Gaming | Journey

Sometimes it's the simple things that really matter. When it comes to games, huge mega-epics with ultra-detailed worlds seem to be the prevalent trends, but Journey takes all of that and turns it inside out, while providing an experience like no other. A PlayStation Network exclusive title from thatgamecompany, Journey provides a lush, rich world with no words or dialogue--in fact, the only written word you'll see in the game is the word "Journey" in the opening credits.


I was a big fan of thatgamecompany's unique games: Flower, and flOw before it, so I knew that Journey would be no ordinary game, if you can even call it a game at all. It can be played in one sitting for about two hours, but the almost transcendental experience you get from that short time is truly worth it. Journey is not for everyone, and it can be difficult to describe since you really have to do a hands-on in order to understand the game.


You play a desert wanderer in Journey, with one simple objective: to reach that mountain in the distance. Along the way, you'll have to solve fairly simple puzzles and avoid some frightening dangers. Unlike most games nowadays that rely on heavy textures, Journey's visuals have smooth, clean lines, but the overall effect is stunning and breathtaking to behold; the desert sands seem alive, beautiful and dangerous at the same time, and you can almost feel the desolation.


The online play used in Journey is also unique; you'll randomly meet other online players, but you won't know who they are, and you can only "talk" to them through short bursts of musical notes. You can travel together, and help each other out with the game's fairly simple puzzles. In a way, you bond with this other stranger, and nothing can compare with the exhilaration you feel when you and your companion make it through the end.

Journey gives players who finish it all the way through a deeply moving experience, something that you rarely see in gaming today. It's funny how a game with no scoring, no combat, and no voice-overs--just incredible, soaring music--turns into pure awesomeness that's hard to beat. You can always repeat the game when it's over, but the memory and emotional resonance of your very first journey will remain. A contender for Game of the Year.

Gizmos | Sennheiser PX 100

Sometime in 2008, I decided to get a decent pair of headphones in order to drown out most of the unbearable music that I was usually subjected to at work. Back then, the place I worked in had an open layout with workstations so close together it was impossible not to see everyone in a single glance. This kind of office layout for me had more than its share of disadvantages, particularly where playing music is concerned.


Almost everyone listens to music at work, usually through headphones, but there are those who like to act as the DJ and blast out nonstop music through blaring speakers. This would be fine if said music was tolerable, but for me it was usually the opposite--I needed relief, and fast!

So I settled on some Sennheiser headphones, particularly the PX 100 model. I thought that it was a great brand, not just because part of my name was in there (heh), but based on my very first pair of Sennheiser earphones that I bought in 2006 to replace the godawful iPod earphones that were packed in the box.

I mainly use earphones when I want to listen to music in bed, and I usually end up falling asleep, which results in most of the earphones getting destroyed or having their cords badly tangled. I'd fallen asleep many times with those Sennheiser earphones, and they're pretty tough--they're still very much alive and working well today, and that's how I got sold on Sennheiser products.

The PX 100 had that cool, retro-looking design to it, and it was the open type of headphone, which I wanted so my ears wouldn't be totally covered and I could still hear some background noise. Best of all, it was really light, and still felt comfortable after hours of use. It also had the added bonus of folding neatly into a smaller shape, along with a nice, hard plastic storage case.

This was probably the most expensive pair of headphones I bought; I think it was close to 3K at the time, but they were so worth it. The sound is freaking incredible, and I was blown away the first time I tried it on. The bass levels were just right, and there was hardly any distortion at all; everything sounds fantastic. I've had headphones from Sony, Philips, and Panasonic, but their sound was nothing compared to the Sennheiser, and this was still their lowest, affordable model, LOL.

Four years later, and my PX 100 is still going strong; I've taken good care of it, making sure to fold it neatly into its case when I'm not using it, and I never use it to bed, heh. The original ear foam pads already wore out after two years, but they're replaceable, and now they're as good as new. Even better, the PX 100 had saved me countless times from crappy music assault, whether it's at work, commuting, or travelling.

The PX 100 is no longer available, which is a crying shame, and Sennheiser replaced it with the PX 100-II. The new version should still be good sound-wise, but this time around the hard storage case was replaced with a soft pouch, which is actually useless if you really want to protect your headphones from getting squished around.

Cuisine | Banapple

Banapple started out as a small place along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City that became well-known for their desserts. I remember that we tried in vain to dine there many times but had to bail because they were always packed.

Banapple's Banoffee Pie, a favorite of mine

They expanded years later, and set up additional branches throughout Metro Manila, including one place so close to home, at the 2nd floor of Il Terrazzo along Tomas Morato. I've eaten there so many times now that I lost count, LOL.

Banapple's main counter area

The Il Terrazzo branch was cozy and just right in terms of space, but soon word spread and the place became regularly jampacked, particularly during peak hours. It's really no fault of theirs, as their menu now included delicious lunch and dinner fare with large servings at very affordable prices, so their clientele kept growing.

Banapple's main entrance; you can also see their outside seating area

Fortunately, the place right next to them closed, and they decided to move in, so now there's an even bigger and better Banapple in Tomas Morato. It still gets packed during lunch and dinner, but I tend to go there early so I can easily get a table.

Aside from its hearty lunch and dinner fare, Banapple's cakes and pastries remain topnotch, so it's no surprise at all why they continue to draw crowds, which is really impressive for a place that originated as a simple bakery cafe.

Music | Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

This odd-sounding tune is one of my favorite songs ever; it's from Talking Heads' 1983 album Speaking in Tongues, which is better known as the album that made them mainstream artists; prior to this they were mainly considered as an alternative band.


This Must Be The Place was the second single to be released from Speaking in Tongues, following the huge commercial success that was Burning Down The House (another of my all-time favorite songs). Unfortunately, the song didn't do that well, and peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. I was also dismayed when this song was prominently used in Wall Street, a movie that I hated.

What made this song so appealing to me was its uniqueness--the melody, the instrumentation, and the overall weirdness all combined to make it a pleasant-sounding song. The lyrics are similarly bizarre, but normal for a Talking Heads song though, heh. Years later I would read that David Byrne wrote it as a love song, LOL.

The video is equally strange, and features a little bit of Byrne's unusual singing-dancing antics that made Talking Heads distinctive during its heyday, heh.

Guilty Pleasures | Romana Peanut Brittle

I'm not really that fond of peanut brittle, and about the only peanut brittle I've ever known since I was a kid was the one made by the Good Shepherd Sisters from Baguio, which were mostly thin shards of brittle embedded with a gazillion chopped peanuts--it was good, but not really addictive for me.

Through the years, friends and relatives would give us pasalubongs from Baguio in the form of strawberry jam, vegetables, ube, and the ubiquitous peanut brittle, mostly from Good Shepherd or some other unknown brand, which included Romana Peanut Brittle made in Dagupan.

I've generally ignored other peanut brittle brands like Romana, mainly because they didn't seem to have the precise, distinctive look that the Good Shepherd brittle had. Until I actually tasted it...and was blown away.

Now here was something that looked deceptively simple; thick, rough chunks of brittle with large, whole peanuts that shattered easily, yet tasted awesome--it was buttery and caramelly at the same time, and the peanuts just added that extra layer of greatness.

I like this brittle a lot, particularly with a nice, bitter blend of brewed coffee, as the two contrasting tastes go well together. It's also good with a very dark chocolate type of ice cream.

The scary thing about Romana Peanut Brittle is that you never even realize how addictive it is; usually I tend to break off a small shard, munch it, and it's only about several minutes later that I find out I've already eaten half the container, LOL.