30/11 - I got a reply from a family near Zaragoza, Spain. They basically asked (in Spanish, but I understood) when I'm free and if we can Skype. This is a family I would stay with in exchange for English lessons, and hopefully Spanish lessons as well. I want to go to Spain sometime in the spring or early summer; that way I can spend a few weeks there, and it doesn't have to be just this one. But it's a positive.
My football team played the University of Chichester today, at their place. It was their first game as a new program, and they weren't that bad, honestly. The quarterback was accurate, and we just couldn't defend their passes. The day ended in a frustrating 28-28 draw, partly because there was just a few minutes of light left.
I played a lot, but I was incredibly disappointed with my own performance. Near the end of the game, after my fourth missed tackle (I missed all my tackle attempts), I got moody and felt like doing nothing but slamming my helmet down in frustration. I get in the right positions, but I can't bring the guy down. I felt that way because I absolutely despise myself for putting in a mediocre performance, and it's not limited to just football. However, there was a play where I had great coverage and batted down a pass, so it's not all bad.
The tie would have been bearable had it not been for the fact Chichester's players talked so much trash, especially their slot receiver. He had something to complain about on every play to the referees and ran his mouth when he beat you down the field but didn't catch the ball. Yes, he scored a few times, but shut your mouth! I found out when blocking him he was very soft. Even I had no trouble jamming him and driving him back. I eventually used the word "wanker" to describe him and wanted to punch him in the face. We might be awarded the win, too, because Chichester didn't have the field ready until about 30 minutes after the planned start time. But that won't feel like a win.
On the way back from Chichester, something else new happened to me: I was hazed in the coach. My train of adventures keeps on rolling. The veterans of the team call out rookies to sing something for them on the bus rides back home. They did that this time, but also called out rookies to strip down naked in their seat. I was one who was called out among at least 10 people. Looking back, I'm proud to say I did it. It wasn't traumatizing, as we only needed to strip down in our seat. It would have been a lot worse if we were forced to parade down the isle or something. I know that kind of stuff is illegal in America, but it was all fun and games. It's part of being on a team like that.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Looking for volunteering opportunities in Spain
25/11 - I've been told several times by different people that I look British. Perhaps it's the short hair and full beard flaked with red. Not sure how I feel about that.
More good news: I've finally registered for WorkAway.com and sent an email to a couple living in Torrox, Spain. They have several acres of land and farm their own food, so they would need help with keeping up this eco project of theirs. The couple is British, but I hope they're fluent with Spanish, as that's my main focus for going on a trip like this. This is the start of something special.
28/11 - It turns out it'll be a search with WorkAway. It's got to be a perfect fit. I've sent a couple emails, but because I'm looking to be immersed in Spanish, the date is too far away or I don't have the right skills, I've been turned away. But like Dory in Finding Nemo says, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."
So I've reached out to a few more people today, including someone from Madrid who wants to learn about other cultures and cooking and a person from northern Spain who wants English help and has four dogs. It looks like I'm committed to this, so that means only one thing: I'll find something eventually and will actually go to Spain. That's how this whole England move happened after all.
But I remember first learning about this website, aching with desire to go to another country, help someone out, learn a language. I remember it was so bad I had to stay away from the site because it was just make me feel I-want-to-do-this-so-bad anxious. But now, after spending a bit of time searching and having registered, it kind of feels like work to search, send emails and make myself seem like a nice person to be around for a week or two. After all, these people, as well as me, are putting a lot of trust into each other to accept a total stranger into their lives. It's definitely risky.
I celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, and I didn't think I would. It was much different to what I'm used to, which is having to visit family in a stuffy atmosphere. We had music, were loud, had lots of food and drink and were relaxed and had a good time. We baked a couple chickens and also had some Chinese and Lebanese food, so there was a great mix. Even Bill joined us and had his first drink (or six) in the past three weeks (he eventually sang karaoke in our flat until 2 a.m., stomping his feet, yelling and having a great time. He was incredibly happy the next day and thanked me for inviting him).
Earlier this week all of us in flat 705 went out for a drink. That's the first time it's happened, and it was really fun. I'm glad I've been placed into such an awesome situation.
29/11 - Thanksgiving leftovers are great. They are just great. MMmmm...
