ALL BLACKS - Weekend in the City

When I showed up to school this past Friday with my carry-on suitcase, my students were alarmed I was leaving them forever. So, I'm not sure if I was cracking up because they think I would just leave without warning or the fact they thought I packed all my stuff into one carry-on.

This weekend, I took the bus from school to downtown Auckland and arrived just in time for dinner. I felt like quite the local locating the nearest Starbucks, Countdown Grocery Store, along with the best places to eat and shop since, ya know, I spent the weekend in the city with my grandma just a few weeks ago.

Friday

We immediately checked into our Air BnB to drop off our bags. This fine apartment overlooked Queen Street (perfect for people watching) and was right above Glassons clothing store and across from Lush. As you could imagine, we were quite satisfied and thrilled with the location. Not only was it central to shopping and Starbucks, but it was so nice. Clean and included all the essentials. Talk about off to a great start.

Eventually we wandered back down the main road and realized it was time to feast. Where better to eat in New Zealand than Subway!? Yes, like the same Subway sandwich shop in America "Subway, eat fresh"...except this one serves heaps of lamb and doesn't have the $5 footlong. Wasn't as impressed as I was with our Air BnB, but it was cheap and easy, so worked for me. We continued browsing the different clothing stores, shops, and boutiques, because ya girl loves to shop. But, somehow restraining myself from buying anything (I know, shocking), we figured it was time to prepare for our night out in the city!

Thankfully I brought my JamBox speaker so we could blast some tunes while getting

ready. Traveling Tip #19: Bring a speaker! Around 10:30PM, we were ready for the Sweatshop Brew Kitchen. I was just as thrown off as you are right now. This wasn't a factory or gym, shockingly, but, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining bars we've been to yet!! There was a live band, followed by a DJ, good drink specials, a dance floor and patio...the only thing missing was toilet paper... :)

We met some cool kiwis and danced the night away until we realized our beds were calling and us teachers were too partied out. Being the planner that I am, I picked up a frozen pizza before going out, just in case we were craving a midnight snack. Traveling Tip #20: Prepare for morning tea snacks, after school snacks, and midnight snacks (even if it's the weekend!).

Saturday

Thank goodness Starbucks was a jump, hop, and a skip down the street because my Venti Iced Vanilla Latte with half the pumps was long overdue. My two friends went to explore the 220-meter Sky Tower, and since I already did that with grandma, I went to try and get my new expensive suede shoes (that I wore to the Sweatshop) cleaned. One shoe store, two cobblers, and three different managers later, my new shoes were officially ruined. Traveling Tip #21: Don't wear new shoes out unless you are certain they won't get dirty.

Just like when I was younger, I went to my mom sharing my problem and how devastated I was, and she worked her magic to cheer me up. I was back to my bubbly happy self ready for some All Blacks Rugby!!!!!

We got changed and Ubered to The Kingslander where we were the last ones to get in, as it was already over capacity. It was 4PM. The game wasn't until 7:30PM. It was like I was in Wrigleyville waiting for the Cubs game; I'm impressed Auckland.

This place was packed. It was like trying to move in the Jungle at Sports, at Woodfield on Black Friday, or the pit of a Pink concert; impossible. However, we managed to be taken under the wing by some dads. They were friends with the owner and bought heaps of food and beer. There was one dad who tried explaining rugby to us, one teaching ugh the Haka, and another offering all their food; made me feel a little like if it was me hanging out with all the dads at a tailgate during Dad's Weekend in college. Then, the the dads left us with their reserved table, fried calamari, steak kabobs, and fries so they could make it to the game on time. Wow, these people are so nice.

Now, for the game. Okay, so prior to today, when I thought of rugby, I thought of little men running around in short shorts trying to get the ball to the other side...so like a football game without the pads. WOW WAS I WRONG. First, the All Blacks started the opening ceremony with their Haka. This is a cultural war dance they perform (so the other teams must allow it) before every game. It's probably one of the most intimidating things I've seen. *imagine facing the best team on their home turf, with this opener*

Then, the game begins: two 40 minutes halves of complete chaos.

"a team game played with an oval ball that may be kicked, carried, and passed from hand to hand. Points are scored by grounding the ball behind the opponents' goal line (thereby scoring a try) or by kicking it between the two posts and over the crossbar of the opponents' goal." (shoutout to Google for this quick Rugby 101)

After quite the kill, we headed back to change for our night out around the Viaduct (by the Wharf). The nightlife was quite poppin' by 10PM as we explored Dr Rudis, Danny Doolans and a few other places around the area. I met lots of townies, travelers, and fans from across the country cheering for the All Blacks and even some for France. We even ran into some friends we made at the pub (don't worry, not the dads, they were probably in bed by then). It was all fun and games until this teacher was ready for bed.

Sunday

Once again, my morning was sponsored by Starbucks. But since the weekend has now come to an end, we cleaned up our Air BnB and said farewell to our wonderful view of the city life. On our way to the bus stop, I stopped by the nearest Vodaphone to "top off" (add extra data to my plan) because how else would I survive these next 4 weeks without data???

I got home, unpacked, did some laundry, and returned to a normal person doing the fun Sunday night chores. BUT I was very lucky to Facetime my mom at the right time to say hello to my wonderful family, supporters, and fellow wine-enthusiasts! So, just another ~thank you~ for the positive encouragement and feedback for my blogs; couldn't have got the ball rollin' without you guys!