After months of trying to coordinate, finally, today, I have my first canasta lesson.
Five of us meet. The group was supposed to include people I know, but they all decide to meet for four, evening classes in June. I don't want to wait, so this afternooon I get together with a very nice group of strangers.
I contemplate what to wear, fearing that the others will be attired in "ladies who lunch" type outfits. In the end, I throw on a pair of jeans and a white T, and am relieved to see the others are similarly clad.
The woman hosting lives near Fifth Avenue, in a beautiful apartment that feels more like a house. There are too many rooms to count.
Sharon, our instructor, is no-nonsense, patient, organized and well-informed. She knows the subject and has much experience teaching it. It's obvious from the start that she's going to be great.
For a game that is relatively simple, there are so many rules and exceptions. It feels like every card played is interrupted with, "Oh, this is probably a good time to tell you about the Rule of Five." Or, "It's important to keep track of the number of sevens played." All this and I'm thinking more simply. Like, "What's the value of an ace again?"
By the end of two hours, I feel almost dizzy from all I just learned: the plays,the opening requirements, how to count points, the complicated ace, the scoring, the pros and cons of sevens, what my partner is doing, what my competitors are doing, when to pick up the deck, when not do, and a lot more.
I just hope that when we meet next week for lesson number two,I still remember pieces from today.
No comments:
Post a Comment