First International Rugby Match

I grew up lucky enough to be a gifted athlete.  My entire life has revolved around sports, since the day I could walk I’ve been swinging a bat, throwing a ball, dribbling, shooting, scoring!  Throughout these many years of sports, I have been lucky enough to win multiple championships along the way; be it little league baseball, competitive soccer, track & field, high school football or intramural flag football, losing was never an option.  So it may come as a surprise to many that after this weekend, having lost 20-19, I am making the claim that this may be my best accomplishment to date.

Part of my very open plan for traveling down here to South America was to try and join a rugby club.  I figured it would be a wonderful way to meet people, stay and shape, and be a part of a competitive environment.  And that’s exactly what it has been.

Since the first day of training, I have become quite good friends with a fellow rugger, Jose Diego.  He is the captain of the team and I was put in contact with him prior to my arrival in Lima.  His English is perfect, which is both a good and a bad thing, as it has slowed my Spanish education.  I have slowly but surely gotten to know the name of just about every player on the team, all 70 of them, which has been one of many difficult tasks.

The next was getting in shape.  Thanks to the drop in weight, this was much less difficult than in past years.  Having not seen a rugby field in over a year, I knew day one of training would be a challenge both mentally and physically.  Like most young players, I often dreaded going to practice (regardless of the sport) and couldn’t wait for game day.  Well, I made a choice before my first day of rugby (and after realizing I was going to have to pay monthly dues) that I would get up for each and every practice, and practice as if it were a game (expecting it may be my ‘game’ of the week).  Well like I said, getting my legs/lungs into shape was easier than expected because it had been over 6 years since I weighed 185 pounds.  My legs had so much less weight to carry around that I found myself keeping up with even the fastest runners from day one.  This alone was not enough to get into rugby shape, so along with making the commitment to going to every practice (I’ve only missed one week when I was hiking Machu Picchu and that was training in itself!) I have been trying to put on weight through home-workouts and eating as much and often as possible!

The last aspect of sports which has been the true pleasure of my time training with this club is the competition.  Old Markham’s was the first rugby club established in Peru and as such, has a long tradition of excellence.  Their expectations are high and about 4 or 5 players on the team also play for the Peruvian National team.   While in the States, I was always lucky enough to start or at least come off the bench on most of my teams.  For this reason, the game WAS the most important part of the week.  As an American, in a foreign country, joining the most prestigious club in Peru, I had little to no expectations of starting or even seeing the field with the first team.   Here is where a little luck mixed with dedication and hard work has truly paid off.  The team has a new head coach this year, and thus, the bias towards previous starters is lessened greatly.  Furthermore, often players do not show up for practice and as a result there are always a few “open” spots on the first team.  I have taken this opportunity to portray my skills and as of now have earned a starting position on the first team. 

I got the opportunity to start on Sunday and definitely made the most of it.  Having never started at Winger, I was extremely nervous going into the game.  For those unaware, a total of 15 guys start in a rugby game. Out of the 15 positions, there are five positions on the field where my skill set fits in.  Including the current starters, there are probably around 8-10 guys fighting for those five spots.  Of course I knew this going into the game, so this only added to the pressure of playing in my first international rugby match.  A bad game, and I would certainly be riding the pine in our next game.  Well, it’s a good thing I LOVE PRESSURE.  I played an exceptional game, and as a result, at practice on Tuesday I was awarded the game ball for best player performance in our loss.  Though I can honestly say I would give it up in a heartbeat to have been on the winning side of the match, it is an honor to have been selected.  I’ve since made it my goal to (1) win this award after every match and (2) score at least one time in every match from here on out.

After each and every practice, I find it hard to believe that I am actually playing rugby down here in South America.  It’s another chapter to this wonderful journey and I am doing my best to soak up each and every moment of it. I know this is a unique opportunity and I intend to squeeze every bit of good out of it.

“The freedom to move forward to new opportunities and to produce results comes from living in the present not the past”

Six months and a failure steer the ship

Can you believe that it has been just over SIX-MONTHS since I hopped on that plane and headed to Buenos Aires?  Me neither!  All-in-all I’d say it’s been an overwhelming success.  I couldn’t have planned it any better (and thank goodness I didn’t try).  If someone would have told me that in a span of 6-months in South America I would have:

…visited nearly the entire country of Argentina

…made hundreds of new friends

…spent 100+ hours on dozens of buses

…trekked Machu Picchu w/ my mom and sister

…and joined the first rugby club ever to exist in Peru

I wouldn’t have believed a word of it.  Not one.  Well, YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT, because I’m half-way through this adventure and the fun has only just begun!!!

