Howdy y'all! I apologize for being MIA last Thursday, but I honestly couldn't think of anything to write about and I didn't want to type out filler just because it was Thursday, so I spared you all that grief, (you're welcome). It's hard to come up with content sometimes, so some days you just have to say "screw it" and wait until something comes to you, as all great writers have done. Regardless of my brain fart last week, I'm coming to you this week with some great news!
First of all, unrelated to the main point of this post, I have recently come into what normal people would call a "paycheck," so I used that to get me the newly released and gorgeous Queen of Shadows by the lovely and talented Sarah J. Maas. I bought it yesterday while I was still in the middle of the third book, Heir of Fire, but I thought, "What the heck, why not?" So here I am, already a quarter of the way through it because I JUST CANNOT STOP. The fandom is real people. So, as you might have already guessed, I'll be adding Queen of Shadows to my already impressive list of September books to wrap up in a few weeks. I feel like I've read so much this month and it's only the fifteenth... Keep that in mind, because I may very well add more to my TBR list if I keep this pace up.
The main reason we're here today is for another installment of Nerd Alert, where I talk about something nerdy and relevant to not only my life, but hopefully yours as well. Last week some information dropped out of Nintendo that had me literally crying with happiness and I've come to share that with you, (if you live under a rock and haven't heard or don't care, there's something wrong with you). Pokemon Go is happening and all my elementary school dreams have come true.
(www.vg247.com)
A little history for you regarding me and my love for Pokemon: it all started when I was eight years old and 1998 was a good time to be alive. My younger sister and I started collecting and playing with the cards that were released in droves like a parasite, seeping into our daily lives and our friendships at school as well. It was nothing like it is today, where kids will play dirty, steal cards from others and cheat until they get their way. Parents, school officials and guidance counselors have gotten involved with some of the nasty things kids will do to protect their cards these days. 1998 was a simpler time, where kids enjoyed playing and battling with each other without the risk of espionage. So after awhile, my sister and I also received our first taste of the Game Boy system, and what a world that was. It was so new and exciting that I was consumed by it, playing any time I could, connecting with my friends at school, after school and at home through a link cable, (you know, when we didn't have wireless connectivity everywhere?) I loved the Pokemon games more than the cards, and thus began my love affair with the pocket monsters.
(DSHikarudesign.blogspot.com)
I still have my Pokemon Blue version for my Game Boy Pocket, which is green and only displays in black and grey, (NO color until I got my Game Boy Color, obviously). I took a hiatus from playing because I was too cool for that in high school or something and re-introduced myself to Pokemon two years ago, when I bought myself a Nintendo 3DS with some of my Christmas money, (because I'm an adult), along with the new Pokemon X game. I hadn't played since I got my Game Boy Advance years ago, so this 3DS was new to me. Once I got used to it, I could really see the similarities to the older games. Little did I know Pokemon would evolve again into something none of us could've fathomed at eight years old.
I saw the trailer for Pokemon Go at work, actually, through a kind customer who had the decency to show me. I was entranced, the nostalgia flowing freely through me, as I beheld the glorious footage. I will link the video below so you can all watch and be amazed!
Little is known about this system or how it will work. I've read a lot about similar types of games or apps that failed because the desire or technology wasn't enough. This time I think they will be able to grab people with the sheer magnitude of what this could become for gamers and/or Pokemon enthusiasts, both young and old. The game seems to be based around GPS coordinates guiding people through their phones or a small watch-like Poke ball accessory towards various types of Pokemon in the real world. If you've played Pokemon before, or even watched the show on TV or played the card game, you'll know how incredible this would be if it worked well. The trailer also implies that you'll be able to trade and battle with friends and also battle wild Pokemon. Although the game is being released sometime next year, there still isn't enough information out about this game. We'll have to wait and see what Nintendo has in store for us, but regardless of how it works, I'm definitely on board with this.
(www.polygon.com)
So what do you think? Do you like Pokemon, or did you used to when you were little? What is your favorite Pokemon? Were you more of a card player or Game Boy addict? Would you get this app for your phone when it comes out? (maybe I'll do a review of it!) What would you like to know more about the Pokemon Go app? Let's discuss in the comments below. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Hey all! Welcome back:) It was a nice weekend for me, despite working, (and then realizing I have almost the entire week off...lame). Still no baby boy from my sister-in-law, but we will definitely see him by the end of next week if it doesn't happen soon. Can't wait to be an auntie!! Other than that, nothing really exciting has happened yet, so unfortunately it's another Tuesday rendition of Boring Blog, which, apparently, a lot of you actually like, so maybe I'll keep this going.
