It's Sunday morning and rec'd the usual "the 6AM sun poking its head over the mountain and into my eyes" wake-up call, so have some time to write whilst the rest of the gang sleeps in. Not sure if I've mentioned it here, but we finally were able to find Paul a baseball team...practices are 2-6PM on Saturday's and yesterday was his second. The team is called the Song Shan Community something-or-others...at least that what we are told it says on the back of his jersey.
Knowing how the Chinese like to make fun of...really everyone that's not Chinese...am wondering if this really says something more untoward the white boy (racist comment redacted). I use the term racism, but it's really more xenophobia and it is easier to realize ones own leanings towards it when you are in another culture. I listen to the folks here...and it is a series of concentric circles. "My neighborhood is the best in Taipei" while the others are worse the further away you go. Continuing on, the mainland Chinese culture is nearly pagan in comparison to Taiwan, progressively getting worse outward towards the round-eyes, Jewish devils, etc. Kinda highlights how I felt about our neighborhood in Seattle being the best in town, in the best city in the country, while middle America is full on hillbillies, and so on.
Finding this team was not easy...we asked everyone we encountered if they knew of a team and finally found a guy who knew a guy and got hooked up with this bunch. From what we've learned, there are two independent middle school age teams that play year round in all of Taipei. A lot of schools have their own team apparently, but they practice infrequently and rarely play as they do not want to take the kids away from study time. You'd think with the powerhouse Little League teams you see coming to beat up the rest of the world in the Little League World Series every year, that this would be a hotbed of baseball, but once the kids hit 13 here, it's all about the studying. Luckily, there are a few dozen parents in town (like us) that throw their child's educational future to the wind. With only two running teams in town, getting games isn't easy...they play in tournaments with other teams from around the country sporadically and there aren't any on the calendar as of yet.
The team is all Chinese...the father/son coaching staff's knowledge of English is baseball only...strike, out, nice pray, etc. There is another kid on the team that goes to school with Paul and speaks perfect English, so at least the basics can get translated and gives Paul the opportunity to flip shit during practice (which is the main reason I think he likes baseball). Looks like he fits in OK athletically...think he would like a better team, but at least it's baseball and you take what you get I suppose.
There are some nice players on the team, but it isn't hard core and there are some that could use more practice. I love this kids pitching motion...total submariner. Literally releases the ball 6 inches from the ground and gets some good velocity on it.
They aren't allowed to use real baseballs due to City Ordinance...apparently are afraid of property damage...so have to use these rubber baseball simulations in practices. The bases are 90' too, which is the first time Paul has played competitively on them, so he has a bit of a learning curve. No question that my favorite part of practice is before it even starts, and that is preparing the field. The infield is all dirt and is pretty beaten up when we get there, so the coach hops on his scooter, hooks up an old mattress to the back and does circles until the field is smooth.
Pretty ingenious...I remember dragging around that heavy chain rake around my waist like a donkey hundreds of times, and this does the trick in minutes.
Not many parents hang out to watch, but yesterday was so perfect weather-wise, that we found a nice sun-dappled bench and relaxed. Carolyn, as always, found a play friend.
And the field is in this super little neighborhood...leafy streets with interesting shops...so you can stroll around and look at the ukulele store or grab a cappuccino. We are told it is an "old-money" part of town and sure feels like it. I like me some "old money"
Well then...following up the last post where I skewered some "types" of people...have received some comments offering to diagnose my personality type. Please hook in, but I hold no illusions that I am a type of person that rubs many the wrong way and self reflection can only help. Crass is probably the most apt description for me and I plead guilty as charged. I wish I could be different and am trying to be cause that isn't a trait that helps make friends quickly. When I look at the girls in the family, I am jealous at their ability to be instantly popular Watching Betty and how she interacts with her co-workers, she seems to know everyone and that they are lifelong friends. Not sure how she does it, she's only been here for 8 months, and believe me, I know how truly evil she is. We were at a Back to School night a while back and are standing by the coffee, and she hears a couple of ladies yapping in espanol. She immediately walks across the room, interrupts their conversation and within 30 seconds is deep into some discussion of whatever. I would never, ever do that and it just kills me that she does it so effortlessly. When I watch my daughter and her interactions with classmates, all of them new to her of course, there is absolutely no guile to her and that comes through to almost everyone she meets and they immediately trust her and want to be her friend. She seems to have a new best friend every week and if there is someone she doesn't particularly like, she remains friendly with them and can articulate the reasons why she doesn't care for them while seeing their good qualities and focuses on those in dealing with them. I think that is the hardest part about moving to a completely unknown place for me. I know that friends will come, but from time to time I miss having that deep pool of friends that already have accepted my idiosyncrasies. Whenever I am visiting my mom and we are going out to dinner or some function with her friends, she always says to me to behave and "please...none of your little comments." She is 85 and I'm 47. When I go to these parent things or classes, it is REALLY hard for me not to make my little jokes and to be the serious parent (and all these parents feel like the serious parent type). I just cannot fake an earnest interest in stuff and am compelled to make irreverent comments or jokes about everything. The worst part is that you can actually see people physically pulling away. Ouch.
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