Football practice yesterday was productive, though very rainy and wet, as I spent time at both weakside and strongside linebacker. I like how I get more comfortable the longer I do it. That's how I learn. I can't wait for our game at Chichester tomorrow too. It's their first game of the season, and they're like us in that this is their first season as an actual program. We can't uderestimate them. I want to play a lot, get a few bumps and bruises and hopefully get a couple tackles to my name.
Today's weather was warm for this time of year so Kate and I walked around the harbor and park for a few hours.
More good news: I've finally registered for WorkAway.com and sent an email to a couple living in Torrox, Spain. They have several acres of land and farm their own food, so they would need help with keeping up this eco project of theirs. The couple is British, but I hope they're fluent with Spanish, as that's my main focus for going on a trip like this. This is the start of something special.
28/11 - It turns out it'll be a search with WorkAway. It's got to be a perfect fit. I've sent a couple emails, but because I'm looking to be immersed in Spanish, the date is too far away or I don't have the right skills, I've been turned away. But like Dory in Finding Nemo says, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."
So I've reached out to a few more people today, including someone from Madrid who wants to learn about other cultures and cooking and a person from northern Spain who wants English help and has four dogs. It looks like I'm committed to this, so that means only one thing: I'll find something eventually and will actually go to Spain. That's how this whole England move happened after all.
But I remember first learning about this website, aching with desire to go to another country, help someone out, learn a language. I remember it was so bad I had to stay away from the site because it was just make me feel I-want-to-do-this-so-bad anxious. But now, after spending a bit of time searching and having registered, it kind of feels like work to search, send emails and make myself seem like a nice person to be around for a week or two. After all, these people, as well as me, are putting a lot of trust into each other to accept a total stranger into their lives. It's definitely risky.
I celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, and I didn't think I would. It was much different to what I'm used to, which is having to visit family in a stuffy atmosphere. We had music, were loud, had lots of food and drink and were relaxed and had a good time. We baked a couple chickens and also had some Chinese and Lebanese food, so there was a great mix. Even Bill joined us and had his first drink (or six) in the past three weeks (he eventually sang karaoke in our flat until 2 a.m., stomping his feet, yelling and having a great time. He was incredibly happy the next day and thanked me for inviting him).
Earlier this week all of us in flat 705 went out for a drink. That's the first time it's happened, and it was really fun. I'm glad I've been placed into such an awesome situation.
29/11 - Thanksgiving leftovers are great. They are just great. MMmmm...
Football practice yesterday was productive, though very rainy and wet, as I spent time at both weakside and strongside linebacker. I like how I get more comfortable the longer I do it. That's how I learn. I can't wait for our game at Chichester tomorrow too. It's their first game of the season, and they're like us in that this is their first season as an actual program. We can't uderestimate them. I want to play a lot, get a few bumps and bruises and hopefully get a couple tackles to my name.
Today's weather was warm for this time of year so Kate and I walked around the harbor and park for a few hours.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Lionel Messi's greatness and the feeling of ecstasy in London
20/11 - My sport class was fascinating today because it was all about having an identity through sport. Plus, Richard Shipway came back for the first time in a while, and he typically speaks quickly and enthusiastically and goes off on tangents. But the best part about him is his ability to engage everybody in the class.
I went back to the Spanish conversation group after it was postponed last week. I'm happy to say there were no feelings of shame and embarrassment this time around. I spoke Spanish freely and didn't blank out. I think it helps when you're a little familiar with the people in the group as well; it's good to break the ice a bit. Plus you don't need to put pressure on yourself in that situation. Just speak. But I like that group because it evolves into an hour of everyone just speaking Spanish organically to each other. It begins with the leader asking people questions, but then it becomes more friendly.
And another thing I like about that session is the fact the language of Spanish is like a mask. We all sound similar when speaking that language, but then when we revert back to English, that's when I can tell where everyone is from. There are a couple British people in there, a German, a Finnish girl and an Italian, plus the leader who is from Sevilla, Spain. Plus, I told Tim about the group and he seemed very interested, partly because he lived in Spain for 10 years and also because there are women to hit on there. Good man.
23/11 - Compared to three years ago, I had a better time in Barcelona because my Spanish has improved. I could communicate. However, Barcelona is in a province of Spain called Catalonia, so the primary language is Catalan, though Spanish is spoken too. They're different languages, and I couldn't understand anything the announcer said at the FC Barcelona game because everything there was in Catalan, even the people sitting around us. It's something that is learned just walking around the city. There are Catalonia flags everywhere, and I saw just a handful of Spain flags all Saturday. That's because Catalonia wants to separate from Spain and become its own country and there's animosity with Catalans and other parts of Spain. So essentially, I've visited Catalonia twice and Spain zero times.
