Alright, not much has been happening in New Zealand. Rugby has been going alright however I am going to invest in a scrum cap since I constantly feel that I am hitting my head whenever I go into a ruck. Currently the team I'm playing for is 0-4 however last weekend we lost by only 5 points, a try, and if we would have had 5 more minutes I'm sure we would have won the game. We had them on the backfoot but unfortunately it didn't work out.
School is going fine, have a really busy 2 weeks coming up since classes are over in 3 weeks and now everything is due. Otherwise I just feel like I'm passing time before summer holidays. Right now I'm pretty sure most people are done or almost done with their programs however I know Lynette and I still have a ways to go.
If anything interesting happens in the near future I'll let you all know.
Cheers,
Benja
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Stuff
I'm sitting at my desk very unmotivated yet fully aware I have a big project due in little more than a week. This project will take a lot of time but for some reason or another I really just don't care. To be honest I really feel like I'm done with school in New Zealand but unfortunately that is not the case and I really have 5 more weeks left. I'm sure that time will go by quickly, but right now I kind of want to pack up and go home. I know I'm not the only one here who feels like that though. Most of the other exchange students feel the same way so hopefully the next few weeks will go by quickly and without too much stress. However, due to my lack of motivation I'm sure the next couple of weeks will be pretty stressful.
Some good news though. A couple of my teammates just told me that I am the new captain of Cornell Rugby Football Club. It will be a honor to be the captain for the coming year and I am excited to bring a new system and structure to the club. I have been actively remembering plays and drills for us to use next year and I hope everyone else is as excited and geared up as I am to bring Cornell back to winning ways.
Some good news though. A couple of my teammates just told me that I am the new captain of Cornell Rugby Football Club. It will be a honor to be the captain for the coming year and I am excited to bring a new system and structure to the club. I have been actively remembering plays and drills for us to use next year and I hope everyone else is as excited and geared up as I am to bring Cornell back to winning ways.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Easter Break
Alright...it's been a long time since I've last written so there is a lot to catch up on. To be honest I really need to get started on my Soils project but this is a good enough reason as any to procrastinate just a little bit longer.
Beginning of break: Went to Queenstown, very much a tourist town but a fun little place nonetheless. I already wrote about the Nevis, but we also went to an Icebar which was made completely of ice, including the cups. Another highlight was eating a Fergburger, a really large and wonderfully delicious burger that has become famous for a good reason.
Came back to campus Sunday evening, chilled Monday, and flew out Tuesday to visit Melbourne.
Melbourne: Australian customs are really really uptight about letting people into Australia. I did not know Michael's address so wrote down his phone number only to be told that I had to know where I was staying by law. Then when questioned why I was in Australia, visiting friends did not seem like a valid reason. After completely unpacking my bag and me telling them I think he lives in Western Melbourne they let me through. However to be fair if someone told you that they were visiting a friend for a week that they knew from Cambodia I might be a little suspicious too.
Michael picked me up from the airport on his bike, and with the duffelbag on my shoulders and not holding on properly I almost fell off when the throttle opened at the first light. Saw a really nice night skyline of Melbourne on the way back to the house. Over the next couple of days Michael, Messi (his housemate), David (a friend), and I really enjoyed ourselves. From just relaxing and hanging out to going to different clubs and seeing the nightlife of Melbourne we had a really good time. Some of the highlights of the trip:
Going to the Casino: lost my $20 pretty fast, so basically I am really unlucky and I am not too stoked about trying Casino again.
Get together at Michaels and Messi's house on Thursday: It was a fun house party, relaxing, talking, and meeting other friends. Later we went out on the town which was also a lot of fun.
Meeting up with Lynette in the middle of Melbourne: On Monday night Michael, Lauren, and I met up with Lynette in Melbourne and went out to eat at Shanghai Dumplings. It was a really interesting place tucked away in a back alley. The food was really good and the service was as inpersonal as possible. They were really trying to get rid of everyone as fast as possible. However it was a lot of fun. Lauren unfortunatley had to go home, but Michael, Lynette, and I went and got Gelatto icecream, sat outside the State Library and later went to a bar to play some pool. Overall it was great seeing Lynette again and I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. It's funny that although we were meeting up across the world from where we normally run into each other it really did not feel any different from back in Ithaca.
Overall it was a fantastic trip and I'm planning on returning to Melbourne for Michael's 21st birthday. Atleast this time I will be able to write down where I will be staying.
Beginning of break: Went to Queenstown, very much a tourist town but a fun little place nonetheless. I already wrote about the Nevis, but we also went to an Icebar which was made completely of ice, including the cups. Another highlight was eating a Fergburger, a really large and wonderfully delicious burger that has become famous for a good reason.
Came back to campus Sunday evening, chilled Monday, and flew out Tuesday to visit Melbourne.
Melbourne: Australian customs are really really uptight about letting people into Australia. I did not know Michael's address so wrote down his phone number only to be told that I had to know where I was staying by law. Then when questioned why I was in Australia, visiting friends did not seem like a valid reason. After completely unpacking my bag and me telling them I think he lives in Western Melbourne they let me through. However to be fair if someone told you that they were visiting a friend for a week that they knew from Cambodia I might be a little suspicious too.
