Who is Rox?

katsmom

Introducing myself.  I don't know where to put this so I'll put it here as I am first and foremost a collector of puzzles.

I started playing with wire disentanglement puzzles when I was around 6 years old.  My grandfather would give them to me so I would leave him alone. Later, when I was around 13 or 14 years old, the rubik's cube came out.  Many of my friends got them from flea markets (not originals) and I had to have one.  My mom bought me a cube and when I solved it she would buy me another one.  My second puzzle from her was a Meffert's pyramid clone that was made in Taiwan and it broke on every turn.  There was something wrong with the screws.  Later I got my favorite puzzle, a tower of babylon.  I still have that one today. Sadly, my other two firsts were lost over the years.

I lived in Germany during the late 1980's-early 1990's and picked up a few toys there, but not nearly as many as I should have, and have spent years trying to find those I missed.

In 1994 I moved to Hong Kong, and became reinvolved with Twisty Puzzles.  At that time, there was no forum, just email and newsgroups.  In 1998 I was asked to teach a class on logical thinking and immediately thought of the rubik's cube.  I called my dad and had him send my old puzzles to me.

I started hunting around mom and  pop toy stores here in Hong Kong, traveling to older districts where I thought I would have more luck.  I found Meffert's in Aberdeen, and went over and bought all types of puzzles he had in stock.  Amazon was just coming online, and I was able to also order from Toys R us in the States.  I purchased many puzzles this way.  I started going to Shenzhen and doing the same thing.  I purchased many cubes there for my students and found many more to add to my collection.  If you just take the time to look, you will find many treasures in your backyard.

shortly thereafter, ebay came online, and I started getting all those puzzles I missed in the 1990's.  My little collection that took up one plastic box had grown to around 4 plastic boxes.  I got out of constant puzzle hunting for a few years while I finished a degree, and out of boredom one day back in 2006 went back to TP.com to see what was happening.  I've not left since.  

I was reacquainted with Uwe Meffert at Calvin's shop opening and since then a great friendship has grown.  I DON'T work for him.

I have attended the HKTGF every year that I have lived in HK, (around 16 now-and yes, I can use chopsticks) and met many company representatives, purchased many puzzles, have been given many.  I have "worked" the fair for both Mindstrat puzzzles, and Tangle toys.  So much fun doing this!

In 2008,Pantazis Houlis convinced me to make a webpage. For many years he and a few others in western countries knew of my puzzles, but not the extent of my collection.  Once I did this, I was later invited to join IPP, and began corresponding with other collectors around the world on a more regular basis.  

I have done a lot of research on Rubik's cube and other puzzles in the hopes of writing a book about them.  I'm in the process of it now, but it will take many years to finish.  There are so many puzzles out there that I have no information on, and the only way I will get it I am afraid is to find the puzzles.

I really have no idea how many puzzles I have in my collection.  I estimate it is around 20,000 but I can't be sure.  Not all my puzzles are twisty.  Some are burrs, some are wire, some are beads, some are 'games".  If I find it challenging, I will buy it.

Yes, I have many many copies of puzzles.  Yes, I have reported the copies to the designers.  No, I don't get paid for this.  

Custom puzzles, I have a few.  Maybe 50.? I only buy those that make me say WOW! If not, I leave them to someone else.  With the exception of SmaZ's puzzles, I love his work, I have asked him to make me designs that I saw others produce (with their permission) and have most of what he has made.  I think I am only missing 4 or 5 of his puzzles.  And those are on order.  Maybe in a few years I will get them.  But I can wait, the friendship is more valuable than the puzzles!


In 2010 I was made a moderator on TP.com.  I have been the 'mother' of the forum for many years, and have attempted to cool down arguments and have tried to stay unbiased.

I have done an exhibition in Macau, and have been working with the HK science museum to do an exhibition there.  When that will happen I don't know.  It is a lot of work, and I need to fit in research for that with work and studies.  

So who is Rox?  No one important, just a lover of puzzles who has WAY TOO MANY toys!

You can see some of them at www.roxannewong.net. But many are missing.  I haven't updated in months with all the other things I do.


I thank you for inviting me to join your forum.  If I have knowledge of something I will tell it, if not I stay quiet.  Yes, I know what Meffert's is producing next...NO, I do not say what it is.  Friendship is more valuable than a scoop on when the Gear cube is coming out! (Old news, but I had the first samples months before it was announced!)  

I hope this helps you to understand why I am here and why I post or not.

No, I can't read Chinese and yes I have to use the translator.  I can't speak Mandarin, but can speak very bad Cantonese, and understand a lot of that language.  But then, puzzles speak for themselves. No words are needed!


