So as promised, I went to work early one morning this week and tried to get a few pictures of the market. They aren't great, but you get the point. When I take the big camera out, I will get much better shots. These were all taken on my iPhone.
This week was a pretty good week. Nothing really major. Rugby started full contact this week, and the first few practices went better than I expected. Only a couple ankle sprains and a couple head knocks, but all should be good by weeks end. I will say, the season will be interesting with one of my rugby coaches.
The interesting thing about WAB is how "connected" it is. We have coaches here from national teams all over the world. For our volleyball program there are 2 former China National players coaching, basketball we have former NCAA players coaching, badminton we have former national players coaching, table tennis-former world champions coaching, and we have a published personal trainer working with our fitness for all the teams. Rugby is no different. One specific coach is a former Australian national player-and he is intense!
On Saturday we had a kid twist his ankle. I was there and saw the whole thing happen. I watched as the kid rolled on the field and as the team moved away. When I saw that the kid was not going to get up, I decided to walk out to where the kid was to see how bad it was. As I got there, the rugby coach was calling the Personal Trainer out there to help carry the kid off the field and was also yelling at one of the team members to get ice. As I got there, I stopped the Personal Trainer from moving the kid, so that I could evaluate how bad the injury was. Immediately the coach looked at me and said "It's bad, he needs to get ice on it immediately or it will swell!" I simply looked at him and said "Thanks, now let me look at it myself." Obviously this was not what he wanted me to do. As I am evaluating, the coach is standing over me saying "He needs loads of ice on it right now!" I just keep evaluating and note that he really has a mild sprain. The kid by now has picked up on the coaches anticipation and starts to get worked up as well. I see this and know that it is now time to move. I ask the kid to sit up; he does. I then instruct him to flatten out his other foot and put it down and help him to stand on the good one-he does. The coach then tells the Personal Trainer to help carry the kid off the field and I simply say, "No, he is walking off this field. No one needs to carry anyone." We wait as the student-athlete gathers his composure, and he slowly walks off the field with the help of my shoulder and the coaches shoulder.
When we get to the sideline the coach again steps in and starts barking orders for both of us-I simply do my own thing and ask the kid to remove his shoe. He asks "but it will swell if I do that, right?" "Buddy, it's going to swell with or without the shoe!" By now the coach finally left and continued coaching the rest of the team. I continued my sideline evaluation and explained to the student-athlete what my opinion was. He was good with that. He did ask for crutches, and I told him no because if he wanted to play sooner, he needed to continue with movement and some walking. As long as he rested for the rest of the afternoon and on Sunday. (This is also a way of keeping them out of the clubs on Saturday night! -This is a whole other story, high school student's clubbing internationally!)
Other than that, the 10 volleyball matches we had between Friday and Saturday went smoothly without any real hitches. Also on Friday, my "story" came out on the WAB website... www.wab.edu (and if that link doesn't work here is the direct link to the story: http://lianxi.wab.edu/node/1746 )
On Saturday after work, Jenny and I went to Ya Show-a bargain market. Four or five stories of little shops that sells everything! Best of all, you get to haggle! I have been looking for a beard trimmer since I got here because mine didn't work once I got here. I found one or two at a couple of places but they were close to $100-I am not going to pay that price for a beard trimmer that in the states would cost no more than $40-60. Ya Show had some! Best of all, the price we started at was 120 RMB (just under $20). I was ready to buy then with no haggling, BUT I love a good deal. The first vendor I walked away, and as I was walking away, he shouted "Okay, 70!" My response was "I may be back." Around the corner and down the hall I came upon the same exact brand trimmer and the dealer there started with 120 RMB as well. "I was just told 70 kuai (same as RMB and Yuan) around the corner, and I walked away from that deal, so NO!" He replied "How much you want pay?" I said "how about 50?" This time he turned and walked away. As I got ready to leave then, he quickly turned and said "What about 65?" I thought it over, and realized it was like $10 and I was perfectly okay with that price. So I came home with a new beard trimmer! The night was capped off with Cold Stone Creamery! YUM!!! (Since I couldn't get any ice cream from the Sweet Spot back home!)
Sunday…How did I spend my Sunday. First of all, I slept in until about 11 am…I was exhausted this weekend for some reason. Then I had to go to the Beihang University to cover NFL China. To be perfectly honest here, I have NOT been looking forward to this part of my job. The reason is I felt like it was completely unorganized from the beginning. I found out that really it wasn't, it was just that we (other AT's in Shanghai and Guangzhou) weren't really "in the loop" as much as we should have been. I for one thought this was a camp for kids where former NFL stars came over and taught the kids how to play American Football. Then I thought it was "real" American Football with tackling and everything. This frightened me because here we are in China playing football when these adults have never played before; I was wondering how many times I would have to spine board someone for spearing or worse. Come-to-find out, it is a flag football league, sponsored by the NFL. So today I spent my afternoon watching flag football. It was actually not bad at all…There were some decent athletes there. I was told to that throughout the series, there should be some former players coming to give tips and meet the folks here, so we will see what happens and who comes. I was given a Tampa Bay Bucs hat today, as well as a few shirts. The girl in the yellow shirt is a Anne, and she is helping me during this whole NFL China experience; the other girl is her friend, but I forgot her name. I am glad that this was different than expected!
So I got home okay by taking the subway and it is much easier than taking a taxi or bus. This was the first time to take the subway by navigating it by myself.
Oh, I forgot the coolest part of the day…As I was getting to Beihang for the NFL China gig, I was riding a taxi there. I am still not familiar with where things are in this city and as I am looking out the window I notice this strange structure. I notice it was "the Bird's Nest" right beside "the Water Cube." It hit me again, I live in freaking Beijing, China!!! I just have to smile! So blessed!!![]()
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