[y66]

Just saw glen's signature on a different thread:

Quote

"and love dares you, to change our way of caring about ourselves, this is our last dance" - pressure bidding

I love that. Am adding taking that dare to my list.

[eros2]

I'm joining a local bridge club from January 3rd =]

Otherwise, I make (and break) the same two resolutions every year:

1. Start everything as you mean to go on
2. Always finish what you start

[mtvesuvius]

Although I will be playing a lot more live bridge tournements next year, I suppose my resolution is to spend more time with (and tolerate) my family... My other resolution is to start guessing correctly on all the 2 way finesses


AJK

[whereagles]

On another note, I'm planning on giving a few beginners' courses and writing a bridge textbook in Portuguese. Not sure if I can get that far, but I'll try

[FrancesHinden]

Fluffy, on Dec 18 2008, 12:31 PM, said:

*Help*: How do you say in english when your work sends you to a different city/country for a long period?

We have a lot of subtly different phrases:

Expat(riate) posting/expat assignment = my company, or their parent company, is giving me a job in Utopia. I will have a new contract of employment, new pension arrangements etc and they will pay me at expat rates (i.e. lots of money plus sort out housing, school fees etc for me). Your family are likely to move with you, or your children may go to boarding school. You can say as a verb that someone has been 'expatriated' to another country. Expatriate assignments are often paid on a 'net' basis: you are told what your after-tax income will be, and the company sorts out all the tax consequences for you.

Foreign job posting or a "transfer" = usually on 'local' terms i.e. you are on the same pay & conditions as are staff in the country you are moving to, although there may be some help with relocation costs, language lessons etc. Your family are likely to move with you, or your children may go to boarding school.

Unaccompanied assignment, or "grass widow(er)" = like an expat job, but you leave your family at home and commute back every fortnight, or every month. Most common on the sort of job where your family wouldn't want to move with you, or it wouldn't be possible, e.g. you are going to work as a UN weapons inspector in Iran. Tends to pay very well, but not much fun while it lasts (unless you are the sort who explicitly wants to be away from your family for weeks at a time).

Secondment = temporary move (even though may for a few years) but you stay on your current employment terms, contract etc and continue to be paid in your home currency. They'll probably pay for trips back home every few weeks. Your family will usually stay at home.


The first is most common in places that would otherwise not usually be popular destinations, or where local pay & conditions would not be attractive e.g. some of the poorer or less developed countries, or ones where location is otherwise unattractive e.g. due to being in the middle of a jungle, or due to high security risks. The second is commoner in popular destinations, or at least in those where the standard of living is similar to the home country. It is much, much cheaper for the employer, so real expat assignments tend only to be where they cannot find anyone suitable locally, and effectively have to bribe good people to go and do the job.

[kenberg]

Upon some reflection, I am pretty sure I know my biggest weakness in bridge: Getting rattled.

Recently I played with a pick up partner in a 12 board tourney, 3 boards a round. The first three rounds went fine. Then:
Board 10, rho deals and passes, I open: 1C-1S-1N-4N(I correctly took it as invit)-Pass. A hopeless contract, down 2.
Board 11, I deal and open: 1S-(pass)-2C-(4H)-4S-(pass)-6S. A hopeless contract, down 2. Partner explains I can hold it to down 1 (for no difference in matchpoints).
Board 12:

Scoring: MP

---

Pass 1D 2S 3H
Pass 4N Pass 5D
Pass 5N Pass 6H
All Pass

King of spades to my ace, King of Hearts, East discards a club.

Maybe I can make this if I can keep my emotions under control. I went down. Whatever you think the right line is, King of Diamonds and small Diamond to the 8 probably isn't it. Yes it was a misclick. A real honest to God misclick. When relaxed, I don't misclick.

[HeavyDluxe]

kenberg, on Dec 22 2008, 09:51 AM, said:

Upon some reflection, I am pretty sure I know my biggest weakness in bridge: Getting rattled.

Yep... Me too, though I imagine I get rattled in far more simple situations than Ken does.

My resolutions:
1) Slow down & calm down. I think 90% of my remaining suckitude is related to not thinking things through... This is particularly true in thin contracts or when I'm playing with/against people better than me.

2) Count every hand, even the easy ones and when dummy. I simply need to discipline myself here.

3) Get over pride/embarrassment and take my knocks at the table with people better than I am. That's really the only way I'm going to improve, and I desperately want to get better.