I was scrolling through my phone at 3 AM in my tiny London flat when Chen Meng's post-match interview popped up on my feed. The time difference meant I'd missed the live broadcast of the women's table tennis final, but there she was - sweat still glistening on her forehead after beating Sun Yingsha 4-2 for the gold medal.
'I've experienced the era when fans cheered for both players, and now I'm living through this real-time interaction era,' Chen said, her voice steady but with that subtle tightness around her eyes that anyone who's ever had to put on a brave face would recognize. 'At first I couldn't accept it, but I feel I must face it.'
That phrase - 'must face it' - hit me right in the chest. It took me back to my first month in the UK, trying to stream Chinese shows only to be greeted by that frustrating 'This content is not available in your region' message. The disappointment felt physical, like someone had gently but firmly closed a door in my face.
Deng Yaping's commentary resonated even deeper. 'For any athlete, you need to train this ability - no matter who the audience cheers for, you must focus on playing your game.' She recalled her own experiences with Qiao Hong: 'Back then I won more often, so many spectators cheered for her, hoping she'd win.'
Isn't that exactly what living abroad teaches you? That ability to perform your best even when the environment feels unfamiliar, even when you're navigating systems that weren't designed with you in mind. The way Chen described transitioning between different fan cultures reminded me of switching between my British workplace persona and my real self during weekly video calls with family back home.
There's something about watching sports from overseas that makes you hyper-aware of these parallels. Maybe it's the time difference that gives you space to reflect, or maybe it's just that sports reveal fundamental truths about adaptation and resilience.
I messaged my cousin in Toronto right after watching the interview: 'Remember how we used to complain about not being able to stream our favorite shows? Now we're like Olympic athletes - learning to perform regardless of the circumstances.' She replied with laughing emojis but added: 'Seriously though, Chen Meng gets it.'
What about you? Have you had those 'must face it' moments while living abroad? That point where you stop resisting the reality of your situation and just... adapt?
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