Review: Nintendo DS title "My Japanese Coach," Created by Ubisoft

So this entry will be a little different, specifically because this game isn't really a traditional game as it is more a learning tool for the Japanese language, and secondly because it is the first game I've reviewed that is released by a national brand, Ubisoft. However, I did want to post a review for this title, since I started using it again to keep some of my Japanese ability during long periods of being out of practice.

With that in mind, let's get to the review...

Story: N/A

Seeing as this is a resource for learning the Japanese Language, there isn't much of a story here. The player's instructor does have a name, introduced in the first few lessons on Japanese naming conventions, however it isn't often repeated throughout the lessons, so beyond that sense of familiarity, no story is given, or needed, for this title.

Graphics: 4/5

Given that the goal of this title, again, is language acquisition, the graphics only need be bright and cheery enough to maintain the player's attention throughout the given lesson. Having realized this, the graphics fit the bill very well. The instructor is presented in a traditional Japanese kimono, and the colors and lines make learning the language visually appealing. When asked to write a specific character or kana (Japanese script), the lines are presented clearly and precisely, giving the student the best possible chance to learn the writing correctly. Other items, such as rendered scroll backgrounds for writing, and the mini-game graphics also follow the same pattern of bright, cheery colors to entice the student to continue learning.

Music: 3/5

A majority of the music is a looped track of fusion music, utilizing synthesized sounds of "Japanese" or "Asian" sounding music with modern instruments. Overall, the music is good, and since the focus is on Japanese Language learning, it does get the student in the mood to learn the language. Simplistic in it's execution, it works with the nature of this title.

Controls: 5/5

The controls make full use of the stylus abilities of the Nintendo DS, and it is necessary to properly practice the Japanese language (although a pen and paper mode would do just fine ; ) )
The learning of the Japanese "alphabet," or kana, is essential to proper learning, and the title ensures the student learns the kana in a timely, but sustainable manner. The ability to practice writing within the game is key, and a very nice feature of this title.

Gameplay: 4/5

Overall, the thorough nature of this game is what catches the student off-guard. The game will bring the student all the way from beginner to intermediate level, with consistent practice. The game teaches the student everything from the Japanese alphabet (kana), to common phrases, vocabulary, grammar, and kanji. All the necessary topics for a holistic learning experience are presented. Lessons teach a specific topic, and present ample examples for each topic. Two mini-games generally accompany each lesson to support the new topic, and these mini-games award the student "mastery points." When the student acquires enough points, new lessons are unlocked to continue learning. This methods requires the student to master each lesson before moving forward, encouraging true learning. The only, significant flaw for a traditionalist of Japanese learning are stroke orders. This review only covers up to lesson 20, and the kanji stroke orders are not reviewed, but there are a few instances where the kana stroke orders are given as "incorrect" (relative to how this reviewer learned it initially), which could affect the student's writing abilities later on. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, because a number of students don't even pay attention to the stroke orders, and even some teachers make it less significant in their lessons, so it depends on how the student wishes to learn. Overall, though, the gameplay is stellar.

Difficulty: 3/5

The game gives the student extreme leeway in how challenging the game is. Each game is first preceded by an options screen where the student may choose which words to include in the mini-game, as well as how challenging the game is (given most often as time allowed to complete the specific mini-game, but also what type of hints are given.) In the earlier lessons, for someone with formal Japanese training, the lessons can be expedited by setting the mini-games on "hard," which results in more points per mini-game.

