The Sands of Tim

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Xbox 360 Degree Turn on Reality versus Mario Brothers

April 8, 1993

I’ve never been a fan of video games. The last one I’ve had much delight of was way back the Nintendo Family Computer times. Finishing Super Mario (or just Mario, so to speak) 3 times in 2 hours was my record, and I was very proud of it. So I went out to a computer shop in our subdivision to challenge anyone who thought he or she was good. You know back then, there are no internet cafes yet; just some random houses with 5 televisions (sometimes black and white) and 5 family computer units renting them out at 3 pesos an hour. So there I was, bragging about my Guiness Record of My Own Mind only to find out that somebody achieved the same feat – in 48 minutes! I was in disbelief upon learning such and even thought that the kid who beat me was just getting help from some unknown up-down-left-right-a-b-select-start cheat codes that made him jump to the final stage quickly. But he didn’t. I watched him played, he went through the same stages as I did, jumped on the same spots as I did, and made Mario leaped to each stage flagpole with the same grace as I did. I was devastated.

I was a loser.

I was nine years old at that time and that made it worse because my nemesis (never bothered to know his name) was just six. And the worst of all, every possum nut there beat my time – except a girl who played “Ice Climber”. I went home, not telling anyone about it and feeling sorry for my 3 pesos that I thought would put me on our village map.

March 20, 2011

18 years after and here I found myself packing my things as I am going on R&R pretty soon. I just remember that heartbreaking day as I am putting back into its box this X-Box 360 that I just bought 3 weeks ago. Far different from those Family Computers whose joystick buttons I’ve raped non-stop, this machine impresses me so much. With internet capability, Kinect Motion Sensor gadget, High Definition graphics, and kick-ass controls, this is obviously a gazillion of miles ahead of that crappy Nintendo. Get this - I can even store up to a hundred games on this machine’s 250 gig hard drive!

Kewl!

Well I still suck in video games (was even wondering why I even bought it), but this Xbox made me think how much had changed since then. Well, I am not really that techie and have never been a fan of just-came-out gadgets, but I can appreciate how these contraptions evolved from their ancestors. And change is becoming a big issue to me lately, with lots of life-changing events happening in rapid succession and I can hardly keep up with all of them. A friend once told me that the only thing constant in this world is change and as much as I would want to debate on that, I am starting to believe in it fully, with no exceptions nor conditions.

I’m even changing how I view things! (It must be true then)

My youngest brother who’s still in college may really be excited to play with this new machine. I also think my nephew and nieces would spend more time in my house marveling on the dozens of Naruto characters they can choose from to “digitally” murder each other. And somehow I recall those times when I was the one sitting there in front of the TV, trying to practice on how I can beat my big brother Jason in battle games. Time had passed and you can’t help but wonder how when you were a kid, you never thought you’ll become an adult someday. I never thought that that control I once got using the steel plated joysticks will turn into control over kids I would stop from playing so they can finish their homework. That power I had in my hands to make Mario jump on turtles and toss them will become power to make another person become a friend or an enemy. Before, I was controlling Battle City tanks; now I am controlling my life.

It’s a 360 degree turn indeed, and life had been a lot harder since then. This time, there are no cheat codes – you have to go through each stage and fight each opponent - be it a person who’d knock you down, a loss in business, a failed exam, or an ailing relationship. And they’re always a tough battle. The main problem is, you only have one life you can use, and when you get hurt one time, it stops you and takes a while before you can get another mushroom or flower that’ll make you grow and have the power to stand a chance.

In video games, there are items we get that make our favorite characters a lot stronger, faster, or invincible. A star makes Mario look like a walking disco ball. A big pellet enables Pacman to freeze the multi-colored ghosts. These items are also present in real life – I call them opportunities. However, they don’t make things easy just like that. Instead, we work them out. And some of them don’t even appear as opportunities. Instead, they seem to us as challenges only to find out that they are blessings-in-disguise in the end. And I think it makes life a little tougher, because not only you have opponents to fight with, you also got opportunities to work out. And, if you don’t grab these opportunities, you may never defeat your opponents ever. Golden rule: Pinaghihiirapan ang lahat!

Sh%t!

And this is the reason why I find a lot of under-achieving students, out of school youths, even unemployed adults so hooked up to internet games (they even throw up their last penny just so they can build their kingdom for an hour or two). In the virtual world, they can be who they want to be, create the monster they want to appear, and kill their opponents with magical weapons and potions. And I will not blame why they would spend a lot of their time in front of those monitors, enduring the summer heat and sharing each other’s profanities and odors. – they want to live in the virtual world. I, myself, would always like to do the same - pretend I’m someone that can do whatever my mind wants to do in a very easy fashion.

But life, as we know it, will never be easy. And it really makes me ugghh!

It's just different. But no matter how hard it is, I’d rather build my adventures and imagination on it than on a memory card. I’ve learned that computer games will only appear as real as how we think they are.

Also, I would always prefer the playing field of real life over the other: for in life, no matter what you do, no matter how you failed, no matter how you lost - there are no game-overs.

Unless you’re already six feet under.

But until you’re not, you have no right to give up.

I love the Lord!

Champ

P.S.

