This review is written by SoulReaper @Asianfanatics. This is a personal opinion and no personal attacks are intended.

Title: Bejeweled Blitz
Developer/Publisher: PopCap
Platform: PC
Genre: Casual, Strategy
Application(s) needed: Facebook
Target audience: Everyone

Ever since its launch, the Bejeweled Blitz’s predecessor, none other than the first Bejeweled game itself, has been a hit despite its very simple gameplay and has now been officially categorized as a classic. The next installment of the Bejeweled family has been quite an additional source of entertainment and although gameplay-wise, it’s still the same, it’s amazing how people can play it for hours, whether on the way to work or just for a break.

The Facebook application of the Bejeweled family has certainly been quite a hit as well, where friends can challenge each other to see who gets the highest score. It’s fun, and the hint of competition adds some motivation to the game for Facebook users, even though it’s a very short 1-minute game. Recently, the developers have decided to include a BOOST feature which I can only say, is a little too redundant. Although it does gives you some sort of well, boost, its power is insignificant - you can’t really see how much it benefits you. Bejeweled Blitz would still fare well without this feature. On the other hand, I like the fact that the developing team is constantly churning out new ideas for this particular Facebook application instead of leaving it to rot in space.

This Facebook game is suitable for anyone looking for a short break from work, or while traveling on public transport looking for some sort of entertainment to cure themselves of boredom, specifically meant for those who have access to Facebook from their phones or netbooks.

“School sucks!”

“I wish I could have holidays all year round (although you know that won’t happen)!”

There’s at least one time in your life when you’ve said it, but did you really mean it? Many a time, we say things on impulse, usually prompted greatly by something that painstakingly makes you feel like you’re in hell. For example, studying for the subject that forces you to churn out and know mental sums like the back of your hand, or the subject that forces you to memorize tons and tons of convoluted and useless equations.

We are born inquisitive. We question many things in life, yet we rarely question the root of the educational system. We are going to school because we have to, because our parents want us to, and because we’re bounded by society’s standards. We are just forcing ourselves to fulfill the wishes of people whom we owe our lives and morals to.

We study, we pass, we get on to the next level, forget everything, and then the whole cycle repeats again. We learn things that are supposedly meant to be useful for our future, yet only after having gone through it, do we realize how useless it was. However, there will always be someone above you telling you that what you’re studying is going to be useful to your career, and on the other hand, there will also be a bunch of other people telling you that whatever you’re learning now is just the tip of the iceberg: You will only start to learn the real thing when you finally step into the working world. So what do we believe?

Let’s admit it. Education is necessary, though not nearly as essential as our health and family. We NEED it to survive in this competitive world. Whether you like it or not, it’s not up to you to decide, but by what society wants us to do. You may hate it all you want, but at the end of the day, you still have to force yourself to like it, and sometimes to a cruel standard, love it.

There will always be people who doubt the piece of paper you get after graduation. What use is that piece of paper? Simple - it’s the proof of your education. But that’s not all to it. The paper you get at your graduation ceremony is merely just a piece of paper. Although it proves that you went to school, it doesn’t prove yourself to future employers your real capabilities and talents, it’s unquestionably a stepping stone to the next level in your life.

So if there’s anything that’s in your way to reaching your goal, it’s that piece of paper. You may hate it all you want, but remember, you NEED it. It doesn’t need you, as there will always be millions of people studying for it. Whether it’s a high school diploma or your university certificate, work hard for it. You will never know when it may become useful to you in the future.

Title: Mario Kart DS
Developer/ Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Kart Racing
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: Nov 14, 2005
ESRB: Everyone

This review is written by SoulReaper @ Asianfanatics. It is a personal opinion, and no personal attacks are intended.

What beats having fun with your friends on the wireless DS network? Nothing! Mario Kart DS is a casual racing game that promises an interactive game play that is sufficient to keep one occupied for a long period of time. Racing on the tracks with your favorite characters from the Mario series in various challenging modes, while sabotaging friends and having a great laugh at the same time is indeed something fun with no serious thinking involved.

The downside? Extremely boring missions that might appeal to the much younger audience but to the older ones, it’s a little too easy-peasy for their liking. However, there are many features to be unlocked while the game waits for you to accomplish its objectives, and various play modes are available to spice up your gaming experience, whether as an individual or as a group.

