Rod's Return to Mineral Town in Sunshine Islands

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Those of us who played Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town hoped in vain to witncess Rod's return to his devoted wife, Lillia. He had gone off to distant parts in search of a rare flower to cure her... Events in More Friends of Mineral Town included a letter from Rod, but that was as close as he ever came. Urban legends to the effect that he secretly had returned and was living on the boat moored to the pier were nothing more than frivolous fantasies.

Here is the entry for Rod from my Characters Guide:

ROD:

Birthday: unknown

Rod is Lillia's absent husband. He went off on an expedition to find a rare flower that grows only in the desert, hoping that this would be the cure for her illness and has not returned. There is one cutscene involving this business. It is one of Popuri's heart Events but is included here because it gives so much information about Rod:

Popuri and Rick projecting their 'hurt', then:
Rick: I can't believe how irresponsible Dad is! Leaving Mom like this and going off in search of some flower we're not even sure it exists!!...
Popuri: Don't talk that way about dad!
The whole reason he went away is to cure Mom!
Lillia: Both of you stop it now! Please don't argue about your father!
Lillia: Freyr, you're here at just the right time.
Popuri and Rick are fighting about their dad, you see.
They won't listen to me at all...
Will you talk some sense into them for me?
Popuri: Our dad was brave enough to go out hunting for a rare flower to cure Mom. Rick blames him for leaving us, but I think that's horrible!
Dad only left because he loves Mom...
Rick: Can you believe it? ! Dad left without any real information about the flower, or a plan about how to find it! He'll never find it! That's why he's irresponsible!

My choices were:
I agree with Popuri.
I agree with Rick.
Poor Lillia.

I said: 'Poor Lillia'.
It was obviously the correct response because:

Popuri: .............. I'm sorry, Mom...
Rick: Sorry, Mom.
Lillia: (with music): Just... Please stop arguing about your father!!... Ohh... This is all my fault!
Popuri: Nothing's your fault, Mom!
Rick: Popuri's right. It's not your fault at all, Mom... I'm sorry for talking that way about Dad...
Lillia: That's OK. I know you just talk that way because you're worried about me.
Popuri: Sorry for worrying you, Freyr. Everything's OK now.
Rick: Sorry for dragging you into this.
Lillia: Thanks for stopping the fight, Freyr.

If I had said:
I agree with Popuri.

Popuri: (music)
Rick: (hurt)
Popuri: See, even Freyr thinks I'm right.
Rick: Freyr! Don't butt into other people's business!
Popuri: Don't get mad at Freyr just because he doesn't agree with you!
Rick: .... Popuri...
Popuri: Thanks for taking my side, Freyr.
Lillia: I'm glad the argument's over. Thank you, Freyr.
Rick: ................

If I talked to them after...
Popuri: Thanks for taking my side, Freyr.
Rick: Yeah well... What do you know about it?!
Lillia: Thanks for stopping the fight, Freyr.

If I had said I agreed with Rick:
Popuri: But... Why?! How could you say that!
Rick: See, even Freyr thinks Dad is wrong!
Popuri: Mm... Looks like I was wrong about you, Freyr!
Rick: Popuri! Don't be mean to Freyr!
Popuri: What!
Lillia: Now they're arguing over Freyr!
Will they ever stop?
After...
Popuri: I can't believe you took my brother's side.
Rick: I'm glad you understand me.
Lillia: I just hope they don't start again...

There is another Event involving the absent Rod in MFoMT that can be experienced before 1.00 p.m. in your third year or later in the Summer season, provided Popuri remains unmarried. (In one game, I experienced it on Saturday, 3 Summer at 12.50 p.m. in my third year.)

A Letter from Rod

At 12.50 p.m. I went out of the forge and into the Poultry Farm and experienced an Event inside with Lillia, Popuri and Rick. Poupuri was standing on the right, in front of the counter and Lillia and Rick were standing together in front of the table.

