Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Serve!

I few weeks ago I mentioned that I finally joined the teacher volleyball game on Wednesdays and the volleyball workshop on Mondays for the athletically challenged. On Monday I walked away with matching lumpy bruises on my wrists from learning how to 'dig' properly but had yet to complete a successful serve...even from the handicap line. I did manage to hit a few windows though.  At least I didn't break anything.  Today I actually served and got them over the net from the REGULAR LINE. Not just once but about half of my serves were successful. My coworkers shared my glee and high-fived me over the serving success.

We might not be able to communicate very well but joining the weekly volleyball events has helped me feel like part of the staff instead of the strange English monkey.  I get more enthusiastic greetings in the hallway and the people who speak a little bit of English make more of an effort to try out their phrases on me.  It makes life less lonely.  Not to mention it means that I get to stop working at 3 instead of 4:40 on Wednesdays. 



Spaz update: I definitely jinxed myself yesterday. I managed to hit both myself and my co-teacher in the face during volleyball. Not at the same time (though wouldn't that be an impressively spastic feat) and thankfully I didn't break her glasses or cause any bleeding.  I would feel more terrible about this if she hadn't managed to hit herself in the face twice later in the game. Spastic English teachers unite!

I love my life.

8 comments:

Nancy K said...

You might even get good at this. Have you ever played before?

Rachel S said...

My spaz moment playing volleyball was breaking my little finger (chipped bone). I was at a camp learning Swedish, and had to wear a splint on the finger when I went to Sweden. Got to experience going to a Swedish doctor who pronounced it healed. But, I still think that volleyball is great fun.

Brian said...

Ugh, volleyball. I can appreciate men and women of all ages staying in shape by playing at school. I also recognize it's an important bonding experience teachers should participate in. But I couldn't stand playing. The first year I was pretty good at blocking, but was ruled ineligible for tournaments because as a NSET teaching at three different schools it'd be unfair to play at one. The second year they'd stick me in the back corner and all the blowhards would run into my spot and try to make a play instead of me. The third year they scheduled a class for me during volleyball time.

Alex said...

@Mom....I don't think I'll ever be 'good' at volleyball. Didn't you read the spaz update?!

@Brian, some people do the running into your area thing but they try to respect the calling rule (ie saying 'mine' or 'my ball'). We have a teacher who is a floater between three schools and she always plays at ours because it's her Monday/Wednesday school.

...I also get bored while playing sometimes but it's usually worth it for the little bits of hilarity. The workshops are much more fun than the actual games.

Josh said...

how does one manage to hit oneself with a volleyball oh spaz-acious one?

Alex said...

...by having supremely bad depth perception. You go to dig but don't back up enough and it hits your biceps instead of forearms and bouncing up, hits you in the face!

It takes spaz to a whole new level.
:-D

Josh said...

you = hilarious

i must admit that i'm not much more coordinated than you.....

Nancy K said...

There are no athletic genes in this family! Hopefully Jakob will get some from the other side!