When I arrived at rowing there were two boats out already – a double with my favourite chubby child in it (Pasko) and a single skiff not venturing very far from the golden triangle. A new recruit¸ allowed out for the second time by himself. (Photo is of Pasko because he really is determined to try all of his English out on me!)
Standing next to trener is the most adorable, beautiful child I have seen in my life. The eyes! (Trener agreed). Today is the third time he has come to rowing – he has been on the rowing machine and is just standing looking wisfully at the others in the boats (he is only 10) because he hasn’t had the opportunity to go out on the water yet. Trener sent him for a run and then asked what I would like to do. Take a single out? So I volunteered to take young Duje (for that is his name) out in a double. I can balance the boat while he gets a feel of the rowing.
But immediately you need words like hands, thumb, left , right, flat, slowly, quickly, forward, backward blah blah, the list goes on. I have most of them up my sleeve, but to try and tell him to keep the blades flat on the water when he is using the other blade to turn the boat – to tell him how to lean back slightly at the end of the stroke – this all needs a depth of vocabulary that I don’t have!
So. I have been studying the dictionary this afternoon, writing a list of the things I need to say (I had a mantra going with him this morning ‘ruka, tijelo, glava, polako’.. which seemed to register in some way because he did sit up, did lean forward, did hold his hands at the right level and did go slowly.) And what a wonderful sense of achievement (him, not me) and what a beautiful smile when he got out of the boat! Goodness, he is so little that he can’t even help lift the boat!
I’m picking that he will be back at rowing on Thursday morning, probably be the first one at the door. And by then I will have a few more words up my sleeve.
Oh, and I thought this sign may appeal - it is on the door leading into the shops where the praonica (laundromat) is situated. I was relieved to see that it didn't say 'no smoking'.
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