Popuri: Hello, Freya. How are you?
Rick: Hi.
Popuri: Hi there, Freya.
Me: ?
Lillia: What? You say I look in a good mood? That's because I am! Do you want to know why?
Me: ?
Lillia: You see... tee-hee... I got a letter from my darling today... It was the first time ever! Do you want to hear what he wrote?
I nod.
Lillia: Dear Lillia, How are Popuri and Rick? I am fine. I'm writing from a vast desert, where the search for the flower to cure you has lead me. I am confident I'll find it soon, so do not give up hope. Look after the store.
All my love, your husband.
Isn't he wonderful...?
Rick (with hurt): 'Look after the store'... Easy for him to say!
Popuri (with angry face): Why can't you just be happy like Mom, Rick?
Lillia: This mean's he's safe, don't you see? I'm so happy...

After:

Lillia: Tee-hee... I'm so happy!...
Rick: Letters are nice... But I want him to come home now!...
Popuri: I'm so glad you are, happy, Mom!

Now, in both Island of Happiness and Sunshine Islands, four Characters from Mineral Town visit the Islands in different seasons. Karen and Popuri travel to the Islands together in Autumn, staying during the Winter season and leaving at the beginning of Spring.

In Sunshine Islands, at 5-6 Hearts, Popuri will tell you: My mom gets sick a lot... But she feels better when my dad's with her.

Admittedly, this is not real evidence that he returned from his quest for the rare flower, but the fact that she mentions this rather matter-of-factly made Freya suspect that Rod HAD returned...

The Delight of Trivial Dialogue in Harvest Moon

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When I have my (very brief) moments of weariness and experience a crisis of faith in any Harvest Moon game, wondering how long it will take to collect enough income for the prized Greenhouse or when I will be able to reach the lowest floor in any Mine, something always restores my energy. Often it is an unexpected Event... or even a little piece of dialogue.

In Sunshine Islands, for example, Freya found Popuri at the Diner on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Winter. When she spoke to her, Popuri confided: 'Just between you and me, Karen's a terrible cook.'

That is no secret, by the way, to any veteran player of Harvest Moon. In FoMT and MFoMT, Karen invariably entered some utterly destroyed 'Burnt Dish' in the Cooking Contest year after year. We have followed her Cooking disasters from game to game... It did bring a smile to my face, however, hearing Popuri confess this little fact to me in Sunshine Islands. After all, how many years has Karen beeen striving unsuccessfully in the kitchen? Blessed with beauty, intelligence, humour and boundless energy, able to hold her own at the bar or in the workplace against any man, it is only fitting that Karen should have one flaw. She cannot cook.

Players who complain about 'too much dialogue' in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game are missing the point entirely. They shouldn't be playing these games if they cannot immerse themselves in these two wildly diverting, complex universes where characters are three-dimensional and have histories that carry over from game to game and village to village. Harvest Moon and Rune Factory truly are interactive novels where we, the players, are privileged to be allowed to enter into the universe and interact freely, actually changing the destinies of other characters as well as creating a marvelous life for ourselves.

You cannot expect to plumb the depths of Island of Happiness or Sunshine Islands in a year or two. Furthermore, there is a philosophical lesson to be learned in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. Impatience is the root of unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life and your world. If you learn patience and have an attention to detail, you will be rewarded with every possible benefit that these worlds offer. If you begin to count the days until you will earn enough money for a specific upgrade, you will be unhappy with yourself and your life until you achieve that goal and furthermore, probably neglect other details and aspects of life in the process. You must tread gently and carefully in Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, paying attention to other people as well as other living creatures, whether plants or animals. Every life has its own worth. Neglect one and you have made your own universe a smaller place.

Challenges in Island of Happiness

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Every Harvest Moon game is challenging and very few can be explored fully in less than five years (Harvest Moon time!) but I really have come to the conclusion that 'Island of Happiness' is by far the most challenging game of all. Imagine a game where you have to unlock many of the Eligible Girls/Bachelors... Imagine ordering a Bird Barn or Animal Barn that does not contain a full set of feeders or any shipping containers. Imagine a 'Maker' that requires 20 Adamantite instead of only one and a Maker Shed that must be expanded before you can order some of the 'Makers'. If you wish to order Accessories, you may need 10 to 60 pieces of Orichalc rather than 1.

