Transit Day 17

As you can imagine, the atmosphere on the ACS is significantly more relaxed now that we are returning home from a very successful mission.  In the evenings, you see many more people out of their cabins and entertaining themselves through various games.  Some of the games remain within one culture while others such as basketball and foosball tend to integrate the cultures. This mission is no different as I walk around the ship on any given evening you can find the Semco guys playing a friendly game of balut. Balut, although created by an American soldier stationed in the Philippines as an alternative to poker, has become a signature game of Danish businessmen across the globe.  It is a dice game similar to Yahtzee and the Semco guys take this game quite serious. In fact one of our teammates, Ivan Johnsen is a former International Balut Federation (IBF) World Champion. 

We also have our Russian and Ukrainian colleagues enjoying friendly games of dominoes, backgammon and chess in the ACS library.

Dominoes Game

Backgammon Game

With the popularity of Texas hold-em poker these days it is not too difficult to find people to play and it is one of those games that bridges cultures and creates new friendships.

Texas Hold-em Poker in ACS Bar

For the more physically inclined there is pickup games of basketball going on down in the ships hull where we assemble and integrate the launch vehicle.  I personally have never attempted to play basketball on board the ACS as I have a hard enough time playing it when I am on a solid surface court such as a gymnasium or parking lot.  Imagine trying to play basketball on a floor that keeps moving underneath your feet.  Nevertheless you get participation from across cultures enjoying the game. 

 

 

However, probably the most popular game on board is foosball. Now again this is one of those games where I have a hard time playing the game in an arcade that is not moving.  Strap that foosball table down to the ACS as it pitches and rolls and it adds a whole new dimension to the game. The game is so popular across cultures that we have a foosball tournament on the return trip home.  Tonight was the tournament and even our Eutelsat customers joined in on the fun.  Although eliminated in the first round they were beaten by the team of Oleg Kholin and Nikita Petetskiy that eventually went on to win the tournament.  Congratulations to Oleg and Nikita!

Eutelsat's PeterNewell and Craig Williamson gave it a good go but it just was not enough...

Foosball Champions TsENKi's Nikita Petetskiy and Oleg Kholin... CONGRATULATIONS!