To those who read manga. If you haven't read 'Liar Game' yet, read it here:
Many of the games depicted in the manga are intriguing: 17-Cards Poker, Minority, Contraband, Statutory Roullete and Pandemic.
We should have a game session soon. Mae, you bought Monopoly Deal yet?
The past few days have been quite filled up, at least for my standards. In fact I've been getting so much exercise that I cannot but say that I should've lost some weight. One thing I have to post about is about a new card game I discovered and taught friends on the 25th, named Shwimmen. It was one of the first time they actually played a game I taught, so it should be quite significant. To those who have played then, I'm sorry to say that my rules got a little mixed up, so I'm posting this up for your clarification.
______________________________
Shwimmen (German, literally 'swimming')
Similar to 31 or Scat in other countries.
Originally conceived by Christian Moeller, adapted for gamble play.
Works optimally for 4 players, but playable from 2-8.
Uses a 31 card deck (7-10, J, Q, K, A)
Cards has face values of as such: 7-10 (face value), 10-K (10), A (11)
Opening
1. The dealer deals three cards starting from the dealer's left continuing in a clockwise direction plus an extra hand for the centre of the table.
2. The dealer chooses whether he (/she) would like to keep his (her) hand or trade it from the one in the centre before seeing the cards. Once the trade is done, there is no reverting back.
3. The cards that the dealer does not want is opened in the centre.
Play
1. Everyone starts with three lives represented by three chips. The denomination of each chip is determined before the game starts.
2. The dealer's left starts first. During a turn, a player may either:
-----i. Trade any card with another on the table
-----ii. Pass
-----iii. Knock (explained later)
3. If at any moment you have a special hand (due to a initial deal or after a trade, you MUST expose it and the round ends without anyone else having a turn.
-----i. Feuer (literally 'fire') - Three As of any type is worth 32 points.
-----ii. Schnauz (literally, '31') - One A and another two 10-point cards all of the same suit is worth 31 points.
4. If everyone passes in succession, the three cards in the middle is replaced with a new three.
5. If at any time a player decides that his hand is stronger than the rest, he may 'knock', which will give every other player one more turn before the round ends.
Scoring
1. When the round ends, everyone's hand is exposed. The score for a hand is done by adding up the values of the cards with the same suit. For example: 
7, 9, 
K would count 16 points (for the two hearts); 
8, 
9, J would count 10 (for the jack of spades).
7, 9, K would count 16 points (for the two hearts); 8, 9, J would count 10 (for the jack of spades).2. Any other three-of-a-kind other than A scores 30.5 points. So, A, A, A (32) beats A, K,J (31) which beats 9, 9, 9 (30.5) which beats K, Q, J (30).
A, A, A (32) beats A, K,J (31) which beats 9, 9, 9 (30.5) which beats K, Q, J (30).3. In the case of a tie for triples, the highest rank wins over; A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 (low). In the rare case of ties of combinations, the highest suit wins over; Clubs (high), Spades, Hearts, Diamonds (low).
4. The lowest scoring individual(s) adds one of his life (chip) to the pot. If the game ends with a Feuer, all other players add one life to the pot.
5. The game will continue with a new round until someone loses all his lives. The person is considered to be shwimmen (literally, 'swimming'). If a person who is shwimmen loses another round, all lives in the pot goes to the person with the most lives. If tied, the pot is split evenly.
6. The game ends and a new one can be started with everyone having 3 lives again.
______________________________
Overall, this game is quite challenging and strategic with everyone focusing on NOT LOSING their lives, rather than winning everyone's lives.
I hope you will enjoy this game!
P.S.: I just met Vincent and he said his friend had an opening for a fresh graduate interested in writing and he said I would be fit for the job. It is an NGO writing position with a 'quite good' tax-free salary in Cyberjaya. Should I take it? Comment!
I found this picture sitting in the lost archives of my PC. It was taken by a relatively newbie camera Fujifilm FinePix F100fd. Since everyone these days seem to have professional-level DSLRs, this is just a testimony that it takes more skill to wield a lousier camera to perfection than to wield a professional camera to mere professional levels. (I'm not claiming to be one of the former, I'm just making a point.)
Hole in the sky. Taken from inside a moving car in Ipoh. Couldn't jump from the car because we were rushing back home.
Edited: Loaded this onto Photobucket so you can see it in full.
I did the Perl's Life Expectancy Calculator previously in my old blog and I was meant to live till 87 years of age.
It is one and a half years since then.
Today I did it again and found out that:
I just knocked of a year by growing older. Darn you rain and cancelled frisbee session!
I decided to jump-start my online social life. Again.
I think I deserve a little encouragement. My second blog, maximalminimality lasted 18 posts longer than paradoxicalmouth.
When I was brainstorming for the name for this new blog, it was not even a challenge.
However, little did I know that there is another idiot on Earth who wants to be known as chaiboy. If you don't believe me click on the link above. Please do not confuse me with the person depicted in that link. I am indeed 22 years of age and male, but I am not homosexual and go by the name of Derek. My new blog is http://chai-boy.blogspot.com with the hyphen/dash included.
Going on with another similar experience, there IS another person who has taken my precious on twitter. Here is the link for your convenience: http://twitter.com/chaiboy. Do not follow him! I still live in Malaysia in the heart of traffic-jammed Pee Jay. EDIT: My twitter username is chaiminhuei.
Stay updated! Oh, and help spread the love!
Happy CNY!
