![\"nemesio](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/jotw\/files\/2016\/12\/nemesio-bolanos-gutierrez_SM.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nWelcome back to another edition of Judge of the Week! This week, we’re highlighting a judge with passion for his community. Say hello to Chile’s Nemesio Bola\u00f1os!<\/p>\n
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Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Nemesio Alejandro Bola\u00f1os Guti\u00e9rrez<\/a> Why do you judge?<\/strong> One of the first things that caught my attention was the how different \u00a0people from other regions are. All of them, with their cultural differences in different places, from the very outgoing and enthusiastic judge that travels every month (I see you, Brazilian judges :D) to the more introverted and reflective ones, I\u2019ve learnt from those awesome people and have become a better person.<\/p>\n You formerly were part of the Judge of the Week project. Tell us a little about your experience with it.<\/strong> How do you balance project work with judging events and other life responsibilities?<\/strong> All in all, regardless the system\/logic you use to balance your regular\/Magical life, I\u2019d advise to have an honest introspective look. Check if you are fine with what are you doing and make it count.<\/p>\n What positive aspects has the Judge Program contributed to your everyday life?<\/strong> Some of those people come from totally different realities, and experiencing things from their perspective has been something that caught my attention. =)<\/p>\n How did you get involved in Magic in the first place?<\/strong> What was the proudest moment of your Judge life?<\/strong> –A couple of weeks ago, we were attending an event called \u201cRPTQ Weekend.\u201d It was a multi-event weekend hosting the RPTQ in Santiago de Chile. That same Friday, we managed to finish Marco Gaete’s<\/a> Two Truths and a Lie<\/strong> [expand title=”The answer to the last Two Truths and a Lie…”]Alejandro Raggio has not\u00a0considered an offer to move to another country mainly based on the fact flights to most GPs are much cheaper there.[\/expand]<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span> (yes, 4 names as Riccardo Tessitori<\/a>
<\/span><\/span> once pointed out!)
\nLevel:<\/strong>\u00a03
\nLocation:<\/strong> Arica, Chile
\nJudge start date:<\/strong> 11\/2011
\nOccupation:<\/strong> Electrical Engineer =D.
\nFavorite card<\/strong>: Gifts Ungiven<\/a>\/Fact or Fiction<\/a>: I love interactive games and Game Theory
\nLeast favorite card:<\/strong>\u00a0Pack Rat<\/a>, pretty straight-forward and overpowered card in RTR limited.
\nFavorite format:<\/strong>\u00a0It varies\u00a0from time to time, nowadays Modern \ud83d\ude00
\nCommander General:<\/strong>\u00a0Karador, Ghost Chieftain<\/a> was the very first recognition I got from Carlos Ho<\/a><\/span><\/span> when I didn\u2019t even know him in person.
\nFavorite non-Magic Game:<\/strong> I like simple games, so Sushi Go!, though I\u2019d love to try out Power Grid.
\nBest tournament result:<\/strong>\u00a0Currently 14-1-1 at \u2026. my kitchen table \ud83d\ude00
\nRandom fact about yourself:<\/strong> My L3 superpower (cause every L3 got one after being bite from a radioactive L3 panel lead after passing the panel) is missing flights. One of those memorable times ended up with me sleeping in a police station while my return flight was departing to my hometown.<\/p>\n
\nMy early days in the Judge Program were about finding support as a stand-alone judge in my hometown. Back then, I started noticing I was having difficulties, so I decided to look after others to help me out. Being from an isolated area was a huge challenge, but through the process, many many awesome people jumped in, and at some point I figured out I really became involved into the program.<\/p>\n
\nMy relationship with the JOTW project was like a love at first glance. I just loved what they strived for: Highlight and provide recognition to awesome judges around the world. I\u2019m from a pretty much geographically isolated area (I used to have to travel 2000 kilometers\u00a0to meet the nearest L2) so I had the need to squeeze some learning from each experience working with other judges. We are just such a wide community, and it therefore is quite important to make everyone feel included. When I joined the team, I thought: \u201cThere are so many awesome judge stories. Let\u2019s go for them!\u201d So I learned a lot about different cultures, lifestyles and perspectives to see the world that I found amusing.<\/p>\n
\nThis is a tip I learned from Adrian Estoup<\/a><\/span><\/span>, our RC in Latam. When I have many judge-related things heading my way, I make a \u201cTo-Do list,\u201d listing my judge-responsibilities in a notepad near my desk so when I am at my laptop, I can easily start dealing with these in my free time. I also have an overview of the time I am dealing with the program.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/jotw\/files\/2017\/02\/Nemgroup-300x169.jpg\")
What is your favorite non-judging moment that happened with other judges (or after event story)?<\/strong>
\nOK, this was Sunday the night after GP Rio 2013 as we were going to a judge dinner. That night was cloudy and somewhat rainy. So we got outside to the streets and took the very first cab we could get. In retrospect, by paying attention to the cab before getting in, we could have prevented what then happened. So after some minutes of random talking with the driver, he decided to put some loud music, turned on party lighting inside the cab,\u00a0and\u00a0was driving\u00a0like Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious movies. After some minutes, we managed to get to the judge dinner in one piece. Did I mention that somebody recorded a video of that ride?<\/p>\n
\nBesides the logical skills, I learned things like teamwork, leadership, working under pressure, which ultimately helped me to find a nice job, I have to say. It also helped me to be a more complete guy, and confident of my skills. I \u201clearn to learn\u201d from others and value this as the program introduced me tons and tons of awesome people all around the world.<\/p>\n
\nThe first time I got in contact with the game was in an old and small store in my hometown back in 2000. There, I got a starter pack and started playing with my brother for some years. A couple of months later, I left the game due my studies. But some years ago, I randomly had a second crush with the game. By that time, there were no LGSs so the local players barely managed to run casual events in a random home where rulings were decided by common sense. In that context, I decided to contact somebody to instruct me about how to run\u00a0events in a good manner. After a couple of weeks, I met Diego Sotomayor<\/a><\/span><\/span>, who trusted me enough to teach me.<\/p>\n
\nIt’s tough to choose one over other awesome judge moments. A couple of those that stand out to me are:<\/p>\n![\"Nememat\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/jotw\/files\/2017\/02\/Nememat-300x169.jpg\")
-After hitting L3, one of the first events I judged after was the WMCQ in La Paz, Bolivia. The WMCQ started as usual, with a players’ meeting before round one. But in the middle of the introduction of the event, I got a present from the TO, a playmat that some players and almost every judge in Bolivia had signed. Another huge one was the token I got from Carlos Ho<\/a><\/span><\/span> and the other L3 judges in GP Santiago =).<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span> L2 test, and he made it! =). After finishing the interview and telling him he was L2, I suggested he visit with us and say hi to the gang on Sunday at the event (since some of the judges – including me – were not from Santiago). Fortunately, he went on Sunday to play a sealed PPTQ that day. At the end of the Swiss rounds, we surprised him by\u00a0welcoming him to L2. Although it might be seen as a small detail or “not a big deal” to some, I strongly believe those small details are the ones that stay with\u00a0people and make the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nTwo of the following statements are true and one is false. Figure out which!<\/p>\n\n