Monday 30 July 2012

Some Travel Advice...For Once!


Ok, I think the less said about last weeks’ sausage-based fiasco, the better…ok?  Before I get onto the main section, I have several news items to discuss about my week and my blog.  You may even be interested to know that I even planned out the main section for this week, rather than write the first drivel that comes into my head (by plan, he really means he wrote out less than a page of ‘notes’.  No wonder you don’t get paid to do this - Ed). 

So, you may have noticed that we had no ’10 items or less’ feature last week.  This was basically because due to various commitments, I didn’t have time to send out any email enquiries and I had used up the responses from my previous batch.  This week, I will get back into full-swing though and will hopefully have a new interview for Friday.  On a completely unrelated note, if anybody knows somebody who wants to be interviewed, let me know!

Moving onto the second news item: a fairly exciting event occurred that I was involved in!  My first ever photoshoot!  Woo!  It certainly was an interesting experience…especially when they sprayed water on my face and all over my t-shirt to simulate sweat.  No wonder I look like I want to punch someone.  I’ve added the pictures for you to enjoy (read as ‘laugh at’) and rather than try to make a joke about it myself, I thought I would just add the comments I received from other people about them.  Also, I think I might be getting involved in a TV advert judging by events this morning.  Watch this space… 



Some Comments:
- A thousand LOLs!
- You look threatening as hell heh
- Serial killer...
- You look like a cant (My sister either mispelling the word or talking in an accent)
- hahahaha   

Third news item is that this site will be moving in the future.  Why?  I was recently introduced to the world of Wordpress and I think I might be able to build a proper blog with it, involving different sections for each thing I speak/ramble about.  However, this will take some time to create and transfer all my posts to but it will get done over time.

Last but not least, and probably the most exciting part of my week: I managed to do something on my list of goals!  Time to break out the roxi!  ‘Which goal’ I hear you all ask?  I’m not telling you so ha!  Ahem, I will though but only when it has been completely finished and has been independently announced to the world.  I will tell you this though: it is a project I have worked on with three other people, I have enjoyed it immensely and shall continue to do so and it involves time and research!  

Ok, now that’s out the way, time for the main section!  It occurred to me to talk about this last week, after the new low of my sausage blog and I figured that it would be something worth talking about, especially as my blog started off as a travel blog (before devolving into meat products and household appliances - ed).  So, let me present to you:


5 Things I Never Thought About When Moving To A New Country

Catchy title eh?  Came up with it myself (we can tell - Ed).  Basically, as this started as a travel blog, I figured I should probably try to include something about travelling and relocating from time to time.  With this in mind, I decided to create a short list of some issues that I have faced since moving to Nepal that didn’t really occur to me.  Please note that this is a list from my own experiences and so may differ from person to person.  Also, please note that isn’t meant in a negative light but just to help give people some advice from my experience.

The heat
 
Ok, I’ll admit that I did think about this before I left but I didn’t think about how much this would affect me.  It is one thing to go on holiday for a couple of weeks in 35°C weather but another to live in it.  In the Nepalese summer, it can be between 30°C and 40°C ALL THE TIME.  You eat in it.  You sleep in it.  You exercise in it.  You work in it.  You do your promiscuous activities in it.  It is always there and it becomes quickly exhausting and you can become dehydrated very quickly.  Thankfully, I used to drink practically non-stop before I moved so that wasn’t much of a problem but even so, I had to be careful.  Exercising 5 days a week meant I had to drink a lot of fluids to stay hydrated and anybody wanting to do the same should take my advice.  You also have to be careful what you drink as well…I found myself drinking less coffee and much more water and herbal tea.  Alcohol is another thing that you have to be careful of as well, especially if you’re already slightly dehydrated.

So before moving to a new country, check out the weather all year round and think about how this is going to affect your daily routines and hobbies plus when you do move, make sure you remain properly hydrated (when in a warm country).


Dating
 
Hmm perhaps not a problem for everyone (especially depending on where you move) but for somebody who is terminally ‘Forever Alone’ like me, dating is a key issue (maybe I should pimp you out on this blog.  Maybe make some money - Ed).  Probably the biggest concern for me is that, being from different cultures, I don’t know to expect from a relationship.  Being from the UK, I already expect certain things from a relationship but these can differ from what my potential partner could expect, especially if they are raised more traditionally (in fact, I had a chat about relationships with a friend and she seems quite surprised by UK relationships and how fast they can move forward).  I’m not saying I wouldn’t date a Nepalese girl (I would) but I would be very careful about finding out what she expects from the relationship (as some are more modern and others are more traditional) so as not to make a faux pas.  

