Thursday, September 25, 2008

A New Country, A New Sport

You really know you're in a foreign country when the sport being played on TV makes no sense and looks completely weird and strange to you and you have trouble even figuring out which way both teams are going! The past few weeks have been a lot of that confusion for me, as the AFL Footy season playoffs have been underway. "Footy" is the Aussie-rules version of American football, but it really looks nothing like the NFL or CFL football that we know and love in NA. Jon and Celeste (the couple I live with) are die-hard fans, so I've basically had no choice but to learn the rules, cheer for the "right" teams, and devote my evenings to watching footy. And I'm not really complaining at all. Footy is a fast, intense sport with very little stoppage of play, lots of bone-crushing hits, and impressive athletic grandeur. The guys wear tight little shorts and jerseys that would never fly in professional leagues at home, but are a total hit in Australia. Here's a little clip to give you a feel for Aussie-rules footy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_P8cZYLYtA

With the grand final being played on Saturday, I'm sure I'll see a whole new side of Aussie life. We're heading to a local pub to watch the game, and I'm pretty sure all eyes will be glued to the screen across Australia at noon on Saturday. Australians take their footy quite seriously.

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