A few years ago it seemed that Christmas couldn't pass without at least a few members of my family receiving as gifts some number of movies (either on VHS or DVD). More recently this trend seems to have been almost completely replaced by the exchange of board games. The result of the change is that instead of passing Christmas afternoon in front of a TV watching a newly acquired movie we are now somewhat more inclined to pass at least part of our gift opening days (another change has been to stretch the gift opening over a number of days) playing one or more of the newly acquired games.
Given that this seemed to be a banner year for new games I thought that I might try to give a quick rundown on some of the newly acquired games, most of which I had a chance to play at least once.
Fluxx v 4.0 - I started to play Fluxx in about 2007 and then introduced it to my family shortly thereafter. Almost immediately it became a particular favourite of Kirsten's, so it was not particularly surprising that she received Fluxx v. 4.0 this year. Fluxx v. 4.0 is really quite different than v. 3.1 (the version with which I am most familiar). At least as far as I can tell, one of the most significant differences are the 'Creepers,' which go with 'Keepers.' Typically, players with Creepers in front of them are unable to win (though some rule and goal cards alter this state of affairs). The general impression that I had of Creepers was that they tended to make the game more confusing and difficult to win (and I am not sure that they would work well with non-Creeper variants of the game). The up side of the new version were a few new rule and action cards that mixed things up a little and allowed those familiar with the game a chance to achieve a feeling of bewilderment that seems to accompany most people's introduction to the game.
Monty Python Fluxx - Like Fluxx v. 4.0, this version of the game had Creepers. Most of the Creepers and Keepers were based on various aspects of the Monty Python ouevre, as were some of the new Rule, Action, and Goal cards. The aspect of the game that I found less appealing than other Fluxx variants were the rules that rewarded those with Monty Python knowledge (i.e. more plays are associated with more ability to quote lines from Monty Python movies). The problem with such rules is that the same people tend to be advantaged or disadvantaged in various iterations of the game. The fix, just going to the internet to satisfy the requirements, doesn't really improve my enjoyment of the game and just devolves into a matter of regurgitation. The other problem, which is one that we encounter, relates to interpretation of players actions (something that doesn't come up in the traditional forms of the game). For instance, does talking in a fake Newfoundland accent satisfy the requirement that one conduct their term while speaking entirely in an "outrageous foreign accent"? (Neil thought not). While Monty Python fans will likely appreciate many of the names of the cards and rules, I am not sure if this is really the game for dedicated Fluxx traditionalists (if such a type of person exists).
Scrabble Slam - Though this games shares a name with the classic crossword game Scrabble it is really more like Upwords (also a crossword game) in card form. The basic idea is that players modify a communal four letter words with cards from their hand. There is no turn order and players play cards to form new words as quickly as they can think of them. While the basic idea is pretty simple (which I tend consider a good quality) the application of the rules can sometimes be a bit tricky. Not only can it sometimes be difficult to determine who actually played first, it can also be a bit of a challenge to ensure that everyone is playing valid words (or the letters they are suggesting they are playing). Aside from rules or gameplay characteristics, one of the problems I had with the game is that it caused my brain to freeze (at times it felt as though I just couldn't think). As a person with spelling/reading difficulties I just couldn't effectively operate at pace required for me to be even moderately competitive. I guess the bottom line is that this isn't likely the hot new game for dyslexics.
Monopoly Deal - This is a game that we first encountered a few months ago and have played on a pretty regular basis since then (it makes it onto the Christmas list because Neil and Rebecca gave a copy to Kirsten). While the game is a card game version of the classic board game, the goal is to be the first player to collect three monopolies rather than to bankrupt one’s opponents. Like Fluxx, there are a number of cards that add a degree change and excitement to the game. Also like Fluxx, the length of time that a game can take to complete can really vary and the winner may not be the person who appears to be the strongest. One of the things that we have noticed as we have continued playing this game is that our gameplay continues to become more cutthroat and complex (Neil’s favourite move appears to be to Forced Deal someone a Monopoly so that he can throw down a Deal Breaker). This means that while when played on a relatively basic level the game can seem quite random and prone to sudden shifts in momentum more experienced players (sometimes through working collectively to prevent the win) can slow things down and add a greater degree of stability to the outcome and gameplay.
Alhambra – This is a game that I gave to Neil for Christmas, but that he didn’t receive until we returned as I saw no reason to lug it to St. John’s just so that he would have to lug it back. This winner of the 2003 Spiel des Jahres award is my favourite of the games that we acquired this Christmas. A simplified version of the goal is that players are trying to build the best (not necessarily only largest) building complex. Points are awarded in relation to the nature of one’s opponents building complexes. Some of the aspects of the game that I really like are that it seems to progress smoothly and reach a relatively natural end. Unlike some games, it doesn’t feel as though it ends too early. Though we have only been playing this game for a few days I feel as though we already have started to improve (in particular we are now doing a much better job of paying attention to the wall structures of the various building components that one is able to buy). I am curious to try this with more than 3 players as I think such a condition will require more attention to certain details (some of which seem to be ignorable with three players).
Ticket to Ride – The Card Game – Not surprisingly, this game is a card game version of the 2004 Spiel des Jahres winning board game Ticket to Ride. Though I didn’t get a chance to play this game before I left, Neil and Kirsten both seemed to enjoy it. My sense of things is that it is somewhat similar to the board game in that you seem to collect train tickets to complete routes, though I am not sure that I can really say much more about it than that.
Carcassonne: Cult, Siege, & Creativity – As one might have guessed from the title, this is a set of Carcassonne game expansions rather than a completely new game. Each of these expansions is relatively small and can be added singly or together with other expansions to a regular game of Carcassonne. The Cult and the Heretic expansion provides an equivalent to cloisters that can either be used almost exactly like regular cloisters, or as a means of potentially rendering ineffective a competing player’s cloister (or them one of yours). The Siege expansion is a way of sabotaging an opponent’s cities (or unclaimed cities) so that they count for fewer points. The Creativity Expansion consists of two blank pieces that can be modified however the owners see fit (we did not play with these two tiles). Though not particularly creative, I can see that these two tiles would be useful as replacements for lost tiles. Two other mini-expansions for Carcassonne were also received: King and Scout and The Count of Carcassonne, though neither of these were played before I left.
Interestingly, in spite of all of these new games and game expansions, we still ended up playing quite a number of games of Settlers of Catan (several of which were non-standard variants). I wouldn’t be surprised if we actually played more games of Settlers than games of the others combined (if we included Alhambra in the total it is possible that this would no longer be the case, and even as it stands our Fluxx games may have pushed us past Settlers).
