First Impressions ~Detroit: Become Human~

 

“Detroit: Become Human” is a: make choices that affect the story adventure game for the PS4. It was developed by: Quantic Dream , published by: Sony Interactive Entertainment , directed by: David Cage , and was released in May 2018.

A few years ago I played “Life is Strange” and right away fell in love with this indie feeling adventure style of game. The story drew you in and you easily fell into the role of the characters all the while enjoying the amazing sound track and settings. The moment I finished “Life is Strange” I wanted another game in this style right away. Fast forward a year or so and while doing a regrettable mud run 5k one of my friends started telling me about this game that was about to come out.

He started telling me about this game that was choice based and there were countless endings and consequences with a bad ass Sci-fi theme involving Androids. Just listening to him I knew I was absolutely wanting to play this game. When the game came out he played through it and then let me borrow it with the stipulation that my first play through he can join on share play and watch me go through. Two of his brothers had played it at this point too and between the three of them the possibility of outcomes was truly impressive. Everyone had different scenes, story details and more, making the replay value high.

From my first play session my first impression was that this game was beautiful. Beautiful settings and aesthetic all around with a dystopian  feel at the same time.  Interesting music, characters and oh so many choices.

The game follows three androids that each have a unique life and story set at the same time. You play through switching between the three androids in chapters, as the chapters progress there starts to be more overlapping aspects as the stories converge. You can walk around calmly at times and explore while other times you have to make quick choices and button presses for quick time events. There were times I felt relaxed and times where I was sure I was on the verge of a heart attack.

As I played through my friend was shocked by how different my play through was compared to his. He made friends where I made enemies, I went places that he did not and various other differences that made watching it like a new interesting movie. The game had a good flow, and took around 10 hours for a full play through. There is a large replay value to see different outcomes for sure. I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone who likes this style or wants to try something new.

 

Have you played this game already? What did you think of it? Have any other recommendations on similar games? Let me know in the comments!

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~Late to the game Podcast listening~

The past few years have shown an ever growing interest in Podcasts and as the years pass by there is something for everyone. I have always enjoyed listening to audio books while traveling and working around the house. Sometimes you don’t want to make a commitment to a 20-30 hour book however and that is where Podcasts come in for me.

I think the first Podcast I listened to was “Welcome to Night Vale” by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor that was started in 2012. It presents itself as a radio show in a fictional town filled with interesting and confusing characters and unexplainable events. It is a fun listen and now has 140 episodes to enjoy.

Within this past year I have started to listen to more and more Podcasts and find different ones that may be interesting. The one that really started me down the rabbit hole was defiantly “LORE” by  Aaron Mahnke. “LORE” started in 2015 and has 106 episodes, each tells a story that has its foundations in myths and local lore. The narration is intriguing and each one makes you want to go and look up more information. There is also now a show on Amazon Prime that retells the story’s with re-enactments involving great costumes, and settings.

I’ve also been listening to Aaron Mahnke’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” that started in 2018 and has 60 episodes so far. Each episode is around 10 minutes and tells a couple of curious mini tales of curiosities.  Aaron Mahnke also is part of “Unobscured” a podcast that takes a event in history and deep dives into it with interviews from specialized historians. “Unobscured” started in 2018 and so far has gone into: The Salem Witch Trials with 15 episodes out. Very interesting listen and I will say you will learn so many new things from this event.

My latest listen has been “My Favorite Murder” by  Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark. In this podcast you listen to two friends shooting the breeze and talking about a favorite murder that has happened in the last several decades. This podcast started in 2016 and has 156 episodes and several mini-sodes.  They talk about the: Who, What, When and How, as well as their personal thoughts and opinions on the information given and unknown. It is obviously a bit morbid but I have always found alot of stories of serial killers and those crimes interesting. The human psyche and the many times of cop corruption/mishandling of crime scenes and evidence is at times fascinating and other times frustrating.

 

I always love to check out new shows and podcasts so if you have a suggestion please let me know in the comments! What is your favorite Podcast? Why?

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~Goodbye 2018… 2019 please be gentle with me.~

Wow, this last year has been an absolutely wild one for sure. We started 2018 with an amazing trip to “Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter”for my 5th year wedding anniversary with my spouse and it really was a fantastic trip. We got to explore every last bit of the wizarding world and then went to Cocoa Beach (it was the first time my husband had been to a beach) and got to see the SpaceX launch which was super cool to get to experience.

