Cricket, One Tree Hill, an apostle, and Seafood Festival

We did several cool things this past week.  On Tuesday we went to a cricket game here in Auckland; none of us knew much about cricket, and all I remembered was watching Lagaan a few years ago...it was a long movie because the game is even longer.  But actually, we went to a 20/20 match which is not very long at all, and it was a cool experience.  They actually let you go on the field at "halftime" and let you play, so we got a few pictures on the field.  Also, at one point the game was so slow that some of the outfielders were signing autographs for kids.  It was really funny, but I guess that's one of the perks of the 20/20 version of the game; it seems more relaxed and made for the crowds rather than the competition.  There was a cool couple sitting next to us that, by our conversation, gathered that we were foreign and had no idea what we were doing there.  They were nice enough to explain it to us and not make fun of us!

After the game, we went up to One Tree Hill, which may or may not be named after the TV show.  I'm just kidding, it's not, and there's definitely not a tree on the top.  So I actually don't know the significance of it at all, but there were some spectacular views from the top.

 

 

Thursday was such a funny day.  In the evening we went with Rosie to the area training with Elder Christofferson, Elder Jensen, and Elder Callister.  It was for auxillary presidents and since Rosie is RS president, we went along!  It was a really great meeting and relatively informal.  At the end, instead of waiting for the bretheren to leave, everyone just left at the same time and while we were waiting in the lobby for Rosie, the bretheren were on their way out, too.  We were trying to inch our way forward because we were quite timid, but Elder Sorensen, an area 70, saw us being awkward and shooed us forward to shake hands with Elder Christofferson and Elder Jensen.  It was so cool!  I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say, so I just smiled.  That was it.  Then on the way home, a police car was trailing us and Rosie pulled over so it could pass; she then proceeded to follow it to see where it was going.  It was so niele!  And then we came home and found out that she had bought a new puppy.  It was a really bizzare kind of evening after that training meeting...

We finished classes on Friday, hooooray!  My last classes of my BYU career!  We celebrated by making rockets in our science class and eating smores in the evening.

 

  

Today we went to the Auckland Seafood Festival down by the ferry in downtown Auckland.  Before we left, however, we made a golden purchase: the design for the 2011 world rugby world cup was leaked and unofficial gear with the official design is being sold at knock-off prices all over, but the trick is finding it...well, today we found it!  We went to a discount store nearby because Rosie needed sunglasses; lo and behold in the display was a NZ 2011 rugby t-shirt!  For the low, low price of $12 we got "official" rugby gear.  By far the best purchase of the day!  Well, we eventually got to the festival and it was a seafood lovers dream, and though it was a bit pricey, there was a nice variety.  Apparently seafood and crepes go together, because that's all we saw.  We got our crepes from a totally legit French booth, where a Frenchman made our crepes!  Sam got apple cinnamon (which turned out to be applesauce) and I got Nutella.  Delicious.  Then I had a mixed paella and we got a bucket of muscles and oysters for Rosie.  I sampled both and they were equally delicious. Sam had shrimp skewers.  Yum yum.  We also got sunburnt eating our food.

After the festival we went to the beach for a bit and then caught the bus home.  We're practically local by the way we get around on the bus!  It was a good week!