National Taekwondo Black Belt Championships

On Saturday the 11th of Otober, I participated in the National Taekwondo Black Belt Championships. This was a very big competition. In my semi-final my opponent was from Christchurch. In this fight i was 4-1 down and I came back to win the fight 12-10. I fought my way into the finals and came up against someone from Auckland. This fight was going great because I was winning 7-3 until the last thrity seconds, when he got a head kick in and scored two points. Subsequently he got another point and there was ten seconds left and the score was 7-6 in my favour. In the end I won! This was also a selection for the Oceania Team and this is very good for my chances in getting into the team.

Judo camp.

This weekend I went to a judo camp. This camp was held at Sacred Heart College in Auckland. It is a male boarding school. It didn't start very well because I had forgotten some equipment I needed at home. But after this incident nothing bad happened. The aim of the camp was to give a chance to train with people from other clubs in other towns and cities, and also to prepare us for the National Championships in a few weeks. The camp was three days long and altogether we trained for ten and a half hours. We had a very extensive coaching line, and one of our coaches was brought in from Austria. She was an amazing Judo player, she had just come back from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Her name was Sabrina Filsmoser. She was the 5 time European champion and world military champion. She had a tough training session but also very enjoyable. I look forward to next years camp and I had a great time this time.

My first week of the holidays

Well what can I say. Basically all I did was play video games, train then sleep, all from Monday until Friday. It was the most invigorating week of holiday I have ever had. Staying up until 2 o'clock every morning and waking up at about ten thirty to eleven did not take a toll on me. I was highly eneregised for my training session which were at five thirty 'till seven oclock. Of my many goals for the holidays was to complete watching every episode of Dragonball Z, plus the movies. In this week I completed seventy episodes. Good effort but it could have been better. The training was intense as we are preparing ourselves for the National Judo Championships in a few weeks time. Also i went to a couple of Taekwondo sessions in preparation for the National Black Belt Taekwondo Championships being held in Avondale College at the end of the holidays. This weekend I have a judo camp which is in Sacred Heart College. This is a boarding school in Glendale in Auckland. I hope it will be highly enjoyable. On the Friday Morning I had to go to the airport to pick up my sister and brother in law, who were returning from their trip in the South Island. It was all going good until we saw a sign saying 'Motorway closed, use highway 16'. We were not sure what was going on but it didn't seem good. After a while we were on the Waitakere motorway with a clear road until we saw a very long traffic jam. After listening to the radio we were informed that there was a digger that crashed into a bridge. Luckily, we made it to the airport on time. This was a pretty good week.

Tae Kwon Do Grading

On Friday 15th Of August I had my Taekwondo Grading. I was grading from 2nd Dan Black Belt to 3rd Dan Black Belt. This was a pretty hard grading and I passed with Merit. I thought you could only pass or fail but obviously not. I got the highest marks out of all the people who graded. For my grading i had to do my patterns, self defence , stick fighting, fighting two on one fighting, power testing and board breaking. The boards that i was breaking were 21mm thick. Twenty one millimeters sounds like a little but when you have to break them with your foot its not such an easy feat. The board was about this thick.
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To be updated...

Driving...

I've been driving for about 6 weeks now and it's alright. Of those 6 weeks I've driven every 6 of 7 days because I drive to and fro school, to and fro from my training and to and fro from my social activities. I'm not in love with driving, in fact, I would rather sit in the passengers seat and sleep or play with my phone or eat. Wow, how I miss those good old times.

I have driven with my whole family including my dad, my mom, both my sisters and my brother-in-law. All of them said that I'm a good driver.

There is nothing really in particular which I find hard about driving but I am working on my finer points now. The only thing which I need to brush up on is switching between my headlight to dip and from dip back to headlights. I get very annoyed when driving at night and the driver coming the opposite way forgets to dip their lights. But I know that they must be getting annoyed when I forget to do that as well.

Driving on the motorway isn't difficult, it's really much easier than driving in the town and in the city. Mainly because there is much more room to drive and it's mostly a straight drive and no sharp turns.

Hancock

In the holidays I went to see the movie Hancock. This movie starred Will Smith as John Hancock. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie because it was funny and had plenty of action. This movie is about a hero which everybody knows as Hancock. Hancock isn't the role-model type of person. He abuses alcahol and has anger-management issues. The story is based on Hancock becoming a better person which includes going to jail in the process. Along the way Hancock finds more about who he used to be as he could not remember anything since 80 years back due to amnesia. Hancock falls in love and becomes weak and then the bad guys kill him and then somehow he comes back alive and is a good person.

Logan Campbell

Logan Campbell is representing New Zealand at the 2008 Olympic Games being held in Beijing this year. The sport Logan Campbell represents us for is Tae Kwon Do. Logan is an extremely kind person and is fun to be around. I haven't spent much time with him, the most amount was when I went to a training session with him and he coached me. Logan just recently came back from Korea, where he was participating in The Korean Open. For anyone who doesn't know much about Tae Kwon Do, Korea are equivalent to America in Basketball or Australia in Cricket. So that means that they are flippin' good. Logan won this competition and is a very good preparation for the Olympics. I think Logan has an okay chance at the Olympics at medalling.

Whangaparaoa College vs Kaipara College

Unlike the last game, we won this one. This time the other team wanted to play more Rugby instead of trying to get into scraps. The final score was 27-5. Rory scored two tries! Now he is ahead on points over me AND Woody, the two people who were teasing him about not scoring any tries. The other try scorers were Taylor, Jordan and someone else who I can't remember at the moment. This was a great game for us because we are now well and truly out in front on the points table. I think our team has come a long way since we started at the start of the season. We have gelled together and we distribute the ball more to all the players in our team. We support each much more. And we can also count on one another to do their certain jobs that come with their position. Eg. We can count on JT to spread the ball wide, we can count on tommy to take down the wingers on the side and we can count on Woody to run it up hard at the defence.
The Starting lineup was:
1.Woody
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Jacob
5.James
6.Logan
7.Vinay
8.James
9.JT
10.Corby
11.Eamon
12.Jordan
13.Jassie
14.TOmmy
15.Trent

Whangaparaoa College V Westlake Boys

Yes, I know we are in Division three and yes Westlake are the best at rugby. But no, we did not lose to them, why? Because they were Westlake Boys(3). The final score was 10-0 in our favour. Two tries were scored one by Taylor and one by James. Corby did not convert them.
The starting lineup was:
1.Woody
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Jacob
5.James
6.Logan
7.Vinay
8.James
10.Corby
11.Eamon
12.Jordan
13.Jassie
14.Tommy
15.Trent

Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 is the biggest building in the world. The huge 509.2 metre establishment has one hundred and one floors hence the name Taipei 101. The Taipei 101 is located in Taipei in Taiwan which is east of China. It costed $1,076,000,000 to make. Currently, the Taipei 101 holds these records
• Ground to highest architectural structure (spire): 509.2 metres (1,670.60 ft). Previously held by the Petronas Towers 452 m (1,483 ft).
• Ground to roof: 449.2 m (1,473.75 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower 442 m (1,450 ft).
• Ground to highest occupied floor: 439.2 m (1,440.94 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower 412.4 m (1,353 ft).
• Fastest ascending elevator speed: 16.83 m/s (55.22 ft/s) (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h).
• Largest countdown clock: On display every New Year's Eve

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Taipei 101 in my trip to Taiwan earlier this year. Next to the Taipei 101 is a shopping multiplex, it would be considered massive in New Zealand but in Taiwan it wasn’t really because its juxtaposition with the Taipei 101.

