Cultured Individual

March 2026 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:43:00 +0000

Hello!

I hope everyone who is reading this is having a wonderful 2026. I felt like I did not have the best start to 2026, as there have been a number of weird things going on in my life. I have been dealing with my own set of struggles lately.

I have been working at my current position since 2022, and I think it has come to the point where I will need to look for another job. I have many reasons why I want to look for a new job. I do not like to stay at one company for a long time, and honestly, I am always on the lookout to try to make more money, because nothing in society is getting any cheaper. I think a great blog post I should make this year would be about the type of bosses I had in my career.

Another weird sore spot in my life this year has been my reluctance to spend time with my extended family, which extends back to last year. I have long felt like I am not compatible with my extended family, and I have been increasingly trying to do things that prioritize my happiness, such as hang out with my friends and go solo travelling. I may talk about all the family stuff in a future blog post, but I do not feel ready to do that yet.

I have also been dealing with some writers block this year, mostly because I have been home for the winter and I have not been playing too many interesting video games lately. I am finding it difficult to maintain the one-post-a-week schedule, and I am probably going to scale back my posts to maybe once every two weeks, at least until the spring or summer when I start travelling again and the World Cup matches start.

I have just been feeling tired these days, and I fully deserve a spa day in the next couple of weeks or so.

This Is Finally The Right Time To Talk About Tyler Perry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:22:00 +0000

When I was in Atlanta back in 2019.

I have had long-held opinions about Tyler Perry and his movies for years, but I have not found the right time to express those opinions on this blog…until now. I just watched FD Signifier’s 4-hour video on Tyler Perry where he talks about his beginnings in theatre, to the issues with Perry’s movies, to his vast business empire. This is an incredible video and I highly recommend people to watch it and understand how damaging Tyler Perry is to the black community and other minority communities as well. I am not going to rehash anything in the video, but I want to talk about my personal anecdotes on watching some of Tyler Perry’s movies (particularly the Madea movies) and how I have come to have the opinions that I have about him.

Years ago, I remember going to one of my family members’ houses, and my parents and other family were watching a Madea movie on TV. I sat down to watch the movie with my extended family and I remember everyone laughing uproariously at Madea’s antics, and I found myself not laughing at any of the jokes and antics at all. In fact, I was horrified at what I saw. At various points of my life, I would see my parents, their friends, and other family members watch Madea movies and I just could not get into it at all.

If I could put into my own words what I think about Tyler Perry and his movies and other media, I think that he promotes several negative stereotypes about black people and the black community. To put it bluntly, I think Tyler Perry movies are modern-day minstrel shows that harm the black community. There are Madea movies where she (and when I mean “she”, I mean Tyler himself who plays her in drag) beats children for acting up which is incredibly traumatizing and hits a little too close to home for me. Madea feels the need to tell black women how they should just move on from their trauma and not try to properly heal from what has happened to them. He also seems to regularly portray darker-skinned black men as evil and lighter-skinned black men as “saving” the troubled black woman in her abusive marriage. I also think Tyler Perry is a terrible filmmaker where most of his movies follow the same terrible plot with nonsensical plot twists. It is the equivalent of low-brow black media slop.

Outside of the hilarious Tyler Perry episodes on The Boondocks and Atlanta detailing the problems with his filmmaking, I have always felt alone among my family and my community in having these opinions about Tyler Perry. I had to do some extended research online to see if there was anyone who had the same views that I had. When I watched the FD Signifier video, I felt a sense of vindication. I read the YouTube comments and I seen so many people have the same opinions that I had and share their personal stories and anecdotes, and I think that is amazing.

I know that Tyler Perry has his audience of the church-going, middle-aged and older black and immigrant women, but I always think about the education angle of his audience. I do not want to generalize, but I think those who enjoy watching Tyler Perry videos are those who have a lack of formal education and fail to think critically about what they are watching. I find it a bit disgusting that Tyler Perry built a billion-dollar empire off the exploitation of the black community, and his massive studio in Atlanta is a depressing monument of that exploitation.

I do not have anything against people enjoying Tyler Perry’s works, but I also hope people start to become aware of how he profiles black people in those works, because I do not think this is positive for the community at all.

Canadian International Auto Show 2026 Media Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:20:00 +0000

I did not plan on going to this year's Canadian International Auto Show but I ended up going to check it out on the first day of the show's opening. It was pretty much the same as last year, but with some different cars to see. Because I went on a Friday evening, there were not as much people as when I would normally go on the weekend or on the holiday. It meant that I got to do some activities that I did not have to wait a long time for. One of those things was to ride along on the Jeep obstacle course where I was jerked around like I was going off-roading.

Anyways, here are some of my pictures from the evening in question.

Ford Mustang GTD

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X

There was the Cadillac CELESTIQ which is an ultra-luxury vehicle designed to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Not sure about the styling, in my opinion.

There were some Formula 1 liveries on display, including the Audi F1 team, and the new Cadillac F1 team.

Toyota GR Supra

This year's life-size LEGO display is an old Cadillac, which faintly looks like the convertible Homer Simpson would drive in The Simpsons: Hit and Run.

There was a section of the show dedicated to 80s and 80s cars in famous movies, TV shows, and music videos.

Singer Porsche 911

McLaren P1

McLaren W1

McLaren F1, which is probably the most expensive car in the show.

Pagani Utopia

Bugatti Mistral

Mercedes-Maybach S680

There were some tiny cars on display that I would not imagine myself fitting inside.

Lotus Esprit

Buick Grand National

Bugatti Chiron

Koenigsegg CCR

There were many more vehicles that I did not get any more pictures of, but I hope this is a teaser of what you can expect to see at the Canadian International Auto Show.

My Issue With Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:15:00 +0000

By Nintendo - https://www.ign.com/games/metroid-prime-4-beyond, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79570449

I just finished playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and I know that there has been much chatter about the game about what it is and what it should be. I ignored the talk as much as I could and just played the game, and I have some thoughts about Samus's latest adventure.

Despite the criticism, I do not think this is a bad game. In fact, I think Metroid Prime 4 is a solid Metroid title. My biggest compliment on the game is that the visuals look great on the Switch 2. I like all the different landscapes that you travel through as Samus, and it contributes to the atmosphere well. I also enjoy the music of this game as well, and it fits with the sci-fi, space fantasy aesthetic that the game is trying to go for. Regarding the gameplay, if you enjoyed the combat and exploration of the previous Metroid Prime entries, then you will get the same offering in this game as well.

With that said, I want to highlight some strange aspects of Metroid Prime 4. There is more of an emphasis on companion characters in this game, which is different from what I would expect from Metroid Prime entries. I do not personally find Myles Mackenzie or any of the other side characters to be annoying, and I think the writing and dialogue of the characters is good enough. It is just that I would expect this kind thing in other Nintendo titles rather than Metroid, where there is a focus on isolated exploration. Another thing I want to mention is that there is an open-world component to Metroid Prime 4, and I think the open-world is bland, dull, and boring.

Here is where I will mention my biggest issue with Metroid Prime 4, and this is because of my expectations of the game. Metroid Prime 4 is a video game that severely lacks innovation and evolution. I hated that when I was playing this game, I felt like I was playing a watered-down version of the first Metroid Prime game. I understand that this game was in development hell for a while, but I wanted to see Metroid Prime 4 as an evolution of the Metroidvania genre, just like what Metroid Prime was on the GameCube over 20 years ago, and what the numerous indie Metroidvania games did, such as Hollow Knight, and the Ori games. I was hoping that Metroid Prime 4 would push the series in a bold new direction like what The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Kirby and the Forgotten Land did for the Zelda and Kirby series, respectively. Instead, you have a game that uses the same gameplay mechanics and game design ideas from 20-25 years ago, and do nothing to improve, innovate, and modernize for today's audience.

I still maintain that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a good Metroid title and a good Nintendo Switch title, but I cannot help but feel disappointed for what this game could have been.

