Last-Gen Heroes: When the Best Villain is You

I had seen this man before. An attractive, tired looking sort of fellow with his scruffy excuse for a beard. He had tussled hair and the rings around his eyes indicated he had not been sleeping very well. Perhaps he’s been having nightmares. His expression is one of utter concern. It’s as though he’s gotten news he’s none too keen on. Drinking every night at a mostly empty nightclub, he talked about problems of the heart. Ah yes, this guy. How could I forget him? He reminded me of myself.

The Seedy Social Experiments of Animal Crossing

At some point, and very early on in my Animal Crossing's town's short existence, a green parrot named Frank moved in.  He and I did not get along the minute he opened that brutish mouth of his.  He sounded mean and gruff, and spoke Animalese in a tone that was very much like how Okami's Susano sounds.

He's one of those animals that had the heart of a jerk.  You know the sort if you've played any iteration of Animal Crossing: the judgmental type who is unpleasant in his mannerisms.

I wanted him gone.  And so, the fastest way to get rid of him was to have little to no interactions with him.  Day in and day out, I uttered barely a word to that ugly green bird.  An occasional pleasantry was exchanged, and I may have run an errand once or twice but not much more was done to further the friendship.

Flashback: The System is Down

The Internet seems a sadder place since 2010. That was the last time I saw certain fools...and since then I’ve been trying to figure out what it is I’ve been doing with my life. It feels as if I’m at a crossroads and there’s like a Denny’s on one corner and an Ihop on the other. Light switch raves never seem fun anymore and I don’t feel like celebrating Decemberween either. You guys know what I mean? Bear (holding a shark) with me as the strom is unleashed on this Flashback Friday!

Your Favourite Worst Nightmare: Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Your Home Town: You’ve just about forgotten the day you stepped off that train into a life of Inadvertent Leadership.  Neighbros have come and gone.  Friends have visited your larger than life world with its zen garden, and the lonely lighthouse keeping watch over the cliff as it ushers Kappa safe passage to the Island.  Your house now looks fit for a king as you sit in front of your fireplace every night wondering when next that horse will make an unannounced visit.  Your museum has reached a new level of cultural sophistication and yet there’s still so much left to explore.

Your Favourite Worst Nightmare: The "Single White Stallion" Edition

Your home town: the charm of a quiet life is still there but now you're taking your duties as Inadvertent Mayor seriously.  Public works projects - you've got quite the few:  a trellis near your beautiful fountain? Check.  A splendid overnight camping site by the river under the stars? Indeed.  You encourage the arts and your museum is filled with wonder and knowledge because you're not a cultural Philistine, perish the thought! Your continued battle with the bees is all in a day's work.  As Mayor, you have have taken to buying surveillance equipment to keep an eye on the Demon Clown, or maybe you're out there interviewing Pete on his mail run.  You still find the time to enjoy life by dancing the night away with your neighbros at your Club, but you've got your eyes on trouble brewing (and it's not the pigeon milk in your coffee, though you've got your eye on that too).  No, there's an animal in your town and there is something sinister about him.  You best mind your life or he'll mind it for you...

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit. Hare, Hare, Hare.

Well I don't think I have done this properly for some while but here we go.  Here's hoping and good luck all.

SnackTAYku International: Hurry Hurry, Come for Curry!

It’s Saturday and the sky has been grey all morning. From the funeral service to the countryside for the burial, there’s sadness and reflection. As you’re standing there trying to fight back the tears, the sky opens up and it starts pouring. People comment that it’s a blessing as their voices become dull background chatter. Making your way through the thick mud to put that rose with your kiss on it as a final goodbye to your favourite Uncle, someone calls you Maressa.

My Layton vs Your Phoenix: Part I

It was just shy of two years ago when I popped that unassuming DS cartridge in my 3DS. It certainly was an unattractive little cartridge that was an ugly blue with a white silhouette of a character loved by many but unknown to me. I remember not being overly impressed upon a play through of the first few chapters... but yes, I was incredibly impressed by the start: a body on the floor, blood slowly pooling around the victim and a heinous plot hatched by an evil looking, twisted faced man to blame an innocent passerby. Then in came a short monologue, cheesy courtroom drama channeling all sorts of early 1990s Law & Order music and a bumbling idiot named Larry Butz who you had to defend. The shift in tone made me scratch my head: exactly what had I gotten myself into?

