Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Right now, my right bicep is really sore. Yesterday I went to the gym and someone there explained a workout that I should do. I will probably try to go 4 days a week, and the days are split up like this:
1) Chest and Biceps
2) Back and Triceps
3) Legs
4) I don't really remember but I think traps was part. Maybe shoulders, too. I need him to write it down today.

Also, instead of three sets of 12, 10, then 8, this guy suggested 5 sets of twelve. Yes, I was hurting. Hopefully, though, it will be good. Additionally, with that many reps, it seems pretty endurance-focused to me, which is what I want. Incidentally, abs are every day.

I think the reason my right bicep is so sore is because of the fact that I have it raised all day as I am writing on the chalkboard (yes, chalk). Hopefully I will be able to become accustomed to doing both lifting and writing, but it will probably be a while yet because next week I will get to take a break from all this and return home (meaning...same difference). I am very excited about this and very ready. It will be wonderful to see my family, friends, and beautiful girlfriend again. A couple things I am excited about: Ultimate, Spring Sing (sorry Luke and Bland. At least I put it after ultimate, right?), and March Madness (as well as other athletic competitions).

_W_

Friday, March 7, 2008

Monterrey

Well, after a very long wait I have finally arrived in Monterrey. I was supposed to be here about two months ago, but the school apparently needed me in Hermosillo. It is good to finally be here.

I arrived on Saturday, and the next day I got in a taxi with an address to a church. The address was very hard to locate, but eventually we did get there. I really enjoyed the church. It was really good.

I also have started going to a gym. Yesterday was actually my first day. One reason I wanted to go was to exercise, which I did. A second reason was to practice Spanish, which I did. I got to talk with several people. It was good. I even was invited to a party.

Hopefully things will continue to go well down here and even get better. More importantly, and something I need to do a better job of remembering, is that hopefully God can use me down here.

_W_

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Basketball

Luke, I am not going to talk about the UT-Memphis game in the post. I am going to be talking about a game that I played. However, I am not doing this because I think it is all about me. I am doing it in consideration of others (well I guess mainly one other).

This past weekend I was invited by Román (the guy I run with) to play basketball. He and some friends play on Monday and Wednesday nights from about 9 til 11. I joined them last night. If you have ever played basketball with me or watched me play, then you know that I am not particularly good. But I can run around a lot. Unfortunately, last night we only played 3 on 3 half court. With half court any advantage I gain from running around is nuetralized a lot. Oh well.

We shot for teams, and I was the second person to score (which I guess says something about the shooting talent of the people I was with). My team ended up being Román, a guy named Oscar, and me. Román and I are pretty good at running around and Román could also drive and shoot layups. Oscar had a pretty good shot. There were nine people, so the winner stayed. Somehow, and I am not sure how, but for about two hours and I am not sure how many games, my team never lost. It was a lot of fun and definately a good workout.

One of my favorite parts was when I had to dive out of bounds to save the ball one time, and when I did, everyone said "oh wow, that's amazing!" except in Spanish. (then I froze for a second with a 3-fingered wave. Just kidding.) I don't remember if we scored after that or not, but scoring is secondary in my opinion to excellent dives. I did score some, however. Maybe even once a game at least, but I doubt it.

So my team never lost, but in the last game (all games were to eleven by ones) we were down 3-6. That was when the lights were shut off. I was tired, sweaty, and blistered. But it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we were talking, and one guy said (in Spanish), "What!? You're from America? I thought you were Mexican!" That was cool. And probably the first time that has happened.

I am not sure what will happen on Wednesday. Probably I won't win every game. In fact I would be shocked if I did. But I hope it will again be fun.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

3 quick things

First, the run today at Bachoco (also called Mirador) was again excellent. I really enjoy that run through the desert overlooking Hermosillo.

