Opening of the World Rugby Cup 2011 in New Zealand

Photo by Reuters

Early morning, the sound of the television was making all the racket throughout the house. It was to my surprise that today was the opening of the world rugby cup. A spectacular fireworks displayed in the sky and choreographed performances by locals took part of the ceremony. The half naked men with their tattoos on their muscular dark body and mumus worn by women all felt too close to home. Even the strumming of ukuleles reminded me of my childhood days.

Thousands of viewers came to see the official opening and first match – New Zealand (Black) vs Tonga (Red). The crowd was separated by their colored jerseys, flags and painted faces to show their pride. Many spectators and viewers reserved their seats a year in advance. All the seats may have been taken and no one would have left disappointed.

Congratulations to New Zealand. They prepared themselves throughout the year and they came out victorious. They put in a good defensive performance creating scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Driving a Manual

Today, I was in the country side of Valence, France and learning how to drive my first manual. Technically, I know how to drive an automatic car but driving a manual transmission is a task that takes some training. It was frustrating to have the car stall on me more than 5 times in the same spot. After 30 minutes of trying, I gave up. My frustration of disappointment was a failure.

Driving a manual car can be accomplished by pretty much anyone who puts their mind to it. Driving smoothly will definitely take many tries and it is not easy for many first time drivers. It takes some knowledge and finesse, so be patient with yourself.