Bali Vida

     I'm sitting on a computer in Bali, Indonesia right now, waiting to get on my flight back to Australia. This has been the best trip/experience of my life. While I love to travel on my own, I met a number of Indonesians and even Australians in Bali who joined me for various touristic adventures. I also met Carlos, a native of East Timor and writer for the website Lonely Planet. He travels the world for free (because his company pays for it) and writes about the places of the world. There aren't many jobs better than that.
     Carlos is a speaker of four languages, professional writer, world traveler, and man of many stories. He is what they call a Renaissance Man. Having been to Bali four times before his current 30-day stay on the island, he was able to learn the routes and roads of Bali to a T. Therefore, he let me follow him as we rode motorbikes all over the scenic island. We discussed the life of a writer and embarked on journeys throughout the countryside of Bali. He helped me do some serious damage to my bucket list.
     During this seven day vacation of mine, I was able to ride an elephant, hold a python, watch a chicken fight, swim with sea turtles, go scuba diving, watch piranhas tear into each other, surf the Indian Ocean, para-sail, ride jet skis, hold a chimpanzee and other monkeys, and shop (bargain) for very cheap, among other things. I had the time of my life.
     Bali is a whole different world from anywhere I've ever been. As soon as I touched down I could tell I was in a new country. Though I am not going to write in detail about the finer specifics of my time in Bali, because I have to get my mind off vacation mode. My break is now over and although it was amazing while it lasted, I've still been itching to get back on the court. I can't be away from the game for very long without having withdrawals, and thankfully, I don't have to. This coming Friday the Rebels will be back on the hardwood to take on the Eagles.
     I'm looking forward to the matchup, and am anticipating a battle. I'll most likely get to guard my boy Buster (from Little Rock, Arkansas), who is certainly their best player. The Eagles beat us by one possession last time we played them, and Buster was gone in America, which will make this my first time playing against him. Prior to the season's start, Buster and I were workout partners to some extent (even though he plays with the opposition, he is still Team America). Needless to say, this should be fun.
     I have attached a couple of pictures from Bali along with the post, and for those who asked for them, there will be many more on my Facebook page. If you want to know more about the trip (which will probably mostly be my family) just Facebook or Skype me. Otherwise, I'm back in basketball mode.

Past The Half-Way Point

I have successfully eclipsed the half-way point of my time here in Darwin. I’ve got a little more than three months to go, and I fully intend on soaking up the rest of this experience and the numbered days that remain down under.

I’ve crossed out quite a bit on my Darwin-to-do list. Next up is Crocodylus Park, a hotspot for various wildlife that I wouldn’t see at home in Rockford. The park is home to several different breeds of crocs, as well as kangaroos, tigers, buffalo, wild birds, snakes, and creatures of that nature. Pictures will be taken.

I now have a moped/scooter which allows me to get around much easier and therefore visit more places in less time. With this being my first experience on a scooter, and I must admit I was nervous the first time I hopped on. My first adventure driving it was to the city, downtown Darwin, during rush hour...probably not the wisest choice to try and get a feel for my new bike, but that was when my appointment was to get the vehicle inspected and registered. I put a new tire on it, got a new helmet, and now I’m all set. I often go for drives now just for pleasure. The most gratifying aspect of bike life is being able to talk to the other drivers/riders while on the road. Yesterday I challenged another biker to a race off the line, but naturally, I got dusted because he had a motorcycle and I a moped. I think I handled the loss well though. I also went for a drive along the ocean where two eagles flew just over my head, a sight which served as a reminder to me that I ought to continue to enjoy the outdoors of Australia while I have the chance.

When I’m not playing basketball, in the weight room, or helping the youngins at an elementary school, I’m often at the beach. There are a number of public-named beaches in Darwin and I am trying to hit them all before I leave. I’ve only got one or two left on my Darwin bucket list.

At the top of my Darwin bucket list is to win a championship. For this to happen, our team will need to continue to improve. We have the pieces, and when everyone is healthy, we are for real. We just need to get healthy, demonstrate consistency when we are, and suck it up and not make excuses when we’re not. Last night was a step in the right direction.

