(Mexican) Ecuadorian Volleyball

For years I've walked by or driven by parks where I've seen these nets stretched as far as possible and about 15 feet off the ground.  There were always spanish people playing some sort of variation of volleyball, but it was volleyball but you were allowed to catch and carry the ball and then throw it!

This sport baffled me and I thought it was just something that was made up by those who played it.  I actually thought it was just a New York thing since I've never seen it anywhere else that my limited travel experience has taken me to.

I had the fortunate and unfortunate experience of playing against some Ecuadorian's a few years ago.

Before I forget, please excuse my ignorance for calling it Mexican volleyball!  I can't tell the difference between Ecuadorians and Mexicans, just the same as I can't tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Korean just by looking at someone. 

We used to setup a volleyball net (regular volleyball) in Prospect Park a few years back.  We were just relaxing on the grass and these Ecuadorians came by and started to play on our net ... it was one of those moments where you don't know exactly how to respond.  Do you (A) tell them to stop playing on <b>our</b> net, (B) let it go and let them play on your net or (C) challenge them to a game to get them off your court?!

We opted for option C.  First we let them know that it was our net and that it wasn't a public net, then we asked them if they wanted to play a friendly game of volleyball.  This is where it got interesting as it was their guys against my friends and I.  Keep in mind that my friends and I aren't great at volleyball, but we can play and hold our own.

From the first 20 seconds we knew this was going to be a long game, as the ball went over the net to their side, they took the ball, carried it and threw it to their other player.  I immediately called a carry on that player, but they looked at me as if I were a giant talking hot dog (which I'm not too far from).  This happened for the next few plays or so where I would call a carry when they would catch and throw the ball around.  Extremely frustrated at this point where the game was just not working, we decided to just "let it go" and not call anymore carries.  Their "captain" talked to his team and I'm assuming told them to ease up on the carries as this wasn't the volleyball they are used to! 

This was one of the hardest games I've played in my life, and I've played a lot of volleyball.

After we just let them carry the ball and throw it as they pleased, we found it extremely difficult as we played the regular rules of volleyball.  These guys were taking the ball, catching it and then throwing it to wherever they wanted.   It wasn't a bump, it wasn't a set and it wasn't a spike ... this was Ecuardorian volleyball.  Guys were running into the net, and doing all sorts of things that we weren't used to but we came out victorious in the end ... after a few games of this.

I even found myself playing with their rules because of pure frustration.  Instead of a spike, I would jump and grab the ball then throw it onto their side of the court - and it wasn't a short catch and throw, it was a catch, aim wind up and then throw!

This game is an actual sport that's big and has leagues!  Yas had found out that this was called Ecuavolley.  The reason I never found out what this was is because I searched for "Mexican volleyball." 

We were reminded of this game on the way to a pitch and putt outing where we saw a couple of those 15 feet high nets strung up in the underpass of the Van Wyck Expressway.  These guys are hardcore, they stayed there for hours, even after the sun went down.  I guess they have a good spot with lights at night and shade during the day. 

So props to those who play this type of volleyball as it takes a different kind of athlete to try and play on a 15 foot net. 

Here's some video of some Ecuadorian Volleyball league in Canada. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddaaptn0yaY

+ mon

Cousin See, Cousin Do

What I'm talking about here is what Ody seems to do, I end up doing it sooner or later.  We seem to end up doing the same hobby at on point or another, usually he'll get into it first then I'll come follow.  I was thinking about this and I thought it started with the DJ equipment that he had ... but it actually goes further back then that.

When we were little kids, my parents would never let me out of the house, play outside, go to the park or anything like that unless Ody was going.  They would always ask "is Ody going to be there?" and if the answer was yes, then it was never a problem - so that's a good thing, my parents saw him as a good example!

The bad thing ... is that everything Ody had, I wanted too!  I think it all started with the Matchbox garage set.  It was a parking garage for Matchbox cars that we bought from KB Toys.  There was this plastic spread that would have the outline of the garage and also the parking spaces lined out, then you would put the plastic garage set over this, I remember there was even a toll booth (I did a backflip on Ody's garage set, but that's another story all it's own).

