Weapon or Warrior – Where Power Comes From

Why hello there my fellow readers! It seems that I have returned from my long hibernation, also known as laziness, to bring you an out-of-the-blue update. I find it interesting how I'm more willing to type out a random online article instead of writing down lecture notes. I guess we all have our own ways of taking study breaks. 

So what could possibly bring me out of the darkness? Doctor Strange. This unique and powerful Marvel hero got me thinking a lot about what I find appealing in a super-powered character. Do I prefer the heroes who rely on their own strength, and whose powers come from themselves? Or do I find something tantalising about a character who relies on gadgets and artefacts, and builds themselves up from nothing? Please join me in this brief "thought progression debate" as I compare heroes like Doctor Strange, Batman, and Ironman with the likes of Superman, Edward Elric, and Goku. 

The 14th of February... and Every Other Month

It happened in one of the many bubble tea shops in the city. My date and I had just had dinner at the Korean place down the street, and now we were enjoying a refreshing dose of bubble tea. 

"Look around you," she said, "do you notice anything different than usual?" 

"Hmmm?" I replied, head tilted and confused, "I don't see anything strange." 

"Keep looking." 

"Perhaps—Oh, everyone here is—" 

"A couple," she concluded, "that's because it's Chinese Valentine's Day. The 14th of every month is another Valentine's Day." 

After some research it seems that Chinese Valentine's Day is something else entirely, an event celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. However, it is true that every 14th of the month is special. It's all part of an intricate courting and dating "schedule". I am here to explore this interesting artefact of culture with all of you. 

"And yes, there might be a poem or some form of 'elegant prose' at the end."

My New Year's Resolution: Grow

With 2015 coming to a close it seems almost compulsory for me to do a sappy "2015 in Review" post. Instead of doing that, let us all be hipsters together and look towards the future: 2016. I'll be looking at my resolutions and goals for the new year, and hopefully you can strive for some of the same goals too. 

If you really want to see my year in review, why not check out my post about "2015 in Film". I briefly comment on all the films I have seen this year, and give them each a score out of ten. Some of the results might surprise you. For now, let us continue with our look-forward on 2016. 

An Awakening for the Next Generation - A New Hope for the Old

Firstly, this is a non-spoiler review of Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. So please feel free to read this post to your heart's content. This will be a very short and simple review - a first impression if you will. Without further ado, here's my review for The Force Awakens. 

"The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power too." 

8 of My Favourite Feelings

Binge watching YouTube can lead you to many dark and dangerous places. My subscriptions are filled with the usual gaming highlights, magic tutorials, and cooking videos. One day the "recommended" section at the end of one of my videos had me listening to Hank Green talk about his favourite feelings. It got me thinking about my own favourite feelings, and I was surprised at my own personal preferences. It turns out that feelings you love don't have to be lovely, happy, or even empathetic. I decided to take a leaf out of Mr Green's book and have all my favourite feelings right here for you to read. 

"Let's get sappy shall we." 

Two Dates. Two Films. Two Scores.

It turns out I have begun to realise that going to the movies is an expensive habit. Over the past two weeks of break I managed to catch over four different films, two of which were actually the same. 

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation was a solid 7/10 for me. Having gone for multiple viewings I am confident in my original critique that it was a basic Tom Cruise flick. The only thing I got out of the film was that IMF stands for Impossible Missions Force. While it was definitely a fun flick, the story seemed all too convenient for my own expectations of a spy movie. The plot moved along smoothly, but only because everything fell into place when it needed to. It was almost clinical. However, the brother, the lady friend, and the bro-friend all seemed to like this film little more than me, with each of them ranking it a star higher. All film is subjective I guess? 

"Hold on, the title says two films, but you've mentioned three? What are these two films?" 

Here are my reviews on Southpaw and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. 

Burger Burger Newmarket

Looking forward to seeing how the Burger Burger franchise is holding up. Although I prefer the OG Ponsonby outlet, this city joint isn't that bad.