Another awesome thing about the Taipei 101 is the elevator. It is the fastest elevator in the world. It goes 60 kilometres an hour. On your way up the building your ears pop because your getting higher and the speed that your going at.

At the top you can go outside and look at the city. Me being afraid of heights and all wasn’t helpful. When I was outside I was holding onto anything I could get my trembling hand on. It was very windy up there and if you had weak legs, you definitely would be toppled over. Another scary thing is that the tower moves around with a five metre radius.

Inside the Taipei 101 there is a photo place. Where there is a blank ‘Blue Screen’ where you can choose photo and ‘stand next to’ the tower. I got one done, it was a night shot of the tower and I stood adjacent to it and kicked it. The photo only costed NT$300 which is about NZD$12.

My weapons of mass destruction...

These are my weapons that I have in my room...

I have one little Samurai Sword, don't be fooled by its size, this baby is one sharp blade. It has a case and a rope to tie around my waist. Its awesome.

I have a Lord Of The Rings sword. Its Frodo's sword 'Sting". This bad boy glows blue when orcs are around. Too bad I don't live around any orcs.

I have two shurikens. Most people refer to these as 'Ninja Stars'. These clip onto my belt for fast and easy access when needed.

I have on pair of Nunchakus. These are only practise ones but are very painful. Don't believe me? Ask Rory.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is located in the southern part of Africa and it is surrounded by land in all directions (or landlocked). To it’s northwest is Zambia, to the east is Mozambique, Botswana to the south and South Africa to the south. The majority of people in Zimbabwe speak Shona, which is one of two native languages in Zimbabwe, although the official language of the country is English.

Zimbabwe used to be called Southern Rhodesia and it was controlled by the United Kingdom, up until after the civil war. On the 18th of April 1980, the country became an independent nation. It got it’s new name of Zimbabwe, a new flag, and a government led by Robert Mugabe. Mugabe became Prime Minister and Canaan Banana became the first president. In 1988 the government abolished the prime ministerial office, and Robert Mugabe became president. In 2000, Robert Mugabe began to reclaim land from the white population (mainly farmland) and redistributed it out to 250,000 Africans.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a shortage of funds, which has led to causing shortages of imported fuel and goods, and also hyperinflation. Critics blame it on Mugabe’s land reclamation programme.


Facts
· The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare, and it is also the largest city.
· Its total area is 390,757 km squared. The 60th largest in the world. Only 1%of the land is water.
· Zimbabwe’s population is 20,010,000. The 68th largest in the world.
· GDP= $400,000,000,000. The 80th largest in the world
· GDP Per Capita= $188. The 178th largest in the world.
· Zimbabwe’s motto is “Unity, Freedom, Work”

All Blacks vs England

On Saturday the 21st of June, the All Blacks played England in Rugby. The game was being played at AMI stadium, formerly Jade Stadium, in Christchurch. The conditions were pretty good, not much wind and not much rain. I was very happy to see Rodney So'oialo back at Number 8. I was very angry at Conrad Smith being dropped and Richard 'I'm the Man' Kahui replacing him. Conrad Smith played superbly against Ireland and in the first England test. He was on form and they had no reason to substitute him. It was quite irritating because Rory watched the game with me and kept saying how Tom Vardell was going to 'gas' everyone, failing to do so in the whole eighty minutes. There were two big blows to the All Blacks lineup when Richie McCaw and Ali Williams, two players of great quality, class and experience, went off the field early in the game due to injury. Their replacements were Sione Lauaki for McCaw, and Anthony Boric for Williams. I don't think Sione Lauaki should be McCaws replacement, I would much rather have Chris Masoe or Daniel Braid. The try-scorers were Ma’a Nonu, Dan Carter, Sione Lauaki, Jimmy Cowan, Richard Kahui and Adam Thompson

Leon MacDonald – 6/10
Lots of clever touches, several forward passes, not many decisive attacking plays. Best moment was shoving Varndell in touch.

Sitiveni Sivivatu – 7/10
Is obviously over the hill as a finisher, having spoiled his try-a-Test record (now 23 from 24 games). Deadly with Carter in setting up Nonu's try.

Richard Kahui – 8/10
Known as a hard tackler. The bloodied Tait will testify to that. A good sport, showed concern for Tait, and claimed a decent try on his debut.

Ma’a Nonu – 10/10
Matt Dawson said beforehand that Noon is a better attacker. Rubbish. Nonu has proved to be a perfect foil for Carter but a threat in his own right. Great try set up by mate at 10.

Rudi Wulf – 6/10
The latest sensation from the New Zealand wing factory, the debutant showed his clout by charging right over Ojo. Not many other opportunities, though.

Dan Carter – 2/10
He played his usual. I don’t know why New Zealand is obsessed with him. He played poorly under the English pressure. Good try though.

Andy Ellis – 7/10
Execution from five-metre scrum was faultless for Carter's try. He is tough, reliable and gifted, not a bad combination.

Rodney So’oialo – 7/10
Back in his favoured No 8 position, but had one of his quieter games. Upstaged by Thomson.
Richie McCaw – 7/10
Ripped the ball off Mears in the first minute and was his usual high-class self for all of 27 minutes until Flood bent his left leg double when tackling Nonu.

Adam Thomspon – 8/10
Reminds you that New Zealand are a nation of sheep farmers. Woolly-haired flanker was in uncompromising form, put Tait off when a try beckoned, and scored himself on his first start.

Ali Williams - 4/10
Suffered the indignity of being scragged by Tait and thrown to the ground. Hurt in the ensuing breakdown and limped off after only 15 minutes to damage the line-out further.

Brad Thorn – 6/10
His high tackle early on was about as high as he got all game, as the New Zealand line-out plumbed the depths.

Greg Somerville – 8/10
Feted all week for facing down Andrew Sheridan in the first Test. Payne was a puppy in comparison.

Andrew Hore – 5/10
The only problem they do have is the line-out, and that is Hore's problem. Solid enough in the tight, the hooker had a nightmare, again, finding his jumpers.

