A Little More About Me

This blog is, well, a corner in the huge space we call the Internet where I share my thoughts with the world. Unlike my previous blog, this one isn't as popular nor is it about one particular topic, in particular.

The best way to ascertain someone's personality (who you don't know) is by reading what they write. All the more better if you don't know me, because here lies my thinking.

The usual:

Indian and Chinese in ancestry.

Christian in religion. To be more particular, a Reformed Baptist in theology but currently attending an Assemblies of God congregation. Used to approximate a stereotypical frothing fundamentalist in my younger days, but have since mellowed.

Moderate in politics. I support whatever political party that will bring us closer to the freedom and high standard of living enjoyed by (dare I say it) the Scandinavian countries or at the very least (look East, after all) Japan.

Generally a guy with a rather rationalist worldview. You will be annoyed by how I always deem something unproven until, well, proved.

Is fascinated by the history of our planet.

I'm also (if you didn't know) a self proclaimed optimist.

Born 1990, studying in college at the moment, still doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up but would preferably like a job where there's lots of research involved.

Addicted to information and struggling to obtain wisdom.

I love (among other things) a transcendent being called God, my family, friends, humanity in general, books, movies and my cat.

In all things, Soli Deo Gloria.

Final Fantasy XII. A review.

Okay, just thought this blog needed some variety, before it descends into the ranting grounds of a raving teen. No, I don't view myself such lowly. I just thought it would be funny. Haha. Laff. Anyway...



Final Fantasy XII (in case you don't know about the Final Fantasy series, get updated here!) is certainly one of the best RPGs out there for the PS2. The best, according to some.



Yet if this game could by summed up by a short cliche of a sentence, it would be "all style and no substance". Well, very little substance.



For one, the plot of this game, which was suppose to be, well, filled with twists, was pretty much linear and formulaic. Oh, yes, cliched.



Ah well, not many Final Fantasy games nowadays can stake a claim to originality. Think of a mix between Star Wars LOTR, and you have FF12.



Nevertheless, at least you still want to know what's gonna happen next. Which, I think, is a slightly good thing. Gameplay is another plus as well. We've (and they) had it with random battles; its not become real time, ala MMORPGS. Like Final Fantasy XI. Or World of Warcraft.



Which makes it quite nicer, and very often, much less frustrating. At least you can see your enemies now.



Well, anyway, one slight departure from the traditional Final Fantasy staple(s) would be the obvious lack of romance. Unlike the Tidus/Yuna thing we had in Final Fantasy X, we have nothing here.



Character wise, we have much more detailed ones. Not just graphically, of course. Voice-acting has greatly improved over the weird-ness that is to be found in Final Fantasy X.



We have the typical teenage protagonist, thrown into an adventure, and his friend.



We have a sky pirate (whose character is, thankfully, isn't that much influenced by *another* pirate). And his accomplice, who looks like a Playboy bunny.



Ah, originality.



Yes, we have a disgraced captain and a dethroned princess. Ashe is her name, and you would notice how short her skirt was, which was probably meant to dissuade any cosplayers. But then, nothing an adventurous girl wouldn't do.



Have I missed anything? Oh yeah, and some guest characters.



Much, much nicer, overall. And fun(ner).



There's not much to do in terms of sidequests, other than hunting. No fun Chocobo things to do, other than pay money to ride them.



I'm obliged to present a moral analysis of this game. No review would be complete without a Christian take, of course.



Final Fantasy games are renown for their spiritual themes, this game is no exception, although it descends into typical mythology this time round.



Fighting, well...you fight monsters and occasionally, bad men. Not much blood comes out. Don't worry. =)

Characters are sympathetic and yes, moral.



One qualm would be the skimpy dressing of most female characters in this game. Maybe modesty is counted differently in Ivalice (the world where this game is set). Of course we all know FFXII's target audience. No wonder. Products are made for the customer nowadays. Not vice-versa. Muahahaha.



Well that would be it. Nice game to play. Just fun and enjoyment and a typical plot that still maintains some mystery. Lots 'o replay value. For me at least, because I basically rushed through this game to say "I finally finished a Final Fantasy game!".



You heard me right. All my previous FFs have conspired against me finishing it by either being too difficult, too boring after awhile or just being scratched discs. Heh.

Principle of balance (as dialectic) as sometimes, bad.

Uh. Ahem. First a few apologies to those who were...well, those who had an awkward reaction to my last post. Dunno what got into me to write that. But yeah, had to write it eventually.



Well, anyway. I've always been hearing the principle of balance. Don't know what it is? Well, as the saying goes: "In everything, balance."



So parsimonious, no? That's why its very appealing.



It holds true, in some cases. Extremes are sometimes bad. Yet, sometimes extremes can hold true, and holding "balance" as your guiding principle can get you stuck in the middle. Er...yeah.



Thus, the middle ground is not always the right ground.



Balance can be said to be the brother (if not the equal) to Hegelian (or Fictean, according to Wiki) dialectics, wherein two propositions: thesis and antitheses, point-counterpoint are clashed together and out comes synthesis. Voila. You got your truth.



So perhaps the controversy of Ghosts vs. No Ghosts exist can be solved by...ghosts exist, but can never be found in this world? Heh.



Sometimes "balance" can't always be the filter that determines the truth. Sometimes you gotta do your own investigating. The dirty work, they say.