We beat Razzle last night by 15, and nearly everyone played well. We had four guys in double figures and I had my best game of the season pouring in 26 points to go with 5 assists. We trailed at the end of the first, but caught up in the second and never looked back. We controlled the final three quarters. Here is a short article from the Darwin News covering the game:

"The Rebels got back into the win column with a 77-62 win against a tough and tenacious Razzle outfit that just wouldn’t give up. Rebel Matthew Van Pelt (pictured) led the team for the second week in a row with 26 points, a season high, with Jermaine Lattimore adding 14, Lucci Cornelius 11 and Jake Kirby 10. Van Pelt knocked down six treys in his output while the team hit a total of 11 (for a total of 33 from outside the arc). Razzle held a 15-14 first quarter lead, but the Rebels charged back with a 24-12 second quarter for a 40-27 half time lead. The third quarter was furious as the teams traded basket for basket during a Rebel 26-25 run. Brendan Dell kept the green and gold in the game, but they couldn’t overcome the lead the Rebels had built up. Dell finished with a season high 22 with Billy-Ray Roberts on 10, Robert Oliver, Ben Cowcher & James Panton on 9 each."

In the game prior to that one, we lost by 6 in a nail-biter. Having led the entire second half, we had crucial turnovers and poor execution on defense down the stretch and it proved costly. Personally, I played well in my matchup against a tough PG from Brooklyn by scoring 25 and dishing out 7 assists, but I clearly didn't play the floor general roll well enough as displayed by the big fat "L" that goes in the record books. Moreover, Jermaine was also killin' in the 4th quarter. From the 5:00 mark to the 2:00 mark in the 4th, I kept feeding the big fella, and Jermaine scored four straight buckets on four straight possessions. Then our mistake was going away from the hot hands in the final two minutes of the game, when we beat ourselves with turnovers and poor decisions when it mattered most. Here is the short clip from the news about this game: 

"Daniel Florance and returnee John King combined for 33 points as the Blues from Ansett slipped past the Rebels 71-65 in a must win game. The Blues were behind 33-27 at half-time… trailed by a point at 46-45 heading into the last quarter and turned a momentum shift into a win with a 26-19 run that keeps them within range of the top four. The addition of King to the line-up for the Blues and the imminent return of guard Matt Hunt will boost the Blues chances of getting back into the final four before the regular season ends. The Rebels had the game in their grasp but failed to hang onto the lead. Import guard Matthew Van Pelt had his best game of the season with a team and game high 25 points (including 4 treys), but it wasn’t enough to hold off that last quarter charge by the Blues. Rebel Jermaine Lattimore added 17 and Matt Fagg hit 14 while Malix Laurel had 12 and Jake Kirby 10 for the Blues."

Long story short, my last two games have been the best two games of my young overseas career thus far. Unfortunately, however, we split those games, so I didn't do enough. All that matters right now is racking up W's. Our team currently sits in 4th place, and the top 4 make the playoffs. We've got two games next weekend against Palmerston (who smacked us by 30 last game) and Tracy Village (who pulled off a triple overtime win against us last time). I'd say we've got some revenge to dish out. 

Basketball as of Late

Our team still has yet to be complete for a single game thus far. In each of our six games played so far there have been at least two players unable to suit up for various reasons. Our next game is Friday, and I am hoping we will finally be 100% healthy by then. Our last three games have all been battles, and I anticipate next Friday's contest to be much of the same.

Last week's game was an instant classic for Aussie hoops fans. To sum it up quickly, we lost by three in triple overtime to the Tracy Village Jets in a memorable back-and-forth battle.

The Jets are currently undefeated and in first place. We had plenty of opportunities to hand them their first loss, but didn't finish the job. At one point we were up by 3 in the second overtime when they had a player (who hadn't hit a three in two seasons) bank in a transition three pointer at the buzzer to send it to a third extra session, where they eventually made more shots than us and earned the victory.

It was quite an eventful game. I also cracked my head open during the game taking a charge on a player much bigger than myself. It all happened so quickly that I don't know exactly what caused my head to crack. While I found it quite annoying that my head was bleeding for two days (I didn't want to go to the hospital to stitch it up), the fortunate aspect of the situation is that the charge call went my way.