Barcelona is a beautiful city. It has a unique personality when you consider all the narrow passages between large buildings that hide tiny shops and restaurants. We visited the cramped farmers market off La Rambla where there's fresh fruit, vegetables and meat all in one tiny, enclosed space. Then we scoped out Barcelona Cathedral, which is very old and very beautiful.
The Barcelona game was fantastic. There were about 75,000 people in Camp Nou and we had seats in the lower level in one of the corners. Just think about the crowd and fan section at Sacramento Republic FC games and multiply that a million times. We got to see Lionel Messi play, and he broke the La Liga scoring record with a hat trick against Sevilla (three goals in a game). He now has 253 Liga goals during his Barcelona career, so it was cool to be there for that accomplishment. That man is great, and so is his teammate Neymar. It was a joy to watch those guys play. And afterwards we walked through the streets with 70,000 other people and got some pizza and beers.
But Sunday morning things got off to a crap start. I ended up missing my flight back to London because I arrived less than 30 minutes before takeoff, so that means I had to buy a ticket at the airport and figure out a way to get back to Poole from Stansted Airport, which is, I just found out, is north of London, probably 20 miles away. That was about as enjoyable as any of my Business Strategy and Finance lectures. BUT...This abrupt and financially painful change of plan also brought with it an unforeseen trip into Central London, but not before my coach got into a small accident and the driver harassed by the man who definitely came away worse from contact with a large bus. Driving in London in a car is horrendous. Driving a large bus in London is a stress-producing nightmare. But we got to the Victoria coach station a little more than an hour before the next bus for Poole left, so that gave me a little time to get lost in my favorite place in the world. Though the day was a bit expensive, everything turned out just fine.
I've never been in love with a person, but I think I have that feeling with the city of London. Walking around Victoria Station, and later around Parliament and Big Ben, I found myself smiling and I had to stop myself from giggling too loudly so as not to alarm passerby too much. Three years later, I was back where my greatest memories were made. A tingling sensation began at the top of my head and traveled down my body, like the chills, though it was totally separate from the chilly, wet and rainy weather. And when I came within sight of the clocktower at Parliament, and later on Westminster Bridge where I could clearly see the London eye, River Thames and the rest of that familiar city landscape in that area, I felt a feeling of euphoria. Nothing has felt as good as that moment since I came back to the United Kingdom. Standing there for those five minutes with light rain pelting my face looking at the glowing clocktower and other places along the river was three years in the making. It was...glorious, like seeing the sun rise. I felt a bit emotional too. And to complete the experience, I rode the tube back to Victoria Station.
That one hour in Central London was the highlight of the weekend. I have no photos of that because my phone died right when I tried to take a picture, but that's OK. The memory is in my head, and that is the most important part. But really, I'm so incredibly lucky and fortunate to be here and have that experience. I'm also thankful for my great friends who do things like that for me. I'm going to live my life with the purpose of collecting meaningful memories so I'll die one day knowing I lived a great life, and this weekend was an example of that.
I went back to the Spanish conversation group after it was postponed last week. I'm happy to say there were no feelings of shame and embarrassment this time around. I spoke Spanish freely and didn't blank out. I think it helps when you're a little familiar with the people in the group as well; it's good to break the ice a bit. Plus you don't need to put pressure on yourself in that situation. Just speak. But I like that group because it evolves into an hour of everyone just speaking Spanish organically to each other. It begins with the leader asking people questions, but then it becomes more friendly.
And another thing I like about that session is the fact the language of Spanish is like a mask. We all sound similar when speaking that language, but then when we revert back to English, that's when I can tell where everyone is from. There are a couple British people in there, a German, a Finnish girl and an Italian, plus the leader who is from Sevilla, Spain. Plus, I told Tim about the group and he seemed very interested, partly because he lived in Spain for 10 years and also because there are women to hit on there. Good man.
