Saturday, February 23, 2013
NJTP Rest Stop
We've made a pit stop on the Jersey Turnpike. Only 3 hours, 23 minutes and 207 miles to go!
National Love Your Language Day
We've arrived in Albany and are changing bus drivers near the Albany airport. Only 7 hours and 397 miles to go.
En Route
We're just south of the border, and as if giving us one last au revoir from the North Country, it's snowing to beat the band! It's a beautiful and somewhat melancholy sight. Only 9 hours and 568 miles to go!
Enjoy this short clip of Master Kwon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khcgied4iD4
Enjoy this short clip of Master Kwon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khcgied4iD4
Jemarcus Woodson
There was a sighting of Henry's alter ego, Jemarcus Woodson, at the rest stop near the border where we just stopped...
Samedi, le 23 Février - On Quitte Québec pour Rentrer à la Maison
All good things most come to an end, as must this most amazing of experiences. It was a short night after such a long stay, but I'm glad to be on the bus early et en route vers la Virginie!
There's still a faint sour taste in the mouth from how the game slipped away last night, but in the light of day, it's quickly fading. Patrick brought Kayla and Henry to the Château this morning at 8:45 to drop them off and say "au revoir". A bitter late February wind was blowing off the St. Lawrence, which was fitting for a day of saying goodbye.
Yesterday, Henry had purchased Patrick a pair of "Canada" socks in a souvenir shop with bears on them. He gave them to Patrick as a going-away present. Patrick was deleted and gave a good laugh. He and Henry hugged and each promised to see each other soon. I could see hoe fond Henry is of Patrick, and how sad he is to be leaving him and Québec. One could not have asked for a more perfect Famille d'Acceuil.
Somehow, the repacking of the bus was not as crazy as that snowy night last week (let's hear it for daylight). With a surprisingly high degree of efficiency (Sylvain is an excellent task master), we were on the road, by 9:50. As we past under the ramparts of the old city's walls one last time, I'm sure that every person was remembering the highlights of our stay here, and thinking "à la prochaine."
There are still so many things that I wanted to write about this amazing Tournoi, and here I've run out of time. Among the things I wanted to mention to you was one of the most interesting aspects of the culture of the Tournoi: Pin Trading. Every team Brings two designs of pins, a large and a small. Each player has a supply of both, and before, sometimes during, and after games, the players seek to trade with one another. There are also "professional" pin traders, who set up shop on the mezzanine level of the Colisée. While these "pros" have the largest assortment of pins, they apparently drive very hard bargains.
Henry came equipped with a slew of pins thanks to his Mom, and while he was slow to warm up to horse trading, he quickly got into the swing of it, thanks in large part to Kayla, who was an absolute natural at the art of pin trading. Every day we showed up at the Colisée, Kayla and Henry (and often Ben), would go off to trade. They would come back to where the parents were sitting to show off their newly acquired treasures. Henry had a plan in his trading - he was seeking to acquire as many international pins from the foreign teams as possible. From what what he showed me, he was very successful!
There's still a faint sour taste in the mouth from how the game slipped away last night, but in the light of day, it's quickly fading. Patrick brought Kayla and Henry to the Château this morning at 8:45 to drop them off and say "au revoir". A bitter late February wind was blowing off the St. Lawrence, which was fitting for a day of saying goodbye.
Yesterday, Henry had purchased Patrick a pair of "Canada" socks in a souvenir shop with bears on them. He gave them to Patrick as a going-away present. Patrick was deleted and gave a good laugh. He and Henry hugged and each promised to see each other soon. I could see hoe fond Henry is of Patrick, and how sad he is to be leaving him and Québec. One could not have asked for a more perfect Famille d'Acceuil.
Somehow, the repacking of the bus was not as crazy as that snowy night last week (let's hear it for daylight). With a surprisingly high degree of efficiency (Sylvain is an excellent task master), we were on the road, by 9:50. As we past under the ramparts of the old city's walls one last time, I'm sure that every person was remembering the highlights of our stay here, and thinking "à la prochaine."
There are still so many things that I wanted to write about this amazing Tournoi, and here I've run out of time. Among the things I wanted to mention to you was one of the most interesting aspects of the culture of the Tournoi: Pin Trading. Every team Brings two designs of pins, a large and a small. Each player has a supply of both, and before, sometimes during, and after games, the players seek to trade with one another. There are also "professional" pin traders, who set up shop on the mezzanine level of the Colisée. While these "pros" have the largest assortment of pins, they apparently drive very hard bargains.
Henry came equipped with a slew of pins thanks to his Mom, and while he was slow to warm up to horse trading, he quickly got into the swing of it, thanks in large part to Kayla, who was an absolute natural at the art of pin trading. Every day we showed up at the Colisée, Kayla and Henry (and often Ben), would go off to trade. They would come back to where the parents were sitting to show off their newly acquired treasures. Henry had a plan in his trading - he was seeking to acquire as many international pins from the foreign teams as possible. From what what he showed me, he was very successful!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Heartbreak at L'Arpidrome - Caps lose 2-1
Friday night's game ended in tears with the the Little Caps losing 2-1 to the Swiss team from the Leysin Sports Academy. The loss was heartbreaking, because the Caps had fought back from a 1-0 deficit in the second by tying the score early in the third, only to commit a penalty with 1:04 to go in the game. Leysin converted on the Power Play and scored the game-winning goal with :34 seconds left on the clock.
