[Game Recommendation] Great games I played recently

Let's just say that I have some time to kill. And I decide to catch up with some great games I missed in recent years.

[Wii] Xenoblade chronicles - $39.99

Best RPG ever! It has everything I expect from a great RPG. The Japanese version released in 2010 and the English version released in 2013.

1, Fascinating main story line

Every time I entered the next chapter I am actually anxious to know what's happening next?!

2, Huge Free-to-explore maps

It gives me EXP every time I found a new location makes it rewarding to explore the map as much as I can. 

3, Beautiful soundtrack

I personally think it is important since we have to listen to it through out our gameplay.

4, Loads of optional tasks

Mixed feeling on this one. Somebody loves it, somebody hates it. Well, it is part of the game, plus some hidden personality/item would require completing certain tasks.

I spent more than 99 hours on this game. It kind of worth its price tag which is $39.99 by the way. But there's not much to explore after clearing the game. Unlike a lot of Japanese RPG, there's no hidden/new story in "New Game Plus", which is quite a disappointment.

[iOS/Android] Framed - $2.99

Great game play! 

The idea of changing the order of the frames to change the outcome is a pretty fresh experience. It's $2.99, but I'd rather pay for the game comparing to pay later with money sucking in-app-purchase of some "freemium" games.

It took me several hours to clear all the stages. The puzzles are very well designed and a lot of fun. 

[iOS/Android] Puzzle and Dragon - Free

OMG, I hate and love this game! It's so addictive and yet so much fun!

I love its game play a lot. 

1, It has this "collecting and evolving monsters" part like pokemon. 

2, Build a team with members' skills compliment each other is also important part of the game.

3, Its new match-3 style attack takes time to practice. It makes you feel in control of the game.

I honestly don't know how much money/time I spend on this game. It has been 2 and a half years since I first downloaded puzzle and dragon. I seriously thought about sell the account and move on from this game forever. And yet, it always finds its way back to my phone.

Well, try it if you have some time to kill. But I hope you have better self control than I do. I suck at self-control.

[iOS] Agent A - A Puzzle in Disguise $2.99

This is a nicely-done puzzle game on iOS platform featuring how to catch an international spy! My complain is, the story is too short for a "paid" game! It only takes 1-2 hours to clear all the stages. 

However, it does not have a hint system built-in. Here's a blog that have screenshots illustrating the complete walk through of the game. 

Have fun!

[Fun Fact about China] Top 5 household appliance you won't find in China

If you get to pick, which one of the household appliance can you live without? 

-Dishwasher? -Hell No!

Growing up in China, I can tell you that up till now, some of the appliance you considered necessity is never widely adopted in China. Bear that in mind if you ever get to travel there.

1, Dishwasher

-How do you do your dishes?

-By HAND! With a little help from detergent and a sponge. 

-Is that a lot of trouble?

-Well, giant wok won't fit in the dishwasher anyway. Plus, think about it, it saves energy and water. Do you really need to dry your dishes completely?

-Some friends of mine do hire helpers to help them with grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry and of course dishes. 

-Aren't that supposed to be a housewife's thing?

-Great question! China 101, homemaker is rare, I mean, panda rare. Almost every average income household has double income. Otherwise, mortgage is simply not affordable.

2, Dryer

-The good news is most urban area do have washer, but not dryer. 

-How do you dry your laundry if most of Chinese live in condo with no yard at all.

-Well, hang them! Let the sun do its job. It's called solar power, clean and sustainable energy!

-Lucky you don't live in Seattle, otherwise you will find yourself underwear-less.

3, Furnace/Fireplace

-Short answer: Yes, it is cold in winter. One more sweater and you will be just fine. 
-Or, turn on your AC and switch to heat!

-At least there's AC!

-Well, pretty recent story, 2010 to be precise, a college student died because of excessive heat (100+ ºF)! Yes, no AC in school dormitory. I clearly remembered that news because after that, our university finally agreed to install AC in our dormitory (at our own cost).

4, Oven

-In short, Gas Cooktop + Microwave oven = Great Chinese food.

-Oh god, I miss great Chinese food, a lot.

-FYI, I've never heard of General Tso's chicken my entire life. Wiki reveals the truth about it. General Tso's chicken is a sweet, slightly spicy, deep-fried chicken dish that is popularly served in most Chinese and Asian themed American restaurants.

5, Garbage Disposal 

Garbage disposal units are widely used in United States households, but far less commonly used elsewhere.