Suffice it to say that I cannot imagine any player sighing regretfully that he/she completed all goals too quickly! Every aspect of this game is challenging. You have to unlock new areas on the map if you wish to meet vital characters and ever gain access to a Mine.

Festivals are unlocked as well. As you move forward in the game, you will be able to participate in new Festivals.

Items do not have a single value either. Each item has a Rank as well as a grade in terms of Quality, Size and Freshness. When you are mining or fishing, in particular, you need to be aware constantly of the number of empty slots in your rucksack. Unless the items are identical not only in type, but in Rank, Quality, Size and Freshness, they will occupy different slots. You can stack items of different ranks and grades but this must be done manually. The resulting 'stack' will contain items of rank and grades that represent an average of the original items.

New 'advanced Makers' that require an upgraded Maker Shed include a Thresher and a Flour Mill. In a previous post, I wrote about the New Year Festival, where my character actually participated in the ritual of pounding the rice for rice cakes. Little details like this astound me. The obvious time and energy that went into the creation of Island of Happiness make it a labour of love.

For fans of Harvest Moon, it is wonderful to be able to encounter characters from other games like Cliff, Trent, Karen and Popuri. (When they visit the Island in IoH, they are married to your old 'Rivals' from FoMT/MFoMT.)

The characters from Mineral Town speak of their spouses and of others as well. For example, Trent will tell you that Mayor Thomas arranged for his room at the Inn on the Island. Other characters play a role even when they are not present in the flesh. The Gourmet is an important character in one of Pierre's Heart Events.

As in most Harvest Moon games, you need not be the best farmer, rancher, miner or fisherman/woman in order to live a fairly decent life. You won't perish if you fail to meet all the goals in the game. Discussing some of the 'challenges' in IoH therefore should not discourage players who mainly play Harvest Moon games in order to marry and have a family. That goal can be one of the easier to attain, depending on the Eligible Girl/Bachelor you wish to court. There are Eligible Girls/Bachelors who will not appear on the Island if you do not attain specific goals but there are others who are available for courtship from the start of the game.

Without being too specific about Tree of Tranquility, the upcoming Harvest Moon game for the Wii, you will not be able to meet all the Eligible Girls/Bachelors at the start in that game either. At the very earliest, you will be able to unlock every possible character only halfway through your second year. In other respects, however, it is very different from Island of Happiness. It has a very detailed storyline and plot, casting your character in the role of hero/heroine. In that sense, it reminds me a little of Rune Factory, although there is no combat in ToT. In many Harvest Moon games, you are called upon to rescue the Harvest Goddess, but the plot in ToT is far more complex than that. There is a 'next generation' option in ToT that is rather wonderful. I certainly recommend that game as well wholeheartedly!

Heart Events and Rival Heart Events in Island of Happiness can be touching, dramatic or hilarious. Courting every possible candidate for marriage BEFORE you decide on a wife/husband is worth the effort because the Events are wonderful.

I think a player could spend six (real time) months on Island of Happiness without exhausting half of the possibiities. Through Harvest Moon, one can live more than one life but there always is that pesky problem of real time...

Island of Happiness Preview

Island of Happiness, a new Harvest Moon game for the DS that will be released in August, promises the player excitement, new characters and a multitude of new challenges.

In this game, items, new options and characters, including some of the Eligible Girls/Bachelors are unlocked gradually, and in most cases, depend on your own achievement of goals.

The graphics are wonderful. Events are accompanied by a title screen on the upper screen of the DS that gives them a picturebook quality. Whenever you speak to characters, instead of a static portrait on the lower screen to accompany the dialogue, the eyes on the portrait actually blink!

In terms of farming, there is a new option to grow Rice in rice paddies in the northwest corner of your farm, but you must unlock this before you will be able to buy the seeds or enter the Rice Paddy area.

