by Jason Joyner | Mar 12, 2012 | Blog, Mission Monday, stories, travel
I woke up on the bus, looked out the front window, and jumped when I saw the vehicle careening toward us.
About then I figured we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
When you’re on a mission trip there are two things that are inevitable: crazy food stories and travel adventures. You have to get there, and you have to eat.
Going to Thailand from Lakeside, Montana was an adventure in itself. Kalispell -> Spokane -> Seattle -> Tokyo -> Bangkok. Eleven hours to Tokyo and another nine to Bangkok. That’s some serious seat time.
Too bad Bangkok wasn’t our destination.
We were heading to Chanthaburi, a town about 5 hours away by bus (I’ve heard there’s a new highway and it’s only 3 hours – nice!). When the mission leaders met us at the airport, they talked to us and refreshed us with some fruit (got another food story there, maybe another time). We then loaded the bus around 1 or 2 am local time. The excitement from hitting the ground ended, and we all crashed.
That leads us to my near panic attack.
I was on the very back seat lying down. I had the view straight down the aisle when I awoke. The bus was passing another vehicle, and I was freaked out when I saw another car coming right at us. This wasn’t hundreds of yards away, mind you. We swerved back just before the car sped by.
Remember the line in Pirates of the Carribean (the first one that was really good, not the crappy sequels) when Barbossa tells Elizabeth that the Pirate Code is more like guidelines than actual laws?
Yeah, that’s Thai driving laws too.
I held on for dear life the rest of the way.
|
| Watch out for bumps! |
And this was a nice bus. It wasn’t one of those Asian ones with people hanging out the back or riding on top (been on those too).
I also rode as the third person on a motorcycle built for two, and almost fell out of a Thai version of an El Camino, except the back was the size of a Toyota Corolla. Good times.
I know other missionary friends that have hiked over scary suspension bridges, climbed mountains, and ridden elephants, all in the pursuit of reaching people they want to help. My experiences are tame compared to some stories I’ve heard.
They say life isn’t just a destination, but it’s a journey as well. Sometimes the journey is all the adventure you need!
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 12, 2012 | Blog, Mission Monday, stories, travel
I woke up on the bus, looked out the front window, and jumped when I saw the vehicle careening toward us.
About then I figured we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
When you’re on a mission trip there are two things that are inevitable: crazy food stories and travel adventures. You have to get there, and you have to eat.
Going to Thailand from Lakeside, Montana was an adventure in itself. Kalispell -> Spokane -> Seattle -> Tokyo -> Bangkok. Eleven hours to Tokyo and another nine to Bangkok. That’s some serious seat time.
Too bad Bangkok wasn’t our destination.
We were heading to Chanthaburi, a town about 5 hours away by bus (I’ve heard there’s a new highway and it’s only 3 hours – nice!). When the mission leaders met us at the airport, they talked to us and refreshed us with some fruit (got another food story there, maybe another time). We then loaded the bus around 1 or 2 am local time. The excitement from hitting the ground ended, and we all crashed.
That leads us to my near panic attack.
I was on the very back seat lying down. I had the view straight down the aisle when I awoke. The bus was passing another vehicle, and I was freaked out when I saw another car coming right at us. This wasn’t hundreds of yards away, mind you. We swerved back just before the car sped by.
Remember the line in Pirates of the Carribean (the first one that was really good, not the crappy sequels) when Barbossa tells Elizabeth that the Pirate Code is more like guidelines than actual laws?
Yeah, that’s Thai driving laws too.
I held on for dear life the rest of the way.
|
| Watch out for bumps! |
And this was a nice bus. It wasn’t one of those Asian ones with people hanging out the back or riding on top (been on those too).
I also rode as the third person on a motorcycle built for two, and almost fell out of a Thai version of an El Camino, except the back was the size of a Toyota Corolla. Good times.
I know other missionary friends that have hiked over scary suspension bridges, climbed mountains, and ridden elephants, all in the pursuit of reaching people they want to help. My experiences are tame compared to some stories I’ve heard.
They say life isn’t just a destination, but it’s a journey as well. Sometimes the journey is all the adventure you need!
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 17, 2010 | arts, Blog, Mass Effect 2, stories, video games
In my last post I gave a couple of highlights from a podcast featuring author Dick Staub and film producer Ralph Winter. They talked about a world shown in film (but applicable to novels) that draws in the viewer so much that they would want to live in and explore it. That was a quality of a great movie.