Overall: 4/5

This title does do what it seeks to do, which is present the Japanese language as an approachable and interesting language to learn. The sheer number of lessons and vocab terms presented makes this an extremely valuable tool. Given the price for other software, sometimes upwards of several hundred dollars per title, a DS game priced around $30.00 new is a welcome addition to the mix. Even with the flaws of stroke order, a student wishing verbal mastery and functional writing ability will find to fault in this title. A student who seeks review for lessons already learned will also find this title worthwhile. I encourage any student or teacher of Japanese to explore this title as a possible resource for learning. Though not perfect, it is a well done attempt at making foreign language learning fun and engaging. Check this game out at Ubisoft's MyCoach games website

Review: "Floater", created by This is Pop

OK, I saw this game advertised on TV, and had to check it out. It's called "Floater," and is hosted on Adult Swim's website

Towards the end of the review, I start calling the floating body a "floater" both as a plug for the name of the game, and as a way to stop writing corpse and dead body in the review :D

Story: N/A

Well, there's not much of a story in this game, nor is there much needed...it opens with a small statement about when the player was a kid, and used to hang out with their buddy's by the river, poking a dead body with a stick and high five-ing each other...that's pretty much it, it's a nostalgia game for those who actually did poke dead bodies in rivers as a kid.

Graphics: 4/5

Seeing as this game moves by pretty quickly, and the only real graphics needed are the stick for poking, the dead body that's being poked, and the various obstacles in the river said body runs in to, there's not much necessary here. Along the banks of the river, if you move slowly, you'll see various wild animals going about their day of drinking water, eating grass, and other natural things...but that's not why this game is played. The lines are clean, crisp, and colorful, which makes it actually a relatively nice looking game.

Music: 4/5

Considering I've only ever seen dead body in the river gags on shows taking place in the South (ie Family Guy), the musical choice for this game fits the bill of what I expected. Basically it's a looping track of a banjo player going to town (although the actual track is only about six seconds long). It's not overly annoying during gameplay, considering the player is concentrating on poking the corpse and hitting obstacles for greater points, the track IS annoying enough to mute while writing a review. Mercifully, there is a mute function if it's just not your style. Overall, limited, but appropriate.

Controls: 3/5

Simple enough, the mouse directs where the stick will poke the corpse, and thus pushes the corpse along the plane you poke. Although there's basically two controls here, namely the direction of the mouse and clicking the left mouse button, this reviewer found actually controlling the motion of the body difficult. Besides needing to become relatively familiar with how far the body is poked, the controls themselves are really quite simple to get.

Gameplay: 3/5

The gameplay is fast, and during gameplay, this reviewer didn't reach the end of any particular level. It may be that there are no levels, per se, as much as there is time limits and the goal of amassing as many points as possible before time runs out. Besides that, the gameplay is pretty good, and there are a number of whimsical ways to gain points (some of them being directing your floater into rocks, angry beavers, water snakes, and logs). The high scores can be posted online for those who register at Adult Swim's website , however it wasn't an issue for this reviewer.

Difficulty: 3/5

Probably the two most difficult aspects of this otherwise straightforward game are controlling the floater and running out of time. There are checkpoints along the route (similar to that old inner tube arcade game) where you can gain 10 seconds on your remaining time. Depending on how quickly you choose to progress through the game, actually passing through these checkpoints can be challenging. Additionally, the floater itself is sensitive to pokes, and sometimes floats into a bank that takes valuable time to escape from. Having said this, the overall difficulty isn't hard, boiling down to amassing points by hitting as many things as possible.

Overall: 3/5

It's a pretty fun, short waste of time game that reflects what style of games adult swim hosts on their website. A number of their games are, as the name suggests, not for the kiddies, but as something an adult working person can quickly play through during their coffee break to ease the stress of that boss hanging over your head all morning. This game is reminiscent of the river inner tube arcade game this reviewer used to see as a kid, so people playing this might expect similar gameplay. A nice, short diversion from more important manners, and one that lends itself well to review :) . ゲームをやった！

Check out this and other entertaining games on Adult Swim

Review: "The Hanrahan Game: Final Mix", Created by Flying Squire

Today, I am reviewing "The Hanrahan Game: Final Mix" a platformer created by Flying Squire, and hosted on Yoyo Games.

I am currently working through this game, therefore will post a more thorough review when I am finished; these are my overall first impressions playing through the first few levels.

