The Adventure Continues

Good afternoon Minneapolis! I am currently writing this blog as I watch my beloved Minnesota Twins play their home opener. The game was actually played Monday afternoon in Mpls, which would translate to a 5 am Tuesday morning game time in Kalgoorlie. I could have watched the game live, but I had very little desire to get up that early and I was without Foxtel (the cable provider here). Luckily, with the help of Michael informing me that the game would be replayed at 11:30 pm today and the Foxtel service representatives appearing at my door this afternoon to setup our cable, I am watching the game now. It is wonderful to see the Twins off to a great start, to see the brand new ballpark, and to see a bit of home from the other side of the world! I am hoping to get to a game this fall and to be able to wear a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt to the outdoor stadium.

As I have started all my previous blogs, I will wish that you all are doing very well, are very happy, and are enjoying life! I am fortunate to report that I am experiencing all of the above. (Jason Kubel just left the ballpark! He will forever be the answer to a trivia question). After posting my last blog I left to finish the basketball camp that Michael and I were running during the school’s first week of Easter holiday. On our way down Hay Street, (Google Hay Street and Kalgoorlie and see what comes up), we approached Maritana Street where there were police everywhere. The night before there was a homicide. After finishing the camp I walked down to deposit some money at the bank. The bank shares the alleyway where the body was found and I literally walked up to the crime scene and saw all the number placards where evidence was. I felt like I was in a Law and Order episode.

Apparently the victim had an altercation at the pub late in the evening and was “glassed.” I have never heard of this before, but it seems that the instrument in the killing was either a glass bottle or drinking glass being broken over the individual or being stabbed by the broken object. I am not aware of any more details, but apparently the suspect fled town and his picture was all over the paper. When Rusty and Woody picked up a co-worker Monday morning at the local hostel the individual said that the assailant had been staying at that same hostel. He has now been detained.

On a lighter note, our camp was a great success. We had 50 campers over the 4 days and it was very fun. There is a bit of confusion here when I say camp because that implies that someone is sleeping over somewhere. I quickly adjusted my terminology to “day camp.” This was the first camp that the Giants have put on in some time and all the feedback we received was very positive. There are definitely things we would do differently and things we would like to add to future day camps. We plan to do a similar camp in July when the students are on holiday again.




The weekend started with a big hit as our new guests decided to treat a group of us to a taco dinner. I absolutely love Mexican food and it was a very welcomed treat. They provided everything, even down to the tiny red chili peppers. It was fantastic. It was a pretty calm Friday night as we had a game on Saturday. It is always a lot nicer to play at home than on the road as you get a good night sleep in your own bed, hang out in your own apartment during the day, and eat homemade food opposed to eating out.

Saturday night we were taking on the Bunburry Slammers. An AIA teammate, Trey Clarkson, is playing for them and was going to travel with the team despite not having been cleared to play by the Australian Immigration Office. He has been here for several weeks and has experienced some difficulties in getting his Visa processed. I was very happy to hear that he was still going to be traveling with so I could see him and we could get together after the game.

I have received a lot of concern from my friends with AIA that are playing over here. Their concern comes from the fact that I am playing in Kalgoorlie. At least once a week I get a phone call asking how I am doing and how I am handling things here. Not until Trey arrived here in Kal has anyone visited before. They are concerned because they hear so much from their teammates that the trip to Kal is a big weekend. The town has a lot of pubs, the impression is that people drink a lot, and there are legal brothels. If you have not Googled Hay Street yet, this is where the brothels are located. I actually live on Hay Street, a couple blocks down from these establishments. If you are concerned for me after reading this I promise you that I am not tempted in the slightest to visit a brothel, nor am I falling victim to drinking too much or hanging out in the pubs. Kalgoorlie is a wonderful country town and those things are a part of the culture. I tell the guys that things are going great and that those temptations are not a problem in the slightest. Kal is a beautiful town full of beautiful people.

Now I will give you the summary for the game against the Slammers. Bunburry has yet to win a game this season. They are young, without one of their imports and battling an injured point guard. We contributed to their drought as we piled up and maintained a pretty substantial lead throughout the game. This was our second lopsided win of the season and it felt very good. I did not play many minutes, and fortunately for me this was because of our lead and not because of the referees disagreeing with my style of play. I went through the first quarter without a foul, maybe one in the second, but felt compelled to do things that look like fouls to earn 5 for the game. I say “things that look like fouls” in honor of Coach Holquist and because I continue to maintain the position that I have never committed a foul, but rather only do things that might somewhat resemble a foul. I finished the game with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. After the game I was recognized as the game MVP and earned the team’s Defensive Player of the Game award. Each award comes with a cash prize, one to the Palace Hotel (which is also the bar we attend after home games) and the other to the local jewelry store. Both prizes are awarded by the sponsors that own the respective businesses. It is very generous of them and greatly appreciated. I only wish that Blackwoods would have provided similar prizes after games at UMD to offset the money I dumped into that place. It still remains my favorite place to go out to.

The game was a lot of fun. As they say in the movie Bull Durham, “winning, it’s a lot more fun than losing." Many of the players on the team received significant playing time. It was nice to see the younger players make shots and have the crowd cheer loudly for them. It was also exciting to see Russell Hurst collect a double-double on his 25th birthday in front of all his friends and family that made the trip from Perth. Saturday had several things to celebrate: A big victory, Russell’s birthday, and a small house warming for Michael, Lordan and me. Woody and Rusty were a little late to the game, but did not disappoint. They spent much of Saturday collecting items for their outfits. The result was a sombrero wearing Mexican and an 80’s hair band lead singer, both with sunglasses.

