Anchukology

Snippets

2009-07-24T15:14:00.006+02:00

Just me, my thoughts and the window-sill. Great company. Honestly. Sometimes we forget about the real important things. In the crowds of headlessly running people. Ants of the society restlessly working for a better life.

A career. A house. Money. A family. Money. A car. More cars. More money. It's nice that we've got goals to strive for. Life would be boring without them (wouldn't it?).

But stop for a second. Take a deep breath. Look. See it? Beautiful. Embrace it. Deep breath. Enjoy. Got problems? What problems? Worried? Smile. Difficulties? Opportunities. Still feeling bad? I told you to look around. Look again. It's there. All around. Waiting for you to realise.

My childhood dream

2009-06-10T00:15:00.007+02:00

A unique moment of my life -- I find hard to describe in words...

I C-A-N

2008-10-27T18:34:00.003+01:00

Some tears in the eye due to those words. Ain't a big deal for the speaker, ain't a big deal for anyone in this world. It's only me who cares, it's only me whom it hurts.

'Cause what is chess?
A hobby.
What kind of career it is?
An imaginary.
What is to play the Olympiad?
An illegal act against the campus (number of acceptable absences overrun).
What is to miss a lesson?
A big mistake. No attendance -- no knowledge.

Now let me tell you my answers.

What is chess?
My life.
What kind of career it is?
A tough one that is often not sufficient for making a living and a complementary job is necessary. But I chose this life.
What is to play the Olympiad?
The dream that I was fighting for since childhood.
What is to miss a lesson?
A disadvantage for my studies that I have to live with -- for chess.

Everything is just the question of the point of view. We have different priorities: a thing that is so dear to one's heart may look ridiculous to the other. And vice versa.

For me chess holds an utmost importance. But not only chess. There are couple of other goals I'm aiming to reach. I'm interested in my studies and I want to finish university. Successfully. As an Olympic player. Why not?!

It's time to dry those tears and say: I can. I will. I know I will.

Be the chess player, not the chess piece

2008-05-06T20:00:00.006+02:00

My essay for the Proficiency-Exam-like writing task: Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. (re-edited version)

Another brick in the wall. Without independent thinking we are only that: homologous, identical, the very same -- just another brick in the wall. We need independent thinking to make our very own choice, our own conclusion, our own goals. Who else would know better what we want, how we want, why we want? If we let ourselves be decided about, we are nothing more but a chess piece on somebody else's board.

In my opinion life gives us numerous occasions for independent thinking. Of course when we are born and small we can't really have our own decisions. A cry out for milk, maybe, but nothing more. But the older we grow the more independence we gain. In primary school we already start to choose which clothes to wear, picking a high school is also in our hands. We talk to the people we like, make friendships with the pals we enjoy being with, dislike and argue with other ones. In our personal life we can and should think independently.

However, we cannot be that independent all the time -- unfortunately or maybe fortunately. Very much depends on one's environment, the social background, for instance. As for myself, I think I'm quite lucky. My parents never tried to make me do anything against my will, I could always decide what I wanted. And fortunately, I've always had my wishes, my goals, my aims. Chess was a great teacher for this ability.

An example of this willpower and independent thinking could be the decision I made after finishing high school. Willpower I mention because in my opinion it's very much connected to independent thinking: we need to insist on our own will, cannot let ourselves be driven away. When I finished high school and told my parents about my wish to go to London for a year, they didn't like it at all. Especially my mother, a flesh and blood teacher. "You will stay there and won't get a diplom. You should go to uni, like everybody else does." Like everybody else does -- but why should I be like everybody? I went to London and I don't regret it: life experience, improving my English, learning to live on my own -- and make even more independent decisions. And now I study here at the uni, not because everyone else does but because I wanted. It's my life, my wishes, my goals -- my thoughts. Always be true to yourself and not to let yourself be pushed but be the one who makes the move: be the chess player, not the chess piece.

Untouching the Untouchables

2008-04-15T20:11:00.023+02:00

His blood covers the tablecloth. Spreading around slowly but consciously. Overflowing the well-laid plates, staining the shine of cutlery. White's whiteness has gone away: already red, deep red -- evil red. The source of the stream is just somebody's head, a crushed skull. But there is no need to worry: he is not scared any more.

Teamwork is holy. One member relying on another, the group relying on the individual. Like in baseball. If the pitcher fails, the team fails. Catchers, pitchers, outfielders and infielders all work
in a chain, a link. The second baseman doesn't make a catch and the full point is gone. Same applies to business.

