Nothing Like a Game of Cards

If you ever have the chance to play a card game in another country, that is a card game typical to that country, I highly recommend you don't pass up the opportunity. In my opinion card games, along with customs surrounding meals, holidays, and other social and extra-curricular activities offer some of the keenest insight into a new culture. Thus far into my "german experience" I have learned to play two german card games, Mau Mau and Skat. Both are fun, and completely different as far as the amount of strategy involved.



Tonight, upon coming home from a stroll in the woods/park near my house, I got an unexpected surprise. Lilo and Robert were sitting at the dining table enjoying a bottle of red wine, some dark chocolate and conversation. So naturally I joined in. I mean please like there was even a question :-). But soon enough, to my pleasant the conversation unfolded into a card game, or more precisely a lesson on how to play Skat. Skat is a somewhat complicated german card game that shares certain rules and ideas with Spades, but that differs in many other aspects from any other card game I've ever played . On top of that, the german deck of cards is a bit different than the typical american deck (and don't even get me started on the typical Bavarian playing cards). In the german deck of cards, what we know as the "queen" is called the "dame" and is therefore signified with a "D", and what we know as the "jack" is called the "bube" (not sure on the spelling) and is signified with a "B". So while playing that takes some mental shifting. But by the end of about 7 or 8 rounds of play, I guess I was getting the hang of it, at least as much as one can hope to their first time around playing a foreign card game under the influence of a couple glasses of wine ;-). But nonetheless I have high hopes for myself. The next time around, I know I won't be terrible at least, and maybe I'll even have fully grasped the concept. Cross your fingers for me!!