GETRUNTAH

Never too early and never too late

Today I saw a woman playing with her two month old daughter in the indoor swimming pool, and ten minutes later breastfeeding the baby to sleep in the locker room, with her wet back toward the crowd. The baby, Sonya, may or may not grow up to be an Olympic swimming champion. But she most probably will be very comfortable in the waters, primed by her parents excitement, loving encouragement and yummy conditioning routine.

I have been very lucky to receive a similar introduction to math. All the way from the toddler years. Little daily challenges, support and excitement from our joint success in my parents eyes. I believed them that it is fun, simple and important, and I wanted to do it for me and for them. I am trying to repeat this now with my own kids, looking for the blurred line between hard earned achievement and exhausted aversion. Like a swim teacher pushing for additional 100 meters to let your body memorize the stroke moves.

Math, swimming or anything else. What if we have not had our chance back in childhood? If we never tried, failed or disliked? Can we wake up this potential joy? I believe that we can. At the age of 37, I have learned to love swimming. By accident. As part of a recent personal development resolution, a canceled lesson for my son has turned into my swimming lessons. I am still pretty bad, much worse than my 9 year old son. But I now have an affair with a pool. Once revolting, cold chlorinated waters now wink and flirt and I slowly give myself more and more by learning to trust them. I try to sneak in two-three times a week, excited from my achievements, feeling young and happy. So, perhaps it is possible. To get back the spirit of the youth by learning something we have missed back then. Something that may not have been presented to us properly, something that has withered before having a chance to bloom. My list only starts with swimming. What’s on your list?


Image courtesy of www.MikaMaya.com

Try something different from The Math Mom: Shopping Math Or, How To Convince Yourself To Buy Anything You Want.

OR

check this swimming puzzle Its all in the Speedo LZR suit

Available link for download

None Too Trivial

Here we go again because I put off updating for a while:

ZPs: FEAR 3, Ocarina of Time 3D, Call of Juarez: The Cartel
XPs: Oh just go down the archive page

Now, I must apologise for there not being a quiz in the Brisbane Mana Bar this week, because Im preparing for the inaugural trivia night at Melbourne when I head down to that other city next week.


Ive made the details tiresomely clear many times over the last 30 quizzes Ive done in Brisbane, but here they are again for you shiny new Melbourne peeps: show up on the night before 7 to register a team of 2 to 6 players. No one-man teams, but if you do show up alone well group you up with other people so you make many new friends. There are 4 rounds of 36 questions in all, half of which are gaming related, half of which are general. Also: prizes. Things will be fun.

But if you miss the night (Tuesday, August 16th) and you desperately need to question me on my opinion on Kingdom Hearts or whatever, Im going to be in Melbourne for the week, and will no doubt be stopping in the bar on several evenings. Im there for the Freeplay event at the State Library of Victoria, a wonderful festival of independent games and the examination of gaming as culture and all that. Im taking part in a panel on Sunday the 21st called The Words That We Use in which well discuss the importance of criticism and the critical culture around art. There will no doubt be fun to be had. Tickets are on sale for the conference, but theres also going to be a FREE expo with FREE interviews for those of you who arent committed. Things, too, will be fun.

Available link for download

Nintendo 2DS Too Damn Sensible

Nintendo recently announced a new handheld device. Enter the Nintendo 2DS.

Initial reactions may include "what were they thinking...!?!"  but lets give Nintendo a break and see what is really going on with this new device.


On first impressions one can argue that the 2DS looks a bit strange (compared to the previous DS models)... but for some reason I like it. Instead of making the design focused on the folding aspect which the DS and 3DS were going for, the 2DS seems to be a full no-nonsense slate of dual screen gaming. Also by the suggestive name, the 3D aspect has been stripped from the device. Then again, how many of us ever used the 3D on our 3DS consoles in the first place?

With the curved edges the device does look like it would be a comfort to hold but until we can get our hands on it, this would just be speculation.

Nintendo also seemed to have changed a few things in the 2DS. The sleep slider has been place at the bottom right below the power button. They have also given us motion controls so playing games like Mario Kart on the 2DS would mean even having even more fun.

The only negative factor that is apparent in its design is its size. This device would lose the pocket-able desire which many of us have had for years with our DS consoles and now 3DS. Overall this new device is a welcome edition to the Nintendo portable console line up and will be interesting to see if future 3DS games would minus the 3D option altogether when they are released.

Available link for download

No one is too old for fairytales

 Flower Crown from Crown and Glory || Swimsuit from Lovelysally || Skirt from ShopAKIRA || Shoes from Jeffrey Campbell x Edge of Urge || Cardigan from Cannery Row Vintage

Available link for download