Frieren And Trying To Find Closure

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:03:00 +0000

Photo by Courtesy of Crunchyroll - © Crunchyroll

I have watched my share of anime over my life, and I can say that there were two anime that moved me on an emotional level and shook me to my soul. The first anime was Your Lie in April which I already wrote a post for, and the second anime is Violet Evergarden which I need to rewatch and write about. At the time of myself writing this post, I need to add a third anime to this list.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a fantasy/adventure anime (derived from the manga series) where the show follows the elven mage Frieren (with an extremely long lifespan of thousands of years) who is on a journey to seek her former companion Himmel (who has since passed on) to bid him farewell once and for all. I am not going to rehash the plot or anything like that, because if you are reading this post, you would have most likely seen this anime and how amazing it is. Everything about this show feels so rich from the world-building to the characters' unique personalities to the edge-of-your-seat action sequences. However, I think the best moments of this show come from the little moments and interactions that make the show so cozy and comforting.

I have a personal anecdote I want to share, but first, I want to talk about the moment in the show that made me think about this anecdote of mine, and it came from the first episode of the show. Because of Frieren's lengthy lifespan, Frieren struggles to make connections with others and is emotionally distant and aloof at the beginning of the show. 50 years after Frieren and her companions: Himmel the Hero, Heiter the priest, and Eisen the dwarf warrior, defeat the Demon King and save the world, she goes to visit them for the first time. Himmel and Heiter are now of old age, and after a short journey to see a meteor shower, Himmel passes away. At his funeral, Frieren has this tearful realization that she never made the effort to get to know him, and from then on, she would try to make meaningful connections with the people in her life.

When I watched that scene, I thought about a former co-worker from a previous job that I used to spend a lot of time with. Our lives went in different directions with myself moving jobs and her starting her own family, but because of the pandemic at the time, I did not feel like I got the true closure of telling her goodbye. I remembered speaking to her on the phone on my last day on the job (and we still occasionally reach out to each other through messages), but it does not carry the same weight as telling them the goodbyes in person. Other than a lunch with her and other former co-workers one year, I have not seen her since, and I do not know if I will ever see her again. It feels like an unresolved strand in my life that needs resolving, and I would love nothing more than to catch up with her in a rooftop patio in the city to get that closure once and for all, but this is just wishful thinking.

She was someone in my life whom I did not deserve to have in my life, but she was there for me at my lowest moments in that job. What makes moving on so difficult is that at some point in your life, some people will be gone from your life, and it is one of the heartbreaks of being human. Frieren goes on her journey to find her closure, but on that journey, she remembers the times she had with her party while making new memories with a renewed sense of understanding. I do not know if I will ever get that closure in my life, but I need to learn to manage and live with it. I choose to remember the good times, while trying to make new memories. If that closure ever comes for me, then I will make the most of it, but if it does not, then that is fine as well.

Quebec City Travels: A Ferry Ride And A Night At The Jazz Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:34:00 +0000

This is the final part of my Quebec City travels. Here are the links to parts one and two if you have not seen them already.

When I was reading up on the things to do in Quebec City, one of the suggested activities is to take the ferry to the city of Levis during a sunset so you could get excellent views of Quebec City in the sunset glow. Unfortunately, I had a cloudy and rainy afternoon and evening, so I did not get any sun. However, I still wanted to hop on the ferry to Levis and back so I could get some night shots of the city.

I paid around $8 for the trip and back, and I made sure to stand at the side of the boat where I could get the views of Quebec City. The lights of the Chateau Frontenac and surrounding building were starting to come on as the sky got darker.

The ferry lands in the city of Levis across from Quebec City. You have to walk up a hill to get into the city proper, but I did not have the time since I was taking the ferry right back to Quebec City. I spent my time walking around the ferry terminal and the surrounding area while taking pictures of the ever-brighter Quebec City skyline.

The ferry itself had the lower section for vehicles and the upper section for pedestrians.

Pretty much every storefront around the Levis ferry terminal was closed so I hopped on the ferry to head back to Quebec City.

The sky was fully dark on the ferry back. I was on the top section of the ferry with the cold wind hitting me like a ton of bricks. The Quebec City skyline looked like a backdrop to an evil lair, but it was magical nonetheless.

I had my seafood linguini dinner at Sapristi Champlain, which was decent but definitely pricey as I was still in Lower Quebec.

One funicular ride later and I was back in the upper town, and I was looking for somewhere to have some drinks to chill out. I heard about a hole-in-the-wall bar that was extremely popular with locals that was open late and had a live band playing jazz music. I do not ever go to jazz bars while I was in Toronto, so I thought why not, let us spend the night at a Quebec City jazz bar.

Before I got to the bar, I was walking around and getting more night shots of the Quebec City streets.

The bar was called Bar Ste-Angele, and the lower level was tiny and full with patrons, but the bar had character. I sat myself at the far end of the bar with the view of the band and ordered myself some maple syrup whiskey. I have never had maple syrup whiskey before, and it was as rich and sweet as you think it is.

The band got on stage and started playing some jazz grooves while everyone was vibing with the music. Honestly, I sort of understand the appeal with jazz bars. They offer a more intimate and cozy experience when you compare it to big and loud concerts. I personally like the jazz bar experience over the concert experience.

A woman sat next to me at the end of the bar and we got to talking. She was coming from Vancouver and solo traveling through Quebec City like I was. She also heard about the popularity of this bar and wanted to check it out for herself. We were getting closer and more comfortable with each other with every drink and every minute of jazz that the band was playing. All I am going to say is that it is nice to have a companion for the night even if I will never see her again.

On my way back to my hotel, I took some more night shots, including the Chateau Frontenac, the Terrasse Dufferin, and the St. Lawrence River.

The next morning (which was my last day in Quebec City), I treated myself to an iced coffee from Paillard, which was this big cafe that had breakfast items and sandwiches.

It was also my first time flying back to Billy Bishop Airport, and luckily I was on the side of the plane where I could get this nice video of the Toronto skyline while descending to the airport runway.

That was my entire trip to Quebec City, and I had a wonderful time. I would like to come back to Quebec City in the winter time to check out the winter activities that the city has, but we will see.

Quebec City Travels: Big Buildings, Big Statues, And Big Slides

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:31:00 +0000

This is the second part of everything else I experienced while I was in Quebec City. Part 1 is here.

The hotel where I was staying partnered with a local restaurant to offer breakfast at a discount. I did not want get a cheap breakfast at Tim Hortons that morning, so I paid the $20 to go get some eggs benedict and coffee at Brasserie Les Mordus. The breakfast was good, and I liked that the breakfast came in a dish of a fish, which was cute.

After my tour of La Citadelle, I came across the Quebec Parliament building on my way to the L'Observatoire exhibition. The parliament building had this imposing gothic style where I would presume gargoyle statues would sit on the various towers. The Quebec Parliament building offered tours, but I needed to get to my scheduled exhibition.

I spent some time walking along Rue Saint-Jean and the surrounding streets. I know Quebec is quite the Catholic province, but there were so many churches and church-inspired structures.

I snuck into one of the bars on Rue Saint-Jean (Ninkasi Bar & Bistro) to eat a poutine and drink a beer. My body sorely needed it.

My second day in Quebec City was full with pouring rain and I did not grab an umbrella from the hotel when I felt, which sucked for me. Rain usually never bothers me, but that day rained buckets.

I also went to see some of the walled fortifications that surrounded the city, and also to get a reprieve from the rain.

My dinner was sitting at the bar at La Buche, which is a popular sugar-shack-styled restaurant in Old Quebec. I ordered the shrimp roll with fries and coleslaw, as well as Labatt 50, which is the quintessential Quebec beer. The restaurant had a lineup out the door with patrons, but since I was by myself, the staff seated me rather quickly at the bar.