Neemia Tialata – 8/10
Was tearing into Stevens in the press all week and made his life uncomfortable on the pitch as well. New Zealand do not have many front-row problems.

Mathew Tait – 7/10
Decked Williams, threw try away, set up Varndell for his, then the clearest definition of a hospital pass spelt goodnight. But overall he had a good night.

Topsy Ojo – 7/10
Did not have two tries to show for his second Test, but still made progress. Lousy kicking, but otherwise good on the ball. Did feel the full force of the Wulf once.

Mike Tindall – 6/10
How long does he have left? Willing and brave, but when the battering ram is knocked back by Kahui, where does that leave him? And another yellow card.

Jamie Noon – 5/10
Picked to beef up the midfield, then missed his man as Carter danced through. Not his fault, but he needs a sparkling 10 and 13 to make him shine.

Tom Varndell – 6/10
Could have had two tries. Was squeezed out in the left corner before going over in the right. We did not see very much else, though.

Toby Flood – 6/10
Looked OK at 10 for a while. His kicking was decent until he put it down Sivivatu's throat. Was hurt in stopping a certain Kahui try and was off after half an hour.

Danny Care – 7/10
Some players look the part, and Care is one. Too inclined to chip in tight corners but scored a sharp try, and didn't celebrate much. Nice touch.

Luke Narraway – 7/10
Showed up well early on. Does not look like he is a presence but keeps nudging forward. Too quick to go to ground though, and Carter made him pay.

Tom Rees 8/10
He is well and truly back after his World Cup exclusion, and is getting better. Strongand smart at the breakdown, canny positioning. Came off very early.

James Haskell – 8/10
When he learns a bit of Dallaglio's nous, he will be even better. Never took a backward step, took several forward, and will have earned some Kiwi respect.

Steve Borthwick – 6/10
Never stopped urging his men on, and will feel satisfied with the line-out return. Will feel satisfied with his big hit on Hore too, but maybe not too much else.

Tom Palmer – 7/10
Johnson-esque steal at the front of the line-out should have got more reward. Palmer ruled the jumpers and put himself about.

Matt Stevens – 6/10
His problems are England's problems. Cannot be as dynamic in the loose as he is with Bath as England are often too static. Had no luck with Tialata either.

Lee Mears – 7/10
Some say he is too small to be a Test hooker. But better to be small and good than big and not. Did his job throwing in and is good on the ball. A forward step.

Tim Payne – 5/10
Big ask to fill in for Sheridan. Even the big man struggled last week. So did Payne. Pinged for stamping and for taking it down. Ponderous in the loose.

Whangaparaoa College vs Takapuna Grammar

On Saturday the 21st of June we played Takapuna Grammar at rugby at home. The score was 24-17. The try scorers were Woody, Taylor, Trent, ME. The other team was pretty aggressive and were ill-disciplined. This game was pretty important because I scored before Rory. I had made a promise to myself that I would not let Rory score before me. Rory stole the ball in the ruck, legally, and then I got it off the back off the ruck and ducked under the first player and dived for the line with one or two people trying to push me in touch. It wasn't an outstanding try but it got us 5 points. Some could say that it was the winning try. Taylor got man of the match which I don't agree with 100% but he was alright. The thing about Taylor was I dislike is that he NEVER PASSES THE BALL. Oh my god, its so irritating when you have a gap in front of you and if he passed you would have been through. Also when he runs, he runs away from the forwards, the forwards are the people who support you, your not meant to run away from them, Another thing is that when Taylor gets tackled, we never regain the ball in the ruck, he runs too far away from the forwards which results in us being unable to blow over the top and keep hold of the ball.
The starting lineup was:
1.Woody(captain)
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Neil
5.James F
6.Hayden
7.Me
8.Taylor(Man of the match)
9.JT
10.Corby
12.Brandon
13.Jaime
14.Tom
15.Trent

Limerick

Frankie encountered some drugs,
For Luke in a profession for hugs,
While Tash and Bree,
Got high on green tea,
Drew’s best friends were bugs.

Lauren and Grace would rave,
And Isaac would misbehave,
While Scott craves pie,
Sėamus would spy,
On Vinay chilling out in his cave.

Courtney Rata can do the splits,
And Courtney Morgan despised nitwits,
While Cerise sings and dances,
Rory talks and prances,
And Stephanie chillaxes in Saint Kitts.

Gabrielle’s futures in construction,
Eve’s is in elections,
Bobbie and Brennyn,
Are always grinnin’,
When our class is in tension.

Steen and Zane are rocking,
Cassandra’s always striving,
While Hillary does her work,
Aleisha carries a smirk,
And Chelsea is amusing.

Would You Use this Toilet?

I personally would probably use this toilet, but it would feel pretty awkward if it was a busy day and heaps of people would be standing oustide the door looking at you. Well, not at you, for them, they would be looking at the door but it still looks like it from the inside. I myself would love this opportunity to go and embarrass someone. For example when someone walks into the restroom, Running up to it, smashing that window, pointing and laughing would be HILARIOUS. Also getting like a camera or something and taking a photo of the person, but really your taking a photo of the wall, would also be amusing. But it would be a scary thought, you will always have in the back of your mind that somehow, everyone can see you, but in reality they can't. Like you think that the wall somehow turns off. I wouldn't blame anyone for being obligated not to use this, just of the fear that someone out there can see your privates.

Would You Use this Toilet?

Whangaparaoa College vs Long Bay College

On the 14th of June we played Long Bay College in rugby at home. Today was our first win! I'm not to sure of the score but it was four tries to three. Try scores were Corby, who got two and he converted three of his conversions, JT who stole my try and Taylor who ran har at the defence. I played really well and in the end I received the man of the match. Long Bay had a consolation try through very weak defence from our team. Rory nearly scored two tries but he was short of about 20 cm on each occasion. The refereeing in this game was quite good. And he didn't feel intimidated to use his cards which we found out when he sent the opposition openside flanker off the field. Also I stepped a guy.
The starting lineup was:
1.Woody(Captain)
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Jacob
5.James
6.Logan
7.Vinay(Man of the Match)
8.Taylor
9.JT
10.Corby(kicker)
11.Eamon
12.Jordan
13.Jassie
14.Jamie
15.Tim

Learners License...

I've done it. I have finally achieved my main goal for my childhood/young teenage life. I have got my learners license. On Monday the 9th of June, after school, I went to AA and sat my license test. I didn't study much, I don't even have a road code. It was pretty lucky that I took my glasses to the test because the eye sight test would have been a challenge without them. I don't know how long the test was but it wasn't ages. I passed my test and didn't get any wrong. I now drive to school in my mums red Kia Sportage and drive home.

Ma'a Nonu has probably secured his placed in the all blacks....I hope

Remember the date, June 7, 2008. That might be the date that Ma'a Nonu secured his All Black position, finally.