Race to be the best! This seems to be the motto of the game. A cabinet of medals waits to be filled as you compete in every race and there are various characters to pick from to suit your liking. There’s also a great range of maps to choose from, each having its own difficulty level, depending on your ability to survive through the challenge and eventually emerging as the champion.

In conclusion, Mario Kart DS is a rather addictive game. Moreover, who can deny the awesome cute graphics and background music? But don’t forget, if you want the best of your gaming experience, remember to plug in your earpiece! Well, at least from what I have done so far, sound effects come in handy especially when one of the CPUs or your friends try to sabotage you!

Overall Rating: 9/10

There’s at least one stage in our lives that we’re not in favor of, which often makes us feel disgruntled and sometimes at a loss. We tend to walk around in circles trying hard to avoid the main problem as much as we can, only to realize that all we have been doing is making it worse. But how, in the end, did we manage to resolve the problem? Was it something we did because we had to, or was it something we did out of our own free will?

A simple example I can think of is when I have to study something that I don’t like in the slightest bit. I dread attending the class because there’s nothing of interest for me to look forward to. However, somewhere deep inside me, I often tell myself that I HAVE to be interested in the subject even though clearly, it will make me hate the subject even more. Yet, it’s a mystery that although I hate the class very much, I still feel a sense of yearning to do my very best, and this feeling that I possess is also something that every being possesses as well. It’s something called responsibility. Perhaps the reason for being responsible for my learning is that, I don’t wish to disappoint my family, and I don’t want to regret not putting my best efforts into my studies.

In every course of action, there’s always a cause and effect. You might think that it affects just you alone, but think carefully, is it really just YOU? Often times we’re too caught up with ourselves and our own problems that we tend to forget the fact that we’re living together with others, that life doesn’t just revolve around us.

Think for one moment of a time that you have taken something for granted. Did you regret your actions or did you simply not care at all? Sometimes we have to learn to put ourselves in the shoes of others to really understand them, to view what they see. Each of us sees things and deals with problems differently but there’s always a common characteristic that every one of us is born with, and that is to be responsible for your being, and also for the being of others: your friends and family. The ones who are always there for you, were you always there for them when they needed you? Although the decisions you made and the actions you decided upon might not seem so significant to yourself, but the impact on the people around you can be quite dramatic.

Are we selfish beings who don’t seem to care for others? Or are we too clouded by what we see that we often feel that we’re the only ones suffering? Sometimes it’s good to think about it. Many a times we’re often seen living in the past, pushing ourselves into a corner and refusing to accept the help of others. But instead of living in the past, perhaps we could learn from it? The mistakes we make, are often unconscious objects of desire that we never want to be reminded of again. Bringing yourself up to embrace your mistakes and learn something out of it is also a part of growing up, and being responsible. We may not have realized it but every course of action we take reflects greatly on ourselves. How often do we give thoughts to our own actions? If you do, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, work harder to be a better self.

Remember, this isn’t a competition. It’s not only for yourself, but it’s also for your loved ones. When faced with a problem that you cannot handle, don’t run away. Look your problems in the face and solve them to arrive at a better solution. Escapism is never meant to be a good solution. It will only makes things worse, and when it does, it will no longer affect you alone. It will also affect the lives of other people. Life is like a game. We win and we lose. What really matters is how much you have grown to develop yourself as a better person.

This review is written by MeJustYou @ asianfanatics. This is a personal opinion and no personal attacks are intended.

Title: PS, I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Published: 2004
Dimensions: 409 pages (Hardcover)
Genre: Teens/Adult Fiction (Chick-lit, Romance, Romantic Comedy)
Warning: This book may be inappropriate for younger readers.

Summary
Holly and Gerry were a married couple and quite possibly the closest thing to soul mates. But when Gerry passes away from an illness, Holly suffers an almost intolerable blow and her life has since seemingly spiralled out of control. No matter how much her friends try to help, no one can seem to find an effective remedy to cure her from her shattering heart break - except Gerry.

Before he passed away, he left his wife a set of 10 letters, each ending with the sentence “PS, I Love You”. Instructed to open one at the end of each month, Holly’s friends begin to think that these letters are controlling her life; Holly thinks otherwise. A story of love, friendship and new discoveries, these set of letters gradually set Holly’s life back on track. And although Gerry cannot physically be by her side, his presence is always nearby as he helps and guides Holly through a journey, of what is just the beginning… of the rest of her life.