The same player who I took the charge on eventually got tossed from the game for shoving a player on our team and picking up his second technical foul. Referees are not slow to give tech's out here. I haven't been hit with a "T," but one thing I learned quickly is that I better keep my mouth shut.

The officiating was pretty poor that game. Both teams seemed to get screwed over at inopportune moments. We had to do our best to ignore what the refs were doing and pay more attention to the weapons on the other team. Because they had some weapons.

They had two point guards who played on the court at the same time. Both were very similar to myself, in that they are small, quick guards who look to facilitate on offense and apply pressure on defense. I had fun battling with them, and managed to have a pretty successful night individually. I scored 21 points and dished out 12 assists in all. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for a victory.

They guy who led the Jets to the W was a 6'7 lengthy forward who had a game similar to that of Dirk. He could post up, and did so a lot. But where he preferred to play was on the perimeter, where he dropped at least three deep balls on us. We struggled to slow him down, and in the end, his offensive production proved costly and contributed to us taking a loss.

The second of these three games is one I prefer not to write much about, for the mere fact that I choked near the game's closing. Our team struggled from the free throw line the entire game. We missed twelve foul shots just in the first half. I missed one for the game. But that one happened to be the biggest one of all. In a game where we were up by as many as 9 in the third quarter, we once again failed to finish, and I take most of the blame for that.

We were down by two when I drove the lane and got tripped up trying to finish at the hoop with 4.5 seconds left. A foul was called, and I was sent to the line. Down 2. 4.5 seconds left. Who doesn't want that pressure? I am a very confident free throw shooter, and love moments like that. I hit the first free throw as the ball didn't touch the rim. I had a chance to tie the game, but missed the second.

There's really no other way to put it other than that I choked. I don't even remember how it missed. I'm not sure if it bounced right, went in and out, was short, or what. It's all a blur to me. I let my team down. We lost by a single point. Missing free throws is one thing I hate, but letting your team down is a much worse feeling. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to cope with it long because we had a game the following night.

That game, like the other two, was also a one possession game in the final seconds. We played the Lightning, a team with a balanced attack led by a big red head who formerly played for the Melbourne Tigers (a NBL team in Southern Australia). They had more size than us but Jermaine and Jacob did a nice job covering their bigs, and for the most part we held their shooters in check as well. It was an ugly game, in which neither team played very well. But I guess we were a little less ugly and found a way to pull out a close win as they missed a three at the buzzer which would have sent it to OT. I had a decent, yet fairly quiet night offensively scoring 9, and dishing for 6 assists. I played well on defense, grabbing a few steals and forcing an 8-second half-court violation with some full court ball pressure. Overall, I played okay. Our team played okay at best. It wasn't a pretty win, but nevertheless it felt good to come out on top.

Our team started the year 2-0, then lost 3 straight, and now hope to build this victory into a much longer win streak. Currently at 3-3, we are at a place where we need to start winning on a more consistent basis. We have the talent and work ethic to do it. The biggest key for us Rebels right now is to get healthy. If we put everybody on the floor in the same game, we should be able to beat anybody. Now, it's just a matter of doing it.

After our latest win, a few of us went to a Filipino festival and then to a Filipino friend's birthday party. Darwin is on the northern coast of Australia, therefore it is the closest of all the big Australian cities to the Philippines. As a result, it's a city that is home to not only a great number of Filipinos, but also a wide variety of other ethnic backgrounds as well. Darwin is quite the cultural melting pot, which is one thing I love about the area. I've met numerous people from all over the world in my short time here so far. I've also booked a trip to Bali, Indonesia from late September to early October because our league takes a week off from games. So perhaps in that week I'll make some Indonesian friends as well.                                                           
                                                                                                           
I also plan on taking a second trip in early to mid December before I fly back to the U.S. for Christmas. As of right now, my options include Cairns (where the Great Barrier Reef is located) and Sydney, Australia, as well as Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, or Malaysia. I've never been to any of these areas, so I'm open to any and all suggestions of those who might know more about them than I.




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Splitting the Weekend

Well, my team experienced the good and the bad this weekend by splitting our two back to back games. Friday dated the good while Saturday might in fact have marked the ugly, rather than the bad. Nevertheless, we learned quite a lot about our team in the past two nights.

