윶놀이 (Yuchnori...?)

Last term, the staff got together one afternoon for an elimination volleyball tournament; the teams were organized based on grades, and there was a pretty sweet snack area set aside for everybody. It was one of the rare opportunities I get to interact with homeroom teachers who surprisingly do a good of hiding the fact that they actually can speak a bit of English.

My team was eliminated in the first round, but whatever, at least I got a sweet toothbrush as a consolation prize. (The teachers also seem to think I'm impoverished or malnourished, because I was handed with a bag of leftovers afterwards. Either that, or they think I'm a giant food receptacle because I'm from North America--either way, I appreciated the gesture. And I sort of am a food receptacle, anyway, so it's all good.)

Then earlier this term, we had yet another staff sport day, except this time it was the Korean variation of volleyball involving your feet (if you're a man) and a lowered net. Once again, our team was eliminated in the first round; I'm starting to notice a pattern: My team sucks; I need to ask for a trade, already!

This week, things took an interesting turn as we were once again gathered in the gym for yet another traditional Korean game. This one, however, did not require any athletic prowess (although that didn't stop one overly-enthusiastic teacher from changing into his gym clothes). It was essentially the board game Sorry on a larger scale and with more strategy involved.

I was told of the event a mere hour before things got started, which is about the norm around here, and my poor co tried to explain the game to the best of her ability despite the fact that 1) her English isn't the greatest and 2) she's not very familiar with the game.

Despite that, though, as we approached the gym, I thought I had a decent grasp of the game. My co even said that she was impressed with how quickly I'd picked up the gist of the game just based on her description. I was ready; I mean, I love board games and card games, so I was pumped!

We stepped into the gym and there were two large circles of chairs around two separate floor mats with the board game taped to each one. There were to be two separate games going on at once, with three grades playing on one board and three grades on the other.

Yet again, there were huge tables of strawberries, chicken, various munchies, and drinks for all to enjoy. Everyone dug in before jumping into the game.

Once things got started, I realized how lost I really was. I didn't understand a single bloody thing of what was happening. It wasn't until our third game that I finally put the pieces together.

Here's the board:

Here are the rules:

1) Each team has three pieces wooden tiles that must complete one lap around the board and make it back to the starting square in order to win. You can focus on only getting one piece across at a time, or you can balance your moves between two or all three pieces; it's up to you.
2) In order to move your piece, you have to toss four sticks in the air. These sticks have one flat surface and one rounded surface. The rounded surfaces have markings on them, while the flat surfaces are blank. The number of sticks that land with the flat surfaces pointing up is the number of spots you can move.
3) One of the sticks has a star on its flat surface; if that is the only flat surface to land facing up, you move one spot backwards.
4) If all four sticks land in the same position, you move five spots. I think this is called "Mo." (Perhaps it translates to "Yahtzee!) You also get to go again. (And on Wednesday, you were also awarded with ramen. Score!)
5) If you land on another team's piece on your last move, you not only get to bump them back to the start (without saying "Sorry"), but you get to go again (without the ramen).
6) If you land on one of your own pieces, you can stack them and move them together. However, if you get bumped, both pieces go back to the start.
7) If you land on one of the corner spots on your way around the board, you can take a shortcut diagonally across. You can potentially make a small triangle rather than trekking around the entire board if you land on the central circle on your way across the diagonal.
8) Remember the rule about having to take one step backwards if you land with just the star-marked flat surface pointing up? Well if you're on the first spot from the start and you roll that, you can take a step back and basically fall ass backwards at the finish without having to do a lap. That one caught me by surprise!
9) If one of your sticks rolls off the mat, you lose your turn.

I think that's pretty much all the rules. Here are some highlights:

1) On my first role, I rolled not one, but two Mo's! I was on fiyah!
2) On my next roll, I set our double stacked piece perfectly up to get bumped by the next team. The fiyah was doused. I'm pretty sure we lost because of me.
3) On my third role, I bumped two people, one after another! Back on fiyah!
4) On my fourth role, I almost perfectly set up another one of our pieces to be captured by moving us one step backwards; thankfully the other team rolled 2 instead of 3 on their next turn. We were close to the end, too, so that would have really sucked!
5) Once things got started, I realized why that one dude changed into his gym clothes; he spent the entire game jumping and screaming at the board. It was hilarious! Although I'd hate to see that guy at a casino.
6) Seriously, people lost their shit during the game. They were cheering and shouting like they were watching a playoff football game or a boxing match they had money on. This one tiny old lady looked like she was about to clock somebody when somebody tried to keep a stick from rolling off the mat with their foot. I don't know what the hell she said, but it looked like it was a solid tongue lashing. She looked like a cartoon character who had just caught a kid beating up another kid, her arms flailing and her mouth moving at breakneck speed.
7) Another lady looked like a coach arguing a bad call with an umpire after one of her sticks landed on another stick and her roll was ruled a 1 rather than a 2.
8) The whole "Take one step back and bypass the entire board" thing happened twice in what turned out to be a nail biter of a final game, but unfortunately for the other team, before you can officially remove your piece from the board, you have to wait until your next roll in order to actually make it walk off the board, and the second time it happened, we bumped them before their next turn. This is one of those games that can destroy families; I love it.
9) In the final game, we were two spots away from victory, but one of the other teams was two spots behind us and we rolled a one. If they rolled a three, they could bump us when we were on victory's doorstep; they rolled a two. O'Doyle rules!
10) My co saw how much I enjoyed the game, so the next day she walked in with a mini version for me. Perry, I'm looking at you.

Once again, the food receptacle was given half a dozen unwanted packages of ramen, along with the leftover chicken. Nomnomnomnomnom.