Those of you who know me to much any extent at all know that I am a big fan of the sport known as America's national pastime -- baseball. Unfortunately, baseball's popularity is much less in most places outside America (and Japan and Cuba). Even within America, baseball has lost its monopoly on the national sport.
Of course, the most popular sport in the world is soccer (aka football). I never have really gotten into it much. There are a couple attributes of soccer which frustrate me. First, it seems that while all sports have an aspect of officiating subjectivity, soccer has a stronger element of that. But more importantly, I become frustrated at the seeming meaninglessness of 99% of the game. Players kick the ball back and forth, and once in a blue moon something actually happens (i.e. a score). I didn't sense any strategy in the game -- just some tactics and a lot of quickness (which I don't have).
Well, a couple weeks ago I was at a Settlers of Catan tournament. One of the people mentioned that he was going to the US/Honduras world cup qualifying game at Soldier field. Well, I'm not sure if I'll ever get another opportunity like this...hmm When is the game? Is it sold out? Turns out, he thought there would be some tickets. My friend directed me to the field and there were indeed tickets available.
The soccer game was loads of fun. Honduras fans came in droves and outnumbered us natives. Apparently we were supposed to win fairly easily, but I didn't know that. The game was quite close and tense all the way. It also had a side effect of giving me a lot better feel for the game. From being at the game, to being able to see the whole field, to conversing with knowledgable fans (primarily one in particular who looked about 10 years younger than me) to sensing the excitement to seeing players at such a high level, the game has taken on a whole new depth of meaning.
Now there is no way soccer will replace baseball in the deep dwellings of my heart, but it is in competition with basketball...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Chicago Board Games
Yes, there is an actual online group with that name. They have a bunch of events, and so I decided to check it out. There were 3 different aspects of a group which I really enjoy:
- Environment -- competitive, but fun and laid-back. Playing with people who are always distracted can be quite frustrating, as can be people who throw a fit if, say, you put the robber on them. Now, granted, this does describe me at times. But a good environment has a way of being overall quite beneficial.
- Type of games -- playing fun games. Many people think of games such as Monopoly and Risk when they think of board games. While those are quite enjoyable, there are so many more enjoyable games out there.
- Accessibility -- Chicago has a great CTA system, but it doesn't go everywhere. Plus, I have a job and have other things going on, so a group that I can't play with doesn't do me any good.
The events which I've attended has included the above 3 factors in abundance. It is loads of fun. For those of you worrying if I would have a social life, not to fear -- Chicago Board Games is here! While there is much more important things in life than playing games, I do think it is healthy to have an environment where one can sit down and have fun. Probably as I become more plugged into Chicago activities, such as church events and Bible studies, I won't be attending as many of these gaming events. But that is part of the beauty of a group like this -- you can just come when you want.
My favorite events is one which occasionally meets Mondays after work. Actually, it is quite within walking distance of my apartment. Anyway, what really makes the time is the host. T is always a great host. Not only does he have fun games and food, but he also is very socially savvy and keeps a fun, pleasant environment. Not only that, but he has a claim to fame in that he played a large part in bringing Settlers of Catan to the US, where it has taken off as a popular board game.
Perhaps I'll host an event sometime. Maybe when the many summer activities of Chicago start subsiding...
- Environment -- competitive, but fun and laid-back. Playing with people who are always distracted can be quite frustrating, as can be people who throw a fit if, say, you put the robber on them. Now, granted, this does describe me at times. But a good environment has a way of being overall quite beneficial.
- Type of games -- playing fun games. Many people think of games such as Monopoly and Risk when they think of board games. While those are quite enjoyable, there are so many more enjoyable games out there.
- Accessibility -- Chicago has a great CTA system, but it doesn't go everywhere. Plus, I have a job and have other things going on, so a group that I can't play with doesn't do me any good.
The events which I've attended has included the above 3 factors in abundance. It is loads of fun. For those of you worrying if I would have a social life, not to fear -- Chicago Board Games is here! While there is much more important things in life than playing games, I do think it is healthy to have an environment where one can sit down and have fun. Probably as I become more plugged into Chicago activities, such as church events and Bible studies, I won't be attending as many of these gaming events. But that is part of the beauty of a group like this -- you can just come when you want.
My favorite events is one which occasionally meets Mondays after work. Actually, it is quite within walking distance of my apartment. Anyway, what really makes the time is the host. T is always a great host. Not only does he have fun games and food, but he also is very socially savvy and keeps a fun, pleasant environment. Not only that, but he has a claim to fame in that he played a large part in bringing Settlers of Catan to the US, where it has taken off as a popular board game.
Perhaps I'll host an event sometime. Maybe when the many summer activities of Chicago start subsiding...
