2007-10 Indoor Soccer

Hailey started playing indoor soccer today. This is her first time playing in an indoor league. She is on a team with many of the same players from the outdoor team she was on this fall.

Indoor soccer is played on a field the size of a hockey rink, except with artificial turf instead of ice. All the hockey boards are in place and there are extra tall tall boards on the end of the field. All the boards are in play, so players can pass off the boards to others or even themselves. The goals are cut right into the end boards. Because of this, even a shot that goes wide ricochets right back out for the possibility of a rebound shot.

There are nets above the boards to keep the ball from getting out of the field area. Also, the boards in front of the bleachers are clear so that the spectators can see the action right up close and don't have to lean out to watch. If the ball goes into the nets or hits the rafters, it is a turnover, and the other team gets a free kick. There are no throw-ins, just kick-ins. The halves are 26 minutes in length, with running time. Substitutions are made on the fly with the ball in play, or during a turnover. There is no offsides, so there are some breakaways on the goalies that don't occur as often in regular soccer. The kids do an awful lot of running.

Hailey enjoyed playing, but is still getting the hang of passing off the boards and giving it a full kick since the field is small and she is indoors. It really helps with some of the ball handling skills since everyone is so close together. Passes have to be quick and accurate. She enjoyed playing on the artificial turf, but it does burn some if you fall and slide on it.

2007-10 Tokyo Japan

Ray made a quick trip to Japan in October. After going through the Narita airport so many times on his trips to Asia, it was nice to have Japan be his destination and actually get to leave the airport. Once out of the airport, he boarded the Narita Express train for downtown Tokyo. The train takes about 1 hour to get downtown from the airport. Seats are assigned and are much like a coach bus inside. The express train only makes one stop between the airport and downtown, greatly speeding up the trip compared to a regular train or bus or taxi.

He stayed in Tokyo, but had to go to Chiba for a visit. One of the people that we were visiting was our guide to get us up to the office. It was a good thing, since we had to change trains 3 times in the course of the 1-1/2 ride. These standard commuter trains varied in both their configuration and amenities. Some had a few more seats, but many were designed primarily for standing with bars and loops for stability. Tokyo is so big with housing and buildings stretching out the entire trip.

On the trip back, we made a train change in Soga, and caught an express train into Tokyo. This train was much faster and had much better suspension for a smoother ride. There was an upcharge for riding on this train compared to the regular train. It reduced our travel time about an hour. Taking this train brought us back on a different route and we passed by Tokyo Disney. It appears small compared to the US locations, but much bigger than the Hong Kong park. They were building a very large hotel as we passed by, so they are continuing to expand.
















Near the hotel was one of the local TV stations. They have a studio that is glass walled and can be seen from the pedestrain levels. On the way home from the train station, we saw a talent type show being broadcast. Above the TV station was a very large cuckoo type clock. It was at least 2 stories tall and maybe 80 feet wide.

During the evening, Ray walked a few blocks to the Ginza strip, a famous high-end shopping district in Tokyo. Most of the shops were already closed for the evening. It is not a pedestrian mall, so there is a lot of traffic to deal with as you cross streets.
















Before heading back to the airport on Friday morning Chad and Ray walked around the area a little more. In the midst of all the new high rises and buildings was a more traditional building which turned out to be a theatre for traditional Japanese plays. We also saw a very tall metal scultpure in the entrance area to one of the local building.

The trip back to the airport was quick and easy on the Narita express. Since it was dark coming in, it was nice to see some more of the city on the way back. One thing he noticed was the number of golf driving ranges. They have very high nets and lights that stick out of the scenery. Many are at least double decked and some with 3 or 4 hitting levels.