That Time We Were on the Kiss Cam at a Samsung Lions Baseball Game

I have always had this fear of being proposed to in a very public setting. I know a lot of people love this-  find it more special – but as an introvert, the very thought of it makes me cringe. Thankfully, that never happened (the public part of the proposal, not the proposal) but I remember when I first let my boss know that I was engaged, the very first thing she asked was, “Did he propose at a baseball game on a jumbotron?”

Of all the ways in which to propose to someone, I have no clue why my boss automatically assumed that would be the one. Granted, I had to hide my introvert-ness at work, but still, there’s no way. I am a card carrying member of the puritanical guide to public displays of affection. I told my boss that if Sly had proposed to me that way I would have ignored him and walked off because it would have been a clear sign that he didn’t know me very well.

Fast forward to seven years later where we made our first (and last) appearance on kiss cam while attending a Samsung Lions baseball game…

interesting dance routine for a baseball game… (click to play video)

This guy brought a huge soft sided cooler filled with snacks, including strawberry milk and several bananas. At no point did he seem interested in watching the game. Instead he ate all of his food and played a fishing game on his phone the entire time.

draft beer poured into plastic bottles so that it doesn’t slosh everywhere = genius

We ate pretty much everything we could find: pizza, fried chicken gizzards, and of course, fried chicken! Too bad we didn’t get churros too.

on the kiss cam!

(click to play video)

fun times at a korean baseball game (click to play video)

While my sister was in town, and before the weather became impossibly hot, we attended an early season Samsung Lions baseball game here in Daegu. Baseball games in Asia, or at least in Korea, are so different than in the states. Tickets and food are inexpensive, and there’s nonstop entertainment in the form of cheerleaders in event that the game is boring. The crowd really gets into it and it’s almost impossible not to join in their enthusiasm.

This was the second baseball game we have gone to since moving to Korea and our first time to be on a kiss came ever! During the seventh inning stretch we watched as contestants chugged massive jugs of beer for a prize (a case of beer) and then chuckled as the kiss cam made its rounds. My sister was convinced we would get on the kiss came since we were sitting right front of the camera and beside a really spirited group of young college kids. Also, I think my sister and I were the only non-Koreans in attendance so we automatically stood out from the crowd.

After the camera swung around to several couples, each one topping the last, I looked on the screen and noticed my dorky face laughing back at me. I think I may have even done the thing where I pointed to myself on the screen because I was so confused that my face was on a huge jumbo tron. It took a while for it to dawn on me that we were on the kiss cam and that we were supposed to kiss! ACK!

Sly wasted no time and went in for the kill in such an over-the-top dramatic way that the entire crowd was yelling, “OOHHHHHHHHHHHH WHOOOOAAAAAAAAAA OOOOMMMMMMMYYYGOOOODDDD.” Our section of college kids cheered us on wildly while Sly and I tried hard not to laugh. Thankfully I don’t blush or I would have turned beet red from embarrassment.

In the end, and like most everything I fear/dread, having my big ol’ head on a jumbotron, kissing of all things, wasn’t as bad as I envisioned, which is not to say that I would have enjoyed a kiss cam/jumbo tron proposal then or now.

Did I mention the kiss cam was a contest? Because we won. Two pairs of sweet sunglasses and a memory to last a lifetime.