Street basketball in Vientiane
Vientiane has an English news paper called, ‘The Vientiane Times’ (TVT). It is part of the English News Paper network in Asia. The Straight’s Times in Singapore is also part of this network of Asian papers. The news in the TVT is largely local. Occasionally you find out what David Beckham is up too and other riveting stuff. The paper always talks about how good the government is and how much it is doing for everybody. It is just like Singapore’s Straights Times!
Anyway, I buy the V.T. to find out what’s happening around town and in Laos. The other day I saw an article about a Street Basketball competition. The article explained that it was the first time Lao basketballers were coming together for
‘3- on- 3 matches.’
I’m currently helping to coach the junior basketball side in Seth’s school. I’m helping one other dad from the Philippines. Both our sons are in the team and we meet on Wed arvo from 4-5.30pm. The boys don’t play competitively at the moment or against other schools. We meet up to have fun, exercise, develop skills and build character.
The two ‘Basketball dads’ decided to take their sons to watch the ‘3 on 3 game’. The games were ‘supposed’ to begin at 8.30 and go through until 5pm. Everything was going to happen in the city car park.
The organisers set up several large speakers and a stage in the carpark. The half size court was sectioned off and eventually they rolled out the goals.
There were lights, sponsor and banners. The largest banner was “LAO COFFEE”. I was so glad it wasn’t ‘Lao Beer’. The Lao Coffee crew happily served free iced coffee in ‘Starbucks’ style cups. Sigh, the free bees didn’t last long. I felt the choice of venue was great as they were able to grab the attention of locals and tourists. There was a good crowd and a carnival like atmosphere.
Unfortunately, when we got there at 9am the organisers were still assembling the mobile Spalding basketball ring. The entire ring and stand had been delivered in a box, which was still in pieces on the ground in the middle of the car park. The sun was getting hotter by the minute and there was a need to push the day’s plans back. We chatted in the shade while the ring was assembled. Seth and CJ (Seth’s friend) threw stones at a swarm of dragon flies and other boy stuff…
The comical relief came via the 8 to 10 guys in the middle who screwed, banged and hammed the goal post together. They huffed and puffed as they erect the goal post upright. They were armed with nicely chromed spanners and a small English ‘how to do it’ manual.
The growing crowd patiently waited for 2 and ½ hours. The excitement level hit a peak when they erected the posts! I tried the “OZZIE OZZIE OZZZIE” but it didn’t work; neither did the Kallang WAVE…oh well.
While we were waiting I managed to have a conversation with a couple of the players- Bee and Sai. They are both Lao boys around 19 years old.
Bee studied Chinese in Beijing for four years and is currently studying marketing in a Vientiane College. Sai studied Chinese in Vientiane and is currently studying international trade in Vietnam.
I was blown away to learn that Sai can read and write Vietnamese and Lao and can speak Chinese and English. I was so impressed. We used English and Chinese. My Lao is still only ‘noi neng’ (little bit).
I noticed dried blood and a cut on Bee’s ear. Being the big nose that I am I asked him about the cut. He and Sai laughed. Sai explained that Bee’s girlfriend got angry with him and smashed a bottle over his head the previous night. Sai said ‘she was really angry’. Bee nodded in agreement but went on to explain that he will make up with her soon…He admitted that sometimes he’s ‘a bit stupid’.
I gathered that Sai was some sort of ‘Youth Ambassador’ in Laos. He had just come back from a trip with 28 other youth to 6 Asian Nations. The trip was sponsored by an NGO. Sai had visited Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Japan. He said it was a good experience and he had learnt a lot.
Our conversation was drowned out by thumping hip hop music…and there was a string of ‘colorful’ words I’d never think of teaching in my English class!!
HIP<>>>
The day was getting really hot. When the teams gathered together in the middle of the court there was an overwhelming level of ‘testosterone’. On a testosterone meter I’d put it at a ‘very dangerous’ level. Many of these guys were wearing the latest NIKE and Adidas tops. All of them had their long NBA shorts. Their hair styles would rival anything coming out of Buggis or Hip Hop fashion in L.A. The HIP HOP girls were there to tell us that US culture is alive and well and everybody seemed to be ‘lovin it’.
These funky, styled, educated guys were pumped to play their first 3 on 3 street basketball comp. The crowd and the hip hoppers were on their side. They screened nicely, shot long three-pointers and several even managed to slam dunk regularly. Seth and I left quite satisfied with the spectacle.