I ended my second night at Quebec City by walking inside the Chateau Frontenac and going to Bar 1608, which is the hotel bar. I ordered the Sous Le Volcan (Under the Volcano) cocktail with mezcal, vermouth, and banana liqueur. This bar was hands-down the nicest place in the city.

The next morning, I was wandering around and checking out the statue of Samuel De Champlain and wandering the streets as per usual.

Outside my hotel, there was a huge slide that went from the top of the hill and ending in the Terrasse Dufferin. This is the Toboggan Slide that is open in the winter so people can take a sled and slide down to the bottom. Sounds like a lot of fun.

There is one more part of my Quebec City travels coming out next week!

Quebec City Travels: Unique Hotels, Maple Taffy, and Funiculars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:42:00 +0000

I had a magical time visiting Quebec City last October. I have not been to a city like this since visiting the Italian cities on my Italy trip a couple of years ago. There was so much that I got to experience in Quebec City that did not make it to any of my other Quebec City posts, so I want to talk about it in the next couple of posts.

My flight from Toronto to Quebec City was the first time I got to fly from Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport (which is the city airport), which was tiny compared to Pearson. I walked the pedestrian tunnel connecting the mainland to the island that the airport is on and sat in the only waiting area waiting for my flight.

When I landed in Quebec City, getting to my hotel was not easy. I had to take a bus to get me most of the way, and then spent around $12 for an Uber to get me the rest of the way to the hotel. For me to take a direct Uber from the airport to the hotel would have costed me $70, which was a no go for me.

I stayed at the Hotel Terrasse-Dufferin which sits right on the Terrasse-Dufferin boardwalk and is also just steps from the Chateau Frontenac. The Hotel Terrasse-Dufferin would prove to be one of the most unique hotels I have ever stayed in because the hotel is in an antique building, and the building had its quirks. My room looked like a standard small hotel room, but then there were stairs that took you to the bathroom, which is something I have never seen before. The tiny room up the small staircase had a mini-fridge with some complimentary snacks and drinks, which was much appreciated.

I dropped my suitcase and bag in the hotel and started exploring this strange new land. My first day in Quebec City was a beautiful October day and many people were out walking around. I would be on the terrace at many points throughout my trip.

I went walking down Rue Saint-Louis looking for something to eat and stumbled upon a pizza spot (Polina Pizzeria) where I ate a Margherita Pizza, which was good.

The next order of business was to check out the Lower Town of Quebec City, which was even busier than the terrace.

I went to check out the Place Royale which was a square with restaurants and other attractions. The main standout attraction was the Notre-Dame-Des-Victoires Catholic Church in the middle of the square. It did make for some great pictures.

There was also a big mural which I thought was nice as well.

There were some ships that would take people out into the St. Lawrence River for day and night cruises. I did not do any of these cruises myself, as I did not have the time.

At the south end of Rue de Petit-Champlain was a confectionary store where you can get ice cream and other maple syrupy goodness. I bought a maple taffy which is frozen maple syrup on ice. When you eat this thing, your whole mouth feels gooey for a bit.

After walking up the Rue de Petit-Champlain, I wanted to get back to the Upper Town where my hotel was, but I did not want to walk up all of those stairs. Thankfully, there is a funicular service that can take you between the Lower and Upper Towns for $6 a ride, so that I what I did. The ride up was nice, and you get a nice view of the river.

The funicular took me back up to the terrace where I wandered around until I went back to my hotel to take a short nap until my ghost walk in the evening. There is more to discuss about Quebec City in future posts, so stay tuned.

My Top 10 Games I Played in 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:26:00 +0000

By Atlus - https://steamdb.info/app/2679460/info/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77171141

I would say that 2025 was an above-average year in gaming, and I was able to play some of the top releases from last year, as well as from 2024 that I missed. Here are my top ten video games I played in 2025 (for the first time), but first I have some honourable mentions.

Both the Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 2 Remakes were some of the best remakes I have played, but I have omitted them from the list because I have previously played the original titles, and the remakes are not all that different from the original. Both games are stalwarts of the survival horror genre with Resident Evil 4's focus being on action, while Silent Hill 2's focus is more on atmosphere. One thing I miss from the original games are the sometimes goofy dialogue lines, and the remakes got rid of that dialogue for a more serious tone.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger (review) was a JRPG I did not expect to enjoy. It has fun JRPG combat, a solid story, and deep customization, but looks a little over-saturated in the visuals.

Anyways, here is the actual list:

10: Dynasty Warriors: Origins (review)

Dynasty Warriors: Origins was a necessary game for Omega Force and Koei Tecmo in order to reinvent the franchise. There is a deep and enriching story covering the first half of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" novel, and some surprisingly deep combat mechanics for a musou game. However, the protagonist of the game that you play is so bland and I could not care about him at all.

9: Stellar Blade (review)

Controversies about the protagonist EVE aside, Stellar Blade was a satisfactory experience. I liked the hack-and-slash combat with some Souls elements baked in, but my overall thought about this game is that Stellar Blade was a cheap imitation of NieR: Automata. That is not to say that the story and soundtrack of Stellar Blade is bad. In fact, I enjoyed the soundtrack, but the overall story and narrative pales in comparison to NieR: Automata.

8: Silent Hill f

Silent Hill f (like Silent Hill games before it) is a masterclass in visual atmosphere and audio design, and I definitely felt on edge the whole time I played the game. The game's stiff movement and combat is not everyone's cup of tea but I understand it is by design. The enemy and boss designs are cool as well. The story did not quite hook me in as much as I thought it would and after completing my first playthrough, I did not have the desire to play subsequent playthroughs.

7: Ghost of Yotei

Ghost of Yotei plays almost exactly like its predecessor (Ghost of Tsushima). Ghost of Yotei is just as beautiful and aesthetically satisfying with improved combat and a better focus in terms on how the game handles its side tasks. I found the overall story to be a step down from Tsushima, even if some of the voice acting performances are great.

6: Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter (review)

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter was one of my favourite JRPG experiences this year with its coziness and world-building. I also like the hybrid combat of attacking enemies in real-time then switching to turn-based combat. I always wanted to get into the Trails series, and this was a remake sent from the heavens to get started on catching myself up on everything in this long-running series.

5: Black Myth: Wukong (review)

Black Myth: Wukong had the most enjoyable combat for me, and all of the Ancient Chinese-derived bosses look stunning. The combat had the Souls influences and challenging bosses, but never felt unfair like many Souls games. Black Myth: Wukong was an excellent middle ground between action games like God of War, and games such as Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

4: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (review)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was the most gorgeous game I played this year. The visuals and cinematics are sensational, with excellent lighting and shadowing. The exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat are all enjoyable as well. Also, you get to beat up Nazis, which is sorely needed in today's political climate.

3: Donkey Kong Bananza (review)

I had the most fun playing Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2. It was so much fun to smash through all of these destructible environments to find collectibles. Donkey Kong Odyssey plays just like Super Mario Odyssey but with some Zelda and Kirby influences in its level and gameplay mechanics. This is undoubtedly the best game on the new Switch 2 right now.

I have two more games on my list to talk about, but I could not really decide which game was better because even though both of these games are part of the same genre, they are both excellent games in different ways.

1a: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Atlus are the undisputed kings of long-form JRPGs, and Metaphor: Refantazio released in 2024 is the latest installment. I find this game to be an excellent fantasy epic and political thriller where this game's tackling of discrimination feels relevant to similar issues today. There is masterful storytelling and narrative, and the Persona-style JRPG combat and life sim mechanics do not hurt the game as well. Metaphor: Refantazio was probably the best JRPG I played this year, and it is a shame that this game got overshadowed by...

1b: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (review)

In terms of the 2025 video game releases, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is undisputedly the best of the bunch. The music is some of the best music I have heard since Persona 5. The art style and aesthetic is eye-popping. E33's combat subverts traditional turn-based combat with the ability to dodge and parry in real time. There is a solid story with excellent writing, dialogue, and voice-acting. Expedition 33 was the best game a developer could make with limited resources, and I am waiting to see if this game could represent a shift toward less-bloated AAA titles or not.

