I admit that I am not by any means vertically challenged, although it must be dully noted that my height doesn't necessarily exceed that of someone of a more elevated nature. If you tested the height of a dutch male, a penguin, and myself I would undoubtedly measure in at second place slightly ahead of the cuter Arctic waddler. Because of my modest height, I confess that growing up afforded me few advantages when playing sports. Despite my best efforts to play baseball, a little basketball, some tennis, and even a semester of ultimate Frisbee, I'll admit that my height didn't play any advantage in terms of ability. In fact in retrospect, in my less than average stature, my inclination to even involve myself in athletic endeavors seemed to prove a giant miscalculation on my part.
That all changed last May. Despite the fact that I have been an abject failure at most team sports, I never actually really gave soccer a shot. Since I am such a like able fellow, I get on quite well with the players of the local foreigner soccer team in Suncheon. The Suncehon Soccer club, or SIFC; for Sunchoen International Football Club, let me come out to one of their games last May. I played for an entire half, and by the end it was obvious that I was as hopeless as I was at any other sport. During that inaugural match the players on my own team began shouting at me like I was an enemy. According to them I couldn't pass, I couldn't shoot; apparently I couldn't even touch the ball correctly. However, after the game I was by some great fortune invited to come to practices. Eventually I managed to handle myself a bit better. In the end, I have put in a lot of hard work, which I have learned is 90 percent to achieving anything. Although, I actually feel that my limited tallness has given me an advantage that with hard work can make me into a decent player. If you don't believe me, look at Wayne Rooney, or Lionel Messi! Shorter people usually make better soccer players because of their lower center of gravity and are able to control the ball more efficiently.
Because of my hard work I am now starting to slowly feel like a contributor to the team instead of being the teams Achilles heel. Please understand that this is no easy feat to achieve for anyone; especially by myself in such a minimal amount of time. Soccer isn't exactly the 'girls' sport many Americans claim. If you disagree, try sprinting up and down a football field for 90 minutes only to stop at 1 minute intervals to slide tackle someone running into you. It isn't fishing. Regardless, what I want to share with you is the tremendous sunny weekend I had this weekend past in the city of Ulsan at an international soccer tournament.
Ulsan is a city that is practically hidden by the shadows of gigantic Busan. Busan is a mega city with beaches and nightife that can contend with many formidable international destinations, so it's no surprise that not many people visit Ulsan. What is surprising though, is that Ulsan has over a million residents. It's practically the size of Gwangju. Additionally, it's a pretty interesting town to boot! Shame on you Lonely Planet for not even including it in your book.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to take a couple of days to explore a bit. The main part of the city is divided by a giant river, which has a plethora of parks lining the banks. There is an overabundance of verdant trees and new soccer fields, which is a rare treat for a foreigner living in Suncheon. Also on each side of the river there are several pockets of that ubiquitous downtown 'buzz' that Korea is so famous for. There are many places to meander during the day, pose for photos, have lunch shop and enjoy the scenery. Additionally, that buzz continues into the night a large selection of colorful downtown pedestrian zones, restaurants, cafes, and bars that will put a smile on even the hardest to satisfy. What is especially nice, is that I was completely surprised by this. I had no idea that I would be visiting such an inviting city. It just goes to show that no matter how long you live in a place, that there is always another rock to turn up.
The soccer tournament was a success too of course. We won our first match, then fought hard to reach the quarter finals. We lost, but you need to understand our team is from a city of less than half a million. Suncheon is half the size of Ulsan. We aren't even a shadow of Gwangju, additionally we are even too small to be a metaphorical little brother. We are like a grandchild to mighty Gwangju. This being said, I think you can appreciate the success we've accomplished after competing with teams from the ranks of Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Ulsan. Regardless of winning or losing though, what is important is that we could stand tall in a city with a group of guys from a low population, and still enjoy ourselves in a surprisingly big and exciting town.
That all changed last May. Despite the fact that I have been an abject failure at most team sports, I never actually really gave soccer a shot. Since I am such a like able fellow, I get on quite well with the players of the local foreigner soccer team in Suncheon. The Suncehon Soccer club, or SIFC; for Sunchoen International Football Club, let me come out to one of their games last May. I played for an entire half, and by the end it was obvious that I was as hopeless as I was at any other sport. During that inaugural match the players on my own team began shouting at me like I was an enemy. According to them I couldn't pass, I couldn't shoot; apparently I couldn't even touch the ball correctly. However, after the game I was by some great fortune invited to come to practices. Eventually I managed to handle myself a bit better. In the end, I have put in a lot of hard work, which I have learned is 90 percent to achieving anything. Although, I actually feel that my limited tallness has given me an advantage that with hard work can make me into a decent player. If you don't believe me, look at Wayne Rooney, or Lionel Messi! Shorter people usually make better soccer players because of their lower center of gravity and are able to control the ball more efficiently.
Because of my hard work I am now starting to slowly feel like a contributor to the team instead of being the teams Achilles heel. Please understand that this is no easy feat to achieve for anyone; especially by myself in such a minimal amount of time. Soccer isn't exactly the 'girls' sport many Americans claim. If you disagree, try sprinting up and down a football field for 90 minutes only to stop at 1 minute intervals to slide tackle someone running into you. It isn't fishing. Regardless, what I want to share with you is the tremendous sunny weekend I had this weekend past in the city of Ulsan at an international soccer tournament.
Ulsan is a city that is practically hidden by the shadows of gigantic Busan. Busan is a mega city with beaches and nightife that can contend with many formidable international destinations, so it's no surprise that not many people visit Ulsan. What is surprising though, is that Ulsan has over a million residents. It's practically the size of Gwangju. Additionally, it's a pretty interesting town to boot! Shame on you Lonely Planet for not even including it in your book.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to take a couple of days to explore a bit. The main part of the city is divided by a giant river, which has a plethora of parks lining the banks. There is an overabundance of verdant trees and new soccer fields, which is a rare treat for a foreigner living in Suncheon. Also on each side of the river there are several pockets of that ubiquitous downtown 'buzz' that Korea is so famous for. There are many places to meander during the day, pose for photos, have lunch shop and enjoy the scenery. Additionally, that buzz continues into the night a large selection of colorful downtown pedestrian zones, restaurants, cafes, and bars that will put a smile on even the hardest to satisfy. What is especially nice, is that I was completely surprised by this. I had no idea that I would be visiting such an inviting city. It just goes to show that no matter how long you live in a place, that there is always another rock to turn up.
The soccer tournament was a success too of course. We won our first match, then fought hard to reach the quarter finals. We lost, but you need to understand our team is from a city of less than half a million. Suncheon is half the size of Ulsan. We aren't even a shadow of Gwangju, additionally we are even too small to be a metaphorical little brother. We are like a grandchild to mighty Gwangju. This being said, I think you can appreciate the success we've accomplished after competing with teams from the ranks of Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Ulsan. Regardless of winning or losing though, what is important is that we could stand tall in a city with a group of guys from a low population, and still enjoy ourselves in a surprisingly big and exciting town.
No comments:
Post a Comment