the eXternal mind

Please excuse me from all of my grammar and spelling mistakes. I was pretty tired when I wrote this.

4/11/03 – Friday 4:03 PM (Central Time)

Wow. That’s all I can say right now. Let me first get what had just happened off of my mind. Otherwise, I just might die.

Well, about 20 minutes ago, I called the NASA number that my parents gave me and a lady picked up. I explained my problem to her and I said that I wasn’t sure why I was calling this number, but a lady from MTSI told my parents who relayed the number for me to call. She said she would call me back “right away” and I gave her Eugene’s cell phone number. About 10 minutes later, I got her call. I nervously picked dup the phone and said hello. The lady said she had received my application and it was, in fact, right here in the “studio” or something! (I fell down) I said something like, “I’m glad to hear that.” Then, out of nowhere, she stared to interview me. I was like, “What’s this?!!” I was totally unprepared for the interview. I mean, come on, I called the number not even knowing exactly why I was calling. Next, I was standing at the entrance to the Reliant Stadium talking on, third, a cell phone with a really low volume! I mean, come on! I want excitement in my life, but this is just too much! She stared out asking, “Why did you apply to MTSI?” I was so shocked that I didn’t even know what she said! I asked her to repeat it again she did. I had no choice but to answer in a jumble that I love science and technology and that I am involved in many science, math, and technology related activities at school. Next, she asked if I was sure that I will go into the science field as a profession. I replied a confident yes. Next, she asked what my areas of study interests at MTSI are. I replied biology and nanotechnology. She asked me to describe myself in 3 sentences. That was difficult. I said I had a lot of effort, passion, and determination. Once I am hooked on something, I pursue it endlessly. Then I ran out of ideas and ended with the dumb phrase: “I am very easy to get along with and I work well with others.” Yeah, that’s pretty lame. She asked me if I had any other comments or questions to add. I was like, “Uh….” because I didn’t really have anything to add at that time. But I made up a question asking about the science programs that MTSI offers. She explained. Then I asked if students got a chance for independent study. She said probably no but it depends on the mentor. She finished by saying that if I was accepted, I would get something between Monday and Wednesday of next week. I thanked her and she said I did a good job (in the interview). I replied, “Have a good day” and hung up. I walked in shock back in the stadium, sat down, and started to write this. All I have to say is: “Wow.” I really, really hope I get in. A big part of what I plan to do depends on this. I just hope….

4/11/03 – Friday 11:18 PM (Central Time)

So, let’s get started about today’s events. The morning started out fine; I got the bed for the night and was awakened by a cracking ear-splitting noise at a level of 180dB’s. It took me precisely 3 seconds to realize that it was the alarm. I reached over and started to hit the buttons on the clock but it wouldn’t turn off. After 1 minute, I hit like all the switches on the clock and finally turned off the alarm.

After I got ready (i.e. Dress, brush teeth, etc.), I left with everyone else to breakfast which was at the same place as yesterday and served the same bad food (scrambled eggs, bacon, a dry biscuit, and a glass of orange juice). I got ripped off on my food and got only 2 strips of bacon when everyone else got like 5 strips. I finished the breakfast along with everyone else. Then we walked over to the Reliant Stadium.

From here, most of the team sat in the stands, except for those who were working in the pit on the no-so-working robot. Today was the official start of the FIRST Robotics competition. Woody Flowers, this director guy, kicked it off. Then George Bush, Sr. showed up on the big screen and said something. Then the matches started! There were 4 divisions of which teams were assigned to compete in. Our team was assigned to the Curie division. At any point in time, there are 4 matches going on, one in each division. The announcer at our division was some crazy dude with blue hair that did kicks and crazy pointing to announce the teams. After that, matches started and everything was boring as heck. In each of our matches our robot basically crapped our since one of our wheels didn’t turn. So it didn’t do much at all.

Then I borrowed Euge’s phone and called NASA with it [see above entry].

After the call, I scouted a lot, got bored, zoned out, and was awakened again by Franco. Matches went on throughout the day, and I scouted on and off.

I got lunch. I had to walk aback to the astrodome to get it. There were… fish burgers and chicken burgers. I took a fish burger, chips, and orange juice back to the stadium. I ate there and then scouted again.

When I was in the stands, there was this team in front of me who used either bamboo sticks or rattan sticks as their “noise maker.” There were these kids who then started doing some arnis with the sticks. Arnis, by the way, is the name given to the Pilipino stick fighting art. I’ve studied it a bit so I know a little about it. But they were probably beginners since they couldn’t even do some of the simplest things right.

Around 5:40PM, the matches ended and I took a bus back to the hotel. I washed up and changed into my Autodesk t-shirt. We walked over to Six Flags which was like 1/8th of a tile away. Six Flags was opened exclusively today for Robotics kids; nevertheless, it was packed and we had to wait around 45 minutes to get on some rides. Euge was scared of rollercoasters and didn’t go on a single ride! We all tried to drag him on rides but he wouldn’t go on. Finally around 9:20 PM, Euge, Jeff, and I went to eat some fried chicken for dinner. It got this 2 piece chicken meal and drink for $9. Jeff came up with this joke of asking the cashier how big his “breasts” were. The guy didn’t get the joke and actually showed Jeff (the chicken breasts of course). Euge ordered a meal and the cashier told him the price but he didn’t hear it right. So Euge asked again and the guy told him the price again but Euge didn’t get it at all until it was conveniently pointed out that the total was displayed on the cash register right in front of him. Then he got it. By the time we finished our meals, our time was almost up so we headed back to the hotel. Mr. Scogna walked up to this circle seating soil thing and pulled out this knife he hid there before he entered the park. There were metal detectors there.

Everyone headed back to the hotel. I stayed in the lobby to make a phone call to my sister and parents. Euge headed back to our room but ran into his own little adventure. He said that since a bunch of our team members were standing around in the hallway around our rooms, he thought that this one room was ours even though it really wasn’t. The door was already a bit open so Euge just walked in and shut the door. Haha, it turns out that it wasn’t our room but Joel and Laura’s room! Euge said, “They were like having sex or something in bed!” They looked at Eugene like: “What the hell is this kid doing?” and Euge was like: “This is my room.” He thought about it, and then ran out embarrassed (and crying) when he realized what he had done.

I got a call from my sister and went back downstairs to call my parents. Then a bunch of people came and went. Steve, Mike, and people ordered pizza and ate in my room. I wasn’t hungry at all so I didn’t eat anything. Afterwards, everyone left except Steve. I was writing this but didn’t get so far because we had discussions about the future of this team and its problems. This lasted for like 1 and a half hours. Like over 50% of the team will be gone next year and they are the most experienced people too. Therefore, the newer members will have to carry the weight (like me).

After the robotics chat, Steve left, and Euge and I got into another one of those inviolable discussions. I said that humanity is all flawed and Eugene maintained its defense. I took the stance that humans are the lowest sort of animals and used the arguments that Mark Twain represented and also some of my own. This went on for another hour. By the time we finished our debate, it was like 3AM and I went to sleep until 6:15 AM.

I finished this second half today (4/12/03 Saturday from 9AM-12:39PM) because I was too busy arguing last night. So au revior!

~mikeXstudios