Volleyball Saturday
No, I wasn’t dumb enough to go play volleyball yesterday, though I did go. First of all, because I was the one with the ball (Anne and John just got back from vacation and I was still the keeper of the ball); second, because while I may not be able to play, it’s still a good time with friends; and third, because afterwards I was supposed to (and did) go over to Ethan and Darlene’s place to watch my sumo DVDs. You may wonder why they might have wanted to watch sumo (as if one really needs a reason to watch sumo), well Ethan’s last name is Takahashi. Need I say more.Anyway, smart person that I am, not only did I bring the volleyball, the sumo DVDs and beer to share (I couldn’t go empty handed so to speak), I brought a camera. Lucky I did, because luck comes to those who come prepared. So I thought I’d share.
Before volleyball really started I got started shooting. I figured I’d take a few shots of the Old Embassy compound because it’s beautiful. Screw security, I’d be careful not to reveal too much and what, if they objected I could delete the images. I figured that the worst they could do is send me home! I’m going home in 11 days anyway so what did I have to lose?
The compound really is like something out of the movie Casablanca - old white buildings with porches and railings. Plus with a Liberian touch - palava huts scattered throughout the compound. And lots and lots of trees!It really is a beautiful place and DC would be smart to convert it to housing as the mission has requested.
And of course anything towards the ocean side has a great view. For me it’s the nicest place in Monrovia just to walk around. With plenty of walkways and roads to take, you can get your fill of not being in the city pretty quickly.
Folks started showing up and very quickly we had a full 6-6 with one substitute match going (if we’d had that a couple of weeks ago I’d never have sprained my finger!).
There’s a judge’s stand at one end of the net so I decided to get a high view of things. I wound up being judge and even having to make a few calls. Given the bright sun, it was actually the best spot to be anyway. I definitely had a great view of things, like this spike Ethan made.
The thing about playing 6-6 is you can play a really long time, given you have to do a lot less each game. So they played a while. Several folks from the embassy passed by on walks, or driving on their way out to dinner. Sonata even walked by with Addie, the cutest baby on the compound and a few weeks younger than Pen. I took the opportunity between games to climb down from my perch and snap a quick shot of Addie.
As the games passed by, I realized that my perch afforded me something else - a great view of a radically setting sunset. So periodically I’d stop watching the game and photograph the sky. Every once in a while someone would say, “Hey, Dan, what’s the score?” “I dunno, does it look like I’m paying attention to your game!” It truly was an ever changing kaleidoscope.
There were ever changing cloud formations, but then suddenly all these strange colors started appearing together.
And golds and oranges started changing into pinks, reds and whites, with the blues coming back as time went on.
For a while I was fixated on the clouds, and then I realized the broad view was just as spectacular.
And then suddenly, it all went away and it was simply getting darker.
Not bad for a volleyball Saturday where I couldn’t play.