As in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl and the original Magical Melody for the Gamecube, you have an opportunity to play the game either as a boy or as a girl. There is a wide selection of eligible Girls/Bachelors in terms of courtship and marriage.

Most of the characters are new, but players of FoMT/MFoMT, HM Boy & Girl and HM DS/HM Cute DS will be delighted to find visitors from Mineral Town in this game! Karen and Popuri visit in certain seasons and when they return to Mineral Town, Cliff will arrive on the Island. None of these characters are eligible for marriage. In fact, they will have married your Rival in the Mineral Town/Forget-Me-Not Valley games and will speak of their spouses while visiting the Island.

There is a character from HM DS/HM Cute DS in Island of Happiness who is eligible for marriage if your character is a boy. The mischievous Witch Princess lives on the Island with her large collection of bears!

Much more to come in future posts...

Incidentally, I have been working on my guides for Island of Happiness and they should be published on IGN when the game is released in the U.S.

Heart Events in Harvest Moon Boy and Girl

When I experienced one of the girl's 1st Heart Events in the Girl version of Harvest Moon Boy & Girl, I remembered that More Friends of Mineral Town included the 1st Heart Event of each of the eligible girls in the original Friends of Mineral Town. When, however, I then experienced Elli's Blue Heart Event in the Girl version of Boy & Girl, I began to suspect that ALL the Blue Heart Events for the eligible girls in the Boy version were included in the girl game. When I experienced Popuri's Blue Heart event and received an egg from her, my theory was vindicated somewhat...

What this would mean, of course, is that you could obtain all the benefits of these events. Elli's sandwiches may not be worth much either in a culinary or a financial sense, but Ann's request for 3 eggs is extremely profitable and is worth experiencing even if you are playing as a girl.

Obviously you must have met all requirements for each of these events. In the case of Ann's Blue Heart Event, you must have at least three adult egg-laying chickens in the boy version as well as having Ann at the right heart level. In the girl version of the game, I have not experienced the event yet. Perhaps it was not included, which would be a pity, but I am not going to give up yet...

In the boy version of the game, Ann and Popuri always repeat the same dialogue at the Goddess Spring. In the girl version of the game, their dialogue changes with their friendship level.

Another discovery I made was to confirm what I suspected when I met Kai in the Church in the middle of the first Spring: it is, in fact, his Black Heart Event. If you choose the correct action, which is to tell him that you are NOT Carter, his heart will be at Blue level as soon as he comes to Mineral Town for the Summer.

Incidentally, for the sake of those who wonder what Kai would have confessed that day, it was an argument with his father... I replayed the event simply to discover what would happen if I pretended to be Carter... in fact, I always try to give both results in my guides in any case. Kai will begin to confess an argument with his father, who does not believe Kai should be spending any time in Mineral Town. He then will become increasingly uncomfortable with the entire Confession process, declare that he cannot go through with it and leave without ever meeting you...

Honesty IS the best policy and you will have the chance to meet Kai and win his heart somewhat if you tell him that you are not Carter, even if you are tempted to hear his confession!

The significant Heart Events in the Boy version of the game are the Blue Heart Events. In the girl version of the game, it may be the Green Heart Event, which is accompanied by Heart Event music.

Rick's Green Heart Event has special requirements. You must leave a chicken outside overnight in order to trigger the event, rather like the old Indian practice of tethering a goat outside in order to bait a tiger! I did not enjoy this AT ALL, as I always am conscious of the threat that the wild dog poses. Perhaps the game allows one night of guaranteed safety for the poor chicken in pursuance of this Heart Event, but I rather doubt it.

In any case, Rick's Green Heart Event is very interesting because of the responses in both cases to his comment. In Heart Events, there usually is a 'correct' and an 'incorrect' response.

Here is the dialogue:

At 6.00 a.m. when you exit your house after leaving at least one chicken outside overnight, you will find Rick in front of your henhouse at Green Heart level.

