Weekend of Goodness

Ah, 'twas fun, so 'twas. Friday featured much cocktail and Singstar goodness. Saturday had slight seediness, visiting, and a bachelor-do that was fun, and most interesting from an anthropological standpoint. Sunday had more visiting and shopping, and today is all filled with holiday goodness.
Ahhh....

Anthropological Study of the New Zealand Obsession
I saw an All-Blacks vs. Lions rugby game in a pub. There were lots and lots of people there. It was Phase One of a stag-do for a friend, with Phase Two being the consumption of lots of booze, and Phase Three being a visit to a strip club. I piked on Phases Two and Three (though I had a couple of beers during the game). I did find the watching of the game to be very interesting, with several points of note.

Firstly, it should be established that I don't often watch sport. I don't know the rules of rugby, and I don't much like loud noise. I have watched a game or two of rugby on television, when people I'm with have been keen. I even watched a game in a pub once, on a big screen. I think it might have been South Africa versus New Zealand in Dunedin, about 10 years ago. I quite enjoyed the experience.

So, this Saturday I arrived at the pub early, had a drink, and grabbed a seat. The pub filled up pretty quickly in the 20 minutes before kick-off. People were very attentive and watched happily for the duration of the game. People cheered when the ABs did well, and some people cheered for the Lions. There were one or two 'colourful' comments made by some viewers, mostly of a very profane nature. I shall add one or two to the comments for this entry - but be warned, they feature some very naughty language.

I also observed a phenomenon that seems common among the populace in general - it is culturally insensitive to sit on tables, as they are tapu. You shouldn't put your arse where people eat (or sleep - sitting on pillows is a no-no too). A fair number of people in Aotearoa know this. However, if sitting on a table will let you see an All-Blacks game, then it becomes OK. The first people I observed breaking this social taboo were a couple of Maori guys. Pretty soon there were arses on tables all over the place, pool tables, eating tables, any kind of table.

The reason this is so noteworthy to me is that I was fully indoctrinated at TCOL into table-respecting goodness. Neither I, nor any of my students, are allowed to sit on tables. That doesn't stop the kids trying, even the Maori kids in my class who've just come from Te Reo Maori class. They're just slackers about manners, I guess, in many different ways.

Anyways, enough culture - now for some swearing. COMMENTS SECTION CONTAINS RUGBY RELATED PROFANITY.