9/18: Sports Day and a baseball game

This weekend we had a Sports Day for all the kindergarten kids and their families. It was held on this massive dirt field, and the school even hired a DJ and an announcer. It was crazy. Here are some photos and videos from the event...

Everyone warming up with some stretches and weird dancing

First game: Which team can pass this massive ball back and forth down the line faster? 

Answer: My team (duh)!

This was one of my favorites because so many kids fell, but no tears! The parents sat down and held this fabric tight enough that the kids could run across. Super fun.

Balloon pop tag: Parents try to pop other parents' balloons with kids on their backs!

  My adorable fives getting lined up to race! Pure determination.

Racing! Note: They all wore their uniforms to Sports Day, but at school it seems like they're optional.

After the kids raced, they laid out prizes and let the moms have at it! They were intense!
They only put out enough prizes for about half the moms, so if you didn't win, you had to answer to your child empty-handed.

They also had a grandparent event in which the grandparent and the student pushed the ball down and around a cone and back. No racing was involved; everyone got a prize at the end. I definitely saw the glint of competition in a few eyes, though. 

Lunch time! Some kids/parents brought dishes for the teachers to share. It was a feast! Lots of kimbap (Korean sushi) with veggies or tuna.

Here are some of the other teachers eating, and on the right is the principal and VP with her daughter.

After lunch, it was time for tug of war! Tug of war not dangerous enough for you? Added element: race to NINE ropes and see who can drag back the most.

Still not enough injury potential? Make the dads do it.

Overall, Sports Day was a success. It seemed like the kids and all the families had a ton of fun, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Although I was mostly there for cheerleading and so the families could play oogle-the-foreigner, I did get to talk to a few parents and had a great time. Actually, I had so much fun I didn't want to leave... but I had to get to the baseball game!

My friend Ethan got four of us tickets to the Kia Tigers game against the SK Wyverns in Incheon, right outside Seoul. How is Korean baseball different from American baseball? Well, gameplay-wise, it's just about the same; the pitchers are a bit slower and they steal more often, but that's about it.

Game-atmosphere-wise: They're different worlds. First of all, we brought an actual fried chicken with us into the stadium. In a plastic bag. Also, seating in the upper decks is undesignated and people sometimes end up sitting on the stairs, so my friend had to go two hours early to make sure we got seats, even though this game was in no way special. Next, there wasn't any instant replay or live action on the big screen -- just game stats and (racist?) animations. Oh and back to food, here's a picture of the concession stand.

There was chicken roasting, potatoes (maybe), kimbap wrapped in foil, dumplings, ramen, and tons of other snacks. The most common thing we saw other people eating was ramen. After the chicken, we had some dumplings and chewed on some dry squid. Although the squid smells a bit fishy, it's pretty good!

This particular stand was our beer supplier for the night, which brings me to my next difference: prices. Four beers were less than $10 each time. Our tickets were about $7.50. Parking? Less than $2. It was awesome.

The next difference is perhaps the most noticeable: the fans. Since Korea is relatively small geographically (fans can travel to away games) and people often move to the bigger cities,  there is often an equal showing from the home and away teams. The stadium is split down the middle and the cheering wars begin. Instead of the player-chosen entrance music heard in American baseball stadiums, Korean baseball players apparently have personal cheers the fans yell for each at bat. I could catch onto a few by reading their names off the scoreboard, but there were SO MANY and it seemed like everyone knew them all! Here's a video of the SK fans cheering. I'm not sure how they coordinate these cheers, but they do them like clockwork.

This goes on THE WHOLE TIME. Our side was only quiet because the Tigers fans were resting their voices for our turn at the plate. Also, everyone is equipped with huge inflatable clappers that are required for proper cheering. If you look closely at the video, you can see them moving (in unison, of course).

Although the Tigers lost, they put up a good fight and kept the game interesting. Overall, the experience was a great one. And how could it not be with good friends, cold (read: cheap) beer, and an exciting baseball game? We finished the night with some Korean barbecue and soju -- definitely one of my best days here.