One more...

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of playing basketball against some of ECNU's (East China Normal University) finest. Myself and three other kids from the states went down to the outdoor courts they have in the center of campus. It's a pretty nice playing surface for outdoors (think Tremont gym), they probably have at least ten hoops lining a fenced in area. Once we figured out how to get in we didn't have too much trouble finding people to play against (I think the assumption is that because we're American we must be good).

They play a little differently than we do back home, four on four on this particular court, make it take it, but no checking of the ball at the top of the key. Also if the ball went out of bounds you take it out like you would in a regulation game rather than taking it to the top of the key to check it first. Game's to five.

In our first game... we got stomped. We stepped onto the court cold, and I think we underestimated our opponents. They were blocking shots, playing super aggressive and overall making us look very bad. We lost 5-0.

This meant that we had to sit the next game, which was good for us, we talked strategy in English since no one could understand us, next game in we represented the states well and won 5-3.

It did get really physical later on, we had a bloody nose, cut lip, scratched eye lid, but no one was being malicious so it was alright with everyone, Chinese and American.

There were some very decent players there for sure, and not short at all, probably as tall as 6'4" and really long arms. This one kid would post me up and get the ball about 10 feet from the hoop, I was playing wicked tight defense and he would just spin away from me and drain a fade away jumper...unreal. Of course there were also some kids who just stunk.

Every time one the American players made a good move resembling an NBA player the Chinese team on the side line would shout out the NBA players name, "Tony Parker," "Kobe," "LeBron," (picture it with a Chinese accent and it's pretty funny). I was named, more for my size than basketball abilities "Shaq."

We probably played for an hour and half or so, it was fun to interact with the Chinese students they were very warm and welcoming toward us and invited us back to play again sometime.

-AL