The Lil' Caps did not bring their best stuff tonight; they seemed half a step behind the pace of their two previous games. How can one blame them, though. They've played 7 games in 10 days and must be absolutely exhausted by now. The Caps brought enough of their game to play well enough to keep with Leysin, never give up, overcome a deficit in the 3rd, and play the game to within 34 seconds of a tie.
Here is the unfortunate sequence of events that led to the penalty at 1:04:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1Dh8KNNlM
That video clip is the Lil' Caps' season in a nutshell: a lousy line change, followed by a careless penalty that gives the other side an offensive advantage that we cannot meet.
If you can take watching it, here is the game-winning goal on the power play, 30 seconds later:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nHbePW0qr8
I'm heartbroken for Henry and the team. They played with grit today, and they came up short at the bitter end, and it must taste bitter right now to them. However, these past 10 days in Québec have been so remarkable, and so... magical, that the loss suffered in this way, in this game, is but a minor component of the much, much larger positive, superlative experience of the 2013 Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec. As I wrote after watching the team's game at the Colisée last Friday (a lifetime ago), this has been a rite of passage for these young boys and Kayla, and such an experience - by definition - includes all the facets of life's experiences, bon et mauvais. These boys and girl are forever changed, for the better, as a result of their time in this beautiful, snowy, hockey-mad paradis. They'll remember their opponent's names 40 years from now. They'll have a fondness in their hearts for Québec and her people for the rest of their lives. That's a sobering, lovely, and extremely comforting realization.
Kayla and Henry went home with Patrick and his family (all five of whom came to the game to watch!) for one more evening à la maison. I'm so glad they get to spend one more night with their lovely famille d'accueil. Patrick will know for sure how to cheer them up.
Given all that we have done over the past 10 days, it was only proper that I was able to fit in one more amazing experience AFTER the game tonight. Once the bus arrived back to the Château, an hour later than expected due to the late start of the game, I hustled up to my room, put on my shoes and dress jacket, and scurried down to the ballroom to join my Québec Seaway friends for a lovely maritime industry dinner. My good friend Marc had invited me to join him and his lovely wife at his table along with other old and new friends. I quickly switched gears (and languages and moods) from the hockey world into the Seaway world, and had myself a lovely soirée finale au Québec. It was the perfect antidote to the heartbreak at l'Arpidrome, and I am indebted to mon bon ami Marc for the invitation. After dinner, and a rather bizarre but enjoyable floor show (hey, it's Québec after all!) of gorgeous belly dancers wearing all sort of feathers attached to parts of their bodies and dancing to a techno-Brazilian-salsa beat, we retired to the Frontenac bar. Last call was in the observatory section overlooking the lights of Vieux Québec with the ice-strewn St. Lawrence floating by down below. The conversation was très bonne, the view was gorgeous, one was among friends with a wine glass in hand, and tomorrow Henry and I were headed home -- a fitting nightcap to an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience in Québec.
The Lil' Caps did not bring their best stuff tonight; they seemed half a step behind the pace of their two previous games. How can one blame them, though. They've played 7 games in 10 days and must be absolutely exhausted by now. The Caps brought enough of their game to play well enough to keep with Leysin, never give up, overcome a deficit in the 3rd, and play the game to within 34 seconds of a tie.
Here is the unfortunate sequence of events that led to the penalty at 1:04:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1Dh8KNNlM
That video clip is the Lil' Caps' season in a nutshell: a lousy line change, followed by a careless penalty that gives the other side an offensive advantage that we cannot meet.
If you can take watching it, here is the game-winning goal on the power play, 30 seconds later:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nHbePW0qr8
I'm heartbroken for Henry and the team. They played with grit today, and they came up short at the bitter end, and it must taste bitter right now to them. However, these past 10 days in Québec have been so remarkable, and so... magical, that the loss suffered in this way, in this game, is but a minor component of the much, much larger positive, superlative experience of the 2013 Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec. As I wrote after watching the team's game at the Colisée last Friday (a lifetime ago), this has been a rite of passage for these young boys and Kayla, and such an experience - by definition - includes all the facets of life's experiences, bon et mauvais. These boys and girl are forever changed, for the better, as a result of their time in this beautiful, snowy, hockey-mad paradis. They'll remember their opponent's names 40 years from now. They'll have a fondness in their hearts for Québec and her people for the rest of their lives. That's a sobering, lovely, and extremely comforting realization.
Kayla and Henry went home with Patrick and his family (all five of whom came to the game to watch!) for one more evening à la maison. I'm so glad they get to spend one more night with their lovely famille d'accueil. Patrick will know for sure how to cheer them up.
