As my dedicated readers would know, Sweetie and I are about to embark for our Australian adventure! In less than a week we will be flying off to visit friends, family, and Richard Burton (as a 3m high 3D hologram).
So, what can we expect from our journey?
- Cooler weather! It's been really hot here (I'm sure Odyssey know's what I'm talking about!): We've averaged 99F for August so far, with 15+ days over 100F. Needless to say we're looking forward to some relief, and relief we shall get: The average maximums we're expecting on our trip are 65-70F... For a comparison, that's cooler than our minimums so far in August!
- The definition of irony... I'll be flying from American to Australia, and in the process I'll be missing out on cricket! How that works I'm not so sure, but there you have it.
- A different perspective: I'll get to see Australia, where I grew up, and things that I know through the eyes of my Sweetie. Part of what I love about her is the way she sees things, and I can't wait to see what she makes of my country (okay, so I don't own Australia, but you know what I mean!).
- Fun!! We have so much we're looking forward to: Family, friends, places from my past, good food, an anniversary, and a few days in Sydney at the end of our trip just for the two of us!
We can't wait!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Cricket in a Foreign Land
Avid readers of my blog may remember that I am the vice-president of a university cricket club. This would not be particularly note-worthy if not for the fact that the university is in the good old US of A! Cricket in America is an interesting experience, and certainly has novelty value.
The club I am involved with is competitive, enthusiastic, and reasonably competent. We are like any cricket club: We have a 5 member committee made up of players - The president has been largely absent during the season, the secretary always forgets to bring a pad and pen to meetings and cannot see the value of taking minutes, and the treasurer doesn't handle the club finances as the chairman is obsessed with making sure they are done correctly!
Last weekend was our big tournament: 6 teams from 3 states, 100 F weather, and around 70 players born in the subcontinent (of all the players in all the squads myself and a New Zealander were the only caucasians).
A few random observations:
- We lost the final. A visiting team needed 6 runs from the final over with 9 wickets down. A four, a wide, and a flick over the close in fielders, and it was all over! Having said that, we lost the first two of our four league games, so to make it through to the final was quite something!
- Over 150 gallons of Gatorade was consumed during the two days!
- Of 15 games played, 12 went down to the wire (including a tie!).
- One team had two flat tires on their way to the tournament in their team van! They arrived at their hotel at 5am, but were first to the ground at 9am the same morning, were on time for every game (winning 3 of their 4 league games), and were by far the most courteous team at the tournament (including our own!).
- Finally, when running behind on the first day and needing to shorten the one hour lunch break, a team complained that 20 minutes was insufficient time for lunch. When asked the shortest time they would need for lunch, they replied "One and a half hours"... They got 45 minutes.
The club I am involved with is competitive, enthusiastic, and reasonably competent. We are like any cricket club: We have a 5 member committee made up of players - The president has been largely absent during the season, the secretary always forgets to bring a pad and pen to meetings and cannot see the value of taking minutes, and the treasurer doesn't handle the club finances as the chairman is obsessed with making sure they are done correctly!
Last weekend was our big tournament: 6 teams from 3 states, 100 F weather, and around 70 players born in the subcontinent (of all the players in all the squads myself and a New Zealander were the only caucasians).
A few random observations:
- We lost the final. A visiting team needed 6 runs from the final over with 9 wickets down. A four, a wide, and a flick over the close in fielders, and it was all over! Having said that, we lost the first two of our four league games, so to make it through to the final was quite something!
- Over 150 gallons of Gatorade was consumed during the two days!
- Of 15 games played, 12 went down to the wire (including a tie!).
- One team had two flat tires on their way to the tournament in their team van! They arrived at their hotel at 5am, but were first to the ground at 9am the same morning, were on time for every game (winning 3 of their 4 league games), and were by far the most courteous team at the tournament (including our own!).
- Finally, when running behind on the first day and needing to shorten the one hour lunch break, a team complained that 20 minutes was insufficient time for lunch. When asked the shortest time they would need for lunch, they replied "One and a half hours"... They got 45 minutes.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Kiwis, Quizzes, and a Failed Nerdship
Readers (read: siblings) may remember a previous post in which I bemoaned the fact that the Australian on the "Outback Steakhouse" adverts is in fact from New Zealand.
The Kiwi in question is part of a duo called "Flight of the Conchords", New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk paradists who have a self-titled show on HBO.
Last weekend I got to watch "Flight of the Conchords" and they are hysterical! For those with time on their hands, YouTube "flight of the Conchords" and enjoy!!
My siblings have all posted their "Nerd Type". I took the quiz and I am, not surprisingly, a "Science Nerd". Where is the post I hear you ask? Well the link you are meant to copy and paste onto your blog had a number of errors (aparently), so I couldn't even post it! Hence my failed nerdiness...
Finally, a quiz question:
Who invented frequency hopping (the technique of changing frequencies, originally used to prevent radio-jamming, commonly used in cell phones and WiFi)?
I'll give you a hint... She was one of the first actresses to appear naked in a major film.
The Kiwi in question is part of a duo called "Flight of the Conchords", New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk paradists who have a self-titled show on HBO.
Last weekend I got to watch "Flight of the Conchords" and they are hysterical! For those with time on their hands, YouTube "flight of the Conchords" and enjoy!!
My siblings have all posted their "Nerd Type". I took the quiz and I am, not surprisingly, a "Science Nerd". Where is the post I hear you ask? Well the link you are meant to copy and paste onto your blog had a number of errors (aparently), so I couldn't even post it! Hence my failed nerdiness...
Finally, a quiz question:
Who invented frequency hopping (the technique of changing frequencies, originally used to prevent radio-jamming, commonly used in cell phones and WiFi)?
I'll give you a hint... She was one of the first actresses to appear naked in a major film.
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