed as Attack of the Clones Clone Trooper Phase 1, John is a true Star Wars fan. During this weekend’s ToyCon, he had photo-ops with Daniel Logan, star of Episode 2 as Boba Fett. “Wearing fiberglass in tropical weather is probably some crazy person’s version of a good time, but for us, it’s a labor of love—the love for Star Wars,” he shares. Their costumes are born from meticulous research and loads of hard work, usually built by their own hands and painstakingly assembled with a passion that’s unlike any other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0.02.01.f357a72ab4070f9e8837cebb1601c3b0f4b83654013b36e5eee9fda780a3f65f_full-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0.02.01.f357a72ab4070f9e8837cebb1601c3b0f4b83654013b36e5eee9fda780a3f65f_full-1024x576.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>That doesn’t mean he and his fellow brothers-in-arms can’t take breaks from their armors every now and then, especially since ToyCon has so much to offer. The geeky merchandise have definitely increased this year, with more busts and displays of DC Comics fan faves, a Suicide Squad prison booth and a tattoo parlor from Harley Quinn, retro gaming paraphernalia, adorable Tsum Tsums stacked on top of each other, dazzling Disney Princess figurines, more comic book hardcovers on sale, and an awesome Stan Lee exhibit. Visitors also got a chance to meet top comic artist and creative director Pat Lee for sketches and autographs, as well as test out new board games with friends. There was a full-on Tokyo Underground Experience with Hiddy from Secret Base, Electric Ribbon, Yanakiku, and an electrifying music jam from DJ Kasu, who brought on waves and waves of nostalgia with well-loved opening and ending themes from favorite anime shows of old. After all, who can resist screaming cha-la-head-cha-la at the top of their lungs?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, there was Funko Pop galore in almost every corner, with large Pop statues of Frozen characters, the Hulkbuster, and even our very own local mythical creature, the Manananggal. The highlight of the displays and the favorite photo-op for all the visitors was the gigantic Voltes V model that even the 501st Legion couldn’t resist to pose with. What used to be an approximate of Php100 as an entry fee during previous years is now Php500 per head, but that’s only because ToyCon 2016 is bigger and better than ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Empire wants you</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, if you want to attend next year’s ToyCon (which will be held on June 30th, July 1st, and July 2nd 2017) with a different kind of ultimate fan experience, why not sign up for the Philippine Outpost of the 501st Legion? They’ve been part of the Philippine Toys & Collectibles Convention since 2005, and if you’re loyal, hardworking, and fully expendable, then yes, the Empire wants you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once you become a member of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers, also known as Vader’s Fist, the most important aspect of your work is your heart that’s bursting with charitable love. “The 501st and the Rebel Legion visits hospitals and is a favorite of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, especially when it’s for the kids,” shares John. “They are the true heroes. Each day, they struggle to stay alive—and the joy we see on their faces when we do visits [makes it all] worth it.”</div>
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If that’s what it means to be Bad Guys Doing Good, then you’d better not wait to sign up! Strap on your cycling unit, pressure-sealed body glove, ration-filled utility belt, and your integrated comlink—a Galaxy of charitable opportunities awaits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/want-to-rule-the-galaxy-be-a-stormtrooper-at-toycon/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-27139684348045780622016-06-06T23:34:00.000-07:002016-06-30T23:36:16.471-07:00Upcoming Video Game Releases This June 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s mid-year madness this June, as some of the most awaited releases are coming this month. Pat your pockets and get your wallets ready for these upcoming video game releases this June.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1.Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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To be released this June 28th, this Playstation 4 exclusive marks the fifth installment of the world-renowned franchise. Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is set in an undeveloped planet, effectively setting it apart from its predecessors where the main party usually comes from more civilized planets. In this new game, the quiet life of the main protagonist is shaken to its very core when chaos ensues after an encounter with more developed individuals from other sectors of space. This kind of endeavor celebrates the theme of the series, which is exploring the interactions between vastly different civilizations, societies, and planets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness prides itself in its seamless execution of events, like making sure that the various cut scenes that move the story forward do not disrupt the player’s immersive experience of the game. This way, fans need not get sidetracked whenever a cut scene causes them to stop playing, watch the scene, and then resume their game. Tri-Ace has now employed a new kind of storytelling technique, which is to have characters interact scenes with each other as the player is out exploring the world. This successfully eliminates the need to stop and watch cut scenes whenever an event comes up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s even more revolutionary here is that the seamlessness extends even up to the battle scenarios. When players engage in combat with enemies that they run into, combat mode will be triggered immediately without the need to switch screens or load new areas. To continue with the seamlessness even further, the whole party of allies in your team is present whenever you engage in combat. Why shouldn’t they? The members in your party are, after all, travelling together, so having to choose which ones to use in battle whenever there is an enemy encounter is always unsettling. This time, with the new seamless battle sequence, this opens up the game to a variety of impressive new abilities, tactics, and strategies that players will certainly enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Star Ocean was a big part of my gaming life back when The Second Story came out for the Playstation, and I have been an avid fan of the franchise ever since. This fifth game in the series will no doubt bring the same level of excitement for gamers everywhere, and it’s definitely worth the wait!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. Zero Time Dilemma</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Spike Chunsoft’s Zero Escape series has certainly turned into a cult favorite, with its mind-boggling mysteries, intriguing character set, and suspense-filled storytelling. The execution of the dark puzzle game has always been flawless, and the story superb. It’s no surprise then that when Zero Time Dilemma comes out this June 28 for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita (and June 30 for the PC version), fans will be clamoring to get their hands on it. Despite its story-heavy nature and with this being the end of the trilogy (the first two being predecessors 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue’s Last Reward), director Kotaro Uchikoshi is confident that it will attract even newcomers and new fans to the franchise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To do this, the developers have tweaked Zero Time Dilemma to be more flexible when players discover the story. Players still need to make life-or-death decisions as in the previous two games, but this time, Zero Time Dilemma has foregone the linear flowchart of the story in favor of floating fragments that allow new players to move through the story episodically at their own pace. This type of storytelling fits the game as there will be elements of memory alteration and some amnesia-inducing injections, so going episodic is better than going linear, indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, just like with its predecessors, Zero Time Dilemma still tells the tale of nine characters trapped in an escape quest nonary game where participants are pit against each other and faced with mortal consequences. The mysterious Zero is still the ever-welcoming host of this death trap, and this game is set one year after 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Setting the third installment smack-dab in the middle of the first two is also part of the developers’ goal of making it more accessible for new fans. The biggest difference in Zero Time Dilemma is that instead of the text-heavy narrative sequences, the cut scenes will now actually be fully animated cinematic scenes. I myself spent a huge chunk of my time scrolling through text after text while I was playing the previous titles, and honestly, the prospect of seeing the gruesome events unfold instead of just reading about them is more appealing now than ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bottom line is that I just cannot wait. I cannot. Especially with Uchikoshi saying that fans will be immensely satisfied as all the mysteries and questions will be answered, solved, and revealed, there’s just no reason not to get this came when it comes out. Let the supernatural, time travel, science fiction, blood, and gore begin!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The reboot-slash-prequel comes out June 7th for PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, and just like its 2008 forerunner, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will show off its parkour-heavy action. The new game will delve deeper into protagonist Faith’s past and origins in the dystopian city of Glass. Everyone’s favorite vast and expansive open-world setting will let players explore the lush environment with a whole lot more freedom. Prepare to wall-run and propel yourself through the field of challenges and collectibles in this much-awaited second installment of the well-loved parkour game. I’m actually also looking forward to some kick-ass soundtrack here, too!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens</b></div>
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Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out this June 28th on the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, effectively making us all love BB-8 even more. The game will feature hilarious new adventures that have never before been seen on film, including original tales about how the heck Han Solo and Chewbacca got caught up with those totally gross and extremely dangerous Rathtars. And since it’s a Lego game, we all know that it’s not going to disappoint!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/upcoming-video-game-releases-this-june-2016/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-85023288644279711592016-06-02T01:44:00.000-07:002016-06-02T01:45:07.092-07:00Video Game Releases This May 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
If you don’t really feel like going out in the scorching heat of the season, staying indoors is just as relaxing. Summer is the perfect time to let the gamer in you run wild, so to satisfy those urges, here are some of the best video game releases this month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1.Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Nothing compares to the video game experience that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End brings, and as usual, the game pretty much feels like you are in an actual action blockbuster. The best thing about the series is that unlike other hard-hitting video games out there, you don’t need a whole lot of DLCs to be able to enjoy Uncharted games in its entirety. It’s a darn shame that this fourth installment to the franchise is already the last, but as painful it is to say goodbye to the ragtag group of characters we’ve all grown to love so much, all things—even good ones—must come to an end. The least you can do is to give them a proper send-off, and with Uncharted 4, you’re giving them one that’s definitely worthy of the title.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. Doom</b></div>