Review
One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind after hearing about this book was, “what a beautiful and heart-warming plot line!” The concept behind the book sounded so beautiful, and it had great potential to be a true tearjerker, and also a powerful and touching read. Since it was an international bestseller, I finally decided to see what all the hype was about.

(Before I plough into, what will come across as a very critical review, I would like to reiterate that this is only my personal opinion, and that anyone is free to disagree with my thoughts on this book.)

Unfortunately, after having finished reading it, I was left feeling bitterly disappointed. I feel almost guilty for giving a negative review to the beautiful idea behind the storyline, but what a disappointment that such a unique and touching idea could have been executed so badly!

This book seemed incredibly unrealistic on many occasions. Not only was the death of Holly’s soul mate treated too lightheartedly, but the characters were also very two-dimensional and superficial. Despite the heartbreaking circumstances Holly was suffering from, I felt no empathy for any of the characters and found that the way they reacted to many of the situations that cropped up, terribly unrealistic. I wish I could have felt more empathy for Holly as I may be beginning to sound quite cold-hearted, but the reason for this was that many of Holly’s situations were dealt with in very predictable, typical, and almost childish ways.

What’s more, the overall portrayal of how someone would react to losing a loved one was overly simplistic. Perhaps I am a little cynical, but if the relationship between the two were almost soul mates surely Gerry’s death wouldn’t have been so easy to overcome? On many occasions, I was left rolling my eyes in disbelief, at the number of times everything seemed to be such a coincidence and treated so nonchalantly. I suppose this book was just a little too chick-litty (for want of a better word) for my liking, and I felt that Ahern tried too hard to make things funny, yet didn’t try hard enough on portraying the emotional depth of the storyline and characters.

So, to sum it up, I would not recommend this book, unless you really have nothing else to read, or if you don’t mind reading overly simplistic chick lits. Perhaps I got my hopes too high before reading this book and expected too much from it? Whatever the reason is at the end of the day, I feel that this book was a let down as it did not live up to my expectations and I find its status as a bestseller a little debatable. Overall, I would say that it is a wonderful concept albeit executed badly, and a (sorry to say) overrated [b]book. Although I fell in love with the idea, unfortunately I am not able to say the same about the book itself.

While I waited for my train to arrive at its destination, in the midst of a very crowded carriage, a middle-aged woman behind me poked me in the arm without saying anything, and before I could turn around to ask her what she wanted, she pinched me. I winced in pain and finally alighted when the train hit my destination and gave her one of my death stares as she walked off as if nothing actually happened. A few days later, I began to observe the crowd around me, finding myself feeling rather intimidated by the behavior of both adults and teenagers alike. Whatever happened to saying, “Excuse me”? As I was utterly lost in my own thoughts, I spotted one of the train staff monitoring the platforms, ensuring the safety of the commuters. When the next train arrived, and commuters prepared to rush into the train before the doors opened, I heard her shout, “Please let the passengers alight first!” I stared in disbelief for a moment or two, before suddenly feeling ashamed. I was ashamed of my own kind, ashamed that we have to be TOLD to give way to other passengers, instead of doing so out of common courtesy.

As I recall the old days during which I had an incredibly painful but valuable childhood, I suddenly felt relieved and thankful to my parents for being extremely strict with me. As I flip through the newspapers everyday, I notice how much the whole world is changing. Children as young as nine committing crude crimes that I myself could not imagine, and people who couldn’t care less about others just to save themselves. Whatever happened to lending a hand to those in need?

The impact of morale education seems to have also lessened as the youths of today are now taking it for granted. Gone are the days where we give way to passengers in need. On the other hand, we also have passengers taking advantage of polite gestures by demanding for more without showing signs of being grateful. It seems that saying the magic words “Excuse me?” and “Thank you” mean nothing as people are now resorting to using silence to solve a problem.

Cruising down the road like they own it, I notice how teenagers are increasingly influenced by the media and the people around them. Picking on weaklings and challenging them to fights and talking in the most trashy language I have ever heard are just some of the common behaviors seen on today’s streets. When I looked back into the past, this was more or less rather transparent. Today, it has become more apparent as parents seem to have lost control over their own children. Parents let their children do whatever they want without giving thoughts to future consequences, only to put the entire blame on the media for bringing in bad influence on their children. Every time I read of such a report in the papers I cringe, utterly disgusted at how irresponsible some parents can be.