Rick: Sorry to bother you, but keep the chickens inside at night. There are wild dogs.

I nod and turn towards my chickens.

Rick: Chickens love to stay outside in the sun. So cute...

My choices now:
They lay eggs too.
You could eat them.

If I choose: They lay eggs too.

Rick: Right. We make a living off of them. We have to be appreciative. See you around.

If I choose:

You could eat them.

Rick; Ha ha ha ha! You're too funny! I know you love chickens!
He then will turn to you:

Rick: Can I come to see your chickens again? See you.

Later in front of the Supermarket after choosing the second option:

Rick (still at green heart): How are your chickens? I know it's hard to keep animals. If you ever need advice, please let me know.

END OF EXCERPT

I would have thought that the first option was the obviously correct one, until I went back to experience what I thought would be the response to the 'incorrect' choice. The expression on Rick's face when I remarked that one could eat them was a very happy one. He immediately assumed I was teasing him and liked it. In fact, in MFoMT, Rick's yellow heart event I seem to recall involved a visit to the Inn where he was highly entertained by my sense of humour, telling me how funny I was and how much fun it was to be with me.

After the event, I chased him to the Supermarket where I spoke to him to see his heart level... it remained green and had not decreased as far as I could discern. (How I wish for a Love Bangle at such moments in Boy & Girl!!!) I am beginning to believe that both options may be acceptable here...

I am including photographs of Rick's heart level AFTER the event in both cases.
Is there any perceptible difference?

In one case, he simply says: See you around.
In the other case, he asks: Can I come to see your chickens again? See you.

One reason I would lean towards the second option now is his attempt to ask for another invitation to see you in that case. Perhaps I am over-dissecting the event though and the obvious choice is the best...

I would be interested in the opinions of other players.

N.B. I have noticed that the size of the heart icon in the corner changes randomly sometimes at any given level and therefore may not be an accurate gauge.

The Popuri Dilemma for a farmer in Mineral Town

Whether you are playing Harvest Moon Boy & Girl or Friends of Mineral Town, you will have a dilemma in your first year where Popuri is concerned. My own strategy always is to raise the heart levels of ALL eligible girls and bachelors as quickly as possible. There certainly are tangible rewards for doing this in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl, as the Blue Heart Events for a couple of the girls can increase your income rather substantially in your first Summer.

On the other hand, I like to experience as many of the Rival Heart Events as possible as well, especially for the girls I do not intend to marry. Where the other girls are concerned, this is not a problem. Both Heart and Rival Heart Events have a natural progression. Where Popuri is concerned, however, a player can run into difficulties in the first year.

If you raise Popuri's heart level daily with the gift of a Toyflower in the Spring, you should experience her Blue Heart Event at the beginning of your first Summer. In the course of this event, she will give you an Egg and ask you to hatch it.

Actually, I stopped giving her gifts in the middle of Spring, suspecting that her heart level would become far too high to experience the rival heart events in Summer if I continued to raise her heart level... even so, the damage was done, as you will see.

In HMBG, you can experience the 3rd Heart Event when the girl still is at purple heart level. She needs only to be close to the Blue Heart Level to trigger the event. Unfortunately, the 2nd Rival Heart Event no longer can be experienced if you have reached THAT level...

On 2 Summer, Popuri came to my house at 6.00 a.m. to deliver her egg to me, asking that I hatch it. She almost was at Blue heart level at that point. This is Part I of her 3rd or Blue Heart Event in HMBG.

3 Summer is Popuri's Birthday. In my first game, I gave her Toyflower on her Birthday for a boost in her heart level. When the chick hatched, I named it Popuri. When she returned to my farm at 6.00 a.m. on 6 Summer, her heart advanced to full Blue Heart level when she realised I had named the chick after her.

This was all well and good for my romance with Popuri but as the days progressed, I found myself unable to experience Popuri's 2nd Rival heart Event with Kai. I had experienced the 1st Rival heart event outside the Poultry Farm at the start of Summer, but although I suspected the 2nd Rival Heart Event would occur at the Beach, I could not trigger it at any time of the day or any day of the week, including Sunday!