Showing posts with label Card Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Card Games. Show all posts
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Friday, September 25, 2009
And it only took me 8 and 3/4 years to get here
In early January 2001, six months after finishing high school, I attended my first university class (a Thursday morning Spanish class). For the next number of years I, somewhat half-heatedly, plugged away at a BA, which I eventually completed in December 2005 (though I didn't convocate until May 2006). I then moved on to an MLIS at McGill which I completed in 2008 and then an MA at Dalhousie, the requirements of which were just completed about three weeks ago. During all of this time I held a variety of jobs to cover both living and tuition costs.
Now, almost nine years after my first university class, I have finally made the transition from the amateur, fee-paying ranks to the professional (or fellowship receiving) ranks. I find it both a odd and satisfying notion that I am now being paid to be a student, which is such a change in practice from these past few years. I feel a strange sense of accomplishment. It almost feels like a more definitive student-based accomplishment than finishing a degree.
To celebrate my change in status I decided to treat myself to a few new pairs of socks to replace a few other pairs that I have worn out over the past year. After a brief examination of the selection at MEC I ended up settling on two pairs of the same make and model (though in different colours) that I have purchased a number of times in the past. I was convinced to go with these largely because the pair of this variety that I purchased in July 2005 is still going strong and showing almost no signs of wear. And for those of you that are curious, these socks are 40% merino wool (a key sock component).
After completing my sock purchases I thought that I might consider looking into getting Neil a birthday gift, something I didn't manage to take care of on or around his birthday for a number of reasons. Based on some earlier thoughts about what I might like to purchase or him I decided to head to a local comic book and games store called Strange Adventures.
As I entered the store I saw something about them having a "Big Sale," though given store traffic I assume that this related exclusively to their comic book related stock. After checking out the board game section I made my way to the counter to take a look at a few of their card games. Only when I was standing at the counter did I start to grasp the breadth and depth of their "Big Sale." It eventually became clear to me that everything in the store was 50% off, and that the discount will be increasing to 90% over the coming days.
Not surprisingly, the comic book aficionados were going nuts and purchasing stacks and stacks of books. Once I understood what was going on I too modified my shopping strategy to take full effect of the sale. I ended up buying four items. The total, after tax price was less than the pre-tax cost of the two most expensive items, a detail I found to be both relaxing and satisfying. The other notable consequence of my taking advantage of this sale is that it allowed me to start my Christmas shopping, something that I normally wouldn't even begin to think about until about the second week of December.
Given that I have made the point of highlighting my student status is seems reasonable that I consider hitting the books (or printed articles) so that I am able to continue with my new student status for more than a single term. Unfortunately, it now seems quite likely that I will have to take at least a few minutes out of my planned reading time tonight to crack into a few of these games. I just hope that I am not completely sidetracked by these purchases.
Now, almost nine years after my first university class, I have finally made the transition from the amateur, fee-paying ranks to the professional (or fellowship receiving) ranks. I find it both a odd and satisfying notion that I am now being paid to be a student, which is such a change in practice from these past few years. I feel a strange sense of accomplishment. It almost feels like a more definitive student-based accomplishment than finishing a degree.
To celebrate my change in status I decided to treat myself to a few new pairs of socks to replace a few other pairs that I have worn out over the past year. After a brief examination of the selection at MEC I ended up settling on two pairs of the same make and model (though in different colours) that I have purchased a number of times in the past. I was convinced to go with these largely because the pair of this variety that I purchased in July 2005 is still going strong and showing almost no signs of wear. And for those of you that are curious, these socks are 40% merino wool (a key sock component).
After completing my sock purchases I thought that I might consider looking into getting Neil a birthday gift, something I didn't manage to take care of on or around his birthday for a number of reasons. Based on some earlier thoughts about what I might like to purchase or him I decided to head to a local comic book and games store called Strange Adventures.
As I entered the store I saw something about them having a "Big Sale," though given store traffic I assume that this related exclusively to their comic book related stock. After checking out the board game section I made my way to the counter to take a look at a few of their card games. Only when I was standing at the counter did I start to grasp the breadth and depth of their "Big Sale." It eventually became clear to me that everything in the store was 50% off, and that the discount will be increasing to 90% over the coming days.
Not surprisingly, the comic book aficionados were going nuts and purchasing stacks and stacks of books. Once I understood what was going on I too modified my shopping strategy to take full effect of the sale. I ended up buying four items. The total, after tax price was less than the pre-tax cost of the two most expensive items, a detail I found to be both relaxing and satisfying. The other notable consequence of my taking advantage of this sale is that it allowed me to start my Christmas shopping, something that I normally wouldn't even begin to think about until about the second week of December.
Given that I have made the point of highlighting my student status is seems reasonable that I consider hitting the books (or printed articles) so that I am able to continue with my new student status for more than a single term. Unfortunately, it now seems quite likely that I will have to take at least a few minutes out of my planned reading time tonight to crack into a few of these games. I just hope that I am not completely sidetracked by these purchases.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 328
-Though much of today was somewhat overcast it was generally pleasant. The rain I expected to start at any time held off, though it may have lead to things being a little more humid that they would have been otherwise.
-I managed to get around to moving all of the plants from my windowsill. The area has now been cleaned and the plants sprayed with miticide. I also sprayed a few of the other plants that had been in my room. Over the next day or two I am hoping to spray most of the other house plants and completing a wash of one of the plant stands in the living room. Hopefully this more aggressive approach will be enough to take care of the spider mite problem for good (though I am hesitant to put too much hope in any of these solutions).
-I had roast potatoes and barbecued steaklets (small steaks) for dinner tonight. I really enjoyed the meal.
-This evening a friend came over and we played a few games of Monopoly Deal, a card game Neil purchased yesterday night while we were at the mall. Though the game allows for rather drastic swings from time to time, it was an overall pleasant experience and much faster than regular Monopoly. I think that we would all give it a thumbs up as a relatively relaxed multi-player game.
-Recently I have been talking about trying to grow some bean sprouts. At the moment I am in the midst of my first batch. So far things are going well. The only problem I have encountered so far is that the container I started with wasn't big enough so I had to move the operation to a larger container this evening. I am a little worried that this new container also won't be larger enough. Hopefully I will have a few pictures to post in a few days time, or whenever it is that I decide to harvest the sprouts.
-I managed to get around to moving all of the plants from my windowsill. The area has now been cleaned and the plants sprayed with miticide. I also sprayed a few of the other plants that had been in my room. Over the next day or two I am hoping to spray most of the other house plants and completing a wash of one of the plant stands in the living room. Hopefully this more aggressive approach will be enough to take care of the spider mite problem for good (though I am hesitant to put too much hope in any of these solutions).
-I had roast potatoes and barbecued steaklets (small steaks) for dinner tonight. I really enjoyed the meal.
