Thursday, June 22, 2006

World cup fever

Hell yes, this has been a world wide fever.
I can imagine in Indonesia, my male friends would sit in front of TV every night, have bets, and some even will be bankrupt because of losing too much hahahaha. Eventhough Indonesia is not there in Germany, people are so excited to support their favourite countries (of course excited, it's about money also :p)
Fathers stay in front of TV the whole nights. I read from Kompas.com (indonesian newspaper) that some mothers are now complaining a lot because they don't know where their husbands are. Apparantly husbands prefer to watch the game together with their friends and don't want to be disturbed (most of them said that they forgot to bring their mobile phones hhahahaha).
It is the phenomenon I am familiar with everytime worldcup hits the highest level of people's excitement in my country.

In 2004 I went to India and watched one of the pre-qualifications game there, between Japan and India. There I got the experience being in the middle of football supporters (beforehand, the supporters' image in my hand was only Surabaya's BONEK). There I also assumed that Japanese supporters are like BONEK, with no destructive spirit and much more money. Well,...they flied to Calcutta and stayed at Hyatt or Shangrilla just for watching the game! They even managed to build a new special toilet in the stadium for them hahaha. Anyway, my point is the spirit. They have the same spirit.

I experience another spirit here.
The people here are not only the audience.
They have their team fighting in world cup arena in Germany. One of the only two Asian countries. It's a national issue, national pride, and national fight.
Everybody. Yes, EVERYBODY is supporting. All the TV commercials are now about Korea's football team, all TV shows are now red decorated. I can see people wearing red t-shirt written "Go Corea" or "Victory Corea" or "Go red devil" etc etc. Children and parents, love couples, taxi drivers. Everywhere people are proudly wearing the red t-shirt to support the country. Even in supermarket, all the staffs are wearing similar t-shirts to support their country. Not only in big supermarket. Also in small supermarket nearby my house. This makes me confuse...which one is the staff and which one is the customer? hahaha.
On the D-day, all people seemed watching. Everywhere I go, I can hear the song "VIVA COREA" played loudly on big stereo system. After one goal, I could hear people roaring in excitement (We stayed at the 23rd APT yet still can hear the crowd loudly!)

What about world cup fever in other countries?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHA... DON'T ASK HOW IT IS HERE IN GERMANY!!!
I might not live in one of the cities where the games are held, but SURELY ENOUGH I could feel the spirit and the fever streaming in every blood cell.

Don't ask about decoration, don't ask about flags, yellings, roarings, singings, new arrangements in the cities, new "magic" buildings -- mini stadiums built like the REAL one, huge screens, all equipments that seem to appear out of nowhere, don't ask what it's like for Berlin, last week I was there and you can hardly see the face of the city, it's ALL ABOUT SOCCER!!! Balls are all over the city, and you just can't imagine how crazy, ballistic, and lunatic people get around football.

As for me, I enjoy football, I love watching the games, I've always had, I still do, I have even visited some of the stadiums in the cities even before the game was held, I'd LOOOVE to watch the finals LIVE in the arena (if the tickets hadn't cost damn expensive), but I also love staying at home watching the game on TV with a glass of cold lemon tea and a pack of chips.

The festive is going totally crazy here, but somehow I'd really like to bang those stupid people's heads to the wall just to make them see that : SERIOUSLY GERMANY IS NOT GOING TO WIN THE CUP JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE HOSTING IT!!!! Huahahahahaha... think you can keep the World Cup for yourself just because they are now displaying it in your home???

Well, some people are in some serious fanatism here, and I couldn't imagine what happens if one day, probably in quarter or semifinal, Germany loses! Huahahahahaha, I'm gonna laugh the loudest and the longest!! Some people are just not realistic enough. I guess being a citizen of Indonesia, having a country that NEVER even gets to the qualification of World Cup, somehow makes me more rational about seeing the reality logically, and enjoying the festive, watching the show in a subtle, calm way.

Hihihihihihi. Enough report from Germany??

Anonymous said...

Very interesting to read the circumstances in Korea and Germany.

In Japan, it is same as Korea.
EVERY ONE was in a BIG BLUE FEVER.
(Blue is the colour of Japan National Team, and they call them "SAMURAI BlUE".)
Last night, Japan lost the game and it means Japan failed to reach the final game.

But, I am one of the very minor group as a Japanese.
I do not have an interest on Footballs, so I don't see the TV, nor cheer for the Japanese National Team like others.
And so I am treated as unpatriotic by them. Hahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

Oz... people would drive with a flag of the Socceroos in their cars... :D When Socceroos play... no matter what time of the day it is... people would watch, even if it means sitting or standing in cold... in a park... :) in the middle of the night or early in the morning... :)

The bosses are told to take it easy on the employees everytime the games are on... :D since it is being broadcasted live from Germany... so... it could be like 4:30am AEST... :D

Anonymous said...

wahahaha...sooo sheila!!!

hey thanks guys...
knowing what is happening in Germany, Japan and Australia is really really interesting (^__^)

Anonymous said...

there is an interesting story behind the reason why they call it Corea instead of Korea....do you know why?

Anonymous said...

i hate football!

and because of worldcup i can no longer watch other programmes on TV cause my housemates monopolize it for the worldcup!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Vini,
hmmm the one i know is that korean thought that Japanese changed Corea into Korea during World war II (they said it's because of alphabetical reason, japanese doesn't want "Corea" to appear first on world event like olympic). That's why now the Korean who hate Japanese want to change back Korea into Corea.
Well, for me those Korean just can't forget about the past imperialism of Japanese over their country. They kept finding reason to blame Japanese.
Why can't they just think about future instead of past all the time? :))

Carla,
so perhaps you can start watching football then? hahahha

Anonymous said...

NFW. hehehehe (tau kan artinya? :D)

Anonymous said...

NFW... NFW...
No... F.... Way... ???
No Football Way?
No Friendly Way?
No Fun Way?
No F***ing Way??

Turns out the last one is the most suitable explanation for your NFW, Carla. Hahahahahahahaha.

Sorry guys, I just can't help it ;-)

Anonymous said...

Also your NFW, ella! heheheheh

Anonymous said...

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