Cultured Individual's Best of 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:43:00 +0000

Another year is in the books, and I want to talk about the year that was 2025. 2025 was a good year for me, with me taking many smaller vacations and playing many great games this year. I think this is the first year where all my vacations were entirely within Canada. There was a bucket-list item I was able to cross off, and I was also able to find myself on both the west and east coasts of the country. Anyways, let us talk about it.

The big vacation and big bucket-list item I was able to take part in was to travel on the transcontinental "The Canadian" train route from Vancouver to Toronto back in March. It was a privilege to travel on this rather historic train route at a deep discount for the cabin for two. Even though I did not have the most comfortable experience on "The Canadian", the food was some of the best I have ever had on a trip. There was also so much to see out the window from the snowy mountains of the Rockies, to the snowy prairies, and the snowy forests of Northern Ontario, which I talk about in my general highlights post.

Before I went on the train trip, I spent a couple of days in Vancouver trying to do as much as I could. I went to a Vancouver Whitecaps game for the first time, and I had a lot to say about the midweek atmosphere and overall vibe. Another highlight was checking out the Capilano Suspension Bridge which had an extremely expensive admission price. Even with that gut punch, I still enjoyed myself walking on the shaky bridge. I wish I had more time in Vancouver, and I may plan another future trip to the city to check out some other attractions.

For my summer vacation, I went to Prince Edward Island as part of my continuation into exploring Atlantic Canada. I enjoyed exploring an often-forgotten province of Canada, but I still preferred my time in Halifax from last year. That is not to say I did not have highlights from my P.E.I. trip, because there certainly were. I went to see the Bottle Houses of P.E.I. in person, which once existed as a figment of my memory from a book I used to have. I also went up P.E.I.'s tallest lighthouse on the western end of the island, which became a bit scarier the further I scaled the lighthouse. Finally, I visited one of the weirdest car museums I have ever been to in my life.

I had some time to visit Quebec City in October, which was a magical place to visit, and it is somewhere I would certainly like to visit in another season. I visited La Citadelle on a guided tour, which was still an active military base. I did have to do a bit of hill climbing to get there, which was not fun. I went for a morning trip to Montmorency Falls, where I got so close to the waterfall's sheer power. I also went for a last-minute tour of the world-famous Chateau Frontenac, which some consider as "the most photographed hotel in the world".

I had some time to write some video game reviews as well. Some of the reviews I wrote this year include my reviews of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I also wrote some retrospectives of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and The Simpsons: Hit and Run worth checking out as well.

2025 was also a year where I wrote some deeply personal works. I write about solo-travelling as one of my greatest acts of self-care. I also talk about the sting of feeling left out of a friend group, as well as trying to belong in a new friend group. Other blog posts worth talking about include how watching football is feeling more of a drag, my time at this year's Auto Show in Toronto, going to a Toronto FC match for the first time in years, exploring a murky tunnel in Niagara Falls, and checking out a travelling RMS Titanic exhibition.

I do not have too many plans for 2026 right now. There will be another all-inclusive resort review in the fall, but other than that, I still must figure out what my plans are. I am sure there will be more trips this year, so here is hoping 2026 will be just as full with adventure.

Quebec City Ghost Walk And Night Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:56:00 +0000

As much as I enjoyed walking around Quebec City during the day, I am a night person at my core, and I want to see what the city is like during the night. On my first night in Quebec City, I booked myself on a ghost walk around the city. A ghost walk is a guided walking tour (usually in the night) in a city where the guide will share local spooky tales and legends. You would often be at the very locations where some of these stories took place. I went to Quebec City in late October, so going on this tour fits extremely well with Halloween.

The great thing about my hotel being on the Terrasse Dufferin is that I can get great shots of the Chateau Frontenac and the St. Lawrence River just steps from my hotel room.

The meeting spot for the ghost tour was at the end of Rue de Petit Champlain in Lower Quebec. String lights lit up the street like you were in some kind of low-budget romance movie. There was a detailed mural on one of the sides of a building which was cool to see.

I get to the meeting spot and there is a man playing a harp, which may foretell the impending fright of this ghost walk.

We meet our guide who was wearing a top hat and cape, looking like one of the witches of Salem. She gets in character and tells us about the grim and gruesome tales of various people meeting their fates in the very locations we are walking through. She also told some Quebec City ghost stories as well.

While the various stories were interesting and rather macabre, I was also interested is taking some night shots of the city, which was expectedly bare at 8pm on a Sunday. Quebec is a Catholic province after all.

One of the streets that we were walking through is Rue Sous-Le-Cap, which is a narrow street with many footbridges and apartments. Honestly, walking through this street had to have been the scariest part of the tour because it looked like a dingy alley where someone will probably rob you. This street also looks like it could be a "red light district" street. Imagine women calling you from the bridges asking you for an hour or two hours of your time.

We start walking the hill up to the upper part of the city via the cobblestone street, where I take some more photos of various things, including the port of Quebec City.

The ghost tour ends at the Seminary, which was a school for training students to become religious figures such as priests and scholars. There were basketball nets in the courtyard, which I thought was weird, but I guess upcoming priests can enjoy an occasional game of hoops.

I do not remember much of the stories on this ghost tour, but I did enjoy the walk. On my way back to the hotel, I took some more photos of Quebec City at night. Most buildings had this purple lighting which was a bit freaky.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed these photos, here are some more below:

Media Gallery: The Quebec Museum Of Fine Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:23:00 +0000

I am not much of a fine arts person, or to rephrase, I am not someone who is not able to fully appreciate the vast majority of fine arts pieces. I know many fine arts pieces have a great deal of creativity and skill to create, but I hardly understand how that would speak to me, if that make sense. I went to the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (known as the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec) to check out some fine arts pieces, but mostly to kill some time.

There were some modern art pieces (including seeing the torch for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal) as well as some Indigenous carvings and art on the third floor. There were some more fine art pieces on the second floor to check out.

The feature exhibition on the first floor showcases the work of Niki de Saint Phalle, who is a 20th century artist known for her sculptures. I had no idea who she was (again, I am not well-versed in my art history), but apparently she is best known for designing and creating the Tarot Garden, which is a sculpture garden in Italy. I could use some more education.

Anyways, my pictures are here. Check them out. See if any of these art pieces resonate with you, and then you can go check out the museum in Quebec City.

"The Most Photographed Hotel In The World" - The Château Frontenac

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:05:00 +0000

On the last day of my Quebec City trip, I was supposed to go for a tour of the Morrin Centre, which was formerly a prison, but now turned into a library and cultural centre. Unfortunately, the facility cancelled the tour for that day due to a private event, so I had to find something to do before I flew back home. As a backup, I signed up for a tour of the Château Frontenac. The Château Frontenac has the claim of being the most photographed hotel in the world due to its imposing, grand, castle-like (Châteauesque) design. The Château Frontenac stands out in the Quebec City skyline and it is a defining landmark for the city and the province.

We meet our tour guide on the boardwalk at the foot of the hotel, who had the stylings of someone from the 1930s. He tells us about the history of the hotel as a grand railway hotel as well as the changes and expansions the hotel went through in its history.

When we were outside the front doors of the hotel, our tour guide made sure to point out the ornate iron railings that make up the balconies of the hotel. The Château Frontenac in general feels like a fort inside the walls of the old city.

We walk through the revolving doors and inside the lobby of the Château Frontenac, and the furnishings on the inside feel like a product of its time with its wood walls and gold accents. There are some modern touches, including some screens and seating areas. Now, this was not the first time I stayed in a grand railway hotel, as I stayed at the Lord Nelson hotel in Halifax last year. There were also some nice chandeliers worth checking out.

