Weekend

After working all week, I was more than ready for a little fun this weekend. I went out for drinks with a group of friends and got to see a few nice local bars, one of which had a great jazz band playing. The best thing about going out with a group here is the guys do all the paying. They take turns getting rounds, and girls aren't expected to do the same. I tried a few times, but they wouldn't let me.... I didn't spend a dime all night!

Australia is huge on sports... and Melbourne in particular loves Aussie Rules Football, or footy as it's called. Sunday I went to the last Aussie Rules game before the playoffs. The stadium (the MCG) is absolutely massive... the field is at least double the size of an American football field, but oval instead of rectangular. The object of the game is to kick the ball through the upright poles, similar to a field goal in the NFL. The middle poles get you 6 points, the secondary poles on either side gets you 1 point. The game seems kind of chaotic to watch... 18 players on each team, a lot of running around, very few pauses, and the ball is constantly being kicked or punted to other players. It was a fun game... I'm not sure I really get it, but I cheered when other people cheered, and booed when other people booed.

My favorite part of the game was half time... they bring out mini poles and let little kids play on the field. The favored team in this game was the Richmond Tigers, and their colors are black and gold... kind of looked like Pittsburgh! They won too... 121 - 41. The fans were singing the team songs (every team has their own songs and cheers) for a while after the game ended.

It was a fun experience, and I wouldn't have heard the end of it if I left Melbourne without seeing a footy game.