Basically, if you’re going to start dating abroad, make sure you know all their customs and talk to your partner about what they want from the relationship.


Food

God I love food and I love Nepalese food (and all the various other cultures of food I can get here) but it did mean changing my diet significantly.  Gone are sandwiches during the week and hello samosa and Pakoda!  Goodbye steak and hello buff momo! 

Now don’t get me wrong, as I said I love the food and I have loved trying all the new food but I do get cravings sometimes for food I can’t get here (or is extremely expensive).  Plus, I have now eaten more spicy things since moving here than I have in my life (as I never really liked spiciness)!  Obviously when I moved I expected my diet to be varied but I never realized to what extent it changed.  I don’t often eat western style food (I have a sandwich maybe twice a week, down from about 7 times a week) and it never really occurred to me that western foodstuff would be so difficult to get or expensive here (a tiny block of cheddar costs about £6).   

When moving, expect your diet to change significantly but that is part of the fun.  However, be aware that it may change more than you anticipate and might be more difficult for you to enjoy old-time favourites (I would kill for a jar of homemade pickles and cheddar cheese) so stock up if possible and enjoy the ride!     

Hobbies

Ok, this is slightly more obscure but it can be a slight problem.  As you may have guessed, I play video games and having a laptop doesn’t really cut it but sadly there isn’t a huge videogame market in Nepal (thankfully I found a site that helped me).  I also enjoy martial arts but it took me a long time to find a good instructor who also spoke good English.  My point is that it can be more difficult for you to find an outlet for your hobby but you shouldn’t give up hope.  If you search hard enough or long enough, then you will most likely find a club or a website that can help you out or perhaps you may find a new hobby to fill that void.

Basically, before moving, check out the internet and any local forums that might be able to help you.  I would actually highly recommend local forums and even ex-pat websites as you will either find a local who can help you out or an ex-pat who has been in the same situation (you are rarely alone in our search).  I found my Taekwondo instructor through a local forum and it turned out great!  Worst case scenario and you can’t find any way to continue your hobby, try to be flexible and check out some of the activities/hobbies that are available in the country you’re moving to.


Transport

Transport can be a very new experience when moving to Nepal or a similar country if you haven’t experienced similar elsewhere.  Ignoring the fact that you often get charged more than the local prices, the experience can be daunting if you don’t really know what you’re doing.  In Nepal (and Tanzania as well) you see lumbering buses packed full with people (often with goats on the roof but that’s another story) driving along before slowing to a stop and then beckoning you to join the seething mass of human parts.  Add the fact that they don’t have any locations on them and that it can be hard to hear the conductor naming stop locations, it can be terrifying experience.  Pretty soon you’ll be hoping for that 10pm Saturday night train…

However, once you get used to the different style of travel, you will have access to regular and cheap transport that can take you all over wherever you need to go.  If you’re like me however, you should really learn how to haggle with the taxi drivers…I just don’t like being too close to people.
When moving, don’t always expect transport will be the exact same as it in your home country.  If possible, check it out on the internet first!  The internet is your friend…unless you end up on the dark section of the internet.  I would also recommend asking a colleague or friend to go with you on your first few trips on local transport (in this case Nepal for me) to help you get used to the new system.  It really helped me out with it and makes it a less daunting prospect until you’re used to it.  


Pick of the week

Minecraft – The most loved cube since the companion cube from portal, Minecraft is a game that builds itself on digging/mining cubes then joining those cubes together to make other cube like objects…and it’s awesome.  Spawning into a randomly generated world with different terrains (from snow – swamp – Desert - Mountain), you can shape the world into your design: either alone or with friends.  It is a literal example of being limited by only your imagination for building designs…I’ve built towering castles, hollowed out mountains and created a massive mine.  Derek and I have created an entire village complete with ship; massive suspension bridge; secret throne room; booby-trapped pyramid; and a massive protective wall with gate.  In another world, some friends (I’ve only just joined them) have created a self-excavating pit; a combustion engine powered oil refinery; and an automatic smelter.  That’s only the beginning as well!
 
