World Cup fever

Like nearly every other country in the world right now, Vietnam is in a frenzy over the World Cup. It's hard to walk anywhere at night and not hear those annoying vuvuzelas and wild cheers coming from the homes of millions of people hooked to the television sets to watch the game. You could ride around Saigon and know when a goal was made--the whole city literally erupts in cheers (minus the Paraguay vs North Korea game. That game was just painful to watch). The next day, it is common to hear people begin their morning greeting with, "Did you watch the game last night?"

It's all very interesting to me, as a complete outsider to this "football culture" that every country seems to be obsessed except our own. I will admit that I have become kind of sucked into it myself. I have been getting lessons on football rules from my cousin, Chanh, whose a football fanatic and whenever I can, try to stay up late to watch a game.

On this day, Argentina and Germany were playing and I happened to be in the middle of Saigon to catch a public viewing. Hundreds of people gathered at this field to watch on a big screen monitor.
Those willing to pay to park went inside the field to watch and those who didn't, stayed on their motorbikes to watch on the outside. I loved the fixed concentration they have on their faces.
The atmosphere was a celebratory one, with people of all kinds all bunched together to watch, mingle, and eat in between goals. It didn't really seem to matter which side people were cheering for (unless they were betting). It was more the gathering of people that lent to the fun mood.

With the World Cup ending soon, this World Cup fever is at its high point and all I can say is...Go Netherlands!

(I am currently in Central Vietnam with limited access to the internet so if I don't update, it's for that reason. Also, sneaky venues to getting on Facebook have been getting shut down so I haven't been able to go on for a while.)