Given all that we have done over the past 10 days, it was only proper that I was able to fit in one more amazing experience AFTER the game tonight. Once the bus arrived back to the Château, an hour later than expected due to the late start of the game, I hustled up to my room, put on my shoes and dress jacket, and scurried down to the ballroom to join my Québec Seaway friends for a lovely maritime industry dinner. My good friend Marc had invited me to join him and his lovely wife at his table along with other old and new friends. I quickly switched gears (and languages and moods) from the hockey world into the Seaway world, and had myself a lovely soirée finale au Québec. It was the perfect antidote to the heartbreak at l'Arpidrome, and I am indebted to mon bon ami Marc for the invitation. After dinner, and a rather bizarre but enjoyable floor show (hey, it's Québec after all!) of gorgeous belly dancers wearing all sort of feathers attached to parts of their bodies and dancing to a techno-Brazilian-salsa beat, we retired to the Frontenac bar. Last call was in the observatory section overlooking the lights of Vieux Québec with the ice-strewn St. Lawrence floating by down below. The conversation was très bonne, the view was gorgeous, one was among friends with a wine glass in hand, and tomorrow Henry and I were headed home -- a fitting nightcap to an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience in Québec.
Friday Night in Québec & the Pre-Game Wisdom of J. Woodson
Our bus has arrived at L'Arpidrome for tonight's game. Henry had a great afternoon of souvenir shopping and resting -- he took a 60-minute before we left on the bus. I learned today from some of the other parents, and I confirmed with Henry, that Henry is providing the pre-game pep talks to the team! And apparently he's been doing so for the last several weeks. As part of their pregame ritual, the kids get dressed, the coaches have their say, and then they both turn the floor over to Henry before they both leave the room ("OK Henry, the floor is all yours.") Henry then has 10 minutes to give the team a speech before the game. Apparently, he adopts a persona (Jemica Woodson (Sp?)), and chooses a word/acronym of the day, and then expounds on that for that night's game. For example, earlier this week, he rifted on the word "WOW" ("Work On Working!", "Work On Winning!", "Work On WOWING!"). Henry told me that he tries to keep it light and humorous, and that he gets everyone's attention and keeps it for the whole talk. During the game, whenever anyone sees a play that merits the "word of the game" the player shouts it out: "That was a WOW!" Who knew? All I can say is "U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-E-A-B-L-E !
Henry is in a very good place for tonight's game (see the photo below, snapped moments before we boarded the bus). As we left the room tonight, he said to me that he would make me proud with his play tonight. I hugged him and told him that he had already made me so proud with all that he and his team had accomplished... It doesn't get better than this: to be here with your boy, a Friday night hockey game in Quebec City, with everything on the line. I told him that he worked hard for the last 6 years to get to this point, and that this would be the first of many important games to come in his career.
The bus ride over to the rink tonight was full of good, fun energy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfRwy2dr64c
Speaking of unbelievable, this morning at the Colisée we watched a game between a team from Vancouver, British Columbia, and a team from Sudbury, Ontario. On the Ontario team, the "Nickel Barons", there was a defenseman who had to be at least 6' 6" tall. Not only did he tower over the other players, he was taller than the refs!! How tall is he going to be when he turns 14?
25 Minutes to Game Time...
Henry is in a very good place for tonight's game (see the photo below, snapped moments before we boarded the bus). As we left the room tonight, he said to me that he would make me proud with his play tonight. I hugged him and told him that he had already made me so proud with all that he and his team had accomplished... It doesn't get better than this: to be here with your boy, a Friday night hockey game in Quebec City, with everything on the line. I told him that he worked hard for the last 6 years to get to this point, and that this would be the first of many important games to come in his career.
The bus ride over to the rink tonight was full of good, fun energy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfRwy2dr64c
Speaking of unbelievable, this morning at the Colisée we watched a game between a team from Vancouver, British Columbia, and a team from Sudbury, Ontario. On the Ontario team, the "Nickel Barons", there was a defenseman who had to be at least 6' 6" tall. Not only did he tower over the other players, he was taller than the refs!! How tall is he going to be when he turns 14?
25 Minutes to Game Time...
A Word About The Refs and Linesmen
The unsung heroes of any well-run tournament are the referees and linesmen, and it would be unfair of me to write about this Tournoi for two weeks without mentioning how excellent the "Stripes" here have been. Henry's team has played six games so far, and the refereeing has been consistent in each game. The refs and linesmen all look to be about 19-21 years old (but who doesn't to me these days?). For the most part, they have called "tight" games, allowing physical play, but not tolerating any inappropriate aggressiveness. Some games were called tighter than others, but at least the calls appeared to me to be consistent no matter how the game was refereed, which is the most important quality in umpiring. Most remarkable of all, the referees and linesmen for the Tournament are all volunteers from around the Province. With over 2,000 players participating in the Tournoi, I can't imagine how many hundreds of games are played here over the 9 days. That the organizers are able to put together a volunteer refereeing corps of such size and caliber is truly impressive. Again, it speaks to how deeply ingrained this Tournament is in the life of this city and Province.
Day 9 - The Big Game is Tonight!
Friday, February 22
Tonight at 17h30 (5:30pm), the Little Caps with play a team from Switzerland, the Leysin Sport Academy (located near Lucerne), in the next round of the Tournoi at the Arpidrome. I'll be Tweeting the game live (Northbrook@winkee2012). A Friday night Tournament Game in Quebec City - it does not get better than that! Best of all, Henry will come back to the hotel this morning, we will get to be together all day until we have to leave for the game at 3:45pm!