In these days of All Blacks haring overseas to take advantage of the huge pay cheques - oh, and let's not forget the "lifestyle" of Europe - few could have blamed Nonu if he'd decided to take the easy way out.

An in-again, out-again player since his debut against England, aged 21, in 2003, Nonu has been an equal measure of brilliance and frustration for many rugby fans and for his selectors.

Too often, his trademark runs and line-breaking crashes were followed by a dodgy pass or a run too far that ended with him spilling the ball - a heinous crime in today's recycled ball rugby. Fans, rugby writers, coaches and just about everyone who watched rugby would sound off about Nonu's lack of nous and his inability to make the right decision and to safeguard the ball.

But, last night, in a horribly wet and cold Cake Tin, Nonu produced a near-faultless display in the All Blacks' hard-fought 21-11 win over a gallant Ireland.

If he was ever going to make a bad blue or two, last night was the night. But Nonu took the ball up well, retained it and there were none of the hasty or unthinking attempts to offload when protection was the order of the day. He made a pretty watertight Irish defence creak and groan and, finally, was on hand after a searing Dan Carter break to slide up to and over the goal line for the winning try.

It wasn't quite a perfect night. He was caught out of position on defence - another of his weaknesses in the past - when his opposite, Ireland's Paddy Wallace, scored his try as the All Blacks tried unsuccessfully to plug the gaps.

But this seems a churlish complaint given that in all other aspects of his game, Nonu was measured and safe. His distribution - or what was possible on such a bleak night - was also good and he was one of the few backs to stand out on what was mostly a forwards' night.

This may not be the be-all and end-all for Nonu. After all, it was on his home park, in front of his home crowd and surrounded by five other Hurricanes in the All Blacks side - although Munster provided the huge majority of the opposition line-up.

But, five years and 18 tests after his debut, it was a sign the much-awaited maturing of Ma'a might be here.

It is also worth noting that he stuck it out this far, preferring to keep trying for his All Black status rather than opting for expatriate riches.

Whangaparaoa College vs Northcote

Today on the thirteenth June we played Northcote in rugby. The terrible day started off with my dad losing his car keys resulting in me not in the starting lineup for the match. They were a WAY bigger team but even though the score says so, they weren't that great a team. By the way the score in the end was 0-62 which was an absolute smashing. Rory was captain today and started at seven because of my truancy. The backs looked a lot better today but they were shabby at times. Corby got player of the match and rightly so but there were quite a lot of people who played well. I came on in the second half and I had about half an hour of game play. I thought I tackled exceptionally well but I only got the ball once. When I came on I came in for James who had just injured his ribs and Rory moved back into prop and Taylor into eight. I had one scrum at eight because Jaime came on for someone, I have absolutely no idea why he came on as a forward but he did well considering he didn't know what to do.
The starting lineup was:

1.Taylor
2.Mat
3.Mat
4.Hayden
5.James F
6.Corbin
7.Rory(captain)
8.James S
9.Brandon
10.Corby(POD)
11.Eamon
12.Jordan
13.Jasssie
14.Tom
15.Trent

Helen Clarke

Today our Prime Minister came to visit our school. She spoke to us initially about some stuff. Before Helen Clarke came in Mrs. Culiford and Ms. Wilson spoke to Adam, Drew, Josh and Bryn. They told them not to ask any stupid questions or preferably not ask anything at all. Helen Clarke initially told us her life story and then progressed on to more important stuff like the issues of our country. After her speech, it was time to ask Helen Clarke questions. The first question was pretty ridiculous I thought, and who other than Bryn would ask one. The question was “Do you ever get bored in parliament?” She replied with a pretty long answer which explained how she didn’t get bored and that the isn’t tired of her job. The second question was “Do you get tired of your job?” This was an even more ridiculous question and I thought it was quite irrelevant and that it wasn’t making good use of her precious time. The next question was Eve and she asked what subjects Helen Clarke studied at university, this was a great question and it is useful for anyone interested in being a politician. The next question was “Was it a hard road to getting to Prime Minister. Personally I think it was a stupid question because it is obviously a hard road to become the leader of a country. This question was followed by some random questions and then I asked the question of “What are the qualities you think someone needs to lead a country. She replied with “The fundamental quality to being the leader of a country is that you need to have a vision. This was a pretty boring thing but it was quite informative.

My Queens Birthday

This Queens Birthday was like every other for me. I celebrated my birthday. On Sunday my sisters came over and we spent the day out shopping. It was pretty boring and I only bought one jacket from Dressmart. At night time we went out to Valentines for dinner. I went up 4 times for dinner and once for desert. On my second turn while I picked up a piece of pizza a bit of tomato fell onto my plate and i flicked it off. The man behind me had a huge stress at me, I told him to get lost. He was a man probably in his 40's close to 50, he had a scruffy beard and orange teeth, and he was a midget. Anyhow, the staff at Valentines brought me a cake and then they started singing happy birthday to me. It wasn't the best of singing but it was a kind gesture. For my birthday I got money and I spent it yesterday on a new phone.

Reliever Experience

I walked into the hallway, fatigued after my intense game of wrap at lunchtime, preparing for what seemed like a normal science lesson. It way last period on a Friday afternoon and no one wanted to work intensely in silence. Everyone carried atrabilious faces and leant their unenergetic bodies up against the wall. Some people were talking about their lunchtime and others couldn’t be bothered. I saw an unfamiliar person coming up to open the door. When everyone knew that our regular teacher wasn’t teaching us that period, their languorous bodies and expressions became wild and dynamic. We took this period as a free lesson, time to do whatever you wanted to do and explore your imagination.

The substitute introduced himself and told us his life story in about 7 minutes, usually the relievers life stories range from 20 – 40 minutes, but most of them just continue to reminisce over the ‘good old times’. We took Mr. Pastablion for a typical, orthodox reliever. Before he told us our instructions, people handed out the books and were asking “What page, Sir?” He didn’t stop us, he waited until all the books were handed out. As soon as everyone had a book he said. “OK, now put the books back”. Confused, we all packed up. He told us that we could do anything our hearts desired as long as we produced something constructive. Instantly, we all broke out into conversations and over the top of us he exclaimed “GO YOUNG ONES! FLY!” I think this was his way of saying go.

Everyone broke up into theirs group and left the class instantaneously. I thought this would be a nice time to walk around and see how others spent their ‘free’ period.

As I walked outside I thought I would start by looking at how Seamus, Scott, Taylor, Rory, Gabrielle and co. Not to my surprise, Seamus had brought his paintball equipment. They were all fighting each other, no teams, no allies, no mercy. I knew that the longer I stayed the more tempted I would get to join in, and the more likelihood of me getting hit.