23/11 - Compared to three years ago, I had a better time in Barcelona because my Spanish has improved. I could communicate. However, Barcelona is in a province of Spain called Catalonia, so the primary language is Catalan, though Spanish is spoken too. They're different languages, and I couldn't understand anything the announcer said at the FC Barcelona game because everything there was in Catalan, even the people sitting around us. It's something that is learned just walking around the city. There are Catalonia flags everywhere, and I saw just a handful of Spain flags all Saturday. That's because Catalonia wants to separate from Spain and become its own country and there's animosity with Catalans and other parts of Spain. So essentially, I've visited Catalonia twice and Spain zero times.
Barcelona is a beautiful city. It has a unique personality when you consider all the narrow passages between large buildings that hide tiny shops and restaurants. We visited the cramped farmers market off La Rambla where there's fresh fruit, vegetables and meat all in one tiny, enclosed space. Then we scoped out Barcelona Cathedral, which is very old and very beautiful.
The Barcelona game was fantastic. There were about 75,000 people in Camp Nou and we had seats in the lower level in one of the corners. Just think about the crowd and fan section at Sacramento Republic FC games and multiply that a million times. We got to see Lionel Messi play, and he broke the La Liga scoring record with a hat trick against Sevilla (three goals in a game). He now has 253 Liga goals during his Barcelona career, so it was cool to be there for that accomplishment. That man is great, and so is his teammate Neymar. It was a joy to watch those guys play. And afterwards we walked through the streets with 70,000 other people and got some pizza and beers.
But Sunday morning things got off to a crap start. I ended up missing my flight back to London because I arrived less than 30 minutes before takeoff, so that means I had to buy a ticket at the airport and figure out a way to get back to Poole from Stansted Airport, which is, I just found out, is north of London, probably 20 miles away. That was about as enjoyable as any of my Business Strategy and Finance lectures. BUT...This abrupt and financially painful change of plan also brought with it an unforeseen trip into Central London, but not before my coach got into a small accident and the driver harassed by the man who definitely came away worse from contact with a large bus. Driving in London in a car is horrendous. Driving a large bus in London is a stress-producing nightmare. But we got to the Victoria coach station a little more than an hour before the next bus for Poole left, so that gave me a little time to get lost in my favorite place in the world. Though the day was a bit expensive, everything turned out just fine.
I've never been in love with a person, but I think I have that feeling with the city of London. Walking around Victoria Station, and later around Parliament and Big Ben, I found myself smiling and I had to stop myself from giggling too loudly so as not to alarm passerby too much. Three years later, I was back where my greatest memories were made. A tingling sensation began at the top of my head and traveled down my body, like the chills, though it was totally separate from the chilly, wet and rainy weather. And when I came within sight of the clocktower at Parliament, and later on Westminster Bridge where I could clearly see the London eye, River Thames and the rest of that familiar city landscape in that area, I felt a feeling of euphoria. Nothing has felt as good as that moment since I came back to the United Kingdom. Standing there for those five minutes with light rain pelting my face looking at the glowing clocktower and other places along the river was three years in the making. It was...glorious, like seeing the sun rise. I felt a bit emotional too. And to complete the experience, I rode the tube back to Victoria Station.
That one hour in Central London was the highlight of the weekend. I have no photos of that because my phone died right when I tried to take a picture, but that's OK. The memory is in my head, and that is the most important part. But really, I'm so incredibly lucky and fortunate to be here and have that experience. I'm also thankful for my great friends who do things like that for me. I'm going to live my life with the purpose of collecting meaningful memories so I'll die one day knowing I lived a great life, and this weekend was an example of that.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Spontaneous trip to Barcelona
18/11 - Bill has stepped away from drinking because it was starting to become a problem. Though alcohol was the reason we spent time together in the beginning of our friendship, it wasn't the only reason we're friends. If it was, that would be pretty unhealthy and not a very good friendship. It's fun now to go and visit him in his room, have some tea and biscuits and play some Playstation or watch a movie. We've watched the past couple English national soccer team's games on television too, and it's a blast.
I just found out my friend Tamara (enthusiastic nod to you, Tamara, if you're reading) has invited me to a Barcelona FC game on Saturday. If I can get myself to the airport, I'll have a free flight to Barcelona and free tickets to see the best player on the planet in action at Camp Nou: Lionel Messi. I do have plans for Saturday, most notably tickets to an AFC Bournemouth game, but I can go to those games anytime I want. This is a rare opportunity. I gotta take it, even though it means I'll probably miss a football practice or two. (Update: I'll make Friday night's practice no problem, but I'll probably miss Sunday's practice. It'll be one of those whirlwind weekends where I get no sleep because I'm running around a big city in a limited amount of time [going to Los Angeles earlier this year, for example]. Those are the most fun trips).
