.....Ok so your where?

Man, its such a rush when things are stagnant for a while, then a butterfly in china coughs and the worlds starts spinning sideways.

Its time for an update.  man where to start.  I'm not entirely sure how much to tell you for fear of legal implications....  so I guess I'll just tell you like it is for reallz.

I've been in Yaroslavl for 41 days now playing volleyball in the Russian super league.  Its had its ups and down.  For example, I've not entered a league match for more than a few points.  I played pre season and did well, but once league started, I got the axe.  So I've been trying to find a way to help the team in other ways, if not rightside, then maybe middle or power.  I mean i'm not terrible at either.  So after asking the coach this several times, it looked promising.  Of course my positive attitude was crushed little by little every day, since I did less and less everyday in practise.  it had gotten to the point where I would play a little D for about ten mins a practise.  So after one sevearly frustrating practise, I asked the coach "what can I do to help the team, I'm willing to try anything"; to which he took me aside and explained how dilemma.  apparently he's been frustrated too, and this is why:

Every team in Russia is allowed two players not from Russia.  Usually teams will bring in players in positions they are struggling in.  So last year, the team needed a leftside, and a rightside, so they called up me and fred, and we signed contracts last april before the summer.  Now during the summer one of the players who was playing leftside joined the Russian national team and switched positions over to rightside, and subsequently became one of the best rightsides in the world...... sweeeeet... kinda....   So our team gets together in September and he goes back to playing leftside.  Now things for our team is Yaroslavl did not start so hot.  Everyone was struggling, so the coach made the call to have this player switch back to rightside since he had such success during the summer and low and behold, we won a match.

So this leaves a situation where the team has two Russian rightsides and me.  so that is three rightsides, and because of the position switch, one less leftside.  So basically it is in the best interest of the club to sign a non russian leftside and loose me.  and to be honest, its best for me too, because there no use is me being here not playing, and not training.  Its one thing have a good team to train with during the week, then not see the court, but its a whole other story if your not getting any play time AND not training.

So after a mentally draining month or so here, the president and we came to an agreement about releasing me from the team.  It was actually not as stressful as I had imagined.  The club was apologetic and so was I.  Both parties had good intentions when we signed the contract back in April, but a lot changed over the summer.

So now I'm waiting to be paid, which apparently might take a few weeks.  So instead of sit around my Russian apartment for no reason, I'm bouncing out to Europe to refresh before I find a new club.  this should be an adventure, cuz I have no real plans other than I have to be back in Russia an a week or so.  Might just buy a europass train ticket and see where I end up.  I'm heading to Berlin today,  and after that who knows.  if anyone has a suggestion,  drop it on me.

I should have something interesting to tell you in about a week or so, hopefully I won't get robbed on the train again, and all will be well.  oh snap,  its Halloween.  I wonder if I go trick or treating in Russia, will I get mini bowls of beet soup or just stabbed......

как вы говорите то на русском языке?

So I'm enjoying a day off.  Well a faux day off really.  we training this morning, and we train again tomorrow afternoon.  so i guess when you put it together we get a day off... but its not the same.

Oddly enuf, I'm watching my old club Arago du Sete play via the internet as I write this.  My man Gav is down there playing for them so he gave me the heads up on the live feed.  Its pretty cool to watch a Sete game after playing in so many.  When I break it down in my head, playing in Sete was awesome.  such a nice little town.  nice guys on the team.  good little situation.

It also reminds me of my first year playing pro in Poland.  Man that was a tuff growing experience.  Just 6 months of always being uncomfortable and lonely.

And noooow I'm in Russia.  There's parts of my experience here as of now that remind me of pieces of the previous two years.  For instance, the work ethic of the athletes here is similar to the Polish players.  Also the way they interact with each other, virtually always yelling, regardless if its an argument or a friendly conversation is similar to the Pols.  Reading that, it sounds rude of me to say, but thats honestly how it is.  

Also there's the whole smiling thing.  I've been told that I look silly a lot because I generally smile from time to time.  Apparently if I was Russian, the yaroslavich (peeps from around here)  would think I'm crazy.  This is also how most people tell I'm not from this neck of the woods.  Most people walk around with their heads down like its the dark ages trying to avoid contact n stuff.

