In attendance: the greatest lyrical acrobat of all time!

 

   When I was in my troubled 14's, over in the back-hill, upside down city of Athens, that seems to be stuck in the past and even though the people that live there have the impression they're the center of the entire world, stubbornly refusing to wake up to the fact that no one really cares about what goes on in their little capital, I began to take notice of a brand new artist. His name was Eminem, though introduced himself to the world as Slim Shady, an alias that I had no idea what it meant. 
   I was never really into rap, the only songs I ever listened to up till that point were Greek and English pop songs (Westlife, anyone?) that were either uplifting and cheerful or would be downright sad cause I would be depressed over some dumb girl that wouldn't wanna go out with me. But then Slim came along.
   I never even considered rap as an alternative because quite frankly, I didn't like the anger and cursing that was in those lyrics. I found it alienating. Okay, I might have listened to the occasional 'Gangsta's Paradise', but who hadn't? What I'm trying to say is, rap wasn't my thing. I couldn't connect to it. Growing up in a home where cursing was not allowed and hardly even practiced, to the point where I found it as something pointless and unnecessary (something that I thank my family for, true values are hard to come by these days), rap was a completely foreign element to me.
   And then this funny little white guy shows up on MTV and starts making rap look like something amusing and funny even, through tracks like 'My Name Is...' or 'The Real Slim Shady' or 'Ass Like That'. The things he said seemed completely forbidden, not because he was cursing just for the sake of cursing and to "break them rulz", like most other rappers, but because he was actually taking on the entire Hollywood system that reeked of hypocrisy. Eminem stirred the waters like no other was willing to and just watching all those other 'celebrities' take offense to his lyrical masterpieces (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Carston Dailey, Fred Durst, Pamela Anderson, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, just to name a few) was so entertaining. And every new headline was just another punch in the gut of that whole intolerable system that kept spewing out more Barbies and Kens, subconsciously enforcing a shameful body image onto an entire generation.

   Apart from his entertaining side though, what really struck me about Eminem was that, even though he was a rap artist, his songs had a deeper meaning. He never shied away from talking about his own life. 'The Way I Am' is still one of the greatest songs ever sung (or rapped, if you prefer) because it really confers the struggles that Eminem or any other artist goes through as a superstar. After all, he is still only human. And it is through these songs and these lyrics that I (and I imagine hundreds of thousands of other people) was able to connect with him.
   People go through a wide arrange of emotions and Eminem was never afraid of talking about any of them in his songs. 'Kim' was one of the most emotionally powerful pieces I have ever heard and it is absolutely devastating to be able to relate to it; to feel the level of loss and betrayal that he must've felt when he came up with it.
   But at the end of the day, what saved Eminem from his drug problem that came very close to ending his life, what gave him an outlet when things got worse for him (apart from his love for his family I assume) was this passion for rapping, this uncanny ability to be able to confer these feelings into lyrics and then perform them in a way that is unique only to him. So he is living proof that even when we are feeling the lowest, we need to look towards the things we do good in order to be able to move forward and keep ourselves afloat. If it worked for Eminem, who was one day simply discovered by Dr. Dre, it can work for anyone else, so long as they hold that one thing they're really good at close to their heart and keep practicing at it.
   In closing this post, I'd just like to point out that last night (24 February) I was given the opportunity that that 14-year-old boy from Athens I mentioned in the beginning never thought he would get: I attended an Eminem concert. The wait was long, the weather was hot, the lines were endless, but it was all worth it. The Rap God himself descended upon us and for two straight hours I was lost within his lyrical acrobatics that took me back all those years, all those laughs, all those struggles, all those good and bad times... Each and every song, whether it's well-known, such as 'Stan', or well-written, like 'Cinderella Man', holds a significant importance to me personally since I would listen to it fanatically at some point in my life. From the first 'Slim Shady LP' all the way to 'Kamikaze', it's been one hell of a ride and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. 

