Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
How to Play Congkak
The game begins with seven game pieces (shells, marbles, pebbles or seeds) in each hole except "homes" which remain empty. Congkak requires two players. Each player controls the seven holes on his side of the board and owns the "home" to his left. The goal is to accumulate as many pieces in your own "home".This game is also played in other southeast asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines where it is known as "Sungka".
Initial position 0 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 0 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
On a turn, a player removes all pieces from one of the seven holes on his side. He then distributes them clockwise --- one in each hole to the left of this hole --- in a process called sowing. Sowing skips an opponent's "home" but not a player's own "home".
If the last piece falls into an occupied hole then all the pieces are removed from that hole, and are sown in the same way (clockwise from that hole) in another round. This player's (current) turn ends when the last piece falls into an empty hole on the opponent's side.The other player chooses which hole he wishes to start from, removes the pieces and sows them - one in each hole, clockwise from that chosen hole. If a player has no pieces on his side of the board when it is his turn, then he must pass.
- If the last piece sown falls into a player's own "home" then ...
... the player earns another turn, which can begin at any of the seven holes on his side.- If the last piece sown falls into an empty hole on his side then ...
... the player captures all the pieces in the hole directly across from this one, on the opponent's side and put them (plus the last piece sown) in his own "home". If the opposing hole is empty, no pieces are captured.
The game ends when no pieces are left in any hole on both sides of the board. The players now count the number of pieces in their own "home" and see who has won.
How to Play Monopoly: Board Game Tips & Strategy
In this free how-to video clip series, our expert attempts to aide board gamers by offering tips and strategies for optimizing players' experience with the game of Monopoly. He presents explanations of the rules, such as choosing a banker, buying and trading property, mortgaging property and filing for bankruptcy, and he gives tips on buying houses and hotels, controlling color groups and winning the game.
Credit: http://www.expertvillage.com/interviews/monopoly-tips.htm
Learn How To Play Guitar Chords
Introduction To Chords And The CAGED Fretboard System
Chords are 3 or more notes played at the same time. There are all types of chords, but all will fall under two categories: major and minor chords.
On the guitar there are only 5 basic major chord patterns. These primary chord patterns found on the guitar are C, A, G, E, and D. Together they spell the word CAGED which should help you remember them. All other chords that you will learn in the future come from the C, A, G, E, and D chord patterns.
CAGED is system of fretboard patterns for chords, scales, and arpeggios. It is derived from the unique tuning of the guitar. The C, A, G, E, and D basic chord patterns are just the beginning of the CAGED system. They are the first step in opening up a door to total fretboard domination.
Every other chord, scale, and arpeggio can be built from these 5 patterns. It has been rumored that Jimi Hendrix's vast abilities stem from his knowledge of the CAGED system and look at what it did for him. Understanding and mastering the CAGED system is the greatest achievement for any guitarist and GuitarAlliance.com will show you how to do this and more!
How To Improve Your English
- Remember that learning a language is a gradual process - it does not happen overnight.
- Define your learning objectives early: What do you want to learn and why?
- Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, etc.) 10 minutes each day than to study for 2 hours once a week.
- Remember to make learning a habit! If you study each day for 10 minutes English will be constantly in your head. If you study once a week, English will not be as present in your mind.
- Choose your materials well. You will need reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening materials
- Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, don't just study grammar.
- Find friends to study and speak with. Learning English together can be very encouraging.
- Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable - thus more effective.
- Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practice what you are learning by employing it actively.
- Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn't mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practice speaking what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.
- Be patient with yourself. Remember learning is a process - speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!
- Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English and being successful. Grammar exercises are good - having your friend on the other side of the world understand your email is fantastic!
- Use the Internet. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at your finger tips.