In the 21st Century technology plays a major part of our lives. We’re beginning to forget many things including what we were taught at a younger age. Everything is invented to make life convenient for us, but are we forgetting something of a much greater importance? Things like spending time with family and being useful to the society, while enjoying life at the same time. This has seemingly vanished as people nowadays are so concerned with monetary means that they are willing to forgo anything for the sake of money and fame. Today, we’re becoming superficial beings who are so caught up with our selves that we do not realize that adults are what most youths look upon as a role model. Role models have forgotten how much influence they hold over youths, especially young teenagers who are easily misled and how easily they can indirectly teach the young adults wrong values and principles.

Perhaps it’s time to sit down and reflect on ourselves, on how much we have been neglecting society. It’s undeniably factual that there will always be rotten apples, that we’re all imperfect people. We make mistakes in our lives, but to be negligent of the people around us because of our selfish thoughts and behaviors, is it something that we cannot change?

Title: Time Hollow
Developer: Tenky
Publisher: Konami
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure
Date released: September 28, 2008

This review is written by SoulReaper @AsianFanatics. It is a personal opinion, and no personal attacks are intended.

A mysterious pen can either make you a hero or a devil by amending a mistake in the past, to change the future; could you resist such a power? Similarly, if you were given a choice to make, which would you choose? To save the lives of people at the expense of your own or to try all means to save your loved ones at the expense of others?

The plot of Time Hollow can be tedious yet thrilling at the same time. The game transports you into the world of Ethan Kairos, whose parents disappeared on his 17th birthday, leaving behind a single clue: the Hollow Pen which holds a mysterious power within… Only HE, the one with this pen, can bring his parents back alive. Even his close friends and uncle are unable to connect with Ethan as the person who holds the Hollow Pen is the only person who has memories of the changes he makes. Amidst trying to solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance, a string of unsolved puzzles begin to unravel themselves. Also, like many other plots, Time Hollow has its own antagonist, who also has a Hollow Pen with him, but unlike Ethan, this guy is evil, and will try all ways to make it hell for Ethan.

While it takes time to get used to the always-changing storyline, the puzzles themselves are quite easy, though lots of backtracking is involved, and clues can be quite shady and vague. Time Hollow is a game that requires your utmost attention, if at any time you lose focus, you risk missing out on a very important clue. On the other hand, the game-play is easy to pick up. Each time Ethan (you, the player) solves a puzzle, memories of the past will be overwritten by the change he makes, and that in turn, affects the present, and the future. Flashbacks are one of the core mechanics used in Time Hollow and they serve a great role in every puzzle. In addition to that however, is the amount of times Ethan can use the Hollow Pen as it has a limited power usage. Once the player has used up all the power within the pen, it’s Game Over.

What draws me to this game is its intriguing plot, graphics, in-depth character development and well-suited background music. Although the story is confusing and long, it’s what makes the game unique in its own way. It contains many twists that might deter you from continuing to play, but its suspense, accompanied by the dark background music, is something that one cannot deny. From the characters to the environment, every part of it is nicely portrayed with concept images. The art style used in Time Hollow is anime-style, which is evident from the box cover. Even the minor characters that appear once in a while have their own stories to tell.

Another point I like about Time Hollow is that it follows a linear time-line, and will only trigger the next scene when you have gathered all the clues that you need and solve the very puzzle you are holding onto. However this might not be the same for others who prefer a much more dynamic time-line that allows them to juggle various puzzles at the same time.

This game takes approximately less than half a day to finish and is best suited for any audience of any age who enjoy adventure games. Despite its lack of challenging puzzles and re-playable value, it’s undeniably addictive. Overall, it’s something that I would say, worth a try.

Ingredients
1 dried squid (about 100g)
2 tsp sodium carbonate
700ml hot water
70g Chinese celery
50g black fungus
1 small piece ginger
1 chili
1 1/2 tbsp oil
suitable amount of sesame oil

Seasonings
60ml stock
1/2 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Sa Cha sauce

Method
1. Mix sodium carbonate well with 700ml hot water. Let cool. Put in dried squid. Soak for 3 hours. Transfer dried squid to clean water and soak for another 2 hours. Peel off surface membrane of squid. Unroll in a big piece. Score some criss-cross patterns on the inner side and cut into pieces. Cut squid head into strips.
2. Discard over aged Chinese celery leaves and cut celery into sections. Cut black fungus into thick shreds. Peel ginger and cut into thin shreds. Remove chili seeds and cut chili into thick shreds.
3. Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add squid pieces and scald for 15 seconds. Remove squid and drain.
4. Heat wok. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil. Sautee ginger and chili till fragrant. Add black fungus, Chinese celery and squid pieces. Stir-fry briefly.
5. Add seasonings. Adjust to high heat and stir-fry swiftly until ingredients are done. Sprinkle sesame oil. Done.