On the subjects of love and Valentine's Day

   What a great feeling... Love. And how heartwarming, riveting and inspiring it can be to feel that acceptance and that connection to another person. It's enough to make us do great things, things we could never see ourselves doing on our own. Love is enough to make a person cross half a world, change their appearance, take on challenges that seemed daunting at first, all with the thought of that special other in mind. Trust me, this is experience talking.
   And yet, what is love? I mean, if you really strip it down (no pun intended) and take a good look at it. It would be the need of one person to make an attachment to another. After all, we are social beings and we do have the instinct to procreate and lead to the evolution of our race. So it is these bare instincts that lead us to seek out other people through whatever manner possible in order to create our successors. 
   But those are just the basics. I mean, even animals and bugs do that. What is so different about us that we actually separate an individual, seek them out, make them appear special in our eyes and even go to extreme lengths for them? And I think the answer to that question might be different for each individual. There are those who seem to think appearance alone is enough and focus only on that. They are closest to the animal instinct that we discussed earlier and just seek to "have fun" without getting into too much hassle or worrying about what comes before or after. The act of mating can still be about casual fun and that's absolutely fine.
   Others seem to think more deeply in regards to this issue and give it more significance. They seek out people with whom they can grow an attachment to, people that remind them of others in their close environment (possibly parental figures) that provide them with a form of safety. And this is the true core of love. The more similar experiences one has had with another, the stronger the connection grows between the two and the more powerful this bond becomes. This love might not even be limited to romance, it could be a friendship that lasts for years, but it is still strong as both people feel a sense of comfort around one another that is not easily found in the presence of anyone else.
   And yet, this incapability that we humans have to be alone, this necessity to live with others, these instincts to procreate and this constant struggle to prove ourselves to the ones our minds have distinguished from the rest of the crowd, due to a few circumstances based merely on chance and nothing further, have brought nothing but distress to hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions.
   Think about it for a second: how many people are actually happy within their relationship? How many are dissatisfied with the attention that they get from their partner? How many are, as they say, "heartbroken" (if your heart was ruptured, you would instantly die, but anyway) that they are deprived of the company of a person that their mind keeps telling them is 'special'? How many couples get married and then end up getting a divorce just a few short months or years later?
   It's all a matter of weakness. Humans are social beings and that is why they constantly look for validation of their existence within others. Whatever they do, no matter how great it is, if no one is there to acknowledge it, then it loses all meaning. You don't have to go far, just take a look at the self-approving machine that is the President of the USA, Donald Trump and you'll find the perfect example.
   Trump is the ideal case of someone shouting out "I need people to confirm my existence" in whatever form that may be. He reminds me of someone that didn't really get any acknowledgement from the people around him, growing up in a harsh environment, and has now decided to take on the whole world just to get back at the ones that didn't provide him with the right amount of attention. Just to get the vindication that he feels he deserves. I feel he never found a single person to talk to heart-to-heart and to confide in and that's what turned him into what he is today: a spiteful person full or resentment and lack of understanding towards anything foreign to him. 
   That's what can happen when you don't have anyone around you giving you that support. And yet, sometimes even being a Trump might be better than growing too much of an attachment to this sense of validation, to the point that you constantly seek it out and become needy and obsessive. Love stems from a need we people have, and just like overeating, or drinking too much or any other abuse, we can go overboard to the point of becoming possessive with people. Once we establish a connection with another person, we might feel that they will always be there no matter how we decide to act towards them. That originates from the fact that they possibly remind us of our own family and those specific bonds are the types that will never break. A mother won't give up her child for any reason in the world. But it's not the same for two friends, as good as they may be.
   There seems to be a complete misconception around this issue. Love is not 'joy'. Love is not 'sugar and rainbows'. Love is not 'holding hands and heading into the sunset'. Hundreds of people are suffering from depression due to (what their mind is telling them is) a need to be with the one that they alone (and maybe one or two others) consider to be 'special'. What is known as 'love' is nothing more than a silent form of battle; a constant negotiation between one person and another on their daily habits, their personal space, their likes and dislikes and how much of that they are willing to sacrifice.
   How much of a person is usually lost or consumed in their attempt to maintain their relationship with another? How many of their favorite hobbies do they drop? How many of their friends do they just stop seeing? How much do they stop showing up at their regular hangout spots? Do they even change what they wear and how they behave? And do they look back at it one day thinking that they regret it? Or even worse, dropping the blame on the other person?
   I find myself disgusted at the many, unnatural ways scientists have come up with so that people can procreate. And yet, as I take a closer look at our social lives, where no one is truly happy, everyone has to give up something to gain another or we just end up settling so that we won't be alone forever (as if there's something criminally wrong with that), I reconsider the whole topic. Maybe we should just be legally obligated to procreate inside some sort of tube once we reach our 30's, just so our species can carry on. We've become too focused on appearances to see what's truly important.
   People have become weak. People have become sad. People can never be satisfied. We don't openly want to admit what we are. We always need to look for something else, something to keep us going. No one person can truly be completed with what they have, we simply weren't made that way. And that constant need is what leads us to be miserable, unhappy and subsequently depressed.
   We've lost touch with who we are. Yet our relationships with one another are quite fundamental, we take what we want from others then eventually get tired of having them around. And that's human nature. Be it friends, parents, lovers, or even children. To be human means to consume everything around you in order to satisfy your own needs, even if that is the simple presence of other people. And once you're done, you move on. But we like to sugarcoat that with niceties within our 'societies' and that's where things become confusing. After all, we're not animals, are we..?

Kingdom Hearts 3: Review

  

  

  I know I'm probably late on this, given I already finished the game last Monday and it is now Sunday, but I wanted to properly digest what I had seen and give myself a chance to go over it again. After all, this is a massive game and I want to give it justice. No, unfortunately it does not provide the out-of-this-world experiences that God Of War did, nor is it the cinematic, western-film that was Red Dead Redemption 2. It can't even be compared to the likes of Horizon: Zero Dawn. But it doesn't have to. Kingdom Hearts 3 sets out to do its own thing and I believe it accomplishes that magnificently.

