So Vine is the new toy in town and its somewhat like Cinemagraph. I had to use it for something fun. My daughter Clié taught me how to do the cup song, so here it is.
Show me your vines!
Minecraft in Singapore with Sudden Dawn
What is Minecraft? That is a very common question I get from friends. Even I asked that question just about a month ago. There are so many Youtube videos about them, my kids and their friends are talking about it too. I could not understand the appeal and no one seem to be able to explain to me what it was. I have to figure it out myself.
Then came Minecraft: The Story of Mojang which is actually available for free on Piratebay as the producers uploaded it there themselves. This documentary started as a Kickstarter project and I think the outcome is really great.
After having some understanding of what it is, I was totally blown away at the impact it will leave with this generation who are currently playing Minecraft. I’m in my mid 30s now and Lego was a huge part of my childhood, but I have to say Minecraft will have a way larger impact to this current generation.
10 – 20 years from now, people are going to look back at how Minecraft have been so much of their childhood that I feel it would make Lego seem like toys for really really young kids.
Let me try to put down a few points to see if I can do justice to what Minecraft is:
- Sandbox Game
- 3D Pixel Art thing
- Architecture Toy
- Adventure Game
- Single / Multiplayer game
- Incredible Machine type experimental thing
- Educational Tool
- Teamwork Tool
- and many other ways you can use it…
I’ve played the single player mode for a while and got hooked. At the start of the game, you spawn at a random place. It could be in a jungle, a desert, a town, etc. then when night falls, monsters come out at night, so you’ve got to find shelter and protect yourself. The following video will give you a quick experience of what it is like playing Minecraft for the very first time.
Seeing people playing minecraft in a group, I then tried to find out more about multiplayer mode and Googled for “Minecraft Singapore” and found websites which listed out multiplayer servers across Singapore. I ended up joining Sudden Dawn together with my daughter Cleo who is super into Minecraft.
When we joined the server, our character spawned in an amazingly beautiful town (comparatively when playing single player as there are no major towns there). Immediately there were rules to read and we read them one by one. Kinda cool as I knew these were all user generated and not some computer default, so curiously started exploring around.
Apparently it is recommended for us to join a town so I asked on the public chat on where would be the nearest town. Almost instantly, we were warmly welcomed by a user named HolyFreakz to go check out his town DawnValley. He gave us the tour of the town and showed us the farm they have built, houses in the town and generally showed hospitality. I then decided that we should join this town and learn more. The town had a Modern design theme and we started on building our very first house in multiplayer mode.
I asked around to find out who owns the server and its WurmpleAss who owns it. I manage to get both of them to take a group photo for this blog post. lol. I think this is kinda funny.
This is the very first house and my inspiration was from Bauhaus Architecture. Bold shapes, clean lines, functional.
I have to say, I’m quite pleased with our first proper house. At this point, the account we are using is registered under Cleo’s name and I decided to hand over this house to her and get an account myself. So technically this is Cleo’s house now.
As this multiplayer server is hosted by WurmpleAss, he added a Dynamic Map tool to allow users to see the entire map and this is extremely useful as that allowed me to figure out where I would like to explore and go for adventures.
There are kinda crazy things everywhere. Clouds anchored by chains to the sea, giant trees, meteor sites, floating islands, frozen underwater chambers, giant sea serpents, etc.
Here are some cools stuff that I manage to see.
While exploring, there are lots of deep caves and surprises. There are zombies and skeletons in the caves and even lava flowing in underground chambers. The prize is when you find a chest with treasure and I feel such a huge sense of achievement when I discovered two treasure chests at the foot of a tree which happens to be in the trunk of a massively huge tree.
It feels amazing.
There are lots of other stuff you can do as its a Sandbox type game. Actually the term “game” itself kinda start to feel inappropriate. It’s kinda hard to explain and maybe you need to experience it for yourself.
I started embarking on my second house and as my plot of land (12 x 12 blocks) is kinda in the middle of town, I decided to build high.
Very happy with the outcome. Out at the top of my house, you can have a great view of the town.
And on the roof, its also a perfect spot to see sunsets and moon rises.
So if you are looking at joining a Server in Singapore, do check out suddendawn.sg and I’ll see you in there sometime.
Here is a trailer the admins have put together and see if you can spot Cleo mining for Diamonds in her Rainbow Dash Skin.
If you do join the server, so drop by and check out the town DawnValley and see if you can find my house.
Just in case you are looking out for me, here is me standing outside my house.
Hope this post helps you better understand Minecraft and why its kinda a big deal in this generation.
You can buy Minecraft at Minecraft.net and you will be glad you did.
Dear Daughters
It’s the year 2013. Clié is in Primary 5, Cleo is in Primary 3 and Clara is bouncing around at home for the longest time and will be starting Nursery tomorrow. I want all three of you to know that Mommy and Daddy constantly worry about your education. We don’t ask for As or awards, we just want you all to pass and don’t feel discouraged or be told that you are stupid. Deep down inside, we are just hoping for all of you to grow up and be useful, happy people. I’m writing this post so that I can remember the stand mommy and daddy took in regards to your studies which we have discussed at length during the last exam period on how our educations system in Singapore is like.
Clié
Clié, you are our first child. We have heard so many horror stories of parents making their kids attend this, attend that, go for this, go for that and that their children have no time to play and have fun memorable childhood.