Still, I'm enjoying my time here.  Although, because I had NOTHing to do today, I felt almost home sick.  not really home sick in the traditional sense, since I don't technically have a home anywhere, but I wanted to be in edmonton enjoying the saturday with friends and family rather then sitting in my apartment in Yaroslavl doing nothing.  So upon this juncture, I decided to get a taste of home.

Knowing the local mall-like establishment had a foodishcourtish thing with a baskin robins, we decided to venture outwards.  Once we hit the fakemall I had a sudden case of anorexia and decided I was too fat to eat ice cream on my day off, and rationalized that it would make more sense to get proper food.  So thinking logically, I settled for a taco time/bell rip off called "chimmychonga".  It certainly looked like a taco time; the colors on the walls and the menu was the same.  Things were lookin up and I had totally forgotten what alberta looked like by this point.

Of course my little fantasy bubble of being someplace like home was smashed slowly but surely.  how slow u ask,  about 35 mins.  beleeeive that.  it took 35 mins, for the 4 people behind the counter to make a macho burrito and a nacho supreme.  that itself brought things back to reality.  I could go into the food itself and how it was nothing like the pictures displayed, but I'm not sure about the miss-advertising laws in Russia.  Maybe I should look at the Burrito making laws first.  Anyways,  if your at home, enjoy it,  and if your not, keep pluggin away, cuz I know from experience, once you get home after longing for it, you appreciate the small things like say, oh I dunno, a friendly nod from someone sharing the sidewalk with you.

P.s. much love to my man Eric for digging mad balls.

Даллас Суниас

once again its been way to long.

Jeepers where to start.  I'll start... from my chair.  I'm sitting in a yellow leather chair that matches the yellow leather sectional couch behind me.  this is my living room.  it connects with my kitchen with is open to the front door.  my bedroom is to the right of where i'm sitting now, and the bathroom is beside it.  Its outdated by has everything I need, and i'm happy with it.  If you haven't guessed I've been describing my apartment in Russia.

I'm over in Yaroslavl now.  I've been here almost a month, and to my delight and astonishment, I'm quite enjoying myself.  The team itself is made up of good dudes who are good at volleyball.  The level of the league is good, which makes it fun to play in.  cuz when its all said and done, I'm here to play a game, and games are supposed to be enjoyable.

The club seems fairly well organized, and we have a good coach.  that was something I was worried about coming here, but he really knows his stuff.

For basically all our road trips we have to drive 5 hours to catch a plan at one of the 5 Moscow airports.  but its made less annoying by our team bus which was made specially for us with less seats and more leg space.  Ballin.  Also its the first team bus I've been on with out team logo on the side.  It just feels cool.  

There's also a brand new hockey stadium just beside our hall.  its about the size of the MTS centre in Winnipeg, but with only a lower bowl, so that is a nice taste of home.  accept there are cheerleaders at these games,  which is I think one of the only places where Russia is more advanced than North America.

The people here I'm sure would be nice if we could communicate,  mostly people walk around with their heads down frowning as not to gather attention.  I guess thats just whats comfortable.  So people instantly know me and Fred are not from around here cuz we tend to smile from time to time.

But things are good.  its nice to make plans of what I'm gonna do when I get home thats for sure.  maybe go somewhere on a week holiday.  somewhere warm.  oh thats another things, its actually warmer here than Edmonton or Calgary,  go figure.

As you can imagine the place itself is not aesthetically pleasing as most places in the world, but as it turns out, when you go inside most of the broke ass buildings, you find quaint restaurants and shops n things.  and if things get really bad, there's always a MacDonald's if I'm feeling home sick.  also I don't really eat ice cream, but there's a mall sort of place with a baskin robins.  so thats Ballin.  I don't really have much more to report.  things are movin quickly.  if you got any questions,  lemme know. I got a lot of free time to talk about stuff.  well I'm gonna get some sleep before a late practise and a charter jet to our next match tomorrow.  BALLIN!  peice out yall.