January 7, 2011
It's weird a bit with Theresa because she's still asking about Aaron, which I don't have much to say about. When I get on the train, I get a text from Ela that Theresa is still complaining about him and stuff. Jeez.
Either way, this girl texts me for the first time that I met on PRA. She's a German blondie from Indiana. We messenger chatted for a couple times. We end up trying to skype call and talk, but chat on the phone instead. She calls me and we end up chatting from 2am until past 6am. Ive always been on the impression that there is a 15 minute rule, if you have good, flowing conversation with someone, then that means they're at least somewhat viable. You can easily tell if you really want to go on a second date with someone. So that was one of the longest conversations I've had on the phone straight with someone. Pretty crazy. We text over the weekend and week a bit more. She's really cool.
Atron asks about my night. I tell him about the Meeskite and all. He's no girl and doesn't cry about how I didn't go to his birthday. I'm more disappointed how I missed out of the awesome stuff. He tells me that I must be working the "Slowest Long Game of All Time." I explain that people can be mature enough without intentions of boning every girl they see. They're many too fine ones out there. Seriously, every night that I'm out in the city, I could fall in love with any one of dozens. There's no reason why good friends can't be good friends.
Then again, I guess I couldn't be hanging out with them if they were fat and ugly girls, so I'm not sure how to explain it. I think it's just people being superficial and not wanting to be attached to ugly people. And they're just way cool, so maybe it's just a coincidence that they're good looking.)
Tom, Spamps, Miah, and I go to Kenka for dinner first. They're heading to Aaron's birthday. However, Ela and Theresa are also around tonight and they haven't been able to hang in the city for a while, so I decide to be a host.
The guys leave for the party and we stay at Kenka and have soju and beer until 12 and go to a pub. They're supposed to catch at 1:00 train back to NJ, but they decide to ditch it at and catch the 6AM one. I was supposed to split at 1 and go to Aaron's, but I guess now I'm stuck.
This guy chats up Theresa and sticks real hard. I decide we should head to the next place and he asks, "Hey, can I come along?" I don't speak to him at all, but the girls have to be too nice and let him come along. We go to next bar and this meeskite tags along. He even leaves his credit card at the last bar, but still sticks with us. Who leaves their credit card somewhere, says, "Whatever."
Finally Theresa pulls me aside and says that we should get rid of him. I make up a story, we tell it to him, he gets a clue, and wants to split. We get our bill at the bar and he pays for it. Nice gesture for the Meeskite. However, Ela then feels bad that we're leaving him, so I have to end up paying for the drinks. And this is after I bought the few rounds at the last places because they didn't have cash on them because they spent too much at dinner.
Also, I make a bet with Ela for a drink that the Meeskite will call or text him because he got her number. I'm so collecting on it.
We end up ditching him before 4 and it is absurdly cold and took forever to get rid of him. By the way, girls need to stop being "nice." They're all brought up to be kind and the worst thing to be is a "bitch." This creates a spiral of deceit and lies. Being kind is fine, but there's a point where it goes too far. Like here, where it screwed with the night because they couldn't be honest and not let the meeskite tag along.
We can't get into Sophies nor The Library or whatnot dive bars that should be open until 5AM. I guess it's blisteringly cold and they don't want to open until that late. So then, we just give up, go to Penn and I make my train. I get back by 6ish. Ela doesn't get to Theresa's until 7ish.
Aaron calls me the next day and tells me about the business that occurred yesterday. CNF tells me that apparently Elena was throwing up in a cab and asleep and throwing up when he got back to Brooklyn. Atron says that he got super drunk. He needs to call Murray to fill him in on the night.
He later calls me back and tells me about what he forget. A friend of his asked the bartender at Hop Devil for the booziest beer and they give it to him. He's able to chug it and the bartender decides to give Atron another one. That's 4-5 drinks after a heavy night of drinking. He then goes back to his place with the others. He throws up in the bathroom and they're scared for him because they can't wake him up. He then vomits in his room and shit. Jeez, I really fucking missed out of a lot.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Monday, 3 January 2011
2010 coming to an end
December 20, 2010
http://www.hulu.com/watch/195537/avec-eric-chefs-table#s-p1-so-i0
Watch it, even if you aren't a foodie, these are just great minds. Ripert's interview with David Chang is chilling and deeply personal. I definitely took something away from that to always hold onto.
December 26, 2010
It's a medium tournament today Magic in Brooklyn. The main prize is $300 and qualifying for a $70,000 payout tournament in Chicago next year. People wanted to do stuff yesterday night and Bolanos asks if I even will do well. There is also a blizzard coming, but I'm a winner and winners play.
I borrow a deck because I just don't have the cards for the specific $500-600 deck I want to play. It's 7 rounds.
I win two. I lose against a good player. I'm then paired against a New York grinder of years, same age as me, and that almost won Rookie of the Year. He is someone that has gotten a decent bit further in what I strive for. It's a bit awkward when I don't play perfectly a certain points and he is aware of it. However, I still win the match and he's a really nice guy and we chat a bit about Paris because we're both qualified to go.
I roll off two more wins against weaker opponents and I'm in the Top 8. I run into what used to be a scrub at the Binghamton Magic club, but now plays a decent amount and got good. I play against my loss in the earlier rounds and win off the bare of my ass from misplaying and losing a game and misplaying and it not mattering because my opponent needed to misplay. He even says, "He can't make a mistake right now, I know he's a good player." He outthinks himself, makes a mistake, and lets me win. Bad Darwin! I played sloppy and it relied on my opponent to make a mistake as well.
At this point, the people that were there with me already left because the blizzard was going crazy and I can't blame them to want to get back safe.
I turn down a 4 way split for the Top 4 prize. I'm no bitch. I'm here to win. I'm the only hold out of the Top 4. After being down a game in the Semis, they offer me the prize split again and I take it. Their loss. I end up losing a really tight one, but at least I got that far.
I go outside and the snow has gotten at lot worse in the 2 hours since my friends left. There are SUVs stuck in the snow trying to drive, so there's no way I'm going anywhere.
I join the other people that were at the tournament and they try to take the subway. It's about 10 of us and we wait on the subway. We stay there from 10PM to 4AM. The subway is not going anywhere because it's an outdoor train and the snow is covering the tracks. They turn off the power and we're bored so we draft in which my team wins, with me having the best deck of the 6 drafters.
The buses are sporadically running, but it's way too cold to wait outside for a bus and the buses are actually getting trapped in the snow so that's probably a no go anyway. We're literally trapped in the middle of Brooklyn with nowhere to go. They turn off the subway and it gets freezing like an ice coffin. We decide to leave and go to a Turkish place where I get a big plate of kebab, which is delicious. By the way, it's like 5AM right now. We then go to another restaurant and sit around. Then to McDonalds and they kick us out for being there to long. Then to Dunkin Donuts. We finally decide at 11AM to go to the 2 train, which is underground. To remind you, I woke up at 8AM on Sunday. I didn't sleep last night when traveling between place to place. It's Monday 11AM.
We take the walk to the station. There's no way we could've done this last night. It's fucking freezing, but at least there's sun and cars have somewhat driven on the roads. It's a freezing walk and it takes a full hour and my shoes are soaked. We finally get onto the train and I get into the city. I can't imagine what I would've done if I wasn't with these people. I would be so bored and lonely. I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't have figured that the trek to the subway was worth it. I would've just been completely lost and fucked. However, I find out that nothing can get me home. The LIRR and 7 train are off so I need to go to Atron's apartment by picking up his keys at his work.
I get some food and chill. I'm lucky that my mom is coming home at this time from Virginia and is able to pass through the city and pick me up. Otherwise, I would be stuck in the city. Jeez, what a fucking journey.
December 31, 2010
It's New Years Eve and this guy from the Stickam site has rented out a huge apartment in Brooklyn and is throwing a bash for everyone. I guess explaining what it involves is really awkward, but in the end, everyone that I've met from there is awesome and nice.
Not like our group isn't awesome, but it seems a bit strange that we mostly still only know the people from high school. Gotta make connections and spread them wings a bit. There's no end game of hitting up bitches or something from this, just meeting new cool people. Then again, if coincidentally girls throw themselves at me, I can't blame them.
At the party, one of the girls mentions that she may be getting too deep and emotional, but she got touched by the gathering of people. It's people that would otherwise have never met, from states and countries all over. People coming together being really good friends and even cooler, a lot of relationships have ignited. The party itself has three couples thanks to the group. There's one story of this new couple in Cali. The guy says he was unemployed and a complete burnout. He got into a relationship and she really inspired him to be productive. So now he's working and they got a new place and moved in with each other. So now he's basically a new guy with a new outlook on life, good for him.
I get to the party in Bushwick and it's twenty or so familiar faces. I immediately take three shots. I can drink well tonight because of the preparations. I slept a lot and took a nap at noon. For dinner, I had a load of greasy Chinese food. Right when I get to Penn, I get a six inch Subway sandwich. For a night of heavy drinking, sleep and eating a shit ton of food is a must.
I chat and mingle with all these people. Theres music, people are drinking punch, Grey Goose, and jello shots. Theres a bit of mess with two people throwing up and passing out before 12. People slowly disappear and drop like flies. One of the guys likes joking around with the fellas and makes overtly gay comments. He's horsing around and grabs me, I turn away and close my eyes trying to get away, and I feel him quickly planting his lips on mine. I'm no bro and don't need to call everything "gay," but that horsing around went too far and that shit's gay. I guess I lose a finger in Never Have I Ever for kissing a dude.
