The last few weekends I have had the opportunity, at long last, to play some futbol! A group from the language institute has started playing on Saturdays, usually 3 or 4 on a team, on various small "canchas" (fields, but made of concrete and about the size of a basketball court). Some of our Peruvian teachers and their kids play - Julio, Edgar and Litos, as well as David from Ireland, Kyle from Colorado, and a occasionally some other students. It's a very laid-back game, a decent level of play, lots of fun, and great exercise, especially at this altitude. It doesn't matter how old or out of shape someone is here, everyone knows futbol.
Sunday it gets more intense. My friend Franc (who helped me get the guitar) has invited me the last two weeks to join him and his buddies for a 6 on 6 game on a slightly larger cancha. These guys are serious, competitive, and play at a much higher level than me. I'm getting the hang of the modified rules and aggressive style, but I'm not much of an asset to the team. In any event, I love it, and I'll play as long as they'll have me. I get to make friends with more Peruvians, practice my Spanish in a more realistic - and difficult - setting, and play the beautiful game.
Quick story: The first time I played with these local guys, it was a truly Latin American experience. Franc told me the game was at 2pm, and that he was getting a ride from his place to the field. So I could meet him at the church (below our apt) at 1:30 and we'd go to his house to be picked up. I figured that meant he lived close, and it would be a simple procedure to get to the game. Hmm. When I met Franc at 1:50, he got us a cab, and we took it quite a distance across town to his house. When we arrived there, we apparently still had some time before the friends came, so of course Franc's mother brought out heaping plates of arroz con pollo! I couldn't refuse such a generous offer, so we enjoyed the pre-game "snack". Eventually the friends came and all six of us piled into the tiny taxi (driven by one of the guys) and went quite a distance back the other direction. When we got to the cancha, the other team still hadn't arrived, so we waited another half hour for them. Finally around 3:20 or so, we started playing. I'm learning to adjust my expectations for time, and enjoy the fact that people are more important!
Sunday it gets more intense. My friend Franc (who helped me get the guitar) has invited me the last two weeks to join him and his buddies for a 6 on 6 game on a slightly larger cancha. These guys are serious, competitive, and play at a much higher level than me. I'm getting the hang of the modified rules and aggressive style, but I'm not much of an asset to the team. In any event, I love it, and I'll play as long as they'll have me. I get to make friends with more Peruvians, practice my Spanish in a more realistic - and difficult - setting, and play the beautiful game.
Quick story: The first time I played with these local guys, it was a truly Latin American experience. Franc told me the game was at 2pm, and that he was getting a ride from his place to the field. So I could meet him at the church (below our apt) at 1:30 and we'd go to his house to be picked up. I figured that meant he lived close, and it would be a simple procedure to get to the game. Hmm. When I met Franc at 1:50, he got us a cab, and we took it quite a distance across town to his house. When we arrived there, we apparently still had some time before the friends came, so of course Franc's mother brought out heaping plates of arroz con pollo! I couldn't refuse such a generous offer, so we enjoyed the pre-game "snack". Eventually the friends came and all six of us piled into the tiny taxi (driven by one of the guys) and went quite a distance back the other direction. When we got to the cancha, the other team still hadn't arrived, so we waited another half hour for them. Finally around 3:20 or so, we started playing. I'm learning to adjust my expectations for time, and enjoy the fact that people are more important!
The cancha for our Sunday games
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