So there I was, sitting down having a drink of water after running to this lakeside town that was a few kilometres from the town we were staying in. There was a group of old Chinese men shooting some pool in the town courtyard, so I was watching them shoot. They noticed me watching them play, so one of them gestured towards me to come over. I of course obliged, not ever wanting to pass by an opportunity for a good game of pool. I have found in my travels that playing pool is one of the best ways to meet people. Heck, when I was in New Zealand that is how I landed a role in The Lord of the Rings. The old man that I was playing against was quite the shot. I only won one game out of five (of course I blame home table advantage for the losses.) This experience was one of my fondest memories in all of China. It was so great to just play pool with some locals, and have all these different families watching these crazy foreigners, who speak no Chinese, playing pool against their local "pros." It wasn't, however, the only time I played pool there, in fact when we (Jose and I) were in this small Tibetan town we went to the local pool hall for a night of entertainment. The power went out while we were playing (one of many blackouts in China,) and they just lit a lantern and kept playing. When we were playing in this little Tibetan town we were basically the focal point of interest in this hang out. There were about 20 guys in there, ranging in age from about 12 to 25. At one point (when we first arrived) probably 75% of them were crowded around our table rooting on their local favourite. This time I was a bit more successful, probably winning about half the games, but these kids were also quite talented. So for those wanderers out there I recommend frequenting your local pool hall, bar, or in some cases city centers to meet people. It may just become a highlight of your adventures.
-Brice (the Shark) Peressini
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