Expatriates and Prel-Stik
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:34 am
"Have some more fish, Elsio."
"Er, no thanks, Mom, I don't want to be too weighed down when we get to playing prel-stik later," Elsio demurred. "I've missed playing with all you guys... is the court up the road still open?"
"Oh, you must miss prel-stik," said her brother. "Don't they play weird foreign sports up there - ball in a basket, that sort of thing?"
"It's not 'ball in a basket'. But yeah. I can still play prel-stik, though. There's a decent Mevwani population in my part of my town. Some of us got together and refitted a building to suit. It's just informal, unisex, no spectators except for the occasional player's boyfriend or girlfriend, but playing at family reunions is informal too. I was never heading for a pro position."
"Damn," said Elsio's uncle. "Was going to tell you that if you want to run a restaurant and have a chance to play I could ask my sister if she wants to let you run a franchise..."
Elsio laughed. "I'm happy with the restaurant I have," she said. "And with the league I have. Go Green Ribbons!"
"Green Ribbons, seriously?" asked the nearest cousin.
"I didn't vote for that team name," Elsio admitted. "We had to please a bunch of people including some who aren't exactly happy with being expats - there's this man who moved with his wife and she likes Safiria and he really doesn't - but - well."
"Do the other teams have names that dumb?" the same cousin inquired.
"Depends on what you think makes a dumb name. There's, let's see. Sister Nanthi's Nine. Least Cosash. The Squids -"
Her mother butted in. "Are these all about where they're from - you're on the normal Mainlander team and then there's Islanders and Cosashi and Lake Province people - or -"
"No, there's two Islanders and a Cosashi on the Green Ribbons," Elsio said. "But I guess the majorities did fall out that way. Except there's one more team, with a mix of players and no regional hint in what they call themselves."
"What're they called?" asked Elsio's cousin.
"Just, The Stikkers."
"Er, no thanks, Mom, I don't want to be too weighed down when we get to playing prel-stik later," Elsio demurred. "I've missed playing with all you guys... is the court up the road still open?"
"Oh, you must miss prel-stik," said her brother. "Don't they play weird foreign sports up there - ball in a basket, that sort of thing?"
"It's not 'ball in a basket'. But yeah. I can still play prel-stik, though. There's a decent Mevwani population in my part of my town. Some of us got together and refitted a building to suit. It's just informal, unisex, no spectators except for the occasional player's boyfriend or girlfriend, but playing at family reunions is informal too. I was never heading for a pro position."
"Damn," said Elsio's uncle. "Was going to tell you that if you want to run a restaurant and have a chance to play I could ask my sister if she wants to let you run a franchise..."
Elsio laughed. "I'm happy with the restaurant I have," she said. "And with the league I have. Go Green Ribbons!"
"Green Ribbons, seriously?" asked the nearest cousin.
"I didn't vote for that team name," Elsio admitted. "We had to please a bunch of people including some who aren't exactly happy with being expats - there's this man who moved with his wife and she likes Safiria and he really doesn't - but - well."
"Do the other teams have names that dumb?" the same cousin inquired.
"Depends on what you think makes a dumb name. There's, let's see. Sister Nanthi's Nine. Least Cosash. The Squids -"
Her mother butted in. "Are these all about where they're from - you're on the normal Mainlander team and then there's Islanders and Cosashi and Lake Province people - or -"
"No, there's two Islanders and a Cosashi on the Green Ribbons," Elsio said. "But I guess the majorities did fall out that way. Except there's one more team, with a mix of players and no regional hint in what they call themselves."
"What're they called?" asked Elsio's cousin.
"Just, The Stikkers."