Eliminating the Impossible

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Ever since I watched the show Detective Conan, I’ve always wanted my sharp mind to the test and solve gruesome murders.That desire was only heightened by reading the adventures of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous fictional character: Sherlock Holmes back in Year 8. The idea of emulating the greatest detective in the world was what drove me to study criminology and helped train my keen eye to the minutest detail. 

For a good long while, my one desire was to throw on a deerstalker cap, have a Stradivarius violin sitting in the back corner of my room  and exclaim: ‘The game is afoot!’ to a doctor friend. 

So when video games were released that encapsulated that feeling of being a master detective, as well as the Victorian setting of the time, I was hooked. Being able to deduce everything with just a quick glance and arrive at awesome conclusions? Yes, please!

Frogwares has come a long way in terms of their Sherlock Holmes titles. Many of the early titles were focused on one huge case that spanned the entirety of the hours spent on it. Holmes would traipse from one corner of London to the next in order to unravel the dastardly villain behind it all. That all changed with Crimes and Punishments where players could enjoy a myriad of shorter cases that allowed players to arrive at their own conclusions. So, eager to try my hand at actual crime solving instead of sitting on the couch and letting the playable character solve it all in several long drawn out cutscenes, I dusted off my PlayStation 4 Pro to enjoy a romp around London before I jumped into the much more open-world interpretation of my favourite detective in his younger years. 

Lo and behold: Sherlock Holmes and the Devil’s Daughter.

While I enjoyed the first three cases of the game, the latter ones felt much too rushed. Despite the strong opening, I was disappointed at how quickly the intrigue petered out. From a narrative standpoint, it was also disheartening to see how little the cases tied together. Yes, there was an overarching arch but the writers only touched upon it with small snippets rather than letting them breathe or have Kate (Moriarty’s daughter) be more involved rather than shunting her off to the sidelines.

It would have also helped if Holmes was more receptive to communicating with his adopted daughter instead of ignoring her wants and needs. For much of the game, he is constantly reminded by Watson that Kate deserves the truth. This also plays into the ending as well, which falters a little due to how little Holmes has interacted with Kate throughout the game. 

Still, the whole deduction business was very much in keeping with the great detective. The way he would file away certain clues and then make deductions in his mind palace was a sight to see. I also liked that the players had the options to select certain choices when it came to evidence. The most important aspect from the books was that preconceptions could colour or bias a deduction. Rather than come up with a hypothesis and pick and choose what evidence to neatly fit into it, it was far better to use the evidence to formulate the circumstances and motives.

Fittingly, the gameplay was primarily focused on solving cases although there were occasional diversions such as lawn bowling or navigating one’s way through a secret Mayan temple within the confines of Sherlock’s mind. While these had their own intriguing problems to solve, they were more or less a gimmick to provide something fresh and different to the formula that was mastered in the last game. 

My experience with the Devil’s Daughter was still, however, marred by the technical limitations of the platform. It was clear from the outset that the game wasn’t terribly optimised for consoles. There was quite a bit of screen tearing and suffering through long load times (after getting acquainted with much faster speeds on the PlayStation 5). Worse were the janky movements from Holmes to Watson and the inexplicable lack of instructions for new functions. While tutorials might have bogged down the pacing, they would have made certain puzzles a lot easier to deal with. 

As it always the case, the Sherlock Holmes titles from Frogwares are not triple-A games. That doesn’t mean, however, that they are not enjoyable. 

These grumbles aside, my time with Frogwares attempt at changing up the formula before heading back into the distant past, was still a detecting feast for my Sherlock loving heart. Here’s hoping Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise whilst still balancing the a-ha moments with as much style as possible.

There’s a Hole in my Wallet, Dear Liza

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

I’ve unabashedly admitted multiple times on my blog that I’m a bit of a nerd. That is, of course, if my gaming entries haven’t already given it away. My tendrils also reach deep into the pop culture conscience. Whether that be books or shows or movies. There are only a few choice fandoms that I haven’t dipped my toes in – and not for lack of trying. So, with the loosening of restrictions, was it any wonder that I’d attend not one but two conventions in Sydney? After all, I need to update my walls with posters of the hottest and freshest dankness that fan communities can provide. 

That and geek out about supposedly niche things that my uninformed friends and colleagues know nothing about. Honestly, it’s like they don’t even try to understand internet culture.

The first on the list was Supanova. With my friend, bleachpanda​ at my side, we ventured into the vaunted halls of the Dome at the Sydney Showground in Olympic Park. Given that borders had only reopened, only a smattering of celebrities were present for meet and greets. None, however, had much caught my fancy. Smallville might have been the pinnacle of television when it aired during the early noughties but I’d never fallen down that rabbit hole – too limited, at the time, with my screen time.

I mean, yes, there was also Veronica Taylor but one does not simply approach the dubber of Ash Ketchum so easily. After having my Mistborn trilogy signed by Brandon Sanderson so many years ago, I knew that encountering my heroes in life could prove disastrous. I’m an awkward person by nature, more confident when I only have to select pre-programmed dialogue options than come up with anything off the cuff. Written communication has always been more my forte than verbal. Stumbling over words, phrasing things poorly…I mean I’ve leaned into it in some ways but it’s not the best representation of who I am.

Still, Supanova offered me the chance to buy, buy and buy! To immerse myself in what artists had cooked up and drown myself in cute collectibles that would serve almost no practical purpose besides looking cool. So, of course, I bought art from Anthony Christou. His art isn’t based on anime and isn’t only limited to character portraits (which, while understandably awesome in their own regard, aren’t as universal). My favourites are his landscape works, of which I’ve collected several.

Supanova, though, also enticed me with little charms and crocheted goodies. After much hewing and hawing, I finally picked up Winnie the Pooh. Crochet Cthluhu was also high on my list but perhaps I’ll snag him up next time. The patterning on each creation was wonderful and I envy those with the time and skill to make such wondrous pieces of art. 

Still, can’t believe I whiffed on The Great Ace Attorney tamogochi-esque charms that had animal versions of Ryunosuke, Kazuma, van Zieks, Susato and Herlock Sholmes. Let’s also not forget Gina Lestrade. 

At the very least, my friend bought me a Halloween witch Mimikyu, content in its field of mushrooms and autumn leaves, that now sits on my work desk for all to admire as they walk past.