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Yes, it’s true—the new Doom game was released on Friday, May 13th for the PS4, Xbox One, and the PC. For those who have grown up loving the original series, this title is a reboot to bring back the first person shooter with more style than before. The vibrant colors combined with the typical gloom and doom of the original franchise make the single player campaign an absolute joy to experience—not to mention that there’s a certain nostalgia to it that makes you giddy about the whole thing. The multiplayer mode is quite promising, too, so round up your homies and get ready for some trash talk!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. Shadow of the Beast</b></div>
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To be released on the Playstation 4 this Tuesday May 17th, the 1989 classic is now back with a reboot—and one with a vengeance at that. The Commodore Amiga game is now a PlayStation 4 exclusive, with users playing as Aabron—the kidnapped child who was corrupted and enchanted into a warrior-servant—on a mission to dethrone Maletoth, the evil lord. The violent and deliciously brutal gameplay only makes the side-scrolling action even more enjoyable, so if you’re itching for a taste of the good old days but with an updated and richer environment, get your hands on Shadow of the Beast as soon as it comes out! Here’s a look at the alien world you will be immersed in:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ve always been fans of these too-cool turtles since the old days, but now that they’re making a cowabunga comeback, they’ve finally got a shell-shocking game worthy of the title. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan features unique fighting styles for each of the four ninja turtles and when the game is released on Tuesday May 24th, players from all consoles (PS3/PS4/Xbox 360/Xbox One/PC) will be able to enjoy the pizza-loving heroes the way they were meant to be enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Developed by hack-and-slash master PlatinumGames (who is responsible for such faves as Bayonetta 2, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Nier: Automata with Square-Enix), the cel-shaded action of the game is only made more entertaining by the clash between the turtles and the Foot Clan. Of course, you can’t have a TMNT game without Bebop and Rocksteady—the two iconic villains who will make their big screen debut just in time on June 3rd when Out of the Shadows comes out. Each of the turtles has his own fighting style, which is revealed in the character trailers for the game. Here’s the character trailer for beloved leader Leo:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5. Overwatch</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The team-based shooter by Blizzard Entertainment features bright art and vibrant styles that complement the intense gameplay extremely well. Set for full release on Tuesday, May 24th, the upcoming multiplayer FPS held its Open Beta run this week and a whopping 9.7 million players had a rousing good time. The wide range of characters that players can choose from adds to the already immense entertainment factor of the game, and since Overwatch focuses on some heavy teamwork, you and your best buds will have a blast for sure. Before you get into the game, though, be prepared to make the most excruciatingly important decision ever—and that is which character to choose. There is a highly satisfying mix of character skill builds that you can create, so check out some comprehensive character guides online before you take your pick. As a fan of Blizzard’s creativity, I’m sure this game will be worth investing hours and hours of our free time into!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which summer video game release are you most looking forward to? Have you already pre-ordered some of them? Let us know in the comments section below!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on the <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/upcoming-video-game-releases-this-may-2016/" target="_blank">Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-75095769595480213792016-05-03T06:46:00.000-07:002016-05-03T06:46:09.295-07:00Why NexCon3 Wasn't Worth the Hype<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12966250_10156801847910083_1216897846_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12966250_10156801847910083_1216897846_n.jpg" height="239" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>As an avid comic book fan who frequents the annual geek fests in our country year after year, I haven’t actually had the chance to attend previous NexCons before. This being the third, I was expecting a nerd-gasmic experience as it claims to be the biggest fantasy and sci-fi event in the country. Unfortunately, after spending some time at the event, I found myself sadly disappointed—I probably ought to be flipping tables and rage-quitting by now.</div>
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I have nothing against Cosplay.ph and Stompworks Media Studios, who I’m sure did the best they could to make sure that this uber gathering of pop culture fans becomes a smashing success. But in a venue like the SMX Convention Center over at Mall of Asia and with a price tag of Php350 per head as an entrance fee, I would have thought that everything would be worth my time and effort. Maybe it’s just me, but I left the event gravely unsatisfied. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As an event that wants to differentiate itself from the other pop culture gatherings in the country, NexCon strikes me as one that would have a plethora of comic book collectibles. However, there was barely anything there, at least for my tastes (there weren’t even any actual comic books for sale—oh, the horror!). It was pretty cool to have a Yoshinoya Eating Contest, and the Fight Saber performance brought good chills and fond memories about the epic Star Wars saga. Still, I didn’t really feel like the Php350 entrance fee was worth it, even with the NexCon goodie bags (which were only available to early birds at the event).</div>
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<a href="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12957385_10156801850100083_1793881947_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thepoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12957385_10156801850100083_1793881947_n.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a>International guest star Casper Van Dien was there for autographs, interviews, and photo ops, and while Starship Troopers was fun while it lasted, there’s a definite lack of wow factor for me. In my opinion, the main highlight of the event was probably the Encantadia panel, where TV director Mark Reyes took fans to a delightful trip down memory lane with the sort of revival or “requel” of the GMA Network classic. Lead artist Noel Flores also showcased the beautiful concept arts of the characters, and gave fans a teasing sneak peek at the highly anticipated and groundbreaking show that revolutionized fantasy series for our local industry. I simply cannot wait to see the new and improved Amihan, Danaya, Alena, and Pirena. And with all the burning questions that the eager fans asked during the Encantadia panel, I’m positively certain the loyal viewers feel the same way. Avisala!</div>
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Of course, the Cosplay Rumble was an exciting avenue for a myriad of impressive cosplayers to strut their stuff on stage and show their dedication to the characters they’re emulating. There was also the booth of the 501<sup>st</sup> Legion, where you get to pose with awesome Storm Troopers and try to deflect their gunfire for a prize. And, of course, what Star Wars booth would be complete without Han Solo? Plus, little R2-D2 roamed around to show some love, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the goodies, ToyTown had plenty of GunPla and Gashapons to flaunt, plus the newly released Kawaii Kubes of your favorite Warner Brothers characters and DC Superheroes. I already got myself a couple of these in other Toys R Us branches, though, so it was nothing new. Plus, the Tsum Tsum display was quite lacking, too. Big Boys Toy Store was Funko Pop galore as usual, while GMA had its own table advertising studio tours. There were interesting Magic: The Gathering gamers and willing dancers who moved to the beat of the SM Cyberzone game for freebies. I particularly loved the Gudetama plush being sold in one of the tables there, along with Doge, the adorable Shiba Inu who has now become an internationally famous meme. Sanrio’s Gudetama, the lazy egg, isn’t really too popular here in our country just yet, so I’m hoping he’ll catch on soon so we get to see more of his lovable laziness.</div>
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There was a pretty cool NexCon 3 cosplay action figure box that’s life-sized for all cosplayers to pose in, and it’s a really unique idea, if I say so myself. Favorite DC superheroes came and posed and it was an absolute delight. Red Monster Shop also offered personalized gear, which included amazeballs shirts and even metal dog tags. Plus, I scored myself a Slytherin necklace for my Harry Potter fix (which didn’t really match the Gotham City Police Department shirt I was wearing). Luckily, the food area was small but delish. I guess it made me feel a little bit better when my husband and I sat down and munched on some good grub, with me particularly delighting in some authentic Takoyaki and refreshing Gong Cha winter melon tea. Food really does soothe a grumpy soul, doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Given my disappointment, I probably won’t be attending next year’s NexCon again—it just doesn’t match up to the ToyCons and the APCCs. Still, I did leave the event with some semblance of excitement, but only for the Encantadia preview, if anything. I do hope the organizers will do better next time, since there’s room for improvement (and a whole lot more, at that).<o:p></o:p></div>
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What about you? Were you able to attend NexCon 3 over the weekend, and what did you think of the event? Do you agree with my sentiments, or did you just have a rousing good time? Whatever your thoughts (and possible heartaches) are, let us know in the comments section below!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <u><a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/why-nexcon3-wasnt-worth-the-hype/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></u></i></b>The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-80986239462292658332016-03-31T23:50:00.004-07:002016-03-31T23:51:28.193-07:00Health Benefits of Matcha and Where to Find the Best in Manila<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #183438; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
It’s that green powdery goodness taking over coffee shops today—and no, it’s not a veggie smoothie for all you meatlovers out there. Matcha gets its brilliantly emerald color because it’s actually green tea powder, ground finely in its natural state. Though originally from China, matcha has been used in the Japanese tea ceremony for hundreds of years. Just what is it about this deliciously healthy goodness that makes it so popular today?</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Health Benefits of Matcha</strong></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.Matcha and Green Tea</em></div>
