Badminton Beauties

I've learned two things about myself: I love playing badminton and I suck incredibly at it.

But that's OK. Badminton has been a great way to meet people, especially students who I don't have for class, like these ladies. They are seniors who often play in the courtyard between the teachers' dormitories. I like playing with them because they are not as competitive as the teachers and some other students, so that means they don't mind playing with am amateur like me.

In the hour after dinner, the students have the only free time of the day before they must report to their classrooms for two hours of self-study. In this hour, the playground is packed. Several full-court basketball games are always in progress with students lined up along the sidelines watching. I have yet to play ping-pong because the outdoor tables are also always in use at this time. Badminton has been my go-to sport because you don't need a court, just two rackets, a shuttlecock and a narrow strip of space.