Here is today's schedule:
Our schedule for today
7:30am – Player pickup: Board Bus
7:45 am – Player pickup: Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colissee
8:00 am – 9:00am – Meet players in section 117; allow for time to watch games a bit or trade pins (As normal)
9:00am – Board Bus at Le Colisee
9:10am – Bus leaves Le Colisee headed back to C. Frontenac
3:45pm – Player Transportation: Board Bus
4:00pm – Player Transportation: Bus leaves C. Frontenac headed to L'Arpidrome Charlesbourg
4:20pm – 5:30pm – Arrive at Arena L'Arpidrome Charlesbourg & pre game activities
5:30pm – 7:00pm – Game vs. Leysyn Sport Academy
7:00pm – Post game & return to hotel (WITHOUT players)
NOTES:
> Regardless of whether we win or lose, our players will return home with their billet families after the game.
> IF WE HAPPEN TO LOSE THE GAME: We will depart Saturday morning at 10:00am – This means that both players and parents should be at the Chateau Frontenac at 9:30 LATEST for boarding.
> IF WE HAPPEN TO WIN THE GAME: We will play on Saturday at 3pm – We will inform everyone of the outcome dependent plans after the game vs. Leysin Sport Academy
Tonight at 17h30 (5:30pm), the Little Caps with play a team from Switzerland, the Leysin Sport Academy (located near Lucerne), in the next round of the Tournoi at the Arpidrome. I'll be Tweeting the game live (Northbrook@winkee2012). A Friday night Tournament Game in Quebec City - it does not get better than that! Best of all, Henry will come back to the hotel this morning, we will get to be together all day until we have to leave for the game at 3:45pm!
Here is today's schedule:
Our schedule for today
7:30am – Player pickup: Board Bus
7:45 am – Player pickup: Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colissee
8:00 am – 9:00am – Meet players in section 117; allow for time to watch games a bit or trade pins (As normal)
9:00am – Board Bus at Le Colisee
9:10am – Bus leaves Le Colisee headed back to C. Frontenac
3:45pm – Player Transportation: Board Bus
4:00pm – Player Transportation: Bus leaves C. Frontenac headed to L'Arpidrome Charlesbourg
4:20pm – 5:30pm – Arrive at Arena L'Arpidrome Charlesbourg & pre game activities
5:30pm – 7:00pm – Game vs. Leysyn Sport Academy
7:00pm – Post game & return to hotel (WITHOUT players)
NOTES:
> Regardless of whether we win or lose, our players will return home with their billet families after the game.
> IF WE HAPPEN TO LOSE THE GAME: We will depart Saturday morning at 10:00am – This means that both players and parents should be at the Chateau Frontenac at 9:30 LATEST for boarding.
> IF WE HAPPEN TO WIN THE GAME: We will play on Saturday at 3pm – We will inform everyone of the outcome dependent plans after the game vs. Leysin Sport Academy
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Yankees, Bears, and Indians
Over the last two days, Henry has confronted Yankees, Bears, and Indians on and off the ice.
Yesterday, the Little Caps played another friendly game; this time against the Connecticut Yankees. The Yankees are in the Elite division of the Tournament, and they are a very fine hockey team. The Caps played the Yankees incredibly well for the whole game, and ultimately lost 1-0. I was very impressed with how hard the Lil' Caps played for the entire game. The Yankees are comprised of players who played last year for the Mid-Fairfield Connecticut team that won the AYHL Pee Wee minor division. They are one of the most aggressive-skating youth teams you'll find anywhere, and it was a real accomplishment for the Caps to play them to a draw for most of the game (the only goal came late in the game). The goal came on a defensive mistake, and I happened to record the goal and you can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY08G391oy0
In all, it was a very impressive effort by the Little Caps.
The snow that began the night before didn't stop all day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsRkDgElTA
Before the game against the Yankees, the team bus stopped at a local hockey superstore called "L'Entrepot de Hockey." There is nothing like in the D.C. area, and it was quite a sight to see every type of hockey equipment available in every size and color imaganiable.
After the Yankees game, which was at 12:40, we only arrived back to the hotel around 2:45. Kayla's little 4-year old sister, Jordan, has developed a crush on Henry, and she wanted very much to sit next to "Henwy" at lunch, so Kayla, Sylvain, Jordan, Henry, and I all grabbed lunch in the Café d'Orsay. Like my brother in so many ways, Henry has a way with the ladies...
After lunch, Henry and I only barely had an hour together, before it was time to get back on the bus to go back to the Colisée to drop off the players with their Welcome Families. Walking back into the aging arena into the now-familiar Section 117, there were the waiting Famillies d'Acceuil, including Patrick, looking as happy and excited to see Kayla and Henry as I was sad to see them go...
