Smash or Soccer - Doushiyoukana....

So we get November 1st and 2nd off (Thurs/Fri) due to Tsurubun's (Tsuru Bunka Daigaku ryaku'd (abbreviated)) omatsuri (school festival). From the 1st till the 4th they have neighboring schools come to compete in sports tournaments, such as basketball, tennis, and soccer. Also, all the clubs put on performances, bake sales, and the like. It's supposed to be a lot of fun, and hey, we get two days of school off, so I can't complain ^_<

My soccer team, Los Bianco, is going to compete in the tournament. Last year they won 1st place, and they intend to do so again this year (1st place for any sporting competition is a bunch of beer to celebrate with...hey, this is the alcohol-centered Japan we're talking about!). The team captain said that I can definitely play with them in the tournament. It's a little nerve racking...I don't think I've ever entered a soccer tournament as a player, only as a referee, and it's single-elimination, so if I mess up and let a goal go by and we lose because of it, I've let the entire team down. The other keeper is really good. I wouldn't say he's miles ahead of me skill-wise, but he's definitely played more than I have and taken goalkeeping seriously longer than I have - it shows in his form, his anticipation, and his kicks.

But, despite being nervous, I think it'd still be really fun to enter the tournament...who knows, maybe I'd do well and help my team out ^_< It'd certainly be a lot of fun to enter the tournament, as well as to watch my friends compete in the other sporting events. Shikashi (however)...

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...the same day as our soccer tournament, November 3rd (Saturday), is Japan's last great Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament. For those that don't know, Smash (or SSBM) is my game. I'd estimate I've invested months worth of hours into that game and it's predecessor, Super Smash Bros. I've gone to countless tournaments, and I'm an important moderator on the online community boards. I've only gotten to play Smash once since I've been here, and that was with Captain Jack, Japan's best SSBM player and my good friend (I believe I talked about him in a previous update). Seeing as how I didn't get to enter America's last big SSBM tournament, and since I haven't entered any tournament in Japan, this would certainly be a great opportunity. Also, an Israeli from the online forums contacted me, informing me of the trip he'll be taking to Japan soon (if he's not already here). We figured we could team up at said tournament, representing the world's competitive Smash scene :) Honestly I doubt we could win, but it'd probably be a lot of fun, and I could do a lot of networking, spreading the name of our American online community to the Japanese, trying to tie their community with ours for the online-battle-enabled sequal, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, coming February 10th.

The tournament is in Kariya, which is located in the Aichi prefecture, about half-way between Tsuru-shi and Oosaka, near Nagoya, so it's not like I could do the tournament then hurry on back for the soccer tournament. Also, if I were to go, I'd probably need to leave Friday and I'd arrive back on Sunday, which means that I'd really only be present at the festival for Thursday. One plus side, though, is that I can make a trip out of it, visiting a few places in Nagoya. There's a theme park called "Edo Wonderland" that's centered around ninjas, offering tricky mazes, obstacle courses, and the such. That'd be a lot of fun to go to, and that 4-day weekend would be a perfect time to go.

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So, I'm forced to pick between two loves, Smash and soccer. Do I go to the last great Japan Smash tournament and mingle there, teaming up with the 2nd best player in all of Israel, sacrificing the matsuri held at Tsurubun? Or do I forgo the Smash tournament and instead stick around for the matsuri, competing in the soccer tournament with my new Los Bianco teammates? Too hard of a decision to make...>_< I figure I'll do some research into the tournament to see just how many people are actually going to attend. I'll also ask around and see just what else goes on during the matsuri...if all I'd be doing is playing soccer on Saturday and on the other days simply watching a few of my friends play basketball, well, then I might pass it up...we'll see, though the deadline for my decision draws ever nearer...doushiyoukana (I wonder what I should do)...?