   I believe that when series director Tetsuya Nomura and his associates first thought of creating a Final Fantasy-meets-Disney kind of game, this is the end result they had in mind. Each and every world looks gorgeous, like you're diving into one of those movies. At this point there's almost no difference between the in-game visuals and the movies themselves. Even to those of real-life quality such as the Pirates of the Caribbean. It's astonishing how far we've come. Donald Duck looks more like a live person than Orlando Bloom a video game character.

   Yet the contribution of the main characters and villains in these worlds feels rather small and insignificant. It's even irrelevant to the general plot. I never actually understood it. In one case they were looking for the black box (don't get me started), in another they wanted the seven "pure lights" to have as back up just in case the original seven lights don't show up and in another they were trying to find a way that hearts interact with one another... The presence of the Organization XIII members in the Disney/Pixar worlds was almost entirely bereft of meaning and it made it seem like these worlds themselves were there purely for cosmetic reasons. Because Disney.

   Sora's journey through them was no different. Although sometimes he would interact with those world's characters in ways that would bring him closer to the answers he had been seeking ("the power of waking"), it all kinda felt dry and empty. I was enjoying the Disney/Pixar worlds on the one hand but on the other, the way they were handled made them feel like a necessary evil to get to the real meat of the game. The part that all fans had been anticipating ever since the release of, um... was it Birth By Sleep or Dream Drop Distance? I forget.

   Thank goodness, it all paid off. I'm not ashamed to admit that even me, a 32-year-old man was brought to tears (more than once) after seeing the end of the journey of these characters. The thing that hits the hardest is that, even though you know they're coming back, it's the way that they do (which is ok, it's not what you would call a Deus Ex Machina) but also the year-long journey that we've had with them. Some of them hit harder than others, but seeing them all together is like being reunited with old friends. And that's where this game really shines.

   This game has some good moments in the beginning, some really enjoyable moments inside each and every world but, if you're a fan of the series, then by far the best is saved for last. Everything you've been waiting for comes to pass, and then some. This is fan-service at its maximum and I believe the ones that waited for all those years won't have much to complain about.

   I enjoyed the uniqueness of each world too. They were carefully constructed so that there isn't just a separate story within them (mainly focused on the Disney/Pixar characters and not so much Sora and the Organization) but also a bunch of mini-games that make you want to return to them. For example, in the Pirates of the Caribbean world (by far one of the best) you have your own pirate ship with which you can do some island-hopping and do battle with other ships. And I gotta say, even though the map was a lot smaller smaller to that of the Greek islands, it played better and much smoother than even Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Or in Arendelle where you get to snowboard on Goofy's shield, in a game that gave me intense flashbacks of going down Mt. Gaia as Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII.

https://twitter.com/alex_kid7/status/1091510204439490560

  The battle system is, of course, as Kingdom Hearts as it can get (though, thankfully as far from Chain Of Memories as possible, that one was a nightmare). You just beat up on Heartless and Nobodies until a prompt for a better skill pops up, depending on your Keyblade, then you use it to whack them some more. Although I was never made aware if these temporary upgrades actually did more damage or if they were purely for show. Plus, if you stand close to Goofy, Donald or that world's guest character (Woody, Jack Sparrow, etc.) you might get to do combo attacks with them. But due to the total randomness of the whole thing, there was absolutely no room for strategy. For example, if you want to do a combo attack with Donald but a prompt to upgrade your Keyblade has become available first, you need to go through the whole process of that before being able to do the combo. And don't get me started on the parade attacks. Flashy as they may be, they lost their usefulness after the 100th time that I used them. Of course, there are always the options of using Magic, Items and Link (Summoning) attacks at any time, and you can assign four commands as shortcuts to make your life a little easier. This always helps with the healing magic. The combat system was fun at the beginning, but it wasn't practical. It lost its glamour after a while.

   The music and the visuals were absolutely stunning. The snowy fields of Arendelle, the colorful and vibrant ball pits of Galaxy Toys, the lush green fields of Corona, the technologically advanced city of San Fransokyo, all of it. And the sounds adapted to it in a great way, like only Yoko Shimomura could make possible. Also I need to say that even though I initially didn't like "Don't Think Twice" as the opening theme, it grew on me and now I love it, while "Face My Fears" has to be one of the absolute finest tracks I have heard in a game for a long time.

   Kingdom Hearts 3 is not a 10/10 game, and it never could be. It's audience is limited to either those who have followed it from a very young age or those who are very young themselves. I think we need to face the fact that it is hard for someone that is in his late 20's or early 30's to suddenly pick up this game and say "oh cool, Donald and Mickey, I can get behind this!" But for those that this game was catered for, I think it was everything it could be and more. They got closure, tons of fun and a promise for even more adventures in the future. In closing, I just have one question...

   WHAT'S IN THE BOX????

