Paralympics sports camp, San Diego

The Paralympics sports camp was quite fun. I got a chance to compete in events that interested me. They had recumbent cycling which is always a great time. However, during my journey, the chain to my cycle fell off, creating a chaotic situation. Other than that instance, I enjoyed my time cycling. Next I opted for swimming. Growing up near water and competing on a swim team, I wasn’t unfamiliar with the water. My stroke definitely needed some brushing off, but I enjoyed my time in the water. Although, it was at times frustrating because I know what to do, but the body wasn’t cooperating. On the next day, I tried “sit volleyball. Unlike normal volleyball, you sit on the ground and the net is much lower. On the ground, I found it quite difficult to keep track of the ball. I had a rough time, because my eyes found it difficult to track the ball. They were like laser darts jumping beyond my periphery. I know I would have enjoyed it more if I could actually see the ball. On the next day, we went to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Here, we got to attempt and participate in Olympic sports like track, archery, discus, and shot-put. Shot-put is damn hard. You have to have a huge neck and muscular arms to do this, of which I had none of the prerequisites to compete. I was pretty ill throughout, so those games exhausted me. But, all in all, I had a great time and would definitely participate again.
We then drove to Camp Pendleton to attend the VAP, DTAP courses. We attended these courses because they are mandatory to leave the military. At least the military tries to prepare you for future employment. At times, I felt out of place because my primary purpose in terms of future goals is to enjoy what I do and where I live and who I’m with. I don’t know if I ever work again, but it’s definitely not known right now. It’s frustrating and I hope to achieve something in life which is non-work related. My next task was preparing for my dental surgery. I had my lower wisdom teeth removed when I was in High School. But now, with all four wisdom teeth gone, I have no wisdom anymore. The succeeding week was filled with lots of rest and a diet of soup and soft foods. We went to South Coast Plaza, a shopping mall I frequented when I was a youth. I got my watch (which broke abroad) fixed. At the mall, we saw Chinese knitting or something of the sort. It was pretty complicated, but Nicola was a pro. She was familiar with the motion of the weaves. Then, Nicola, Eveleen and I tried to kayak in Newport Back Bay. I fell in the water which made me lose confidence in my ability to succeed in the sport. But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on it, I still want to kayak and most of all, I feel that kayaking is an enjoyable recreational activity that I enjoy with my family.

We also watched the Dodger playoff game. It was pretty exciting. What would have been infinitely more exciting would be if the Angels and Dodgers met in the World Series. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.