A few months after that in April I got to go to Nashville, TN with two friends to celebrate two of our birthdays. I was able to return to Nashville in August for the “Pokemon Worlds Championship” which was a neat event to get to see and walk around for sure. There were people from all over the world with a common interest having fun and hanging out with new friends.

Over this last summer my family and I went to Texas to see my baby sister graduate High School and visit with family. We did some exploring and found the best place to eat in Plano, TX. We happened across this Japanese revolving sushi belt restaurant called Kura and it was so great! We all got to try so many new things and ate our fill for a decent price.

My daughter and I returned to Texas a month after our first visit to see another side of the family and go spend a couple days at the beach. We got some summer sun and had a blast visiting Crystal Beach and Galveston.

This last year my Godson was born in August and he is truly the cutest little chonk there ever was. I saw many friends be blessed with good things in 2018 and am always so happy to see any positive in these times.

In 2018 I got to have many mini adventures with one of my best friends keeping life interesting and to break up the mundane day to day life. We discovered some amazing Donut places, found some great thrift shopping, and went out and about to explore. You don’t have to travel hundreds of miles away to have fun and have an adventure. Sometimes there are things in your back yard that are waiting to be explored.

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This last year had MANY great things but good grief were their a lot of not so great things. We started the year with a heavy stress on our shoulders with the possibility of a prospective move to a place and to a job I was not behind. Thankfully things fell through with that but it also left us in a bit of a financial bind since we had to go month to month on our lease. It took us a long time to get back above water even if it was just over.

This last year I watched many friends go through unimaginable tragedies. My heart has broken for them and I must say that I am constantly amazed by the strength of some of my friends. Each of you are a wonder and are so loved .  With the new year I hope things are better and great things happen for you all.

I find myself homeschooling my daughter once again after a year and a half at Public school following some negative events with the school and peers. Don’t get me wrong I love teaching my daughter and was getting irritated that she was falling behind at this school. However, Home Schooling a Junior in High School is no small matter. It is very stressful to say the least.

My husband was laid off from his job of 5 years this last year only to be rehired with the stipulation that we would move back to Texas from Alabama (where we have lived for the past 6 years) so he could work at the main branch. I am okay with this as I would like to be closer to family and we are ready for a new adventure for sure. The stress of a move over several states is not fun and the unknown of where we will live and how the new job will be makes me sick sometimes if I focus on those things too much.

At the very end of 2018 we had to say goodbye to our fur baby of 18 years. Our cat Lucky has been with us every day and was so different than most cats , being one of the most loving and cuddly cats. He was like my baby truly. His health had been declining for months and he finally had to go on. I miss him every day, I cant do anything in this apartment without thinking about him constantly. His passing was one of the hardest things for us as a family to go through.

2018 was also one of the hardest years health wise for me. My joint pain levels and general feelings of being ill have been gradually getting worse. I now have been having more and more trouble walking for long periods of time without my hips and knees swelling or popping in and out. I have some bad days/nights and some not so bad days/nights but there seems to never be a day where I feel great.

I take around 6-8 different prescription meds every day to try and function and not have break downs but some of those same meds have lasting side effects that worsen certain things. It seems like a constant cycle that I can never get ahead of or have a chance of winning.

 

2019 Goals/Plans/Adventures

I started this new year with a new lifestyle and way of eating trying to lose the last little bit of weight I gained the last 2 years after a few not great meds and surgerys. I am hoping to see if I can lessen the inflammation in my body and take some weight off my knees and ankles I will be much better off.  So far almost a month in and things are going well. Im not wanting to binge sugar and bad foods as much as I thought I would and have already seen some changes.

In a couple of months we have to get moved and settled back home in Texas and work out new routines and things as a family.

I will be marrying my sister and her fiance in May which will be such a cool thing to do.

I am hoping to take a few little family trips as this year and the next are the last years till my daughter is out of high school and in the adult world.

I want to learn at least 3 new crafts this year and master them as well as one can in a year.

One goal is to read at least 30 novels in 2019.

I want to finish several games this year and get to a point where I can start twitch streaming things as well. It seems so fun!