I decide to take the 519 and I have ample time to get home. I walk to the train station and it's an outdoor one. I'm like 7 on drunk scale. This guy's smoking a cig and I think to myself that it's New Years, so why not!?
The train comes and I'm not super sober and looking around for cops like a fiend. Boom, two cops walk over and tell me to put it out. I do. I try my best to be nice. As much as I dislike police and try to protect my rights, always be really kind to them. They're human. Give them respect and they will do the same, otherwise, they will push the law on your ass and fuck you three ways to Sunday. The cop says that I'm lucky and I should catch the next subway and he let's me go. I thank him and wait. The train sits there with the doors closed and i just want to get home, damn. Suddenly, the doors open up as if the conductor wanted me to go on. I was the only person on the platform. I shrug and jump on. The train continues to idle there instead of immediately leaving. As if the subway Gods were out for me, the cops walk over, see me on the subway, and tell me to get off. Fuck my life. He tells me to sit down, tells me that I should've waited for the next train and that now he needs to write me a ticket. $50 down. The worst subway luck ever. It should've just left or closed it's doors when I got on. Instead it had to entice me to get on and screw me. Not bad though, this is still a cheap night compared to people that go to the city for an event. Hell, I didn't even have to pay for liquor other than a bottle of champagne I got for the host.
I barely make the 519 train, so that's good. The worst would be waiting for the next train along with the ticket.
On the walk back from the station, I go to the new bagel place on Northern. It's no 4am bagel, but fresh bagel and lox spread is good.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/195537/avec-eric-chefs-table#s-p1-so-i0
Watch it, even if you aren't a foodie, these are just great minds. Ripert's interview with David Chang is chilling and deeply personal. I definitely took something away from that to always hold onto.
December 26, 2010
It's a medium tournament today Magic in Brooklyn. The main prize is $300 and qualifying for a $70,000 payout tournament in Chicago next year. People wanted to do stuff yesterday night and Bolanos asks if I even will do well. There is also a blizzard coming, but I'm a winner and winners play.
I borrow a deck because I just don't have the cards for the specific $500-600 deck I want to play. It's 7 rounds.
I win two. I lose against a good player. I'm then paired against a New York grinder of years, same age as me, and that almost won Rookie of the Year. He is someone that has gotten a decent bit further in what I strive for. It's a bit awkward when I don't play perfectly a certain points and he is aware of it. However, I still win the match and he's a really nice guy and we chat a bit about Paris because we're both qualified to go.
I roll off two more wins against weaker opponents and I'm in the Top 8. I run into what used to be a scrub at the Binghamton Magic club, but now plays a decent amount and got good. I play against my loss in the earlier rounds and win off the bare of my ass from misplaying and losing a game and misplaying and it not mattering because my opponent needed to misplay. He even says, "He can't make a mistake right now, I know he's a good player." He outthinks himself, makes a mistake, and lets me win. Bad Darwin! I played sloppy and it relied on my opponent to make a mistake as well.
At this point, the people that were there with me already left because the blizzard was going crazy and I can't blame them to want to get back safe.
I turn down a 4 way split for the Top 4 prize. I'm no bitch. I'm here to win. I'm the only hold out of the Top 4. After being down a game in the Semis, they offer me the prize split again and I take it. Their loss. I end up losing a really tight one, but at least I got that far.
I go outside and the snow has gotten at lot worse in the 2 hours since my friends left. There are SUVs stuck in the snow trying to drive, so there's no way I'm going anywhere.
I join the other people that were at the tournament and they try to take the subway. It's about 10 of us and we wait on the subway. We stay there from 10PM to 4AM. The subway is not going anywhere because it's an outdoor train and the snow is covering the tracks. They turn off the power and we're bored so we draft in which my team wins, with me having the best deck of the 6 drafters.
The buses are sporadically running, but it's way too cold to wait outside for a bus and the buses are actually getting trapped in the snow so that's probably a no go anyway. We're literally trapped in the middle of Brooklyn with nowhere to go. They turn off the subway and it gets freezing like an ice coffin. We decide to leave and go to a Turkish place where I get a big plate of kebab, which is delicious. By the way, it's like 5AM right now. We then go to another restaurant and sit around. Then to McDonalds and they kick us out for being there to long. Then to Dunkin Donuts. We finally decide at 11AM to go to the 2 train, which is underground. To remind you, I woke up at 8AM on Sunday. I didn't sleep last night when traveling between place to place. It's Monday 11AM.
We take the walk to the station. There's no way we could've done this last night. It's fucking freezing, but at least there's sun and cars have somewhat driven on the roads. It's a freezing walk and it takes a full hour and my shoes are soaked. We finally get onto the train and I get into the city. I can't imagine what I would've done if I wasn't with these people. I would be so bored and lonely. I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't have figured that the trek to the subway was worth it. I would've just been completely lost and fucked. However, I find out that nothing can get me home. The LIRR and 7 train are off so I need to go to Atron's apartment by picking up his keys at his work.
I get some food and chill. I'm lucky that my mom is coming home at this time from Virginia and is able to pass through the city and pick me up. Otherwise, I would be stuck in the city. Jeez, what a fucking journey.
December 31, 2010
It's New Years Eve and this guy from the Stickam site has rented out a huge apartment in Brooklyn and is throwing a bash for everyone. I guess explaining what it involves is really awkward, but in the end, everyone that I've met from there is awesome and nice.
Not like our group isn't awesome, but it seems a bit strange that we mostly still only know the people from high school. Gotta make connections and spread them wings a bit. There's no end game of hitting up bitches or something from this, just meeting new cool people. Then again, if coincidentally girls throw themselves at me, I can't blame them.
At the party, one of the girls mentions that she may be getting too deep and emotional, but she got touched by the gathering of people. It's people that would otherwise have never met, from states and countries all over. People coming together being really good friends and even cooler, a lot of relationships have ignited. The party itself has three couples thanks to the group. There's one story of this new couple in Cali. The guy says he was unemployed and a complete burnout. He got into a relationship and she really inspired him to be productive. So now he's working and they got a new place and moved in with each other. So now he's basically a new guy with a new outlook on life, good for him.
I get to the party in Bushwick and it's twenty or so familiar faces. I immediately take three shots. I can drink well tonight because of the preparations. I slept a lot and took a nap at noon. For dinner, I had a load of greasy Chinese food. Right when I get to Penn, I get a six inch Subway sandwich. For a night of heavy drinking, sleep and eating a shit ton of food is a must.
I chat and mingle with all these people. Theres music, people are drinking punch, Grey Goose, and jello shots. Theres a bit of mess with two people throwing up and passing out before 12. People slowly disappear and drop like flies. One of the guys likes joking around with the fellas and makes overtly gay comments. He's horsing around and grabs me, I turn away and close my eyes trying to get away, and I feel him quickly planting his lips on mine. I'm no bro and don't need to call everything "gay," but that horsing around went too far and that shit's gay. I guess I lose a finger in Never Have I Ever for kissing a dude.
I decide to take the 519 and I have ample time to get home. I walk to the train station and it's an outdoor one. I'm like 7 on drunk scale. This guy's smoking a cig and I think to myself that it's New Years, so why not!?
The train comes and I'm not super sober and looking around for cops like a fiend. Boom, two cops walk over and tell me to put it out. I do. I try my best to be nice. As much as I dislike police and try to protect my rights, always be really kind to them. They're human. Give them respect and they will do the same, otherwise, they will push the law on your ass and fuck you three ways to Sunday. The cop says that I'm lucky and I should catch the next subway and he let's me go. I thank him and wait. The train sits there with the doors closed and i just want to get home, damn. Suddenly, the doors open up as if the conductor wanted me to go on. I was the only person on the platform. I shrug and jump on. The train continues to idle there instead of immediately leaving. As if the subway Gods were out for me, the cops walk over, see me on the subway, and tell me to get off. Fuck my life. He tells me to sit down, tells me that I should've waited for the next train and that now he needs to write me a ticket. $50 down. The worst subway luck ever. It should've just left or closed it's doors when I got on. Instead it had to entice me to get on and screw me. Not bad though, this is still a cheap night compared to people that go to the city for an event. Hell, I didn't even have to pay for liquor other than a bottle of champagne I got for the host.
I barely make the 519 train, so that's good. The worst would be waiting for the next train along with the ticket.
On the walk back from the station, I go to the new bagel place on Northern. It's no 4am bagel, but fresh bagel and lox spread is good.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Life: Part 2
December 13, 2010
Now that the LSAT is over, I want to be productive these days. I guess that comes with the work ethic that you get from constantly having the LSAT on your shoulders. Now that it's been lifted and the hardship of law school is somewhat on the horizon, I need something to fill my desire to be constantly doing something and also just live life while I still have it.
One thing I have to do is make sure that I get sleep. Instead of a 9-5, I try to go into the office a bit earlier, like 8:30. That means I have to get up way early and I'm not the type that can operate without sleep. If I sleep at 1:30 and get up at 8:00, I end up having to go home and waste a chunk of my afternoon napping for an hour or two.
When I get home, I should have a plan. No schmoozing around. I have my YouTube videos playing in the background when I work, I have no excuse to be dilly dallying on the Internet at home. My rule: Always be productive.
So today, I guess I'll check it off as an off day. I don't really get anything done. I get my workout in and I Ebay one thing for my Christmas shopping (still more to do on that).
