Sunday, August 23, 2009

B10: Baseball.

("Why is everyone driving on the wrong side of the road?" [Fitzroy, Victoria])

(This is me trying to look cool. [Tom O'Halloran Field, Albert Park Reserve, Melbourne])

Hi!

Lot’s of school and lots of research. Turned in my globalisation essay, realised I’m very behind in my Flora and Fauna class, and did a lot of head-scratching in stats. There, that covers my academic obligation to this blog.

(This is mulga ant we learned about in Biology of Australian Flora and Fauna. The ants carry the aphids with their jaws out of their nest in the morning and put them on acacia trees. At the end of the day, the ants retrieve the aphids and bring them back to the nest. The ants stroke the backs of the aphids and the aphids regurgitate the honey or sap of the tree that they were sucking on and the ants eat this "vomit". The next day, the process repeats itself.[Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/31715949@N00/3646414785/])

More importantly, I made a revolutionary discovery that changed my perpective on life and will ultimately alter my priorities in regards to the importance of certain material possessions. If you bite off the corners of a tim tam, you can use it as a straw for a glass of milk... I know this may not be as exciting to you as it is to me, but it has made the tim tam 4 times better which is unprecedented, since the tim tam is already my favorite night time treat. As the milk runs through the tim tam, it soaks the core of the fudge. The milk tastes like chocolate, and, more importantly, the tim tam becomes a mushy sensual delight that melts in the mouth. Tomorrow I am going to wake up early and swim in compensation for the heaps of tim tams I ate this weekend.

Anyways, this week has been all about sports. Tuesday we had our first indoor soccer (futsal) game. We came back from a 3-0 deficit to win our first game 4-3 against the Freestylers FC. I could only play for 5 minutes at a time because I couldn’t breath. I need to get on that treadmill! Next up: O rei de Futbol. At baseball training on Tuesday night, the head coach invited me to play with the 1’s team, the class A league, the following night. I actually thought about not going because I wouldn’t get any playing time and my essay was due, but decided that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I went. I rode the bench the entire game with another American, and then “died in the on-deck circle” (the guy in front of me made the last out of the game).


(This is a tram that has the name of our fustal team on it. I think that "The Jersey Boys" are a boy band, and my roommate thinks the name of our team is hilarious. [Melbourne Uni, Melbourne])

The head coach came over and talked to me during the game about the players. Turns out the left fielder played on the Olympic team in Athens in 2004 and was also drafted by the Minnesota Twins a couple years ago. He went 4-4 with a double and triple during the game. He also poked fun at me for taking pictures from the bench… the red laser from the camera blinded him in left field. The situation was pretty embarrassing. The team also featured one the best pitchers in Victoria, an outfielder who played in Europe, a pitcher who pitched for the University of Redlands, and a high school catcher about to play college ball in America. Compared to the 3’s team, the pace of the game was similar to that of America and these monsters hit the snot out of the ball.


(This is the Olympian. He plays baseball. [Photo courtesy of http://www.baseball.com.au/?Page=10769])


(The view from the bench. This is best picture I could get... there is no "action" setting. [Melbourne Ball Park, Altona])

On Saturday I played on the 2’s team. Since this is my blog, I will dictate what I talk about it, and I have decided to talk about my defensive day instead of my offensive day (0 for 4). I started at second base for the first time since little league… I was so nervous. Guess where the first ball of the game was hit? It’s ok, I gobbled it up and made the play and that got all the jitters out of my system. I probably got the most plays of the day and didn’t make a single error! I even made a diving play in between first and second. I dove, rolled on my back, did a backwards somersault, landed on my feet and threw a short hop to the first basemen. The pitcher, who was about 40 years old, threw a complete game and had amazing control. We ended up winning the game 11-3. When I got a ride home and tried to offer my carpool some money for gas (petrol) he just laughed and drove away. I guess money ain't a big thing for these people.


(Evidence that I actually dove. [Tom O'Halloran Field, Albert Park Reserve, Melbourne])

I went ahead and rejected Melbourne Uni’s invitation to the uni games on the Gold Coast because of the financial aspect of the trip. Whenever someone asked me, I just blamed my parents for not letting me go, even thought that wasn’t the case. Anyways, I’m trying to plan a camping trip for the uni break and hopefully things work out for the best.

This weekend I didn’t go out. I was too tired after the baseball game and didn’t attend their trivia night. My housemate and I did make it out to Chadstone, the biggest mall in Victoria and flitted around there for a while before buying a coffee table and comforter for my bed. The other nights, I stayed home, watched “Man on Fire” with my housemate, traded mp3 music files (I got a lot of Australian artists: Empire of the Sun, Kisschassy, Midnight Oil, Rooney), and did some “managing” for our soccer team. We also went on to Google maps and street view, and I showed him Tierrasanta and Serra High School, and he showed me Wollongong , the city he grew up in. He said Tierrasanta was really “posh” which I guess means luxurious. It made me sad to see my old green Honda sitting in the driveway of our house (since now it is at the dump).


(The largest mall in Victoria. My roommate went crazy. To me, it looked like another Westfield Shopping Center. [Chadstone, Victoria])

Next week looks like it is going to be academically hectic again. Soccer on Tuesday, baseball on Tuesday and Wednesday, research meeting on Thursday but I can always look forward to the weekend. I’m going to ask my friend to drive me to Wilson’s Promontory for camping like he promised… Hopefully he keeps his word!

Until then,

Mikey Doo



(A lorikeet. They are common and really pretty. [Carlton Gardens, Fitzroy])

(Baseball. [Melbourne Ball Park, Altona])

(Dinner by candle light. My housemate wants to save energy. [Firzroy])

(View from traffic, This is the Yarra River. [Melbourne])

7 comments:

  1. Please do not start your blog with huge pictures of yucky bugs. You will probably give mommy a heart attack and I found it rather unpleasant at 6:52 in the morning. :) Congratulations on all of your sports accomplishments. Maggie is actually coming to play softball with us this week...I will let you know how that goes.

    Please do bring some tim tams home for us. Just last night i was asking mom and dad "what the heck is a tim tam?". Dad said he googled it because you talk about them so much.

    Keep playing hard and studying less. We all miss you. I love you!

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  2. Hey kimmy-ma-bimmy, you can get Arnott biscuits at Cost Plus. Dont know how
    Tim Tammy they are, but we in the northern
    hemisphere must make do.
    Enjoyed vacation with yo mama and her half
    turtle/half egg friends.
    Hey Mikey - keep on bloggin...K-ron.

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  3. Hi Mikey,
    Sounds like you're playing more baseball than when you were in the US ! 2nd base huh, wish I could have seen it :)

    Mom made it to the top of Whitney, I can't even imagine. She was happy to make it and she has pictures you'll have to see.

    Love,
    Dad

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  4. MIKE!
    It sounds and looks like you are having an awesome time! I also really like Empire of the Sun. I hope all is well. The Glaring Guppies miss you! :)
    -Maureen

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  5. Hey Mike!!!

    Maureen and I would like to give you a piece of trivia you can wow your friends with... "Jersey Boys" is a play. Opened right here in Los Angeles, I believe, it is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It sounds like you are having fun!!! Thank for the birthday wish... I wish you could be there on sunday.

    Have fun!!!

    Micaela

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  6. Teach us how to sip milk thru a tim-tam. I think I'm gonna like tim-tams too
    Love,
    GMA H

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  7. Still looking at all your blogs and loving it..pics are wonderful..you're having the time of your life.
    Love you,
    GMA H

    ReplyDelete