Today is my one year anniversary in Cairo. It's crazy, when I came here I remember thinking: if I can just make it two months, I will be proud of myself. Now, one year and countless "making it work" moments later, here I am with friends I know will never leave my side and a pocketful of life lessons. This place means so much to me, I could never, ever explain enough what I have learned. But I am going to try through the similarities I find in life and playing tawla. Otherwise known as backgammon, tawla is how I spend a lot of my spare time. It goes with the ahwa scene (cafe), hanging out, smoking shisha, drinking tea and eating sandwiches from Walid's food cart across the street. It's like home base, and tawla is a great way to pass the time together.
Backgammon is thought to be the oldest board game in the world, dating back to 3,000 BC, so it shouldn't surprise anyone there's some life lessons hidden inside the strategy. The basic run down is this: There are fifteen black pieces and fifteen white. The goal is to get all of your pieces around the board, into your "house," and collect them all before your opponent does. You move by rolling the dice, and try to make sure to "cover" your pieces by not leaving them alone. If a piece is alone on a slot, it can be "eaten" by your opponent and sent back to the beginning. So there is a delicate balance of defense and risk, just like in life.
Here are some of the similarities I have found between how we live our lives and how we play tawla:
1. You have to play smart and work with what you have, but remember that a lot is left to chance:
There is a significant amount of strategy to be used in tawla and life in general, but no matter how "good" you are, you can never plan for everything. You never know what the next roll will give you. You just have to prepare for both the best and the worst as well as you can. The future is always unknown until it's not the future anymore.
2. You can't play without taking risks:
Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been life if I hadn't quit my job in Jordan and flew to Cairo with no plan, just hoping I could "make it." It definitely wouldn't have the series of adventures that have become my life and changed me for the better. There is not always a perfect "safe" option, and even when there is, it is not always the best option. Risky moves can pay off later.
3. But you can't play too risky and expect to get away with it every time:
Taking risks has its role, but too much risk can make you crash and burn fast. Just like in life, you shouldn't leave yourself too vulnerable unless you are ready to deal with the consequences.
4. You should be careful what you wish for, double sixes are not always a good thing:
How many times do I keep calling out for double sixes, and then when I finally get them all the sixes are blocked and I can't move? Sometimes we think we really want something, and keep wishing for it and wishing for it and wishing for it, whether it's a new job or a gift or a special someone. Then when it comes, we realize that we don't know what to do with it, the timing was wrong, or maybe didn't really want it in the first place.
5. It's better with good company:
So many good conversations, serious and humorous, or both at the same time, have happened over a tawla board. It is a really good opportunity to bond and hang out while surrounded by the craziness of the cafe. We only get one life, so why waste time playing with people you don't even like? My current mantra in life is to only spend time with the people you want to spend time with.
6. You can't always win, but you should always learn:
There are times in our lives when we don't meet our goals, and rather seeing these moments as lost opportunities, we should see them as a chance to learn from our mistakes. A chance to analyze what you could have done differently, if there was a better way to play with the dice you rolled or not. The other player usually has something to teach you as well, if you are humble enough to listen. Then use those lessons the next time you play.
Backgammon is thought to be the oldest board game in the world, dating back to 3,000 BC, so it shouldn't surprise anyone there's some life lessons hidden inside the strategy. The basic run down is this: There are fifteen black pieces and fifteen white. The goal is to get all of your pieces around the board, into your "house," and collect them all before your opponent does. You move by rolling the dice, and try to make sure to "cover" your pieces by not leaving them alone. If a piece is alone on a slot, it can be "eaten" by your opponent and sent back to the beginning. So there is a delicate balance of defense and risk, just like in life.
Here are some of the similarities I have found between how we live our lives and how we play tawla:
1. You have to play smart and work with what you have, but remember that a lot is left to chance:
There is a significant amount of strategy to be used in tawla and life in general, but no matter how "good" you are, you can never plan for everything. You never know what the next roll will give you. You just have to prepare for both the best and the worst as well as you can. The future is always unknown until it's not the future anymore.
2. You can't play without taking risks:
Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been life if I hadn't quit my job in Jordan and flew to Cairo with no plan, just hoping I could "make it." It definitely wouldn't have the series of adventures that have become my life and changed me for the better. There is not always a perfect "safe" option, and even when there is, it is not always the best option. Risky moves can pay off later.
3. But you can't play too risky and expect to get away with it every time:
Taking risks has its role, but too much risk can make you crash and burn fast. Just like in life, you shouldn't leave yourself too vulnerable unless you are ready to deal with the consequences.
4. You should be careful what you wish for, double sixes are not always a good thing:
How many times do I keep calling out for double sixes, and then when I finally get them all the sixes are blocked and I can't move? Sometimes we think we really want something, and keep wishing for it and wishing for it and wishing for it, whether it's a new job or a gift or a special someone. Then when it comes, we realize that we don't know what to do with it, the timing was wrong, or maybe didn't really want it in the first place.
5. It's better with good company:
So many good conversations, serious and humorous, or both at the same time, have happened over a tawla board. It is a really good opportunity to bond and hang out while surrounded by the craziness of the cafe. We only get one life, so why waste time playing with people you don't even like? My current mantra in life is to only spend time with the people you want to spend time with.
6. You can't always win, but you should always learn:
There are times in our lives when we don't meet our goals, and rather seeing these moments as lost opportunities, we should see them as a chance to learn from our mistakes. A chance to analyze what you could have done differently, if there was a better way to play with the dice you rolled or not. The other player usually has something to teach you as well, if you are humble enough to listen. Then use those lessons the next time you play.
Here's to another year of tawla playing, let the lessons begin :)
No comments:
Post a Comment