My cousin Steve (another nod to you, if you're reading) also got in contact with me to say this blog has inspired him to take the leap and make a trip overseas. It was flattering, and it's good to know the blog is being read and making a positive impact on others. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm doing anything special here because it's so familiar now, but when I really think about it, I'm still stunned I'm living in England, playing American football and basically doing what I've always wanted. It's an excellent adventure. If my awesome luck can inspire others to try for the same experiences, that's an added bonus.
Lastly, here's the video of our football game from Sunday. I'm No. 48, and my tackle comes around the 25:00 mark. It looks like I shed a block (don't remember that) and wrapped the guy up and began to bring him down when my teammates came in and helped finish it.
I just found out my friend Tamara (enthusiastic nod to you, Tamara, if you're reading) has invited me to a Barcelona FC game on Saturday. If I can get myself to the airport, I'll have a free flight to Barcelona and free tickets to see the best player on the planet in action at Camp Nou: Lionel Messi. I do have plans for Saturday, most notably tickets to an AFC Bournemouth game, but I can go to those games anytime I want. This is a rare opportunity. I gotta take it, even though it means I'll probably miss a football practice or two. (Update: I'll make Friday night's practice no problem, but I'll probably miss Sunday's practice. It'll be one of those whirlwind weekends where I get no sleep because I'm running around a big city in a limited amount of time [going to Los Angeles earlier this year, for example]. Those are the most fun trips).
My cousin Steve (another nod to you, if you're reading) also got in contact with me to say this blog has inspired him to take the leap and make a trip overseas. It was flattering, and it's good to know the blog is being read and making a positive impact on others. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm doing anything special here because it's so familiar now, but when I really think about it, I'm still stunned I'm living in England, playing American football and basically doing what I've always wanted. It's an excellent adventure. If my awesome luck can inspire others to try for the same experiences, that's an added bonus.
Lastly, here's the video of our football game from Sunday. I'm No. 48, and my tackle comes around the 25:00 mark. It looks like I shed a block (don't remember that) and wrapped the guy up and began to bring him down when my teammates came in and helped finish it.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Bobcats get their first win
16/11 - This week was pretty ordinary besides the fact I keep learning about British words, like chav (white trash), bracket (parentheses), full stop (period) and indicators (turn signal).
My hip flexor is all better, but now the outside of my hip is bothering me a little bit, but not nearly as bad as the hip flexor was. It's still a bit frustrating though. We also had professional team photos done for the football team, as well as a silly one. It was just like high school! The only downside was the fact one picture cost 20 pounds. No thanks.
I feel like a jock when I wear the blue jersey, to the point where I kind of hate myself for having it on. But hey, I gotta try that once in my life, right?
This Saturday was the highlight of the week by far. It started off with breakfast with Tim and Kate, followed by ice cream on the Quay with Kate. I then did some work on essays before I watched the England national soccer team play with Bill. He cooked some pasta and sausages and then broke out an old Playstation 1. After that we watched Ted. Then after I left his place, Naomi and I went to The Winchester in Bournemouth, where there was a house DJ playing for the club. It was so good I danced pretty much completely sober. It was just a super chill day and evening.
17/11 - We got our first win yesterday, 14-3 over BNU. I was involved more and recorded a tackle. It was a great feeling, and I can't wait until our next game in two weeks at Chichester. And of course, we celebrated the win at Walkabout later that night. It was a fantastic weekend.
I've been in the UK for two months now, and it's basically home. It feels normal.
My hip flexor is all better, but now the outside of my hip is bothering me a little bit, but not nearly as bad as the hip flexor was. It's still a bit frustrating though. We also had professional team photos done for the football team, as well as a silly one. It was just like high school! The only downside was the fact one picture cost 20 pounds. No thanks.
I feel like a jock when I wear the blue jersey, to the point where I kind of hate myself for having it on. But hey, I gotta try that once in my life, right?
This Saturday was the highlight of the week by far. It started off with breakfast with Tim and Kate, followed by ice cream on the Quay with Kate. I then did some work on essays before I watched the England national soccer team play with Bill. He cooked some pasta and sausages and then broke out an old Playstation 1. After that we watched Ted. Then after I left his place, Naomi and I went to The Winchester in Bournemouth, where there was a house DJ playing for the club. It was so good I danced pretty much completely sober. It was just a super chill day and evening.
