FTC

[Paloma]

Won't be here. But I am writing it up. Thank you.

[Paloma]

Hello F3. Congratulations. I am truly happy for you, but let’s just say I can be happier. However you got there though, you three deserve it.

Ultimately, I am quite pleased with how I ended my game. And the journey towards getting to 5th, was something that I would look back on with much delight. But, I can’t say that there isn’t bitterness in my heart, maybe there’s a little bit of drop of bitterness there.

Gina, you and I were in an alliance since NuTurukawa. I looked back at our conversations and I realized that we talked more about real life stuff than the actual game. Know that they are sincere, they are true. I still want to know how’s your life going to be like when you move to a bigger city. My bitterness for you is stemming from the fact that at the end game, you distanced yourself from me. I felt like I deserve a little honesty, or maybe just respect. Even our daily random conversations had to end because the game suddenly kept us apart. It’s possible to be on the odd side of numbers and yet maintain a good conversation. I had it with Teresa, though I am realizing now it’s a one-way thing, but hey I tried to make it work.

Cirie, I can’t blame you for feeling bad because people think so lowly of you. But you think so low of me too. So that’s where my bitterness is coming from.

Rudy, you knew I was ready to go. I was okay with it. The only think I asked was for you to let me go on my own terms. I was going to do something that would complete my journey. But in the end, you asked me to vote for Gina which ultimately cheated me of going out with a complete journey.

Harsh words would be thrown at you. I know got them at Ponderosa. But I ask you not to put up your shield. But instead, filter. Take the good, treasure it. Sort out the bad, let go. That’s what I am doing anyway.

Like with Taj, even though there is some sense of victory that I have outlasted her in all the games I have played with her – one time she even Janu’ed for me – she will still represent how bad I can be at this game. She will forever remind me that I can be a bad person, that I can burn friendships, and that sometimes, there’s just no way to fix it. I will take that reminder, and know from now on that I will always be careful about what I say and how to control my emotions.

With Brenda, I learned that I can be good too at this game. She’s the one who truly understands how I play, and she reminds me that despite the fact that I’m a lightweight at these games, I can throw a good uppercut every so often.

With NaOnka, I learned not to be scared. I am coming here very intimidated by a lot of names. One of them being NaOnka. But I made a good alliance with her. From her I learned not to be scared, and to give people second chances, after all she gave me one too.

With Gregg, I learned not to take things too seriously. To have fun, to laugh, and just be carefree. We can be stuck up and stubborn at times, but seeing how Gregg played the game, I envy that he can have so much fun with it, something that sometimes I can’t have because I am eaten by paranoia.

With Sarah, I saw what I can possible do. I feel that she is a sweet and kind person, but when she wants something she’ll do it. No matter if people call her crazy and unpredictable. Because truth is, I would have done what she did, except that she is much braver than I.

With Teresa, I learned about passion. About the game. About a balance between your emotions and need for validation and at the same time focus on what’s important in the game.

With Willard, I learned when to talk and when not to. What to say and what not to. I learned that there’s a benefit in listening and exploring from the side, and shine when the time is right.

With Frank, I learned about loyalty. About not judging. I didn’t see my alliance with him lasting, but in the end, my partnership with him was the one I was most loyal to. Something I didn’t think I was capable of doing.

With Gina, I learned that it is possible to make big plays without actually destroying hearts along the way. Trust me, that’s my biggest flaw in this game, but you taught me a valuable lesson about how to rebuild broken relationships.

With Cirie, I learned how to be perceptive. And with a keen perception, I now know which people to fully trust, and which to just let go of. I also learned to manage my ego, to not feed it too much. To just play as hard as I could.

With Rudy, the greatest lesson that I learned is despite the fact we do evil things, and call each other KING this or QUEEN that, the truest basic core of everyone of us playing this game is to ultimately make a basic human connection. And above all else, there’s kindness and beauty in you.

My question is this, what have you learned from everyone here? List down every member of the jury,and the F3 – tell me something that you have learned from them. If any.

And secondly, let’s play a game. I employ the strategy of predicting how people are going to react and think about the best games for everyone and try to stop it if it doesn’t benefit me. And to successfully do that, you have to have a good read of everyone in the game. I want you to write sort of a fan fiction. Not necessarily long, just twelve steps. The object is BRING TAJ TO THE F3 WITH YOU.

Lay out the plan on how you plan to get yourself and Taj in the F3. This will show me how much you know your competitiors, you well you can predict their actions, and how your mind creatively makes a way to come up with plans that way beyond the left field.

The given is simple, same 12 people who make the merge, Gina and I have the idol.

Thank you!