EPT
I sure as heck did not expect IGN to hire and fly me out from London O_o
When I arrived in PHI, I saw that there was another girl waiting on the shuttle with me, eating her 3rd blueberry muffin for the day. On our 1 hour ride to AC, we got to know each other as we chatted up a storm - she introduced herself to me as megumixbear
Once we arrived at the hotel, we checked in as I waited for Smix to arrive - however, as soon we met up, we got a call from Ajay to come down to the lobby to help the SlayerS team check in, etc. We rush to the lobby and wait - and from this massive limo comes the team along with Mr. Chae whom I worked with when I was at GOM. It was a pleasant surprise to see a familiar face among a sea of new gamers.
After this was all a blur. Everyone met up at the Wild Wild West bar ($2 beers, $3 mixed drinks for 24 hours!) to celebrate our first night out. Knowing that I was on the Thurs morning shift, I went to bed (somewhat) early.
The way the translators were split was Smix and me on main stage duties while Wax and Eric were assigned to the qualifiers area. Regardless of our shifts however, Smix and I hung out and helped where we could, whether it was in getting the players' vetoed maps or just chillin' with them in the back rooms.
Once 5 or 6pm rolled around (since we were running late due to the black listed problem and server issues) I was officially off duty but then grabbed to do a dinner interview with Boxer, Jessica, Sleep, MMA, Alive, Thorzain and White-Ra at a steak house with one of the LiveU camera crews. After eating monster steaks and getting to know everyone, we headed back.
Friday morning I took MMA and Ryung shopping at the AC outlet mall for about 3 hours. During conversation MMA and I found out that we had actually met each other years before when he was on Dream.t)! With this knowledge our formal language became a lot more informal; they both started calling me Nuna (older sister) and our conversations became a lot more comfortable. Around 1pm we hurried back so that MMA could practice before his group matches but learned that the internet was out and just hung around the qualifiers area for awhile. They had an area where players could play other video games (maybe it was just FIFA11) but Ryung and MMA took to that and sat there for awhile playing each other to pass the time.
It was nearly 5ish? When things were up and running again, recovering from the internet outage. We had to play two games at a time, casting only one set due to time constraints. Overall, the evening ended somewhat on time as everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Saturday and Sunday went by way too quickly. Saturday evening my friends from home came to visit me (I’m from NJ originally) and I got to hang out with them for the first time in over a year. Drunkenness ensued, in the wee hours of the morning – Sunday merged with Saturday which ended up merging with Monday as well. My flight was at 6:15pm Monday luckily.
Gosh, I didn’t mean for this to become such a long recap. Overall, everyone I met through this event was simply awesome. I got to spend a lot of time with the main stage production staff, Anna and Rachel, even our hair and makeup ladies were awesome. I’m glad I got to meet several more TLers and the casters I only heard about as well as catching up with old friends too.
Does this mean I’m back into doing events? Maybe. Getting adrenaline rushes through being busy and running around backstage, doing player interviews and meeting new nerds was a refreshing change to my somewhat solitary grad school life. I had forgotten how it felt to be a part of the community and to contribute something. I’m warming up to SC2 now, I guess, but mainly because of the people – and the passion that I see in them. In terms of staff, no matter what issues there were, technical or whatnot, everyone pulled their own weight and went above and beyond. The players I met this time out were a blast to be around, and they each seemed to be enjoying their time abroad as well.
Smix, as you always said that I was the one who got you into BW, I might have to say that you’re the one who has brought me into SC2… <3
A big shoutout and thanks to everyone who made this happen (I don’t want to start naming names because I’ll forget someone and feel really bad) but you guys should know who you are.
I hope to see you all again at IPL4.
-------------- Mandatory Pictures: There's a lot --------------
![[image loading]](http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/300491_10100872751076729_8826617_64784148_882627521_n.jpg)
Boxer playing BW during the Internet Fiasco!
![[image loading]](http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/296819_10100872751211459_8826617_64784150_2062577399_n.jpg)
Qualifier Area; people swarming around Boxer
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Ret, Ryung, Me and Machine
![[image loading]](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/311969_10100872751316249_8826617_64784152_1580819266_n.jpg)
Where the magic happened, Stage Right at CMAX
![[image loading]](http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/297972_10100872751396089_8826617_64784153_736645810_n.jpg)
Bromance <3
![[image loading]](http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/313143_10100872751431019_8826617_64784154_1060995080_n.jpg)
Player booths from the back on Main Stage
![[image loading]](http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/312758_10100872751490899_8826617_64784155_477004494_n.jpg)
SC2 on one of the TV screens out on the casino floor.
![[image loading]](http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/297753_10100872751630619_8826617_64784157_931402985_n.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/293518_10100872751675529_8826617_64784158_1279534416_n.jpg)
Wait, that's not SC!
![[image loading]](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/291701_10100872751750379_8826617_64784159_1874065628_n.jpg)
White Ra, me and DoA!
![[image loading]](http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/303125_10100872751840199_8826617_64784161_2058688347_n.jpg)
Me and my little brother
![[image loading]](http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/317851_10100872751910059_8826617_64784162_948712978_n.jpg)
In the staff cafeteria!
![[image loading]](http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/307323_10100872751969939_8826617_64784163_1335501342_n.jpg)
More bromance <3
![[image loading]](http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/304281_10100872752109659_8826617_64784164_1953827607_n.jpg)
Rek, me and Jathin at the WWW bar.
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After Lucky beat MMA -_-;;
![[image loading]](http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/319565_10100872752708459_8826617_64784168_248729480_n.jpg)
In the lobby on the last night when we found out that the Korean players and Stephano couldn't get into the afterparty because they were too young
![[image loading]](http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/299556_10100872752753369_8826617_64784169_714167259_n.jpg)
Afterparty at the Blue Martini - the Karaoke stage where many talented performers gave us quite the show!
![[image loading]](http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/301030_10100872752873129_8826617_64784170_12859156_n.jpg)
The baller table.
![[image loading]](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/313457_10100872752898079_8826617_64784171_361144590_n.jpg)
Smix, Flamewheel and me ... and that infamous blue drink...
![[image loading]](http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/294847_10100872753042789_8826617_64784172_1870427907_n.jpg)
And I will leave you with this: the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise.
