Kings, Queens & MashUps

When I agreed to take my daughter to the girls' national chess tournament this month, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Not being much of a chess player myself, I thought it might give me the opportunity to learn more about the game.  Surprisingly, very little of what I learned had to do with chess.  Instead I learned a great deal about my daughter, her friends and their generation. 

The Boom Bag Has Replaced the Boom Box

Our journey from New York to Chicago was a treacherous one thanks to bad weather in Chicago.  It included a flight cancellation and rebooking, a three and a half hour delay at the airport, and a bus ride in rush hour traffic to the hotel.  Luckily, one of my daughter’s chess mates had an “I’m Not a Boom Box” bag – a canvas briefcase with sewn-in speakers to which you can attach an Ipod or Itouch and then start your play list.  This boom bag provided hours of entertainment for the girls (and other passengers) throughout the trip as they sang and danced along to Britney, Taio and Lady Gaga.  I liked it so much that I found the link for it online and ordered one www.highfydelity.com.  

MashUps  Are Different From Mosh Pits (Thank Goodness)

I’ve always thought of myself as up-to-date on popular music.  I listen to the radio most mornings in the car, visit Itunes frequently and watch American Idol.  But when a 10 year old asked my 8 year old daughter and her friend if they wanted to have a MashUp on the bus ride to the hotel, visions of girls jumping onto one another went through my head.  Thankfully, I learned that a MashUp is not like a Mosh Pit.  It is making music by mixing two or more songs to create a new song.  In this case, it involved a Black Eyed Peas song from the Boom Bag and a Katy Perry song from an Itouch with speakers.  When I returned home from our trip, I Googled MashUp and a video of Invisible Gurls popped up on You Tube (a mix of Genesis and Katy Perry).  I really liked it, especially since it featured an old song from my school days and a new song from my daughter’s school days.

The Value of a Bad Word:  $20

At lunch one day, a father traveling with the team was discussing a story on the news when he said, “That (expletive meaning donkey) lacrosse player who killed his girlfriend…” Immediately his daughter’s hand shot across to the adult end of the table to collect $20.  They have a rule at their house that if a bad word is used, there is a monetary punishment.  My daughter suggested that we use the rule in our house since her brother had taught her baby sister the “sh” word.  I was quick to explain that the “sh” word was “shut up” and not any other “sh” words that might come to mind.  But, I liked the idea of the rule.  Coming up with a punishment that makes a big impact, whether in your wallet or in your mouth (like soap used years ago), will certainly motivate a change in bad habits.

Etiquette Counts for Something In Chess

At the tournament, I observed a lot of interesting behavior among the players.  During one match, my daughter’s opponent was harassing her, whispering, “Move!” “Go!” “Why are you taking so long?!”  Each player had 90 minutes to play, so they could seriously consider each move.  This little girl’s strategy was to pressure my daughter into a move that would jeopardize her position, and it worked.  My daughter came out of the match stressed out and dejected.  Her school’s instructor advised her to raise her hand the next time an opponent heckled her, which is against the rules.   Before the next match, I walked into the competition room with her and introduced myself to her opponent’s father.  For some reason, I thought this might help.  As he introduced me to his daughter, asking her whether she wanted to be called by her first or second name, she got up from the table and stomped on his foot.  I was speechless, first thinking a) I don’t know what I would do if I had a daughter who acted like that, and then thinking b) yes I do, I’d congratulate her opponent on winning and would withdraw her from the tournament.  My daughter won that match which I considered to be a victory for more than one reason.  At the end of the weekend, my daughter’s team was complimented for its etiquette in playing the game.  This made me prouder than if they ‘d taken home the first place trophy (they tied for third). 

Personal Memories Still Mean the Most

Four and a half hours were budgeted for each of the six matches in the chess tournament.  This gave my daughter and I some time in between to explore Chicago.  Part of the appeal of taking her to the chess tournament was the location.  I had lived in Chicago for several years before she was born.  We toured the John Hancock building, shopped in the Water Tower, visited the beach and Navy Pier.  We dined out at restaurants, eating at two of my favorites – P.J. Clarkes and Pot Belly’s (I love those heated subs!). When we had time to kill on Saturday afternoon, we walked by the Drake Hotel and I told her about the Saturday many years ago when my husband and I were married there.  She wanted to see the Gold Coast Room where the ceremony and reception had taken place.  To our delight, a wedding was being set up so we snuck into take a few photos.  The flowers displayed by the alter were in the same color scheme as mine.  Though I won’t soon forget the sheer joy on my daughter’s face when she won her first match, I overheard her tell my parents on the phone that her favorite part of the trip was visiting the Drake Hotel to see where I had gotten married.

Outside the Drake with cousin Amanda, who attended my wedding 

Right before she got heckled.

The Boom Bag