Friday, May 02, 2008

how i started juggling and why i'm just passing it on

I am completely obsessed about colourful flying objects but it wasn't always that way.

Juggling was one of those things that I was interested in, but i never seriously thought I could do it. With 'no balls' to try it, it took a push from someone and a cold and wet winter to get the obsession going for colourful flying objects.

Juggling has brought me so many hours of fun. It has has never advanced my career, brought me closer to material success and lots of people think its clownish. I just smile to myself knowing that - I must really love doing this. That's why.

So, I recently ordered a new set of juggling balls and ordered another set for a friend who told me she was interested and appended this note.

A true story about how I started juggling - which reminded me why it feels so good, to get a new set of balls and to be able to pass it on.

===============

Hi M

When i was a first year student in cold and wet England, I was stuck inthe hall of residence (a very gothic and old manor) over the christmas break. Most of the residents returned back to their homes so I was one ofthe very few who lurked around the hall.

I had no phone or tv and very little money. Staying in hall was quite spooky so i started hanging out with a malaysian guy. We were both from ACJC and he lived in an adjacent hall of residence. He was a quirky fellow and we didnt talk much but we started hanging out to overcome the loneliness of the being in Bristol over christmas. Most of the time he was juggling.

After some time, I thought it would be cool to try it out but I never had it in me to get a set of juggling balls,because i felt that i was too uncoordinated. I really thought that it would be one of those things that I try and fail.

One uneventful December day, in what felt like an unending December month,he passed me 3 oddly shaped juggling balls.

These are for you. they are marked with a cross because they're defects. I got them for a quid each.

I started juggling from that day, spending many hours and days learning the 3 ball cascade. Althought defective, they fit perfectly in my hand. They were made for me. I would have never started juggling if he never pressed those juggling balls on me.

So, guess what....

Since you indicated the last time that you were interested in juggling, please allow me to pass on to you a really gorgeous green and white panelled set of juggling balls of identical design and weight to the ones I started with. I had these ordered and shipped from England (i needed to get myself a new set too).

2 Comments:

Blogger B said...

1 day, Carrie, you must juggle for us during the session.
We could sing your "juggling" song/haiku in accompaniment.

Haha.

11:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Carrie, I don't know if I ever had the chance to mention this to you, but I was once quite big on juggling too. That was around 4 years back.

Searched the internet for juggling clips (back then there was no YouTube), ordered juggling balls online from Todd Smith's, and even ordered clubs too (can't remember the brand already, but they sure cost a bomb!). Man, the clubs hurt like crazy, especially when they knock against the wrist!

So yeah, I've since retired from my brief foray into the world of juggling. But juggling as an artform still fascinates me greatly.

It's really an amazing artform. Like music, it's a truly universal artform which transcends language and cultural barriers.

Glad you've discovered the beauty of juggling too!

1:28 AM  

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