I don't mind. =)

She.

It is not in my nature to write about...feelings about people. Most would be about ideas and abstract concepts. Well, I suppose this approximates it in some way.



The first girl I had feelings for? When I was 12 and I looked at her. Now I know the meaning of "crush". I thought at first. Feelings...some of them don't go away easily, now do they? 5 years later, I'm writing about her, here...now.



Do I love her? I don't know. Maybe I still have just a crush. Maybe its love. Maybe its the Coke. I don't know.



But you know what? My feelings don't go away all the same. She's beautiful. She's awesome, wonderful. She's cheerful, delightful and just exudes her own confidence.



That's at least, what I think about her.



I have always wanted to tell her my feelings. Oh, how tempting. Yet, my convictions hold me back. Love is a not now, not yet for me. I do believe that. I do believe that relationships started at this...volatile age are risky. I don't deny they might still work. But I play it safe.



Maybe I should tell her. Maybe I shouldn't.



Until then, I wait.



I fear also, that she won't have the same feelings for me. Another thing holding me back. Yes, I suppose we all do have that fear.



Until then, I hope.



Maybe, a long time from now...we'll meet again. And then I'll say...I love her. Maybe its not love. Maybe it is. But my feelings? No, they're called love. Maybe they might be gone. Maybe they'll remain, after so long.



But maybe that is just in my dream. One always eventually wakes up from them.



I hope, still.



A fools hope, but a hope nonetheless.



Gotta go now, the Unilever assignment beckons.

The psychology and redundancy of ads; I didn't know corporations were so cool.

So, I just watched an ad. What? What special ad? No, nothing special. Just a Nescafe ad. Exactly. Ads are too superfluous to the public who don't budge anymore when ads are played.



Well, sometimes they do. Like those "lose weight" treatments. Now, who won't be intrigued by those kind of ads? The overweight and those who think they are overweight that is. Beauty may be relative, but the absolute truth now is that you gotta be hot to be...hot. And that is what advertising is successful at.



It is both a world-mover and a redundant tool. Nobody listens to ads; everyone does. But I write dramatically here. As the saying goes, you can fool some people all the time, all people some of the time but you can never fool everyone everytime.



Yeah, I guess its like that. It goes through randomly. Selectively.



Enough.



BTW, Unilever is cool. The source of my miseries (assignment related), but one can't deny they're cool nonetheless. Seriously, you gotta be cool to have such an awesome product portfolio. I mean, Lipton and Walls and Knorr and what have you belong to them. Coolness, I tell you. They're great!



Proctor Gamble? Heh, darn them.



Well, I would like to say something else, but then profanity is not my forte. Hence, I stay clear.



Oh well, I may be going mad. Who knows. I've been reading too much science fiction nowadays. Ah...that's why.



BTW, just listened to Aeris' Theme from FF7. Simple, but sublimely so. Whoever said piano instrumentals can't stir feelings must be deaf.



Nice, nice, nice. But it's getting late. *Yawn*.



G'nite.

The molding of the individual, via socio-cultural pressures, and misc.

Well, well, look at the title. See? I'm being random. Well, not really. It kind of reeks of randomness, but "random" (as I mean it here) is used to describe silly and incoherent behaviour or words or things or...stuff.



No, the title kind of describes my life. All of ours, in fact. Not that cultural conditioning alone creates personality (biology does that) alone. Lewontin calls it "dialectical materialism". An evo-pyschologist (Pinker? I dunno) calls the latter "dead". I personally don't care.



Nevertheless, here we are.



You are the way you are, perhaps, because of your parents who dropped you when you were a baby, then banned you from anime (which they deem violent, un-Christian, waste of time etc.) and basically made your life miserable or plainly just because you were born that way.



No I'm not writing auto-biographically here. I'm just trying to be funny. Haha.



Okay, you know what, disregard what I just wrote above. Write it of as something about me and my slightly cynical self. That's a self I don't like. I like being happy and optimistic. And caring less about the "big" things and more about how to understand the darn sphere grid in Final Fantasy X.



Oh yes, I looove philosophy. Then again, who doesn't. I just love the esoteric-meaningless-non-utilitiarian part. No, I just don't feel in the modal logic mood today.



See? Yet another random jump into another topic I just feel like talking about.



Well college is hard. Group project and the coming exam makes it no less difficult. I got one member who is too busy, one person who's not the brightest when it comes to doing strategic marketing analyses and another who can't take his work seriously unless his mother is watching over him.



No offense to any of you. You're great. Just that everyone has their shortcomings.



Mine? Being a obsessive compulsive procrastinator (To be fair, a lot of people are- so no, I'm not that special. Heh.), extremely lazy teen and what else.



I have great aspirations. I want to enter the academia. Wonderful, except I'm too lazy to do my maths. Aw, that's sad. Pity, pity.



Well, I still do feel happy. Hope? No, one does not hope unless one has faith in the hope. What is faith? Faith is a past earned trust in the future. Don't get it? Err...do find out for yourself what faith means.



Trying to be holy. Yeah, isn't that what the Bible always tells you to be? Be perfect. Yes, and still, you know its impossible. "Don't sin!" say your parents/pastors/friends yet you still do. They still do.



We are imperfect, man is fallen and my eyes have been strained. Rest time,



Bye bye.