Our tour guide takes us to the restaurants and the bar. I got a good picture of the hotel bar, which had this classy, sitting-room look. It was not too different to the Library Bar at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

We get to see one of the restaurants at the Château Frontenac, and on the ceiling is a sculpture of the path of the St. Lawrence River. There was also no shortage of wine and spirits bottles, including some expensive bottles of The Macallan Rare Cask from 2022, and a Remy Martin Louis XIII (over $5000).

While checking out the restaurant, our tour guide was telling us about how the Château Frontenac was the host of the planning of the Normandy landings (D-Day) in World War II. The Prime Ministers of Canada and the UK, as well as the President of the USA, would discuss strategy within these very walls.

Our tour guide takes us up a few floors to talk about the hallways of the Château Frontenac, and there were two things he pointed out to us. The Château Frontenac had separate stairways for staff so back in the olden days, the guests would not have to see staff clean or perform regular maintenance, for example. The second thing is that some of the hallways are not straight at all. I think this is due to the multiple expansions to the hotel interfering with the original design.

The tour itself was fine, but I wished I got to see more rooms such as event spaces and ballrooms. I did not get to see them, which was a bit disappointing. There were a couple of artifacts on display, including an original Château Frontenac guestbook from the late 19th century.

After the tour, I was checking out some of the shops in the lobby, and one of the shops had some tartan merchandise for sale. A tartan blanket was $225, but this was the real thing with the Merino wool. No, I did not purchase it.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger Was Enjoyable

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:58:00 +0000

By Media.Vision/Bandai Namco Entertainment - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1984270/Digimon_Story_Time_Stranger/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80100427

The last time I ever consumed a piece of Digimon media was watching the third season of the Digimon anime (Digimon Tamers) when I was a child. After this, I grew out of doing anything Digimon related, whether it is watching the anime or playing the Digimon trading card game. I have never played a Digimon video game until I picked up Digimon Story: Time Stranger on a whim and some promising reviews. I finished playing the main story, and I have some quick thoughts about my experience.

Overall, I think Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a good JRPG. Essentially, you play as an agent that travels back in time to prevent a catastrophe that will destroy both the human and digital worlds. I enjoyed the story, as it did not feel too complex and there are occasional explanations of the story behind some of the characters in the game.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger plays most similarly to the Shin Megami Tensei series of RPGs where you have a team of Digimon to fight other Digimon in turn-based battles. I found the battling to be fun and challenging at times, as you must consider not only type weaknesses/resistances, but also element weaknesses/resistances. There were many battles where I kept losing, which forced me to focus on what Digimon to use for the most favourable matchups, what moves to teach to those Digimon, and if I need to equip any items to make my Digimon stronger.

There are some nice quality of life mechanics that I appreciate. I like that in battle, you can use an item and it does not waste your turn. Also, after every battle, every single Digimon that you have (in your party and in your box) get the same amount of experience. This leads into the next thing that I like about Digimon Story: Time Stranger. There is a huge emphasis on customization and experimentation of party setups. You have multiple branches of digivolving and de-digivolving your Digimon, as well as using tools like equipping items, training your Digimon, and sacrificing unwanted Digimon to power up other Digimon to get the party of Digimon that you want for upcoming battles. I spent just as much time building my party and collecting new Digimon through digivolving/de-digivolving than I did playing the game.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is going to get the comparisons to the Pokémon games, even though this game does not play like the Pokémon games. In fact, I think this latest Digimon game is better than Pokémon Legends Z-A. The biggest reason is that Digimon Story: Time Stranger has voice acting, and there are some surprisingly good voice acting performances in this game. Then you look at a video game franchise like Pokémon and wonder why Game Freak refuses to implement voice acting in their games.

Anyways, playing Digimon Story: Time Stranger was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed my time with this game.

An Autumn Morning At Montmorency Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:20:00 +0000

One of the main reasons why I wanted to check out Quebec City is that I wanted to see the Montmorency Falls, which is the towering waterfall just outside the city. After an uneventful bus ride, I entered the park with the ticket I bought online. The Montmorency Falls is just a part of the overall park which loops around the waterfall. There are several activities at this park including ziplining across the waterfall, and a cable car between the top and bottom of the park itself.

I entered the park by the Montmorency Manor, and my plan was to walk around the waterfall to the bottom of the park, and then take the cable car back to where I started. As I entered the park, I already saw some nice views of the bridge that takes you to the Ile D'Orleans.

The Manoir Montmorency had amenities like bathrooms, gift shops, and a restaurant.

Much of this park was hiking trails, and there was a nice boardwalk that took me right to where the falls were. The fall colours were nice, even if many of the trees completely shed their leaves.

I get to the waterfall itself, and I was in shock and awe of its sheer power. This was an insane sight to see, and I do not think I ever got this close to a waterfall of this size (even including Niagara Falls). I also took some pictures of the end of the Montmorency River before the water flows into the bigger St. Lawrence River.

The park had a suspension bridge where you could walk over the falls, which was a little bit scary, but the bridge was sturdy so I was not too bad. On one side of the bridge, you can see the beginnings of the waterfall, and on the other side of the waterfall, you can see the sheer drop into the water below. How frightening!

There was another viewing spot where you can see the waterfall from a different angle.

I walked through some more hiking trails, where I got some nice pictures of the valley and the cloudy Quebec City skyline.

There is a large set of stairs that takes you from the top of the cliffs to the bottom with a few viewing spots to see the waterfall from a few different angles. The alternative is to be a sicko and walk up the hundreds of steps to get to the top of the cliffs, and I saw more than a few people make that climb.

From the viewing spots from the stairs, you get to see how tall Montmorency Falls is. This is a taller waterfall than Niagara Falls by about 30 meters (Montmorency Falls stands at around 83 metres tall). As you get closer to the bottom, you start getting wet from all the mist that is blowing onto you.

I walk the stairs to the bottom and walk across the river to get to the building where the cable car is. The cable car ride itself was not too bad. There was a staggered, elevated floor so that people standing in the back of the cable car was able to see outside. There were some additional elevated views of the park for your photo needs.

I think I paid around $12 CAD for park admission and about $15 CAD for a round-trip on the cable car (the cable car price is a little bit expensive). Regardless, I think seeing Montmorency Falls up close was so cool, and I would recommend this for anyone visiting Quebec City.

More pictures below:

The Views from Quebec City's Tallest Building

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:25:00 +0000

I went to L'Observatoire de la Capitale atop the Marie-Guyart building, which is the tallest building in Quebec City. This attraction offers a 360-degree view of the city and beyond, and I thought it would be worth checking out for an affordable $15 admission ticket (that you can only buy online). I went on a rainy and cloudy afternoon so I could not see far beyond the thickness of the clouds, but regardless, I would be seeing some spectacular views.

The way this attraction is set up is interesting. You walk around the inside perimeter of the building to see each side of the city. There are tablets set up where you get more information on the points of interest on each side, whether it be a building, a park, or something else. You also have audio guides describing the history on each side, as well as what you are looking at on the present-day.

I started looking out at the west side of the city, looking down Boulevard Rene-Levesque and the neighbourhood of Montcalm. There were mostly government/office buildings and houses, but I did notice the Grand Theatre of Quebec which was cool.

There were two zones where you could watch short films about Quebec and Quebec City, including this one short film of someone seemingly flying around the city. I forgot the name of this short film but both films were entertaining.

I look out at the north side of the city with the big Delta Hotel building in the way. Buildings to note are the big church (Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste) and the Videotron Centre. Built between 2012-2015, the Videotron Centre was part of a failed bid to bring NHL hockey back to Quebec City after the Quebec Nordiques left the city in 1995 to move to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche.

The east side of the city is where Old Quebec and most of the tourism is. It was difficult to get to get clear pictures here because of the rain, but you can easily see the Chateau Frontenac, the Citadelle, Quebec's Parliament building, and further to the city of Levis.

