Volleyball tournament and Heather's birthday round 2

Today I got up really excited to play.  I am trying out a relatively new position called libero.  I fill in for one person in the back row and follow their rotation.  My purpose is to serve-receive and play defense like crazy.  I am always excited to sprawl out on the floor to pick up digs.  Although I got to bed a little later than I would have liked, the sun was so bright in the morning that I was up at 6 unable to get back to sleep.  So, I had a quiet breakfast and prepared for the day until the van came at 9 to pick us up.

We drove first to pick up another player who ended up being about 25 minutes late because she had to take two taxis (kombis) to get where we were waiting, and her dad sprung a “must do” errand on her that morning.  So instead of her dad dropping her off, she had to run this errand and take two taxis to meet us.  Despite the wait, we were at the tournament early enough to watch the NMMU Men’s Community team play a match against the PE College guys, who I play with on the beach, and get our uniforms from the athletic director.

I created a uniform from a friend’s white shirt and blue painter’s tape that I brought in case there wasn’t a libero jersey.  Liberos have to have a different colored jersey than the rest of the team because liberos can rotate in without a formal substitution, and I found out a ream of other rules that don’t apply in the US which make it important to know who the libero is.  For instance, liberos in the international league may not serve or attack from the back row.  In the states liberos may serve and I guess they cannot jump from the back row (I didn’t know that).  One other thing that is different in that the libero has to wait one play before she can sub in for the next player, whereas in the US, I could just go out for one and in for the next at the same time without waiting for the next play.  We only lost a few points for libero mishaps, so I counted that lucky.  I miss serving though, and I had a really awesome back row kill before the ref whistled to say it was an illegal play.

We lost the first game against the Legends in four sets, who are #1 in our league, and we won against VW in four sets, but it should have been by a lot more.  After our last match, we officiated and I kept book.  It was a little different than in the states, but I managed.  It was fun talking at the score table with Megan, another CSB student from St. Paul who I keep finding connections with in terms of acquaintances and friends, and Lorentia (Lo-REN-sha), a South African who graduates next week with a degree in Law Advocacy.  We asked her about her studies, boyfriend, family, and just talked about everyday life. 

During the second third set of the game we officiated, at 6pm, we called the bus driver to see how far away he was.  He said that he was “just around the corner” which as stated by my African teammates actually means “just around the corner” unlike some of the other common terms such as “just now” which could mean tomorrow.  (For instance, if someone says, “I was going to do that just now,” you really have no idea when they mean to do it.)  The athletic director, Mr. B (who is buying alcohol for our “Volleyball Social” in a few weeks—I’ve heard there was a time when SJU sponsored keggers on campus… could it be true?) also called to make sure that he would be there to pick us up when we were finished.  When we were done, at 6:45 we called and he said he was on his way.  We called again a half hour later and he said, “I’ll have to call Lucky to get you another van.  I can’t come.”  So, at 7:15, we were still waiting at the school with dried sweat on our bodies making for a chilly wait in the wind, and I was exhausting after going out Friday night for a dual birthday celebration and getting up early Friday morning and Saturday morning.    Finally, a bus came careening over the hill and swerved to a stop 15 feet past us, parking in front of the sport center entrance.  A driver we know from Bush Camp, Stevie, came out to open the door.  We said thanks for coming to get us, and he said that Lucky called him while he was at a family get-together, pointing to a row of four little kids in the font bench seat.  Considering the circumstance of his coming, his entry onto the scene, and his overly exuberant greeting, we spent a majority of the ride trying to figure out if he was drunk.   Anyhow, Lauren, the captain and I made it safely back to her flat where we met her roommate Chichi and all of my flatmates who were already done with dinner by the time we got home.  We had really great herbed-baked chicken, cheesy potatoes (I know you’re jealous, Ali), and salad, topping the fabulous meal off with a Black Forest Cake to celebrate Heather’s 21^st.

After cake, we went back to Langerry so I could freshen up a bit before we went out to Gondwana, a club about a block from Langerry with a really cool vibe.  We danced and talked, and Heather drank quite a bit, until about 2:30.  By the time I got home, it took me about eight minutes to get ready for bed and hit the sack.  (I can’t say so much for the roommates who stayed up with Heather til 5 am, but I guess you only turn 21 once, right?)  I woke up this morning feeling pretty rested after a really long, but fun weekend.  I have plenty to keep me busy the rest of the day with a biology paper, music paper, reading, poetry analysis, and the normal Sunday braai with the group—Mexican theme tonight.  So, I’m off to get some groceries and attempt to get something done today.

Peace

Britney and Megan, my American volleyball counterparts.

Action shot baby.

Water break with "cool drink."  The athletic department provides us with "Energade" concentrate and we add water.  I don't usually use sport drinks, but I am happy that we had some extra energy considering our day was much longer than we planned.

Imagination at work.  Kids playing with empty plastic bottles.

The hallway at the end of the day.  I guess someone thought there was a fire... ooops.

I hope that stuff isn't caustic...?

Lia, Sonki's nephew who was so helpful.  He liked to be in the middle of the team cheer.

At Lauren's apartment.  From the left Chichi, Katie, Heather, guy behind Heather, Abby in the back row, other guy, then Taylor and Me.  Front row is Lauren and Laura.

A fun group.

Culture for Bruce and Norma

The tournament atmosphere was interesting.  As I explained to one of my friends last night, it was so similar, yet so different than at home.  There were children, everywhere!  Babies crying on the bench with the team, little ones running all over the place with 2 liter-type plastic bottles womping them together creating the loveliest noises ;), and a few of them decided to pull the pin on a fire extinguisher (see pictures).  One of my teammates even brought her nephew, Lia (short for a much longer name that I unfortunately cannot remember).  He was well-behaved and spent the whole day bouncing a volleyball around and helping to carry the team’s “cool drink” as it beverages are usually referred to here, whether or not they are below room temperature. 

One of the great things about the tournament was its multi-generational atmosphere, besides the flocks of children, there were university students (ranging from 19-24), and community teams.  The focus was not on who had the best equipment or whose uniforms looked the best, it was on playing one’s best and enjoying the game.  I was reminded of playing volleyball open gym with Hmong families in Hudson.  Not only did high school students come to the Y to play, uncles, fathers, and grandfathers even came.  I am really encouraged with cultures who value lifetime sports and who have a strong enough community base to make teams a lifetime opportunity.  In the US the junior’s tournaments I was involved in and even the University club team that I was on my freshman year was a strict age group, and I do not know many people who play competitive volleyball after college which doesn’t take place at a bar.  Not that bar’s aren’t an appropriate place to play, but that is usually sand court and oftentimes isn’t as competitive or require practices like the teams of adults who participated yesterday.