Thursday, April 1, 2010

Games People Play

On a day for fooling I've been thinking about games. More specifically, I've been considering the joys of escaping into them, and how long it's been since I've done so. At a rough estimate some thirty years.

I'm not counting games of a sporting nature here. I played football for far too long actually, contributing to some of my current aches and pains - but I can't say I've got too many regrets about that. No, I'm thinking of games as in the board games variety - Monopoly and that sort of thing. I last played seriously escapistly at university. Not Monopoly - but we had a thing about the wonderful Diplomacy, which I've not heard spoken of in years. I don't think I've seen a set since then. And I got into chess in a small way, playing a couple of guys who were much better than me - which was not difficult as I've no gift at all in that direction.

I also got interested in war gaming in a fair way, or rather developed an interest sparked by reading H.G. Wells's Little Wars (I think that's the title) as a kid. In fact, all the stuff I played at university was a development of what I'd been doing since being around nine or ten. Monopoly, Totopoly, Mine-A-Million, Scoop, Cluedo, The Battle of the Little Big Horn, Risk. Subbuteo, Scaletric. Elaborate battlefields of those little Airfix soldiers, especially Confederates versus Union in the American Civil War. Blackjack, gin rummy, chase-the-lady. Dominoes.

I must have spent far more time on all that than anything productive. Except that it was productive of a great deal of happiness. Paradise, almost.

I must get to play more.

1 comment:

Trebuchet said...

Oh dear. That sounds a lot like my life until I got into the workforce. :)

Highlander Coffee could be one of those expedition objectives for the next time you decide to bum around with the wife. It's a pleasant little place, with very dedicated staff, opposite SGH.

Recently, a group of South Zone principals had their learning journey and this place was part of it. A short walk away is Peranakan House, a fully restored Peranakan dwelling with all the intricate bits. You have to make an appointment though.