Gaming Goals for the Year 2008.

This has been a fine year in gaming- but looking forward to 2008, the prospects seem very promising. After all, a lot of fine games are coming out, and I’ve seriously channeled my interest in video games into this whole blogging thing to keep track of what I want for myself and what’s going on out there.

The ultimate goal really, is to be able to play more games- which means a dedicated effort to not just increase my weekly allotted game time, but to also maximize said game time. It also means a steady supply of games- sure I’d buy some every month, but it would be great to get some free from time to time. Gotta work on that.

My current PC still seems good enough to play the more requirement-heavy games out in the market right now, so I probably don’t have to worry about it until next year- which means I can probably divert my attention to getting myself a new console.
And the gaming console on my wishlist is the Xbox360. Nothing against the PS3 or the Wii, but I think I’m really more of an Xbox person. Besides, I already have my eye on some great games for this year. Check it:

• Fallout 3 (due out last quarter of 200
• Grand Theft Auto IV (due out second quarter of 200
• Bully: Scholarship Edition (due out March 200
• Dynasty Warriors 6 (due out February 200
• and Return to Castle Wolfenstein

On top of those games, I should also secure the following titles once I get my 360: Gears of War, Halo 3, Mass Effect, Chromehounds, Viva Pinata and Call of Duty 4.

As for handhelds, I have to get myself a Nintendo DS first- I heard it has some real cool games, and it’s great as far as handhelds go. Second priority would be a Sony PSP- or that PSP Slim- that thing you can plug into a TV.

Most of my efforts will still be directed towards getting new games for my PC. What am I setting my sights on for 2008?

• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich-king (out later this year)
• Galactic Civilizations 2: Twilight of the Arnor (out April 200
• Jagged Alliance 3 (out first quarter 200
• Guild Wars 2 (out mid-200

At this point, I still have to get me The Orange Box, The Elder Scrolls IV Expansion Packs (The Shivering Isle and Knights of the Nine) and The Witcher.

See? Got it all pretty much figured out. Now all I have to do is work doubly hard and make things happen for myself. Check you guys out in a few months.

Cheers!

Building Your Online Authority Through Your Blogs.

The following post originally came out in one of my other blogs, “Blog. Blogger. Bloggest!”. Check out the rest of that blog for more insights on the world of blogs and blogging. Particularly useful for you who are just starting to blog, and those wanting to build better blogs. Enjoy!

Even as I write this blog on blogging, I know I’m hardly an authority on the topic, knowing that there are so many others who have come before me- bloggers, and various other blogs about building a better blog.

The beauty of blogging, however, is that everything you write about is all about you and your experiences. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, I might actually just turn out to be a blogging guru of sorts. Or some authority figure in some other way.

In fact, when blogging, you should never be afraid of what people think, or if what you write about is right or wrong. Of course we all try to get our facts straight as much as possible, but beyond that, it’s the whole “human” side of blogging that makes it so appealing. It doesn’t get any more personal than that.

Authority is something given to you by your readers. I’ve known some not-so-heavy hitters literally become online superstars, and conversely, some real-life bigshots who are virtually unknown by the denizens of the blogosphere. You can be a complete unknown in a certain field- but as long as you’re honest about what you post, and write from your experiences and opinions, and get people to read about you- it’s really all you need.

For example- I’m not exactly a food critic by profession- I don’t have a magazine column or a lifestyle section with my name on it on a newspaper. But I do have a genuine love for food (hence the girth), an appreciation for quaint, cozy hangouts, and I’m sure there are people out there who either would:

• a) like to read about food and quaint, cozy hangouts or
• b) like to share their thoughts about their own experiences on food and quaint, cozy hangouts.

In any case, it’s a very viable target market. I don’t have to be an authority figure just yet, but eventually, as I fill up my blog with more reviews on food, and stories of other cozy places, and links to other good reads, then perhaps more people will come read what I have going on, and keep coming back for more.

