Thursday, May 5, 2011
Marvel vs Capcom 3 Tourney
This was such an interesting experience for me, I just had to blog about this.
Last friday I went to a Marvel vs Capcom 3 Tournament. Marvel vs Capcom is a three on three fighting game with characters from, you guessed it, Marvel AND Capcom. I went because my friend helped organize the tournament, and for me, I've never played in a tournament before, so I wanted to see what it was like.
It turned out a bit different from what I expected. There were a total of 32 competitors, all guys around my age. We played a double elimination system, which means you have to lose twice in order to be kicked out. 32 does sound like a small number, but not when we all have to fit inside a room that was approximately 3m by 6m. I mean, it was crowded. I've never been soaked in so much testosterone since I was in the army.
I had no idea they took a photo. But hey there's me in the center in BLACK, not white, in my comfy seat while some stood along the walls. The row of people on the left is where the other wall is. Yes, it was that small. (As a sidenote, you see those posters on the wall? Those are posters of our election candidates' faces superimposed on super heroes' bodies. hilarious.)
It's kind of ironic that the room next to us had a couple of girls playing kinect on the xbox.
So I kind of sat there for a bit waiting while the organizers were trying to write down people's names and settle everything, like the brackets of who versus who. Being a geek, I tend not to be the social monster I always wanted to be. I decided therefore, this time, it's about community, I should get to know people, I WANT to get to know people. So sitting on the couch, I turn to my left and saw 2 guys talking a bit about the game, and expounding on different characters, moves, etc. I thought to myself, hey these guys seem chatty. So when they finished, I turned to the guy and introduced myself. He looked at me, and his first sentence was completely incoherent. Then I realized, this guy was just as socially autistic as I was! And that ended my string of introduction. Let's focus on the game.
Maybe at least 90 games were played, of which I only played 4. By the end of the night, I won two and lost two. And these guys were good. (See how I indirectly complimented myself there..) I was expecting to lose the first round, because I hadn't played in a month. Tournament play is interesting because everybody watches you play. And there are always comments from the back, especially when u drop combos or do something stupid.
But that's only the down side. The up side is, it's equally, if not more, amazing when you do something solid, something clutch, and everybody goes nuts behind you. At least, that's how I would imagine it in my head, cos that didn't happen in my match. I know, I know..
Talking about a noisy crowd: You can tell very quickly who is the alpha male in the group. Maybe of all the people, two people were exceptionally loud, like you know they're talking when they're talking. There's the alpha male, whose remarks I actually enjoyed because they were witty. He would be like, "You're a nice guy, but come back with a better nickname next time cos we can't pronounce this one." (in shouting and beng language of course - did I mention that this was beng central as well as geek central?) And there were other jokes I think only hardcore players understand, like, "wah tech throw ah? Nobody techs throws in this game, you think you play Street Fighter 4?" (and you can replace "tech throw" with "empty jump then low short")
Ok then there was the other noisy guy, who came in during an early match. First he starts yelling about the game. Then he does to make these dog sounds, like "oh, oh, oh, oh" in a really loud and deep voice. And I'm like what the heck is this guy doing? I seriously thought to myself that this guy was demonized. I had a good mind to cast that thing out of him; yes, it irritated me that much - kind of like Paul and the little fortune teller girl.
A side note on deliverance, (not as a theological statement but as an observation), I think it would help a lot especially in public deliverances if the person manifests. It's like going up to a guy and saying, come out of him. And if the guy doesn't manifest, or stares at you after u said that, I mean it'd be kind of anti-climatic, right? I think The drama makes it more interesting...
But back to the barking gamer. It took me a split second before I realized that he was imitating the character on the screen, amateratsu, who's a dog, and barks everytime he hits in a combo. He was imitating that! But that didn't make the irritation go away. I can't even count the number of times I heard the f word.
After an hour, the place started to smell. I mean 32 guys in one small room. Even with airconditioning, nature still prevails, glands begin to activate.
It was over at 12, and at 12, I missed my last train back to Yishun. So I had to take a cab. But it was so darn difficult, and I only managed to get a cab at 12.50. But praise God, it was a MPV Limo cab. Like my consolation prize for the night.
