round one: fight! [8/21/2007]

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Azad: do the cellar proud
me: hahah.
i shall give it my all.
even if i am to fall.
i shall not give up without wringing every last ounce of ability from my soul.
Azad: that's what i like to hear
also, have fun
me: oh yeah that too.
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This was the conversation that I had with my dear comrade Azad mere hours before engaging in the fated ping pong showdown with not just Nagao-sensei, but two other teachers here at the middle school as well (Umino-sensei and Nakayama-sensei).  It has been a full day since the carnage was wrought, and I can say with full confidence that I had quite a bit of fun and also that I lived up to the legacy of the cellar.  "The cellar" of course is my old basement at 88 Tinton in Eatontown, where the ping pong saga began oh so many years ago.

We first took part in some preliminary basketball to warm the blood and steal the nerves for the competition that was soon to take place.  The four of us quickly discovered that it was wayyy too hot to be playing lots of basketball and that none of us was in fact very good.  We still enjoyed ourselves mightily, however.

Then, the main event: たっきゅう！！ (takkyuu!!)

The ping pong tables are located in the gym but on a sort of mezzanine-type area overlooking the basketball courts.  We alternated pairs to warm up and then Nagao-sensei faced off against Nakayama-sensei for the first round.  The games went to ten points with a service change every three.  Nakayama-sensei emerged victorious.

Then it was my turn to play, paired up with Umino-sensei.  Umino-sensei, as well as my other two respected opponents, played pen-grip style with a fancy pen-grip paddle, but I represented our proud shake-style tradition.  It was a good match, but I was able to triumph over Umino-sensei, leaving the "final battle" (rampart Jonathan?) between myself and Nakayama-sensei.  I came out with an early lead but Nakayama-sensei rallied ("don't call it a comeback"), shortening the gap.  It proved to not be enough, however, and I was able to come out on top.

But what about Nagao-sensei, the man who originally challenged me?  We were leaving, but I called him out so that we could have our match...

True to his word, when we went out to lunch today for okonomiyaki, he paid for everyone.  I didn't really expect him to, but he snuck off and paid the bill.  I'll save the okonomiyaki description for when I can grab a picture of it.

I also found out today that the school's gym is open until 6pm, making its availability rather limited.  BUt if I want to play, that's my only option, so I suppose it'll have to do.

Nagao-sensei says that "Ping Pong Festival Part 2" is next week.  I anxiously look forward to the festivities.

shake-grip craziness FROM THE FUTURE,
-greg.