However, at night you have to be weary…zombies, skeletons and spiders attack at night so you have to be holed up safely or be prepared to fight.  Even when mining, there is the chance to enter an open cavern where the only warning of attack is the quiet twang of a bow or the slight scuttle of a spider.  Then there’s the creepers…explosive bastard monsters of hate…designed to creep up on you and explode, often destroying what you’ve working on for hours.  As soon as you hear the dreaded SSSSSSSS, you’re in for a world of pain and you know you better repair the damage before the next night.  It may be a world designed by imagination but it’s a nightmare ruled by fear…

For a game that is designed around digging up materials and then creating objects, it is wonderfully addictive and surprising game that is genuinely creative (for me it’s like Harvest Moon) and I would recommend everyone to try it out as you can try it for free or it’s fairly cheap to buy (around £8) I do believe.  I’ve added some pictures below to show what you can make.  I would even recommend non-gamers to check it out…you may just like it.  Oh and trust me...these are not even the best pictures I could find... 
   


Music of the Week 

This week was easy again as I have been listening to two different musical acts.  The first is 'Tech N9ne - Am I Psycho?' which is a great example of Horrorcore.

The second is a 180 degree turn...some battle metal.  Turisas - The March of the Varangian Guard: which is one of the best opening songs I've heard.  I truly believe you could take any Turisas album (and several of their individual songs) and turn them into a brilliant film.
Ok, that's enough from me!  Updates on my new project will keep coming and until then, have a good night/day/morning/coffee!

Monday 23 July 2012

New delicious low! Sausages!


First of all, I would like to thank Tim Sullivan very much for the interview and for also posting my blog link on his page as well.  It was a great interview and hugely nice of him to post the link to his page, so thank you! 

*EDIT - to the person who left me the Spiderman picture, thank you!  I tried to comment but it didn't let me.  Are you in Nepal or left?*

Moving on, the following sentences are spoiler free: So, I went to see The Dark Knight Rises and it was glorious.  Epic. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.  I will talk about it in more details but not this week to avoid spoiling the film for anybody who hasn’t seen it yet.

Ok, so this week I feel the need to talk about food.  Yup, food.  Now, I know that with Instagram and facebook and all the different social media outlets on the net, people’s dinners and breakfasts and baking are everywhere.  And let’s face it, nobody really gives a damn.  Also, I know I’ve posted about food and baking etc, but at least I’m honest that nobody really cares plus I’ve tried to limit it somewhat.  Now then, what am I going to talk about?  All the new food I’ve tried recently?  Not even close.  Perhaps the pros and cons of changing your diet to suit a new country?  Next week.  Food poisoning?  God, not again!  Then what?  SAUSAGE.

Why?  Because I had a giant sausage last night.  I will give you all a moment to get your minds out of the gutter before I continue.

.
..

Ok, so moving on.  I first saw this pork sausage at the market and I knew I had to buy it.  It screamed succulent.  It screamed ‘you’ve never had bigger’ (Seems somebody is still in the gutter - Ed).  So I bought it (and some others) to eat but it wasn’t enough.  I had to share this monstrosity.  Now, before I share my pictures, I realise that perhaps it isn’t as big as I thought or perhaps there are bigger sausages out there.  Maybe I’m just so small that all sausages look huge to me. I don’t know but I thought it was blog worthy damn it, so I’m going to show the pictures.  

I should note it has been very difficult not to make various innuendos… I think I deserve a medal seeing as I never got one for my perfect cereal.  Also, it should be noted that this sausage-fest (couldn’t resist, could you? - Ed) is totally NOT to cover up the fact I’ve been really busy and haven’t had much time to think of stuff to write this week.  Honestly.  Probably.

So, the pictures:

Doesn't look like much, does it?


Then suddenly a wild hand appears...it's huge!


Insert caption competition?  If I painted it black, I could go all thief on you

Ok, so now that I’ve quite possibly committed blog suicide, time for the picks of the week!


Pick of the week

Martial Arts – Ok, it’s a bit of a cop out this week but I actually had such trouble deciding on a pick of the week which wasn’t anime, a video game or hadn’t been done before.  However, I still stand by my decision and I would recommend that you at least try a form of martial arts once.  Not only do you learn something whilst getting fit, you could easily be learning something that is hundreds of years old and has been passed down generations. Take Jui-Jitsu - originated in the 16th century.  Wing Chun, the 17th century and Muay Thai from around the 19th century or even earlier.  What’s more is that each Martial art has its own miniature cultures with their own rituals, history and rules that you will quickly learn. 

