Thoughts on the World Cup:
Largely unbeknownst to most of you back in America, the largest international sports event (besides maybe the Olympics) is happening in Germany as I speak. The World Cup, which runs from June 9-July 9 pits football (soccer) teams from 64 countries against each other in a quest for the world championship. Games happen at 10 cities around Germany--Stuttgart included--and for each game, fans flock to the cities by the thousands decked out in their country's colours. To give you a sense of scale, we're talking over 100,000 extra Germans in Munich last night for the Germany-Sweden game, and probably more than 10,000 Swedes. Most don't actually get to go to the game, but everywhere in the city there are big tvs set up.
Yet despite European's ferverent support of their countries, the World Cup (from all I've seen) is a predominantly friendly competition. Fan of both teams watch the games together, and a few lone swedes in a sea of red, yellow, and black have little to fear except sounding rather pitiful in their rivaling chants. (and being deafened when Germay scores!!) The brits have a reputation for going crazy, but all the brits I've met so far have been quite friendly--if not more than a little drunk (the beer flows freely aorund the games). I think this is the classic case of a minority ruining the reputation of the majority.
So I guess my point is that the World cup is an amazing example of how people from around the world have come together for a common love (Or craze... depending on your perspective). On the S-bahn coming home tonight, I was sitting near some (exuberant) Brits and Italiens. Even though they could barely speak together, they were belting out songs together like none other: The universal language of football.
PS... Germany won the game vs Sweden 2-0, which puts them as part of the final 8 countries. Deutschland fur Weldmeister!
Largely unbeknownst to most of you back in America, the largest international sports event (besides maybe the Olympics) is happening in Germany as I speak. The World Cup, which runs from June 9-July 9 pits football (soccer) teams from 64 countries against each other in a quest for the world championship. Games happen at 10 cities around Germany--Stuttgart included--and for each game, fans flock to the cities by the thousands decked out in their country's colours. To give you a sense of scale, we're talking over 100,000 extra Germans in Munich last night for the Germany-Sweden game, and probably more than 10,000 Swedes. Most don't actually get to go to the game, but everywhere in the city there are big tvs set up.
Yet despite European's ferverent support of their countries, the World Cup (from all I've seen) is a predominantly friendly competition. Fan of both teams watch the games together, and a few lone swedes in a sea of red, yellow, and black have little to fear except sounding rather pitiful in their rivaling chants. (and being deafened when Germay scores!!) The brits have a reputation for going crazy, but all the brits I've met so far have been quite friendly--if not more than a little drunk (the beer flows freely aorund the games). I think this is the classic case of a minority ruining the reputation of the majority.
So I guess my point is that the World cup is an amazing example of how people from around the world have come together for a common love (Or craze... depending on your perspective). On the S-bahn coming home tonight, I was sitting near some (exuberant) Brits and Italiens. Even though they could barely speak together, they were belting out songs together like none other: The universal language of football.
PS... Germany won the game vs Sweden 2-0, which puts them as part of the final 8 countries. Deutschland fur Weldmeister!
posted by Jon Hiller at 22:35
2 Comments:
Ja! Deutschland gewinnt gegen Argentina! Nächste kommt die semifinals!
Julian, mein Deutsch ist besser nach zwei woche aus Deutschland, aber ist immer nicht gut. Menschen spricht sehr schnell hier, und ich verstehe nur ein bisschen wenn leute gespräch normalerweise. I can do alright when people are talking directly to me though, as long as it is not too technical.
That's awesome you got to see three games! Your father mentioned it when we met up last week... I think it was right during one of the games you were at. You are not the first one I've heard say that the World Cup has been very good for German pride. Sehr gut!
Good luck with tests, and I am looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks!
~JON~
For those not speaking German, the first paragraph of my last post mentions that Germany just won against Argentina (a very hard team) and advances to the semifinals. Deutschland fur Weltmeister!!
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