On Friday we jumped on the opposition from the tip, as we managed to score the first seven points of the game. Perhaps this early cushion caused us to feel comfortable, and consequently relent, because the Razzle quickly matched our seven points in addition to making an early run of their own. We trailed for most of the first half, and much like our first game, we found ourselves down by a point at the intermission.

I was to blame as much as anybody for our first half blunders. While I felt great defensively, I went only 1-6 from the field in the first twenty minutes with only a single assist. Also much like the first game, however, the second half was a different story; the second half belonged to the Rebels.

The third quarter was a back and forth contest in which we won by five points, giving us a four point advantage going into the final quarter. In the 4th, we wore down the opposition, increased the tempo, and hit shots that we missed early on. As a result, we won the game decisively by 19 points. I, like my teammates, also picked up my game, finishing with 16 points and 5 assists. My 16 was broken up into 4 three pointers, one pull up jumper, and two free throws. And though my assist total for the game was not what I hoped for, I have nothing to mope about given we won the game to put us at 2-0 on the young season.

That unblemished record, we would soon find out, was quite ephemeral having lasted just less than 24 hours. We played a team of men that made us look like a team of boys. To get straight to the point, we lost by thirty. This is the part I hate to write about, but for the mere purpose of updating my family and friends back home, will record anyway.

We did not lose because we fell in love with ourselves or are quick and short-lived undefeated record, but because we got out played, out coached, out skilled, out hustled, and out executed. We got mopped off the court by Palmerston, a veteran ball club that not only plays well together, but also has two of the league's top three leading scorers. One of those leading scorers, was a big man (he played for New Zealand's national team) who we failed to match up with. Jermaine, our starting center, was unable to suit up for tonight's game. Having him would have been ideal, but would not have changed the outcome. We can't use the loss of his presence from our roster as an excuse, because it's extremely unlikely the big fella would have accounted for a thirty point swing. What we failed to do instead was step up and rise to the occasion to lift up our teammate who was unable to be there tonight. As a result, we got smacked.

Palmerston did everything. They hit multiple contested threes. They killed us on the boards. They killed us on the loose balls. They blocked shots while we picked up fouls. They executed to a T with beautiful ball movement and an understanding where one another would be on the hardwood at all times. We failed in multiple aspects of the game. Offensively, especially, we were stagnant. Much of that blame should be put on me, the point guard. If you look at my statistics, it appears as if I played decent. I scored 17 points (4 threes, 1 floater, 1 layup, and 1 free throw) and dished out 8 assists. But stats don't tell the story. I didn't do what it took to lead my team, nor did I make many others better. We just seemed flat, and with the exception of sparking a run to cut the game to 8 points in the third quarter, for the most part I felt as if I could do very little to fix the problems we were having. It was a game to remember insofar as we use it as a lesson to learn from. And at the same time, it was a game to forget. On to the next one!

The Season Has Arrived

     I will forever remember August 2, 2013, because it now represents the day I played my first basketball game as a professional athlete. We played Ansett today, and the important news is also the best news: we won!

    We got off to a sluggish start to the game, and could not contain the other team's small forward. He was scoring all kinds of buckets on us, pouring in twenty by half time. Turnovers hurt us, as did all around sloppy play on both ends of the court. I was the guiltiest of anyone, committing three turnovers of my own. The referees also call the game much differently overseas, and consequently, I was hit for two travel calls on two attempted spin moves which would not have been violations back in America. Later, I was actually shocked when they did not call a travel on me following a Euro step. Jermaine also struggled with the refs as he eventually fouled out of the game in the 4th quarter. He also picked up a technical, as did Sam (who is the last guy you would expect to get a T) both in the first quarter. Apparently they give T's just for natural reactions of disapproval (without saying anything) like the NBA began obsessing over a few years back. We were frustrated and we were rusty, but my man Larry kept us in it by going 4-4 from behind the arc. Despite poor play, we trailed by only one point at the intermission.

     The second half was a completely different story. After feeling like a chump in the first two quarters, I felt in control in the final two stanzas of the game. We shocked many of the fans in the crowd (probably as well as the Ansett players) with a completely different level of play in the final twenty minutes. We jumped on them right from the start of the second half's first whistle, and never looked back. After trailing by one at the half, we flipped the script and won decisively, by 25 points. Yes that's right, we blew their trash-talking booties off the court.