Story:3/5
Revolves around an evil organization that wants the main character, Hanrahan, to open the "box of chaos," and tries to convince him to help by kidnapping and threatening his wife. The overall storyline is to rescue the wife and discover who is behind the plot and what their plan is.

Graphics: 4/5
This game uses the Game Maker engine, which is available for download on the same site which hosts this game, Yoyo Games. The graphics are standard platformer fair, falling somewhere between NES and SNES quality. The lines are crisp, the textures make it easy to tell what is rock and what is ground, and the colors are well done.

Music: 4/5
The music changes with each level, and cut scenes have their own unique tracks. Overall, it is impressive how much thought was put into the sound, as each sword swing and enemy can be heard, without being overbearing. The music is midi-style, but there is an option of turning it off if the player so chooses, by pressing the "m" key anytime during gameplay.

Controls: 3/5
Having had experience in FPS and MMORPG games on the computer, the controls for this game take a little getting used to. The character is moved by the arrow keys, and the three main buttons in use are "z" "x" and "c"
z: standard sword attack
x: ranged/special attack
c: jump

In addition to these basic controls, the player cycles through a variety of special ranged weapons as they are collected via the spacebar. As a result, it is easy for a player coming from an MMO game (where often times the spacebar is reserved for jumping) to inadvertently cycle through the ranged weapon when attempting a jump. Overall, the controls are easy once the general scheme is learned.

Gameplay: 4/5
The gameplay itself is face-paced, and there seems to be a limitless supply of enemies (in this case, ninja) attacking. The character builds up rage with each enemy killed, and is able to enter an "enraged" state once the bar is full. The enemies generally die with one hit, with the exception of bosses, however as the game progresses, enemies become more able to defend against your basic sword and shuriken attacks, necessitating the use of more creative maneuvers. As this reviewer has yet to complete the game, it isn't possible to rate the end-game content.

Difficulty: 4/5
This rating is in part due to this reviewer's limited time with platform-style games in general, however the game itself can be quite challenging. There are no overt puzzles, however the collection of special coins (differentiated by "elements" like earth, water, greenery, etc) is a challenge. (Think those red coins in many Mario games). Additionally, the bosses have unique quirks which the player must figure out quickly, or else risk death. The presence of save points sprinkled throughout the levels make the challenging aspect less harsh, as players rarely lose much ground if they die.

Overall: 4/5
The game is very enjoyable. Players should expect to dedicate some time to playing, as the first few levels (assuming the players is attempting to achieve 100% clear) will likely take an hour or so. As such, this reviewer is still playing through the campaign. The game is slightly longer than other games reviewed on this site, and as such can not be classified as a "casual" title, but players who excel at platformers will certainly enjoy this free game.

Please feel free to check out the game at Yoyo Games and play through along with this review. As always, comments and questions are always welcome. I haven't yet beaten the game, but this post will sign off with a similar statement. ゲームをやっています。

"Gray and Green" review, created by GraniteGear

Today's review is "Gray and Green," created by GraniteGear.

Story: 3/5
The story is a straight-forward, save the world plot. Mubly is the protagonist, a small blue clay-like figure who is able to jump and walk. His goal is to gather all the color, and banish" the gray", stolen from the world by the evil wizard Murlan (yes, there is a cute reference here...). Mubly travels over three islands towards the wizard's home, likely to a final confrontation with the wizard. On the journey, Mubly will be challenged by a variety of obstacles, including giant biting skulls, gray Mubly-like enemies, gray Mubly-like enemies in pirate garb, and gray Mubly-like enemies in guard outfits. The story is rather simplistic, but a perfectly capable tale for this platform game, since the goal is not to engross the player in deep plot, but to amuse the player for less than an hour of gameplay. Mission accomplished.

