Asian Invasion

Our plans for the next two weeks involve being in Taiwan and Japan, and don't involve blogging. Later!

Run Hard

Warning: this post is mostly about ultimate frisbee. If this is not of interest to you, don't keep reading.

As an ultimate frisbee player, sometimes you fumble through a terrible game where you make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes you have a game where you get amazing defensive blocks, accurate throws, and near-impossible catches. I had the latter last night - it was one of my best games in the last year, easily. I had a one-handed, diving, rolling catch for a score. I was a decent handler (for those that don't know, the equivalent of a pointguard in basketball), and I also had two good defensive plays. It also just happened to be a game where I had several friends on my team and on the opposing team, which is just fun for heckling purposes. Although it was a very high-level, intense, close game, it ended with a very ridiculous final point full of gratuitous fouls and silly mistakes. Everyone literally walked off the field laughing, and it reminded me of why I love playing ultimate in general, but particularly in Australia. 

The Australian ultimate community is a fraction of the size it is in the states. It's like moving from a big city to a small town, in terms of everyone knowing each other. Playing here has given me a lot more opportunities to improve my game, while still being as competitive as I want to be (without having to be more committed or intense than I care to be). Michael and I have made some of our best friends here while playing frisbee because they tend to have the same interests and sense of humor. I also have a leadership role within our club here, which I would never take on in a club as large as the one in DC. 

I don't want to start talking about all the things I will miss when we move back to the states, but ultimate in Australia will definitely be at the top of the list. 

An Ordinary Sunday

It was Michael's and my first Valentine's Day apart since we met. It's not usually a big day for us anyway, but usually we have a nice dinner or something. I don't like making a big deal of it, single or attached, because it's kind of meaningless and silly. If someone buys you flowers or candy or gifts just because it's Valentine's Day, it feels kind of forced because it's a social obligation. And, if you don't have someone to buy things for, who cares? People shouldn't feel bad about that.

I decided to have a breakfast date with myself and try Ruby's Diner, a place I had noticed passing by on the bus so many times. It was relaxing and delicious. Then I hopped on the next bus going to the next beach, which happened to be Coogee Beach. I had a pleasant walk around and sat on the rocks for a little while. Later in the day I played some ultimate frisbee with some friends, which I think I have done on many previous Valentine's Days. 

Otters are my spirit animal. Michael actually tracked down some otters at a park in Singapore and texted me photographs of them. I suppose if he couldn't be here in person, that was the next best thing. 

Gravity's just a habit

Travelling back and forth between the US and Australia sometimes feels like travelling between alternate universes. We have a life here and a life there. In one of the universes we see family quite frequently, in the other we facetime with them or they make a rare visit. In one of universes we have a car and tolerate the traffic, in another we scooter to the beach just about every weekend and I have to lug a rolling duffel bag through the park to get groceries. In one of the universes it's winter, and in one it's summer; in one it's day and one it's night. Both universes have different slang and common phrases; they have different plant and wildlife; different rules that govern the general order (like what side of the road you drive on or how late businesses are generally open). In both universes we have likeminded friends who enjoy playing ultimate, climbing, hiking, boardgames, etc. I am fairly sure our friends in the US would get along pretty well with our friends in Australia, but most of them will never meet each other.

Some people I know are very critical of the shortcomings of social media. I have a love/hate relationship with social media too, although, I have to say that trying to maintain friendships in two different universes is infinitely easier with social media than it would be without it. It was nice to be able to say to friends at home, "Oh yeah, I saw pictures of that, it looked fun", or "I saw that you're doing X now, that's awesome". Even though I'm on the other side of the world, I still feel somewhat in-the-know. 

I've always been a film buff, but I think now movies and TV are more important to me because (most anyway) are available and the same whether I watch them here or in the states. They are common topics we can discuss in either universe, so they not only serve the purpose of entertainment, they serve the greater purpose of keeping us connected to other people. The Walking Dead in my previous post was a prime example of that. We have friends and family we can talk to in both countries who watch the show and like to share their opinions. 

