I feel old

Today I talked about how when I was at school we only had one computer in the library with the internet and how you had to book in it advance.

Then when I told them this was only during my last two years at school, I don't know who was more shocked. Them because I lived through pre-internet days. Or me because they couldn't imagine a world without it.

[I still owe you Ruth and Mark visit photos. I'll get right on it. Although not tomorrow because I'm out. But soon.

And one last 'this time last year'; this time last year I missed my flight home to the motherland and spent the night in New York City.]

Tomorrow cannot be Monday already

I have to go back to school tomorrow. I object to this. Especially as I have the cold and Ireland are playing rugby way too late tonight for me to watch.

I realise I have hardly said anything about Ruth and Mark being here or the cruise, but it'll come. So in the meantime I'll talk about the netball.

I went back on Saturday to watch them in the 3rd place play off and they had seemed so chuffed with the first banner I thought it would be disappointing not to have another.


Bigger and on colour paper. No expense spared.

The game was against Sri Lanka. They had beaten NI in the round robin stage 55-50 so there was real pressure. But thankfully (and I put a lot of credit on the banners!) they were able to maintain possession and stop the big tall Sri Lankan Goal Shooter from getting the ball too much. (Seriously, watch the video, she's huge! Sorry about the crap quality, You Tube was the only way I could get it on.)

I was talking to somebody (who shall remain nameless) at the weekend who didn't know what netball was. I described it as like basketball but with 7 people and that you couldn't run with the ball. They replied and said 'so basketball without the athleticism then?' Ha!

The final score was 61-51 to NI. Ya ho! Now, again, without wanting to overstate it, NI hadn't won a match until I showed up, banners in tow. They ended up coming third!

Eighth man, I keep telling you.

Stand up for the Ulster Girls!

Tonight was crucial for NI to make it through to the 3rd place playoffs and so I was pleased that I showed up as their sole supporter (wearing my greenest t-shirt and greenish eye shadow!)


I hoped the banner would provide the team with the lift they needed.



I taped my banner up and looked on as the girls saw it. They took photos and then chanted 'we're not Australia, we're Northern Ireland. I was delighted that they seemed to get a boost from it!


After a bit of a shaky start they were on their way!




In the 3rd quarter, they finally begin to pull away and stayed there.


The glorious scoreboard! Pah Canada!


Sadly I only managed to capture the last seconds of the celebration but you can just about hear 'we're Northern Ireland'!

So I think I can now declare myself the eighth man!

Sniff

Ruth and Mark are packing now. That makes me sad.

But to cheer me up, tomorrow I am going to see the mighty Northern Ireland play...netball. Looks like they need my support.

So any thoughts on a banner for them? So far we have:

'Come on the wee girls'
'We're not Australia, we're Norn Iron'
'I'm the eighth man!'

(Ruth wants credit for the last two! I came up with the slightly patronising first one!)

All aboard?

One week into the visit and the Singapore part is just about over. Tomorrow we board a cruise liner for a trip to Thailand and Malaysia. Bring. It. On.

Highlights of the week so far have been:
1. All the eating out. I don't think I have had a meal in since Ruth and Mark arrived. We just got back from a tasty Italian meal by the River.
2. The Songs of the Sea extravaganza. It's a show on Sentosa (that's pronounced Sen-toe-sa, not Sen-toss-a as someobody in school did this week.) which evidently pulls in the crowds, although goodness knows why. I took a short video of it but I don't think it truly does the pure comedy (for all the wrong reasons) justice. The effects are good though. The lazers are all being projected onto a spray of water which is cool, it's the story that sucks.
3. The zoo. We went today and it was hot! But good! Although there were more strollers than animals. I wouldn't mind, I'm all for kids in strollers but not when over-zealous parents push them into my heels.

Anyway enjoy the Songs of the Sea. I'm sure you'll all be wanting to book your tickets to Singapore to see this!