SnackTAYku International: Dim Sum in Trinidad

Your life mission should you choose to accept it: Visiting the Chinatown in whatever city or part of the world you’re in and eating your life away at a dim sum house.  Oh… that’s just one my ridiculous life missions? Yeah well, perhaps you should consider making it yours too.  Life is just so much better with dim sum unless you’re allergic to shellfish.  If that’s the case then never you mind what I said.  That aside, for some reason I never ate dim sum when I lived in Trinidad.  I have no idea why that is but I knew that upon my visit a few weeks ago, I had to correct that misgiving.  As it turns out, fellow TAY’er and O-Decker, Supergeek, recently found a Dim Sum house where he lives in the Netherlands.  Well, oh.  Snap.  It’s Sunday, SUNday! Suuunnnddaaay.  And here’s your SnackTAYku International Main Event - Trinidad vs The Netherlands Dim Sum Battle.  FIGHT!*

Flashback: Family Woes!

The 14th day of February never really meant that much to me. With retailers’ ploys to grab at your hard-earned cash to be spent on lots of wasted paper and cheap chocolates; I never understood why a special day had to be set aside for those shenanigans. But I remember that one year I got something incredibly special as a Valentine’s Day present. Gifted to me by my awesome Father during a time when I was still a student and without the means to buy games for myself. It was presented to me unwrapped, and behind the red paper cut out heart that read “ To My Little One, Happy Valentine’s Day - Love Daddy” was a menacing, half-eaten zombie face. Indeed, my father with his amazing sense of humour had gifted me a bloody Valentine of Resident Evil 2.

Ridiculous Sightings in Retail:.. GDDH

Let's see what we got here in our salad dressing aisle... a raspberry vinaigrette.  Cool.  Cool.  Asiago Caesar dressing, garlic going down...alright, alright.  Godd...what?


What the hell is Goddess?

...
"Made with Goodness"...

What does that even mean? Because all I see is that flowers, garlic, lemons, sparklies and goddesses (plus the world) went into the making of this salad dressing.
Psh.

Hipsters.

This article may be found at the following link:  http://zarnyx.kinja.com/ridiculous-sightings-in-retail-gddh-1282978439

SnackTAYku: Eating the Rocky Mountains for Breakfast

I am a firm believer that no matter the type of food, it can be eaten whenever.  A stupidly simple statement, right? But I know we are all a little bit different.  Some of us adhere to labels of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that certain foods should be categorized and eaten strictly during their designated time zones.  I have respect to those of you who do said things.  It may be a matter of not being able to handle heavier foods earlier in the morning too or whatever the case may be.  I understand our needs may be different.  I probably should do same but sometimes eating half a burger at 7 in the morning may be a necessary evil! A bowl of plain old cereal for dinner? Yes.  Sometimes you just have to make up for the days' prior..."misgivings" in that half a burger you may have consumed.

SnackTAYku International: Brunch at the Beach

 
Welcome back to Trinidad and "Breaking Biche".  It's like Breaking Bad but without the drugs.  It just means instead of working and you pack up the car with a cooler full of cold ones, get some beach towels and take to the windy road up to Maracas Bay.  It's here at Maracas, you will find that the dogs may or may not be allowed on the beach, the clouds hook themselves up on the mountains, a freaking rock that looks like so many you collected in your childhood may be found buried in the sand, and a bake and shark dressed up with island specialty condiments is what's for brunch.

Observations on Video Gaming and Reflections on Life in Trinidad, W.I.

With its ice-cream coloured houses, congested highways and local roads, higher food prices, the scattered produce with all manners of tropical fruit, and live animal stands for your fresh goat’s meat lining the country roads; there are many ways in which life in Trinidad has remained the same but in so many ways, it has changed significantly.  The changes are glaring and evolving with every new visit and I think my sister said it best when she remarked that it’s as viewing the country with a different pair of eyes every single time.

SnackTAYku International: The First Thing You do in Trinidad

Welcome to the island of Trinidad in the West Indies.  It's here after a five hour red-eye flight from New York that upon leaving the airport doors, the heat might hit you something fierce.  If you're lucky, there's a trade wind blowing your way.  You may be met by the sun taking to the skies and giving life to the day.  Family and friends will greet you with all their love and genuine happiness melted into the warmest hugs and hellos you could find any where.  And after all that, your first stop is right across the street for breakfast from the cart selling "Doubles".

Late Night Story Time!

Don't be weepy, sleepy puppies... It's almost time for bed, TAY.  Time to change into pajamas (or if you don't wear any of those... whatever it is you want to do, it's kewl.  I just don't need to hear about it), brush your teeth, dim the lights and curl up under those blankets.  Hm? You're not sleepy yet? TAYV Movie Night gave you the scares?! Oh.  Ohhhh, you wanted me to read you a story before bed! Sure, I can do that.  Actually, I've got about 16 to share!

