The Best of My Life: June 2011

If you know me, you know I love sports. My loyalties lie somewhat in this order:

1. The Florida Gators
2. The Florida Gators
3. The Florida Gators
4. The Orlando Magic
5. The Texas Longhorns
6. Any athlete or team representing the USA
7. Have I mentioned the Florida Gators?
8. Whoever is playing FSU
9. Anything but professional baseball
10. Correction: anything but hockey

And one of the hardest things about being away from America has been missing games and all things ESPN. But, I'll spare you any tears because I live in a beautiful country and am learning to embrace the sports of Australia.

The game I've taken most interest in is Australian Rules Football. You may recall that I attended a match last July in Melbourne at the MCG between the Carlton Blues and the Collingwood Magpies. Collingwood went on to win the Grand Final (the equivalent of our Super Bowl), and I've since learned that being a Collingwood fan is somewhat like being a Tennessee Volunteer fan. You are hated by everyone outside your own fan base, you are stereotyped as white trash and you probably don't have all of your teeth.

Lucky for me, my arrival coincided with the inaugural season of the newest AFL team, the Gold Coast Suns. I've decided to back them as my team, and so far I have attended the first ever 'Q Clash' at the Gabba in Brisbane (between the Brisbane Lions and the Suns), and the first home game at the Suns' new stadium here on the Coast. Though most Suns matches end with an undesirable outcome, that doesn't seem to have damaged their spirit or stopped them from playing the finest team song in the league. So I say, RISE UP, SUNS!

Footy fans at the Q Clash

We decided that the Suns' mascot looked a bit like Ridge from the Bold and the Beautiful

Some sort of ceremony to celebrate the Suns' victory

One of the perks of being on the winning side: having your picture taken by the losers

Suns' first home game at Metricon Stadium

Do yourself a favor and listen to this at least once

To make a long story short, Jenna came for a visit to the Gold Coast in May. It goes without saying that we had fun. Here's the story, in pictures, of how we made an impression on this country.

Where we were: Brisbane airport

What we did: Picked up our dear Jenna

Who we impressed: Everyone who saw me standing at the gate with this sign

Where we were: Brisbane, QLD

What we did: Ate mussels, stopped by Cloudland, watched Liam sleep at Kaliber, stayed at the Mantra, walked through the mud at the Greek festival, had a Sunday session at the Fox

Who we impressed: Other clubgoers with our unique interpretive dance moves, bouncers who briefly questioned whether we were over 18

Where we were: Noosa, Sunshine Coast, QLD

What we did: Soaked up the sun, had our backsides included in a photo from a helicopter of a random group of people spelling out LOVE on the beach, spent two hours in the local ER waiting room before giving up and deciding that my side hurt because I had laughed too much, stopped at the Big Pineapple

Who we impressed: Probably the people in the helicopter

Where we were: Top of Q1, the tallest building on the Gold Coast

What we did: Enjoyed far reaching views and a cocktail during sunset, laughed at a lady taking self portraits while two of her friends sat nearby and ignored her

Who we impressed: The guy selling tickets, who believed that we were actually students :)

Where we were: Unit 27, Carrington Court, Main Beach, QLD

What we did: Hosted a Mexican themed night for our friends and treated them to authentic Mexican fare and somewhat authentic margaritas. Smashed a pinata. Danced until 4 a.m.

Who we impressed: Most likely our neighbors in the building by blaring Rick Astley, Whitney Houston and Hall and Oates until the wee hours of the morning

Where we were: Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast, QLD

What we did: Watched the Gold Coast Suns play their first game in their new stadium, Burned our mouths on meat pies (apparently a very American move)

Who we impressed: Only ourselves, and only because we were actually able to get out of the house after a big performance the night before

Where we were: Broadbeach Bowls Club, Gold Coast, QLD

What we did: Beat Team Commonwealth in a head to head game of bowls, rode in the back of a friend's work van like we had been kidnapped, enjoyed a Sunday session at the surf club

Who we impressed: The 'teacher' who took time to show us the rules of the game