Halifax Hodge Podge Of Stuff I Did

This is the second blog post detailing the rest of what I saw and experienced in Halifax. There were still so many interesting neighbourhoods, restaurants, views, and locations I want to tell you about, so I will tell you about them below.

The Callisto Protocol: Mostly Atmosphere, And Not Much Else

By Striking Distance Studios / Krafton - PlayStation Store, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70948364

After finishing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I decided to play another single-player experience, but of a survival horror variety. The Callisto Protocol is a sci-fi, survival horror game released in 2022, which bears striking similarities to a previous sci-fi, survival horror video game series, namely the Dead Space series. I was interested in playing this game and seeing if The Callisto Protocol is as good as Dead Space 1 and 2, or is it an inferior title like Dead Space 3.

Exploring the Halifax Waterfront

This will be the first of two blog posts of all the other things I experienced while staying in Halifax that did not need its own blog post. There are many things remaining to cover on my Halifax trip, including the waterfront, food and dessert spots, and interesting neighbourhoods and locales. This post will mostly cover the waterfront.

I Went To The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Concert

When I wrote my review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I mentioned in that review that the Rebirth soundtrack might be my favourite Final Fantasy soundtrack out of all the Final Fantasy games. I apparently loved it so much that when I found out that the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour was coming to Toronto for two shows at Roy Thomson Hall, I managed to snap up a ticket for the second show. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was going to perform renditions and medleys of many of the hits from the game. I could not wait.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (the video game)

By Eidos Montreal / Square Enix - Square Enix, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67954937

I finished playing Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which is the action-adventure game released in 2021 and based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name. Most people that are familiar with GotG are familiar with the trilogy of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, and I have certainly enjoyed these movies. I heard many rumblings about the video game, and so I picked the game up on sale and played the single-player campaign, and here are my thoughts.

The Canadian Museum of Immigration At Pier 21

After checking out the views at the Halifax Citadel, I took a ride to the Canadian Museum of Immigration, which is one of Canada’s national museums. Rather appropriately, Halifax’s Pier 21 is where this museum is located, where nearly one million immigrants landed here between 1928 and 1971. I know immigration is a hot topic these days in Canada and around the world, but this museum serves as a reminder of how important immigration was to Canada in its formation and identity as a country.

The Mighty Fort Of The Halifax Citadel

The Halifax Citadel is what I would consider to be the iconic landmark of Halifax. The Halifax Citadel is a Victorian-era fort situated on the top of Citadel Hill overlooking downtown Halifax. I could not be in Halifax and not check out the Citadel, so I work up one early morning and made my plan to visit the fort. Halifax was already a hilly city, but I would have to further walk up Citadel Hill to enter the fort. 

The Royal Canadian International Circus Was Surprisingly Decent

Earlier this summer, I went to go check out a travelling circus show at my local mall, called the Royal Canadian International Circus. Yes, this is going to be another circus show post following my outing with co-workers at Cirque du Soleil last year. I initially was not planning to go to this show, but my mother was pleading and begging me to take her to see the circus, as she has never been to the circus before. I ultimately gave in to her demand and I bought two tickets to see the show.

Mahone Bay Photo Gallery

After leaving Lunenburg, I drove north up a windy road to the small town of Mahone Bay. I did not spend a lot of time here, maybe an hour tops, but I did check out some of the views and went into a few stores to check out some goods. Mahone Bay is a quaint town but does get some tourists who come this way. There was a nice walk along the coast of the bay along with the main road with a few more shops and restaurants selling ice cream.

Anyways, here are some more pics I took of Mahone Bay:

Exploring The Port Town Of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

After my expedition to Peggy’s Cove, I hopped back into my rental and drove westward down Highway 103 to the scenic port town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. British settlers founded the town in 1753 as a British settlement, and the town still retains buildings and an atmosphere dating back to the 19th century. There were a few things that I wanted to check out while I was in the town for a couple of hours, so I will condense this experience into one blog post.

Halifax Public Gardens Photo Gallery

Across from my hotel in Halifax were the Halifax Public Gardens, which is a Victorian-era public garden. I had a chance to go for a walk around these gardens to see the beautifully-manicured flowers and the pond, among other things. There were statues and other structures to check out as well. The walk was quite nice, with many visitors sitting on the benches relaxing or walking the many paths to see all of the flowers. I did not take too many pictures, but I will share them here:

Foggy Mornings At Peggy's Cove

I could not go to Nova Scotia without making the trek to Peggy's Cove, but I never knew why Peggy's Cove was so popular with tourists. I have always heard about it and thought "Oh neat! It is a lighthouse by the ocean, looks nice". I did not think anything more than that about Peggy's Cove until I went there, and then I was able to develop my own opinion about this place. Let me tell you all about my trip to Peggy's Cove.

