Monument Valley by Ustwo

Monument Valley is a gorgeous 3-D cartoon-like Escher-inspired puzzle game, with geometric architectural colourful settings, adorable characters, effective sound and animation effects, and a soothing magical music. This is a sleek game regarding design, and where colour, simplicity and fancifulness are perfectly combined.

I find the game good both for children and adults, as the level of difficulty is not high until you get to the last two levels (chapters 9 & 10) or the the last episode of the expansion. However, it is not that easy, either, as this is a 3D puzzle, so optical illusion and perspective play an important role in solving the puzzles. This makes the game very engaging. Eye candy. Mind candy. The level of difficulty steps up, literally, with each chapter and steps up with the new set extension, which is something I love. Episode 8 of the Forgotten Shores was really tricky!

The whole ensemble is mesmerising and absorbing, and unlike other puzzle games or games in general, even if you are stuck in some of the most difficult steps, you won't give up. Because it is kinda relaxing.

The game is based on touch and tap, so anybody, even a small child, can play it, to happily lead our little princess to destination. Most importantly, the game is fully responsive to touch and tap, at least in my tablet, something we cannot take for granted as many games really are not thought for or adapted for tablets and are a pain to play.

There are 10 chapters included in the game, plus 8 more if you want to expand it. You probably will do because, once you immerse yourself in the wondrous world of Monument Valley, you want to stay there for a long time. It is barely $3 AU, and, what the heck, your coffee will cost you more.

Big kudos to the whole team of Ustwo for making a virtue and an amazing game based on pure simplicity, care for the details, and charm. I am going to be buying anything these guys create!

Read More

WTF Food Moment 7: Gluten Free Proskewto

(I am at the Deli section at my Coles, being served).

(A young tattooed hypster couple, late 20s or early 30s, arrive and stand next to me). 

>We are having "pros-kew-toh" (she says),  

(LOL, but it is sweet.)

< Pro-xu-tto (he corrects her)

--> The attendant approaches them.

> What are you having guys?

< Is the Salami gluten free?

--> The attendant looks at the labels.

> The label of the salami says it is!

< What about the prosciutto?

(Now, I am getting "queasy")

--> The attendant looks at the label of at piece of deboned plastic-sealed prosciutto.

(Noooo, He too!!!!! It can't be happening!) 

> It doesn't say anything, so I guess is not gluten free.

(WTF! I am smiling in disbelief.)

> OK, then we won't have the prosciutto, 

(WTF!)

(Would you ask, is smoked salmon gluten free? No, right? Well the same with prosciutto. Real Prosciutto or Jamón Serrano are not meat-made products. They are a piece of cured pork leg, cured by using salt and very cold temperatures. So no wheat derivative is added. The fact that pieces of prosciutto are deboned and plastic sealed in Australia contributes to the confusion. The "things" you see around the meat are actually pieces of dry salt, dry fat, and the dry skin of the animal. That is real prosciutto.)

(On the other hand, it made me think, is the prosciutto sold at Coles, real prosciutto? WTF, now I am getting into the WFT proskewto mood). 

WHERE? My suburban Coles. 

Read More

WTF Foodie Moment 6: Tough guys

--> I am having my lunch break.

-->  A bunch of tough-looking long-bearded guys arrive. They look tough. They look like a new wave of breaded bikies with a sprinkle of poshness.
 
--> They order.
 
--> They go outside.
 
(I am sure they are going to order something tough, something macho or at least manly, a long macch, a black coffee without sugar, something acid and caustic, meaty.)

--> Their order arrives... A green coloured organic juice.
 
WTF!

(WHERE? Babooshka Cafe, Northbridge)

Read More

WTF Foodie Moment 5: Morcilla Breaky

--> I am seating on a sunny Sunday, at one of my fav cafes. I have ordered the Morcilla Breaky.

--> A couple arrives and seats next table. Their table is separated five centimetres (literally) from mine.

--> My meal arrives. It looks Yum! I start eating. It tastes yummy.

--> He looks at me (meaning my morcilla breaky) mesmerized. Staring.

> (He tells her) it looks great, isn't it?

< (She tells him) Yes, you should order it.

--> (I keep munching)

--> (He keeps looking at me and/or my morcilla, or both. He does so several times).

--> (The friend they were waiting finally arrives and joins the party, and the waitress approaches their table)

> What are you having, guys?

