Living the Sims Family Life

I had earlier written about the game, Sims Mobile, and it has been going on very well, much better than any other games I had played on Android mobile. Well, Android has not been the favourite platform of the PC gamer in me, but nowadays, I use the laptop only for education purposes, and therefore, the platform had to change. I was also playing Empire City on Android, but I have finished building in all the available space, and there is nothing more to be done with it, but the same is not with the case of Sims Mobile, which always provides us with something to do. It can be played slowly, and according to the time we have to spare. There is no need to think too much about it, as the whole thing is just like we are living a family life, with the needs and objectives being the commonly known ones.

So, now I have bought a second home in the game, and with a total of twenty sims in two houses combined, and with four playable sims, it continues to be fun, even though I have finished all the available career options and hobbies in the game, undergoing a long wait for an update. There are also those interesting missions which come in between, which we can accomplish we have time. Otherwise, we can just go on playing freely. It is not mandatory to do anything in this game, even though the initial missions will help you to advance better. Below are some moments which which felt lovely, and those which could be shared. The screenshot option nicely did the job, and I have cropped these images to keep the focus at the right place.

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This is an image of the new house which I built in the game after buying a new plot. I brought some of the furniture in the other house to this new one, and also brought some new ones. I created an open space in the middle because I wanted it to be different. This is a home close to nature, with a certain amount of divergence.

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When there is a teddy bear in the house, you know where the toddlers would be focusing all the time. The areas is quite crowded, and there seems to be a plan to get closer to the teddy too. But the game doesn’t have the option for the toddlers to interact directly with this toy, and it is really a shame.

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Now, this one comes as a Corona special moment, as this sim keeps washing her hands. At least there is one person in the house who is rather too careful. Well, with COVID-19 around the corner, you can never be careless. The game has its moments of care for its sims, as we are still going through the same pandemic in real life.

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The happiest toddler in sims is the one that is fed. You can find the same here, and even though there is no particular time for the child to be fed or put to sleep, these can be done at regular intervals to build a happy relationship with the kid which will be useful when he or she grows up. Option for toddlers to ask for food needs to be added.

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There is always time for some cooking. It is actually a hobby which one can keep up, and it is also one of the first ones which you are introduced to. The other options like writing and music will quickly follow, but this one can come up with the necessary equipment quite early. Sometimes, we can also find some cooking mess up too.

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The duck toy is a favourite, and the toddlers in Sims Mobile love the same, and it is cute to see them play with this particular toy. Almost every toddler seems to have one of such toys with them, and this image makes one feel that one toddler is going to snatch the toy from another, but that doesn’t happen in the game at all.

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The yoga hobby is a very effective one, because you can get most of the equipment for it at a low cost, and these mats looks nice on the floor. There are some nice movements in yoga which are being practiced here, and it is surely not like any other hobby in the game. I always prefer hobbies over career – after all, it is Corona time.

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If the biological mother of the babies is spending her time working on the mobile, someone else has to do the job, and this time, two people have come ready for taking care of the little ones. The babies will surely have their revenge when they grow up. These two became toddlers quicker than anticipated, and never stops moving around.

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No matter how old you are, you just can’t avoid a unicorn toy. It attracts the toddlers as well as the elder children, and one might even want to say a hi and talk to the toy. Well, direct interaction is needed in this case too, and Sims Mobile should add that and more options for toddlers and children. It can take something from Sims Freeplay.

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Everything needs to be planned, and here, the sim is taking a perfect measurement of the shelf. Sims Mobile has got some nice things to buy for home, and if you keep playing the game like two times a day, you will earn enough to keep you going, buying new clothing and household items. You can take it slow, or you can pay for items.

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<— Click here to go to the last film review.

