Friday, 30 October 2009
Cornwall! (part 2)
No, dear reader, I haven't forgotten that I was writing up a summary of our Cornwall holiday. It's taking a little longer than I thought, mostly because I'm having trouble remembering some of the finer details. Dear God, if this is what my memory is like at age 25, what on earth will it be like when I'm a haggard old pensioner?
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Hybrid badminton match 1/10: uh-oh
Oh dear. Today at 7pm, our Hybrid badminton team played the visiting Sutton Adults, and we got roundly thrashed in a 9-0 whitewash. Our team consisted of: Sarah (captain), Jane, Ron, Paul, Gerry and myself. Each hybrid team consists of two women and four men. Each match we will play this season will consist of 9 games. Each game can consist of up to 3 rubbers. It all sounds a lot less confusing when it's actually put into practice.
The visiting team were impressive in their efficacy, ruthlessness and general sense of purpose. We knew that it was going to be a tough match - we just didn't know how tough it would be. I had been forewarned by the St Andrews Mens 2 team captain about one of their players - a 'chubby bloke with a bad haircut who'll smash it at you so forcefully you might end up with a new face' - but seeing him in action was something else.
All in all, this was a forgettable night for the St Andrews Hybrid team. None of our nine pairings could even force Sutton Adults into a third deciding rubber. The weakest component of their overall game was, by some margin, their women's singles - but even then they managed to beat our women. It didn't help matters at all that our women, Sarah and Jane, served underhand, as they regularly do; it was all too easy for the Sutton Adults women to send a first return to the back of the court, then simply tap the second return down with a careful drop to win the bulk of the points.
Even the pairing I would have considered our strongest - Ron and Paul - could not force their opponents to a third rubber. Then I knew we were definitely in for a decimation. The difference between the club's philosophies was vast. Sutton Adults looked like a well-oiled machine, whose players had been practicing and playing together for years. By contrast, we looked like a bunch of amateurs who were 'enjoying' the occasion. I suspect that this is one outcome, desirable or not, of what Sarah set out to achieve with the Hybrid team: in our training sessions, she has made no secret of the fact that she wants us to enjoy the badminton, rather than take it with the utmost seriousness.
The chasm between the teams was painful to see. At one point, Jane lost her temper when one of the Sutton Adults women playing against her was lucky to have a shot tipped over the net. Jane scooped up the shuttle with her racket and half-heartedly hit the shuttle back to the opposing woman, but she mishit the shuttle, which spun crazily along the court ground instead. It took her a further two tries to get the shuttle anywhere near the woman! It pains me to say it, but it was cringeworthy to see.
Fortunately, there is nothing in the rules to say we cannot field players from our best teams, should the circumstances come to it later on in the season. I suspect that this is what Sutton Adults have done. Their men were certainly strong enough to compete in any district Mens 2 team. As for myself, I did not fare too badly. When I played with Paul, (known as tall Paul, as he's a little over six foot) we lost our first rubber 21-16, and the second rubber 21-12.
I also could be called up to play some matches for the St Andrews Mens 2 team, and relish the opportunity to put the record straight. I know none of the league matches will ever be easy or straightforward, but at least on Mens 2 they all serve in the customary low shorthand way, so perhaps we will have a better chance.
The next Hybrid match is on November 10th and will be away to Wimbledon, but luckily I will be working that evening as I will be either rehearsing or recording demos with my band in the morning at Kingston Uni. Morale in the Hybrid team has imploded after this decimation in just our first match; and even Gerry, usually one of our most enthusiastic players, has said he hopes he isn't selected for the next match. Our captain Sarah will have a huge job on her hands controlling the spirit of the team over the course of the season.
The visiting team were impressive in their efficacy, ruthlessness and general sense of purpose. We knew that it was going to be a tough match - we just didn't know how tough it would be. I had been forewarned by the St Andrews Mens 2 team captain about one of their players - a 'chubby bloke with a bad haircut who'll smash it at you so forcefully you might end up with a new face' - but seeing him in action was something else.
All in all, this was a forgettable night for the St Andrews Hybrid team. None of our nine pairings could even force Sutton Adults into a third deciding rubber. The weakest component of their overall game was, by some margin, their women's singles - but even then they managed to beat our women. It didn't help matters at all that our women, Sarah and Jane, served underhand, as they regularly do; it was all too easy for the Sutton Adults women to send a first return to the back of the court, then simply tap the second return down with a careful drop to win the bulk of the points.
