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Well, things are a combination between crazy and calm around here. But first, I will start with crazy...

I am guessing many of you already know the All Blacks won the New Zealand Rugby World Cup...but if you didn’t know, now you do!!! I have to admit, I cannot believe I was in New Zealand while THEIR team won the World Cup. It is an experience I will never forget. Almost the whole hostel went to the Opera House to watch the game. Jacob stayed behind because he is claiming his tattoo is hurting his leg, so he has to rest his leg. 

We got there over an hour early and the place was filling up. It seemed full during the semi final, but that was nothing compared to the final. People were there old and young, full out face paint, Maori tattooed, All Blacks attire, brought their drums and flags and signs, and everything. I suppose there are certain “favorite” players, because when certain people came on the screen the place ERUPTED! We were there with 2 Frenchman, so I was interested to see their reactions. People were yelling the whole time, and when the score was 7-8 in the end the place was silent. Everyone was on edge, except for this one old lady sitting behind me. She was old with lots of wrinkles and white hair, had a crazy raspy voice that reminded me of some wild character in theatre, and every once in a while she would just yell, “Come on Boys!” We were the only ones who heard her for a long time because everyone else was so loud. Then in the end when it was silent, all the sudden you hear her, and she’s like, “Get em’ Boys! You can do it!” in this wild raspy old NZ accent. It made me cry it was so funny. She was so awesome.

 A few minutes later the All Blacks won the World Cup and I thought the Opera House was going to fall down. The place was insane. However, the two guys from France were the first to stand up and clap, and I thought that was pretty cool. We watched the ceremony after, and then headed back to the hostel. On the way home every car we passed honked, and we honked back. People were yelling at each other out the windows, honking, and everything. When we got back to the hostel we all just sat around with drinks, chips, and cakes we made earlier. We relaxed, celebrated, and had a great night. 

Everyone still had yesterday off because of New Zealand’s Labor Day. We all stayed on the grass in the backyard talking and reading all day because the weather was so beautiful. Then the boys decided to go play soccer in the afternoon. I said I would come along for the fun of it and to take pictures. I was expecting to just watch or maybe kick the ball a bit. We started out in a circle kicking the ball to each other. There was a group of other guys playing soccer near by. Somehow some of them started talking to a couple of our hostel guys on the other side of the circle, and the next thing I know they wanted to play a full on game. I was scared out of my mind, and didn’t want to play. But all the guys were like, “Come on. Just try.” So, I thought, what the heck. 

Somehow, there I was...in New Zealand, playing on a soccer team with people from Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Spain, Germany, and France against an entire team of people from Figi. Pretty crazy. However, I think it was so awesome. Yuri, from Brazil, was still changing clothes---so we left without him. When he ran onto the field everyone was like, “Yeah, Brazil! We’ve got a Brazilian soccer player on the team!” And they were cheering. Then when we actually started playing and when someone got a goal people would say, “Goal, Espana!” or whatever country they were from...or “Argentina!” “France!” etc.  

People were passing, and telling each other to pass in different languages. It was so much fun. I started out feeling like the biggest wimp. Me out there with a bunch of guys trying to play soccer seemed kind of stupid. I felt so awkward and really embarrassed. About 2 hours later I was running around like crazy, and going for it. I have to admit, I don’t think I helped the team too much. I did kick the ball a few times in the right direction, but usually I was just running back and forth trying to keep up with this huge guy from Figi. He was the biggest person on the team, and there I was trying to block him. By the end no one knew what the score was, and were completely exhausted. We were all sweating like crazy, and now I have a tanned outline of where my watch was. The French guys even thanked me for playing. They are funny. Then we all went back, showered, and today most everyone went to work. 

That is why things are quiet. A few others start tomorrow, but they went to the beach. I would have joined them, but they were all German, and they will speak German, so I wasn’t really thinking it would be that fun. Everyone will get back around 4:30 or 5. I will have to see how their work went today. Nonetheless, the weather here is awesomely beautiful. So, I am enjoying the outdoors.

More later!

And I keep forgetting to mention...at least half the people I see around her don’t wear shoes. They don’t wear shoes on the street, in the supermarket, McDonalds or anything. Not everyone, but still...it is interesting.