     We adjusted to the officiating, gained our composure, picked up the intensity on defense, and made plays on offense with tremendous balance. I switched on to the small forward and chased/denied him the entire game. We held him to three points in the second half. On offense, I believe we had four in double figures, and every guy on our team scored. I was the beneficiary of having hustling teammates run the floor for me, so I was able to connect on 11 assists to go with 14 points. My vision, handle, and overall feel for the game felt much better in half number two. While I am definitely happy with a double double in my first game, I still have much work to do in order as far as understanding how the refs call the game over here.


     Our team is getting much better at understanding our responsibilities on the hardwood, and seems to be very capable of maintaining a balanced attack on a nightly basis. Jermaine hit one three, but mainly dominated on the boards down low and made his presence felt in the post. The other Matt did work on the wing, hitting a number of outside shots and a couple of step-backs. I love having a 24-second shot clock by the way, because it gives me an excuse to work on my step back J and take the occasional tough shot (in order to beat the buzzer more often). Larry didn't miss a three. Lucci got the award for most floor dives in one game, and Malix and Jake contributed solid statistics and minutes as well. Had our game been recorded by ESPN we might have had a Not-Top-Ten nomination when my boy Patrick air-balled a layup because he couldn't decide whether he should dunk it or finish with a finger roll, and instead of choosing one or the other, he aimed for the air in between him and the hoop. Fortunately, we were up big in the 4th when this took place. Hitting Ansett (who did have one key player injured) with a 25 point loss definitely sent a message to the rest of the league. Let it be known, the Rebels are for real.

     In other news away from the court, I have accepted an invitation to move houses. After living with the general manager, Jermaine, and Matt for the past two months, I am now moving into a house on the other side of town with my Filipino teammate Malix and his family. I will not have to pay rent, nor will I have to pay for meals. Perhaps I've been spoiled. Malix is also giving me a car, which definitely helped persuade me to move out. The reason for the move is because our GM is bringing in a female basketball player to come live here as well, which means we would have five people and only four rooms. As a result, I volunteered to move out. I will miss living with Jermaine and Matt, who I've gotten along with quite well. I will still be seeing plenty of them though, and having a car for free is quite tempting. So for me, life is good right now. Essentially I just got a new car. And more importantly, I am now in my element as the the season has officially commenced. Thank you Jesus.

 **I forgot to add that I also just got my number switched to #12. I've got my number again. All is well.

Driving: No Easy Task

     The other day I was relaxing with a couple of ball players out here at a friends pool when we all saw a snake the size of a human. That was enough motivation for us to leave the house, or as my friend's landlord said, "Get on up, and get on out!" So, we decided to take a road trip, and I was the designated (rookie) driver. I borrowed someone's car and was driving for a good hour.
     It was only my second time driving and its safe to say I was more nervous driving in the Darwin city traffic than I've ever been before a win-or-go-home playoff basketball game. Consequently, my hands were gripping the wheel nice and tight. I'm still not used to the wheel being on the right and the driving being on the left. Nor do I like that the wipers are on the left and the blinkers (or "indicators" as they call them here) are on the right. I definitely messed that up a couple of times thanks to muscle memory. The way we select either the right or left blinker is also the opposite from how its commonly done in the States. Nevertheless, had I been in the countryside, I would have been delighted to practice developing these new habits at the wheel. However, driving in this city is not my thing, especially when I don't know where I'm going and I've never experienced the roundabouts of Australia. It also doesn't help that drinking and driving is legal in the Northern Territory. Yes, that's right -- you are allowed to drink while you drive as long as your blood-alcohol content is less than .05 (no I will not be trying this). Therefore, the
percentage of dangerous drivers on the road is probably and logically greater than in the other states of Australia where opened alcohol containers are a major no-no. However, I did manage to get myself and the two others with me to our destination and back without getting involved in anything remotely close to an accident. I successfully stuck to the speed limit (which is measured in kilometers), filled the car up with gas (petrol out here), and eluded 100% of the numerous Aussie's diagnosed with road rage.
     Cars honking at one another in Australia remains a customary part of the status quo and is generally just as common as guys tweeting #turnup or girls Facebooking about how all guys are the same in America. Patience is clearly optional. I've heard a few hot heads yell at others for driving cautiously and impeding all rushed drivers from speeding. The usual seems to be, "You bloody prick, stupid idiot buggah, move outta the way!" Or the more sarcastic, controlled drivers demonstrating peaceful frustration succumb to asking a rhetoricle question: "Hey bloke, have you ever driven before?" What is most important for my own self-esteem is that no such questions were asked of me....at least none that I heard. I got around safely, and heard not a single horn honk my way. This means I can call driving experience number two something of a success.

