The Magnificent Tuti

There's an old internet adage about cats choosing their humans.

The lives of street cats in Manila aren't long, and they certainly aren't pleasant ones. The city can be a dark, terrible, empty, wet place filled with people who only yearn for fancier breeds much like they yearn for designer goods and whatnot.

The first time we met you, my girlfriend fed you outside the apartment, much to my disdain. This became an increasingly frequent occurrence, despite the fact that we sometimes saw you being fed and cuddled by neighbors outside (much to our bewildered amusement). Slowly but inevitably, however, you wormed your way into our hearts.

We rescued you, perhaps in the nick of time, after you were abandoned and wounded and most likely left to die like many of your kind. I personally nursed you back from the brink. That month when you went from a skeleton to a ball of fur will forever be a warm memory that perhaps proves I'm capable of doing some good in this world. That month when it was just you and me started a bond distinct to us both.

Who knew you'd grow into a bundle of eccentric joy?

Cats certainly have unique personalities - something one would know if they've been around them for long enough. You were lazy, but had frequent bursts of energy. You were patient, always silently waiting for your bowl to be filled behind all of your other companions. You loved cheek scratches, and had this weird glitch where you'd lick the air whenever your lower back was rubbed. You were snippy at times, but almost seemed like you wanted to be paraded around while being carried like a baby. You blepped when you were idle and it was the most adorable thing.

These are moments I will miss.

Sadly, it was never really meant to last. FIV is a real bitch. I guess it was inevitable, but we never thought it would happen in these trying times. We were fighting incredible odds. I hope you felt comfort and love and contentment in the short time you spent with us.

Like the first time we truly bonded, it was once again just the two of us in a small room with me holding you in my arms. That final hour we spent will stay with me for a very long time - with me comforting you and telling you it was okay, that you were always a fighter, that I was there and won't leave you again. You certainly didn't need my permission to cross over, but it felt like you did.

Maybe that's the toughest, most painful part. To have someone I cared for pass in my arms. I felt your last breath. I felt you let go. I don't think I've ever broken down like that. It is a small mercy that you waited for me despite the suffering. In your last moments, you still managed to capture my heart.

I don't think I'll ever know if pets are sentient like humans are. Yesterday will always be a point for that argument, at least for me.

"Hinintay ka na lang nya."

I heard that phrase a lot yesterday. It wasn't the first time I did, but it was the first time I felt how powerful those words can be. 

Your passing made me feel a raw, scorching pain I've never felt before, and I dread that I will inevitably feel that pain again as the years go by. Right now, the mark you left feels painful - an abrupt void that will take time to heal. Only time will tell how indelible that mark will be.

Right now though, it feels like a space was left empty and cold in my heart.

On Trainwrecks, Gratitude and the (Shitty) Year That Was

First photo of my 2020 camera roll. Hang in there, buddy.

Saying this year has been difficult is an understatement of epic proportions.

Just one blow after another, not counting those that we’ve all been experiencing for the past how-many-months-now. Unemployment at the start of the year, followed by over nine months of doubt, fear and all the crap that comes with it amplified by our current situation. Frequent night terrors, and maybe a bit of depression mixed in. The occasional bout with sleep paralysis - something I thought I’d never experience for myself. A million other annoying or sad or miserable things that lived rent free in my head for years, long suppressed and only resurfacing in the midst of all this chaos.

Lastly, the ongoing collective experience of the vast majority of the human race right now: being stranded in a terrible and seemingly unending nightmare with seemingly a very distant end in sight.

Absolutely exhausting, to be honest.

And somehow, I’m still one of the fortunate ones. Maybe that’s an understatement too. My struggles pale in comparison to innumerable others who have lost so, so much more than what I could possible imagine.

There’s a lot of things I’ve taken for granted over the years. If there’s anything good to come out of this pandemic, it’s that a lot of excesses and useless things have also been stripped from us. The grueling daily commute, the things that fed our materialism and vices, the huge reduction of passive acquaintances. In exchange, we’ve been given time - a LOT of time - to pursue hobbies, to have meaningful conversations and to nurture all the things that matter to us on a personal level. We’ve been given time to reflect on our lives and hopefully get an idea of what we truly deem valuable in life.