***The images used in this blog post are from my gameplay in Sims Mobile (Android Version).

TeNy

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Impact of Tennis Poetry

There are lots of sportspersons who have created some great impact on me. I have been a fan of The Undertaker when I was a child, and I used to be a big fan of Saurav Ganguly later. Well, I no longer use the word fan because I have never been that kind of a fan that hates everyone who doesn’t like his or her favourite celebrities. I have been a person who admired these people who have had great impact on me. But there has been one person whom I really needed to write about.

I am talking about that person who is considered to be the greatest tennis player of all-time, and I never had any doubt about that. As you might have guessed the name of that person by now, this blog post is about Roger Federer. If you look at the records, you will know there are so much of achievements which he got inside his pockets. He has broken many records and has created his own including that of the most Grand Slams won and the most time spent as the world number one.

Well, I believe that you know most of it, and so, this post is going to about the impact that he has made on me rather than the impact which he has made on the tennis world. Even though the impact in tennis can be considered bigger, it is not that much behind in my case either. I have always believed in Roger Federer, and whether he wins or not, he has been the one who made the most impact on me, a lot more than any other sportsperson, and I am extremely glad about that.

I have always compared Federer to a certain kind of tennis poetry, with the way in which he has been playing, not making those terrible sounds or trying so hard. He just moves around seemingly without any trouble, and there is no overdose of emotions like some other players who are rather too aggressive with showing off after each shot. The biggest impact that his style has had on me is to control the emotions. It has helped me to take a game, whether it is badminton, cricket or football as a game in its own spirit.

Another impact that he has had is on my way of playing badminton. Yes, badminton is not tennis and also vice versa. I have never played tennis, but I have played a lot of badminton. So, I have tried to use his style of play in badminton, and that backhand has worked for me as a surprise weapon; the tennis forehand also works! Well, I have been accused of playing badminton like tennis, but there is this impact that Roger Federer has made, and I could never try not to do that.

He has won awards for sportsmanship, and has been the fan favourite for so long, and there is no surprise about it. I have never really stopped believing in Federer; I have always known that he will be the impact-maker no matter how the world changes. He also founded the Roger Federer Foundation to help the children in need. He has been a person known for his philanthropy too, as he has also made an impact outside the court. If you ask me about tennis, there is Roger Federer and then there is everyone else.

In the last few years, I have realized that I only liked Federer better and his performance never really mattered. It was all about the way in which he played and how he has been on the court as well as outside the court that has made such a huge impact on me. I have always been interested in Federer for being the person that he has been. It is never going to change, no matter what comes around in the upcoming years. He had that impact on me and it is forever, without conditions; it is the impact of tennis poetry on court and a great human being outside it.

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Page of Roger Federer.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

TeNy

Because it is World Cup

There are many World Cups that I have liked, but as far as cricket World Cups are concerned, I feel that I am going to like the 2019 World Cup more than the others. The main reason is that it will have no minnows and the games can only get better. Yes, we are love an upset and cheer when underdogs win. But when they are ruthlessly trashed by the opponents on too many occasions and they also make us wonder about the quality of the game, it is not case.

It is a forward step by the International Cricket Council, and I would like to welcome it. There is no need to add more and more teams which can’t play good enough cricket just to increase the number of teams and to let certain cricketers score centuries and get easy wickets. The players who can never hit an overseas century or can’t score more than a run-a-ball against the good teams might find this interesting, but otherwise, it is not a good idea to increase the number of teams.

Talking about the lesser teams, they have to raise their level, and only then should they be allowed in the World Cup. After all, this is a cup featuring the best, and not just some dumb tournament. It should be like, prove yourself and get in. For a beginning, there can be just eight slots. Yes, you heard it right. There is too much miserable cricket going on right now, and some teams need to improve or perish. They shouldn’t take their test status as a guarantee, but just a compliment.

Only the top six ranked teams should be allowed straight into the World Cup, with number seven, eight, nine and ten made to play a qualifying tournament with the associate members. The total number of teams can be eight, with two teams from this competition joining the group of teams, putting them into two pools. Only top two teams from each group should qualify. As the number of matches do decrease, may be the teams can play each other twice and thus also make sure that more consistent team gets in.