17/11 - We got our first win yesterday, 14-3 over BNU. I was involved more and recorded a tackle. It was a great feeling, and I can't wait until our next game in two weeks at Chichester. And of course, we celebrated the win at Walkabout later that night. It was a fantastic weekend.
I've been in the UK for two months now, and it's basically home. It feels normal.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
First Bournemouth Bobcats football game
11/3 - Another great weekend which concluded with the strangest night I've experienced in my university career. And of course, it was with Bill as my partner in crime. I won't say every detail about the night, but I did win 101 quid (another term for pounds, like saying bucks for dollars) playing blackjack. I was introduced to chips (fries) and mayonnaise and found a burger restaurant that probably rivals Burgers and Brew. It was Stella's birthday celebration on Saturday and that was loud and late. Her Kenyan friends are also a pleasure to meet.
It's kind of frustrating to have a lingering injury like the one in my hip flexor. I want to be able to put pads on and go get roughed up while also delivering a couple hits myself, but I'm relegated to standing on the sideline with the other few people who have knocks. I can feel my hip a little bit during warmups, but it's fine right now. I just need to keep stretching it. Hopefully I'll be good to go for Saturday's game vs. Surrey, and it sounds like I'll be in pads and available to play.
I've held myself back in the name of full recovery, and that's something a couple other guys need to do. I know a couple guys keep pulling the same groin muscle or hip flexor every week and just refuse to take themselves out. It's a pride thing, but if it's going to make things worse, what's the point?
11/6 - Bonfire Night was yesterday and it was kind of underwhelming. Anyway, it's strange to go to a fireworks show in November in the cold.
But today ended in shame and embarrassment. I went to a Spanish conversation class in the evening at Talbot campus. It was intermediate level, and I could understand some of what the leader was talking about. But when she turned to me and asked a question, I didn't understand completely and my mind melted down. I stuttered and couldn't think of a word to say. I chose to shrug and not say anything. From what Julia told me, you could see my face going red. Speaking in Spanish is what I'm definitely not comfortable with.
Julia and I rode the bus back to Corfe, and it was much easier to talk to her one on one in Spanish. It's a no-pressure situation. In the class there were five other people, not including the leader. I'm not afraid of anything in this world, except for speaking in front of people. It was shameful to fall apart like that. But I'll go again next week and hopefully be more comfortable with speaking my second language.
11/8 - We had our first game today against the University of Surrey. The weather was complete crap, as it was windy, rainy and cold. We lost 35-0, and the game was called early in the fourth quarter, mostly because one of our veterans, Adam, had a serious injury and was down on the field for a long time. He eventually was taken away in an ambulance. But here's the team picture. I'm in the back row to the left:
I was involved in one play, and that was the second-half kickoff. I actually don't blame coach Charlie (the guy on the left wearing shorts) for not putting me in because I've taken the last two weeks off practice because of my hip. I don't know the play calls well yet and am not comfortable tackling yet. So I feel like if I go out there I'll be hurting the team because I don't know what's going on. But give me a few more practice sessions and I'll feel more comfortable in an actual game, and next week I'll be able to give Gideon (No. 56) a breather at one of the linebacker spots. However, it was still great to be involved in the first real game this club has ever competed in.
I've written about this before, but it's such a trip to be playing on an American football team in England. It's like things are kind of backwards from what they were in the states, and I love it. A couple years ago I wanted to be a football referee when I went to England. I'm not doing that, but that's totally fine.
Now I just need to decide what to do for my Sunday evening, but I'll probably go to Bournemouth.
It's kind of frustrating to have a lingering injury like the one in my hip flexor. I want to be able to put pads on and go get roughed up while also delivering a couple hits myself, but I'm relegated to standing on the sideline with the other few people who have knocks. I can feel my hip a little bit during warmups, but it's fine right now. I just need to keep stretching it. Hopefully I'll be good to go for Saturday's game vs. Surrey, and it sounds like I'll be in pads and available to play.
I've held myself back in the name of full recovery, and that's something a couple other guys need to do. I know a couple guys keep pulling the same groin muscle or hip flexor every week and just refuse to take themselves out. It's a pride thing, but if it's going to make things worse, what's the point?