I learned today from Henry that after dinner later that night, he, Kayla, and Patrick went out snow-shoeing in the snow through a local forest. The snow was falling hard, as they made their way deeper into the forest, they came upon fresh bear tracks (see the picture below that Patrick sent me!!). Patrick said that given the rate that the snow was falling and the sharp contours of the tracks, the bear probably only went by less than (GULP) 10 minutes before! Henry in recounting the story to me today, emphasized that he and Kayla began to get nervous ("Dad! It was really scary!"). Patrick, cool as a cucumber, stated that as long as they remained calm, they'd be fine. He also apparently said with a chuckle that he happened to have a tangerine in his pocket, and he could rub the tangerine on their clothing because "bears can't stand tangerines." Henry said that Patrick is always joking, so you never quite know if he is telling the truth, particularly at a moment like that, deep in the dark woods of Québec with a big ol' bear snooping around. Kayla and Henry asked if they could make their way back to civilization, and Patrick agreed, and they turned around and headed back without any more bear encounters.
Again, I marvel at the experiences that Henry and Kayla are having (thanks to Patrick and others). For my teenage Northern Virginia boy to be snow-shoeing in a snow storm in the forests of Québec encountering fresh bear tracks... On est bien loin de Tysons Corner...
Today the Little Caps played their last friendly game of their stay here, against the Shawinigan Cataractes (what a great name, eh!!!?) from Québec, near the city of Trois-Rivières, almost halfway between Québec City and Montréal. The Caps won the game 2-1, and it was a very satisfying game in many ways. The Lil' Caps skated hard from the first shift onward, and in a manner that has been all-too lacking this season, they quickly took control of the game, and they pressed hard to keep control of the game right up until the end. The Caps scored early in the first period (Jason), and despite giving up a goal in the second, they never let up. They committed only one penalty!
Halfway through the third period, on a power play, Henry down low was fed a pass from Kiernan. The puck was wobbling, but Henry managed to snap off a strong, quick wrist shot. The goalie wasn't quick enough to slide his body across the crease to meet Henry's shot. But he did mange to get the top of his stick in the way of Henry's shot. The puck glanced off the goalie's stick handle and then rolled across the bottom part of the cross bar to the other side of the goal! It was a very odd sight. The puck rolled out onto the ice to Thomas, who snapped off his own wrist shot into the net. Poor Hen thought he had a goal, but quickly recovered his poise when he saw the puck roll along the cross bar. Good for Thomas for burying "la rondelle", and good for the Little Caps for a commanding win.
In watching the game, I was struck by how strong the team looked both today and yesterday. Could it be that this group had finally figured out how to play competitive hockey as a team? Comparing how this team played yesterday and today to their play earlier in the season, much less at the beginning of the season, they have come a long way. Tomorrow night at the Arpidrome will be very intéressant!
Today's game was played at the "Galeries de la Capitale", a huge shopping mall northwest of downtown Québec. The ice rink sits in the middle of the mall, and around the rink is a small amusement park, with a merry-go-round, roller coaster, and a ferris wheel. It was a very fun set-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_AZ_HQnu0
Over the rink was an unenclosed walkway. Standing up there, you could look directly down on the ice, which was a very unique and cool perspective. The walkway crossed the ice right over one of the blue lines, so when the puck came into the defensive zone, everyone on the bridge had run across to the other side to watch the play. It was a pretty funny scene.
Here are some videos of today's game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqxP4_H7Vw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55QRWwGCUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHL1HnaxW-A
Here's the view from on high:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf3ObelpoZY
Post-game combined teams photo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2S47Fpgag
I was so glad to have made the game at all. This morning, I had a meeting at the Port de Québec. After the meeting, I had just enough time to take a cab out to the mall, watch the game, and take a cab back into town for a luncheon meeting of the Economic Development Council of the Lower St. Lawrence (SODES). At the luncheon, I sat next to a gentleman, Michel, who had played in the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec when he was a Pee-Wee back in 1972. His team made the quarterfinals of his bracket that year. To this day, 41 years later, he can recount without hesitating all the teams that he played in the Tournament before his team was eliminated. Such is the life-long impression that this special Tournament leaves on the memory of a young boy. "Your son will have similarly strong memories of his time here, 40 years from now," Michel said to me as he recounted his story.
After the luncheon, I had one more meeting, and then at 3:10, I was free to head back to the Château to meet Henry for a couple of hours (!) together before we had to head back to the Colisée for the nightly drop-off. I checked my Blackberry in the taxi and there was a text message from Patrick asking if the kids could be ready for a 3:30 pick-up from the Québec... On no! When I got back to find Henry (in Thomas' room studying), he said he was really missing me, and didn't know what Patrick was coming early for. I said that he should accept the offer, because I was sure that Patrick had something fun planned for him and Kayla, and he agreed. I told Henry that Patrick was being generous to come over early to pick up him and Kayla. I shared with him that when I lived abroad I always tried to say "Yes" to every new opportunity that came my way, and that approach had served me very well. He agreed, hugged me, and went out the door...
When we arrived downstairs, there was Patrick's car in front of the Château. I kissed Henry goodbye and he jumped into the car. Patrick got out to greet me and say that he was taking the kids to the indoor go-kart palace next to the Colisée, as a surprise. I said that I was sure Henry would love it. Off they went, and there I was again, without my boy...
