-^-for posterity-^-

i now play basketball at the chinese high school. it is a small school that is packed with students at night. it is shaped like a horse shoe with a basketball court in the center. the court is full of small holes and the rims are not forgiving. the backboards are plain wood and the pain has long since worn off.

i'm an american so i should play basketball wonderfully. they all stare at me and woo when i make a shot and are chillingly silent when i miss.

every monday, wednesday and friday we get together to play. there's about twenty five people who show up. their age ranges from about fifteen to fifty. they all play together and have set teams. i was somehow amalgamated into the team of younger players; the team that has had the most western influence. they wear baggy jeans and fitted caps backwards. they play basketball wonderfully. they glide through the older players and deftly lob the basketball through the hoop.

the older players may not be as deft as the younger players but they do have abilities that the younger players lack. they have passion, they have enthusiasm and they have discipline. they also throw elbows.

my first night there was quite eventful. the crowd on the sidelines grew thicker and more boisterous. my team won the first game and i held my own. it's been a long time since i played any competitive sport and this is taken quite seriously. by the time the sun set we were still playing. people were still running down the court and throwing absurd, cross court lobs. the last game saw tensions mount and physical play increase. i ended up getting kicked in the knee fairly hard and getting an elbow in the upper lip. there were no hard feelings and people shook hands at the end of the game. i smiled, exhausted.

i woke up this morning sore and with a bee-stung lip. getting up and around is a struggle.