Hello everyone in Switzerland!

I am Kurt Owen Asplin, a kiwi boy born and bred and a good friend of Matthias’.  My main sports and hobbies are rugby, rowing, kayaking, mountain biking, surfing and BYC (back yard cricket). Rugby will be a new sport to many of you Swiss people. It is our national sport, which I have been playing since I was 5 years old. I especially have enjoyed playing it for some top teams in my town. I haven’t had many injuries in rugby but the few I have had, have been pretty bad. My life long friend Ryan Taylor broke my elbow in a game and I have also suffered two concussions. My love for kayaking and mountain biking will take me to the south island next year. I will live in Dunedin, which is in the Otago province. Here I will do a two year course at Otago Polytechnic, where I will be taught how to be an instructor in kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing and orienteering.

Today, we had a good day at school: it was our 3rd to last day of school at Te Awamutu collage ever. It was an interesting day with lots of games and water fights. Matthias really enjoyed playing BYC and he had his first proper kiwi BBQ at my house tonight. Tonight, Matthias, my mum, my auntie, my nana and me played a game of cards and I wiped Matthias and them all. Matthias’ first regatta will take place tomorrow: he will row in an 8 with the other boys. He is pretty nervous for the start, but excited. We will be rowing on lake Karapiro, where the 2010 World Cup for rowing will be held. We may even come up against one of the New Zealand 8’s in the race. It will be a very interesting experience for him. Since last time when Matthias wrote, he has done many things, like a fashion show, the school production, rowing, his speech, started Maori classes and shared some interesting experiences kiwi style!  Matthias was a model at the fashion show, strutting his stuff and walking his way into the town paper (although I made my mum ask a journalist at the paper to put him in). He played the role as a priest at the school production for his drama class. I even helped him practice for the part. We have been discussing what our plans are going to be for New Year’s and Matthias’ birthday. So far it looks like we are going to go to Mount Maunganui and stay at my nana’s house, which should be great fun!! We will be making frequent trips to Pappamoa as well, where my friends the Gray family have a house right on the waterfront at the very end of the settlement. You can’t go any further because there is private forest land. This is a great place for making bonfires and surfing and putting out the long line for fishing. Matthias is excited for this as it will be his first time fishing with a long line.

Well, I hope to see you all in Switzerland one day!

Kurt Asplin, your friendly kiwi boy

• Dezember 2007