Archived Quote - Art of Living

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.”

- James A. Michener

[art: "Meet me at the tub, it's going down." by Broken Crow]

french fries are chips, chips are crisps, cookies are biscuits, and biscuits are scones, and scones are pastries...

We watched Arsenal v Hull from the place we're staying at. My buddy told me to walk outside during the game. I was a bit hesitant with the weather and the game on but I wasn't disappointed. I finally headed out and could hear the boom from the crowd. Arsenal had just scored again and there was man made thunder in the distance. Final score: 3-0 Arsenal.

We are working on tickets, but the starting price is £100. Rubbish!

The Abbey

Andrew, Luke (Drew's brother), and I were doing the London tourist thing on a cold, cold Thursday and freezing our asses off. We made it to the Westminster Abbey just after visiting hours, but right before a night service. After a quick huddle we chose to get out of the miserable weather and take refuge in the Abbey.

We started out here...


...were ushered quickly through here ("Visiting hours are over")...

...and ended up here:



We were led to gold painted, individual throne seats right behind the choir. A laminated program directed us when to stand, kneel, speak, and breathe. Even so, it was a great experience and a sort of spiritual recharge.

They said no flash photography or cell phones, but they didn't say no video. So, my buddy (aliases have been created to protect the innocent) snagged a clip of the Abbey service. Here is an exclusive of the choir:

London's Calling

The 3 week winter break for football in Germany has arrived. We trained with Schalke on Monday and Tuesday, but now we are off to London for the holidays. Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup'o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary Poppins... LONDON. We will be staying with friends of Andrew in Highbury London, a 4 minute's walk from the Arsenal stadium. Come on, you Reds!

Weihnachtsmarkt ('Vye-nox-markt')

They have the feel of a flea market with a variety of booths selling small goods. But with the added bonus of traditional Christmas foods from Germany, Holland, and France. Every German city has their own Christmas market and typically the bigger the city, the better the market. People seem to like Weihnachtsmarkt over here because it's the one place Germans are friendly and outgoing.


They have these big chocolate hearts with love messages on them that seem a bit out of place without Valentines day...


But not so much out of place than this guy I found at a tent selling french fries and corn dogs. Creepy, right?


And you can buy this stuff called Glühwein which is kinda like warm sangria. But a little better.


They sell the wine in these little boot mugs labeled with which city they are from.


Here is me with Andrew and the Dutch kids that have British accents in front of a tree of lights (L to R: Jovanna, Janiero, and Jazz).


We really liked the tree...


We also caught a live performance by the choir. Not too shabby, for German eunuchs.

High Fives and Stage Dives

Andrew's cousin is the lead singer in a pseudo-metal-core-christian-screamo band from the States called Bless the Fall. Tonight, we headed up to Cologne to watch them play. Despite the large amount of tats and eyeliner and facial accessories these guys were really polite and welcoming.


We got to hang out with the guys before the show, watch them do a sound check, and see them warm up back stage (which was basically a small dungeon that reeked of BO). When the show began we stood on the back of the stage and witnessed the mayhem. They played a game called high fives and stage dives where the member of the audience who could come on stage, give a high five to the tour manager, and then stage dive the most amount of times won a free band tee shirt. Pretty funny.

Archived Quote

Hey, let's cross the sea
and get some culture.
Red wine with every meal
and absinthe after dinner.

-Minus the Bear, "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse"

[art by Broken Crow]

Der Schloss

The apartment we are staying in has an awesome view of a mansion from 18th century called The Schloss. The mansion consists 3 stately buildings which present themselves like life-sized doll houses.


Back in the day, it belonged to German Prince and the Schloss supposedly hosted Napoleon at one point. But this was during the 7 Year's War and I don't think he and his troops were welcome guests (I have done my homework).


Behind the main building is a hunting ground with some rare shrubberies.


The property ends at the Rhein, a large river that cuts through Europe North-South. Not bad, Benrath. Not bad at all.

