I guess they play this everywhere in Asia, I just haven't noticed. I guess I didn't spend enough time in parks while in Saigon. I vaguely remember some dudes kicking the shuttlecock around, but not like this. The sport is called jianzi apparently, I looked it up. I'm not sure what it is in Khmer. Further research suggests the English name is shuttlecock or foot badminton, which kind of makes sense.
I was told these guys always practice along the riverside here in Phnom Penh. It's highly entertaining. Not only that, but fascinating how they have the coordination to hit the thing so accurately, not only with their foot, but their elbow and their head as well. I'm impressed! I have to go back and watch some more soon.
For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianzi
For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianzi
Oh man, seriously? This stuff is as common as nose-picking in Saigon, particularly from dusk until mid-evening in pretty much any park. In fact, the security guards at the fruit store next to VUS An Duong Vuong used to play it quite a bit. You really didn't get out much, did you? Or perhaps you were always too busy chatting up all the hot 21yos to notice. ;-)
ReplyDelete18yos...I stopped hanging out in parks after I left PNL back in the day. I do remember seeing a circle of guys kicking the shuttlecock around, but never saw anybody this good. Parks in Vn are seedy places, even seedier than the places I frequent when I travel lol.
ReplyDelete