I then concluded that HMBG was like FOMT in this respect: if the girl's heart level is TOO HIGH, you no longer will be able to trigger a rival heart event.

I backtracked to 3 Summer with a heavy heart and gave Popuri a Stone instead of a Pinkcat flower on her birthday. 'Yuck!' she exclaimed, 'I don't want this.' Well, obviously not, but I wanted to force it upon her for the sake of her romance with Kai. (The horrid acts we are forced to perform for the sake of a happy ending!!!)
Even when I named my chick Glitz instead of Popuri, avoiding the extra boost to her heart level in Part II of her Blue Heart Event, I had to force Stones upon her daily until finally, on 10 Summer, I was able to trigger her 2nd Rival Heart Event at the Beach at 11.10 a.m.

This was NOT an ideal progression. What I should have done was to have NOT raised her heart level so high in the Spring. (If only one had a Love Bangle in this game!)
Unfortunately, you cannot trigger the 2nd Rival Heart Event on 2 Spring, as you have to experience them in order and the 1st Rival Heart Event cannot be triggered early enough in the day to allow it... (The 2nd Heart Event cannot be triggered after 1.00 p.m.)

Even so, I could have saved many Toyflowers, and simply raised her heart to the minimum Purple level before her birthday on 3 Summer. It would have been better to have experienced the 2nd Rival heart event BEFORE I triggered the Blue Heart Event.

In monetary terms, however, it is better to obtain Popuri's egg as early as possible, so perhaps my strategy is the best, for all the heartache of having to give her items she hated repeatedly. On 10 Summer, I have experienced three of Popuri's Heart Events and two of her Rival Heart Events... and the egg she gave me should be an adult chicken tomorrow, I believe.

On 10 Summer, I have experienced three of the Heart Events and the first two Rival Heart Event for all the other eligible girls as well, with the exception of Karen's Blue Heart Event. Karen's 3rd Heart Event can be experienced only in Spring, I believe, and it is impossible to raise her heart level high enough in the first Spring. I will experience it at the start of my second year, I expect.

Ann's 3rd or Blue Heart Event is another profitable one for the player. Provided that you have her at high Purple level, as soon as you have three adult chickens who lay eggs, she will come to your farm to request that you bring her 3 eggs daily before 5.00 p.m., beginning on the next day.

Holidays do not deprive you of the opportunity to experience Part II of the event. In my game, the following day was the day of the Chicken Festival, when the Inn is locked. I therefore made my first delivery on 8 Summer and was rewarded accordingly. In fact, on 10 Summer, I have been paid for my third delivery of eggs to the Inn. Ann pays a far higher price than the shipping value of the eggs, which would be only 150G. Ann is willing to pay 450G for the same three eggs.

Ordinarily, I pop the eggs into the Hot Spring to transform them into Spa Eggs before I ship them as that increases their value by 30G. (A Spa Egg ships for 80G.)
It is more fun to deliver them to Ann, as one experiences a little event each time one makes the delivery.

I personally believe that the friendship and courtship aspects of the game should be advanced as quickly as the farming aspects. You have three years to make the farm successful in HMBG. How you choose to spend your time, money and resources is your choice, of course. Instead of giving Ann spa eggs each day in Spring, I could have shipped them and have made more money for myself. Instead of spending time visiting girls each day, I could have concentrated on crops, mining and chopping more wood.

To me, however, Harvest Moon really is more about people than financial success. I could have made more money faster perhaps if I had ignored the people for the most part, but I would not have experienced as many events as quickly. It is the events that motivate me in Harvest Moon, especially during the difficult first season.

My Worst Day Ever by Popuri

Two events experienced in Harvest Moon Cute DS prompted the following short story by Popuri of Mineral Town. In Popuri's own words:

My Most Worst Day Ever
by Popuri

I always wanted to be taken seriously, you know. In the old days, in Mineral Town, my brother Rick wouldn't let me do anything important. My Mum and brother and I run the local Poultry Farm in Mineral Town. I grew up loving chickens and everything to do with chickens. Rick loves them too. I think my Mum wouldn't have been involved with the business at all except that she had to take charge when my father left.