More Schalke, Less Talke

I am back training with Schalke II, not a bad fall back. German football is known for taking 5 weeks off in the middle of the season, but with the World Cup this summer the time off has been cut down to 3 weeks. With the winter break approaching, I plan train at Schalke for the rest of the week and then head to London for Christmas and New Years.

Archived Quote

"Do what you were born to do."
-Hr. William Garza

My Day in the Swiss Super League

After frühstück (breakfast) next morning, the rep drove me to the training grounds and I saw that the pitch was blanketed in snow (nothing new for the club and something I expected). Despite the conditions, my test went by smoothly. I was formerly introduced to the team by the trainer, Rolf Fringer (I have to admit I didn't know much about him until I wikipedia'd his name). We headed out to an artificial grass field, warmed up, played 9v9, then cooled down. A pretty standard training session.

Mr. Fringer spoke to me after the session and told me that I possessed all of the tools to be a great player, and that he expected to see me in the top league in the next 1-2 years. At the moment, though, I needed some more experience because I still had some tendencies of a college player. Given one day of training and an unsettled performance, I thought this was a fair assessment. I appreciated this feedback from Lucerne, and I realize that the trainer's evaluation carries weight and can help me find a team elsewhere - Switzerland, Germany or Bahrain.

I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity, if only for one day. I have seen a new level that I am confident I can excel at. And now, I know a little bit more about what I need to be (and show) to be a "complete" player. Experience is what you get..., right?

I write to you from pizza shop in Lucerne, on internet that is costing me 5 francs (5 USD) every 30 minutes, waiting for word of my next move. Until then, my friends.

Off to Switzerland

I arrived in Switzerland early, a new experience for me. For those of you who aren't familiar with 'Kyle Time' it is common for me to seem as if I'm in another time zone (and sometimes on another planet). Anywho, I arrived in Luzern by train and listening to Beirut's Gulag Orkestar (no worries if you are unfamiliar with this one, there is a brief introductory course above).

At the station I changed all the euros in my pocket to Francs -- they are sort of like the Disney Dollars of Europe. I was picked up at the train station by a representative from the Lucerne (or Luzern in German). I learned from him that my trial had only been set for a single day. I was a bit surprised when I heard this because a typical trial lasts for about 6 weeks. This is when I realized that I was being assessed by Luzern and not being assessed for Luzern. Of course, anything is possible, but the odds are not in a player's favor when he has only one training session to prove himself.

Either way, big up to Luzern for making me feel comfortable in a strange, new land. The team rep gave me a tour of the city, then took me to a local restaurant. I met the chef, a supporter of the club, and he asked me what I wanted. I told him that I would eat anything he made. The rep left me in the restaurant to eat alone and it got a bit awkward between courses. So, I used my best broken German to have a conversation with the waitress. The food was amazing. I thanked the chef and the rep took me back to the hotel. I got back to my room with a stomach full of pasta and slept with anticipation of the training in the morning.

Schalke II ("Shall-kah S-vai")

(Andrew took this picture of me in the dressing room before the rest of the team arrived. We would have got a proper one of us in Schalke gear but we didn't want to seem like rookies this early in the game.)

We spent Monday and Tuesday training with the reserves of Schalke 04. The level was not as high as I expected, so I went in there and did my business. After the second day the coach talked to us in his office. This in and of itself is a big thing because a coach can just as easily give a euphemistic excuse on the training pitch like "thanks for coming, but: we are only looking for a forward and keeper, the club doesn't have enough money right now, it will be too difficult to get a working visa for you..." We received positive feedback from the Trainer (Germans call their Coaches 'Trainers') and he invited us back to for their next training session. We were both happy to know that we had done enough during our 2 days that the door to Schalke was still open.

Have you ever had a day that was already going well and then something happened to push it over the top? Well that happened to me when I went to the local Turkish internet cafe to tell my managers and parents about the news from Schalke. I found an email in my inbox that I had a trial in Switzerland and that I was to leave immediately. This new opportunity is something I can not pass up, even for additional trainings with the Schalke reserves (now if it was with the Schalke first team, my decision would be difficult). I must excuse myself now because I need to find a plane flight before I run out of money at the internet shop - credit, check, and money orders not accepted.