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Remarkably, one serving of matcha is equivalent to about 10 cups of regular green tea. Since green tea itself is filled with antioxidants and nutrients, imagine ten times all of those in a cup of matcha alone! Matcha is actually better than loose leaf teas, as water extracts a mere fraction of tea that’s trapped in the leaves. Because the whole leaf is ground into matcha, you get the full benefits of the tea leaves compared to regular loose teas.</div>
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However, do take note that all green teas contain trace amounts of lead, and since the whole leaf is used in matcha, there is a higher concentration of lead that can be consumed. It’s still best to be cautious and limit your consumption, especially for pregnant women.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Packed with vitamins and promotes a stronger immune system</em></li>
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Rich in antioxidants, matcha is a good source of amino acids, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, and Vitamin E. Matcha also contains vitamin K, trace minerals, catechins and chlorophyll. These naturally detoxify our bodies as well as boost metabolism by burning calories. Chlorophyll not only cleanses the blood, but it also helps maintain the alkalinity of blood as well as flush out harmful toxins from the colon walls.</div>
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Matcha also contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which assists in preventing diseases, lowering cholesterol, and keeping inflammations and disorders at bay for overall cardiovascular health.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boosts energy, calms your body, and helps you concentrate</em></li>
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Unlike the effects of caffeine found in coffee, the energy booster found in matcha helps sustain energy to a more balanced level. Theophylline helps in the slow release of energy for better mental alertness throughout the entire day. The amino acid L-theanine in matcha has anti-anxiolytic properties that help boost the brain’s alpha waves, effectively relaxing the body without making you drowsy, clearing the mind, and improving alertness and concentration—perfect for mindfulness sessions and meditation. Plus, these also significantly help reduce your stress, both physiological and psychological.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where to Find Matcha in Manila</strong></div>
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Now that matcha is steadily gaining popularity here in our country, it’s not that difficult to look for a place to score a good cup. While most coffee shops and tea houses carry this nutritiously refreshing drink, here are just some of the top picks where you can get your matcha fix.</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf</em></div>
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The Matcha Green Tea Latte drink from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf features undissolved bits of matcha that makes you feel that the drink is truly legit. It’s nothing too fancy, because it’s the taste of the comforting hot serving that really wins you over. You can also choose the ice-blended variant on a warm sunny day!</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Starbucks</em></li>
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It might sound too commercialized, but if you’re craving for a quick matcha fix, you can be sure to find a Starbucks branch near you no matter where you are in the metro. It’s easy to just find one in your area and order a yummy Green Tea Latte—or better yet, opt for the Green Tea Soy Latte variation to really bring out the taste of matcha.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kozui Green Tea</em></li>
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The Roasted Green Tea Latte has a nutty and roasted taste that’s truly unique. You can even buy their matcha powder in cute tin cans if you want to fix your own cup at home. Located along the vibrant strip of Tomas Morato, Kozui Green Tea also has other innovative matcha creations, including the Matcha Cream Korichio line. These ice-blended drinks are mixed with milk, topped with cream, and enhanced with other fruity flavorings, but if you just want the most basic taste, the original Kozui Matcha Latte works just fine, too.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Super Duck Modern Tea</em></li>
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What sets Super Duck apart from all the other tea places out there is that it uses only the most legitimate ingredients, including cane sugar (not syrups), actual fruits, and fresh tea leaves in their drinks. Everything is mostly sourced from Lukang Taiwan, and their matcha variant is no excpetion to the fresh goodness. The Roasted Matcha with Grass Jelly is as natural as it gets—just be sure to opt for the 50% sweetness level if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth. You can catch Super Duck in their branches in D. Tuazon and SM Cyber West in Quezon City.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matcha powder at home</em></li>
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I’ve scoured most of our local supermarkets in hopes of finding the perfect matcha pwder, and so far, my best bet is the Nittoh Matcha Green Powder, available in most Robinsons Supermarkets. The texture and taste is just right for me—not too sweet and not too bland. You can drink this mix as it is with just some hot water, or you can add milk and sugar to your desired taste. It’s quite pricey (with 10 sachets going for around Php250), but it definitely beats having to go out and buy yourself a cup from restaurants every time you get a craving. Your fave mug of hot water usually should take about 2 sachets, and you can add about two ice cubes if you want it cold. Be careful not to add too many cubes lest you make your drink too diluted. Then, add two teaspoons of milk for your own simple version of the matcha tea latte!</div>
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How about you? What are your favorite matcha café haunts, and how do you like to drink your cup? Let us know what you think, and if you’re not yet a fan of this nutritional powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamins, there’s really no reason for you to not give it a try. Who says nutritious can’t be delicious?</div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/health-benefits-of-matcha-and-where-to-find-the-best-in-manila/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-44355402470518082772016-03-25T23:38:00.000-07:002016-03-31T23:39:27.569-07:00Justice League Fever: Most Memorable Batman and Superman-Themed Video Games<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #183438; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Looking for a gamer-iffic fix for DC’s World’s Finest? With <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman v. Superman</em> coming out on March 26th, we can’t be more excited. So while we sit here and wait in excruciating agony until the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel duke it out on the silver screen (not to mention the Amazonian warrior princess from Themyscira makes her big screen debut, too), here’s a look at the top Batman and Superman video games out today.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.The Arkham Trilogy Games</strong></div>
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When DC Comics and Rocksteady Studios decided to team up to create one of the best action adventure video game series of all time in 2009, they came up with the revolutionary <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman: Arkham Asylum</em>. With the premise of the Joker luring Batman into the institute for the criminally insane, the game went on to become an instant classic for gamers all around the world. Jaw-dropping graphics, brilliant cinematography, intense action sequences, and a superb storyline all contribute to the immense enjoyment factor of this game, and it was such a worldwide success that <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman: Arkham City</em> and <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman: Arkham Knight</em> came soon after.</div>
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One of the main features of the game is the fact that you actually get to feel like you are the Dark Knight himself, and with stellar gameplay features like efficient stealth modes, strategic hand-to-hand combat systems, and interactive environments, you really can Be The Batman. For instance, you can lure thugs with sonic Batarangs and take them out one by one, or you can sneak inside vents or hide behind weak structures to successfully perform surprise attacks. You can set up explosive charges in tactical areas and set them off to take down enemies, and, probably the most awesome trick of all, is when you hang from overhead gargoyles like a true Bat and execute an inverted takedown—which is essentially hanging criminals upside down from statues and leaving them there screaming for help. How much more Batman-y can you get?</div>
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Of course, with criminals being a cowardly and superstitious lot, they get nervous when you start taking them out one by one, and when they panic, they lose their presence of mind and become easier to defeat. You also get to fight Bruce Wayne’s extensive rogues gallery, as well as solve riddles, sidequests, and puzzles along the way. They don’t call Bats the World’s Greatest Detective for nothing, right? Add that to the beautiful voice acting of none other than Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, the original Batman and Joker, and you’ve got yourself a sweet series of games you will want to play again and again.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman Games</strong></li>
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If everything is all serious and filled with gloom and doom with the Arkham series, the Lego Batman games are anything but. Responsible for single-handedly recreating our favorite Dark Knight and turning him into something, well, not so dark, Lego has developed three games from this franchise, with an upcoming solo movie starring Lego Batman himself. The first game was released in 2008, and the second one, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes, </em>was released in 2012. The big improvement in the second game is that a host of DC Comics characters both from and outside of the Batman family continuity are featured and are playable in-game, and there is now a stunning open world for players to explore. In November 2014, a third installment titled <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham</em> was released, proving just how popular and simply so darn fun this franchise truly is. Oh, and to make things even more fun, here’s a clip of our Big Blue Boy Scout giving Batman a much-needed pick-me-up (and an unsolicited flying lesson) towards the end.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Injustice: Gods Among Us</strong></li>