Take me out to the ballgame
Last week, the Twins were in town. Typically, this would be at U.S. Cellular field. However, for about 1 time in 6 years, they played at Wrigley field. What timing!
Game 1: The Twins won! Unfortunately, I missed the game. If you were a Milton Bradley fan (not the game company), this would have been a painful one.
Game 2: Standing room only ticket, $15. Not bad for Wrigley. Getting in is the big thing. The day started off quite rainy and it was postponed for a few minutes. But, as the weatherpeople predicted, the weather cleared off. It turned into a beautiful day for a great game. I heartily enjoyed the day, though this was another painful one for Cubs fans. I don't know what's worse:
- Being the first team to lose a home series vs. the Twins all year (it's mid-June) OR
- Being shut-out by a pitcher who is subsequently sent to the minors.
- The visiting crowd being louder than the home crowd for most all the game
Game 3: The Cubs get revenge.
Quick side story: For those of you who aren't familiar with baseball in Chicago, getting tickets at a Cubs game is not the easiest task in the world. They are typically sold out. Every day. Ahead of time. There's standing-room only which you can get, which isn't a bad option. So, I'm on my way to the game, without a ticket. Scalpers abound, but they are charging decently high prices (i.e. about twice face value). Typically the best deals are found by seeing someone selling tickets who just has one ticket, rather than someone yelling out with a fistful of tickets. Anyway, I ran into such a person. Bleacher seat for face value. Yes! The guy behind me, who tried to get in on it, was envious. "Those are going for $100 today." So, I'm standing in line for the bleachers (which are general admission). Deciding to look at my ticket, it reads: "Cubs vs. Indians." What!? Fortunately, it wasn't a complete dud as that was a game next Sunday. So, I get in line to by a ticket from the box office. There were actually seats available. All in all, it ended up being a spendy day. But both were pretty good deals. There's worse things that can happen than going to an extra Cubs game. (By the way, the Cubs/Indians game was this past Sunday, and it turned out to be beautiful weather for getting a sunburn, but also a great game.)
So, I'm sitting down. Here's my seat:
Not bad for the cheapest seat available ($36), eh? There was a beam in the way, but it wasn't very obstructive. The man in the picture right behind the hitter is Carlos Gomez. His batting practice was like a home run derby. He was crushing the ball. He ended up having his best game of the year to date, with a HR and a double. Gomez might have contributed all the Twins offense of the game, if my memory serves me correctly.
The game was really quite a thriller. It was a classic pitchers' duel. The conclusion was in the 9th, when both Mauer and Morneau didn't come through with RISP (suppose they are still humans) which could have brought Nathan in to close the 9th. Instead, Theriot came through for the Cubs with a 1 out, bases-loaded single to win it. While I was quite disappointed, seeing the whole Wrigley field erupt is quite a sight to see.
Game 1: The Twins won! Unfortunately, I missed the game. If you were a Milton Bradley fan (not the game company), this would have been a painful one.
Game 2: Standing room only ticket, $15. Not bad for Wrigley. Getting in is the big thing. The day started off quite rainy and it was postponed for a few minutes. But, as the weatherpeople predicted, the weather cleared off. It turned into a beautiful day for a great game. I heartily enjoyed the day, though this was another painful one for Cubs fans. I don't know what's worse:
- Being the first team to lose a home series vs. the Twins all year (it's mid-June) OR
- Being shut-out by a pitcher who is subsequently sent to the minors.
- The visiting crowd being louder than the home crowd for most all the game
Game 3: The Cubs get revenge.
Quick side story: For those of you who aren't familiar with baseball in Chicago, getting tickets at a Cubs game is not the easiest task in the world. They are typically sold out. Every day. Ahead of time. There's standing-room only which you can get, which isn't a bad option. So, I'm on my way to the game, without a ticket. Scalpers abound, but they are charging decently high prices (i.e. about twice face value). Typically the best deals are found by seeing someone selling tickets who just has one ticket, rather than someone yelling out with a fistful of tickets. Anyway, I ran into such a person. Bleacher seat for face value. Yes! The guy behind me, who tried to get in on it, was envious. "Those are going for $100 today." So, I'm standing in line for the bleachers (which are general admission). Deciding to look at my ticket, it reads: "Cubs vs. Indians." What!? Fortunately, it wasn't a complete dud as that was a game next Sunday. So, I get in line to by a ticket from the box office. There were actually seats available. All in all, it ended up being a spendy day. But both were pretty good deals. There's worse things that can happen than going to an extra Cubs game. (By the way, the Cubs/Indians game was this past Sunday, and it turned out to be beautiful weather for getting a sunburn, but also a great game.)
