Secret Weapon

I felt like a freshman all over again this past weekend. It was rather nice, in a reminiscent sort of way.

"Sooo, Jo...who looks the youngest?”

With all of them 3-4 years older than me, leave it to Zig to ask me such a hot-button question.

“Um,” I laugh as 9 pairs of male eyes instantly turn towards me to hear my response, “I’m gonna have to say Jarrod because he got a haircut. The short hair looks good, Jarrod.”

A chorus of “Ohhhhhh!” is heard around the grill.

Oh, boy. Some things never change.

Zig is still the same teasing big brother type I used to be sweet on. Dan (who loves it when I call him “Xiao Ma Ge!”) still shares food with me because that’s how it’s always been. David still drinks his beer like water and has the same rock-hard arms that can probably still cut my lip like it did one time during basketball. Gelek is still the most stylish of them all and the first to notice that I’ve started wearing earrings.

I grew up thinking how nice it'd be to have an older brother, and in these guys, I am fortunate enough to find a whole brotherhood.

Most of the old crew came down for the football game on Saturday. Though, it was mainly to see Chinabration*... After pretty much disappearing from the Asian organizations when I became a RA last year, Saturday night was sooo déjà vu for me. It's the first year I'm not a part of Chinabration. And I must admit, it was rather nice to sit back, relax and simply enjoy all the hard work I know firsthand goes into a theater production.

With me in the middle, the guys filled out an entire row in the auditorium. I was getting quite a few curious looks from the underclassmen since they didn't recognize the people I was with (the guys graduated after my freshman year). And with Zig giving me his play-by-play commentary of the show, and all the hilarious smack-talk that went on in between the scenes...

...I almost forgot how it felt to be the only girl in their midst.

It’s a sort of feeling I haven't felt in roughly three years. I missed it, but I think I miss the feeling of running the basketball courts with them every Friday night even more.

You see, I grew up playing pick-up games with my dad at our health club. My mom never permitted me to play for school because she was afraid I’d become too muscle-y (funny how my lack of arm muscle is a now a favorite topic for my friends to poke fun at!).

So, as a quick trigger-shot shooter who knew how to run the ball and was used to playing basketball with guys, I was their "secret weapon."

I was also the group's unofficial younger sister. The years hasn't seemed to change that position at all...

"What're you guys doing tonight?" I ask.

"After the show, we're going downtown for the after-party." Zig looks at me in puzzlement since typically for these occasions, it's a given I'd be escorted by them.

"Well, Vinh also came down this weekend. To visit Miki, and I promised Saturday night to them."

"Aren't they going to the after-party?"

"Mm, I think we're going...bowling."

"What?!"

I remember getting the very same reaction back then, too. Like, when I told the guys I was going bowling after playing basketball with them from 8 PM to midnight.

Yup! Some things just don't change. And, I like it very much.

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*annual Chinese culture show put on by organization I was Vice-Prez of my sophomore year