School days

Chopsticks and ball

All it took was a bundle of ten chopsticks and a small rubber ball, and a ring of girls sitting on the schoolyard floor could play for the whole break. Scatter the sticks, toss the ball up, pick up sticks and catch the ball before its second bounce. In the north the game is called chơi chuyền and the chopsticks become “que chuyền”.

Each round asked for a different pickup, from one stick, then two, up to the whole bundle, and some rounds made you pass the sticks from hand to hand before you could catch. Drop the ball and you lost your turn, while everyone counted aloud in time with the tosses. When the drum called you back to class, the sticks were hurriedly shoved into the desk, hands still dusty with chalk.

Do you remember? Which round were you on when you finally dropped the ball?

💬 Everyone's memories

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