Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament 2006
This weekend I achieved one of my most challenging goals: I had my first (boxing) fight. I didn't want to make the announcement beforehand so as not to cause the sleepless nights among certain family members. Anyway, I survived and I am in good shape aside from a small bruise to the lower lip and a sore forehead. I went with my Papatoetoe Boxing Club from South Auckland. Everything was paid for. We stayed in a really nice hotel for two nights in Taupo, New Zealand.
Of course, there is a story behind the fight. We arrived Friday night and went straight to bed. Then, Saturday the fighters (6 of us) got up early to go weigh in. After weigh-in, we came back to the hotel to eat a "proper" breakfast: cereal, eggs, sausages, and then rest until the fights started at 1 p.m. My coach went back to the arena to find out the line-up. When he returned, he had bad news for me. He pulled me out of the fight. I was scheduled to fight the Oceania champion. She's had over 70 fights and has won medals all over NZ and Australia. I was supposed to be fighting in the novice category. Apparently, (same in the States) there is no novice category for women because there are so few female fighters. I was pretty disappointed. We all went to the stadium to watch the tournament. Later, a couple of the other girls from my gym (who had just come to support) and I went for a walk around town. When we got back to the hotel, my coach was waiting for me. He gave in and said he would let me fight if I really wanted to do it. So, the next day, I fought her. We were fight #79 of the tournament. Talk about anticipation. Anyway, it was a difficult fight b/c this girl has spaghetti arms, meaning her arms are longer than anyone I've ever seen--and she was taller than I. The fight was stopped in the second of three rounds b/c she had already racked up enough points to win. But, I fought the Oceania champion. And, I did pretty well for my first fight, so I am pleased.
My team got me this really nice greenstone necklace. I will miss them. They had become like a second family to me. Okay, well I am writing from a beachside hotel in Fiji (more on that in the next post) and internet is way expensive.
Later,
Sara
Coming to the End
Well, it's been two weeks since my last confession--I mean, post. I've gotten to know 2 new classes of students this cycle. This week is my last one. Of course, I have mixed feelings about leaving. I'm looking forward to getting back to my family, my friends, my dog, my motorcycle, and taking the next step in my life, but I am also going to miss my life here. I've gotten pretty well-established in the last 4 months. Of course, by now I should be used to this constant coming and going, moving around. Saying goodbye is definitely a more familiar "phenomenon" to me--the ache of impending nostalgia and the lump in my throat that I'm so good at swallowing away are really just facets of my lifestyle, I guess.
But, as I come to the conclusion of this most wonderful chapter in my travels, I will miss...
- my kiwi family, Aidan and Bridgey
- "my" cat, Snowball--okay, not really ;)
- my crazy students
- Coach Grant and my boxing team
- Camping in huts
- Maori and Polynesian culture and people
- "morning tea" and "afternoon tea"
- "I can't be bothered"
- "Good on ya"
- It's so "flash" (as in really nice, stylish, or expensive)
- "proper"
- "rubbish"
- "mate"
- "Aye" (the kiwi version of the Canadian "eh")
- Ginger Nuts (a type of "biscuit" aka cookie)
- Ginger Beer
- Fush n chippies (fish n chips)
- Wedges (big steak fries with sour cream and soft cheese on top)
- V (my new favorite energy drink)
- The Woman's Day (chock full of all the latest really horrible Hollywood gos')
- WheatBix cereal with (fake) berries
- Driving on the left side of the road (It's actually quite fun!)
I will not miss:
- Having to repeat myself frequently
- Shortland Street (the NZ daily soap opera)
- the rain
- the high prices!
- sushi that isn't sushi (b/c the meat inside it is cooked!)
- car troubles
- turning into the wrong lane (b/c of driving on the left side of the road)
Yeah well here comes the lump again.
More later,
Sara
My Kids
My kids don't think twice about telling you what's on their mind. My kids throw things. They wear me out. They pick fights with each other. My kids are easily offended. My kids are loud. My kids are BIG. My kids and I have a lot of long lunchtime talks about being honest and kind, having integrity and doing the right thing. Lunch time is not often a time for me to "decompress." Some days I feel like I'm going to pass out, scream, cry, or punch something. But I don't because I have 35 human beings in one classroom who depend on me to keep it together.
My kids are gregarious and hilarious. My kids make me work so hard that I feel like I'm really alive. My kids really do care about each other. They know about community, even though they're at the age where they challenge everything they know. My kids respect me because I respect them, because I take the time to win them over one by one. And it's hard work. It takes a long time to build a relationship. We take risks. We offend each other. Sometimes I don't back down. Sometimes they don't. My kids are worth every anxiety-ridden, panic-stricken, threshold breaking moment.
Flying into the South Island: I discover why everyone told me I absolutely had to visit this place before I left New Zealand.
Arrival in Queenstown: The Adventure Capital of the World
3-Day Backpacking trip into the Lord of the Rings territory: The Routeburn Track through Mt. Aspiring and the Fiordlands
Lake MacKenzie Hut--not too shabby after a 15-km walk with a 10-kg pack.
View from the hut
OOOOOOhhh! Another waterfall! (I stopped taking photos of all of 'em--that's how many there were!)
Didn't realize the trail was gonna go quite so close to it--and I even lost sight of it (the trail) for one very wet minute!
I've woken up to worse views, that's for sure. This is the beginning of the second day's leg.
Worth every breathtaking second, even in the rain.
What?! No stopping? This bag ain't full of pillows, man!
Side Trek in the Rain...Saved by the leprechaun suit
Queenstown--A view from the gondola (sky lift)
We're gonna jump from that thing? Sure! Just don't look down, they tell me.
And the girl takin' the photo says, "Wow, you look really happy...Do you know what you're about to do?"
"Okay, on 3! 1, 2 (she jumped!)...3?"
No, really, from where do we jump?
Rapunzel, Rapunzel: Christchurch Cathedral Bell Tower and Black Eyeliner... Tee hee...
Canterbury Museum Christchurch--Riggin' the auto-timer on the cam. It works!
"Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" from the Blue Mountains
The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains World Heritage Site, Oz--There's Lara, Sara, and Katie! :)
Beaches, beaches, beaches... This one is at Castle Rock, Sydney.
Sydney Ferries: On the bow (I am a pirate after all!)
Taronga Zoo: I love her and I want to set her free (but she won't wake up)!
Manly Beach Scenic Walk
Jeanette's a MUM! Watson's Bay with the Hazel and Leo:
