SA 15 - AUS 27

There's nothing worth mentioning about South Africa's performance against Australia on the weekend, other than......Imagine how upset the owners of these 2 vehicles must have been.

Beijing 2008

After all the anticipation and waiting, the Beijing Olympics of 2008 are already over. 2 weeks have flown by incredibly quickly and based on the kind of performances we’ve been treated to I only wish that the Olympics were a 4 week affair. Not only did China deliver the most impressive Opening Ceremony in all Olympic history, they also put on a spectacular show in terms of their infrastructure and facilities. The Bird’s Nest Stadium and Cube Swimming Arena were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Some of China’s antics have definitely been questionable like hoisting that cute little girl in the air at the Opening Ceremony while she sang beautifully, only for us to realize afterwards that she was miming and that the true hero (who was too ugly for a public appearance) was singing backstage into a microphone, or the fact that they were pumping volunteers into some of the venues under strict instruction to cheer and shout in order to create a fake, yet vibrant atmosphere, to give the impression that these sports were being well supported.

Other than these dodgy Chinese marketing ploys, the Games themselves delivered some inspiring performances. Michael Phelps became the world leader in the number of gold medals held by anyone, 14 in total, 8 of those won in Beijing, and Usain Bolt won both the 100m and 200m in world record time, previously achieved by Carl Lewis 24 years ago. Bolt’s apparent ease at demolishing the field in both races was nothing short of incredible and one almost suspects him to surely test positive for doping.

Here’s a collection of my best photos over the last 2 weeks…..

Does Size Count? Not Sure, But it Looks More Impressive

The other day Cally created the world’s biggest Flamby. It came close to actual human head size. Unlike fruit, which generally lose their sweetness and appeal the bigger they get, Flamby’s stay consistently tasty. This one was no exception.

Tont & Badger Turn 30

The last time Mike and I had a joint birthday party was for our sixteenth’s. At that time, we were pimple faced, single, and our voices were breaking mid-sentence on a regular basis…..so who said the 30’s were going to be rubbish?? The theme for the event was ‘SHEBEEN’. For the international readers, a Shebeen is an informal bar / meeting place where, traditionally, the black citizens of South Africa meet for an evening of socializing and heavy drinking. It seemed like an apt theme to see in our 30’s. The Shebeen setup isn’t fancy and you’ll often find that chairs and tables are makeshift structures made out of anything you can get your hands on. The cheaper the better, so beers are bought by 750ml quart bottles and mixes are optional. Everyone was told to dress the part and there were prizes for best dressed.

Before the main event, which kicked off at 2pm, the men decided to hit Toti Golf Course for a cheeky round before the festivities began. The wind was howling but surprisingly some good scores were posted. R30 in the hat and the pot was split into 3 positions.

1st - Muz 84 off 14 for 37 points
2nd - Baj 84 off 13 for 35 points
3rd - Doug 102 off 30 for 35 points (Counted out losing 2-0 in a ching off)

After a shower, a couple of beers and the issue of some fines, everyone made their way up to Assagay. What ensued was an enjoyable afternoon and evening of rugby, music, drinking, laughter, hack and Beer-Pong (a combined variation of drinking and Ping-Pong, which took place in the Olympic Tent which also happened to double up as Nixwele Xolani’s Hair Salon)

The bonfire in the evening created an exceptionally festive atmosphere and the wooden pallets that Jerry procured burned helluva well. There was unanimous agreement that the lack of creosote coating was a great improvement from my 29th birthday last year.

Highlights from the evening included Veeds bringing out the guns and tearing pallets apart like a rabie-infested dingo attacking a pen full of chickens, and witnessing Tont attempting to kick down some firewood, only for him to realize that on impact 2 stray nails had infiltrated the sole of his shoe and were now embedded in his foot.

I think it’s fair to say that everyone had a superb time and I know that Mike and I definitely did. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help with food and decorations and thanks to the ballies for allowing yet another party to unleash itself on your humble abode.

No one passed out and no trees were pulled down during the party so we’re definitely maturing.