Also, this is currently happening in the classroom I'm in today...not sure why someone would keep something so obviously creepy in a Social Studies classroom, but who am I to judge?...
First things first: I start my final semester of courses today! First class on deck is "Special Topics in English Teaching" with the wonderful Alecia Magnifico. I am most looking forward to my classes this semester, especially this one. The class I have tomorrow is "Teaching Writing in the 21st Century," which sounded very interesting to me. I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons as an educator and learning more new and captivating ideas this year to prepare me for my internship this fall.
Second thing: Pokemon update. I have now obtained all eight gym badges and have made it to the chambers of the Elite Four, (FINALLY). It literally took me about four hours to get through just that section, battling all of the trainers on the long and winding road up to the Pokemon League. After reviving at least three of my top Pokemon about six times, I made it to the Pokemon Center before the main building, (thank God for that, because I don't think I'd make it very far without one. I thought it was a little ridiculous to have THAT many trainers on the road just to enter the area where the Elite Four are. Then each of them have four Pokemon each level 63 and higher, plus the Champion who has a whopping SIX Pokemon level 65 and higher, so I'm in for a rough night if I try to take them on. The gym leaders were too easy and Victory Road seemed a bit too difficult for the amount of preparation I was given, so we'll see how that goes. I might try to level up a bit more before attempting to take them all out, (I'm currently at about 75 with my top two Pokemon and around the mid-sixties with the rest of my party). I am most proud of the legendary Pokemon, Yveltal, who I was able to catch on my first try, which almost never happens. Props to me!
In general, I'm a huge fan of water and fire types, however I can see now where it would benefit from having a grass or psychic type in combination with these types. This is the type of strategy and planning I was looking for when researching this game as a type of literacy. There are different kinds of people who play: people who play to get through the game, people who play to catch all the Pokemon they can get their hands on, people who want to get higher level Pokemon as fast as they can, people who want to find all the hidden items, artifacts and other gems around the game, etc. Game play ultimately depends on what type of person you are, and it's interesting to see me categorized among them. I haven't played like this in a very long time, so I'm still getting used to immersing myself completely in the game, (much to my husband's dismay). Since I've played older versions before, I went into this thinking differently than someone who would just be starting out fresh without ever having played the older versions. There are also people who have played every single version up until this point, and they are used to playing a different game than I am, having experienced some of the newer versions that I have not. I'm interested in continuing to log my progress and even write in a journal to gather data so I can maybe turn this into something beneficial. We shall see, but I'm enjoying myself nonetheless.
So that's basically it. Nothing exciting or substantial happening with me this week. Starting my courses, baby maybe and possibly taking on the Elite Four before I get dragged into the homework routine again. I will be catching up with all my shows today and tomorrow, so there might possibly be another TV review on Thursday if I have nothing else to talk about. Also I've added two more tabs to the top of the blog: "Open Letters" and "ENGL 889." The first tab will be dedicated to various individuals/situations I find particularly interesting/amusing/annoying/etc. while the second will be dedicated to responses for my new Special Topics course in English Teaching, which will be linked to my class' blog page. Feel free to check both tabs out and I will keep you updated on posts via Twitter, etc. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Hey all! I promise I'm not rushing this time, (even though it seems like Tuesday's post did pretty well for itself, all things considered). I start my last set of classes on Tuesday, so this may very well be the last random post for the winter vacation. We'll see how much work I have next week.
The first thing I'd like to address is that it's my Nana's birthday today. She would've been 71 today if she hadn't passed away three years ago tomorrow. I miss her a lot and sometimes I wish she was still here so I could ask her questions and get her opinion on things. I know I'm an adult and I should be able to think for myself, but sometimes everyone needs a second opinion. I was her oldest grandchild and shouldered a lot of responsibility. I took today off because I wanted to celebrate her life rather than her death and so that I could go see her because I haven't in awhile. I usually bring her flowers because she loved them so much and I hope the little pop of color will help her think of spring and of all the gardening we used to do together. I'm still somewhat bitter about the amount of time we got to spend together before we were rudely interrupted, however I am grateful I at least got to say goodbye. I love you now and forever always Nana<3
So to keep myself happy and in good spirits today, I will start out with my review of the latest Bachelor, as promised on Tuesday. I would like to take a moment and recognize a select few ladies for their potential and their utter embarrassment on public television. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
Claire- I like Claire, really I do, but I feel like she's just way too into this. Everything excites her and she seems to be impervious to any negativity whatsoever. This could be a good thing in the long run, but I found her to be very annoying for her first one-on-one with Juan Pablo. She seems to have it set in her mind that he's already perfect for her and that he could be "the Juan" she's been longing for after only about a week, so we'll see if she lasts.
