Ping Pong

Saturday night Clare and I went to a dinner sponsored by AFS for 15 exchange teachers in the Northeast. All of the teachers were from either China or Thailand. They had gathered for a few days to review what they have learned so far about America, our schools and our culture. Each teacher made a dish representative of their cuisine, and about 35 sponsors, hosts, liaisons and volunteers attended. The teachers then shared some representation of their culture; the Thai teachers demonstrated several traditional dances. One of the Chinese teachers was called Big John (thankfully, they all choose Americanized versions of their own name, or an English-sounding name!) He is tall, a little over 6', and is from a province near Shanghai.

John talked about the importance of ping pong in US-China relations; he then demonstrated hitting the ball up in the air, then asked for a volunteer to come up to the front of the room. I got up and he handed me a paddle, and (without a table) we volleyed back and forth. We kept the ball in the air longer than the crowd anticipated, based on their cheering, and when we finally dropped it, he thanked me and told me that I would need to teach someone else how to do the same. One of the Thai teachers stepped forward, and we volleyed as well for a bit. John then gave me the ball to keep as a gift.

At the end of the evening, Big John approached me and asked me about my trip. I had earlier told him I was going to China, and he must have asked someone about my trip, because he knew where we would be going and why. He asked me if I was going to NingXia, and would be helping the poor people in that region; I answered yes, and he did the unexpected – he hugged me and thanked me. It was a very moving moment, and I decided to bring the ball with me to remember that our countries can work out our differences, one volley at a time.