But while Supanova was grand in its own way, it could not compete with the numbers that came to SMASH! It should be noted that SMASH! stands for the Sydney Manga and Anime Show. Thankfully, after some pressure from people manning the SMASH! stand at Supanova, we bought our tickets for Saturday without having to resort to scalpers or begging friends for access to the show floor in the ICC (International Convention Centre) where most people were dressed as, and bought goods of, characters from Genshin Impact, Demon Slayer and Spy x Family. 

Guests wise, we had Gigguk (with his delightful received pronunciation accent), Sydsnap (Gigguk’s American wife), CWDawgVA who can pronounce the most impossible name that has ever been written and spoken: llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, and there was also fellow Sydney-sider TheAnimeMan. A shame that Akidearest couldn’t make it. I would have liked having a YouTube celebrity I could discuss Kingdom Hearts with. 

Because my friend​ is a fan of these AniTubers, I sat and watched through two panels with her where they discussed their lives, their projects and provided well constructed arguments for or against controversial hot-takes for popular anime.

Since a few of my other friends are also deeply entrenched weebs of the third degree, I managed to bump into them as I walked the stalls of Artist’s Alley. Here, though, I found the collections a little lacking. Most of the artwork was focused on what was hip and popular. No longer were Free! or Haikyu! or even My Hero Academia products being sold like hotcakes. Instead, it was all about Genshin Impact (which isn’t a game from a Japanese developer), some Danganronpa (because who can ever get over Junko Enoshima and the dichotomy between hope and despair) and other random anime that I’ve not really watched. 

It was disappointing, actually, to see that games released only just last year such as The Great Ace Attorney and NEO: The World Ends With You having so little merchandise on sale. I honestly would have gobbled them all up if there had been better quality products on display. Alas. I would have paid good money for some Kariya and Minamimoto goods. Those two are super cool cats that I wouldn’t mind sporting on my bag or just to stare at on my desk.

I DID almost buy more Riku merchandise as well as a figurine of Edogawa Conan. Of course, in saying that bleachpanda​ knows that Tooru Amuro came in a close second too.

Long story short: be prepared to spend far more than you intend should you visit a convention. They are dangerous things, worse if you bring along enablers that encourage you to ‘treat yourself.’ I might not forgive my friends for encouraging me to buy a set of dice but I will admit that they look pretty and will look forward to rolling them to cause my players as much distress as I possibly can in the next Dungeons and Dragons game that I cook up.

Y’all have been warned, m’kay?

Summer Camp of the Minds

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Taking advantage of the gap between releases, I decided to tackle a little of my backlog of older video games instead of jumping immediately into a meaty role-playing experience. After all, there would be time aplenty for such pursuits and I was eager to keep my narratives short and sweet. Especially after recently enduring quite a few lengthy journeys. A blogger must needs prepare themselves, am I right?

The first on my list saw a sequel release last year to some critical acclaim. Releasing back in 2005, this game was a blast from the past with awkward camera controls and cinematic graphics that looked like someone had smeared Vaseline over my monitor. Despite that, the in-game graphics managed to hold up reasonably well with its stylistic choice and was a fun romp into the world of the mind.

Care to guess, dear reader, what I’m referring to?

Yes, that’s right. Psychonauts!

After tearing my way through Tokyo collecting souls, I thought I’d mix it up a little with a little summer camp adventure. Australia might have been enduring a winter storm of rain and floods but I could pretend I was a ten-year-old boy that was hoping to show off my awesome psychic ability whilst also rescuing the brains of my fellow campers and sudden girlfriend.

What I loved the most about Psychonauts was how effortlessly the gameplay tied in with the narrative and world-building. This was especially prevalent in the mindscapes of the numerous individuals our protagonist: Razputin Aquato dived into to advance forward in his quest to stop the diabolical Dr Loboto and Coach Oleander. Each level was an exploration of the psyche of each individual. While they did fall into certain tropes, I very much enjoyed rampaging around as Goggalor in Lungfishopolis and getting in some marksman practice on a very orderly cube mind that favoured functionality over form.

Given that the game was released in 2005, I was also impressed at how Psychonauts tackled mental health through the lens of resolving past trauma. Some of the solutions might not have been deep but it’s also important to keep in mind that not everyone experiences or processes trauma the same way. What one person might easily shrug off might have debilitating effects on another.

In this day and age, it’s important to accept that every experience is valid. One might not see how something so long ago could impact the present but the human mind is still a very strange beast that scientists and psychiatrists have yet to properly unlock. With awareness, however, we’ve changed the way we diagnose and treat individuals. 

Playing on PC, my main gripe with the game were the mouse and keyboard controls. Especially when I was hoping to use the camera. In the end, I resorted to using a controller because it just felt better to use for a third-person platformer. Using an analog stick was also much better than just the directional keys and I also didn’t have to fight the slow movement of the camera as it panned around the levels. 

The only part that I struggled with was the Tunnel of Love in the Meat Circus. After failing several times, I managed to cheese the entire segment by simply floating down with the levitation power onto the next part of the stage. 

Psychonauts is a surprisingly excellent game for its time. While the narrative is a simple adventure, the themes that are explored and the levels incorporated into the game are imaginative and clever. Some might praise the Milkman Conspiracy but I was equally enthralled with the worlds of Fred Bonaparte and Edgar Teglee. Especially because they brought with them their own unique challenges and creative boss battles that would be hard-pressed to implement in more traditional games.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get to Psychonauts 2 soon, armed now with the knowledge from the first game. It is, after all, floating around on my PlayStation 4 Pro after I purchased it last year. But given all the other games that are still sitting in my ‘To be Played’ pile, it might be some time yet. Maybe I really ought to devote my time into becoming a proper Twitch/ YouTuber game streamer and quit my day job. How else will I be able to get through my ever-growing stack of games that have caught my eye?

Especially now that October will most definitely be a very busy month for me. And goodness only knows how long Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will take me.

Grief and Acceptance

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

In 2021, there were plenty of games that tackled grief. Some did it well while others were a bit of a convoluted mess. Thankfully, Ghostwire Tokyo errs on the side of Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy. True, it might not be as fun or have as rollicking an adventure, but plot-wise, it managed to keep everything in perspective without bringing any twists out of left-field. The story was very contained, in both location and breadth, and for that, I applaud it for keeping it simple. That, and the fact that the spider lily imagery was kept to a minimum. Honestly, it’ll be a long time coming before I get over how much they were used in Scarlet Nexus.

