PRIMA 2008

In July 19th -20th there is an Indonesian sport festival called PRIMA. This is not the first one but some people say it’s held annually but others say it’s biannual. Anyway, this year it’s held in Hannover. The Sports played within PRIMA are basketball, volleyball, football, tug and war, badminton, table tennis, and relay running.

At first I want to join in badminton match as I have practice during spring break. But I don’t feel really confident to play single so I plan to play double. As a partner, I choose a guy whom also joins badminton training in the university. But then when the list of sports is announced, apparently there is no mixed doubles event for badminton. It even doesn’t have any mixed doubles for everything; it’s all separated to girls and boys. And for badminton, no girl’s single event at all. It has to be in doubles; and the registration is based on team, not by the player. So, I join the Bremen badminton team.

I also join basketball team because there are not many girls available for making the team. We even only five. So we don’t have any substitutes.

Don’t ask about the exercise schedule. We never exercise in full team. I only join 1 for each in around 2 months!!! So now you can measure, how far our quality is. Well actually we’re not bad in badminton, uuuhhmmm I mean for men. We even get additional foreign players from Malaysia ;) Well it’s legal, don’t worry cause the requirement for this event is ‘able to speak Indonesian’. So, even Germans can also participate.

In the 19th, a big fully motivated delegation from Bremen was departed to Hannover. The boys will join all the sports while the girls only participate in badminton, table tennis, and basketball. And after some delay and opening ceremony, the sport festival is started. Badminton and table tennis were played simultaneously together. Outside, football also started. The duration for each game isn’t full. We only play in rally point in one game only; and for football, I think it’s only 20 minutes or so.

Although I think that our male badminton team is good, however they can’t win easily. Apparently Indonesian really born to play badminton; other teams are also good!!! In the end, from 2 teams of Bremen, 1 going to final and the other loose at quarter final. In final, Bremen has to face Berlin; a team which has an ex Indonesian national coach!!! Yeah you can guess, we lost!

Meanwhile in female team, I play against Göttingen. Although it’s called a team but it’s only one party. During this game, both supporters become hooligans and intimidate each other. It’s very hilarious actually; as the supporters keep yelling and shouting, the players just smile and play nervously. Fortunately, Bremen wins!!! :) So I can deliver my duty successfully :)

I think this is the only sport event that I ever join in my life. Even for the next match, I don’t play as we are registered as a team. Unfortunately, they loose. For basketball, the rules are changed. It’s 3 on 3; so we don’t need 5 players. I just join as substitute but don’t play at all. Bremen loose from Hamburg in the first match :(

In the end, Bremen doesn’t get any gold at all. However we get silver for male badminton, male & female table tennis, tug and war; and bronze for female badminton. So it’s not bad at all…

[All pictures are courtesy from Vita Amanda Putri]

Football

Entering the summer, I thought I’ll swim a lot. However, apparently I found a new ‘old interest’ in sport activities: football. Yes, now I am playing football also.

Somehow, it’s not a new activity for me. Since I grew up with boys, I used to play football with my brothers. But that was so long time ago, probably the latest was when I was in elementary school. And as far as I can remember, we played it with tennis ball in our house terrace with an open door as a goal. Not much that I can remember about how we play except we always end up kicking each other leg to get the ball.

So somehow, playing football isn’t a new thing for me. I joined my high school football club only to find out that no other girls want to become a player like me. In the end, I never play (serious) football at all…

And now, I don’t know why, but my friends just trust me to play football with them. At first we start it just for fun, some girls are also joining. The looser has to buy ice creams for the winners. In this game, I play as an Italian striker; which mean, only to wait in front of the opposite’s goal to score. And although I can score hattrick, but my team still lost.

Since we all have a good time in playing it, we promise to play it more often. But then, apparently I become the only girl who never absent. My friends even insist me to always join a game although I feel like I don’t wear a proper outfit. They use to have me in a game now.

So, after some games, I switch my position into goalkeeper. This is because I can’t outrun the guys and most of the time I keep loosing the ball. Apparently, my decision is quite right. I become a not-so-bad goalkeeper. I can save my goal most of the time. Well, of course don’t think that the goal is as big as normal goal. It’s just 2 posts with maximum 8 steps distance. But I am also not allowed to touch the ball, I have to use my feet to stop the ball. Surely, my friends are challenged to overcome me.

