Old School

A few months ago, around Christmas time I believe, I was puzzled by the sudden onslaught of basketball games being played. Both at home and work, my ears were bombarded by the constant thoink-thoink-thoink of a basketball being dribbled up and down, for seemingly hours at a time. This was confusing for a few reasons:

a. It was winter time; who plays basketball outside in the winter?

b. I had never actually seen any basketball courts around or near my home and work space.

c. I don't know that much about basketball, but I do know that a game would consist of more than a constant dribble at the same pace for several minutes at a time.

d. Would a basketball being dribbled on snow really be that loud?

There was a small chance that, despite all of my reservations, on a street nearby stood a small boy practicing his dribbling skills. But to hear it in 2 different cities at 2 different locations? Ok, that's just too much for me. The jig is up Poland, I know your children don't love playing winter basketball.

Turns out, my Sherlock-like detective logic couldn't have been more spot on. I wasn't hearing a basketball dribbling, but something else altogether. In Poland, they do things old school, and that includes beating their rugs and carpets with tennis rackets to clean them. It is very common that every year before big holidays, people roll up their carpets and carry them to the hanging rack outside where they then beat the dirt/dust/crust off. It's just a coincidence that the sound of the racket hitting the carpet sounds like a basketball being dribbled to this confused foreigner.