Do-sell-dorf

At the end of the week of training with F-S-Fow, the coach felt we had done well and we were welcomed to keep training with the reserves. Unfortunately, since it was only training that was offered and not a contract we headed to the north west in search of something more permanent.


(Andrew is trying to get us the Man U-Tottenham Carling Cup semi-final on the tele - with no success.)

For the past 3 nights I have been staying in Duesseldorf with friends of Andrew's - A Dutch pastor, his wife, their 3 children, and 2-4 family friends (depending on the night). The house had the feel of the backpacker's hostel in Nuremberg because of the mixture of the people (5 Dutch, 1 Pole, 2 Brits, 1 German, 3 Americans).

As you probably already guessed the Pastor's family was very welcoming. Within 30 minutes of arriving the kids were already comfortable enough to start rough housing with Andrew and I. The kids (5,7, and 9) spent most of their lives in the UK and were already fluent in British, Dutch, and German. (On a side note, my kids will have an English accent and speak 3 languages. Minimum.)

Archived Quote of the Day

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. It is the doer that makes mistakes.
- John Wooden

It's pronounced 'F-S-Fow'

So, I have spent the last week training with the Frankfurt FSV reserves. The level was not all that great, and the weather was even worse. All of the training sessions were accompanied with heavy wind and rain. Despite the conditions, it was sweet being out there.

I didn't have my best start the first session, but I settled in and played better with each new session. I can't really afford to do this, because to make it over here as an American you must show that you are 2x as good as the players they have to warrant being picked up. Either way it felt good to be training with a team again.


Since we were training with the club we came up on some courtside tickets for the 1st team's match that Saturday against Hansa Rostock. The Hansa fans were nuts (see above video) - they took up only a corner of the stadium, but they dominated everything within earshot. After watching a few games in Germany at different levels I am still unable to figure something out. How is it that the quality of training can seem so high and yet when these teams get on the field the level is terrible? It's like everyone crapped their pants and can't play when the whistle is blown. German games often come down to a defensive battle.

I am staying at my buddy's place again in Freebird. He spent all day today (Saturday) cooking a massive Thanksgiving spread. It turned out awesome. I am pretty fortunate to be able to spend the holiday with some good company.

I get by with a little help from my friends

A few days after my last post in Freebird (Friedberg) I came back to the states. After a 3 week stint with the Earthquakes, 4 weeks of solid training in Santa Barbara, 1 fly fishing trip (zero fly fish caught), 2 new parents, 5 new friends (and countless old ones), 2 Halloweens, 3 birthday dinners, and an early Thanksgiving, I came to the following realization:

I have awesome friends and an amazing family. Without you guys I would not be able to have the opportunities and the life that I have. Thank you for all the love and support.

Anyhow, I am back in Germany to play and ready to crush it. Stay tuned, there is more to come.

Archived Quote of the Month

I think the real world is what people call giving up on their dream(s). But I can't be sure.

e.g. "Kyle is avoiding the real world for as long as possible."

Milosh

I know how this guy feels.

Friedberg, not Free Bird

The transfer window closed without any success. The plan now is to train here until the transfer window re-opens on November 31. I will be staying in Friedberg (Hessen, not Bavaria) with one of my closest friends Billy G (see above pic; taken in Frankfurt) and his girl. He has been living here for just over a year and they have been cool enough to let me stay with them. Ideally, I will find a local team to train with consistently and then go on trials or probe ("pro-ba") trainings with various clubs across Germany. Probe translates to 'rehearsal' and I am told it is common for even the most ingrained player (i.e. a captain) in a club to probe train with a different clubs during a season.


In the meantime, Billy has been training with me at the local training grounds (background of picture). I think they are in the 9th division (but of course, the facilities are still ridiculous). Things change pretty quickly over here, so don't be too surprised if I am on a plane to Bahrain for an opportunity with Al-Muharraq in my next post.

Archived Quote of the Day

Change your location and you just may change yourself. By relocating ourselves, reorienting ourselves, we shake loose the shackles of expectation. Adrift in different places we give ourselves permission to be different people.