Ghostwire Tokyo begins with the spirit of KK possessing the body of what he believes is a deceased courier. To his surprise, that person is very much alive. Enter Akito: our earnest protagonist who only wants to make sure that his sister: Mari is all right after a strange fog engulfs everyone around the thriving Shibuya Scramble and the surrounding environs. 

Despite still recovering from his near-death collision with a car, Akito limps to a local hospital to check in his sister. When he arrives, however, he discovers a man in a Hannya mask kidnapping her for some crazy ritual that he doesn’t quite understand.

So begins his quest to save Mari and put a stop to the villain’s plans with KK at his side.

Unlike Scarlet Nexus, the narrative tucked within Ghostwire Tokyo is quite a simple affair. There’s no hidden governmental conspiracy where people are transformed into visitors. Nor is there a sudden revelation that humans came from the moon. Rather, all the characters involved have all suffered loss. Akito has lost both his parents and fears losing his sister as well. KK is a solitary man by trade. Though he has a wife and son, he’s been mostly absent in their lives. Despite that, he still strives to protect his family and keep them safe.

The man in the Hannya mask, on the other hand, is a scientist that lost his beloved wife and becomes obsessed with rejoining her and creating a paradise for souls. Though we never get to see the man behind the mask (except through voice logs), it’s clear that he is a man driven by his ego to attempt the impossible without any care for the repercussions. Even when his daughter attempts to stop him, he barely bats an eye – believing that they will all be reunited in his twisted version of life beyond death.

While his motivations are understandable, it’s clear that Mister Hannya has gone off the deep end. Better yet, the game doesn’t even attempt to redeem him or make him see the error of his ways! Yay for finally having a villain just do villain things and believing he is the hero of the story.

What I loved about Ghostwire Tokyo, though, was how much the game was infused with love and care for Japanese culture and folklore. Kappas, Oni and so many other yokai (monsters) make an appearance. Almost all get a small entry in the glossary. For someone that has fallen in love with the idea of Japan ever since I was first suckered into watching anime, I loved the titbits about iconic Japanese foods like onigiri and taiyaki. I can’t believe these types of food have been around for so long!

Almost every collectible had an entry. And almost all of them were tied to Japan’s unique history and culture. Even though there were so many things to find, I didn’t find it all that tiring to scour the map for them.

This was also prevalent in the enemies. Especially the lady with the scissors. I might have only dabbled with Japanese mythology but even I’ve heard the horror urban legend of a woman wearing a mask asking strangers whether or not she was beautiful before showing off a disfigured grin. The other visitors have their moments but they don’t reach the heights of horror that the Kuchisake. At least in my first battle with her.

Still, they seem to encapsulate very well some of the frustrations that are inherent in the very rigid social structures within the culture. From the businessmen to high school students.

Even the side quests help flesh out the world of Ghostwire Tokyo and its heavy focus on yokai and Japanese mythology. The game might not be as bombastic with its drops of lore such as having ancient heroes or the Gods jump in to save the day, but it was still fun. 

Reading online, I know that many people were disappointed in the combat. While I do acknowledge that the ether weaving can get repetitive, I’m also of the mind that it didn’t need any additional flairs. Think of it in terms of guns. Wind weaving was like using a pistol. Water weaving represented a shotgun. And fire? That was basically lobbing a grenade/ using a rocket launcher to clear out pesky bullet sponge enemies. Throw in some talismans that help expose cores or stun them for a few precious seconds and you’ve all the tools needed to take down the myriad number of foes just waiting to jump Akito on the streets of Tokyo.

Having more ether weavings would have only bogged down the players with too much choice and would have overly complicated an already working system. Especially for those that liked to race through the main story instead of slowing down to sniff the roses.

Ghostwire Tokyo was a fun distraction and palate cleanser for Lost Judgment. The story wasn’t as dense and the combat was simple. Although I roamed around Kamurocho and Ijincho, the worlds could not have been more different. That said, the topics and themes explored in both games were still a bit on the heavier side. Hopefully, whatever I play next will be focused on something silly and nonsensical. Maybe also just shorter in general too. 

Goodness knows that I have far too many games on my ‘To be played’ list. And now with not-E3 behind us, there’s also a slew of new titles waiting around the corner for me to pick up. After all, when this post goes up, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be just around the corner.

By the way, is it me or does Lanz just have super Reyn vibes? We’ll see when the game comes out but if someone who knows me in real life hears me saying ‘It’s Lanz time,’ you know where I’ve got it from.

Unfortunately, no One Piece cafe in the Tokyo Tower of the game.

The Reality of Friendship

On By kyndaris1 Comment

Over the last two years, as the world slowed to a crawl, many people began to reach out. In my last post, I talked about meeting up with people from high school, either via luck or through a simple Facebook comment on a post.

But just reaching out isn’t enough. You have to maintain it if you want to keep alive your connection to other people. Which can be especially hard now that life has returned to a sense of normalcy and everything is opening up again. Once more, we’re all ‘too busy.’ The things that were placed on the backburner have returned with a vengeance. Trips that were delayed can now be experienced.

In many ways, that’s great!

And yet, as a person that is often overlooked, it’s tiring to be the one that is constantly reaching out to see where people are at and organising real life or virtual catch-ups. 

Perhaps it’s because that as we have grown up, our interests have diverged. Maybe people see me as clinging to the past with my love for video games and obsessive reading habits. Yes, it’s a trait that has dogged me for many years and I don’t doubt they’ll be with me until the day I die, but can you blame me when there’s so many mind-blowing narratives and rich worlds to consume?

Still, there’s also a budding resentment within me that has only festered. Why can’t these people ask me out for dinner? Why is it always me that’s trying so desperately to keep hold of old friendships? 

It is exhausting trying to carry these all on my back. And it’s worse when, during the pandemic, all I was trying to do was lift everyone’s spirits because we were in one of the longest and most terrible of lockdowns. Honestly, it’s hard when you feel like you’re the only one obeying the health mandates of keeping away when other people seem to be out on the streets spreading COVID-19 around like there’s no tomorrow (although on that note, could I possibly give a warm welcome to monkey pox?)

