Happy Monday :)

Morning all! And a happy Monday to you! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was busy as always... Spent Saturday cleaning the house top to bottom, fun fun... then went to the city for some drinks for one of my best mate's birthday and realised I haven't been out on the town for about two years! Also realised I'm way past 18 (not that I feel old at all, it was just an interesting observation). You know you're way past 18 when you get to walk into a bar on a Saturday night with barely a glance from the bouncers  - no ID required thanks! - and then you look around you thinking "jeez can her dress get any shorter?!" It was a bit of a different experience, but I've gotta say, it was way better than it used to be. Back in the "18 days" there was so much pressure to look hotter than everybody else, to flirt and be flirted with, to look amazing when you danced. But now, we find a corner booth with our good friends, most of whom are couples, get the drinks in and have a good chat and a laugh, getting up on the dance floor if we feel like it, not caring how good (or bad) we look. Mid-twenties are the best!

Yesterday was father's day, so it included two of dad's favourite things: Rugby and steak. We went and watched the Wellington Lions thrash Southland 40-8 - with many of those points scored by my brother's best mate, who was coached as a kid by my dad, Jason Woodward - very proud! Then finished off the day with steak on the barbie - yum! And I baked dad some ginger crunch, his favourite.

So all in all, a very good weekend, bring on more rugby next weekend! All Blacks vs Argentina! Have a fabulous week people. :)

Happy Monday :)

Good morning all! Happy Monday! Good weekend? Mine was busy, busy, busy as usual but good, good, good at the same time. Spent Saturday afternoon curling my sister's beautiful long blonde locks and doing her makeup for her last ever school ball (will post pictures tomorrow), then stayed to watch the All Blacks beat the Wallabies (again), winning the Bledisloe Cup (again) with my parents. Was kinda weird saying "I should go home now" once the game was over, but a cool feeling all the same.
Yesterday I wrote some of my novel! Which led to a discussion about grenades, cannons and landmines with dad and Joshua last night when we had my family round for dinner. Very excited to be making some headway, and it's all thanks to the wonderful comments on this post from you lovely people. I've also promised a friend in America I will send him part one of my novel at the end of the year, so I'm getting it done man!

Happy Monday :)

My what a weekend it has been! I feel like I need another weekend just to get over this one - I mean, I love being busy, but sometimes I just wish for a weekend where there is absolutely nothing on; a weekend that is sunny of course; one that we can spend lazing on the beach. Lucky for us it's spring in less than two weeks! The light is already lasting longer at night... bring on daylight savings!
On Saturday my brother and his girlfriend came back from a trip overseas - she had been gone three months, he was gone for five weeks - and we welcomed them back with a very kiwi weekend (quite unintentionally - the kiwi stuff just kinda happened...) We had a barbecue with both families, drank some beer and some wine, played Pictionary, then watched the All Blacks beat the Wallabies. Then on Sunday we had roast lamb and I made Lemon Meringue Pie, which was pretty darned amazing for a first attempt, and they showed us their photos - yes I was jealous (I've been trying very hard not to be, telling myself "it will be your turn soon") It was great to have them back and hear their stories, and it has definitely made Joshua and I think more about our own trip, which will be happening in 2014.
So what did you get up to this weekend friends? Have a lovely week! xo

I am a New Zealander

New Zealand is a strange and wonderful place, where there is technically no such thing as a New Zealander.
My Dad always says to me, “Do you realize that New Zealand is the only country in the world where we can’t call ourselves New Zealanders?”
When we fill out forms, we have to tick the box that says “New Zealand European/Pakeha”.
Firstly, I have never been to Europe, and nor has my family. My ancestors were born in Scotland and England, and only ever went to Europe to fight in the wars.
Secondly, “Pakeha” is a Maori word, which means “white ghost”, a name given to our ancestors when they arrived on the shores of New Zealand in ships flying white sails 200 years ago. Some say it means, “white pig”, or at least that’s what the Maori kids at school used to tell us.
Of all things, the Rugby World Cup has bought this anomaly to the forefront of my mind once again, which is entirely appropriate, given that the eyes of the world are on our tiny country at the moment, with 20 countries competing for the Webb Ellis Cup.
On my dad’s side of the family, I am a third-generation “New Zealander” and on my mum’s side, I am fourth generation.
On Sunday, my dad, sister and I donned blue and white face paint and headed to the stadium to support Scotland, the country of our ancestors.
There is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage and supporting other teams for a bit of fun, but where do we draw the line at being defined by our heritage?
I love the sound of the bagpipes, and jumping around yelling at Scotland to “run the damn ball!” and cheering when they score, but when I stood up and sang Flower of Scotland (the national anthem), the hairs on the back of my neck stayed flat and my heart beat was normal.
Yet when I stood up with my sister in my living room on September 9 when the All Blacks kicked off the RWC with a match against Tonga, put hand on heart, and sang God Defend New Zealand, tears of pride came to our eyes.
When the All Blacks performed the Haka, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
Every Anzac Day, when I attend the dawn service in Wellington, I think of the New Zealanders who fought and died for our freedom regardless of the colour of their skin nearly 100 years ago.
How many generations of people born and raised in New Zealand will it take to shake off the words “Pakeha” and “European” and when will we get to tick the box that says “New Zealander”?

This time it's ours! Game on!

Today the biggest event to hit New Zealand starts. RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011!

Today my humble little country becomes the centre of the world's attention as we host our favourite game and our favourite way of showing national pride.

Tonight at 8.30pm, thousands of New Zealanders will stand at Eden Park Stadium, on the streets of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, in pubs, rugby clubs and living rooms, with their hand on their heart singing our national anthem God of Nations before we watch the All Blacks destroy Tonga.

It has been 24 years since the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup, and that was on home turf a year before I was born, when All Blacks Captain David Kirk held aloft the Webb Ellis Cup after beating France 29-9.

So here's hoping our beautiful captain Richie McCaw (he is gorgeous - I want to marry him) will get the same honour this year.

I was born in June, the middle of the rugby season, and my birthdays ever since have slightly revolved around rugby. It started at the hospital when my mum, who was packed up and ready to go after spending nine days there, just wanted to get home, and dad was late picking her up because he was at the rugby club chilling with his team after a "hard game".
Mere weeks after I was brought home, every Saturday I was wrapped up warm, put in the pram and sat on the sideline to watch my dad play. Then, two years later, my brother was born and he started playing when he was four years old, so every Saturday for most of my life during winter has been spent on a rugby field.
Despite that, I still don't know all the rules, but rugby is a big part of my life and the thing I love about it is the national pride that shines through and the good old fashioned rivalry between countries. So I, for one, can not wait to get involved in this history-making event that I will tell my kids about one day, and it starts tonight with pizza, chips and dip at home with my sister with the sound up loud.

I think my friend and fellow journalist Lee Stace, who is a huge rugby fan and works for Rugby News in Auckland, hit the nail on the head this morning with his message to New Zealand on the world cup, so I leave you with his Facebook status:

"Rugby World Cup 2011 begins here. To the All Blacks, do us proud, Win or lose, you will always be our team. To the New Zealand public, please be good hosts. Be gracious in victory and, heaven forbid it occurs, defeat as well."

GO THE AB's!