-This evening a friend came over and we played a few games of Monopoly Deal, a card game Neil purchased yesterday night while we were at the mall. Though the game allows for rather drastic swings from time to time, it was an overall pleasant experience and much faster than regular Monopoly. I think that we would all give it a thumbs up as a relatively relaxed multi-player game.
-Recently I have been talking about trying to grow some bean sprouts. At the moment I am in the midst of my first batch. So far things are going well. The only problem I have encountered so far is that the container I started with wasn't big enough so I had to move the operation to a larger container this evening. I am a little worried that this new container also won't be larger enough. Hopefully I will have a few pictures to post in a few days time, or whenever it is that I decide to harvest the sprouts.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A exciting assortment of purchases
For the past few days Neil, Rebecca, and I have been planning on taking a trip on the ferry over to Dartmouth to take advantage of the last few days of our transit passes and also to hit up a Dollarama. I am pretty sure that our trip was a great success, as we were able to also make quick stops at a library used book sale as well as a local game shop.
Actually, our purchasing started with the chain coffee shop in the ferry terminal. As is my practice, I went for an extra large black coffee. I was a little surprised that Neil and Rebecca joined me in making purchases, though they stuck with cold beverages.
Once in the ferry terminal in Dartmouth we learned that he local public library was having a used book sale. The upside of the book sale was that it gave me an excuse to head into a Halifax Public Library. Aside from the Dewey, I was pretty pleased with what I saw. The Alderney Gate branch looked like quite a pleasant, well-stocked library. If I lived in the area I am sure that I would visit it with some regularity.
Anyway, the downside of the book sale is that we had about an hour to kill before it started (it will also be going on tomorrow and Sunday for those of you in the area). We decided to head up to the local game store, where Neil picked up a copy of the Settlers of Catan Card Game Expansion Set. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but Neil and Rebecca seem to be enjoying at the moment. Hopefully I will get a chance to play it in the coming days.
We eventually made our way back to the library and saw that quite a line had developed for the book sale. Instead of standing in the line Neil decided to head to the lotto shack and trade in his winnings from his Easter scratch 'n' sniff for an Uno themed scratch 'n' sniff. Rebecca and I watched Neil as he scratched his way to victory. Unfortunately, his prize was only $3. Fortunately, he was next to a lotto shack so he was able to cash the card and re-invest the winnings in a new card. As he was completing this transaction Rebecca and I joined the book sale line. Soon after joining the line Neil started scratching his new card. Before we entered the sale it became apparent that Neil was also going to win on this card, and that it would be more than $3.
Once we eventually made our way into the book sale we each picked up a few books. In general our browsing and enjoyment was somewhat diminished by our general inability to make our way around the display tables. Somehow we ended up selecting a total of 10 books, which came to $8. I am particularly hopeful that my book on house plants will be of some use.
After the book sale we finally made our way to the Dollarama. Once we arrived we learned that Dollarma has change its pricing scheme and that some items are now more than $1. While this was a bit of a disappointment, it didn't stop us from shopping.
One of our goals was to pick up a few containers in which we could store beans. Neil and I selected three matching glass containers for the job. So far I am pretty pleased with our picks.
We also wanted a few containers for our couscous and cornmeal. I hope our purchases for this purpose be successful, I have every reason to believe that they will be.
Another shopping goal of mine was to pick up a few new pots for plants. In the end I ended up buy seven pots. The three smallest pots were 3/$1, which seemed like a good price to me.
All of us felt pretty satisfied after our rather exciting day of shopping. Hopefully, aside from groceries and toiletries, we won't need to do all that much shopping in the coming weeks, though such plans typically seem to fall apart.
Actually, our purchasing started with the chain coffee shop in the ferry terminal. As is my practice, I went for an extra large black coffee. I was a little surprised that Neil and Rebecca joined me in making purchases, though they stuck with cold beverages.
Once in the ferry terminal in Dartmouth we learned that he local public library was having a used book sale. The upside of the book sale was that it gave me an excuse to head into a Halifax Public Library. Aside from the Dewey, I was pretty pleased with what I saw. The Alderney Gate branch looked like quite a pleasant, well-stocked library. If I lived in the area I am sure that I would visit it with some regularity.
Anyway, the downside of the book sale is that we had about an hour to kill before it started (it will also be going on tomorrow and Sunday for those of you in the area). We decided to head up to the local game store, where Neil picked up a copy of the Settlers of Catan Card Game Expansion Set. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but Neil and Rebecca seem to be enjoying at the moment. Hopefully I will get a chance to play it in the coming days.
We eventually made our way back to the library and saw that quite a line had developed for the book sale. Instead of standing in the line Neil decided to head to the lotto shack and trade in his winnings from his Easter scratch 'n' sniff for an Uno themed scratch 'n' sniff. Rebecca and I watched Neil as he scratched his way to victory. Unfortunately, his prize was only $3. Fortunately, he was next to a lotto shack so he was able to cash the card and re-invest the winnings in a new card. As he was completing this transaction Rebecca and I joined the book sale line. Soon after joining the line Neil started scratching his new card. Before we entered the sale it became apparent that Neil was also going to win on this card, and that it would be more than $3.
Once we eventually made our way into the book sale we each picked up a few books. In general our browsing and enjoyment was somewhat diminished by our general inability to make our way around the display tables. Somehow we ended up selecting a total of 10 books, which came to $8. I am particularly hopeful that my book on house plants will be of some use.
After the book sale we finally made our way to the Dollarama. Once we arrived we learned that Dollarma has change its pricing scheme and that some items are now more than $1. While this was a bit of a disappointment, it didn't stop us from shopping.
One of our goals was to pick up a few containers in which we could store beans. Neil and I selected three matching glass containers for the job. So far I am pretty pleased with our picks.
We also wanted a few containers for our couscous and cornmeal. I hope our purchases for this purpose be successful, I have every reason to believe that they will be.
Another shopping goal of mine was to pick up a few new pots for plants. In the end I ended up buy seven pots. The three smallest pots were 3/$1, which seemed like a good price to me.
All of us felt pretty satisfied after our rather exciting day of shopping. Hopefully, aside from groceries and toiletries, we won't need to do all that much shopping in the coming weeks, though such plans typically seem to fall apart.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Friday night fun
On Friday evening at about 5:40 I decided that it was finally time for my beard to go. I found the beard trimmer, banged it a few times to get the batteries to make contact, and went to work on the beard removal process. About half-way through the process the power went out. Fortunately it was a battery powered trimmer and was thus able to continue the process with the assistance of a flashlight. The downside was that I wasn't really able to tidy things up at all, so I had to call it quits at a rather rough stage in the beard removal process. One result of the early finish was that I was left with a 'stache, which might otherwise have been removed.