Bootlegging booze in the times of prohibition, well, big money but big risk. And if the crusader cop and his squad of 'untouchables' manage to confiscate the liquor shipment... It means that somebody has failed -- and somebody has to pay for it.

Teamwork is holy -- holy as grave.

And here endeth the lesson.

/Click here for the source of the picture./

Through the glasses of... - podcast!

2008-03-19T09:14:00.012+01:00

Thanks to my great teacher, Joe, now you can LISTEN to 'Through the glasses of... a different person', my latest story.

Can't get enough of it? :) Check out the rest of Joe's podcasts, too! ;)

Through the glasses of... a different person

2008-03-05T21:30:00.015+01:00

Close your eyes. Walk. Feel. Experience. It's dark in here -- very dark.

Find the handle. It's right there in front of you, you just need to guess at what height. You push it and enter the room. Pass your hand over the wall. It runs into something hard. Made of wood, tall and wide. There are shelves in it -- you can feel them. You go further. Step cautiously. You bump into a table. Yes, it's obviously a table. And chairs, there are chairs as well. You touch them -- so now you see them.

You continue to pace carefully. The material of the floor has changed -- it's different to walk on it. Harder and you can hear the knocking of your heels. You touch the wall. It's cold. You make a few steps ahead. You stretch out your hand. Your palm perceives an object. Smooth down your hand on it -- see it? A cooker. And there is a cupboard nearby. A tap. You feel it's a tap.

Look for a glass. Not so easy if you don't remember where you put it. You find it. Now try to pour some water into it. Reach out for the tap. Empty space, empty space -- finally something. You feel the metal tube of the tap. Now you only need to drag your palm further and open it. Got it.

You move further gingerly with the glass of water in your hand. Again there is a door in front of you. You go through it. Soft breeze touches your face. It brings you the scent of spring flowers. A pretty warm weather, you can feel it on your skin. Hear the birds singing? What a beautiful day. Just it's dark out here. Still dark. Very dark.

(Click here for the source of the picture.)

Nice, ain't it?

2008-02-27T20:07:00.011+01:00

I was grasping a flower in my hand on the last day of the Cappelle-la-Grande tournament. A glistening red and yellow rose, a really nice one. I was walking up and down with it in the tournament hall. Walking up and down with it while everybody was guessing who I got it from. I just kept on smiling and being proud at this tiny stunner.

Wasn't the first time in my life, of course, that I received a flower. I merit a rose or a bouquet of flower usually for my chess achievements. A kind of a present and I really like it.

The other option is obtaining a flower for personal reasons, like from a guy at a rendezvous. Occasionally it happens to me, too, and I'm glad for it.

But this red and yellow little wonder could make me even happier. Because this flower was something different. This flower was special. It wasn't a recognition of chess results, no. Wasn't a proposal for a date either.

So what it was? -- A gentle gesture. The reason for my reaping the rose was simply this: being nice. I've got the flower because of being nice. "It's from all the Spanish guys because you were so nice to us" -- David stated, and all I can say is a big thank you, with smiling-proud face.

So muchas gracias, amigos!

(Click here for the source of the picture.)

Good enough

2008-02-14T21:27:00.006+01:00

I have some moments when I find myself being not satisfied with what I've got. Sometimes it's in connection with my outlook: to be somewhat fatter, to need bigger size in bra, to grow above my sister in height, to have darker eyelashes and whatever.

At other moments I'm disappointed of a tournament, a lost game, a missed prize, a not-that-well performed presentation or a less successful test. I have these moments when nothing is good enough.

And I guess many other human-creatures -- if not all of them -- have such moments, too. Concerning different topics but same disappointment. Seems like the more we have the more we want.

I was bothering myself with such 'problems' this morning as well. And then Life the wise came and smacked me in the face. It arrived in the form of a walk, just a single walk. A walk nearby rag-beds, newspaper shelters -- smutty-faced inhabitants.

Just try to stare into their eyes and say you are not lucky enough.

A so-wished award

2007-12-06T22:26:00.003+01:00

Oh, wow... I didn't think it could happen to me... Getting such an award... Cheerful applause, smiling faces, flashes of lights -- and I am at a loss for words. Hesitating for a while... OK, let's have a go with the usual clichés.

I would like to say thanks to my family who always supported me: my parents, my sister, my grandmothers, my godmother, my cousins. To my friends, the neighbours, and to Gmail for bringing me the good news.

