Games People Play – All Around the World
April 23rd, 2009 by Gregg Tilston
Japanese Game of "Go" photo by ImABuddha
I want to you to think back to when you were a young kid. What games do you remember playing; hide-and-go-seek, hopscotch, perhaps rock-paper-scissors? Games, whether played or watched, can facilitate an escape from day-to-day stresses and help us blow off a little steam. Sometimes games require great physical activity and other times it’s the cerebral muscles that are exercised. Some people travel great distances to participate in, or watch, their favourite sport while others plan entire holidays around an event or activity.
We asked the Flight Centre global consultants to come up with a couple obscure games that they remember seeing on their vacations while traveling the world.
Gorodki
Once played by the likes of Lenin, Tolstoy and Stalin, Gorodki is more commonly known as a folk game played in Russia by people of all ages. The premise is to knock the gorodki (pins or skittles place in 1 of 15 patterns or sequences) out of the gorod (a defined area) by throwing a bat at the gorodki. Each pattern has a specific name such as the shooting gallery, the arrow and the lobster with specific patterns to the pins. The winning team is determined by the first squad to knock out all 15 sequences. Gorodki is a game that has spread beyond Russia and into other Baltic and Scandinavian countries. When Gorodki is played by children it is usually on a smaller surface and with less complicated patterns
Go
With its origins tracing back over 5,000 years in China Go is a game of strategy, not brawn. Over the years its popularity spread to other Asian countries taking on names such as igo (Japan) and baduk (Korea) and is still enjoyed by millions today. Go is a game played with white and black yunzi (stones) that are alternately and strategically placed on a board which has a grid upon it. The purpose is to control more the board than your opponent with your stones while being careful to avoid becoming trapped and captured by the opposition. Go is another great example of a game that is played by young and old alike.
So what games have you seen along your travels that we can share in a future blog post? As I learn more about these games and reflect on how old they are I realize the role they must have had in the development of some of the games we play today.
Yasnaya Polyana, the birthplace of Leo Tolstoy, is shown on the Flight Centre travel map.
Categories: Activities, Off The Beaten Path