Storytelling has evolved from fire-side epics, to the written word, to immersive 3-D visual films. But what if you could watch AND interact in the story?
An example of a new possibility in storytelling is in the world of video games. I don’t think Pong had much of a backstory, but all games nowadays do. However, few offer the type of experience that comes from Mass Effect 2, from BioWare.
Obviously video games have an aspect of interactivity, since the gamer controls the main character. There are also limitations, as the gamer can only do things that are within the parameters of programming.
BioWare has been known for producing some of the highest quality role-playing games (RPG’s) in the last decade, including the award-winning Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR). They have been able to evolve the storytelling mechanism to new heights with Mass Effect 2.
The game is a science fiction story where humanity has just recently joined the galactic community by discovering old technology called Mass Relays created by an ancient race. You control Commander Shepard, a human (either male or female) who is Earth’s finest soldier, and the first human inductee into the special unit of Spectres, a group that is the Galactic Council’s personal force to deal with situations.
The storyline through the first two games is epic, and isn’t necessarily the scope of this post. I also don’t intend this as a review. The game is listed as Mature, and it definitely has areas that people need to use discernment concerning violence, morality, and how it is played.
My point is the excellent use of storytelling to elevate the game from an exciting action-based shooter (which it is) or a standard RPG where one builds a character up throughout the game (which it is as well, perhaps more so in ME1 compared to the second). The point is that the developers have enabled the gamer to feel like they fully own what Shepard does throughout the series.
BioWare has long tried to explore choices and their consequences, back to KotOR where a player’s choices would push the main Jedi character either to the Light or Dark Side of the Force. They’ve managed a new level in Mass Effect. The gamer can choose to have their Shepard to be a Paragon of virtue, a Renegade willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a goal, or somewhere in between.
In the midst of these choices, it drives how the story unfolds. The supporting characters, especially in ME2, are well-written and rounded personalities with their own strengths and hang-ups. Shepard’s interactions drive how they respond, whether they are loyal to the player or not. If a character dies, there are consequences. If you were kind or mean to a secondary character, that can come back to haunt or help. The plot of the game can be altered, up to a certain framework, depending on choices made.
Overall, the settings, missions, and characters make it a unique universe that is immersive and very enjoyable. The alien scientist Mordin became my favorite. He was involved with a very questionable moral decision in his past, and Shepard has to work with him to deal with it. As Shepard I can support it or condemn it, and Mordin wrestles with his decision in such a way that I felt it. He didn’t make a giant, easy flip to my point of view, but there was nuance in how he reacted.
The biggest development can be in how Shepard develops, if the player so chooses (definitely players can be calloused and just be in it for the blasting). It makes the story immersive. It creates an intriguing world. I have always been a Star Wars fan, since my childhood. I think the Mass Effect universe has actually supplanted the galaxy far, far away as my favorite sci-fi destination.
I’m not trying to just blow sunshine and rainbows at BioWare. I have a few issues with how some things are handled. Still, the game is an example of what quality writing can do for any medium, be it film, novels, television, or games.
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 17, 2010 | arts, Blog, Mass Effect 2, stories, video games
In my last post I gave a couple of highlights from a podcast featuring author Dick Staub and film producer Ralph Winter. They talked about a world shown in film (but applicable to novels) that draws in the viewer so much that they would want to live in and explore it. That was a quality of a great movie.
Storytelling has evolved from fire-side epics, to the written word, to immersive 3-D visual films. But what if you could watch AND interact in the story?
An example of a new possibility in storytelling is in the world of video games. I don’t think Pong had much of a backstory, but all games nowadays do. However, few offer the type of experience that comes from Mass Effect 2, from BioWare.
Obviously video games have an aspect of interactivity, since the gamer controls the main character. There are also limitations, as the gamer can only do things that are within the parameters of programming.
BioWare has been known for producing some of the highest quality role-playing games (RPG’s) in the last decade, including the award-winning Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR). They have been able to evolve the storytelling mechanism to new heights with Mass Effect 2.
The game is a science fiction story where humanity has just recently joined the galactic community by discovering old technology called Mass Relays created by an ancient race. You control Commander Shepard, a human (either male or female) who is Earth’s finest soldier, and the first human inductee into the special unit of Spectres, a group that is the Galactic Council’s personal force to deal with situations.
The storyline through the first two games is epic, and isn’t necessarily the scope of this post. I also don’t intend this as a review. The game is listed as Mature, and it definitely has areas that people need to use discernment concerning violence, morality, and how it is played.