Special thanks to my mother for teaching me how to speak and write, and for my teachers who helped me improving my language skills -- Hungarian and English, from primary school to uni. I'm grateful to the tournaments abroad for bringing me into a "forced to speak in English" situation and to my foreign friends for making me write regularly in English. I'm much obliged to my friends for being my friends.

I greatly appreciate my cousin's supporting my living in England during the postponed university year. I would also like to express my gratitude to Abra Wholesales, Marian Mission, AYS and Teaching Personnel for employing me and providing the financial base of my London stay.

I'm thankful to my father for teaching me how to use the computer, and to my penfriends for improving my typing skills. I recognize the Matáv-T-com company for supplying me with Internet and the Blogspot site for the wonderful service they provided.

Though, I want to reserve the most special thanks for the Reading & Writing course -- with its great teacher, Joe, and his superb students. Without Joe's fantastic idea, the task for blogging, I couldn't even dream of this prize -- also, he showed me how to fly. :) I'm most grateful to my classmates for being so nice, friendly, helpful, funny, cool, and... thanks for their nominations and votes, too. :)

All in all, thank you guys! I've never ever got a Blogscar before. ;)

(Click here for the source of the picture.)

Pride but prejudice

2007-12-01T20:49:00.000+01:00

Too fat, too short, too skinny or too tall. Brown, black or yellow skin. Wider nose, rougher hair, oriental eyes. A Jew, a Gipsy, a Chinese, a "Negro". A girl with girlfriend or a guy with boyfriend. A geek, a policeman, a poor.
Let's just exclude all of them from society.

'Cause every Rom is a swindler, no policeman can have brain and Chinese are definitely less valuable people. If you are fat from Burger King, you are also out -- can't belong to Us, us with capital "u". Calling somebody a "Jew" or a "Negro" is abusive in itself, so what do you want with such origins?! Want to marry your girlfriend, you, as a woman?! Oh, gosh! Eager beaver in school? Go away! No money for stylish stuffs? What a shame!
Let's just exclude all of them from Us. From Us, from 'normal people'.

But since when does your birth place can issue who you are? Since when does your blood decides your being good or not? Since when does loving your own gender makes you a worse person? Since when does having less money indicates your being of a lower value? Since when does a 'worse' outlook means a worse personality? Since when...?!

Since when can people judge others so superficially -- according to prejudices and stereotypes?

Pictorial report -- "Run! for your life"

2007-11-29T22:54:00.001+01:00

"Nod ya head" and check out this pictorial report I created to my writing "Run! -- for your life". (Don't forget to turn on the speakers;))

Now or never -- a fish that tries to fly

2007-11-22T19:09:00.001+01:00

Have you ever found yourself in a "now or never" situation? That the opportunity for your so-wished dream to come true is right in front of you, but also there's a chance that you lose it all? Have you ever felt like that?

During tournaments I usually get into such situation. Sometimes it comes with a smaller importance, a few rating points to win or lose. But sometimes a championship's highest places are the prize. And there comes a "now or never" game. The expression 'game' loses its "playful", "fun" feature -- it's whether you achieve for what you had been working for many years or let the chance slip away.

I will never forget the game I played on 16 October 2006. It was the World Junior Chess Championship -- last round, first board. My opponent was the leading player -- in case of her victory she would have become the World Champion. Also for me the game was not at all a child's play: if I had won, I would have tied for the first 4 places, while with a loss I would have finished nowhere -- losing the previous 12 rounds' achievement.

11 o'clock, the round starts. She is much of confidence and I know she is stronger, but I shouldn't think of it. Move follows move. I make a move and the whole audience sees it. Not just the local audience, but anybody in the world. I make a move and it appears immediately on the Internet. I know there were many people following the game. Also at home, in Hungary. Especially the players of my county, they were all watching it: my family, my friends, my trainer. I'm in Yerevan, World Championship, last round, last chance... and I'm much in nerves.

I'm afraid of making a mistake, I'm afraid of spoiling it all. They are watching my game and they believe in me -- and I would like to prove them so much. And to prove for myself as well. Prove that it wasn't just a waste of money, a waste of free time and energy. Prove that it was worth missing those class excursions, those parties, the school community as such... To quit dancing and playing on the flute... Prove that it was worth being an odd fish in the pool. A fish that doesn't want to swim with the others but tries to learn to fly instead.

