ultimate beach party

Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of bed to check out the Singapore Ultimate Beach Party for an hour or two. Since my sister was going down anyway, I figured I would go toss a bit as well. As it turned out, it was competitions all morning and that disorganised brat had been called down to help manage the event, not to play! (Of course she only found out after we arrived.) So I was consigned to be assistant field manager, considering I've never played the sport competitively before.

But sitting on the sand, watching the team run back and forth chasing whizzing discs made me realise just how much I miss frisbee. It is probably the only sport in recent memory that I have been truly passionate about ... at one time I used to play 4 or 5 times a week because every day I'd just drive to the location of random games and join in. With the advent of work and other commitments, frisbee has taken a back seat. And also the lack of people to play with.

There is just something mesmirising about the way the disc flies. Unlike a ball, it cannot travel in parabolic motion. Instead, it glides in graceful arcs far faster and further than a ball, and by carefully angling the disc you can make it perform all kinds of magical tricks in the air. It is easy to block a disc thrown straight, but you can make it loop, float, bounce or drop right out of the air on your intended target. It is beautiful. Of course the other advantages of frisbee are that you can get a really good workout, and it is a unisex non-contact sport so everyone can play together (girlfriends and wives included).

Well, perhaps to make up for yesterday's disappointment, my siblings and I decided to join a group from All Saints Church that we knew through random friends. And that was definitely one of the best games I've played in years! Much more organised and competitive than ARPC, but still equally friendly. The people are in it for the beauty of the game, not to win, but they still play hard and we all had a good workout. So that solves the lack of people to play with ... at least until I pick a team to join regularly next year.

I have definitely decided that after my marriage and after I leave my current job, I am going to strike a better balance. Less focus on work, more time for friends, family, and frisbee!