Checkmate! by myautofocuslife

Checkmate!

Not my book. It's The Kid's, and his glasses on it. Found them like that, so I took a shot.

Chess is his passion. He's been playing it since he was 5. He's now 19, serving his national service, and he plays international chess, Chinese chess and shogi (Japanese chess) at every opportunity. If we go to the bookstore, he'd get a book on chess, logic problems or maths.

The typical teenager. Not.

Last year, I offered to buy him a PSP. He said no, he didn't want one. (Really. What teenager says no to a game console!?) I bought him one anyway. Then gave him my favorite game, FFVII: Crisis Core, to play. XD He's now playing it, just because he wants to prove that he can be as good at it as his mother was, who beat all 300 missions, completed every side quest and collected every collectible item! 8D

The most gorgeous cutscene from Crisis Core: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KxjGn30PDA

Isn't Sephiroth HAWT!?! 8D~

So. Yeah. I have a weird kid. At the same time, he thinks he has a weird mom. Sometimes he looks at all the comics and games on my shelves, or hears me talk excitedly about a cool new figure I'm buying, and he shakes his head at me. On the flip side, try as I might, I cannot get him to read my X-Men or One Piece comics, or my horror novels, or play my Nintendo DS games. That's one thing we have in common—we can be painfully stubborn when we choose to be. The Husband? (He has normal hobbies. Like watching soccer.) He tries not to get caught between us. XD