So there I was standing, or actually sitting -- sitting in front of the opportunity. I got a better position after the opening, but started spoiling my advantage. Time trouble came and one mistake followed another -- I ended up having a bad position. I started to give up in spirit, my dream was about to collapse. But I still had to try, not to throw in the towel. She wasn't a machine either -- that was my only hope.

Then she did it. A mistake, just in the right moment. A mistake that gave me the chance to save the game. And fortunately I knew how to save it. She was trying for some time still, but it was impossible to win that position. An endgame where nobody could do anything. A draw had to be agreed.

The result draw led to her not becoming World Champion, and my not tying up for the first 4 places. Still... I was the happiest person on Earth when the game ended. That handshaking meant to me a place in the top 10. Top 10 in the world, in the entire world. I was about to lose it all, but fortune stood back to my side and gave me another chance. And that chance I didn't spoil. This time I didn't. The whole world was watching... I will never forget that moment.

Run! -- for your life

2007-11-13T16:06:00.000+01:00

Guns, weapons, dark streets and cold nights. When your friends turn against you and there is nowhere to hide. Chased like a game -- your own life is the prize.

Actually, my story is not about this. It's less violent and less movie-like, but still a life-threatening phenomenon: the traffic of Yerevan.

Not that there are no traffic-lights at all, but somehow Armenian people tend to care about the signals not the least bit. A turn from there, a reversing here, a sudden braking and nobody can pass. The creaking of wheels, impatient drivers. Loud swearing composes music with the even louder honking. A frequent affair in Yerevan.

What is even more dangerous is being a pedestrian. The usual "left-right-left-let's go" doesn't work here -- you need to develop special methods for safety reasons. Making use of a resident can be a good solution. You wait until he arrives and then hop to it, you follow him as a shadow. A perfect one-side defence. Actually me and my friends had an even better possibility: bodyguards. No, we did not want to employ bodyguards, we were just given them -- God's gift. OK, actually the Israeli Embassy's. They thought Armenia was such a criminal country that the Israeli friends of mine couldn't exist without bodyguards.

So there they were, two men in black, looking after my friends and me, additionally. As for Armenia, the level of crimes is said to be one of the lowest. But bodyguards are multifunctional: they can be tour guides, photographers, entertainers, drivers... And when the life-threatening moment came, there they stood -- one from the left, one from the right -- stopping the cars with the risk of their own lives. A heroic act, indeed.

So if you ever decide to visit the capital of Armenia, as an experienced Yerevan-visitor I can recommend you the following:

Employ a bodyguard (safe and tidy, but expensive)
Use inhabitants as victims (only one-side defence provided, but cheap)
If you can't afford yourself any of the above mentioned, you are in big trouble. There's only one advice I can give you: Run for your life!

'Albatross Vocabulary'

2007-10-22T16:56:00.001+02:00

Hi guys!

I decided to create a blog for the useful expressions of our blog entries. It is called the 'Albatross Vocabulary', you can find it here. Please have a look at it, I would like every blogger student of Joe's Reading & Writing class to join.

So let's take off together, be my co-editor ;)

Why?!

2007-10-22T09:59:00.000+02:00

He was the Hungarian Champion under 9, the most talented player amongst all of us, at the entrance of a bright and cheerful future... But life is cruel and what he got was just pain instead of pleasure, therapies instead of laughter...

He was fighting hard against the beast called cancer and really with a triumph - doctors said he made it, as sound as a bell, a miracle happened. A year passed and Misi was doing well in his return to chess and school, only some pain in the back, but it was definitely because of the computer. Yes, too much sitting in front of the computer. He just had to use it less and play football more. Nothing was wrong.

But somehow the back pain didn't want to pass... a shooting pain... doctor comes... doctor finds... doctor states... "It is back, the malignant beast..." Misi takes up the gauntlet again, everybody is in worries but he is the one to tell you jokes even from his hospital bed. Young and joyful, knocking on life's door enthusiastically... Bang! bang! Why nobody hears? Knock! knock! He wishes to live, why can't you see? At the entrance of a bright and cheerful future... But since last night there is no glimmer of hope remained... just tears and sorrow... and the question: Why?!

Welcome!

2007-10-21T19:24:00.000+02:00

Welcome, dear Reader! :)

This is my first-ever blog, and I'm making it not just because it is our task for one of the English courses at uni - Reading & Writing with Joe, I love it ;) - but because I also think it's something cool. :) I'm planning to create another one, too, for more pictures and less writing. (I adore taking-sharing-creating photos;)

And now it's time for "Anchukology" to take off. Enjoy!