Badditude

So, I had my first run-in with a Slovak guy yesterday. First, let me set the scene. Sarp, Mattia and I had gone to the pool again. There is no real order to where people swim, so it looks something like the picture to the right. (Well, it's an exaggeration, but thats how I feel)

The pool is 50m long, and there are 4 roped off lanes where "lap" swimmers can do their thing. I put quotes around lap because I use the term loosely. The slow swim with the fast, the talented with the amateur, and the serious with the leisurley. As any seasoned swimmer knows, this can be frustrating. Surviving warm-up at a meet where your competitors are actively trying to maim you is enough, I don't need to get kicked by someone doing sloppy elementary backstroke when I am trying to better myself.


Through the intense training I received between the ages of 8 and 20, I learned that you ALWAYS swim into the wall and that you ALWAYS finish your set. No excuses. You pass with care so as not to drown anyone, and you STAY OUT of the middle of the lane wall to accomodate others. Apparently, the rules are not the same in Bratislava. I was minding my own business and warming up with a 500, alternating strokes. I was doing backstroke, took my 3 strokes into the flip turn, flipped over, and found that I had NO ROOM to complete my turn. I quickly tried to move my body so I didn't hurt anyone, and they moved out of the way, so I finished my turn and kept swimming. That's what you're supposed to do, you keep swimming. Later, after I had finished my set, I was talking to Mattia about doing some intervals when I felt a poke on my shoulder. I turned around, and a Slovak guy said something to me tersely in his own language. I obviously had no idea what he was saying, so I responded "I'm sorry?" as innocently as I could. "You speak English? You be more careful" he scolded condescendingly, as if my first language was the main reason for my misdeed, and that it made me stupid.

First, let me say, I REALLY hate being singled out on the basis of my background. Second, I despise when people challenge my intelligence. I am an American, not a stereotype, and I have a world class education. I am trying my best to acculturate myself into your society. However, I do not apologize for trying to get in a real workout. I realize that I didn't stop after I somehow managed to turn when you were obstructing my lane, but honestly, you seem as though you have some experience with a swim team, please act like it because:
(A) I have the right of way as a swimmer in motion
(B) I am actually abiding by the rules, and attempting to get a REAL workout in, not just socializing in the water with my friends in between 50's
(C) I was doing BACKSTROKE, therefore, I CANNOT SEE YOU
(D) Even in my state of being out of shape, I AM STILL FASTER THAN YOU. GET OUT OF THE WAY.

There were other swimmers in the pool that realized I was behind them, stopped at the wall, gave me a "pardon!" (which means "I'm sorry!" in Slovak), smiled, I smiled back, and we kept going. Why couldn't that guy do the same? Had I emasculated him when I nearly took him out with my legs? I don't know. I tried to shake it off, told him I was sorry, and switched lanes. Mattia, who watched the whole thing happen, agreed with my assessment of the situation.

All I know is that the majority of the young adults swimming in that pool could learn from this.

(there is a link there. click on it.)