Story

“So P.I.G. is just like the basketball game H.O.R.S.E. First player takes a shot. If they make it, the next player has to take the same shot from the same place as the first person, imitating it. If they make it, the third person goes and so on. If they fail to make the same shot as the previous person’s, they receive an alphabet. First person to receive all P.I.G. or H.O.R.S.E. loses.

Amongst my friends, P.I.G. was a more suitable game than H.O.R.S.E. just because it had less alphabets. Our break times were short and after school. We would prefer to play a real game of ball anyways”.

Context

I collected this from my friend that I made in university. He is Asian American and grew up in the city of Walnut his whole life. He is an avid basketball player and always stayed in school to either go play basketball or go longboarding with friends. P.I.G. is a significant game because not only did the game help him have enjoyable break times, but also because he would recognize those playing P.I.G. with him as folk. His friendships got strong through playing this game, and small folk games like these that can diversify and enhance the overall playing experience.

Analysis

One thing that immediately caught my attention is that the P.I.G., which is a variant of the game H.O.R.S.E. also maintained its theme of animals within the name of the game. There could have been other animals that are perceived as more common while having three letters such as D.O.G. or C.A.T. When the players lose, they receive all the alphabets and therefore become the animal that is the name of the game. It can be hypothesized that because P.I.G. and H.O.R.S.E. are common insults, the end results of the game could have become more humorous with a designated pig or horse of the group. Although cat and dog can both be insults, pig and horse are animals where the literal term of the animal can be used in an insulting context, while it may be more difficult to humiliate others by calling them a cat.

Story

Bo-ri Ssal, meaning barley and rice, is a traditional game that is physical, which can be played with two players using their hands. The player on the offense clenches a fist, while the player on the defense brings their hands together to make a cup with the palms. The first player puts the fist in the palm and either says Bo-ri (Barley) or Ssal (Rice) and then takes the fist out. The defending player must attempt to grab the fist as the attacking player says Ssal. If they say Bo-ri and the defending player catches it, it does not count and the attacking player keeps playing. The attacking player can always choose either Bo-ri or Ssal, and if they lose by getting caught when they say Ssal, the attacking and defending sides switch.

Context

I collected this from my high school friend who lives in Shanghai, China. Despite living abroad. This game is significant to him because while going on public transport such as the bus or the subway, he would insist that we play this game because he is “on another level” and every time I lose he would tell me “don’t reach”. Although my encounter with him is frustrating, the game itself is fun as it is taught to South Korean children since a very young age.

Analysis

Bo-ri Ssal widespread and well known in South Korea due to the game only requiring hands to play and therefore being able to be performed anywhere one desires. Unlike other folk entertainment such as dancing and singing, Bo-ri Ssal is a game that tests and teaches reaction time to its players. It can be analyzed that the two hands of the defending player symbolize the mouth and the mouth wants to eat the soft white rice rather than the inferior course and rough barley.