Having settled in quite comfortably here in Lima, my ‘exciting’ stories are few and far between.   I wouldn’t ask for it to be any different.  On my daily bike ride to work I am often left pinching myself, reminding myself that I am living in South America, alone on this amazing journey.  Well, the next thing I know, my bike breaks; great.  Yes, this is the same bike THAT ISN’T EVEN MINE!  It’s not enough that I am an American, wearing dress clothes, riding a bike that it is too small for me, in Peru; I was now pushing myself along the busy roads holding a bike pedal in my hand, thankful that the way home was mostly downhill.  I was devastated! My new found means of transportation, exercise and penny-saver had failed me.  Luckily, my buddies’ dad is a carpenter and works out of his garage just five blocks down the road from me.  With just a few minor adjustments to the bike, disaster was averted.  I was back on the road!

I want to once again thank everyone who voted for me in the Isla Palenque Intern contest.  A further thanks goes out to those who spent the extra time emailing their friends and family encouraging them to vote as well!  It was fun to dream and as a result I may have stumbled onto another unique opportunity.  

Bastimentos Island, Panama

After seeing my video submission, a friend of mine from Villanova sent me a message stating the following (in summary): “Hey Ryan, my sister’s best friend and her boyfriend moved to Panama last year to start up a volunteer organization.  I am not sure if that’s something you’re interested in, but if you are going to be in Panama, you should definitely contact them!”  She sent this to me after day two or three of voting, so I was still hopeful that I would move onto round two. Regardless, I am always on the look for a new opportunity, a new country, and a new adventure to take on down here, so I began my pursuit.  After emailing back and forth for the past two weeks, it seems the following opportunity is well within my grasp and on the brink of happening.  The organization is located on Bastimentos Island which is a part of a collection of islands in Panama known as the Bocas del Toro.  On this island, a lovely woman named Margaret and a few others have been working for a few years now within the local community known as Bahia Honda.  Bahia Honda is made up of about 25 families; I assume quite large ones, who have recently developed an elementary school system for their children.  They are now looking to initiate a pre-school program and it looks like I will be lucky enough to take part in this challenge.  Literally, starting from the ground-up, I will be part of the inaugural group of teachers (I think there may be 3 or 4 of us) to get the ball rolling.  Details are still very unknown and there is a chance it will fall through, in which case, there are multiple other volunteer opportunities I can help with.  Furthermore, Margaret has a 3-year old son who would need looking after three times a week.  In return for all of my services, they would provide room/board and a small stipend.  I would have all weekends off, and during the week would spend most of my time entertaining guests at the gorgeous lodge that Margaret runs as well.  Clearly things are still getting worked out and nothing is set in stone, but the opportunity has me giddy and excited thinking about where this South American adventure will bring me.  Enough so, that I felt the need to inform my readers!

Last note for now; tomorrow I will be competing in my first rugby game in about a year and a half!  I have been a dedicated player and attended nearly every practice since my arrival here in Lima.  As a result, I have been practicing and starting with the first team.  Though I am not certain, all signs point to me starting in tomorrow’s game against Old Markham’s (my club) biggest rival Newton.  I must admit this is the most nervous I have been going into competition in quite some time.  I hope to represent the USA well and will be sure to report back on how the game went! 

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

~ Sir Winston Churchill

Where’d the last month go?

Trying to finally catch up to present day here! Seems like every time I go to start a new blog two weeks have passed and there is just TOO much to write about.  Due to this, I’m going to take down the entire month of March (with exception to Machu Picchu) in this here post!  Strap yourselves in for a crazy ride.  This is: The Monthly Rundown.

Week One: March 6^th – March 12^th

Sunny Dayssss

After arriving back from Cusco, my mom and sister had one more day here in Miraflores before their red-eye back to the States.  After failing to get massages, we watched a movie and then went out for some sushi.  Because it was Sunday, the top two recommended places were closed, but we were able to find one open!  It wasn’t the best sushi I’ve had, but considering I won’t be touching the stuff again for months (out of my budget) it was a wonderful last meal.  The rest of the week went by with little to report.  I started teaching a few new classes and continued with rugby practice every Tuesday/Thursday night.  One thing I love about working at the B&B is the people.  That weekend, I went out with a few lovely girls from the US staying at the hotel.  They had studied abroad the previous two months in Ecuador and were in Lima for their spring break.  There is always something new to experience here in Lima and tourists are always the best to find them!

Week Two: March 13^th – March 19^th

March Madness sparks a Wonderful Week!

The first week of March Madness, is, and always will be, THE GREATEST WEEK OF THE YEAR.  This year was the definition of just such occasion.  It was such a great week, I actually went out of my way to make a list of all the wonderful things that happened that week…and here it is (with post-week commentary):

My dad put in a bid to purchase Mucho Gusto - unfortunately this fell through, but at the time it was exhilarating and the potential for buying a bar/restaurant is still on the forefront of his mind!