My next stop was the group of Eve, Frankie, Brennyn, Bobbie-Leigh and co. They were spending their time reading in the library. I swiftly moved on trying not to be ‘tempted’ by the reading.

My next destination was Cerise’s crib. In this ‘crib’ were Courtney, Bree, Tash and co. They were doing nothing but gossiping and talking about chick stuff. They were hidden behind the dental bus and their faces made me suspicious. As I passed them they immediately went silent and looked at me with an evil glare. I asked them what they were doing and they replied with “We’re doing……stuff.” I continued on, not to waste any time.

My next voyage took me to Erica, Cassandra, Hillary, Chelsea and co. They were playing netball on the courts and having meaningless conversation…Similar to the conversations on the show ‘Gilmore Girls’. I flowed passed unnoticed and continued my journey.

My next stop was back at class were Drew, Luke, Isaac and co were having a nice day dream.

At the end of the period we reported back to Mr. Pastablion, no one apart from Eve and her friends had achieved anything. My ‘constructive’ piece was “I took a walk around our school thinking about my future and how I can be more successful.” Mr. Pastablion failed everyone apart from Eve, Frankie, Bobbie-Leigh, Brennyn and me.

Has the marketing of Grand Theft Auto 4 been successful? - business work

I think the marketing of Grand Theft Auto 4 has been tremendously successful. In the first week of release Grand Theft Auto 4 has sold 6 million copies globally generating over $500 million in revenue. In the United Kingdom alone, the game sold 609,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the fastest selling game and a 24 hour period of time within that region. The previous record holder in the United Kingdom was Grand Theft Auto:San Andrea which sold 501,000 copies within the first 24 hours. Although Grand Theft Auto sold many more copies than the previous Grand Theft Auto game, I don't think it was all because of the marketing. I think a factor that made the game sell was the previous game attracted and grabbed many consumers and made them loyal to the game. Another factor was that many consumers would have used their common sense, they would think of Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas and instantly think great game, then they would think of Grand Theft Auto 4 and think new game, new console, new character, better graphics, better accessories and better game play so they would buy the game. Even though I said that the marketing itself would not have made such an impact unless the other attributes like brand and loyalty were there to aid the marketing

Creative Writing - A morning tea not to remember.

The following event took place in Stanmore Bay School in year 3.

It was ten-thirty and we had just finished art, we were drawing sunflowers. Ironically, the day was pelting down with rain. Michael and I had started our morning tea like all the others, getting the lego pieces out and start to construct a fort. Innocently we sat there, building, when suddenly Ben came running to us. He told us that the was a kidnapper roaming our school, we just ignored him until more and more people told us. We started to worry, still assembling our fort.

Bj had just informed us that he had just seen the kidnapper walk up to the window, he said he had blood all over his face and that he had a big nose. I looked out the window pusillanimously and I saw only rain. I walked back to the fort. I looked up and Bj again this time he told us that the kidnapper was behind the wall. Terrirfied, I threw the bucket of lego on the ground, emptying the contents int he process. I picked it up and swiftly launched over my body. There I was, in a bucket, sobbing and tearing. Bj knocked on the bucket and called that he had left. Michael had just told me that Cerise had left the class and what we assumed that she would go confront the kidnapper. We said that if she hadn't returned by the end of morning tea, that she would never return.

Cerise had not come back that morning tea. And it turned out that she had a doctors appointment. For 3 hours our whole class thought she was dead.

Whangaparaoa College v Kaipara College

On Saturday the 24 of May we played Kaipara College in rugby at home. I don't know what the score was yet. This week we scored our first tries. Our first try was scored by James off a maul, and the second was Taylor off a penalty. James missed the first conversion off his own try but Eamon converted Taylor's try. Kaipara College had a pretty big lock, with an even bigger temper. This lock was aggravating us all game, threatening us and playing dirty. Half way through the second half Tim got into a fight with the opposition hooker, the lock came from no where and starting swinging at Woody. Woody didn't throw and punches but was close to it. There was a bit of controversy at this point in the match, Kaipara College's coach had to step in and grapple his own player on to the ground with quite a lot of force, and the referee didn't even send him off, even though he was threatening him all game to bring out his cards. Maybe he forgot them. I played a great game for the first 20 minutes but then I lost it. The starting lineup was as follows:

1.Woody(captain)
2.Mat
3.Taylor
4.Jacob
5.Bryn
6.Corbin
7.Vinay
8.James
9.JT
10.Brandon
11.Eamon (Kicker)
12.Jordan
13.Jaime
14.Tommy
15.Trent

Wonders of the World - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cusco. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1450, but abandoned a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Forgotten for centuries, the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. It has recently come to light that the site may have been discovered and raided several years previously, in 1867 by a German businessman, Augusto Berns. It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September of 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. Currently, there are concerns about the impact of tourism on the site as it reached 400,000 visitors in 2003.

Future Of WGP College

When the fog lifted from WGP college Guards where spotted with guns. I had one window in the class which used to be room 13. The rest were now all covered up. The Chinese had taken over WGP college in 2020 and they are now forcing Chinese into us against our will. I have been here from when it first happened. I was hoping to get a great future from this school but that's the least of my worries now. I made eye contact with a guard who grabbed his gun and threatened me. Its such a dark place now. Its not what it use to be like they have destroyed the future of Whangaparaoa college and the rest of the worlds. I'm lonely in this place. Deeply. There is so many people jammed in here and yet i'm lonley. I know allot of them and some are my friends but none family. I try not to be, but I'm scared of the guards. They are horrible and always yell at you in Chinese. They think since they are teaching everyone Chinese everyone knows it. Some people don't do what they are told and seem not to be scared but deep down I think they are. I'm sick of Chinese everything. I'm sick of it all. They have ruined my life and they are now torchering me. Everything has changed around WGP college, I wish it was how it was in the stories my mum and dad told me. This was not what was planned for wgp college and it should not have happened, it should be a proper school were we are taught things that matter. This is what You hear about but never think will happen. My storys the same every day I do the same routine. I want story's like my Mum and Dads. I want freedom. The Chinese took freedom from millions Of lives. I just hope one day WGP college will be how it used to be. Beautiful and free. Why did this happen.

Tape...

I am going to write a blog about different types of tape, only because I have no idea whatsoever about what to write about...

Double-Sided Tape:

Double-sided tape is a type of tape which has adhesive on both sides. WOW. It was made to stick two lightweight surfaces together. Double sided tape is most of the time more effective than normal tape with sticking objects paper, cardboard and arts and crafts. This allows for neater looking projects and better craftsmanship. Also double-sided tape is really good for grip replacement. E.g the handle of a hammer or steering wheel of a car.

