QUAFL Cup 2011: a selection of the funny shots

Why yes I am playing inter-university Quidditch in Sydney this Saturday, how did you guess?

The Quidditch Universities of Australia Federation League (QUAFL) Cup


Dear Muggle,
We are pleased to inform you that you that the QUAFL Cup, the very first inter-university Quidditch tournament of its kind in Australia is here! Come along and watch as over 5 teams from across NSW and the ACT compete for honour and glory in a sport that many Harry Potter fans have fantasised. 
Featuring entertaining, action-packed matches between teams from UNSW, UoN, UWS, UoW, and ANU, expect an epic clash of bludgers, brooms and pride.

For those of who feel like they've been hit with the Confundus Charm when thinking how a sport like this could possibly work, Muggle Quidditch is best described as a mix of European Handball and dodgeball with a human snitch!

Come along and support...
A competition where competitors would rather prefer a bruised arm then a bruised pride...in a sport only suited to those who can keep up with up to four different balls flying around or at them...in an arena where only those who fear fear itself are tolerated, and those who don't, are told to grow some Yule balls.

Which team will rise from the ashes to claim the Cup & become inaugural champions? Will their matches be more one-sided than a Snape versus Lockhart duel?
Will there be a beater so feared that they deserve the moniker "Death-Beater"?
And which Snitch runs faster than Snape confronted with shampoo?

Games begin at 9am on the 26th November, and the finals end when the snitch is caught (by 6pm so we can grab some dinner).
During the lunch period, food and butterbeer will be on sale, and a limited number of spectators will also have the chance to compete in a few friendly Quodpot/Quidditch games from 12-1, & 3-4pm.

Watch teams with more spirits than the Great Hall in Hogwarts, more strategy than Wizards Chess, and more enthusiasm than the Creevey brothers battle it out on the pitch, all for free!
There are no tickets, so we encourage you to invite anyone and everyone, from mudbloods to elves.
Spectators are invited to brings folding chairs or blankets to ensure they have a comfortable place to view some of the finest quidditch Australia has to offer.

Interested sponsors, media, and volunteers, we await your owl at the following address: unswquidditch@gmail.com

Competitors, it's BYOB. Bring your own brooms of requirement, polish your handles and clip your twigs. Brooms up!

Be there or be squib!
UNSW Quidditch Society
QUAFL Cup Organiser (Mischief Manager) - Justin Chau

P.S. PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

of Quidditch & Kites

Yesterday was a pretty cool day. I got to hang out with three different groups of people that I don't usually, and it was great. 
First was the Kite Party 350, organised by a friend and her climate change club. We were joining in with groups all over the world, simultaneously having some fun in the sun & raising awareness about climate-y stuff. I borrowed two kites from a friend, and after nearly an hour untangling them, had some awesome flying fun. One of them required a bit of resourcefulness to get going (a stick for a new spine), and behaved like a particularly swoopy magpie the whole time, but that just added to the excitement. It was cool meeting some of Em's AYCC friends.
Someone did take photos, but I don't have any, so you'll have to accept this one of another Kite Party:

Emily also baked cupcakes. yum :)


Then I ran off to play Quidditch. We had lots of fun racing about in a couple of muckaround games. Less competitive didn't equal less injuries, however, as I still gathered a few scratches, a lump on the head, and a bludger to the face. My neck also made an interesting crunching sound when one of my own teammates sailed into me (he was aiming for the guy I was blocking :P) - but it seems to be ok today.


Then we just hung out and talked about Quidditch and the obvious fact that the only quantity in which to purchase bacon is "shitloads", and where all of the closest maccas are - all interspersed with lashings of pop culture references (most of which I'm sure went straight over my head) and sydney accents. Happy days.


