Its been a life long passion/obsession this cricket thing. From a small schoolboy growing up in Perth to watching in Melbourne to a sad longing for the game in Rochester, New York.
Rochester, NY is not the best place to play cricket and now, sadly, given the ravages of time, I have become a little too old to be a tear away fast bowler scaring the dickens out of any batsman foolish enough to want to face me. And never being any type of half decent batsman myself I am forever banished to the sidelines.
I have lived through the semi boring game of the sixties, reveled in the excitement of Lillee and Thompson in the 70s, borne the embarrassment of the failing Australian side in the 80s, again reveled in the amazing 90's and the first decade of the 21st century and saw the inevitable decline after the retirement of Warne, McGrath, Waugh, Gilchrist et al. Expecting a long time in the cricketing wilderness I am most pleasantly surprised to see Australia giving England an almighty thrashing in the Ashes series now being played in Australia.
Despite a rich history in the USA cricket remains not just a mystery to Americans but is more like a bad joke the rest of the world likes to play on all of them. It is such a mystery that Americans seem to think that even those of us who love the game have no idea what the rules are. Without access to live coverage or even a delayed coverage its all but impossible to explain the game.
So I live with my passion for cricket unshared. Given the internet and phones I still have contact with family and friends who share my adoration of the gentleman's game. Its not all that bad. You Tube allows me to enjoy the great moments of Australia's domination of the world of cricket. I could of course launch into a lengthy explanation of the rules and tactics of cricket but that is both self-serving and pointless. You really have to watch it and work it out. Sort of like I did with American football which, for the record, I love.
If you happen to come across the game being played just sit a while and enjoy it. Don't bother about understanding it. Ask someone and they will tell you what its all about.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Let it snow, Let it snow.
Yes it sounds really great and in a way it really is. A white Christmas is truly something to behold. Open fires and warm clothes, good friends and family is a wonderful thing as is looking out on fields and houses covered with snow. Its a traditional scene which many Australians, steeped in a northern hemisphere heritage will often long for. I imagine its on the 'bucket list' of many Aussies. In that sense I am very lucky because if the snow comes at just the right time Christmas Day is a day to celebrate, to luxuriate in that warm inner glow that comes from all the above. Hot Christmas dinners, while something of anachronism in an Australian summer are a real treat in the deep freeze of an American deep freeze here in the north east.
Yet my mind still wanders back to those balmy warm summer evenings in Perth where it gets hotter earlier than most other cities in Australia. Going to the beach on Christmas Day, downing a cold beer at a pool party in Melbourne, sitting outside on Christmas Eve enjoying the 80 degree temperature. For all my Aussie friends that is about 26 or 27 degrees Celsius.
A doctor I know here in Rochester thought he could do something like that with a whole lot of outside heaters. The idea of going outside and breathing the warm fresh air on Christmas Eve really appealed to him. I don't know if he tried it. Its only 2 years since I told him about Christmas at the start of summer but I bet the idea has not strayed far from his mind. It just goes to show that the old adage of the grass being greener on the other side still holds true.
In Australia we put up Christmas trees with decorations the same way we do over here in America but here's the kicker, we buy cans of Santa snow to spray on our windows to give the effect of snow. Will we ever be happy with what we have. I somehow doubt it but that is our nature.
I am sure I will enjoy more Aussies Christmases and I will miss the snow on the ground and the freezing temperatures. I will go to the beach and to the pool parties. I will sit outside and enjoy the warmth in the air. Aussies will complain about the heat and not being able to sleep and Americans will complain about having the snow from the sidewalks (footpath) but we both have so much to celebrate. Christmas is not about pool parties and a BBQ. Its not about hot Christmas meals. Its a time to celebrate life and give thanks for the really great gifts of life. Family, love, charity and faith.
Yet my mind still wanders back to those balmy warm summer evenings in Perth where it gets hotter earlier than most other cities in Australia. Going to the beach on Christmas Day, downing a cold beer at a pool party in Melbourne, sitting outside on Christmas Eve enjoying the 80 degree temperature. For all my Aussie friends that is about 26 or 27 degrees Celsius.
A doctor I know here in Rochester thought he could do something like that with a whole lot of outside heaters. The idea of going outside and breathing the warm fresh air on Christmas Eve really appealed to him. I don't know if he tried it. Its only 2 years since I told him about Christmas at the start of summer but I bet the idea has not strayed far from his mind. It just goes to show that the old adage of the grass being greener on the other side still holds true.
In Australia we put up Christmas trees with decorations the same way we do over here in America but here's the kicker, we buy cans of Santa snow to spray on our windows to give the effect of snow. Will we ever be happy with what we have. I somehow doubt it but that is our nature.
I am sure I will enjoy more Aussies Christmases and I will miss the snow on the ground and the freezing temperatures. I will go to the beach and to the pool parties. I will sit outside and enjoy the warmth in the air. Aussies will complain about the heat and not being able to sleep and Americans will complain about having the snow from the sidewalks (footpath) but we both have so much to celebrate. Christmas is not about pool parties and a BBQ. Its not about hot Christmas meals. Its a time to celebrate life and give thanks for the really great gifts of life. Family, love, charity and faith.
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