I found this piece of writing in my "Concepts-box" and never sent it to the list. This is very old news (over 2 months), and only the part after "my wife wants me in bed" is added today. Here you go.
Thank you Jean-Paul for your inspiring words that push me to write this piece of evaluation at almost midnight (I can hear some strange noises already... oh, it's my wife in front of the facebrowner).
Friday I arrived at De 2 Klaveren after a trip with public transport NS. The men in charge at NS don't control their personnel 'cause a few of them declared a small strike exactly at the day I had to go to Amsterdam. Boycot this personnel. With my first tournament-minion-deck - boycot the minions - I was ashamed because I knew I would win with no real pleasure, no real fun, and not really experiencing the game. Lucky for me, in my attempt to stretch out to semi-finals, I only won 1 game with 4-2. I no longer was ashamed. The first round I could stop playing and win the game 4-2. Being always greedy, I tried to get another Dragon-faction in my last turn and ended with 5-1 loss and hands in hair.
The second one I won (secret thought: "yes I'm good"). The third round was one I really wanted to forget, so I forgot, and the 4th it was against Simone Heemskerckx and I always have to try not to get nervous by her play. She has fast fingers, fast words, fast moves, fast things ... Me loose 4-2. This was the serious part of the event! After this ceremonial thing, the real event began...
Fridaynight we went to Soundgarden (the pub). Music ment to be played loud and a terrific headaching beer: BATAVIER. Georg was sitting oposite and he had chosen a Corona. After a few sips of this Mexican Beer (that costs about 20 times less in Mexico), he sat there in front of me with a plastic face that would fit well in Madame Tussaud and after a few minutes he fellasleep. Afterwards, I understood he went home sick before Sunday, so I hope to see you again in better shape Georg!
Arco saved me a lot of money by taking me with him to his house and we got some sleep with I think the Finnish worldchampion of Scandinavia, Brian No Cheese Joseph Strauss Wong and the magnificent Christian Bendgens. And Georg. I guess. The Bataviers hit me hard in the head so I don't remember that well... I was glad to see Arco's house and office because we know eachother a long time just because of Middle earth and it's always nice to meet but this was bit more and very good. In the morning after the power of shower we went to the 2 Klaveren again to kick some I have to quit because my wife wants me in bed.
The next day for me was of historical value. I played my first drinking-game! That day it seemed to me that the designers of Middle-earth must have had the plan to create the game exactly like this. With some pints, a lot of screeming and laughing, and designing your own cards during the match by changing with pencil/ballpoint the name of a card, for example Peath, in your actual company in that of your opponent plus adding some extra bodyparts etcetera. But to give the game a serious face, they have skipped all that fun. Fortunately, it has been discovered again!
In the meanwhile, brother Arjan was fighting the fight for the last 4 in the main-event and I had to support him. Due to the new-discovered drinking-game I must have forsaken heavily in this task, because he didn't make it. At the end of the day I was amazed by seeing the number of Germans that were in the top-ranking. Maybe I saw double, but no, it was confirmed by other serious players that the Germans indeed did a great job.
After all, it was a great tournament.The Schipstra Brothers went home that Saturday, satisfied.
Kees Schipstra
Member of the Schipstra Brothers
Always Late But With Best Intentions