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Brutal beat downs and a whole lot of smashing through walls—that alone is enough to hook you right in. <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Injustice: Gods Among Us</em> is probably your best bet if you want to see Superman and Batman go head to head, as this intense fighting game is all about the KAPOW—but with Mortal Kombat-inspired brutality. The powerful graphics are reminiscent of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DC Universe Online</em>(which is also a fantastic MMO to play). In the game, an alternate universe has the Joker setting up the ultimate prank to manipulate Clark into destroying Metropolis and killing a very pregnant Lois Lane by accident. Superman then proceeds to kill Joker and go on a rampage wherein he firmly believes he should enforce strict world order to stop tragedies like this from ever happening again. Of course, rising against this tyranny is The Batman, whose resistance group fights against the Man of Steel taking power for five years. Surprisingly, a non-evil version of Lex Luthor is actually on Batman’s side in this rebel movement. With this premise, you can already see that the game is not just some mindless button-mashing fighting game, even though it is incredibly fun to see the heroes’ special moves, such as Aquaman calling on a huge shark to bite his enemies in half. Will former BFFs Supes and Bats ever repair their broken bromance? You will have to play the game to find out!</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Justice League Heroes</strong></li>
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This one may be an oldie, but it’s still definitely a goodie. In this 2006 Xbox and PS2 game, you get to play as the different members of the Justice League in a highly entertaining co-op set up. Each hero has a different set of skills, of course, such as The Flash being able to speed through enemies and the Martian Manhunter phasing through everything. While you start out with the main characters Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, John Stewart as GL, Martian Manhunter, and Zatanna, you can later on unlock more heroes such as Aquaman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner as GL, Huntress, Hawkgirl, and even Supergirl. There’s tons and tons of fun on each stage as you battle out villains with your best gaming buds, or on your own as you can freely switch between characters on-screen. You can also unlock alternate costumes and skins later on in the game, so honestly, this might be pretty dated, but we’re having such a rousing good time with it. How can you not when you’re playing with the whole Justice League?</div>
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<i><b>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/justice-league-fever-most-memorable-batman-and-superman-themed-video-games/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></b></i></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-68821742096592762722016-03-19T23:28:00.000-07:002016-03-31T23:29:57.910-07:00Recreating the Dark Knight: Top 5 Funniest Lego Batman Moments<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #183438; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In anticipation for the <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman v. Superman</em> movie coming out in theaters late this March, why not check out a different version of Batman—one that isn’t all about the gloom and doom? Lego is the universal brick that has brought joy to kids and adults for decades, and when you combine that with the World’s Greatest Detective, there can only be one result—an explosion of awesomeness, complete with flying Batarangs and everything.</div>
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Lego Batman, among the many ways Lego reimagines fan faves, has been kicking bad guys’ butts since the very first Lego Batman game in 2008. And if you’re not a believer of its worldwide success, just ask the Guinness World Records, because the game has been officially awarded as the best-selling superhero videogame of all time in late 2014. The sequel<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes</em>, was just as successful, as well as the third installment, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham</em>.</div>
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“I am the night. For JUSTICE!”</div>
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Just what is it about the brick-fied Caped Crusader that makes him such a delight for fans and non-fans alike? Here are the many ways that Lego has successfully recreated Batman, turning him into a hilarious and ridiculously flawless legend.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.Batman being too full of himself in The Lego Movie</strong></div>
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Phil Lord and Chris Miller reinvented the Dark Knight to be even darker in 2013’s <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lego Movie</em>, but it’s not quite in the way you’d expect. With funnyman Will Arnett voicing Gotham’s protector, Batman has never been more hilarious. Pompous, arrogant, and with a genuine belief that he is a chick magnet, Lego Batman always feels like he should be at the center of the stage, in the spotlight, and the ultimate hero of every single scene. He’s neglected his girlfriend in the film, and he’s even written his own song to showcase his poor, tortured, and frustrated artistic soul. Aptly titled “Untitled Self-Portrait”, the song that Lego Batman composed goes on and on in an emo rock theme about darkness, having no parents, and other places that are dark. Finally, after listing down things like basements and drawn curtains, he ends the song with saying that he’s incredibly rich, which he totally is. He even announces that this thing is real music—oh, Bats, we never would have thought otherwise.</div>
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Because the ground-breaking version of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lego Movie</em> was such a big hit, there will actually be a spin-off movie in 2017 featuring The Dark Knight himself. Our lovable little detective will star in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The LEGO Batman Movie</em> with Will Arnett reprising his role as Bruce Wayne and Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon. She is the daughter of police commissioner James Gordon, and, true to the comics, she later becomes Batgirl. What’s even more exciting is that according to Phil Lord, the movie will explore Batman’s inner existence as a frustrated artist. Does that mean we get to see even more of his artsy musical pieces? Yes, we certainly hope so.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The World’s Greatest Detective believing in nothing and nobody else but himself</strong></li>
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In the animated movie <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego DC Comics Super Heroes Justice League: Cosmic Clash</em>, Brainiac formulates a terrible plan of cataloguing the earth and shrinking it into a handy bottle size for his own personal collection. Barking out orders like he knows he’s entitled to, Lego Batman sets Flash and Cyborg on their own specific missions to stop Brainiac from accomplishing his evil deeds. Cyborg then wishes them all good luck, but Batman refuses to believe in anything else. In the hysterical clip below, he declares with such pride that he only believes in himself—after all, who wouldn’t? And by the way, Batman also has his own branded vitamin drink in the movie with his logo on the can, which he gives to Flash when he runs out of energy. How awesome is that?</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman becomes the fearless leader of the Justice League</strong></li>
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Always walking around with his cape raised and poised for attack, Bats becomes the leader of the Justice League in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego DC Comics Super Heroes Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom</em>. Who says there’s any contest between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel? Even though <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Batman v. Superman</em> would like to pit them against each other, this animated movie has Superman in full support of Batman when the League decides to vote. Lego Batman takes the role of the “fearless leader” quite seriously, even giving Cyborg the iron-clad advice that “feeling” is a problem and that he should stuff his emotions deep down inside. Also, when Superman comments that he never saw it coming when the villains attacked, Batman goes, “<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I</em> did.” He always has to have the last word, doesn’t he? Truly, Batman is the new Chuck Norris of Internet memes.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bruce deduces Superman’s secret identity because, well, he’s Batman</strong></li>
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Again, there’s no better team-up than The World’s Finest: Superman and Batman. Along the lines of the big screen adaptation this coming March, these two superheroes try to best each other in many areas of expertise, including revealing their secret identities. This highly entertaining exchange happens in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League</em>, where the two of them bust each other’s secrets. Of course, Batman always needs to be one step ahead because, well, he’s Batman.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Caped Crusader gets more than his cape is worth</strong></li>
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Superman and Batman are best bros, no matter what they all say. They will always have each other’s backs, just like in this adorable clip from <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lego Batman 2.</em> Of course, everyone knows that Batman, even though he is a master at practically everything, has no superpowers and hence, he cannot fly. Clark, however, has got that covered, even adding a little bit of flair to it when Batman goes up into the air. Who needs the Bat Signal when you’ve got <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that?</em></div>
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Are you a fan of the Lego Batman version of our beloved Dark Knight? What are your favorite moments from any of the Lego Batman franchises? We would love to hear your thoughts about everything, so we can get a few laughs in before the jaw-dropping movie comes out next week. We can’t be more excited—who’s booking front row seats on opening day? We most certainly will!</div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/recreating-the-dark-knight-top-5-funniest-lego-batman-moments/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-4989194933042295102016-03-12T23:19:00.000-08:002016-03-31T23:20:01.828-07:00Reasons Why You Should Be Watching Adventure Time Right Now<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #183438; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If you can’t surf more than one website on the World Wide Web without seeing your meme popping up, it can only mean one thing—you are insanely famous. This is exactly what has happened to the popular Cartoon Network show about a boy and his loyal dog doing heroic deeds in the Land of Ooo. <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> is now considered a cultural icon, and the hordes of fans and cult-like following of made-up slang prove just how good the cartoon is. If you’re not addicted to the colorful series just yet, here’s why you should tune in to it right now:</div>
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BFFs for life!</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. It’s for kids…but not really.</strong></div>
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Sure, Finn the Human and his best friend Jake the Dog may be off to fight monsters and save princesses on a daily basis, and their wild adventures may appeal to eager little kids (even the show’s title is geared towards children). But the beauty of<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> is that the plotlines go deeper than what can be seen at face value, and often, there are dialogues and insights that only grownups can understand. In fact, most of the hardcore fans of the series are adults, because as quirky and adorable as the art can be, the themes are actually for mature audiences. Where else can you find humor that’s about living together with a girlfriend who just gave birth to five kids, or about running away from home to go live in the woods with a can of beans?</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time lingo is just lumpin’ mathematical.</strong></li>
