New Zealand has World Cup fever. 2010 marks the year their beloved All Whites make their first performance on the world stage in 28 years. This highly anticipated tournament only comes around every four years, but it lasts an entire month. Kiwis are already donning their colors (or lack thereof) in anticipation of the June 11 FIFA World Cup kick off. And they're betting on their team going all the way to the final match - scheduled for July 11th.
Australia's own Socceroos are also appearing in the tournament. In fact, they'll make television history when they broadcast their last home match against the rival All Whites prior to the World Cup LIVE and in 3D, then depart for Johannesburg on the team's Qantas Boeing 747. As part of their final preparations for the World Cup, Australia will also play two "internationally friendly" matches against Denmark and the US.
While this incredible tournament will see hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance in cities and stadiums throughout South Africa, many of us will be up at all hours (or working our DVRs overtime) to see our favorite team. All World Cup matches are broadcast live, and no rebroadcasts are permitted. That means major cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Berlin, and Mexico City, are hosting matches on big screens and celebrating the Cup in epic fashion with parades, war paint, concerts and mobs of rowdy fans chanting their team's own iconic soccer anthem.
Although none of New Zealand's cities will play official host to a World Cup party, there's sure to be dancing in the streets. After a disastrous campaign four years ago, the All Whites bounced back under coach Ricki Herbert to qualify for the tournament of tournaments - and locums throughout New Zealand report that when it comes to celebrating the team's success, there's no better place to be for a party.
Along with world class soccer, audiences everywhere will be able to witness a peculiar ritual that takes place before every All Whites match when the players assemble at mid field for the haka (a tribal war dance used to intimidate enemies before battle). Only time will tell if the haka will be enough to earn the upstart All Whites a spot on the podium.
Whether the Socceroos make the finals or not, our mates in Australia will be hosting a World Cup bash for the record books. Darling Harbor in Sydney will be outfitted with two JumboTrons to screen every game for fans to watch for free from adjacent Cockle Bay Wharf and Tumbalong Park. Fireworks are a no-brainer, especially if the Aussies make an appearance in the final. And we'll no doubt hear Waltzing Matilda (the national athem about a noble sheep thief) belted out during Aussie games. Crowds sing lines about the roaming worker (swagman), who dove into a small lake (billabong) to escape capture: Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong, ‘You'll never take me alive', said he.
It's the eve of Thanksgiving in the States. Although the first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter, it's now a non-secular holiday with no gift-giving or guilt, unless you count overeating. Which brings me to the three important F's - Food, Family and Football. Yup, we stuff the turkey, stuff ourselves and then hit the couches and recliners to watch football and more football in a tryptophan-induced daze.
Naturally, a lot of locum doctors and their families who are living in Australia and New Zealand like to celebrate, but it's not always easy to find a Turkey dinner with the trimmings. One says forget the turkey! They stuff themselves with Barramundi (a delicate fish) and Morten Bay bugs (or Bay Lobster) - and try not to think about missing the pumpkin pie while they celebrate with their new "makeshift family."
Still others, like Dr. Kathryn Starkey, choose to celebrate in a whole new way. She and her partner, Molly Evans (who's an incredible cook, by the way), recently discovered "Damper" or "Bush Damper" - a bread that's crusty and crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Damper often sustained the early colonial settlers who explored Australia's remote and harsh landscape for months at a time because the ingredients are basic and easily transportable for long journeys. It was slowly baked in the hot ashes of a fire, or cooked in a Dutch oven, and then eaten with whatever condiments were handy, like slices of meat, golden syrup and a mug of hot, sweet black tea, known as "Billy tea".
Whether it's with Billy tea over an open fire or English tea at the Hilton, Australian cuisine is always an experience - even on an American Thanksgiving table. And whether you're baking in an oven or cookin' over a fire, Dr. Starkey's Damper recipe will work for you.
2 cups self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons butter
Extra flour if needed
Add milk slowly and mix to form a soft dough. Knead lightly on a flour board until smooth. Shape into a round loaf, brush with milk and cut a cross on the top. Place dough in a round pan and bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes. If you're using a campfire to cook, cover with hot ashes and coals and bake for 30 minutes. Gobble it up!