Duct Tape:

Duct tape, NOT DUCK TAPE, is a vinyl, fabric-reinforced, multi-purpose adhesive tape with a soft and tacky pressure sensitive adhesive. Duct tape was originally developed during World War II in 1942 as a waterproof sealing tape for ammunition cases.

Masking Tape:

Masking tape is a type of adhesive tape made with an easy-to-tear backing (usually paper) and a removable pressure sensitive adhesive. It is used mainly in painting, to mask off areas that should not be painted.

Funny Road Laws in U.S.A

In Alabama it is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.

In Glendale City, Arizona, cars may not be driven in reverse.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, no one shall sound the horn on a vehicle at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9:00 P.M.

In California, no woman is allowed to drive in a house coat.

In Long Beach, California, a car is the only item allowed in a garage.

In Redlands, California, motor vehicles may not drive on city streets unless a man with a lantern is walking ahead of it.

In Florida, if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.

In Quitman, it is illgeal for a chicken to walk across the road.

In Memphis, Tennessee it's illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.

There are LOADS more of these.

Super 14...

This was the last week for the round-robin matches in the Versatile Super 14. If you didn't know, I support the Hurricanes. On Friday the 16th the Hurricanes played the Blues. The full-time score was 17-19 to the Blues. My dad is a Blues supporter so the lounge was very heated. I was screaming as loud as I possibly could at one point. Anyway back to the main point. Next week, in the semi-finals the Crusaders are playing the Hurricnes in Jade Stadium, Christchurch and the Sharks are playing the Waratahs in Durban. I am going to be a rebel and pick that the Waratahs will overcome the Sharks. And the Hurricanes will defeat the Crusaders. I think that if the Hurricanes play to their full potential then they will win. The Crusaders would have their confidence damaged because they just lost the Highlanders, yep, the Highlanders. I don't know why I'm picking the Waratahs, probably because Rory supports the Sharks. But Rory won't be he to taste defeat. So I'm picking the Hurricanes to beat the Waratahs in Australia if my picks are accurate.

Rosmini College vs Whangaparaoa College

On Saturday 17th of May we played Rosmini College, their 1st team. If you did not know Rosmini College are one of the top teams for rugby in Auckland, AND WE BEAT THEM! Actually no we didn't, we got smashed, just like last week. The score was 46-0. This team had all legal players unlike last week. We had a similar forward pack than last week but instead of Corbin starting, Neil replaced him. And Taylor moved to number 8 sending Jacob into lock to play his first game. Woody didn't have as good a game as last week. Woody was getting a bit aggressive, throwing punches and high tackles, the referee spoke to him and told him that he isn't scared to send him off. The referee this week was way better than last weeks. He let play continue for longer. My game wasn't as good as last weeks but I still thought I played to a satisfactory level. He had the ball more times than last week though. And guess what? I nearly got into a fight. I threw a guy off the ruck and got angry and started to push me, so I told him to calm down, then he replied "I'll ******* knock you out. Surprisingly I was in the starting lineup. I didn't think i would start because I missed training on Thursday due to injury. But I was told that I would be substituted at half-time. Just before the game started Mr. O'Brien told me that 15 minutes into the second-half I would come in for Mat, and play at hooker. I had about three scrums and a lineout at hooker, but then James got injured so Mat came back on and I went back to flanker.
The starting lineup was:

1.Woody(captain)
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Jacob
5.Bryn
6.Neil
7.Vinay
8.Taylor
9.J.T
10.Brandon
11.Eamon
12.Jamie
13.Jassie
14.Josh(played useless, no offence)
15.Tim(played useless, lots of offence)

A Dream School?

In business studies Mr G showed us a school based in the UK which most of us would think would be a dream school.

Summerhill School is a democratic, self-governed boarding school in a small town called Leiston. This is a small school with only 78 students from the age group of 5-17 years old. The school has embraced a different philosophy to education, similar to the Laissez-Faire. It is based on the idea that the pupils should be free to decide how they want to spend their time at school. The philosophy of the school is to allow freedom for the individual, each child being able to take their own path in life and find, through experience, the things that they want to do and the person they want to be.

Three times per week a school meeting occurs, which every student has an equal vote. A school meeting are used to create, confirm and amend the laws which formt the stucture of the expectations for the community of staff and pupils.

In Summerhill School the pupuils choose what teachers and staff are appointed to the school. In Summerhill School every subject is an option, every students pick exactly what subjects they want to participate in. In Summerhill School you can choose how you spend your day. For example if you want to do P.E all day, you can do P.E all day. And if you want to spend your entire day dreaming, YOU CAN!

The Summerhill School website says :

Imagine a school...

Where kids have freedom to be themselves...

Where success is not defined by academic achievement but by the child's own definition of success...

Where the whole school deals democratically with issues, with each individual having an equal right to be heard...

Where you can play all day if you want to...

And there is time and space to sit and dream...

Could there be such a school?

Difference Between Tubby and Chubby.

I know ALL of you are thinking what is the difference between tubby and chubby. This is a dilemma which we all have thought about at one point. Now I Vinay, have solved the problem, unraveled the mystery, and, oh well you get the picture. (Notice that I am dragging this on a bit too far).





Well now for the moment you've all been waiting for.



Tubby: When you have a loose bit of skin or fat and wobbles and flaps around relentlessly.

Chubby: When you have fat in a fixed position and doesn't like to be touched.




Yes. You can stop applauding now.

3 synonyms 3 antonyms and 1 homonym

Tim could not believe it. Overnight, the world had shifted from a grey, dark mess to a ravishing white wonderland. He advanced outside onto the snow and gazed at it in wonder. Tim had never seen anything like it in the ten years that he had been living in Auckland, and he didn't think that he would ever see it again.
He spun around in the swirling white but regretted it when he fell over. He got up slowly, hoping everybody had seen him. Tim's pleasing big brothercame sprinting out into the street, screaming with excitement. She begged him to help her make a snowman so they knelt on the pavement and started to scoop up as much snow as they could into a pail. After about an hour, the snowman was huge and Tim was freezing. He carefully stepped over the ice, back into the house for some hot chocolate.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life. Its probably one of the most unhealthy foods I've eaten. If you have never eaten butter chicken, I STRONGLY recommend that you try it. And if you don't like it, have some more and if you STILL don't like it have some more, and keep going until you do like it. Butter Chicken consists of many herbs and spices such as ginger, lemon/lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, methi, garlic, almonds, cloves, cinnamon and fenugreek.

Oh and for all of you that think that Butter Chicken isn't indian food, it is indian food. My proof? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter_chicken is my proof. How was Butter Chicken made? Legend has it that a customer walked in a Delhi restaurant late at night when all dishes were finished, so the chef just threw a leg of tandoori chicken in a gravy of butter and tomatoes and some mild spices. The dish was loved and became a regular fare.

