Rugby is a religion here...

Just got back from helping out with a children's program over at Remuera. It was crazy seeing kids of all ages getting so competetive with their little rugby games. There was around 400 kids altogether in the program and i was assigned as a team leader to 20 kids. Honestly, the kids there are probably the most energetic bunch i have ever seen. Most of them were ready by 9 am and started running around the whole day non stop. Rugby balls flying here and there, kids tackling each other and rugby talks here and there. Man, I got tired easily just by looking at them. I'm glad that a few of my friends were nice enough in to help out in this event too.

I think every school holidays, there's always this rugby event going on for the kids to spend their break and seems like those who signed up do enjoy it a lot. They know what they're suppose to do, where they're suppose to go, etc which makes my task as a team leader a lot more easier. All i needed to do was to cheer them on and randomly select who to go first. It's funny how they asked me to pick out who the starters are and then followed up by random shouts of "Sir, pick me!! Sir, pick me!!" Such polite kids.

My main highlight of the program was watching them do the All Blacks' Haka especially the really young ones.

Haka of the All Blacks
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora' Ka ora'
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora Ka ora
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru
Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā
Upane... Upane
Upane Kaupane"
Whiti te rā,!
Hī!
~~~
I die, I die
I live, I live
I die, I die,
I live, I live,
This is the hairy man
Who caused the sun to shine again for me
Up the ladder, up the ladder
Up to the top
The sun shines!
Rise!

It's amazing to see how these kids are just so into the sport. I mean really, some of them are still excited about going to their rugby training right after the program. A pure display of commitment definitely. I've still got 2 more days to go with the program before the weekend and then uni begins next week. Man, the holidays blew by just like that. Oh i had my first taste of playing touch rugby two days ago and it was kinda fun. Not as extreme as rugby but a lot of teamwork required. Who knows by the end of this camp, i might just get somewhat hooked on to rugby? Yeah, Ron and rugby. LOL! On a not so great news, i think my Lumix camera might be a goner after my water bottle leaked in my bag and soaked the camera. My precious Lumix.

:(

Aye, b, c, d, e, f, g....

"Aye??"

"Eh?"

"Ay?"

"Ai?"

I think those words are starting to bug me. I'm fine if it's coming from people who can pull it off nicely but not when it's coming from people who think they sound Kiwi just by throwing those words at the very end of each sentence they use. Like literally every sentence.

Me: "So, where to for lunch?"
X: "I don't know aye"
Me: "Well, how about Subway?"
X: "Aye?"
Me: "I said, how about Subbbbwayyyyy...."
X: "Oh, i thought you say Jollibee aye."

Then again, i was guilty of trying out the whole 'aye' thing but after hearing how ridiculous people sound like when they "aye" their way around, i've decide to just cut it off. As racist as this may sound, it was never quite a problem for me at all until one of my Indian friend started going full out with the 'aye' thing. If that is not bad enough, his 'aye' came with an Indian accent.

Surrounded by 'aye', 'eh', 'ey' or however you wanna spell them, after a while it sounds like that's the only word they use for all the sentence they make.



Just like Anne from Little Britain. EHH EHHH EHHHHH! Well, whenever i hear Asian using too much of the "aye", this pops in to my head...



"Dui ni ai ai ai bu wannnn"

I'm still pretty happy with using my good ol classic "HARRRRR?!" whenever. LOL!

(P/S: In case you're wondering, no there is no Jollibee here in Auckland. That was just a bad example used...)

It's been a while...

I apologize for the lack of updates. Took a month off the internet and was busy with exams, activities and what not. And then now, i caught the flu. I'm still not entirely over the fact that Michael Jackson is dead thus my current phase of just watching tonnes of his videos on Youtube. I'm hoping they will make the memorial service that's happening later into a dvd copy.

Meanwhile, just some of my favourite shots i'd like to share with you taken during my time at Otaki. Taken using my Lumix LX3. Perhaps my chapter of Nikon is coming to an end? Hmm....

Gone Too Soon

Today, we say goodbye to the best performer in the world.
R.I.P Michael Jackson
1958 - 2009

Prayer request...

If you could please pray for my brother. He's not doing too well physically, mentally and spiritually.

I am in despair.

Take a deep breath....

It's close to winter here and of course it's getting colder by the day. I'm not quite used to having this whole free air conditioning system everywhere yet although back home, i am quite notorious to be staying in a room that's like a freezer. I do turn it off whenever i feel cold though but in this case, let's just say the remote is no where to be found.

So, after my shocking discovery of finding out the existence of a towel dryer, i also discovered that there is actually one proper heater in the living room. Hip hip hooray? No, not really. You see my friends, life would be so much easier if things always go your way. That's the sad part of being a student and having to share an apartment. Things just don't go your way most of the time.

Being in this cold chilly weather, i see most of my neighbors' apartments windows are sealed tight, assuming that they're all kept warm with their handy dandy heater. And that would of course be an awesome feeling to come home to especially when you've spent the whole day at the uni or walking around in the cold. What i would usually do before i leave for uni is to shut the windows, turn on the heater and hope by the time i come home, it'll be all warm and cozy. By the time I come home, i've always had this little expectation in me that i'll be greeted with a nice cozy warm feeling.

But noooo, some smarty pants thinks it's cool to have the windows open this this time of the month. After attempting this move several times, i got frustrated for several reasons. First is mainly cause i just wanna have a warm room and second, the person who keeps opening the windows probably thinks he can heat up the whole of Auckland with our heater as he does not bother turning off the heater either. So one night, i purposely sat down right in the living room, closed all windows, turn on the heater and waited...

Whaddya know? It's Mr what-type-of-sausages-do-you-eat! He walks out of his room, gets his little chores done in the kitchen and suddenly just head towards the windows and open the latch. This time feeling extremely annoyed i just asked him in my most annoyingly polite tone the following question;

"Uh, dude it's freezing cold. Are you the one that's always opening the windows when i close it?"

His face suddenly turned into a frown as though as he has found his culprit too.

"So you're the one that's always closing the windows?"

By now you can pretty much say we're having our first little confrontation as housemates. So i told him i was the one responsible for closing all the windows just because i wanted the room to be warm for everyone. I thought to myself at least he better come up with logical reasons to really impress me like "Oh, cause it's bloody hot in India so i'm trying to enjoy this weather before i go back" or "Do you know how hairy I am?" but instead he told me this;

"No, you don't understand. When you close the windows, there is no air circulation in the apartment. You can die of suffocation in your sleep without knowing. You need to open the windows for air circulation!"

And then, he just walks back into his room.

There's a party goin on...

It took him quite long to get there but i'm still happy that he made it. Now we're a family again...