The 2019 Cricket World Cup will have ten teams already there, among which only eight of the top ones having a clear place (including the hosts England). The rest will play in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh which is only fair in making the game of cricket better and of a higher standard. If someone needs to score some runs of take a lot of wickets against the weaker teams, just be at the lower level of rankings – don’t bother the teams playing high standard cricket.

There should be no matches without results. It doesn’t matter whether it rains or the lights go. There should be more than one reserve day. After all, it will be a tournament of the best then. May be Kenya can make a return here. Do you remember them coming second in their group and even doing enough to get into the semi-finals? There is no team like that now, and only the strong teams get stronger and hopes to destroy these teams with ease. So these teams should prove that they are at least as good as the last ranked test playing nations.

When the level of Zimbabwe has only gone down from the past, Bangladesh seems to be coming up with a big slap against the ICC which gave them the test status when they were not ready. The former has gone through some turbulent times, but it is time for them to come back and return to the competitive team that they had often been. The latter should do a lot better than this with the talent and the support of the fans – just defeating a test playing nation on World Cup is not enough. There will be improvement if these two teams are made to earn their place rather than being guaranteed the same.

*If you want to globalize cricket, you need to stop being selfish. It includes not using these teams as the means to score big runs, take wickets and attain huge victories. It doesn’t prove anything. Help them, provide them some assistance with training as well as money, and play some good practice matches with them. May be some of their players can have some chances in the IPL. Ireland is a team with so much potential – I hope one of these over hyped teams is thrown out and they get in for the next World Cup. May be after letting them play with a team like India A and manage to compete with them regularly and even defeat them, we can talk about a fourteen team or even twenty eight team Cricket World Cup with a big qualifier featuring half of the total teams. ***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Page of ICC Cricket World Cup on Facebook.

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TeNy

Using Flipkart Vouchers

There are not many things more awesome than using a Flipkart voucher, and the best thing about it is that we can use fifteen vouchers together, and so even if we only have five hundred rupees vouchers, we can buy things up-to seven thousand five hundred rupees. If things go out of stock after the order is made, we will not only get the money back, but also some extra money as the Flipkart wallet amount that can be added during the purchase. That felt very fair to me. Here are a few useful things I bought with the Flipkart vouchers. ***The photos are from Flipkart website, and prices are as shown there now; it might have been cheaper or costlier when I bought them.

1. Swipe 3D Life Plus HDMI Tablet (Rs 3400)
I have always wanted a tablet, but wondered what the use of one would be, and why should I have one when the house has too many laptops and mobiles already. But everyone I knew had a tablet and so I decided to get one – then I saw this one on Flipkart; never knew much about the company it seemed that the reviews were a little inclined to the positive side, and with all its features and with tagline of being India’s first 3D tablet, this was a fine option for my little use. Now it has become my daily gaming device and music player, with hopes to turn into the movie and book device. It might not be a big deal or a powerful thing, but does my job and for this price, it was all that was needed.

2. Prestige PSSFB Toast (Rs 1195)
I had already bought an electric kettle for my room, and with the tea problem solved with that option, I need the option to make something to eat right in my room which can boast of being a hybrid of kitchen and bedroom. I remember the name was a little different for this electronic device at that time even as both names still seem to exist for the same thing, but this sandwitch toaster became a perfect choice for me. You could make sandwiches in your room, eat them and make those people who come to your house have the same with tea. It actually seemed to be a really interesting one, and it is the first time I am seeing a sandwich toaster.

3. Bajaj ATX 4 750 W Pop Up Toaster (Rs 1127)
So, what would I do when there was no need for the sandwich? The bread was always there to be bought, and my room had already transformed into a place for edible things, and then there came the option of this bread toaster with two years warranty – that made me confident, even as I haven’t bought many things from Bajaj in the recent years. I could actually buy the best looking toaster from the list (it was just one of the two toasters that had delivery here and so it wasn’t really a big option), and this has actually saved us during the sudden visit of many guests, and along with the Prestige PSSFB Toast, this works very well.