11/6 - Bonfire Night was yesterday and it was kind of underwhelming. Anyway, it's strange to go to a fireworks show in November in the cold.
But today ended in shame and embarrassment. I went to a Spanish conversation class in the evening at Talbot campus. It was intermediate level, and I could understand some of what the leader was talking about. But when she turned to me and asked a question, I didn't understand completely and my mind melted down. I stuttered and couldn't think of a word to say. I chose to shrug and not say anything. From what Julia told me, you could see my face going red. Speaking in Spanish is what I'm definitely not comfortable with.
Julia and I rode the bus back to Corfe, and it was much easier to talk to her one on one in Spanish. It's a no-pressure situation. In the class there were five other people, not including the leader. I'm not afraid of anything in this world, except for speaking in front of people. It was shameful to fall apart like that. But I'll go again next week and hopefully be more comfortable with speaking my second language.
11/8 - We had our first game today against the University of Surrey. The weather was complete crap, as it was windy, rainy and cold. We lost 35-0, and the game was called early in the fourth quarter, mostly because one of our veterans, Adam, had a serious injury and was down on the field for a long time. He eventually was taken away in an ambulance. But here's the team picture. I'm in the back row to the left:
I was involved in one play, and that was the second-half kickoff. I actually don't blame coach Charlie (the guy on the left wearing shorts) for not putting me in because I've taken the last two weeks off practice because of my hip. I don't know the play calls well yet and am not comfortable tackling yet. So I feel like if I go out there I'll be hurting the team because I don't know what's going on. But give me a few more practice sessions and I'll feel more comfortable in an actual game, and next week I'll be able to give Gideon (No. 56) a breather at one of the linebacker spots. However, it was still great to be involved in the first real game this club has ever competed in.
I've written about this before, but it's such a trip to be playing on an American football team in England. It's like things are kind of backwards from what they were in the states, and I love it. A couple years ago I wanted to be a football referee when I went to England. I'm not doing that, but that's totally fine.
Now I just need to decide what to do for my Sunday evening, but I'll probably go to Bournemouth.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Other cultures, German and my brain
10-26 - I sat out of practice today because my right hip flexor keeps getting sore. I need to find out what's wrong and then do something about it, like get treatment at sportBU. So I spent my time filming practice today.
Being around so many people from all over the world is a learning experience. Just from talking to Stella yesterday, I learned to not trust Nigerians because they tend to lie a lot to get what they want, there are cannibals in Congo and Africans practice witchcraft. Stella told me about how she saw a woman turned into a snake, and it seemed to freak her out just talking about it. African countries seem to have massively different cultures, and it kind of makes me nervous to visit. But again, if I respect people, nothing bad should happen.
Last night I went out with a couple Finnish people, and I learned there's some tension between Finns and Swedish people. For example, in Finland many places speak Finnish and Swedish, and it's like the Latino presence in the states.
30/10 - Yesterday morning I told myself "I'll be super productive today." Unfortunately, I got as far as completing part of my grocery shopping. What happened? Alcohol happened. Stella went with me to the grocery store, but not before we stopped for some coffee with a shot of Jameson because it was raining.
I then went to campus to watch the BU basketball team play Bristol with some of my course mates. We were there to see Alexandros play. It was also a chance to talk to Nico and Freida more, and the more I listen to them speak German, the more of it that comes back to me. And afterwards Krasimir and I had a beer at the bar inside the student union, where Alexandros joined up with us later. (On a side note, it's a little strange to have an actual bar on campus; I'm not used to that!) (And another side note, Krasimir has been speaking English for only a few months, which is impressive because he can communicate and get his ideas across even though he does struggle to find the right words sometimes.)
After the beer with Krasimir, I got on the bus fully intending to go back to the dorm and eat a homecooked meal with Stella, Kate and Tim. But I met Bill on the bus and we went on a spontaneous pub crawl in Ashley Cross/Lower Parkstone, so that means I never met up with the aforementioned three. However, I did let them know what was happening, so no one was upset. I'm just glad they saved me some food, which was awesome.
The point is, as much as I enjoyed yesterday, I'm still disappointed I didn't get anything done. I didn't work more on my essay or study Spanish. Oh well. That's life. You plan to do something, but other unforeseen things interrupt. Life is unpredictable. Especially yesterday.
