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| Tuesday, 21 December 2004 |
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Indoor games and food for thought
"Good day to you. I am recovering gradually and with a bit of luck I should be in a position to walk faster next week." "I am happy to hear that." In the silence that ensued I too kept to her pace and tried to slow my speed of walking, as normally I am advised to take a brisk walk. I wanted to talk to her, though it is advised to keep silent while walking, as it is a sort of meditation. It is a relaxed physical exercise. But lots of people walk in groups chatting all manner of things, laughing and giggling. Some others walk with a morose mood as if to announce that the day is not really meant for them. "What are your plans for this Christmas?" I asked her. "Well, we have no such plans, but our children and the grand children will definitely visit us and that is going to keep us happy." "That's something nice to hear. So your daughters and sons and grand daughters and grandsons will get together and have a grand party. Is that what you mean?" "I don't think we are going to have a grand party, but we will have some indoor games, and I think I will have the chance of teaching my grand children." "You mean to say that you are going to teach them English?" "No I want to teach them some games like Scrabbles and Lexicon." "That's splendid." Then I recalled the days when I too took a fancy for these two word games. But that consumes lot of time and remembering word patterns. Whenever we meet at our ancestral house in the past, my father used to play cards with my elder sister and elder brother. I never took the card games seriously. Then once when I spent my time in certain foreign countries I found lots of people interested in chess and card games like bridge and poker. But I never managed to learn them properly once again due to the time factor or it may even be the dislike. But I don't regret the failure to learn such games. Chess, to me, was quite an interesting game but involves a certain degree of military discipline and political strategy. But the partner in the game always wins, as he or she is equipped with those disciplines regularly either through practice or through inheritance. "If you are free, you may come and join us," she said. "Thank you for the invitation, I don't think I am free on those days, but I'll see that I join you on another day." "By the way, what is your favourite in-door game?", she asked me. All of a sudden it occurred to me that I played the in-door game called 'monopoly' several times. "Monopoly." I said. "Oh we had a monopoly board, but I don't know whether we have it still." "Monopoly they say, is not a good indoor game." "Why?" "I was once in Poland on a scholarship. I found that the monopoly is banned in some houses and it is very difficult to buy a board with all the little wooden houses, hotels, title deeds and dices etc." "May I know why it is banned?" "I am not too sure." Then I went on thinking all about it. "If I remember correct, the educationists in some countries feel that monopoly teaches the children to be selfish because it has something to do with money, property like houses, hotels, ownership, exploitation, manipulation, jugglery, craftiness and all the rest." "This is real news to me as it never occurred to me that monopoly is such a game." "I think some of the best in-door games like Ludo and snakes and ladders help build the creativity in children. Don't you think so?" "I am not too sure, but I must study this aspect further." "Are you taking in-door games seriously?" "Yes." "You are doing a research?" "Not actually a research but I find it interesting to see how some in-door games are played over the years and some others become outdated with the advent of other games." "I think one major factor is the advent of the computer games." "There are some countries where they take the computer games so serious that they believe those games will help kindle the creativity in children as well as in adults." "But we all cannot afford such a luxury game." "I think we should bring back some of our traditional in door games like Olinda keliya, Dan Edima and Nerenchi into our houses." "Not a bad idea. But can it be really done as you cannot put the clock back?" Once again we were walking slowly and I was compelled to keep pace with her. "Have you not tried to teach English through games." I asked the English teacher. "I have tried my best to do so and I am keen on experimenting further on parables and Anecdotes as games." It was a never ending chat. But I had lot of other work to do. Her husband, who was also a retired teacher, was waiting near the car waiting for her to come. "Just one more round of a walk and I have to go home," she said. "Then I will see you on another morning, if possible after Christmas." "Have a nice time and take care." "Thank you and same to you. "On my way home I felt that though I had food for thought I had had inadequate physical exercise. |
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"Hello good morning Madame, how are you getting on?" I asked
the retired English teacher, whom we meet quite often during our early
morning walks in the park. She walks slowly on the advise of her medical
doctor, as she has just recovered from a mild stroke.