4. Home and Bazaar Antiquity Analog Wall Clock (Rs 1249)
The clock that I had in my room was quite big and I was regularly asked to put that one the main room – I was looking for a clock that would suit my room, and I came upon this one as the clock had seller here for the first time when I was looking to get something with those vouchers. It looks nice and as something of good antique value. The problem was that it was smaller than it seemed on the photo and should be difficult for older people to see the time. But for me, it fit to my small space on the wall, really well. There was a discount when I had it, and without that lower price, I would say this clock is over-priced because of its small size.

5. Wildcraft Wallet (Rs 545)
This was one of the first things that I bought, and the awesomeness of this one had me searching for more things on the site. I have been using some random wallets without thinking much, but this one changed things a lot. People actually noticed this one a lot, and I bought a blue one as well as grey one so that I can use both of them, one after the other. I have been impressed by many things, but this is the first time for a wallet, and it was not something that I had expected. This is a five hundred and fourty five rupees well spent, and even without the vouchers, this is an excellent choice as there seems to be no adjustment in quality either – and you know the looks.

There are also a huge number of books, especially those related to English Language and Literature, History and General Knowledge which are blessed with the free delivery option, and also a few things for the kitchen including the pressure cooker, glass set, container set, frying pan and similar things along with surge protectors, plant containers, games and toys, gardening equipment, plus the stationary stuff. I have felt that Flipkart has some very nice options for shopping for some useful stuff which are not available locally.

TeNy

The Lost Badminton Days

Among the best memories of life, there were always the days of the Badminton, something which I started in detail in the year 2001 with the first Badminton bat I ever had – Kamachi, a sporting season which improved further in 2002 and carried on with no real training and finding one weird way or the other to play the sport. Now, with almost no chance to play Badminton anymore, I take a look at those memories. The Badminton had somehow survived until 2014 first half for me; even now it is not dead, but is close to it.

The first season of the Badminton Days was the Kamachi season – it was a racquet that survived only to make way for the next one – Wish. 2001-2004 was rather my learning season, and it was the time when I tried my best to work on a certain style for my game, and was hoping to get at least a few smashes right (as long as I could keep getting the shuttle to the other side :D). Except for getting the drop-shots right rarely, I could only come up with some very rare surprises against those power-smashers.

You see the former racquet with a shuttle (pack is empty :P) a pole and the court too 😀

2004-2006 was my next season, finding the smashes with the new racquet, and somehow able to return some of those smashes, but still having almost no backhand. It was only during the 2006-2008 season with the next racquet Kennex that I somehow discovered that backhand shots could be played, and for that I can only thank my love for Roger Federer reaching new heights. Even as I liked him much earlier, the imitation of that classic backhand was coming to me this time, and there were the good-looking wrist bands and elbow supports to inspire 😀

2008-2011 with my next Wish racquet was my best season ever, and this was also the time of having best energy. With a ban on cricket, football and any sport which required a ball by our association, Badminton thrived at that time, and it is to be noted that there were so many people to play the game from 2001-2011, these ten years being awesome for the sport. I perfected the tennis shots during that season, and could do the tennis backhands too; and there was my tribute to Roger Federer 😀

A racquet to remember, as I would like to talk about it and those lost Badminton days 😀

2011-2015 is the time of the next racquet, the fifth in the list, the Silvers blue one which is continuing its journey even as there is no Badminton anymore, as my hope to find a place to play has failed miserably. This is my best bat so far and has lasted more than any other considering the years, but if we consider the time spent playing, this one is yet to see enough of the court. I have still managed to damage it enough already by diving on the court with it in the beginning stages itself 😀

Badminton has been so much of a fun game, and I miss it so much nowadays. I even miss that wind which helped me to get the shuttle in even after it was hit outside. Among the things that I really wish to do and bring back to my life, Badminton should come first. Our Badminton group used to be at its best at that time, and during a golden age, there would be about twelve people around just trying to get a game, and having tea or lime juice after the game was priceless. I wonder why there is not much Badminton around these days – lazy people all around!

