blog

Careers and all

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 04:04:06 +0100

I was thinking today about careers. What are they and what do they mean? Are they just social constructs, the same way that race and color of skin are social constructs? Do we just invent them in order to understand ourselves and how we fit into the world? This is what I'd like to discuss in this blog.

I was thinking about all of these things because now that I've turned 30, well passed that now (31), I've started to think about my own career and what it is exactly. I started my "career" in international, non-profit work, with a focus on educational exchange programs. It was a good job after studying International Relations and Latin American Studies in college. I honestly didn't know what it would be like to have a full-time job and work in an office. I found out that it was MUCH different than college: Work is a little more serious because you're getting paid and expected to do well. In college, you don't get paid, but you're still expected to do well.

Anyway, I then joined the Peace Corps in El Salvador, and this still seemed to make sense: I wanted to get international experience, really learn Spanish, and do valuable service in another country. I soon found out that it's actually very difficult living in another country and learning to tolerate another culture and way of life. It was certainly a challenge, but I got a lot out of it and, upon returning to the U.S., I had a whole new perspective on the world. I was a different person.

My "career" then turned to teaching, specifically ESL. I had taught English in El Salvador, and thought that I'd continue this in the U.S. in order to help immigrants coming to this country. I got my first job back in the U.S. as an English Instructor in Silver Spring, Maryland. This was great! I really enjoyed it and though teaching was a challenge, it gave me confidence and I felt proud to teach my students.

My idea of a career in my mid-20's was more experimental than anything else: I had many different jobs and side-gigs which I've actually found to be the most valuable up until now. I was a camp counselor for people with disabilities, I tutored students in reading in California public schools, and I was an activities guide for international students studying in the U.S. So, I guess I also had lots of international-related experiences, apart from the whole disabilities thing and the public schools thing. But they were still involved in education.

Anyway, after all of this I still don't know what my "career" is. In fact, I had that stupid word. I'm sure it's nice to be dedicated to some profession, like a doctor, teacher, lawyer, social worker, journalist, or whatever. But I've never really been that...type. I actually like how I've gone from program coordination, international development work, teaching, teacher training, and now I'm into public diplomacy; they're all sort of interconnected somehow. Honestly, I don't know where they've brought me up to this point. I'd like to think that I can be some sort of international educator, who does public relations and some development work. I've also thrown in languages there, too, like Spanish.

So, I feel lost in a plethora of inter-related "things." Maybe it's time to go back to grad school somewhere and find a new course of action. It just seems so amorphous. Careers just discombobulate me.

Triathlon Training

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:31:45 +0100

I've been training relatively hard for my triathlon in September. It's difficult to find the right balance of exercise. For instance, I don't know whether I should bike ride one day, and then the next day go for a long run. It seems like it would be a good idea to do a bike + run in one day, back-to-back. I've done that in the gym - like going for an hour on the exercise bike, and then 1 hour on the treadmill. But the gym is not the same as outside and dealing with the elements, so I'm not sure how good that training is.

I've also realized that I need to practice swimming in the open water. I go to a community center in New York (called Riverbank State Park) to do my swimming. They have a 50-meter pool open from 630am-830am everyday - that forces me to wake up early, which is what I'll need to do on raceday. But it's just too easy swimming in the the pool - it's clear, there's no waves or choppy water, there's not the fear of running into a fish, turtle, piece of poop or garbage, or a floating dead body. I actually get scared of sharks for some reason, even though that's normally impossible in a river.

On a recent work trip up to Minnesota, we attended a Pow Wow at the Ojibwe tribe in Mille Lacs, which is located a bit north of Minneapolis. Since I'm in training, I brought my swimming gear and jumped into the Mille Lacs lake. It was actually good for training because even though it's not that choppy, there is a strong current. In the middle of my swim, I realized that a small current was pulling me in one direction. I actually panicked and thought I'd end up stranded in the middle of the lake (another impossibility). Luckily, a small Indian boy yelled out at me and said, "Hey, I'm coming in soon to swim!" I think he was encouraging me and also wished he could swim, too. There was also a fisherman nearby whom I was scared of because he was launching his fishing line like 30, 40 meters in every direction; I thought that hook might snag my left big toe and pull me under. Then I'd be dinner for some Ojibwe family roast.

