Comme je vis à Séoul, il est très difficile de trouver des maillots de hockey. Un ami m’a rejoint en Thaïlande il y a quelques semaines et m’a apporté quelques pulls des Pens, mais comme je voyage en Asie centrale maintenant plutôt que de retourner à Séoul, je dois les trimballer avec moi… avec précaution bien sûr.
Je suis actuellement dans un village de yourtes près de Kol Sul. Je ne peux pas souligner à quel point cet endroit est isolé. Il se trouve à 3 500 mètres d’altitude, dans les montagnes de l’extrême sud du Kirghizistan. C’est presque rien et il faut vraiment marcher pour y arriver.
Les propriétaires du camp où nous avons séjourné ont vu mon maillot que je portais parce que je suis un imbécile et que je n’avais pas emporté assez de vêtements chauds et se sont contentés de porter les maillots. Le mari, qui ne parle pas anglais, a dit "Oh ! Les pingouins ! Allez Malkin" sa femme a traduit pour me dire qu’il aimait les Penguins et que Geno était son joueur préféré.
J’ai décidé de lui offrir un de mes maillots, malheureusement je n’ai pas de Malkin avec moi, mais il était quand même ravi ! Il n’arrivait pas à y croire. Il était peut-être l’un des fans les plus rares des Penguins ou tout simplement un fan de la LNH en général ! J’ai enfilé un autre maillot que j’avais et j’ai pris cette photo avec la famille ! Quelle expérience géniale !
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NomadicLaguna
33 Comments
This is a crazy coincidence. I love how you didn’t pack warm clothes but you did have multiple jerseys. Priorities!
This is so cool. So random, but a nice story. Imagine if he was a Flyers fan.
By any chance did you run into John Ralphio and Mona Lisa, granted Tajikistan is more their jam
lol. I would never even think to bring a hockey jersey to a trip like this. But well done!
LGP!
Woooow that’s like the nicest thing one can do for a stranger. You will be reborn as a badass dragon in your next life.
Badass. A line cook at a resturaunt I used to work at would always wear CCM hats. 30-something yr old dude from S. Korea. Asked him if he followed a team and he just said “No.” couple weeks later I saw him watching Datsyuk highlights while working the line. Asked if he was a Red Wings fan, said “No, but datsyuk is the best.” Apparently he saw him play when he was on a Russian team playing a scrim/exhibition game against a Korean team in Busan(?) in like 2018 before he emigrated out to the States.
That’s an awesome story man! Enjoy it, and what an amazing view.
Goddamn. Looks beautiful. Can I come? I’ll be in a Bolts jersey tho lol
Are those some Tian Shan peaks in the background?
Super jealous.
Bruh I had 4 different comments. This is unreal. The sweater the old look everyone posing. 👌
You look good
Yuuuurrrrrt
This is incredible. I’ve been living in Israel for nearly 15 years now, and the other day I was driving the kids to the pool and we were behind a car with a Sharks sticker on the back, it was a drivers ed car too with a phone number on it, I’ve been planning on calling him and asking if he’s a Sharks fan, cause I was completely blown away. I’ll once in a while see some Bruins or Leafs gear, but absolutely never Sharks. I genuinely doubt he knows the team. If I remember I’ll call him tomorrow.
You look happy as hell bro. Contagious smile
I dig this! Good on you, bud.
I’ve never gifted someone a sweater, but once gave a fellow a guitar I was travelling with in the Dominican Republic. NGL, I kind of stumbled into it for free and have a few at home. It was in pretty good condition though, and lightweight (so great for travel). I tossed in my packs of extra strings and some tabs and the guitar case too. Felt good. I kept seeing him listening to me hack away on it in the mornings and he told me he wanted to learn to play, but guitars were too expensive. Problem solved, I hope he’s rocking out there somewhere.
Go Pens! You’re bound to find a few in Korea–we did have Jimmy Paek and Richard Park after all!
this is awesome
what a cool act of kindness!! I hope the Pens see this
Awesome photos!!
That’s hilarious and amazing! I’m a Caps fan, but all of my family is Pens fans so it’s a fun rivalry. You totally made this dudes week/month/year with that jersey! Good on ya!
Thats freaking awesome.
I spent 6 months with the military in Kyrgyzstan about a decade ago. We got to leave the base a few times and visit Bishkek. The mountain views from the base were amazing. Their home made bread with tea hits different when the temp fell to -20.
This is so cool, they (and you) will remember this forever! Another fun/awesome fact about Kyrgyz hockey: there is a girl’s hockey team in one of these villages, which is crazy at so many levels. Dropping the links for interested:
this music clip sums it up: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYPfEoPJf9I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYPfEoPJf9I)
photos: [https://thehub.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-women-hockey/30430423.html](https://thehub.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-women-hockey/30430423.html)
How’s your breathing? 11500 feet is no joke.
Only time I’ll upvote a Penguins jersey. This is so freakish wholesome/cute. Safe travels!
That reverse retro black and yellow sweater is clean as hell.
You just gave him a lifetime of stories and a hand me down for generations to come. Like it was meant to be!
Азамат!
Thats so cool! As a Brazilian pens fan I can understand the difficulty of getting jerseys. The official ones are just too expensive (exchange + freight + taxes), so I only have a chinese knockoff, but I still love it!
Idk if you’re from Pittsburgh or the surrounding area, but I can’t stress how Yinzer it is to wear your Pittsburgh sports team stuff anywhere you travel. Awesome story!
Very ni-i-ice
Smiling like a guy who drank all his Kumis
I was walking through some random residential neighbourhood on the edge of Sarajevo when suddenly this elderly gentleman rounds the corner wearing a pre-lockout era Sens jersey. I was too baffled to say anything but « Ottawa Senators » and he just nodded at me with a smile.
People joke about Pittsburghers wearing their team’s jerseys/gear whenever they travel but it’s a good “in” for a conversation. I wore a Pens shirt in college in South Carolina and another Pens fan started talking to me and we became good friends.