I wear glasses, I am short, and I often wear my straight black hair back in a plain old ponytail. With that description said, some people may think I am the “typical Asian girl.”

But when I tell them that I enjoy watching sports, they seem taken aback; how could a girl, let alone an Asian girl, like watching sports? It just doesn’t quite seem to match the picture.

But it’s true: I do like watching sports.

If I had to choose between a massive shopping spree and tickets to a professional sports game, I would take the tickets hands down (even if the seats may be nosebleeders). I take any chance I get to be able to experience the smells, sights, and thrills at Pacbell, excuse me, AT&T Park, or hear the squeaks of sneakers and the swish of sunken baskets on the court. Though I’m definitely not as intense as some of you viewers out there who have memorized the stats of all the players in the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL, or who worship Fantasy Sports, I still love my sports.

I recently attended the Stanford vs. Washington men’s basketball game right here at Maples Pavilion and loved it. Even though I would have much rather attended the Stanford vs. UCLA game, the Washington one was still pretty exciting. The lights, the crowds, the cheers, the players — the thrill of seeing all of that in person was one of the best things I have ever experienced. Anxiously sitting on the edge of my seat, watching the clock tick down, and cheering for Goods sinking his threes or the Lopez twins slam dunking are some of the feelings I live for.

I guess I could credit my interest in sports to my older brother Nathan, currently a freshman at college and an editor-in-chief of the Voice last year. When he was still living here in Palo Alto, he would watch sports on the television all the time. When I had the free time, I’d join him and watch too. Gradually, over the years, I learned the basic rules of the games and gained an overall appreciation for sports. Although I may not be considered a serious sports fanatic, I still watch sports simply because of my basic love for the games.

I try to maintain this interest in sports by watching at least one or two games per week. So come March Madness time, or maybe even when the NBA All-Star Game comes around, you will definitely find me on the living room couch rooting for my favorite teams.

With that said, I would be surprised if other people are still astonished to find an Asian girl like me who likes watching sports. I hate to break it to you, but yes, I certainly do more than just read books and study. I just thought it would be nice to clear a few things up, and I am happy to have broken, or at least put a dent in, this particular stereotype.