A taste of what group work is like at Heinz (and Coro):
And if you really must know, I'm "Carol."Monday, November 27, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Worlds Recap
So Worlds was fun, though much of it was in a "please god let me get through this point without dropping dead" sort of way. Running continuously in 90+ degree weather without cloud cover for upwards of seven hours each day for four days was inarguably not an ideal way to ease back into playing Ultimate. Still, the soreness and exhaustion felt good at times - just not while I was conscious.
One of the few photos I took of us playing.
Despite concerted efforts, my team wasn't very good at winning games. I found out after I got there that 7 Express didn't make it to Regionals this past club season. And they're playing at Worlds?! Given that fact, I guess it's not terribly surprising that we went 0-6 while I was there and 2-8 overall. In short, we stunk. I had a difficult time gelling with 18 strangers and three people with whom I hadn't played in over three years. Although I liked getting to know the players, some of them drove me (and each other) insane on the field. While seemingly well-adjusted individuals off the field, a few inexplicably turned psychotic during our games.
I will share just one example. One teammate, when he wasn't playing, would sit in his chair with his arms crossed and bark out such helpful tips as, "C'mon, catch that shit!", "Fucking run harder!", and "Throw better throws!" Yet one time when I made a cut for him after he caught the disc, he looked me off and later made the excuse that he didn't have confidence in his "long" throws (it would barely have been a half field length throw if he actually threw it). However, his inability to throw a disc clearly could not have been the only problem resulting from that failed play so he had to criticize my cutting as well. Amazingly, this guy managed to pick a fight with everyone on our team during every game.
Apart from those less than inspiring moments, it was awesome to play teams from all over the world. We played against teams from the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, and throughout SE Asia. I also learned a new cheering game and it goes a little something like this:
Players from both teams begin by "mingling" in a small circle for an unspecified period of time. The "referee" would then call out an instruction randomly that can be one of three options:
1. "Tandem!" -- Each player has to find a partner. One has to lie on his/her stomach on the ground while the other has to balance on top of him/her with arms outstretched.
7 Express and the Italian team, Gert Johnny's Band
2. "Pole!" -- Each player has to find two partners. One player has to stretch his/her arms high above his/her head and press his/her palms together to form a human "pole." Then the other two players have to pole dance on either side of the "pole."
3. "Princess!" -- Each player has to find a partner. One player must carry the other in his/her arms.
Anyone who is left without a partner in any round is out of the game. Mingling occurs between rounds. And the game ends when only two or three players remain in the circle. Watching this game beats seeing a land shark parade any day. I especially enjoyed the pole dancing bits!
Another highlight from the trip was running into Brynne who, by the way if you haven't heard, is the co-captain of Mischief! I didn't get the opportunity to watch her team play, but I'm glad I saw her.
Like almost all frisbee tournaments, I didn't see much else other than fields and my hotel room while I was there, so I can't say much about what Perth (or Fremantle where we had team dinner) is all about.
I made it back to Adelaide by Friday night - just in time for an early morning group meeting the next day and a twelve-page paper to write. Taking off from school for five days felt like a big risk at the time but the timing turned out to be fantastic because I didn't have any work due that week. After chasing plastic for so many days, I was eager to return to my mundane grad school life.
View of Perth on my flight back to Adelaide.
Overall, I had a good time. More importantly, I now can add Worlds to my list of Ultimate Frisbee accomplishments -- woohoo!
This is how flat most of Australia is.
Bonus Features
Video 1 (the Americans):
Video 2 (the Italians):
One of the few photos I took of us playing.Despite concerted efforts, my team wasn't very good at winning games. I found out after I got there that 7 Express didn't make it to Regionals this past club season. And they're playing at Worlds?! Given that fact, I guess it's not terribly surprising that we went 0-6 while I was there and 2-8 overall. In short, we stunk. I had a difficult time gelling with 18 strangers and three people with whom I hadn't played in over three years. Although I liked getting to know the players, some of them drove me (and each other) insane on the field. While seemingly well-adjusted individuals off the field, a few inexplicably turned psychotic during our games.