In a way, most of us have been given a chance to regain a bit of our humanity back. Enough, for me at least, to realize what I’m truly thankful for not just this year but for the past decade or so of my life.

A precious, beautiful, patient gem of a girlfriend who has done nothing but wonderful things throughout what might be the darkest period of my life so far. A loving (and sometimes annoying) family who often made an effort to check up on me, even if I chose to keep a lot of my personal troubles out of sight. The weirdest, most diverse (separate) groups of friends who have provided me with meaningful conversation (and even more trash talk) and kept me sane, grounded and engaged in what few hobbies I still have.

And a higher power who I hope still has plans for an exhausted trainwreck like me.

I wonder how selfish I really am, because I’m often only the most thankful when I’m somehow saved from being knee-deep in shitty situations. In any case, I'm thankful that I'm mostly unscathed and still relatively well.

Sometimes, we need to take what small victories we can. Low-hanging fruit and all that.

So yeah, what a shitshow dumpster fire of a year. Hopefully we’re nearing the end of this tunnel.

Later!

Japan 2017 - Sushi Dai

There are good things, there are great things, and then there are things that belong to a class of their own.

Food is no exception. There's just food that transcends the medium from nourishment to that of an art. Hong Kong showed it with Kau Kee's curry beef brisket noodles and Yat Lok's roast goose.

We've been looking forward to similar experiences since.

Tsukiji's Sushi Dai has been a must-visit on our mental list for a very long time. Chalk it up to documentaries like Jiro Dreams of Sushi (which we can probably never justify spending a good chunk of one's monthly salary on).

Anyway, we arrived in Osaka the night before, and took the shinkansen to Tokyo to meet our friends. They were flat out from travelling, but my girlfriend and I decided that we would power through the heavy rain and stick to the plan by heading for Tsukiji Market at three in the morning for sushi.

Was it worth the (three-hour) wait in the cold? Maybe. I can't really tell in hindsight. It is, however, the best sushi I've ever had by light-years.

I guess there's a lot of weird expectations our generation has about Japan. We grew up absorbing its cultural exports, and in a strange way we've probably subconsciously romanticized the idea that it's our foster country of sorts. Sushi, I suppose, was thus a fitting proper start to a nine-day adventure - and we knew we had to have it from the source.

Chutoro (Fatty Tuna)

Tai (Sea Bream)

Hotate (Scallop)

Akami (Lean Tuna)

Maki

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper)

Taichiuo (Cutlass  Fish)

Ikura (Salmon Roe)

Sanma (Saury)

Bonus Piece: Chutoro (again), because this costs a lot in Manila.

Sushi Dai
Address: 5 Chome-2-1 Tsukiji, 中央区 Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
Damage: Omakase Menu | JPY 4,000 (PHP 2,0000 | USD 39 | AUD 51)

Notes
Eat with your hands. Do as the locals do. The chef is a friendly fellow and, to our surprise, it seems that he has met his fair share of Filipinos as well.

Queue up early. If we had to do it again, we'd probably be there by 2:30am. Tsukiji is an interesting place. Bring snacks, if you need that energy boost.

Sushi Daiwa, which is literally next door, is run by the same family. Their queue is much shorter, but I'd still recommend getting there early.

King of Challenge Event: Hell Mode

The first integrated challenge missions in Gumballs & Dungeons have just been released. The aim is to beat three different dungeons without using any soul-links.

Yep, solo runs!

The first two are fairly easy, with the Three-Eyed King and his faithful hound being able to steamroll both the Adventurer's Forest F40 and Hero's Village F70 with impunity.

The last mission - to reach Lost Temple F100 - requires a bit more legwork.

Okay, a lot more legwork.

The Dungeon
Lost Temple is an elemental-filled dungeon, the most dangerous being the Earth elemental with its Reflect ability. These creatures provide crystals when slain, which in turn power the dungeon's main gimmick - the Elemental Altar.

