clubs and societies

Well, I am sitting around waiting to start getting ready for the ball tonight. It is the opening ball and it is black tie. Everyone is going. It is from 8-2 at some estate near by. I think on the way back there are horses and carriages. The Kate Kennedy Society is hosting it, an all guys society that is known of being very preppy. There are only 36 members and they all wear that same tie and stuff. Anyway, I figured I would write about the things I have been doing when I am not in class. My current favorite is: the woman's cricket team. We practice Wednesday's 1:30-3 and Saturdays 9-10:30. It is really fun. I have been to 2 practices so far. We have only worked on batting, with a tennis ball, and catching, with the real heavy ceramic ball. I am not as bad as I am sure you are thinking. It is like any other sport- it is all about eye contact with the ball. The girls are very nice and inclusive. The first day a girl, Catherine, asked if I wanted to be her academic mom!!! Here is it a big deal. You have an academic mom and dad and they help you the first year at St. A's, especially in the social aspect. You usually drink with them. Then on Raisin Weekend, late November, your mom dresses you up and you go drinking and then in the afternoon you have a big foam fight with everyone in the school. I am so glad I get to participate in raisin weekend now, although I will be skipping the drinking parts. Anyway, the first day, we played a type of hybrid indoor cricket game. I scored 3 runs and caught a ball to get someone out. I caught to about an inch from the ground and kind of fell in the process. Everyone clapped for me. I was so proud, but played it off like "that's right, I am that good." The practice the following Wednesday, I went to. The Saturday one, I was hiking, which I also missed the team breakfast after and today it was canceled. I made a great overhand throw in the game at the end, to get someone out. I was one of the few to throw it overhand. That night, I "forgot" about initiation, which involved, again, lots of drinking and dressing up like a pretty doll. I hope we have games this semester. I think only 1 or 2. But even the practices are fun. The coach is great and seems to know a lot about cricket. His name is Clarence and he is from Bermuda. He is an older, big guy (not fat, just tall and big) with light dark skin and big clear glasses. He is so sweet and I feel a little bad for him because none of the veteran girls take him seriously when he talks.
I tried to try archery today. For beginners it is Saturdays from 1-4. And after the first 6 weeks then you switch to the next level up. I got to the sports center and they said archery was canceled because they over booked it... maybe it is the same event that canceled cricket. I will try archery again next week. It was one of my favorite activities at camp when I was younger.
Last Thursday, last week, I had a polo lesson. It was 4 hours, to take a public bus there and back took 2 hours. I was with about 6 other people from the "team." We got on a wooden horse for the first hour to practice a half shot. This is where the club, not a mallet! starts from below the horse's butt and hits the ball and then goes to about the horse's head. Then I rode Manno, and we took our horses to the muddy wooden gated area and just hit the ball around to ourselves for about 30 minuets. I was a little scared on the horse. The horse would not turn or anything, it just stood there. And then it started sneezing and I thought I was going to get bucked off. The guy in charge, Thom Bell was hilarious. He told me to think of the ball as brad Pitt and keep looking at him the whole time when hitting the ball. He was soooo funny. I would like to continue to learn but it is 30 pounds a lesson. And if you want to play in a game, and Thom says we are ready it over 150 pounds per game. This is all on top of a 25 pound membership fee. Every Tuesday night, there is a meeting, where you can sign up for a lesson that week if you want. I will have to think about it. I did not go this week, because they would have made me pay the membership. The people in my group were of all polo/riding experience. And, for the most part were okay. But, the other people in the club seem... interesting. They are the most peppy people you have ever seem, and there are 100 of them. One guy was wearing a bright pink sports jacket.
And finally, I joined the Celtic dance society. The beginners are on Mondays from 7:30-9:30. I went this past Monday, October 3rd. It was okay. I have very high expectations because I had so much fun at the Ceilidh on the Sunday before classes started (a post about that day is coming soon). This two kids would teach us a dance for 5-10 minuets and then we would dance it for 2-3 minuets. It was a little boring after awhile and very tiring. We have a 5 minuet break or so where we got water, in a very nice tea cup, to drink. It was in the Boys Brigade Hall (the BB Hall, as the taxi drivers call it). I think it is like a community center where their version of the Boys Scouts were. It looked like a ship, with anchors everywhere and badges and stuff. I have no clue where it is in town, I think it is parallel to the main road, but to the right of it, on the North Sea. I will continue to go to this club, and learn Scottish dancing and country dancing (I think), but not every Monday!
I am also a member of the Fine Chocolate Society. The only thing so far was a chocolate tasting, at a hotel on the golf course, and I did not go. But, I will go going to the next one. At some point, I hope they teach us about chocolate pasta- which they said they would- and things like that. Hopefully, it will not be as gross as it sounds right now.
And finally, I am in the hill walking club, Breakaway, which I am never doing again.. okay maybe the one in a few weeks, but that is only because it is navigation training.
I still want to try the canoe, netball and trampoline club, and maybe the adventure and expadtion clubs, the last 2, I think, just travel during school holidays. I am not going to do the rugby or touch rugby, as I think my experience will be the same as it was on KU's rugby team...
So... this wraps up the sports clubs and societies I am doing. I am going to get ready for the ball... and hopefully give a few numbers out tonight :)