Jessica Zafra's Blog, page 365

News from my real life

I wish I'd met Onib Olmedo.

In the afternoon, pain.

The bowl final for 9th place overall against Kazakhstan was expectedly brutal. Piles of bodies in the mud brutal—it had started to rain a half-hour before the match, but there are no rain delays in rugby. From the stands it looked like a group wrestling match. One could almost hear bones crunching, and that was [...]

In the morning they won.

Pinoy riposte when faced with defeat: Pagandahan na lang tayo. (If this were a beauty pageant we'd already have won.) In the morning the Philippines was up against Chinese Taipei. The winner would go through to the bowl final for 9th place overall against Kazakhstan. Andrew Wolff scored the first try as the Bruneian girls [...]

More information than you need, Day 3

The long weekend short edition. Patrice is like everyone's baby brother, if your baby brother is 6'4″. We went to a McDonald's because Patrice wanted a Milo McFlurry. The clerk said they were all out of Milo McFlurries and offered him an Oreo McFlurry instead. "I do not want an Oreo McFlurry," Patrice said in [...]

Yes, but, yes, but, yes, but. . .

We lost both matches. I just got off the bus with the team and if felt like a funeral in there so it falls upon me to be be the ray of sunshine. This does not happen. However, having just most of the last 72 hours in these guys' pockets, I will be a fucking [...]

Today's the day.

At 11 am the Philippines takes on Japan, and at 2:30 pm it meets Sri Lanka. Think Victory. And now a word from the players. Let's try that again. Bet that's not how you thought they'd sound. As Jay would say, "No audio-video lock." But still good.

More information than you need, Day 2

At 9 or 10, so stay tuned. The Philippine men's sevens rugby team at the Borneo 7s. From left: Patrice Olivier, Noel Flowers, Andrew Farrar, Mark Chatting, Jon Morales, Harry Morris, Justin Coveney, Chris Everingham, Andrew Everingham, Ned Stephenson, David Carman, Andrew Wolff. Photo by Jessica Zafra. Nice smiles, no? I made them say, "Brush."

Reason to learn French: Patrice Olivier

Patrice Olivier is the tallest player on the Philippine Volcanoes team at the Borneo 7s, and he's still growing. And he hasn't filled out yet. "How tall are you?" I asked. "One point 93 meters," he said. "How much is that in feet?" I went on. "I do not know the English system," he replied. [...]

Justin Coveney says

Justin Coveney has been on the Australian TV soap Home and Away. I said, Why were you on Home and Away? He said the modeling agency sent him. When they checked into the Sutera Harbour one of the first things Justin and Harry did was to take photographs of themselves wearing…how shall I put this…tableware. [...]

The Philippine Volcanoes at the Borneo 7s, Day 2

After a good breakfast, another day of stalking covering the Volcanoes. I'm hoping everyone's had a good night's sleep so I can take proper photos and video. Meanwhile you have homework: the IRB Beginner's Guide to Rugby. Same rules apply to rugby sevens, just halve (or multiply by 0.466 or .375 everything)—seven players, three-man scrum. [...]