I will share just one example. One teammate, when he wasn't playing, would sit in his chair with his arms crossed and bark out such helpful tips as, "C'mon, catch that shit!", "Fucking run harder!", and "Throw better throws!" Yet one time when I made a cut for him after he caught the disc, he looked me off and later made the excuse that he didn't have confidence in his "long" throws (it would barely have been a half field length throw if he actually threw it). However, his inability to throw a disc clearly could not have been the only problem resulting from that failed play so he had to criticize my cutting as well. Amazingly, this guy managed to pick a fight with everyone on our team during every game.
Apart from those less than inspiring moments, it was awesome to play teams from all over the world. We played against teams from the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, and throughout SE Asia. I also learned a new cheering game and it goes a little something like this:
Players from both teams begin by "mingling" in a small circle for an unspecified period of time. The "referee" would then call out an instruction randomly that can be one of three options:
1. "Tandem!" -- Each player has to find a partner. One has to lie on his/her stomach on the ground while the other has to balance on top of him/her with arms outstretched.
7 Express and the Italian team, Gert Johnny's Band2. "Pole!" -- Each player has to find two partners. One player has to stretch his/her arms high above his/her head and press his/her palms together to form a human "pole." Then the other two players have to pole dance on either side of the "pole."
[I was too caught up in watching to take a photo of this.]
3. "Princess!" -- Each player has to find a partner. One player must carry the other in his/her arms.
Anyone who is left without a partner in any round is out of the game. Mingling occurs between rounds. And the game ends when only two or three players remain in the circle. Watching this game beats seeing a land shark parade any day. I especially enjoyed the pole dancing bits!Another highlight from the trip was running into Brynne who, by the way if you haven't heard, is the co-captain of Mischief! I didn't get the opportunity to watch her team play, but I'm glad I saw her.
Like almost all frisbee tournaments, I didn't see much else other than fields and my hotel room while I was there, so I can't say much about what Perth (or Fremantle where we had team dinner) is all about.
I made it back to Adelaide by Friday night - just in time for an early morning group meeting the next day and a twelve-page paper to write. Taking off from school for five days felt like a big risk at the time but the timing turned out to be fantastic because I didn't have any work due that week. After chasing plastic for so many days, I was eager to return to my mundane grad school life.
View of Perth on my flight back to Adelaide.Overall, I had a good time. More importantly, I now can add Worlds to my list of Ultimate Frisbee accomplishments -- woohoo!
This is how flat most of Australia is.Bonus Features
Video 1 (the Americans):
Video 2 (the Italians):
Friday, November 10, 2006
Hello, Worlds!
I'm flying out to Perth for Worlds '06 on Monday!
Before I continue, I must first express my gratitude to Russ Bogin for making this trip possible. I had originally decided not to go because it was so incredibly expensive but Russ persisted and offered to "sponsor" me. So I changed my mind at the last minute and bought my plane tickets earlier this week.
I'll be picking up with 7 Express, a mixed team from New York. I'm psyched to be at Worlds, but I'm also dreading playing. 7 Express does not yet realize the dud of a player they're getting. I'm totally going to get spanked on the field! I've been exercising frantically these past two weeks to at least look like I do more than just sit on the couch and eat ding dongs all day, but I'm still no where near the fitness level appropriate for Worlds.
Oh, and speaking of potential humiliation, did I tell you what my jersey number is? #69. Whoever ordered that extra women's jersey on 7 Express sure has a sense of humor. Well, if I'm going to play like a dumbass, I might as well provide some extra comic relief while I'm at it.
After I paid my player fee, I had to call one of the Worlds' organizers to provide my "details." When I did, I got grilled on my date of birth, current address, allergies, injuries, years of playing experience, current medications, country of citizenship, emergency contact, shoe size, and of course, my jersey number. And then I had to e-mail my head shot to be put on my player pass. The whole experience was like walking into a doctor's office expecting a quick check up but getting a full body cavity search instead.
And on that lovely note, I should start packing!
Before I continue, I must first express my gratitude to Russ Bogin for making this trip possible. I had originally decided not to go because it was so incredibly expensive but Russ persisted and offered to "sponsor" me. So I changed my mind at the last minute and bought my plane tickets earlier this week.
I'll be picking up with 7 Express, a mixed team from New York. I'm psyched to be at Worlds, but I'm also dreading playing. 7 Express does not yet realize the dud of a player they're getting. I'm totally going to get spanked on the field! I've been exercising frantically these past two weeks to at least look like I do more than just sit on the couch and eat ding dongs all day, but I'm still no where near the fitness level appropriate for Worlds.