That night we drove by the spot at about 8pm and they were still running, jumping and having fun. The HIP Hoppers were no where in sight. I asked God…’what can I do encourage the enthusiasm and perhaps make the game more accessible to non-hippy hop, style-o-milo type Lao youth? I wonder….
ian
Anyway, I buy the V.T. to find out what’s happening around town and in Laos. The other day I saw an article about a Street Basketball competition. The article explained that it was the first time Lao basketballers were coming together for
‘3- on- 3 matches.’
I’m currently helping to coach the junior basketball side in Seth’s school. I’m helping one other dad from the Philippines. Both our sons are in the team and we meet on Wed arvo from 4-5.30pm. The boys don’t play competitively at the moment or against other schools. We meet up to have fun, exercise, develop skills and build character.
The two ‘Basketball dads’ decided to take their sons to watch the ‘3 on 3 game’. The games were ‘supposed’ to begin at 8.30 and go through until 5pm. Everything was going to happen in the city car park.
The organisers set up several large speakers and a stage in the carpark. The half size court was sectioned off and eventually they rolled out the goals.
There were lights, sponsor and banners. The largest banner was “LAO COFFEE”. I was so glad it wasn’t ‘Lao Beer’. The Lao Coffee crew happily served free iced coffee in ‘Starbucks’ style cups. Sigh, the free bees didn’t last long. I felt the choice of venue was great as they were able to grab the attention of locals and tourists. There was a good crowd and a carnival like atmosphere.
Unfortunately, when we got there at 9am the organisers were still assembling the mobile Spalding basketball ring. The entire ring and stand had been delivered in a box, which was still in pieces on the ground in the middle of the car park. The sun was getting hotter by the minute and there was a need to push the day’s plans back. We chatted in the shade while the ring was assembled. Seth and CJ (Seth’s friend) threw stones at a swarm of dragon flies and other boy stuff…
The comical relief came via the 8 to 10 guys in the middle who screwed, banged and hammed the goal post together. They huffed and puffed as they erect the goal post upright. They were armed with nicely chromed spanners and a small English ‘how to do it’ manual.
The growing crowd patiently waited for 2 and ½ hours. The excitement level hit a peak when they erected the posts! I tried the “OZZIE OZZIE OZZZIE” but it didn’t work; neither did the Kallang WAVE…oh well.
While we were waiting I managed to have a conversation with a couple of the players- Bee and Sai. They are both Lao boys around 19 years old.
Bee studied Chinese in Beijing for four years and is currently studying marketing in a Vientiane College. Sai studied Chinese in Vientiane and is currently studying international trade in Vietnam.
I was blown away to learn that Sai can read and write Vietnamese and Lao and can speak Chinese and English. I was so impressed. We used English and Chinese. My Lao is still only ‘noi neng’ (little bit).
I noticed dried blood and a cut on Bee’s ear. Being the big nose that I am I asked him about the cut. He and Sai laughed. Sai explained that Bee’s girlfriend got angry with him and smashed a bottle over his head the previous night. Sai said ‘she was really angry’. Bee nodded in agreement but went on to explain that he will make up with her soon…He admitted that sometimes he’s ‘a bit stupid’.
I gathered that Sai was some sort of ‘Youth Ambassador’ in Laos. He had just come back from a trip with 28 other youth to 6 Asian Nations. The trip was sponsored by an NGO. Sai had visited Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Japan. He said it was a good experience and he had learnt a lot.
Our conversation was drowned out by thumping hip hop music…and there was a string of ‘colorful’ words I’d never think of teaching in my English class!!
HIP<>>>
The day was getting really hot. When the teams gathered together in the middle of the court there was an overwhelming level of ‘testosterone’. On a testosterone meter I’d put it at a ‘very dangerous’ level. Many of these guys were wearing the latest NIKE and Adidas tops. All of them had their long NBA shorts. Their hair styles would rival anything coming out of Buggis or Hip Hop fashion in L.A. The HIP HOP girls were there to tell us that US culture is alive and well and everybody seemed to be ‘lovin it’.
These funky, styled, educated guys were pumped to play their first 3 on 3 street basketball comp. The crowd and the hip hoppers were on their side. They screened nicely, shot long three-pointers and several even managed to slam dunk regularly. Seth and I left quite satisfied with the spectacle.
That night we drove by the spot at about 8pm and they were still running, jumping and having fun. The HIP Hoppers were no where in sight. I asked God…’what can I do encourage the enthusiasm and perhaps make the game more accessible to non-hippy hop, style-o-milo type Lao youth? I wonder….
ian
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