Braid = Amazing

I found a video game recently (I do not have much time for games but..) which was nothing more that the usual 2D Maria type of game. The thing is, as I started playing it turned out as something extraordinary. Surprisingly, I managed to devote a lot of time on it and I usually cannot get so much into a video game, however, I found myself playing all the time.

Braid is a puzzle game developed by Number None Inc. and it tells the story of Tim, the protagonist, who is similarly to Mario, looking for his queen. There are certain stages of the game which tells the story of the main character and if you are interested to spend time on reading the story you can indeed be fascinated.

The main element of the game and what actually makes it so interesting is the feature of time manipulation. Using this ability Tim progresses by completing different puzzles and slowly reaching his queen. The idea of the game is to gather different keys and puzzle pieces and to open new levels until you reach the final antagonist who is guarding the queens.

In the game you can see different time-based mechanics or different elements dependent on time, that you need to figure how to use or perhaps overcome.

Here is a link to the official page of the game: http://braid-game.com/

and a video preview:




A combination of amazing graphics and nice music brings you pleasure which you will have a hard time not stop playing.

Graduation - an end or a beginning

The 18th of May is approaching and it gives me mixed feelings. Should I be happy or sad, pleased or disappointed, secure or worried. There are so many questions that can be asked, but it is the uncertainty that really bothers me. 

For the past four years I was in an environment which offered variety of activities and academics and I knew which ones I should follow and which ones do not want to and it was easy as my options were many, but still limited to the scale of the university.

After graduation, I will not have the comfort of the predefined variety of choices. It will be all up to me and all uncertain.

The benefits, however, are prevailing. Life on your own, doing activities you like, no considerations with people free to do whatever you want.

The difference is that you will not have any guidance, it will be only your decisions and the free world.

Anyways, student life is not real life which clearly states my position. I am ready to take a step forward and accept reality as it should be. Every change which one should face is a positive one even if it doesn't seem so at first.

Sports

Whoever is not practicing any sports is missing a lot in life and not only, whoever is not practicing is generally not living a healthy and fulfilling life. Sports are in the essence of motivation and of discipline. Sports people are those with the concrete ambition and can hardly be influenced by negativism.

Throughout the years I have practiced different kinds of sports: swimming, football, tennis, volleyball, rowing.
All of them were an amazing experience and unfortunately I never manage to stick to one single sport, but always got bored or unmotivated so I changed and changed till I realized that there is a unique feature in every single of them.

Sports should be part of the lifestyle of people, not only it will keep your mind fresh, but it will allow you to take important decisions quickly, it will allow you to be more organized and manage your time, it will allow you be fit and boost your self-esteem.

Unfortunately, in AUBG there is no mandatory sport activity included in the academic education, which is one of the biggest downside. If it wasn't for different individuals who initiated volleyball, basketball and football training AUBG will be literally without any sports practices. AUBG Olympics is a club which tries to bring sports back into the life of students, but the major event is once a year and cannot bring that much value to people in those terms.
Video from AUBG Olympics 2013:

Volleyball is my favorite sport I managed to participate in my high school team for 2 years and it was an amazing experience. 

Which is your favorite sport? Comment in the section below

The magic of video editing.

In a process of video production there are several steps everyone takes: idea generating, planning, capturing, post production (simplified steps). Also, there should be different people responsible for different tasks as through those steps there are plenty of activities that need to be covered.
The director of the video supposedly has the toughest job as he is the one whose point of view the person watching will see. However, when it comes to presenting the visuals in a coherent and meaningful way, the job of the editor is very important.
Some even consider that the editor is the second director as the editor himself visualize the footage into a final product. More or less, he is the one who assembles the pieces of the puzzle in the mind of the director.
The editor can create fake impressions of reality, events, situations, people etc. He is the one who can mitigate certain circumstances and vice verse. Through editing reality can be completely distorted and again it is all up to the editor.That is why I say that editing is similar to magic. It creates everything you can possible imagine.
The best work of editing are actually those that you do not even feel have been edited. Meaning that if you manage to follow the story line and the situation without thinking about how the shots change and how they are all different, this means that the editor did a good job.

Here are some examples of editing programs you can use:

Final Cut for all Apple users.

Adobe Premiere

Sony Vegas Pro

Which one have you used and why?

Leave a comment in the section below :)

Piano Recital

I have been interested in piano since the first time I saw the instrument which was roughly around first grade. My grandparents had a piano in their bedroom and I would always play when I was visiting them. Later in the years they gave me the piano and I started attending a course. For four years I was tutored and then unfortunately my desire to play disappeared. Around 10th grade I started back again on my own and learnt several pieces, which sounded very well and as time went on I kept learning and learning.

This semester I decided to take up a piano course and learn something new. It is very interesting so far and very challenging on one side as you have to keep up with all your lessons and other courses, but also to find time to practice which is not necessarily a small time period.

I have been learning a piece by Chopin called Nocturne Op. 9 which is one of the best classical pieces out there. I new a little part before starting the course, but today I can proudly say I know almost the whole thing and not only that. In few weeks I will have my second master class which is basically a group concert of the people in the piano course and you get to see how the others a going and what they are learning.

My parents managed to buy an electric piano this Winter so whenever I get back home I can practice and not lose shape as it is extremely easy to do so.

Here is the piece I am performing:

Check out the video it is really amazing.
Do you play any instrument or want to learn how to?
You can leave a comment in the section below.