Ipod Touch Game Review: China Mahjong 2

I love my iPod Touch.  It’s the perfect replacement to my Palm Zire 72 which keeps dying on me in the middle of the game.  I read ebooks using Stanza, note down my expenses using iXpenseIT, write notes using Fliq and surf the web using Safari.  I also load it up with games like Solitaire, Word Wrap, Deal or No Deal (Lite), Mancala, TicTacTouch and Bowl Lite.

As I only have a credit card issued in China, I can only buy apps from the Chinese Apps Stores.  This is a bummer because the China store doesn’t have a Games category and if they do have games they’re kinda corny.  A games which I’ve been searching for quite some time is Mahjong.  This Mahjong is not the pairs game which is readily available from the US apps store but the Chinese Mahjong with the chow, pong and win.

Advertisement

Hooters (美国猫头鹰餐厅)

Hooters in the US is known for their beautiful, well-endowed servers.  When Hooters opened in Beijing in 2007, foreigners particularly men flocked the restaurant hoping to be served by these beautiful, well-endowed servers.   However, they were disappointed as Asians are not known to be blessed with big breasts.  Reviews at that time were focused on their servers and not their food.

In any case, I only got the chance to visit this place last month after church.  It wasn’t full as it’s a Sunday and to make up for their lack in bust size, they perform a 30 second dance routine almost every half an hour.  Service was great and the place is filled with flat screen TV tuned in to different sports channel.

I Won A Bowling Ball!!!

Bowling is a sport where I’m neither good nor bad.  My current average is 105.  My goal for this year is to average at 120.  Seems reachable right?  There are several bowling alleys in Beijing.  The most famous is Gongti 100 in Gongti Xi Lu.  The International Friendship Bowling League hold their tournament there every Tuesday night at 730pm.  Each game at this alley cost RMB 25 before 5pm and RMB 30 after 5pm.  Smoking and drinking are allowed.  If you buy their prepaid card worth RMB 5000, each game before 5pm is RMB 15 and after 5pm is RMB 18.

Near Dongzhimen, East Gate Apartments has a bowling alley at the basement of their mall.   Each game cost RMB 15 before 5pm and RMB 20 after 5pm.  The alley closes at 12mn so you better time yourself well.  They have fewer lanes and columns in between lanes are a bit distracting.  No smoking or drinking allowed.  Beware of flying balls as some players literally throw their balls and not towards the pins but it slip off their fingers when they’re about to throw it.  If you get a prepaid card worth RMB 3600, each game before 5pm will cost RMB 3 and after 5pm will be RMB 6.  In between bowling tournament, this is where we practice to reduce cost.

Amazing Race 14, Episodes 1-3

The Amazing Race started off last February 15 with 11 teams vying for the 1 million dollars prize.  They had to race around the world and solve puzzles or do tasks which are either physically or mentally stressful.  Players had to deal with flight problems, phobias and sudden change of weather that can make even the strongest team hate each other.

Episode 1:  (Los Alamitos, CA, USA to Stechelberg, Switzerland)

In this season of the Amazing Race, all 11 teams were transported by US Marine helicopters at their base in Los Alamitos, California.  From there the team were instructed to travel to Locarno, Switzerland on either Lufthansa or Air France then by train into Locarno.    The teams have to find the Church of San Antonio wherein they have to register in one of the three groups departing at 715am, 730am and 745am.

At their destination, Verzasca Dam, teams encountered a roadblock where one member of the team has to do a bungee jump on the same place where James Bond jumped in the “Goldeneye”.    After the jump, teams have to travel by train to Interlaken and find Kleine Rugen Weisse.

At Kleine Rugen Weisse, teams have to choose a pair of antique cheese rack and climb up a steep hill.  Once on top, they have to transport down 200 pounds of cheese to an aging shed.   Each cheese weigh 50 pounds and the hill ain’t helping as it’s slippery.  It was a mental and physical challenge for all players and those who give up will surely lose.  After transporting the cheese to the shed, the next clue pointed them to the first Pit Stop in the race, Stechelberg.

Game Review: Fashion Season

I’ve been a fan of Mysteries of Horus since it came out.  When I had a Palm PDA, I got hooked with Shapeshifter.  I was so hooked with it that my PDA will suddenly die down then I will use my sister’s PDA and will play it till it ran out of battery.  I remember playing it till late at night and my hand will develop cramps.  What’s the connection with this and the new game I’m going to review?  It has elements of Shapeshifter and Gem Shop (also one of my faves).

Fashion Season is a game developed by Alawar Games.  It’s not one of the latest but it’s the one I’m playing more lately.  It’s a cross of Shapeshifter where you fill in empty fields with the same shape with matching colors generating more points and Gem Shop where you have customers who purchase clothes by filling up the clothes “cup”.   A bonus level where you’ll solve a puzzle which I don’t know what’s the point for as you don’t earn coins or anything.   A clothes catalog with 16 clothes with different values which you purchase with the coins you win during the game and as bonus at the end of each level.  To sweeten the mood of your customers, you can either offer them magazines, coffee or gift.  A reminder though, they don’t refill after each level.