1. Duke:

a.       Wins the ACC Tournament - This still counts!

b.      Receives a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament - Duke then lost in the sweet 16 to Arizona)

c.       Kyrie Irving announces he may return - he did return

2. My sister successfully defended her dissertation!

3. Set schedule @ work

d.      I finally asked my boss for EVERY Saturday night off - prior to I had to pretty much ask permission every night that I wanted to go out or have a night off

4. Kick-off the Season Rugby BBQ on Saturday – was an absolute blast; only downside -- got bit over 100 times by tiny little nats

5. Wireless internet in the  apartment – prior to I only had internet access in the hotel!

6. Skyped with Chelsea, Scooter, and my cousin Danielle – Scooter and I have since attempted to skype every Wednesday (Fail) and my skype date with Danielle turned into skyping with the whole family!

Like I said, at the time this was the greatest week ever.  Knowing this, I should have predicted what the following week would bring…

Week Three: March 20^th – March 26^th

Luck runs out…

After such a fantastic week that was, I went into this week with my head on a swivel, knowing something were bound to go wrong.  I probably didn’t help my chances by borrowing a bike from a friend to get around town.  In a city with 9 million people, constant traffic and mini-busses driven by crazed drivers, I was really testing my luck.  I am happy to report, so far so good (KOW – knock on wood).  I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, as it definitely takes an experienced rider to weave in and out of traffic.  In fact, just last week, a student of mine saw me riding to class and asked if I was scared that one of the combi’s would hit me.  To be polite, I told my student I was a bit nervous, so I took back roads most of the way.  What I was actually thinking, “Don’t live your life scared, it will only take away from potential adventures in front of you; I guess that’s why I’m living in his country, and not vice-versa. “ 

My only other report from this week may upset many of my readers, so I apologize ahead of time.  Anyone who has seen pictures of me since I have been down here in South America likely has noticed that I have lost some weight.  ‘Some’ would be an understatement.  A friend of mine has a scale and I finally got around to using it; predictions on how much weight I’ve lost since arriving in Buenos Aires anyone??? (Pause for thought/responses…) Twenty Pounds! I am currently weighing in at 185 lbs.  If I recall correctly, this is the least I have weighed since my Sophomore year of high school.  However, I don’t tell you this to infuriate you, but rather to explain my process in trying to gain the weight back!  As I am trying to take advantage of this whole ‘room and board’ gig I am working for, I spend little to no money weekly on food.  This means I am forced to make do with what is provided here at the hotel: eggs.  Every morning I have two egg n’ cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit and a yogurt.  Lunch varies daily depending on what the maid cooks.  Dinner is then back to eggs, where I once again have two egg n’ cheese sandwiches, yogurt and for dessert, a few glasses of milk with Oreos!  ***I am happy to report, that recently, the husband whom I live with, is quite giving and has been keen to buying me a sandwich or something similar for dinner many nights of the week to spice things up a bit!*** If I can put on 10 pounds in the next month I will be thrilled, in the next two months I will be happy and in the next three months I will be satisfied.  I’ll keep you posted.

As for my luck running out, well, Duke lost embarrassingly to Arizona; my bracket (along with the whole world) got completely ruined; and I slept through a class I was supposed to teach on Sunday  While this may not sound so "unlucky" to most people; anyone who knows me, knows that the single act of Duke losing causes more pain and agony than anything else that could have occurred and therefore, is bad enough.

Week Four: March 27^th – April 2^nd

 My weekly routine

The weeks have really flown by and I definitely peg that to my comfort level here in Miraflores.  Having a bike to get around is more convenient than I could have ever imagined and I dread the day my friend returns from Chile and asks for it back.  My teaching schedule is about as full as it can get with classes every Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat morning.  Along with most nights filled with either classes or rugby practice.  With most of my days generally free, I tend to take a solid nap everyday (after normally having slept no more than 3-5 hours the night before) and read about or listen to podcasts about sports and world news.  Also, with saving money at the top of my list, a gym membership is definitely not in the works, so I have taken to home workouts, using 7-Liter jugs of water as weights!

This past Thursday I was lucky enough to get invited to a local concert.  A friend of a friend is a singer here in Lima and was performing at a bar in Barranco.  There were about 200 people at the bar and it was amazing…we got front row seats!  Thursday also marked the beginning of the 2011 Major League Baseball season.  Unfortunately, my Giants lost a pathetic game to the Dodgers, and have been playing quite poorly, not to worry, it’s still early.  For me, the beginning of the season brings both the beginning of Fantasy Baseball and the pleasure of knowing there will always be a game on to watch while at work (I love MLB.TV).  I love sports.

Finally, most of you already know, starting this week and following into next week, I will be and have been heavily persuading friends and family to vote for me to become the next Isla Palenque Intern.  This has consumed a good portion of my time and I will really be pushing this next week to get the word out!  I am currently in the top-10 in voting, but to be sure I make it to the final round, I will need AT LEAST 1,500 more votes!  So keep on sending those emails and reminding everyone you know to vote!!!

http://www.islapalenque.com/island-intern-contest/2011/03/28/ryan-fentin-thompson/

“If you ain’t first, you’re last” – Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights)