Legendary Football Match

Scott:

The line is so painfully long it seems an age to even get halfway through.  Eventually I'm walking towards the famous Nou Camp where a very excited air is hovering over everyone who is going to witness this legendary clash between the La Liga champions Real Madrid and Barcelona. The nervous, excited chattering fills the air like a horde of angry wasps, food and drink sellers stand every few feet selling all kinds of popcorn and fizzy drink that make you thirstier than before and makes you want to buy more.

However as I walk up the steps to the top of the stadium the atmosphere is pierced by cheering as one of the players pull off an amazing trick or score in the practice session. As the start whistle draws closer and players on both sides disappear, a tense air now engulfs the stadium.  The referees, Real Madrid and Barcelona walk out and silence makes its presence clear as the commentators, Jeffrey Phillips and Steven Bobson, announce the players names. A humongous cheer fill the afternoon when Messi, Neymar and Suarez for Barça and Ronaldo, Bale and Carlos for Real are called.

Finally the whistle sounds and they were off, within 20 minutes comes the first foul and free kick against Varne (a player from Real Madrid). Neymar took the kick and it did an amazing curl around the wall, then going on to score in the top corner millimetres from the keeper's hands. The next goal occurs when Ronaldo takes an amazing run up the pitch, rabona-chips Bravo (the keeper for Barça) and then taps it across the line.  Then, Messi takes a run, puts it through Varne's legs and rainbow flicks the keeper for Real (Carlos) and heads it in! 

After a very eventful 45 minutes the shrill sound of the half time whistle echoes around the stadium and the players file out, some jogging and some dawdling towards the changing rooms. "What an exciting half." I mutter happily to myself standing up and getting a drink. "It does look like Barça will win."

But the next half told me how wrong I was...

The ref blows hard on his whistle and the speed of the passing between Suarez, Neymar and Messi is the fastest I have ever seen!

But Ronaldo steals the ball and streaks up the pitch.

The final whistle pierces. Nou Camp and I feel disappointed about Barça's performance in the second half as Suarez scores an amazing bicycle on the edge of the penalty box off a corner. On the downside Ronaldo and Bale both scored using tricks I have never seen. "It could have been worse." I think sadly walking slowly towards the exit gates, "But the bright side is the Barcelona are still favourites to win and Real Madrid needs just one win to make it to the top of the table." And with that I walk happily to my hotel.

Jack:

"Hello my name is Jeffrey Phillips to day I will be joined by Steven Bobson." 

“And welcome to this ultimate match it’s going to be a thriller. I know I’m a commentator but this so boring, when is Barcelona going to get here?" 

"Barcelona might have to default if they don't get here as fast as lighting because Real Madrid are getting angry!"

"What? 

"There they are, what an entrance!" 

"OK now let's get to this ultimate match to rivals Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the top two teams in the league.”

"Now we will go down and see the squads today, there's only one change for Real Madrid as they are swapping the goalkeepers to give Carceles a chance to play."

"The pitch is looking fine for today's play and the stadium is packed as normal for Nou Camp. "
The stars of this match and league have so far been Ronaldo, Bale, Messi, Carlos, Neymar and Suarez.”

"Sorry let’s get to the match, it’s all ready the second half TWEEEET!!! The whistle goes and Ronaldo is off, he’s skilling the whole team but he just couldn’t put it away.”

"But then he takes a run then he gets fouled in the box and scores top right corner!" 

"Then Messi skills the whole Real Madrid team and scores!"

"3, 2 and Real Madrid are looking worried with 3 minutes to go but then Ronaldo gets a break and suddenly Ronaldo is one on one with the keeper and he does a rabona and nuts the keeper and then the whistle goes three times and it’s 3 to Real Madrid and 3 to Barcelona.”

"What a match, I doubt anyone saw plays like that in the tournament so far!" 

 "Maybe there are going other matches as intense as this!" 

And with that everyone started leaving.

VS

Turkeys Flat at Arthur's Pass

After trudging for what seems like hours, we finally reach the end of the walk on Turkey's Flat. I sit down on a rock to have a bite to eat. Only then I notice that I am sitting in a dried-up river full of sharp, jagged pebbles, slightly damp dirt and dew drenched grass from last night's drizzle. Ahead I see tussock that stretches far and wide until spiky moss-covered matagouri bushes take over. 

