Pumas vs Georgia: some pictures

On Sunday I headed up to Palmerston North for the day to see Argentina kick some Georgian butt. Well, that was the plan, but not much butt-kicking was done because of a combination of a poor first half performance by the Pumas and Georgia putting up a very decent fight. Still, we won, and it was a fun day out. 

We (my sister and I) had flags and facepaint. I think we looked pretty awesome. She wore her flag as a toga. We had to hunt around for facepaint as the entire city was just about sold out of blue and white!

The Argentine fans kept up the singing and chanting throughout the match. Mostly this tune:

Soy Argentino, es un sentimiento, no puedo parar. Ole ole ole, ole ole ola, ole ole ole, cada dia te quiero mas!

Which means: I'm Argentine, it's a feeling, I can't stop. Ole ole ole..... every day I love you more!

I took a thermos of mate tea and shared some with random Argentines on the street. My sister didn't want to try any though. Not after the last time. With mate you put a whole lot of leaves (the yerba) into a cup (the mate) and then pour hot water over it and drink it with a special straw (the bombilla) that acts as a strainer. You keep pouring water over it, drinking it, pouring some more water etc until it loses its flavour and that's when you top it up with more yerba. Now the first mouthful can be very strong for the uninitiated. The last and only time my sister tried some she got this first taste and was gagging into the kitchen sink haha. 

There was also a free asado (bbq) in the square. It was well worth the wait in the queue. They'd also organised a small market/fair type thing with empanadas and even churros filled with caramel. I ate three! 

After the game we headed to a pub to watch the All Blacks and what a game that was! I can't wait for this Sunday as I am lucky enough to be going to the Wallabies vs Springbox quarterfinal (haven't decided who I'd rather win that) and then straight after that I'll be watching the All Blacks vs Pumas - I think I will do All Blacks facepaint with my pumas jersey for the occasion although I'm certain the All Blacks will win easily. They may be without Dan but Argentina is without both Hernandez and Fernandez Lobbe and don't have a kicker than can actually get the ball between the posts more than 30% of the time. I hope they don't lose by too high a margin.

Happy birthday little sis

Two birthdays in two days - no wonder I'm always skint at this time of year :)

Happy birthday to my favourite little sister. I actually bought you a present this year but I've got to admit, I had a bit more fun organizing last year's.

It sounds like I missed a good party though. 

You should be so proud of everything you've achieved in your 22 years. I admire how driven you are and how well you do at everything you attempt. (So please don't get too good at this backpacking business - I need at least something I can outshine you in, right?!). I am in awe of how much you seem to pack into your busy life, oh and of how glamorous you always look too :-)

It's hard to know what to write. In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago that we were sharing a room (and the same hair cuts with matching jerseys and dungarees - thanks mum!) but in other ways it's like that was a lifetime ago!

Most of my memories of you revolve around us running wild on the farm - making huts, riding cows or training our calves, trying not to get caught jumping on the bailage, climbing trees...

Or doing dance routines to Five, sneakily watching Catdog on the telly when mum was out, using an upturned trampoline as a gymnastics apparatus, making "Fish and Chips" out of slices of bread, arguing that my guinea pig should get chucked down the offal hole since that's the burial yours got (hehe)...

When we were older at boarding school, walking up the hill and having the other girls laugh at how we bounced when we walked, our pony tails swinging side to side...

Trying to catch fish with plastic bags at Cooks Beach (remember when you dropped your rod off the wharf?), camping at Ruatiti, swimming with the dolphins...

Watching your running events - especially that North Island one in Taupo when you kicked some serious ass...

I remember some of your birthdays;
the one when you got a Petrol station/car park for the matchbox cars,
the one where we went to the Kiwi House and another to Hamilton Zoo,
one when you caved and let me bake a cake but only if it had no icing on it,
your 10th birthday when your friend ended up in tears after grabbing the electric fence and not letting go,
and one when you had a Mooloo cake.

I hope you spoil yourself today.
Happy birthday again and see you next weekend for the rugby game.

Lot's of love, your favourite, second-biggest sister. XO

Happy birthday Sproglet!

To my favourite niece,

It's hard to believe that you are already 9.

I remember like it was yesterday waiting at the hospital to see you. You were the cutest wee thing, even though you only had one eye open for weeks! That made me laugh. 

So did the way you 'walked' on your knees for ages; when asked as a toddler who you liked better Spike or Angel, replied "Spike, because he's a bad boy"; and more recently sent me this photo with message saying that my cat was jealous of me posing with a dressed up alpaca. 

I love how much you love your food and cooking - just like me. I remember when you'd just turned three helping me to make Japanese dumplings, folding them and pressing around the edges with a fork like a professional. We make a good team in the kitchen. 

I was so proud of you when you won that cake competition and the feijoa loaf you made this year was so darn tasty! 

It's cool that now we can order two plates at a restaurant and halve each because we like the same things. How many other kids your age would go to a restaurant and split the wild rabbit hotpot and cheese souffle? Probably just as many as 3 year olds that get excited over having goat casserole for dinner...

I have so many memories of us just mucking around being silly together. 

I think this was when you were only 5. We drew on our whiskers and then danced to High School Musical for an hour. I still haven't replaced the eye liner we ruined that day. 

Even though we are silly most of the time, I like that you'll do as I tell you to as well- but only if I ask in spanish! Por favor, senorita. 

I love it when you come to visit me in Wellington. I don't know anyone else who gets as excited about going to Te Papa or the zoo as we do. I even forgive you for telling mum that my house was really messy the time you visited on your own :)

Happy birthday S-Catt. Have a fantastic day. I hope both you and Rococoko like the present. Lots of love, hugs and butterfly kisses, J-Dogg. 

P.S. This time next year we can both jump off a bridge with a bungy cord tied around our ankles if you're still game. My shout.