December 14, 2010
I run some errands, I get home, have some Egg Beats, nap from 6-7:00. Then I go to Queens Center Mall. First, again I get ask if I'm an employee at PacSun. I also realize I need a good 3-4 hours at a mall. Then again, I checked 80% of the stores I wanted to anyway. Picky shopping. I get pair jeans at PacSun that actually fit (W29 L30). My old jeans are W30/31 and almost to point of awkwardly barely fitting even with a belt. I actually returned jeans I bought because they gave me a $25 off card. Return product to buy the same product back with discount, true shopping. $40 for 2 pair, dd.
I get a peacoat for $30 (70% off from $100) from Aeropostale. It ends up not really fitting when I get home, though I felt it didn't when I tried it on at the store. If it's not perfect, return it. So I need to go back to the mall tomorrow. Ugh.
December 15, 2010
For things on my list to get done:
I should catch up with Bowen before he goes to China for his school break and also ask him for tips about Paris.
More importantly, book my flight for Paris.
And about Paris, I need to step my game up. If I'm schmoozing on the computer, I need to be constantly playing Magic to get my chops up. Only hours and hours of practice get to good play.
Send out my Christmas cards. I was actually planning on making gingerbread biscotti and sending that too with my cards, but that seems like work.
Finish up my Christmas shopping and wrap that shit up.
Figure what schools I want to apply to, then actually apply.
On the back back burner is relearning Spanish, but that's also work.
I call the Hasbro travel agent and she says I can plan the flight by next week, so I'll do it that way.
I go to Roosevelt Field. H&M, which is sometimes my go to store, doesn't really have anything, despite their sales. They really do put up the shittiest, ugliest clothes on sale. Stuff that you ask, "Why would they even manufacture this?" and then you realize some chump bought this ruffley pirate shirt and is wearing that POS.
I check Gap's sale, but realize I'm kidding myself I think I could find fitting clothes there.
At Aeropostale, they're having a sick sick sale. Usually there stuff is "regular" in first place, $40-50 hoodie, $30 button up, $20 graphic tee, $40-50 jeans, etc. However, it's going wild clearance style where things are at least 50% off.
I spend a good hour or so there checking shit out. I find the pea coat ($30 from $100) that I want in XS, which is perfect. Every man needs one. It's not the best 100% wool pea coat, which is a real investment, but hey, screw the outdoors, I'm staying inside these next few months as much as possible.
I get a biege hoodie ($25), which isn't too logo-ey. By the way, their brand sucks for being so logo-ey. Nobody wants your stupid "Aero" or "Aeropostale" on their shirt. Just make a design and leave your brand off of it. It's on every collared shirt and graphic tee. There guys in their late 20s even joke that they would never wear that stuff, but it's fine for "the girls." I guess they're shopping for younger family or something.
I actually get a nice maroon t-shirt, though I realize it does have their brand on it, but the shirt is busy enough that it's not too noticeable ($9).
I also get some really warm "shoe slipper" things ($10). Hard wood floor, it's winter, a must have.
A gray wool cardigan ($15). Sort of like granny-style.
Shit's cheap, so I decide to break tradition and get my cousins a shirt and a scarf ($18), though I don't think I want to go down to Virginia for whatever family shindig. I'm a true family fella.
I almost buy a Northface looking fleece, but I realize, I'm too old for this shit. Despite being hella practical and warm for fall, you look like a dipshit kid with that on.
I go by the rule: "Would I wear this out?"
People have too many clothes that are casual or for home. The more clothes you have that you feel are an "upgrade" and make you dress "up," then it's just a positive overall for your general wardrobe. For example, why would you fuck fat chicks and occasionally fuck hot chicks? Makes no sense, just fuck the chicks. Period.
Once you get out of high school, and especially college, and into the real world, you need to start dressing like an adult. Granted, I'm not going to rock a button up and sweater everyday, but it's still a philosophy to mostly abide by.
I have yet to go to the mall and not get confused as someone who works there. This time, I get it like 3 times. Even once, I just give up explaining and help someone out who's reaching for a shirt on a high rack. And yes, the lady was quite short if I'm the one that's reaching for something "high." Laugh away.
It's past 9:00PM now and I need dinner so I scope the pretty empty food court. It's late and the mall is closing soon. For some reason, "Sanku" is way crowded with a line that wraps part of the food court, while everything else is barely busy. I go with the hype and order their $4.99 chicken terayaki. The food is so-so, but the appeal is that it's made to order right in front of you, stir fried on the grill. At least it makes sense that this place is so busy. "Made to order" anything is always better.
December 16, 2010
I guess my brother is in China by now because I left him a message a few days ago. My mom left me a number to call him with, so I'll do that.
By the way, this sobriety thing is going pretty well. I hadn't drank for a week or two before the LSAT. Even after it on that Saturday night, I chilled wiht CNF, Miah, and Kenny and didn't go too wild.
With this productivity ethic, drinking just doesn't fit into that equation too well. Hangovers are no longer a myth to me. Even a few drinks affect me the next day. I need to sleep in more, but most importantly, my entire body and mind is just sluggish. I'm fully content to just eat, drink water, and watch stuff on my computer all day. I never do anything productive nor can I even multitask well, like write for Yelp or my blog while watching something. With this frigid weather, I think it'll all work out well. I won't be going out freezing my ass off. I'll be getting to bed at a decent time. I'll be saving some money. And I'll be able to do stuff on my weekends instead of going out one night, recovering the next day, going out another night, recovering the next day.
Now that the LSAT is over, I want to be productive these days. I guess that comes with the work ethic that you get from constantly having the LSAT on your shoulders. Now that it's been lifted and the hardship of law school is somewhat on the horizon, I need something to fill my desire to be constantly doing something and also just live life while I still have it.
One thing I have to do is make sure that I get sleep. Instead of a 9-5, I try to go into the office a bit earlier, like 8:30. That means I have to get up way early and I'm not the type that can operate without sleep. If I sleep at 1:30 and get up at 8:00, I end up having to go home and waste a chunk of my afternoon napping for an hour or two.
When I get home, I should have a plan. No schmoozing around. I have my YouTube videos playing in the background when I work, I have no excuse to be dilly dallying on the Internet at home. My rule: Always be productive.
So today, I guess I'll check it off as an off day. I don't really get anything done. I get my workout in and I Ebay one thing for my Christmas shopping (still more to do on that).
December 14, 2010
I run some errands, I get home, have some Egg Beats, nap from 6-7:00. Then I go to Queens Center Mall. First, again I get ask if I'm an employee at PacSun. I also realize I need a good 3-4 hours at a mall. Then again, I checked 80% of the stores I wanted to anyway. Picky shopping. I get pair jeans at PacSun that actually fit (W29 L30). My old jeans are W30/31 and almost to point of awkwardly barely fitting even with a belt. I actually returned jeans I bought because they gave me a $25 off card. Return product to buy the same product back with discount, true shopping. $40 for 2 pair, dd.
I get a peacoat for $30 (70% off from $100) from Aeropostale. It ends up not really fitting when I get home, though I felt it didn't when I tried it on at the store. If it's not perfect, return it. So I need to go back to the mall tomorrow. Ugh.
December 15, 2010
For things on my list to get done:
I should catch up with Bowen before he goes to China for his school break and also ask him for tips about Paris.
More importantly, book my flight for Paris.
And about Paris, I need to step my game up. If I'm schmoozing on the computer, I need to be constantly playing Magic to get my chops up. Only hours and hours of practice get to good play.
Send out my Christmas cards. I was actually planning on making gingerbread biscotti and sending that too with my cards, but that seems like work.
Finish up my Christmas shopping and wrap that shit up.
Figure what schools I want to apply to, then actually apply.
On the back back burner is relearning Spanish, but that's also work.
I call the Hasbro travel agent and she says I can plan the flight by next week, so I'll do it that way.
I go to Roosevelt Field. H&M, which is sometimes my go to store, doesn't really have anything, despite their sales. They really do put up the shittiest, ugliest clothes on sale. Stuff that you ask, "Why would they even manufacture this?" and then you realize some chump bought this ruffley pirate shirt and is wearing that POS.
I check Gap's sale, but realize I'm kidding myself I think I could find fitting clothes there.
At Aeropostale, they're having a sick sick sale. Usually there stuff is "regular" in first place, $40-50 hoodie, $30 button up, $20 graphic tee, $40-50 jeans, etc. However, it's going wild clearance style where things are at least 50% off.
I spend a good hour or so there checking shit out. I find the pea coat ($30 from $100) that I want in XS, which is perfect. Every man needs one. It's not the best 100% wool pea coat, which is a real investment, but hey, screw the outdoors, I'm staying inside these next few months as much as possible.
I get a biege hoodie ($25), which isn't too logo-ey. By the way, their brand sucks for being so logo-ey. Nobody wants your stupid "Aero" or "Aeropostale" on their shirt. Just make a design and leave your brand off of it. It's on every collared shirt and graphic tee. There guys in their late 20s even joke that they would never wear that stuff, but it's fine for "the girls." I guess they're shopping for younger family or something.
I actually get a nice maroon t-shirt, though I realize it does have their brand on it, but the shirt is busy enough that it's not too noticeable ($9).
I also get some really warm "shoe slipper" things ($10). Hard wood floor, it's winter, a must have.
A gray wool cardigan ($15). Sort of like granny-style.
