After all that Work (earning money and flexing the brain), it's nice sometimes to Play (spending money and vegging out). Here's how one can do it.
Otherwise known as anime, this is a quick way to lose money, if that is your aim.
Being Japanese in origin, a true anime fan will pursue the purchase of CDs,
computer software, LDs, DVDs, Videos, and much Internet traffic. For the purist, one may
order the original stuff, direct from Japan. This is untranslated (ie; not in English. Well,
MOSTLY in Japanese), and oft the more expensive avenue. For the die-hard fan, most
purchases are from the USA, where kind (and not so kind) companies get rights,
translate, and redistribute anime to the Western World. For the casual user,
check for local clubs which may hold screenings, or visit the die-hards and partake
of their expensive collections. The casual user usually isn't overly interested
in the pure stuff, unless they understand Japanese themselves.
I fit into the middle category, although I'm not as die-hard as I once was, mainly due to me "getting a life". I now find I have a choice about what I can do in my (little) spare time.
I won't bother going into the details of the anime following here. You'll either know what and how great it is already, or loathe it, are indifferent, or have no idea at all. If you're in this last category, you may like to check out my OLD page on Japanese Animation. This page also lists clubs and anime sources that I know of for those within Western Australia, although the whole page is crying for a revamp.
Here's a list of links to some of my favourite anime :
And here's a few great anime link collections, for anything else you ever wanted to know about the stuff :
Fantasy. Escapism. Exploration. Adventure. All from the comfort of your bed, desk, car, whatever! Pity it's so time consuming ... *sigh*
Being a great fan of Fantasy, and to a lesser degree, Sci Fi, my favourite authors back when I had spare time included Isaac Asimov (mayherestinpeace), David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist, R. A. Salvatore, and Piers Anthony. The two authors who I make time to read are Robert Jordan, with his Wheel of Time series, and Terry Pratchett, with his Discworld and other novels. These guys are kings of their genre.
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is a serious fantasy epic, with big fat books that contain a gripping plot with detailed characters, where good and evil isn't so clear-cut. The books often hint and refer to facts and events which, although totally irrelevant at the time, appear in later books, giving a very detailed read, and a series which is reccomended to read more than once.
With such interesting characters as Rincewind, Carrot, Greebo and DEATH,
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is an interesting blend
of fantasy and comedy, with subtle and blatant humour, mixed in
with some philosophising about life, religion, society, and other issues
you usually don't read the book for. The result is great!
Other favourite authors in other genres include P.G. Wodehouse, and, errr wossname, guy who wrote them books about Number 10 Ox. I used to read the odd Murder Mystery as well, such as Agatha Christie's novels.
Ah yes! What would we do without computer games? After a hard day at work, it's off home where we can relieve all that stress blowing things up. And with the increase in multiplayer games, who better to blow up than your best friend?
I usually don't get time to play computer games, although there have been a few which have motivated me to sit down and play them. However, playing with or against other hunams is another thing entirely! Most of my serious gaming is at PC "Bashes". (Note: These events are also commonly referred to by others as Lan Parties.)
There are two types of "Bash". The first involves almost everyone pulling their computer to bits, loading it into the car, and resetting them all up at a central location, usually a friend with a big house (and a soon-to-be big power bill). A bit of Coax cable, and voila! Instant LAN!
The second type involves having contacts who maintain labs of PC's, preferrably with Multimedia capabilities. Everyone rocks up to the lab with their headphones, joysticks and games, and voila! Although easier to set up, this second type may incur time and/or noise restrictions, and usually won't run past midnight.
The first type have been known to go till dawn on occasion, depending on the week everyone has had, and the particular game.
Games I particularly like include :
| Single player | Cooperative | Deathmatch |
|---|---|---|
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Why is this in quotes? Because I actually mean three (3, III, tres, san) different types of Theatre here; Movie, Home, and Stage.
Lately, I've been visiting the Cinemas more. There's nothing to compare to sitting in a comfy chair, paying ridiculous prices for Popcorn, and watching a great Sci Fi on the big screen, as the sound vibrates every bone in your body. Or dunking your icecream in your Fiancee's popcorn as you watch a Romance Comedy together. My favourite Movie of the Moment is (still) The Fifth Element, a great Sci Fi, comedy, action movie. This show's got the lot!
Type two is a bit closer to home. Well, it's Home Theatre, actually. This is where you try and get at home what you get at the cinemas, but paying more for it, but at least it's YOURS. For me, sound is important, so in my own Home Theatre setup, I have a good Sound system (for the price I paid) (ie; it's rather primitive). My TV's a cheapo Sherwood 51cm, which I hope to upgrade to something big eventually. I've also got me a decent VCR and LD player, and am hanging out for a DVD player.
Anime was what launched me into Home Theatre, your Fair Dinkum anime fan having a taste for quality. Also, with the lack of Anime in Australia, a good VCR that'll play NTSC is a must, and back when I started, they were rare...
Type three is Stage Theatre, and other live performances, which I'm being encouraged to go to by my Fiancee (now upgraded to Wife 1.0). We've been to miscellaneous events, including big productions like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, as well as amateur productions like Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters and Maskerade (based on the books).