Anyway, I've adjusted back to the Sydney universe quite easily. Of course, it helps that it's been a relatively easy work week, working at familiar locations with mostly familiar people. Michael has been texting from Singapore so I can kind of pretend he's not far away. 

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Also, completely unrelated, if you haven't seen the new OK GO video, Upside Down & Inside Out, you should check it out. It's hypnotic and I can't stop watching it. They are one of my favorite bands I've ever seen live because they have so much energy and have fun with everything they do, not to mention they are visual geniuses. 

It's the weekend and it's beautiful outside. Time to get some fresh air. 

Fan Actually

I was back in the states for a short visit. I was there just long enough not to get over my jetlag before coming back. This time I took the world's longest commercial flight on the way back to Sydney - nearly 17 hours. 

It was great seeing friends and family, and to experience winter again (especially without any plan changes caused by snow). I was also pleasantly surprised to run into a few people I hadn't planned to see, who I hadn't seen in years. And of course, no trip home would be complete without hoarding lots of Trader Joes and Pepperidge Farm snacks to bring back to Australia. Michael went straight from the states to a business trip in Singapore, so I'll meet up with him again in about a week and a half. 

It's no secret I'm a big The Walking Dead fan. We not-so-coincidentally planned our visit home so we could attend the Smithsonian Institute's "Behind the Scenes of The Walking Dead" event, where Andy Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Scott Gimple, and John Sanders answered questions and talked about the show. Apparently the event (which was not very publicized - mainly just to Smithsonian members) sold out within one day; when it was moved to a larger venue that sold out in three days. There were no assigned seats, so Michael, his parents, and I waited in the cold for an hour and a half, tag-teaming going to Starbucks or Whole Foods to warm up. Our tenacity paid off and we scored front row seats to the left of the stage! Looking at photos from the event, my little phone pics are almost as good as the event photographer's, just slightly less sharp. 

Not only are all these guys talented at what they do, they're funny and seem to enjoy the fact that people are really into what they have created. They are fans themselves, so they do a great job of showing appreciation to their fans. 

I was lucky enough to get a quick selfie with Andy Lincoln at the end of the night. He was just grabbing the phones of people closest to the stage and taking pictures and signing memorabilia as fast as he could, to get to as many people as he could. At one moment I thought I would get missed. He was nearly passed me when he looked at my phone, then down my arm to make eye contact with me. I must have had the biggest puppy dog look/hopeful smile I've ever had on my face (perhaps only second the look on my face when I got engaged). He grabbed my phone and snapped three pictures with me. I said, "Thank you very much!" as he handed it back, and he gave a quick smile and nod before moving on. At least I think he did; it was kind of a blur.

I felt utterly silly being a fangirl, but not so silly that I wasn't going to pass up the chance to briefly touch the hand of an actor that I "welcome into my home" every week. It was fun to feel like I was 15 again, getting really excited and acting gaga over something. I know having a selfie with a famous person does not at all equate to having any kind of personal connection with them, but it still makes me happy that I shared a brief moment in-person with someone whose work enjoy. I was one in the crowd that night to him, but he still managed to make me feel like I was the most important one for a few short seconds. 

The whole experience made me think differently of actors in general, and how part of their job is to tolerate being hounded by fans, essentially. I would hope they at least somewhat enjoy the attention or else they wouldn't do what they do, but I'm sure it gets to be too much at times. I already knew this, but it was interesting to see it up close and (unfortunately) be part of it. 

It also made me think about my work as a teacher; asking a question and all the hands going up. Some kids look like they're going to explode because they want you to pick them so badly. I chuckle when I see kids do it, but I was acting like one of them.

Anyway, The Walking Dead guys were very gracious in dealing with all the fans, and the result is the fans' love for their work grows exponentially. I'm sure they reap the benefits in the end.

So here it is, my brief moment in time with Andy Lincoln...