Trips 2013: Rotterdam, The Netherlands for NECIS basketball

At the end of February last year, Luke got on a double decker bus with his team, the U12 Girls' team and the U14 boys' and girls' teams and headed to Rotterdam. Because they left on a Thursday morning, and were missing school, Zechariah and I left after school on that Thursday to take the little over 2 hour trip to Rotterdam. (Stuart and Silas stayed behind for work, school and soccer.) 

I attempted once again to put "The Netherlands" into my Garmin - only to be thwarted and reminded that my Garmin thinks all of The Netherlands is Holland! Not true!!  Ask any Netherlander! (Holland is only the central, western portion - but the terms are clearly used interchangeably at times.) We arrived in time Thursday to see the 2nd half of their first game. This tournament usually involves about 9-12 other International Schools competing for the NECIS title. It is absolutely fascinating to meet parents and students from these other locales and hear about their expat experience. We ran into several fellow Americans and even a Southerner or two! (Are there not as many Southern expats? There don't seem to here...I'm curious about that.)

I remember very few details about individual games except they had an amazing comeback against one team (down by 15 or 20 and came back to win it in the last seconds) and that we had to play a VERY ROUGH Amsterdam team twice and I believe we won the first time and lost the second time. And they had a lady coach who was not very nice. I don't know where we placed in the tournament - 4th, I think? (Side note: difference between most men and women here - I remember hardly any details from any sporting event I have seen over the years. Most often only in the big games do I remember who even won. However, my brother and dad can recall specific baseball games my brother played, to detailed hits, pitches and the like, in addition to CHURCH LEAGUE basketball games. Not to mention professional and collegiate sports they watch and when my brother played collegiate baseball. I promise you, my mom and I remember watching the games and cheering - and that is about it. Am I right, Mom?)

Anyway, Zee and I explored a little bit of Rotterdam. But most of our free time we hung out in the hotel and chilled. We did spend a pleasant afternoon at the Rotterdam zoo until they kicked us out. :-) (They REALLY should put their closing time in other languages, particularly on their English brochure!!)
And we enjoyed a fun dinner in the hotel restaurant - it really was fun! 

Bonn was an easy victory this time!

Luke in motion.

Covering his man (for those basketball folks, NO ZONE DEFENSE ALLOWED - only man to man - and I could not spell defense just now - too long here where all they use is British spelling!!)

Coach Jonas (pronounced Yonas) and the team

We look happy? Once again - terrible memory for these things.

Copenhagen International School - we beat them, but in the end they got us! ( I will explain below.)

Swimming over us in the cool aquarium tunnel

This kangaroo has a cutie!

Really fun playground with super tall, fast slides

Okay - this is gross, but this was the garbage can - thus the reason I wouldn't let him put his head all the way in - what a great disguise for garbage!!

The animal they brought from North America!! (No, not Zee!!)

So one last note: in one of the pictures above I mentioned the Copenhagen team. Apparently, 2 of their kids got sick on the bus on the way to Rotterdam. The parents all thought it was car sickness. Then two more kids went down. By the end of the tournament, they were down to 7 guys or so (12 man roster), with one really starting to get sick. Well, we played this team and also got along well with this team at the same hotel. Yes, we beat them when they were 10 strong, but they beat us in the end. Our first guy went down with the virus Saturday night - his parents were there, so they took him home the next morning. Next two guys went down on the bus on the way back. Eventually, most of the team succumbed as well as siblings, parents and then, lo and behold, half the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades as that wonderful "Copenhagen" virus was shared all over the school. Jonas literally had no basketball team except 6 kids for one game (and our Sportverein team has 15 players!!) Yes, that Copenhagen team definitely got us in the end.