Monday, February 27, 2017

Resident Evil, Budget Issues, and a New Direction

I know I'm two months late for this, but HAPPY 2017 everyone! Our mood for Christmas was a lot  like our mood during Halloween and Thanksgiving. But we tried to make the best of it despite the emotional scars left behind by our home invasion.  

So now we jump ahead to January 26th, the day Zach and I finally took a chance and left the house at the same time to go watch Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. The film premiered a few days before it was released in the U.S, and despite the fact that it seemed to contradict a lot of things from the second film, it was still pretty awesome! 

But the film franchise has a very special meaning in the history of our relationship. We saw the first film in Oviedo, FL in 2002, which was around the time we started dating. 
Resident Evil (2002)
We also saw Resident Evil Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil Extinction (2007) in Orlando, but the latter was bittersweet, as Zach moved to New York a few weeks later while I remained behind in Orlando. 
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
By the time the fourth film came out in 2010, we were reunited in New York and living in our shoe box apartment in the Bronx. 
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Then in 2012, Resident Evil Retribution became the first film we saw while living abroad in Argentina.
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
 Now, after watching the final movie in the franchise in 2017, we were reminded that our journey may not have been as perilous as the one Alice had in the films, but it's certainly been one hell of a ride! 
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
On A Budget
Our financial situation continues to have its ups and downs, particularly with the rising costs of utilities, groceries, and electronic items, which most people would agree is insane, especially when you're living on an 8,000 pesos a month budget (517.16 USD). So aside from semi-stable freelance job, I've started taking on a couple of extra freelance odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. It's not like the offers are rolling down and crushing me, but when I do get a rare offer, I'll take it.  

My Novels
Meanwhile, I'm halfway done revising part two of my 5-part Hunter's Vendetta book series. The first book is only $9.75, and you can buy it worldwide on Amazon. But if you want a sneak peek, then read the first chapter for free here. My goal is to release Hunter's Vendetta: Shockwave by some point in March, and I might release one more sample chapter of the first novel before the release of the second book. So keep an eye out. 

The Blog's New Direction
Regarding this blog, I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what else I should write about. I've pretty much covered most of the basic topics and traveled to a couple of different provinces in Argentina. But I'm still apprehensive about leaving the house unoccupied for a long period of time. So making another trip to a brand new destination is out of the question, at least for the time being. But don't fret. I'm definitely taking my blog in a different direction. For nearly five years, I've been the only voice you've read on this blog. But I'm working on featuring a few other expats to get their insights on what life has been like for them while living in Argentina. I'm also hoping to get a couple of locals to participate as well to give us an insight on their opinions of Argentine life and how they feel about the way the economy is, and some of the struggles they've personally gone through. So check back often, or follow my blog for updates because as Angel, the vampire with a soul, once said, "Things are about to get interesting."