Once the beard removal was finished and a few flashlights and candles had been gathered Neil and I settled into a nice debate about how one should go about taping the fridge shut (to prevent the release of cold air) in such a circumstance. After our rather exhaustive debate we moved over to the card table to play some candlelight cribbage. All this time we could see that even across the street a number of buildings did have power.
After not too long all three of us thought that it might be best if we tried to make our way to a restaurant for dinner, as it wasn't likely that we would be able to cook all that much on the tea lights. As we made our way out discovered that the outage was quite spotty. In some instances certain side of a street would have power, or long building on a block might have power. The downside of this inconsistency was that we had no idea whether the restaurant we hoped to patronize would be open until we reached its front door. As it turned out, the restaurant was closed, so we made our way across town to a restaurant we were pretty sure would be open.
We eventually made it to a restaurant on Quinpool and settled in for a very pleasant dinner. Actually, I think the dinner had the positive benefit of teaching me a lesson about Halifax fish and chips, which is that it does not tend to agree with my system. As we were hanging around after the meal killing time I managed to drop my cup of coffee on the table. Fortunately the napkin I had on my lap managed to soak up most of the liquid. This incident reminded me how important proper napkin placement is.
After a quick stop at a great video rental store near the restaurant we made our way back to our part of town. As we were walking down Spring Garden it became clear that power had still not been fully restored. It was suggested that we might try to a movie to kill some time (the movie theatre was on the side of the street with power). Unfortunately, once we made it to the ticketing area it became apparent that we weren't the only ones with this idea. Even at about 9:30 the place was completely packed and there was no way we would have made it into a movie on time.
Once back at the apartment Neil and I re-lit the candles and played some more cribbage while Rebecca read by candlelight. Eventually, at about 10:45, the power came back on and we were able to get on with our evening as planned, though by this time I really didn't have as much time to devote to reading and school work as I had planned on.
Throughout much of the power outage we were somewhat worried about the status of a can of pop that Rebecca had placed in the freezer just minutes before the outage. As we didn't know how long we would be without power we didn't want to open the freezer to take the can out. Fortunately, even though it had been in the freezer for four hours, the can did not rupture, which would have been quite a mess.
Blog-off
Cameron: 10
Neil: 0
Once the beard removal was finished and a few flashlights and candles had been gathered Neil and I settled into a nice debate about how one should go about taping the fridge shut (to prevent the release of cold air) in such a circumstance. After our rather exhaustive debate we moved over to the card table to play some candlelight cribbage. All this time we could see that even across the street a number of buildings did have power.
After not too long all three of us thought that it might be best if we tried to make our way to a restaurant for dinner, as it wasn't likely that we would be able to cook all that much on the tea lights. As we made our way out discovered that the outage was quite spotty. In some instances certain side of a street would have power, or long building on a block might have power. The downside of this inconsistency was that we had no idea whether the restaurant we hoped to patronize would be open until we reached its front door. As it turned out, the restaurant was closed, so we made our way across town to a restaurant we were pretty sure would be open.
We eventually made it to a restaurant on Quinpool and settled in for a very pleasant dinner. Actually, I think the dinner had the positive benefit of teaching me a lesson about Halifax fish and chips, which is that it does not tend to agree with my system. As we were hanging around after the meal killing time I managed to drop my cup of coffee on the table. Fortunately the napkin I had on my lap managed to soak up most of the liquid. This incident reminded me how important proper napkin placement is.
After a quick stop at a great video rental store near the restaurant we made our way back to our part of town. As we were walking down Spring Garden it became clear that power had still not been fully restored. It was suggested that we might try to a movie to kill some time (the movie theatre was on the side of the street with power). Unfortunately, once we made it to the ticketing area it became apparent that we weren't the only ones with this idea. Even at about 9:30 the place was completely packed and there was no way we would have made it into a movie on time.
Once back at the apartment Neil and I re-lit the candles and played some more cribbage while Rebecca read by candlelight. Eventually, at about 10:45, the power came back on and we were able to get on with our evening as planned, though by this time I really didn't have as much time to devote to reading and school work as I had planned on.
Throughout much of the power outage we were somewhat worried about the status of a can of pop that Rebecca had placed in the freezer just minutes before the outage. As we didn't know how long we would be without power we didn't want to open the freezer to take the can out. Fortunately, even though it had been in the freezer for four hours, the can did not rupture, which would have been quite a mess.
Blog-off
Cameron: 10
Neil: 0
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 264
-Though we had a pretty rough night last night and into the early hours of the morning, things seemed to have really cleared up by mid-morning. Unfortunately, much of the precipitation that fell as either rain or ice pellets turned into water and then re-froze as the day progressed. As things stand now, much of downtown Halifax, at least the sidewalks, seem to be covered in ice, or slush that hasn't yet turned into ice.
-One of the consequences of the less than pleasant weather was a delayed opening for Dalhousie. Shortly after I woke up this morning I learned that they wouldn't be opening until 11:00, which meant that I would be missing my first class of the day. Later in the morning I learned that my second class had been cancelled by the professor. In many ways, though I did appreciate the extra sleep, I would have liked to get these classes out of the way and not have had the week delay that is likely to occur. The other aspect of the closure that caused my excitement to be somewhat muted was that I had to head in to pick up a book from the library anyway.
-Though it is only increasing at the rate of a minute a day, I am really starting to enjoy the extra daylight we are getting as we head into spring. Within a few weeks I should be able to leave my evening class before the sun sets.
-I am making some chicken soup for dinner tonight. Because I happened to remember that I had a bag of barley I threw some in. Hopefully the barley will be a positive addition.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, and I played a game of Settlers of Catan (along with the Fishermen of Catan addition). Somehow I managed to smoke them in about 30 minutes (or maybe even less). It seems that almost before we really started to play I had won (thanks to the hot 8s). Amazingly, I also managed to win the two games of Cribbage I played against Neil, making my gaming success rate abnormally high.
-Amazingly, the donated bus stop bench I mentioned a few days ago is still at the bus stop. I really thought that one of the many drunks that walk by each night would have either stolen it or broken it, but this seems not to have happened. Maybe it is because it is winter, but I still haven't seen anyone sitting on the bench.
-One of the consequences of the less than pleasant weather was a delayed opening for Dalhousie. Shortly after I woke up this morning I learned that they wouldn't be opening until 11:00, which meant that I would be missing my first class of the day. Later in the morning I learned that my second class had been cancelled by the professor. In many ways, though I did appreciate the extra sleep, I would have liked to get these classes out of the way and not have had the week delay that is likely to occur. The other aspect of the closure that caused my excitement to be somewhat muted was that I had to head in to pick up a book from the library anyway.
