Legally Loud!

Joe had his 18th birthday yesterday, which means he's legally a grown-up now! (Yes, it's 18 now, and no longer 21!) At 18 he is ready to conquer the world. I must admit, the young man in this slideshow is a different person to the 15 year old that I went to meet at the airport just over 2 years ago, when he first came to New Zealand. He admits that he has a much wider view of the world now, is more tolerant of diversity, and knows that kids from all over the world are fundamentally similar in their thinking. Also, he has become a hard-working and confident young man, who has a clear vision for his future.

The kids that came to the party were such a nice bunch of young people, and although several of them are old enough to drink, they were well behaved - even when tipsy - polite and full of energy. We had a good mix as there were kids from New Zealand, South Africa and a number of Brits, including some exchange students. The party ended with the Bokke playing their fabulous match,and giving the All Blacks a hiding - much to Joe's delight! (This was by 4:30am in the morning - so we old folk didn't get much sleep!) I went to bed long before the match, but heard it all happen - from the rather off-key Nkosi S'kelele at the start of the match to the 'Yes, Bokke' and 'Go Bokke go!' at the end! Yes, and they did slip in 'De La Rey' too!

For the family and friends that couldn't be here with Joe, enjoy the slideshow!