To be fair, though, I’m not trying to be clingy. I only ever reach out every few weeks or so. Perhaps once a month or with just an annual ‘Happy Birthday’ because my mind is a steel trap and I have everything memorised.

Still, maybe there’s a reason why people just gradually fall out of friendships. Possibly because of our busy lifestyles or that we want different things out of life. It’s no-one’s fault and yet the friendship is giving back as much as I put in when it comes to enjoyment. It doesn’t even matter if the two people involved might have supposedly similar personalities (they don’t really – the only common denominator seems to just being introverted but being introverted simply means that one’s social battery drains too fast). If one person becomes reluctant to engage, and wants to withdraw, maybe that’s a sign that a break is needed. Especially if conversations are stilted if the other party wants something more from me than I’m willing to give.

But maybe, too, there’s a power imbalance in the friendship. What does one do when someone has put another on a pedestal in their mind. Or what about those that cling to a specific image of an individual? Nostalgia can go a long way but friendships based on it cannot last without some sort of change to the dynamic.

I suppose some of this strange dissonance with other people might come from the fact that I have a very eclectic and wide-ranging number of things that I enjoy and consume. There are people out there, however, that don’t engage as much. Rather, they’re perfectly fine with not engaging in anything that’s popular or mainstream, instead reading plot synopses on Wikipedia instead of actually experiencing a given TV show, game or book. It makes talking about the latest episode of say, Umbrella Academy or The Good Place, all that harder because they don’t have the quotes or understand the nuanced references.

So, one friend I have, we bonded over our love for the Kingdom Hearts franchise. And yet, when I finished playing Kingdom Hearts 3 and wanted to discuss the ending and how Nomura attempted to redeem Master Xehanort, they hadn’t found a means to play or watch a playthrough. Rather, they were only able to hear my rants or read my spoiler-filled impression of the game.

And though there can be some level of engaging conversation, because they haven’t actually experienced the game fully, it’s harder to get their exact thoughts on Nomura’s twisted form of writing and the hidden hints for the sequel.

It also doesn’t help that with many of my high school friends, our interests are vastly different. I’ve dabbled with so many things. From Dragon Prince to She-Ra to Arcane on the animated side to a vast array of popular TV shows and movies. They have NONE of that context to build from. It’s one thing to just obsess about a TV show that I’ve watched but it’s another to share in that excitement with a fellow appreciator. Thank goodness that I have one friend that I can discuss the craziness of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and appreciate the lyrical genius of Bo Burnham. 

Game-wise, they might know about the video games I play but they’d lack the appreciation I might have for the game – instead, experiencing it only semi-vicariously through my frenetic impressions on my blog. But honestly, most of my ‘friends’ don’t read my blog for the games. They read it for the personal anecdotes because games don’t interest them. Or the games that they play are simple mobile ones or just the same game that they’ve played for years and years.

And don’t even talk about books.

I don’t think most of the people I know have picked up a proper novel in years. They might sing my praises when it comes to the short stories they’ve read on my FictionPress but there’s little context for them with which to compare. How can they when they’ve not heard the likes of Tess Gerritsen, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson or Thomas Harris? That’s not to mention the likes of Sarah J. Maas and her ilk of YA authors (some good and others…intriguing).

How can I properly rant about the connected Maasverse if there’s no context? I can’t decry the wing kinks, the slash of white and the way all the ‘males’ growl about their mates. 

I mean, yes, I could rant about it – after all, I just did – but without that shared experience, it falls flat.

Maybe this is all me catastrophising and I’ll reignite the spark of friendship that had us clasping our hands in solidarity. Or maybe it’s time for me to talk it out and put it out of its misery. Like a romantic relationship, it seems that people can fall in and out of friendships too. And after investing so much time and effort into it, if I’m not receiving anything back, maybe it’s time to just step away.

Or maybe just reduce our status back to acquaintances that might warrant a simple ‘hello’ if we see each other on the street.

It’s hard because there’s a lot of shared memories when it comes to people that I’ve known since high school or before. But when I have to hide parts of who I am simply to keep up the charade that I’m the same person from a decade ago, it is so draining.

But even though change was something I’m scared of, the truth of the matter is that I’m not the same Kyndaris. And I simply don’t derive as much fun or joy from the other person as I might have. The meaningful chats are one-sided and I don’t want them to be tethered to someone who can’t appreciate their insights into their personal psyche. You deserve someone that will actually listen and can respond in kind. That someone, unfortunately, is not me. 

Suffice it to say, that was a long and winding tangent. Still, at its core is the concept that friendship is a strange and fickle thing. Some people might remain friends for the rest of their lives. But other times, friendships too, must come to an end. Or, at the very least, be put on hold before they become a cloying toxic mess.

In summary: I’m sorry to the future people I might be cutting off. I wish I didn’t resent you for things that aren’t your fault. If I’ve hurt you by drawing away, I’m really and truly sorry. Maybe friendship just isn’t for us. Maybe my friends AREN’T my power. Or, my power has moved on to a new set of friends.

Still, perhaps we can be acquaintances? Or perhaps I simply need a break to collect my thoughts and think about what this relationship means to me and if I truly need it in my life.

Serendipity

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

High school reunions. It’s when you invite people that attended the same school as you, gather in a huge group and then compare battle scars from what life has thrown at you. Some people are married, others might be successful CEOs of startup companies. And then, of course, you have the people that haven’t achieved much in their lot in life. You compare your successes with their dismal failures and feel good about the direction of where your life has gone.

They’re a fact of life. 

Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, the ten year anniversary for when our grade graduated high school was stuck right in the middle. There was talk about possibly hosting it via Zoom. Those plans fell through due to lack of interest (as they do) and there hasn’t been much rumbling for anything in the near future.

True, our grade got to enjoy a five-year reunion – one that I was not invited to because I had been overlooked. Apparently everyone thought I, Kyndaris, had already been included. The shock on the organiser’s face when I told her that I hadn’t actually been invited, and wasn’t even part of the FaceBook group, was worth the trek to the pub where the event was being held. Perhaps there was some wisdom to listening to my mother. Sometimes.

In any case, that’s a story for another time.

What I wanted to get at was that despite not having a 10 year reunion with all the people I went to high school with, these last two years have seen me bump into them in the wild or have them reaching out because the pandemic has made them realise the importance of human connection.