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Have you ever heard of the words Shmowzow, Slammacow, or Son of a Bleeblop? The show really uses its liberties to invent new phrases and cool words for describing situations. As funny as it is surprisingly apt, the slang is something that the members of the <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> community use themselves and love. For instance, just use the following words to replace “awesome” in a sentence, and you’ve got yourself some certified <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> lingo: mathematical, algebraic, rhombus, math, and tops blooby.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lumpy Space Princess is everything.</strong></li>
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Purple, lumpy, and with an attitude that just won’t quit, Lumpy Space Princess or LSP is one of the most popular characters in the show. Voiced by <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> creator Pendleton Ward, Lumpy Space Princess has a deep Valley girl voice that’s bratty and bitchy and absolutely perfect. She’s always whining about everything, but she’s just so lumpin’ loveable that she’s become everyone’s favorite. LSP has her own set of lumpy language, too—and it basically involves a lot of lumps. You should hear her scream “Oh my glob!” and “Lump off!”—I swear you’ll want to hear her over and over again. LSP is all about the drama, but despite her spoiled nature, she’s got a good heart deep down those purple lumps she’s so proud of.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The show itself grows up with you.</strong></li>
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It’s not very often that a cartoon features characters that actually age, but that is exactly the case with everyone in Ooo. Finn and Jake age a year with every season, and the events that transpire in every episode are canon and are continued for the rest of the series. There’s a solid sense of continuity in the show, which makes audiences feel like they’re not simply wasting their time. Character backgrounds slowly unfold as pasts are revealed as well, and when events transpire, they become permanent. Jake the Dog really did sire children with his girlfriend Lady Rainicorn, and those kids keep growing up with each new episode (sometimes even faster than he does himself).</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Life lessons abound.</strong></li>
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Sure; there are your average lessons on friendship and bravery in every adventure. There are even moments that teach us about puppy love and how people change and fall apart in relationships. But the beauty of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> is that it’s not afraid to address the hard issues in life as well, and it does not hold back when showing audiences what it’s like in the real world. The Land of Ooo may be set in the post-apocalyptic world after the Great Mushroom War, but the lessons contained within are more real than ever. There are stories of loss and of moving on, of dementia and misplaced love, as well as abandonment and depression. Characters will not hesitate to fall apart in the show, and there are plenty of moments where audiences can expect to shed a tear. Simply watch any episode about Marceline the Vampire Queen and Simon a.k.a. the Ice King and you’re sure to well up at their story.</div>
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<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time is just too imaginative and insane.</strong></li>
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…insanely good, that is. There are hidden gems or Easter eggs in a lot of episodes, like the whole arc where you can always see the Evil Snail waving at you from behind the camera. There are actual threats that are dark and mysterious, making you realize just how invested you are in the lives of these characters you’ve grown to love so much. Rooting for them is as natural as biting your nails in anxiety when villains appear to win. Plus, there’s a bunch of non-stereotypical characters that make the show appealing: the science geek Princess Bubblegum who rules the Candy Kingdom with a democratic fist, Marcy the immortal vampire who only sucks the color red out of things, the bad guy Ice King who just wants to have a friend, and BMO the sentient robot pet whose innocence and pure heart makes it the most loyal sidekick you can ever ask for.</div>
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Setting aside the wacky misadventures of the main characters (sometimes involving burritos, apple pies, and bacon pancakes), what make <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adventure Time</em> a genuinely good show are the hearts with which each character acts upon. They may just be drawings on pen and paper, but these fictional faves can teach us so much more about life if we just pay attention—plus, they’re just really cute, too. Do you need any more convincing? Tune in to Cartoon Network to catch this show now!</div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/what-time-is-it-its-adventure-time/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-50275099596560910462016-03-05T06:13:00.001-08:002016-03-05T06:13:39.745-08:00Book Review: The Last Girlfriend on Earth by Simon Rich<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #183438; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. Isn’t that the way that love works?</div>
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No matter who you are or what your age is, love will always—always—find you, and not in the best way you think. It doesn’t matter if you’re a revolutionary scientist who’s theory on human evolution has changed the way humankind views life on earth, the most famous detective the world has ever known, or even the creator of every single thing in this universe. One thing is for sure—a girl out there is just waiting to break your heart.</div>
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Is this how the world will end?</div>
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So begins the story—or stories, rather—of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Last Girlfriend on Earth</em> by Simon Rich. Told in a hilariously entertaining collection of short but sweet pieces, the book gives us the most accurate portrayal of men and women since John Gray’s <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus</em>. It’s not a self-help book, but because Rich paints quite a picture with every tale that stems from his wildly imaginative and creative mind, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Last Girlfriend on Earth </em>presents a perfect inside look into the male psyche, and how it fails horribly when it comes to wooing the fair member of the opposite sex.</div>
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Separated into three sections (aptly titled <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boy Meets Girl, Boy Gets Girl, </em>and<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Boy Loses Girl</em>), author Simon Rich’s masterpiece tells it like it is. Being in a relationship is not the least bit easy, but as complicated as boys and girls can be, love gets us all in the end. Bizarre, surreal, poignant, sweet, enchanting, and socially awkward—all these describe the many tales of love found and love lost in the book. If, while reading the piece, you find yourself cringing at the familiarity of it all, you’re not alone. Even in a short story about a bullied caveman, a man in a committed relationship boot camp, or a futuristic expedition of post-apocalyptic earth, you will inexplicably relate to the themes in the book because really, who hasn’t gone through drastic measures to catch the attention of an unrequited love or suffered the consequences of a blind date matchup gone wrong?</div>
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“It is a pretty honest and personal book, which is a strange thing to say about a book that’s filled with so much time travel, and rocket ships, and talking trolls and magical goats,” says Rich, “but it is actually a pretty honest book.” As one of Saturday Night Live’s youngest writers, Simon Rich is all about the classic, good ol’ American humor. He grew up watching SNL, and the pressure and rhythm of working on the live show was something he thoroughly enjoyed, adapting to his writing the style of pitching a hundred sketches a year and finding out which one will stick. His stint at the popular show is fairly noticeable in his works, as some stories almost read like actual SNL skits.</div>
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For instance, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Set Up </em>follows the story of a dismayed single guy who got paired up with a troll, while <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cupid</em> is all about Zeus’ frustration that the winged deliverer of love is too drunk to perform any of his responsibilities down below. “Trying to write about these experiences we’ve all had, these experiences of falling in love, and losing someone and wanting someone, and getting dumped, or having to dump someone, it only felt natural to write about them in these extreme, bizarre high-stakes arenas, like science fiction and horror and crime,” says Rich, who believes that for those people in their late 20s, the stakes are all too high when it comes to dating. “Because when you’re living through it, it does feel about as extreme as things can get.”</div>
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Messy, painful, and tragic—yep, that’s love, alright.</div>
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In the Victorian style of children’s literature writing done in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Magical Mr. Goat</em>, we get a painfully funny glimpse of what it’s like to stop the advances of someone who’s hopelessly in love with you. “This is a story based on an experience that I think a lot of young men have had and young women, where you’re in what you think is a very good, fun, stable platonic friendship, and then ultimately it turns out that one of the people in that friendship has ulterior motives,” says Rich, a former editor of the Harvard Lampoon. In this world today, that’s actually what we call the Friend Zone, and it’s a horrible place that nobody ever wants to find themselves in. Of course, in this book’s case, you get to throw in a magical goat. What’s not to like?</div>
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Another noteworthy original and beautifully told tale is <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unprotected</em>, which chronicles the life of—believe it or not—a condom. In his brief time inside a boy’s wallet, he learns everything there is to know about the world outside, and accompanies his host on his insightful journey to becoming a man in this odd but touching coming-of-age story. The innocent condom gets to meet gaming cards, a student ID, different dollar bills, a Driver’s License, and even the all-knowing Metro Card before getting to meet a girl’s number and a first date receipt. In <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Excavation Report</em>, readers are given an unbelievable sneak peek into the future of mankind, where the Great Google Crash of 4081 prompted researchers to study the pre-Internet courtship rituals between men and women. It was said that before the official mandate of the Galactic Government making OKCupid a necessity, men would resort to self-induced brain damage (referring to drinking alcohol) in order to beg women for intercourse in public places (referring to bars). Ridiculous yet funny because it’s true, the research report ends with a salute to the remarkable resilience of man and his will to survive in that so-called primitive world.</div>
