Volume 12　家で楽しむ雨の日


Rainy Day Activities

Michael: Hello everyone and welcome to the June issue of Cultural Crossroads. I'm Mike Rhys.

Ann: And I'm Ann Slater.

Michael: Now, it's getting into the rainy season, um . . .

Ann: It sure is.

Michael: It sure is. So, it's a time for spending time indoors. Nobody wants to go out in the, the cool, horrible rain. So, I was thinking, how do you spend time when you're indoors on a very rainy day?

Ann: Well, you know, one of the really popular things to do, of course, is to play some kind of game.

Michael: Right.

Ann: Uh, maybe board games. I mean, what were some of the popular board games in England when you were growing up?

Michael: When I was a kid, in my family I think the number one game was Monopoly.

Ann: Oh yeah.

Michael: That was just the main family game. And we had other games. There's a game called Frustration, uh, which . . .

Ann: What is that? I, I vaguely remember that.

Michael: It's a good game for kids because it doesn't really require any skill. It's just rolling a dice and then moving these counters in a special way. So it was a game of luck. And I loved it as a kid, and in fact a few months ago, I bought one to play with my kids and my daughter loves it now. 
And recently I've been buying a lot of board games, ones I used to have as a kid and new ones as well. Because I think these days, a lot of kids, a lot of people tend to use, y'know, video games. But they're not really the kind of game that a family can play. And I was thinking, my kid, she's off on her own playing the video games, it's not really interacting as a family. But the board games is a great way to get a family together.

Ann: Yeah. I agree. I mean, I think, and it's very easy to fall into Mom and Dad on the computer or on the Internet, and Junior's watching TV and, you know, the sister's on the, you know, Game Boy or whatever it is.

Michael: Right.

Ann: And, uh, and it is a shame because I think it's a nice way for families to interact and for children to learn about playing games and about following the rules for the game and how to negotiate things. And also the conversations that come up while you're playing can often be very funny and interesting. 

Michael: Yeah. So, I recommend, everybody to have at least a couple of board games, in the house with the family, and get the family together to play them. 

Ann: And what about, uh, did anyone in your family play chess or any games like that?

Michael: I tried chess, but I'm just absolutely hopeless at that kind of strategy game. I can't think beyond the immediate move I'm making now. I just run out of talent very quickly. I just do not have the kind of mind that can really focus on a game like that. 

Ann: Yeah, it doesn't appeal to you. I mean, I, I understand that. I have a very similar feeling, I think. And my father was a big chess fan and he always wanted to play and I found it very dull.