Cornhole

James and I have long joked that we are a cross-cultural couple. James is a city boy from Californian, and I'm a small-town girl from Ohio. Though we're from the same country, it doesn't always seem like we're from the same planet.

It has been fun to introduce one another to novelties of our separate worlds. Once upon a time, James introduced me to avocado on a sandwich, carne asada burritos, and fish tacos. I served him up some blue crab and Trail bologna. He took me to see the redwoods, the SD Padres, and Weezer. I showed him a drive-through liquor store, the Amish, and Euchre.

I think the first time I mentioned the game Cornhole to James I made him blush. He'd had no exposure to this well-loved, Midwestern lawn game of bean bag toss. The only reference he had to the word "cornhole" was not a polite one! Though I explained the logic of the game's name, "but the bean bags are filled with corn kernels and you thow them into a hole," James was unconvinced. "Can't you just call it bean bag toss or something?"

It wasn't long, however; before his competitive nature and attraction to anything akin to a sport won him over. He now loves the game despite its crass name, and I've loved beating him at something.

For a long time I've wanted to give James a set of his own. For his birthday this year I finally made it happen! With the help of some amazing friends, I'm proud to say that my roots have rubbed off on him, and James is now a proud owner of a Cornhole set!

The boards and bean bags were all handmade by our good friends Bobby & Vanessa. (Vanessa's mom and I helped a little too.) They did an incredible job! Strangely enough, as Texans they had never seen, heard or played Cornhole either!

And I have to say that I am just about beside myself at the thought of introducing Cornhole into our Chinese community. I feel like such an ambassador of...Midwesternness.