It's been over 7 months since this newsletter started and I still don't have a name I can use to collectively address all of you, and personally, I think that's a problem. Pitch me names, or I'll just have to call y'all Geniuses. It's been an eventful week and I didn't even have to leave my house. Before I start, I just wanted to let you all know that it's officially acceptable to listen to your Christmas playlist. So put on Santa Baby or whatever the heck you weird freaks listen to, and let's start.
We're on a Break
If you ask any random person on the road, "do you know what whybhav loves the most?"
Chances are, they might just say your name, or give the second most common answer—Chess. I have been the designated chess guy in all my friend groups for 3+ years and I've enjoyed every bit of it. It has officially lasted more than all my relationships, situationships, and crushes (combined).
Recently, however, I have been contemplating quitting chess for an unknown period of time. Obviously, I don't mean the usual one to two week break for a good headspace, or the temporary halt because of external factors like GRE; this one's purely by choice. More than anything, it's me trying to really listen and figure out what I want and don't want from life.
Again, if you know me, you also know that I'm not the kind to just drop it and move on. If I'm going to make an exit, you can be sure that I'll make it worth it. So I have taken it upon me to reach my All Time High across all formats of chess like Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Puzzles, etc. on both Chesscom and Lichess. I have already come 90% of the way, realistically speaking the break's gonna begin sometime next week and going to last a minimum of 6 months.
It's really weird, because on one hand, chess has been my goto companion during all my lows, it's my bittersweet addiction. On the flip side, I don't like when I'm put into a box, I don't like the "this is you, you're the Chess guy" idea. I want to be more, I always want to try more things and I don't like being addicted, I hate when I can't stop something at will. I feel like I have given chess more power than anything. There have been countless incidents when I have actively decided to deteriorate my mental health, and continued playing the game till 6AM and slept with tears in my eyes because of how weak and powerless I felt. I guess I never paid attention to all of it until now.
The Obsidian League
For all you South Asians, let me tell you what happened this week back in Gay Paris. This week, the French saw the next big thing after Napoleon Borntoparty—my fight for making out of the Pearl League.
A quick lesson for anyone who needs it. Like many games, Duolingo has ranks, or as they'd like to call it "Leagues", Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, etc. and each of them last for a week. You're put into a pool of 30 people after your first lesson of the week and you have to make it to the top 15, or top 7, or top 5, in order to advance to the next league, the last 7 get demoted the previous league, and the middle group stays in the same league, and I have always been promoted. I have never once not advanced to a league.
Usually, the way it'd go is, for the first 4 to 5 days, I'd be in middle of the pool in #10 or #15, and during the last 24 hours I'd grind XP to gain rank and advance to the next one. However, two nights ago, I notice something strange. I'm in the demotion zone, and for the first time I felt "oh shit, I'm just not going to make it." My XP was ~500 and the top 7 had 1.6K+ and on average you gain about 50-100 XP in a day. So I started worrying, and thought, I'll genuinely not be able to make it.
But then I decided to pull out the big guns. I didn't wanna go down without a fight, so I did what any sensible human would do. I got their premium plan. Well, technically I didn't. I have a free trail for 2 weeks, so it's all okay you guys. So silly of you to worry. Let's just take a deep breath and pray that I don't forget to cancel my subscription before 2 weeks, I really don't wanna pay 1.3K to learn French right now.
So yeah, I did that, I got their premium, and that gives you perks like unlimited hearts, yeah, once you get their premium you cannot die in real life. I frantically started practicing lessons after lessons and I eventually made it to the top 6, and I did get promoted to the Obsidian League this afternoon.
I have one week left for the last league, after that I can graduate from Duolingo happily.
Weekly Recs
Song: WE LOVE QT!!!!!!!
Video: I was briefly obsessed with this banger from ERB this week.
Links: If you like sunsets, here’s a link so you can watch them 24/7.
https://sunset.funwebsite.fun/
I have also been cooking up stuff for my Patreon, it's gonna be great. I'm super excited for it. I also almost filmed the next episode of the podcast, but then something came up (BiggBoss), but don't you worry, we'll surely have a new ep next week. Surely. There are still a couple of topics I wanted to talk about like BiggBoss and Spotify Wrapped, but I'll save them for next week, or even better, for the next episode of Part of the Charm. I'll see you around. Take care, drink water, call your parents, text your friends and all that good stuff. I'll see y'all again next week.
Have a great week ahead <3
A frenchman,
whybhav
lessssgooo next episode of the podcast :))