Footy!

So two months in, we're slowly becoming integrated into Aussie society. As Laura mentioned, we're now on track for permanent residency and symbolically, we did our first very-Aussie thing last night - we went to a rugby game. And let me tell you, it was something. Testosterone laden, fast, hard-hitting action, with a crowd slightly inebriated, plenty of good heckling, all told a fun and fascinating experience. We were watching our hometown Brisbane Broncos take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium. The latter are best known as Russell Crowe's favorite team, but they are struggling this year, having lost their first 7 games. Brisbane happens to be one of the more dominant teams in the 16 team league, in fact they've won the Grand Final (the league's version of the Super Bowl) three times in the past ten years and currently sit near the top of this year's standings. So needless to say, we were expecting a blowout. However, the Rabbits held their own and the outcome remained in doubt until about 10 minutes were left in the game. Nevertheless, Brisbane prevailed in the end, much to the delight of the hometown crowd. Final attendance: 34,112. Final score: Broncos 32 Rabbitohs 18. Final number of new ex-pat Canadian Rugby fans: 1 (me). Final number of ex-pat Canadians intrigued by the sport but mortified by the violence and likely to suffer nightmares about possibly having a son or daughter who grows up to play it: 1 (Laura).

To take that last point home, there was a devastating hit on Brisbane's center early in the game that required his removal on a stretcher. He's out for the season with a torn ACL. So that kinda sucks. The other part that Laura didn't care for too much was the dominating presence of two sets of cheerleaders wearing neon-pink bikinis and boots and not much else. Personally I think cheerleaders are lame, and I'm not just saying that because my pregnant wife will be reading this blog shortly. I just think they are a distraction, and this is coming from a guy who once had his picture taken with the Buffalo Jills cheerleading squad.

For those who pay attention to this sport, it was Rugby League we were watching, as opposed to Rugby Union (slightly different rules but I believe the version played in New Brunswick) and Sevens (fewer players on the field), and of course Aussie Rules, which will get its own blog posting in due time. I must admit, for a long time I dismissed Rugby as a sport played by people who didn't play any other sports and one that held little value relative to hockey and baseball. But my short trip to New Zealand in 2004 gave me a new perspective on the sport and I'm now prepared to commit to it as full-time fan. Sure, it'll never approach the intensity of chanting and beating a garbage pail while rooting for the Canadiens with Greg, but since I am so isolated from the Habs and their current playoff run, it'll do in the meantime.

I'm off to Darwin again this week for meetings, and starting field work in the Mitchell River near Cairns the following week. I've done about all the training I can possibly do (occupational health and safety, boating licence, crocodile awareness, 4WD). Now's the time to try my hand at Australian field work. Just so you know, the likelihood of an incident with a crocodile remains very low, but they do represent a substantial risk while doing field work in these tropical locations if you're not careful. To give you some perspective about the size of some of these monsters, stand up from your computer and take five strides away from the desk. Now turn around and look at the desk. You are standing on the snout of the croc and its tail is at the desk. Not a bad size huh? If one that big gets ahold of you it's light's out. Having said that, I'm probably more likely to get run over by one of the drivers here who don't stop for pedestrians (especially Canadians who forget which direction to look when crossing), so the risk is all relative and you needn't worry about me. I'm now a trained professional. Yikes!

My time away means I won't be posting for a while, but I'm sure Laura will have plenty to talk to you about, including our second ultrasound last week that was pretty cool. She is flying up to Cairns to meet me at the end of my two-week field excursion and we're planning a three day drive back via the Queensland outback. Looking forward to it!