And just because I am the only girl in there, it doesn’t mean the guys will be gentle on me. My legs always end up in black and blue after a game. I also even got hit by a ball on my face. But the worst accidents so far are twice. First, my friend kicks the ball so hard and it lands on my stomach! Don’t ask how it feels, it was so bad!!! But surprisingly, in less than 5 minutes, I feel OK again! Hmm, maybe later on in the future I could have problem in my womb. Well, let’s not hope so… Second time, once we play nears the lake; then 3 young boys come and ask to join. They are probably 8 to 10 years old. We let them join; and probably they are just being Germans, they play well!!! One boy plays as striker for my opponent, and once he gets the ball, he’s so dangerous. He can’t score because I always able to block his shots. But there is one time when he kicks so hard in an open range, face to face with me, and I block it with my right leg. That shot cause my leg goes blue in pain for a week!!! Very nice :(

Now is almost August, I still have a month in Germany before going back to my country for research. I am sure I’ll play more football especially I don’t have any class or exam anymore. The only bad thing is that I don’t have proper documentation for this. This video and picture are the best that I have so far because at that time my friend was injured and he can hold my camera for awhile.

Sport Shower – Another Culture Shock

The culture shock that I experience from sport is the amount of nudity! In the shower place, there’s no divider between one shower to another; as you can see in the picture. In Indonesia, shower place will have dividers, so everybody can has its own private time and place.

I join swimming activity first. There, I can take shower without having to open my swimsuit. So I can survive this part. But when I join badminton activity, then I have no choice, I have to go naked like others!!! Aaah… that’s so embarrassing :(

Social Value in Sport

There’s a different social value of sport activities in Indonesia and Germany. Well at least, that’s what I experience. In Indonesia, before we start the training session then the trainer or at least someone in charge will open the training session. This person will start making small conversation to participants before the training start. And that’s not happening here in Germany. The person in charge is just greeting the participants and that’s all. Nothing more.

Outside the training session itself, no social gathering at all. For example, if the training session hasn’t started yet, then the already-arrived participants don’t mix together. They will wait separately. Also when the training session is over. The participants just go away. So if you are alone in joining the training then probably you will always be alone. I don’t say that you can’t make friend, but probably you’ll just keep having chit chat forever. A very different situation compare to Indonesia. The time before and after trainings are time for social gathering, where people just hang out together and talking. Friendship and probably business can be start from this point. Nobody will be left alone or ignored.

Swimming

In Indonesia, swimming is the only sport that I do, because it won’t make me sweating. Indonesia is so hot, you don’t need to do any sport to get sweat. But in Germany, actually I need to sweat because it’s cold.

However, swimming is the only sport that I am comfortable to do. So I have to continue swimming. Luckily, in here beside summer time, the swimming pool is an indoor one. During summer, only outdoor swimming pools are open.
If there’s anything strange about it, the pool has funny opening time. It opens at 06.30AM until 09.00AM everyday and only in some days has afternoon or evening hours. The reason is, the pool has many various program so the opening hours for public is limited. The program that the pool has is swimming training, senior class, etc.

For this activity, I take the morning time. I go swimming before my class started.

Badminton

As an Indonesian, playing badminton is just like German with football. It’s a common one and people expect you to be good on it just because your country has won many international championship. So, when there’s ‘sport holiday program’ during spring break, I submit myself to badminton. I thought, how hard would that be? I am Indonesian…

But apparently I am being extremely cocky. In the first day, there are 3 girls in the court. And since I come late, so I don’t have a choice; I have to play against a guy. And this guy isn’t just a regular guy. He’s so good at badminton.

I think in less than 30 minutes, I already feel my whole body burning. I am so thirsty, tired, my muscle all sore. Well now I know what’re the different in playing in Indonesia and Europe. In Indonesia, I used to play in the street. This means, the match is mostly disrupted because the ball falls into a gutter or stuck in a tree. And sometime, there’s a car passing by so you have to stop for awhile. So, I think these Europeans are always playing in the proper place: indoor stadium or so. Not to mention about the quality. I think all people who join the badminton program are not beginners. They must have been joining a club before. I think they are not challenged at all whenever they play with me. And if I join a double game, I become the target for the opponent to gain points.

In the end, I feel completely collapsed. My arm, especially my right arm; my back; my hips; my asses; my legs, everything are in pain. Even my palm can’t be opened widely because I grip the racket too long. I need about 3 days to recover.

And I think after playing it in a month, nobody wants to play with me anymore because I am such a baby to them. Once the trainer plays with me, and he doesn't even move a muscle. Me? Oh I am surely having a good sport, running around here and there to chase the ball; while he just standing in the middle of his site the whole time!

Sport – Introduction

To balance my degree of eating with my calorie burning, I do some sports. Well I have to do it or else I’ll end with fat tummy that feels so hurt. Beside, having sports mean I can eat even a lot more… ;)