Sonic Frontiers: Sonic's Middling Adventure

By Sega - https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/sonic-frontiers, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71589758

I picked up Sonic Frontiers as part of the Steam Summer Sale not too long ago because I have heard many various things about this game since its release in 2022. I have heard wide-ranging opinions ranging from positive (ex: This is finally an excellent 3D Sonic game) to negative (ex: Sonic Frontiers is just as bad as most other 3D Sonic games). I do not believe the video game community ever concluded how good or how bad Sonic Frontiers is. I have since finished Sonic Frontiers and I will offer my own opinion about this game in the pot of already wild opinions.

A Cèilidh On The Alexander Keith's Brewery Tour

On the late afternoon/early evening of my first night in Halifax. I booked myself in to take a tour of the Alexander Keith’s Brewery in downtown Halifax, which had been in operation since 1820, making it one the oldest breweries in Canada, though not THE oldest. I generally like Alexander Keith’s beer, though it is not my go-to beer; I just wanted an excuse to visit the brewery. I cannot remember if I have ever been on a brewery tour but this was certainly an experience. I walked into the old building and into an indoor courtyard where I got my ticket from the reception desk/gift shop and waited for the tour to begin.

My Solo Jaunt To Nova Scotia

I went for a brief exploratory vacation to New Scotland; more formally known as Nova Scotia. I did not go to Nova Scotia with anyone; in fact, I went on a solo vacation. I know, this may sound scandalous to some, but I have some reasons as to why I went to Nova Scotia by myself.

Quick Thoughts - Super Mario RPG Remake

I was able to snag a copy of the remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch that was on sale. I remember briefly playing the original Super Mario RPG on the SNES but I never came close to beating the game. I thought this was a good time to finally complete Super Mario RPG and give some thoughts on the experience.

The Closest Thing I Had To A Workplace Bully (So Far)

I have worked a few “big-boy” jobs by now, and I have worked and interacted with countless people during my times at these jobs. I have read about the topic of workplace bullies before, which lead me to think about who would be the closest thing to fit the description of a workplace bully. A workplace bully is someone in the workplace who engages in verbal, physical, or psychological abuse towards another employee. I have talked about some previous employees in one of my posts about changing jobs, and there was the infamous microwave story where a former co-worker told me that the microwave in a vacant office is more important to the company than me. I want to talk about another former co-worker of mine whom I have had dealings with. For the sake of this blog post, I will name her “Sandra”.

Remembering Conker's Bad Fur Day

By May be found at the following website: http://www.lukiegames.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8624904

There was a game on the Nintendo 64 that I remember vividly; not because I have ever played this game (until now), but because of the controversy this game would happen to generate at the time of its release. I am talking about Conker's Bad Fur Day, developed by Rare (formerly Rareware). Rare was probably one of the most highly-regarded video game studios of the 1990s and early 2000s, putting out highly influential and critically-acclaimed games such as the Donkey Kong Country series, GoldenEye 007, and Diddy Kong Racing. Diddy Kong Racing introduced two characters that would go on to have their own games: Banjo (Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie) and Conker, the cute red squirrel who will be the focus of this blog post.

The Impermanence of Permanence

The one thing that I always end up telling myself is that the only constant in life is change. There is no such thing as going back to the way it was; there is only moving forward. However, I always find my mind wandering back to times in my past; so much to the point that I want to go back and relive some of those times, either to relive some happy memories or to see if I could have done things differently. Reminiscing is a dopamine hit, but it can also reopen some hidden wounds.

Do Not Pursue Lu Bu, Do Not Collect $200 (Dynasty Warriors Tribute)

I was thinking about a video game-related question I saw while lazily browsing the internet. What is a video game or video game series that is not necessarily well-received or highly-regarded, but provided you hours upon hours of joy and entertainment while playing? My immediate answer to this question were the Dynasty Warriors games. I do not believe there is a Dynasty Warriors game that is genuinely amazing, but these were some of the most satisfying video games I have ever played in my life. I have referenced Dynasty Warriors in a few of my game reviews, but I have never talked about the video game series directly. In this post, I will give my long-awaited flowers to the Dynasty Warriors video games.

Drinking In The Library (Bar)

After the Formula 1 exhibition, I had an afternoon in Toronto to treat myself. I could not think of a better way to treat myself than to go to a hotel bar inside one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in Toronto.

Animal Well Is A Treat

After playing Animal Well, I think it is safe to say that this game is going to be the best indie game I will play this year. I bought this game on a whim on Steam not expecting much, but Animal Well surpassed my expectations (and then some) on a short, but rewarding experience.

More Italy and Florida Stuff

I need a blog post to show you all of the things that I wanted to show you that I could not fit into any of the blog posts that I already created. This post will be unstructured by nature, and will just be a photo dump of some things while I was in Italy and Florida. Anyways, enjoy!

