The One About Granado Espada Red Packets!

If you haven't already heard about the Red Affair Blood Donation Drive happening this weekend at red dot design museum, check out the article here:

Even if blood donation scares you, or you're still sitting on the fence as to whether or not you wanna donate, no worries. Just come down as a 'spectator' or rather, a supporter to your fellow GE mates! There will be lots of side events happening that day - like MAAD bazaar and Settlers Cafe will be setting up some board-gaming booths as well. Supporters will receive a Rabbit Grindstone and GE red packets as a token of appreciation:

Grind your rabbit into powder!

For those out of Singapore, no worries, I will be giving your local distributors some of these rabbit grindstone codes to be used at local events and we'll probably use some during in-game /forum / website events as well.

And here's a sneak peek at the red packets that will be fresh from the printers this Friday, 2 Jan'09. Let's hope there aren't any delays from the printer's side or else... *gulp*...



Here's my personal favorite!

For donors, you heroes deserve a little something extra! A White Cristatus and an extra pack of GE red packets for you!

It tickles! But in a glam way...

We've also posted up the event in the IAHGames Facebook Fan Page. So do RSVP over here so that we have a rough estimate of how many people will be attending that day. And of course do blog/Facebook/Friendster about this event and spread the news to your friends and family to support this event!

[Sidenote: I was looking through an old diary of mine and found this entry. Thought I would share it with you guys to further encourage the community service efforts. (: ]

The One About Their World Through The Lens

A picture paints a thousand words.

I've always believed in the power of a camera. What super powers does a camera have? It grants an insight into someone's mind. When I want to know more about a person, I casually give them my camera and ask them to take as many photos as they like. The way a person takes a photograph says a lot about a person. It takes you deeper into their minds, their subconcious even. The subjects they choose to photograph, the angle, the moments they choose to press that trigger. All these are decisions. And in every decision we make, even the most minor and seemingly insignificant ones, like that of taking a photograph - it reflects a part of our personality.

A close friend of mine was dating this guy recently and so I was absolutely dying with curiosity to meet this guy since I had never seen her glowing and so alive ever since she started dating him. But he was a rather quiet guy so it was not easy to get a good feel about what he was really like, despite my bubbly attempts to dig information about him. Oh well. I guess not everyone is like me who will tell their life stories to people they have met for the first time...

So when the night droned on and I still couldn't get a feel of what he was like, I decided that time was running out and it was time for drastic measures. So I innocently gave him my camera and asked him to take some photos. And when he gave me back my camera and I scrolled to the first photo he took (first photo is most important since it reflects the most importance. Or so I say.), I immediately shuddered with goosebumps.

The photo he took was of the woman he was crazy about. The angle and moment he chose to take the picture was when she was not aware of it. To me, that photo reflected his quiet affections for her, his quiet observation of her as she laughed and talked with the people around her. It reminded me of the strong, silent type of romance novel hero who watched over his woman from afar.







* * *
One of those days when I was on leave and playing teacher at Katong Special School.

And I look at this kids and wonder to myself, What is the world like inside their minds?

Yet, regretfully, I do not have that enlightened state of mind to understand them or communicate with them on such an artistic level as theirs. Which leaves me with only one option. To attempt, in my own way, to see through their eyes... via the lens of my camera. So during recess time, I give some of them my camera and teach them how to take photos. And I am proud to present their world, through their eyes:







These 2 photos are my all-time favourites. There is something just so artistic and fetching about them:





I felt a little emotional after scrolling through those photos. Suddenly, it made me feel ashamed and immature. To even think that I could decipher their psychology by looking through their eyes in those brief moments. What I saw was beauty without aesthetics. Beauty in its most innocent, naive and pure form. Aesthetics is but a man-made concept, the 1/3 'rules' and conventions we abide by that a picture may look complete. We make use of certain guidelines and principles to get that perfect shot. Yet in those aesthetically 'beautiful' photos we take, lacks a certain sense of genuinity and sincerity.

I switched off my camera and smiled to myself. Perhaps there are some things in this world that are not meant to be analyzed and concluded. Because that would be trivializing it down to a simple scientific experiment. There are some things in this world that are meant to be admired from afar, respecting its distance, just as it is, without any agenda.

And this is one of them.

Community Service Event 3: Fire Station

Well guys, Community Service Event 3 is on 10th May 2007, this Thursday. As usual, we will be meeting at 11am at Ronald's Bedok Villa, otherwise known as Bedok Interchange Macdonalds outlet - the one under Princess cinema. The whole outing should last till 6pm. Hrin will then treat the GE heroes to dinner. Those who have not signed up for the event yet, please drop me an email at community@ge.iahgames.com

Quite a few people have been asking me about how this whole community service event came about. It all started one day when I got a call from my good friend's mother who is a teacher at Katong Special School. I had previously been volunteering there, but ever since I started working, I was unable to make it. She had called me in an act of desperation because she was finding it so difficult to get volunteers to help out. I told her I would try to take leave to help out. After all, I really missed those kids. Then it hit me - Hey! Why not combine my 2 loves together? The love I have for those kids and the love I have for my GE community. So I penned an email to my Level 100 bosses to propose this monthly Community Service Event. It was very well-received and they have been extremely supportive.

The GE community has been very supportive as well. I received so many sweet emails encouraging us to press on in our community service efforts. The latest email I got was from this dude, Andre:

"By the way, i just read your blog and i have to say, your idea with heaving RL-Quest that help children is absolutely fantastic ^^ Ive never seen ANY gaming company do something similiar. Too bad Singapore is too far away from Germany to reach it with the Car in a few minutes ^^. Your "Levitating Maid" reminded me kinda of Mary Poppins and her levitating umbrella ... so i decided to "update" your levitating maid picture =P (picture enclosed)... you should consider adding the umbrella as an ingame item lol ^^"

Another GE fan, Tsubaki, sent me the most creative picture in order that I could publicize my RL quest:

Yep, so... Vespanoleans out there, let's extend that good old fashioned chivalry and heroism in Granado Espada into real life as well. Don't just play GE. Live GE!

