Cultural Differences

Sometimes I go on the train and differences in upbringing can become incredibly apparent. There are the people who jostle with abandon and not bother to apologize for the manhandling, and there are those who tell their children to apologize for merely bumping my backpack. One certainly sounds crass and callous while the other's pleasantly polite. The two examples of humanity came from different walks of life, with different cultures. One came from a background where parents teach their children to rush to board a train and secure their seats, whereas the other came from a more sanguine culture where it's proper to respect others. Likewise, I've observed individuals who recognize that it is impolite to stare and will soften a fascinated look with a smile, while there are others who would stare and look guiltily away when noticed only to surreptitiously administer the stare when the notice has passed. Those of the more genteel upbringing would undoubtedly find it unusual that any decent folk would behave in that manner. However, what fascinates me is how the other specimen has been cultivated in an environment where such conduct is (implicitly perhaps) perfectly acceptable. Cultural standards sure do differ greatly.

Language And Thought Processes

Some may believe that racial traits carry influence a person's thought processes and attitudes, thus shaping one's character. I know my parents believe that. However, I think such a view is not just racist, but grossly oversimplified. I propose an alternative view, that a fairly obvious contender for the racial differences (where present) lies in language itself. For example, a language that has honorifics in its basic grammar is likely to breed thought processes where respect and hierarchy are salient. This does not necessarily breed a respectful individual, but it certainly does make the individual think a lot more about respect (gaining, losing it, etc) than one that has a language that is less steeped in honorifics. I have seen examples of people of certain ethnicities behaving in completely different manners depending on their country of upbringing. Clearly, if there is a genetic basis in their behavior, there would be a common thread between them in that sense. However, there is not. Instead, I see them conforming more to the cultures they are steeped in and the language(s) that they speak.

Max Payne 3

I've been playing Max Payne 3 on hard for a couple hours now, and I say this: I am disappoint. I may not have finished the game so far, but I think I've seen enough to make that pronouncement. Ultimately, Max Payne 3 plays exactly like an interactive movie: You interact for 3 minutes, watch 10 minutes of movie. It seems unfortunate that the developers have somehow managed to create a rather cinematic gameplay experience yet seem reluctant to let the player get more playtime to truly appreciate it. Perhaps I've been spoiled from playing the likes of Half Life 2, where every single cutscene is interactive at least in some way. I don't think so, however. It just seems like a rather overblown attempt at forcing a cinematic experience through taking control away from the player, instead of getting the player engaged in the narrative. There are many ways to cue the player to approach certain areas so that they enter a dramatic part of a story of their own accord, and allowing gameplay to continue while characters jaw one another to death. The other major problem with the game is the narrative itself. Where Max Payne 1 had memorable characters and a rather fine parallel with Ragnarok mythology, Max Payne 3 has characters that are forgotten as quickly as they stop gabbing, and the Noir style monologues seem to go on for their own sake. The way the story flows somehow manages to talk about urgency without showing any. There never was a point where the game got my pulse racing. Overall I'd say that my single player experience so far is 4/10 at most. Graphically, the game's fairly pleasing, but gameplay and narrative wise, it is just quite the flop.

Wardrobe Analysis

It is always fun to dig through one's wardrobe and analyze its contents. Garment choices reflect upon a wearer's personality and even the moods of the season. I found some interesting patterns in mine. I've found, for example, that my color tastes have shifted in favor of blacks and reds, with a tendency towards checkered patterns. If anything, I don't actually have yellows in my wardrobe, and the few greens I've got are rarely if ever worn. I guess it does suggest a shift in the general tone of my being in the recent years, and in this instance I could probably fairly say that my tastes have changed for the darker and the colors reflect that. Other than that, it was certainly an interesting moment where I learned something about myself.

Bourne Legacy

Another Bourne movie. Except this time, without Jason Bourne proper. Which is odd. It's a lot like having a James Bond movie where Q talks about Bond and does all the action. Personally, I find that it's a stretch to call it a Bourne movie at all. I guess Matt Damon's absence is just one part of why I find this movie less than satisfying. There's the matter of the action, with long drawn out chase scenes and unsatisfying fight scenes where you expect a climax only to be faced with an anticlimax. I find that highly unfortunate. That is not to talk about the twist in the storyline which I find cumbersome at best, requiring excessive explication to put forward where a simpler narrative would've sufficed. Overall I can say that I did not enjoy this movie. There's the obligatory occasional explosion and high octane chase scenes that are mediocre at best with their excessive reliance on shaky chase cameras and overall lack of a satisfying conclusion. Coupled with the absence of Bourne himself, I would just have to rate this movie a failure. It gets a 3/10 from me.