茶碗蒸

It's that time of the year again. The time when everyone either clings to strangers for dear life or get wacked over the head with smelly old socks... and die.

...Yes, it's unsockable time!! XDD

This is an annual event at Hayward which normally lasts for about a week; a game, in fact, and an extremely simple yet complex game at that. Simple in terms of the rules, and complex because... well, because of many, many things. It's an awfully cruel and painful game - one in which you are forced to betray your friends, and involving a fair amount of tears, sweat, and bruises (or even blood if you're unlucky hrhr).

Ok, lets start with the aim and rules of this game for those of you who haven't lived in Hayward or aren't still living here right now...

Aim:

To "assasinate" your assigned target by hitting or touching him/her with a sock. Then continue to kill the target's target until there are only the last two participants remaining in the game hunting each other down.

Rules:

1. Participants cannot sock their target when he/she is in one of the following safe zones: Aquarium(bigger TV room), Dining Room, Bathroom, Bedroom, in lectures.

2. Participants cannot sock their target if he/she is physically touching another human being.

3. The safe zones will gradually decrease one by one as the game goes on (to be announced).

Yeah, that's it. Simple? Sure, although it may not be as easy as seem. You will be surprised at how many strategies and tricks are passed down each year by our lovely seniors... such as the one used by Sonal on Jayani (who were close friends of course - making it all the more cruel) - when she asked Jayani to hold onto her in the corridor because her friend was going to the toilet; and as soon as she did Sonal let go and socked her. Talk about betrayal!! And the few which were suspected to be possible strategies this year - knocking on the target's door and pretending to ask for directions to someone's room then asking to be shown (which gives him the perfect opportunity to sock the target as she steps out of her room to point out the room)... this NEARLY happened to Miya haha. Also another interesting strategy - slipping a note under a target's door saying she DID have the target but she got socked and warning the target to watch out for another person... this happened to me actually, although I soon found out that the note and warning was genuine lol. (You can never be too careful though...==+) However, my favourite strategy remains this....

Please note that it is a black STOCKING on her head - which acts both as a disguise AND a weapon... absolutely ingenious! Need I say who came up with this idea? XDDD

Although to be honest, I don't think this game is particularly fair. For you can still do pretty well in the game (survive longer) even if you don't sock anyone - the important thing is to keep safe (always cling onto someone and never come out of your room etc - I was accused of the latter this year but unfortunately it should be I'm never IN my room cos of my busy pharmacy timetable *coughcough*) Which was the case for me last year - when I only socked one person and got into the finals (incredibly shocked at the time - what the hell!? what kind of weird logic is this!?!). This year also... if I hadn't "committed suicide" and went looking for my assassin to be voluntarily killed (Shhhh.... only did this because all the ladies floor people were way too hard-out about this game and desperate to get the floor points the winner receives lol The pressure!! Might as well give the opportunity to someone else right? XD) I'd probably still be in the game one day from the deadline even though I haven't socked anyone (I'll have to clarify this though - it was actually impossible to sock my target because she's one of those people who ALWAYS cling onto her friends and who travels in packs... well, she's in health sci, what else would you expect??) I have to say I was more than happy to hand my target over to my assassin (also a health sci... geeky asian guy with glasses who was extremely excited about his new assignment hehe).

And worse still, I was forced to betray Miya for ladies floor... since my neighbour from across the corridor just happened to be after Miya. So as Miya came innocently down to ladies floor, came - totally oblivious - to knock on my door, my neighbour came bursting through her door and thrashed her with a sock. ...I'm sorry!! And I'm even more sorry to say that I'm blaming this inhumane game for my betrayal XD

So yeah... the game's still going, and the outcome is yet to be announced. Yet even though I'm out of the game (have to act as if I'm incredibly mortified at my failure and that I aboslutely MUST play in the second round held in second semester...) it's still amusing to see a horde of intense-looking guys guarding the front door of Hayward everyday; and some suspicious looking people lurking around on each floor which is clearly not where his/her room was. Occassionally there's also the thunderous sound of sprinting from one of the floors overhead which feels like an earthquake complete with screams and squeals. Yup, it would sure be interesting to witness the "dual" that's supposed to be held tomorrow night between the last two participants ==+

Go ladies floor!! I mean, girls are better at strategizing than guys so... we are destined to win!! ≧▽≦

P.S. Might I also add a note that it's strangely disturbing seeing huge muscley guys gripping onto eachother and looking paranoid... classic.