Hold on reading comics /is/ normal... isn't it? As are maths books :)
Soccer, though? Srsly? What's that about?
October 30th, 2012  
@intymalcolm Heh! Different strokes for different folks, I guess! 8D
October 30th, 2012  
Cool shot
October 30th, 2012  
Very cool shot, love the composition and the glasses!
October 30th, 2012  
nice shot!
October 30th, 2012  
I think you may be more normal that you think.......Nice composition.
October 30th, 2012  
@seanoneill I've tried telling him that! 8D
October 30th, 2012  
@myautofocuslife I think you are the most normal person that you know. Works for me!!!
October 30th, 2012  
Great composition Livia! I was a terrible chess player. I had to lose some of my men before I would feel like I knew what I was doing!
October 30th, 2012  
@skipt07 Oooh! You're definitely better at it than I am. I'm so bad at chess, it's embarrassing. I lost to The Kid repeatedly when he was 6 and decided I was never going to play chess again! XD
October 30th, 2012  
Nice composition, and I love your commentary on the different views of normal at your house!
October 30th, 2012  
Wonderful shot! I love chess too!
October 30th, 2012  
Wonderful composition....A curious collection of interests in your family....never a dull moment I am sure! Sounds like, though, you all respect your differences and that is the main thing.
October 30th, 2012  
PS I watched your link....cool. My son plays some online....used to WOW...not sure what he's into now.
October 30th, 2012  
Really cool find, great composition. I used to play a lot of chess as a kid, even beating my brother and father at times! Then the age of puberty hit and chess got forgotten. Now I wish I'd kept it up! :-)
October 30th, 2012  
Nice composition! This is a great passion! I regret I never learned when I was a kid (coming from a not highly educated family, and none of my parents or relatives played chess, unfortunately), I'm very bad now.
October 30th, 2012  
I'm hopeless at chess!
October 30th, 2012  
Each to their own. Makes a good shot. :)
October 30th, 2012  
We have a proverb that`s says : `` an apple don`t fall far from his tree``.
The meaning ? Kids looks/ doing often ,the seem as his parents
Great `` still life`` composition and capture
October 30th, 2012  
Lovely composition Livia
October 30th, 2012  
Wonderful shot. I love your composition. I had to laugh when I read what you wrote about your beating all the levels in the video game. My kids and grandkids just LAUGH whenever i play--I STINK, but I have fun!!!
October 30th, 2012  
Great composition Livia
October 30th, 2012  
Nice shot! And cool glasses, as well
October 30th, 2012  
It sounds like your son is proud of you and you are if him too! Great commentary!
October 30th, 2012  
This is very nice
October 30th, 2012  
This is the sort of thing my husband would read for fun too, me I would just photograph it as you did. :)
October 30th, 2012  
Love the story about you and your son..... you both sound completely normal to me... but, yes, football? Now that's the strange one!
October 30th, 2012  
Nice shot, like the composition. Sounds like you have a son who is as clever and creative as his mum. Watched the link, my grandson played WOW, I guess this is a similar type of game. The graphics were amazing here. I would have loved to have been a good chess player, can only play at basic level.
October 30th, 2012  
Cool shot and a great story :) You have a bright kid, he has a cool mum!
October 30th, 2012  
enjoyed reading the comments, delightful insight into you and your very skilled son. it is fascinating how the diverse backgrounds on 365 come together with photography. fascinating and i love it. :-)
October 31st, 2012  
Great shot and a great story.
October 31st, 2012  
Your boy sounds like mine! Mine coded a chess program this summer for fun...
October 31st, 2012  
I like weird people
October 31st, 2012  
Best way to be... true to who you are!
October 31st, 2012  
wonderful composition Livia
October 31st, 2012  
Great shot and composition
October 31st, 2012  
Love the composition! I get so lost playing chess! I'm very impressed by your Son! and I'm also impressed by you conquering that FFVII !!!
October 31st, 2012  
Awesome capture and love the composition! Not weird at all, I think he sounds fantastic! I am sure you are very proud of him :))
October 31st, 2012  
Nice capture of the book and glasses. Loved reading your caption too - I always had odd hobbies so I can sympathise with you both :)
October 31st, 2012  
Excellent Capture Love how the glasses are magnifying the print on the book! Our Sons are so much alike...i just wrote this longgggg, comment and then accidently erased it! lol..any way ...Keep those Chess Boards Burning!!! He sounds like he is on the right track! Love it!
October 31st, 2012  
Love the pic!!! Love even more your commentary!!! I would adore him I think!
October 31st, 2012  
I love that he loves that! That's so cool! I love that you and him are both "weird"... but I don't think weird... I just love that you're both different but the same... lol @ soccer... your hubby is like the misfit sock.
October 31st, 2012  
@jackie8 @intymalcolm @ozziehoffy *LOL* In this part of the world, if you're a guy, you're assumed to be crazy about soccer and have a favourite (English Premier League) club you support, otherwise you're weird. XD
October 31st, 2012  
@myautofocuslife Here it's either the National Rugby League or the Australian Football League (which is a really dumb game!) lol.
October 31st, 2012  
@ozziehoffy I'd rather watch rugby than soccer! The Husband does watch live rugby matches when he gets the chance. 8D
October 31st, 2012  
@myautofocuslife You're probably talking about Rugby Union (which we also have but it's not as popular)... it's a bit different to Rugby League. They do have their similarities though.
October 31st, 2012  
@ozziehoffy I just checked with The Kid, yes, I'm referring to the Rugby Union type of rugby. 8D
October 31st, 2012  
@myautofocuslife lol @ checking with The Kid. Love ya work xoxo. I thought as much. My fave is Rugby League, but not so much now as when I was a kid going to games with my grandfather. The game was played with passion then, now it's played for the money :/
October 31st, 2012  
Lin
Livia, you are so refreshing! I hope The Kid and The Husband realise how lucky they are...
October 31st, 2012  
Nicely composed and captured. It's great to have a kid into something different.
October 31st, 2012  
Lovely composition and colours, Livia. I think I remember you saying that he is a great chess player and takes part in international competitions.
October 31st, 2012  
Cool shot and I adore your commentary!
October 31st, 2012  
Great shot and really enjoyed the story that followed.
October 31st, 2012  
I love your entertaining narrative. Your husband sounds a lot like mine ;-)
Cool idea for the shot of the day and how clever to think of it. Fab composition. Congrats to you and your son for your amazing accomplishments. OMG just noticed you have only 20 more shots to go!
