Mee Siam Mai Hum

Sunday, May 16, 2010

There's something vaguely appealing about the Scrabble community haha. It is close, its indulgently geeky. The people involved are so distanced from being 'cool' it is absolutely fantastic.

There's no compulsion for anyone to behave within the standard conventions of social acceptance - with of course, the basic expectation of sportsmanship and decency. Consequently, the standards for social acceptance are very much relaxed, which makes people feel more at ease.

I also love how grassroots the entire affair is. Quite incredible that plastic-bag toting aunties, potbellied uncles, Cambridge grads, NTU undergrads, 10-year old kids can come together in such an activity.

It's a nice little microcosm for the world too. There's the indeterminable 17% element of luck (oh tile goddesses), the 30% or so of natural talent (bingo-spotting affinity), and the final part of sheer hardcore effort (wordlist mugging). These combine such that anyone can beat anyone. It befits the game that it was conceptualized in the midst of the Great Depression by Alfred Butts.

In short, its a home for the socially awkward, somewhere I can park at least bit of myself. Something that's been with me for ages. Something esoteric enough (unlike Grade 8s in piano, or even the guitar). It suits me, or I've grown to suit it. Yush.

Went home together with an old friend following Voices in Flight. It's been awhile since I last heard words of such simple and elegant wisdom. Puts the darned philo-sophists to shame, if I may say. One thing applies, that this refuge cannot take on an escapist tone.

What a weekend.

2L @ 10:14 PM
"Sorry also must exprain"
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Hello Uncle...Bah Chor Mee one. I want chilli plus tur Kwa plus can I watch your CCTV playback of Jeff Lopez...=D