Shit's cheap, so I decide to break tradition and get my cousins a shirt and a scarf ($18), though I don't think I want to go down to Virginia for whatever family shindig. I'm a true family fella.
I almost buy a Northface looking fleece, but I realize, I'm too old for this shit. Despite being hella practical and warm for fall, you look like a dipshit kid with that on.
I go by the rule: "Would I wear this out?"
People have too many clothes that are casual or for home. The more clothes you have that you feel are an "upgrade" and make you dress "up," then it's just a positive overall for your general wardrobe. For example, why would you fuck fat chicks and occasionally fuck hot chicks? Makes no sense, just fuck the chicks. Period.
Once you get out of high school, and especially college, and into the real world, you need to start dressing like an adult. Granted, I'm not going to rock a button up and sweater everyday, but it's still a philosophy to mostly abide by.
I have yet to go to the mall and not get confused as someone who works there. This time, I get it like 3 times. Even once, I just give up explaining and help someone out who's reaching for a shirt on a high rack. And yes, the lady was quite short if I'm the one that's reaching for something "high." Laugh away.
It's past 9:00PM now and I need dinner so I scope the pretty empty food court. It's late and the mall is closing soon. For some reason, "Sanku" is way crowded with a line that wraps part of the food court, while everything else is barely busy. I go with the hype and order their $4.99 chicken terayaki. The food is so-so, but the appeal is that it's made to order right in front of you, stir fried on the grill. At least it makes sense that this place is so busy. "Made to order" anything is always better.
December 16, 2010
I guess my brother is in China by now because I left him a message a few days ago. My mom left me a number to call him with, so I'll do that.
By the way, this sobriety thing is going pretty well. I hadn't drank for a week or two before the LSAT. Even after it on that Saturday night, I chilled wiht CNF, Miah, and Kenny and didn't go too wild.
With this productivity ethic, drinking just doesn't fit into that equation too well. Hangovers are no longer a myth to me. Even a few drinks affect me the next day. I need to sleep in more, but most importantly, my entire body and mind is just sluggish. I'm fully content to just eat, drink water, and watch stuff on my computer all day. I never do anything productive nor can I even multitask well, like write for Yelp or my blog while watching something. With this frigid weather, I think it'll all work out well. I won't be going out freezing my ass off. I'll be getting to bed at a decent time. I'll be saving some money. And I'll be able to do stuff on my weekends instead of going out one night, recovering the next day, going out another night, recovering the next day.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
The Three Lines
December 3, 2010
Miah, Spamps, and Bolanos are hanging at my place and we smoke up some weed. It’s been a while and it’s good times, but I just need to mention a few highlight lines:
1. “That’s not something you usually offer someone.” - Darwin
Bolanos and I were at the Comic Store and one of the little kids was eating a burger and wings from Hickory BBQ. That’s a serious meal. I’m very impressed by him. He’s probably 11 and eating a man’s man meal. He kindly offers a wing to me and insist that I have one. I retort, “That’s not something you usually offer someone.” Wings are just a horribly messy food. Bolanos mentions that not only did I refuse his kind gesture, but scorned him for his genourosity.
I tell the guys this story and I joke that it would be a really good reality TV segment to use this. Imagine an outdoor flea market and you have a booth where you offer free buffalo wings, super messy saucy ones. People eat them with their hands and then ask for napkins and you reply that you do not have any. No bathrooms nearby, they’re outdoors, they’re around a bunch of random booths that sell useless knick knacks, and they’re stranded with their faces and hands covered in sauce.
2. “Apparently they had no chance.” – Bolanos
I think we all know that Bolanos is a supporter of his people, the Jews and Israel or whatnot. He tells us of this story that forest fires are going on in Israel. I’m pretty sure he over emphasizes the importance of this story in the news and was blown away that I had not heard about it. Granted, I’m extremely ignorant of the news.
He starts off telling the story with already a pro-Israel slant. “Well first of all, Israel is a big desert, but they put trees there because they’re sophisticated like that, but that’s beside the point...” He goes on to say that a bus full of people were engulfed in flames and died.
While it is extremely unforunate, I just could not wrap my head around this. They were in a bus. And someone a fire killed them. It makes no sense to me. I can understand a fire killing someone trapped in a building, but a moving vehicle. Unless you purposely drive into a fire or the bus blows up for no reason, there is no reason why a bus and fire should ever result in any mishap. The only way I can envision it is a bus driving down a road and a huge fireball and shoots right at the bus and engulfs the entire thing into flames. Like a fireball rocket launcher. Or some horrific scene out of Dante’s Inferno, with Pierce Brosnan. I explain my confusion to Bolanos. He says that he had read the news story on this and replied, “Apparently they had no chance.”
The pro-Israeli-ness has even suggested that fireballs react differently and there was no way these people could’ve avoided the fire. There is just something about the emphasis on “No” in that sentence.
3. “You’re going to make me endure major suffering!?”
Miah, Spamps, and I had smoked and Bolanos wanted to get back home. He did not have his car over. Spamps and I are not in the state to drive, so we do not really have a solution for him. One of the possibly solutions is to have him walk home. He contests this option and complains to Spamps, “You’re going to make me endure major suffering!?”
Granted, it was a rough situation for him, but the three of us were just not in the mood for that Debbie Downer-ness, a fucking buzzkill. I bring up Oregon Trail or Trail of Tears. It’s clarified that Trail of Tears is the sad one where the Native Americans get shipped across America on basically a death march. The words “major suffering” were just a ridiculous hyperbole. I continue to joke that he would have to ford a river in order to get back and avoid cholera.
We eventually decide to get food at White Castle and drop of Bolanos. We walk over to Spamps’ to get his car. On the walk, it’s cold, but I just can’t stop continue laughing about “major suffering” and “Trail of Tears.”
Three lines that I will push to be used more.
Miah, Spamps, and Bolanos are hanging at my place and we smoke up some weed. It’s been a while and it’s good times, but I just need to mention a few highlight lines:
1. “That’s not something you usually offer someone.” - Darwin
Bolanos and I were at the Comic Store and one of the little kids was eating a burger and wings from Hickory BBQ. That’s a serious meal. I’m very impressed by him. He’s probably 11 and eating a man’s man meal. He kindly offers a wing to me and insist that I have one. I retort, “That’s not something you usually offer someone.” Wings are just a horribly messy food. Bolanos mentions that not only did I refuse his kind gesture, but scorned him for his genourosity.
I tell the guys this story and I joke that it would be a really good reality TV segment to use this. Imagine an outdoor flea market and you have a booth where you offer free buffalo wings, super messy saucy ones. People eat them with their hands and then ask for napkins and you reply that you do not have any. No bathrooms nearby, they’re outdoors, they’re around a bunch of random booths that sell useless knick knacks, and they’re stranded with their faces and hands covered in sauce.
2. “Apparently they had no chance.” – Bolanos
I think we all know that Bolanos is a supporter of his people, the Jews and Israel or whatnot. He tells us of this story that forest fires are going on in Israel. I’m pretty sure he over emphasizes the importance of this story in the news and was blown away that I had not heard about it. Granted, I’m extremely ignorant of the news.
He starts off telling the story with already a pro-Israel slant. “Well first of all, Israel is a big desert, but they put trees there because they’re sophisticated like that, but that’s beside the point...” He goes on to say that a bus full of people were engulfed in flames and died.
While it is extremely unforunate, I just could not wrap my head around this. They were in a bus. And someone a fire killed them. It makes no sense to me. I can understand a fire killing someone trapped in a building, but a moving vehicle. Unless you purposely drive into a fire or the bus blows up for no reason, there is no reason why a bus and fire should ever result in any mishap. The only way I can envision it is a bus driving down a road and a huge fireball and shoots right at the bus and engulfs the entire thing into flames. Like a fireball rocket launcher. Or some horrific scene out of Dante’s Inferno, with Pierce Brosnan. I explain my confusion to Bolanos. He says that he had read the news story on this and replied, “Apparently they had no chance.”
The pro-Israeli-ness has even suggested that fireballs react differently and there was no way these people could’ve avoided the fire. There is just something about the emphasis on “No” in that sentence.
3. “You’re going to make me endure major suffering!?”
Miah, Spamps, and I had smoked and Bolanos wanted to get back home. He did not have his car over. Spamps and I are not in the state to drive, so we do not really have a solution for him. One of the possibly solutions is to have him walk home. He contests this option and complains to Spamps, “You’re going to make me endure major suffering!?”
Granted, it was a rough situation for him, but the three of us were just not in the mood for that Debbie Downer-ness, a fucking buzzkill. I bring up Oregon Trail or Trail of Tears. It’s clarified that Trail of Tears is the sad one where the Native Americans get shipped across America on basically a death march. The words “major suffering” were just a ridiculous hyperbole. I continue to joke that he would have to ford a river in order to get back and avoid cholera.
We eventually decide to get food at White Castle and drop of Bolanos. We walk over to Spamps’ to get his car. On the walk, it’s cold, but I just can’t stop continue laughing about “major suffering” and “Trail of Tears.”
Three lines that I will push to be used more.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
JE VAIS A PARIS!
November 27, 2010
I wake up at 7AM after tossing and turning all night. I’m not sure why, but it might be because I’m looking forward to today. My mom left a huge slice of Artichoke pizza in the kitchen last night and what a perfect carby breakfast for the long day ahead of me. The secret is to microwave first so the cheese melts, then onto a frying pan so the crust gets crisp.