When that time comes, when people actually keep coming back to your blog to read about what you think about things, and when they bother to leave a comment, or interact with you in some way, then in a way, they have given their vote to you. They have given you some authority by simply patronizing your site.

So what’s the plan? If I want to be recognized as a food critic, or at least one who recommends good food and quaint, cozy spots- then I’d better get down to writing about things along those lines.

Which is exactly what I’m doing now, as I’m taking bites out of this huge meatball sandwich I’m enjoying right now at this lovely little Italian deli/pizzeria called Fratelli’s. My review of the place actually comes up in a separate blog entry elsewhere.

Keep blogging now, and authority comes later from your readers and regulars. Regardless of your stature in the real world, your online authority depends on the amount of work you put into your blog.

Personally, I’d tell you to build up both. Both online and offline authority. It’s a great exercise in building and marketing the brand that is you.

Renzie in LA. 20 Dec 2007: Pasalubong, Etc.

I flew to Los Angeles to meet up with my family for the holidays.  The following is part of a series of entries that I’ve blogged about during my trip.

For my visit to LA, I thought it would be a nice gesture to bring everyone some gifts from home- little things to remind them of the Philippines, of their childhood, and of home.
Because of safety regulations, we can’t bring just anything; bottled goods (like gourmet sardines, or coconut jam, etc) are totally out of the picture.  So are goods not packed very well.

In fact, your best bet, really is a pack of dried mango chips; if it ain’t packed like that, then it’s likely it wouldn’t make it past customs.  So I ended up bringing a whole lot of junk food.

• For my sister: I brought all kinds of snack foods she had as a kid, 15 years ago- chippy, chiz curls, pretzels, mallows, clover chips and tortillos.  I also brought her episodes of Heroes and Justice League Unlimited.
• For mom, I brought some of her childhood favorites: prima buttered toast, peanut cake, and a whole lot of old-school pinoy komiks.
• For dad, I brought some pinoy Christmas songs- some really old, classic stuff, along with a lot of dried mango chips and a nice barong tagalog.  I really would’ve wanted to bring him some san miguel pale pilsen, and some lapids chicharon, but I don’t think those things would get through.

Needless to say, they pretty much enjoyed it.  Which means I’ll be building up another care package for them soon enough.

Here’s something you might want to consider though: certain communities in the US (or pretty much anywhere else for that matter), have access to a lot of pinoy goods you would probably think,they wouldn’t have.

Take for example my folks’ neighborhood in Eagle Rock, CA- they have a mall (Macy’s, in fact) which has quite a bit of pinoy stuff- Jollibee, Chowking, Goldilocks, Bench, and a few other pinoy-oriented establishments.  Also within the neighborhood I’ve seen a Red Ribbon, a store that sells hot pan de sal, and a store that has all kinds of seafood, including tuyo (dried fish), tinapa (smoked fish), bagoong (shrimp paste) and other pinoy stuff.  Heck, mom even knows where to get balut and stuff.

So here’s the thing: If you want to bring (or send over) pasalubong for family and friends in the US, my advice, is to at least ask them for what they miss the most, and what exactly they can’t get from where they are.  The last thing you want to do, really, is bring packs of cashew nuts, only to find out they got tubs of that stuff in their shelves.

This is part Two of ten in the continuing coverage of my trip to the United States.  More to follow.  Part Three up ahead.  Cheers!

Renzie in LA. 19 Dec 2007: The Arrival.

I flew to Los Angeles to meet up with my family for the holidays.  The following is part of a series of entries that I’ve blogged about during my trip.  

Just flew in from Manila (via Narita, Japan) this morning. We touched down at LAX just nicely a little past 7AM. So here I am now, for the very first time, in Los Angeles.

In reality, it’s still pretty much late evening for me; while I may have left home (in Manila) at about 4am, my unadjusted timepiece says it’s 11pm-ish. Which suggests that, my trans-Pacific trip- including actual flight time, lining up at various queues in Manila, Narita and Los Angeles- has taken just about the whole day for me.