As noted in other blogs, I have tried (for more than a couple of lessons) Muay Thai, Karate, Jui-Jitsu and Taekwondo and I have loved each, though they have all had their differences.  This is another reason to try because there is something for everybody:

Contact/non-contact
Fast/slow
Grapple/Strike
Armed/unarmed
Power/Speed

Wanting something that can relax your body and Mind?  Tai Chi will do that for you!  Want something fast and powerful that will work on your cardio and strength?  Taekwondo and Muay Thai will give a helping hand!  Want something that will protect you on your way home?  Aikido will make sure you’re safe.  This is just an incredibly short list of examples…you could try: Wing Chun, Kendo, Wushu, Capoeira, Judo, Sambo, Savate etc etc etc.  The list goes on.


As well as learning something that could save your life one day (but should never be used offensively), you’ll learn a huge variety of stretches, strength-building exercises, cardio exercises and breathing techniques, and for me at least, it’s a more interesting way of exercising that the gym.  What have you got to lose?  I’ve added some clips of different martial arts below, just to show some examples of variety. 


 Taekwondo
  
Aikido
Wing Chun
Music of the week 
This, unlike my pick of the week, is easy.  Hopskin - Ill Mind of Hopskin 5.  Enjoy!
Ok, so bit of an odd one I have to admit and most likely a sub-par post...but fear not!  I have already got my post for next week planned.  It came to me today, just a day late!  Oh well...hopefully I'll still have readers!  Bye!

Saturday 21 July 2012

Let me hear you SCREAM - 5 Questions with Tim Sullivan

Well now, it seems like it is time for my second interview...
  
                                                                   
Ten Items or Less
Tim Sullivan

Tim Sullivan

For those not familiar with Tim Sullivan, he is an actor/director/producer who specialises in horror and horror-comedy films.  My first experience was one cold February as my friends and I attended our first full Frightfest and what an experience it was.  Two days of dedicated horror fans sitting in a theatre for hours watching different genres of horror, whilst getting the opportunity to chat to the people involved (and eating way too unhealthily).  As such, I ended up meeting Tim Sullivan as we stood in the hall, waiting for the next film.  Not only did I get introduced to 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams but I got to talk to the man who made it happen and even got my poster signed (which hung on my bedroom wall until I sadly couldn't take it with me to Nepal).

However, enough about my personal experience and more about the man.  Not only is he a genuinely nice guy who takes time for his fans but he has an impressive resume to boot.  Not only has he directed and wrote 2001 Maniacs and its sequel 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, he has also worked alongside KISS in Detroit Rock City; had a cameo in Jeepers Creepers; directed the legend Robert Englund; and owns his own production company not to mention the variety of films he has worked on.  Also, check out his most recent film, Chillerama: I Was a Teenage Werebear, part of  a 2011 horror-comedy anthology.  Without ruining any of the storyline,  Teenage Werebear is a musical spoofing films such as Grease and Rebel without a Cause.  The trailer is listed below.

As Tim has kindly took the time to answer my questions, I won't talk any longer (links at the bottom of the page as usual) and will happily introduce you to Tim Sullivan:

  1. If you could work with any one actor/actress, who would it be (alive or dead)?

    River Phoenix- Hands down the greatest young actor of all time and taken from us way too soon. I was a production assistant on RUNNING ON EMPTY in 1987 and got to know him- but sadly never got to work with him as director/actor.

     
  2. What has been your favourite film to work on?

    That’s like asking someone to pick their favorite child! But if pushed against the wall- I would have to say my experience producing DETROIT ROCK CITY was my favorite because it was my first time producing a project of that scope- but more importantly, it was the chance to work with my childhood heroes KISS. It also marked the beginning of my long standing friendships and creative collaborations with director Adam Rifkin, editor Pete Schink and screenwriter Carl Dupre. Everything I’ve done since stems from that film.

     
  3. Have any particular films you’ve seen stuck with you and/or influenced you?

    Seeing Bela Lugosi’s DRACULA at age five literally rocked my world to its core, opening my eyes to what I knew I wanted to do for the rest of my life- make movies that wake people out of the doldrums of their daily lives. As far as films that influenced me stylistically- the experience of seeing DAWN OF THE DEAD upon its release in 1978 gave me a ‘goregasm’ that furthered my mission to shock audiences with gleeful (ultimately harmless) subversion. AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON opened me up to the possibilities of breeding horror and comedy. And ROCK HORROR, as witnessed most recently with I WAS A TEENAGE WEREBEAR, inspired me to not dream it, but be it..

     
  4. You’ve acted, produced, wrote and directed but which is your favourite part of the film process?

    I love, love, love working with actors on the set- but there is always the pressure of the gun to your head to get it all done within the budget and limitations, so there is always an underlying anxiety on the set. In the editing room, however, I truly feel like a master magican taking all the individual pieces of every aspect of a production (cinematography, acting, costuming, make-up, effects, music, etc) and putting them all together to form the final puzzle. So yeah, editing is my favorite part. My least favorite? Easy. Dealing with the business side of things where creativity is churned into a product for public consumption during the development and distribution stages.