Controls: 5/5
Given that this game is meant to be easily picked up and played in close to, or less than, an hour, the controls are simplistic and perfect for the game. Keyboard arrow keys control Mubly, while the Ctrl key is used to interact with the world. One aspect which would have improved the game would have been including a run function, as most of time cost of the game is in walking.

Music: 3/5
Each of the three worlds has one tune that loops while the player progresses through the level. The tunes themselves are fine, but the experience would have benefited from a few more tracks to accompany an overall "theme tune" for each world (ie pirate jig for "Eyepatch Island," and variations of the pirate jig for each level on "Eyepatch Island"). Overall, the tracks weren't obnoxious, and suited the gameplay well enough.

Graphics; 4/5
The cartoony appearance conveys what the creator likely wanted to show with this game, that it was meant as a small diversion and as light-gaming. The graphics are well done for the small sized platform game, easily equal to or greater than SNES quality. The colors, central to the game's story, are given adequate treatment overall, and are vibrant. The background gives the feeling of depth to the side-scroller, and are generally dynamic, which adds to the experience.

Difficulty: 2-3/5
Given the nature of the game, any puzzles are reasonably challenging, but not overly so. The necessary elements to get past an obstacle are pretty clear, given a logical approach. Placement of useful tools (like cannon to blast through walls or propel you through the air, or magic wands which make walking blocks appear) are rather easy to use. In the end, the difficulty comes from the particular quirks of the game engine which make some precise jumps end in poor Mubly's death.

Overall: 4/5

Comments:
Once the player collects the colors for the particular level, all enemies are eliminated, and the task becomes finding and entering the door to the next level. There are cheats in the game, found as messages in a bottle, which rather than help the player, add certain cosmetic changes to Mubly (halloween costumes, fur hats, and the like). Overall, this platform game was quite enjoyable. Other reviewers mention that the gameplay is rather repetitive, but given the music-style and general feel, it can almost be labeled as a sort-of meditative experience. If you'd like to test this game, it can be accessed via Yoyo Games. ゲームをやった!

Alpha Release: Monk's Quest, created by Dan Cobb

Today, I'm writing about an alpha release of a small side-scrolling game called Monk's Quest. The premise is similar to other side-scrolling games like Mario Brothers, in that the player takes control of a hero, and must advance through enemies to reach the end of the zone. While the creator emphasized that this is an alpha release, I will say the initial two levels of play were bug free and straight-forward.

To move the character, one uses the near-standard combination of the w, a, s, d on the keyboard, and players of common mmo-style games and first person shooters will adapt to the controls quickly.

The player initially begins with two attacks, operated by the left and right mouse buttons. The left mouse button controls a low-power ki projectile attack. The player initially starts with 50 ki, and replenishes ki through defeating enemies and acquiring their discarded tokens. The right mouse button controls the ki-free bo staff attack, which has good range compared to the basic enemy's melee strike. The bo staff and ki strike are depended upon the mouse cursor's location, thus if you have the cursor above the character, the staff will attack above the player, etc.

The creator developed a small collection of midi music which plays during gameplay, and the initial choices are appropriate for each level. A forboding, errie track plays when the hero enters an underground cavern, while a brighter melody greets the player during the title screen and first level. The music is reminiscent of various snes games, and isn't a distraction while playing.

The level's ending is perhaps the most whimsical part of the game so far, as once the player reaches the end of the zone, a buffet of goodies sits on a table. A prompt then tells the player to rapidly click the right mouse button, and "EAT!" flashes on the screen. This action replenishes any health lost during the level, and is a nice addition as I imagine the levels get more difficult as the game proceeds.

Speaking of difficulty, if the player dies they start at the beginning of the current level. The first two stages were no big trouble, but I can anticipate many frustrated evenings should the levels become too long, or too difficult. The inclusion of save points, perhaps half way through the level, would likely alieviate things.

