sudoku, crossword

There is a new routine in the mornings; clamour for grabbing the newspaper for sudoku and crossword puzzles. It energises one physically before doing the same for the sleepy mind! S has been a sudoku fan for over a year now and all his free time at home is spent with a pen and pencil; on weekends he will be clearing the weekly arrears if any. He had been trying to get the algorithm for sudoku as soon as it hit the Indian scene and has been a 'sudoku convert' ever since. Y has been a crossword fan and tries to finish the entire crossword in one sitting .Of course there will be a few clues which are intriguing; she will toss them around and the aam jan would pipe in. The joint venture will then effectively seal the crossword puzzle for the day.

I have been fed on a diet of The Hindu crossword and it used to be a family obsession. Elders at home including my grandfather used to refer to it as 'kattam poda aarambichacha?" In that environment it is not possible not to be infected with the crossword worm. A very dogeared Chambers dictionary used to be sought out and constantly referred to, for the right word.

The same bug has made a triumphant come back. It is as much fun solving the crossword as it is to wait for the next day's edition for that missing word.We of course blame the 'not so good word', or the author for the incorrect clue and rarely, yes very rarely chide ourselves for not cracking that beautiful word/phrase which was staring us in our face.

Sudoku does not evince as much passion as a team activity and it is more of an individual satisfaction for completing an exciting work. The different ratings set the pace as it were for what lies ahead. It is a very good companion, a slip of paper and a pen while we are travelling or waiting.
Once bitten by either of these bugs you stand infected for life. Happily so!