Finally, there is the south side of the city where you can see the Plains of Abraham, which is a big park and the site of the battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, where the British took control of Quebec City over the French and Native forces. The big circular building is the Hotel Le Concorde, where I did not stay.

Overall, I recommend going to this attraction if you are in Quebec City, as this is affordable and you get some nice views of the city and beyond. The only thing you would have to hope for is good weather, and I did not get the best luck with that. Maybe you might!

More pictures below:

A Rainy Morning At La Citadelle de Québec

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 20:53:00 +0000

On one of the mornings while I was staying in Quebec City, I went for a tour of La Citadelle, which is a fortress that is sitting on the highest point of the city at Cap Diamant. I want to point out that this was not the first Citadel-style structure in Canada that I went to, as I also went to the Halifax Citadel last year. I was able to freely explore the Halifax Citadel at my own pace, but I would not have this luxury at La Citadelle, as La Citadelle de Quebec is still an active military base. I had to go on a guided tour of the fortress, which was fine with me.

But first, I had to get to the entrance. From my hotel, I had to make the rather exhausting climb up Pierre-Dugua-De-Mons Terrace and across the Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine to get to La Citadelle. Despite the incline, this hill had some of the best views of Old Quebec and the surrounding area. I walk along the exterior of the trench of the fortress and find myself at the visitor entrance.

While I was waiting for the tour guide, I was able to wander around the gift shop where I saw some replica pistols on sale. I would have bought one for display at home, but then I remembered that I would have a hard time getting a pistol through airport security.

We met our tour guide and she told us a brief history of La Citadelle, including how the British built the fortress between 1820 and 1831 in preparation for an attack from American forces that never came. With that, we started our walk around the military base, which has many buildings, and is a base for all the needs of the soldiers stationed here, including eating, sleeping, and getting a haircut.

The first building we get to go inside and see was a former ammunition depot which is now a mini-museum. There were various old weapons including rifles, swords, and cannonballs, among military uniforms and other things.

We continue walking and we get to the edge of the fortress where we took pictures of the cannons and get more views of Quebec City and the St. Lawrence River.

We enter another building which I believe was a former jail that is now another mini-museum about the Royal 22nd Regiment currently stationed at La Citadelle. They also have a goat as a mascot, which is nice.

Nearing the end of the tour is a shrine for those who gave their lives at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. To this day, any soldier who walks past this shrine must give a salute for the fallen.

That was the end of the guided tour. We were free to explore the attached museum for the Royal 22nd Regiment and its role in the various global conflicts in recent history. There is an impressive collection of military artifacts and items to peruse.

At the far end of the museum is a room which has a collection of all the medals awarded to the Royal 22nd Regiment, which was impressive.

Overall, I thought my visit to La Citadelle was good. I think it was my first time being in an active military base, and I did see a fair few soldiers walking around. If you like learning things about the Canadian Military, this tour might be worth your time.

More pictures below:

Quick Thoughts: Canada vs. Ecuador

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:01:00 +0000

I went to the international friendly between Canada and Ecuador at BMO Field last Thursday, which ended in a 0-0 draw where Canada played down a man since the 6th minute of the match. If you are looking for tactical analysis, look elsewhere, as I will talk about my observations with the stadium, the crowd, and the general atmosphere and vibe of the match in general.

There was a closure of a few of the gates to enter the stadium due to the ongoing renovations for the 2026 World Cup, so everyone had to enter the stadium through the gates on the south side. I got to the stadium roughly an hour before kick off, and the gates were not that busy during that time. However, as the kick off time got closer, I saw the line ups to enter the stadium get bigger. There was still a big line up to get into the stadium at the start of the match, and I feel like many people did not know that they had to get to the stadium early to catch the start of the match. The gates opened around 90 minutes before kick off, and FIFA was not going to delay the match because fans were still trying to get into the stadium. I wish stadium staff could have opened more gates to enter the stadium (this would be difficult because of the renovations), but take this advice from someone who was stuck in line ups outside BMO Field and missed numerous starts of matches because of it; try to get to the stadium early.

I was walking around the stadium concourses before the match, and there were some pre-match festivities on the east stand concourses with an Ecuadorian DJ spinning some Latin tunes, which was cool. There was a big crowd checking out the party and some were dancing along to the music. There would always be some impromptu parties going on outside the stadium, but I never seen one going on inside the stadium, and especially a party the MLSE and/or FIFA would allow.

BMO Field had a sold-out crowd for this match, and by the 30th minute, everyone had finally entered the stadium. The entire east and west grandstands of the stadium were full of Ecuador fans. It felt like the entire Ecuadorian population of Canada descended on the stadium that night. I felt like I was an away fan in the away sections of the Voyageurs at our home stadium. This is the reality of being a football fan supporting Canada or the USA and going to a match against a country with a bigger population than the Caribbean countries. You are going to be the minority in your own stadium at home. I will never begrudge someone coming out to support their country and that country's football team when they come visit Canada or the USA, but I also know some Canadian football fans who despise seeing opposing fans in such large numbers in what they would call their stadium.

I was expecting for the Canadian crowd in the south stands to bring the noise for this match, but the red card to Ali Ahmed in the 6th minute for a reckless high boot killed the atmosphere for the rest of the match. Ecuador had mountains of possession from that point on, but they barely did anything on the offensive end due to Canada's defensive shape. There was not anything too exciting in the match, and the match ended up being a dull 0-0 draw. I remember when the red card incident happened, the guy standing a couple of seats over was so incensed that he threw a whole can of beer down the entire section, landing close to the net. The throw was so low that I was surprised the can of beer did not hit anyone. This is a reminder to not throw anything in the stadium and be an idiot like that guy.

Anyways, those were my thoughts on my experience watching Canada vs. Ecuador.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is Terrible Value

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:55:00 +0000

By Nintendo Co., Ltd./Game Freak Inc./Creatures Inc. - https://press.pokemon.com/en/Release-Date-for-Pokemon-Legends-Z-A-Revealed-and-Pokemon-Presents-Vid, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80792028

I have been playing through Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the Nintendo Switch 2, and I want to tell you my thoughts on the game. Prior to obtaining this game, I think I have heard every kind of extreme opinion where I have heard unnecessary praise, as well as unnecessary hatred of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The truth is, Pokémon Legends: Z-A falls somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. I have already talked at length about Game Freak's (lack of) role in the development of this game, so I am just going to focus on what I liked and did not like about the game.

I first want to pay particular attention to this game's story and characters. I enjoyed the overall story of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and there has been a noticeable improvement in the writing of the story and the various characters over other previous Switch titles such as Sword/Shield and Legends: Arceus. The personalities of the major characters are on display to the benefit of the story. However, it is still criminal that this 2025 release of a major Pokémon title does not have voice-acting. There were RPGs that came out over 25 years ago that have voice-acting in their games (like Final Fantasy X and Shenmue) and Game Freak still refuses to implement it. Voice-acting is an easy way to significantly improve the story experience.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A does away with the traditional turn-based battle system, and in its place, implements a real-time battle system between Pokémon where the moves that you use has a cooldown timer before you can use the move again (instead of Power Points). There is an additional element of strategy as your Pokémon can now move around with you to avoid certain attacks. The real-time battle system is a nice idea, but there is room for refinement and improvement. For example, instead of controlling the Pokémon trainer in a battle, you can control the Pokémon itself. Also, Pokémon abilities are no longer in Legends: Z-A, so it would be nice to have those as well.

