When I was young, I remember my aunt used to keep bags of marbles lying around. My cousin and I love playing with them but the marbles in the bags would gradually become less and less and then it’ll be completely gone.

Then when my aunt did her monthly cleaning and we helped move things around, we would start finding dusty marbles between the seats of the sofa, underneath the TV console, basically, every nooks and corners. I thought at first, it was kind of fun finding marbles in unexpected places but after a while, it just became plain irritation.

Anyway, I love playing with marbles but for a different reason of what my cousin used it for which was to drop it into a empty fish bowl or hide it around the apartment. Most of the time, I just take one and roll it in my hand, to feel its smooth surface and marvel at its colors. Also I use it to play Chinese Checkers which a marble game that to this day I still suck at.

However, this “Throwback Thursday” is not about how I suck at Chinese Checkers. It is about a different game involving marbles and chopsticks. Weird combination? Well you just have to read on to find out.

When I was in second grade, a tradition started at my school. Every year, on June 1st (International Kid’s Day), the school would suspend the day of learning and instead, lots of fun activities would be hosted all over the school. I guess it’s sort of like a free day except we can’t stay home. Anyway, everywhere in school would have an activity going on that day, hallway, classrooms, courtyard, etc.

It is the best day out of the the whole year. Even better than the last day of school? You bet!!!

I thought some of the games were rigged though. I mean, who cannot blow out five candles in one breath? The only one wasn’t rigged was the one I win every year, removing marbles with chopsticks. The rule, simple, whoever can use chopsticks to get 10 marbles out of a bowl with water the fastest wins. 

The first year the school held this activity (second grade), I remember at first, I didn’t think I could do it because I stood on the side watching one after another struggle. I was like if they can’t do it, what chance do I have? My heart pounded when it was my turn. I looked down at the large wooden bowl, filled with water and at the bottom were the marbles.

I took a deep breath and when the teacher blew the whistle to start, I slowly and steadily gripped the marble with my chopsticks and lifted out of the bowl onto the towel next to it. I didn’t pay attention to what the boy next to me was doing. I just focused on my bowl.

It was easier than I thought. One after another, I picked it up and placed it on the towel. When it was all gone, I was kind of disappointed because I was so into it. The teacher blew the whistle again. I won!

Everyone in the room watched in astonishment because I, the girl who was never good at anything, have won at something. Even the teacher was in awe. She handed a bag of pork jerky to me as prize. I wanted to do it again but I couldn’t, it wasn’t allowed for winner to win a second time. So I have to move on to try other activities.

The following year, I returned to play again. This time, the school upped the challenge to the next level. The marbles were placed in a jar full of water. This time, instead of removing 10 marbles, 30 marbles were needed to be removed. 

I rubbed my hands in excitement as I went up with the coolest girl in school, the third grade class leader. It was harder than before especially because the opening of the jar is so much smaller than a bowl but my steady hands had done it again. It was close competition with me only winning by one marble. Again, the teacher awarded me a bag of pork jerky but this time, as it was expected, no one showed a hint of surprise, not even the teacher.

In 4th grade, since I already came to the United States, I didn’t participate but those two days of those two years were the happiest of my school days in China because I discovered something I was good at. Ah, cheers to those sweet happy childhood memories. 🙂