Renee and Cassandra- I like these two because they are "the moms" of the group and they have that in common with Juan Pablo. He treats them differently because they have children and he understands where they are coming from on a deeper level than any of the other ladies can understand, so for that I commend them for taking the risk. I know that he can't chose both of them and although Cassandra has shown remarkable maturity for a 21-year-old, I think that Renee would be a better fit for him and his little girl. We'll see if I'm right.
Nikki- She is a little ball of sunshine, (not in the almost fake way that Claire demonstrates), but it's manageable and controlled. Juan seems to like her a lot and she's obviously great with children being a pediatric nurse, so I feel like she'll go far if he doesn't get too attached to some of the other ladies.
Lucy- What a gem this one is. I'm all for being comfortable with your body, but unfortunately we don't live in a world where public displays of nudity are acceptable, (outside of nude beaches and certain European countries). I like her attitude thus far; she seems nice, genuine and relaxed, not at all caddy or anxious about dates and what-not. But I honestly don't see her as proper mom material for Camila, so I think that's the ultimate deal-breaker for me with her. That and the fact that her job as a "free spirit" probably won't go over very well with him either.
Victoria- I AM SO GLAD SHE'S GONE. I actually had high hopes for her, being 24 and from Brazil she seemed to have at least something in common with Juan Pablo. Alas, I was terribly wrong...who would've known she was an adult? Her behavior at the group date was appalling to say the least and reminded me of something you might have seen in The Real World house, rather than The Bachelor. Definitely not mommy material and the self-inflicted dramatic rampage was completely unnecessary. Have a nice flight back home to Miami.
Those are my immediate thoughts so far after seeing the last episode. If you want to read a great and thorough recap, check it out here at Entertainment Weekly. Literally made me laugh out loud reading it. Can't get enough of that satire!
Another review I wanted to do was for the new Pokemon Y game for the Nintendo 3DS, which I purchased yesterday, (after almost no deliberation). Yes, I am an adult and yes, it's awesome. After about 24 hours I've accumulated 84 Pokemon in my Pokedex, one gym badge and a new fossilized Pokemon that I am very excited about, (he's called a Tyrunt and he will eventually evolve into a Tyrannosaurus Rex-type thing). I've logged about 9 hours of game play so far and I'm very impressed with the graphics and overall layout of the game. I am currently in Ambrette Town getting ready to move onto the next coastal city.
If you're curious, the three starter Pokemon you are given to chose from are Chespin, (grass-type rodent thing), Froakie, (water-type frog thing), and Fennekin, (fire-type fox thing). As opposed to the Professor of this region giving you the choice of one of these three Pokemon, your characters meets with his or her friends to decide amongst themselves. It's a weird concept, but I understood why after we met with the Professor and he gave us three more Pokemon to choose from: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. To say that I was excited would've been an understatement. After having a coronary, I chose Charmander, (obviously). I have always chosen fire-type or water-type Pokemon from each game, so I got to choose both this time. For my main Pokemon I chose Froakie, solely because it was a frog and it was adorable.
I used to nickname all my Pokemon, but I now find that to be tiring because there are about 12,000 more Pokemon now than when I started back in 1998, so I stuck to nicknaming just a few so far. My Froakie's name is Remy, (something French, so I used Remy LeBeau as inspiration because it's a ninja frog). I named my Charmander Drogon because it'll eventually become a fearsome dragon lord due to Mega Evolution, which is also new to this series. Only certain Pokemon can mega evolve and you have to possess a certain stone to make it happen. For example, in each game, Pokemon X or Y, Charizard mega-evolves differently, (see picture above). Depending on which game you get, the mega evolutions vary. I'm excited to see what other special secrets there are in the game as I go along.
Another thing I like about the game is that you can connect wirelessly with anyone else who has either game to trade, battle, etc. I remember the good old days of linking up with cords and you had to sit right across from someone to battle them on a tiny screen. Now you can be worlds away with the right Internet connection and battle in 3D. Pretty neat, huh? I haven't met anyone else who has this game, so let me know in the comments if you do so we can play together! I'm still figuring out how all this new technology works, so bare with me, (I haven't used a Gameboy since they were still called Gameboys...).
So that's my post for today. Now I'm going to grab some lunch and see how much farther I can get within a reasonable hour; I ended up losing track of time last night and played until 3am...not good. If you have any comments, tips or predictions about The Bachelor or Pokemon X or Y, let me know in the comments! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