Well, that's how my training's going. It hasn't all been full of these training idiosyncracies: I actually can run longer, bike stronger, and swimming is easier for me. I biked 30 miles in New York, I ran 5 miles yesterday without much effort. I still need to get my pace down - my run was about 10 minutes/mile, which would mean it would take me about 2 hours to complete the half marathon. I'm guessing the swim will take about an 1, and the bike 2 1/2 to 3 hours. That means I'll finish in 6 hours, which I think is about average.

Wish me luck.

New York

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:57:40 +0100

Since moving to New York City, I've learned quite a few things about this city, myself, and people and/or life in general. One of my friends mentioned, upon hearing that I had just moved to NYC, that it's like "jumping on a moving train." After being here for about a month, I completely agree. It's so fast paced - nobody really has time for anything because there's always so many people around: Crowds, distractions, strange people, hypersensitivity, mean looks, interesting glances.

Through my eyes, New York has lots of different sides. It's not the "fast paced" place that I thought it was before. It's also not a place filled with "mean" people. People in New York are actually quite nice, but I've found that you need to be aware of when/where to find it. For instance, I go to a yoga class up near 168th street, and it's a small studio which fits about 8 students. It's been nice for me to interact with the teacher and students, and realize that these are just normal people like me, living in a big city with lots of stress. There are ways to "escape" the stress, or at least calm the body/mind to tolerate it better.

There's a biting edge to reality among the people of new york. Everyone has an opinion and they'll state it. Passivity is not a good quality here. I get worried sometimes because I'm a pretty passive person - I like to make sure everyone feels okay and I'm hypersensitive to stress, or unkind or unfamiliar situations. I've gotten better with this: When I commute in the subway, I rush with efficiency (if I know where I'm going), and I don't care if I cut people off in the street or in the subway. It's every man for him/herself so get the hell outta my way.

But, there's a soft edge to New York. Yesterday, a Sunday, I went shopping in my neigborhood, which is predominantly Dominican. It's in a place called Washington Heights, up near 157th Street on the west side. I went into a store and bought a fan. The man there, who was Hispanic, assembled the fan for me -- I didn't think I would ever find service like this in New York. Anyway, he found out that the fan had some assembly malfunctions, so he suggested I not buy it. How nice was that?

Then, I popped into a convenience store to look for some tape, and had a nice conversation with the store owner, who was Cuban. He said right away, "You're a gringo!" yep, he was right. I'm so used to being called a gringo that I don't ever get offended. It's almost a term of endearment for me, even though some consider it disrespectful. Anyway, this man talked about his business model, and how the way to go is to buy cheap products overseas and have them shipped to the U.S. He talked about some store around the corner, run by a woman, who was sneaky and found a way to make money by buying overseas. It was nice for me to meet a man from Cuba - and he also had a beard which looked like Fidel Castro's!

The city is not all tense and hyperactive as much as people think. I've found some ways to escape the madness - such as riding my bike along Riverside drive right near the hudson, or waking up early and going for a swim at Riverbanks park near 147th. Even our doormen make living here a positive experience - they are very nice and provide a sense of comfort when coming home.

Deleted Post

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 02:39:22 +0100

Civil Rights in Alabama

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:53:00 +0100

For the past few days, I've been traveling around Alabama with my small group from the Philippines. Our stop in Alabama was part of our program because a key interest was the study of civil rights issues for African-Americans. Alabama, I've come to discover, was the center of the Civil Rights Movement, when it all started with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956, I believe. With visits to the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham and the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights in Montgomery, I've learned that the events in Montgomery were the triggers for the civil rights movement as a whole.

Though Rosa Parks refusal to move to the back of the bus, in order to make room for white passengers was a critical moment, was certainly pivotal, there were also feelings arising among the African-American community prior to this historic event. We learned from a Professor of history at Alabama State University that there was a feeling of "irritation" and anger among black in Montgomery of certain segregation policies; the one that angered most blacks was the law to sit in the back of public buses. This angered blacks more than anything. I learned that it was "humiliating" for most blacks to make room for whites, and just to be treated as second-class citizens. While listening to stories of humiliation, including black passengers being dragged alongside of the bus because the drivers pulled away too quickly, I couldn't help but think that if I had to sit in the back of the bus because of the color of my skin, I would just generally be PISSED OFF. But the amazing thing is that blacks went along with this policy for such a long time. Getting inside the minds of an oppressed people is not easy for me, to say the least.

