Rugby World Cup 2007

This weekend the World Cup starts...I am psyched! This is the largest exhibition of my favorite sport. Rugby is not for the faint at heart, it's rough. I have always been a big sports fan and I have no doubt the toughest guys on the planet are rugby players. This should be a fun tourney. My favorite team, the All Blacks, are the favorite to win the competition. The boys from New Zealand are gonna be tough to beat.

The next several weekends I will be at The Brass Monkey, a local pub that shows all of the rugby matches on a giant screen TV. My buddies Graeme and Andrew will surely partake in a lot of the action with me. Both of them are from South Africa, the biggest rival to my team...it could be interesting. A few months back, Graeme gave me a South African rugby jersey. I suppose I will have to wear it, as painful as that may be...lol.

I Want My Mommy!

I think those just might be the words out of my mouth if I am a member of the opposing team. This is the Haka performed by the New Zealand national rugby team, The All Blacks.

Not long after arriving in Taiwan I was turned on to the sport of rugby, thanks to my South African buddy Graeme. I can't believe that it took me so long to discover this incredible game. About 2 years ago, Graeme took me to one of the local pubs that shows rugby on a regular basis. The Tri-Nations championship was being played that evening.

The Tri-Nations is a yearly tourney in which the Australian, South African, and New Zealand national teams compete. For quite some time these three teams have been dominant in the sport, so this tourney usually showcases the best rugby on the planet.

My introduction to the sport was a classic. The All Blacks (NZ) were taking on the Springboks (SA) for the trophy. It was a great match. The two teams have a storied history and this game was a excellent chapter in the sport. It came down to an exhaustive effort at the end by the South African team that came up just a few feet short.

I was hooked. All other sports seem so easy when compared to rubgy. The strength and agility required is unmatched, I think. I have adopted the All Blacks as my team.

The above video is part of the Kiwi's pre-game ritual. It's a traditional Maori dance. The team has been doing it since 1884, yes that's 123 years!! Ya gotta love it. I gotta believe that it has some psychological affect on their opponents.

A Deer Caught In The Headlights

A tad bit overwhelming...

I think that that phrase sums up my time here thus far. I've spent the past few days trying to acclimate myself to Taipei. Figuring out where to eat, navigating the subway/train system, and finding a job have been my primary objectives this past week.

Eating has been an hysterical experience. The combination of often eating things I can't recognize and not being able to communicate with the restaurant staff is too funny. Going into a place to eat knowing that you can't read the menu is such a helpless feeling. With each visit I seem to be picking up little things that make the next time a bit less of a hassle. Thankfully there are plenty of places that seem to be accustomed to the "deer caught in the headlights" American customer.

Friday I had my first experience with the train system. It is remarkably efficient. The Taiwanese government mercifully included English on most of the signs in the train station. I managed to take a train to a suburb of the city for a job interview. It went off without a hitch. The ride was about 25 minutes and cost me about 65 cents American. I love not having to drive. Mass transit is the key to survival in a big city.

My interview went snoothly. I think I may get this job. The guy that interviewed me wants me to come back Monday afternoon and give a demonstration of my skills in front of him and the rest of the staff. If that goes well I think I will get the job. The hours are excellent and the pay seems to be more than fair...we'll see.

Stay tuned for further news on the job-front.

Yesterday a bunch of us from the hostel managed to find a British-style pub here in town and watched the world-championship of Rugby. Having never seen a rugby match I was a bit skeptical. WOW was I wrong.
I think I may have found another way to waste my time...rugby is a fascinating sport. New Zealand beat South Africa and it was a thriller.

Perhaps the best thing so far about Taipei has been this hostel. With each passing day it seems I meet a new group of great people from a different part of the planet. Yesterday I hung out with a guy from South Africa, 3 girls from Los Angeles, a couple from Switzerland, another couple from Canada, and a guy from Hong Kong. It is cool to talk about our lives from our different world-perspectives.

Gotta go, we are heading to the east coast today to explore some of Taiwan's natural treasures.

I plan on posting some pictures soon...