LETTERS
Gymnast Abroad
I want to thank everyone who offered good wishes, moral
support and generous financial contributions for my very first international trampoline competition in Hanover, Germany, Oct. 16-26.
It was very exciting to be in an arena with competitors representing 40 countries. Not only did I have the opportunity to get to know members of my own team who live in other parts of the U.S., but I also met some really nice people from other countries.
Competition is fierce at the international level, and our “Team USA” did a great job at all age levels.
Personally, I was thrilled to complete one of my best trampoline performances ever! Unfortunately, that performance was in a warm-up session. (Oh well, sometimes that’s just the way the trampoline bounces!) I was, however, very happy to score 26th in the Men’s Individual Trampoline Age 15-16,in the upper third and highest of any U.S. competitor.
Although my main focus was trampoline competition, it was also an incredible learning experience for me.
Here are the top 10 things I learned on my first trip overseas:
& #149; No.10. Phoning home to California at 3 p.m. Germany time is not a good idea.
& #149; No 9. In Germany, everyone 16 or older who orders food at the local McDonald’s (or at any restaurant) is offered “bier” as the drink of choice. (I respectfully declined the offer.)
& #149; No. 8. Right now most Germans do not look kindly on Americans, so it is best to not go out in public wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “USA” on the front or back.
& #149; No. 7. Although people from many foreign nations express anti-American sentiments, lots of them will beg, trade or steal anything “American” to take home as a souvenir,for instance, our USA Team gym bags, our USA team uniforms or a T-shirt emblazoned with “USA” on the front or back.
& #149; No. 6. Being trapped in a tour bus for two hours because of an angry crowd of anti-American protesters is not fun. But it makes me stand no less tall and proud to be an American. (Apparently the good people of Germany see no comparison between the atrocities of Adolph Hitler and the atrocities of Saddam Hussein.)
& #149; No. 5. English is not necessarily the universal language, so communication in a foreign country can be a serious challenge. Thus, knowing how to “point and smile” is an invaluable skill. (By the way, upon attempting to test my command of the Spanish language, I learned the embarrassing lesson that people from Brazil do not speak Spanish.)
& #149; No. 4. According to my newfound friends from Belgium who have learned to speak English from watching American sitcoms like “Friends,” too much TV is actually a good thing!
& #149; No. 3. At international gymnastics competitions, the judging panels seem to include a mysteriously high ratio of Russians.
& #149; No. 2. Gymnastics competitors from Russia never smile,until they win (which they do often) and some of them don’t even smile then!
& #149; And the No. 1 thing I learned on my first trip overseas: I’m really, really glad I live in the United States of America!
Logan Dooley
Lake Forest
Dana Point Harbor
I am writing to commend Mathew Padilla and his Dec. 8 piece on the
redevelopment of the Dana Point Harbor.
It was refreshing to be quoted accurately, but I was most impressed by his balanced presentation. Having signed my first lease there in 1971, I feel like I know the harbor as well as anyone.
I only noted one erroneous premise in the story and that was not by your journalist but by real estate economist Walter Hahn of Ernst & Young. His notion that a private developer may not be able to develop the harbor any faster or “may be even slower” is preposterous. No one refutes the fact that one of the county’s biggest problems is money.
As your journalist accurately reports, the Giumarra family offered to take on the redevelopment in exchange for an extension of their 30-year lease. More importantly, they have the money. They can move now. Indeed, they could have started three years ago.
Finally, I would like to amplify my own remarks concerning Supervisor Tom Wilson. His contributions to the Dana Point Harbor are more than just “admirable.” They are the sole source of my hope that the county of Orange can eventually pull this off.
Robert C. Mardian Jr.
Wind & Sea Restaurants Inc.
Dana Point
JFK, Cont’d
I enjoyed Sir Eldon Griffiths’ Dec. 8 column on President Kennedy. I agree that Kennedy’s
public/media image exceeds his contributions to our country.
I always enjoy Sir Eldon’s views on us as Americans, from the outside looking in.
D. Dean McCormick III
Certified public accountant
McCormick Consulting Inc.
Irvine