We let you play, we let you attend what you wanted to attend, we let you do more of the stuff that interests you. To us, we feel maybe pre-school should be all about play and we never really pumped syllabus into you. We basically shut off what all those kiasu parents said and believe with all our heart that we are doing the right thing for you.
You entered Primary 1 not knowing how to read and half way thru Primary 1, you were failing so miserably across all subjects. Then it hit us.
For some of your tests, you hardly got any marks. The WORSE part was thinking how you must have felt when that exam paper stared at you for over an hour for you to prove your worth. It must have been terrifying like Daddy going to a client presentation with nothing prepared.
Clié, you somehow made it to primary 5 while not doing very well since primary 1 and PSLE is just a year away. Primary 5 is an important year for you as our education system will start to classify weaker students and put them in “foundation†classes. This will also mean if you are indeed going to be in this scheme, you will not be following the mainstream education path of Secondary > JC / Poly > University anymore. (at least from what we understand)
We worry. We worry a lot for your studies.
You are not stupid. Instead, you think very well on your feet. You come up with amazing excuses and have very creative ideas. You are never shy to talk to new people and you can easily engage adults in conversation. We know you have deep interest in relationships between people by the way you ask your questions and as parents we are extremely proud that you are always willing to help others and take on responsibilities. You want to be a paramedic, a singer, an artist, an interior designer, but what stands out most is you want to be a fashion designer as you keep drawing girls in dresses all the time and experiment with what you wear. You are also a fantastic singer as you can memorise lyrics effortlessly. You are generally one dramatic girl, you are loud and so full of energy and we are so happy that you came in 1st for 100m in your school sports fest last year.
Cleo
Cleo, being 2 years younger then Clié, we knew minimally, you must know how to read before going to primary school. We signed you up early for phonics classes and week after week Daddy fetched you to your English class at Simei. You enjoyed teacher Jacqueline’s classes for four years and we were glad.
Similarly with Clié, we let you play as much as you liked and also encouraged your phases of interests. From Carebears to Cardboard boxes, from Cars to Stamps, from Chu Chu pets to Littlest Pet Shop, from Dinosaurs to animals in general. You have this tendency to be deeply interested in things and will ask “why†all the time. Sometimes Daddy feels like the National Geographic channel just answering your questions.
Being left handed and younger then Clié, you thought for the longest time that you have ugly handwriting and never liked writing or drawing. Whenever someone commented on your gigantic letters and unrecognizable Chinese characters, you feel terrible and just say its because you are left handed. You did not like drawing too. Sweaty palms did not help either. However, you do know that your sweaty palms can be taken as some kind of super power as none of us can open that plastic bag at the supermarket and you always do it with a snap of your fingers and a smirk on your face.
You don’t have much problems with English or Math or homework in general as you are like Mommy who will diligently do her work early. I find it funny that if you don’t finish your stuff you will feel stressed out. You are the total opposite of Clié.
However, your Chinese… Chinese, Chinese. Your Chinese teacher say you hardly spoke a word of Chinese in Primary 1. Somehow, you don’t even react when your teacher is calling you in class using your Chinese name. We are glad that in Primary 2, your Chinese improved and it’s no longer a problem now.
Your teachers love you, you are diligent, tidy, soft spoken and simply adorable student.
Clié gets terribly jealous when we praise you, so we praise you quietly.
Clara
Both Clié and Cleo started some kind of school when they hit 18 months. You are 27 months now and you are finally starting Nursery tomorrow.
You pickup things very fast and can hum along to the songs that Clié sings and anything that you hear. Your vocabulary is picking up and day by day, you are learning new words. Daddy is now trying to teach you logical concepts such as big and small, long and short. Cleo is teaching you ABCs and Clié is teaching you 123s. Let’s see how it goes.
Clara, you are generally a happy child. Your sisters love you, your parents love you and you express your love back to us on dramatic hugs and kisses. We are so very blessed.
Our Education System
Now dear daughters, as parents its our duty to make sure we provide you the best that we can and bring you up the best that we can. We don’t enjoy stressing you out about school work, we don’t enjoy bringing you to extra tuition classes, we don’t enjoy disciplining all of you and we definitely don’t enjoy hitting you all.
So… there is an education system in our country and its meant to be the best for the masses, but that does not mean its the best for everyone as well and that just how its going to be. I don’t think we can change it or avoid it, so you girls just have to go thru it and as parents we will try to see how we can help you do well. If you do well, great, if not how?
We have decided not to stress you girls too much and let you have a balanced (not so tiring) schedule. We will let you join the activities you are interested in and encourage what you are good at. We will try to expand your world view and buy you less toys and stuff.
But whatever the case is, we need you all to do your best. Not trying is already failing and trying your best is already being successful. So for 2013, lets do the best we can as a family and enjoy learning stuff as this world is too interesting than toys and silly videos online.
So now I’ve read this to you, go to bed and do your best!
Clara’s Blog is finally up
FINALLY did up my dear Clara’s blog. Its basically an import of all the Instagram photos with #clarapan using “DsgnWrks Instagram Importer” + a responsive WordPress photo theme Mixfolio. Now just need to work out how to use IFTTT to auto post on blog once I’ve taken a picture with #clarapan hashtag.
I KNEW adding the #clarapan hashtag would come in useful someday. Today is the day. :)
Rainbows, Rain and Sun
