Droppin 2 in Jaw-jaw

"It's Cristiano!"--village kid

A few of the village kids have taken it upon themselves to start calling me Cristiano, like the Portuguese footballer. Although my ball skills have significantly improved I don't think I'm quite deserving of a nickname like that yet. Although they might be calling me Cristiano because I like to show off and ball hog and one or two of those kids definitely thinks I'm a jerk. Yeah, maybe it is fitting then. Either way, better than some of the other nicknames they've tried to give me--one guy recently tried to change my village name from baziapai to Gunzi man. Furthermore, the Captain still calls me Kashewpai, the name of the previous volunteer. He calls me that so often sometimes I wonder if he has forgotten the last volunteer left for the States several months ago. After living here for several months, I am not even sure I can remember what my legal name is anymore.

Anyways, this post is about football or as it is called in America, soccer. My first experience playing in Suriname was during the orientation with some teenagers from Lelydorp who were taking it easy on us Peace Corps Volunteers. My next experience was during my homestay experience near Brokopondo. I played usually 3 or 4 times a week with some kids ranging between 8-12. They kicked my rear pretty much every single time. Then I showed up in Gunzi where there was one weekly game every Sunday night. For a while the game had completely stopped and it looked like my ball dreams were over. But recently, the village has put together a make-shift team.

The first game I played in I was brought on as a late substitute in a blow-out during a friendly game with another village. I had one or two decent touches and just mostly ran around. My next game I unexpectedly got the start in a scrimmage. This time I was playing with a few of the Gunzi guys for a neighboring village called Laduani. I had one good forward pass between two defenders to start a breakaway that nearly led to a goal but then missed several balls thereafter and was pulled within 10 minutes of the start by some "coach" who came on the field and was yelling at me to get off. He also used some choice words when he pulled me off the field and I had to restrain myself because had this happened in America I would've given him an ear full that would've made my old man proud. After he pulled the rest of our villagers early in the game, we left just after half and no one from our village has played with that team again. Since then, my village's team, the Gunzi team has been playing in a local club league. They have yet to start me in an actual game but brought me along to a big scrimmage game in a village called Jaw-Jaw about two weeks back. Despite the fact that I'm not the worst player of the group, I was snubbed of a start and brought on at about half time. Much to their surprise, I netted two goals that night. Yes! The first one was nice, I caught a rebound off the goal keeper and put it in the back of my net with my left foot. It was a bit reminiscient of my first goal in youth soccer, everyone on the sidelines was more excited for me than I was. The next one was a bit of luck. I had put the defender on my back in the middle of the box and was asking for a ball in the middle from my teammate who was within 10 yards of me. He decided to be selfish and shoot the ball. Trying to avoid the ball I turned my body and it richocheted off my back, confusing the goal keeper--who would've made an easy save, and going into the back of the net for my second goal and to seal the victory for our side in the scrimmage. I sheepishly laughed and shrugged my shoulders. I was snubbed of any playing time in the next game but my game is definitely improving and I am playing more confidently. I'm hoping at some point down the line, when my game has improved even more, I'll get some playing time against Laduani and put one in the back of the net against them. And I'll be sure to let that "coach" know that I'm #1--just like Rick Barry!