Michael picked me up from the airport on his bike, and with the duffelbag on my shoulders and not holding on properly I almost fell off when the throttle opened at the first light. Saw a really nice night skyline of Melbourne on the way back to the house. Over the next couple of days Michael, Messi (his housemate), David (a friend), and I really enjoyed ourselves. From just relaxing and hanging out to going to different clubs and seeing the nightlife of Melbourne we had a really good time. Some of the highlights of the trip:
Going to the Casino: lost my $20 pretty fast, so basically I am really unlucky and I am not too stoked about trying Casino again.
Get together at Michaels and Messi's house on Thursday: It was a fun house party, relaxing, talking, and meeting other friends. Later we went out on the town which was also a lot of fun.
Meeting up with Lynette in the middle of Melbourne: On Monday night Michael, Lauren, and I met up with Lynette in Melbourne and went out to eat at Shanghai Dumplings. It was a really interesting place tucked away in a back alley. The food was really good and the service was as inpersonal as possible. They were really trying to get rid of everyone as fast as possible. However it was a lot of fun. Lauren unfortunatley had to go home, but Michael, Lynette, and I went and got Gelatto icecream, sat outside the State Library and later went to a bar to play some pool. Overall it was great seeing Lynette again and I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. It's funny that although we were meeting up across the world from where we normally run into each other it really did not feel any different from back in Ithaca.
Overall it was a fantastic trip and I'm planning on returning to Melbourne for Michael's 21st birthday. Atleast this time I will be able to write down where I will be staying.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Nevis Bungee
At 134 m it is the highest bungee in the Australasia region and the 2nd highest in the World. 8 seconds of free fall, count out 8 seconds in your head...that is a long time. Overall it was ****ing Awesome! Jumped with my eyes wide open the whole time. Canyon and water rush up at you at over 120 km/h and you just don't stop. The second bounce is over 60 meters long...once again ****ing Awesome.
Smile for the camara
Look at that view...
And it just keeps coming
and coming
You stop 10 meters from the bottom
Its a long way down, you cant even see the bottom in this picture
The Nevis bungee.
Smile for the camara
Look at that view...
And it just keeps coming
and coming
You stop 10 meters from the bottom
Its a long way down, you cant even see the bottom in this picture
The Nevis bungee.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kaikora
Hey everyone, it has been a while since I've updated you all on my activities so here goes.
Kaikora: Last Weekend I went with Nathan, Lori, Kendra, and Tenise (Kendra is Nathans cousin and Tenise is her friend) to Kaikora where we met up with Allison, Alex (it was her birthday weekend), Brad, Jen, Mandi, Sarah, Hannah, Julia, and Rachel. The busride was uneventful but scenic as always. Upon arrival we met everyone at a nice cafe and had a deserved breakfast, which was really good, after having gotten up at 6am and driven into town for the bus by Nick and Tracy. After getting our things put away in the hostel we all decided to go on a walk around the penninsula however instead of turning right we turned left and procedded to walk a long way down the beach in the wrong direction.
Although we eventually figured out our mistake we decided to keep walking since it was really relaxing and peaceful.
The beach was a black pebble beach and the pebbles were almost grains of sand, but not quite so they were really easy to dust off and pleasant to lie down and play in. After spending a while there messing around we cunningly left Nathan and Hannah on the beach leaving them a stick message of our new destination.
Later that day Brad, Rachel, Lori, Julia, Mandi and I went sea kayaking with NZ Fur seals. That too was really enjoyable. We got to get really close to the seals, less than a meter away and follow them through the water.
They were two person kayaks and since I was in the back I could control the rudder with my feet, however it took a while to get used to controlling it because unlike conventional rudders if you pressed right the kayak would go right. On the way back to land Mandi and I also saw a couple cows grazing on what I would deem a cliff. I now assume that cows in NZ have been bred with mountain goats.
When we got back to the hostel we all quickly jumped in the hot tub since everyone else was busy cooking one of the best meals I have ever had. It was Alex's birthday dinner and we ate pasta with a really good sauce, salmon, risotto, salad, and shrimp. Jen provided some good wine and for desert we gave Alex a birthday cake along with champagne for everyone and then finished off the night with Amarula which everyone really enjoyed.
Later that night we all went out to a pub called Strawberry Inn where we danced the night away to every genre of music and had a really good time.
Luckily our weekend was not done yet. We decided to go on a sunrise walk around the peninsula, so at the ungodly hour of 6am and only a few hours of rest we woke up to walk around the peninsula. Along the way I carried the girls over a small river so they wouldn't have to get wet, watched the sunrise, got really really close to awakening fur seals and had a really nice walk. We got back at around 10 and had breakfast. The six tuplets aka Mizzou girls and Brad left at noon but Nathan, Lori, Kendra, and Tenise had to wait till 3:30 for our bus. We went to the beach and lay there till it was time. At one point Lori and I were bored so we made some more stick messages. Kaikora was really beautiful so I will now just add pictures and you can get a better feel about what I am writing about.