So the tourney only cost me 4 bucks, but along with the cab and the drink I got from macs, it was about 27 bucks for the tourney.
On the whole, there were many things I was not too happy with. But I really enjoyed the tournament play. I think tournament play and casual play are so different, and the stress of tournament play is really fun!
Last friday I went to a Marvel vs Capcom 3 Tournament. Marvel vs Capcom is a three on three fighting game with characters from, you guessed it, Marvel AND Capcom. I went because my friend helped organize the tournament, and for me, I've never played in a tournament before, so I wanted to see what it was like.It turned out a bit different from what I expected. There were a total of 32 competitors, all guys around my age. We played a double elimination system, which means you have to lose twice in order to be kicked out. 32 does sound like a small number, but not when we all have to fit inside a room that was approximately 3m by 6m. I mean, it was crowded. I've never been soaked in so much testosterone since I was in the army.
I had no idea they took a photo. But hey there's me in the center in BLACK, not white, in my comfy seat while some stood along the walls. The row of people on the left is where the other wall is. Yes, it was that small. (As a sidenote, you see those posters on the wall? Those are posters of our election candidates' faces superimposed on super heroes' bodies. hilarious.)It's kind of ironic that the room next to us had a couple of girls playing kinect on the xbox.
So I kind of sat there for a bit waiting while the organizers were trying to write down people's names and settle everything, like the brackets of who versus who. Being a geek, I tend not to be the social monster I always wanted to be. I decided therefore, this time, it's about community, I should get to know people, I WANT to get to know people. So sitting on the couch, I turn to my left and saw 2 guys talking a bit about the game, and expounding on different characters, moves, etc. I thought to myself, hey these guys seem chatty. So when they finished, I turned to the guy and introduced myself. He looked at me, and his first sentence was completely incoherent. Then I realized, this guy was just as socially autistic as I was! And that ended my string of introduction. Let's focus on the game.
Maybe at least 90 games were played, of which I only played 4. By the end of the night, I won two and lost two. And these guys were good. (See how I indirectly complimented myself there..) I was expecting to lose the first round, because I hadn't played in a month. Tournament play is interesting because everybody watches you play. And there are always comments from the back, especially when u drop combos or do something stupid.
But that's only the down side. The up side is, it's equally, if not more, amazing when you do something solid, something clutch, and everybody goes nuts behind you. At least, that's how I would imagine it in my head, cos that didn't happen in my match. I know, I know..
Talking about a noisy crowd: You can tell very quickly who is the alpha male in the group. Maybe of all the people, two people were exceptionally loud, like you know they're talking when they're talking. There's the alpha male, whose remarks I actually enjoyed because they were witty. He would be like, "You're a nice guy, but come back with a better nickname next time cos we can't pronounce this one." (in shouting and beng language of course - did I mention that this was beng central as well as geek central?) And there were other jokes I think only hardcore players understand, like, "wah tech throw ah? Nobody techs throws in this game, you think you play Street Fighter 4?" (and you can replace "tech throw" with "empty jump then low short")
Ok then there was the other noisy guy, who came in during an early match. First he starts yelling about the game. Then he does to make these dog sounds, like "oh, oh, oh, oh" in a really loud and deep voice. And I'm like what the heck is this guy doing? I seriously thought to myself that this guy was demonized. I had a good mind to cast that thing out of him; yes, it irritated me that much - kind of like Paul and the little fortune teller girl.
A side note on deliverance, (not as a theological statement but as an observation), I think it would help a lot especially in public deliverances if the person manifests. It's like going up to a guy and saying, come out of him. And if the guy doesn't manifest, or stares at you after u said that, I mean it'd be kind of anti-climatic, right? I think The drama makes it more interesting...
But back to the barking gamer. It took me a split second before I realized that he was imitating the character on the screen, amateratsu, who's a dog, and barks everytime he hits in a combo. He was imitating that! But that didn't make the irritation go away. I can't even count the number of times I heard the f word.
After an hour, the place started to smell. I mean 32 guys in one small room. Even with airconditioning, nature still prevails, glands begin to activate.