Overall, the alpha run of Monk's Quest was a success, and the creator should be proud of this alpha version. Final release dates have not been posted, but I look forward to releasing a further review as I receive updated versions. Until then, the alpha version I played can be downloaded by visiting the "Petit Gibier" website. Please feel free to comment and post any additional questions about this game, or if there is another game you'd like to see reviewed. ゲームをやった！。

Crazed Looters and You; A World of Warcraft Commentary

Crazed-Looters and You

By now we've all leveled through the Borean Tundra, and experienced the DHETA quest chain that asks players to mass murder the loot-crazed hunters that are threatening the land's native species. Specifically, they ask you to bring them their ears as proof of your righteous deeds. An entertaining and whimsical line of quests, to be sure, but it also reflects the evolution of the World of Warcraft player through the various patches and expansions.

For those of us who have played WoW since it's initial release in 2004, we can vaguely recall the nature of the game in those early stages. Specifically, the leveling dynamic was remarkably different from leveling today. Back in the day, it was nay required that a player group up with at least one other person to complete most of the quests. I would argue that no class, even hunters, could easily solo level their way to level cap. In true MMO fashion, getting to level cap required that you play with other people to achieve the common goal. Which brings us to another important distinction between the so-called “old content” and modern day...the idea of achieving level cap. When I began playing WoW, I wasn't specifically concerned with getting to sixty, deciding to focus more on the actual questing and seeing the content the developers designed. Sure, that level cap was there, and it was a distant goal on the level of “sure, I'll retire some time down the road,” but the questing content was not simply a vehicle or method to reach level cap and start “playing the game” in earnest.

Currently, the supreme goal of every “reroll” is to achieve level cap, not for the joy of leveling, but for the experience of playing a new class at level cap. This is evidenced in part by the nature of PvP battlegrounds. As a player who has attempted to PvP as a mid-level toon, I've realized the limited support for participating in battlegrounds as anything but level cap, evidenced by the consistently long waits between matches. Conversely, as a level cap toon, one rarely suffers waits of longer that two minutes. Outside the realm of PvP, one only needs to survey the landscape of instancing to realize the lack of support among the player base for lower to mid level dungeons. When a reroll decides they want to run a lower to mid-level instance, like Uldaman or Maraudon, it is a significant challenge to consistently find quality toons at level who will run with you (at level, while the idea of “running a toon” is another concept all together). This is painfully obvious with the lack of groups who regularly run the “old” raid content like Molten Core and Upper Blackrock Spire, whose limited loot rewards and time requirements make it illogical to even run. Which brings us back to the title of this article, “crazed-looters and you”.

Once a toon reaches level cap, they are no where near competitive with the other level cap characters. In order to not suffer one-shot deaths in battlegrounds, the player must acquire “epic loot” for their character. This generally requires stock purple gear, or else you're toast. By having a system whereby a player's gear plays such a significant role in their ability to remain competitive, the developers have inherently supported a system like Nesingwary's loot-crazed hunters. Each player, instead of wanting to see the content or experience what the developers made, (which, I will concede, is still significant, but nowhere near the central role of older WoW versions) desires acquiring loot for their character. Of course, people are still excited about seeing the latest dungeon, but after the initial run, the focus shifts from seeing the new content, to farming for loot. “Just one more attempt at this boss, I need to get those shoulders,” sounds no more reasonable than “just three more pelts and I'll get that epic-level gun”.

Two Friends

Ron had always had an interest in all things Asian. As a kid, he would run around the back yard pretending that he was surrounded by a band of ninja, that he was the last soldier to defend the town. With little effort, he would defeat all the attackers, and send them running into the night in fear. As his parents realized his growing interest in martial arts, they enrolled him in local community classes, and later signed him up for regular study at a martial arts school.

One day, when Ron was about ten years old, he asked about a scroll on the wall.

“Sir, what does that say?” Ron asked.

“Those are Chinese characters, it's a story about a man being chased by tigers” the instructor explained.

Ron asked “Did the man get away?”

“I have a book that you might like, I'll get it for you.” The instructor walked to his office and came back with a book that had a picture much like the wall scroll painting.