Overall that weekend was:
Kaikora: Last Weekend I went with Nathan, Lori, Kendra, and Tenise (Kendra is Nathans cousin and Tenise is her friend) to Kaikora where we met up with Allison, Alex (it was her birthday weekend), Brad, Jen, Mandi, Sarah, Hannah, Julia, and Rachel. The busride was uneventful but scenic as always. Upon arrival we met everyone at a nice cafe and had a deserved breakfast, which was really good, after having gotten up at 6am and driven into town for the bus by Nick and Tracy. After getting our things put away in the hostel we all decided to go on a walk around the penninsula however instead of turning right we turned left and procedded to walk a long way down the beach in the wrong direction.
Although we eventually figured out our mistake we decided to keep walking since it was really relaxing and peaceful.
The beach was a black pebble beach and the pebbles were almost grains of sand, but not quite so they were really easy to dust off and pleasant to lie down and play in. After spending a while there messing around we cunningly left Nathan and Hannah on the beach leaving them a stick message of our new destination.
Later that day Brad, Rachel, Lori, Julia, Mandi and I went sea kayaking with NZ Fur seals. That too was really enjoyable. We got to get really close to the seals, less than a meter away and follow them through the water.
They were two person kayaks and since I was in the back I could control the rudder with my feet, however it took a while to get used to controlling it because unlike conventional rudders if you pressed right the kayak would go right. On the way back to land Mandi and I also saw a couple cows grazing on what I would deem a cliff. I now assume that cows in NZ have been bred with mountain goats.
When we got back to the hostel we all quickly jumped in the hot tub since everyone else was busy cooking one of the best meals I have ever had. It was Alex's birthday dinner and we ate pasta with a really good sauce, salmon, risotto, salad, and shrimp. Jen provided some good wine and for desert we gave Alex a birthday cake along with champagne for everyone and then finished off the night with Amarula which everyone really enjoyed.
Later that night we all went out to a pub called Strawberry Inn where we danced the night away to every genre of music and had a really good time.
Luckily our weekend was not done yet. We decided to go on a sunrise walk around the peninsula, so at the ungodly hour of 6am and only a few hours of rest we woke up to walk around the peninsula. Along the way I carried the girls over a small river so they wouldn't have to get wet, watched the sunrise, got really really close to awakening fur seals and had a really nice walk. We got back at around 10 and had breakfast. The six tuplets aka Mizzou girls and Brad left at noon but Nathan, Lori, Kendra, and Tenise had to wait till 3:30 for our bus. We went to the beach and lay there till it was time. At one point Lori and I were bored so we made some more stick messages. Kaikora was really beautiful so I will now just add pictures and you can get a better feel about what I am writing about.
Overall that weekend was:
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Springston RFC and first test
So some bad news and some goods news. Bad news is that I got cut from the Lincoln University side, good news I have already found a new team to play for. I am now a proud member of Springston Rugby Football Club which plays in the Country competition. After I and a couple other guys got cut we were all left with the prospect of not playing or joining a country side. Waihora RFC was already full so we were told about Springston and their need for some back players. On Thursday I went to their practice and I think I have found a team I can enjoy and learn some good rugby. Springston is a real community team as I showed up early and watched all the kids from U-10 to U-18 train on the fields. After meeting the coach and a couple of guys, who were glad to hear I was a back, practice started by putting up the goal posts. Welcome to country rugby. After that we were led through fitness by an old farmer who was definitely more agile and flexible than any of us. We then went through practice and afterwards if you wanted you could go get a beer and a meat pie at the clubhouse. All the guys I met seem like very down to earth farmer types who play and train hard but also want to have a good time. What attracts me most of all is that I will get a lot of game time since that is probably the only and best way to improve. Fortunately there was no game this weekend so I will be able to travel with everyone else to Kaikoura to celebrate Alex's birthday and enjoy a weekend outside of Christchurch.
First Test: We had to answer 2 out of the possible 3 questions and write an essay for each answer. The test was alright I guess, don't really have anything to judge it on. The room was set out like a stereotypical english classroom test taking class and run by three very stereotypical old school english test proctors, very grouchy and unsmiling.
Otherwise not much else is happening.
Let me know how you all are,
Cheers,
Benja
First Test: We had to answer 2 out of the possible 3 questions and write an essay for each answer. The test was alright I guess, don't really have anything to judge it on. The room was set out like a stereotypical english classroom test taking class and run by three very stereotypical old school english test proctors, very grouchy and unsmiling.
Otherwise not much else is happening.
Let me know how you all are,
Cheers,
Benja
Saturday, March 21, 2009
No News is Good News
It has been a while since I have last written a post so I will try and re-cap on what has been happening in NZ.
Last weekend was alright. I stayed on campus and watched rugby on Saturday afternoon. I first watched the Lincoln Colts (U-21) and the Prem side play against Otago university. It was a trial game and there were not enough spots on the side so me and a couple of other guys were asked to sit it out but were guaranteed to play the next game on Wednesday. The colts lost 13-10 in a close game but the prem side got blown away by a really fit Otago team. So far all we do every practice is fitness training, which basically consists of various sprint drills for an hour straight. The speed of game here is a lot faster than the USA and since everyone has been playing since they were young handling is not worked on a lot, atleast not right now.
