A lot of people said that this movie is a "must-watch" and that they were "blown away" by the stunning visual effects so I also thought of watching it even though I didn't like the trailer.
Dada said he gets dizzy with 3D so we just went to a regular cinema. I plan to watch it in 3D with my sib come New Year.
Pandora is a primitive and hostile planet with lush supplies of unobtainium. One of its inhabitants is a tribe called the Na'vi. They can communicate or "bond" with everything around them by linking their hair strands (weird but fresh concept LoL). Apart from that, it's just a Pocahontas remake and nothing more. The story is very predictable.
I give it : 
Disney's "A Christmas Carol" is something that I anticipated considering that 1) it's a Disney film, 2) it's got top-notch animation and 3) it stars Jim Carrey!
Unfortunately, how the story was told and how some of the actors mimic the British accent killed everything.
Visual effects are stunning than their previous ones. The story is old but I don't know it. Nonetheless, I wasn't able to appreciate it. Rendition is boring and sometimes scary. There's nothing fresh here.
I give it :
It's like Tetsuya Nomura and the rest of SQUARE-ENIX took the meshes from other games then jumbled them to form FFXIII. Still great, though. :D
Dada: You are acting differently.
Me: Why?
Dada: Most people who get terminated are depressed. You are very much cheerful.
Me: A huge stake has been pulled out from my chest. I'm free now and I can get my life back.
Dada: Point taken.
After the bad experience I had with Teletech [link to "Teletech : Enconuim and Censure . . ."], I went to 24/7 with thoughts of getting better opportunities and satisfaction with my job. All that 24/7 offered was 15% great pay, 5% opportunities to move up and 80% false hopes. The most I got here is bitterness.
Great Pay! Yes, VERY --- if you are part of the first few waves. This is their technique when trying to "pirate" people from other companies. Since most people go to call centers because the money is there, they get easily attracted.
Opportunities! Wow! Yeah, if you're part of the first wave then it's very easy to get promoted. Other than that, it's not worth trying. Anyway, I was not after this.
Benefits!!! They offer the crappiest HMOs in the Metro. Although I was able to use them a lot because I often go to the hospital for checkups. I always got sick while I was in the company. I was in the hospital at least two times every month! [link to "AH1N1??!"] [link to "Second Wave of Ailments"] Vacation Leaves were very hard to file, since there were so many agents and so little slots per day. Even applying for a VL on holidays became so much of a burden because it became a race/contest. They also implemented a rule that if an agent has 5 leaves without pay in one calendar month, he/she will not receive any credits the following month. LoL! Stupid, right? I know that VLs are a privilege that they give but there's always an if-then-else statement attached. People need to work their @$$ off or kiss someone else's @$$ in order to make the most out of these benefits.
Shifting schedules : Although this is a part of the job description, I still didn't find 24/7's scheduling system just. Schedule changes after four weeks, sometimes two weeks. Actually, no... it changes daily because every week, there's a 90% chance that the start of our shifts are several minutes or an hour apart from each other (eg. Monday shift starts @ 5am, then Tuesday shift starts at 4:15am, then Wednesday is 3:15am.. etc). Even the breaks and lunches are unjust. Most of the time, our first break would be an hour after we log in. Then the lunches will follow after another hour. After that, we'd be on the phone for two hours before we take our last break, then another three hours on the phone before we logout.
Crappy equipment: There were no concrete sleeping quarters. The lobby or "interview area" is where we slept at night. Although, erratically, the guards would shoo us away because it had to be cleaned or there's a client on the floor so they had to light up all the rooms. I think this happened to me quite often so I had to go home and skip work. I do not want to take in calls and get stressed when I have no rest at all. We did not have our own headsets too that's why we had to stick with the one-earpiece headset they have in the office. It was really hard! I always thought that I'd go deaf.
Integrity is nil. Mediocrity is abundant. The management often say contradicting things or tell their agents false hopes. When we asked the higher ups about our concerns, they will often say "Business needs."
There were plenty of instances wherein I wanted to quit but I felt anxious because I couldn't let go of the high salary. I lost MUCH of my social life while I was there. My boyfriend and I had many arguments about work. My colleagues also tell me that I have become very cranky since I lack sleep most of the time. I have become sickly, detached and bitter. I grew so tired of everything that I'd often slack off and wished to be termed already so I can escape.
November 22, 2009 ... I was told by my TL not to login anymore and I was terminated due to call avoidance, which is a grave offense in any call center. It's actually something that I knew coming but I didn't feel remorse or any disappointment. I accepted it rather than experiencing another Pyrrhic victory. I left the company smiling.
I found one of my old diaries while I was cleaning my room. That diary contained mostly what happened during my first year in college. Some are good, some are bad, some are enraging...
