Wednesday, September 30, 2009

We Built this City...We Built this City On Rock and Rolling Iguanas?

This week I'll start this post where hopefully the title of the blog will be most relevant instead of typing it all up chronologically. Ok, so this weekend is the Sport and Wellness Messe (Fair) at the Marienlyst Center (place where we play our home matches) in both of the gyms. To get the gyms ready for such a special occasion a small city needed to be built. Let me explain. Companies as well as sports teams come to the fair and each have thier own designated area within the gym to meet and greet or put on a small clinics. These areas are not just simple tables and chairs spread out randomly in a gym. These areas are divided by 6 foot walls. Walls that are not normally there if you were wondering. Well then how do these walls get there? Funny you should ask. Well these walls get there by taking them off of a pallet, placed directly on an "iguana", and then rolled to where they can be put together with "gorillas". Ok I'm not crazy hear me out. Kaj our coach/jack of all trades was basically directing the operation. When we first got there on Monday morning he had names for each of the tools or pieces to assemble these walls. The small cart in which to wheel the walls he called a "dog," basically a small four wheeled cart designed to slide the walls into and transport most effieciently. Now the cart did resemble a dog, but as the day went on I thought it looked more like an iguana and the name stuck within the group (Nelly, Joe and I). Synonyms also included Iggy Pop (big cart) or Baby Igs (small cart). The gorilla was a connecting piece for the walls basically a strong piece of metal with two arms that slid into the top of the walls kind of like a real gorilla with a short body and two strong arms off of it. The name was perfect for it already so it didn't need to be changed.

Over the three six hour days we literally set up a small city. Walls, electricy, bridges and lights. Basically everything a city needs except plumbing. The details of the set up are not so interesting so I will leave it at that, but it was hard work and the 18 hours we were there were used to the fullest. We were also fed in the cafeteria everyday at lunch time so it could have been much worse. Take down is supposedly much faster and easier. I hope!

Ok so lets go back to the start of last week. Tuesday last week we played a Pokal Cup match in Arhus which was our first real game of the season. Pokal Cup is the Danish tournament that every team in Denmark is invited to. The format is single elimination so in the early rounds you can play some pretty low level competition. We played a team from the second division so it was an easy match. The gym was pretty cool, it was an old train station converted into a volleyball gym. So it looked like you were playing in a half tube with old wooden seats surrounding the court. It was cool because the sound was trapped in there and any cheers were amplified by 20. I didn't play because my leg was still aching from the Middelfart tournament just a few days before. I sat on the side and cheered and we won 3-0 pretty easily and on to the next round.

Thursday we had our first regular season game, non-Pokal Cup but regular league play at home. We had another easy draw in Holte from Copenhagen. We played them in the Middelfart tournament the weekend before so we knew what to expect. I again did not play as I wanted to take the week off to see if my leg would improve at all. Again we won 3-0 never in jeopardy of losing a set.

We had the weekend off so we had a little bit of time to have some fun. Saturday morning we went to the Fortuna volleyball match. Fortuna is the top women's team here in Odense but is a different club than ours. Marienlyst does not have a top level women's team. Unfortunately the Fortuna team lost in a quick three which was a bummer, but what can ya do?

After the Fortuna game we went to our first soccer match of the season. We went to watch OB play at home. OB is in the top division in Denmark and is doing quite well so we thought it would be a great opportunity to see a game while it was still reasonably warm outside. OB won 2-0 and we had front row seats so it was exciting enough for me being a none soccer fan. I was constantly asking questions like: What is a kick missing the goal by 30 ft and going into the upper deck like in relation to basketball or volleyball? Is that like an airball or a serve under the net? I have a really hard time relating to the sport because I just never really watch it. Some goals are really spectacular but for the most part watching games with teams that are not in the top 5 in the world with international superstars is not that exciting for me. If you think flopping is bad in basketball, watching soccer will just kill you. Players fall and writhe in what looks like season ending pain and then somehow get up after no call and continue to play. Its disgusting and goes against everything that is sports and I'll never understand it. Regardless the game was fun we had great weather and OB won! Here are some pictures from the match:


1-0 in the distance

Joe and Nelly enjoying the game.

Kid cheering on his team!

GOOOOOALLLLLLLL!!!!



This week other than building a Danish city we are preparing for a match against Middelfart on Friday. We are away and it should be a good match. My leg has been still sore but better and playable so I am going to play for sure on Friday. I still ice and try not to over do it at practice but it is really frustrating not being 100%. But it's getting better.

I almost forgot to mention I watched the Bears win again on my computer I found a great site that streams the games live for free. I also watched the Vikings game. Wow! Favre is incredible. Ok well that is all for now. I still have to upload all of the pictures from last week when I went to the city with the guys stay tuned for those. Hej hej.

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