Thursday, February 26, 2009

Chess and Idol

It's been such a blessing to meet and shake hands with the chess super grandmaster Mark Paragua last Wednesday.

When I first heard his name, I was scratching my head for any tidbit of him stored in one of my lobes, but alas, I had none. So I was not even a quarter amazed by his presence. What I heard though was that he is godlike in the world of chess, along the ranks of Eugene Torre (he's the only grandmaster I know thanks to Hekasi 4).

Tables were arranged adjacent to each other and suddenly twenty students, including I, were playing with him simultaneously. It was like one of those quick dating games, wherein ladies are seated and guys rotate from one lady to another for some matchmakings. He was moving from player to player, one move per table. Then next! One move. Next!

Initially I was only hoping I would last ten moves because I'd learned he was too great. In the terms of the RPG world, there was imba, and I was to be pwned. But when our professor told us that he'd give bonus points to anyone who reaches thirty moves, I aimed that. And not too quickly enough I'd reached the thirty, there was equality between our non-pawn pieces the entire time. Soon enough, I was the only one playing with him that came from the PE amateur class; I was playing together with the varsity players, which means that our game lasted too long a time that I'd garnered more than forty moves. In the end, I did fifty-four moves, he fifty-five. I had the most bonus points and couldn't believe it. The entire game we had the same condition in terms of the non-pawn pieces, with him leading by only a pawn. If you're wondering how I survived that long, it would be because he and I were left with only pawns and a king during the endgame. I was amazed with myself, to be honest, because he was super grandmaster, and I ate all his pieces, even the queen (haha! after he ate mine).

He deserves praise with the one-move per player rounds, and Eppendorf! He moved from player to player for more than three hours (my game lasted that long). After our game, we shook hands and I asked for his autograph, which he gladly gave. From now on, I shall frame our game! The entire game was recorded in a yellow sheet and he autographed it!

Speaking of autographs, Paul Yap didn't sign my Bipolar CD, he only signed the package, grrr! For more autographs, I want Megan Joy Corkrey's. Please vote for her. Thank you very much.

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I reflected on Ezekiel 6. I thank God for reminding me that He hates sin so much that sinners may die so ruthlessly: In the book, those who worship idols will be slain in front of their idols and their bones will be scattered around their worship altars.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Numbers

11:47 post meridiem
120, 81, and 109 pages read for three books
150 unread feeds
546 images captured by my phone
49995 needed
40 per cent accomplished
21 continuous hours spent awake
1 notebook needed
35 teeth unwashed
36 white keys left dusty
25 black keys left untouched
10:13 of first Corinthians
4 days of restless rest
3 albums a week

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Starstruck

Unplanned and spontaneous, my going to the UP Fair yesterday (Feb. 14) was worth the 75 pesos. If I hadn't met Joreb while waiting for Joseph to get his ride, if Joseph hadn't known that he'd be picked up at the Physics pavilion, if I hadn't thought of getting to the CASAA shed, if I had overtaken the girl who also waited for the Philcoa jeepney, if I hadn't spotted a fat guy grumbling across the street and if I hadn't talked to him and agreed to go to the fair, I wouldn't have seen Polyap!!!

I didn't know Up Dharma Down was going to perform, and so I planned to boringly rub my eyes until Joreb and his friend Aaron got tired of watching the boring bands. Luckily, I got thirsty. And good thing I didn't choose the Fab drink! I went to the Rodic's stall to purchase water and poof! Paul Yap was there! If I didn't already have his autograph, I would've asked for it! Next time I meet him and the rest of the Up Dharma Down gang, I'd be bringing a camera, I swear!