BTW, in China, basically, garbage collection is free of charge with no obligation to sort your waste as well. 

All you need is a giant bin to toss "anything you no longer wish to see again" in.


If you ever get to plan for a business trip or even a short term relocation to China, it is fun to know these beforehand. Thanks for reading.

[Fun Fact about China] Population - Shanghai has 2.6 times the population of NYC

Once upon a time, I saw some documentary talking about mega cities claiming that New York City is the biggest city in the world. Guess what? Not even close!

Here's a list of top 5 populated cities in China and in US. 

Well, densely populated urban area is not fun at all. Terrible pollution drives upper middle class, known as "Eco-Refugee", flee the country. 

To conclude, if you ever have the chance to visit one of those mega cities in China, one thing you would expect to encounter is people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people, a whole lot of people.

[Fun Facts about China] Housing market in Shanghai (3)

6, Mortgage, let's talk about mortgage. Why do bank even lend money to people who obviously have a hard time keeping up with the payment?

• Banks are mostly state owned. Risk? Not mine anyway.
• There have not been a major real estate bubble burst in China before. As long as the price keep raising, there's virtually no risk.
• Large down payment. A 30% down payment is required for purchasing 1st property, while 50% down is required for 2nd property.
• Mortgage rate is a lot lower now, 5.4% APR to be precise. Part of the loan can be backed by 401k, which further lower the APR to around 3.5%.

7, Kiss Single Family Home, even townhouse goodbye. Those properties are rare and often sold for multi-million US dollars. So, basically, just condo.

Here's screenshot of some townhouse listing about 10 miles away from the city center (inner ring if you know what I mean).

8, New homes account for more than 30% of the total volume in Shanghai, while it only accounts for around 10% in US.

9, There's no public record available to track property ownership. Rumor says that it is common certain officials own, let's say a lot more than 10 properties.

10, It is common to lower the purchasing price reported to the authority to avoid tax. 

Hope you're having fun with the article. 
Middle class in China found it a depressing story. :(

<- Previous

Page 1,2,3 of 3

Read More about China

[Fun Facts about China] Housing market in Shanghai (2)

4, Just when you are thinking, "It's not so bad! Why not purchase property outside of city center and drive to work?" 
Driving to work may not be an option considering limited numbers of license plates available plus terrible traffic. In fact, it actually takes longer than simply taking the subway.

You ACTUALLY have a choice?!

• License Plate are sold in an online auction, but it is really more like a lottery because a upper limit of bidding price is set by the authority.
• License Plate sold for 12,931 USD in Sep/2015.  
• There's a 5.26% chance of getting your license plate.

5, Renting is a lot more affordable compared with buying. Since the rental market is highly unregulated, we can only have an estimate that Avg rent is close to $400/bedroom/month in city center.

<- Previous       Next ->

Page 1,2,3 of 3

Read More about China

[Fun Facts about China] Housing market in Shanghai

Just when you think the housing market in Bay Area is crazy. Let's take a look at Shanghai.

Here're the Fun Facts:
1, Shanghai is not the most expensive city in China. Beijing is.

2, Shanghai is a mega city. By mega, I mean huuuuge. Therefore, housing price outside of
the city center (20-50 miles away) is a whole different story. 

• Shanghai - Price per Sqft to Buy Apartment in City Centre $1,051.28 
• Shanghai - Price per Sqft to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre $432.63
• San Francisco - Median Price per Sqft $966

3, Shanghai Avg Gross Income in 2014 according to the Social Security Bureau, is 850 USD/month, around 10,200 USD annually. Life is tough there! Home maker? Never heard of this term!

Next ->

Page 1,2,3 of 3

Read More about China

Amazon Underground still does not support their Firephone

It seems rather clear that Amazon is giving up their Fire Phone completely. Their new amazon underground app market does NOT support their own Fire Phone! Well, they dismissed almost all of the firephone developers lately, so, it is kind of official.

The new Amazon Underground app market actually looks exiting to me at first glance. Free games, movies, absolutely free with no in-app-purchase to leave me hanging. All of these features make it an excellent choice for parents who want to give their kids a tablet yet hope to avoid a huge credit card bill. (BTW, their new tablet has a price tag of $49.) 

Well, enjoy Amazon Underground if you have android device other than a Fire Phone. 

Disclaimer: This site is not associated with Amazon for any marketing purpose. What you're reading is just a disappointed customer of theirs whining all the time.