Think of the instant when all eyes around the world are watching the exact same moment, the exact same shot! The immediacy of it.
Simultaneous excitement or disappointment!
While I was in Dubai, we used to gather for football matches: friends, family, neighbors. It was a convivial moment: a time to share a meal, to argue about France, to discover some random excitement as when Ivory Coast and Brazil played. I even had play dates over for FIFA parties.
Now, in Geneva, except for an invitation to watch Portugal struggle against Spain (needless to say I like Ronaldo), I sit with my kids at home and we cheer for ten! Blackberry in hand I communicate with my husband, cousin and friends in Dubai, my father in France, my brother in Amman, a friend in Zurich, friends who traveled to Beirut, my sister in New York and my brother and sister in law in Los Angeles. We ask questions, answer some, make remarks, notice hot players, send smily faces. They even made a Mondial (note the French name) forum on blackberry.
"Did you see that?" "Goal!" "I don't know! Its full of suspense!"" One of the best games of this mondial!" "I can't deal with this game" "I HATE Uruguay with a passion!""Don't cry for me Argentina!""GERMANYYYY""its a german blitz""Dommage!""The semi final between the Teutonic Knights and Spanish Conquistadors!""So depressed portugal is out and with it the hotties of the world cup".
Regardless of time zone, of TV commentator's language, we are all watching the SAME instant!
I also think of all those I don't bother with my blackberry messages. People I have lost touch with. The random people of my life who are also watching! Ribery, Anelka and Zidane, my heroes are certainly watching and opinionating like we do. This is beyond facebook phenomena!
July 4, 2010
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This Mondial 2010 is for my grandson 's,who is becoming 10 this week.I remember him wanting to be " golar" at his " foot" camp in Geneva five years ago!He did not need to run all over the field,but things have changed. He has become an athlete of a sort: a serious swimmer,an avid sailer on Lake Geneva,a junior gold golfer in Dubai,not to mention
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He backed the French team that lost miserably,and cried disappointed that their winning spree had vanished.He backed other teams that also had to leave South Africa early!I guess this is one way,children learn how to face failure,and learn to deal with it.The "esprit sport if" is a learning curve for the young to benefit from,to learn that as long as you do your best,you are
OK!
You still have Spain to route for! They have hotties. Think Torres, Villa, and Faberga. Nissreen is supporting Germany because she thinks the players are hot! I can't support Uruguay tonight for how they cheated against Ghana! I know they are third world and all but they robbed Ghana (the true representative of the Thid Word) of a place in the semi-finals. The captain of the Uruguay team isn't even latino. He's German!
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