What was ahead of me today was a Pro Tour Qualifier (PTQ) for Magic: The Gathering. It is a hobby that I have had since 2002. Before that, I was into the Pokemon craze. I even extended that a couple years too long past fifth grade, after everyone was over it. During middle school, I remember my neighbor, my brother, and I going to the Whitestone Toys ‘R Us to battle Pokemon. It really was a fantastic experience now I think back to it.
Parents would bring their kids to the store on a Sunday morning. Kids would casually play each other in the game, trade cards, and interact as kids should. Then, depending on winning and attendance, the person at the store would give you a stamp in your little booklet that Wizards of the Coast (the same company that produces Magic) produced. Promotional cards specific to this little gathering that they had in stores around the country would be given out. But what I really cared for was the badges. After a certain amount of stamps, you would received a badge for your achievements and put a drive in me to go every week.
At one point, my mother even drove my brother, my mom’s friend’s son, Eric, and I to a huge Pokemon tournament in New Jersey. Eric was my brother’s age and played Pokemon as well. My brother and I would hang at his house when my mother and grandmother visited his house to play Mah-Jong. There would be two tables in the basement going and just that loud Chinese comradery that I am so similar with from my childhood.
The Pokemon tournament was actually quite a generous offering by Wizards. Everyone was invited and there was no entry fee into the tournament. The tournament was split by age group. Winners would receive certain prizes and everyone at the end received a grab bag filled with booster packs, stickers, and other promotional schwag.
Eventually, Eric had introduced me to Magic and did this game hook me fast. I remember learning the game and immediately looking it up online. I had found coverage of a certain tournament and carefully browsed through the cards that these people were playing and the interactions that I had never heard of. The next time I saw Eric, I looked through his cards, and pointed at the exact ones that I had seen online. I wanted those cards. I offered him $7 for them, they were commons and uncommons, nothing of much value. He kindly accepted and I had purchased by first deck.
From then on has been an eight year hobby that I have kept up with. And that brings me to today, the PTQ in Edison, NJ. In Magic, there is a competitive scene to the game. There are certain players that are “professionals,” but it is no way a lucrative occupation. Instead, they’re mostly young (20s) and balance schooling with this “job” of theirs. They make some sustainable income, travel the world, and get to do something they enjoy.
The competitive scene has 4-5 main large tournaments, Pro Tours, a year. They take place all over the world and have a first place pay out of $40,000. It is by invitation only, in which the professionals are already qualified because of previous achievements. They call this being on the “gravy train.” However, for aspiring players, there are PTQs. For each Pro Tour, there is a season of PTQs all over the world so that non-professionals could qualify and live the dream of winning the Pro Tour, or at least getting on the “train.”
As for the tri-state area, there only have a handful each season and they have grown in attendance from 100+ to almost 300. Worst of all, it is probably the most competitive area to play in the world. There are way too many talented players and every tournament I go to, I always see the same faces of the usual “grinders” that are doing the exact thing I am doing. We’re all fighting through a field of people and trying to make it big and get on the train.
I have been off of the PTQ scene for a year now and this is my first this year. I had planned on taking a train from Penn Station and waking up at 6AM, but my friend Rob told me people were driving out there. I was able to find a seat in one of the cars. Now I could wake up over an hour later, take my time, and not slog through the LIRR and NJ transit train.
I arrive there and get to see many old faces. I see Greg, who has been a bit like me. He goes to Stony. School and life has pushed Magic aside from his life. He keeps up with the game, but not with the drive that he used to have. We used to be brothers on the grind. I would sleep over at his house the night in Queens before PTQ in Manhattan. I even was there when Greg, his mother, and I took a bus down to Baltimore for a relatively large tournament. He ended up taking down the Junior Super Series, a tournament for those 18 and under, and won $10,00 in scholarship money. Greg has won a couple of these PTQs, but not been able to make because of cost and school. Wizards gives you an invitation and pays for your flight wherever the Pro Tour, but hotel and food in Kobe, Japan can still be a pretty penny.
Then I see Dan and Chen, people that I had met in Binghamton. They ran the Magic Club. Even after transferring, I would sporadically keep up with them and see them at these tournaments. Dan has won a PTQ. He ended up going to the Pro Tour, to San Diego I believe, and lost pretty quickly.
It is important to keep these connections. It gives you something to do throughout the day while you’re not playing so that you can share stories. More importantly, it is interaction with other good players so you have positive input on your game. Even outside your friends, there is still a concept of community. The person that drove me, Simon, I had known and played with, but we had never shared even a real conversation. However, my friend Rob knew him and viola, I made a connection and got a ride. In situations where I desperately need a few cards to finish my deck for a tournament, my friends would know loads of people and those people would trust me enough to lend me possibly up to hundreds of dollars in value of cards.
So speaking about this game and the people involved, I feel it gets a really poor reputation. Granted, a lot of these people are what you and I would call “geeks.” They do not know the basics of bathing, grooming, or reasonable attire. They can be socially awkward and also dabble in many of the other stalwarts of “geekdom,” maybe it be Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, etc. But more power to them, they love it.
In general though, the people are pretty “normal.” Granted, there were only a handful females in the room, the guys at least were somewhat representative of what guys from the ages 16-25 from the general population. My opponents were nice people. They joked around and carried conversation. They shook hands. Just nothing really out of the ordinary if I hadn’t been playing them.
However, a positive thing about the community is that with the more competitive players, there are bound to be extremely bright people. The same goes for poker and chess. In poker, a lot of the professionals either went to really good schools or dropped out of them for a professional poker career. The opposite occurs in Magic. Many of the old school professionals are no longer in the scene because they’re off to do “real things” in life with their jobs. A lot of them end up becoming into the downtown financial type or lawyers. However, it’s still a hobby to them and I see them at PTQs, to show their face, see friends, and just hang.
My point is, everyone has dabbled in geekdom. May it be, a TV show, a film, video games (though this has recently been getting accepted socially I’ve noticed), or whatever. People are people. You shouldn’t always judge people based on who you might associate them with. Hell, I definitely do not associate myself with an overwhelming majority of Magic players.
Without much sleep the night before, I’m not confident with my chances, but this is a day for me to prove to myself that I had what it took. I had been playing for so long and it couldn’t all be for naught. Unless I am delusional, I have the chops. I just need to play tight, run well, and win. And win. And win. And win. For 9 rounds (50 minute rounds) with a cut to the Top 8.
This format is one that I particularly enjoyed. It was Limited, the other being Constructed. The analogy would be a cooking competition. Constructed would be like bringing your own ingredients and making a dish that you had perfected. In Magic, you would bring a deck of cards and play it. Unfortunately, that is logistically a problem for me considering you need to own a large collection in order to so. Granted, I do have a collection, but it in no way is significant enough to constantly be able to build whatever deck I want/need for a tournament. This is why connections are so important. When I have played Constructed in the past, it was almost completely done through the lending of cards.
And as for Limited, that would be like a chef showing up to a competition with only his mind and equipment. Then all competitors are given a random set of ingredients and no person gets the same ingredients. It is sort of like Iron Chef, but with more disparity between people. In Magic, you are given randomized sealed cards and asked to make a deck out of what is in front of you. It is not exactly a level playing field because it is random and many people end up with much better cards and decks than others.
Luckily for me, I open a stellar set of cards. Nothing too absurd, but just on the upper echelon of what one could open. One where a player like me could really have chances at winning.
The attendance is almost 300, which again is much larger than the 120 that I remember years ago and this meant a long day. I play well mostly and even have a few spectacular plays, but not without a mistakes. This isn’t a perfect exhibition of my abilities, but I am running well. Finally, it is almost 10PM and we had started playing at 10AM, the field is down the Top 8 and I have made it. This is only my third Top 8 and I previously had never won. I had only gotten to the quarters and semis.
People give me some Congrats, everyone wishes me luck, and it is my time to shine. The Top 8 starts off really poorly. I win the first game of the quarters by the skin of my chin, despite bone headed blatant misplays. The adrenaline has gotten to me.
Adrenaline might seem useful when you’re getting out of a dangerous situation or playing a contact sport, but it is definitely a negative in Magic. For me, I skip over the correct lines of play. A relaxed mind is able to look outside the box and see every possibility there is. When the mind is stressed and pushed, it makes rash decisions. If I was watching over my own shoulder, I would cringe at how bad some of the plays are, but the adrenaline is rushing through you and you just pull the trigger at whatever pops into your head and might not even notice how bad it is.
For the rest of the Top 8, I calm myself down, put my elbow on the table, lean my head on my hand, and play as if I couldn’t give a care in the world. After an extremely close semis against the only other competent player in the Top 8, I am into the finals. Game 1, he steam rolls me, despite me finding out later that I could have been in the game if I didn’t make a mistake. Games 2 and 3 and I feel like extremely well. “Perfectly” is a word that you can almost never use in Magic considering the many lines of play you could make.
And there we have it. It was 2AM and I had won a trip to the Pro Tour… in Paris! I will be going in February. My ride had patiently waited super long for me. Him, another friend, and I hadn’t eaten all day and stop by the diner. They even mention that I look so indifferent about winning, but that’s the mindset I had forced myself into. It just felt like another day in the office and I ignored what was on the line. It takes me another day until realize the impact.
