PowerPlay περιοδικό

Preparing to visit an exotic city, popularized by the HBO series, Game of Thrones can be difficult and at times even stressful.  Seeking help, without any evidence of success, I feared that I would have to make the dangerous journey on my own.  But as the weekend approached, news arrived in the form of a note carried by a message carrying crow.  "Yes, Ser Jorah and I have agreed to allow him to escort/guide you to Asshai".  Convincing the beautiful, Dragon Queen,  Daenerys of House Targaryen, to loan out Ser Jorah Mormont, her valued advisor and travel partner had been easier than I had expected.  Dany's (short for Daenerys) note also warned that throughout my journey it would be very wise to stay close by and listen carefully to Jorah's sagely advice.   The message ended with, "if you are sure that you are ready for this trip, meet Ser Jorah at the port just before sunrise tomorrow".   My journey was about to begin.

Without much sleep, if any at all, I arrived at the port.  Several ships took sail and I began to worry that I had missed my guide.  Just as the morning sun arrived, so too did my worldly guide.  Jorah was rather business like and quickly led me to an older merchant ship and without hardly a word the journey had begun.  The voyage was a lengthy one and was not a cruise like any that I had partaken before.  There were no fancy dining rooms or buffet lines on the deck.  Each meal consisted of dried fish and water with an occasional flask of wine.  I had to keep reminding myself that I was not on this trip for the food.  The ship handled the harsh seas well crossing the Jade Sea and completing the trip by navigating the Saffron Straits and arriving at what I assume is Asshai's only port.  As we approached the docks, the Shadow Mountains loomed to the sides and behind the port city and provided a scene reminiscent of Jamaica, without the tropical climate that one would suspect.  As I stood at ships edge preparing to dock, I suddenly realized that someone was standing beside me.  During the voyage, I had hardly seen Jorah, but, as we entered the port he was suddenly by my side.

"Follow me closely, don't talk to strangers and I will have you at the destination soon", were the first words I had heard from my guide in days.  Looking around the port, I soon understood the warnings, shady ran down buildings were evident throughout the port area and the residents of the area matched the scenery.  I soon realized that the shady areas around the port of Asshai were actually some of the nicer areas in this seedy city.  There were many colorful people in the streets, some vying for attention to promote their merchandise or services; others were hiding in the shadows contriving their next moves.  As Jorah had promised we arrived at our destination after a fairly short walk.  The destination looked like a very large warehouse, there were bold engraved letters spelling out "The Shadowlands Arena" above what appeared to be the main entrance to the building.  But the huge banner on the side of the building confirmed that we were at the correct destination, "Congratulations Champions / Assahai Shadow Babies / Season 2 USA League 1 / Regular Season and Playoff Champs". 

We rang the buzzer at the entrance and within a few seconds we received a pleasant surprise when Shadow Babies Star, František Breznický (league leading skills, he was 6th in scoring, 2nd in steals, 17th in blocked shots, and averaged 1 turnover per game) opened the door and escorted us down a long hallway to what appeared to be the administrative area of the building.  As we neared the end of the hall, we approached a security guard who stood at the entrance to an office.  Beside the office door was a plaque with bold print "Camrawrn / Owner & General Manager".  The guard welcomed us and told us to go ahead and enter the office, Camrawrn was expecting us.

The office was unlike any general manager's office that I had visited before, resembling a musical recording room more than a typical sports manager office.  Around the room were a variety of musical instruments each arranged in a strategic location.   There was a very nice set of drums sitting to the left of the manager's desk, to the right was a piano and there were several stringed instruments including a guitar sitting in the corner as well.  There was an interestingly shaped computer on the manager's desk and a large well equipped bookcase covered the entrance wall.  Several modern and very comfortable chairs were arranged in the middle of the room and would provide the location for our interview.  As Camrawrn arose from his desk I was intrigued to get to know this guy.  He wasn't exactly what you would expect a successful handball manager to be, a self-described modern day Eric Foreman from That 70's Show - skinny, awkward, medium brown hair.  But, his smile gave me reason to believe that he was glad we were there and would provide the interview that we had traveled so far to obtain.  That interview would provide a look into the life of a champion, an informative and sometimes funny conversation.

We completed our introductions and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Camrawrn also knew Dany and my guide, Jorah.  Camrawrn and Ser Joraha had a private conversation that I was privy to only bits and pieces (something about some eggs in the Shadowlands to the north). So, we settled into our seats as the interview was about to begin.

That interview will be the highlight to part II of this story and will be released this weekend.  Make sure you check-in for the rest of the story.