The Team
There is no team. Literally.

To be eligible for the prizes, Soul-Links were restricted. There are probably better choices for a solo run, but I went with Sorcerer (Main) anyway. The ability Quantum Mechanics provides the cat Azrael - a pet that grows stronger every time it is killed and revived for a minimal amount of EP. Sorcerer also transcribes Blind scrolls every other floor, which turned out to be surprisingly valuable in the last twenty floors.

Equipment
Bring the Necklace of Legendary Mage +6. I didn't know what to choose for the potion, so I took Cabala which provides some power and a small chance to double a spell's damage.

Strategy
There are no other title paths apart from the Magic tree, so upgrades are very straightforward:
Magic Apprentice (3*), Black Robe Mage (3*), Conjuror (3*), Earth Master (3*), Legendary Mage (MAX).

Keeping Azrael alive is key, as his main purpose in the lower floors is to take out enemies and help save up as many scrolls as possible. In the later floors, he acts as a damage sponge.

Prioritization is key in completing the challenge. EP expenditure must be prioritized in this order: spell scrolls, 100 EP reserve for reviving Azrael, title upgrades. Always take stat boosts by offering same-color crystals at the Elemental Altar.

On the other hand, enemies must be beaten according to this priority: Rock Golem (ranged attacks), Water (healing), and then everything else.

The boss is (thankfully) lackluster, as it only attacks every three rounds without doing much else. Switch between Electrostatic Fields, Disrupting Rays and Icicles as needed, while keeping Stoneskin and Ice Armor up to mitigate damage rounds.

Blind and Curse will help defeat enemies in the later stages, so make sure that every spell is bought out when shops are spawned. Spellbooks (especially Air) are very handy - keep these equipped because free spells are always good and every single bit helps. I ran out of mana and scrolls at F100, with the last Lightning Bolt barely managing to kill the boss.

Pros
I don't think there are any pros, apart from the satisfaction of finishing the challenge with a terrible gumball.

Cons
Sorcerer is probably one of the worst gumballs, second only to Prince. Multiply that with a solo run and it's a recipe for disaster.

Final Thoughts
Use High Priest instead.

Au Revoir, Hyper

Death is the greatest looming spectre that haunts every single one of us.

Cold, scared, alone - I lose sleep thinking that death must be the one true personal experience. Maybe that's why we as a race have grown to become social creatures, and we value any form of companionship that we can get.

And with life comes the pain of loss.

We tend to outlive the pets we take in - and it is because of this that we are reminded of the pain of loss again and again and again over the years.

Maybe it's our way of numbing ourselves to the inevitable.

Animal companions give so much and ask for so little in return. Food, water, shelter - and maybe a little time to pull us away from a world that is hell-bent in consuming us. We think we're doing them a favor, when often the truth is that they're trying to help take our eyes away from an uncaring world, if only for the briefest of moments.

All you asked for is a bit of time. And I could not be there to provide company in your last moments.

I'm sorry buddy.

In our hubris, we failed you.

I failed you.

You did not deserve to go like this, and we do not deserve you.

If you can still find it in your pure little heart to forgive, someday I'll wait for you at the rainbow bridge.

Yes. You were a good boy.

Bring Down The Sky: The Busy Person's Guide to Erathia

I have a love-hate relationship with mechanical maps in Gumballs & Dungeons, which happen to be the majority of the latest maps released in the game. On one hand, they're great because they're just steeped with content. On the other, progress takes a ridiculous amount of effort to set up - and runs take a few hours at a minimum to complete.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, to be honest. It just doesn't work for folks who are otherwise preoccupied with stuff from the dreaded real world. 

This guide provides details for the build I used to complete 80dp for Erathia. I intend to raid the map for the Raptor frags, because ain't nobody got time for that.

The Dungeon
Erathia is a mechanical dungeon. Like City of Steam, Spaceship Ruins and Avalon Fortress, your progress is heavily dependent on completing a Manual -  an inventory item that several upgrades that grants bonuses and skills to help beat the map.