One person, in particular, has resumed playing badminton after a long hiatus – while also dragging along her girlfriend and a fishing buddy. Another person that reached out to me was someone that had moved into my suburb a few years back but had been busy with the daily grind of waking up, going to work and sleeping to do anything productive in regards to her personal relationships.

Then, of course, I got to visit a friend who had moved out with her boyfriend and had adopted a puppy in lieu of any actual children. Leo: the excited Maltese crossed with a Poodle? I’ll need to confirm again with her.

In that small reunion, I also caught up with a few others that I hadn’t seen in a while. All of them sounded like they had great successful jobs. Honestly, it was hard for me to measure up. For years, I’d worried about getting an ongoing position at my place of employment. In fact, my career path has been riddled with failure. Not withstanding my lacklustre employment, my love life was (and still is) a barren wasteland and there were no grandchildren for my mother to fawn over.

All around me, people were getting married or hooking up with excellent specimens of the opposite sex (or the same if they swung that way), or they had excellent careers that would draw the envy of any around them.

Another classmate, I bumped into whilst taking my daily walk. It was in 2021, right before my city would go into a four month lockdown because of the Delta strain of the COVID-19 virus. She was cycling, I was strolling along the footpath in a warm and sunny winter’s day. After I’d arrived home, she’d messaged me on FaceBook.

I’ve also had reunions with the man that asked me out to the Year 10 Formal. At the time, I accepted it because we had been friends/ acquaintances since our primary years and we lived close to each other that it would be more expedient for us to go together. Apparently, he’d asked me because he might have liked me? I’m still unsure. There hadn’t been any sort of consensus about the whole matter. So, when he tried to touch my lower back in a Year 11 excursion to a theatre in Leichhardt, I’d pulled away – surprised by the sudden affection.

He had dated other girls during the last years of high school and had seemed to be in a steady relationship with a fellow lover of anime back in university. Alas, it seemed, that all good things came to an end and apparently he’s single again.

Ought I to take my shot? Do I even like him? It’s so hard to say. We’ve a shared history and throughout a lot of my childhood, I’d go over to his place, kicking around a soccer ball or playing his PlayStation. Possibly, our relationship will remain forever platonic or somewhat familial – as if he was the brother I never had. Who knows.

But my most recent run-in with a person I knew was on a VIVID boat cruise. VIVID is a light show that brightens up the harbour city of Sydney with colourful lights and contemporary forms of art. None of it actually makes sense to me. I’ve never understood why a canvas painted all in white could sell for millions. Still, who am I to say no to huge red bubbles that cover a wharf or a huge chess set in Darling Harbour? In any case, this ignorant swine apologises for raining on the parade of many a cultured person that does understand contemporary art.

Back to the story at hand, though!

For several minutes, as we were getting comfortable on the, admittedly, cheap and tacky cruise that was filled to the brim with Chinese from all walks of life (because we just can’t say ‘no’ to a bargain. And probably because there were also plenty aboard that needed to use their Discover vouchers), there was a man and his family that looked strangely familiar to me. Were they famous? From where did I know these individuals?

And then recognition struck. Pulling out my phone, I quickly stalked an old classmate on FaceBook. Though I had purged him from my friends list years ago (we were never going to actually talk to each other), I was able to confirm my suspicions.

Mustering what courage I did have, I padded over to the table when most of us had just finished dinner and blurted out the question that had been on the tip of my tongue: “Are you ****?” Lo and behold, I was right.

We chatted for a few minutes during the cruise. I learned he was engaged, the marriage set for 2023. He learned where I worked and that I’m still the frumpy little tomboy that he knew back in primary school. Most likely, his fiance received the shock of her life when his father told everyone at the table that my father had approached him sometime after school due to an altercation between myself and ****. Honestly, I felt bad for ****. It’s not everyday that your fiance learns about your younger years when you could have been the biggest twat.

I mean, we’re all twats as children. I gave as good as I got, whilst also enjoying my imaginary worlds.

So, given my penchant for running into people that I know, is a high school reunion all that necessary? Do I want to be in a room, crammed together with those that I once knew in high school – and who, by all accounts, appear to have gone on to bigger and better things? 

Not really.

Still, these little reunions and catch-ups have also been great ways to reconnect with individuals I haven’t seen in ages. Awkwardness aside, it’s been great to see where people have ended up (even though they might be pulling a bigger salary than what I get or have more renown). And hey, maybe I can impress them with my story-writing and/ or blogs?

Whether or not they ever read any of this is up to debate. But, at the very least, I’ll have mountains of stories to tell as I climb my way up the corporate hierarchy. 

Gotta feed myself somehow, right? After all, a future bestselling author can’t get by with just grit alone. Not unless I had a huge trust fund or won the lottery. Oh, and if I could scrounge up the inner strength to find myself an agent who likes my stories and would want to see them published.

No pressure.

Breaking the Law

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

There are three things that are inevitable. Death, taxes and the fact that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will forever re-use assets in every single game. I doubt there will ever be a time that the main protagonists will never not visit Kamurocho. After all, if the formula isn’t broken, why fix it? Admittedly, the city remains, as ever, dazzling and bright and filled with life. The other places that have featured in the franchise have also proven unique distractions for the enterprising detective or ex-Yakuza.

Released in September 2021, I found myself at a crossroads. There were a thousand releases and even though I had pre-ordered Lost Judgment, Sydney was in a Delta-strain lockdown. After much hewing and hawing, I finally purchased my copy digitally. Even nabbing the complete edition that would net me the Kaito Files downloadable content (DLC).

Knowing that the DLC wouldn’t be available until March 2022, I kept Lost Judgment in my backlog. After all, by then I’d have an extensive guide from CyricZ to lean on for anything that I might need. Baseball placements being a bit too hard? Check his guide. Unsure where to find all the squirrels? Check his guide.

March 2022 came and went before I finally managed to eke out some time between releases to dive back into the world of the Yakuza and Judgment series, and step into the shoes of Takayuki Yagami: lawyer and detective extraordinaire. Honestly, this is what Phoenix Wright hopes he could be.

Lost Judgment begins with the discovery of a body in Ijincho (a place I was intimately familiar with having explored it with Ichiban during Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon). It isn’t long that players learn that the body belongs to a Hiro Mikoshiba: student teacher at Seiryo High School and possible bully to subway pervert Akihiro Ehara’s son.