My Mum isn't well, you know. She is very pretty and fragile and very romantic. She still hopes my father will return someday. Zack is madly in love with her but he hasn't a chance really because of that.

Anyway, Rick is in charge of the Poultry Farm really in Mineral Town but he has given me the chance to run the business we have in Forget-Me-Not Valley. So now I am in charge! I get to take all the orders for chickens and ducks and I am in charge of the Festivals too! I decided I should visit the Valley on my day off every week so that the people there would get to know me and because Takakura promised to teach me how to run the business.

So you can find me in the Valley every Sunday now. Of course, when I decided to visit the Valley every Sunday, Rick decided he had to tag along to spy on me! I hate that about my brother. He's really a sweet guy at heart but he is so interfering and he doesn't like Kai at all. I am mad about Kai and I definitely am going to marry him one day, no matter what my brother says or does to try to stop me.

There's another reason to go to the Valley in the Summer. Kai has opened a new stall on the beach there. He stays at the Inner Inn all Summer now. When Rick and I go to the Valley on Sunday, we stay at the Inner Inn too. Well, there isn't much choice. It's the only place that takes guests but even if there were others, I don't think any one would choose to stay anywhere else. The food at the Inner Inn is fantastic. Ruby is the best cook ever. In fact, Ann from Mineral Town is studying cooking with Ruby. Ann goes to the Valley on HER day off to visit Ruby and learn how to cook. If you visit the Valley, you will see that almost every one from Mineral Town will be there on one day or another! If it weren't for the fact that people visit on different days of the week, Mineral Town would be almost like a ghost town now.

So anyway, I go to the Valley on Sundays and Rick follows me there. Can you believe that he and Kai have to sleep in the same room??? It has to be awful for Kai. All Rick does is tell every one how much he hates Kai! Kai has got to be the sweetest, most easy-going guy in the world. In fact, sometimes I think he's almost too sweet and easy-going because he's friendly to every one and that means all the girls too.

Last Sunday, it was raining in the Valley and that gave me a chance to corner Nami in the kitchen of the Inner Inn. I think Nami is the coolest girl ever. I wanted her to teach me how to be cool. After all, Takakura teaches me how to run a business on Sunday mornings. I thought maybe I could take a class from Nami on how to be cool like her.

I almost thought Nami was trying to avoid me though. It was impossible to find her until it rained that day... but you know what she told me? I couldn't believe it. She told me that she used to be just like me 'back in the day' and that all I had to do to become just like her was to BE MYSELF!
Can you believe it? That's so easy!!! So watch out world because Popuri is going to be the coolest girl ever one day!

Anyway, THAT rainy Sunday wasn't the worst day ever. It was TODAY that was the worst day ever for me.

It started out beautiful. Freya came to see me at the guest room of the Inner Inn at 6.00 a.m. as she does every Sunday to give me a chocolate bar. I absolutely LOVE chocs. We're becoming great friends because she never forgets to give me a chocolate on Sunday. That, and the beautiful weather, made me think it was going to be one of the best days ever.

I went to Takakura's house at after 8.00 a.m. as usual to learn about business. He tells every one now that I am a great student and that Chicken Li'l's is bound to be successful because of me. You can imagine how that makes me feel! Takakura isn't the sort of man who goes easy on any one just to be nice. He tells the truth... so there, Rick! You're going to have to start admitting that you were wrong about me, because I'm doing a good job with the business.

In fact, I have to be honest and say that Rick has said one or two good things about me recently. At the Duck Festival this year, he praised my work. He thought I did a good job of running THAT Festival. The Chicken Festival is coming up tomorrow. You'd think I had enough to worry about without having to go through the worst day of my life the day before the Festival!