Oh, and speaking of potential humiliation, did I tell you what my jersey number is? #69. Whoever ordered that extra women's jersey on 7 Express sure has a sense of humor. Well, if I'm going to play like a dumbass, I might as well provide some extra comic relief while I'm at it.
After I paid my player fee, I had to call one of the Worlds' organizers to provide my "details." When I did, I got grilled on my date of birth, current address, allergies, injuries, years of playing experience, current medications, country of citizenship, emergency contact, shoe size, and of course, my jersey number. And then I had to e-mail my head shot to be put on my player pass. The whole experience was like walking into a doctor's office expecting a quick check up but getting a full body cavity search instead.
And on that lovely note, I should start packing!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Let the Duck Hunt Begin
Our quack head president is officially a lame duck! Hooray!
The Republican Revolution is dead. The Dems are in control of Congress. Maybe there is some hope for America after all. And I might even want to go home now!
Props to:
- Nancy Pelosi, first woman speaker of the House
- Keith Ellison, first Muslim elected to the House
- Deval Patrick, second African American governor
- Voters that voted Dem in Montana, Virginia, Missouri, and Ohio
- Voters in South Dakota that rejected the ban on all abortions
- Voters in Missouri who voted for stem cell research
Big losers for good reason:
- Katherine Harris
- Rick Santorum
- Donald Rumsfeld
- Voters in the seven states who rejected same-sex marriage
- Voters in California who rejected funds for alternative energy
Anyone else want to add to this list?
The Republican Revolution is dead. The Dems are in control of Congress. Maybe there is some hope for America after all. And I might even want to go home now!
Props to:
- Nancy Pelosi, first woman speaker of the House
- Keith Ellison, first Muslim elected to the House
- Deval Patrick, second African American governor
- Voters that voted Dem in Montana, Virginia, Missouri, and Ohio
- Voters in South Dakota that rejected the ban on all abortions
- Voters in Missouri who voted for stem cell research
Big losers for good reason:
- Katherine Harris
- Rick Santorum
- Donald Rumsfeld
- Voters in the seven states who rejected same-sex marriage
- Voters in California who rejected funds for alternative energy
Anyone else want to add to this list?
Christmas... in November?
November 4, 2006:
Last Saturday was the Adelaide Credit Union's Christmas Pageant. Yes, you read correctly - Christmas Pageant. In the first week of November. I don't know how people can get so excited about the birth of Christ this early in the game - or even at all. But I'm an old Scrooge so don't mind me.
The locals really hyped up this event by claiming that it rivals the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and that most people show up three hours early to save a good spot. Sitting on the sidewalk at 7 am on a Saturday morning and waiting three hours to watch a parade? You couldn't get me to do that even if Jesus himself was going to be break dancing on one of those floats.
Still, I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. I showed up half way through as the floats were parading through the center of town. All I can say is, this pageant is probably the biggest freak show in Adelaide. And I enjoyed every second of it. I even made Indhu stand with me for an extra fifteen minutes despite her complaints of dehydration just so I could take more pictures.
My favorite float - a fire breathing dragon!Sunday, November 05, 2006
A Lesson in Style
Today at the park:
Hey Dhu, show us your awesome frisbee moves!
The "prancing crane" throwing style you see in the video is definitely a Dhu trademark, and I bear no responsibility for it.
So I've realized that this blog is becoming less about Australia than it is about poking (good-natured) fun at my roommate who is less amused with each new post. I guess it's what happens when I only blog what I know, and the fact that my entire social network in Australia consists of one person doesn't really help.
Could you please post a comment to commend Indhu of what a great sport she is? If you don't, I may not live to post another entry. Thanks!
Hey Dhu, show us your awesome frisbee moves!
The "prancing crane" throwing style you see in the video is definitely a Dhu trademark, and I bear no responsibility for it.
So I've realized that this blog is becoming less about Australia than it is about poking (good-natured) fun at my roommate who is less amused with each new post. I guess it's what happens when I only blog what I know, and the fact that my entire social network in Australia consists of one person doesn't really help.
Could you please post a comment to commend Indhu of what a great sport she is? If you don't, I may not live to post another entry. Thanks!
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