I'm stoked

Identity is a strange thing. While I've lived in Australia for nearly twenty years and was born in New Zealand, my first memories are of growing up in England. That combined with my family being British, I've always felt more English than Australian or New Zealander and it is days like today that I'm reminded of that.

Where you live in England is central to what football team you support and my team is Stoke City. Now, I have lost touch with football because you can only watch it on pay tv here but hearing that Stoke have made it to the premiership league for the first time in 23 years makes me very happy, ecstatic even. I've been in a good mood all day and I think it's because whether I realised it or not - football support is genetic. It is locked away in my genes and once the drums start to pound, a primal urge of pride just comes forth. Hearing this news just flicked a switch on in my head that created this happiness - it's hard to explain.

I think, in my brain somewhere, football is also intimately tied to community and family. It links me to my past and family's family and I know that out there my Dad and my Uncles will be grinning from ear to ear. It's nice to share in that communal sense of pride and joy despite the fact I'm far from them. In a weird way, Stoke City reminds me of who I am and that is weird.
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BTW I mentioned Stoke being promoted to three people today and all of them said "You must be stoked."

Random catch up

Random photo of me at the pub last week prior to illness...

Hey you! How are things? Me, I've been ok. I got a really bad flu that kind of wiped me out and I've spent a lot of my time lying in bed feeling sorry for myself and eating cuppa soups. A good time was had by all.

Hey, did I tell you I started a new job? Yep, I finally got away from student organisations and I'm working in the University proper. After giving so much time and energy to fighting universities in my previous positions, it feels weird to be on the other side. It's kind of like when Micheal flipped in Lost and joined the others, the group that had been terrorising and killing his friends. Perplexed by what was going on, he asked the chief bad guy Ben,
"Who are you people?"
"We're the good guys Michael."
It's like that. But I guess most people will have no idea what I'm talking about but its like if Fugazi signed to a major label, that kind of thing. Total sell out. OK, it's like when Adriana ratted on the guys in the Sopranos. Still nothing. OK, its like when Harry Potter sold his wand for drugs... like totally.

Anyhow, I haven't really got much to say apart from that life is going pretty great at the moment apart from the torrent of snot I've just endured.

Tonight Stoke City might enter the Premiership League which would just be huge. I think only British people can understand the significance of this happening but it would be like a combination of the happiest moments of your life (say the birth of your first child, getting married, winning a billion dollars on the lottery) only better and infinitely more satisfying.

What else? I've been writing a bunch of stuff too that doesn't really fit in with this blog so I'm thinking of starting another one devoted to that stuff. I'll keep you informed.

And oh yeah, I have a few new obsessions. I have rekindled my love for Superchunk after seeing this dvd. But only the old stuff especially this song called Animated airplanes over Germany which trust me, is better than it sounds. I've also been exploring the band Low who are described as slowcore - geez, music nerds come up with stupid genres sometimes.

I am also obsessed with the game silversphere (link below). Basically you have to sink the ball in the hole. Pretty simple. I've gotten to level seventeen called Parallel but I'm stuck because you have to be real quick moving this one box and I'm too slow. Stupid game!

Silversphere Get the Silver Sphere in to the Blue Vortex.

Play this free game now!!

Hope you're well. As the song says:

He thought he saw his life flash between his knees
On an animated airplane over Germany

GO STOKE!