Yesterday, the Little Caps played another friendly game; this time against the Connecticut Yankees. The Yankees are in the Elite division of the Tournament, and they are a very fine hockey team. The Caps played the Yankees incredibly well for the whole game, and ultimately lost 1-0. I was very impressed with how hard the Lil' Caps played for the entire game. The Yankees are comprised of players who played last year for the Mid-Fairfield Connecticut team that won the AYHL Pee Wee minor division. They are one of the most aggressive-skating youth teams you'll find anywhere, and it was a real accomplishment for the Caps to play them to a draw for most of the game (the only goal came late in the game). The goal came on a defensive mistake, and I happened to record the goal and you can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY08G391oy0
In all, it was a very impressive effort by the Little Caps.
The snow that began the night before didn't stop all day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsRkDgElTA
Before the game against the Yankees, the team bus stopped at a local hockey superstore called "L'Entrepot de Hockey." There is nothing like in the D.C. area, and it was quite a sight to see every type of hockey equipment available in every size and color imaganiable.
After the Yankees game, which was at 12:40, we only arrived back to the hotel around 2:45. Kayla's little 4-year old sister, Jordan, has developed a crush on Henry, and she wanted very much to sit next to "Henwy" at lunch, so Kayla, Sylvain, Jordan, Henry, and I all grabbed lunch in the Café d'Orsay. Like my brother in so many ways, Henry has a way with the ladies...
After lunch, Henry and I only barely had an hour together, before it was time to get back on the bus to go back to the Colisée to drop off the players with their Welcome Families. Walking back into the aging arena into the now-familiar Section 117, there were the waiting Famillies d'Acceuil, including Patrick, looking as happy and excited to see Kayla and Henry as I was sad to see them go...
I learned today from Henry that after dinner later that night, he, Kayla, and Patrick went out snow-shoeing in the snow through a local forest. The snow was falling hard, as they made their way deeper into the forest, they came upon fresh bear tracks (see the picture below that Patrick sent me!!). Patrick said that given the rate that the snow was falling and the sharp contours of the tracks, the bear probably only went by less than (GULP) 10 minutes before! Henry in recounting the story to me today, emphasized that he and Kayla began to get nervous ("Dad! It was really scary!"). Patrick, cool as a cucumber, stated that as long as they remained calm, they'd be fine. He also apparently said with a chuckle that he happened to have a tangerine in his pocket, and he could rub the tangerine on their clothing because "bears can't stand tangerines." Henry said that Patrick is always joking, so you never quite know if he is telling the truth, particularly at a moment like that, deep in the dark woods of Québec with a big ol' bear snooping around. Kayla and Henry asked if they could make their way back to civilization, and Patrick agreed, and they turned around and headed back without any more bear encounters.
Again, I marvel at the experiences that Henry and Kayla are having (thanks to Patrick and others). For my teenage Northern Virginia boy to be snow-shoeing in a snow storm in the forests of Québec encountering fresh bear tracks... On est bien loin de Tysons Corner...
Today the Little Caps played their last friendly game of their stay here, against the Shawinigan Cataractes (what a great name, eh!!!?) from Québec, near the city of Trois-Rivières, almost halfway between Québec City and Montréal. The Caps won the game 2-1, and it was a very satisfying game in many ways. The Lil' Caps skated hard from the first shift onward, and in a manner that has been all-too lacking this season, they quickly took control of the game, and they pressed hard to keep control of the game right up until the end. The Caps scored early in the first period (Jason), and despite giving up a goal in the second, they never let up. They committed only one penalty!
Halfway through the third period, on a power play, Henry down low was fed a pass from Kiernan. The puck was wobbling, but Henry managed to snap off a strong, quick wrist shot. The goalie wasn't quick enough to slide his body across the crease to meet Henry's shot. But he did mange to get the top of his stick in the way of Henry's shot. The puck glanced off the goalie's stick handle and then rolled across the bottom part of the cross bar to the other side of the goal! It was a very odd sight. The puck rolled out onto the ice to Thomas, who snapped off his own wrist shot into the net. Poor Hen thought he had a goal, but quickly recovered his poise when he saw the puck roll along the cross bar. Good for Thomas for burying "la rondelle", and good for the Little Caps for a commanding win.
In watching the game, I was struck by how strong the team looked both today and yesterday. Could it be that this group had finally figured out how to play competitive hockey as a team? Comparing how this team played yesterday and today to their play earlier in the season, much less at the beginning of the season, they have come a long way. Tomorrow night at the Arpidrome will be very intéressant!
Today's game was played at the "Galeries de la Capitale", a huge shopping mall northwest of downtown Québec. The ice rink sits in the middle of the mall, and around the rink is a small amusement park, with a merry-go-round, roller coaster, and a ferris wheel. It was a very fun set-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_AZ_HQnu0
Over the rink was an unenclosed walkway. Standing up there, you could look directly down on the ice, which was a very unique and cool perspective. The walkway crossed the ice right over one of the blue lines, so when the puck came into the defensive zone, everyone on the bridge had run across to the other side to watch the play. It was a pretty funny scene.