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But despite the laugh-out-loud nature of the book, it also details the feeling of heartbreak and learning to let go. <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Haunting of 26 Bleecker </em>Street is all about trying to get rid of our ex’s things, and it captures the difficulty of moving on down to a T. On the other hand, the <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#hugot </em>moments in <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Present</em> is so raw and emotionally charged that the ending just might make you shed a tear. <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Invisible Man</em> also proves that in a painful breakup, nations may go to war and life as you know it may be gone forever, but losing the one you love is the only real reason for your whole world to end.</div>
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All.The. Feels.</div>
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Still, it’s not all gloom-and-doom either. In the final story in this brilliant book, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trade</em> shows us that despite the unbearable pain of a love lost, love can and will be found again in time, and everything starts anew.</div>
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This Valentine’s Day, skip the romantic comedies and cheesy Nicholas Sparks novels for a change. Instead, pick up <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Last Girlfriend on Earth</em> by Simon Rich, and you just might learn a thing or two about how true love works in real life. With an author who’s not only published film scripts, best-selling novels, and pieces for the New Yorker but is also writing for Pixar, how can you go wrong?</div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/book-review-the-last-girlfriend-on-earth-by-simon-rich/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-58152159841582768492016-02-17T01:09:00.002-08:002016-02-17T01:14:19.605-08:00The Great DC Comics Show Crossover<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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Smallville: it all began in a small Kansas town filled with cows, corn, and a disturbing amount of “meteor freaks” roaming what otherwise would be the dullest place to be. Of course, the handsome and naïve blue-eyed boy in the Kent farm made all the difference, and we loyal fans watched him grow up in ten seasons into the legend we’ve always known he would be.</div>
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Fast forward to today, where costumed crime fighters are popping up on screens both big and small everywhere you look. It’s the era of the superhero shows, and DC Comics is at the forefront of the TV universe with crossovers between our favorite characters that leave us with nothing but nerd-gasms. A friendly warning: there are mild spoilers for the shows up ahead! <o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>1.On “Arrow”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Seeing Green Arrow teaming up with The Fastest Man Alive in live-action used to be just an impossible dream, but we geeks are taking over the world one show at a time, and now, anything is possible. CW’s <i>Arrow</i> has been steadily building up the shared universe that <i>Arrow</i> and <i>Flash</i> have (Vixen is coming soon, too!), and everything is coming together with shared villains and epic superhero team-ups. It only makes sense because <i>Flash</i> actually spun off from <i>Arrow</i> in the first place, so pairing them up (along with their corresponding super teams) is as natural as Ollie’s supposed goatee. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, as unnatural as Black Canary’s so-called blond hair, <i>Arrow</i> has always been a sort of replacement for the doom and gloom that only The Dark Knight can bring, and it’s getting incredibly annoying. You can pit Oliver against the League of Assassins—even get him hitched with the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul—but you cannot just blatantly grab concepts right out of Batman’s brooding book. It simply does not sit well with fans. It’s a good thing the creative team behind the show is finally accepting that, turning Ollie into a lighter version of himself and adding the “Green” to “Green Arrow”. They even added a little jab at Bats when Ollie gave Felicity her codename and said he was going to go with “Oracle” but it was already taken. Does that mean we’ll see a crossover between <i>Arrow</i> and <i>Gotham</i> soon? Given that the two shows are on different networks (and different timelines), it might be a bit of a stretch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What isn’t a stretch is the shared world of GA and Constantine, who’s already proven his mettle with the dark arts when he helped the Arrow team bring Sara Lance back to her normal self after coming back from the dead. It’s a shame they didn’t create more episodes like this, as Constantine is just absolutely brilliant.</div>
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<b>2. On “Flash”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Aside from the obvious team-ups with GA, Flash has been quite busy with a myriad of beloved DC characters of his own. There’s Cisco (a.k.a. Vibe) and Caitlin (a.k.a. future Killer Frost) working with Felicity from time to time, and of course, there are the hawks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://media.makeameme.org/created/you-either-die-zg82am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://media.makeameme.org/created/you-either-die-zg82am.jpg" width="320" /></a>Recently introduced in the timeline, Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been up against the immortal Vandal Savage since forever, and this became the jump-off point for DC’s <i>Legends of Tomorrow</i>. Ray Palmer (a.k.a. The Atom) and Sara Lance (a.k.a. White Canary) from <i>Arrow</i> joined up with <i>Flash</i> show characters Captain Cold, Heatwave, Firestorm, and the hawks to star in a show of their own, blatantly giving viewers an in-your-face announcement that all three of these shows have one big shared universe. This concept initially seemed like it was doomed to fail from the very beginning, but this recipe for disaster actually turned out to be a pretty sweet set-up, with surprisingly good reactions from the two-part pilot episode. It’s basically one heck of an enjoyable ride, and it’s so wild it might just work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. On “Supergirl”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The most recent breaking news here is that <i>Flash</i> and <i>Supergirl</i> are crossing over into each other’s worlds on March 28, which is exciting but begs the question on how they’re going to pull this off. For one thing, an actual Superman exists and is common knowledge for everyone in the world of Supergirl, while Flash has no idea any other hero exists outside his and Green Arrow’s world. Will The Big Blue be a big surprise for Barry, or will it be another parallel dimension thing? They did, after all, already establish the multiverse DC Comics is so famous for, with characters from Earth-Two already making headlines in <i>Flash</i>. Plus, they’ve got the Martian Manhunter in Supergirl, too. So with Hawkgirl, Flash, and the Martian in the picture, could we see the beginnings of the Justice League (as in the animated series that ran years ago called <i>Justice League Unlimited</i>) soon? We can only keep our fingers crossed. Hal Jordan should be the next big reveal, shouldn’t he?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of Sector 2814’s Green Lantern, in a brief flashback on <i>Arrow</i>, someone in Coast City had on a bomber jacket with the nametag “Jordan” on it, so yes, the appearance of the Corps is very much a possibility. This is just too much for my poor little geeky heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. On “Gotham”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This one’s a toughie, given that the show is on a different network and is set at an earlier time period than the rest. Little Brucie is just a boy, and the Batman is yet but a future concept. But they did show the big “Q” logo of Queen Consolidated on one of the buildings against the Gotham skyline, and both <i>Arrow</i> and <i>Gotham</i> shared one villain once—the Dollmaker. It’s a different incarnation of the character, but the same one nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Gotham would be a tough one,” says <i>Arrow</i> star Stephen Amell, “just because I think they’re out in a different time but the crossover with The Flash was so much fun and did so well that I can’t imagine a world — a universe, no pun intended — where that didn’t happen and continue to happen all the time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5. On everything else<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://media.tumblr.com/98cd00a17d9aea62ab2eac1ed528ceac/tumblr_inline_mme3pylPQX1qz4rgp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://media.tumblr.com/98cd00a17d9aea62ab2eac1ed528ceac/tumblr_inline_mme3pylPQX1qz4rgp.gif" /></a>What about the DC Films universe? That merits a whole new article and commentary altogether, but just to lightly touch on the subject, <i>Arrow</i> has already had its incarnation of the Suicide Squad way before the movie was announced. Deadshot and a little Easter egg of Harley Quinn were in the show, and now, they’ve just gone and shot Amanda Waller in the head. There’s no going back from that, now that the Lazarus Pit from Nanda Parbat is kaput. Perhaps DC is killing off <i>Arrow’s</i> Waller to make room for <i>The Suicide Squad</i> movie version of her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s also Midway City mentioned in <i>Flash</i>, where Patty Spivot is moving to pursue further studies. Midway City is also in the Suicide Squad movie, and the hawks also used to live in Midway City before they made St. Roch their home. So could there be something there, after all? That’s what time travel and the multiverse are for, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deathstroke and Shadowspire have also made appearances in <i>Arrow</i>, so could Teen Titans be in the works? All these fan theories just prove that anything is possible, and there’s no better time to be a comic book fan than now. So kudos to DC Comics, and onward to good things!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>*This article was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/the-great-dc-comics-show-crossover/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE</a>.</i></b></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-29560193963705634482016-02-01T01:34:00.003-08:002016-02-01T23:57:26.716-08:00Book Review: Going Bovine by Libba Bray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How do you know what’s real and what’s not? At the end of it all, does it really even matter?<br />
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In this hilarious dark comedy by award-winning author Libba Bray, readers are faced with one big question: if you were to die of an incurable disease, how would you live your life to the fullest? The crazy yet earnest journey of the protagonist will no doubt make you question whether you’re living your life the way you should, or you’re just wasting away one day at a time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World. I'm sixteen now, so you can imagine that's left me with quite a few days of major suckage.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cameron Smith is your average disinterested teenager: English teacher mother, father having an affair, perfect sister, invisible at school. While he feels like he is going nowhere, his family keeps trying to convince him that he should take a more active part in his own life. He knows there’s got to be more to living than this, and, after experiencing an intense hallucination of burning flames in English class, Cameron gets sent to drug counselors. The doctors then reveal that he is suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob variant BSE—otherwise known as mad cow disease.</div>
