Riot

On Thursday 29 May, walking from the youth hostel to the Noumea square at about 3pm on our way to the supermarket, we found a band with huge speakers setting up in the rotunda, the locals setting up stalls and unloading van loads of produce and nic naks. There were local sausage hot dog stands, balloons and candy floss, but the stalls were roped off with everyone waiting with cajin type music adding to the party mood.
We moved off to the north and at the next intersection could see smoke over the block ahead which included our supermarket and riot police with helmets padding shields and holding batons, blocking the far side of the intersection.
We turned left towards the harbour and then the locals said "No , don't go, come back".
Sometimes a little slow on the uptake I caught on and grabbed the group and we made our way back the way we came. By the time we reached the square and walked up the street to the staircase up to the hostel the riot cops had moved level with the square's northern intersections. The group at the top intersection, 2 above the square - about a dozen, now had their tear gas guns and vests with plenty of canisters. I pointed at the stairs next to them and gave the thumbs up to the boss who nodded and away we went.
Others in our group were about 10 minutes behind us said that as they moved up (east) through the square they heard pops and saw two smoking canisters arch over their heads and burst in the packed square.
They started running, and coughing.
An Aussie at the hostel showed me video footage of a car burning and a large fire he filmed about a block further than we had walked. He said he saw another guy with a video attacked by locals wearing bandana masks so he stopped filming and hopped it.
I can't find any reference to any of this incident on google . Then again the french don't fuck around.

Bleat , bleat, bleat

I'll get it off my chest then shut the ...

When we first arrived in Noumea I said there would be three types of teams here. The scraped together odds and sods, those without birth certificates and the kiwi teams. Good coaching, practice and attitude will get you so far but sheer talent is a numbers game, just look at the England v NZ cricket test result.
Congratulations Black Caps on the 1 dayers .... proving I don't know shit.

Zizou ! Zizou ! Une..et Deux...et Trois Zero !

The U12 parents thought we were going to miss out when the buses left us at the kid's ground, then Beatrice the Oceania Admin Officer said she would see what she could do. At 8000 francs a ticket we hadn't been asked for a cent.
After a couple of calls on her mobile she gets picked up by the FIFA Citroen and disappears down the street with about 30 minutes to the 5.30 scheduled kick off.
About 25 Auckland, Wellington and Waikato parents and a couple of kids stood around going "This isn't looking good". At least a couple walked towards their hotel.
Bad move.
Then Phil the lawyer makes a call and says "The bus will be here in 5". We jumped in, powered past the armed and riot police (another blog to follow on them)in to the bus park behind the stadium. Beatrice appears and ushers us right in to a half empty area close to the field where we meet up with the u12 teams and the show begins.

Fantastic skills. 8 - 2 but they were giving a demo of the beautiful game playing with Keryn Jordan and co.
The little guy didn't get his hat signed by the great man despite chasing him down the tunnel.
"He was with you !"