Lost in translation
An almost inadvertent mention of Woodtale ApS, and its location somewhere in Denmark got me curious about this Kaiyue puzzle with determinedly “Chinese only” instructions for use. A cursory Google search led to www.tots.com.cn and an entity called Creative & Learning ApS, a subsidiary of a Chinese toy company in Shanghai.
Seven wooden triangular blocks with three angled holes a piece, and ten four-inch wooden rods, make for a tricky and absorbing challenge. As I manoeuvered the rods through the holes that created angles I found hard to get my head around. The play was distracted with the nuances of global manufacturing hubs, the lack of visibility of developer and marketer, the language divide, and the recent news about Indian traders in China. CL offers a wide range of educational wooden toys and focuses on the North Europe market with clumsy assurances of the highest standards of safety that make for amusing read.
In a gloomy beginning to the year, game-play in the corporate environment confronts me rudely. Although the instructions were in Chinese, the triangles and rods drew me back. Time stood still as I carefully rotated the pieces, always forming new shapes. The grey cells are stimulated. I am at peace! This is life!
The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com
Post new comment