Here are some videos of today's game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqxP4_H7Vw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55QRWwGCUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHL1HnaxW-A
Here's the view from on high:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf3ObelpoZY
Post-game combined teams photo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2S47Fpgag
I was so glad to have made the game at all. This morning, I had a meeting at the Port de Québec. After the meeting, I had just enough time to take a cab out to the mall, watch the game, and take a cab back into town for a luncheon meeting of the Economic Development Council of the Lower St. Lawrence (SODES). At the luncheon, I sat next to a gentleman, Michel, who had played in the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec when he was a Pee-Wee back in 1972. His team made the quarterfinals of his bracket that year. To this day, 41 years later, he can recount without hesitating all the teams that he played in the Tournament before his team was eliminated. Such is the life-long impression that this special Tournament leaves on the memory of a young boy. "Your son will have similarly strong memories of his time here, 40 years from now," Michel said to me as he recounted his story.
After the luncheon, I had one more meeting, and then at 3:10, I was free to head back to the Château to meet Henry for a couple of hours (!) together before we had to head back to the Colisée for the nightly drop-off. I checked my Blackberry in the taxi and there was a text message from Patrick asking if the kids could be ready for a 3:30 pick-up from the Québec... On no! When I got back to find Henry (in Thomas' room studying), he said he was really missing me, and didn't know what Patrick was coming early for. I said that he should accept the offer, because I was sure that Patrick had something fun planned for him and Kayla, and he agreed. I told Henry that Patrick was being generous to come over early to pick up him and Kayla. I shared with him that when I lived abroad I always tried to say "Yes" to every new opportunity that came my way, and that approach had served me very well. He agreed, hugged me, and went out the door...
When we arrived downstairs, there was Patrick's car in front of the Château. I kissed Henry goodbye and he jumped into the car. Patrick got out to greet me and say that he was taking the kids to the indoor go-kart palace next to the Colisée, as a surprise. I said that I was sure Henry would love it. Off they went, and there I was again, without my boy...
Finally Had a Few Minutes to Have That Birthday Lunch!!
For the last 8 days, I've probably only had 86 minutes (but who is counting?) of alone time with Henry. Nevertheless, on Tuesday, he and I had a couple of minutes in the afternoon to order room service and enjoy a late lunch in his honor. He ordered the menu: soupe à l'oignon, pizza, and brownies.
Day Eight Schedule
Here's what we have on tap for day 8, February 21:
7:30am – Player pickup: Board Bus
7:45am – Player pickup: Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colissee
8:00am - 8:25am – Meet players in section 117
8:25am – Board Bus at Le Colisee
8:30am – Bus leaves Le Colisee headed to our game at Galeries de la Capitale
9:15am - 10:10pm – Arrive at Galeries de la Capitale Arena & pre game activities
10:10pm - 11:20pm – Game vs. Shawinnigan
11:20am - 12:45pm – Post game, lunch at mall, & return to hotel (with players)
12:45pm - Board Bus for return to C. Frontenac
1:30pm - 5:45pm - Individual Player Meetings
5:30pm - Player Dropoff - Board bus
5:40pm - Player Dropoff - Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colisee
6:00pm - 7:00pm - Meet parents in section 117; allow for time to watch games a bit or trade pins
7:00pm - bus returns to C. Frontenac
7:30am – Player pickup: Board Bus
7:45am – Player pickup: Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colissee
8:00am - 8:25am – Meet players in section 117
8:25am – Board Bus at Le Colisee
8:30am – Bus leaves Le Colisee headed to our game at Galeries de la Capitale
9:15am - 10:10pm – Arrive at Galeries de la Capitale Arena & pre game activities
10:10pm - 11:20pm – Game vs. Shawinnigan
11:20am - 12:45pm – Post game, lunch at mall, & return to hotel (with players)
12:45pm - Board Bus for return to C. Frontenac
1:30pm - 5:45pm - Individual Player Meetings
5:30pm - Player Dropoff - Board bus
5:40pm - Player Dropoff - Bus leaves C. Frontenac for Le Colisee
6:00pm - 7:00pm - Meet parents in section 117; allow for time to watch games a bit or trade pins
7:00pm - bus returns to C. Frontenac
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
A Wonderful Winter Evening à la Québécoise
The report back from Henry was that the day spent at the Valcartier snow tubbing park was a blast. He was in Ben's care for the day since I had business in town, and they had a great time together. Apparently they spent most of their time on three slopes, of which Henry enjoyed (no surprise) "the Himalayas" (the steepest) the best. Perhaps it was best I was not there to watch...
Tonight, Henry and Kayla's Welcome Family welcomed me and Sylvain (Kayala's Dad) to their lovely home for a delightful evening of friendship, food, and -- what else -- hockey. Patrick and his wife, Marie-Eve, have three young daughters, live northeast of Quebec near the Montmorecy waterfall. After picking up Henry and Kayla around 5pm at Le Colisée and taking them home, he came back into town to pick up Sylvain and myself (talk about gentilesse).
When we arrived, Kayla and Henry were on the couch playing an Xbox game of NHL hockey against one another. They looked very much at home. For dinner, the Welcome Family had prepared a "fondue Chinçoise, with two fondue pots on the table and a plethora of finely sliced meats and shrimp and assorted sauces around the table. In each fondu pot was boiling beef broth, and you would grab your meat, put it on a stick, and drop it in the pot. In a word, "delicieux!"