Performance wise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A runs well on the Switch 2 with no hiccups or framerate slowdowns, which is a far cry from playing Scarlet/Violet on the Switch 1. This game, at the very least, meets the minimum standard on how a video game should perform. As for visuals, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a mixed bag. The grass, trees, and Pokémon all look good and detailed. I also like how well-furnished the interior sections look. On the other hand, the textures on the buildings look horrible, and it is unacceptable on a Switch 2 title.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes place within the walls of Lumiose City in the Kalos region. Admittedly, this is a small map, especially when you compare this game to Legends: Arceus. A small map is not a bad thing if there are many things to see and do within the city. Just look at the Yakuza games as an excellent example on how to deliver with a small map. Lumiose City feels empty and bland. There is a lack of interesting things to see and do in this city, and you can only traverse the streets and rooftops for so long before everything feels the same.

Overall, I think Pokémon Legends: Z-A is just okay. I did have some fun catching and battling Pokémon all over the city. There are improvements to the story, writing, and game performance, but there are still familiar issues with no voice-acting, subpar visuals, and repetition in the gameplay loop. I do not think Pokémon Legends: Z-A is an improvement on Legends: Arceus, but rather a lateral shift in the franchise, and that is not good enough. I will say that I prefer the gameplay loop in Legends: Z-A with more of a balance between catching Pokémon and battling (maybe more weight towards battling) than the primary gameplay loop of catching Pokémon in Legends: Arceus.

There is one more thing I want to mention, and this is my biggest criticism of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Switch 2 edition of this game is $100 CAD plus tax, which is an insane price. Luckily, I had a couple of recent used games to trade in, so I ended up paying less than $30 CAD. Regardless, there are too many flaws and not enough content to justify paying full price for this game. Pokémon Legends Z-A is probably the worst value-for-money game I played this year, and the post-game DLC being $40 CAD further contributes heavily to the lack of value. I cannot in good conscience recommend this game at full price to anyone except for hardcore Pokémon fans, who were going to buy the game at full price anyway.

Quebec's Museum of Civilization (And Another Titanic Exhibit)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:58:00 +0000

I visited the Quebec Museum of Civilization in Quebec City (which already gives you a clue about where the next batch of travel posts are going to come from), and their premier exhibition going on at the time was a Titanic exhibition called "Titanic. The Human Story". I already went to a Titanic exhibition in Toronto back in August, but I was curious to see what things were the same in both exhibitions and what was different. I promise that this blog is not going to be a Titanic repository of items and experiences, but bear with me as I go through a second round of experiencing the fateful maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, as well as check out the rest of the exhibits in the museum.

The exhibition in the Museum of Civilization follows the same pattern as the exhibit in Toronto, and the first room was about the construction of the ship. The Quebec exhibit has the exact same detailed scale model as the one in Toronto, and there were some other pictures, books, and promotional posters to look at.

The next room was the staterooms and various items from staying on the ship. The exhibition in Quebec had a mock-up of what a second-class stateroom looked like on the ship, which was not something I saw in the Toronto exhibition. There were also mock-ups of a first-class sitting room, and a third-class cabin, among other items.

I go through the room with the detailing of the sinking of the ship, and it was all things I have already seen before in the previous exhibit, including the fake iceberg that is ice-cold to the touch. I did take a picture of the mock-up of the Marconi room where the operators would be sending SOS telegrams to anyone in the area.

One cool thing I saw in the Quebec exhibit was that there were scale models of the broken and rusted Titanic laying on the ocean floor. That was it for the Titanic exhibition. I did not take too many pictures because there were many artifacts that I already saw in the Toronto exhibit.

There were other permanent exhibits to see in the Museum of Civilization. I liked checking out the collection of artifacts from the various Quebec Native groups, including pelts and clothing.

The main permanent exhibit was the history of Quebec as a whole; from the wildlife to the human settlements. There were taxidermied models of various animals, including a polar bear and a moose.

There was a whole part of the exhibit dedicated to the evolution of the chair, which I thought was weird, but there were all these different styles of chairs.

There were some other things I liked that I took pictures of, including a snowmobile and a carriage. The Quebec Museum of Civilization was not my favourite museum to check out, but it was cool to see and kill some time.

More pictures below:

Trails In the Sky: 1st Chapter Is An Excellent Remake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:06:00 +0000

I have always wanted to get into the Trails video game series, but I always found it difficult to start due to the sheer number of main entries in the series (13 main entries since 2004), as well as the outdated combat in the earlier games. Thankfully, there is a new Trails game that is a remake of the first Trails game released back in 2004. Trails In the Sky: 1st Chapter is the remake of the 2004 game The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky and this was a great jump off point for me to check out this game and this series once and for all.

The story follows Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua as they become junior bracers (essentially, mercenaries for hire) and travel throughout the Kingdom of Liberl to become senior bracers just like their father. When I played this game, there were so many things to appreciate. I liked the overall world-building from the places you visit to the people you meet, as they have their own stories and ambitions. The Kingdom of Liberl feels so lived in and feels like a living, breathing community. I also think the pacing is good, if not a bit slow, as you have the main story to advance, but you also have these side quests that you can complete that contributes to your overall rank as a bracer.

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter uses a hybrid combat system of real-time battles and turn-based battles that I really like. You can engage enemies in real-time and attack them (like an action RPG) or you can press a button and switch to a turn-based combat system where you can move around in a circle and use attacks, spells, etc. You can attack an enemy in real-time until you stun the enemy and then switch to the turn-based combat to gain an advantage for your party. There is also simple customization in the equipment and the spells that you can use, which is something I think more JRPGs should look at.

I like how well written all the characters are, especially all the playable characters, and I think the voice-acting is good as well. A common criticism that I see about the dialogue is that it could get a bit campy and “anime-coded” but I think this just adds to the game’s charm. There were more than a few moments in the cut-scenes that had me laughing aloud. With that said, I found a significant issue with some of the cut-scenes where some side characters you are talking to will have voice-acting, but there is no voice-acting for the main characters at all. I hope this is something that Nihon Falcom fixes in future remakes.

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is an unexpectedly excellent JRPG and an excellent remake. The whole game feels so cozy and simple in its narrative and presentation of the Kingdom of Liberl and everyone in it. There are some issues with a lack of voice-acting in some cut-scenes, but this game is as good as it gets in introducing newcomers to one of the most fleshed-out series in RPG history. Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is solid storytelling and world-building, and I think it is a must for RPG fans to experience.

October 2025 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 19:32:00 +0000

Hello!

I do not have a blog post this week, because I will be travelling to a destination where I will be staying for a few days. I have many things planned for this trip so you will definitely see new posts from now until the end of the year. I am surprised to have done quite a bit of travelling this year, and all of it was within Canada from the west coast to the Maritimes. There is one more Canadian destination where I will be going to this year that I have never been to.

A lot has happened this year and things are going to continue to be busy for me going forward, but I am going to try to keep with the schedule of a new blog post every Monday. I'm excited to share what happened on my upcoming trip and talk about everything else that has been going on.

Watch this space!

Trying To Belong Somewhere

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:40:00 +0000

I am in one of those rare moments where I think I am in a good place in my life right now. I have a steady job where I can work from home and make a decent living. Because of my decent living, I can save up and go on trips to places where I would have not been able to go to (with another trip coming up soon). The only other question that I have in my life is how my life is on a social level. This is what I want to address in this post.

I no longer had the friend group that I would normally hang out with, and beginning last year, I was going through the different Meetup groups and events to see what I would be interested in checking out. I was like a hermit crab trying to find the right shell. I eventually found a Meetup group that I clicked with, and whose events I have been going to over the past year. I got to know so many people through this Meetup group who eventually became my friends and became the main friend group that I would hang out with, and for that I am grateful.

The thing with this new friend group that is different from the other friend groups I have had in my life (maybe since my university days) is that I had the opportunity to be my true authentic self. I did not have the opportunity to be my true self in many situations. When I had to hang out with my extended family, I would act more reserved and not draw too much attention to myself, as I have an extended family who bond through drama, bullying, and humiliation, which is something that I despise (this is a topic for a future post). With my previous work friend group, we still had to maintain a sense of professionalism as any craziness from any of us could reflect poorly on the friend group and the company. Here is my opportunity to start anew with a new friend group, and I want to start on the right foot.

