Chapter Fifty-Six: The Game (~jinghan)
American football is actually really interesting. And personally I think it’s much more sophisticated than australian rules football, which – lets be honest – constitutes a bunch of sweaty muddy men chasing after a awkwardly bouncing ball. American footballers? Not a spec of mud. And there’s some intense tactic work going on. There’s some intelligent play going on there.
But here is how my evening started:
Jinghan is hot and tired because she decided to walk all the way to the stadium and the sun hasn’t quite set yet. But then, suddenly from the distance appears what seems to be lines of trucks and tents and the sound of music. The sort of music a movie would have in the background while young (good looking) people are having fun in the foreground.
And from behind all this emerges, in bold white letters: AGGIE STADIUM. And Jinghan is pretty sure the music intensifies as her vision is directed towards the stadium.
The music softens, and from the distance a rhythmic drumming and somewhat warrior like shouting can be heard. Jinghan runs to the street to see and – my gosh- it’s a marching band. No, slash that, it’s a marching musical army making it’s way down the street towards the stadium.
Followed by a group of smiling cheerleaders who wave their pompoms at all the little kids who are staring with their jaws open. (Not entirely unlike Jinghan’s expression.)
They march onto the lawn (with the tents and trucks and the smell of barbeque). Okay bands can be amazing. But bands that play perfectly rhythmic music AND wave their trombone/tuba/portable-xylophone around and jump up and down and shout and turn around and do the hockey pokey and etc. etc. are AMAZING.
And there was also the cheerleaders. Oh btw the game hasn’t even started. It’s no where near starting.
Here is the aggie pack where jinghan was sitting. a lot of screaming and cheering was done. They all had free t-shirts but had to put up with the sun in their eyes for the first half quarter.
And only THEN did the game actually begin.
“So, do you know the rules to the game?” Jinghan asks the girl beside her.
“This is my first time too,” she says smiling and giggling.
“So, do you know the rules to the game?” Jinghan asks the guy in front of her.
“Uh not really, no. Which one’s our team?”
“So, do you know the rules to the game?” Jinghan asks the girl to her other side.
“Haha, I think you try and get touch downs.”
Jinghan already knew this.
“So, do you know the rules to the game?” Jinghan asks the girls behind her?
“Not much.”
So apparently not knowing what is going on does not stop people coming to the game at all. Jinghan eventually finds out snippits about what is going on by surveying the people around her and eaves dropping on other people’s explanations. It’s really quite interesting, she thinks. Plus Davis makes a touchdown first! Oh yeah! Go Aggies!
And then there was half time entertainment…
Oh and this is our mascot. He is a mustang horse. And a great dancer 😉
You’ll be glad to know that we won in the end. And that I may or may not have been persuaded by some girls to go play board games with them before the game ended (I was a little disappointed) but it turned out for the best… more on that adventure later.