The other day I, while I was pouring green liquid (referred to as "green stuff") into my cup at the cafeteria, I was approached by Zach Roach, a senior RA who played for the Returners in the Inaugural International House "Pride of I.H." Freshers vs. Returners Footy (rugby) Match. He wanted to know how to spell my last name, not because he was looking to stalk me on facebook, (although I have been rather elusive, electrono-socially speaking) but because he was putting my name on a plaque so that I would forever be known in the annals of history as a champion of rugby. Because on that fateful Friday a few weeks ago, in a light drizzle falling from grey skies and in front of nearly half the residents of my fair college (I.H., not the whole uni,) I was a part of a victorious force of men, the Freshers.Some may say, "But Mark, you only played for one of the three quarters, never touched the ball, and got what could be euphemistically called 1/3 a tackle! How can you possibly take credit for this?" To such naysayers I would respond, "Shut your pie-hole and let me have this. I was wing, they never ran it outside, I played solid positional D, and was really good at running back to where the ref was after we tackled a guy." As of now I am 100% in my rugby career, but it may not always be this way. After I had practiced a few times and got working knowledge of the crazy rules, (there's 6 downs, you can only pass backward, but can kick it forward and can drop-kick the footy through the uprights at any time for some small number of points, among others) I had a lot of fun. So I may try and play some more here, or with Western when I get back.
I also had a birthday on Friday, which turned out really great. I bought myself some excellent Bulleit Bourbon, decent beer and a cheesecake, shared with some of my sweet Aussie, German and Austrian friends, and went out to Finnegans for the first time. I couldn't dream up a better bar. It's Irish and plays 90's music.
On Saturday I found out that a Led Zeppelin tribute group was playing in town later that night. For the last 7 years, the show's sold out in Sydney and this was their first time in Newcastle. Tickets were a bit expensive, but they sounded legit on YouTube and what the hell, right? It's Led Zeppelin (kind of). The show was absolutely phemonenal. The group was comprised of 20 musicians, including 2 incredible guitarists, awesome keyboard/percussion, a 6-piece string ensemble that played for some songs, and seven well-known (Australian) vocalists that had to rotate for different songs in order to try and match Robert Plant's ridiculous vocal range/intensities. You know those tingles that eminate from the top of your head and flow across your skin to your toes and back, raising hair and producing a drug-like feeling of pure joy? I had those for approximately 1/2 the 2.5 hour show. "Since I've been loving you" was sung by this gorgeous, tall blonde woman who I think, at the risk of spouting blasphemy, made it sound better than the original. And forced me to posit a man question; if tears well up in your eyes but don't actually stream down your cheeks, does it count as crying? 'Cause that's what happened when she sang. I don't care. It was the epitome of awesome in a way much like climbing Everest without the aid of socks. I just kind-of wish dad was there. He would've loved it.
Afterward I went a back to Finnegan's, a few blocks away, and met up with some I.H. kids and danced and stuff. Oh, and there was a live band there that played classic rock. We even sang some of my fav songs on the 2:30 bus ride home. One of the best nights in the history of man, methinks.