Kingdom Hearts 3: First Impressions

   By God! Never in my life did I need something so much and did I not know it! I was patiently waiting to pick up my order of Kingdom Hearts 3 (KH3) from the game shop that's about 20 minutes from my house by bus. However, it was a little bit out of my way to go there after work but I did so anyway because, let's face it, it's freaking KH3 and some of us have been waiting on this for over a decade now. So even though certain events transpired and I hadn't slept on Monday night, leading me to go to work like a zombie, the only thing that kept me going was the thought of getting this sweet game in my hands.
   But alas, it was not meant to be. After work, I got on the train and went as fast as I could to the mall inside of which the game store is located, only to realize all the stores were shut. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays shops close at five and I did not know that. So I had to wait another extra couple of days while everyone was posting stuff on Twitter about how they got their copies and already finished the game (like, what?)
   Long story short, we get to today (Thursday) when I finally was able to get it into my hands. After finally holding it, each minute till I got back home seemed like a century. To add insult to injury, I got off at the wrong bus stop on my way back, which made me get lost. But, after a walk that lasted (what appeared to be) at least 20 years, I finally made it to my room.
   I took my time opening the box. Everything was so carefully placed inside. There was a steelbook, a small pin and an artbook, along with the game itself of course. Everything was accompanied by that fresh game smell that is just irreplaceable. I don't care what anyone says, no digital edition can ever hope to emulate the feeling of holding a game in your hands for the first time, opening the box and putting the disc in your console.
   Thankfully there weren't many updates to be made. Less than ten minutes actually, along with installation time. That is pretty impressive, considering I had to wait half an hour to play Final Fantasy XV after first inserting the disc in my PS4 (how awful!)
   What an experience those openings were! Oh my God, the feels! One awesome scene after another. I now realize the reason why all the previous titlesof the series were remade in HD: so their cut scenes could be used in the KH3 opening. And it was totally worth it. Not one, but three opening sequences later (the "Face My Fears" clip was by far my favorite, it stands out by a mile), I finally got a taste of the game play with the first world which I won't mention here for spoiler reasons.
   This isn't a game, it's a freakin' celebration. It's so vibrant, so jumpy, it offers such variety of attack and combination, yet at the same time it's so simple to approach: just press "X" to attack. That's it. It makes you wonder, how do those combos pop up? What is it that makes each individual combination appear? All I did was hit the bad guys over and over.
   I don't know which was my favorite attack by I have to say, that one where they all jump in the little car and you just get to start blasting everyone really saved me against the final boss of the first world. And just when I was about to get KO'd too. I still haven't though.
   I'm gonna spoil a little bit here (so stop reading if you don't wanna be spoiled), but I got to play as Riku as well. The difference between him and main character Sora is apparent, they've made him overpowered. He's almost like Aqua was in KH 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage. I hope I get to play more as him.
   A number of characters have already popped up on the screen already and, after playing for almost 3 hours and completing a whole world, I realized I was just in the prologue, the space between KH 2.9 and KH3. I have boarder the Gummi Ship for the first time but even though I was excited to drive it, I thought I would leave it for tomorrow.
   In general, it's been an awesome experience so far, I wanna say well worth the wait, but 12 years is a little abysmal. I just hope we don't have to wait that long for the release of the FF VII remake cause I'm starting to get a little old now. I can't go freaking 40 to play a game, you know! Anyway, we're still here, at 33 and loving our games!

Review: Dragon Ball Super - Broly

SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! If you haven't seen this movie yet, click the red "X" on the top right of your screen and move on to another website. Trust me, this is not the way you want to find out about this movie! Okay, did we get that out of the way? Good. Moving on.
   I remember reading reviews or people on Twitter saying that this was by far the best Dragon Ball movie to date. I took their reactions with a grain of salt but I have to say, they were all absolutely right. DBS Broly (I'm not writing that whole title every single time, I'm sorry!) isn't just visually stunning, with such immense attention to detail and with an animation style completely different to what we might be used to yet not so much that it would feel alienating, but it also digs deep into the lore of the franchise, revealing hidden truths that were forgotten over time and modifying some things for the better.

   From the word "go", hardcore fans of the series are dropped in to the nitty gritty and newcomers learn just how much of a troublesome fellow (to say the least) this Frieza guy really is. I loved the cameos by the Ginyus, Zarbon and Dodoria and although I understand why they weren't given a single line of dialogue (it might be hard to find a VA that worked for you over 20 years ago), I still would've enjoyed a larger role for them in the movie.
   This film paints King Vegeta in a whole other color. He might've appeared as a ruthless ruler that just found his match in Frieza and King Cold up until today, but here we see how wise he is as well. The same can be said for "Kakarot"'s father, Bardock, who seems to have a softer side that's a bit more akin to Goku himself, probably due to the influence of Gine, Goku's mom, who I have to say reminded me of an older version of Universe 6's Caulifla.

