what's happening

I went to a real Australian bbq last night. I've been learning about Rugby. I surf every day. I feel cultured.

There's a lot going on around these parts at the moment. First and foremost, I have officially struck surfing gold. Next weekend, March 12-14, Bondi Beach will be hosting the Boost Mobile SurfSho, an aerial surf competition that draws some of the best surfers from around the world. Bondi hasn't hosted a surf contest since 1988. I don't know if my luck can get any better than that. The fact that it's an aerial competition means that it will be centered around performing airs, which, if you've never watched a modern surf film, are incredible to watch. It'll feature big names such as Mick Fanning (reigning World Champ), Taj Burrow, Jordy Smith, Owen Wright, and most importantly Kelly Slater (the undisputed greatest surfer of all time). Pretty hard to imagine that Kelly Slater will be surfing at the same spot that I surf every day, only a half-mile from my apartment. Not to mention, my older brother John arrives early on Sunday morning for a week-long stay, so he too will get to catch some of the action.

In other news, I've just finished my first week of classes. My schedule seems like it should work out well. Not having class on Fridays will definitely allow me to take a few weekend surf trips here and there. I'm taking Australian Literature, Poetry and Poetics, Modes of Publishing, and Sports Law. All of the classes are structured quite differently from anything I've taken back home, which should be interesting.

This evening my roommates and I are headed to a Rugby Union match at the Sydney Football Stadium between the HSBC Waratahs (from New South Wales) and the Sharks (from Durban, South Africa). Both teams compete in the Super 14, which is the largest Rugby Union championship in the Southern Hemisphere. The league draws teams from New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Rugby is quite big here in Australia, whether it be Rubgy Union or Rugby League (two different forms of the sport). It's also great to watch and easy to follow so I can't complain. I haven't heard too much about Australian Rules Football, but from what I gather it seems to be much more popular in Melbourne.

That's all for now. I'll try to get some pictures up here soon.