Easing riiiight into things

    Hallo allemaal, Ik hoop dat alles goed is! (Hello everybody, I hope that all is well!)... okay, I totally used babblefish language translation for that, but I don't feel wrong about it at all because, in the week I have been here I have already learned some Dutch! Nothing that can be strung together to form a sentence...or logical thought for that matter, but just enough to begin communicating direction on the soccer field. Left, right, turn, back, push up, counting from 1 - 10, change, and bye. Oh, now wait, it looks like I do have enough vocabulary to give a local directions to my apartment...but to those of you who know my direction giving skills, I think it will be best for all to stick with just one of the new words I've learned "Doei Doei" when asked for directions... "bye bye". (Doei rhymes with chewy)

    In the midst of moving, three teammates birthdays, and adjusting to the 9 hour time difference of living in the future (which I can already help you in saying, today is going to be a great day ;)), we played in our first tournament and visited another country. After an hour bus ride in our portable house on wheels equipped with wireless internet, tvs, tables and chairs, and a mini fridge, we were in Germany. (It only takes about an hour and a half to drive from the east coast of Holland to the West) Not knowing completely what to expect, the complex had four fields and food stands just like tournaments in America. The difference with this tournament was 6 games of two 12 minute halves would need to be won to win the tournament, short and sweet. There were tons of people there and as I naturally scanned the complex looking for someone I had played with or against before, I remembered I was in Germany and recognizing someone was not going to happen. Making my way over to the changing room to put on my new number vier (four, pronounced like fear ;)) jersey in my very foreign fitted and feeling pencil leg game shorts (which we all know without even having to see, fit my 'pencil' legs just naturally right...haha! The shorts are a bit different from the short, rolled, and tucked shorts I have grown accustomed to... but hey, "no problem") I squeezed by a team exiting the changing room and had to take a double take! I recognized a face! Not just one, but two girls, who we would later face in the finals, I had played with at some point in the U.S. Just as excited as I was to see a familiar face we decided we would definitely get in contact and show each other around one another's new home countries. I guess there are alternatives ways to planning and touring countries then relying on SinterKlaas to take us to our desired destination! After less then a week of practice together as a team we pulled off the victory and won the cup! Woohoo, it wasn't the hardest of competition we are going to face, but nonetheless it was definitely a good and exciting start. Along with the cup and the "cash money" prize, came the most important word I have yet to learn, SNOEP. (pronounced just like SNOOP dogg meaning candy...which heyyy by the way, one of my best friends is in Snoop Dogg's music video entitled Candy...what better a place to reference that for the 100th time then how perfectly it fell together now. Love you Hondro :)) Yes!! I could get used to these new awards for winning reeeeal quick...and German gummies are delicious, I mean just look at the facial expression of Suz, who is above my left shoulder in the picture atop, holding the container of Snoep as if it's the championship plate at Euro Cup! Lets just say it's a good thing the bus was close and the cup didn't get traded for more Snoep! 

    I am awaiting my first item in the mail from my most wonderful Mom containing my cord to upload pictures so I can show you important things such as; Dutch Daddy. Pictures of everything I have eaten. And my new city and home...which could potentially bring up directional questions so it leaves me with nothing else to say but Doei Doei!