Some things never changed. For example, Jason still beats me in this computer crap big time. The difference, however, is that I lose at least 10 dollars every time (greediest bas*ard ever!)

Sidenote:

I'm excited because my girlfriend and I are going home this summer, and I'm even more excited because...

On my next Bora picture, I am not going to be alone.

And congratulations to my friend Jose Admiran Fabregas II for having been recently baptized into the Facebook world!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Getting Older in Afghanistan

It's 4:30 am and since the entire camp is still quite, I decided not to let this chance of revisiting and updating my blog pass by. Thanks to my toothache, woke up at 3:30 which is very UNUSUAL for me.

It's snowing outside and has been for the last three days. There was a brief moment of sunshine yesterday afternoon and the snow-capped mountains that borded Kabul on the north surprised me like an apparition. May maganda rin pala dito,I thought. Konting picture-picture, then it became dark again, and just as I expected, it rained.. then snowed.

I hate winters... I hate the biting cold... and the thing I hate most - waking up with my A/C unit showing 'ERROR', when it's supposed to show 30 Celsius as how I set it up before I slept. Now, I'm freezing my ass off. Mabuti na lang, I borrowed this unit heater from my next room officemate - Ricky - who seem to have no problem with his A/C unit at all.

Well, you've just heard my rants about where I am right now. Most of the time I never complain, save for some assholes in the company I work with. But the climate here takes the sanity out of me - First, malamig. Second, walang katabi sa kama na mag-shashare sana ng init. Third, o baka tumatanda lang ako. If only my honey is here with me, these would never even occur to me. She'll give me warmth and comfort and will let me feel the vigor of my youth (see, in this cold, I'm becoming corny). But she's not here, so I often resort to going to the place I know is surely warm - in my mind - because there she will always be present (cornier, if there's a term as such!).

But since she'll always be there and never leave, I will brave going out on the cold to write. Talking about age a while ago, I am proud and very honored to divulge that I just celebrated my 2?th birthday here in Aghanistan. Looking back, it's funny because for the last 4 years of my life, I've been celebrating my birthdays in war-torn countries. That's probably the reason why my hairline receedes so fast; my body ages twice than the actual number of yeas adding up to my length of existence. This is a major major problem, but since I don't complain, except for assholes and cold winters (I know, I'm redundant), I won't bother delving into it.

Instead, I will count my blessings. I will thank God for the wonderful things he gave me during the last year that I consider birthday gifts.

1. For giving me another year, another shot at life to make things (if not the world) better. I've always believed that everybody exists in the world for a reason. If you're an agnostic, you might believe in the theory of universal conspiracy (I've watch this from a movie somewhere), which is practically the same.

2. For giving me a violent, crazy, but, wonderful family, whom I drew my strength from and who've always been supportive of me (and of their monthly allowance, ha ha).

3. As the best birthday gift, for my Mahal, who never hesitated to join me venture into the weary and uncertain world of long-distance relationship (as long as I call on Skype, and has prepaid minutes to it)

4. For Skype, for enabling me to be in contact with them everyday.

5. For Skype, for helping in my panliligaw (along with my three months of di mabilang na pagpupuyat)

6. For my job, that enables me to buy minutes for Skype and for cellphone load.

7. For letting me go to Sagada - twice! One of my dreams-came-true.

8. For letting me celebrate Christmas and New Year in the Philippines (at last after three years)

9. For my friends, who've always been concerened of how I am (while gulping beer; amazing how they do that!)

10. For my business partners, for their patience with our employees.

11. For our employees, for their patience with Madam Cyla.

12. For the chance to meet my SDT batchmates again.

13. For making me part of Sto. Nino Choir's first concert as the man behind the voice over.

14. For Facebook... Geez, I've never had so many people greeting me in my birthday - ALL MY LIFE!

15. For Facebook... where I had my first glimpse of her..

16. For Facebook again .. where she had the first glimpse of me.

17. For Burj Khalifa, Atlantis, and Dubai Mall, or collectively known as the BAD sites, for witnessing (and subsequently proving) that I really am a sweet person.

18. For my house (that I can rent out as a motel)

19. For my credit card.. for making my family happy even if it makes me sobby.

20. For my mother, who implemented the house interior designs I had on my mind (which I gathered from the internet LOL)

21. For my hipag, for catching the carpenter sitting pretty in my room, resting and enjoying the cool breeze of my AC. She cut off my electric bill into half (now only 2k even if I am not there)

22. For Cebu Pacific, for flying me to Hongkong without crashing, even if I cursed it so many times now (I won't lay down the details because I'm thanking and not complaining)

23. For my bestfriends, though we are thousand of miles apart, we still think of the same things. (he, he)

24. For my guides and friends in Sagada, for setting up the tent, keeping us good company and spilling corny lines... LOL

25. For this blog, that enables me to share my random thoughts, my joys and sorrows, and broadcast how good the Almighty, have been to me - All the time.

26. For my brother Kuya Jason - for balancing out all the positive in my life by being a prick at walang humpay na pambwibwisit sa akin.

27. For letting me live 27 years... and counting.

For all who greeted me.. maraming salamat! To God Be The Glory! Amen.

P.S.

I have a new number: Globe: 09274719025
I lost my old one.

Picture! Picture!