So I looked up "rugby" on the WWWJDIC Japanese Dictionary and it gave me three words for rugby:
ラグビー (ragubii): "rugby"
アメラグ (ameragu): abbreviation of "american rugby"
ノーサイド (nohsaido): "no side"
It's the third one that amuses me. Is rugby really so messy that the Japanese refer to it as the game without sides? Or is it a reference to the sense of community present off the pitch between all rugby players, even those from opposing teams?
I may never know.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
The Olympics and Thursday
First, the Olympics: I love them. I would never watch them on my own, but if someone else has them on, I'm glued to it. And of course Anna's had the pretty skating people on anytime she can, so of course I've been watching.
The Olympics always really get to me. I get all choked up and emotional, so even the commercials will bring tears to my eyes.
But honestly, isn't it awesome? How people from around the world come together, share in the victories and the defeat... how once someone's out there on the ice (or the slopes, or the field, or the court, or the track, etc.) it barely matters what nationality someone is, and you can't tell if they're from your country or anywhere else in the world just by watching them skate. Sport is an international language, probably even more so than music.
And when I'm done getting my global pride on, I start getting all patriotic: I love that the US competitors are so international themselves. Individuals of all histories and ethnicities and races are up there competing for the old red-white-and-blue; one of the pair skaters got his U.S. citizenship just in time for the games. Y'know?
So it never fails: watching the Olympics, I get all choked up and teary-eyed so easily, it's ridiculous and embarassing. But there you are. It's a beautiful thing.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
And then, Thursday.
Thursday is generally my hell day. I've got class, break (during which I usually cram in the rest of my art homework), art class, hurry to rugby practice, team TDR dinner, shower, a short break, and class.
Today, however, wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the art work I crammed in last minute, and in class the TA (who is AWESOME) taught instead of Professor Ass Crack (who was beautifully absent). Then Nips and I left early to get to RUGBY PRACTICE not horribly late, and practice was full of tackling drills - and the PUSHUP DRILL!!! (Which is sort of like a series of very short rugby scrimmages - it's about as close to a real game as you get in practice).
It makes me so unbelievably incredibly happy to be able to do contact again. After a whole season of just watching rugby, with only one week of experience playing (during which I was utterly, utterly befuddled as to what was going on), and now I get to be completely back in, a real player, rolling around in the dirt, running into/through people... it just makes me feel so amazing.
The Olympics always really get to me. I get all choked up and emotional, so even the commercials will bring tears to my eyes.
But honestly, isn't it awesome? How people from around the world come together, share in the victories and the defeat... how once someone's out there on the ice (or the slopes, or the field, or the court, or the track, etc.) it barely matters what nationality someone is, and you can't tell if they're from your country or anywhere else in the world just by watching them skate. Sport is an international language, probably even more so than music.
And when I'm done getting my global pride on, I start getting all patriotic: I love that the US competitors are so international themselves. Individuals of all histories and ethnicities and races are up there competing for the old red-white-and-blue; one of the pair skaters got his U.S. citizenship just in time for the games. Y'know?
So it never fails: watching the Olympics, I get all choked up and teary-eyed so easily, it's ridiculous and embarassing. But there you are. It's a beautiful thing.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
And then, Thursday.
Thursday is generally my hell day. I've got class, break (during which I usually cram in the rest of my art homework), art class, hurry to rugby practice, team TDR dinner, shower, a short break, and class.
Today, however, wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the art work I crammed in last minute, and in class the TA (who is AWESOME) taught instead of Professor Ass Crack (who was beautifully absent). Then Nips and I left early to get to RUGBY PRACTICE not horribly late, and practice was full of tackling drills - and the PUSHUP DRILL!!! (Which is sort of like a series of very short rugby scrimmages - it's about as close to a real game as you get in practice).
It makes me so unbelievably incredibly happy to be able to do contact again. After a whole season of just watching rugby, with only one week of experience playing (during which I was utterly, utterly befuddled as to what was going on), and now I get to be completely back in, a real player, rolling around in the dirt, running into/through people... it just makes me feel so amazing.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Rugby love
Yesterday I went to this rugby-specific workout in Dupont that was kind of the MOST AMAZING THING EVER. It was $10, but it was soooo worth it. It was the perfect workout - it tired me out, but not so much that it killed me (I followed it up with an ab workout, running a mile, and then went out to Dupont for Adventures with the crew), we did a variety of things (sprints, rucking, jumping/hoppy things for your legs, things good for your arms), and best of all it was all aimed towards rugby!
Also, Deanna at one point commented that I was quite bouncy. This was followed by a considering look, after which she declared that she thought she might make me a flanker. That is, a forward. This is a proposition I view with both trepadation and excitement. I mean, I'd get to scrum! On the other hand... I'd be in scrums. Y'know.
Also, Deanna at one point commented that I was quite bouncy. This was followed by a considering look, after which she declared that she thought she might make me a flanker. That is, a forward. This is a proposition I view with both trepadation and excitement. I mean, I'd get to scrum! On the other hand... I'd be in scrums. Y'know.
Monday, December 5, 2005
Scaramouch, scaramouch, something about Fandango?
scaramouch
From the seventeenth century, this term has indicated a lazy, swaggering coward. Based on a character from early Italian comedy who was often pummeled for his knavish actions, the word as a verb meant to act in such a manner. The meaning of waht later became skirmish was soon broadened to include encounters between groups of soldiers. Shakespeare used the expression "skirmish of wit" in 1599 to indicate verbal confrontation. The nineteenth-century rugby term scrummage and the related American footbal term scrimmage are other modern adaptations.
