US OPEN

Yes, I finally did it. I went to Virginia to watch one of the best pool tournaments in the world, the US Open! It was a pretty crazy thing to do, but it was worth the trip. I feel energized and pumped up to play! I'm too tired now to update so I'll write tomorrow.

OK I'm ready to update now. Like I said earlier, this trip was totally worth the time and money because not only was it the 30th one, there were many players from southern California still battling it out when I got there Saturday morning.

Even though the tournament had a full field of 256 players, there weren't many spectators. I expected to see a full house at the final match but there were plenty of empty seats. It was kind of disappointing considering the fact that this is the freaking US OPEN!!!

I noticed that some players were really struggling with the equipment. They played on Diamond tables with Aramith balls. People always complain about the pockets on the Diamond tables, but they're actually very nice tables. They just play totally differently than Brunswicks, for example. I heard one guy complaining about the balls, too. Another guy pointed out on Saturday morning that it's too early for pool players to be playing well. I was told, "Think about it, when do pool players ever play at 10 or 11 a.m.?" I guess that's a valid point, but this is always going to happen in tournaments...

Another kind of sad thing I noticed was that often times in pool, the spectators may be rooting or cheering for a certain player, but they really don't care how well they do. It's only because they are betting on that person. How sad!!! It's not always the case, and there is a certain comraderie amongst players. I felt that especially among southern California players, since there were about 12 of them, and they all did great. Someone commented (and I agree that) pool players in this country underestimate the players from the West Coast. That is not the case when so many of them finished so high. Let's not forget about the ladies, either...there are so many good female pool players in southern California as well.

I went to the pool hall nearby Sunday night after the tournament. I forgot that in the East Coast, people still smoke indoors...the air was all cloudy with cigarette smoke. The room totally looked shady. hahaha! It was a nice room, though. I played with the house cue and I played like a champion!

This trip sort of helped me realize how much I love pool and encouraged me to get out there and play. I traveled thousands of miles just to watch a tournament, so I should be able to do the same and play (maybe not that far!). I had a conversation with my supervisor today and came to the realization that I don't have to feel bad about not having enough time to do everything that I want to do, because in the end, they only help each other. I can't play pool without having a job because I must make a living. I also can't get anywhere with tae kwon do the way I train right now, but there's nothing wrong with that. I try to put in the rest of the time into pool, but even then it's not enough, and that's OK. The important thing is to keep trying.

Many people questioned my motivation and how serious I am about playing pool. I'm sorry to say that I'm probably not that serious. I may not have the heart to devote 100% of my life into pool. That's just not me. However I also had many people encouraging me to continue playing and enjoying it. I found more people to be understanding about my situation and encouraging me to keep doing what I'm doing. It was nice to hear, especially when these comments are coming from some of the best players in the world :)

Thank you to the players as well as everyone who worked on making this event happen. I absolutely loved it and I learned a lot. I'm truly inspired, although I always wonder whether I have what it takes to do the same, because I realize how difficult it is. Just from traveling to watch this tournament, I got to feel just a teeny bit of what it is like. I wish I had millions of dollars to host these kinds of tournaments, because you guys deserve it.