Though the question of who did the deed is never much in doubt, like with many of the games Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is known for, there’s a hidden conspiracy lurking behind the surface. By digging deeper into how Ehara might have committed the crime, Takayuki uncovers a plot from Public Security to blackmail the Vice Minister of Health into gambling away the pension funds of the public. Honestly, the way the narrative leaps from one plot point to another is astounding. Even when the story beats might not have always landed perfectly, especially tonally, I was still in awe at how RGG managed to weave a story themed around bullying and how it can affect victims.

After my playthrough of Lost Judgment, there was definitely a lot to unpack. Especially the dynamic between Yagami and Kuwana. And while Kuwana’s quest to kill bullies that had driven others to suicide was understandable. Especially for parents seeking closure after their child has taken their own life. I might not have liked how he forced his old students to abet in murder, but I could also understand it. After all, they went unpunished for pushing Mitsuru Kusumoto to the brink. Had it not been for them, perhaps he wouldn’t have jumped from the roof of the school. 

And yet, it’s a hard pill to swallow when these people now have their own lives and families to take care of. True, they might not be the most upstanding of citizens but they also don’t deserve to have the entirety of their lives ruined from a past action when they have since moved on and grown from that encounter.

Still, given the nature of Japanese society, perhaps this was the only way. In many East Asian cultures, discussions around bullying is almost taboo. People are praised for quietly enduring. And that’s not okay. Worse, bullying also feels more extreme than cases in countries such as the United States and Australia.

Yes, children do get bullied in schools in the Western world. Heck, people also get bullied in the workplace. But the instances of bullying never seem to extend to the extent that has been reported in Japan. Forcing someone to eat their own faeces? How does someone get away with that?

There is much to love about the plot in Lost Judgment. Despite that, I definitely enjoyed the story of the first game a lot more. Perhaps because it was a lot more personal to all the characters involved. The personal stakes in Judgment just seemed so much higher. Yagami was tortured by what had happened.

In Lost Judgment, Yagami had already found himself. There was a surety to how he conducted his investigations and he wasn’t as overwhelmed by the trauma of the past. 

Lost Judgment also improves a lot from the previous title and peppers in the main plot with a lot of side activities. Although some might have derided the addition of the School Stories, I felt that they added to the collective narrative around Seiryo High. Plus, I got to play a dancing minigame. And who doesn’t love a dancing minigame? Don’t forget the boxing and robot battles and the motorcycle racing and skateboarding and everything else in-between.

The only thing that I felt was lacking in Lost Judgment was that, once again, there was no karaoke for Yagami. LET HIM SING, YOU COWARDS!

Combat, too, also saw some improvements along with the addition of snake style. Yagami was fast and quick on his feet. While some of the quick-time events during boss battles weren’t explained as coherently as I would have liked, they were still mostly fun rather than frustrating.

As for the Kaito Files DLC, I loved the fact that it managed to pack in such a plot-heavy narrative within just a few short hours. While there’s much to love about the Yakuza and Judgment games, there’s also plenty of needless filler where there are cutscenes that repeat information that was already learned through various other forms of gameplay.

Yes, characters need to talk and they need to remain in-character as they deliver exposition to other characters but there was something charming about Kaito reuniting with the woman he was in love with more than a decade ago. Oh and the conspiracy by her late husband to kill his old friends in order to maintain his pristine reputation. I have truly never seen anyone as slimy as Kyoya Sadamoto. 

In any case, Mikiko and Jun better not disappear to America in the next Judgment instalment. I want to see them interact with Yagami! Especially after one of the main characters has actually found love.

As for the combat in the DLC, Kaito’s fighting style definitely brought back memories of fighting as Kiryu. His tank style was reminiscent of beast. Hurling around mopeds and motorcycles will never not be amusing.

Lost Judgment was definitely a game that had a lot to do. It might not have been crammed with as much side activities as Yakuza 5, but it still managed to provide me with fun distractions that I found enjoyable to invest my time in. Whether that was leading the Seiryo Rabbits to victory or talking to kids to stop them from their delinquent ways.

I suppose my one gripe would be the romance options. Stop trying to tease us with a Mafuyu and Yagami ship (actually, I’m still angry that Mafuyu appeared so little in this title), and trying to feed us with other romance options that don’t seem to care that Yagami has three other girlfriends. And why are they also so young? The only one that seemed age appropriate was the school nurse: Kyoko Hakase. 

On a side note, loved the Solid Snake reference. Cardboard boxes all the time, every time.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

On By kyndaris1 Comment

COVID-19 impacted a lot of things for many people. Trapped inside our homes, unable to venture outside, plans that had been in the making for years needed to be abandoned or modified. In the case of my family that meant a trip over to the African continent and going on a mini-safari to see giraffes, lions and zebras out in the wild. So, in a bid to enjoy an African experience whilst in Australia, my mother booked a stay at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge for the whole family to enjoy.

Though a little shy from what an actual trip overseas might cost, staying at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge is still considerably expensive for most individuals. $1450 a night for couples or $2525 for four adults. But should the price deter you, one should also know it’s a full package deal that includes a light afternoon tea with cute sliders, mini quiches, finger sandwiches and some sweets; along with a three-course meal that includes an exorbitant array of canapes as well as a very filling and delicious breakfast. Then, of course, there’s the entry into the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra and a guided tour either in the morning or in the afternoon (depending on the number of nights or room you might stay). I mean, if I can get to feed a giraffe or get up close and personal with a white lion during my stay, I’d say it’s plenty worth it! 

And having unlimited access to hot chocolates? Where can I pay for it again?

So, our night at Jamala Wildlife Lodge booked, we drove down to Australia’s capital city. For many across the world, it’s a little known place overshadowed by both Sydney and Melbourne. A bit like Ottawa in Canada. 

Among Australians, it’s known for not having much in the way of entertainment beyond a few museums and being the place of governance for the entire nation. Almost everyone has visited Questacon and the War Memorial in their youth, but beyond that, Canberra’s not had much staying power unless one works in government or works in construction.

We arrived at the zoo with a few minutes to spare before afternoon tea. A three hour drive, Google Maps steered us wrong as it thought the Federation Highway was closed and tried to take us down the road less travelled by diverting us to a nearby town where the road was actually closed.

