Postcard from Bishkek

Last week I took Maxim, Andrei and Sveta out for a meal.  I  was quite quite tired and it was bitterly cold out, so I didn’t want to go far, so we decided on Cyclone which is just a block away.  Even so, it was pretty treacherous as the snow underfoot had frozen into ice and was extremely slippery.

As we walked in, the Manager got up to greet us, saying it was a long time since he had seen me.  That was true, but only because on my last few visits it had obviously been his night off.

As we greeted each other I couldn’t help noticing that on the table where he had been sitting was a bright shining i-pad.  I have thought about getting one, and was tempted to ask him what he thought of it, but I am not sure that I want to take the internet everywhere with me, and having an i-pad might just be more distraction than I need.  I am more than happy with my Kindle for reading and my notebook if I need computing power for something.

What did surprise me a little, however, was what he had on the screen … it was a version of the board game, Monopoly.

Although the history of Monopoly can be traced back as far as 1904, the standard game that we are familiar with was actually first produced by Parker Brothers in 1935.  They were actually granted a patent for the game in December that year, although the classic version of the game was supposedly invented on February 7th – that is, 77 years ago today.

The original board was based on Atlantic City but these days different versions exist, based on different cities.  I grew up with the UK version produced by John Waddingtons which is based on London.  I well remember whiling away many long winter evenings with my brother and mother, rolling the dice and counting out moves, buying properties, houses and hotels, paying rent and turning over Chance and Community Chest cards, always hoping it would be “Bank error in your favour” but more often than not it turned out to be “Go to Jail … Do Not pass Go.  Do not collect £200″.

“Winning A Beauty Contest” was always a great source of merriment.

I can’t say that I was particularly good at the game … it struck me as mainly a question of luck. depending on how the dice rolled.  There was some element of judgement deciding which properties to buy and develop but I don’t remember doing much negotiation.  To me it was a source of entertainment and, (unlike my brother), I didn’t take it that seriously; I certainly wouldn’t have done very well in the World Championships.

 

But I did enjoy it … and I have sometimes wondered about a Bishkek based version of the game … there would have to be some amendments; finding the equivalent for the forty streets shouldn’t be too difficult but we don’t have four railway stations, only two, however …  there are two bus stations so they could pressed ganged into service; instead of the gas company we could have Tetz, the municipal heating plant, and so on.

 

Perhaps my favourite memory of Monopoly, however, came when playing a totally different game: Trivial Pursuits.  I already had five wedges when I landed on the Orange cell at the foot of one of the spokes of the wheel … if I got this question right, then I could progress up the spoke to the hub and I stood a very good chance of winning.  The only trouble was … Orange … that meant Sport and Leisure, which was far from being my favourite category.  The card with the question was taken from the box and read to me” “Which board game was banned in the Soviet Union?”.  I hadn’t the faintest idea and I am not even sure that it really registered with me …  ”How am I supposed to know? … Monopoly?”.

It was probably the only board game I could think of at the time but, as it happens, that was the correct answer … and I got my wedge … proceeding up the spoke and eventually winning the game.

 

As it happens, it may have been banned in the Soviet Union, but Moscow recognized something good when they saw it … A few years ago, I was talking to someone and they pulled out a box game to show me.  I looked at with astonishment.  There were cards which reminded me of Chance and Community Chest … the corner squares looked awfully like “Go”, “Free Parking”, “Jail” and “Go to Jail”, but instead of trying to make a fortune and bankrupt your opponents, it seemed to be all about meeting quotas …

 

When I first came here, I brought a set of Trivial Pursuits with me , but there’s no-one to play with and I am not sure what happened to it.  It might have been better if I had brought a box of Monopoly with me.   I have thought about downloading a copy, but I don’t think the kids would go for it … they seem to prefer Grand Theft Auto and things like that.

 

Tags: Expat, Reminiscences