On Sunday I went with Nathan and Hannah to the Christchurch flower show, and it actually was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. They had some really cool exepidtions that made you feel like you were underwater or in a pretty magical forest. Later we went to Winnie Bagoes, probably the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. They have a lot of gourmet pizzas like Thai Honey Chicken that include sweet sauce, baby corn, peppers, onions, chicken, and although it sounds really weird is absolutely amazing. I don't think I have ever eaten pizza slowly because I wanted to savour every taste, but this and other dishes I have tried like Cajun chicken pasta are all just as good.
The school week went well, not very exciting. We had a good inclass debate in Practice and Management of Organics, where we were split into two teams and had to debate whether Organics has a postive impact on the environment. We had been working in our respective teams for two weeks before but the debate was interesting and the pros and cons of both conventional and organic methods were all brought to life using academic research.
On Wednesday we had our last trial game against High School Old Boys, a club from Christchurch. I played half the game as a winger and I had an ok game, however I need to work on my belief that I really do belong out on the field with everyone else and not second guess myself because I have not been playing as long. We lost the game 30-10 however that is mostly due to them having a huge forward pack. One of their props was 6 foot 6 inches and weighed 286- 308 lbs or 130-140 kg. Although this guy looked like a giant obese baby he was really strong and mobile getting out to the wings and centers and yeah basically it was a bitch trying to tackle him. Each of his legs were the size of my waist. Anyways it was a good game and we learned a lot as a team.
Yesterday (Saturday March 21) Nathan and Lori and I went into Christchurch and spent the afternoon walking around the shops and just enjoying the day. Later that day we met up with the majority of our group and made our way to Winnie Bagoes. This was the third time I had been there and it is still amazing. Everyone really enjoyed their meals however Nathan, Brad, and I decided that we wanted to watch the new Underworld movie at the cinema in Riccerton, a suburb of CHCH. We made it to the bus exchange with 2 minutes to go, Brad with his pizza in a box, got the the cinema, waited in a long line, got our tickets, got to the theatre and only had to waita few minutes before the adverts started. Basically our timing was perfect. Unfortunately after the movie we realized we missed the bus back to Lincoln by 3 minutes and since the next bus arrived an hour later started walking back to lincoln. We walked for a good 5o minutes before we got to a suitable bus stop and took the bus back home. Over all a really good day.
Sunday: Had a 10 am morning practice today, as usual it was fitness, but overall it went well. We did a couple new drills that I am going to tell Coach back at Cornell about but otherwise nothing exciting. We find out on Tuesday which of the two colt teams we have made so hopefully everything works out.
So that is everything from me. Let me know how you are all doing and don't forget to write.
Cheers,
Benja
Last weekend was alright. I stayed on campus and watched rugby on Saturday afternoon. I first watched the Lincoln Colts (U-21) and the Prem side play against Otago university. It was a trial game and there were not enough spots on the side so me and a couple of other guys were asked to sit it out but were guaranteed to play the next game on Wednesday. The colts lost 13-10 in a close game but the prem side got blown away by a really fit Otago team. So far all we do every practice is fitness training, which basically consists of various sprint drills for an hour straight. The speed of game here is a lot faster than the USA and since everyone has been playing since they were young handling is not worked on a lot, atleast not right now.
On Sunday I went with Nathan and Hannah to the Christchurch flower show, and it actually was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. They had some really cool exepidtions that made you feel like you were underwater or in a pretty magical forest. Later we went to Winnie Bagoes, probably the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. They have a lot of gourmet pizzas like Thai Honey Chicken that include sweet sauce, baby corn, peppers, onions, chicken, and although it sounds really weird is absolutely amazing. I don't think I have ever eaten pizza slowly because I wanted to savour every taste, but this and other dishes I have tried like Cajun chicken pasta are all just as good.
The school week went well, not very exciting. We had a good inclass debate in Practice and Management of Organics, where we were split into two teams and had to debate whether Organics has a postive impact on the environment. We had been working in our respective teams for two weeks before but the debate was interesting and the pros and cons of both conventional and organic methods were all brought to life using academic research.
On Wednesday we had our last trial game against High School Old Boys, a club from Christchurch. I played half the game as a winger and I had an ok game, however I need to work on my belief that I really do belong out on the field with everyone else and not second guess myself because I have not been playing as long. We lost the game 30-10 however that is mostly due to them having a huge forward pack. One of their props was 6 foot 6 inches and weighed 286- 308 lbs or 130-140 kg. Although this guy looked like a giant obese baby he was really strong and mobile getting out to the wings and centers and yeah basically it was a bitch trying to tackle him. Each of his legs were the size of my waist. Anyways it was a good game and we learned a lot as a team.
Yesterday (Saturday March 21) Nathan and Lori and I went into Christchurch and spent the afternoon walking around the shops and just enjoying the day. Later that day we met up with the majority of our group and made our way to Winnie Bagoes. This was the third time I had been there and it is still amazing. Everyone really enjoyed their meals however Nathan, Brad, and I decided that we wanted to watch the new Underworld movie at the cinema in Riccerton, a suburb of CHCH. We made it to the bus exchange with 2 minutes to go, Brad with his pizza in a box, got the the cinema, waited in a long line, got our tickets, got to the theatre and only had to waita few minutes before the adverts started. Basically our timing was perfect. Unfortunately after the movie we realized we missed the bus back to Lincoln by 3 minutes and since the next bus arrived an hour later started walking back to lincoln. We walked for a good 5o minutes before we got to a suitable bus stop and took the bus back home. Over all a really good day.