After consuming vast quantities of meat and shrimp, we pushed away from the table to get ready to go to the local outside rink for an evening of "pond hockey." It was starting to snow lightly (8 inches was forecast). Patrick drove us, and 3 minutes later, we pulled up to a lighted vision of winter bliss: an outdoor complex of one NHL-size rink, several small rinks, and an oval "track" around the entire complex. We popped into the warm room to put on our skates and another layer or two of protection (it was a balmy -2 degrees F) at "game time."
There were four other skaters on the big rink, two players from the Pee Wee Québec Nordiques and their dads. We threw our sticks onto center ice, divided them up, took our respective sides, and off we went for the next hour. WHAT A BLAST! Henry and I were on opposing teams, and we had fun playing defense on each other (I use that term loosely for my play). Hey, I even scored a garbage goal in front on a deflection! Despite being the oldest guy out there, I held my own, and left on my own power, which is always a plus.
By the time, we left the rink, it had begun to snow a little harder. Taking a look around the spot-lighted rink, the falling snow, and my boy enjoying himself in the February chill of Québec, it was a lovelyheart-warming sight. Some of my favorite memories of growing up on Long Island was playing pond hockey on the LILCO pond off Fort Salanga Road. It was a "dream come true" to be here with Henry to share in a similar experience together.
Here are some great videos of the night's festivities:
Arriving at the rink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2saN9MuPEkQ
Pre-game warm ups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxLKkdM_LHg
Post-game victory talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A8z4_qb4tI
The "Pocket Rocket" (in which Henry skates out from under his hat!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ITaDjsPkI
"Ice Capades":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C12TiTu37So
Skating the oval track (I tried to stay up with Henry, but you can see how far ahead of me he finished up!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Kaxh1QH1k
After we returned back to Patrick's house, he had a lovely dessert of pecan pie and ice cream. We finally took our leave around 10pm, with Kayla and Henry practically falling asleep in their chairs after all day on the slopes and all night on the ice.
As Patrick drove us back into town, the snow was starting to come down heavily. It was a "winter wonderland" scene weaving through the old streets of Québec. As we turned the last corner and headed up the hill to the Château, it was a magical site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obkU4fNGYko
Tonight, Henry and Kayla's Welcome Family welcomed me and Sylvain (Kayala's Dad) to their lovely home for a delightful evening of friendship, food, and -- what else -- hockey. Patrick and his wife, Marie-Eve, have three young daughters, live northeast of Quebec near the Montmorecy waterfall. After picking up Henry and Kayla around 5pm at Le Colisée and taking them home, he came back into town to pick up Sylvain and myself (talk about gentilesse).
When we arrived, Kayla and Henry were on the couch playing an Xbox game of NHL hockey against one another. They looked very much at home. For dinner, the Welcome Family had prepared a "fondue Chinçoise, with two fondue pots on the table and a plethora of finely sliced meats and shrimp and assorted sauces around the table. In each fondu pot was boiling beef broth, and you would grab your meat, put it on a stick, and drop it in the pot. In a word, "delicieux!"
After consuming vast quantities of meat and shrimp, we pushed away from the table to get ready to go to the local outside rink for an evening of "pond hockey." It was starting to snow lightly (8 inches was forecast). Patrick drove us, and 3 minutes later, we pulled up to a lighted vision of winter bliss: an outdoor complex of one NHL-size rink, several small rinks, and an oval "track" around the entire complex. We popped into the warm room to put on our skates and another layer or two of protection (it was a balmy -2 degrees F) at "game time."
There were four other skaters on the big rink, two players from the Pee Wee Québec Nordiques and their dads. We threw our sticks onto center ice, divided them up, took our respective sides, and off we went for the next hour. WHAT A BLAST! Henry and I were on opposing teams, and we had fun playing defense on each other (I use that term loosely for my play). Hey, I even scored a garbage goal in front on a deflection! Despite being the oldest guy out there, I held my own, and left on my own power, which is always a plus.
By the time, we left the rink, it had begun to snow a little harder. Taking a look around the spot-lighted rink, the falling snow, and my boy enjoying himself in the February chill of Québec, it was a lovelyheart-warming sight. Some of my favorite memories of growing up on Long Island was playing pond hockey on the LILCO pond off Fort Salanga Road. It was a "dream come true" to be here with Henry to share in a similar experience together.
Here are some great videos of the night's festivities:
Arriving at the rink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2saN9MuPEkQ
Pre-game warm ups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxLKkdM_LHg
Post-game victory talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A8z4_qb4tI
The "Pocket Rocket" (in which Henry skates out from under his hat!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ITaDjsPkI
"Ice Capades":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C12TiTu37So
Skating the oval track (I tried to stay up with Henry, but you can see how far ahead of me he finished up!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Kaxh1QH1k
After we returned back to Patrick's house, he had a lovely dessert of pecan pie and ice cream. We finally took our leave around 10pm, with Kayla and Henry practically falling asleep in their chairs after all day on the slopes and all night on the ice.
As Patrick drove us back into town, the snow was starting to come down heavily. It was a "winter wonderland" scene weaving through the old streets of Québec. As we turned the last corner and headed up the hill to the Château, it was a magical site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obkU4fNGYko
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