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You know you're still addicted to the TV show Survivor when you're contemplating skipping the first 65+ minutes of volleyball (i.e. playing for only 35 minutes or so) for the next 2 weeks b/c Survivor will be shown on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays due to the NCAA Basketball games. I'm hoping my parents will be able to tape it for me b/c I still don't know how to program a VCR. Don't know where the manual is. I'm still kinda concerned that the show Gilmore Girls will be moving to Saturday nights in Canada. My consolation is that when beach volleyball season starts, they'll hopefully be already broadcasting reruns. Oh no, but May sweeps! Argh... Saltspring Island lamb and volleyball and the beach and camaraderie or my fave shows? 

Survivor prediction: The remaining members of the tribe formerly known as Kucha will be picked off one by one. They shoulda gunned for Jerri instead of Colby. Gun for Jerri, people! Biyatch.

Well, on Friday evening, I went to watch some brief contemporary dance performances in a studio. Various groups of young kids and teenagers. Some teen performed her solo piece which she wanted to use for her audition for some dance school. There was also supposed to be some performance by a group of 'mature adults' and the instructor for that group prefaced their piece by saying that they are testimony to the fact that you're never too old to start dancing. Well, with that lead-in, I was expecting some matronly types but no...these were females who all looked to be in their early 20s! There was one guy who looked like he was in his 30s but that was it. They were really good too. They were a beginner's adult dance group who had only gotten together in January. Much better than our class. In our class, we only have a few competent females. The others include a couple of overweight matrons, a woman who was in a ski accident, another who had been in a car accident, some gal who's surgically attached to her cell phone, and there's me -someone who has no rhythm and relies on the girl in front of her so she doesn't have to bother remembering the moves. Anyhoo, I think I'm condemned to staying in adult beginner's classes for the rest of my life - and I don't mean just in modern dance either. Whatever, it was sort of fun. Throughout the evening, I was standing on top of a chair and sitting on this dance bar against the wall. I was kind of concerned that the chair and/or bar might give way and then attention would be drawn toward me. But, hey, I couldn't see some of the movements on the floor, otherwise.

I don't exactly practise my dance steps nor do any stretching at home. For one thing, I don't really have the space to move around. There's still one last chance to impress the instructor, woohee. She had added some steps to the end of our routine last class that involved sudden movements up and down which made me really dizzy / light-headed. No one else appeared dizzy though. But I've always had this problem. It's got to do with blood suddenly rushing to my head (or not rushing quickly enough?) or something.

On Saturday afternoon, I sort of wanted to check out this free modern dance class session that some girl from my class had alerted us to. But seeing as how this class was held at some other place and that I wouldn't know anyone else besides that girl there, I was sort of hesitant to go. Fortunately, I was saved from the flagellation as I would've given myself had I not gone by getting an invitation to play tennis by some other people. 

A bunch of us rotated around two courts to play against each other in doubles. It was over in West Point Grey and the setting was spectacular. It was at a park which was high above the water. You could see Burrard Inlet with the barges and across to English Bay with the downtown towers in the background. At the park, there was a boys' soccer league game in play. I was surprised to see so many really young families at the playground though. How could they afford the high cost of real estate in that neighbourhood, unless they were renting or lived in apartments and condos?

Anyway, the tennis was a bit fun but frustrating. It was gorgeously sunny (almost SPRING!!!) but so windy that the tennis balls would just curve all over the place, either too close to you or too far away. And depending on whether you were playing facing or against the wind, you had to hit the ball extra hard or softly in order for the ball to end up relatively close to where you're aiming. Blah, I hate the wind. Too rough for sailing too.

After tennis, we went over to some guy's place nearby for barbeque. Yum, who thought that a hot dog would taste so good? A grilled Bavarian bratwurst on a toasted, buttered bun, with sauteed onions and melted fresh cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and then with relish and ketchup. (I left the sauerkraut and vinegar and mustard alone.) After running about outside and working up an appetite, your taste buds seem to be enhanced. I ate other food there, but I just don't have the Western culinary palate to appreciate the use of seasonings such as rosemary, sage, parsley, parmesan cheese, ketchup, etc. in place of salt. I still need my salt! I'm Asian so no salt and soy sauce = bland, bland, bland. I don't have a sweet tooth but I do have a salt tooth. Fortunately, I have low blood pressure. Dessert was handmade chocolate from Brussels House of Chocolates. There were about 3 chocolate shops in walking distance from the place.

After the feast, my friend suggested that we try out her new board game called Stare. However, the game seemed too lame. You basically stare at the picture on a card for about 20 seconds and you answer inane questions about the picture afterward. Reminders of how I did poorly on some test for some Canada Customs job a few years ago because I didn't have photographic memory flooded back to me. Everybody else thought the game was difficult too, so I suggested we make up our own Pictionary game, but people didn't seem too enthusiastic either. 

Most of these people are just so damn active. X-country and downhill skiing,  biking, volleyball (some of them more than once a week), tennis, ultimate frisbee, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, curling (why?), ballroom dancing, etc. regularly. And also hiking, backpacking and river kayaking in the spring and summer. Good grief. Just thinking about it tires me out. And it's not just these people either. It seems like most people I know (except for many Asian females) are so damn athletic; their idea of a walk in the park, for example, is my idea of climbing up a mountain, and so on. But hey, I'm still so happy that I am able to participate in this westcoast lifestyle if I so wish. 

Anyway, I was curious whether anyone watched Survivor, but I kind of assumed that these people rarely watched TV so I didn't ask. I guess I'm one of the few in town who has no life. But hey, nowadays, I don't watch that much TV - just Survivor, That's Life, Gilmore girls, and occasionally Rosie O'Donnell, Oprah Winfrey, Malcolm in the Middle, and a bit of the news and Jay Leno. (And snippets of other shows and reruns which I guess add up.)

I'm looking forward to again playing beach volleyball each week when it gets even warmer. For our inaugural game of the season, we might roast a Saltspring Island lamb. Salivating already. Vegans and vegetarians need not come. (I'm gonna have to remember to bring my own salt. But how will I salt my food without offending the cook?)