   The entire first part that was devoted to the Saiyans was great, but it felt short. Even though the cinema offers a greater visual experience, a part of me wishes they could've done this in the anime where they would be able to expand on it for as many episodes as they wanted until they conveyed their story properly. Toriyama himself stated that if all the scenes he originally wrote were in the movie, it would've exceeded its time limit, so stuff needed to be cut out. Maybe they can pull a "Battle of the Gods" and plug it in the anime when it starts up again, in much lower animation quality this time of course.
   I have to say, even though I loved the movie, there are so many things I don't get about it, with the first and foremost of them being, well, Broly. Yeah, now we know he was sent off to some god awful planet cause King Vegeta was too afraid of his power (I still remember Vegeta Jr. saying that the Legendary Super Saiyan self-destructed due to his rage during the Namek arc), but... what's wrong with him? I mean, he gets off Frieza's ship and then randomly attacks Vegeta, for absolutely no reason or without any provocation. At least last time, someone said his trigger word ("Kakarot"). Here not even that seems to be a factor, he just goes.

   Was he fighting because he wanted to or because he couldn't hold himself back from not doing so? None of the moves he made felt involuntary, like he wasn't "all there upstairs", his power ups came naturally as the battle progressed. For example, he didn't seem like Universe 6's Kale that literally just exploded in a fit of rage and attacked anyone she saw in front of her. This was full-on Broly.
   So what were his motives? Was he angry at Vegeta? He never met the guy! Did he feel provoked by Goku? Nope! The only logical explanation that fits is that that's all he knows how to do, but the reason Broly fought on that planet was to survive. He's never shown to actually go out of his way to attack someone without reason, in fact he even made friends with one of the beasts.
   I also completely disliked the way Paragus was fodderized by Frieza in an attempt to get Broly to go Super Saiyan (although the Krillin flash back was a nice touch.) If anyone had any reason to attack Vegeta, it was him and I feel he didn't fulfill his role in the film entirely by being killed off like that. Also, did it feel like Broly was kinda like "yeah, m'kay" about his father being dead after the fight was over? I mean, this was the man that raised him for, I don't know, 35+ years (how old is Vegeta again?)

   But there were also plenty of great elements in this movie, that more than outweighed these small imperfections. For example, I loved how this battle gradually escalates. At one point you see Vegeta dominating Broly as a Super Saiyan God (loved the new look by the way), next minute both Goku and Vegeta are trying to double team him as SSJ Blue while he's smashing them into a mountain. Also I was impressed by the scene where Goku freezes Broly and tries to get him to cool down, while all the past villains flash on the screen. It's a small reminder of how Goku -and we along with him- has matured throughout the years. Meanwhile, Vegeta just tries to blow him to smithereens...
   It wasn't a one-sided battle but it was truly a fight between Saiyans. None of them wanted to give in, I felt a sense of pride from Broly's side as well, but Goku and Vegeta have been doing this for a lot longer than he has and fought a lot stronger villains along the way. So it was their experience and willingness to do something entirely un-Saiyan-like that gave them the edge -cooperate. Usually Saiyans would think of cooperation as a form of weakness, yet here we see the birth of a warrior with no equal thanks to that particular trait.

   The minute Gogeta took his place on the screen, that battle was over. Broly at least lasted long enough to give him a chance to take us down memory lane, with his failed transformations (was that Veku?) and his rainbow blast. Also, what was up with that background change at one point during this fight? Did they change dimensions or... what? Then right at the last minute, Deus Ex Shenron appears to return Broly to his home planet. Why can't they just give the boy some proper clothes?
   All in all, it was a fantastic visual experience that gave the story of Frieza and the Saiyans deeper meaning. I feel that maybe some of the fight scenes could've been sacrificed so that the backstory had more room to breathe, even by one or two scenes. I really enjoyed the reappearance of Nappa, Raditz, even the mention of Tarble (I hope he returns someday) and all the other characters. Maybe Goku and Vegeta could wish for the return of their home planet..? That would be an interesting development! Some people might complain about the lack of Gohan in this movie, but there was no need for him in the way this story progressed. He does need to have his own moment though.
   Dragon Ball Super - Broly is a great movie for fans of the franchise and an excellent pass time for the uninitiated that tells the story of a young boy who was exiled due to his uncontrollable power and his father who raised him as a weapon for his own personal vendetta against a king that turned out to be wise. While Paragus' loss felt unnecessary and poorly executed (literally), there's absolutely no doubt that this is not the last that we will be seeing of Broly. The movie's ending leaves it all wide open, so it's just a matter of time for the announcement of the next series.

