In January of 2023, how was it for you all? From what I've gathered on TikTok, not everyone has had an easy time of it.
Some things that happened to me during this time were probably mentioned in passing.
Some people even started a new year over in February instead of counting January as part of the year. On paper, at least, during the Lunar New Year, it is true. As this is the Year of the Rabbit, many cultures celebrate the animal. This year is predicted to be exceptionally fortunate.
I'm praying this gets better soon!
Please allow me to share my recent activities.
After a fantastic New Year's Eve and a hangover—both of which are not typical for me—it appeared that this year might be different. A few days later, when I went to log on to my computer, I discovered that the shelves had totally come off the walls and that everything was scattered about. In fact, I didn't even notice that they had crashed to the ground. It's funny because you can hear a thud somewhere in the house, but when you investigate, you find that nothing has actually fallen.
This time around, old photo albums and other useless items were lying around. It was just myself and no one else was there. I had to carve a path through the clutter to my computer. For the time being, I will complete this and finish organising some other computer-related tasks.
The second one wasn't as scary because it was a brief blackout lasting about a minute after a loud explosion.
All of the electronics I was using were plugged into surge protectors, so that couldn't have been the problem. Upon reflection, I believe my reaction to this was excessive.
Third, I was required to meet with my producer in order to discuss future game project planning. The "blue screen of death" keeps popping up whenever my PC becomes unresponsive. Then there was an endless loop during boot-up, so I called the local computer store to see if they could help. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the meeting and had to leave the producer a note explaining why I couldn't make it. No one got back to me. Sorry, I couldn't make it to the meeting; I just wasn't feeling that social. I gave them my computer and went upstairs. While I was out, I stopped at a few stores and picked up a few things. If I were available for a chat on Monday, I'd hear back from you. So, I just responded and explained my predicament. I guaranteed I'd be there.
The meeting would take place on Monday, but it wouldn't last long. Yet it would be an experience I hadn't planned on having. It was how I had been consistently delivering high-quality work; unfortunately, they were unable to offer me the casual, well-paying arrangement I would have preferred. Because of this, they chose to convert me from a full-time employee to an intern, a role I would fulfil until the end of the month. It was more or less an unpaid internship since I wasn't getting paid. (In any case, it's against the law to withhold payment from an employee.) Still, I didn't take it adversely; in a way, it was like dodging a bullet. Now I can go on to other things. As one door shuts, another one appears.
This week would keep on being strange. The networking platform almost led me to join a self-help cult. The atmosphere was just too poisonous, so I stayed away.
I would have a great night in the city hanging out with beer and pixels at the off-Broadway hotel in Ultimo. It was fantastic catching up with some of my peers, both working in the games industry and fellow dreamers!
When I turned on my computer and got it all set up, everything worked perfectly.
Juliette and the Phantoms was the show my girlfriend and I were watching that evening. It felt very much like a programme on the Disney Channel. I found myself particularly enthralled whenever the antagonist's theme tune played.
"The Other Side of Hollywood" was the name of the tune. It's catchy, so it stayed in my head for a while. That same night, I noticed my throat was getting scratchy and I had the beginnings of a cough. Since this is not typical behaviour for me, I suspected the air conditioning.
The dryness in the throat only increased the next day. I got a negative result from a COVID test. Phew! However, later that night, I attempted to treat my sore throat with disprin, honey, lemons, and even a shot of scotch. In my house, they were known as "Totties." An antidote to all of your cold and flu woes My body temperature would rise to the point that I would be sick from overheating that night. Aches and perspiration would greet me the next morning. My folks were taking the dogs and heading out to the farm. I would take a test for COVID! For that matter, I would do it again, just in case. Positive, shit!
My luck had run out; I hadn't been fortunate till that point. I had been instructed to withdraw into seclusion. Since no one else was around, I gathered what belongings I could and, per my mother's orders, hid downstairs until things calmed down.
In the coming days, I will encounter a wide range of Iso-related phenomena. I was couch-surfing, but at least I had TV, literature, and the ability to relocate my PS5 and Switch to stave off extreme boredom.
During this time, I finished Cliff Bleszinski's memoir Control freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games (creator of Jazz Jackrabbit, Gears of War, and Unreal, as well as a consulting designer on Fortnite). That book was fantastic; I really enjoyed it. It was a very personal piece, as it touched on his personal loss of his father when he was younger, his obsession with video games and making them, and his role when Freeware was going around on the early internet. I could relate to him and even imagine what my journey could be like. I was in tears at times, as I could see his fight in the industry and his passion. CliffyB saw game designers as rock stars, and he himself saw himself as a rock star. I think game designers are incredibly skilled and talented, and the people who announce their games on stage, whether it's a developer standing in a Rabbids background on a Ubisoft forward or someone at E3 hyping people up about a game they're excited to finally talk about, have the appearance of a rock star. I highly recommend this fantastic book and might even reread it.
I have moved on to another book called The Dream Architects: Adventures in the Video Game Industry by David Polfeldt (Managing Director at Massive Entertainment, a Ubisoft studio). I am currently enjoying this one. Looking at the industry from a different angle feels like a new experience! Very different. I might talk more about it once I am finished with it.
Can you tell I love to read about things I’m passionate about?
Sure, I caught a few films in Iso, including Fletcher Moules's Entergalactic. Like "Spider-Verse," this was a gorgeously animated flick. A charming romantic comedy set in New York City and revolves around the budding romance between an artist and a photographer. It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse this trippy roller coaster!
Glass Onion, a film about knives out, was the other film I recently saw. To put it mildly, the film was enjoyable. It has the same sort of mystery-solving elements as Clue. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from Knives out because I hadn't seen it. It didn't always make logic, but it only added to the amusement.
Did I play any games in Iso? Yes, I did.
I was back and forth with the Aussie-developed game "Wylde Flowers," a witchy, cosy farming sim developed by Studio Drydock. I enjoy this game and continue to play it occasionally. Such a cosy little game! The other game I have been playing is Need for Speed: Unbound. It’s a great arcade racing game. It has been a while since I played Need for Speed. It's stylish and different.
Towards the end of my ISO, I started playing Persona 3 Portable. The ports for the switch were launched. Persona 3 takes me back to a different time. Returning to my Year 10 work experience. Before I decided on my path, it was just me, my vita, and a week of graphic design work experience at a company called Sinnott Bros. in Silverwater.
I didn’t miss out on the Last of Us series, which has started out incredible! I can’t wait to watch more! Fantastic work, HBO, Neil Druckmann, and the actors involved!
At this point, I had kept my suffering from COVID to a minimum. I don’t think the details of sore throats, coughing, and lack of sleep are important things to reflect on.
I just know I am so much more grateful for the little things after the last week in Iso.
I was surprised to learn that I was clear on Friday night, so I had three more tests just to be sure. All clear. I was free.
Before even going to bed that night, I washed the bedsheets and pillowcases.
I slept fantastically that night.
I can say my energy levels aren’t fantastic still. I still have a cough, and my smell gets thrown off by some sauces, which is weird.
It feels weird being out of it.
as I write this now. It still feels a bit odd to be in the "high country" again.
So, what do I do now?
Well, I am job hunting again; I am not worried or scared. I am happy to see where I will be going this time! I would like to continue my dream in the games industry!
The most important thing to remember is that I persisted through January 2023 by remaining optimistic and actively seeking out ways to go forwards with my goals and aspirations. I, too, have learned to take pleasure in the simple things in life and be thankful for the results of being free of COVID.