After we arrived, setting down our luggage at the entrance, we enjoyed a light repast before taking a self-guided gander at the animals that were on display. The National Zoo and Aquarium is host to several animals both big and small. From close to the Capuchin Rooms, I was able to spy both the normal lions and the white lions that the zoo had. They were lazing out in the weak winter sun, soaking in the last remnants of warmth they could. 

And though it took me a while to figure out how to leave the uShaka Lodge and enter the zoo proper, I was down with the delightful fish, reptiles and amphibians. Then it was out into the open air with the squirrel monkeys and marmosets. I tried to spot the leopards in their enclosure but I was sure that they had been relocated as workers helped wield the gate inside. Then it was off to the otters that were being fed (and hidden from view by waist-high wall) before I diverted to the sun bear and Sumatran tigers. 

Always eager to snap more and more photos of the animals around me, I checked in with the koalas napping in trees, saw a tree kangaroo up high on its roost and watched a cute flock of penguins swimming around in the water. Then I was off to the shared wallaby and emu walk-through area before I headed in the opposite direction of the Adventure Trail signs, diverting instead to the Tasmania devil enclosure (and saw one loping around in circles). As I went around the right hand-side of the zoo, I was startled by a serval, one of the most regal cats I’ve ever seen before taking in the ruff lemurs that were playing about. 

From there, I tried to spot the cheetahs and African painted dogs but they were nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, I wended my way through the deer and llama walk-in before heading out to see a few dingoes and stumbling upon another cheetah enclosure where they were lazing about near the edge of the enclosure. Elands, rhinos, giraffes, barbary sheep, blackbucks and zebras were all next. There was also a Canadian elk with a mighty array of antlers that I snapped a photo of.

Continuing my journey of real life Pokemon Snap, I got to see ostriches, siamang and as many primates as I wanted. Then, of course, there was an attempt at trying to snap a decent photo of a barking owl but they were having none of it. At the least, the meerkats were cute! If only I knew then that they were the one animal species that killed more of their own than any other. Dominant matriarchal meerkats are probably the worst.

Once my quick tour of the zoo was over, we were shown to our rooms. My family were to say in the Meerkat suite. That meant that we had a small enclosure where a family of four meerkats would run around and explore the burrows that had been created for them. And I could watch them and snap closer personal shots. Others might have been satisfied to have a lion or tiger lounge up close and personal, but I feel like taking the Meerkat suite was the right call. Either that or the Reef Room where one could share one side of their bedroom with fish. 

At dinner, all of those that had chosen to stay at the Jungle Bungalows or at the uShaka lodge were able to observe the hyenas curiously looking on at us human bystanders as they became more active past nightfall. We were also treated to the sight of two white lion siblings chowing down on scraps of meat as we we made our way through a decent helping of canapes. But it was only when I was enjoying dinner and dessert that I realised that I had become the very thing I hated: a person that takes photos of their food.

To be fair, I had felt compelled to do so to show my work colleagues that I was messaging. But for absolute years I had refused to take photos of my food because I didn’t want to emulate the influencers on Instagram that seemed only to ever take photos of their food. I even rolled my eyes at my own mother for snapping shots of whatever breakfast she had.

IS IT BECAUSE I’M ALMOST THIRTY? OR IS IT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WANT TO IMPRESS PEOPLE WITH THE FOOD I ATE? WHEN DID I SUDDENLY WANT TO SNAP A PHOTOGRAPH OF SOME DISH TO REMEMBER FOR POSTERITY?!

Internet culture has ruined me…

The next day saw a guided tour through the zoo, as well as a very generous portion for breakfast. Although I revisited many of the enclosures that I saw the day before, I had Ben and Bella providing narration and interesting anecdotes of animal facts and stories about territorial black swans. With the zookeepers leading the way, I also got to feed llama and deer alike with carrots, the elands with some lettuce leaves and ALMOST ALMOST ALMOST got to touch a rhinoceros before he backed away. At least I was able to get pretty close and personal to it.

With the guided tour over, it was time to head back home to Sydney.

Alas, my mother had other plans and we stayed the night in Goulburn. On the bright side, the place we were staying in had Amazon Prime (without the need for me to sign into the account) and I managed to watch copious amounts of The Legend of Vox Machina.

Still didn’t finish it but yay for actually sneaking in a good three quarters of the episodes?

Look at my cute widdle boy, asleep because it’s daytime.

Laughing Queen

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

In school, I was the quiet one. With my head down, I wasn’t really one to draw anyone’s eye. Nor did I see the point of being popular. I suppose you could say that I was more a wallflower than anything else. Even among the circle of friends at high school, I was somewhat on the periphery. My interests were always a little niche. It’s not every little girl that likes to pretend play Neopets or Zoids or Dragonball Z and gallop around the playground. And in high school, I suddenly found interacting with the boys that were my own age just wasn’t as fun as it used to be.

So, it’s been a little strange that as I’ve entered the workplace, I’ve seemed to adopt the persona of a ‘social butterfly.’ I say this with quote marks because I don’t really consider myself a social butterfly. Rather, I’m curious about the lives of those around me and want to foster a sense of camaraderie that seems lost now that my life is on such a different trajectory than those I might have considered close friends in the past.

In fact, I’ve become such a ‘social butterfly’ that I’ve basically become the office clown – joking around with my work colleagues or deadpanning with perfect timing about something deprecating because my humour seems to skew towards the black. It’s made me wonder if maybe I should take up stand-up comedy. 

Would I be any good? I certainly make people laugh in the office and sometimes through my blog. I’ve had friends or workmates send me sentences I’ve written followed by the laughing emoji face. That means they think it’s funny…right? RIGHT?!

Honestly, one of these days, I need to get past my fear that everyone around me thinks I’m nothing special and secretly hates me. What happened to the debonair child that didn’t care what others thought and who marched to the beat of her own drum?

She’s gone. Crushed by the weight of anxiety and depression and the impending destruction of the planet. 

That aside, I don’t feel like I’d make a good stand-up comedian. First of all, I’d need good material. The only things that immediately spring to mind would be talking about my experiences and probably leveraging the racist angle. But that’s not always everyone’s cup of tea. My worldly experiences are quite limited. And my jokes aren’t truly jokes but observations said in a funny way because I haven’t thought too hard on how I should phrase things. Sometimes it’s just me perpetuating a stereotype that I’ve adopted. For example, heightening my stalker tendencies by reciting whole addresses or birthdays. 

