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Finally I managed to get round to playing staff football again after work on Friday. I had planned to play every Friday but had only managed once before on the first week. Dodgy ankles, work to get done and dodgy excuses had all combined to mean that I had not turned out to play the beautiful game. Playing the beautiful game in tropical heat is not an experience for the faint-hearted. It is made even less beautiful by the size of the school pitch, enormous, and by the mixture of expert players and general huffers and puffers amongst which I count myself. Twenty blokes gathered together on Friday and convinced each other, very easily, that the game would be enjoyed more and the standard of football raised if we only played on a half-sized pitch. Somehow or other I found that I ended up playing up front and promptly scored two goals, a feat never before achieved. Clearly the hat-trick was on….but did not happen. I did get the ball in the net once more but it was deemed not to count as some twit had taken a corner from the wrong place. I had better not mention the time when I found myself with a clear shot on goal only to scoop it helpfully at the goalkeeper and will certainly not mention being on the goal line and the ball going straight through my legs and away harmlessly for a goal kick. It was one of those moments when it was easier to score than not. A colleague summarized my game as being like a veteran East Anglian, past his best but still giving it some. I had visions of Alan Brazil, circa 1983, but the reality was a little different. Still good fun was had by all and my lot won 6-2.
Saturday involved more football, this time for Edwin. He had been invited to a classmates’ birthday party that involved twenty lads and lasses running round the school field being coached and playing various football related games. A few parents, me included, stood watching, drinking Gloria Jeans’ coffees and generally gossiping. I left the party-ers for a while and returned later to collect Edwin from his friend’s swimming pool as the party had clearly been designed to burn off as much small-boy and small-girl energy as possible. All in it was a great do.
There was more partying in the evening. Some very good people from Adora had arranged a Halloween party at the grandly titled function room, next to the pool. All participants turned up with contribution of food and drinks and then the children went from house to house relieving people of their hard-earned sweets. Children were encouraged to dress-up and so there was a fine selection of ghostly apparitions, witches, ghouls, skeletons and one rather fine Count Dracula who won the best-dressed boy competition. The name of this victor? Edwin Lawrence. He was awarded a massive grin and a RM50 book token for his efforts. It was a very nice evening and a chance to chatter to lots of different people. There are plans afoot for a New Year / Christmas gathering too.
Usual administration challenges continue. For some reason HSBC can’t seem to make a transfer to our landlord to pay the rent and so far I have texted the bloke from Public Bank twice and phoned once to ask him to send me a replacement copy of the car loan documents. Watch this space.