OK - as promised - rugby-free

... and the inside of a Delhi hotel.  Not sure why the majority of people are looking at the floor.

Standing at the back of the reception.  Patience trying it was.  A government minister thought he'd
say a few words.  That took close on an hour whilst the tummies rumbled.

My colleague extraordinaire Iva Sladic, beautifully lit.  She has a glowing heart indeed.

Now this was fun.  My colleague William Boivin, in the blue hat in the middle, setting about
teaching a conference full of finance people the Lungi Dance.  What is the Lungi Dance?
Look no further for a bit of Bollywood cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kWLyInyjOE
I recommend it as an examination stress reliever.  Good luck for those my darling man.

Since you saw the first bit - here is the rest.  Ev's Halloween outfit.  I think Ev is going
to be a big big boy.  Those arms hands and feet are going to have to have the rest playing
catch-up at some point.

Our collective Halloween outfits.  Ange taking the photo went as a witch.  I went
as a doos with a skeleton on his long shirt ;-)

Aiden gets to work on his pumpkin.

The Evinator takes to the pitch

OK, with this and the one below, I officially commit to something other than rugby pictures in the next four posts.  Two reasons offered by way of excuse - I have only been working - utterly and completely Jack-a-dull-boy - did take a camera to India for the purpose of taking something for you - even (as it would have turned out) only the inside of a Delhi hotel.  But when I got there I discovered that I'd not put the memory card back in, so it was zero use.  So I took some crap half-baked things on the half-baked thing a phone is. The second, is that circumstances have conspired against me, and I've not had a chance to see Ev play of late - so here it is - the glorious chaos that is an U11 tournament:

Ev has been moved from flank to centre.  He's probably more a natural as the former than latter,
but he's chuffed with the move, and is adapting to it well.

Above and below; punching a hole through the DEA tigers line.  Always harder at U11,
because there is always a gang of kids following the ball around.

Ev's always liked a bit of contact, but he's deceptive in that he's very good at playing the ball...

as this boy found out to his detriment.  

As with most mini-rugby tournaments, the HK photographic clubs were out in force.  And to be clear
these are not folk whose kids are playing.  They have some seriously nice kit (though I'm not sure
about the gecko fingertip gloves - its about 26 degrees at the moment - with the usual humidity).

Yet another tackle for the Evinator - gets nice and low, very rarely misses.

His mate Charlie Barnes at the team chat - definitely gets my vote for the coolest gum-guard.
Would also get Ev and my vote for man of the matches - fast, strong, and with an eye for the try.

Nicely timed pass from his flyhalf after drawing two players...

a solid fend with his right...

and on his way (was dropped before the line by the long haired kid, but his team rucked over and scored).

A quick Stingrays sequence - better than the Bokke

Aiden's team beat DEA Tigers (his nemesis) this morning - as promised above - here's a single sequence which I thought showed his developing abilities nicely:

The pass from his flyhalf beats the intercept rush defense; dummies with a look and a suggestion...

then steps nicely off his left...

and attacks the gap his little deceit has created...

and beats the opposing centre without a hand being laid on him.

Feints and swerves...

moves the ball across...

and gets out his fend on the DEA flyhalf.

Holds him and starts to look for his support runner for the offload...

.

and when those are not there, just go for it with the flyhalf in tow.  I'm starting to enjoy this a whole
lot more than the Bokke.  Your grandfather would have been all smiles.  Aiden dislikes DEA because
he thinks they are dirty, and always go high.  Evidence from the picture suggests he's not wrong.  He's
held a multi season grudge about the tall dude in the background - which is really not like him at all.

Playing fullback with passion

Before I get into this, I should say that I was in Delhi, got back Sunday morning, so missed Evan's football match in which I am told, he stepped up as keeper of note; his team went down 2-3, but from several accounts they were nowhere in the game.  Ev was hyper-busy, including saving a penalty - and despite the result even he seems really happy with the way that he kept.  Which is great, that he is getting that perspective, of outcome beyond the scoreboard.  I was gutted that I missed it.  And sadly not even a phone photo; Ange says she was heart in mouth throughout.

I was however back for Aiden's rugby match - playing fullback for Sai Kung Stingrays. I bought a 320mm lens last week - oooh reach baby, reach - should have done it years ago. Lovely child that he is, he's definitely got his mom's monster competitiveness - goes at it heart-stoppingly hard:

Cover defence, attacking their ball carrier.  Love the expression.  Going full-tilt.
Absolutely has his mom's hyper-competitive genes; just takes him over.

Fielding long kicked ball on his tryline - kick back? hell no, run it back hard (click on these pics and check out the face - makes me laugh, all the fury; and he is very quick and strong over the first 10...