Before each game begins, we line up for the the Australian National Anthem. As a kid I always thought about all the baseball players and hockey players from other countries and what it was like for them to stand and give attention to another country’s anthem. I always related this question to baseball and hockey players as these sports had so many foreign players. To this day I consider this during each Olympics and how the winner of each event stands so proudly as their anthem is played. Now, having experienced listening to a foreign anthem, it is very weird. I find myself torn between whether or not I should learn the words and sing along or by doing the previous would I feel unpatriotic to the US. I do know that listening to the Star Spangled Banner gives me the chills and that I continue to trace the same word on the floor before a game that I used to write with all my friends before Legion baseball games.

Before our team heads out to the Palace for post game drinks we congregate with the opposing players in the “sponsor’s room” / bar to eat, drink, socialize and present awards. This is a bit different, but quite enjoyable. It almost makes you pull back a bit in what you say to the other players during the game as you know you will have to see them immediately following the game. After each award the recipient speaks and thanks the sponsors of the award, the sponsors of the team, their teammates, the volunteers, etc. I took advantage of my time and introduced my “American” friends to everyone. They will be instant hits at the games if they continue to dress up. This weekend the President of the league was in town for the game. His name is CJ, and he was an import in the league at one point. He has had a lot of experience with AIA guys coming over to play, and I was leaving the stadium and finishing my beer he pulled me aside. Laughing, he said, “You are the first AIA guy that I have seen drink.” I was shocked. My instant response was, “I’m Catholic.”

After getting out of the stadium we rushed back to get cleaned up and to change clothes before heading up town. You have to dress to the 9’s in Kal or they won’t let you in the clubs. Just kidding. We were ready to go and I was quite excited to show the guys the town and the nightlife. We started at the Palace as this is what they do here. The Palace is a “skimpy” bar. Skimpies are topless bartenders. The entire bar is not like that, but rather just the back portion. I usually stick to the front of the bar, but I thought Rusty and Woody would enjoy the differences from back home. Rusty and Woody were working their American accents and could not keep the girls away. We stayed at the Palace for a decent amount of time before heading back to our apartment. You can stay out all night in Kal if you desired, and it is fun the first couple weekends, but like a wave it hits the inevitable break.

At the apartment we had a handful of friends over for a couple drinks, some games, music and dancing. Other than the Coronas that everyone drinks we were providing pre-mixed drinks. These are new to me and it is a pretty decent concept. I am not referring to the Vodka Cruisers or Mike’s Hard Lemonades from home, but pre-mixed cans of Jim Beam and cola, Jack Daniels and cola, Vodka stuff, etc. It is pretty convenient, a can of coke with a shot of whatever suites your fancy. The only issue is for those that appreciate a little more spirit than cola. When drinking those pre-mixed cans you consume too much soda.









I mentioned above that I share the apartment with Michael (the other American) and Lordan. Lordan Franich is a new player to the Giants this year after moving from Perth. He is a great guy and should be a nice addition to our unit. I am in the process of explaining baseball to him as a tradeoff for his knowledge in Aussie rules and other Australian cultural explanations I need.

Cole and Woody arrived on Wednesday last week and by mid-day Thursday they were all over town and in search of jobs. After dropping resumes off at a couple places, calling leads that they had been given, they stopped in at the labour hire business. Labor is spelled differently here as are several words. These spelling differences are because the US was settled prior to Australia and in the time between the two births of these nations the English language went through a period of great French influence. This “new” English was brought to Australia. Most words affected by the influence end in either er (which is re here ex. metre) and or (which is our here ex. colour). They were instantly employed and began work as miners, yes miners, on Monday morning. They work 12 hour days and have to wear reflective clothing, hardhats and dirt all over their bodies. The last part is mandatory. I think they want to find other employment, but this was their first job after graduating college: Miners in Western Australia.




For a little culture in this week’s blog I will let you in on my daily math class. Life is one big math problem. Actually, life is one big conversion. Celsius to Fahrenheit, meters to feet, kilometers to miles, liters to ounces to gallons. My brain is constantly converting in order to survive. It is actually more of a compulsion. I constantly do the math in my head so that I can equate it back to the more familiar Imperial system. Why the US is the only nation that maintains using this system is beyond me. Anyways, the everyday things of driving, cooking, the weather and grocery shopping all provide the opportunity for conversion.

Since moving out of the Bowler residence I have been out grocery shopping and I still cannot walk into a store and purchase one item. I walk around the entire store and see what is available. Some may call this impulse shopping, but I, however, enjoy walking around grocery stores and find it relaxing. Walking up to the meat counter for the first time the signage threw me as deli ham cost $19. My instinctual response was to evaluate the cost per pound and I was shocked. The price is actually measured in kilograms. There are 2.2 lbs per kg and this is where my mind starts to go, comparing prices back to the states. I just find it fascinating what things cost in comparison to home. Two major differences in the grocery stores here are that dog food is predominantly meat and stored in the refrigerator section and that eggs are brown and stored in the dry goods sections. Grocery stores, like practically everything in Kal, are not open on Sundays.

Until next week, I will be enjoying the week off of school and looking forward to our game Saturday against Mandurah. Another AIA friend, Casey Crevelone, will be in town playing. I continue to be very grateful for my opportunity to play and live in Australia. Have a wonderful week everyone! God Bless.