Double As A Kick-Off

My team in the Year 5/6 Developmental hockey team for 2015 is called the Waikanae Sharks, and we kicked off the season with two consecutive matches on Tuesday 28 April 2015 at the Mazengarb Road stadium in Paraparaumu.

I must congratulate the guys (by guys I mean boys and girls) on their performance, which was played by six players who had a single game last season and the other five who were relying entirely on the very scanty training hour I was able to cobble up last Monday. That training session consisted of demonstrating how to hold a hockey stick, the important difference between a "hit" and a "push" (at this level, "hitting"is not permitted),  pushing and receiving (trapping) the ball between two lines and a bit of a run-about and dribbling. Mostly chaos and mayhem, interspersed with a bit of banter and laughter. After all, one of the aims of playing sport at this age is to have fun!

View of part of the sports arena - http://www.kapitihockey.org.nz/

Player of the Day

It was a difficult task to decide who should be recognised. Our capable striker (we used to know this position as centre-forward), with three goals to his name probably felt hard-done by.However, in my opinion, he only played to the extent of his talent, and could still improve heaps in many aspects of the game -- with proper coaching,plenty of encouragement, and a number of years of competitive training and competition, he might well be provincial or even national material. However, I eventually settled on handing the "Player of the Day" award (being a certificate sponsored by Pitapit Raumati) to a fellow called Fletcher. Fletcher served quite admirably and competently as the fully-kitted goal-keeper in the contest against the Kapiti Kings. He then swapped his pads and helmet for his running legs and played right wing for the entire match against the Kenakena Krushers, demonstrating logical strategy and a mean turn of speed when needed.

Results

I must stress that the score at Year 5/6 Developmental is of minor academic concern,with the complete competition being played on a round-robin basis,giving everyone the opportunity of learning the ropes, playing socially among their peers in a fashion of goodwill and teamwork. There are no logs, or silverware, simply playing the game, and improving as time goes by.

Having said that, it is still of interest to have a record of the score, even if we lose most of the games :

Game 1 (4:00pm)

Kapiti Kings: 1    Waikane Sharks: 2 (Zac)  

Game 2 (4:45pm)
Kenakena Krushers: 0  Waikanae Sharks: 1 (Zac)

P  W  D  L   GF  GA  P
2   2   0   0     3      1    6

The Sharks are scheduled to play their next match (against Pram Beach Keas) at 5:30pm on Tuesday 5 May 2015.

Learning The Ropes

At around 3:00pm one afternoon in April 1966-ish, I was waiting at a bus stop in southern Johannesburg in South Africa a few metres away from a wire gate with a large signboard proclaiming Rewlatch Primary School. I had just come from the staff entrance after a full days' worth of teacher training to 10 to 12-year-olds. Needless to comment, the teaching career did not flourish much past that experience.

To-day  in April 2015 around 3:00pm, I stood on the school-grounds in Waikane, NewZealand waiting for my new charges. To-day was the start of the Small Sticks junior hockey season, and I was resuming (sort of) my teaching "career". No reading, no arithmetic, just playing around outdoors with sticks and a bright orange ball (the kids, not me!)

A group of 9- 10- and 11-year-olds stand grouped around me in a haphazard fashion, quite attentive, and one or two in a world of their own. We have 12 players, although only 10 of them, two girls and eight boys have pitched. Perhaps the missing pair have developed cold feet? In New Zealand, most sports are encouraged from a very young age, so that, by the time they develop into teenagers, they are reasonably competent. I've seen five-year-olds handling a rugby ball better than most... there are some future Don Clarkes, Richie McCaws and Colin Meads out on those fields right now. 

I can recall playing post-school hockey in the Strand on a gravel pitch, with so much sliding around, we could have qualified as an ice-hockey team! After the Cape season, I moved to Johannesburg and played on grass fields in the JCE (Johannesburg College of Education) teachers' training colours. Studies tended to clash with practice sessions, and, somehow, the quality of both started to decline,leading to me giving up both, eventually.

But, the game being practiced today is very different, compared to what I was accustomed to. To start off, we never had any girl team members. I can just imagine how many more guys would have been attracted to the sport if girls had been allowed in the team. Eighteen to twenty-year-olds... though, maybe unisex change-rooms might have presented the administrators with a few problems, I guess!

These pre-teen nippers are not allowed to strike the ball, only push, and a strike (which you can clearly hear), is considered a foul. If a player arrives without shin-pads, gum guards or regulation smooth-soled sneakers, they are not allowed on the pitch, which is a beautifully smooth astro-turf, making ball control so much better. Also, less slippery in rainy weather. They play six-a-side plus a goalie on a half-size field -- sort of 'sevens', like in rugby, if you will.

Games are played on Tuesday afternoons at a nearby suburban club, with the 12 team members being rotated through the 30-minute game, so that everyone gets a turn to play every week -- much more inclusive this way, and it gives everyone a chance to develop and improve their skills, as well as trying out their ability and suitability in all the positions. 

Will we win? Where will we end up on the log at the end of the season? Well, it doesn't really matter, although winning is obviously always nice and morale-boosting. Top-of-the-log teams always feel that they have achieved something, but the emphasis at this age level is on team camaraderie, socializing and building friendships, sharing and fair-play, and above all, having fun. You're only a kid once.

I've only been a kid once...  Still am, come to think of it... but they won't let me play in the team... they say it's a bit weird,because I'm taller... I can't see why... but, hey, that's life...

Memo to self: I must remember to buy a whistle... shouting "Oi! Oi! You there! Stop! Oi!" is probably not the best way to control a sports game!

Back home with a star centre-forward-to-be in the making 

Maybe we can get a few photos and stories from the Small Sticks games as time goes on.
Go Sharks, Go!

24,837

Every day one learns something new. If yesterday passed without me learning anything at all, then I must have been fast asleep. Today I learned that Google apparently sends out personalised birthday wishes as a 'Google Doodle' on the recipient's search page. Has any reader of this blog had (or noticed) this?

The Google Doodle. With mouse-over, the personal greeting pops up!

Another thought strikes me: I'm not a tech-sav --- I guess this feature has probably been around forever, and I've just been asleep, or I've never Googled anything on my birthday.Let me check this ...

Yep! I discover that it's been around since 2010.

The truth according to 'Google' reads:

Happy birthday! What do you mean, "We missed it"? Many happy returns for next year then. Google, for one, won't be missing your special day in future, surprising you with a personal birthday doodle.

Google recently turned 12 and is happily sharing a slice of the metaphorical birthday cake. When you visit the Google home page on your birthday, you'll see an achingly on-trend cupcake, alongside a present, party popper and ribbon that loosely spells the name of the search giant. So you're guaranteed at least one Internet monolith will remember your birthday, even if no-one does.

The doodle is an interesting example of companies rewarding you for sharing personal data. What's next? Share your address and Google will add a little picture of your face to your house on Street View?

Clicking the doodle takes you to a personal page that can be made visible and searchable if you want. You can enter your birthday details in your profile, and you can also link your blog, Facebook and other online activity there, if you've given up on the whole privacy thing and resigned yourself to the fact that Google knows everything about you anyway.

The title of this blog is not a random number: rather it is my calendar number -- today I celebrate (if that is the correct term - 'commemorate' may be more appropriate) my 24,837th day as a citizen of planet earth. Being of an arithmetic nature, I calculate that rather than paying any special attention to the 20th April, I should rather be looking at 30 September June 2015 (if, indeed, I manage to make it), which will surely be the most significant day of my whole life, as it will mark my 25,000th day! I would have to make it past my 82nd 'birthday' in 2033 (gulp!) to reach my 30,000th day... Hmm.

And, so we learn...

Birthday before bedtime-- Through the ages: with Brynn (10) and Tyler (17)

The old eyes see the small-print double, so Brynn's beady eyes are used to read card inscriptions.

Ready for championship games - Jeanette's present -- a fantastic new croquet mallet

My name in gold on the mallet head. Just like a pro!

Hiking boots from Bianca, Clayton, Tyler and Brynn -- Super quality for serious tramping!
I've never had such footwear. No excuses for not conquering new heights now.

Paritea Clay Cliffs

On our recent trip around the NZ south island, I spotted one of the brown "tourist information" boards on the roadside while travelling to our scheduled overnight destination at Twizel. It read:

Clay Cliffs

The clock on the dashboard read 3:10 pm. Hmm.. We would arrive at our evening destination a bit earlier than anticipated, consequently there was still plenty of time before nightfall, so I hit the brake pedal, and turned down. About 10 minutes later, I was starting to doubt the wisdom of my decision. Strange, these days I frequently doubt the wisdom of most of my decisions. I try to console myself with the attitude that I'll probably grow out of this irresponsibility and become wiser as soon as I start growing older. 

"Are you sure you know where on earth are we going? There's absolutely nothing here! This looks just like that dusty old farm road in the Karoo, leading to a desolate dead-end at the o-t-h-e-r end of the valley." Jeanette emphasized the length of the word "other," as she questioned me, in a somewhat worried tone.

She was right. Damn. As usual. I chose my best response, by pretending not to hear. We drove for another few minutes. I spotted a signboard which told me that we had traveled 17 km off the state highway already. Hmmm.. a bit farther than I'd imagined, or planned. Nevermind, let's pressure on, I thought. Probably without any wisdom. More pig-headedness, I suppose.

"Look, here we are!" I announced triumphantly, as we approached a farm gate blocking our further progress down the road.

We finally reach our goal.

The sign says 4km by car and an easy 100-metre walk to the cliffs. The road looks like a very dusty stone tracks.
"We've come this far,we might as well take a look-see, yes?" I am still desperately trying to justify my wisdom-ness, "Look, we can pay our five bucks over in that information centre over there." I point to along grey building ahead of us. When we get there, the building is deserted -- it certainly has no information. It is bone-empty..
After a very slow a asphyxiating (whew! you could lose your breath saying the word, let alone trying to breathe in the fine dusty conditions!) progress,we eventually reach the end of the road. There are a few other cars parked there.
I query with one of the Japanese ladies,who has obviously just returned from a hike to the cliffs, "Hello, do you know where do we pay?" I ask in slow English.  Her English is roughly 10 billion times better than my best Japanese, and I gather that we were suppose to pay the admission fee at the office in the Main Road in Omarama, a small town which we'd passed probably half an hour ago.

What a sight. All around us, like scenes from Hollywood sets for pre-historic movies,chalk cliff formations

We met a family group along the way, and took photos of each other. So tourist-y...

Mom, Dad and kids heading for the hills.

Peaks and cliffs all over the place.

Intricate patterns in the earth.

A view of the river gorge which runs through the chalk valley. 

Jeanette starts climbing the cliff-face. Oops! Lots of  creamy-white chalk on black pants...

The Clay Cliffs are huge sharp pinnacles and ridges with deep, narrow ravines separating them. The Clay Cliffs are made of layers of gravel and silt, deposited by rivers flowing from glaciers existing 1-2 million years ago. Compared to the nearby mountains, which are 250 million years old, the Clay Cliffs are relatively new. Today the gravel and silt layers can be seen as sloping bands as the strata have been tilted since their deposition 1-2 million years ago.

Doctor... Who

Deja vu. It's a strange experience, no? If memory serves (which is rather unreliable these days), the term is French for "previously seen or experienced". The feeling one experiences when in a situation which seems to be a re-enactment of an identical situation in the past.
I had this feeling of deja vu down Worcester Boulevard in Christchurch on 10 March 2015, when Jeanette turned to me.
"Please go stand over there and do your best impression of Doctor Who while I take your photo," she asked, pointing at the red phone booth on the pavement opposite.

Outside the Tardis, 10:32 on 10 March 2015

Standing awkwardly trying to smile and look like a Doctor Who, my mind went back to our previous visit.

"The view from here looks awfully familiar. Did I not stand here last time?" I queried.

Back in Reikorangi, I search through the old photo files, rescued from the old computer. 

Here we go, 2011. Good.   January....  February....  Good.   Auckland... Wellington....  Taupo...  Christchurch....  Good.   Botanic Gardens...  Chateau... Art Gallery...  Street Scenes... Yes, good.

There I found it in this sub-folder: Picture 1066:

Picture 1066,time-stamped 14:26 on 21 February 2011

Thrice

Some people believe in luck, some don't. Some people are optimists, some aren't. Some people believe in portents and omens, others are sceptics. Like they say, everyone is different. Which is not the same as saying that not everyone is the same, although there are those who would disagree!

Ok, so I'm one of "those." (Not one of "these" - one of "those" -- the ones who apparently always choose to be difficult -- as viewed from the point of view as expressed by the members of "these.")

Be this as it may, and it is, indeed, not as simple as it may seem, I am one of the sceptics who tends to argue about lucky numbers and coincidental events. Shoot me if you must, but I have difficulty in believing things that cannot be explained in terms of y=ax² + bx + c  or e=mc².

Jeanette believes that (some) things happen in threes, and that things frequently happen for a very specific reason. Of course, I shall not indicate whether I agree or disagree.

Recently, on our road trip around the South Island, we returned to Christchurch to complete a journey which was cut short four years ago. The visit included re-tracing our steps on our previous visit, as well as resolving internal questions which we may have had. I had not discussed any such "internal questions" with Jeanette, and neither had she with me. It was one of those occasions when no words need to be exchanged.

(Above): Among all the ruin, destruction and re-construction in the city proper, it was refreshing to encounter a brand-new structure within the Botanic Gardens, the all-glass conference and visitors centre.

Being 10:00am and not having had a breakfast yet, I suggested that we try out their fare, and have a bite to eat in the restaurant called the Ilex  Cafe and Events.

(Above): The revolving entrance to the Ilex through which a school party emerged as we entered.

As we were about to enter the restaurant,I was forced to step behind Jeanette, as we entered in single file to permit a little school group accompanied by a couple of teachers to come out. Being a bit in the "background", my view of the proceedings was somewhat obscured, but I became aware of a brief moment when one of the little lads turned around, ran back to Jeanette, and spoke briefly to her. Precisely who was speaking to whom, and precisely what and why, I did not know.

As the little group proceeded across the pathway to the lawn area, Jeanette turned to me, "Look what that little one gave me. He said to me  'This is for you'..."

In her hand she held out a single little bird's feather. A snow white one.

(Above): The little feather-bearing lad carried on walking, not glancing back even once.

Some of Jeanette's last recollections of her surrounding immediately prior to the onset of the earthquake four years earlier was the presence of dozens of school children in the Art Gallery, not very dissimilar to this bearer of what she saw as a symbol of peace.

I cannot explain why the little fellow chose her, or even where he had found the feather.

Posting Update

Hi Guys! It's me, back again. 

A few days ago, I posted the following ALERT in the body of an earlier post. I have been using Windows Live Writer to compile my blog posts, because it is so easy and virtually foolproof ... except for the fact that I have somehow experienced a conflict of passwords and I simply get error messages when I try to publish a post using that editor.

So, I have decided to revert to the Blogger "Dashboard" once more, even though I'm not all that fond of it. This means that I can continue using this channel http://10000lines.blogspot.com/ 

I just hope that I won't get any more password conflicts (or forget one of them!) 

Future posts with many photos, or which consist mainly of photos, can also been see on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/James.Andrews47

      *** ALERT     ALERT  ***

Oops! It appears that I have messed up, and can no longer publish posts to this web address! In the meantime, I will use Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/James.Andrews47

                  ***  ALERT   ALERT  ***