I have finally accomplished something that I’d been wanting for over 5 years. This is by no means the be all end all. I still have to perform extremely well in a field of seasoned professionals, and amateurs like myself. So half of me is really anticipating this rough road ahead and preparation for it. However, the other half is non-Magic Darwin. I have always wanted to go to Paris ever since I was young. I’m looking forward to the sights and if I can plan it correctly, even some of the night life. I’m a bit jealous that my brother got to go a few years ago and he’ll be a great person to ask about Paris. The last place far I went was Prague and that was years and years ago. I am really happy I get to do this before law school locks me down and then I have to enter the real world.
I wake up at 7AM after tossing and turning all night. I’m not sure why, but it might be because I’m looking forward to today. My mom left a huge slice of Artichoke pizza in the kitchen last night and what a perfect carby breakfast for the long day ahead of me. The secret is to microwave first so the cheese melts, then onto a frying pan so the crust gets crisp.
What was ahead of me today was a Pro Tour Qualifier (PTQ) for Magic: The Gathering. It is a hobby that I have had since 2002. Before that, I was into the Pokemon craze. I even extended that a couple years too long past fifth grade, after everyone was over it. During middle school, I remember my neighbor, my brother, and I going to the Whitestone Toys ‘R Us to battle Pokemon. It really was a fantastic experience now I think back to it.
Parents would bring their kids to the store on a Sunday morning. Kids would casually play each other in the game, trade cards, and interact as kids should. Then, depending on winning and attendance, the person at the store would give you a stamp in your little booklet that Wizards of the Coast (the same company that produces Magic) produced. Promotional cards specific to this little gathering that they had in stores around the country would be given out. But what I really cared for was the badges. After a certain amount of stamps, you would received a badge for your achievements and put a drive in me to go every week.
At one point, my mother even drove my brother, my mom’s friend’s son, Eric, and I to a huge Pokemon tournament in New Jersey. Eric was my brother’s age and played Pokemon as well. My brother and I would hang at his house when my mother and grandmother visited his house to play Mah-Jong. There would be two tables in the basement going and just that loud Chinese comradery that I am so similar with from my childhood.
The Pokemon tournament was actually quite a generous offering by Wizards. Everyone was invited and there was no entry fee into the tournament. The tournament was split by age group. Winners would receive certain prizes and everyone at the end received a grab bag filled with booster packs, stickers, and other promotional schwag.
Eventually, Eric had introduced me to Magic and did this game hook me fast. I remember learning the game and immediately looking it up online. I had found coverage of a certain tournament and carefully browsed through the cards that these people were playing and the interactions that I had never heard of. The next time I saw Eric, I looked through his cards, and pointed at the exact ones that I had seen online. I wanted those cards. I offered him $7 for them, they were commons and uncommons, nothing of much value. He kindly accepted and I had purchased by first deck.
From then on has been an eight year hobby that I have kept up with. And that brings me to today, the PTQ in Edison, NJ. In Magic, there is a competitive scene to the game. There are certain players that are “professionals,” but it is no way a lucrative occupation. Instead, they’re mostly young (20s) and balance schooling with this “job” of theirs. They make some sustainable income, travel the world, and get to do something they enjoy.
The competitive scene has 4-5 main large tournaments, Pro Tours, a year. They take place all over the world and have a first place pay out of $40,000. It is by invitation only, in which the professionals are already qualified because of previous achievements. They call this being on the “gravy train.” However, for aspiring players, there are PTQs. For each Pro Tour, there is a season of PTQs all over the world so that non-professionals could qualify and live the dream of winning the Pro Tour, or at least getting on the “train.”
As for the tri-state area, there only have a handful each season and they have grown in attendance from 100+ to almost 300. Worst of all, it is probably the most competitive area to play in the world. There are way too many talented players and every tournament I go to, I always see the same faces of the usual “grinders” that are doing the exact thing I am doing. We’re all fighting through a field of people and trying to make it big and get on the train.
I have been off of the PTQ scene for a year now and this is my first this year. I had planned on taking a train from Penn Station and waking up at 6AM, but my friend Rob told me people were driving out there. I was able to find a seat in one of the cars. Now I could wake up over an hour later, take my time, and not slog through the LIRR and NJ transit train.
I arrive there and get to see many old faces. I see Greg, who has been a bit like me. He goes to Stony. School and life has pushed Magic aside from his life. He keeps up with the game, but not with the drive that he used to have. We used to be brothers on the grind. I would sleep over at his house the night in Queens before PTQ in Manhattan. I even was there when Greg, his mother, and I took a bus down to Baltimore for a relatively large tournament. He ended up taking down the Junior Super Series, a tournament for those 18 and under, and won $10,00 in scholarship money. Greg has won a couple of these PTQs, but not been able to make because of cost and school. Wizards gives you an invitation and pays for your flight wherever the Pro Tour, but hotel and food in Kobe, Japan can still be a pretty penny.
Then I see Dan and Chen, people that I had met in Binghamton. They ran the Magic Club. Even after transferring, I would sporadically keep up with them and see them at these tournaments. Dan has won a PTQ. He ended up going to the Pro Tour, to San Diego I believe, and lost pretty quickly.
It is important to keep these connections. It gives you something to do throughout the day while you’re not playing so that you can share stories. More importantly, it is interaction with other good players so you have positive input on your game. Even outside your friends, there is still a concept of community. The person that drove me, Simon, I had known and played with, but we had never shared even a real conversation. However, my friend Rob knew him and viola, I made a connection and got a ride. In situations where I desperately need a few cards to finish my deck for a tournament, my friends would know loads of people and those people would trust me enough to lend me possibly up to hundreds of dollars in value of cards.
So speaking about this game and the people involved, I feel it gets a really poor reputation. Granted, a lot of these people are what you and I would call “geeks.” They do not know the basics of bathing, grooming, or reasonable attire. They can be socially awkward and also dabble in many of the other stalwarts of “geekdom,” maybe it be Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, etc. But more power to them, they love it.
In general though, the people are pretty “normal.” Granted, there were only a handful females in the room, the guys at least were somewhat representative of what guys from the ages 16-25 from the general population. My opponents were nice people. They joked around and carried conversation. They shook hands. Just nothing really out of the ordinary if I hadn’t been playing them.
However, a positive thing about the community is that with the more competitive players, there are bound to be extremely bright people. The same goes for poker and chess. In poker, a lot of the professionals either went to really good schools or dropped out of them for a professional poker career. The opposite occurs in Magic. Many of the old school professionals are no longer in the scene because they’re off to do “real things” in life with their jobs. A lot of them end up becoming into the downtown financial type or lawyers. However, it’s still a hobby to them and I see them at PTQs, to show their face, see friends, and just hang.
My point is, everyone has dabbled in geekdom. May it be, a TV show, a film, video games (though this has recently been getting accepted socially I’ve noticed), or whatever. People are people. You shouldn’t always judge people based on who you might associate them with. Hell, I definitely do not associate myself with an overwhelming majority of Magic players.
Without much sleep the night before, I’m not confident with my chances, but this is a day for me to prove to myself that I had what it took. I had been playing for so long and it couldn’t all be for naught. Unless I am delusional, I have the chops. I just need to play tight, run well, and win. And win. And win. And win. For 9 rounds (50 minute rounds) with a cut to the Top 8.
This format is one that I particularly enjoyed. It was Limited, the other being Constructed. The analogy would be a cooking competition. Constructed would be like bringing your own ingredients and making a dish that you had perfected. In Magic, you would bring a deck of cards and play it. Unfortunately, that is logistically a problem for me considering you need to own a large collection in order to so. Granted, I do have a collection, but it in no way is significant enough to constantly be able to build whatever deck I want/need for a tournament. This is why connections are so important. When I have played Constructed in the past, it was almost completely done through the lending of cards.
And as for Limited, that would be like a chef showing up to a competition with only his mind and equipment. Then all competitors are given a random set of ingredients and no person gets the same ingredients. It is sort of like Iron Chef, but with more disparity between people. In Magic, you are given randomized sealed cards and asked to make a deck out of what is in front of you. It is not exactly a level playing field because it is random and many people end up with much better cards and decks than others.
Luckily for me, I open a stellar set of cards. Nothing too absurd, but just on the upper echelon of what one could open. One where a player like me could really have chances at winning.
The attendance is almost 300, which again is much larger than the 120 that I remember years ago and this meant a long day. I play well mostly and even have a few spectacular plays, but not without a mistakes. This isn’t a perfect exhibition of my abilities, but I am running well. Finally, it is almost 10PM and we had started playing at 10AM, the field is down the Top 8 and I have made it. This is only my third Top 8 and I previously had never won. I had only gotten to the quarters and semis.
People give me some Congrats, everyone wishes me luck, and it is my time to shine. The Top 8 starts off really poorly. I win the first game of the quarters by the skin of my chin, despite bone headed blatant misplays. The adrenaline has gotten to me.
Adrenaline might seem useful when you’re getting out of a dangerous situation or playing a contact sport, but it is definitely a negative in Magic. For me, I skip over the correct lines of play. A relaxed mind is able to look outside the box and see every possibility there is. When the mind is stressed and pushed, it makes rash decisions. If I was watching over my own shoulder, I would cringe at how bad some of the plays are, but the adrenaline is rushing through you and you just pull the trigger at whatever pops into your head and might not even notice how bad it is.