I watched a reenactment of the Rosa Parks bus event at the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery. It just made me feel uncomfortable - just seeing the white people in front feeling uncomfortable because of the situation, but all the black people in the back just wondering what the hell was going on. I was thinking while watching the reenactment that it just seemed like an ordinary day and an ordinary event -- i.e. just another black person misbehaving or commiting another crime -- but it set off a series of events which can now be seen as the most important for equal rights for African-Americans. It would have been so easy for her to just get up and move to the back; it seems difficult for her to just stay put and refuse the bus drivers' demands. I learned from our tour guide that Rosa Parks actually didn't like the bus driver because, 12 years earlier, he kicked her off the bus for some strange reason. I think part of the reason she didn't get up was her negative feelings towards the bus driver.

There was some confusion about the intentions of Rosa Parks, and some people have learned that she was encouraged by the NAACP (with whom she was a member, and a secretary for E.D. Nixon, a prominent civil rights leader in Montgomery), to not give up her seat and be sent to prison. However, some historians have asserted that she acted on her own and she wasn't part of a conspiracy. Whatever her intentions, she was contacted by civil rights leaders after the event while in prison (including E.D. Nixon) and was asked to be a part of their movement against the segregationist bus policies.

What struck me while listening to all of these stories was the amount of organization and solidarity among the African-American community during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On the day of Ms. Parks trial, flyers were sent out to all black residents in Montgomery NOT to ride the public buses on that day. I saw a picture of a bus with only one white women riding it -- the bus companies were actually losing tons of money because black passengers wouldn't ride. Blacks started walking to work, at times up to five to seven miles, and didn't ride the buses for over a year. The black community then organized and created their own private taxi system to transport blacks to/from work (door-to-door service, have you). This system was much more efficient than the public transportation system and blacks got to/from work quicker and cheaper.

I often forgot that small actions can create such monumental changes in the world. Having a bit of courage, and a will to follow it, can create change, even if we don't really realize it at that particular moment. I think it's important for everyone to be aware, whether black, white, latino, asian, or whatever race, the courageous acts that the people before us did in order for us to live in a, well, generally more equal society. It makes me think that there are many times that we come across situations, laws, rules, policies, or ideas, which we don't necessarily agree with and with which we're too afraid to stand up to and fight against; a case in point may be security checkpoints at airports. what are those men and women in TSA uniforms really thinking about when they encounter a middle eastern women in a headdress? well, in the end, it doesn't matter what we think, but what we say and the way we act. When will I, you, or we be aware of those rules which "irritate" us and refuse to conform to what society expects us to do?

Hotel Living

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:33:32 +0100

Since I just got back on the road, working as an English Language Officer with the U.S. State Department, I thought I'd blog about what's on my mind right now: Hotel life. I've always found that there's negative and positive things about staying in hotels, and I generally focus on the negative, which I'm hoping to change sooner rather than later.

The best part about living/staying in hotels is that you get your own private room. Nothing beats that. Whenever I need to take a break from the world, I can just go chill out up in my room. Relaxing, kicking back, taking it easy: those are all things that hotel rooms provide. Another cool thing about hotels is that the staff is there to serve you (well, depending on how good the hotel is). For example, at my hotel in D.C., I just called down to the front desk so they could bring me up a silverware set. I used to think that this was kind of lazy how I had to actually call someone to get some silverware, but now I realize that it's their job and it's okay to request these things. Also, my mom taught me to always order a fridge upon check-in so I can store food for my stay, and also go to the grocery store so I can eat healthier. I actually haven't followed through very much on this, but it's my goal to always do this so I can be healthier (and save money) while on the road.

There are some drawbacks to staying in hotels, such as everything being the same and not really knowing the areas in which I'm staying. When I'm in DC, I'm usually fine because I know the town well. But if I go to, for example, Chicago, I don't really know the area very well, and sometimes feel lost once I step out that door. Another downside is that I don't necessarily like living alone, and hotel life can be isolating sometimes. When I have free time, I generally try to do things away from the hotel, like exercise, walking around, or finding local events to attend. When I first arrive at a hotel, I get excited because everything is new, like the city, the place, the room set up, but then I soon realize that it's just a place to rest my head at the end of the head: that, and nothing more. So, I try to see it as just simply that.

I've also tried to get in touch with more people I know in the places I travel to -- that's a good way to feel connected and grounded in any city. Like I said before: DC is easy for me since I have way too much family and way too many friends, but in the other cities I really need to make efforts to hang out with people. I may only know 1 or 2 people, in, for example, San Diego. And if I'm not there on a weekend, it's tough to get away and make time for some good relaxing times. It's also good to hang out with the international visitors with whom I travel - it's more relaxed outside of the work time, such as having dinner or doing some sort of cultural/fun activity in a new city. They generally know that it's my free time and I'm choosing to hang out, so there's less pressure to organize/arrange things.