Drop the shoulder, ride the hit ....

and put on the gas...

step through the next....

Freed and on the move...

Eventually scragged and brought down.

Where're you going Goldilocks?  Have this covered, a bit of Aidenator focus.

In the end they lost, but could have won, and the light faded, wet and red faced in the car on the way home, smiling with a beautiful calm.

The weekend

Its been a lovely weekend here - hope you've had likewise.  Hit Shek O beach on Saturday morning early, nice swell, temp fantastic, sunny day - was in the surf for a good two hours (could barely turn my head the next morning after a couple of less than graceful plantings - tick tock), had an egg and bacon roll at one of the little dai pai dongs and headed home - fantastic.  Managed to get to bed pretty early, so was up at 4.45 to hit the road on my bike - first time in a while - I'll spare you the expletives - but its not getting easier - delightful morning out though, caught the sunrise out near the golf club - and was home in time to head off to Aiden's rugby match in the equivalent of Pitsonderwater in HK (literally, as far as you can drive in one direction from our house in HK).  Was too lazy to take the camera, which I regretted, because Aiden was absolutely fierce at fullback.  He put in one tackle on their outside centre that earned one of those collective "oooh"s from watching parents on both sides. I celebrate this not because I want him to become a beast, but rather that I admire his courage enormously, because he's not (thankfully) a remotely aggressive or rough child.  His team played super-well, and ended up trouncing Valley-Fort 21-0 (though the scoreline did, in fairness to them, not reflect the game).  Ev hit practice at the same time in Sai Kung, and then spent the early afternoon working on his Halloween outfit, the head of which looks like this:

 

The three of us chilling in a lull in the waves - crop zoom pic from Ange's phone - 
so not doing the beauty of the place justice.  It's exquisite.

Aiden walking off after the game this morning - settling into full-back really nicely; 
also getting properly fit, which always helps.

All in all, the outcome of it was this, at 3.30pm in the afternoon.
I thought I was justified.  The cat is simply obscene; As fat as it is lazy.

Portraits of the boys - long weekend

Decided that it was time to take a couple of portrait shots of the boys.  Saw a really nice photo in a finance mag using natural light and a very short lens, so got out the kit and set up a spot.  Irritatingly then discovered that the lens was back focusing at very short F-stop, not something that I often use.  So onto the old youtube to find out how to calibrate it.  Love the fact that there were many helpful folk who had taken the time to explain it, one of them, nice youngster from Singapore had even included a link for printing a calibration sheet.  Followed the steps and sorted.  Here they are (Ev got a dressing gown from Tracy for his birthday, which he basically lives in full time when not in school or sports uniforms.  Makes me laugh - he is such a cool little guy, thuggish missing teeth and all):

Unwelcome overnight visitor

Had a little party at our house last night.  In the midst of all the enthusiasm I decided to show Kev Overton the monster bamboo pole tree cutter that I built a few weeks ago, so got the thing out from the bushes at the bottom of the garden, and whilst was doing this, felt something go into my eye.  Rub rub, flush with water etc etc - still bloody uncomfortable.  Couldn't seem to do anything about it, so just kept going.  This morning it still felt like there was something in there, more hacking around to try and see what it was, when suddenly in the mirror, this appeared across my eyeball.  Just about fell over myself in a rush to get it out - nastier than hell: wicked bamboo splinter.  Took a pic of it on Ange's phone to give it some scale.  Think the gungy bit on the end is part of my eyeball :-) .  Good riddance.

Rugby reversal - Sandy Bay

What a difference a week (and opposition) can make.  Aiden's Stingrays team did to Sandy Bay (always makes me smile that name - being a nudist beach in Cape Town) what HK Football Club did to them last week - soundly thrashed.  Aiden was absolutely on fire - possibly settling down into his new position at fullback - and certainly getting fitter and fitter as the term rolls on. Ev's team (or the parts of it that can afford it were playing in Singapore).

Cutting back, running crash ball through the middle.

About to run over their scrum-half on another cut back ball.

Joining the line as the ball goes wide, and just getting his fingertips to a pass a fraction too wide out in front of him...

But managing to reel it in going at full tilt, rapidly approaching the touch-line...

Cover defense is coming across, the arm lurking in the left of frame, cutting back, his mate Jules Larsson tracking him

Moving the ball across, stepping off his left, cover defense is going too high...

Rides the collision, and spins out of it ...

and puts on the gas back infield.

Ball in two hands, getting into position to go into contact

He had an absolute blast.

Kicking a conversion - using a field marker as a tee - need to get him a proper one

Chilling with Harry Maddren after the game.  Very different looks on faces to the week before.