Other times it’s me just remarking on the stark nature of our reality and dropping truth bombs. And in these times of great distress, if we don’t laugh, we’re crying. So, why not laugh to bleed out the tension?

Maybe one of these days I should actually attend a comedy act. Get a feel of what it means to stand in front of a crowd of people and simply lay out the tragedy of our lives to them. It’s said that the best comedians are the saddest and loneliest people on the planet. So, yes. Perhaps I’ll play up the misery that came from attending a competitive high school or use the intergenerational trauma that has trailed me for years as fodder.

Life is full of ups and downs. Rainbows, sunshine and roses might be how the optimists of the world like to see their lived experiences but it’s the realists and (more importantly) the pessimists that bring out the laughs when the glass is half-empty.

So, should I pursue a career in comedy?

Maybe. 

But probably after I’ve tried out proper gainful employment, make a living as a YouTube/ Twitch star and then falling back on becoming the next viral TikToker. For a Millennial that’s about to hit the big 3 0, it’s the only viable pathway to success. My suffering shall be the fuel that lights the fire the world over! And when I tell you all to LAUGH, YOU WILL OBEY!

This is Kyndaris, signing out.

*cue uproarious applause*

Snake Oil Rat Race

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

In days of yore, there was an expectation that one attended school, graduated, perhaps went to university, and then found a job that they’d stay in until retirement. This was the lie that I grew up on. When a job didn’t eventuate after I worked my butt off for a degree, I felt cast adrift. For so long during my formative years, life had been clearly defined with achievable goals at every corner. There wasn’t a need to think about the realities of what it actually meant to start a career. 

I’d do my nine-to-five, go home, sleep and repeat it the next day.

And yet, these indisputable laws of nature only came into being during the late 19th and early 20th century. Before the industrial era, who knows if I would have attended school, let alone graduate university. I’d have probably worked on a farm. If I was lucky, I might have been born into a merchant family.

If my life were a video game that I could restart, I’d probably have forced myself to find a job back in my teenage years. Yes, attending a selective high school had its own challenges with the unhealthy competitiveness between students, but I have to wonder what all that focus on studies has brought me. Looking back, I regret not having much in extracurricular activity beyond additional study. Perhaps that’s why I’m still such a nervous wreck when it comes to meeting new people, preferring a life of isolation. Perhaps it’s the reason why I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much. Or, maybe it’s the reason I can’t help but compare myself to others to feed my fragile ego and self-esteem that were long ago ripped to shreds when others were praised for their high marks and I was left wanting.

There is so much that school should teach us. Oft times, I reflect on our subjects and wish school could have prepared us more for the real world with entire terms dedicated to using Microsoft Excel, understanding superannuation and how to perform well during job interviews. Actually, scratch that. I wish I could have been taught the best way to write a job resume and cover letter. School never taught me how to spin my lacklustre traits and responsibilities into something exciting. 

I’d have also liked to know, before I spent three years at university, that a degree doesn’t guarantee one a secure and stable job. Rather, a degree coupled with genuine work experience (perhaps in a McDonalds or Uniqlo or any other kind of casual job) would be much more beneficial at snagging oneself an entry-level job position.

Speaking of which, why do entry-level jobs seem to have such steep requirements? Right after graduating from university, that was one of the things that put me off the hunt. As I searched for a job that was compatible with the skills I had, I was always intimidated by the fact that I wouldn’t be good enough. After all, with most job applications, it’s all about spinning what you’ve experienced and encountered into the workplace into something that would make you a desirable candidate.

Seeing my struggle, I suppose I was lucky that my mother threw me a bone by having her friend take me. It wasn’t the job that I wanted but at the very least, I was given a place where I could grow my skills and it would look mildly impressive on a resume.

After a year, I resigned because I couldn’t deal with the fact that the job might be my entire life. Besides, I also didn’t like the idea that I would be forever beholden to my mum and her friend for getting my career off the ground. It might have been pride, and yet I wanted a job that I had gotten by myself. So began my hunt.

To be honest, it wasn’t easy. I applied for anything and everything that I thought I was most suited for. I searched for private and public job positions. Sometimes I’d score an interview (and immediately flub it because I simply am not good at selling myself) and stay up half the night, gut churning, about the prospect of talking about why I deserve to have the job.

Over the years, I’ve come to realise that writing a cover letter is basically like writing an English essay. Except rather than an analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it’s an essay about why you would be the ideal candidate. There’s an introduction where you rattle off your interest and a few skills. There’s the main body where you list examples and relate it back to whatever criteria the job has set out. Finally, there’s the conclusion where you basically beg your prospective employer for the job. Oh, and thank them for considering you as a possible employee.

It doesn’t even matter if you already have the skills. Job hunting, and by extension job interviews, are all about marketing. 

And while I might enjoy writing blogs on the internet and stories, it doesn’t always translate well into actual job applications. I can count on my hands the number of times I’ve been successful. In fact, for years, I’d resigned myself to being rejected over and over and over again. Scoring an actual interview filled me with even more dread than I cared to admit. 

When you do get picked for an interview though, it also pays to think of them like English essays as well. Don’t memorise an essay. Instead, pick choice examples, or quotes from the play that you’re studying, and insert them into the essay that is your life. Better yet, imagine the examples as stories that you’re telling your friends. And always be on the lookout for better stories that you can embellish lightly and make fit into whatever question HR throws your way. 

If you struggle with public speaking, practice!

I’m sure this is all advice people have already heard or read but it does pay to sometimes stare at yourself in the mirror and practice rattling off work examples where you’ve clearly demonstrated whatever obscure skill that the job description has advertised. The other tricks involve asking for a glass of water (or preparing it beforehand if it’s through Zoom) and taking a sip to give oneself time to think.

Honestly, the only part of a job application I prefer is doing a written assessment or a general ability quiz. Then, it’s a real test of one’s capabilities rather than a matter of selling oneself to the highest bidder.

Long story short, while employers are always looking for the best candidate for the job, the means that they go about assessing that doesn’t always exemplify a person’s ability. Just like exams, which are really a practice of rote memorisation, there’s no real test of the knowledge and skills of the individual. 

Still, if you want a job, it’s time to brush off that silver tongue that you’ve kept hidden and begin to sell, sell, sell.