jump

suspend your disbelief

Chinese garter was a game we played back when we were kids at school. It involved jumping over a thin piece of rubber “garter” which was usually 6 to 10 feet long, stretched out and held at each end by two other players. The object of the game is to be able to successfully jump over the garter as it was gradually held higher and higher, starting at the ground, then at knee level, up till the ones holding the garter stretch their arms straight out over their heads.

This sounds simple to do, but it requires quite a good combination of skills to launch yourself in the air without using any equipment, and jump high enough to clear a very thin piece of garter suspended 5 feet high.

Yesterday, our small but lively Filipino community here in our laid-back corner of Florida decided to hold a beachside “sportsfest” to celebrate Father’s Day and the birthday of 2 kids. The kids had their pinata, Father’s day card-making contest and various other activites. The adults, on the other hand, played basketball, volleyball, and badminton, as well as Pinoy games such as takyan, “Japanese game” (or base-base) and “Chinese garter”.


While most of the other games were played by both men and women, our game of Chinese garter, by inclinication, was played exclusively by the women. Two of the guys good-naturedly offered to hold the ends of the garter, but that also meant that the highest level, when they held the garter over their heads, reached well over 6 feet!

But we were equal to the challenge. Even though no longer as thin, light or as flexible as we were in our elementary school days, all of us still managed to clear the garter at the halfway mark (around 3 feet up), and do it with the agility and grace of 10, 15, or 20 years ago, to boot. The few who cleared the garter at 5 feet and above were cheered on by the others, as they soared over the grass in a feat of strength, style, and willpower. :-)

We had so much fun! Yes, even those mommies who scraped their knees or tumbled to the grass. Plus we were able to show the young ‘uns what their moms and titas used to play “back home”, way back when we were younger, and life (including play) was much simpler. The hubbies, kids, and onlookers were obviously proud of (as well as amazed and entertained by) us, and we were mighty proud of ourselves and of each other as well.

To be able to go over the garter, you can either:

“tumble”

tumbling

jump

jump2

or fly!

fly1

fly2

fly3


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