Community Service Event (Part I): From Level Zero To Level Hero

27^th March 2007.

The day that 10 heroes warped out of the comfort zone of Granado Espada into real life to fulfill the real life quest to “Babysit the children!” at Katong Special School.

The starting waypoint was at Bedok Macdonalds where I would meet the heroes to brief them on their mission.

So once everyone had gathered, we began with a round of introductions.

“Hey guys, intro please! Please tell all of us your family name in Granado Espada and your real name,” I said to them.

One of the guys started the ball rolling, ”Hello everyone! My real name is Robin and my family name in GE is… Hrin007.”

Everyone burst out laughing. I grinned in amusement. Oh wow… I have finally met my ‘Casino Royale’ edition!

The rest of the heroes started introducing themselves one by one, after which I gave them a ‘Tutorial Walkthrough’ about some guidelines on how to look after the kids. When we arrived at Katong Special School, the teacher in charge, Mrs Wong split us up into various squads and assigned us to the different classes. The various squads warped to various locations: Changi Airport, Simei Eastpoint and Bedok Interchange.

Unfortunately in real life, unlike the cool mechanism of being able to warp from location to location in GE with the simple click of a mouse, we had to do it the old-school way of taking a bus. Each of us took charge of 2 kids as we walked over to the bus stop. One of the guidelines on road safety was ensuring that the kids looked left and right twice before crossing the road.

Over at Changi Airport, my squad which consisted of Roy, Robin and Zhiguang had the privilege of showing the kids to the viewing gallery, where aeroplanes were parked.

One of the themes of the outing was to talk about occupations. As we walked around the airport and caught sight of the various people who were in their uniforms, we explained to the kids what they did.

“This guy in the white uniform is the one who ‘drives’ the aeroplane.”

“Oh and the pretty lady over there is called an air stewardess. She serves you food on the aeroplane. Whenever you need anything like a blanket or a drink, you can ask her and she will bring it to you.”

“You mean like my maid?” one of the wide-eyed kids asks.

…GG. I never looked at it that way. Kids have such a beautiful way of simplifying things and put them in perspective.

“Erm… yeah… but a really pretty maid that flies around!” I reply brightly.

Lesson Of The Day: Air Stewardess = Levitating Maid

Part 2 to be continued…

Leave your comments here.

The One Where Hrin Role Plays Mum

I know, I know... it does seem rather daunting and confusing as to what this whole ‘Babysit the children!’ quest is about. So I’ve written up on my past experience there so that you have a rough idea about what this is all about.

A good friend of mine is a teacher at Katong Special School (for kids with special needs) and when she asked if I was free to help out, I was more than happy to. Basically, it was an outing to Bedok Interchange to teach the kids how to do the usual, mundane stuff that we take for granted - things like taking a bus, buying a fast-food meal, borrowing library books. Gee I'll never look at mundane everyday events the same way again man.

Anyway, the game plan was simple:

1)Each kid to get a partner
2)Teacher or volunteer to accompany each team
3)Take bus 32
4)Go to Bedok interchange
5)Buy a meal at Burger King
6)Go to the library
















"Hrin, I will assign Sarah and Sofiya to you ok?" Miss Tina, the form teacher says to me.

"Oh ok," I say as I look around for the two kids. My eyes light up the minute I see them. Two adorable little girls. I grin at them as they look curiously at me.

"Hi Sofiya and Sarah! Today you'll be my two little 'Hrin Juniors' ok?" I say to them sweetly. They look at me blankly, smiling back in that angelic, cutesy way that just makes me want to squeeeeeeze them so hard.
















So anyway, we teach them how to cross roads safely, use the EZ-Link card to take Bus 32 and then we go to Burger King to have lunch.
















And then... off to the library!
















"Hrin, later at the library, bring the girls to get some girly books and read it to them," Tina tells me.

I stare at her blankly. Girly books? I was considering introducing them to the world of Granado Espada. Shucks. Guess I need to shelf my plans temporarily until OBT. Girly books girly books... let me see... Oooo!! I see Vogue and Cleo magazines. Girls read that kind of stuff right? But the girls don't seem interested as I point excitedly to the magazines that I am dying to flip through myself. Sarah picks up a book entitled something like 'I am Velvety Rabbit.'

So I sit my two lovelies on my lap and start reading a story about how Velvety rabbit had some misadventures. Gosh… I have more exciting stories to tell about my GE characters. Nevertheless, the story seems exciting enough for the two girls. And this outing is about their enjoyment. Not mine.

The kids are rather well-behaved today and Tina rewards them by bringing them for ice-cream at Ronald Macdonald's Bedok Princess Villa.
















I burst out laughing when I caught sight of Sarah. Her mouth and cheeks were full of ice-cream! I smiled as I endearingly wiped all the ice-cream off her face.
















The day drew to an end as we walked over to the 32 bus stand at Bedok interchange. So we take the bus together and Tina takes some pictures of me and the girls.
















As the girls and I were posing for the camera and laughing together, something that Tina had said to me earlier came to mind. She had told me that some of these kids were thoroughly neglected or abandoned by their parents who were busy with their own lives. I felt a stab of pain and grief in my heart as I held these girls in my arms. And a new sense of determination grew in my heart.

It will be my lifelong quest to champion the weak and defend the innocent. After all, I am Hrin. Hear me rawr! ;)