Jieshu Le.

"Jieshu le!" my tutor's cousin shouted as he launched the basketball into the air.  Sure enough, the ball went in, and the game was over.  I lost. 

Somehow over these last several months he's managed to grow taller than me and hone his game such that he commented today, 'you don't play as well as you used to.'  Ha, used to would be right if I had any skills to begin with.  And did I mention that the last time I played with him he ended up in the hospital with a bum ankle which didn't heal for over a month?  Still I laughed it off and blamed the increasingly hot weather to be at fault.  

I fear he's outgrown me and wonder as he heads into his teenage years who will be the one to influence him.   I remember my own biaodi at that age, how he still would hang out with me until all of a sudden he became too cool and aloof for that.   My ability to engage my cousin's tutor today in a conversation on sports ran flat as I realized I can't even talk about the NBA with intelligence anymore.  And forget about the World Cup--I haven't a clue on soccer, the dominant sport in all other countries save the good 'ol US of A.  

Here is where I'll say, I am a girl [note, not girly girl], and any such male presence who could step in would be greatly appreciated .  But I speak of an issue not so readily resolved...