Sunday: Had a 10 am morning practice today, as usual it was fitness, but overall it went well. We did a couple new drills that I am going to tell Coach back at Cornell about but otherwise nothing exciting. We find out on Tuesday which of the two colt teams we have made so hopefully everything works out.
So that is everything from me. Let me know how you are all doing and don't forget to write.
Cheers,
Benja
Monday, March 9, 2009
D-Day
Today the weather was really beautiful and right before practice the sky turned grey and dark clouds started to gather. We all turned up at the field with the cold wind around us and started to warm up. As soon as warm ups were over it started to gently hail and we were all moved indoors for the announcement for this Saturday's game. I didn't make the team. To be honest I could kind of see this coming, I had a shitty trial day and my opponent for the position is on a scholarship at the school so they have an invested interest in him. Nevertheless we were told that we would still play a game next Wednesday against a local team, maybe that will be my chance to impress...it pretty much is my only hope if I want to continue to be an active part of the team. If I am cut from the team next week then I will just go and play for one of the country teams, however I hope it does not result in that...the shitty weather definitely represents my feelings and I could not help but imagine the other fullbacks face when we had a 40 minute boxing session after we were told the news...I guess I just have to get faster and stronger, however I am already as fast and 8 kg heavier then my opponent...not to brag but right now I feel like I am getting into some of the best shape of my life. I've been lifting and running hard since I have arrived and my hall mates have already said that I look like I've lost weight however the scale remains the same, I definitly feel leaner and stronger. Anyways I know you all wanted to hear if I made it or not. It's not what I wanted to tell you but it isn't over yet.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
pictures from Hanmer Springs
Car ride to Hanmer Springs
On the hike
Messing around on the hike
On the way to the waterfall
The water fall
Waterfall
Under the waterfall
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Hanmer Springs and the last Trial
Yesterday Nathan, Jennifer, Sarah, Mandi, Rachel, Hannah, Julia, and I piled into Jennifers's Mitsubishi Chariot and headed to Hanmer Springs, home of the hotpools. The drive over took around two hours and as always the New Zealand landscape did not fail to impress. One moment that particularly struck me was a small crystal blue stream running through a emerald green pasture with the mountains in the distance. It really looked like something out of a story book.
Hanmer Springs is a very touristy town (read a couple of streets) and was very full. We couldn't get beds at the hostel but we found a house that was on a nightly rent of $150, with 7 people staying over it cost each person as much as the hostel would have plus they would get real beds, free milk, and two TVs with all the channels, over all an absolute steal. The reason that 7 people were staying and not 8 is because I had to leave later that afternoon to get back to Lincoln so I would not be late for my trials the next day. The earlist bus in the morning left too late so I had to cut my time short.
Regardless in the next 5 hours we all went on a 2.5 hr hike up the side of the mountain to reach a 40 meter waterfall that was just magical. I'll put pictures up in a little bit once everyone else arrives back. After that we went on a short 30 minute hike in the fir trees at the base of the mountain. New Zealand doesn't fail to amaze me in the variety of the nature. Two weeks ago we were in the west coast in tropical forest and yesterday we were in a real temperal forest and these two places are seperated by one mountain chain.
Trial Day: Where to start.... You remember the receiver in the movie The Replacements, the one who couldn't catch, that was basically me today. I wouldn't drop the ball but I would fumble it before getting control each time. However I had a couple of good runs and I think coach could see I was better then how I played. In the 3rd quarter I switched teams with the other fullback, hopefully it was just because he wanted to see what the other fullback could do and not because I kept fumbling. My new team was pretty dejected and kept conciding tries, but I constantly kept trying to rally them and keep their spirits up. Basically not to give up hope. I know the other fullback was very mute so hopefully this will go in my favor. When I was on the other team I aslo took a pretty big knock to the head (Don't worry Mor I was not concussed). I went into a ruck and either collided heads with someone else or someone's knee, but what I do know is that I hit the left side of my head hard and my left side was tingling for a while, eventually it went away but I was definitely left rubbing my noggen for a bit. At the end of the game Coach could see I was shaking my head and I explained that I didn't know what was wrong with me today and that my hands were acting up on me, he laughed and asked if I knew what YouWho (not sure of spelling) was, I didn't and he chuckled and said Glue. Hence I am the receiver from Replacements. We find out of Tuesday what the teams for the game next week are, if I do not get into the first Colt side I'm just going to have to work and practice hard and push the other fullback for his position...we will see.
Don't forget to write,
Love you all,
Benja
Hanmer Springs is a very touristy town (read a couple of streets) and was very full. We couldn't get beds at the hostel but we found a house that was on a nightly rent of $150, with 7 people staying over it cost each person as much as the hostel would have plus they would get real beds, free milk, and two TVs with all the channels, over all an absolute steal. The reason that 7 people were staying and not 8 is because I had to leave later that afternoon to get back to Lincoln so I would not be late for my trials the next day. The earlist bus in the morning left too late so I had to cut my time short.
