This week has been pretty swell. It's starting to hit me how quickly the weeks are flying by--I'm going to be on a plane to LA before I know it. That being said, I'm doing my best to use my days wisely.
There were two big, noteworthy events this week. First, on Thursday I got my third tattoo! Now, for my family members that are not so keen on tattoos, I'm sorry. But they are important to me and I'm very excited to have gotten one here! It is a silver fern, which is one of the most prominent symbols of New Zealand. It's on my right wrist, and, most uniquely, it is in white ink! It's not healed yet so it looks a little funky, and I have to go back for another sitting to get the leaves filled in, but I'm pretty pleased with it.
The silver fern grows out of a koru, which is a Maori symbol meaning new life, rebirth, peace, etc. I really like the idea of having the product of those things, the fern, on my body, and I think the white ink makes it feel more organically a part of my skin. (Also more subtle than black, which I would never get on such a visible part of my body. Another thing my less-than-keen family members can appreciate.)
The second big event took place this evening--my first ever rugby match! A big group of us decided to go to the Canterbury Crusaders' home opener against the Pretoria Bulls. This was a bit ironic/poetic, as the Bulls are from South Africa, the location I very nearly studied abroad in. The atmosphere was really awesome, and it felt great to be a part of such a prominent NZ tradition! I took a few minutes prior to the match to google the basic rules, since I am an idiot when it comes to rugby, and although this helped, I was still confused about certain aspects of the game.
Rules/Concepts I Understand and Can Therefore Communicate to You:
-There are 15 players on each side, each attempting to score a "try," which can be done by either grounding the ball in the goal area or kicking it through the goal posts
-Passing can be done by any player, but it can only be lateral or backwards, no forward passing allowed
-There are 8 Forwards, which are the stereotypical giant muscle-y rugby dudes that you're probably thinking of. They lock their arms together in a "scrum," which is like a giant dog pile type thing that determines possession/position (I think)
-Anyone can kick at anytime, and it's usually done to avoid being tackled
Rules/Concepts I Don't Understand and Would Therefore Like Someone to Explain to Me:
-I don't get how possession changes. Like, you can get tackled and the play still continues. The clock pretty much never stops, and there are like no penalties. So apart from someone dropping it and the other team getting the ball, I don't get how that works.
-The ball grounding in the goal type of Try (like a touchdown) is worth 5 points. But the kicking Try is worth less. It seemed like this amount varied, which doesn't make sense to me.
The game was awesome, and the Crusaders are really good! They trampled the Bulls (see what I did there?) 41-19, and it was such an exciting atmosphere! Pretty much everyone had flags and scarves and jerseys, and giant fire rocket things shot off every time the Crusaders scored. It was epic.
This is like right after a scrum, so you can see a bit of the pile-up left.
Crusaders score! Note the fire.
Thomas and I purchased flags to demonstrate our die hard fandom. GIVE BLOOD, PLAY RUGBY-GO CRUSADERS! (Nice motto, eh?)
Crusaders 4 Lyfe.
Tomorrow, I unfortunately have an essay to start, so that's kind of a bummer. However, it only has to be 2000 words, and is my only real assignment before break, so I really can't complain too much. Plus, Sam and I are hitting up the farmers' market first, so that will be a sort of preward.
Fun Facts/Updates:
-The Crusaders are the most successful Super Rugby team in the world, having one 7 titles in their history.
-The Crusaders really milk the whole medieval part of their mascot, beginning the game with horses, swords, fire (pyros), etc. This is pretty cool, except it leaked over into the halftime show. The cheerleader people came out with swords and just danced around like prostitutes. It was actually the worst halftime performance I have ever seen. The only bonus was that it was set to Thunderstruck by ACDC.
-I made friends in my New Zealand Lit class! Hooray! This had previously been surprisingly difficult, because I usually am quite chatty in class and therefore get to know people quickly. But this course is all lecture, so there isn't much opportunity to speak with people. However, we have to do group projects throughout the semester, so I'm getting to know my group members pretty well now. It's much nicer to have people to sit by and chat with! (Only before and after, of course.)
-I am officially getting homesick for really weird, little things. These things include:
-My bed (not surprising, it is made of rainbows and Jesus' love)
-Pretzels (not a thing here)
-March Madness (Seriously in mourning without being able to watch my Jayhawks)
-Normal milk (they don't have skim here so it tastes pretty fatty and weird)
-Snow (I KNOW I'm super lucky with the warm weather here, but I will go the whole year without playing in the snow! This makes me sad.)
-The clothes/shoes that are not currently in my closet (things get old after awhile)
These little things are of course nothing to the big things: my family, friends, puppy, home, Gustavus, G-Choir, Greeters, Sigmas, etc. But it can be surprising how much the little things matter!
-I am starting to send out my fleet of postcards, so keep checking your mailboxes! It's so fun to write them, and I can't wait to start getting mail/packages myself. (HINT HINT)
Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! Cheers!
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