What can be done to salvage Australian football

   A league in shambles. A national team that no longer has any high quality players and is losing to some of the weakest sides of the game. A group of people in charge that seem to have a difference in priorities regarding the way the sport needs to be handled. A number of fans that seem to be distancing themselves from the competition. It is no secret that Australian football is deteriorating in an age where it should be thriving after the success of the Socceroos at the 2015 Asian Cup. We reached the point where FIFA themselves found it necessary to intervene so that things could begin moving forward again. What can be done to get out of this state and enjoy big open stadiums full of crowds once again, with people anxiously anticipating the weekend game for months in advance? Here are just a few suggestions:
- Drop the expansion, install a second (and third) division. Let's drop the pretenses here, we all know that this entire "expansion" effort is only being used as a means for the FFA to drain as much money as possible from potential investors. Additionally, in the way it is being handled, it feels like an attempt to silence the crowds that are (rightfully) crying out for more competition in the game, yet in a way that won't displease the high-profile officials in charge of the already installed A-League clubs. The result being a mingled, messed up situation that nobody believes in. From adding two teams teams per season, now it's gone down to one because they don't want to "upset the balance" (as stated by FFA CEO David Gallop) and with the potential removal of the Wellington Phoenix's licence, the number of total clubs by the 2020/21 season could be 11..? How will that work, schedule-wise? If the FFA and the A-League clubs themselves are indeed serious about expansion, then they need to stop this process and instead move on with a second division of about 20-22 teams for the opening seasons. Initially there could only be promotion to the A-League from this second division until a sufficient number of clubs has been reached that allows for a more complete, more wholesome tournament. Afterwards, there can be both promotion and relegation every season. There also needs to be a third division, but that's a secondary issue.
- Attract foreign investors. Even the CEO of Football Victoria, Peter Filopoulos himself stated that the clubs can only sustain themselves for so long by the money coming in from supporters. There needs to be a collective effort in order to bring in people that are willing to put in the money. We need to make them see that this is actually an attractive market for them. Why should Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE be making those leaps and bounds in football while we remain in the dust? Go abroad, advertise the sport, show that it is growing and that they can actually make their money back if they're willing to put it in. We need to escape this AFL-nation shadow.
- Respect your history. No big league anywhere in the world has any luck whatsoever if it doesn't respect its roots, wherever they come from. We can't be living in fear of potential elements that might cause trouble at the grounds and refuse to let the clubs live and thrive. Every league has its history that came from mainly ethnic and diverse backgrounds. Case in point: Spain, where Barcelona are the Catalans and Athletic Bilbao represent the Basques. Or England, with Liverpool coming from the working class of the port and Chelsea being the high-society of London. Or even Germany, with Bayern representing the Munich area and for a time being dubbed as the "Jewish club", while Dortmund were founded by Catholics. So at the end of the day, simply because a club has a certain ethnic background, that's not a deciding factor for its future. But being judged for it can be a deciding factor for its financial survival. And if there are current A-League clubs who don't wish to allow these historical teams access to the championship in fear of losing their current (limited) fan base, there are other examples out there to draw inspiration from, such as Chelsea and Manchester City, two clubs that were lost into obscurity for a long while, yet thanks to the right investments now sell out their seats almost every weekend. Which bring us to our next point.
- Make greater signings. If football is to advance here in Australia, we need greater players from outside. Players who have world class experience and know what the game is like on the top level, guys who can carry the teams when things get tough. And even though it's reasonable to think that making such signings puts a heavy burden on any club owner, the benefits more than outweigh the risks, since these signings more often than not pay off their own contracts in a matter of months through the sales of tickets, of merchandise and of actual club targets. I wonder how many Keisuke Honda or Ola Toivonen jerseys Melbourne Victory have already sold off. How many events have they held with one of these two as a 'special guest'. But the additional benefits are displayed on the pitch where they help their teammates reach a higher level. Terry Antonis, Kosta Barbarousis and Carl Valeri have all been on excellent for most of this season. I'm sure these signings must have something to do with it, they definitely pick up something during training.
- Expand your network. It's not just about making great signings that will bring in the fans and the goals though. It's also about making those clever signings that could potentially bring in the cash later on. Football is like a stock market. You need to know where to invest and, unfortunately, clubs here in Australia don't seem to have that knowledge. Which is why there are less than 20 players from the African continent, which is known as a goldmine of hidden talent. Australian clubs need to create a scouting network group and send it all over the world in order to be able to beat other more famous European clubs to the punch when a shining young potential pops up somewhere in Latin America, Africa or even Asia. One good way to do this is to maintain contact with previous high-profile signings, like Alessandro Del Piero for example. He played for Sydney FC and that could prove beneficial to the club in order for them to broaden their horizons in the transfer market.
- Choose your fans. Last, but definitely not least, is a matter that needs to be cleared out as quickly as possible. The FFA needs to decide on this and also needs to know that based on their decision they could be left with half-empty stadiums. They have to make clear what type of fans they want at their games. Do they want passionate, lively fans, who are willing to give their hard-earned money in support of their favorite team and follow it out of state or even out of the country if need be? But who often use curse words and won't hesitate to voice their dissent should they bare witness to a group of players who are uninterested and pay no respect to the club's jersey? (All this of course, within the realm of reason and no hyperbole such as clashes with authorities or other club supporters.) Or do they want to bring families with soccer mums and children to the grounds, who see the game as nothing more than a passing fancy, a different way for them to spend their afternoon but who might not return for many weeks since they have other responsibilities and other things to do? Families who simply watch the game, sometimes clapping when the team scores a goal, yet mostly sit on their phones waiting for those long 90 minutes (who decided soccer games should be so long anyway?) to go by. The FFA needs to decide on what hill it is willing to die on. Yet, with already one fan club being shut down (Melbourne City) due to "extreme policing" and another (Red and Black Bloc) having its members banned simply because they asked their club's players to do better, Board Member Joseph Carozzi's statement that "we want fans that will stick by the clubs through thick and thin" pretty much clears things up on this matter, making passionate supporters feel redundant at this point.
   Australia (and more specifically the FFA and the A-League) have so much work to do, it isn't funny. But the worst of it is, they don't seem to know where to start. With the game caught up in the micromanaging of corporate officials who think they're dealing with a business, rather than the favorite pass time of hundreds of thousands of people in the country, the future seems anything but bright. Yet one can still hold out hope that the right steps will be made and one day we'll see people lining up to watch a world class match, right here on home soil.