The F1 Exhibition In Toronto

There has been a renewed casual interest in Formula 1 racing in the last few years. Most of this interest would come from the success of the Netflix show "Drive to Survive", which offers an inside look of the various F1 teams and many of the races on the F1 calendar. "Drive To Survive" does its part to amplify the drama on the track, as well as off the track, despite some accusations from detractors that Netflix and/or the producers of the show artificially manufacture this drama. The success and documentary style of "Drive to Survive" has influenced similar documentaries to show up on Netflix, covering sports such as tennis, golf, and rugby.

Spending The Day At Universal Studios Florida

I already talked about my time in the Simpsons area at Universal Studios Florida but I want to talk about my time exploring the rest of the park. I have not been to Universal Studios Florida since I was a child, maybe around 9-10 years old. Over 20 years later, I find myself back at the same park. There has been so much that has changed at the park, but there are rides that still exist that I rode as a child that sorely need either a re-brand or have a brand-new ride at the same site. Here are the pictures I took as I show you around what was happening on a busy Tuesday at Universal Studios Florida.

Springfield, Universal Studios Florida

The Simpsons is probably one of my most beloved TV shows, and I have Seasons 1-12 on DVD ready for watching whenever I need it. When I first heard that there will be a Simpsons-themed area at Universal Studios Florida, I hoped that I would, at some point, make my way over there to check it out. I can cross an item off my bucket list because I got to experience Springfield at Universal Studios Florida. As a Simpsons fan, this was a dream come true.

I Took My Single-Best Picture (So Far) At Disney Springs

I was in Orlando for a few days, and I spent one of those afternoons/early evenings checking out Disney Springs. Disney Springs is an outdoor entertainment complex/shopping mall with many shops, restaurants, and other attractions. Disney Springs has been commonly referred to as the "free section" of Walt Disney World as you can explore the complex itself is free, though if you want to do anything there, be prepared to spend some Disney-sized cash.

The Southernmost Point In The Continental United States

I was in Florida a couple of months ago, and now that I posted everything I could about my Europe vacation, I can start sharing some things that I did while in the Sunshine State. Before you ask, no I did not encounter Florida Man while I was down there though I did notice some weird things going on because it is Florida.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Basically Mario Party

I just finished playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is the second game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, and FF7 Rebirth is undoubtedly a great video game with outstanding music, amazing character performances, and much-improved combat. However, FF7 Rebirth does have some flaws as well, and I will talk about all of that down below. 

Florence Part 2: The Duomo And The Sculpture Of David

Part 1 of my Florence escapades is here.

After a fun-filled night walking around the streets of Florence, I was ready to do the same thing, but in the daytime. The main places I went to on my second day in Florence was the Duomo (Florence Cathedral) and Accademia Gallery, which displays Michelangelo's sculpture David. 

Florence Part 1: The Tuscan City At Night

The last stop on my Italy vacation was spending a couple of nights in Florence, which is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region. I knew about Tuscany because of its wine production, so I was hoping to get the chance to sample some Tuscan red wine. Upon entering the city by train and checking into our hotel, I felt safer than walking around in Rome, which was something I could not really explain. We got into Florence in the afternoon, so after doing laundry at the local laundromat, we spent the evening walking around the city. Here is my experience:

Vatican City Photo Gallery

The second attraction I went to in Rome was not exactly an attraction, but rather its own country inside of the city. I visited the country of Vatican City, ruled by The Holy See, and the central seat of The Catholic Church. I am not a religious man, and frankly I thought I would spontaneously combust upon entering such a holy place, but at least I got to check out some of the historical paintings and sculptures while walking through these halls. Just like my blog post of the Colosseum, this will be more of a collection of photos rather than me giving my thoughts about Vatican City, though I do have a few things I will talk about while you scroll down and check out my pictures.

Colosseum and Roman Forum Photo Gallery

I was in Rome for a few days, and my one full day in the city had me check out two of the major attractions in the city. The first attraction was visiting the Colosseum. The Colosseum was an amphitheatre built back in the days of the Roman Empire and hosted events such as gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, and executions. The Colosseum is one of the chosen seven wonders of the modern world, and I was happy to see the structure in person (with a tour guide, of course).

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Content-Heavy (SPOILERS)

By https://www.xbox-now.com/en/game/20146/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-standard-edition, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75041798

I am not going to write a full-on review about the newest entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise. I have already written posts about the Yakuza franchise, including why the Yakuza games are so brilliant, as well as talking about Yakuza: Like a Dragon (the previous main-line entry in the franchise). If you have played Infinite Wealth (or any other Yakuza game), then you already know what to expect: excellent storytelling, bonkers side-quests, and fleshed-out side activities. I will spend most of this post talking about the new stuff in Infinite Wealth, and then also talk about the potential direction of the franchise. I am going to talk about spoilers in this post so this is my warning to you.