October 31st, 2012  
ha what a cool kid just like his mum x
October 31st, 2012  
Cool shot. Like the composition, so well seen then!
October 31st, 2012  
You may have been lucky to find this shot, but the genius is the focus through the lens. Really like.
October 31st, 2012  
Excellent shot Livia.
October 31st, 2012  
My son and his friends are game nerds. It all starts with critiquing the action and flAws
October 31st, 2012  
This sounds like one smart kid who probably took after his mom.
October 31st, 2012  
Excellent composition, clever idea for focus! Love your story :)
October 31st, 2012  
I love your picture and your obvious love for your son, differences and all. My two boys, 18 & 19 now are very different from each other. One shares all my strange passions, loves The Dresden Files, Ender's Game and Hwrry Potter and the expanded Star Wars universe novels, and is in college to be a computer designer. The other is equally passionate but in the opposite way from the rest of the family, is a morning person, loves to fish, hates to read or sit still, is on a crabbing boat as we speak and sees no reason for a day of school beyond the diploma he barely managed to get, but is the kindest, most wonderful person and a born leader
October 31st, 2012  
Very cool. Love your story, too.
October 31st, 2012  
So professional looking. Could be an ad for the book.
October 31st, 2012  
Pam
I love your photography, and writing. It is always so good and makes me smile. My son tried to teach me how to play chess a few times. I just could never get the hang of it. He finally gave up on me lol. Great shot, Livia:)
October 31st, 2012  
Love the shot and the story; sounds like my house, definitely. My Kid has just got himself the latest Professor Layton game and can't get his head out of it. @ozziehoffy AFL dumb?? How unpatriotic of you!
October 31st, 2012  
Very cute. LOve the special bond you have with your son.
October 31st, 2012  
Great off the cuff shot. Youngest son is also an atypical teenager...maybe it has something to do with the parents?? ;oP xx
October 31st, 2012  
@girlie ROFL... yeah, that game really hmmm... besides, it's only really big in 2 states.... I guess League is the same though, only really big in 2 states. What's with that? One is called National (implying the WHOLE nation) and the other is called Australian (implying the WHOLE of Australia - or is it that it COMES from Australia?) ... how long have both codes been around?
November 1st, 2012  
@ozziehoffy AFL is way older than RL and I think you'll find that it is big in WA, SA, Vic and there are more AFL players in NSW than any other because of the regional clubs. Also big in NT. And, yes, AFL is called Australian because it originated here.
And apologies to Livia for taking over your thread while we yammer on about our footy codes!
November 1st, 2012  
excellent shot...so nice he set it up for you
November 1st, 2012  
Nice composition and capture. The world would be a boring place if we were all identical.
November 1st, 2012  
@girlie Haha, no problem, I'm learning something new! 8) Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask? I haven't gotten my English copy but I'm in no hurry since I've already played the Japanese version. It's a great game. Very addictive. ;D
November 1st, 2012  
@myautofocuslife Yes, that's the one; he's loving it apparently.
November 1st, 2012  
What a great shot, love the tones!
November 1st, 2012  
Your son sounds like a very cool person - and you two together must be a very creative duo. This shot makes me want to grab a book and hide and read - very inviting :-).
November 1st, 2012  
A great, big, maybe-not-so-weird "THANK YOU!" to everyone for stopping by! I guess what's weird in one household may often be the norm in another! Everything's relative and everyone's different. Whoever said variety is the spice of life hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much for your time and comments!
November 1st, 2012  
Wonderful shot!
November 1st, 2012  
Not weird, individuals! who wants to be "normal" anyway! =) fab shot - i dont understand chess at all, little dude is learning though.
November 1st, 2012  
He sounds very intelligent for sure. I enjoy chess but rarely play. It is in the Mums rule book to appear weird to out kids!
Can I ask, is the national service just in Singapore? As in they don't go to a war zone? I understand the why of national service but as a mum I am less keen, I hate the fact that my son is a copper and he is over 30 - I am such a soft ar**
November 1st, 2012  
@claireuk Training is mostly in Singapore, but there are overseas stints for exercises in other countries like Taiwan and Australia. There are also peacekeeping missions but to places like Timor-Leste, not war zones, as far as I know. The Kid has been trained as a security trooper and is assigned to a local airbase, and for that I am grateful, as his chances of getting posted overseas are small. After two years of full time national service, he will be able to go to university for his tertiary education. He's looking forward to that. But, until the age of 40, every year, he is liable to be called up to serve for up to 40 days. (The Husband served until 50, as an officer.) Like you, as a mother, I don't like the idea of national service, but I do understand the need for it as we're a small and vulnerable country and we need to have the means to defend ourselves.
November 2nd, 2012  
@myautofocuslife Goodness that is harsh for any mum to put up with but yes I understand the need and it does seem to work; whilst I am not keen I do think it would give our youngsters a focus, some are so happy to be so destructive, thanks for the update enjoy your weekend:0)
November 2nd, 2012  
Sounds like your family is kinda like what I would like mine to be, if I ever get one. I'll definitely be the weird mom with my graphic novels, fantasy & sf novels etc. crowding the book shelves and I'd love to have a kid who'd have a passion for something non-mainstream. :) Lovely shot, lovely story. Thanks for sharing! :)
November 2nd, 2012  
Not weird, but amazing. I can tell your very proud of him. I love this photo and the story of your son. He sounds very smart :-)
November 3rd, 2012  
Mel
very nice shot and lovely family story :) p.s. rugby union is better than rugby league :)
November 4th, 2012  
What a great moment to capture and a great way to capture a piece of your son that makes him shine. Its those little things that make us who we are.
November 5th, 2012  
Fine composition! The BG matches the cover of the book!
November 5th, 2012  
Funny story! Lovely composition, again!
November 5th, 2012  
Beautiful pic! I always enjoy your commentary! I read horror novels, too and I love horror movies. My girls prefer romance books and movies. :0)
November 6th, 2012  
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