Wellington, Waiting for the Game

It's day 2 of the 4 I'll spend in Wellington, and I'm getting to know this small city rather well. I've done plenty of exploring already, and the hours of walking (including the steep hill to and from my hotel) are taking their toll on my muscles. Just when I think I'm getting in shape, I'm reminded how old and lazy I really am... Oy.

I haven't done a very good job of sleeping in on this trip, so I headed out at a very non-vacation hour this morning to do some sightseeting. I spent a few hours wandering the harbor area, perusing the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, and stopping into the only supermarket downtown for a few supplies.

Te Papa was a typical museum in that it failed to hold my attention long, but there were some items of interest. The exhibits run the gamut from history to nature to art and pop culture in New Zealand, spanning 5 floors. I only made it up 4, skipping the art gallery at the top of the building, and I was mostly stricken by how the museum reflected the biculturalism of New Zealand.

Everywhere I go here, I notice the Maori influence, which is refreshing in a British commonwealth. I don't know the history well, but from what I do know, this could have been helped by the fact that the Queen's army didn't so much invade and kill the native people, as colonialists were generally wont to do; they just kind of moved in. There have been struggles over the years to integrate everyone, but it now seems that the groups have made their peace, and the country has an official policy of biculturalism. The museum most certainly reflects that.

Tonight I get to go to my first rugby match of the tournament, USA versus Australia, and ever since I picked up my tickets yesterday, the time has gone much too slowly. I came to the World Cup assuming I'd just show up to the matches and cheer like a normal person, but this atmosphere of flag-wearing face-painters, combined with my anticipation of finally attending games I've been planning to see for more than a year, has made me become obsessed with getting some gear to properly show my support at the games.

Unfortunately, while I couldn't walk half a block in downtown Auckland without coming across a shop selling RWC swag, Wellington has very little. After stopping in to drop off my foodstuffs and drink some water, I spent another hour perusing the shops on Cuba Street, but didn't come away with much. I did manage to get an American flag on a stick, though, which I will be waving vigorously and with enthusiasm at the game tonight. There are actually quite a few Americans on the streets today, and the Kiwis will likely be supporting the Eagles as well, just because they so love to be contrary to the hated Land of Oz, so maybe I won't be alone in the crowd.

The game isn't until 8:30 tonight, so I'll be counting down for another few hours. There's a stadium shuttle near my hotel, so I'll catch that and avoid a 30 minute walk each direction, which is lucky for my aching legs. Even that doesn't start making the trip until 7, though, so I still have a few hours to kill until things get super awesome.

Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock...