April Highlights: Books, More Books, Chess, and Hive

If the past month were a story, books would be the bolded titles. But they weren't the only thing that made my month feel accomplished. There were also unexpected long and short conversations with friends and loved ones, small wins, and the laughter and jokes in between that showed up when I needed them. It is the first day of a new month. I haven't stepped out yet, but I can tell the sky is beautiful, judging from the way the birds are chirping joyfully. As each day passes, we are a step closer to the end of the year, reminded that time waits for no one. Just yesterday, we celebrated the first day of the year, and now we are already in the 5th month of the year. Looking back, April was filled with good moments. Of course, there were days when I felt numb and unalive, but the good moments overshadowed the bad ones, like stars shining through the night sky.

BOOKS: Chapters, Lines, and Dialogues

Books are my top highlight of April. I'm studying literature. What comes to your mind when you hear the word, “Literature.” For me, it is books and more books. This semester, I'm taking a course on Nigerian Literature - exploring works by Nigerian writers from the beginning of time to the contemporary period. We started with Amos Tutuola’s Palmwine Drinkard- the first-ever Nigerian book. Currently, we are reading Nigerian books that were published in the late 20th century. I came across books that made me think beyond the box. Books that opened my eyes to different things, including the caste system in the eastern part of Nigeria. Most of the things I know is thanks to the books I have read.

A few days ago, I had an interesting conversation with my friends in the Neoxian City Discord server. The topic of discussion was romantic movies and animes. I was asked if I enjoy watching romantic movies and anime. I answered that while I do not hate them, they are not my go-to. I prefer other genres over romance. Then a friend made a funny but interesting remark, “How come you are romantic/ how do you plan to be romantic when you like romantic movies.” I laughed and replied, “Books!” Books got me all covered in that aspect. I prefer reading romantic books rather than watching movies. I started my reading journey on an app called Wattpad when I was in high school and at that time, I focused solely on romantic stories.

This past month, it was great to see that the Hive Book Club community made progress. After a long time of not having the community hangout, @macchiata revived the spirit of togetherness with the Hive Book Club hangout. Last month, we had a total of 3 hangouts. Basically, we come together to talk about books. What’s more interesting is that members won prizes in the last hangout. So who knows maybe you might win something if you join the next hangout on Saturday? I'm inviting @stellageorge and @oluchi to the next hangout. I know you guys are book lovers, it is surprising that I haven't seen you guys join the hangout. Don't miss the next one. Xd.

CHESS: Lessons, Blunders, and Checkmates**

Chess- one of my favorite hobbies. I hope I never find myself in a situation where I’d have to choose between chess and books. Chess also made it to my highlight of the month. Last month, we concluded Season 20 of the Hive Chess tournament hosted by @stayoutoftherz. We played a total of 12 rounds, with each round taking place every Friday. And on Fridays, I'd put every other thing aside and focus on the chess tournament. In the Hive chess clubs, there are three divisions filled with good players who get better and more creative after every game. I fall into the second division, and after 12 intense rounds, I emerged as the winner in my division.

Of course, there were times when I doubted myself. I'd been playing good games since the beginning of the tournament. I remember one time I played terribly, and two other participants in the second division almost caught up to me. I doubted myself, fearing I'd play poorly again and lose my position. But I ended up playing well and maintaining my position.

HIVE

This past month, I smashed my Hive goals. I made double of my Hive Power goal for the month. I powered up 10 Hive this morning. The goal is to participate in every HPUD this year.

Last month was amazing, and I'm excited to see this one unfold.

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