More Lingo & More About The Team

I thought I'd reveal a few more patterns of the native Australian tongue with you:

• Mosquitoes are "muzzies" around here....and there are three different kinds of mosquitoes. The other day I went to a national park and saw 100 + red mosquitoes, but was not bitten by any. Thank God for that. 
• If you take a nap you "have a sleep." 
• Best friends are "best mates."
• Australians do like to use the word "bloody." For example: "There's heaps of bloody crocodiles in the bloody ocean." 
• "O's" are pronounced with an "au" sounds. I asked the general manager of my team if I could print out copies of something. He responds: "What? You mean caupies? You can go to Caupie Time to do that."
• They don't ask if you've graduated from college, instead they ask if you've finished University.
• "References" are "referees" out here. 
• They use the word "whilst" in replace of "while."
•  "Footy" is Australian Football. If you want to ask someone if they are going to watch the game, it's proper to ask, "Are you going to watch the footy?"
• I still have yet to hear someone say "you're welcome." I find myself saying "no worries" now too, much like the Australians do. It's also rare to hear a "thank you." People love to say "cheers" instead (which I think I've already mentioned in a previous blog). I'm joining in on that lingo.
• If a man has a wife he has a "misses." When Derek introduced me to his friend's wife, he said, "This is my friend's misses."

The Team:

I've gotten to know many of the players a little more. There are two guys from the Philippines, two Americans (Jermaine and I), one from Great Britain, and one from Indonesia might be joining our team. The rest are all from various parts of Australia (both southern and northern Aussie).

The two from the Philippines are Malix and Aldren. Malix is the perfect role player. He clogs up the middle on defense, rebounds the heck out of the basketball, and voluntarily sets screen after screen for our scorers. He reminds me of Ben Wallace back in his glory days when he was playing for the great Detroit Pistons, though Malix has a better offensive game in the post. Aldren can do it all. He posts up and he runs the wing. He's very versatile. The man's got footwork like the Black Mamba. He's one of those crafty guys who will throw three pump fakes at you and reverse pivot three times in the same possession. I like his game.

I've already told you about Jermaine's game and you all know me. Jermaine and I, moreover, just got another roommate. His name is Matt Fagg, from Southern Australia. He's a small forward who can also play shooting guard. His basketball IQ is very high. I already love playing with him because he's constantly moving on offense, and just knows how to play the game (which makes my job as point guard much easier). He loves to come off screens and shoot, but is not limited to a shooter. He can put the ball on the floor, and slashes as well.

Sam, who I've already mentioned, is someone I can officially label a shooter. He's our Shane Battier/Mike Miller of the team. I'm sure his stroke will help me rack up a few assists.

We've also just picked up a guy named Lucci. I have no idea what his ethnicity is. Some people tell me he's from Australia and some tell me he's from Indonesia. I'll have to clear that up with him. I'll call him a hybrid for now. But that dude can hoop. He's about 6'6, and is possibly our most athletic player. He can probably play any position on the court if asked to.

At guard, we also have Jarrod, who like Sam, is a shooter. He's a southpaw who can knock it down from deep. He can shoot, and he's not shy about it. The man likes to pull the trigger. He can play point guard as well but is more comfortable at the two guard position.

Needless to say, I've got weapons in front of me. I just need to come in and run the show and make everybody else better. Our team, which finished fourth in the division last year and failed to make the playoffs by one game, should get back to where it was a few years ago. Like I've already mentioned in an earlier blog post, our team won four straight championships before it slipped this year. It will only be a matter of time before we're right back in that position. The season is now less than a month away, and you know I'm counting down the days.

***I will probably give updates on the rest of the players I have not yet mentioned in a future post.