I guess that's it. I hope people learned a little something about me, and what my job is like. Normally, people seem to think that my job is pretty glamorous because I get to travel, go to lots of different places; but the novelty wears off pretty quick and then I realize that I really need to take advantage of my time, just like I'm living anywhere. We have choices about what we can/cannot do, and oftentimes gettin my butt out of that stinkin hotel room and out in the world is the best choice for me. At the same time, everyone knows that there's nothing like relaxing and doing nothing for a half-day or even a whole-day -- I've done that on my days off sometimes. I'm just so exhausted from all the travel that I just need to decompress.

Good luck and certainly let me know if you need any hints/pointers/suggestions when and if you get to stay in hotels...

Brazil

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:46:22 +0100

I just returned from a 10 day trip to Brazil (just for vacation), and it was fantastic! I never really believed that going on vacation was the best way to explore other countries. In other words, I had a previous "train of thought" that living in other countries and doing something valuable (like work or volunteer service) was the best way to get to know the people/culture. However, after traveling around Brazil, I've realized that one can learn a lot as a "tourist."

I seriously hate that term, "tourist," but at the same time, it is what you make of it. If you want to be an ignorant jerk who refuses to accept certain aspects of a new culture, then that's your right. However, we can also be "good" tourists by respecting the culture and understanding the parts which annoy us. For example, I noticed right away in Rio while taking my first walk to Ipanema beach, that the cars/buses drive REALLY fast and definitely will not stop for pedestrians. In Brazil, like most of Latin America, pedestrians definitely DO NOT have the right of way. You will die. So, this annoyed me for a while; but there were times when I just laughed at it because it's just kinda funny to observe how extremely reckless Brazilians are; there's this "no fear" aura and a sense that death from a bus coming full steam ahead of us is a close reality.

In any case, I had some interesting experiences in Brazil. The first one was hanging out at a local sidewalk bar/restaurant called "Zig Zag" in Rio. I ate most of my food there, watched most of my soccer games, and made my best (or worst) efforts to chat up the locals. I also met a guy named Alex and his girlfriend Paula at the bar - he's an English Teacher and likes meeting native English speakers, or just people from other countries. He also studied abroad in Chicago for a year and seems to understand "Americans." He and his girlfriend (who was visiting from Sao Paulo) back to their place for some beer and capirinhas. Our conversations were exploratory, fun, and at times deep.

I set out for Goias in the second part of my Brazil adventure, where I met up with my old friend Pedro who I went to grad school with at the Monterey Institute in Monterey, California. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but when I arrived at baggage claim in Goiania I was greeted by Pedro, his girlfriend Lorena, and his friend Rodrigo, all of whom greeted me as if I was some celebrity. I knew right then and there that this was going to be "fun," or at the very least "crazy."

We did many things in my 5 day stay, including LOTS of driving around, but I'd have to say the experiences which stood out were the concert in Goiania (can't remember the singer), lunch with Pedro's grandmother in Yeragua, and going out in Rio with Alex and my new Argentine friend Pedro. The concert was this huge outdoor festival (enclosed for ticket entry), with food, beer, games, and of course the singer, who played a sort of mix of rock/country. There I made my first effort to flirt with a Brazilian girl who was sitting alone by herself. I had Pedro and Lorena lead the way by introducing me from a distance - I felt like Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" when his friend goes to meet the hot girl from Aspen he likes, and while standing over at the bar, he sticks his ASS out towards her so she could get a good look at his whole package.

Anyway, I got my first phone number from that whole ordeal. Lunch with Pedro's grandmother was great because it was a classic Brazilian experience. Just laid back and no rush. After eating rice and beans, meat, potatoes, and a spice called "falofa," which is this yellow bread crumb stuff Brazilians pour over everything, I just took a nap on the couch while the Grandmother watched telenovelas. After, the grandmother told me to take a shower, I think since it was hot and everyone was kind of sweaty; though, maybe it was because I stank. Then, she made me a cafezinho, which is a Brazilian espresso shot with some sugar. She told me that she doesn't take it with sugar, maybe because of her age. I watched her make the coffee -- she was clever and we both tasted it before serving; we agreed that it was too strong, so she added a bit more water to the mixture. Then I drank my cafezinho and chatted her up, which consisted of going back and forth between spanish and portuguese. I believe the Brazilians call it "Portanhol," which is the equivalent of "Spanglish" in Brazil. However, I realized that it was better for me to just speak slowly in Spanish (and actually NOT try to add any Portuguese to my words/accent), and make sure they know to speak slowly in Portuguese. Spanish is still a foreign language to many Brazilians, so I wouldn't agree with those who say that one can get by (or at least "do well") in Brazil with just Spanish. I encountered many language difficulties and communication problems/break downs during my trip.