A bit further on, the mountains to the side of me bloom with leafy green trees and colourful mountain flowers just like (more or less scattered) the botanical gardens. The river ahead with pristine water bubbling and frothing, races the tributaries towards the sea, ready to wash away anyone who went too far. And the bridge rattles dangerously as huge 10 ton trucks lumber over the hills.

In the distance I see gigantic snow-capped mountains looming over the valley reaching into the cloudless blue sky. The same can't be said for half way down as fog engulfs almost the whole pass.

"Time to go," says a voice from behind me. In the car I feel tired and exhausted like I could drop to sleep here and now. But one happy thing dawns to my mind just before I doze off; It was the first time I have completed this walk! When I was younger we went barely 100m in, now I have done the whole thing. The last thing I hear is my brother saying "Why is there a Moa sign?" Beside the pub over the bridge. I drop off to sleep.

Football

Football, the the sport I love most in the world and the sport where I have one of the best reputation for defence in my team. Let me tell you about a time that I could never have felt more elated in my life...

It was a usual freezing cold but very sunny Saturday when I jumped the chain fence and hurtled like a dog down towards my team at the sports fields at Jellie Park. Nothing in the first half was unusual but nothing could prepare me for what happened next. "Max, Max pass," I called. The ball flew out of nowhere and somehow found its way to my foot. It all happened quickly: the ball so carefully lobbed to my foot and the surprise that everybody in front was marked so I had a free run to the goal, naturally everyone marking my team went to get the ball off me but none the less I thought "keep calm, steady, aim, SHOOT!" What looked to me like a hard and fast shot slid casually in between a tight gap between the goalkeeper and the post! I felt ecstatic, I had done it, it had scored my first (and probably last) goal of the season!

I had never felt more alive as I stepped into the car, even if I hadn't got player of the day. I hoped next Saturday I'd have the same sort of luck I had this game, but I brushed it off and started thinking of the fact I had scored.

Building huts in Arthurs pass

The forest is so hidden and secretive, a perfect habitat for kiwis and keas and all sorts of wild creatures to roam the native park. The dense air seems to make sweating easier after last night's rainfall, I walk on the pathway which twisted and weaved through the undergrowth like a never ending brown snake. The forest entry to a place of huts had branches that split and twisted in every direction in a race for the light above the canopy.

A little further back I had just left a house that looks so warm and inviting with train like smoke which bellows from its chimney that smell of burning wood and coal wafts up my nose like that of a burnt cake, opposite was a huge tree trunk fallen down a few years ago that blocks the rest of the way through the dense, endless forest. The long wavy grass soaked through with dew ready to drench the next passer by.

As I turn to pick up wood I notice the mountains which stand tall and strong with a beard of green vegetation that covers almost the entire thing, the tiny white lines reassemble as waterfalls cascade down a cliff. Further down the raging river looks unforgiving and cold as rocks tumble into its icy depths.

As I finally place the last leaf on top of our 'wood storage' I can't help but let the sense of achievement ensnare me as I let out a cry of "I've done it!" My exhausted body can finally rest.  I feel elated I have done it, I have built a hut.

My Speech

Have you ever jammed your fingers or toes in any kind of closing mechanism? Doesn't it hurt? Maybe you caught your foot in a sliding door or maybe you carelessly left your fingers in a closing car door. I wasn't prepared for the kind of pain jamming your fingers can cause. Especially from somewhere I wasn't expecting it.

It all happened about a year ago on a Sunday morning. It was one of those days when the luminous light of the sun brightens up a cloudless sky but it is wintry and cold. We were at Arthur's Pass. 

I was beside the car on a deserted no exit road called sunshine terrace. Mum, (who seems to overreact over some things that aren't really that bad but hurt a lot) had decided to go to the doc centre and watch the the backstory of Arthur's Pass. We dumped our stuff in the boot getting ready to go, as I walked towards the car little did know of the potential danger that lay ahead…

As I slung my bag my hand hovered closer and closer to the car, I turned and rested my fingers on the side of the car, dangerously close to the boot.

As if in slow motion the boot started to creak shut, I whirled back around, then it happened, the worst thing I could think about, the boot had slammed shut on two of my fingers! 