-Though it is only increasing at the rate of a minute a day, I am really starting to enjoy the extra daylight we are getting as we head into spring. Within a few weeks I should be able to leave my evening class before the sun sets.
-I am making some chicken soup for dinner tonight. Because I happened to remember that I had a bag of barley I threw some in. Hopefully the barley will be a positive addition.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, and I played a game of Settlers of Catan (along with the Fishermen of Catan addition). Somehow I managed to smoke them in about 30 minutes (or maybe even less). It seems that almost before we really started to play I had won (thanks to the hot 8s). Amazingly, I also managed to win the two games of Cribbage I played against Neil, making my gaming success rate abnormally high.
-Amazingly, the donated bus stop bench I mentioned a few days ago is still at the bus stop. I really thought that one of the many drunks that walk by each night would have either stolen it or broken it, but this seems not to have happened. Maybe it is because it is winter, but I still haven't seen anyone sitting on the bench.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Recent Gaming Activities
A few years ago while in Bristol, England I ended up playing a few games of Jenga with two Irish circus performers. This games are particularly memorable because I was introduced to a new strategy, speed Jenga. These two Irish guys advocated removing the blocks as quickly as possible, and just pulling instead of testing to see which blocks are loose and ready for easy removal. Since these games I have almost consistently used this approach, typically to good effect. Below are a few clips of a few of the games we played earlier today. As you will see, the speed method is frequently employed.
[Embedded video]
(The preceding video was made using iMovie, as come standard on most Macs. And though I was a fan of previous incarnations of this program I can't say I am a fan of this version. Not only is it less user friendly, it seems to have fewer features or they are significantly more difficult to access. I can't imagine that I will end up using this version of the program as much as I used the old version unless I can figure out how to do some of the things that I was able to do in the past. This is really an unfortunate development.)
Later in the day Neil and I managed to play a few games of Scopa, which is an Italian card game played with a forty card deck. According to a half-Italian friend of mine this is a particularly popular game among old men, and is frequently played by these individuals while they are hanging out at coffee shops. Though I can't vouch for the veracity of these claims, I tell you that it is a pretty easy and fun two player game. I can certainly imagine sitting around and playing for hours on end.
Though we have only played one game so far, I would guess that we will be playing some Settlers in the near future. As we are quickly approaching Christmas I am not exactly sure when we are going to fit these games in (maybe tonight).
[Embedded video]
(The preceding video was made using iMovie, as come standard on most Macs. And though I was a fan of previous incarnations of this program I can't say I am a fan of this version. Not only is it less user friendly, it seems to have fewer features or they are significantly more difficult to access. I can't imagine that I will end up using this version of the program as much as I used the old version unless I can figure out how to do some of the things that I was able to do in the past. This is really an unfortunate development.)
Later in the day Neil and I managed to play a few games of Scopa, which is an Italian card game played with a forty card deck. According to a half-Italian friend of mine this is a particularly popular game among old men, and is frequently played by these individuals while they are hanging out at coffee shops. Though I can't vouch for the veracity of these claims, I tell you that it is a pretty easy and fun two player game. I can certainly imagine sitting around and playing for hours on end.
Though we have only played one game so far, I would guess that we will be playing some Settlers in the near future. As we are quickly approaching Christmas I am not exactly sure when we are going to fit these games in (maybe tonight).
Monday, October 06, 2008
Watson finished 3rd in EPT £1 Million Showdown
Shortly we went out for dinner Michael Watson was eliminated from the EPT £1 Million Showdown. His third place finish should be good for about £241 000 (about $460 000 CDN).
For those of you that care, the live video feed of the event was pretty good, certainly better than getting text based updates minutes after the action. Furthermore, the commentators were seemingly pretty competent and made more complimentary comments about the online players than many other poker commentators that I have seen.
For those of you that care, the live video feed of the event was pretty good, certainly better than getting text based updates minutes after the action. Furthermore, the commentators were seemingly pretty competent and made more complimentary comments about the online players than many other poker commentators that I have seen.
Watson is one of eight left at the EPT £1 Million Showdown
Watson's elimination of Isabelle Mercier means that there are now only 8 player at the EPT £1 Million Showdown final table. This means that he is now guaranteed at least £59 000.
Watson at final table of EPT £1 Million Showdown
It seems that Michael Watson has made it to the final table of the EPT £1 Million Showdown. Making the final table means a guaranteed payout of at least £51 000, with the chance to win as much as £516 000.
The final table will get under way shortly. Live coverage is available at eptlive.com. It seems as though they will be streaming the event live.
Update: One can also get events through the PokerStars blog, and as these are text based they might be easier to access for some of you.
The final table will get under way shortly. Live coverage is available at eptlive.com. It seems as though they will be streaming the event live.
Update: One can also get events through the PokerStars blog, and as these are text based they might be easier to access for some of you.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Sint Maarten: Day 17
At about 5:15 AM I woke to find that my father had already risen and showered. Almost immediately I went in to clean up. Once I was done in the bathroom I packed our dirty clothes and my belongings. We then went down to the main floor to check on the continental breakfast and the shuttle.
As it happened, they were loading a shuttle as we exited the lobby. We thought that we would head over just to check things out, and maybe to find the schedule. It also became clear that again there was a bit of a backlog and that things may take longer than one would want. As we approached the shuttle it was clear that many people weren’t going to make this particular journey. Somehow, just as this was becoming clear to us, one of the individuals who wasn’t going to make the trip because of space constraints pointed out to the driver that we didn’t have luggage and that we would fit. So at the last moment we made our way onto the shuttle for the three-minute journey to the AirTrain station.
Unlike like our first trip on the AirTrain, our second journey required us to visit all of the terminals, even those we had no interest in seeing. Fortunately, the train wasn’t too busy and seemed to move quickly from one stop to the next.
Once in the airport we were able to go directly to security as we had already checked our bags to Montreal. This was a relatively quick process, and certainly more painless than in smaller North American centers, but nowhere near as painless as Sint Maarten.
Soon enough we were through security and on our way to our gate, which we thought we would check out before getting some breakfast. As we continued walking we realized that our gate was quite a ways out, and that we likely wouldn’t be able to make it back to the restaurants at the beginning of the journey as they were just too far away.
Fortunately, just as our gate came into view so did a final food service establishment. After a quick examination of the menu we learned that they sold basic breakfast sandwiches for reasonable prices, and even dropped 30 cents if you didn’t have cheese. Even more pleasant than the low price was that the fact that the sandwiches were actually relatively large, and very satisfying. I was also very satisfied with the coffee that I purchased, it was much better than I expected.
Soon enough we were able to board our plane. For the first time on our trip my father and I were actually assigned seats next to one another, which was a pleasant change.