– Eric Weiner, Geography of Bliss

Bayreuth ('by-royt')

I have been staying in Bayreuth for the past 3 nights at Ronni's place (described earlier as my guide) as we plan our next move. There is a classical music festival (Festspielhaus) going on here to honor the late composer Richard Wagner and the city was dressed up with lights and banners for the occasion. Apparently, it is very difficult to get tickets for the festival with a 10 year waiting list or tickets that sell for 4000 euros (~6000 US) on the black market (I guess even classical music has a black market).


Anyhow, news of trials comes in waves. After learning that Quelle could not take me on, I soon had a potential trial lined up with Wolfsbad Mannheim (4th and 2nd division) who were in need of an innen verteidiger ('innen fer-tie-diga'), or center back. I found out two days later that the trial fell through. Ronni explained to me that teams are hesitant to go through the trouble of getting working visa for a foreigner with the transfer window closing soon (4 days).

Nürnberg

We planned to stay in the backpacker's hostel in Nuremberg for 1 night. And then one night turned into 3. It was a great experience and I met a few cool people all at different points in their lives. Anyhow, it got me thinking about what I enjoy about traveling. It's not the sights, or the scenery, or the historical significance of a place that interests me. It is interacting with people from different backgrounds and sharing insights and experiences (below is a view from the room).



But enough touchy-feely talk, I ended up going out in the city one of the nights with some of my fellow backpackers. This is from a blog of an Aussie we met at the backpackers hostel. Pretty much sums the night:

There I met two American guys a couple of years older than I, a 30 year old Brazilian guy and a few German girls. Ended up being a real cool night, we visited a dodgey Turkish shisha bar and ended up at a karaoke bar where I had my first banana beer...

I'd never heard of such a thing but essentially it is beer and banana. Amazing. The Brazilian guy is hilarious, the spitting image of Ray Ramano from Everybody Loves Ray and the Americans are Americans, pretty funny talking to them.

I am still not sure what it means to be a quintessential American (from the perspective of International), but I am slowly learning. And the banana beer was amazing.

Hip Polar Bears and Backpackers

I stayed in a hostel in Nuremburg for backpackers last night. In talking with a traveler from Toronto, he said something that struck a chord. I asked about his travels and he said he had just been here and there but that he just arrived in town and that he planned to 'do Nuremburg in a day.'

Can anyone truly appreciate a city, any city, in a day? Is a place's worth based on the sights to be seen or is it based on the people who inhabit the area? I would like to believe the latter, that it is the people and what the people create - the food, culture, architecture, atmosphere - that give a town value. Now, can one come to understand a group of people in only a day?

Maybe I am reading too far into this, but I think this is why some inhabitants are resistant to tourists. Either way, I would rather live in a place for a few months instead of 'doing it in a day.'

Geldautomaten sind nicht billig

(ATMs are not cheap)


After racking up $50 in ATM fees for international withdrawals, I called B of A to find a bank that doesn't charge a fee. B of A has a partnership with Deutsche ('doy-tch') Bank, but the B of A agent I was talking to refused to pronounce Deutsche, "The bank is called... ehmm... let me just spell it for you. D... E ... U..." The agent didn't want to say Deutsche because it looks so close to douche ('doo-sch'). And then he only removed half of my fees.

Disillusioned = no more illusions

When I finally woke up, ready to make my decision, I realized the safe best was not exactly as safe as it seemed and the risky choice was not as risky as I was led to believe. Ultimately, I learned that the decision was not necessarily up to me, and there were many things beyond my control -- a recurring theme.

Anyhow, Quelle ran into difficultly in getting a working permit. This is often the biggest difficulty clubs run into when signing foreigners. Unfortunately, they sat on this information for several days before saying anything. With a rapidly approaching transfer window (31st) , this does some damage.

All is not lost. 10 days still remain to make some magic happen.