My point is the excellent use of storytelling to elevate the game from an exciting action-based shooter (which it is) or a standard RPG where one builds a character up throughout the game (which it is as well, perhaps more so in ME1 compared to the second). The point is that the developers have enabled the gamer to feel like they fully own what Shepard does throughout the series.
BioWare has long tried to explore choices and their consequences, back to KotOR where a player’s choices would push the main Jedi character either to the Light or Dark Side of the Force. They’ve managed a new level in Mass Effect. The gamer can choose to have their Shepard to be a Paragon of virtue, a Renegade willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a goal, or somewhere in between.
In the midst of these choices, it drives how the story unfolds. The supporting characters, especially in ME2, are well-written and rounded personalities with their own strengths and hang-ups. Shepard’s interactions drive how they respond, whether they are loyal to the player or not. If a character dies, there are consequences. If you were kind or mean to a secondary character, that can come back to haunt or help. The plot of the game can be altered, up to a certain framework, depending on choices made.
Overall, the settings, missions, and characters make it a unique universe that is immersive and very enjoyable. The alien scientist Mordin became my favorite. He was involved with a very questionable moral decision in his past, and Shepard has to work with him to deal with it. As Shepard I can support it or condemn it, and Mordin wrestles with his decision in such a way that I felt it. He didn’t make a giant, easy flip to my point of view, but there was nuance in how he reacted.
The biggest development can be in how Shepard develops, if the player so chooses (definitely players can be calloused and just be in it for the blasting). It makes the story immersive. It creates an intriguing world. I have always been a Star Wars fan, since my childhood. I think the Mass Effect universe has actually supplanted the galaxy far, far away as my favorite sci-fi destination.
I’m not trying to just blow sunshine and rainbows at BioWare. I have a few issues with how some things are handled. Still, the game is an example of what quality writing can do for any medium, be it film, novels, television, or games.
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 10, 2010 | arts, Blog, creativity, Dick Staub, Ralph Winter, stories
I’ve mentioned Dick Staub and his podcasts on Kindlings Muse – a discussion of art and faith. He had a recent interview with Ralph Winter, who is a Hollywood producer. He’s worked on several highly successful films, such as X-Men 1 and 2. He is also a Christian who has managed to have a long career in Hollywood though the ups and downs of the “culture war”.
You can listen to the whole interview here. I just wanted to pull out a couple of points they talk about regarding the art of storytelling.
Ralph is talking about screenplays in particular, but he talks about the importance of knowing who the hero is, and how the most powerful moment in the movie is when the main character reveals “something about themselves they didn’t know at the beginning of the journey.” He feels this is when the reader or viewer is going to get emotionally involved.
Staub and Winter go on to discuss C.S. Lewis and his statement about a great book being one you want to read over and over. Winter relates this to movies, and talks about some of his favorites, like Ben Hur and Gladiator. He loves the journey, the choices the leads make, and he ultimately says he wants to live in that world.
So, how do we create a world that is engrossing enough we want to live there? How do we make our protagonists engaging enought that the reader is taken along the journey and experiences something when the protagonist has their “revelation?”
I think these are good points to ponder, but they also help me segue into the next topic I wanted to talk about…next time…
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 10, 2010 | arts, Blog, creativity, Dick Staub, Ralph Winter, stories
I’ve mentioned Dick Staub and his podcasts on Kindlings Muse – a discussion of art and faith. He had a recent interview with Ralph Winter, who is a Hollywood producer. He’s worked on several highly successful films, such as X-Men 1 and 2. He is also a Christian who has managed to have a long career in Hollywood though the ups and downs of the “culture war”.
You can listen to the whole interview here. I just wanted to pull out a couple of points they talk about regarding the art of storytelling.
Ralph is talking about screenplays in particular, but he talks about the importance of knowing who the hero is, and how the most powerful moment in the movie is when the main character reveals “something about themselves they didn’t know at the beginning of the journey.” He feels this is when the reader or viewer is going to get emotionally involved.
Staub and Winter go on to discuss C.S. Lewis and his statement about a great book being one you want to read over and over. Winter relates this to movies, and talks about some of his favorites, like Ben Hur and Gladiator. He loves the journey, the choices the leads make, and he ultimately says he wants to live in that world.
So, how do we create a world that is engrossing enough we want to live there? How do we make our protagonists engaging enought that the reader is taken along the journey and experiences something when the protagonist has their “revelation?”
I think these are good points to ponder, but they also help me segue into the next topic I wanted to talk about…next time…
—