Both of us fell asleep very quickly, before the plane even left the ground. I ended up waking up and reading while my father continued to sleep. Eventually both of us were up and served drinks by the very competent and pleasant flight attendant. Unlike most Canadian flights, the flight attendant actually came back and offered us a second round of drinks (and this is on a flight that is only about an hour long).
Once in Montreal we raced off the plane and to the immigration screening area. We were the first people, possibly of the day, but certainly of the flight, to make it through. Though we were asked a few questions there were no problems.
We then moved down to the baggage claim area where I went to the bathroom. By the time I returned our bags were making their way along the conveyor system. Our only real delay then was that my father also wanted to use the bathroom, causing us to wait a minute or two during the entire process.
Customs was even less problematic than immigration and we were able to exit the secure area and enter the arrivals area.
While at the airport we went to the ticketing counter to try to change my flight itinerary so that I could spend some time in Halifax on my way to St. John’s. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me change the schedule without paying a change fee and the cost of the new fare. This made the trip impractical, as one of the main reasons was to reduce shipping costs, which would be less than the change to the itinerary.
We then made our way to the shuttle bus. While at the ticket counter we were told that there would be another shuttle at the main bus station that would transport us to our final destination, which we thought would be McGill. Soon after taking our seats we were on our way, reaching the bus station in a very respectable time. Soon after arriving at the bus station we noticed a particular individual who seemed to be associated with the bus company. My father was convinced that this particular man was the shuttle driver. Eventually my father approached this man and learned that he was in fact the shuttle driver.
Much to our surprise, instead of ending up a Sherbrooke Street hotel, the driver dropped us off at my door. This was particularly nice as by the time we boarded this second bus it had started to rain, and was raining quite heavily by the time we reached my apartment.
Soon after arriving and dropping off our bags we went out to Place Milton for lunch. As it happened to be a holiday they were only serving breakfast, meaning that I wasn’t able to purchase the hamburger that I had hoped to order.
Once we had finished lunch we started on the packing. Basically we needed to back my belongings in both suitcases and boxes by the following afternoon, at which point we needed to head out to the airport to catch a flight to St. John’s.
Amazingly, we were able to pack about 6 boxes and the better part of four suitcases in a number of hours. By time we finished packing for the evening it was dinnertime, meaning that we had done what we needed to in about 4 or 5 hours. This was a much more efficient operation than I had originally expected, but that is fine with me. Our productivity meant that we had a much more relaxing and productive day the following day.
After dinner, which we ate a restaurant on St. Catherine, my father and I hand-trucked a load of beer bottles over to the local grocery store. I was able to get about $14 from the load, which was nice. The only downside was that it wasn’t quite enough to cover the dozen beer and bag of pretzels that we were purchasing.
Shortly after returning to the apartment Liam arrived for a poker game that Nithum was arranging. Eventually Dougal and Nithum also arrived, allowing us to start the game. Eventually one additional player arrived. As it turned out, the latecomer was the big winner.
Soon after finishing playing poker we hit the sack. Both of us were able to get to sleep relatively quickly as we were going on about 4 hours of sleep.
As it happened, they were loading a shuttle as we exited the lobby. We thought that we would head over just to check things out, and maybe to find the schedule. It also became clear that again there was a bit of a backlog and that things may take longer than one would want. As we approached the shuttle it was clear that many people weren’t going to make this particular journey. Somehow, just as this was becoming clear to us, one of the individuals who wasn’t going to make the trip because of space constraints pointed out to the driver that we didn’t have luggage and that we would fit. So at the last moment we made our way onto the shuttle for the three-minute journey to the AirTrain station.
Unlike like our first trip on the AirTrain, our second journey required us to visit all of the terminals, even those we had no interest in seeing. Fortunately, the train wasn’t too busy and seemed to move quickly from one stop to the next.
Once in the airport we were able to go directly to security as we had already checked our bags to Montreal. This was a relatively quick process, and certainly more painless than in smaller North American centers, but nowhere near as painless as Sint Maarten.
Soon enough we were through security and on our way to our gate, which we thought we would check out before getting some breakfast. As we continued walking we realized that our gate was quite a ways out, and that we likely wouldn’t be able to make it back to the restaurants at the beginning of the journey as they were just too far away.
Fortunately, just as our gate came into view so did a final food service establishment. After a quick examination of the menu we learned that they sold basic breakfast sandwiches for reasonable prices, and even dropped 30 cents if you didn’t have cheese. Even more pleasant than the low price was that the fact that the sandwiches were actually relatively large, and very satisfying. I was also very satisfied with the coffee that I purchased, it was much better than I expected.
Soon enough we were able to board our plane. For the first time on our trip my father and I were actually assigned seats next to one another, which was a pleasant change.
Both of us fell asleep very quickly, before the plane even left the ground. I ended up waking up and reading while my father continued to sleep. Eventually both of us were up and served drinks by the very competent and pleasant flight attendant. Unlike most Canadian flights, the flight attendant actually came back and offered us a second round of drinks (and this is on a flight that is only about an hour long).
Once in Montreal we raced off the plane and to the immigration screening area. We were the first people, possibly of the day, but certainly of the flight, to make it through. Though we were asked a few questions there were no problems.
We then moved down to the baggage claim area where I went to the bathroom. By the time I returned our bags were making their way along the conveyor system. Our only real delay then was that my father also wanted to use the bathroom, causing us to wait a minute or two during the entire process.
Customs was even less problematic than immigration and we were able to exit the secure area and enter the arrivals area.
While at the airport we went to the ticketing counter to try to change my flight itinerary so that I could spend some time in Halifax on my way to St. John’s. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me change the schedule without paying a change fee and the cost of the new fare. This made the trip impractical, as one of the main reasons was to reduce shipping costs, which would be less than the change to the itinerary.
We then made our way to the shuttle bus. While at the ticket counter we were told that there would be another shuttle at the main bus station that would transport us to our final destination, which we thought would be McGill. Soon after taking our seats we were on our way, reaching the bus station in a very respectable time. Soon after arriving at the bus station we noticed a particular individual who seemed to be associated with the bus company. My father was convinced that this particular man was the shuttle driver. Eventually my father approached this man and learned that he was in fact the shuttle driver.
Much to our surprise, instead of ending up a Sherbrooke Street hotel, the driver dropped us off at my door. This was particularly nice as by the time we boarded this second bus it had started to rain, and was raining quite heavily by the time we reached my apartment.
Soon after arriving and dropping off our bags we went out to Place Milton for lunch. As it happened to be a holiday they were only serving breakfast, meaning that I wasn’t able to purchase the hamburger that I had hoped to order.