And, I just realized today that I have the perfect opportunity to go on a WorkAway somewhere. I'm so much closer to everything. I'd like to go help on a farm for a few weeks in Spain. I'm so close! I just need to figure out when I have enough time to actually do this. It makes me very excited. I showed the site to Anna, my Finnish classmate who's also in Corfe House, and she looked very excited to find it. It's something she'd love to do too.
11/1 - After 24 years of experience, I still don't understand my mind. The brain of an introvert is confusing and infuriating. I think it likes to troll on me. For example, I'd like to be in a relationship. It's something I dwell on sometimes in my spare time. But when I get close to establishing that connection, this trusty brain of mine melts down and screams RUN AWAY! DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO RUIN THIS CHANCE! Every. Single. Time. It never fails.
I guess the word to describe my feelings after what I just described, school and football, I'm exasperated. Maybe I'll discuss it with Bill over a pint.
Stella brought a couple of her friends from home to Poole for the weekend. Kenyans are delightful people to be honest.
I'm going to sit out practice on Sunday as well, but I'll do conditioning. I'm not going to disappear because I'm committed to the team. I'm going to get this hip better and then practice next week.
Being around so many people from all over the world is a learning experience. Just from talking to Stella yesterday, I learned to not trust Nigerians because they tend to lie a lot to get what they want, there are cannibals in Congo and Africans practice witchcraft. Stella told me about how she saw a woman turned into a snake, and it seemed to freak her out just talking about it. African countries seem to have massively different cultures, and it kind of makes me nervous to visit. But again, if I respect people, nothing bad should happen.
Last night I went out with a couple Finnish people, and I learned there's some tension between Finns and Swedish people. For example, in Finland many places speak Finnish and Swedish, and it's like the Latino presence in the states.
30/10 - Yesterday morning I told myself "I'll be super productive today." Unfortunately, I got as far as completing part of my grocery shopping. What happened? Alcohol happened. Stella went with me to the grocery store, but not before we stopped for some coffee with a shot of Jameson because it was raining.
I then went to campus to watch the BU basketball team play Bristol with some of my course mates. We were there to see Alexandros play. It was also a chance to talk to Nico and Freida more, and the more I listen to them speak German, the more of it that comes back to me. And afterwards Krasimir and I had a beer at the bar inside the student union, where Alexandros joined up with us later. (On a side note, it's a little strange to have an actual bar on campus; I'm not used to that!) (And another side note, Krasimir has been speaking English for only a few months, which is impressive because he can communicate and get his ideas across even though he does struggle to find the right words sometimes.)
After the beer with Krasimir, I got on the bus fully intending to go back to the dorm and eat a homecooked meal with Stella, Kate and Tim. But I met Bill on the bus and we went on a spontaneous pub crawl in Ashley Cross/Lower Parkstone, so that means I never met up with the aforementioned three. However, I did let them know what was happening, so no one was upset. I'm just glad they saved me some food, which was awesome.
The point is, as much as I enjoyed yesterday, I'm still disappointed I didn't get anything done. I didn't work more on my essay or study Spanish. Oh well. That's life. You plan to do something, but other unforeseen things interrupt. Life is unpredictable. Especially yesterday.
And, I just realized today that I have the perfect opportunity to go on a WorkAway somewhere. I'm so much closer to everything. I'd like to go help on a farm for a few weeks in Spain. I'm so close! I just need to figure out when I have enough time to actually do this. It makes me very excited. I showed the site to Anna, my Finnish classmate who's also in Corfe House, and she looked very excited to find it. It's something she'd love to do too.
11/1 - After 24 years of experience, I still don't understand my mind. The brain of an introvert is confusing and infuriating. I think it likes to troll on me. For example, I'd like to be in a relationship. It's something I dwell on sometimes in my spare time. But when I get close to establishing that connection, this trusty brain of mine melts down and screams RUN AWAY! DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO RUIN THIS CHANCE! Every. Single. Time. It never fails.
I guess the word to describe my feelings after what I just described, school and football, I'm exasperated. Maybe I'll discuss it with Bill over a pint.
Stella brought a couple of her friends from home to Poole for the weekend. Kenyans are delightful people to be honest.
I'm going to sit out practice on Sunday as well, but I'll do conditioning. I'm not going to disappear because I'm committed to the team. I'm going to get this hip better and then practice next week.
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