“Here, it'll tell you about that story,” he said as he handed Ron the book.

As it turns out, it was a small text of comic strips about Asian Philosophy. Ron was already interested in Japanese comic books, and although he liked the pictures, some of the stories didn't make sense. As he grew older, he continued to read those stories from time to time, and found more of them started to be clear as he experienced new things in his life. Although he started to understand what they were talking about, he found he wanted to learn more.

Finally, Ron had graduated high school and was ready to apply for university. At the time, he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to study, considering all the options ahead of him. The only things that could come to his mind that he thoroughly enjoyed were martial arts, food, and computers. Well, that and the stories in his teacher's old comic book. After researching the academic programs at the local college, he finally settled on learning philosophy. His parents weren't convinced that he could do anything with it, but relented after much encouragement.

***

Overall, he enjoyed his time at university, but Ron especially enjoyed the lectures on East Asian philosophy, specifically the units on Buddhism. His instructor clarified that, while Buddhism is largely seen as a religious practice, the underlying principles were more easily defined as a philosophical outlook on life, which is why there was a unit on it. Ron absorbed the material, and found he wanted to learn more. Being a Friday, and having nothing else planned, he rode his bike to the local bookstore, and bought several books on Buddhist philosophy. He spent the entire weekend reading introductory books on Buddhism (because that's what all college students do on their weekends). By Monday, Ron had decided he wanted to go somewhere where he could study Buddhism in it's more natural environment. He had decided to study abroad.

Ron went to the study abroad office at his university, and picked up all the fliers having to do with East Asia. He had never realized all the opportunities available for students to attend university overseas, and was overjoyed at the programs in China, Korea, Japan, and India. When he went home for the day, Ron began browsing the brochures he had picked up. To his surprise, most of the programs were far too expensive for his budget (his parents had agreed to pay part of his expenses, but a year abroad began looking like it'd cost upwards of twenty-five thousand dollars!) As he browsed the costs, he noticed that China had the least overall cost, being about half the listed fees for a year in Japan.

Later that week, Ron called his parents and asked if they would support him attending university overseas for a year. They agreed, on the condition that Ron kept in constant contact with them, and ensured everything was planned and well thought out before he left. He explained that the programs were very well planned, and supported by staff from the host country, as well as staff from the home university. They relented, and Ron began the process of applying.

***

After a series of courses in Chinese Language and history, Ron felt he has adequate preparation for his studies abroad. While he was nowhere near fluent in Chinese, he knew enough to ask where the bathroom was and how to order food in a restaurant. How much could a student need?? The only thing left now was to wait to hear from the program selection committee to see if he was accepted.

In Spring term, the final term before summer break, Ron was getting increasingly anxious, and would eagerly check the mailbox each day for any news. Finally, he received the letter from the Study Abroad Office, and he was accepted (of course he was! It would ruin the story if he failed, now wouldn't it??)! He called his parents and let them know that he would be attending university in China for a year, starting the next fall term.

***

It had already been a few months since Ron arrived in Beijing, and he was already becoming disillusioned. Although he had experienced a lot while he studied at Peking University's International Division, he had barely had any exposure to the topic he really wanted to study. His Chinese had greatly improved, and he was able to understand small bits of information from the news programs on TV. As he understood it, there were to be nation-wide elections for a new president, and everybody was excited at the prospects of the candidates.

One day, he went to his program advisor's office, and expressed his disappointment. The advisor had been working at the Division for years, tailoring the program to give the student's a variety of glimpses into China's great history. She explained

“Well, Ron, after the Presidential election ends and our spring break starts, we are scheduled to make a trip to Lhasa, the old Tibetan capital. There are a number of museums dedicated to the history of Buddhism there, I'm sure they'll have a lot of things you'd like.”

“Oh? That's cool; Do you know if the Dalai Lama will be giving talks while we're there?”