It was over at 12, and at 12, I missed my last train back to Yishun. So I had to take a cab. But it was so darn difficult, and I only managed to get a cab at 12.50. But praise God, it was a MPV Limo cab. Like my consolation prize for the night.
So the tourney only cost me 4 bucks, but along with the cab and the drink I got from macs, it was about 27 bucks for the tourney.
On the whole, there were many things I was not too happy with. But I really enjoyed the tournament play. I think tournament play and casual play are so different, and the stress of tournament play is really fun!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Intentionality of God
I feel like this is such an important concept of God's nature to grasp in this moment in time. I feel like this is the very thing He is speaking into my heart, and the funny thing is, He's so intentional about it! (ok bad pun)
In the past few years there have been so many times, I have thought something, and God would give me what I wanted almost immediately. I didn't even have to pray about it. I remember once two years ago, I came back from Stanford for some break (I don't remember which), and KFC had a new burger on promotion, the fish zinger. I really wanted to try it but before I could get my hands on one the promotion ended. In my grief I wished it would come back. And within a span of two months (so I guess it was summer break), the zinger burger came back and it was even added to the regular burger menu.
When I saw it at KFC again, I remember being astonished at His goodness. And then He whispered in my ear, "If even for something as small as a fish zinger, I'm willing to give you, how much more the things that are more important to you." The funny thing was, I only ever ate it once, and never ate it again. And it's still on the menu up to today. The fish zinger didn't impact my life at all.
But God answering my prayer sure did.
For if God did not even spare His own son but gave Him for us all, how much more will He give us all things? He is that intentionally good towards us.
In life though, it doesn't seem like every prayer gets answered. Let's be real. But I think the key word here, is seem. I'm very mystified by the verse in 2 Corinthians 1, that for all of God's promises, Jesus Christ is the yes, and we are the amen. I feel in the tension of this verse the magnitude of the invasion that heaven is carrying out against earth.
But I do find myself slipping in and out of being convinced that God is that intentionally good towards us. Especially in times when we are waiting for breakthrough, where on some days, winning equals just being able to stand. Why has God not answered our prayers? And these are important prayers too, prayers with huge consequences in our lives.
We see the world through a lens. We can either see the world based on our circumstances, or based on the nature of God. The thing that God said about the fish zinger really stuck in my head. It represents His heart towards us. And far too many time have I used my circumstances to challenge the heart of God, rather than use the heart of God to challenge my circumstances. I want to see today as a day closer to breakthrough, rather than a day more in the lack of it.
The thing I like about God - whether or not I feel disappointed or happy, He never changes, and is still intentionally good. Very intentional about being good to us, and loving us. There is so much in process that we don't see. Given enough time, His glory - His intentional goodness - will be manifest itself. But for us who believe in it now even though it has not manifested itself in the physical realm, it has begun to manifest in our hearts. And such faith pleases Him so much. It's like tickling His feet until He laughs out blessings and wonders and joy all over us.
Blessed be God, whose nature is to prosper us - May He be forever praised. He is enthroned high yet His goodness dwells among us. His grace is our floor and His depth our ceiling, His righteousness stands on our right and His mercy on our left; He envelopes us and we are hidden in Him. By His hand He will snatch us from our place and bring us into realms unseen and unheard. He is good and loving and kind and gentle, compassionate and powerful and bright and wonderful. He moves from everlasting to everlasting, and His word is truth. Blessed be His Name, by which we are saved.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hope for a new day
I really like Shaowei's and Cynthia's posts on dreaming. So inspiring. It's really stuff you want to read on a Monday morning LOL. Or after being bound by disappointment or fear for a long time.
I like the number 8 - the number of new beginnings. I also like how when rotated quartercircle, it's the symbol for infinity. I like how when we approach something new, the possibilities are endless. It's quite cool that when I first opened this new entry thingum, some other site told me I was the 888 888 user to access the site. I don't believe the count, but I still think it's pretty cool.
There's something about faith and hope working hand in hand to establish love. Maybe the hardest things to repent from aren't the actions or mistakes we've made but from heart attitudes like unbelief, fear and disappointment. Because they've hung around so long, it feels like they're a part of us.