Once we had finished lunch we started on the packing. Basically we needed to back my belongings in both suitcases and boxes by the following afternoon, at which point we needed to head out to the airport to catch a flight to St. John’s.
Amazingly, we were able to pack about 6 boxes and the better part of four suitcases in a number of hours. By time we finished packing for the evening it was dinnertime, meaning that we had done what we needed to in about 4 or 5 hours. This was a much more efficient operation than I had originally expected, but that is fine with me. Our productivity meant that we had a much more relaxing and productive day the following day.
After dinner, which we ate a restaurant on St. Catherine, my father and I hand-trucked a load of beer bottles over to the local grocery store. I was able to get about $14 from the load, which was nice. The only downside was that it wasn’t quite enough to cover the dozen beer and bag of pretzels that we were purchasing.
Shortly after returning to the apartment Liam arrived for a poker game that Nithum was arranging. Eventually Dougal and Nithum also arrived, allowing us to start the game. Eventually one additional player arrived. As it turned out, the latecomer was the big winner.
Soon after finishing playing poker we hit the sack. Both of us were able to get to sleep relatively quickly as we were going on about 4 hours of sleep.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sint Maarten: Day 7
It seems that at some point I started to misspell Sint Maarten and have since had trouble keeping straight which vowel it is that I am to double. Amazingly, no one mentioned my very noticeable misspelling of the name in the titles of these posts (as nice as that would have been). Hopefully now that I am aware of the problem I will be more vigilant and eliminate any such problems before I post them.
******
Not surprisingly, several things about Sint Maarten are a little different than they are in North America. One of the most noticeable changes is that while doors do have door knobs most function only as handles as there is no catch for them to pull in. The problem with this design, at least as far as I can see, is that it means that doors always have to be locked or they will be pushed open by moving air (such as wind or a draft). Fortunately, some bathroom and bedroom doors are equipped with more traditional mechanisms.
Toilets also tend to have less powerful flushes. This is likely to conserve water. As much of the drinking water is produced through various desalinization processes this makes sense. As water is expensive and difficult and expensive to produce its use should be minimized. Strangely, this seems to be just about the only gesture towards reduced consumption and environmental abuse that I have yet seen.
******
Unlike the previous days this week my father had to be on campus before 7:30. This change in schedule meant that he did not wake me up for breakfast before he left for the morning, allowing me to get another hour and a half of sleep.
Upon waking I again proceeded to blow a substantial portion of the morning with various internet based activities (a few of which were actually useful and related trip). Eventually, I did manage to get ready for the day and make it outside.
I walked to Mullet Beach and made my way out on the rocky outcropping above the snorkeling grounds. While sitting alone on the rocks I was able to watch the rocks and the waves. One impression I had was that the water seemed particularly clear. Many of the rocks were clearly visible from high above the water.
Soon enough I received a call from my father indicating that he would be heading home for lunch. I climbed back down to the beach and then walked across the golf course and home. We ended up having sandwiches and odds and ends for lunch,
After lunch we made our way back to the university building. The main justification for the trip was so that I could stop by the library and get a tour. As I had previously met the librarian and suggested this, it wasn’t too much of a problem to arrange this once we arrived.
Wendy showed me the physical components of the library and also discussed many of the administrative decisions that she had made since arriving. As my library experience hasn’t been all that varied, this was a nice experience. I was particularly glad that she showed me her catalogue and associated system as it differed from the system with which I am most familiar but seemed quite functional and affordable.
While sitting in her office talking to me, Wendy received a call from her husband. It seemed that someone had chained a dinghy to their dinghy instead of the piece of cement, forcing Bob to tow it to their boat. When the person returned to the site they would find that their dinghy was missing. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to have any means of identifying the dinghy to let the owners know what had happened. Presumably they were able to work this matter out within the next few hours.
After departing from the library, and then the university, we returned to the apartment where, based my assessment of the conditions earlier in the day, we decided to go snorkeling at Mullet Beach. Almost as soon as we arrived we saw that the water wasn’t as clear as our previous visit. The water was so cloudy that we were prevented from seeing most of the fish in the area. I also wonder if the slightly altered conditions either changed the behaviour patterns of the fish, or caused them to relocated as I know that I should have been able to make out many of the bigger fish, had they been there.
Though we were not satisfied with the conditions we did stick it out for a while. Eventually, when it became clear that things weren’t about to improve and when it also became clear that we were both fogging up more than normal we decided to head in. As we were making our way back to the beach I looked down and saw a stingray type fish. While the animal was partly obscured by sand it was quite easy to make see the outline of the fish, including the stinging tail. When I came up to tell my father about my sighting he had to re-adjust his equipment before he was able to go back down. By the time that he was able to make it back in the water the stingray type thing had vanished, though not without alerting me to the dangers of the seemingly tame sandy beaches of Sint Maarten.
We both decided to spend a little more time on the beach after our snorkeling adventure. For the most part this meant sitting near the shore and allowing the waves to push or pull us. The result was that, once again, I ended up with sand all over my body, including my ears and my hair.
After cleaning up we made our way to Simpson Bay to look for the local post office and scooter rental locations. While we were able to find both, neither were open and neither included hours or operations or any indications of when they would be open again.
As we made our way back to the Cupecoy/university area we started to look for restaurants. After an unsuccessful scanning we decided to head to the Thai place in the casino. Once in the restaurant one of the first things we noticed was that many of the dishes weren’t really all that Thai, but just generally from Asia. While both of our meals were tolerable, neither of us was particularly impressed with our dining experience. The general consensus was that Cheri’s Café was a much better experience in terms of both food and service.
The casino itself was the next item on the evening’s agenda. While we didn’t have any plans to play, I had wanted to see what the inside of a Sint Maarten casino looked like. Not surprisingly, slot machines and various video terminals predominated. The 1 cent play machines were particularly popular with the patrons that were there while we were. Sadly, the various table games were not in operation during our exploration. From the tables that were present it was clear that this was a much smaller part of their business than the slots and related machines. Another surprise was the number of poker tables that they had. If I recall correctly they seemed to have at least six of these tables, which seemed large considering they only had about 10 other tables.
We then returned home and spoke to my mother and sister via Skype. After the call we started another game of rummy. Part way through the game we decided to have the previously purchased coconut as a snack.
We went on the balcony to smash it open. I was filming while my father was in charge of smashing. When my father first threw it down, the coconut bounced so high it almost went over the rail and off of the balcony. A second throw had similar results.
It then became clear that we should probably remove the outer husk of the fruit before we tried to smash it. With a large kitchen knife my father was able to cut into the husk to create openings that allowed him to tear it open, and eventually remove the soft protective elements.