2018: Review

   Hey Facebook, I saw your "your year on Facebook" thingy and it's crap. Cause memories are so much more than just a bunch of images you steal off our profiles. So I decided to do my own thing. Here goes. 2018 has been an unbelievable roller-coaster of a year for me personally. It really is extraordinary to see where I started the year, the people I got to see along the way, the places I got to visit, the incredible journey I made (both figuratively and literally), and where I find myself at the end of it. I got to make the most of the foundations I laid in 2017, but in doing so I had the rude awakening that there was more work that needed to be done in order to reach the final goal. It wasn't all "sugar and rainbows" either, as this year helped me mature in ways that I didn't think were necessary.
   The dawn of the new year found me in the Emirates for what I assume will be the last time. Looking at those spectacular fireworks at the Galleria Mall (Shopping Center) in Abu Dhabi, I still remember how long they went on for and the great show they put on. Those Emiratis really like to go all the way in everything that they do. I enjoyed my time in the country, I got to visit the Louvre and get a better feel for cultural heritage. Seriously, the amount of historical findings from several different time periods worldwide that were gathered in that single place was astounding if you were to think about it. I singled out the Japanese Meiji era samurai outfits (of course) but also the exhibition they had on the French Renaissance. I also got to visit Dubai again. I haven't made it to Tokyo or New York just yet, but I think Dubai will always have a special place in my heart. The malls, the skyscrapers, the metro that is above ground and lets you see the whole city, the beaches, the Burj Khalifa that reaches for the sky and the Burj Al-Arab, the Palm and just the luxury that this city exudes. I could've easily lived there, in a small apartment on the 48th floor with a killer view. I would like to return there some day.
   February found me returning to Athens to tie up loose ends. And even though people tell me otherwise, I knew inside that this was the last time I was going to be there. For those two months that I was there, I wanted nothing more than to get out. I finally got my driver's license in my hands (a procedure that I had started since September of 2017 and even though my "instructor" tried to get more money out of me). The only way I can think of to describe that city is as a black hole that squeezes the life out of anyone unfortunate enough to get tangled up in it.
   I stayed till mid-March. That's when the day I had been planning for since the middle of August 2017 finally arrived. I jumped on the plane (for the third time in the year already!) and headed down to Australia. A journey that I dreamed of making for the last, I dunno, 20 years or so, was actually happening. I still remember not knowing what to do with myself during those long hours on the plane, trying to stay calm but being all excited and hoping that the people sitting next to me don't think I'm some sort of a weirdo that needs to be escorted outside. Music helped a lot during those hours cause there was no internet.
   Along the way, I had the fortunate opportunity to stop at the Changi airport in Singapore. And oh my word, what an experience that was! There is a true reason why they call it the best airport in the world. I have been in shopping centers that would feel embarrassed to call themselves that if they saw this place. I feel like I will repeat many of the words I said about Dubai earlier, but it was so huge, so glamorous, it had so many shops, all the luxuries you could want, it even had four terminals connected via driver-less train! I have been to some nice airports (the one in Qatar really stood out) but this one was through the roof. I remember it had a food court and right across the hall there was this huge TV screen with comfortable couches showing Premier League games. Or, in other words, football heaven! There were also these machines that would massage your legs all around the place, free of charge! When I say through the roof, I mean it!
   Eventually, I reached Melbourne. Initially not as good as I imagined but the city has started to grow on me as I find more and more things I like about it. I really like the areas around the central business district. The place I stay in is great. Big, comfortable, nice neighbors (had some troublesome ones at first but that's all in the past). 
   There were a few problems when I first arrived of course. But I got through every hurdle on my own. I learned that being self-reliant is necessary when living in Australia as life moves in a much quicker pace than it does in Greece (since people actually have jobs here) and there's very little free time. I had to learn a few survival skills that I didn't have; cooking, laundry, etc. Thankfully though they weren't many cause I had been taught well. Also, it was during these times that I was surprisingly thankful for my unsuccessful attempt to go and make a living in London a few years back. I may not have made it, but it did teach me a few things that come in handy today!
   I was also extremely lucky when it came to the job hunt, as a fortunate encounter led me to the door of one of the most well-known Greek community newspapers, where I still am till today. It's really funny how things work out. I knew I was going to reach out to this industry at some stage, that was my goal in coming to Australia, I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. They have opened up a whole world for me and honestly I'm just grateful for the opportunity to work there. While it may be a little frustrating to have pointed out to you on a daily basis that it turns that the one thing you thought you were really good at, you're not that good at it, I don't let it get me down and I strive to become better all the time. 