Had to adjust my watch one hour ahead at Narita, and another seven hours ahead at Los Angeles. I decided to keep the time on my mobile phone and laptop as is so I can pretty much keep track of time back in the Philippines.

My trip to LA this time (the very first time, in fact), however short, hopes to accomplish several things:

1. Probably most importantly, I’m here to spend time with Dad. He’s been diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer, which has unfortunately metastasised into his kidney, lower spine and other internal organs. Realistically he’s not going to last long, so we’re here to take care of him the best way we can. Pretty much keep him as pain-free as possible, spend time, hang out, stuff like that.
2. I haven’t seen my parents and my sister in 15 years. Naturally this is a great time to do some bonding, get to know them some more, basically renew family ties.
3. Consider the opportunities should we decide to move here. Gotta admit, by a long stretch, this place has got a lot over the Philippines. I’m here to consider options for settling down here, as well as options for business and employment.
4. Given number 3, my goal is to prepare myself for an eventual move to the US. Specifically, in my case, it means losing weight, picking up handy skills, and building my online empire.
5. On a lighter note, I’d like to get my hands on whatever Justice League Unlimited/ The Batman action figures we have available here, which is not available back at home.
6. Another quirky side-quest: try out local LA fare, but also have the chance to try out fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC, only to compare em with the stuff back home.

So pretty much it seems I got it all mapped out. Mom has set me up in a nice room at home, and Resa has hooked me up with some cold-weather clothes. I just finished handing out their care packages and little gifts from home. More coming up in the morning, after I catch up on some sleep.

This is part One of ten in the continuing coverage of my trip to the United States.  More to follow.  Part Two up ahead.  Cheers! 

Trinoma, Yehey.com and The Hundred Hungry Bloggers.

The following post originally came out in one of my other blogs, “Blog. Blogger. Bloggest!”. Check out the rest of that blog for more insights on the world of blogs and blogging. Particularly useful for you who are just starting to blog, and those wanting to build better blogs. Enjoy!

Renzie’s Note: The TriNoma Bloggers’ Food Tour finally pushed through on 09 January 2008. One-hundred fifty bloggers were invited- and with an invitation to eat the best TriNoma has to offer + win some prizes- how could you say ‘no’ to that, huh?

Read up on my blow-by-blow coverage starting here. You can also check out Food Tour pics here on my Multiply, and read another of my write-ups here.

Cheers!
——————————-

The Trinoma Food Tour kicks off in a couple of days, and already the local blogosphere is abuzz with promises of real-life networking coupled with feats of rampant and wanton gluttony.

OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating.

But Yehey.com did make the announcement last week, and one hundred brave bloggers answered the call- already licking their chops, readying their gear and doing some preliminary networking with the others.

The destination: TriNoma- that swank new mall at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue. To be completely honest, I’ve never been there myself, and I suppose this Food Tour would be the perfect opportunity for me to check it out.

Are You On The List?

The Food Tour happens on Thursday, 13 December, at 2-ish in the afternoon. As you would probably expect, the invitations were snapped up like hotcakes, as bloggers were required to register beforehand with Yehey.com.

Special thanks to Ms. Noemi for giving me an early heads-up- I think I was the 45th person to have made it on the list. If for some reason you’ve submitted your details to Yehey, but haven’t been contacted yet, it’s probably worth your while to check if you’re on it. Have a quick look the list The Hundred Hungry Bloggers here, or maybe you can give Yehey! a quick call, just to make sure.

I’ve actually been in touch with a few who have submitted their details but haven’t received their confirmation emails yet. But that was a few days ago, and I’m sure Yehey has been able to straighten things out by now.

What’s The Plan, Stan?

Quite an ambitious feat, I would imagine, for Yehey to keep the bloggers organized for the duration of the event. Check out Trinoma’s participating restos<