A Beginning Of Something Wonderful - My way of introduction

Honestly, I really don't know what to write but hey! I guess we've all been through this kind of stuff right? Hope @fionasfavourites and @lovesniper would like the way I introduce myself to the community.

Hello, Hive community! My real name is Niño Michael Aaron Giray from Manila, Philippines and just turned 31 years old today. Currently, working in the Call Center Industry for 11 years here in my country.

Where the story begins

I don't have any professional writing experience but I know I have a creative mind. Before, when I'm still studying, I'm always participating in drawing contests. Usually, when we are still young, the competitive spirit was always there. Back then when I was not competing, Basketball was my second choice activity since the said sport is like a religion in the country. Been part of a rock band as a bassist, won 2nd place in a singing competition at school, and finished my high school days as part of our school varsity. Ahh, the younger years of life.

My college year is not so easy, unfortunately. Due to the lack of financial stability of my family, I need to look for a scholarship. God answered my prayers and I took BS Mechanical Engineering course. However, seems my passion is not there and I am unable to finish it. Probably you were thinking about why I didn't choose the course that I want. Well, the scholarship I got was from the government and the available course that time was only science, math, and engineering-related course. I tried to pursue a profession that related to my passion. Back when 2012, I enrolled again and took BS Interior designing while working. It was fun to be back at school! Meeting new faces and having new experiences. Sadly, it didn't last long since I have financial responsibilities that I need to prioritize. From that time, I said to myself "this will not be the last time. Surely, in the future, and once everything is settled, I will finish my education."

One of my drafts when I was still studying

How Hive and I bump to each other

Last year, starting in March of 2020, everything change here in the Philippines. The pandemic spread really fast and everyone was panicking. No cars nor people were on the road and all commercial establishments were closed since the government implemented Enhance Community Quarantine. On my mind, it was like in the movies. In the mid of July, the company where I worked decided to close down as well. I was unemployed for several months but fortunately, I was able to land another job before the year ends.

From the start of 2021, NFT games became famous in this country due to the concept of earning while playing. As a gamer since I was a kid, this was a big opportunity for me and made me excited! The most popular game was Axie Infinity and was introduced by my friend, Luis. The game is simple to play but purchasing a team, that made my jaw drop. IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE!!

But because of Luis, my desire to get involved in a play-to-earn game increased. I searched lots of NFT games on the net and suddenly, I found Splinterlands. The game is simple, I'm like playing Magic the gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh which I geek a lot when I was in college. Everything looks familiar. From the game mechanics, up to card collection. It feels nostalgic. And the best part of it, IT IS CHEAP!

Some of my Splinterlands card collection

What is the future holds for me?

From that time, I became aware of Hive and the platforms that it offers. I started reading articles in Splintertalk and PeakD about the game. As the days gone by, my interest starts to grow bigger. I'm sharing and learning a lot from the community of Splinterlands on discord. However, a message from a chat room only lasts as long as you were able to catch it from hundreds of messages being sent per minute. Inside of me, I want to share my knowledge with everyone, not only for those who already play the game but as well for those people who might be interested to be part of the game.

That's why I decided to start a simple article in Splintertalks so that everyone can read the message I would love people to hear, the knowledge and experience I want to share and to know other's opinions, for a long time.

I'm sure, this introduction is just the beginning of something wonderful, yeah?