kailan lang, bored na kami nila ate so hello scrabble (and absolut kurant!). actually yung cheap version ng scrabble pala called "word for word". but we had to settle with what we have--meron sya letter tiles and the board then we're good to go.

kulang kami sa practice, sige pagbigyan. throughout the game, meron "wow ang taas ng score mo!" moments; meron din "sorry pero eto lang kaya ko ma-form" moments (tatlong letra lang. ay kawawa). kung naalala nyo pa rules ng scrabble, good. kung hindi, konting refresher at sasabihin ko narin kung bakit ang buhay, parang scrabble. =)

hindi sa lahat ng oras, ikaw ang una
Sa simula ng laro, bubunot ang bawat player ng isang tile para sa 'first play'. ang player na may letrang pinakamalapit sa simula ng alphabet ang mauuna tumira. Lahat ng player gusto mauna sa scrabble dahil doble kaagad ang score ng word na ilalagay nila. meron ka kaagad 'leverage' sa simula palang. Pero kung ikaw ang susunod pa na player, sa simula palang ng laro, pinapagisip ka na. how will you connect the letters that you have to the word that's already on the board and in turn, form a word na makakabawi kaagad sa score?
Kaya parang sa buhay, hindi sa lahat ng oras ikaw ang una---ang bida. Kaya always be prepared with a back-up plan kasi it's not all the time that things will go your way. At your prime, you may have the best things anyone could ever have but remember, God has his ways for you to learn, things can go from hero to zero for you. That's why it's better to plan ahead and think of ways para makabawi. Like in scrabble, it may take you some time to think of a new plan(word) but it's fine, because at the end of your turn, malay mo you get a triple letter score or better--triple word score! So if you come as second or third or even the last player, ok lang, siguro hindi mo lang talaga oras nun. But you'll get there. If plan A doesn't work just remember, there are 25 more letters of the alphabet.

make do with what you have
Buong laro, dapat lagi 7 ang tiles mo. Kapag meron ka ginamit na apat sa board, apat din ang ibubunot mo para makabalik sa 7. Minsan ang mabubunot mo puro vowels o kaya puro consonant. diba ang hirap mag-form ng word? Pero wala ka naman magagawa, yan ang nabunot mo kaya make do with what you have. Bawal ang magbalik ng tile.
Kaya kung ano ibato ng buhay sayo, take it as a challenge. You can't always get what you want so might as well settle with what you have. Ganun talaga. You can't be selfish kasi wala lang magandang nadudulot yun.
Sa relationships naman, "you can't be happy in a relationship if you're not happy being single". Kung maraming bagay na kaya mo gawin mag-isa at nag-eenjoy ka na, what more pa if you have someone to share it with? edi double the happiness. Kasi you learned to appreciate the simple things even when you're alone. Sharing it with someone just doubles the fun. Kaya kapag sawang-sawa ka na sa vowels, malay mo ang 'Q' na mahirap gawan ng word (at kating-kati ka na tanggalin sya) mapunta sa triple letter score, edi win! Mahirap gamitin pero naappreciate mo sya sa score na nabigay nya sa'yo. (Q: 10pts x 3 = 30pts!)
Life isn't about getting what you want it's about loving what you have and appreciating how it defines you.

you have to learn to let go
dahil limited ang letters na pwede mo gamitin, minsan kailangan mo mamili ng maigi kung ano ang gagawin. Yung kapatid ko, nakabunot ng 'Z', 10pts kagad yun! pero gusto sana nya gamitin sa mas mahaba na salita o patamain sa double/triple letter score. Ilang tira na ang nakalipas, nakatengga parin si 'Z' dahil nag aantay parin ng oppurtunity si kapatid. Pero nung wala na talaga sya matira, she had to settle for "ZOO". maikli, simple, parang hindi pinag-isipan---pero tama. ilan pts nakuha nya? 26pts. pwede na for a 3-letter word. pero nakakapang hinayang ang 10pts nya, sana nagamit mo sa triple letter score o sa mas mahabang word ang 'Z', pero hindi. you have to learn to let go kasi walang mangyayari sayo if you keep holding on to one thing, thinking someday, somehow you will get something more out of it. meron hangganan ang pasensya. minsan kailganan mo pakawalan ang isang bagay kasi baka meron dadating na mas OK. sa scrabble, better letters pa makukuha mo at mas mataas na score. was pilitin ang ayaw. kung hindi kay meant ng letter 'Z', let it go.
sa relationships, simple lang yan. kung napanood mo ang one more chance: "baka kaya tayo iniiwan ng mga taong mahal naten, kase baka merong bagong darating na mas OK, na mas mamahalin tayo, yung taong hindi tayo sasaktan at paaasahin, yung nagiisang taong magtatama ng mali sa buhay naten, nang lahat ng mali sa buhay mo.."
chos!

learn to look at the big picture
Minsan mauunahan ka pa ng ibang player maglagay ng tiles sa spot na gusto mo--lagot, saan mo ngayon ilalagay yung una mo na naisip? diba nga, always have a back-up plan. pero hindi mo ito magagawa if you don't look at the whole board at 'wow, marami pa pala pwede paglagyan'. sa buhay, you always have to remember that there are bigger and better things out there for you. don't get stuck in a rut just because your life went downhill---it's not the end. sure, you get a free pass to sulk and be sullen for some time but after a while, it gets tiring. pati mga tao na nakapaligid at tumutulong sayo, mapapagod din. so try to look at the big picture and see how blessed you really are. kapag nagawa mo yan, dun ka lang makakahanap ng saya at syempre peace of mind. oha oha

kapag ikaw ang unang nakaubos ng tiles, edi WIN!
winning depends on how you played the game. hindi mo naman kailangan maging genius para manalo. saktong diskarte lang yan at minsan konting luck. so when you've finally accepted things as they are, winner ang buhay mo. that way you learned to stand up and move on. and when you've finally found happiness and peace of mind, ang sarap ng feeling and it simply gives you a big smile on your face. :D


lu