The frustration of dealing with the good folks at Chroma for over the last few days was possibly best reflected in the 15 minutes I spent with the rather literally titled Cup and Ball. The beautifully crafted lacquered wooden game from Maya Organic retails at `100, and is packed in an impeccably well finished shrink-wrapped cardboard box that slides out of a clever sleeve. Fair Trade Organisation label. Ethnic chic. Global market ready look and feel.
The one-inch wooden ball is joined to the cup with a 14-inch black rope that resembles my shoe lace. I swing the cup to handshake height, the ball swings up, and as the rope arcs over my head, it smacks me on the back of my head. I adjust the swing of the cup, starting lower, straightening it at hip level. Still too much force. The rope snakes past the cup. The ball misses it by a mile. I keep trying. But no success!
I’d been assured of the installation of air-conditioners. Unfortunately my repeated attempts to call the Chroma store always met an indifferent employee. Each exasperated swing of the rope and ball, was met with as much success as my perseverance with getting those wretched air conditioners installed.
The burgundy and muddy-green colours of the perfectly weighted cup are an aesthetic joy. On one hard-to-repeat attempt, the ball landed perfectly in the cup. It took a wicked combination of the cup swing, end state angle, and the right amount of slack in the rope.
The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com [1]
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[1] mailto:arup_kavan@yahoo.com