I want to start making videos and editing them again this year after taking a full year off from it. I want to have fun and create what I wish to.

 

 

How was your 2018? What was something fun you got to do? What goals do you have for 2019? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Travel Bear ~Pokemon World Championship Nashville, TN 2018~

The Pokemon World Championships happened this last August 24th-26th in Nashville, TN and I was able to go for the first time ever since it was so close. I remember seeing all the posts on social media of the championships in Anaheim, CA in 2017 and thought it looked like such a fun experience. When they announced that this years was less than 2 hours away we knew we had to go.

 

Entry for the spectator badges was $10 for which you got entry lanyards and 3 booster packs of the latest sets. We found the venue easily and set out to explore. While we walked around everyone was playing Pokemon GO on their phones, there were so many stops and everything was lured the entire weekend. There were also special Pokemon available in that area while the championship was going on for Pokemon GO and the 3DS games.

The Worlds Championship had two main areas: The Pokemon Center and the Tournament room. The Pokemon Center was filled  with exclusive official items that had the Nashville designs, as well as many items that can be found on the online store. It was really cool to be able to see several things in person that I had already been wanting to buy online.

The Tournament room was held in a huge conference room and was filled with tables and chairs sectioned off for each individual tournament. There was TCG (trading card game) championships, VG (video game) Ultra Sun and Moon championships, Pok’ken tournaments and several side events for spectators to take part in. There was areas dedicated to: trading, “Let’s Go Pikachu and Evee” demo playing, coloring stations, roblox building, arcade area and a small food and drink area.

We walked around to look at everything and to watch different matches. It was really cool to see players from all over the world playing this one game that brought thousands of people together. While we were there we were interviewed by the “Let’s Go Pikachu/Evee” PR team and got to play the demo using the PokeBall controller and we all enjoyed it quite a bit. It was cool watching others watch matches, people were really into it and when they would break out into gasps or applause it was exciting.

It was a fun experience for all of us on the whole. We were glad to be able to go and see how it went and are thinking more about trying to qualify to play in a future championship. Next years Championship has been announced to be taking place in Washington DC.

Have you ever been to a Worlds Championship? How was your experience? What is your favorite Pokemon? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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~October Adventures Ramble~

Finally it is October! This is most likely my households favorite month out of the year. We decorate the house in spooky things like webs, spiders and pumpkins.

 

We make time to watch a different scary movie every night of the month and it really is a fun family time. My step-daughter is now 16 so she is now old enough for most horror movies now which widened our choices by a lot. This year these are the movies we have watched and are planning on watching:

1. The Brain  -1988-
2. Before I wake -2016-
3. The Shining -1980-
4. The Evil Dead -1981-
5. Night of the Comet -1984-
6. The Stuff -1985-
7. Seoul Station -2016-
8. Pet Cemetery -1989-
9. Hocus Pocus -1993-
10. Corpse Bride -2005-
11. The Craft -1996-
12. Ernest Scared Stupid -1991-
13. Battle Royal -2000-
14. Train to Busan -2016-
15. Creepshow 2 -1989-
16. Slither -2006-
17. The Hills Have Eyes -1977-
18. Texas Chainsaw Massacre -1974-
19. Hostel -2005-
20. Practical Magic -1998-
21. Jeepers Creepers -2001-
22. Hereditary -2018-
23. Coraline -2009-
24. House -1985-
25. Tales From the Crypt -1989–1996-
26. Are you afraid of the Dark -1990–2000-

Halloween is my Husband and I’s Anniversary for when we became best friends 8 years ago. We met in September of 2010 and then worked together at a famous Haunted House in Texas all through October. The Haunting season is special to us and we think back on our days as Vampires and Ghouls fondly. This year my little sister who just graduated high school in June may be working at the same Haunted House, I hope she has a memorable and positive experience that she can look back on like we are able to.

This month I have been doing my Autumn deep clean of our home while decorating here and there. While cleaning I find it more productive to listen to podcasts and I have been on a kick of finding and partaking in ones that have a spook value to them. This month these are the podcasts I subscribe too:

1. LORE by. Aaron Mahnke
2. Unobscured by. Howstuffworks and Aaron Mahnke
3. Cabinet of Curiosities by. Howstuffworks and Aaron Mahnke
4. Creepy by. Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network

 

This is the first year I have participated in INKTOBER along with my daughter, we have found it a fun part of the day to work on our drawings and come up with ideas for the days prompts. Already we have learned a few tricks here and there and she has learned a lot in the last 4 days on what you should do to make things proportionate and  plan things out in advance to make things easier.

