World Cup, Day 1

Ok, I'm trying this again...Blogger ate my last WC post, and I think my anger has cooled enough that I can try again...

So, yesterday was the first day of the World Cup/Welt Meisterschaft (hereafter to be called WC/WM). It was also the date of our last English Dept. Social/Happy Hour. The weather was going to be gorgeous - sunny(!) and warm(!) - so we decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and go somewhere outdoors where we could also watch the match. Seems hundreds of other people had the same idea...

Anyway, my friend S found a spot at one of the places along the Rhine Promenade, where we joined many raucous (mostly German) soccer fans. There were 2 screens set up at this place, and we were equidistant from both. (Other places we passed had set up TVs outside on tables for folks to crowd around.) There was a lot of chanting of German songs and sayings, and really the only time we knew something big had happened was after it had occurred. We just waited for the insane screaming and jumping around. There were many German soccer jerseys, German flags, and painted faces. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I have no pics to show of the evening. But it was quite something to be a part of this, to watch and get caught up in the fervor. I'll get more of a sense of it tonight, when F and I go to watch Sweden vs. Trinidad & Tobago!