Richmond Lacrosse Log: The Spiders Are Australia Bound
12/22/2006 | Women's Lacrosse
Dec. 22, 2006
Entry One - Lacrosse Goes to Australia
12/13/06 - Fe Grumbine
We hope you will have the opportunity to follow the Richmond lacrosse team as we travel down under. We are extremely excited for this opportunity of a lifetime. Preparing for the trip has not been an easy task, but fortunately, we have pulled it off. On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank everyone involved in getting this trip off the ground. We realize that many people have sacrificed enormous amounts time and energy into planning this trip.
The Richmond lacrosse team and staff believe that this trip will catapult us into the next level of Division I competition. One of our most challenging team goals this year is to make it to the Final Four. Australia is going to provide us with time to build team unity, as well as compete against competition abroad, including the South Australia All Stars, the Northern All Stars and the STX All Stars.
Our twelve day trip is filled with exciting new experiences. Our first stop will be Sydney, where we will tour the area, have our first team practice and experience a team surfing lesson on Bondi Beach. Our next stop will be Cairns, where the team will have the chance to walk to Dundees for our first experience with "Australian Fare" (eating crocodile, emus and kangaroo). We plan on bringing in the New Year with fireworks on the Esplanade. On January 2, we will arrive at the Outer Barrier Reef, where we will enjoy swimming and snorkeling from submerged platforms.
The second part of our trip is more lacrosse oriented. We arrive in Adelaide on January 4, when we will face our first team competition against the South Australia All Stars. The following day we will be playing the Northern Australia All Stars. January 6 is also a very busy day, playing the STX All Stars and taking in the sun while laying out on the beach (parents, don't worry, Coach makes us wear sunscreen like it's our job). January 7th is our last day of competition against the South Australian team. Our last day in Australia will be spent visiting the Baylana Center for individuals with unique needs, primarily those with Down syndrome. We plan on starting off with an interactive lacrosse session, allowing the community members to interact with the team followed by a brief exhibition game.
Thanks again to everyone who was involved in planning this trip. We are grateful for the opportunity and hope that everyone will have a chance to keep up-to-date with us as we travel throughout Australia.
12/21/06 - Sarah Ingle
G'Day mates!!
Sarah (aka Single) here, with my first journal entry on our adventure DOWN UNDER! Well, technically it has yet to begin, but the excitement of many, many months in anticipation of this experience has culminated and needs a release other than to my friends and family who have started to avoid me... and who will remain in wonderful Columbia, MD while I'm soaking up the Australian summer sun, yehawwww!
Ok, so my first attempt at sitting down to express my feelings about this stupendously amazing trip that my equally stupendously awesome team and I will embark upon on Dec. 27 looked something like this... "OMG!!!!!!!!! Kljfsdjf;ljaflisjdfisjd!!!!!!! IM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... EXCITEDDDD!!!!! Js;dojfsiodjfisojdfio;sjfojwiej!!!" Yes, so I'm not really sure what that's all about... I think the excitement extended through my fingers, causing them to flail about uncontrollably for a second as they struggled to receive the message from my brain as to the proper keys to press. Hence, I enlisted some of my teammates to assist me in articulating our anticipation and feelings about this trip of a lifetime. Also, in preparation for the trip, I'm attempting to bone up on my "Ozzie" lingo and I've including some of this Australian slang at the end of this entry. It is quite... well, interesting to say the least! ENJOY!!
"I plan on getting my feet soaked in Australian culture. I am especially excited for driving on the other side of the road because it's fascinating to experience the different ways cultures affect people's ability to transport themselves from one location to another. There is no question that this trip will be one of the most memorable times we spend together as a team. It's hard to prepare ourselves for a trip like this. The closer we get to the departure date, the more it seems like it's a dream, and I find myself questioning if we are actually going or not. Other people I talk to keep me in perspective. Everyone reacts with a kind of jaw-dropping expression when I tell them I am going to Australia with my team for two weeks. It is a destination that everyone has a deep desire to visit some time in their life, so I am excited to be able to go there while in college, especially with such great teammates. Not only is it going to be a great two weeks, but the things we accomplish in Australia will stay with us until the end of May when we go to the Final Four." -Anonymous
Strine : Australian slang and pronunciation
Some animals we might encounter:
Boomer : a large male kangaroo
Bunyip : mythical outback creature
Brumby : a wild horse
Chook : a chicken
Ankle biter : small child
Joey : baby kangaroo
Jumbuck : sheep
Roo : kangaroo
Some things we are hoping to avoid:
Bities : biting insects
Brown-eyed mullet : a turd in the sea (where you're swimming!)
Bush oyster : nasal mucus
Mystery bag : a sausage (no red meat ladies)
Wog : flu or trivial illness
Interesting:
Bloke : a man
Budgie smugglers : men's bathing costume
Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof
Earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter
Give it a burl : try it, have a go
Gobsmacked : surprised, astounded
Grinning like a shot fox : very happy
Kangaroos loose in the top paddock : Intellectually inadequate
Rip snorter : great, fantastic
Seppo : an American
Sheila : a woman
As N*SYNC said, "Merry Chrissie and Happy Holidays"!! ...that's the Australian version!
Until we meet again from "The Lucky Country" my cobbers (friends), Hooroo (Goodbye)!!!