For the rest of the Top 8, I calm myself down, put my elbow on the table, lean my head on my hand, and play as if I couldn’t give a care in the world. After an extremely close semis against the only other competent player in the Top 8, I am into the finals. Game 1, he steam rolls me, despite me finding out later that I could have been in the game if I didn’t make a mistake. Games 2 and 3 and I feel like extremely well. “Perfectly” is a word that you can almost never use in Magic considering the many lines of play you could make.
And there we have it. It was 2AM and I had won a trip to the Pro Tour… in Paris! I will be going in February. My ride had patiently waited super long for me. Him, another friend, and I hadn’t eaten all day and stop by the diner. They even mention that I look so indifferent about winning, but that’s the mindset I had forced myself into. It just felt like another day in the office and I ignored what was on the line. It takes me another day until realize the impact.
I have finally accomplished something that I’d been wanting for over 5 years. This is by no means the be all end all. I still have to perform extremely well in a field of seasoned professionals, and amateurs like myself. So half of me is really anticipating this rough road ahead and preparation for it. However, the other half is non-Magic Darwin. I have always wanted to go to Paris ever since I was young. I’m looking forward to the sights and if I can plan it correctly, even some of the night life. I’m a bit jealous that my brother got to go a few years ago and he’ll be a great person to ask about Paris. The last place far I went was Prague and that was years and years ago. I am really happy I get to do this before law school locks me down and then I have to enter the real world.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Mo' Money Mo' Problems
November 16, 2010
I never remember my dreams, but this one is just crazy. I think I remember them when I'm barely awake, but still dreaming. I'm climbing something for some reason and I end up in a penthouse overlooking New York City. There's loads of awesome kittens there and they're rainbow colored. And they're changing rainbow colors at the same time. Shit's mad crazy, reminds me of salvia time. We also get into a conversation about Beyonce songs. It's so random.
November 19, 2010
I guess this would be a good time to write an update on my LSAT business. I just felt so much more drive when studying before and it has gotten exponentially harder. I had a true two months after my first try in October. Now I am down to three weeks and I do not feel any more confident about the test than the first time.
Usually, I consider myself pretty good about this stuff. I never break deadlines. I have had no problems with finals or writing papers. Even weekly readings, I stayed on top of those, but this test is so disheartening. A challenge is not an issue for me when I can see what I am doing, understand everything about it, and continue on from there so I no longer make the same mistake. The LSAT has been a different animal.
The test is not impossible and I learn from some of the mistakes that I make. For some others though, I can only shrug and say, "What can I do?" It's like a tree branch falling on your car. You can be disappointed about it, but no one actually blames themselves if that occurs.
Even ones where I eventually find where I went wrong, that is with perfect information and infinite time. On the actual timed test, there’s no second guessing. I have to pick an answer that sounds right and jump on that with instincts. There’s no time to pick apart every answer option. And with that limitation, there is an example where things just feel out of my hands.
Mistakes are great because you can put yourself in mindset that you were in when you made it and prevent that exact train of thought. There’s a feeling of accomplishment everytime you improve, execute better, and get awarded with the results. I love mistakes.
Winning is only ever the end result. The true goal is to be better and that only comes with mistakes.
Either way, I think the only way to deal with this slump is to man up, put my head down, and grind through it. It’ll be rough though. I keep running questions where I just want to give up. I’ll have to see where the next few weeks take me.
November 20, 2010
Yelp event today. The event is at a classy, semi-dimly lit bar/restaurant. It is the usual entrance, someone is at the front to check your name and you get a name tag. I actually really like it in case you forget someone’s name. The real reason is that Yelpers go by first name and first letter of last name, e.g., Darwin G. It helps you recognize someone’s reviews by their Yelp name.
I meet up with Stefan who is blitzed after pregaming a Four Loco. He’s shot out of a cannon and I tell him to calm down and grab me a drink while I go to the coat check (cute coat check girl, should’ve picked up her number). We start off with a Moscow Mule, which is made with vodka, ginger beer, and some citrusy. I’m usually not a fan of ginger beer because of its sharpness, but it does contribute to a fine cocktail. As for food, there are people walk around with trays of hors d'oeuvres: Zuchinni sticks, lox on pumpernickel, meatballs, spicy tuna on a chip. Very good snacks.
We get into a conversation wth this massage therapist and an elementary school teacher. A bit into it, one of the girls tries to grab the other way and says, “Hey, lets get drinks.” Stefan doesn’t read it and replies, “But your drink is still full.” They eventually say they have to go to the bathroom and walk away. Stefan immediately jumps and says, “I’m down for that Christina girl!”
Here’s a lesson: It’s important to know when a set is over. It is very awkward to stand there and try to fake a conversation when you know that one of the gals is trying to pry her friend away. The worst is when it is after multiple attempts and you convince them somehow to not go, but they keep trying to go. Then again, wingmen are there occupy the cockblocker and stop her mischievous motives.
Stefan finds another set to talk to talk to. They eventually send him off to get them drinks. I try to entertain. Apparently they’re a bit older despite looking like my age. When he gets back and it turns out that they cut off the bar because it hit 9:00. Good thing I’m a champ about it and camped out the bar a few minutes before the clock struck.
The same issue actually comes up as with the previous set. They move into their side of the booth and whisper to each other some stuff. Apparently they have some story to tell, but it’s obviously a, “So… What do we do about these two dudes here?” They eventually had had enough when Stefan came back empty handed. As a new haircut would say, “Fuckin’ skanks.”
Gay story: At the table with the two girls is some dude dressed like Bagger. The event is Prohibition styled and people were encouraged to come dressed up. I don’t know where the conversation starts, but this dude we met before talks to us after the do girls left. I get real skeeved when he grabs my knee a few times. I press the issue and make a comment like, “I think your gaydar is way off.” Fuckin’ creeper.
This event is really cool despite only being there for less than an hour. It was 2 hour long. There’s one next month, but it’s on the same week as the LSAT, so I won’t be able to go to that. I should actually look forward to these more. It’s an awesome situation to meet some new people and open some new connections. Love y’all and all, but it’s good to have different groups and friends. I guess I’m looking for the one that comes in January.
Shortly after this, we cab downtown for some Baoguette and I’m really tired so I’m not in the mood for staying out so I end up taking the 11:19 back.
I never remember my dreams, but this one is just crazy. I think I remember them when I'm barely awake, but still dreaming. I'm climbing something for some reason and I end up in a penthouse overlooking New York City. There's loads of awesome kittens there and they're rainbow colored. And they're changing rainbow colors at the same time. Shit's mad crazy, reminds me of salvia time. We also get into a conversation about Beyonce songs. It's so random.
November 19, 2010
I guess this would be a good time to write an update on my LSAT business. I just felt so much more drive when studying before and it has gotten exponentially harder. I had a true two months after my first try in October. Now I am down to three weeks and I do not feel any more confident about the test than the first time.
Usually, I consider myself pretty good about this stuff. I never break deadlines. I have had no problems with finals or writing papers. Even weekly readings, I stayed on top of those, but this test is so disheartening. A challenge is not an issue for me when I can see what I am doing, understand everything about it, and continue on from there so I no longer make the same mistake. The LSAT has been a different animal.
The test is not impossible and I learn from some of the mistakes that I make. For some others though, I can only shrug and say, "What can I do?" It's like a tree branch falling on your car. You can be disappointed about it, but no one actually blames themselves if that occurs.
Even ones where I eventually find where I went wrong, that is with perfect information and infinite time. On the actual timed test, there’s no second guessing. I have to pick an answer that sounds right and jump on that with instincts. There’s no time to pick apart every answer option. And with that limitation, there is an example where things just feel out of my hands.
Mistakes are great because you can put yourself in mindset that you were in when you made it and prevent that exact train of thought. There’s a feeling of accomplishment everytime you improve, execute better, and get awarded with the results. I love mistakes.
Winning is only ever the end result. The true goal is to be better and that only comes with mistakes.
Either way, I think the only way to deal with this slump is to man up, put my head down, and grind through it. It’ll be rough though. I keep running questions where I just want to give up. I’ll have to see where the next few weeks take me.
November 20, 2010
Yelp event today. The event is at a classy, semi-dimly lit bar/restaurant. It is the usual entrance, someone is at the front to check your name and you get a name tag. I actually really like it in case you forget someone’s name. The real reason is that Yelpers go by first name and first letter of last name, e.g., Darwin G. It helps you recognize someone’s reviews by their Yelp name.
I meet up with Stefan who is blitzed after pregaming a Four Loco. He’s shot out of a cannon and I tell him to calm down and grab me a drink while I go to the coat check (cute coat check girl, should’ve picked up her number). We start off with a Moscow Mule, which is made with vodka, ginger beer, and some citrusy. I’m usually not a fan of ginger beer because of its sharpness, but it does contribute to a fine cocktail. As for food, there are people walk around with trays of hors d'oeuvres: Zuchinni sticks, lox on pumpernickel, meatballs, spicy tuna on a chip. Very good snacks.
We get into a conversation wth this massage therapist and an elementary school teacher. A bit into it, one of the girls tries to grab the other way and says, “Hey, lets get drinks.” Stefan doesn’t read it and replies, “But your drink is still full.” They eventually say they have to go to the bathroom and walk away. Stefan immediately jumps and says, “I’m down for that Christina girl!”
Here’s a lesson: It’s important to know when a set is over. It is very awkward to stand there and try to fake a conversation when you know that one of the gals is trying to pry her friend away. The worst is when it is after multiple attempts and you convince them somehow to not go, but they keep trying to go. Then again, wingmen are there occupy the cockblocker and stop her mischievous motives.