October is a busy month, our town has a county fair that comes in every year and there is also a town festival Octoberfest with all sorts of events.  As the weather changes I feel more comfortable and more likely to do comfort hobbies like crochet and read. I also get a bit of seasonal depression sadly and struggle a lot with being homesick this month as I live 600 miles away from my family and home base and I cant help but think about previous Octobers and adventures of old.

It will be 2 years tomorrow since I got on a plane and flew to South Korea to spend a few weeks seeing friends I hadn’t gotten to see in 7 years and have a adventure of a lifetime. The last two years have been rough with health issues getting worse, dealing with a lot of ennui after my trip and having many ups and downs with day to day life. Only recently have I felt like I am waking up from a half asleep nap and getting many things in order that were over due. I pulled out my sewing machine for the first time in over two years to work on some projects. I have started writing and drawing again after a time of blank mind.

This October is to be is a month of new beginnings, working on skills, organizing life and continuing to learn about myself in many  ways. I am excited to be moving forward and working towards my goals.

Do you like the month of October? Tell me why in the comments! What is your favorite scary movie? Favorite fall food?

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~First Impressions~ Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits

Back in April my daughter and I were looking for a new series to watch together and came across “Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits” (also known as: Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi) on VRV’s Crunchyroll simulcasted series and liked the look of the cover right away. We began watching it and immediately liked the animation and the story.

This series is filled with many different Ayakashi (spirits/demons) that show up in many of Japans historical fables and stories. Once you hear what someone is you can go and look up more information to learn about that spirit which I always find interesting. The show has a very “Spirited Away” feel and story with the added aspect of that good ol amazing looking and sounding food that many anime series have lately.

The show follows a human girl Aoi who is spirited away to the world of Ayakashi to marry the Ogre god Odanna (that is in charge of a well respected bed and breakfast called: Tenjin-ya) as payment for her grandfathers debt to him. She is thrown into a cast of interesting and fun characters including but not limited to: a young hostess Snow Woman, a Kitsune nine tailed fox best friend, a eerie blond Zashiki-warashi, Tanukis, Kappas, and many more characters and ayakashi.

Aoi quickly becomes more comfortable in this hidden realm as she learns more about the different beings around her. She uses her skill of making delicious food with flavors from the apparent realm (human world) that also suit the tastes of the Ayakashi. She quickly gains admirers for her wonderful food and her caring nature for other beings.

My daughter and I very much enjoyed this series and waited less than patiently for Mondays after school to watch the new episode. Since this last week all 26 episodes are out to binge watch and enjoy.

Have you watched this series? What did you think about it? Who was your favorite character? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

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~What am I watching?~

The school year has begun again and I am able to get back into a better routine finally! Lately I have been picking various different anime shows on VRV to watch and thought I would start posting a little bit about what I am watching and a bit about each show.

This first show: “Kakuriyo -Bed and Breakfast for Spirits-” I have been watching since it began simulcasting and it has been great so far! Right away it gave me “Spirited Away” and “Kamisama Kiss” vibes. Interesting characters and story for sure with lots of Ayakashi lore!

 

“Asobi Asobase” has been one of the funniest shows i’ve watched in a long while. It initially looks like some cute slice of life/school life show but then things take a comedic turn quickly. I find myself laughing out loud and asking “What the heck?!” while watching this show.

 

“Flying Witch” is like “Kiki’s Delivery Service” with more about the many aspects of being a witch and the inclusion of other spirits and things. Lots of fun characters and an all in all easy watch that feels like a slice of normal life but with a witch.

 

 

What have you been watching? Tell me about it in the comments!

 

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First Impressions “A Centaurs Worries”

Also known as “A Centaur’s Life”, is an anime that follows a group of friends in a world much like our own except for the fact that there are several different races in a broader sense. The races include: Angel folk, Demon Folk, Cat People, Centaurs, Mermaids and a few others. Each race has unique physical attributes but are all equal in the eyes of the government. The history of the world within the anime and manga is nearly identical to our own except that evolution changed and went a different route than in our world.

