G'day Mate

Oy!

So, I'm suuuuuper-beat up right now. I just got done with my first Footy match. For the uninitiated, thats Australian rules football. And I must say that I'm pretty impressed with the whole thing. The set up is this: two teams of 18 people on a giant grass oval try and kick the ball through a set of posts on the other end. The ball is moved around the field by either punching the ball to a teammate or kicking. Tackling is the best way to get the ball from the opponent and loads of fun. No pads. It's basically brutal chaos in an oval. I encourage all men to try it. Way better than rugby, but not better than a certain hyphenated sport I like to call D-ball, although similar in carnage and mayhem. The tradition is to go to the pub after games and skull beers. Skull meaning chug, and beer meaning malt beverage made from barley and hops.

Last night I went out with my mate Marcus, an Aussie (pronounced: Ozzy), that I met on the plane from Sydney to Melbourne. He turned twenty yesterday, and his mates and I went out to a pub to celebrate. Marcus was pretty sick with a cold, but his mates are really cool. One of them is like an Australian Stifler, so he's good for some cheap laughs. A popular saying for the boys around here is, "every hole is a goal" and this man certainly lives by that creed. Then this other friend of Marcus's looks like a blend of Prince Harry and the redhead kid from the Harry potter movies, but not in a particulary becoming way. Anyhow, I helped him out with some wingman duty at the pub. Not particularly proud of my self, but I kept things innocent and got away clean. Hairdresser, from the far Melbourne suburbs.

Anyhow, things are going really well for me. I hope everyone is peachy back home. I'll try and write more later and hopefully come up with some good anecdotes. If you'd like a postcard or hand written letter, you'll have to send me your address via email, and maybe tell me some things in the same email. I'd love to hear from ya'll.