< What is she having? ("she" is me! at barely 5 cms.)

--> (The whole table plus the confused waitress look at me. The waitress is lost for a moment as my breakfast is almost finished).

>> (I reply) The morcilla breaky....

--> (They ignore me. No Thank yous. They are too, how to put it... rude? obnoxious? What about the constant staring? What about talking about me and my morcilla as if we were mere projections on a screen and I was not there? What about learning to communicate using their vocal cords instead of their eyes and asking me directly from the very beginning?) 

--> What is wrong with you, WTF people?!

(WHERE? Cantina 663, Mt Lawley)

Read More

Roe St Bus Station (Perth WA, Australia)

The Roe St Bus Station opened in January 2014 as a funny spin-off of the Wellington St Station, while the underground internationally designed station is being built. We will have this station operational for at least for two years, as the works are scheduled to finish in 2016

Located in a fantastic location on Roe St, this station services the bus lines tending to Perth's northern suburbs. What I love the most about it is how easy is to access the heart of the city from here: Train Station, William St, Forrest Place, Wellington St.

The place is more a jump on-jump off sort of place. There are a few information poles, a few covered seating benches, an information booth, and, surprise!, the buses. It is very Spartan, still functional with 12 bus stands, two of them devoted to replacement buses when any of the train lines stops. 

I don't understand why they have left one of the sides of the station almost bare of seating benches. Even if they are costly, they can be recycled afterwards. Just saying. 

Read More

Mini Wonderlane (Claremont WA, Australia)

Shop 5, Old Theatre Lane
50 Bayview Terrace
 Claremont WA 6010
 Phone: 0433 194 718
 Website

Not even a month old, this extra-cute children pop-up shop is in  the lovely Old Theatre Lane. It does look like a posh children shop, though!

They have wonderful handmade clothing, toys and accessories by local artists and designers (Little Alannah May, Teesh, Bunting By Design, Harper + Monroe,  Kleinemouse Handmade, Diva Dolls by Beck, Stylish Monkeys, Chucklebug,  Petals and Pixies). All of their material, the girl dresses especially are just wonderfully colourful.

I loved the fabric dolls, so very retro etsy-like style.

Unlike branded clothing for children, these ones are affordable, going from cheap to a bit pricey, the dolls being pricey (about 50 bucks). Not  cheap, but you know you are buying hand-made in Western Australia, that is not a multinational selling the stuff you find everywhere.

Read More

Trowbridge Gallery (Claremont WA, Australia)

Trowbridge Gallery
52F Old Theatre Lane
Claremont WA 6010
Phone:  (08) 9384 4814
Website

This is a multi-wow business and we have it in WA!

Located at the bottom end of the charming Old Theatre Lane, I entered because I love big balls, world globes I mean :). It turns out that they have the largest collection of world globes for sale in Australia.

The place is nicely crowded and set, like an harmonic sort of no-chaotic chaos, unpretentious and luminous, and it doesn't look like an antiques place at all. It doesn't smell like an antiques shop either (that is good!). They have a framing service at the usual Perth prices, and they take about a week to frame your things, unless, of course, they've ran out the material you want.

However, the wows will come from your mouth mostly because of the material they have for sale and on display. Imagine going to the WA Museum and being able to buy what is on the walls. But you can't, right? Well, if you are a Western Australian and want a piece of Western Australia's History, original pieces, and you have the money, come to this place. Framed lithographs, book illustrations with views of Western Australia (Perth, Albany, Bunbury, Fremantle, New Norcia) from the 18th century, and historical maps related to WA that go back to the 17th century. Originals!

Not enough "wowiness" for you? They also have children prints from famous Australian and European illustrators, medical prints from the early 19th Century, animal lithographs and prints from famous naturalists, and some Modern Art pieces that I didn't check out.

Prices for the historical material are over 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 bucks, up up, but if you have the money, you are getting an authentic piece of History. Be happy, the frame is included in the price! They probably have "cheapies", but all the pieces I checked were high-end.

The charming Scottish owner was lovely to tell me anything I wanted to know and see. Very laid back. You would expect a sort of posh haughty-nose person in a shop like this, but, on the contrary, he was very warm and helpful and OK with me just browsing around and making questions.

EXTRA-KUDOS
>> They have sporadic exhibitions in the shop.
>> Prices are clearly marked. Nothing hidden.

Read More