I've been thinking about what Ailin said about taking a stand. I think God is arising in us not to take a stand against people, but against the lofty thoughts that parade themselves as higher than God, and the mindsets that exalt the natural over the heavenly.
Maybe today I don't have to choose disappointment. Maybe today I don't have to choose fear. Maybe today I can choose not to look at what is against me but at my father who is for me, fierce like a warrior, eyes blazing.. arms welcoming.
God is bringing us hope. And hope not in the circumstances that are ever changing, but in the nature of Him who never changes.
Each time the circumstances come against us, and we hold our ground and say we believe, in His goodness, in His love, in His very being, then we become stronger. What if the loudness of our problems are not the display of the strength of our enemies, but the nervous tauntings of a goliath who is about to be destroyed?
I'm excited, because a realm of God never experienced before is about to descend upon us. I think more that test us, God is allowing us to walk through this time so that we can access the whole of this realm, rather than just a part of it.
Maybe today, I'll choose hope, because that is the expression of His heart towards us. Maybe today, I'll choose faith, because that is the revelation of His heart towards us. And maybe today, I'll choose love, because that is the essence of His heart towards us.
I remember about one of two weeks back, I asked Jesus, "what's on your heart today?" And He said these words to me, "don't lose hope." The Spirit that lives within us is a spirit of resurrection, the power that raised Christ from the dead. He is going to resurrect our dreams again. And what was once dead, like our bodies, He will raise up and make more glorious than before.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
God's not a vending machine!!!
He isn't! It's not like we can put enough coins of time, effort, bible study, prayer, worship, and press the right buttons and vuala - we get the stuff we want. We don't get what we want by performance; we get what we want by relationship. By asking. I like that about God - He can choose whether He wants to give you something or not. Or else He'd just be a more extravagant ebay.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Rain
Me: "Wow it's really raining very heavily today."
God: "There is a meaning to the rain."
Me: "Oh yeah? What meaning?"
God: "It means the plants need watering."
It's like He thinks I'm stupid or something.
God: "There is a meaning to the rain."
Me: "Oh yeah? What meaning?"
God: "It means the plants need watering."
It's like He thinks I'm stupid or something.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Wind
It was just me and her standing on a grassy knoll, looking out at a vast field that stretched from the east to the west as far as the eye could see.
"I'm too tired to stand," I said, and I plopped onto the soft grass. I looked at her and there she was, closing her eyes and enjoying the gentle breeze on her face. She smiled to herself. Her smile always was amazing. And her black hair and white silk dress flowed like a river in the wind. She looked like she was listening to the sound of a symphony. And she was humming along to that tune she was listening to.
"I'm listening to all that the wind is speaking. This wind... is you." Her eyes still closed.
"Me?" But what else could I say? After all, she is the Spirit.
She didn't answer me, but she opened her eyes for a brief second to see if she caught my attention. I gave her the satisfaction of it. (:
Closing her eyes again, she whispered under her breath, "what are you trying to say? What are you trying to say?" And she said that over and over again, like in some sort of trance.
My mind was confused. Honestly, I closed my eyes to think, because I wasn't experiencing what she was experiencing. Why did I have to listen to the wind to hear what I am saying? Maybe it's got to do with the whole soul and spirit detachment thing. The more I thought, the more I lost track of time. And in the world of my thoughts suddenly a voice spoke, so calming that it shook my being.
"I'm listening."
Immediately I opened my eyes and I saw her words shoot out of her mouth like colors into the wind. There were streaks of orange and blue and green and red. They spun into the air and suddenly the wind was no longer the air. The wind became filled with so many different colors. They were so real you could smell them, and each color had a different smell. They were flowing in and out of one another. Some colors brought love, some colors brought peace and even some brought joy. There were even threads of black, and you could taste their bitterness on your tongue as the wind swept passed you. The colors looked like they were forming pictures after pictures, yet you couldn't exactly tell whether they were moving in accordance or at random.
I turned to look at her. She didn't move, but it was difficult to tell where exactly she was because out of every corner of her person there were colors flowing out of her. Some colors were so dark it felt like your eyes were sucked into looking at them, while others were so bright it was hard to believe you could still gaze at them. Whirlwinds of grey moved around her feet.