The last experience which "sealed the deal" for the trip was just hanging out with some dudes in Rio. At my hostel in Rio, I met up with a guy from Argentina named Pedro, and we went out in Santa Teresa, which required taking a 30 minute bus across town. We walked around this big outdoor party scene, which included people from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds, I noticed. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, too. The following day, me and Pedro went to Zig Zag to watch the UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchested United. Alex later met up with us, and we befriended two old guys, one from England the other from Scotland. The Scottish man was quite friendly, but the English gentleman was surely trying to get on my nerves from the very beginning. I was generally in a positive mood, so it didn't affect me at first, up until he stared me straight in the face and said, "Your country is C-rrrrrrrrrrr-ap!" His theory was that the U.S. is founded on "crap" because the North didn't let the South secede from the Union. I listened to him well, respected his opinion, but he certainly had no time to listen to anything that I said -- which was fine, he's older and was just being a total dick.

So anyway, after that whole ordeal, me, Pedro, and Alex went out on the town, first starting at some small, artsy, electronica concert in Ipanema, then after a few drinks at Alex's place we headed out to Leblon, which is a high-class night spot. We just sat at some Pizzeria throughout the night and admired all of the attractive people passing. I would definitely say that Brazil has the most attractive people in the whole world - by far and away they beat the countries in Central America, and I would ever say they beat the U.S.

After Alex gave us both a lesson on how to be confident with women, and that most of flirtation is "non-verbal," like body posture, eye contact, and such, I met another group of people and stayed out until the sun rose. I then left on my own at 6am and hopped on a city bus loaded with people commuting to work. The bus was jam packed, and I think I was the only one on it who had just finished a night of partying in Rio. I don't know what all those people thought of me, but in my drunken stupor I looked out across the bus at all of them, and just smiled in their direction.

Brazil was fun, eye opening, at times stressful, a learning experience, and an exploration of the positive and negative aspects of its culture. I would now say that the people are generally friendly, but there exists a history, colonial and modern, which still pervades the society because of its clear dichotomy between the rich and poor (e.g. favelas). More so than the poverty is the gang violence and drug trafficking. After coming back home and watching "City of God" (Cidade do Dios), I understand a little more about why the people loath favela life but at the same time enjoy hanging out at the beach.

Volunteering in Portland

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:38:58 +0100

When I moved to Portland, one of my goals was to volunteer more and try to get involved in the community somehow. I think it's important to "give back" to a community/city in some way, which usually means helping other people (rather than just myself). I recently began mentoring a teenager (a male) who just passed his GED and enrolled in Portland Community College. The agency I volunteer at is called SE Works (Southeast Works) -- they help people find jobs in the Portland area, and also offer classes for people to get their GED.

On a recent outing, me and my Mentee (we'll call him "Jack" - a pseudonym) went to a Blazers playoff game. It was an interesting experience. Jack was really enthusiastic about basketball and was a big fan of the Blazers. I, on the other hand, was just a passive fan who didn't really take much interest in the Blazers. However, once the game started, I started to become a fan. The stadium gives out these paddles, which are the shape of a ping pong racket, and all the fans just beat it when the blazers score, or just for any reason at all. For example, when the crowd yells "Defense," then everyone bats their paddle twice. It functions as clapping would, but it's louder. I could tell it definitely played a factor in the Mavericks poor free-throw shooting percentage.

Jack and I didn't talk much during the game because it was so loud. Also, I think we're both new to this whole "Mentoring" thing and we don't really know our exact role. I try to just be a good role model, but at the same time, I try to relax and be myself. For instance, I would point out to him that there were some cute girls sitting beside us and he should talk to them. I don't think this is necessarily being "macho" or "chauvenistic," but just normal humor behavior. I mean, come on, when there are hot chicks near us, all we want to do is talk to them. Staring just isn't enough many times.

So, anyway, I guess I was trying to show him that it can be positive to flirt with girls; in fact, I think it's healthy, and I should do it more.

I spent most of the game trying to initiate conversations; at times, it was frustrating because he would only give "yes/no" answers. However, by the 4th quarter, he started asking me questions. I can't remember what they were, but I definitely noticed a shift in comfort levels, and he started to open up a bit.

