world cup junkie
ok, i admit. ive probably only missed around 2 of the 32 world cup matches so far. almost all of those, seen in pubs and bars (and that hidden tv corner in the office). next to germany, new york, perhaps is the best place to be watching the cup. sure, americans aren't that in tune with the biggest sport in the world but thankfully het grote appeltje, er the big apple, has its fair share of fans of the 32 qualifying countries. very nice atmosphere actually. i have not engaged in as much friendly conversation with strangers as much as i have since the footy fest started some 10 days ago. although that's partially coz i probably havent drunk as much beer as well. great opportunity for learning more about other countries as well. now, i can experience first hand how much a sport could actually affect a country's sense of pride, culture and identity. the cabdriver from ghana, the mexican delivery boys, the brasilian girls (nice), the passionate and loud italians, the mostly inebriated brits, over some fish and chips of course, the hopeful yet generally confused americans, red-laden south koreans, etc. everyone seems to live, breathe, sleep world cup. well, that's an exagerration obviously but nevertheless it's a great atmosphere and energy here with the world cup happening. and of course, it helps that clockwork orange has already advanced to round 2. and they face the rampaging argentines on wednesday which should be one of the cup's greatest matches. we'll see how it goes.
to avoid having a football for a head, the past week was also spent on enjoying other forms of entertainment and enrichment. monday night was spent with a couple of filipino friends for burlesque night at the galapagos art space in billyburg. more than erotic, the show was hilarious. lots of skin obviously but done in a tasteful very funny way. very offbeat. great choice for an impromptu night out.
tuesday night was spent enjoying some free entertainment as well. scored a pair of tickets for wordplay, a documentary on the world of crossword puzzle making and solving. quite funny seeing all the characters actually. interesting to see clinton, jon stewart, ken burns, all puzzle-enthusiasts, as well. but of course, they were included to bring some commercial appeal to the indie-released film. but the real star of the show are the quirky everyday puzzle enthusiasts. must-see entertainment.
wednesday night was yet another treat. elvira and siblings had a spare ticket for shakespeare in the park and i was of course up to it, knowing how good those central park plays are and how difficult getting a ticket is. macbeth did not disappoint. liev schreiber (known for scary movie and the manchurian candidate) and the rest of the cast did well. also, seeing the play in an open theater under the backdrop of stars, trees, and um flying airplanes was quite magical. and as always, was nice being surrounded by a group of dutchies (especially that the germany win that day was a good starting point for conversation).
thursday night was all about getting a dose of rough and gritty reality tv. 2 hours of the ultimate fighter with matching spilt blood all over. friday night was more classy with free live contemporary jazz music in central park. very relaxed chill atmosphere again with the thissen siblings. capped off by 2 rounds of beer over lively conversation in elvira's apartment. not sure what it is but somehow it feels like the dutch are some of the easiest people to get along with in the world. heck i was drinking off the same bottle of corona with dutchies whom id only meant once prior.
saturday night was spent walking around the neighborhood church/italian fair. they had a few rides and games. it was quite interesting snapping away at the different characters that had abound. was almost tempted to join one of the games to possibly win a stuffed toy ill never really need anyway. good thing the temptation to spend the money on refreshments instead won.
sunday was spent watching a rented dvd. promises, a very interesting oscar-nominated documentary that chronicles children's views on the conflict between israelis and palestinians. considering how clueless i am with that bit of history and general knowledge, the film proved to be very educational. and it was quite moving too. good thought-provoking film.
now, enough of this crap. must get my sleep. big day tomorrow. england faces sweden. germany faces ecuador. of course, england will win 3-0 on a rooney hat trick and ecuador will beat the crap out of the krauts. but we'll see. hopefully i get to sneak out again for a nice pint or two and enjoy the games at brass monkey.
posted by jason pacheco @ 13:04
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