Entry 30: Ping Pong

I stood up from my desk and gathered my things. I was going to miss the bus if I didn't hurry. As I said goodbye to the vice-principal of the school, he asked me if I wanted to stay for a bit and play ping-pong. I was in a pretty bad mood and I just wanted to go home and get some rest, so I tried to politely decline, but he insisted, and so I stayed at the school. It would be the first time I would play ping-pong in Korea.

4 years earlier:
My family moved from the wonderful state of California to the last place on earth I saw myself living: TEXAS. The place where there were more cattle than people, the place where people still wore cowboy hats and cowboy boots, where the mode of transportation to work was either by truck or by horse. I had some pretty bad misconceptions of Texas, but with that in mind, my Korean family spent most of our first HOT summer in Texas indoors.
We set up a ping-pong table in our family room, and would play for hours at a time. My sisters don't play ping-pong, I mean, they might tell you they play ping-pong... but they don't play ping-pong (table tennis for those people who find me saying ping-pong to be too childish, but I say who cares, its like adding the word "ultimate" to frisbee, just makes a recreation sport a bit more competitive). This time during my first summer in Texas is where I learned how to really play ping-pong. Being able to slice my forehand and backhand, learning how to lob and do a drop shot, I learned how to play offensively and defensively, and I learned the little tricks that make ping-pong so interesting (different spins and whatnot). Stereotypical Asian thing to do? Heck yeah.

The teachers set up the table in the auditorium, gave me the only two sided paddle that was available (Korean's like to play with the one sided ping pong paddle. Its the Asian style. I play with the English style.) We start to just rally for fun and they are all above average. Even the vice-principal who is about 45 and a smoker seems to be really into it, and I can tell that they are measuring my up as a ping-pong player, the same way that the measured me up as a kickball player.

1 month earlier:
We took the day off of work to go hike up a mountain. The head teacher (the teacher who covers for any sick teachers, deals with the administrative side of things, and basically is the third in command. Principal, vice principal, head teacher) brought shots of soju up the mountain and although I dislike soju, being on top of the mountain with all the teachers, I just took the shot and shouted with them, whatever it was they were shouting. When we got back to the bottom, the restaurant told us that our food would not be ready for another hour or so. Subsequently, we went to an open field and played kickball with a soccer ball. Just imagine in your head for a moment a group of adults playing kick ball. For me, it evokes memories of church picnics where adults become children. I laughed as the principal demanded that the pitcher (the bus driver) roll the ball slower and as the 2nd grade teacher yelled "POUL!!!" (foul) as the vice-principal looked him dead in the eyes and said "PAIR!" (fair). It was like I was watching the kids from my summer job. It's always fun seeing adults get into sports and just lose the "adult" facade. They all just wanted to have some fun. It was nice to see the lighter side of the teachers.

After two hours of a pretty enjoyable time of playing ping-pong, they asked me to play with them everyday, or at least that's what I thought they said (my korean still isn't that great, but I'm pretty sure my mentor teacher said something about 매일의 핑퐁 (탁구) 하자). We had a fun time laughing and it was funny receiving high fives from my head teacher when we played doubles, and my vice-principal gave me this weird kind of fist bump every time we scored ("NICE SHAAHT!" [double fist bump!]). I must admit, it made me a bit homesick, and made me miss my mom and my dad. They were the best ping-pong buddies that anyone could ask for. My mom with her cute side step shuffle, and she hops around with her game face on. When she makes a nice shot or a slam, she usually jumps in the air like a little girl and shouts and laughs. My dad with his "you and your mother play, and I'll play the winner. Don't expect to beat me, either of you." Of course he learned to say this jokingly because me and my mom would have some pretty intense games as he watched TV while we played. When he would play the winner, he would always add in the remark "oh son, you've gotten better! BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH." or something like "Your mother has always been good at ping-pong. AHA!" as he slams the ball while lifting one of his feet in the air behind him. It was always funny seeing my dad slam the ball. My little sister coming in, laughing her head off as she tries to learn how to play and our dog freaking out because the whole family (minus Jennifer who was in California when most of our ping-pong playing occured) was shouting and laughing.




To say the least, I miss my family. They are pretty amazing. You should get to know them. I know that I miss them a lot. And although like every family we have our problems, my family is pretty close and healthy.


I'm excited to bring my girlfriend to meet them once I get back to the States.
But did I tell you? I have to am going to meet her side of the family (not her nuclear family, but her extended family) here in Korea, and spend Christmas with them. I need to really work on my Korean... dangit.