She started to walk towards me. As she got closer, the colors moved faster and the wind howled louder. She walked until she was right next to me. Then she sat down, and suddenly, everything stopped. There were no more colors, no more sounds, no more smells. Just the wind blowing.
She sat so close her shoulder was touching mine. There was so much pleasure in her heart that I could feel it.
She raised her finger and pointed towards the horizon, where the sun was.
"Do you see that?" she asked me.
"See what?" I replied. I honestly did not see anything. I only saw a large grass plain that I'm sure, it didn't require a question to point out.
"That." The moment she said the word, instead of a field, I saw a lush forest with many trees and birds and creatures. But just as suddenly as it came about, it disappeared within a split second, and it was back to the field again.
"There are many seeds in your heart that you don't know about. Birthing is always the most painful. Breaking out of the shell is exhausting. But you no longer need the nutrients in the seed. You need sunlight. Bask in it. It's time to grow into all things. In order to become all that He is, He must first be all things for you."
Birthing is always the most painful. She just smiled at me with the most beautiful smile. Her smile is always amazing.
"I'm too tired to stand," I said, and I plopped onto the soft grass. I looked at her and there she was, closing her eyes and enjoying the gentle breeze on her face. She smiled to herself. Her smile always was amazing. And her black hair and white silk dress flowed like a river in the wind. She looked like she was listening to the sound of a symphony. And she was humming along to that tune she was listening to.
"I'm listening to all that the wind is speaking. This wind... is you." Her eyes still closed.
"Me?" But what else could I say? After all, she is the Spirit.
She didn't answer me, but she opened her eyes for a brief second to see if she caught my attention. I gave her the satisfaction of it. (:
Closing her eyes again, she whispered under her breath, "what are you trying to say? What are you trying to say?" And she said that over and over again, like in some sort of trance.
My mind was confused. Honestly, I closed my eyes to think, because I wasn't experiencing what she was experiencing. Why did I have to listen to the wind to hear what I am saying? Maybe it's got to do with the whole soul and spirit detachment thing. The more I thought, the more I lost track of time. And in the world of my thoughts suddenly a voice spoke, so calming that it shook my being.
"I'm listening."
Immediately I opened my eyes and I saw her words shoot out of her mouth like colors into the wind. There were streaks of orange and blue and green and red. They spun into the air and suddenly the wind was no longer the air. The wind became filled with so many different colors. They were so real you could smell them, and each color had a different smell. They were flowing in and out of one another. Some colors brought love, some colors brought peace and even some brought joy. There were even threads of black, and you could taste their bitterness on your tongue as the wind swept passed you. The colors looked like they were forming pictures after pictures, yet you couldn't exactly tell whether they were moving in accordance or at random.
I turned to look at her. She didn't move, but it was difficult to tell where exactly she was because out of every corner of her person there were colors flowing out of her. Some colors were so dark it felt like your eyes were sucked into looking at them, while others were so bright it was hard to believe you could still gaze at them. Whirlwinds of grey moved around her feet.
She started to walk towards me. As she got closer, the colors moved faster and the wind howled louder. She walked until she was right next to me. Then she sat down, and suddenly, everything stopped. There were no more colors, no more sounds, no more smells. Just the wind blowing.
She sat so close her shoulder was touching mine. There was so much pleasure in her heart that I could feel it.
She raised her finger and pointed towards the horizon, where the sun was.
"Do you see that?" she asked me.
"See what?" I replied. I honestly did not see anything. I only saw a large grass plain that I'm sure, it didn't require a question to point out.
"That." The moment she said the word, instead of a field, I saw a lush forest with many trees and birds and creatures. But just as suddenly as it came about, it disappeared within a split second, and it was back to the field again.
"There are many seeds in your heart that you don't know about. Birthing is always the most painful. Breaking out of the shell is exhausting. But you no longer need the nutrients in the seed. You need sunlight. Bask in it. It's time to grow into all things. In order to become all that He is, He must first be all things for you."
Birthing is always the most painful. She just smiled at me with the most beautiful smile. Her smile is always amazing.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)