(sorry for the bad google translation-I hope the English will fill in the rest)

katsmom

]介紹我自己。我不知道在哪裡可以把這個所以我把它放在這兒，因為我首先是一個收藏家的難題。我開始玩拼圖線退糾纏，當我6歲左右。我的祖父給我吧，所以我會離開他。後來，當我是大約 13或14歲，魔方就出來了。我的許多朋友們得到了他們從跳蚤市場（非原件），我得有一個。我媽媽給我買了一個立方體，當我解決了它，她會幫我買一個。我的第二個謎，從她的是一梅弗特的金字塔克隆，是在台灣，它打破了動不動。有什麼不對的螺絲。後來，我得到了我最喜歡的拼圖，一塔巴比倫。我還有機會，今天一天。可悲的是，我的其他兩個率先失去了多年。[我住在德國後期 1980's - 1990年代初期，拿起一些玩具在那裡，但並不像很多像我應該做到，並已花費數年時間試圖找到那些我錯過了。1994年，我移居香港，成為 reinvolved曲折與困惑。當時，沒有論壇，不僅僅是電子郵件和新聞組。 1998年，我被要求教課時在邏輯思維，並立即想到了魔方。我打電話給我爸，叫他送我的老難題給我。我開始打獵周圍夫妻店玩具店在香港，前往舊區，我以為我將有更多的運氣。我發現梅弗特在香港仔，去了，購買了全部類型的難題，他曾在股票。亞馬遜剛剛上線，我也為了能夠從玩具反斗城在美國。我購買了許多這樣的難題。我才開始到深圳，做同樣的事情。我購買了許多冰塊為我的學生有更多的發現添加到我的收藏。如果你只是花時間看，你會發現許多寶藏在你的後院。此後不久，易趣上線了，我開始讓所有的難題，我錯過了1990年的。我的小集合，拿起一個塑料盒已增長到約 4個塑料盒。我得到了不斷的拼圖狩獵了幾年，而我完成了學位，並指出無聊一天早在2006年回到TP.com看到發生了什麼事。因為我沒有離開。我重新認識和Uwe梅弗特在Calvin的店開業，此後一段偉大的友誼不斷壯大。我不為他工作。我每年都參加了HKTGF我一直住在香港，（約 16現在已經是的，我可以用筷子），並會見了許多公司的代表，購買了許多難題，已獲得許多。我有“工作”公平為 Mindstrat puzzzles，與糾纏玩具。這樣做這麼多的樂趣！2008年，Pantazis Houlis說服我做一個網頁。多年來，他和其他一些西方國家知道我的困惑，但不是我收藏的程度。有一次，我這樣做，我後來 IPP的邀請加入，並開始相應的與其他收藏家在世界各地更經常的基礎。我做了很多研究魔方拼圖等在希望寫一本關於他們。我在這個過程中它的現在，但它需要許多年才能完成。有這麼多的難題在那裡，我沒有資料，而只有這樣我能得到它，我怕是要找到拼圖。我真的不知道有多少難題，我在我的收藏。我估計是大約 20,000，但我不能肯定。不是所有的謎題是曲折的。有些是毛刺，有些是絲，有些是珠，有些是'遊戲。“如果我發現它充滿挑戰，我會買它。是的，我有很多很多份難題。是的，我已報告的副本給設計師。不，我沒有得到支付的。自定義的難題，我有幾個。也許 50。？我只買那些讓他們罵哇！如果沒有，我把它們送給別人。隨著例外SmaZ的難題，我愛他的工作，我曾問他為我做設計，我看到其他人產生（其權限），並且大部分是他作出。我想我唯一缺少的4或5的難題。而這些都是順序。也許幾年後我會得到他們。不過，我可以等待，更有價值的友誼比拼圖！2010年我被任命為主持人的TP.com。我一直在'母親'的論壇多年，並試圖冷靜下來的論點，並試圖保持不偏不倚。我做了一個展覽在澳門工作，並一直與香港科學館做一個展覽上，共有。何時會發生，我不知道。這是一個很大的工作，我需要適應，與研究工作和研究。那麼，誰是紅黴素？沒有一個重要的，只是一個情人的拼圖誰擁有太多的玩具！你可以看到一些他們在www.roxannewong.net。但是，許多人失踪。我有幾個月沒有更新與所有其他的事情我知道。我感謝你邀請我參加您的論壇。如果我有知識的東西，我會告訴你，如果不是我保持安靜。是的，我知道什麼梅弗特的是生產未來 ...不，我不說什麼了。友誼比一個更有價值的齒輪時，舀上立方體出來了！ （舊的新聞，但我還是第一次樣本個月前就宣布！）我希望這有助於你理解我為什麼在這兒，為什麼我郵寄或沒有。不，我不能閱讀中文，是的，我用翻譯。我不會說普通話，但可以說很不好廣東話，並了解了很多該語言。不過，難題是不言而喻的。沒有任何語言都需要！（對不起，壞谷歌翻譯，我希望英國將填補其餘部分）

katsmom

There are many collectors with more puzzles than I have.  I am nothing compared to some.  Pantazis, Jerry Slocum, Georges Helm, Geert, Rob...the list goes on.  But I believe they ALL have many more than I do.  The only unique thing about me is that I'm a girl!

I only posted because of a question about my name? or status?  in another thread.  I'm not sure which it is.  Anyway, I am no one to worry about.  Just a puzzle fanatic!

Thank you for the translation Feng Yu-Lan! You are better than google!



有許多收藏家與比我更困惑。我比不上一些。 Pantazis，傑里斯洛克姆，喬治頭盔，海爾特，羅布 ...這樣的例子不勝枚舉。但我相信他們都有很多比我還多。只有獨特的東西我是那樣，我是一個女孩！

我只發表了一個問題，因為我的名字？或狀態？在另一個線程。我不知道，它是。無論如何，我沒有人擔心。只是一個謎狂熱！





謝謝你的翻譯馮友蘭！你最好比谷歌！