By the end of the game, we waited outside together while Jack was waiting for his Uncle to pick him up. I wasn't sure what to say, so I just said, "so, just let me know if you need any help or advice with school. Let's also hang out again, cuz this was fun. We should do something outdoors like play basketball." Anyway, it was kind of awkward, but I had to say something.

His uncle drove by in an old, beat up, minivan. His uncle seemed fat / out-of-shape. I wondered on my bike ride home what their conversation was like, what their relationship was like...

Espresso makers

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:58:00 +0100

When I moved to Portland, I started experimenting with making espresso. This was the first time that I had done it - in the past, I had made coffee using the French Press, which was in itself quite the endeavor for me. It was so easy to mess up the coffee in that machine - it was a delicate balance of timing and quantity. Anyway, for those that don't know too much about the traditional espresso stove-top makers, here's a picture: Moka Pots.

I found out while browsing the web that they're called "Moka Pots," though I'm not sure where this word comes from. Does anyone know? It seems like it many have been the origin of the word, "Mocha," or something.

Anyway, I've found that it's been an interesting, and sometimes challenging experience. Making the right espresso, which has a good taste and is not too bitter or too sweet, does involve some careful preparation. It's also good to do it quickly and just pray to the coffee gods that it comes out right. For me, the first step is finding the right espresso beans and then grinding them to fit "my style." I generally use the machines at the stores (I don't have my own, but I'm thinking about getting one), and they range from good ---> bad. At Trader Joe's in Portland, I have discovered that there machines are not always the best - those red devils are all broken up and if you grind them on the espresso/fine grind tab, it usually grinds them so they are coarse, which is what you want if you're using the french press or a regular drip coffee maker (I think). At New Season, their machines are generally better and grind the beans the appropriate way.

To make the espresso, I use the style that my friends in Berkeley/Oakland taught me: Pour the espresso beans into a cup, and heat up some milk so that it foams, and throw some of that good stuff in there. I generally do about 1/3 espresso, and 2/3 foamy milk; but if I really want a "kick" in the morning, I'll do half/half. That's pretty bold, though.

I find that I enjoy my espresso/latte creation more if I'm planning to ride my bike to work after. Getting some good coffee in my system before my bike ride gives me the "right" amount of energy to start the day. I usually eat something as well, like yogurt/granola/blueberries, or peanut butter/jelly spread on toast, or some cereal. People say that it's good to eat protein in the morning, like eggs or beans, but I'm not really into that -- I feel like that stuff's good on the weekends or eating with good friends.

I'd like to hear others advice about their way of making espresso and/or coffee. What are your routines and/or practices? Do you have any other ways I can develop my morning coffee routine just to mix it up?

Soccer in Portland

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:29:58 +0100

The soccer world in Portland is pretty interesting. You get a lot of different skills levels. Normally, at pick up games, most of the players are honestly "not that good," as compared to what I'm used to. But there are many indoor leagues (since it's Portland and it rains so much), which can be pretty competitive. I'm in one league right now at Portland Indoor, and the team is "stacked" with some pretty good players - I actually feel pretty average on the team, though I think the captain thinks I'm young and quick. But I'm 30 - I don't really see that as very young. Anyway, I do usually have the most energy at the end of the game.

In the last indoor game, we were down 5-2 with about 3 minutes left, and then we scored two quick goals. I assisted on one of them, so I had a lot of adrenaline by the time we were down 5-4. With about 10 seconds left, I got the ball about half field (which, in indoor, is definitely within "shooting range," or about 20 yards out). I calmed down, focused, looked up at the goal, put my head down, and ripped a shot with pretty good pace. But it landed about 1-2 feet away from the corner of the goal, and bounced back out. Even though I missed, I was still proud of myself for taking a pretty decent shot under pressure. I think it's easy to just try to hit it too hard and goof it up; but I didn't - I used all my adrenaline, and calmed it down, and took a decent effort.

Sometimes I watch those UEFA Champions League/Premiership games, and when I see those great players take shots, they always find "time" in high pressure situation, usually with multiple defenders surrounding them. But them manage to do all of the things I described above in order to take a good shot. It almost seems like taking shots is more focusing the mind on what you need to accomplish, rather than any brute force or power thing. It's more related to self-confidence, believing in yourself, and striking it and knowing at the same time that it's going to be a good shot. I remember one British announcer once said after a player took a great shot, "He hit it with power, confidence, and BELIEF." It was the belief that always struck me.