Trying to get caught up in the World Cup Fever
Really, I was trying to make the effort. I love sports and competition, and generally every four years I might watch a little World Cup, follow some of the human-interest stories, and maybe pay attention to one or two interesting Groups. The last World Cup that would be the group that had Korea and Turkey, because two of my co-workers where I was working at the time were Korean and one was from Turkey.
But here I am, in a country where World Cup is taken seriously. Very seriously. Even though China did not qualify, Randy already has had to schedule Saturday morning meetings a little later in the morning so that his employees can watch some of the games.
And of course, since I am in an expat heavy neighborhood, my experience has been mostly limited to what I see and here immediately around me.
First, over by Starbucks in Shekou Sea World, and Exploding Plastic Inevitable--I mean a giant inflated football.
The bars and restaurants have also been seized. Some places have changed the wait-staff's uniform. Instead of tropical print shirts and leather vests, one Brasilian BBQ has changed over to Brasil jerseys. The German microbrewery on top of the ship at Sea World, which is rather expensive and fancy, has their usually formally dressed waiters and waitresses wearing Team Germany skull caps (which go so well with the tuxedo shirts and coctail dresses). All of them are competing for my expat football and beer money.
The kick-off night we ate dinner at McCawley's. We did not take advantage of the free food, including an entire roast pig, that they were already serving FOUR HOURS in advance of the first game. But they are in it for the long haul, advertising all the games they will be open for.
Every bar (well, every bar that isn't a chicken bar and a few non-chicken small bars) in Shekou has installed a big screen or pro-jection screen for at least some of the games and most have ordered satellite feeds for English-language play-by-play. At X-Ta-Sea they have a screen outside.
Despite the plethora of options to watch games among real fans, and my own atempt last weekend even to watch part of the first England game, I have found that they are just on too late for even me, night owl I occassionally am. Last night I woke up to whoops and cheering in the street below my bedroom window. England must have won, I thought, and rolled over and tried to muffle the cheers with a blanket. I didn't know until I got up this morning how close the game actually was. Sounds like it would have been a great game to watch, but sleeping is better.
And, yes, once NFL season starts, and the new bar down the street owned by an American shows the games, I will probably be there if I can't get the games on our cable. One thing that will work in my sleeping favor is that the Steelers are playing a lot of night games this season. That means I only have to wake up for them :-). Hopefully Sharkey's will serve breakfast or I'll be bringing Myles' Cheerios!
But here I am, in a country where World Cup is taken seriously. Very seriously. Even though China did not qualify, Randy already has had to schedule Saturday morning meetings a little later in the morning so that his employees can watch some of the games.
And of course, since I am in an expat heavy neighborhood, my experience has been mostly limited to what I see and here immediately around me.
First, over by Starbucks in Shekou Sea World, and Exploding Plastic Inevitable--I mean a giant inflated football.
The bars and restaurants have also been seized. Some places have changed the wait-staff's uniform. Instead of tropical print shirts and leather vests, one Brasilian BBQ has changed over to Brasil jerseys. The German microbrewery on top of the ship at Sea World, which is rather expensive and fancy, has their usually formally dressed waiters and waitresses wearing Team Germany skull caps (which go so well with the tuxedo shirts and coctail dresses). All of them are competing for my expat football and beer money.
The kick-off night we ate dinner at McCawley's. We did not take advantage of the free food, including an entire roast pig, that they were already serving FOUR HOURS in advance of the first game. But they are in it for the long haul, advertising all the games they will be open for.
Every bar (well, every bar that isn't a chicken bar and a few non-chicken small bars) in Shekou has installed a big screen or pro-jection screen for at least some of the games and most have ordered satellite feeds for English-language play-by-play. At X-Ta-Sea they have a screen outside.
Despite the plethora of options to watch games among real fans, and my own atempt last weekend even to watch part of the first England game, I have found that they are just on too late for even me, night owl I occassionally am. Last night I woke up to whoops and cheering in the street below my bedroom window. England must have won, I thought, and rolled over and tried to muffle the cheers with a blanket. I didn't know until I got up this morning how close the game actually was. Sounds like it would have been a great game to watch, but sleeping is better.
And, yes, once NFL season starts, and the new bar down the street owned by an American shows the games, I will probably be there if I can't get the games on our cable. One thing that will work in my sleeping favor is that the Steelers are playing a lot of night games this season. That means I only have to wake up for them :-). Hopefully Sharkey's will serve breakfast or I'll be bringing Myles' Cheerios!
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