Glass Bead Game

Herman Hesse wrote a book about highly educated and evolved people who spend their lives playing a completely frivolous game. The game involves moving around little glass beads.  There is no doubt in my mind that he had some familiarity with the game Chinese checkers.

I spend a not insignificant amount of my day playing students and teachers.  You have not played Chinese checkers until you have played against 5 real Chinese players.  So far, I have not won, excpt against younger students.

I have a teacher who is my coach.  She firstly demands that I speak no english while I play, which usually means I say very little while playing.  When she is not around, I do speak some.

It is surprisingly engrossing, especially when you have 4 or 6 players playing.

I like to think of it as what Herman Hesse referred to in his novel The Glass Bead Game.