It was such a lovely day that Takakura told me to take a break, get some fresh air outside. I thought I'd go up to the Waterfall and Goddess Pond. It is such a beautiful place, as pretty as our Goddess Spring in Mineral Town. All the girls from Mineral Town like to visit the waterfall when they come to the Valley. I usually don't get to spend much time there because of my classes with Takakura but today I was free to enjoy it.

I got up there and who should I find there but the two kids, Kate and Hugh. 'Goody!' I thought. I love to play with kids. In Mineral Town, I often make mud pies with May and Stu and we have wonderful games where I'm the Mum and I pretend that they're my kids. They love to play with me. They say I'm so good at make-believe that they almost forget I'm not a kid like them.

So I thought I'd have a great time with the Valley kids too. I was so excited. As soon as they saw me, though, they called me 'Old Lady!'. I told them I wasn't an old lady but they didn't listen. Both of them got into it, calling me 'Old Lady' over and over. The little boy even said, 'An old lady is an old lady after all.' I couldn't help it, I started to cry... and then I thought, why should I put up with this??? I told them I was going to leave and guess what? They didn't even try to stop me. They didn't even say they were sorry and they didn't try to stop me from crying OR leaving. So that was the first bad thing that happened in the worst day ever. It was 10.00 a.m. when that happened.

You'd think I'd need the rest of the day to pull myself together and recover from that horrid experience. I thought to myself that going to the beach would be the answer, that I'd find Kai there and he could console me and give me something sweet to eat. I love his shaved ices, especially on a hot day and it was growing warmer...

So I walked down to the beach to see Kai. I knew he'd be surprised to see me, because usually I don't have time to go to the beach on Sunday. Oh, he was surprised, all right! And so was I!
Guess what I found when I got to the beach? I found that little flirt Muffy with MY Kai, standing all cozy together by the water. He wasn't even behind his counter where he was supposed to be!

I couldn't believe it. I said, 'Ahh! Kai, what are you doing?!'

He replied: 'What? I'm just talking to Muffy.'

All innocence, Kai... but I knew better!

I cried: 'Liar! You two are acting way too friendly!'

Muffy muttered something about it being a terrible misunderstanding but I know what that little flirt is like! She's always batting her eyelashes at every boy in sight. She's had more boyfriends than we have chickens on our farm!

Well, she left in a hurry. She knew I wouldn't have let her off easy if she had stayed. I knew she had come to the beach just to see MY Kai and not because she wanted to order food from him either. Muffy's always on a 'diet' of one kind or another. She talks about it all the time, that and her make-up. People sometimes think I'm empty-headed but I'm not. I'm a serious businesswoman, I am! Not like Muffy who can't even mix a drink properly without Griffin's help. She 'works' at the Blue Bar, but I don't think she does much work. She certainly can't be trusted to mix the drinks. Griffin does all that. She just stands there looking helpless and pretty. Yes, she is pretty in her own way although she wears as much make-up as a clown. I can't see how Kai could be attracted to a girl like that.

So Muffy ran off as quickly as she could and what did Kai do then? Did he try to comfort ME?

No, he was totally thinking about Muffy.

He cried: 'Hey, wait...'

I was furious with the both of them.

'I'm not done talking!' I exclaimed and finally got his attention!

Kai, of course, acted as though he hadn't done anything wrong.

He protested: 'What? We were just having a friendly chat.'

Right! I'll believe that the day that Van drops a hundred pounds or Murrey turns up in a tuxedo.

All I could say was: 'W-Waah...'

For the second time, I was in tears. So much for finding comfort at the beach.

I couldn't bear another moment. It has been the most worst day of my life and I still have to get ready for the Chicken Festival tomorrow.

Back at the beach, I could hear Kai, still protesting: 'What? Jeeze!'


'My Most Worst Day Ever by Popuri' by Freyashawk
based on Popuri's Event at the Waterfall with Hugh and Kate on Sunday, 6 Summer at 10.00 a.m.
and Popuri's Event with Muffy and Kai at the Beach on Sunday, 6 Summer at 11.20 a.m.