Story Time and Pajamas: The Dream Team Launch Event at Nintendo World, NYC

Another Mario Luigi and Mario RPG game is out, everyone (as if you all did not already know)! It's called Dream Team, it's for the 3DS and I have not even opened up the game yet.  Nope!  What I did do on Saturday however, was skip to Nintendo World for a Pajama Party complete with musical chairs, story time, popcorn, drinks, cupcakes, the chance to dance with Luigi and Mario and of course, the ability to purchase a copy of the game a day before release.

Hosting the Open Forum 3

Heeelllloooooooo, TAY! Welcome to Thorsday and the Open Forum.  Hello? Yes, this is Zarnyx and I will be your host today.  Thorsdays have always tossed mishaps at me for as long as I can remember.  So today I say: pox on you, Thorsday! We're going to do an ActiviTAY to make us forget that there's one day until sweet, merciful freedom.  That's right! We're going to parTAY like it's Friday.  I'm sorry.  I know Friday is still a thing that has to happen but letmejustconfuseyouwithabunchoftextthathasnothingtodowithanything.  And onwards to our game!

We said it before and we'll say it again.  At the recent launch party at Nintendo World for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, a game of Mario & Luigi's Mushroom Kingdom Mad Lib was held and it was rigged.  The Top 5 Mad Lib entries were revealed and the team of Hannibal Chau Chow (fellow TAY'er UI 2.0) and Zarnyx did not win.  Maybe we are just bitter that our Mad Lib entry was not chosen (which seems more than likely) but man, I really wanted a Luigi key chain or plush as a prize! Not really but we were wronged, TAY! WRONGED!

Foodie Adventures: Morso? Yes, Please!

It was great seeing a few of my friends last Friday night.  We took to the subway and headed to the Upper East Side for dinner, drinks, laughs and to celebrate missed birthdays at Morso.  On the recommendation of a friend's friend, we decided to try this place with empty stomachs and an open mind.  Unfortunately, Morso was not participating in NYC's Restaurant Week* (hell, I did not even realize that was on).

*I adore the concept of Restaurant Week.  I love that NYC Restaurants open their doors to people to afford to sample of what their establishment has to offer by tailoring a menu of some of their best selections for a three course prix fixe meal (usually).  Truly not all selections are great for Restaurant Week, and some can be really hit or miss but there are gems waiting to be discovered at any number of great places in NYC one may otherwise have not been able to try due to pricing restrictions.

SnackTAYku: At Lunch with Street Meats

Sometimes confusion sets in.  With the multitude of street meat carts, food trucks lining the streets, and restaurants all vying for your attention, it's easy to see why decisions become that much harder to make when it comes time to decide on what to eat for lunch.  To make matters worse, the rivalries between vendors result in utter chaos with territorial fights ensuing and vendors posing as other vendors.  It's a colourful business, getting lunch in Midtown.  How do you decide on which place to get good food for a fair price when everyone's just trying to addle your brain? After much consideration you may decide that lamb over rice from a Halal Food cart is the way to go.

Mushroom Hunting

It was always on those mornings when I had just enough time to scour the freshly cut, dew laden lawn for those tiny mushrooms that dared to grow, that I knew the day would be a decent one.  "Hey!", my sister would threaten, "what are you doing?! Don't do it..." With a knowing, mischievous chuckle I would kick one of my finds down.  Sometimes the cap would stick to my shoe along with grass blades.  But it was the ones that went flying clear across the lawn that made me laugh triumphantly.  The other morning I found a few scattered about after having not seen them for some while.  One down.  Then another.  However, my usual joyful glee - at having destroyed the imaginary fairies resting atop their mushroom capped stools - turned pensive.

Brooklyn Barcade: Getting Your Gaming and Drinking On

With my Adventure Time t-shirt and my Gorillaz Chuck Taylors on*, I trekked my way into unknown territory last night.  For the first time ever in all the years that I have been living in NY, I set foot in Williamsburg, NYC.  I figured I needed to dress the part some because to infiltrate and understand the hipsters, you must become one like the hipsters.  I don't think I'd ever fully be able to succeed in that regard and my War on the hipsters continues but the point of the evening was for something far more entertaining than made-up wars in my head.  I went to play some classic, glorious video games on some glorious arcade machines and met up with some like-minded awesome people at the Brooklyn Barcade.

The Tree Spoke to me

A most peculiar thing happened in the town of Tennant in the early hours this morning.  The skies were blue and I was busily making my town to be fabulous to match the Fashionista personality my animals all claim I own.  I picked some flowers for their move to their future homes, slapped down some tiles around the Town Square and then I inadvertently came to rest my Fashionista rear (clothed in a plaid, pleated dress ensemble) on the brick wall that encases the Town Square tree.