Fürth

I am still training at SG Quelle Fürth instead of moving on to a club in the higher division as planned. After a few good practices, I have been offered a contract with the club. It wouldn't be much - a flat in Nürnberg and some spending cash - but at the very least this would be a way in the door of the German playing system. Also, Quelle has good connections with Greuther Fürth (who has teams in the 2nd and 4th divisions). Quelle seems to be pressuring those managing me to make a decision (I am told this is a good thing) but we have until the 25th to give an answer.

I have been told by my agent (whom I will refer to as Ari) that I really have two options at this point. Either sign with Quelle (a safe bet) or trial at another club in a higher division (and Quelle would likely take back their offer). Another red flag is that the transfer window (time in which a club can sign me) closes in two weeks (31st of August) and does not open again until December. Trials can last anywhere from a day (if it was a bad day) to a month.

Decision time. Go with the safe bet or take the a risk? The same situation happened in Croatia. However, back then I trusted my old managers to make the decision they felt was the best. The riskier option was pursued and when it fell through the bridge back to the safer situation had been burned.

With wounds still fresh from the Balkans, my first instinct is to go with the safe bet and be done with it. On the other hand, one can't live life playing it safe. I don't want to sit back and wonder what could have been. I would rather go for it and let the chips fall where they may. A tough decision, so I will sleep on it.

I love Blanka Vlasic

The World Athletic Games in Berlin have been on tv for the past week. One channel (besides Das A-Team) I can watch without having to decipher the german commentary. And I found my future wife.

5v2, One Touch

This is a very common way to start training and serves as a pre-warmup ritual to get the mind ready. 5 players attempt to keep the ball against 2 defenders using only one touch. Anyhow, Germans play this at full intensity and hold nothing back - two foot tackles, fish hooking, eye gouging, etc. The other day a player got kicked in the face by one of the defenders and ended up with a broken nose. To reiterate, this was before warm-up had even started.

Just another 5v2 casualty.

I am in Bavaria, not the Balkans

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want"

After a few days in Tuzi, Dečić was all set to sign. Unfortunately, no one had told the coach. He refused to add a player that had only been there a few days to a team who had already been working out for 40 days together. The coach said things would be different if I would have come at a better time and invited me to return at a later date.

I spent the next day traveling back to Pula via bus and plane (Dubrovnik, shown below, is gorgeous btw). I arrived only to find out that any opportunities I had in Croatia before I left disappeared when I went to Montenegro.


Anyhow, I took the first flight to Frankfurt and 3rd train to Nuremburg (it took me a bit to figure out the system) and now I am under new management. I am currently training with a feeder club in Germany named SG Quelle. They play in the Landesliga (6th division), but the plan is to be tested here and then move to a higher division - Regionalliga (4th division) or higher. Things are looking good after the first training day. There is a guy working with me who helps with transportation, finds my accommodations, and is my link to clubs - similar to the job of a sherpa who takes climbers up a mountain (and just as indispensable). At the moment my sherpa is happy, so I am happy. He says the coach has given me the thumbs up (this is German for a sign of approval).

I am very impressed with the structure of the fußball ('foosball') system over here. There are 11 divisions here each with a relegation/promotion rule. This means an 11th division team can be promoted to the 1st division (however, it would take 10 seasons, proper funding, and a few miracles). Also, every team, regardless of the division, seems to have a sponsor and amazing facilities.

Tuzi, Montenegro - Poor and Beautiful

About 5 times a day I could hear Muslim prayer calls from the flat where I was staying. I don't think I could do justice to the prayer calls by describing them, but they were strangely calming and beautiful. There were two mosques which were places of worship for the Muslims living in the town (below is a view of the towers from the room).


On the other hand, our training field (slash game field) was surrounded by chain link fencing and a small concrete bleachers for the fans. The field was decent and the stadium in need of renovation, but I couldn't complain - it was a place to play and a 1st division club.


Before the start of one of the training sessions I was fortunate enough to watch a guy walk about 10 paces from his house, take a dump, and then wipe with a piece of trash he just found. Pretty awesome.

