Weekend Mayhem

Right so the difference between Rugby union and Rugby league.  Union: 5 points for a try 3 for a goal 2 for a conversion.  League: 4 for a try 1 for a goal and 2 for a conversion.  League has no rucks and on the 6th tackle the possession is turned over.  No line outs in league and while union basically has continual play, league stops and starts.  All in all, league has a lot of similarities to American Football.  But let me back up and tell about the rest of friday.  So Laura (21 yrs old), Sim, Gulian, and I left early to go to dinner in Manly first.  On the way we got rearended, (no worries mom it was barely more than a tap), unfortunately, when Gulian went to start the car nothing happened. We finally got a jump and made it to a restaurant right near the oval (stadium).  Dinner went well until Gulian came back with coffee for Sim and him, unfortunately he never made it to the table and the coffee ended up all over mine and Sim's pants.  My baptism into the family I suppose.  We made it to the game without anymore accidents and i got to enjoy my first ever rugby league game.  Manly took down St. George 20 to 8 in a closer game than the score indicated.  After the game, we went out to a coffee shop for dessert.  Even with all the mishaps, I had a really great night.  I was thinking while we were eating dessert that I really feel comfortable with the Vaccaris and i am reminded of my family with all the carrying on and loving teasing that goes on. 

Saturday, Elizabeth took Emily, Sarah P., Rachel, and I to Featherdale Zoo to see some Australian animals.  It was pretty cool because the kangaroos were allowed to hop around anywhere they wished so we were able to get some really good pictures.  The girls were teasing me when i got back because i took over 200 hundred pictures!  The afternoon was spent perusing Olympic Park and Bicentennial Park even with the rain still coming down. Later, Rachel and Sarah Pow took Emily and I out to "Cookies" to celebrate my birthday and meet more of their friends.  It was an enjoyable night, as the girls bought me some drinks and even had me "skull" one of them.  There was a live band that seemed to be Irish, and we all enjoyed good food and company. 

Sunday we went to morning mass and then went into the city.  Forced inside once again by the rain, we took a very interesting and informative tour of the Opera house.  They hold over 2500 events there every year!  Though the tour was very interesting, I also enjoyed the sword fighting with the umbrellas and how Sarah Pow's umbrella ended up in two pieces.  (I may have had something to do with that)  Sunday afternoon was spent sitting next to the fire and watching rugby league on TV.  Before dinner, I went with Sim to watch Sarah V's water polo match which they unfortunately lost by one point.  All in all, I very enjoyable weekend in spite of the rain. 

The new vocab: jumper, sloppy joe, flat battery, boot, slack, trackies, reckon, footpath, lollies, oval