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.

June-July

Somehow my motivation is lost. Because during these months, the weather is far from summer. Well there’re days where the sun is shining so fully, but those days seem rarely to come. Most of the time, the weather is rainy or cloudy. Although it’s not so cold, but still, this is not like summer that I imagine.

So whenever the sun shows itself, me and my friends will celebrate it wisely. Usually we play football in the park, although probably then we have to end it because the rain comes.

Lost in Paris (Time of Visit: 4 – 7 July 2008)

Just less than a month, I went back to Paris. This time, I am meeting my ex coworker who happened to be my closed friend also. If you read my previous visit to Paris, you know whom I mean. Her name is Pungky. We haven’t met for almost a year! And this is such a contrast as we used to sit next to each other in the office, which mean our gossiping time rate is very high.

So, after she got her visa; we re-plan ourself to meet. But apparently, the time we choose is considered as holiday peak season. So every price is more expensive, starting from the plane ticket to accommodation; although I am using the same services.

Anyway, we just don’t care. We’re so glad that finally we can meet. We even don’t care for the place that we’re going to visit. As long as we can chat the whole time, that’s fine. This is why I consider this travel as ‘Lost in Paris’ cause we’re just look at the Metro map, observing the line, pointing any place that we think is cool, and just go there.

Well, we do have priorities though, at least two. First, Cetacean exhibition in Natural History Museum and second, Louvre Museum. Every first Sunday of the month, the Louvre museum is open for free. Nice, isn’t it?! I am amazed by the way they manage to prevent this free thing into chaotic situation. Very good job!

In the end we visited Cetacean exhibition, the Grand Mosque, Algerian Café next to it, Jardin du Luxembourg, Notre Dame, and Eiffel in Saturday. In Sunday we visited Louvre, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and Basilique du Sacre Cœur. We only sleep about 3-5 hours a day.

I am so dead tired during my journey back to Germany, especially I have to go straight to my lecture class. I need to sleep a lot to compensate it, but I am not complaining. Not at all…

Tram – during city festival

I experienced this twice. Whenever there’s a festival going on in the city, be careful, you might end up walking home!

Of course this doesn’t mean that German authority (or Bremen in my case) ignores you; but during festivals, the tram will be full although additional tram will be provided.

In my first experience, there’s Christian religious festival in Bremen with young people come from all over Germany. The trams are so full and even don’t want to take more passengers! In the end, I have to walk halfway home before finally I can get the not-so-full tram.

Another experience, during European Cup. Whenever Germany wins, the road will be blocked by people having party! Since trams can only run in their line, it’s better to take bus as far as you can before you continue your travel on foot, or if you were lucky, catch the tram.

But my most embarrassing moment is when I have to go home by tram after the European Cup final. Here’s the story:

“It was almost midnight and me and my friends have to catch the last tram; or else we have to wait for the night bus which will come 30 minutes mater. But apparently, so do many people! So when the tram comes, people just rush to go in. They even pushed each other to fit in. This situation reminds me of the situation around end of Ramadan (Indonesian: Lebaran) where many people will travel home.

I am also getting pushed inside. But the suffering doesn’t stop inside. People still pushing each other and I can’t balance myself; I can’t stand up straight. In the end, and this is the most embarrassing part, I end up sitting on a guy’s lap!!! Yeah true, I didn’t do it intentionally!

So for the whole trip to home, I just sit on his lap! Apparently most of the passengers are also students who live in the student apartments nearby my place. Of course I apologize to the guy and told him I don’t have any choice. And of course he said that he understands and doesn’t mind. He looks cool; he even looks so young, my guess probably high school student. But his friend looks surprised. His friend seems can’t hide his smile whenever he sees us! Oh well, whatever… “