The following multimedia presentation is one in a series that will attempt to provide a quick snapshot into my non-working life in Guatemala; which unfortunately, is a small part of my Guatemalan life.

Handball
One Saturday, a fellow teacher approached me and asked if I would want to go see a handball game that night. Logically, I replied immediately and emphatically "Yes!!". Well, to be honest, I first asked what handball was. But, you get the point.

The sport is quite intriguing. To me, it's a combination of soccer (the strategy and flow of the game are similar), basketball (they must dribble and pass using their hands), hockey (they have penalty minutes for naughty players), and lacrosse (there is an arc in front of each goal that only the goalkeeper can cross).





Couple of things you can learn from the video clip above.
1) I was videotaping with my digital camera, not a professional Sony video camera.
2) The wind inside of the gymnasium was severe, as it consistently rocked my camera back and forth throughout the taping.
3) My favorite part, by far, of the evening were the fans and their cheering. Most of the fans were parents of the young stars, and they were hilarious. My favorite character was the guy who brought a megaphone and kept shouting things throughout the match/game/event in his shouting device. He kept saying, "Now I can sleep tonight" whenever one of his sons scored. You can hear him at the beginning of the clip.




The most comical part of the handball game is the Penalty Shot. To me, it's like a cross between a pitcher winding up on the mound in a baseball game and a petrified soccer goalie only feet away from the path of the incoming ball. But that's just me.



Closing thoughts:
1) I think the name of the sport is fascinating in its simplicity. Team Handball? Does that mean an individual handball league is out there somewhere?
2) The game I saw was a part of the professional league. I'm pretty sure I could be the next Michael Jordan in that League if I wanted too. During the game, one individual kept dominating the other team. He seemed so much bigger than everyone else. I was impressed with his athletic prowess, until I walked up beside him after the game. He may have been an inch taller. Maybe.

Until next time,

Hoss. Pepe. Josh.

PS. I have more pictures and videos to share, but it takes quite a while to load them. If anyone has any suggestions for better methods of uploading videos, I would appreciate them.