I managed to watch just two games.
One game was played between Singapore and Luxembourg and the other game was between Japan and another country which I suddenly cannot recall. And I know I'll sound completely off-track if I say that what I do remember were the gorgeously colored shoes of both players. Japan wore the sweetest bright pink and the rival country wore bright lemon yellow.
The game between Singapore and Luxembourg was... interesting. Not just because both players were *obviously* from the PRC, but because it was a spectacularly noisy game, helped no less by the spectators in the stands, of whom I'm not sure whether they were supporters of this game, or the other games carrying on simultaneously nearby. There was just so much indistinguishable yelling.
The player from Singapore had a cute little ring on her finger and she did okay, the commentator said. What he meant was that she did well enough... because the Luxembourg player was a worthy competitor. A veteran who had won previous games, and which you would never believe was an Olympic medalist had she changed out of her competitive gear, thrown on a gaudy floral blouse, a pair of shapeless slacks, slung a messenger bag over her shoulder and started yakking loudly.
Never assume, really, never assume. You won't know if the person you think is an uncouth peasant from the farmlands of mainland China is in fact a world class Olympic table tennis star.
One game was played between Singapore and Luxembourg and the other game was between Japan and another country which I suddenly cannot recall. And I know I'll sound completely off-track if I say that what I do remember were the gorgeously colored shoes of both players. Japan wore the sweetest bright pink and the rival country wore bright lemon yellow.
The game between Singapore and Luxembourg was... interesting. Not just because both players were *obviously* from the PRC, but because it was a spectacularly noisy game, helped no less by the spectators in the stands, of whom I'm not sure whether they were supporters of this game, or the other games carrying on simultaneously nearby. There was just so much indistinguishable yelling.
The player from Singapore had a cute little ring on her finger and she did okay, the commentator said. What he meant was that she did well enough... because the Luxembourg player was a worthy competitor. A veteran who had won previous games, and which you would never believe was an Olympic medalist had she changed out of her competitive gear, thrown on a gaudy floral blouse, a pair of shapeless slacks, slung a messenger bag over her shoulder and started yakking loudly.
Never assume, really, never assume. You won't know if the person you think is an uncouth peasant from the farmlands of mainland China is in fact a world class Olympic table tennis star.