Whangaparaoa College vs Kingsway College

On Saturday 10th of May we(Whangaparaoa College)played Kingsway in Rugby. We lost 33-0 but the we played better than the score shows. We could make excuses saying that they definitely had illegal players, but I'm not going to to that. Before this game I thought that our team would be rubbish and not competitive, but after this game I now know that we will be a good side, even though we have quite a few small players. Our forward pack was a mixed type. We had experienced and inexperienced players. Our captain being a forward, Woody, played an oustanding game. He was there on offence and defense, always supporting the ball carriers. Rory playing at prop played pretty good I thought, even though he had a few controversial decisions from the referee. I thought I played one of the, if not the best games of rugby in my rugby life. I was there on offense, getting behind the ball carrier in rucks and having a couple of runs myself. But I thought my defense was a x-factor. I was there making tackles and put a lot of pressure on the Kingsway first-five off the scrum and the lineout. I also made some elementary mistakes like being in front of the kicker off a penalty. But all in all i thought it was a good game. The starting lineup was...

1.Jack(woody)(captain)
2.Mat
3.Rory
4.Bryn
5.Taylor
6.Corbin
7.Vinay
8.James
9.Tim
10.Brandon
11.Hayden
12.Corby(kicker)
13.Jaime
14.Tommy
15.Trent

Describe a Friend

He knows how to make me laugh, by diving on the ground like a complete maniac. He argues about everything even if he knows nothing about the topic. He has his own unique opinion about everything. He makes the rest of the world hate him by doing the things that make me laugh. He is the wierdest people I've ever seen, he is supercool, he is Seamus.

Untitled

I left my mark at the top of the hill, ready to break the world records for the biggest jump off a bike on road. I was riding down passing all the people with the hands on their foreheads blocking the strong ray of the sun, as they all were encouraging and cheering me on. I was getting ready to jump, nearly at the jumping point. People were taking pictures and filming me with their camera phones as I leaped into the air and spread out my arms like wings. People started to yell and I heard over the megaphone that I had cleared the previous record with one metre. Now I started to brace myself for my landing, trying to catch my bike with my feet. I could feel the handle of the bike on the instep of my right foot. I felt the bike slip away and then I knew that I would land with my bike, instead I tried to curl myself up into a ball, but my feet were above my head. I could hear people gasping and lots were screaming. I saw the concrete reaching my face.

Wonders of the World - Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water fall over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

Business

Semi Pro

Semi Pro is a movie based in the 70's about basketball team. Will Ferral plays Jackie Moon, the main character, who is a player, the coach and the owner of the team. It is about the Flint-Michegan Tropics who play in the ABA trying to make it into the top 4 of the table. If they get to the top 4 then the team gets to play in the NBA. Now that the team has a goal, Jackie Moon trades the team washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for a star player, Ed Monix. Supporting cast include André Benjamin who plays Clarence "Coffee Black".

A list of my phobias.

Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.(I don't know why so don't ask me, Just when I think about infinity I start to get scared and feel sad. P.S I won't get scared if you say out loud "infinity", I'll most likely start laughing at you)

Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space. (I get the same feeling as I get when I think about infinity).

Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia- Fear of the number 666.(not because its the devils number or that mumbo jumbo, its just thats my unlucky number).

Taphephobia Taphophobia- Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries. (I just find it scary that I could be alive and and slowly, slowly die of starvation or dehydration. Also relates to Cleithrophobia).

Spongephobia - (I HATE being touched by sponges. Honestly if someone touches me with a sponge it would run away. Far, far, far away).

New Zealand Taekwondo Open

In this video I am competing in the New Zealand Open for Taekwondo. The fight usually lasts 3 rounds but in this fight it only goes for one and a bit. In Taekwondo if you get a lead of seven points you win the fight. How do you score? Well, a good strong kick to the body gets you one point and a good kick to the head gets you two and in some occasions three. This is only one of my fights in the competition. In the end I placed second, losing to a 17 year old.

Why English(the language) can be annoying.

You’ve gotta admit, it’s a pretty stupid language. I’d hate to be a foreigner trying to learn it. Here’s 21 reasons why English is a pain in the butt.

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. The farm was used to produce produce.

3. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.

4. We must polish the Polish furniture.

5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10. I did not object to the object.

11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.

13. They were too close to the door to close it.

14. The buck does funny things when does are present.

15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Adelaide Sevens

In the weekend the Adelaide sevens was going down. If you don't know what sevens is, it's rugby union with seven players and instead of each half being 40 minutes long they are 7 minutes long.

The South Africans had just come off a 26-12 loss against New Zealand the previous weekend at the Hong Kong Sevens.New Zealand had a struggle to reach the final, needing a late Zar Lawrence try to overcome 2007 Adelaide champions Fiji 17-14 in the semifinals and relying on another late try by skipper DJ Forbes to edge out Tonga 19-14 in the quarterfinals.

The final was between New Zealand and South Africa. Both are outstanding teams with x-factor players such as Tamasi Cama(pronounced Dama) for New Zealand and Fabien Juries for South Africa. Fabien Juries scored two of the three tries the game. The game ended at 15-7 to South Africa and also ended New Zealands 47 consecutive winning streak.The South Africans showed more verve and pace in the final, often catching out the Kiwis with swift ball movement and superior pace.

If you don't watch sevens rugby I think you should. It is a great sport with plenty of action if you don't like watching 80 minutes of rugby then get a drink, relax and watch a game of sevens. How bad could it be? If you don't like it, it's not like you wasted a lot of time it's only 14 minutes.

Zoo Trip

Yesterday we went to the Auckland Zoo. I think this trip was way better than the Museum trip earlier this year. I really enjoyed myself mainly for the reason that I hadn't been to the zoo for about 3 or 4 years. My favourite animal had to be the Sea lion because when I went in to see them, two of them were fighting. Was it just me or was this trip a little more crazy then the others? There were two giraffes expressing their feelings for one another right in front of everybody and someone had to go to the doctors for a tetanus shot from being bitten by a meerkat. Personally, I wasn't surprised that our school had to be called back to the starting point over the loudspeaker for being irresponsible. But the thing I can't believe is that people were smoking, thats right smoking, in the meerkat tunnels. Another con about the zoo was the price of food and stuff from the cafe. A small 300ml bottle of Coke was $3.20! I know, thats expensive. The one hour talk we had was SO boring. I didn't learn much but I still payed attention throughout it. After that Rory and I went to Aussie Walk and put on a fake Australian accent and started teasing the Kangaroos and stuff. All in all it was a mega-awesome trip and I rate it 8.5/10, making it the best trip so far.

hi

hi hows it goin

Wonders of the World - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber. The grave of Shah Jahan was added to it later. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu. In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public. Shah Jahan's real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before ascending to the throne in 1628.
Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The documents contain names of those employed and the inventory of construction materials and their origin. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed. In addition, many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks.