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Yup. Extremely rare mad cow disease, on him, a normal teenager who supposedly has his whole life ahead of him. And now, all of a sudden, a ticking time bomb drops and his life is cut short.</div>
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Cameron knows he only has a few more months to live as the disease eats away at his brain. But one horribly painful night while confined in the hospital, he wakes up from a hallucination and sees a heavenly vision—a beautiful girl with vibrant pink hair and spray-painted wings tells him that the so-called Wizard of Reckoning is out to destroy the world and only Cameron can save it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So. Go on a wild adventure to look for Dr. X with a pretty punk-rock angel in boots, or stay in the hospital and rot in his bovine disease? Cameron’s choice is obvious.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What follows is a surreal and deeply philosophical journey that pokes fun at our current pop cultures and religious cults while making us wonder what it truly means to live our lives to the fullest. Together with his loyal companions Gonzo the dwarf and Balder the Norse god in a garden gnome form, Cameron battles fire giants, becomes the star of a reality TV show, and dodges international snow globe retailers hell-bent on firing their guns and trapping people in snow globes for the rest of their lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>On life’s hard lessons<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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“I don't think you should die until you're ready. Until you've wrung out every last bit of living you can.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The most interesting thing about this novel is the fact that there are so many symbolisms and underlying themes that tackle human nature’s tendency to be content to live a mediocre life for fear of any real hardship or danger. It’s easy to stay in your own little snow globe forever, where everything is simple and pristine and safe. But in doing so, you will never know the beauty and wonder of what’s outside, and you’ll miss out on living your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“[Gonzo] has every right to call his mom and head back to Texas, but I hope he won't. The truth is, I've kind of gotten used to his neurotic weirdness, and I'd miss it if he left. Maybe that's what real friendship is—getting so used to people that you need to be annoyed by them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s one thing to have friends who will stick with you through thick and thin, but it’s another to have pals who will drop everything, go on a death-defying trip with you with no money and no real plan, and be with you until your last breath. Cameron and Gonzo have their disagreements—a lot of them actually—but at the heart of their friendship is true loyalty and brotherhood—the life-saving and life-sacrificing kind. Even Balder, though he only meets Cameron and Gonzo halfway through the adventure, is a true friend who sticks like glue. Readers will find themselves attached to his endearing nature and touched by his bravery that knows no bounds, despite the fact that he is trapped inside the body of a garden gnome. It just goes to show you that big hearts come in small packages.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“’No matter if he has lost his wits completely and speaks like one whom the dogs should tear asunder in a mercy killing,’ Balder continues. ‘This is a quest. I pledged my loyalty to Cameron back on the cul-de-sac. I shall see it through till the end.’”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>On reality, life, and death<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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“’You people slay me,’ she says with a laugh, and there's an edge to it. ‘Always worrying, 'What will happen? What's next?' Always everywhere but where you actually are. You just don't get it…Here. Now. This.’ She gestures wide, turns around. ‘This is it, cowboy. The whole ride. Pay attention.’”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dulcie, the punk-rock angel who guides Cameron throughout the whole escapade, tells him that there’s no reason to worry about what comes next. The whole point, she emphasizes, is to live in the moment, to appreciate the present, and to make the little things count. They do say that what’s essential is the journey and not the destination, right? This is exactly the problem of our fast-paced world today, where everything is instant and people no longer have time to slow down and actually live. There’s also something about how the story weaves in and out of hallucinations and hospital glimpses of Cameron’s family crying that makes the reader wonder if any of this is really even happening, but here’s the catch, summarized in a simple conversation with Cameron:<o:p></o:p></div>
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"Did you live these past two weeks?"<o:p></o:p></div>
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"I live every week!" I argue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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"No. You exist. The question is, did you live?"<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a second, I stop fighting and think about what he's asking me. Did I live? I made a best friend. Lost another. Cried. Laughed. Lost my virginity. Gained a piece of magic, gave it away. Possibly changed a man's destiny. Drank beer. Slept in cheap motels. Got pissed off. Laughed some more. Escaped from the police and bounty hunters. Watched the sun set over the ocean. Had a soda with my sister. Saw my mom and dad as they are. Understood music. Had sex again, and it was pretty mind-blowing. Not that I'm keeping score. Okay, I'm keeping score. Played the bass. Went to a concert. Wandered around New Orleans. Freed the snow globes. Saved the universe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that we’re just beginning a whole new year ahead of us this 2016, there’s no better lesson to learn than to know how to live a full life. It’s time to stop merely existing. It’s time to suck it all in, take the plunge, and go through all of life’s hardships in order to live the life we want. In the end, Cameron may have been getting closer to death with each passing second (due to a painful and incredibly weird disease he can’t even understand), but he certainly did not give up without a fight. What’s your excuse?<o:p></o:p></div>
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“’Maybe there's a universe where I don't get this disease at all. Where none of this happens.’ As soon as I say it, I think of Dulcie. Of Gonzo and Balder and this whole nutty trip, how I wouldn't trade parts of it for anything.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>*This post was first seen on <a href="http://thepoc.net/index.php/book-review-going-bovine-by-libba-bray/" target="_blank">The Philippine Online Chronicles HERE.</a></i></b></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-12811052559921825832016-01-10T19:31:00.002-08:002016-01-10T19:31:31.082-08:00Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong 2015<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfWuKRJRk2o/Vo-Dflf-lwI/AAAAAAAAAuA/Z95xViRiq1g/s1600/IMG_1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfWuKRJRk2o/Vo-Dflf-lwI/AAAAAAAAAuA/Z95xViRiq1g/s320/IMG_1548.JPG" width="320" /></a>Another long overdue post, this short photodump on the Comic-Con equivalent in Hong Kong will hopefully be the start of a series where I get to explore the different toycons and comicons around Asia (at least, since SDCC is quite an impossibility). The <b>Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong 2015 was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre last July 24-28, 2015</b>. It's the biggest geek event in the country, so naturally, the hubby and I were ecstatic. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9CANFLxvDM/Vo5jYXVcahI/AAAAAAAAAps/3UtutD2npL8/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9CANFLxvDM/Vo5jYXVcahI/AAAAAAAAAps/3UtutD2npL8/s320/IMG_1239.JPG" width="320" /></a>Open from 10am-9pm, Hall 1 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai welcomes all visitors in with a ticket price of <b>HKD35</b>. You can purchase your tickets at the door, but an <b>IMPORTANT NOTE</b> is that if you're a tourist, there's a separate line for you so make sure that you <b>BRING YOUR PASSPORT</b> (or at least a duplicate of your passport like the hubby and I had) because they will ask to see it. </div>
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There's a lot of Gundam action as you enter right away, but since we're not big on those, we went ahead and skipped to the Hot Toys displays up front. What really made us go "ooh" and "ahh" was the scaled Millenium Falcon and Tie Fighters display surrounded by Storm Troopers in the middle. It was HUGE.</div>
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Of course, my personal faves were all the DC Comics merchandise. Not that I was able to buy them all or anything, but it was a complete delight just oggling at them through the display cases.</div>
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Thankfully, I saved up some budget for some DC x Hello Kitty exclusives that were on sale specifically just for Ani-Com. I got three of these for just HKD 600. How will I fit these in our luggage on the way home? We'll cross that bridge when we get there.</div>
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There were also these uber-cute Final Fantasy plushies (Tonberry and Cactuar being the ones I found cutest) and a whole bunch of Doraemon merchandise that I wish we had back here in the Philippines.</div>
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, there's not a lot of Funko POP vinyl toys in Hong Kong as compared to the sheer amount of Pops we have available here in the Philippines. Still, there was a booth dedicated to Funko, which is impossible to miss due to the life-sized SD Hulkbuster up front.</div>
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I scored some good comic finds at the manga stalls, too. Chi's Sweet Home is on sale, and that's something you won't find anywhere else but in Hong Kong (at least, for the Mandarin version). There's practically a shrine dedicated to Gudetama as well--you know, that unmotivated egg who's adorably lazy-ing up the whole Sanrio world? </div>
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They've got Transformers, Hot Toys, DC Comics and Marvel collectibles, Street Fighter, Sailor Moon, and basically everything you can think of that'll make you wish you had tons and tons of extra money lying around. </div>
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<b>MAP TO THE HONG KONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE:</b></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-89486324218210568122016-01-07T04:57:00.002-08:002016-03-28T10:22:45.265-07:00Guide to Toy Shops in Hong Kong<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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Being the weirdos that we are, my husband and I prioritized the most important activity when we went abroad last year—toy shopping in Hong Kong.</div>