Ody had that parking garage and I wanted it too!  So I asked and begged my parents for one, they ended up getting it for me since I couldn't go to Ody's house everyday.  From then it just snowballed onto other hobbies.

It went into video games, we both had Atari's, then it went into skateboards, then baseball, basketball.  The hobbies continued and I followed right along.  That's when it all started, when we were little kids, with simple toys, then bigger and more expensive things ... until we became young adults and then adults.

Ody had the DJ set and I wanted to DJ!  So I ended up buying it from him and used it, then I actually DJ'd for a while after investing more and more into equipment and music.  Snowboarding came along as Ody sold me his old snowboard for cheap, so again he pushed me into the hobby!  After snowboarding, Ody had gotten into cars, but I couldn't as I didn't have my license and enough cash to support that hobby, which was a good thing or else I would be in more debt.  From photography, the guitar, computers, european cars, the list just won't stop.

I'm wondering what the next hobby will be that I'll influence him with, or that he'll influence me with.  He recently went sky diving and I've always wanted to go!  As soon as he told me about the sky diving trip, I started to search on eBay to buy my own parachute!  If you don't know me, one thing that comes out pretty quickly is when I get into a hobby, or really find something I like to do, I spend a ton of cash on it and usually buy everything with the bells and whistles - which is a bad thing!

Soooo I wonder what the next hobby will be ... bull riding?  Rock climbing?  Parasailing?  All I know is that whatever it is I should start saving now because the trend is that the hobbies are becoming more expensive.  From that simple $20 - $30 Matchbox garage set with $0.99 cars, to $500 cameras the price just keeps going up!

+ mon

Update on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 3:30PM by MONStar

I can't believe I forgot about this one ... but Ody also got me started on Metal Gear Solid.  I still have the original CD's for the PS1 that you let me barrow!  

Not really sure how you introduced me to this game, but you let me barrow your discs, and from that point on I was hooked!  Thank you sooooooo much!

+ mon

Waiting for Gym Class

This was an entry that I put in my old blog (which no one read lol, and I was going to post this yesterday but it slipped my mind, so here I am posting it today).

Back in high school I remember having gym class at most twice a week. The rest of the time you have the "other" classes that just fill up your schedule, like science, math, english, and all those other classes that are just there to fill your day so you don't have idle thoughts. Having that crumpled program card in my pocket and looking at it each day, even though I knew where I was supposed to be and what class it was, then seeing that day that had gym on it. That feeling was awesome, it was a countdown until you were able to go into that gym class again.

I guess going to gym class was different from going to the park and doing things with your friends like playing basketball or baseball. Being in that gym class gave you the opportunity to show off to your fellow alumni your skills, or lack thereof. All our fellow classmates would see us in is sitting at our desks buried in a book (as we fell asleep), or doing projects with them for whatever filler class we might be attending. There was hardly any time to show those other people in the classroom what kind of athlete you were, or there was never any time to show that you weren't just some nerdy kid.

Being able to gym class and show that you are somewhat coordinated and others very well coordinated was a big thing. The circle of friends expanded just because of your abilities! Even if those new "friends" you met in gym class weren't the ones you hung out with all the time, you would now get the head nod in passing in the hallways, or if you were lucky the pound or the high fives. That was what gym class was about.

But there was only that one day or if you were lucky two days you had gym. Each day would just be another countdown until you got to wear the same clothes as the other guys and match with everyone in the PE uniform.

That's how it feels for me again. I'm back at that spot where I sit here day in and day out just waiting for the next volleyball game so I can do my thang and show my coworkers that I'm more than just a suit and tie. It's fun that way, and I like it more because you have a sense of teamwork and accomplishment, even if your team lost all three games. I would rather do that then going out for "drinks" after work.

Well here I sit, one day a week of volleyball is not enough for me. I'm going to check out a new league tonight, and possible another league. So there's a potential to be in three volleyball leagues, so that means three days of gym class ... wish I had done this when I was younger and maybe I would have been in the Olympics or something. But it's funny how you can do this stuff when you're older since you have the cash and nothing else to do.

So now I look at my program card and wait in anticipation for gym class tonight that is in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Then maybe gym class on Sunday as well ... I'm starting to like this program that I got.

Game on!

+ mon