This is extremely important as all enemies in Erathia offer some sort of resistance, as well as sport some nasty abilities like the dreaded Reflect Damage. No pet shenanigans here!

Please note that this guide will not provide steps to complete the dp quests. There's already an excellent guide for that, so check it out.

The Team
Future Cat (Main) is arguably one of the most powerful gumballs that exists - and it's free! Its ability is the Dimension Bag, a piece of equipment that generates an assortment of items which are very helpful for deep dungeon runs. From stat boosters, to consumable Timestills, to theft items and free wicks, this homage to Doraemon is always a top pick for lengthy runs. The cherry on the cake? The Manual starts with Dashboard Structure Principle at max level when Future Cat is selected as Main, providing players with 6% HP regen right out of the gate!

Gang Cadre (Soul-Link 1) sports the ability Blackmail. The bane of all shopkeepers in the Gumball universe, he has the ability to rob shops blind for any items in their inventory - and then some! Erathia's Manual requires a ton of components to upgrade, and any wise player will be glad that this gangster is on their side.

Lastly, we have the good ol' Allfather himself, Odin (Soul-Link 2). Eternal is useful as ever, providing a whopping 40% bonus to all spells cast.

Equipment
Erathia literally provides all the equipment a player will need to kick ass. The Dimension Bag takes the Treasure slot while sharing it with the Harp of the Adventurer +6 for those sweet EP discounts.

Cactus Juice will help manage reflect damage until the appropriate Manual upgrade is found.

Strategy
Titles needs to be built up in this order: Treasure Seeker (1*), Explorer (1*),  Night Walker (1*), Magic Bandit (3*) and Farplane Ranger (0*). This provides maximum EP cost reduction as early as possible.

The next focus is survivability. Take Novice Warrior (3*), Knight (3*) which provides a hefty HP bonus for that sweet regeneration ability from the Steam Power Belt.

Next, take Magic Apprentice (3*), Black Mage (3*), Conjurer (1*), Earth Master (3*), Planar Prophet (MAX). Afterwards, work on the Heavy Armor Knight upgrade path for even more survivability, while saving the Light Paladin heal for dire circumstances.

You can choose where you spend EP afterwards. Just remember that there seems to be a conflict between the final Melee levels of the Dragon and Mech titles, so try to pick one over the other in the rare chance that you get them both.

For Manual upgrades, you can improve the four paths simultaneously, with the only common resource between them being Ancient Elements.

For Metallurgy, build the belt first for the regeneration ability. Build the helmet and maximize Burnishing and Polishing of Lens for bonus upgrade fragments throughout the run. Build the rest of the equipment set, and try to upgrade the tree as follows:

Precise Clockwork Spring Manufacturing (blocks counterattacks)
Aufbau Principle of Screw Conveyor (decrease ranged damage)
High Alloy Smelting (provides defense)
HP Upgrades
Attack Upgrades
Center Upgrades

For Electrical Science, it is important to build the equipment set as early as possible to take advantage of the free spell scroll every floor. For upgrades, try the following order to maximize those Portals of Earth:

Electromagnetic Deflection Technology (+dodge)
Magnetic Field Generator (boosts aid spells)
High-Voltage Shock Device (boosts damage spells)
Transistor Manufacturing and Maintenance (boosts healing spells)
Center Upgrades
Everything Else

I don't bother much with the Aeronautics tree - my airship is good enough to not need any upgrades and I just upgrade the tree when I have a ton of components available. If ship upgrades are needed, try to focus on the stats portion of the tree. If you're trying to complete the hidden airship sidequest, try to upgrade the lower right portion of the tree, which increases the drop chance of satellite fragments when they're shot down by your airship.

The Ancient Technology tree is perhaps the most interesting section of the Manual - and it's what sets Erathia apart from the other dungeons. It is very important to note that there are more options for upgrades than there are slots, so choose carefully. Some upgrades focus on combat while others focus on support (like increasing engineering component drops), so it's a matter of preference for the player.