I told Dan that I wanted to get even with the people who bullied us in school, since a lot of them thought of us as unpopular nerds. Dan said being bitter is a waste of time and plotting revenge would be like fighting pieces of trash.
He said that some of those who bullied us are now in much worse situations. One of them is now a drug addict, two or three of them got impregnated during college, some of them became mere salespeople.
I guess he has a point. Even if we served as laughing stock during those days, we should also be thankful that we did not end up like them.
September 26 ... It was the fourth time I experienced serious palpitations. The first three were probably triggered by drinking too much coffee-vanilla. The latest was caused by the argument I had with my boyfriend during Ondoy [link to "Perfect Storm"].
October 2 ... I went to Medical City (SM Fairview) to have my heart checked up. The cardiologist suspected a lot of causes (kidney, thyroid, lungs, blood, heart, caffeine intake and anxiety attacks). It was the beginning of a series of other check ups.
October 11 ... I skipped work again because I had a 2D-ECHO scheduled. This was my first time taking that lab test and I almost freaked out when my heart made some weird noises! LoL! I also had a blood sample taken, an X-Ray and ECG.
October 16 ... I had rhinitis and I could barely breathe through my nose. This was probably caused by the unpredictable weather conditions. I went to the clinic three times. Despite that, the company nurse refused to send me home early and my supervisor cannot do anything about it. It was one of the most irritating times of my life.
October 17 ... I skipped work again and went back to Medical City. By this time, I've already recognized the nurses and they too have become familiar with me. The ENT doctor gave me 1 day of bed rest. I met up with Jeiro to lend her my red wig. I was also happy when I told her that I can go to EK the next day!!! I also told Dada about it. He was against it at first but we settled it. I really love him! ♥
October 18 ... I woke up and my rhinitis is gone --- so was my voice! That didn't prevent me from going to the Enchanted Kingdom though! Even without a voice, I can still have fun! [link to "OtakonEK 2009"]
October 19 ... I skipped work again to meet up with the cardiologist. All tests indicated that I am very healthy - especially my heart. She wanted me to take Pulmonary tests but I cannot afford anymore time on it unless I file a long medical leave. The bills also amounted to P15k (that's about 315 US dollars) so I am very thankful because we have MediCard (HMO). I just concluded that it might be my anxieties causing everything.
October 21-24 ... I was absent the whole week because my voice has not fully recovered. I went back to the ENT and he diagnosed that it's an acute laryngitis. The Operations Manager then asked for a "Fit-to-work" certificate. I never filed any.
November 7 ... My sleeping problems has taken its toll. While I was taking a nap, I experienced "Sleep Paralysis" and it was one of the most terrifying things that happened to me. It wasn't just because I couldn't move nor talk during that ordeal, I was also having auditory hallucinations. I was really scared! I am very grateful to my boyfriend because he was the one who woke me up. If he wasn't there, I might've died. [link to "Hypnagogia . . ."]
"Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man." --- Yahoo! Movies
I have never read any Iron Man comic nor have I watched cartoons of it (if there were any). Although, I still watched the movie with Dada since it is a sci-fi film and it was one of the highly-anticipated shows of the month. I must say that it was worth it.
The story is kinda tragic because of the deaths involved. It also shows how Tony Stark was edified about the irony of his dream - he made the weapons that killed the people he vowed to protect. Another thing I liked about it was how Tony Stark built and set the preferences on the new hot-red suit. The special effects were very impressive!
Robert Downey Jr (Stark) and the rest of the cast all played their roles very well. He and Terrence Howard (Rhodes) had a very good chemistry so I am saddened and I was baffled as to why Marvel replaced the latter on the sequel. Replacing actors and actresses on sequels takes away a part of the story and the overall "feel" of the movie. I just hope that the new piece of the puzzle fits in well.
I give it :
Event : OtakonEK 2009
Date : October 18, 2009
Venue : Enchanted Kingdom
Last year, I said that OtakonEK will be my pilgrimage because Azrael confirmed that this will happen every September. OtakonEK was a bit postponed this year due to typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) [link, viewable by family & friends only], which hit the country a day before its actual date. I also thought that I won't be able to attend because of my work's schedule. As if luck was really on my side, I had an acute laryngitis which became my excuse for skipping our shift. Even without a voice, I can still have fun!!! Dada was against it at first but when I explained to him that I have been planning this for the longest, he then allowed me to go. Wheee!!!
Jeiro and Lora went to EK wearing Pirate costumes while Leidi and I were just wearing casual clothes. I planned on donning the Scarlet gown [link], but I realized that it would be too cumbersome and I don't want to pose for pictures there (yeah, I have issues).
Leidi and I missed both the 10:30AM and 12:30NN shuttles so we had to commute going to Sta.Rosa, Laguna. I was thinking that if something else goes wrong or if we get lost, we might not make it to EK! During those times, I realized that people can either be complete @$$h073S or be very helpful to the needy. Some people took advantage of the situation and charged us too high for fares, while some are very kind to point us the fastest routes and tell us the actual rates.
