Tennis... after 15 years

My colleague asked if I can teach her tennis after work at our new office.  Surely enough that caught me off guard - TEACH tennis?  I haven't seen my tennis racket for years!  Got it?  Not seen it, what more to hold or play with it.

So I asked where she got the idea to have me be her instructor.  Her reply was really simple:  From the way I played the pingpong (table tennis) during our last Interdepartment tournament, I look like a pro tennis player.  (My twisted brain processed it as "because you suck at pingpong!".  Haha.  I'm won't complain, that is so true - I lost in all rounds; must be a world records, right?)

Of course, she was just sweet talking me into being her tennis partner, since she'd been wanting to try it for some time but there's no other female colleagues who does.  We have a few good male player in the office (although they really don't look like the tennis players, believe me), but the female population here prefers to stay at home and cook.  Except for me.  And her.  Considering it'd be a good opportunity to vary my life routine, I decided to give it a go.  One the conditions that:

1. 
   
   I can find my tennis racket -- I'm not gonna get a new one because I'll only be playing for a couple of months before I have to get back to my home company (I'm seconded to this one, as part of development training).
2. 
   
   We play with the guys -- we're both not at all good at tennis, might as well play and learn from them, right?
3. 
   
   I'm NOT going to teach her.  Instead we learn together from other people -- better if we can get free lessons. =)

She agreed to the terms; I guess she's pretty desperate, afterall.  And so I went home and looked for my racket.  Found it stashed at the back of my closet, but suddenly dreading what I'm gonna face on the court.  God knows what might happen -- could be I'm gonna improve, or other things/incidents gonna repeat?

You see, I took lessons when I was in Form 2, but only for a couple of months.  I quit because I caught the instructor attempted to hold my breasts - three times in a single hour!  And believe me, that wasn't some wild accusation - he shamelessly admitted it!  He even told me his perverted imaginations, and what he'd do if I let him.  What a bastard!

It took me a few years to overcome the fear and forget the terrible harassment.  Thanks to encouragements from my friends, I started tennis again in uni.  But most of the time I was an audience or running after the ball (that's how 'GREAT' my tennis skills is).  We played in the afternoon, at first, until we started attracting other tennis enthusiasts from other parts of the area.  When there were too many people playing in the afternoon, we switched to playing at night - around midnight, until when we got really tired, or sleepy.  But these were hardly the case for us to stop.  Mostly we stopped because the guards chased us out!  Some even called us crazy for doing it at the weird hour, considering the was a lake right next to the court - the lake was supposed to be 'haunted'... booo!  Anyways, I enjoyed our midnight tennis session.  Believe me, the black background helped a lot to emphasize the flourescent balls so it didn't took much of an effort to concentrate.  Except when your opponent hit the balls into the spotlight.

With that memory (at uni), I'm all ready for another round of tennis.  I'm pretty sure we'll be chasing after the balls more often than actually hitting them, but that's alright.  In fact, that's a good enough excuse to laugh at each other -- and laughter is supposed to help with destressing, right?  So why not?

And now I'm looking forward for the new office renovation works to complete.  Definitely will announce to everyone in the office about our plan.  I think it's better to get a bigger crowd, so at least any spectators would be watching them and not me.  Plus, I will get to see different styles of players, and if I'm lucky enough, get the good ones to teach me.  Or at least share some tips.  Then maybe I'll play in my home company once I get back.

So watch out, world -- here I come!  (",)