Goal!

i love being at home, curling up in bed and vegging out all day, but there is something to be said for being out in the open air. today was a good reminder of that. my hunt for athletes for my most recent sports project brought me out to the padang, a huge green open field smack in the middle of the downtown central business district that i never once noticed.

last saturday's casting effort was thoroughly intimidating -- little old me in the midst of a gaggle of about fifty indian cricketers ("remember... you're indian!" marlon whispered to me as a form of encouragement before he left me to go to his martial arts class). plus i had this irrational, niggling fear that all these men would think i was just there to hit on them. so this time, i made sure to bring my bodyguard, cheerleader and all-around production support. who else?

 i told marlon, "para tayong high school. wala kang perang pang-date sa akin, kaya soccer field ang bagsak natin." but it was a nice afternoon -- uncharacteristically cool and breezy for singapore. and the landmarks around the padang may have made me remember just how tiny singapore is (you can see boat quay! bugis! marina bay! raffles city! suntec! the skyscrapers of tanjong pagar! all from one field!), but they made the setting picturesque nevertheless. 

tall building is the swissotel stamford near raffles city. 

marlon and i used to like going to the bar on the 71st floor.

suntec city and the hotels of marina bay in the distance. 

i like how the colors of the setting sun reflect on the buildings.

skyscrapers - mostly international banking and finance companies - lining the river.

the hall of justice -- err the old supreme court building

what made it extra-nice though was that the captain of the soccer team i was visiting had one of those endearing irish (or was it scottish?) accents, and was so warm and friendly i just wanted to hug him. (hindi siya guwapo. parang tatay. linawin ko lang. hahaha.) he introduced me to his teammates with a friendly quip for each one ("this one was mr. scotland 2002!") and made sure, even in the middle of a game, that i had gotten everything (and everyone) i needed.

and it seemed like they were just having fun. i asked a few guys to do tricks for the camera, and a lot of them just joined in for the heck of it. 

quite a few people on the team are i-bankers, not the best thing to be in these times. i can imagine how enlivening these after-work must be for the truly stressed. the competition, the adrenaline, the fun and camaraderie, the kicking and running and jumping and just feeling the wind on your face -- not to mention the euphoria of hitting a goal! must be wonderful after those long taxing work hours. just sharing that today, and seeing how much these guys enjoy it, was awesome.

and as for casting -- well, the haul wasn't so bad either. you know how adorable scottish accents can be... especially when they come with a six-pack to match.