ESL Blogs

This blog was written because my friend Asmaa requested me to explain the two childhood games that I used to play. These two games were mentioned in her "comment" box of her blog Remember Your Childhood

The first game was "snake and ladder". It was a board game. My siblings and I used to play this board game at night before our bedtime. We used to squabble and cheat each other while playing this game. Sometimes, my parents were so fed up with us for bickering while we were playing that we were banned from playing it for a few nights. LOL.

Let me try to explain to you how we play this board game.

The objective of the game is to reach the end of the board game which is the square box contains the number 100. This is done by navigating the numbered boxes which sometimes being helped by a ladder but being hindered by a snake.

Besides the board game, you need a dice, and some "token or counters" to represent you on the board. The token can be anything but must be different from each other. This game must be played by at least two person.

The ladder in the board game means that you can "jump" from certain position to another, whereas if you land on a snake mouth, it means that you will be "swallowed down" to another box. Each player started on box 1. Each player takes turn by throwing the dice. The number on dice indicated on how many steps each player had to take on the board. We used to cheat each other by deliberately "skipping" certain boxed numbers especially if we know that we are going to land on the mouth of the snake.

The second game that I used to play was "congkak". It must be played with two players sitting opposite each other. It is a mental calculation game. In "congkak" there would be 14 holes; 7 on each player's side, and 2 holes which we call "home" for each player.

Let me try explain to you how to play congkak. The rules seem to be a little bit complicated , though actually they are not.

To play congkak, you need the congkak board (sometimes we just made the board by digging the lawn, hehehe, which made my Mom mad) and some marbles or pebbles or seeds.

Each player needs to control the 7 holes on their side and owns the "home" on their left side. Each holes have to be filled with 7 marbles except for "homes" which should remain empty. We would take turn to remove all pieces from our side by distributing all the pieces to each holes clockwise including the "home" except for the opponent's "home".

Both opponents need to start the game simultaneously. If the last marbles falls into an occupied hole (hole with marbles in it), then all the marbles would be removed and be distributed into other holes as before.

If the last narbles falls into an empty hole on our side,  we could "captured" all marbles of our opponent that directly opposite of that hole. To "capture" opponent's marbles, we have to at least go through our "home" first.

If the last marble falls into our home, we earn another turn, of which we can start from which ever hole we want from our side.

If the last marble falls into an empty hole on our opponent side, we would lose our turn.

A player needs to "pass" his/her turn to play when ever if (s)he has no marble on his/her side of the board.

The game ends when there is no marble left on each side of the board. The game won by a player that has the highest number of marbles in his/her "home". 

This game is testing individual mental calculation as well as focus. Because, believed me, if lose focus and cannot count, you would be cheated by an opponent. LOL. That what I used to do. Hehehe, by skipping of dropping a marble in a hole. We cheated each other by doing that, and which bickering and squabbling ensured. 

I missed those moments and those games. Nowadays, kids are playing with their tabs, iPads and laptop. Even though most of the times we squabbled and bickered with each other, but those moments were the best. Hehehe... this reminiscent really made me feel like a Granny.

P/S : I'll add three links with regards to "congkak"

1. This video is totally in Malay, but I want you to have a look on how it's being played. How to Play Congkak

2. This video described on how to play congkak in English. How to Play congak in English

3. This video shown how congkak is really played. It's a bit loud, LOL, but try to enjoy it. Playing congkak