Regardless in the next 5 hours we all went on a 2.5 hr hike up the side of the mountain to reach a 40 meter waterfall that was just magical. I'll put pictures up in a little bit once everyone else arrives back. After that we went on a short 30 minute hike in the fir trees at the base of the mountain. New Zealand doesn't fail to amaze me in the variety of the nature. Two weeks ago we were in the west coast in tropical forest and yesterday we were in a real temperal forest and these two places are seperated by one mountain chain.
Trial Day: Where to start.... You remember the receiver in the movie The Replacements, the one who couldn't catch, that was basically me today. I wouldn't drop the ball but I would fumble it before getting control each time. However I had a couple of good runs and I think coach could see I was better then how I played. In the 3rd quarter I switched teams with the other fullback, hopefully it was just because he wanted to see what the other fullback could do and not because I kept fumbling. My new team was pretty dejected and kept conciding tries, but I constantly kept trying to rally them and keep their spirits up. Basically not to give up hope. I know the other fullback was very mute so hopefully this will go in my favor. When I was on the other team I aslo took a pretty big knock to the head (Don't worry Mor I was not concussed). I went into a ruck and either collided heads with someone else or someone's knee, but what I do know is that I hit the left side of my head hard and my left side was tingling for a while, eventually it went away but I was definitely left rubbing my noggen for a bit. At the end of the game Coach could see I was shaking my head and I explained that I didn't know what was wrong with me today and that my hands were acting up on me, he laughed and asked if I knew what YouWho (not sure of spelling) was, I didn't and he chuckled and said Glue. Hence I am the receiver from Replacements. We find out of Tuesday what the teams for the game next week are, if I do not get into the first Colt side I'm just going to have to work and practice hard and push the other fullback for his position...we will see.
Don't forget to write,
Love you all,
Benja
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gondola and other news
Last Saturday I went with Nathan and the Missou girls to the Gondola just outside of Christchurch. As soon as we arrived it started to drizzle and I have now become convinced that whenever I go on a hike or any other outdoor activity outside of rugby the weather has to be overcast, foggy, and rainy. We decided to walk up the mountain side and take the gondola down. The walk was very steep and picturesque even in the poorer weather and gave us an incredable view of Christchurch and Littleton when we were about half way there. There were a number of memorials along the way in rememberance of the first pioneers (women and children of Littleton) who climbed the moutain and looked down in awe and courage of making their future in NZ. Unfortunately we did not walk behind the memorial and continue on the trail to the gondola but walked along the road hoping it would wind up, it didn't, so we turned back, corrected our mistake and reached the gondola just when the weather turned really bad. At the top we were supposed to see a wonderful 360 degrees of the surronding area but thanks to the fog visibility was 0. After a nice and deserved hot chocolate we made our way down via the gondola, which was a little eerie since you couldn't see anything, and made our way home. On the way back we realised we would not be able to make dinner in time so we ate at a nice Italian restaurant and came back to the dorms wet but satisfied.
Sunday: Rugby Trials! They went well as the post before mentioned, practice has continued and I do think that Colts is the right place for me. We haven't done so much tackling or game situations, rather we have focused more on fitness, but I think that in a week or two it will get a little more intense and more demanding.
Tuesday: Field Trip day. At Lincoln every two weeks the tuesday is a field trip day for the whole school. Therefore if you do not have a field trip then you do not have class. I had a field trip out to a sheep farm but I later realised that it was optional and I didn't really need to be there. Regardless it was interesting to hear the farmer speak and tour his farm looking at the pastures, soils, management systems etc. Unfortunately the weather again was against me and I think I am going to invest in a pair of Gum Boots so that my socks can stay dry and I don't risk getting foot rot.
On other news I have been learning a couple of NZ slang words. First off we have "Mint" this is the equivelant of "cool" or "awesome" in the US. So someone can reply "that's mint" or just "mint". Another saying which I enjoy more is "Sweet As." this can also be used in replacement of cool, awesome, sure, etc. So when someone says something and you agree you can just say Sweet As. Other observations are that the door knobs are really low in NZ, between your knee and your fingers when you straighten your hand. I've gotten used to it but it was pretty annoying in the beginning since you had to awkwardly bend to open the door.
Otherwise feel free to write and stay in touch. Cheers.
Sunday: Rugby Trials! They went well as the post before mentioned, practice has continued and I do think that Colts is the right place for me. We haven't done so much tackling or game situations, rather we have focused more on fitness, but I think that in a week or two it will get a little more intense and more demanding.
Tuesday: Field Trip day. At Lincoln every two weeks the tuesday is a field trip day for the whole school. Therefore if you do not have a field trip then you do not have class. I had a field trip out to a sheep farm but I later realised that it was optional and I didn't really need to be there. Regardless it was interesting to hear the farmer speak and tour his farm looking at the pastures, soils, management systems etc. Unfortunately the weather again was against me and I think I am going to invest in a pair of Gum Boots so that my socks can stay dry and I don't risk getting foot rot.
