We had the day to ourselves before the first class, so we decided to explore the city as a group. We visited many famous landmarks like the Victoria Park and Times Square. However, the most notable experience from our exploration was when we visited a Ping Pong store. 

From the moment we entered the store, I could sense confusion from the owners, as they witnessed ten foreigners enter their store. Jie explained the purpose of our visit, and I saw their confusion turn into excitement.

They let us play on a ping pong table in the store, which is usually reserved for practices. Then, Abdallah, a fellow student with no Chinese background, passionately negotiated with the store owner while buying a paddle. This moment encapsulated to me what this visit is all about. Two people who previously would have nothing in common, found a common passion through sport. After tense negotiations, they struck a deal and Abdallah got a free case for his paddle. 

Before we left, we took a group photo a giant picture of Zhou En Lai in the game room with the store owner. 

We had our first lecture in Hong Kong with Pete Millwood about Ping Pong diplomacy. During his talk, I couldn't help but reflect on our experience in the ping pong store. 

We ended the evening with an alumni reception. The reception was a lot of fun where we played ping pong and mingled with UVA alumni.

- Paul McKissock