   Thanks to them, I got the chance to meet with Real Madrid former right back Alvaro Arbeloa at their museum opening. I have also attended many other events and quickly picked up on how things operate regarding football in Australia (extremely disappointed, I must say). I was also at the 60th anniversary event for the newspaper. So many things, so quickly. My head just goes spinning at times.
   Last July, I made my way back to Sydney. I got to see all the cousins and aunties and uncles that I hadn't seen since I was 12 years old. I got to visit my childhood home, my yiayia's house. I visited yiayia's grave too. Those moments were too great for me to realize that I was actually there, I had actually made it home. I tried to take it all in but I just thought that, no matter what I did, it would all just sink in later. As it has. When I got the chance to finally meet up with my other five younger cousins, we had so much fun and for that one night that we went out I was so happy, but at the same time it made me so incredibly frustrated for all those times we've missed and for how much time I wasted in stupid Greece when we all could've just been hanging out like this. I got so angry with myself and I still do when I think about it because it's too late now. We're old.
   I also had the chance to go to many events of my own personal interest since I've been to Melbourne. The Madman Anime Festival, the "A New World" Final Fantasy concert at the Melbourne Recital Center (or whatever it's called), many great soccer matches, but I think, above all else stood PAX Australia. It was such a huge gathering of people with a common interest, the whole area was buzzing with positive energy and excitement, so many great games of course, not to mention the place was huge. I mean the Melbourne Exhibition Center is no joke! My legs got tired just walking around the place and I can go on for miles.
   Speaking of games, at some stage in August I realized that I just needed to go back to basics and bought myself a freaking PlayStation. The experiences this year has offered were through the roof. God Of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Detroit Become Human, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, even Shadow Of The Tomb Raider was great! And I even missed out on some. I really wanna try out Dragon Quest XI. 2018 was a milestone for game development and design and I had so much fun playing all of them. But of course, with Kingdom Hearts 3 coming out at the start of 2019, everything else just gets cancelled out.
   It has also been an experience for my taste buds coming to Melbourne, and a bit of an interesting one, I must say. Even though I've been to many places across Europe and the Emirates and tried many different dishes, there was something... unique about the food I ate at some of the places I happened to visit in this city. I realized that I'm not much of an "explorer" when it comes to food and I like to stick to what I know. After all, if I like it, there must be a good reason for it. I especially won't forget the Mexican tuna-tacos (it was meant to be chicken) and the soup that tasted like soap, I think it was Thai, I don't remember. But I also got to have ramen finally! And, as I imagined, I bloody loved the stuff! So, with that in mind, I think I need to try to be more accepting and more open to new experiences. After all, you only live once.
   Reading this, someone would think the year was all fun and (video) games, but there were also plenty of hardships, lots of lonely times as well. I mean, coming to a new country and a new city, it's to be expected that you don't know anyone, don't know where to go and you need to learn to cope on your own. And it's at these moments that your character is truly tested. It was a scarier process than I expected it to be and for a long time, I was disoriented. In this sort of situation, you try to latch on to anything that gives you even a small sense of familiarity. But, eventually, if you set your sights on what you want, focus on it and leave out everything else, then you make it through. At least, that's what happened in my case. 
   All in all, it was a milestone year for me, one that I will never forget and honestly I think it was the most important one of my life. It had its ups and downs, the bad with the good and some things went right while others went so wrong that they can't be fixed and will be kept as a reminder for similar situation in the future. But overall, this year was significant and that's the most important thing to take out of it. Looking back on this year's events only fills me with the confidence to move towards even greater things in 2019. It's funny to think that all of this, this entire year happened all because one night in August 2017 something clicked in my mind and I thought "that's it! I'm going to Australia". So weird...
   (In closing, I'd just like to say this: people might read this or some other things that I write or post on my social media profiles and say or think that maybe I should keep things to myself. While this is in part true, it's not in my capacity to be silent. Never was, never will be. I believe that the right function for all these is for to allow ourselves to look back on our past and see things we may want to correct, change or even just to see how we were 'back then' and have a laugh about it. A diary of sorts, if you will. A second purpose for me writing this and putting it online is that, maybe someone out there is having a crappy day and they happen to stumble upon it. And reading this might help them come to the realization that there are others out there struggling just as much as they are, yet they keep moving forward, instead of doing something dramatic like all that stuff we see online almost on a daily basis. A bit hopeful, I know, but if I get that reaction from even a single person, then that would be more than enough. Anyway. Bring on 2019!!!)

(Just a few of the places and the people that I spent time with in 2018...)