I go to more events this year and I meet more people. It seemed like every week or every couple of weeks, I was in the city at some event having drinks, talking to everyone, and overall trying to ingratiate myself with the friend group, and things were going fantastic. I want to talk about the moment where I felt the happiest in my new friend group, and honestly, I am still buzzing about.

Not too long ago, I went to a birthday party for one of our friends at a series of party rooms in an apartment in the city. There was about 40-50 of us and drinks were flowing freely. I remembered buying shots for myself and some ladies and trying to talk to one of the ladies who I admittedly had a thing for. I was trying to convince her to do a karaoke duet with me, or at the very least, sing a song for everyone on the karaoke machine. She eventually agreed to sing karaoke but only if I sang a song after she did. I have always had my reservations doing something like singing karaoke because I would have to come out of my shell a bit, but I have been drinking, and no one else knows about my checkered past, so screw it. I am going to give a performance that no one will forget.

The girl I was talking to set the bar high with her rendition of "Mercy" by Duffy, but I knew I had to slow the pace down with my song selection. I went with "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, because it is an easy song to learn and sing, and I knew everyone would join in. It felt like everyone at the party packed themselves in the room, and I went and sang that song like my life depended on it. It was an epic moment for me. You all had to be there.

Getting back to why I wrote this post in the first place, I guess I am trying to say that we are all trying to belong somewhere. We all want to be somewhere where someone or a group of people can accept us, and more importantly, accept us for who we are. I am so happy to be in a spot where a group of people can accept me for who I truly am. I am still trying to move on from past hurt and rejection, but I know this will still take some more time. Let me enjoy these good times while I still can.

Black Myth: Wukong - One Big Boss Rush

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 19:40:00 +0000

By May be found at the following website: "Black Myth: Wukong". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Direct link to the media. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77711937

Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 action RPG developed and published by Chinese game studio Game Science. Black Myth: Wukong is (as far as I know) the first big-budget video game release to western audiences from China. This game has always piqued my interest but I was hesitant to play the game because I erroneously thought Black Myth: Wukong was a “souls-type” game, like the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring. I do not enjoy playing “souls-like” games, but I decided to bite the bullet and play through Black Myth: Wukong.

The best way I can describe Black Myth: Wukong is that the game plays most similarly to the God of War series, but with influences from the “souls-like” games, such as a stamina bar and challenging bosses. Black Myth: Wukong is, at its core, a largely-linear action-adventure game, but it also can be a gateway game to playing other “souls-like” games.

My favourite thing about Black Myth: Wukong are all the different bosses you face over the course of the game. All these bosses are interesting on their own, which comes from the influence of Chinese mythology and old Chinese novels such as Journey to the West. Many of these bosses are challenging, but I would not call any of them unfair, especially when compared to Elden Ring or other Souls games. The combat feels weighty and intuitive, and the excellent controls feel like I did not have to struggle to use any tricks or moves at my disposal. I also appreciate that you can customize and re-customize your character’s skills with no penalty, so there is an encouragement to try and build your character’s skills in different ways to defeat particularly tough bosses.

The visuals, environments, music, and voice-acting are all solid, but I particularly enjoy some of Black Myth: Wukong’s cut-scenes. I do not want to get into spoiler territory, but some of the cut-scenes make use of different styles that sell the Chinese mythology influence incredibly well.

My one major criticism of Black Myth: Wukong is that the exploration between fighting bosses feels dull. There are lots of different minor enemies to fight, but I find that the exploration does not feel engaging enough. There are some nice environments to look at, but I always felt I was just trying to get from one boss to another, and the overall exploration feels like a chore.

Black Myth: Wukong was one of those games where the further I progressed in the game, the more I loved the experience of this game. Once I beat the first chapter of the game, I could feel the game pulling me into its world. By the end of the game, I understood why this game got the “Game of the Year” nominations that it did. I had to work on playing this game to enjoy the excellent storytelling and mythology. The “down periods” of Black Myth: Wukong feel boring, but the bosses, combat, and overall story at the heights of this game feel enriching, rewarding, and satisfying. Black Myth: Wukong is a perfect game for gamers like me who find Souls games too daunting, but still wants challenge in a video game without the use of difficulty choices.

Everything Else I Did In Prince Edward Island

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:38:00 +0000

You know the drill. Here are all the other things I saw and did on my trip to Prince Edward Island that I did not already cover in my previous PEI posts, but first, I have some general thoughts about the province.

Prince Edward Island is a windy place, considering the island is just off the ocean. Every time I would get out of my car to go see a lighthouse, the constant gust of wind hits my body. In many of the videos I share on my PEI posts, there is always this howling wind that muffles any sound. Also, Prince Edward Island is a mostly rural place. The few cities on this island are not particularly big, and most of the island is hills and farmland. The drives were mostly boring and not as fun as driving in Nova Scotia.

When I landed in Prince Edward Island, the first place where I went to eat was The Dunes Studio and Cafe. The best way I can describe this place is that it is a restaurant, art gallery, and high-end furniture/souvenir store all in one. I was starving after the plane ride, so I ordered a butternut squash soup (not pictured) and a lobster quiche (pictured) with seemingly 3 pounds of salad. I could not finish the salad, but everything else was good.

There was also a peaceful garden in the back of the restaurant where the restaurant grows their own vegetables. There were also fixtures such as a pond and a water fountain to look at.

There was also an attached shop at The Dunes where you can buy high-end gallery pieces such as paintings, jewelry, and furniture. There was a painting that caught my eye, but it had a hefty price tag of $4000 CAD.

When I was in Summerside, I went to Spinnaker's Landing, which was an outdoor shopping plaza with a few souvenir shops and restaurants. I would also use this time to look out to the Summerside Harbour, which was calm and a bit windy. The cloudy weather made for a rather depressing scene.

It was nothing different than most other souvenir places, but I did enjoy a fish burger at Jolly Roger's Seafood, which was tasty.

On the east side of Prince Edward Island was the town of Souris where I had a poutine at the Red Claw Bistro. While I was eating, I spotted the daily ferry that goes from Souris to Les Iles-De-La-Madeleine. Apparently, it a 5-hour journey to the islands. I would have loved to spend a couple of nights there, but there were no available accommodations at the time of my stay in PEI.

One of the crazier things I did on this trip was checking out the Myriad View Artisan Distillery to try some of their moonshine. I have never had moonshine before, and the people running the distillery gave me a small sample of their Island Moonshine which is 69% alcohol. When I drank that shot of moonshine, it felt like everything in my insides was burning; from my mouth and nose and all the way down my throat. I hated the moonshine so much that I bought a bottle to take back home.

On the south side of the island, I went to Marine Rail Park in Borden-Carleton to get some views of the Confederation Bridge which is Canada's longest bridge. This bridge stretched out as far as the eye can see. I did not travel on this bridge to get to New Brunswick on the other side because I would have had to pay a $50 toll at the time.

There were other things to see in this park, including a replica lighthouse that is in dire need of a renovation, and an old train car on display.

My last stop was the fishing village of Victoria-By-The-Sea on a beautiful midsummer day. This village had many tourists checking out the shops and restaurants. One of these restaurants was a place called Richard's which already had a big lineup for their lobster rolls. I was hungry, so I joined the line and ordered myself a hot butter lobster roll with a big heaping of fries and coleslaw. The lobster meat was savoury and chewy, with no hint of fishiness. This was easily the best meal on the trip.

The rest of my time in Victoria-By-The-Sea was walking around the waterfront and taking pictures of the landscape.

Overall, my trip to Prince Edward Island was good, and I am glad I got to visit another Canadian province, although my visit to Nova Scotia had more things to do. I would recommend spending a few days in the island to drive around, but I would not spend any more than that. Regardless, Prince Edward Island certainly has that small town and rural charm that some may enjoy.