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Just call me Forest Gump: Ping Pong in the D.R.

11/27/2012

5 Comments

 
So we are wrapping up the end of the semester, and with only a few classes left and most of the grading and planning out of the way, my friend Alexis and I were feeling a little bored. 
Now we had seen the ping pong tables on campus earlier and they have been calling to us all semester from way up on the 3rd floor of the student center. The hollow "ping, ping, ping" of the little white ball tapping out a rhythm in the back of my mind every time I walked by that building. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE ping pong (and generally, I think I´m pretty decent). So without a responsibility in the world on a Tuesday afternoon, it wasn´t hard for us to decide that a little table tennis might be just the cure for our nothing-to-do blues. 
When we arrived in the ping pong room (yes there is a whole room dedicated to ping pong!) we were surpised to find that there was a class going on. The room was filled with darting students and little white balls whirring by and not a single table was open to play. I stepped inside to inquire when the class would end so that Alexis and I could come back later.
However, in typical friendly Dominican fashion, instead of sending us away the professor invited us to play along with the class! This is why I love Dominicans! 
And once most of the rest of the class had finished and gone, he even stayed longer to give us extra lessons, as he apparently noticed that we could use a few pointers (dang it, and I thought I was doing pretty good!) It seems I have been holding the paddle incorrectly my entire life. And my backhand is all wrong. And my forehand needs improvement. And I need to learn to bend my knees more.  Ok, so it looks like I may need to go back for more practice next week, lol. But you can check out part of our training session below. 
Work that forehand Alexis!
Ok so maybe you can´t call me Forrest Gump just yet....but not a bad start :)
P.S. Start practicing up Dad, I plan on claiming the Gleason Household ping pong champion title this Christmas. 
5 Comments
Alexis
11/27/2012 10:12:45 am

I look like a not very well trained ping pong robot..lol..I'm horrible at ping pong..but I learned something and it was fun :)

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Molly
11/27/2012 11:02:15 am

It was fun! Let´s do it again :)

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Dad
11/27/2012 12:10:57 pm

Get your lessons and bring your best game home for Christmas--- we will battle it out. Game on

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Neal
11/27/2012 10:43:05 pm

Bad backhand? Poor grip? Clumsy footwork? you didn't need to go all the way to the DR, I could have told you that...

Reply
Alexis
11/28/2012 12:33:15 am

I had no idea ping pong was so technical..lol..but I would love to do it again sometime.. :)

Reply



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    Hola! My name is Molly and I was recently hired through the travel abroad company CIEE as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for the PUCMM, a university located in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Hopefully this blog will give future travelers an insight into teaching abroad, while also helping me log my adventures and stay in touch with friends back home. 

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