We arrived in EK around 1:30PM and immediately stashed our bags in the locker area. Leidi was a bit reminiscing because she said that the last time she's been there was when she was ten. It was time for her to feel the thrills of the rides she missed during her elementary years! LOL!
1) Roller Skater (mini roller coaster) -- Leidi wanted to try Dodgem (bump cars) but I told her that it's too boring so as an appetizer, I took her here. I think she had fun. Hehe~
2) Anchor's Away (swaying pirate ship) -- The line was pretty long and we waited for about 10 minutes before our turn. While standing in line, Leidi felt scared as she heard the screams and wanted to back out. I firmly told her "NO! We are going to take the topmost seats! You see blood everyday [you're a nurse-to-be!] and you can't handle this?!" Hehehe~ Of course, people go to EK to experience the thrills and I want nothing less. While the ship was swaying back and forth, Leidi got really scared at tinawag na niya ang lahat ng mga santo! LoL! She screamed "OH MY GOD -TAMA NA - SHET - ANG PUSO KO - LORD - OPERATOR - STOP - AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" all in one breath! LoL!
3) Grand Carousel - no lines, I wonder why? LoL!
4) Flying Fiesta (wave swinger) - Leidi said that if she survived Anchor's Away, she can survive anything! LoL!
5) Wheel of Fate (giant ferris wheel) - it was our time to relax a bit and enjoy the view.
6) Rialto (motion sim theater - feat. Speed Racer) - if my reaction to Sponge Bob was "That was it?!" for Speed Racer it was "What the fn(K"?!"
7) Jungle Log Jam (log flumes) - We didn't get wet. It was still cold, though.
8) Rio Grande Rapids (river rafting) - We were VEERRRRYYYYYY WET! LoL!
Despite the fact that we arrived late, we still managed to try out eight rides. This is my best record as of late. LoL! The Space Shuttle is undergoing maintenance so Leidi wasn't able to feel what it's like being the signature ride of EK. Nonetheless, we're able to watch the Sky Wizard fireworks display contest. The entry that we liked was #11.
We got home around 12:30MN. Cold and tired, but we had fun. LOL!
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Other trips to EK that I put in my blog:
2) OtakonEK 2008 [link]
3) Trip to Enchanted Kingdom - February 2009 [link]
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Dragonica Online [THQ*ICE client] [IAH Client]
I still have no time to play WoW because of my friggin' work so Dada suggested that I try this game instead. He said Jasper (his friend) tried it during its Closed ßeta days. Since it's a fairly new game, I had the chance to take part in its Open ßeta.
Dragonica is a side-scrolling game just like Wind Slayer but it's rendered in 3D. The base job classes are similar to the usual MMORPGs but BaRunSon Interactive (the game's developers) added a few twists in it. The avatars are not as ce as those in RO, ROSE or LUNA but they've pretty decent. LOL!
I created three characters in the THQ*ICE client : Maldita (Battle Mage), Pilya (War Mage) and Suplada (Trickster) ... I like Maldita so much because she's a strong character, but her prowess prevented her from doing low-level guild quests -- she's too powerful! That's why I created Pilya to perform the tasks she missed (which, in turn, made her my main character). I used Suplada to aid Dada in their lowbie quests but I am not very good at controlling Melee characters so I had to retire her early.
In the IAH client : I created Kshanti (Battle Mage) and Silvere (Archer). Kshanti has the same skills as Pilya does. Silvere is just a backup storage.
Dragonica has some features that I never found in other games that's why I was hooked even though Dada wasn't into it (he tried it maybe a few weeks after I did).
The maps here may have the same set of monsters but the drops or loots vary. Some maps offer more consumable items, some offer weapons and armors, while some focus more on EXP points.
There are also different kinds of quests - Hero (story), Adventure (side-story), and Guild (guild exp) quests. All of them give deecnt amount of EXP, fair equipment and money.
Another thing that boosts EXP is the Combo system. The higher the combo, the greater the EXP.
The party EXP is set to "even share" ... The loots can be set to either "free-for-all" or "shared" but most people prefer the first one.
Dada and I tried the IAH (SEA) client of Dragonica. THQ*ICE (North America) lacks some of the things found in the IAH client such as the pet and improved party systems. IAH also fixed some bugs like the flapping wings and dual claws.
I didn't like IAH before because it had so much downtime; the lag was unbearable; and people live by CASH.
Good thing that Dada and I were lucky enough to find some stuff for our characters and we survived most of the ordeal!
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*** please excuse the date.. i just want this on top of my blog entries~
Other entries:
MMORPG I play / played (Part 1) : [link]
MMORPG I play / played (Part 2) : [link]
MMORPG I play / played (Part 3) : [link]
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