The present Silvers racquet and the cute little kitty who wanted to join the game at night 😉

I miss playing those weird shots – those tennis backhands to the corners, the hook shot drops, the tweener drop shots, the surprise tennis forehands, the leg glance drop shots, the surprise slice drop shot, the diving sweep shot – all variety inventions which have a lot of chance not to succeed, but there is always that awesome day at the court when things work 😀 You can guess that this kind of strange nonsense shots are not going to work against a good, trained player – but there is the happiness that you get once some of these work and use the surprise elements to win against a player of your same level 😉

*All photos used in this blog post were taken on my Nokia N95 and Sony Cybershot DSC-W310.

TeNy

What is Bigger than Winning?

*Except for the last photo, the images are from the Official Facebook Page of Kerala Blasters. What I asked is a question that we see in the advertisement for Indian Super League, and it is about what is more important that winning. It says that the answer to that question is winning the league for the first time and becoming the first champion ever. I don’t consider it an interesting one though, as that achievement is something which will stay heavy only for a few years. Shouldn’t the answer have been “winning the league the most number of times”?

Well, I have an answer for the same, and it is “to try your best and earn respect”. Yes, Chennaiyin did well to come back from nowhere to go up, a lot of appreciation is needed for that. That should also mean that one like less for Jeje Lalpekhlua, that is from me, just because I don’t approve handballs. Yes, everybody can’t be Adam Gilchrist or Rahul Dravid, but if they tried to be honest, that would have pleased me. I always love such a good gesture. Yes, the referee also contributed to it, whose fault it remains.

There is no denying the power of this man, no matter what happens in the end.

I believe that Chennaiyin would have won against Kerala Blasters, but it is karma that let them down. Kerala got the worst of the referee as what happened with Atletico de Kolkata reversed like a tsunami multiple times, with the worst decisions being made against them. But to add to that, Chennaiyin had to add the handball, and I believe that the one moment of cheating took the weapons of karma started its work. Poetic justice – ever heard of it? It will come to you some day, may be in this life or the next. This time, it came earlier.

Well, it is quite usual for the new generation who are taught that there is nothing bigger than winning. It is all about being glory hunters, and we have a lot of them in football. Marco Materazzi’s missing of penality is also about the same – the one thing that made him more famous than the rest, is what he caused to Zinedine Zidane, one of my favourite players of that time. He became a main reason for many of us to dislike the Chennaiyin FC along with the overacting that Abhishek Bachchan was doing at the stadium. That red card was coming for Materazzi, because there is God, and there is Sachin Tendulkar.

If you try your best and still lose, it is still a big thing. Always fight till the end.

Chennai is my second favourite city in India outside Kerala, coming next only after Kolkata, and every time, I hope to support them in any league and appreciate them coming first on the league table, but something always comes up. With Chennai Super Kings, there was that match-fixing scandal, and there was the owner of the same team controlling the whole cricket in India. Now, even for Chennaiyin FC, there is the co-owner Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and I can’t help not seeing a connection there. I then wondered why the Bangalore franchise was replaced with Chennai.

Even in a match which saw one of the worst refereeing of the whole tournament, the highlight is the effort which both teams put up here, especially Kerala Blasters who fought all odds to win this battle. Nothing seemed to work for them as there was the early red card, too many fouls against them even as the referee gave less number of them, a self-goal, a penality and a goal with a hand – all going against them. It seemed that even Mukesh and Nita Ambani were with Chennaiyin. A defeat was certain there, and with the goal keeper and the best strikers replaced, there was even less hope with a shoot-out.