Sunday, February 08, 2009

I gained 7 pounds

7 pounds is the only predictable movie that I've ever liked. You take it as it is, although the plot is quite confusing at times. I admit it: At first I didn't know if it was a flashback or not, or what, but towards the latter half I perfectly nailed my predictions. And although I'd predicted most of what was gonna happen towards the end--partly due to the first scene--I almost burst out into tears, but too bad I was seated with my dad and my cousins, who I guess was too shy too, that I could not even dare. :))

Saturday, February 07, 2009

I don't need a doctor to tell me that there's something wrong with me

There are a lot of things I want to blog about: all the sleepless nights and the longest 6-hour sleep God has allowed me to savor, the radicals introduced into my laptop by Seal and Oasis and the rest of the 30 gigs of pure unadulterated rips that put my computer into a coma (in the words of the microbiologist: in its stationary phase), the MBB 110 exam and the spot-the-difference bonus it had, "Changeling" and "Slumdog Millionaire," the soon-to-be-mine laser color printer, the soon-to-be-mine-in-my-dreams Sony VAIO I've been salivating for ever since my visit (and revisits) to Cyberzone, the 320-gig external hard drive (or the 1-terabyte Time Capsule I've been wanting for almost a year now), and my inexplicable fascination for clocks.

I can't believe it's almost 9--just 4 more hours and I'll have been awake for 24 hours (again!). These days, getting 3 hours of sleep is sufficient to keep me up the next day. Six hours to me is heaven! The MBB lab exam was not what I expected, though. I dehydrated my tear ducts for this and what do I get? FUN! :) It must have been because I expected it to be too brutally hard like the lec exam that I think 90% of the class guessed entirely (not rhizoid, not serrated). Good thing my guessing skills were at a hype. Who would have thought that the primers used for vector cloning and sequencing were primers from the VECTOR?!!! HAHAHA! I am so unworthy! Thank you dear pen for spontaneously composing that well thought-of 10%!!! Well anyway, I hope God won't test my pride again this time by giving me false hopes that lead to disastrously LOW results.
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Seal and Danny Gokey have repetitively subwoofed my room. American Idol is the only show I get to watch, amid the sleep-deprivation crisis I'm facing right now. I'll try to make a prediction. These are my favorites, and I'm sure one of them will win it this time: Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert, Megan Corkrey, Frankie Jordan (which I think is already eliminated), and Jamar Roger.
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If ever I give up on molecular biology, I now have my contingency: I'll try to run a website similar to RottenTomatoes because lately, I've been able to watch awesome films, such as "Changeling" and "Slumdog Millionaire." I highly recommend both.
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Can somebody help me out with financial management? 'Cause I can't manage my finances! :)) I want a lot of things, and when somebody wants a lot of things, he has to have effective control over his finances. Plus, I seem to have--imaginably speaking--"LOST" something which I never even got to keep. Next time, I won't handle with other people's money anymore, impeach me now! I know you're not to blame, but I am not either.
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I love clocks! I want to start collecting clocks! Clocks fascinate me! Somebody give me clocks, not the cheapo ones but the non-cheapo ones! So I can start timing my sleep.
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Please tell Doctor Brigadour to remove me from his files as I won't be needing of his assistance anymore. Thank you very much!




Sunday, February 01, 2009

Sta. Lucia East Mall

The last time I went there was when I was about 8.

My only memory of it was the humongous "Worlds of Fun" that served as a mini-theme park inside the mall. Uniformed teenagers flock the queues, moms chase children, dads sit around, and a pigeonhole receives tens of pesos for yellow tickets.

The reason we went to Sta. Lucia East Mall, even though it was planets away, was because it had the only cinema in the Philippines that was screening "Changeling" last Saturday. We had planned of watching it in Gateway but lo and behold, the Thursday flick-change disallowed us to actually watch it in convenience.

But driving to Sta. Lucia East Mall--Lenny did the driving, we did the nothing--was not a bit regretting or reprehending because the movie was worth sitting the two-point-three-three-three-three-three hours.

The plot was brilliant, and even more awesome because the events were based on a true story. Interspersed were themes on LAPD dominion, crime and corruption, female weaknesses and abuse of such, mother-child relationships, single parenting, seeking justice, etc.

It allows you to think and feel, two of the major criteria for my movie favorites.

"Changeling" is by Clint Eastwood and it stars Angelina Jolie. Please watch it!! Rip it from online and I bet you won't regret two-point-three-three-three-three hours of it. It's no crapola.