Erathia's boss isn't too difficult, even while doing the 'no Manual upgrades until F50' and 'no destroyed satellite' subquests. I find that an effective strategy is to buff with Electrostatic Field, throw in a Disrupting Ray at higher levels and hit it with an Icicle. If the boss lives, a couple Fireballs or Lightning Bolts will usually finish it off. Just make sure that you start the fight with an airship attack (if you're not doing the aforementioned quests above) and you're golden. As a side note, I find that the higher level bosses at F70 - F100 melt easily using Electrostatic Field, Disrupting Ray and Blade of Ruin, while under the protection of Timestill. The Mech title speeds this up even faster, especially with a maxed out Manual providing silly bonuses to the two equipment sets.

As a final note, the key to completing Erathia is to run through as many floors as possible. Between two Portal of Earth scrolls, a portal Opticus, and Future Cat's Time Machine, a decently prepared player will be able to traverse a whopping 280 floors - or get bored trying!

Pros
This team is a toy factory. Erathia's Manual is also a toy factory. Toys for days!

Cons
Gang Cadre is not a free gumball, but is otherwise easy to unlock.

Erathia is a late game map and may require a bunch of passive abilities from a sizeable gumball collection.

Final Thoughts

This build was designed to squeeze as much gameplay in a single Erathia in as few runs as possible to complete 80dp.

However, do note that as of writing it's been less than a week since the map's release and there will likely be more efficient ways of completing the map as more people play through it.

Japan 2017 - Gaiden: Nijō Castle

Nijō Castle.

Osaka Castle is one of those mandatory stops in the famed city. It's pretty, heck, gorgrous even, at least from the outside - a quality one will see a lot of in Japan. I was just a tad bit disappointed to find out that it's been turned into a modern museum after its most recent reconstruction.

It's worth a stop, surely, if just for the history lessons - but there's a missing bit of authenticity for those who really want to see how the castles of old Japan once looked like. Maybe I've set my expectations from what media about Japan we outsiders consume, so there's that.

The silver lining was the gashapon machines in the castle gift shop, which spat out historical samurai miniatures - perfect for use in tabletop games for that exotic touch. Sadly, I didn't have a lot of hundred-yen coins with me, so  I wasn't able to get as much as I wanted.

Truly, if there ever was a hack to the gambling aspect of the human soul, Japan has found it in the form of gashapon. I had a feeling that these particular gashapons were exclusive to castles, and a bit of Googling confirmed my suspicions.

Based on the information available, there was only one place that was even remotely close to us - Nijō Castle in Kyoto.

Castle Gardens.

We had a packed itinerary, and I was really happy that we managed to sneak an unplanned visit during our day in Kyoto. Fushimi Inari-taisha sort of kicked my ass earlier, which made this side trip a bit sweeter.

Nijō Castle proved that sometimes things just click without rhyme or reason - it was much better than we expected, and despite everything I'd go so far as to say it's much better than Osaka Castle.

We were left in awe as we walked the same halls as the samurai of old. There was an atmosphere of serenity as everyone walked through the ancient corridors, admiring the remnants of an ancient society. There's something to be said about a culture being able to command respect even from foreigners, and Japan is one of the better examples of this.

Gardens, said to have been supervised by the Emperor himself, surrounded the castle while ancient stone walls stood guard against the myriad threats during the Sengoku period. Inside, recreations of gold leaf panels and hand-painted murals adorned the rooms.

It's an incredible feeling to see context being added to the names of historical figures from a time long gone - especially if one's only exposure to them are from hyperstylized retellings from countless shows and video games.

Overall, Nijō Castle was one of the highlights of the Osaka leg of our trip.

Personally, I guess this proves that good things can sometimes happen when we go out of our way in pursuit of our silly whims. Whether it's an infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters kind of thing, however, is anyone's guess.

Sengoku Loot.

And yeah - I burned a good bit of change on those damn samurai gashapons.

It was worth it.