     
  5. Do you have any short words of advice for any future writers/directors etc?

    Be the first of yourself versus the next of someone else. Don’t compromise. Don’t give up. Stay true. And learn how to do it on a budget. But most of all- HAVE FUN!
Finally, before I add the links, I would like to thank Tim for taking the time to answer my questions and help a fledgling blogger.  I would also like to highly recommend his films as well, especially 2001 Maniacs and Field of Screams.  If you're a fan of horror or even if you're not, his films are funny, well written/produced and gory enough for all you gore fans out there.  Seriously, check them out and you will not regret it.  A review will be coming soon! 

Also, please check out and join his facebook page as well for information and insights into the films and the man behind the films!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewRebellionEntertainment
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838374/


Chillerama: I Was a Teenage Werebear


2001 Maniacs


2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams
 
 Thanks for reading!

Monday 16 July 2012

I think I read something about a puppy?


So, last night I fell asleep listening to the soothing sound of raining careening down in the garden, the soft pitter-patter of raindrops lulling me to a soothing sleep where I then battled a friend for some reason or another (the dream isn’t important but it was an interesting dream).  I was then gently brought to the world the next morning by the best way possible.  

Was it to the smell of bacon being cooked?  The arms of a loved one gently caressing my hair?  A much loved Beagle jumping on me to let me know it’s time to wake up?  Nope, it was the sound of a monotone voice droning through a microphone for one hour.  At 6:30am.  Promptly stopping 10 minutes after I got up.  In case you hadn’t caught on, this is not a good way of getting up.  Whilst it’s not quite the level of being kicked in the crotch as a wake-up call, it still isn’t good.  Regardless of this, I am in a fairly good mood this week and for various reasons.

There is, of course, the big news!  My new section: 10 items or less.  For those who didn’t read the first entry, this is a new interview section where I ask people who have created something I like/enjoy 10 questions (or less) about themselves and their particular field of work.  For my first interview, I had the pleasure of talking to ‘Random aka Megaran’ about his various music albums (in particular Black Materia) and I really enjoyed learning more about his work and background.  To make things even better, I already have my next interview lined up for Friday as well, and I am just as happy with it as I was with Random’s interview.  

The thing that really amazes me is that these people are taking the time out of their day to chat to me, despite their busy schedules and lives and that just makes this a truly brilliant opportunity for me.  It’s due to their busy schedule that I kept it at 10 questions as it is long enough to find out about them and their projects but short enough so that they can sit down and do it quickly.  Plus, by sending all the questions at once, it reduces the need for lengthy back-and-forward conversations that may ultimately be more interesting but take that much more time to complete.

My reasons behind the interviews are two-fold.  The first reason is simple; I want to find out more about the films/albums/games/artists/etc that I enjoy and this seems like a very good way of doing it.  Perhaps it’s slightly narcissistic but I also hope that everyone enjoys it as well.  One of my hopes is that the blog will introduce people to new things they may not have known about, which is a joy in itself.  I have been lucky enough to have amazing friends who constantly introduce me to things I would never heard of and actually have went out their way to do so.  One example is that Michael, before I moved to Nepal, would always loan me or at least tell me about books he enjoyed and thought I would enjoy.  Did me moving to Nepal stop him?  Nope!  I turned up to work one day, only to find he had posted a book he had enjoyed 4600 miles just so I could read it.  That, my dear readers, is dedicated awesomeness.  So, I have been amazingly lucky in this way and I want to start giving something back.   

The second is also simple; I want my blog to expand into various different areas and garner more attention.  I wouldn’t go as far to say that I want to become a career blogger (as you know, I have my goals.  That said, I wouldn’t say no) but I would love for it to become bigger and more diverse.  Perhaps this is a pipe-dream and perhaps I’m not actually a good enough writer to pull this off but I’ll be damned if I don’t try.  Over the next few weeks, I will be making some changes to this end and will hopefully improve the layout of the site, as well as continue working on a couple of new things.  Let’s just say, I’m going to ‘cast’ my net out into some new ventures ohohohohohohoh (awful, just awful – Ed).  

