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You are here: Home » All Blacks year by year » 2014 » 2014 All Black tour Diary » First day in Nanjing
13 August 2014
You all know probably what a long flight is like. Today's from Wellington-Auckland-Guangzhou-Nanjing was little different to the norm. Tedious boredom, bad movies (surprisingly), not much sleep, food OK and a rush from terminal to terminal not really sure if I was headed in the right direction.
But hey! I'm here in Nanjing and I have traveled well. The only thing is - my baggage has not traveled so well! It ain't here - lost somewhere in the wilds of China? Who knows?
So here I sit in a very nice hotel in Nanjing and I am reminded of that funny story the cricket commentator Bryan Waddle tells from time to time.
One time on a cricket tour of the West Indies Bryan arrived in Kingston, Jamaica and the local airline had lost his baggage. Bryan got in a cab in a bit of a grouch. And only carrying his airline briefcase. Today I understood that feeling.
Apparently Waddle's cab driver was one of those eternally cheerful cabbies, always whistling, laughing and being bright and happy. As Bryan tells the story their first conversation went something like this;
Cabbie; 'Hey man welcome to sunny, beautiful bright Kingston!'
Wads; "You might think that but your airline has just lost my baggage! Probably right now its in some place like - bloody Guatemala!'
Cabbie; 'Guatemala? Hey man you been to Guatemala?'
Wads; 'No I have NOT!
Cabbie; 'Well then! Look on the bright side sir! Guatemala is a lovely place - your baggage is one up on you!'
Wads tells the story much better than me but I was reminded of it today. I doubt mine has gone to the Caribbean but it could have gone to Chongqing, Kunming, Qingdao or even Shenyang. All those places and hundreds more are flying locations here in China!
But I'm confident things will turn up and soon I can get out of these traveling clothes. If you've ever had misplaced baggage you'll know what is like too!
A couple of other things while I wait in my room. The weather here today is shocking! It is hosing down full tilt. I wouldn't be surprised if there is flooding. Still it was 34degrees here yesterday so it only has to stop and the summer will return I guess.
Meantime thanks also must go to all of the volunteers who whisked me around the airport today. Young boys and girls maybe in their late teens and early twenties - all desperate to help a clearly struggling traveler. It even got to the point where a ride to the hotel in a bus was out of the question for me apparently. They must have felt sorry for me because after a time of wonder a black limo slid up at the kerbside and I rode to town through the rain in glorious style.
Only trouble was the driver and me - with language difficulties - said not one word to each other all the way in!
Talk to you here tomorrow!
(First impressions; Nanjing looks a very nice place!)
Comments 0
All four tests were won by NZ. On this day the 4th test went to the home team by a whopping 38-6 in Auckland.
SHARP, RICHARD
Wasps, Bristol, Cornwall and England
14 internationals for England 1960–67
2 internationals for British Isles 1962
The pale-complexioned, blond-haired flyhalf who was seen as England’s and the Lions’ ready-made replacement when Bev Risman ‘went north’.
Sharp actually broke into the England team in 1960, before Lions star Risman had followed his father to rugby league, and took full advantage of the established player’s injury. He struck a swift accord with Dicky Jeeps and was considered the key to England’s Triple Crown success, kicking a critical dropped goal against Ireland, and another against Scotland.
The following season, indecisive England selectors couldn’t choose between the two talented men available, so played both, Risman at inside centre until he turned professional.
That gave Sharp an unchallenged position, for all that 1959 Lion Phil Horrocks-Taylor was still playing, but his international career was effectively to end within little more than a year. A smashing tackle early in the 1962 Lions tour of South Africa put Sharp out of action until midway through the tour, though he recovered to lead England to a championship win in 1963.
That was his international career, save for a brief return – also as captain – when England went down heavily to Australia in 1967. Sharp was not called on again.
He later became a journalist, covering rugby for the Sunday Telegraph, and was awarded the OBE in 1986.
Which international rugby player who went to two Rugby World Cups also won two Olympic Games Gold Medals and 2 World Championship bronze medals in a chosen 'other' sport?
What do you think?
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