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Counter-Strike: Eye on Moscow

By: Jonas Alsaker Vikan - Published May 09, 2008 at 1:21 PM EDT - Writer Archive
This is Jonas "bsl" Alsaker Vikan and Mark "jESUIT" Cheben's informal approach to KODE5 Moscow. We got pictures, funny stories and anecdotes from May's biggest event.


21:57 - bsl

This place is -DEAD-. The blog is up. I have been hungry for 14 hours as "jESUIT" and the KODE5 guys went to lunch without me - I also want to get some shut eye as the matches start tomorrow morning.

"jESUIT" is working relentlessly on some videos for tomorrow - and according to Revolutionary in charge Lester Lau - "it's going to be a big day."

Lets hope he is right.


...and the event did not even start yet.



20:10 - bsl

Working on getting the "reporting" part of the video we'll release tomorrow ready. It'll take some time but we do hope you will appreciate our effort once we get it out! This is me saying enough for today - I'll catch you on the flip side tomorrow.

19:03 - bsl

Roccat is here. I just interviewed "Lurrpis" - he did well and had some good answers to give. After the interview they scrimmed a local team and watching Roccat do the nasty reminded me of how much I dislike Finnish Counter-Strike.

You have a bunch of hip-hop dressed kids running around screaming in an incomprehensible language and spamming EVERY WALL - and being successful. If that does not tear you a new one please call me - so we can talk about it.

18:35 - jESUIT

BSL is an amateur ... if he was a blond Norwegian girl preferably an 8+ I'd give him some more slack. However, since he isn't ... the whyking gets no respite.

18:35 - bsl

Video interview - Check (although I managed to piss "jESUIT" off more times than I could count before it was over - first time for everything).

Blog article - Check.

Shooting outside footage of the venue - Not gonna happen in Russia (apparently it is not allowed - not even to film the KODE5 logo).


Mark "jESUIT" Cheben entering the KODE5 event



14:50 - jESUIT

His knees hurt from the walking. I hope. I had nothing to do with it.

14:35 - bsl

We made it into the venue. Finally. Cheben is agitated and my knees hurt - good thing we only have 37 things we need to do by nightfall.

14:12 - bsl

Still lost. Thank god for KODE5 directions.

14:00 - jESUIT

I am going to kill kul1.

13:45 - bsl

And we are officially LOST - without a clue where we are going - in Moscow. I blame it all on the KODE5 organizers - and instead of further illustrating this point I'll await jESUIT's post on the matter.

13:35 - jESUIT

FYI: when you give directions make sure you include how to get from the subway station to your destination. Calling the subway station the end of the line .. when in fact the venue is another three blocks away can cause minor confusion.


12:24 - bsl

Lunch: A slice of microwave heated pizza from the Hotel lobby. It's truly terrible, and something I would not wish on my worst enemy. I'd do Borsch five times a day instead of this s***.


12:00 - jESUIT

There's something really amazing about a country so openly displaying their pride and military might. I had a few flashbacks to movies from the 80's but otherwise I made it out in one piece.


With the pressbook and camera at the ready. Where is SK? Where's Spawn? Where did Fnatic go? Where's Virtus. Pro?



11:15 - bsl

In the midst of enjoying this fine day in history I realize there have been no encounters with gamers. Could it be that myself and "jESUIT" are the only one's up to watch Russia's display of military capabilities? Well, then all the others are missing out on a great show we are going to tell our grandchildren about.


10:45 - bsl

A big roar just made my day. Several high end Russian bombers and fighter jets just passed Red Square - at an altitude no more than a thousand feet, I swear. The sight was awe inspiring and the flag waving crowds really appreciated it.

10:40 - jESUIT

A helicopter - a hind I think - just flew over head carrying a huge Russian flag. The crowd went wild.

09:15 - bsl

Saw some tanks lined up. Also saw some missiles that looked pretty rad - however this thing is not underway for another fourty-five minutes so opt for a warm recluse and some coffee.

Empty Moscow streets



08:30 - bsl

It's cold outside despite flawless weather. Upon exciting the Metro we get ushered away three consecutive times by police. Today is the first military parade at Red Square in 17 years - I guess they are really picky about who they let into their parades here.

07:35 - jESUIT

bESEL has the direction sense of a blind bull in a bullfight ... but luckily yours truly doesn't suck. The only hairy part of the whole Moscow subway experience was seeing a wall of soldiers move down the street to lock down the area.

07:30 - bsl

Russian Metro's are fun - until you get tired of your brain overheating because of Cyrillic letters that SEEM normal. After about twenty minutes of debating me and jESUIT figure out which way to go to get to Revolutionary Square - and that name really says it all doesn't it?


07:10 - bsl

Hotel breakfast is usually a good thing. As is the case in Moscow.

06:45 - jESUIT

Good morning world! Today we get to experience history ... and try not to get arrested, mugged, or our cameras confiscated.

06:30 - bsl

Wake up call. Ouch.
I remind myself (several times) that outside of feeling terrible in a general sense - and desperatly needing several more hours of sleep I pull myself out of bed under the guise of the notion that history will be made in Moscow today. And that I will be right smack in the middle of it.

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