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I know that this is a long overdue post, but it was the first time we ever went toy hunting in Hong Kong so we kind of panicked like little kids set loose in a candy store when we got there. I would have liked to take more pictures of the shops and the actual toys available there, but all thoughts of snapping photos were thrown out the window the moment we set foot inside the toy stores in Hong Kong. So. I’ll have this list updated with more photos soon when we do come back for more, but for now, I hope some descriptions will do.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>1. In’s Point - 530-538 Nathan Rd, near Yau Ma Tei MTR Station</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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This is pretty much every toy collector’s haven. Be prepared to squeeze your way through the narrow hallways when you arrive during peak hours after work. Think Greenhills tiangge but purely for toys—it’s basically an even bigger and way better Shoppesville Plus. There are two floors filled with all kinds of collectibles from Hot Toys to lose Gashapon capsule toys. You can also find a lot of anime goodies here (Sailor Moon is still a popular bet), along with DC Comics and Marvel figures as well. While it used to be packed with action figures in years past, it’s now steadily becoming more of a Lego hub, as most minifigs, playsets, and loose bricks can be bought at an extremely cheaper price than here in the Philippines. I got myself a couple of Tsum Tsum collectibles (there’s one stall dedicated entirely to official Tsum Tsum merchandise straight from Japan!), while the hubby scored some Lego sets for himself.</div>
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Since the stuff here at In’s Point are more our cup of tea, I think this is probably the best toy shop in Hong Kong for us, so much so that we went back twice and still weren’t able to buy everything we wanted. This is because most of the stalls here are owned by students or employees who aren’t around during school days/office hours, so some of the shops only open on certain hours during the weekend or at night during weekdays. Not all the shops open at the same time, either, because as mentioned, the store hours depend on the store owner’s free time. One trip to In’s Point is definitely not enough as you might not be able to catch the store you’re eyeing open in time. The hubby and I ended up pressing our noses up the glass display of some of the stalls that were closed because we wanted to buy some stuff inside but couldn’t to our dismay. It’s best to ask around about the schedule of the stall you want to buy from, which usually opens from 3pm onwards or after office hours on weekdays.</div>
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It’s also a good idea to jot down prices from different stalls as you search for the cheapest find. If you’re the type without a sense of direction like me, then it’s best to mark down the location of the stall you want to return to after scouting the whole area. I sometimes get lost wanting to go back to a stall I’ve visited. It’s like effing Narnia in there, or the moving staircases at Hogwarts—at least for poor, directionless me.</div>
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A note to the ladies: there are bathrooms on every floor, but for some reason when we went to visit, they were all closed or under maintenance. Not to worry though—you can take a pee break on the top floor of the building where a fancy Chinese restaurant is located.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. Richmond Arcade - 109 Argyle St, Mong Kok</b></div>
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What shoppers often forget when arriving here is that there is a basement floor where you can find scale models, Gundam kits, Playarts, and anime figures. Of course, the top floors are filled with so much more, including vintage collectibles and a surprising number of Ultraman figures. Be prepared to hoard, so it’s best if you have some ecobags handy so that you can just keep stuffing all your rare finds in there. Like I said, we weren’t able to take a lot of pictures, so for now, at least before we go back next time, here’s a walkthrough video from WalkThroughHK:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. CTMA Center - 1N Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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This one is pretty huge and has a wider selection of goods compared to In’s Point, mainly because it’s not just for toys. The CTMA Center also has clothes and bargain goods similar to Greenhills’ actual tiangge, depending on the section or floor you’re on. Unfortunately, this also means that some of the stuff here are bootleg versions just like in our actual tiangges, so just be aware of what’s original and what’s not.</div>
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Still, if you’re a big Hot Toys fan, CTMA Center is probably the best toy store in Hong Kong for you because there’s this shop called Toy Hunters where you can pre-order and pick up some Hot Toys. Not really our thing, but it’s heaven for most collectors. You can also visit Superman Toys for a wide variety of collectibles that include Pixar toys (yay!).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. AA Place - 9/F Lee Theatre Plaza, Causeway Bay</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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Just like most of the toy shops in Hong Kong, AA Place closes really late at 10pm. This is the place to be for every Lego fanatic—they’ve even got a Lego minifigure museum where you can salivate over the rare minifigs and curse the heavens because you know you can never afford all of them. Kids can build the day away over at the free play area, while bored adults can sip some coffee at the AA Place café. The highlight of the shop for my hubby is the rows and rows of Lego bricks in every shape, size, and color imaginable. He spent a good two hours or so in there looking for the perfect pieces for his particular brick projects.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>5. Toys R Us - 7/F, Windsor House, Causeway Bay ; Shop OTG23, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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No Hong Kong toy run would be complete without a trip to at least one Toys R Us branch. Sadly, I noticed that there aren’t a lot of Funko Pop figures in Hong Kong, so if you’re a Funko fan like me, Greenhills is still the best place to shop for Pops (Big Boys Toys and Kramer, for instance). Still, we got a lot of Kinder Joy Egg Surprises here for our nephews and nieces (there’s Sophia The First, Planes, Cars, Avengers, Minions, Disney Princesses, Frozen, and Big Hero 6). <o:p></o:p></div>
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When you visit, be on the lookout for tourist promos because they’ve got a lot of those to promote tourism (which is really something we oughta learn here in the Philippines). For example, when we visited, we got freebies simply by presenting our passports as tourists. Here’s what we got:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6. Mall Pop-Up Stores</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not sure if it’s just because of the sale season when we visited towards the end of July, but almost all of the malls had exhibits and pop-up stores that sold toys and collectibles for a limited period of time. We were fortunate enough to catch a few of them:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Sanrio pop-up store at Windsor House, Causeway Bay<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Mazinger Z exhibit at The One Mall, 100 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Minions exhibit and pop-up store at MOKO Mall, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Gundam exhibit at Time Square Mall, 1 Matheson St, Causeway Bay</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7. Charlie Brown Café - 58-60 Cameron Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, so this one is just for Snoopy fans, but in light of the upcoming Peanuts movie this January 8<sup>th</sup>, the Charlie Brown Café is the perfect place to soak in all the Peanuts atmosphere. From good food to one-of-a-kind merchandise, the place is a must-see especially when you’re in TST. Just look at the amazing interior design!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Hopefully, we'll be back in Hong Kong soon for more updates, but for now, more toy runs in other Asian countries await (woot!).</o:p></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896624642588864390.post-5279955953285698722016-01-04T08:08:00.000-08:002016-01-04T08:08:09.479-08:00I Fell In Love With The Boy In The Coffee Shop<div class="MsoNormal">
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No, it's not what you think. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn't some random stranger, a fated young man on the far
side of the cafe, our eyes meeting and lingering as I sit there in the corner
of my booth, book in hand and the sweet aroma of brewing beans in the air. No,
I don't turn my eyes away, my cheeks burning, half expecting him to get up and
walk over to me until he finally does. He doesn't slide over, charm me with his
smile, and strike up a conversation that will forever be immortalized and
hailed as the most romantic conversation in the annals of history. No, I don't
smile and he doesn't smile and we don't decide right then and there that this is
it, the thing most people spend their whole lives searching for, rare and
unadulterated and pure, the white-hot fire of raw love burning deep inside our
hearts and threatening to consume us completely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No, it was nothing like that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But there was a young man. There was a lingering of eyes, a
runaway fire, a coy smile, a spark.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a coffee shop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I fell in love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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A secret meeting in a bookstore, when he called me and I
turned around to see him. To this day, I still keep turning around for him,
seeing his face light up and feeling my heart skip a beat. A trip to the comic
book store. Some embarrassing geekiness. The realization that we are kindred
spirits—broken and found and pieced together—and despite taking forever, our time
has finally come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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Falling in love is nothing grand. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On that first date, it's the twitch in the corner of his
lips, a hint of a smile. It's him leading me across the coffee shop, the touch
of his fingers on the small of my back—light, unsure, afraid. It's the endless
stories we shared and the beauty of our silence, nodding our heads and feeling
like we understood each other even though no words were said. It's him leaning
forward on the table across from me, eager to hear everything. It's the wave
goodbye, the promise of another meeting, the giddiness that reached up to our
eyes. It's the way I bit my lip, my heart racing, thoughts of dancing in my
room and me gazing out the car window on the way home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was twenty-three, and there I was, in a cheesy Taylor Swift
song, one that I never wanted to stop. I’ve had my share of heartaches, but her
song was right: on a Wednesday, in a cafe, I watched love begin again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s been five years. Now I'm lying in bed in the dark,
listening to the soft rise and fall of my husband's chest, my hand over his
heart, his hand over mine. I can still see the hint of a smile on the corner of
his lips, the same one that captivated me all those years ago. I can still feel
the spark in his touch, the gentleness in his fingers. I can still see him,
that shy stance and those hopeful eyes, as clear as the day we first met.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He is still that same boy in the coffee shop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And every day, I fall in love with him.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Noob Wifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466210573595836409noreply@blogger.com0