On other news I have been learning a couple of NZ slang words. First off we have "Mint" this is the equivelant of "cool" or "awesome" in the US. So someone can reply "that's mint" or just "mint". Another saying which I enjoy more is "Sweet As." this can also be used in replacement of cool, awesome, sure, etc. So when someone says something and you agree you can just say Sweet As. Other observations are that the door knobs are really low in NZ, between your knee and your fingers when you straighten your hand. I've gotten used to it but it was pretty annoying in the beginning since you had to awkwardly bend to open the door.
Otherwise feel free to write and stay in touch. Cheers.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Trial Day
Had the first colts trial today. It went well, our team won 23-0 and I think I played well enough that the coaches were a little impressed. I had a good part in 3 of the tries, the first I put a kick over the top and the winger knocked on. From that scrum and a few plays later we scored. Then I acted as scrum-half for a couple of plays on the opponents 5 meter line and got the ball out to the line that then ran the ball in. On the third try I ran as support, and I almost got a try of my own but the pass back into me was hit out by an opponent. We have a fitness practice on Tuesday and a normal practice on Thursday and a second trial on Sunday. After the game all the coaches were trying to convince us not to be enticed by the "Country" teams around the area. Basically asking us to make commit to Lincoln University Rugby rather than playing for one of the clubs in the surrounding area. Hopefully the coaches liked what they saw in me, we will just have to wait and see.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pictures from Greymouth (Facebook will have a lot more)
At the beer tasting, they had an open bar after everyone had a taste.
Chilling at a resting spot
Chilling at the bar after our long walk.
Cool effect of Nathans camara
Nathan and I, we got smashed by the wave behind us as soon as the picture was taken
Walking to the beach
On the hike (there were huge spider webs with eggs in that stump)
Outside the Tranz Scenic in Christchurch
Picture from the viewing platform of the train
Picture from Inside the train. Meatpie in reflection
Greymouth and other stuff
Aight guys, its been a while since I've been in touch and I apologise. I've been busy but also trying to be outside my room as much as possible. Last Friday I went with a whole bunch of other exchange students to see Greymouth, the largest "city" on the West coast of the South Island. All 11 of us took the Tranzscenic over the Southern Alps on the trip over. Unfortunately the weather sucked but it was still really beautiful. On the train ride over I had my first meatpie in a long time and it was really good. The train had viewing platforms so we would occasionally go out and try and take pictures outside. When we arrived we were met by 3 other exchange students who had arrived the day before. It was pouring rain and windy but that didn't deter us. We dropped our stuff at the hostel (Globel Village is probably the nicest hostel in the world, they have really nice beds, free bikes and kayaks, huge kichen, living room, video room, amazing bathrooms and really nicely decorated from all over the world.) and went for a 1 hour hike up a hill. The vegetation was so tropical and thick that the rain hardly or didnt even get through, after we went on another hike nearby before heading down to the Tasman Sea where the smooth black pebble beach was being attacked by huge waves. Of course we all waded in and were chased up and down by the waves. We returned to the hostel and feasted on peanut and apricot & Ginger jam sandwiches as well as tuna. The next morning we planned on taking the kayaks out for the morning but the river was too flooded so we took the bikes and went 6 km out of the town to a 3 hr hike. The hike was along the cliffs and was absolutely amazing. From thick tropical forest to fields of some big fern thing (maybe cabbage tree) to the beach where we found a small pub so we all got drinks and chilled watching the waves and water and thinking deep thoughts. There were wild blue berries on the way to the hike too. We then returned to the town and made the tasting session, missed the tour, at the local brewary that we had booked earlier. Later that night we ate a real meal of rice, brocceli, tuna, icecream and watched Oceans 11 before going to a well deserved sleep. The bus ride back to Christchurch was also really picturesque although the weather still had not let up. It is really hard to describe how beautiful New Zealand is, everywhere you look could be a postcard picture. We saw four amazing rainbows on the way back too, big ones where you could see all the colours as well. I'm going to post a lot or as many pictures as I can. My camara ran out of battery but Nathan let me get the pictures off his camara, however hundreds of pictures were taken and I plan to collect all of them so you will all be able to see them soon enough.
Other stuff: Rugby is looking alright, I'm getting the rugby program from the strength and conditioning coach and have my last practice before the trials tomorrow. The trials are just matches, so I will have to bring my A game. All through this week they have been having Orientation week, last week was freshie week, and have famous Kiwi comedians or bands every night. They have been a lot of fun and really good so far. Yesterday was a Kiwi Reggae group called Katchafire who were impressive and tomorrow there is a toga party. People drink a lot here, I'm not sure if it is just because it is Uni or if it is culture but every night people get pretty wasted by 7 pm. Also everyone is allowed to drink from 5:30pm -10pm in the dorms, maybe it is just me but I personally think that is really weird, however no glass bottles or hard alcohol since bottles can be used as weapons. I haven't been going to the gym as much as I've wanted but hopefully once I get a little more settled I will get more structure. If I make the team here though that will be amazing. This is the school that trained Richie McCaw, the All-Black captain, and are known for having one of the best sport preperation programs in the country.
Alright I'm going to sign off here and get another post with pictures since they say more then I can describe. Miss you all, and don't be afraid to write, text, or call.