“It's hard to say, Ron, the Dalai Lama has always had a full schedule of events in all parts of the world, and with the presidential elections coming, his office is sure to be busy organizing the new president's inaugural visit to Lhasa for the Lama's blessing.”

“Well, I'm just hoping to be able to visit the Lama's Palace, I've only ever seen pictures”

***

Ron finished his packing for the week-long trip to Lhasa. He was excited, and knew he needed to catch the bus soon, or he would miss the tour's bullet train departure. He bid farewell to his host parents, who were busy opening their grocery shop, and made his way towards the train station. The bus ride was largely uneventful, as Ron had his face buried in a tour book of Lhasa.

The bus arrived and Ron hurried towards the train terminal. He met up with the advisor, and the other students, and they boarded the bullet train towards Lhasa. As the train began to pick up speed, an attendant explained the elevation changes and how they could affect the body if improperly prepared. Ron listened with only minor interest, still reviewing all the things he wanted to see when they arrived. The train ride took 14 hours, and they arrived late that evening. As the advisor organized their accommodations for the week long stay, the students mingled in the lobby of the inn. Finally, the advisor issued room keys as each student was pairing up for room assignments. Ron had been paired up with Jeremy, a friend he had got along well with during their stay in Beijing. Jeremy was issued the room key, and the advisor requested everyone to retire for the next day's events.

Jeremy and Ron went to their room, which was more spacious than either were expecting. Ron was so tired, since he barely slept the night before out of anticipation. They decided to turn on the TV and watch what little programming was on so late in the evening. Finally, they settled on a baseball game, although neither were particularly interested in the sport. Ron slowly drifted to sleep.

***

The next day, Ron awoke to the sun shining through the window. He hadn't known such a restful sleep in years, although he just attributed it to the fatigue from the long train ride the day earlier. As he got up, he realized that Jeremy wasn't in the room. He found a note attached to his hat, simply saying the Jeremy couldn't wait any longer and went to the lobby for breakfast. Ron got dressed and went down to join his friend.

He found the dining room already full with guests, although Ron realized many of them weren't Chinese, but people of Tibet. The dining halls were open to all guests as a service during their stay, however natives and locals were welcome to dine here for a small fee. As Ron later found out, it was also the cheapest place to eat outside the home in the whole city.

Ron saw Jeremy sitting at a large table with the other students, who had already dished their breakfast and were eagerly eating. Ron walked to the dish counter, picked up a place setting, and made his way to the table. Sitting across from Jeremy, he surveyed the family-style breakfast prepared by the innkeeper. It was largely unfamiliar to Ron, consisting largely of steamed dumplings with mountain vegetables in a clear broth, dried as well as stewed yak meat with potatoes, and freshly prepared milk in large pitchers. Chinese teas were also served, in steaming pots at the center of the table. Ron hardly realized how hungry he was until he began eating. After Ron had finished, and the other students were engrossed in several conversations, the advisor came over to the table and outlined the activities for the day. Their first tour was to be the Dalai Lama's palace.

***

As the tour group made their way towards the palace, Ron could hardly contain his excitement. He had read so much about the palace while in Beijing, and had been itching to see it since the trip began. The advisor had organized a personalized tour for the students, which meant they were being offered a rare opportunity to see sights most tourists didn't. Their guide was a monk of advanced age, who had volunteered to give the students the tour personally. He spoke with a soft, kind accent, though he had little problems conversing in English. He often emphasized a point with a small chuckle, which made Ron feel as if each statement contained some profound meaning that was, at the same time, so simple. The tour continued for about forty-five minutes, and as it was drawing to a close, Ron noticed a door had been left ajar, and something sparkled as he passed by. Seeing that the tour had continued into the next room, Ron couldn't suppress his curiosity, and chanced a peek into the room. As he slowly opened the door, careful not to make a sound, he entered and realized what he had found. The room contained all manner of souvenirs, from a pair of eyeglasses, a set of prayer beads, and a collection of photographs. Looking, but careful not to touch, he surveyed the various items with interest. Ron was so engrossed in the items that he didn't hear the door open and another person enter the room.

