Weekend recap
The weekend wasn’t the most exciting or eventful. Paul headed off to Chile very, very early on Sunday morning (for 3 weeks this time*) so good portions of Friday and Saturday evening were spent packing, with a little bit of WOW thrown in for good measure.
Although Bestilla my group-play character will now be shelved for a few weeks, my solo-play character, Euridycce is rapidly approaching Level 47… I’m hoping to make some further decent progress with her in the coming weeks, as long as I’m not guilted into playing with my other group character, a Blood Elf Paladin.
Saturday day was spent catching up on our weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign, although questing took a backseat to the divvying up of treasure and assorted other in-game admin matters. My Paladin did get to whomp on some mysterious golden-eyed tigers with his greatsword though, and is overseeing the spiritual rejuvenation of a ransacked trade port by building a new chapel. My companions meanwhile are pumping their funds into the local brewery and pub. Naturally.
Alone again on Sunday, I decided to take it pretty easy. After some errands and clothes shopping at the Pavillion, the heat in Durban was too crazy to do anything other than float around the pool and sit quietly in the shade.
I made a lot of progress with Gates of Fire, the novel by Steven Pressfield that focuses on the Battle of Thermopylae. Many people were disappointed that Frank Miller’s hyper-stylised 300 was adapted for the big screen and not Gates of Fire, which is a far more realistic look at the battle, and, more importantly the life of a Spartan warrior.
With Pressfield’s detailed focus on the Spartans’ punishing mental and physical training, and combat strategy, the reader develops a far greater admiration for the Spartans than they did in 300. These men aren’t superhumans – despite their toughness, they remain human beings at heart, putting themselves on the front lines to defend their loved ones and city. If you are interested in the Battle of Thermopylae but found 300 a bit cartoonish for your tastes, then Gates of Fire is well worth seeking out.
A massive thunderstorm on Sunday evening made any PC-related activities out of the question. Instead, I watched The Da Vinci Code. Jesus, I think it took me less time to read Dan Brown’s novel than watch the movie. It just went on and on and on. As badly written as the book was stylistically, it was still a genuine page-turner that progressed at a breakneck speed. By comparison, the film’s pacing was a drag. And unlike the book, which invited the reader to share the puzzle solving, all The Da Vinci Code movie required of audiences was to sit watching characters staring pensively at walls and magical glowing numbers as they deciphered codes. The flashback scenes to cover historical events were done very well, but sheesh, The Da Vinci Code did not work at all as a movie adaptation.
*In theory
Although Bestilla my group-play character will now be shelved for a few weeks, my solo-play character, Euridycce is rapidly approaching Level 47… I’m hoping to make some further decent progress with her in the coming weeks, as long as I’m not guilted into playing with my other group character, a Blood Elf Paladin.
Saturday day was spent catching up on our weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign, although questing took a backseat to the divvying up of treasure and assorted other in-game admin matters. My Paladin did get to whomp on some mysterious golden-eyed tigers with his greatsword though, and is overseeing the spiritual rejuvenation of a ransacked trade port by building a new chapel. My companions meanwhile are pumping their funds into the local brewery and pub. Naturally.
Alone again on Sunday, I decided to take it pretty easy. After some errands and clothes shopping at the Pavillion, the heat in Durban was too crazy to do anything other than float around the pool and sit quietly in the shade.
I made a lot of progress with Gates of Fire, the novel by Steven Pressfield that focuses on the Battle of Thermopylae. Many people were disappointed that Frank Miller’s hyper-stylised 300 was adapted for the big screen and not Gates of Fire, which is a far more realistic look at the battle, and, more importantly the life of a Spartan warrior.
With Pressfield’s detailed focus on the Spartans’ punishing mental and physical training, and combat strategy, the reader develops a far greater admiration for the Spartans than they did in 300. These men aren’t superhumans – despite their toughness, they remain human beings at heart, putting themselves on the front lines to defend their loved ones and city. If you are interested in the Battle of Thermopylae but found 300 a bit cartoonish for your tastes, then Gates of Fire is well worth seeking out.
A massive thunderstorm on Sunday evening made any PC-related activities out of the question. Instead, I watched The Da Vinci Code. Jesus, I think it took me less time to read Dan Brown’s novel than watch the movie. It just went on and on and on. As badly written as the book was stylistically, it was still a genuine page-turner that progressed at a breakneck speed. By comparison, the film’s pacing was a drag. And unlike the book, which invited the reader to share the puzzle solving, all The Da Vinci Code movie required of audiences was to sit watching characters staring pensively at walls and magical glowing numbers as they deciphered codes. The flashback scenes to cover historical events were done very well, but sheesh, The Da Vinci Code did not work at all as a movie adaptation.
*In theory
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