Takraw!

I've had a craving to see a game of takraw ever since Graeme Ford brought that wicked little wicker ball out for play time one day of Summer Staff 2003. we all played with it like a hacky sack, but he told tantalizing stories of the true game...over a low net (roughly badminton height i'd say) like a game of volleyball but with your feet only. and they still smash the ball, block it, serve it with unbelievable kicks and flying turns, somehow managing to land on their feet.
these were the stories...and finally, yesterday, i got to see a game! and sure enough the stories held true.
I was mesmerized by the talent, the movements, the precision of blind over the head backwards twisted kicks. the ball always seemed to go exactly where it needed to. Feet sailed head high with ease, sending the wicker ball on a direct course to the other side.
the game impressed me tremendously, but the whole occasion will forever stick in my head because of the circumstance surrounding the game itself. I left Dylan and his friends yesterday, as they went south to the islands and i'm planning to go to cambodia to meet a dear NZ friend in a couple days. so I travelled on the train solo to bangkok, Thonburi station.
The Thonburi train station is the secondary station i would say. it's surrounded by markets and the hustle bustle of everyday local life (versus Hua Lamphong train station that is fancier and has 'cheap' 650baht (~20$) accomodation all around it [i'm currently paying 150b/night (~4$)]).
so i was walking through this evening market and stumbled across a Takraw 'tournament': 2 games simultaneously being played on a concrete field, with about 30 people casually sitting and watching.
Mesmerized I was, so I stopped, stood and watched a few minutes. I was quickly invited to sit down on the curb beside the others...but me being an awkwardly polite canadian thought it best to say no, atempting to explain that i had a big backpack etc. i dont' know why i refused. I think i was in hermit mode after being alone in my head for the train ride.
so i stood happily watching, until a few mintues later, Pong showed up with a stool, set it on the sidewalk for me and motioned to sit! i sat. and everyone said "Ohhhhhhhh hahaha!"
So I laughed, but certainly felt like a spoiled white girl that couldn't bring herself to sit on the ground. (for the record, i'm quite happy to ground sit!)
To make matters more hospitable, and slightly more embarrassing for white lauren, Pong soon showed up again, glass bottle of coke with a straw in hand. I said oh! wow! and took it. To which everyone again said "Ohhhhhhhhh hahah!"
All in all it was a fun interaction. Not a word of english, barely a word of thai from my side.
And truly, takraw is a game of skill and unfathomable precision!
I"m satisfied.

apologies for no photos of the occasion. it will have to remain a mystical, fantasmical game until you yourself stumble across a concrete tournament one day...