Croatia

I spent my first two weeks in Croatia (July 24 to Aug 4) touring with a team of Americans and playing against various teams from the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st divisions in Croatia. The trip was organized through oneshotonedream.com and the purpose of the trip was to get American players exposure and hopefully signed to a professional team. (The photo is from a newspaper article talking about our game against a local team, Hrvatsku = 'Croatians')

The problem was we lost ever game we played. Nonetheless, I feel that I gave my best in every game and showed well. I was reassured that the opportunity was not lost by those managing the stay, "it doesn't matter if you are playing with 10 women, if you can play you will be noticed." So I was noticed. Offers for me were presented to my managers. Things were looking promising.

My managers felt the best option was pursue a career with a FK Dečić ('Deck-itch'), a 1st division team in Montenegro. Phrases such as "guaranteed contract" and "starting spot" were spoken after "you have a..." And so, I was off to Montenegro to make the best out of the opportunity.

Pula, Croatia

Dobra dan (Good afternoon),

The team I am traveling with has been staying in Pula, a small port town on the North-West tip of Croatia. We have been jumping on any unprotected wireless network available to get online, but it is a tricky game. I have done little more than sleep, eat, and play. It is a simple living, but very enjoyable.

It is taking me a while to adjust to the +9 hour difference, but my 5 hour mid-day naps are not helping. More to come.

How not to toadjust to a new time zone

My schedule for the first 2 weeks:

12 AM - Bedtime

4 AM - Wake up to pee

4:15 AM - Stare at the ceiling because you can't go back to sleep

5 AM - Roll on side

5:05 AM - Go back to original sleeping position

5:10 AM - Hating life

5:15 AM - Rustle around some more

5:30 AM - Think about getting out of bed and reading

6:00 AM - Wake up roommate getting out of bed

6:02 AM - Watch tv (Steven Segal film dubbed in Croatian)

6:05 AM - Roommate hating life

9:00 AM - Body is fatigued, finally fall asleep

9:30 AM - Wake up for breakfast

10:00 AM - Pass out

2:30 PM - Lunch

3:00 PM - Sleep

5:00 PM - Training or Game (depending on the day)

9:00 PM - Dinner

Repeat for 7 days

How to adjust to a new time zone:

Don't sleep on the plane.
Stay awake for 24 hrs straight.
Pass out when it is nighttime in the new time zone.
Don't have a roommate.

12 Months in 4 Paragraphs

Dear Family and Friends ,

After reading blogs from my friends, Brian Gump and Eric Martin, and dodging the question, 'What are you doing?' I have decided to keep those closest to me a little bit closer with tales of my travels.

Now the question of where to begin. I missed out on my senior season after breaking my fibula (that's the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg, for those of you who were not health science minors) in the first 5 min of an exhibition match. Anyhow, I spent the next three months waiting for my opportunity to return to play, learning patience from crutches, and making the most of the experience.

When my leg had healed, the college season ended along with my opportunity to get exposure for the next level. MLS draft day came and went, and I spent the next 6 months finishing school and trying to break into A-League teams (a tier below MLS). I was playing some of my best soccer, but I realize now that my leg had not fully recovered. Still without a club, I played PDL (4th division) with the Ventura Fusion and took summer school. My teammates were awesome and knew how to play, but for most of the season we underachieved in our games.

About halfway through the PDL season I was presented with the opportunity to tour Croatia with a team of Americans with the goal of signing a pro contract. The only problem was that I would have to miss playoffs (a good opportunity for exposure) if the Fusion qualified. After a tough decision, I did what I thought was best and headed to Croatia. I later learned that the Fusion not only qualified for the playoffs, but also won the National Championship. I was very proud of my teammates and genuinely happy for them. Many of them got picked up by A-League and MLS teams after the Championship.

Anyhow, I don't know what the future holds for me. But I do know this: I love to play and I want to compete at the highest level possible for as long as my body allows. I don't know if I will get a professional contract - I realize that is something out of my control. But that's not the point. The point is to make the most of situation and opportunity given. The point is to maximize potential. The point is to enjoy the fight.

Please follow me on my journey. If you stay with me, I will try to keep it light and interesting.

Love,
kjk