Rubik's Cubes

During a talent competition, I showed my Rubik's cube solving talent for the first time. “First layer complete, second layer complete. Almost there.” A slip of a finger nearing the end, and I dropped the cube in embarrassment. Argh! Notwithstanding the time wasted, I maintained my resolve and resumed.

Broadly, I learnt that the small mistakes I make in life matter very little in the long-term. Perseverance matters a lot in achieving a goal and managing setbacks.

After learning the beginner's method of solving the 3x3, I  sought a more advanced strategy called First Two Layers (F2L) on Youtube, and my timings fell drastically from 5 minutes to 1 minute, and down to 40s. This required more speed and coordination of thinking.

I bought more complicated cubes to push my limits: 4x4, 5x5, Pyraminx, Megaminx, Axis cube. With the bedrock of knowledge from my 3x3 experience, I devised many ingenious methods and started solving numerous complex cubic puzzles. 

The Axis cube intimidated me, with its eccentric shape and sharp edges that made it wholly confusing to solve. Yet I did not give up, and I succeeded in jubilation. Independently.

I became an amiable companion in school, edifying others’ moves and tactics when they are struggling as neophytes in cubing. Starting as an introverted, silent individual, I developed greater self-confidence. Slowly but surely, I was more open to interactions and friendships with a diverse range of students from various backgrounds.