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March 21, 2009

challenge!


My sudoku career started in Spring 2008 with a five-dollar investment on "Pocket Sudoku Volume 1" bought in New York Penn Station or Newark Airport.
It contains 75 "Light and Easy", 25 "Moderate", 25 "Demanding", 23 "Beware! Very Challenging!" and 2 "Bonus Giant Sudoku".

I am now at the 75th "Light and Easy". You must be thinking "Pei is a slow, not-so-smart and over-educated person." Oh well... I only practice it every weekend when riding trains to Manhattan or anytime I was waiting for a flight or stuck in an airport.
Sometimes it was so easy, and I could quickly solve a puzzle in 5 minutes (hey! I tried! ).
Sometimes it was very difficult, and my brain denied to work. The one I posted here, the 46th "Light and Easy", took me three train rides without solving it, and I held it and moved on to the next puzzle. You know, like taking a paper exam in school: temporarily skip the difficult questions and solve the rest and come back to it when you have time.

I gave it to Superstar, who claims being smarter than me (in jargon: he may have faster processing speed, or better handle on his working memory. Alternatively,
the 2-year military service may have given him time to be good at it.).
But he did not fill out any cell after my first (and second and third) attempts.
Months and months later, after I practiced more, I thought I was good enough to solve it. I came back to it and oh... thinking is a job! Another 30-minute train ride did not make any progress.
I gave it to Superstar again. This time it took him one train ride and one car ride, totally about one hour, to get it done!
Solved!!! Alright, he is smarter.

Mr. Will Shortz, this is not light and easy. For the next edition, it should be moved to the next level.

Anyway, try it. Perhaps it is light and easy for you.

3 comments:

pei said...

Mama did it within 6 to 7 minutes!
Who is the superstar now?

Smart gal. Very proud of you :)

Anonymous said...

you gave it to me before?
don't remember~~
6~7 mins?!! hmm.... 有佛緣果然不一樣!

pei said...

yes, this is the one that made you feel dizzy in my car. don't play amnesia.

mama is well protected from dementia. she has good cognitive reserve.