Day 43 - Dubai

This morning we woke up and got ready for church. My niece was getting over some virus, so my brother and I went ourselves to church. The message from Ephesians 1:9-14 was titled, "What is God's Plan for Your Life?" You can download it from http://www.uccdubai.com/.

After church we made our way back to the house for a low-key afternoon in anticipation of the season opener for the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union 2008-2009 season (http://www.agrfu.com/). It was an away game to Abu Dhabi, so we met up at the rally point at 4:00pm. There, the team showed up and boarded a bus while my brother and I drove up in his SUV. I was invited to join the team on the bus, but I thought it better to give the players some space in preparing for the big game. For the game, my brother gave me some spare kit (uniform in American English) so that I would blend in on the sidelines.

My job tonight was to be the waterboy, and I wanted to do my part. Local rules variations allow for water to be brought out during the match at certain specific times - when a major penalty is called, when a try is scored and when the referee whistles an injury stoppage. Five years ago when I visited my brother I was the waterboy during his team's run through the Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament (http://www.dubairugby7s.com/). Then they won the championships in their division, and the boys still remembered me from that day. Needless to say I was thrilled to reprise my role today. I took it so seriously that I wore my boots (cleats) so as not to slip while running the water out. This served to further amuse the team members.

The game got underway, and from the start it was painfully obvious which team had been preparing longer and harder for the game. At halftime the score was Abu Dhabi Harlequins 8, Dubai Exiles 0. The halftime locker room was not a fun place to be. Shortly after the second half was underway the Exiles were awarded a penalty kick, which they scored to cut the lead to 8-3. But sloppy play continued to undermine them and they gave away two more scores before the end. After the final whistle the scoreboard read 22-10 in favor of the hosts.

After 80 minutes of beating each other up, a remarkable transformation took place. Players were shaking hands with their opposite numbers in a show of sportsmanship, which I've been told is the norm. Afterwards, the home team set up two rows through which the away team passed on their way off the pitch (field), applauding them and their effort. As the Exiles made their way through this congratulatory gauntlet, they joined the end of it so that the Harlequins could be applauded in like fashion as they left the pitch.

After showering and changing, both teams were joined by their supporters in the clubhouse where the afterglow celebration continued. And while several fans were clearly "three sheets to the wind" (hammered), not a single rugby player was over the top or out of line. This experience highlighted the sage wisdom captured in the saying, "Football (soccer) is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans; Rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentlemen."

After a relatively quiet ride home, my brother and I sat out in his front yard enjoying the rather cool evening (low 90s F/30s C), chatting into the wee hours. This was the highlight of my day. Being able to visit with my brother with no distractions and talk about the truly important things in life was the one thing I wanted more than anything during my time here.

Thanks again to all who have posted comments or sent e-mails. It's a big encouragement while I'm gone. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Blessings,
Khalaf.