Noooooo!

The server crashed and there goes my 7300 XP down the drain. It would have been a matter of few more days to complete this task.

Now there are two options: I start from scratch (please no!) or I continue from where I left it and just gather another 3000 points. Either way this is not good way to start your morning...

Scary

I am now getting close to gaining my 10000 XP points.. ok ok 6500 points is not that close. It's definately closer than 5000 points though, albeit not -that- close.

I'd rather finish this thing sooner rather than later as you never know what may happen! For example, yesterday the server went offline for a few hours and there was not any posting as to when it would come back! I would not like to -even- think about starting this from scratch!

So, I'd better get back to it.

Babel: random purposefulness

I watched Babel yesterday. I don't want to go into whether it was a good film or not, trying to explain every scene pretending I got the deeper message and have a clear insight into it (which is of course the case). However, I could not help thinking that the 'random purposefulness' I mentioned in a previous post happens more often that we (want to) think or even (want to) admit it does. We want to always feel in control of things, but then suddently something happens and changes everything.

So, the message of the day: go and find your 101 things to do before you are old and boring.

Thing #2: Done!

I was about to exit the local mall this afternoon when I passed by an escalator! A couple was just about to complete their journey of about 30 steps and no one else was in sight, hence no one else would interfere with my attempt (not to mention that I would not be humiliated if I was to fail). This was my moment of glory!

Full of confidence (this happens when you don't really think what you are about to do) I run down the escalator. It was rather confusing when I took the first two-three steps, but once I got the coordination right it was a piece of cake. It was actually much easier than walking down an escalator that was out of order a couple of weeks ago, which made me filly dizzy. You know.. it feels as if the stairs are moving, but they are not!

Now, for those who will say that running down the escalator is easy I have only this to reply: it took me 45 minutes to get my PC's Bluetooth to work so that I could transfer the photograph I took as evidence! And when I managed that, it failed to transfer it after all, so I had to use the memory card itself. So I don't want to hear or see escalators for some time OK?

I need a medic!

Who had this idea of me gaining 10,000 points in Enemy Territory? Yes, I know; it was only a figure of speech! After numerous promotions and rewards I am still just below 4000 points, not even half way through to the end. Fear not though, because I will prevail and emerge victorious!

Who am I kidding? After hours of endless battling I will probably be too dizzy to even care!

Thing #9 Update

The last few days I did not have much time to invest in completing Thing #9, but nevertheless I managed to gain 2500 XP points. I hope to have this one finished sometime next week!

Thing #12: Paint a picture good enough to hang on the wall

When I read this Thing my initial reaction was that the 101 Things had just become 100. Ironically, not only I can not use a map to get from A to B (see my previous post my fellow good reader), I can not even draw a straight line from A to B. So, what were there chances I would manage to paint something good enough to hang on the wall.

I started thinking I could use one of the 'Learn how to draw in 17 steps' kind of self-taught courses that they advertise on TV, or I could even go to a drawing class for real. Nah, that's too artistic for me. Then it stroke me (ironically ironic!) that I could use the PC to draw something. I validated by decision by thinking that I have replaced pencils and pens with the keyboard and the mouse for many years now, so that should be fine.

Having overcome this initial hurdle, I started thinking about what to draw. I decided to draw something that was based on simple geometrical figures, but encapsulated something complex. For a long time I have been thinking that random events in our lives often dictate our future. Have you ever wondered for example when you meet someone how many times you may have previously passed by them without even thinking about it? Why would you anyway? You don't know him or her, do you?. And then you get to know them and your whole life changes. I am fascinated by this 'random purposefulness'. I guess this sounds like the butterfly effect to some extent.

The image below is what I came up with. I call it 'City Life', because the two main lines reminded me of the city's skyline. I gave it to a friend who promised to have it hanged, so not only have I drawn something, but convinced someone else that it does not look tooo bad.

Thing 90: Go from A to B using a map

I was in London the other day and just got out of Kings Cross. It was a relatively cold night, but not that cold so I thought to walk. After careful consideration though, I took the tube and got out to the station that was indicated on the map printed on my hotel's reservation. Thing #90 was just about to be completed! Or so I thought!

You see, maps are usually supposed to help you. Not confuse you. In this case the map was a small square one about 3inches by 3inches that had only the major streets labeled. If you thought that the hotel's street would have been labeled to help you find the hotel easier, well think again. The good news though was that there were maps on every bus stop so I was able to use them to figure out the hotel's street. That made me fell very proud for my problem solving skills!

Anyway, I got out of the metro station and was instantly faced with the big decision. Shall I go right or left? Hmm... left, no right, no left, probably right or... left. OK, right it is. After wondering around the block for some 30 minutes I found myself back to point A. Deja vu! Surely, I have been here before!

I could not believe how difficult something so 'simple' had become. I mean the hotel was supposed to be 5 mins walk from the station, and in fairness it was, provided you knew how to use the map. Standing outside the tube station, for the second time, I decided to go left. This is when I learnt a very important lesson about using maps: you need to be in the right direction.

10 minutes later I was finally there. Yes, I wrote above that the hotel was 5 mins later, but what made you think that I suddenly became an expect on map reading?

Command acknowledged

Just another 8500 points to go!

Thing #9: Play a computer game to the end

When I was younger... much younger I used to play adventure games. Back then you use to type the commands and hoped that the game would understand what you were trying to say. To make the games more difficult, there were no hints 'n tips on the web, because there was no web. Ah... good times!

After all these years I came to realise that completing the game should not be the end goal. Instead you need to enjoy the game sooo much that you will actually make sure you will finish it no matter what. So for this task, instead of finishing a game I will almost the opposite and play a game that has no end!

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a freeware first-person shooter (FPS) computer game, and a standalone sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, created by Splash Damage. Enemy Territory comes with six official maps. On all except Rail Gun, the Allied team are attacking and the Axis team must defend. You have probably figured the goal of the game: stay alive.

As the missions are repeated again and again and again (and again), there is no end to the game. Instead, what I plan to do is gather 10000 eXPerience points. Usually when you join a game you start with 0 points. However many servers have XP save so that you can develop the soldier over time without having to start from scratch every single time.

Let the battle begin...

Thing #1: Completed

Your Honor the People will like to present evidence items 1, 2 and 3.

The first piece of evidence is a tie in a bottle.



The second... red, yellow and green peppers in a bottle.

And the third, vodka in a bottle!

Thing #4: Impossible

I will pretend I have completed Thing #4, i.e. learn how to tell when someone fancies you (and when they don't). This is impossible... especially if you are male.

Thing #1: Almost done!

I got myself in a big trouble! Where would I find three things from three different places (I thought to make this even harder) that are bottled and could be gifted? After visiting a dozen shops with no result, signs of early despair appeared on the horizon. Then, I realised that a lot of things are actually bottled! Sometimes we are too close to a challenge or a problem that we fail to spot even the simplest of things: I missed not only the forest, but the entire mountain!

Anyway, relaxed that I have found a couple of potential things to buy that were bottle and could be nice gifts I went to eat something. Two pastries, a sandwich a donut and some milk later I decided to visit a near by shop before calling it a day. I went in, had a quick look around and was about to leave when I thought to double check that I did not miss the treasure. 'Oh we do have bottle things, and you are a bit lucky as we only have one piece left at the moment!' I won't tell you what that thing is until I complete this task and produce the goods, i.e. photos of the three things in action.

The official web site

By the way this is the official blog for the book:

Design Monkey: "101 Things To Do Before You Die / 101 Things To Do Before You're Old & Boring / 101 Things You Need To Know ... and Some You Don't / and Other Projects ..."