Second, I did the Bible class today at the church, in Spanish. I was given the lesson, and it lasted about an hour. That might be the longest speech or public speaking thing that I have done. People at least said I did a good job. And I saw at least one person who wasn't the preacher looking at me. I have not yet found out if he can sleep with his eyes open.

Third, I read on http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1941945720080225 about Cuba. Fidel Castro's brother Raul is now the new president. I was surprised by one paragraph in particular. It read, "He overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in a 1959 revolution and then survived assassination attempts, a CIA-backed invasion, the Soviet Union's collapse and a U.S. economic embargo to rule for almost half a century." Put that way, I guess he was at least good at what he did. No wonder the Cubans revere him. Though I am not saying that what he did was good, he was good at what he did.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I've heard that before

This Friday I was told that I would be leaving for Monterrey this coming Saturday. I know that you may think, yeah, I've heard that before. Which is in fact very true. I have been supposed to leave within the next couple weeks since the beginning of January. This time at least appears different. There is a plan and some details instead of a vague intention. Hopefully, March will be the month. Next Saturday is March 1st.

Many other things have happened in the intervening time. For instance I went on another really cool run to the place with the best views of Hermosillo. I threw a disc with someone for the first time in a long time. I was severely disappointed to discover that my flick-throwing finger is no longer calloused and I even had to stop throwing flicks for a while. That has got to change. Old teachers have left and new teachers have come. I have been teaching about twice as much as I thought I would. I have gotten to practice Spanish some. I almost got to appear on Mexican television, but then it didn't happen. Etc.

Anyway, hopefully my immediate future will be all ironed out soon. Then hopefully I will get the farther future worked out.

Monday, February 4, 2008

waiting

Currently, I am still in Hermosillo. I am still waiting to be moved to Monterrey, but apparently with all of the growth the school has been experiencing, it has been difficult to move me. Hopefully this situation will change soon and I can go ahead and get to Monterrey and end the waiting period.

Anyway, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. In the morning I went to church then out to lunch at a chinese restaurant downtown. I was surprised at how good it was. If I have time, I think I will try to go back. After lunch, we went to their house, and since they have young daughters, we began watching the movie "Cars" in Spanish, though only after helping with the English homework. Eventually we left to go to the evening service (we did not finish the movie, by the way). The service began at five, and the game began at 5:30. I usually don't get back til about 7:00, so I was hoping to see at least the second half. Or maybe have to watch gamecast or something like that. After church, however, I was invited to join just about everyone at someone's house for dinner. My ride was going as well. And as you guessed, there was no football game on a large screen plasma TV. Or any TV for that matter.

Oh well. I enjoyed being with the church people all day. And I was glad that when I pulled up ESPN.com, I saw a picture of I think Eli Manning. It was a happy giant at any rate. Also, I am glad that we did not have to work today. It is apparently Constitution day or something like that.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

As a brief summary of what has been going on in my life: travel. I traveled from Hermosillo to Nashville. To Europe with my family. Back to Nashville. To Monterrey (where I was supposed to stay and be a teacher thered. However, they apparently needed me to return), to Hermosillo. Right now I am waiting for them to tell me when I am supposed to be going back to Monterrey. The original thought was less than a week from now. But they are still not sure.

Anyway, as is my custom with my hair, I usually let it grow fairly long and then get it cut fairly short. In this way I save money. I found another way to save money on haircuts. In downtown Hermosillo, there are places to get hair cut for 25 Pesos. Which is about $2.50 US. I was amazed that it could be so inexpensive, and it made me wonder about barbershops in America...

Usually when I go from long to short, people say I look older (probably they are thinking more mature). But this time I have had a lot of different reactions. One girl said that before I looked fun, and now I look like a serious teacher. Another said that I looked a lot younger now while a third stared at her as if she was crazy. One student was very disappointed to see first my mustache vanish and then all my hair. The principal, though he had never asked me to get a hair cut, said Thank you. Overall, I guess the cheapness of the price did not make it a terrible haircut (though probably my mom would think it is a good length, which means too long).