More Spring Training laughs! (Feb. 2009)
This was the first week of Spring Training...
Sunday, February 08, 2009So the veterans on the team throw a team party at our hotel. It is an outdoor BBQ, Japanese style. They have a bunch of the Korean BBQ grills set up out on the grounds of the resort. (I've written about these grill it yourself BBQ pits before. They rock.) The older team leaders grab a microphone and welcome the new players to the team (this includes me and
Gary, players just drafted, and free agent signees). We all raise a beer and yell "Kampai!", which is "Cheers" in Japanese. We have an awesome meal of chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, steak, and all kinds of other meats (intestines, liver, hearts, etc.) We have a great time. At the end, the leaders stand up again and make all the new players make a speech! I start to panic! I dont mind public speaking, but this is different. I don't know if I should say it Japanese or English, or what! So Bobby starts helping me and Gary out on what to say. He says for us to get up and say something
funny. What? Do I look like a Japanese comedian? So I get up with my interpreter in front of the ENTIRE team, plus the team owner, the team president, and the team General Manager. YIKES! I say my name and that I am from Houston, Texas. I then mention that I got married just two days before I arrived in Japan. They all clap and raise
their beers for a "Kampai" to that. I say how I had to leave my new wife behind and that I was worried about being lonely when I got to Ishigaki. I then say that I am not lonely because I have the Japanese toilets to keep me VERY happy! (I'm sure everyone remembers my excapades with these porcelain robots that give you a little mini car wash every time you use the restroom.) The guys ROLL OVER laughing! They laugh so hard its scary. They are a great audience. I then tone it back a notch and say how I am blown away by the talent I have seen in the first week of being here. I say how I am extremely impressed with their work ethic and there passion for the game of baseball. I say that
they have my utmost respect, and that I consider it an honor to be their teammate. They love it. They clap and cheer and we "Kampai" one more time. It was a really neat experience. A couple of the guyssaid "nice speech", and some called me "Toto", which is the name of the toilets here. Just another day on Ishigaki Island.
To be continued.....
Chase
Sunday, February 08, 2009So the veterans on the team throw a team party at our hotel. It is an outdoor BBQ, Japanese style. They have a bunch of the Korean BBQ grills set up out on the grounds of the resort. (I've written about these grill it yourself BBQ pits before. They rock.) The older team leaders grab a microphone and welcome the new players to the team (this includes me and
Gary, players just drafted, and free agent signees). We all raise a beer and yell "Kampai!", which is "Cheers" in Japanese. We have an awesome meal of chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, steak, and all kinds of other meats (intestines, liver, hearts, etc.) We have a great time. At the end, the leaders stand up again and make all the new players make a speech! I start to panic! I dont mind public speaking, but this is different. I don't know if I should say it Japanese or English, or what! So Bobby starts helping me and Gary out on what to say. He says for us to get up and say something
funny. What? Do I look like a Japanese comedian? So I get up with my interpreter in front of the ENTIRE team, plus the team owner, the team president, and the team General Manager. YIKES! I say my name and that I am from Houston, Texas. I then mention that I got married just two days before I arrived in Japan. They all clap and raise
their beers for a "Kampai" to that. I say how I had to leave my new wife behind and that I was worried about being lonely when I got to Ishigaki. I then say that I am not lonely because I have the Japanese toilets to keep me VERY happy! (I'm sure everyone remembers my excapades with these porcelain robots that give you a little mini car wash every time you use the restroom.) The guys ROLL OVER laughing! They laugh so hard its scary. They are a great audience. I then tone it back a notch and say how I am blown away by the talent I have seen in the first week of being here. I say how I am extremely impressed with their work ethic and there passion for the game of baseball. I say that
they have my utmost respect, and that I consider it an honor to be their teammate. They love it. They clap and cheer and we "Kampai" one more time. It was a really neat experience. A couple of the guyssaid "nice speech", and some called me "Toto", which is the name of the toilets here. Just another day on Ishigaki Island.
To be continued.....
Chase
posted by CHASE at
11:05 AM
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