Impromptu cube lessons at Starbucks

A rather amusing thing happened to me today, just before the cube meet...

Medyo maaga ako dumating sa Starbucks Megamall (5:30 PM, the branch in Megastrip) to avoid the traffic, so I went and ordered myself a tall cafe mocha to pass the time. Tapos nag-practice lang ako ng cube habang naghihintay. Then I noticed in one of the tables, there was someone (a middle-aged woman) who also had a cube and was trying to solve it. I thought she was one of the PCA members, until I realized... she was the CASHIER who took my order!!!

Siyempre nagulat naman ako... Starbucks employee, tapos cuber din. And there was still a chance that she was also a PCA member (di ko naman kasi kilala lahat, hehe) who just so happened to work at the Starbucks Megamall kung saan yung cube meet. So lumipat ako sa mas malapit na table tapos "nagpapansin" by solving the cube... hehe introvert kasi ako kaya nahiya naman ako magtanong out of nowhere.

Mamaya-maya, kinausap na niya ako... "Sir Mark (she remembered my name!), galing niyo naman mag-solve ng cube (or something like that). Kanina ko pa napapansin kayo nagsosolve dun, bilis bilis nga eh." Siyempre dineny ko naman, pa-humble effect: "Ay di naman ako ganun kabilis, hehe." After this exchange, I concluded that she was not a PCA member waiting for the cube meet. So nakwento ko nga na may meet with some fellow cubers dito sa Starbucks. Natuwa naman si Shiela (the cashier): "Ayan, eh di masaya, papanoorin ko kayo lahat."

I asked her about her cubing background. Yung cube daw niya, sa tatay pa daw niya, 1970's pa daw. Wow, vintage. Tapos recently daw nagkaroon daw siya ng interest sa cube so nag-try siya maghanap ng solution sa internet. Hmm, I wonder if she watched the features on 24-Oras or Kay Gandang Umaga...

You can guess what happened next... Nagpaturo siya! She could do the 1st layer but the colors at the sides weren't correct. So I taught her how to do it properly, then I proceeded to teach her how to do the 2nd layer edges.

We even had time to do part of the 3rd layer (forming the cross), but then Benjo arrived so the lesson had to be put on hold. It's just too bad we weren't able to finish our impromptu cubing lessons. Still, the whole experience made for a very interesting anecdote... I mean, how many chances do you meet someone--a total stranger, the one who sold you coffee!--who just so happens to be interested in learning how to solve the cube? Amazing, isn't it? It felt nice to be a "cubing ambassador" even for just a day.

Everyone, let's keep on spreading the word! ...and continue preaching the Gospel according to Rubik!

galing! ganyan talaga ang cuber! lalapit talaga yong iba pra pagpaturo, pra nagprepreach ba. Parang spread the word of Christ, ganon din sa cubers, spread the word of speedcubing!

i told you guys
keep cubing. get notice. spread the word

mark maganda ba un taga starbucks?

hehe !! Mark... di ko nakita yung Cashier dun... matanda na ba?

Nice.

hehe!!!

Medyo matanda na eh, I guess mga 30+ if not late 20's. So wag kayo masyado mainggit, hehehe. Pero nakakatuwa naman, people of all ages are still getting interest in cubing!

uu nga, medyo nakikilala na ang rubiks d2 sa pinas paunti-unti!!! hehe!!!

Wow, I can say the statistics behind that. It is about 0.000001% chances and less that situation is gonna happen!

iza kang bayani..... mabuhay ka kapatid!!!...ihi!

cute naman ng story mo. hehe. asteeeeeg. may gusto akong turuan eh pero magcucube daw siya pag di na gaanong sikat ang cube. hehehe

yey. i love the story. hope things like this happen to all of us.

nice!!! hehe!!!

meron dn akong story.

one afternoon, after our PE class, i decided to eat sa McDonalds.
after eating, tinamad pa ako umuwi. so nagpractice na lang muna ako ng BLD na parang nasa bahay lang ako. i was lucky, i didn't forgot what i've memorized and execute the cube until it was finally solved. syempre, pg nsolve n yung cube, tatanggalin na yung blindfold. db? nagulat ako kasi halos lahat na ng tao sa loob ng fastfood n yun, nakatingin sa'kin. haha!

i became nervous. then, a guy (from katabing table) asked me, and ininterview ako. haha. todo explain tuloy ako.
sa totoo lng, hirap mg-explain about rubik's cube lalo na sa taong wlng background about the cube. sa sobrang curious niya, ang dami niyang naitanong. kaya napagod ako. hahahaha!

that's all. hindi ako ready sa interview n yun. pero mabuti nlng at nasagot ko ng tama. hehe.

hehe!!! you're a star now bro!!! keep up the good work!!!

hehe
nice
bld pa
hehe
nice

hopelessvain wrote:meron dn akong story.

one afternoon, after our PE class, i decided to eat sa McDonalds.
after eating, tinamad pa ako umuwi. so nagpractice na lang muna ako ng BLD na parang nasa bahay lang ako. i was lucky, i didn't forgot what i've memorized and execute the cube until it was finally solved. syempre, pg nsolve n yung cube, tatanggalin na yung blindfold. db? nagulat ako kasi halos lahat na ng tao sa loob ng fastfood n yun, nakatingin sa'kin. haha!

i became nervous. then, a guy (from katabing table) asked me, and ininterview ako. haha. todo explain tuloy ako.
sa totoo lng, hirap mg-explain about rubik's cube lalo na sa taong wlng background about the cube. sa sobrang curious niya, ang dami niyang naitanong. kaya napagod ako. hahahaha!

that's all. hindi ako ready sa interview n yun. pero mabuti nlng at nasagot ko ng tama. hehe.

That's an awesome story, Paulo! Though what you did was really dangerous, bro... baka pag tanggal mo ng blindfold, solve na nga cube mo, pero wala na lahat ng gamit mo...

wow...ang saya,..

mark, LOL!
wala nmn sila makukuha sa'kin e. kaya walang nagbalak kumuha ng gamit ko. hehehe

hopelessvain wrote:mark, LOL!
wala nmn sila makukuha sa'kin e. kaya walang nagbalak kumuha ng gamit ko. hehehe

Naku, pano kung nakuha yung ibang mga cube mo??? Tiyak mapapaiyak ka nun. Hehehe. Anyways, good job and congrats again!

hahaha nku Oo nga bka pg yang cube mo ang nawala for sure lalagnatin ka.

hehe!!! ako din pag nwla ung cube ko magwawala nmn ako hahaha!!!