Written On March 22, 2008
We are in the midst of a byram (holiday). It’s the spring holidays. It is three days, well two days and a Sunday, and surprisingly refreshing. The sun is shining, edging to hot (but it’s a dry heat)! Flowers are blooming, the onions and spinach are ready for harvesting.
I went into Mary on Friday to play backgammon with a fellow volunteer. He’s the closest volunteer to my site (about 20 minutes by death cab), and a good person to have in close quarters. He’s sophisticatedly crude and erudite, plus he can play backgammon, which is AWESOME!
I’ve been a fanatic backgammon player since my dad taught me to count points. I baffle and amaze because I don’t have to count the points anymore. I like backgammon because, while it’s best to have some skill, it often depends on the roll of the dice. It’s a heady combination of strategic risk and stupidity.
Friday, though was my day. We played 10 games, 7 in my favor. I was on a hot streak. I had a massive run on doubles, particularly 5s, that made it really hard to mount a defense. I was particularly pleased because when I played him before (in December), I couldn’t catch a brake. It was an embarrassing set of defeats, but I have redeemed myself.
9 of the games we played were of the strategic ones. We both tried to make points, to block boards, to well, win. But the last game was way more fun. We were both a bit like the black knight in the Holy Grail. We were sacrificing limbs, hobbling around, and still demanding that our victory was iminient. Any open man was a target, regardless of how vulnerable a position it left you in. It got to the point where both of us had more of our men in each others’ back board than we did in our own. It was pure ridiculousness and way more fun!
I also ate chicken! And apologies to people who don’t play backgammon, but it’s a highlight of my life.
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