Even the pairing I would have considered our strongest - Ron and Paul - could not force their opponents to a third rubber. Then I knew we were definitely in for a decimation. The difference between the club's philosophies was vast. Sutton Adults looked like a well-oiled machine, whose players had been practicing and playing together for years. By contrast, we looked like a bunch of amateurs who were 'enjoying' the occasion. I suspect that this is one outcome, desirable or not, of what Sarah set out to achieve with the Hybrid team: in our training sessions, she has made no secret of the fact that she wants us to enjoy the badminton, rather than take it with the utmost seriousness.
The chasm between the teams was painful to see. At one point, Jane lost her temper when one of the Sutton Adults women playing against her was lucky to have a shot tipped over the net. Jane scooped up the shuttle with her racket and half-heartedly hit the shuttle back to the opposing woman, but she mishit the shuttle, which spun crazily along the court ground instead. It took her a further two tries to get the shuttle anywhere near the woman! It pains me to say it, but it was cringeworthy to see.
Fortunately, there is nothing in the rules to say we cannot field players from our best teams, should the circumstances come to it later on in the season. I suspect that this is what Sutton Adults have done. Their men were certainly strong enough to compete in any district Mens 2 team. As for myself, I did not fare too badly. When I played with Paul, (known as tall Paul, as he's a little over six foot) we lost our first rubber 21-16, and the second rubber 21-12.
I also could be called up to play some matches for the St Andrews Mens 2 team, and relish the opportunity to put the record straight. I know none of the league matches will ever be easy or straightforward, but at least on Mens 2 they all serve in the customary low shorthand way, so perhaps we will have a better chance.
The next Hybrid match is on November 10th and will be away to Wimbledon, but luckily I will be working that evening as I will be either rehearsing or recording demos with my band in the morning at Kingston Uni. Morale in the Hybrid team has imploded after this decimation in just our first match; and even Gerry, usually one of our most enthusiastic players, has said he hopes he isn't selected for the next match. Our captain Sarah will have a huge job on her hands controlling the spirit of the team over the course of the season.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
my life according to Muse
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 people and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"
Pick your Artist: Muse
Describe yourself: Glorious
How do you feel: Citizen Erased
Describe where you currently live: Cave
If you could go anywhere, you would go: The Gallery
Your favorite form of transportation: Supermassive Black Hole
Your best friend is: Invincible
You and your best friend: Hysteria
What's the weather like: Sober
Favorite time of day: Starlight
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Ruled By Secrecy
What is life to you: Escape
Your last relationship: Apocalypse Please
Your fear: Micro Cuts
What is the best advice you have to give: Time Is Running Out
Thought for the Day: Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
How you would like to die: Overdue
Your future: Futurism
Your motto: Hate This and I'll Love You
Pick your Artist: Muse
Describe yourself: Glorious
How do you feel: Citizen Erased
Describe where you currently live: Cave
If you could go anywhere, you would go: The Gallery
Your favorite form of transportation: Supermassive Black Hole
Your best friend is: Invincible
You and your best friend: Hysteria
What's the weather like: Sober
Favorite time of day: Starlight
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Ruled By Secrecy
What is life to you: Escape
Your last relationship: Apocalypse Please
Your fear: Micro Cuts
What is the best advice you have to give: Time Is Running Out
Thought for the Day: Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
How you would like to die: Overdue
Your future: Futurism
Your motto: Hate This and I'll Love You
Friday, 2 October 2009
Cornwall! (part 1)
It was really good to finally get out of London for a week. I'll write more in due course as I'm fairly tired at the moment, having driven nearly 350 miles today. In fact, I had to muster a surprisingly substantial amount of effort just to lift the cutlery involved in dinner.
We had rented a large place, Ivy Cottage, near Watergate Bay. Our party consisted of myself, Catherine, Dad, Jason, Madeline, Sam, Tracey, Betty, my grandparents, Paula, and the dogs. We tried to cram as much sightseeing in as possible, but invariably with a party this size there was always going to be some winners and losers. Our loose itinerary was:
24/09: Drive from London to Cornwall, fish & chips from Newquay for dinner :)
25/09: Padstow and Tregarrian
26/09: Mylor Village
27/09: Gift shop (out in the middle of nowhere, with a ridiculously oversized car park) + Rosie came around for dinner
28/09: Newquay and Porth
29/09: Land's End and St Ives
30/09: Bedruthan Steps
1/10: Manic last minute packing!
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