The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each. The entire mausoleum (inside as well as outside) is decorated with inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy using precious gems such as agate and jasper. The main archways, chiseled with passages from the Holy Qur’an and the bold scroll work of flowery pattern, give a captivating charm to its beauty. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration.

The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center. Each of these four sections is further subdivided into four sections and then each into yet another four sections. Like the Taj, the garden elements serve like Arabesque, standing on their own and also constituting the whole.

Wonders of the World - Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN has labelled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust has named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as overfishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures to the reef and its ecosystem include water quality from runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

Review Of The Rugby World Cup Final

With France as their quarter-final opponetnt the All Balcks, untested since the Tri-Nations, were about to take on the Six-Nations Champions. Whether the All Blacks' preparation had been ideal remained questionable, but it was widely thought France playing away from home wouldn't pose a serious threat.

The naming of the All Black side was eagerly awaited, as graham Henry had rarely selected his top team during the last year, with most interest focused on whether Dan Carter would play following his calf injury, and the ever contentious midfield selection.

With Carter declared fit, McAlistar and Muliaina were selected to start outside him, significant in that Muliaina was brought into centre at such a late stage of the tournament. More than anything it showed the coaching panel did not have confidence that the two specialist centre in their team - Conrad Smith and Isiah Toeava - were capable of doing the job. This decision became even more significant when the French named their team, electing to go with the big punters of the ball at fullback and first-five, clearly planning on kicking a lot of ball long before pressurising those who returned it. With no Mils Muliaina to threaten from the back, this tactic would prove worthwhile.

The match couldn't have started worse for the French with Serge Benson concussed in a tackle after only five minutes and having to be replaced.

A great first half by Luke McAlister saw him feature in one of the All Blacks' few highlights, when he created and finished the only try of the first half. This came just a minute after desperate French defence bundled Ali Williams into touch before he crossed the line. For McAlister it would be the case of hero to zero, as a harsh yellow card for obstuction five minutes into the second halfswung the momentum of the match away from they All Blacks, when the French capitalised on the opportunity and tied the match up at 13-all while he was in the bin.

Ali Williams was the star player for the All Blacks stealing five of the French throws to the lineout while managing to win everyone of their own throws. This lineout dominance translated to a 71% share of possesion and 63% of territory for the All Blacks' game. This time they won possession, but let themselves down by kicking the ball away nearly as much as the French kicked theirs away. This showed through in the statistics, where the All Blacks kicked 38 balls away to France's 41, and it was soon clear that Dan Carter wasn;t anywhere near his peak fitness or form. He eventually hobbled from the field after 56 minutes, at the same time as Byron Kelleher was replaced by Brendon Leonard.

In contrast to Daniel Carter, France's star first-five in recent years, Frederic Michelak, set up the match-winning try for the French with 11 minutes to go. He'd come off the bench just one minutes before and showed he still had the gas to make the crucial line-break and the composure to wait for his suppport on the inside to be a controversial forward pass to Yannick Jauzion to score and Jean-Baptiste Elisasalde kicked the crucial conversion, giving France the lead for the first time. The final quarter of the match was meant to be where Graham Henry's very difficult team preparation was meant to come in to its own. Instead it was shown to be fatally flawed.

As the All Blacks rolled on their substitutes, the team that already lacked cohesion began to look like 15 individuals trying to take on the tenacious French defence on their own. If one-off running really was the way the All Blacks wanted to win, all I can say is one name, Ma'a Nonu who would have really threatened the French.

The All Blacks' desperation and fatal disorganisation was summed up in the final minute when Luke McAlister had a wild attempt at a drop-kick from half way, without any concerted effort by the team to work their way into position for a match-winning field-goal. Too desparate, too little and much too late. The French had done it again. The All Blacks choked.

Why I think Adidas is a good brand. (Business Studies Stuff)

I think Adidas is a good brand because they have great quality products. I have been buying Adidas gear since I was very young. The thing I like most about Adidas is that their products last a long time. I also like how Adidas make Judo clothes and good, cheap ones as well. Another thing I like about Adidias is their catch phrase "Impossible is Nothing" and how they refer to Mohammed Ali and other sporting greats to back up the statement. I also like how Adidas' products are stylish . Like their shoes for example, sometimes I get Adidas shoes just because they look good rather than how they help me run. I also like how they sponser the mighty All Blacks who by the way lost to France( I threw my pocket dictionary at my tv when they did). I know Adidas is a good brand becuase they make shoes, shirts, balls, jackets, sports bags etc. Also Adidas has dominated the world in sports gear, so if I go to a country like China or Japan I can get the same equipment for so much cheaper

Museum Trip

On Friday we went to the Auckland War Museum. At first, when we were told I though "Yay" because I thought that the Auckland War Museum was a place which I have never been to before. Later on I found out that the Auckland War Museum was the Auckland Museum my heart sank. So anyway I thought that the trip itself was very boring. I thought there was too much work but the difficulty was just right, some of the questions were hard but some weren't. I think we shouldn't have had that much work because I learn more by just browsing(I love this word) around and stubling upon useful information rather than having a worksheet and feeling the pressure of having to complete everything. Altogether I rate this trip a nice 4.5/10. By the way I tried to write this last night but my computer froze so I ended up throwing my Collins Pocket Dictionary at it.

Murray Deaker

I listen to Murray Deaker a lot. Everytime i'm in the car i put the radio onto 1386am, and every wednesday at 8.30 im watching deaker on sport. Even though i hate his guts he brings up valid points. But recently i hear him babbling on about how Sachin Tendulkar should have been man of the series in the Commonwealth bank series held recently in Australia. India won the series and Murray said an Indian should have won the Man of the series. I agree with that. The fact is Nathan Bracken of Australia won the man of the series.. But the thing that i dont agree with Murray is that he thought Sachin Tendulkar should have won the man of the series. Sachin Tendulkar was performing poorly for the first 12 games. Nathan Bracken was performing all season for the Aussies, taking the most wickets in the whole competition. Sachin Tendulkar was not given the man of the series and finely so. But don't get me wrong I don't want Bracken to get it either. My first choice would be Gautam Gambhir then probably Mahendra Singh Dhoni and then maybe Bracken then Tendulkar. In the end i ended up throwing my pocket dictionary at my tv.

Frodo

Recently i was going through the Lord of the rings trilogy. It was really good and was very satisfying. The only thing that I hated in it was Frodo. Frodo developed into a character that J.R.R Tolkien knew I would hate. Some of the things that he did to Samwise was unnecessary and not the way that hobbits should talk to each other. For example in the third movie when Golem turned Frodo against Samwise and set him up with the bread crumbs was stupid of Frodo to fall for it. It was elementary. Anyhow i ended up throwing my collins pocket dictionary at my tv.