------PART UN----- [If you don’t care for rugby go straight to PART DEUX]
Played in my first grassroots French rugby game yesterday. It had the start-stop quality of a gridiron match, with lengthy enough pauses to insert multiple add-breaks while the medics rushed onto the field to tend to broken noses and lesions. 3 red cards, 2 yellow. Fists flying. Rugby a la Provencal- an alternative approach to the game where one lets out one’s passions whenever one feels so inclined. During the second fight I gazed pensively into the distance, then, noticing a team-mate being kicked on the ground, intervened with the meekness of an enlightened monk. “Come on guys, this isn’t rugby”, said I, with a gentle wave of the hand (see picture). They seemed happy to stop. Then again they’d been at it for 5 minutes flat.
Look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFwccQGPjA . Different game but it’ll give you an idea.
My team-mates seemed embarrassed that I’d had to witness this barbarism. Apparently, this is a very traditional approach to the game in the region that is slowly dying. I felt like a naive coloniser in far-away lands, with natives apologizing for eating my men. They were all very curious when I told them about the NZRFU and disciplinary hearings, bans and suspensions. I guess they could all identify with these processes, being so used to dispensing justice themselves. 
The game was dull, with the young ref constantly blowing on his whistle, dispensing cards and having talks to the captains and their herds of winging wing-men. It became impossible to get into any rhythm. Nevertheless, rugby is rugby and there were some nice pieces of play. I was at centre and surrounded by some pretty good players, so the times we had the ball in hand were happy times. It feels great to be running around without any injuries and I’m thankful to God for that!
Next week we move on to the finals. Near the end they start to play in neutral territory with actual officials, so it should be better quality from now on.
------ PART DEUX-------
Hannah and I have been sleeping in a cosy little caravan in JM and KT’s backyard. We repaired the Plexiglas windows, got it all cleaned up and Hannah sewed new satin blue curtains for it, giving it a royal feel. The nights are getting warmer which is bonus.
The weather has been stunning and has made pruning a jolly time. I’ve been making myself listen to French radio talk-shows whilst pruning and underlining new words in the newspapers in the evenings. I’m always frustrated at having to explain concepts for which I don’t know the name, or translating from English, so I’m rolling up my sleeves and trying to be a bit more adventurous in the language acquisition department. Hannah is like a sponge and picks up new phrases in a flash but is also feeling all the downfalls of being immersed in a foreign tongue. It’s sometimes tiring, sometimes fun, sometimes alienating... Language is a strange thing. But it feels like as long as we’re together nothing can touch us. Our love is a haven. I’m so glad I’m with her. She really is la crème de la crème. Ooh and it’s our first wedding anniversary on the 2nd of May so we’ll go off to some exotic location some weekend soon.
Katy made some nice home-made hot-cross buns for Easter. Huzzah!
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