like a mongoose

Only nine days until I fly out to Italy and only four days until I go to Berlin. Easter Break is starting, and I have been looking forward to it all year. In fact, the goal of this past weekend was to not get injured, because of the upcoming tournament on the sand. Unfortunately, I could not manage that one thing. But don't worry, it isn't bad.

This weekend was another ultimate Frisbee tournament and it was in Goettingen, which is in the middle of Germany. I ended up leaving on Thursday night and getting in after midnight. But two Mother Tongue players picked me up from the train station (Lanna and Garrett). We didn't really do much that night which was fine. We spent most of Friday baking bread, well, Lanna did at least. She made bread for the tournament, so while we were out getting some ingredients we met up with two other players, Adam and Ben. The bread took a while to make, but I didn't have anything to do in the process, just sitting and talking and laughing. Although, I did "ask the internet" how to grate a zucchini, without that, it could have been a travesty. Ben, Adam and I left Lanna to the bread and nap and went to find a park the throw a Frisbee in. The first place we headed ended up being a cemetary, the second place was a botanical garden, and we finally just threw it around in a little playground. On the walk we also climbed a tree and found a hippopotamus. Pictures were taken, but Adam warned me that we would never see them again, since Ben's computer is broken.

That night we met up with Meike and I also met up with the Dresden women's team. We spent much of the evening at a going away party for a girl I just met, but we were told we were very welcome to come. Meike and I left earlier, but I stayed up until the boys made it back it back to the gym. Although I had other Frisbee players plus the 2006 women's ultimate national game to keep me entertained. We ended up going to sleep around 3.30am.

The rest of the team (Wayne, April, Matt, Julia, Robin and Katy) showed up on Saturday morning because they were celebrating Julia's birthday the night before. The ultimate was great! I played for two teams, and loved them both. I spent most of my downtime with Mother Tongue as well as meeting new people. By the time I leave Germany, I will probably know pretty much everyone who plays ultimate frisbee. Neither team did very well playing wise, but it was the first Dresden women's tournament and Mother Tongue didn't have as much experience as normal. However, there was really great chili and a great atmosphere.

I would have to say that the best part of the weekend was at dinner. We went a delicious Indian restaurant, props to April for getting us the reservation. Our reservation was 8.30pm, and entered the place at 8.32, although we did give ourselves about two hours from our last game to getting there. So at dinner, somehow or another, we started telling really silly jokes. And even though they were bad jokes, and actually got worse during the conversation, somehow that made it all the better.

And the party was also really amazing. We did a Fulbright beer race (there were four of on the team this weekend), also played beer pong and flippy cup. I switched to pop pretty quickly because I just don't like the taste of beer. It was fun bringing out American culture to the table. After staying up ridiculously late, we realized we were never going to win the party (the last people there), and finally crawled into our sleeping bags around 5.30am.

Both of my teams ended up in the "Chumpionship" bracket, MT won both of their games on Sunday, and Dresden lost. The teams played each other in our last game, but I had decided that I was a tongue before going to the tourney.

some other highlights:

• we had another player join us who had contacted me a few weeks ago, he is also from the Chicago area, and a few weeks ago met some girls from my university in Mexico playing frisbee
• favorite line of the weekend: "she is short but aggressive." "like a mongoose."
• I decided to have a really great game on Saturday, and then went on to do that, with the help of the team, and Ben who assisted at least 2/3 of my points
• my injury was getting a blow to the outside of my right quad from a girl's knee. No bruise yet, but I might get one in a few days/weeks lower down on a joint, so either the knee or the ankle
• Wayne and April are and always have been awesome
• Matt injured his foot because he kicked a wall. He was mad at himself after a play and then was out for the rest of the tournament.
• Garrett (who didn't play with us, but is a MT player) broke his write playing flippy cup. He slipped on some beer on the floor and tried to break his fall.
  
• Katy got her first MT score, and cheered louder than she did, but that is to be expected, right?
• I left the gym for the train station at 3pm and finally opened my door to my room at 10.45pm
  

Saying good-bye was no fun, and I was almost on the verge of tears even though there will be at least one more MT tournament before I go (right, Wayne?). But it is just thinking, these experiences are now numbered. And now I am going to nap so I don't get sick.