Today we learned the ancient and sophisticated game of Go.
First we watched a game of go between world champions from China and Korea. I didn’t really know what was going on but I could tell from the tension in the players’ movements how much was at stake. The winner takes home a prize of $400,000, 2nd place $150,000. The room was small, and the players’ chairs were ornate. Camera shutters marked against shuffling pants and bags. One of the players would occasionally look away from the game and toward the awkward bystanders and cameramen. We made eye contact at one point.
After 10 minutes of this we took a tour of the Chinese go house, led by world renowned go champion Shiu Tai. He was remarkably humble, and personable. He even taught us a lesson on Go! After the lecture and practice, our group was gifted a go board and pieces. I’ll definitely be playing against my roommate tomorrow.