There wasn't to much pain but a tingle, like the one that goes down your spine after chalk runs across a blackboard and it permeated my entire hand. I was more scared than it hurt but when the boot opened my fingers were bruised, bloody and it hurt to much to put anything on top of it. Mum quickly grabbed an ice pack and sat me down on the sofa with her phone while dad and my brother went to watch the movie. While I waited I was playing games. When my brother and dad came back it still hurt a lot but the intense pain had calmed a little, and over time the bruise slowly but surely started to disappear. Weeks later, the bruise had completely gone!

Well I guess this incident taught me one thing, to be that much more careful around doorways, car doors,  windows AND BOOTS. And I hope, unlike me, you don't choose to learn this the hard way.

Arts reflection

This term we have been learning about how arts to connect to the community. On Thursday the 17th of September 2015 we went into the middle of town to perform our class and individual acts.

I think my performances were great because I didn't make a mistake at all in any of them. My highlights were when I got through the song 'Stairway to heaven' by Led Zeppelin with two others singing and when I said the lines I needed to say in the class drama. My proudest moment was at the end when everything had been done without a mistake. 

At the end of the class drama I involved the audience by making eye contact and projecting my voice but also emphasising it. It is important to make eye contact because if we didn't then the audience would lose interest in our performance.  It is also important to project your voice and emphasise it because if you didn't project your voice no one would hear you. If you didn't emphasis your voice then it would have one tone and it wouldn't be pleasant.

I saw examples of māori values such as manaakitia, kotahitanga and whanaungatanga. I saw kotahitanga when Harry and Ben K danced and sang to 'Hall of fame' by S.C.R.I.P.T. and they invited everyone to come up and dance with them. I saw whanaungatanga when kids from different classes played with each other and started to make new friends. I also saw examples of manaakitia when people were letting other people do their individual acts, for example when the band had finished performing they let Harry, Ben K and I do our act in the break between performances.

At the end of our performance it seemed like the crowd had liked our performance because I could hear clapping and cheering and Mrs Bentall said "Sounding good guys." Also at the end of our class performance there was clapping and cheering till the end of the final ceremony.

Even though the arts term is ending I can still connect to my own life by performing for competition, performing for fun or even playing for family! And there are many other way to connect to the community but I can't name them.

Here is a link to my dance/play. I am in the corner with the mike.
http://youtu.be/EJ7pmNnV6tA

My speech 2015 - car danger

Have you ever jammed your fingers or toes in any kind of closing mechanism? Doesn't it hurt? Maybe you caught your foot in a sliding door or maybe you carelessly left your fingers in a closing car door. I wasn't prepared for the kind of pain jamming your fingers can cause. Especially from somewhere I wasn't expecting it.

It all happened about a year ago on a Sunday morning. It was one of those days when the luminous light of the sun brightens up a cloudless sky but it is wintry and cold. We were at Arthur's Pass. 

I was beside the car on a deserted no exit road called sunshine terrace. Mum, (who seems to overreact over some things that aren't really that bad but hurt a lot) had decided to go to the doc centre and watch the the backstory of Arthur's Pass. We dumped our stuff in the boot getting ready to go, as I walked towards the car little did know of the potential danger that lay ahead…

As I slung my bag my hand hovered closer and closer to the car, I turned and rested my fingers on the side of the car, dangerously close to the boot.

As if in slow motion the boot started to creak shut, I whirled back around, then it happened, the worst thing I could think about, the boot had slammed shut on two of my fingers! 

There wasn't to much pain but a tingle, like the one that goes down your spine after chalk runs across a blackboard and it permeated my entire hand. I was more scared than it hurt but when the boot opened my fingers were bruised, bloody and it hurt to much to put anything on top of it. Mum quickly grabbed an ice pack and sat me down on the sofa with her phone while dad and my brother went to watch the movie. While I waited I was playing games. When my brother and dad came back it still hurt a lot but the intense pain had calmed a little, and over time the bruise slowly but surely started to disappear. Weeks later, the bruise had completely gone!

Well I guess this incident taught me one thing, to be that much more careful around doorways, car doors,  windows AND BOOTS. And I hope, unlike me, you don't choose to learn this the hard way.