Other stuff: Rugby is looking alright, I'm getting the rugby program from the strength and conditioning coach and have my last practice before the trials tomorrow. The trials are just matches, so I will have to bring my A game. All through this week they have been having Orientation week, last week was freshie week, and have famous Kiwi comedians or bands every night. They have been a lot of fun and really good so far. Yesterday was a Kiwi Reggae group called Katchafire who were impressive and tomorrow there is a toga party. People drink a lot here, I'm not sure if it is just because it is Uni or if it is culture but every night people get pretty wasted by 7 pm. Also everyone is allowed to drink from 5:30pm -10pm in the dorms, maybe it is just me but I personally think that is really weird, however no glass bottles or hard alcohol since bottles can be used as weapons. I haven't been going to the gym as much as I've wanted but hopefully once I get a little more settled I will get more structure. If I make the team here though that will be amazing. This is the school that trained Richie McCaw, the All-Black captain, and are known for having one of the best sport preperation programs in the country.
Alright I'm going to sign off here and get another post with pictures since they say more then I can describe. Miss you all, and don't be afraid to write, text, or call.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
1st Rugby Practice
I have just gotten back from my first rugby practice. Today was the first practice for Lincoln University Rugby Football Club and it was pure conditioning. Until today I liked to think that I was pretty fit, now I know I have a long way to go before I can match them. There were probably 50 people at the practice and we were split into 2 groups of approximately 25 where you were also paired with someone else. Group A had to run around a 400 meter track for 2 minutes while Group B did exercises on the side. The exercises consisted of:
1. flipping a giant tire
2. pulling a weighted sled on a long rope, so pull the sled until it reaches you and then your partner does it.
3. boxing a rucking pad
4. carrying a body bag 10 metres and then back, then your partner does it.
5. doing shoulder presses with 20 kg plate
6. swinging from your shoulder to opposite hip with 20 kg plate
7. push-ups
8. lunges
9. wheel barrow
10. fire man lift
you and your partner would do each exercise for 1 minute and then switch to running around the track. So you would complete 2 exercises and then run for 2 minutes and then go back to the circuit. the practice took about an hour, but by the end I was exhausted. I think I will probably end up playing with the Colts side (U-21) but even they have their own forward and backs coach. The guys I met all seem really cool and they are also insanely fit. After seeing them it is hard to imagine how strong and fast the All-Blacks and other professional rugby players are. Anyway right now it seems like this is going to be an amazing experience and I cannot wait to start improving my fitness and game skills.
1. flipping a giant tire
2. pulling a weighted sled on a long rope, so pull the sled until it reaches you and then your partner does it.
3. boxing a rucking pad
4. carrying a body bag 10 metres and then back, then your partner does it.
5. doing shoulder presses with 20 kg plate
6. swinging from your shoulder to opposite hip with 20 kg plate
7. push-ups
8. lunges
9. wheel barrow
10. fire man lift
you and your partner would do each exercise for 1 minute and then switch to running around the track. So you would complete 2 exercises and then run for 2 minutes and then go back to the circuit. the practice took about an hour, but by the end I was exhausted. I think I will probably end up playing with the Colts side (U-21) but even they have their own forward and backs coach. The guys I met all seem really cool and they are also insanely fit. After seeing them it is hard to imagine how strong and fast the All-Blacks and other professional rugby players are. Anyway right now it seems like this is going to be an amazing experience and I cannot wait to start improving my fitness and game skills.
First Day
Today was my first day. I arrived at 2 am at Lincoln, unpacked and attempted to sleep till 6 before waking up and making myself some tea and instant noodles. At around 8 other people slowly woke up and I got to meet them. Almost everyone in my dorm is on an exchange program, the majority from the USA but I also met some people from France, Norway, and Germany. The campus is really small and picturesque, it is really easy to navigate. Spent the day registering, meeting people, and going to meetings. An interesting observation is that the local fashion is rugby shorts, polos with the collars popped and sporting a mullet. Not really sure how that all got into fashion but maybe it is because they are so far away from the world and are stuck in the 70s. The people in the dorm are really cool and friendly, right now we are all getting ready to head down to the Grouse, a bar in Lincoln Town. Other interesting news is that I found out that there is a rugby team for the Uni and the first trial is tomorrow and is going to consist of conditioning. This is my chance to prove how Cornell rugby stands up to the Kiwi's...we'll see how I do. The rugby field is absolutely amazing, I have never seen such short perfect grass, it looks almost fake.
The dorms are interestingly built, they are 3 floors high with two suites consisting of 6 rooms on either side. All the rooms are singles, however the walls seem to be very thin.
New Zealand also seems like a very quiet country. I have never seen such a quiet move in day, you almost could think that no one had really arrived. Everywhere you go though it seems very laid back and quiet. It would be easy to say that New Zealand is its own little bubble.
The dorms are interestingly built, they are 3 floors high with two suites consisting of 6 rooms on either side. All the rooms are singles, however the walls seem to be very thin.
New Zealand also seems like a very quiet country. I have never seen such a quiet move in day, you almost could think that no one had really arrived. Everywhere you go though it seems very laid back and quiet. It would be easy to say that New Zealand is its own little bubble.
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