Coach, I'm gonna stay on the sidelines...

So, several weeks ago (actually, it feels like months) one of the teachers in the Foreign Language College invited Brad and me to play on the department's basketball team. I just kind of laughed at the whole situation and never confirmed or rejected the invitation. Then last week, I got a call from the same teacher telling me that the basketball games were coming up. I, trying to be polite, told him that I am very busy and wouldn't have time to play. I did this for 2 reasons. 1) I can't play basketball 2) I didn't want to say no directly. Apparently, my indirectness was not good enough. He told me to meet him at the basketball court that day for practice. I then told him I had class that day and on the other days we were playing. (I was trying desperately to get out of it.) I did end up skipping that day after getting off the phone with him, after telling him I wasn't going to make it that day, and after he still thought I was coming. No amount of communication apparently was going to convince him otherwise.

To continue my long rambling, I didn't want to play basketball with them until I found out they were going to give me b-ball shoes and team clothes. Ah, sportswear, there is nothing more attractive than that. Well, maybe skipping the b-ball game to sleep or eat chocolate. Hmm....chocolate. I skipped the first game and attended the following 2. That was fun. I wanted to play more than I did but the team wasn't (and still isn't) accustomed to having substitutes. There were 5 Chinese who were on the team who have yet to play. I, at least, have Brad who just runs off the court and tells me to go in for him. (Maybe not quite like that, but I still get to go in.) So I have played 5 mins in one game and 10 in another. I play until they call a time-out to encourage Brad to come back in. I have heard he is the MVP. I don't know why I am not. I stand on the sidelines talking with all the fans. I mean, they didn't come to watch the b-ball game, did they?

So the championship was supposed to be today but it rained. Imagine my disappointment. But hey, I did something fun. I have new clothes. And most importantly, I have pics. There is one of Brad doing his super all-star thing and the rest are of me doing my thing...talking on the cell-phone, posing for the camera, and being confused. Yes, I went out there and had no clue which way my team was going. Oh, and by a weird twist of fate, my jersey is #12 - my old soccer number. Brad's is #17 his old number. I think the Chinese people did research. Maybe I should be a little bit more concerned.