The American pastime arrives in China

[Guest WenDylan]

I read this segment from an article and I found it really funny and a great read!

 

I strolled around the back of the stands looking for the outfield bleachers and stumbled into the back parking lot of Field Two. The Cuban team was preparing to board their bus after having spanked the Netherlands 14-3. Several Cuban players said they couldn't speak English and with my almost non-existent Spanish, I couldn't do much more than ask if everything was bueno. They said it was. I approached the manager and several team officials who said, in perfect English, "We don't speak English."

 

Several Cuban players were signing autographs up against a fence separating the players from the fans at the U.S/China game. I went over to check it out. As the Cubans boarded the bus, three people asked for my autograph.

 

"I'm not a player, I am a journalist," I said, in Mandarin. "You don't want me."

 

"It's okay," one teenager answered in English, shoving his ticket through the fence. "Please sign."

 

I laughed and signed and several of his friends ran over and thrust their tickets at me. The more I signed, the larger the crowd got and the larger the crowd got the more people it attracted.

 

I kept saying, "You don't want my autograph. I am a journalist," but it had no effect. Not wanting to be rude, I signed. Thinking that perhaps they weren't understanding my Chinese, I asked Ngan Ying "Susannah" Cheung, a volunteer from Hong Kong who speaks perfect English, to translate for me. She laughed and said, "They understand," but then repeated it anyhow. It made no difference, so I signed over 100 autographs, all while interviewing the seekers, many of whom were from a large group of students from a nearby school.

 

"Do you like baseball?'

 

"Yes, very interesting."

 

"It is fun, even if we don't understand it all."

 

"We are proud to watch China play against the U.S.," said Cong Xiao Lei, 13, in careful but very solid English.

 

"But what is your favorite sport?" I asked the assembled students.

 

Basketball and table tennis led the way, with tennis also notching a couple of votes. "Baseball is not as good as those, but it is good, too," said Zhen Di, also 13.

 

A security guard handed me a game ball to sign. "But I'm a journalist!" "Okay, okay. Sign, please."

 

Two grandmotherly ladies approached and asked for an autograph. I laughed and explained who I was. "I'll sign if you answer some questions," I said. They shoved their ticket stubs at me.

 

"Do you like this game?"

 

"At my age, I wouldn't bother coming out if I didn't like the game - even for the Olympics," said Liao Zhing. "I like table tennis better, but this is a good game, fun to watch even when you don't know all the rules."

 

http://www.nbcolympics.com/destinationbeij...html#a+ballpark

[IllinoisDave]

The good and the bad:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olym...us.baseball.ap/

[tsap seui]

I've already given my "son" a nice Rawlings glove, a bat, and a couple of baseballs. Next year, when I get to live with his mom and he, there is going to be "spring training" for lil' Bubba Jr....I have no doubts that when other kids see us tossing the ball around and see him hitting my pitches that I will get to teach some other young kids how to play baseball.

 

They already know how to spit, so I'll teach them how to chew bubble gum and blow big bubbles, scratch their balls, and pull their underwear out of their asses (just like the pros)....while showing them how to hold the bat and use their wrists to knock the ball out of sight, and how to follow through when they throw the ball.

 

Shucks, I get to be a kid again as I teach my son baseball, and football (with an oblong ball, instead of a round ball).

 

tsap seui

[Guest WenDylan]

I've already given my "son" a nice Rawlings glove, a bat, and a couple of baseballs. Next year, when I get to live with his mom and he, there is going to be "spring training" for lil' Bubba Jr....I have no doubts that when other kids see us tossing the ball around and see him hitting my pitches that I will get to teach some other young kids how to play baseball.

 

They already know how to spit, so I'll teach them how to chew bubble gum and blow big bubbles, scratch their balls, and pull their underwear out of their asses (just like the pros)....while showing them how to hold the bat and use their wrists to knock the ball out of sight, and how to follow through when they throw the ball.

 

Shucks, I get to be a kid again as I teach my son baseball, and football (with an oblong ball, instead of a round ball).

 

tsap seui

There's too many sports called football for me to keep up with. Haha. You might have to invest in some property so you can build a small baseball diamond in your Chinese backyard. You never know, you could sell hot dogs and pay for it pretty quick. Ikea is doing pretty good with their hot dog sales. Every time I went in, I saw a huge line of people wanting ice cream and hot dogs.

[Wendy W]

"I approached the manager and several team officials who said, in perfect English, "We don't speak English."

that's typical in China, Or "my enlish is poor" with a shy smile

[Guest WenDylan]

"I approached the manager and several team officials who said, in perfect English, "We don't speak English."

that's typical in China, Or "my enlish is poor" with a shy smile

I like the Singlish versions better.