I must admit, I am not a huge sports fan. Sure, I'll go to a game or 2, but it's usually for the day drinking and vendor food. Gross, right? Well, this past weekend was a lesson for me in "superfan 101".
Soccer is a big deal in Korea, and not surprisingly, the World Cup games have been the talk of the school lately. My students ask me what team I'm rooting for. I give a different answer every time. Argentina? Brazil? USA? Korea? Iceland? Wait...Iceland isn't playing? Huh. Imagine that.
To be honest I'm quite offended by most "fans". If you can't name the players, the history, or the stats, you're just like me. Eat a nacho and cheer like you know what's happening.
Anyways, back to the soccer. I don't know much about it. Not enough to pick sides at least. However, being in Korea, surrounded by grandmas, children, adults, foreigners, even DOGS sporting red jerseys and face paint....I didn't have much of an option. So, some temporary tattoos, a red shirt, and some light up devil horns later, I was a fan.
Soccer is a big deal in Korea, and not surprisingly, the World Cup games have been the talk of the school lately. My students ask me what team I'm rooting for. I give a different answer every time. Argentina? Brazil? USA? Korea? Iceland? Wait...Iceland isn't playing? Huh. Imagine that.
To be honest I'm quite offended by most "fans". If you can't name the players, the history, or the stats, you're just like me. Eat a nacho and cheer like you know what's happening.
Anyways, back to the soccer. I don't know much about it. Not enough to pick sides at least. However, being in Korea, surrounded by grandmas, children, adults, foreigners, even DOGS sporting red jerseys and face paint....I didn't have much of an option. So, some temporary tattoos, a red shirt, and some light up devil horns later, I was a fan.
team spirit
Elizabeth and her whistleThe weather wasn't so great, so we skipped the outdoor festivities and headed to our trusty bar, Beer O'Clock. A classy establishment. So classy, that a month prior, we mustered up the best of our livers and took the 10 shot challenge. Being no simple task, the 10 shot challenge isn't for most mere mortals. I am the exception. After hearing I could have my name on a plaque on a wall, I was sold. Soooo, 1o shots of awful concoctions later ( Bacardi 151 with steak sauce on top), I am the proud of owner of some Beer O'Clock wall space. I made it ma!
We got to the bar at 6pm to watch the game and partake in the merriment. Anytime a goal was scored, chaos broke out city wide. Horns and sirens rang, ears bled, and flags were waved. All the crowds chanted "Dae-han-min-guk!", which is basically a formal way of saying "Korea". We hit the streets after the Korean victory just in time to watch mobs of people jump ontop of oncoming cars to rejoice in the win. The crowd broke up when the giant city bus rolled through, but then, the bus driver waved a Korean flag, and the mob swarmed the bus! It was the happiest riot I was ever a part of!
SUV? no problem.
city bus? the specialty!We stayed for the USA v. England game and before I knew it, it was 7am and I was officially a zombie. A zombie that learned a valuable lesson.
Baby oil removes temporary tattoos in bad places.
- C
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