So-o, Soccer
I watched the Netherlands-Japan game tonight with Mama Fumie, who also likes soccer. We had a bit of a discussion at first, because one was Japan, duh, and the other was... Sweden? North Europe, somewhere. We got that across. But Oranda sound more like Orlando than Holland, IMHO. Iceland? Ireland? Some weird Japanese other-name for Norway? But no, Holland.
I'll be the first to admit that my interest in soccer is entirely frivolous. Am I watching it for the symphony of motion, the great display of skill, the excitement of competition, the violence? Uh, no. I am watching it for the pretty, and for the ridiculous huggy-ness of soccer players. This was an excellent game for both those things. Lots of pretty, and then it rained. People, if you watch soccer for the pretty, watch that. One of the Japanese team and one of the Holland team must've been great friends, because they hugged regularly. :D And then every time someone fell down, the person they collided with picked them up and was all 'hey, daijobu?' or whatever it is they say in Holland. Except that one time the guy fell down, where a whole bunch of players came over and sort of slapped him on the back in a 'are you all right?' sort of way while he was rocking on the ground, his face a rictus of pain. Uh, no. Not all right. Which reminds me of the time the guy tripped over the other guy and was all OW IT HURTS and then the stretcher came and they poked his foot and asked if it hurt. You could see him say 'DAMN RIGHT IT HURTS' or something of that nature.
But man, the Japanese team is pretty. Not that the Nederlands were any short of pretty (oh, my, no, some of those men were fine), but they - were not quite as pretty as the Japanese team. Nor quite as polite about setting people on their feet again. (high-speed leg-tangling collisions, whereupon the players lie upon each other on the ground, and then get up holding hands and dust each other off. DOES IT GET MUCH BETTER IN SPORTS? I THINK NOT.)
And, you know, soaking wet. And... there were these long cylindrical orange things the Netherlands supporters were waving around. With little wrinkly protuberances on the end. I can't find a picture yet, but, um.
Oh yeah, the Netherlands won 3 - 0.
I'll be the first to admit that my interest in soccer is entirely frivolous. Am I watching it for the symphony of motion, the great display of skill, the excitement of competition, the violence? Uh, no. I am watching it for the pretty, and for the ridiculous huggy-ness of soccer players. This was an excellent game for both those things. Lots of pretty, and then it rained. People, if you watch soccer for the pretty, watch that. One of the Japanese team and one of the Holland team must've been great friends, because they hugged regularly. :D And then every time someone fell down, the person they collided with picked them up and was all 'hey, daijobu?' or whatever it is they say in Holland. Except that one time the guy fell down, where a whole bunch of players came over and sort of slapped him on the back in a 'are you all right?' sort of way while he was rocking on the ground, his face a rictus of pain. Uh, no. Not all right. Which reminds me of the time the guy tripped over the other guy and was all OW IT HURTS and then the stretcher came and they poked his foot and asked if it hurt. You could see him say 'DAMN RIGHT IT HURTS' or something of that nature.
But man, the Japanese team is pretty. Not that the Nederlands were any short of pretty (oh, my, no, some of those men were fine), but they - were not quite as pretty as the Japanese team. Nor quite as polite about setting people on their feet again. (high-speed leg-tangling collisions, whereupon the players lie upon each other on the ground, and then get up holding hands and dust each other off. DOES IT GET MUCH BETTER IN SPORTS? I THINK NOT.)
And, you know, soaking wet. And... there were these long cylindrical orange things the Netherlands supporters were waving around. With little wrinkly protuberances on the end. I can't find a picture yet, but, um.
Oh yeah, the Netherlands won 3 - 0.