Limoncello Hunting In Sorrento

I stayed for a few nights in the town of Sorrento, which is south of the City of Naples and sitting on the Gulf of Naples. The thing that impressed me the most about Sorrento (and places in Europe in general) is how everything feels so walkable. It is obvious that there is more of an emphasis on pedestrians rather than vehicles. The closest cities I can compare to this where I stayed a few nights are Ottawa and Montreal, but even those cities are still too vehicle-centric compared to Europe. In evenings in Sorrento, the streets in the town center close, and so the pedestrians fill the streets walking around.

Capri Part 2: Monte Solaro And The Wealthy Side Of The Island

If you want to read about part one of my day on the island of Capri, please click here.

I last left off perusing the sandals and perfume shops in the walkable alleys of Anacapri, but now it is time to make my way up to the highest point of the island of Capri on Monte Solaro. 

Capri Part 1: Boat Rides in Bad Weather

I still had a full schedule of things to do while in Italy. The day after the trip through the Amalfi Coast, I had a day trip to go to the island of Capri. Capri is a resort island that is popular with tourists and day-trippers. The island is busiest in the summer months, while it is not very busy in the winter months. There are also many products named after the island as well, such as the Capri pants, the Capri-Sun juice pouches, and the Caprese salad. I felt like I did almost everything there is to do while at the island, except for the most well-known attraction on the island.

What Is My Next Step? How Can I Evolve?

I occasionally write posts like this where I can check in on my mental health, and the purpose of this post is to talk about the thoughts going on in my head. Last November, I went to the CONCACAF Nations League match between Canada and Jamaica and I already talked about the match and everything surrounding it. While I was watching the match from the homely and familiar surroundings of section 114, there were other things on my mind while watching the match. I want to use this post to talk about these other things.

NieR: Automata - Why Is This Game So Special?

Before I start to answer the question in the title, I want to talk about my relationship and experience with playing NieR: Automata. The first time I played this game was maybe around 2018 or 2019 on the PS4. The release of NieR: Automata was in 2017, developed by PlatinumGames (makers of the Bayonetta series, among other titles), and published by Square Enix. 

Amalfi Coast Part 2: Exploring Amalfi and Ravello

This is the second part of my day trip through the Amalfi Coast. Part 1 is here.

Our next stop was the town of Amalfi, which shares the namesake with the coast that we happen to be on. While Positano had this quirky, bougie vibe to the town, Amalfi felt like a more bustling tourist town that was full of life.

Amalfi Coast Part 1: The Picturesque Positano

The next day after we flew into Italy and checked into our hotel in Sorrento, we began our day tour exploring the Amalfi Coast. Right off the bat, I want to say how truly lucky I was to get to go to a place that many people around the world consider to be a bucket-list destination, including myself. The Amalfi Coast is an area that, prior to the tour, I have only read about and explored in Google Maps. I am so happy that I get to share my experience with you, and if you have the means to do so, you should absolutely spend some time on the Amalfi Coast. We went to the towns of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. This post will focus on our time in Positano.

Dave The Diver: You Are What You Fish (And Serve)

By Mintrocket - https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1868140/capsule_616x353.jpg?t=1688092032, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74176167

For my first game of 2024, I chose to play Dave the Diver. I found it difficult to define what kind of game Dave the Diver is. I think Dave the Diver is mainly an adventure game with some RPG elements. You spend your day fishing at a place called the Blue Hole; catching fish for the nearby sushi restaurant and collecting resources for various upgrades. In the night, Dave the Diver turns into a business simulator where you must manage the sushi restaurant, with everything from setting the menu to serving customers on a nightly basis.

Touching Down On Italy (And Europe) For The First Time

Hello again! Now that I have written all my posts about my cruise vacation visiting Croatia, Turkey, and Greece, it is time for me to talk about the week before the cruise trip, with my time in Italy. I have had great difficulty on how I will be structuring these Italy blog posts. I will have dedicated posts on certain places (such as the Amalfi Coast, Capri, etc.) as well as certain attractions (such as the Colosseum, Vatican City, etc.). The problem I am having is how I want to talk about my general thoughts about the country. Should I have a dedicated post just for this? Should I sprinkle these thoughts within all the other Italy posts? There is no true answer for me.

My Top 10 Games I Played in 2023

By Insomniac Games - https://blog.playstation.com/2023/06/08/marvels-spider-man-2-arrives-only-on-ps5-october-20-collectors-digital-deluxe-editions-detailed/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73989403

I played so many video games in 2023 that I can actually write a top-10 list on my best games I played in 2023. Just a reminder, this is NOT my top-10 list on games released in 2023, but rather my top-10 games I played in 2023. Some of these games came out before 2023 (though most of these games are from 2023).