Stefan finds another set to talk to talk to. They eventually send him off to get them drinks. I try to entertain. Apparently they’re a bit older despite looking like my age. When he gets back and it turns out that they cut off the bar because it hit 9:00. Good thing I’m a champ about it and camped out the bar a few minutes before the clock struck.
The same issue actually comes up as with the previous set. They move into their side of the booth and whisper to each other some stuff. Apparently they have some story to tell, but it’s obviously a, “So… What do we do about these two dudes here?” They eventually had had enough when Stefan came back empty handed. As a new haircut would say, “Fuckin’ skanks.”
Gay story: At the table with the two girls is some dude dressed like Bagger. The event is Prohibition styled and people were encouraged to come dressed up. I don’t know where the conversation starts, but this dude we met before talks to us after the do girls left. I get real skeeved when he grabs my knee a few times. I press the issue and make a comment like, “I think your gaydar is way off.” Fuckin’ creeper.
This event is really cool despite only being there for less than an hour. It was 2 hour long. There’s one next month, but it’s on the same week as the LSAT, so I won’t be able to go to that. I should actually look forward to these more. It’s an awesome situation to meet some new people and open some new connections. Love y’all and all, but it’s good to have different groups and friends. I guess I’m looking for the one that comes in January.
Shortly after this, we cab downtown for some Baoguette and I’m really tired so I’m not in the mood for staying out so I end up taking the 11:19 back.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Halloween
October 30, 2010
It's Halloween and there's a party in the upper west side that Bola and I plan on going to. We go to his place with a couple four locks. He's planning to dress as Don Draper. He doesn't know how to tie a tie though and I end up tying it with the help of a Youtube video. Onto the train and after much confusion, we go to Still, an NYU bar.
We stand around a bit until we finally move out to the next bar with Stefan. Murray, Glen, Scott, Atron, Bolanos, and I. We find a place across the street from Beauty Bar. Obviously Stefan gets lost on the way somehow. The bar is pretty cool and has a live band playing 90s. Some awesome stuff like Smash Mouth and Everlong and some unawesome stuff like Weezer and Green Day. That reminds me of the awesome 70s cover band that we heard in Montreal. Boy that was a fun night.
Atron is a Chilean miner like everyone else. I told Bolanos to buy a cheap cigar to look like a Mafioso because his suit was a bit big on him. We had this conversation earlier in the night, but somehow a guy guessed he was dressed as Don Draper, just because of a suit. He then saw the cigar and said that he must have changed his mind and wanted to be a Mafioso instead. That is like scary dead on. Bolanos joked that he should hire him as a mystic.
After a couple beers there, we go to Company under Atrons apartment and then Coyote Ugly. There's still a gorgeous halfie there that is barely wearing anything, dancing on the bar, and pouring shots down peoples throats. She looks like Marie Digby, google it if you don't know. The bartenders also get to play flip cup at the bar against patrons. Now that must be a fun gig to have.
After that Bolanos and I try to catch the subway, but I doesn't come in time so we try to race for a cab. Halloween weekend and no cabs, we give up and decide to take the 519, sigh. Bolanos is stupidly adamant about getting Artichoke. We split up and I meet the rest of the champions at a pub across from Crif Dog. I Guinness it up and Bolanos actually makes it to the bar. I can't believe that he didn't have to wait over hour, but good for him. We then go looking for food or something. Atron is quite the drunk Lewis and Clarke, chest out, leading the way, while stumbling and taking up the entire sidewalk as he walks diagonally.
He leads us to a place that is closing in 4 minutes. Our leader takes no heed to this warning and runs inside. He goes to the bar and asks for a beer. The bartender puts down the beer and I say, "I'm sorry, no beer." I put my arms around him and escort him outside. We decide we want food and Aaron smartly leads us to Zaragoza for tacos. It's also closing (4AM), but he goes up against the door and tries to beg for tacos.
Then we move onto pizza. It's a long line and we decide to wait. However, we realize there may be impending doom as they're starting to run out of pizza and close up. We man up and go up to ask and find out there's no pizza. Wait, or are they just out of pizza?
We joke about this and Atron cannot get enough of it. He cannot stop laughing at "No pizza, or they just out of pizza." Granted, I'm no Sober Sally and I get a kick out of it too, but not as much as he does. We give up and follow Atron to his apartment. We're scared he's going to break some teeth and he climbs his super steep stairs. He rants off that we all need to go to Coyote Ugly (which is surely closed by now). Bolanos and I leave at that point. 519 is not as fun as the 319, but what can you do.
October 31, 2010
I wake up to kids knocking my door. I ignore it for a bit, but finally had enough and I put a sign on my door saying "NO CANDY. SORRY :("
Ela wants to go to the parade today so I head in at 6:50. I meet her and another au pair in Time Square. Ela's gotta have McDonald's so I get dragged along to dinner there. After that, we move downtown and it's just a crowded mess. You see a lot of costumes, there are lots of people with you behind a baracade, and it's really cold. At least as a New Yorker, I can say that I've been to the parade. It probably would be decent as a pregame before going out for a night, but unfortunately, Halloween landed on a Sunday this year.
I end up missing the 1020 train back by 10 minutes so I have nothing to do, but chill at Penn. I get a big Smoothie King with whey, delicious. I also have some Nathan's. Yes, I know, junk food day, but hey, Nathan's is well worth it. My favorite fries, big and potatoey. And proper hot dogs with that snap when you bite.
It's Halloween and there's a party in the upper west side that Bola and I plan on going to. We go to his place with a couple four locks. He's planning to dress as Don Draper. He doesn't know how to tie a tie though and I end up tying it with the help of a Youtube video. Onto the train and after much confusion, we go to Still, an NYU bar.
We stand around a bit until we finally move out to the next bar with Stefan. Murray, Glen, Scott, Atron, Bolanos, and I. We find a place across the street from Beauty Bar. Obviously Stefan gets lost on the way somehow. The bar is pretty cool and has a live band playing 90s. Some awesome stuff like Smash Mouth and Everlong and some unawesome stuff like Weezer and Green Day. That reminds me of the awesome 70s cover band that we heard in Montreal. Boy that was a fun night.
Atron is a Chilean miner like everyone else. I told Bolanos to buy a cheap cigar to look like a Mafioso because his suit was a bit big on him. We had this conversation earlier in the night, but somehow a guy guessed he was dressed as Don Draper, just because of a suit. He then saw the cigar and said that he must have changed his mind and wanted to be a Mafioso instead. That is like scary dead on. Bolanos joked that he should hire him as a mystic.
After a couple beers there, we go to Company under Atrons apartment and then Coyote Ugly. There's still a gorgeous halfie there that is barely wearing anything, dancing on the bar, and pouring shots down peoples throats. She looks like Marie Digby, google it if you don't know. The bartenders also get to play flip cup at the bar against patrons. Now that must be a fun gig to have.
After that Bolanos and I try to catch the subway, but I doesn't come in time so we try to race for a cab. Halloween weekend and no cabs, we give up and decide to take the 519, sigh. Bolanos is stupidly adamant about getting Artichoke. We split up and I meet the rest of the champions at a pub across from Crif Dog. I Guinness it up and Bolanos actually makes it to the bar. I can't believe that he didn't have to wait over hour, but good for him. We then go looking for food or something. Atron is quite the drunk Lewis and Clarke, chest out, leading the way, while stumbling and taking up the entire sidewalk as he walks diagonally.
He leads us to a place that is closing in 4 minutes. Our leader takes no heed to this warning and runs inside. He goes to the bar and asks for a beer. The bartender puts down the beer and I say, "I'm sorry, no beer." I put my arms around him and escort him outside. We decide we want food and Aaron smartly leads us to Zaragoza for tacos. It's also closing (4AM), but he goes up against the door and tries to beg for tacos.
Then we move onto pizza. It's a long line and we decide to wait. However, we realize there may be impending doom as they're starting to run out of pizza and close up. We man up and go up to ask and find out there's no pizza. Wait, or are they just out of pizza?
We joke about this and Atron cannot get enough of it. He cannot stop laughing at "No pizza, or they just out of pizza." Granted, I'm no Sober Sally and I get a kick out of it too, but not as much as he does. We give up and follow Atron to his apartment. We're scared he's going to break some teeth and he climbs his super steep stairs. He rants off that we all need to go to Coyote Ugly (which is surely closed by now). Bolanos and I leave at that point. 519 is not as fun as the 319, but what can you do.
October 31, 2010
I wake up to kids knocking my door. I ignore it for a bit, but finally had enough and I put a sign on my door saying "NO CANDY. SORRY :("
Ela wants to go to the parade today so I head in at 6:50. I meet her and another au pair in Time Square. Ela's gotta have McDonald's so I get dragged along to dinner there. After that, we move downtown and it's just a crowded mess. You see a lot of costumes, there are lots of people with you behind a baracade, and it's really cold. At least as a New Yorker, I can say that I've been to the parade. It probably would be decent as a pregame before going out for a night, but unfortunately, Halloween landed on a Sunday this year.
I end up missing the 1020 train back by 10 minutes so I have nothing to do, but chill at Penn. I get a big Smoothie King with whey, delicious. I also have some Nathan's. Yes, I know, junk food day, but hey, Nathan's is well worth it. My favorite fries, big and potatoey. And proper hot dogs with that snap when you bite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)