Then it was off to help the Miskos move house. I was rather late by now (yes I did say I got caught up playing Quidditch - how fun that it's actually true!!) but at 4pm they were still eating lunch so the timing wasn't so bad, really ;).
So we packed and moved and swept and unpacked - all with the entertaining presences of the lovely Pip and many tall young men with booming voices. 
[Jo: "What appears to be me helping my parents move is in actual fact me obtaining a new desk, bookshelf, guitar, books, jigsaw puzzles, bed, keyboard and piano accordion"].


Most of them kept going into the night but I made my escape in the downpour around 10.

Good work guys!!


ps. Photo update:

Crazy Quidditch Finals Night Extravaganza

Waitwaitwait is this the first quidditch post I've ever done?!? I was planning one ages ago, must have forgotten. I shall have to do a general informative one soon.

BUT FOR NOW, the finals.

We came into the finals night ranked 4th out of 5 teams. We had to win 3 games to get into the grand finals.

So we played the Dirigible Plums, and beat them pretty convincingly. Then after a bit of a break we played the Death Eaters - our previous nemeses - because, shock horror, they were beaten by the Fizzing Whizbees in the Qualifying semi!! It was a close one. As was our game against them - we were neck & neck but our super-seeker (on his debut night) managed to snatch the snitch & bring us a win.

Then we were up against the Fizzing Whizbees. This was another close and messy game. In fact, it's all getting a bit blurry in my memory, as they were all fairly close and messy. ha. Anyway, the snitch came out, our seeker got bludgered and had to go back to the goals, the other seeker kept going but was soon taken out by a beater from our team. They headed back to the goals, the snitch headed that way as well, the seeker doubled back and got him, and the whistle blew.

Most of us thought that was the end. Except for our beaters and a couple of the refs, who argued that the opposing team's seeker had never fully gone back to his goals before darting back after the snitch. So the snitch capture was canceled and the game continued, finishing with a snitch capture by our seeker!! So we won! Crazy unexpected.

But now we were in the grand finals. Up against the Whomping Willows. They had a couple of ace chasers who slammed in 5 goals before we could counter any. We got a couple, then they got another, then we got another, and so on (I got 3 - woot! good passing from Chris) until the score was something like 80-60 their way, us still with a chance of winning if we got the snitch. But we didn't. The Whomping Willows remained undefeated the entire tournament!!

Either way, it was well fought by everyone. A lot of controversy, a lot of crashes (I was sent flying several times - no pun intended ;), and lot of fun. All the things that make Quidditch AWESOME.

And after 4 games in the one night, I am sooooooooo ready for bed.

the day I died and other stories

Twas the night of our housewarming, several moons ago (ok maybe two), right on 6pm (the official party-beginning time) and I was in my room preparing myself to receive guests( ie trying to find clean clothes to wear) when I hear a knock at the door. And a strange voice.

"Hi, I'm a friend of Josiah's, I was meeting up with him here". Oh ok. Didn't know Josiah was coming tonight. And inviting a friend. Random.

One of my friendly housemates invites him in. He takes a seat and they make awkward conversation.
I come out, introduce myself, sit down. The penny still hasn't dropped.
Conversation begins again, I look away, and all of a sudden I'm being poked in the arm with a plastic card by mystery man.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! That means he's my assassin*. That means I'm dead. Why the heck did they let him in?!?!?!?!?!

That was my head voice.
In reality I wailed 'oh no!', laughed dolefully, and offered him a drink. He declined, and took himself off soon afterwards, the dirty deed accomplished.

Apart from the grisly start, it was a great night.

There was sushi:

And fire:

(photo courtesy of Em)

The other stories?

Well, we had a Passover celebration, with as much Jewish tradition as we could muster. Rich and thought-provoking.


And our clothesline got squashed by a giant branch:

(photo courtesy of Mandie)

I should really have a good rave about Postcolonial literature and lamb-eating and bike-riding and QUIDDITCH. especially quidditch.
Maybe another time..


*uni-wide game of Assassin. You kill your target by hunting them down and touching them with a card.