Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

I haven't blogged about a book in forever. And that's not because I'm not reading anything I assure you!

So whilst at home over Easter, I reluctantly took my Twilight books home in order to have a few less of the things to have to lug back at the end of the year. I also decided that my addiction was becoming unhealthy. I took a few other books and bits and pieces home too, but this resulted in me not having any reading material for the journey back to Belgium. Hence, I picked up off my shelf a still new but rather dusty copy of 'Playing the Moldovans at Tennis' by Tony Hawks.

Summer 2008 I went to Moldova with a UCCF summer team to help run an evangelistic English and Bible camp for students over there. This book was recommended, I saw it in a shop in second year, bought it, and never read it. UNTIL NOW.

It is a TRUE story. What is the premise? Let me copy the blurb, it will explain much more coherently than I can:

"All I knew about Moldova was the names of eleven men printed on the inside back page of my newspaper. None of them sounded to me like they were any good at tennis..."

An eccentric wager finds Tony Hawks, a man who loves an unusual challenge, bound for the little-known Easter European state of Moldova. His mission: to track down members of the country's football team and persuade them to play him at tennis. The bizarre quest ultimately has little to do with tennis or football, but instead turns into an extraordinary journey involving the Moldovan underworld, gypsies, chronic poower shortages, near kidnap, and a surprisingly tender relationship with his host family.

What did I think? It's pretty laugh out loud funny, and was good enough to keep me reading even when I got home to Brussels, having been reading it for about five hours already. I thought the 'near kidnap' line was a bit execssive, but then again maybe if it had been me in that situation I would describe it in the same way.

Having visited the country and met Moldovans myself, there were several things I could really understand and appreciate, (Moldovan hopsitality, living with people who don't speak English, very crowded Maxi Taxis...) although it seems like the country has changed quite a bit even since he went (which was I think sometime before 2000.)

'Even if you hate tennis and couldn't find Moldova on the map, you'll be charmed.' says the review on the cover, I totally agree and am looking forward to at some point obtaining his other books: 'A piano in the Pyrenees', 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' and 'One Hit Wonderland'.

A photo of the camp two summers ago:

Find out about and how to pray for the Moldovan IFES movement ÇSÇ here.