
SHATTERED dreams

..on my son’s chess lesson.
Me (at around the end of the 2nd game):
My son (10) enrolled himself to the local chess club.
Me currently at the cafe.
The average age seems 70+ (counting my son, too).
But then – look, there are even disco lights installed!! These chess players must be real party animals.
Work hard – chess hard, as the saying goes.
Today I am biking with my son, Walter (10), to his chess class.
He is just explaining me how he beat papa in chess yesterday in only 1 step.
Walter (10): ‘..and so I chose this unlogical step and managed to surprise & beat papa in only 1 step!’
Me: ‘Illogical.’
Walter: ‘Excuse me?’
Me: ‘In English we say ‘illogical’ when something is not logical, instead of ‘unlogical’.’
Walter: ‘What? English people even created a completely not logical word to express how not logical something is?’
***
No comment ..I stay silent about all the rest, he has time to discover by himself..
I just love multiculturalism.
On Sunday I had a discussion with a papa, whose daughter goes for chess in the same club with my son. The man is originating from India, and we often see each other in the cafeteria.
He: ‘Are you Flemish? I can’t tell – you look like one, but you speak English here..’
Me: ‘I am Hungarian. ..Were you already born in Belgium?’
He: ‘No, still back in India. So, Hungary…well, sorry, all I know of the country is that it has its own unique language, and used to belong to the communist block…’
Me: ‘No worries. In exchange, all we know about India is that it is 1 country…a nice big country, though..’
He: ‘That’s right. The size of Europe. I, for example, have never been in our capital.. I see you are also a fan of clichés.. ‘
Me: ‘Absolutely. Anyway, what do you work in Belgium?’
He: ‘I am a space engineer, working for the European Space Agency.’
Me: ‘Oh, you must then be frequently visiting the Mars.’
He: ‘Not so often any more, I don’t have much free time, so only at the weekends. Where do you work?’
Me: ‘At a bankinsurer.’
He: ‘Then you must be terribly rich!’
Me: ‘ Oh, don’t even mention. We’ve just recently changed at home our gas heating for burning paper – in order to get rid of the piles of banknotes.’
He: ‘Okay, I see chess has finished, the children are returning. Continue next Sunday?’
Me: ‘Fine, see you next Sunday.’
My son (9) takes lessons in the local chess club every Sunday.
Me currently at the cafe.
There are even disco lights installed!!
These chess players must be real party animals.
As the saying goes: Work hard – chess hard.