Seeing a happy Sachin Tendulkar with other senior players and the team = happiness 🙂

Kerala Blasters did hold on though, and when wonder how this poetic justice worked like a dream, the name of Sachin Tendulkar comes to one’s mind. This is another gift to one of the greatest sportsmen India has ever produced, and it would be great if the other team in the final is Atletico de Kolkata, but the three teams that remains now are my favourites, and I will only be extremely delighted no matter who wins this first ISL – let it be Kerala, Kolkata or Goa. What about Sachin Tendulkar vs Sourav Ganguly in the final – wouldn’t that be awesome?

*Even if Kerala Blasters had lost today, they would have won hearts, but they chose more, and the fight they brought is more important than winning. Despite what the owners, coaches, some fans and the officials have been doing wrong, Chennaiyin team also deserves respect for making this attempt. One thing I admire about Abhishek Bachchan is that he stood with his team till the end making every team wish that they had an owner like him, otherwise I am not a fan of him with what he is showing on the ground and in the movies.

And then there is my friend Praveen Joy who managed to click one with Sachin :O 😀

Thank You Kerala Blasters! TeNy

Of a Romanian Beauty

I have been watching tennis for quite some time now, and I have watched and admired many players, but none so much as Roger Federer, who redefined my days of watching that game which I have never played and might never play. I have spent hours just watching the maestro play, and have watched almost all the grand slams he has won, mostly as live action and sometimes in the form of highlights.

I have also admired Novak Djokovic with his game on a lot of occasions, and has considered him a worthy successor to the number one title which he is holding now. When coming to the women’s tennis, it has never had a clear favourite player in my list, as there used to be Maria Sharapova, replaced by Caroline Wozniacki who still remains one my big favourites, Agnieszka Radwańska who is there forever, and Eugenie Bouchard whom I occasionally root for as part of another army – Genie Army.

Roger Federer and Simona Halep, my choices for every Grand Slam 😀

Then there is Simona Halep, whom I have been supporting for months now as the latest addition to that list. Along with supporting Roger Federer, I have been wishing that she had one the women’s division too. I might still name my cat Agnieszka who have been the fan favourite player for the last consecutive years (and mine too), but the admiration for Simona has been something that has been growing like a vampire’s fangs. She is not screaming and doing all those strange actions on the court like some of the other players who overdo the same.

It is a feel-good moment when she wins those points 🙂

Ever since reading Dracula, I have always wanted to visit Romania, and support the nation in something, and Simona is the answer to my prayers to find something for the same cause. Yes, another reason to love Romania here, and I was actually surprised at how much she has come up in the rankings all of a sudden and how well she has improved her game. Well, it is still safe to say that not many people from this part of the world knows her yet, and that is rather a disgrace to all kinds of sports.

Always looking good whether on the court or off-court!

The twenty three year old from Romania has jumped in rankings and has arrived and settled inside the top ten of WTA Rankings, and now sitting steadily at number three below veterans Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. She looks small, but has such an intelligent game to take on the stronger opponents. This was achieved after being a rather less heard name in Women’s tennis, which with frequent serve breaks, has been such an unpredictable side compared to the men’s tennis which has had the big four of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Hope she wins the next grand slam and more 🙂

She came so close to winning the Roland Garros this year too, but there is a thing about the French Open, as it is too elusive for the best players and those who play beautiful tennis. After having not that much of a good record in the grand slams, she could rise to the occasions this year reaching the final of the French Open and the semi-final of the Wimbledon in an year which saw her rise which also lead to the demolition of Serena Williams in the WTA Championships even as she lost in the final to the same opponent.

Not difficult to find Simona here 🙂 (Pic from Simona wiki page)

Among the players who are doing so well in the WTA, I would vote for Simona Halep this time, and the player who recently turned twenty three and at 5 feet 6 inches among the shorter top players, seems to be the rising star for the future of women’s tennis. Lets hope that she continues to play the wonderful tennis that she is producing and keeps us admiring her talent. *All the photos in this post except one are from the official Facebook page of Simona Halep (https://www.facebook.com/simonahalep)

TeNy