(from Carmen's Forgotten English Knowledge Cards)
From the seventeenth century, this term has indicated a lazy, swaggering coward. Based on a character from early Italian comedy who was often pummeled for his knavish actions, the word as a verb meant to act in such a manner. The meaning of waht later became skirmish was soon broadened to include encounters between groups of soldiers. Shakespeare used the expression "skirmish of wit" in 1599 to indicate verbal confrontation. The nineteenth-century rugby term scrummage and the related American footbal term scrimmage are other modern adaptations.
(from Carmen's Forgotten English Knowledge Cards)
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Gimp period: extended
Coming home this weekend!!
Also, I'm quite pissed at myself - I threw a ball wrong in rugby today and twisted my wrist in a way that apparently a fractured wrist isn't supposed to be twisted. And now it hurts like crazy.
*sigh* I guess that means no more passing the rugby ball around. And I may have just ruined my chance at getting a splint on next Friday, rather than another cast.
Also, I'm quite pissed at myself - I threw a ball wrong in rugby today and twisted my wrist in a way that apparently a fractured wrist isn't supposed to be twisted. And now it hurts like crazy.
*sigh* I guess that means no more passing the rugby ball around. And I may have just ruined my chance at getting a splint on next Friday, rather than another cast.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Someday I'll be a real rugger...
Right now I am listening to "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: Part 1" by The Flaming Lips on Carmen and Neil's Radio show. It is an awesome song, even more so because it was dedicated to me!! It makes me feel very warm and fuzzy inside =^_^=
In other exciting news, today at rugby practice I got to pass the ball back and forth!!!!!
This was a VERY big moment for me. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I was back in there touching the ball and participating.
Then everyone else did a bunch of contact drills and it was back to being a gimp. But for one shining moment, I was a real player again!
In other exciting news, today at rugby practice I got to pass the ball back and forth!!!!!
This was a VERY big moment for me. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I was back in there touching the ball and participating.
Then everyone else did a bunch of contact drills and it was back to being a gimp. But for one shining moment, I was a real player again!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
AUWRFC New Jersey Fall Break Tour 2005
This weekend was KICK ASS. I loved rugby before (obviously, if even a fractured wrist and a cast past the elbow couldn't dissuade me from the game), but I'm obsessed now. I love playing rugby, watching rugby, talking about rugby, and hanging out with people who play rugby.
The weekend started Saturday morning at 7 am, when we met at The Spot in the rain and got our tour T shirts (Front: "AUWRFC FALL BREAK TOUR 2005," back: "AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S RUGBY: MAKIN' JERSEY JUST A LITTLE MORE DIRTY"). Then we dashed for the cars and loaded up - I was with Garthie, VD, and Petrides.
After four or so hour of driving and singing, we arrived at Princeton's pitch. Petrides helped me saran-wrap, duct tape, and plastic bag my cast, and thus waterproofed I helped in any way I could to set up for two games (against Westchester and Princeton) in the driving rain.
It was AMAZING. The games were shortened to two 20 min halves each, rather than two 40 min halves (on account of the weather). The team played excellently, and (quite contrary to my expectations, given the weather and my inability to play) I had a marvelous time running up and down the touch line screaming and watching and analyzing and learning.
After two great games (except for the last 5 min of the Princeton game, but we won't talk about that), everyone stripped off most of their wet clothes, threw them in plastic bags, and we drove the hour and a half to Maddy's house, where we engaged in hot tubbing, showering, laundering, eating, and general hanging out until everyone drifted off to sleep.
Sunday we went to a mystery pitch in South Jersey to play TCOJ. Thankfully it had stopped raining, but the team's performance didn't lift with the weather. For some reason we played three 30 min thirds (instead of the normal two 40 min halves), and in the first two we were just falling apart. Finally, in the third we picked it up and took the game back on our terms and ended in a huge rush (despite several injuries).
But that's basically it for the weekend. I got a few hours of sleep, woke up and helped pick up, then ate breakfast, packed, and headed out. I miss these girls already and can't wait for Wednesday's practice.
The weekend started Saturday morning at 7 am, when we met at The Spot in the rain and got our tour T shirts (Front: "AUWRFC FALL BREAK TOUR 2005," back: "AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S RUGBY: MAKIN' JERSEY JUST A LITTLE MORE DIRTY"). Then we dashed for the cars and loaded up - I was with Garthie, VD, and Petrides.
After four or so hour of driving and singing, we arrived at Princeton's pitch. Petrides helped me saran-wrap, duct tape, and plastic bag my cast, and thus waterproofed I helped in any way I could to set up for two games (against Westchester and Princeton) in the driving rain.
It was AMAZING. The games were shortened to two 20 min halves each, rather than two 40 min halves (on account of the weather). The team played excellently, and (quite contrary to my expectations, given the weather and my inability to play) I had a marvelous time running up and down the touch line screaming and watching and analyzing and learning.
After two great games (except for the last 5 min of the Princeton game, but we won't talk about that), everyone stripped off most of their wet clothes, threw them in plastic bags, and we drove the hour and a half to Maddy's house, where we engaged in hot tubbing, showering, laundering, eating, and general hanging out until everyone drifted off to sleep.
Sunday we went to a mystery pitch in South Jersey to play TCOJ. Thankfully it had stopped raining, but the team's performance didn't lift with the weather. For some reason we played three 30 min thirds (instead of the normal two 40 min halves), and in the first two we were just falling apart. Finally, in the third we picked it up and took the game back on our terms and ended in a huge rush (despite several injuries).
But that's basically it for the weekend. I got a few hours of sleep, woke up and helped pick up, then ate breakfast, packed, and headed out. I miss these girls already and can't wait for Wednesday's practice.
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