So, I'm sitting down. Here's my seat:
Not bad for the cheapest seat available ($36), eh? There was a beam in the way, but it wasn't very obstructive. The man in the picture right behind the hitter is Carlos Gomez. His batting practice was like a home run derby. He was crushing the ball. He ended up having his best game of the year to date, with a HR and a double. Gomez might have contributed all the Twins offense of the game, if my memory serves me correctly.
The game was really quite a thriller. It was a classic pitchers' duel. The conclusion was in the 9th, when both Mauer and Morneau didn't come through with RISP (suppose they are still humans) which could have brought Nathan in to close the 9th. Instead, Theriot came through for the Cubs with a 1 out, bases-loaded single to win it. While I was quite disappointed, seeing the whole Wrigley field erupt is quite a sight to see.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Park
The second question, have you found a church, is in the process of being answered. There are about half a dozen churches in the area which I hope to visit. Unfortunately, that means it will take 6 weeks to visit them all.
The first one on the list was Park Community Church. It was started by some people by Moody and is geared towards the younger crowd. I went to the 11 AM service and really enjoyed both the music and the sermon. The pastor had a very challenging text (1 Cor 14) in his pass-through of 1 Corinthians. He handled it very well: sticking to solid teachings, gearing it toward a more contemporary audience, being energetic (especially for this being the 2nd service of the day), and having some solid applications. In talking with some people, there were some activities for "new people" after the 5:30 service. It is this service which the younger crowd tends to attend, anyway (the 11 AM service was more 30-somethings, if that gives you an indication of the youth).
So I eagerly trekked to the 5:30 service. Knowing the sermon and music would be the same, I expected to be a bit bored, but ready to see how this service was different (and expectant towards the newcomers get-together). The music was even better this time, perhaps because I started learning the songs. As for the message, I was asking myself during this sermon "Did I already hear this?" in a truly questioning tone. So there must be some combination of:
- Me not being a good churchmember and not paying attention during the first service
- There being a lot to the sermon, with the first time me missing the trees for the forest, so to speak
- The pastor being engaging enough so as to keep me interested
- The pastor doing a great job in knowing his audience, in that even though the main content was the same, being with a different audience felt completely fresh
So Park has been going quite well. I returned yesterday and had another good experience. The aspect of an evening service works great as well, because I can still attend Park while visiting other churches. Hopefully this does not make me a traitor.
The first one on the list was Park Community Church. It was started by some people by Moody and is geared towards the younger crowd. I went to the 11 AM service and really enjoyed both the music and the sermon. The pastor had a very challenging text (1 Cor 14) in his pass-through of 1 Corinthians. He handled it very well: sticking to solid teachings, gearing it toward a more contemporary audience, being energetic (especially for this being the 2nd service of the day), and having some solid applications. In talking with some people, there were some activities for "new people" after the 5:30 service. It is this service which the younger crowd tends to attend, anyway (the 11 AM service was more 30-somethings, if that gives you an indication of the youth).
So I eagerly trekked to the 5:30 service. Knowing the sermon and music would be the same, I expected to be a bit bored, but ready to see how this service was different (and expectant towards the newcomers get-together). The music was even better this time, perhaps because I started learning the songs. As for the message, I was asking myself during this sermon "Did I already hear this?" in a truly questioning tone. So there must be some combination of:
- Me not being a good churchmember and not paying attention during the first service
- There being a lot to the sermon, with the first time me missing the trees for the forest, so to speak
- The pastor being engaging enough so as to keep me interested
- The pastor doing a great job in knowing his audience, in that even though the main content was the same, being with a different audience felt completely fresh
So Park has been going quite well. I returned yesterday and had another good experience. The aspect of an evening service works great as well, because I can still attend Park while visiting other churches. Hopefully this does not make me a traitor.
A random welcome to Chicago
The 2 questions people from Iowa ask me the most frequently are:
1. Where do you live?
2. Have you found a church
I live downtown. You can see pictures on Facebook. But to truly get the experience, you should stop by sometime. Just let me know in advance so I'll be sure to be around.
The second question will be addressed in a future post.
If you want to get in contact with me, be patient. I'm still learning about ways to stay in touch. Generally, phone is best, then G-mail.
Hopefully there will be interesting enough information for this blog to be updated weekly. I already have a backlog of tidbits to share, so it might work for a while.
1. Where do you live?
2. Have you found a church
I live downtown. You can see pictures on Facebook. But to truly get the experience, you should stop by sometime. Just let me know in advance so I'll be sure to be around.
The second question will be addressed in a future post.
If you want to get in contact with me, be patient. I'm still learning about ways to stay in touch. Generally, phone is best, then G-mail.
Hopefully there will be interesting enough information for this blog to be updated weekly. I already have a backlog of tidbits to share, so it might work for a while.
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