Pokemon Go-ing, going, gone
Over a month ago, Pokemon Go was released in the Philippines. The launch strategically happened on a Saturday, a convenient day for anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection who may be looking for entertainment, reminiscing good ol’ childhood days, or joining — deliberately or curiously — the fad that has swiped Japan and the US earlier.
I am not any of those types of people.
To be truthful, I actually hated the timing of the Philippine release of the top-grossing mobile app. I was out for a lunch with friends and former colleagues on that day, and we had a lot of catching up to do. However, being the pop culture vultures most of them are, four among the six of us had already installed the app on their phones, catching Pokemon and collecting Pokeballs throughout the afternoon as we strolled around the mall. They just couldn’t put down their mobile phones — hooked in the augmented reality of being a Pokemon Master.
While I am no fan of this franchise, I am quite aware of the backstory and some of the Pokemon species, having watched the anime series in my younger years.
I had never intended to download the app onto my phone, having seen how people become so obsessed with it, until I was drawn because my friends caught Pokemon on me. Haha!
I was some kind of a Pokemon magnet that in about an hour, they had caught five different types of Pokemon.
The day ended, though, with me walking out on them for reasons: I was meeting someone for dinner, and I already had my date patiently waiting for me due to the delay caused by a hard-to-get Pidgey, and my friends who keep Pokemon Go-ing.
I thought to myself, this PokeGo thingy kills quality time.
But, you know, I eventually joined the fad because Nigel started using it.
What I liked about the app is that it forces a player to actually go out to new places to find new Pokestops and possibly new types of Pokemon, and walk around the neighborhood to hatch eggs.
It seems to include some sort of mindfulness exercise because we find things we don’t normally notice, like a chandelier made of red shoes in Landmark, or a lion statue at the front doors of a bank.
Actually, I hadn’t expected that Pokemon Go would bring me closer to my younger sister.
See, when her classes for the week are over and I am off work, we would meet at a mall — where Pokemon lure parties have become a thing — and walk around, collecting Pokeballs and trying to catch all those Pidgeys, Rattatas, and Spearows for the XP points. As we walked around, we’d share some things about how life has been lately for us.
Amid all these insights brought about by playing Pokemon Go, there is one important thing I shall never forget, that is, quality time is priority.
So, play Pokemon Go when it helps the relationship and don’t, just don’t, when it gets in the way of open communication. •
I am not any of those types of people.
To be truthful, I actually hated the timing of the Philippine release of the top-grossing mobile app. I was out for a lunch with friends and former colleagues on that day, and we had a lot of catching up to do. However, being the pop culture vultures most of them are, four among the six of us had already installed the app on their phones, catching Pokemon and collecting Pokeballs throughout the afternoon as we strolled around the mall. They just couldn’t put down their mobile phones — hooked in the augmented reality of being a Pokemon Master.
While I am no fan of this franchise, I am quite aware of the backstory and some of the Pokemon species, having watched the anime series in my younger years.
I had never intended to download the app onto my phone, having seen how people become so obsessed with it, until I was drawn because my friends caught Pokemon on me. Haha!
I was some kind of a Pokemon magnet that in about an hour, they had caught five different types of Pokemon.
The day ended, though, with me walking out on them for reasons: I was meeting someone for dinner, and I already had my date patiently waiting for me due to the delay caused by a hard-to-get Pidgey, and my friends who keep Pokemon Go-ing.
I thought to myself, this PokeGo thingy kills quality time.
But, you know, I eventually joined the fad because Nigel started using it.
What I liked about the app is that it forces a player to actually go out to new places to find new Pokestops and possibly new types of Pokemon, and walk around the neighborhood to hatch eggs.
It seems to include some sort of mindfulness exercise because we find things we don’t normally notice, like a chandelier made of red shoes in Landmark, or a lion statue at the front doors of a bank.
Actually, I hadn’t expected that Pokemon Go would bring me closer to my younger sister.
See, when her classes for the week are over and I am off work, we would meet at a mall — where Pokemon lure parties have become a thing — and walk around, collecting Pokeballs and trying to catch all those Pidgeys, Rattatas, and Spearows for the XP points. As we walked around, we’d share some things about how life has been lately for us.
Amid all these insights brought about by playing Pokemon Go, there is one important thing I shall never forget, that is, quality time is priority.
So, play Pokemon Go when it helps the relationship and don’t, just don’t, when it gets in the way of open communication. •