“I see you've managed to wander off, young one,” the monk said, startling Ron.

“I'm...I'm sorry, sir, I just saw something sparkling and wanted to know what it was,” Ron said,

trying to get control of his racing thoughts.

Then, Ron realized the monk who had caught him was the the same one who had guided the student tour through the palace. Ron offered a shallow bow, and the old monk chuckled,

“No need to be so formal, please, I get enough of that everyday. Why do you think I offered to lead the student tour myself? I needed to get away from my duties for a little while,” the monk explained.

Suddenly, Ron came to a realization. As he studied the mannerisms of the monk, he realized he had seen them before, in a documentary he watched back in Beijing. The simple robes and unadorned garb belied who he was in the presence of. His eyes became like saucers, and he gasped

“You're...you're the Dalai Lama!?”

“Please, please, I am just a humble monk, nothing more,” the monk laughed.

Even as Ron was struck paralyzed by his discovery, the Dalai Lama moved to the room's single chair, and sat down gingerly.

“Tell me, young one, what was of interest that brought you into this room?” He asked, inquisitively.

“W..Well, as our tour passed by, I saw something sparkle in the sunlight, and I was so curious what it was, that I just came in...,” Ron said, a little ashamed and intimidated.

“And did you find what you were looking for?” the Dalai Lama asked.

“Well, several of these items drew my attention...” Ron replied.

“Oh? Which ones?”

Ron carefully pointed out the items which had caught his attention; an old camera, a scroll with a painting of a man and a tiger, an old string of prayer beads, and a small book of prayers.

As Ron finished his list, he noticed the Dalai Lama's eyebrow raise, although his expression gave away no surprise.

“And do you know why these items peaked your interest?” he asked.

“I don't know, sir, they just seemed to be of great interest to me; it's hard to explain,” Ron said.

“Well, this is quite interesting, my friend, as all of these items you've chosen are relics of old only known to the Dalai Lama. Past, present...and future.”

Musings of a Student's Garden

What is there to say of peace

is it all that real, attainable?

What is peace, if no one sees war

What's war but mistakes long past

Misunderstanding, miscommunication

are people so callous to kill?

Mind's eye left blind

when did we stray from the path?

What path? Is there any right path?

Yes, but does anyone understand?

How can we, lost and confused

Everyone lets the ego run life

is the self so centered to kill another?

How are they any different?

Who, they? US, them, We, they

We're all the same, right?

Live life like we can, who gave us

the right to destroy another

With bombs, missiles, television

illusion, slight of hand, Foxy

All are the same, really, whose

better than anyone else?

What measures success, money

or property. We tire of things,

they lose their luster quickly

What possessions does a rock

need, though it lives so long

Humans are young, short lived

What does the tree think of humans

So uncaring, yet so destructive in kind

With machines and technology we

destroy all around us

cell phones ringing constantly

People run from one place to another

always talking, never listening

goal centered, profit chasing

what is it worth, in the long run?

We make money to give away for stuff

Stuff is useless, though they say otherwise

They? Business, media, suits, talking

ads spout propaganda, 24-7

we're never free from it, always in the mind

brainwashing, psychological warfare.

How to escape? To where? Anywhere in

nowhere, really. Wake up, it's beautiful

Rocks, trees, Green, surround by stone

a flower drops gently, yet no one sees

how can the beauty of a flower be replaced?

By what? TV beauty, it fades, old and withered

Move to the next one, transitory, everything

Passes, moves on, lives again, but humans?

Thinking too much to enjoy

Enjoy what? Life, surroundings, others

Happy, laughing, singing, clapping

smiles all around, people are alive

Life is beautiful, if we just pay attention

Wake Up! Life is passing you right now

I sing, and dance, and am happy

Though it alone will pass.