Ingredients
1 dried squid (about 100g)
600ml hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1 red bell pepper (about 200g)
2 cloves garlic
1 stalk spring onion
1 1/2 tbsp oil
suitable amount of sesame oil

Seasonings
25ml stock
1/2 tsp rice wine
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sugar

Method
1. Dissolve 1/2 tsp salt in 600ml of hot water.
2. Soak dried squid in salt water for 1 1/2 hours. Wash and cut into shreds. Remove red bell pepper seeds and cut bell pepper into strips. Chop garlic finely. Cut spring onion into sections.
3. Heat wok. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil. Sautee garlic and spring onion till fragrant. Add squid shreds and stir-fry.
4. Add bell pepper shreds and seasonings. Stir-fry until ingredients are done. Sprinkle sesame oil. Done.

Has it ever occurred to you how human parasites came about? Research has it that such organisms can only survive on humans and nothing else, not even your family pup or kitty, hence the name “human” parasites.

There are many types of human parasites, but the most common ones are the head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis), body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) and common bedbug (Cimicidae Cimex lectularius).

Head Louse (Pediculus humanus capitis)
Many people tend to have the misconception that the head louse only strikes people who lack personal hygiene… Research has proved otherwise. According to various sources, it is known that the head lice (plural) tend to pick a person with a ‘clean’ head as its host. Despite its very existence, scientists however, are still unable to find out how this parasite was “born”. If we were to track back to what we have learned in primary school, every bug that exists on Earth is known to come from an egg, break out of the egg to become a baby bug, before evolving into an adult one. But where and how the head louse came about exactly, nobody knows. It can’t survive without its host, its energy source. Perhaps, the head louse has been breeding on every single human’s scalp since they are born, and will only “come out” when the time is right?

The head louse gives its host an awfully unpleasant time. Frequent itchiness might be due to its constant crawling on the scalp and occasionally biting to suck blood so as to ensure its survival. The nits, also known as the eggs, tend to be white in color, and are often laid by the adult louse near the roots of a strand of hair, just above the scalp where the temperature is warm enough. They are often confused with dandruff, which is also white. This usually occurs in young children, somewhere between the age of 3 and 13, who always complain about something moving on their scalps but have no idea what it is. Parents tend to have a hard time getting rid of head lice and nits as their spawn rate is very high. There are however many home-made ways to rid their children of such parasites without having to pay a professional to do so. You just need lots of patience and time.

It is known that the head louse can spread to other people through head-to-head contact. It’s highly contagious hence it’s important to make sure that when your child is infected with head lice, every child in the family should be checked as well.

Body Louse (Pediculus humanus humanus)
The body louse belongs to the same family as the head louse, hence it is often difficult to differentiate between the two. However, the subspecies do not breed together, nor do they breed in the same habitat. The body louse is often attached to clothes and can cause intense itching of the skin.

Body louse is less of a hassle as compared to the head louse. Some home-made solutions include bathing all clothes and beddings at high temperatures for at least five minutes to kill the adult louse and prevent its eggs from hatching, or through maintaining a hygienic lifestyle by bathing daily and wearing clean clothes.

Common Bedbug (Cimicidae Cimex lectularius)
There are several species of the bedbug but the one that strives highly in human environments and survives on human blood is the common bedbug. Bedbug feeds at anytime of day, but due to its aversion to sunlight, it comes out at night to prowl on its victims. The reason for it being called a “bed” bug is because it attacks sleeping people, and not because it lives in our mattresses. When getting a bite from a bedbug, it will only start to itch a few minutes after the bite. The bites are often confused with mosquito bites, however, bedbug bites tend to last a longer period and they are usually accompanied by very intense itching. In some cases, it can affect a person’s sleeping habit, for example, causing the person to suffer from insomnia.

Occasionally keeping the bedding clean and washed will rid of bedbugs and decrease the chances of them dwelling in it.

These parasites can be incredibly annoying, but they can also be avoided by constantly practicing personal hygiene as an individual, as well as under the roof. Nobody can predict when they will strike but it’s always better to take necessary measures whenever possible. Would you rather be safer than sorry, or wait till things get ugly? Your pick.