It is a “slice of life” anime that follows high school students in their everyday life and sometimes shows the world around them and political struggles. The center character as you might have guessed is a Centaur named Hime, along with her best friends a demon girl, a goat girl and a snake girl. They live fairly normal high school lives with friends, events, confessions and other things typical of teen girls.

I really enjoyed the manga as I have a interest in the “Monster Girl” genre to begin with but this series is makes it seem so normal while bringing up a lot of real world social issues that make it a gem among newer series for sure.

Have you watched this series or read the manga? Who is your favorite character or what is your favorite race? Let me know what you think in the comments!

~Travel Bear~ Namsan Tower and Love Locks

The second full day in Seoul we got up early and walked about a block or two from our hotel to the lift heading to the main area that takes you too N Seoul Tower also known as Namsan Tower.

105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan 2(i)ga-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

You buy your tickets to the cable car that takes you up the mountain to the tower which were about $8 if I remember correctly.

Once you get up the Mountain you take a few stairs and come across a side area outside that is filled with “Love Locks” these are locks that couples or friends will write their names on it and then lock it to one of the rails or lock trees then throw the key away.

For $8 I bought a lock that they were selling and wrote my husbands and my name on it as a symbol that our love was forever.

After leaving the lock area you go up a few more steps to a large outside courtyard that has many beautiful trees, flowers, pagoda type gazebos and lots of great picture spots.

When you go into the tower there is a concession stand where you can get several different types of popcorn, fried squid, roasted yams and a few other snacks you can get and then go to the top and eat while you look out over the city. When you get on the elevator that takes you to the top you look up and there is a screen that makes it look like your in a rocket and it blasts you into space as you go up. It is a cool thing to do for sure!

Once your at the top you can walk around the entire thing and look out over Seoul and see mountains surrounding you on all sides just about. There are binoculars you can use to see farther as well. At the top of the tower there is a candy shop, gift shops and a few more cool picture spots.

We thought it was funny when we went into the bathroom and the whole side on the stall was just glass looking out. You could hear girls go into the stall and gasp slightly when they saw the window.

 

There were lots of neat shops inside the tower as well as a Hello Kitty Museum and Hello Kitty Store. Lots of souvenirs to choose from and lots of great memories to make.

Have you ever been here? Do you want to? Tell me about your visit or why you want to go here in the comments!

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~Travel Bear: Lotte World in Seoul, South Korea~

 

On my first full day in Korea my friends and I went to Lotte World located at:  240 Olympic-ro, Jamsil 3(sam)-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is a partially inside and outside amusement park that has some cute similarities to the Disney Parks in the U.S.. 

We went on October 7th, 2016 and I was very surprised to see so much Halloween decor everywhere. I knew Halloween was not celebrated as much outside of the U.S. but Lotte World brought out all the stops when decorating for Halloween. There were pumpkins and witches galore and everything had a bit of a cute touch to it!

Our Tickets for the day which are normally about $50 we got for about $23 using a coupon on our phones. I was so amazed that we could get tickets for so cheap!

On the inside of the park is a large ice skating rink and several floors filled with rides, games, stores and lots of food places and kiosks filled with lots of things. There was a little monorail that went above the park and several rides like: a pirate ship, a Sinbad ride that reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean, A full loop ride, several kids rides and so much more.

You can exit the inside to head to the other half of the park where there are many more rides and a cute little castle. At the time I went, they were having a zombie island attraction and many little horror themed areas. If you go to Lotte World you want to download the park app on your phone and you can get early passes for the rides. You have a few passes for your visit and you have to be quick to get the times you want for the more popular rides.

There was so much different food in the park: Hot Dogs, Jajang myeon, Chicken, Kebabs, Pizza, Ice Cream, Cookies, Hamburgers, Udon and Tankatsu plus so much more! I was surprised to see such an array of things from all over the world. I was also glad to see that the prices were not crazy and very affordable compared to an American park where they gauge the price of food like crazy.

While we were there we got to see the special Halloween Parade which was so fun to watch. There was so many floats, dancers and lots of cool costumes. I videoed the entire thing and will be posting it on my youtube shortly.

 

I had a fun day at Lotte World and would defiantly go back in a heart beat. Have you ever been or want to go? Let me know what your favorite part was or what you look forward to the most?

 

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