Finally, before I move on, I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog this week (and all the time in fact) and for those who shared my blog on Friday.  Thanks to everyone, I managed to double my views per day in only a few hours!  It was amazing, so thank you very much!  As I’ve noted, word of mouth is key for me and I’ve not run any advertising since my advert got rejected due to a pop-up (Also, if anyone experiences a pop-up, can you let know?) so it’s great when I see people sharing my blog.   

So, now that the serious side of my good mood is over, onto the face-meltingly awesome reason for my mood! 
BATMAN

 Yup, this Friday Nolan’s final Batman film is being released and I am excited.  Like a puppy.  At Christmas.  Getting a little puppy brother.  Plus it’s my birthday.  With a puppy cherry on top… Puppy.  Sorry, got carried away there but I am very excited (some may say like a puppy…at Christm - STOP! -Ed)!  This epic finale to the Batman trilogy has raised a lot of questions about the fate of Batman and also introduces a longtime character Catwoman to the equation as well.  What will happen to the Bat?  Is she really friend or foe?  Will Bane win?  I have my thoughts on what will happen but I will not mention them, in case of revealing something that somebody hasn’t noticed or seen as spoilers suck.  

What I will say is that it can’t fail to be brilliant.  Batman Begins was a brilliant start to the trilogy, followed by the Dark Knight: a film which raised the bar for superhero films and in which the limelight was easily stolen by The Joker.  I don’t think that The Dark Knight Rises will be any different.  I truly feel that it will bring a sense of closure to the series and it will do it in a way that no-one will expect, as should be expected.  So, in my excitement, I invite you all to (figuratively) join me in watching ‘Batman Begins’ on Wednesday, ‘The Dark Knight’ on Thursday and finally ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on Friday for 3 evenings of glorious Bat-ness!  Woohoo! 

Finally, I leave you with this (already mentioned on my facebook).  Nolan states that this will be his final Batman film…but he never said anything about a Justice League film.  Think about it… various DC films have arisen recently, several that are linked to the JLA.  Finally, imagine a dark and gritty JLA film where they are all meeting for the first time and trying to work together…much like the recent JLA comic reboot from the New 52…just saying.


Pick of the Week

Final Fantasy 7 – It starts with a train.  The train pulls violently up to the station, where a soon to be iconic male character with yellow spiky hair leaps out and kills two guards.  You have no idea what’s going on and you have no idea where it’s going but you know you’re going to be a part of it.  Where this iconic RPG takes you is a globe-trotting journey across the world that includes but is not limited to: Puzzles and traps; a crazed and semi-delusion antagonist; a self-doubt riddled protagonist; a medley of interesting back up characters; and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from that starting train journey to the final blow.  

Yes, I am talking about my favourite RPG, Final Fantasy 7: a game where you take control of Cloud and the rest of the group as they try to save the world from Shinra and Sephiroth.  Released in 1997, it heralded a new change for computer gaming and was the first RPG that I ever played.  You start off as a reluctant member of AVALANCHE, a freedom fighting group that is against the corporation of Shinra before things escalate very quickly.  The story itself is incredibly gripping: combining tense twists with humorous moments that blend in together well (Including a particularly hilarious segment where you’re trying to rescue your teammate which ends up including cross-dressing; multiple squats; and a burlesque club).  I won’t go into the story as I don’t want to ruin anything but you get to explore a distinct world with separate region and personalities: from the industrious and ruined Midgar to the Summer sun and holiday region of Costa Del Sol (where you can buy a holiday home).  Exploring is also key.  On top of the amazing story, you can explore the entire world looking for secret caves, weapons and characters.  This game wants you to go off the beaten track and often rewards you for doing so.  

As you explore the regions, you fight against countless enemies with a standard yet interesting battle system.  To start with, it is the regular turn based battle system but outfitted with a huge selection of Materia (spells) that you can outfit your characters with, demonic summons to destroy your enemies and varied Limit Breaks: final attacks that you earn whilst receiving damage.  This, combined with varied enemies helps to create an interesting and deep battle system that often forces you to adapt to different situations.   

Add to this multiple side-questions, deep and interesting characters that come and go, plus various mini-games (including of course, Chocobo Breeding) and hidden secrets throughout, you find yourself in an immersive RPG that all gamers should at least try.  This review, which has been done very quickly, does not do it justice.  I will give it a proper review once I set out a review template but until then, I cannot stress enough that you should play this game.    


Music of the week 

Ok, I admit I had no plan again but this came across my iPod and I thought I would share it with everyone as it rocks...Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy).  Enjoy!

Well then, that's enough from me so thank you for reading, tell your friends and don't forget, there will be another interview on Friday!  Until then, IM BATMAN (if only)