November 03, 2006
Andreé and I went for dinner at Almon Marina last night, followed by a nightcap at Starbucks. Our talk-about-whatever-comes-to-mind conversation led to the topic of Mastermind, the game about the ultimate triumph of logic and wits over deceit and trickery.And so we played Mastermind, using the receipt as the playing "board" and the paper wrapper of a straw as the place to keep the code pattern secret. To make the game faster, we played the variation where there are no duplicate colors (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, White, blacK) in the pattern. We had just enough time for six games and we alternated roles. I lost our matchup by the slimmest of margins: Andreé solved in 4, 4, and 4 moves while I cracked the code in 4, 4, and 5 moves. Oh well, I made no mistakes except for being unlucky in that last game. We played one last match via SMS when we got back home, which I also lost, 5-4.
I just love spending quality time together.
(Interesting tidbits: Remember the picture on the Mastermind box cover? With the seated distinguished white gentleman and the alluring Asian woman standing behind him in a mysterious dark room? WTF was that about, anyway? Billionaire tycoon with exotic bodyguard? The picture was shot back in 1972 and they reunited for another shoot in 2003, for old times' sake.)
Original picture (1972)
31 years later (2003)Labels: :D, Andree, board games, Mastermind
Mastermind was the last programming assignment of our Java class last sem. :)
Mastermind is a great programming project. I have used it time and again.
As for the picture I think that many men who are not from Asia find something exotic and interesting about Asian women. Perhaps it is just the fact that they look different from what they are used to but who knows. By using an Asian woman on the box they were trying (and getting it I think) that mastermind was an exotic game - something out of the ordinary. At least in Western markets. It probably made a much different impression in Asia.