Christmas Dodgeball Tournament!

Music pounds. People cheer. Balls whiz through the air.

In some universities football is a religion.

In the University of the Nations, dodgeball is.

(Note: that may be an exaggeration.)

While this campus does not glorify the air they breathe, or treasure the sweat that drips off from their foreheads, or blood that falls (as some universities and high schools are known to do - if you don't believe me read John Grisham's Bleachers) there are a few famous people out there on the court, some somebodies every dodgeball fan should know. 

Kenny Jackson. Fondly named "the voice of dodgeball" a YWAM dodgeball tournament wouldn't be the same without this guy commentating.

David Jackson. His son. Easy to recognize because of his afro, David's known for his trademark spinning throw. Although a few people have caught it, the best thing to do is to stay out of the ball's way, as I learned the hard way.

Dwayne Klahr. Not as easy to recognize as other people mentioned here, Dwayne is a behind-the-scenes person. He's the organizer of the dodgeball tournaments, and makes the lists of which team should play another. He also sets up the chairs and tables before the event, and even referees every now and then.

Josh Kuperus. Not yet well known, Josh has great potential (and an ego to match it) and is known for a fairly hard throw and good dodging skills. Last seen playing with a white shirt and golden halo 'round his head in a team simply known as "Da Old Guys".

Anyway, yesterday night the first Christmas dodgeball tournament was held. The Ohana court had a few decorations, and instead of the usual rock and roll music, Christmas music was blasted over the speakers instead. Imagine "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" being sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks, and you have an idea what our night was like.

It was a good night though. Excitement was up. Hype was high. Adrenaline was runnin'. People were cheering themselves hoarse.

And, all in all, my team did well. We won two games, and lost two games to the teams that made it into the finals. A good night. And that's not too shabby because the same team didn't win a single game in the last tournament we played in. I'm convinced it's the name that did it. 

Those "Old Guys" decided to show them whippersnappers how it's done.

Anneke and Caleb, Alisha's Birthday, Anneke Lost Her First Front Tooth

What if?

What if you woke up one morning and all you had were the things you thanked God for yesterday?

A: always

S: say 

A: a

P: prayer

11/11/11

Today is the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of the twenty-first century.

But it's the day before today I want to talk about. (eg. yesterday). Because on that day, ten years ago, a baby girl was born.

Her name: Alisha Kuperus.

Her brother: Me.

So in honor of her birthday I decided to name three things that are true about her. Just three.

(Any more and those internet creepers would want to find out our address.)

Here goes:

Number # 1. 

She's purrrty.

Number # 2. 

She's artistic. 

Pretty sure she'll turn into a female version of Michelangelo when she grows up. If not, that is, for fact number three ...

Number # 3. 

She wants to be a scientist when she grows up.

We threw a little party. Food, cupcakes, candy, chips, screaming girls ... the works.

We went bowling also. The grand old American way. With ten pins and a bowling ball (that weighs just less than a small cannonball) to knock down 'em down with. As I am used to the Canadian five pins and bowling ball that weighs less than an anvil I did not distinguish myself. As in, perhaps I should have played with the railings up.

(Nah, just kidding, I wasn't that bad -- but I wasn't that good either.)

After bowling, we threw a little water balloon fight. Guess who all the ten year-old girls wanted to throw water balloons at?

You guessed it.

I was lucky to get out of there alive.

Capturing Sea Cucumbers

My class went to the beach today for school. Only in Hawaii.


It was for Marine Biology and we were supposed to capture invertebrates from Phyla we studied (Phylum Cnidarian, Phylum Porifera, Phylum Arthropoda, Phylum Gastropoda, Phylum Ctenophore -- see what a great student I am? David Amels laughs hysterically in the background).


During the hour our class had I succeeded in capturing a wild beast, mastering a primal force of nature etc. etc. It looked like this:

Disgusting? I think so.


Don't worry: it is even more disgusting in real life. 


Believe it or not these ridiculous looking things are not poisonous. In fact, apparently it is possible to pick it up with your bare hands. 


So guess what the class instructor told me to do?


Yep, you guessed it.


I had to pick up it up and put it into a bucket.


And, believe it or not, I did it. 


I must have had a mental relapse at that moment.


There's also this odd thing where they squirt out this purple coloured substance for self-defense called  cuvierian tubules. (See how educational these blog posts really are?) It looks like silly string, sticks like glue, and managed to get mangled up in my net (while I was attempting to capture another marine organism). 


I'll let you imagine the rest.