Once the protective coating had been removed the coconut cracked on the first attempt. Both of us then tried some of the meat. I was somewhat disappointed in the eating experience. The meat was not particularly tasty, nor was it even easy to remove from the hard shell. This caused me to wonder if coconuts that they serve as beverages are slightly different in terms of maturity than those they serve as fruit, but I haven’t really been able to answer that question.
Eventually, we were able to get back to our rummy game. After only a hand or two we noticed that we had a call on Skype. It was my mother and sister. Though I have no idea what they were calling about, we did manage to talk about names of places on the island.
After the call we were able to return to the rummy game, this time to see it to its end. Unfortunately, I gave my father the victory in the dying moments of the final hand.
We then called it a night and went to bed, in an attempt to keep to our daily schedule (which resembles Newfoundland time).
******
Not surprisingly, several things about Sint Maarten are a little different than they are in North America. One of the most noticeable changes is that while doors do have door knobs most function only as handles as there is no catch for them to pull in. The problem with this design, at least as far as I can see, is that it means that doors always have to be locked or they will be pushed open by moving air (such as wind or a draft). Fortunately, some bathroom and bedroom doors are equipped with more traditional mechanisms.
Toilets also tend to have less powerful flushes. This is likely to conserve water. As much of the drinking water is produced through various desalinization processes this makes sense. As water is expensive and difficult and expensive to produce its use should be minimized. Strangely, this seems to be just about the only gesture towards reduced consumption and environmental abuse that I have yet seen.
******
Unlike the previous days this week my father had to be on campus before 7:30. This change in schedule meant that he did not wake me up for breakfast before he left for the morning, allowing me to get another hour and a half of sleep.
Upon waking I again proceeded to blow a substantial portion of the morning with various internet based activities (a few of which were actually useful and related trip). Eventually, I did manage to get ready for the day and make it outside.
I walked to Mullet Beach and made my way out on the rocky outcropping above the snorkeling grounds. While sitting alone on the rocks I was able to watch the rocks and the waves. One impression I had was that the water seemed particularly clear. Many of the rocks were clearly visible from high above the water.
Soon enough I received a call from my father indicating that he would be heading home for lunch. I climbed back down to the beach and then walked across the golf course and home. We ended up having sandwiches and odds and ends for lunch,
After lunch we made our way back to the university building. The main justification for the trip was so that I could stop by the library and get a tour. As I had previously met the librarian and suggested this, it wasn’t too much of a problem to arrange this once we arrived.
Wendy showed me the physical components of the library and also discussed many of the administrative decisions that she had made since arriving. As my library experience hasn’t been all that varied, this was a nice experience. I was particularly glad that she showed me her catalogue and associated system as it differed from the system with which I am most familiar but seemed quite functional and affordable.
While sitting in her office talking to me, Wendy received a call from her husband. It seemed that someone had chained a dinghy to their dinghy instead of the piece of cement, forcing Bob to tow it to their boat. When the person returned to the site they would find that their dinghy was missing. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to have any means of identifying the dinghy to let the owners know what had happened. Presumably they were able to work this matter out within the next few hours.
After departing from the library, and then the university, we returned to the apartment where, based my assessment of the conditions earlier in the day, we decided to go snorkeling at Mullet Beach. Almost as soon as we arrived we saw that the water wasn’t as clear as our previous visit. The water was so cloudy that we were prevented from seeing most of the fish in the area. I also wonder if the slightly altered conditions either changed the behaviour patterns of the fish, or caused them to relocated as I know that I should have been able to make out many of the bigger fish, had they been there.
Though we were not satisfied with the conditions we did stick it out for a while. Eventually, when it became clear that things weren’t about to improve and when it also became clear that we were both fogging up more than normal we decided to head in. As we were making our way back to the beach I looked down and saw a stingray type fish. While the animal was partly obscured by sand it was quite easy to make see the outline of the fish, including the stinging tail. When I came up to tell my father about my sighting he had to re-adjust his equipment before he was able to go back down. By the time that he was able to make it back in the water the stingray type thing had vanished, though not without alerting me to the dangers of the seemingly tame sandy beaches of Sint Maarten.
We both decided to spend a little more time on the beach after our snorkeling adventure. For the most part this meant sitting near the shore and allowing the waves to push or pull us. The result was that, once again, I ended up with sand all over my body, including my ears and my hair.
After cleaning up we made our way to Simpson Bay to look for the local post office and scooter rental locations. While we were able to find both, neither were open and neither included hours or operations or any indications of when they would be open again.
As we made our way back to the Cupecoy/university area we started to look for restaurants. After an unsuccessful scanning we decided to head to the Thai place in the casino. Once in the restaurant one of the first things we noticed was that many of the dishes weren’t really all that Thai, but just generally from Asia. While both of our meals were tolerable, neither of us was particularly impressed with our dining experience. The general consensus was that Cheri’s Café was a much better experience in terms of both food and service.
The casino itself was the next item on the evening’s agenda. While we didn’t have any plans to play, I had wanted to see what the inside of a Sint Maarten casino looked like. Not surprisingly, slot machines and various video terminals predominated. The 1 cent play machines were particularly popular with the patrons that were there while we were. Sadly, the various table games were not in operation during our exploration. From the tables that were present it was clear that this was a much smaller part of their business than the slots and related machines. Another surprise was the number of poker tables that they had. If I recall correctly they seemed to have at least six of these tables, which seemed large considering they only had about 10 other tables.
We then returned home and spoke to my mother and sister via Skype. After the call we started another game of rummy. Part way through the game we decided to have the previously purchased coconut as a snack.
We went on the balcony to smash it open. I was filming while my father was in charge of smashing. When my father first threw it down, the coconut bounced so high it almost went over the rail and off of the balcony. A second throw had similar results.
It then became clear that we should probably remove the outer husk of the fruit before we tried to smash it. With a large kitchen knife my father was able to cut into the husk to create openings that allowed him to tear it open, and eventually remove the soft protective elements.
Once the protective coating had been removed the coconut cracked on the first attempt. Both of us then tried some of the meat. I was somewhat disappointed in the eating experience. The meat was not particularly tasty, nor was it even easy to remove from the hard shell. This caused me to wonder if coconuts that they serve as beverages are slightly different in terms of maturity than those they serve as fruit, but I haven’t really been able to answer that question.
Eventually, we were able to get back to our rummy game. After only a hand or two we noticed that we had a call on Skype. It was my mother and sister. Though I have no idea what they were calling about, we did manage to talk about names of places on the island.
After the call we were able to return to the rummy game, this time to see it to its end. Unfortunately, I gave my father the victory in the dying moments of the final hand.
We then called it a night and went to bed, in an attempt to keep to our daily schedule (which resembles Newfoundland time).
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